The Action Catalyst
The Action Catalyst interviews top leaders and achievers, sharing hard-earned tips and advice to help you uncover your inspiration and gain valuable insights to overcome setbacks, defeat mediocrity, and reach your goals in life, business, and beyond. Southwestern/Great American, Inc., dba Southwestern Family of Companies, for itself and its related entities and their assigns, reserves and retains all rights to their copyrighted materials and trademarks contained in this podcast.
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CLIP: Conditioned Tendencies and Diminishers
<p>Preston Smiles, personal development leader, author, and speaker, breaks down the concepts of conditioned tendencies and diminishers, and how each one can lead to an incomplete understanding of our own control, and an incomplete realization of our full potential.</p><p>Hear Preston's full interview in Episode 179 of The Action Catalyst.</p>
Act Your Wage, with John Gates | (Salary, Pay, Hiring, Negotiation)
<p>Pay negotiation expert John Gates, author of "Act Your Wage", shares proven salary negotiation strategies to help professionals increase compensation by 10–20% without risk or confrontation. Drawing on decades of experience as a recruiter, Gates explains why most candidates leave money on the table, how to overcome negotiation anxiety, and how to shift the power dynamic by using salary ranges, asking strategic questions, and understanding compensation structures like bonuses and incentives. He also highlights common mistakes that cost job seekers, reveals how high-stakes negotiations evolve at different career levels, and provides actionable advice for both external job offers and internal pr...
CLIP: Antipatterns and Artificial Ownership
<p>Phil Le-Brun, former McDonald’s VP and International CIO and current AWS leader, shares how companies can avoid common “anti-patterns” like excessive bureaucracy and rigid structures, and defines what "artificial ownership" is, and how it can erode team creativity and cohesion.</p><p>Hear Phil's full interview in Episode 506 of The Action Catalyst.</p>
REMASTERED: Victory of Victimhood, with Preston Smiles | (Personal Development, Empowerment, Habits, Inspiration)
<p>Preston Smiles, personal development leader, author, and speaker, shares powerful insights on personal growth, emotional intelligence, and conscious leadership. Smiles explores how self-awareness, radical responsibility, and authentic communication are essential for creating success in both personal and professional life. He emphasizes the importance of healing limiting beliefs, embracing vulnerability, and shifting mindset patterns to unlock greater fulfillment, relationships, and performance. The conversation highlights practical strategies for overcoming adversity, building resilience, and living with intention, while blending spirituality, entrepreneurship, and mindset coaching.</p>
CLIP: "It Calms Down Your Mind"
<p>Professional coach Shelly Smith shares one of the most common complaints she hears from her coaching clients, and the simple exercise that she uses to combat it.</p><p>Hear Shelly's full interview in Episode 175 of The Action Catalyst.</p>
Overtime with Outland: Phil Le-Brun, Episode 506
<p>Overtime with Outland is Action Catalyst host Adam Outland's reflections and commentary on discussions with each of his esteemed and accomplished guests.</p><p>In this segment, Adam dissects Episode 506 with Phil Le-Brun, former McDonald’s VP and International CIO and current AWS leader.</p>
The Octopus Organization, with Phil Le-Brun | (Leadership, Teams, Technology, Strategy)
<p>Phil Le-Brun, former McDonald’s VP and International CIO and current AWS leader, shares powerful leadership and organizational strategy insights from his book The Octopus Organization, emphasizing how modern businesses can thrive by balancing centralization and decentralization. Drawing on experience scaling technology across 38,000+ global locations, Le-Brun explains why curiosity, clarity of purpose, and strong leadership are critical for innovation and growth, and how companies can avoid common “anti-patterns” like excessive bureaucracy, rigid structures, and artificial ownership. He highlights the importance of empowering teams with true agency, fostering psychological safety through feedback, and maintaining startup-like agility in large enterprises to drive...
CLIP: Working With Bill Gates
<p>Janice Kapner, former communications leader at Microsoft and T‑Mobile, shares the experience of interviewing and working alongside Bill Gates.</p><p>Hear Janice's full interview in her special bonus episode of The Action Catalyst.</p>
REMASTERED: Letting Go of Sabotaging Self-Talk, with Shelly Smith and Jennifer Bennett | (Self Improvement, Personal Development, Sales, Business)
<p>Mortgage professional Jennifer Bennett and professional coach Shelly Smith share a powerful story of resilience, mindset transformation, and business growth through coaching. Bennett discusses rebuilding her career after a difficult divorce and personal setbacks, revealing how limiting self-talk, stress, and a lack of control were holding her back from regaining top performance in sales. With Smith’s guidance, she learned to reframe negative thoughts, focus on what she could control, and intentionally reshape her mindset to overcome adversity, improve productivity, and rebuild client relationships. The conversation highlights the critical role of coaching in personal development, the impact of mindset on...
CLIP: Happiness Vs. Meaning
<p>Bestselling author and researcher Tom Rath explains that meaning—not happiness—is the key to fulfillment, emphasizing that focusing on helping others, leveraging strengths, and connecting daily work to a larger purpose leads to higher productivity and better outcomes. </p><p>Hear Tom's full interview in Episode 185 of The Action Catalyst.</p>
