I’m one week shy of finalizing my MCC application process, which began with the launch of this podcast in July 7, 2023.

This week’s episode is documentary style. No music. Just raw footage, of me documenting the many final steps, big decisions, the over thinking, and the huge importance of staying present when working in a state of not knowing.

Thanks to my many peer coaches, my clients, and friends and family who’ve supported me in this journey, which has changed how I feel about myself and how I communicate forever.

Your show host, D G McCullough, is a communications coach for Fortune 100 leaders, a former reporter for the Guardian, the Economist, and the FT of London. Find her on LinkedIn. Join her communications and active listening workshops on Maven here and here.

Pharmaceutical executive Jill Staudacher took things harder than she thought when her middle son Dean moved out of home and seven hours away for his studies and baseball.

I’ve struggled moving my oldest son Nicholas into his dorm last week at Harvard University—now living 1070 miles from his Wisconsin base.

The college transition can challenge parents—and the teens who move away. Exact data’s scarce; but we know 16% of 18.4 million undergraduate students in the U.S. live in some form of campus housing, and many of those are far from home.

In this episode, two mothers and coaches share their ways of maintaining presence and staying calm staying in that place of not knowing, whilst missing their sons terribly. [Note: We host this podcast from Jill’s farm. Please excuse the occasional interjection from her chickens and turkeys.]

If you’d like to reach out to Jill for friendship or guidance, find her via her website Refocus your Health.

Your show host, D G McCullough, is a former reporter for the Guardian, the Economist, and the FT of London. Find her on LinkedIn. Join her communications and active listening workshops on Maven here and here.

When Fortune 500 Chief Technology Advisor Suhail Syed learns that clients are upset, the instinct is to jump in and solve. That’s what often feels right. Something’s broken; so fix it. But as someone intent on staying calm amidst crisis, Syed finds that asking questions and listening well works best.

“It’s amazing what unfolds,” he muses. “Clients feel listened to. They get to vent. And from that more peaceful, trusting state, we problem solve together.”

This delightful conversation with Suhail reminds and affirms for me the power of active listening in business and how much listening well boosts our brand and our executive presence. When we’re grounded, listening, owning responsibility vs. fighting back and stamping out a fire, not only do meetings become more productive, the entire perspective on a problem shifts for the better.

You can find Suhail Syed on LinkedIn here.

Your show host, D G McCullough, is a former reporter for the Guardian, the Economist, and the FT of London. Find her on LinkedIn. Join her communications and active listening workshops on Maven here and here.