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.

In this inspiring episode of Unleashing Your Great Work, Dr. Amanda Krowl is joined once again by the brilliant AJ Harper — author, ghostwriter, teacher, and mastermind behind “Write a Must-Read.” Together, they dive deep into what it means to do truly great work, the power of creative collaboration, and the emotional resilience needed to keep going when the writing gets hard.

AJ shares how her great work has evolved from ghostwriting bestselling books to empowering authors to finish (and flourish in) their own journeys. From writing sprints to trusting collaborators, to finding your voice in a noisy world, AJ brings wisdom, integrity, and serious inspiration.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why helping people stay in the game is at the heart of AJ’s current great work
• How to build trust in collaboration — and why it’s really about trusting yourself
• The difference between creative abundance vs. scarcity mindset
• What to look for in a collaborative partner (values, roles, vision)
• How community can be a game-changer for writers

Learn more about AJ Harper, her book and her offerings:

ajharper.com

writeamustread.com

AJ Harper's book: Write a Must-Read: Craft a Book That Changes Lives―Including Your Own

AJ Harper is an editor and publishing strategist who helps authors write transformational books that enable them to build readership, grow their brand, and make a significant impact on the world. As ghostwriter and as developmental editor, she has worked with hundreds of authors, from newbies to New York Times bestselling authors with millions of books sold. AJ teaches her method in Top Three Book Workshop and the Must-Read Editing Workshop. She is the Head Writing Coach for Heroic Public Speaking, the premier speaker training program created by Michael and Amy Port. She is writing partner to business author, Mike Michalowicz. Together they’ve written nine books, including Profit First. AJ is the author of Write a Must-Read: Craft a Book That Changes Lives--Including Your Own.

In this heartfelt and insightful episode, Amanda interviews visual storytelling expert John DeMato, who shares how his journey from behind the scenes of daytime television to behind the camera helped him discover and share his own great work. John specializes in photographing speakers, coaches, authors, and other experts—not just capturing what they look like but revealing who they truly are.

We talk about:

• The deep emotional impact of branding images
• Why great photos aren't about looking perfect
• How mindset and personal growth influence how you show up in your images
• John's personal story of transformation and how loss catalyzed his pivot into entrepreneurship
• What it means to create a portfolio of images that dances
• The real reason your favorite image might not be the most effective one
• Why your visuals should reflect not just what you do, but who you are

📸 John also shares a powerful message: “It’s not about you—it’s about them.”

🧠 This episode is a masterclass in authenticity, storytelling, and showing up for your audience with heart.

johndemato.com (newsletter signup is at the bottom of the page)

John DeMato is a visual storytelling expert who specializes in photographing experts—speakers, trainers, coaches, consultants, and authors—capturing a wealth of genuine moments and emotions that elevate their authority and credibility. John’s work helps his clients prove what they say by capturing them in genuine ways, creating a visual narrative that resonates with their audience.

Through a combination of strategic planning and expert execution, John collaborates with his clients to build compelling image portfolios that demonstrate who they are, who they serve, and how they solve problems. He also empowers them to strategically implement these visual assets across their entire online presence, visually punctuating the sentiment behind every story they tell.

A former talk television producer for NBC Universal’s Maury, John brings over 24 years of experience behind the camera, working with Hall of Fame speakers and emerging talents alike, helping them deliver their transformational message to the audiences that need to hear it most.

What if your money struggles aren’t a moral failure—but a systems problem?

In this powerful episode of Unleashing Your Great Work, Amanda Crowell sits down with Anne Lester, retirement expert, author of Your Best Financial Life, and former Head of Retirement Solutions at JP Morgan.

Anne is on a mission to remove shame from the conversation around money—and to help rising leaders take control of their financial futures. Drawing from her own story and decades of experience, she shares how our financial habits are often the result of wiring, not weakness, and offers practical tools to help you “move the door” and change your financial outcomes.

Whether you're just starting your career, hitting your stride, or wondering if it’s too late to start saving—this episode is packed with wisdom that will change the way you think about money forever.

• Why shame and fear are keeping people stuck in unhealthy money habits
• The power of behavioral economics in understanding your financial decisions
• How to set guardrails that make saving and investing easier
• How a metaphor to “Move the Door” can transform your life and finances
• Why Anne left a successful, high-profile career to follow her Great Work

Links:

AnneLester.com

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/savesmartwanne/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/savesmartwanne/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@savesmartwanne

Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@savesmartwanne

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/savesmartwanne

In this episode of Unleashing Your Great Work, Dr. Amanda Crowell takes us on her personal journey from going it alone to embracing collaboration as the key to success. She shares hard-earned lessons about the six levels of collaboration and how moving beyond solo work can unlock greater impact, creativity, and fulfillment.

If you've ever hesitated to ask for help or believe you must do it all yourself, this episode is for you!

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why being a lone wolf can only take you so far
• The six levels of collaboration and how to move through them
• How delegation is the first step to real transformation
• Why trusting experts can elevate your work beyond what you imagined
• How audience feedback and innovation shaped the second edition of Great Work

Resources & Mentions:

• Great Work: Do What Matters Most Without Sacrificing Everything Else (Link)
• Write a Must-Read by AJ Harper (link)
• Amanda’s past episode on being a lone wolf (Link)
• Amanda’s online classes (Link)
• Connect with Amanda: [Website] | [LinkedIn]

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On this episode, we dive deep with Jill Paider—an award-winning photographer turned astrologer—who shares how astrology became her ultimate tool for self-mastery and creativity.

If you’ve ever felt like something big was shifting in your life but couldn’t quite put it into words—this episode will give you a whole new perspective.

Listen now and discover how to align with your true strengths.

Jill Paider is an astrologer focused on self-mastery for creative entrepreneurs. She is an award-winning photographer, bestselling author, and founder of Gilliard Moshe, a publishing agency.

@jillpaider

www.jillpaiderastrologer.com

www.jillpaider.com