Welcome to the Even Better podcast hosted by Sinikka Waugh, president and founder of Your Clear Next Step, and relentlessly positive trainer and coach who is committed to even better. Hosted in Indianola, IA, the Even Better podcast shares engaging conversations with different guests every week, that highlight their unique insight into a topic they're passionate about! Our mission is simple: we help people have better workdays so that together, they can co-create better communities. We do this through connecting people to the training, coaching, and resources they need to get even better at work. We focus on three main principles: making authentic human connections, delivering real business value, and treating change as a process, not an event. Ready to take the next step towards making your work—and life—even better? Learn more at yourclearnextstep.com. -- Real-life stories, insights, and people who are passionately sharing what they are doing to be even better! New episodes are released biweekly.
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June 16, 2026Episode 15443 min
Recovery, Redemption & Reform
In this episode of Even Better, host Sinikka Waugh sits down with Troy Roberts to explore a story of recovery, redemption, and lasting reform. Troy shares his journey from a childhood shaped by addiction to his own struggles with substance use, homelessness, and ultimately facing a 35 year prison sentence. He opens up about the loss of his mother, the turning point that led him to Harvest Academy, and how accountability, community, and lived experience transformed his life. Troy now dedicates his work to helping others find hope and build meaningful connections in recovery. This conversation offers an honest look at growth, resilience, and the impact of choosing a different path forward. -- Troy, once lost to crime and addiction, turned his life around through Harvest Academy. From substance abuse, crime, and being incarcerated, facing a 35-year prison sentence, to graduating from the program, he has transformed his pain into purpose — now serving as a staff member and mentor, guiding others toward the same redemption and growth that changed his own life. Facebook: Troy Roberts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troy-roberts-464478331/ Other: Harvest Academy Iowa | Indianola IA
June 2, 2026Episode 15324 min
Making Public Speaking Fun: Habits for Communicating with Confidence
In this episode of Even Better, host Sinikka Waugh sits down with communication expert Erik Dominguez to explore how public speaking can become not just manageable but genuinely enjoyable. Erik shares his journey from growing up bilingual in Mexico City to discovering confidence through speech and debate after moving to the United States. Together, they break down practical habits for stronger communication, including treating your voice like an instrument, organizing ideas with clarity, and slowing down in high pressure moments. Erik also explains how to turn nervous energy into focus and why preparation is the key to confidence. This conversation is packed with relatable insights and simple strategies to help you speak with greater impact in any setting. -- As a communication and confidence speaker and trainer with over 25 years of experience, Erik Dominguez has seen people from all walks of life learn to transform their fear into fuel and effectively share their minds and hearts with the world. His own communication fears fueled him to learn the mindsets and tools to be seen and heard. Now, his life's mission is to support you in learning to speak, share your story, and communicate with confidence, power, and yes, even a little bit of FUN! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erikjdominguezspeaksup LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/erikjdominguez Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erik.j.dominguez/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ErikDominguezSpeaks
May 19, 2026Episode 15212 min
Change Saturation
In this solo episode of Even Better, Sinikka Waugh explores the experience of change saturation and what it feels like when too much change arrives all at once. Drawing on personal insight and coaching conversations, she reflects on how easily we can become overwhelmed, stretched thin, and disconnected from what matters most. Sinikka invites listeners to notice when that sense of saturation begins to take hold and to pause instead of pushing through. She encourages reconnecting with your inner circle as a source of support and perspective, and returning to your deeper why as an anchor in the midst of uncertainty. Through thoughtful reflection and practical encouragement, this episode offers a reset for anyone feeling the weight of constant change, helping listeners slow down, regain clarity, and move forward with greater intention and resilience. -- Sinikka Waugh - Connect with me on either LinkedIn or send me an email! Founder, Owner, Trainer, and Coach Sinikka Waugh, PMP, President and CEO of Your Clear Next Step, spends her days helping people have better workdays. Trainer, coach, business leader, and difference maker, Sinikka is known for consistently helping people solve problems and get things done at work. With a 20+ year background in languages, literature, and project management, Sinikka has helped over 50,000 people have better workdays since 2008. Her clients value how her professionalism blends seamlessly with her down-to-earth, "try this now" approach and her passion for helping others. Sinikka holds a BA from Central College, an MA from the University of Iowa, and is a certified Project Management Professional through the Project Management Institute (PMI).
May 5, 2026Episode 15144 min
Continuous Improvement and Lean Can Help You Create More Good Work Days
In this episode of Even Better, host Sinikka Waugh is joined by Scott Post to discuss how continuous improvement and lean thinking can help create more good work days. Reflecting on how they first met years ago in a project management class, including a memorable lesson involving a "crazy red chicken," Scott shares how he found his path into lean, continuous improvement, and operational excellence. The conversation explores lean leadership as servant leadership, Scott's long‑term involvement with lean consortiums such as the Iowa Lean Consortium and his fifteen years on the board of the Siouxland Lean Consortium, and the value of learning together through conferences and engaging meetings. They also touch on small business entrepreneurship and how lean principles apply across organizations of all sizes. -- Scott Post is an Operational Excellence and Lean Leadership Coach with over 20 years of experience in leadership, continuous improvement, and Lean methodology. Known for his ability to identify inefficiencies and optimize processes, Scott helps individuals and organizations unlock their full potential through practical, results-driven approaches. Scott's passion for process improvement began during his service in the United States Marine Corps and continued as he earned an Industrial Engineering degree from Iowa State University. His expertise deepened through roles at Pella Corporation and later as Chief Operations Officer at Pizza Ranch, where he led the Operations, Training, and Process Improvement teams toward operational excellence. Scott founded S Post Consulting in 2021 and began working full-time with clients in 2023. Based in Northwest Iowa, the firm helps Siouxland business leaders stabilize operations, boost profits, and build momentum. Scott helps organizations move from chronic inefficiencies to high-performing operations. Through a diagnostic, boots-on-the-ground approach, he uncovers root causes, aligns leadership, and builds sustainable systems that reduce waste, improve execution, and drive long-term profit, without adding headcount or complexity. Clients consistently experience improved employee engagement, increased labor efficiency, shorter lead times, and stronger bottom-line results. A dedicated Servant Leader, Scott has also been an active contributor to the local Lean communities, serving on the board of the Siouxland Lean Consortium, and volunteering with the Iowa Lean Consortium. Outside of work, he enjoys family life, camping, and a hobby farm by Rock Valley, Iowa with his wife, four children, and a collection of farm animals. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/scott-post Other: http://www.spostconsulting.com
April 21, 2026Episode 15055 min
Tools & Tips to Help Neurodivergent Individuals Thrive at Work
In this episode of Even Better, host Sinikka Waugh is joined by Jenna Adams Valadez for a practical and thoughtful conversation on how neurodivergent individuals can truly thrive at work. Jenna shares why this topic matters personally and helps redefine neurodivergence to include ADHD, autism, dyslexia, anxiety based differences, and more as different ways of processing rather than deficiencies. Together, they explore why clarity and prioritization are essential leadership skills, how standard work and change management reduce hidden friction, and what leaders often get wrong when trying to support inclusion. The episode also examines why masking is not the same as thriving and how emerging tools like AI can support more personalized ways of working when used with intention. Listeners will walk away with actionable insights to build stronger, more inclusive teams where more people can do their best work. -- Jenna Adams-Valadez is a Lean Six Sigma Master Blackbelt and Certified Continuous Improvement Consultant based in Omaha, NE. She started her firm, The Lean Eye, LLC, in 2023 as an SBA-certified Woman Owned Small Business. Jenna is also a co-founder for AI Demo & Learn, a free online learning community helping professionals keep pace with advancing technology. With almost 15 years of continuous improvement experience and over 20 years of coaching and mentoring across transportation, IT, academia, and nonprofit sectors, she customizes various methodologies to help organizations eliminate waste, scale sustainably, and build teams that perform with confidence. Jenna also incorporates AI tools to streamline workflows, collecting real-world examples that give her clients practical insight into how emerging technology can work for their specific operations while keeping people at the center of processes. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenna-adams-valadez/ Other: The Lean Eye, LLC , AI Demo & Learn - Monthly AI exploration
April 7, 2026Episode 14944 min
5-Step Career Change Formula
In this episode of Even Better, host Sinikka Waugh is joined by Lata Hamilton, an organizational change management consultant and career confidence mentor, for a practical conversation about navigating career change with clarity and confidence. Lata shares her proven five‑step career change formula, grounded in her own experience of successfully changing careers multiple times. Together, they explore how to calculate the true cost of staying stuck, remember your worth, and tap into transferable skills you already have. Lata also offers guidance for gaining clarity when you don't yet know what's next, committing to change, and carving a new path without starting over or taking a step backward. If you're considering a career pivot, planned or unexpected, this episode offers actionable insight, reassurance, and encouragement to take your next step intentionally. -- Lata Hamilton is a Change Leadership and Confidence mentor, author of "Pioneer Your Career Change", and the creator of the "Leading Successful Change" program. After tripling her salary in just 3 years to almost $200,000, her mission is to help women carve their own paths for change in career, leadership and life, and find the confidence and authenticity to truly earn their worth. Lata has worked with some of Australia's biggest companies on changes that have impacted over 100,000 people, operating model changes impacting thousands, global cultural transformations, and digital transformation that is literally changing the way that we work. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latahamiltonchange LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/latahamilton Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latahamilton/
March 24, 2026Episode 14837 min
Letting Go of Control
In this episode of Even Better, host Sinikka Waugh is joined by artist and community advocate Kristy Evans for a deeply moving conversation about letting go of control and embracing what comes next. Kristy shares her remarkable journey from teaching to art after unexpected health challenges reshaped her life, and how creativity became both a healing practice and a path toward self‑discovery. Together, they explore the emotional landscape of career transitions, the grief, the growth, and the courage it takes to be new at something again. Kristy reflects on the values that continue to anchor her, the role of play and curiosity in rebuilding identity, and her passion for fostering community through art. Whether you're navigating change, seeking purpose, or simply learning to loosen your grip, this conversation offers honesty, encouragement, and a reminder that beautiful things can emerge when we finally let go. -- Kristy Evans is a mixed media artist from Indianola, Iowa. She began painting in 2019. After nearly 20 years as a high school English teacher and swim coach, Kristy left the classroom with health issues and pivoted into art: "Life Part 2." At age 49, she became a student, learning about abstract art, painting daily, and embracing a creative process that progresses through play. (*fabulous follow-up: health issues resolved!) Kristy has taken a wide array of online art courses. In Central Iowa, she has participated in many art festivals and shared her work in several libraries. In 2025, Simpson College hosted a solo show at the Art & Design Gallery in January; Ankeny's Art Center showed her work in June/July; "Iowa Artists on Display" in Downtown Des Moines at 801 Grand also features her work in two spaces. You can... Subscribe to her email newsletter (only 1 per month, promise!) at the bottom of any page on her website: http://KristyEvansArt.com Email questions to KristyEvansArt@gmail.com Follow on social media: Instagram: @Kristy.Evans.Art Facebook: KristyEvansArt2
March 10, 2026Episode 14742 min
Building Connection Through Flowers
In this episode of Even Better, host Sinikka Waugh is joined by Catherine Schut for a heartfelt conversation about building genuine human connection through the simple beauty of flowers. Catherine shares how her local flower farm has become a gathering place for community, bringing together fellow small‑business owners, loyal customers, and neighbors through shared experiences and small acts of kindness. Together, they explore the many ways flowers help us connect: supporting clients and colleagues, celebrating meaningful milestones, offering comfort to friends and family, or creating quiet moments of self‑care. Catherine also reflects on how spending time with nature invites us to slow down, get creative, and express emotions we sometimes struggle to put into words. Whether you love flowers or simply appreciate the power of presence, this conversation offers a gentle reminder that beauty grows connection, and connection strengthens community. Catherine Schut, founder/owner of Hive and Petal - a boutique beekeeping flower farm focused on growing seasonal, unique flowers in Central Iowa. Personal beliefs of the farm: organically inspired practices & creating an environment where ALL can thrive. Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/hiveandpetal LinkedIn URLhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/hiveandpetal Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/hiveandpetal Other...www.hiveandpetal.com
February 24, 2026Episode 14621 min
Planning with Purpose: Goals, Rocks, and Rhythm
In this solo episode of Even Better, Sinikka Waugh explores what it means to plan with purpose, drawing on insights from recent quarterly planning and coaching conversations. She breaks planning into three essentials: setting simple yet SMART goals that bring clarity, identifying the big rocks that matter most so they do not get buried in the daily grind, and finding a rhythm that keeps you focused and aligned. Sinikka reflects on how easily cadence slips and how weeks or even months can pass without us noticing, and she highlights the value of reconnecting to a natural, intentional rhythm. Throughout the episode she returns to one grounding question: Why am I doing this? With practical examples and honest reflection, Sinikka encourages listeners to view planning not as a task to complete but as a purposeful practice that helps us stay connected to our priorities and move through life with greater intention. -- Sinikka Waugh - Connect with me on either LinkedIn or send me an email! Founder, Owner, Trainer, and Coach Sinikka Waugh, PMP, President and CEO of Your Clear Next Step, spends her days helping people have better workdays. Trainer, coach, business leader, and difference maker, Sinikka is known for consistently helping people solve problems and get things done at work. With a 20+ year background in languages, literature, and project management, Sinikka has helped over 50,000 people have better workdays since 2008. Her clients value how her professionalism blends seamlessly with her down-to-earth, "try this now" approach and her passion for helping others. Sinikka holds a BA from Central College, an MA from the University of Iowa, and is a certified Project Management Professional through the Project Management Institute (PMI).
February 10, 2026Episode 14537 min
Mentorship for Women: Finding and Being the Mentor You Need
In this episode of Even Better, host Sinikka Waugh is joined by Urmi Hossain for a powerful conversation on mentorship for women, how to find the support you need and how to become that support for someone else. Urmi shares why mentorship begins with self‑awareness, clarity, and understanding your goals, and why the best mentor for you doesn't always look like you or come from your industry. Together, they explore mentorship as a two‑way relationship, the importance of showing initiative, and the surprising value women often underestimate in themselves. Urmi also introduces the idea of building a personal "board of mentors" to guide different parts of your life and career. With insights on confidence, community, and empowering other women, this episode offers practical guidance for anyone seeking to grow, give back, and be even better. -- Urmi Hossain is a woman who wears many hats. She is a self-published author, speaker, blogger, podcast host, polyglot, mentor, and holder of both the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) and CAIA (Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst) designations. Urmi works in the financial services industry in Canada, where she currently resides. Her first book, Discovering Your Identity: A Rebirth from Interracial Struggle, reflects her journey as a third-culture kid navigating questions of belonging, culture, and self-worth. Urmi is the host of Stories Beyond Borders, a podcast that amplifies diverse voices and explores stories of identity, migration, language, and what "home" really means. Passionate about women's empowerment, she serves as the Co-Chair of Women in Leadership's Montreal Chapter. She is also a strong advocate for continuous learning and personal growth. One of her greatest passions is public speaking — she has been an active Toastmasters member since 2019, having served as both VP of Education and Club President. In her spare time, Urmi enjoys reading thrillers and mystery novels and staying active through boxing, HIIT workouts, and running. Instagram https://www.instagram.com/urmamio/ https://www.instagram.com/storiesbeyondborderspodcast/ Other... https://www.youtube.com/@urmihossain
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