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OwlCast: The Leadership & Coaching Podcast

OwlCast: The Leadership & Coaching Podcast

By: David Morelli with Co-Host William Oakley
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OwlCast is a podcast on leadership and coaching. You can expect to get insights to help you solve the thorny problems of life and leadership – all with a dollop of laughter thrown in. Your dynamic hosts, David and William, will help you become a more kickass leader. Together, they won’t only motivate you, they’ll give you scientifically proven tools to become better – full stop!David Morelli 2020-2025 Career Success Economics Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • Aren’t I Supposed to Chase Success? Rethinking Work, Status and Happiness

    Aren’t I Supposed to Chase Success? Rethinking Work, Status and Happiness
    Jun 16 2026
    What happens when the thing you’ve spent your entire career chasing… stops working? In this deeply personal episode, David, William and guest Anna-Marie explore the hidden cost of success through a real-life story of walking away from a high-powered career. It’s a conversation about identity, pressure, and the quiet realization that achievement doesn’t always equal fulfillment. We dig into the masks we wear to survive in high-performance environments—leader, fixer, “I’m fine”—and the toll they take over time. We also confront the harder questions most people avoid: What is this costing me? Who am I outside of my role? And what does success look like if it’s not defined by titles, money, or status? This isn’t just about leaving a job. It’s about reclaiming alignment, rediscovering what matters, and having the courage to redefine success on your own terms—even when the world around you doesn’t understand it.

    Key Topics:

    • Success can become an identity trap—achievement replaces self-awareness.
    • High performers often push through stress, burnout, and misalignment for years.
    • Eventually, the question shifts from “What am I gaining?” to “What is this costing me?”
    • Lack of belonging and authentic self-expression drives disengagement.
    • Leadership misalignment (styles, connection, support) can push out top talent.
    • Courage isn’t just climbing the ladder—it’s knowing when to step off.
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    1 hr
  • Presence: The One Thing You Can’t Fake

    Presence: The One Thing You Can’t Fake
    Jun 9 2026
    You’ve felt it before—those rare moments when someone is fully with you. No distractions, no agenda, no performance… just presence. And you’ve felt the opposite too—the “I’m here, but I’m not really here” conversations that leave you feeling unseen. In this episode, David and William unpack what presence really is—and why it’s one of the most powerful and misunderstood aspects of leadership and coaching. If you’ve ever been told to “work on your executive presence” but had no idea what that actually meant… this conversation finally puts language to the invisible.

    Key Topics:

    • Presence is the alignment of attention, intention, and emotion.
    • You can’t measure your own presence—others feel it instantly.
    • Lack of presence impacts promotions, reputation, and influence.
    • Presence is not a tactic—it’s a “beingness,” not a checklist skill.
    • Executive presence ≠ dominance; it’s grounded, authentic alignment.
    • Coaching presence is different:
    • Focused fully on the other person
    • Neutral emotion
    • Clear intention to support their growth
    • The fastest way to lose presence? Focusing on yourself.
    • Growth tip: You don’t “add” presence—you remove what gets in the way
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    53 mins
  • You’re NOT Listening: (Oops, neither am I!)

    You’re NOT Listening: (Oops, neither am I!)
    Jun 2 2026
    Most of us think we’re good listeners… but we’re really just waiting for our turn to talk. In this episode, David and William call out the hidden habits—reloading, multitasking, and conversational narcissism—that quietly break trust, kill engagement, and cost more than we realize.

    Key Topics:

    • Listening ≠ hearing — true listening is about understanding, not responding.
    • Silence is a leadership skill—it allows people to process, open up, and feel heard.
    • Deep listening reduces stress, lowers defensiveness, and increases trust
    • There are 3 levels of listening:
    o Level 1: Me-focused
    o Level 2: You-focused
    o Level 3: Context & what’s not said
    • Leaders who don’t listen create disengagement, poor performance, and turnover.
    • Practical moves:
    o Pause (count to 3)
    o Paraphrase before responding
    o Don’t interrupt
    o Listen with your eyes
    Show More Show Less
    52 mins
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