Episodes

“Sapiens is an idea, first of all, that we can perform at a high level and at the same time work in harmony with our biology.” - Jan Philipp Martini Have you noticed some people seem to thrive under pressure while others slowly burn out? What if stress isn’t the enemy but the secret ingredient to lasting performance? In this episode, I sit down with Jan-Philipp Martini, founder and CEO of Sapiens, to explore what really happens when ambition collides with biology. Jan shares how his own health ...

“The stress I carried slowed me down — I couldn’t think clearly, and I didn’t recognize myself anymore.” - Martin Redigolo What if the very thing that makes you successful is also what’s slowly breaking you down? In this episode, I sit down with design and business leader Martin Redigolo for a raw, honest conversation about stress - not just the kind that keeps you up at night, but the kind that shapes you as a leader. From the high-intensity worlds of Deloitte, BCG, and Manion to his personal ...

“People do change - sometimes by choice, sometimes by necessity, but always through connection.” - Winnie da Silva Can people really change? Or are we just fine-tuning the version of ourselves that already exists? After 20 years of coaching and consulting leaders, I still find myself coming back to this question because it’s one that sits at the heart of every transformation story I’ve ever witnessed. In this final episode of my 20-year celebration series, I’m pulling back the curtain on what I...

“Leadership isn’t about how much you do. It’s about how we think, how we connect, and how courageously we act on what really matters.” - Winnie da Silva Is the biggest lie you’ve been told about leadership the one you’ve been telling yourself? The one that says your worth as a leader is measured by how much you do - how productive, busy, and available you are. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on one of the most common and costly leadership lies: that doing determines your value. I’...

“Every challenge you face builds your leadership muscle for the next one.” - Winnie da Silva What makes someone take a leap with no safety net - and end up building a life and career more meaningful than they ever imagined? Twenty years ago, I turned down two job offers, quit my job, and had no real plan - just an 18-month-old baby, a husband between startups, and a mortgage. Looking back now, it was one of the best (and scariest) decisions I’ve ever made. In this episode, I open up about that...

‘’What’s inspiring is seeing MBA students shift from seeing leaders on a pedestal to realizing leadership is about collaboration and bringing people along.” - Gerard Beenen Do the next generation of business leaders think about leadership in a totally different way? What if it wasn’t about authority, charisma, or titles - but about building trust, creating clarity, and inspiring people to move together toward something bigger? In this special bonus episode, I sit down with Gerard Beenen, profes...

“If you’re not listening to your customers, to your students, to your users, then you run the risk of using generic best practices that work in situation X, but might totally face plant in situation Y." - Elliot Felix Is the future of higher education about piling on more programs, services, and systems, or about focusing on what truly helps students succeed? And how often do colleges and universities leap to solutions before asking what students actually need? In this episode of Transformativ...

“For leaders today, the question isn’t just how to sustain our institutions, but how to create reasons for hope in the field.” - Gwendolyn Freed What does it really take to step into the presidency of a college during one of the most complex and challenging times for higher education and the arts? And how do you lead with both strength and hope when the pressures - political, cultural, and financial - are constantly shifting? In this episode of Transformative Leadership Conversations, I sit do...

“In higher education, success can’t always be measured in numbers. Leaders are shaping something far more enduring: global citizens who will contribute to the world.” - Winnie da Silva What happens when the very institutions built to shape future leaders are suddenly shaken to the core? Higher education is facing pressures unlike anything we’ve seen before - political battles, the rise of generative AI, ongoing questions of safety, and cultural divides that threaten its very purpose. The truth ...

“People with ADHD aren’t asking for sympathy. They’re saying: here are my pain points and here’s what I need in order to be successful.” - Amy Shilliday What if the very traits we often label as “challenges” are actually hidden superpowers? And what would it look like if leaders truly understood how to support neurodivergent employees - not just to cope, but to thrive? In this episode of Transformative Leadership Conversations, I sit down with Amy Shilliday, a learning experience designer, neu...

"ADHD isn't a weakness or a superpower. It's just an operating system. And when you learn how to work inside your own operating system, you can actually become a power user." – Stephanie Scheller What if the quirks of your brain weren’t obstacles to overcome but the foundation of how you build teams, businesses, and even your own self-confidence? What if the very things you thought were holding you back in leadership were actually the key to leading better? That’s exactly the kind of reframing...

"When we understand how our minds work—and honor the minds of others—we lead better." - Winnie da Silva What if everything you’ve been told about ADHD only told half the story? What if the very traits that make it hard for you to stay on task could also be the ones that make you an incredible leader? In this opening episode of my ADHD and leadership series, I’m diving into what ADHD really is, how it shows up in the workplace, and why understanding it matters for every leader - whether you have...

"Immigrant entrepreneurs are powerful at reframing. Reframing rejection. Reframing failure. Reframing their past." - Dr. Neri Karra Sillaman What if the hardest chapter of your life - the one where you lost everything - turned out to be the thing that shaped you into the leader you were always meant to be? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Neri Karra Sillaman, whose journey from child refugee to Oxford professor and global entrepreneur is nothing short of incredible. Her work has appeared in BBC...

"An unconventional entrepreneur has been hustling before the idea even came. It's their way of life." - Arjita Sethi What if the thing that makes you feel like an outsider is actually the reason you're built to lead? In this episode, I talk to Arjita Sethi - an immigrant entrepreneur, educator, and founder of New Founders School. From growing up in Delhi and helping run a school with her mom at 16, to building a startup in Silicon Valley while navigating the U.S. immigration system, Arjita’s st...

“There is a knowing in me that beneath that cultural layer, we’re the same. It sounds so obvious, but it has made me show up in different ways.” - Anna Gudmundson What does it really take to lead with purpose when you’re building a life - and a business - in a country that’s not your own? In this episode, I sit down with Anna Gudmundson, CEO of Sensate and a global tech entrepreneur whose story spans six countries and countless transformative lessons. We explore what it means to lead as an imm...

“Immigrant entrepreneurs navigate challenges, build thriving businesses, and show us what leadership can look like when resilience and reinvention go hand in hand.” What if the real secret to America's success isn't who was born here, but who chose to come here? In this episode of Transformative Leadership Conversations, I discuss the powerful and often overlooked role immigrant entrepreneurs play in shaping not just our economy but our national identity. As we celebrate America’s 249th birthda...

“Leadership isn’t about being perfect or popular. It’s about making decisions, taking responsibility, and developing the skills that allow us to show up with courage and confidence.” - Lorraine Connell Are we unknowingly holding kids back by tying leadership to titles, popularity, and perfection? Could our entire approach to teaching leadership be setting young people up to fail before they even begin? In this episode, I sit down with Lorraine Connell, former chemistry teacher turned teen lead...

"All leaders should be leading with kindness and empathy and respect for other people, which in general, I think means by leading with example." - Aradhna da Silva  Could the clearest vision for future leadership come not from boardrooms, but from high school classrooms? In this episode, I flip the mic and turn to the next generation. After speaking at my daughter’s high school career day, I invited students to share their raw, unfiltered thoughts on leadership - what it is, what it isn’t, a...

“If we’re serious about developing the next generation of leaders, we have to be just as serious about questioning the models we’re handing down.”- Winnie da Silva Is Gen Z quietly rewriting the rules of leadership - and are we even paying attention? Seventy-two percent (72%) of Gen Z would prefer a non-managerial path to career advancement. They see leadership roles as too high stress and low reward. In this episode of Transformative Leadership Conversations, I talk about how our next generati...

"I think we overestimate the importance of knowing and underestimate the power of listening." - James Misner What if the biggest thing holding back real change is the way we try to create it? In this conversation of Transformative Leadership Conversations, I speak with James Misner — a leader, storyteller, and deep thinker who challenges how we show up for others, especially those on the margins. His perspective is both disarming and inspiring. James pushes us to rethink our assumptions about h...

‘’Even in a non-profit context, issues of sharing power and mutual respect and dignity are essential and not universal.” - Rebecca Vander Meulen What does it take to lead with courage, clarity, and compassion when the systems around you collapse—almost overnight? In this episode of Transformative Leadership Conversations, I speak with Rebecca Vander Meulen, Executive Director of the J.C. Flowers Foundation. Rebecca has spent over two decades working in global health, faith-based development, an...

"The need for leaders who fund, champion, and drive social causes has only intensified — we need them now more than ever." - Winnie da Silva What if the most powerful leadership lessons aren’t coming from boardrooms—but from leaders fighting for dignity, justice, and community impact? In this episode of Transformative Leadership Conversations, I explore stepping beyond the walls of traditional leadership and into the world where return isn’t measured in revenue, but in real human impact. As som...

"You combine the gender wage gap with the work breaks, what you get is a retirement account that has less money in it at the point of retirement. And then we outlive men.” - Jean Chatzky What if the way you feel about money is more powerful than what you actually know about it? Managing money is not about being perfect — but just about building the right habits, over and over again. In this episode of Transformative Leadership Conversations, I’m joined by Jean Chatzky — financial journalist, be...

"You cannot negotiate against yourself. Ask questions, gather data, be prepared—but don’t assume the answer before you even start the conversation." - Gini Dietrich What if the thing holding you back from making more money… is you? In this episode of Transformative Leadership Conversations, I’m chatting with Gini Dietrich, a seasoned PR pro and the founder of Spinsucks. Gini’s not just a business owner, she’s someone who’s learned the hard way about money, confidence, and leadership. From a to...