Today’s episode tackles one of the most common workplace challenges: How do you lead effectively when people don’t report to you? My expert guest, a former coaching student of mine, reveals the hard-won lessons that transformed her approach to organizational change and unpacks practical strategies for motivating teams, navigating resistance, and creating real impact through influence rather than authority. Whether you’re a project manager, change leader, coach, or anyone tasked with getting things done across organizational silos, this conversation offers actionable frameworks for building collaboration instead of confrontation. In addition, my guest pulls back the curtain on the writing process and shares helpful tips for aspiring writers. Join us to learn more!

Michelle Pauk is the author of Build a Golden Bridge: How to Lead Change When You're Not in Charge, and the founder of Streamside Coaching, a boutique coaching and consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations lead change and build collaborative cultures. Her clients include executives and change agents at Fortune 100s, non-profits, and fast-growing startups. A Professional Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation, Michelle holds a master’s degree in leadership and organizational development.

Show Highlights:

1. Filtering through the chatter when deciding to write a book: how Michelle brought her ideas and vision to life in Build a Golden Bridge
2. Michelle’s writing process: how she began to create content and structure for the first draft
3. Decisions around publishing (“Finishing the writing process means you’re about ⅓ of the way through.”)
4. Michelle’s vision and goals in writing her book
5. Three gaps in the way we navigate change:
6. Self-awareness
7. Empathy
8. Communication
9. Letting go of assumptions to bridge the communication gap
10. Looking for commonality over confrontation and ways to preserve dignity (Michelle explains the metaphor of “the golden bridge.”)
11. Michelle’s takeaway thoughts

Resources:

Connect with Michelle Pauk: Website, LinkedIn, and

The message in today’s episode is clear: leaders need new skills for navigating complexity, change, and the human aspects of work in modern times. The COVID-19 pandemic changed everything, and leaders must change with the times. Instead of “having all the answers,” leaders should leverage coaching competencies to transform their leadership effectiveness and become collaborative problem-solvers with their teams. In today’s compelling conversation, you’ll discover how curiosity beats assumption, how presence creates connection, and why collaboration might be THE most under-utilized leadership tool out there. Join us for practical insights you can use immediately!

Dr. Damian Goldvarg, MCC, has 35 years of experience providing executive coaching, leadership training, and facilitation in more than 50 countries. As an esteemed coaching expert and the recipient of numerous accolades, he has been an ICF Assessor for 10 years and was the 2013-2014 International Coach Federation Global President. He has published multiple books on coaching-related topics, including his 2025 release, Lead with a Coaching Mindset: How the Best Leaders Unlock Potential.

Show Highlights:

1. After so many books, why this one NOW?
2. The book’s alignment with the ICF’s coaching competencies
3. A coaching mindset defined
4. The sad facts about engagement at work: How can we change this?
5. The benefits of leading with a coaching mindset–for leaders, teams, and the workplace culture
6. The 8 ICF Core Competencies translated into practical leadership skills:
7. Demonstrating Ethical Practice: Building trust through integrity and confidentiality
8. Embodying a Coaching Mindset: Maintaining curiosity and development focus
9. Establishing and Maintaining Agreements: Clarifying expectations and contracting
10. Cultivating Trust and Safety: Creating psychological safety in relationships
11. Maintaining Presence: Being fully present rather than distracted by past or future
12. Listening Actively: Paying attention to what’s said and unsaid, embracing silence
13. Evoking Awareness: Asking questions to uncover what’s in people’s way
14. Facilitating Growth: Supporting actionable plans with deadlines and accountability
15. Advice for struggling leaders who aren’t sure where (or how) to begin
16. Collaboration is the key! It’s more important than “having all the answers.”
17. Recognize when coaching or mentoring is...

Welcome to 2026! I hope you’ve had time to reflect and recharge over the holidays, but I’m happy to be back with you for a new year of informative shows and amazing expert guests.

Can you improve your performance and resilience through neuroscience-based strategies? The answer is YES! Today’s conversation covers mental toughness, managing negative thoughts, and creating positive change from the inside out. You’ll discover practical tools for navigating the constant “noise” of your thoughts and letting your mind direct which thoughts deserve your energy and attention. Are you ready to think differently about the way you think? Join us!

Kevin Stacey is an effectiveness expert and former brain imaging specialist who helps individuals and organizations enhance performance, resilience, and results by utilizing neuroscience-based strategies. As the founder of TrainRight, Kevin has trained over 80,000 people across 48 states and four countries to break mental barriers, achieve peak performance, and navigate challenges with confidence. His diverse background blends military service, healthcare expertise, and corporate leadership. As the author of MindRight and TimeRight and a featured guest on major media outlets, Kevin delivers engaging keynotes, workshops, and coaching on mental toughness, time mastery, and high-performance strategies to clients such as Ford, IBM, The New York Times, and the Federal Reserve.

Show Highlights:

1. Overthinking is the #1 cause of unhappiness! (“Is my overthinking becoming counterproductive to the goals I want to accomplish?”)
2. Kevin’s tips for “navigating the noise”: sometimes we need to ignore it, listen to it, or quiet it.
3. Creating your own noise by controlling what you think about
4. Kevin’s tips for developing mental toughness:
5. Separate the brain (the creator of thoughts) and the mind (the director of your thoughts).
6. Use your mind to keep your brain in check.
7. Develop a different relationship with your “scary” thoughts.
8. How our brains harm our happiness
9. Change the subject to change your thinking. (“Thoughts are not facts.”)
10. Applying neuroscience to organizations by reducing insecurity and managing focus
11. Noticing and changing your thoughts interrupts the pattern of your thinking.
12. “What you think, you become; what you feel, you attract; what you imagine, you create.”
13. The “noise” will always

Here we are at the last episode of the STaR Coach Show for 2025, as I’ll be taking some time off, as I usually do, to fully enjoy the holiday season. We have logged 50 episodes this year, exploring what it takes to build coaching skills, grow sustainable businesses, and develop authentic leadership. Coaching is all about the messy, uncertain, courageous work of transformation and building something meaningful. As I look toward 2026, I’m asking myself the same questions I’m asking you today: “What matters most? Where do I need to focus? How do I make sure I’m spending my energy on what actually moves the needle?” Here’s what I know: the problem isn’t that we don’t work hard enough; the problem is that we say YES to too many things, which scatters our energy and hinders our progress. We mistake busyness for progress. In today’s episode, I’m sharing my three words for 2026, along with guidelines for choosing your three words to serve as guideposts, decision filters, and energy anchors. You’ll learn about the year I’m choosing to create with my three words and why your three words might be exactly what you need, also. Join me now!

Show Highlights:

• Reflections on where we’ve been in 2025 (with 50 weekly episodes about building coaching skills, developing leadership capacity, and growing a sustainable business)
• From 2016 until now: 9 years of the STaR Coach Show!
• My three words for 2026:
• Refresh: I need to review my existing programs through fresh eyes and breathe new life into them.
• Uplevel: It’s time to bring on more team members so I can focus on doing my genius work with excellence.
• Bold: I need to be unapologetic about my offerings and do a better job of inviting people in.
• 2026 will be a milestone year for me in three ways: The 500th episode of the podcast, my 40th wedding anniversary, and a special year of integration
• Steps to choosing your three words
• Using your three words as guideposts and filters for each decision and action—a conscious framework for decisions
• Looking back on 2025 and forward to 2026
• Here’s a toast to you for a year of intentional growth, courageous decisions, action, and meaningful impact. I’ll see you in 2026!

Resources:

Get your free resource today to help you choose your Three Words for 2026: STaR Coach Show/473

Connect with Meg:

Get Meg’s FREE download, Finding Your Perfect Match: A Coach's Self-Reflection Guide.

Explore past episodes and other resources at www.STaRcoachshow.com.

Explore the STaR Coach Community and see what’s available there for you!

Visit the STaR Coach Show YouTube Channel! Subscribe today! Join our live show taping on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 1 pm CT.

We are living in what some are calling “a loneliness epidemic.” The holidays, a time for celebrating our connections to each other, only amplify feelings of loneliness for many people. As we are more connected, digitally speaking, than ever before, we have never been more disconnected from one another as human beings. We are tackling this issue head-on today! I’m thrilled to bring you a timely interview with a husband-and-wife team that knows what it means to stick together in partnership. They give us insights into their unique partnership approach, the concept of “sticking together” in an organizational context, and practical strategies for building cohesive teams. Lee and Julie view their current work as the most important of their careers, as it addresses loneliness and the impaired social skills that have emerged since the COVID-19 pandemic in our country. This topic is essential to all of us who have lost our muscle of human connection, and we can rebuild it–one intentional step at a time. Are you ready to improve your connection skills? Join us now!

Dr. Lee Colan and Julie Davis-Colan co-founded The L Group in 1999, driven by a personal calling to equip and encourage leaders to achieve healthy growth. They are CEO advisors, executive coaches, and bestselling authors of 16 leadership books translated into 10 languages. Lee is a former chief human resource officer, organizational psychologist, and leadership consultant who has worked with some of America’s top companies. Julie is a corporate health strategist and leadership consultant who has spearheaded the implementation of corporate wellness initiatives for many of America’s leading organizations. In this episode, Lee and Julie discuss their collaborative work in leadership development, organized culture, and their newly released book: Healthy Leadership. Their next book will be published in September of 2026.

Show Highlights:

• Lee and Julie’s writing process: Pinpointing what the world needs to hear (in their next book) through their consulting work
• Social skills are skills that need to be practiced.
• Multiple factors have contributed to loneliness since the COVID pandemic.
• Fact: We were born to connect. All of our efforts to live a healthy lifestyle (nutrition, exercise, good sleep, etc.) are canceled out by our lack of social connections.
• The quality of our relationships is integral to living a long, healthy life.
• Action steps of Colan’s model to improve your connection skills:
• Reach out. “If you’re in line, get offline!” Everyone wants to be seen, heard, and acknowledged.
• Seek understanding. Find out the story behind the person and find common points of connection.
• Make memories. Initiate shared experiences, whether with new friends, old friends, or teams at work.
• Check in. A text, voicemail, email, or phone call can help cement your connection to another person. Lean into both difficult and celebratory situations by showing up.
• Rituals are an important part of connecting us and creating memories, whether with family, friends, or work teams.
• Creating connections produces positive physiological and psychological outcomes.
• Even remote workers can create intentional points of connection within their teams.
• One key takeaway from Dr. Lee: “Take one little baby step. Reach out to somebody today.”
• One key takeaway from Julie: “Make a commitment to reaching out to someone each day. Your life will be much more enjoyable, and you will be happier. It’s a beautiful thing.”

Resources:

Connect with Julie...

As an executive coach, I often focus on organizational leadership, but sometimes overlook the value of family-owned businesses. These businesses represent a significant portion of the global economy and are the backbone of many communities worldwide. Coaching in that space is very different from coaching in corporations. Navigating family dynamics, generational transitions, and business decisions makes the stakes incredibly high and deeply personal. Join us to hear a fresh perspective from today’s guest, who is living out his dreams in the family-owned business space with a burning desire to help others rise and face their challenges.

Zach Del Monaco is a dynamic entrepreneur, inspirational speaker, and growth coach who captivates audiences with his powerful story–and he’s 23 years old! Known for his hit record speech, he shares his incredible journey overcoming adversity during spinal surgery, transforming the impossible into the possible. He went from living the darkest moments of his life to someone who helps others through life’s challenges. Through his insights, Zach empowers others to face their challenges and achieve their own remarkable success.

Show Highlights:

• Zach’s story and how his incredible journey has unfolded
• Two options when facing a challenge
• Taking a bigger role in the family’s commercial construction business with a vision for building the company’s brand in the online world
• Breaking the resistance to his vision within the complexity of a family business and putting his stake in the ground
• Results over the past 1.5 years since Zach’s turning point in challenging his family to think differently
• Zach’s strategy in offering new transformational ideas for the business
• Differing communication and presentation skills are required in listening/learning, implementing/acting, and understanding others’ personalities.
• Understanding the value of the statement, “What got you HERE won’t get you THERE.”
• Overcoming challenges with drive and determination to find freedom ultimately
• The addictive, fired-up feeling from sharing with others to help them overcome challenges
• Takeaways about honoring legacy while pushing toward change

Resources:

Connect with Zach Del Monaco

Website and Instagram

Connect with Meg

Get Meg’s FREE download, Finding Your Perfect Match: A Coach's Self-Reflection Guide.

Explore past episodes and other resources at www.STaRcoachshow.com.

Explore the STaR Coach Community and see what’s available there for you!

Visit the STaR Coach Show YouTube Channel! Subscribe today! Join our live show taping on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 1 pm CT.

Does selling feel awkward or inauthentic? Today, we’re covering how you speak, teach, and bring a conversation to a sales conversion in an ethical, authentic, and effective way that feels good. Your expertise, wisdom, and life experiences could help people transform their lives, but you are leaving money on the table! We will bust through the myth that you “need to find your voice.” You already have your voice! Let’s strip away the mask and the layers that cover it so you can show up authentically!

Joel Bauer has trained some of the world’s top income-producing speakers, presenters, and online marketers to monetize their life experiences, both online and offline. A few notable trainees are Russell Brunson, Alex Hormozi, Dan Kennedy, Jordan Belfort, and Peng Joon, among others. For decades, Joel’s principles have set the bar for speaking, teaching, and closing at the very highest level, and there are over 2 million graduates of his program. By applying Joel’s strategies, you can break free from limitations, design your destiny, and monetize your expertise like never before. You’ll learn why implementing Joel’s strategies requires no talent, only technique. Joel explains how to give massive value without expectation, how to package and position your life’s work in high-ticket offers, and why you should never give away your consulting time for free.

Show Highlights:

• It’s not about talent; it’s about technique!
• Podcasts, like the STaR Coach Show, are the most valuable social media platform.
• Undervaluing your time
• Joel’s philosophy of NEVER taking anyone’s money unless he knows he can help them succeed
• Examples of unbelievable success from those who have implemented Joel’s strategies
• The value of accountability partnerships
• 3 moves for success:
• Preframe (Project them into the solution.)
• Verification of the Silent Salesman (It’s how you “wrap” the package.)
• Your Call-to-Action (What are you offering? The key is your money-back guarantee.)
• Being the greatest mentor in the world for the person who chooses you, trusts you, listens to you, and succeeds by implementing your techniques
• How love and like are different
• “Permission to reveal” technique as a transformational strategy in offering your service
• Value of letting people know what they CAN do
• Present, Persuade, and Preserve technique
• AI is never going to replace coaches and mentors
• Why you don’t need a large audience
• Don’t pass up Joel’s free gifts!

Resources:

Connect with Joel Bauer

Website and Instagram

Gift #1: Visit Joel’s Website to get Peng Joon’s “10 Moves to $10 Million.” It’s a free PDF download in audio and video versions.

Gift #2: Visit Joel’s Instagram, @JoelBauerMentor, and DM the comment “5 Moves” to receive the complete “5 Moves to Authority” program, a $5000 value!

Connect with Meg

Get Meg’s FREE download, Finding Your Perfect Match: A Coach's Self-Reflection Guide.

Explore past episodes and other resources at www.STaRcoachshow.com.

Explore the STaR Coach...

The trap that almost all coaches fall into is assuming that experience eliminates the need for curiosity in growing our businesses. In today’s episode, I’m sharing personal revelations from leading the Enroll More Clients Clarity Sprint. I’ve rediscovered my message by doing every exercise along with the participants, and I’ve learned that even experienced coaches need curiosity to keep their practices fresh and avoid stagnation. Today’s focus is on the elements of magnetic messaging and why coaches should use their clients’ language instead of “coach speak.” We can’t assume that our experience eliminates the need for curiosity, so let’s talk about why that’s a dangerous assumption, what we can miss along the way, and what happened when I chose differently.

Show Highlights:

• Reasons why experienced coaches stop doing “the work” they ask their clients to do
• Get out of the clouds and speak your client’s language.
• Three elements of magnetic messaging: clarity, conciseness, and confidence
• Understanding the transformation path
• Focused repetition and daily immersion in skills development
• Getting trapped in analysis paralysis
• Curiosity and keeping your practice fresh and alive
• Isolation vs. collaboration
• Community vs. “figuring it all out by myself”
• The Star Coach Community: what we offer
• Give yourself the gifts of clarity, community, collaboration, and mentorship. Enrollment is only open for a few more days! Click here to learn more.

Resources:

Connect with Meg

Get Meg’s FREE download, Finding Your Perfect Match: A Coach's Self-Reflection Guide.

Explore past episodes and other resources at www.STaRcoachshow.com.

Explore the STaR Coach Community and see what’s available there for you!

Visit the STaR Coach Show YouTube Channel! Subscribe today! Join our live show taping on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 1 pm CT.