Business Minds Coffee Chat

Latest Episodes:

307: Ashley Herd | The Manager Method — Leading Without Burning People Out Mar 19, 2026

Show notes

Ashley Herd, a former Chief People Officer and General Counsel, leadership speaker, author, and podcast host, joins me on this episode.

Ashley has trained over 250,000 managers through LinkedIn Learning and corporate programs, and has spent her career helping professionals navigate leadership challenges with clarity and confidence.

She built Manager Method after leading HR and Legal teams at McKinsey, Yum! Brands, and Modern Luxury.

Ashley has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Business Insider, and more.

If you want to become a better leader, communicator, and decision-maker, this conversation is for you.

🎙️ What We Discuss:

✅ The emotional weight of management and its ripple effect on people's lives

✅ The shift from doing to leading—and what leaders must unlearn

✅ The Manager Method framework: Pause, Consider, Act

✅ Creating a culture of decision-making through structured autonomy

✅ Empathy that works at work—leading with awareness and intention

✅ And much more!

Get connected with Ashley:

Website: https://www.managermethod.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyherd/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/managermethod/

Purchase a copy of The Manager Method: https://www.amazon.com/Manager-Method-Practical-Framework-Support/dp/B0F88XQ919

Listen to the HR Besties Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hr-besties/id1712137225

Leave a 5-star review with a comment on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-minds-coffee-chat/id1539014324

Subscribe to my Business Builder Newsletter: https://bit.ly/32y0YxJ

Want to learn how you can work with me to gain more clarity, build a rock-solid foundation for your business, and achieve the results and success you deserve? Visit http://jayscherrbusinessconsulting.com/ and schedule a 1:1 discovery coaching call.

Enjoy, thanks for listening, and please share with a friend!

306: Dr. Kurt Gray | Why We're So Outraged Mar 12, 2026

Show notes

Dr. Kurt Gray, social psychologist, award-winning researcher and teacher, and author of Outraged, joins me on this episode.

Kurt is the Weary Foundation Endowed Chair in the Social Psychology of Polarization and Misinformation at The Ohio State University, where he directs the Deepest Beliefs Lab and the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding. He was also appointed to lead the university's Collaborative for the Science of Polarization and Misinformation (C-SPAM). He earned his PhD from Harvard University.

In this fascinating conversation, we explore the psychology behind outrage, conflict, and why disagreements escalate so quickly in today's world.

🎙️ What We Discuss:

✅ Why humans are wired more like prey than predators

✅ What's really happening underneath most arguments

✅ Why outrage escalates so quickly

✅ The neuroscience of conflict and defensiveness

✅ And much more!

Get connected with Kurt:

Website: https://kurtjgray.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kurtjgray

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtjgray/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kurtjgray/

Purchase a copy of Outraged: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0593317432

Leave a 5-star review with a comment on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-minds-coffee-chat/id1539014324

Subscribe to my Business Builder Newsletter: https://bit.ly/32y0YxJ

Enjoy, thanks for listening, and please share with a friend!

305: Matt Abrahams | Learning to Think Faster, Talk Smarter Mar 05, 2026

Show notes

Matt Abrahams, a leading expert in the field of communication, professor, podcast host, author, keynote speaker, and martial artist, joins me on this episode.

Matt is a lecturer in Organizational Behavior at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, a highly sought-after keynote speaker, and a communications consultant and coach. He's also the host of the popular, award-winning podcast, Think Fast, Talk Smart.

🎙️ What We Discuss:

✅ Using improv to speak more spontaneously

✅ Think Faster, Talk Smarter

✅ Managing public speaking anxiety

✅ Generative AI and communication

✅ And much more!

Get connected with Matt:

Website: https://mattabrahams.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maabrahams

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tftsthepod

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattabrahams/

Purchase a copy of Think Faster, Talk Smarter: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1668010305

Leave a 5-star review with a comment on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-minds-coffee-chat/id1539014324

Subscribe to my Business Builder Newsletter: https://bit.ly/32y0YxJ

Enjoy, thanks for listening, and please share with a friend!

304: Jeff Fenster | Embracing the Success Formula Feb 26, 2026

Show notes

Jeff Fenster, award-winning serial entrepreneur, speaker, investor, bestselling author, and podcast host, joins me on this episode.

Jeff's entrepreneurial success is vast, ranging from Everbowl, a healthy, superfood quick-serve restaurant chain, to a payroll and HR company, a digital marketing agency, and a construction company. He lives by the principle of putting people first. Jeff has been featured in numerous media outlets, including Forbes, Entrepreneur, Business Insider, Inc., and the New York Times.

🎙️ What We Discuss:

✅ Strategies to change our mindset

✅ Moving through fear

✅ Reframing failure

✅ The success formula

✅ And much more!

Get Connected with Jeff:

Website: https://jefffenster.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeff.fenster.5/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FensterJeff

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fensterjeff/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jfenster/

Purchase a copy of Relationship Bank Account: https://www.amazon.com/Relationship-Bank-Account-Friends-Lifelong/dp/B0BLR3KVBR

Listen to The Jeff Fenster Show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jeff-fenster-show/id1699024627

Leave a 5-star review with a comment on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-minds-coffee-chat/id1539014324

Subscribe to my Business Builder Newsletter: https://bit.ly/32y0YxJ

Enjoy, thanks for listening, and please share with a friend!

303: Tom Hardin | The Rise and Fall of Tipper X Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

Tom Hardin, also known as Tipper X, author of Wired on Wall Street, global keynote speaker, corporate trainer, and board advisor on behavioral ethics, compliance, and culture risk, joins me on this episode.

Tom is a former hedge fund analyst whose life took a dramatic turn when he crossed lines he never thought he would. That path ultimately led him to secretly wear a wire for the FBI in what became the largest insider trading sting of a generation.

🎙️ What We Discuss:

✅ How good people make bad decisions

✅ The psychological toll of becoming an FBI informant

✅ Rebuilding trust after failure

✅ And much more!

Get connected with Tom:

Website: https://www.tipperx.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamtipperx_

Twitter: https://x.com/iamtipperx

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-hardin-0952324/

Purchase a copy of Wired on Wall Street: https://www.amazon.com/Wired-Wall-Street-Prolific-Informants/dp/1394348878

Leave a 5-star review with a comment on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-minds-coffee-chat/id1539014324

Subscribe to my Business Builder Newsletter: https://bit.ly/32y0YxJ

Enjoy, thanks for listening, and please share with a friend!

To your success, Jay

302: Heather Monahan | Overcoming Her Villains & Creating Confidence Feb 12, 2026

Show notes

Heather Monahan, 2x bestselling author, Top 50 keynote speaker, award-winning entrepreneur, podcast host, and founder of Boss In Heels, joins me on this episode.

Media outlets such as Forbes, USA Today, CNN, and Success Magazine have featured her insights, and her storytelling continues to resonate with corporate teams, universities, and entrepreneurs seeking motivation and real-world strategies to thrive and achieve their goals.

🎙️ What We Discuss:

✅ Heather's origin story

✅ Changing our beliefs

✅ Tools for creating confidence

✅ The BAK process

✅ And much more!

Get connected with Heather:

Website: https://heathermonahan.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathermonahanofficial

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathermonahan/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_heathermonahan/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theheathermonahan/

Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1462192400

Purchase a copy of Overcome Your Villains: https://www.amazon.com/Overcome-Your-Villains-Mastering-Knowledge/dp/1400225574/

Leave a 5-star review with a comment on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-minds-coffee-chat/id1539014324

Subscribe to my Business Builder Newsletter: https://bit.ly/32y0YxJ

Enjoy, thanks for listening, and please share with a friend!

To your success, Jay

301: Dave Sanderson | Learning to Make Moments Matter Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

Dave Sanderson, bestselling author, leadership expert, an Inc.com Top 100 leadership speaker, and publisher of Moments Matter Magazine, joins me on this episode.

Dave was the last passenger off US Airways Flight 1549, the Miracle on the Hudson. He survived, then he made a decision: he wouldn't let that moment be the end of the story.

Dave has delivered keynotes for Fortune 500 organizations, coached executives, and helped raise $14.8 million for the American Red Cross. He's been featured by Fox News, ABC, NBC, Forbes, Entrepreneur, People, and other major media outlets.

🎙️ What We Discuss:

✅ The power of mentorship

✅ Turning adversity into opportunity

✅ Harnessing your defining moments

✅ The 4 Freedoms

✅ And much more!

Get connected with Dave:

Website: https://davesandersonspeaks.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davesandersonspeaks/

Twitter: https://x.com/DaveSanderson2

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hiredavesanderson/

Purchase a copy of The Limitless Life: https://www.amazon.com/Limitless-Life-Strategies-Opportunity-Uncertainty/dp/B0CQLKYNHT

Leave a 5-star review with a comment on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-minds-coffee-chat/id1539014324

Subscribe to my Business Builder Newsletter: https://bit.ly/32y0YxJ

Enjoy, thanks for listening, and please share with a friend!

To your success, Jay

300: Hal Hershfield | Making Tomorrow Better Today Jan 29, 2026

Show notes

Hal Hershfield, social psychologist, professor of marketing, behavioral decision-making, and psychology at UCLA's Anderson School of Management, author, and TEDx speaker, joins me on this episode.

Hal has been published in top academic journals, and also contributes to op-eds in The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, and other outlets. He was named one of the "40 Under 40 Top Business School Professors" by business education website Poets & Quants.

🎙️ What We Discuss:

✅ The concept of self

✅ The connection between our current and future selves

✅ Key insights from Hal's book Your Future Self

✅ Using AI tools to connect with our future selves

✅ And much more!

Get connected with Hal:

Website: https://www.halhershfield.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hal-hershfield-a2b91510/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HalHershfield

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hal.hershfield/

Purchase a copy of Your Future Self here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316421251

Leave a 5-star review with a comment on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-minds-coffee-chat/id1539014324

Subscribe to my Business Builder Newsletter: https://bit.ly/32y0YxJ

Enjoy, thanks for listening, and please share with a friend!

To your success, Jay

299: Philip McKernan | A Personal Mission to Eradicate Loneliness Jan 22, 2026

Show notes

Philip McKernan, bestselling author, inspirational speaker, philosopher, filmmaker, coach, and enlightened hooligan, joins me on this episode.

Philip works with entrepreneurs, leaders, and athletes around the world who, in one form or another, want to live a more courageous life. He helps people connect with their truth, uncover their unique gifts, and use them to impact the world.

🎙️ What We Discuss:

✅ Uncovering our past

✅ A personal mission to eradicate loneliness

✅ One last talk

✅ The dark side of gratitude

✅ And much more!

Get connected with Philip:

Website: https://philipmckernan.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philip.mckernan

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-mckernan/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philip_mckernan/

Purchase a copy of One Last Talk: https://www.amazon.com/One-Last-Talk-Truth-Matters/dp/1544500971

Listen to the One Last Talk podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/one-last-talk/id1440871876

Leave a 5-star review with a comment on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-minds-coffee-chat/id1539014324

Subscribe to my Business Builder Newsletter: https://bit.ly/32y0YxJ

Enjoy, thanks for listening, and please share with a friend!

To your success, Jay

298: Dr. Maya Shankar | Who We Become on the Other Side of Change Jan 15, 2026

Show notes

Dr. Maya Shankar, cognitive scientist, creator, executive producer, and host of the podcast A Slight Change of Plans, and author of The Other Side of Change, joins me on this episode.

Maya was a Senior Advisor in the Obama White House, where she founded and served as Chair of the White House Behavioral Science Team. She also served as the first Behavioral Science Advisor to the United Nations under Ban Ki-moon, and as a core member of Pete Buttigieg's debate preparation team during his 2020 presidential run.

Maya has a postdoctoral fellowship in cognitive neuroscience from Stanford, a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship, and a B.A. from Yale. She's been profiled by The New Yorker and has been the featured guest on NPR's All Things Considered, Freakonomics, and Hidden Brain. She's a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music's pre-college program, where she was a private violin student of Itzhak Perlman.

🎙️ What We Discuss:

✅ Giving and receiving constructive feedback

✅ What we anchor our self-identity to

✅ How change can force us to reexamine our beliefs

✅ Applying temptation bundling to achieve our goals

✅ And much more!

Get connected with Maya:

Website: https://mayashankar.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmayashankar

Twitter: https://x.com/slightchangepod

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmayashankar/

Purchase a copy of The Other Side of Change: https://www.amazon.com/Other-Side-Change-Become-Makes/dp/0593713680