Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 

This week, I’m sharing an inspiring LinkedIn Live conversation I had with Matt Higgins. 

If you don’t know Matt, he is the co-founder and CEO of the private investment firm, RSE Ventures. He has led the business of two NFL teams (Jets and Dolphins), been a guest shark on Shark Tank, spearheaded the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site as COO, and is now the author of a new book, Burn the Boats: Toss Plan B Overboard and Unleash Your Full Potential. 

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anybody who wants to boldly and courageously unlock the next level of their potential.

TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… anxiety, imposter syndrome, negative self-talk - these are just a few of the things that keep many people in their comfort zones, avoiding their dreams and aspirations. Matt has learned how to confront these things in his own life and vulnerably shares the lessons he’s learned so others can do the same. 

WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST… we often talk about failure in the past tense because we want to keep it safe. In this conversation and in his book, Matt unveils moments that were challenging or didn’t go as planned for him with honesty. 

Running Time: 30:46
 
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Burn the Boats to Unleash Your Full Potential with Matt Higgins

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 
 
With the summer Olympics underway, I thought it fitting to return to an inspiring conversation I shared with Olympic Medalist Bonnie St. John. 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: 31:27
 
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What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova

RELOAD: The Cyborg Olympics and Becoming a Better Leader with Bonnie St. John

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 

In this What's Next Live, I welcome my very first Pulitzer Prize winner to the show. Charles Duhigg is a reporter and the author of The Power of Habit, which spent over three years on the New York Times bestseller list. His second book, Smarter Faster Better, was also a bestseller. He published his latest book, Supercommunicators, earlier this year, and it is (not surprisingly) also a bestseller. 

Charles led the team that won the Pulitzer Prize in Exploratory Journalism in 2013 for the AI economy, a series that examined the global economy through the lens of Apple. He also received the George Polk Award, the Great Loeb Award, the Investigative Reporter and Editors Medal, the Scripps Howard National Journalism Award, the Robert F Kennedy Journalism Award, and many others. 

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anybody who wants to improve their communication skills and learn how to connect with anybody - from colleagues to complete strangers. 
 
TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE: We all want to walk away from conversations feeling understood, valued, and connected, but that’s not always the case. Charles Duhigg explores the ingredients of this kind of conversation and shares how to become a supercommunicator. The good news is that anybody can form these habits and bring this level of communication to any area of their life.

Key takeaways:
- There are three buckets that all conversations fall into (practical, emotional, and social). A strong communicator will recognize and match whatever conversation they’re in 
- The ultimate goal of any conversation is to understand each other
- You can prove that you’re listening by asking a deep question, repeating back what you heard in your own words, and asking if you got it right

WHAT I LOVE MOST… the story Charles shares about Felix, an FBI crisis negotiator who can connect with and disarm seemingly anybody simply by having a conversation. This story shows that being a thoughtful communicator really is a superpower. 
 
Running Time: 30:46
 
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How to Become a Supercommunicator with Charles Duhigg

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 

I’m eager to welcome Leslie Zane to the show this week. She is the founder of Triggers, a CMO advisory firm rooted in behavioral science, where she champions the primacy of the instinctive mind in brand decisions. In her new book, The Power of Instinct, she shows how traditional persuasion tactics fall short to grow a brand, business, or even a social movement, and she shows what techniques work instead. 

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… leaders and marketers who want to build stronger, more memorable brands.
 
TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… do you ever wonder why some brands stick in your mind while others fade away? In this episode, Tiffani Bova chats with Leslie Zane to uncover how our instincts drive our decisions. We dive into the fascinating world of instinctive marketing and learn how tapping into the unconscious mind can transform brand loyalty.


Key takeaways:
Brands are built on accumulated memories and associations in the subconscious mind yet traditional marketing focuses on controlling the conscious mind
Direct persuasion often fails. Influencing the instinctive brain is a far faster path to change
Superior products don’t always win in the marketplace but the brands that create perceived superiority 


WHAT I LOVE MOST… the difference between competitive advantage and instinctive advantage. Leslie says when a brand creates more positive associations than their competition, that's the moment a customer will make a switch. 
 
Running Time: 26:24
 
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The Power of Instinct with Leslie Zane

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 

This week I have the wonderful pleasure of welcoming Elliott Parker to the show today. He is the founder and CEO of High Alpha Innovation, a venture builder that partners with corporations, universities, and entrepreneurs to co-create startups that solve compelling problems. He built his career in strategy consulting at Innosight, the firm founded by Clayton Christensen, in corporate venturing, and as an entrepreneur bringing new ideas to market. To date, he has launched over 40 venture-backed startups, and he has a new book called The Illusion of Innovation which came out earlier in 2024.

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… business leaders and executives looking to understand the challenges of true innovation.
 
TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… in this thought-provoking episode, Tiffani sits down with innovation expert Elliott to discuss why innovation might be more illusion than reality in today’s organizations. Elliott argues that many innovative efforts are a charade and he challenges leaders to re-think their goals. 

Key takeaways:
We're really good at running large organizations, but the optimization for safety and predictability comes at the cost of innovation
In nature, innovation happens chaotically and without control, something we should emulate in organizations
We need more experiments that are fast, cheap, and maybe even a little weird

WHAT I LOVE MOST… what Elliott says we can learn from Steph Curry about running big companies, “Our companies need to be taking shots close to the net, but also making sure we're doing it beyond the three-point line, where the magnitude of correctness matters a lot.” 

Running Time: 26:22
 
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The Illusion of Innovation with Elliott Parker

This week, I welcome Kim Scott back for the third time on the podcast. She is the author of a new book called Radical Respect: How to Work Together Better, and of course, Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity. She is the co-founder of the company Radical Candor. Kim was a CEO coach at Dropbox, Qualtrics, Twitter, and other tech companies. She was a member of the faculty at Apple University. Before that, she led AdSense, YouTube, and DoubleClick teams at Google. 

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone struggling with giving or receiving feedback in a professional setting.


TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… respect is critical in the workplace, especially when there are many differing opinions and styles. But how do you practically go about fostering a culture of respect? It’s not by keeping your opinions to yourself. In fact, Kim says sharing feedback and making space for disagreement is a sign of respect for one another.


Key takeaways:
Respect begins with unconditional regard for humanity and it shouldn’t need to be earned
We can disagree and do it in a respectful way
Kim’s three steps to approach a boss to share criticism are: solicit feedback, focus on the good, ask if it’s a good time to share your thoughts 
WHAT I LOVE MOST… Kim says you can’t address all of the unconscious biases in the world, but you can (and should) address the ones that will get in the way of your team working together. 
 
Running Time: 36:55
 
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Bringing Radical Respect to Your Team with Kim Scott

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 

This week I’m bringing back an insightful 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 but 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 examine our communication and emotional styles, we’re still limited by our perspective, 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: 34:58
 
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RELOAD: Making Your Emotions Work for You with Justin Bariso

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 

This week, I’m welcoming two incredible guests to the show who are co-founders of the Convincing Company, a crisis communication and training firm. They have recently co-authored the book Convince Me. 

Adele Gambardella owned an award-winning PR agency in DC for 15 years. She has served as a PR strategist, corporate counsel, and crisis management for clients including the United Nations, Facebook, Johnson and Johnson, and our current president, Joe Biden. 

Chip Massey is a former FBI hostage negotiator and special agent. In his 22-year career in the Bureau, he has led high-profile cases, spearheaded the New York FBI Office Crisis Negotiations team, and won the prestigious FBI Director's Award. At the Convincing Company, he guides executives and their teams in how to apply the bureau's negotiation techniques to business situations. 

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone looking to sharpen their persuasion skills.
 
TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… being experienced is one thing. Being able to convince others is an entirely other thing. In this episode, Adele and Chip dive into proven strategies for convincing others effectively and respectfully. Whether you're in sales, leadership, or any other field, these tips are invaluable.

Key takeaways:
- Adele introduces the idea of a convincing continuum that unfreezes cognitive biases.
- Be mindful of how people want to be convinced. Some may be fact-based while others may be emotions-based.
- When you get closer to understanding somebody’s unstated narrative, you have a better shot at persuading them to accept a belief.

WHAT I LOVE MOST… I love how different Adele and Chip’s backgrounds are and how that contributes to this episode's unique insights and strategies. 
 
Running Time: 31:29
 
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The Art of Convincing with Adele Gambardella and Chip Massey

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 

This week, I’m eager to welcome Dr. Thom Mayer to the podcast. He is the Medical Director for the NFL Players Association and was recently nominated to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Dr. Mayer was the originator of the entire NFL Concussion Guidelines program and thus has changed the nature of concussion diagnosis and management worldwide. He served as the Command Physician at the Pentagon Rescue Operation 9/11, Incident Commander for the inhalational anthrax outbreak in Washington, DC, that same year, and led a Team Rubicon Mobile Emergency Team in Ukraine following the outbreak of war.

But if that isn’t enough, he's written 25 books, including his most recent, Leadership Is Worthless...But Leading Is Priceless.

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone looking to sharpen their leadership skills. 

TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE… leading through a crisis requires more than just quick decision-making but resilience, adaptability, and a team-first mentality. Dr. Mayer draws on his experience to explore how leaders can navigate uncharted territory while inspiring growth and innovation. 

Key takeaways: 
- It’s better to build relationships than to build a resume.
- Burnout occurs when you become disconnected from your deep joy.
- There’s no such thing as a “future” leader. We’re all leading in some way. 
- Everybody will fail, but those who learn to make their failures their fuel will grow from setbacks. 

WHAT I LOVE MOST… Dr. Mayer says the three common qualities of standout leaders are: thinking about leading as a verb, acting on it within a week, and innovating not at the speed of genius or creativity but at the speed of trust. 

Running Time: 24:05
 
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Leadership Lessons with Dr. Thom Mayer

Welcome to the What’s Next! Podcast. I’ve met so many brilliant people as I traveled the globe and have had some fascinating conversations that I’ve wished had been recorded so I could share them with you - this podcast was a way for me to recreate those moments and let you in on some fantastic insights. My current conversations center around one objective: what's next for companies and individuals as they look to innovate and grow. I hope these conversations inspire you as much as they have inspired me. Whether I am preparing for a keynote speech or writing for publications such as Harvard Business Review and Huffington Post, these are my go-to people. My goal with the What’s Next! podcast is to keep you thinking and to challenge you to think about What’s Next!

Burn the Boats to Unleash Your Full Potential with Matt Higgins

What's Next! with Tiffani Bova

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