The Talent Forge: Shaping Workforce Behaviors with Jay Johnson

Feeling pulled in every direction, yet determined to lead well? We sit down with Dr. Sylvia Rohde-Liebenau—author of "Who’s in Charge?"—to unpack a practical path for impact that doesn’t cost your health or your soul. Drawing on her experience across the European Commission, consulting, and executive coaching, we examine how culture, power, and purpose intersect in real workplaces where speed and pressure never quit.
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What if admitting “I don’t know” is the most powerful leadership move you can make? We sit down with innovation consultant and author Alan Gregerman to unpack the “wisdom of ignorance” and why certainty can quietly sink companies while curiosity keeps them alive. From Kmart and Blockbuster to the next disruptor waiting in a garage, we trace how organizations lose relevance—and how to build the habits that keep you learning faster t...

Strategy dies in the “telephone game.” We sat down with leadership expert Kim Crowder to unpack how to turn top‑down plans into daily behaviors people can actually do, coach, and scale. The core idea is deceptively simple: bring voices in early, tie the why to real work, and build trust before you need it.

Kim walks us through a client story where leaders invited team input at the start, mapped the change across people, pr...

A single question from a colleague—“Can you look at this?”—set off a chain of events that reshaped our host Jay Johnson's career. 

In this episode, he walks through the moment misaligned expectations between faculty and international students became visible, how listening and clear onboarding turned conflict into engagement, and why that experience pushed him toward a practical approach to behavior change that goes beyond feel-...

Safety isn’t a side project—it’s the system your team runs on. We sit down with martial arts champion and corporate coach Laura Armstrong to unpack trauma-informed training that actually works in the workplace.

Laura breaks down the window of tolerance—where people learn, collaborate, and think clearly—and what happens when we slip into hypo (freeze, shut down) or hyper (fight, agitation) states. From synchronized breathing to tacti...

Jobs don’t fail because people don’t work hard; they fail because the work isn’t designed to move the numbers that matter. That’s the uncomfortable truth we dig into with Scott Morris—longtime Chief People Officer, HR transformer, and founder of Propulsion AI—who makes a compelling case for designing roles around outcomes, not task lists. 

Scott shares a fast history lesson on technological disruption—from calculators to s...

The future of work hinges on our ability to keep it human—a powerful message from Jim Bouchard, who joins The Talent Forge to share his extraordinary journey from drug addiction to martial arts mastery and leadership coaching.

Jim's transformation began when he discovered martial arts during his recovery, unaware it would become a 30-year career and life philosophy. His martial arts teachers didn't just show him ...

What if the secret to creating training that people actually want to complete has nothing to do with points, badges, or leaderboards? In this eye-opening episode of The Talent Forge, Dr. Natalie Makulski of Coeus Creative Group reveals how her deeply personal journey into gamification—which began with helping her grandmothers combat Alzheimer's and dementia—transformed her understanding of what truly drives engagement in learn...

What happens when military discipline meets empathetic leadership? Juan Alvarado's extraordinary journey from military sergeant to leadership coach reveals powerful insights for anyone developing talent.

After nearly a decade in military service followed by law enforcement, Juan faced a profound realization: "You go 10 to 12 years not knowing if you're going to come home, at the end of the day gets old prett...

What if your entire reality was being filtered through beliefs you formed as a five-year-old? According to mindset expert Jim Huntzicker, neuroscience reveals we only perceive about 12% of reality—the rest gets filtered out by subconscious beliefs we established before age eight.

In this perspective-shifting conversation, Jim reveals how childhood experiences create the mental "ruts" that dictate our adult behavi...

What happens when military wisdom meets modern marketing challenges? In this eye-opening conversation with Lee Pepper, former Army officer turned marketing strategist, we explore the surprising intersection of battlefield tactics and business success.

Lee's remarkable journey from military service through Ross Perot's presidential campaign to behavioral health marketing leadership provides the backdrop for a mast...

What does it mean to bring your authentic self to work, especially when spirituality is central to who you are? Christian F. Johnson tackles this question head-on as he shares his powerful RINSE method for maintaining focus and purpose in leadership.

Christian approaches leadership development as a calling rather than just a career. He positions himself as the "mic stand" for leaders – the essential support struc...

Dr. Conor Hogan takes us on a fascinating journey through the neural pathways of effective leadership in this mind-expanding conversation. Drawing from his unique background—from coaching sports as a teenager to working with special needs children and eventually earning his PhD—Hogan reveals how neuroscience principles can transform your leadership approach.

The discussion begins with Hogan's remarkable early leadersh...

Leadership doesn't require a fancy title, an MBA, or a corner office. What it does demand is authenticity, communication, and genuine care for the people you work with. This transformative perspective forms the heart of my conversation with Mandee Bowsmith, an HR veteran with over 24 years of experience who's now dedicated to democratizing leadership training.

Mandee's journey from temporary file clerk to HR...

Ever wonder why some people consistently sabotage their own success? In this eye-opening conversation with psychologist Dr. Albert Bramante, author of "Rise Above the Script," we dive deep into the hidden mental patterns that keep talented people stuck in cycles of underperformance.

Dr. Bramante shares fascinating insights from his journey working with actors and performers, revealing how the psychology of self-s...

What happens when a Broadway performer turns his theatrical training toward helping professionals find their authentic voice? In this captivating conversation with Jay Harris, we explore the powerful intersection of performing arts and professional communication that can transform how you show up in every setting.

Harris shares his journey from Dreamgirls and Wicked to executive coaching, revealing how the skills that made...

What separates a true crisis from everyday challenges, and how can leaders effectively navigate through unprecedented disruption? In this eye-opening conversation, Peter Willis and Gareth Morgan—authors of "Becoming Good at Crises: A Field Guide For Leaders"—share hard-won wisdom from leading through Cape Town's devastating drought and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The conversation cuts through crisis leadership pl...

Take a deep dive into the philosophy that transforms daily habits into lifelong success with serial entrepreneur Jon Sabes. This conversation uncovers the power of "small, consistent efforts made upstream that lead to significant downstream effects" across all areas of life.

Jon shares his journey as a two-decade entrepreneur who's built multiple companies, gone public, and experienced both incredible succes...

What makes a training program truly effective? The answer might be simpler than we think: independence. When learners feel ownership over their development journey, engagement and results skyrocket.

In this special Fourth of July solo episode, our host Jay explores how traditional training programs often fail despite abundant resources. The missing ingredient? Relevance and autonomy. When we don't see how learning connects to o...