Impactful Coaching Podcast Impactful Coaching Podcast

Jean-François Lappas is a visionary coach and founder of Wabya, the "Uber of Coaching." Influenced by early mentorship from his mother Pauline and business lessons from the tobacco industry, JF excels in connecting individuals with the right coaches to find their path in life.

In this episode, we explore multifaceted roles coaches play, early influences on professional paths and the concept of God as a collective human effort towards self-actualization.

JF talks about the importance of leadership aligning with actions, his dedication to helping others, and the widespread quest for fulfillment. Join us for insights into personal growth, societal betterment, and modern challenges.



Find JF online https://wabya.com/

Fund us online https://impactfulcoachingpodcast.com/



1:02 Joseph opens the program discussing what new and interesting revelations are on JF’s mind, likewise he shares his own recent excursion to pay tribute to a passed friend. He shares how his perspective on providence comes into the picture as he had a chance to make peace with someone he had previously had an issue with. 

6:14 In exchange, JF reflects on the pop culture beef between two musical artists who could have set more an example for making peace when instead it was done in service for entertainment.

9:22 When asked what JF does, he reflects on the difficulty involved in trying to distill the multi-faceted role he plays as a coach and founder or wabya, as he puts it, the Uber of Coaching to help people find their way by connecting to the right coach. 

13:31 JF is asked what coaching or mentoring he had received early on that may have influenced his desire to serve the coaching world professionally. He remarks that it was his mother Pauline who instilled some of his most important teachings. 

20:20 Joseph and JF go back and forth on the presence and perspective of God, not as just an old wizard in a cloud in Heaven, but as the representation and result of collective human effort to self actualize. 

25:00 Joseph asks JF to delve a little more into his time in the tobacco industry, and how it was tantamount to teaching him all the ins and outs of running a business at scale. JF goes on to reflect on the crucial element of leadership, if they can back up their words with actions. 

29:42 Shifting the conversation to Wabya, before they spend too much time talking about cigarettes, Joseph asks JF if his obligation to help others is tied to his own self realization. 

33:43 JF talks about the vast droves of people who are facing a lack of fulfillment or satisfaction whether that’s large life goals or even just keeping the New Year's Resolution going. Joseph had framed the question as, how to perceive the platform the way a fitness or dating platform may be perceived. 

38:00 Joseph and JF work out the issues with terminology, Joseph often wishes we could call podcasting something else. He asks JF the same thing when it comes to coaching. 

42:39 Joseph shares his takeaway about looking to a dating coach for dating issue because of the mutual frame of reference. JF posits that it can also result in confirmation bias because of that shared experience. 

48:00 Joseph associates Maslow's hierarchy of motivation with a food chain as both have a top and a bottom and are cyclical. JF argues that the chain needs to flatten more and that it has more to do with helping those at the height of their realization feed into humanity’s betterment.

54:30 Joseph and JF share what they consider to be the biggest issue the world is facing, Joseph says it comes from a root chakra problem, whereas JF sees there is an increasing dependency on our system, ala the Matrix.

Having served as a sports coach, primarily in basketball for over 30 years, Coach Jim Johnson knows a thing or two about how to inspire and motivate others to take action. His record of success speaks to the efficacy of his methods. Jim’s purpose now is to serve others in reaching their dreams and believing they’re possible. 

In this episode we talk about how a difficult situation can be seen as a rallying cry for team members to inspire and take action around, a firsthand recounting of a miraculous night in basketball that actually managed to beat the late Kobe Bryant in an award competition and the profound impact on telling a story that you were a part of making. 

Find Jim online

https://coachjimjohnson.com/

Find us online

https://impactfulcoachingpodcast.com/

1:05 Joseph alters the format of the show just slightly, asking instead “what’s new and on the mind?” rather than “how’re you feeling?” This prompts Jim to reflect on his newfound practice of gratitude.

3:04 Before asking Jim to share his coaching story and his take on coaching altogether, Joseph reflects on the thematic significance of gratitude in storytelling, and how gratitude (as well as grief) are uniting traits that help us give service and credence to higher forms of power.

7:48 Reflecting on the many inspiring conversations Joseph has had so far, what he was keen on asking Jim is for him to reflect on his definition and status as a coach as he fits a more conventional definition based on shared past experience.

11:06 Coach Jim Johnson shares the story of one miraculous team manager who pulled off an unbelievable performance that clutched the game for his team. 

20:15 Joseph asks JIm where that story took him as he became a motivational speaker.

25:00 Jim talks about how the stories and speeches he told/gave to his basketball team formed the basis of the work he had done as a speaker. One such method was his use of “Warnings and Examples” 

31:21 Talking about leadership in sports, Joseph reflects on the Green Bay Packers podcast he edits and how Aaron Roger’s leadership was difficult to inspire because he wasn’t surrounded with people who had his experience throughout time.

35:38 Coach Jim is asked what he needs to do as a speaker to make his motivational speeches… motivational. Likewise, what do audiences need to do to hold up their end?

42:42 Joseph asks Coach Jim what sportsmanship is, a topic that Joseph considers to be in desperately short supply in the E-Sports online gaming tournament scene. 

47:11 In continuing our discussion on sportsmanship, Joseph reflects on the trouble that being on TV or in front of a crowd can cause in the execution of skill under pressure. Does entertainment invite more inviting, unsportsmanlike behavior?

51:42 We head into the final round of questions, what lessons did Coach Jim learn early on and what’s his view of the future?

From an early age, our guest Carlene Sullivan had developed a pristine spiritual attunement and her wisdom on today’s episode showcases the results of a lifetime spent honing that ability. Though spiritual in nature, this episode nonetheless draws valid conclusions through observation of patterns in our everyday lives. 

For instance, if we were to all view the same pen, would we not have independent thoughts associated with it? What natural behaviors in animals could characterize us also? Or that we can take control of techniques like manifestation and vision-boarding, treating them not powers above us but ones we are above. This wisdom and more is the essence of today’s episode. 

Find Carlene online

https://www.carlenesullivan.com/

Find us online

https://impactfulcoachingpodcast.com/

Show Notes:

2:31 Joseph informs the nature of today’s episode is one about intuition and spirituality, he then asks what Carlene does on a daily basis. Before delving into the response Carlene makes a point about the difficulty in being able to fully articulate her role within the confines of language.

7:05 Joseph reflects on the “For Dummies” series and the humility it offers compared to other literature out there and asks Carlene if any literature had aligned to her role.

12:03 Carlene notices the phrase “I know” said by people she works with, for even the most basic of suggestions. And yet despite what we know there are still vast barriers keeping us from being able to actualize that knowledge. 

16:11 Joseph reflects on where some of his generation’s anxieties stem from, particularly that our array of skills pale in comparison to skills that more reflect the human experience like hunting or building a log cabin. He asks Carlene to reflect on what anxieties she’s seen based on generational experience. 

22:27 Carlene asks Joseph to visualize what a dog does when it gets out of water, and how that specific behavior is tied to its instincts and judgment. 

28:36 Carlene relates the story of our evolution from the stubborn neanderthals and that so few of our ancestors carried the weight of what is now our human race. it stands to reason that the same is happening to use again now. 

35:00 There is an immutable truth to the trajectory of our growth, Carlene emphasizes this by pointing out, quite logically, that a seed becomes a plant not a zebra. 

40:33 Joseph, while being mostly passive this episode, shares an insight that has stemmed from hearing Carlene’s words of wisdom and posits that we have been the machines all along, we were practically cogs during the industrial revolution. 

46:21 Joseph thinks about the infamous Charlie Chaplain story where he won 3rd place in a competition to see who could be the Charlie Chaplain. Joseph brings this up because it reminds him of our unique imprint and how that imprint changes moment to moment, what others recall of us is always in the past. 

51:51 Carlene and Joseph discuss the premise of humanity’s evolution ten thousand years from now, what will we become?

Madeline Schwarz’s distinct creative background taught her a valuable lesson we expand on in this episode; story can be told in many forms both common and subversive. She discovered this having gone from the world of publishing, to visual merchandising and then into the corporate world. 

In this episode we learn that storytelling is possible in any medium whether that’s in publishing, visual merchandising or giving work presentations; tools and tips to help both individuals and cultures align to a more balanced workplace that values the creatives and the drivers of results and the importance of making sure your creative satisfaction occurs outside of work if it doesn’t happen within.

Find Madeline online: https://www.madelineschwarzcoaching.com/about

Find us online: https://impactfulcoachingpodcast.com/

2:18 Joseph forecasts the episode’s themes of introversion and extraversion as well as creativity in the workplace and asks Madeline to tell of her career, which entails helping the creative introverts of the world find their voice and take on leadership roles. Joseph asks her if leadership qualities of introverts differ from that of extraverts. 

6:22 Madeline states the qualities of leadership introverts are known for and Joseph shares a longstanding observation he made in that leadership is fluid, he uses an analogy of soccer (or football) because whomever has the ball controls the game. 

12:09 Madeline talks about the feedback she received pivoting from her work as a visual merchandiser to communication coach as Joseph asked if she recounted any significant achievements thanks to her creative thinking. 

20:29 Joseph shares a takeaway that our relationship with social media is a powerful but dangerous tool and asks if there is a specific layout that people need if they’re more introverted as it relates to social media. Madeline believes that these platforms are skills to develop and so regardless of your energy type, it’s not restricted to you. 

25:00 What headspace does the artistically/creatively minded need in order to thrive in the workplace? What expectations should be set?

30:12 Joseph and Madeline brainstorm different company workplace roles that inspire and involve creativity.

37:56 One issue both sides can encounter is making peace with the change and innovation in the corporate world. Our natural instinct is to dig in our heels and defend the work, money and grief we invested into our expertise and refuse to allow for innovation.

48:47 Madeline shares some of her past experiences dealing with the difficulty of data, she tells of a series of proposals where those who could approve or not were caught up in the small details and neglected to observe the big picture.

Erika Cruz practices what she preaches when it comes to acts of courage, having pivoted from her career in tech to utilizing it as a way to help women, especially women of color to visualize their goals and use magnetism to attract desired results.

In this episode, we talk about how tech was a particular interest to her and how it was a format driven inspiration rather than a novelty, the differences and importance of both masculine and feminine energy and how figuring out your biggest goal involves putting ego aside.

Find Erika online

https://theerikacruz.com/

Find us online

https://impactfulcoachingpodcast.com/

Show Notes:

2:08 Erika Cruz introduces herself as a courage coach and as such tends to be asked what that means exactly. Her work helps particularly women of color and to focus on being magnetic rather than a hustler.

6:00 The dreaded three letter word KPI was brought up, so naturally Joseph has to dial into it. Based on what Erika mentioned, the issue with KPIs is that they lean into one form of masculine energy and overlook the equally important female receiving energy.

11:39 Erika delves into her backstory involving major pivots in her career and life trajectory, interesting how a major shift deep in tech started with a food blog and how learning more about yoga taught her more about mindfulness.

19:11 Joseph asks if Erika’s tech background came naturally because her early work was with Radio Shack or if it was a conscious effort on her part. 

30:48 Joseph asks Erika about how she works with varying causes of fear; negotiations, dating, initiatives in personal projects. Is there a go-to method because it always comes back to fear?

34:24 Erika reflects on her live TV appearance at telemundo and the difficulty in trying to ensure she could speak Spanish as naturally as she now converses in English, the point being she applies the tools and frameworks she helps others with. 

41:59 We want to learn more about magnetism. How do we teach people to attract what we want and avoid the chase? 

47:46 What are the commonalities across the pillars of neuroscience and spirituality? These two tend to differ so Joseph asks Erika how she aligns both in her work. 

50:00 No tech-themed episode is complete unless Joseph asks about what the guest thinks of A.I and this episode is no different. 

Krish Phua is a registered Counsellor, Psychotherapist and Certified Clinical Supervisor who specializes in Gender and Sexuality. Throughout his career, he found that there is an important need to blend coaching and counseling to best align with his passion for helping others. His organization Underneath The Moon taps into the vulnerability of night and the moon’s silent vigil over darkness to relate to our own need to be vulnerable.  

The differences between counseling and coaching and setting clear expectations on both the coach’s and the client’s end, that workplace romances are a normal occurrence so while there are drawbacks there can also be major opportunities and that we as people are growing, much like how plants adjust to their obstacles, so do we. We talk about the nature of change and how we can influence others but not be agents of control and how there are many involved parties at the workplace who could be involved in it.

Find Krish online

https://www.underneaththemoon.com/

Find us online

https://impactfulcoachingpodcast.com/

3:45 To kick off our episode on Romance and especially of the workplace nature, we start by learning about Krish Phua’s role in the coaching space with his online platform Underneath The Moon. He talks about the differences and similarities between counseling and coaching. 

7:07 Joseph asks Krish if there were challenges identifying which skillset to draw from when helping clients.

11:01 Joseph alludes night time to our historical vulnerability to the dangers of the unknown, however as we evolve we learn to use darkness to our advantage, but because the moon is an icon of romance and night and vulnerability, where does the sun tie in to this?

14:52 Joseph asks is the night time used as some form of utility in providing services to clients? Krish discusses how his daytime role as well as that of his clients make evenings and weekends a more practical time to provide his services.

20:00 Joseph asks, after having received definitions on both romance and workplace related romance, that a couple can be so in sync that they’re essentially one person what other configurations are known?

24:41 Krish talks about how because workplace settings lead to availability, proximity and presentability, one particular configuration is the hookup in the workplace setting, its a complicated mix of familiarity and novelty.

28:27 Krish talks about the reasons as to why issues resolve; values, careers, relocation, parenting/parentage and financial that indicate why couples drift away and seek something short term,

32:00 Joseph and Krish share thoughts on how important it is to grow for your partner as well as yourself, otherwise we end up being co-selfish with one another which can be difficult if a child, someone dependent on the parents, emerges into the picture. 

39:00: Krish details some of the major questions we should ask in a workplace romance: Is it hierarchical? Does it affect work positively or negatively? What do we do if there is a split?

45:07 Having outlined the issues Joseph sees with the power imbalance of an employee to a manager, which is different from a customer to staff member, or two students in the same grade the power imbalance can lead to ambiguity of intent.

49:09 Joseph asks if Krish has any personal experience to speak to regarding the nature of productivity and output, if he’d seen any data to suggest the outcome one way or another.

54:58 in discussing the downsides of pre-arranged agreements on a breakup, such as a prenup, it challenges the deeper faith we have in relationships and pursuits. Joseph makes a point about general preparedness and faith in our adaptability as humans. 

1:02:02 Joseph reflects on his past experience learning about short-term, project based organizations and how that may lead to more short-term romances, he asks Krish what changes he thinks is coming.