The Simplifiers Podcast

Mary Baird, PHR

Mary Baird, CSEP - Creative Entrepreneur, Business Coach and Undercover Superhero has one goal in mind...to simplify your life. Each episode breaks down topics in business + life and SIMPLIFIES them! Interviewing smart people from all over the world, we will discover new insights, simple action items and spark fresh ideas to help you DO. THE. THING! in an educational, informational and entertaining way. Cash flow, simplified. Productivity, simplified. Becoming a vegan, simplified. Sort my life out, simplified. Whether you're just starting a small business or seeking simplicity and clarity in a NOISY world, tune in for advice and inspiration on creativity, marketing, mindset, branding, fear, motivation, sales, wellness and deep contentment. Episodes are released every Tuesday and Friday, for simplicity sake.

Episodes

  1. 4 DAYS AGO · BONUS

    How to lead with gratitude (guided visualization)

    Time for a guided visualization exercise: How to lead with gratitude. Because gratitude isn't just a feeling. It's a leadership practice. It's the difference between rushing through the day… and actually noticing the people who make the work possible. Between managing tasks… and leading humans.  This episode is an invitation to pause, reset your perspective, and reconnect with gratitude as a steady, grounding force in your leadership. Not forced positivity. Not ignoring challenges. But choosing to lead with appreciation, awareness, and intention—even when things feel hard. So, how does it work? Simple! Let my voice be a guide for you as you focus inward to help you tap into your inner wisdom and Intuition for answers. Listen and participate in this guided visualization exercise: How to lead with gratitude. I hope this visualization sticks with you the entire week through. Do it again and again if you need clarity or fresh ideas to help your spirit feel refreshed once again… because when you tap into your deep inner knowing, you're accessing the deep inner wisdom.  That electric energy that can be found inside all of us that connects us all together. It knows. You know. We all know if we are brave and we open ourselves to it. You can do this, I believe in you. It's time to SIMPLIFY. —--- Show notes available with all links mentioned here: https://www.thesimplifiers.com/posts/b167-how-to-lead-with-gratitude-guided-visualization

    13 min
  2. 24 FEB

    How to respectfully disagree - with Justin Jones-Fosu (ALL-STAR)

    Ever been in a heated debate (or worse) an argument where you flat-out disagreed with the other person? How did it go? How did it end? And more importantly, how is that relationship doing after that conversation? Let's talk about respect today, my friend! My all-star special guest today is author Justin Jones-Fosu and he's simplifying how to respectfully disagree, both at work and at home. As you think about the potential critical conversations that might happen today or this week ahead, I hope today's conversation gives you deeper insight on how to keep your cool, not get triggered, but equally, how to gain a deeper understanding of the other side (even if you still disagree after that), so you can maintain a strong working relationship built on dignity, being valued, and solid respect. *NOTE: This episode originally aired on September 9th, 2024. Here's how.  My all-star special guest today is Justin Jones-Fosu and he's simplifying how to respectfully disagree. We tackle and simplify all aspects of it, including: Why he's not a big fan of the term "civil discourse" and instead, he suggests there's a better way to frame things so your communication comes from the heart. What "golden respect" is and how it can help you become a better listener and communicator. How your earliest role models in life are the ones who've shaped your communication style now. He talks about his earliest memories of his mom and how she "planted the seeds of humanity" in him that rooted his current work in respectful conversations.  What the 5 pillars of respectfully disagreeing are and 1-2 practical tips that you can test out today. Challenge your perspective Be the student Cultivate your curiosity Seek the gray Agree to respect …and ultimately, when someone says something to you that is especially triggering and/or emotionally charged to get a rise out of you, how to handle that situation in the best possible way, moving forward. Q: Are you ready to learn how to respectfully disagree? If yes, this one is for you. It's time to #DoTheThing! ---- Show notes available with all links mentioned here: https://www.thesimplifiers.com/posts/412-how-to-respectfully-disagree---with-justin-jones-fosu-all-star

    44 min
  3. 17 FEB

    How to help high achievers share the load - with Meghan French Dunbar

    High achievers are the ones everyone counts on. They say yes. They move fast. They carry the team when things get heavy. And on paper, it looks like high performance. But underneath? A lot of "high performance" cultures are really optimizing for output… not human flourishing. And the people who pay the price first are the high achievers — the over-functioners — the ones who quietly become the bottleneck and the safety net. Because when success means sacrifice… sharing the load can start to feel like failure. My special guest today is Meghan French Dunbar, and she's simplifying how to help high achievers share the load — without slowing everything down. Here's how. My special guest today is Meghan French Dunbar and she's simplifying how to help high achievers share the load.  We tackle and simplify all aspects of it, including: How to spot whether your culture is optimizing for productivity or human flourishing — and how you can tell by what gets measured and rewarded. What the "success means sacrifice" mindset looks like in day-to-day behavior for high achievers — and why it's so hard to interrupt. Why burnout is a systemic problem, not an individual one — and the org-level drivers that push high achievers into over-functioning. One simple practice she's seen in healthy companies that helps high achievers share the load without losing momentum. And for the HRBPs and managers listening: 3 quick moves you can try this week to make "sharing the load" normal — using collaboration and psychological safety, not guilt or heroics. Q: Are you ready to learn how to help your high achievers share the load? If yes, this one is for you. It's time to #DoTheThing! ---- Show notes available with all links mentioned here: https://www.thesimplifiers.com/posts/411-how-to-help-high-achievers-share-the-load---with-meghan-french-dunbar

    42 min
  4. 10 FEB

    How to be a joy-centered people leader - with Sheryl Raphael Whitaker

    A lot of people leaders are exhausted right now. They're holding the line on performance… trying to keep their teams engaged… and making hard calls under pressure. And in the middle of all that, one thing gets pushed to the bottom of the list: Joy. Not the "happy all the time" kind of joy. Not "good vibes only." But joy as an operating system — the thing that stabilizes how you lead, how you respond, and how you treat people when work gets messy. Because when a leader runs on urgency, fear, or control… the team can feel it. And it costs you: trust, creativity, psychological safety, retention… and eventually, results. My special guest today is Sheryl Raphael Whitaker, and she's simplifying how to be a joy-centered people leader. Sheryl is a leadership transformation expert and best-selling author of It Starts with Joy: The Inner Shift that Changes Everything. She helps leaders and teams move from overload and disconnection into clarity, authenticity, and steady leadership — through her JoyShift™ method and the idea that "Joy is your COO." Here's how. My special guest today is Sheryl Raphael Whitaker and she's simplifying how to be a joy-centered people leader.  We tackle and simplify all aspects of it, including: That when you believe "Joy is an operating system" and "Joy is your COO," what that really means and the real cost to a team when a leader runs on urgency, fear, or control instead. The most common signs a people leader is not joy-centered (even if they're high-performing) versus someone who truly is. How to use the JoyAudit — and a couple of questions a manager can ask themselves to get clarity in under 10 minutes. A step-by-step, simplified walkthrough of the JoyShift Method: Joy Aware, Joy Embraced, Joy Committed, Joy in Motion — and one simple action you can take this week for each step. And if joy is the operating system, how it changes the most important people-leader moments: feedback, conflict, decision-making under pressure, and building trust — with a couple "before vs. after" examples you can picture immediately. Q: Are you ready to learn how to be a joy-centered people leader? If yes, this one is for you. It's time to #DoTheThing! ---- Show notes available with all links mentioned here: https://www.thesimplifiers.com/posts/410-how-to-be-a-joy-centered-people-leader---with-sheryl-raphael-whitaker

    44 min

About

Mary Baird, CSEP - Creative Entrepreneur, Business Coach and Undercover Superhero has one goal in mind...to simplify your life. Each episode breaks down topics in business + life and SIMPLIFIES them! Interviewing smart people from all over the world, we will discover new insights, simple action items and spark fresh ideas to help you DO. THE. THING! in an educational, informational and entertaining way. Cash flow, simplified. Productivity, simplified. Becoming a vegan, simplified. Sort my life out, simplified. Whether you're just starting a small business or seeking simplicity and clarity in a NOISY world, tune in for advice and inspiration on creativity, marketing, mindset, branding, fear, motivation, sales, wellness and deep contentment. Episodes are released every Tuesday and Friday, for simplicity sake.