The Hollow Bunny Leadership Podcast Kristen Ziman and Sylvia Moir

Jessica Nowaski is a retired Deputy Police Chief from the Mountain View Police Department, where she spent 25 years. After stepping down from her post in 2021, she began Athena Leadership Coaching, which provides organizational leadership coaching and group training to help businesses, executives, and professionals achieve more effective communication skills. Jessica earned her master's degree in leadership from St. Mary's College, which included an emphasis on coaching and facilitation. 

Fresh off the summit of Mount Kilmanjaro, Michael Pooley joins Kristen and Sylvia on the Hollow Bunny podcast. From his humble beginnings in a family of sheep herders living in a trailer on a Native American reservation, he has risen through the ranks to become the Chief of Police with the Apache Junction Police Department. Hear how his family's personal experience with the police has helped him become an officer his father can be proud of. Chief Pooley exemplifies leading from the heart and treating everyone with dignity. 

Kristen and Sylvia reunite after a four month break from the podcast.
One has been free loading and the other will not date someone who has a
weird gait. That and much more in episode 17 of the Hollow Bunny
Leadership Podcast.

Kristen and Sylvia discuss mentors and tormentors, with a heavy emphasis on the former. They both believe that organic mentorships are better than mentorship programs, and sometimes when trying to reach out to a potential mentor, you have to be prepared to eat humble pie. Tormentors are building brick walls in front of you. Find the strength and find a friend who will help you go around, climb, or dig under that wall, but always focus on the goal and not the obstacle. Also, learn what the most important question is after you've agreed to donate a kidney. Thanks for listening!

Sylvia and Kristen have some thoughts upon their return from being co-presenters at a conference with the LA Women Police Officers and Associates. They talk about the messages they shared and what they hoped resonated with the 800 women "and a sprinkle of dudes" who were there. Kristen big-times us with a reference to an "Ivy League study" that shows the number one regret people have at the end of their lives is that they were not true to themselves but were beholden to the expectations of others. They talk about how important it is not to compete with others - that you should be competing with yourself, leading to another gem of a quote from Sylvia: "Comparison is the thief of joy." You'll even hear how Kristen manages her response to a social media troll. 

In this episode, Kristen talks about a moment during a recent presentation when a former officer experienced a moment of PTSD and how his peers responded. Also, KZ and Sylvia discuss the tragedy in Memphis when police officers beat Tyree Nichols to death. What happened in those officers’ brains to cause their violent actions, and how can departments train to avoid similar tragedies. It’s a heavy episode but an important conversation.