Step Wise

Foster Mobley

For over 45 years, Dr. Foster Mobley has had the unique opportunity to guide thousands of leaders from the board room to the locker room. Naturally curious, Foster is now unraveling stories of growth, learning, triumphs, and—more importantly—struggles of leaders in his podcast, Step Wise. This is a series of conversations between Foster and the change agents he admires. Each of these guests has taken their own path to growth and awakening.Learn more about Foster at fostermobleymt.com or follow us on social media.www.instagram.com/fostermobleywww.linkedin.com/in/fostermobleyWe look forward to sharing these fulfilling conversations and the leaders who are a part of them with you soon.Edited and promoted by Zettist: www.zettist.com

  1. Sarabeth Rees on Why Ending Child Trafficking Starts With a Conversation

    1d ago ·  Video

    Sarabeth Rees on Why Ending Child Trafficking Starts With a Conversation

    "It's not going to happen to my niece." That sentence, Sarabeth Rees says, is the most dangerous one we tell ourselves. It feels true, it feels protective, and it is almost always wrong. Sarabeth is the Executive Director of Everstrong (formerly Stolen Youth), a Seattle nonprofit working to prevent the sexual exploitation and trafficking of children through education, empowerment, and advocacy. Before stepping into this role, she spent more than 20 years in corporate strategy and change management, most recently as a Senior Director at PwC advising Fortune 500 leaders around the world. She's served on the board of the Joyful Heart Foundation and previously chaired the board of Haven. In this episode, Foster and Sarabeth talk about: Why the comfortable assumption that "it doesn't happen here" is the exact narrative that keeps trafficking invisible, regardless of zip code, income, or educationWhy Everstrong is moving away from fear-based messaging and the word "trafficking" itself, in favor of "exploitation," a word more people recognize from their own livesA real story about an eight-year-old, a video game chat feature, and the calm, non-punitive conversation that made him feel safe enough to speak upWhy grooming doesn't discriminate, and what it actually looks like in the ordinary, everyday places kids spend time onlineWhat made Sarabeth walk away from a high-powered corporate path to take what she calls her dream job, and what it means to actually live the values you claim to holdThe nonprofit funding myth that drives Sarabeth up a wall (hint: it involves the phrase "eat the scenery") and why underpaying mission-driven people is bad strategy, not virtueA leadership parallel Foster pulls from the conversation about power and silence, and why the same dynamic that silences trafficking victims shows up in boardrooms tooLearn more about Sarabeth's work, download free conversation guides for parents and educators, or get involved at everstrong.org. To find out more, visit our website: Mountain-mule.com Go to ourwholenessatwork.com to learn more. Hosted by Foster Mobley Learn more about Foster at fostermobleymt.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn at Foster Mobley. www.instagram.com/fostermobley https://www.linkedin.com/in/fostermobley/ Produced, Edited, and Promoted by Zettist Additional support from Amber Jillard Consulting Music for Season 3 composed and performed by Philip Aaberg. Courtesy of Sweetgrass Music.

    45 min
  2. Margaret Aitken on What Ten Years Inside the U.S. Senate Taught Her About the Power of Words

    Jun 10 ·  Video

    Margaret Aitken on What Ten Years Inside the U.S. Senate Taught Her About the Power of Words

    Margaret Aitken spent a decade as press secretary to Senator Joe Biden, and what she watched up close wasn't political strategy. It was the quiet, specific way one person could make a room full of strangers feel genuinely heard. She took that education and built a career helping leaders do the same thing, mostly for companies navigating the kind of uncertainty where people stop talking and start making up their own stories. That last part matters. One of the sharpest things Margaret says in this conversation is that silence from leadership isn't neutral. Human beings are wired to fill the blank. And nine times out of ten, what they fill it with is worse than the truth. Her first week working for Biden, she wrote a press release with the phrase "a cadre of concerned citizens." She was proud of it. He crossed it out and wrote "group of people." That lesson that connection isn't about clever words, it's about reaching someone's heart where they actually are, has shaped everything she's done since. Foster and Margaret get into: Why leaders who go quiet during uncertainty make things worse, not saferWhat empathy actually is as a skill: the ability to make someone feel seen and heard, not a personality trait you either have or don'tHow a single word can uplift a room or quietly pull it apartWhat multi-generational teams actually need to hear from their leaders right nowWhy authenticity in leadership writing isn't a style choice, it's the only thing that landsThe narrative leaders tell their teams, and why that story shapes performance more than most people realizeMargaret also writes a Substack worth following. She's unvarnished in it, which is exactly why it resonates. Learn more about Margaret here: https://www.margaretaitken.co/ Follow Step Wise wherever you listen. To find out more, visit our website: Mountain-mule.com Go to ourwholenessatwork.com to learn more. Hosted by Foster Mobley Learn more about Foster at fostermobleymt.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn at Foster Mobley. www.instagram.com/fostermobley https://www.linkedin.com/in/fostermobley/ Produced, Edited, and Promoted by Zettist Additional support from Amber Jillard Consulting Music for Season 3 composed and performed by Philip Aaberg. Courtesy of Sweetgrass Music.

    46 min
  3. Miss Val & Sam Peszek on Coaching, Grit, and Leading Across Generations

    Jun 3 ·  Video

    Miss Val & Sam Peszek on Coaching, Grit, and Leading Across Generations

    Seven NCAA championships. An Olympic silver medal. A breast cancer diagnosis. A torn Achilles. Between them, Valorie Kondos Field and Sam Peszek have racked up more defining moments than most people face in a lifetime. What they've learned from all of it isn't what you'd expect. In this conversation, Foster Mobley sits down with legendary UCLA gymnastics coach Miss Val and Olympic medalist-turned-entrepreneur and NBC broadcaster Sam Peszek for a frank, funny, and genuinely moving discussion about what leadership actually requires. Not the version you read about in business books. The real thing. They cover a lot of ground: why "walk with them" changed how Sam leads, what happens when a safe space becomes an excuse to stop growing, how Val's battle with breast cancer reframed her entire relationship with choice, and why the most effective thing a leader can do is ask better questions instead of giving better answers. There's also a story Sam tells near the end of the episode. About a young gymnast who stayed quiet through an entire session and then said something that stopped everyone cold. It's worth the whole conversation. Topics include leadership development, generational differences in the workplace, building team trust, coaching philosophy, resilience, reverse mentoring, identity after sport, and what it means to lead from a place of purpose rather than fear. Valorie Kondos Field is a Hall of Fame coach, 7x NCAA gymnastics champion, TEDx speaker, and author of "Life Is Short, Don't Wait to Dance." She coached UCLA gymnastics for 29 years without ever having competed as a gymnast herself. Sam Peszek is an Olympic silver medalist, 3x NCAA champion, NBC Olympics commentator, and founder of Beam Queen, a confidence-focused gymnastics training program. Foster Mobley is a leadership advisor, executive coach, and host of Step Wise. His book "Leadersh!t: Rethinking the True Path to Great Leading" is available at fostermobley.com. Links: Foster's website: fostermobley.com Follow Miss Val: @officialmissval Follow Sam Peszek: @samanthapeszek Beam Queen: beamqueengymnastics.com To find out more, visit our website: Mountain-mule.com Go to ourwholenessatwork.com to learn more. Hosted by Foster Mobley Learn more about Foster at fostermobleymt.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn at Foster Mobley. www.instagram.com/fostermobley https://www.linkedin.com/in/fostermobley/ Produced, Edited, and Promoted by Zettist Additional support from Amber Jillard Consulting Music for Season 3 composed and performed by Philip Aaberg. Courtesy of Sweetgrass Music.

    58 min

  4. Apr 22

    Step Wise Is Back: Season 3 Teaser

    Something is different about Season 3. Step Wise has always been about the kind of wisdom that doesn't make the highlight reel. The decisions made at 2am. The moment a coach says the thing nobody else will say. The quiet conversation that changes everything. This season, we're going wider and deeper. The guests coming to Season 3 aren't all from the same boardroom. A coach who built seven national championships by teaching young women to become humans first. An Olympic gymnast figuring out who she is when the sport is over. Executives, emerging leaders, athletes, coaches — people whose wisdom has been earned in completely different rooms, all pointing at the same thing. Everyday wisdom doesn't belong to any one generation. It gets passed between them. Season 3 of Step Wise drops June 3rd. Subscribe now so you don't miss the first episode. fostermobleymt.com/step-wise-podcast Follow Foster:  Instagram: @fostermobley  LinkedIn: fostermobley Subscribe to From the Field, Foster's newsletter on leadership, life, and what's worth your attention: fostermobleymt.com/sign-up Hosted by Foster Mobley Learn more about Foster at fostermobleymt.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn at Foster Mobley. www.instagram.com/fostermobley https://www.linkedin.com/in/fostermobley/ Produced, Edited, and Promoted by Zettist Additional support from Amber Jillard Consulting Music for Season 3 composed and performed by Philip Aaberg. Courtesy of Sweetgrass Music.

    2 min
  5. Dr. Foster Mobley: Honoring Self, Others, and the Organization

    10/15/2025

    Dr. Foster Mobley: Honoring Self, Others, and the Organization

    In this reflective season finale of Step Wise, the mic turns toward our host, Dr. Foster Mobley. Interviewed by Jana Devan, Foster explores what it means to lead with empathy, presence, and wisdom in a world defined by speed and complexity. Together, they unpack the non-negotiables of modern leadership and the best leadership advice, self-awareness, emotional grounding, and authentic connection, and how honoring yourself, others, and your organization can transform results. From reverse mentorship and inter-generational leadership to the discipline of slowing your soul down, Foster offers practical tools and stories that help leaders navigate turbulence with clarity and compassion. Whether you’re a seasoned executive or a rising leader, this episode challenges you to ask the deeper questions: What do I value? How do I listen? And how can I lead from wisdom rather than fear? Key themes: empathy in leadership, mindfulness, honoring relationships, self-awareness, reverse mentorship, multi-generational teams, authentic connection, the role of wisdom in modern leadership. To find out more about Jana Devan visit www.janadevan.com To find out more about Zettist visit www.zettist.com Hosted by Foster Mobley Learn more about Foster at fostermobleymt.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn at Foster Mobley. www.instagram.com/fostermobley https://www.linkedin.com/in/fostermobley/ Produced, Edited, and Promoted by Zettist Additional support from Amber Jillard Consulting Music for Season 3 composed and performed by Philip Aaberg. Courtesy of Sweetgrass Music.

    55 min
  6. Dr. Matt Brubaker: How to Lead Through Change Without Losing Your Humanity

    10/08/2025

    Dr. Matt Brubaker: How to Lead Through Change Without Losing Your Humanity

    What does it take to lead with wisdom in a world that never stops changing? In this episode of Step Wise, Dr. Foster Mobley sits down with Dr. Matt Brubaker, Chairman and CEO of FMG Leading, a premier human-capital firm transforming the healthcare industry through leadership. Together, they explore how modern leaders can stay grounded in their humanity while driving performance in complex, investor-backed environments. Dr. Brubaker shares lessons from his early years in ministry, the burnout that shaped his philosophy of “amplifying light” instead of darkness, and how transparency, humility, and focus have become his greatest tools for guiding both people and organizations through change. The conversation touches on: Finding spiritual and personal balance as a leaderHolding humanity and high performance in tensionGuiding teams through burnout and transformationWhat makes a successful founder-to-CEO transitionHow to build leadership structures that evolve with your organizationIf you’re leading a team, coaching others, or redefining what leadership means in your world, this episode will leave you with practical insight and grounded inspiration for your own journey. Listen to more Step Wise episodes at FosterMobleymt.com  or wherever you get your podcasts. Find out more about Dr. Matt Brubaker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brubaker/ Find out more about FMG Leading on their website: https://fmgleading.com/ Or follow them on social media:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmgleading/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fmgleading/  leadership development, executive coaching, organizational culture, healthcare leadership, FMG Leading, Dr Matt Brubaker, Dr Foster Mobley, leadership wisdom, authentic leadership, founder transitions, burnout prevention, business transformation, leadership mindset, leadership podcast Hosted by Foster Mobley Learn more about Foster at fostermobleymt.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn at Foster Mobley. www.instagram.com/fostermobley https://www.linkedin.com/in/fostermobley/ Produced, Edited, and Promoted by Zettist Additional support from Amber Jillard Consulting Music for Season 3 composed and performed by Philip Aaberg. Courtesy of Sweetgrass Music.

    52 min
  7. Mark Eckhardt: Leading Through Conflict and Complexity

    10/01/2025

    Mark Eckhardt: Leading Through Conflict and Complexity

    Conflict isn’t something to avoid—it’s something to understand. In this episode of Step Wise, Dr. Foster Mobley sits down with Mark Eckhardt, co-founder and CEO of Common and founder of 1 Million Truths, to explore what it means to lead in a time when every system around us is changing. Mark shares how neuroscience and conflict science reveal the hidden pressures leaders face today, why self-awareness and presence are essential, and how his work has helped reduce polarization—even during the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Together, they discuss practical tools leaders can use to navigate complexity, the inner work required to show up fully, and the importance of moving adjacent to conflict rather than tackling it head on. This conversation offers a rare window into the mindset of a global conflict mediator, Buddhist priest, and entrepreneur who has mentored over 1,700 leaders worldwide. 🎧 Tune in to learn why emotional regulation, reflection, and connectedness may be the most important skills a leader can develop today. To learn more about Mark, visit these links:  https://common.is/https://www.onemilliontruths.com/linkedin.com/in/mark-hamilton-eckhardt-98a770linkedin.com/company/one-million-truths-llc/Hosted by Foster Mobley Learn more about Foster at fostermobleymt.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn at Foster Mobley. www.instagram.com/fostermobley https://www.linkedin.com/in/fostermobley/ Produced, Edited, and Promoted by Zettist Additional support from Amber Jillard Consulting Music for Season 3 composed and performed by Philip Aaberg. Courtesy of Sweetgrass Music.

    1h 8m
  8. Jim Fielding: On Clarity, Courage, and Compassion in Leading

    09/24/2025

    Jim Fielding: On Clarity, Courage, and Compassion in Leading

    Jim Fielding has spent more than three decades leading some of the world’s most iconic brands—Disney, DreamWorks, and 20th Century Fox. Today, he’s an author, speaker, coach, and host of the Jim Fielding & Friends podcast. In this conversation with Dr. Foster Mobley, Jim reflects on his journey from corporate executive to solopreneur, sharing the wisdom he’s gained along the way. Together, they explore themes from Jim’s book, All Pride, No Ego: A Queer Executive’s Journey to Living and Leading Authentically, and discuss what leadership requires in these unpredictable times. From “controlling the controllables” to leaving space for the possible, Jim offers a fresh perspective on the skills leaders need now: clarity, courage, compassion, and above all—humanity. If you’re navigating change, balancing authenticity with resilience, or wondering what it takes to lead in today’s complex world, this episode is for you. Purchase Jim Fielding's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Moments-Truth-Lessons-Leading-Authentically/dp/1394165285 Or, listen to his podcast: https://www.hijimfielding.com/jim-fielding-friends-podcast Hosted by Foster Mobley Learn more about Foster at fostermobleymt.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn at Foster Mobley. www.instagram.com/fostermobley https://www.linkedin.com/in/fostermobley/ Produced, Edited, and Promoted by Zettist Additional support from Amber Jillard Consulting Music for Season 3 composed and performed by Philip Aaberg. Courtesy of Sweetgrass Music.

    43 min
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About

For over 45 years, Dr. Foster Mobley has had the unique opportunity to guide thousands of leaders from the board room to the locker room. Naturally curious, Foster is now unraveling stories of growth, learning, triumphs, and—more importantly—struggles of leaders in his podcast, Step Wise. This is a series of conversations between Foster and the change agents he admires. Each of these guests has taken their own path to growth and awakening.Learn more about Foster at fostermobleymt.com or follow us on social media.www.instagram.com/fostermobleywww.linkedin.com/in/fostermobleyWe look forward to sharing these fulfilling conversations and the leaders who are a part of them with you soon.Edited and promoted by Zettist: www.zettist.com

Information

  • Creator
    Foster Mobley
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Step Wise
  • Show Website
    Step Wise

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