Former Nike VP Dirk Van Onsem reveals why the "Scaling" system is failing and how he moved from corporate burnout to regenerative leadership. 🌍

Are you stuck in a "scaling" trap that’s destroying your returns? Most leaders are trapped in a mindset that wastes talent and resources.

In this episode of (un)conventionally excellent, Dirk Van Onsem (founder of Beyonders Collective) shares his vulnerable transition through "The Unknowing" to build resilient, planet-positive communities.

🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• 👧 The Daughter's Question: The moment a child’s question about climate change forced a Nike VP to quit.
• 🇧🇷 The Brazil Shift: Transitioning from European boardrooms to a biohub in Brazil.
• 👤 Shadow Leadership: Why the "perfect executive" image is a barrier to real innovation.
• 📉 The Scaling Myth: Why expanding large businesses is often the opposite of regeneration.
• ❓ Unassuming Leadership: Moving from "having answers" to "asking the right questions."
• 🌿 The Bioeconomy: How Dirk is building a Biohub in Mallorca to restore local ecosystems.
• 💰 Regenerative Finance: Prioritizing resilience over exit-based growth.

Timestamps:

00:00 – "We are running out of time"

03:00 – The “(UN)word” Effect: Personal leadership evolution

07:08 – Unassuming: Leading by asking questions

11:01– Traditional vs. Participatory Leadership

14:30– 25 Years of Nike Leadership Lessons

25:39– Walking Away: Leaving a global giant

28:45– Unknowing: Navigating burnout and the "empty space"

31:15– Applying Corporate Skills to Climate Action

52:10 – Building a Regenerative Business Ecosystem

55:10- The Challenges of Nature-Based Funding

01:01:00- Collaborative Purpose: Finding investors passionate about sustainability

01:07:18- The Critical Question: "What happens if we don’t do this?”

01:08:24- Starting Something New: ‘Our time is now.”

01:10:46 - Ask Dr. Alison: Guest Q&A

01:16:00- The (UN)wrap

Connect with Dr. Alison Schmidt:

• Website: www.unconventionllc.com
• LinkedIn: Dr. Alison Schmidt
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dralisonschmidt/

Connect with Dirk Van Onsem:

• Website: Beyonders Collective
• LinkedIn: Dirk Van Onsem
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyonderscollective/

🎵 Special thanks to DJ Doug Jackson for the (un)conversations theme song.

What does it cost to lead at the highest level? Jess Bass Bolander (SVP at Lockton) joins Dr. Alison to discuss the "unhealed eight-year-old," the weight of leadership, and why staying at the table is the only way to impact change.

If this episode resonated with you, please Follow the show and Save this episode to your library.

In Season 2, Episode 3 of (un)conversations, we explore the mental load of high-stakes leadership. Jess shares her journey from a "scrappy" start in the insurance industry—pivoting from a path in law—to becoming a Senior Vice President. She reveals how childhood survival triggers show up in the C-suite and why emotional intelligence is a leader's most critical tool.

Topics Explored

• The (UN)word Effect: Exploring (UN)breakable, (UN)relenting, and (UN)afraid.

• Executive Leadership: Managing high-stakes responsibility and burnout.

• Women in the Workforce: Why we must stay in the game to move the needle.

• Mentorship & Advocacy: The power of having a champion in the room.

🎯 What You’ll Learn:

• Why "If you're not at the table, you're on the menu."

• Navigating childhood survival triggers (The Unhealed 8-Year-Old) in the office.

• The transition from Law to Business: Lessons from a major career pivot.

• How to manage the mental load of executive decision-making.

• Real-world lessons on building trust-based cultures at Lockton.

Timestamps00:00:00 The Reality of Executive Pressure: Why Leadership Has Weight 00:00:02 Episode Teaser: Childhood memories and financial independence. 00:01:06 Introduction & Welcome: Jessica Bass Bolander, SVP of Lockton. 00:01:52 The (UN)word Effect: Reflecting on the leadership journey. 00:04:49 (UN)word #1: (UN)breakable – Overcoming childhood turbulence. 00:07:53 The Pivotal Moment at Age 13: A commitment to self-reliance. 00:09:10 Early Career Hustle: From waitress to SVP. 00:09:27 Leadership Philosophy: Treating everyone like a star. 00:12:01 (UN)word #2: (UN)relenting – Persistence in adversity. 00:15:18 Pivoting from Law to Business: The "scrappy" start in insurance. 00:29:43 (UN)word #3: (UN)afraid – Motherhood and career risk. 00:30:46 Balancing Executive Roles and Motherhood. 00:33:15 Building Culture at Lockton & with clients. 00:39:09 Mental Health in the Workplace: Breaking the taboo. 00:44:50 The "Unhealed Eight-Year-Old" in the Workplace. 00:46:30 Advocating for Women in the Workforce. 00:55:34 Ask Dr. Alison: Guest Q&A. 00:58:45 Final Thoughts: Defining your own success. 01:00:56 Closing Remarks & DFW Community Impact.

🔗 Connect with Dr. Alison Schmidt

Website: www.unconventionllc.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-l-schmidt-phd-bcc/

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

🔗 Connect with Jess Bass Bolander

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jess-bass-bolander-63213114/

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

A special thank you to DJ Doug Jackson for composing and producing the official (un)conversations theme song: https://soundcloud.com/dougjackson

WATCH NEXT: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4KPvkdKXs5bRRUZfjMAhCF?si=qwJK0__UROGReRUazlELeQ

Tariffs, supply chain disruption, and global manufacturing chaos nearly shut down this hardware startup overnight.

If this episode resonated with you, please Follow the show and Save this episode to your library.

In this episode Season 2, Episode 2 of (un)conversations, Dr. Alison Schmidt sits down with Carina Hamel, founder of Bivo, to unpack how sudden tariffs, COVID-era supply chain shocks, and manufacturing realities in China forced real-time pivots—and nearly cost the company everything.

Carina shares how Bivo disrupted the $300M cycling and hydration industry by engineering a high-flow stainless steel bike bottle, solving long-standing problems like slow flow and plastic taste. This is a raw founder story about building a physical product, navigating global trade policies, hardware manufacturing challenges, and supply chain disruption.

From moving manufacturing operations across continents to making high-stakes decisions that defined the company’s future, this episode is a masterclass in hardware startup and consumer product brand, supply chain resilience, and founder leadership.

Whether you’re launching a physical product or managing global supply chains, this conversation is packed with real-world lessons.

Inside This Episode

🚴 The $3,500 Tariff Shock: How sudden international trade changes forced Bivo to pivot instantly
🚴 The (UN)word Effect™: Why being unbounded, unapologetic, and unrelenting is a founder superpower
🚴 Engineering “The Flow”: Designing a gravity-fed system to solve slow-flow and plastic taste problems
🚴 Global Manufacturing Reality: Scaling a brand from Vermont to a city of 16 million in China

Timestamps:00:00:04 Carina Hamel (Bivo): A $3,500 Tariff Nearly Killed Her Startup | Founder Story00:00:05 Episode Teaser00:01:14 Introduction to Carina Hamel & Bivo00:01:40 First look at the Bivo bottle: Design & collaborations00:02:48 The “(UN)word Effect” in leadership00:03:12 From Nordic skier to entrepreneur00:04:08 Running a global footwear agency00:04:24 Executive coaching & co-founder dynamics00:06:23 Why leadership coaching matters00:08:11 Growing a brand00:25:56 Losing the athlete identity — becoming a founder00:31:43 Manufacturing in China: risk, reality & tradeoffs00:32:19 Solving the “plastic taste” problem00:34:46 The 20% Rule & unbounded thinking00:42:07 COVID-19 & supply chain collapse00:50:56 Serendipity in Dallas00:55:18 The tariff that nearly shut Bivo down00:58:34 Quality vs. manufacturing hurdles00:59:00 Ask Dr. Alison01:04:12 Why choosing the harder route pays off

Connect with Dr. Alison Schmidt & Unconvention:

Website: www.unconventionllc.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-l-schmidt-phd-bcc/

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

Connect with Carina Hamel & Bivo:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carina-hamel-46787a11/

Shop Bivo: https://drinkbivo.com

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

A special thank you to DJ Doug Jackson for composing and producing the official (un)conversations theme song: https://soundcloud.com/dougjackson

🎧 Call to Action:
Love this episode? Follow (un)conversations on Spotify to never miss a founder story.
Save, share, or comment with a hard decision that paid off—Carina and Dr. Alison would love to hear it.