Unfiltered Leadership with Lindsay Yellin

Lindsay Yellin
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Most leadership content skims the surface: buzzwords, checklists, quick wins. Unfiltered Leadership goes deeper: who you are, what you stand for, how you show up. Hosted by Lindsay Yellin, executive leadership coach, coffee enthusiast, and former ad VP, this show is for leaders ready to trade fear for possibility. Each week: real, unfiltered conversations + practical tools to lead with clarity, courage, and connection. Because leadership isn’t just deliverables, it’s who you are when it counts. Grab your mug and join us.

  1. 2d ago

    30. 17 Years After Losing My Dad, I Finally Understood His Leadership Legacy

    My dad's leadership legacy changed how I define success and what I believe ambition should never cost us. More than 16 years after my father Norm passed away, a recent trip to Hawaii with my brothers brought his example back into focus. Reflecting on him has changed how I understand leadership legacy: it lives not only in what we achieve, but in how consistently we treat people. He showed me what authentic leadership looks like — respect, curiosity, partnership, and the commitment to live your principles whether people are watching or not. But his life also left me with harder questions about the cost of professional success when work begins to consume our health, presence, and relationships. As a leadership coach, former corporate leader, and business owner, I'm sharing these lessons for ambitious leaders who want sustainable leadership without losing themselves to their work. If you've felt the pull of leadership burnout — or watched ambition quietly crowd out the life you're building — this one is for you. I hope you leave ready to lead with integrity, remember what your success is for, and build a life and legacy you are present enough to enjoy.

  2. Jul 27

    29. Why High Performers Struggle When They Become Leaders

    Stop trying to "skill" your way out of burnout. Most leadership frameworks you’re following are actually sabotaging your ability to scale. In this episode of Unfiltered Leadership, host Lindsay Yellin sits down with executive coach Christi Pizarek to challenge everything you think you know about leadership development. If you’ve been chasing "skill-based frameworks" to fix burnout or navigate complex challenges, you’re missing the point. Christi Pizarek, founder of inTension Coaching and Consulting, shares her transformative journey from the advertising world to executive coaching, explaining why true leadership impact isn’t about adding more tools to your belt—it’s about deep, intentional capacity building. In this video, you will learn: Why the "time is money" mindset is sabotaging your long-term organizational health. The "operating system upgrade": How to build foundational resilience to thrive in perpetual swirl. Why tension is actually the most fertile ground for innovation and leadership growth. How to cultivate curiosity and agency to navigate complexity without losing your groundedness. About Christi Pizarek: Christi is an executive, team, and systems coach who blends depth, wisdom, and systems thinking. After a distinguished career in advertising (Starcom), she transitioned into internal and later independent coaching, focusing on helping leaders leverage discomfort for possibility and sustainable development. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christi-pizarek/inTension's Website: https://www.intensioncoaching.com/inTension's IG: @inTensionCoaching

  3. Jul 13

    28. Setting Boundaries at Work Without Burning Bridges with Morgan Pomish

    Setting boundaries at work doesn't threaten your career, it strengthens your leadership. Morgan shares how she went from burning out in her early career in advertising to leading authentically without sacrificing her values, her voice, or her influence. In this episode, Morgan Pomish, a leader in the advertising industry breaks down what it really takes to set professional boundaries in a hustle culture without losing credibility, connection, or career momentum. Drawing from her own experience of burnout, stress-induced health issues, and navigating male-dominated rooms, Morgan shares the exact approach that helped her lead authentically while staying true to her values. What You'll Learn:  • Why workplace boundaries feel impossible early in your career  and when they start to work for you  • How to speak up for what you need without being labeled "difficult"  • Why managing your energy matters more than managing your time  • The truth about women and emotion in leadership  • How consistent boundaries build trust and psychological safety on your team  • The thermostat vs. thermometer leadership model  • Why "being fun to work with" is an underrated leadership strategy  • How your personal values shape your leadership style and why that influences everyone This episode is for high-performing professionals, especially women in leadership, who want to build a career that doesn't cost them their well-being.

  4. Jun 22

    27. Laid Off and Feeling Invisible? Here's How Kelly Nash Rebuilt Her Career on Her Terms

    What happens when you give 11 years to a company and then get a calendar invite that changes everything?  Kelly Nash spent over a decade at Salesforce, building a career coaching business on the side as her "just in case." When the layoff finally came, she didn't panic; she saw it as permission. In this episode, Kelly shares how to stop letting your job title define your identity, why the "meaningful middle" between jobs matters more than rushing into the next role, and how to build a portfolio career that no single company can take away.  If you're navigating a layoff, rethinking your career identity, or wondering how to create more security through multiple income streams, this conversation is for you.

  5. Jun 8

    26. People Pleasing Almost Broke Me — Here's What I Had to Unlearn

    I spent years making everyone comfortable, and for a long time, it worked. It made me good at reading rooms, smoothing tension, staying dependable, and being the person people could count on. But as I sat down for this solo birthday episode, reflecting on one of the hardest years of my life, I realized how much of that “strength” was actually my people pleaser trying to keep me safe. What I’m learning is that people pleasing can look like leadership, kindness, and strength from the outside, while underneath it can become self-abandonment. When your need to be liked starts overriding your values, your presence, your boundaries, and your ability to ask for help, something has to change. If you are a high-achieving people pleaser who is exhausted from fixing, managing, performing, and keeping everyone else comfortable, I hope this feels like a hand on your shoulder. We’re talking about how to stop people-pleasing, how to sit with the discomfort of disappointing others, and how to reclaim your needs before burnout makes the choice for you. Inside this episode • Why this birthday reflection brought my people-pleasing into focus • Why people-pleasing can become a career survival strategy • The leadership cost of staying silent to keep the peace • How managing everyone’s emotions keeps you from being present • Why is no one pleased when you stop pleasing • How to reclaim your values, boundaries, and needs without losing your worth

  6. May 25

    25. Leading Like a Coach: Listening, Vulnerability, and Letting Go of Control with Caitlin Golden

    In this episode of Unfiltered Leadership, Lindsay sits down with Caitlin Golden, HR executive and longtime friend, for a deep conversation about coaching, leadership, vulnerability, and what it really means to lead people well. Lindsay and Caitlin first met through the Co-Active Training Institute during coach training while both were still working in advertising and marketing. What started as professional curiosity evolved into a years-long friendship grounded in shared values around people-centered leadership and personal growth. Together, they explore how coaching fundamentally changed the way they lead, listen, communicate, and show up in relationships at work. This conversation dives into: why most people hear but don’t truly listen how curiosity creates stronger leadership the difference between fixing and supporting vulnerability, accountability, and trust in leadership why great managers see people as whole humans and how self-awareness changes the way we lead others Caitlin also shares practical examples from her experience leading HR teams, conducting exit interviews, managing talent, and helping people grow through feedback and recognition. This episode is a powerful reminder that leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about being willing to listen deeply, stay curious, and create spaces where people feel seen, heard, and understood. About your host: Lindsay Yellin Lindsay Yellin is an executive leadership coach, dynamic speaker, and certified ACC and CPCC who helps high-achieving creative leaders trade fear for possibility and self-doubt for self-trust. A former advertising executive, she has led in high-pressure, high-visibility environments and knows the challenge of staying connected to oneself while leading others. ✨ Book a Coaching Chemistry Call with Lindsay: https://calendly.com/yellin-coaching/chemistry-call  ✨ Get your espresso shot of leadership insight, join the Grounds for Growth newsletter: https://yellingroundsforgrowth.myflodesk.com/groundsforgrowth  About Caitlin Golden Caitlin is a senior HR executive with nearly two decades of experience building people-first cultures inside fast-moving agencies and startups. A Co-Active trained coach, she brings that same whole-person philosophy into her leadership work — helping organizations and the individuals within them grow from the inside out. Her practice sits at the intersection of strategic HR and human development, with a particular focus on leadership, engagement, and building the kind of environments where people genuinely thrive. Episode Highlights How Lindsay and Caitlin met through coach trainingWhy coach training was “life changing” for both of them The difference between hearing and truly listening What “powerful questions” actually look like Why curiosity is one of the most underrated leadership skills How coaching changes the way you manage teams The danger of leaders trying to fix everything Why strong leaders guide instead of control The connection between self-awareness and emotional intelligence How to “read the room” by understanding yourself first Why great leaders admit when they don’t know something The role of vulnerability, accountability, and repair in leadership How acknowledgment and recognition transform team culture Why people-centered leadership creates stronger engagement and trust Letting go of ego, perfectionism, and control as a leade

  7. May 11

    24. 5 Leadership Behaviors That Changed My Career

    In this solo episode of Unfiltered Leadership, Lindsay reflects on five leaders who fundamentally changed the trajectory of her life and career by believing in her before she fully believed in herself. From her early days in advertising to her transition into coaching and leadership development, Lindsay shares the moments, conversations, and leadership behaviors that shaped how she leads today. This episode is both deeply personal and highly practical, unpacking what great leadership actually looks like in action: Sponsorship over surface-level mentorship Creating psychological safety Championing the whole person Speaking possibility into others Helping people step into rooms before they feel fully ready Through stories about 5 leaders who impacted her career, Lindsay explores how belief can change someone’s trajectory and how leaders have the opportunity to create those moments every single day. If you’ve ever wondered what truly impactful leadership looks like, this episode is a reminder that sometimes the smallest moments of belief become the biggest turning points. Why the best leaders don’t just mentor, they sponsorThe difference between giving advice and creating accessHow Jessica Henrichs helped Lindsay see her own leadership potentialWhy speaking your ambitions out loud can change your lifeRonnie Dickerson Stewart’s role in Lindsay becoming a coachThe power of sharing your goals with the right peopleHow Amy Cheronis helped Lindsay launch her coaching careerWhy leaders should create environments where people feel safe asking before they’re readyChris Loeffler’s approach to people-first leadershipWhy some performance problems are actually role-fit problemsJoan Vivaldelli’s role in Lindsay becoming a leadership facilitatorWhy confidence comes after action, not beforeThe importance of believing in others before they fully believe in themselvesAbout your host: Lindsay Yellin Lindsay Yellin is an executive leadership coach, dynamic speaker, and certified ACC and CPCC who helps high-achieving creative leaders trade fear for possibility and self-doubt for self-trust. A former advertising executive, she has led in high-pressure, high-visibility environments and knows the challenge of staying connected to oneself while leading others. ✨ Book a Coaching Chemistry Call with Lindsay: https://calendly.com/yellin-coaching/chemistry-call  ✨ Get your espresso shot of leadership insight, join the Grounds for Growth newsletter: https://yellingroundsforgrowth.myflodesk.com/groundsforgrowth

  8. Apr 27

    23. Tenacity, Storytelling, and Leadership: Real Talk on Careers and Growth with Amy Cheronis

    In this episode of Unfiltered Leadership, Lindsay sits down with Amy Cheronis, advertising and PR leader and co-founder of The Scratch Collective, for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, mentorship, and building a meaningful career over time. Amy was also Lindsay’s very first executive coaching client, making this conversation a full-circle moment grounded in trust, growth, and shared history. Together, they explore what it means to lead in today’s advertising and communications industry, not just through performance, but through how you show up for others. Amy shares how she actively creates access for emerging talent, what makes someone stand out early in their career, and why tenacity, clarity, and thoughtful communication matter more than ever. They also go beyond early careers, diving into: how to build a career that evolves with you the importance of storytelling in shaping your path why leadership is about investing in others and how to navigate uncertainty, change, and growth over time This episode is both practical and deeply human, offering insights for anyone at any stage of their career, whether you’re just starting out, leading teams, or rethinking what’s next. About your host: Lindsay Yellin Lindsay Yellin is an executive leadership coach, dynamic speaker, and certified ACC and CPCC who helps high-achieving creative leaders trade fear for possibility and self-doubt for self-trust. A former advertising executive, she has led in high-pressure, high-visibility environments and knows the challenge of staying connected to oneself while leading others. ✨ Book a Coaching Chemistry Call with Lindsay: https://calendly.com/yellin-coaching/chemistry-call  ✨ Get your espresso shot of leadership insight, join the Grounds for Growth newsletter: https://yellingroundsforgrowth.myflodesk.com/groundsforgrowth  About Amy Cheronis Amy is a global communications and stakeholder engagement pro who co-founded The Scratch Collective after working and leading at top agencies Leo Burnett, DDB and MSL. For the past five years, she has delivered business-building PR, executive visibility, social media, influencer marketing and corporate communications for both iconic and niche brands at Scratch. Her sweet spot is personal brand work for the C-suite, coaching and advising leaders from Kimberly-Clark, Nature’s Fynd, Shiru, Ulta Beauty and Wow Bao. Amy lives in Chicago with her husband, three teenagers and in close proximity to other favorite things - Lake Michigan, tennis and golf. Connect with Amy on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycheronis/ Learn more about The Scratch Collective www.thescratchcollective.com Episode Highlights Lindsay and Amy’s full-circle journey from coaching client to podcast guest What leadership looks like in practice through mentorship and access How Amy supports emerging advertising and PR professionals What actually makes someone stand out early in their career The importance of tenacity, consistency, and polish Why networking is about clarity and intentionality How to make thoughtful, direct asks that build real relationships The role of storytelling in shaping your career path Why you don’t have to start exactly where you want to How every role builds skills, perspective, and future opportunity Navigating change, growth, and evolving identity in your career

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Most leadership content skims the surface: buzzwords, checklists, quick wins. Unfiltered Leadership goes deeper: who you are, what you stand for, how you show up. Hosted by Lindsay Yellin, executive leadership coach, coffee enthusiast, and former ad VP, this show is for leaders ready to trade fear for possibility. Each week: real, unfiltered conversations + practical tools to lead with clarity, courage, and connection. Because leadership isn’t just deliverables, it’s who you are when it counts. Grab your mug and join us.

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