Unconventional Leaders

Hosted by Heather Parady

Business Entrepreneurship Education Religion SpiritualityInterviews guests

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Episodes

183

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

About the show

If you feel like the misfit, the one who thinks differently, or the one who never quite fit the mold, this show is here to help you take the parts of your story you once felt unsure about and turn them into your greatest advantage.

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60 recent

October 13, 20261 hr 1 min

The Power of Oral Storytelling | Sarah Quint

Sarah Quint is a traditional storyteller and citizen of the Mattaponi Tribe of Tsenacommacah in Virginia. Her work centers on preserving and retelling traditional Indigenous stories, as well as creating new stories for future generations. In this episode, we discuss the responsibility that comes with oral storytelling, why storytellers should not tell the “moral” of the story, and how stories connect us to the Spirit present in the world around us. WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE: Why oral storytelling carries a responsibility to past and future generations Why storytellers shouldn't prescribe meaning to their audience Why authentic human storytelling matters in the age of AI OTHER EPISODES MENTIONED: Consciousness, Constellations, & Experiencing Spirit Through the Body | Fally Klein: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVE57ojZPiE Why Stories Can Change Minds When Arguments Can’t | Keith Giles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3jgbrVIpuk CONNECT WITH SARAH QUINT: Website: https://www.sarahquint.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quint_sarah/ CONNECT WITH HEATHER: Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ Access Full Show Notes Here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/183

October 1, 20261 hr 2 min

Consciousness, Constellations, & Experiencing Spirit Through the Body | Fally Klein

Fally Klein is a Jewish educator, hypnotherapist, and breathwork facilitator whose work brings together Jewish mysticism, psychology, and constellations. In this conversation, she explains how we experience spirit through the physical body and why spiritual practices should ultimately change how we live. I also asked her about her work with Constellations, her perception on the connection between consciousness and creativity, and how as communicators we can be True Vessels. WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE: What is consciousness? (and experiencing it through the physical body) Embodied spirituality (why and how to tap into spirit through the body) Individual vs. collective consciousness Where ideas come from (and becoming a vessel for creative ideas) CONNECT WITH FALLY KLEIN: https://www.fallyklein.com/ CONNECT WITH HEATHER: Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ Access Full Show Notes Here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/182

September 22, 202656 min

Why Stories Can Change Minds When Arguments Can’t | Keith Giles

Keith Giles is an author and the co-owner of Quoir Publishing. He has spent years not only authoring nonfiction books around theology and deconstruction, but also helping authors get their messages out into the world. Recently, however, he opened Pink Beam Press, specifically for science fiction authors. This was not just a business decision, but an intentional choice to explore how fiction can communicate truth in an unconventional manner. I wanted to have Keith on today to discuss how fiction can reach and impact people in ways that nonfiction cannot. In this conversation, we explore the power of metaphor, the limitations of language, and how to let go of our own agendas in order to allow something else to move through us through the power of storytelling. WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE: Why stories can get past our defenses when arguments can’t How to communicate truth without forcing an agenda How fiction can create empathy and help us reconsider our perspective CONNECT WITH KEITH GILES: Pink Beam Press: https://quoir.com/pink-beam-press/ Blog Mentioned: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/keithgiles/2026/02/the-story-of-us CONNECT WITH HEATHER: Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ Access Full Show Notes Here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/181

September 15, 202647 min

How to Tell a Story Without Forcing a Message | Pastor & Fiction Writer Zac Cannon

Zac Cannon is not only an award-winning storyteller, novelist, and screenwriter…he is also a pastor. His background is in film and fiction writing, but he has also spent years communicating from the pulpit. In this conversation, I wanted to ask Zac about how (and if) the intention behind storytelling changes across fiction and spirituality. We also talk about the difference between compelling an audience and manipulating one, and how to communicate strong convictions while still leaving room for curiosity. WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE: What is the difference between telling a story and delivering a message? How do you communicate strong convictions without manipulating your audience? Does a good story need an agenda—or should you let the audience decide what it means? How do you give yourself permission to create without needing your work to serve a larger purpose? How can fiction help us understand perspectives and experiences outside our own? CONNECT WITH ZAC CANNON: Website: https://zaccannon.com/ Buy ‘Stillwater Trace’: https://zaccannon.com/books/stillwater-trace-a-novel-zac-cannon/B0H5XHW244 CONNECT WITH HEATHER: Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ Access Full Show Notes Here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/180

September 8, 202658 min

Why Your Words Matter More Than You Think | Nigel Darius

On Nigel Darius ’s IG bio, he says that he is “helping the world heal…with words.” As an artist, he uses storytelling and language to foster empathy, curiosity, and human connection. In his latest book, We Say Shalom , he looks at 40 words across 15 languages to uncover their meaning, deepening our experience and connection as humans. In this conversation, we explore the responsibility that comes with using your voice: how to communicate honestly while having respect for nuance, why we should never avoid discomfort if we really want to grow, and the dangers of when we stop listening to perspectives outside our own. Nigel shares why “agreeability does not lead to authenticity,” how artists can use their unique voice to reflect culture back to itself, and why every communicator should remember that within every word, there is a world. WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE: As a communicator, how do you get around the limitations of language? How to communicate truth without losing nuance How to develop a message with depth CONNECT WITH NIGEL DARIUS: Website: https://nigeldarius.com/ His book, ‘We Say Shalom’: https://a.co/d/08qXXBd0 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nigeldarius/ CONNECT WITH HEATHER: Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ Access Full Show Notes Here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/179

September 1, 202648 min

How to Handle Criticism Without Losing Your Creativity | Doogie Horner

Doogie Horner is an accomplished author, illustrator, and stand-up comedian. Across each medium, he’s learned how to navigate the tension between making work you believe in and accepting when folks don’t get it. In this conversation, we discuss how to respect and develop your creative point of view without becoming closed off to feedback, why your “sketchbook should be a laboratory, not a gallery,” and how to stay enthusiastic when you can’t control how people respond. WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE: Looking at your work objectively and navigating criticism (and praise) Developing your point of view while staying open to growth Staying enthusiastic about your work when success isn’t guaranteed CONNECT WITH DOOGIE HORNER: Website: https://www.doogiehorner.com/comedy His book, ‘The Adventures of Invisible Boy’ : https://a.co/d/023ICvDa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doogiehorner/ CONNECT WITH HEATHER: Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ Access Full Show Notes Here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/178

August 4, 202657 min

What Your Emotional Triggers Reveal About You | Catherine Plano

Catherine Plano is an executive coach, leadership expert, author, and host of The Catherine Plano Podcast. Drawing from psychology, emotional intelligence, and decades of coaching leaders, Catherine helps people understand the patterns, beliefs, and emotional reactions that quietly shape how they experience the world. In this conversation, we explore what our emotional triggers are actually trying to tell us, why curiosity is one of the most powerful tools for personal growth, and how the stories we carry influence the way we respond to conflict, relationships, and ourselves. Catherine shares practical ways to create space between reaction and response, challenge unconscious patterns, and better understand the inner narratives driving our behavior. WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE: What your emotional triggers are really trying to tell you How curiosity interrupts reactive thinking Why the stories you believe shape the life you experience CONNECT WITH CATHERINE PLANO: Website : https://www.catherineplano.com.au/ Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/catherineplano Listen to ‘The Catherine Plano Podcast’ : https://open.spotify.com/show/3H8vdgXprgfHf9wrSJnPbn CONNECT WITH HEATHER: Follow Heather on IG : https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ Access Full Show Notes Here : https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/177

July 28, 20261 hr 2 min

How to Handle Being Misunderstood Without Defending Yourself | Jeremy Jernigan

Jeremy Jernigan spent two decades in ministry, eventually leading a megachurch before walking away from the role that had defined his entire adult life. Today, through his book The Edge of the Inside, he helps people navigate the difficult space between who they've been and who they're becoming. In this conversation, we explore the psychology of identity loss, the hidden cost of bitterness, and why healing requires more than simply moving on. Jeremy shares what it took to let go of the need to defend himself, why becoming fully present to our pain is part of recovery, and how embracing the "death" of an old life can become the beginning of a more authentic one. WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE: How to move through bitterness without minimizing what happened Rebuilding your identity after losing the role that once defined you Being deeply misunderstood (while following your calling) CONNECT WITH JEREMY JERNIGAN: Order ‘The Edge of Inside’: https://www.jeremyjernigan.com/edge-of-the-inside CONNECT WITH HEATHER: Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ Access Full Show Notes Here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/176

July 21, 20261 hr 6 min

Why This Award-Winning Musician Canceled His U.S. Tour | Juno Award Winner Quique Escamilla

Quique Escamilla is a Mexican Mayan-Zapotec singer-songwriter, storyteller, and cultural advocate whose work explores identity, history, and the stories we choose to preserve. Drawing from his upbringing in Chiapas, Mexico, Quique creates music that invites people to look beyond headlines and rediscover the humanity behind the issues that shape our world. In this conversation, we explore how an artist's worldview is formed, the responsibility of creative work, and what it means to remain faithful to your convictions when it comes at a personal cost. Quique discusses curiosity as a creative discipline, why meaningful art often begins with asking better questions, and how music can preserve history, challenge assumptions, and help us see people (and ourselves) more clearly. WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE: How curiosity can become an artist's greatest creative tool Why staying true to your work sometimes means sacrificing opportunity How to create art that helps people see the world differently CONNECT WITH QUIQUE ESCAMILLA: Website: https://www.quiqueescamilla.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quique_escamilla/ CONNECT WITH HEATHER: Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ Access Full Show Notes Here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/175

July 14, 202639 min

What Nature Can Teach Us About Storytelling | Professional Designer Tina Huffman

Tina Huffman is a landscape designer, educator, and viral content creator. After spending years building a successful marketing business, she returned to the work she felt most called to do: designing outdoor spaces that are both beautiful and intentional. Drawing from her background in horticulture, landscape architecture, and digital marketing, Tina believes great design begins long before choosing the right plants…it begins by understanding how people experience a space. In this conversation, we explore what landscape design can teach us about storytelling, creativity, and human behavior. Tina shares why every great design starts with intention, how creative constraints often produce better work, and the subtle psychological principles that shape the way we move through spaces, stories, and ideas. WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE: Why every creative project should begin with a feeling (not a rigid plan) The surprising psychology behind spaces that naturally draw people in How creative constraints lead to better storytelling, design, and ideas CONNECT WITH TINA HUFFMAN: Website: https://www.greenhousestudio.co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenhousestudio.co/ CONNECT WITH HEATHER: Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ Access Full Show Notes Here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/174