Growing Alongside the Work

What if finding greater purpose didn't require changing your life?We often think of purpose as something grand: a calling, a career, or a cause that gives our lives meaning. But the strength of Mission reminds us that purpose can also be found in everyday choices and experiences.In this Introspective Moment, Colleen reflects on her own career transition and explores the difference between big-P Purpose and little-p purpose. She also considers how Mission can energize us when we feel connected to something meaningful, and how pursuing purpose can sometimes lead us to take on too much.Explore how to bring greater intention and meaning into your everyday life, without feeling that you need to do something extraordinary.Episode Show NotesIntrospective strength affirmation cards: https://www.introspectivecards.com/Skills Discovery assessment: https://www.skillsdiscovery.comHave a question or want to suggest a guest for the Strengths Catalyst Podcast? Email Colleen ([email protected]) 

What helps you regain your footing when life doesn't go as planned?Resilience is more than pushing through difficult experiences. It's also about recognizing the strengths and resources that help us recover, regain our energy, and move forward.In this Introspective Moment, Colleen explores how our natural strengths can become part of a personal resilience toolkit. She considers the difference between drawing on our strengths during challenging times and expecting ourselves to be strong all the time.Learn how to approach resilience more intentionally, recognize what restores you, and build on the strengths that help you navigate life's challenges.Episode Show NotesIntrospective strength affirmation cards: https://www.introspectivecards.com/Skills Discovery assessment: https://www.skillsdiscovery.comHave a question or want to suggest a guest for the Strengths Catalyst Podcast? Email Colleen ([email protected]) 

What if you could help someone recognize a strength they don't yet see in themselves?Building someone's confidence goes beyond offering praise. It's about recognizing their potential and helping them discover what they're already capable of.In this Introspective Moment, Colleen shares the story of a manager who helped a struggling employee recognize strengths he was already using successfully. She also explores how encouragement and honest feedback can work together to help people grow.Discover how the strength of Esteem Builder can help others see themselves more clearly, and why specific recognition can make a lasting difference.Episode Show NotesIntrospective strength affirmation cards: https://www.introspectivecards.com/Skills Discovery assessment: https://www.skillsdiscovery.comHave a question or want to suggest a guest for the Strengths Catalyst Podcast? Email Colleen ([email protected]) 

How do you know when you have enough information to make a good decision?Good judgment isn't about always knowing the right answer. It's about making thoughtful decisions with confidence, even when the outcome is uncertain.In this Introspective Moment, Colleen shares a personal story about a parenting decision and explores how the strength of Judgment helps us weigh information, trust our thinking, and remain open to changing our minds when circumstances change.Discover why good judgment requires confidence without certainty, and consider where you might be ready to take the next thoughtful step.Episode Show NotesIntrospective strength affirmation cards: https://www.introspectivecards.com/Skills Discovery assessment: https://www.skillsdiscovery.comHave a question or want to suggest a guest for the Strengths Catalyst Podcast? Email Colleen ([email protected]) 

What makes it easier to connect with someone new?In this Introspective Moment, Colleen explores Rapport Builder and the role curiosity can play in creating connection. Through a personal story about her daughter Mary Clare, she looks at how relationships often begin with something quite simple: showing interest, asking questions, and discovering common ground.You’ll also hear how Rapport Builder can be underplayed or overplayed, why we may underestimate how much other people enjoy talking with us, and how listening can turn an initial conversation into something more meaningful.The big idea: Connection begins with curiosity.And a thought to carry with you: Curiosity opens the door. Listening invites people inside.Episode Show NotesIntrospective strength affirmation cards: https://www.introspectivecards.com/Have a question or want to suggest a guest for the Strengths Catalyst Podcast? Email Colleen ([email protected]) 

Humility is often misunderstood. It isn't about thinking less of yourself—it is about staying open to learning, recognizing others' contributions, and creating space for the people around you to grow.In this first Introspective Moments episode, Colleen shares a coaching story about a leader whose humility changed the trajectory of a younger colleague's career. She also explores how even a valuable strength can be overplayed, leaving us reluctant to advocate for ourselves or those we lead.If you've ever wondered how to lead with confidence while remaining open, teachable, and generous, this brief reflection offers practical ideas to help you use Humility more intentionally in your everyday life and work.

Pam Whitworth, founder of Shanti Children’s Foundation, joins Colleen for a conversation about what happens when the work you care deeply about asks you to grow along with it. Over nearly 30 years, Pam has had to build confidence, advocate for herself, set boundaries, and learn when helping someone means stepping in — and when it means trusting them to find their own way.Along the way, Pam and Colleen explore how our strengths can help us navigate challenges we may not feel ready for, and how meaningful work can reveal capabilities we didn’t fully recognize in ourselves. Whether you’re leading an organization, navigating a change, or simply wondering how your own experiences have shaped you, Pam’s story offers an invitation to look back and ask: How has the work I’ve done helped me become who I am?Episode Show NotesShanti Children’s Foundation website: https://shantichildrensfoundation.org/Skills Discovery assessment: https://www.skillsdiscovery.comIntrospective strength affirmation cards: https://www.introspectivecards.com/Have a question or want to suggest a guest for the Strengths Catalyst Podcast? Email Colleen ([email protected]) 

Kate Ward, Director of Development at the Ellie Fund, joins Colleen for a conversation about what happens when an organization grows — and your leadership needs to grow with it. As Kate thinks more intentionally about the leader she wants to be, they explore how her relationship strengths shape her approach to fundraising, how she can develop a young team without always stepping in herself, and how drawing on less-used strengths can help her navigate growth and change.Along the way, they consider when even a powerful strength like Optimism needs to be balanced with something else — and a randomly selected Introspective Card offers a fitting final reflection. At the heart of the conversation is a question worth asking: not simply, "How do I lead?" but "How do I want to lead?"

Amanda de Oliveira, whose role spans finance, human resources, and organizational development at WE CAN, joins Colleen for a special conversation about building a strengths-based culture. Amanda shares how one nonprofit has woven strengths into everyday leadership through intentional conversations, practical habits, and a genuine commitment to helping people grow. This episode offers nonprofit leaders simple ideas for creating workplaces where people feel understood, contribute their best, and help one another thrive.Episode Show NotesWE CAN website: https://www.wecancenter.org/Skills Discovery assessment: https://www.skillsdiscovery.comIntrospective strength affirmation cards: https://www.introspectivecards.com/Have a question or want to suggest a guest for the Strengths Catalyst Podcast? Email Colleen ([email protected]) 

Aled Hollingworth, Vice President of Development at buildOn, joins Colleen for an honest conversation about two of the most universal challenges in nonprofit leadership — sustaining momentum through a major organizational transition, and stepping into authority with people who have known you as a peer. Aled reflects on how his strengths shape the way he connects, motivates, and makes decisions that serve not just himself, but the people around him and the mission they share. This episode explores identity, transition, and the quiet wisdom required to lead people well — especially when the path forward isn't yet clear.Episode Show NotesbuildOn website: https://www.buildon.org/Strengths Profile assessment: https://www.strengthsprofile.comIntrospective strength affirmation cards: https://www.introspectivecards.com/Have a question or want to suggest a guest for the Strengths Catalyst Podcast? Email Colleen ([email protected])