Best Laura Malinowski Podcasts (2025)

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102: What to Do When Your Ops Playbook Needs a Mindset Shift 6:38

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5d ago6:38

6:38

Find the full transcript at YourFutureRealized.com/102. I want to tell you about Sam. Sam is an operations leader at a small business that’s growing and changing fast. He’s very used to powering through and solving problems quickly. Lately, Sam’s team ran into tech glitches from new AI features—with no easy fixes yet. His first move? Double down: w…

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101: 3 Steps Ops Execs Take to Stay Ahead in a Changing World 5:47

13d ago5:47

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Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/101. How many of your meetings truly move the needle? I recently worked with someone whose days were full of urgent meetings that didn’t deserve her time. We looked at each one: Why it was there, what it specifically was for, and if she really had to attend. She found nearly a third were there out …

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100: What I’ve Learned About Operations Leadership After 100 Episodes 6:48

20d ago6:48

6:48

Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/100. I’ve struggled with running for years. I’d push through 5ks, only to crash hard afterward, wiped out, knees spent, quitting for months. It felt like winning and failing, again and again. Then a physiotherapist/running coach helped me shift to playing the long game: strength training, recovery,…

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Alternative Academic Roles with Patrice Cuff, PhD 32:24

20d ago32:24

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Dr. Patrice Cuff has done many things! An industry postdoc, industry business development, and now an alternative academic role at a teaching institution. Learn more from Dr. Cuff about how she has pivoted and found job satisfaction on a unique journey to find the right fit.By Vanderbilt University

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99: How One Curious Habit Builds Resilience in Ops Leaders 6:32

27d ago6:32

6:32

Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/99. Last week, I was chatting with a creative powerhouse of an ops leader who's been juggling a global team around the clock. She felt overwhelmed, so we came up with a simple challenge: try going to bed the same time her son does for one week. It sounded like a simple thing, but she was surprised …

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Market Access and Medical Policy with Jennifer Malinowski, PhD 31:33

27d ago31:33

31:33

Dr. Jennifer Malinowski shares her role with Lab Corp and the work she does in Market Access.By Vanderbilt University

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98: Hey Ops Exec, Stuck Spinning Your Wheels? Here’s How to Break Free and Gain Traction 6:30

1M ago6:30

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Find the full transcript at: yourfuturerealized.com/98. Operations execs often tell me they’re running full tilt but are unable to make meaningful progress. Days packed with back-to-back meetings and emails leave little room for breakthroughs. It’s so easy to get trapped on this hamster wheel of reactive busyness. And I know you already get that be…

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Drug Discovery in Biopharma with Matt Harlow, PhD 23:54

1M ago23:54

23:54

Dr. Matt Harlow, PhD, Senior Scientist at TRIANA Biomedicines, shares his path since Vanderbilt and his daily work life in drug discovery.By Vanderbilt University

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97: How Ops Leaders Can Turn Conflict into Their Team’s Competitive Edge 6:14

1M ago6:14

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Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/97. At a successful, growing company, the sales ops team was split into two, to form dedicated sales and ops teams. It looked like the perfect solution. More focus, right? But soon, these teammates who’d worked together side by side for years, even gone to each other’s weddings, were squabbling. Th…

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Competitive Intelligence Consulting with Laura Geben, PhD 37:45

1M ago37:45

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Dr. Geben shares about her role as a consultant with Anchor Point Consulting, specifically in competitive intelligence. She also shares about her time working abroad, being 100% remote, and the opportunities she purused in grad school to land her current role.By Vanderbilt University

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96: How to Strengthen Stakeholder Relationships as an Ops Exec (and Become the First to Know) 5:39

2M ago5:39

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Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/96. You know what it’s like when you’re juggling a dozen urgent things, and suddenly a project just… stalls? Out of the blue. Later, you find out that your counterpart in another department “thought you were on it,” but you haven’t actually talked to them in weeks. Now you’re both annoyed, and the …

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Bioinformatics in Industry with Tim Shaver, PhD 24:38

2M ago24:38

24:38

Dr. Shaver shares about his role at Natera as their Associate Director of Bioinformatics.By Vanderbilt University

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95: How to Lead Operations When You Don’t Have All the Answers 6:08

2M ago6:08

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Find the full transcript for this episode at yourfuturerealized.com/95. I’m looking at a little photo of a bluebird on my bulletin board, with a saying that’s stuck with me. It goes, “A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not in the branch but in her own wings.” I printed this out years ago during a m…

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Nonprofit Program Administration with Roslin Thoppil, PhD 30:09

2M ago30:09

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Dr. Roslin Thoppil, PhD, shares about her role with the American Association for Cancer Research where she leads the development and execution of national and international scientific conferences and educational initiatives. Her role involves close collaboration with top cancer scientists and clinicians from across the globe, ensuring the delivery …

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94: Should Operations Executives Trust Their Gut? 5:49

2M ago5:49

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Find the full transcript for this episode at yourfuturerealized.com/94. How often do you find yourself in a meeting, the conversation swirling, and suddenly everyone’s looking to you for the answer? You know that moment when you are expected to cut through the noise and make a call fast. And past all the data, there’s an inner voice nudging you. Wh…

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Competitive Intelligence Consulting with Gabriela Santos, PhD 20:59

2M ago20:59

20:59

Dr. Santos tells us about her role as a consulting with a firm that focuses on competitive intelligence. She shares about her post-PhD path in industry while maintaining her love for science.By Vanderbilt University

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93: 1 Simple Practice Every Ops Exec Needs to Take Back Their Day 5:52

2M ago5:52

5:52

Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/93. You know that feeling when you log on in the morning, and before you’ve even had your first sip of coffee, the Slack pings start rolling in? Then the emails, the DMs… It’s like a digital avalanche. I recently spoke with someone with over 2800 unread emails in her inbox. Two thousand, eight hund…

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92: Navigating the Messy Middle and the Human Side of Operations, with COO Josh Renicker 32:06

3M ago32:06

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Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/92. "I don't have the answers... I'm the guy that asks more questions." That's Josh Renicker, COO of Energy Access. It's a refreshing take from someone at the top, isn't it? Josh climbed the ladder from midnight shifts to the executive boardroom, working full time while earning multiple degrees, an…

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91: The Most Dangerous Habit in Operations Leadership 6:22

3M ago6:22

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Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/91. Ever been the only lifeguard at a packed pool? You’re perched up high, scanning every corner, whistle ready, always on alert. At first, it’s fun. But after a while, you realize you’re just stuck. You can’t be everywhere and jump in every time something happens. And if you try, you just wear you…

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90: 1 Simple Way to Make Your Value Visible in Operations 6:07

3M ago6:07

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Find the full transcript at: yourfuturerealized.com/90. Have you heard this old joke?: “What do you call someone who hangs out with musicians? A drummer.” It always gets a chuckle, but anyone who’s ever been in a band knows the truth: The drummer is the backbone. Without them, the whole thing falls apart. They keep everyone in sync, set the pace, a…

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89: A Guide to Accountability Conversations for Ops Leaders 6:23

3M ago6:23

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Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/89. “Ugh, I know I need to have this conversation. But I don’t want to sound harsh or make them defensive.” If your ops team is dropping the ball, that probably hits close to home. Accountability talks can be tough. They’re easy to put off because they’re just plain uncomfortable. But here’s the th…

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88: Ops Leaders, Are You Ready to Lead Through the Chaos? 5:40

3M ago5:40

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Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/88. Some days it feels like you’re spinning plates on a windy day, and everyone’s counting on you to keep things from crashing. Whether your job title says “operations” or you’re just the person who quietly keeps the ship running, you know what it’s like to juggle all the moving parts, shifting pri…

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87: Hey Ops Exec, Do You Need to Say 'No' More? 5:49

4M ago5:49

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Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/87. Most ops leaders I know have a hard time saying no. They don’t want to let people down and just know what needs to be done. It can feel easier, even automatic, to just step in to handle it. But that’s how you end up carrying everyone else’s load. It may sound counterintuitive, but your ability …

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86: How Ops Execs Can Stop Drowning in Priorities 6:19

4M ago6:19

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Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/86. If you’ve ever gone sailing, you know you can’t focus on every wave. You have to pick your course and stick with it, or risk spinning in circles, using up energy but not getting anywhere. Leading operations often means juggling too many things at once, with new priorities flying at you from eve…

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85: Why Every Ops Decision Builds Your Reputation 5:24

4M ago5:24

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Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/85. Your reputation as an operations leader isn’t built in a single moment. It’s shaped by every decision you make, day in and day out. Over time, those choices add up, not just to results, but to the story people tell about you as a leader. Think about the leaders you most admire. Their expertise …

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84: How Ops Execs Decide Fast Without Regret 6:05

4M ago6:05

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Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/84. You know that feeling when you’re stuck in a decision? The more you think about it, the harder it gets to move. I’ve been an Orioles fan since I was a kid. If baseball’s taught me anything, it’s that you can’t wait forever for the perfect pitch. Sometimes you just have to swing. In operations, …

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83: The Secret to Ops Team Trust When Everything Changes 6:27

5M ago6:27

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Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/83. This spring, a pair of eastern bluebirds nested on my back deck for the fourth year in a row. I have no idea why they keep coming back, but I like to think it’s because they feel safe here. Safe enough to show up, even when the weather is unpredictable and the world is changing. If you’re leadi…

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Medical Director in Industry with Keely Gilroy, PhD 28:59

5M ago28:59

28:59

Dr. Keely Solomon Gilroy, PhD, shares her path from Medical Science Liaison to Science Communication to now a Medical Director in Industry.By Vanderbilt University

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82: Unlocking Introvert Potential in Operations with Dr. Jennifer Kahnweiler 28:05

5M ago28:05

28:05

Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/82. Speaking as an introvert who spent years working in operations, I wish I’d met today’s guest sooner. Dr. Jennifer Kahnweiler has been a champion for introverts at work for over 15 years, and I recently got to sit down with her for a great conversation. I know firsthand how easy it is for quiete…

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Medical Writing with Emily Turner, PhD 18:03

5M ago18:03

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Dr. Emily Turner shares her career projection on the road to medical writing.By Vanderbilt University

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81: How Ops Execs Can Stop Being Overlooked and Start Being Heard with 3 Actionable Moves 5:06

5M ago5:06

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Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/81. Melanie*’s job as an operations leader means she often has to say things people don’t want to hear. She got the role because she’s passionate, driven, and trusted to guide her company through some pretty big changes. But change always brings uncertainty, and how you show up and communicate can …

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Scientific Publishing with Tony Chen, PhD 57:33

5M ago57:33

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We kick off Season 8 with Vanderbilt alumnus Dr. Tony Chen, PhD, who will share about his role in publishing at Springer Nature.By Vanderbilt University

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80: Should Ops Execs Stop Picking Up the Slack? 5:53

5M ago5:53

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Find the full episode at yourfuturerealized.com/80. Yesterday someone kicked off our conversation by saying: " Why do I feel like I’m the one always picking up the slack? If I don’t step in, things fall apart. But if I do, I’m working every evening, drowning in work that isn’t mine!" If you’re an ops executive, and may sound pretty familiar, and it…

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79: Hey Ops Execs, Here’s the Time Management Hack You Actually Need 6:41

6M ago6:41

6:41

Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/79. You know Florence Griffith Joyner, right? The fastest woman in history. What makes her legendary isn’t just her speed, but how she embraced her uniqueness. Early on, she struggled with her starts. Her coaches doubted her potential as a top sprinter. But Flo-Jo didn’t let that define her. She st…

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78: 3 Ways Ops Execs Nail Presentations Without Self-Doubt 6:19

6M ago6:19

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Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/78. Once upon a time, there was an operations executive who was brilliant. For years, she’d been the go-to problem solver, building a collaborative workplace that made her indispensable. One day, she was asked to present her ideas on stage. She’d never done this on such a large scale before. Self-d…

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77: What Happens When Ops Leaders Go Unnoticed? 5:58

6M ago5:58

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Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/77. You know how Chewbacca didn't get a medal at the end of the first Star Wars movie? I never understood that, considering how important he was in destroying the Death Star and saving the day. I do remember hearing that George Lucas had said medals don't matter to Wookiees. That they have differen…

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76: Are You an Ops Exec Who's Drowning in Team Drama? Here's How to Stay Afloat. 4:50

6M ago4:50

4:50

Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/76. Picture this: You're in your office, and there's a knock on the door. It's Sarah from Accounting, and she's got that look on her face. You know the one. She's about to vent. Again. Is that ringing a bell? If you're an operations exec, I bet it does. You're the go-to person for getting things do…

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75: How to Lead Operations Through Change Without Being a Pushover 5:10

6M ago5:10

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Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/75. Ever catch yourself biting your tongue in a meeting, agreeing to yet another project when you're already swamped implementing big changes? You might be suffering from chronic people-pleasing, and it's costing you more than you think. In operations, efficiency is key. This habit of saying yes ca…

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74: Why Ops Execs Should Brag More (Yes, Really) 5:10

7M ago5:10

5:10

Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/74. Did you know that, according to Harvard Business Review, the average executive spends 23 hours a week in meetings*? Yet most of them have a hard time communicating their value? Think about it: 23 hours in conversation. But how much of that time is spent telling the story of what you bring to th…

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73: The Ops Leader's Guide to Projecting Confidence Under Pressure 5:15

7M ago5:15

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Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/73. A client reached out, caught off guard by her boss’s unexpected invitation for coffee the next morning. Out of the blue. No details, no hints. This was way out of the ordinary. In years working together, he'd never suggested such an informal meet-up. And their relationship had seen its share of…

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72: How Operations Leaders Shape Organizational Climate 21:37

7M ago21:37

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Check out the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/72. Are you feeling like you're always putting out fires instead of making real progress at work? I recently got to chat with Kristy Farewell, the brains behind Kairos Insights. She has over two decades of experience with Fortune 500 companies. We dug into how operations, culture, and performa…

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71: The Human Side of Operational Leadership 5:25

7M ago5:25

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Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/71. One of the worst pieces of advice I ever got was from a boss who thought being powerful meant being detached. To her, emotions were messy, and leadership was all about cold hard logic. I tried her way during a tough re-org, but it backfired. I felt disconnected from my team, like a malfunctioni…

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70: How Ops Execs Transform from Busy to Brilliant 5:41

8M ago5:41

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For the full transcript, visit yourfuturerealized.com/70. What if you didn't have to choose between working hard and taking care of yourself? Is it possible to find that right balance? As an operations executive, you’re carrying the weight of such a demanding job, dealing with globalization, fierce competition, and limited resources among other thi…

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69: Mastering the Strategic ‘No’ in Operations 5:19

8M ago5:19

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Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/69. Working with operations leaders has shown me time and time again just how essential you all are in transforming chaos into order. Your strength, creativity, and humility are the backbone of your organization. It's not just about multitasking. It's mega-tasking: handling complex tasks across var…

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68: When Personal Branding Doesn’t Work for Ops Execs (and How to Fix It) 5:58

8M ago5:58

5:58

Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/68. How often do you find yourself dwelling on a moment where you didn't quite shine? Perhaps it was a presentation that fell flat, a missed opportunity to highlight your team's achievements, or a hesitation that let a crucial opportunity slip away. It's not uncommon to revert to old patterns that …

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67: How Shrewd Ops Execs Escape the Trap of People-Pleasing & Imposter Syndrome 5:32

8M ago5:32

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Find the full transcript and more resources for operations executives at yourfuturerealized.com/67. Being an operations executive is no easy feat. Your attention is constantly pulled in lots of directions to keep the gears of your company running smoothly. And, you’re human, dealing with a lot of change, so you’re handling all of that while battlin…

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66: Empowering Your Ops Team with Clear & Effective Feedback 6:11

9M ago6:11

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Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/66. Adam seemed like the perfect leader for a tech start-up: visionary, problem-solver, and a great team motivator. But as year-end neared, some cracks started to show. Adam had trouble giving feedback and often avoided it altogether. When he did give feedback, it was using the classic 'sandwich' a…

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65: 5 Survival Strategies for Overworked Operations Execs 5:59

9M ago5:59

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Find the full episode at yourfuturerealized.com/65. Operations executives usually love to solve problems. And why not? It’s not just about fixing issues. It’s about creating seamless systems, putting the kibosh on bottlenecks and breakdowns, and ultimately driving the organization’s success. It is so satisfying to see a well-oiled machine in action…

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64: Networking Secrets for Introverted Ops Leaders 6:01

9M ago6:01

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Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/64. Does the idea of networking make you cringe? I get it. I've often joked that I'd rather re-grout my bathroom tiles or even sit through a root canal than network. As an introvert, small talk feels tedious and social media interactions lack the depth that I crave. I just enjoy one-on-one chats mu…

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63: The Unseen Strength and Emotional Labor of Ops Leaders 27:40

9M ago27:40

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Find the full transcript and more resources for operations execs at yourfuturerealized.com/63. To everyone out there leading operations: I see you being the glue holding your organization together! In this special episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Mira Brancu, a seasoned consulting psychologist with leadership experience across vario…