EP. 38 Workplace Culture & Leadership: How Empathy Drives Engagement

EP. 38 Workplace Culture & Leadership: How Empathy Drives Engagement

In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Beck Moore and Heather Holloway welcome Marie Connelly for a conversation about leadership, workplace culture, empathy, health advocacy, and what it means to live a "point-worthy" life. Marie shares how her nonlinear career path shaped her work as an HR anthropologist, giving her the opportunity to observe workplace dynamics across campaigns, nonprofits, higher education, healthcare, hospitality, and leadership development. She reflects on what strong leaders do well, why administrative support and onboarding are often undervalued, and how small intentional actions can create meaningful engagement across an organization. Marie also opens up about her rare disease diagnosis, her experience with Cushing's disease and adrenal insufficiency, and the way that journey changed how she understands energy, boundaries, purpose, and empathy. Her "point-worthy life" framework offers a powerful reminder for leaders, caregivers, and human service professionals: every decision, relationship, and responsibility uses energy, and we have to be intentional about where our points go. The conversation closes with practical insight on workplace kindness, medical advocacy, onboarding, generational communication, and how leaders can create cultures where people feel seen, supported, and valued. For more from Marie Conley: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mconleyconsulting/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mconleyconsulting/] Website: https://www.mconleyconsulting.com/ [https://www.mconleyconsulting.com/] Conley Cushing's Disease Fund: https://kickcushings.com/ [https://kickcushings.com/] Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog [https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog]

Leading Together

In this episode of Thinking CAAP, host Beck Moore is joined by Hattie McCarter and Ellen Min for a deeply honest conversation about friendship, leadership, boundaries, celebration, insecurity, and what it means to grow without comparison. Together, they reflect on how their relationship began through CAAP spaces, speaking opportunities, shared values, and honest check-ins that became something much deeper than professional connection. The conversation explores what leaders can learn from healthy friendships: how to recognize what people carry, how to build trust through consistency, how to celebrate others genuinely, and how to name insecurities without shame. Ellen, Hattie, and Beck also discuss the vulnerability of leadership, the exhaustion of being seen through only one part of your identity, and the importance of surrounding yourself with people who can tell the truth, hold your humanity, and remind you who you are. This episode is a powerful reminder that leadership is not just about what happens on stage, in meetings, or in public roles. It is also shaped by the relationships that help us stay grounded, honest, joyful, and human. Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog

Ep. 36 The Leadership Skill AI Can't Replace

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the workplace, one question remains at the center of it all: how do we stay human? In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Beck Moore sits down with keynote speaker Smiley Poswolsky to explore the intersection of technology, culture, and connection and why human relationships are more important now than ever. Smiley shares insights from over a decade of work in workplace culture, diving into: * Why connection (not AI) is the real differentiator in the future of work * The growing loneliness epidemic and its impact on teams * Practical tools leaders can use to build trust and belonging * How to move from inspiration to real, lasting action Whether you're leading a team, navigating change, or trying to create a stronger workplace culture, this conversation is a reminder that efficiency means nothing without empathy. Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog

Ep. 35 How PA Navigate Is Transforming Care Beyond the Doctor's Office

In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Beck Moore is joined by Tanoa Fagan of FindHelp and Maria Welch of Geisinger for a deeper look at the systems, partnerships, and people behind PA Navigate. Tanoa shares how FindHelp's technology is designed to connect people to free and reduced-cost services with dignity and ease, and explains why social care must be treated as part of holistic care. Maria offers the healthcare perspective, highlighting how trust, connectivity, and strong community partnerships help make social care integration possible in practice. Together, they unpack what closed-loop referral really means, why this work takes time, how healthcare and community-based organizations can better support one another, and what success could look like as PA Navigate continues to grow across Pennsylvania. This episode is a behind-the-scenes conversation about systems change, relationship-building, and what it takes to make community support easier to access. Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog

Ep. 34 Why Choose Board Service and What Makes a CAAP Board Different?

What does it really mean to serve on a Community Action board? In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Beck Moore explores that question through two separate conversations with board members who bring very different experiences and a shared commitment to community. In the first half of the episode, Beck talks with Aron Carter, who reflects on his journey from being a Head Start graduate to serving on the board of STEP, Inc. Aron shares why vulnerability matters in board service, why nonprofit work is often far more complex than people realize, and why meaningful board recruitment starts with relationship and trust. In the second half, Beck is joined by Tara Davis, who brings more than 20 years of nonprofit experience to the conversation. Tara discusses what makes Community Action unique, the importance of including lived experience in leadership spaces in authentic ways, and why breaking stigma around poverty starts with telling the real stories of the people Community Action serves. Together, these conversations offer a thoughtful look at what strong board service can look like — from governance and accountability to empathy, lived experience, and the responsibility to listen well. If you've ever wondered how Community Action boards function, why their structure matters, or what real leadership looks like in service to a community, this episode is for you. Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog