What if you could stop running on empty—and still perform at your best?

That's the question Erin Coupe, author of "I Can Fit That In" (and host of a podcast by the same name), invites leaders to ask. She challenges the old "time management" mindset that rewards burnout and box-checking, replacing it with a human-centered strategy of presence, choice, and renewal. Her message? Productivity doesn't come from cramming more into your day—it comes from creating rituals that restore you.

Erin works with executives and teams to help them shift from survival mode to sustainable performance. Through keynotes, workshops, and cohort-based learning, she guides people to design their own energizing rituals—intentional practices that bring clarity, calm, and connection. It's not about doing more. It's about aligning what you do with what truly matters.

Her approach transforms corporate cultures. Teams that once ran on autopilot begin building trust, transparency, and shared language. Leaders rediscover focus and resilience. And when people take these lessons home—teaching them to spouses, partners, and even kids—the impact multiplies.

As Peter Winick explores in this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, Erin's work goes beyond productivity hacks or quick fixes. It's about conscious leadership. Healthy boundaries. Self-respect. And recognizing that how we show up—at work and at home—is a choice.

Tune in to hear how organizations are embracing her frameworks to create more intentional, energized, and emotionally intelligent workplaces—one ritual at a time.


Three Key Takeaways:

• Rituals energize, routines drain. Intentional rituals create meaning and renewal, while rigid routines often lead to burnout.

• Mindset drives performance. Shifting from overcommitment to presence and self-respect builds clarity and sustainable success.

• Culture grows through connection. Shared rituals and language strengthen trust, resilience, and emotional intelligence within teams.

Loved Erin Coupe's insights on transforming burnout into clarity through intentional rituals? Then don't miss our conversation with Dre Baldwin on Think Big, Act Bigger. Both episodes explore how mindset shapes sustainable performance—Erin focuses on the inner rituals that ground us, while Dre breaks down the mental systems that drive consistent action. Together, they form a one-two punch for leaders who want to perform at a high level without losing themselves in the process.

What happens when life forces you to stop—and that pause changes everything?

Melissa Gonzalez, Principal at MG2 Design and author of "The Purpose Pivot: How Dynamic Leaders Put Vulnerability and Intuition into Action", knows firsthand. A medical crisis made her rethink what success truly means. Once a Wall Street professional turned retail design expert and author of "The Pop-Up Paradigm", Melissa built a thriving business helping brands tell their stories through physical spaces. But when her own defining moment arrived, she found a new story to tell—one about purpose, well-being, and the strength found in vulnerability.

In this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, Melissa joins Bill Sherman to explore how life's disruptions can fuel transformation. She shares her evolution from building pop-up experiences for brands to helping leaders embrace intuition, pause with purpose, and redefine balance. Through dozens of interviews with women leaders, Melissa uncovered a truth many resist—taking time to pause isn't weakness; it's wisdom.

Melissa also discusses the art of integrating her message of purpose into her business world. She reveals how partnerships with brands like Nordstrom, Simon G. Fine Jewelry, and Crate & Barrel amplified her book's message through events and collaborations that celebrate defining moments. Her story is a masterclass in aligning personal growth, thought leadership, and business strategy—without losing authenticity.

From managing the emotional and physical toll of overachievement to embracing JOMO (the joy of missing out), Melissa's journey offers a reminder: the most powerful pivots often happen when you stop chasing and start listening.

Three Key Takeaways:

• Pause is Power – Taking time to slow down, reflect, and prioritize well-being isn't a weakness—it's a strategic strength. Melissa's personal experience taught her that real success comes from making intentional choices rooted in impact, not busyness.

• Authentic Integration Fuels Influence – Thought leadership grows when your personal mission aligns with your professional platform. Melissa leveraged her network, brand partnerships, and events to bring The Purpose Pivot to life—blending purpose-driven storytelling with business acumen.

• Vulnerability Creates Connection – Sharing personal defining moments invites others to reflect on their own. Through candid storytelling and interviews, Melissa shows that embracing vulnerability deepens relationships, inspires trust, and sparks meaningful change.

If Melissa Gonzalez's story inspired you to rethink success, balance, and the power of the pause, don't stop there. Check out The Non-Linear Thought Leadership episode with Elizabeth McCourt. Both conversations explore how vulnerability, authenticity, and unexpected turns can become catalysts for growth.

Melissa's journey shows how a defining moment can reshape purpose. Elizabeth's episode builds on that idea—revealing how non-linear paths, reinvention, and resilience fuel thought leadership. Listen to both, and you'll walk away ready to embrace uncertainty, lead with heart, and turn every pivot into possibility.

Listen next: The Non-Linear Thought Leadership | Elizabeth McCourt

What happens when life-and-death decision-making meets the boardroom?

Today our guest is Dr. Geoffrey Mount Varner—a physician, author of "FAST DECISIONS: Think Fast. Be Bold. Be Fearless", and leadership expert—shares how his experience in emergency medicine led him to develop a powerful framework for decision-making under pressure. As the former head of Washington D.C.'s emergency Ebola response, Dr. Varner learned that hesitation can be deadly. Today, he brings that same clarity and urgency to the world of business leadership.

Dr. Varner explains how most leaders waste valuable "decision energy" by treating every choice as equally important. His approach teaches executives to quickly identify which decisions deserve deep thought and which can be made in seconds. At the core of his DPD framework—Deep Breath, Pause, Decide—is a deceptively simple but scientifically grounded process that empowers leaders to quiet emotion, activate intuition, and make confident, timely decisions.

He and Peter Winick dive into how the corporate world often rewards inaction—where delayed or avoided decisions are seen as safe career moves. Dr. Varner argues that indecision is, in fact, a decision—and one that can cripple organizations. He offers practical, repeatable ways for leaders to break through analysis paralysis, train their teams for agility, and create a culture of accountability and speed.

Finally, Dr. Varner reflects on his own transition from medicine to thought leadership—transforming his crisis-tested experience into a business-ready system. Through books, speaking engagements, and workshops, he's building a new generation of leaders who make better choices, faster. Because in both medicine and business, the ability to decide well can be the difference between success and failure.

Three Key Takeaways:

• Decisiveness Is a Trainable Skill.
Great leaders aren't born decisive—they're trained. Dr. Varner's DPD framework (Deep Breath, Pause, Decide) helps leaders manage emotion, engage intuition, and act with confidence under pressure.

• Not All Decisions Deserve Equal Attention.
Leaders often waste energy treating minor choices like major ones. Dr. Varner categorizes decisions by consequence—low, medium, and high—so leaders can spend their time where it matters most.

• Indecision Is Still a Decision.
In business as in medicine, delayed action carries risks. Dr. Varner reminds leaders that avoiding decisions is itself a choice—one that can stall progress, weaken accountability, and erode trust.

If you found value in this episode's focus on making faster, smarter decisions under pressure, you'll want to check out "Making Better Decisions Through Thought Leadership" with Thomas Lahnthaler. In that conversation, Thomas explores how the strategic use of thought leadership isn't just about ideas—it's about preparing teams for inevitable crisis-points, creating choices rather than waiting for them, and harnessing collective insight when the pressure's on. Listen to both episodes back-to-back to unlock how frameworks + mindset + action combine to turn uncertainty into advantage and hesitation into leadership momentum.