The Even Better Podcast

Sinikka Waugh and Jim Hall discuss 4 Steps to Thinking about Strategic Planning Through Interpolation Instead of Extrapolation.

Jim Hall is an innovative, high-achieving Senior IT Leader with over twenty years experience in IT Leadership. Jim believes in developing the next generation of IT Leadership, to help IT organizations better respond to the changing technology landscape. After serving more than eight years as Chief Information Officer in government and higher education, Jim founded Hallmentum® where he's helped for four years to empower IT Leaders to drive meaningful change through hands-on training, workshops, and coaching

A solo episode where Sinikka discusses the 4 Things I've Learned About Dealing with Crisis.

Sinikka Waugh, President of Your Clear Next Step, is a recognized leader in understanding people and adapting tools, techniques, and processes to meet the demands of the situation at hand. Since 2008, Sinikka has helped over 50,000 people have better workdays so they can co-create better communities.

Sinikka Waugh and Missy Paxson discuss the 4 Characteristics of the Best Leaders.

Missy is a passionate life coach that believes her spiritual calling is to help people live their best life. She has dealt with her own personal struggles throughout life & has experienced firsthand how to transform those difficulties into positive learnings within her own life story. Missy is a certified Master Life & Master Mindset Coach, and she has been a Business Analyst for nearly two decades across multiple companies, facilitating and coordinating all manners of meetings, projects, and navigating precarious situations time and time again. She is an expert in Agile, and was elected as a lead analyst multiple times throughout her career. Missy and her husband Mike live in Indianola, Iowa with their children and grandchildren.

Sinikka Waugh and Mel Worrel-Johnson discuss 4 Factors of a Coaching Mindset and Why It Matters.

Over her 20-year career, Melissa has focused her efforts in leadership, talent development and business strategy. Her diverse background includes entrepreneurial startups as well as significant leadership roles in large corporations.

Worrel-Johnson’s experience in developing leaders, growing teams and implementing initiatives within organizations are key competencies and experience she brings to Your Leadership Group. Her professional
career has included multiple management and leadership roles involving broad collaboration and partnering with all levels of leadership.

Areas of focus have included executive & leadership coaching and development, career advancement, succession planning, individual and organization development, team culture, franchising, work-life integration, customer experience implementation, and employee engagement.

Melissa holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Broad Field Science from University of Wisconsin – River Falls, an MBA from Capella University and her Professional Certified Coach credentialing (PCC) from the International Coaching Federation. She and her husband Alan and their two dogs live outside Des Moines, Iowa.

Sinikka's first ever solo episode where she discusses the 4 Ways to Hit Refresh in 2024.

Sinikka Waugh, President of Your Clear Next Step, is a recognized leader in understanding people and adapting tools, techniques, and processes to meet the demands of the situation at hand. Since 2008, Sinikka has helped over 50,000 people have better workdays so they can co-create better communities.

Sinikka Waugh and Lisa Even discuss 4 Ways to Create More JOY (at work and at home).

Lisa is a corporate-culture junkie, turned author and entrepreneur, who is cheering loud for all those who want to Have Good Ripple Effect and more JOY.
She delivers high-energy keynotes, 1x1 coaching, and workshops that challenge leaders and teams to think beyond their backyards, and realize that they happen to the world, and not the other way around.

Lisa has a unique background in operational leadership and attributes her credibility to R&R Café, the tiny café in Eastern Iowa where she waitressed in high school, and the first group of direct reports that she had in corporate America, those 65 people did more than they will ever know!

Through speaking, workshops, and coaching Lisa partners with leaders and teams to create more JOY in the workplace and to create a bigger and better Ripple Effect.

Sinikka Waugh and Dawn Ealy discuss 3 Wins from Changemakers.

Dawn Ealy is the founder of Peak Cadence, LLC, and a strategic partner of Your Clear Next Step. Dawn helps growing organizations transform chaos into confidence in the way they manage systems, projects, processes, and people. As a trainer and facilitator for Your Clear Next Step, she delivers a variety of courses that provide memorable learning experiences and practical tools participants can put into practice immediately.

A genuine people person, Dawn is a super-connector who loves to meet new people and introduce them to others in her network. Dawn brings a multidimensional approach to project and process management with experience in leadership and management roles, as well as HR and operations, and she helps teams effectively navigate change.

Sinikka Waugh and Dick Hannasch discuss 3 Ways You May Be Hard to Work With and What to Do About It.

Dick Hannasch is a working relationships coach who helps people become what he calls "You, better", whether you aim to improve working relationships, be a better leader or teammate, reach career goals, or something else. People who know him describe his brand as a truth teller, a judge who wants people to get what is fair and right, and a comedian who takes you seriously. With over 35 years of experience growing talent, Dick has coached people from all continents except Antarctica, in the fields of financial services, IT, health care, agribusiness, entertainment, and more. One of his goals is to outrun his younger daughter in a 5K race. (He’s been close twice, finishing just three seconds and one second behind her.)

Sinikka Waugh and Saby Waraich discuss 5 Ways to Stand Out as a Purple Cow Leader.

Saby Waraich is a highly sought-after internationally recognized Keynote speaker and an award-winning Technology Leader. Ed Scoop recently awarded him the Higher Education IT Executive of the Year. HMG Strategy gave him the Global Leadership Institute award for leveraging technology to deliver business value and future growth as well as the Global Technology Executives Who Matter award for delivering unparalleled value to his organization in business transformation and talent development. The City of Portland created and awarded him the Purple Cow Leadership award for his excellence in leadership and complex program delivery. Thinkers 360 considers him among the Top 10 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers in the Project Management community.

Energetic ... engaging ... lively ... enthusiastic ... inspiring ... words that are often used to describe Saby. A speaker with the uncanny ability to look at the normal and see something quite different, Saby shares his life stories and has a fun way to look at life as well as living life. You are guaranteed to learn a thing or two on your journey from his unique perspective. He is an Angel Investor, Mentor, Leadership Coach, Project & Program Management Expert, and Change and Volunteer Leader with a diverse experience of over 20 years in both the public and private sectors.

Sinikka Waugh and Faye Howard discuss 4 Things to Remember When Receiving Feedback.

Faye has a master's degree in training and development and has held multiple roles in training, curriculum design, customer service and marketing throughout her 25+ year career. As a trainer and facilitator for Your Clear Next Step, you'll see her energy come through as she teaches people the skills to be a better version of themselves, motivating them to leave a positive, lasting impact on others. Faye has made her home in Pella, IA with her husband, Seth, and their 3 boys since 2005. Faye is an encourager and intentional about influencing those around her. Therefore, in her free time, you’ll find her in the stands cheering on her boys in various activities, enjoying a walk or cup of coffee with a friend or immersed in a good book pulling out nuggets of wisdom.

Sinikka Waugh and Tyler Kamerman discuss ‌5 Ways to Find Your Passion.

Tyler Kamerman is a Chief Development Officer, Speaker, and Podcaster

The name of his podcast is “Purse Your Passion,” and that’s exactly the journey he is on and the one he wants to help you navigate as well.

Whether it’s through his speaking & training, his podcasts or his coaching, Tyler helps fun, successful people to “Be more intentional about Pursuing their Passion,” and map out a path to do more of what they were put on the planet to do.

Tyler is consistently spinning more plates than he should be in Des Moines, IA with his wife and their two children. The Kamerman’s have a passion-filled household and are very active in their church and community

Sinikka Waugh and Scott Tillema discuss 4 Hostage Negotiation Tactics that Will Reshape Your Leadership.

Scott Tillema (TILL’-uh-ma) is a professional keynote speaker and partner at The Negotiations Collective, a negotiations and conflict resolution training firm. He has over 20 years of municipal law enforcement experience in the Chicago area and is an FBI trained hostage negotiator who spent many years negotiating with one of the largest SWAT teams in the United States.

Educationally, Scott holds a master’s degree in psychology and has received negotiation training at Harvard University’s Program on Negotiation. Scott is a recognized leader in the field of negotiation and influence. His visibility as a keynote speaker and educator through TEDx and other venues has reached global status.

Sinikka Waugh and Ann Stough discuss 5 Tips for Making New Connections.

Ann Stough is a CBAP-credentialed Advisor-level Business Analyst with 17 years of experience in business analysis; 14 in healthcare information technology, and 3 in facility infrastructure technology. Ann grew up in West Des Moines. She lived a few years in the Cedar Rapids area and 20 years in Panora before returning to West Des Moines where she now lives. Within that timeframe, Ann and her husband full-timed in their Winnebago Class A motorhome for 8 years and snowbird every winter to southwest
Arizona.

Sinikka Waugh and Dawn Ealy discuss 4 Ways for Project Managers to Develop Dazzling Communication Skills.

Dawn Ealy is the founder of Peak Cadence LLC and a strategic partner of Your Clear Next Step. Through her consulting practice, Dawn helps growing organizations transform chaos into confidence in the way they manage systems, projects, processes, and people. As a trainer and facilitator for Your Clear Next Step, she is adept at sharing her 25+ years of experience with an energy and enthusiasm that bring her sessions to life. Dawn delivers project management, meeting facilitation, change management, process improvement, and collaboration courses that provide memorable learning experiences and practical tools participants can put into practice immediately. A genuine people person, Dawn is a super-connector who loves to meet new people and introduce them to others in her network.

Sinikka Waugh and Laura Casale discuss 3 Top Areas Where Women Need Support for Their Careers.

Laura is highly experienced in the field of HR Talent Management and Leadership Development, driven by her passion for empowering individuals to unlock their full potential. She is a Certified Coach, Consultant, Instructional Designer, and Facilitator, with a proven track record of building, managing, and delivering award-winning programs that yield tangible results.

Drawing on her expertise in Career Readiness and Transitions, Leadership, and Wellbeing, Laura uses a comprehensive and professional approach to support individuals and teams in reaching their peak performance and achieving remarkable success.

But that's not all! In 2021, Laura established a thriving community dedicated to providing invaluable support for Women in Career Transitions. Building on this success, she has recently launched the Women's Career Mastery program, designed to empower women in the workplace to take charge of their careers and make significant strides toward their professional goals. She writes for various platforms, is a coach for the SkillCycle organization, and is a Consultant at IBM working to empower technical professionals to grow and succeed.

Sinikka Waugh and Dorice Horenstein discuss the 3 Ties Between her book Moments of the Heart and Positive Intelligence

After serving as an officer in the Israeli army followed by years of leadership in the education field, Dorice, Oy to Joy speaker, uses her energy and charisma as she transitioned to make the world her platform. Her expertise in Mental Fitness & Positive Intelligence coupled with her award-winning bestselling book Moments of the Heart: Four Relationships Everyone Should Have to Live Wholeheartedly provide Dorice with the opportunity and knowledge to speak on international stages. Dorice inspires others to improve their mental fitness, navigate challenges, discover opportunities for growth and thus find their champion within

Presenting and training is Dorice’s superpower. She defines T.E.A.M. as Together Everyone’s Attributes (are) Magnified. Dorice motivates others to identify their strengths and improve effectiveness and become the leaders they are meant to be. She promotes healthy and positive relationships that reduce stress and helps clients achieve higher retention as well as a positive atmosphere in the workplace (and at home!).

When giving keynotes, Dorice invigorates audiences using impactful stories of challenges sprinkled with tips of positivity.

When coaching, leaders are moved to take actions that bring their potential into reality.

When delivering training and workshops, Dorice enhances leaders' and teams’ effectiveness and promotes healthy and positive relationships by using AMEN to CORE, her 4-step approach.

Dorice passionately believes that positivity is an "inside out” practice that instills a calm, laser-focused approach, and produces success and growth.

Dorice gained her BA in English Literature from Portland State University, and coaching certifications through the International Coaching Federation and Positive Intelligence organization. Dorice is a member of the National Speaker Association, serves on the NSA Oregon board, is a fellow member of IOC, at McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, and is Past President of Toastmasters for Speaking Professionals.

Sinikka Waugh and Ann Wright discuss the 5 C's of Coaching.

Ann Wright
MBL, ACC
Leadership and Team Coach

Throughout Ann's 25-plus years of experience in leadership and talent development, she discovered and believes that people are an organization's most valuable asset. She partners with organizations and leaders to achieve their personal and professional goals by focusing on people, culture, and everyone's unique talents. Ann believes businesses grow by investing in their team members and embracing the talent each brings.

2She is an ICF Credentialed Coach focusing on Leadership and Team Coaching, speaker, author, and facilitator. Through her workshops and coaching, she assists people in developing their interpersonal skills in areas such as Attitude, Communicating with Confidence, Life/Work Balance, Productive Conflict Resolution, Meeting Management, Presentation Skills, and Teambuilding, so they can achieve their goals in life, as well as, help their organizations reach their outcomes.

Ann earned her Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in Business and Psychology and Masters in Business Leadership degree through Upper Iowa University. Ann is a licensed facilitator in Coach U's - The Coach Clinic where participants learn how to use the Coaching Conversation Model and develop strategic coaching skills which benefit them in creating a culture where performance is amplified and team effectiveness increased.

You can learn more about Christine and her work through the following links:

• Website: https://innerworkmatters.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinesamuelhere/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-samuel/
• Blog post on relational intelligence: https://tinyurl.com/323e8eu3

Sinikka Waugh and Kevin Sutherland discuss 5 Principles Teams Can Adopt to Increase Agility without Doing Agile.

Kevin is an independent consultant focused on helping teams, leaders, and organizations deliver value to users, customers, and citizens. Kevin began his career in IT working for Accenture, completing large transformational system integration projects for State government customers. Through Kevin’s independent practice, he has discovered a passion for creating collaborative environments, facilitating continual improvement, delivering value...and constantly learning/growing throughout the process.

Sinikka Waugh and Judy Alter discuss 3 Skills that Make BAs Standout.

Judy Alter, CBAP®, FLMI, ACS, PCS & HIA

Judy Alter is a public speaker and coach: mentor, trainer, and Senior Business Systems Analyst with almost 20 years of experience in Business Analysis. The last eight years were spent working with various Agile Frameworks.

Judy rebranded herself as “The Optimistic BA” and is known as charismatic, optimistic, humorous, and a successful leader. Her specialty is with handling people, but she also has command of business analysis hardcore skills.

• CEO/Owner of Judy Alter Speaker & Business Analysis Services LLC
  Present

• IIBA Leader since 2012, where she has served in many roles

• IIBA Global Chapter Council Chair September 2017 to December 2022