You know the conversation you need to have at work.
But you don’t want to rock the boat.
Make someone angry.
Or add one more thing to your already full plate.
So, you wait.
But the issue grows.
Trust erodes.
And that conversation gets even harder.
My special guest today is author, speaker Justine Froelker and she’s simplifying how to lead with courage.
We tackle and simplify all aspects of it, including:
- What courage actually means and why it isn’t about being fearless, bold, or the loudest person in the room.
- What it means to become a courage-centered leader.
- How courage-centered leaders approach conflict differently than leaders who avoid it or simply try to keep the peace.
- The small, practical behaviors that create greater trust, clearer communication, and less avoidance at work.
- Her five pathways to a courageous life and why coming back to yourself matters before you lead others.
- Feel it all
- Embody again
- Be fully you
- Love others well
- Do the work
- How to have the conversations that matter with honesty and care, without eroding trust or making others feel threatened.
Because leading with courage is not about having all the answers or performing confidence. It’s about being willing to address what matters before a small issue becomes a much bigger one
Q: Are you wanting to lead with courage? If yes, this one is for you.
It’s time to #DoTheThing!
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<What’s catching my eye this week>
- 3 hours of (free) focus music for deep concentration - Quiet Quest - Study Music
- Mary’s book is out now! Buy Squash the Sunday Scaries: A Modern Playbook to Rebuild Trust, Transform Culture, and Reignite Your Workforce on Amazon now or your favorite bookstore!
- Hire Mary Baird, PHR to help you run a 30-day Employee Experience Accelerator to listen better to your workforce, rebuild trust in your senior leadership and improve culture at work - The Simplifiers
- 50 powerful questions to help you reflect - The Institute of You
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My challenge for you this week:
How are you going to take what you’ve learned in today’s episode and take action to lead with courage? What’s one thing you’ll do differently? Share it with me, privately or publicly. Snap a photo of you doing the thing, and send me a DM over on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesimplifiers) for added accountability and support!
Episode sponsored in part by Goodboy Agency, providing employer branding redesigns for busy HR Teams:
This episode is brought to you in part by Goodboy, helping HR teams compete for top talent. Goodboy helps midsize companies strengthen their employer brand, attract better candidates, and fill open roles faster. From redesigning your careers page to running targeted recruitment campaigns, they’ll help your company stand out in a crowded talent market. Visit www.goodboyagency.com/simplifiers to learn more.
Links, books and apps mentioned:
Resource: Find Justine Froelker on LinkedIn - click here
Book: Courage is Built Here - Justine Froelker
Resource: Courage Circle meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at 12:30pm CT, online. They meet in community, come as you are, for no more than 30 minutes and discuss courage from Justine’s Courage Deck - FREE - Justine Froelker
Watch: How to apply the 5 Love Languages in the workplace, featuring Dr. Paul White - The Simplifiers Podcast
Resource: How to squash the Sunday Scaries - Mathew Blades - Air-Check your Life
Newsletter: 3-2-1 Thursday newsletter (free) includes 3 short ideas, 2 quotes from others, and 1 question for you to ponder - James Clear
Podcast: How to make workforce training stick, featuring Ryan McCrea - The Simplifiers Podcast
Podcast: How to squash the Sunday Scaries (guided visualization) - The Simplifiers Podcast
Mary’s new book is out NOW on Amazon!
My new book, Squash the Sunday Scaries: A Modern Playbook to Rebuild Trust, Transform Culture, and Reignite Your Workforce, is out now — and you can buy it today on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or your favorite independent bookstore. It’s written for HR leaders, people managers, and anyone ready to make work better in a practical, human way. If you’ve been looking for simple tools to improve employee experience, rebuild trust, and create better results for your people and your business, this book is for you. Learn more, visit: https://squashthesundayscaries.com
About Justine Froelker:
Justine Froelker - She is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 25 years of experience in mental health, personal growth, and professional development. She creates the space where people can remember how deeply loved they are and learn how to live and lead from that love. For eleven years, she was certified in Dr. Brené Brown’s research on vulnerability, courage, and empathy. Today, she teaches her own curriculum, Courage is Built Here™, a transformative program that equips individuals and teams to live and lead with self-awareness, authenticity, and resilience to build courage-centered leaders and cultures and families.
Rooted in her faith, Justine lives and works from her true identity, Mother of Restoration. Her work is an outpouring of that calling: to help people heal, remember who they are, and rise into lives of meaning, connection, and wholeness. An award-winning author of fourteen books, including five Amazon bestsellers, Justine writes across genres, from children’s literature to explorations of leadership, faith, infertility, grief, and healing. She has delivered two TEDx Talks, The Permission of the And and The Donut Effect, which highlight her unique perspective on navigating life’s complexities with love, humor, and grace.
Justine is a sought-after speaker who travels nationally and presents virtually to global audiences, delivering keynotes, retreats, and training on courageous leadership, emotional resilience, burnout recovery, and creating cultures of belonging. Justine lives in St. Louis with her husband Chad and their four dogs Gertie, Winston, Nick, and Schmidt. You’ll often find her volunteering at Wild Bird Rehabilitation supporting the medical team and feeding hundreds of tiny, hungry babies during baby bird season. And during butterfly season, her home comes alive with the flutter of wings as she raises hundreds of monarch and swallowtail butterflies.
Where Justine hangs out online:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinefroelker
Website: https://justinefroelker.com
Website: https://www.monarchmeadowsretreat.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinefroelker
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@justinefroelker
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JustineFroelker
Justine’s vote for the perfect guest on The Simplifiers Podcast:
Rhoda Banks - She is an acclaimed author, sought-after speaker, podcast host, and founder of The Rhoda Experience. Through storytelling and lived experience, Rhoda Banks inspires others to heal, rewrite their stories, and let their past inform, rather than define, their future. She is the author of Daughter of an Assassin and host of Breakthrough Conversations with Rhoda & Co., where she creates space for honest conversations, personal growth, and meaningful action.
Join the next round of the Sunday Scaries Book Club, starting August 4th, 2026!
Got your copy of Squash the Sunday Scaries but not sure where to begin? Join Mary for her official book club to take action on rebuilding trust, improve the employee experience, gain insider access to accelerate the work, and make a positive impact. Next cohort starts August 4th, 2026 - secure your spot today.
