Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom cover art

Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom

Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom

By: Kim Miller - Hershon
Listen for free

Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom: Where clichés come to retire and fresh thinking we inspire. Smart minds don’t think alike—and that’s the point. Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom takes you inside the messy, brilliant, and bold thought processes of high-achieving leaders, entrepreneurs, and out-of-the-box thinkers. We skip the clichés and spotlight the real talk: the strange decisions that worked, the brilliant ideas that bombed, and the thought patterns that defy the rulebook—but still lead to growth, impact, and the occasional mic drop. If you’re tired of surface-level advice and crave the kind of wisdom that makes you pause, laugh, and level up—this is your new favorite listen. Because let’s face it: playing it safe never built anything worth bragging about.Copyright 2025 All rights reserved. Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • From Overcommitment to Alignment: Redefining Modern Leadership with  Natasha Paddock

    From Overcommitment to Alignment: Redefining Modern Leadership with  Natasha Paddock
    May 22 2026
    In this episode of Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom, Kim Miller-Hershon sits down with Natasha Paddock CEO of the COPE Family Support Center and a mission-driven leader with a background in social work, psychology, and public service leadership. Natasha has spent her career working across government and nonprofit systems, including leadership roles in homelessness and community services across the Bay Area. Today, she leads COPE Family Support Center, where she and her team focus on strengthening family relationships through counseling, parent education, and community-based support services that help break intergenerational cycles and build healthier foundations for families. In this conversation, Natasha shares a powerful reframe on one of the most common leadership beliefs: that emotion should be removed from decision-making. While many leaders are taught to separate feeling from strategy, Natasha explains why that mindset can actually weaken leadership in human-centered work. Instead, she explores how emotional awareness when understood and managed becomes a source of clarity, compassion, and stronger decision-making. She also reflects on her early start in leadership, stepping into management roles in her early twenties within local government systems. That experience shaped her ability to navigate complexity, lead through crisis, and build systems-level thinking at a young age, while also learning the long-term responsibility of developing others. A major theme throughout the episode is the idea of alignment over balance. Natasha unpacks how leaders often struggle with competing demands from teams, communities, and organizations, and why the real challenge is ensuring your energy matches your values especially when everything feels important. The conversation goes deeper into leadership traps such as the “yes culture,” where high performers overcommit simply because they are capable. Natasha and Kim explore how this pattern can lead to burnout, bottlenecks, and a lack of strategic clarity, especially in mission-driven environments where everything feels urgent and meaningful. Natasha also opens up about unlearning the belief that strong leaders must always have the answers. Instead, she highlights the importance of curiosity, creating space for others to contribute, and building teams that are empowered to think and decide independently — rather than becoming overly dependent on leadership. One of the most reflective parts of the episode centers on imposter syndrome, identity, and transition. Natasha shares how growth often comes with discomfort and a redefinition of self, especially when stepping into new roles or environments. Rather than resisting that discomfort, she explains how leaning into it and reconnecting with lived experience and accomplishments helps leaders stay grounded and confident. Together, Kim and Natasha also explore deeper themes of bias, perspective, and lived experience, including how assumptions about identity, privilege, and workplace expectations shape how people move through the world and how leaders can become more aware of those dynamics. This episode explores: - How emotional intelligence strengthens clarity and decision-making - Why alignment matters more than traditional “work-life balance” - How overcommitment creates bottlenecks and burnout - Why strong leadership is about asking better questions, not having all the answers - The importance of building teams that contribute, not just execute - Why imposter syndrome often appears during growth and transition Natasha’s perspective is a powerful reminder that leadership is not just about systems, strategy, or output it’s about people, awareness, and the ongoing process of becoming more intentional in how we lead and show up. If you’re a leader, executive, or change maker navigating complexity, growth, or personal evolution, this conversation offers grounded insights on how to lead with clarity, empathy, and alignment even in uncertain environments. Connect with me here: Website: https://www.kimmillerhershon.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmillerhershon Newsletter: https://link.kimmillerhershon.com/widget/form/aEdmdA1W5MhoMCMfy5O8 Webinar: https://webinar.kimmillerhershon.com/?utm_source=Podcast Guest Details: Guest: Natasha Paddock CEO: COPE Family Support CenterLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-paddock-msw-6278b0a/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
    Show More Show Less
    36 mins
  • Operational Excellence, Leadership, and Resilience with Alain Cohen

    Operational Excellence, Leadership, and Resilience with Alain Cohen
    May 19 2026

    In this episode of Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom, Kim Miller-Hershon sits down with Alain Cohen a senior executive, CEO, and transformational leader with more than 20 years of experience in logistics, supply chain consulting, and AI-powered operational excellence.

    Having led multinational organizations across Europe and beyond, Alon has built a career helping companies scale profitably through innovation, digitization, operational excellence, and strong leadership. Known for combining strategic vision with hands-on execution, he has managed large profit centers, led complex teams, and driven high-stakes business transformations across multiple industries.

    In this conversation, Alon shares how one of the biggest mindset shifts in his career came from realizing that saying “yes” to every opportunity is not always the path to success. Early in his business development career, he was taught to maximize opportunities by always saying yes advice that initially seemed logical, but later proved to be limiting.

    Alon explains how learning to say no to the wrong opportunities, toxic business relationships, and short-term wins ultimately created space for stronger partnerships, healthier growth, and better long-term outcomes. He discusses why leaders must prioritize focus, standards, and long-term value creation over immediate financial gains or short-term validation.

    Throughout the episode, Alon offers a refreshing perspective on leadership, uncertainty, and growth. Rather than trying to eliminate doubt, he shares why embracing uncertainty has become one of his greatest leadership advantages allowing him to make decisions faster, stay adaptable, and continue pushing beyond his comfort zone.

    Beyond business strategy, Alon also reflects on his leadership philosophy, his transition from corporate executive roles into AI-focused entrepreneurship, and why building robust organizations that can thrive without constant leader involvement is a true sign of leadership maturity.

    This episode explores:

    - Why saying yes to everything can become a trap for high achievers

    - The power of learning when to say no in business and leadership

    - Why toxic but profitable client relationships often cost more than they give

    - How short-term wins can sabotage long-term sustainable growth

    - Why strong leaders don’t need to have all the answers

    - The importance of creating conditions for collective intelligence within teams

    - How embracing doubt and uncertainty can improve decision-making

    Alain perspective is a powerful reminder that leadership is not about certainty, perfection, or having all the answers it’s about building resilience, making intentional decisions, empowering others, and continuing to grow through uncertainty.

    If you’re a leader, entrepreneur, or executive navigating growth, transformation, operational challenges, or leadership development, this conversation is filled with practical wisdom, mindset shifts, and real-world business lessons.

    Connect with me here:

    Website: https://www.kimmillerhershon.com

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmillerhershon

    Newsletter: https://link.kimmillerhershon.com/widget/form/aEdmdA1W5MhoMCMfy5O8

    Webinar: https://webinar.kimmillerhershon.com/?utm_source=Podcast

    Guest Details:

    Guest: Alon Cohen

    Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/famla/


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
    Show More Show Less
    36 mins
  • The Power of Accountability and Resilience in Business and Life with Laurent Cohen

    The Power of Accountability and Resilience in Business and Life with Laurent Cohen
    May 15 2026

    In this episode of Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom, Kim Miller-Hershon sits down with Laurent Cohen Founder and CEO of Go OBL, a voice-first AI platform helping local businesses never miss customer calls, capture leads, and book appointments automatically.

    With more than 20 years of entrepreneurial and technical leadership experience across Europe, the United States, and Israel, Laurent has built and scaled multiple businesses across industries including eCommerce, digital marketing, and AI. His journey has been shaped by high growth success, painful setbacks, and hard-earned lessons about resilience, accountability, and leadership.

    In this conversation, Laurent shares the story of how an unexpected volcanic eruption in Iceland nearly destroyed his thriving eCommerce business by disrupting global shipping during peak holiday season. What initially felt like an “act of God” became one of the most transformative moments of his career, forcing him to confront hard truths about risk, overconfidence, and the importance of personal accountability.

    Laurent explains why business owners must stop seeing themselves as victims of circumstance and instead take ownership of their blind spots, decisions, and missed opportunities. He shares how rebuilding after crisis ultimately led him to create an even larger and more successful company.

    Beyond business resilience, Laurent also reflects on how living and building businesses across France, the United States, and Israel shaped his leadership philosophy. He discusses the differences between craftsmanship, efficiency, and urgency and how each culture taught him a different dimension of entrepreneurship.

    This episode explores:

    - How a volcanic eruption nearly bankrupted Laurent’s business and changed his mindset forever

    - Why accountability is one of the most underrated leadership skills

    - The danger of success making entrepreneurs feel invincible

    - How setbacks often become the foundation for future breakthroughs

    - The differences between doing business in France, the U.S., and Israel

    - Why entrepreneurs must trust their intuition while staying accountable for mistakes

    - How imposter syndrome can show up even in highly experienced founders

    - The role meditation played in helping Laurent manage stress, anxiety, and internal pressure

    - Why AI is widening the gap between those who actively learn and those who get left behind

    Laurent’s perspective is a powerful reminder that resilience isn’t built when everything is going well it’s built in the moments when things fall apart and you decide what story you’re going to tell yourself next.

    If you’re an entrepreneur, leader, or business owner navigating uncertainty, setbacks, growth, or AI transformation, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom, mindset shifts, and real world lessons.

    Connect with me here:

    Website: https://www.kimmillerhershon.com

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmillerhershon

    Newsletter: https://link.kimmillerhershon.com/widget/form/aEdmdA1W5MhoMCMfy5O8

    Webinar: https://webinar.kimmillerhershon.com/?utm_source=Podcast

    Guest Details:

    Company: Go OBL

    Website: https://getoblic.com

    Founder: Laurent Cohen


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_c
No reviews yet