1133: Brianna Sylver
“Leading Through Free Fall”
What if the secret to surviving—and thriving—in the chaos of change is learning to lead as if you’re skydiving into the unknown?
In this shockingly honest and insightful episode of Thrive Loud, host Lou Diamond welcomes innovation strategist and author of "Leading Through Free Fall," Brianna Sylver. Prepare for an eye-opening conversation that rewrites the rules of leadership during turbulence, revealing why true growth often begins when you let go of certainty and learn to trust—both yourself and your teams.
Brianna shares her journey from accidental entrepreneur to the founder of Sylver Consulting, an innovation research and strategy firm serving Fortune 1000 organizations and city governments. Drawing parallels between skydiving (yes, literal free-fall!) and guiding organizations through massive change, Brianna unpacks how embracing turbulence and uncertainty is the key to unlocking trust and transformation.
Key highlights include:
The real meaning behind “free fall” leadership and why turbulence is necessary for growth
How empathy and intention are Brianna’s superpowers for building trust in traumatized, uncertain workplaces
Practical insights from her book, including actionable tools like the “Five Intention Setting Questions” that have solved decade-old roadblocks for organizations
Stories of inner and outer transformation from readers who’ve discovered their own power as innovators
The shifting definition of movement and momentum in today’s business world—sometimes patience is the smartest move
Fun rapid-fire favorites: Brianna’s go-to movies, musical theater dreams, and her passion for the perfect chocolate cake
Whether you’re a leader navigating layoffs, organizational paralysis, or personal uncertainty, this episode is packed with the encouragement and strategies you need to turn turbulence into trust—and thrive at the next level.
Timestamped Episode Overview:
00:00 – Meet Brianna Sylver: accidental entrepreneur and innovation strategist
03:30 – The metaphor of “free fall” leadership revealed
06:05 – Turning turbulence into trust—how Sylver Consulting does it
09:36 – The epidemic of uncertainty in Fortune 1000 organizations
13:50 – Rethinking movement: why sometimes you need to pause to grow
15:09 – The “gift” of creating transformational content
17:40 – Real-world breakthroughs from Brianna’s book
18:56 – Where to connect with Brianna: LinkedIn, Silver Consulting, and more
19:53 – Fun Street: movies, music, chocolate cake, and more
24:00 – Musical theater dreams and hot yoga bootcamp
25:50 – If Brianna could be anywhere…why Brazil beaches win
26:59 – Closing thoughts: leading through free fall
27:34 – Thrive Loud outro and where to find more
Ready to unlock growth and navigate change with confidence? Dive in and get inspired!
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