Today on the podcast we have Chief Ray Aguirre of the California State University-Fullerton campus about his leadership journey, what drives him to lead and very practical, yet impactful ways, he connects with his team and builds trust. Key takeaways: Leaving a legacy doesn’t mean that we are forcing the fact that we are known … Read more
Today on the podcast we have Denise Testori, President of Prestige Cleaners. We talk about her unique management style, and a time when she was not the best leader she could be. Denise considers herself as a servant leader as a part of a family-owned organization. She acknowledges that the size of the company she … Read more
Today on the podcast we have Keith Freier, COO at Pacific Northwest Laboratories about what drives him as a leader, his biggest area of improvement and key nuggets all leaders should know and utilize to increase their effectiveness. Keith shares a story from the movie, Remember the Titans, where Denzel Washington, the main actor in … Read more
Today on the podcast we have Heather Heebner, former SVP of HR at Instawares Holding Company. We talked about leadership from the unique lens of a human resources executive. Heather shares her perspective on “happy employees”, and, instead, focuses on creating an environment that makes people proud to work there and do the work that they … Read more
Today on the podcast we have Eric Jacobsen, SVP of Operations for Extraction Oil and Gas, a publicly traded oil and gas company out of Colorado. In this episode, Eric and I talk about why he chooses to lead, a time when he was not proud of himself as a leader and how he changed … Read more
Today on the podcast we have Tammy Taylor, COO at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. In this episode, she shares about her leadership journey, her style, and a little about how she was not always the best leader she could be. Like many leaders, Tammy shares how, at one point, she let her ego get the … Read more
Today on the podcast we have Christinne Johnson, President of HR at First Bank. In this episode, Christinne shares a lot about her leadership style, what drives her to be a leader, and when she was not the greatest leader. We also talk about What drives her to be excited about vision and strategy, What … Read more
Today on the podcast we have Megan Wick, Executive Director of Gamma Phi Beta International Sorority. In this episode, we talk about how emotional intelligence can be learned and is an evolving skill, the importance of self-management when it comes to our emotions, and her journey as a leader – the ups and the downs, … Read more
Today on the podcast we have Dirk Frese, PhD, Director of Sales and Marketing at Julabo USA. He is also Executive Director of WISDOM (Women In Science Demonstrating Outstanding Merits), a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering, supporting and mentoring women in science. In this episode, we talk about cross-cultural communication, managing a global team, the … Read more
When we talk about emotionally intelligent leaders, we think about those who are self-aware. They also have deep empathy for what each person is doing and a recognition of the pure craft and validity of the work they do. Aaron Skogen is one of the most emotionally intelligent leaders on LinkedIn, which is why he … Read more
Becoming Unshakable is the podcast for leaders, creators, and changemakers who know TRUE LEADERSHIP starts from within.
Each episode explores what it takes to lead with resilience, compassion, and purpose while staying human through it all.
Through candid conversations with executives, frontline leaders, coaches, and everyday heroes, Heather uncovers the real stories behind growth, compassion, setbacks, and transformation.
From navigating change to creating emotionally safe cultures, Becoming Unshakable reveals what it really takes to create leaders—and organizations—that can’t be shaken.
I've been through every type of
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
you can think of.
Layoffs, reorgs, mergers, acquisitions and major technology shifts. More than 20 years leading teams through high-stakes situations where results mattered, people depended on me, and decisions couldn't wait.
Those years taught me how to lead. But they also showed me the hidden cost of always being the one who holds it all together.
During our second reorg in less than a year, I walked out of a meeting with no say in what was happening, just marching orders. When my team asked how the meeting went, I should have said, “Give me 15 minutes to process this.” But I didn't. Instead, I let them absorb every ounce of my frustration.
Then I saw their faces.
The people who looked to me for stability had just watched me unravel. What was that teaching them about their ability to handle the pressure?
That moment changed how I saw my role as a leader. Leading teams isn't only about grit or resilience. It's about how your presence builds the trust your team needs to function when things get hard.
Today, I help organizations build unshakable leaders, teams, and cultures. Because when leaders become the calm teams can count on, organizations don't just survive change, they come out strong enough to handle what’s next.
Contact Heather Today!
+1 403-398-8488
Contact Heather Today!
+1 403-398-8488