The Ripple Effect Podcast with Steve Harper

Steve Harper
  • 4.9 (34)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Semimonthly

Welcome to The Ripple Effect Podcast with Steve Harper, where the power of connection, building better relationships, and creating a positive impact on the world take center stage. Join us on a transformative journey as we explore the profound effects that small actions can have on individuals, communities, and the global community as a whole. At the heart of The Ripple Effect Podcast is the belief that every action we take creates a ripple that spreads far beyond its initial impact. Hosted by the insightful and inspiring Ripple Man himself, Steve Harper, this podcast delves deep into the art of creating meaningful connections and fostering relationships that have the potential to change lives. Steve Harper, a renowned thought leader, entrepreneur, and relationship expert, guides listeners through thought-provoking conversations with a wide array of talented guests. Each episode is a treasure trove of wisdom and insights from individuals who have made a significant difference in their respective fields. Whether it's renowned authors, visionary entrepreneurs, celebrated artists, or social change-makers, The Ripple Effect Podcast welcomes guests who have harnessed the power of their actions to create positive waves across society. Listeners gain invaluable perspectives on topics such as personal growth, leadership, mindfulness, innovation, and social impact. The Ripple Effect Podcast is a platform for genuine and heartfelt conversations that delve beyond surface-level dialogue. Through these engaging discussions, Steve Harper and his guests explore the deeper layers of human connection, vulnerability, and authenticity. The podcast inspires listeners to reflect on their own relationships and consider how they can make a difference in the world through intentional actions. Listeners will come away from each episode feeling empowered and motivated to create their own ripples of change. The Ripple Effect Podcast offers practical advice, actionable strategies, and real-life examples of individuals who have transformed their lives by embracing the power of connection and building better relationships. Tune in to The Ripple Effect Podcast with Steve Harper and embark on a journey of personal growth, transformation, and making a positive impact on the world. Prepare to be inspired, uplifted, and challenged as you discover the incredible potential that lies within each and every one of us to create a ripple effect of change.

  1. 1d ago

    The One Thing Your Competition Can Never Buy or Copy (The Ripple Effect Podcast ft. Joe Fusco)

    Here's a question I want you to think about before you hit play. When was the last time you felt like the work you were doing actually mattered? Not mattered as in the numbers went up or the boss was happy. Mattered in that way where you finished a day and felt genuinely full rather than just done. Most of us have forgotten what that feels like. Or maybe we never had it to begin with. This conversation goes deep on that. My guest Joe Fusco and I got into what actually makes a company great, why people don't fit in a spreadsheet no matter how hard we try to make them, and what it really means to lead in a way that brings out the best in the people around you. We talked about AI coming for the people business, why capitalism is at an inflection point, and an analogy involving Newtonian versus quantum physics that completely reframed the way I think about connection and networking. And then we got into retirement, which in Joe's world looks nothing like what most people picture. It's less about slowing down and more about finally having the freedom to point everything you've built toward something that actually matters to you. This one's a slow burn in the best possible way. Stay with it. More About the Guest For 28 years until his retirement in 2022, Joe Fusco was a senior executive with a publicly-traded mid-cap company, where he served as an advisor to the chairman and CEO. Joe has spoken frequently to companies and organizations on leadership, organizational culture, business and cultural trends, and business strategy and sustainability. He's been engaged as a speaker by groups and companies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Credit Union National Association, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Telecommunications Association of the Southeast. He is currently the co-host of "Retirement Unscripted," a regular series of conversations exploring the design of that next stage of life through a lens of freedom, creativity, wisdom, and identity. Joe is on the board of Internality, a non-profit corporation dedicated to engaging an expanding coalition of business leaders, academics, and other key stakeholders in catalyzing a systemic rework of how business is conducted and how the economy works. He is also an advisor and teacher in the University of Vermont's top-ranked Sustainable Innovation MBA program, and advises senior executives on leadership, culture, and strategy in an array of industries from hospitality to clean energy. Joe lives in Chittenden, Vermont with his wife, Renae. They are the parents of five grown children. Ripple with Joe Fusco LinkedIn Tune in to Retirement Unscripted Catch Joe Fusco's Graduation Ripple sessions in The Pond community. More About the Host Steve Harper is the founder of Ripple Central and host of The Ripple Effect Podcast, where he explores what it really takes to build authentic, meaningful relationships. He also owns Owner Insite, a construction project management software company. Steve runs The Pond, a community built around intentional connection and 8-Minute Ripple events. Ripple with Steve Harper: Instagram Facebook X

  2. Aug 18

    Hurricane Katrina at 21: The Story the Media Never Fully Told featuring Sandy Rosenthal

    Most of us have been there in some form or another. You know the truth. You can see it. You can feel it. And everywhere you look, the official version of events tells a completely different story. The institutions say one thing. The media repeats it. Slowly, the narrative everyone keeps hearing becomes the narrative everyone starts to believe, even when it is wrong. Sandy Rosenthal refused to let that happen. Twenty-one years ago, when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and the floodwaters rose and swallowed whole neighborhoods and displaced hundreds of thousands of people, the country was told the same story over and over again. New Orleans was overwhelmed by a massive natural disaster. What Sandy knew, and what she spent the next two decades of her life proving, is that what happened in New Orleans was not simply an act of nature. It was the result of catastrophic failures in a federally designed and constructed flood protection system, and the Army Corps of Engineers worked hard to make sure that story never got out. This conversation hit me in a way I was not fully prepared for. The story of how one ordinary person with nothing but determination and the internet stood up against a powerful federal agency and eventually changed a national narrative is exactly the kind of Ripple story I started this podcast to tell. Watch this one to the end. You will not regret it. More About the Guest After Hurricane Katrina and the catastrophic federal levee failures in New Orleans, Sandy Rosenthal founded Levees.org, a nonprofit that has grown to 25,000 supporters nationwide. Her book, Words Whispered in Water, tells the story of how she exposed the true culprit behind the disaster, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and how the agency spent millions covering up its own mistakes. Sandy lives in New Orleans with her husband of 47 years. They have three married children and two grandchildren. When she is not holding federal agencies accountable, she plays tennis five days a week and practices advanced yoga. Ripple with Sandy Rosenthal: Website X Facebook LinkedIn Instagram YouTube Get a copy of Sandy's book Words Whispered in Water: https://www.wordswhisperedinwater.com/   More About the Host Steve Harper is the founder of Ripple Central and host of The Ripple Effect Podcast, where he explores what it really takes to build authentic, meaningful relationships. He also owns Owner Insite, a construction project management software company. Steve runs The Pond, a community built around intentional connection and 8-Minute Ripple events. Ripple with Steve Harper: Instagram Facebook X Website Subscribe to the newsletter: https://ripplecentral.com/subscribe Be a Patron: https://patreon.com/SteveHarper Join The Pond: https://ripplecentral.com/pond Speaking and coaching inquiries: info@ripplecentral.com

  3. Aug 4

    Pressure-Proof Leadership with Claire Hayek (The Ripple Effect Podcast)

    Be honest. When's the last time you actually felt calm, not just looked calm? Because those are two very different things, and most of us have gotten so good at faking the second one that we forget what the first one even feels like. You handle the hard conversation. You keep your voice steady in the meeting that's falling apart. You hold it together for everyone else in the room. And then later, alone in your car or lying awake at night, it all comes flooding back. That gap between performing calm and actually being calm is something my guest today has spent her entire life studying, first as a matter of survival, and later as her life's work. Claire Hayek is an engineer, a musician, a TEDx speaker, and someone who's spent decades inside high-pressure environments long before she ever had language for what was happening to her under the surface. In this conversation, we get into pressure-proof leadership, why habituation and resilience get confused all the time, even though they are not the same thing, and what she calls common authority, that steady presence that holds up even when everything around you isn't. Huge thanks to Claire for such an open, generous conversation. Her book, Calm Under Fire: The Leadership Skill No One Taught You, comes out this September, and you're going to want to be first in line. clairehayek.com/books Free Resources for You If you're a leader looking to reset your own relationship with pressure, grab Claire's free Pressure Reset Scripts at clairehayek.com/reset If you're leading a team and want a clearer read on where pressure is quietly costing you, check out the free Pressure and Performance Scorecard at clairehayek.com/pp-scorecard More About the Guest Claire Hayek is a Neuroleadership expert, TEDx speaker, and founder of Mind. Soul. Purpose. Teambuilding. She is the creator of Pressure-Proof Leadership™, a neuroscience-based framework that helps leaders and organizations maintain clarity, resilience, and performance in high-pressure environments. For more than 30 years, she has operated in high-pressure environments, from growing up in war-torn Lebanon to engineering and executive leadership. Her work examines how sustained pressure shapes the human nervous system, identity, performance, and how high performers can harness drive without letting it quietly erode clarity, health, or voice. Ripple with Claire Hayek: Website LinkedIn Instagram X Threads Facebook Bluesky Substack More About the Host Steve Harper is the founder of Ripple Central and host of The Ripple Effect Podcast, where he explores what it really takes to build authentic, meaningful relationships. He also owns Owner Insite, a construction project management software company. Steve runs The Pond, a community built around intentional connection and 8-Minute Ripple events. Ripple with Steve Harper: Instagram Facebook X Website Subscribe to the newsletter: https://ripplecentral.com/subscribe Be a Patron: https://patreon.com/SteveHarper Join The Pond: https://ripplecentral.com/pond Speaking and coaching inquiries: info@ripplecentral.com

  4. Jul 21

    Is Your Survival Brain Leading Your Team? (The Ripple Effect Podcast ft. Dr. Annie Campanile)

    Most of us have spent years learning how to communicate better. Better words, better models, better frameworks. And yet somehow the same conflicts keep happening, the same conversations keep getting avoided, and the same people keep making the room tense the moment they walk in. Dr. Annie Campanile has a different theory about why, and it starts somewhere most leadership training never goes. Watch to learn what's actually driving workplace conflict beneath the surface, why the protective patterns you developed as a kid are probably still showing up in your leadership today, and what your nervous system is doing in the split second before you open your mouth in a difficult conversation. We also discuss the four fundamentals of drama-free communication, what it really takes to have high-stakes conversations without your own survival response getting in the way, and why calm might be the most underrated leadership skill nobody is teaching right now. This one goes deep. Worth every minute. More About the Guest Dr. Annie Campanile is a trauma-informed executive coach, author, and host of Drama Free Teams, the podcast for leaders who care deeply and want their teams to thrive without sacrificing themselves or losing sleep over interpersonal drama at work. With over two decades of experience in healthcare leadership and executive coaching, Annie helps senior leaders and clinicians move beyond communication scripts and complicated models to address what is really driving workplace conflict: the survival responses that unconsciously erode trust, fuel burnout, and keep teams stuck in drama. Ripple with Dr. Annie Campanile: Website LinkedIn Podcast: Drama Free Teams Before you go, grab Dr. Annie's free Drama Free Leadership Starter Kit at anniecampanile.com/drama-free-leadership-starter-kit. It is exactly the kind of practical, no-fluff resource this conversation deserves a follow-up from. More About the Host Steve Harper is the founder of Ripple Central and host of The Ripple Effect Podcast, where he explores what it really takes to build authentic, meaningful relationships. He also owns Owner Insite, a construction project management software company. Steve runs The Pond, a community built around intentional connection and 8-Minute Ripple events. Ripple with Steve Harper Instagram Facebook X Website

  5. Jul 16

    Honest Thoughts on Surviving Online Hate (The Ripple Effect Podcast ft. Ileana Garcia: Part Two)

    If you listened to Part 1, you already know Ileana Garcia doesn't hold back. Part 2 goes somewhere I honestly didn't expect when we sat down to record it. We start with something that still visibly stings a little: the Wall Street Journal feature that was supposed to be a proud moment for her and instead turned into something else entirely. Ileana walks me through what actually happened behind that headline, and by the end of that story, I understood exactly what her brother meant when he called it "engagement by enragement." Ileana tells me about the anonymous accounts that stitched her videos together just to mock her, the men who show up in her comments for no reason other than cruelty, and the moment she almost shut her whole account down over it. What struck me most wasn't the hate itself, it was how clearly she's learned to tell the difference between the comments that are actually about her and the ones that are really about whoever's typing them. But this conversation isn't only about what's hard. Ileana opens up about why she's stayed close with her ex-husband, and why that friendship makes complete sense to her even when it confuses everyone else. And she shares a little about her new relationship, and what it's like to build something new while an audience is watching the whole thing unfold. If Part 1 was about the decision to leave, this one is about everything that gets rebuilt in the years after. Ileana's as funny and as unguarded here as she was in Part 1, maybe even more so. If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, start there first, then come back for this one. Ripple On!!! More About the Guest Ileana Garcia is the creator behind Illy in the Streets on TikTok, where she's built a following of over 50,000 by talking openly about what life actually looks like after leaving a long marriage. Featured in The Wall Street Journal, her content covers the parts most people go through quietly: the agonizing decision itself, navigating friends and family, guilt and sadness, untangling finances, and the slow work of reinvention and reflection. She's just as candid about what comes after, from dating again to building new relationships, and doesn't shy away from talking about the internet hate that comes with putting your life online. Before entering content creation, Ileana spent her career in enterprise sales, and it shows in the way she naturally tells a story. Ripple with Ileana Garcia: TikTok More About the Host Steve Harper is the founder of Ripple Central and host of The Ripple Effect Podcast, where he explores what it really takes to build authentic, meaningful relationships. He also owns Owner Insite, a construction project management software company. Steve runs The Pond, a community built around intentional connection and 8-Minute Ripple events. Ripple with Steve Harper Instagram Facebook X Website

  6. Jul 14

    What Dating Looks Like After 50 (The Ripple Effect Podcast ft. Ileana Garcia)

    Have you ever had that moment where you realize the life you built isn't actually the one you want anymore? Today's guest knows that feeling better than almost anyone I've talked to on this show. Ileana Garcia (you probably know her as Illy in the Streets on TikTok) has spent the last few years turning her gray divorce and everything that followed into some of the most honest and funniest content out there. If you've ever gone through a divorce after 50, or you're staring down starting over at 50 and wondering if you have it in you, this conversation is going to feel like sitting across from a friend who already walked the road you're on. We talk about what it actually looks like to date after divorce when you haven't done it in decades (spoiler: it's a whole new world out there). We get into how she's managed to stay friends with her ex, which honestly might be the part of her story that surprises people the most. And we don't skip past the hard stuff either, because being a content creator in this space means dealing with online criticism that most people never see behind the videos. What I love most about Ileana is that she never tried to build some polished, curated version of herself online. She just showed up as she is, funny and a little chaotic and completely unfiltered, and that authentic social media approach is exactly why people can't get enough of her. We talk about what pushed her to leave a whole career in sales behind for this, what that career change to content creator actually felt like in the messy middle, and whether she ever saw any of this coming. If you've ever wondered whether you could rebuild your friendships, your confidence, or your whole sense of self after everything falls apart, stick around for this one. Ileana's story might just be the permission slip you didn't know you needed. More About the Guest Ileana Garcia is the creator behind Illy in the Streets on TikTok, where she's built a following of over 50,000 by talking openly about what life actually looks like after leaving a long marriage. Featured in The Wall Street Journal, her content covers the parts most people go through quietly: the agonizing decision itself, navigating friends and family, guilt and sadness, untangling finances, and the slow work of reinvention and reflection. She's just as candid about what comes after, from dating again to building new relationships, and doesn't shy away from talking about the internet hate that comes with putting your life online. Before entering content creation, Ileana spent her career in enterprise sales, and it shows in the way she naturally tells a story. Ripple with Ileana Garcia: TikTok More About the Host Steve Harper is the founder of Ripple Central and host of The Ripple Effect Podcast, where he explores what it really takes to build authentic, meaningful relationships. He also owns Owner Insite, a construction project management software company. Steve runs The Pond, a community built around intentional connection and 8-Minute Ripple events. Ripple with Steve Harper Instagram Facebook X Website

  7. Jun 30

    An AI That Answers Leads Before You Even Wake Up (The Ripple Effect Podcast ft. Austin Willman)

    If you run a business and have ever lost a customer because you didn't call them back fast enough, this one is going to sting. A lead comes in, life happens, and by the time someone picks up the phone, that customer has already booked with whoever responded first. My guest, Austin Willman, built his entire business around fixing that exact problem. He started in door-to-door solar sales, learned the home services world from the ground up, and turned that experience into an AI voice agent that helps contractors and roofers respond to leads the moment they come in, rather than 2 days later. But this conversation goes way beyond business. We also talked about second degree connections, mirror neurons, what kindness actually does to your brain, and why the smallest gesture you make today might matter more than you think. More About the Guest Austin Willman works with agency owners who've outgrown doing everything themselves but aren't ready to lose control or quality. He has interviewed over 80 marketing leaders and agency owners on his podcast, E-Coffee with Experts. Combined with a year of managing Neil Patel and Eric Siu's private agency owner community, Austin has his finger on the pulse of agency operations. His perspective centers on outcomes, relationships, and building pragmatic processes. Ripple with Austin Willman Instagram: @introtoaustin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-willman Business Website: https://www.digitalwebsolutions.com/who-we-are/ Slingshot: https://www.willman.ventures/speedtolead More About the Host Steve Harper is the founder of Ripple Central and host of The Ripple Effect Podcast, where he explores what it really takes to build authentic, meaningful relationships. He also owns Owner Insite, a construction project management software company. Steve runs The Pond, a community built around intentional connection and 8-Minute Ripple events. Ripple with Steve Harper Instagram: http://instagram.com/rippleon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rippleon X: https://twitter.com/rippleon Website: http://www.ripplecentral.com The Pond: https://ripplecentral.com/pond To inquire about Steve's availability for conference keynotes, corporate training, or performance coaching, please contact info@ripplecentral.com. Want to go even deeper? Check out our Substack and Patreon for exclusive content and behind-the-scenes insights. And if you are ready for something more immersive, our Ripple Connect + Grow coaching program is a full year of community, coaching, and accountability designed to help you build more meaningful relationships and create an even bigger Ripple out there in the world. Substack: https://rippleon.substack.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SteveHarper Ripple Connect + Grow: https://ripplecentral.com/connect-grow-coaching

  8. Jun 16

    Your Phone Is Making You Lonely (The Ripple Effect Podcast ft. Julie Sands)

    You already know the feeling. You put your phone down after an hour of scrolling and somehow feel more drained than before you picked it up. Maybe you're in a room full of people you love, and everyone's looking at their screen instead of each other. Maybe you've been quietly wondering if the way you've been living and connecting is actually working for you anymore. If any of that sounds familiar, this conversation is going to feel like coming up for air. I brought Julie Sands back into The Ripple Effect Podcast, and I'll be honest with you: time completely disappeared during this one. Julie is one of the most curious, well-read, and genuinely giving people I have ever had the pleasure of calling a friend. And her story alone is worth the listen. She started her career as an architect, then moved into project management, public works administration, and business development for a construction cooperative. But every single transition she has made has been driven by one thing: a deep commitment to understanding people and helping them show up as their best selves. She is an author, podcast host, and entrepreneur, and she recently became a chapter leader for Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA), an organization dedicated to raising awareness about the very thing we talk about in this episode. That is not a coincidence. That is Julie living out exactly what she believes. We got into what the research actually says about what makes people happy (and it is probably not what most of us spend our days chasing), why doom scrolling is quietly reshaping the way we relate to the people right in front of us, and what it really looks like to pursue meaningful relationships in a world that is designed to keep you distracted. We also touched on something I think a lot of people in that halftime stage of life are feeling but not saying out loud: the quiet question of what you actually want to do with the time you have left. What lights you up? What have you been putting off? What does your real purpose look like now that some of those earlier pressures have started to lift? Julie is also running two podcasts, working on a book, and the way her brain connects ideas is something you genuinely have to hear for yourself. Come hang out with us. You will not regret it. Want to go even deeper? Check out Patreon for exclusive content and behind-the-scenes insights. And if you are ready for something more immersive, our Connect + Grow Ripple coaching program is a full year of community, coaching, and accountability designed to help you build more meaningful relationships and create an even bigger Ripple out there in the world. Links below. Ripple On!!! Dive into Julie Sands' first interview on The Ripple Effect Podcast: https://youtu.be/Q5mfnER_nbA Ripple with Julie Sands Listen to Gearshift Gab Julie also started making earrings as a fundraiser so her son could go on a mission trip to Jamaica with their church. In three weeks, without posting a single thing on social media, she sold over 1,000 pairs! She sold them out of her purse to friends and acquaintances. No ad spend, just genuine human connection doing what it does best. You can check out her awesome collections here: https://jewelsbyjules.net Ripple with Steve Harper Instagram: http://instagram.com/rippleon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rippleon X: https://twitter.com/rippleon Website: http://www.ripplecentral.com

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About

Welcome to The Ripple Effect Podcast with Steve Harper, where the power of connection, building better relationships, and creating a positive impact on the world take center stage. Join us on a transformative journey as we explore the profound effects that small actions can have on individuals, communities, and the global community as a whole. At the heart of The Ripple Effect Podcast is the belief that every action we take creates a ripple that spreads far beyond its initial impact. Hosted by the insightful and inspiring Ripple Man himself, Steve Harper, this podcast delves deep into the art of creating meaningful connections and fostering relationships that have the potential to change lives. Steve Harper, a renowned thought leader, entrepreneur, and relationship expert, guides listeners through thought-provoking conversations with a wide array of talented guests. Each episode is a treasure trove of wisdom and insights from individuals who have made a significant difference in their respective fields. Whether it's renowned authors, visionary entrepreneurs, celebrated artists, or social change-makers, The Ripple Effect Podcast welcomes guests who have harnessed the power of their actions to create positive waves across society. Listeners gain invaluable perspectives on topics such as personal growth, leadership, mindfulness, innovation, and social impact. The Ripple Effect Podcast is a platform for genuine and heartfelt conversations that delve beyond surface-level dialogue. Through these engaging discussions, Steve Harper and his guests explore the deeper layers of human connection, vulnerability, and authenticity. The podcast inspires listeners to reflect on their own relationships and consider how they can make a difference in the world through intentional actions. Listeners will come away from each episode feeling empowered and motivated to create their own ripples of change. The Ripple Effect Podcast offers practical advice, actionable strategies, and real-life examples of individuals who have transformed their lives by embracing the power of connection and building better relationships. Tune in to The Ripple Effect Podcast with Steve Harper and embark on a journey of personal growth, transformation, and making a positive impact on the world. Prepare to be inspired, uplifted, and challenged as you discover the incredible potential that lies within each and every one of us to create a ripple effect of change.

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