This week I sit down with Dana Rutland, a senior HR executive whose career has been shaped by a simple truth: she loves solving the problems that can't be handled by a checklist or an algorithm. Dana has served as CHRO at Right at Home and VP of HR at Impro Industries, and on The Hodges 12 she's a Cultivator–Synthesizer–Communicator Which means she's wired to grow people, connect dots across silos, and translate complexity into something teams can actually use.

Right now, Dana is in what I call a sacred in-between, a discernment season where she's asking big questions about the next chapter.

Our conversation moves through the moments that shaped her leadership, from the young employee she coached, to her father's simple but unforgettable advice about never settling for a job that has you praying for Saturday.

A few of my favorite moments from this episode:

Why Dana never set out to be in HR, and how her problem-solving instinct quietly led her there anyway

The coaching story that shows what a Cultivator actually does when someone walks in ready to quit

Why the "messy middle" is where the most meaningful leadership happens

Running a marathon at a sprint's pace, and the permission we all need to finally slow down

The closing charge every HR leader needs to hear: your gifts matter, and never, ever settle

If you've ever felt the pull between who you've been and who you're becoming, this one is for you.

Want to discover your own Creative Genius Trifecta like Dana did? Take the Hodges 12 assessment at www.heatherhodges.com

Connect with Dana:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-rutland/

To take The Hodges 12 Types of Creative Genius assessment:

Visit: www.heatherhodges.com

In this episode Heather sits down with Riley Simpson, the founder of LeapYear, a life accelerator for high school graduates designed to help young people discover their identity, purpose, and direction before rushing into the next chapter. Riley is a bold entrepreneur, passionate advocate for the next generation, and a fellow ACU Wildcat. On the Hodges 12 Types of Creative Genius™, Riley is a Connector—Synthesizer—Teacher.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

What LeapYear is and why Riley believes young people need a different kind of start

The moment he realized he'd essentially built a business out of everything he loves

How he went from zero to a complete 12-month program, in only12 months

What surprised him about seeing "Teacher" in his Trifecta

The micro-commitment growth edge he's actively working on, and the accountability system he's put in place

Why Connectors and Synthesizers can be especially prone to overpromising and underdelivering (and what to do about it)

What he wants to learn from the Functional Creative Genius types, and why Builders fascinate him

The question he wants every future guest to answer: "Which creative genius type do you most want to learn from?"

Riley's Creative Genius Trifecta: Connector — Intuitively sees potential matches between people, opportunities, and resources. Synthesizer — Integrates insights across multiple fields and weaves diverse information into new solutions. Teacher — Breaks down complex concepts and equips others with the knowledge, tools, and resources to grow.

Connect with Riley:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rileywsimpson/

https://www.startleapyear.com

To take The Hodges 12 Types of Creative Genius assessment:

Visit: www.thehodges12.com

What happens when a shark and a shrink walk into a podcast studio together? You get one of the most honest, insightful, and warmhearted conversations about creativity and leadership you've ever heard.

Trey Reese is the Chief Operating Officer of Brightmoor Hospice and a board member of the Georgia Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. He is a leader who has spent his career at the intersection of law, compassionate care, and people development.

On The Hodges 12, Trey is a Cultivator— Communicator— Healer and in this episode, you'll see exactly why that combination is so powerful.

Trey and Heather explore what it really means to be creative when you've never called yourself a creative person, why the Cultivator's work is often invisible until years later, and how his Trifecta showed up in a single, pivotal conversation with a colleague, before he even realized what he was doing.

What You'll Hear in This Episode:

Why Trey never considered himself creative, and what changed

The invisible nature of the Cultivator genius: planting seeds and trusting the long game

The kudos card that arrived two years in the making, and what it revealed

How his Healer genius goes straight for the root cause beneath what's being said

Why humor and playfulness are essential leadership tools (yes, even in hospice)

The courage it takes to share your biggest failures, and why people love it

Trey's powerful message to anyone convinced they are not creative: "You're wrong."

Percy the Penguin's lightning round, including a question from previous guest Jen Elliott

Connect with Trey:

Reach out directly, he welcomes real conversations.

https://www.brightmoorhospice.com

To take The Hodges 12 Types of Creative Genius assessment:

Visit: www.thehodges12.com

What does it look like when a visionary leader finally lands in the perfect role? In this episode, Heather sits down with Michael Mead, CEO of EDC Communications, whose Hodges 12 Creative Genius Trifecta is Strategist— Synthesizer—Communicator, and it perfectly matches a career built on helping experts become exceptional communicators.

Michael didn't expect "Synthesizer” to be in his trifecta, but the discovery unlocked an insight for him. A lifelong book and podcast junkie, he now has language for why his brain is in constant search of patterns, pulling together insights from wildly different places to find solutions no one else sees.

He also gets refreshingly honest about the downsides of his wiring: moving too fast for the people around him, getting mentally overloaded, accidentally casting vision to people he can't yet invite in.

Full of practical wisdom on cognitive reset, scaling impact, and the creative conditions that unlock his best thinking. If you've ever felt like you're running ahead of your own capacity, this episode is for you.

Connect with Michael:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-mead/

www.thinkedc.com

To take The Hodges 12 Types of Creative Genius assessment:

Visit: www.thehodges12.com

What happens when a physical therapist trades the clinic for healthcare marketing, and discovers her creative genius was working behind the scenes all along? In this episode, Heather sits down with Rachel Taylor, Market Manager at Agape Care Group/Georgia Hospice Care, whose Hodges 12 Creative Genius Trifecta is Connector—Healer—Communicator, maps perfectly onto her life's work.

Rachel never would have called herself creative. But through this conversation, she unpacks how creativity shows up in the most unexpected places: transforming a patient's room into a mini beach, coordinating a final wedding, and meeting grieving families exactly where their fear lives.

She shares why creativity isn't "extra," it's how you multiply impact, and how great leaders create the psychological safety their teams need to take risks, fail forward, and grow. If you've ever wondered what creativity looks like in a high-stakes, deeply human industry, this episode is for you.

Connect with Rachel:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-taylor-a234a3202/

https://agapecaregroup.com

To take The Hodges 12 Types of Creative Genius assessment:

Visit: www.thehodges12.com

In this special live episode from the Georgia Hospice and Palliative Care Organization annual conference, host Heather Hodges sits down with Natalie McNeil, Director of Hospice and In-Home Palliative Care, and Dr. Mary Keith, Medical Director at the Hospice of Northeast Georgia Health System, to explore what creativity really looks like in hospice care. Through the lens of the Hodges 12 Creative Genius assessment, Natalie (Cultivator–Strategist–Designer) and Dr. Keith (Communicator–Synthesizer–Organizer) share how they’ve learned to see themselves as creative leaders, far beyond traditional ideas of art and talent.

Together they unpack how regulations can serve as a starting line instead of a ceiling, why “no” is the fastest way to kill innovation, and how collaborative, non-hierarchical teams generate the best ideas for patients and families.

Along the way, they reframe hospice from something associated with giving up to a space for abundant, intentional life all the way to the end, where creativity shows up in every home, every family, and every conversation.

Connect with Natalie McNeal & Dr. Mary King:

https://www.nghs.com/hospice

To take The Hodges 12 Types of Creative Genius assessment:

Visit: www.thehodges12.com

Jen Elliott is back! As the Executive Director of Heart of Georgia Hospice, Jen brings a rare combination to everything she leads: the precision of an Organizer, the big-picture thinking of a Strategist, and the people-centered heart of a Cultivator. That Trifecta is an absolute force of nature.

In this episode, we dig into what it really means to lead creatively in hospice care, and why the people who say "I'm not creative" are often the most creative people in the room.

Jen opens up about the moments she's held her creativity back, the ideas that almost didn't make it, and how she nurtures creative courage in the people she leads.

If you've ever wondered what human-centered innovation looks like from the inside of a hospice organization, this conversation will remind you why human creativity is still the most powerful tool we have.

Connect with Jen:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-elliott-rn-30905b139/

https://heartofgahospice.org

To take The Hodges 12 Types of Creative Genius assessment:

Visit: www.thehodges12.com

Hannah Tomlinson is the CEO of HT Executive Search, where she helps healthcare organizations find director to C-suite talent while consulting and training talent acquisition teams on best practices and strategy. With experience spanning agency and in-house recruiting across all 50 states, Hannah brings a rare blend of relational depth and strategic precision to everything she does.

On The Hodges 12 Types of Creative Genius™, Hannah is a Connector-Strategist-Healer — and once you hear her talk about her work, you'll understand exactly why.

In this episode, Hannah shares how her creative genius shows up in talent acquisition, what conditions help her do her best work, and why creativity is more essential to healthcare recruiting than most people realize.

We also dig into what kills innovation before it has a chance to take root and what leaders can do about it.

What you'll hear in this episode:

How Hannah's Connector-Strategist-Healer trifecta shapes the way she leads and serves clients

What surprised her most when she saw her creative genius profile

The role creativity plays in executive recruiting that most people overlook

What kills creativity and innovation in organizations and how to protect against it

What Hannah is building right now and why she's excited about it

Connect with Hannah:

www.htesearch.com

linkedin.com/in/hannah-tomlinson-272747b

To take The Hodges 12 Types of Creative Genius assessment:

Visit: www.thehodges12.com