What if your most incredible pain could become your most significant purpose? In this episode of Leadership with Heart, I sit down with Eric Newman, Founder and CEO of Roc Solid Foundation, to talk about the defining moments that shaped his leadership journey. As a pediatric cancer survivor, Eric could have let his past define him. Instead, he turned his pain into a mission—building playsets for children fighting cancer, ensuring they have a space to simply be kids in the midst of unimaginable hardship.
Beyond his inspiring work, Eric shares profound insights on leadership: the battle between success and significance, the importance of leading yourself before leading others, and how to ask who I am. What do I believe? Where am I going? It can transform the way we navigate challenges.
We dive deep into resilience, self-leadership, and the power of presence—how slowing down and embracing the uncomfortable can lead to extraordinary impact. Eric also opens up about his setbacks, including a curbside moment that forced him to reevaluate everything he thought he knew about leadership.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in the messy middle, wondering if your work truly matters, this episode is for you. How do we balance business success with meaningful impact? And what does it take to turn personal adversity into a force for good?
Join us for a conversation that might change your thoughts about leadership, purpose, and the legacy you’re building.
About Eric Newman
Eric Newman’s story of turning life’s toughest challenges into a passion project has touched the lives of thousands.
Eric was 3 when he was diagnosed with pediatric cancer. He survived the disease, but the profound experience – as well as the loss of many loved ones to cancer – stayed with him. Motivated to challenge the narrative of grief surrounding the disease, Eric set out on a mission to spread joy and hope among children fighting cancer.
In 2009, he founded Roc Solid Foundation, which partners with over 160 children’s hospitals in the US to provide hospital-ready bags to families whose kids are affected by cancer. In the last year alone, the nonprofit has built 200+ playsets for children and served 4500+ families.
Eric is the bestselling author of What Hope Looks Like, a handbook that inspires people to start businesses and nonprofit organizations based on significance and success. He also appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2021 to talk about his entrepreneurial journey.
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About Heather R Younger, J.D., CSP
Heather R Younger, J.D., CSP is a highly sought-after speaker, 2x-TEDx speaker, diversity, equity and inclusion strategist, and contributor to leading news outlets. She is also the Founder and CEO of Employee Fanatix, a leading employee engagement and consulting firm. After over 25,000 employee engagement surveys and years of working with organizations to transform employee engagement, here’s what Heather has seen over and over: When you know how to listen, employees will tell you exactly what they need to bring their full selves to work. Book Heather to speak at your event or organization.
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