Karen Valencic: The Physics of Conflict from a Black Belt Engineer

Episode 028 of the Badass Leaders Podcast

What if mastering conflict could bring you more freedom, not friction? In this episode, Angela sits down with Karen Valencic—engineer, Aikido black belt, and author of Spiral Impact: The Power to Get It Done with Grace—to talk about why most of us misunderstand conflict and how to flip it into connection. Karen unpacks the difference between force and power, shares why confrontation is rarely the answer, and explains how a screw and a spiral can teach you more about leadership than a business degree ever will. From childhood survival roles to executive boardrooms, this conversation rewires how we think about tension, communication, and impact.

If you’ve ever avoided a hard conversation, steamrolled your way through one, or felt stuck in a cycle of misunderstanding, this one’s for you.

Learn more about Karen Valencic at:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenvalencic/
• Website: https://www.karenvalencic.com
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@karenvalencic
• Podcast: https://valencic.substack.com,
• Book: www.amazon.com/dp/1946533831
• Substack: https://valencic.substack.com

Mentioned in this Episode: 

• The Magic of Conflict by Thomas Crum: https://amzn.to/4m9YAQX 

• Georgia Tech (Georgia Institute of Technology)
  https://www.gatech.edu/ 
• Butler University (where Karen has mentored students)
  https://www.butler.edu/ 
• Trine University (formerly Tri-State University) – Karen’s alma mater
  https://www.trine.edu/ 
• “The person who has a mind to fight has broken their connection with the universe.” – Aikido philosophy (Morihei Ueshiba)
• “Power is rotational. Force is linear.” – Karen Valencic, explaining the Spiral vs. Hammer analogy
• “Tell me more.” – A core practice Karen recommends to shift from confrontation to connection
• “Conflict means to strike together.” – Latin root of conflict explained in Spiral Impact 

About Angela:
Angela Gill Nelms is a trailblazer in the creation of exceptional companies and teams. She serves as the Director of Biolocity and is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of both The AGN Group and the Recovery Advocate Network. Previously, she held the position of Chief Operations Officer at Aetos Imaging, RenovoRx, and Florence Healthcare. With a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Georgia Tech, Angela has a proven track record of successfully navigating the FDA, leading diverse teams, prioritizing the needs of customers and patients, and building exceptional companies.

Angela shares her lessons learned around the country in keynote speeches, coaching, and team-building workshops. Learn more about Angela at www.AngelaGillNelms.com. 

About The AGN Group:
At The AGN Group, we believe every individual, team, and company can unlock their inner badass, one brave step at a time. We offer keynote and panel speaking, leadership and team-building workshops, fractional and management consulting, brand and storytelling services. Email us at hello@TheAGNGroup.com to connect. Learn more at www.TheAGNGroup.com.

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Want to be a Podcast Guest?

If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, email brave@angelagillnelms.com. 

Learn more about the podcast at www.BadassLeadersPodcast.com.

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