Let's Get Real
92 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 months ago - ★★★★★ - 19 ratingsHi, I'm Nina Simonds, a leadership and relationship coach, and Let's Get Real is about having REAL (relevant, engaging, authentic leadership) conversations with people who inspire me. My guests are business leaders, learning professionals, and social impact entrepreneurs who are working toward a more inclusive and equitable world. We explore personal experiences that have been catalysts for their growth and share some of the key concepts and tools that support effective and inclusive leadership to give you the confidence to lead and love well.
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Episodes
Being a Relationship Warrior
March 11, 2024 04:00 - 39 minutes - 27.3 MBOur guest is Faith Fuller, co-founder of CRR Global and co-creator of Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC™). She is a psychologist and experienced trainer and coach, with decades of experience in working with organizations, couples and communities. Faith is also the author of “Relationship Matters: A New Paradigm for an Evolutionary Leap in Relationships.“ Nina and Faith share a belief that most growth happens in and through our relationships. In this conversation they ex...
Good Grief with Rachel Baldi & Christie Mann
December 11, 2023 16:00 - 35 minutes - 24.5 MBIn this time of so much change, I can't think of a better skill set than understanding and being able to help others come to terms with loss. That's one reason I wanted to have this conversation with Christie Mann and Rachel Baldi of UpLevel Productions. They specialize in developing Emotional Leadership & Resiliency and Navigating End-of-Life & Grief in the workplace, family and community eco-systems. In this conversation, we explored the importance of honoring all emotions even at wo...
Boundaryless Change with Marita Fridjhon
December 06, 2023 13:00 - 46 minutes - 31.7 MBOur guest is Marita Fridjhon, a thought leader in the paradigm shifts leaders and teams need to make to create systems-inspired change. Over two decades ago, Marita and CRR Global co-founder Faith Fuller developed the simple yet revolutionary idea of Relationship Systems Intelligence (RSI™) - that leadership lives in the whole system rather than individuals, and that each system has a personality and intelligence of its own. In this conversation, Nina and Marita agreed on the importance o...
Making the Invisible Visible with Eric Kohner
November 17, 2023 19:00 - 47 minutes - 32.4 MBEric Kohner is an internationally recognized executive coach, keynote speaker, and is considered one of the “godfathers” of Co-Active coaching. He is the founder of ekcoSYSTEM, where they teach the skills to create effective leaders inside a “VUCA” environment—volatile, uncertain, complex, & ambiguous. He’s trained global organizations such as the US Navy, Capgemini, Sony Music Entertainment, and ING to transform their company cultures by transforming their leaders. In this episode, Eri...
From Download to Dialogue
November 06, 2023 11:00 - 14 minutes - 9.66 MBIn this QuickTake I share my thoughts on the critical skill of tuning into your key stakeholders and moving from a unilateral conversation to a collaborative co-created dialogue. Theory U Essentials of Theory U Nina Simonds Coaching Join our mailing list! Instagram Linked In
Midlife Mastery: Women in Their Prime
October 22, 2023 16:00 - 48 minutes - 33.6 MBJuJu Hook helps companies find their juju and brand it. In this conversation Nina and Juju explored the power of women in midlfe. Juju also shared insights about how to challenge assumptions and address and activate around the realities of the unconscious (and deliberate) bias middle-aged women face. We had fun and I walked away with new insights into how women can evolve their brand and step into their power in their 50s and beyond. Nina Simonds Coaching Join our mailing list! Instagr...
Expanding Leadership with Jenny Vazquez-Newsum
October 08, 2023 07:00 - 47 minutes - 32.9 MBJenny Vazquez-Newsum is a leadership facilitator and CEO of Untapped Leaders, a leadership development organization specializing in uncovering overlooked capacities and untapped talent. Her recent book Untapped Leadership: Harnessing the Power of Underrepresented Leaders examines strategies, capabilities, and contributions from leaders of color and marginalized backgrounds from all walks of life and career stages. in this conversation, Jenny shared some of the unique challenges BIPOC leader...
The Three C's of Culture
September 25, 2023 10:00 - 20 minutes - 13.9 MBIn this Quick Take episode, Andy interviewed Nina about what it takes to cultivate a positive workplace culture. Nina shared the three C's and the two of them explore how pitfalls and limits of a culture based on the personalities of the founders. Real Leaders in Tech Nina Simonds Coaching Join our mailing list! Instagram Linked In
Climate Change on the Roof of the World with James Fountain
September 08, 2023 22:00 - 49 minutes - 33.8 MBJames Fountain is a documentarian, a sustainability leader and a storyteller. He has an extensive career trajectory that includes leadership roles in Big 4 public accounting firms, strategic consulting to top-tier corporations in diverse sectors, and work with the United Nations. His unique worldview is enriched by his lifelong exploration of indigenous communities worldwide, which has offered him first-hand insight into the harsh realities of climate change and global development. In this...
JEDI Coaching with Dr. Priya Nalkur
August 28, 2023 10:00 - 38 minutes - 26.6 MBDr. Priya Nalkur is the President of the Roundtable Institute a professional coaching and training firm that helps leaders raise their awareness, action, and advocacy for organizational change. In this conversation they explored why DEI is so intrinsic to effective and empathetic leadership. Priya also shared her perspectives on how to bring a JEDI (justice-equity-diversity-inclusion) lens to the coaching conversation. Nina also shared a challenge she has and got some great advice! Fin...
JEDI Coaching with Priya Nalkur
August 28, 2023 10:00 - 38 minutes - 26.6 MBDr. Priya Nalkur is the President of the Roundtable Institute a professional coaching and training firm that helps leaders raise their awareness, action, and advocacy for organizational change and for all people. In this conversation they explored why DEI is so intrinsic to effective and empathetic leadership. Priya also shared her perspectives on how to bring a JEDI (justice-equity-diversity-inclusion) lens to the coaching conversation. Nina also shared a challenge she has and got some ...
Doing Good and Making Money with Bessi Graham
August 14, 2023 10:00 - 42 minutes - 29.1 MBBessi Graham is an investor, entrepreneur and writer with a passion for using business as an agent for change. For the past 20 years she has focused on unlocking capital to deliver positive social and environmental outcomes in Australia and the Pacific. In this episode Bessi shared her approach to helping mid to small-sized businesses do good while making money. Nina and Bessi agreed that a “Both And” stance is powerful and much needed if we are going to solve some of the complex challenge...
Learning from Transitions with Dr. Elijah Nicholas
July 31, 2023 11:00 - 52 minutes - 35.8 MBDr. Elijah Nicholas is an 11-time published author with his most recent work is his LGBTQI+ friendly children's book series which promotes love, family, compassion, inclusion, and authentic gender expression. He spent almost half of his life in the U.S. Military, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2012. Dr. Nicholas transitioned in 2018. Dr. Elijah is also the founder of 100 Black Trans Men, an organization that empowers and elevates the visibility and representation of Black Transgende...
4 Ways to Cultivate Better Listening
July 17, 2023 01:00 - 15 minutes - 10.6 MBIn the Season Five Opener, Nina shares four ways to cultivate better listening. She also makes a key distinction between managing and leading and why it matters to listen well. How to Lead from the Dancefloor and the Balcony A Few Powerful Questions Nina Simonds is an internationally-recognized Executive Coach and Team Facilitator. She is currently translating 18+ years of experience working with senior leaders and leadership teams in fields as diverse as tech, financial services and t...
Three Leadership Lessons from Season 4
March 13, 2023 22:00 - 9 minutes - 6.42 MBNina reflects on the three leadership lessons from Season 4. The meta questions we asked this season included: how does a leader cultivate a culture of belonging and inclusion? What's the most effective ways to navigate a difficult conversation? And what role does creativity play in self-awareness and leadership development? While the answers are more complex than one conversation or even the full season, Nina had fun summarizing some of her personal take-aways from talking to leader...
Enabling Visionary Leadership with Maria Gerea
February 27, 2023 01:00 - 45 minutes - 31 MBMaria Gerea is the founder and owner of Coevolution. As an experienced executive coach and team development facilitator, she supports leaders and teams to connect the dots between collaboration and innovation to elevate their impact and results. In this conversation, we explored what it is like working with social impact leaders and visionaries. As a Romanian-born founder, Maria also shared early challenges in establishing herself in the United States. We also talked about our new progra...
Talking about Hard Things with Dr. Nancy Dome
February 06, 2023 13:00 - 45 minutes - 31.2 MBDr. Nancy Dome is the Founder/CEO of Epoch Education who’s primary charge is to provide accessible and transforming professional development for educators and business leaders in diversity, inclusion and belonging, and equity. She is also the author of Let's Talk about Race (and Other Hard Things.) In this conversation, Dr. Dome outlined a process that is both an effective and compassionate way to talk about hard things and in the process create stronger relationships. I opened up a...
Holding Change
January 26, 2023 16:00 - 13 minutes - 9.59 MBIn this quick take, I share three ways leaders can hold change, whether it's a job loss or an organizational initiative. These three approaches may seem paradoxical but can accelerate growth and help you tap into what's trying to happen. Holding Change by Adrienne Maree Brown Wu Wei: The Powerful Path of Non-Action Nina Simonds Coaching Join our mailing list! Instagram Linked In
Leading Change with Andy Simonds
January 09, 2023 03:00 - 47 minutes - 32.4 MBAndy Simonds is the co-producer and sound engineer for the show but his new day job is as the Chief Product Officer of Talent.com. Since Andy has been leading product and organizational transformation in tech for 20+ years including leadership roles at Microsoft and Blizzard Entertainment, we thought it would be relevant and fun to have Andy on as a guest to talk about leading change. We explored how his creative outlets help him manage the stresses of leadership. Andy shared candidl...
Nina's 2022 Book Recommendations
December 23, 2022 01:00 - 14 minutes - 9.66 MBThe Anatomy of Trust Unleash your Complexity Genius The Ministry for the Future Let’s Talk about Race Nina Simonds Coaching Join our mailing list! Instagram Linked In
Leadership Presence
December 04, 2022 03:00 - 11 minutes - 7.58 MBClients often come to me focused on learning tactics or strategies for being a better leader. What I have learned over time is that effective leadership is as much about who you are being, your presence, as what you produce or accomplish. Still there are a few misconception of what presence is and how to develop it. In this quick take, I share the three critical access points for an effective and compelling leadership presence. One-Moment Meditation Nina Simonds Coaching Join our...
Resilience Inside & Out
November 21, 2022 00:00 - 45 minutes - 31.3 MBSharmin Banu is an executive coach and the former president of the Washington State Chapter of International Coach Federation. She is also the Pacific Regional Lead for Braver Angels, a grassroots organizations that seeks to depolarize American politics. Sharmin shared candidly about a time when she moved from self doubt to self confidence. We also explored how my cultural bias affected our collegial relationship. Sharmin walked through an approach to being more empathetic with those ...
Resilience Inside & Out with Sharmin Banu
November 21, 2022 00:00 - 45 minutes - 31.3 MBSharmin Banu is an executive coach and the former president of the Washington State Chapter of International Coach Federation. She is also the Pacific Regional Lead for Braver Angels, a grassroots organizations that seeks to depolarize American politics. Sharmin shared candidly about a time when she moved from self doubt to self confidence. We also explored how my cultural bias affected our collegial relationship. Sharmin walked through an approach to being more empathetic with those ...
Resilience Inside & Out
November 21, 2022 00:00 - 45 minutes - 31.3 MBSharmin Banu is an executive coach and the former president of the Washington State Chapter of International Coach Federation. She is also the Pacific Regional Lead for Braver Angels, a grassroots organizations that seeks to depolarize American politics. Sharmin shared candidly about a time when she moved from self doubt to self confidence. We also explored how my cultural bias affected our collegial relationship. Sharmin walked through an approach to being more empathetic with those ...
Four Mindsets for Greater Empathy
November 05, 2022 22:00 - 14 minutes - 9.86 MBNina shares four ways of being that cultivate empathy. It's easy to focus on techniques and skills for building empathy. Your mindset and way of approaching others is equally important in being able to step into someone else’s shoes. In this bite-sized episode Nina defines empathy and walks through the four mindsets that matter most for truly understanding and caring about others. Satya Nadella on The Power of Empathy Microsoft's Cultural Transformation Design Thinking Nina Simonds ...
Four Mindsets for Greater Empathy
November 05, 2022 22:00 - 14 minutes - 9.86 MBNina shares four ways of being that cultivate empathy. It's easy to focus on techniques and skills for building empathy. Your mindset and way of approaching others is equally important in being able to step into someone else’s shoes. In this bite-sized episode Nina defines empathy and walks through the four mindsets that matter most for truly understanding and caring about others. Satya Nadella on The Power of Empathy Microsoft's Cultural Transformation Design Thinking
Creative Expression with Abigail Morgan Prout
October 13, 2022 15:00 - 41 minutes - 28.6 MBAbigail Morgan Prout is a professional leadership coach and a midwife for emerging patterns toward a more feminine-forward leadership. She is the author of a new collection of poetry - Walk Deep. In this conversation Abigail and I explored how writing fuels reflection and self awareness. Abigail shared her passion for the written word, her accidental discovery of her own inner poet, and poets who inspire her We also talked about how poetry gives us new language for not only our own experi...
Creative Expression with Abigail Morgan Prout
October 13, 2022 15:00 - 41 minutes - 28.6 MBAbigail Morgan Prout is a professional leadership coach and a midwife for emerging patterns toward a more feminine-forward leadership. She is the author of a new collection of poetry - Walk Deep. In this conversation Abigail and I explored how writing fuels reflection and self awareness. Abigail shared her passion for the written word, her accidental discovery of her own inner poet, and poets who inspire her We also talked about how poetry gives us new language for not only our own experi...
Authenticity at Work with Jenny Leman
October 03, 2022 12:00 - 43 minutes - 30 MBJenny Leman is the President at CareerPlug, a software and service company that makes hiring easier for small and mid-size businesses. Native to Texas, Jenny graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2004 and joined CareerPlug in 2017. She works to build healthy and scalable internal systems to equip and empower the CareerPlug teams to bring the best for their clients. In this conversation, Jenny and I explored the trending topic of Quiet Quitting and what is most foundationa...
Authenticity at Work with Jenny Leman
October 03, 2022 12:00 - 43 minutes - 30 MBJenny Leman is the President at CareerPlug, a software and service company that makes hiring easier for small and mid-size businesses. Native to Texas, Jenny graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2004 and joined CareerPlug in 2017. She works to build healthy and scalable internal systems to equip and empower the CareerPlug teams to bring the best for their clients. In this conversation, Jenny and I explored the trending topic of Quiet Quitting and what is most foundationa...
Who's Talking Now?
September 18, 2022 16:00 - 13 minutes - 9.03 MBI share one of the essential tools for creating an authentic and fulfilling life - understanding the difference between your inner critic and your true nature. This is the first of several conversations I will be having directly with our listeners. Soul without Shame Mindfulness and the Ego Nina Simonds Coaching Join our mailing list! Instagram Linked In
Mastering your Inner Critic
September 18, 2022 16:00 - 13 minutes - 9.04 MBI share one of the essential tools for self-mastery - understanding the difference between your inner critic and your true nature. This is the first of several conversations I will be having directly with our listeners. Soul without Shame Mindfulness and the Ego Nina Simonds Coaching Join our mailing list! Instagram Linked In
Mastering your Inner Critic
September 18, 2022 16:00 - 13 minutes - 9.04 MBI share one of the essential tools for self-mastery - understanding the difference between your inner critic and your true nature. This is the first of several conversations I will be having directly with our listeners. Soul without Shame Mindfulness and the Ego
Leading Inclusively
September 05, 2022 14:00 - 54 minutes - 37.5 MBIn this Season 4 Opener I spoke with Akasha of Cultivating Leadership, a professional coaching and training firm that supports organizations in developing the workforce of the future. Akasha's deep interests in spirituality, adult development, and intercultural consciousness give him a unique and powerful perspective on leadership development. We talked about how to help coaches find cultural common ground in developmental conversations. I was also inspired by Akasha using an early traum...
Leading Inclusively with Akasha
September 05, 2022 14:00 - 54 minutes - 37.5 MBIn this Season 4 Opener I spoke with Akasha of Cultivating Leadership, a professional coaching and training firm that supports organizations in developing the workforce of the future. Akasha's deep interests in spirituality, adult development, and intercultural consciousness give him a unique and powerful perspective on leadership development. We talked about how to help coaches find cultural common ground in developmental conversations. I was also inspired by Akasha using an early traum...
The Power of Story with Matt Scott
April 22, 2022 03:00 - 51 minutes - 35.7 MBMatt Scott is the Manager of Storytelling & Engagement with Project Drawdown, a nonprofit organization that seeks to help the world reach “drawdown”—the future point in time when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline. Since the 2017 publication of the New York Times bestseller Drawdown, the organization has emerged as a leading resource for information and insight about climate solutions. Matt Scott focuses on passing the mic to those who o...
Beyond Right & Wrong
April 13, 2022 22:00 - 1 hour - 46.1 MBExecutive Coaches Neil Edwards and Jeff Jacobson, guests from Season One, joined Nina again to have a conversation about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at this year's Academy Awards and the subsequent fallout from it. Neil shared his perspectives on the overreaction of many white folks in his circle and the complexity of the situation for the black family. Rules that were broken (or not) and patterns that remain in our collective response. Nina Simonds Coaching Join our mailing list! ...
Circular Fashion with Camille Lee
February 24, 2022 23:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MBCamille Lee is the founder of WearEmOutTees, a circular t-shirt brand focused on getting pre-loved tees back into the economy to help divert them away from landfills, which extends their lifecycle. She hand-selects each shirt and creates the vision for the images screen-printed on every piece. Camille explains circular fashion and what inspired her to create a business that diverts textiles from landfills. Nina and Camille also explored the ups and downs of running a social impact business...
Circular Fashion with Camille Lee
February 24, 2022 23:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MBCamille Lee is the founder of WearEmOutTees, a circular t-shirt brand focused on getting pre-loved tees back into the economy to help divert them away from landfills, which extends their lifecycle. She hand-selects each shirt and creates the vision for the images screen-printed on every piece. Camille explains circular fashion and what inspired her to create a business that diverts textiles from landfills. Nina and Camille also explored the ups and downs of running a social impact business...
Being a Climate JEDI with Kristy Drutman
February 02, 2022 23:00 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MBKristy Drutman, otherwise known as “Brown Girl Green” is passionate about working at the intersections between media, diversity, and environmentalism. As a youth climate activist, Kristy has worked with youth from around the world to create collaborative, intersectional online media with the goal of creating conscious, culturally relevant content. Kristy talked about her experiences at the UN Climate Talks and the harm that happens regularly to BIPOC activists. Nina and Kristy shared thei...
Being a Climate JEDI with Kristy Drutman
February 02, 2022 23:00 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MBKristy Drutman, otherwise known as “Brown Girl Green” is passionate about working at the intersections between media, diversity, and environmentalism. As a youth climate activist, Kristy has worked with youth from around the world to create collaborative, intersectional online media with the goal of creating conscious, culturally relevant content. Kristy talked about her experiences at the UN Climate Talks and the harm that happens regularly to BIPOC activists. Nina and Kristy shared thei...
Navajo Wealth with Carlos Deal
January 21, 2022 23:00 - 45 minutes - 31.6 MBCarlos Deal is an entrepreneur, a chef and owner of Alternativeats, a restaurant with a focus on Navajo and Japanese food. Carlos shared his vision for opening up a commissary kitchen and developing the next generation of chefs in his community. Nina and Carlos talked about the importance of local foods in addressing our carbon footprint. Nina also learned what a hoop house is. Alternativeats Facebook page Change Labs Uranium Poisoning on Navajo Nation Peabody Mine Shutdown Nina S...
Navajo Wealth with Carlos Deal
January 21, 2022 23:00 - 45 minutes - 31.6 MBCarlos Deal is an entrepreneur, a chef and owner of Alternativeats, a restaurant with a focus on Navajo and Japanese food. Carlos shared his vision for opening up a commissary kitchen and developing the next generation of chefs in his community. Nina and Carlos talked about the importance of local foods in addressing our carbon footprint. Nina also learned what a hoop house is. Alternativeats Facebook page Change Labs Uranium Poisoning on Navajo Nation Peabody Mine Shutdown
Identity & Belonging with Irina Feygina
January 01, 2022 19:00 - 54 minutes - 37.6 MBDr. Irina Feygina is a social psychologist who applies behavioral science and facilitation approaches to climate change policy and program development. She served as the Director of Behavioral Science and Assessment at Climate Central, and as a fellow on the White House Social and Behavioral Sciences Team. Irina joins Let's Get Real to talk about how our need for belonging affects our belief in climate change, how some of our core assumptions endanger us, and what actually influences peop...
Identity & Belonging with Irina Feygina
January 01, 2022 19:00 - 54 minutes - 37.6 MBDr. Irina Feygina is a social psychologist who applies behavioral science and facilitation approaches to climate change policy and program development. She served as the Director of Behavioral Science and Assessment at Climate Central, and as a fellow on the White House Social and Behavioral Sciences Team. Irina joins Let's Get Real to talk about how our need for belonging affects our belief in climate change, how some of our core assumptions endanger us, and what actually influences peop...
Behind the Scenes, Season 3
December 16, 2021 13:00 - 24 minutes - 16.9 MBAndy and Nina talk about the impetus behind a season about climate activism. Nina busts some climate change myths and the two of them riff about how sustainability is influencing their plans to buy or build their next home. Andy shares a bit about his recording methodology. Nina also gives a sneak peak into some future episodes of Season Three. Drawdown Project The Last Glacier
Behind the Scenes, Season 3
December 16, 2021 13:00 - 24 minutes - 16.9 MBAndy and Nina talk about the impetus behind a season about climate activism. Nina busts some climate change myths and the two of them riff about how sustainability is influencing their plans to buy or build their next home. Andy shares a bit about his recording methodology. Nina also gives a sneak peak into some future episodes of Season Three. Drawdown Project The Last Glacier Nina Simonds Coaching Join our mailing list! Instagram Linked In
From Burnout to Sustainability with Melanie Larkins
November 29, 2021 17:00 - 44 minutes - 30.3 MBMelanie Larkins is an ESG expert with 20 years partnering with clients, senior executives and governments to implement sustainable strategies. She is also a wellness and peak performance coach integrating yoga, meditation, and various healing modalities into her work with high performers. Nina and Melanie explored the connection between self care and care for the planet. They also talked about how to address burnout at the individual level as well as systemically. Melanie also shared ...
Compassionate Capitalism with David O'Leary
November 10, 2021 23:00 - 49 minutes - 34.2 MBDavid O'Leary is a wealth management expert, impact investment professional, public speaker, and writer. David spends his time as Founder & Principal of Kind Wealth, a holistic wealth management practice helping early to mid-career Canadians manage their money in a way that matches their values. Nina spoke with David O'Leary about how to put our money where are values are and make investing a form of activism. David and Nina also shared stories about how our attitudes about money influenc...
Compassionate Capitalism with David O'Leary
November 10, 2021 23:00 - 49 minutes - 34.2 MBDavid O'Leary is a wealth management expert, impact investment professional, public speaker, and writer. David spends his time as Founder & Principal of Kind Wealth, a holistic wealth management practice helping early to mid-career Canadians manage their money in a way that matches their values. Nina spoke with David O'Leary about how to put our money where are values are and make investing a form of activism. David and Nina also shared stories about how our attitudes about money influenc...