This week I was excited to welcome Kate Tellers to the show to help us understand the power, purpose, and practicality of effective storytelling. Kate is the Director of Mothworks at the Moth, a live storytelling podcast that features everyday people sharing powerful, humorous, and insightful stories about their lives and experiences.In this conversation Kate shares her experiences with both helping to craft stories and why effective and well conceived storytelling is so important in both our professional and personal lives. We discuss how storytelling is not only a key element of empathetic, and impactful communication but also how it can be a key productivity tool for laying out your ideas, visions, and concepts in a way that is both authentic and relatable.Kate Tellers is the Director of MothWorks at The Moth, a host of their live storytelling series and Webby award-winning podcast, storyteller and director. Since then she’s developed stories with her heroes from her Pittsburgh childhood to the present day, designed storytelling programs with non-profits including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Kellogg Foundation and Ashoka, as well as Facebook, Nike, Google and the U.S. State Department. Her writing has appeared on McSweeney’s and The New Yorker. Kate’s new book that she co-wrote alongside other storytelling experts is entitled How to Tell A Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Story Telling from The Moth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I was excited to welcome Omar Zenhom to the show. Omar is the host of the award-winning podcast The $100 MBA Show and the creator of the popular software tool Webinar Ninja. In this conversation, we cover a range of business and entrepreneurial topics including preparing to make the leap from a nine to five job to an entrepreneurial lifestyle and the challenges involved in that process. We also discuss Omar’s personal journey toward becoming a successful podcast host and content creator as he reflects upon how his early setbacks were actually preparing and teaching him the skills he would need when the right opportunity came along. We conclude by reflecting on both of our journeys and the importance that mentorship, friendships, and support had in shaping our careers.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil Simon is a frequent keynote speaker, recognized collaboration and technology authority, and college professor for hire. He is the award-winning author of a dozen books, most recently Project Management in the Hybrid Workplace. He helps organizations communicate, collaborate, and use technology better. In this conversation Phil talks with Erik about the problem of getting things done in the new world of work. When it comes to project management, the issues breaks down into: Communication, Collaboration, Coordination, and Expectation. We talk about where we are, how we got here, and offer some solutions for moving forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I had a wonderful conversation with Jason Harris about his new book The Soulful Art of Persuasion: The 11 Habits That Will Make Anyone a Master Influencer. In this chat, Jason dispels some of the toxic chatter about influencers in the internet age and reminds listeners that the art of influence and persuasion is more about compassion, empathy, and finding common ground than Instagram fame or soulless clickbait. We cover his four principles of persuasion: original, generous, soulful, and empathetic by breaking down how each principle is applied and how their application can transform organizations and workplaces from spaces of dysfunctional conversations into communities of healthy and sincere communication.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I had a great conversation with John Brandon focused on his new book, The 7-Minute Productivity Solution: How to Manage Your Schedule, Overcome Distractions, and Achieve the Results You Want. This was an excellent discussion on the power of taking just seven minutes out of key moments of your day in order to more effectively plan for your day, achieve moments of self-reflection, and remove oneself from digital distractions and ubiquitous media and technology that is robbing us of achieving our goals and living a more productive and fulfilling lifestyle.John Brandon has written over 15,000 articles for major publications like Inc. Magazine and Forbes, Wired, Popular Mechanics, Entrepreneur, TechRadar, Popular Science. For the last 10 years before starting at Forbes, he wrote a daily column for Inc.com.His new book is The 7-Minute Productivity Solution: How to Manage Your Schedule, Overcome Distraction, and Achieve the Results You Want Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week a had a wonderful discussion with Kendra Adachi both about her new book, The Lazy Genius Kitchen as well as her podcast The Lazy Genius, and her previous book The Lazy Genius Way. In this conversation, we discuss how vital it is to give yourself permission to be lazy about things that are not priorities while learning to manage and prioritize the things that matter most. This is truly a productivity lover's dream discussion that offers so many practical principles that can be applied to many aspects of your modern and busy lifestyle.Kendra Adachi is one part systems expert, and one part permission giver. As The Lazy Genius, she aims to help you be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't. She is the host of The Lazy Genius Podcast, author of The Lazy Genius Way, and her new book is The Lazy Genius Kitchen: Have What You Need, Use What You Have, and Enjoy It Like Never Before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week it was truly my privilege to speak with Dr. Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley about their new book, Simple Truths of Leadership: 52 Ways to Be a Servant Leader and Build Trust. Ken Blanchard needs no introduction to many listeners as he has been a leading voice in business and leadership for decades. In this conversation, Ken and Randy share an abundance of wisdom regarding leadership principles of service, trust, and truth.Dr. Ken Blanchard is the cofounder and Chief Spiritual Officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies, an international management training and consulting firm that he and his wife, Margie Blanchard, began in 1979 in San Diego, California. In addition to being a renowned speaker and consultant, Ken also spends time as a visiting lecturer at his alma mater, Cornell University, where he is a trustee emeritus of the Board of Trustees.Ken is a prominent, sought-after author, speaker, and business consultant, Dr. Blanchard is universally characterized by his friends, colleagues, and clients as one of the most insightful, powerful, and compassionate individuals in business today. Ken is one of the most influential leadership experts in the world and is respected for his years of groundbreaking work in the fields of leadership and management.Randy Conley is the Vice President of Professional Services & Trust Practice Leader for The Ken Blanchard Companies.Their new book is Simple Truths of Leadership: 52 Ways to Be a Servant Leader and Build Trust. In the book they present a carefully curated collection of fifty-two essential leadership principles that are easy to implement and practice. The book is a fun, easy read that will make a positive difference in leadership and organizational success, Simple Truths of Leadership will show readers how to incorporate simple but essential practices into their leadership style, build trust through servant leadership, and enhance their own lives and the lives of everyone around them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I had an inspirational conversation with Julie Solomon about her new book, Get What You Want: How to Go From Unseen to Unstopable. Julie was refreshingly candid about her "origin story" and her struggles to break through into a lifestyle of more healthy habits and proper boundaries. This conversation covers a lot of ground as we unpack some of the myths regarding influence and the incredible benefits that can come from hitting rock bottom only to build yourself up stronger.For more than fifteen years, Julie Solomon has been empowering lives—including her own for more than 15 years. In her weekly chart-topping podcast, The Influencer Podcast, she offers up real-time coaching, straight talk, and conversations about business growth and personal development to her millions of listeners worldwide. From her start as a publicist representing some of the top music acts and thought leaders of our generation, Julie has grown to teach tens of thousands of students worldwide.Her new book is Get What You Want: How to Go From Unseen to Unstoppable. Filled with actionable steps and easy exercises, the book offers a no-nonsense, eye-opening path that enables you to leverage your power and influence to: Understand and overcome the origin stories that hinder your success Discover your true purpose and create a new vision Set (and stick to!) newfound boundaries Gain the confidence to pitch, negotiate and get anything you want Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I had a delightful conversation with Ashish Goel centered on his new book, Drawing on Courage: Risks Worth Taking and Stands Worth Making. Ashish and I explore ways in which we can summon our inner courage both in times of crisis and in our everyday work lives. Ashish also breaks down some of the ways that fear can deceive and even paralyze us and how we can learn to both cope with fear and deploy courage to overcome it.Ashish Goel is an entrepreneur, designer, former teaching fellow (at the d.school) and is the former head of design at Zomato (India's larger-scale Yelp!). He currently runs Boca, his sparkling water start-up, and advises some of India's top technology companies on design and product management.His new book Drawing on Courage: Risks Worth Taking and Stands Worth Making is packed with insights, tools and even comics for anyone who wants to jump this great divide. The book comes via the d.school: The Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I was delighted to speak with Dr. Susie about her new book: Design for Belonging: How to Build Inclusion and Collaboration in Your Communities. We have a wide-ranging discussion on everything from the vital importance of design when developing team-building exercises and curriculums focused on the key role that empathy and belonging have in the modern workplace.In addition to discussing design basics, we also cover how technology has developed additional barriers toward belonging while increasing the odds of othering co-workers even without our awareness. In conclusion, Susie offers up simple techniques for combating this reality both when working from home and in the office.Dr. Susie Wise is a design leader with experience in the education, tech, and social sectors. She coaches leaders in equity design and innovation practices. She teaches at the d.school at Stanford. Previously she founded and directed the K12 Lab at the d.school and co-created Liberatory Design.Susie's new book is Design for Belonging: How to Build Inclusion and Collaboration in Your Communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices