The Turning Point Podcast

The Messenger Matters: How Culture Shapes the Energy Transition with Nicole Rom of Good Power

For years, much of the conversation around climate has focused on technology, policy, or individual action. But beneath all of those lies another force that determines whether meaningful change happens at all: culture.
In this episode of The Turning Point, we sit down with Nicole Rom of Good Power, to explore how public opinion, trusted messengers, and strategic communication shape the future of the clean energy transition.
Nicole shares how Good Power is combating misinformation, supporting renewable energy projects across the country, and helping build the public support needed to accelerate decarbonization. Along the way, we unpack why facts alone rarely change minds, how social trust influences behavior, and why lasting policy requires lasting cultural change.
This conversation goes far beyond climate. It's about leadership, systems change, organizational strategy, and how ideas spread in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.
In this episode:
Why the energy transition is now an economic opportunity—not just an environmental one
How misinformation slows renewable energy deployment
Why trusted messengers matter more than experts
How Good Power uses behavioral science to build public support
What actually happens when local renewable energy projects face opposition
Why culture is the foundation of durable policy
Nicole's journey from environmental education to leading strategy at Good Power
Practical ways individuals and organizations can accelerate the transition
Whether you're building a business, leading a nonprofit, or working to create change in your community, this episode offers a thoughtful look at how lasting transformation really happens.
Learn more about Good Power
https://goodpower.org
Learn more about Still Point Insight
https://stillpointinsight.com
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to The Turning Point and leave a review wherever you listen.
Chapters
00:00 Why the energy transition is really a culture problem
02:24 Meet Nicole Rom
02:40 Public opinion and the climate challenge
06:18 Climate arrives in our own backyards
07:08 Why climate still isn't a top voting issue
09:17 Why Good Power leads with affordability
11:19 The economics of renewable energy have changed
13:07 Fighting misinformation and building public trust
14:48 How social media transformed public opinion
20:14 Inside Good Power's creator network
21:17 Using behavioral science to measure impact
23:09 Energy security, affordability, and geopolitics
23:54 The three ingredients for changing minds
27:17 How local renewable energy projects get approved
32:58 Public policy, elections, and systems change
34:51 Why culture must come before durable policy
39:26 Communication vs. manipulation
41:08 Hope in the face of climate change
42:02 Nicole's journey into environmental leadership
44:24 Building healthy mission-driven organizations
46:46 How Good Power operates differently
49:34 The highest leverage opportunities today
50:08 What individuals can do right now
52:04 Greenhushing and what's next
52:54 Closing thoughts

The People Closest to the Problem Know the Solution: Radical Listening with Kinari Webb & Pat Plude

In a recent episode, we welcomed Dr. Kinari Webb to The Turning Point to discuss how her organization, Health In Harmony, has partnered with rainforest communities around the world to protect some of the planet's most critical ecosystems.
What we discovered was that the real breakthrough wasn't simply conservation strategy—it was a radically different way of understanding where wisdom lives.
In this follow-up conversation, Kinari returns alongside co-author Dr. Pat Plude to explore the philosophy and practice behind their book Radical Listening. Together, they challenge one of the most deeply embedded assumptions of modern Western problem solving: that experts, institutions, and those furthest from a problem are best equipped to solve it.
Instead, they argue that the people closest to a challenge often possess the deepest understanding of both the problem and its solutions.
We explore:
The concept of "Market World" and its influence on modern organizations
Why good intentions often fail to create meaningful change
The relationship between listening, power, and dignity
How collective wisdom emerges within groups
The difference between listening and implementation
Practical applications of radical listening inside organizations and communities
Why real systems change requires a different relationship with expertise
Whether you lead a company, a nonprofit, a community initiative, or simply want to become a better listener, this conversation offers a powerful challenge to conventional approaches to leadership and problem solving.
Key Takeaways
Expertise alone is insufficient for solving complex human challenges.
The people closest to a problem often understand its solutions best.
Listening without follow-through damages trust.
Collective wisdom emerges when groups are given the space to think together.
Radical listening is both a mindset and a practice.
Interdependence is not philosophy—it is reality.
Organizations become stronger when leaders learn to listen differently.
📖 Learn more about Radical Listening and order the book: https://radicallistening.org/
🌎 Learn more about Health In Harmony and their work protecting rainforests through community partnership. https://www.healthinharmony.org/
📈 Learn more about Still Point Insight and our work helping mission-driven organizations build healthier cultures, stronger operations, and sustainable growth. https://stillpointinsight.com/
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
03:37 What Is "Market World"?
08:46 The Tsunami Relief Story That Changed Everything
11:14 Interbeing and the Reality of Interconnection
14:43 Does Radical Listening Require Inner Work?
19:59 The Three Beliefs Behind Radical Listening
21:27 Where Radical Listening Works
23:43 Collective Wisdom in Action
29:45 How Radical Listening Actually Works
34:15 Why Listening Is Simple—but Not Easy
36:00 Presence, Rapport, and Full-Body Listening
40:22 Listening Beyond Individual Conversations
49:00 Radical Listening Inside Organizations
56:39 Leadership, Hierarchy, and Follow-Through
01:00:44 Can Radical Listening Happen Online?
01:05:55 Obstacles to Adopting Radical Listening
01:08:31 Politics, Community Listening, and Polarization
01:12:55 How Systems Change Actually Happens
01:16:51 Start. Practice. Repeat.

Mission-Driven | Culture: Design the System, Not the Slogans

Most leaders think culture is about values.
It’s not.
Culture is shaped by behavior—and behavior is shaped by systems.
In this Mission-Driven episode of The Turning Point, we break down why organizational culture is so difficult to change, and why most culture initiatives fail before they start. What shows up as a “capacity problem” or “performance issue” is often something deeper: misalignment between mission, behavior, and the systems that reinforce both.
We explore the difference between mission and culture, why culture is always forming (whether you’re intentional or not), and how leaders can create real change by focusing on high-leverage behaviors instead of abstract ideals.
If you’re leading a growing, mission-driven organization and feeling the strain—this conversation will help you see what’s actually happening beneath the surface.
Key Topics
Why culture is the hidden constraint on capacity and performance
The difference between mission and culture (and why it matters)
How behavior—not values—defines culture
Why systems (not slogans) shape how people show up
The role of leadership in intentionally designing culture
How to diagnose misalignment inside your organization
Why culture change requires leverage, not overhaul
Chapters
00:00 – Why capacity problems are usually culture problems01:13 – What culture actually is (the “party” analogy)04:01 – Culture is forming whether you shape it or not05:10 – The 3-step process for intentional culture design06:13 – Defining the culture you actually want09:06 – How to assess the culture you currently have12:14 – Mission vs. culture: why they’re not the same13:11 – Culture as a tool to serve the mission15:46 – Why outside perspective matters18:14 – Why behavior is what actually matters19:45 – Culture change and the power of leverage22:52 – A simple question to diagnose alignment24:37 – The “sore thumb” problem on teams27:17 – The leadership role: what kind of party are you hosting?
#MissionDriven #Leadership #OrganizationalCulture #Scaling #SystemsThinking #Management #ExecutiveLeadership
Learn more about our work: https://stillpointinsight.com
Subscribe to The Turning Point: https://stillpointinsight.com/the-turning-point

Breaking the Lie of Zero-Sum Thinking with Dr. Kinari Webb

Many of the institutions shaping our world operate on a quiet assumption: that resources are scarce and progress requires competition.
But what if that assumption is false?
In this episode of The Turning Point, Justin Baker and Ian C. Williams speak with Dr. Kinari Webb, founder of Health In Harmony, about what happens when we approach complex challenges with a different mindset—one grounded in reciprocity, ecological awareness, and what she calls radical listening.
Kinari’s work began in the rainforests of Borneo, where she partnered with Indigenous communities to address the interconnected challenges of deforestation, poverty, and public health. Instead of imposing outside solutions, her team began by listening deeply to the knowledge of people living closest to the land.
What emerged challenges many of the assumptions underlying modern development and conservation efforts.
The results were striking: healthier forests, stronger communities, and a powerful demonstration that systems built around reciprocity with nature and trust in local knowledge can produce outcomes that benefit both people and ecosystems.
In this conversation, we explore how radical listening can transform leadership, systems design, and the way organizations approach complex problems.
00:00 Introduction
02:10 Kinari Webb’s path to rainforest conservation
07:45 Discovering the connection between human health and forest health
13:30 Why traditional conservation approaches often fail
18:20 The principle of radical listening
24:05 Indigenous knowledge and systems thinking
30:15 Challenging the narrative of scarcity
36:40 Designing solutions with communities instead of for them
42:10 Reciprocity with nature and thriving ecosystems
48:30 What regenerative systems can teach organizations
54:10 Leadership lessons from rainforest communities
58:30 Reimagining systems that allow life to thrive
01:03:15 Final reflections
#SystemsThinking
#RegenerativeLeadership
#MissionDrivenLeadership
#OrganizationalCulture
#EcologicalLeadership
#FutureOfWork
#RegenerativeEconomy
Learn more about Dr. Kinari Webb’s work at Health In Harmonyhttps://healthinharmony.org
If your organization is navigating complex change and looking to build cultures that support long-term thriving, learn more about our work:
https://stillpointinsight.com

Mission Isn’t Enough: What Growth-Stage Investors Look For | Patrick Donohue, Hill Capital

Mission matters. But when it comes to raising growth capital, it’s not enough.
In this episode of The Turning Point, Justin and Ian sit down with Patrick Donohue, manager partner and CEO at Hill Capital, to unpack what growth-stage investors actually look for in small and lower middle-market businesses.
They explore the painful middle stage many founders hit — the $1–3 million “no man’s land” — where companies have proven product-market fit but lack the systems, financial rigor, and leadership capacity to scale. Patrick shares how investors evaluate risk, why financial fluency is a founder’s competitive advantage, and how to avoid predatory capital that can quietly stall your mission.
If you’re building a mission-driven company and thinking about growth capital, this conversation will challenge how you think about funding, accountability, and long-term value creation.
What You’ll Learn
Why mission alone won’t attract serious growth capital
The most common financial blind spots founders have
How investors evaluate companies in the messy middle stage
The difference between supportive capital and predatory lending
How to become “investable” without sacrificing your purpose
Why vision — not just mission — drives enterprise value
00:00 – Why Mission Isn’t Enough05:12 – The $1–3M Growth “No Man’s Land”12:40 – The Skills Gap Most Founders Don’t See20:15 – How Investors Actually Evaluate Risk28:30 – Predatory Capital vs. Growth Capital36:05 – Financial Fluency as Founder Leverage44:50 – Mission vs. Vision: What Drives Enterprise Value52:10 – Building Long-Term, Sustainable Companies
#MissionDrivenLeadership#GrowthCapital#SmallBusinessFunding#FounderJourney#ScalingImpact#Entrepreneurship#LeadershipDevelopment
🔎 Learn more about Patrick and Hill Capital: https://www.hillcapitalcorp.com/🎧 Subscribe to The Turning Point Podcast: https://stillpointinsight.com/the-turning-point

Mission-Driven | Prioritization: Choose What Moves the Needle

Mission-driven leaders face a unique challenge: building a successful, sustainable organization while staying true to a deeper purpose.
This episode marks the launch of our new Mission-Driven series, created specifically to support the founders, executives, and leaders we serve through our work at Stillpoint Insight.
In this conversation, Ian and Justin break down one of the most essential—and misunderstood—leadership skills: prioritization.
They explore why prioritization is not just about productivity, but about aligning limited resources with your highest-impact mission. From strategy and leverage to focus, burnout, and the emotional complexity of leadership, they offer practical frameworks and hard-earned lessons from working directly with mission-driven founders across industries.
You’ll learn how to identify what truly moves the needle, how to say no without losing momentum, and how great leaders balance operational realities with long-term impact.
Whether you're scaling a company, navigating growth, or simply trying to create space to think clearly again, this episode will help you reconnect your daily actions with your deeper mission.
This is the work beneath the work.
—
Learn more about our work supporting mission-driven leaders:https://www.stillpointinsight.com
 
Key Topics Covered
Why prioritization is the foundation of leadership
The relationship between strategy, leverage, and focus
How mission-driven leaders navigate complexity differently
The hidden cost of saying yes to everything
How to identify and resolve the biggest constraint in your business
Practical frameworks: Pareto Principle, BOPIT, Theory of Constraints
Transitioning from operator to strategic leader
Preventing burnout through intentional prioritization
00:00 Introduction to the Mission-Driven series02:10 Why mission-driven leaders face unique prioritization challenges03:20 Strategy, leverage, and focus: a practical framework07:46 The tension between mission and business reality10:53 Inner transformation and leadership effectiveness16:55 Tactical prioritization frameworks that work20:41 Why most organizations struggle with prioritization26:05 Common mistakes mission-driven leaders make31:10 Burnout, overwhelm, and the power of saying no36:05 Case study: reclaiming time and reducing burnout39:47 Scaling leadership and setting boundaries41:41 Transitioning from founder to strategic leader44:05 Hard conversations and leadership growth47:10 Identifying and resolving organizational constraints49:23 Practical steps to reduce burnout now50:33 The BOPIT framework: Brainstorm, Organize, Prioritize51:41 Closing thoughts and preview of next episode
 
#MissionDriven#Leadership#FounderLeadership#Prioritization#StrategicLeadership#MissionDrivenBusiness#Entrepreneurship#ExecutiveLeadership#PurposeDriven#BusinessStrategy#LeadershipDevelopment#FounderJourney#ImpactDriven#StillpointInsight

From the NICU to a Medical Breakthrough with Dori Jones of Acqumen Medical

In this episode of The Turning Point, we sit down with Dori Jones, founder and CEO of Acqumen Medical, to explore how a personal NICU experience sparked a breakthrough in pediatric critical care.
The U.S. has the highest infant mortality rate of any wealthy nation—a reality most people never confront until they’re forced to. Dori explains why infants and children in critical care are so difficult to monitor, how doctors make life-or-death decisions with limited data, and how Acqumen Medical is changing that with non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring technology.
We unpack the science behind blood flow measurement, why cardiac output matters far earlier than traditional vital signs, and how Acqumen’s UltraTrack technology combines ultrasound and impedance in a completely new way. Dori also shares the realities of building a pediatric medical device company, navigating FDA pathways, fundraising, and why innovation in children’s healthcare is both overlooked—and essential.
🎧 Learn more about the technology at https://www.acqumenmedical.com/📩 Subscribe to The Turning Point at https://stillpointinsight.com/the-turning-point
#TheTurningPointPodcast #HealthcareInnovation #PediatricCare #MedicalDevices #FounderStory #NICU #InfantHealth #HealthTech #MissionDriven #StartupStories

Scaling Carbon Removal the “Unsexy” Way with Andrew Jones of Carba

Carbon removal isn’t new—but most solutions are expensive, centralized, and difficult to scale. So what if the most effective answer is also the least flashy?
In this episode of The Turning Point, Justin Baker and Ian C. Williams sit down with Andrew Jones, founder and CEO of Carba, to explore a radically practical approach to carbon removal—one that leverages biology, waste streams, and existing infrastructure instead of giant vacuum machines.
Andrew breaks down why decarbonization alone won’t solve climate change, how biochar can permanently remove carbon from the atmosphere, and why decentralized, “unsexy” climate infrastructure may be our best path forward. Along the way, we unpack carbon markets, landfill co-benefits, regenerative agriculture, and the hard realities of financing climate hardware.
🔗 Learn more about Carba’s carbon removal technology: carba.com🎧 Subscribe and explore more episodes of The Turning Point: https://stillpointinsight.com/the-turning-point
#CarbonRemoval #CarbonCapture #ClimateTech #Biochar #ClimateSolutions #CleanTech #Decarbonization #ClimateInfrastructure #Sustainability
00:00 – Why carbon capture gets so much skepticism
03:00 – The simple logic behind carbon removal
06:15 – Why decarbonization alone isn’t enough
10:40 – The Carboniferous Period and nature’s blueprint
14:45 – Why planting trees won’t solve the problem
18:00 – Turning biomass waste into permanent carbon storage
22:00 – How biochar actually works (pyrolysis explained)
28:30 – Why landfills are a surprising climate solution
33:30 – Carbon markets, pricing, and permanence
39:00 – Why decentralized climate solutions matter
44:00 – Financing “unsexy” climate infrastructure
50:00 – Biochar, soil health, and regenerative agriculture
55:30 – What needs to change to scale carbon removal
57:45 – What individuals and companies can do now

Healthcare with Humanity: Sarah Brown of Gatherwell on Care Without Insurance

What if healthcare worked for people instead of insurance companies?
In this episode of The Turning Point, we sit down with Sarah Brown, founder of Gatherwell, to explore a radically different approach to healthcare—one that removes insurance from the equation entirely.
Sarah shares why she left traditional healthcare, how the insurance-driven system fails both patients and providers, and what direct access care looks like in practice. We unpack patient agency, preventative care, entrepreneurship inside a broken system, and why “care without insurance” may actually lead to better outcomes and lower costs.
If you’ve ever felt frustrated, powerless, or confused navigating healthcare, this conversation offers a hopeful—and practical—alternative.
Learn more about GatherWell at gatherwellmn.com
Subscribe to the Turning Point Podcast here
00:00 – Why Healthcare Feels Broken
02:10 – Meet Sarah Brown of Gatherwell
05:45 – How Insurance Distorts Healthcare Incentives
10:40 – Where Your Healthcare Dollars Actually Go
16:00 – What “Care Without Insurance” Really Means
21:10 – Patient Agency vs the Traditional System
27:30 – Why Direct Care Is So Hard to Build
34:15 – GLP-1s, Metabolic Health, and Personalized Care
41:50 – Advice for Patients Navigating Healthcare Today
47:00 – Courage, Entrepreneurship, and Systemic Change

The Cost of Poor Coordination in Healthcare – and How Dr. Mike Pitt Is Fixing It

Poor coordination in hospitals is more than an inconvenience—it leads to preventable errors, missed conversations, and unnecessary emotional stress for patients and families. In this episode, Dr. Mike Pitt joins Justin and Ian to reveal how Q-Rounds is solving one of healthcare’s most persistent problems: getting doctors, nurses, and families in the room at the right time.
Discover why time transparency matters, how better coordination can reduce medical errors by 40%, and what it looks like to build a mission-driven healthcare innovation from the inside out.
👉 Learn more about Q-Rounds at q-rounds.com
👉 Subscribe to The Turning Point for more conversations with founders transforming complex systems https://stillpointinsight.com/the-turning-point.
⏱️ Episode Chapters
00:00 — Introduction: Why Coordination Fails in Healthcare02:10 — Meet Dr. Mike Pitt: Pediatric Hospitalist & Q-Rounds Founder05:30 — The “When Will the Doctor Be Here?” Problem09:45 — How Poor Coordination Leads to Medical Errors13:20 — The Birth of Q-Rounds: From Great Clips to Groundbreaking Insight18:05 — Time Transparency and Real-Time Updates Explained23:40 — Human Stories: Families Finally Included in Their Care29:15 — The Business Case: ROI, Retention, and Better Workflows36:50 — Mission-Driven Tech: Building Solutions That Actually Get Used45:10 — The Future of Coordinated Care & What’s Next for Q-Rounds