When I started the Culture and Leadership Connections Podcast, I felt called to bring diverse voices from different industries and professionals around the world to the world so we could all benefit from their experiences and wisdom. Today as I take the microphone for the last time, I thought listeners might want to know a few of our stats and milestones.

Over the past 7 years, we have published 154 episodes featuring 132 interviews, and 22 solo episodes. That's 1,540 hours of work and 133,672 words in show note blogs, at a cost of $800-$1000 per month.

Most downloaded interview episodes:

Ashif Mawji – Leading From Behind, Even If You Know The Answers!

Lewis Cardinal – It’s All About Relationships

Teresa Spinelli – One Big Human Family

Laurika Booysen – I Am Because You Are

Most downloaded Insights solo episodes:

Decoding Procrastination

Anxiety is not an Emotion

Most downloaded Spirit of Work solo episodes:

How the Soul Relates to Work

Using the Virtues Sequence to Solve Workplace Problems

I have loved interviewing our podcast guests, many of whom told me their interview experience was “cathartic” and “helped them understand themselves and their work journeys more clearly” or was “a more personal and insightful experience than any other podcast interview they had experienced.”

In response I will say that I am proud to have brought so many beautiful and unique stories to the internet sound waves. These interviews are a legacy and will continue to be available on our website and on all podcast directories.

It was also a joy to create the solo episodes although they involved lots more soul searching and research than I expected. It made me realize how much courage it takes for solo podcast hosts to put themselves out in public and increased my admiration for my colleague’s work!

These 154 episodes were created by me, Mike Kurlander who was our amazing audio engineer, the wonderful Malvika Kathpal and Bea Mugure on the show notes and our outstanding Berna Guadiz who created all the images, website uploads and social media images.

I would like to leave you with two recent testimonials:

Kasper Christiansen wrote: The Culture and Leadership Connections Podcast is a great listen! Marie Gervais provides expert insights and actionable advice on leadership and cultural diversity, making it invaluable for fostering inclusive and effective workplaces.

Michal Spiegelman said: Marie's deep perspective on various topics, especially spirituality, truly enriches the content. The way she seamlessly connects broader subjects to workplace dynamics is both enlightening and practical. This podcast has given me a new appreciation for the cultural influences that shape leadership and communication within diverse professional environments.

In closing, Culture and Leadership Connections has been a labour of love, and I certainly hope the many stories and insights will bring intangible benefits to thousands of listeners for years to come.

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Bio:
Marisol Solarte-Erlacher is a trauma expert, resilience consultant, and licensed psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience helping organizations foster thriving cultures. She hosts the award-nominated Resilience and Resistance podcast, featuring resilient leaders from marginalized communities. Named one of Colorado's Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business, Marisol specializes in creating psychologically safe workplaces that enhance engagement and performance. Her culturally responsive approach makes her a sought-after speaker and consultant for non-profits, corporations, and public service organizations nationwide.

Links:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marisol-solarte-erlacher
Website: https://www.marisolerlacher.com/

Episode Highlights:
In this episode, Marisol shares her journey from her multicultural upbringing to becoming a leader in creating psychologically safe workplaces. With powerful insights that stem from her personal resilience path, she highlights the importance of storytelling, cultural identity, and finding joy amidst adversity.

Childhood Memories:
Growing up with young parents, Marisol matured alongside them, becoming highly responsible from an early age. Though her parents created moments of joy, she often felt more like a little adult. Observing intergenerational trauma, interpersonal violence, and alcoholism in her family shaped her understanding of relationships and coping mechanisms. At 11, Marisol survived sexual assault, a defining event in her adolescence. During this time, she read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, realizing that resilience was possible. This book gave her hope and reinforced her belief in the power of stories to heal and transform.

Cultural Influences:
Marisol’s cultural identity shapes her values, relationships, and approach to life. She learned that family extends beyond biological ties, fostering deep loyalty to those who support her.

Her strong work ethic comes from witnessing her parents’ dedication, a trait she links to the immigrant experience. Though she now prioritizes balance, her drive remains rooted in these lessons.

She also embraces the joy in her culture, recognizing how her family celebrated life even in hardship. This understanding deepened when she visited Colombia at 16, where she experienced resilience and joy first-hand.

Influential Groups:
Marisol grew up Catholic but transitioned to evangelicalism in her teens, seeking belonging and certainty after trauma. This shift led her to seminary in Denver, a transformative experience that ultimately guided her toward a different spiritual path focused on personal growth.

During seminary, she joined the Circle of Latina Leadership, which shaped her leadership skills and personal development. Though her spirituality has evolved, her search for belonging continues to influence her journey and work today.

Personality and Temperament:
As a child, Marisol was introspective and often engaged in solitary activities. Being an only child for seven years, she navigated a complex environment on her own, shaping her personality.

As the eldest daughter in a Latinx family, she naturally took on a parent-like role, becoming highly responsible. This led her to a profession where others seek her guidance. She values her reflective and soulful nature, traits she believes are innate.

What Brings Out the Best in Marisol?
For Marisol, being authentic in her work as a therapist is both important and challenging. She strives to be fully herself despite power dynamics and the complexities of client expectations.

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Bio:
Dan Barker is an award-winning leadership expert and Senior HR Business Partner with 20 years of experience, specializing in MBTI, Gallup Strengths, and Change Management. He founded IDA Leadership Lab to drive organizational growth through workshops and chairs the Bonneville Youth Development Coalition, focusing on youth and community development. A member of the Bad River Band of the Ojibwe, Dan advocates for indigenous rights and cultural preservation, enriching his work as a leadership consultant and speaker.

Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-barker-mhrm-79719340/
Website: https://idaleadershiplab.com/

Quote: "True empathy comes from that ability to put yourself in someone's shoes, not for me to just be able to tell you I understand what it's like."

Episode Highlights:
Dan shares his unique journey from growing up in Northern Wisconsin and dealing with cultural transitions to becoming a leading figure in leadership development and community advocacy. He highlights the importance of preserving his Native American roots as a member of the Bad River Band of the Ojibwe and integrating those values into his leadership practices. His focus on empathy, progression, and blending diverse cultures and heritages offers invaluable insights for fostering inclusive environments.

Childhood Incidents:
Dan, a naturally aggressive child, joined football in seventh grade but quit due to the sport's physical demands. His dad encouraged him to view the challenge as a chance for growth. As an adult, Dan recalls the difficulty of moving from Idaho Falls to Boise during junior high, transitioning from a close-knit community to a larger, unfamiliar school, which left him feeling isolated during a critical period.

Influential Groups:
Having grown up in Idaho, the religious-based culture influenced Dan’s view of culture and drew him closer to his indigenous culture. It also opened him up to realizing there's an outsider factor.

Cultural Influence:
Dan reflects on his family’s heritage, emphasizing the importance of both the Kadat and Balange lines. His great-grandmother grew up near the Bad River Reservation on Lake Superior, maintaining a strong Indigenous connection. Dan’s mother humorously notes that her grandmother, fluent in Ojibwe, didn’t pass it down, possibly due to using it for private conversations among her siblings.

Dan married someone from a different culture, and blending their backgrounds was initially challenging. Over time, they successfully merged their cultures, creating unique family traditions and identities.

Temperament and Personality:
Dan believes that over the years, his empathy and compassion have evolved. He believes that when he was young, he lacked the social awareness to help him develop these two qualities.

Cultural Epiphanies:
Dan remembers joining Cub Scouts, which was organized by the LDS Church. Meetings were held at homes or churches, often including prayers. At one event, his father noticed Dan folding his arms during prayer, an LDS practice, and corrected him, explaining their family prayed differently. As a child, Dan saw this as a division between "us and them," but as an adult, he understands it reflected cultural differences—his family attended church, just not the LDS Church.

Soapbox Moment:
Dan’s principle is always to leave a place better than you found it. He believes if we do that, it sits well with our environmental factors and how we orient ourselves in the various work that we do and also with our families. He also encourages us to give back to our communities.

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