In this short, reflective year-end episode of the Two Piers Podcast, host Erica D’Eramo closes out the year with an unscripted conversation recorded on Christmas Day in Maine—complete with snowstorms, power outages, and a curious cat in the background.

Rather than a traditional interview, this episode offers space to slow down and reflect on what rest, creativity, and strategic thinking really require. Erica explores why the pressure to “come back refreshed” after the holidays often misses the mark, especially for people whose brains don’t thrive in full stop mode.

The conversation weaves together reflections on:

• Why rest doesn’t always mean doing nothing
• How flow-state activities (like cooking, reading, walking, or puzzles) can be deeply restorative
• The role of the brain’s Default Mode Network (DMN) in creativity and strategic thinking
• Why constant busyness and digital distraction make it harder to think long-term
• Practical ways to create generative space without forcing stillness

The episode closes with a reminder that joy is not something to feel guilty about—it’s essential fuel for facing hard things and creating meaningful change.

A gentle, human way to wrap up the year and head into the next with more intention and compassion.

Building Influence and Navigating Career Growth with Katherine Cook

In this episode of The Two Piers Podcast, host Erica D’Eramo sits down with Katherine Cook, a career coach who helps engineers rethink their career paths, build influence, and navigate corporate environments more effectively. Drawing from her own journey from engineering to technical marketing, product management, and ultimately coaching, Katherine shares practical and candid insights into what it really takes to grow your career—at any stage.

What We Cover in This Episode

• Katherine’s unexpected shift from engineering into coaching—and the spreadsheet that started it all
• Why understanding your “why” makes career decisions clearer (and less terrifying)
• How to assess risk realistically using worst-case scenario planning
• Why networking feels uncomfortable for many engineers
• Practical, low-pressure ways to build meaningful professional relationships
• The role of networking in job mobility and career advancement (hint: it’s bigger than you think)
• The unique challenges Black women face in corporate America—and how diverse networks can help
• How resilience, curiosity, and strategic relationship-building shape long-term career success
• Why corporate America isn’t a meritocracy—and what to do with that truth

Key Takeaways

• Your career path doesn’t need to be linear; it needs to be intentional.
• Networking isn’t about small talk at happy hours—it’s simply building genuine relationships.
• Most career opportunities come through people, not job postings.
• Being effective in your role is important, but managing yourself and your relationships is essential.
• You can influence your career trajectory more than you think—especially when you understand the landscape you’re operating in.

About Our Guest

Katherine Cook is a career coach who specializes in helping engineers identify their strengths, navigate transitions, and build fulfilling careers. She brings a structured, pragmatic approach rooted in her technical background, combined with deep experience supporting professionals in complex corporate environments.

Connect with Katherine:

• Katherine Cook Coaching
• LinkedIn

Choosing Possibility with Adam Bouse: Grounded Optimism, Self-Awareness, and Nature-Based Coaching

In this episode of the Two Piers Podcast, we talk with Adam Bouse, founder of Optimistic Coaching, about what it means to choose possibility in an uncertain world. Adam shares his path from emotional intelligence imbalance to becoming a coach who helps people build grounded optimism, deepen their self-awareness, and reconnect with nature as a source of resilience.

The conversation explores how optimism can be a disciplined practice rather than a personality trait, why understanding our own internal signals matters more than we realize, and how nature-based coaching opens up new ways of processing stress and finding clarity. Adam also talks about his own experiences with grief and how they shaped his understanding of resilience.

Listeners will come away with practical ideas for managing energy, building presence, and applying optimism in a realistic and meaningful way.

Topics Covered

• Adam’s origin story and his work with the EQI 2.0 assessment
• Balancing empathy and decision-making as part of emotional intelligence
• The philosophy behind Optimistic Coaching
• The difference between dispositional optimism, learned optimism, and toxic positivity
• Viktor Frankl’s concept of tragic optimism
• How cognitive biases and interoception influence perception
• The role of nature in regulating stress and shaping perspective
• Evidence-based benefits of forest bathing and nature exposure
• Practical ways to build resilience and grounded optimism
• Self-compassion, realistic expectations, and everyday presence
• How to connect with Adam and learn more about his work

About Adam Bouse

Adam Bouse is the founder of Optimistic Coaching, where he helps individuals explore possibilities, build resilience, and develop deeper self-awareness. He uses emotional intelligence assessment, grounded optimism, and nature-based coaching to support personal and professional growth. Adam offers a free 90-minute discovery session to help people gain clarity and explore next steps.

Learn more at https://optimisticcoaching.com

Viktor Frankl’s concept

EQI 2.0 Assessment

In this episode of The Two Piers Podcast, we speak with medical affairs consultant Melissa Olivadoti about the realities of traveling with severe food allergies and sensory sensitivities — and what individuals, colleagues, and event organizers can do to create safer, more inclusive travel experiences.

We discuss:

• What it really takes to prepare for air travel with multiple food allergies
• The emotional and social dynamics — including when you cannot safely join group meals
• The importance of eating before events and always traveling with backup food
• How event organizers can support attendees through allergy-friendly options and clear communication
• Managing sensory overwhelm — and why quiet rooms matter at conferences
• Advocating for personal boundaries and non-touch preferences in professional spaces
• The calming and community-building impact of animal rescue therapy zones at events

About the guest:
Melissa Olivadoti is a medical affairs consultant and founder of Assisi Consulting. You can connect with her on LinkedIn — link available at twopiersconsulting.com/podcast along with a full episode transcript.

Assisi Consulting

LinkedIn

In This Episode
In this week’s episode of the Two Piers Podcast, we continue our series on resilient leadership with Dr. Anthony Luévanos, discussing giving and receiving feedback. We explore the real reasons why feedback is often avoided, misunderstood, or mishandled, and why treating feedback as a disciplined practice rather than a one-off performance event is essential to building trust, alignment, and growth inside any organization.

What We Cover

• How cultural, industry, and organizational norms impact the way feedback is exchanged
• Why withholding feedback out of discomfort is not kindness — and can actually be a form of disrespect
• The biggest mindset shifts needed to give feedback with clarity, humility, and purpose
• How to adapt your feedback to the needs and history of the recipient
• What it looks like to receive feedback with curiosity rather than defensiveness
• Practical techniques for navigating the emotional intensity of feedback conversations, including the 54321 grounding method
• Why feedback is not about correction, but direction

About Our Guest
Dr. Anthony Luévanos is a researcher and practitioner who brings deep expertise from both academia and the real world of organizational systems. His work focuses on leadership learning, feedback culture, and building environments where people can grow with clarity, dignity, and purpose.

Key Takeaway
Feedback is not a verdict, it is a map. When delivered with intention and received with curiosity, it becomes one of the most powerful tools for organizational alignment and human development.

Dr. Anthony Luévanos LinkedIn

5-4-3-2-1 Method

Dr. Megan Tschannen-Moran

Episode Summary

In this episode of The Two Piers Podcast, host Erica D’Eramo sits down with Celeste Warren, a diversity and inclusion consultant with nearly 40 years of experience and former Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at Merck. Together, they unpack one of the most misunderstood concepts in the modern workplace — equity.

Celeste explains why equity isn’t about preferential treatment but about removing systemic barriers that prevent fair access to opportunity. Through powerful stories and practical examples, she and Erica explore how equity strengthens leadership, improves business outcomes, and helps organizations reach their full potential.

🔍 Topics Covered

• The real difference between equality and equity — and why it matters
• Common myths and misconceptions about fairness and meritocracy
• How systemic barriers like racism and sexism undermine team performance
• What skills-based hiring looks like in practice
• The role of shame, defensiveness, and dialogue in advancing inclusion
• How effective leaders create equitable, high-performing teams
• Why SHRM’s recent decision to de-emphasize equity is a step backward
• The business and human case for embracing equity as a leadership imperative

🧭 Key Takeaways

• Equity is not a dirty word — it’s the foundation of good leadership and sound business strategy.
• Leaders must understand that identical treatment isn’t fairness; equitable systems recognize and address different starting points.
• Conversations about equity work best when they’re grounded in data, empathy, and curiosity, not shame or fear.
• Organizations that commit to equity see stronger engagement, innovation, and performance.

👤 About Celeste Warren

Celeste Warren is a globally recognized diversity and inclusion strategist and the former Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at Merck. With a career spanning nearly four decades, she has been a leading voice in transforming organizational culture through equity, empathy, and leadership accountability. Celeste is also the author of How to Be a Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador and a sought-after speaker and consultant.

To learn more about Celeste Warren’s work, visit her website, follow her on LinkedIn, or check out her book, “The Truth About Equity.”

Episode Title: Raised in Silence: Bridging Communities with Maria Gallucci

In this episode of the Two Piers Podcast, host Erica D’Eramo sits down with Maria Gallucci, a multi-award-winning Colorado Real Estate Broker, author, and lifelong advocate for inclusive communication and accessible housing.

Maria shares her story of growing up with deaf parents, her role as an “unofficial interpreter,” and how those early experiences shaped her mission to ensure that everyone feels accepted, valued, and included. Together, Erica and Maria explore the importance of empathy, the misconceptions that persist about the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, and the everyday actions that foster connection.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why empathy and effort matter more than perfection when it comes to communication.
• The social framework of disability, and how context can include—or exclude—people.
• How universal design benefits everyone, not just those with disabilities.
• The role of technology, from apps to voice-to-text tools, in bridging communication gaps.
• Common myths about the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community (including lip reading).
• Practical ways to build bridges: choosing curiosity over judgment, small inclusive gestures, and respecting cultural identity.

Maria also introduces her book, Raised in Silence, which offers practical tips and real stories for anyone looking to communicate more effectively across differences.

Resources and Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• Maria’s book: Raised in Silence
  
  
• Maria’s real estate practice: http://www.Galluccihomes.com
  
  

👉 Listen in for an inspiring and practical conversation about compassion, communication, and the simple choices we can all make to create a more inclusive world.

In this episode of the Two Piers Podcast, host Erica D’Eramo sits down with Erika Pherson, Founder and CEO of The Collective Concierge, to explore why administrative support is essential for professional success.

Erika shares her journey from “doing it all” to building a company that helps entrepreneurs and executives streamline their workloads through high-level administrative support, process optimization, and project management. Together, Erica and Erika unpack the challenges of asking for help, the value of delegation, and the systems that make it work.

Listeners will learn practical strategies for identifying which tasks to delegate, building trust with support professionals, and finding the right match to maximize productivity. Erika also explains how effective support goes beyond task execution to provide thought partnership and fresh perspectives.

Key Takeaways:

• Why leaders struggle with delegation—and how to overcome it
• A simple framework for evaluating which tasks to delegate
• How systems and regular communication create trust and efficiency
• The importance of chemistry in professional support relationships
• How thought partnership can elevate decision-making and strategy

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about The Collective Concierge: www.thecollectiveconcierge.com
• Instagram: the_collective_concierge

🎧 Listen now and discover how delegating well can free your time, energy, and focus for the work that matters most.