How to Be Awesome at Your Job

Neel Doshi reveals how to build and sustain high performing cultures through total motivation. 

— YOU’LL LEARN — 

1) The six motives at the root of culture 

2) How to use metrics the wrong and right way 

3) The questions that kill motivation 

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1013 for clickable versions of the links below. 

— ABOUT NEEL — 

Neel is the co-founder of Vega Factor and co-author of bestselling book, Primed to Perform: How to Build the Highest Performing Cultures Through the Science of Total Motivation. Previously, Neel was a Partner at McKinsey & Company, CTO and founding member of an award-winning tech startup, and employee of several mega-institutions. He studied engineering at MIT and received his MBA from Wharton. In his spare time, he’s an avid yet mediocre woodworker and photographer.

• Book: Primed to Perform: How to Build the Highest Performing Cultures Through the Science of Total Motivation

• Website: Factor.ai

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — 

• Study: “Poverty impedes cognitive function” by Anandi Mani, Sendhil Mullainathan, Eldar Shafir, and Jiaying Zhao

• Book: Pattern Breakers: Why Some Start-Ups Change the Future by Mike Maples and Peter Ziebelman

— THANK YOU, SPONSORS! —

• Lingoda. Visit try.lingoda.com/Awesome and save up to 20% off your sign up fee! Plus, get an extra $25 off with the code AWESOME 

• LinkedIn Jobs. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/beawesome

• Jenni Kayne. Use the code AWESOME15 to get 15% off your order!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Manu Kapur reveals how to maximize learning by intentionally designing for failure. 

— YOU’LL LEARN — 

1) Why to avoid explanations and experts (at first) 

2) How to achieve the sweet spot of deep learning 

3) Four ways to hack your motivation 

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1012 for clickable versions of the links below. 

— ABOUT MANU — 

Dr. Manu Kapur is a world-renowned expert on learning and currently heads the Future Learning Initiative at ETH University Zurich. He divides his research time between ETH Zurich and the Singapore-ETH Center in Singapore. Dr. Kapur earned his doctorate in Education from Columbia University. 

Dr. Kapur is known for his pioneering research on intentionally designing for and learning from failure, demonstrating how this approach can lead to more effective learning compared to traditional methods. He frequently speaks at corporate and educational events and is often interviewed on learning-related subjects, including several appearances on NPR and two successful TEDX talks: Productive Failure and How Failure Drives Learning.

• Book: Productive Failure: Unlocking Deeper Learning Through the Science of Failing (book site) 

• TED Talk: Productive Failure 

• TEDx Talk: How failure drives learning | Manu Kapur | TEDxHSGSalon 

• Website: ManuKapur.com 

• LinkedIn: Manu Kapur 

• Twitter/X: @ManuKapur24 

• Instagram: drmanu_kapur 

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — 

• Book: Shantaram: A Novel by Gregory David Roberts 

— THANK YOU, SPONSORS! —

• Lingoda. Visit try.lingoda.com/Awesome and save up to 20% off your sign up fee! Plus, get an extra $25 off with the code AWESOME 

• LinkedIn Jobs. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/beawesome

• Jenni Kayne. Use the code AWESOME15 to get 15% off your order!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sam Bennett shows you how to transform the way you work through the magic of the 15 minute method. 

— YOU’LL LEARN — 

1) The impressive amount you can get done in 15 minutes 

2) How to deal with the overwhelm 

3) Why it’s worth “doing it grumpy” 

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1011 for clickable versions of the links below. 

— ABOUT SAM — 

Sam Bennett is the author of Get It Done, Start Right Where You Are, and most recently, The 15-Minute Method: The Surprisingly Simple Art of Getting It Done. A writer, speaker, actor, and creativity/productivity specialist, she is the founder of TheRealSamBennett.com, a company committed to helping overwhelmed creatives and frustrated overachievers get unstuck. 

Sam is also a popular course instructor on LinkedIn Learning with over a million class participants worldwide. She lives in Connecticut, and you will find her online at www.TheRealSamBennett.com and 15MinuteMethod.com.

• Book: The 15-Minute Method: The Surprisingly Simple Art of Getting It Done 

• Course: The Daily Practicum 

• Website: TheRealSamBennett.com 

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — 

• Past episode: 368: Upgrading Your Productivity through Accountability with Focusmate’s Taylor Jacobson 

• Book: Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder 

• Tool: Levenger Legal Pads

— THANK YOU, SPONSORS! —

• Lingoda. Visit try.lingoda.com/Awesome and save up to 20% off your sign up fee! Plus, get an extra $25 off with the code AWESOME 

• LinkedIn Jobs. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/beawesome

• Jenni Kayne. Use the code AWESOME15 to get 15% off your order!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jeremy Utley reveals why many aren’t getting the results they want from AI—and how to fix that. 

— YOU’LL LEARN — 

1) The #1 mistake people are making with AI 

2) ChatGPT’s top advantage over other AI platforms (as of late 2024) 

3) The simple adjustments that make AI vastly more useful 

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1010 for clickable versions of the links below. 

— ABOUT JEREMY — 

Jeremy Utley is the director of executive education at Stanford’s d.school and an adjunct professor at Stanford’s School of Engineering. He is the host of the d.school’s widely popular program "Stanford’s Masters of Creativity.” 

• Book: Ideaflow: The Only Business Metric That Matters 

• Article: "For Conversations You Dread, Try a Chatbot" 

• Article: “Don’t Let Gen AI Limit Your Team’s Creativity” 

• Website: JeremyUtley.design 

• LinkedIn: Jeremy Utley 

• Podcast: Beyond the Prompt 

• Course: AI Bootcamp

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — 

• Term: Einstellung effect 

• Podcast: Huberman Lab 

• Video: #NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Rest) with Dr. Andrew Huberman 

• Book: That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea by Mark Randolph 

— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — 

• LinkedIn Jobs. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/beawesome 

• Lingoda. Visit try.lingoda.com/Awesome and save up to 20% off your sign up fee! Plus, get an extra $25 off with the code AWESOME

• Jenni Kayne. Use the code AWESOME15 to get 15% off your order!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rebecca Zung shares fresh strategies to take on your biggest bullies and win. 

— YOU’LL LEARN — 

1) How to identify if someone is a high-conflict personality 

2) How to SLAY your bullies and win 

3) The mindset trick to keep narcissists at bay 

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1009 for clickable versions of the links below. 

— ABOUT REBECCA — 

Rebecca Zung is a high conflict negotiation expert, a U.S. News recognized Best Lawyer in America and USA Today Bestselling Author. Speaking on platforms worldwide, she is also a bestselling author of several books including the USA Today National Bestselling book SLAY the Bully: How to Negotiate with a Narcissist and Win and her YouTube channel has tens of millions of views. Her podcast, Negotiate Your Best Life has 2 MM downloads and is in the top .5% of podcasts globally.

She’s also the founder of the proprietary SLAY® Method, the proven blueprint for negotiating with narcissists and her programs, including her High Conflict Negotiation Certification Training program- a coach certification program – have transformed thousands of lives in more than 150 countries and on every continent.

• Book: Negotiate Like YOU M.A.T.T.E.R.: The Sure Fire Method to Step Up and Win 

• Book: SLAY the Bully: How to Negotiate with a Narcissist and Win 

• Prep Playbook: “Crush My Negotiation” 

• YouTube: RebeccaZung.TV 

• Website: RebeccaZung.com 

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — 

• Book: A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of ‘A Course in Miracles’ by Marianne Williamson 

• Book: The Power of Intention: Learning to Co-Create Your World Your Way by Wayne Dyer 

• Book: The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav 

• Book: This Thing Called You by Ernest Holmes

— THANK YOU, SPONSORS! —

• LinkedIn Jobs. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/beawesome 

• Lingoda. Visit try.lingoda.com/Awesome and save up to 20% off your sign up fee! Plus, get an extra $25 off with the code AWESOME

• Jenni Kayne. Use the code AWESOME15 to get 15% off your order!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ethan Bernstein reveals the process for finding and seizing career opportunities you won’t regret. 

— YOU’LL LEARN — 

1) The four quests driving every career transition 

2) The exercise that keeps you relevant 

3) The problem with job descriptions—and what to focus on instead 

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1008 for clickable versions of the links below. 

— ABOUT ETHAN — 

Ethan Bernstein is the Edward W. Conard Associate Professor of Business Administration in the Organizational Behavior unit at the Harvard Business School, where he teaches the Developing Yourself as a Leader and Managing Human Capital courses. He spent five years at The Boston Consulting Group and two years in executive positions at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, including Chief Strategy Officer and Deputy Assistant Director of Mortgage Markets. Bernstein earned his doctorate in management at Harvard, where he also received a JD/MBA.

• Book: Job Moves: 9 Steps for Making Progress in Your Career, with Michael B. Horn and Bob Moesta 

• Assessment: JobMoves.com 

• Course: Developing Yourself as a Leader 

• Email address: [email protected] 

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — 

• Theory: Jobs to be Done 

• Term: Story spine 

• Book: Pooh's Little Instruction Book by Joan Powers, A. A. Milne, Ernest Shepard

— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — 

• LinkedIn Jobs. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/beawesome 

• Lingoda. Visit try.lingoda.com/Awesome and save up to 20% off your sign up fee! Plus, get an extra $25 off with the code AWESOME

• Jenni Kayne. Use the code AWESOME15 to get 15% off your order!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Megan Hellerer reveals the simple shifts that make your career and life feel more meaningful. 

— YOU’LL LEARN — 

1) Why many overachievers feel underfulfilled 

2) The mindset that leads to fit and fulfillment 

3) The key questions to ask before any decision 

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1007 for clickable versions of the links below. 

— ABOUT MEGAN — 

Megan Hellerer is a career coach and the author of DIRECTIONAL LIVING: A Transformational Guide to Fulfillment in Work and Life. She has led hundreds of women, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, to transform their lives by transforming their careers. After checking all the traditional boxes of success—graduating at the top of her class from Stanford University and spending eight years as a Google executive—and still deeply unhappy, she quit her great-on-paper job with no plan. Now her mission is to provide others with the support and guidance that she needed when she herself was struggling.

• Book: Directional Living: A Transformational Guide to Fulfillment in Work and Life 

• Instagram: @meganhellerer 

• Quiz: Are you an Underfulfilled Overachiever? 

• Website: MeganHellerer.com 

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — 

• Article: “U.S. Engagement Hits 11-Year Low” by Jim Harter 

• Book: The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron 

— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — 

• LinkedIn Jobs. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/beawesome 

• Lingoda. Visit try.lingoda.com/Awesome and save up to 20% off your sign up fee! Plus, get an extra $25 off with the code AWESOME

• Jenni Kayne. Use the code AWESOME15 to get 15% off your order!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rich Diviney reveals the hidden drivers of optimal performance: attributes. 

— YOU’LL LEARN — 

1) The crucial difference between skills and attributes 

2) When your “weaknesses” are “strengths” 

3) A neuroscience hack for focus and overcoming stress 

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1006 for clickable versions of the links below. 

— ABOUT RICH — 

Rich Diviney developed his expertise in human performance during his over twenty-year career in the US Military, during which he completed more than thirteen deployments overseas and held multiple leadership positions.

While serving as the officer in charge of selection, assessment, and training for a specialized Navy SEAL command, Diviney was intimately involved in an extremely elite SEAL selection process, which required pairing down a group of exceptional candidates to a small cadre of the most elite optimal performers.

He also spearheaded the creation of a mental performance directorate that focused a strong emphasis on physical, mental, and emotional discipline to optimize individual and team performance, allowing operators to perform faster, longer, and more effectively in all environments—especially high-stress ones.

• Assessment: The Attributes Assessment (AYJ listeners get a 15% discount with the code AWESOME15) 

• Website: TheAttributes.com 

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — 

• Book: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari 

— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — 

• LinkedIn Jobs. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/beawesome 

• Lingoda. Visit try.lingoda.com/Awesome and save up to 20% off your sign up fee! Plus, get an extra $25 off with the code AWESOME 

• Jenni Kayne. Use the code AWESOME15 to get 15% off your order!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Michael Breus cuts through the noise and discusses the three most important wellness habits: sleeping, drinking, and breathing. 

— YOU’LL LEARN — 

1) The top habit that leads to better sleep 

2) Just how much water your body needs 

3) What many get wrong about breathing 

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1005 for clickable versions of the links below. 

— ABOUT MICHAEL — 

Michael J. Breus, Ph.D.,is a double board-certified Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Sleep Specialist. He is one of only 168 psychologists in the world to have taken and passed the Sleep Medicine Boards without going to Medical School. He is also the founder of sleepdoctor.com.

Dr. Breus is the author of four books with the newest book (2021) Energize! Go from dragging Ass to kicking it in 30 days, adds the concepts of Movement (not exercise), and Intermittent Fasting to his already famous Sleep Chronotypes. And it was recently named one of the top books of 2021 by The Today Show. In his 3rd book (2017) The Power of When, which is a groundbreaking biohacking book proving that there is a perfect time to do everything, based on your biological chronotype (early bird or night owl). Dr. Breus gives the reader the exact time to have sex, run, a mile, eat a cheeseburger, buy, sell, ask your boss for a raise and much more based on over 200 research studies.

He is an expert resource for most major publications doing more than 400 interviews per year (Oprah, Dr. Oz, The Doctors, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and more). Dr. Breus has been in private practice for 23 years and recently relocated to and was named the Top Sleep Doctor of Los Angeles by Reader’s Digest.

• Book: Sleep Drink Breathe: Simple Daily Habits for Profound Long-Term Health (website) 

• Quiz: ChronoQuiz.com 

• Website: SleepDoctor.com 

• YouTube channel: Sleep Doctor 

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — 

• App: SnoreLab 

• Website: sleeplay.com 

• Tool: Breather 

• Book: Life Gives to the Giver by Joe Polish 

• Book: Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings by Shel Silverstein 

• Book: Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl 

• Past episode: 063: The Optimal Time For Everything with Dr. Michael Breus 

— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — 

• LinkedIn Jobs. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/beawesome 

• Lingoda. Visit try.lingoda.com/Awesome and save up to 20% off your sign up fee! Plus, get an extra $25 off with the code AWESOME 

• Jenni Kayne. Use the code AWESOME15 to get 15% off your order!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Seth Godin shares insightful stories and perspectives to help us think strategically and create meaningful change in a complex world. 

— YOU’LL LEARN — 

1) The mindset that makes you indispensable 

2) Why to embrace that you’re an impostor 

3) Three questions to ask with every project 

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1004 for clickable versions of the links below. 

— ABOUT SETH — 

Seth Godin is the author of 22 books that have been bestsellers around the world and have been translated into more than 35 languages. He’s also the founder of the altMBA and The Akimbo Workshops, online seminars that have transformed the work of thousands of people. 

He writes about the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, marketing, quitting, leadership and most of all, changing everything. You might be familiar with his books Linchpin, Tribes, The Dip and Purple Cow. His book, This Is Marketing, was an instant bestseller around the world. The newest book, The Practice, is out at the end of 2020 and is already a bestseller. His newest project is leading a worldwide group of volunteers creating The Carbon Almanac. 

In addition to his writing and speaking, Seth has founded several companies, including Yoyodyne and Squidoo. His blog (which you can find by typing “seth” into Google) is one of the most popular in the world. His podcast is in the top 1% of all podcasts worldwide. 

In 2018, he was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame. More than 20,000 people have taken the powerful Akimbo workshops he founded, including thealtMBA and The Marketing Seminar. 

• Book: This Is Strategy: Make Better Plans (website) 

• Book: The Practice: Shipping Creative Work 

• Website: Seths.blog 

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — 

• Book: The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield 

• Book: Dune by Frank Herbert 

— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — 

• LinkedIn Jobs. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/beawesome 

• Lingoda. Visit try.lingoda.com/Awesome and save up to 20% off your sign up fee! Plus, get an extra $25 off with the code AWESOME 

• Jenni Kayne. Use the code AWESOME15 to get 15% off your order!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.