Most leaders think the hard part is “giving feedback.” I think the real challenge is clarity. When we say things like “be more proactive” or “watch your tone,” we’re usually handing someone a foggy request they can’t translate into action, or we’re accidentally aiming at their identity instead of their behavior. No wonder people get defensive and nothing changes.

Join Jay in this week's Solo Mission Series as he walks through why feedback fails in predictable ways: it’s too general, it lands like a character judgment, it shows up late, or it tells people what to stop without offering a replacement behavior.

You’ll leave with practical tools you can use the same day: the SBI method (Situation, Behavior, Impact), a simple way to add the “why” so feedback feels future-forward, and an “ask” that turns a monologue into a real conversation. I also share replacement behavior examples that include a clear trigger and measurable output, plus a 2x2x2 map to adjust your approach based on intent and skill.

Try the seven-day challenge at the end, and if it helps, subscribe, share the show with a leader who needs it, and leave a review with the tool you’re going to test first.

Interested in being a guest on The Talent Forge? Contact our producer, Madison Bennett, via email: madison@coeuscreativegroup.com.

Meet the Host
Jay Johnson works with people and organizations to empower teams, grow profits, and elevate leadership. He is a Co-Founder of Behavioral Elements®, a two-time TEDx speaker, and a designated Master Trainer by the Association for Talent Development. With a focus on behavioral intelligence, Jay has delivered transformational workshops to accelerate high-performance teams and cultures in more than 30 countries across four continents. For inquiries, contact jay@behavioralelements.com or connect below!

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayjohnsonccg/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jayjohnsonccg/
Speaker Website - https://jayjohnsonspeaks.com

Work performance problems rarely live only in a spreadsheet. They live in bodies, nervous systems, habits, and the quiet stories people carry into meetings. We sit down with Jeanne Foot, CEO of The Recovery Concierge, to talk about behavior change through the lens of addiction recovery, trauma-informed care, and what actually helps people move from coping to thriving.

Jeanne shares her own turning point: sobriety brought clarity, but not immediate peace, because the real issue was missing tools and unresolved trauma. From there, we unpack addiction as a spectrum, not a single stereotype, and we connect it to patterns many professionals recognize: overworking, compulsive phone use, social anxiety “numbing,” and the dopamine-driven cue and reward loop. We also dig into why shame-based labels can keep people stuck, and why self-compassion is not fluff but a practical skill that supports real change.

Then we go deeper into modern recovery coaching and behavioral health: nervous system regulation, somatic experiencing, and why talk therapy can have limits when trauma is stored in the body. We talk heart, gut, and brain, the impact of sleep, exercise, and nutrition on mental health, and how families and workplaces can unintentionally reinforce the very behaviors they want to change. If you lead people, coach people, or simply want to understand yourself better, this conversation offers a grounded roadmap.

About Jeanne Foot: Jeanne Foot is the founder and CEO of The Recovery Concierge, a premier service for mental health, addiction recovery, trauma healing, and peak performance. Between her own lived experience, credentials as an International Certified Alcohol & Drug Counsellor, and trainings in Hypnotherapy, Neurolinguistic Programming, and Somatic work, Jeanne is often called the “best kept secret” in the world of recovery. She brings a unique, holistic, 360-degree approach to treatment, guiding individuals and their families through the complex journey of addiction and healing. Learn more about Jeanne and her team at: https://therecoveryconcierge.com/

Interested in being a guest on The Talent Forge? Contact our producer, Madison Bennett, via email: madison@coeuscreativegroup.com.

Meet the Host
Jay Johnson works with people and organizations to empower teams, grow profits, and elevate leadership. He is a Co-Founder of Behavioral Elements®, a two-time TEDx speaker, and a designated Master Trainer by the Association for Talent Development. With a focus on behavioral intelligence, Jay has delivered transformational workshops to accelerate high-performance teams and cultures in more than 30 countries across four continents. For inquiries, contact jay@behavioralelements.com or connect below!

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayjohnsonccg/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jayjohnsonccg/
Speaker Website - https://jayjohnsonspeaks.com

Your calendar can be full and your team can still be stuck. We get into the real reason: creativity doesn’t die from lack of talent, it dies from lack of safety and lack of uninterrupted focus.

Steven Puri returns to The Talent Forge and shares two unforgettable Hollywood stories that land on a practical leadership lesson: when the room feels safe, people offer more ideas, iterate faster, and the best idea can win, no matter where it comes from. We connect that to the neuroscience behind insight, including the default mode network versus the executive mode network, and why your brain often solves the hard problem when you stop staring at it.

From there, we bring AI and large language models into the picture. If LLMs can repeat patterns at scale, what’s the human advantage? Steven’s answer points to relationships, original thinking, and deep work that moves your craft forward. We also break down flow state using Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s research, what it feels like, why multitasking is really context switching, and how leaders can design schedules that allow 20+ minutes of ramp-in time to reach real focus.

We also get surprisingly tactical: focus music, rain loops, coffee shop ambience, white noise and green noise, and why the right audio cue can pull you back into productive concentration. If you want more innovation, better execution, and less burnout, this is a blueprint you can test immediately.

About Steven Puri: Steven is one of the few people on Earth who has been a senior executive at two motion picture studios and also raised over $20MM in venture capital. He’s produced the digital effects for Independence Day, which won the Oscar for Visual Effects, and in addition to his film work, he’s founded 3 start-ups - one successful exit and two failures. Steven lectures now on the lessons in sustainable high-performance he learned working alongside some of the world’s more productive people.

Interested in being a guest on The Talent Forge? Contact our producer, Madison Bennett, via email: madison@coeuscreativegroup.com.

Meet the Host
Jay Johnson works with people and organizations to empower teams, grow profits, and elevate leadership. He is a Co-Founder of Behavioral Elements®, a two-time TEDx speaker, and a designated Master Trainer by the Association for Talent Development. With a focus on behavioral intelligence, Jay has delivered transformational workshops to accelerate high-performance teams and cultures in more than 30 countries across four continents. For inquiries, contact jay@behavioralelements.com or connect below!

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayjohnsonccg/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jayjohnsonccg/
Speaker Website - https://jayjohnsonspeaks.com