Karla Blanco

08/01/2026

🚀 As we step into 2026… It’s time to innovate.

In this episode of Unleash Leadership Podcast, I had the privilege of sitting down with Carla Johnson, a globally recognized innovation expert, author, and speaker, to dismantle one of the biggest myths in leadership:
You need a title to lead.

You DON'T need a title to lead
And you don’t need permission to innovate.

Carla has spent decades helping organizations make innovation simple, human, and actionable. In our conversation, she breaks down her powerful 5‑step innovation framework, reframes curiosity as a leadership skill, and shows how anyone, at any level, can generate ideas that are new, meaningful, and profitable.

This episode is a window to everyday leadership.
A reminder that innovation isn’t a department.
It’s a behavior.
A mindset.
A daily practice.

If you want 2026 to be the year you elevate your impact, expand your influence, and lead with courage, this conversation is your starting point.

💡 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
↳ Leadership is a behavior, not a title

↳ How curiosity fuels innovation and career growth

↳ Carla’s 5‑step framework for practical, repeatable innovation

↳ Why organizations unintentionally shut down ideas, and how to fix it

↳ How to move ideas from concept → test → results

↳ Why innovation doesn’t belong only to “innovation teams”

↳ How leaders build courage instead of fear

↳ The role of psychological safety in idea‑sharing cultures

↳ Why “failure” is simply testing

One daily habit that strengthens creativity and leadership
2026 is the year to stop waiting for the title and start leading through

👉🏽 action,
👉🏽 curiosity,
👉🏽 and courage.

🔥 Let’s innovate.
🔥 Let’s elevate.
🔥 Let’s thrive.

♻️ Share with one person who may need some inspiration

Full episode:

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/26BA7ks1cb13ccnuZ8YS2s?si=pOmLEDRSQVGsXgLjOjD5tQ

🛎️ YouTube: https://youtu.be/a7u97INDRQQ?si=mQPsEFpMmbQnj6Fs

07/01/2026

📢 Communication might be the ceiling on your leadership.

You can have vision, strategy, expertise, and the best intentions…
but if you can’t communicate clearly, consistently, and with emotional intelligence, your impact will always hit a limit.

Teams don’t follow what you think.
They follow what you communicate and role model.
Clarity creates alignment.
Alignment creates momentum.
Momentum creates results.

When communication is vague, reactive, or inconsistent, even the most talented teams stall.
When communication is intentional, direct, and human, teams rise.

If you want to elevate your leadership, start by elevating your communication.
Your ceiling moves the moment your message does.

Observe those leaders that you admire; they probably deliver clear, concise messages and walk the talk.

I'll share some tips. Here is the first one:

🚀 Lead with the headline

Executives don’t want the story first; they want the point.
Start with the conclusion, decision, or recommendation, then provide context only if needed.

Formula:
Here’s the key point → Here’s what it means → Here’s what I need from you.

This positions you as decisive, strategic, and respectful of time.

06/01/2026

👉🏽 Procrastination isn’t a character flaw. It’s a signal.

A signal that something inside us needs clarity, safety, or structure.Most people think procrastination is a time‑management problem.
Procrastination is often an emotional‑management problem.

Research shows we delay tasks that feel boring, frustrating, or meaningless. But we also avoid tasks that trigger stress, fear, or emotional pain, like facing a difficult reality or sorting through a loved one's belongings after their passing.

And then there are the deeper layers:
↳ Perfectionism
When the fear of getting it wrong becomes so intense that it stops us from even starting.

↳ Low self‑esteem
When the internal narrative sounds like:
“I’m not good at this” or “I’ll probably mess it up.”

↳ Distraction as avoidance
We blame the notifications… but sometimes the distraction is intentional.
It’s easier to scroll than to face discomfort.

↳ Underlying conditions
For some, difficulty initiating or completing tasks may be connected to something deeper, like ADHD. If procrastination is disrupting your daily life, seeking professional support is a sign of strength, not weakness.

And yes, sometimes procrastination "feels" helpful.
Some people thrive under pressure.
Some use delay as a coping mechanism to avoid negative emotions.

But here’s the truth:
Short‑term relief often becomes long‑term cost.
Procrastination fuels guilt, shame, anxiety, and self‑criticism.
It impacts performance, confidence, and even career outcomes.

When we learn to regulate our emotions, design better systems, and create environments that support focus, not fear, we stop procrastinating and start leading with intention.

Because high performance isn’t about doing more.
It’s about understanding yourself deeply enough to act with purpose.

06/01/2026

Silence is GOLD

Sometimes the healthiest boundary is silence.
Not to punish, but to create space.
Space for clarity.
Space for self‑respect.
Space for the other person to realize the line they just crossed.

You pause.
You breathe.
You look them in the eyes.
And with calm authority you say:

“That’s below my standards for a response.” - Jefferson Fischer

No drama.
No over‑explaining.
Just standards, presence, and self‑leadership.

Boundaries aren’t walls, they’re signals.
Signals that teach others how to treat you, and remind you who you are.

04/01/2026

💥 El caos no es un estilo de vida; es una señal de que necesitas rediseñar tu sistema.

↳ La mayoría trabaja apagando incendios.
↳ Tiene una agenda al 150%. Eso no es progreso, es falta de estructura.
↳ Glorifica el caos; eso no te llevará a tu próxima promoción.

Entonces:

↳ Estructura tu agenda de forma estratégica. Que refleje tus ciclos de energía.
↳ El orden crea claridad.
↳ La claridad crea resultados.

🔥 Regla no escrita: Tu tiempo y energía son parte de tus activos más valiosos; protégelos como tus ingresos.

Si quieres construir la estructura e implementar sistemas que te permitan liderar con intención y lograr resultados extraordinarios, te invito a mi retiro:

📢 Tu ventaja competitiva hacia el éxito 2026
🌎 Heredia, Costa Rica | 🗓️ 31 de Enero | 🕰️ 10 AM - 6 PM

📌 Incluye:

↳ Sesión de coaching individual para revisar los resultados de la prueba de personalidad DISC, identificar tus fortalezas y darte herramientas para conectar e influir en las personalidades diferentes de la tuya, elevando tu liderazgo.

↳ Un día en el que nos enfocamos exclusivamente en planear nuestro 2026 potenciando nuestras fortalezas.
Colaboramos e integramos IA en el proceso.
Creamos/refrescamos nuestro propósito, visión y misión. Creamos nuestra junta de asesores (quienes nos van a ayudar a acelerar resultados), nuestro plan de influencia (aprendiendo de las diferentes personalidades basadas en la metodología DISC e influencia intergeneracional). Construimos un sistema que nos va a permitir comunicarnos mejor con nuestro equipo, clientes y a nivel ejecutivo. Creamos un dashboard personal de seguimiento para asegurar el avance.

↳ Planeador & Calendario 2026: diseñado exclusivamente para que sea tu dashboard personal con herramientas de productividad incluidas como la matriz de Eisenhower)

↳ Bestseller "233 Reglas no escritas: Conquista las claves del éxito

↳ Brunch & almuerzo nutritivos y brindis por 2026 (anclamos el éxito)

↳ Networking de alto nivel

Cupo limitado. Reserva tu lugar hoy: info@karlablanco.com

Porque el éxito no es un accidente.
Es arquitectura. Y si no haces nada diferente, no puedes esperar resultados diferentes.

#2026

03/01/2026

Your calendar is your scorecard.

Not your intentions.
Not your goals.
Not your vision board.

Your calendar reveals what you truly value, what you consistently prioritize, and how committed you are to the future you say you want.

But here’s the part most leaders overlook:
Your energy, not just your time, determines your results.

When you understand your peak hours, you stop forcing your most important work into your lowest‑energy moments. You align your calendar with your natural rhythm. You protect your focus. You multiply your output.

High performers know this:
Your calendar is a mirror, and your energy is the amplifier.
Together, they tell the truth about your discipline, your boundaries, and your leadership.

If you want to change your results, start by changing two things:

1. What earns a place on your schedule.
2. When you schedule it.

Protect your time.
Honor your energy.
Design your days with intention.

Because at the end of the quarter, and at the end of your career, your calendar will tell the story of the leader you chose to become.

02/01/2026

Great leaders create new leaders by helping them unleash their potential!

31/12/2025

📢 Closing 2025 and welcoming 2026 with a New Episode of Unleash Leadership Podcast with Dr. Michelle Odette Green

Don't miss the nuggets of wisdom that will help you thrive in 2026!

🚀 Future-Proofing Your Leadership: 7 Key Lessons for 2026

As we look toward the leadership landscape of 2026, the focus is shifting from mere management to brain health, resilience, and purpose.

I am thrilled to share my latest interview with Dr. Michelle Odette Green, an elite brain health trainer and neuro encoding specialist who empowers leaders to "think better, feel better, and do better".

In this episode, Dr. Green shares why your brain is your "command center" and how optimizing it is the ultimate competitive advantage.

Here are 7 key leadership lessons to carry into 2026:

↳ Prioritize Brain Health as Your Foundation. When your brain works right, your life and leadership work better. Taking care of your brain naturally through nutrition, movement, and supplements leads to better decision-making.

↳ Take 100% Personal Responsibility. Unleashing leadership starts internally. You must take full ownership of your life, happiness, and how you govern yourself before you can effectively lead others.

↳ Master Your "Happiness Thermostat." We all have a happiness set point influenced by genetics and environment. By intentionally managing your focus, language, and physical "power poses," you can manually activate happy chemicals like dopamine and serotonin.

↳ "Stack Your Wins" to Combat Impostor Syndrome. Many brilliant leaders feel like frauds. To overcome this, create a "brag book" or folder of accolades and past successes to reinforce your worthiness and resilience.

↳ Choose Collaboration Over Competition. Comparison often robs us of joy. Instead of competing, lead teams by starting meetings with celebrations of wins and assigning tasks based on individual strengths.

↳ Build a "Finish Line" Community. Community acts as your external brain when you are fatigued. Surround yourself with "cheerleaders" who encourage you to keep moving when challenges feel overwhelming.

↳ Lead with Integrity and Purpose, Not Titles. Don’t get attached to a specific title, as it can be taken away. Focus on serving in your current role and demonstrating authenticity, which has a ripple effect on your entire organization.

True leadership in 2026 will be defined by those who can manage their internal state to influence their external results.

Watch the full interview to learn how to unleash your leadership through neuroscience-based tools!

🔥 Analogy: Managing your leadership mindset is like setting a thermostat; life’s challenges may try to change the "temperature" of your environment, but by mastering your neurochemicals and focus, you can always return your internal state to a level of peak performance.

🎧 Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/episode/5eP9ZjHYKI0OIoIJAIJciS?si=2Jdt9fj3TfOKmPnJzoIoUg

🛎️ YouTube: https://youtu.be/sk5Ngub4Yhw?si=5hrg8rp4w1evC5xm

30/12/2025

Over 107 numbers delivered for the retreat spot raffle! 🚀

Thank you to everyone who grabbed “233 Unwritten Rules of Success” at the special intro price of $1.99. Your support has been incredible!

The ebook and its paperback version are now at their regular price. This is a book packed with golden nuggets from amazing leaders who share the unwritten rules that shape communication, perception, and opportunity.

✅ Tonight we’ll have the raffle!

If you bought the book and haven’t sent your proof yet, don’t wait, DO IT NOW: send it to info@karlablanco.com.

⏰ It closes at 1 PM PST.

🎁 The winner will join us at our February 7 retreat in Heredia, Costa Rica:

Create Your 2026 Competitive Advantage.

If you haven’t gotten the book yet, now is the time to invest in your growth and get ready for an extraordinary 2026!

👉 https://a.co/d/dCiPyZB

Leadership starts with understanding the rules others don’t talk about, are you ready?

28/12/2025

Let's do things differently in 2026!

My new bestseller "233 unwritten rules: Master the keys of success" is already live on the Amazon platform: https://a.co/d/8duBxIl

For years, I believed that working hard, giving my best, and delivering results were enough to advance in my career. Over time, I discovered that professional success also depends on understanding invisible dynamics: the unwritten rules.

Some of them I learned through trial and error; others came from generous mentors who shared their wisdom with me.

As I accompany professionals through coaching processes, I notice that many face the same challenges.

That’s why I wrote 233 Unwritten Rules of Success: to reveal what is not taught, yet transforms. This book is a compass for navigating with intention.

233 Unwritten Rules complements my first book, Expand Your Potential, and together they form a comprehensive guide to accelerate professional growth. I am deeply excited about the impact these rules can have on leaders, teams, and organizations.

Each rule is based on real experience and designed to generate tangible results.

When applied consciously, they not only improve individual performance but also strengthen culture and business outcomes. This book is an invitation to lead with strategy, authenticity, and vision, because the world needs leaders prepared to transform, not just execute.

233 Unwritten Rules is your roadmap to success.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE! The world needs your leadership and success.

7 Key Learning Areas:

↳ Strategic Influence

↳ Networking Mastery

↳ Executive Presence

↳ Navigating Organizational Politics

↳ Leadership Acceleration

↳ High‑Impact Communication

↳ Professional Growth Strategies

Master these rules, design your career, and unlock your limitless potential.

SHINE AND ELEVATE YOUR SUCCESS!

Remember: If you Pre-order (buy) the English version of “233 Unwritten Rules” now for $1.99 (ebook) and send me the proof to info@karlablanco.com, you’ll participate in the raffle for a spot for the February 7 leadership retreat in Heredia, Costa Rica: Create your 2026 competitive advantage.

The winner will be announced on December 30, in an online session: 2026 is a winning year. Together we thrive!

Pre-order now and let’s make 2026 extraordinary together!

https://a.co/d/iGSoOGD

THANK YOU to everyone who made it possible for 233 Unwritten Rules: Master the Rules of Success to become a #1 Bestseller and to appear on Amazon’s Top Releases list.

27/12/2025

✨ 2026: Connect & Thrive ✨

If I had to choose one key learning from my books, it’s that no one rises alone. The leaders who grow the fastest, and the professionals who create real, sustainable impact, are the ones who intentionally build the right relationships around them.

That’s why my theme for 2026 is simple and powerful: Connect & Thrive.

This year, I’m doubling down on one of the core principles from Unleash Your Career Potential, 233 Unwritten Rules and my last TEDx talk.

Your success accelerates when you surround yourself with a strategic Board of Advisors, people who challenge you, elevate you, and expand your vision.

In 2026, I’m committed to:

↳ Continue connecting with purpose

↳ Building alliances that sharpen my thinking and expand my reach

↳ Investing in relationships that fuel resilience, clarity, and bold ex*****on

↳ Thriving through collaboration, not isolation

High performers don’t wait for opportunities, they create them through the people they choose to learn from, partner with, and grow alongside.

If you’re stepping into 2026 with the intention to lead at a higher level, elevate your circle, and build the kind of network that multiplies your impact, then we’re moving in the same direction.

Here’s to a year of deeper connections, stronger partnerships, and thriving together.

Remember: If you Pre-order (buy) the English version of “233 Unwritten Rules” now for $1.99 before the official launch on December 28 and send me the proof to info@karlablanco.com you’ll participate in the raffle of a spot for the February 7 leadership retreat in Heredia, Costa Rica: Create your 2026 competitive advantage.

The winner will be announced on December 30 online session: 2026 a winning year. Together we thrive!

Pre-order now and let’s make 2026 extraordinary together!

👉 https://a.co/d/iGSoOGD

THANK YOU to everyone who made it possible for 233 Unwritten Rules: Master the Rules of Success to become a #1 Bestseller and to appear on Amazon’s Top Releases list.

24/12/2025

“If you think that hard work, waiting for your turn or loyalty will lead you to success.
You are wrong

Most people wait for direction
Wait for promotion
Wait to be told what to do

Power favors those who move first

Attitude follows behavior

If you want to get rid of imposter syndrome stop acting as an imposter

Don’t resent power
Don’t resent the people that have power
Master power”
Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer, Standford University

This is the reminder many professionals need but few dare to say out loud.

Success doesn’t reward passivity.
It rewards those who move with intention, claim space, and act before they feel “ready.”

Power is not something to resent. It’s something to understand, master, and use responsibly to elevate others.

If you want to silence imposter syndrome, step into the behaviors of the leader you already are.
Action creates identity. Identity creates momentum.

Lead yourself first, then everything else follows.

Take action and learn from real life stories from corporate leaders, how to master the unwritten rules of success.

Pre-order the ebook: https://a.co/d/hajG00l
Let’s create an extraordinary 2026.

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