Disrupt Yourself Podcast with Whitney Johnson

My guest is Karla Ballard, the CEO and co-founder of YING, a peer-to-peer skill sharing platform that allows you to trade time rather than money for services (also known as a time bank). Karla’s first experience in “banking” was of a much more traditional variety—after graduating from the University of Virginia she was hired by MBNA America and soon after was selected to participate in their management development program. This gave her the opportunity to rotate positions throughout the entire company, and while working in the marketing department in Wilmington, Delaware, Karla became involved in a community program to teach youth financial literacy as a way of combating juvenile delinquency. Karla was able to take the bank’s interest in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and combine it with her commitment to the community to produce real-life results beyond a simple donation. Feeling the entrepreneurial itch, Karla created a consulting practice to work with local non-profit organizations on their strategy around sustainability. In 2015 Karla took the next step and co-created YING, a skill and time-sharing platform that gives people access to services in exchange for their own time and talents, creating a community around connection and engagement. Join our discussion as Karla explains the intricacies of time banking, how “mucking and gutting” entered her lexicon, and what each of us as human beings have that creates value on a level playing field (hint: it’s about time). More takeaways and links from this episode at: https://whitneyjohnson.com/karla-ballard

For most graduates, a steady job is a dream come true (bonus points if it comes with good pay). When Shachar Orren completed her two-year mandatory service in the Israeli army, her parents thought she had achieved that dream: she was offered a full-time job working in military intelligence, with steady work, excellent compensation, and a healthy dose of prestige.                                                 She would be crazy to leave…right? But when a job popped up at her favorite magazine, Shachar leapt at the chance to become what she had wanted to be since she was a little girl—a writer. Despite conventional wisdom saying that she would be better off staying in military intelligence, Shachar knew that the best road to happiness was the one right in front of her. For complete show notes and links from this episode, visit https://whitneyjohnson.com/shachar-orren

My guest today is Harold O’Neal, a Tanzanian-born American pianist, film score composer, and record producer who has worked with the likes of U2, Jay-Z and Disney. I met Harold at a Silicon Guild/Black Sheep event a couple of months ago, and I was shocked by the amount of talent that effortlessly emanated from him. Whether performing an improvised jazz piece or Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, Harold merges with the instrument, almost maddening in his ability to use the music as a mirror for his soul. After struggle in his early hears came personal success, including playing with U2 in Ireland for Amnesty International and composing music for Disney’s “Tomorrowland” movie, Harold is now working with John Sviokla, author of The Self-Made Billionaire Effect, to show corporations and companies how to find the voice of their customer. It’s a workshop that involves music (of course), and Harold generously demonstrates a piece of that workshop on the show today.  For full show notes and links from this episode, visit http://whitneyjohnson.com/harold-oneal

My guest today is Tiffani Bova, speaker, author, thought-leader, and Growth and Innovation Evangelist at Salesforce. Her book, “Growth IQ: Get Smarter About the Choices That Will Make or Break Your Business” comes out this week, and after reading an advance copy I was thrilled to have the opportunity to sit down and go over some of the highlights with her. Tiffani likes to say that she is a recovering seller, because while she no longer carries a sales quota she still “bleeds sales blood.” Growing up on the islands of Hawaii, Tiffani early on had a mentor who showed her the ropes of business beyond learning about supply chains and P&L. One lesson became deeply embedded in her mind—experience is king. For links from this episode and further takeaways, visit https://whitneyjohnson.com/tiffani-bova

In today's episode, we will be discussing just one of the seven points of personal disruption: embracing constraints. All too often we find ourselves saying, "If only I had more time, more money, more health, expertise. If only Oprah were my fairy godmother, I could get something done!" And yet, when we take a moment to examine the role constraints play in the creative process and in our lives, we frequently find that they aren't a check on absolute freedom, but a tool of creation. With me to discuss this topic today is Orson Scott Card, an American novelist who has authored 70 books (and counting), best known for his work in science fiction. One might think that such a prolific author has very little to worry about in the way of constraints, but Orson Scott Card disagrees. “My favorite genre is romantic comedy or satiric comedy. But I never get to write that because, I have to make a certain income level, and the market for my work is generally within the science fiction and fantasy genre. When I step out of that genre, the sales are much lower. So, publishers are eager for books from me in-genre, and not so eager for books out of genre.” Rather than revolt against this constraint, Scott embraces it, finding new ways to enjoy the genre that has earned him success by delving deep into characters he finds fascinating. He’s also found that understanding and adhering to rules within his books—whether it be magic or science—helps him identify what can’t or shouldn’t happen, and it is there that the most interesting stories are developed.  Links and Show Notes at http://whitneyjohnson.com/orson-scott-card

Benjamin Spall keeps his phone in the kitchen at night.  As co-author of the book “My Morning Routine: How Successful People Start Every Day Inspired,” and mymorningroutine.com, Benjamin has heard many highly successful people highlight the importance of keeping their phone away from them while they sleep. However, it still took over four years for Benjamin to finally adopt the practice. “It’s interesting that you can be given the same piece of information from many different people over and over and over again, but it’ll take you a while for that information to actually sink in and for you to do it.”  While the concept of morning routines is discussed widely today, back in 2012 it was mostly unrecognized in the field of personal development. After interviewing over three hundred individuals about their daily habits, Benjamin has a firm grasp on what routine actions can positively impact a person’s day. Separating yourself from your cell phone is only one element out of many: what time you wake up, what you do immediately after opening your eyes, how many steps you take before you settle into your work—all of it creates your “morning wind,” and if you plan things out properly that wind can carry you throughout your day.  The biggest mistake that people make when trying to create a morning routine is adding too many elements at once. Benjamin recommends starting small: if you want to run every morning, start by only running for 5-10 minutes. That’s easy for you to accomplish, allowing you to start your day with a “win” and less likely to feel like a failure if you can’t squeeze a half hour exercise into your morning every day. Each activity should build to the next, helping you gain momentum. Show Notes: https://whitneyjohnson.com/benjamin-spall

My guest today is Peter Bregman, CEO and founder of Bregman Partners and author of the new book, Leading with Emotional Courage. In his book, Peter expands on the idea that if leaders are willing to feel everything they will build better teams and accomplish more difficult tasks. It’s a labor of love for Peter, who hopes that the book will help others become more willing to examine their feelings and be present in each moment.  “I've spent a lot of time trying to close the gaps between what we want to have happen in the world and what happens in the world, and how we want to be in the world and how we are. What we want to do in the world and what we end up doing. And there's a huge gap…there's constantly a gap and I'm trying to close it for myself; I'm trying to live up to my own expectations, and, and I'm trying to help other people close it.” I found many inspiring and fascinating nuggets in Peter’s book, as well as this interview, and I hope after you listen to this podcast you take the time to track down a copy of Leading With Emotional Courage for yourself. Full show notes at https://whitneyjohnson.com/peter-bregman

If Caroline Webb looks a little tired or stressed, there is a good chance that someone will eventually turn to her and ask (with their tongue in their cheek), “Are you having a bad day, Caroline?” Caroline laughs when she recounts this, because as the author of the book “How to Have a Good Day,” she knows that people are watching her. All joking aside, Caroline Webb has made a name for herself in helping others reframe their day and find ways to look on the bright side. As the CEO and founder of the consulting firm Sevenshift, Caroline spends her days coaching companies, teams and individuals on how small behavioral changes can lead to lasting professional satisfaction and success. Originally a public policy analyst, Caroline recognized in her twenties that she was drawn to the “people side” of economics, and began maneuvering her way into responsibilities more in line with that interest than what she had worked on previously. Shifting to the private sector, she joined the team at the management consulting firm McKinsey, taking a job that was technically an entry-level position despite her years of experience. Caroline knew that she wanted to really learn the consulting business, and she wasn’t afraid to take a professional step back in order to spring forward. Join me as we discuss how she used voicemails to advance her career, her best tips for starting and ending your day in the right frame of mind, and how she used her years at McKinsey to hone her craft before bravely stepping out as an entrepreneur, author, and thought leader in how the behavioral sciences can influence the workplace.   Show Notes & Links: https://whitneyjohnson.com/caroline-webb

My guest is Carine Clark, CEO of Banyan, a company that helps medical practices engage with their patients. A three-time CEO, she's been awarded the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Technology in the Utah region, as well as Utah CEO of the Year. On top of all her many career accomplishments, Carine is also a mother and cancer survivor. Truthfully, Carine moved quickly through problems even before her cancer diagnosis. Looking at her career path is akin to looking at a game of Chutes and Ladders—she would seemingly slip down a few steps, choosing to take a job below her existing pay grade, only to rise far above everyone else in a short time frame. From large companies to small startups and back up again, Carine was not afraid to step back to slingshot forward, even if she appeared crazy to everyone else. Nestled into her career success is also Carine’s amazing battle with cancer, which we discuss in the podcast and I hope inspires you as much as it has inspired me. Show notes and links: https://whitneyjohnson.com/carine-clark/

My guest today is Philip Sheppard, composer, cellist, inventor, and a professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London. How do I unpack everything from this episode? Philip is an engaging conversationalist, and coupled with his British accent (let’s face it, in America that carries a lot of weight) I feel like we could have easily expanded this episode to twice the length of the final cut. Philip has led what I consider a dynamic and interesting life, peppered with stories of dinner parties with royalty and recording music in the famous Abbey Road Studio One with microphones used by the Beatles. Phillip says he doesn’t have a “real job,” but he nevertheless is able to make the best of situations and do what needs to be done to be successful. Like many of us, he suffers from imposter syndrome, but instead of allowing that to prevent him from moving forward he leans in and learns whatever he needs to in order to accomplish the impossible. Full show notes at https://whitneyjohnson.com/philip-sheppard