The Richard Taliaferro Podcast

Leadership can look polished from the outside. But behind the title, many leaders are carrying enormous responsibility, constant visibility, and very few safe places to be fully human.In this episode, Richard talks with Julie Jakopic, a leadership evangelist, strategist, coach, and founder of iLead Strategies. Julie works with leaders across nonprofits, government, public service, and mission-driven organizations—often people with a lot of responsibility and not many true peers.Together, they explore what happens when high-performing doers become leaders, why letting people fail can be essential to growth, and how leaders can stay grounded when others put them on a pedestal. Julie also shares why power doesn’t change people as much as it amplifies them, why empathy is one of the most important leadership skills, and why leaders need trusted spaces where someone can hold up a mirror and ask better questions.This conversation is about leadership, yes. But it’s also about humanity, accountability, and the courage to stay curious before getting angry.Learn more about Julie Jakopic’s work: https://ileadstrategies.comI’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career coach, specializing in helping mid-stage professionals find the work that works for them. I'm sharing my thoughts on careers, and more, and how I can help you achieve your goals. Find out more at: https://www.richardtaliaferro.comTo get my weekly newsletter with more career tips and insights, click here: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com/emails#LeadershipDevelopment#ExecutiveCoaching#ResilientLeadership#EmpathyInLeadership#PublicServiceLeadership#NonprofitLeadership#MissionDrivenLeadership#OrganizationalDevelopment#LeadershipCoaching#EmotionalIntelligence#CareerGrowth#ProfessionalDevelopment#WorkplaceTrust#JulieJakopic#RichardTaliaferro

Most people don’t associate imagination with leadership.But every meaningful shift—in a company, a career, or a life—starts with someone willing to see something that doesn’t exist yet.In this episode, I sit down with returning guest Dawn Kasey Lovelace, a certified coach and former music industry executive, to explore how imagination shapes leadership, decision-making, and team dynamics.We talk about:Why imagination is a leadership advantage (not a soft skill)How visionary leaders align people around ideas others can’t yet seeThe role of stillness, reflection, and mindset in creative thinkingHow to break old patterns and uncover blind spotsWhen imagination becomes a liability (and how to balance it with action)This conversation goes beyond tactics. It’s about how you show up as a leader—and how you create space for others to do the same.If you’ve been feeling stuck, overthinking your next move, or trying to lead through uncertainty, this one will give you a different lens.Connect with Dawn: https://dawnkaseylovelace.comI’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career coach, specializing in helping mid-stage professionals find the work that works for them. I'm sharing my thoughts on careers, and more, and how I can help you achieve your goals. Find out more at: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com#LeadershipDevelopment #CreativeLeadership #CareerGrowth #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipMindset #InnovationLeadership #PersonalGrowth #CareerTransition #MindsetShift #coaching

What happens when the life and career you built no longer fit the person you’ve become?Richard Taliaferro talks with coach and strategist Meghan DeFord about career reinvention, identity, and what it means to rebuild a life around your values instead of other people’s expectations. After years in philanthropy and major fundraising leadership, Meghan found herself facing a divorce and a layoff within weeks of each other — and with that, a deeper reckoning around purpose, self-trust, and what came next.That turning point led her into coaching, where she now helps women who have checked all the boxes, shown up for everyone else, and quietly pushed their own dreams to the bottom of the list. Her approach is grounded and strategic: not hustle culture, not empty inspiration, but real goals, real values, and real life.Richard and Meghan talk about the emotional terrain of change — identity loss, self-judgment, people-pleasing, fear of visibility, and the myth that meaningful change requires blowing up everything you’ve built. They also explore the difference between coaching and therapy, the limits of AI as a substitute for human support, and why the best coaching doesn’t hand you a blueprint — it helps you hear yourself more clearly.This is a conversation for anyone navigating a career pivot, questioning a successful-on-paper life, or trying to reconnect with what matters now.You can reach out to Meghan at www.megdeford.comMeg and I also host Scrambled Eggs, a podcast about the messy middle of careers; give it a listen and subscribe: https://open.spotify.com/show/2MubV1gNu4lNQymeBsxi8r?si=jlqQwYAASx2KNkfScJSwZw#MeghanDeFord #CareerReinvention #CareerPivot #MidlifeCareerChange #ValuesBasedLiving #IdentityShift #WomensCoaching #CareerCoaching #SelfTrust #WomenAndWork #PurposeDrivenLife #PersonalGrowth #RichardTaliaferro***********I’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career coach, specializing in helping mid-stage professionals find the work that works for them. I'm sharing my thoughts on careers, and more, and how I can help you achieve your goals. Find out more at: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com

What happens when the biggest disruption to your career isn’t your job—but your body?In this episode, I talk with Claire Sachs, a healthcare policy expert and patient advocate who has spent decades navigating the system from both sides—as a professional shaping healthcare policy and as a patient living with chronic illness.Claire shares her story of growing up with life-threatening illness, managing multiple diagnoses, and building a career within the constraints of her health. We explore how chronic illness impacts not just your physical capacity, but your identity, your career choices, and your sense of control.This conversation goes beyond healthcare. It’s about trust, self-advocacy, energy management, and what it means to rebuild your life when your body becomes part of the equation.Special thanks to Debra Chandler of Kickfannie Media Group for the connection⸻Key Takeaways: • Your body is not separate from your career—it’s part of the system • Stress isn’t just mental—it shows up physically, often before you notice • You are allowed to question authority—including doctors and career paths • Small, sustainable steps matter more than urgent, overwhelming change • Trust—both in yourself and in others—is foundational when everything feels uncertain⸻🔗 Connect with Claire Sachs: • LinkedIn: Claire Sachs • Blog: The Patient Advocates Chronicle • Consulting: TPAC Consulting⸻I’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career coach, specializing in helping mid-stage professionals find the work that works for them. I'm sharing my thoughts on careers, and more, and how I can help you achieve your goals. Find out more at: https://www.richardtaliaferro.comTo get my weekly newsletter with more career tips and insights, click here: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com/emails⸻#CareerTransition #ChronicIllness #CareerChange #HealthAndCareer #PatientAdvocacy #CareerCoaching #MidCareer #ProfessionalIdentity #MentalHealth #WorkplaceWellness #BurnoutRecovery #SelfAdvocacy #CareerClarity #LeadershipDevelopment #LifeTransitions

What does reinvention look like when life forces you to pivot? In this episode, Richard Taliaferro talks with Rick Steeby—a former soldier, police detective, IT professional, contractor, and now published author—about building a new chapter later in life.Rick shares how growing up in Alaska shaped his adventurous spirit, how a dyslexia diagnosis changed the way he understood himself, and why he kept writing through 13 manuscripts before finally landing a publishing deal for his novel Gold Miner’s Daughter. This is a conversation about resilience, career change, persistence, and what it means to keep becoming.If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s too late to start again, this episode is for you.See more about Rick at https://ricksteebyauthor.com*****I’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career coach, specializing in helping mid-stage professionals find the work that works for them. I'm sharing my thoughts on careers, and more, and how I can help you achieve your goals. Find out more at: https://www.richardtaliaferro.comTo get my weekly newsletter with more career tips and insights, click here: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com/emails#CareerReinvention #SecondAct #NeverTooLate #Resilience #Perseverance #AuthorJourney #PublishedAuthor #LifeTransition #Storytelling #PersonalGrowth

What does it take to become a 13-time world boxing champion after starting at age 29?In this powerful conversation, World Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Tori Nelson shares how she built a championship career while raising two children and working multiple jobs — including driving a school bus, working in a cafeteria, and pulling shifts at IHOP.This episode explores women’s boxing, discipline, faith, mental toughness, and what it really takes to reinvent yourself later in life.We talk about:Starting boxing at 29 and being told she was “washed up”Fighting the #1 ranked competitor in her first professional boutBuilding championship discipline while balancing motherhood and workTraining with men and developing a world champion mindsetNavigating athlete retirement and life after sportsWhy identity matters more than titlesHow to handle career transitions without losing yourselfTori Nelson’s story is more than a boxing success story. It’s about resilience, reinvention, purpose, and remembering who you were before the accolades.If you’re facing a career change, stepping into a second act, or questioning what comes next, this episode will remind you: your title is a chapter — not your identity.I’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career coach, specializing in helping mid-stage professionals find the work that works for them. I'm sharing my thoughts on careers, and more, and how I can help you achieve your goals. Find out more at: https://www.richardtaliaferro.comTo get my weekly newsletter with more career tips and insights, click here: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com/emails#ToriNelson #WomensBoxing #BoxingChampion #WorldChampion #AthleteMindset #MentalToughness #Resilience #NeverTooLate #CareerTransition #Reinvention

Dawn Kasey Lovelace brings a unique perspective to executive coaching—she's worked in the music industry for over 25 years, developing recording artists, TV projects, and films with well-known producers and filmmakers. Now she coaches creative leaders and Fortune 1000 executives on bringing their whole selves to their work.In our conversation, Dawn shined a different kind of light on leadership: creativity isn't something you do—it's who you are. And that changes so much about how you lead.Maybe you're thinking leadership in entertainment is different from corporate leadership. But whether you're leading a film crew or managing a sales team, the principles are still the same. Dawn helped me understand that great leaders foster innovation by creating space for everyone's creativity to contribute.Think about it: most of us have suppressed our creativity somewhere along the way. We've learned to follow templates, mimic other people's leadership styles, and hide what makes us unique. But Dawn shares something powerful: the moment you remember your creativity, you're right back there. It's not lost.We dive deep into how stillness and mindfulness practices (even just 5-10 minutes) create space for authentic leadership decisions, why bringing your core values to work matters, and how to design your own personal brand of leadership. Dawn also shares her coaching philosophy: seeing clients as whole, perfect, and complete exactly as they are.Key Takeaways:Creativity is a way of being, not just a skill setLeadership principles work across all industries—Hollywood to corporateSimple stillness practices unlock better decision-makingYour authentic leadership style should reflect your core valuesGreat leaders leave room for diverse ideas and innovationYou can reach Dawn at dawnkaseylovelace.com#Creativity #Leadership #ExecutiveCoaching #Authenticity #CareerGrowth #Mindfulness #PersonalBrand #InnovationI’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career coach, specializing in helping mid-stage professionals find the work that works for them. I'm sharing my thoughts on careers, and more, and how I can help you achieve your goals. Find out more at: https://www.richardtaliaferro.comTo get my weekly newsletter with more career tips and insights, click here: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com/emails

Who are you arguing with when you write that email? Prepare that presentation? Share your ideas at work?Here's the thing—and I'm still working on this myself—most of us are unconsciously defending ourselves to an audience that doesn't exist. Ghost skeptics. Imaginary critics. The voice that says "that won't work here."I call them ghost audiences, and they're quietly undermining your career confidence and professional impact.In this episode, I share what I've learned about these invisible critics (including my own newsroom voice that demands I prove every point). You'll discover why that defensive tone creeps into your communication, what skepticism really signals, and how to stop negotiating with people who aren't even there.What You'll Learn:The ghost audience audit that reveals who you're really writing forWhy softening your conviction actually hurts your messageHow to speak directly to people who need your perspectiveThe simple two-version exercise that changes everythingWhen you stop defending your work to ghosts, your actual audience can finally receive it. And that's where real career growth happens.Let me know in the comments—who's your ghost audience?#CareerClarity #ProfessionalCommunication #OvercomingFear #WorkplaceSuccess #CareerCoaching #AuthenticLeadership #ProfessionalGrowthI’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career coach, specializing in helping mid-stage professionals find the work that works for them. I'm sharing my thoughts on careers, and more, and how I can help you achieve your goals. Find out more at: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com