Conflict Managed

Hosted by Merry Brown

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100

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Conflict Managed is a podcast about toxic workplaces and how to fix them. Listen to stories of dysfunction and triumph from different walks of life and professions. Join us on the journey as we talk about the good, bad, and ugly of our work environments and discuss a vision for the future of human-centered workplaces where people are not only treated with dignity and respect but encouraged to be their brilliant selves. Managing Conflict is not magic, though it takes intentional and sustained planning for health to win over chaos in any environment. Conflict is normal and expected. Let’s deal with it.

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60 recent

October 13, 2026Episode 2321 hr 3 min

Ep 232, The Community of Work: When Values Become Culture

This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Bernardo Ruiz. Together we explore: Courage to try something new Moving past the “bootstraps” myth to see and help each other Working to make money The community of work Owning our part in workplace culture Recognizing past harm while moving forward Conflict as a gift Giving people the resources they need to succeed Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube @ 3pconflictrestoration. Bernardo Ruiz has spent more than twenty-five years helping organizations change what they believe about themselves. As CEO of Bridging International Consulting Collective, he works with foundations, companies, and governments across fifteen countries on questions of race, culture, and leadership. He is also a Curandero, a Medicine Man in the Mexica tradition, who cares for his community through sacred plant medicine, ancestral recovery ceremonies, and limpias. His work joins two things most institutions keep apart: rigorous organizational science and ancestral wisdom. He is at work on a trilogy that carries the same conviction — that the world heals when these two ways of knowing stop competing and start speaking to each other. Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown. #ConflictManagement #WorkplaceCulture #Communication #Podcast #Confllict

October 6, 2026Episode 23159 min

Ep 231, What Is Needed Now?

This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Kathy Coffey Solberg. Together we explore: Incremental action and rebuilding trust Channeling the energy of leaders who love change Preparing for difficult conversations Why it’s always personal to the person The role of preparation in creating and implementing systems “What do we agree on?” as a path toward fruitful progress Finding neutral ground instead of common ground Keeping conversations going instead of shutting people down The challenges and opportunities of middle management Kathy’s new book, Reweaving What Matters: Practical Tools for Workplace Transformation Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube @ 3pconflictrestoration. Kathy Coffey Solberg is an author, community weaver, experienced consultant, executive director, and systems thinker with a demonstrated history of empowering others through professional and personal leadership development, civic engagement, and a deeper understanding of how to navigate communication and workplace systems to create greater efficiency. She is the author of Reweaving What Matters: Practical Tools for Workplace Transformation. Her expertise spans leadership, philanthropy, human systems design, collective governance, and organizational development. Kathy specializes in guiding individuals to harness their strengths and supporting organizations in fostering collaboration, adaptability, and impact. Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown. #ConflictManagement #WorkplaceCulture #Communication #Podcast

September 29, 2026Episode 2301 hr 3 min

Ep 230, Your Customer’s First Experience Begins with Your Employee’s Experience

This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Kristi Ellingsworth. Together we explore: Engaging and empathizing with those who don’t get what they want Creativity and generosity The willingness to be uncomfortable with people in conflict Sharing your calm with others Leadership energy Curious vs judgmental mindset Taking pauses throughout the day to self-regulate Being generous with compliments Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube @3pconflictrestoration Kristi Ellingsworth is the Director of Hospitality at Dartcor Enterprises. Her work centers on employee experience, leadership development, emotional intelligence, and creating workplace cultures where people feel genuinely supported and connected. What makes her perspective especially unique is that she didn't come up through traditional HR—she spent more than a decade in fine dining, including nearly seven years as Maitre d' at Nobu Hospitality, where she managed VIP guest relationships, trained front-of-house teams, and navigated the constant demands of high-pressure hospitality environments. Today, she brings those same hospitality principles into the workplace, helping leaders think differently about communication, conflict, trust, and psychological safety. She also previously hosted her own wellness podcast, The Alternative Podcast with Kristi Ellingsworth, where she interviewed experts on mindset, mindfulness, and personal growth. Kristi’s philosophy is simple: the employee experience is the first customer experience. Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown. #ConflictManagement #WorkplaceCulture #Communication #Connection #Podcast

September 22, 2026Episode 22953 min

Ep 229, Generational Responses to AI

This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Maria Colacurcio. Together we explore: Empathy for the messenger The power in having a humanities based education The specific results of being curious Clarity in pay transparency and the ability to explain pay decisions Cognitive surrender and AI ‘Running at’ conflict Giving clear feedback What does leadership cost you? Change agility vs change management Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube @3pconflictrestoration Maria Colacurcio is reshaping how enterprises govern their largest and most consequential investment: how they pay their people. As CEO of Syndio, she leads the company that defined the market for pay equity software and is now pioneering Decision Intelligence for Pay. Under her leadership, Syndio partners with global brands including Walmart, Microsoft, and Salesforce to make every pay decision compliant, optimized, and aligned with business strategy. Maria previously co-founded Smartsheet, which went public in 2018. She has built her career at the intersection of technology, policy, and purpose-driven leadership, earning recognition as one of the 100 most exceptional entrepreneurs by Goldman Sachs Builders + Innovators Summit. Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown. #ConflictManagement #WorkplaceCulture #Communication #Connection #Podcast

September 15, 2026Episode 22857 min

Ep 228, In Conflict, Are You Trying to Win or Move Forward?

This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Amie Fox. Together we explore: The business case for disability inclusion Work systems: design with human nature and user experience in mind What do I need people to know, feel, and do after this interaction? Moving beyond compliance to see, value & recognize others Progress, not perfection Resistance as fear Feedback culture Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube @ 3pconflictrestoration. Amie Fox is a managing director, trainer and keynote speaker who helps founders, HR and operations leaders in growing organizations build practical people systems that improve employee engagement, manager confidence and business performance. She moved into this work after a portfolio career across communications, training, fundraising, corporate responsibility and operations exposed her to how differently people experience workplaces. A key turning point was struggling to find early employment as a visually impaired woman, which shaped her understanding of hidden barriers, workplace design and the importance of systems that help people perform at their best. Her credibility is grounded in recent and current roles: she set up A Fox Consulting, serves as a non-executive director at Vision Ireland, and has held senior CSR and operations roles at organizations including SCOPE Eyecare & Healthcare. Through her consulting, communications, fundraising and inclusion work, she has contributed to projects with organizations such as McDonald’s, Telefonica, Deloitte, Novartis, Abbott, Newstalk and John Sisk & Sons. Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown. #ConflictManagement #WorkplaceCulture #Communication #Podcast

September 8, 2026Episode 2271 hr 0 min

Ep 227, Facing Your Expectations

This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Lynnae Brown. Together we explore: What kind of work and workplace is right for you? Orienting how to think about work Clear parameters in your work Developing standards that everyone knows What work can and can’t do for you Do you have to change your job to change how you feel at work? Assuming good intentions Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube @3pconflictrestoration. Lynnae Brown is a work navigation strategist. She thinks we need another way to approach work. Something stealthier and sturdier - an approach where we navigate the workplace as it actually is, develop our own way of being inside it, and still do the job well. Lynnae has spent more than a decade in workforce development, thinking hard about what people needed in order to take care of themselves while working in a system that wouldn't. Most of that work was with people in mental health recovery - helping them move from service users to service providers, preparing them for workplaces that were often as hard to navigate as the conditions they'd survived. With enough distance, she finally saw the shape of the approach she’d been developing all along and developed three starting points for people who want to begin approaching work differently: 6 Questions offers prompts that help you examine what you actually bring to work, 6 Actions are ideas you can put into action now to create space between you and your job, and BOOT — Brown’s Organizational Orientation Theory approaches workplace disorientation as a structural condition rather than a personal failing. Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown. #ConflictManagement #WorkplaceCulture #Communication #Connection #Podcast

September 1, 2026Episode 22652 min

Ep 226, What Makes Someone Fit To Be A Leader

This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Vladimir Baranov. Together we explore: How do you uncover what you want? Gathering context Setting expectations Developing leadership skills Role modeling Annoyance vs. pain at work Exposure to a variety of experiences Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube @ 3pconflictrestoration Vladimir Baranov is an Executive Coach for Founders and Technical Leaders with a track record of coaching and mentoring at U.S. and U.K. incubators and accelerators, specializing in launching, developing, and sustaining startups through a zero-to-one approach that transforms ideas into tangible businesses — including bridging the frequently misaligned worlds of business and technology. A serial entrepreneur, he founded three companies with successful exits in fintech and spacetech, and his experience across founder, CTO, COO, and CISO roles has given him a comprehensive perspective on scaling businesses through various funding stages and building optimal data and technology services. Vladimir holds MBAs from Columbia and London Business Schools and dual degrees in Computer Science and Computer Engineering from Stony Brook University, where his studies spanned software development and robotics. He remains deeply passionate about communication strategies, organizational and social behavior, and lifelong learning. Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown. #ConflictManagement #WorkplaceCulture #Communication #Podcast #Confllict

August 25, 2026Episode 2251 hr 2 min

Ep 225, The Utility of Conflict

This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Kenyada Meadows. Together we explore: How to find community What do you want/need from work? What do your colleagues want/need? Building a reflective relationship with yourself Distraction His new book, The New Alpha: Be Three Times the Leader Through Balance, Not Dominance Not catering to your emotions Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube @ 3pconflictrestoration Kenyada Meadows is a financial services executive, governance expert, and board member with 25+ years leading audit, risk, and compliance across global Wall Street institutions. A Harvard Business School alumnus, Author, and Master Certified Executive Coach (MPCC) with CPA, CIA, and CFE credentials, he helps working fathers and executives succeed without sacrificing their humanity by moving leaders beyond dominance through values-driven governance and emotional integrity. Kenyada mastered the traditional playbook—outworking, outlasting, outperforming—in environments where pressure proved value and self-sacrifice seemed mandatory. The turning point came when senior leadership responsibilities, fatherhood, and caring for an ailing parent collided, forcing him to confront corporate conditioning's hidden costs and challenge the belief that well-being could survive on the margins. Through this journey, Kenyada developed a unique approach helping high-performing men lead with wholeness through the Three Pillars of the New Alpha (Home, Work, Self). This framework redefines strength through balance, not control, empowering leaders to lead with purpose, presence, and emotional clarity by recognizing vulnerability as true strength. Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown. #ConflictManagement #WorkplaceCulture #Communication #Podcast

August 18, 2026Episode 2241 hr 1 min

Ep 224, Messy: Making Sense of the Mess of Leadership

This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Daniel Atlin. Together we explore: The messiness of leadership In the age of AI, what does it mean to be human? The art of reflection The fear and uncertainty of change Making sense of change and Internal sense making Dealing with disappointment at work ‘Seeing’ others and meeting them where they’re at Relational leadership Understanding the strengths of people in different age groups at work Getting unstuck in conflict through finding common ground Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube @3pconflictrestoration Daniel Atlin is a strategic advisor and executive coach with over 30 years of experience in senior roles across Canada’s post-secondary, cooperative, and government sectors, and host of the Messy - Making Sense of the Mess of Leadership- podcast. Specializing in helping complex, purpose-driven organizations and individuals navigate change and uncertainty, Daniel brings a unique blend of leadership, strategy, and empathy to every engagement. Daniel has worked with leaders at all levels to drive transformation. Whether overseeing multi-million-dollar fundraising campaigns, advising on strategic planning, or guiding organizational mergers, he’s known for his ability to turn complex challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation. Daniel is deeply passionate about change leadership. In 2024, he earned an Executive Master’s degree from Oxford Saïd Business School and HEC Paris , where he conducted research on how university leaders leverage sensemaking skills to create high-performing teams in complex, multi-stakeholder environments. His research, based on interviews with 25 university Presidents and Principals across the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, continues to inform his work with leaders in higher education and beyond. Daniel has presented his findings at conferences, including the International Leadership Association’s Global Conference, and shares insights that empower leaders to adapt and thrive in today’s rapidly evolving world. An adjunct professor at the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph and certified in the SPARK Resilience Program and Hogan Personality Assessments, Daniel helps leaders and teams build resilience, enhance self-awareness, and thrive in today’s fast-changing environment. Daniel is also the Griffith Group 's Associate of Leadership Assessment and Coaching Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown.

August 11, 2026Episode 2231 hr 3 min

Ep 223, Honest, Calm, and Empathic Conversations

This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Ron Camacho. Together we explore: Mentorship opportunities Building your reputation The benefits of coaching for career insight, knowledge, and development When you have a ‘difficult’ co-worker Standards and flexibility Building trust Put yourself in their shoes Admitting mistakes Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube @3pconflictrestoration Ron Camacho is an accomplished law enforcement executive with more than 30 years of service, including 17 years in senior leadership roles. He retired in 2013 as Patrol Operations Captain with the York City (PA) Police Department, where he commanded over ninety officers and detectives and oversaw critical operational functions. Following retirement, Chief Camacho served internationally as a police advisor in Afghanistan and later as the in-country Deputy Program Manager on a U.S. State Department training contract in Mexico. In that role, he supervised more than thirty retired American law enforcement professionals tasked with strengthening policing capabilities at the local, state, and federal levels. In 2023, his prior department’s innovative leadership received national recognition. He was named one of Police Magazine’s Innovative Law Enforcement Leaders for pioneering an officer wellness program, and the department was featured in Police Chief Magazine for its Citizen Advisory Committee initiative. These efforts reflected his commitment to transparency, operational excellence, and a service-oriented culture that builds public trust. A graduate of the FBI National Academy (239th Session), Dr. Camacho holds a Doctorate and a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice. A nationally published author and sought-after speaker, he focuses on leadership development, mentorship, and emotional intelligence. He was sworn in as Chief of the North Charleston Police Department in December 2024. He is the author of the upcoming book (January 2027) Bringing Ego to the Forefront: The First Steps Towards Ego-Free Leadership. Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown. #ConflictManagement #WorkplaceCulture #Communication #Connection #Podcast