Conflict Managed

Merry Brown

Conflict Managed is a podcast about toxic workplaces and how to fix them. Listen to stories of dysfunction and triumph from different walks of life and professions. Join us on the journey as we talk about the good, bad, and ugly of our work environments and discuss a vision for the future of human-centered workplaces where people are not only treated with dignity and respect but encouraged to be their brilliant selves. Managing Conflict is not magic, though it takes intentional and sustained planning for health to win over chaos in any environment. Conflict is normal and expected. Let’s deal with it.

  1. 3D AGO

    Ep 184, Accountability is a Gift, Not a Punishment

    This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Rob Marcus. Together we explore: Leadership as everyday influence, not a title • The difference between managing people and leading them • Why the Golden Rule remains a practical guide for modern workplaces • Why leaders need consistent, real-world training • The real cost of overlooking people and their experiences Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube @3pconflictrestoration Rob Marcus is the founder of Blue Stallion Solutions, a leadership training company helping mid-sized organizations shift from firefighting to forward motion. A former Army intelligence officer with a background in government contracting and corporate development, Rob led high-stakes teams and multimillion-dollar projects—until personal tragedy and toxic leadership made him rethink everything. Now, he works directly with executive teams to align strategy, strengthen accountability, and equip managers to truly lead. His book, Crossing the Divide, offers a practical roadmap for scaling without losing culture. As a podcast guest, Rob brings both real-world stories and actionable insights on what breaks teams—and how to rebuild them. Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown.   #Accountability #LeadershipDevelopment #ConflictManagement #WorkplaceCulture #PeopleFirst #BetterLeadership

    59 min
  2. NOV 4

    Ep 183, There’s a Human on the Other Side of the Conflict

    This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Rita Cincotta. Together we explore: Is everyone coachable? Planting seeds for reflection Investing in yourself and others through consistency and practice in the “boring,” yet essential, everyday actions Forming trust at work Polite cooperation vs. collaboration Demonstrating a desire to understand colleagues Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube: @3pconflictrestoration   Rita Cincotta is the Founder and CEO of The Deliberate Leader, a leadership development practice dedicated to helping leaders cultivate intentionality, clarity, and impact in their leadership. She is a seasoned professional in leadership development, serving as a facilitator, speaker, coach, author, and non-executive Board Director. With over two decades of experience, Rita has held executive positions across various industries and now consults widely in the sectors of technology, healthcare, financial services, aged care, media and advertising, not for profit, e-commerce, FMCG, and higher education. Her journey into deliberate leadership began with a career in Human Resources, where she held C-suite roles leading teams through complex transformations. Through these experiences, she saw firsthand the impact of intentional leadership—how clarity, purpose, and authenticity shape not just leaders, but entire organisational cultures. Recognizing a gap in how leadership was often approached, she transitioned from corporate leadership to coaching, training, and speaking to help others lead with greater intention and impact. Since 2018, she has been dedicated to equipping leaders with the tools to cultivate high-performing, healthy teams. As an accomplished facilitator, Rita has expertly crafted and delivered leadership programs tailored to different industries and businesses. Her qualifications are in the domains of Organisational Behaviour, Human Resources, Marketing, and Industrial and Employee Relations. Additionally, Rita is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), a member of the Australian Human Resources Institute (MAHRI), and an alumnus of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She holds accreditations in Clarity 4D, Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI), and the Korn Ferry Leadership Architect method. Rita has spoken on national and international stages as a keynote speaker, addressing topics including team performance, cultural transformation, change management, resilience, and innovative work methodologies. In 2021, she authored her debut book, Evolve: The Business Partnering Playbook, followed by her second book, You Are How You Lead, in 2023. Rita is a Board Director and serves on the Board and subcommittees of Peninsula Health and Left Write Hook. Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown.

    1h 1m
  3. OCT 28

    Ep 182, Difficult Boss or Toxic Boss

    This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett. Join us as we explore: The difference between a difficult boss and a toxic boss The vital importance of clear conversations and telling people the truth The key to having courageous conversations: practice, practice, practice. What is your psychological contract at work? Laura Hambley Lovett’s new book: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube: @3pconflictrestoration Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett is an organizational psychologist and thought leader sought-after internationally for her expertise on workplace culture, career development, toxic leadership, and burnout. Along with her 25 years of experience in her field, she holds a PhD in industrial/organizational psychology from the University of Calgary, where she is currently an adjunct professor. A passionate entrepreneur, she has founded several psychology practices in Canada and hosts the widely followed podcast Where Work Meets Life. In addition to I Wish I’d Quit Sooner, she has published two psychological thrillers, Losing Cadence and Finding Sophie, aimed at both captivating readers and raising awareness on important topics around mental health and domestic violence, currently being adapted for a TV series. Dr. Laura is also co-founder of the WITH HER movement focused on ending violence against women and girls. She received a Canadian Women of Inspiration Award as a Global Influencer in 2018. For more information, visit https://drlaura.live. Social media: https://www.instagram.com/drlaura.live/  https://www.facebook.com/Dr.Laura.whereworkmeetslife https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlaurahambley/ https://x.com/DrLaura_ https://www.tiktok.com/@drlaura.live Pre-order: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss   #ConflictManaged #Podcast #ToxicBoss #CourageousConversations

    56 min
  4. OCT 21

    Ep 181, Be Coachable

    This week on Conflict Managed, we welcome Grant Freeman. Together we explore what it really means to be coachable and how openness, clarity, and curiosity shape strong teams and thriving businesses. 💡 Topics include: • Serving small businesses well • Clear communication: pick up the phone, Zoom, or Teams • Avoid making rules for the lowest common denominator • Catching your people doing something right • Taking the pulse of your organization • The difference between urgent and important Good management doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built through honest dialogue and consistent care. Conflict Managed is available wherever you listen to podcasts and on YouTube @ 3pconflictrestoration.   Grant Freeman is President at Thryv, which provides comprehensive business management tools—CRM, marketing automation, appointment scheduling, and reputation management—to over 350,000 small businesses across the U.S. Their platform aims to streamline operations, enhance customer engagement, and foster growth for local businesses Grant’s prior title was Chief Customer Officer focusing on improving the client and employee experience to create highly engaged and happy clients. Grant remains focused on leading the global team responsible for acquisition, retention, operations and client success. Conflict Managed is hosted by Merry Brown and produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services.   #ConflictManagedPodcast #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkplaceCulture #CommunicationMatters #BeCoachable

    56 min
  5. OCT 7

    Ep 179, Reflect, Report, Resolve.

    This week on Conflict Managed, we welcome back award-winning attorney Jessica Childress for her third appearance on the show. Join us as we discuss:  Leaving a toxic workplace on your own terms  Toxic vs. Illegal work environments Leaving with dignity Your multi-hyphenated identity impacts the world Conflict Managed is available wherever you listen to podcasts and on YouTube @ 3pconflictrestoration.   Jessica Childress is the author of Peace: Leaving a Toxic Workplace on Your Own Terms.  Ms. Childress has practiced employment law for over eleven years, representing organizations of all sizes and individuals in employment law matters.  She is the Managing Attorney of the Childress Firm PLLC, a boutique employment law firm, based in Washington, D.C.  Ms. Childress holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government and African American Studies from the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law. Ms. Childress graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with High Distinction from the University of Virginia in 2007.  Prior to launching the Childress Firm PLLC, Ms. Childress served as an associate at two global law firms and as an attorney at the United States Department of Justice.   Ms. Childress has litigated retaliation, discrimination, sexual harassment, non-competition, trade secret, unfair labor practice, and whistleblower cases before various tribunals. She serves clients in general business transactions with employees and independent contractors. Ms. Childress drafts agreements such as employment agreements, consulting agreements, severance agreements, and confidentiality agreements.  She has been the recipient of several honors, including the National Bar Association’s 2018 Young Lawyer of the Year Award, the Washington Bar Association’s 2017-2018 Young Lawyer of the Year Award, the National Bar Association’s 40 under 40 Best Advocates Award, the Kim Keenan Leadership & Advocacy Award, the Greater Washington Area Chapter of the National Bar Association’s Rising Star Award, and recognition by the National Black Lawyers as one of the top 100 black attorneys. In 2022, Ms. Childress received the Women Owned Law organization’s Woman Legal Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Ms. Childress has been named to the 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) Rising Stars lists. In 2024, The Childress Firm PLLC was honored as a Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise by the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council.  Ms. Childress is a 2022 graduate of the Aspen Institute’s Justice and Society program. Ms. Childress serves as a contributor for Arianna Huffington’s international media outlet, Thrive Global. She has been featured in numerous publications, including Forbes, Essence, the Huffington Post, Success, and Entrepreneur.   https://thechildressfirm.com/ Conflict Managed is hosted by Merry Brown and produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services.

    58 min
  6. SEP 30

    Ep 178, Fear-Based Leadership

    This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Kate Lowry to talk about what it’s like to work under fear-based leadership and how you can respond without losing yourself. Join us as we discuss: Fear based leadership – is it back? How to recognize the signs of fear-driven leadership Practical tools for surviving and staying grounded in toxic environments What it means to be ‘unbreakable’ at work Diversifying your identity: you are not reducible to one thing Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube: @3pconflictrestoration Kate Lowry is a CEO coach, venture capitalist, and author based in Silicon Valley. An expert in fear-based leaders, Kate developed her methodology growing up in a personal hierarchical family, then refined her approach in the elite worlds of start-ups, private equity, management consulting, and big tech at McKinsey, Meta, and Insight Partners. She is the author of Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders. In her free time, you can find her writing comedy and music and cuddling her service dog, Annie. Pre-order links: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR1G981Y/ref=sr_1_2? https://www.amazon.com/Unbreakable-Thrive-Under-Fear-Based-Leaders-ebook/dp/B0FQ71FW72/ref=sr_1_1 Social media links: https://www.instagram.com/kateunbreakablelowry/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579366067469   Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown.

    53 min
  7. SEP 23

    Ep 177, Addiction and Recovery

    This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Severn Lang. Together we explore: 🌱 Planting seeds of support when a colleague is struggling 🌱 The real gift of a manager who shows up with care 🌱 Why excellent managers know their employees’ goals 🌱 The power of cheering on your colleagues 🌱 When a colleague or client is upset, or when you’ve made a mistake, start with acknowledgment   Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube: @3pconflictrestoration   Severn Lang helps people see addiction for what it is: not just a battle with substances, but the quiet, everyday ways we hold on when we should be letting go. Whether it’s staying in the wrong relationship, clinging to clutter tied to old grief, or numbing oneself with digital distractions, Severn invites listeners to recognize their patterns—and meet them with honesty, humor, and compassion. Severn’s journey includes experiencing both active addiction and periods of homelessness, even during his first year of long-term sobriety. Now twelve years sober, Severn draws from both lived experience and creative practice to explore what recovery looks like beyond the AA room. His work is grounded, reflective, and rooted in a belief that healing doesn’t require perfection, just presence. Working with his extreme dyslexia has been a daily challenge, but it has also taught him creative problem-solving techniques and new ways of thinking, fueling his determination to keep trying until he finds solutions. As a playwright and filmmaker, he tells stories that make the emotional tangible—like his powerful account of cleaning out a kitchen shelf overflowing with old ketchup bottles, a moment that mirrored his journey of letting go of grief and baggage from his father, who was his main caregiver but refused to speak to Severn or his brother due to schizophrenia. Before this chapter of his life, Severn worked as a top-tier hairstylist and model. But it’s his role now, as a quiet disruptor of outdated recovery narratives, that feels most aligned. He’s not here to preach or package a perfect solution. Instead, he offers small, honest shifts in how we see ourselves and what we’re attached to. Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown.   #ConflictResolution #WorkplaceCulture #LeadershipDevelopment #Recovery #Addiction #EAP

    57 min
4.9
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Conflict Managed is a podcast about toxic workplaces and how to fix them. Listen to stories of dysfunction and triumph from different walks of life and professions. Join us on the journey as we talk about the good, bad, and ugly of our work environments and discuss a vision for the future of human-centered workplaces where people are not only treated with dignity and respect but encouraged to be their brilliant selves. Managing Conflict is not magic, though it takes intentional and sustained planning for health to win over chaos in any environment. Conflict is normal and expected. Let’s deal with it.

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