With Special Guest: Justin Jones-Fosu, Speaker, Author, and Founder of the Work Meaningful Foundation

Most leaders are chasing meaningful work. Justin Jones-Fosu argues they've got it backwards - meaningful work isn't something you find, it's something you create. In this deeply personal and strategically powerful episode of Ask for Change, Meridith sits down with speaker, author, and accidental foundation-starter Justin Jones-Fosu to explore what it actually takes to thrive - not just survive - in a world of relentless uncertainty and change. Justin's journey is anything but linear: from nearly getting fired while working in HR, to forgiving an absent father, to building schools in Ghana, he's a living case study in the power of choice, ownership, and intentional meaning-making. He introduces listeners to the research-backed framework of Job Crafting and his own "Choose, Commit, Cultivate" model - practical tools senior leaders can use to stop letting uncertainty happen to them and start creating outcomes with intention. This episode hits differently for leaders who feel the weight of what's happening in the world right now and are searching for a way to move forward with clarity and purpose. If you're tired of chasing and ready to start creating, this conversation is your next step.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/iworkmeaningful/ (Justin Jones-Fosu)

With Special Guest: Elke Rubach

Episode Description
Uncertainty has a way of paralyzing financial decisions, and doing nothing is often the most expensive choice. In this episode, Meridith Elliott Powell is joined by wealth strategist Elke Rubach to discuss how individuals and families can regain control of their financial future, even in volatile times.

Elke shares why clarity, ownership, and planning matter more than ever, and why wealth management is about far more than investments. From cash flow and risk protection to legacy planning and financial literacy, this conversation breaks down how to move from fear to confidence.

If uncertainty around money is keeping you awake at night, this episode delivers a grounded and empowering roadmap forward.

https://www.elkerubach.com/

With Special Guest: Dr. Mary Kelly

Technology is advancing faster than most organizations are prepared for, and it is creating a dangerous and often invisible risk. In this episode, Meridith Elliott Powell sits down with economist and leadership expert Dr. Mary Kelly to uncover the growing information and knowledge gap inside today's workforce.

As companies rush to cut costs and adopt AI, they are unintentionally losing critical experience, institutional knowledge, and leadership continuity. Dr. Kelly explains why this is not a recession problem but a succession problem, and why short-term thinking is putting long-term sustainability at risk.

This conversation delivers practical insight on how leaders can protect their organizations, retain top talent, and intentionally close the knowledge gap before it becomes a competitive liability.

https://productiveleaders.com/

Special Guest: Anna Liotta

Episode Description
Stress is no longer occasional. It is constant. And if leaders are honest, many are running on empty while trying to inspire confidence in everyone else. In this powerful episode, Meridith Elliott Powell sits down with Hall of Fame speaker and generational expert Anna Liotta to unpack what is really happening inside our bodies when uncertainty accelerates.

Anna introduces the concept of the vagus nerve and explains why nervous system regulation may be the most overlooked leadership skill in today's marketplace. When change is moving at record speed, when expectations are rising across generations, and when leaders feel pressure from every direction, the ability to calm your internal response becomes a strategic advantage.

This conversation is practical and eye-opening. From micro resets you can use in the middle of a meeting to understanding the difference between being triggered and living in a triggered state, Anna provides tools that immediately reduce reactivity and increase clarity.

If you are feeling tired, wired, burned out, or simply stretched too thin, this episode will remind you that leadership begins with regulating yourself. When you create calm, you create capacity. And when you build capacity, you build competitive advantage.

https://annaliotta.com/

With Special Guest: Colleen Stanley

Episode Description
In a marketplace defined by disruption and disengagement, mentorship is no longer optional. It is a strategic advantage. In this episode, Meridith Elliott Powell welcomes emotional intelligence expert and bestselling author Colleen Stanley to explore why mentorship is one of the most underutilized leadership tools today.

Together, they challenge the outdated belief that mentorship must be formal, time-consuming, or hierarchical. Instead, Colleen reframes mentorship as something that can happen in moments, conversations, and daily interactions.

This episode shows leaders how emotionally intelligent mentorship builds trust, closes skill gaps, strengthens culture, and drives performance, even in the middle of uncertainty.

https://www.salesleadershipdevelopment.com/

With Special Guest: Jake Stahl

Episode Description
Influence is not about persuasion tactics. It is about understanding how people actually make decisions. In this episode, Meridith Elliott Powell is joined by sales neurostrategist Jake Stahl to unpack the psychology behind influence, communication, and behavior change.

Jake explains why most people speak to the wrong version of their audience and how leaders and sales professionals can learn to communicate at the brain level. From nonverbal signals to reframing conversations, this episode offers a deeper look at what it really means to own the room.

If you want to be heard, trusted, and remembered in today's crowded marketplace, this conversation delivers the tools to do exactly that.

https://thejakestahl.com/

With Special Guest: Amy Lessinger

Staying stuck is a decision, even when it does not feel like one. In this episode, Meridith Elliott Powell sits down with former RE/MAX President Amy Lessinger to discuss what it truly takes to create transformation in your career, leadership, and life.

Amy introduces the concept of the irreversible step, the moment where you stop hedging, stop waiting for certainty, and fully commit to what comes next. Through powerful stories and practical insight, she explains why ownership, truth, and decisive action are the foundation of meaningful change.

This episode is a must-listen for leaders who know something needs to change and are ready to stop circling the decision.

https://www.amylessinger.com/

With Special Guest: Dr. Cindy McGovern

Too many leaders know what they want to say but never give themselves permission to say it. In this episode, Meridith Elliott Powell is joined by Dr. Cindy McGovern, known as the First Lady of Sales, to explore why so many capable, accomplished professionals struggle to trust their own voice.

Dr. McGovern introduces the idea of internal permission and explains how unseen influences, past conditioning, and internal narratives quietly hold people back. From boardrooms to everyday conversations, this lack of permission creates hesitation, regret, and stalled progress.

This conversation is both practical and deeply human. It offers a clear path for quieting the noise, reclaiming intuition, and taking confident steps forward, even when certainty is nowhere to be found.

If you are ready to stop second-guessing yourself and start leading, selling, and living with clarity, this episode will challenge you to trust what you already know.

https://drcindy.com/