Hi, Welcome to Season Two of Transformative Leadership Conversations, with me, your host, Winnie da Silva.

As an Executive Coach and Leadership Strategist for over twenty years, I believe leadership matters. I believe stories make a difference. And I believe we could all use some help and inspiration as leaders ourselves.

So, I’m thrilled to be back with you for another amazing line up of conversations with everyday leaders who are willing to share their stories of overcoming difficult challenges and the hard-earned wisdom and insight that can only come from experience.

Let’s get a peek into who we’ll get to hear from in Season 2 which kicks off on May 12^th! 

· Jeehae Lee: is the Deputy CIO at Bridge Investment Group who is determined make room for people who might be perhaps less visible – her story about coming to this country as a kindergartener made me cry 

· Andy Stern and John Rigos: Seasoned Entrepreneurs who went from tech start-ups to putting their energy and passion into reinventing the hospitality fast casual restaurant industry 

· Kerel Cooper: the CMO of Live Intent AND the host of the podcast Minority Report which highlights people of color, women & LGBTQ+ community within business, media, and tech talks about his own career trajectory and the barriers he overcame.

· Christina Callas: the CDO of Total Wine talks about how the pandemic impacted her team and her family.

· Colin Hunter: the CEO of Potential Squared, the author of the upcoming book Be More Wrong and the host of the upcoming podcast with the same name – which both highlight success in failure and how it really does make you a better leader. You can imagine what we talked about Being Wrong - including his own stories and why this topic is close to his heart.

· Jeff Harry: is on a mission to build psychologically safe workplaces through positive psychology and play – you won’t want to miss this one – he becomes my play therapist right in the middle of our conversation! And you guessed it – our conversation is really fun!

· Guy Geier: the MP of FXCollaborative, an architecture firm in NYC; he reflects on his journey as a leader through many catastrophic events over the past 20 years.

· Ethan Frisch and Ori Zohar: Social Entrepreneurs who started Burlap & Barrel, the first comprehensive single origin spice company in the United States. You know what that means? The spices they sell are sold directly from the people who grow them – and they are AMAZING. My daughter Aradhana and I have used these fresh spices in our own cooking. 

· And lastly, but certainly not least, I talk with Gina L. Osborn: an Army Veteran and former FBI special agent and the host of the podcast Lead Like a Lady where she talks with other amazing women like her who have emerged as leaders in primarily male dominated fields. She’s a powerhouse of wisdom and boldness for women certainly – but really for everyone.

And somewhere in there, I’m also going to have a surprise “guest”; my grandfather. He died 35 years ago when I was in high school. But last year, I did some research with my Dad and I want to share with you his story too. And I’ll also offer some reflections sprinkled throughout the season.

I can’t wait to share these people and their stories with you. 

Thank you for supporting me and this podcast! 

As you listen to these conversations and felt its impact, could you tell someone about Transformative Leadership Conversations with Winnie da Silva? You can forward them this episode, post about it on social, or text someone who might be interested in listening. If you could share just once, I’d be grateful. 

Also feel free to reach out to me at https://www.winniedasilva.com to learn more about my work in executive coaching, leadership development and team effectiveness.

Lastly, if you have your own story of overcoming a leadership challenge you’d like to share, please email me at winnie@winnifred.org – maybe I’ll even have you on my show!