Take Command: A Leadership Podcast

Vala Afshar, Chief Digital Evangelist for Salesforce, shares his inspiring journey from an Iranian refugee to a thought leader in technology. He discusses the importance of personal branding, resilience, and building connections. He also emphasizes the qualities of effective leadership and enhancing client relationships for positive outcomes.

Aarash Darroodi, General Counsel of Fender Musical Instruments, shares his journey from Iran to the US and offers advice on storytelling, cross-cultural collaboration, innovative leadership, networking, and strategic decision-making. The podcast also explores his commitment to modernizing the legal system, his resilience amidst war and immigration challenges, embracing career opportunities, the power of connection and learning from failure, excitement for emerging technologies and globalization, and the significance of connecting to humanity for personal growth.

Britta Wilson, former VP of Inclusion & Outreach at Pixar, shares insights on cultivating resonant content, fostering a culture of belonging, and promoting compassionate community service. She discusses turning setbacks into growth opportunities, embracing a non-linear career path, and the art of active listening. Learn about the power of curiosity in leadership, the importance of culture in creating belonging, and the significance of compassion in leadership.

Who are Redfoo and Piers Ridyard?Redfoo, born Stefan Kendal Gordy, is a multi-platinum-selling singer and two times Grammy nominee, songwriter, producer, and Web3 coder. Despite facing hurdles and criticism, Redfoo pursued his passion for music and achieved success. He is best known for his hit single "Party Rock Anthem" in 2011 and his performance for Super Bowl Half-Time Show in 2012. However, he has recently shifted his focus towards coding, considering it the ultimate creativity that combines math, science, engineering, and language.Piers Ridyard is CEO of Radix, a Web3 and DeFi company. He collaborates with Redfoo to create accessible and user-friendly digital platforms. They both share a common goal of making Web3 and Decentralized Finance (DeFi) easily approachable for everyone. They collaborated to develop #Scrypto, a programming language that simplifies the process of building on Web3 and DeFi, enabling individuals to create projects in a short time frame.What will you learn?The potential for personal growth and reinvention when transitioning to new career paths or passions.Effective leadership skills and strategies for driving transformative advancements in a chosen field.The idea process of development of user-friendly programming languages that facilitate easy participation in digital innovation.The importance of fostering relationships, nurturing communities, and promoting collaboration in driving innovation within decentralized technologies.Story Summary:Growing up, Redfoo harbored aspirations of becoming a professional basketball player, only to have his dreams dashed when his mother asserted that his height would prevent him from making it. Undeterred, he turned his attention to music, immersing himself in rap and showcasing his talent with a Casio keyboard. Despite facing further skepticism from his father, the influential music industry figure Barry Gordy, who doubted his vocal abilities, Redfoo defied the odds and achieved remarkable success as a multi-platinum rapper. These experiences taught him the importance of pursuing personal dreams and not allowing external opinions to sway his path.Driven by a newfound passion, Redfoo has recently shifted gears towards coding, which he regards as the epitome of creativity. His journey led him to connect with Piers Ridyard, the CEO of Radix, who was impressed by Redfoo's knowledge and inquisitiveness about programming. Together, they organized Foo Hack, an event that brought together their shared love for chess and the objective of creating a non-hackable, web-based application. Their collaborative efforts aim to build digital platforms that are user-friendly and accessible, with the introduction of Scrypto, a programming language designed to simplify the adoption of Web3 and Decentralized Finance for individuals of all backgrounds.Central to the endeavors of Redfoo and Ridyard is the recognition of the influence of building relationships and community. Redfoo emphasizes the significance of people skills, the ability to trust and judge character, and the desire to learn from others. His initial connection with Radix and Piers was fostered through shared humor, vegan food, and a shared affinity for dogs. Ridyard, as a CEO, emphasizes the importance of aligning people with a common vision and understanding their motivations. Both individuals firmly believe that networking is not solely about personal gain but about cultivating a network that nurtures collective innovation and inspiration. By bringing people together, they have witnessed the remarkable outcomes that arise from the mutual exchange of energy and ideas.Join us and listen to Redfoo and Piers’ insights about building confidence, overcoming doubt, pursuing our passion, and recognizing the benefits of networking for our community, not just for ourselves.Thought Leadership Segment:In our Thought Leadership Segment Christine Ramirez, Managing Partner of Dale Carnegie South Florida, shares her valuable insights on building confidence in both our personal and professional lives. Listen to Christine’s insights on gaining confidence and get a valuable resource on how to face doubts, pause when needed, and continue to seek the inner strength to overcome challenges, pursue ideas, and our dreams, and thrive in various aspects of life. Please rate and review this Episode!We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share. 

Who is Merrie WilliamsonMeet Merrie Williamson, an accomplished leader with a diverse background. With 20 years of experience leading engineering teams at Intel and currently serving as the Corporate Vice President of Azure Infra at Microsoft, Merrie's career trajectory has been remarkable. In this episode, Merrie shares her personal journey of discovery and the pivotal moment that led her to embrace empathy and transition into her current leadership role as CVP of Azure Infrastructure and Digital & App Innovation at Microsoft.Gain insights into the following key areas:•            Merrie's Leadership Style: Discover how Merrie's unique leadership style, rooted in empathy, has helped her navigate the challenges of leading diverse teams in the tech industry.•            Career Transition Moment: Learn about Merrie's transformative shift from engineering to sales leadership and the valuable lessons she gained from engaging directly with customers and understanding the intersection of technology, sales, marketing, and business transformation.•            Diversity in the Tech Industry: Explore the importance of diversity and inclusion in the tech industry, as Merrie shares her experiences and insights on creating an inclusive work environment.•            The Power of Mentoring, Coaching, and Executive Presence: Delve into the significance of mentoring, coaching, and developing executive presence, as Merrie highlights their impact on personal growth and leadership development.Merrie’s journey from engineering to sales at Azure and Microsoft was a significant and eye-opening shift. She transitioned from working with complex technologies in the cloud supply chain to engaging directly with customers, understanding their technology needs, and guiding them through business transformation.This transition became Merrie’s "empathy moment," where she gained a deeper understanding of the complexities of sales and developed empathy for engineering, sales, and marketing. As a leader, Merrie leverages a diverse "knowledge base" within her company, drawing expertise from various departments. She adopts a coaching approach to empower her managers and teams to make informed decisions.Merrie emphasizes the importance of looking inward and approaching team members authentically. She values the support of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), such as women in tech and Black tech networks, as a sounding board for ideas, coaching, and peer mentoring. Through these communities, Merrie found her voice and was able to engage with senior managers and trusted individuals.As a leader, Merrie recognizes the significance of role modeling and continuous learning. She prioritizes understanding when team members need breaks to rejuvenate and perform their best in challenging tasks.Also, listen to our thought leadership spotlight featuring Travis Daniels, CEO of Dale Carnegie Washington, who reflects on the vital role of empathy in today's business environment. Learn how applying Dale Carnegie's principles and approaching situations with an open mind can elevate your leadership effectiveness. Please rate and review this Episode!We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share. 

Who is Ron Carter?Ron Carter is a veteran of the technology industry, an inventor, and a visionary whose work has helped great technology products enter the market. In 2003, he filed a patent for the first video doorbell—now known as Ring. He is revolutionizing the industry with his latest first-generation technology that addresses security in the e-commerce sector, using mobile applications for improved security, access, and logistics. Due to his tremendous technological contributions, he became a member of the Forbes Technology Council, an invitation-only organization of high-level technology leaders with deep knowledge and diverse experience in the industry.   Read on to meet the founder and CEO of 1AHEAD, Ron Carter! What will you learn from his story?How to build on your entrepreneurial and inventive mindsetsHow to build on the determination to transform an idea into reality How to re-start your business from zeroWhy leading with a human-centric style is important?Build on each other’s ideas to motivate others and forms a highly effective teamWhy do you need to learn about his leadership style?Ron Carter's approach to leadership emphasizes collaboration, inclusivity, and empowerment, all of which can be useful in fostering a positive work environment and motivating team members to achieve their best work.The Story:Meet Ron Carter, a veteran of the technology industry and the inventor of the first video doorbell—now known as Ring. He is revolutionizing the industry with his latest first-generation technology that addresses security in the e-commerce sector using mobile applications for improved security, access, and logistics. Despite facing multiple setbacks, including losing everything and battling cancer, he never gave up and continued to pursue his dream. He founded 1Ahead Technologies, which is in the process of developing and manufacturing GLO, an AI-powered video doorbell that uses a patented digital key to create a one-time code that can be sent to package delivery drivers who can place packages in a secure lockbox or inside the home.Carter's leadership style emphasizes recognizing the ability of others before oneself and building a team approach. He believes that a leader should only be a director to keep things on track and rely on the people around them because most leaders don't know it all. Carter advises trusting your instincts, being true to yourself, and focusing on how successful you can become instead of how wealthy you can become.Our Thought Leadership Spotlight appearance this week is Neville de Lucia, President of Dale Carnegie Central & Eastern North Carolina.  He highlights how leaders can grow individuals and teams to become successful.Join us and get inspired to take command of your ideas, leverage individual strengths, and build highly effective teams. Related Information:Home | Gloai (glo-ai.com)About | Mysite (1aheadtechnologies.com)   Please rate and review this Episode!We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share. 

Silvina Moschini is an Argentinian entrepreneur and businesswoman. She is the founder, president & chairwoman of Unicoin, a next-generation cryptocurrency designed to be stable and profitable because it’s backed by a portfolio of equity stakes in the companies part of Unicorn Hunters,  is a new groundbreaking investment platform that will spotlight emerging growth companies looking to hit the coveted $1B “unicorn” valuation mark while rallying individual investors worldwide to help fund these breakout ventures. She is highly respected in the fields of technology and the digital transformation of the workplace. In 2020, she became the first Latin American woman to lead a company to unicorn status, with an evaluation of more than $1.6 billion through a Global Private Offering. In addition, she’s co-founder, president, and chairwoman of the board of TransparentBusiness for workplace transformation. She founded SheWorks!, a digital platform that provides women access to remote opportunities. She is a judge on Unicorn Hunters TV show that helps entrepreneurs find investors, attracting more than 300 million viewers in Latin America, Europe, and Africa. Silvina received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Women in Tech and was selected “Woman of the Decade” by the Women Economic Forum. She is now based in Miami.When she was a child, Silvina’s dad told her that if she wanted to be a princess, she should be the one who made her own castle. From then on, that shaped her idea of becoming a “princess entrepreneur.” After holding a vice president job with a large company, Silvina left the corporate world. She was initially hired for her innovative mindset and energy but was almost fired for the same reasons. She decided that if she wanted to work in a company that she would love, she would need to create it.In short fashion, she learned a great deal about entrepreneurship. “It was hard because I came from a corporate background with a lot of people doing a lot of things for me, and when you're an entrepreneur … you need to do everything.”Silvina quickly realized that it was more difficult to raise capital and hire people as a woman. So, she tapped into her financial savvy to raise money through crowdfunding. Afterward, she created her own company to hire and train remote workers with a particular focus on women. She has learned many lessons in her career, but most importantly, you must be prepared when opportunities arise. She believes you live by design. We need to plan the things we want to happen.Silvina’s restless entrepreneurial energy keeps her continuously innovating. She aims to transform the way people invest and transact. Her belief is that alternative forms of currency are needed to address the current instability of traditional currency markets. She’s already sold more than $315 million worth of Unicoin in less than a year. Her leadership style is grounded in several fundamental concepts: inspire others, bring out the best in everybody, and work together toward a goal. She admits that she picked up some of these principles from reading How to Win Friends and Influence People early in her career, helping her learn the importance of building relationships and communication. The use of communications and relationship building is a key anchor for creating businesses that always bring things together.Our Thought Leadership Spotlight appearance this week is Adriana Cruz, General Manager of Dale Carnegie Nuevo Leon, Mexico. She describes how Dale Carnegie’s principle “Arose in the other person an eager want” helped her build her own castle and business.Join us and get inspired to take command of your thoughts, chase your dreams, and build your own castle. Please rate and review this Episode!We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share. 

Suneel Gupta is an accomplished entrepreneur and best-selling author whose mother immigrated to the United States from Pakistan. She secured a position as the first female engineer at Ford, and her inspiring story influenced Suneel's career trajectory. Suneel has helped thousands of individuals develop better habits and achieve success through his best-selling book, "Backable: The Surprising Truth Behind What Makes People Take a Chance on You." He is also the founding CEO of RISE, a company that partnered with then-First Lady Michelle Obama to provide affordable healthcare services to underserved communities. His start-up, which was named "App of the Year," was successfully sold to the NASDAQ-listed company One Medical. Additionally, Suneel serves as a Visiting Scholar at Harvard Medical School and as an Emissary for Gross National Happiness between the United States and the Kingdom of Bhutan. Suneel co-hosts a documentary podcast series with AmEx. Suneel's older brother is America's top medical correspondent for CNN, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.Suneel grew up in the Detroit area. His mother's story of overcoming poverty in Pakistan and pursuing her dream of working for Ford in the USA inspired Suneel to embrace his mother’s rules of the "Game of Now," a philosophy that emphasizes taking action without waiting for the courage to arise. She also taught him that short-term embarrassment can lead to long-term success and that making mistakes is an essential aspect of growth. Suneel notes that many successful companies, such as Airbnb, faced significant challenges before achieving success. He personally experienced the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, starting two unsuccessful companies before founding RISE. He believes that the key to success is learning from failures and continuing to move forward.It's great to see that Suneel approaches both winning and losing as opportunities for growth. Rather than creating a typical New Year resolution list, he focuses on what he can learn and how he can continue to grow. Suneel's desire to create a TV show about leadership and how it differs in different parts of the world, similar to Anthony Bourdain’s food show, is a great example of his curiosity and willingness to take on new challenges.It's also interesting to see the impact that Dale Carnegie has had on Suneel and his family. His mother's positive experience with the Dale Carnegie course and the relationship and communication skills she acquired through it encouraged Suneel to take the course himself, leading to increased confidence and speaking skills that he applies in his career.Join us and listen to Suneel’s leadership and life insights and take command of your thoughts,  energy, and enthusiasm to become more successful.In our Thought Leadership Spotlight, Phil Zeller's story about the power of positive thinking and doing our best is a great reminder that our mindset influences our success and opportunities for growth. By filling our minds with positive beliefs, we overcome our limitations. Please rate and review this Episode!We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share. 

Ally Love is a multifaceted woman, pioneering the slash generation by wearing a multitude of hats. She is the CEO of Love Squad, a community organization empowering women; a Peloton instructor, Brooklyn Nets arena host; an inspiring speaker; and an Adidas global ambassador. Ally was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and moved to New York City (NYC) to pursue her dream of becoming a dancer. As a speaker and instructor, she has inspired audiences from major global corporations, including Google, JP Morgan, Amazon, Salesforce, and more. Ally has been featured in Vogue and the New York Times, has appeared on Good Morning America, and was a co-host at U.S. Open live show in 2022.Curiosity and hunger are what drove Ally Love—curiosity of what’s next and the hunger of “I want to get to the point where I deserve to be.” She fought for her life from a young age. Her ambition to achieve more, combined with the desire to become a dancer, led her to move to NYC. She received a scholarship from Alvin Ailey, the international dance troupe, and graduated from Fordham University at Lincoln Center, NY. She later became a dancer for the New York Knicks, the professional basketball team based in Manhattan. She also performed with top-named artists such as Beyonce and Pitbull. But she still wanted more.In her early days in NYC, Ally remembers that she struggled to make friends and adapt to the fast rhythm of the city. However, she did not step back, and she fought through those emotions. She got a modeling contract with Wilhelmina Models, start making money and friends, and learned to love NYC. Her boyfriend (now husband), Andrew Haynes, encouraged her to tap into her love of reading. Ally admits that Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People and How to Stop Worrying & Start Living are two key books in her life. These books have helped her understand herself and find her purpose in her early days in NYC, as well as recently when she needed to battle a stressful and busy year flying between NYC, where her full-time job is, and London, where she was recording a show for Netflix.One of the core principles she has grown to believe is that we must be comfortable being uncomfortable. Her mom offered additional advice. “If you're uncomfortable, take a beat. Listen—you're learning something. It doesn't mean run. It doesn't mean change. It doesn't mean leave! So, anyone who's dealing with that fear of what’s next, or fear of making a transition . . . take a beat. Stay where you are. Be steadfast.”Ally’s high energy, positive attitude, and desire to explore new things earned her a well-rounded knowledge of sports, fashion, public speaking, wellness, and activism. While she admits she’s never taken a course in business or leadership, she has learned to manage her team and business through experience, lots of hard work, and by loving her many jobs. Her style of leadership is grounded in understanding how to lead from the inside and grow and achieve goals together. Ally believes leaders should be able to bring out the best in people, figure out who's the best in a specific area, and let them do what they do well.This episode's Thought Leadership Spotlight segment features Liz Haberberger, President of Dale Carnegie Missouri. Liz’s enthusiasm and passion aren’t easily matched. Her number one rule in life is to have fun. If it’s not fun, she’s not doing it. She is at her best in front of a group or working to solve a complex business challenge.Join us to learn how to take command of our lives, learn what we are good at,  manage negative thoughts, overcome fear, and— grow and succeed— to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.Learn more about the new Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Book on takecommand.com Please rate and review this Episode!We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share. 

Happy New Year! Our first episode of 2023 is dedicated to Dale Carnegie & Associates' newest book, Take Command. The book, like our podcast, focuses on what professionals in the modern world can do to take command and succeed in their personal and professional lives. Our guests today are the book co-authors: Joe Hart, President & CEO of Dale Carnegie & Associates and Take Command Podcast host; and Michael Crom, author, Board member of Dale Carnegie & Associates, and Dale Carnegie's grandson. In this interview, Joe & Michael illustrate how building self-confidence, enhancing our network of support, and becoming more intentional can help us succeed in 2023. The episode is dedicated to a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the Take Command book. It is a compilation of real-life stories. The use of Dale’s principles and other leadership philosophies will serve as a manual to take command of our lives.Our guests have been influenced by Dale Carnegie’s principles. Joe started his career as a practicing attorney. After taking the Dale Carnegie Course, he reassessed his career path and founded an innovative e-learning company. He became the CEO of Dale Carnegie, the global professional development training organization, in 2015. He speaks around the world on leadership, culture, change management, resilience, creativity, and innovation. He is a contributor to Rolling Stone magazine, Newsweek, HR.com, and Forbes magazine. In 2019, the CEO Forum Group awarded him the Transformative CEO Leadership Award. He has hosted the Take Command Podcast since 2020. Michael is currently a board member of Dale Carnegie & Associates. Prior to that, he served in different leadership positions in the organization, most recently as Chief Learning Officer and Executive Vice President for Dale Carnegie & Associates.In the episode, Michael & Joe share how they leverage the Dale Carnegie principles and apply them in different situations. Learn how to control our thoughts, build relationships, and envision our future. The book’s goal is to familiarize younger generations with core communication and leadership principles from Dale Carnegie and others.Joe says that a fundamental purpose of this book is to offer readers some insights and learnings that he and Michael wish they had known when they were younger. The people interviewed and included in this book not only faced similar challenges as the authors did, but they thrived during that time period. This should become a guidebook for readers to follow, understand, and grab onto.Michael & Joe conceived the book as a set of concentric circles, with each of the three sections—complementing and depending on each other.In Part I, “Taking Command of Your Thoughts and Emotions,”  the authors focus on self-awareness, stresses, fears, and insecurities, and ways to understand and manage negative thoughts. Part II, “Taking Command of Your Relationships,” reviews building trustful relationships as a critical part of life success. Joe explains that today, building meaningful relationships has become more difficult because of our polarizing world. Part II principles and tips to deal with people come from How to Win Friends and Influence People.The last section, Part III, “Taking Command of Your Future,” draws on the famous Dale Carnegie Course that asks participants to write their short- and long-term vision. When they follow through, they will ultimately get the most out of their lives. Part III asks: What are the things that are important to you? What are your values? How do you want to be remembered? What's the impact you want to have?Both Joe and Michael want readers to act. Their goal is for this book to be a manual, a roadmap, and something that can activate people to really take control. It's not only there to help you think about your life, to study, or learn by research. The book says, “Hey, take command and make it happen.”Also, Take Command is a guide to creating a “strength inventory.” The book influences readers and helps them build an intentional life. Intentionality is about giving people time and space to understand what’s important to them and how they can condition themselves for success so that every day, they become better and stronger. Having a North star helps us follow the steps to get us there.Michael explains, “You know, we're made up of many great strengths and a few perceived weaknesses. So, let's begin to focus on those strengths, the positives that are going on in our life.”Joe and Michael believe that young people can and will make a huge difference on this planet by bringing about unity rather than division. “Let's make a difference. Let's bring this to be a better place for all of us to live in.”Join us and learn how building self-confidence, enhancing our network of support, and becoming more intentional can help us Take Command in 2023.Order a copy of Take Command  in hardcover, eBook, or audiobook at your favorite bookseller or at takecommandbook.io.  Available online and in stores today, January 10th.Visit takecommand.com for additional information on the book and more free resources. Please rate and review this Episode!We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share.