Episode Title: Have You Outgrown Your Definition of Success? with Irina Posan

You've climbed the ladder. Earned the promotions. Built the career you always wanted.

So why doesn't it feel as fulfilling as you expected?

This week on Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie welcome Irina Posan, career strategist and author of The Career You Crave: Create Fulfillment in Your Work and Life, for a conversation about the difference between achievement and fulfillment.

After 15 years in HR and talent management, Irina found herself in a position many professionals would envy. She had the title, the experience, and the career she'd worked toward for years.

But she'd lost the spark that once made her excited to go to work.

Irina calls this experience identity lag, the gap that develops when we grow and evolve as people, but our careers haven't caught up with who we've become.

Together, Nick, Marnie, and Irina explore why our definitions of success change over time, how to recognize when a career no longer fits, and why the answer isn't necessarily another promotion, a new employer, or a dramatic career change.

Irina shares how an eight-hour spa day, three important conversations, and eight months of experimentation helped her transition from corporate HR to building a career she genuinely loves.

And perhaps the most practical takeaway?

You don't have to burn your life down to make a meaningful change.

Sometimes the first step is simply asking yourself an uncomfortable question, exploring a possibility, or having a conversation you've been avoiding.

Irina also shares her leadership rule: Treat people how you want to be treated. And Nick walks away with another rule inspired by their conversation: embrace the conversations you're looking to avoid.

Whether you're early in your career, considering your next chapter, or wondering why the success you've achieved doesn't feel quite right, this episode offers a thoughtful reminder:

You're allowed to change your mind about what success looks like.

Learn more about Irina:

• Book: The Career You Crave: Create Fulfillment in Your Work and Life
• LinkedIn: Irina Posan
• Instagram: @careercoachirina
• Book available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Indigo

The most important project you'll ever work on is you.

Episode Title: You Don't Have to Have It All Figured Out with Charlene Pou

What if the goal of career readiness isn't preparing for a particular job, but preparing for whatever comes next?

This week on Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie welcome Charlene Pou, founder of Strategic Engagement Group, where she helps educators and employers build stronger partnerships to prepare people for an ever-changing workforce.

Charlene challenges the traditional idea that young people need to choose a career, earn a credential, and follow a predictable path to success.

Instead, she encourages us to focus on curiosity, adaptability, resilience, and the confidence to explore new possibilities.

One of her most powerful observations?

"Potential exists everywhere, but opportunity does not."

Together, Nick, Marnie, and Charlene explore how educators, employers, parents, and leaders can help close that gap by creating meaningful opportunities for exploration, mentorship, and real-world experiences.

They also discuss the changing role of higher education, alternative career pathways, lifelong learning, and how AI is reshaping both the skills we need and the ways we develop them.

And Charlene shares a leadership rule that applies whether you're 17, 37, or 67:

"You don't have to have it all figured out. You just need to be able to prepare yourself to navigate what's next."

Because careers aren't always straight lines. Sometimes the unexpected turns lead to the most meaningful destinations.

And in a fitting coincidence, Charlene's first concert was Journey, which made her closing reminder that the lessons are in the journey, not the destination, even more appropriate.

Learn more about Charlene:

• Connect with Charlene Pou on LinkedIn
• Follow her LinkedIn newsletter, Peak Potential
• Learn more about Strategic Engagement Group

You don't have to know exactly where you're going. Just be ready to explore what's next.

Episode Title: Leadership Doesn't Have a Volume Setting with Jennifer Marcou

What if being quiet isn't something you need to overcome, but one of your greatest leadership strengths?

This week on Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie welcome Jennifer Marcou, former executive at Microsoft and American Express, leadership coach, and author of Lead with Quiet Confidence: The Practical Guide to Success for Introverts.

Jennifer challenges the traditional image of leadership as something reserved for the most outgoing, charismatic people in the room. Instead, she makes the case that introverts bring powerful strengths to leadership, including listening, observation, deep thinking, and curiosity.

As a lifelong introvert and self-described accidental leader, Nick shares some of his own experiences navigating a world that often rewards the loudest voices. Marnie brings the extrovert's perspective, including lessons from her years in the classroom about making space for quieter thinkers.

Together, they explore practical strategies for building confidence, navigating networking events, managing energy, and creating workplaces where everyone can contribute their best ideas.

Jennifer also shares her wonderfully simple leadership rule:

"Have confidence in yourself."

And perhaps the biggest takeaway? You don't need to change who you are to become a great leader. Sometimes, changing a few small behaviors is enough to let your strengths shine through.

Whether you're an introvert, an extrovert, or somewhere in between, this episode offers a fresh perspective on what leadership can look like.

Learn more about Jennifer:

• Website: https://jennifermarcou.com
• Book: Lead with Quiet Confidence: The Practical Guide to Success for Introverts
• LinkedIn: Search for Jennifer Marcou

Because leadership doesn't have a volume setting.

🎧 Leadership Rules with Katie Regan
You Already Know Everyone You Need to Network

What if networking isn't about meeting more people?

What if it's about being more intentional with the people you already know?

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with Katie Regan, founder and CEO of Kirkpatrick Group and author of Intention: You Already Know Everyone You Need to Network.

And spoiler alert: we loved this book.

Katie takes something that can feel awkward, transactional, and intimidating and makes it surprisingly simple and human.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why you may be only one or two connections away from the best connection of your career
• How introverts can turn curiosity and listening into networking superpowers
• Why your friend's parents might be an overlooked part of your network
• How to build a diverse personal "board of directors"
• Why great mentoring relationships work in both directions
• The importance of consistency, authenticity, and simply staying in touch
• Why networking isn't about asking, "What can you do for me?"

Katie also introduces us to the idea of "builders", people who invest in relationships, make connections, help others, and find ways to show up even when life gets busy.

Whether you're searching for your first job, chasing a promotion, considering a career pivot, building a business, or helping a young adult figure out what's next, this conversation will change the way you think about your network.

Because chances are, you already know more of the right people than you think.

You just need a little more Intention.

📖 Learn More

Pick up Intention: You Already Know Everyone You Need to Network on Amazon, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, or at kirkpat.com.

💼 Connect with Katie K. Regan on LinkedIn
📸 Find Katie on Instagram
📧 intention@kirkpat.com

Subscribe for more conversations about leadership, relationships, career growth, and leading your life with purpose and impact.

#LeadershipRules #KatieRegan #Intention #Networking #CareerDevelopment #Leadership #Mentorship #PersonalBrand #CareerGrowth

🎧 Leadership Rules with Jeremy Smith
Title: Practice Beats Credentials

What if we've been preparing people for work... the wrong way?

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with entrepreneur and Pega6 founder Jeremy Smith to challenge one of society's biggest assumptions:

Does earning a degree actually prepare someone for a career?

Jeremy argues that mastery doesn't come from lectures, textbooks, or exams.

It comes from doing the work.

Again and again.

Drawing from his own experience in startups and product development, Jeremy shares why he believes experiential learning is the future of career preparation and how Pega6 is reimagining higher education by treating students more like employees than traditional learners.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why so many college graduates still feel unprepared on day one
• How experiential learning builds both technical and professional skills
• Why repetition and variety are the keys to mastery
• How AI is reshaping the skills employers are looking for
• Why "year one of employment" might be the best classroom ever created
• Jeremy's leadership philosophy: hire great people, then get out of their way

Whether you're an educator, entrepreneur, parent, hiring manager, or student, this conversation will challenge how you think about learning, work, and what it truly means to be ready.

📍 Learn More

🌐 Pega6 (High School Program)
https://pega6.com

🎓 Pega6 Fellowship (Recent College Graduates)
https://pega6fellowship.com

💼 Connect with Jeremy Smith on LinkedIn

Subscribe for more conversations about leadership, learning, and preparing people for a rapidly changing world.

#LeadershipRules #JeremySmith #Pega6 #ExperientialLearning #CareerReadiness #FutureOfWork #Leadership #HigherEducation #AI #Entrepreneurship

🎧 Leadership Rules with Jason Van Nus

What if the biggest thing holding students back isn't a lack of skills... but a lack of opportunities to tell their story?

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with Jason Van Nus, CEO of the WIN Regional College and Career Academy, to discuss why career readiness is about so much more than technical skills.

Jason believes students don't just need credentials. They need confidence. And confidence is built by doing hard things in safe environments.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why Jason calls himself a "gentle disruptor"
• How the Reverse Career Fair flips the traditional hiring process on its head
• Why students need to learn how to advocate for themselves, not just build a résumé
• How work-based learning creates stronger talent pipelines for communities and employers
• Why industry should invest in developing local talent before students graduate
• How servant leadership means earning the right to have difficult conversations

Jason also shares why some of the best learning happens when students are just outside their comfort zone, where failure becomes feedback and confidence begins to grow.

If you care about leadership, education, workforce development, or helping young people prepare for life beyond the classroom, this conversation is full of practical ideas and fresh perspectives.

📍 Learn more and connect with Jason Van Nus

💼 LinkedIn → Jason Van Nus

🏫 WIN Regional College and Career Academy

Subscribe for more conversations about leadership, learning, and preparing the next generation to lead with confidence and purpose.

#LeadershipRules #JasonVanNus #CareerReadiness #WorkBasedLearning #YouthApprenticeships #StudentLeadership #EducationLeadership #CTE #ServantLeadership

🎧 Leadership Rules with Dr. Heather Handler
Title: Stop Asking Kids What They Want to Be

What if we've been asking students the wrong question all along?

Instead of asking, "What do you want to be when you grow up?", Dr. Heather Handler believes we should be asking something much more powerful:

"What do you enjoy doing?"

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with educator, youth apprenticeship pioneer, and author Dr. Heather Handler to discuss career readiness, work-based learning, and why modern Career and Technical Education (CTE) looks nothing like many people remember.

Heather shares lessons from launching one of Maryland's most successful youth apprenticeship programs and explains why exposing students to real opportunities early can change the trajectory of their lives.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why modern CTE is not the vocational education of the past
• How youth apprenticeships help students build confidence, purpose, and career direction
• Why college and career readiness should work together, not compete
• How AI is changing the future of work and increasing demand for skilled trades
• Why exposure to careers should begin long before high school
• The importance of helping students discover their strengths, interests, and preferred ways of working

Heather also shares insights from her new book, The Educator's Guide to Youth Apprenticeships, a practical roadmap for educators looking to create meaningful work-based learning experiences for students.

If you care about leadership, education, workforce development, or helping young people discover who they are becoming, this episode is for you.

📘 Learn More

The Educator's Guide to Youth Apprenticeships
Available on Amazon

💼 Connect with Dr. Heather Handler on LinkedIn

🎧 Leadership Rules with Kristy Volesky
Title: Finish Doesn’t Equal Ready

What if school was designed less around compliance… and more around real life?

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with educator, consultant, and CTE Reimagined co author Kristy Volesky to explore what it really means to prepare students for the future.

Kristy challenges many of the assumptions schools still operate under, including the idea that students should spend years “practicing” without ever doing meaningful work that connects to the real world.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why “finish” does not equal “ready”
• How schools can connect learning to real opportunities and real community impact
• Why durable skills cannot be taught once and checked off a list
• The danger of locking students into career paths too early
• How communities and schools can work together instead of operating in silos
• Why students crave meaningful experiences, not pretend projects

Kristy also shares practical examples of how schools can rethink partnerships, create authentic learning experiences, and help students build the confidence and adaptability they will need in a rapidly changing world.

If you care about leadership, education, workforce development, or preparing young people for what comes next, this conversation will challenge how you think about learning.

📍 Learn more and connect with Kristy Volesky
🌐 https://valeskyconsulting.com
💼 LinkedIn → Kristy Volesky
📘 CTE Reimagined available online

Subscribe for more conversations about leadership, learning, and building a future where people are truly ready for what’s next.

#LeadershipRules #KristyVolesky #CTEReimagined #EducationLeadership #CareerReadiness #FutureOfEducation #DurableSkills