Advertise on podcast: Break Away: Leadership For A Sound Mind And Body

In today's episode of the BreakAway Podcast, Bryan Tower sits down with AJ Elhossiani, a student with optiMize and a proud Paraeducator, to discuss the generation of the future and how to best provide for those that come next. Hear AJ's personal experiences and how they've shaped the way he approaches teaching and leading in his everyday life.

In this episode of the Break Away Podcast, host Tina Sula interviews guests Bella Jabra and Jack Brown on topics related to networking. Join us to learn how networking and marketing yourself can give you a competitive edge in the modern world.

In this episode of Break Away, Bryan Tower sits down with Eda Bozkurt and Zena Aljilehawi from the Ginsberg Center to discuss the idea of collaboration between multiple leaders. Listen as they discuss modern leadership ideas and how it may be more nuanced and hopeful than you may believe.

In this episode of Story Lab, Nick Viviano talks with Willy Mak about how a challenging early career experience reshaped his understanding of leadership. After feeling constrained in a sustainable finance role, Willy sought growth beyond his position and later thrived under a manager who empowered him to contribute more meaningfully. He reflects on how this journey shaped his leadership philosophy, centered on mentorship, growth, and creating opportunities for others.

Continuing their discussion, hosts Zachary Sieloff and Samantha Howden learn how Max Effgen has entered his newest venture and continue to learn the importance of learning from one’s successes, on top of their losses.

Samantha Howden and Zach Sieloff sit down with Max Effgen, a University of Michigan graduate to discuss the importance of learning from your wins and innovating in the world of entrepreneurship in this first part of their conversation.

On this episode of Break Away we're sharing a special edition episode of the Story Lab Podcast which features a story recorded live at the Story Lab Showcase, which takes place every semester in Robertson Auditorium. In this episode, we'll first listen to the story Alfred Koo (Ph.D. '29) shared in front of U-M students, staff and faculty at the showcase. Following his story, we discuss with Alfred his experience preparing for the event and why he recommends participation to any student interested in developing their public speaking skills.

Students from the Planet Blue Student Leaders (PBSL), Jonah, Shree, and Elliot, discuss how everyone can make more sustainable choices during the holidays. They also discuss Scope 3 emissions with a very special guest: Katrina Folsom.

Barger Leadership Institute (BLI) student fellows Samantha Howden and Emily Williams welcome BLI alum Brandon Bond to discuss this episode’s topic, Fostering Well-Being and Resilience for students at Michigan. Brandon Bond is the LSA Mental Health & Well-Being Project Lead in the LSA Dean's Office, University of Michigan, where he spearheads strategic and systemic public mental health initiatives. With experience in global public health, multicultural well-being, and organizational change, Brandon applies a multidisciplinary approach to his work. Together the trio discuss Michigan hustle culture, how students can build healthy habits to be better leaders and the importance of campus leadership to support well-being and resilience initiatives on campus.

In this Story Lab episode of the Break Away Podcast, Armani Guerra shares his journey advocating for and fighting misconceptions about an illness that still doesn't have a cure. After Armani shares his story, he discusses the storytelling process and importance of his story with Story Lab program manager Nick Viviano. Story Lab is powered by the Sanger Leadership Center. Story Lab develops executive-level presence and communication skills through storytelling workshops and events. For more information, visit sanger.umich.edu/experience/story-lab.

In this Story Lab episode of the Break Away Podcast, Sally Mo shares her experiences and some of the challenges she faced in finding community at the University of Michigan. After Sally shares her story, she discusses the origins of her story and how she navigated the storytelling process with Story Lab program manager Nick Viviano. Story Lab is powered by the Sanger Leadership Center. Story Lab develops executive-level presence and communication skills through storytelling workshops and events.

Sereeno Chen shares how her journey of reinvention and risk taking empowered her to strive for a more personally meaningful and authentic future. Sereeno then discusses her story and the storytelling process with Nick Viviano, program lead of Story Lab, a leadership program that develops executive-level presence and communication skills through storytelling workshops and events.

Performing Arts Technology (PAT) student, Emelia Piane and Professor Zeynep Özcan discuss their experiences in the field of sound engineering. They talk about their paths leading to where they are now, and how they have navigated the status quo of an industry with limited female representation.

In this episode, Cristina Eckhoff (Ross School of Business) and Fatema Haque (Barger Leadership Institute, BLI) discuss personal experiences with failure and how they've shaped their leadership. Eckhoff and Haque will explore how failure can be a growth opportunity, build resilience, and model vulnerability and authenticity. They will connect their experiences to leadership theories and the BLI's Mindful Mindset.

Jeff Domagala and Bizzy Webb discuss the Michigan Model of Leadership (MMoL), a leadership framework that provides a lens into understanding which leadership skills learners have already polished and which skills need improvement. The two talk about their experiences with the MMoL, and how effective and impactful the model can be in everyday lives.