Project Candor: Ordinary People. Unexpected Stories

Jeanne Andersen
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Personal Journals

Everyone has a story worth telling. On Project Candor, host Jeanne Andersen sits down with entrepreneurs, veterans, educators, creatives, leaders, and everyday people to explore the moments that shaped who they became.  Through thoughtful conversations and our signature Two Truths and a Lie segment, guests share authentic stories filled with unexpected turns, hard-earned lessons, humor, resilience, and hope.  Learn more at ProjectCandor.com

  1. 1d ago

    Don't Fight. Sail On. with Dr. John Reaves | Ship's Log #29

    "The most important promotion you will ever earn is the one no one can give you. It begins the moment you stop waiting to be chosen and start choosing your own growth."  — John Reaves  Episode Summary  John Reaves spent decades doing everything the corporate world told him to do — building the resume, earning the credentials, staying late, and checking every box. And still, something was missing. In this episode of Project Candor, John shares the moment he realized he had outsourced his own definition of progress — and what happened when he took it back.  From three layoffs across a 30-year career to refusing to shred documents that could have cost him his job, John brings honesty and hard-won perspective to questions most professionals are afraid to ask themselves. He and Jeanne dig into what it means to separate identity from position, why health has to come before hustle, and what really changes when you stop waiting to be chosen.  And in Two Truths & A Lie — John accidentally reveals the answer before Jeanne even has a chance to guess. The real story he hid behind the lie is worth the whole episode.  Guest Bio  John A. Reaves, PhD, is a corporate executive and the author of The Real Promotion — a book for professionals who are ready to stop waiting for permission and start defining success for themselves. After years chasing credentials and titles, he made a pivotal discovery: the most important promotion you'll ever earn is the one no one can give you.   Guest Links  Website: https://www.johnareaves.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-reaves/ YouTube:    Guest CTA  Visit https://johnareaves.com to learn more about The Real Promotion, access career development resources, watch short leadership videos, and connect with John directly.  Who do you know who'd make a great guest for the show? Please let us know. Email: info@projectcandor.com Website:   https://www.projectcandor.com Social Media Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ProjectCandor/ LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectcandor/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/project.candor/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectCandorPodcast

    Don't Fight. Sail On. with Dr. John Reaves | Ship's Log #29

  2. Jul 9

    Held at Gunpoint. Never Surrendered. with Regina Huber | Ship's Log #28

    "Uncertainty and chaos aren't something to avoid — It's where freedom lives, and possibilities multiply."  — Regina Huber  Episode Summary  Regina Huber has lived and worked across five continents — Germany, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, the US, and France — picking up languages, partner dances, and hard-won leadership lessons along the way. In this episode, she sits down with Jeanne Andersen to talk about what it really means to make a bold move, why "reinventing yourself" is a myth, and why your next chapter is already inside you.   Regina talks about leaving a BCG career to open a bed and breakfast in Buenos Aires when the whole city was moving in the other direction, how embodiment and dance have shaped her approach to leadership and presence, and the blind spots she sees again and again in even the most successful leaders. She also makes the case that uncertainty isn't a threat to manage — it's where freedom actually lives.  And then there's the game. Two Truths and a Lie brings three wild headlines from Regina's life: a teenage hitchhiking trip from Bavaria to Amsterdam, a gun pressed to her head in Rio de Janeiro, and years of marathon training cut short just one week before race day. Only two of them happened. Listen to find out which one didn't.   Guest Bio  Regina Huber is a transformational leadership coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who has built her life and career across five continents. She's the founder of Transform Your Performance and creator of the T.H.R.I.V.I.N.G. Leader Formula™, helping leaders and entrepreneurs lead with courage, authenticity, and freedom.   Guest Links  Website:  https://www.transformyourperformance.com  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/reginahuber/  YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@reginahuber  Linktree:  https://transformyourperformance.com/sociallinks  Guest CTA  Ready to ditch outdated leadership paradigms? With my free guide Lead With Edge, you will discover how to shift to making bold moves. The T.H.R.I.V.I.N.G. Leader Formula™ helps you lead with freedom and authenticity, as a thriving leader with a thriving team, so you can stop playing small, break free from unnecessary stress, and create lasting results — without sacrificing your well-being or your team's trust.   CTA Link:  https://transformyourperformance.com/leadwithedge  Who do you know who'd make a great guest for the show? Please let us know. Email: info@projectcandor.com Website:   https://www.projectcandor.com Social Media Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ProjectCandor/ LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectcandor/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/project.candor/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectCandorPodcast

    Held at Gunpoint. Never Surrendered. with Regina Huber | Ship's Log #28

  3. Jul 2

    Can Dementia Be Delayed? with Lisa Skinner | Ship's Log #27

    "They may not recognize your face. They may not know your name — depending on the day. But they will remember for a long time how you made them feel." — Lisa Skinner  Episode Summary  What does it actually mean when a doctor says 'Alzheimer's'? Lisa Skinner has spent 50 years answering that question — first as a teenage granddaughter watching her grandmother describe birds living in her mattress, and later as one of the world's leading dementia behavioral specialists. In this episode, she cuts through five decades of myth and fear with the clarity that only comes from having lived it.  Lisa unpacks the difference between normal aging forgetfulness and the early warning signs that actually warrant concern — and she names the medical conditions (including a UTI) that can look exactly like dementia but are completely treatable. She explains why 62% of primary care physicians are still behind the curve, and why that makes patient self-advocacy more critical than ever. The conversation goes deep on one of the most painful moments in the dementia journey: when a loved one no longer recognizes you — and Lisa's 'light switch' analogy may permanently change the way you understand it.  They also play Two Truths and a Lie — and it turns out Lisa's life has included a pet mountain lion, a near-miss with a rattlesnake, and a hike that may or may not have ended in a lake in Tahoe. Jeanne guesses right.   Guest Bio  Lisa Skinner is a two-time international bestselling author and behavioral specialist with over 30 years of experience in Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. She is a Certified Dementia Practitioner, host of the Truth, Lies & Alzheimer's Show, and an internationally recognized TEDx speaker. She has appeared in Forbes Celebrity Magazine and on the NASDAQ Times Square display.   Guest Links  Website: https://www.dementiaawarenessspeaker.com/ Website: https://www.mindingdementia.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LisaSkinnerAuthor/ X / Twitter: https://x.com/LisaSkinner2015 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaskinnerauthor/ YouTube: Lisa Skinner https://www.youtube.com/@LisaSkinnerOfficial Guest CTA  LEARN MORE about Dementia:  https://www.dementiaawarenessspeaker.com/ https://www.mindingdementia.com/ Who do you know who'd make a great guest for the show? Please let us know. Email: info@projectcandor.com Website:   https://www.projectcandor.com Social Media Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ProjectCandor/ LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectcandor/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/project.candor/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectCandorPodcast

    Can Dementia Be Delayed? with Lisa Skinner | Ship's Log #27

  4. Jun 25

    Steady Hands on the Helm with Jim Carlough | Ship's Log #26

    "The biggest lie in business is that leaders are born that way."  - Jim Carlough Episode Summary What makes someone a leader? According to Jim Carlough, it isn't talent, title, or personality. It's a skill that must be developed over time. In this candid conversation, Jim reflects on the mistakes that shaped him early in his career and the lessons that eventually led him to identify six principles that have guided his leadership approach for decades. As the discussion unfolds, Jeanne and Jim explore what integrity, empathy, and compassion look like in practice. Rather than speaking in theory, Jim shares deeply personal stories about supporting employees through difficult life situations, helping team members navigate uncertainty, and carrying responsibility when others needed stability most. The conversation highlights the often-overlooked human side of leadership and why trust remains the foundation of strong teams. The episode wraps up with a spirited round of Two Truths and a Lie, featuring public office, a celebrity encounter, and one story that sounds just believable enough to be true. It's a fitting end to a conversation filled with wisdom, humor, and a reminder that great leaders are built one decision at a time. Guest Bio Jim Carlough spent more than 30 years transforming teams and developing leaders across organizations of every size. He distilled that experience into The Six Pillars of Effective Leadership - a practical roadmap built on integrity, accountability, and the belief that leadership is earned, not inherited. He is a speaker, strategist, and the author who challenges the biggest lie in business.  Guest Links  Website:  http://www.jimcarlough.com/ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jimcarloughms Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jimcarloughms LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/jimcarloughms X / Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jimcarloughms Who do you know who'd make a great guest for the show? Please let us know. Email: info@projectcandor.com Website:   https://www.projectcandor.com Social Media Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ProjectCandor/ LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectcandor/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/project.candor/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectCandorPodcast

    Steady Hands on the Helm with Jim Carlough | Ship's Log #26

  5. Jun 18

    Full Sails. Full Smiles. with Danny Brassell | Ship's Log #25

    Education is valuable, but execution is priceless.” - Danny Brassell EPISODE SUMMARY   Danny Brassell has delivered more than 3,500 keynotes across four continents, but he didn't start on a stage. He started in the classroom — teaching inner-city kids to love reading in South Central Los Angeles. In this episode of Ship's Log, Danny and Jeanne trace the unlikely journey from Capitol Hill journalist to kindergarten teacher to one of the most in-demand speaking coaches in the world.   Along the way, Danny shares the five lessons he took from a catastrophic real estate loss, why kindergartners are the toughest audience in the world, and what Paul Harvey taught him about how a well-placed story can change an entire room. He breaks down the single biggest mistake most speakers make (too many calls to action), and introduces his guiding principle: choices confuse and cause you to lose.   The episode closes with a Two Truths and a Lie that includes a six-year-old in India who asked Danny if he could succeed — and the story Danny told him that he'd never shared before. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you learn. Danny lives by that line.   GUEST BIO   Danny Brassell is a keynote speaker, trainer, and coach often described as "Jim Carrey with a Ph.D." — with more than 3,500 talks delivered worldwide. He's the author of over 21 books, including Leadership Begins with Motivation and Misfits and Crackpots, and co-founder of WellCrafted Story, where he helps entrepreneurs turn authentic stories into real business growth. He started as an inner-city teacher, and that thread of education and humanity still runs through everything he does.  GUEST CTA  Free Story Guide: http://freeSTORYguide.com  To thank the audience, Danny is offering a complimentary "Storytelling Blueprint: 5 Steps to Craft a Compelling Business Narrative." Learn to identify your core message, connect emotionally with your audience, and structure your story for maximum impact across all platforms. Transform your business story into a powerful asset that drives real engagement and revenue. You're just a well-crafted story away from 7 figures.   GUEST LINKS   Website:  https://www.DannyBrassell.com  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannybrassell/ YouTube:  https://www.YouTube.com/DannyBrassell Facebook:  https://www.Facebook.com/DannyBrassell Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/realDannyBrassell Twitter/X:  https://www.twitter.com/DannyBrassell Who do you know who'd make a great guest for the show? Please let us know. Email: info@projectcandor.com Website:   https://www.projectcandor.com Social Media Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ProjectCandor/ LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectcandor/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/project.candor/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectCandorPodcast

    Full Sails. Full Smiles. with Danny Brassell | Ship's Log #25

  6. Jun 11

    Follow the Money with Albert Butler | Ship's Log #24

    "Accounting is the heartbeat of business and the key to personal finance success."  — Albert Butler  Episode Summary  Albert Butler is a CPA, MBA, and Resident Partner-in-Charge of a national accounting firm — but the conversation in Ship's Log #24 isn't really about accounting. It's about what happens when you treat your own life like a balance sheet. Albert walks Jeanne through the frameworks he's lived by for 25 years — Plan, Act, Review and Train, Practice, Work — and lands on a deceptively simple idea: you have to scale yourself before you can scale anything else.  From there the conversation opens up. Albert shares the origin of his personal mantra — "I can because I will" — born from a back-porch conversation with his father two decades ago, and now the spine of the book he's written for his four children. He talks about being whole on the inside before the world starts pushing on the outside, about why discipline beats motivation every time, and about why most people get stuck in the in-between — that space right before a breakthrough where everything feels hardest.  The episode closes with one of the most quietly powerful Two Truths and a Lie reveals of the show so far. The ICU headline turns out to be a twisted truth — and the story behind it is a tribute to Albert's mother that will sit with you long after the episode ends.    Guest Bio  Albert Butler, CPA, MBA, is the Resident Partner-in-Charge of a national accounting firm, where he has led with integrity, strategy, and purpose for over 25 years. He's a father of four, a youth coach, and the author of LIFE: Truth, Love, Loss, Success & Failure — a book written for fathers, families, and anyone navigating their financial and personal journey. He lives by two principles: accounting is the heartbeat of business, and if you follow the money, you'll find the answers.  Guest Links  Website:  https://albertbutler.com/about/  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/butleralbert/  YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6-wOn2tbc7Pkv0bc58NSQ  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577977890720  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/albertbutlercpa/  Twitter / X:  https://x.com/albertbutlercpa  Book on Amazon:  https://bit.ly/46prpmZ  (LIFE: Truth, Love, Loss, Success & Failure)  Who do you know who'd make a great guest for the show? Please let us know. Email: info@projectcandor.com Website:   https://www.projectcandor.com Social Media Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ProjectCandor/ LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectcandor/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/project.candor/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectCandorPodcast

    Follow the Money with Albert Butler | Ship's Log #24

  7. Jun 4

    Cast Bold. Lead Bright with Mickey Fitch-Collins | Ship's Log #23

    Episode Summary  In this episode of Project Candor, host Jeanne welcomes Mickey Fitch-Collins, PhD — leadership facilitator, speaker, and host of The Learnit Lounge — for a candid conversation about what it takes to lead with both joy and depth. Mickey's story is anything but linear: she was a professional bass fisherman at 14, a college student leader when 9/11 happened, and someone who turned getting fired into a professional turning point.   Mickey and Jeanne dive into the hidden exhaustion of middle managers, the trap of "productivity theater" and the Busy Olympics, and what it really means to build a career on relationships — one at a time. The episode closes with a lively round of Two Truths and a Lie that will surprise you.  Guest Bio Mickey Fitch-Collins, PhD (she/her) is not your average leadership skills facilitator. With a PhD in Leadership in Higher Education and a career that spans academia, educational technology, and corporate training, Mickey brings a collection of L&D "goods, bads, and uglies" to the table.   At Learnit, she specializes in transforming human skills — like communication, empathy, and resilience — into actionable strategies that drive organizational success from the individual outward. From teaching people how to fish (literally), to helping her peers navigate 9/11, to managing diverse teams across various sectors, Mickey's career is a testament to adaptability and authentic leadership.   Her speaking and workshops blend scholarly insight and relatable storytelling with humor and real-world applications. She's the kind of guest who doesn't just share ideas — she sparks conversations that linger long after the episode ends.   Mickey is also the host of The Learnit Lounge podcast.  Website: https://www.learnit.com/mickey  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickeyfitchcollins/  Podcast: The Learnit Lounge: https://www.learnit.com/podcast Free 45-Day TeamPass: https://www.learnit.com/mickey — use code LOUNGE at checkout  Who do you know who'd make a great guest for the show? Please let us know. Email: info@projectcandor.com Website:   https://www.projectcandor.com Social Media Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ProjectCandor/ LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectcandor/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/project.candor/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectCandorPodcast

    Cast Bold. Lead Bright with Mickey Fitch-Collins | Ship's Log #23

  8. May 28

    Every Port a Purpose with Kameelah Howard | Ship's Log #22

    "It is a true honor and gift to be able to assist those people at that moment, at that very time. I believe in divine timing... that always will stay with me - knowing how important it is to always stay in gratitude whenever a person is vulnerable with you, because they don't have to be."  Episode Summary  Kameelah Howard has spent her entire adult life in service to others - as a Child Protective Specialist on the front lines of Brooklyn, as an international flight attendant navigating chaos at 35,000 feet, and as a licensed massage therapist bringing physical relief and human presence to people facing serious illness. In this episode, she shares what the common thread through all of it has always been: the privilege of being trusted with someone else's vulnerability.   Kameelah and Jeanne talk about what it means to truly connect with people - why Kameelah asks "are you calling to vent or for feedback?" before a conversation goes anywhere - and how a toddler's instinct to walk up and down her tired sister's back planted a seed that would take decades to fully bloom. She talks about the friend who let her in at his lowest moment, and what that taught her about what it really means to show up for someone.   Kameelah is now pursuing her Master's in Social Work, with her sights set on medical social work. The catalyst? A Beyonce concert, a morphing dress, and a voice that said - you're going to go back to school. And she did. Two Truths and a Lie settles a question she's been fielding her whole life: just how many sevens does one person's birthday actually need?  Guest Links  LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/kameelah-howard-43183015b  Who do you know who'd make a great guest for the show? Please let us know. Email: info@projectcandor.com Website:   https://www.projectcandor.com Social Media Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ProjectCandor/ LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectcandor/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/project.candor/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectCandorPodcast

    Every Port a Purpose with Kameelah Howard | Ship's Log #22
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Everyone has a story worth telling. On Project Candor, host Jeanne Andersen sits down with entrepreneurs, veterans, educators, creatives, leaders, and everyday people to explore the moments that shaped who they became.  Through thoughtful conversations and our signature Two Truths and a Lie segment, guests share authentic stories filled with unexpected turns, hard-earned lessons, humor, resilience, and hope.  Learn more at ProjectCandor.com

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