ADAPT or die

• Julie Stone: Own the Room—Even If You’re Still Finding Your Voice

  On this episode of Adapt or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, former tech-CEO-turned-executive-coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Julie Stone, Director of Human Experience at Milestone Systems and co-author of Power Without Permission. With over two decades of experience in human-centered business transformation, Julie has built her career on turning empathy into action—mentoring emerging leaders, driving customer experience programs, and leading go-to-market strategies that prioritize people at the core. Her leadership superpower? Radical self-awareness. From feeling invisible in early sales meetings to intentionally rewriting how she shows up in every room, Julie shares the tactical mindset shifts that helped her stop waiting for a seat at the table—and start owning it.Challenge →Despite being confident and outgoing, Julie found herself sidelined in critical business settings—standing at the edge of the room (literally and metaphorically), unsure of how to step into her own authority. Internally, she knew she had something to say. But her instincts told her to defer, not disrupt.Adaptation →Julie began intentionally preparing for discomfort: visualizing room layouts, setting bold intentions, and asking for feedback she once avoided. She shifted her mindset from “don’t take up space” to “lead with purpose”—and started owning her seat at the table.Success →She successfully pivoted from top salesperson to customer experience leader—rebirthing her career with more impact, alignment, and joy. Now, Julie mentors others through self-doubt, leads with clarity, and builds customer-first cultures grounded in human connection.🔥 60-Second Hot Seat:Julie retired the belief that some things are just “not for her,” prep-games hard conversations by understanding her own discomfort, and once viewed divorce as a “broken rule”—until it became the gateway to reinvention. Her motto? You don’t wait for permission to lead—you do it with power and presence.📘 Power Without PermissionJulie is a co-author in Power Without Permission. Get your copy at leadersadapt.com/book and join the community of women building unapologetic leadership from the inside out.Visit www.leadersadapt.com/adaptordie for show notes, free resources, and coaching programs. Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters: https://missionmatters.com/author/andreas-pettersson

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• Cheryl Strizelka: When You Stop Apologizing, You Start Leading

  On this episode of Adapt or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, Andreas Pettersson sits down with Cheryl Strizelka, a neurodivergent mother, wife, and thought leader in the HR field. Known for her gift of reading the room and making people feel seen, Cheryl shares the raw, honest journey from people-pleasing and self-doubt to calm, confident leadership. After two decades in HR and a personal reckoning with imposter syndrome, Cheryl has become a powerful advocate for working women—helping them challenge limiting beliefs, stop over-apologizing, and reclaim their voice. From cutting her own hair to cutting ties with toxic leadership, Cheryl’s story proves that real power starts with giving yourself permission.Challenge → Cheryl found herself stuck in a dream job with a CEO she admired—but who undermined her from day one. As a new mom navigating pandemic-era pressure, her confidence unraveled. The deeper she tried to earn approval, the more invisible she became—even to herself.Adaptation → The turning point came not from a single outburst, but a series of quiet wake-up calls—especially from her husband, who saw how the stress was transforming her at home. A brave career pivot, a better network, and inner work helped Cheryl shift her mindset from “prove your worth” to “own your power.”Success → Today, Cheryl speaks with clarity and leads without apology. She’s helping other women escape the “insecure overachiever” trap and guiding them to reframe success—not as perfection, but as showing up fully, honestly, and with intention.🔥 60-Second Hot Seat:Cheryl let go of the myth of perfection (“version one is better than version never”), stopped over-apologizing, and started walking into every room—literal and metaphorical—as if she already belonged. Because she does.📘 Power Without PermissionCheryl is a co-author in Power Without Permission. Get your copy at leadersadapt.com/book and join the community of women building unapologetic leadership from the inside out.Visit www.leadersadapt.com/adaptordie for show notes, free resources, and coaching programs. Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters: https://missionmatters.com/author/andreas-pettersson

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• Martha Chrisander: From Inner Critic to Inner Compass

  On this episode of Adapt or Die, executive coach Andreas Pettersson talks with Martha Chrisander—former journalist, B2B SaaS leader, and co-author of Power Without Permission. From quietly crying off-camera at a company-wide kickoff to winning “Employee of the Year” moments later, Martha takes us inside her transformation from insecure overachiever to confident leader. She shares how imposter syndrome, internalized perfectionism, and generational pressure nearly stole her joy—and how a bold coaching exercise finally shattered the negative self-talk. The result: a more open, grounded leadership style and a generational pattern broken for her sons.Challenge → Despite external success, Martha was unraveling inside—plagued by perfectionism, self-doubt, and stress symptoms that disrupted both her work and home life. Her inner critic ran the show, and she feared the cost of trying (and failing) to fix it might outweigh the pain of staying stuck.Adaptation → With the support of a perceptive manager and a brave leap into coaching, Martha cracked open her armor. A powerful exercise confronting her own negative self-talk shifted her mindset from fear to possibility—and taught her how to lead with evidence instead of anxiety.Success → Today, Martha brings radical honesty and vulnerability into every leadership room. She champions psychological safety for her teams and shows up fully at home—watching her 12-year-old son begin to rewrite his own story with resilience and confidence.🔥 60-Second Hot Seat:Martha shares why she stopped treating compliments like lies, what breaking an egg taught her son about self-talk, and how she turned her inner critic into a creative motivator. Her biggest belief shift? You don’t need outside permission to take up space—you just need proof that you already belong.Think high achievers don’t struggle with self-doubt? Martha proves the fiercest growth happens when you stop hiding from your own story.📘 Power Without PermissionMartha is a co-author in Power Without Permission. Get your copy at leadersadapt.com book and join the community of women building unapologetic leadership from the inside out.Visit www.leadersadapt.com/adaptordie for show notes, free resources, and coaching programs. Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters: https://missionmatters.com/author/andreas-pettersson

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• Theresa Bassett & The Diamond Group: From Settlement Stress to Scalable Success

  On this episode of Adapt or Die, executive coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Theresa Bassett, CEO of The Diamond Group—a digital marketing and sales strategy firm that’s helped clients generate over $550 million in revenue. Theresa recounts a defining moment in 2015 when a legal settlement demanded she grow revenue by 80% in under 100 days—or risk losing everything. From launching 27 websites in four weeks to winning an international airport contract with no prior experience, she unpacks how grit, clarity, and a proprietary roadmap called Momentum helped her turn chaos into a thriving, scalable agency.Challenge → A crushing settlement required massive cash payments every six months for four years—more than the business even made in a year. With bankruptcy off the table and legal constraints in place, Theresa had no choice but to transform a project-based model into a sustainable, retainer-driven business—fast.Adaptation → Theresa leaned into scrappy execution, hiring quickly, saying yes to everything (including airport RFPs she’d never touched), and pivoting The Diamond Group into a full-service agency overnight. With help from her husband—and a growth mindset shaped by Fortune 500 experience—she scaled the team from 3 to 25 in 18 months.Success → Theresa not only met the cash demands, but eventually scaled back to rebuild systems more intentionally. Her Momentum framework now helps other founders build sustainable marketing systems, and she’s grown a team-managed business that no longer depends on her wearing all the hats.🔥 60-Second Hot Seat:Theresa shares why “clarity is king,” how she embraces productive tension with her husband and co-founder, and why scaling a service business is like raising kids—progress isn’t linear. Her favorite leadership mantra? Get specific, get committed, and never rely on referrals alone to grow.Think a crushing settlement means the end of the road? Theresa proves it can be the rocket fuel that launches your next era.Visit www.leadersadapt.com/adaptordie for show notes, free resources, and coaching programs. Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters: https://missionmatters.com/author/andreas-pettersson

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• Scott Allen: Leading Through Curiosity, Not Control

  On this episode of Adapt or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, Andreas Pettersson sits down with award-winning educator, consultant, and podcast host Scott J. Allen, Ph.D.—a leadership expert who’s trained organizations like NASA, Cleveland Clinic, and Toyota. Scott unpacks why most leaders fail not because of change, but because they cling to control. From psychological safety to adaptive leadership, this conversation rewires how we think about effective teams and decision-making in complexity.Challenge → Too many leaders believe they must have the answers—creating environments where silence, blame, and outdated mindsets prevent growth.Adaptation → Scott leans on strategic vulnerability, curiosity, and co-creation to build organizations that solve real problems instead of protecting egos.Success → A culture of experimentation, breakthrough thinking, and empowered teams—backed by 60+ peer-reviewed publications and global impact across education and executive leadership.🔥 60-Second Hot Seat: The two leaders Scott admires most? John Wooden and Terry Francona—for winning with humility, constraints, and constant reinvention. His must-read book for leaders is Mindset by Carol Dweck. And his definition of real leadership? Vulnerability, humility, curiosity, intention, and consistency.Want more Scott? 🔗 LinkedIn 🔗 scottjallen.net 🎙️ Practical Wisdom for Leaders – Ranked in the top 2.5% of podcasts globallyVisit www.leadersadapt.com/adaptordie for show notes, free resources, and coaching programs. Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters: https://missionmatters.com/author/andreas-pettersson

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