#184: When Values Are Just Words

#184: When Values Are Just Words

Integrity isn’t a quote on a wall, it’s a cost you’re willing to pay in real life. In this episode of Finding the Upside, I’m naming the tension I can’t unsee lately: the growing gap between what we say we value… and how we actually live. And I’m not just talking about “out there.” I’m talking about the subtle moments where we defend what we’d never tolerate, stay silent when our voice matters, or call something a “value” while choosing comfort instead. We’re in an era where values look beautiful on websites, culture decks, and framed lobby posters–but trust is built (or broken) in the decisions nobody claps for. So I’m breaking down what integrity really requires when it’s inconvenient, what “values in action” looks like inside teams and organizations, and why culture isn’t what you say—it’s what you tolerate. This episode is part mirror, part reset for all of us; and critical for leaders. I’ll walk you through the gap that erodes trust, the everyday behaviors that will reveal what we actually stand for, and a challenge to what’s damaging your credibility personally and professionally. Press play and let’s close the gap, one decision at a time… because the upside lives on the other side of awareness and alignment. Here’s a quick look at what you can expect from today’s episode… * [0:23] Integrity is THIS * [3:32] Values Don’t Count When They’re Easy * [7:12] THIS Is the Problem  * [8:15] Here’s Your Challenge * [9:13] The Upside Isn’t About Being Perfect Episode Show Notes   Maria DeLorenzis Reyes | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/themariadr/]  Maria DeLorenzis Reyes | Facebook⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/MariaDeLorenzisReyes/]   Maria DeLorenzis Reyes | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariadelorenzisreyes/]  Maria DeLorenzis Reyes | Website [https://mariadr.com/] Maria DeLorenzis Reyes | Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@mariadelorenzisreyes] If you’re ready to dive deeper and level up your learning beyond the Finding the Upside episodes, sign up for the Business Leaders Hub! [http://go.businessleaderhub.com/join] Get access to exclusive content, resources and tools, and a community built to help you accelerate to the next level. It’s all waiting for you  HERE [http://go.businessleaderhub.com/join]. Want to scale your business to the next level? GET SCORED NOW [https://mariadr.scoreapp.com/]  My Scale Factor Formula™ Scorecard takes just 5 minutes and will give you a custom scorecard for your business. Get your Business Scale Ready Score HERE [https://mariadr.scoreapp.com/].  What kind of leader are you? Unlock your leadership potential with The Rebel Leader Assessment! Take the Leadership Skills Quiz HERE! [https://rebelleader.scoreapp.com/]  Thanks for tuning into Finding The Upside! If you enjoy listening to our podcast, we would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave us a rating and review HERE [http://www.anchor.fm/maria-delorenzis-reyes]. Your feedback is important to us and will help us improve our content and reach more listeners like you. Post a screenshot of you listening on Instagram & tag us @themariadr so we can thank you personally! Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the Finding The Upside podcast! Don’t miss out on future interviews with special guests plus bonus episodes! Follow now [http://www.mariadr.com/podcast]!  Never miss a show…get the goods delivered directly to your inbox!  CLICK HERE [https://mariadr.com/podcast/] and find “Email Me New Episodes” at the Bottom of the page.

#183: First Drafts of Change: Cassandra Lennox on Unlocking the Power of Writing

Every one of us carries a story that was never meant to stay unwritten. In this inspiring presentation from the Revive and Thrive 2025 Empowerment Summit, Cassandra Lennox invites us to step into the transformative process of capturing those stories—raw, imperfect, and real—through what she calls the “first drafts of change.” Cassandra shares how some of life’s most powerful breakthroughs happen not in polished moments, but in the messy middle of our journeys. She reflects on the courage it takes to be vulnerable, the ripple effect of shared struggles, and the unexpected clarity that emerges when we stop censoring ourselves and simply let the truth flow onto the page Through her guided journaling exercise, Cassandra helps participants tap into their strengths, confront what they’ve been hiding, and imagine what could happen if they stopped holding back. Her message is clear: your voice has the power to ignite change—not just for you, but for someone out there who’s waiting to hear your story. Want to dive deeper? The speaker presentations, panels, and replays are now available exclusively inside the Business Leaders Hub — my subscription community built for education, empowerment, and inspiration. Details are in the show notes! And if this episode sparks something in you… just wait until next year’s event. We’re already planning, and trust me — you’ll want to be in the room. Listen now + get access to the Hub here: http://go.businessleaderhub.com/join [http://go.businessleaderhub.com/join] Here’s a quick look at what you can expect from today’s episode… * [0:19] Every One of Us Holds A Story * [6:45] You Are Evolving * [12:43] Unleash The Voice That’s Been Inside You * [13:25] Be The Ripple That Makes The Wave Episode Show Notes   Maria DeLorenzis Reyes | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/themariadr/]  Maria DeLorenzis Reyes | Facebook⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/MariaDeLorenzisReyes/]   Maria DeLorenzis Reyes | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariadelorenzisreyes/]  Maria DeLorenzis Reyes | Website [https://mariadr.com/] Maria DeLorenzis Reyes | Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@mariadelorenzisreyes] If you’re ready to dive deeper into the full Revive and Thrive Empowerment Summit, sign up for the Business Leaders Hub! [http://go.businessleaderhub.com/join]Get access to exclusive content, resources and tools, and a community built to help you accelerate to the next level. It’s all waiting for you  HERE [http://go.businessleaderhub.com/join]. Want to scale your business to the next level? GET SCORED NOW [https://mariadr.scoreapp.com/]  My Scale Factor Formula™ Scorecard takes just 5 minutes and will give you a custom scorecard for your business. Get your Business Scale Ready Score HERE [https://mariadr.scoreapp.com/].  What kind of leader are you? Unlock your leadership potential with The Rebel Leader Assessment! Take the Leadership Skills Quiz HERE! [https://rebelleader.scoreapp.com/]  Thanks for tuning into Finding The Upside! If you enjoy listening to our podcast, we would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave us a rating and review HERE [http://www.anchor.fm/maria-delorenzis-reyes]. Your feedback is important to us and will help us improve our content and reach more listeners like you. Post a screenshot of you listening on Instagram & tag us @themariadr so we can thank you personally! Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the Finding The Upside podcast! Don’t miss out on future interviews with special guests plus bonus episodes! Follow now [http://www.mariadr.com/podcast]!  Never miss a show…get the goods delivered directly to your inbox!  CLICK HERE [https://mariadr.com/podcast/] and find “Email Me New Episodes” at the Bottom of the page.

#182: Real Women: 7 Minutes of Transformation with Tricia Speas

For a long time, Tricia Speas believed her story wasn’t significant enough to tell. In this episode of the Real Women: 7 Minutes of Transformation series, Tricia shares what happened when she finally stopped dismissing that belief and sat with a blank page anyway. Recorded live at the Revive and Thrive 2025 Empowerment Summit, her reflection offers a glimpse into the quiet, often unseen moments where transformation truly begins. Without revealing everything, Tricia’s story touches on self-doubt, honesty, and the unexpected clarity that emerges when we allow ourselves to look at our lives without rushing past the hard parts. What starts as reluctance slowly becomes something else—something grounding, revealing, and deeply human. This episode is part of a larger collaborative book project launching in 2026, created by the women whose voices you’re hearing throughout this series. Each story in this collection began the same way: with uncertainty, and a willingness to begin anyway. Listen—or watch—and consider what might change if you gave yourself permission to believe your story matters, too. Maria DeLorenzis Reyes | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/themariadr/]  Maria DeLorenzis Reyes | Facebook⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/MariaDeLorenzisReyes/]   Maria DeLorenzis Reyes | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariadelorenzisreyes/]  Maria DeLorenzis Reyes | Website [https://mariadr.com/] Maria DeLorenzis Reyes | Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@mariadelorenzisreyes] If you’re ready to dive deeper and level up your learning beyond the Finding the Upside episodes, sign up for the Business Leaders Hub! [http://go.businessleaderhub.com/join] Get access to exclusive content, resources and tools, and a community built to help you accelerate to the next level. It’s all waiting for you  HERE [http://go.businessleaderhub.com/join]. Want to scale your business to the next level? GET SCORED NOW [https://mariadr.scoreapp.com/]  My Scale Factor Formula™ Scorecard takes just 5 minutes and will give you a custom scorecard for your business. Get your Business Scale Ready Score HERE [https://mariadr.scoreapp.com/].  What kind of leader are you? Unlock your leadership potential with The Rebel Leader Assessment! Take the Leadership Skills Quiz HERE! [https://rebelleader.scoreapp.com/]  Thanks for tuning into Finding The Upside! If you enjoy listening to our podcast, we would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave us a rating and review HERE [http://www.anchor.fm/maria-delorenzis-reyes]. Your feedback is important to us and will help us improve our content and reach more listeners like you. Post a screenshot of you listening on Instagram & tag us @themariadr so we can thank you personally! Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the Finding The Upside podcast! Don’t miss out on future interviews with special guests plus bonus episodes! Follow now [http://www.mariadr.com/podcast]!  Never miss a show…get the goods delivered directly to your inbox!  CLICK HERE [https://mariadr.com/podcast/] and find “Email Me New Episodes” at the Bottom of the page.

#30: Finding Better Focus: Why Less is More with Apps and Tech

These days we have SO many choices with apps and tools to use for EVERYTHING! Think about this… How many times do you switch from one application to another? How many tabs do you have open in your browser? How many times do you pick up your phone and switch back and forth between your phone and your computer? How many applications do you go in and out of on your phone? I was reading something about context switching, and about task switching and the time that it takes away because of lack of focus. There is no question that we are more distracted than ever. And sometimes we fool ourselves into thinking well, that's just what we need to do in order to run our business in order to do our job in order to live our life.  But we are at the point where there are so many options with technology apps, and tools that we can access on our computers on our desktops, on our laptops on our phone on our iPads, so consuming and stepping into so many of them, switching from one to another causes us to lose so much time, focus and brain energy. No wonder we're exhausted at the end of the day. Do you notice that?  Want to find better focus - Hint, close all those apps and tabs! I’m discussing why less is more on the podcast today! ⁠SHOW NOTES [https://mariadr.com/products/]

#181: From OXFORD to HARVARD - Oxford Talk Reflections

Oxford. Harvard. And one quiet, surreal moment where it was just me, a camera, and a message I couldn’t keep to myself. In this episode of Finding the Upside, I’m taking you behind the scenes of two speaking experiences that stretched me, grounded me, and reminded me what real leadership is made of—humanity, hospitality, and belonging. I’ll share what it felt like to step into rooms built for history-making thinkers… and why the milestone was never the stage—it was the invitation the stage created. You’ll hear the unexpected lesson I carried from Oxford Business School into an even bigger moment at Harvard University—and the truth I want you to remember the next time you’re tempted to wait until you feel “ready”: impact isn’t earned by perfection. It’s created through authenticity. Inside this episode, I’ll unpack the mindset shift that turns pressure into alignment, what it means to share an idea worth doing before you have the perfect words, and why doors open when you keep believing in the value of what you have to offer. And then I’m passing the mic to you: the idea that keeps nudging you? The one you’ve been holding close? It’s time to name it—because naming it gives it life. If you want to see clips from these talks, connect with me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook, and check out the features on my speaking page. Now go hit play—and let’s bring your idea into the room. 🎧✨ Here’s a quick look at what you can expect from today’s episode… * [0:56] What it was like Speaking At the Oxford School of Business * [1:50] Impact Comes From Showing Up Authentically * [3:26] My Next Big Talk at Harvard University  * [4:31] Walking Into Harvard, I didn’t feel pressure, I felt alignment * [5:49]  Doors Open When You Keep Believing in Your Value Maria DeLorenzis Reyes | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/themariadr/]  Maria DeLorenzis Reyes | Facebook⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/MariaDeLorenzisReyes/]   Maria DeLorenzis Reyes | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariadelorenzisreyes/]  Maria DeLorenzis Reyes | Website [https://mariadr.com/] Maria DeLorenzis Reyes | Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@mariadelorenzisreyes] If you’re ready to dive deeper and level up your learning beyond the Finding the Upside episodes, sign up for the Business Leaders Hub! [http://go.businessleaderhub.com/join] Get access to exclusive content, resources and tools, and a community built to help you accelerate to the next level. It’s all waiting for you  HERE [http://go.businessleaderhub.com/join]. Want to scale your business to the next level? GET SCORED NOW [https://mariadr.scoreapp.com/]  My Scale Factor Formula™ Scorecard takes just 5 minutes and will give you a custom scorecard for your business. Get your Business Scale Ready Score HERE [https://mariadr.scoreapp.com/].  Unlock your leadership potential with the Rebel Leader Assessment! Take my Leadership Skills evaluator quiz HERE! [https://rebelleader.scoreapp.com/]  Thanks for tuning into Finding The Upside! If you enjoy listening or watching the podcast, we would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave us a rating and review HERE [http://www.anchor.fm/maria-delorenzis-reyes]. Your feedback is important to us and will help us improve our content and reach more listeners like you. Post a screenshot of you listening on Instagram & tag us @themariadr so we can thank you personally! Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the Finding The Upside podcast! Don’t miss out on future interviews with special guests plus bonus episodes! Follow now [http://www.mariadr.com/podcast]!  Never miss a show…get the goods delivered directly to your inbox!  CLICK HERE [https://mariadr.com/podcast/] and find “Email Me New Episodes” at the Bottom of the page.