During National Women’s History Month, Leader Generation welcomes Nicole Purcell for a conversation about creative leadership. While so many conversations right now are focused on AI, this episode shifts the spotlight to something just as powerful: hospitality, intuition and the kind of human-centered thinking that makes teams thrive and people feel seen. Nicole shares how her career journey shaped her leadership style and how she built The Clios into a bigger, more connected brand by listening closely, trusting her vision and creating space for others to grow. She talks openly about resilience, communication and what it really means to lead with both strength and heart. You’ll also hear how creativity shows up far beyond design—in problem-solving, team building and making great decisions under pressure. If you’re leading a team, growing in your career or just looking for a fresh perspective on what strong leadership can look like, this episode is worth your time. It’s an inspiring listen for anyone who wants to build with more intention, lead with more empathy and stay connected to the human side of work.
Brian Garish started at 16, stocking shelves and mopping floors at a Walgreens in Indianapolis. He was not thinking about a career. He just wanted financial independence from his parents. Decades later, he is the Global Chief Client Officer for Mars Veterinary Health, overseeing more than 3,000 hospitals and 70,000 associates across the globe. The through line from then to now is not a title or an org chart. It is three things he learned early: the power of mentorship, the irreplaceable value of front-line experience, and what it actually takes to build a culture worth being part of. In this conversation with Deborah Fell, Brian unpacks what those lessons look like at scale. He talks about what happens when a leader moves faster than the team can keep up, how he gave a team member the power to hold him accountable, and why a 360 review is not something to survive but something to act on. He shares a straightforward conviction: the best strategy in the world means nothing without people who believe in it and have the conditions to execute it. And those conditions are built or broken by the leaders closest to the work, not by the people at the top of the org chart.
Most business owners think they know who the key person in their organization is. They think of the CEO, the founder, the executive. But Susan Finch and Lany Sullivan have a different perspective, and once you hear it, you cannot unhear it.In this episode, Lany opens with a concept borrowed from the insurance world: Keyman Insurance, which is an actual policy that protects a business when something happens to a critical individual. But what the insurance industry focuses on and what actually keeps your day-to-day operations alive are often two very different things. The real key people in your business are rarely at the top of the org chart.
Susan and Lany walk through what happens when a business loses that person: the front desk admin who handled all invoicing, the ops coordinator who held every password, the team member who just knew things no one else thought to document. One HR company Lany references lost their key person and had no passwords. No access. No continuity. The business scrambled. The conversation shifts to prevention. Where does all the knowledge live? Is there a hub, a Start Here folder, a documented set of SOPs that would allow someone to step into a role and keep things moving? For smaller businesses especially, under 15 people, cross-functionality is not optional. It is survival.
In this second episode of a visit with Chris, Corey, and guest Brian Perks from 5×5, they dissect the evolving landscape of data, innovation, and sales in the modern economy. They explore how utility-like standardization is reshaping industries, drawing parallels between electricity and data as foundational infrastructures. The conversation weaves through the challenges faced by innovators, the importance of reasoning in a data-rich world, and the potential for AI to enhance decision-making. Brian offers insights on the future of shared scientific innovation and data resources, while Chris and Corey tackle the complexities of avoiding reasoning errors in high-stakes business decisions.
With a mix of analogies ranging from 737 pilots to Wile E. Coyote moments, the trio unpacks why clear thinking is crucial in a world where data utilities can make or break a startup. And just when you think it’s all serious business talk, Chris reminds us that sometimes, all an entrepreneur really needs is for someone to walk in with a cold Alaskan amber. It’s a deep dive into the world of B2B sales and data strategy that’ll leave you pondering – and possibly thirsty. Join us for this episode, “Wile E. Coyote, Data Utilities and Empty Beer Bottles.”
In this update episode, founder Susan Finch shares what Binky Patrol chapters are doing right now, from sending handmade blankets to tornado victims in Illinois and Indiana (in partnership with Reach Out Worldwide) to launching the Active Seniors campaign, expanding Greek life events in Connecticut and Oregon, and preparing for Bink-A-Thon in October. The official 30th anniversary lands on June 19th — the date Binky Patrol went national, time zone by time zone, when it appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show for National AIDS Awareness Day. Susan gives a shout-out to author Jennifer Chiaverini, whose book Round Robin from the Elm Creek Quilts series is part of their celebration reading list.The Bink-A-Thon, sponsored by the Mr. Ballen Foundation, is ramping up. And Mr. Ballen himself is heading out on a live storytelling tour this summer — including a stop in Portland, which happens to land right around the 30th anniversary date. Susan also breaks down all the ways to get involved: become a chapter, host a one-time event, or set up your business as a drop-off location — with your logo, your info, and your choice of where local blankets get delivered.
Fr. Bill had a message for us. Jesus didn’t come to simply give us more of the same. He came to transform everything and everyone who belongs to Him. That is the resurrection promise: not a return to what was, but a life made whole — healed, restored, and made new in God. This is the heaven we long for, and it is worth the wait.
We hope you enjoy this playlist of our favorite episodes of the week.
