TruthWorks

Latest Episodes:

The Brain Expert - “Your Brain Isn’t Lazy. It’s Just Tired.” (Anne Laure) Oct 07, 2025

Show notes

Anne-Laure Le Cunff has spent years decoding how our minds actually work — and why modern life keeps breaking them.
A former Google strategist turned founder of Ness Labs, she left one of the world’s most intense environments to study neuroscience and re-imagine productivity through self-awareness and mental clarity.

In this conversation, we go beyond the buzzwords. We talk about why burnout is not a failure of willpower, how our obsession with optimization destroys focus, and the science of thinking slower to create more.
Anne-Laure reveals what she learned studying cognitive fatigue, the myth of the “lazy brain,” and how anyone can design a life that supports curiosity instead of exhaustion.

This episode isn’t about doing more — it’s about understanding yourself deeply enough to know what actually works.

Why Confidence is the Secret to Transformation - Rosabeth Moss Kanter Sep 30, 2025

Show notes

What does it take to drive real, lasting change inside organizations? In this episode of Truth Works, Jessica Neal sits down with Rosabeth Moss Kanter — Harvard Business School professor, trailblazing author, and one of the world’s most influential thinkers on leadership and strategy.

Rosabeth has spent decades studying how companies rise, adapt, and lead through transformation. From pioneering research on innovation and change management to her bestselling books like Confidence and Think Outside the Building, she has shaped the way leaders and organizations think about their future.

In this conversation, Rosabeth shares why bold leadership matters more than ever, how to overcome resistance to change, and what it means to foster confidence in both people and institutions.

👉 If you care about leadership, innovation, and the courage to make change happen, this episode is for you.

From Pastor turned CEO: How to find work you're Wired for! - William Vanderbloemen Sep 23, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Truth Works, Jessica Neal sits down with William Vanderbloemen, founder and CEO of the Vanderbloemen Search Group, pastor-turned-entrepreneur, and author of Next: Pastoral Succession That Works.

William’s career is a rare intersection of ministry, business, and leadership. From serving as a pastor to building one of the most respected executive search firms for churches, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations, his journey offers timeless lessons on culture, calling, and change.

We explore:

How William made the leap from preaching in the pulpit to running a global search firm.
Why succession planning is the “silent crisis” in leadership — and how to do it right.
The role of faith, values, and resilience in navigating career transitions.
What every leader can learn about building trust, teams, and lasting impact.

Whether you’re a founder, leader, or simply navigating your own next chapter, William brings a candid, faith-rooted perspective on what it takes to lead with both conviction and humility.

Why 70% of Partnerships FAIL in the first 2 years! - Richard Ezekiel Sep 16, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of the Truth Works Podcast, host Jessica Neal welcomes Richard Ezekiel — a seasoned executive, strategist, and thought leader in the world of partnerships.

Richard’s career spans venture-backed startups, Fortune 500 companies, and the broader innovation ecosystem. He has built and led transformative partnerships that drive growth, create customer value, and bring together organizations that otherwise might have remained siloed. Over the years, Richard has worked alongside iconic leaders such as John Chambers, Reed Hastings, and Marc Andreessen, shaping high-impact alliances that have left a lasting mark on Silicon Valley and beyond.

He is the author of COELEVATE:

How to Unlock Business Growth and Consumer Value with Strategic Partnerships, a book that distills decades of real-world experience and mentorship into a practical framework for creating partnerships that endure. COELEVATE explores why 70% of partnerships fail, how to de-risk alliances, and how to treat partnerships as a disciplined business function capable of unlocking exponential growth.

Whether you’re a founder, executive, or someone navigating the complexities of organizational collaboration, Richard’s insights offer a roadmap to building relationships that matter.

Richard has a special PROMO code for Truth works listeners. Email us at team@astrasmedia.com to avail them or dm Richard.

If the book inspires you, the author would be grateful if you left a review—it really helps spread the word.

👉 coelevatebook.com/ar

From Plateau to Progress: Eduardo Briceño on Building a True Learning Culture Sep 09, 2025

Show notes

On this solo episode of Truth Works, host Jessica Neal sits down with Eduardo Briceño, author of The Performance Paradox: Turning the Power of Mindset into Action and one of the world’s leading voices on growth mindset.

From Caracas to Silicon Valley, VC to education, Eduardo unpacks how living in constant performance mode stalls progress—and how deliberately switching into the learning zone unlocks long-term excellence.

We get tactical: redesigning meeting agendas so learning isn’t an afterthought, building daily habits for reflection, modeling feedback, and balancing short-term execution with bold, long-term goals. Jessica shares inside stories from Netflix—farming for dissent, the informed captain model, leading with context, and why over-communication beats under-communication every time—while Eduardo shows how to turn those ideas into repeatable systems that compound.

You’ll learn:

The difference between learning vs. performance zones—and when to be in each
Simple agenda tweaks that make every meeting smarter
How to normalize feedback and dissent without slowing execution
A daily question leaders can use to keep teams unblocked and aligned

Find Eduardo’s TED Talks, newsletter, and more—and don’t forget to check out The Performance Paradox.

Women have the Same Role, Same Results but Different Pay. Why the gap still exists! - Kweilin Ellingrud Sep 02, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Kweilin Ellingrud—Director at the McKinsey Global Institute and Senior Partner at McKinsey,

breaks down the gender pay gap as a solvable, data-driven problem. We trace where inequity actually begins (the “broken rung” at first promotion), how it compounds through performance reviews and caregiving penalties, and why “it’s just choices” doesn’t hold up once you control for role and tenure.

Kweilin shares the fixes leaders can implement this quarter: transparent pay bands, balanced promotion slates, skills-based hiring, disciplined pay equity audits, and manager training that sticks. We also explore how AI and productivity gains could widen or close the gap—depending on governance. You’ll leave with a six-step playbook, concrete KPIs to track progress, and quick experiments any org can run to make fair pay the default.

What Companies get WRONG about Leadership, and how to Fix it! - Beth Steinberg Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Truth Works, we sit down with Beth Steinberg, an organizational development and leadership expert with over 25 years of experience guiding companies through hypergrowth, IPOs, and acquisitions. As founder of Mensch Ventures and former People leader at Facebook, Sunrun, and BrightRoll, Beth has helped scale both startups and global enterprises by blending leadership coaching with people strategy and culture design.

She shares lessons from steering talent systems under pressure, her philosophy on coaching leaders rather than just managing tasks, and her commitment to advancing women in STEM through the U.S. State Department’s TechWomen initiative. This conversation is a masterclass in building resilient organizations where culture and growth go hand in hand.

3 things to do to Become a Boss that people Love! - James Turk Aug 19, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Truth Works, we welcome James Turk, author of The Giving Game. James is dedicated to helping organizations cultivate leaders who understand that generosity is not just a personal virtue, but a strategic advantage.

He explains how effective leadership is built on trust, collaboration, and the ability to give more than you take. Drawing on his research and experiences, James shows how “the giving mindset” transforms cultures—turning teams into communities that thrive on shared purpose and mutual support.

We discuss practical ways leaders can integrate these ideas into their organizations, from shaping daily interactions to guiding long-term strategy. James challenges traditional notions of leadership rooted in authority, offering instead a vision of leaders who elevate others, empower innovation, and build resilience through generosity.

What if losing your dream job was the best thing that ever happened to you? - Nirav Tolia Aug 12, 2025

Show notes

In this re-run episode of Truth Works, Nirav Tolia - co-founder and CEO of Nextdoor - shares an unfiltered look at the rollercoaster of startup leadership. From his early internet days at Yahoo to co-founding Nextdoor, Nirav reflects on the thrill of building something people love, the sting of being asked to step down, and the personal growth that came from failure. Now back at the helm, he discusses how he’s leading differently, the importance of culture, and why resilience matters more than ever.

In this episode, we cover:

Nirav’s journey from Odessa, Texas, to Stanford, Yahoo, and the creation of Nextdoor
Lessons from his first startup success — and a massive failure
The emotional impact of being removed as CEO and how he rebuilt his perspective
The role stress plays in leadership and how to manage it
Why intent matters less than impact when leading a team
Balancing vulnerability with authority as a leader
Returning to Nextdoor during a turnaround and redefining its culture
The “two products” every CEO is building: the product itself and the company’s culture

Former Google HR Head Reveals the Truth behind Google's hiring success! Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Truth Works, hosts Jessica Neal and Bob Sutton sit down with Laszlo Bock, a trailblazer in the world of people analytics, and the former head of HR at Google.

Laszlo shares his remarkable journey, including his time at Google and his transition into entrepreneurship. The conversation dives deep into the evolution of corporate culture, how data is transforming the way we hire, and the importance of challenging the status quo to create meaningful organizational change.

Laszlo also touches on some fascinating stories, including a pivotal experiment at Google to test hiring practices, and why sometimes, “constructive defiance” is a key weapon in driving positive change.

With insights on the intersection of leadership, innovation, and people strategy, Laszlo offers valuable takeaways for those looking to reshape their approach to business and leadership.

Tune in to hear about the power of data-driven decision-making, how to build a better workplace, and the wisdom that comes from thinking outside the box.

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