Nina Woodruff, CEO of the Museum Of Children's Art (MoCA), shares her inspiring journey from being an Oakland youth to leading a non-profit organization focused on creativity, innovation, and community empowerment. In this engaging episode of Working Forward, hosted by Laurie Shakur, Nina delves into the significance of fostering an inclusive environment through collaborative leadership and how MoCA's Community Future School is preparing youth for future challenges. She discusses the concepts of afrofuturism, the importance of corporate partnerships, and how divergent thinking can solve “wicked problems.” Listen in to discover how Nina's leadership philosophy empowers young people to envision and create thriving futures through art and education.

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Connect with Laurie on LinkedIn
Learn more about Session AI
Connect with Nina Woodruff on LinkedIn
Connect with the Museum of Children’s Art (MOCHA)
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Andrea Brummett, CEO of Pabulum Group and reddeHR, joins host Shawn Neal to share her entrepreneurial journey and how her resilience and familiarity with business from a young age shaped her path to leadership. Discussing topics like overcoming fear, the thrill of challenges, and achieving fulfillment, she emphasizes creating human-centered workplaces and aligning organizational strategies with people. Andrea introduces key concepts such as psychological safety, emotional intelligence, and true collaboration and will join the Working Forward podcast with her Workplace Revolution series soon.

In this re-released episode, Nikki Lewallen Gregory encourages us to design our ideal lives, define our dreams, believe in ourselves, and take action to make them a reality. She shares valuable insights on overcoming the hurdles that hold us back from dreaming, such as fear, lack of confidence, and not knowing how to dream. Nikki provides practical tips for uncovering our unique value, surrounding ourselves with uplifting people, and creating a clear plan to achieve our goals. She emphasizes the importance of cultivating a positive mindset and shares powerful daily practices to build belief in ourselves.

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Connect with Nikki
Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn
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In this episode, Laurie Shakur tackles the critical issues surrounding mental health in the workplace. She explores the staggering economic and personal costs of untreated mental health conditions, examines the profound effects of childhood experiences, and discusses actionable strategies to enhance mental health support in professional environments. From Laurie's personal stories to insightful statistics and practical tips, this episode is dedicated to understanding, supporting, and transforming mental health at work.

Additional Resources:
Connect with Laurie on LinkedIn
Learn more about Session AI
Book: What Happened to You?
Learn more about PeopleForward Network
Connect with PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

From big dreams to tangible actions, Nikki Lewallen Gregory's journey of self-improvement and leadership has transformed her vision into a tangible pathway for others. She serves as the inspiring host of the "Working Forward" podcast, where she dives into strategies for personal and professional growth. In this episode, Nikki underscores the importance of surrounding ourselves with dreamers and big thinkers, the significant impact of understanding and supporting the aspirations of your team, and how to strategically create an environment that fosters the achievement of dreams.

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Addicted to Betterment Podcast

Laurie Shakur dives into the transformative world of radical empowerment, eloquently championing a workplace where trust, autonomy, and shared decision-making are foundational. Laurie's personal narrative takes center stage, illustrating the profound effects of an empowering leadership style on both individuals and organizations. She \shares ten actionable steps anyone can take to self-empowerment, emphasizing the importance of goals, initiative, and self-care.

Additional Resources

Connect with Laurie on LinkedIn
Learn more about Session AI
Book: “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Steven Covey
Frederick Herzberg’s two-factor theory
Peter Senge: “The Fifth Discipline” & “The Dance of Change”
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In this episode, Nikki Lewallen Gregory shares insight into the process of dream chasing and the importance of action planning to achieve those dreams. She emphasizes the significance of getting crystal clear on goals, breaking them down into smaller milestones, and finding motivation that sustains the journey. Drawing from her own experience at PeopleForward Network, Nikki discusses the need for long-term vision, agility in goal-setting, and the role of project management software in monitoring progress.

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Susan Schmitt Winchester wants you to heal at work. She joins host Laurie Shakur for an enlightening conversation that delves deep into the impact of childhood experiences on our careers. Susan provides practical tools for individuals and organizations to address emotional triggers in the workplace. She discusses the "bumper car" concept, revealing how to leverage these moments as catalysts for emotional healing, and provides valuable insights into her three-step method for reclaiming power in challenging situations.

Additional Resources:
Connect with Laurie on LinkedIn
Learn more about Session AI
Connect with Susan Schmitt Winchester
Get Your Copy of Healing at Work
The Healing Organization: Awakening the Conscience of Business to Help Save the World Healing from Workplace Trauma: WorkLife w/Adam Grant Podcast
Learn more about PeopleForward Network