E41 | Raise Your Hand, Raise It Often: Meme Callnin’s Guide to Bold Transitions

You can also view us on Spotify or listen to it on Apple Podcasts. )

What do you get when you mix computer science, HR leadership, and bold boardroom moves?

Meme Callnin.

This former executive and current independent board director brings passion, people-smarts, and a not-so-secret sales gene to everything she touches.

In this episode of Trailblazing for Success, Meme shares her journey from reluctant programmer to powerhouse board leader - and everything in between. Here are three big themes we loved (and you will too), complete with leadership tips and ways to make it fun.

1. Raise Your Hand (and Raise It Often)

From the start of her career, Meme lived by a core belief: if you don’t ask, you don’t get. That mindset propelled her into new opportunities, unexpected transitions, and bold moves that others might have tiptoed around. Her advice? Raise your hand, and do it often. Whether you’re switching roles, exploring something new, or chasing a wild idea—let people know you’re game.

Leadership Tip: Encourage team members to signal interest before they're "ready." Make it safe to speak up and reward initiative - even when it doesn’t lead to an immediate win.

Make It Fun: Start team meetings with a playful “Raise Your Hand Roll Call.” Ask: What’s something you’d love to try at work if there were zero consequences? You’ll learn a lot (and probably laugh a lot too)!

2. Boards Aren’t Boring (and They Shouldn’t Be)

Meme’s leap into board work was more than a retirement hobby, it was a deliberate move toward impact. Her energy and people-first mindset flip the script on what it means to be a board member. She’s anti-stodgy, pro-growth, and 100% invested in asking better questions. Meme believes great boards embrace diversity, navigate risk creatively, and don’t fear innovation...they FUEL it.

Leadership Tip: Whether you're on a board or leading a team, ask yourself: Are we saying no because it’s risky—or because it’s new? Challenge "safe" thinking.

Make It Fun: Host a “Stodgy-Off” with your team or board. Everyone pitches the stodgiest (aka most outdated) idea they’ve heard in the workplace. Winner gets a rubber gavel.

3. Follow the Fun and the Fire

Meme doesn’t do things halfway. Her commitment to the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign is just one example of how passion and purpose fuel her leadership. She doesn’t wait to be invited. She sees a gap, raises her hand, and fills it. That passion is contagious and turns ideas into impact.

Leadership Tip: When taking on a project or leadership role, ask yourself: Does this light me up? If not, delegate or decline. Joy is a leadership strategy.

Make It Fun: Create a personal “Spark List.” What kinds of work, causes, or conversations energize you? Then challenge your team to share theirs. Match projects to sparks.

Meme Callnin is proof that transitions can be bold, leadership can be joyful, and raising your hand might just change everything. Tune in to hear more from this incredible trailblazer!

_________________________

About Meme Callnin: As an active and engaged Board Director, she brings over 30 years of executive experience across Fortune 500 companies and diverse industries, with a unique focus on strategic growth and human capital leadership. She works alongside boards and executive teams to shape and execute business strategies, optimize talent, and drive long-term enterprise value - particularly in high-growth environments. She specializes in developing growth strategies, leading people-centric transformation initiatives, and navigating post-M&A talent and culture integration to maximize deal value and sustain momentum.

Known for asking the right questions at the right time, she helps boards align strategic priorities with human capital imperatives - offering insights on governance, workforce design and re-engineering, and the evolving intersection of AI and talent strategy. Her cross-sector experience gives her a sharp lens on the people-related challenges that often hinder growth. She believes that human capital (an organization’s most significant investment) is also its greatest catalyst for sustainable success.

Her leadership style is high-energy, collaborative, and grounded in real-world impact. She takes pride in fostering alignment around a shared vision and creating value across all levels of the organization. Board Commitment: To actively support high-growth companies in achieving scale, resilience, and innovation through strategic board service.

Sector Focus: Healthcare Services | Health and Human Capital Technology

_________________________

ExperienceYes is not just in the business of learning and development – we're in the business of team transformation. Imagine a world where we don't just fix teams; we supercharge them.

Through our cutting-edge Team Workshops and Business Relationship IQ program, we turbocharge soft skills into hard results. Picture skyrocketing sales figures, clients delighting customers like never before, and teams achieving feats of innovation and peak performance.

How do we do it? By training teams to nurture an Improv Mindset for agile thinking, boost Emotional Intelligence for unparalleled client relationships, and refine Empathy and Influence to turn every interaction into a game-changer.

Join us in rewriting the playbook on team success. Let's elevate your team to new heights where excellence isn't just a goal – it's the new normal. Together, we'll build a future where every team thrives, every client succeeds, and every innovation sets the world on fire. Contact us if you want to know more!