The Ripple Effect Podcast with Steve Harper

Hosted by Steve Harper

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306

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Nov 2026

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Welcome to The Ripple Effect Podcast with Steve Harper, where the power of connection, building better relationships, and creating a positive impact on the world take center stage. Join us on a transformative journey as we explore the profound effects that small actions can have on individuals, communities, and the global community as a whole. At the heart of The Ripple Effect Podcast is the belief that every action we take creates a ripple that spreads far beyond its initial impact. Hosted by the insightful and inspiring Ripple Man himself, Steve Harper, this podcast delves deep into the art of creating meaningful connections and fostering relationships that have the potential to change lives. Steve Harper, a renowned thought leader, entrepreneur, and relationship expert, guides listeners through thought-provoking conversations with a wide array of talented guests. Each episode is a treasure trove of wisdom and insights from individuals who have made a significant difference in their respective fields. Whether it's renowned authors, visionary entrepreneurs, celebrated artists, or social change-makers, The Ripple Effect Podcast welcomes guests who have harnessed the power of their actions to create positive waves across society. Listeners gain invaluable perspectives on topics such as personal growth, leadership, mindfulness, innovation, and social impact. The Ripple Effect Podcast is a platform for genuine and heartfelt conversations that delve beyond surface-level dialogue. Through these engaging discussions, Steve Harper and his guests explore the deeper layers of human connection, vulnerability, and authenticity. The podcast inspires listeners to reflect on their own relationships and consider how they can make a difference in the world through intentional actions. Listeners will come away from each episode feeling empowered and motivated to create their own ripples of change. The Ripple Effect Podcast offers practical advice, actionable strategies, and real-life examples of individuals who have transformed their lives by embracing the power of connection and building better relationships. Tune in to The Ripple Effect Podcast with Steve Harper and embark on a journey of personal growth, transformation, and making a positive impact on the world. Prepare to be inspired, uplifted, and challenged as you discover the incredible potential that lies within each and every one of us to create a ripple effect of change.

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November 10, 2026Episode 251 hr 1 min

The Truth About Equity With Celeste Warren | The Ripple Effect Podcast

Diversity and equity at work are topics most of us care about and feel nervous to talk about. The words get tossed around in headlines and company memos until nobody is sure what they mean for the person at the next desk, or for their own career. Meanwhile, the real questions stay the same. Does everyone here get a fair shot? Do the people on my team feel like they belong? And what can I do about any of it if I'm not the boss? My guest this episode, Celeste Warren, has spent her career in the middle of those questions. If the word equity has ever made you a little nervous, or you've never felt sure what equity in the workplace really means for your team and your own career, Celeste explains it in a way that finally made it click for me. She also shares a simple way to build trust with the people you lead, an honest look at imposter syndrome at work, a practical take on networking for introverts, and a surprising story about how to find a mentor when the official program lets you down. You can find Celeste's latest book, The Truth About Equity, here: https://mybook.to/TruthAboutEquity More About the Guest Celeste Warren is a TEDx speaker, author, and former Vice President and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at a global Fortune 100 company, where she spent 28 years driving transformational change. Today, she is the founder of Celeste Warren Consulting, LLC, where she helps organizations build equitable systems that create opportunity and lasting impact, and she co-founded Destination STEM, Inc., a nonprofit she launched with her two children to support students of color and underserved students pursuing STEM careers. Her articles have appeared in national and global publications; she has spoken at events around the world, and her second book, "The Truth About Equity," was recently published. Ripple with Celeste Warren: www.CRWDiversity.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/celestewarrenllc/ https://www.instagram.com/crwdiversity https://www.youtube.com/@celestewarren-equity https://open.substack.com/pub/celestewarren https://www.facebook.com/share/1CXPNHNqZE/?mibextid=wwXIfr More About the Host Steve Harper is the founder of Ripple Central and host of The Ripple Effect Podcast, where he explores what it really takes to build authentic, meaningful relationships. He also owns Owner Insite, a construction project management software company. Steve runs The Pond, a community built around intentional connection and 8 Minute Ripple events. Ripple with Steve Harper: https://instagram.com/rippleon https://facebook.com/rippleon https://twitter.com/rippleon https://ripplecentral.com Subscribe to the Ripple newsletter: https://ripplecentral.com/subscribe Be a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/SteveHarper Join the ever-growing community of Ripplers in The Pond: https://ripplecentral.com/pond

October 27, 2026Episode 2456 min

Step Into a Nonprofit Role Prepared | The Ripple Effect Podcast ft. Janelle Miller Moravek

How many times this month have you smiled through a day that was quietly wearing you down? Mission-driven work has a way of doing that to you. You care so much that you say yes to one more thing, then another, and then you realize you've been running on fumes. You hold it together for your team, your board, your donors, and your family, and the one person nobody seems to check in on is you. Now picture doing all of that in a brand new role. A new board, a new team, a new list of expectations, and a quiet worry that somebody left out a few important details before you said yes. I talk with leaders in the nonprofit and helping professions all the time, and the same concerns keep coming up. Pay that never quite matches the work. Burnout that shows up earlier than anyone planned. The nagging feeling that nobody outside your world sees how much you carry. Janelle Miller Moravek is a nonprofit leader and mental health advocate who has served as Executive Director of Youth & Family Counseling in Lake County, Illinois since 2009. She joined me on The Ripple Effect Podcast to talk about how to step into a nonprofit role prepared. Janelle's advice on walking into a leadership role caught me off guard in the best way, and a couple of moments made me stop and rethink how I show up on my own hardest days. More About the Guest Janelle Miller Moravek is a nonprofit leader and mental health advocate who helps families navigate a system that can often feel overwhelming. As Executive Director of Youth & Family Counseling since 2009, she has led its growth while expanding access to care across Lake County, Illinois. Known for her practical and compassionate approach, Janelle speaks on how to find the right mental health support, strengthen communities around youth, and build more sustainable systems of care. She is especially passionate about mental health literacy, supporting caregivers, and addressing burnout in the behavioral health field. She also brings a leadership lens to her work, sharing insights on workforce development and building resilient, people-centered organizations. Janelle serves on the board of the Lake County Alliance for Human Services and co-chairs the Lake County Behavioral Health Action Team. Ripple with Janelle Miller Moravek: www.CounselingForAll.org www.linkedin.com/in/janelle-miller-moravek-903a815b More About the Host Steve Harper is the founder of Ripple Central and host of The Ripple Effect Podcast, where he explores what it really takes to build authentic, meaningful relationships. He also owns Owner Insite, a construction project management software company. Steve runs The Pond, a community built around intentional connection and 8 Minute Ripple events. Ripple with Steve Harper: https://instagram.com/rippleon https://facebook.com/rippleon https://twitter.com/rippleon https://ripplecentral.com

October 20, 2026Episode 2356 min

If Everyone's Nodding, Something's Wrong | The Ripple Effect Podcast ft. Hacia Atherton

You can have a room full of people nodding along and think everything is fine. That's actually the problem. When everyone agrees, when nobody pushes back, when the room goes quiet the moment a decision is made, that silence isn't peace. It's a warning sign. And most leaders miss it entirely because they're chasing the next win, the next KPI, the next quarter, and they've stopped looking at the people doing the actual work. Hacia Atherton works with leaders to figure out why good teams fall apart, why great people leave, and what most organizations are quietly getting wrong about the people they depend on most. Hacia didn't arrive at this work from a textbook. She got there through one of the most harrowing personal experiences you'll hear about on this show. And what came out of it wasn't bitterness. It was clarity. A deep, lived understanding of what human beings actually need to thrive, and why so many workplaces are accidentally working against that. We talked about the difference between someone who is hesitant to leave and someone who is genuinely committed to stay. Those sound like the same thing, but they are not. And once you understand the gap, you'll start seeing it everywhere. We also got into something that stopped me mid-conversation: the parallel between what it takes for AI to function at its best, and what it takes for a person to do the same. If you lead a team, you'll want to hear that one out. This is a conversation about culture, resilience, and what it really means to lead people rather than just manage them. Hit play. More About the Guest Hacia Atherton is a globally recognized, award-winning voice in workplace culture reform, known for helping organizations turn burnout and bias into retention and results. She is the founder of the non-profit Empowered Women in Trades, which supports women in male-dominated industries and promotes inclusive workplaces. She also serves on Victoria's Our Equal State reference group, advising the state's gender equality strategy, and on the La Trobe Business School Advisory Board. With a Master's in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Melbourne and credentials as a Certified Practicing Accountant, Hacia brings a rare combination of human insight and strategic depth to her leadership consulting and keynote speaking. Before all of that, Hacia survived a horse accident that left her hospitalized for six months, required over 30 surgeries, and fundamentally changed the direction of her life. Everything she learned about resilience, being truly seen, and what it means to have people genuinely invest in you became the foundation for the work she now does with leaders worldwide. Ripple with Hacia Atherton Website: https://www.haciaatherton.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haciaatherton/ Instagram: @hacia.atherton More About the Host Steve Harper is the founder of Ripple Central and host of The Ripple Effect Podcast, where he explores what it really takes to build authentic, meaningful relationships. He also owns Owner Insite, a construction project management software company. Steve runs The Pond, a community built around intentional connection and 8-Minute Ripple events. Ripple with Steve Harper: https://instagram.com/rippleon https://facebook.com/rippleon https://twitter.com/rippleon https://ripplecentral.com Stay in the loop: ripplecentral.com/subscribe Be a Patron: patreon.com/SteveHarper Join The Pond: ripplecentral.com/pond Speaking and coaching inquiries: info@ripplecentral.com

October 6, 2026Episode 221 hr 19 min

What You're Willing to Risk Shapes the Life You Get (The Ripple Effect Podcast ft. Jason Boulette)

You can do everything right in your career and still find yourself staring at the ceiling at 2 am, wondering what exactly you're building. The title sounds impressive, and the salary looks good, but somewhere along the way the thing that was supposed to give you a life started quietly taking it. The years go faster than the days, and it's easy to look up one morning and realize the schedule you built isn't the life you meant to have. This episode is about what you're willing to risk to change that, and how much of your time you're okay trading for comfort. Work-life balance sounds like a scheduling puzzle, but it comes down to priorities. And if you lead people, there's the conversation you haven't had yet, with the employee you're sure has to go, or the one you're afraid will sue you. Jason asks clients one question early on that changes how it all plays out. Then there's the worry humming behind nearly every profession right now. Will AI replace lawyers? Will it replace you? Jason has a view from the legal world, and he weighs in on non-compete agreements too. Today's guest is employment lawyer Jason Boulette, out of Austin, Texas. I've been looking forward to this one for a long time, and he's a lot more interesting than the stereotype of a litigator (he also has surprisingly strong feelings about Star Wars). Stay until the end. Jason talks about the people who shaped him and the small moments that Ripple further than we realize. More About the Guest Jason is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and the former Chair of the Labor and Employment Section of the State Bar of Texas. Jason has been named Lawyer of the Year in Management Employment Law by Best Lawyers in America, Top Attorney by Austin Monthly, a Top 50 Attorney in Central & West Texas and a Top 100 Lawyer by Texas Super Lawyers. Jason is a frequent speaker and has received the W. Page Keeton Award for Excellence in Continuing Legal Education. Previously with Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., Jason founded Boulette & Golden L.L.P. with Mike Golden in 2006. Now known as Boulette Golden & Marin, the firm represents employers in employment, litigation, and corporate immigration matters. More About the Host Steve Harper is the founder of Ripple Central and host of The Ripple Effect Podcast, where he explores what it really takes to build authentic, meaningful relationships. He also owns Owner Insite, a construction project management software company. Steve runs The Pond, a community built around intentional connection and 8-Minute Ripple events. Ripple with Steve Harper: https://instagram.com/rippleon https://facebook.com/rippleon https://twitter.com/rippleon https://ripplecentral.com

September 29, 2026Episode 2144 min

Proof You Can Start Over Without Walking Away From Everything ft. Michele Trongaard

Twenty-three years is a long time to spend earning a reputation. Michele Trongaard has one that precedes her everywhere she goes in this industry, and after sitting across from her for this conversation, I understand exactly why. Michele is stepping away from her role as a district CFO after more than two decades in public school finance, and she's doing it on her own terms, heading into a new chapter rather than just closing the book on the old one. I wanted to talk with her about what actually built that reputation, because it wasn't the budgets or the balance sheets. It was something much harder to teach. She told me about her early career, trying to become a carbon copy of a boss she admired, right down to the tone he used in a room, and how much pressure that put on her before she finally gave herself permission to lead in her own voice instead. We got into the real financial pressures facing public education today too: inflation, unfunded mandates, and the balancing act of meeting rising costs without raising taxes on the communities these districts serve. What stuck with me most was hearing her talk about staying visible as a leader. She made a habit of getting out from behind her desk to walk the halls and talk directly with principals, teachers, and staff, and that one habit shaped her entire leadership style, and her legacy. She also shared what pulled her into education in the first place, advice for young CPAs weighing private practice against public service, and what finally told her it was time for something new, without losing the parts of this world she still loves. This one's an honest look at what it means to build a career around service, and what it actually looks like to walk away from something you love while still holding onto the parts that made it meaningful. More About the Guest Michele Trongaard, CPA, RTSBA, SFO, has spent 23 years in school finance, most recently serving as Associate Superintendent of Business and Finance for Mansfield ISD, a role she's retiring from this year. She holds a BBA in Accounting from the University of Texas at Dallas and an MBA in School Finance and Operations from Concordia University. Michele is a Past President of TASBO and has been recognized with the ASBO Pinnacle Achievement Award in 2019 and the ASBO Eagle International Award in 2024. She currently serves on the ASBO SFO Committee and the TEA/TASBO Accounting and Auditing Advisory Committee, sits on the TASBO RISE Award Committee as a reviewer, and reviews for the TASBO Scholarship Award as well. Ripple with Michele Trongaard: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-trongaard-cpa-rtsba-sfo-bb801472 More About the Host Steve Harper is the founder of Ripple Central and host of The Ripple Effect Podcast, where he explores what it really takes to build authentic, meaningful relationships. He also owns Owner Insite, a construction project management software company. Steve runs The Pond, a community built around intentional connection and 8-Minute Ripple events. Ripple with Steve Harper: https://instagram.com/rippleon https://facebook.com/rippleon Subscribe to the Ripple newsletter: https://ripplecentral.com/subscribe Join the ever-growing community of Ripplers in The Pond: https://ripplecentral.com/pond To inquire about Steve's availability for conference keynotes, corporate training, or performance coaching, please contact info@ripplecentral.com.

September 15, 2026Episode 2049 min

What the Best Leaders Can't See About Themselves (The Ripple Effect Podcast ft. Brian Vogel)

Picture your ideal Tuesday. You come in with a clear head, a short list of things that actually matter, and a couple of hours of uninterrupted time to think strategically about where you're taking this thing. Now picture your actual Tuesday. Six fires before noon. Three decisions that landed on your desk that someone else should have made. A calendar that left no room for anything except reacting. And somewhere around four in the afternoon, the quiet feeling that you've been incredibly busy and somehow accomplished nothing. If that second picture is more familiar, this episode is for you. My guest Brian Vogel has spent 25 plus years watching this happen to brilliant founders and high-performing leaders. The same relentless grit that built their initial success eventually starts working against them. And most of the time, they're the last ones to see it. We got into what it actually looks like when a leader becomes the bottleneck without realizing it, why most founders get stuck in the doing instead of the leading, and why Brian firmly believes nice wins more than it doesn't. There's also a line about winners and losers from one of his old swim coaches that I want you to stick around for. Watch this one to the end. 💧 More About the Guest Brian Vogel is the Principal and Head Coach of Sundog Coaching and a battle-tested HR executive with over 25 years of experience scaling teams through hyper-growth at global organizations including Indeed, Verizon, and USAA. At Indeed, he helped scale the workforce from 2,500 to over 10,000 employees in just three and a half years. At Verizon, he orchestrated workforce transitions during the historic Bell Atlantic and GTE merger involving over 6,000 employees, driving more than 12 million dollars in direct labor cost savings. Brian is also a former NCAA Division I competitive swimmer and collegiate coach. The eye in the sky perspective he developed on the pool deck, spotting blind spots athletes can't see while they're in the water, is exactly what he brings to founders and executives drowning in operational fires today. He works with proven founders and growth-stage executives to help them step out of the daily weeds, overcome executive isolation, and build highly autonomous teams. He is a certified Positive Intelligence coach and Co-Founder of Sensible HR. If this conversation resonated and you're at a critical inflection point in your business, Brian offers a Mutual Fit Assessment at sundogcoaching.com. It's a focused 30-minute strategy session to uncover your hidden bottlenecks and see if a one-on-one advisory partnership is the right fit. For practical insights and unfiltered operating strategies for growth-stage founders, subscribe to his Substack, Eye in the Sky Leadership, at sundogcoach.substack.com. Ripple with Brian Vogel: Website: sundogcoaching.com Mutual Fit Assessment: sundogcoaching.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brianmvogel/ More About the Host Steve Harper is the founder of Ripple Central and host of The Ripple Effect Podcast, where he explores what it really takes to build authentic, meaningful relationships. He also owns Owner Insite, a construction project management software company. Steve runs The Pond, a community built around intentional connection and 8-Minute Ripple events. Want to go even deeper? Check out our Substack and Patreon for exclusive content and behind-the-scenes insights. And if you're ready for something more immersive, our Connect + Grow Ripple coaching program is a full year of community, coaching, and accountability designed to help you build more meaningful relationships and create an even bigger Ripple out there in the world. Ripple with Steve Harper: Instagram: instagram.com/rippleon Facebook: facebook.com/rippleon X: twitter.com/rippleon Website: ripplecentral.com

September 1, 2026Episode 191 hr 9 min

You Were Creative Once. Find Your Way Back. (The Ripple Effect Podcast ft. Maria Gatling)

When was the last time you made something? A drawing, a photo, a collage, a doodle in the margin of a notebook. Something you made with your hands because something in you wanted to. Most of us have to think about it. And the longer we think, the further back the answer goes. Somewhere along the way, we handed our creative lives back. Not all at once, and not on purpose. Just gradually, between the jobs and the responsibilities and the screens and the schedules, the things we used to make got quietly set aside. And we told ourselves we'd get back to them. And then we didn't. And eventually we stopped telling ourselves that too. My guest today has a lot to say about that. Maria Gatling is one of the most genuinely creative people I know. She gives herself creative assignments every single week. She runs a weekly creativity group. She builds her own notebooks. She teaches short workshops and helps people start creativity clubs in their own communities. And the way she talks about creativity, not as a talent you either have or don't, but as a practice you simply show up for, is something I think every single one of you needs to hear. This conversation is a first for this podcast. Maria is the first guest I've ever had sitting right here in my studio. Same room, same table, no Zoom, and no screens between us. Just two people who love this topic, finally talking about it the way it was meant to be done. You can hear the difference. Let's get into it. More About the Guest Maria Gatling 's life experiences across publishing, advertising, art, and raising four children have shaped everything she creates and teaches. She's the author of two creativity workbooks, Coffee Break Creativity - Grande! and Project 52 , and she facilitates small-group mini-workshops and short classes designed to help people reignite their creative lives. She also helps others start their own creativity clubs. Whether you consider yourself an artist or have never picked up a paintbrush in your life, Maria meets you exactly where you are. Ripple with Maria: Website More About the Host Steve Harper is the founder of Ripple Central and host of The Ripple Effect Podcast, where he explores what it really takes to build authentic, meaningful relationships. He also owns Owner Insite, a construction project management software company. Steve runs The Pond, a community built around intentional connection and 8-Minute Ripple events. Ripple with Steve Harper: Website Instagram Facebook X

August 25, 2026Episode 181 hr 25 min

The One Thing Your Competition Can Never Buy or Copy (The Ripple Effect Podcast ft. Joe Fusco)

Here's a question I want you to think about before you hit play. When was the last time you felt like the work you were doing actually mattered? Not mattered as in the numbers went up or the boss was happy. Mattered in that way where you finished a day and felt genuinely full rather than just done. Most of us have forgotten what that feels like. Or maybe we never had it to begin with. This conversation goes deep on that. My guest Joe Fusco and I got into what actually makes a company great, why people don't fit in a spreadsheet no matter how hard we try to make them, and what it really means to lead in a way that brings out the best in the people around you. We talked about AI coming for the people business, why capitalism is at an inflection point, and an analogy involving Newtonian versus quantum physics that completely reframed the way I think about connection and networking. And then we got into retirement, which in Joe's world looks nothing like what most people picture. It's less about slowing down and more about finally having the freedom to point everything you've built toward something that actually matters to you. This one's a slow burn in the best possible way. Stay with it. More About the Guest For 28 years until his retirement in 2022, Joe Fusco was a senior executive with a publicly-traded mid-cap company, where he served as an advisor to the chairman and CEO. Joe has spoken frequently to companies and organizations on leadership, organizational culture, business and cultural trends, and business strategy and sustainability. He's been engaged as a speaker by groups and companies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Credit Union National Association, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Telecommunications Association of the Southeast. He is currently the co-host of " Retirement Unscripted ," a regular series of conversations exploring the design of that next stage of life through a lens of freedom, creativity, wisdom, and identity. Joe is on the board of Internality, a non-profit corporation dedicated to engaging an expanding coalition of business leaders, academics, and other key stakeholders in catalyzing a systemic rework of how business is conducted and how the economy works. He is also an advisor and teacher in the University of Vermont's top-ranked Sustainable Innovation MBA program, and advises senior executives on leadership, culture, and strategy in an array of industries from hospitality to clean energy. Joe lives in Chittenden, Vermont with his wife, Renae. They are the parents of five grown children. Ripple with Joe Fusco LinkedIn Tune in to Retirement Unscripted Catch Joe Fusco's Graduation Ripple sessions in The Pond community. More About the Host Steve Harper is the founder of Ripple Central and host of The Ripple Effect Podcast, where he explores what it really takes to build authentic, meaningful relationships. He also owns Owner Insite, a construction project management software company. Steve runs The Pond, a community built around intentional connection and 8-Minute Ripple events. Ripple with Steve Harper: Instagram Facebook X

August 18, 2026Episode 171 hr 2 min

Hurricane Katrina at 21: The Story the Media Never Fully Told featuring Sandy Rosenthal

Here's a question I want you to think about before you hit play. When was the last time you felt like the work you were doing actually mattered? Not mattered as in the numbers went up or the boss was happy. Mattered in that way where you finished a day and felt genuinely full rather than just done. Most of us have forgotten what that feels like. Or maybe we never had it to begin with. This conversation goes deep on that. My guest Joe Fusco and I got into what actually makes a company great, why people don't fit in a spreadsheet no matter how hard we try to make them, and what it really means to lead in a way that brings out the best in the people around you. We talked about AI coming for the people business, why capitalism is at an inflection point, and an analogy involving Newtonian versus quantum physics that completely reframed the way I think about connection and networking. And then we got into retirement, which in Joe's world looks nothing like what most people picture. It's less about slowing down and more about finally having the freedom to point everything you've built toward something that actually matters to you. This one's a slow burn in the best possible way. Stay with it. More About the Guest For 28 years until his retirement in 2022, Joe was a senior executive with a publicly-traded mid-cap company, where he served as an advisor to the chairman and CEO. Joe has spoken frequently to companies and organizations on leadership, organizational culture, business and cultural trends, and business strategy and sustainability. He's been engaged as a speaker by groups and companies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Credit Union National Association, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Telecommunications Association of the Southeast. He is currently the co-host of "Retirement Unscripted," a regular series of conversations exploring the design of that next stage of life through a lens of freedom, creativity, wisdom, and identity. Joe is on the board of Internality, a non-profit corporation dedicated to engaging an expanding coalition of business leaders, academics, and other key stakeholders in catalyzing a systemic rework of how business is conducted and how the economy works. He is also an advisor and teacher in the University of Vermont's top-ranked Sustainable Innovation MBA program, and advises senior executives on leadership, culture, and strategy in an array of industries from hospitality to clean energy. Joe lives in Chittenden, Vermont with his wife, Renae. They are the parents of five grown children. Ripple with Joe Fusco www.linkedin.com/in/joefusco Tune in to Retirement Unscripted: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/retirement-unscripted-with-joe-john-and-jeff/id1870902365 Catch Joe Fusco's Graduation Ripple sessions in The Pond community: ripplecentral.com/pond More About the Host Steve Harper is the founder of Ripple Central and host of The Ripple Effect Podcast, where he explores what it really takes to build authentic, meaningful relationships. He also owns Owner Insite, a construction project management software company. Steve runs The Pond, a community built around intentional connection and 8-Minute Ripple events. Ripple with Steve Harper: https://instagram.com/rippleon https://facebook.com/rippleon https://twitter.com/rippleon https://ripplecentral.com

August 4, 2026Episode 1654 min

Pressure-Proof Leadership with Claire Hayek (The Ripple Effect Podcast)

Be honest. When's the last time you actually felt calm, not just looked calm? Because those are two very different things, and most of us have gotten so good at faking the second one that we forget what the first one even feels like. You handle the hard conversation. You keep your voice steady in the meeting that's falling apart. You hold it together for everyone else in the room. And then later, alone in your car or lying awake at night, it all comes flooding back. That gap between performing calm and actually being calm is something my guest today has spent her entire life studying, first as a matter of survival, and later as her life's work. Claire Hayek is an engineer, a musician, a TEDx speaker, and someone who's spent decades inside high-pressure environments long before she ever had language for what was happening to her under the surface. In this conversation, we get into pressure-proof leadership, why habituation and resilience get confused all the time, even though they are not the same thing, and what she calls common authority, that steady presence that holds up even when everything around you isn't. Huge thanks to Claire for such an open, generous conversation. Her book, Calm Under Fire: The Leadership Skill No One Taught You, comes out this September, and you're going to want to be first in line. clairehayek.com/books Free Resources for You! If you're a leader looking to reset your own relationship with pressure, grab Claire's free Pressure Reset Scripts at clairehayek.com/reset If you're leading a team and want a clearer read on where pressure is quietly costing you, check out the free Pressure and Performance Scorecard at clairehayek.com/pp-scorecard More About the Guest Claire Hayek is a Neuroleadership expert, TEDx speaker, and founder of Mind. Soul. Purpose. Teambuilding. She is the creator of Pressure-Proof Leadership™, a neuroscience-based framework that helps leaders and organizations maintain clarity, resilience, and performance in high-pressure environments. For more than 30 years, she has operated in high-pressure environments, from growing up in war-torn Lebanon to engineering and executive leadership. Her work examines how sustained pressure shapes the human nervous system, identity, performance, and how high performers can harness drive without letting it quietly erode clarity, health, or voice. Ripple with Claire Hayek: Website: https://clairehayek.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairehayek Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claire.hayek X: https://x.com/clairehayek Threads: https://www.threads.com/@claire.hayek Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclairehayek Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/clairehayek.bsky.social Substack: https://substack.com/@theclairehayek More About the Host Steve Harper is the founder of Ripple Central and host of The Ripple Effect Podcast, where he explores what it really takes to build authentic, meaningful relationships. He also owns Owner Insite, a construction project management software company. Steve runs The Pond, a community built around intentional connection and 8-Minute Ripple events. Ripple with Steve Harper: Instagram: instagram.com/rippleon Facebook: facebook.com/rippleon X: twitter.com/rippleon Website: ripplecentral.com Subscribe to the newsletter: ripplecentral.com/subscribe Be a Patron: patreon.com/SteveHarper Join The Pond: ripplecentral.com/pond Speaking and coaching inquiries: info@ripplecentral.com