What happens when leadership stops being about titles and starts being about how you show up for people?

In this Faces of Atlantic episode, I sat down with James Doucher, fractional CFO, community builder, father, and advocate for leading with kindness and authenticity. James shares a deeply human perspective on leadership shaped by family, career pivots, and a commitment to being genuinely helpful in every room he enters.

We talked about what it means to lead without ego, why connection matters more than networking tactics, and how empathy and presence can shape stronger teams, communities, and lives.

In this episode:

→ How James transitioned from corporate leadership to fractional CFO work and why flexibility changed everything

→ Why networking is not about selling yourself but about being genuinely curious and helpful

→ Lessons learned from moving across borders, rebuilding community, and starting over more than once

→ What parenting has taught him about empathy, courage, and unconditional support

→ Why authenticity is the most underrated leadership skill in business today

→ The importance of creating safe, inclusive environments at home, at work, and in community

→ How small daily resets like walking, unplugging, and being present protect long-term wellbeing

→ A guiding principle that shapes how James leads and lives: look back and be grateful, look ahead and be hopeful, look around and be helpful

Links and Resources:

Follow James Doucher: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdoucher/

Follow James Doucher CFO Consulting, Inc.: https://www.jdoucher.com/

Follow Terri-Ann Richards: https://terriannrichards.com/

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TerriAnnRichards

Follow Faces of Atlantic on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/faces-of-atlantic

If this episode reminded you that leadership is less about authority and more about humanity, share it with someone who believes in building community through care and connection.

Subscribe, leave a review, and take a moment today to reach out to someone in your circle. Sometimes leadership looks like simply showing up and being helpful.

Let’s keep showing up as real humans, one honest conversation at a time.

• (00:00:00) - Faces of Atlantic
• (00:00:41) - What Do You Do For Fun?
• (00:02:16) - CFO Consulting
• (00:03:41) - Being a Full-Time CFO and a Fractional C
• (00:05:22) - Have You Work in an Occupation?
• (00:05:54) - Your Other Things Outside of Your Role
• (00:08:50) - How to Manage a Full-Time Team
• (00:10:33) - What Has Been The Lessons Learned As A Human Being?
• (00:12:34) - What Kind of Human Skills Did You Lean On During the Trans Transition
• (00:15:06) - In the Elevator With Steve Jobs
• (00:17:28) - How to Network effectively?
• (00:21:44) - Be Authentic
• (00:24:03) - Have You Made an Impact on Others?
• (00:26:17) - Atlantic Canada's Biggest Challenges
• (00:30:32) - How to Manage Your Stress
• (00:35:56) - Faces of Atlantic

What happens when grief becomes the teacher and storytelling becomes the way forward?

In this Faces of Atlantic conversation, I sat down with Teri Kingston, speaker coach, storyteller, widow, and guide for leaders learning how to show up more fully as human beings. Teri’s journey through anticipatory grief, loss, and rebuilding life after the death of her husband reshaped not only how she lives, but how she helps others find their voice.

We talked about why grief belongs in the workplace, how leadership begins with self-awareness, and why authenticity on stage and in life is what truly moves people to action.

In this episode:

→ Teri’s journey through anticipatory grief and what it taught her about presence, leadership, and love

→ Why grief is not a personal problem but a human reality that belongs in workplace conversations

→ The cost of ignoring grief at work and how organizations can better support their people

→ What makes a great speaker and why authenticity always lands more powerfully than performance

→ How storytelling becomes a tool for healing, influence, and meaningful change

→ Why not every story belongs on a stage and how to know when one is ready

→ The importance of serving the audience rather than performing for them

→ A life mantra that reframes loss and creates space for hope: being surprised by joy

Links and Resources:

Follow Teri Kingston: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terikingston/

Follow Real Impact Speaking: https://realimpactspeaking.com/

Follow Terri-Ann Richards: https://terriannrichards.com/

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TerriAnnRichards

Follow Faces of Atlantic on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/faces-of-atlantic

If this episode encouraged you to embrace more of who you are — at work, at home, or in leadership — share it with someone who needs that same reminder.

Subscribe, leave a review, and give yourself a moment today to consider:
What part of you have you been leaving at the door — and what would change if you brought it with you?

Let’s keep showing up with honesty, courage, and humanity, one conversation at a time.

• (00:00:00) - Faces of Atlantic
• (00:00:48) - Faces of Atlantic: The Widows
• (00:03:22) - Your Journey Through Grief
• (00:06:10) - How to Cope with a Caregiver's Alzheimer's
• (00:09:38) - The Need for Grief in the Workplace
• (00:17:16) - Disrupting HR: The Multiplying Human Body
• (00:19:11) - Toastmasters Canada Business Interview
• (00:25:51) - What Makes a Great Speaker?
• (00:29:14) - What Advice Would You Give to Public Speaking?
• (00:33:13) - Widow Moves From St. Andrews To Atlanta
• (00:35:29) - Q&A
• (00:35:43) - What is your happiness ritual?
• (00:36:09) - "Surprised by Joy"
• (00:37:14) - Faces of Atlantic: Terianne Richards

What happens when a leader decides that gratitude is not a soft skill, but a strategy for changing the world?

In this Faces of Atlantic interview, I sat down with Steve Foran, founder of Gratitude at Work, engineer turned global gratitude ambassador, and a leader whose mission is as bold as it is simple: 1 billion happier people.

We talked about the power of small daily practices, why gratitude is more than a feeling, and how choosing awareness over autopilot can reshape your life, your leadership, and the people around you.

In this episode:

→ The family roots, grandkids, and community that keep Steve grounded and remind him what really matters

→ The moment he realized his life was handed to him on a silver platter, and how that flipped his entire worldview

→ Why gratitude is the number one predictor of flourishing, and the surprising reason most people fail to maintain the practice

→ How a simple daily trigger can transform well-being, leadership presence, and the culture inside any organization

→ The unlearning Steve had to do around judgment, self-reliance, and seeing people through a more compassionate lens

→ The biggest opportunity he sees for Atlantic Canadian leaders today

→ His one piece of advice for leaders who want to shift their business in the next 12 months

Links and Resources:

Follow Steve Foran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveforangratefulceo/

Follow Gratitude at Work: https://www.gratitudeatwork.ca/

Follow Terri-Ann Richards: https://terriannrichards.com/

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TerriAnnRichards

Follow Faces of Atlantic on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/faces-of-atlantic

If this episode encouraged you to embrace more of who you are — at work, at home, or in leadership — share it with someone who needs that same reminder.

Subscribe, leave a review, and give yourself a moment today to consider:
What part of you have you been leaving at the door — and what would change if you brought it with you?

Let’s keep showing up with honesty, courage, and humanity, one conversation at a time.

• (00:00:00) - Faces of Atlantic
• (00:04:15) - What's Your Purpose in Your Work?
• (00:05:28) - Lessons in gratitude for your life
• (00:13:55) - One Simple Practice Can Make You Happier
• (00:16:37) - Steve Jobs on Being Judgmental
• (00:20:27) - MCACIO Atlantic Canada: The Big Picture
• (00:26:56) - Favorite Book of All Time
• (00:27:44) - What is Your Happiness Ritual?
• (00:28:22) - A Day in the Life With Teriann
• (00:28:58) - Faces of Atlantic