The Little Birdie Podcast

VOICE with David Zealy-Wright

In this vibrant episode, Ryan chats with David Zealy-Wright about the power of voice, authenticity, and self-expression within the LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month. They explore personal journeys, the importance of mentorship, and embracing all aspects of identity through humor and storytelling.

EMBER with Lynne Hughes

Some episodes you research. Some you've been living toward your whole life. Lynne Hughes is the founder of Comfort Zone Camp, the first bereavement camp in the United States, where children who have lost a parent, sibling, or caregiver spend a weekend in the woods learning they are not alone. Since 1999, she has served more than 25,000 kids. It costs families nothing. I know what that kind of place can do. Because I was one of those kids. This episode is called EMBER. Because an ember is what remains after the fire. Still warm. Still alive. Still capable of becoming something. We talk about grief, community, campfires, and what it means to carry the people we've lost forward into the lives we're building. This one is personal. I hope it finds you when you need it. https://comfortzonecamp.org/

POSSIBILITY with Patrick Jackson

What becomes possible when we choose to see each other... like really see each other? In this episode of the Little Birdie Podcast, Ryan Allen sits down with Patrick Arthur Jackson, Vice President of Learning & Engagement at Embracing Our Differences, a Sarasota-based nonprofit that reaches over 400,000 people each year through outdoor art exhibitions and year-round education programs. Together they explore what POSSIBILITY actually looks like when it's built from kindness, fueled by joy, and grounded in the belief that the next generation already has what it takes. In this episode: * Why art reaches people in ways that policy and curriculum simply can't * What happens when a student finds their own words on a wall next to a piece of art * How to transform anger into constructive action without losing yourself * Why taking breaks isn't stepping away from the work — it's part of the work * What the next generation is still carrying that the rest of us have already put down Connect with Patrick & Embracing Our Differences:embracingourdifferences.org Connect with Ryan & Little Birdie Consulting:littlebirdieconsulting.com

PLAY with Justin Mabry

Play isn't something you grow out of. It's something most workplaces quietly train you to stop doing and that's exactly when creativity, connection, and energy start to disappear. In this episode of the Little Birdie Podcast, I'm talking with Justin Mabry of JM Entertainment about what happens when leaders and teams make room for genuine play. And what gets lost when they don't. Justin has spent years producing live entertainment and experiences, and he knows the difference between a room that's executing and a room that's actually alive. We talk about why play is the precondition for creativity, not a break from work. How psychological safety makes experimentation possible. What performers understand about presence and joy that most corporate teams have forgotten. And how leaders can model playfulness; not as a personality trait, but as a practice. If you lead a team, run a creative business, or just feel like the work stopped feeling alive somewhere along the way, this one's worth your time.

OPTIMIZE with Matt Heller

Everybody's optimizing something.Their schedule. Their team. Their culture.But most of us have never stopped to ask whether we're optimizing the right things. In this episode, Ryan sits down with Matt Heller, leadership coach, author, and one of the most respected voices in the attractions industry, to pull that word apart and see what's actually inside it. What does it mean to optimize a human being? Where does the drive to perform better serve people, and where does it grind them down? And what happens when a leader finally turns the lens on themselves instead of their team? This is a conversation about performance — but not the kind that lives on a dashboard. It's about encouragement, self-awareness, purpose, and the uncomfortable distance between where we are and where we know we could be. Matt started as a ride operator at 18. He's now the author of All Clear and The Myth of Employee Burnout, co-host of the AttractionPros podcast, and the founder of a mastermind community built for leaders who are ready to do the real work. This one asks something of you. Come ready to look in the mirror. In this episode:What optimize actually means when you point it at a person. The difference between high performance and sustainable performance. Why encouragement is a leadership tool, not a soft skill. What's really underneath most cases of employee burnout. The mirror moment — and why most leaders avoid it. How community does what training programs can't. Joy as a signal, not a reward. Links + Resources:Performance Optimist Consulting — performanceoptimist.comAttractionPros Podcast — attractionpros.comAll Clear — available on AmazonThe Myth of Employee Burnout — available on AmazonPOC YOUniversity — patreon.com/mattheller