Some of the strongest leaders don’t command the room.
They hold it.

In this episode of The Story Craft Podcast, Kyle Adams talks about confident, quiet leadership, and why listening may be the most underrated leadership skill we have.

Kyle draws from his decade-long career as a television journalist and meteorologist, where listening carefully—to people, to context, to what’s unsaid—was essential. From live broadcasts to documentary storytelling, Kyle learned that trust isn’t built through volume or performance, but through presence and discernment.

Through the Whole Story Living framework, this episode centers on relational intelligence: the ability to lead with empathy, attunement, and intention in a world that often confuses speed with wisdom.

This conversation is an invitation to rethink leadership, not as something we project, but something we practice in relationship with others.

If you’ve ever felt pressure to be louder, faster, or more visible to be taken seriously, this episode offers a different—and deeply human—path forward.

What if 2026 isn’t about more content—but about more connection?

In this episode of The Story Craft Podcast, Dr. Meg Adams is joined by Amber Zaricor, one of Tennessee’s Top 10 Designers and the founder of Copperheart Creative.

Amber is also the creator of the Fill Your Cup Conference, an in-person experience designed to help career women slow down, reconnect, and rediscover what lights them up. As host of the Small Business Big Heart, Amber has spent years listening to the stories of entrepreneurs who lead with empathy and heart.

Together, Meg and Amber explore why thoughtfully designed in-person events are essential for real connection, creativity, and sustainable leadership, especially as our lives become more shaped by screens and algorithms.

Through a Whole Story Living lens, this conversation invites leaders, creatives, and entrepreneurs to rethink what it means to gather and how shared stories can help us feel more human again.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why in-person gatherings are critical for connection in 2026

• What makes an event feel meaningful, not transactional

• How storytelling creates trust and belonging in shared spaces

• Why slowing down is a leadership skill—not a luxury

• How to design experiences that people remember long after they leave

If you’re craving deeper connection and more intentional community, this episode is for you.

In this compelling conversation, Kyle Adams, co-founder of Homeplace Creative and award-winning filmmaker gets real about what it takes to lead like a human in a world obsessed with efficiency. Drawing from his work as a coach and entrepreneur, Kyle explores practical, everyday actions that help teams slow down, connect deeply, and build cultures of belonging.You’ll learn how to:

• Recognize when “efficiency” is eroding empathy
• Lead relationally, listening, noticing, and responding instead of optimizing
• Create human-centered rhythms that foster trust and creativity
• Reimagine leadership as the art of attention, not control
  

This episode challenges the machine-like models of leadership that burn people out, and offers a grounded, hopeful alternative: leadership that feels alive.

Bring Whole Story Living to your organization. Hire Meg and Kyle Adams for keynotes, leadership workshops, or storytelling consulting at Homeplace Creative