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

In this episode of RISEUP@work, host Dr. Deepak Bhootra sits down with Dr. Orin Davis, self-actualization engineer, human capital consultant, researcher, and coach, for a fresh look at how talent should be identified and developed in today’s workplace. Instead of relying too heavily on resumes and traditional interviews, Dr. Davis argues for a more skills-first approach that evaluates what people can actually do, why they want the role, and how well they fit the organization.

• (00:00:01) - Introducing Dr. Oren Davis and Self-Actualization Engineering
• (00:01:36) - Rethinking Resumes and the Hiring Process
• (00:04:09) - Skill Tests, Culture Fit, and Rewriting the Hiring Sequence
• (00:07:54) - Interview-First Hiring and Rethinking Candidate Evaluation
• (00:12:20) - Break and Show Info
• (00:13:21) - Productivity vs. Doing Your Best Work
• (00:15:01) - Understanding Flow and Csikszentmihalyi
• (00:18:17) - Identifying Professional Fit and Personal Values
• (00:20:09) - Identity, Self-Awareness, and Self-Actualization
• (00:24:18) - Break and Teaser for AI Segment
• (00:24:56) - Human Skills vs. AI: Where the Line Is Drawn
• (00:29:33) - Organizational Use of AI and Employee Autonomy
• (00:32:05) - Learning, Resilience, and Getting 'Cut Down to Size'
• (00:36:59) - Break and Transition to Individual Growth
• (00:37:34) - Self-Actualization in the Workplace
• (00:40:43) - Building Your Own Growth Trajectory and Mentorship
• (00:45:56) - Preventing Quiet Quitting and Rewarding Growth
• (00:47:56) - Closing Thoughts: It's All About You

In this episode of RISEUP@work, host Dr. Deepak Bhootra sits down with Anya Fileva, founder and creator of Claw and Paw Apparel, to explore what career reinvention really looks like when professional success no longer feels aligned with who you are. Drawing from her journey from Ukraine, corporate life, fashion design, and entrepreneurship, Anya shares how she stopped climbing someone else’s ladder and began building a path rooted in creativity, identity, and personal fulfillment.

• (00:00:00) - Anya Filewa
• (00:02:25) - What is the single point that shaped your life?
• (00:03:53) - In the Elevator With Rachel
• (00:06:26) - Anya Mukhtar's
• (00:07:10) - The Colorist on Her Cat Designs
• (00:09:59) - "Starting Over" With Anna
• (00:11:45) - Rise Up at Work
• (00:12:31) - Cull and Paw: Reclaiming Your Identity
• (00:15:21) - T-Shirt
• (00:17:05) - How to Get Your Customer's Joy
• (00:19:10) - Deepak On AI's Impact On His
• (00:21:52) - Rising Up at Work
• (00:23:42) - Deepak Bhutra on Anya Filewa's Inner Engineering
• (00:24:39) - How to Overcome Self-Doubt
• (00:28:13) - In the Elevator With Resilience
• (00:29:26) - In the Elevator With Rich People
• (00:31:38) - Have You Got Enough Confidence For Your Business?
• (00:33:04) - Anjoe on Authentic Success
• (00:35:21) - Rising Up at Work
• (00:36:03) - Anya's Entrepreneurial Journey
• (00:36:37) - What's The Big Surprise of Starting a Business?
• (00:39:02) - What Advice Would 21 Year Old Anya Have For Her Life?
• (00:41:04) - What would you tell a 21 year old now about their life?
• (00:42:23) - Have You Got What it Takes to Start a Business?
• (00:44:25) - Cats and Dogs: A Fashion Line
• (00:45:56) - Where Can People Find You?
• (00:47:36) - Anya's talk on resilience

In this episode of RISEUP@work, host Dr. Deepak Bhoothra sits down with Sabrina Kinckle, growth systems consultant, to uncover why talented professionals and B2B firms often struggle with unpredictable client acquisition and what it takes to build a consistent growth engine.

In this episode of RISEUP@work, host Dr. Deepak Bhootra welcomes Michelle Coates, occupational therapist and founder of Blue Balance, to discuss why workplace mental health, employee wellbeing, and disability management are essential leadership responsibilities not just HR initiatives. Together, they explore how healthier workplaces lead to stronger teams, higher productivity, and better business outcomes.

In this episode of RISEUP@work, host Dr. Deepak Bhootra welcomes Khayang Gagiano, author, educator, and talent transformation expert, for an eye-opening conversation about where successful careers really begin. Challenging the belief that professional development starts in adulthood, Khayang explains how the foundations of leadership, resilience, creativity, communication, and emotional intelligence are built during the earliest years of life.