Shifting The Power Balance Titelbild

Shifting The Power Balance

Shifting The Power Balance

Von: Dwayne Smith
Jetzt kostenlos hören, ohne Abo

Saisonale Sparangebote | 0,99 € pro Monat für die ersten 3 Monate

Danach 6,99 €/Monat. Bedingungen gelten. Monatlich kündbar.

Shifting the Power Balance is a workplace law and HR strategy podcast hosted by Dwayne Smith, a leading legal authority and experienced workplace attorney focused on navigating workplace conflict, reducing risk, and strengthening employee-employer relationships.

Created for business owners, C-suite executives, entrepreneurs, HR directors, and organizational thought leaders, this podcast addresses workplace harassment, HR violations, power dynamics, employee handbooks, and the real-world decisions that trigger legal exposure.

Each episode delivers practical guidance on:

  • Navigating workplace investigations and harassment claims
  • Managing employee relations before they escalate
  • Creating legally sound employee handbooks
  • Understanding power imbalances that lead to conflict
  • Reducing liability, insurance claims, and compliance risk
  • Creating productive and successful organizations by making each employee feel valuable

Clear insight. Real examples. Actionable leadership strategies for modern workplaces.

© 2026 Shifting The Power Balance Management & Leadership Ökonomie
Folgen
  • Finding Your Voice - Sheral DeVaughn

    Finding Your Voice - Sheral DeVaughn
    Oct 9 2026
    Dwayne Smith and Rudy Davis talk with brand voice and brand messaging strategist Sheral DeVaughn, whose career spans radio, wine and spirits, and brand coaching. Sheral shares how her path shaped a practical framework for helping people find a voice that feels human, credible, and distinct. This episode centers on leadership, personal branding, and why the best communicators do not talk at people - they talk with them. Sheral also reflects on radio history, Prince’s creative genius, and the way labels can limit both people and organizations.Key topicsIn this episode, Sheral shares how she got into radio as a child, with a hairbrush microphone, Wolfman Jack, and Casey Kasem as early inspirations.She explains how growing up in rural Minnesota shaped her refusal to accept the idea that girls could not do radio.Sheral shares how she broke into radio in Shreveport, Louisiana, including her first big morning-show opportunity at age 23.She describes meeting Prince Rogers Nelson (Prince) in high school and why she considers him one of the most creative people she's ever known.Sheral explains how Prince controlled his artistic process, insisted on excellence, and fought to give artists more power over their work.She talks candidly about being hired for a morning show role that wasn't what she expected, and how trying to fit someone else’s script hurt her performance.She shares how being fired eventually pushed her toward stronger self-awareness, better branding, and a clearer understanding of her own value.In the wine and spirits industry, she explains how asking clients what they wanted helped her grow territory and succeed without being told the “right” way to do it.She introduces her brand strategy approach, rooted in audience knowledge, relatability, human connection, and consistent showing up.Sheral discusses the VIP method - visibility, impact, profitability - and why the human element comes first.Dwayne and Rudy connect the conversation to leadership, especially the difference between talking at people and talking with them.The discussion closes with Sheral’s definition of shifting the power balance: drop the labels, trust your own voice, keep showing up, and stop giving other people power over your self-image.Timestamps00:00 - Introduction to Sheral DeVaughn and the radio roots behind the conversation 01:52 - How Sheral got the radio bug as a kid with Wolfman Jack and Casey Kasem 03:09 - College radio, Shreveport, and landing her first major morning-show role 05:18 - Meeting Wolfman Jack and the reality of voice versus image in radio 07:12 - What Prince was like creatively and why every room in his house was part of the art 10:52 - Radio fear, early pressure, and being assigned a role that did not fit 12:58 - Getting fired, being told she had “zero talent,” and surviving the non-compete 15:08 - Working with Les Acre and learning to build a show by being herself 16:11 - Finding the hook, developing “Sheral on the Air,” and studying what listeners actually wanted 17:39 - Beating Steve Harvey and Tom Joyner by focusing on connection and storytelling 18:05 - Moving into wine and spirits and applying the same audience-first approach 20:00 - Losing her voice, rebuilding confidence, and discovering a repeatable personal template 22:18 - Why great leaders talk with people instead of talking at them 24:21 - AI, the human element, and avoiding the “beige pillow effect” 25:20 - Why personal branding starts with the real person behind the title 27:18 - The VIP method: visibility, impact, profitability 29:17 - Why labels limit success and how to push through them 31:05 - The power of consistency: quit all you want, just don’t stop 33:03 - Sheral’s definition of shifting the power balance 34:06 - Closing thanks and invitation to return Resources and LinksHere are Sheral’s main links:Website: speakingwithsher.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/speakingwithsherAnd her other pages:Book: The Frog in Your ThroatPodcast: Cocktails and ConspiraciesInstagram: instagram.com/speakingwithsherThis podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes and does not constitute an attorney-client relationship or legal advice. The views expressed by guests don't necessarily reflect those of the host(s).
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    38 Min.
  • The Vision Ignitor - A Conversation with Dr. Alisa J. Henley, Ph.D

    The Vision Ignitor - A Conversation with Dr. Alisa J. Henley, Ph.D
    Aug 31 2026
    EPISODE SUMMARYIn this episode of Shifting the Power Balance, host Dr. Dwayne Smith sits down with Dr. Alisa J. Henley — PhD in Industrial Psychology, founder of Destiny Consulting, and the creator of the Vision Ignitor® coaching brand. Dr. Henley takes us from her childhood as the youngest of five girls raised by a single mother in St. Louis, through the mentors who shaped every turn of her journey, to her launch of Destiny Consulting in 2004 and the building of three distinct organizations that serve leaders, individuals, and faith-based communities. Along the way, she breaks down the difference between inspiration and activation, shares what it actually looks like when power is out of balance inside organizations, and reveals the unfinished vision she is still chasing — including a TED Talk, a global leadership academy, and stages in 25 countries. This is a conversation that refuses to stay on the surface. EPISODE TIMESTAMPS[0:00] Intro — Shifting the Power Balance theme and show open[0:20] Guest Introduction — Host Dr. Dwayne Smith introduces Dr. Alisa J. Henley — her PhD, Destiny Consulting, books, and their personal connection through Dr. Andrea Dixon-Seahorn[1:31] In Her Own Words — Alisa defines who she is: "I am a person who is called to not only rebuild people, but to rebuild organizations, especially leaders"[2:13] The Vision Ignitor® Brand — How a stranger in an elevator — who recognized Alisa as "the Vision Ignitor lady" — sparked a trademarked brand and a life's calling[3:34] Origin Story: St. Louis Roots — Growing up in poverty with a single mother; the leadership lessons she absorbed before she ever knew she was learning them[4:53] Her Mother's Legacy — Alisa shares the loss of her mother in 2024 and how she channels that grief into momentum — "My mother would want me to keep moving"[5:15] The Magnet School Turning Point — How a friend's offhand suggestion led Alisa to a magnet school, then a military high school, then college — and how a guide appeared at every turn[7:40] What She'd Tell Her Younger Self — "Do not put limits on yourself" — and the story of secretly enrolling in her PhD program so no one could talk her out of it[9:30] Host Connection Moment — Dr. Dwayne Smith shares his own experience earning an EDD at 46, and the bond that creates between two late-blooming doctors[9:55] Launching Destiny Consulting — The story that started at 19 with a guest speaker in a college class; two years moonlighting while employed full-time; then the 30-day notice that changed everything[12:30] Three Organizations, One Mission — The through-line connecting Destiny Consulting, Vision Ignitor, and The Sunshine Organization: strategic planning, leadership development, and vision ignition[13:57] Inspiration vs. Activation — "You can get information and never apply it — but if you get the information and apply it, that's how you become transformed"[15:01] Coaching Transformation Stories — Two clients whose lives changed: a woman who left her full-time job and now earns as much working half the hours; another planning her exit date a full year in advance[17:46] Why She Writes Books — Books as lifelong resources — and why she'd choose a book over coaching notes if she had to choose one[20:17] When Power Is Out of Balance — The three levels of leadership (strategic, tactical, operational) and what happens when they collapse into each other — burnout, turnover, dysfunction, and the loss of trust[23:32] The Deep-Dig Closing Question — What is still unfinished in Dr. Alisa J. Henley? Her answer: a TED Talk, a leadership development academy, and stages in 25 countries before she's done[25:44] Host Wrap-Up & Closing Words — "That's what happens when a conversation refuses to stay on the surface."[26:18] Outro — Subscribe and contact information KEY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE"Information plus application equals transformation."— Dr. Alisa J. Henley, on what sets her apart as a speaker and coach "Every time it was time for my life to make a turn, there was somebody there guiding me through the turn."— On the mentors who appeared at every pivot in her journey "Do not allow other people to project their limits on you — because that will slow you down in life."— What she would tell her younger self "I didn't even tell anybody — not even my mother — I was almost done with one class before I told anyone I was in school."— On secretly enrolling in her PhD program to protect her own vision "You have a leader living below his or her leadership privileges."— On what power imbalance looks like inside organizations "When that time comes, I want to make sure that everything in me is born out."— On her unfinished vision and the goals she is still chasing CONNECT WITH DR. ALISA J. HENLEY• Website & Coaching: https://dralisaj.com...
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    27 Min.
  • Advocating For Dads Part II - David Pisarra

    Advocating For Dads Part II - David Pisarra
    Aug 17 2026
    Episode Overview In Part II of this conversation, family law attorney David Pisarra delves deeper into the power dynamics that fathers face in and out of the courtroom. David breaks down why the power imbalance often starts before a dad says a single word to a judge, how cultural narratives about "deadbeat dads" shape court outcomes, and what internal tools men need to stay grounded when everything is falling apart. He introduces the concept of the "accusation audit," explains how language shifts, such as moving from "my child" to "our child," can reshape a judge's perception, and shares why presumptive 50/50 custody is the single legal reform he believes would change family court overnight. The episode closes with a rare, unguarded reflection on what 25 years of this work has cost David personally — and why he keeps doing it.POWER IN THE COURTROOM0:00 — Podcast intro 0:19 — Host welcomes David Pisarra back for Part II0:39 — Where does the power actually sit when a father walks into court for the first time?0:50 — David: "Usually with mom" — she arrives with an encyclopedia; he arrives wanting access to his kids1:11 — The role of revenge and high-conflict custody battles in fueling family court proceedings1:46 — Why demonstrating any anger in court can be instantly weaponized against a fatherCULTURAL NARRATIVES & THE DEADBEAT DAD MYTH2:16 — How the "deadbeat dad" and "absent father" narratives follow men into court2:39 — David's reality check: 70–80% of divorces are straightforward; high-conflict cases are the exception3:03 — The stat that reframes everything: 80% of divorces are filed by women3:37 — Judges do see through the narrative — and the deadbeat dad is not the majority3:50 — "I've had many men tell me: I would pay double if I could see my kids more"INTERNAL POWER — STAYING GROUNDED UNDER PRESSURE4:00 — How David coaches one-on-one clients: "Your job is to sit there. Stone face. No emotion."4:26 — Dad's Law School VIP program: preparing self-represented fathers for what's coming4:40 — The "accusation audit" — Chris Voss / Never Split the Difference applied to family court5:03 — Real example: the NASA engineer, 23 drug tests, and responding to false accusations with evidenceKEEPING THE CHILD AT THE CENTER5:37 — Why David rewrites declarations to center the child's perspective, not the father's grievance6:01 — The language shift from "my child" to "our child" and what it signals to a judge6:26 — Why David now tries to avoid guardian ad litem and minors' counsel6:45 — The triangulation problem: how a narcissistic or BPD parent can co-opt a guardian ad litemWHY DAVID BUILT DAD'S LAW SCHOOL7:00 — "Dad is nothing but a Thanksgiving turkey being carved up" — the financial gauntlet fathers face7:27 — The cost breakdown: child support, anger management, batterers' intervention, monitored visitation, spousal support — all at once8:59 — David gets thousands of requests for help a year and can't help everyone for free9:21 — The middle ground: online courses in custody action plans, discovery, evidence, contempt9:47 — "If I can teach a dad to write a decent declaration and use his text messages in court, maybe I can get him more time with his kids"10:01 — The starfish story — "I can't save them all, but I can save this one"THE 125,000-DAD COMMUNITY10:25 — Who is David's social media community? Dads trapped in the family court nightmare10:43 — "Every other weekend isn't enough to raise a child or be a father figure"11:05 — The messages David receives that keep him going: "I was going to kill myself, but I won in court"11:20 — Why family law can make you cynical — and why David fights that pullDWAYNE'S PERSONAL STORY — WHEN CO-PARENTING WORKS11:45 — Dwayne shares his parents' divorce and the long-term impact on his family12:09 — Dwayne's blended family: he and his stepson's father now have beers together; both families co-parent around the grandkids12:53 — "We've done a disservice to our kids — not mom's fault, not dad's fault, holistically"13:19 — Schools, churches, and courts taking on burdens they weren't designed forSYSTEMIC CHANGE — THE ONE REFORM THAT WOULD CHANGE EVERYTHING14:47 — The erosion of personal responsibility globally — and children paying the price15:01 — David's warning: before you marry a woman who has a child, watch how she treats that child's father15:47 — The one thing David would change: presumptive 50/50 custody16:04 — States already doing it: Missouri, Florida, Kansas — and the result is fewer divorces and less acrimony16:39 — Dwayne's real-world 50/50 experience: two-on/two-off/five-on schedule; now all four parental figures share grandkid birthday parties17:44 — How the presumption of 50/50 removes the "I win, you lose" ...
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    24 Min.
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
Noch keine Rezensionen vorhanden