Badass Softie

By Dr. J.J. PetersonBusiness Health & Fitness Mental Health Education Self-Improvement Management

Badass Softie episodes

October 27, 2025 The 5 Questions Every Leader Should Ask to Build Trust and Lead With Clarity
Most leaders don’t fail because they lack skill — they fail because they stop asking the right questions. When the path feels murky, pressure mounts, and clarity fades, it’s easy to slip into control or chaos.

In this episode of Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson sits down with Amy Smith — a leadership coach and consultant who’s led global training for Apple, coached executive teams for McDonald’s, and served as VP of Certification at StoryBrand. Amy brings two decades of frontline leadership experience to show you how to build trust, create clarity, and lead through uncertainty.

Together, J.J. and Amy unpack five guiding questions every leader should be asking to stay grounded and effective. You’ll learn why assuming positive intent changes every conversation, how to make confident calls when the path isn’t clear, and how the right one-on-ones can completely transform team culture.

Here’s what you’ll take away:
-The mindset shift that turns judgment into curiosity and builds lasting trust
-How to lead with clarity when you don’t have all the answers
-The five guiding questions that re-center your leadership in any situation
-Why one-on-ones are your most powerful leadership tool — and how to use them
-How to simplify meetings so they actually drive results
-The single shift that unlocks trust, ownership, and growth on your team

Connect with Amy directly via email at [email protected]Linkedin.com/in/kudralobar/

📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube @BadassSoftie
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts
🎧 Listen on Spotify

When you stop leading from fear and start leading with curiosity and clarity, you create a culture where people thrive — that’s what it means to lead as a Badass Softie.
www.BadassSoftie.com

39 min
October 20, 2025 Why Most Leaders Misread Their Emotions (and How to Fix It)
Most leaders think they’re self-aware — but they’re often just self-critical. The truth is, you can’t lead what you don’t feel. When emotions go unnamed, they run the show from behind the scenes, shaping decisions, reactions, and team dynamics.

In this episode of Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson sits down with Tera Wages to unpack why emotional fluency is the missing link between burnout and breakthrough. Tera introduces the Core Emotion Wheel — a simple but transformative framework for identifying and naming emotions that can completely change how you lead, parent, and communicate. By learning to spot what’s really happening beneath the surface, you stop reacting out of fear or frustration and start responding with clarity, empathy, and control.

It’s a tool that gives you language for what you feel so your emotions become data, not drama — and that shift changes everything about how you lead others and yourself.

In this episode you’ll take away:
-Why most leaders misread their emotions — and how to change that
-How to use the Core Emotion Wheel to navigate tough conversations
-The difference between “fixing” emotions and actually feeling them
-How emotional clarity turns reaction into intentional leadership
-Practical ways to bring calm, confidence, and connection into your day

Get the Core Emotion Wheel at ConnectionCodes.co/BadassSoftie — the exact tool Tera shares to help you name what you’re feeling before it turns into burnout or conflict.

📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube @BadassSoftie
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts
🎧 Listen on Spotify

When you stop running from emotion and start naming it, you unlock your ability to lead with both clarity and compassion — the essence of being a Badass Softie.
www.BadassSoftie.com
43 min
October 13, 2025 The 4-Day Work Week That Increases Profit and Freedom
Most leaders assume that working more hours means getting more done. But what if doing less actually produced better results—and a healthier, more loyal team?

In this episode of Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson sits down with Hannah Lee, co-founder and CEO of Second Mile. Hannah helps organizations shift from a five-day to a four-day work week without losing productivity or profit. Hannah has led this transformation inside her own business and seen firsthand how redefining productivity changes everything.

Together, J.J. and Hannah explore how rest, trust, and smarter systems can fuel creativity and focus. You’ll learn why “time” is the most overlooked leadership tool—and how reclaiming it can make both your business and your people thrive.

Here’s what you’ll take away:
-Why working fewer days can increase profit, focus, and retention
-How to spot and eliminate wasted effort across your team
-Why rest and recovery are the true drivers of long-term performance
-How AI can give you hours back each week when used strategically
-Practical steps to test and implement a four-day model without disruption

If you’re ready to start reclaiming time and leading more effectively, explore these ideas mentioned in the episode:
-It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work — Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson
-Shorter and Rest by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
-Connect with Hannah at TheSecondMile.com or at LinkedIn.com/in/Hannah-R-Collins/

📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube @BadassSoftie
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts
🎧 Listen on Spotify

When you stop measuring success by how long you work and start focusing on what truly matters, you’ll build a business—and a life—that’s both productive and human. That’s the heart of being a Badass Softie. www.BadassSoftie.com
24 min
October 06, 2025 The Leadership Dance — How to Lead With Both Strength and Grace
Most leaders feel caught between impossible expectations. Be driven, but stay humble. Strive for excellence, but give yourself grace. Speak with candor, but never lose kindness.

If that tension sounds familiar, this episode will change how you lead.

Dr. J.J. Peterson sits down with Tim Arnold — international keynote speaker, best-selling author, and leadership coach — to reveal how embracing tension instead of trying to solve it is the true mark of great leadership. Something Tim and J.J. have come to call “the dance.”

You’ll learn how to stop chasing perfect balance and start managing life’s most critical leadership paradoxes — drive and grace, striving and accepting, candor and kindness — so you can lead with confidence and compassion.

By the end, you’ll know how to create a culture where people feel both challenged and cared for — and where your leadership finally feels sustainable.

Here’s what you’ll take away:
-Why balance is a myth — and tension is the real goal
-How to hold high expectations without losing grace
-The difference between striving and accepting (and why you need both)
-Why true confidence requires humility
-How candor and kindness together build trust that lasts

📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube @BadassSoftie
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts
🎧 Listen on Spotify

When you stop trying to solve the tension and start learning to dance with it, you’ll discover a whole new way to lead — with both strength and softness. That’s the heart of being a Badass Softie. www.BadassSoftie.com

34 min
September 29, 2025 Safe Doesn’t Mean Soft — How to Build Trust Without Losing Authority
Have you ever worried that if you’re honest about your struggles, your team will lose respect for you? Many leaders default to fear and control to protect authority but that approach actually kills creativity and trust.
On this episode of Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson shows why being “safe” doesn’t mean being weak. True safety creates environments where teams can take risks, tell the truth, and do their best work. Skill may get you in the room, but character is what keeps you there.
This week J.J. is joined by Blaine Hogan — a creative director and storyteller who has worked with Nike, LeBron James, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and more. Blaine shares how panic attacks, failure, and rebuilding character shaped his leadership and why honesty and vulnerability became the very tools that made him stronger. His story shows you how to stop leading from fear, build the kind of trust that fuels creativity, and turn personal setbacks into the credibility your team needs to follow you.
You’ll take away:
-Why “safe” doesn’t mean “soft” and how safety drives performance
-How fear-based leadership destroys creativity and trust
-Why character outlasts skill in every leadership role
-How honesty and vulnerability strengthen your authority
-Practical ways to build teams that take risks and deliver results
📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube @BadassSoftie
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts
🎧 Listen on Spotify
When you stop leading from fear and start leading with courage and character, you’ll create the kind of culture where people and performance can truly thrive. That’s the essence of being a Badass Softie. www.BadassSoftie.com
33 min
September 22, 2025 Why Good Service Isn’t Enough Anymore (and What To Do Instead)
If your business is just delivering “good service,” you may already be forgettable. Customers don’t talk about good — they remember extraordinary. Those are the moments that earn loyalty, spark word-of-mouth, and make your business unforgettable.

In this episode of Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson unpacks lessons from Will Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality — the philosophy that turned 11 Madison Park into the #1 restaurant in the world. For J.J., this isn’t just about restaurants; it’s about how leaders in any industry can pair ambition with heart to create experiences people never forget.

Here's what you'll take away from this episode:

-Why “good service” is black and white, but true hospitality is in color

-How small, intentional gestures create lasting loyalty

-The three pillars of unreasonable hospitality: connection, generosity, and systems

-Why hospitality is the ultimate competitive advantage in today’s world

-Practical ways leaders can surprise, delight, and create impact people never forget

Unreasonable hospitality isn’t about grand gestures or massive budgets. It’s about slowing down, paying attention, and systematizing moments of care that make people feel seen and valued. When you lead this way, you don’t just stand out — you create a culture where both your team and your customers thrive.

📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube @BadassSoftie
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts
🎧 Listen on Spotify

Start creating the kind of unforgettable moments that win loyalty, spark growth, and redefine what leadership looks like. That’s the essence of being a Badass Softie. www.BadassSoftie.com
18 min
September 22, 2025 If You Confuse, You Lose — StoryBrand Lessons for Leaders
If you confuse, you lose. It’s the single biggest mistake leaders and businesses make — and it’s costing them influence, connection, and growth.

In this episode of Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson breaks down the StoryBrand framework and shows why story is the most powerful tool for capturing attention and driving action. Most leaders put themselves at the center of the story, but your customers don’t need another hero — they need a guide.

Here's what you'll take away from this episode:

-Why customers always want to be the hero — and how to step into the guide role

-How “if you confuse, you lose” explains why most leaders fail to inspire action

-The 7 elements of a clear and compelling story (and how to apply them in leadership & marketing

-How clarity in communication builds trust, motivates teams, and drives result

-Practical steps to start using StoryBrand today to lead with impact

Through stories and lessons pulled directly from his work with leaders worldwide, J.J. shows how shifting from hero to guide changes everything — for your business, your team, and the people you serve.

📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube @BadassSoftie
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts
🎧 Listen on Spotify

It’s time to stop confusing your audience — and start leading with the clarity, confidence, and compassion of a true Badass Softie. www.BadassSoftie.com
22 min
September 22, 2025 Victim, Villain, Hero or Guide — Which Role Are You Playing?
This choice defines your future. Every leader lives out four roles: victim, villain, hero, and guide. The question isn’t whether these roles will show up in your story — it’s which one you’ll choose next.

In this episode of Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson unpacks Donald Miller’s Hero on a Mission framework and shows why your leadership story changes the moment you stop playing small. Through personal stories (including the time he auditioned for a Missy Elliott music video) and insights from leaders he’s worked with around the world, J.J. reveals how to step into a story of courage, growth, and impact.

Here's what you'll take away:

-Why living in the victim role keeps you stuck and powerless

-How villains are created by unhealed pain — and why their story always collapses

-The truth about heroes: they’re not fearless, they just keep going

-Why the guide role creates the most meaningful life and lasting influence

-How to recognize the role you’re playing right now and choose a better one

📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube @BadassSoftie
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts
🎧 Listen on Spotify

Check out J.J. and Missy Elliot in their sweet DDR battle at https://youtu.be/Q33ujOhLV-E?t=95.

It’s time to stop settling for either/or leadership — and start stepping fully into being ambitious, kind, powerful, and deeply human: a true Badass Softie. www.BadassSoftie.com
29 min
September 21, 2025 Stop Playing by Outdated Rules — Redefining Leadership as a Badass Softie
For too long, leadership has been framed as a false choice:
Be loud and aggressive, or compassionate and empathetic.
Be ambitious, or be likable.
Be respected, or be real.

In this premiere episode of Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson reflects on his own career and the leaders he’s worked alongside — and names the tension many of us feel. Too driven for the “soft” spaces, yet not cutthroat enough for the boardroom. For years, he believed you had to choose. But he’s discovered the opposite is true: the leaders who make the greatest impact are unapologetically ambitious and lead with heart.

This episode is your starting place for redefining leadership. J.J. shares stories and lessons from his own journey where you’ll learn:

-The false choices that keep leaders stuck (strong OR compassionate, respected OR real)
-Why choosing “either/or” in leadership always leads to frustration
-How the most impactful leaders combine ambition with empathy
-A new framework for leading with both strength and softness
-Practical steps to begin stepping more fully into being a Badass Softie

📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube @BadassSoftie
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts
🎧 Listen on Spotify

------

It’s time to stop believing you have to choose — and start leading with both strength and softness, the very definition of a Badass Softie. www.BadassSoftie.com
8 min
September 15, 2025Badass Softie Sneak Peek — How to Chase Big Goals Without Losing What Makes You Human
Have you ever felt the tension of trying to imitate other leaders — tough and aggressive on one hand, all passion and heart on the other? Like you had to choose one lane or the other just to be taken seriously?
Dr. J.J. Peterson has dealt with that same struggle. But the most successful leaders who inspired him most didn’t pick. They were able to be unapologetically ambitious while still leading with heart.
That realization is at the heart of Badass Softie, a new podcast for ambitious leaders like you who want to chase big goals without losing what makes you human. Hosted by Dr. J.J. Peterson — professor, consultant, storyteller, and messaging expert — each episode brings insights from leaders and innovators, along with personal stories and lessons from J.J. himself.
In this sneak peek, J.J. shares how the StoryBrand framework transformed his own leadership journey — and how it can help you step more fully into being a Badass Softie.
👉 Subscribe and follow so you’re ready when the first full episode drops on September 22, 2025.
Watch on YouTube
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify
You don’t have to play by someone else's outdated leadership rules anymore. Together, we will rewrite what it means to lead as Badass Softies.
4 min