Becoming a Sage with Dr. Jann Freed

Dave Ulrich is the Rensis Likert Professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, and a partner at the RBL Group (http://www.rbl.net), a consulting firm focused on helping organizations and leaders deliver value. He has published over 200 articles and book chapters and over 30 books. He edited Human Resource Management from 1990 to 1999, served on the editorial boards of four other journals, and spent 16 years on the Board of Directors for Herman Miller. Ulrich has spoken to large audiences in 90 countries, conducted workshops for over half of the Fortune 200, and coached successful business leaders. He is also a Distinguished Fellow in the National Academy of Human Resources. Ulrich is known for continually learning, turning complex ideas into simple solutions, and creating real value for those he works with by defining human capability as the next agenda for people and organizations. He regularly posts weekly updates and comments daily on LinkedIn.

Esteemed for her professionalism by viewers, listeners, and her colleagues, the versatile Pat Miles became one of the Minneapolis region's premier television news anchors and radio talk hosts. After earning her master's degree in journalism at the University of Missouri, Miles worked in both radio and television news in Colorado before joining WCCO TV in 1978 as a reporter and weekend anchor. Her intelligent reporting and authoritative delivery soon brought her to the anchor desk of WCCO's 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM newscasts. She covered every major news event for WCCO TV but was most proud of A Time to Weep, her documentary on the famine in Africa. In 1990, she moved to KARE TV, where she anchored the 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM newscasts and developed A Pat Miles Special, using her writing and interviewing prowess to tell the stories of notable Minnesotans. When she left TV news in 2001, she fulfilled a lifelong dream by becoming the host of The Pat Miles Show weekday mornings on WCCO Radio. A role model for women in the industry, she has received numerous honors for her work in broadcasting and in the community, including the National Television Academy's Silver Circle Award.

A message of thanks from Dr. Jann Freed: "In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to thank each of you for listening to 'Becoming a Sage.' My hope is that you find a gem of wisdom in each conversation. I learn something from each guest. Please know that I am grateful." Mark C. Crowley is the author of Lead From The Heart: Transformational Leadership for the 21st Century and is on a mission to fundamentally change how people are led in workplaces across the globe. A regular columnist for Fast Company Magazine, his work has also been featured in USA Today, Reuters, Forbes, the Stanford Social Innovation Review, The Huffington Post, Gallup, The Financial Times, CEO Magazine (Great Britain), and The Seattle Times. His LinkedIn Pulse articles on inspiring a 21st-century workforce and managing millennials have been read over a million times. The second edition of his book debuted in August 2022 as an "Amazon #1 Release." It has been incorporated into the curriculum of eleven American universities, including the educational Ph.D. program at the University of Massachusetts Global and the University of Iowa’s MBA Program. Crowley's Lead From The Heart podcast ranks in the top 1.5% of all podcasts globally, with an audience spanning 175 countries. Before authoring his book, Mark spent over 20 years in the competitive financial services industry, holding two national-level leadership positions at one of America’s largest financial institutions, where he was named Leader of the Year. In a field often dominated by traditional management styles, Mark demonstrated that deeply caring for and supporting people—positively affecting their hearts—profoundly boosts sustained engagement, loyalty, and productivity. His book draws on groundbreaking medical research that reveals the heart’s pivotal role in driving optimal human performance. As a leadership pioneer, Mark shows that leading from the heart is not weak or soft management but rather the most informed and enlightened approach a manager or organization can adopt. Mark is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Washington’s Pacific Coast Banking School. He resides in La Jolla, California.

Dr. John Izzo is a globally renowned bestselling author, professional speaker, and business advisor. He has authored nine books, including Awakening Corporate Soul, Values Shift, Stepping Up, and The Purpose Revolution. Over his career, he has spoken to over one million people, taught at three major universities, and advised over 700 top companies on corporate social responsibility and purpose worldwide. John was a founder of Blueprint at the University of British Columbia, an NGO dedicated to thought leadership on masculinity and its impact on society. He has been deeply involved in helping organizations and leaders foster purpose-driven strategies and cultures. His contributions have significantly shaped the conversation around social impact in the corporate world. Currently, John serves as a Distinguished Fellow at the Stimson Centre in Washington, DC, and hosts The Way Forward: Regenerative Conversations podcast. He also serves on the boards of Sustainable Brands and the Elders Action Network, continuing his work to inspire positive change across various sectors.

Dr. Nash is Founder & CEO of Jennifer Nash Coaching & Consulting, a global leadership advisory and consulting firm that connects people and performance to deliver exceptional results. She was invited to join Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches organization as one of the world’s top executive coaches. Jennifer is the author of the 2023 award-winning book Be Human, Lead Human: How to Connect People and Performance.     Jennifer’s resume includes serving in executive and leadership roles at Deloitte Consulting and Ford Motor Company. She served as adjunct professor at the University of Michigan, where she earned her MBA, and taught hundreds of rising leaders at Deloitte University. Jennifer earned her PhD in management from Case Western Reserve University—during which she conducted multiyear empirical research on coaching and leadership as a research fellow at the Weatherhead School of Business. She is also a Harvard/McLean Institute of Coaching Fellow.     Jennifer contributes leadership perspectives to Harvard Business Review and select academic journals, and has presented her groundbreaking leadership and coaching research at Harvard/McLean Institute of Coaching and Columbia University. A sought after speaker, she regularly presents to groups and organizations on topics related to the human element of business. She or her work have been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Inc., LinkedIn, Investor’s Business Daily, BBC Online, Deloitte, and other notable media outlets.

Warren Berger developed his inquiry skills as a journalist for The New York Times, but he first declared himself a “questionologist” with the publication of his best-selling book, A More Beautiful Question (Bloomsbury, 2014). The book illustrates how questioning has been the starting point for innovations ranging from the cell phone to Netflix to the International Red Cross. In it, Berger introduces an original framework—the “Why/What If/How” cycle of inquiry—that can be applied to all kinds of challenges and problems. A More Beautiful Question has been embraced by organizations such as NASA, the U.S. Army, the National Science Foundation, and companies like Starbucks, Chanel, Pfizer, Oracle, Microsoft, Disney, and Pepsi. The book is also widely used in major universities across the country. Mr. Berger has conducted questioning workshops at NASA and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and he designed and hosted a filmed employee-training program on questioning for PepsiCo. He also regularly visits elementary and high schools, urging teachers to encourage more student questioning and critical thinking in the classroom. In the fall of 2018, Berger released a follow-up book on questioning, The Book of Beautiful Questions: The Powerful Questions That Will Help You Decide, Create, Connect, and Lead. In 2020, he published Beautiful Questions in the Classroom, which offers strategies and exercises to help teachers inspire more curiosity and inquiry among their students. Overall, Berger has authored or co-authored 10 books, including the acclaimed Glimmer, one of the first books on “design thinking.” He has appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered, CNN, and NBC’s Today Show. He also contributes regularly to Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Psychology Today, where he writes the “Questionologist” column. His general website about questioning is www.amorebeautifulquestion.com, and his author/speaker site is www.warrenberger.com.

As an award-winning keynote speaker, business leadership coach, a twelve-time New York Times Best-selling author, host of the top-rated Corporate Competitor Podcast, National Geographic’s “Storyteller in Residence,” and longtime Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated, Don Yaeger has fashioned a career as one of America’s most provocative thought leaders.  As a speaker, he has worked with audiences as diverse as Fortune 500 companies and cancer survivor groups, where he shares his personal story. He is primarily sought to discuss lessons on achieving greatness, learned from first-hand experiences with some of the greatest sports and business legends in the world.  Additionally, Don has been retained by companies and organizations to coach their leaders on building a culture of greatness by looking at Great Teams in sports and discerning the business lessons we can learn from them. In 2023, Real Leaders magazine acknowledged Don as a “Speaker to Watch” because of his success on stage. Throughout his writing career, Don has developed a reputation as a world-class storyteller and has been invited as a guest to every major talk show – from Oprah to Nightline, from CNN to Good Morning America. Few journalists can lay claim to as exciting and colorful a career as Don Yaeger. 

At age 3, Tim Hebert had big dreams of becoming a superhero. He had all the characteristics needed to be successful—a strong moral compass, a love of adventure, and a desire to have an impact on the world. Somewhere along the way—after many failed attempts to fly—Tim learned that superpowers come in all shapes and sizes and that his special power was igniting the leadership spark in those around him. As a business owner, national speaker, and published author, Tim has defined the principles surrounding intentional leadership over the past three decades. As CEO and President of Atrion, a leading IT services firm, he grew this company to $170 million with over 260 employees. Under Tim’s tenure, Atrion was named a “Best Places to Work” companies for seven straight years, recognized on the Inc. 5000 List of fastest-growing private companies eight years in a row and named to CRN’s Fastest Growing Companies and Top Managed Service Providers List. In 2016, Tim founded his 19th company Trilix, a consulting firm. He also launched the ON Leadership Symposium in 2019, uniting professionals to dive into the principles of intentional leadership. Tim’s work has been recognized all over. He received an Honorary Ph.D. in Business from Rhode Island College and the Distinguished Citizens Award – Boy Scouts of America Narragansett Council. The Rhode Island Foundation recognized him with the Carter Inspiring Partner Award in 2019. The Providence Business News recognized him to the Top 25 Over 55 list in 2019, and as Business Leader of the Year in 2012. He also received the Latino Public Radio - 2016 Corporate Community Excellence Award. Tim has keynoted and led workshops all over the country, including NERCOMP’s annual conference, the RISE Leadership Symposium, the SUNY Council CIO Group, the annual Board of REALTORS Conference, and the Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England. His published works have appeared on IDG Contributor Network, BTOES Insights, Channel Reseller and CRN. Tim serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Tech Collective, and Chairman/President of the Board of Directors for the Rhode Island Museum of Science and Art (RIMOSA). He also serves on the Board of Directors for Apogee IT, Medicus IT, Thielsch Engineering, and Commerce RI. Tim has served his country as a member of the United States Air Force. When he is not busy speaking, writing, and running several companies, you’ll find him seeking out his next big climb (South America might be next!), hopping a plane to explore someplace new and making sure

Jim O'Halloran started in heavy-duty truck sales in Chicago and moved to Iowa in 1973. After spending 13 years in truck sales and management, Jim started O’Halloran International, Inc. in Des Moines, Iowa in 1981. He completed the sale of the company to his employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan in 2006. He continues to be a mentor to O’Halloran International, Inc. and Quality Services Corporation (QSCLLC), which was another company he founded in 1987 and which was sold to its management and O’Halloran International, Inc. He has done all of this while extremely involved in giving back to his community by being on a number of significant boards. Jim is a Sage.

Todd Cherches is the CEO and cofounder of BigBlueGumball, an innovative New York City-based management, leadership, and executive coaching firm. A member of Marshall Goldsmith’s “MG 100 Coaches,” he is a three-time award-winning Adjunct Professor of leadership at NYU, a Lecturer on leadership at Columbia University, a TEDx speaker, and the author of the groundbreaking book, "VisuaLeadership: Leveraging the Power of Visual Thinking in Leadership and in Life" (Post Hill Press/Simon & Schuster, 2020). A pioneer in the innovative application of visual thinking to the practice of leadership, Todd was one of eight global finalists for the 2021 Thinkers50 "Distinguished Achievement Award" in Leadership, and is ranked by Thinkers360 as one of the “Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers” in the world in the fields of Management and Design Thinking.