What Most Leaders Get Wrong About Communication | Kara Kuykendall

Faith, Fire, & Leading Through Change | Marisa Williams

In this episode of Leadership Matters, Marisa Williams, CEO of Girl Scouts River Valleys, joins host Kaylee Thomsen for a powerful conversation on faith, authenticity, and leading through change. Marisa shares how belief has shaped her leadership journey, why she chose to wear her hair curly to work as an act of unapologetic authenticity, and how responding instead of reacting has become central to her leadership philosophy. She also reflects on leading through crisis, the difference between change and transformation, and how her mother modeled speaking truth to power. If you believe great leadership starts with knowing who you are, this one is for you.

The Making of a Selfless Leader | Mike Fidgeon

In this episode of Leadership Matters, Mike Fidgeon, President and CEO of Hillcrest Family Services, joins host Kaylee Thomsen for a candid conversation on leadership, service, and navigating change. Mike shares how growing up with two career social workers shaped his lifelong mission to help others, how a mentor's example became a model for his own leadership style, and why he believes real growth comes from moving through failure rather than avoiding it. He also reflects on transforming a 125-year-old organization, leading through crisis, and what it means to define success on your own terms. If you believe great leadership is built through service and self-awareness, this one is for you.

Be Fearful and Wonderful | Dr. Tonya Jackman Hampton

In this episode of Leadership Matters, Dr. Tonya Jackman Hampton, CEO and Fractional CHRO/CPO at Sequel Consulting Group, executive coach, keynote speaker, and author of The Myth of the Fearless Leader, joins host Kaylee Thomsen for a powerful conversation on fear, leadership, and what it really means to move forward. Tonya shares how early experiences with belonging and loss shaped her relationship with fear, how a breast cancer diagnosis became a defining moment in her own Engage, Explore, Execute framework, and why the idea of the fearless leader is holding organizations back. She also unpacks how psychological safety, inclusion, and honest conversations about worry and doubt unlock higher performance and better cultures. If you believe great leadership starts with knowing your fear, this one is for you.

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.