Kristen Ziman

The 150 Friend Limit: Who’s Really in Your Corner? Here’s a simple truth that most people don’t want to hear: Not everyone who’s in your circle is in your corner. That line usually earns a few raised eyebrows when I say it from a stage.

We don’t need more friends.

We need the right friends. The ones who clap when we win, tell us the truth when we’re slipping, and stand in our corner when it counts.

The key is being intentional about who earns a spot.

I wrote about friendship this week: https://loom.ly/54eoSls

Don’t Yuck Someone Else’s Yum If you are in Italy and you order a cappuccino past 11 a.m., it’s punishable by death. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but barely. A friend of mine committed this infraction while visiting the…

In Italy, ordering a cappuccino after 11 a.m. is a crime.

My friend learned this the hard way in a Florence café—and it got me thinking about all the invisible rules we live by, and how quick we are to judge when someone breaks them.

Read the full blog: https://loom.ly/X7qA1BQ

Leadership is not a popularity contest.

If you’re leading to be liked, you’re not leading — you’re managing comfort.

If you don’t have the capacity to be criticized, questioned, or challenged, leadership might not be for you.

#Leadership #Courage #Culture #Disruption #DoItScared

The Pizza, the Nun, and the Meaning of Life I found myself wandering the streets of Chicago this week in search of a place to eat. I was led to a restaurant by someone I’d never met. She lives in the same building as me, and we happened to be…

What a nun and deep-dish pizza taught me about the meaning of life. https://loom.ly/Fk591EM

Your phone is not just data. It is a record of who you were, who you outgrew, and who is still worth the space. I did a waiting-room contact purge and learned a lot.

Listen on Spotify: https://loom.ly/fIHUwPg
Apple Podcasts: https://loom.ly/u1MB-Jk
Watch on YouTube: https://loom.ly/_TqoR_I

Someone I Used to Know Link to article

Sometimes deleting contacts isn’t cold—it’s clarity.
Your phone is a reflection of your life: who you were, who you’ve outgrown, and who’s still worth the space.

Read “Someone I Used to Know” here: 🔗 https://loom.ly/YcZiGgQ

A boss once accused me of “ambushing” him.

All I did was ask why he made a certain decision.

That’s when I learned: fragile leaders think curiosity is confrontation.

If your ego can’t handle a question, you’re not a leader—you’re a performer.

A paycheck buys a back.
Leadership earns a heart.
Don’t settle for compliance. Instead create connection, purpose, and trust that make people want to give their best.

Confidence in leadership isn’t optional—it’s everything. Without it, leaders chase being loved or feared. Both fail. Confidence earns trust.

Leaders Who Rot Culture From the Inside If we truly want to disrupt a disengaged culture, we must identify one of its most potent accelerants: bad leadership. Apathy isn’t just a personal failure—it’s almost always a response to something.

The fastest way to kill morale is to put the wrong person in charge. I call them Hollow Bunnies—leaders who look solid on the outside but are empty inside.

This week’s blog is about how to survive them…and how not to become one.

https://loom.ly/4_53n1E

Throw Spears My daughter Bailey is a Captain in the Air Force, and she dropped a phrase on me that I can’t get out of my head: throw spears. At first, I winced. Spears? That sounds violent. But Bailey explained it…

My daughter dropped a phrase from the Air Force that stuck with me: throw spears.

Not an attack—a ritual. An invitation to poke holes in a plan so it doesn’t collapse later.

Strong leaders don’t chase praise. They invite spears.

Because disruption starts with honesty.

https://loom.ly/bq7YEZU

What punches is life throwing at you right now?

The temptation is to retreat, to lay down, to give up. But that’s not an option.

Life only works if you keep showing up. Yes, that means taking a few blows—but it also means staying in the fight.

Because people are counting on you not to quit.

Helped, Heard, or Hugged If you’ve been to one of my keynotes, you’ve heard me say: “Show up for people in pain and do not look away.” I say that confidently on stage, and yet I’m often the worst at knowing what to say when…

If you’ve been to one of my keynotes, you’ve heard me say: “Show up for people in pain and do not look away.”

I say that confidently on stage, and yet I’m often the worst at knowing what to say to someone struggling.

Here is what I've learned to do. https://loom.ly/4qEmVkc

Fear is a liar.

Let me come speak at your conference or event and I'll make sure your audience is given the tools to actionable items to level up their lives and their organizations for the better.

www.kristenziman.com

Why Craftsmanship Still Matters in a Shortcut World One of my biggest pet peeves used to be when my kids did things only halfway. When they were younger, I spent a lot of time explaining this concept to them when they left a chore undone or turned in a…

Most people live at the bottom of the barrel, doing just enough to get by. But craftsmanship is rebellion: giving your best even when no one’s watching. Halfway work erodes your identity. Excellence takes effort, but it stands out—even in a shortcut world. https://loom.ly/APuUtEg

52. What a privilege. Chicago. Family (minus Jake on tour with Parade). My Aurora Police & chosen family who always show up. Honored my daughter & son-in-law before they deploy soon. And—we found a 2nd home in the Gold Coast. Grateful for every year, every person.

My keynotes don’t come from perfection—they come from the messy middle. I’ve failed, fallen short, and wrestled with vulnerability. And that’s exactly why I share: to help others navigate better than I did. Book me to speak: www.kristenziman.com

What do Tarot cards and flight delays have in common? Both test your patience. Both force you to surrender. And both might just change your perspective.

Read about it here: https://loom.ly/bE7aflU

The blink: that moment when discomfort meets decision. Fear whispers “step back”—but you move anyway. That’s the window. That’s disruption. You may not get it twice. Readiness is overrated. What matters is that you act.

Read more here: https://loom.ly/j2zJng4

When my kids showed me their papers, I’d fix grammar—then ask: “Is this the best you can do?”
Not to judge, but to push. Your “best” changes daily, but there’s no shortcut for it. Don’t half-ass it.

Your work reflects you. And that matters.

Culture isn’t set by the mission statement. It’s set by what you tolerate every day. Here’s how to stop complaining, start disrupting, and actually change it. https://loom.ly/BqIGj_4

Right before you do something bold, there’s a moment where you blink—where fear tries to stop you. Most people blink. But as Seth Godin reminds us, that moment is the only thing between you and remarkable.

Don’t flinch. Do it scared.

Do it scared.

What are you pissed off about today?

You're pissed that you keep chasing perfection—even though you know it's impossible.

What are you going to do about it?

It’s easy to forget that every revolution, every reformation, every seismic culture shift started with one person. Not a charismatic hero necessarily. Just a person who saw something broken and dared to say, “What if we didn’t do it like this anymore?”

Link to blog: https://loom.ly/mrYgoDU

You shouldn't have to fight to be believed by your doctor.

But too many of us know the pain of being dismissed and told “you’re fine” when we’re not.

You're not crazy. You're being ignored.

Keep pushing. You deserve answers—and you're not alone.

We know how receiving a compliment from someone makes us feel, so why do we hesitate to give them?

I always feel awkward, as if it will come across as weird or creepy, which is ridiculous since that's never been the case.

Read blog: https://loom.ly/YhOdlb4
Spotify: https://loom.ly/dL9BOjE

We assume people already know they made an impact.

But no one is immune to doubt.

No one is drowning in too much appreciation.

Say the thing.
Send the message.
Don’t assume they know.

On the Disrupter's Creed Podcast, we are talking about why your words matter more than you think.

This is a compliment to our Training Division. They put our PD through scenario-based training (from line level to the top of the org chart). It was the reps and the action that created a culture of readiness. You might be uncertain and even scared, but you do it anyway. You play like you practice.

Culture isn’t created by values on the wall.
It’s shaped by what we allow—and what we challenge.

Disrupters speak up. Even when it’s scary.
Even when they might be ridiculed.

Your voice matters more than you think.

You feel duped.

You believed in someone who no longer deserves it.

That doesn’t make you stupid. It makes you human.

What matters now is what you do with that clarity.

Start asking harder questions. Seek the truth, not just validation. Don’t cling to loyalty out of pride.