Podcast
The Action Catalyst
Hosted by Southwestern Family of Podcasts - Southwestern Family of Companies · EN
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.
63episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
CLIP: Happiness Vs. Meaning
2w ago00:02:38Tap to summarizeBestselling 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. Hear Tom's full interview in Episode 185 of The Action Catalyst.
Transcribe →
Check Your Comms, with Janice Kapner | (Communications, Leadership, Transformation, Business)
2w ago00:22:42Tap to summarizeJanice Kapner, former communications leader at Microsoft and T‑Mobile, shares expert insights on navigating high‑stakes corporate transformation, mergers and acquisitions, and leadership without formal authority. Drawing on her experience leading communications during the largest telecom merger in U.S. history, Kapner explains how transparency, strategic storytelling, and consistent stakeholder communication are critical to maintaining trust, credibility, and momentum throughout multi‑year integration processes. She highlights common leadership mistakes—such as underestimating resource needs and post‑merger execution—and emphasizes the importance of understanding business fundamentals, building cross‑functional relationships, and earning credibility over time. The conversation also explores lessons from launching Office 365 at Microsoft, working alongside Bill Gates, and more.
Transcribe →CLIP: Train Yourself To Be Brave
3w ago00:03:57Tap to summarizeMonica Nassif, founder of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day and Caldrea, explains how bravery is like a muscle, and why it's only one of the many essential attributes for a successful entrepreneur.Hear Monica's full interview in Episode 505 of The Action Catalyst.
Transcribe →
REMASTERED: Are You Fully Charged, with Tom Rath | (Wellbeing, Science, Author, Leadership)
3w ago00:17:22Tap to summarizeBestselling author and researcher Tom Rath shares insights from his book "Are You Fully Charged?" on how to improve performance, well‑being, and engagement at work and in life. 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. He explores how personal energy, including sleep, movement, and health, directly impacts cognitive performance, leadership effectiveness, and workplace success, while warning against the dangers of distraction, especially from smartphones, which reduce attention and relationship quality. The episode also highlights how emotions and behaviors spread through social networks, influencing teams and organizations, and why leaders must prioritize well‑being and purpose to build stronger cultures.
Transcribe →CLIP: Lotts Creek, Kentucky
4w ago00:01:46Tap to summarizeDr. Barb Rembiesa, founder and CEO of the International Association of IT Asset Management, shares how a small act of kindness on her part led to an enormously outsized impact on the residents of a small Kentucky town.Hear Dr. Rembiesa's full interview in her special bonus episode of The Action Catalyst.
Transcribe →
I Bottled My Mother, with Monica Nassif | (Entrepreneurship, Mindset, Startup, Business)
Jul 700:20:50Tap to summarizeMonica Nassif, founder of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day and Caldrea, reveals hard‑earned lessons on entrepreneurship, leadership, and building a successful consumer brand from the ground up. Nassif emphasizes the importance of simplicity, resilience, and belief—highlighted through her “plant, water, weed, believe” philosophy—as well as the mindset that failure is simply learning. She explains how successful entrepreneurs must commit fully, embrace risk, and develop bravery over time while pairing self-awareness with a big, disruptive business idea. The conversation explores key startup principles including preparation, market research, financial discipline, and having “skin in the game,” along with practical advice on raising capital, overcoming fear, and executing with urgency when opportunity strikes, as well as the value of creativity, hard work, and perseverance as essential “superpowers".Mentioned in this episode:Click here to get your copy of the Problem-First Method.Kevin Dias / Problem First MethodClick here to get your copy of the Problem-First Method.Kevin Dias / Problem First Method
Transcribe →CLIP: Success Doesn't Mean Being Liked
Jul 200:05:50Tap to summarizeNew York Times bestselling author Darren Hardy explains how, in truth, EVERYONE is an entrepreneur, but how being a TRUE entrepreneur means leaving the “herd,” which often generates criticism, isolation, and resistance from peers.Hear Darren's full interview in Episode 93 of The Action Catalyst.
Transcribe →
Nothing Is Everything, with Dr. Barb Rembiesa | (Kindness, IT, Business, Leadership)
Jun 3000:16:10Tap to summarizeDr. Barb Rembiesa, founder and CEO of the International Association of IT Asset Management, shares how small, intentional acts of kindness can create outsized impact in leadership, business, and everyday life. Drawing on her experience building IAITAM into the world’s leading authority on IT asset management and guiding organizations through technology compliance, AI governance, and digital transformation, Dr. Rembiesa explains how “nothings” — simple actions that cost little time or money — can strengthen workplace culture, build trust, and deliver real ROI by restoring humanity to business. This episode offers practical insights for leaders seeking to integrate compassion, intentional listening, and purpose‑driven generosity into a sustainable business strategy.
Transcribe →CLIP: Brains Don't Like Doing New Things
Jun 2500:03:40Tap to summarizeMeg Tuohey, licensed psychologist, author, speaker, and host of the Wisdom Stripes podcast, introduces the concept of "heartprint"—the unique inner blueprint that guides fulfillment, purpose, and growth, and explains how high‑achieving women can feel successful yet emotionally numb, and a bit of the neuroscience behind elite performance.Hear Meg's full interview in her special bonus episode of The Action Catalyst.
Transcribe →
REMASTERED: The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster, with Darren Hardy | (Business, Sales, Author, Focus)
Jun 2300:19:40Tap to summarizeNew York Times bestselling author Darren Hardy delivers a candid and practical look at why most entrepreneurs fail—and how to beat the odds. Hardy explains that the 66% small‑business failure rate is driven less by external factors like capital or competition and more by internal, emotional unpreparedness, lack of focus, and unrealistic expectations about the entrepreneurial journey. He explores the psychological cost of leaving the “herd,” including criticism, isolation, and resistance from peers, and reframes these challenges as evidence of progress, as well as covers effective sales as a discipline rooted in questioning and listening rather than pitching, the dangers of distraction in the modern digital age, and the importance of developing intense focus, discipline, and personal responsibility.
Transcribe →