Elizabeth Vahey Smith is a trauma-informed leadership expert, soft skills coach, and COO of TCK Training. With an MA in Linguistics and certification as a Trauma-Informed Care Practitioner, she's built a career around making complex human dynamics simple and actionable for leaders. She's authored several books including Trauma-Informed Leadership and The Practice of Processing, co-authored three white papers on trauma in Third Culture Kids, and conducted original research on psychological safety in the workplace.

Oh, and she does all of this while traveling the world full-time with her family. They have visited 25+ countries and counting with the globe as her children's classroom.

On The Hodges 12, Elizabeth is a Healer-Synthesizer-Cultivator. In this episode, we explore how this creative trifecta shows up in her work: healing workplace trauma, synthesizing complicated concepts into clear frameworks, and cultivating environments where teams can thrive.

We also dig into what creativity means when you're working across cultures, what kills innovation before it starts, and the surprising creative thought that caught even her off guard.

To Connect with Elizabeth:

Website: https://elizabethvaheysmith.com

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-vahey-smith-3ba0251b3/

Access Elizabeth’s Free 1-Hour Training:

https://elizabethvaheysmith.myboss.io/free-1-hr-diagnostic-training

To take The Hodges 12 Types of Creative Genius assessment:

Visit: www.thehodges12.com

In this episode, Heather sits down with one of her oldest friends, Cecilia de la Hoz, who joins the podcast from Madrid, Spain.

Cecilia is a Partner at EY-Parthenon and specializes in corporate valuation. Cecilia and Heather have been friends since 8th grade at the American School of Paris. Before taking the assessment, Cecilia never would have called herself creative, but her results tell a different story. The Hodges 12 profile revealed her powerful creative trifecta: Connector-Communicator-Synthesizer.

This warm conversation explores how creativity shows up in unexpected places, how cultural background shapes creative expression, and why even analytical professionals have creative genius waiting to be recognized.

Key Takeaways:

You don't have to be an artist to be creative. Cecilia's work as a consultant requires synthesizing complex information and communicating it clearly to clients

The Connector-Communicator-Synthesizer trifecta thrives on building relationships, translating ideas across audiences, and pulling together diverse information into coherent insights

Cecilia shares the ways she is now leaning into her creativity and making room for incubation.

Percy the Penguin Segment: Cecilia translates "Creative Genius" into multiple languages; hear how creativity sounds in Spanish, French, and German!

Connect with Cecilia:

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

Take the Assessment: Discover your creative genius type at www.thehodges12.com

Connect with Heather:

Website: www.HeatherHodges.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-l-hodges-phd-07400a142/

In this episode, Heather takes us back to her 8th-grade art class at the American School of Paris, where Mr. Kingsley made every student feel like Claude Monet in training. But not everyone had a Mr. Kingsley, many of us had our creative identity stolen at a young age. Heather explores the five systemic ways creativity gets killed in our lives and organizations. If you've ever packed away your creative self and learned to color inside the lines, this episode is for you.

Key Takeaways:

School taught us there's one right answer, so fear of being wrong causes us to skip divergent thinking and jump straight to finding the "correct" solution

Creativity has been optimized out of the schedule and you cannot innovate on a ruthlessly optimized calendar.

We say we want innovation but punish every mistake.

Well-meaning gatekeepers starve creativity through micromanagement, chronic stress, and criticism that destroys the psychological safety creativity needs to flourish

We defined creativity too narrowly. If you only look for artists and inventors, you'll miss the creative genius all around you, including your own

Next Episode: Special guest Cecilia de la Hoz joins us from Madrid, Spain. She never saw herself as creative until she took The Hodges 12. Fun fact: She and Heather have been friends since 8th grade!

Take the Assessment: Discover your creative genius type at www.thehodges12.com

Connect with Heather:

Website: www.HeatherHodges.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-l-hodges-phd-07400a142/

In this episode, Heather reveals why creativity is more than artistic ability, it's a universal human capacity that shows up in twelve distinct ways. She introduces The Hodges 12 Types of Creative Genius™ framework and walks through each type across three domains: Relational, Analytical, and Functional. Discover why 96% of leaders now say creativity is essential for success, yet 75% of people feel their creative potential is untapped at work. It's time to stop asking "Am I creative?" and start asking "How am I creative?"

Key Takeaways:

Everyone is creative, and we need everyone’s creativity.

Creativity is more than just being good at art, it's the intentional process of generating novel and useful ideas to solve complex problems

Your creativity is a gift; whether you see it through a spiritual or psychological lens, you were born to create

The Creativity Crisis: While 96% of leaders say creativity is essential, 75% of employees feel their creative potential is not being fully used at work

The Hodges 12 Types are organized into three domains: Relational (how you work with PEOPLE), Analytical (how you THINK), and Functional (how you BUILD)

Your top three types form your "Creative Genius trifecta" with over 1,300 unique profile combinations possible

Take the Assessment: Discover your creative genius type at www.thehodges12.com

Connect with Heather:

Website: www.HeatherHodges.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-l-hodges-phd-07400a142/

Welcome to Season 2 of the I'm IN! Podcast, and welcome to the Creative Genius Revolution.

This season, I'm on a mission to democratize creativity and help everyone recognize their creative gifts.

Here's what I've learned after years of research and thousands of conversations: most people don't think they're creative. They've been told by a teacher, a boss, or a culture that defines creativity too narrowly that it's just not their thing.

That’s simply not true. And this season, I'm going to prove it.

In this kickoff episode, I share why creativity is so much bigger than art, why human creativity matters more than ever in the age of AI, and what's ahead as we explore the 12 Types of Creative Genius™ together.

If you've ever thought "I'm not creative," this episode is your invitation to think again. It's time to become a creative force of nature.

In this episode:

Why I'm starting a Creative Genius Revolution

The difference between human creativity and AI "pseudo-creativity"

What's coming in Season 2: discovering YOUR creative genius type

Why the world can't afford for your creativity to stay hidden

Take the 12 Types of Creative Genius™ Assessment: www.thehodges12.com

Connect with Heather:

Website: www.HeatherHodges.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-l-hodges-phd-07400a142/

In this episode, we explore the heart of deep listening with leadership coach Jon Mullican, founder of the Mullican Leadership Group. Jon is a self-proclaimed Listening Evangelist. He has spent a lifetime learning how to truly pay attention beginning in his years at the US Naval Academy, as a nuclear power officer aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, in corporate leadership, and across his work in churches and nonprofits. He’s discovered listening is one of the greatest gifts we can offer another human being.

Jon shares a powerful acronym to help us prepare ourselves for meaningful listening moments: CLEAR
Clear your mind
Limit distractions
Expect an exceptional encounter
Allow time for silence (and ask God to bless the encounter)
Remember your purpose

This simple framework invites us to be intentional, grounded, and most importantly, fully present.

Together, we talk about what it means to be devoted to being present with someone, and how that devotion builds trust, psychological safety, influence, and genuine human connection.

If you’re someone who leads, influences, mentors, or simply wants to show up more fully for the people in your life, this conversation will give you tools, stories, and inspiration to listen in a different way.

Where to find Jon:
Mullican Leadership Group

https://www.mullicanlead.com

If you’ve ever been in a meeting where ideas get stuck or only a few voices dominate, this episode will flip your perspective on what collaboration can look like.

Dr. Denise Meyerson joins me to explore LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®, a creative facilitation method that helps teams think deeply, communicate openly, and solve problems more playfully. Using LEGO bricks as a language for thinking and storytelling, this method helps people surface insights, align around strategy, and connect in ways that traditional meetings rarely achieve.

Dr. Denise is a global pioneer and master trainer in LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® and trains facilitators and leaders all over the world in how to use this hands-on approach to unlock creativity, innovation, and team alignment.

In this episode, we explore:

· What makes LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® “serious” and why it works so well

· The psychology behind creative facilitation

· Real-world applications in leadership, innovation, and strategy

· How to become a certified facilitator and bring this method into your own work

To connect with Dr. Denise Meyerson or to become a Certified Facilitator visit:

https://seriousplaybusiness.com/

Welcome back to the Enneagram Series! Today we’re wrapping up this solo series by exploring Type 7, The Enthusiast, The Epicure or The Enthusiastic Visionary.

Sevens bring joy, energy, and possibility wherever they go. They are spontaneous, optimistic, and endlessly curious. They are always looking for what’s next. But beneath that enthusiasm lies a deep desire to avoid pain and a fear of being deprived or limited.

In this episode, Heather explores:

· What drives Enneagram 7s: their Basic Fear, Desire, and Motivation

· How the passion of gluttony shows up as an insatiable hunger for experiences

· The difference between 7s with a strong 6 wing and 7s with a strong 8 wing

· What 7s look like at work; their strengths, blind spots, and leadership style

· How 7s handle stress (Type 1) and growth (Type 5)

· Practical tips for 7s to grow in self-awareness, emotional depth, and follow-through

Whether you’re a 7 yourself or have a 7 in your life or workplace, you’ll come away with a new appreciation for the joyful, visionary spirit they bring, and a deeper understanding of how to support their growth journey.

Key Takeaway:
When Sevens slow down, stay present, and follow things through, their creativity and optimism become powerful forces for transformation.

If you missed earlier episodes in this Enneagram series, go back and listen to explore all nine types.

If you are interested in taking the iEQ9 Enneagram Assessment (note there is a fee) please visit: https://www.hodgesgroupintl.com/enneagramtest