Problem Solved Podcast

Problem Solved Podcast
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It can be messy and overwhelming to solve thorny problems. Where do you start? How do you know where to look for information and how to evaluate its quality? How can you feel confident that your making the right decision for you? Life is filled with uncertainty so the Problem Solved Podcast is here to help you get to the future better!

Episodes

  1. 10/20/2025

    Founding a School: What It Really Takes

    What would it take for you to decide that your community’s problem is yours to solve? Listen to this episode of the Problem Solved Podcast and hear how Debra Stern went from mother to founder to start Mount Vernon, New York’s first charter school. In this episode you’ll learn: One person’s path to turn passion into reality How to stay focused on what really matters when the odds are against you How tackling a major decision can change the way you see yourself   https://www.areamethod.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Debra-Stern-Episode-Final-.mp3   For more about Debra: Dr. Debra Stern is a passionate educator, researcher, and social worker with over two decades of experience in education and community leadership. As the Founder and Executive Director of Amani Public Charter School in Mount Vernon, NY, she has dedicated her career to advancing educational equity and creating opportunities for all students to thrive. Under her leadership, Amani has become a high-performing institution that has served its community for 15 years. Dr. Stern’s academic credentials include a BS from Cornell University, an MS from The College of New Rochelle, an ED.M from Teachers College, Columbia University, an MSW from New York University, and an EdD from American University. Building on her extensive educational background, her doctoral research, “Forty Acres and a School: How Black Charter School Founders Can Disrupt the Impact of Segregation on Black Children,” reflects her commitment to educational equity and provides a framework for establishing schools as vehicles for racial empowerment. Prior to founding Amani, Dr. Stern held various positions in Higher Education Administration, including Assistant Director of Student Activities at the College of New Rochelle and Associate Director of Residential Life and Director of Pre-College Programs at Barnard College. She also served as an Adjunct Professor in Social Work at Concordia College. Throughout her career, Dr. Stern has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to community service. She served as a member of the Mount Vernon Public Library Board of Trustees and was the Founding President of the Mount Vernon Public Library Foundation. Her dedication to education extended to parent advocacy, where she served as President of the Mount Vernon PTA Council for two years. In Pelham, her home community, she has contributed as a past member of the Pelham Education Foundation and served on the Board of Education’s Cultural Competence Committee. Her regional impact extends to Bronxville, where she served as a board member for Young at Arts, an arts educational organization. She has also been a long-time member and leader of Mocha Moms, a support group for mothers of color, where she has been past Westchester Chapter President and is now the Network Director for the Mothers of Adult Children Network. As an engaged Cornell University alumna, Dr. Stern has held numerous leadership positions within the Cornell alumni community, including serving on the board of Cornell MOSAIC, the Cornell Alumni Advisory Board, and various roles with the Cornell Class of 1987. She currently serves as the chair of the Cornell University Council, where she works to strengthen connections among alumni. A lifelong Westchester, New York resident, Dr. Stern has been married to her husband Charles for 35 years. Together they have three children: Veronica, Ella, and Quincy. Outside of her professional endeavors, she maintains an active interest in community engagement, enjoys reading, and is an enthusiast of theater and Broadway shows.  *** Need help with decision-making? Pick up a copy of Cheryl’s new book Problem Solver and reach out to Decisive! Sign up for coaching, workshops, or have Cheryl come speak to your organization by emailing Cheryl at cheryl@areamethod.com. Cheryl can customize a workshop for your company, or she offers one-day or three-day in-person workshops and a month long, once a week webinar. Follow Cheryl on LinkedIn The post Founding a School: What It Really Takes appeared first on THE AREA METHOD.

    19 min

  2. 08/06/2025

    The Power of Awkward

    Who hasn’t felt awkward from time to time? On this episode of the Problem Solved Podcast, speaker and author of the book Good Awkward, Henna Pryor, joins us to share why being awkward is authentic and an attribute of successful people. Listen now and learn: How awkwardness factors into decision-making What ‘social fitness’ is and why is it important What a “bias buddy’ is and how to thwart common assumptions https://www.areamethod.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Henna-Pryor-Final.mp3   More about Henna: Henna Pryor, is a sought-after Workplace Performance Expert who speaks and writes about performance mindset, interpersonal dynamics, high-impact communication, and embracing bumps in a world that keeps optimizing for smoothness. In addition to her passion for sparkly new research, she’s a regular Expert Columnist for Inc. Magazine, 18x award-winning author of Good Awkward, and an in-demand global keynote speaker. Her clients call her their “secret weapon for impossible change,” an honor she wears proudly. In addition to speaking for TEDx and SXSW, and being frequently tapped by media outlets like WSJ, Business.com, FastCompany, INSIDER, HuffPost, NBC, FOX, and more, she’s been named a SUCCESS Magazine Woman of Influence and her book was named a Kirkus Reviews’ Best Book of the Year. *** Need help with decision-making? Pick up a copy of Cheryl’s new book Problem Solver and reach out to Decisive! Sign up for coaching, workshops, or have Cheryl come speak to your organization by emailing Cheryl at cheryl@areamethod.com. Cheryl can customize a workshop for your company, or she offers one-day or three-day in-person workshops and a month long, once a week webinar. Follow Cheryl on LinkedIn The post The Power of Awkward appeared first on THE AREA METHOD.

    21 min

  3. 07/15/2025

    How Lee Daniels Told James Baldwin’s Story

    In this month’s episode of the Problem Solved Podcast, I sit down with former New York Times and Washington Post reporter Lee Daniels to talk about his extraordinary career writing “the first draft of history.” Daniels co-wrote  Jackie Robinson: A Memoir with Jackie’s widow Rachel Robinson and wrote the New York Times obituary for the civil right’s activist James Baldwin. If you’ve ever wondered how great journalists do their craft and make the decisions that lead to powerful storytelling, this episode is for you! Listen to the episode and learn: How to sum up a big life How journalists approach their subjects to humanize them and share their stories Making decisions about research, interviews and crafting narratives https://www.areamethod.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Lee-Daniels-Final-Podcast-.mp3   More about Lee Daniels: From the 1970s to the early 1990s Lee A. Daniels’ was a  reporter for WGBH-TV in Boston, a reporter and editorial writer for The Washington Post and a  reporter the New York Times. He spent another decade as editor of the National Urban League’s The State of Black America, and subsequently was founding editor of TheDefendersOnline.com, the blog of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. For several years, he contributed an opinion column to the National Newspaper Publishers Association and to the online publication, Emerge.com.  Daniels collaborated with Rachel Robinson on Jackie Robinson: An Intimate Portrait, (1996) her memoir of her life with the baseball great; and with Vernon E. Jordan, Jr. on a collection of his speeches, Make It Plain: Standing Up and Speaking Out (2008). More recently, he collaborated with John E. Jacob —  who succeeded Jordan as head of the Urban League in 1982 and led it through the Reagan and Bush 41 presidencies — on his just-published memoir, I Will Fear No Evil.  Daniels also contributed an essay on Martin Luther King, Jr. to Africa’s Peacemakers: Nobel Peace Laureates of African Descent (2014) and an essay on Malcolm X / El Hajj Malik El Shabazz for The Pan-African Pantheon: Prophets, Poets and Philosophers (2020) Daniels is the author of Last Chance: The Political Threat to Black America (2008). Lee A.  Daniels was born in Chicago and grew up there and in Boston. He is a graduate of the Boston Latin School and a 1971 graduate of Harvard College.  *** Need help with decision-making? Pick up a copy of Cheryl’s new book Problem Solver and reach out to Decisive! Sign up for coaching, workshops, or have Cheryl come speak to your organization by emailing Cheryl at cheryl@areamethod.com. Cheryl can customize a workshop for your company, or she offers one-day or three-day in-person workshops and a month long, once a week webinar. Follow Cheryl on LinkedIn The post How Lee Daniels Told James Baldwin’s Story appeared first on THE AREA METHOD.

    1h 3m

  4. 06/11/2025

    Talk Smart: The Art Of Crucial Conversations

    Have you ever worried about having an important but difficult conversation with someone? Most of us have had that experience where we’ve wanted to have a crucial conversation but were unsure of how to do it well. In this episode of the Problem Solved Podcast Emily Gregory, the co-author of the book Crucial Conversations counsels us on how to do navigate those moments with clarity and confidence. It’s an interview you won’t want to miss —and might listen to over and again! https://www.areamethod.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Emily-Gregory-Final.mp3   Listen now and learn: How to prepare for a crucial conversation? How to manage emotions when the stakes are high? How to be clear and honest even when it isn’t easy.   More about Emily Emily Gregory is coauthor of Crucial Conversations and a Crucial Learning master trainer who has helped thousands of organizations such as Intel, Yahoo, and the Mayo Clinic achieve new levels of success. Emily holds a Medical Doctorate degree from the University of Utah and a Master of Business Administration from the Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young University. A dynamic speaker, Emily has spent her career identifying and leveraging behaviors crucial to effective living and leading.   *** Need help with decision-making? Pick up a copy of Cheryl’s new book Problem Solver and reach out to Decisive! Sign up for coaching, workshops, or have Cheryl come speak to your organization by emailing Cheryl at cheryl@areamethod.com. Cheryl can customize a workshop for your company, or she offers one-day or three-day in-person workshops and a month long, once a week webinar. Follow Cheryl on LinkedIn The post Talk Smart: The Art Of Crucial Conversations appeared first on THE AREA METHOD.

    40 min

  5. 05/19/2025

    Behind the Brand: Lessons from Kim Kaupe on Building Success

    If you’ve wanted to learn about marketing, building your brand or just hear from a fabulous female entrepreneur, join us on this month’s Problem Solved Podcast to learn from Kim Kaupe, founder of Bright Ideas Only! Kim works with A-listers such as Paul McCartney, Oprah, the NY Mets and Shawn Mendes to create marketing programs, new revenue streams and branding. Tune in and learn: How to build a strong brand? What’s it like to be on Shark Tank? What to do when a client isn’t satisfied to still sleep at night? Listen now: https://www.areamethod.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Kim-Kaupe-Final.mp3   Kim Kaupe is a partner in a fan engagement agency, Bright Ideas Only, working with A-listers such as Paul McCartney, Oprah, the NY Mets and Shawn Mendes to create marketing programs, new revenue streams and branding. Her latest obsession is transferring that same blueprint to business owners, executives and leaders garnering her the praise of corporate clients such as American Express, YPO, EO, TEDx and LinkedIn. You might recognize her voice from ABC’s, Shark Tank, from her role as a judge in the 2019 Miss USA pageant live, or from social media. Previously she was named to Inc.’s 35 Under 35, Advertising Age’s 40 Under 40 and Forbes 30 Under 30. *** Need help with decision-making? Pick up a copy of Cheryl’s new book Problem Solver and reach out to Decisive! Sign up for coaching, workshops, or have Cheryl come speak to your organization by emailing Cheryl at cheryl@areamethod.com. Cheryl can customize a workshop for your company, or she offers one-day or three-day in-person workshops and a month long, once a week webinar. Follow Cheryl on LinkedIn The post Behind the Brand: Lessons from Kim Kaupe on Building Success appeared first on THE AREA METHOD.

    33 min

  6. 04/15/2025

    Russian Twist: Author Charles Hecker & Russia’s Zero Sum Business Equation

    One of the most common concerns we get from leaders making high stakes decisions is how to navigate uncertainty. In this episode of the Problem Solved Podcast we welcome Charles Hecker, a longtime risk advisor in Russia and author of the new book ZERO SUM: The Arc of International Business in Russia as he shares what he’s learned about doing business in a country that offers big opportunity amid a backdrop of an unstable economic and political environment.  Listeners will learn about: Taking calculated risks in business Making decisions when there is a lack of trust Knowing how to look for signs of problems that should cause your company to consider changing its strategy Listen now: https://www.areamethod.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Charles-Hecker-Final-1.mp3 More about Charles: Charles Hecker has spent forty years travelling and working in the Soviet Union and Russia. He has worked as a journalist at The Miami Herald and The Moscow Times, and as a geopolitical risk consultant at Control Risks, where he was a partner in the firm.  Hecker is a regular contributor to Monocle Radio and has offered expert commentary on Times Radio, CNN, the BBC, CNBC and Bloomberg TV, among others. A fluent Russian speaker, he currently resides in East London. You can learn more at www.charleshecker.com  Need help with decision-making? Pick up a copy of Cheryl’s new book Problem Solver and reach out to Decisive! Sign up for coaching, workshops, or have Cheryl come speak to your organization by emailing Cheryl at cheryl@areamethod.com. Cheryl can customize a workshop for your company, or she offers one-day or three-day in-person workshops and a month long, once a week webinar. Follow Cheryl on LinkedIn The post Russian Twist: Author Charles Hecker & Russia’s Zero Sum Business Equation appeared first on THE AREA METHOD.

    33 min

  7. 03/27/2025

    Selling Your Business With Confidence

    So many of us nowadays look up to entrepreneurs –or we are one ourselves. When it comes time to pass the torch and to sell the business, what do we need to know to get the most value from what we’ve built? On this episode of the the Problem Solved Podcast, author and entrepreneur David McCombie shares his tips and advice from his newly released book, Selling Your Business with Confidence. Listen and learn: How can a business owner evaluate the potential value of their business before beginning the sales process? What steps can owners take today to improve their business’s value and salability? Selling a business is often deeply personal and emotional—how can owners prepare themselves for the psychological challenges? Listen now: https://www.areamethod.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/David-Wrigglesworth-Final.mp3 David McCombie is Founder and CEO of McCombie Group, an M&A advisory firm that improves, grows, and sells mid-market companies. He is author of the newly released book, Selling Your Business with Confidence (Wiley).   A veteran dealmaker, he has personally negotiated billions in transaction value and has been recognized for setting record valuations. Unique amongst advisors, he is a passionate entrepreneur and has also successfully led various private equity investments himself.  He currently serves as Membership Officer of the YPO Miami Chapter. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School and the University of Miami. *** Need help with decision-making? Pick up a copy of Cheryl’s new book Problem Solver and reach out to Decisive! Sign up for coaching, workshops, or have Cheryl come speak to your organization by emailing Cheryl at cheryl@areamethod.com. Cheryl can customize a workshop for your company, or she offers one-day or three-day in-person workshops and a month long, once a week webinar. Follow Cheryl on LinkedIn The post Selling Your Business With Confidence appeared first on THE AREA METHOD.

    41 min

  8. 02/05/2025

    The 5 Questions That Lead To Better Outcomes

    Sometimes the best way to identify good solutions is to know the right questions to ask. On this episode of the Problem Solved Podcast, we’re thrilled to have Arnaud Chevalier, Professor of Strategy at Switzerland’s IMD, who is a world-class expert on asking great questions. He recommends five types of questions to ask during strategic decision-making: investigative, speculative, productive, interpretive, and subjective. The goal: To arrive at great solutions! Learn: Five different ways to ask strategic questions How to use the questions to be a better problem solver Why using the 5 question framework can create a more curious culture Listen now: https://www.areamethod.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Arnaud-Chevallier-Final-1.mp3   To learn more, check out his HBR article The Art of Asking Smarter Questions. About Arnaud: Arnaud Chevallier is professor of strategy at IMD. His work prepares executives to manage the strategic challenges that organizations face in today’s dynamic global marketplace by integrating empirical findings from various disciplines into concrete tools to improve decision-making and problem solving. At IMD, Arnaud is the director of the Global Management Foundations program—a core component of the executive MBA—the master of science in sustainable management and technology offered jointly with EPFL and the Université de Lausanne, and various other IMD programs. His latest book, Solvable, co-written with Albrecht Enders provides concrete ideas to manage complex challenges. His research has appeared in various journals, including MIT Sloan Management Review, Harvard Business Review, and I by IMD. He has consulted with numerous organizations, including the ICRC, Shell, SAP, Lenovo, Novo Nordisk, Statkraft, Cisco, and Tetra Pak. Prior to his work at IMD, Arnaud served in the provost office at Rice University from 2011 to 2018 and as the graduate dean of the University of Monterrey from 2003 to 2010. Before joining academia, Arnaud worked in Accenture’s strategy and business architecture division out of London. A French and US citizen, Arnaud has lived and worked in France, Mexico, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland. He holds a BS and ME in mechanical engineering from the Université de Versailles and a MS and a PhD in mechanical engineering from Rice University. When not solving complex problems, he’s usually swimming, biking, or running. *** Need help with decision-making? Pick up a copy of Cheryl’s new book Problem Solver and reach out to Decisive! Sign up for coaching, workshops, or have Cheryl come speak to your organization by emailing Cheryl at cheryl@areamethod.com. Cheryl can customize a workshop for your company, or she offers one-day or three-day in-person workshops and a month long, once a week webinar. Follow Cheryl on LinkedIn The post The 5 Questions That Lead To Better Outcomes appeared first on THE AREA METHOD.

    24 min

  9. 01/14/2025

    Problem Solved Podcast: Empathy In Action with Sharon Steed

    What is empathy in action? Our guest on the Problem Solved Podcast is an expert in the topic. Sharon Steed, an international keynote speaker, author and founder of Communilogue, a corporate empathy and communications consultancy, is a subject matter expert on empathy. Empathy is key in decision-making because to truly solve our problems we need to include other people and perspectives for holistic problem solving. In this episode, listeners will learn: How vulnerability breeds empathy How empathy invites vulnerability Why these two characteristics lead to great teamwork Listen Now: https://www.areamethod.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Sharon-Steed-Final.mp3   Sharon’s bio: Sharon Steed is an international keynote speaker, author and founder of Communilogue, a corporate empathy and communications consultancy. Sharon is a subject matter expert on empathy at work. She has spoken at companies and conferences from various industries in 18 countries spanning four continents on improving team communication and collaboration through engaging empathy; vulnerability as a professional asset; and has given a TEDx talk on empowering insecurities. A lifelong stutterer, she uses her speech impediment to both teach what empathy is and inspire audiences to engage in empathy actions daily. An author and course instructor for O’Reilly Media, Inc., her eBook “Empathy at Work” is available in the O’Reilly library. Sharon’s course “Communicating With Empathy” has over 800,000 views and is available on LinkedIn *** Need help with decision-making? Pick up a copy of Cheryl’s new book Problem Solver and reach out to Decisive! Sign up for coaching, workshops, or have Cheryl come speak to your organization by emailing Cheryl at cheryl@areamethod.com. Cheryl can customize a workshop for your company, or she offers one-day or three-day in-person workshops and a month long, once a week webinar. Follow Cheryl on LinkedIn The post Problem Solved Podcast: Empathy In Action with Sharon Steed appeared first on THE AREA METHOD.

    37 min

  10. 12/10/2024

    Problem Solved Podcast: Step Into Success: Michael Gelb’s Guide to Walking Well

    There is a famous proverb: Every great journey starts with a single step. This month’s Problem Solved Podcast guest can ensure that your steps lead to better success! Michael Gelb, a fifth-degree black belt in aiKIdo and author of seventeen books, including the international bestseller How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, speaks to us about his newest book titled Walking Well, A New Approach To Comfort, Vitality, And Inspiration In Every Step. In this episode you will learn how to use walking to: Discover more comfort and vitality Be more creative & innovative Become a more effective leader Define & achieve your goals Listen now: https://www.areamethod.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Michael-Gelb-Final-.mp3   More about Michael: Michael J. Gelb is a pioneering practitioner and thought leader in the fields of creative thinking, executive coaching and conscious leadership, He is the author of 18 books including How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci, BodyLearning: An Introduction to the Alexander Technique and The Healing Organization: Awakening the Conscience of Business to Help Save the World.    Michael’s books have been translated into 25 languages and have sold more than one million copies. In 1999 Michael received the “Brain-of-the-Year” award from the Brain Foundation, other winners include Stephen Hawking, Garry Kasparov and Bill Gates. In 2003 Michael received a Batten Fellowship in Innovation from The University of Virginia and co-directed the acclaimed Leading Innovation Seminar at the Darden Graduate School of Business for more than 10 years. In 2020 he was invited to become a Senior Fellow of the Center for Humanistic Management at Fordham’s Gabelli School of Business. In 2021 Michael was invited to become a member of the MG100 Executive Coaches group.  Michael is also a master teacher of the Alexander Technique, aikido and qigong and a professional juggler who performed with the Rolling Stones. *** Need help with decision-making? Pick up a copy of Cheryl’s new book Problem Solver and reach out to Decisive! Sign up for coaching, workshops, or have Cheryl come speak to your organization by emailing Cheryl at cheryl@areamethod.com. Cheryl can customize a workshop for your company, or she offers one-day or three-day in-person workshops and a month long, once a week webinar. Follow Cheryl on LinkedIn The post Problem Solved Podcast: Step Into Success: Michael Gelb’s Guide to Walking Well appeared first on THE AREA METHOD.

    39 min
  • 10 Episodes

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

It can be messy and overwhelming to solve thorny problems. Where do you start? How do you know where to look for information and how to evaluate its quality? How can you feel confident that your making the right decision for you? Life is filled with uncertainty so the Problem Solved Podcast is here to help you get to the future better!

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