Have you transcended the transactional? Host Chris Schembra’s guest on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times embodies the abundance that flows from giving without the constant expectation of receiving in return. Galen Hair, a highly successful plaintiff’s attorney, speaker, author and podcaster, has built his practice around a purpose-driven approach to both law and service. The outcome? Prosperity, yes. But yet more importantly Galen and his team at Insurance Claim HQ are working for cli...
Apr 03, 2023•48 min•Ep. 224
Do you know your four key quadrants and how to bring them into balance? On this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, Host Chris Schembra welcomes back best-selling author Robert Glazer, who is taking us inside his Elevate framework. As the founder of Acceleration Partners, he and his team provide clients a unique framework through which to optimize the core capacities foundational for healthy, thriving enterprises. You’ll come away from this lively give-and-take with concrete steps for resto...
Mar 30, 2023•38 min•Ep. 223
Dear You! On this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times an immigration activist and legal powerhouse teaches us how to write letters to the selves we intend to become. Hillary Walsh, President and Founder of New Frontier Immigration Law, explains how this simple tool can help us determine – and then manifest – the things we want to be, do and have. It starts with articulating a vision – then identifying the week-by-week, month-by-month steps necessary to make it a reality. It’s exactly this ki...
Mar 21, 2023•45 min•Ep. 222
What is it about building wealth that is so fraught? As we learn on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, our relationships with money are deeply rooted in narratives that map back to our childhoods and often are mired in confusion or trauma. Lifting the veil on our complex dance with financial planning, respected industry leader Jamie Hopkins, Managing Partner of Wealth Solutions at the Carson Group , is sharing with Host Chris Schembra the framework on which he has built his latest bes...
Mar 13, 2023•47 min•Ep. 221
As Host Chris Schembra reminds us at the close of this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, it’s never too late to learn something new – IF we’re willing to take a pause, step back and offer ourselves grace. And few people embody this practice more vividly than his guest, Allison Hare, who is redefining what it looks like to be a so-called late bloomer. As the host of “Late Learner,” a popular podcast (formerly known as Culture Changers) that explores what it means to open up to new things a...
Mar 07, 2023•41 min•Ep. 220
Passionate. Smart. Honest. Nice. These may not be your typically hard-charging business terms but for Chris Jackson, President at Stream Realty, they are bywords for long-term growth and success. As Host Chris Schembra’s guest on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times explains, the commercial real estate powerhouse has long prioritized a human-centric approach – with amazing results! Chris sand his team at Stream foster not only a healthy workplace culture but resilience and retention of t...
Feb 27, 2023•35 min•Ep. 219
As Chris Schembra’s guest on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times demonstrates every day, bringing an attitude of gratitude to the sales process fosters the kinds of quality relationships that are foundational to long-term success. Alex Ridder, VP for Global Accounts at The Adecco Group in Switzerland, has helped make the $20 billion-a-year global recruitment company the powerhouse that it is by emphasizing connection. And there’s nothing squishy about it! As you’ll hear highlighted thro...
Jan 12, 2023•42 min•Ep. 218
What if everyone’s overarching go-to-market strategy were kindness? Well, for Host Chris Schembra’s guest on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, it’s a concept that has been central to building a $200 million company. CEO Sam Jacobs launched Pavilion, his membership-based leadership community, after coming to a deep understanding of something very basic: We start to gain when we learn to let go. He is sharing with us the human-centric elements that are foundational not only for success...
Dec 23, 2022•47 min•Ep. 217
This episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times features Josh Golden, CMO at the marketing powerhouse Quad, who is unpacking his special brand of digital marketing and communications magic. It’s no coincidence that he has blazed a trail by making transformational inroads at legacy companies like Xerox, Ad Age and NBC Universal. As he explains to Host Chris Schembra, Josh believes “when you connect people together and are a positive influence, they kind of want to do hard things!” This consummate co...
Dec 21, 2022•40 min•Ep. 216
Even though he ran the sprint as a member of the track team at Cornell, Chris Schembra’s guest on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times looks at life as a marathon. Steven Izen, the hugely successful entrepreneur behind Lokai bracelets with meaning and plant-powered Elements Drinks, shares insights into how he has taken a personal obstacle (dyslexia) and leveraged it as a superpower and why giving his team time off on Fridays is good for both individual and corporate health. This far-rang...
Nov 30, 2022•39 min•Ep. 215
The data are in – and impressive! Plant therapy is incredibly healing, a documented anxiety reducer that can even ease depression. What is it about the power of putting our hands in the soil? Host Chris Schembra’s guest on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times illuminates the magic ingredient: The gratitude we cultivate when we stay in the present moment, which is the core mission of Founder Donna Letier’s experiential gardening company, Gardenuity . A hit especially with corporate leader...
Oct 17, 2022•34 min•Ep. 214
SUMMARY Is your wounded inner child still in charge of your emotional playlist? Maybe it’s time to update the soundtrack of your life! Host Chris Schembra’s amazing guest on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times has developed a powerful program based on an interesting trifecta of tools for growth. As Susan Drumm explains in her new book, "The Leader's Playlist: Unleash the Power of Music and Neuroscience to Transform Your Leadership Style and Your Life," when paired with our most authenti...
Sep 26, 2022•46 min•Ep. 213
SUMMARY If you’ve ever struggled with the idea of meditation, try this out: How about no beads, no sitting cross-legged, no chants or ashram journeys? The transcendental practice developed by Host Chris Schembra’s guest on this episode of the Gratitude Through Hard Time podcast speaks to all of us who want to embody our deepest visions but find our busy minds get in the way. Vishen Lakhiani’s practice, "The Six Phase Guided Meditation," skips the things that make mindfulness a challenge – especi...
Sep 20, 2022•38 min•Ep. 212
SUMMARY Curiosity. Care. Compassion. Connection. As we learn on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times with Host Chris Schembra, these words define Kapil Sharma’s highly successful career as a leader known for bringing out the best in his teams. As Chief Transformation Officer at Microsoft India, he has brought home tools and lessons learned over 12 years living abroad in order to pay forward to others – particularly those who are fearful or marginalized. Throughout his career Kapil has se...
Aug 29, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 211
The stars align on this episode of the Gratitude Through Hard Times podcast when two Italian empaths get together for a conversation about mentorship, leadership and personal growth that happens to coincide with the 7:47 Club’s seven anniversary. Host Chris Schembra welcomes Matt Tedesco, VP & General Manager for Americas East at the iconic furniture design company MillerKnoll, for a lively give-and-take about his passion for coaching and unique approach to group engagement and retention. It...
Jul 27, 2022•50 min•Ep. 210
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." This proverb is old but will always ring true. In this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, Chris welcomes David Goldstein, the Founder and Creator of Opportunities at TeamBonding, the leading creator and provider of virtual, hybrid, and in-person team building events. Listen in as Chris and David discuss the power of play, team building, creating opportunities, and developing a mindset of gratitude to propel your life forward. “We need to get to...
Jul 27, 2022•51 min•Ep. 209
Sarah Fern is Chief People Officer of Velocity Global, a global Employer of Record organization with over nine hundred employees scattered around the globe. Fresh off the heels of a $400 million Series B, they are one of the world's leading firms as an employer of record. Employer record organizations help with global expansion. They help with global hiring, timely and accurate payroll processing ongoing compliance with local labor laws, additional HR related tasks, in layman's terms that you're...
Jul 05, 2022•51 min•Ep. 208
The Colorado Business Hall of Fame says this of the 2008 inductee: “Harry Frampton has made developing some of the world’s premier ski resort towns an art form. Combining keen business sense with a respect for culture and sport, Frampton works to provide visitors and residents of these bustling towns with a well-rounded experience.” The founding partner of East West Partners is also a principal of Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate, putting him in the center of virtually every significant d...
Apr 04, 2022•47 min•Ep. 207
Shannon is the Chief Executive Officer of Beacon Pointe Advisors, the largest female-led Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firm in the country serving private clients, foundations, and retirement plans. Prior to launching Beacon Pointe, Shannon served as Senior Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at Roxbury Capital Management and oversaw the socially responsible investment (SRI) platform for several years. Shannon is a member of the CNBC Financial Advisor Council and is regularly featured...
Mar 21, 2022•42 min•Ep. 206
Teams and businesses all over the world are growing. And having a growing team means that the culture changes every time somebody new is added, hopefully for the better. New additions mean the dynamic within team change, creating either positive or negative friction. As a leader, you have to absorb these things and drive the business forward. You have to have a passion for the people and want to do genuinely good for them. Gareth Giles Knopp has a passion for people. Gareth is a British skeptic,...
Feb 15, 2022•40 min•Ep. 205
What do astronauts, Olympic champions, and Nobel laureates do differently that allows them to achieve at such a high level? High achievers share the same four attributes: intrinsic motivation, perseverance, strong foundation, constantly learning through informal means. The key to their success is that they do all four of these things simultaneously. Ruth Gotian’s latest book, The Success Factor, outlines the approach that individuals aspiring to improve their performance can adopt. Dr. Ruth Goti...
Jan 25, 2022•42 min•Ep. 204
Planning for the end of your life is like pre-gratitude. Pre-gratitude in the sense that it's going to happen, it's going to hurt; how do you make something beautiful out of it? Sandy Gibson has the solution for making death into something beautiful by creating a better place than the traditional cemetery. Sandy Gibson is the Co-Founder and CEO of Better Place Forests , a sustainable alternative to cemeteries for families who choose cremation. When Sandy was a young boy, he lost his father to a ...
Jan 18, 2022•59 min•Ep. 203
Leaders of today have had to reevaluate where and how they do their business. How they used to lead may not be as effective in our ever-changing virtual world. Heather Hansen O’Neill knows that the ‘office’ resides within you and that you can lead from wherever you are. With the right tools and strategies, your leadership can evolve with the times. Heather is an international keynote speaker, behavioral expert, author of Find Your Fire and Teams on Fire! and co-author of Where’s the Office?Movin...
Jan 11, 2022•28 min•Ep. 202
It can be hard to slow down enough to consider long-term goals in our fast-paced world. Especially when social media constantly shows us the successes and accolades of everyone we know. But to create a meaningful life, we need to slow down enough to reflect on the past and prepare for our future. Dorie Clark teaches us to play the long game to reorient ourselves to see the big picture. Dorie has been named one of the Top 50 business thinkers in the world by Thinkers50, and was recognized as the ...
Jan 04, 2022•44 min•Ep. 201
The world is riddled with uncertainty and challenges. We can let the uncertainty crush us or let the uncertainty propel us. One way to use uncertainty to propel us is to lead with humanity by giving grace, empathy, and understanding to the people around us. Monica Pool Knox knows how critical leading with humanity is. Monica Pool Knox oversees LivePerson's global human resources strategy — including leadership development, organizational effectiveness, talent management, total rewards, talent ac...
Dec 14, 2021•41 min•Ep. 200
Belonging is often described as a feeling of security, support, acceptance, and inclusion. In addition, it's directly linked to decreased turnover, reduced sick days, and increased performance. People who feel like they belong want to show up because of each other. It's not the work that inspires people; it's the commitment to a shared purpose and community. Esther Raphael knows how powerful an inspired community can be. Esther is the Chief Marketing Officer for Intersection, responsible for lea...
Dec 07, 2021•37 min•Ep. 199
You can heal your trauma. Whether your trauma is unprocessed or you're using it to fuel you, you can heal and live in a place of contentment, joy, and peace, where you create healthy relationships and success in business. Faith Jones not only healed her trauma but overcame it to go from surviving to thriving. Faith Jones is a lawyer, activist, entrepreneur, and business advisor. She began her career as an attorney with Skadden Arps representing clients in a wide variety of cross-border corporate...
Nov 30, 2021•49 min•Ep. 198
Do you think that you are living in a dress rehearsal? This is a one-act play called your life. What kind of role do you want to play? Because you don't get to do this again. The genesis of living a meaningful life is knowing what success means to you and stripping away the obligations that are no longer in service of that meaning. Of course, success is about more, but it's not about the more we think. Success is more of what matters. Karen Mangia knows the true meaning of success and how you ca...
Nov 23, 2021•41 min•Ep. 197
Life is all about trial and error. Therefore, it's vital to try as many new things as possible in order to discover what you really want to do in life. By chasing fulfillment over pleasure, you'll create a rich life while pleasure will bring you an empty life. Tyler Wagner knows the value of chasing fulfillment and traveling down the path that's right for him. Tyler is the founder of Authors Unite and a #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author. In this episode, Tyler shares the wisdom he's lear...
Nov 16, 2021•45 min•Ep. 196
Every single person deals with down moments in life. Yet, it's in those hard times where our legacy is forged. So don't look at those challenging times as problems; instead, become a problem solver. Welcome difficulty into your life and navigate through those storms. You are in total control, do not blow with the wind. Lt Col Dan Rooney knows that flying into the wind is how he creates an impactful legacy. Lt. Colonel Dan "Noonan" Rooney is a fighter pilot with three combat tours in Iraq, a PGA ...
Nov 15, 2021•44 min•Ep. 195
