What's Next! with Tiffani Bova

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova. This week I am thrilled to revisit our conversation with the incomparable Chester Elton. Chester is a Coach, Keynote Speaker, Organizational Culture, Employee Engagement, and Teamwork Expert, and the #1 Bestselling Business Author! Along with writing partner Adrian Gostick, he is a Bestselling Author of multiple Business and Leadership titles like The Carrot Principle, The Best Team Wins, and The Orange Revolution. His latest title, co-authored by writing partner Adrian Gostick, is Leading with Gratitude: Eight Leadership Practices for Extraordinary Business Results.    THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… extroverts, introverts, sales, leaders, and individuals who wish to hone their extraordinary business savvy.   TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… When it comes to now, Chester digs deep on building momentum, building community, and nurturing relationships remotely, and what that might look like going forward. We are all having to learn quickly and are often leading from a place of uncertainty. Chester is here to help us lead from a place of gratitude. He’s do just that addressing how we can adjust, better communicate, and really lead with gratitude!   WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST… Chester’s has a few big asks: be more grateful, be more kind, be more patient.     Running time: 30:59 Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram   Find Chester online: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram YouTube Leading with Gratitude Book

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova.  As luck would have it, I had the immense pleasure of speaking with Annie Duke this week about not just poker, but mainly about the concepts in her new book on quitting. In this case, it's not the quiet kind, her brand of walking away is actually making the next best move, one that moves you in the right direction for where you need to be.   Annie Duke is an author, corporate speaker, and consultant in the decision-making space, as well as Special Partner focused on Decision Science at First Round Capital Partners, a seed stage venture fund. Annie’s latest book, "Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away" was released October 4, 2022 from Portfolio, a Penguin Random House imprint. Her previous book, Thinking in Bets, is a national bestseller. As a former professional poker player, she has won more than $4 million in tournament poker. During her career, Annie won a World Series of Poker bracelet and is the only woman to have won the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions and the NBC National Poker Heads-Up Championship. She retired from the game in 2012. Prior to becoming a professional poker player, Annie was awarded a National Science Foundation Fellowship to study Cognitive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Annie is the co-founder of The Alliance for Decision Education, a non-profit whose mission is to improve lives by empowering students through decision skills education. She is also a member of the National Board of After-School All-Stars and the Board of Directors of the Franklin Institute. She is serves on the board of the Renew Democracy Initiative.   THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…  people who are facing make-or-break business decisions or life-altering life choices – quitting might just be your best option.   TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… There's such a negative stigma about quitting in our societal viewpoint, but Annie says that this cultural perspective does not serve your best interest. Sometimes quitting is the best option because we are holding ourselves back from pursuing opportunities that would be a better fit for our goals. Yes, it is good to keep your commitments, but you also have to ask yourself if it is really worth it in the end.     WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST… Annie knows how to make tough decisions, how to use quitting to her advantage, and ultimately when to cleverly employ her exit strategy to save herself the time, energy, and money in the long run and you can too.     Running time: 25:04 Subscribe on iTunes     Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram   Find Annie on social: Website  Twitter LinkedIn Nonprofit   Annie's Book: Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova. In this week’s RELOAD episode, we look back to our conversation with Adam Kingl on the future generation of young leaders. Adam is an author and keynote speaker who educates future leaders on culture, purpose, team dynamics, the future of work, creativity, strategic innovation, management innovation, and the generational paradigms of work and leadership. He is Adjunct Faculty at Ashridge – Hult International Business School.  He was the Regional Managing Director, Europe, for Duke Corporate Education and the Executive Director of Thought Leadership and Learning Solutions for London Business School. Adam’s new book, Next Generation Leadership, came out February 2020. I am delighted to have Adam Kingl on the What’s Next! Podcast for this RELOAD episode.   THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… managers, leaders, CEOs, Start-ups, entrepreneurs and anyone recruiting and/or managing young professionals!   TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… Adam helps us understand how best to navigate five generations of workers in the workforce for the first time in history, especially the GenY workforce. How you recruit, manage, enable, and retain new generations of workers is critical to the success of your organization. Without happy employees, you won’t have happy customers. Adam helps us navigate this most critical frontier.   WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST… Hearing what Gen Y thinks, thinking about how we invest in talent moving forward, and even how we handle losing and rehiring talent in the future!     Running time: 33:27 Subscribe on iTunes     Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram   Find Adam on social: Website Twitter LinkedIn   Adam’s Book: Next Generation Leadership

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova.  This week we take a deep look at startup culture, the challenges involved in the initial years, and how to build a business legacy that will last. To guide us through the process, startup founder and adventure enthusiast Mike Evans shares his startup journey with Grubhub, detailing the grueling process of building that business empire and offering insights and self-reflection on the journey every step of the way. Mike Evans founded GrubHub in his spare bedroom and grew it into the multi-billion-dollar online food delivery colossus that is a household name. Since leaving GrubHub, he founded Fixer.com, an on-demand handyperson service focused on social impact. He lives in Chicago with his wife, daughter, dog, and bike.   THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…  people who are hungry and tired and ready to find an alternative to the standard way of doing things – this applies to both startups and only food delivery!     TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… the pathway to startup success is challenging, but achievable, if you put in the work required (long work hours), build a customer base, and can secure financing dollars. But at the heart of the journey, you have to identify how your business helps people. If you can figure that out, and refine the process over time, then you’ll very likely have success.   WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST… Mike had a single goal in mind at the start – to quickly pay off his student loans – but the business outgrew his dream and he had to rethink his vision of the future. After facing a series of demanding personal issues, ultimately, he realized that he gets to choose his own personal definition of success and work towards his own vision, not anyone else’s not ever again.     Running time: 32:25 Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram   Find Mike on social: Website Twitter LinkedIn Instagram   Mike’s Book: Hangry: A Startup Journey

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova. This week we revisit our great conversation with Maria Konnikova. Maria graduated from Harvard, earned her Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia. She’s written two New York Times bestsellers: The Confidence Game and Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, along with her most recent release of The Biggest Bluff, a New York Times bestseller, one of the Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2020, and a finalist for the Telegraph Best Sports Writing Awards for 2021. While she had zero poker experience before her first trip to Las Vegas in the fall of 2016, she has now won multiple tournaments, including the PCA National Championship, and finished second at an Asian Pacific Tour, Macau event.   THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… those looking to be confident when facing change.   TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE…  You might think that it’s all about luck when it comes to being successful in life, but Maria differs. The old adage that luck is opportunity and preparedness meeting sounds great in theory but is only applied to positive aspects of people’s lives.  But luck just happens. It’s not personal. It’s not about a linear career path that led you to a moment of success. In fact, successful people often come from the outside.  They have a true advantage because their mind is more flexible; they are not hemmed in by convention to behave in a certain way. They are free from preconceptions.   WHAT I LOVE MOST… the marriage of psychology, game theory and poker that uncovers insights to be a better leader and change agent. Being an outsider may come with challenges, but having a fresh perspective on the established set of wisdom may be the key to unlocking the unmet potential in yourself and your company.  Get uncomfortable - seriously, it makes you (and your business) better.     Running time: 40:58 Subscribe on iTunes     Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn   Find Maria on social: Website Twitter Facebook   Maria’s Book: The Biggest Bluff

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova.   Amidst the new digital culture of remote working and Zoom meeting, employees have reported that the workplace feels more distant and less connected – and business leaders agree. Ultimately, the general consensus amongst leaders is that our #1 need is human connection. To show us how to find that connection, executive coach and leadership expert Dr. Michelle K. Johnston helps us spot the business and leadership need for authenticity, empathy, and connection in the new working world.  Dr. Michelle K Johnston is a management professor, executive coach, and leadership expert helping leaders to get the results they need through meaningfully connecting with their people. She is an award-winning professor studying leadership and business communication, and her research has shown a clear link between a team’s effective communication and its positive financial performance. Connection drives results!  Michelle is a celebrated keynote speaker presenting at conferences and events nationwide. She received her Ph.D. in Communication from Louisiana State University and she was named to the prestigious 100 Coachs group, which consists of the top executive coaches around the world. Michelle serves as the Gaston Chair of Business at Loyola University New Orleans where she teaches in the graduate and undergraduate programs in the College of Business. “The Seismic Shift in Leadership” is her first book, and an Amazon bestseller.    THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…  leaders who want to heighten their financial performance by creating more meaningful connections.    TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… there is a consensus among leaders that connection is an important component of workplace success, but they don’t necessarily know how to implement practices that would support connectivity. Working first on authenticity, compassion, and alignment to support business strategies and your people.   WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST… Dr. Johnston believes that collaboration and compassion go a long way in finding your authentic voice and creating meaningful connections, which helps align yourself with your team and your company.  Running time: 33:36 Subscribe on iTunes      Find Tiffani on social:  Facebook  Twitter  LinkedIn  Instagram    Find Michelle on social:  Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube   Dr. Johnston’s Book:  The Seismic Shift in Leadership

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova. For this week's Reload Episode, we revisit our conversation with leadership expert Daniel Marcos. Daniel is a Co-Founder and the CEO of Gazelles Growth Institute, an online executive education company for C-level executives at fast-growing firms. Daniel is also the Co-Founder of Inflection (Gazelles Mexico division), a keynote speaker and CEO-Coach. Across all these efforts, his goal is to help 1 million entrepreneurs scale their companies faster and with “less drama.” Daniel is also an ambassador for Singularity University in Austin, TX and he co-authored the book Start-Up to Scale-Up. Daniel brings a wealth of knowledge to the table on the What’s Next! Podcast!   THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… entrepreneurs interested in starting a company and small and mid-size businesses looking to grow and scale successfully.   TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… Growth is not easy. It does not come without sacrifice. So, most important when it comes to growth, is reaching the decision to grow, and reaching it after careful consideration. More companies have died from excessive opportunities than the lack thereof, so it behooves leaders and organizations to set their objectives thoughtfully, be disciplined, and scale their mindset adequately. Daniel breaks down the 4 main stages of growth, and the biggest challenges to be found in each.   WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST… speaking with anyone who is maniacally focused on growth and can get us thinking critically and intentionally about growth, scaling, and continued success.     Running time: 34:31 Subscribe on iTunes     Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn   Find Daniel on social: Twitter Instagram LinkedIn   Growth Institute Website: Growth Institute   Daniel’s Book: Start-Up to Scale-Up

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova.  This week we take a deep look at different factors that profoundly shape how we see the world – place, race, gender, religious beliefs, and politics – and seek ways to unify over our shared humanity despite our many diverse viewpoints. To guide us through the process, social scientist David Livermore reveals how to use cultural intelligence, a scientific model for working with people from different cultures, to bridge our differences closer to home and authentically connect with those around us. David Livermore is a social scientist and thought leader devoted to the topics of cultural intelligence and global leadership. He’s a founder of the Cultural Intelligence Center in East Lansing, Michigan, and a research fellow at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Livermore spent twenty years in leadership positions with a variety of nonprofit organizations around the world and taught in numerous universities. He is a frequent speaker and adviser to leaders in Fortune 500s companies, nonprofits, and governments and has worked in more than one hundred countries. David has authored several other award-winning books, including The Curious Traveler, The Cultural Intelligence Difference, What Can I Do?, Expand Your Borders, and most recently “Digital, Diverse & Divided: How to Talk to Racists, Compete with Robots, and Overcome Polarization” (Sep 2022).   THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…  people who are seeking ways to come together, navigate difficult conversations, manage necessary relationships, and, most importantly, accept the differences that make us US.   TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… there are a number of differences that play into the individual personalities that reside within all of us, however, there is far more that makes us similar to each other rather than different. By applying the four competencies of cultural intelligence – motivation, cognition, meta-cognition, and behavioral flexibility – we are enabled to navigate difficult conversations and relationships across a wide range of situations.   WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST… Ultimately, David wants to address the big picture issues, tackling tribalism, confronting racism, and developing a common vision for the future. He believes that we can achieve this by taking the time to reconnect with our shared humanity and embracing our differences, but also not letting them divide us.     Running time: 25:04 Subscribe on iTunes     Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram   Find David on social: Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube   David’s Book: Digital, Diverse & Divided

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova. This week I am excited to revisit our conversation with Justin Bariso. Justin is an author, columnist, speaker, and consultant, and his thoughts on leadership management and emotional intelligence have been featured by Time, Business Insider,  CNBC, and Forbes among others. He is the author of “EQ Applied: The Real-World Guide to Emotional Intelligence," which uses fascinating research, modern examples, and personal stories to teach you how to make emotions work for you. Today,  Justin focuses on helping others harness the power of emotion for good. You can read Justin’s work on INC.com, where over a million people a month read his column on emotional intelligence and leadership management. Justin has been recognized by LinkedIn as a top voice in leadership management and workplace culture.   THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… This episode is a reality check for all of us. It is all about investing in the emotional side of our interpersonal interactions as humans both in the written word, as well as in the spoken word.   TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… We spend so much time talking about the academic side of leadership, growth, marketing, and sales. We forget to account for our human emotions in a field that is so inextricably tied to human interaction. No matter how much time we take to think about things and to examine our own communication style, our own emotional style, we’re still limited by our own perspective, by our own experiences and biases.   WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST… It was wonderful to have Justin come on and give us a gentle tap to remind us how important the human aspect of business and interaction is, and of course, tied to that is our rich emotional life.     Running time: 34:47 Subscribe on iTunes     Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram     Find Justin on social: Twitter LinkedIn   Justin’s Writing: EQ Applied

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova.  This week we investigate the thought process behind customer feedback methods with Andrea Olson, who guides us through the cognitive method for discovering hidden customer needs, converting them quickly into differentiators, and avoiding the pitfalls of traditional research. Trained as a behavioral scientist, differentiation strategist and customer-centricity expert, Andrea Olson teaches executives the art and science of brand differentiation through understanding customer behavior. She is a 3x book author and an ongoing contributor to multiple major publications including Entrepreneur Magazine, Chief Executive Magazine, and Rotman Business Magazine (University of Toronto). Andrea is also literally a world traveler, having worked in over 12 different countries throughout her early career. She also serves as an instructor for the University of Iowa Venture School, guest lecturer, and Business Coach for the Tippie College of Business Startup Incubator.   THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…  people who want to learn how to ask the right questions to customers and implement that feedback into product innovation and  business models.   TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… sometimes when it comes to thinking about what customers what, we end up like a dear in headlights. The first step of the process is to start with what you’re trying to understand and frame the problem from that viewpoint. Why are customers currently using your product? Does it address a direct need for the customer?  What value does the product bring to the consumer to enhance their life? Putting yourself in the perspective of the day-to-day life of customer is the mentality we need to achieve product success.   WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST… Ultimately, Andrea understands that the fundamental success of customer-centric practice is to understand your audience on a human level. Her insights reveal that customer solutions are not one-sized fit all, and we need to think about the needs of each of the different demographics within our audience to truly innovate the product and the business. We have to stop and really consider how people really behave.     Running time: 30:44 Subscribe on iTunes     Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram   Find Andrea on social: Website Company Website Twitter LinkedIn   Andrea’s Book: What to Ask