Podcast
What’s Possible w. Ilene Schaffer
Hosted by Silicon Valley Change · EN
Behind every powerhouse communicator, relationship builder, and resilient leader is a strategic thinker who leads with curiosity and honors wellbeing. Say goodbye to disengagement and team fatigue as we bring you science-backed strategies that will transform not just your leadership style but also your team’s and organization's success. Join Ilene Schaffer and industry leaders as they share tried-and-true methods, empowering insights, and a mission to elevate your leadership game.
44episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Peak Performance Without Burnout: Darren Barrett on the Athlete Mindset for Leaders
Mar 2600:37:39Tap to summarizeIn this episode of What’s Possible, Ilene Schaffer sits down with leadership and executive coach Darren Barrett to explore what leaders can learn from the world of elite sport.Darren’s background in executive leadership and his current studies in sports psychology led him to a simple but powerful framework: train, perform, recover. In this conversation, Ilene and Darren explore how leaders can begin thinking of themselves as business athletes: people who need to prepare intentionally, show up when it matters most, and recover well enough to sustain performance over time.They discuss the hidden cost of staying in constant “performance mode,” why recovery is often the missing piece for high-achieving leaders, and how stress and anxiety can quietly undermine judgment, creativity, and presence. This episode offers both mindset shifts and practical ways for leaders to perform at a high level without sacrificing their health, energy, or long-term effectiveness.If you’re a leader, coach, or professional trying to do meaningful work without burning out, this conversation is for you.- - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeConnect with Ilene Schaffer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.
Transcribe →In the Moment: Inside the Coach Toolbox — A 10-Minute Practice for Stressful Moments
Mar 1900:14:36Tap to summarizeIn this episode of What’s Possible: In the Moment, Ilene Schaffer is joined by SVChange coach Shannon Polly to explore an unexpected but powerful path to calm: creativity.This conversation is part of our mini-series Inside the Coach Toolbox, where Ilene sits down with SVChange coaches to share the real-life practices they rely on when life feels stressful.For Shannon, those practices include knitting, watercolor painting, and making music. These creative outlets that help her slow down, focus, and reconnect with herself. Together, she and Ilene talk about why learning something new can be surprisingly regulating, how creative activities support flow and well-being, and why play matters just as much for adults as it does for kids.If you’re looking for a gentler way to reset your mind and nervous system, this episode is a reminder that calm doesn’t always come from doing less, sometimes it comes from making something with your hands.Learn more from Shannon on her YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@ShannonPolly/_____Inside the Coach Toolbox is a special In the Moment mini-series from What’s Possible, where Ilene Schaffer sits down with SVChange coaches to explore the real-life practices they use to regulate stress, manage pressure, and stay grounded in high-stakes moments.These short episodes offer practical, science-backed tools you can use immediately, whether you’re leading a team, navigating uncertainty, or simply wanting to show up with more steadiness and intention.- - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeConnect with Ilene Schaffer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.
Transcribe →How to Stay Human in the AI Era: Alex Lee on Taste, Voice, and Better Work
Mar 1200:40:16Tap to summarizeAI is moving fast. In this episode of What’s Possible, Ilene Schaffer sits down with AI consultant Alex Lee for a thoughtful, practical conversation about how to thrive in the age of AI.Rather than focusing on tools, prompts, or technical skills, Alex makes the case that the future belongs to people who can bring something deeply human to AI: taste, discernment, emotional intelligence, and the ability to know what “good” looks like. Instead of trying to keep up with every new AI tool, Alex argues that we should focus on becoming better tastemakers, or people who can use AI to amplify their unique voice, values, and perspective.Together, Ilene and Alex explore AI anxiety, human flourishing, psychological safety at work, brand integrity, and the soft skills that will matter most as AI becomes more integrated into our daily lives. Alex also offers two practical steps listeners can take right now: invite AI to the party by using it on real tasks, and ask AI for multiple perspectives so you can practice discernment and choice.This conversation is for leaders, coaches, HR professionals, creatives, and anyone who wants to stay relevant, grounded, and fully human as technology continues to evolve.- - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeConnect with Ilene Schaffer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.
Transcribe →In the Moment: Inside the Coach Toolbox — A 10-Minute Practice for Stressful Moments
Mar 500:12:09Tap to summarizeIn this episode of What’s Possible: In the Moment, Ilene Schaffer is joined by SVChange coach Niels Gott to share a simple but powerful technique for calming your nervous system in moments of stress.This conversation is part of our mini-series Inside the Coach Toolbox, where Ilene sits down with SVChange coaches to explore the practices they personally rely on when life feels overwhelming.Niels introduces a three-step reset called “Name, Breathe, Widen.” The process begins by naming what you’re feeling, which helps engage the prefrontal cortex and create distance from the stress response. Techniques like this work because they activate the parasympathetic nervous system, helping us regain perspective and choice even in chaotic moments.If you’re looking for a quick way to reset your mind and body during a stressful day, this episode offers a practical tool you can use immediately.- - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeConnect with Ilene Schaffer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.
Transcribe →From Burnout to Flow: Rethinking Productivity in a Hybrid World with Steven Puri
Feb 2600:39:57Tap to summarizeWhat if productivity wasn’t about doing more, but about creating the right conditions for focus, flow, and meaningful work? In this episode of What’s Possible, Ilene Schaffer sits down with Steven Puri, CEO of The Sukha flow state app, to explore a radically different way of thinking about productivity, leadership, and modern work.Steven shares lessons from a career that spans engineering, Hollywood visual effects, studio leadership, and tech startups, and how failure, trust, and flow states shaped his perspective along the way. Together, Ilene and Steven unpack why the most important work doesn’t happen in the minutes between meetings, how leaders can create conditions for deep focus, and why understanding how people actually work is essential in a hybrid and remote world.This conversation is both thoughtful and practical, offering a “toolkit for 2025” filled with ideas leaders can use right now to support healthy productivity, creativity, and fulfillment at work.- - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeConnect with Ilene Schaffer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.
Transcribe →In the Moment: Inside the Coach Toolbox — A 10-Minute Practice for Stressful Moments
Feb 1900:12:27Tap to summarizeIn this episode of What’s Possible: In the Moment, Ilene Schaffer sits down with SVChange coach Alex Jack to explore practical, evidence-informed tools for calming your nervous system in real time.This conversation is part of our new mini-series, Inside the Coach Toolbox, where Ilene interviews SVChange coaches about the practices they personally rely on when life feels overwhelming.Drawing from positive psychology and lived experience, Alex shares five simple tools he uses regularly to reset stress quickly:Intentional breathingMusic as emotional regulationGrounding through sensory awarenessMovement and danceConnecting with someone you trustFrom watching Planet Earth to standing barefoot on grass, Alex explains how small, accessible practices can shift your state in seconds and why these tools are backed by research, not just preference.If you’re leading a team, navigating uncertainty, or simply feeling stretched thin, this short episode offers practical ways to return to calm and clarity, starting now.___Inside the Coach Toolbox is a special In the Moment mini-series from What’s Possible, where Ilene Schaffer sits down with SVChange coaches to explore the real-life practices they use to regulate stress, manage pressure, and stay grounded in high-stakes moments.These brief, practical episodes offer science-backed tools you can use immediately — whether you're leading others or simply trying to show up as your best self.- - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeConnect with Ilene Schaffer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.
Transcribe →In the Moment: Inside the Coach Toolbox — A 10-Minute Practice for Stressful Moments
Feb 1200:13:47Tap to summarizeWhat do you do when your nervous system spikes right before something important? In this episode of What’s Possible: In the Moment, Ilene Schaffer is joined by SVChange coach Stephen Burke to share the 10-minute grounding practice he uses before high-stakes moments.This conversation launches a new mini-series, Inside the Coach Toolbox, where Ilene sits down with SVChange coaches to explore the real practices they rely on when life feels stressful.Stephen walks us through a simple reset rooted in somatic awareness, noticing thoughts and emotions, and practicing self-compassion. It’s a practice that helps him steady himself, reconnect to his body, and return to clarity and curiosity, especially when the pressure is on._____Inside the Coach Toolbox is a special In the Moment mini-series from What’s Possible, where Ilene Schaffer explores the calming practices SVChange coaches rely on in their own lives.These short episodes offer practical, human tools you can use immediately, whether you’re leading a team, navigating uncertainty, or simply wanting to show up with more steadiness and intention.- - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeConnect with Ilene Schaffer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.
Transcribe →Why Meetings Are Broken and How to Fix Them with Dr. Rebecca Hinds
Feb 500:49:53Tap to summarizeMeetings are one of the biggest drains on time, energy, and focus at work, but they don’t have to be. In this episode of What’s Possible, Ilene Schaffer sits down with organizational scholar Rebecca Hinds, author of “Your Best Meeting Ever,” to radically rethink how meetings are designed, facilitated, and experienced.Together, they explore why most meetings fail, how to purge unnecessary ones, and how to intentionally redesign the meetings that remain, whether they’re hybrid, one-on-one, walking meetings, or leadership team sessions. Rebecca shares research-backed insights from her work at Asana and Glean, practical tools like calendar resets and decision-focused agendas, and why subtraction is the key to better work.If you’ve ever ended a day wondering how you were busy all day but accomplished very little, this conversation will change how you think about meetings and how you use your time.- - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeConnect with Ilene Schaffer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.
Transcribe →In the Moment: Getting Out of Your Own Way with Harry Hofer
Jan 2900:17:57Tap to summarizeHow do leaders get out of their own way to make space for growth? In this In the Moment episode of What’s Possible, Ilene Schaffer sits down with executive coach Harry Hofer to unpack how mindset, language, and perspective can either limit or expand a leader’s choices. Harry introduces a coaching nudge on personal complicity, while Ilene offers accessible ways to help leaders reframe challenges, build trust, and create more possibility. This short conversation is full of practical insights leaders can use right away.- - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeConnect with Ilene Schaffer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.
Transcribe →The CEO Playbook: Michael Mulhern on Building High-Performance Teams
Jan 2200:44:25Tap to summarizeWhat does it really take to lead well, not just in theory, but in practice?In this episode of What’s Possible, Ilene Schaffer sits down with Michael Mulhern, Executive Chairman of Epsilon Global and author of “The CEO Playbook,” to unpack 40 years of real-world leadership lessons.Michael shares practical wisdom from leading four private-equity-backed companies across multiple industries, offering a refreshingly honest look at what actually drives performance and culture. From building flat organizations and aligning values with results, to managing stress and developing emotional intelligence, this conversation is grounded, candid, and immediately applicable.Listeners will hear why sincerity is the foundation of leadership, how EQ can be developed at any stage, and why the best leaders create environments where people choose to show up and do their best work.This episode is a must-listen for senior leaders, aspiring CEOs, HR professionals, and anyone who wants to lead with integrity, clarity, and humanity.- - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeConnect with Ilene Schaffer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.
Transcribe →