5 People Who Shaped Brandon Mergard | CEO Coach on Leadership, Feedback, ADHD & Belonging

S04-E01 Brandon Mergard

 

In this episode of People Are Everything, host Julia Duthie speaks with Brandon Mergard, CEO of a global executive coaching organisation focused on stakeholder-centred coaching — a leadership approach built on how you’re experienced by others, not just who you intend to be.

 

Brandon shares the five most influential people (and groups) in his life — from his parents and family to a moral-compass mentor who helped shape his leadership philosophy — and he opens up about how school and teachers impacted him, including the lasting effects of ADHD, self-belief, and learning differently.

 

You’ll also hear a powerful practical tool Brandon teaches: “feedforward” — how to skip awkward feedback and ask people what they want to see you do instead.

 

In this conversation:

 

What stakeholder-centered leadership really means (and why it matters)

The “feedforward” question that changes relationships fast

A mentor described as a “moral compass” (WWFD: What Would Frank Do?)

How parenting, belonging, and mission-driven work shape leadership

Funny, human moments (Highlander, yoga nerves, and deleting 47 files…)

 

⭐ Highlights

 

The Five Influential People / Groups Brandon chooses

 

His parents (Annette & Jim)

Annette: rebellious, entrepreneurial, unfiltered humour; nurse stories “brains in the fridge”

Jim: engineer mindset, analytical “chair = bolts, washers, liability”; also poetry and service

 

His wife Alicia + children (James & Jane)

Alicia: yoga + Pilates instructor, “obsessive about perfect”… then suddenly decides to become a nurse

James: hyper-intelligent, engineering brain, spectrum/ADHD; asks wild mechanical questions

Jane: warm, social, “flowers for everyone” — the opposite temperament

 

Dr. Frank Wagner (mentor / moral compass)

“A compass tuned for morality”

WWFD: “What would Frank do?”

Architect of stakeholder-centered coaching; story ties into Marshall Goldsmith origins

 

Teachers (as a category — both negative and positive, but he focuses on negative impact)

Very clip-worthy: teacher takes his chair away; mom says “Don’t give it back — it’s a prison!”

A teacher throws his binder across the room

Sixth grade science teacher kills his love of academics; ripple effects into maths and confidence

 

Coworkers / his tribe (mission-driven people)

Belonging + being “leveraged” (rarely said, very strong concept)

“Power Rangers” analogy: different strengths combine into something bigger

Great moment where he says the “hard part” of a show isn’t hosting — it’s editing/marketing

 

🎧 Listen/watch on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.

 

These are thoughtful, honest conversations about being human — full of insight, reflection, warmth and the occasional surprise.

 

New episodes dropping each week.

 

🎧 Watch or Listen on your favourite podcast platform:

Youtube: https://loom.ly/nb-WD3Q

Apple: https://loom.ly/EgwKsWk

Spotify: https://loom.ly/GHo0lEo

 

📲 Follow us on socials: https://loom.ly/gJuJlLQ

 

If you can’t wait, all three previous seasons are ready and waiting — the perfect way to wind down after a great New Year's celebration. ☕️

 

📺 Watch Season 1,2 and 3 here ..

👉 Season-1 - https://loom.ly/AhznB6k

👉 Season-2 - https://loom.ly/XGH2jt0

👉 Season-3 - https://loom.ly/t1h2EQ8

 

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