Accelerating Growth, Strengthening Teams, and Unlocking Untapped Potential with: Merry Korn

About this episode

Merry Korn discusses how to turn career setbacks into opportunities for growth and success.

What happens after a career setback—and how do the most successful leaders turn disruption into opportunity? According to Inc.com, an estimated 91% of executives who are fired or face major career setbacks go on to rebuild their careers, often landing roles equal to or better than the ones they lost. Even more striking, nearly 50% of individuals who update their resume after being fired secure a job from their very first interview, while 38% step into higher-ranking positions than before. These numbers reveal a powerful truth: professional adversity is often the catalyst for reinvention, not the end of the road. In this episode, we sit down with Merry Korn, former CEO and transformational leader, who scaled a government contracting enterprise to more than 1,300 employees across 31 states before executing a successful exit. Now, through speaking, coaching, and her book Fired to Inspired, she equips entrepreneurs and professionals with practical frameworks to turn career disruption into a competitive advantage. Drawing from her Entrepreneurial Lifecycle Speaker Series, Merry shares insights on breaking free from fear, moving from vision to execution, navigating social…

People in this episode

Host: Kevin McShan

Guest: Merry Korn

Topics covered

• career setbacks
• leadership
• professional growth
• entrepreneurship
• strategic planning

Keywords

• career disruption
• leadership strategies
• entrepreneurial lifecycle
• government contracts
• strategic exits

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Inc.com

Books & works: Fired to Inspired

More episodes of Lets Have This Conversation

• Bridging the Gap in Special Education Building More Inclusive and Effective Schools with Mitch Elatk · June 10, 2026 · 39 min
• Democracy, Declining Exceptionalism, and What We Can Learn from the Global South · June 10, 2026 · 52 min
• Educational Equity, Literacy, & the Future of Learning with: Justin Hassan · June 9, 2026 · 1h 2m
• Kim Costa: Beyond Homeownership: Finding Alignment, Purpose, and Potential Through Where You Live · June 8, 2026 · 46 min
• 401k Exposed: What Employers, HR Leaders, and Employees Need to Know About Retirement Plan Liability · June 5, 2026 · 41 min
• Building Scalable Organizations in the AI Era Through Smarter Organizational Architecture · June 4, 2026 · 1h 10m