Beyond Listening

Join us, to mark two milestones in the We are Open Circle journey: the confirmation of Brandon as a partner and the launch of the Open Circle Foundation.

The key theme from today’s episode: uplifting humanity.

Miriam, Adam and Brandon reflect on their shared journey, the divine appointment of their meeting, and the critical connections that forged their bond - as they reflect on the value of their shared work together: the power of their collaboration.

Through their projects, empowering some of the most underserved communities in society, they seek to transform lives, develop leaders and encourage us all to recognize our shared humanity.

For more information, or if you are able to support the Open Circle mission, please visit the link below. Each and every contribution will make a huge difference.

Welcome, for a fascinating insight into a truly singular human - international conflict mediator, college professor, senior consultant and facilitator for the Arbinger Institute, and NBA analyst for ESPN, Chad Ford.

Chad has experienced a lot personally and professionally, and pours these experiences into his writing - fuelling a dedication for helping humanity overcome our differences and reconcile together.

In the discussion with hosts Miriam and Brandon, we learn of his story, recounting the steps in life that led him to writing the vital conflict-management book Dangerous Love.

Amidst the recent escalation of violence and human suffering in the Middle East, Chad’s wisdom and experience working with both sides of the conflict are more necessary than ever.

Join us to uncover the beautiful fruits of this conversation: vulnerability, healing, and shared humanity.

True peace resolution is about “us”.

Please join us in reading this week’s introductory poem: On Love, by Kahlil Gibran. 

Resiliency, compassion, community, safe haven, mentorship.

These are just some of the fruits of a powerful conversation shared with two committed and inspiring individuals, Coach Ellis and Coach Moore of More Than Fitness.

Founded in 2018, More Than Fitness seek to serve the young people of their local community through mindfulness and exercise - creating a program that pushes physical limits, shares meaningful discussion and forges positive life experiences.

Having recently partnered with WeAreOpenCircle on a wilderness expedition, Coach Ellis and Coach Moore share insights into their own journeys and the draw of the ‘purpose’ that they are dedicating their lives to.

With MTF now developing and delivering programs for adults and adjudicated youth, it’s not just about exercising - it’s about better habits, wiser decisions, serving the community and building trust.

Join us for a candid, thoughtful and inspiring conversation.

Outdoors is where the magic happens.

Today we welcome Dustin Diefenderfer, the founder of MTNTough Fitness Labs.

A passionate advocate for the power of the outdoors to renew and develop our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, our discussion with Dustin reveals a passion for transforming lives.

He shares the life experiences that showed the path to founding the company in 2016, unveiling a consistent theme of entrepreneurship as a journey - one that often mimics the principles and philosophies of backcountry pursuits.

Join us as we discover Dustin’s drive for giving back to the community and the power of teamwork in the great outdoors.

We are Open Circle has partnered with MTNTough to provide training for the physical and mental preparation for our wilderness experiences.

How can we practically connect with our animating spirit?

Walking us through the process is today's guest and yogic thinker, James Boag.

We discuss the restrictive quality of our school systems and habits, experiencing invention as discovery and the power of circle practice to foster soul-nourishing laughter, learning and fulfilment.

His life journey - from English origins to Japanese and Indian teachings as yoga teacher and language scholar - reveals a spirit of discovery, communication and respect.

Soulmates come in different shapes and sizes.

Enter Josh Schwartzman and Jeremy Berman - business soulmates.

Having met at Hackathon, the duo founded DreamSeeDo with a simple mission: to unlock human potential.

Document the challenge of progressing a business while staying true to their values, they help us understand HOW to stay grounded; in moments of success and frustration.

Why do we fail to achieve the most important high-stakes changes that our lives demand and that we desire? 

According to the Immunity to Change approach to human development, it is because we have a sub-conscious "immune system" of competing commitments and assumptions that make those changes nearly impossible; until we uncover and overturn them.

In this episode, Deborah Helsing, the Director of Mind at Work, explores the psychological "Immunity to Change" and its roots in proven theories of adult human development. Science has proven that the human mind develops throughout our lives. This development is not just about learning new skills, it's also, and more critically, about developing the capacities to thrive amidst ever-greater complexity.

Deb shares with us her personal journey of development, from educator to coach, to a trainer of coaches around the world using Minds at Work's innovative and proven coaching methodology.

Deborah Helsing, Ed.D. has coached individuals from many walks of life and consulted with organizations across several sectors to use the Immunity-to-Change approach to reach their most-cherished improvement goals. More recently, her role as Director of Coach Learning Programs at Minds at Work has focused on developing coaches’ and consultants’ abilities to integrate the ITC method into their own practices.

Minds at Work helps people to close the gap between their good intentions and their actual behaviors. Their work is based on Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey’s breakthrough discovery of the hidden behavioral dynamic called the “Immunity to Change.” This highly lauded technique is now being used by executives, senior teams, and individuals in business, governmental, and educational organizations in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

"Culture feels squishy to a lot of people. It is squishy and hard to quantify. When you look at visible and observable behaviors - how people show up - you start to get data that gives you an organizational diagnosis of where and why people are experiencing the organization. Culture is often defined by the worst behavior tolerated. How do people treat the lowest ranking member in your organization? That is the picture of culture that people experience."
~ Julie Diamond

In this episode, we kick-off a three part series, where we will be looking at the value of culture amidst structural change and strategic growth, and the false separation between culture and strategy.

Adam Rumack and Miriam Joy Jones discuss how they assess cultural ecosystems with clients, support an organization's journey through change, and their roles as guides on this journey of transformation. Join us for exploring into questions like:

What does it take to shift the focus of traditional corporate meaning making- which says value is determined by outmoded industrial production models- to an organization that leads to new frontiers of collective adaptation?

In this episode of the Beyond Listening podcast, we hear from Dr. Wendy Fraser about the research she captured in her book: Trust Repair: It is Possible! 

Learn about:

• psychological safety,
• mending group conflict,
• conversational competence, and
• the journey of trust repair in both personal relationships and groups.
  

Dr. Wendy Fraser believes in and mentors the collective wisdom in an organization by engaging the talents and hearts of people. Through leadership and organization development, she fosters and builds capacity through strengthening human relationships and systems so that groups and organizations thrive. She brings fresh approaches to her work with a flare of humor and can yield results.

In this episode of the Beyond Listening Podcast, First Nations Leaders Renee and Manny Iron Hawk share stories around reconciliation, healing identity issues, and cycles of conflict.  They speak to the significance of righting the wrongs of violence, and acknowledging the genocide, historical trauma, and false narratives about indigenous people for healing nation-to-nation relations. From stories of pain and trauma, to the gift of Creator's love, and the power of forgiveness, Renee and Manny offer insights into the cultural gifts of the Lakota ways to regenerate and sustain our world.

The way we listen forms the way we understand the world.

In this session of the Getting to Know You series, we explore different perspectives on The Art of Listening, and how it shapes our actions.

This month's featured storytellers are:

Dr. Tjanara Goreng Goreng is a Wakka Wakka Wulli Wulli Traditional Owner from Central Queensland who has had a diverse career as both an academic researcher, community development worker and senior policy Director in the Australian Public Service.

Lanalle L Smith Dine’ works with Indigenous Native communities to develop financial assets and create wealth through financial capabilities trainings.

Lorenzo McDuffie is a spiritual, human centered, social activist, and entrepreneur who is looking forward to being a part of this conversation.

Mario Fernández Rodríguez of Costa Rica is a musician, song-writer, soul surfer, sport activist and radio producer @PuntoSurf

April Petillo is a professor, nonprofit consultant, outspoken advocate, academic activist, proud family member, sassy wife, committed dog mom, and devoted friend--all of which are inspired by community social justice and the idea of mutual aid.

Mohsen Mahdawi is a Palestinian refugee with a story of love and peace after surviving fear and war. His passion for peacemaking and justice has led him to Columbia University where he is currently studying.

Briony Greenhill is a folk-soul improvisational artist who teaches Collaborative Vocal Improvisation (CVI) internationally. She's co-creating a Center of Improvisation and Regenerative Village in the French Pyrenees.

Dr. Jeen Rooks is chiropractor and integrative healer, and studies and guides the body's many forms of communication through engaging in conversations in care and healing.

Kimberly Holloway is a Seattle based choreographer, dancer, and teaching artist. Her goal is to share beauty and authentic human experience while striving to create spaces where connection and community can thrive.

In Part 2 with Eileen and India, we continue the journey through the territory of discrimination, race and equity- exploring personal and professional stories of societal and organizational transformation.

Eileen Cooper Reed is a change maker and advocate. Her entire adult life has been dedicated to the improvement of the human condition particularly for children and families of color. Before becoming a lawyer, Eileen was trained in community development and worked in both rural and urban settings.After graduating from the University of Cincinnati College of Law, she did a stint at the US Court of Appeals before settling in as a Juvenile Court Referee. In 1993, Eileen opened the Cincinnati office of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF). Her passion and dedication for improving the lives of our most vulnerable children and their families was exceptional and eventually she assumed the helm of the Ohio office of CDF. Eileen’s devotion to service led to her election to the City of Cincinnati Board of Education where she served two four-year terms and was chosen President by her colleagues four of those years. While on the Board of Education, Eileen was elected to the Executive Committee of the Council for Great City Schools, the preeminent organization committed to urban education. At CCGCS, she chaired the National Advisory Committee on Black Males.

India Martin is a 25-year veteran of financial services and member of the Forbes Coaches Council. A career expat, she spent 20 years of her career in Europe and Asia holding global COO, CIO and CTO roles. In her final role at JPMorgan, she was managing director and Global COO for Investment Banking Technology and Operations, where I had multi-billion-dollar budgetary management for a staff of more than 15,000 people in 40 countries. A diversity, equity, and inclusion practitioner, she is focused on race and gender equity and has taken more than 10,000 people through her racial equity capacity building workshops. She is on the coaching faculty of Georgetown University’s Executive Master’s in Leadership Program and is a visiting instructor at Howard University’s for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Certificate program. During her time in Europe, India was named one of the top 50 businesswomen in Europe and also to the UK Powerlist for successive years. India speaks fluent French and functional Japanese. She sits on the board of Euromoney Institutional Investors PLC , is married with 3 children and lives between Washington DC and London. 

In this first episode of a two part series with Eileen and India, we explore the cross section of family, race, culture, and gender in the forming and reforming of identity. India and Eileen traverse across the broad territory of community, control, the fear of our own power, and transforming equity in corporations, communities and the United States.

Eileen Cooper Reed is a change maker and advocate. Her entire adult life has been dedicated to the improvement of the human condition particularly for children and families of color. Before becoming a lawyer, Eileen was trained in community development and worked in both rural and urban settings.After graduating from the University of Cincinnati College of Law, she did a stint at the US Court of Appeals before settling in as a Juvenile Court Referee. In 1993, Eileen opened the Cincinnati office of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF). Her passion and dedication for improving the lives of our most vulnerable children and their families was exceptional and eventually she assumed the helm of the Ohio office of CDF. Eileen’s devotion to service led to her election to the City of Cincinnati Board of Education where she served two four-year terms and was chosen President by her colleagues four of those years. While on the Board of Education, Eileen was elected to the Executive Committee of the Council for Great City Schools, the preeminent organization committed to urban education. At CCGCS, she chaired the National Advisory Committee on Black Males. 

In this episode, we hear from Commander Brandon Harding, about military culture, belonging, initiation, and moving beyond the assumptions that keep us disconnected, stuck, and suffering.

In this episode we hear from Alissa Collins, co-founder of Latitude Regenerative Real Estate.

In this episode we hear from Ari Weinzweig, world recognized CEO for his unique leadership style, about the freedom to choose, the spirit of generosity, and honoring the discomfort of difficult questions.

Ari Weinzweig is CEO and co-founding partner of Zingerman's Community of Businesses, which includes Zingerman's Delicatessen, Bakehouse, Creamery, Catering, Mail Order, ZingTrain, Coffee Company, Roadhouse, Candy Manufactory, Events at Cornman Farms, Miss Kim and Zingerman’s Food Tours.  Zingerman’s produces, sells and serves all sorts of full flavored, traditional foods in its home of Ann Arbor, Michigan to the tune of $50,000,000 a year in annual sales.

In this episode, Miriam and Adam hear from Gregor Maehle, yoga teacher and scholar, about laughing at your own authority, listening to the mystery, spirituality as a community practice, and more.

In this episode of the Beyond Listening Podcast, Miriam and Adam host Maj Toure, freedom fighter and founder of Black Guns Matter.

In this episode, Miriam and Adam speak with Christopher Arlen, who offers an unguarded expository review on his unique life experience, his burning passion for civics, and on being a good neighbor. 

Christopher shares stories from his early experiences working to educate and support communities during the AIDS epidemic, how he learned that "invited authority" worked significantly better than "imposed authority”, and why he is changing the way politics are done within his local community.

In this episode, Miriam and Adam speak with Bill Donius about how to access an intelligence that can take us to a whole new way of understanding and world of creativity.

In this episode, Adam & Miriam connect with Betsy Perluss, Ph.D. to talk about archetypes, depth psychotherapy, moving towards wholeness, and much more.

Betsy is a licensed marriage and family therapist (MFT 32191), professional clinical counselor (LPCC 766) and credentialed school counselor. Her approach is holistic, taking into consideration all aspects of your being - body, mind, and spirit, recognizing the inherent wisdom of psyche that moves toward wholeness no matter how deep the wounding or severe the inner conflict. She is involved in the wilderness guide council, school of lost borders, and many different university's.

In this episode, Adam & Miriam speak with Michelle Duval to talk about traits of successful entrepreneurs, servant leadership, and resiliency.

Michelle Duval is one of the world’s most sought-after business coaches who works with many of Australia’s fast growth venture success stories. She is also a successful public speaker, author and entrepreneur.

In episode Adam & Miriam speak with Dr. Tjanara Goreng Goreng about Sacred Leadership-colonialism, First Nation, and leading through collective trauma. 

Tjanara is a Wakka Wakka Wulli Wulli Traditional Owner from Central Queensland who was born in the outback at Longreach in central western Queensland. Tjanara has had a diverse career as both and academic researcher, community development worker and senior policy Director in the Australian Public Service in particular at the Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet and in the Australian Foreign Service.  She worked for many years in the Australian Public Service in a range of mainstream departments and rose to a Director in the Office of Indigenous Policy Co-ordination prior to leaving the government for full time academic work in the mid 2000's.  

Tjanara has also worked in corporate Australia as a transformational leadership senior consultation at Zaffyre International working with overseas and national Australian companies in the energy, insurance, finance and mining sectors.  Tjanara has been a psychotherapist in private practice, has trained other therapists in Non Shaming Therapy and worked at the Los Angles Rosemead Hospital's John Bradshaw Centre for Addiction and Abuse Recovery in the mid 1990's.

In this episode Adam & Miriam talk with Janine Firpo about money, power, and ownership. 

Janine is a seasoned values-aligned investor and social innovator, with a long history of working at the intersection of women and their money. From the early years of Apple Computer to senior positions with Hewlett-Packard, the World Bank, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Janine has always found herself making an impact. In 2017 she left a successful 35-year career in technology and international development to focus on how women can create a more just and equitable society through their financial investments. 

Her book, Activate Your Money: Invest to Grow Your Wealth and Build a Better World, was a collaborative effort with over 40 financial experts and a larger team of reviewers. It will be published in May by Wiley. Janine walks her talk. She is taking action to move all her own assets into investments she feels good about and is watching them grow with market-rate returns. She is also a lead investor in Next Wave Impact, an impact fund designed to help more women become angel investors. And, she chairs the board of Zebras Unite, an organization that is developing the capital structures, community, and culture that non-unicorn start-up businesses need to thrive. 

In this episode, Adam and Miriam chat with Meredith Little to discuss rites of passage, the life and death cycle of an organization, new paradigm shifts, and much more.

Meredith Little and her husband Steven Foster co-founded Rites of Passage Inc. in 1976 and The School of Lost Borders in 1981, pioneering new methods and dynamics of modern pan-cultural passage rites in the wilderness and creating innovative practices of “field eco-therapy.” She has dedicated her life to returning meaningful and culturally appropriate rites of passage ceremonies to all people in support of the natural cycles of living and dying necessary for healthy lives and a healthy world. 

Meredith is also dedicated to reconnecting people with the very roots of their own nature reflected in the wisdom of the land around them. She lives a passion for the diversity of life, for the nature of human, for the voice of ceremony, and for the healing qualities of community. Learn more: http://www.lostborderspress.org/ and http://www.schooloflostborders.org/

In this weeks episode, Adam & Miriam have a great conversation with Julia Anderson about her journey, identity, equity, and much more.

Julia is a Program Management Professional who has worked across the nonprofit and education sectors with a commitment to social justice, creating collaborative and inclusive cultures, and advancing equitable outcomes in education and employment.

On this episode, Adam and Miriam connect with Julie Diamond to discuss her story, morality, use of power, and much more.

On this episode, Adam and Miriam chat with Wendy Palmer to discuss what leadership embodiment is, Aikido, her journey, and so much more.

Wendy Palmer is the founder of Leadership Embodiment, a process that uses principles from the non-violent Japanese martial art of Aikido and mindfulness to offer simple tools and practices to increase leadership capacity and respond to stress and pressure with greater confidence and integrity. Wendy holds a seventh degree black belt in Aikido and has practiced mindfulness for over 40 years.

She has worked with executive teams and individuals for Twitter, Genentech, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, The Gap, NASA, Salesforce, McKinsey & Co, Oracle, Unilever, The BBC, Gates Foundation, The George Washington University, Comcast, Accenture, BlackRock Funds, and The Daimler Chrysler Group. She is also an author of three books, Leadership Embodiment, The Intuitive Body and The Practice of Freedom, and a supporting CD and DVD.

In episode one of the Beyond Listening Podcast Miriam and Adam explore the future of work, the future of the podcast format, success, and much more.

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