How do you move from a $19,000-a-year entry-level recruiter to the CEO of a private equity-backed IT staffing firm? In this episode, Matthew Ripaldi, CEO of Talent Groups, shares his 26-year journey through the technical staffing industry.

Matthew shares his motivation behind recruiting, the isolating pressure of the CEO chair, and the high-speed execution required in the world of Private Equity (PE). We discuss his startup experience, the challenge of integrating five companies into one brand, and the humbling experience of receiving a 12-page 360 review. Matthew’s insights on trust, delegation, and being open to learning can benefit you whether you are an aspiring leader or a seasoned executive.

• Matthew recalls the moment he found his why—helping a candidate land a life-changing job that allowed him to buy his first home. This core passion for putting people to work has fueled his 26-year career.
• After promising his mother he would try a startup, Matthew realized he thrived in high-energy environments. He discusses the importance of self-awareness in knowing where you do your best work.
• Operating a PE-backed company involves a unique speed of execution, especially when working in a leveraged environment with debt obligations and clear exit targets.
• As a CEO, Matthew views himself as reporting to his employees rather than the other way around.
• Matthew opens up about his 360 review. He explains why leaders must create a culture where teams feel safe telling them what they need to hear, not what they want to hear.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Talent Groups and Career Journey

07:35 Transitioning to CEO Role and Responsibilities

12:29 Decision-Making as a CEO

18:16 Challenges in a Changing Industry

21:35 Integration and Operating in a Leveraged Environment

22:28 Navigating the Challenges of First-Time CEO

25:56 The Importance of Delegation and Trust

30:23 Building Trust Through Feedback and Reflection

33:23 Focusing on Execution and Delivering Results

37:05 The Role of Project Management in Execution

38:11 Finding Passion in Your Career

Guest

Matthew James Ripaldi is an accomplished staffing industry veteran with over 20 years of experience. During his first 18 years in the industry Matthew worked for The Adecco Group, a Global Fortune 500 Company and the world’s second largest staffing firm. Starting off as a Technical Recruiter and quickly finding his passion for the business. This passion combined with a strong work ethic and consistent high-performance helped him excel to seven (7) consecutive promotional opportunities, holding executive leadership roles across eight (8) different industry leading brands; TAD Technical, Adecco Technical, Ajilon ICT, Ajilon Consulting, VendorPass, Modis IT, Modis Engineering and Modis Managed Solutions. Matthew’s vast early experience led to extensive knowledge across contract staffing, direct hire, managed services, project based solutions, onsite MSP programs, payrolling, training and development, and global client solutions.

Matthew then joined Collabera as Executive Vice President in September of 2017 reporting directly to the Founder, Chairman and CEO of this fast growing and industry leading IT Staffing and Consulting Firm. While with Collabera he was part of the Executive Management Team, supported their managed services business unit and launched Collabera’s stand-alone Direct Hire Practice. This role provided him with extensive experience in direct hire,...

The Power of a Million Little Things: Persistence in Work and Life with Bill Nolan

What does it take to leave a secure, prestigious position to build something from scratch? In this episode, I chat with Bill Nolan, the founding managing partner of Barnes & Thornburg’s Columbus office.

Bill shares the unflashy reality of leadership from his days as the Mayor of Powell and the persistence required to put a new law office on the map. This conversation explores the power of a million little things, the art of developing talent in business services, and the grace required to navigate identity shifts when handing over the reins of leadership.

🔑 Key Takeaways for Leadership & Personal Growth

• 95% of his graduating class ended up in a different place than they imagined—and that’s okay.
• The tactical socialization needed to get a national firm to remember and utilize a new local branch.
• Success is rooted in the ability to perceive how your actions affect others—whether they are clients, judges, or colleagues.
• Looking for personal strengths (marketing, client service, or event planning) creates a culture of growth and loyalty.
• The importance of planning for a successor and finding fulfillment in community rather than just the title.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Bill Nolan and His Background

02:01 Experiences as Mayor of Powell

05:22 Transitioning to Barnes & Thornburg

07:30 Building the Columbus Office

10:07 Strategies for Success in a New Market

12:06 Personal Growth and Leadership Evolution

14:25 Understanding Client Relationships and Communication

16:35 Building a Thriving Legal Team

20:45 Navigating Challenges in Office Management

22:37 Transitioning Leadership Roles

27:04 The Long View

29:48 Looking Ahead: Future Aspirations

Guest

Bill Nolan brings clarity and closure to employment, contract and business disputes. Passionate about helping employers build strong teams, policies and processes, Bill’s proactive advice minimizes the frequency, cost and severity of employment disputes. Bill also works with clients to design systems and practices to manage the many challenges of complex employer-employee relationships.

An experienced trial lawyer, Bill handles covenant not-to-compete and trade secret cases in many states. He also regularly defends employers in discrimination and discharge cases, administrative claims, arbitrations and mediations. Bill helps clients maneuver shifting legal mandates and has distinct experience handling complicated employee health and leave issues. Admired for his calm and thoughtful approach to resolving disputes, Bill also acts as a neutral.

In his role as employment counselor, Bill advises clients on a range of workplace issues. He is called upon to conduct manager and workplace trainings that ensure legal compliance on the front lines. He was an early leader in tracking how employers and legislatures respond to discrimination in the workplace, advocating for changes in training models to better address persistent workplace behaviors.

Bill is not one to back down from a challenge. Opening the firm’s Columbus office in 2009 during the Great Recession, he built and ran a notable team for over 15 years. Also, as a former two-term councilman and Powell, Ohio, mayor, Bill brings contagious energy to community affairs, focusing on furthering inclusion in the legal profession.

Website:

How Confidence Is Built in the Stretch: From White-Knuckling to Grounded Leadership with Kate Tansey Chevlen

Episode 9

Welcome back to Life from Within. This is the final episode of the year, and I am so grateful for all of my guests and listeners who made this podcast possible.

What happens when you land your dream promotion and realize on day one that you don’t speak the technical "language" of the room? In today’s episode, I am joined by Kate Tansey Chevlen, a Vice President at Amgen with a 17-year tenure at the company.

Kate shares the raw, honest story of a career transition - moving from a marketing director to a franchise leader overseeing multi-billion dollar contracts. She opens up about the white-knuckle months, the physical toll of trying to be a different kind of leader, and the specific steps she took to reclaim her authenticity and empower her team.

🔑 Key Takeaways for Leadership & Personal Growth

• To master her new domain, Kate sought out trusted partners for intensive deep dives into their mastered skill.
• Kate initially tried to copy the boisterous, high-energy style of her predecessor. This led to white-knuckling, physical stress, and a team that felt unsupported.
• A moment of exhaustion during a business trip forced Kate to stop performing and start advising authentically. The result was immediate clarity for her team and liberation for herself.
• Kate discusses her "Trust but Verify" framework - knowing when to delegate and empower experts through full delegation.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background of Kate Tansey Chevlen

02:07 Transitioning to Different Leadership Roles at Amgen

04:35 Navigating Leadership and Multi-billion Dollar Contracts

07:18 Building Trusting Relationships in Decision Making

09:51 The Impact of Leadership Style on Team Dynamics

11:07 Finding Your Authentic Self in Leadership Roles

13:00 Embracing Personal Leadership Style

17:49 The Journey to Self-Discovery

20:23 How to Find Your Own Way to Manage Stress

22:45 Building Confidence Through Challenges

24:22 Applying Confidence in Leadership

26:19 The Art of Delegation and Trust

30:03 The Importance of Authenticity in Leadership

31:17 Outro

Guest

Kate Tansey Chevlen has been a commercial leader at Amgen for 17 years and is currently serving as the Vice President, Global Marketing and Therapeutic Area Head of Inflammation.

Prior to joining the Global Inflammation team, Kate led the US Patient Access and Reimbursement team, where she oversaw efforts to help patients start and stay on Amgen medications.

Kate’s prior experience at Amgen spans across marketing, sales, and market access leadership. Kate has worked across the US and global side of Amgen’s commercial business, and across all major therapeutic areas, including oncology, nephrology, cardiovascular, bone, neurology, and inflammation. She has led multiple franchises at Amgen, including the nephrology and respiratory businesses in the US.

Prior to joining Amgen, Kate served as a gubernatorial appointee for the State of California, where she managed healthcare and economic development public policy. She also worked in local government in California, managing economic development public policies.

Kate holds a BA in Politics and French from Brandeis University, an MBA from the Johnson School at Cornell University, and an executive coach certification from the Hudson Institute of Coaching.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-tansey-chevlen-4953391/

Host

Kelly Dwyer is an executive coach and...

Join us for a deeply honest and inspiring conversation with Rashida Bradley, an accomplished Operational Strategist, as she shares her journey in navigating career pivots and family balance. Rashida opens up about the many challenges she faced—from balancing graduate school and a surprise pregnancy to managing the impact of grief and joy on the same day.

Rashida highlights the importance of community support and advocates passionately for vulnerability in leadership as a pathway to building deeper trust and connection. We discuss the importance of striving for excellence over the pursuit of perfection, and the freedom found in embracing authenticity in all professional spaces. This episode is packed with essential advice on prioritizing mental health, practicing self-care, and continuously fostering personal growth in life and career.

🔑 Key Takeaways for Leadership & Personal Growth

• Surround yourself with a strong network.
• Honest vulnerability is the key to genuine connection and building a high-trust team.
• Pursue excellence, not perfection.
• Authenticity in professional settings is a form of leadership.
• Prioritize mental health and self-care practices for sustained personal growth and high performance.
• View your career as a journey of continuous evolution.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Rashida Bradley

01:45 Career Pivots, Applying for Graduate School and Personal Growth

04:03 Balancing Family and Education

07:07 Choosing A Career AND A Family

07:37 Navigating Grief and Joy on the Same Day

11:17 Being Vulnerable and Building Community

14:33 The Importance of Helpability and Support

18:03 Mental and Physical Health Management

19:23 Pursuing Excellence Over Perfection

21:44 Navigating How to Show up Authenticity When You Feel Left Out

27:20 Charting Your Own Course in Career and Life

Guest

Rashida is a seasoned healthcare leader and operational strategist with over 15 years of experience driving financial and operational transformations for Fortune 50 companies like CVS Health. As a Lead Director supporting Health Services, she oversees financial strategy and operational execution across pharmacy benefit management. Drawing on her background in investment banking (Lehman Brothers, Citi, J.P. Morgan), Rashida brings deep expertise in financial strategy and enterprise change management to complex, regulated healthcare environments. She is an alum of Babson College and a dual Master's recipient from Cornell University (MBA & MS in Healthcare Policy).

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rashidabradley

Host

Kelly Dwyer is an executive coach and facilitator. Through her podcast Life from Within, she opens up real conversations about personal growth, career crossroads, and the inner work of leadership. She created the show to explore the moments of courage and clarity that spark inner shifts and lead to meaningful outer progress.

In her coaching and facilitation practice, Kelly partners with thoughtful, influential leaders including founders, C-suite executives, and rising leaders who shoulder significant responsibility and want to lead with grounded clarity and self-trust. She helps them return to what matters most,...

Episode 7 Jake Gunn-Sandell

On this episode, I speak with Jake Gunn-Sandell, Director of Strategic Affairs at Instructure (the company behind Canvas), about his incredible journey. We discussed his bold career pivots, particularly his high-stakes transition into executive search, where he developed the innovative 'Polymath Practice'—a powerful framework for C-Suite recruiting.

I learned so much about how Jake leveraged vulnerability and strategic networking to make the leap from placing top talent to a pivotal leadership role in Education Technology (EdTech). I think this conversation offers a powerful blueprint for successful job searching and personal growth, emphasizing the need to ask critical questions, identify one's values, and remain adaptable throughout major career changes.

1. Embrace Vulnerability for Professional Growth: Ask probing questions, and let intellectual curiosity guide learning. This builds trust and accelerates skill acquisition.
2. The Polymath Practice: Jake's strategy to compartmentalize new, complex roles into simple, core subjects (e.g., Psychology, Tech, Finance) to make major career pivots manageable.
3. Strategic Networking is Essential for Job Searching: Focus networking efforts on leaders and companies you admire. Finding the right organizational culture is as important as the role itself.
4. Establish Credibility, Sell the Dream, and Slow Down: These three steps are what Jake found critical for building influence and trust in any leadership position or high-stakes environment like executive search.
5. Identify Your Values and Goals: Jake defined his next move by writing down what he wanted (lead more, travel more, give back). A clear personal vision for guiding career pivots is essential.
6. Creative Thinking Unlocks Opportunity: Challenge assumptions about the "perfect" candidate or the "obvious" career move. Leverage transferable skills to pivot into new sectors like EdTech seamlessly.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

03:30 Career Pivots and Challenges

13:35 Using Vulnerability in Executive Search

20:52 Fundraising Challenges in Nonprofit Work

22:54 Embracing Vulnerability in Leadership

24:34 Navigating Career Transitions SPMB to Instructure

30:03 Identifying Personal Values and the Impact of a Career Coach

32:05 Leveraging Relationships for Career Growth

34:47 Strategic Job Searching

38:34 Understanding Your Identity as a Builder

Guest

Jake Gunn-Sandell’s career is a masterclass in the power of the career pivot. He currently serves as the Director of Strategic Affairs at Instructure, helping define the future of education through his work in government affairs and strategic partnerships. Before moving into EdTech, Jake excelled in the demanding world of executive search, where he built the Polymath Practice—leveraging transferable skills to place C-suite leaders across every major tech vertical. From the fast-paced environment of recruiting top executives to his early days as a Disney character performer, Jake attributes his success to embracing vulnerability, strategic networking, and a relentless drive for personal growth. He remains...

Episode 6 • November 10, 2025

Founder Chris Schwalbach on shifting from head to heart and why authentic relationships are the real ROI.

After building a successful finance firm, Chris Schwalbach realized his leadership needed less logic and more heart. He shares how coaching helped him unlearn family beliefs, ask personal questions, and practice vulnerability at work and home. This inner shift ultimately shaped his company’s culture and the relationships that led to AVL Growth Partners’ acquisition by Ampleo. A story about connection, curiosity, and saying what matters now.

Founder and finance leader Chris Schwalbach opens up about shifting from a brain-first, value-proving style to a heart-led, relational approach. The pivot began in 2019 when outward success no longer matched his inner experience. Working with a coach, Chris uncovered an inherited belief that it is impolite to ask personal questions, saw why it served his family, and chose a different path. He practiced new muscles — asking human questions, building emotional vocabulary, and receiving appreciation without deflecting.

We trace how that inner work supported major business moves: hiring a CEO, stepping back in, and ultimately selling AVL Growth Partners to Ampleo. Chris committed to relationship building with no immediate agenda, meeting 100 people across the ecosystem. The eventual acquirer was a relationship planted eight years earlier. His takeaway is simple and practical: relationships are not a tactic — they are the point. We close with a challenge inspired by Walter Green’s “Say It Now” — tell people what they mean to you while you are both here.

• Authentic leadership is built in practice; expand your emotional vocabulary and reps.
• Question inherited rules — helpful family beliefs may not serve your leadership today.
• Calibrate depth; go one notch deeper while protecting safety and trust.
• Change can disorient colleagues and family — name it, slow down, stay in dialogue.
• Receiving is half of connection; when appreciation arrives, let it land.
• Curiosity is a strategic asset — ask real questions without pre-editing.
• Relationships create outcomes — plant seeds early, nurture often, release the timeline.
• Protect time yet connect — make brief human check-ins part of meetings.
• Keep a reconnection list; reach out to two or three people this month.
• Say it now — express gratitude today rather than saving it for later.

00:00 Navigating Personal Growth and Authenticity

03:10 From Head to Heart: Shifting How We Connect

06:01 Unlearning Family Rules About “What’s Personal”

09:02 Asking for Help, Vulnerability, and Early Stumbles

12:06 How Change Lands at Home and Work

15:04 Calibrating Depth and Building Emotional Vocabulary

20:57 Presence, Listening, and Subtle Culture Shifts

21:46 CEO Experiment, Return, and Path to an Exit

22:52 Relationship Mapping: 100 Conversations, No Agenda

25:19 Curiosity and Trusting Your Voice

27:12 The Practice of Receiving Praise

29:05 Time Respect, Human Check-ins, and Team Norms

30:40 Intentionality in Leadership and People Systems

35:07 Relationships as the Point, Not the Tactic

39:29 Say It Now: Expressing Appreciation in Real Time

Chris Schwalbach is a serial entrepreneur, finance professional, board director, and the founder of AVL Growth Partners, a fractional accounting and CFO firm recently acquired by Ampleo.

LinkedIn:...

Episode 5 — October 26, 2025

“I want people to feel joy.”

What happens when a world-class teacher with decades of experience and who helped launch Peloton’s Yoga & Pilates programs bets on herself? Kristin McGee joins Kelly to talk about the brave, messy, very human leap from corporate star to founder of Kristin McGee Movement. It’s a story about owning your content, rebuilding confidence, and designing a business that supports both artistry and motherhood.

Kristin shares why a contract change at Peloton and the realities of single parenting pushed her to step into founder mode - and how she navigated a one-year non-compete while listening for the next right step. She gets specific about the unglamorous parts of entrepreneurship (choosing a white-label platform, wrestling with mics/lighting, learning to delegate editing and comms) and the mindset shifts that made it possible (“No one’s going to do it for me, and I don’t have to do it alone”).

We dig into movement as community: live classes where Kristin can coach form in real time, a chat space for recipes and questions, and 21-day challenges to build consistency. We also go deep on breathwork - how Pilates’ lateral breathing differs from yoga’s Ujjayi, and why that mattered in Kristin’s recovery from diastasis recti, which inspired a 21-day core program inside the app.

Finally, Kristin introduces her forthcoming book, The Treat Yourself Philosophy (“Truly Realizing Everything Is Already There”), and makes the case for small, daily treats as a path to healing, presence, and self-trust. From “pure healing energy” mantras to practical marketing discomforts, this is a masterclass in owning your work, your worth, and your wellbeing - without losing the joy.

Offer: Life from Within listeners get 30 days free on Kristin McGee Movement with code LIFEFROMWITHIN (good through November 26, 2025).

Kristin McGee is a nationally recognized yoga & Pilates teacher, speaker, mompreneur, and author. Across three decades, she’s taught thousands (including many celebrities), pioneered Peloton’s Yoga & Pilates program, and now leads Kristin McGee Movement.

Kelly Dwyer is an executive coach and facilitator who brings real conversations about growth, leadership, and life to her podcast Life from Within.

00:00 It’s Up To You

00:26 Episode Intro

00:53 What is Kristin McGee Movement?

04:04 Launching Yoga & Pilates at Peloton

08:48 Navigating Motherhood and Career

11:01 Embracing Change and Creativity

13:22 Building a Community and Ownership of Content

15:06 Overcoming Challenges in Entrepreneurship

16:43 Decision-Making and Self-Reflection

20:07 Stepping into Founder Mode

20:20 Building Confidence and Resilience

21:32 Launching the App and Marketing Strategies

23:23 Creating a Community and Organic Growth

25:04 Pilates Breath and Diastasis

28:35 The Treat Yourself Philosophy

32:36 Embracing Self-Care and Healing

36:28 Cultivating Inner Peace and Presence

38:34 30 Days Free on Kristin’s Platform

39:12 Rate, Follow, and Share

Kristin’s site: https://www.kristinmcgee.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/kristinmcgee/

Book: The Treat Yourself Philosophy: A Guilt-Free Guide to Prioritizing You (pre-order at all major booksellers)

Offer: Life from Within listeners get 30 days free on Kristin McGee Movement with code LIFEFROMWITHIN(good through...

Speak Up with Confidence: Lessons from "The Next Conversation" with Alessandra Zielinski

Episode 4 - October 13, 2025

About This Episode

In this episode, Kelly Dwyer and Alessandra Zielinski discuss the intricacies of communication, particularly in the context of coaching and leadership. They explore themes from Jefferson Fisher's book, 'The Next Conversation,' focusing on assertive voice, confidence, and the challenges of navigating difficult conversations. The conversation highlights the importance of preparation, understanding identity dynamics, and practical strategies for effective communication.

Bios

Alessandra Zielinski is a certified leadership coach with more than 20 years of experience across the private and nonprofit sectors. She helps leaders become more strategic, effective, and sustainable in their work, drawing on a rich global perspective shaped by living and working in seven countries. Alessandra teaches graduate courses on intercultural communication and consulting at American University and holds an MBA from Cornell, an MA in International Relations from Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, and a BA from the University of Notre Dame.

Kelly Dwyer is an executive coach and facilitator who brings real conversations about growth, leadership, and life to her podcast Life from Within.

Topics & Timestamps

00:00 Intro to Confidence

00:14 What To Expect in this Episode

01:08 The Role of Confidence in Communication

05:54 Preparation for Difficult Conversations

08:27 Navigating Emotions in Conversations

10:57 Choosing Your Timing and the Rule of Three

15:39 Tricky Situations for Assertiveness

19:44 Understanding Defensiveness in Conversations

21:35 Tips and Phrases to Try On

23:25 Resources for Continued Learning

24:39 Thank you - please follow and rate

Resources mentioned in this episode

• The Next Conversation, by Jefferson Fisher: https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/book
• Jefferson Fisher, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXjnpu6lK0HoUyOMh2ZBwhQ
• Adam Grant article: https://share.google/BHeK1kNIU6aUHWJoH
• Amy Gallo book, Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) https://www.amyegallo.com/getting-along-difficult-people-archetypes
• Alessandra’s website: https://www.alessandrazielinski.com/
• Alessandra LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alessandrazielinski/

Takeaways

• Communication is a lifelong skill that requires continuous improvement.
• Confidence is often a result of taking action, not a prerequisite.
• Assertive voice can be cultivated through specific language choices.
• Recognizing patterns in communication can help address issues effectively.
• Bottling emotions can lead to negative consequences in interpersonal relationships.
• Preparation is key to successful conversations and outcomes.
• Identity dynamics play a significant role in how communication is perceived.

Listen, rate, subscribe, and share!

If this episode resonated with you,...