The city of New Orleans recently experienced “the Taylor Swift effect”—the whole city coming together culturally and economically for the singer’s Eras Tour weekend. Today on The Seismic Shift, Michelle sits down with 2025 Super Bowl Czar Michael Hecht to talk all about how the city can recreate that sense of joy and belonging during next year’s Super Bowl.

As New Orleans natives, Michelle and Michael are both passionate about seeing their city thrive during big events like a Taylor Swift concert and the Super Bowl, and New Orleans undoubtedly does big events very well (just look at Mardi Gras!). But how can other cities or organizations recreate the kind of weekend these two just experienced in their city—one that fostered belonging, sparked joy, and thrived on spontaneity and inclusivity? Michelle asks Michael to break it down during this conversation. Together they take a look at the practical ways Michael’s preparing for the Super Bowl next year, how other entities can foster connection around their own big events, and why the Taylor Swift effect doesn’t have to end when the Eras Tour leaves your city.

CHAPTERS

00:00 The Power of Connection in Divisive Times
03:08 Taylor Swift's Impact on New Orleans
05:51 The Role of Community in Major Events
09:12 Creating a Lasting Legacy Beyond the Super Bowl
11:56 The Joy of Freedom and Individuality
14:49 Engagement as a Key to Success
18:13 Decentralized Models of Celebration
21:00 Building Anticipation for the Super Bowl
24:08 Michael Hecht's Journey to Super Bowl Czar

Special thanks to our friend Brian Wayy for the theme music this season!
Track Title: My Hearts On Fire

We all have those things that are most important to us, but do our calendars actually reflect those priorities? This week on The Seismic Shift, Michelle is joined by an individual who has personally helped her make some of the biggest shifts of her professional life over the past six months. That person is former NFL coach turned executive coach, Taylor Johnson. Taylor is an expert when it comes to helping others craft that winning formula that will set them on the path towards greater connection, clarity, and confidence. Taylor and Michelle dive into it all in today’s conversation.

Given Michelle’s connection to Taylor and his strategies, they start this episode a little differently: with Michelle sharing how hearing Taylor speak at a conference led to working with him to create her own connection cadence. Taylor then goes into his own areas of expertise, walking listeners through a series of exercises to spark connection—including “the best of me” framework, how to optimize your calendar for connection, and taking a look at why it’s so important to start with ourselves and our own priorities before adding others to the equation.

This is a truly transformational conversation on the power (and logistics!) behind building connections and increasing your performance that you’re not going to want to miss!

Download "The Best of Me" exercise worksheet here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cnRb1mnI11mvCfysSjWWyqTkj-pVcTFS/view?usp=sharing

Complementary Strategy Session:
https://www.taylorjohnsonperformance.com/strategy-call

Taylor Johnson, LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorjohnsonperformance/

Taylor Johnson Performance:
https://www.taylorjohnsonperformance.com/

Paul Graham, Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule:
https://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html

CHAPTERS

00:00 Understanding Relationships: The Three Buckets
04:01 Taylor Johnson: A Journey from Sports to Coaching
07:14 The Business Athlete Concept
11:59 The Winning Formula Session
14:48 Self-Awareness Drives Performance
22:10 Optimizing Your Calendar for Connection
29:27 Creating a Connection Cadence
32:03 Planning for Connection: Annual to Daily
38:44 The Importance of Reflection and Learning
42:04 Wrapping Up: Intentionality in Relationships

Special thanks to our friend Brian Wayy for the theme music this season!
Track Title: My Hearts On Fire

How do we deal with a micromanaging boss? What if you are that micromanaging boss? Can leading yourself well really bring purpose to even the most mundane job functions? On this week’s episode of The Seismic Shift, Michelle sits down with mother-daughter consulting team Lisa McLeod and Elizabeth Lotardo to answer these questions and more—focusing on the power we can all find in being our own best leader.

Lisa is an executive coach and the author of Leading With Noble Purpose. Elizabeth is also a coach and the author of the new book Leading Yourself. Together these three dynamic leaders discuss the seismic shift this next generation of leaders is experiencing in the workplace, how to make the shift from feeling powerless to powerful at work (and why that matters), and what both the older and younger generations can learn about leadership from the other. Elizabeth and Lisa leave listeners with practical tips on everything from dealing with jerk bosses to eliminating minimizing language from your work communication.

No matter what your role, leading yourself well can change everything about how you work. Don’t miss this important episode of The Seismic Shift!

Learn more about Lisa and Elizabeth’s consulting work here: https://www.mcleodandmore.com/

Buy Leading With Noble Purpose here: https://www.mcleodandmore.com/leading-with-noble-purpose/

Check out Leading Yourself here: https://www.amazon.com/Leading-Yourself-Elizabeth-Lotardo/dp/1394238703

CHAPTERS

00:00 Finding Purpose in Work
02:50 The Shift to Leading Yourself
06:05 Generational Perspectives on Work
09:07 Mindset and Control in the Workplace
11:56 Practical Strategies for Employees
14:55 Navigating Difficult Bosses
18:10 The Importance of Communication
20:58 Empowering Yourself at Work
24:08 Closing Thoughts and Practical Tips

Special thanks to our friend Brian Wayy for the theme music this season!
Track Title: My Hearts On Fire