Episode Title: [Choose from suggestions below]

Guest: Dr. Gina Cox — Organizational psychologist, executive coach, and author of Leading Inclusion.

Summary:

Dr. Gina Cox returns to explore the power of respect in transforming workplaces and society. In this candid and timely conversation, Gina shares her Respect Ethos Framework, explains how respect fuels innovation, and reflects on how societal shifts have redefined her “great work.” Whether you're a leader, collaborator, or change-seeker, this episode will inspire and challenge you to think deeper about how we human.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What it truly means to be seen, heard, and valued
• Respect vs. DEI: what's missing in traditional models
• How fear shuts down innovation and collaboration
• Why leaders must go beyond performance to focus on human experience
• Respect as a form of activism and resistance

For over 20 years, Dr. Gena Cox, an organizational psychologist, executive coach, and thought leader, has guided business leaders in building psychologically healthy cultures. Gena’s R-E-S-P-E-C-T Ethos™ framework helps leaders grow profitable businesses, enhance their leadership impact, and break down barriers to employee collaboration and innovation. Gena is named to the prestigious Thinkers50 Global Top 50 Coaches list and has earned many awards as the author of Leading Inclusion. She writes about the intersection of psychology and leadership for top-tier media, including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Forbes. Gena earned her PhD in I/O Psychology from the University of South Florida.

Opt-In: 25 Ways Anyone Can Help Build A Culture of Respect - https://www.genacox.com/25ways

My POV & research page: https://genacox.com/respect/

Latest Forbes article about respect: https://www.forbes.com/sites/genacox/2025/05/06/7-ways-to-win-respect-as-a-power-advantage-when-stakes-are-high/

Connect with Gena: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genacox/

Guest: Julie Ellis, award-winning entrepreneur, author of Big Gorgeous Goals, and podcast host of Figure 8

Summary:

Julie Ellis returns to Unleashing Your Great Work for a lively and insightful conversation about building businesses, setting Big Gorgeous Goals, the necessity of collaboration, and how trusting others is essential to growing your great work. Julie shares her journey from co-founding Mabel's Labels to launching her own coaching and authoring career, emphasizing why solopreneurs must overcome lone-wolf tendencies to truly thrive. Amanda and Julie explore how leaders evolve, the tough lessons of delegation, and how peer support can be a game-changer.

Topics Discussed:

• Julie’s transition from corporate life to entrepreneurship
• Why women entrepreneurs struggle with setting and achieving big goals
• The power of systems, processes, and people in business growth
• How trusting your team leads to greater expansion
• Building and relying on a network of peers and mentors
• Frameworks for decision-making and leadership development
• Julie's Big Gorgeous Goals workbook and its practical approach

Julie Ellis is an author, keynote speaker and leadership coach to corporate leaders and scaling Entrepreneurs. Julie provides her unique experience and expertise to her coaching clients, gained through 25 years of working first in the corporate world, and then as a leading Canadian entrepreneur. She is a co-founder of award-winning Mabel’s Labels, one of Canada’s greatest small business success stories.

Julie’s book, Big Gorgeous Goals is written for women entrepreneurs who want to step out of the small box they find themselves in and set world domination in their sights. In discussion with over a dozen women entrepreneurs, Julie explores their stories of why and how they have achieved great things in their lives and careers, and pairs that knowledge with her own stories of how she built, grew, and sold her business to a giant in her industry.

Website: www.biggorgeousgoals.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-ellis/

Instagram:

www.instagram.com/thejulieellis

www.instagram.com/biggorgeousgoals

Episode Title: The Neuroscience of Collaboration & Great Work with Dr. Catherine Franssen

Guest:

Dr. Catherine Franssen – Neuroscientist, Educator, and Advocate for Preventative Mental Health

Episode Summary:

In this transformative conversation, Dr. Catherine Franssen joins the podcast to discuss the science behind stress, connection, and collaboration. Drawing on her background in neurobiology and decades of research, Catherine shares why building a "wolf pack" is not only beneficial but essential for mental resilience and peak performance. From oxytocin and mirror neurons to the myth of the lone genius, this episode is a must-listen for anyone striving to do meaningful, impactful work without burning out.

Topics Covered:

• Why stress and burnout are signals, not flaws
• The myth of the “lone wolf” and the neuroscience of human connection
• The role of oxytocin and mirror neurons in collaboration
• How loneliness registers as physical pain in the brain
• Small steps for lone wolves to ease into collaboration
• How to foster trust and avoid common collaboration pitfalls
• Using biology to build better teams

Resources Mentioned:

• Dr. Franssen's website: franssenstrategies.com
• Connect with Dr. Franssen on LinkedIn

https://www.franssenstrategies.com/

Dr. Catherine Franssen is passionate about teaching high achievers how to use practical strategies, backed by science, to improve productivity, performance, and well-being. She received her Ph.D. in neurobiology from the University of Chicago and has thrived at multiple universities over the past two decades. Her collaborative research over the past two decades has appeared in prestigious academic journals as well as popular media outlets. Her areas of expertise include stress management, mental health, and neurodiversity.