GSD Factor Podcast

Mosaic of Life + Laura Wagenknecht

A mosaic is a collection of small pieces that, when put together, create a whole picture, in the same way when the GSD Factor life is activated across all six of the attributes it ignites a transformation in your professional and personal life.
Laura Wagenknecht, President and Owner of Mosaic Business Consulting, is an experienced Business Consultant, Planner, and Executive Coach. With more than 30 years of professional experience and 20+ years of executive experience, she is able to draw on these experiences to help others.
Her superpower is seeing the big picture within the many pieces that comprise a business and determining where the gaps are that could help your coaching business grow more quickly and successfully.
With compassion, wisdom, and expertise, she helps her clients create the business and the success they have envisioned.
 
Connect with Laura on LinkedIn 
Learn more about Mosaic Business Consulting

Speaking with Strength with Marianna Swallow

The GSD Factor life talks about "using your voice" and "your voice is your strongest weapon".  In order for GSDers to do this they must speak with strength and who better to discuss with than Marianna Swallow, The Speak Easy Coach.
She is a dynamic and engaging speaker who helps her clients speak with confidence and calm. She utilizes her improv background in her workshops and executive coaching for maximum results. Her clients have gone on to wow in the boardroom and earn promotions. 
She has been a speaker for over 20 years, presenting to audiences worldwide, and has been an adjunct professor at Loyola University’s School of Communication since 2020.
She is the author of "21 Ways to Engage Your Audience" - a quick and easy guide to level up your meetings and presentations. She performs stand up and storytelling in Chicago. She splits her time between Chicago and Charlotte.
Connect with Marianna on LinkedIn or learn more at mariannaswallow.com
 

A Life Beautifully Paired with Confidence and Resilience with Juliette Foster

Join us for an absolutely delightful conversation with Juliette Foster as we hear her beautiful life story of confidence and resilience and how she has leveraged these GSD Factor attributes throughout her media career in radio, television, and journalism.
 
Juliette Foster is a radio/television journalist and founder of the media services company Magnus Communications. As Managing Director, she brings more than 30 years experience gathered in news, documentaries, and current affairs. Juliette has worked for some of the leading names in UK and international broadcasting including Sky News, Bloomberg Radio & Business Television, BBC Radio, BBC News Channel, BBC World Service Television and Share Radio, the UK’s first national radio station dedicated to business, finance and money matters. As a conference moderator, Juliette has worked with many high-level organisations including The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation & Development (OECD), The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the multi-national professional services company PWC, Swift International Banking Operations Seminar (SIBOS) and King Salman Relief. Juliette is a Fellow of the RSA (Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce).
 
Connect with Juliette Foster on LinkedIn.

Father’s Day Edition with Jase DuRard

On this Father's Day Edition we have a conversation with Jase DuRard who is a biological, adoptive, and foster dad.  He shares his meaningful perspectives and insights on fatherhood.  
Jase DuRard has 28 years of experience in healthcare  revenue cycle technology and he is currently the Chief Revenue Officer at Vantagehealth.ai  Jase believes in the “butterfly effect” stating that one small problem upstream can cause tremendous damage downstream.  Conversely, one solution upstream can positively impact the entire organization.  He and his family live out a mission to “Share Joy”.  They are foster parents and have several “chosen children” whom they have fostered, mentored and even adopted throughout the years.  Jase and his wife co-founded Jonathan’s Path which serves teenagers in foster care in Middle Tennessee.
Connect with Jase on LinkedIn
Learn more about Jonathan’s Path

Rising Leaders Get STUFF Done with Ms. Sarah Thrash

*Tiny Human Friendly*
Welcome to our Teenager Edition of the GSD Factor Podcast where we discuss our Rising Leaders and equip them to Get STUFF Done with school counselor Ms. Sarah Thrash.  
 
Ms. Sarah Thrash is a dedicated High School, College, Career, and Military Preparation Educator. She work with middle and high school students and their families to help them prepare for their future endeavors. With her passion for assisting students, she provides them with the necessary tools and resources to gain clarity and confidence as they navigate the application process. 
 
As the founder of CCMR with Ms. Thrash LLC, she takes pride in equipping students with the knowledge to construct a plan that works for them. Additionally, she is a high school counselor with over 6 years of experience supporting students as they prepare for their post-high school plans.  She is also a 504 Coordinator, ensuring that each student receives the individualized support they need to succeed.
 
Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
Website: CCMR with Ms. Thrash

DEIB Intention with Angel Guerra-Chagolla

We explore how we live our GSD Factor life with DEIB intention with Angel Guerra-Chagolla.  Angel provides individuals and organizations with actionable steps they can take.
 
Angel’s career and business is built on the foundation of 4 pillars: Education, Advocacy, Empowerment and Connection. With a Master's in Corporate Leadership and over a decade of experience in Claims, Program Creation and Risk Management, she utilizes her skillsets to support others in their career development.
Her mission of positive impact on the business world as she teaches Diversity, People Equity, Inclusion and Belonging has grown by creating a welcoming community for professionals. This mission compliments both her National Educational Events as well as her Corporate Consulting businesses (3B National Consulting Group and Beauty and Beast in Business).
Connect with Angel on LinkedIn
3B National Consulting Group
Beauty and Beast in Business
 
 

Be Influential with Dr. Michelle Morkert

We explore the GSD Factor attribute Be Influential with Dr. Michelle Morkert.
 
The connection to Be Influential - you lead by example as an actionable leader, you look to the future and also bring along the next generation alongside you and mentor them so they can stand on your shoulders.
 
Dr. Michelle Morkert partners with women leaders around the world to level-up their careers, have an impact on their professional field, and work with joy.  She is a women’s leadership coach and strategist with a Ph.D.  Because she spent nearly 20 years investigating the ways patriarchy operates in the lives of women around the world, she has also witnessed powerful feminist disruptions to those systems.
From interviewing war widows in the Western Highlands of Guatemala and researching militarism, gender-based violence, and peace studies to consulting with trailblazing non-profit leaders in Poland, and teaching in Croatia as a Fulbright Scholar with the U.S. State Department, she has seen women leaders in action.  She has synthesized her academic research, obtained her advanced certification in confidence coaching, and incorporated her own lived experiences into individualized leadership coaching so that you can show up, stand up, and speak up in any room.  
 
Michelle's Website
Michelle's LinkedIn
 

The Art of Storytelling ME with Jenny Emerson and Randy Ford

One of the foundations for the GSD Factor is knowing who you are and how to share your story.  We explore this concept of The Art of Storytelling ME: Who Am I and How Do I Share My Story? with Jenny Emerson, Integrative Therapist and Randy Ford, Strategic Storyteller.
 
Jenny Emerson has over a decade of experience assisting clients heal and find peace from trauma, loss, anxiety, and depression. Her background in the healing industry includes a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy and a Certification as a Licensed Massage Therapist.  Jenny works from the belief that what has happened in your life is part of your story, but it is not what defines you.
Connect with Jenny Emerson
 
Writer & Storytelling Strategist Randy Ford helps nonprofits, membership associations and individuals use storytelling to talk about the impact they have on the people around them. He began his career as a journalist and then spent 10 years as a senior aide to a member of Congress. He later served as Vice President of Strategic Communications for LRG Public Affairs before starting First Story Strategies in 2016. Randy also performs in live storytelling shows across the Chicago area.
Connect with Randy Ford
 
 

Be Resilient with Suzanne Coker

We explore the GSD Factor attribute Be Resilient with Suzanne Coker.
 
The choice to Be Resilient - the stamina, grit, and perseverance to acknowledge that life can be shit but how do we learn and grow and turn the negatives into positives.
 
Suzanne is a self-motivated and progress-driven Sr. Sales Executive with an extensive background in the insurance industry. With a long-standing record of initiative and innovation, she has developed and executed strategies that bring value to her Agent and Carrier Partners.  Suzanne balances her insurance career in Rockwall, TX as a Wife, Mom, and Nana. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, volunteering at church, and shepherding one of eight butterfly gardens in Rockwall. 
 
Connect with Suzanne on LinkedIn

Living out Confidence and Resiliency with Your Cultural Heritage with Henry Martin and Edwin Moreno

We explore the GSD Factor attributes of Be Confident and Be Resilient with Henry Martin + Edwin Moreno as we dive into their stories about how they each approached the workforce with their culture heritage.  
 
Be Confident - The power in knowing your true authentic self.  You lead by example with confident assertiveness.
 
Be Resilient - The choice to persevere, to dig deep, and turn life’s negatives into positives.
 
Father and husband, Henry Martin worked most of my life in the hospitality industry before successfully pivoting into an insurance marketing position in corporate America. Solo traveling to 30 countries before he was 30 years old, he learned how to be comfortable with himself and confident in his decisions.  He is a faithful believer that new experiences broaden the mind and new places grow the heart.  Henry has had addresses in Tennessee, Guatemala, Spain, and Denmark, all in order to spend his life being part of another culture, learning something new every day, and living through experience.
Connect with Henry Martin on LinkedIn
 
Edwin Moreno is a producer for LR Windsor, an independent insurance brokerage in Chicago. He is dedicated to his personal and professional development. Edwin is currently a student and volunteer with the Wright Foundation to discover more about social and emotional intelligence. His 13+ years of experience in the insurance industry drove him to discover new skills and find ways he can express and connect more in a historically rigid industry. Edwin is fluent in Spanish, happily married  and has a daughter, who is an amazing student and teacher. He is passionate about cooking, family, music and gaining/spreading knowledge.
Connect with Edwin Moreno on LinkedIn