Disrupt Yourself Podcast With Whitney Johnson

Being the host of a podcast, I’ve had my share of great conversations, but I’ve also had some that were…not. Whether the blame should be placed on myself, my guest, or both of us, can be left up to interpretation, but I find it interesting that something we do every day—converse with others—is also something that we receive very little, if any, formal training in how to do well. Lisa Kay Solomon wants to change all that. Lisa is the author of Moments of Impact: How to Design Strategic Conversations That Accelerate Change, and she is passionate about great conversation. In the business world, this passion translates into a careful examination of team meetings and huddles, and Lisa is not afraid to shy away from the awful truth: most meetings are terrible. Americans spend (or waste) 1.2 billion hours every year in meetings, an average of four hours per week per person, and yet most employees feel that the most important discussions occur after a meeting is over, when discovery oriented conversations take place.

As children, we are taught to say “please” and “thank you,” but oftentimes, as adults, these habits are not reinforced in the workplace. We are not asked to perform tasks, we are told, and we are paid for our efforts; in other words, we do something because it is our job. What more do we need?   According to Bob Nelson, we need a sincere “thank you.” Bob is the president of Nelson Motivation Inc, and is considered to be one of the world’s leading experts on employee motivation. He has written 30 books ranging from The Management Bible to 1,001 Ways to Engage Employees, and has dedicated his life to the idea that thanking employees makes for a better work environment.   Whether you’re praising performance on the latest project or celebrating an accomplished goal, saying a sincere, specific “thank you” can strengthen trust and relationships, and make your team more engaged in their work. Join us on the podcast today as we discuss what employee recognition is, how it can benefit your team, and what managers can

Before you can be an agent of disruption, you first become its subject by disrupting yourself. Keeping this in mind, today’s podcast is a bit different. If you’ve been a long-time listener, this will probably come as no surprise (disruption is what we do, after all)! In the past I have shared episodes where I take part in some one-on-one coaching, but today I am taking it a step further: I will be coaching you. All of you. I’m going to start at the top with giving you five reasons why you might want to disrupt yourself, and then we’ll talk about what disruption is—what the term truly means. Once we’ve established that common language, we’ll get to what you really want to hear: How do I get started? I know this may be a bit scary to some of you. You may not feel ready to “get started”, or take that next step, and you’re afraid that I’m going to dare you to take it anyway. But I suspect that one of the reasons you listen to this podcast is because you want to take things to the next level, and if so, then I am

My guest today is Shawn Askinosie, the founder and CEO of Askinosie Chocolate and author of the number one Amazon best selling book, Meaningful Work: The Quest to Do Great Business, Find Your Calling, and Feed Your Soul. For Shawn Askinosie, picking a favorite kind of chocolate is like asking someone to pick a favorite child. His company, Askinosie Chocolate, sells 17 different chocolate bars, but when asked to pick just one he is at a complete loss. “[I]t seems like the last place that I have been is my favorite…the people mean so much to me it’s hard to separate the people from the chocolate. And the hard work that they provide to make these beans what they are. So it’s hard. It’s hard for me.” Shawn most recently returned from Tanzania, where he personally met with the chocolate farmers that produce the cocoa beans used in his factory. This is unusual in the chocolate world—larger companies (or “Big Cocoa” as Shawn refers to them) buy almost exclusively through a broker, resulting in local farmers receivin

This year on the Disrupt Yourself Podcast we have had musicians, writers, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and even a mountain climber as guests on the show, but I must admit that today’s guest feels more disruptive than usual—Margaret Busse is a politician. Spoiler alert, we don’t talk national politics at all. Margaret is an MBA graduate from Harvard as well as a devoted mother of 5 young children, and back in 2012 I included an essay that Margaret wrote in my book Dare, Dream, Do. In the essay, Margaret talked about her early love of democracy and her desire to someday run for public office, as well as the fear that held her back from fulfilling that dream. “When the time is right,” she said, “I will dare to do it.” The time is right. And she really is daring to do it. Conquering her fear, Margaret is running for a seat in the Massachusetts state senate. Surprisingly, a lot of our discussion focuses on the “how-to’s” of setting up a political campaign, a process that at times surprises and challenges Margaret. Thankfu

My guest today is Beth Comstock, former vice-chair of GE, a member of the Board at Nike, and author of the new book Imagine It Forward, a candid and encouraging narrative in which she shares both business and life lessons. Despite having been a biology major in college, Beth realized early on that her passion led her to storytelling. Instead of becoming a doctor, as she originally planned, she turned instead to the world of television journalism. The call of the unknown led her to make many surprising leaps in her career, often with co-workers questioning her sanity, but Beth’s willingness to take a risk and play where no one else was playing allowed her to have a fascinating and varied path. Join us as we discuss taking risks, the importance of communication, the difference between mentors and champions, and how Beth Comstock intends to start new again in 2018. Listen on iTunes or using the player below, and be sure to check out Imagine It Forward, available for purchase today on Amazon or at your local book

David is the co-founder and Executive Chairman of Degreed, and coauthor of the new book The Expertise Economy: How the Smartest Companies use Learning to Engage, Compete, and Succeed. His company focuses on “Jailbreaking the Degree” by giving employees credit for their lifelong learning, including formal certification as well as a “transcript” for skills learned on the job. Additionally, Degreed gives them a platform to find the best resources for learning new concepts and skills across a variety of platforms. Becoming an entrepreneur was not an easy step for David, who admits that going from the perfect collegiate applicant to a member of a start-up is in many ways antithetical. The path was difficult, almost cinematic at parts, but David still feels the same passion for education—true, lifelong learning—that he did as a 17 year old boy.   Show notes and links from this episode: http://whitneyjohnson.com/

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

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

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

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 d

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

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 fi

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://w

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

Last year I held a special live coaching session with Stacy Olsen Distefano, and at the end of the episode I put out a call to my listeners to see if anyone else felt brave enough to take the leap. Michelle Seymour Smith answered the call, and today you will hear another live coaching session that digs down deep into what motivates Michelle, what holds her back, and what she can do to disrupt herself. Sometimes when we hear about people disrupting themselves we imagine huge, sweeping changes. In Michelle’s case, she’s not looking to change companies or move, or even change jobs. She simply wants to take deliberate steps to make her feel like she’s empowering herself at work. She loves the company she works for. Having joined the team in its early days as a startup, Michelle feels an immense sense of achievement to see how much it has grown, and looking back she can see what an important role she played in that growth. It quickly became apparent that Michelle is not looking for a completely new path—she alread

Today’s guest is Zach Obront, co-founder of Scribe (formerly Book in a Box), a company that helps entrepreneurs and innovators turn their ideas into a book. When Zach Obront was in college, he started a high school. A bit silly? Possibly, in retrospect. But Zach has never had an issue with out-of-the-box thinking. The next company he created, Handy Monkey, was a mold removal company he started when he realized that mold removal companies in Toronto did not understand the ins-and-outs of SEO and internet advertising. He and his partner wanted to prove to the skeptical owners of these companies that internet marketing would solve many of their problems, and the only way they could think to prove that was to create a company themselves and make it profitable. “[E]ventually what we decided was the only way we were gonna be able to kind of make that change in that industry, is just to do it end to end, and show them that the Internet works, and therefore, we can generate leads, and therefore, we can build a team,

We are pleased to welcome Nate and Vanessa Quigley, the husband and wife team behind Chatbooks, a revolutionary method of printing photo books that focuses on helping families quickly (and economically) tell their story. In the past four years, Chatbooks has grown from a small start-up to a company that employs over 140 people and has sold over 5,000,000 books worldwide. Chatbooks is not the Quigley’s first entrepreneurial venture; in fact, it’s not even the first photo-centric business that Nate has developed. Twenty years ago Nate pitched the idea to Vanessa that they should produce a scrapbooking supply catalog. Vanessa, an avid scrap booker, was enthusiastic about the idea, but the reality of starting a business was too cost prohibitive at the time. As with most business stories, timing is everything, and both Nate and Vanessa admit that this idea for Chatbooks came at the right place and time, but in order for it to work their entire lives had to be disrupted. Vanessa had never participated in any of Nat