Summary:

This episode is a masterclass in leading transformation without gutting the soul of the organization. Elizabeth unpacks how to honor identity, bring stakeholders along early, and make smart, reversible bets (pilots!)—all while balancing business outcomes with human realities.

Elizabeth Lepkowski is a Chief Learning Officer operating at the intersection of strategy, learning, and culture. She oversees education programs, clinical standards and guidelines, and publications—translating complex, stakeholder-heavy work into real-world impact.

Chapters:

00:00 – When change feels like an identity loss

04:00 – The messy middle of transformation (and why it’s worth it)

08:00 – Balancing business decisions with relationships that matter

12:00 – Onboarding into a storm: listening tours and context gathering

16:00 – Mapping stakeholders and sequencing engagement

20:00 – The inner circle: finding trusted truth-tellers

24:00 – Rethinking “how things have always been done”

28:00 – Culture as a constraint—and an accelerant

32:00 – Pilots, reversibility, and creating safety for change

36:00 – Lessons learned: courage, feedback, and the long game

Host Alexa Beavers: linkedin.com/in/alexabeaverspmp

Guest Elizabeth Lepkowski : linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-ball-lepkowski

Executive Producer Jim Kanichirayil: linkedin.com/in/drjimk

Music Credit: "Lost in Dreams" by Kulakovka

Summary:

Dr. Victoria “Dr. V” Mattingly is an organizational psychologist, keynote speaker, and author of Act Like an Ally / Work With an Ally—a two-in-one book that helps allies and partners build trust-based relationships that close inequality gaps at work. She blends candid stories with science-backed tactics to move companies beyond checkbox DEI into lasting culture change.

We all know people who call themselves allies. This conversation is about how to act like one—especially when ego and “policy” collide. Dr. V shares a painful early-founder moment: sending a “standard” NDA that created hidden barriers for a prospective Black partner, then doubling down instead of listening. Together we unpack what real allyship requires—trust first, partnership always, and action over labels.

Chapters:

00:00 — Labels vs. Actions: What “ally” really means

02:00 — The NDA misstep: when policy becomes a barrier

07:00 — Partnership over performance: allyship in action

10:00 — Trust first, paperwork later

16:00 — “Privilege” without the eye-roll: a clearer definition

22:00 — Allyship is behavior, not identity

30:00 — The flip-book: Act Like an Ally / Work With an Ally

34:00 — How to connect with Dr. V

35:00 — Closing: earn the label

Host Dr. Jim: linkedin.com/in/drjimk

Guest Dr. Victoria Mattingly: linkedin.com/in/vpmattingly

Executive Producer Shannon Cornelison: linkedin.com/in/shannon-cornelison-9aa8b8248

Creative Advisor Dr. Jim Kanichirayil: linkedin.com/in/drjimk

Music Credit: "Lost in Dreams" by Kulakovka

Summary:

Ralph Kellogg is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Lutheran Family Services (Omaha, NE), an adjunct instructor (Bellevue University; University of Nebraska at Omaha), a mentor with HRAM, and the founder of Connection Points Consulting. He’s a published writer (Forbes, HR Gazette, SHRM Blog), a TEDx Omaha speaker, and a frequent presenter at regional and national HR conferences—bringing a candid, human-first lens to inclusion, culture, and mental health at work.

Ralph takes us inside a merger-era nightmare: after a manager pushes him to disclose his sexual orientation, he’s assured support—then quietly cut during consolidation. What follows is a raw look at betrayal, survival-mode overperformance, anxiety and panic attacks, and the hard-won clarity that your worth isn’t your output. The conversation doubles as a playbook for anyone navigating acquisitions, identity, and mental health at work.

Chapters:

00:00 — The moment everything flipped (news delivered; shock, grief, and silence)

05:00 — The interrogation (manager pushes a disclosure; “I’m an ally”)

10:00 — No legal protection, real fear (working while bracing for the axe)

16:00 — The Monday meeting (projects re-assigned → “there won’t be a place for you”)

21:00 — Getting help (diagnosis; CBT; meds; reframing)

27:00 — Authenticity beyond output (bring the whole human, set boundaries)

35:00 — How to reach Ralph (open invite to continue the conversation)

Host Dr. Jim: linkedin.com/in/drjimk

Guest Ralph Kellogg: linkedin.com/in/ralphkellogg

Executive Producer Shannon Cornelison: linkedin.com/in/shannon-cornelison-9aa8b8248

Creative Advisor Dr. Jim Kanichirayil: linkedin.com/in/drjimk

Music Credit: "Lost in Dreams" by Kulakovka