Opening up can be frightening and many people grapple with vulnerability. Perhaps you wish to feel more connected to others. You may also want to be genuine, brave, honest, and accept who you really are. But something prevents you from feeling secure that affects you personally or professionally. It's simple to talk about vulnerability, but difficult to put it into practice and alter our perspective. It's very difficult because it means looking deep inside yourself and admitting unpleasant things or painful truths. Our STANDOUT guest, Carl Shawn Watkins, is a survivor of abuse, addiction, and depression. He uses his public platform to empower and encourage people to turn life’s setbacks into success. During our conversation, he is going to share with us about living and embracing your vulnerability and how a vulnerable leader empowered those who they lead.
In this episode, you will learn:
The importance of vulnerability
How you can start to open up and be vulnerable
How vulnerability can help you personally and professionally
Plus much more…
Learn more about our STANDOUT guest Carl Shawn Watkins: he is a Diversity Equity & Inclusion expert with an emphasis on Vulnerability in Leadership. His career has included hugely successful leadership roles in both the public and private sectors. In the last 25 years, Carl Shawn has trained over 1000 leaders and served as Executive Coach to over 200 senior execs. What makes Carl Shawn’s experience unique is his thorough knowledge of Diversity + Vulnerability = Inclusion. Diversity & Inclusion is a major part of his research to create effective leadership development programs.

While a traditional leader looks to accumulate and exercise power, the power of a servant-leader shares puts the needs of others first and helps people develop into leaders themselves. No matter how skilled your employees may be, you still need to help them grow in new ways. We are talking about unlocking people's potential to drive greater value, build trust, and fuel growth. Our STANDOUT guest, Joanne St. Bernard-Honegan, is an award-winning human capital professional, named a Global Top 100 HR Leader in Canada. During our conversation, she is going to share her strategy to help employees unlock their potential and become the leaders they were meant to be.
In this episode, you will learn:
How to increase self-awareness about your strengths
How to focus on employees development
How to find your voice and inspire your team members
Plus much more…
Learn more about our STANDOUT guest Joanne St. Bernard-Honegan: with over 15 years of experience in human resources, she has honed her performance consulting and talent development expertise through both HR Generalist and Specialist roles in multi-national organizations in the Consumer Packaged Goods and Financial Services industries. In her current role as an Assistant Vice President, Talent Development & Engagement, Joanne is responsible for developing a value-driven talent development strategy, leading a cultural transformation, and overseeing the communication and engagement efforts within the Claims department. Joanne holds a Master’s degree in Human Resources and Industrial Relations from the University of Toronto.

Would you call yourself a people-pleaser? Do you have a hard time saying “no'' to others? Many individuals have been wasting time and talent filling the shoes of others or chasing their parent’s dreams. Not setting boundaries limits your personal and professional growth. Our STANDOUT guest, Jahmaal Marshall used to live to please others and rarely gave any resistance to the demands of those around him. But things changed. During our conversation, he is going to give you the keys to getting unstuck so you can see your worth and establish boundaries that unleash you to find your voice and blaze the trail you were intended for.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why do people pleasers have such a hard time saying ‘No’
How to set boundaries
How to find your voice and blaze the trail you were intended for
Plus much more…
Learn more about our STANDOUT guest Jahmaal Marshall: he has a passion for counseling, mentoring, and advising. He sees the importance of humility in servant leadership. As a certified counselor and mental health advocate, he enters that passion by working with clients to address pain points that hinder them from reaching their full potential. He gets to the root of the issue tailoring each session to the specific need of the client. If you've been stuck in your own way through years of putting out fires for everyone else, it's time to see your worth and establish boundaries that unleash you to find your voice and blaze the trail you were intended for. He hosts a Podcast Listen Then Speak, Broaching topics of the intersection of Culture, ethnicity, mental health, and religion, and how they are intertwined with both the career journey and the journey of life.

People want to be led by someone “real.” Especially in the turbulent times, we live in. But how much authenticity do we really want from our leaders? In contrast to calls for leaders to be vulnerable, marketing agency CEO Braden Wallake's tearful selfie on LinkedIn went viral and was met with criticism. Since then, he was dubbed the "crying CEO". So the question is, do we really want authenticity from our leaders? Join me and my STANDOUT guest Braden Wallake as we address the paradox of authenticity in leadership.
In this episode, you will learn:
How to be authentic online
The importance of focussing on yourself and
The power of being vulnerable as a leader
Plus much more...
Learn more about our STANDOUT guest Braden Wallake: as the CEO and founder of HyperSocial, my goal is to make Business-to-Business marketing and sales campaigns fun AND effective. There’s a way to make connections and closing leads fun and that’s where we come in. Our services at HyperSocial help businesses, big and small, crush their goals and level up to bigger and better ones by providing done-for-you B2B marketing and sales campaigns that have amazing results, sell your services/products to ideal decision makers at targeted companies, position you/your company as the GO-TO expert in your field.

Fewer than 20% of leaders have a strong sense of their own individual purpose. At its core, your leadership purpose springs from your identity, the essence of who you are, and the impact you want to make. Our STANDOUT guest - Stephen Clarke - has made his mission to lead with purpose. Listen to our conversation as he shares how he leverages the power of social responsibility initiatives as a key driver of productive change in businesses, associations, and other organizations.
In this episode, you will learn:
How to find your purpose in life
Why self-discovery is important
The difference between your passion and your purpose
Plus much more...
Learn more about our STANDOUT guest Stephen Clarke: Stephen is the Founder & CEO of RTG Group Inc., a Group of For-Profit Social Enterprise Companies focused on Making a Measurable Positive Impact in our World. Stephens’ Past as a Professional Hockey Player, Author, Speaker, and passionate Entrepreneur has provided him with the experience and ability to bring innovation and creativity to the GIVING Space where his disruptive models can provide real change!!!

Ever heard someone referred to as being ‘Too nice’? Despite the widespread benefits, there is a popular belief that kindness is a sign of weakness. However, kindness is in fact essential to leadership success simply because kind leaders act in the best interests of themselves, others, and the organization. Our STANDOUT guest - Will Sullivan - is all about people above profits and is a strong advocate of kindness in leadership. He has spent decades building successful large customer-centric teams, making more than 150 million satisfied guests and $1 Billion in revenue.
In this episode, you will learn:
Leadership through kindness
How to discover your special gift
How to make an impact with kindness
Plus much more...
Learn more about our STANDOUT guest Will Sullivan: as a young human, I made my way into the world of NYC retailing as part of some of the city’s most iconic brands such as B. Altman’s, Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, Charles Jourdan, and Henri Bendel. Caring for the customer always motivated me yet supporting the teams who served the customer was what drove me.
Eventually, I became a leader in the world of NYC’s Arts & Culture scene at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the largest museum in the US and amongst the biggest in the world. Having spent three decades leading complex frontline teams who welcomed and served well over 150 million guests was not just a career, it was a calling. It was an honor to hire, train, direct and develop thousands of team members and to work side by side with countless colleagues during my tenure. Working directly with the public for so many years taught me about leadership, planning, hospitality, tourism, and most importantly, the human heart. I simply love connecting with people and it comes naturally. I credit much of my success to the teams I was privileged to lead and the guests I was honored to serve.

Decentralized leadership and trust in the community are at the heart of Bitcoin technology. New technologies often challenge and sometimes disturb the way things are done, the way people communicate, and ultimately, the way they lead. Our STANDOUT guest - Peter Ratnikov - shares his journey from being a serial entrepreneur to adopting cryptocurrency and leveraging the technology to increase his influence and make a positive impact. Whether you like it or not, cryptocurrency is a new technology that is here to stay. The better you understand it, the more you'll be equipped the take better-informed decision.
In this episode, you will learn:
The opportunities behind the new technology (cryptocurrency)
How crypto is changing the world
The importance of this new technology
Plus much more...
Learn more about our STANDOUT guest Peter Ratnikov: he is passionate about new technology. He is a serial entrepreneur and likes working with Wonderful Programs like Billions in Change & The Vegan Experience. He LIVES LIFE to the Fullest by following these Fundamental Principals:
- "Love the Life you live, live the life you love." Bob Marley
- Maintain a POSITIVE VIBE at all times
- Living a Free Lifestyle with No Restrictions. Without Infringing on Anyone or Anything.

How To Leverage Video To Grow Your Brand (even if you don’t know how/like to make a video). It’s been a number of years since videos became popular, now more than ever. So video marketing is definitely worth paying attention to. Our STANDOUT guest - Sri Mahabir - is a Video Visibility Coach who helps her community get past the hesitations of creating videos to grow.
In this episode, you will learn:
How to get over your fear of being seen
The secret to growth and why your comfort zone is your enemy
How to be self-aware and push yourself
Plus much more...
Learn more about our STANDOUT guest Sri Mahabir: she is a Video Visibility Coach who helps her community get past the hesitations of creating videos to grow. She helps you get past the hesitations of creating video and gain clarity in creating a LIVE Stream to increase your visibility, generate leads, and land your ideal clients.