Disrupt Yourself Podcast With Whitney Johnson

It’s okay to end up in a place you didn’t expect. Just ask Eric Schurenberg. As with most of our guests, Eric’s path was not a linear one. His post-collegiate occupation was acting, but after finding some success he realized that the lifestyle no longer matched his ideals. Pivoting, he went back to school and launched himself into the world of journalism. His career continued to be punctuated by strategic pivots, with the end result being that Eric is now the CEO of Mansueto Ventures, the media holding company that is home to Inc. and Fast Company. I’m excited for you to hear more about Eric’s incredible journey, as well as the amazing stories of others who have gone before. Hopefully, this will serve as a reminder: as you take the right risks and play where no one is playing, you’ll figure things out as you go, and it’s okay to end up in a place you didn’t expect. Complete Show Notes and Links: https://whitneyjohnson.com/eric-schurenberg

When picturing disruptive innovators, many people picture the lone genius entrepreneur: Steve Jobs or Bill Gates in a garage, working outside of The System to get their product to market. But is this really how great innovations are created and incubated? In Driving Innovation From Within, Author Kaihan Krippendorff delves deep into the 30 most transformative innovations of the last 30 years. What he found was that despite the stereotype it is actually employees that push the boundaries of innovation, and we do a disservice to employees everywhere when we perpetuate the notion that you have to be an entrepreneur to make an impact on the the world. Join us as we discuss Kaihan’s new book, his framework for internal innovation, and what makes a company truly transformative and encouraging of employee innovators. Transcript and show notes: https://whitneyjohnson.com/kaihan-krippendorff

For the past few weeks, we have been taking a deeper dive into the seven-point framework of personal disruption in anticipation of my book Disrupt Yourself being re-released by Harvard Business Press on November 12. If you stick around to the end of this episode, we’ll talk about a special opportunity for those of you who pre-order the book. So, today’s deep dive is on accelerant number five. Step back to grow.  Though we always want to be moving forward in growth, this accelerant addresses the idea that our greatest progress almost always involves some type of step back: we crouch to jump, bring a fist back to punch, land lies fallow, we rotate crops. And while we’ve looked at stepping back in your career to facilitate that growth - one great example being Dan Shapero’s story in episode 97 - we haven’t talked much about the importance of rest. Our guest for this episode is filmmaker, Webby award founder and newly minted author Tiffany Shlain. She recently released her book 24/6: The Power of Unplugging One D

In anticipation of the re-release of my book, Disrupt Yourself with Harvard Business Press - available for pre-order now - we are continuing our look at the seven-point framework of personal disruption. Today our interview focuses on accelerant number four - battle entitlement. What do I mean by battle entitlement? There are a number of definitions that I use, but one of them is the belief that the more successful we are, the more we think we deserve that success. Buying into this mindset might look like thinking that because things have always been one way, they will always be this way. It could be forgetting, because we’ve worked really hard to get where we are––that there are always, always people upon whose shoulders we stand. Or it could be dismissing the voices of people who we work with because of their age, education, or experience––all of these things can become huge roadblocks if you want to become a high growth individual.  Our guest today, Buster Scher, has worked extraordinarily hard to get where

In anticipation of the re-release of my book, Disrupt Yourself with Harvard Business Press on November 12, 2019, we are continuing our look at the seven-point framework of personal disruption. Today, we will be examining accelerant number three - embrace constraints. This accelerant can be tricky for people at first. It’s tricky because we think we need limitless resources to be successful. We think we can’t launch that company until we have an investor with deep pockets or think we can’t start that project until we have 4-hour blocks of time available to really focus. We somehow believe that in order to create the life we want to create we need to have nothing but blue skies and rainbows ahead. But in reality, embracing constraints - whether they be lack of time or money or expertise - can actually help us gain momentum more quickly as they force us to bootstrap and focus on what is essential.  Our guest today is an expert in embracing constraints - Jonathan Mendonsa. Jonathan is the co-host of the popular

Playing to your distinctive strengths is vital to personal disruption. We covered this accelerant in episode 120, and I hope you’ve taken the time to consider your own “superpower.” Today’s episode is focused on distinctive strengths, but with a bit of a twist—instead of focusing on your own, we’re going to discuss the inherent value of the distinctive strengths of others. My guest today is CV Harquail, author, consultant, speaker, and self-proclaimed “change agent” whose life’s mission is to create a world in which all people flourish. CV wants to help leaders think differently about the relationships between business outcomes, organizations, and the individuals that inhabit the systems we create. Her new book, Feminism: A Key Idea in Business and Society, examines the role that feminism could and should play in the organizations and businesses. This episode is the second part of a seven-episode series celebrating the re-release of Disrupt Yourself by Harvard Business Press on November 12, 2019.

With today’s episode, we’re starting something new. On November 12, 2019, Harvard Business Press will be releasing a new version of my book Disrupt Yourself. As a countdown of sorts, we’re going to spend the next seven episodes focusing on the seven-point framework of personal disruption. These seven accelerants help you manage through – even embrace change - whether at work or at home. Today, we’ll be talking about accelerant one - taking the right risks. We covered this in-depth in episode 100, and we’ll link to that in the show notes, but in short, we take the right risks when we take on market risk instead of competitive risk and play where others aren’t playing. My guest today is a great example of a person taking on market risk - Adela Mizrachi, founder of the Podcast Brunch Club. Links and free resource available at https://whitneyjohnson.com/129

Nancy Duarte is a communication and persuasion expert whose firm, Duarte, Inc., is behind some of the most influential visual messages in business and culture. She’s worked with 25 of the world’s top 35 brands, helping them incorporate story patterns into business communications. Nancy has been featured in Fortune, Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. She’s written five best-selling books, four of which have won awards. Her most recent book, DataStory, is available today. Show notes and links at https://whitneyjohnson.com/nancy-duarte

Today’s guest is David Bray, and hearing his life story is like hearing the movie “War Games” brought to life. At the age of 15 he began working on computer simulations for the US Military. By the year 2000 he was working as the IT Chief for the Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response program for the US Centers for Disease Control, and in 2001 he lead the response to the horrible anthrax attacks that followed 9/11 as well as the SARS outbreaks in 2003 and other public health emergencies. Join us as we discuss his unusual “high school job”; the impact of cognitive easing; and what is more important than the desire to always be right. Complete show notes and links at https://whitneyjohnson.com/david-bray

My guest today is Rita McGrath, and she literally wrote the book on inflection points for businesses. These moments when the assumptions about your business change or become irrelevant are not always easy to spot, but, as Rita explains, they can make or break you. Rita gives some great insights into how organizations can plan for the future, as well as how they can avoid the pitfalls of short-sightedness. Join us as we discuss why big ideas sometimes fail; how to spot inflection points; and what may be around the corner for American businesses. Full show notes and transcript available at https://whitneyjohnson.com/rita-mcgrath

When we talk about disrupting yourself, I typically advise that you look before you leap. Make a planned exit, cushion the landing, prepare for the change. But that is not the route Ali Brown took. After two years at a small marketing firm, she knew she was undervalued. She had so much more to give! Opportunities to move up were limited, and to top it all off, there wasn’t even a women’s bathroom! When a freelance marketer casually mentioned to her that he thought she had the skills to be a freelance copywriter, Ali started asking questions. What’s a freelancer? And, more importantly, can I take you out for coffee to learn more? Join us as we discuss how Ali went from a simple email list to business consultant, how you can find your lane in life and the types of risk worth taking. Listen on the player below, or download the episode on iTunes. And please, let me know what you think of this episode. Can you relate to Ali? Have you found your lane? Complete show notes and links at https://whitneyjohnson.com/ali-

My guest today is Hal Gregersen, the executive director of the MIT Leadership Center and a senior lecturer in leadership and innovation at MIT Sloan School of Management. A Thinkers50 globally ranked management thinker, he has authored or coauthored ten books. His most recent book, “Questions Are the Answer,” examines the fact that while people are pre-programmed to look for answers, the real catalysts for innovative change are questions. Join us as we discuss Hal’s early careers in photography and politics; what makes a catalytic question; and the question that best motivates him to take action. Complete show notes and links can be found at https://whitneyjohnson.com/hal-gregersen

To say that Karen Beattie is comfortable with change is a bit of an understatement. Her childhood was nomadic, with her father’s job taking her family to such diverse places as Trinidad, the Caribbean, Libya, Nigeria, United Arab Emirates, and the Philippines. It was not unusual for her father to come home and say, “We’re moving to a different country.” And Karen loved it. It hasn’t been easy; Karen compares her professional life to a roller coaster. Through it all, Karen has found that being comfortable with change has given her opportunities she never would have dreamed of as a kid. “[W]hat I did was I made a choice. Yes, do I want this. It’s going to be hard. So I intentionally stepped into it.” Join us as we delve into Karen’s early career, her pursuit of flexibility and freedom, and how she took the leap for the right kind of risk. Complete Show Notes and Links - https://whitneyjohnson.com/karen-beattie

Stephen Nelson speaks the language of music. A primarily self-taught pianist, he has an amazing talent for composition, oftentimes performing on-the-spot “mash-ups” of famous songs for live audiences. His ability to effortlessly create melodies has led to multiple collaboration efforts, including producing the cinematic pop group GENTRI. Today’s podcast is unique for several reasons: first, Stephen composes a “mash-up” of two of my favorite melodies, and I am delighted at the result! Additionally (because we like to keep things exciting), you’ll get to hear Stephen collaborate with our very own producer, Macy Robison. Join us for an enthralling journey into the heartbeat of music and the world of collaboration.  Complete show notes and links available at https://whitneyjohnson.com/stephen-nelson

As the mother of two young children, all of Julie Berry’s focus was on keeping them safe, happy, and healthy, but despite loving them fiercely, Julie also felt intensely isolated. Walking around in maternity clothes with spit up and pieces of breakfast clinging to her, Julie couldn’t help but feel frustrated with her limited sphere of influence in the world. What had been the point of going to college? Was this really all she was made to do? Julie’s story is beautiful, and especially dear to me as Julie was a “late bloomer.” She may not have left college as a bestselling author, but her stories are made all the richer by the experiences that have led her to this point. Join us as we discuss her circuitous career path, the inspiration behind All the Truth That’s In Me, and how we should pursue the things that matter most to us. Complete Show Notes & Links: https://whitneyjohnson.com/julie-berry

It’s time for something a little different.  Instead of interviewing a guest today, I’m going to do a dive deep into one of the accelerants outlined in my seven-point framework for personal disruption that I discussed in Episode 80, as well as in my book, Disrupt Yourself. In Episode 100 I did a deep-dive on accelerant #1: taking the right kinds of risk. Today, we’re going to talk about accelerant #2: play to your distinctive strengths. Links and complete show notes (including an accompanying worksheet) available at https://whitneyjohnson.com/distinctive-strengths

When Adam Grant joined his high school diving team, his coach told him he had good news and bad news: Adam lack flexibility and grace, two of the three components needed to be a successful diver. The good news? His coach would be there to support him the entire way. He [said he] doesn't care how good I am. That whatever level of effort I put in, he's willing to put in that level of effort as a coach too. He actually said, "I will never cut a diver who wants to be here." And, I mean to me that is the epitome of what a coach is, right? To say, look, you know, I respond to your motivation, not what I think is your talent level.”  This event had a profound impact on Adam. His coach not only believed in him but was willing to match the effort that he would put into his own success. His influence was also felt as Adam reached out to help other divers—even those that would be in direct competition with him—because he knew that he could help. The willingness of his coach to be a “mini helper” continues to influence A

Don’t hold back. That is my biggest take-away from our guest today, Carol Kauffman, the founder and Executive Director of the Institute of Coaching at the Harvard Medical School. A veteran psychologist and Professional Certified Coach, Carol has participated in over 40,000 psychotherapy and coaching sessions, working with top leaders at some of the largest organizations in the world and is known for being “the coaches coach.” Her career in psychology began in helping trauma survivors, but over time she became renowned in her field for turning those same clients into peak performers. After twenty years, Carol had a “pivot point”—exposed to the world of coaching, she realized that she could use her same skill set to help people in an entirely new way. Join us as we discuss Carol’s circuitous (yet bold) career path, her goal with every new client, and the power of harnessing both the light and the dark in becoming a great leader. Complete show notes and links at https://whitneyjohnson.com/carol-kauffman

I always love speaking with individuals at the low end of the learning curve. So many emotions are on the surface, but by the time someone hits the sweet spot, they often don’t remember how hard it was to do the things that now come easily.   In an attempt to capture this movement along the learning curve, today’s podcast is in a new format: part one was recorded back in December, when my guest, Sarah Green Carmichael, had just left her position as Executive Editor at the Harvard Business Review. I’ve known Sarah for ten years, and this was a BIG jump. She was comfortable at her job and loved her colleagues, but she was clearly at the top of her curve. It was time to jump…but that didn’t make it an easy decision. Conquering her fear, Sarah accepted an offer to work as a Managing Editor of Ideas at Barron’s. In part two of the podcast, we catch up with Sarah several months later, after she’s had time to settle into her new role. We discuss the steep part of her learning curve, what happened in her first few mo

My guest on the podcast today is Antonio Neto-Rodriguez, a passionate expert on project management and the author of The Project Revolution: How to Succeed in a Project-Driven World. In a traditional work setting, managers think of projects as something outside the regular duties of employees. Some even consider them a distraction from the “real work” that needs to be done on a daily basis. However, the evidence is beginning to suggest that projects are the work of the future: with more and more routine tasks being completed by computers and other forms of automation, projects are quickly becoming where “real work” is done. Join us as we discuss how to recognize the benefits of projects before they’re done; what to do prior to your company kickoff event; and the time that Antonio bet his entire career on the importance of projects…and the result was not what he expected. Links and complete show notes: https://whitneyjohnson.com/antonio-nieto-rodriguez