Some moments don’t arrive gently. They shake you awake and force you to see the world differently.

For Professor Arad Reisberg, that clarity began in childhood, sitting on “whites only” benches in apartheid-era South Africa and feeling, long before he had language for it, that something was deeply wrong. Growing up openly gay, Jewish and a migrant, he learned early what it meant to move through the world as both insider and outsider.

Years later, a quiet moment at home changed everything. His husband, a cardiologist, listened to his chest, paused, and said the words that led to a life-altering diagnosis and open-heart surgery. Recovery brought its own lessons - about invisible struggles, misplaced expectations and the humanity we all rely on but rarely talk about.

Emerging from that experience, Arad found a clarity he hadn’t had before. A sharper sense of what matters, what doesn’t, and why lived experience is often the most powerful form of leadership. And he understood that real change, whether in education, healthcare or society, starts with empathy, courage and the willingness to truly listen.

This conversation is a reminder that purpose isn’t discovered in titles or achievements … but in the moments that break the script and show us who we really are.

The Unlock Moment is hosted by Dr Gary Crotaz, PhD — executive coach, speaker and award-winning author. Downloaded in over 120 countries. Sign up to The Unlock Moment newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/ywhdaazp Find out more at https://garycrotaz.com and https://theunlockmoment.com Also discover his other podcasts, The Box of Keys and Unlock Your Leadership. Follow, subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts — and connect with Dr Gary on LinkedIn for more leadership insights. Part of The Unlock Moment podcast family.

Some lessons in leadership come from success. Others come from failure ... and the courage to own it.

For Tim Lupinacci, Chairman and CEO of Baker Donelson, one of America’s leading law firms, his Unlock Moment came early in his career - a late night in the office, a costly mistake, and a boss who unexpectedly saw potential instead of failure. That moment changed everything, sparking a lifelong mission to help others discover that leadership isn’t something you wait for … it’s something you choose.

We talk about taking ownership, showing up when it’s hard, and how the way you lead - your “leadership aroma,” as Tim calls it - shapes the people around you. He shares practical insights on building trust, creating psychological safety, and finding resilience when the world feels uncertain.

This conversation is a reminder that leadership doesn’t begin with a promotion ... it begins with how you show up today.

The Unlock Moment is hosted by Dr Gary Crotaz, PhD — executive coach, speaker and award-winning author. Downloaded in over 120 countries. Sign up to The Unlock Moment newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/ywhdaazp Find out more at https://garycrotaz.com and https://theunlockmoment.com Also discover his other podcasts, The Box of Keys and Unlock Your Leadership. Follow, subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts — and connect with Dr Gary on LinkedIn for more leadership insights. Part of The Unlock Moment podcast family.

In a time when companies talk about culture but struggle to live it, one truth stands out: culture doesn’t happen by accident … it happens by design.

Father and daughter James and Krista White have spent their careers on opposite ends of the leadership spectrum - James in the boardrooms of Fortune 500 companies, Krista in the world of purpose-driven strategy and social impact. Together, they’ve written Culture by Design, a blueprint for building organisations that are high-performing, human and intentional.

We talk about leading across generations, the role of empathy as a true leadership skill, and how to close the gap between what companies say they value and what people actually experience every day. Their story is a powerful reminder that great culture isn’t inherited … it’s created, moment by moment, choice by choice, by leaders who dare to design it.

The Unlock Moment is hosted by Dr Gary Crotaz, PhD — executive coach, speaker and award-winning author. Downloaded in over 120 countries. Sign up to The Unlock Moment newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/ywhdaazp Find out more at https://garycrotaz.com and https://theunlockmoment.com Also discover his other podcasts, The Box of Keys and Unlock Your Leadership. Follow, subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts — and connect with Dr Gary on LinkedIn for more leadership insights. Part of The Unlock Moment podcast family.

In a world that celebrates networking, collecting contacts and trading favours, we often overlook a more meaningful truth: real connection isn’t built through transactions … it’s built through generosity, trust and shared purpose.

David Homan understands this deeply. A classical composer, CEO and author of Orchestrating Connection, he is known as a “connector of connectors”, bringing remarkable people together in ways that create genuine impact.

We talk about the experience of feeling like an outsider, the courage it takes to show up with generosity when you’re not sure anything will come back, and how to build relationships that are rooted in resonance, not reciprocity. David’s story is a powerful reminder that belonging isn’t found by trying to fit in … it’s created by choosing to show up as yourself, and inviting others to do the same.

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The Unlock Moment podcast is brought to you by Dr Gary Crotaz, PhD. Downloaded in over 120 countries. Sign up to The Unlock Moment newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/ywhdaazp Find out more at https://garycrotaz.com and https://theunlockmoment.com

We all carry an inner fear of failure ... of getting it wrong, falling short, or not becoming who we thought we should be. But what if the moments you label as “failure” are actually the turning points that reveal who you truly are?

In this Box of Keys episode, I explore the quiet power of failure - not as the opposite of success, but as the path that shapes it. I share the story of Retail Trust CEO Chris Brook-Carter, who experienced a career-shaking setback that ultimately transformed his leadership. And I reflect on my own moment of feeling like I’d failed when I stepped away from medicine … only to discover, years later, that leaving was the most important Unlock Moment of my life.

Failure doesn’t diminish you. It redirects you. It teaches you who you are, where you thrive, and what matters most.

If you’ve been holding on to a moment you wish had gone differently, this key is for you ... because the part of your story you’re most reluctant to revisit might just be the chapter that changed everything.

The Unlock Moment is hosted by Dr Gary Crotaz, PhD — executive coach, speaker and award-winning author. Downloaded in over 120 countries. Sign up to The Unlock Moment newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/ywhdaazp Find out more at https://garycrotaz.com and https://theunlockmoment.com Also discover his other podcasts, The Box of Keys and Unlock Your Leadership. Follow, subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts — and connect with Dr Gary on LinkedIn for more leadership insights. Part of The Unlock Moment podcast family.

For years, Navid Nazemian was the one guiding leaders through big changes ... C-suite appointments, career pivots, and organisational upheaval. As an executive in global HR and the author of Mastering Executive Transitions, he built a reputation for helping others navigate uncertainty with clarity.

But then, life brought a transition of his own.

In this powerful episode, Navid opens up about the personal and professional reckoning that led him to walk away from a high-flying corporate career and step into the unknown. He shares what it really takes to leave behind an identity you’ve spent decades building ... and how you start again with intention, purpose and courage.

We explore the hidden emotional cost of transition, the gender gap in leadership support, and the surprising truths that emerge when the expert becomes the one in need of guidance.

This isn’t just a conversation about change. It’s a masterclass in what it means to transform.

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The Unlock Moment podcast is brought to you by Dr Gary Crotaz, PhD. Downloaded in over 120 countries. Sign up to The Unlock Moment newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/ywhdaazp Find out more at https://garycrotaz.com and https://theunlockmoment.com

We tell ourselves there’s always time ... time to start the dream project, make the change, take the leap. But when life throws us a wake-up call, we realise how fragile that assumption is.

In this Box of Keys episode, I reflect on the moving story of Hayley Thomas, who, after her husband’s cancer diagnosis at 40, chose to stop waiting for the “right” moment and launch their fashion business, Eleven Loves, right in the middle of his treatment.

Their courage is a reminder that the best time to begin isn’t someday ... it’s now. Because when we truly understand that time isn’t infinite, we stop procrastinating and start prioritising what matters most.

The Unlock Moment is hosted by Dr Gary Crotaz, PhD — executive coach, speaker and award-winning author. Downloaded in over 120 countries. Sign up to The Unlock Moment newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/ywhdaazp Find out more at https://garycrotaz.com and https://theunlockmoment.com Also discover his other podcasts, The Box of Keys and Unlock Your Leadership. Follow, subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts — and connect with Dr Gary on LinkedIn for more leadership insights. Part of The Unlock Moment podcast family.

What happens when the energy that’s always defined you simply vanishes?

For decades, Sue Holly-Rodway was a powerhouse … a dynamic senior leader in the tech world, an executive coach, and a woman known for her drive, passion and light. Then long COVID struck, and that light dimmed overnight. The fatigue was relentless. The smallest tasks became impossible. Life as she knew it collapsed into stillness.

In this deeply moving conversation, Sue opens up about the physical and emotional unravelling that followed, and the long process of rediscovery that came next. We talk about the loss of identity that comes when your strength - your energy - is gone, and what it takes to rebuild not from momentum, but from meaning.

Sue’s story is one of resilience and grace. It’s about finding clarity when everything goes dark … and learning that even when the light goes out, it can come back in a softer, wiser form.

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The Unlock Moment podcast is brought to you by Dr Gary Crotaz, PhD. Downloaded in over 120 countries. Sign up to The Unlock Moment newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/ywhdaazp Find out more at https://garycrotaz.com and https://theunlockmoment.com