I Have Some Questions…
I Have Some Questions...
Podcast Description
What if leadership wasn’t about having the answers—but about asking better questions?On "I Have Some Questions…", Erik Berglund – a founder, coach, and Speechcraft evangelist – dives into the conversations that high performers aren’t having enough. This isn’t your typical leadership podcast. It’s a tactical deep-dive into the soft skills that actually drive results: the hard-to-nail moments of accountability, the awkward feedback loops, and the language that turns good leaders into great ones.Each week, Erik explores a question that has shaped his own journey. Expect raw, unpolished curiosity. Expect conversations with bold thinkers, rising leaders, and practitioners who are tired of recycled advice and ready to talk about what really works. Expect episodes that get under the hood of how real change happens: through what we say, how we say it, and how often we practice it.This show is for driven managers, emerging execs, and anyone who knows that real growth comes from curiosity rather than charisma.Subscribe if you’re ready to stop winging it and start leading with intention.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on critical leadership skills, self-awareness, and accountability, with episodes diving into topics like how to lead teams in an AI-enhanced environment and the significance of asking better questions for personal and organizational growth.
Most people know the headline of a leader’s story. Few know the path it took to get there. This podcast goes beyond titles, book launches and business wins, to explore the lived journey behind the thought leader.
Through deep, unhurried conversations, we uncover the moments that shaped them—the doubts, pivots, convictions, and quiet breakthroughs that built their body of work.
Each episode features authors, coaches, executives, and bold thinkers who have forged their own path. Instead of rehearsed talking points, they’re invited into a space where thoughtful questions unlock something more human. The result is a layered conversation that reveals not just what they preach, but how they became the kind of person who can teach it.
Because we believe the best stories aren’t always told—they’re revealed. And when brilliant people are given the right questions and the room to answer them fully, what emerges is insight you can feel, frameworks you can apply, and a deeper understanding of what it truly takes to lead, create, and contribute at a meaningful level.
Wanda J. Herndon shares how her commitment to telling the truth guided her through corporate PR, and how she navigated being stifled by “sure things” in old-guard companies before helping build Starbucks into a global brand. Her memoir, *Working Class to Breaking Glass*, connects leadership, belonging, and resilience.
👤 About the Guest
Wanda J. Herndon is an award-winning communications executive, author, and trailblazer. Best known as Starbucks’ first SVP of global communications, she rose through Dow Chemical, DuPont, and Starbucks, and authored the memoir Working Class to Breaking Glass. Raised in Flint, Michigan, she brings a working-class, race- and gender-aware perspective to leadership.
🧭 Conversation Highlights
- How “telling the truth” works in corporate PR: selective communication, but not lying
- Starbucks as a brand-building environment: from local growth goals to global culture learning
- “Never hear no” reframed: when the party’s over, pivot to “yes” elsewhere
- Resilience and belonging: claiming the seat, building networks, and lifting others as you climb
💡 Key Takeaways
- Truth can be both a personal ethic and a communications practice, especially when you’re asked hard questions
- Stifling can feel like inertia, but you can still design your next “yes” and keep moving
- Brand growth is also internal culture, messaging, and earned media partnerships
- Global communication demands nuance: directness must flex to the people and context in front of you
❓ Questions That Mattered
- Where did Wanda’s commitment to truth get tested, and how did she handle the tension?
- What did “no” sound like in the boardroom when her global aspirations were blocked?
- What does it mean to pivot from fighting for one path to finding “yes” on another?
- How do you adapt external messaging and tone across cultures while staying true to the brand?
🗣️ Notable Quotes
- “You can leave out certain aspects and decide on what you should communicate.”
- “I was never afraid of losing my job. I had plan B.”
- “You’re the CEO of me. I am in control, and I am going to see how many yeses I can get on the open market.”
- “If you’re invited into the room, you already belong. Don’t let anybody take that away from you.”
🔗 Links & Resources
Disclaimer
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