The Reboot Podcast

For many leaders, particularly entrepreneurs striving to build a vision, the experience of rejection hits close to home; oftentimes, it can feel as though there’s been a dismissal of our very soul. When faced with the fallout of rejection our initial response may be to thicken our skin or steel our reserve, building a wall behind which we suppress our sadness, our hurt, our tender selves. However, for all of us, another opportunity exists, one of compassion but also of strength; the opportunity to meet rejection as a warrior. On this episode of the podcast, Jerry is joined by Grace Belangia, Community Development Strategist for CONima and the Executive Director and Founding Member of the Clubhouse, a collaborative and innovative community for entrepreneurs. This past fall, Grace reached out to the Reboot Podcast looking for support navigating her feelings around rejection. In this conversation, Jerry works with Grace to uncover the root of her fears about rejection and how its threat may actually be the drivi

There is real suffering out there, suffering that is causing violence. What are some of the causes of the suffering and how might we address those? It's a true honor to welcome entrepreneur, creator, and educator Konda Mason to the podcast for an important and timely conversation with Jerry. This discussion was recorded last week, and we thought it was really important to get this out sooner rather than later, particularly given the events in Orlando. Konda and Jerry address some of the source causes of this suffering, this pain, and what opportunities might lie in remembering we’re all in this together. This conversation will challenge you on your privileges and inspire you find new ways of connecting with people from all backgrounds. Links The Whole Person Economy - Konda Mason on Twitter - Impact Hub Oakland - Spirit Rock Meditation Center - Leave us a review on Itunes! Follow our step by step guides: - How To: Leave a Review on Your Computer: www.reboot.io/leave-itunes-review-via-computer/ - How To: L

On this episode of the Reboot Podcast we welcome Joe Wilding, the co-founder and CTO of Boom Supersonic, a Colorado based company focused on reviving supersonic air travel. Although Joe has experienced successes and various advancements throughout his career, he grapples with a nagging feeling that he wasn't measuring up to the other “great leaders” in his field. Introverted and a highly-visual learner, Joe always felt he was wired just a bit differently from his peers. Throughout the past decade, Joe has transitioned out of supporting roles and into higher management positions. Recently, this has triggered thoughts around authenticity in leadership and has materialized the urge to align his inner and outer self in the workplace. With support from Jerry, Joe aims to tackle the question, ”What type of leader am I?” Jerry emphasizes to Joe that there are many ways to lead, and the tendency to constantly compare ourselves to others often serves in diminishing our ability to grow into our most authentic self, inh

For leaders in the modern world, dodging the constant bombardment of projected successes that others display across various media outlets can be exhausting.  Comparing ourselves to others can lead to an overwhelming sense of inadequacy, which often ripples out to thoughts of insecurity about our work, our relationships, and the way we are perceived by our peers. As Theodore Roosevelt so poignantly observed, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” By allowing our gaze to become so outwardly attuned, we create an internal roadblock against finding peace and equanimity within our own lives. On this episode of the Reboot Podcast, Jerry is joined by longtime friend and self-described serial entrepreneur, Steve Kane. In this discussion, Steve comes to Jerry with the lingering question, “When do we begin to know when enough is enough?” Together, they explore the pivotal role Steve’s father played in molding the baseline for determining his “enough,” and how his own radical self-inquiry supported Steve in making a difficul

Although the challenges women leaders face today have been well documented and highly publicized and most of us recognize that women are often forced to tackle unique and disproportionate challenges from their male counterparts, it can be hard to fully empathize with the biases with which we ourselves may not be called to face. On this week’s episode, you'll meet one female founder who generously shares her story and the singular obstacles she’s been summoned to encounter. A former corporate litigator, Amy Nelson is now the CEO and founder of the Riveter, a workspace which provides support and equal opportunities for women leaders and changemakers. Born in Seattle in 2017, The Riveter has experienced explosive expansion - with five locations being built in the first 16 months. As a result, Amy is now facing down the many hurdles that emerge during a period of rapid scaling. In this conversation with Jerry, Amy expounds on a few of the barriers she’s come up against when raising capital and what it means to ta

Exploring one’s shadow is no easy undertaking. The idea of getting to know what Jung referred to as, “That which I do not wish to be” is rarely considered an exciting prospect. Yet we implore all leaders to be courageous and get to know and learn to work with their shadow. It is only when we do the work to make the unconscious conscious, that we are able to build true compassion for ourselves and others; freeing us to become the leaders we were born to become. James Hollis is a Jungian analyst, author and lecturer whose work has inspired and influenced us at Reboot. In this episode Jerry and James talk in depth about the Jungian concept of shadow, how shadow shows up in leadership, and what we can do once we become aware of our shadow. Links James Hollis' website - http://www.jameshollis.net Why Good People Do Bad Things - https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B00164UXO2&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_OPjlybZY2VRM0 Episode #14 Shadow and Leadership - https://www.reboot.io/episode/

Have you ever asked yourself the question: I wonder if we’d be better off with someone else in my role? In this podcast, a listener, Kent Cavender-Bares from Rowbot comes to Jerry with a question a similar question about his superpower: “What if my deep integrity, my commitment to simply telling how it is, is the reason we’re unable to fundraise? Do I even have a Superpower? Wouldn’t Rowbot, be further along if someone else was leading?” Jerry and Kent explore the double edge of a superpower, and how the path through his challenges may lie in a new set of questions: How can I be even more like Kent? How can I embrace my superpower? How can I believe in myself? And why is that so damned important? Links Rowbot - Kent Cavender-Bares on Twitter - Leave us a review on Itunes! Follow our step by step guides: - How To: Leave a Review on Your Computer: - How To: Leave a Review on Your iPhone: Never miss an episode! to stay up to date on all our episode releases.

As many leaders can attest, the harshest critics we face often come from within. Even when we feel confident in our work and our abilities, it’s not unusual for thoughts such as, “Am I doing enough?” to arise. Once our inner critic emerges, questions of guilt begin to creep in that we aren’t grinding nearly as long or as hard as those around us. As entrepreneurs, the challenge we face is discerning not only what triggers this internal voice, but recognizing what that voice, our Loyal Soldier, serves to protect. On this episode of the Reboot Podcast, Leonie Akhidenor, Head of Residential Development for View Bank Homes, works with Jerry to explore the roots of her own inner critic, tracing the emergence of Leonie’s Loyal Soldier back to a childhood environment where achievement and success were deemed paramount. Uncovering that, as she grew, Leonie’s constant fear of failure manifested as her superpower, providing an abundance of passion and grit which served to propel her professional success. But as Jerry no

Al Doan, former CEO of Missouri Quilt Company, speaks with Jerry Colonna about a journey that ultimately led him to walk through the fear and challenge of stepping down as CEO, to create the space for the life of his dreams to emerge. Links Missouri Quilt Company - Al Doan on Twitter - Signs you need to leave your startup - CEO bootcamp - Reboot Circles - Episode #29 Who’s in your corner? With Carrie Barry - Episode #77: Knowing You’re Not Alone, The Magic of Peer Groups -   Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Follow our step by step guides: - How To: Leave a Review on Your Computer:  - How To: Leave a Review on Your iPhone:  Never miss an episode! to stay up to date on all our episode releases.

Khe Hy spent 14 years in Financial Services and was successful by all signs, but his work and life felt ‘meh.’ Something felt disconnected from him as he suited up in the morning and turned off the finance switch in the evening. He opted for a life of more meaning and started RadReads, a passion project now grown into a community of sorts. But something still didn’t feel right for Khe. Even though he preached a lot about what’s important, he found that a hard talk to walk and instead found himself putting the most important things in his life - his wife and daughter - last on his list of priorities. Despite all of Khe’s efforts in meditation, mindfulness, and reflection, he struggled to figure out how to be present for his life. Instead, he found himself thinking about ideas, people in his network, and ways to improve. As a self-proclaimed life-hacker, he struggled to find the metrics and hacks to be present. As Khe and Jerry discuss, perhaps the answer to being present is deeper than hacks and metrics. Perha

Reverend Michelle Haunold Lorenz has dedicated the past 18 years of her life to her company, Gearhead, a magazine and record label that showcases the best of punk and hotrod culture. In her time spent as founder and CEO, Michelle has experienced first hand the ups and the downs that emerge when running and operating a business. Recently married, Michelle has begun to hear whispers of transformation, potentially signaling a transition into a new stage of life, one in which she finds herself questioning her life’s path and purpose. Looking for support and guidance, Michelle reached out to Jerry and Reboot Podcast. As she considers the past two decades, Michelle reflects on the challenges she’s faced - which run the gambit of downsizing and layoffs, declaring bankruptcy, and bouts of co-founder conflict - as well as the lessons she’s learned and the gifts she’s received in the process. As Jerry and Michelle work together, they consider the uniqueness of her journey, and the beauty of taking ownership of her life

Aging, the continuous passage of time, is a journey upon which we must all embark. As life unfolds before us, we may be naturally drawn towards a state of inquiry in attempt to discern the purpose and meaning in our soul. For many leaders, the draw can be to gaze upon external outcomes as a manifestation of our life’s meaning, allowing our worthiness to be derived from our relationship between mean and end. But what if we were to allow ourselves to abandon the question, “Does my life have meaning?” and instead consider, “How have I lived?” In this episode, Jerry is joined by speaker, activist, and friend of the Reboot Podcast, Parker J. Palmer, author of "On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old". Over the course of their conversation, Jerry and Parker contemplate the insights they’ve gained in the process of aging, the power of living life with kindness and gratitude, and the importance of remaining open to being human together. Links #14 – Shadow and Leadership – with Parker J. Palmer -

Courage takes many forms, but how do we inject courage into our lives, our relationships, and how we build and tackle problems in our businesses? On this episode of the Reboot Podcast, Jerry is joined by Shelly Francis, Marketing and Communications Director for The Center for Courage and Renewal, and author of The Courage Way: Leading and Living with Integrity. In their conversation, Shelly and Jerry propose that the bedrock of leading with courage stems from our willingness to be open, honest, and vulnerable, not only with ourselves but with others. When we step into our wholeness, finding alignment between the inner and outer, the doors open, allowing us to lead and live our lives with integrity. From that place, we can lean on the foundations of trust we’ve built in our communities and our organizations to tackle the difficult moments when they arise. Links Shelly Francis on Twitter - The Center for Courage and Renewal - The Courage Way: Leading and Living with Integrity - The Möbius Strip - Leave us

There’s an important question that we like to ask here at Reboot, which is, “ What type of company do you want to work for?” You’ll often hear Jerry propose this question in many of our podcasts because we believe it to be one of the most profound questions you can ask a leader, especially a leader who holds a position of influence within their organization, with the ability to affect change. On this episode of the Reboot Podcast, Jerry is joined by Nathalie McGrath, VP of People at Coinbase. Having seen the company grow from ten employees to over 250 employees in just four years, with potential to double their numbers by the end of 2018, Nathalie has experienced first hand the “rollercoasty” bumps and dips that innately arise when trying to sustain a company during extended periods of hyper-growth. In her time with Jerry, Nathalie opens up about her own battles with imposter syndrome, the challenge she faces in combating the creeping feelings of burnout, and how she as VP of People, can help support and sus

For leaders, when our aspirations and passions align, a crucible is formed from which creativity and productivity stem. At this point in our entrepreneurial journeys we might burn a little brighter, and our way forward feels undeniably palpable. Riding the tide, we may begin to feel ourselves cresting the wave and entering a place where the water becomes muddy and our paths unclear. We’ve entered the dip, and suddenly find ourselves in a quit it or stick with it moment where we must determine how we want to walk through this world. On this episode of the Reboot Podcast, Jerry is joined by friend, entrepreneur, author and speaker, Seth Godin. In this conversation, Seth and Jerry seek to tackle the dip, asking us to consider what is actually happening when it occurs, reminding us of the importance of finding our allies during this time, and how living in the tension of unknowing can actually be the catalyst for attuning our understanding to the most authentic way forward – in our companies, our relationships, a

As leaders, navigating the balance between serving our vision and supporting those who are integral to its success can be a delicate line to walk. When we stand as warriors, with strong backs and open hearts, the seeds of servant leadership are planted. As servant leaders, we create safe, structured containers to bear witness without judgement, allowing for us to build and create meaningful connections. It is in the opening of ourselves to true genuine acts of compassion, that an enhanced sense of resiliency to weather the storms of our lives is nurtured and strengthened. In her second appearance on the Reboot podcast, Roshi Joan Halifax, author of Standing at the Edge: Finding Freedom Where Fear and Courage Meet, works with Jerry to unravel the power of edge states, the importance of taking a compassionate stance in leadership, and how the suppleness that stems from compassion leads to enhanced resiliency and true freedom. Links   Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Follow our step by step guides:
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If your closest colleagues were asked to describe the way in which you conducted yourself in your professional career, what might you hope to hear? For Semil Shah, the adjectives he strives for are: dependable, consistent, and reliable. As the founder of Haystack and the father of three young children, Semil takes immense pride in his ability to be seen as available and accountable despite his busy schedule, so much so, that he feels pangs of guilt when he considers his dependability to be slipping. In his second appearance on the Reboot Podcast, Semil works with Jerry to unpack the driving forces that sit behind his need to be seen by his peers in a certain light, and how this need might be limiting his ability to build honest, meaningful connections with those he cares about. Through their conversation, Jerry and Semil explore the root of Semil’s guilt, the power of perception, and beauty of aging with grace. Links Semil Shah on Twitter -   #46 - Hitting a Wall - with Semil Shah   Leave us a review on Appl

In a modern working world which often venerates the ‘grind,’ - long hours and dogged work-ethic - as the dominating model for focused career development, where does that leave room for building families and raising children? In today’s episode, Jerry is joined by Melissa Pasquale, mother of three and Chief Operating Officer at Engain. Together, Melissa and Jerry consider the navigational challenges of being a parent while maintaining a career. Throughout their conversation, Jerry calls on Melissa to consider the fallacy in yearning for the perfect work-life balance; asking us all to consider that our longing to achieve harmony between work and life inevitably imparts feelings of guilt at our inability to do it all (the notion of, "I'm not really working unless I'm panting.”). When we recognize that we can’t absolve the guilt we feel in that nebulous place of balance between work and life, we can pause to consider the deeper question of, “How we are complicit in the need to be ‘good’ enough - at work, as paren

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” — Author Unknown In a culture driven by a series of actions and reactions, how much consideration do we give to the space that lives in the inbetween? When triggered, what might happen if we allow ourselves to pause and tune into our hearts, dropping into what is holding true for us in that moment? In allowing ourselves that brief period of time between stimulus and response, we can learn how to shift our responses from ones of reflexivity to reflectivity - where the resulting interaction emanates respect and trust for ourselves and others. On this week’s episode of the Reboot Podcast, Nicole Glaros, Partner at Techstars, joins Jerry for a thoughtful conversation on perceived awareness, the power of mindfulness, and the inherent resiliency which arises when we master the ability to widen the gap between stimulus and response. Links Nicole Glaros - https://twitte

If you’re an avid listener of the Reboot Podcast then you are well acquainted with podcast host and Reboot CEO, Jerry Colonna. You might know that he has the particular gift of making founders cry, and that he possesses the ability to drive authentic conversations with tenderness and compassion. But what makes Jerry such a great coach, leader and friend? For this episode of the podcast, we’re flipping the script on our host, bringing in long time friend and colleague Brad Feld to anchor a conversation in which Jerry recounts the pieces of his past that have shaped his life and led him to where he is today. Together they discuss a multitude of topics, including the power of journaling, the importance of quietness and listening, and how Jerry’s insatiable curiosity drove his career path from journalist, to venture capitalist and now to author and coach. Links Brad Feld on Twitter - https://twitter.com/bfeld