Looking to build innovation, strengthen organizational culture, and develop greater confidence? Try play. Seriously. Play builds empathy, sparks creativity, and allows deeper reflection and learning. Why would we not integrate it into our workday?
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Speaking with CEOs, executive coaches, and leaders across a variety of industries, Mary Hendra explores what “play” can look like in professional spaces, its impact on us and our organizations, and how to integrate a little play ourselves to build more compassionate and creative workplaces.
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Well this was an unusual "season." I bring it to end with the Too Long; Didn't Listen wrap-up highlight what I've learned from the guests in this season, as well as news about my upcoming book.
Guests you'll hear from in this episode:
For our TLDL episode, it’s not about trying to summarize 15 episodes, but giving a sampler plate. It’s a rich one.
Why play is so important:
Jacqueline Lloyd Smith, Founder of Strategic Play® Global
Alex Suchman, Co-Founder of Barometer XP
Retired Col. Jason TOGA Trew
Building deeper connections and conversation:
Lee Kim describes how she invites people to connect with her in NYC
Cheri Torres, who co-authored the book Conversations Worth Having with and Jackie Stavros, shares the intersection of Appreciative Inquiry and playfulness
Joacim Mattison on bringing the Swedish model of Almedalan to the States as a re-imagined playground of civic engagement
Female leadership thoughts:
Deb Valentina, who coaches female executives and coaxes their stories into being
Maricella Herrera Avila, former CEO of Ellevate Network for Professional Women
Brandi Mitchell, who both provides spaces to play literally through SD Soccer Women and challenges the collective image of women over 50 in her visibility for these adult leagues.
The power of play in moments with heavy emotion:
Hiba Tanvir, whose pause and play method facilitates connection with how we want to show up in the world
Dan Moyle, marketing consultant
Liz Vogel, ED for the civic organization New Pluralists, who shares the story of Briar Bates’ play when she discovered she had limited time left in this world.
Companies built on play:
Alex Suchman, Co-Founder of Barometer XP
John Grindle, Chief Purveyor of Fun and Games for Grin Events
Steve Rix, CEO of the start-up, PlayLab
Vanya Boardman, Co-Founder of Play Innove
Check out their individual episodes for more information about each of these amazing guests.
Mentioned in this episode:
Book campaign: Lead with a dash of Play
Join the book campaign to bring more joy to workplaces by increasing the integration of play as a leadership skill. https://books.manuscripts.com/product/play-works-lead-with-a-dash-of-play/
31 Aug 2026
Season 4 Mental Well-being in the Workplace
Why should HR managers in particular be attentive to play? According to my guest, and co-founder of PlayLab Steve Rix, because play facilitates psychological safety and rather than play distracting from work, play gets people in their best state of productivity. For a start-up CEO, play may be the secret sauce for success.
Guest: Steve Rix
Steve Rix has 30 years of experience in human development. From public to private entities and from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies, he has a vast array of exposure to how humans perform in the workplace. His playful nature led him on the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship until he planted his stake in the ground when he founded PlayLab. He has a vision to build a legacy where companies create playful happy people everywhere. When Steve isn’t playing with PlayLab clients, you can find him on the golf course, scuba diving, hiking, and enjoying his playground in paradise — Hawaii!
Playlab: https://experimentwithplay.com/
10 Aug 2026
Season 4: Hierarchy at Work? Flattened
Vanya Boardman is Co-Founder of PlayInnové and co-author of The Innovation Imperative. This recorded conversation was one of several conversations Vanya and I have had diving into what play is and isn’t, what complicates doing work in the play space, and the successes of doing play in the work space. One of the ideas she shares that I find so fascinating, is that play can be disruptive - not because it takes away from work, but because it flattens work hierarchies, opening up more honest conversations and more generative ideas. That’s powerful play!
Guest: Vanya Boardman
Vanya Boardman has spent over two decades reshaping how organizations think about culture, leadership, and innovation from the inside out. With deep operational leadership experience across Financial Services, Telecommunications, Health Tech, and Commercial Real Estate, she has sat at the intersection of people and performance long enough to know where friction lives and how to eliminate it. Vanya doesn't just consult on culture; she has built it, scaled it, and sustained it across some of the most complex organizational environments in business today.
As Co-Founder of PlayInnové and co-author of The Innovation Imperative: How Extraordinary Leaders Sustain the Spark, Vanya brings a rare combination of strategic rigor and creative methodology to every stage she steps on. A certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitator, FourSight® practitioner, and holder of an M.S. in Management and Leadership from Pepperdine University, she equips leaders with the tools to stop managing change and start leading transformation. When Vanya speaks, HR professionals don't just take notes; they rethink what's possible.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanya-boardman/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanya-boardman/)
Who has been a guest on Lead with a dash of Play
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Liz Vogel
Jason M Trew
Scott Shigeoka
Garry Ridge
Kathy Klotz-Guest
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