On RISEUP@work, host Deepak Bhootra welcomes Mark Creusen, founder of Strength Hack AI and author of The Strength Hack, to explore how strengths-based career development can transform workplace performance, professional relationships, and long-term growth.

From identifying the work that genuinely energizes you to building trust with new colleagues, the discussion examines practical ways to navigate team dynamics, handle constructive criticism, and communicate effectively with managers

What separates sustained high performance from simply working harder? In this episode of RISEUP@work, host Deepak Bhootra welcomes Birger Vilén, a talent development coach and mentor specializing in high-performance leadership across sports and business, to translate lessons from elite competition into practical strategies for the workplace.

• (00:00:00) - Introduction and Guest Welcome
• (00:01:07) - From Racing to Mental Fitness Coaching
• (00:04:29) - Determination: Wants vs Needs
• (00:08:30) - Navigating Situations Outside Your Control
• (00:10:46) - Break and Show Info
• (00:11:56) - Losing in Public and Redefining Loss
• (00:15:04) - Debunking Positive Thinking: Verified Confidence
• (00:18:28) - Building Self-Awareness Through Observation
• (00:22:05) - Break and Segment Setup
• (00:22:46) - Break and Show Info
• (00:23:11) - Turning Your Work Year Into Seasons
• (00:25:41) - Breaking Down Skills to Improve Performance
• (00:30:22) - Finding Time to Train Amid Busy Work
• (00:33:42) - Pressure, Permanence, and Stress
• (00:35:47) - Break and Show Info
• (00:36:21) - App and Podcast Promotion
• (00:36:46) - Redefining True Mentorship
• (00:40:45) - Losses as Data Points and Verified Confidence Revisited
• (00:41:56) - Professional Niceties vs Genuine Connection
• (00:45:14) - Seeing People and Building Trust
• (00:45:54) - Mental Fitness as a Life Skill and Closing Thoughts

In this episode of RISEUP@work, host Dr. Deepak Bhootra welcomes Dr. Cheryl Richards, President and CEO of Catapult, to examine what career readiness really means as AI, changing jobs, and new workplace expectations reshape how organizations and professionals grow. Rather than treating the future of work as a technology problem, Cheryl reframes it as a challenge of change management, adaptability, resilience, learning agility, and human judgment.

• (00:00:00) - Welcome and Introducing Dr. Cheryl Richards
• (00:01:26) - Defining the Future of Work as Change Management
• (00:02:54) - Key Capabilities: Adaptability, Resilience, Judgment
• (00:04:27) - Human Capital vs. Balance Sheet Disconnect
• (00:05:03) - The Training Budget Cartoon and Cutting to Growth
• (00:07:52) - The 70-20-10 Rule for Development
• (00:09:22) - Turning Crisis Into a Training Opportunity
• (00:10:07) - Advice for Staying Valuable: Intentionality
• (00:11:24) - Segment Break and Recap
• (00:12:02) - Reflection: Change Management and Identity
• (00:13:31) - Why Judgment Matters More in an AI World
• (00:14:43) - Knowledge vs. Judgment in Sales and Careers
• (00:16:19) - Intentionality in Remote and Hybrid Careers
• (00:17:28) - Development vs. Promotion: Defining Success
• (00:18:15) - Revisiting the Investment-in-People Meme
• (00:19:46) - Learning Happens on the Job, Not in Class
• (00:21:38) - Three Questions to Prepare for the Future
• (00:23:19) - Segment Break and App Promotion
• (00:24:21) - Deciding Which Capabilities to Build or Hire For
• (00:27:01) - Common Succession Planning Mistakes
• (00:28:46) - Closing the Skill Gap for Succession Candidates
• (00:31:13) - AI as a Development Tool: Promise and Caution
• (00:34:51) - Where to Find Cheryl and Catapult
• (00:35:29) - Closing Thoughts and Sign-off
• (00:35:58) - Personal Succession Planning: Who Am I Becoming?
• (00:38:31) - Getting Specific: From Vague Goals to Real Gaps
• (00:39:56) - Seeking Honest Feedback From Others
• (00:41:44) - Closing the Gap Through Experience, Not Just Courses
• (00:42:22) - AI as Augmented Intelligence, Not a Crutch
• (00:45:31) - Owning Your Own Career Development
• (00:47:15) - Final Exercise: Building Evidence for the Future