Mickey Bergman is a two time nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize, a fringe diplomat, CEO of Global Reach, a best selling Author, regular contributor to the NY Times, the Washington Post, Huff Post, The Boston Globe and numerous other well known publications.

He is a gentleman, an outlier and an influencing force in some of the most well known hostage negotiations which you will hear about today.

Mickey Bergman is the CEO of Global Reach, a non-governmental, non-profit organization that negotiates the release of political prisoners and hostages around the world.

With over 18 years in various aspects of strategic diplomacy, Mickey coined the term Fringe Diplomacy to describe the new field he is forging, an innovative discipline exploring the space in international relations just beyond the boundaries of States and Governments’ capacity and authority.

He manages relationships and private diplomacy efforts in North Korea, Cuba, Myanmar, Russia, Iran, Gaza, Venezuela and Africa. Nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize (2019 & 2023) alongside former Governor Bill Richardson; Mickey has led his teams at Global Reach and the Richardson Center to facilitate the release of more political prisoners than any other organization.

Prior to his work with Global Reach, Mickey was Vice President and Executive Director of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement; Executive Director of the Global Alliances Program at the Aspen Institute; is a professor at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, where he teaches about emotional intelligence in international relations, and was consultant to the Clinton Global Initiative.

Mickey’s book, IN THE SHADOWS; True Stories of High-Stakes Negotiations to Free Americans Captured Abroad, came out in June 2024. He has also published numerous articles and opinion pieces in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, Foreign Policy Online, and HuffPost.He was recently honored with the 2023 James W. Foley Legacy Foundation American Hostage Freedom Award and serves on the Center for Strategic and International Studies Commission on Hostage Taking and Wrongful Detention.

Mickey is a native of Tel Aviv and former combat officer in the Israel Defense Forces. He holds a master’s degree in foreign service from Georgetown University.

To know more about Mickey visit his socials:

Instagram: @Mickey.Bergman

X: @mickeybergman

Kathy Love is a certified self-care coach, 2x TEDx speaker, and bestselling author of My Self-Care Sh*t: The Workbook*. With over a decade of experience in wellness, leadership, and coaching, she helps —stop the people-pleasing and start reclaiming energy, time, and peace.

Known for her bold yet compassionate approach, Kathy combines practical tools with deep mindset work to help clients break patterns of burnout, codependency, and chronic overgiving. She brings clarity, humor, and hard-won wisdom to every session, guiding people back to themselves with radical honesty and unwavering support.

Her signature programs and workshops offer simple, sustainable self-care strategies that don’t require expensive spa days—just a willingness to pause, breathe, and get your self-care sh*t together.

To know more about Kathy visit her website:

www.kathyleckey.com

www.myselfcareshit.com

Shola Richards is the CEO and Founder of Go Together Global®, the best-selling author of the award-winning book Civil Unity, and he is leading a worldwide movement to change the world based on how we treat each other at work. His tireless international efforts to make the world a kinder place from San Juan to Singapore have earned him the well-deserved nickname, “Brother Teresa”.

As a speaker, Shola has shared his transformative leadership message with major media outlets such as the TODAY Show and CBS This Morning, with Fortune 500 companies such as Google and Microsoft, and in his greatest honor to date, in September 2021, he was invited to testify in front of the House of Representatives on Capitol Hill to share his expert recommendations on how to bring more civility to Congress (he’ll be the first to tell you that they could use a refresher course.)

To know more about Shola visit his website:

www.sholarichards.com

Steve is a globally renowned talent strategist and advisor, sought after by leaders and organizations around the world.

His client roster includes innovative organizations such as Airbnb, Salesforce, the Country Music Association, Manchester United Football Club, the BBC, and the City of Lisbon Portugal.

Additionally, Steve is frequently retained by top VC firms and top consulting firms like Deloitte and McKinsey for his expertise.

A dynamic speaker and educator, Steve presents at global conferences and teaches at leading universities.

Before founding his firm in 2013, Steve spent over 25 years as an HR executive atindustry-leading companies like Cisco Systems and Electronic Arts.

His career culminated in his role as LinkedIn’s first Chief Human Resources Officer, where he helped grow the company from a private startup of 400 employees to a public powerhouse. His pioneering work in shaping LinkedIn’s culture inspired Stanford University to create a graduate-level class based on his strategies.

Throughout his career, the teams and cultures Steve has built have been recognized as world-class performers by The Wall Street Journal and Fortune Magazine. He has also been named one of the Top 100 Global Thought Leaders in People and Talent annually since 2021.

In 2021, Steve released his acclaimed book Workquake, which explores the future of work and became an Amazon “Hot New Release” upon publication. Today, he serves on the boards of three companies and advises several forward-thinking organizations.

To know more about Steve visit his website:

www.stevecadigan.com

This episode is sponsored by: The Outlier Project

Website: https://www.theoutlierproject.live/

LinkedIn: @theoutlierproject

Over the last decade, Madeleine has built 3 successful companies and a community of over 2 million people.She is the founder of MHM Luxury Properties, Madeleine Raiford-Holland (MRH) Education, and Moderately High Maintenance Luxury Properties.Her mission is to inspire anyone who feels chained by golden handcuffs to step out of their comfort zone and build their own massively profitable short term rental business.Madeleine helps aspiring short term rental investors and established operators, start or optimize short term rental businesses that focus on elevated guest experiences and automated systems. Her goal is not only financial freedom but also time freedom to live life on your terms.

To know more about Madeleine visit her website:

www.madeleineraifordholland.com

Watch The Luxe and The Short of It Podcast Episode 4 with Lyndsay Dowd Here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/04-lyndsay-dowd-bouncing-back-better-finding-opportunity/id1792946314?i=1000689220717

This episode is sponsored by: The Outlier Project

Website: https://www.theoutlierproject.live/

LinkedIn: @theoutlierproject

Jim Fielding is a respected leader and C-Suite veteran in brand strategy, consumer products and experiences, and storytelling. He has worked at some of the world’s largest media and retail companies, including Disney, Dreamworks, and 20th Century Fox. He is a passionate advocate and philanthropist for the Queer Community, higher education, and diversity, equity and inclusion. As author of All Pride, No Ego (Wiley, Aug. 15, 2023), he is committed to safe and authentic spaces for all individuals and communities. Jim spends his time as an Executive Coach, Speaker, and Advocate now and gives back through his work with Braven Mentoring, the Indiana University Foundation Board, The Point Foundation, and various local community efforts in Atlanta.

To know more about Jim visit his website:

www.hijimfielding.com

This episode is sponsored by: The Outlier Project

Website: https://www.theoutlierproject.live/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theoutlierproject

Enrique “Ric” Prado is a 24-year veteran of the CIA’s operations directorate, playing a pivotal role in counterterrorism and clandestine operations. As a co-founder of the Osama bin Laden task force, Alec Station, and later Chief of Operations for the CIA’s Counterterrorist Center, he was instrumental in the agency’s post-9/11 counterterrorism expansion.

Prado led high-stakes intelligence and kinetic operations worldwide, earning recognition for his leadership in some of the most challenging missions against terrorist networks and hostile foreign agents.

His career has been described as an "operational adventure," with significant contributions to some of the most critical covert actions in modern CIA history.

Born in Cuba, Prado experienced the Cuban Revolution before immigrating to the U.S. as a refugee. He later served as a U.S. Air Force Pararescue operator before joining the CIA, where he spent decades in high-threat environments, including Latin America, the Middle East, and East Asia.

He was a key figure in operations against the Shining Path in Peru, the Abu Sayyaf Group in the Philippines, and North Korean intelligence activities. After retiring from the CIA, he continued his work in private intelligence and security operations.

A recipient of multiple prestigious awards, including the CIA’s Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, Prado is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and daring intelligence officers of his generation.

He is an author of the best seller, “Black Ops- the life of a CIA Shadow Warrior.” Ric understands resilience, high stakes leadership and how to be incredibly decisive when it matters most. Black Ops: The Life of a CIA Shadow Warrior

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/black-ops-the-life-of-a-cia-shadow-warrior/

To know more about Ric visit his website:

www.ricprado.com

All of the episodes in April are brought to you by The Outlier Project where we choose to live extraordinary lives.

What do you get when you combine a national touring DJ, a weight-loss transformation story, a 3 time game show contestant, an extroverted entertainer and a highly interactive keynote speaker? You get Rich Bracken.

Rich is a phenomenal combo of heart, wit, smarts and experience and when he delivers a keynote- you won’t forget it.

Rich is an award-winning global keynote speaker, thought leader, television and media contributor, and consultant focusing on emotional intelligence, leadership, motivation, and business differentiation through client experience and branding.

Combining his experience in sales, marketing, and client experience with his passion for public speaking and coaching, he brings a unique and refreshing blend of empathy and positivity that resonates with professionals from every level and background.

He is also the Brand Ambassador for TalentSmartEQ, the #1 emotional intelligence firm in the world, which brings a higher level of content and after event training opportunities for your company.

As an empathetic transformational conductor, Rich engages audiences, inspiring them with hope for a brighter, more successful future through authentic connections and genuine care.To know more about Rich visit his website:

www.richbracken.com

All of the episodes this month are sponsored by The Outlier Project. If you want to discover a community where we choose to live extraordinary lives and value people over everything, DM me. I'll tell you all about it!

Spotify Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/17A6ePHBDQBq1jl74hh3EO?si=qurm0bpgTpuryHUH9WLFQw&pt=fdee4867bb2d0740e6b3cb5b8deef06e&pi=y9ANItwXSTWk0