The Needs Improvement Podcast

Exploring the Intersection of Conscious Leadership, Mental Well-Being, and Purpose-Driven Work

The modern workplace is ripe for transformation, and the Needs Improvement Podcast is here to challenge the status quo.

Join host Nicholas Whitaker as he dives into candid conversations with leaders, professionals, and innovators who are redefining what it means to thrive in work and life.

We explore topics that matter most to today’s professionals:

  • Reclaiming Time, Energy, and Attention in a distracted world

  • Conscious Leadership Practices that foster authentic connection

  • Mental Health Advocacy and reducing stigma in professional spaces

  • Aligning Work with Personal Purpose to create lasting impact

Our mission is to inspire meaningful change by unpacking the tools, strategies, and stories that empower individuals and teams to move forward with clarity, resilience, and intention.

Whether you’re navigating a career transition, seeking alignment in your leadership, or striving for balance in your work-life integration, the Needs Improvement Podcast is your companion on the journey toward a more conscious and fulfilling way of working.

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We’re not just talking about change—we’re building it. Interested in becoming a guest or sponsor? Visit the contact page to connect.

Listen Now and Take Back Control!

Explore episodes below or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform to reclaim your time, energy, and focus on what truly matters.

Featured Episodes:

Leadership, Arts, and Authenticity | Tim Van Ness, President @ Van Ness & Co.
Nicholas Whitaker Nicholas Whitaker

Leadership, Arts, and Authenticity | Tim Van Ness, President @ Van Ness & Co.

Join host Nicholas Whitaker and Tim Van Ness, President at Van Ness & Co as they discuss the transformative power of creativity and theater in corporate culture.

Tim shares his journey from music and theater to founding Van Ness and Company, using improvisational theater to address organizational challenges and promote conscious leadership.

Our conversation dissects the role of humor, emotional intelligence, and storytelling in revealing truths and catalyzing change within organizations, and we also emphasize the importance of connection, self-awareness, and leadership presence.

Van Ness & Co

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Rediscovering Awe & Artistic Beauty in the Workplace | Emma Laurence, CLC
Nicholas Whitaker Nicholas Whitaker

Rediscovering Awe & Artistic Beauty in the Workplace | Emma Laurence, CLC

Chat with Emma Laurence, Certified Life Coach, creative artist, and author, as we dive into the challenges and opportunities that come with major life transitions.

Emma’s powerful life transition story highlights the impact of an overachieving work culture on physical and mental health. She offers a creative perspective on workplace challenges, including practical keys from her illustrated Beyond Burnout Playbook.

Emma illuminates the role of creativity in helping corporate leaders and managers raise team performance to a level of artistry. And together, we explore the vibrational impact of music to help navigate life transitions with greater ease.

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Becoming A ”Compassionate Agitator” | Jeff Jacobs, Sr. Director of Organizational Effectiveness @ Adobe
Nicholas Whitaker Nicholas Whitaker

Becoming A ”Compassionate Agitator” | Jeff Jacobs, Sr. Director of Organizational Effectiveness @ Adobe

Listen in with Host Nicholas Whitaker and his guest Jeff Jacobs, Sr. Director of Organizational Effectiveness at Adobe and Mental Health Advocate, as he discusses navigating mental health challenges in the workplace.

We tackle the idea of being a "compassionate agitator" and challenging individuals and teams to evolve with safety and kindness. Jeff also shares some details of his mental health journey, suggesting insights for leadership behavior-modeling, and ways individuals can pursue self-care while protecting their professional brands.

His upcoming book, 'Still Coming of Age: Making the Most of Life's Lessons and Milestones,' is a collection of stories and life lessons encouraging us to embrace and learn from our challenges in service to living more authentic and successful lives.

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Career Transitions & Work/Self Alignment | Jennifer Spainhour - Founder & Executive Coach
Nicholas Whitaker Nicholas Whitaker

Career Transitions & Work/Self Alignment | Jennifer Spainhour - Founder & Executive Coach

Chat with Jennifer Spainhour, Executive Coach and Founder of Position for Success Coaching, as she discusses the challenges and opportunities of career transitions.

We tackle the importance of aligning work with personal values and strengths, and the need for courage to make a change. Jen also shares her approach of helping clients create a roadmap for their career transition, using techniques such as dream storming and identifying dig sites.

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Vicarious Trauma through Exposure | Hannah Storm - Journalist, Author, and Founder
Nicholas Whitaker Nicholas Whitaker

Vicarious Trauma through Exposure | Hannah Storm - Journalist, Author, and Founder

Chat with Hannah Storm, media consultant and founder of Headlines Network as she opens up about normalizing mental health conversations in journalism.

Drawing from her personal experiences with complex post-traumatic stress disorder, Hannah stresses the necessity of safe spaces for discussing mental health and delves into topics like vicarious trauma, empathetic leadership, and generational differences in mental health awareness.

Throughout our conversation, we explore the impact of Headlines Network in fostering these crucial discussions within newsrooms. Hannah advocates for increased investment in mental health, underlining the significance of self-care and recovery after challenging conversations.

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Redefining Success with Anya Smith | Founder, RightOffTrack
Nicholas Whitaker Nicholas Whitaker

Redefining Success with Anya Smith | Founder, RightOffTrack

Chat with Founder & Host, Anya Smith, as she challenges the conventional definition of success and encourages you to follow your own purpose and values.

Listen in as we explore the benefits (and difficulties) of mindfulness, how to embrace rejection, and some of the difficulties that working mothers in tech face.

Anya's work focuses on amplifying voices and helping individuals build their strategies for exposure and success. She is also a super connector who wants to highlight the accessibility and willingness of people to support and collaborate when they are given the opportunity.

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Mental Health Support Gaps in the Workplace | Ennis Olson - Global Innovation Lead @ Google
Nicholas Whitaker Nicholas Whitaker

Mental Health Support Gaps in the Workplace | Ennis Olson - Global Innovation Lead @ Google

Chat with Ennis Olson, Global Innovation Lead at Google and fierce advocate for better mental health support in the workplace.

Ennis discusses the need for leaders to receive training and tools to create a supportive environment and highlights the importance of accessibility to mental health services and the assessment process for diagnosis.

We contemplate the long-term effects of masking behaviors at work, the lack of current support within many teams, and how to be more neuro-inclusive as a leader.

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Authenticity and Secure Leadership with Sarah Devereaux | Founder & Leadership Coach
Nicholas Whitaker Nicholas Whitaker

Authenticity and Secure Leadership with Sarah Devereaux | Founder & Leadership Coach

Chat with Sarah Devereaux, Leadership Coach and Strategic Advisor.

Listen in as she reflects on her time at Google and her philosophy of "yes". From an entry-level job to the Head of Executive Development, Sarah has embraced being a lifelong learner and how mindset agility is the biggest asset available.

We contemplate the nature of global changes at work, expectations on leadership, and what the future might look like for executive communication.

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Create alignment between your natural skills and interests with Tijana Buric | Founder + CEO, Career Alchemist | Human Design at Work
Nicholas Whitaker Nicholas Whitaker

Create alignment between your natural skills and interests with Tijana Buric | Founder + CEO, Career Alchemist | Human Design at Work

Chat with Tijana Buric, CEO + Founder of Career Alchemist, and Human Design Strategist. 

Find out what Human Design is, and how it can be used to create a natural alignment between your natural skills and interests, and yourself at work.

Hear how Tijana uses Human Design as a tool to bring all the puzzle pieces together and connect with your deeper purpose.

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