You walk into the conversation feeling clear, calm, and even confident. Then, somehow, you walk out, replaying every sentence, wondering if you said it wrong, if you overreacted, if you are the problem. If that sounds familiar, there's a good chance you just tried communicating with a narcissist, or you're dealing with narcissistic tendencies up close at work or at home.

Maybe it's a narcissistic boss who turns every meeting into a scoreboard. Maybe it's a narcissistic coworker who can't share credit. Maybe it's a client, a partner, a friend, the person you cannot fully avoid. You try to resolve the issue like an adult, and suddenly you're in a loop of gaslighting, deflection, and a conversation that keeps snapping back to them. That's exhausting. It drains your energy, scrambles your confidence, and makes even simple conflict feel like walking through wet cement.

In this episode of The Ripple Effect Podcast, I'm talking to you about how to deal with a narcissist without losing your peace, your professionalism, or your self-respect. Not in a "win the argument" way, because you already know that usually goes nowhere. In a practical, real-life way that helps you stay steady, set boundaries with a narcissist, and keep the conversation pointed toward an outcome instead of getting dragged into their chaos. If you've ever thought, "Why does every difficult conversation become a trial?" you're in the right place.

If you're watching this because you feel worn out, tense before meetings, or you're starting to doubt yourself after every interaction, I want you to hear me clearly. You're not crazy. You're not weak. You're not "too sensitive." You're navigating a tough personality dynamic, and there are communication skills that can help you hold your ground without becoming someone you don't recognize.

Stick with me to the end, because the most important shift isn't what you say to them. It's what you stop giving away to them.

If this hits home, leave a comment and tell me what you're dealing with right now. Narcissist at work, toxic coworker, narcissistic boss, or something closer to home.

And if you know someone who needs this, share it with them. We Ripple better when we don't do this alone.

Ripple with Steve Harper
Instagram: http://instagram.com/rippleon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rippleon
X: https://twitter.com/rippleon
Website: http://www.ripplecentral.com

Stay in the loop by being a part of the Ripple mail list: https://ripplecentral.com/subscribe

Be a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/SteveHarper

Join our ever-growing community of Ripplers in The Pond:
https://ripplecentral.com/pond

To inquire about my availability for conference keynotes, corporate training, or performance coaching, please contact info@ripplecentral.com.

Welcome back to The Ripple Effect Podcast.

Today, you're getting a conversation that hits where it counts. Barbara Burgess joins us for a powerful interview that goes way beyond career talk and straight into what it really takes to move from corporate America to entrepreneurship.

Barbara Burgess is an author, mother, executive, and unapologetic dark-chocolate lover who's embraced the beautiful messiness of life. She founded Corluma (cor = heart, luma = light), a Chicago-based consulting firm; wrote and performed a one-woman show, "The Extraordinary Experience of Being Ordinary"; and most recently wrote her first book, Enough: Finding Peace in a World of Distractions, Hustle, and Expectations. Known for her humor, vulnerability, and practical wisdom, Barbara shares simple shifts to help people remember they are enough and have enough. Her ego is kept in healthy check by two teenage children and career adventures that include selling candy bars for Nestle Foods, launching Grainger into internet commerce, a brief marketing stint at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and, most recently, overseeing operations, marketing, and finances as the COO of a non-profit.

Listen until the end because we get real about a lot of interesting topics. We talk about the difference between confidence and self-efficacy, why being an introvert can actually be an advantage in entrepreneurship, and how that "not enough" voice loves to show up when the world is screaming hustle, distraction, and expectations. We also go into executive coaching for tough leaders, what it looks like to face what isn't working without flinching, and the shift that happens when you start living by your own compass instead of somebody else's scoreboard.

If any of that feels familiar, you're in the right place.

Ripple with Barbara Burgess
Website: www.corluma.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/barbaraburgess1
Book: www.beenough.com

Ripple with Steve Harper
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Join our ever-growing community of Ripplers in The Pond:
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When was the last time you truly forgave yourself?

This episode of The Ripple Effect Podcast goes deep into the places we don't talk about often. And I want to thank our special guest, Shawn Mahshie, for showing up with such honesty and courage so we can all learn what real self-forgiveness looks like.

Shawn Mahshie is a coach, author, and thought leader who helps people stop beating themselves up and finally feel safe inside themselves again. After decades of deep inner work and spiritual practice, Shawn discovered that the common thread running through nearly all our struggles is self-abandonment. Out of her own personal crash and rebuild came The Wheel of Self-Forgiveness™: three simple steps that end the inner war and restore unshakable inner safety.

This episode is especially powerful if you've ever struggled with guilt, overthinking, or that constant sense that you're "doing it wrong." Shawn brings deep compassion, clarity, and a grounded framework that helps you move forward without blaming or shaming yourself.

Shawn is also on the cusp of publishing her new book, The Wheel of Self-Forgiveness: 3 Simple Steps to Unconditional Self-Love, Self-Confidence, & Self-Advocacy. As a gift to our listeners, she's also offering a free Wheel of Self-Forgiveness Cheat Sheet, which gives you a practical way to start applying this work immediately.

I truly believe this conversation can create a powerful Ripple in your life if you're willing to lean into it.

Ripple with Shawn Mahshie
Website: https://shawnmahshie.com/
Email: support@shawnmahshie.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnmahshie/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThriveThisTime
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnmahshie/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@shawnmahshie2/featured?sub_confirmation=1
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shawnmahshie

Ripple with Steve Harper
Instagram: http://instagram.com/rippleon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rippleon
X: https://twitter.com/rippleon
Website: http://www.ripplecentral.com

What if the difference between becoming average and becoming exceptional comes down to who you choose to learn from and the courage to ask for mentorship?

In today's episode of The Ripple Effect Podcast, I'm truly honored and excited to interview John A. Dailey, a Marine badass and one of the most compelling voices I've ever had the privilege of interviewing.

John joined the Marines at just seventeen and went on to serve more than twenty years, spending most of that time in special operations with tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.

John shares powerful leadership lessons forged through real-world experience, including how to earn respect, how to balance mission accomplishment with taking care of your people, and why mentorship is one of the most underrated keys to growth in both military and civilian life. We also talk about mental toughness, grit, and what it really means to lead when the stakes are high.

John earned his MFA in creative writing from UNCW in 2018 and shares his insights through his weekly newsletter, Walking Point, along with his thoughts on building toughness through fitness at RTFU.substack.com.

Ripple with John Dailey
Websites:
https://JADailey.com
https://Walkingpoint.org
Subscribe to the Walking Point newsletter: https://jdailey.substack.com

Ripple with Steve Harper
Instagram: http://instagram.com/rippleon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rippleon
X: https://twitter.com/rippleon
Website: http://www.ripplecentral.com

Have you ever worked for a company that tells you to bring your full self to work, celebrates authenticity and psychological safety, and then turns around and crushes you with metrics, perfectionism, and burnout?

If you find yourself nodding, this episode is for you.

Shaun Tinney, a speaker, performance coach, and the author of Practice Everything, joins me for a deep, honest conversation about leadership, workplace culture, and what it really means to live and work with intention.

Shaun has spent years guiding individuals and teams through pivotal change across both corporate and creative environments, drawing on psychology, the Enneagram, and a whole lot of lived experience to help people navigate resistance with confidence and clarity.

In this interview, Shaun shares his journey from entrepreneurship and high-impact consulting to stepping away from agency life, traveling more than 70,000 miles across the country, and eventually helping shape culture, learning, and development at goodr Sunglasses during a period of rapid growth.

Shaun and I talk about the "small" stuff that ends up shaping everything: the mixed messages leaders send (often without realizing it), and the gap between what companies say they value and what actually gets rewarded day to day.

This conversation is for leaders, founders, creatives, and anyone who wants to do work that matters without burning out within systems that still run on fear rather than trust.

Take your time with this one, grab a notebook, and let it challenge the way you think about performance and The Ripple Effect your daily choices create.

Ripple with Shaun Tinney
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shauntinney/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shauntinney/
Practice Everything: https://practiceeverything.com/
Personal Site: https://shauntinney.com/

Ripple with Steve Harper
Instagram: http://instagram.com/rippleon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rippleon
X: https://twitter.com/rippleon
Website: http://www.ripplecentral.com

Welcome back to The Ripple Effect Podcast. Today's conversation is one of those interviews that sticks with you long after it ends.

Meet Jen Newbill.

Jen brings over 25 years of HR experience across talent acquisition, leadership development, learning and development, and HR operations. She has coached leaders and executives in both startup and large enterprise environments and completed the Awaken Coach Institute, an ICF-accredited coaching program. Throughout her career, Jen has led large, complex programs and teams of more than 50 employees, with a deep passion for feedback, coaching, and leadership growth.

Most recently, Jen served as Global Director of Emerging Talent Recruiting at Dell Technologies, where she led employer branding efforts for students and early-career talent. Over her 21-year tenure at Dell, she held multiple leadership roles across recruiting, leadership development, HR operations, and employment branding, including launching and growing Dell's global talent-attraction and employment brand team. Her work emphasized engagement, collaboration, trust, and data-driven decision-making.

A strong advocate for workplace transparency, Jen was named a Glassdoor Top Talent Warrior and has served on advisory boards for CareerXRoads, Glassdoor, and Universum. She has been featured in major publications and is a frequent podcast guest and conference speaker. Jen is also a certified CliftonStrengths coach, a 200-hour certified yoga teacher, and a certified meditation teacher, bringing a whole-person, strengths-based approach to her leadership and team coaching.

If you are a leader, executive, or people manager who feels like performance reviews miss the mark, employee engagement is slipping, or burnout is quietly taking over your team, listen until the end.

Jen brings a strengths-based leadership lens to everything she does as a CliftonStrengths certified coach, and she breaks down how you can use tools like Gallup StrengthsFinder to build high-performing teams, improve leadership communication, and create a strengths-based culture that lasts.

We talk about why so many employees feel uninvested at work, how leaders can become better listeners, and why relationship-building at work is more important than ever in today's corporate environment.

This conversation is honest, practical, and grounded in real corporate experience. If you are looking for a better way to lead, inspire, and perform without burning yourself or your people out, you are in the right place.

Connect with Jen Newbill
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferjonesnewbill/
Website: https://newday-coaching.com/

Ripple with Steve Harper
Instagram: http://instagram.com/rippleon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rippleon
X: https://twitter.com/rippleon
Website: http://www.ripplecentral.com

I honestly can't believe we are kicking off Season 11 of The Ripple Effect Podcast.

This episode is really just me sitting down with you and talking about where this show has been, where it's going, and why I'm more excited about this season than any season we've done before. What started as an idea has turned into something way bigger than I ever imagined, and that's because of you showing up, listening, sharing, and engaging.

This show has never been about perfection or overly produced visuals. It's about real conversations, real people, and real lessons that actually matter in your life and your work. Season 11 is all about going deeper. Deeper into trust. Deeper into relationships. Deeper into leadership, career growth, confidence, imposter syndrome, and how we actually build meaningful connections in a world that keeps trying to push us behind screens.

We're going to have CEOs, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and everyday Ripplers on the show this season. You'll hear the wins, the struggles, the mistakes, and the lessons learned the hard way. We're also going to talk about AI, the future of work, career changes, side hustles, and what it really takes to build trust and connection when everything feels fast, automated, and transactional.

One thing I'm asking of you this year is to not just listen passively. I want this to be a two-way conversation. Go back and listen to the episodes again. Pull out the nuggets. Take some notes. Think about how these ideas apply to your life. Then come back and tell me what hit home, what questions you still have, or what you wish I had asked.

This podcast works best when the Ripples don't just go out, but also come back.

If you're looking for a podcast that feels more like sitting across the table having a real conversation than listening to a scripted interview, you're in the right place. Season 11 is stacked with incredible guests and powerful conversations, and I can't wait to bring them to you.

Thanks for being here. Thanks for supporting the show. Let's get rolling and make 2026 the year we create some serious Ripples.

Ripple with Steve Harper
Instagram: http://instagram.com/rippleon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rippleon
X: https://twitter.com/rippleon
Website: http://www.ripplecentral.com

Stay in the loop by being a part of the Ripple mail list: https://ripplecentral.com/subscribe

Be a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/SteveHarper

Join our ever-growing community of Ripplers in The Pond:
https://ripplecentral.com/pond

To inquire about my availability for conference keynotes, corporate training, or performance coaching, please contact info@ripplecentral.com.

Welcome to the 2025 podcast recap. What a ride!

This episode lets me do two things I love: celebrate the baddest ass people on the planet who showed up on this show, and gently remind you that if you missed even one episode, you have an absolute treasure chest waiting for you.

We are talking season 10 podcast recap-style, which still blows my mind. Ten seasons. You are going to hear quick nuggets from leaders, entrepreneurs, authors, coaches, creators, and straight-up legends. These are mini master classes. Listen once for the fun, then come back for the education and the "wait, how did I miss that the first time" moments.

Expect authentic leadership and modern leadership strategies that hit you right in the heart and right in the calendar. Expect career development wisdom, interview confidence tips, HR career advice, and job search strategy 2025 conversations that will make you want to take control of your career. Expect entrepreneurship mindset and personal branding tips, content strategy for entrepreneurs, and marketing strategy for small business ideas that will make you want to build a brand and actually commit to the content, even when your couch is begging you not to.

And because we are living in the future, yes, we get into AI tools for professionals, prompting tips for beginners, how to write better prompts for ChatGPT, custom GPT talk, and AI productivity for business, including AI interview practice and AI for career coaching. If you have been curious about using ChatGPT for work, or you want to stop getting "meh" results and start getting "whoa" results, you will love these segments.

We also hit the real stuff. Sales mindset, boundaries, how to handle rejection, and more lessons from experts from their respective fields.

So if you want the best podcast episodes of 2025 in one place, this is it. If you want a season recap podcast that feels like a hype video for your next level, buckle up.

Please share this with a friend who needs a little optimism, and tell me in the comments which guest you are going back to binge first.

Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, and get ready to kick 2026 in the hindquarters.

Ripple with Steve Harper
Instagram: http://instagram.com/rippleon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rippleon
X: https://twitter.com/rippleon
Website: http://www.ripplecentral.com

Stay in the loop by being a part of the Ripple mail list: https://ripplecentral.com/subscribe

Be a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/SteveHarper

Join our ever-growing community of Ripplers in The Pond:
https://ripplecentral.com/pond

To inquire about my availability for conference keynotes, corporate training, or performance coaching, please contact info@ripplecentral.com.