Lets Have This Conversation

Kevin McShan
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Multimedia Journalist and Motivational Speaker Kevin McShan brings you a multi-faceted and multi-dimensional YouTube Podcast called: “Let’s Have This Conversation. The intention is to provide a large assortment of diverse content in all facets of our news cycle. From news, sports, business technology, fitness, lifestyle, entertainment and politics. McShan hopes to bring the viewers an informative, thought-provoking experience. Stimulating careful consideration or attention on the issues making news today. Let’s Have This Conversation.

  1. 21 hr ago

    Persevering Through Collapse, Recovery, & Restoration with Ezra Vancil

    Sometimes the most important chapter of our lives begins after the one we thought would define us completely falls apart. My guest today knows what it means to experience that kind of collapse—and what it takes to rebuild afterward. Ezra Vancil is an American singer-songwriter, artist, and speaker based in Dallas, Texas. He has spent decades writing, recording, and performing across rock, pop, experimental music, and Americana. But the most powerful story Ezra has to share isn't simply found in a song. It's found in the life he had to reconstruct. Ezra is now 13 years sober. His journey has included addiction, depression, a felony DWI, divorce, and the unraveling of the identity and life he once knew. Recovery required him to rebuild much more than his sobriety. He had to rediscover discipline, repair relationships, reconnect with family, reclaim his creativity, and redefine his sense of purpose. That rebuilding process eventually became Morning & Midnight—an expansive creative project consisting of two albums, a book, and original artwork created during the recording process. The project also became a family affair, featuring vocals from his daughter Cozi, editing contributions from his son, appearances from Paco Estrada, and flamenco guitar from legendary guitar technician Rene Martinez. However, today's conversation goes beyond the music. We're talking about collapse, recovery, restoration, and what sustainable change actually looks like when life forces you to start over. Ezra and I explore how failure can redefine our understanding of success, why creative blocks can sometimes signal personal misalignment rather than a lack of talent, and why lasting transformation requires something deeper than temporary motivation. We also explore how creativity can help us make sense of experiences that don't fit neatly into categories. Ezra's songwriting reflects the entire spectacle of being human—marriage and divorce, children and parents, heartbreak and loneliness, addiction and recovery, faith and spirituality, nature, love, failure, and hope. Because life doesn't fit neatly into one genre—and neither does recovery. When everything you thought defined you disappears, how do you rebuild a life that is not simply successful, but sustainable, meaningful, and authentically yours? Let's have this conversation with Ezra Vancil.   For more information: https://ezravancil.com/ Instagram: @ezravancil Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. 1 day ago

    Connection-Centered Leadership: Melissa Swonger on Building Cultures Where People Flourish

    What if sustainable leadership transformation begins not with strategy, systems, or titles—but with connection? In this episode of Let’s Have This Conversation, Melissa Swonger, known as the Architect of Connection-Centered Leadership™, explores the invisible architecture beneath effective leadership: the beliefs, relationships, behavioral patterns, and cultural dynamics that shape how people lead themselves, influence others, navigate change, and build organizations where people can flourish. Melissa is a scholar-practitioner, change theorist, international bestselling author, keynote speaker, executive coach, and organizational culture advisor. Her work bridges psychology, leadership development, organizational culture, change theory, human behavior, and whole-person development to help leaders move beyond surface-level solutions and create sustainable transformation. According to Gartner research, 90% of HR leaders believe that focusing on the human aspects of leadership is necessary for success in today's workplace. Yet recognizing the importance of human-centered leadership and consistently putting it into practice are two very different things. Melissa's work addresses that gap through Connection-Centered Leadership™ and her Integrative Transformation Blueprint™, a research-informed approach built around three stages: Awareness → Connection → Movement The framework challenges leaders to examine not only what they are building, but what they are building on. Sustainable organizational change requires understanding the underlying beliefs, relationships, behaviors, and informal systems influencing how people communicate, collaborate, make decisions, and respond to change. Throughout our conversation, we explore why leadership begins long before someone receives a title, how self-awareness influences organizational culture, and why meaningful connection can become a catalyst for stronger leadership and sustainable change. We also examine Melissa's concept of radical kindness and why kindness, connection, and human-centered leadership should not be confused with avoiding accountability. Instead, they can help create the conditions for trust, honest communication, meaningful relationships, and transformational performance. Melissa shares insights from her work across executive advisory, leadership and culture consulting, speaking, workshops, retreats, and author development through The Muse & The Method™. In This Conversation, We Explore: At its core, this conversation asks leaders to consider a powerful question: What are you building—and what are you building it on? For executives, HR professionals, people leaders, entrepreneurs, organizational development professionals, and anyone interested in the future of work, this episode offers a deeper examination of how connection-centered and human-centered leadership can create sustainable transformation from the inside out.   For more information: https://www.thesagehillproject.com/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  3. 9 Sept

    Stop Selling, Start Telling: Jillian Ivey Your Story, Told Your Way

    What separates a brand people remember from one that sounds like everyone else? In a world overflowing with AI-generated content, corporate jargon, sales pitches, and interchangeable marketing language, authentic storytelling has become a competitive advantage. On this episode of Let’s Have This Conversation, I sit down with Jillian (Jill) Ivey, communications strategist, writer, editor, journalist, and founder of Jilletante Creative, a story-first content consultancy helping founders, executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations discover what makes their stories worth telling. Jillian has built her practice around a simple but powerful philosophy: tell, don’t sell. Rather than helping businesses produce more noise, she helps them communicate like humans. Her work focuses on uncovering an organization’s authentic voice, developing compelling narratives, clarifying key messages, understanding audiences, and transforming expertise into content that creates genuine connections. With a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Pennsylvania and an MFA in Creative Writing from Rutgers University–Camden, along with years of journalism, editing, writing, and media relations experience, Jillian brings a storyteller’s eye to business communication. She has been quoted by Law360 on storytelling for lawyers and has appeared on Peter Shankman’s Faster Than Normal podcast. Through Jilletante Creative, Jillian works with clients across the entire content lifecycle—from high-level content strategy to day-to-day copywriting and editing. Her work includes developing brand narratives, executive and organizational voices, key messaging, website copy, professional bios, editorial calendars, thought leadership articles, white papers, speeches, and social media content. She also offers the Jilletante Creative Story Audit, a 45-minute live examination of a business’s messaging and content designed to identify what is resonating, what is missing, and where the organization's story can become stronger. During our conversation, Jillian and I explore why so much business communication sounds the same, what authentic storytelling actually looks like, and why organizations should focus on telling their stories rather than constantly trying to sell something. We also discuss how founders and executives can discover their unique voices, why thought leadership requires a genuine point of view, the relationship between storytelling and trust, and how organizations can create content strategies that remain consistent without sacrificing creativity or humanity. At its core, this conversation asks an important question: In an age when virtually everyone can create content, what will make people care about yours? The answer may have less to do with producing more content—and much more to do with telling a better, more human story. Join us for a conversation about authentic storytelling, brand voice, communications strategy, thought leadership, content marketing, executive communication, and the power of telling—not selling.   For more information:  jilletante.com Follow: @JillianIvey Email: hello@jilletante.com  book a story audit on my website for $50 off using code MCSHAN. Instagram: @jilletante   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  4. 8 Sept

    Adaptability Is the New Job Security: Ross Thornley on AQ, AI & the Future of Work

    Employees with high adaptability are 2.5 times more likely to demonstrate high job performance and contribute meaningfully to organizational success, according to ETS, a global education and talent solutions organization focused on enabling lifelong learners to become future-ready. As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the workplace, perhaps we're asking the wrong question. Instead of asking, “Which jobs will AI make redundant?” should we be asking, “Which tasks can AI make redundant—and how can humans continuously adapt to create new value?” In this thought-provoking episode of Let’s Have This Conversation, Ross Thornley, entrepreneur, author, international keynote speaker, and pioneer of the Adaptability Quotient (AQ), joins us to explore why adaptability may become one of the most important competitive advantages for individuals, leaders, teams, and organizations navigating the age of AI. As Co-Founder and CEO of AQai, Ross has helped build an AI-powered platform designed to help people, teams, and organizations measure and strengthen their adaptability so they can thrive through accelerating change. A graduate of the Singularity University Executive Program, Ross has worked with leadership teams across Fortune 500 companies, governments, and UN agencies. He is also the host of the DECODING AQ podcast, where he explores adaptability, emerging technology, leadership, and what it takes to remain valuable in an increasingly unpredictable world. Ross brings an experimental, curious, and optimistic perspective to the future. His Massive Transformational Purpose is ambitious: “To unite, inspire and accelerate the best of all humanity.” At the heart of our conversation is a provocative idea: It’s time to shift the conversation from making people redundant to making tasks redundant in the age of AI. As AI begins reshaping the individual building blocks of work, our professional identities may need to evolve beyond protecting job titles. The future could belong to people who understand how to continuously learn, reinvent themselves, solve new problems, and rebuild the value they bring to an organization. Ross argues that there may be no completely “safe” jobs—but there can be adaptable people. So, what separates someone who merely survives disruption from someone who thrives because of it? Can adaptability be measured and intentionally developed? What exactly is the Adaptability Quotient? How should leaders prepare their teams for exponential technological change without allowing fear to dominate the conversation? And as AI takes over more tasks, which distinctly human capabilities become even more valuable? Drawing on his background in innovation, branding, technology, entrepreneurship, and leadership, Ross contextualizes complex ideas while challenging us to think differently about AI, adaptability, organizational change, lifelong learning, human potential, and the future of work. The question is no longer simply whether your job will change. The more important question may be: How prepared are you to change with it?   For more information: https://www.aqai.io/ LinkedIn: @Ross (The AQ Guy) Thornley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  5. 2 Sept

    Jason Westlake: on Adventure, Entrepreneurship & Building a Life on Your Terms

    Workplace and leadership surveys show an overwhelming consensus among business leaders regarding the importance of team connection: ·         90% of employers state that fostering a sense of community and connection at work is crucial for business success. ·         71% of executives believe that strong employee engagement—often built through shared goals and team activities—is a core driver of their company's success. ·         47% of executives explicitly invest in employee experience initiatives to improve team collaboration. According to Harvard Business School and workplace satisfaction and engagement surveys, these statistics reinforce an essential reality: human connection, engagement, shared purpose, and collaboration are fundamental ingredients for organizational success. But what happens when those same principles are taken far beyond the traditional workplace—and into the Costa Rican jungle? Jason Westlake is an entrepreneur, adventure travel leader, author of Jungle Whispering, and co-owner of Tierra de Sueños Retreat & Wellness Center in Costa Rica. For 17 years, Jason has guided people toward unforgettable experiences while building a business and lifestyle centered on adventure, connection, courage, and community. The retreat center has hosted more than 267 retreats, supported by a diverse team committed to giving guests an uplifting and memorable experience. Jason's own adventures have taken him far beyond the familiar. From kayaking with killer whales and tracking gorillas in Africa to living deep in the Amazon with Indigenous communities, wrestling anacondas, and coming face-to-face with jaguars, his experiences have reinforced a powerful lesson: some of life's greatest opportunities begin just outside our comfort zones. At Tierra de Sueños, that philosophy extends to the entire guest experience. Nestled in the jungle near Playa Chiquita and Puerto Viejo, the retreat brings together different cultures, languages, locally sourced food, yoga, nature, adventure, and community. Behind it all is a team dedicated to helping visitors experience Costa Rica in an authentic and unforgettable way. In this episode of Let's Have This Conversation, Jason and I explore what happens when business and adventure become partners rather than competitors. We discuss overcoming fear, stepping beyond comfort zones, creating strong teams, building a business that supports the life you actually want to live, embracing cultural experiences, and designing once-in-a-lifetime moments people never forget. How much of the life we want exists just beyond the boundaries we've created for ourselves? And can entrepreneurial success be measured not only by what we build—but by the freedom, connection, adventure, and memories we're able to create along the way? Join us for a conversation about business, adventure, courage, human connection, and what it truly means to build a life on your own terms.   For more information: https://tierradesuenoslodge.com/ Email: jason@jasonwestlakecoach.com Get the Book: https://www.amazon.ca/Jungle-Whispering-Influence-Jason-Westlake-ebook/dp/B01IANR5ZG/ref=sr_1_7?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.2WamUAO73OQ4fMKQyx_3YDKABV0NO3kXVNLOO4KpyZwRDdyRePN_QL3w9w4WQEN3JAu0qf_Gy1Fit6Zli0ByVZgZkhZVSol-xG6D9Tt4x0iprcOV1QPyez_R-TZqel8M.-30SXJQvWeXo_P3i8h8uy1zuhz6mMmlv6Ip9Q-j2PU0&dib_tag=se&qid=1788369657&refinements=p_27%3AJason+Westlake&s=digital-text&sr=1-7&text=Jason+Westlake Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  6. 1 Sept

    Wrongfully Convicted at 17: Jeffrey Deskovic on Justice, Redemption & Reform

    How do you rebuild a life after the justice system takes 16 years from you for a crime you did not commit? Wrongful convictions represent one of the most devastating failures of the criminal justice system. An estimated 1% to 6% of incarcerated Americans are innocent, translating to roughly 20,000 to over 100,000 wrongfully convicted individuals currently serving time in U.S. prisons. According to data compiled by organizations like the Innocence Project and the National Registry of Exonerations, over 3,300 people have been exonerated since 1989, collectively losing more than 27,000 years behind bars. Jeffrey Deskovic knows that reality firsthand. At just 17 years old, Jeffrey was wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of his high school classmate, Angela Correa. He spent 16 years in prison, losing much of his youth and early adulthood, before DNA evidence finally established his innocence and led to his exoneration. The DNA evidence identified Steven Cunningham as the actual perpetrator. While Jeffrey was incarcerated, Cunningham remained free and later committed another murder—an agonizing reminder that wrongful convictions can create additional victims when the real perpetrator escapes accountability. Jeffrey could have allowed those 16 stolen years to define the rest of his life. Instead, he transformed his experience into a mission. Since his exoneration, he has dedicated himself to preventing wrongful convictions, advocating for criminal justice reform, educating legal and law-enforcement professionals, and fighting to free innocent people still behind bars. He has delivered more than 100 presentations, authored more than 200 articles, participated in hundreds of media interviews, testified before lawmakers, and contributed to conversations surrounding wrongful-conviction reform and the death penalty. He also invested $1.5 million of his own compensation to establish The Deskovic Foundation, an organization dedicated to exonerating the wrongfully convicted and pursuing reforms designed to prevent future miscarriages of justice. Through its work, the Foundation has helped innocent people regain something that can never truly be replaced: their freedom. Jeffrey's pursuit of justice eventually took him somewhere particularly meaningful—the legal profession itself. After earning a B.A. in Behavioral Science and a master's degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, he earned his law degree from the Elizabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, twice making the Dean's List. Today, he is a licensed attorney in New York, giving him another powerful avenue to fight directly for people who maintain their innocence. This week on Let's Have This Conversation, Jeffrey Deskovic joins me for a deeply meaningful conversation about wrongful conviction, redemption, equality, accountability, and what genuine criminal justice reform requires. We explore what happens when the institutions entrusted with delivering justice get it catastrophically wrong, the human consequences of prosecutorial and investigative failures, the reforms necessary to reduce wrongful convictions, and how Jeffrey turned unimaginable injustice into a lifelong commitment to securing justice for others. His story ultimately challenges all of us to consider a fundamental question: If justice is supposed to protect the innocent and hold the guilty accountable, what responsibility do we have to confront the system when it fails to do either?       For more information: https://www.deskovicfoundation.org/ Follow: @TheJeffreyDeskovicFoundation Watch: https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0T652A1QC6N6Y3K8WSIX2VQW2I Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  7. 31 Aug

    Values-Led Leadership: Turning Organizational Values Into Action with Shane Lukas

    What does values-led leadership actually look like when an organization’s beliefs are tested by change, conflict, cultural complexity, and real-world decisions? In this episode of Let’s Have This Conversation with Kevin McShan, Kevin sits down with Shane Lukas, activist, speaker, harm reductionist, award-winning designer, and founder of A Great Idea, for a powerful conversation about values-based leadership, organizational culture, community building, social impact, activism, and turning stated values into meaningful action. Shane works with people, organizations, foundations, and communities to use shared stories and values more intentionally so leadership, culture, advocacy, and social impact initiatives move beyond good intentions and create tangible change. His approach is shaped by lived experience, community organizing, harm reduction, activism, and decades of creative leadership. At the center of his philosophy is the belief that meaningful change happens when people are treated with dignity, respect, and agency and are given the resources they need to make informed decisions for themselves. Through A Great Idea, Shane helps mission-driven organizations strengthen community, build trust, increase participation, navigate complexity, and align their decisions with their stated values. He is also the host of the Power Beyond Pride podcast and has delivered a TEDx talk. Systems shape people, but people also have the power to reshape systems. In a rapidly changing workplace and cultural landscape, leaders are increasingly being challenged to demonstrate that their organizational values are more than statements on a website. Values-led leadership requires organizations to connect their principles to everyday decisions, workplace culture, employee engagement, community relationships, and leadership accountability. In this conversation, Shane Lukas and Kevin McShan explore: For executives, nonprofit leaders, community organizers, advocates, HR professionals, culture leaders, and mission-driven organizations, this conversation provides an important examination of what happens when leadership values move from words to action. Shane challenges leaders to consider a fundamental question: If your values don’t influence what you decide, what you prioritize, who gets heard, and how you respond when things become difficult, are they really your values? Join Shane Lukas and Kevin McShan on Let’s Have This Conversation for an insightful discussion about values-led leadership, organizational culture, activism, harm reduction, community building, social justice, storytelling, and creating meaningful change. Because meaningful leadership isn't simply about stating what you believe—it’s about having the clarity and courage to put those beliefs into action.   For more information: https://www.shanelukas.com/ Discover More: https://www.agreatidea.com/ Check out the Podcast: https://powerbeyondpride.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  8. 28 Aug

    Building Elite Teams Tyler Hayden on Trust, Communication, Storytelling & High-Performance Workplace

    86% of employees at Canada’s Best Workplaces say management keeps them informed about important issues and changes, according to Great Place to Work Canada. That statistic underscores a fundamental truth about organizational success: trust, transparency, and communication matter—especially when organizations and their people are navigating change. High-trust workplace cultures can also have a powerful impact on employee retention, engagement, collaboration, and an organization’s ability to navigate uncertainty. When employees trust their leaders, understand where the organization is going, and feel connected to the people around them, teams are better positioned to perform when circumstances become challenging. So, how can leaders build teams that communicate faster, trust more deeply, and execute effectively when things get messy? On this episode of Let’s Have This Conversation, I’m joined by Tyler Hayden, a Hall of Fame keynote speaker, Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), bestselling author, and organizational development consultant who has spent more than 30 years working with teams—from outdoor leadership environments to corporate boardrooms. Tyler has worked with organizations including TD Bank, Bell, Honeywell, and Pratt & Whitney, helping leaders strengthen communication, engagement, collaboration, and organizational culture. His promise for every engagement is simple: High energy. Real tools. Measurable behaviour change. Tyler’s work sits at the intersection of leadership and manager development, team engagement, employee retention, workplace culture, experiential learning, facilitation, and evidence-based approaches to creating lasting behavioural change. During our conversation, we explore what separates an ordinary collection of employees from a truly high-performing team. We discuss how leaders can establish trust, improve communication, strengthen employee engagement, and create workplace cultures where people are prepared to perform through uncertainty and organizational change. We also examine the power of storytelling in leadership and why the stories leaders tell—and the way they communicate them—can influence trust, belonging, motivation, and organizational identity. Tyler also shares insights from his proprietary MIQ approach, his philosophy of experiential learning, and what three decades of working directly with teams have taught him about creating learning experiences that actually stick. At its core, this conversation is about creating elite workplace cultures where communication is clear, trust is intentional, leadership is human, and employees are equipped to perform when the pressure rises. If you’re a CEO, executive, HR professional, people leader, manager, organizational development professional, or anyone responsible for building stronger teams, this conversation offers practical insights into turning workplace culture from an abstract concept into a measurable competitive advantage.   For more information: https://tylerhayden.com/ Get the books: https://www.amazon.ca/stores/Tyler-Hayden/author/B00N9P1SHC?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=gBysS&content-id=amzn1.sym.aaa4948b-dfc3-44fd-9219-af24eb02108e&pd_rd_wg=xtrkQ&pd_rd_r=e0e1976e-1412-48db-9567-2703a8b4678f&ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true Discover more: https://rubberchicken.ai/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Multimedia Journalist and Motivational Speaker Kevin McShan brings you a multi-faceted and multi-dimensional YouTube Podcast called: “Let’s Have This Conversation. The intention is to provide a large assortment of diverse content in all facets of our news cycle. From news, sports, business technology, fitness, lifestyle, entertainment and politics. McShan hopes to bring the viewers an informative, thought-provoking experience. Stimulating careful consideration or attention on the issues making news today. Let’s Have This Conversation.

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