Finding Your Inner Mister Rogers

Todd Faber
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Those who lead with kindness, compassion and empathy build the most successful teams. This podcast will explore this topic and you will get to meet incredible leaders from across the country who we all would love to work for, and with.

  1. 4d ago

    Jeff Thielman: The Sanctuary Architect

    “We rely on immigrants to make our lives work”,  Jeffrey Thielman Think about the people who make your daily life possible. The people caring for your loved ones, keeping hospitals running, maintaining our buildings, and serving our communities. How often do we stop to think about their stories? When Jeffrey Thielman, President & CEO of the International Institute of New England, talks about immigration, he reminds us of something easy to overlook: we are all beneficiaries of someone else’s courage. For many of us, that courage began generations ago, when someone in our own family took a chance on a new life. And today, immigrants continue to play an essential role in our communities. 🔹 1 in 5 workers in Massachusetts were born outside the United States. 🔹 30% of Boston residents were born outside the country. 🔹 Many of the people we depend on every day, including those who care for our loved ones, have their own stories of leaving home, starting over, and building a future. These are more than numbers. Behind each one is a person with a story we may never fully know. It’s a reminder of what I call the 95% Rule: we rarely know what someone else is carrying, what they’ve overcome, or what it took for them to get here. The next time you walk into an office building, visit a hospital, or go about your daily routine, take a moment to look around. Consider the people whose work makes your life possible, and the stories you may never hear. How might recognizing the unseen contributions of others change the way we show up as leaders, colleagues, and neighbors? 🎧 This week on Finding Your Inner Mister Rogers, I sit down with Jeffrey Thielman for a conversation about immigration, community, and the people who help make our lives work. #FindingYourInnerMisterRogers #HumanCenteredLeadership #EmpathyInAction #IINE #95PercentRule

  2. Oct 21

    Qasim Rashid: The Advocate for Human Dignity

    “My faith is for me and between me and the Creator. It’s secondary to the needs of someone who is starving or needs medicine.” -Qasim Rashid That single statement captures the essence of what it means to lead with active empathy. On the latest episode of Finding Your Inner Mister Rogers, I’m joined by human rights attorney, author, and public advocate Qasim Rashid for a deeply moving conversation about empathy, justice, and what it truly takes to be a “helper” in a noisy, divided world. Born in Pakistan and raised in Illinois, Qasim has dedicated his legal career and public advocacy to standing alongside marginalized communities, representing survivors of domestic violence, asylum seekers, and low-income families. In our conversation, we explore how shared humanity can guide our response to online hostility, systemic inequality, and economic injustice. Qasim challenges us to move beyond temporary charity and look upstream at the systems that create harm in the first place, focusing on living wages, human rights, and building a world where every person has the opportunity not just to survive, but to thrive. Whether he is responding to personal attacks with grace, advocating for secular governance that protects everyone, or showing up on the ground for communities in crisis, Qasim demonstrates that dignity, listening, and concrete action will always be stronger than outrage. #FindingYourInnerMisterRogers #QasimRashid #MoralLeadership #EmpathyInAction #95PercentRule

  3. Oct 15

    Melissa Hurrington: The Navigator

    “I believe in failure, I believe in failing forward.”  Melissa Hurrington, CFO & VP of Operations of Premier Claims Leadership isn’t about having every answer or getting every decision perfect.  As Melissa ( also Wife - Mom - Servant Leader - Keynote Speaker - Lifelong Learner - Fierce Advocate for Women) shares, it’s about doing the work, being honest when you’re  uncertain, and moving forward anyway. When leaders are willing to be vulnerable, they give their teams permission to learn, take thoughtful risks, and grow.  You don’t have to be perfect to lead well, you have to keep learning. What’s one lesson a failure taught you? #ServantLeadership #VulnerableLeadership #LeadershipMindset #FindingYourInnerMisterRogers #95percentrule

  4. Oct 8

    Bekah Salwasser: The Field Builder

    “People will forget what you did. They’ll remember how you made them feel.” Bekah Salwasser The best leaders don’t just build winning teams. They make people feel seen, valued, and cared for. As Executive Director of the Red Sox Foundation and EVP of Social Impact for the Boston Red Sox, Bekah Salwasser carries a profound responsibility: turning the global reach, history, and magic of Fenway Park into tangible, life-changing opportunities across New England. Whether directing investments into youth sports, college scholarship pipelines, or health equity programs, Bekah’s approach to leadership isn't about status, it’s about presence. It’s about building a culture where listening comes before leading, and where compassion isn't just an afterthought, but the core strategy. In this powerful episode of Finding Your Inner Mister Rogers, Bekah sits down with host Todd Faber to unpack: Relational Leadership in Sports & Philanthropy: How putting people first transforms institutional power into genuine community healing.Living the "95% Rule": Recognizing that behind every jersey, desk, or community center door, people are navigating unseen burdens—and how empathy changes how we serve them.The Power of Showing Up: How collective action turns iconic institutions into safe harbors for youth, families, and neighbors.That spirit of community is on full display with Ravestock, the upcoming joint fundraiser between the Red Sox Foundation and William Raveis on October 16, directly benefiting the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Leadership that listens. A community that shows up. And a cause worth coming together for. 👇 Learn more about the Red Sox Foundation and Ravestock in the links below: https://www.redsoxfoundation.org Ravestock Boston 2026 Page https://my.onecause.com/event/organizations/018aad7d-7a3b-4b4b-bd0a-65803d1acdb8/events/vevt:c0c78bfd-64bd-46ce-ac8a-52cd4790de9c/preview/home/story #findingyourinnermisterrogers #95percentrule #RedSoxFoundation #BekahSalwasser #Leadership #CommunityImpact #Ravestock #DanaFarber #FenwayPark #EmpathyInAction

  5. Oct 6

    Steven Rosenbaum: The Curator of Accountability

    “I took it out of the market because it was wrong. I did the hard work of fixing it, which was no fun. I put it back in the market.” Steven Rosenbaum said the quiet part out loud: truth matters, even when owning the mistake is expensive. If you've ever had to rebuild trust, save this episode. This past spring, Steven's book, The Future of Truth, got hit with public errors. He didn't dodge it. He pulled it, rewrote it, fact-checked it line by line, and today he put it back in the world with his name on it. That takes more than humility. It takes a spine. Because the real test isn't whether you mess up, it's whether you hide, blame, or do the harder thing and tell the truth. In this deep, transparent conversation, Steven sits down with host Todd Faber to unpack: The High Cost of Integrity: What actually happens behind the scenes when a public leader pulls their own product to get it right.The "95% Rule" in Practice: How owning mistakes creates space for empathy, grace, and genuine connection rather than defensiveness.Truth in the Age of Generative AI: Why artificial intelligence is accelerating the speed of hallucinated facts, automated outrage, and deepfake content; and why human-led curation and radical transparency are our only shields.Rebuilding Broken Trust: Why the future of truth isn't about being infallible, but about building systems where accountability is built into the culture.Maybe that's what leadership should always look like: Own the damageDo the repair Keep your voice👇 Link to Steven’s new book 📖, The Future of Truth 2.0 Revised Edition is here: https://thefutureoftruth.com #findingyourinnermisterrogers #95percentrule #truthmatters  #authenticity

  6. Sep 29

    Denella Clark: The Champion of Creative Expression

    “Talent is evenly distributed, but opportunity is not”, Denella Clark That’s why arts education matters. Fred Rogers famously reminded us that every person has something inside them that is worthy of being shared with the world. In my conversation with Denella J. Clark, President and CEO of the Boston Arts Academy Foundation, she shared how access to the arts gives young people the tools to express that specialness, helping them find their community, recognize their potential, and imagine a future beyond the limits others may place on them. As Denella put it: “The arts are not an extra. They are essential.” A powerful reminder that opportunity isn’t just about opening a door, it’s about helping every young person see who they can become. What role did the arts play in shaping your life? #findingyourinnermisterrogers #95percentrule #Leadingwithkindess #bostonartsacademyfoundation

  7. Sep 22

    Scott Simon: The Architect of Courage

    “ The best antidote to feeling stuck, lonely, in a downward spiral is to take action…I would either do one thing to help somebody else, or I would do one thing to ask for help.” Courage isn’t a big leap. It’s a small practice. I loved this conversation with Scott Simon of Scare Your Soul, especially his reminder that courage is not about becoming fearless. It’s about getting comfortable at the edge of discomfort: the place where you’re not out of control, but you’re also not coasting. That’s where growth happens. Not in the grand gesture. Not in the adrenaline moment. In the everyday choices: The hard conversationThe honest admissionThe ask for helpThe decision to speak up anyway One idea from our conversation especially stayed with me: Scott’s practice of reflecting each night on five brave things he did that day. Not because every day is heroic. Because repetition changes identity. Eventually, you stop being someone who occasionally does courageous things. You become a courageous person. Consistency over intensityService over spotlightSmall acts of bravery, practiced often Scott’s new book, The Book of Courage, written with Gregory Stock, was just released. It explores the power of meaningful questions and the conversations that help us become braver, more connected, and more honest. Read The Book of Courage: https://a.co/d/05ZT2DC #findingyourinnermisterrogers  #95percentrule  #Leadingwithkindess #courage

  8. Sep 16

    Jeffrey Walker: The Systems Catalyst

    "What you try to teach is compassion. Compassion is the ability to care for the other, but then protect yourself so you are allowed to stand back, do everything you can, and then step away,because you’re going to protect yourself so you can work another day and not burn out." Jeff Walker What if the most powerful leadership skill isn’t having all the answers, but learning how to listen? Jeff Walker spent decades at the top of global finance before discovering that lasting change requires something much deeper: inner work, radical curiosity, collaboration, and the courage to put ego aside. Real leadership doesn't start in the boardroom. It begins with the ability to listen, grow alongside others, and serve without burning out in the process. Maybe the ultimate flex isn't taking charge, it's staying calm enough to actually be useful. #findingyourinnermisterrogers #95percentrule #Leadingwithkindess #Compassionateleadership

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Those who lead with kindness, compassion and empathy build the most successful teams. This podcast will explore this topic and you will get to meet incredible leaders from across the country who we all would love to work for, and with.

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