Gracious & Strong

How Do You Define Giving?

How do you define giving? It’s that time of year when we’re all focused on giving – holiday gift-giving, charitable donations, or even giving of your time to serve an organization that is meaningful to you. This season makes us feel more connected to one another. And if you’re like me, you’ve realized that COVID has also caused us to reprioritize and place focus on what matters to us most. Today on the Gracious & Strong Podcast, I am addressing this important topic about Giving Strategy. T...

Part 2: Interview with Ann Bordelon of the University of Arkansas

I’m thrilled to share that Part Two of my conversation with Ann Bordelon is now live. Ann is a long-time colleague and friend, and she currently serves as Vice Chancellor Finance and Administration at the University of Arkansas.  In our interview, Ann opens up about her personal story and how she’s found great success on her CFO journey navigating various roles and organizations, complex situations, and different industries. Throughout her journey she has made significant impact through he...

Part 1: How to Lead with Curiosity, Clarity & Community with Ann Bordelon

Today kicks off the Part One of an interview with a person I consider one of the most confident, candid and smart leaders I know. Ann Bordelon is currently the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration at the University of Arkansas - an ideal leadership role she has achieved following a track record of significantly impacting organizations large and small - both stateside and internationally.  The best thing about my conversation with Ann is the candor and realness she shared. She i...

The Greatest Impact You Can Bring & Lead For Your Team: Talent Strategy

What’s the one thing you prioritize most in your leadership role? If it’s not talent strategy, it should be! Leaders today are experiencing a war for talent - and retaining the right talent. And particularly in the HR/People space, talent and hiring decisions will always reflect on you, which is why I actually consider it the most critical responsibility for a leader. It’s the most important asset you can have as an individual, leader and organization and finding the right talent should be...

What's Your Personal Mission Statement?

How can leaders go from being successful to significant? Today on the Gracious & Stong podcast, we’re covering a topic that can be a real game-changer for you -- creating a personal mission statement. For me, a mission statement has been my North Star in both my professional and personal life, keeping me on track throughout the peaks and unexpected left turns. I’m confident having your own version can do the same for you. In this episode, we’ll cover four steps to forming and living out y...

Overcoming Self-Limiting Beliefs Through Faith

What are the things that are holding you back as a leader? The concept of fear is very real and can be paralyzing, but courage is key when it comes to individuals understanding themselves - understanding their gifts, standing up for their beliefs, using their voice, and adapting in the face of adversity.  I was invited to speak at last week’s Women in the Marketplace Connect event as we discussed the topic of overcoming self-limiting beliefs by leaning into our faith. This organization equ...

Part 2: A Conversation with Former Walmart Executive, Gisel Ruiz

I’m thrilled to share that Part 2 of my interview with Gisel Ruiz is now live. In this episode, Gisel shares insight on what fuels her drive to succeed and overcome very real and challenging obstacles. We will also dive deeper into her Latina heritage and how that empowered her throughout her 26-year career as she took on roles including EVP and COO at Walmart US, EVP of People at Walmart International, and EVP and COO at Sam’s Club.  She shares her thoughts on:   > How the odds her fam...

PART ONE: A Conversation with Former Walmart Executive, Gisel Ruiz

I’m back with a brand new episode for you this week featuring one of my friends and former colleagues, Gisel Ruiz. If you don’t know Gisel, she is not only an authentic and insightful woman but an accomplished globally minded leader who recently retired from a 26-year career with Walmart, Inc. Gisel and I had such a great conversation, I’ve decided to break this episode into two parts so you can fully focus and digest all the nuggets of information. For starters, she shares stories from he...

Part 1: A Conversation with Former Walmart Executive, Gisel Ruiz

I’m back with a brand new episode for you this week featuring one of my friends and former colleagues, Gisel Ruiz. If you don’t know Gisel, she is not only an authentic and insightful woman but an accomplished globally minded leader who recently retired from a 26-year career with Walmart, Inc. Gisel and I had such a great conversation, I’ve decided to break this episode into two parts so you can fully focus and digest all the nuggets of information. For starters, she shares stories from he...

A Conversation with Former Walmart Executive, Gisel Ruiz

I’m back with a brand new episode for you this week featuring one of my friends and former colleagues, Gisel Ruiz. If you don’t know Gisel, she is not only an authentic and insightful woman but an accomplished globally minded leader who recently retired from a 26-year career with Walmart, Inc. Gisel and I had such a great conversation, I’ve decided to break this episode into two parts so you can fully focus and digest all the nuggets of information. For starters, she shares stories from he...

A Candid Chat with My Daughter, Kyndall Swanson

This week’s episode comes straight from the heart as we prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day and the crucial role mothers play in our lives. In honor of this special day, I’ve asked the most important person in my life to join me in one of the most candid discussions I’ve yet to have on the podcast. That person is of course, my daughter, Kyndall Swanson. She is my greatest joy and this is truly a special and insightful conversation. We sat down and asked each other very real questions and g...

Overcoming Setbacks: A Look at Resilience & Psychological Safety

As we continue to re-enter the workplace, it’s evident that things simply won’t be the same as we once knew. One of the biggest differentiators among leaders is resilience -- the ability to bounce back from setbacks.    I recently was invited to speak to students and industry leaders at Western Michigan University’s virtual 55th Annual Food Marketing Conference, “Thriving in the Age of Uncertainty”. I spoke on one of my most relevant and most-requested topics – Mastering Change. This time,...

Six Strategies for Mastering Change

As the nation turns a corner with vaccinations and corporate America slowly reopens, we as leaders are faced with a wave of decision making about how to remain safe as we return to the workplace and embrace what is to come. That is why our ability to master change and make sense as we re-engage in the face of uncertainty will be absolutely critical. Today’s podcast is all about ‘Six Strategies for Mastering Change and Building More Resilience’, which is the #1 issue I’m asked to speak abou...

Six Strategies for Mastering Change and Building Resilience

As the nation turns a corner with vaccinations and corporate America slowly reopens, we as leaders are faced with a wave of decision making about how to remain safe as we return to the workplace and embrace what is to come. That is why our ability to master change and make sense as we re-engage in the face of uncertainty will be absolutely critical. Today’s podcast is all about ‘Six Strategies for Mastering Change and Building More Resilience’, which is the #1 issue I’m asked to speak abou...

Fireside chat with Bic Company

I recently had a fireside chat with the team at Bic Company during their North America town hall event. Their focus for Women's History Month was to hear from women who were the 'firsts' in their company and/or their industry. In this episode, I share some of the good, the bad and the ugly of the hard-right decisions and sacrifices that were made by both myself and my family. I even share thoughts about the very abrupt experience of losing my husband to a sudden heart attack at the height...

Fireside Chat with BIC Company

I recently had a fireside chat with the team at Bic Company during their North America town hall event. Their focus for Women's History Month was to hear from women who were the 'firsts' in their company and/or their industry. In this episode, I share some of the good, the bad and the ugly of the hard-right decisions and sacrifices that were made by both myself and my family. I even share thoughts about the very abrupt experience of losing my husband to a sudden heart attack at the height...

Leading Through the Unknown with a Gracious and Strong Mindset

The unknown can manifest itself in so many ways. During my career at Walmart Inc. - I led teams through seven CEO transitions under the most scrutinizing circumstances. Each new CEO brought their own priorities and leadership style. Some came from inside the company and culture; some joined from the outside. In every case, there was disruption and a sense of insecurity as we all adjusted to the new leader. So, for the very first episode of my new Gracious & Strong podcast, I’ve chosen to k...

Teaser: Introducing The Gracious and Strong Podcast