A World of Difference Podcast Por Lori Adams-Brown arte de portada

A World of Difference

A World of Difference

De: Lori Adams-Brown
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A World of Difference: Leadership, Culture & Travel Podcast Welcome to A World of Difference, a top 3% global podcast where authentic leadership meets cross-cultural wisdom. Host Lori Adams-Brown, a strategic transformation executive and multilingual global leader, brings you real conversations with bestselling authors, nonprofit changemakers, C-suite executives, and thought leaders who are redefining what it means to lead with purpose. This isn't surface-level leadership content. We dive deep into psychological safety in leadership, organizational culture transformation, differentiation strategies, global leadership development, and how cross-cultural communication shapes the future of work. Whether you're a CEO navigating organizational change, an HR leader building inclusive cultures, or a manager seeking authentic leadership skills, these conversations will challenge how you think and lead. From travel as cultural education to ethics in business to emotional intelligence for executives, each episode offers actionable insights for leaders who believe our differences make us stronger. If you're tired of cookie-cutter business podcasts and want meaningful conversations that bridge culture, society, and leadership, you're home. Pull up a seat at the table with us.© 2023 Lori Adams-Brown Arte Ciencias Sociales Economía Escritos y Comentarios sobre Viajes Historia y Crítica Literaria
Episodios
  • The Telescope in the Room: What High-Performing Leaders Can't See About Their Own Career with Executive Coach Karen Kunkel Young

    The Telescope in the Room: What High-Performing Leaders Can't See About Their Own Career with Executive Coach Karen Kunkel Young
    Feb 18 2026
    You're highly capable. So why does your next move feel so unclear? For senior leaders at a career inflection point — whether navigating a layoff, a values misalignment, or a long-overdue pivot — the problem is rarely a lack of skill. It's a lack of perspective. In this episode, executive coach and strategic advisor Karen Kunkel Young joins host Lori Adams-Brown to talk about what high-performing leaders consistently miss when they're standing at a crossroads — and what it actually takes to move forward with clarity, agency, and intention. In this conversation, you'll discover: Why the habits and communication styles that made you successful may now be holding you back — and how to see that shift before it costs you How to reclaim ownership of your career narrative, especially when external forces (layoffs, leadership changes, industry shifts) have made you feel like a passenger The critical transition from expert executor to strategic leader — and why skipping the mindset shift is a lose-lose for everyone How to advocate powerfully for your impact without it feeling like bragging — including the storytelling framework that connects your achievements to business outcomes A practical approach to fear in high-stakes transitions: how to name it, feel it, and use it as a launchpad rather than a brake About Karen Kunkel Young: Karen Kunkel Young is an executive coach and strategic advisor known as "the telescope in the room" — helping senior leaders step back far enough to see the blind spots, shifting influence, and hidden opportunities their current vantage point obscures. With nearly 30 years of experience as a global media showrunner (including Project Runway and Tim Gunn's Guide to Style), Karen brings a master storyteller's precision to leadership transitions, executive presence, and career pivots. Timestamps: 00:00 — Introduction & why this moment demands perspective over pace 01:12 — What highly capable leaders aren't seeing clearly right now 03:51 — You are the CEO of your career: reclaiming agency 07:30 — The expert-to-leader transition: why it's a lose-lose without support 10:04 — What the telescope reveals: the hard truth that changes how leaders lead 13:42 — Naming unspoken fear in high-stakes transitions 18:46 — How your narrative expands or limits your future influence 23:02 — Advocacy without bragging: the storytelling framework that works 28:14 — Coaching leaders through emotionally difficult career transitions 33:57 — Advice for high-performing women in a slow, painful job search 38:30 — Where to find Karen Kunkel Young 39:44 — Lori's closing reflection on perspective, resilience, and sustained impact Find Karen Kunkel-Young at: 🌐 karenkunkelyoung.com 💼 LinkedIn: Karen Kunkel Young Subscribe, leave a review at https://www.aworldofdifferencepodcast.com/reviews/new/, and share this episode with a leader standing at a crossroads — even if they haven't named it yet. Visit https://www.aworldofdifferencepodcast.com for more resources, tools, and episodes designed for globally-minded leaders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    43 m
  • Spanish-Speaking America in STEM: A First-Gen Immigrant Latina Leadership Story with Bay Area Entrepreneur Rebeca Lopez Valerio

    Spanish-Speaking America in STEM: A First-Gen Immigrant Latina Leadership Story with Bay Area Entrepreneur Rebeca Lopez Valerio
    Feb 11 2026
    What do you do when the doors you’ve worked for keep closing because of factors you can’t control? In this episode, Rebeca Lopez Valerio shares how she turned “no” into fuel, built opportunities from scratch, and learned to lead with coraje, heart-forward courage rooted in identity, resilience, and values. Rebeca’s story is powerful and deeply human. Born in Mexico with Indigenous roots from the Oaxaca/Puebla region, she immigrated to the U.S. at age four and navigated life as a first-generation student, while also carrying the realities of being undocumented during key years of her education and career journey. Together, we talk about what it really takes to keep showing up when the stakes are high, and how community can be the difference between feeling stuck and finding your way forward. In this episode, we cover: Indigenous heritage, language loss, and the impact of “dialects being looked down on” First-generation student survival: why community often beats 1:1 mentorship How to lead with ambition without being defined by hardship Rejection as strategy: building your brand through projects, businesses, and relationships Sustainable fashion + AI: how Apparel Assist aims to reduce clothing waste by starting in our closets Guest bio:Rebeca Lopez Valerio is a hardware engineer, entrepreneur, and community builder. A first-generation immigrant with a background in electrical engineering, she co-founded Apparel Assist, a sustainable fashion startup exploring how AI can help people rewear what they already own and reduce clothing waste. Timestamps (highlights): 00:01 – Meet Rebeca + the cultures that formed her 01:11 – Indigenous roots and the reality of language loss 05:44 – Immigrating at age four + education access 08:59 – Most overlooked resource for first-gen students: community 15:11 – “No” after “no”: how Rebeca built her personal brand 24:39 – Practical strategy: relationships, reps, and showing up anyway 29:56 – From cleaning business to Apparel Assist (AI + sustainability) 42:39 – Where to find Rebeca + Apparel Assist on Instagram Bonus: 00:01 – Legacy: impact through everyday interactions Follow Apparel Assist on Instagram, where Rebeca and her team are sharing the story behind their AI-powered sustainable fashion platform and inviting community conversation. Call to action:Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who’s been shrinking to fit. Visit loriadamsbrown.com for more resources and to stay connected. Join Lori for. an exclusive with Rebeca with our Difference Makers on Patreon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    43 m
  • The Hidden Cost of Avoidance: Navigating Hard Conversations with Amy Brodsky

    The Hidden Cost of Avoidance: Navigating Hard Conversations with Amy Brodsky
    Feb 4 2026
    What if the very conversations you’re avoiding are the ones that could change everything? In this episode, we explore the hidden cost of silence, and how choosing “peace” over honesty can slowly erode trust, connection, and even joy. Many of us were taught to keep the peace, smooth things over, or stay quiet especially when the stakes are high in families, partnerships, and leadership roles. But as today’s conversation reveals, avoiding hard conversations doesn’t actually protect relationships. It quietly damages them. This episode is for anyone who knows something needs to be said, but isn’t sure how, when, or whether it’s safe to say it at all. I’m joined by Amy Brodsky. Amy is Founder and CEO of Sky Partners, a Performance Coaching, Facilitation and Advisory Firm. Amy has spent her career helping CEOs, Leadership Teams, UHNW Families and high-profile individuals navigate their most confidential and complex matters, including challenging team and family dynamics. Amy helps CEOs and Leadership Teams achieve the utmost success through exploring their current thoughts and patterns of behavior while supporting them as they create shifts to increase performance, professional relationships, awareness and peace. Amy has 30 years of experience in leadership, transformational change, negotiation and executive coaching across sectors. She has led client engagements ranging from large-scale mergers and acquisitions, organizational change, and cultural integrations. Amy holds a J.D. from New York Law School, Executive Coaching Certification from Columbia University and B.A. from University of New Hampshire. Her past employers include J.P. Morgan, Union Bank of Switzerland, PIMCO and U.S. Trust. Amy has been a guest on CNN to discuss the topic of harassment in the workplace. She is a well-known speaker on the topic of Family Dynamics, Performance Coaching and Acquisitions. This is not about being confrontational. It’s about being honest. It’s about understanding the difference between peace and avoidance, and learning how to reclaim your voice without burning bridges. In this episode, we explore: Why avoiding difficult conversations creates fear, dysfunction, and lost potential The emotional dynamics that silently shape families, teams, and organizations The difference between technical problems and adaptive (human) challenges How self-awareness, intentional listening, and inquiry rebuild trust Why psychological safety and dignity are foundational—not optional—for performance About the Guest:Amy Brodsky is a performance coach and advisor who helps CEOs, leadership teams, and families navigate high-stakes conversations, succession planning, and deeply rooted relational challenges. With a background spanning Wall Street, HR leadership, and organizational behavior, Amy brings rigor, compassion, and clarity to the conversations that matter most. www.skyconsulting.org www.linkedin.com/in/amybrodsky Key Timestamps: 00:02 – Peace vs. avoidance: what silence really costs 08:14 – Emotional dynamics and why we’re never taught to communicate 16:36 – Trust, succession, and the real reasons families and companies fail 21:20 – Technical vs. adaptive challenges explained 35:28 – How assumptions derail relationships 39:10 – Final reflections: courage, fear, and choosing growth Call to Action:Subscribe to A World of Difference, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs permission to speak up. Visit loriadamsbrown.com to learn more and stay connected. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 m
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