What's Next! with Tiffani Bova

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova.     This week I have the absolute pleasure of welcoming Olympic Medalist Bonnie St. John to the What's Next! Podcast. At the age of 5, Bonnie had her right leg amputated. And once you listen to this podcast, you will understand, there was no way that was going to stop her. At the age of 19, she became the first African-American to win medals at the 1984 Winter Paralympics in Innsbruck Austria. Bonnie was appointed by President Clinton as a director for Human Capital Issues on the White House National Economic Council and went on to represent the United States as a member of President Obama's official delegation to the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver and the 2016 Paralympic summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. Bonnie is also a Leadership Consultant for multiple Fortune 500 companies, the CEO of the Blue Circle Leadership Institute, and a best-selling author of seven books, including How Great Women Lead: A Mother-Daughter Adventure into the Lives of Women Shaping the World, and her latest title Micro-Resilience: Minor Shifts for Major Boosts in Focus, Drive, and Energy! I am thrilled to have Bonnie St. John on the podcast!     THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone! If you want to overcome your own personal talk track that the obstacles you face are insurmountable, then this is for you. I can’t think of a better way for you to spend thirty minutes of your time than listening to “one of the five most inspiring women in America!” (NBC Nightly News)    TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… Today’s episode is a fantastic reminder to always use your challenges, your obstacles, and your unique experiences to become a better leader. Great leaders take cues from the potential connections that can form all around them to change the way they think and therefore lead. Today, we’re looking at those connections and how to constantly look for the small, subtle changes in your day to day behavior that can help you become a better leader.    WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST… Bonnie taking my Bullish and Bearish scenario from just “robots having their own Olympics,” to having “cyborgs” be the answer. I think it’s a great example of Bonnie’s amazing sense of humor, and I loved learning more about her, her humility, and all the amazing things she's been able to accomplish in her life (and career) thus far. It was a real treat learning more about what makes the legendary Bonnie St. John such a special human being.    Running time: 31:14     Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn    Find Bonnie on social:  Twitter  Facebook  LinkedIn

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova.     This week I have the pleasure of welcoming our first Grammy-nominated recording artist, record producer, and musician, Ryan Leslie. If that isn’t impressive enough, Ryan is also a technophile, entrepreneur, and genius Harvard graduate who conferred his degrees in political science and macroeconomics at the ripe old age of 19. While at Harvard, Ryan taught himself basic production skills and also developed a musical style all his own. This led him to produce music for a variety of prominent artists, including Usher and Britney Spears, in multiple musical genres ranging from R & B and hip-hop, to pop and gospel. But, it doesn’t end there, Ryan co-founded Super Phone to help track conversations via text and interact more personally and effectively with his fans. Now, he's turning Super Phone into a full-fledged CRM with a new app and funding from the likes of venture capitalist Ben Horowitz. I am very excited for you to learn more about Ryan Leslie in this episode of What’s Next!     THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… aspiring artists, entrepreneurs, and professionals of any kind who have a strong appetite for education and believe in the value of human connection. It is also for anyone who is looking for inspiration to tackle their own challenges and opportunities with a renewed passion!    TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE…   This episode is about Ryan’s journey through and from academia to entertainment, and entertainment to tech. But, more importantly, it is about Ryan's crusade to make sure that meaningful connections between human beings continue to be made, even as technology advances into new places where individuals feel like human connection is being lost.    WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST…  I love how humble Ryan is about all of his amazing success and what he's trying to do to give back to his community of fans. I was so inspired by his message when I met him at the 2018 Harvest Summit not only from an academic standpoint, but how wise he is about what's really important in life.        Running time: 35:28     Subscribe on iTunes     Find Tiffani on social:  Facebook  Twitter  LinkedIn     Find Ryan on social:  Twitter  YouTube  Facebook  Instagram    Text Ryan at:  http://textryan.com/  +1-646-798-6566 

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova.  This week I have the pleasure of welcoming Allen Adamson to the What's Next! Podcast. Allen is a noted industry expert in all disciplines of branding and the Co-Founder of Metaforce. He is also a published author with multiple marketing titles including Shift Ahead, Brand Simple, and The Edge. Prior to co-founding Metaforce, Allen was the Chairman of  North America of Landor Associates, a global branding firm. Before joining Lander, Allen was an executive at Unilever and held senior management positions at Ogilvy & Mather and DMB&B. Allen is also a sought-after industry commentator and has appeared on shows such as NBC’s Today Show and Fox Business Network’s Closing Bell.   THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… individuals who are trying to build a memorable brand with advertising, social media, product design, and user interfaces to convey a story which resonates with employees and customers.   TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE…   Find your relevance! Get out of your marketing bubble and don’t wait for things to go wrong to step on the gas and shift your strategy. Once the marketplace signals your misstep, it’s often too late. Shifting ahead to success is all about being proactive and attentive, and learning not just to listen passively, but watch actively and ask the right questions!  WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST…  I loved talking about what “brand” truly is and how we can better understand it. It is one of the most misunderstood concepts in business and sales today. Everyone is chasing after what they think it means, and often this leads to a sense of disingenuousness.    Running time: 29:40     Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn    Find Allen on social:  Twitter  LinkedIn    Metaforce

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova.  This week I have the pleasure of welcoming another Tiffany to the What's Next! Podcast. Tiffany Pham is the Founder and CEO of Mogul, an award-winning, worldwide platform that connects women to trending content and courses, and personalizes it to meet the needs of the individual users. Mogul is visited by millions of women from over 196 countries and territories and 20,000+ cities worldwide. Mogul was named one of the top sites for marketing your company online by Forbes in 2015 and Tiffany was named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Media in 2014 as well as Business Insider’s 30 Most Important Women Under 30 in Technology in 2014. She is the co-author of the book From Business Strategy to Information Technology Roadmap and a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Business School. Her newest book You Are a Mogul, is in bookstores now.   THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… aspiring millennial moguls, parents of teens, or anyone who is interested in attracting more millennials to their workforce, or to buy their products. If you want to be inspired to reach your full potential and build something innovative and impactful, this episode is perfect for you.  TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE…   This episode is all about understanding what drives millennials and challenging yourself to go out and be a mogul. Tiffany talks about starting where you are and allowing your passions to drive and inspire you to push yourself farther and reach higher. She also shares her insights into the minds of millennials and how they view education and their overall contribution where they work and to the world. Tiffany shares her own journey of excellence from immigrating to the U.S. at a young age, to becoming a “Millennial Mogul.”    WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST…  Tiffany’s inspirational personal story and how her promise to her grandmother drove her to become the influential and inspiring media and technology mogul she is today. Tiffany’s story makes me want to wake up tomorrow and stay inspired!    Running time: 34:20     Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn    FindTiffany on social:  Twitter  LinkedIn    Mogul 

Entrepreneur Mike Michalowicz shares insights on the Pumpkin Plan, prioritizing profit, and designing your business to run like clockwork. Learn how to identify your unique seeds for growth and systematize your business for success.

Retired army colonel and Silicon Valley investor Pete Newell discusses bringing battlefield problem-solving techniques to the boardroom. Emphasizes the importance of understanding the problem before offering solutions, innovation exhaustion, and the need for internal and organizational transformations for advancement.

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova.  This week I am very excited to bring our first NFL coach, Michael Lombardi, to What’s Next! Michael is an American Football Executive and Media Analyst with over 30 years of experience who enjoyed front row access to football titans Bill Walsh, Al Davis, and Bill Belichick. He was an assistant to the coaching staff of the New England Patriots and is a former Analyst for the NFL network. He previously served as an NFL executive for the San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Philidelphia Eagles, and Oakland Raiders. He currently works for sports and pop culture blog The Ringer and has a book coming out on September 11th!  THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone who loves football and wants a masterclass in leadership and culture building.  TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE…   Culture is key. In an organization like football, the role of the Head Coach goes beyond making calls, training players, or winning games. It’s the culture that Head Coach develops that will ultimately determine how successful that team is. The same is true of business; it starts with your leadership and the culture set by that leadership. But, you can’t sit around and wait for it to develop, you have to be deliberate about building your team’s culture if you expect to be successful.  You have to figure out and know who you are as a person, as a team, as a business, and develop a plan to establish that culture as a leader. It starts with self-evaluation and planning. Whether you are 18 or 80, being self-aware and knowledgeable in your craft will make you a leader worth following, because you can develop a culture worth being a part of.   WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST…  Michael talks about the importance of self-evaluation in culture-building and working at the things that make you struggle, not merely following the “best light.” When you are good at self-evaluating, you are better prepared to grow and change with your industry and your craft.  Running time: 36:20      Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn   Find Michael Lombardi on social:  Twitter    Michael’s Book  Michael on The Ringer

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova.   This week, I have a great conversation with Andrew Grill.  Andrew is an experienced corporate leader and a former IBM Global Managing Partner. He has launched and run technology companies in Europe and Australia and worked with (and for) some of the world's leading companies including Vodafone, Nestle, BBC, American Express, and Unilever. He is also a seasoned speaker and has presented at four separate TEDx events. He speaks to and consults for organizations to develop their strategy around digital disruption, social selling, the workplace of the future, emerging technologies, and digital diversity.   THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… believers of Andrew’s motto: if you want to get digital, you have to be digital.   TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… Andrew and I live in the thought leadership space and share similar viewpoints on innovation and disruption. We both believe that the nature of work is changing, especially as technology continues to lead our lives and as Millennials begin to speak their voices in the professional world.   WHEN YOU WORK FOR A COMPANY AND YOU WANT TO GROW YOUR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT… Never forget that your employer doesn’t own you. No matter what, we’re all building our personal brands. Of course, it’s helpful to be attached to a brand that already has a following, but you’re still growing your own brand while you’re renting your time to that employer.   LET YOUR DIGITAL SELF FLOURISH… Sharing your life online and being a consumer/seller in the gig economy is not going anywhere. When you (and businesses ) begin to see this, you can shape your digital self around this changing workforce.   Andrew believes that when you allow your digital persona to morph between private, public, and inside the organization, there will be broken rules but more human interaction. Are you ready for this kind of disruption?   Running time: 29:30 Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn   Find Andrew on social: Website Twitter LinkedIn

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova. This week, I have a 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. 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. Her third book The Biggest Bluff explores how to play high stakes poker is due out in 2019. 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.  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. IF YOU’RE A BUSINESS LEADER… Be willing to make good decisions right now and being willing to change later. Many leaders don’t want to change once they've already invested significant resources into a project, but change will always come.  IF YOU’RE A STUDENT (OR PARENT OF A STUDENT)… Maria encourages you to read fiction and poetry. Get curious about the world, beyond your current interests and skill-sets. Consider what you’ll learn from taking the “outsider” courses that make you more curious. 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: 40:55 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn   Find Maria on social: Website Twitter Facebook

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova. This week, I have a great conversation with Steve Blank, a career entrepreneur and academic. Steve is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur in eight startups over two decades with four IPOs, and currently, he is an academic teaching at Stanford, Berkeley, Columbia, and NYU. Steve is also the author of The Four Steps to the Epiphany, which is credited with launching the Lean Startup Movement and the best-selling book The Startup Owner's Manual. Steve has been named to Thinkers50 top management thinkers, and recognized by the Harvard Business Review as one of 12 Masters of Innovation. He is also a senior fellow for Entrepreneurship at Columbia University. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… startups or those who want to be more innovative. TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… Steve begins our conversation by reminding us what a startup truly is: a temporary organization designed to search for and find a repeatable and scalable business model or repeatable and scalable sales model. Many times, startups are pressured to act like big companies, and established companies are encouraged to think like a startup. But the two are very different and deserve to be treated as such. Those caught between those two is what Steve calls “the frozen middle.” IF YOU WANT TO BE MORE AGILE IN YOUR COMPANY… Step back and start by determining if you are an entrepreneur or an innovator. An innovator is the idea person who needs help with the physical work or with the business process. Whereas an entrepreneur is someone who knows how to make things happen. Steve opines that it is rare to have both skills. IF YOU’RE AN ENTREPRENEUR… Get comfortable with chaos and uncertainty. You have to be tenacious and resilient. Steve declares that if you’re an entrepreneur who is succeeding, you’re beating all the odds. WHAT I LOVE MOST… Steve’s insight around the frozen middle got me thinking about different mental models, business models, and metrics, and how complacency can leave you stranded in a no man’s land of little-differentiated value.  Running time: 41:10 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn   Find Steve on social: Homepage Twitter LinkedIn