A leadership baton is being passed, and Katherine Coble is stepping into the CEO role at Borshoff with gratitude, clarity, and a deep commitment to people-first leadership.

Nikki sits down with Katherine to celebrate the legacy of Karen Alter, the evolution of Borshoff, and what it means to steward a company with more than 40 years of history. 💛

Katherine shares how her mindset shifted from account leadership to ownership to CEO, why relationships are at the heart of great communication, and how servant leadership shapes her vision for what comes next. Together, Nikki and Katherine also reflect on the growth of In the Loop, the communication series now expanding into its own podcast on PeopleForward Network.

This conversation is a celebration of legacy, leadership, communication, and the kind of business growth that keeps people at the center.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Katherine on LinkedIn

Learn more about Borshoff

Listen to In the Loop with Katherine Coble

Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube!

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Nikki's Key Takeaways:

• Leadership is stewardship, not ownership alone.
• Relationships shape stronger communication and better business.
• Succession works best with intentional transition time.
• Healthy organizations create space for bold thinking.
• Great leaders keep learning from everyone.

The dream is calling, but so are the doubts, the expenses, the uncertainty, and maybe even the outhouse. Nikki and David get real about chasing a big life vision while standing right in the messy middle of it, unpacking what it means to believe that "the obstacle is the way." From vision boards and growth mindset to panic moments and perspective shifts, they share how reconnecting to your deeper why can turn fear into fuel. 🧡

This conversation is a powerful reminder for people-first leaders and dreamers alike: if you can see it, feel it, and stay connected to the meaning behind it, you can keep climbing through the hard parts.

Additional Resources:

Follow Addicted to Betterment wherever you listen to podcasts!

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

Connect with David on LinkedIn

Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube!

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Your vision must be stronger than the obstacle.
• Big dreams require daily mindset practice.
• Fear fades when you reconnect to your why.
• Perspective can shrink even the biggest challenges.
• Dreams need action, not just imagination.

The best donor stories are not always wrapped in sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns. Sometimes, the real power comes from telling the truth about what worked, what didn't, and what still needs to change.

Katherine sits down with Angela White, President and CEO of Eskenazi Health Foundation, to explore how transparent communication, whole-person care, and authentic leadership can move people from awareness to action. Angela shares how Eskenazi is addressing social drivers of health through programs like Food is Medicine, community-based care, mental health support, and data-informed philanthropy.

From donor storytelling to self-awareness as a leader, Angela reminds us that people-first communication starts with listening, honesty, and the courage to be yourself. This conversation is a powerful reminder that when leaders communicate with both heart and clarity, they build trust that lasts.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Angela on LinkedIn

Connect with Katherine Coble on LinkedIn

Learn more about Borshoff

Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube!

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Listen first, then lead with clarity.
• Donors give from head and heart.
• Transparency builds deeper trust with stakeholders.
• Self-care creates sustainable leadership stamina.
• Authentic leaders cannot fake connection.

The old HR playbook is cracking, and Mindy Honcoop and Marnie Robbins are here to build something more human in its place.

Nikki sits down with Mindy and Marnie to explore the origin of altHR, a people-first community and movement designed for HR leaders who are tired of doing the work alone.

Together, they unpack what it means to evolve the future of HR through mindset shifts, friendship, co-creation, and the courage to ask for help. From launching The Hive to building the SIGNAL framework, Mindy and Marnie share how human-centered design can help people leaders move from isolation and overwhelm into possibility, experimentation, and meaningful connection.

This conversation is a reminder that HR professionals were never meant to carry culture, change, and people strategy alone. The future of work will not be built by perfect playbooks, but by curious leaders willing to rethink, collaborate, and evolve together.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Mindy on LinkedIn

Connect with Marnie on LinkedIn

Join the AltHR Hive Hub!

Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube!

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Nikki's Key Takeaways:

• HR leaders need community, not more isolation.
• Mindset shifts create new possibilities for HR.
• Friendship can be a powerful business foundation.
• Human-centered design helps solve real business problems.
• The future of HR requires co-creation and curiosity.

The voice in your head may be leading your team more than you realize.

Nikki sits down with Dr. Suzy Burke, leadership expert, speaker, author, and psychologist, to unpack the science of self-talk and how our internal dialogue shapes the way we lead. From overthinking and self-doubt to the "monster" that shows up when we step outside our comfort zones, Dr. Suzy explains why leaders must learn to catch, confront, and change the stories they tell themselves. 🧠

Together, Nikki and Dr. Suzy explore the real cost of negative self-talk, the neuroscience behind fight, flight, and freeze, and practical tools like the DIG folder and the three Cs to help leaders shift from fear to grounded confidence. This conversation is a powerful reminder that when we learn to lead ourselves better, we create healthier teams, stronger cultures, and better outcomes for everyone.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Suzy on LinkedIn

Get the book "Headamentals" now!

Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube!

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Nikki's Key Takeaways:

• Self-talk quietly shapes leadership effectiveness.
• Overthinking delays action and erodes confidence.
• Leaders' emotions spread through their teams.
• Catch, confront, and change negative narratives.
• Confident self-leadership creates healthier team culture.

Ever found yourself mid-argument thinking, "Why am I so worked up right now?" What if the real culprit… is your ego?

David is joined by Amy Woodall for a conversation that feels more like a mirror than a mic. Together, they pull back the curtain on ego, and how it sneaks into your relationships, hijacks your reactions, and disguises itself as righteousness.

Amy shows us where ego lurks and how asking one simple question, "What would love do?", can change the tone, the outcome, and maybe even the world.

Expect to feel called out, cracked open, and challenged to stop forwarding that podcast to "someone who really needs to hear it"… and instead, take it personally. This is your invitation to check your ego, rewire your reactions, and step into leadership with radical love, not loud opinions. ❤️

Additional Resources:

Subscribe to Conscious Habit on YouTube!

Join the "Conscious Conversations" Community!

Sign Up for the Conscious Habit Newsletter

Connect with Amy on LinkedIn

Learn more about Conscious Habit

Follow Addicted to Betterment wherever you listen to podcasts!

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

Connect with David on LinkedIn

Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube!

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Ego reacts; love responds with curiosity and grace.
• Judging others mirrors unhealed parts of ourselves.
• Agreement isn't required for acceptance and compassion.
• Triggered? That's your ego, not your highest self.
• Love is not weak. It's the ultimate active force.

Emotional fitness is not a soft skill. It is the leadership muscle your people feel every day.

Nikki sits down with neuroscientist, author, and speaker Dr. Paul Zak to unpack how leaders can build emotional fitness, create psychologically safe workplaces, and design environments people actually want to be part of. 🧠

Paul shares why being present, connected, and socially energized matters more than ever, especially in a world where talent is scarce and workplace relationships directly impact life beyond the office. From "no yelling at work" to building spaces that feel meaningful, satisfying, and human, this conversation will challenge you to rethink how you show up, how your team connects, and what it really means to lead people well.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Paul on LinkedIn

Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube!

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Nikki's Key Takeaways:

• Emotional fitness builds resilience, presence, and better leadership.
• Psychological safety starts with how leaders show up.
• Quality relationships extend value, fulfillment, and wellbeing.
• Work energy follows people home every day.
• Great workplaces make connection easy and intentional.

Leadership is not loudest when it gives orders. Sometimes, it sounds like a mayor sitting in a neighborhood meeting, listening long enough to hear what the city actually needs.

Katherine sits down with Greg Ballard, author, businessman, former Marine, and the 48th mayor of Indianapolis, to explore the leadership habits that shaped his journey from the Marine Corps to city hall. Greg shares why clarity, collaboration, sincerity, and listening are not just communication skills, they are the foundation of trust.

From grassroots campaigning to leading a major metropolitan city, Greg offers a grounded reminder for every people-first leader: you do not need to have every answer, but you do need the humility to listen, the courage to decide, and the consistency to do the right thing for the right reasons.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Katherine Coble on LinkedIn

Learn more about Borshoff

Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube!

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Leadership is influence, not authority.
• Listening builds credibility before words do.
• Strong teams challenge your thinking.
• Start with yes, then solve.
• Trust grows through consistency and sincerity.