Caregiving is one of the most universal and least understood, leadership experiences in our lives. And few people have shaped this space like Denise Brown.

In this powerful and deeply human conversation, Denise shares her 30+ year journey supporting family caregivers, from launching one of the first online caregiving communities in 1996 to building The Caregiving Years Training Academy. What started as personal experience has grown into a global movement to train, equip, and empower caregivers, coaches, and professionals to better support those doing the critical work of caring.

We explore the reality behind caregiving—the emotional weight, the systems people must navigate, and the truth that you can’t fix everything. Denise introduces her frameworks, including the Six Caregiving Stages, the Twelve Caregiving Fatigues, and the Nineteen Caregiving Systems, offering a new lens on what caregivers truly experience.

This episode also challenges leaders and organizations to rethink the workplace. With nearly 40% of employees serving as caregivers, Denise unpacks why caregiving is not just a personal issue, but a leadership, culture, and business priority.

At its core, this conversation is about presence, acceptance, and the power of listening. It’s about showing up when things are hard, leading with empathy, and creating systems that actually support people through life’s most demanding seasons.

If you’ve ever cared for someone, worked with someone who has, or led people through real-life challenges, this episode will stay with you.

In Episode 179 of the Contagious Culture Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Michelle Chanda Singh, known as the Disengagement Doctor, an award-winning educator and curriculum strategist who challenges how we think about learning, leadership, and belonging.

This conversation goes deeper than engagement strategies and gets to the root of the issue: disengagement isn’t a motivation problem, it’s often a design problem. Dr. Singh shares how many systems unintentionally push people into autopilot and survival mode, where compliance is rewarded, silence is normalized, and identity is left out of the learning experience.

Together, we explore how curriculum shapes culture, why voice and belonging matter more than ever, and what it takes to design environments that honor humanity while driving real impact.

If you lead people in any capacity, this episode will challenge what you’ve accepted and invite you to build something better.

Charlotte runs on relationships, and few people understand that better than Maddie Myers, SVP and Director of Client and Community Relations at PNC.

In this energizing conversation, Maddie shares how she blends corporate strategy with authentic community impact across Charlotte and the Western Carolinas. From arts and culture to early childhood literacy, and from economic development to nonprofit leadership, she operates at the intersection of business growth and community good.

We explore the human side of corporate leadership and what meaningful sponsorship and partnership really look like. Maddie breaks down why early childhood and literacy are not just social priorities but economic ones, and how trust is built across corporate, civic, and nonprofit spaces. She also reflects on what it means to show up fully as a leader, a mom, and a neighbor.

Maddie’s journey from nonprofit fundraising to executive banking leadership proves that community work is business work, and that the strongest brands are built through service, presence, and purpose.

If you care about leadership, civic impact, or the future of Charlotte, this episode is for you.