97% Effective

Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

Feeling burned out creating content to build your visibility and brand? Seeking to become known in a noisy world, but see it as an uphill climb? In this episode of 97% Effective, host Michael Wenderoth speaks with Tiago Faria about the power of being a podcast guest. Tiago is a podcast guesting consultant who spent 15 years at Google and in marketing and branding. We talk about the benefits of being a podcast guest, and how to use guesting to effectively and efficiently market yourself. Tiago shares how to get booked on top shows without feeling salesy, ways to build strong connections with your host and listeners – and tips to amplify yourself well beyond the interview. By the end of this episode, you’ll realize how hard your currently working – and rethink your current marketing strategy and methods.

 SHOW NOTES:

• Appearing on 67 shows in 4 months: The podcast “guesting experiment” that transformed Tiago’s perspective
• How not to be boring
• What's the value of an hour of your time? Produce less content and get more exposure
• The power of repurposing each interview – and the social proof of being seen as an expert
• 90% of podcasts don’t survive more than 9 episodes, so aren’t podcasts a dead medium?
• Who should NOT be a podcast guest?
• The top mistake people have about podcast guesting
• Stop teaching – and start connecting
• Tiago’s 3 keys to being a great guest: Prepping, Booking and Amplifying
• Keys to Prepping: Invert your perspective and asks what makes you unique and different
• The value of a “Media One” sheet
• Keys to Booking: Make your podcast host’s life easier + Follow-up is key
• “Create a connection” - How to pitch yourself without feeling sleazy and salesy
• Keys to Amplifying: Think shelf-life, short pieces that create social proof, and your relationship with the host
• How to speak: Use the emotional language of your client
• Effective “Calls to Action”
• Considering hiring a podcast guesting service? Top questions to ask to assess their expertise.

BIO AND LINKS:

 Tiago Faria helps experts establish their brand and message – and do the most fun and powerful marketing they’ll ever do – through being podcast guests. Prior to starting his own business as a podcast guesting consultant, he spent 15 years in the world of marketing and digital business, 8 of which he served as a Google Ads specialist for some of the biggest companies in Europe and the Middle East out of Google’s EU headquarters in Dublin. Tiago is no stranger to “learning by doing” sprints: in 2021 he completed a 120 day challenge on YouTube (creating 120 videos in 120 days after interviewing 60 entrepreneurs on his podcast), and then being featured on 67 podcasts in 4 months, including several of the world’s top 2% podcasts.

• Tiago on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiagofaria/
• His podcast (in Portuguese): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLf98CU0qP9VjCTH51euaQWQQ1F6p5mBb
• Ep#105 with John Gates, the Salary Coach – Act Your Wage: How to Master Salary Negotiations: https://tinyurl.com/2s4t5pxf
• Tiago’s tip sheet and e-mail template: How to pitch yourself as a guest, without feeling sleazy or salesly [Reach out to him on Linkedin]
• Tiago’s differentiation worksheet: [Reach out to him on Linkedin]
• Michael’s award-winning book, Get Promoted: What Your Really Missing at Work That’s Holding You Back https://tinyurl.com/453txk74

Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

It would be great if our strong grades and work history spoke for itself and got us in to highly selective organizations. Unfortunately, admission is 25% subjective and not a reward for past achievement, says Candace Gonzales Tumey, Senior MBA Admission Prep Coach and Team Lead at MLT (Management Leadership for Tomorrow). In this episode of 97% Effective, Coach Candace shares 3 secrets to getting into elite business schools, drawing from her work with top talent at MLT and more than a decade in admissions at the University of California at Berkeley. Candace and host Michael Wenderoth discuss how to talk about your accomplishments without bragging, where most people fail in their networking, and overcoming the #1 challenge for candidates from underrepresented groups. You’ll leave this episode with practical, underappreciated strategies to navigate any highly competitive selection process.

SHOW NOTES:

• Rural Virginia, her grandmother and Maria: Why Candace does what she does
• Candace’s Hard Truth #1: Admissions is 25% Subjective
• “Luck favors the prepared”
• Candace’s Hard Truth #2: Admission is not a reward for what you’ve done
• What does success look like for you?
• MLT’s mission – and why highly qualified talent from underrepresented groups benefit from their support
• Underappreciated Secret #1 to getting in: Your application is a conversation
• How to understand what a school seeks
• You’re still the same person, but shine a spotlight on the aspect that best fits the school
• Talking about yourself without feeling icky: Speak to inform but not to impress
• Underappreciated Secret #2 to getting in: Network with the Institution to better understand
• “Apply with the door open, not with the door closed”
• Underappreciated Secret #3 to getting in: Consistency over Intensity
• “You can’t be what you can’t see”: Talk to people who have been through the process!
• Are the 3 secrets universally applicable to anyone, not just underrepresented groups?
• The two sides of imposter syndrome
• The #1 thing you can do if you feel imposter syndrome
• Candace shares the limits of her own knowledge
• Breaking rules and your appetite for risk
• How AI can help us get in to highly competitive environments – and where to be careful with it

BIO AND LINKS:

Candace Gonzales Tumey is Senior Coach and Team Lead at Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT). Prior to MLT, she served 14 years in undergraduate and graduate admissions, including at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley as an Associate Director of Admissions. At MLT, she has coached over 200 applicants, 40% of whom are currently at or graduated from the top 3 business schools in the USA. Candace holds a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Southen California (USC).

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candace-gonzales-tumey-7b9624120/
• MLT: https://mlt.org
• Sasha Kelemen, University of Virgina Darden & MLT alum: https://tinyurl.com/y9r97xuw
• David Harris, Stanford Business School & MLT alum: https://tinyurl.com/5de67m32
• Start with Why (Sinek): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA
• Think Fast, Talk Smart podcast on Communication (Matt Abrahams): https://www.fastersmarter.io
• Zoom Like a Voice Actor, with Claire Fry: https://www.vocalconfidencetraining.com
• John Rice (MLT Founder) speaks to trends in top business schools admissions (Bloomberg): https://tinyurl.com/7asx9p58
• HBR Article “Stop Tellling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome”: https://tinyurl.com/ykzt838m
• Michael’s book, Get Promoted: What Your Really Missing at Work That’s Holding You Back https://tinyurl.com/453txk74

Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

In this episode of 97% Effective, host Michael Wenderoth continues his conversation with Alvaro Fernandez, CEO of SharpBrains. They dive deeper into the specific actions that transformed SharpBrains from a blog into the “go to” platform on Brainfitness – creating a profitable business that has enabled Alvaro to stay at the forefront of a field he is deeply passionate about. They discuss the power of physical proximity in building relationships, harnessing industry controversy to gain media attention, and becoming a hub to detect signals and latent needs. You’ll gain insights into sharp ways to amplify your influence – and smile listening to Alvaro’s personal encounters with the late greats Larry King, the CNN legend, and Dr. Marian Diamond, the brain science pioneer.

SHOW NOTES:

• Getting started: How Alvaro first connected, as an outsider, with leaders in neuroscience
• “At the very beginning, nothing really replaces physical proximity”
• The power of visibility: How to be featured in the popular press and get invited to the World Economic Forum
• The importance of having a good online presence so people can find you
• Navigating hiccups: What SharpBrains stopped doing when people started trusting them less
• “Controversies are not bad”: How 3 media uproars brought SharpBrains massive media attention
• The power of “connecting the dots” for journalists
• “You are Dr. Fernandez for the day!”: When Alvaro was interviewed by the Larry King on CNN
• How being the hub of the network brings people and opportunities to to you
• When Dr. Marian Diamond reached out: joy, a keynote, and lifelong respect
• How conferences can be powerful mechanisms that provide interesting signals
• Why you need to quiet your mind and listen
• Get bored easily? The importance of creating a business that is consistent with your values and priorities - but demands that you grow and adapt
• Navigating tradeoffs
• Big Idea #1: The top way to start developing your neuroplasticity (from a lunch chat with the late Dr. Marian Diamond)
• Big Idea #2: What companies most want to address employee mental health – but what SharpBrains believes they most need (feel free to copy and spread their idea!)
• Got an idea about how to harness the human brain? How to reach Alvaro.

BIO AND LINKS:

Álvaro Fernández Ibáñez is CEO of SharpBrains, the leading brain fitness and neuroscience think tank and advisory. Named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, Alvaro has been quoted by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, BBC, AP, CNN, and more. He co-authored the book The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness: How to Optimize Brain Health and Performance at Any Age, and is the Editor-In-Chief for seminal market reports on neurotechnology and digital brain health. Alvaro enjoys serving in the World Economic Forum’s Council on the Future of Human Enhancement, and in the Global Teacher Prize Academy run by the Varkey Foundation. He holds an MBA and MA in Education from Stanford University and a BA in Economics from Universidad de Deusto, in his native Spain.

• The previous episode on 97% Effective:
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvarofernandez/
• SharpBrains Advisors: https://sharpbrains.com
• His book, SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness: https://a.co/d/gRrA0qC
• Public speaking: Alvaro featured on CNN’s Larry King Live and other recent talks: https://sharpbrains.com/about-us/speaking/
• Becoming the hub of the network: HBR article “Find networking stressful? Try becoming a connector instead” https://changwenderoth.com/articles/
• Understanding the brain, with the #2 most popular college professor in the world: Dr. Marian Diamond, “My Love Affair with the Brain”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIB1v0pLhNM

Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

How do you get out of the rat race and live your ideal life? How can you set up a business that aligns with your passions, and provides financial independence? Alvaro Fernandez did just that – turning a blog into SharpBrains, the leading think tank and advisory in brain fitness. In this episode of 97% Effective, host Michael Wenderoth picks Alvaro’s “sharp brain” to understand the mindset and strategies that transformed SharpBrains into the “go to” – and amplified Alvaro’s influence and impact. What resources are waiting for you to create? What powerful community can you activate to propel you and your ideas?

SHOW NOTES:

• Economics and seeing the brain as an asset
• A brief history of SharpBrains: from blog in 2005 to leading advisory in 2025
• “Becoming a platform to add value and fill a needed gap”: The secret sauce that underpins SharpBrains and has powered their success
• What brings credibility and trust?
• SharpBrains is NOT a non-profit – and did not raise outside capital! How Alvaro created value, but captured value – and made money.
• Find latent needs + protype and don’t overthink + quickly test: How SharpBrains assessed new business ideas
• Alvaro’s hard truth: the ability to say no to things you want to do, but may ultimately destroy your core
• The power of creating content: How Alvaro would cut through the noise today
• Two key conditions that causes a community to appear – and power you
• How to prevent people from “stealing” your idea: Ideas vs. Execution and knowing your business model

BIO AND LINKS:

Álvaro Fernández Ibáñez is CEO of SharpBrains, the leading brain fitness and neuroscience think tank and advisory. Named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, Alvaro has been quoted by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, BBC, AP, CNN, and more. He co-authored the book The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness: How to Optimize Brain Health and Performance at Any Age, and is the Editor-In-Chief for seminal market reports on neurotechnology and digital brain health. Alvaro enjoys serving in the World Economic Forum’s Council on the Future of Human Enhancement, and in the Global Teacher Prize Academy run by the Varkey Foundation. He holds an MBA and MA in Education from Stanford University and a BA in Economics from Universidad de Deusto, in his native Spain.

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvarofernandez/
• SharpBrains Advisors: https://sharpbrains.com
• His book, SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness: https://a.co/d/gRrA0qC
• Public speaking: Alvaro featured on CNN’s Larry King Live and other recent talks: https://sharpbrains.com/about-us/speaking/
• Pervasive Neurotechnology market report: https://sharpbrains.com/pervasive-neurotechnology/
• Michael’s book, Get Promoted: https://tinyurl.com/453txk74

Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

How do you lead with confidence in uncertain times, and get the outcomes you seek? In this episode of 97% Effective, host Michael Wenderoth speaks with leadership expert Kevin Eikenberry about his new book, Flexible Leadership (available March 2025). They examine where most leadership training has failed – and where Kevin’s latest work fills a critical gap. In a pointed conversation packed with tips and examples, they discuss the power of the “both/and” mindset and why context is so critical. Michael also has Kevin apply the book’s framework to improve Kevin’s own leadership in 2025. You’ll leave this episode with fresh thinking and a more robust toolkit to power your organization, yourself, and others.

SHOW NOTES:

• Why Kevin wrote Flexible Leadership
• The “Both/and Thinking” mindset – and a simple way you can start to develop it
• The danger of relying on one style and the unintended consequences of applying best practices
• The importance of context
• Unpacking the paradox: Everything seems to be changing, yet the most important things aren’t changing at all
• “Well, I’m an engineer” and other self-limiting labels that can hold us back
• Michael puts Kevin on the hot seat: How Kevin would use his book to develop his own leadership in 2025
• Step #1: How Kevin would get data about where he needs to improve in 2025
• Practical tip (Ensuring Intention and Action): How to make sure Kevin follows through on improving – and isn’t just talking about it
• Step #2: How Kevin would assess the context – is it clear, complex, complicated, or chaotic?
• Practical examples: How Kevin’s leadership and his team responded to the context of generative AI
• Step #3: How Kevin creates the habitset
• Practical tip and example: Find the trigger -> replace the trigger -> add a reinforcement mechanism
• What Kevin is reading
• How to get a special gift from Kevin for 97% Effective listeners

BIO AND LINKS:

Kevin Eikenberry is the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group – a leadership and learning company based in Indianapolis, Indiana, with a team across the United States. He has spent over 30 years helping organizations and leaders from more than 53 countries become more effective. Global Gurus has listed him on the list of most influential thinkers on leadership for the last three years, and his blog and podcast are among the most popular on leadership. The author of several bestselling leadership books, Kevin believes his latest book Flexible Leadership: Navigate Uncertainty and Lead with Confidence, is his best and most important work yet.

• Gift from Kevin (mention you heard the episode on 97% Effective): Get for FREE Kevin’s Confidence Masterclass ($79 value): https://kevineikenberry.com/flexible-leadership-podcasts/
• Kevin’s new book, Flexible Leadership: https://kevineikenberry.com/flexible-leadership/
• Kevin on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevineikenberry/
• “The C.E.O’s Are Tripping” (Article in NY Times – paywall): https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/12/business/psychedelic-retreats-ceos.html
• Kevin interviews Michael on the Remarkable Leadership podcast: https://remarkablepodcast.com/get-promoted-with-michael-wenderoth/
• Who is Ani DiFranco? https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ani_DiFranco
• The Cynefin framework (HBR article “A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making”) https://hbr.org/2007/11/a-leaders-framework-for-decision-making
• Atomic Habits: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
• Michael’s book, Get Promoted: What Your Really Missing at Work That’s Holding You Back https://tinyurl.com/453txk74

Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

What does today’s guest have in common with a Japanese manga hero and a world wide wrestler – besides sharing the same name? In this episode of 97% Effective, host Michael Wenderoth talks with Kane Nakamura, the lifelong learner, about overcoming career obstacles and setbacks. They discuss how Kane convinced Softbank to send him to the USA; how he landed a dream job at Udemy; and why he was unfazed about getting laid off. Kane shares the power of voicing what you want, when and how to break rules – and the benefits of being a community builder, connector and selfless blogger. Kane will get you thinking about what is really holding you back – and the courage and steps you need to take to forge ahead, and become the protagonist of your own story.

SHOW NOTES:

• How 28 moves in 20 cities in 4 countries shaped Kane’s identity
• Kane’s Obstacle/Setback #1: Getting a position in the US when he worked at Softbank
• Powered by purpose, how Kane broke the rules and protocol
• Don’t assume people know what you want – and when to voice what you want
• Kane’s Obstacle/Setback #2: Staying in the US
• The single question that helped Kane get out of his comfort zone to build a network in Silicon Valley
• Finding his dream job = Luck + People Connection + Timing
• How Kane became a connector
• How blogging about his learning in executive education fueled him – and benefited him
• Kane’s Obstacle/Setback #3: Getting laid off
• Japanese vs US reactions to Kane getting laid off
• The benefits from posting on social media
• Does Kane’s generosity get taken advantage of it?
• Kane’s advice to those who feel that “putting yourself out there” is too risky
• “Let the world discover you”: vulnerability and the power of voicing
• On the difference between talking, envisioning and scheduling
• What Kane wants you, and especially his Japanese listeners, to know about risk and failure
• What happens when you Google “Kane Nakamura”

BIO AND LINKS:

Kane Nakamura is a Builder of a “Culture of Learning” whose personal and career journey embodies the transformative power of proactive decisions. Hailing from Japan and the USA, Kane spent his career in business development at Cable & Wireless, Softbank, and Udemy. He holds a BA in International and Comparative Law from Rikkyo University, a MBA from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, and is completing his Doctor in Education at the University of Pennsylvania. A lifelonger learner, Kane credits Stanford’s executive education LEAD program for fueling his continued transformation and personal growth. He shares his insights on the LinkedIn newsletter “Why I Keep Learning.”

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kane2008/
• Kane’s newsletter, “Why I keep learning (僕が学び続ける理由)”(most posts are in English): https://tinyurl.com/mr2z74tv
• Kane’s announcement that he got laid off: https://tinyurl.com/27a2z8fx
• Kane featured by Stanford’s LEAD program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V-4rpcCOI4
• Harvard Business Review article: “Do You Find Networking Stressful? Try Being a Connector Instead”: https://tinyurl.com/ypf4wady
• Michael’s book, Get Promoted: What Your Really Missing at Work That’s Holding You Back https://tinyurl.com/453txk74

Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

Often the most important transformation to your business is transforming yourself. In this episode of 97% Effective, host Michael Wenderoth speaks with Julia Grace Samoylenko, founder and CEO of Asteri AI. They speak bluntly about how Julia navigated her transition from big corporate to founding Asteri, an AI startup in Silicon Valley focused on upskilling the workforce. They discuss finding the right environment, putting yourself first, paying attention to emotions – and how to ensure that perseverance and determination work for you, and don't undercut you.

SHOW NOTES:

• Julia’s one hard truth about entrepreneurship
• The price of perseverance and determination
• 3 keys to “Picking the right environment” that gets you real feedback and brings you energy
• How rational people can benefit from paying attention to emotions – and treating that as a skill to be developed
• What do others want to see from their leaders?
• Putting yourself first
• Avoiding burnout: looking at your schedule and your built environment
• Getting the right people in your orbit: How Julia met Kelley
• How to identify and communicate when speaking to investors
• How Julia’s “intrapreneurship” most served her as a start-up founder
• Julia’s 5 points on becoming an entrepreneur

BIO AND LINKS:

Julia Grace Samoylenko is founder and CEO of Asteri AI, a startup unlocking workforce potential with AI-driven, industry-specific “skills inference” at scale. Julia’s career has spanned the globe in supply chain, IT, finance, channel management, commercial, and marketing, enabling her to build and deploy innovative IT solutions worldwide. Prior to Asteri, Julia spent 15 years leading transformation for Fortune 500 companies, including Director of Commercial Transformation at Medtronic, where she spearheaded a 100-member global team, secured over $10 million in funding, and was instrumental in setting up an IT hub in Shanghai that drove $50 million in inventory cost reductions. Medtronic recognized her contributions with 7 company-wide awards, including the coveted CIO awards and the Star of Excellence. Julia has lived in Europe, Asia, and the US, and now calls the Silicon Valley her home. 

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-samoylenko/
• Asteri AI: https://www.asteri.ai
• Asteri and Julia in the news: https://www.asteri.ai/company
• Kelley Steven-Waiss, Chief Transformation Officer at ServiceNow https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelleystevenwaiss/
• Michael’s book, Get Promoted: What Your Really Missing at Work That’s Holding You Back https://tinyurl.com/453txk74

Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

Luck. It’s the ingredient that no one wants to admit is a big part of our success. But what if luck wasn’t about chance? What if was more about a choice – choices we could consciously take to generate better outcomes in our work and personal lives? In this episode of 97% Effective, host Michael Wenderoth speaks with Jonathan Brill, who Forbes dubbed the #1 business futurist. Their conversation will make you rethink what it means to be lucky – and provide practical steps to generate more of it in your work, and life. Why sit and watch your future happen, when you can take a hand in architecting it?

SHOW NOTES:

• The curious way that Jonathan and Michael first met.
• How to make the probability of the impossible happening go through the roof: “Shift the dynamics, you shift what is possible.”
• How networking events differ from “Serendipity Salons.”
• The key to creating a room of friends.
• The surprising response Jonathan received from Professor Adam Grant.
• When framing a question or request, remember that people want to help – but they want to maximize the leverage of their time and effort!
• How to attend one of Jonathan’s Serendipity Salons.
• Top tips to building relationships, if you can’t attend a salon.
• Keys to navigating organizational politics: How a CEO survives while the 10 people who actually did the work did not?
• The critical high-value help you can provide to others at work.
• Fun? Treating organizational politics like a game.
• 3 things that senior leaders can do to encourage people to help each other, make unexpected connections, and manage chaos.
• Focus NOT on what’s there -- but on what’s missing – to best identify opportunity.
• LUCK = Leverage help, Unexpected connections, Control the chaos, Know what’s missing.
• Why HP made Jonathan study at Stanford.
• “The best industrial designers don’t just put shape to an object, they find a new way to solve a problem.”
• Artists and systemic intuition.
• The mindset you need to manage the top conundrums that sink businesses in disruptive times.
• It’s all obvious – except it’s not

BIO AND LINKS:

Named the #1 Futurist by Forbes, and “the world’s leading transformation architect,” by Harvard Business Review, Jonathan Brill is a Business Futurist, AI Keynote Speaker, Executive Chairman at the Center for Radical Change, and Author of the bestseller, Rogue Waves. His visionary, yet pragmatic approach to the future is based on years as the Global Futurist at HP where he directed long-term strategy and planning. He is the Senior Fellow at HBR’s China New Growth Institute and Board Advisor at Frost & Sullivan, one of the world’s largest market intelligence firms. Jonathan’s innovation consultancies have developed over 350 products and generated over $27B USD for clients like Samsung, Microsoft, Verizon, PepsiCo and the US government. A frequent thought leader, speaker and contributor to HBR, TED, Global Peter Drucker Forum, Singularity, and Forbes, Jonathan holds a degree in industrial design from Pratt Institute, and spent years as a research consultant to the MIT Media Lab.

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanbrill1/
• Website: https://jonathanbrill.com
• Jonathan’s bestseller, Rogue Waves: https://jonathanbrill.com/rogue-waves
• Our mutual friend, the amazing Dorie Clark: https://dorieclark.com
• Professor Don Moore at Cal Berkeley, interview on “Decision Leadership”: https://tinyurl.com/n6cvb2x8
• Keshav Pitani, VP of R&D at Light & Wonder, interview on overcoming your aversion to office politics: https://tinyurl.com/yhbkcyv2
• Emily Chang interviews Brian Chesky: https://tinyurl.com/nhkv5muh
• Steve Caney, inventor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevencaney/
• Factfulness by Hans Rosling https://a.co/d/66xuLfM
• How the World Really Works by Vaclav Schmil https://a.co/d/bx34N09
• Michael’s award-winning book, Get Promoted: What Your Really Missing at Work That’s Holding You Back https://tinyurl.com/453txk74

Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

This episode contains profanity.

SHOW NOTES:

How do you go from a challenging childhood in Europe to rise within a notoriously tough industry – and then building one the hottest global startups in your sector? In this episode of 97% Effective, host Michael Wenderoth speaks with Dr. Sarah Buchner, CEO at Trunk Tools, about the mindset and strategic moves that has put her in the driver’s seat of her career. They discuss how she broke in and stood out in the male-dominated construction industry -- and the ways she harnesses data to increase the odds of success. Dr. Buchner loves the chip on her shoulder and hates labels – and by the end of this episode you will see the power in that too.

• The two German phrases that embody Sarah’s ethos
• What are the next few steps that seem just out of the realm of the possible?
• About Trunk Tools
• The chip on Sarah’s shoulder: how being told “you can’t do that” has powered her
• Turning disadvantage into advantage
• Why she hates labels
• Seeing vs Looking: where do you want to focus your view?
• Sarah’s boldness and how being direct and concise was needed to survive as a child – and stills serves her
• Managing corporate politics vs raising capital – when to dial up, when to dial down
• Managing backlash and not being invited
• How Sarah found the right mentors, got them on her side and was clear about her goals – and how those mentors could help her
• “My goal is not to play nice” -- To be or not to be: warmth vs competence
• “I don’t care about being liked, I care about people trusting me.”
• Study the path others have taken – then map what you need to do to get from A to B
• Sarah’s most challenging transition when she became CEO
• Forming a Board of Advisors: Would you ask your medical doctor how to fund raise?
• Most people lack strategy!
• The importance of pattern of recognition and looking at the data: When Sarah sat down and studied the CVs of top management and their path to the top
• Why Sarah has become more careful with the words she uses as CEO
• Building a culture of feedback
• Look for the “distance people have travelled” when hiring for grit
• Sarah on keys to building resilience
• “It’s not about the hours” – think in terms of psychological work life balance
• Why everyone should have a therapist, and how Sarah has used one since she was 18
• Create a work pre-nup!
• Sarah’s two keys for success

BIO AND LINKS:

Dr. Sarah Buchner is the Founder & CEO of Trunk Tools, the AI platform for construction. Trunk Tools is building the brain behind the $13 trillion construction industry by leveraging AI to organize mountains of unstructured data, generate insights, and automate workflows. With deep roots in all facets of construction, Dr. Buchner spent her young life as a carpenter in her native Austria beginning at the age of 12. She advanced in the field through various roles, including superintendent and project manager, on increasingly large and complex construction projects. Her desire to create greater impact in the construction industry led her to attend Stanford's Graduate School of Business, kickstarting her career as an entrepreneur. In addition to her Stanford MBA, Dr. Buchner holds a MS in architectural engineering and a Ph.D. in data science / civil engineering. Dr. Buchner is a Forbes 30 Under 30 and ENR Top Young Professionals honoree. She, and Trunk Tools, are based in New York City, USA.

• Trunk Tools: https://trunktools.com
• Sarah on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-buchner/
• Sarah on Forbes 30 Under 30: https://tinyurl.com/3crx5d2x
• Trunk Tools in the News: https://trunktools.com/resources/category/news/
• Real and Practical Applications of AI in Construction with CEO of Trunk Tools: https://tinyurl.com/yc456tsz
• Michael’s book, Get Promoted: https://tinyurl.com/453txk74

Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

SHOW NOTES:

Most people don’t negotiate their salary offers due to fear, reluctance – or quite simply not knowing what to say. By not negotiating, you are likely forgoing a 10-20% salary increase – and more than $1 million in lifetime earnings. In this episode of 97% Effective, host Michael Wenderoth demystifies salary negotiations with John Gates, the Salary Coach. John is an industry veteran, having spent his career in corporate recruiting for Fortune 500 companies, and is the author of “Act Your Wage,” a concise and practical guide that helps you overcome negotiation anxiety and get higher compensation. We discuss why you should never accept the first offer, when to start negotiating (it’s not when you think), practical phrases to use, and the “gentle leverage” that gets better results and enhances your future relationships. You’ll leave this episode feeling more confident about how to maximize what you are getting, for what you are giving, at work.

• John journey and why he founded the Salary Coach
• The #1 reason people don’t want to talk about pay
• Why you should negotiate: The importance of thinking about lifetime earnings
• John’s hard truth: The top mindset mistake people make in negotiating their salary offer
• Practical Tip #1: How to make sure you don’t become your own worst enemy
• The biggest misunderstanding people have about negotiations
• “Ultimatum heavy strategies introduce a lot of risk”
• Practical Tip #2 on making Counteroffers: What to say so you don’t put your offer at risk
• Ask the right questions and offer multiple choice options to explore what is possible
• “Negotiation is a process, not an event”
• Got handed a lowball offer? You probably made this mistake early in the hiring process
• Use a range: John’s silver bullet on how to respond when you are asked “What’s your salary expectation?”
• How to gather the best data point on what you are worth that companies cannot argue with
• Practical Tip #3: Focus on total compensation to improve your negotiation result
• John on using “gentle leverage”: use it like a pry bar, not like a sledgehammer
• Gender differences in negotiations
• Negotiation as a way to build your reputation and relationships as you enter a company – not as a way that put things at risk
• Showing a path to yes by giving people a reason to adjust to you
• How John and his clients use AI to help with interviewing and negotiating
• Repeat: Never accept the first offer!
• Reaching John and the Salary Coach Academy

BIO AND LINKS:

John Gates is founder of Salary Coach, where he helps C-suite executives and senior leaders negotiate higher compensation packages without risking their job offers or future relationships. John’s unique approach, born from his extensive experience in corporate recruiting, consistently helps his clients secure 10-20% more in their pay packages, even in challenging job markets. He is the author of Act Your Wage, and brings decades of experience as a global HR and recruiting director with Fortune 500 companies.

• John’s Website: https://salary.coach/
• John’s Salary Coach academy: www.salarycoachacademy.com
• His book, Act Your Wage: https://a.co/d/5WKSo40
• John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johngates-salarycoach/
• Reaching John via e-mail: [email protected]
• Michael’s award-winning book, Get Promoted: https://tinyurl.com/453txk74