Today’s guest helps organizations and individuals get from where they are to where they want to go. She engages employees, develops leaders, and helps people find meaning on a daily basis—a concept she calls “breadcrumb legacy.”

She is a speaker, teacher, and coach. After a 30-year career as a college professor of business management and leadership, she built her own business to share what she’s learned.

She is the host of the podcast “Becoming a Sage,” which interviews thought leaders about life and work wisdom, and writes a column for Training Magazine called “Leading Edge.” She is the author of six books, her latest book is “Breadcrumb Legacy: How Great Leaders Live a Life Worth Remembering.” 

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Jann Freed. 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Her thoughts on leadership: “A leader is someone in the position to influence the lives of others, positive or negative – this includes parents, teachers, pastors.”
• Jann’s small-town roots while growing up in a tiny town in northern Iowa.
• Growing up with a heavy influence on her education from her parents, along with the friendly “threat” from her dad to prioritize finishing college before getting married.
• Her rebel streak and love for social justice. She was married in 1982 and kept her maiden name, surprising no one that knew her.
• Jann found her path by getting her degree, “falling into” banking, and realizing it wasn’t the right fit for her.
• “I enjoy teaching because I’m passionate about learning.”
• Why she decided to go back to school and get her doctorate.
• Trying to understand promotions that didn’t pay more money but provided tenure – another moment where her justice streak was at the forefront of her career.
• When she started thinking about leaving the role or moving on to bigger things, her sons were almost at university age, but she had an itch to create a different path.
• Her struggles with marketing and figuring out where she should be spending her time.
• Landing her TEDx talk through Marie Incontrera.
• The impact of meeting Dorie Clark.
• How she networks and stays connected with the different layers of her network, including 30 years of past students.

Listen, subscribe, and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com