On Brand with Nick Westergaard

Taylor's Version, Pt 2: Fearless Focus


Listen Later

In this episode of On Brand: Taylor’s Version, we’re joined by Emily Campion — Henry B. Tippie Fellow and Associate Professor at the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business. Emily’s research explores how organizations hire and develop talent. But today, she’s here to talk about something decidedly more human: Taylor Swift’s relentless work ethic, authentic leadership, grit in the face of setbacks, and her ability to balance it all with self-care.


What You’ll Learn in This Episode

  • Why Taylor Swift is the ultimate case study in relentless work ethic and focus
  • How authenticity fuels leadership and builds trust with fans — and employees
  • What Taylor’s grit teaches us about resilience, reinvention, and leading through setbacks
  • The role of self-care in sustaining high performance over the long haul
  • Why leaders need to balance hustle with humanity
  • Episode Chapters

    (00:00) Intro

    (02:15) “Taylor Inc.” and the ultimate one-person company

    (04:40) Emily Campion on studying work ethic and leadership through Taylor Swift

    (08:30) Taylor’s relentless productivity and lessons for business leaders

    (14:05) Authenticity as strategy vs. sincerity

    (19:20) Grit, comebacks, and leading through setbacks

    (25:45) Boundaries, rituals, and Taylor’s approach to self-care

    (32:10) Leadership lessons leaders can apply today

    (38:15) Emily’s Taylor smile: Stay Stay Stay on ukulele

    About Emily Campion

    Emily Campion is a Henry B. Tippie Fellow and Associate Professor at the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business. Her research focuses on staffing procedures, the use of machine learning and natural language processing to improve these systems, and ways to mitigate employment discrimination. Her work has been published in leading academic journals, and she currently serves on the editorial boards of Journal of Applied Psychology and Personnel Psychology, where she recently co-edited a special issue on machine learning in selection.


    What Taylor Era Has Made Emily Smile Recently?

    For Emily, the Taylor song that’s made her smile recently is “Stay Stay Stay” from Red (Taylor’s Version). She first loved it while learning the ukulele, and even though she jokes she won’t be a famous ukuleleist, the song’s plucky energy and Taylor’s laugh at the end never fail to make her beam.


    Resources & Links

    • Connect with Emily on LinkedIn.
    • Check out Emily’s University of Iowa faculty page.
    • Listen & Support the Show

      • Watch or listen on Apple PodcastsSpotifyYouTube, Amazon/AudibleTuneIn, and iHeart.
      • Rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to help others find the show.
      • Share this episode email a friend or colleague this episode.
      • Sign up for my free Story Strategies newsletter for branding and storytelling tips.

        On Brand is a part of the Marketing Podcast Network.

        Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

        Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

        ...more
        View all episodesView all episodes
        Download on the App Store

        On Brand with Nick WestergaardBy Nick Westergaard

        • 4.8
        • 4.8
        • 4.8
        • 4.8
        • 4.8

        4.8

        93 ratings


        More shows like On Brand with Nick Westergaard

        View all
        The Knowledge Project by Shane Parrish

        The Knowledge Project

        2,687 Listeners

        Daily Creative with Todd Henry by Todd Henry

        Daily Creative with Todd Henry

        516 Listeners

        Social Media Marketing Podcast by Michael Stelzner, Social Media Examiner

        Social Media Marketing Podcast

        1,444 Listeners

        The StoryBrand Podcast by StoryBrand.com

        The StoryBrand Podcast

        1,935 Listeners

        The Digital Marketing Podcast by Daniel Rowles and Ciaran Rogers

        The Digital Marketing Podcast

        114 Listeners

        Marketing School - Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Tips by Eric Siu and Neil Patel

        Marketing School - Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Tips

        1,264 Listeners

        10% Happier with Dan Harris by 10% Happier

        10% Happier with Dan Harris

        12,713 Listeners

        The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett by DOAC

        The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

        8,522 Listeners

        The Futur with Chris Do by The Futur

        The Futur with Chris Do

        857 Listeners

        Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel by LinkedIn

        Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel

        1,016 Listeners

        Nudge by Phill Agnew

        Nudge

        178 Listeners

        The CMO Podcast by vYve & Jim Stengel

        The CMO Podcast

        352 Listeners

        The Marketing Millennials by Daniel Murray

        The Marketing Millennials

        155 Listeners

        Marketing Against The Grain by Hubspot Media

        Marketing Against The Grain

        358 Listeners

        The CEO’s Guide to Marketing by Forbes

        The CEO’s Guide to Marketing

        26 Listeners