Send us a text

📝 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!

Send us a text

📝 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!