THRIVE: Turning Uncertainty into Competitive Advantage

Hosted by Meridith Elliott Powell

Business Entrepreneurship

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100

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Aug 2026

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About the show

THRIVE Turning Uncertainty into Competitive Advantage is where you hear the inspiring stories of how everyday business professionals forged unconventional paths to success. Learn new insights from business thought leaders and visionaries who made dramatic gains in self-awareness, discovered breakthrough new strategies, or blazed whole new trails that shifted and transformed the ways to succeed in today's economy. In the ever-changing, uncertain, crazy rollercoaster of the world of business, you can thrive in ways you may never have imagined before. Put this crisis behind you and emerge successful.

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60 recent

September 1, 202630 min

Turning Uncertainty into Pipeline: A Masterclass with Jason Bay

Building a predictable sales pipeline has never been harder, and Meridith's guest this week has spent his entire career solving exactly that problem. Jason Bay is the founder and CEO of Outbound Squad, where he has helped B2B sales teams take the guesswork out of cold outreach since 2008. Jason has personally closed millions in revenue and has trained over 250 sales teams and 20,000-plus reps, work that has taken him from a one-person outsourced SDR shop to a training partner for companies like Zoom, Shopify, and iHeartMedia. In this conversation, Jason and Meridith dig into why AI has flooded buyer inboxes with noise, why reply rates and pickup rates keep falling, and why the reps who are winning today are the ones treating their pipeline like business owners, not order takers. Jason breaks down his Too Good to Ignore framework and explains why the best salespeople are no longer chasing everyone, they are disqualifying fast, making offers buyers cannot refuse, and using a repeatable structure to provoke real conversations. This episode is a tactical playbook for anyone whose number depends on a full pipeline in an uncertain market. Key takeaways: Top-performing reps book 4.5 times more meetings than average performers, and the difference comes down to strategy, not hustle The Too Good to Ignore framework: Disqualify, Offer, Provoke, starting with a tight ideal client profile so reps stop chasing the wrong 80 percent of their book Three tiers of offers, from "selling the blind date" (pitching your own expertise) to a custom insight built specifically for the buyer The Trigger, Tension, Trust structure for cold calls, emails, and voicemails, and why trigger-based outreach can 5x reply rates Why in-person relationship building and referral systems are becoming the highest-leverage moves in a noisy digital environment An uncertain marketplace is the best time to grow, because competitors pull back and customers need trusted partners more, not less Connect with Jason Bay: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasondbay Website: outboundsquad.com Free masterclass: outboundsquad.com/masterclass

August 25, 202627 min

From Federal Prison to Purpose: Rashmi Airon's Masterclass in Rising Through Uncertainty

Few guests bring the kind of story Rashmi Airon brings to this episode. A Columbia Law-trained attorney who built a thriving real estate law practice during the pre-2008 real estate boom, Rashmi found herself at the center of a fraud case tied to a client's dealings, one she did not orchestrate but failed to walk away from. Seven years after the fact, two FBI agents showed up at her office. She was indicted, pled guilty, and served a federal prison sentence, a chapter that could have ended her career and instead became the foundation of it. Today Rashmi is a keynote speaker and self-described unapologetic truth teller who helps leaders confront the fear, ego, and unexamined beliefs holding them back. She is the author of the newly released book All Rise: A Lawyer's Evolution From Prison to Purpose and the creator of the Rise framework. This conversation traces Rashmi's full journey: the moment her attorney told her she was a target, the two hundred phone calls she made asking friends and family for letters of support before sentencing, and what she actually learned inside prison that she could not have learned anywhere else. She and Meridith talk candidly about the difference between the world telling you to rise above pain and Rashmi's belief that healing only happens when you rise through it. It is a masterclass in facing consequences, releasing control, and finding purpose on the other side of your lowest moment. Key takeaways: The Rise framework: Reframe, Identify, Surrender, Evolve, a process for moving through crisis rather than pushing past it Surrendering ego, judgment, fear, and control are the four things Rashmi identifies as necessary before real evolution can happen "This is happening for me, not to me" as a mindset shift that changes how uncertainty gets processed Why asking for help early, and building a "constellation of stars" who will challenge you honestly, prevents small mistakes from becoming irreversible ones Purpose often is not discovered in the darkest moment itself, but years later, once you understand why your story matters to someone else Extreme circumstances and quieter forms of loss can carry the same weight of trauma, and both deserve the same permission to grieve and rise Connect with Rashmi Airon: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RashmiAiranEthics/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rashmiairan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rashmiairan Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rashmiairanspeaker TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@rashmi.airan

August 18, 202634 min

Navigating AI: The Shift from Doers to Deciders

The Shift from Doers to Deciders: Neil Redding on Leading Through AI Disruption Neil Redding has spent more than three decades working at the intersection of technology and business, building future-innovation teams inside firms like MediaCom, Gensler, and ThoughtWorks, and helping organizations including Visa, Nike, Apple, and Verizon translate emerging technology into practical value. He calls himself the Near Futurist, and on this episode he explains exactly why: rather than forecasting a distant horizon, Neil focuses leaders on the 24-month window that actually determines whether a business stays relevant. Neil and Meridith unpack what he calls the shift from doers to deciders, the identity-level disruption happening as AI absorbs more of the tasks people have spent entire careers mastering. They talk through why old-style command-and-control planning cannot keep pace with how fast AI lets people execute, a mismatch Neil calls clock drift, and why the businesses actually benefiting from AI are the ones willing to redesign how work gets done rather than just accelerating their existing workflows. Neil offers a simple, repeatable starting point for leaders at any level: delegate first. This is a grounded, calm conversation about a genuinely disorienting shift, and it leaves listeners with a clear next step rather than more anxiety. Key takeaways: The shift from doers to deciders: as AI takes on more execution, the higher-value (and more tiring) work becomes judgment and decision-making Clock drift: the widening gap between how fast AI lets individuals build and how slowly organizations are structured to approve and adopt Delegate first as a practical starting habit, treating AI like a capable intern you give context to, evaluate, and iterate with Why command-and-control leadership, reinforced since 2008 and again through COVID, is now actively working against organizations Speed as the real competitive advantage in an AI-enabled market, illustrated through how fast-moving companies out-decide their competitors Adaptability is not a new skill humans lack, it is the same capability used in parenting and raising capable people, applied to how we build capable teams Connect with Neil Redding: https://linkedin.com/in/reddingneil https://www.instagram.com/neilredding/ https://youtube.com/neilredding

July 28, 202624 min

Small Shifts to Create Massive Influence

With Special Guest: Richard Newman, Founder and CEO of Body Talk Most leaders think a failed change initiative comes down to a bad strategy. Usually, it comes down to bad delivery. In this episode of Ask for Change, I sit down with Richard Newman, founder and CEO of Body Talk and author of the bestseller Lift Your Impact . Richard has trained over 150,000 leaders at companies like Microsoft, Virgin, and 3M. His path started in an unlikely place. He was a painfully shy teenager who spent six months in a Himalayan monastery with monks who spoke no English. That forced silence became the foundation of his career. Richard's research with UCL psychology professor Adrian Furnham surveyed more than 2,000 people worldwide. The results are hard to argue with. A few specific shifts in posture and presence changed how people voted for a candidate by 59 percent. Nonverbal signals move an audience 42 to 44 percent more than words alone. We talk about why teams lose trust in a leader before that leader even speaks. We break down the three Cs every leader needs during change: clarity, care, and courage. And we unpack why the habits you call "just who I am" are actually the habits holding your influence back. If your organization is running into change fatigue, this episode gives you a different lever to pull. Not new words. A new presence. Connect with Richard: http://www.richardnewmanspeaks.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardnewmanspeaks/ https://www.instagram.com/richardnewmanspeaks/

July 14, 202624 min

Transform Your Culture

With Special Guest: Brian Biro, America's Breakthrough Coach and Bestselling Author of The ROI of Kindness Kindness has an image problem in business. Brian Biro has spent decades proving that image is wrong. In this episode, Meridith welcomes her longtime mentor Brian Biro, "America's Breakthrough Coach," to make the case that kindness is not a soft skill leaders can afford to skip. It is the foundation of trust, performance, and results. Brian traces his passion for kindness back to his own mentor, legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, and shows why the companies that top every industry, from Southwest Airlines to Starbucks to Kaiser Permanente, all share kindness as a core value. Brian introduces his ESPN framework for building people: deliver thanks with real Effort and energy, use the power of Surprise, be fully Present, and choose Now over "as soon as." He and Meridith also tackle the question every leader eventually faces: how do you stay kind while still holding people accountable? Through stories, including Coach Wooden confronting a star player over a broken team rule, and Meridith's own story of delivering hard feedback to a talented young executive, they show that real kindness means telling someone the truth because you believe in what they can become, not withholding it to protect their feelings, or yours. What you will take away from this conversation: Why the Pygmalion effect means what you focus on in your people is what you create in them The ESPN framework for building trust: Effort and energy, Surprise, Presence, and Now Why kindness and accountability are not opposites, and how to deliver a hard message with genuine care The difference between being liked and being respected, and why leaders who chase the first lose both Brian's closing truth: "The love we fail to share is the only pain we live with" If you lead people through uncertainty and want a culture that performs and holds together, this conversation gives you the blueprint. Connect with Brian Biro: brianbiro.com | Book: The ROI of Kindness https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianbiro/

July 7, 202626 min

Let's Dance in the Discomfort Zone

With Special Guest: Anne Bonney, Change Management Authority, International Keynote Speaker, and Author of Get Over It! and Get Them Over It! Most people spend their whole career running from discomfort. Anne Bonney built hers by running straight at it. In this episode, Meridith sits down with change management authority Anne Bonney, who traces her path from a childhood spent moving across four continents to training seals and sea lions at the Boston Aquarium to a corner office job in New York City that looked perfect on paper and left her unable to get out of bed. Anne shares the moment she realized having the title, the salary, and the city she loved was not the same as having a life she wanted, and the leap she took into her parents' basement in Michigan to rebuild from scratch as a change speaker and author. Anne and Meridith dig into what actually moves people through uncertainty: shifting from an external locus of control to an internal one, focusing energy only on what you can act on, and letting go of the anger you feel toward everyone else. They also unpack what leaders get wrong about difficult conversations, including the shift from calling people out to calling them in, and why teams trust a leader who is consistently direct far more than one who is inconsistently nice. What you will take away from this conversation: Why "what can I control right now" is the single most useful question in a season of change The difference between an internal and external locus of control, and why it determines your resilience How one manager's simple question, "what are you worried about, what are you mad about, what are you losing," turned a scary company-wide change into a team that trusted him Why being liked and being respected are not the same goal, and choosing wrong costs you both The teapot metaphor for feelings, and why bottling them up always ends the same way If you are navigating your own basement moment, or leading a team through one, Anne's closing advice says it best: don't do it alone. Connect with Anne Bonney: yourchangespeaker.com | Books: Get Over It! and Get Them Over It! LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/annebonney Facebook or Instagram: @SpeakerAnneBonney

June 23, 202623 min

Using Humor to Find the Success in Uncertainty

Using Humor to Find the Success in Uncertainty With Special Guest: Joel Zeff, Work Culture Expert, Keynote Speaker & Author Uncertainty is serious business. But the leaders who navigate it best may have one thing in common: they never stopped having fun. In this episode, Meridith sits down with Joel Zeff — work culture expert, improv performer, and author of Make the Right Choice — to make the case that laughter is not a soft skill. It is a competitive advantage hiding in plain sight. Joel has spent 25-plus years turning corporate audiences into improv performers and proving that the same instincts that make a great improv scene — listening, adapting, supporting your team, saying yes — are exactly the instincts that make a great leader. What you will take away from this conversation: Why improv is not just entertainment — it is one of the most powerful leadership development tools available How fun drives engagement, passion, and performance in ways that money simply cannot replicate The one question every leader should be asking their team — and almost never does Why the ability to embrace change is a choice, and how to start making that choice consistently How creating psychological safety for mistakes unlocks creativity, risk-taking, and results Whether your team is burned out, playing it safe, or just going through the motions, this episode is the permission slip to lead differently — and the roadmap to make it stick. Special offer from Joel: Mention Ask for Change when you connect with him and receive a free chapter from his new book on change. Connect with Joel Zeff: joelzeff.com | LinkedIn: Joel Zeff

June 16, 202621 min

The Power of Abundance

The Power of Abundance With Special Guest: Dr. Mitchell Levy, Global Credibility Expert & Executive Coach When uncertainty hits, most leaders default to scarcity. They protect, they contract, they play defense. What if the leaders who win are the ones who choose something different? In this episode, Meridith sits down with Dr. Mitchell Levy — global credibility expert, executive coach, and member of the Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches — to explore what executive abundance actually means, why it matters in a world of constant disruption, and how the right framework changes everything. Dr. Mitchell spent years researching credibility, clarity, and leadership before arriving at a concept that cuts to the root of why so many executives struggle to translate vision into results. His book, Executive Abundance , is the product of a PhD dissertation that proved academically what he had seen in practice for decades. What you will take away from this conversation: Why 98% of executives lack clarity — and why that single gap undermines everything else The Executive Abundance Engine: the four interdependent components every leader needs in order Why the quarterly-numbers-only framework is costing companies their people, their customers, and their future How abundance thinking reframes the five stakeholder groups every leader is responsible to Why frameworks are not just strategy tools — they are the bridge between vision and execution In times of uncertainty, the leaders who hold onto scarcity thinking fall behind. The ones who build a new framework move forward. This episode shows you how. Connect with Dr. Mitchell Levy: mitchelllevy.com

June 12, 202626 min

Being Ridiculously Easy to Do Business With

Being Ridiculously Easy to Do Business With With Special Guest: David Avrin, Customer Experience Expert & Bestselling Author Your product is good. Your team is good. Your pricing is competitive. So why are customers still leaving? In this episode, Meridith sits down with internationally in-demand keynote speaker and customer experience strategist David Avrin to tackle the question most businesses never think to ask: how hard is it to actually do business with you? David has spent decades helping organizations across the globe rethink how they serve customers, build loyalty, and grow in a marketplace where quality alone is no longer a differentiator. His latest book, Ridiculously Easy to Do Business With , is the manifesto every business owner and executive needs right now. What you will take away from this conversation: Why ease of doing business has overtaken price as the primary driver of customer decisions The difference between necessary friction and the unnecessary friction that is quietly costing you customers Why chatbots, contact forms, and rigid policies are driving your best clients straight to your competitors How uncertainty in the marketplace amplifies customer frustration — and what you can do about it The one question every leader should ask: what is it like to be your own customer? If you have worked hard to earn your customers' trust, do not lose them over something you can fix. This episode will show you exactly where to start. Connect with David Avrin: davidavrin.com | LinkedIn: David Avrin

June 2, 202627 min

Resilience Is the Most Powerful Tool in Uncertainty

With Special Guest: Brandon Hance, Serial Entrepreneur, Investor, and High-Performance Coach What separates leaders who perform at the highest level under pressure from those who crack when it counts? According to serial entrepreneur and high-performance coach Brandon Hance, it's not talent. It's not even strategy. It's identity - and most leaders have never taken the time to define theirs. In this intellectually rich and practically grounded episode of Ask for Change, Meridith sits down with Brandon to explore the inner work that high performers across sports, business, and entrepreneurship consistently credit for their competitive edge. Brandon draws on his experience playing under legendary USC coach Pete Carroll - and winning back-to-back national championships - to break down the four mindset shifts that separate performers who rise under pressure from those who collapse: moving from fear to love, from projection to presence, from self-centeredness to selflessness, and from drift to deliberate identity. He and Meridith connect these frameworks directly to the business challenges leaders are facing right now - how to build cultures of transparency and alignment, why speed and shared vision are inseparable, and why the next frontier of human performance will be unlocked through inner work, not harder work. Brandon reframes resilience in a way that will stay with you: it's not about how high you can go, it's about your rate of return to center. Raise the floor, not just the ceiling. If you lead a team, run a company, or are simply trying to perform at your best in one of the most uncertain markets in recent memory, this episode delivers the strategies and the mindset to do exactly that. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonhance/ X: @brandonhance_