Contagious Culture

#121 | The Art and Power of Positive Thinking: Transform, Grow and Achieve W/ Dr. Dexter Shorter

In this inspiring episode of The Contagious Culture Podcast, Dr. Dexter Shorter breaks down the true art and power of positive thinking, far beyond clichés or motivational quotes. He explores how mindset shapes identity, influences behavior, and determines the opportunities we allow ourselves to see. Drawing from his personal journey and years of leadership experience, Dr. Shorter shares how intentional thinking can transform the way we show up in our families, our careers, and our communities. He explains why positivity is not pretending, but a disciplined practice of choosing growth over comfort, perspective over pressure, and purpose over fear.
Dr. Shorter unpacks the internal battles we all face, the stories we tell ourselves, and the barriers that keep so many people from achieving their next level. With warmth, clarity, and conviction, he offers a blueprint for shifting your mindset, elevating your actions, and aligning your life with the person you were created to become. If you’re ready to break old patterns, embrace growth, and step boldly into your potential, this episode will give you the tools and the push to get there.
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#120 | The Silent Partner in Your Success: Janice M. Coleman on Self-Awareness, Congruency & Building a Career That Loves You Back

Janice M. Coleman joins The Contagious Culture Podcast for a transformative conversation about alignment, authenticity, and building a career that truly reflects who you are. With nearly three decades in Corporate America leading rooms, coaching teams, and elevating leaders, Janice opens up about her journey from IT into career coaching and leadership development. She breaks down the power of congruency, the danger of operating from a false sense of self, and how the lies we tell ourselves become liabilities that limit our potential. Growing up in a challenging environment shaped her relentless pursuit of excellence, and today she uses that same drive to help people discover who they are, what they’re gifted at, and how to step into careers they love, careers that also love them back.
Renowned as a keynote speaker and guided by mentors like Zig Ziglar, Janice is more than thought-provoking, she is action-provoking. She brings intelligence, compassion, and high standards of excellence into every space she enters, serving as the silent partner in the workplace who helps individuals and organizations align from the inside out. In this powerful episode, she unpacks the importance of self-awareness, the lifelong process of developing your gifts, and the freedom that comes from living and leading in full alignment. This is an essential listen for anyone seeking clarity, purpose, or a path toward the next level of their career.
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#119 | When 30,000 Kids Stay Home: The Fight for Safety, Schools, and Justice in Charlotte W/ Natalie Paramenter

In this powerful and timely episode, Kyle sits down with Natalie Paramenter, a fearless advocate for families and students in Charlotte, to unpack one of the most urgent crises the community has faced this year. With ICE presence disrupting neighborhoods and nearly 30,000 students absent from school in a single day, Natalie and Kyle dive into the real consequences families are navigating and why education must remain a protected right for every child.
They explore the current assault on Charlotte’s immigrant communities and how ICE activity is impacting school attendance, access, and family safety. The conversation moves into the heart and character of great schools, what it looks like to be a braver parent in moments of uncertainty, and why struggling before succeeding is such an important part of a child’s development. Throughout the episode, Natalie brings clarity and conviction to a moment when parents need both information and courage.
The two also dig into how everyone in the community can do their part. Natalie shares her mission-driven commitment to advocacy, fundraising, and amplifying the work that matters most. She talks about her 20–30 minute YouTube literacy sessions designed to help close the growing reading gap, and the work she does to help parents navigate school options so their children land in environments where they can truly thrive.
This conversation is raw, inspiring, and anchored in purpose. If you care about schools, families, justice, or the future of Charlotte’s children, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.
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#118 | When Genius Meets Grace: The Redemption of Damon Watson

In this powerful episode of The Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Damon Watson, a Harvard-educated attorney whose journey defies every expectation. Once on top of the world, Damon fell into addiction, lost his career, and found himself homeless and behind bars. But instead of letting his past define him, he rebuilt his life from the inside out—spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.
Today, Damon uses his story to mentor inmates, restore dignity to the forgotten, and remind the world that redemption is always possible. This conversation explores what it really means to start over, how shame can evolve into strength, and why grace is often the most contagious form of culture there is. If you’ve ever hit rock bottom or watched someone you love fight to rise again, this is the story you need to hear.
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#117 | The Climb, The Courage, The Exit: Building a Career That Serves You W/ Krista Bourne

What happens when you climb to the top of corporate America, only to realize you’re ready to redefine what success looks like?In this episode, I sit down with Krista Bourne , a powerhouse leader who spent 25 years inside Verizon, rising from the mailroom to COO of its Consumer Group. She led 30,000 employees, served 110 million customers, and helped deliver over $100 billion in annual revenue.But here’s what makes her story extraordinary, Krista walked away on her own terms.Now, she’s helping high-achieving professionals gain clarity, build strategy, and lead with authenticity, without losing themselves in the process.This conversation is about power, purpose, and permission, because you don’t need anyone else’s to design a career that aligns with who you are.
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#116 | How Great Fundraisers Build Trust and Transform Communities W/ Rachel Simon

What separates a good fundraiser from a truly transformative one? In this episode, Kyle sits down with Rachel Simon, MBA, MS, CFRE , a powerhouse in the world of community impact and philanthropy, to unpack how authentic relationships, deep trust, and shared purpose can turn fundraising into a movement for change.Rachel shares her journey from early career challenges to leading record-breaking campaigns that didn’t just raise money, they rebuilt confidence, culture, and connection within entire communities. Together, she and Kyle explore what it really means to lead with empathy, create donor partnerships rooted in trust, and sustain generosity even in uncertain times.If you’ve ever wondered how to inspire people to give, not out of obligation, but out of belief, this episode is your blueprint.
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#115 | Building Resilient Women: Leadership, Sisterhood, + Self-Belief

In this episode of Contagious Culture, we sit down with Shantell Jeter, founder of You Got It Girl and Manager of Special Projects at Boston Public Schools. Shantell Jeter is a powerhouse educator, coach, and community builder dedicated to empowering young women to embrace their value, build confidence, and become resilient leaders. With over 300,000 Black women recently pushed out of the workforce due to federal budget cuts and the rollback of DEI initiatives, Shantell’s work has never been more urgent.
Through basketball, leadership programming, and a strong focus on sisterhood, she is creating spaces where girls can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally and learn that everything they need to succeed is already inside them. In this conversation, we explore the intersection of leadership, resilience, and self-belief, hear inspiring stories from the girls she mentors, and discuss how programs like You Got It Girl can change the trajectory for the next generation. Shantell also shares how educators and communities can continue supporting young women in a world that too often underestimates their potential. Tune in to learn actionable insights on how to nurture confidence, foster meaningful connections, and raise a generation of women who are ready to lead with courage and purpose.
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#114 | The Power of One: Why You’re Not Making Progress (and How to Change that..)

In this live episode of The Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King dives deep into why you’re not making progress and how one decision, one risk, and one step can completely shift your momentum.Kyle shares the behind-the-scenes story of how The Podcastathon and The Blueprint Conference came to life in just 11 days and what it really takes to turn vision into execution. If you’ve been waiting for the “right time” to start, this episode will challenge your comfort zone and give you a roadmap to move from stuck to unstoppable in just five days.
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