The Wake Up Eager Podcast

Suzie Price The Wake Up Eager Podcast
  • 5.0 (13)
  • Management
  • Updated Biweekly

Helping leaders, trainers and consultants, who are focused on employee selection and professional development build a Wake Up Eager Workforce. Best practices, resources, guidance, encouragement, motivation and inspiration for building energy, commitment and communication in organizations.

  1. 3d ago

    2026 Tip # 5 Nicole Williams - Mini Episode

    The Wake Up Eager Podcast

  2. Aug 4

    Wired to Connect: How Strong Couples Stop Missing Each Other with Kathy Rushing

    Relationship coach Kathy Rushing shares practical ways ambitious couples can recognize unhealthy patterns, communicate through conflict, understand their different wiring, and remain connected when work and life become demanding.   TOP 3 TAKEAWAYS 1. Stop looking for the person to blame and start recognizing the dance. Most couples develop a recurring pattern in which each person's response triggers the other person's next move. Kathy compares it to a dance: sometimes couples move together beautifully, and sometimes they repeatedly step on each other's toes. The breakthrough comes when couples learn to say, "There's that dance again," instead of deciding that one person is the problem. Naming the pattern creates enough distance to interrupt it and choose a different response. 2. Listening requires more than remaining quiet. Kathy introduces the speaker-listener technique as a simple but powerful way to work through difficult conversations. The speaker uses "I" language: "I think…" "I feel…" "I observed…" "I need…" "I want…" The listener then has three responsibilities: Mirror: Repeat what you heard without adding your own interpretation. Identify the emotion: Name what the person may be feeling. Validate: Show why the response makes sense from that person's perspective. Validation does not mean agreement. It means communicating, "I hear you, I see you, and I understand why this affected you." 3. A strong relationship needs intentional maintenance. Love alone does not prevent couples from drifting. Work pressure, parenting, life transitions, stress, and different communication styles can slowly consume the time and energy a relationship needs. Kathy encourages couples to establish small rhythms of connection rather than waiting for a crisis. A weekly 20- to 30-minute conversation can help couples anticipate the week ahead, discuss personal and professional needs, express appreciation, and ask for support before resentment builds.   KEY QUOTES "The quality of your relationships is your wealth." "Validation is not the same as agreement." "We're not trying to find who is at fault. We're trying to recognize the dance." "We assume everybody sees the world the way we do." "The things that initially draw us to another person are often the things that later become an irritation." "Home is not work. I'm not in charge of all these people. These are people who want to be known and seen." "I just want to be more present with the people I love." "What is it like to be married to me right now?" "I can't fix the stress in your life, but I am here for you." "You don't have to sacrifice your marriage, your family, or your own life for the sake of a business." "It doesn't just work out. It works because we practice intentionality." "Don't assume your marriage is in a good place. Take time to look under the hood."   PRACTICAL APPLICATION Try a 20-Minute Relationship Check-In Set aside 20 minutes this week when neither person is distracted, rushed, or already upset. Ask each other: 1.      What is on your plate this week that I need to know about? 2.      What are you feeling excited, concerned, or overwhelmed about? 3.      What do you need from me this week? 4.      Is there something I have done recently that made you feel supported? 5.      Is there one thing we could do differently to feel more connected? 6.      What is one thing you appreciate about me right now? Do not use the conversation to solve every problem. Listen, mirror what you heard, name the feeling, and validate your partner's experience before offering ideas. Use the Speaker-Listener Technique When discussing a difficult subject: The speaker: ·       Uses "I" language. ·       Stays with one topic. ·       Explains their experience rather than assigning motives. ·       Speaks for no more than five to ten minutes. The listener: ·       Mirrors what they heard. ·       Identifies the emotion. ·       Validates the other person's perspective. ·       Asks whether they understood correctly. Once the speaker feels heard, switch roles. Create a Transition from Work to Home Before walking through the door, pause and remind yourself: "I'm home now. Home is not work. I do not need to direct, correct, or solve everything. I want to be present with the people I love." The transition might include three quiet minutes in the car, a short walk, several deep breaths, or putting the phone away before entering the house. Ask the Courageous Question Ask your spouse or partner: "What is it like to be in a relationship with me right now?" Listen without defending yourself. The goal is not to agree with every detail. The goal is to understand the other person's current experience.   ABOUT THE GUEST Kathy Rushing is a relationship coach, former licensed marriage and family therapist, and the founder of Lodestar Relationship Coaching. Drawing on more than 30 years of professional experience and more than four decades of marriage to a serial entrepreneur, Kathy helps couples—particularly entrepreneurial and high-achieving couples—strengthen communication, navigate demanding seasons, and build lasting connection. Kathy combines relationship expertise with practical tools, including DISC and relationship assessments, to help couples better understand themselves and each other. Her work focuses on helping people align life, love, and work without losing themselves—or each other—along the way.   FULL SHOW NOTES

    Wired to Connect: How Strong Couples Stop Missing Each Other with Kathy Rushing

  3. Jul 28

    It Shouldn't Be This Hard: The Truth About Right People, Right Seats (SOLO Episode)

    Suzie shares a personal lesson about placing good people in the wrong roles and introduces a practical five-part Job Fit model and the REV process for turning chronic workplace friction into clarity, accountability, and momentum.   TOP 3 TAKEAWAYS 1. A good person can still be in the wrong seat. Commitment, loyalty, kindness, and effort do not automatically equal job fit. Someone can care deeply and still lack the experience, motivation, natural strengths, judgment, or personal skills that the role requires. 2. Job fit includes five distinct areas. Suzie's car analogy provides a practical way to examine the whole fit between a person and a role:        Roads Traveled and Future Plans: Background, experience, track record, and where the person wants to go.        Where They Are Parked: The culture, pace, standards, leadership, and working environment.        How They Drive: DISC behaviors and preferred communication style.        Gas in the Tank: Motivators and what naturally gives the person energy.        Under the Hood: Personal skills, acumen, judgment, accountability, resiliency, self-management, and other capabilities. Assessments provide valuable information about three of these areas, but experience and culture must also be evaluated through conversations, work samples, references, expectations, and actual evidence. 3. Use REV before deciding someone is in the wrong seat. When work feels harder than it should, leaders can use the REV process:        R — Remove Obstacles: Determine whether unclear processes, inadequate tools, insufficient training, conflicting priorities, or leadership actions are interfering with performance.        E — Establish Expectations: Clearly define the most important priorities, what success looks like, what must change, and how progress will be evaluated.        V — Verify Fit: Observe whether the person takes ownership, adjusts, improves, and creates momentum—or whether the same problems continue.   KEY QUOTES "The issue isn't that this person is a bad person. The issue is that this person was a good person in the wrong seat." "When fit is right, work creates momentum. When fit is wrong, work creates friction." "Leaders confuse commitment with fit." "If you feel relieved when someone is not involved, that is data." "Healthy challenge builds strength. Chronic friction drains energy." "Vagueness is not kind. Clarity is kind." "Accountability is not unkind. Expectations are not unkind. Honest conversations are not unkind." "The goal is not to judge people. The goal is to help people succeed in the right seat." "When the right person finds the right seat, work does not become effortless—but it does create momentum."   PRACTICAL APPLICATION Think about one employee, contractor, vendor, leader, role, or working relationship that is currently creating more friction than momentum. Ask yourself: 1.      What am I tolerating that is creating friction? Where am I compensating, reminding repeatedly, lowering expectations, or avoiding a necessary conversation? 2.      Have I removed obstacles and clearly established expectations? Have I provided the tools, information, priorities, authority, training, and definition of success the person needs? 3.      What is the evidence telling me? Is the person improving, taking ownership, following through, and adjusting—or are we continuing to have the same conversation? Then review all five areas of fit:        Roads traveled and future plans        Culture and working environment        Communication and behavioral style        Motivators        Personal skills and acumen The objective is not to label or criticize the person. It is to determine whether development, clearer leadership, a redesigned role, or a different seat would create a healthier outcome.   ABOUT THE HOST Suzie Price is the founder of Priceless Professional Development and host of the Wake Up Eager Podcast. For more than two decades, she has helped leaders use assessments, practical hiring systems, and development tools to create high-commitment, low-drama workplaces where people are better matched to the work they do.   FULL SHOW NOTES

  4. Jul 21

    Mini Episode: When Everyone Wants the VP Role: Ambition Isn't the Same as Fit

    When several capable people want the same leadership role, the best decision comes from clearly defining what the position requires and evaluating each person's true fit—not simply rewarding ambition, tenure, or visibility.   TOP 3 TAKEAWAYS 1. Wanting the role does not automatically mean someone is suited for it. Ambition can be valuable, but desire alone does not tell you whether a person has the judgment, leadership approach, emotional maturity, or personal skills the position requires. Someone may genuinely want the promotion and still be a better fit for a different path. 2. Define the role before comparing the people. Promotion decisions become emotional and political when leaders begin with the candidates instead of the job. First identify what success in the VP role actually demands—its priorities, challenges, leadership expectations, and critical competencies. Then evaluate each person against that standard. 3. A thoughtful decision protects both the organization and the candidates. Promoting the wrong person can damage performance, relationships, and confidence across the team. A clear, job-related process makes the decision easier to explain and gives every candidate useful insight into their strengths, gaps, and future development.   KEY QUOTES "Wanting the VP role and being the best fit for the VP role are not always the same thing." "You have to define the job before you start deciding which person should have it." "The loudest, most visible, or most ambitious candidate is not automatically the right leader." "A promotion should not be a reward for doing well in the job someone already has." "The real question is not, 'Who deserves it?' The real question is, 'Who best matches what this role requires?'" "When the expectations are clear, the decision becomes less personal and much more defensible."   PRACTICAL APPLICATION Before discussing candidates for an important promotion, create a one-page success profile for the position. Identify: The most important outcomes the person must deliver. The leadership and decision-making skills the role requires. The behaviors needed to work effectively with the team. The internal motivations that will help someone remain engaged. The experience and knowledge that are truly necessary. The culture, manager, and organizational environment in which the person will operate. Then compare each candidate to the role using multiple sources of information, including performance history, behavioral examples, interviews, references, and assessment results. Assessments should inform the discussion, but they should represent less than 30 percent of the final decision. Finally, meet individually with each candidate. Explain the decision clearly, recognize the strengths they bring, and provide specific development guidance—especially for strong employees who were not selected. A well-managed promotion process should strengthen the leadership pipeline rather than leave several valuable people feeling dismissed.   FULL SHOW NOTES

    Mini Episode: When Everyone Wants the VP Role: Ambition Isn't the Same as Fit

  5. Jul 14

    Building Better Leaders at Work - and a Life You Can't Wait to Wake Up To

    Executive coach and author Chip Scholz shares practical wisdom on self-leadership, reducing workplace drama, using assessments wisely, letting go of ego, and building a life centered more on usefulness than status.   TOP 3 TAKEAWAYS 1. You cannot lead others well until you learn to lead yourself. Chip makes the point that leadership is a profession, not just the reward someone gets after being good at their technical job. Leaders have to shift from "doing" to "being" and learn how to guide people, not just keep proving their own expertise. 2. Drama grows when leaders avoid the conversation everyone already knows needs to happen. One of the strongest sections is Chip's direct advice around the "one bad apple" problem. His first question is simple: "Is this person a keeper?" If they are, coach them honestly. If they are not, take appropriate action. Avoiding it usually damages trust across the whole team. 3. A meaningful life is built around usefulness, not performance. The through line in Chip's books and stories is the shift from status, applause, and external validation toward usefulness, purpose, relationships, and peace. That theme ties beautifully into Wake Up Eager: work matters, but so does the life you are building around it.   KEY GUEST QUOTES    "Coaching is not about fixing people. It is about helping already good people get better."    "The best cultures are people-oriented and performance-driven, in that order."    "If you've got someone who is a problem on a team, everybody knows it."    "Ask yourself first: is this person a keeper?"    "I don't believe you can lead others until you lead yourself."    "Most supervisors come from the land of super workers."    "We have to go from a way of doing to a way of being."    "Mindfulness is just about noticing."    "You don't force the cut."    "I wanted to build a life less centered on status and more on usefulness."    "Every dog has its day. Everybody gets their 15 minutes of fame, and everybody is going to die."    "I can't do much about world peace, but I can do something about peace for myself."   PRACTICAL APPLICATION This week, look at one leadership situation you have been tolerating, avoiding, or overthinking. Ask yourself Chip's question: "Is this person a keeper?" If yes, define the one core behavior that needs to change and prepare for a clear, respectful conversation. If no, decide what next responsible step is needed. Either way, remember that the rest of the team already feels the impact of your action or inaction. For a personal reset, try Chip's simple five-minute practice: breathe. Use box breathing - inhale for four, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for four - before you respond to a stressful email, meeting, or conversation.   ABOUT THE GUEST Chip Scholz is an executive coach, author, and leadership advisor who works with CEOs, business owners, and leadership teams to build stronger businesses through coaching, assessments, strategic planning, and leadership development. His company, Scholz & Associates, describes his work as helping leaders gain clarity and focus on what matters most in work and life. Scholz & Associates Chip is the author of Small Decisions, Big Shifts and Every Dog Has Its Day: Reflections on Life, Love, and the Lathe, and his upcoming book Handoffs focuses on leadership, succession, and family business transitions.   FULL SHOW NOTES

  6. Jun 30

    Wake Up Eager Starts the Night Before with Dr. Nicole Williams

    Wake Up Eager really does start the night before. In this episode, Suzie Price talks with Dr. Nicole Williams about why sleep is not a luxury, a weakness, or something high performers can simply "push through." Dr. Nicole explains how poor sleep affects mood, focus, hormones, weight, stress, executive function, and long-term health. She also shares simple, practical ways to restore better sleep, including consistent wake times, smarter caffeine habits, evening downshifting, hydration, light management, and nervous system regulation.   TOP 3 TAKEAWAYS 1. Sleep is a performance strategy, not a badge of honor. Dr. Nicole challenges the idea that being exhausted, overbooked, or surviving on too little sleep proves commitment or productivity. She explains that well-rested people often perform better because their brain, body, mood, and focus have more capacity. 2. A good night's sleep starts early in the day. Sleep restoration is not only about what happens at bedtime. Dr. Nicole emphasizes the importance of consistent wake and sleep times, morning hydration, caffeine cutoffs, sunlight, movement, and taking breaks during the day so the nervous system does not stay stuck in overdrive. 3. "Tired but wired" is a sign your nervous system needs a downshift. If your body is exhausted but your brain will not stop, Dr. Nicole recommends an intentional evening routine. Dimming lights, avoiding blue light, journaling, doing a brain dump, keeping the room cool, and creating a calmer transition into bedtime can help the body move into rest-and-repair mode.   KEY GUEST QUOTES "By optimizing sleep, you optimize performance."  "It's about the quality of what we're doing, not necessarily the quantity of what we're doing."   "Your good night's sleep actually starts with how you wake up."   "Hydrate before you caffeinate."  "A lot of people are tired, but wired."   "When we are sleep deprived, executive functioning is one of the first things that gets affected."   "Good sleep allows you to show up in the rooms that matter most."   "Healthy, consistent, good quality sleep has a trickle-down effect into so many other areas of your life."    PRACTICAL APPLICATION Pick a consistent wake-up time and protect it. Start by anchoring your day with a regular wake time, even on weekends when possible. Hydrate before caffeine. Drink water first thing in the morning before coffee or tea. Dr. Nicole suggests using hydration as a natural way to increase energy before reaching for stimulants. Set a caffeine cutoff. Because caffeine has a long half-life, Dr. Nicole recommends cutting it off by noon, especially if sleep quality is an issue. Create a 30- to 60-minute evening downshift. Dim lights, step away from screens, journal, read something calming, take a warm shower, or use a simple bedtime routine to tell your body it is safe to sleep. Do a brain dump before bed. Write down open loops, next-day priorities, concerns, and unfinished thoughts so your mind does not try to process them at 2 a.m. Protect melatonin production. Keep the room dark, avoid bright lights if you wake during the night, and reduce blue light from phones, tablets, and TVs before bed. Keep the bedroom cool. Dr. Nicole mentions that many sleep recommendations fall around 62–69 degrees, with each person needing to find what works in their home and body. Look at food, alcohol, and sugar as sleep inputs. Alcohol, refined sugar, refined carbohydrates, late meals, and stimulants can all interfere with sleep quality. Use movement and strength training wisely. Weight training and regular movement can support hormone health, deeper sleep, and better recovery. Get help if sleep issues persist. If sleep problems continue, consider working with a qualified health professional who can look at hormones, cortisol patterns, nutrition, stress, and root causes.   ABOUT THE GUEST Dr. Nicole Williams is the founder of HealthFix, where she helps professional women and high-performing leaders improve energy, resilience, body composition, hormone balance, and long-term health. Her work focuses on root-cause wellness strategies that support sustainable performance instead of quick fixes. In this episode, she brings practical guidance on sleep restoration, nervous system regulation, and the daily habits that help people wake up with more energy and clarity.   SHOW NOTES

  7. Jun 23

    Ted Turner Beyond the Headlines: Leadership Lessons from Inside Turner Broadcasting with Allan DeNiro

    Former Turner Broadcasting executive Allan DeNiro shares behind-the-scenes stories of working with Ted Turner and reveals the people-first leadership lessons that helped build one of the most innovative media companies in the world. Ted Turner is remembered as the bold founder of CNN, the visionary behind Turner Broadcasting, and one of the most influential media entrepreneurs of the modern era. In this episode, former Turner Broadcasting executive Allan DeNiro takes us beyond the headlines to share firsthand stories about Ted's leadership, speed, risk-taking, trust in people, and people-first decisions. Allan reflects on what it was like to work inside the larger Turner Broadcasting world, which included CNN, TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, the Atlanta Braves, the Atlanta Hawks, World Championship Wrestling, and more. You'll hear stories about the company's groundbreaking 24/7 on-site childcare center, a nearly global employee intranet, and Ted's simple but powerful reminder to "take care of our people. "This conversation is a tribute to Ted Turner's leadership legacy and a practical reminder that every leader can create "fertile ground" where people, ideas, courage, and confidence can grow.   TOP 3 TAKEAWAYS 1. Great leaders create "fertile ground" for people and ideas to grow. Allan described Turner Broadcasting as a place where people were encouraged to take chances, move fast, and figure things out. Ted Turner's leadership created space for bold ideas, new businesses, and talented people to grow—without constant micromanaging. 2. People-first leadership is a business strategy. The 24/7 on-site childcare center was not just a nice employee benefit—it was a practical solution for a 24-hour news and media company. Allan made the business case, and Ted quickly approved it because he understood that taking care of people helped the business succeed. 3. Visionary leaders challenge the status quo and trust others to execute. From CNN to TBS to the Braves, Ted Turner saw possibilities others dismissed. He moved quickly, challenged old models, and trusted capable people to carry ideas forward—a leadership lesson that still applies to every organization today   KEY QUOTES "Every single employee believed that they worked for Ted."—Allan DeNiro "Everything moves very fast."—Allan DeNiro "Ted was all about seeing around corners—not only looking ahead, but looking ahead and left and right."—Allan DeNiro "To me, it became a business issue, not a philosophical issue."—Allan DeNiro, on the childcare center "This is a damn good idea. We're going to do this."—Ted Turner, as remembered by Allan DeNiro "His style was to get out of the way."—Allan DeNiro "Do not look at the status quo and accept it. Ted never did."—Allan DeNiro "Take care of our people."—Ted Turner, as remembered by Allan DeNiro "He gets paid to go up to his office and think for a while. We get paid to take care of our people."—Allan DeNiro "Ted provided for the people that worked for him what I call fertile ground."—Allan DeNiro "You can do this. If you can't do this, you'll figure it out."—Allan DeNiro "Everybody listening can have a long-lasting impact on their people."—Allan DeNiro   PRACTICAL APPLICATION Ask yourself where your team needs "fertile ground ."Look for places where people need more trust, clearer ownership, or permission to test new ideas. Turn people issues into business cases. When advocating for employee support, connect the need to performance, retention, service, and results—just like Allan did with the childcare center. Stop accepting "we don't talk about that" as an answer. If an issue keeps coming up in the halls, on your team, or in exit interviews, it probably deserves a real conversation and a clear decision. Give ownership, then get out of the way. Once you assign responsibility to the right person, resist the urge to micromanage. Trust can create speed, confidence, and accountability. Clarify your leadership legacy. Every leader can ask: "Are people more confident, capable, and energized because they worked with me?" That is the kind of impact people remember.   ABOUT THE GUEST Allan J. DeNiro is a seasoned executive, consultant, author, and former Turner Broadcasting and Havertys human resources leader who brings decades of practical wisdom in leadership, hiring, culture, and people development.   SHOW NOTES https://www.pricelessprofessional.com/tedturner

  8. Jun 18

    2026 Tip # 4 Nicole Williams - Mini Episode

    The Wake Up Eager Podcast

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Helping leaders, trainers and consultants, who are focused on employee selection and professional development build a Wake Up Eager Workforce. Best practices, resources, guidance, encouragement, motivation and inspiration for building energy, commitment and communication in organizations.

Information

  • Creator
    Suzie Price The Wake Up Eager Podcast
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    173
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Priceless Professional 2026
  • Show Website
    The Wake Up Eager Podcast