What's Next! with Tiffani Bova

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova. As this year comes to a close, I'm revisiting one of my favorite episodes with retired U.S. Army colonel and Silicon Valley investor Peter Newell! Pete is the co-founder and a managing partner of BMNT, an investment company that provides early-stage investment to companies developing technology for the commercial market that have relevant applications in solving national security problems. He is a co-author of Hacking for Defense, a platform that merged the rapid problem-solving techniques curated on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan with a lean startup methodology developed by Steve Blank in Silicon Valley. Pete is a former Army Ranger who has received numerous military awards and decorations, including the Silver Star and the Presidential Unit Citation. It's an honor to have Pete on with us today to discuss innovation, deploying, and forward-thinking. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… Leaders who are interested in identifying and fixing problems and who want to move their teams and companies forward with an innovation-focus. TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE… Today's episode is all about bringing the battlefield to the boardroom and re-engineering the problem. Your role as a leader is not to sell products. Your role as a leader is to identify the problem and guide your team and your customers to an innovative solution. Lack of investment in understanding the problem is what ultimately leads us to failure. WHAT I LOVE MOST… I love the concept of innovation exhaustion and the difference between "innovators," "makers," and "hackers." I love that distinction along with the thinking around deploying an idea and making sure you design what people are actually looking for–thinking about the customer. It's necessary to be innovation-focused if we want to keep pushing ourselves, our people, and our companies forward. Running time: 34:38 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Find Pete Newell on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova. In the search for life's purpose, Bill George has an authentic perspective. His brilliant insight hones in on the characteristics needed to shape the next generation of leaders, inspiring others through courage, empathy, and vision for the future. In his latest remastering of the subject, The Emerging Leaders Edition of North, Bill explores the topic of leadership with top executives of the business world with honest conversation about their fears, failures, and ultimately how they overcame those hardships and emerged successful. Bill George is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Medtronic. He joined Medtronic in 1989 as president and chief operating officer, was chief executive officer from 1991-2001, and board chair from 1996-2002. He is currently a senior fellow at Harvard Business School, where he has taught leadership since 2004. Bill is the author of: Discover Your True North and The Discover Your True North Field book, Authentic Leadership, 7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis True North, Finding Your True North, and True North Groups. He served on the boards of Goldman Sachs, ExxonMobil, Novartis, Target, and Mayo Clinic. He received his BSIE with high honors from Georgia Tech, his MBA with high distinction from Harvard University, where he was a Baker Scholar, and honorary PhDs from Georgia Tech, Mayo Medical School, University of St. Thomas, Augsburg College and Bryant University. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… emerging leaders and seasoned professionals alike who wish to find their purpose and lead with their hearts full of passion and courage. TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE… the real magic happens when business leaders, employees, and customers alike can align their values with the values of the business. This creates genuine value for the company and inspires the public view of your brand. WHAT I LOVE MOST… Bill has a practical approach to leadership that involves empathy from the bottom up. In his view, the only way to be a successful leader is understanding the needs of workers across all levels of the business spectrum to create a sense of belonging and inclusion. Running time: 30:36 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Find Bill on social: Website Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Brian's Book: True North Emerging Leader Edition

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova. Flashback to the week when we welcomed Jeremy Gutsche to the show! Jeremy is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning innovation expert, and the CEO of Trend Hunter, the world's largest trend firm with 3 billion views, 200,000 idea hunters from 150 million visitors. He even got to help NASA prototype the journey to Mars! Jeremy has been interviewed by media ranging from The Economist and The New York Times to CNN, Bloomberg and WIRED. He is the winner of the Canadian Young Entrepreneur Award and Canada's Top 40 Under 40 Award. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone looking to create opportunity and be a part of driving innovation! TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE… Trend Hunter Jeremy Gutsche is here to define what innovation really means to him and what it can mean for you. He also breaks down the difference between chaos and crisis, and how to create opportunity and innovation out of chaos. Heard of Path Dependency? Well, Jeremy breaks down what he calls the traps of Path Dependency so that you can see the great ideas already in your grasp and not repeat the same mistakes that undercut giants like Kodak. A company's great culture can be the seed of its own destruction. If you're interested in hearing more, Jeremy's got plenty to share! WHAT I LOVE MOST… I really enjoyed reimagining, along with Jeremy, what the future could look like, and I hope you do too! Running time: 28:36 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Find Jeremy online: LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Facebook YouTube Jeremy's Book: Create the Future

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova. This week I am grateful to revisit my conversation with Chris Schembra on the show. Chris is the bestselling author of "Gratitude and Pasta: The Secret Sauce for Human Connection", chronicling his adventures as one of the most sought-after dinner hosts in the World. Forbes has just ranked his book as the #2 book of 2020 to create Human Connection and USA Today calls him the "Gratitude Guru." He is the Founder + Chief Question Asker of 7:47, an advisory firm that helps companies give the GIFT of community and belonging to their VIP clients and partners. Having used their signature pasta sauce to spark over 400,000 relationships around the dinner table, their core hypothesis is that giving gratitude to others is the key to fulfillment, and ultimately good for business. At the time of recording, 7:47 is leading a year-long study on how gratitude and empathy affect entrepreneurship and the values their companies stand for. Their research revolves around a singular question, "If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life, that you don't give enough credit or thanks to, who would that be?" I am beyond delighted to air this RELOAD episode of Chris Schembra on the What's Next! Podcast for a timeless and moving conversation you'll keep coming back to again and again. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… people who need and/or want connection, people who want to do better and succeed more, and people who love pasta. TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE… Chris shares his journey through success and plenty, as well as loneliness and rebuilding, and through it all, what gratitude, connection, and pasta have meant to him and to the people around him. He shares the value of connection from catharsis and physical health, to the strengthening of both personal and business connections that directly affect how successful, fulfilled, and prosperous you ultimately are. He also discusses the importance of connection in our current, COVID-19-locked-down reality, how to do it better and drive innovation and creativity, and how his dinners are going virtual! WHAT I LOVE MOST… When in doubt, show gratitude! Running time: 34:06 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Find Chris online: Chris' Website (747) LinkedIn Facebook Instagram YouTube Gratitude and Pasta

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova. Scheduling between the time zones, I found the time to sit down with Brian A. Wong this week to share his experience working for Alibaba, the powerhouse Chinese e-commerce giant. His insight draws on both his American education and industry experience working for billionaire business investor Jack Ma as one of the early employees at Alibaba, which he documents the experience in his newest book "The Tao of Alibaba: Inside the Chinese Digital Giant that Is Changing the World" released in November 2022. Brian A. Wong is a Chinese American entrepreneur and investor. He was the first American and only the 52nd employee to join Alibaba Group, where he contributed to the company's early globalization efforts and served as Jack Ma's special assistant for international affairs. During his 16-year tenure, Wong established the Alibaba Global Initiatives (AGI) division and was the founder and executive director of the Alibaba Global Leadership Academy. Wong remains an adviser to the AGI team and regularly teaches courses on China's digital economy and the Tao of Alibaba management principles. Wong founded RADII, a digital media platform dedicated to bridging understanding between East and West. Wong earned his bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College, a master's certificate from the Johns Hopkins University (SAIS)–Nanjing University Center for US and China Studies, and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. He was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2015, is a China Fellow with the Aspen Institute and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, and is a member of the Committee of 100. He is based in Shanghai, China. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… people who are looking to redefine their leadership style and explore the pathway of balance and harmony in management principles, workplace habits, and business perspectives. TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE… There's a dual philosophy that guides the business operations of Alibaba – Eastern principles of Chinese Daoist philosophy combined with Western American management systems lay at the foundation of the success story. In Brian's view, it's about finding balance between the need to change while remaining firm and consistent in your brand identity. Finding the synergy between market, societal, and universal forces will ultimately guide your business on a path to victory. WHAT I LOVE MOST… Brian went on a journey to find his own North Star, and while expanding his "comfort zone" after seeking advice from his mentor, he reaffirmed his life mission to enable marginalized groups and communities. Running time: 32:52 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Find Brian on social: Website LinkedIn Brian's Book: The Tao of Alibaba

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