Shows / The West of Perfection Podcast
The West of Perfection Podcast
Most leadership development treats people like problems to be solved. West of Perfection believes that growth starts from the inside out — with the person, not the performance. Join Erin Van de Voorde and Mary Katherine Wathen for honest conversations about what it actually takes to lead well: at work, at home, and in the in-between moments where the person is formed.
Episodes
- The West of Perfection Podcast
Stop Lying to Yourself | Ep. 26
How can you grow in self-awareness? This week, Erin and Mary Katherine discuss how the stories we tell ourselves have immense power over our lives. They offer…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
Preparing for Retirement (And Every Transition Until Then) | Ep. 25
No matter what season of life you’re in, there’s probably a change on your horizon. This week, Mary Katherine and Erin walk through how to prepare for one of…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
The Gap Between Knowing & Doing Keeps You Stuck | Ep. 24
Have you ever found yourself knowing the answer but struggling to see lasting change? This week, Mary Katherine Wathen and Erin Van de Voorde examine this gap…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
Boundaries: Finding the Healthy Ground | Ep. 23
Erin and Mary Katherine unpack what boundaries really are and why most of us are getting it wrong. They look at eye-opening workplace statistics that show the…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
How to Prioritize Your Life | Ep. 22
This week, Mary Katherine Wathen and Erin Van de Voorde analyze what it means to live a truly ordered and properly prioritized life. They share practical…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
Why Burnout Is a Reflection of Your Capacity | Ep. 21
This week, Erin and Mary Katherine address one of the most common things they find in coaching high achievers: hidden burnout. Instead of the typical approach…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
Life Hard: Failure and Growth | Ep. 20
Life is not always easy, and we spend a lot of time looking for an escape. This week, Erin and MK discuss whether that search is an illusion and if sometimes…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
Mastering the Art of Galvanizing | Ep. 19
In this week’s episode, Erin interviews Mary Katherine to unpack two of her best leadership skills: recognition and galvanizing. Drawing on The Working Genius…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
Orthodontists: West Has Been Keeping a Secret | Ep. 18
Erin and Mary Katherine have been secretly working on something for months and are finally ready to share! On September 16th, they will launch their book…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
Passive Aggression Is Destroying Your Culture | Organizational Culture Series | Ep. 17
Passive aggression doesn't happen in a vacuum. It's the final symptom of every other culture failure this series has covered: unclear expectations, unsafe…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
How to Manage Up | Organizational Culture Series | Ep. 16
In the third installment of the Organizational Culture Series, Erin Van de Voorde and Mary Katherine Wathen tackle the often-misunderstood skill of managing…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
What Toxic Communication Is Costing Your Team | Organizational Culture Series | Ep. 15
The passive-aggressive Teams chat among your employees is costing your company real money. In the second installment of their Organizational Culture series…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
The Entitlement Problem | Organizational Culture Series | Ep. 14
Mary Katherine Wathen and Erin Van de Voorde kick off a new series on organizational culture by unpacking the data behind disengagement and the rise of an…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome | Ep. 13
Confidence: you’re either born with it or you’re not. This week’s episode proves why this belief is totally wrong. Erin and Mary Katherine explore just how…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
Patterns of Bad Leadership | Ep. 12
We’ve all worked for bad leaders, but it’s an issue that runs deeper than you might think. It’s an integrity problem with real, costly consequences. This week…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
The Leadership Decision Bottleneck | Ep. 11
In today’s episode, Erin and MK describe how bottlenecks create decision fatigue, reduce collective brainpower, and build a dependent culture. The opposite…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
The Leadership Summit You Can’t Miss | Ep. 10
In this episode of the West of Perfection podcast, hosts Erin Van de Voorde and Mary Katherine Wathen pull back the curtain on their annual Elevate the…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
Are You Abdicating Your Leadership? Ep. 9
MK and Erin unpack the "abdication of leadership" and share a real coaching story of how one leader learned to take responsibility, set boundaries, and lead…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
Leadership Skills That Orthodontists, Especially Associates, Need Most | Ep. 8
In this episode, hosts Mary Katherine Wathen and Erin Van de Voorde sit down with Shannon Patterson, partner at Benson Koppelman Patterson & Associates, to…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
Human Leadership in an AI World | Ep. 7
Erin and MK may not be experts in technology or AI, but they are experts in the human person at work. In this episode, they examine AI from a leadership lens…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
Beyond the Brackets – How Orthodontists are Overcoming Leadership Challenges | Ep. 6
This week, MK and Erin dig into what they learned working with orthodontic practices (and from a recent visit to the AAO conference) about why clinical…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
Why Coaching Isn't Consulting (or Therapy) | Ep. 5
Erin and Mary Katherine break down the real differences between coaching and consulting — and where therapy fits in too. They unpack why "how you do anything…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
Start With You | Ep. 4
Mary Katherine and Erin dig into why so many of us avoid leading ourselves first, mistaking collecting information for actual growth. They challenge listeners…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
Why Work Is for You | Ep. 3
Employee engagement has hit historic lows, with Gallup reporting only 20% of workers feel motivated on the job. In this episode, Mary Katherine and Erin unpack…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
How to Just Be | Ep. 2
Mary Katherine and Erin dig into why modern culture rewards constant "doing" at the expense of "being" — and how that tradeoff drives burnout, overwhelm, and a…
- The West of Perfection Podcast
What's Missing from Leadership Development? Ep. 1
In this debut episode, co-founders Mary Katherine Wathen and Erin Van de Voorde introduce West of Perfection, a leadership development company built on a…