The Leadership Skill No One Teaches: Learning to Meet the Moment with Courtney Pong cover art

The Leadership Skill No One Teaches: Learning to Meet the Moment with Courtney Pong

The Leadership Skill No One Teaches: Learning to Meet the Moment with Courtney Pong

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 Episode Overview:What if the secret to becoming a better leader and communicator wasn’t about performing perfectly - but about bringing all of your skills to meet the moment?In this episode, Lindsay sits down with Courtney Pong, owner of Rozzie Square Theater, Boston’s only AAPI-and woman-owned improv theater, and a leadership trainer who teaches communication and collaboration to Fortune 500 companies.Courtney shares how a career in Silicon Valley - combined with a life-changing medical event - led her to leave techand build a leadership philosophy rooted in improv, community, and human connection.Together, they explore how improv principles can transform the way we communicate, pitch ideas, handle failure, and leadwith confidence. Courtney breaks down practical tools - from the “Yes, And” mindset to storytelling frameworks and the power of listening first - that can help anyone become amore compelling communicator.If you’ve ever struggled with perfectionism, self-doubt, or speaking up in professional spaces, this conversation will show you how to trust your experience, meet the moment, and use your voice with more confidence.Episode Breakdown:02:32 Improv Not Performance03:52 Leaving Silicon Valley09:40 Improv Community Roots10:57 Pitching Starts Listening14:03 Simple Story Framework17:01 Authenticity Through Practice22:02 Yes And In Conflict25:42 Quieting Self Doubt29:41 Iterative Failure Practice31:00 Trust Your Confidence33:29 Danna Introduces Urban Sandbox and Pitch Feedback About Courtney PongCourtney Pong is a nationally recognized speaker, entrepreneur, and leader in applied improvisation with 24+ years of professional experience. As the Owner and General Manager of CSZ Boston, she has been teaching improv as an applied skill and performing improv comedy professionally for over 25 years. From the Bay Area to the Bay State, she has been trusted to design and lead team building workshops and communication trainings across a wide variety of industries and brands, from Ocean Spray, The Boston Red Sox, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to GE Aviation, Deloitte, and Harvard University. Courtney Pong has been recognized as a Boston Business Journal 40 under 40 Honoree, and featured in Boston Magazine and Inc. Magazine as an AAPI thought-leader in live entertainment and entrepreneurship. Courtney hails from San Francisco, with 15 years of experience in Public Relations and Marketing and is a keynote speaker.Connect with Courtney:WebsiteCSZ Boston WebsiteInstagram (Courtney’s)Instagram (CSZ)LinkedInAbout Urban SandboxUrban Sandbox is a wellbeing-centered platform focused on preventive mental health support for children. Our mission is to close access gaps by connecting families directly to timely, individualized care—with the goal of providing 1:1, on-demand support for every student, regardless of background.Built on the belief that mental well-being is foundational to a child’s ability to learn and thrive, Urban Sandbox supports children in two ways: encouraging creative expression to build confidence and resilience, and connecting families to trusted mental wellness resources early, before challenges escalate.By linking families, schools, and care providers in one streamlined system, Urban Sandbox expands support capacity while combining play, psychology, and digital innovation in a privacy-first platform fully compliant with COPPA, FERPA, and HIPAA.Connect with Urban Sandbox:WebsiteLinkedInInstagramConnect with Courage Class on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube:@courageclasspod@drlindsaykwockhuwww.drlindsaykwockhu.com/podcastSign up for Courage Class Notes, a weekly newsletter:https://dr-lindsay-kwock-hu.kit.com/980fac101aMusic Credit: DayNigthMorning from Pixabayinvitation-no-copyright-music-388387
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