Julie Kantor

A dear professional friend asked me to come in during a Merger & Acquisition in the healthcare space. She wanted to fast-track trust and retention of two companies acquired 6 months apart. My company Twomentor.com stood up a 9-Month Peer-to-Peer Mentoring initiative for over 160 People Managers with a strong Change Agent Network theme. It taught me a lot about M&A unifications and the importance of building a model to drive rapid connections and trust. We utilized Flash Mentoring at the front end so people could really meet each other. A lot of the time, while leaders are planning transformations, communications break down and Hi-Po talent leaves. We need to start early — and a little engineering went a long way.

Boca Raton is stunning. I never imagined I'd live in a place like this. I live in a community where there are endless opportunities to get together with people 1:1 or in groups. The ladies taught me to play Canasta — which I ended up loving. Most people think South Florida leans older, but we have about 400–500 young families in our community. I love my new ATD SF friends as well — I was having trouble finding a great place professionally, and thanks to Pam Evans, Barb Potter, and others, ATD has been GREAT for me.

I'm a huge fan and certified in Barbara Trautlein's Change Intelligence. I was excited to see her at ATD's ICE Conference in New Orleans. As leaders, we lead through change with our Heads (Purpose), Hearts (People), and Hands (Process). I love to graph people's and teams' Change Leadership styles to help them identify gaps and opportunities.

As a consultant and CEO of a small business, I'm blown away by the capabilities of ChatGPT 4.0. I use it the same way others might use Google and learn a ton — I love making memes and photos with it. LinkedIn Sales Navigator is also phenomenal. But at this stage of my life, I'm all about going back to the personal touch and increasing human connection.

I really like hanging out with my friends, two dogs, and singing classics like Bohemian Rhapsody, Time After Time, and U2's New Year's Day at karaoke nights. I've been swimming more — that meditation gives me time to think. My brother once said to me: "Julie, if you are not standing tall, others can't lean on you — you both will topple over." I do a lot to prioritize mental health and wellbeing. I am happiest when I am adding value to others, personally and professionally.