Catch an insightful conversation with Gary Coleman, Clinical Director of Physical Therapy, with 28 years of leadership experience discuss leader development, professional growth, cultivating a positive work environment and advice for new graduates.   We also discuss: 
- Rising to the challenge of being a leader
-  Self-driven leader development without mentorship 
- What is "leadership"? 
-  How to manage a diverse group of individuals
- Interview techniques 
- Choosing the right place to work
- Professionalism in the workplace 
 

Biography: 
Gary, is the Clinical Director at Walker Physical Therapy & Sports Injury Center in Menifee, CA. He holds a Master’s Degree in Ortho Manual Therapy from Ola Grimsby Institute and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Health Science from Loma Linda University. He became a board certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist in 2015. He has over 33 years of clinical experience, with 28 years as Clinical Director. He specializes in sports and orthopedics with an emphasis on manual therapy. Gary loves the rewards of assisting others in regaining their desired lifestyle. He also likes the challenge of utilizing deductive reasoning skills to solve biomechanical issues. Outside of work, Gary loves to spend time exercising, reading, traveling, and woodworking.


** Listeners, 
This will wrap up Season 1. We hope you've enjoyed the episodes so far. Its been a pleasure for us and we've learned so much from our guests.  We'll be back for Season 2 later this year.  If you have anything that you're interested in learning about, feel free to reach out to us and we'll see if we can make it happen…as always… we're all ears! 

You can reach us at:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/earful.of.leadership/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EarfulofLeadership/
Website: https://earfulofleadership.buzzsprout.com/
Email: earful.of.leadership@gmail.com

This podcast was inspired by: Military Mentors, Militarymentors.org
Special thank you to your first sponsor: Mai Lee Eskelund

Disclaimer: Earful of Leadership is an independent project and is not endorsed by the Department of Defense or any Military component. The views expressed are those of the host and the content of this podcast is not meant to provide any legal or medical advice.

Enjoy our conversation with W. Brad Johnson and David G. Smith, gender in the workplace experts. We discuss challenges women face at work, "workplace allies" and the culture of mentorship in the military.  The conversation is filled with empirical evidence and practical guidance as we also discuss: 

• Athenas 
• Zero-sum bias of gender equality
• Potential vs. competency 
• Effects of being "rated" or evaluated
• Overcoming exclusion  
• Workplace Allies & gender equity 
• Benefits of cross-gender mentorship
• Culture of leadership expectation in military 
• Advice for connecting with potential mentors 
• Advice for new leaders

 Brad & Dave's work can be found here:
https://www.workplaceallies.com/
https://hbr.org/search?term=david%20g.%20smith

Biographies: 

W. Brad Johnson, PhD, is professor of psychology in the Department of Leadership, Ethics, and Law at the United States Naval Academy, and a faculty associate in the Graduate School of Education at Johns Hopkins University. A clinical psychologist and former commissioned officer in the Navy’s Medical Service Corps, Dr. Johnson served as a psychologist at Bethesda Naval Hospital and the Medical Clinic at Pearl Harbor where he was the division head for psychology.

He is an award-winning mentor with distinguished mentor awards from the National Institutes of Health and the American Psychological Association. He is also a fellow of the American Psychological Association and recipient of the Johns Hopkins University Teaching Excellence Award. He has served as chair of the American Psychological Association’s Ethics Committee and as president of the Society for Military Psychology.

Dr. Johnson is the author of more than 130 journal articles and book chapters—many on the topic of mentoring—and 14 books, in the areas of mentoring, gender in the workplace, and professional ethics. 

David Smith, PhD, is Associate Professor of Sociology in the College of Leadership and Ethics at the United States Naval War College. A former Navy pilot, Dr. Smith led diverse organizations of women and men culminating in command of a squadron in combat and flew more than 3,000 hours over 30 years including combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As a sociologist trained in military sociology and social psychology, he focuses his research in gender, work, and family issues including bias in performance evaluations, retention of women, dual career families, military families, and women in the military.

Dr. Smith is the author of numerous journal articles and book chapters—many on the topic of gender and the workplace—and 2 books in the area of gender in the workplace and inclusive mentoring relationships. These books include Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace  and Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women. 

You can reach us at:
Website: https://earfulofleadership.buzzsprout.com/
Email: earful.of.leadership@gmail.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/earful.of.leadership/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EarfulofLeadership/

This podcast was inspired by: Military Mentors, Militarymentors.org
Special thank you to your first sponsor: Mai Lee Eskelund

Disclaimer: Earful of Leadership is an independent project and is not endorsed by the Department of Defense or any Military component. The views expressed are those of the host and the content of this podcast is not meant to provide any legal or medical advice.

If you've ever wondered about the mind-body connection and how yoga could help you as a person or a leader….We "invite you" to enjoy this episode with Angie, Owner of Concrete Yoga! We talk about all of these things and the practice of Yoga as a compliment to life!

We also discuss: 

• Yoga therapy and talk therapy 
• Connecting with others through movement 
• "Fitting Out"  and inclusivity 
• Benefits of yoga to the person overall beyond just exercise 
• How yoga is different from other types of exercise 
• "Paying attention on purpose" and being able to respond instead of reacting.
• Mindfulness  
• How to engage and lead others with healthy boundaries 
• Diction and "Inviting" other to engage 
• Asking if someone is "open" to hearing information from you
• Mind-body-spirit connection with Chakras and Ayurveda 
• Sound therapy 
• Advice for those new to yoga: Try things you like and things you things that are different 
• Authenticity and vulnerability as a leader

Concrete Yoga is located  just outside of San Antonio. Their studio info can be found at: Website: https://www.concrete-yoga.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/concrete_yoga/

Angie's Biography:  Angela Moore or Angie V. 

Bachelor of Fine Arts, Focus: Capturing Identity & Conceptualization
Certified Yoga Therapist, E-RYT 500, Concrete Yoga Studio, Founder/Owner, Unbound Collective School of Yoga & Wellness, Founder/Owner

Angela is a long time Yoga Practitioner and is the Founder and Owner of Concrete Yoga located in Cibolo, Texas. She is also the Founder of the K-12 Mindful Movement Kids Program, providing mindfulness and emotional regulation tools for administrators and students. She has worked over six years supporting military members at JMTC Hohenfels and Brooke Army Medical Center. She provides services to the PTSD/Trauma community through Treatment Centers, privately through home visits, and within her studio space. 

Over the last decade she's worked with Military Soldiers, their family members and civilians who have experienced mental, emotional and physical trauma. Angela works with all ages and ability levels, from small children to seniors and the awe inspiring amputees to professional athletes. Angela has specialized training in Addiction and Recovery, Trauma Informed Yoga, PTSD, Moral Injury, Athletics and Holding Space for Pregnancy Loss. 

Throughout her upbringing, Angela continually felt as if she never fit in. Angela believes that our greatest strengths are found in the moments of greatest vulnerability and that when a person chooses to show up with a desire for regulation and balance, the healing process can begin. Her goal in sharing yoga has been to provide a space for people to belong. She promotes enjoyably challenging practices that decrease injury, focus on prehabbing and promote overall wellness, acceptance and healing.

You can reach us at:
Website: https://earfulofleadership.buzzsprout.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/earful.of.leadership/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EarfulofLeadership/

Disclaimer: Earful of Leadership is an independent project and is not endorsed by the Department of Defense or any Military component. The views expressed are those of the host and the content of this podcast is not meant to provide any legal or medical advice.

This week Sarah & Nicole interview Sarah's mentor Mai Lee Eskelund. As a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army she shares her career advancement and the benefits & challenges she's experienced in her many years of service. Topics also discussed are: 

• Benefits of ROTC program 
• Experiences with mentorship and defining mentorship for yourself 
• Challenges as a young leaders 
• Being your authentic self 
• See-something-say-something 
• Developing yourself as a young leader
• Disagreeing with a leader vs. toxic leadership
• How do you define success?  
• Finding a balance in work & life 
• Aspects of a mentorship relationship 
• Organic vs. formal based mentorship 

About Mai Lee Eskelund: 

Lieutenant Colonel Mai Lee Eskelund is the Deputy Director of Task Force Strategic Officer Recruiting Detachment (SORD) and the Chief of the Houston location. She graduated from the University of Illinois of Chicago (UIC) with a BA in Psychology and commissioned through ROTC in 2003 as a branch detailed Signal Officer. 

After completing the Signal Transition Course, LTC Eskelund was assigned to I CORPS at Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM), Washington. She was responsible for the only Signal Platoon in I CORPS, G6. In 2006, Mai Lee was assigned as the S6 and deployed with 22nd MP Battalion, which was quickly followed by 2008 deployment serving as the AS3 and Bravo Company Commander of 51st Signal Battalion.  

After graduating the Command and General Staff College, LTC Eskelund deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan as a Signal Executive Officer of the 25th Signal Battalion. In 2015, Mai Lee served as the Regimental S6 with 3d Cavalry Regiment in TB Gamberi and Fort Hood, TX. 

In 2017, LTC Eskelund served as the Assistant Professor of Military Science and the Executive Officer for Stephen F. Austin State University Military Science Program. She helped commission over 25 new second lieutenants for the Total Army.

An ROTC alumnus, LTC Eskelund fully understands the USACC mission and is well equipped to support recruiting and outreach efforts required to engage the Houston community. 

LTC Eskelund’s award are affiliated with her accomplishments. She is a world traveler, who claims Texas as her home. Mai Lee is pursuing a second Master’s Degree in Counseling for her career after of the Army.

You can reach us at:
Website: https://earfulofleadership.buzzsprout.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/earful.of.leadership/
Email: earful.of.leadership@gmail.com

This podcast was inspired by: Military Mentors, Militarymentors.org

Special thank you to your first sponsor: Mai Lee Eskelund

Disclaimer: Earful of Leadership is an independent project and is not endorsed by the Department of Defense or any Military component. The views expressed are those of the host and the content of this podcast is not meant to provide any legal or medical advice.

In this episode Nicole shares a conversation with her undergraduate Audiology mentor, Maria Grijalva, Au.D.  - the original 'Dr. G'.  Maria owns 5 Audiology Private Practices, is an adjunct professor at California State University, Fullerton, and a mentor to multiple undergraduate and graduate students. They have a fun time sharing honest and vulnerable experiences. Topics discussed also include: 

• Sharing their story of how the professor-and-student, to mentorship, to now friendship has developed. 
• Dr. G's journey overcoming a low GPA to becoming a doctor. 
• Overcoming adversity when counselors or teachers don't believe in your potential. 
• How a mentorship relationship can blossom into a mutually beneficial relationship. 
• The personal experience and investment she received from mentorship and her desire to offer that to her future students. 
• Lessons learned about how to engage with students and approachability. 
• The importance of identifying your patient's, student's and coworker's personality and adjusting how we communicate to meet their needs. 
• Advice for new professionals, specifically students, interns and new Audiologists. 
• Job hunting and interviewing tip.
• Financial considerations for choosing a grad school.  

About Dr. G:

Dr. Maria Grijalva specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of hearing and balance disorders. Dr. Grijalva received her bachelor’s degree in communication disorders from California State University of Fullerton. She proceeded to complete her doctorate degree at Nova Southeastern University in South Florida. She has had the privilege of volunteering globally (Guatemala, Miami, FL and Mexico) to provide the gift of hearing to those who are less-fortunate or in areas with limited audiological access. Throughout her career, she has developed an exceptional background in hearing devices, audiological assessments, and dizziness and balance disorders. Dr. Grijalva prides herself on prioritizing patient care and patient satisfaction. Dr. Grijalva is fluent in both English and Spanish. She also is a professor at California State University – Fullerton.

You can reach us at:
Website: https://earfulofleadership.buzzsprout.com/
Email: earful.of.leadership@gmail.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/earful.of.leadership/

This podcast was inspired by: Military Mentors, Militarymentors.org

Special thank you to your first sponsor: Mai Lee Eskelund

Disclaimer: Earful of Leadership is an independent project and is not endorsed by the Department of Defense or any Military component. The views expressed are those of the host and the content of this podcast is not meant to provide any legal or medical advice.

This week Sarah & Nicole chat with Kurtis Smith a Clinical Psychologist Intern in the US Army. We talk about the psychology of self-awareness, leadership, and how to overcome burnout with resiliency. Topics discussed include: 

• Self-awareness as the foundation for personal growth 
• Mentorship or counseling as a resource for personal growth 
• Qualities of excellent leaders: communication, being assertive, empathy, and taking care of ourselves
• Developing motivation with re-framing
• Using writing as a tool for reflection
• Positive and negative traits of leadership 
• Resiliency to combat burnout 
• What to do if you've reached burnout 
• Advice for new leaders
   

Book Recommendation:  Self-Esteem by Matthew McKay 

About Kurtis: 

CPT Kurtis M. Smith M.A.

Kurtis grew up in Holt Michigan, attending Holt Public High School. During his junior year he took his first psychology class and found the science to be extremely interesting and easy to learn. Graduating in 2012 he enrolled at Alma College located in Alma Michigan. He graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, minoring in Integrated Physiology and Health Science. He then attended The Chicago School of Professional Psychology obtaining his Masters degree of Clinical Psychology in 2018. He was the recipient of the one year Army Health Professions Scholarship Program in 2019. In 2020 he was accepted into the Army Clinical Psychology Internship Program which he is currently serving at Tripler Army Medical Center located on island Oahu of Hawaii. 

Kurtis is currently married to his college sweetheart Shannon. They have one fur baby named Namaste. She is a rescue that his wife brought back from Thailand while on a trip providing veterinary care to elephants. Kurtis plans to work with active duty service members for the foreseeable future.

You can reach us at:
 Email: earful.of.leadership@gmail.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/earful.of.leadership/

This podcast was inspired by: Military Mentors, Militarymentors.org

 Special thank you to your first sponsor: LTC Eskelund

Disclaimer: Earful of Leadership is an independent project and is not endorsed by the Department of Defense or any Military component. The views expressed are those of the host and the content of this podcast is not meant to provide any legal or medical advice.

In this episode Nicole and Sarah chat with Jillian (Jilly) Woody and Kristina Toscano about their blend of being an Army Officer in the National Guard and a leader in their civilian jobs. We enjoy sweet and giggly conversations and Nicole accidentally calls Kristina the wrong name; so enjoy the fun start before we dive into the nitty gritty about seeking mentorship and being a female leader in the Army.   We talk about: 

• Army and civilian experience 
• Experience with mentorship 
• Obtaining / asking for a mentor 
• Personal desire to find a mentor of the same gender or ethnicity 
• Desired attributes to develop through mentorship 
• Advice for new leaders

Sarah was busy after-hours in her current role of being a Platoon Leader so you'll hear her pop on and off as much as she could while we were recording. Mad respect to her for juggling so much all in one day! 

This episode was sparked as a follow-up to a focus group that we hosted during the Basic Officer Leadership Course where 10 female junior Army Officers discussed their perceptions of mentorship; how to obtain/ask for a mentor; and qualities to strive for as a leader.  HUGE thank you to all of the women who participated in the original focus group: Lauren Brunner,  Lauren Shappell, Anna Tayas, Jamie Wise, Alisha Anderson, and Sierra Smith. 

Biographies:

Jillian (Jilly) Woody is a wife, friend, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu athlete and Los Angeles resident. She is currently serving as a Medical Service Corps Officer in the California National Guard and has been a “Ground Medical Evacuation Platoon Leader” for 18 months. She holds a B.S. degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Health Professions, and also has a Minor in Leadership Studies. She has a passion for people, justice and the need for quality leadership in every organization.

Kristina Toscano was born and raised in Rockland County, NY with her parents and two siblings. She comes from a close knit Italian family who for the most part are all still located in the greater New York area. She received her undergraduate education in Athletic Training from Northeastern University in Boston, MA and her graduate education in Physician Assistant Studies from South University in Savannah, GA. She's currently living in Savannah, GA. She direct commissioned into the Georgia Army National Guard in December of 2018 about 6 months after graduating PA school. She's been lucky to be in several leadership positions from my undergraduate career and extending into her professional career. She was a resident assistant while at Northeastern University for 2 years; she was co-president of South University’s interviewing and mentorship club; she's been PL and class leader during both her DCC course and BOLC course respectively; and presently she's PL for her medical section in her National Guard unit. Eventually, she would like to take on a leadership role in her civilian position with a student, but perhaps that might be another 2-3 years down the road.

 
You can reach us at:
Website: https://earfulofleadership.buzzsprout.com/
Email: earful.of.leadership@gmail.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/earful.of.leadership/

This podcast was inspired by: Military Mentors, Militarymentors.org
Special thank you to your first sponsor: LTC Eskelund

Disclaimer: Earful of Leadership is an independent project and is not endorsed by the Department of Defense or any Military component. The views expressed are those of the host and the content of this podcast is not meant to provide any legal or medical advice.

Happy Thanksgiving! We're so thankful for this platform and the ability to share with you all! In order to honor our commitments and serve those we lead during this time of new leadership and transition, we will be releasing episodes every other week. We have some exiting episodes to share with you soon! Stay tuned and continue to connect with us on our other platforms. 

You can reach us at:
Website: https://earfulofleadership.buzzsprout.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/earful.of.leadership/
Email: earful.of.leadership@gmail.com

This podcast was inspired by: Military Mentors, Militarymentors.org

Special thank you to your first sponsor: Mai Lee  Eskelund

Disclaimer: Earful of Leadership is an independent project and is not endorsed by the Department of Defense or any Military component. The views expressed are those of the host and the content of this podcast is not meant to provide any legal or medical advice.