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PODCAST

The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends

Interviews with successful leaders and company founders sharing stories of their career journey, great leadership, and not-so-great. It will help you become a better leader while poking fun at all the crazy shit that happens in corporate America. Hosted by Jeff Pelaccio who has over 40 years of leadership experience for every t-shirt size company - Small (4 employees) to XL (over 1 million employees). Listen, learn, and laugh each week to learn from great leaders from all walks of life.

business careers

All Episodes

78:51

Dr. Russ Barnes: From B-52s to Business Strategy -...

The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends ·

2026/02/16

What do you get when you combine Division I basketball, 27 years in the U.S. Air Force, a PhD in Organization Development, and a passion for helping small businesses become profitable?You get Dr. Russ Barnes (see his bio below). In this episode, I reconnect with my former Manhattan College dorm mate, now retired Air Force Colonel, strategist, author, and founder of Systro Solutions, for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, preparation, resilience, and what it really takes to build a

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70:15

Paul Sullivan: From the New York Times to the Carpool...

The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends ·

2026/02/08

What happens when a dream career collides with real life and real priorities?In this episode, I sit down with Paul Sullivan (see bio below), a longtime New York Times columnist, author, and founder of The Company of Dads, to explore a career journey that spans elite journalism, bestselling books, keynote stages, and ultimately, a bold reinvention. Paul shares how growing up in a working-class Massachusetts town shaped his ambition, how mentorship and failure sharpened his voice as a writer, and

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68:14

Meetings Are Broken: Rebecca Hinds on Fixing How We...

The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends ·

2026/02/02

Do you hate work meetings? Meetings consume more time than any other business process, and yet they’re often the most frustrating part of the workday. According to Rebecca Hinds (see her bio below), that’s not a coincidence. It’s a design problem. Rebecca is a leading expert on organizational behavior and the future of work, with deep experience at the intersection of research, technology, and real-world execution. In this conversation, she shares insights from her new book, Your Best Meeting Ever:

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22:18

Special Edition: It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere – New Year...

The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends ·

2026/01/28

The first It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere of the new year felt less like goal setting and more like catching up with a friend who knows you well enough to keep it real.In this January conversation, Marc Shaffer and I ease into 2026 by talking about what actually matters when the calendar flips: health, energy, relationships, and letting go of the pressure to start the year at full throttle. We swap stories about holiday parties that got a little bigger than expected, birthdays for four-year-olds, bourbon

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76:45

The Likeable Leader: Why People Follow (and Why They...

The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends ·

2026/01/26

What if being a great leader isn’t about having all the answers, but about how people feel when they’re around you? In this episode, Jason Young (see bio below) joins me on The Corporate Couch for a wide-ranging, candid conversation about leadership, emotional intelligence, burnout, and why “likability” may be one of the most underrated leadership skills in business today. Jason shares stories from his early life, formative mentors, and unexpected career pivots that shaped his approach to

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66:42

From Basketball Courts to Boardrooms: Seth Deutsch on...

The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends ·

2026/01/19

In this powerful episode, Jeff Pelaccio sits down with Seth Deutsch (see his bio below), founder of Samson Partners Group and former President and CEO of multi-billion-dollar divisions at AECOM. Seth shares his unconventional journey from Division I basketball player at Rice University to leading global teams across 80 countries and executing over 70 acquisitions. Seth opens up about growing up in a small Ohio town, choosing basketball as his path forward, and dealing with career-ending injuries

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56:33

Frank Keck: Embracing Your Freakness, Being Seen, and...

The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends ·

2026/01/12

Frank Keck (see his bio below) believes leadership starts with being fully yourself and laughing a little more along the way.With over 25 years of experience helping leaders and teams communicate better, Frank blends humor, neuroscience, and real-world insight to show why people thrive when they feel seen, heard, and empowered. In this conversation, he shares how his journey from teaching Dale Carnegie courses to building a speaking career around “Embrace Your Freakness” shaped his approach to

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69:19

Rich Chungong: From Professional Athlete to Web3...

The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends ·

2026/01/05

Rich Chungong’s (see his bio below) story is anything but linear, and that’s exactly the point. A former professional football player, lifelong gamer, and naturally curious builder, Rich has reinvented himself at the intersection of Web3, AI, gaming, and community-driven innovation.In this conversation, Rich shares how the abrupt pause of the 2020 pandemic forced him to confront a question many athletes and high performers eventually face: What’s next when the identity you’ve always known comes to

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70:19

Todd Ziegler: From Filet Mignon Heists to Blockchain...

The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends ·

2025/12/29

Todd Ziegler (see his bio below) has seen the trucking industry from angles most people never do, from stolen loads of six-figure filet mignon to the quiet financial mechanics that determine whether carriers survive or fail. And according to Todd, the biggest issue in trucking isn’t drivers, trucks, or capacity. It’s how long it takes people to get paid and how much it costs them to wait.Todd is a seasoned C-suite transportation veteran and the CEO of TCS, a company using blockchain technology to

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27:41

Special Edition: It’s 5 O'clock Somewhere - Holidays,...

The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends ·

2025/12/23

In this December edition of It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere, Marc Shaffer and I wrap up the year the only way we know how by catching up like old friends over a wide-ranging, unscripted conversation that blends business, life, laughter, and reflection.We talk about the blur between November and December, holiday parties, birthdays, book parties (not book launches), and the reality of trying to slow down during the busiest time of the year (including Jeff's Reiki session). Marc shares what he’s learning

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78:24

Building Careers, Not Just Filling Seats: Casey...

The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends ·

2025/12/22

Casey Wright’s (see his bio below) career has been shaped as much by people and perseverance as by placements and performance. As President and Owner of Chief of Staff KC, he brings nearly two decades of recruiting experience and a deeply relational approach to helping companies and professionals find the right fit far beyond what an algorithm or job board can deliver. The conversation traces Casey’s journey from a football-playing, piano-playing Kansas kid to leading one of the region’s most

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66:28

No Boxes, No Straight Lines: Shannon Nash on...

The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends ·

2025/12/15

Shannon Nash’s (see her bio below) career doesn’t follow a straight line—and that’s exactly the point. Attorney. CPA. CFO. Board director. Podcast host. Film producer. Zumba instructor. Her journey is a masterclass in saying yes to growth, even when it means rewriting the plan entirely.In this conversation, Shannon shares how growing up between the Midwest and the East Coast, sitting outside law school classrooms as a child, and watching her father blaze a trail into the legal profession shaped her

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77:35

The Sweet Side of Leadership: Lori Tauber Marcus on...

The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends ·

2025/12/08

Lori Tauber Marcus (see her bio below) has lived a career many only dream about, 24 years rising through the ranks at PepsiCo during the height of the Cola Wars, followed by C-suite roles at The Children’s Place, Keurig Green Mountain, and Peloton. But what makes Lori remarkable isn’t just her résumé. It’s her candor, her humor, and her relentless commitment to helping leaders build workplaces where everyone can thrive.In our wide-ranging conversation, Lori shares stories from her early days

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72:29

From Hog Pens to High Performance: Dr. Lindsay...

The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends ·

2025/12/01

Lindsay Howerton’s (see her bio below) leadership journey begins long before she coached executives, scaled companies, or became a sought-after fractional COO. It starts with a 10-year-old kid in rural Missouri waking up at 2:30 a.m., layering up against the winter cold, and heading out to tend hogs before school.That grit never left her...it just evolved. Today, Lindsay is a performance coach, operational strategist, and property investor who has helped more than 70 organizations across 35+

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25:41

It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere – Goals, Gratitude, and...

The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends ·

2025/11/25

In this November edition of It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere, Marc Shaffer and I trade year-end reflections, fresh goals, and a few laughs as we wrap up 2025 and look toward the year ahead.Marc kicks things off with a big reveal of his word for 2026 and shares how health, proactivity, and a soon-to-be scheduled executive physical have moved to the top of his priority list. We talk about the value of choosing a “word of the year,” why intentional planning should start long before December, and the role his

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46:30

Faith, Medicine, and the Forgotten: Dr. Nicholas...

The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends ·

2025/11/23

Dr. Nicholas Comninellis (see his bio below) has lived a life most of us only read about. From treating patients in Shanghai’s charity hospital to serving in war-torn Angola, where soldiers once knocked on his door in the middle of the night, Nicholas has devoted his career to providing care where it’s needed most.Founder and President of the Institute for International Medicine (INMED), he has trained thousands of healthcare professionals to serve vulnerable populations around the world. But his

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56:50

From Pain to Purpose: Chandra Clark on Resilience,...

The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends ·

2025/11/17

Chandra Clark’s story (see her bio below) is one of courage, compassion, and transformation. From raising her three younger siblings as a child to becoming the inaugural President of the Corey C. Griffin Foundation, Chandra’s life is a testament to turning adversity into impact. In this conversation, she shares how her unconventional path from a childhood in Louisiana to leading major nonprofits across Kansas City and Boston shaped her purpose-driven approach to leadership. We talk about: How

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51:36

Faith, Family, and Finish Lines: Brett Carey on...

The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends ·

2025/11/10

Brett Carey (see his bio below) has built his life and leadership philosophy around three cornerstones: faith, family, and endurance. As Vice President of Human Resources at The University of Kansas Health System, Brett draws on lessons from his 25+ years at Hallmark Cards, his dedication to triathlon, and his belief that leadership is less about control and more about connection. In this conversation, Brett shares: How small-town values and faith laid the foundation for his leadership

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27:01

Mark Mears on Love at Work: Why Listening, Valuing,...

The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends ·

2025/11/07

Mark Mears is back on The Corporate Couch to talk about his brand-new book, LOVE@WORK: Creating Communities of Purpose and Belonging for Revolutionary Growth in a New World of Work. In his follow-up to The Purposeful Growth Revolution, Mark makes a bold claim: the key to transforming business isn’t strategy or systems, it’s love.Before you call HR, hear him out. Mark breaks down his new “LOVE” model for leadership: Listen graciously to build trust. Observe generously to invest in

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75:41

Why Minette Norman Believes Real Leadership Starts...

The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends ·

2025/11/03

What does leadership look like when hierarchy takes a back seat to humanity? That’s the question Minette Norman (see her bio below) has spent her career answering. As the former Vice President of Engineering Practice at Autodesk, she led more than 3,500 engineers across the globe, proving that empathy, trust, and courage can drive performance just as powerfully as process and technology. Today, as a consultant, speaker, and author, Minette helps leaders create environments where people feel safe to

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204 results

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