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What happens when you stop living for everyone else's expectations and finally start living for yourself?
In this deeply honest conversation, Coach Jon sits down with Steven Whyte—lawyer, coach, former Mr. Gay Scotland, marathon runner, and confidence coach—to explore what it truly means to reinvent yourself.
Steven shares his journey from growing up gay in Scotland during the 1980s, hiding parts of himself for years, navigating multiple career changes, transforming his health, and discovering that lasting change has very little to do with weight—and everything to do with identity.
Together they discuss:
Growing up feeling differentComing out and finding acceptanceWhy career success doesn't always equal fulfillmentMidlife as a time of awakening—not crisisThe mindset shifts that create lasting transformationWhy asking for help is one of the bravest things you can doLiving authentically at work and in lifeThe power of courage, curiosity, and coachingWhether you're questioning your career, rebuilding your confidence, or simply wondering what comes next, this episode will remind you that your next chapter can be your most authentic one yet.
Connect with Steven
linkedin.com/in/steven-whyte-6b91811a7Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:30 Energy Check-In
04:10 Growing Up Different in Scotland
12:55 The Diary That Changed Everything
20:40 Finding Community Through Music
22:30 Success vs. Fulfillment
31:45 Why Transformation Isn't About Weight
38:45 Coaches Need Coaches Too
45:30 Identity vs. Career Changes
49:15 Why Midlife Is Actually a New Beginning
55:00 Courage Then vs. Courage Now
58:40 Rapid Fire Questions
1:03:05 Final Advice for Anyone Feeling Stuck
1:04:10 Coach Jon's Closing Thoughts -
In this powerful episode of Empowered & Out: The Career Coaching Podcast, Coach Jon sits down with Celeste Warren, a visionary leader, consultant, author, and former Vice President and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at a global Fortune 100 company.
Celeste brings decades of experience helping organizations create more equitable, inclusive, and human-centered workplaces. She is also the founder of Celeste Warren Consulting LLC, co-founder of Destination STEM Inc., and author of “The Truth About Equity.”
Together, Coach Jon and Celeste explore what equity really means, why performative inclusion is not enough, and how workplaces can create cultures where people feel safe, seen, respected, and able to thrive. Celeste shares her experience being the first and only woman of color in leadership spaces, the impact of masking and covering at work, and the importance of leaders knowing their people beyond job titles.
PODCAST CHAPTERS
00:00 — Welcome to Empowered & Out
02:22 — Meet Celeste Warren
03:34 — Walking in Purpose and Leaving the Sunday Scaries Behind
05:11 — Being the First and Only in Leadership Spaces
08:54 — Why Representation Alone Is Not Enough
10:31 — Masking, Covering, and the Energy It Takes to Fit In
15:53 — Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Equity Explained
18:03 — Where Organizations Get Inclusion Wrong
20:12 — What Meaningful ERG Support Can Look Like
24:24 — Creating Safety for LGBTQ+ and Intersectional Professionals
30:45 — Generational Shifts, Values, and the Future of Work
36:21 — Building Experience Beyond Traditional Internships
39:17 — What Leaders Can Do Right Now to Build Trust
42:23 — Celeste’s Book: The Truth About Equity
46:28 — The Rocks and the Fence Analogy
49:47 — Lessons from Celeste’s Father’s Leadership Journey
53:33 — Family Stories, Advocacy, and the Long Arc of Equity
01:00:12 — Rapid Fire Questions
01:03:00 — Celeste’s Final Advice: Stay Relevant, Stay Supportive, Stay in the Fight
01:04:29 — Closing Thoughts and Call to ActionIf today’s conversation resonated with you, share this episode with someone who cares about building more inclusive, authentic, and equitable workplaces.
And if you are realizing that you are feeling stuck, burned out, disconnected, under-confident, or unsure about your next career move, I invite you to connect with me here: https://linktr.ee/empoweredandout
You can follow Celeste, learn more about her consulting work, and check out her book, The Truth About Equity, below.
Website: www.CRWDiversity.com
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/crwdiversity
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@celestewarren-equity
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celestewarrenllc/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CXPNHNqZE/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Link to book on Amazon: https://mybook.to/TruthAboutEquity
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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In this episode of Empowered & Out: The Career Coaching Podcast, Coach Jon sits down with Ryan DeLuca, Managing Director of 25th Hour Regulatory Consulting, for a powerful conversation about confidence, bias, leadership, allyship, and what it means to navigate professional spaces as an LGBTQ+ person.
Ryan brings nearly 20 years of experience in regulation, investigations, compliance, education, and professional development. His work helps regulatory professionals strengthen investigative practices, reduce bias, improve decision-making, and approach their work with fairness, neutrality, and confidence.
Together, Coach Jon and Ryan explore how LGBTQ+ professionals often become skilled readers of people and environments, especially after years of masking, navigating safety, and learning how to assess where they can fully show up. Ryan shares how confidence grew throughout his career, what helped him trust his own expertise, and why representation matters in industries where LGBTQ+ people are often assumed not to exist.
This episode also dives into workplace bias, meaningful allyship, the current political climate, support for the trans community, and the importance of standing together during difficult moments. Ryan also shares how risk, adventure, and challenge have helped shape his relationship with confidence and growth.
If you have ever felt underestimated, questioned your right to take up space, or wondered how to stay grounded while navigating bias or assumptions, this conversation is for you.
CHAPTERS
00:00 — Welcome to Empowered & Out
02:24 — Meet Ryan DeLuca
03:00 — Energy check-in
04:11 — Ryan’s path from real estate to regulatory investigations
07:05 — Understanding people, behavior, and bias
09:11 — How LGBTQ+ professionals learn to read environments
11:25 — Navigating professional spaces as an LGBTQ+ investigator
14:52 — Moving from self-consciousness to trusting your expertise
17:18 — Misconceptions about LGBTQ+ professionals in leadership and compliance
20:22 — Visibility, representation, and LGBTQ+ professionals in every industry
24:00 — Advice for anyone feeling underestimated
28:04 — Authenticity, Pride, and showing up at work
32:46 — Where bias shows up in workplace decision-making
36:57 — How professionals can check their own assumptions
38:49 — Why marginalized communities become political targets
43:05 — What meaningful allyship looks like right now
44:56 — Confidence, fear, skydiving, and personal growth
55:36 — How risk and challenge change with age
59:30 — Rapid-fire questions
1:02:40 — Encouragement for LGBTQ+ professionals and leaders
1:03:33 — Final reflections and closing CTAIf this episode resonated with you, subscribe to Empowered & Out: The Career Coaching Podcast, share it with someone who needs encouragement, and connect with Coach Jon at Empowered & Out Coaching.
And if you are feeling stuck, burned out, disconnected, under-confident, or unsure about your next career move, the Empowered Career Transformation Program can help you reconnect with your purpose, rebuild confidence, and take aligned action toward a career where you can thrive as your full self.
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Happy Pride, Everyone! 🌈
In this powerful episode of Empowered & Out: The Career Coaching Podcast, Coach Jon sits down with Andrew, founder of Person First Consulting, for a deeply honest conversation about identity, career transformation, workplace belonging, and what it means to rebuild after professional rejection.
Andrew shares their journey from music education to higher education, ed tech, career coaching, leadership development, DEI consulting, and entrepreneurship. He opens up about how a painful job loss connected to disclosing his gender identity became part of the path that led him to launch his own consulting business and create work rooted in purpose, flexibility, and impact.
This episode also explores Andrew’s dissertation research on the well-being experiences of transgender employees during onboarding in the tech industry. Together, Coach Jon and Andrew discuss psychological safety, inclusive hiring practices, unconscious bias, gender identity at work, performative Pride, and why organizations must do more than say they are inclusive.
If you have ever felt rejected, unseen, unsafe, or disconnected from your career path, this conversation is a reminder that one workplace experience does not get to define your entire professional story.
CHAPTERS
00:00 — Welcome to Empowered & Out
01:00 — Introducing Andrew and Person First Consulting
03:46 — Andrew joins the conversation
04:00 — Energy check-in
05:38 — Andrew’s career journey from music education to consulting
07:20 — Coming out again at work and navigating job loss
09:00 — Launching Person First Consulting
10:55 — What “person first” means
12:38 — Building a consulting business after job loss
14:19 — Flexibility, caregiving, and life-work balance
18:48 — Andrew’s dissertation on transgender employees and onboarding
21:43 — Inclusive restrooms and workplace belonging
25:44 — Challenges transgender and nonbinary employees may face in new roles
28:06 — How organizations can create psychological safety during onboarding
32:01 — What unconscious bias looks like in everyday life
34:30 — How bias shows up in resumes, hiring, pay, and promotion
37:04 — How leaders can become more aware of their bias
39:18 — How to address bias without shutting someone down
43:08 — Rebuilding purpose after workplace trauma
46:03 — Authenticity, safety, and Pride in the current climate
50:43 — Rapid-fire questions
54:04 — Andrew’s encouragement for discouraged job seekers
58:01 — Coach Jon’s closing reflection and CTAIf this episode spoke to you, share it with someone who needs to hear the reminder that their career story is not over.
And if you are feeling stuck, burned out, disconnected, underconfident, or unsure about your next career move, connect with Coach Jon at Empowered & Out Coaching to learn more about the Empowered Career Transformation Program @ https://linktr.ee/empoweredandout
Through the Purpose to Placement Framework™, Coach Jon helps professionals move from confusion and self-doubt into clarity, confidence, strategy, and aligned action.
Available in both 1:1 and group coaching options.
Your career should not require you to disappear in order to succeed.
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In this powerful episode of Empowered & Out, Coach Jon sits down with Deanna Scaldaferri, a licensed massage and bodywork therapist, to talk about healing, resilience, grief, toxic relationships, body-based healing, and what it really means to reconnect with your light after life has tried to dim it.
Deanna shares how her own journey through grief, trauma, narcissistic abuse, and personal healing shaped the work she does today. Together, Coach Jon and Deanna explore why healing is not just mental or emotional, but deeply connected to the body, nervous system, spirit, and the way we learn to listen to ourselves again.
This conversation is for anyone who has walked through heartbreak, grief, emotional chaos, trauma, toxic relationships, or burnout and wondered, “Will I ever feel like myself again?”
The answer woven throughout this episode is yes.
Healing takes time. It takes intention. It takes compassion. And sometimes, it begins with one small question: What is the next right step?
CHAPTERS
00:00 – Welcome to Empowered & Out
00:53 – Meet Deanna Scaldaferri
01:45 – Energy check-in and showing up authentically
05:00 – Deanna’s personal healing journey
09:01 – What lived experience teaches that training cannot
10:40 – What causes people to lose connection with their light
13:37 – Finding stillness in a noisy world
19:20 – Healing beyond the buzzwords
20:01 – The impact of toxic and narcissistic relationships
22:00 – Rewiring the brain and rebuilding emotional health
24:23 – Why healing can take longer than expected
29:05 – The connection between mental health and the body
32:00 – Massage, stress, pain, and nervous system support
37:43 – Reiki, energy healing, and stored emotion
44:23 – Turning pain into power
52:07 – Hope for anyone wondering if they will feel like themselves again
53:51 – Rapid-fire questions
57:06 – One action step to reconnect with your light
59:07 – Final reflections and closing messageIf this conversation spoke to you, share it with someone who may need the reminder that healing is possible and their light is still there, even if life has tried to dim it.
To connect with Deanna and learn more about her massage, Reiki, energy healing, or intuitive coaching work, check here:
www.healinghandsbydeanna.com
https://www.meetup.com/charlotte-narcissistic-abuse-recovery-meetup-group
https://www.facebook.com/share/1BKfYBaUax/?mibextid=wwXIfr
https://www.instagram.com/decamde1?igsh=M2FtZ3FsM2N6dHdh&utm_source=qr
www.linkedin.com/in/deanna-decamillo-scaldaferri-6b242a2a5
And if you are navigating burnout, grief, career uncertainty, confidence loss, or a season of rebuilding, connect with Coach Jon at Empowered & Out Coaching here: https://app.paperbell.com/checkout/packages/94065
You deserve to feel connected to yourself again.
You deserve support.
And you do not have to rebuild alone. -
In this special episode of Empowered & Out: The Career Coaching Podcast, the tables are turned as Coach Jane returns — but this time, she is interviewing Coach Jon.
This conversation gives listeners a more personal look at who Coach Jon is, why he became a coach, and what led him into the work of helping people rebuild confidence, rediscover purpose, and show up more authentically in their careers and lives.
Coach Jon opens up about how his coaching journey began during the pandemic, why purpose and confidence became central to his work, and how personal experience, workplace challenges, resilience, and community shaped the way he supports others today.
Together, Coach Jane and Coach Jon explore the impact of technology and AI on confidence and communication, why networking still matters, how self-doubt shows up at work, what it means to be empowered, and why confidence is something that can be built over time.
If you have ever felt stuck, unseen, unsure, disconnected from your purpose, or like your confidence has taken a hit, this episode is a reminder that you are not broken. You can rebuild. You can grow. And you can learn to trust yourself again.
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to Empowered & Out
02:13 Coach Jane returns and takes over as host
02:46 Energy check-in and switching roles
05:04 What led Coach Jon into confidence and purpose coaching
06:00 Starting a podcast during the pandemic
07:04 Discovering coaching certifications and finding direction
09:18 Why purpose and confidence became central to the work
11:03 Technology, devices, AI, and confidence
15:26 How AI can be used as a confidence-building tool
16:02 Networking, communication, and finding career opportunities
20:13 What makes Coach Jon’s coaching approach different
22:09 Purpose, alignment, and choosing work that feels authentic
25:24 Masking, self-doubt, and confidence at work
28:54 Where to start when you feel stuck or unseen
31:55 Mindset versus environment in confidence-building
34:45 What resilience has looked like in Coach Jon’s life
40:15 What resilient people understand
42:22 What being empowered means today
45:39 The one message listeners should take away
47:06 Success, happiness, and choosing your joy
49:48 Rapid-fire questions
56:14 Coach Jon reflects on being interviewed
58:07 Final thoughts on career readiness, resilience, and confidence
59:26 Call to action and closing message
If this episode resonated with you and you are ready to rebuild your confidence, rediscover your purpose, or stop feeling stuck in your career, I would love to support you.Book a free call with me, Coach Jon, through the link here: https://linktr.ee/empoweredandout
And if you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs the reminder that confidence is built — it is not reserved for a chosen few.
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In this episode of Empowered & Out: The Career Coaching Podcast, Coach Jon sits down with Ken Breniman for a deeply honest, beautifully layered, and delightfully weird conversation about healing, grief, queer identity, mortality, psychedelics, burnout, primates, and what it really means to be human.
Ken is a licensed clinical social worker, psychedelic-assisted grief therapist, death doula, professor of thanatology, yoga therapist, and what he lovingly calls a budding primatologist. Together, Jon and Ken explore how queer identity shapes resilience, why grief can become a doorway back to purpose, what death teaches us about living more fully, and how stepping away from modern noise can help us reconnect with ourselves.
This conversation moves from childhood identity and coming out, to ancestral healing, rainforest wisdom, orangutans, psychedelic therapy, and the simple but powerful practice of taking three minutes to pause, breathe, and come back to your body.
If you’ve been feeling burned out, disconnected, overwhelmed, or unsure how to find your way back to yourself, this episode is an invitation to slow down, listen deeply, and remember that healing does not have to be linear to be real.
Chapters
00:00 — Welcome to Empowered & Out
02:09 — Ken’s energy check-in
03:35 — Ken’s beautifully chaotic healing path
04:52 — How queer identity shaped Ken’s healing work
06:08 — Leaving conformity and finding purpose
11:06 — Origin stories, creativity, and honoring your true colors
17:19 — Feeling different, animal identity, and naming the unseen parts of ourselves
20:43 — Queer resilience, queer joy, and remembering our ancestors
23:08 — Coming out, chosen family, and holding space
29:03 — Loving the parts of ourselves we were taught to reject
32:03 — Why queer stories are not one-size-fits-all
33:39 — What LGBTQ+ people need more of right now
35:24 — Silence, technology, and getting away from the noise
39:19 — Why we avoid talking about death
46:14 — How mortality can help us live more fully
49:43 — What grief teaches us about purpose
51:45 — Psychedelics, grief, and healing beyond traditional therapy
53:47 — What people misunderstand about psychedelic healing
58:41 — Ken’s sabbatical and working around orangutans
1:02:34 — Burnout, empathic distress, and learning to slow down
1:04:16 — What the rainforest teaches us about interdependence
1:09:22 — Rapid-fire questions
1:13:22 — Ken’s advice for reconnecting with yourself
1:18:31 — Final reflections and closing CTAIf this episode resonated with you, subscribe to Empowered & Out, leave a review, and share it with someone who may need a reminder that healing, purpose, and confidence are still possible.
And if you’ve been feeling burned out, disconnected, stuck, or like your career no longer feels aligned with who you are, book a free discovery call with Coach Jon here: https://linktr.ee/empoweredandout.
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In this episode of Empowered & Out: The Career Coaching Podcast, Coach Jon welcomes back Jane Klein, a former corporate leader turned internship coach who helps college students land competitive internships and enter the workforce with more confidence, strategy, and direction.
This conversation gets into the real challenges Gen Z students and early-career professionals are facing right now: internship rejection, ghosting, lack of confidence, networking anxiety, unclear career goals, and the pressure to have everything figured out before they even get started.
Jane and Jon discuss why many students are academically prepared but not always career-ready, why knowing your value matters before walking into an interview, and how rejection can become information instead of proof that you are failing. They also explore how parents, educators, and professionals can better support students as they move from school into adulthood.
This episode is especially helpful for college students, young professionals, parents, internship seekers, and anyone who has ever overthought themselves out of taking the next step.
And Jane’s reminder is one we all need: done is better than perfect.
Episode Chapters
00:00 — Welcome to Empowered & Out
02:25 — Reintroducing Jane Klein
02:38 — Energy check-in
04:03 — Power poses, confidence, and preparing yourself before big moments
07:43 — What changed for Jane after moving
13:24 — What college students are struggling with in today’s internship market
16:44 — Why academics alone do not prepare students for career confidence
21:23 — The confidence gap: experience, rejection, employer expectations, and subconscious patterns
25:30 — Helping students understand their value before they have a long resume
27:31 — How to stop personalizing internship and job rejection
30:47 — Mindset shifts for resilience and confidence
35:35 — Participation awards, rejection, and learning how to improve
38:26 — Using root-cause analysis after interviews and applications
40:14 — Why students need clearer career goals before graduation
01:29:10 — Real examples of networking creating unexpected opportunities
01:49:50 — Jane’s whole-food plant-based lifestyle and intentional living
02:04:41 — Rapid fire questions
02:07:10 — Jane’s final actionable tip: done is better than perfect -
In this episode of Empowered & Out, Coach Jon sits down with Greg Mazzeo, a leadership psychologist, HR practitioner, consultant, and human-centered performance advocate, for a deep and timely conversation about what it really means to lead people well.
Together, Jon and Greg explore the tension between performance and humanity at work — especially when identity, safety, language, and leadership all collide. Greg shares how his background in food service leadership, psychology, HR, and consulting shaped the way he thinks about performance, not as a simple metric, but as a human story with systems, barriers, relationships, and lived experiences behind it.
This conversation digs into inclusive language, identity threats, psychological safety, difficult performance conversations, toxic leadership, and what organizations often miss when they focus only on intention while ignoring impact. Greg also shares powerful insight into how workplace language, symbols, representation, and leadership behavior can either pull employees into belonging or push them into self-protection.
If you have ever worked under a leader who made you question yourself, sat through a performance conversation that felt more threatening than supportive, or wondered whether organizations truly understand the human impact of their decisions, this episode is for you.
This is a conversation about leadership that does not require self-abandonment, performance that does not ignore wellbeing, and workplaces where people are allowed to be human.
Podcast Chapters
00:00 — Welcome to Empowered & Out
01:24 — Introducing Greg Mazzeo and today’s conversation
02:52 — Energy check-in: community, rest, and starting the week grounded
04:36 — Greg’s journey into leadership psychology, HR, and human-centered performance
07:03 — Why Greg started Nourishment Consulting
08:11 — What human-centered performance looks like in real workplaces
11:30 — Collaboration, employee voice, and making space for quieter team members
13:15 — What organizations still get wrong about performance
15:30 — Where metrics help and where they start to hurt
18:57 — Inclusive language and identity threat experiences at work
22:47 — How wording, symbols, and representation impact employee safety
26:20 — Why intent is not enough when impact is ignored
30:00 — Performance conversations, coaching, and the danger of dismissiveness
32:42 — How leaders can prepare for difficult conversations with more awareness
34:25 — How employees can protect themselves and advocate for themselves
40:03 — Why organizations protect technically strong but harmful leaders
45:01 — Leadership vs. management, team building, and collaboration
53:26 — DEI shifts, political pressure, and how companies signal their values
58:34 — What happens when representation disappears
01:00:48 — Why DEI impacts everyone
01:06:32 — Rapid fire: Baltimore, New York bagels, pizza, and food identity
01:10:25 — Greg’s actionable advice: listen to what your body is telling you
01:13:57 — Final reflections and closing CTAIf this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend, coworker, or leader who needs to hear this conversation.
And if you are in a season of rebuilding your confidence, recovering from a difficult workplace experience, or trying to figure out what kind of work actually fits who you are now, connect with Coach Jon through the link here: linktr.ee/empoweredandout
You deserve a career that supports your success without costing you your wellbeing.
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In this heartfelt episode of Empowered & Out, Coach Jon sits down with Kara Zajac, freelance writer, chiropractor, entrepreneur, musician, and author of The Significance of Curly Hair: A Loving Memoir of Life and Loss.
Kara’s memoir takes place during the emotionally loaded week of her grandmother’s funeral — a week that cracked open grief, memory, identity, family history, and the truths we sometimes do not understand until much later in life. Together, Jon and Kara explore what grief teaches us, how family stories shape who we become, and why healing often begins when we let ourselves feel instead of forcing ourselves to “move on.”
This conversation also opens up powerful reflections on queer identity, motherhood, chosen family, authenticity, and the realization that there is no single “right” way to build a life. Kara shares how losing her grandmother helped her challenge old beliefs about family, marriage, motherhood, and what it means to live honestly.
If you have ever carried grief, questioned the life you are “supposed” to live, or wondered how to honor someone you miss without losing yourself, this episode will meet you with tenderness, humor, and truth.
Chapters
00:00 — Welcome to Empowered & Out
02:22 — Meet Kara Zajac
02:25 — Energy check-in
04:29 — Why Kara’s memoir takes place during the week of her grandmother’s funeral
06:02 — The moment grief began changing her
08:40 — What Kara wishes more people understood about grief
09:37 — Coach Jon reflects on grief and losing his father
11:34 — Seeing family members as whole people
13:17 — Learning new stories after loss
15:03 — Understanding her grandmother beyond the role of “grandmother”
16:09 — Being gay, married, a mother, and fully yourself
17:45 — Letting go of the belief that there is only one way to live
21:41 — What to say to someone who feels forced to choose one version of life
23:36 — Staying authentic when life gets loud
24:54 — Being out in a small rural community
27:44 — How authenticity builds trust
30:53 — A powerful neighborhood moment about queer family and visibility
32:38 — How grief shifted Kara’s view of motherhood
34:30 — What motherhood taught Kara about love
37:11 — Releasing the belief that children “need” one specific family structure
40:21 — Raising children with openness and love
43:17 — How Kara wants her daughter to define family
46:24 — Inclusive churches, Pride, and belonging
49:09 — The dollhouse story
51:14 — The “dollhouse moments” we miss in our own lives
52:45 — Truth, memory, and family stories
55:49 — Giving grace to complicated family histories
57:25 — What Kara hopes readers take away about grief
58:06 — Rapid fire questions
1:00:01 — Kara’s actionable tip for listeners
1:00:37 — Closing reflections and CTAIf this episode stirred something in you — maybe around grief, family, identity, confidence, or the version of your life you are ready to stop hiding — I invite you to book a free discovery call with me.
At Empowered & Out Coaching, I help professionals rebuild confidence, reconnect with purpose, and make career and life choices that support both success and wellbeing.
Book your free call here: linktr.ee/empoweredandout
And if this conversation moved you, share it with someone who needs a reminder that grief does not have to be fixed all at once — and that there is more than one way to build a beautiful life.
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What does it really mean to belong at work?
In this powerful episode of Empowered & Out, Coach Jon sits down with award-winning author, leadership strategist, and founder of Rhodes Perry Consulting, Rhodes Perry, to unpack leadership, burnout, workplace belonging, and why authenticity is more than just a buzzword—it’s survival.
From working inside the White House and the Department of Justice to helping organizations create cultures of belonging, Rhodes shares how his lived experience as an openly trans man shaped his mission to challenge workplace loneliness and exclusion.
We dive deep into DEI, “DEI hushing,” somatic leadership, burnout recovery, and what companies still get wrong about belonging at work.
This conversation is honest, timely, and deeply needed—especially for LGBTQ+ professionals navigating today’s workplace climate.
If you’ve ever felt like you had to leave parts of yourself behind just to succeed… this episode is for you.
Chapters:
00:00 – Welcome to Empowered & Out
02:30 – Meet Rhodes Perry
03:00 – Energy Check-In: Burnout + Recovery
05:15 – The Workplace Loneliness Epidemic
08:10 – Why Exclusion Is a Leadership Problem
12:00 – Starting Rhodes Perry Consulting
14:30 – Career Lessons from the White House + DOJ
17:00 – Being an Open Trans Man in Corporate Spaces
20:00 – Why Trans Professionals Are a Massive Workplace Asset
26:00 – Why Belonging Matters More Than DEI Buzzwords
31:00 – What True Workplace Safety Looks Like
45:00 – Can Everyone Belong? Setting Boundaries
50:00 – The Future of DEI in 2026 and Beyond
54:00 – Burnout Recovery + Somatic Leadership
57:30 – One Action to Reconnect With YourselfIf this episode resonated with you and you're ready to rebuild confidence, rediscover your purpose, and create a career where you can fully show up as yourself—I’d love to support you.
Book your FREE coaching discovery call with me here: https://linktr.ee/empoweredandout
Let’s help you get back to you.
🎙️ Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs it.
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What happens when the job that looks impressive on paper is quietly draining the life out of you?
In this episode of Empowered & Out, Coach Jon sits down with returning guest Dani Brunetto, a career navigation coach based in Brussels, to talk about burnout in a way that goes far beyond “just being tired.”
Together, they unpack how burnout actually starts, why so many high-performing people miss the signs, how toxic workplace systems fuel it, and what real recovery and prevention can look like. Dani also shares parts of his own burnout story, what it taught him, and how he now helps people find work that fits them instead of forcing themselves into jobs that were never built with their wellbeing in mind.
This is a grounded, honest conversation for anyone who’s been questioning their job, their energy, their boundaries, or whether success is really supposed to feel this exhausting.
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome back + why this conversation matters
02:44 Dani’s energy check-in
03:56 What burnout really is
06:25 Stress vs. burnout
08:04 Why high performers miss the signs
10:24 Prestigious but toxic jobs
14:05 The stories people tell themselves to stay
18:28 Prestige vs. true alignment
21:25 Workplace systems that fuel burnout
25:20 Vague roles, poor boundaries, unrealistic expectations
38:15 Dani’s personal burnout story
47:12 What real burnout recovery looks like
53:08 Preventing burnout before the breaking point
58:18 Researching companies and spotting red flags
01:06:29 Rapid fire: Brussels edition
01:09:44 Dani’s advice for anyone feeling stuck
01:10:28 Final reflections + where to get support
If this episode hit home for you, share it with someone who needs this reminder: burnout is not a badge of honor. Be sure to follow, leave a review, and send this episode to a friend, coworker, or high achiever who may be carrying too much in silence. If you’re ready for support, you can book a free call with me, Coach Jon, and you can also connect with Dani using the links below.Connect with Dani:
Website: harbourchange.com
LinkedIN: linkedin.com/in/daniele-brunettoConnect with Coach Jon:
https://linktr.ee/empoweredandout -
In this powerful episode of Empowered & Out, Coach Jon sits down with returning guest Joseph Federico for a real, honest conversation about visibility, confidence, queer identity, entrepreneurship, and what it actually takes to build a life and career without shrinking yourself to fit in.
Together, they unpack how fear, shame, burnout, masking, and old survival patterns keep so many LGBTQ+ professionals — especially gay men — stuck, overthinking, and playing small.
They also dig into the realities of social media, the evolution of LinkedIn and Instagram, the loss of authentic connection online, and how AI can either support your creativity or strip away your humanity if you rely on it too heavily. This episode is honest, blunt, thoughtful, and deeply relevant for anyone trying to rebuild confidence, show up more authentically, and stop dimming themselves just to survive.
If you’ve been feeling unseen, stuck, discouraged, or like you’ve been overthinking your next move into exhaustion, this conversation is your reminder that your voice matters, your perspective matters, and the world does not need a smaller version of you.
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome back + season focus on healing and resilience
02:00 Meet returning guest Joseph Federico
02:50 Energy check-in and global connection through LinkedIn
10:15 Visibility, authenticity, and being fully seen
13:00 Why bold content gets attention
17:00 Confidence vs. purpose in career growth
20:00 Fear, entrepreneurship, and why people stay stuck
24:00 LGBTQ+ community, division, and representation
34:30 Why gay men quietly give up on themselves
39:15 Potential, voice, and why new perspectives matter
43:40 Why interested clients don’t always follow through
52:00 Social media, LinkedIn, Instagram, and authenticity
01:05:00 AI, technology, and keeping your humanity
01:28:00 Final advice: stop overthinking and just do it
If this episode spoke to you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. And if you’re in a season where you’re ready to rebuild your confidence, reconnect with your purpose, or stop dimming yourself just to survive at work and in life, book a free discovery call with me through the link in the show notes.Connect with Coach Jon here: https://linktr.ee/empoweredandout
Connect with Joseph here: https://mysticalmarketingmaven.com/
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In this deeply important and at times heavy conversation, Coach Jon sits down with Lucas Wilson — researcher, writer, and editor of Shame, Sex, Attraction: Survivor Stories of Conversion Therapy — to talk about the lasting impact of conversion therapy, evangelicalism, white Christian nationalism, and the long road back to self-trust.
Luke shares his lived experience growing up in a conservative religious environment, attending Liberty University, and spending four years in its conversion therapy program. Together, Jon and Luke unpack what it means to survive high-control religion, how shame gets embedded into identity, and what healing, resistance, and reclamation can actually look like on the other side.
This episode is honest, thoughtful, and powerful. It’s a conversation about religious harm, queer identity, survival, and the courage it takes to rebuild your life when the systems that shaped you also wounded you.
Trigger warning: This episode includes discussion of conversion therapy, religious harm, shame, identity-based trauma, and mental health. Please listen with care and pause if needed.
Chapters
00:00 Welcome + season theme: healing and resistance
01:42 Meet Lucas Wilson
04:43 Luke’s research, writing, and public-facing work
08:59 Why these conversations matter
11:03 Growing up in Toronto, family, and religion
18:11 Realizing his identity didn’t fit the framework around him
24:52 Arriving at Liberty University
27:37 Surveillance, control, and fear on campus
36:57 The culture of punishment and institutional pressure
1:00:22 Shame, survivor stories, and what healing can look like
1:05:07 Christianity, colonization, and naming harm
1:11:32 What Luke hopes students and educators hear
1:14:10 Rapid fire questions
If this conversation resonated with you and you’re ready to rebuild confidence, reconnect with yourself, and make career choices that support your wellbeing, book a free discovery call with Coach Jon through the link in the show notes.Connect with Luke
Instagram: @lukeslamdunkwilsonThreads: @lukeslamdunkwilson
Bluesky: @lukeslamdunkwilson.bsky.social
Twitter/X: @wilson_fw
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-wilson-2a0753b1/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luke.wilson.96
Connect with Coach Jon:
https://linktr.ee/empoweredandout -
In this episode of Empowered and Out, Coach Jon sits down with Phillip Hargrove, instructor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of Central Florida and former NASA Kennedy Space Center engineer, for a deeply honest conversation about authenticity, identity, and what it means to return to yourself.
Phillip shares his journey from working at NASA to making a bold career pivot into education, and how that transition helped him recognize what true alignment really feels like. Together, Jon and Phillip explore the difference between authenticity and oversharing, the cost of shape-shifting to fit into different spaces, and the ongoing practice of choosing yourself again and again.
They also talk about coming out later, navigating visibility as a Black gay man, trusting your intuition, finding supportive people, and how coaching, therapy, and mindfulness can help you stop abandoning yourself in the name of survival.
This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like they had to edit themselves to belong. If you’ve been shrinking at work, questioning your next step, or trying to figure out how to show up more fully in your life, this conversation will meet you with honesty, warmth, and real encouragement.
Chapters
00:00 Intro and welcome
00:45 Meet Phillip Hargrove
02:39 Energy check-in
07:45 What authenticity means in real life
08:43 Authenticity vs. oversharing
12:36 The pattern of changing yourself to fit
18:04 What shape-shifting looked like
21:40 Coming out and feeling ready
26:07 Fear, faith, and internalized messages
32:15 What Phillip wishes he knew earlier
37:01 Safety, visibility, and trusting intuition
42:40 Leaving NASA and choosing alignment
45:00 Engineering vs. teaching authenticity
49:00 How coaching, mentors, and therapy helped
53:28 What real support looks like
56:50 Support alternatives when coaching or therapy isn’t accessible
01:03:06 Skills to build authenticity over time
01:07:23 Rapid fire questions
01:14:33 Final takeaway and closing
If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who’s been shrinking to survive. And if you’re ready to rediscover your purpose, rebuild your confidence, and show up more fully at work and in life, book your free 30-minute discovery call through the link in the show notes.https://linktr.ee/empoweredandout
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What happens when your style, voice, or presence gets judged before your leadership ever does?
In this episode of Empowered and Out, Coach Jon sits down with Aaron Roberts, an operations director at a leading fertility hospital in central London, to talk about leadership, identity, performance, and what it means to succeed without shrinking yourself to fit someone else’s version of professionalism.
Aaron shares his journey from being bullied as a young queer person, to navigating corporate healthcare without the traditional credentials people expect, to becoming a leader who believes the results speak louder than stereotypes. Together, Jon and Aaron unpack what authenticity actually looks like at work, why some people still confuse it with being unprofessional, and how leaders can better protect and promote diverse talent without making it awkward or performative.
This conversation is for anyone who has ever been told they were too much, too visible, too different, or not the “right fit” — and needed the reminder that your identity is not the problem.
In this episode, we talk about:
• What being authentic really looks like in leadership
• The pressure to tone yourself down at work
• How Aaron built a serious career without traditional credentials
• Why open-door leadership matters
• What inclusion looks like when it’s done well
• How to stop negotiating your identity just to make others comfortable
• One actionable step to advocate for yourself while protecting your peaceChapters:
00:00 Intro + season theme
02:04 Meet Aaron Roberts
02:28 Energy check-in
03:50 Who Aaron was before the title
08:21 Why reception work is never “just” reception
12:27 What authenticity looks like as a leader
15:24 Why authenticity gets mistaken for unprofessionalism
20:51 “The face doesn’t fit” and workplace bias
25:58 What it took to stop negotiating identity
35:22 Progress and gaps in healthcare leadership
39:41 What inclusion done well really looks like
44:09 One norm Aaron wants to see everywhere
51:10 What supportive leaders do differently
54:59 What managers can do this week
57:13 What Aaron wants people to unlearn
01:01:14 Rapid fire questions
01:05:03 One actionable step for self-advocacy
01:07:08 Closing thoughts + CTA
If this episode hit home and you’re ready to rebuild confidence, get clear on your next move, and lead without self-editing, book a free discovery call with Coach Jon through the link below.https://linktr.ee/empoweredandout
And if this conversation resonated with you, share it with someone who needs the reminder that authenticity isn’t a liability — it’s leadership.
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What does it mean to come out later in life — and then learn how to live, work, and lead from that truth?
In this powerful returning guest episode of Empowered & Out, Coach Jon welcomes back Aime Hutton for a deeper conversation about identity, self-acceptance, coming out in adulthood, and what it takes to feel safe and seen in the workplace. Aime shares her personal journey of coming out in her 40s, the fear she carried before saying it out loud, the role family played in that process, and how self-acceptance became her superpower.
Together, Jon and Aime unpack what authenticity really looks like when you are still figuring yourself out on your own timeline. They also dig into workplace inclusion, disability advocacy, accommodations, belonging, and the difference between simply surviving at work and actually thriving there.
Aime also shares insights from her work with Open Door Group’s Work Abilities Program, where she helps adults living with barriers find meaningful, lasting employment, along with her leadership as Chair of the Gender and Sexual Diversity Advisory Board for the Calgary Police Service.
This conversation is honest, affirming, and deeply needed for anyone navigating identity, confidence, and career without wanting to abandon themselves in the process.
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome back and introducing returning guest Aime Hutton
02:12 Aime’s new role with Open Door Group and today’s focus
03:40 Energy check-in and grounding through work and weather
06:14 “Self-acceptance is my superpower” — where that came from
11:26 What was happening internally before coming out
13:23 Fear, family, and what felt most at risk
17:09 What surprised Aime most after coming out
19:55 Advice for anyone in the “I think I’m ready, but I’m terrified” stage
22:15 Coming out at work and learning what safety really looks like
29:12 Helping adults with barriers find meaningful, lasting employment
32:00 What workplaces need in order for people to thrive
39:43 How employers can rethink inclusive hiring
45:48 Leading systems change with the Calgary Police Service
49:29 Mentoring, pronouns, and speaking to the right room
52:04 Rapid-fire questions with a Canadian twist
57:20 One action step toward self-acceptance without forcing danger
58:53 Final reflections and closing message
If this episode reminded you that you are not behind in your becoming, share it with someone who needs to hear that today. And if you’re ready for support around identity, confidence, workplace belonging, or career direction, book a discovery call through the show notes or DM me the word READY.https://linktr.ee/empoweredandout
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What does it look like to lead with integrity in an industry that still clings to outdated assumptions about masculinity and who “belongs”?
In this episode of Empowered & Out, Coach Jon sits down with Chris Malden, owner of Prestige Security, to talk about coming out at 19, building credibility in a male-dominated field, and what real workplace inclusion actually requires.
Chris gets honest about stereotypes gay men still face in security, why “allyship” can sometimes become too much, and the leadership lesson he’ll shout from the rooftops: know your people. We also get into authenticity versus safety at work, how to navigate conservative environments, and why being out doesn’t have to become your entire personality to be valid.
Want support beyond the episode?
Follow Coach Jon on social (jmbcoachingllc) and book a Discovery Call with Empowered & Out Coaching using the link below.
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to Empowered & Out + season focus
01:13 Why LGBTQ+ visibility in security matters
02:03 Energy check-in
03:09 Who Chris is outside of work
05:40 “People assume I’m straight” — stereotypes and perception
06:31 Coming out at 19 + early influences
09:24 What he needed most back then: reassurance
12:21 Misconceptions about LGBTQ+ people in security
18:52 Building credibility with low representation
20:31 Earning respect the hard way
22:12 What “lead by example” actually means
27:02 Leadership lesson: know your people
29:45 Authenticity vs safety at work
37:43 Advice for conservative workplaces
46:03 What companies get wrong about support
49:25 Allyship that doesn’t help (and why)
52:06 Rapid fire time
01:00:20 Actionable takeaways for listeners + leadersFollow + Book a FREE Discovery Call using this link: https://linktr.ee/empoweredandout
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What happens when you stop living on autopilot… and finally tell yourself the truth?
In this episode of Empowered & Out, Coach Jon sits down with Mark Dembo — business leader, executive education professional at Cornell University, coach, and co-host of Coming Inside Out — to talk about the chapter so many people live quietly: coming out later in life, and what that changes in your confidence, leadership, and day-to-day experience at work.
Mark shares what shifted internally before anything changed externally, why “authenticity” can’t be a checkbox, and how vulnerability can make you a stronger leader without turning your workplace into therapy hour. We also get into imposter syndrome in LGBTQ+ spaces, the pressure to “prove” confidence by coming out, and why community isn’t optional — it’s foundational.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re behind, late, or “too much” for wanting a career where you don’t have to edit yourself… this one lands in your chest.
Ready for support?
Book a free call with Coach Jon https://calendly.com/jmbcoachingllc/discovery-call
And if you want a quick starting point, DM “ALIGN” to @jmbcoachingllc and you’ll get a simple next step for this week. 💬🏳️🌈
Podcast chapters (timestamps based on transcript) ⏱️
00:00 — Welcome + season theme: visibility, authenticity, and unmasking
01:10 — Today’s topic: coming out later in life and what shifts at work
02:05 — Meet Mark Dembo + his leadership/corporate lens
03:10 — Energy check-in: “There’s a lot going on… especially in our community”
06:10 — Decompression and joy (Olympics, rest, permission to unplug)
08:20 — “What did coming out change internally?” (the mirror moment)
11:25 — What got easier vs what got harder (family, guilt, people-pleasing)
13:55 — How authenticity + vulnerability changed Mark’s leadership
18:10 — Vulnerability without “therapy hour” at work
20:55 — Where leaders get authenticity wrong (checkbox culture)
23:10 — Boundaries: what to share vs what to keep private at work
29:40 — Pressure to come out to “prove confidence” + pacing your story
41:05 — Integrating truth into professional identity (later-in-life lens)
42:55 — Small steps that create momentum (signals, conversations, leverage)
46:45 — Imposter syndrome in LGBTQ+ spaces: what fuels self-doubt
55:40 — Community as bedrock: why you can’t do this alone
01:00:00 — Building community from zero (online groups, interest-based meetups)
01:07:20 — Ideal workplace: psychological safety
01:14:20 — Rapid fire (hand-holding in NYC, comfort show, theme song, podcast chaos)
01:21:20 — One move to build confidence while coming out later
01:22:40 — Coach Jon closing message + CTA (DM “ALIGN”, book a free call) -
In this episode of Empowered & Out, Coach Jon sits down with Dr. Steve Yacovelli (aka The Gay Leadership Dude) for a powerful conversation about what leadership looks like right now—especially for LGBTQ+ professionals navigating workplace change, performative allyship, burnout, and the rise of AI.
Steve brings decades of experience in leadership development, organizational change, belonging, and learning strategy (including work with organizations like Disney and IBM). He breaks down what queer leaders often get wrong about authenticity, what they uniquely bring to the table, and how to lead with context without losing yourself.
You’ll also hear an eye-opening conversation about using AI as a leadership tool (not a replacement for human judgment), where people overcomplicate it, and the biggest mistakes people make when using AI at work. Plus, Steve shares practical burnout warning signs, resilience strategies, and advice for coaches, consultants, and thought leaders sitting on ideas they haven’t launched yet.
This episode is honest, insightful, funny, and full of real-world takeaways for anyone who wants to lead more effectively, communicate with more courage, and build a career that actually fits who they are.
If you’ve ever felt like you had to shrink to succeed, this conversation is for you.
If this episode sparked something in you and you’re ready to rebuild confidence, get clearer on your purpose, or make more aligned career moves, book a discovery call with Coach Jon: https://calendly.com/jmbcoachingllc/discovery-call
Chapters:
00:00 Intro |
03:24 Queer leadership + authenticity |
09:12 AI as a leadership tool |
13:48 Biggest AI mistake (“rip and read”) |
16:11 Inclusion vs. corporate theater |
23:20 Gen Z + business case for inclusion |
32:29 Burnout warning signs |
34:45 3 resilience strategies |
42:45 Going virtual + business pivot |
51:02 Author/speaker/thought leader journey |
01:10:25 Final actionable advice
- Visa fler
