Disrupt & Innovate

What if the fastest path to better culture, higher employee engagement, and lower turnover isn’t another initiative—but better leadership and coaching? In this episode, Lisa L. Levy sits down with Dr. Kevin Gazzara, CEO of Magna Leadership Solutions, to unpack what actually drives organizational change from the inside out.

With 30 years of industry experience—including 18 years at Intel—Dr. Gazzara shares what he’s learned about leadership development, why senior management buy-in is non-negotiable for cultural transformation, and how middle managers can “coach up” to influence change even when they don’t control the strategy.

We also dive into the power of embracing failure as a learning tool, creating safe environments that support innovation, and a compelling case study showing how aligning people to roles that match their strengths can dramatically reduce turnover. Plus: hiring for talent and fit, not just skills, and why “a little turnover” can sometimes be healthy.

✨ Keywords:
-leadership
-management
-coaching
-organizational culture
-employee engagement
-failure
-talent acquisition
-case study
-executive coaching
-task quotient

🎁 Gift for the Audience:
Get the lite version of the Task Quotient (TQ) assessment here: https://magnaleader.co/GIFT

#leadership #management #coaching #organizationalculture #employeeengagement #executivecoaching #failure #talentacquisition #casestudy #TaskQuotient

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Are you writing a book just to have one, or are you writing the right book to grow your business? 📚 In this episode, Lisa L. Levy sits down with Ally Machate, best-selling author, publishing consultant, and founder of The Writers’ Ally, to discuss the strategic side of nonfiction publishing.

Ally explains why a book should be a powerful tool for business growth and how to ensure your message aligns with your professional goals. We dive into the importance of audience engagement, the reality of the editing process, and why strategy—not just content—should dictate your writing journey. Whether you are looking to open new doors, establish authority, or provide real solutions to your readers, Ally shares the roadmap to moving from “aspiring author” to “strategic authority.”

✨ Keywords:
-writing
-publishing
-nonfiction
-business growth
-audience engagement
-strategic books
-editing
-author consulting
-book marketing
-Writers’ Ally

💡Special Offer for Listeners: Grab Ally’s exclusive resources for Disrupt & Innovate listeners here: www.offers.thewritersally.com/disruptandinnovate

#writing #publishing #nonfiction #businessgrowth #audienceengagement #StrategicBooks #editing #AuthorConsulting #bookmarketing #WritersAlly

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Are we working remotely… or just stuck in nonstop video calls? In this episode, Lisa L. Levy sits down with Erik Braund, founder and CEO of Katmai, to explore the next evolution of digital collaboration—and why the future of remote work must be more human, more spontaneous, and far less meeting-heavy.

Erik explains how traditional video conferencing tools haven’t meaningfully evolved in years, and how that’s fueled calendar chaos, meeting fatigue, and fragmented workplace culture. He introduces Katmai’s virtual office: a 3D environment designed to create true co-presence, encourage authentic interactions, and bring back the spontaneity we miss from in-person offices—without sacrificing focus or healthy work boundaries.

You’ll learn how virtual offices can reduce meeting time, improve collaboration, and help teams build real culture—especially in distributed and hybrid workplaces.

Keywords:
-virtual office
-digital collaboration
-Katmai
-remote work
-spontaneity
-meeting culture
-co-presence
-work boundaries
-innovative technology
-workplace culture

If you’re rethinking meeting culture, remote work performance, and how to build real connections in a digital world, this conversation with Erik is a must-watch.

#virtualoffice #digitalcollaboration #katmai #remotework #spontaneity #MeetingCulture #CoPresence #workboundaries #workplaceculture #innovativetechnology

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Infertility and reproductive health are already emotionally overwhelming—so why has fertility care become so financially complex and inequitable? In this episode of Disrupt & Innovate, Lisa L. Levy welcomes Mary Fusillo, CEO and founder of Family Solutions International, to unpack the hidden costs of infertility care, the realities families face inside fertility clinics, and what it will take to bring more equity to reproductive health.

With more than 25 years of experience, Mary shares her journey from healthcare professional to entrepreneur and advocate, and explains how families are forced to make high-stakes decisions under intense emotional pressure—often while navigating confusing options, rising medication costs, and unequal access to quality care. She also breaks down the growing influence of private equity in fertility clinics and questions whether expensive “innovations” have meaningfully improved success rates.

This is a powerful conversation about healthcare inequity, the need for better emotional support and mentorship, and why human connection matters just as much as technology in the fertility journey.

Keywords:

-Infertility

-reproductive health

-egg donation

-private equity

-healthcare inequity

-Family Solutions International

-emotional support

-fertility treatments

-Mentorship

-healthcare innovation

If you or someone you love is navigating infertility—or if you care about the future of healthcare innovation and equitable access—this episode with Mary will inform, validate, and challenge the status quo.

#infertility #reproductivehealth #fertilitytreatments #eggdonation #HealthcareInequity #privateequity #FamilySolutionsInternational #emotionalsupport #mentorship #healthcareinnovation

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In this episode, Lisa L. Levy sits down with James Ellis to explore the real power of employer branding and why most companies need to completely rethink their recruitment strategies.

James breaks down how a clear, differentiated employer value proposition and strong storytelling can transform hiring from “filling seats” into a true driver of business growth. He explains why better applications beat more applications, how to turn negative perceptions into compelling employer narratives, and why aligning talent acquisition with business strategy is essential in today’s market. This conversation is a roadmap for anyone ready to build a hiring process that candidates actually want to be part of.

✨ Keywords:
-employer branding
-recruitment strategies
-talent acquisition
-differentiated value
-business growth
-storytelling
-hiring process
-candidate experience
-employer narratives
recruitment marketing

If you’re a leader, recruiter, or founder who wants recruitment to be a strategic advantage—not a constant pain point—this conversation with James Ellis will change how you think about hiring.

#EmployerBranding #RecruitmentStrategies #TalentAcquisition #BusinessGrowth #Storytelling #HiringProcess #CandidateExperience #EmployerNarratives #RecruitmentMarketing #DifferentiatedValue

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In this episode, Lisa L. Levy sits down with Cheryl Texeira, certified profit acceleration business coach, to break down how service-based entrepreneurs can unlock hidden profits, create market-dominating positions, and scale sustainably.

Cheryl explains why understanding your numbers is non-negotiable for CEOs, and how a strategic profit acceleration system—sometimes as little as a 3% improvement in multiple areas—can lead to massive profit growth. She shares a powerful client success story where refining the offer and market positioning led to significant revenue growth, and walks through the importance of a CEO dashboard, documented processes, and clear boundaries for long-term success.

Whether you’re transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurship or looking to scale your existing business, this conversation is a masterclass in making your business more profitable and sustainable.

✨ Keywords:
-profit acceleration
-business coaching
-revenue growth
-market positioning
-CEO dashboard
-client success
-entrepreneurial journey
-scaling business
-policies and procedures
-boundaries

If you’re a CEO, founder, or service-based entrepreneur who wants to grow revenue and keep more of what you earn, this episode with Cheryl Texeira will show you how to think—and act—like a profit-focused leader.

#ProfitAcceleration #BusinessCoaching #RevenueGrowth #MarketPositioning #CEODashboard #ClientSuccess #EntrepreneurialJourney #ScalingBusiness #PoliciesAndProcedures #Boundaries

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In this episode, Lisa L. Levy sits down with Coby Skonord, founder and CEO of IdeaWake, to talk about bottom-up innovation, employee engagement, and building a true culture of innovation that drives business growth.

Coby shares how IdeaWake helps organizations collect, prioritize, and implement ideas from the people closest to the work—the frontline. From quick wins to disruptive ideas that transform operations, he walks through success stories of companies that used the platform to unlock hidden value, develop leaders, and navigate major challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic. They also dig into the realities of change management, securing leadership buy-in, and using a “crawl, walk, run” approach to make innovation stick.

✨ Keywords:
-innovation
-employee engagement
-IdeaWake
-bottom-up innovation
-corporate culture
-leadership
-change management
-success stories
-disruptive ideas
-business growth

If you’re serious about innovation—not as a buzzword, but as a system your people can actually use—this conversation with Coby Skonord will show you how to engage employees and scale ideas that matter.

#Innovation #EmployeeEngagement #IdeaWake #BottomUpInnovation #CorporateCulture #Leadership #ChangeManagement #DisruptiveIdeas #SuccessStories #BusinessGrowth

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In this episode, Lisa L. Levy sits down with Rion Westfall to unpack the realities facing SMBs and how his “Own Your Revenue” framework and PEPSLIM methodology help business owners stabilize, grow, and sustain their companies. 

Rion explains why so many entrepreneurs start with strong skills but limited business acumen, and how that gap leads to chaos, missed opportunities, and early failure. He shares how to uncover hidden revenue, improve communication, and build purposeful networks that support long-term revenue growth and small business success. If you care about keeping Main Street alive and thriving, this conversation is a call to action. 

✨ Keywords:

-SMB

-own your revenue

-business development

-entrepreneurship

-PEPSLIM

-networking

-small business success

-revenue growth

-communication strategies

If you’re a founder, owner, or aspiring entrepreneur, this episode with Rion Westfall will help you “own your revenue” and boost your chances of long-term success. 

#RyanWestfall #OwnYourRevenue #SMB #BusinessDevelopment #Entrepreneurship #SmallBusinessSuccess #RevenueGrowth #Networking #CommunicationStrategies #PEPSLIM 

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In this episode, Lisa L. Levy sits down with Ted Whetstone, strategic thought partner and executive coach, to unpack the human element in leadership and change management.

Ted explores why the true value in any organization lies in its people, not just its processes, and why most change efforts fail when leaders impose instead of invite. He explains the critical difference between commitment to outcomes and attachment to specific ideas, and how that shift opens the door to participation, innovation, and shared ownership. Along the way, Ted dives into vulnerability, communication, and the entrepreneurial journey, and introduces the powerful concept of being the “product of your product”—the transformation of humanity within the workplace.

✨ Keywords:

-leadership-change management

-executive coaching

-organizational transformation

-commitment vs attachment

-vulnerability

-communication

-entrepreneurial journey

-product of your product

-growth mindset

If you’re a leader, founder, or change agent who wants to transform not only your organization but the humans inside it, this conversation with Ted Whetstone will challenge and inspire you.

#Leadership #ChangeManagement #ExecutiveCoaching #OrganizationalTransformation #CommitmentVsAttachment #Vulnerability #Communication #EntrepreneurialJourney #ProductOfYourProduct #GrowthMindset

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In this episode, Lisa L. Levy sits down with Simon Holzapfel, co‑founder and CFO of Leaf Lab, to explore how we can better prepare young people for the real future of work—not the one our current systems were built for.

Simon shares how Leaf Lab is redefining learning through free, hands-on, real-world experiences that teach students critical skills like value stream mapping, collaboration, and critical thinking. Drawing from personal stories and professional experience, he explains why the traditional education model is failing, what future-ready skills actually look like, and how we can build adaptable teams that thrive in today’s digital, fast-changing work environment.

If you care about education, workforce development, and innovation, this conversation will challenge your assumptions and inspire new possibilities.

✨ Keywords:
-Leaf Lab
-Simon Holtzapfel
-education
-workforce
-value stream mapping
-future of work
-collaboration
-innovation
-critical thinking
-agile learning

If you’re passionate about aligning education with real-world needs and building future-ready workforces, this episode with Simon Holzapfel of Leaf Lab is a must-watch.

#LeafLab #SimonHolzapfel #Education #FutureOfWork #ValueStreamMapping #Collaboration #Innovation #CriticalThinking #AgileLearning #Workforce

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