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📝 Show Notes Summary

In this powerful episode, Elaine welcomes her first male guest to Captivate the Mic — master trainer, leadership consultant, and communicator Ron Reich. Together, they explore what leadership truly looks like in 2025 and how the best leaders today are creating space, safety, and culture from the inside out.

Ron shares wisdom on how to handle emotionally charged situations using his “PRD Model” (Pause, Reflect, Decide), and offers strategies for building psychological safety, even in blue-collar or high-turnover environments. From feedback stories to leadership blind spots, this conversation is rich with actionable insight and surprising depth.

💡 Key Takeaways

• PRD Model: Pause, Reflect, then Decide — a powerful tool for responding vs. reacting
• **Why “What’s NOT Changing” is vital during times of transition
• **The real difference between managing and leading
• **How feedback (even the tough kind) can sharpen your leadership if you listen deeply
• **Why top-down culture-building often fails — and what works instead
• **Creating psychological safety starts before the training even begins
• **How to invite quieter team members to contribute without forcing them

🔥 Pull Quotes

• “We don’t talk enough about what’s not changing — that’s where the anchor is.”
• “Leadership isn’t about talking more. It’s about creating the space so others feel safe enough to speak.”
• “You know you’re leading well when you can sit back and drink tea.”
• “Great cultures aren’t dictated. They’re co-created.”

Ron Reich – Leadership Expert | Executive Coach | Corporate Trainer

Ron Reich is a seasoned leadership consultant and executive coach with over 28 years of experience in training design, development, and facilitation. He specializes in cultivating high-performing leaders through impactful leadership and management development, executive coaching, supervision training, and dynamic team-building experiences.

With a deep understanding of organizational behavior and communication dynamics, Ron is known for creating safe, transformative learning environments where individuals and teams thrive. His engaging facilitation style and practical, real-world insights have made him a trusted partner for companies across a wide range of industries.

A lifelong learner and voracious reader, Ron stays at the forefront of leadership trends, research, and best practices through his daily habit of reading articles, newsletters, and books. He brings that curiosity and rigor to every training session and coaching conversation, helping clients evolve with purpose and precision.

Elaine and Ron have been colleagues and friends for years. They both LOVE personal development and the unlimited possibilities of human potential and all things leadership!

Connect with your Host, Elaine Williams:
Check out Captivate the Mic Podcast on Elaine's YouTube Channel
Check out the Captivate the Crowd Website
Follow Elaine on Social- LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok
Want to schedule a free chat with Elaine? Click here to book a zoom date!

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📝 SHOW NOTES:

In this heartfelt and wildly inspiring episode of Captivate the Mic, Elaine sits down with her brilliant, badass cousin Melissa Williams—a 10-time world champion equestrian, ranch owner, and lifelong horse whisperer.

Melissa shares jaw-dropping stories from the show ring (think Olympic-level Saddlebreds and flying horses on “Air Force One” 🐴✈️), growing up with horses in Canada, and what it really takes to compete—and win—at the highest levels.

But this conversation is more than trophies and ribbons.

It’s about:

• How the messiest moments shape the strongest leaders
• Why horses are powerful mirrors for how we show up in life and leadership
• The deeply healing and intuitive connection between women and horses
• And the incredible leadership retreat Elaine and Melissa are co-hosting in May!

Together, they’re bringing their wisdom, humor, and heart to a transformational 4-day retreat for women leaders ready to step into deeper authenticity, clarity, and power—guided by horses, nature, and their own embodied presence.

✨ This episode is for you if you’ve ever wondered:

• What horses can teach us about leadership and emotional intelligence
• Why authenticity beats perfection every time
• What it feels like to lose… and come back stronger
• How to lead from your presence—not your performance

📅 Interested in the retreat?

It’s happening May 7-10, 2025 at Melissa’s breathtaking ranch in California.

🌄 Horses. Leadership. Nervous system resets. Real transformation.

👉 Link to Join Us

🎥 Watch for Q&As and sneak peeks on YouTube and social

🐎 Connect with Melissa:

Want to know more about Melissa, her ranch, or her powerhouse real estate and production work? Check the links in the show notes below.

🧲 P.S. If you’re an expert who knows you need to be more visible—especially on video—Elaine can help you create short, powerful content that captivates and converts. Let’s chat!

📌 Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro & Melissa’s hilarious “no pressure” welcome

06:45 – Growing up with horses (and surviving Alberta winters)

13:20 – Lessons in discipline, heartbreak, and winning

27:50 – Saddlebred history & battle moves on horseback

36:00 – The healing power of horses & emotional attunement

48:10 – Flying horses, million-dollar show rings & Louisville

1:08:15 – From failure to world champion: Melissa’s comeback story

1:16:00 – A sneak peek at the Leadership + Horse Whispering Retreat

1:24:00 – Why this experience will shift how you lead forever

Connect with your Host, Elaine Williams:
Check out Captivate the Mic Podcast on Elaine's YouTube Channel
Check out the Captivate the Crowd Website
Follow Elaine on Social- LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok
Want to schedule a free chat with Elaine? Click here to book a zoom date!

Send us a text

In this inspiring and jam-packed episode of Captivate the Mic, Elaine Williams sits down with the phenomenal PR guru, Jill Lublin. Known for her expertise in media, kindness, and visibility, Jill shares golden nuggets of wisdom for entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and anyone looking to make an impact.

✨ What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

•The power of kindness circles and how they foster connection, growth, and positivity.

•Why 30 minutes of visibility-building activities each week can transform your career.

•How to create the “I’ve heard of you somewhere” effect and keep your message top of mind.

•Tips for leveraging holidays and trending topics to pitch your unique message.

•How Google Alerts can uncover golden PR opportunities like World Kindness Day.

Jill also shares behind-the-scenes stories about working with Jack Canfield, how she’s reinvented her signature PR bootcamps into her Media Mastery Intensive, and why consistency and persistence are the secret sauce to lasting PR success.

🎁 FREE GIFT: Jill is offering listeners a complimentary Publicity Action Guide and access to her free publicity masterclass. Don’t miss this opportunity to dive deeper into her proven strategies!

👉 Grab it now: JillLublin.com/guide

💬 Favorite Quotes from the Episode:

•“Your message matters.” – Jill Lublin

•“Keep showing up – that’s the key to PR success.” – Jill Lublin

🌟 Resources Mentioned:

•Join the Kindness Circles

•Jill’s book: The Profit of Kindness

•PR Training: Media Mastery Intensive

Connect with your Host, Elaine Williams:
Check out Captivate the Mic Podcast on Elaine's YouTube Channel
Check out the Captivate the Crowd Website
Follow Elaine on Social- LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok
Want to schedule a free chat with Elaine? Click here to book a zoom date!

Send us a text

Embrace Your ‘Flawsome’: Conquering Perfectionism

It’s the new year—which means new possibilities and a whole lot of self-imposed pressure. In this episode of Captivate the Mic, host Elaine Williams welcomes Michelle Molitor, an executive coach, hypnotherapist, and author of I Am Perfectly Flossom: How Embracing Imperfection Makes Us Better. Michelle shares her journey of being bullied out of a high-tech career and how that turbocharged her own perfectionism & imposter syndrome.

From chronic anxiety and physical manifestations to everyday blocks that keep us from achieving our goals, Michelle explains how perfectionism can be a trauma response—and how to break free. She highlights her upcoming program, Reclaiming Your True Self, designed to help women overcome perfectionism, burnout, and people-pleasing so they can thrive.

Michelle Molitor is the founder of Nectar Consulting, which combines positive psychology, neuroscience, hypnotherapy, and coaching to help clients rapidly transform limiting beliefs. As a “recovering perfectionist” herself, Michelle is dedicated to showing others how to embrace their flaws, reduce anxiety, and achieve success.

•Why Perfectionism Isn’t Always Obvious: How it can lurk in the background.

•Perfectionism as a Trauma Response: Why unresolved childhood experiences often spark the urge to people-please.

•Real-Life Transformations: Client success story by uncovering limiting beliefs formed earlier.

•Techniques to Overcome Mental Blocks: How hypnotherapy, mindset shifts, and group support can help you rewrite your “inner script.”

•Strategies for the New Year: Why setting the same resolutions won’t work if you haven’t shifted your self-talk; removed hidden roadblocks.

Highlights

•[00:02:10] – Michelle: bullied out of a high-tech career, sparking her journey toward coaching.

•[00:05:30] – Elaine’s realization of her own “closet perfectionism”; how it stops progress.

•[00:11:15] – Client story: Tying perfectionism, anxiety to physical health issues.

•[00:18:00] – How perfectionism can be tied to childhood trauma.

•[00:24:00] – Michelle’s upcoming program, Reclaiming Your True Self, for women seeking deeper transformation.

Resources

•Michelle’s Website: michellemolitor.com

•Book: I Am Perfectly Flossom (Available on Amazon, Kindle, and Audible)

•Group Program:Reclaiming Your True Self : michellemolitor.com/reclaiming-your-true-self

Schedule Call with Michelle: book a complimentary call to see if the Reclaiming Your True Self program is a fit for you.

If you enjoyed this

Connect with your Host, Elaine Williams:
Check out Captivate the Mic Podcast on Elaine's YouTube Channel
Check out the Captivate the Crowd Website
Follow Elaine on Social- LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok
Want to schedule a free chat with Elaine? Click here to book a zoom date!

Send us a text

In this episode of the Captivate the Mic podcast, host Elaine Williams welcomes transformational guide Dr. Jen Casper. Dr. Jen shares her deeply personal journey through a series of challenging relationships— from short-lived marriages to living with a narcissist. Through these trials, one theme emerged: her need to truly love and value herself. By learning to honor her own worth, Dr. Jen discovered the key to attracting a healthy, relationship—one that exceeded her dreams.

Elaine and Dr. Jen discuss the importance of storytelling: how recounting our lives with and vulnerability can not only help us heal, but also inspire others to grow. They talk about the delicate process of refining a story for different contexts, the power of emotional resonance, and the importance of compassion toward oneself during the journey of personal transformation.

What You’ll Learn:

•How self-love acts as the foundation for attracting healthier relationships.

•Ways to break free from harmful relationship patterns.

•The importance of learning and integrating lessons from each relationship to move closer to what you desire.

•Tips on refining personal stories for maximum impact and emotional connection—whether you’re sharing as a guest on a podcast or telling your story on stage.

•Why storytelling is a timeless tool for healing, personal growth, and inspiring positive change in others.

Takeaways:

•Self-Worth Comes First: You can’t fully accept love from someone else until you genuinely love and understand yourself.

•Boundaries and Discernment: Learning to recognize red flags and trusting your inner voice will help guide you toward healthier connections.

•Storytelling as a Healer: Sharing your story can foster deeper connections, help others feel less alone, and strengthen your own sense of purpose.

•Continuous Evolution: Your personal narrative will evolve as you grow. Be willing to revisit and refine the way you present your story.

Action Steps:

•Reflect on the patterns in your past relationships. What recurring lessons can you identify?

•Practice self-love daily by journaling about what truly matters to you.

•If you’re sharing your story, consider where you can tighten the narrative to keep listeners engaged and emotionally invested.

Dr. Jen Casper is a “doctor of soulful transformations” dedicated to helping clients identify and shift limiting beliefs and patterns. Learn more about her: JenCasper.com.

Connect with Elaine Williams:

•Website: CaptivateTheCrowd.com

•YouTube: Captivate The Crowd

•Instagram: @elainewilliamsfun

Support the Show:

Please rate, review, and subscribe! Share this episode with friends who might benefit from hearing Dr

Connect with your Host, Elaine Williams:
Check out Captivate the Mic Podcast on Elaine's YouTube Channel
Check out the Captivate the Crowd Website
Follow Elaine on Social- LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok
Want to schedule a free chat with Elaine? Click here to book a zoom date!

Send us a text

If you've ever wanted to work on your public speaking but the thought of being in front of an audience has freaked you out, listen to this episode. When you can think of your audience as your partner and realize that they WANT you to be good, it changes everything. You get your power back.

I learned this from improv, acting school and doing stand up comedy, but it doesn't have to take you as long as it did for me to learn the benefits of partnering with any audience.
No matter where you are in your speaking journey, you'll love these speaking tips and ways to be even more related with any crowd, fast!

Connect with your Host, Elaine Williams:
Check out Captivate the Mic Podcast on Elaine's YouTube Channel
Check out the Captivate the Crowd Website
Follow Elaine on Social- LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok
Want to schedule a free chat with Elaine? Click here to book a zoom date!

Anytime you get to talk to Heather, you have fun, for real!
Joins us as we discuss life lessons in business and how to make lemonade out of lemons! (and how she turned the worst store into one of the best stores!)

She's a great story teller and has a great sense of humor about herself and life!
She never shoves her vegan lifestyle down your face. She's always gracious and happy to answer any and all questions....

Heather Zeitzwolfe: Savvy Frugal Vegan

"Compassion starts on our plates because we are what we eat."

Heather is a passionate speaker and advocate dedicated to helping people transition into veganism and adopt a plant-based diet. Her mission is to challenge the status quo and encourage others to think differently, particularly regarding veganism and ethical living. Heather guides people toward embracing the benefits of veganism and provides the tools needed to maintain a cruelty-free lifestyle. She is dedicated to animal rights, equality, and justice, inspiring others to make compassionate choices.

Heather is a GenX'r, nerd, doll collector, film geek, cat mom, entrepreneur, AI enthusiast, content creator, Tofu Wizard, and podcaster. She lives each day, sharing laughter and positive energy.

Heather Zeitzwolfe, the Savvy Frugal Vegan, empowers individuals and entrepreneurs to embrace a compassionate, plant-based lifestyle through in-person and virtual coaching, workshops, retreats, and events. A dynamic speaker, activist, and YouTuber, Heather’s mission is to support one million people in adopting and maintaining a healthy, affordable, plant-based diet. She challenges the status quo, encouraging others to rethink their diet, ethics, and environmental impact, all while making vegan living fun, accessible, delicious, and impactful.

LINKS:

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@SavvyFrugalVegan

Website: https://www.savvyfrugalvegan.com/

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

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

It’s a Plant Based Party (Sign up to be on the live panel): REGISTER for the event to get the participation link. (You can register for future shows as well - see all the dates when you sign up) https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvce2ppzgvHdODn3Z8gbdsSajuQibA02Ea

Connect with your Host, Elaine Williams:
Check out Captivate the Mic Podcast on Elaine's YouTube Channel
Check out the Captivate the Crowd Website
Follow Elaine on Social- LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok
Want to schedule a free chat with Elaine? Click here to book a zoom date!

This conversation was LIFE CHANGING for me! Jennifer and I spoke about collapsing Confidence with Worthiness. It was a true light bulb moment for me.
She's been a powerful stand for others and has had several successful podcasts.
You are going to LOVE this conversation!

Jennifer Loehding is a success architect, entrepreneur, and certified DreamBuilder Coach dedicated to guiding high-achieving individuals toward holistic success. With over 23 years of entrepreneurial experience, Jennifer helps her clients design sustainable frameworks that support both personal and professional growth. After excelling in the top 2% of a global cosmetic company for 15 years, she transitioned to a new path focused on health and well-being.

Jennifer's own journey is marked by resilience, as she overcame two rare health conditions and achieved remission without long-term medication. By incorporating daily habits that prioritize mental and physical well-being—through nutrition, exercise, and mindset practices—Jennifer has built a thriving, healthy life. She now shares these methods through her coaching and workshops to inspire others.

Jennifer offers a range of coaching programs, including individual and group coaching, as well as transformative workshops. Her programs integrate mind, body, and spirit, empowering clients to create lasting success in all areas of life.

In addition to her entrepreneurial ventures, Jennifer is a podcast host, motivational speaker, author, and passionate advocate for personal growth. Her work helps individuals reach their fullest potential while contributing positively to the world around them.

jenniferloehding.com

https://www.facebook.com/Loehdingblogger/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-loehding/

https://www.instagram.com/jenniferloehding

https://www.youtube.com/startergirlz

Connect with your Host, Elaine Williams:
Check out Captivate the Mic Podcast on Elaine's YouTube Channel
Check out the Captivate the Crowd Website
Follow Elaine on Social- LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok
Want to schedule a free chat with Elaine? Click here to book a zoom date!