Strategy dies in the “telephone game.” We sat down with leadership expert Kim Crowder to unpack how to turn top‑down plans into daily behaviors people can actually do, coach, and scale. The core idea is deceptively simple: bring voices in early, tie the why to real work, and build trust before you need it.

Kim walks us through a client story where leaders invited team input at the start, mapped the change across people, process, and communications, and defined what success looks like in the day-to-day. That clarity allowed internal leaders—not outside consultants—to teach the approach to 100+ peers and sustain the gains for three years with a 150% ROI. We dig into the 90‑day reality check that aligns the C‑suite, surfaces unspoken assumptions, and gathers frontline data so feedback fuels business outcomes instead of blame.

If you’re tired of rollouts that stall, this conversation offers a practical blueprint to make strategy teachable, measurable, and owned by leaders closest to the work. Listen, share it with your team, and tell us: what behavior will you change first? And if this helped, follow the show, leave a quick review, and pass it to a leader who needs it.

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

A single question from a colleague—“Can you look at this?”—set off a chain of events that reshaped our host Jay Johnson's career.

In this episode, he walks through the moment misaligned expectations between faculty and international students became visible, how listening and clear onboarding turned conflict into engagement, and why that experience pushed him toward a practical approach to behavior change that goes beyond feel-good ideas.

Jay shares the personal detours that mattered: early math anxiety, a third-grade comment that stuck, and the realization that his brain processes emotion and decisions a bit differently. Debate and theater gave Jay a stage, but research gave him a mission: help people explain what they see, predict what will likely happen, influence with integrity, and manage themselves under pressure.

This story isn’t about perfection or hacks; it’s about building culture through patterns you can actually change. When teams learn to see repeatable loops—meetings that kill debate, feedback that arrives only in a crisis, calendars that glorify burnout—they earn the power to intervene early and ethically. Knowledge becomes action when we pair it with timing, structure, and accountability. If you’re curious about turning awareness into habits that stick, or you want a roadmap you can use tomorrow, you’ll find it here—straight talk, field-tested tools, and a clear path to more trust, better performance, and calmer conflict.

Enjoyed this solo mission? Follow the show, share it with someone who needs a reset, and leave a review.

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

Safety isn’t a side project—it’s the system your team runs on. We sit down with martial arts champion and corporate coach Laura Armstrong to unpack trauma-informed training that actually works in the workplace.

Laura breaks down the window of tolerance—where people learn, collaborate, and think clearly—and what happens when we slip into hypo (freeze, shut down) or hyper (fight, agitation) states. From synchronized breathing to tactile grounding to micro-routines that create predictability, she shows how small, repeatable practices restore focus and dignity without forcing productivity.

We also shine a light on de-escalation as a daily leadership skill. Laura names subtle aggressor behaviors many managers miss—unsolicited promises, microaggressions disguised as jokes, “loan sharking” favors—and maps out how they push employees into survival mode. The fix is practical: name behaviors precisely, use culturally aware eye contact, square your stance, and deploy boundary scripts that remove guesswork. Pair that with explicit assurances of safety and no-judgment support, and you get a container strong enough for hard truths, clean repairs, and faster resolution.

If this conversation resonates, follow, like, or subscribe to the show, share it with a friend who leads people, and leave a quick review so others can find these tools too.

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

Jobs don’t fail because people don’t work hard; they fail because the work isn’t designed to move the numbers that matter. That’s the uncomfortable truth we dig into with Scott Morris—longtime Chief People Officer, HR transformer, and founder of Propulsion AI—who makes a compelling case for designing roles around outcomes, not task lists.

Scott shares a fast history lesson on technological disruption—from calculators to spreadsheets to AI—and shows why the safest path is embracing new tools to change where we add value. Rather than fearing replacement, we can use AI to clarify expectations and accelerate the slowest parts of talent work. His framework helps managers define business outcomes first, then layer in key results, success measures, competencies, and skills. The payoff is visible across the talent lifecycle: recruiters source to impact, candidates self-select with eyes open, and trainers build programs that correlate to movement in KPIs like DSO, eNPS, conversion, and churn. Even “entry-level” roles transform when reframed from “push buttons” to “create experiences that drive loyalty,” unlocking better interviews, stronger motivation, and clearer coaching moments.

If you’re ready to make work more human and more effective, subscribe, share this with your HR and L&D peers, and leave a review with the one outcome you’ll measure differently this quarter.

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

The future of work hinges on our ability to keep it human—a powerful message from Jim Bouchard, who joins The Talent Forge to share his extraordinary journey from drug addiction to martial arts mastery and leadership coaching.

Jim's transformation began when he discovered martial arts during his recovery, unaware it would become a 30-year career and life philosophy. His martial arts teachers didn't just show him self-defense techniques; they revealed profound insights about human connection, continuous improvement, and responding to uncertainty.

Drawing fascinating parallels between martial arts training and effective leadership, Jim reframes our understanding of discipline as "the development, cultivation, and practice of meaningful and purposeful habits." This perspective shifts discipline from something restrictive to a positive framework for growth and development.

For HR professionals and talent developers facing increasingly complex workplace dynamics, Jim offers practical wisdom: ask broad questions, listen without judgment, and follow through on commitments.

Connect with Jim through thehumancentricleader.org to continue exploring how we can harness technology while honoring our fundamental human need for authentic connection.

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

What if the secret to creating training that people actually want to complete has nothing to do with points, badges, or leaderboards? In this eye-opening episode of The Talent Forge, Dr. Natalie Makulski of Coeus Creative Group reveals how her deeply personal journey into gamification—which began with helping her grandmothers combat Alzheimer's and dementia—transformed her understanding of what truly drives engagement in learning.

Rather than focusing on the superficial elements of games, she delves into the psychological underpinnings that keep us coming back for more. Her research on Magic: The Gathering players uncovered a surprising truth: the most powerful element of gaming isn't competition or rewards—it's belonging.

This insight completely transforms how we should approach training design. Dr. Makulski challenges conventional wisdom by suggesting that competition between learners can actually undermine learning by creating subtle divisions. Instead, she advocates for collective challenges where learners work together against a common obstacle, fostering a shared identity that extends beyond the training event.

Whether you're a seasoned L&D professional or just starting out, this episode will forever change how you think about engagement in learning environments. Subscribe to The Talent Forge for more conversations that challenge conventional wisdom and provide actionable strategies to future-proof your training programs.

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

What happens when military discipline meets empathetic leadership? Juan Alvarado's extraordinary journey from military sergeant to leadership coach reveals powerful insights for anyone developing talent.

After nearly a decade in military service followed by law enforcement, Juan faced a profound realization: "You go 10 to 12 years not knowing if you're going to come home, at the end of the day gets old pretty fast." This pivotal moment led him to youth development, where he revolutionized training approaches before launching his own leadership coaching practice.

Juan brings a refreshingly practical perspective to leadership development. Having faced life-threatening situations, he approaches difficult conversations with a unique clarity. His approach balances toughness with remarkable empathy through his HAT framework: How do you Handle what you hear? How do you give Attention with the right attitude? How do you Transform the temperature?

Whether you're developing talent professionally or simply trying to help others grow, Juan's frameworks provide actionable tools for meaningful transformation.

Ready to revolutionize your approach to leadership development? Subscribe now and share this episode with someone who could benefit from these insights.

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

What if your entire reality was being filtered through beliefs you formed as a five-year-old? According to mindset expert Jim Huntzicker, neuroscience reveals we only perceive about 12% of reality—the rest gets filtered out by subconscious beliefs we established before age eight.

In this perspective-shifting conversation, Jim reveals how childhood experiences create the mental "ruts" that dictate our adult behaviors around money, relationships, and success. He shares the shocking story of walking away from six profitable businesses due to limiting beliefs formed while witnessing his parents' arguments about money. This pattern—sabotaging success just when things are going well—is something many high-achievers experience without understanding why.

The episode delivers practical frameworks for transformation, including the powerful "Decision Director" method for reprogramming limiting beliefs and a five-step process for releasing deep-seated resentments that anchor our core limiting beliefs. Jim explains why identifying when you go "primal" (experiencing fear, anxiety, or stress) provides the perfect opportunity to uncover what's truly holding you back.

For leaders and coaches, Jim offers valuable insights on how to address resistance to change by helping people recognize their emotional patterns and shift from "primal" to "powerful" states. He emphasizes that this work isn't a one-time fix but a lifelong practice of awareness, presence, and gratitude that fundamentally changes how you experience challenges.

Ready to discover what your five-year-old brain decided that's still running your life today? This episode provides the awareness and tools to finally break free from invisible mental patterns and consciously create the reality you desire.

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