Why Your People Come Before Your Strategy | Glen Gunderson

From Corporate Burnout to Founder | Jen Roth

In this episode of Leadership Matters, Jen Roth, founder and CEO of Blue Sparq Marketing and founder of Wise Blue Yonder, joins host Kaylee Thomsen for a candid conversation on resilience, entrepreneurship, and embracing change. Jen shares how watching her father close his small-town CPA practice shaped her values, how a lifelong chronic illness taught her that resilience is a choice, and why she left a stable agency career to help people with disabilities travel the world. She also opens up about navigating AI's disruption of marketing, what leaders consistently get wrong about change management, and what gives her hope in the next generation. If you believe transformation starts with curiosity, this one is for you.

Let the Life Dictate the Job | Kristi Piehl

In this episode of Leadership Matters, Kristi Piehl, founder and CEO of Media Minefield and author of Flip Your Script, joins host Kaylee Thomsen for an honest conversation on reinvention, resilience, and the power of storytelling. Kristi shares her journey from Emmy-winning TV journalist to communications strategist, how losing her job became the gift that changed everything, and what leaders and brands consistently get wrong about showing up authentically. She also opens up about navigating her son's cancer diagnosis and how it transformed her perspective on leadership, gratitude, and what it means to do work that matters. If you believe your story has the power to move people, this one is for you.

Stop Selling, Start Serving | LeBrent Speed

In this episode of Leadership Matters, LeBrent Speed, speaker, entrepreneur, and relationship and revenue strategist, joins host Kaylee Thomsen for a deeply personal conversation on relationships, purpose, and what it truly means to lead with people at the center. LeBrent shares his journey from repeated failure in business and relationships to building B3, a community for Black entrepreneurs and authentic allies, and B3I, a youth entrepreneurship initiative changing lives in Minnesota. He reflects on how loss, hardship, and unexpected friendships shaped his worldview, why relationships are the foundation of everything, and what leaders are getting wrong right now. If you believe people are the key to everything, this one is for you.

Why Your People Come Before Your Strategy | Glen Gunderson

In this episode of Leadership Matters, Glen Gunderson, President and CEO of YMCA of the North, joins host Kaylee Thomsen for a wide-ranging conversation on purpose-driven leadership, whole person well-being, and building community in a divided world. Glenn shares the defining moments and crucibles that shaped his leadership journey, why vulnerability took him a decade to embrace, and how the Y is evolving from swim and gym to a force for whole community well-being. He reflects on leading across six generations, the role of AI in advancing social impact, the decline of third places, and why he believes love and service will ultimately win out. If you lead with purpose, this one is for you.

The Loneliness Nobody Warns Leaders About | Barb Krantz Taylor

In this episode of Leadership Matters, Barb Krantz Taylor, co-principal and executive coach at The Bailey Group, joins host Kaylee Thomsen for an honest conversation on loneliness in leadership. Barb explores why leaders at the top so often feel isolated, how to navigate the fine line between oversharing and undersharing, and why transparency doesn't mean letting it all hang out. She reflects on the shifting expectations of modern leaders, the power of naming your emotions, and why replacing "I should" with "I could" might be one of the most freeing shifts a leader can make. If you've ever felt alone at the top, this one's for you.