The Bold Lounge

Leigh Burgess
  • 5.0 (24)
  • BUSINESS

Everyone has a bold story, and every story is important. This podcast presents bold stories that will inspire and enable you to free your own boldness. There is a continuum of boldness where each of these stories belongs. From true vulnerability and service to making the tough choices and taking the big leap, each episode will feature an extraordinary journey of hope and perseverance. So tune in and take your seat at The Bold Lounge, the place where bold stories are freed. 

  1. 2D AGO

    Tom Hardin: The Bold Side of Redemption

    Send a text About This Episode In this honest and thought-provoking episode, Tom Hardin, known publicly as Tipper X, opens up about the choices, pressures, and personal struggles that led to his role in Wall Street’s biggest insider trading scandal. He shares how ambition, insecurity, and the quiet rationalizations that happen in high-pressure environments can slowly pull someone off course. Tom also reflects on the consequences that followed, from working with the FBI in their investigation to facing the impact on his family and reputation, and what it took to rebuild his life through truth, accountability, and service. This conversation offers powerful insight into ethics, leadership, culture, and the kind of boldness it takes to choose integrity when it matters most.   About Tom Hardin Tom Hardin is a former hedge fund analyst who became one of the FBI’s most significant insider-trading cooperators during the government’s sweeping investigation into Wall Street corruption. Known publicly as “Tipper X,” he wore a wire for the FBI and helped expose widespread misconduct in the hedge fund industry. He is the author of "Wired on Wall Street," a firsthand account of ambition, ethical erosion, and the hidden pressures of the corporate world.   Additional Resources Website: tipperx.com Instagram: @iamtipperx_ LinkedIn: @TomHardin Support the show -------- Stay Connected www.leighburgess.com Watch the episodes on YouTube Follow Leigh on Instagram: @theleighaburgess Follow Leigh on LinkedIn: @LeighBurgess Sign up for Leigh’s bold newsletter

    47 min

  2. FEB 26

    Fiona Macaulay: The Bold Comeback- Turning Failure Into Strategy

    Send a text  Content Warning: description of panic attack  About This Episode In this powerful conversation, award-winning social entrepreneur and women’s leadership expert Fiona Macaulay reframes failure as strategic data, not personal defeat. From leading a global network of 25,000 purpose-driven leaders to serving as the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Georgetown University, Fiona shares practical tools to tame perfectionism, navigate the messy middle, and turn setbacks into momentum. We explore her five failure types, the neuroscience behind small steps and confidence rebuilding, and her 3G Framework (Ground, Gather, Go) to help leaders re-enter the arena with clarity and courage. Whether you are recalibrating, recovering, or simply ready for more, this episode will help you move forward with intention, strategy, and true boldness.   About Fiona Macaulay Fiona M. Macaulay is an award-winning social entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and author who helps Fortune 500 and social impact leaders transform failure into competitive advantage through resilience and strategic risk-taking. A women's leadership expert, she is founder and CEO of the Women for Impactful Leadership Development Network (WILD), connecting 25,000 leaders across 100 countries, and serves as Professor and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business. She has advised JP Morgan, McKinsey, and Microsoft. Recognized among the top 1 percent of U.S. women entrepreneurs, her work has been featured in The New York Times and O, The Oprah Magazine. Fiona lives in Washington, DC, with her husband and daughters.   Additional Resources  LinkedIn: @FionaMacaulay  X: @F_Macaulay  Instagram: @wildinnovators  Support the show -------- Stay Connected www.leighburgess.com Watch the episodes on YouTube Follow Leigh on Instagram: @theleighaburgess Follow Leigh on LinkedIn: @LeighBurgess Sign up for Leigh’s bold newsletter

    45 min

  3. FEB 13

    Jane Zimmer: Bold Beauty- Turning Moments into Meaning

    Send a text About This Episode In this episode, we sit down with Jane Zimmer, founder of Z’Est, to explore how bold, intentional living transforms ordinary moments into meaningful rituals. Blending leadership, creativity, art, gathering, wellness, and everyday beauty, Jane shares a practical system for clarity, connection, and joy. From go-to hosting tips to the power of handwritten notes to deepen relationships, the message is clear: start small and notice the beauty already around you. Tune in to hear how these intentional acts can help you create lasting beauty and a life you truly want to live.   About Jane Zimmer Jane Zimmer is the founder of Z’Est, a lifestyle brand and philosophy centered on intentional living. Grounded in four pillars: art, gathering, health and wellness, and finding a little beauty in every day, Jane invites people to pause, notice what is already around them, and transform ordinary moments into meaningful rituals. Drawing on her extensive senior-level experience in business, operations, and client strategy, she blends creativity with leadership to help others cultivate clarity, balance, and purpose. Through her artwork, cards, bespoke gifting, and gathering expertise, Jane brings Z’Est to life as a creative brand that curates experiences like the Z’Est Brushstrokes Workshop, connections through her Gathering Table Membership, limited edition watercolor card collections, commissioned one of kind watercolor art and bespoke gifting experiences that are designed to honor the art of daily living.   Additional Resources Website: zesthere.com Instagram: @zest.here3 Pinterest: @ALittleBeautyEveryday LinkedIn: @JaneZimmer Support the show -------- Stay Connected www.leighburgess.com Watch the episodes on YouTube Follow Leigh on Instagram: @theleighaburgess Follow Leigh on LinkedIn: @LeighBurgess Sign up for Leigh’s bold newsletter

    38 min

  4. FEB 6

    Rebecca Hinds: Built for Efficiency- A Bold Approach to Meetings

    Send a text About This Episode This episode rethinks meetings from the ground up with organizational behavior expert Dr. Rebecca Hinds. Instead of accepting packed calendars as productive, the conversation reframes meetings as products that should be intentionally designed to create decisions, healthy debate, development, and real progress. Using product design principles, you’ll learn how to cut meeting overload, move status updates to async tools, and use simple structures and signals to measure whether a meeting is truly worth the time. The result is a bold new way to collaborate: fewer, shorter, sharper meetings that improve focus, decision quality, and human connection at work.   About Rebecca Hinds Rebecca Hinds is the author of Your Best Meeting Ever. She is a leading expert on organizational behavior and the future of work. She holds a BS, MS, and PhD from Stanford University. Rebecca founded the Work Innovation Lab at Asana and the Work AI Institute at Glean, first-of-their-kind corporate think tanks dedicated to conducting cutting-edge research on the future of work.   Additional Resources Website: rebeccahinds.com LinkedIn: @RebeccaHinds Support the show -------- Stay Connected www.leighburgess.com Watch the episodes on YouTube Follow Leigh on Instagram: @theleighaburgess Follow Leigh on LinkedIn: @LeighBurgess Sign up for Leigh’s bold newsletter

    44 min

  5. JAN 22

    Jessica Weiss: Happy is the New Bold Strategy

    Send a text About This Episode In this episode, Jessica Weiss, positive psychology expert, speaker, and author of Happiness Works: The Science of Thriving at Work, explores why real happiness at work is not a perk but a system you can design. From her first TEDx talk to reshaping Fortune 500 cultures, Jessica shares how bold leadership is rooted in authenticity, trust, and psychological safety. We unpack the five pillars of durable happiness, challenge common myths about happiness, and offer simple, evidence-based practices you can use immediately to build energy, connection, and meaningful momentum in life and at work.   About Jessica Weiss With a background in positive psychology and over 15 years of experience in corporate leadership, Jessica Weiss brings a unique blend of scientific research and practical business acumen to her work. She has helped Fortune 500 companies, tech startups, and everything in between to cultivate thriving workplace cultures that drive success. Witnessing firsthand the toll of stress and burnout on both individuals and organizations, she became passionate about finding a better way to achieve success without sacrificing well-being. This led her to pursue advanced studies in positive psychology and develop her groundbreaking “Happiness, Works.” methodology. Today, Jessica is a sought-after speaker, bestselling author, and trusted advisor to leaders who understand that happy employees are the key to a flourishing business.   Additional Resources Website: jessicaweiss.com LinkedIn: @JessicaWeiss Instagram: @thejessicaweiss  Support the show -------- Stay Connected www.leighburgess.com Watch the episodes on YouTube Follow Leigh on Instagram: @theleighaburgess Follow Leigh on LinkedIn: @LeighBurgess Sign up for Leigh’s bold newsletter

    38 min

  6. JAN 15

    Margaret Andrews: Managing with Intention- A Bold Approach to Leadership

    Send a text About This Episode The most powerful leadership breakthroughs often come from clarity, not new strategy. In this conversation with executive educator and author Margaret C. Andrews, we explore a grounded, human approach to leadership that begins with self-understanding and translates intention into visible, credible results. Margaret shares how pivotal feedback sparked a Harvard course and her new book, Manage Yourself to Lead Others: Why Great Leadership Begins with Self-Understanding, which reframes growth from the inside out, along with practical tools to align values, priorities, and leadership style. Through reflection, real stories, and actionable prompts, this episode offers a clear path to closing the gap between who you are and how you lead. About Margaret Andrews Margaret C. Andrews is a seasoned executive, academic leader, speaker, and instructor. She has created and teaches a variety of leadership courses and professional and executive programs at Harvard University and is the founder of the MYLO Center, a private leadership development firm. Her clients include Amazon, Citi, Continental, Walmart, Wayfair, and the United Nations. She lives in Brookline, Massachusetts.   Additional Resources Website: margaretandrews.com LinkedIn: @MargaretCAndrews  Support the show -------- Stay Connected www.leighburgess.com Watch the episodes on YouTube Follow Leigh on Instagram: @theleighaburgess Follow Leigh on LinkedIn: @LeighBurgess Sign up for Leigh’s bold newsletter

    35 min

  7. JAN 8

    Traci Channer: Bold Enough to Begin

    Send a text Content Warning: mention of miscarriage, adoption journey, mention of anxiety and panic attack About This Episode Founder Traci Channer shares how searching for elevated tween loungewear for her daughter sparked The Decided Collection and fulfilling a lifelong dream to start her own company. She opens up about leaving the corporate world, learning the fashion industry from scratch, and the resilience shaped by entrepreneurship. Traci offers a grounded look at building a growing community early and taking action before everything feels perfect. If you are on the cusp of a change, her story is a reminder to start small, stay curious, and take the next bold step.   About Traci Channer Traci Channer’s journey began with a dream she carried since childhood: to one day start her own company. Though she did not always know what shape that dream would take, everything changed in 2021 when she made the bold decision to leave corporate America to spend more time with her young daughter. That decision would become the spark behind The Decided Collection. As her daughter grew, so did her sense of style—and the two found it increasingly difficult to find pajamas that felt age-appropriate for Traci and stylish enough for her daughter. Everything felt either too young or too grown-up. Traci quickly realized there was a gap in the market—and she knew she was the one to fill it. Today, Traci is the founder of The Decided Collection, and she could not be more excited to be building her dream alongside a community of inspiring female entrepreneurs.   Additional Resources Website: decidedco.com Instagram: @thedecidedcollection LinkedIn: @TraciChanner Support the show -------- Stay Connected www.leighburgess.com Watch the episodes on YouTube Follow Leigh on Instagram: @theleighaburgess Follow Leigh on LinkedIn: @LeighBurgess Sign up for Leigh’s bold newsletter

    41 min

  8. 12/25/2025

    Muriel Wilkins: The Bold Belief Shift Every Leader Must Make

    Send a text About This Episode In this episode, we talk with Muriel Wilkins, CEO, C-suite advisor, executive coach, and author of Leadership Unblocked, about how unexamined beliefs can quietly limit leadership impact. Muriel shares the patterns she sees most often in senior leaders, reframes confidence as the willingness to step into uncertainty, and explains how intuition can complement data in decision-making. We also explore vulnerability as clear seeing rather than oversharing, how to lead effectively in misaligned work cultures, and a simple first step to get unblocked by examining your role in the discomfort and choosing a more intentional path forward. If you’re a curious, ambitious leader ready to scale your impact without losing yourself, tune in for helpful reframes, relatable stories, and tools you can use right away.   About Muriel Wilkins Muriel M. Wilkins, founder and CEO of Paravis Partners, is a sought-after C-suite adviser and executive coach with a twenty-year track record of helping senior leaders take their performance to the next level. She is the author of Leadership Unblocked: Break Through the Beliefs That Limit Your Potential and coauthor of Own the Room: Discover Your Signature Voice to Master Your Leadership Presence. Muriel is the host of the Harvard Business Review podcast Coaching Real Leaders, consistently ranked as a top-ten podcast in Apple's Management category. She was recently shortlisted for the 2025 Thinkers50 Coaching and Mentoring Award.   Additional Resources Website: murielwilkins.com Instagram: @CoachMurielWilkins LinkedIn: @MurielWilkins  Support the show -------- Stay Connected www.leighburgess.com Watch the episodes on YouTube Follow Leigh on Instagram: @theleighaburgess Follow Leigh on LinkedIn: @LeighBurgess Sign up for Leigh’s bold newsletter

    41 min
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5
out of 5
24 Ratings

About

Everyone has a bold story, and every story is important. This podcast presents bold stories that will inspire and enable you to free your own boldness. There is a continuum of boldness where each of these stories belongs. From true vulnerability and service to making the tough choices and taking the big leap, each episode will feature an extraordinary journey of hope and perseverance. So tune in and take your seat at The Bold Lounge, the place where bold stories are freed. 

Information

  • Creator
    Leigh Burgess
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    192
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Bold Lounge
  • Show Website
    The Bold Lounge