Emotional Organization
Emotional Organization, hosted by Dr. Denaige McDonnell, explores what makes us human in a world that often forgets it. Each episode blends the science of emotional intelligence with practical tools for critical thinking, decision-making, and leadership. From personal growth to organizational culture, the show helps you see patterns, shift perspectives, and act with clarity and confidence. This is where head and heart work together, turning insight into action for yourself, your teams, and the systems we share.
Episodes
52 episodes
052 | Interview With an Entrepreneur: Mental Health and Business Building
Episode Summary:Building a business isn’t just about strategy—it’s about mindset, confidence, and personal growth. In this episode, I sit down with my sister,
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51:50
051 | Interview With an Entrepreneur: Putting Principles Before Profit
In this episode of Emotional Organization, Denaige McDonnell interviews her husband, Keith McDonnell, about his journey into entrepreneurship. They discuss the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership, the role of community an...
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54:38
050 | Risk is Relative: Refining Your Approach to Threat Assessment
When you hear the word risk, do you immediately think danger, loss, or threat?In this episode, we flip the script and take a deep dive into the real meaning o...
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52:42
049 | The Creation of Culture: Building Something You Love
Workplace culture isn’t just about corporate policies or glossy mission statements—it’s a reflection of the collective behaviors, values, and emotional energy of the people who make up the organization. In this episode, we dive into the...
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43:18
048 | Root Setting: Forming Powerful Foundations for Growth
In this episode, Dr. Denaige McDonnell explores the concept of 'root setting' as a vital leadership skill that involves creating stability in one's life. She shares her personal journey of moving frequently during her childhood and how ...
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23:46
047 | Leadership Paradigms: Understanding How You See the World
What You’ll Learn: What is a Paradigm?Explore the three core components of paradigms:Ontology: How you perceive reality.
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29:17
046 | Love Letters: Mental Model Makers—Past, Present, and Pretend
In Episode 46 of Emotional Organization, I’m writing a love letter to the powerhouse women — real, remembered, and imagined — who have shaped the way I think, act, and live. Through nine life areas, I explore the role of
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47:43
045 | Love Letters: Sisters, Sisters, and More Sisters
What do you do with the people who helped raise you… but also broke your heart? In this deeply personal episode, I reflect on the complicated terrain of sisterhood—what it gave me, what it took, and what it continue...
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28:10
044 | Love Letters: Bosses: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
Not every boss is a mentor. Some are a warning. In this episode of Emotional Organization, I’m looking back at the people who shaped my leadership—on purpose or by accident. From my very first job to high-stakes roles in oi...
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51:43
043 | Love Letters: A Motorcycle, a Mug of Coffee, and a Lifetime of Trust
In this heartfelt installment of the Love Letter series, Dr. Denaige McDonnell reflects on nearly four decades of chosen family, emotional mentorship, and unshakable trust with someone who shaped her life profoundly: her brothe...
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29:47
042 | Love Letters: Everything I Needed to Know About Leadership I Learned from My Teachers
This episode is a tribute—to the ones who saw me, shaped me, and gave me the tools to find my own voice.Growing up as the youngest of four sisters, I often felt like the extra piece in a puzzle that didn’t quite fit. But inside t...
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42:18
041 | Love Letters: Barbies, Butterflies, Nooners, Scaffolding, and a 15 Year Marriage
Season 2 begins with a story that’s not about theory—but about truth.In this deeply personal episode, I take you inside the love story that changed everything for me. It's not a fairy tale. It's not fireworks. It...
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33:06
040 | False Agency in the Digital Age: Why You Feel Powerless Even When You're in Control
False Agency in a Digital Age: Why You Feel Powerless Even When You're in Charge A deep dive into powerlessness, perception, and the subtle ways our modern world trains us to give up contr...
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30:12
039 | A Place to Belong: The Leadership Skill of Root-Setting
In this episode, Dr. Denaige McDonnell explores the concept of 'root setting' as a vital leadership skill that involves creating stability in one's life. She shares her personal journey of moving frequently during her child...
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23:46
037 | Brand Building for the Solopreneur
Brand Building for the Solopreneur Branding isn’t just about logos. It’s about leadership, identity, and making your complexity feel cohesive. Key Takeaways
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56:22
036 | Strategic Friendship: Beyond Proximity and Play
What happens to our friendships when we leave the structures that used to shape them—like school, work, or parenting schedules? And what if we stopped trying to recreate those old patterns and instead built something better?In th...
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40:31
035 | Slow Leadership: The Antidote We All Need Right Now
In a world racing to optimize, automate, and accelerate—what happens to leadership, to communication, to meaning?In this soul-stirring episode of Emotional Organization, Dr. Denaige McDonnell steps away from the panic ar...
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41:01
034 | Burnout and the Psychological Contract Between You and Your Employer
In this episode of Emotional Organization, Dr. Denaige McDonnell explores burnout through the lens of the psychological contract—the invisible but powerful set of expectations between workers and their organizations.Burn...
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30:07
033 | Workplace Mental Health: The Silent Strain
In this episode of Emotional Organization, Dr. Denaige McDonnell explores the invisible emotional weight many people carry at work—especially in environments where silence is rewarded, emotional ...
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28:15
032 | The Rhythm of Leadership: Lessons from Myth and Science
Keywords:leadership, emotional intelligence, Persephone, Mayan calendar, artificial intelligence, timing, systems thinking, personal growth, mythology, productivitySummary:In this ...
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30:00
031 | Getting to the Heart of Risk: A Systems Approach to Upgrading Your Decision-Making Confidence
When you hear the word risk, do you immediately think danger, loss, or threat?In this episode, we flip the script and take a deep dive into the real meaning of risk—and how your percept...
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52:42
030 | The Myth of Freedom — Why Systems Are the Secret to Feeling Free
In this deeply practical and perspective-shifting episode, we explore a powerful truth: freedom doesn’t come from avoiding structure — it comes from understanding and designing your systems.From decision fatigue...
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43:17
029 | Project Life: How to Manage Yourself Like a Million-Dollar Project
Welcome to The Emotional Organization, where strategy meets soul—and today, we’re blending project management with personal transformation.In this episode, host Dr. Denaige McDonnell reframes the five traditional phases of projec...
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38:19
