The Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast

Compassionate Leaders Circle
  • 5.0 (2)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Join us on the Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast, where we dive into the hearts and minds of leaders who harness the timeless power of compassion to enrich their communities and enterprises. Hosted by Laurel Donnellan and Darryl Brown, this podcast brings you intimate conversations with trailblazers who demonstrate that compassion is more than a virtue—it's an effective strategy for fostering healthy workplaces and vibrant communities. Discover how these leaders blend traditional wisdom with modern insights to create environments where both people and businesses thrive.

  1. AI Can Make Your Business More Human with Katie Read

    5D AGO

    AI Can Make Your Business More Human with Katie Read

    Join me for a fascinating conversation with my friend Katie Read. She became a therapist back before it was cool, and now she is an AI entrepreneur. Her obsession with human psychology evolved into a fascination with buyer behavior and marketing psych, leading her to create an online program that hit seven figures in its first year. When AI showed up, Katie had one of those movie-epiphany moments—and immediately saw it for what it could be, a tool to help humans be better humans. Learn about the greatest buyer-behavior simulation tool the business world has ever seen and how to apply her lessons to your business.

    39 min
  2. Lead with Love Summit - Special Episode

    6D AGO

    Lead with Love Summit - Special Episode

    In this special episode of the Compassionate Leaders Circle podcast, we’re sharing the recording of our inaugural Lead with Love Summit where we have a conversation about what leadership requires right now.Founder Laurel Donnellan, Chief Learning Officer Sarah Feely, and Chief Compassion Officer Chelsea Stoll explore why compassion is an important leadership strategy. You’ll hear the research behind why kind leaders outperform, the science of hope as a practical framework for change, and the difference between empathy (which exhausts leaders) and compassion (which moves people to action).The team also introduces the 7 C’s of Compassionate Leadership, sharing real-world stories of leaders who improve workplaces and communities through everyday acts of courage, curiosity, collaboration, and care. If leadership has felt heavy lately, this conversation will ground you and give you something concrete to practice immediately.

    35 min
  3. Say Something Kind: Suicide Prevention Conversations with Francesca Reicherter

    JAN 28

    Say Something Kind: Suicide Prevention Conversations with Francesca Reicherter

    In this powerful episode of the Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast, host Laurel Donnellan sits down with Francesca Reicherter, founder of Inspiring My Generation, to explore what truly helps when someone is in suicidal pain and what compassionate care looks like when the stakes are life and death. Francesca shares, with honesty and courage, what she needed from the people around her when she was attempting suicide: kindness, presence, and words for what she was experiencing. She reflects on what it’s like to suffer without the language to ask for help and how that absence can deepen isolation. Today, Francesca is building the very support she once needed, creating tools, programs, and conversations that equip others to show up when it matters most.

    42 min
  4. Looking For Hope Through Hunger Heartbreak with Celebrity Chef Tom Colicchio

    12/05/2025

    Looking For Hope Through Hunger Heartbreak with Celebrity Chef Tom Colicchio

    Guest host Meryl Eriksen, Tom Colicchio, and Laurel have a candid conversation about politics and how to address hunger through advocacy.  Tom Colicchio is best known for his restaurant group, Crafted Hospitality, and for being a pioneer in food entertainment, first as the head judge on Top Chef. He is one of the country’s leading voices on food policy and hunger advocacy. He co-founded Food Policy Action, a nonprofit focused on strengthening national food legislation, and served as an executive producer of A Place at the Table, a documentary examining food insecurity in America. Since the current administration has cut food subsidies, the gains to end hunger in the US have been lost. In 2023, 13.5% of households experienced food insecurity, and that statistic soared to 36% this year. Listen and learn about how hunger impacts all of us and what we can all do to move this trend back in the right direction.

    40 min
  5. How To Find Your Business Soulmate with Floor-Fix Pro Partners

    11/20/2025

    How To Find Your Business Soulmate with Floor-Fix Pro Partners

    We know plenty of stories related to how people find their romantic partner, but how do you find your perfect business partner?Find out in this episode as we chat with Paul Lanzarotti and Gabriel Sauma. Seven years ago, Paul founded a unique consumer goods company, Floor-Fix Pro, launched after solving a problem he needed to fix in his own home. His young daughter Sienna was a baby at the time, and his new floors squeaked, waking her. His lines of sustainable DIY products have become a global brand, and about a year ago, he realized he needed a partner with a financial background to help him grow and organize the business. Ironically, his young daughter helped with this problem as well. Her friend's father, Gabriel Sauma, recently left his banking job to join Paul on this entrepreneurial journey. Learn tips on how to find your way to soul work and perhaps your next business partner from this unlikely story.

    39 min
  6. Kind Leaders DO Win! with UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center's Leaders

    11/19/2025

    Kind Leaders DO Win! with UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center's Leaders

    Over the last two decades, a multitude of scientific studies by leading researchers have empirically demonstrated what we intuitively knew to be true: The benefits of prosocial behaviors and motivations in the workplace are vast and undeniable, including significant improvements in employee well-being, innovation capability, employee retention, and overall business performance. I had the great honor of interviewing one of these researchers and her colleague last week. Emiliana Simon-Thomas, Ph.D, is the science director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, where she leads major research initiatives and co-teaches the “Science of Happiness” course, which is the world’s largest course of its kind. A UC Berkeley–trained neuroscientist, she studies how prosocial states such as compassion, gratitude, and awe support health and well-being in life and at work.Her colleague, Kia Afcari, is the Director of Greater Good Workplaces at GGSC with over 20 years of experience helping leaders, teams, and organizations create collaborative, prosocial change across sectors. His innovative methods, coaching and facilitation credentials, TEDx talk, and award-winning culture-change work reflect his commitment to translating the science of prosociality into lasting organizational impact.Compassionate leadership is both ethical and effective, and if you want to explore more resources related to Why Kind Leaders Win, subscribe to the Greater Good Magazine.

    43 min
  7. Redefining Education: Gunjan Agarwal on Global Learning & the Future of AI

    10/02/2025

    Redefining Education: Gunjan Agarwal on Global Learning & the Future of AI

    In this episode of the Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast, Founder & CEO Laurel Donnellan reconnects with her dear friend and colleague Gunjan Agarwal, Founder & CEO of Learn With Leaders.Gunjan shares her extraordinary journey from investment banking to becoming a global education innovator. She reflects on how her passion for democratizing Ivy League–level education led to creating Learn With Leaders, which now reaches students across 80 countries with transformative leadership and learning programs.Together, Laurel and Gunjan explore stories of students who found their voices and launched impactful projects, the growing trend of teenagers aspiring to be global citizens, and how safe, judgment-free learning spaces change lives. They also discuss the role of AI in education—from personalized learning plans to empowering the next generation of problem solvers, creators, and leaders.Gunjan leaves listeners with powerful lessons on gratitude, letting go of the past, and the importance of listening as a leader.Tune in for a heart-filled conversation on why education must evolve to unlock joy, creativity, and purpose in the next generation. Learn more about Learn With Leaders: https://www.learnwithleaders.com

    42 min
  8. Leading with Compassion: Stories from Sarah Feely & Meryl Eriksen

    10/02/2025

    Leading with Compassion: Stories from Sarah Feely & Meryl Eriksen

    In this episode of the Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast, Founder & CEO Laurel Donnellan sits down with two of CLC’s core leaders: Chief Learning Officer Sarah Feely and Chief Compassion Officer Meryl Eriksen. Together, they share their personal journeys—from hospitality and executive recruiting to purpose-driven leadership—and how their pivots shaped the work they do today. You’ll hear how Sarah and Meryl guide clients through programs like Purpose Lab, foster confidence and agency in women leaders, and help organizations build more connected, compassionate cultures. The conversation also dives into their upcoming projects, including a fresh approach to emotional intelligence and the launch of “Compassionate Conversations.” Along the way, Sarah and Meryl offer candid life lessons about aligning achievement with purpose, leading as a coach, and finding joy in growth—whether in your career or your garden. Tune in to be inspired by two leaders who embody what it means to lead with empathy, courage, and heart. Learn more at: https://www.compassionateleaderscircle.com

    34 min
See All (81)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Join us on the Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast, where we dive into the hearts and minds of leaders who harness the timeless power of compassion to enrich their communities and enterprises. Hosted by Laurel Donnellan and Darryl Brown, this podcast brings you intimate conversations with trailblazers who demonstrate that compassion is more than a virtue—it's an effective strategy for fostering healthy workplaces and vibrant communities. Discover how these leaders blend traditional wisdom with modern insights to create environments where both people and businesses thrive.

Information