Disrupt Yourself Podcast with Whitney Johnson

Our guest on the podcast today is BJ Fogg, world-renowned behavioral scientist and the founder of Stanford’s behavior design lab. BJ’s new book, Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything, he examines the fundamentals of what it takes to modify our habits and lays out a framework for individuals to make small adjustments that lead to lasting change. Many authors once dreamed of writing a book, but BJ can state unequivocally that this book exists because of a dream. When he began teaching the concepts of Tiny Habits as far back as 2011, he was frequently asked when the book would come out—but unfortunately for his students, BJ wasn’t writing a book. He didn’t have the time. However, his priorities changed when he had a terrifying dream where he was about to die in a plane crash. The thought that remained with him long after that night was his gut reaction of deep, deep regret that he had never shared his work in a way that would help people outside of his classroom. BJ had long had the technical ability to write a book, and he was constantly being prompted to write the book, but now, the final piece of the equation slipped into place: BJ had motivation. There are many other pearls of wisdom sprinkled throughout our conversation, and I’m excited to share it with you. If you enjoy what you hear I hope you feel motivated to pay it forward and share the episode with someone you know.   Show notes: https://whitneyjohnson.com/podcast

My guest today is Claire Diaz-Ortiz, digital strategist and author of the new book Social Media Success for Every Brand. Claire’s journey in social media expertise began as an early user of Twitter, and to put that in perspective, her Twitter handle is @claire. That’s it. No other words, numbers, or symbols. Just @claire.  After effectively using the platform to raise funds and promote awareness for her nonprofit organization, Twitter hired her to help others do the same and proactively make a positive change in the world. Claire took this experience and successfully pivoted into consulting with startups on their branding and marketing strategy. She would create detailed marketing plans, including a strategic social media presence, but she began to notice an unfortunate trend: many clients firmly believed that their best social media strategy was to have a post “go viral.” “I think there is this crazy mistaken idea that social media is really only good for, quote on quote, going viral. And that, thus, that is your only strategy when it comes to being on social media….[a]nd it was only after kind of this experience and me thinking through it in my head that I really realized that a clear solution needed to be found.” Her solution was to create the SHARE model, a social media strategy based on the principles of the StoryBrand marketing framework developed by Donald Miller. SHARE is an acronym for the components of the strategy, and you’ll want to have a pen and paper ready to take notes when Claire outlines it on the podcast today. Full show notes and links at https://whitneyjohnson.com/podcast

To kick off 2020 I am talking to Simon Sinek, who is best known for popularizing the concept of “why” in his 2009 TED talk. To date, it is the third most-watched talk at TED.com with over 40 million views. Simon is the author of several best-selling books, including “Start With Why,” “Leaders Eat Last,” and “The Infinite Game,” which was released in October of 2019.   Join us as we discuss how to shift your mindset from finite to infinite, the role of worthy rivals, and how becoming the leader you wish you had can change the future of a company. Complete show notes and podcast transcript with links mentioned in the episode available at https://whitneyjohnson.com/simon-sinek

The end of the year is a time for reflection and looking back at the progress made. We love taking a look at where we are as a team in our S-Curve of Learning as podcasters. looking back at some of our most popular episodes, which interestingly, include the solo episodes; we also love sharing our favorite conversations and the impact they’ve had on each of us. Full show notes and links available at https://whitneyjohnson.com/disrupt-yourself-podcast/

On today's episode of the Disrupt Yourself podcast, we're talking with Jim Ferrell. Jim is a bestselling author, sought-after speaker, and renowned thought leader on mindset and organizational change. And we're talking all about self-deception. Understanding this concept of self-deception is key to one of the most important accelerants in disrupting ourselves - battling our sense of entitlement. This is where we preference ourselves above others, effectively turning those around us into objects, rather than seeing them as people, resistant to their feedback and ideas, preferencing our wants and needs above all else. This is a learning curve killer. For show notes and links to the books and people mentioned in the episode, visit https://whitneyjohnson.com/disrupt-yourself-podcast

Constraints. For most of us, just hearing this word evokes a negative response. Limitations. Restrictions. A cage that prevents us from spreading our wings. However, if you’re familiar with the accelerants of disruption, you’ll know that Accelerant #3—Embrace Constraints—will be one of your finest friends if you are really serious about growth. To build momentum toward the life you dream of, you need resistance. You need structure. And constraints provide both. Full Episode & Blog Post: https://whitneyjohnson.com/embrace-constraints

When a photo of a new “boy band” crossed PR Agent Heather Hawkins’ desk in 2001, she was surprised at how glamorously they were presented. The era of Backstreet Boys was over; kids were listening to “real music” (like highly produced punk), and what was more, the look of the band didn’t match the sound. As Heather and her coworkers listened to the music and got to know the band members, they quickly realized that something needed to change. “[W]e realized that in order for them to survive in the ecosystem we needed to absolutely double down on the music and who they really were as people. We understood that that was going to mean making some really tough decisions.” Heather and her crew took on the philosophy of “Radical Authenticity” and proudly began shipping the band to Jeep Jamboree campouts, Sam Adams beer festivals, and locations, where bands respected for their musical proficiency, would be expected to play. Their long game paid off: the band, Maroon 5, became a globally recognized tour de force, and are still producing hits today. Now the CEO and founder of Elevation Strategy, a visibility consultancy, Heather loves working with companies to crystallize their brand DNA and find their “guiding North Star.” Listen in to our conversation and learn more in the show notes at https://whitneyjohnson.com/heather-hawkins

Disruption can be a powerful personal tool, but as we discussed during the re-launch of Disrupt Yourself earlier in the month, disruption is not limited to individuals looking to jump into the entrepreneurial life. Significant disruptions can come from within large organizations, leading, as Kaihan Krippendorff pointed out, to important innovation. But how do you disrupt from within a large organization? My guest today is one of the foremost experts on this very topic. A professor at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and partner at the consulting firm RBL Group, Dave Ulrich has published over 200 articles and 30 books, including his most recent collaboration with Arthur Yeung, Reinventing the Organization. For complete show notes and links from this episode, visit https://whitneyjohnson.com/dave-ulrich

As a child, Allison Holzer was fascinated with the invisible. When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would enthusiastically tell the listener that her dream job was to be a nuclear physicist (even though she wasn’t completely clear on what that meant). All she knew was that she wanted to study the teeny tiny particles that, when tapped into, could create huge amounts of energy. Years later, Allison’s career trajectory took a turn when a psychology professor dramatically helped her realize the importance of mindset in shaping our reality. This ignited a new spark in Allison: a desire to understand what inspires people to do what matters to them, and what gives them the energy to achieve it.   Join us as we discuss how inspiration is “contagious”; how to pull ourselves out of burnout; and tips for activating inspiration when we really need it. Full show notes - https://whitneyjohnson.com/allison-holzer

Today is the day! Disrupt Yourself: Master Relentless Change and Speed Up Your Learning Curve has officially been re-launched into the world. As with all my book “children,” I am very proud of this creation. You, my audience, have been so receptive, and I am gratified and humbled by your many emails and comments characterizing what this book has meant in your life. Your stories are inspiring, and I am eager to learn more! On today’s episode, we have our wonderful producer, Macy Robison, back in the interviewer’s chair. This week’s podcast is really a reflection of the book—it’s a wide-ranging conversation, free-wheeling, and full of energy. I love the insights that Macy brings to the table as we discuss her connection to the book, the story behind the re-release, and what lessons I took away from the first launch. Thank you for being with me on this journey. Show notes available at https://whitneyjohnson.com/disrupt-yourself-relaunch