That's Unusual

On this episode, Dr.G is joined by the fierce turnaround-artist and disrupter-of-talent, Daniel Walker. As the former Chief Talent Officer of Gap, Apple, and JCPenny, he shares with us his unconventional approach to developing talent poised for disruptive change. Never before told, his unusual stories unravel the truth of what really happened behind the scenes. He shares with us his personal secrets for developing fearless talent, how his military background shaped his strategies, and a number of humorous, untold stories of personal interactions with his close friend, Steve Jobs. How did Gap become a household name? How should organizations develop A+ talent? What were the behind-closed-doors conversations that led to Apple’s unprecedented turnaround? All this and more on today’s episode. Now, That’s Unusual.br /

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Visit www.thatsunusualpodcast.combr /

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ABOUT DANIEL WALKERbr /

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Daniel Walker is one of the world’s foremost authorities in the field of talent acquisition. Challenging the value of widely accepted HR standard practices, he has played a fundamental role in building some of America’s most ground-breaking companies.br /

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Walker spent four years in military intelligence, serving in the US Army Security Agency and went on to earn a psychology degree from Ohio State University. He began his career with Lazarus Department Stores, eventually becoming the Vice President of Human Resources. Walker’s impressive resume in talent acquisition spans four decades and includes titles such as HR Chief for the retail division of General Mills, Vice President of HR for The Gap, Inc., Chief Talent Officer for JC Penny as well as Chief Talent Officer for Apple, Inc.br /

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Walker shares his core belief that a company’s most valuable asset is its extraordinary talent via lectures throughout the United States and Europe. He founded and currently serves as CEO of The Human Revolution Studios, a cutting-edge human capital firm; he also co-founded Sunstone Leadership, a startup combining the best practices of elite special forces units and exemplar corporate leadership development.br /

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KEY INTERVIEW TAKEAWAYSbr /

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Human Resources should focus on identifying great leaders and an endless supply of great talent, then molding the resulting team into a great workforce. Ineffective HR departments focus instead on processes (i.e.: succession planning, organizational and performance reviews) and lose sight of the most essential element, the people.br /

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The emerging companies doing talent acquisition the right way work to build cultures in which employees are encouraged to take risks, to debate, and to find joy in their work. They have visionary leaders who value human capital and place a premium on the quality of the staff experience.br /

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“There is no fear in doing the right thing.” The military utilizes an asymmetrical approach in which everyone leads and improvisation is crucial. Because a mission rarely (if ever) goes exactly as planned, a soldier must be a creative thinker who adjusts on the fly to accomplish the mission. Business would do well to utilize a similar common sense approach as opposed to being stifled by hierarchy and following protocol because “that’s the way it’s always been done.”br /

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Talent acquisition must embrace the idea of force multiplication. In his work rebuilding Apple, Inc., Walker was faced with the task of reducing head count and labor cost burn rate while increasing the quality of the organization. He incorporated the elite forces concept of force multiplication: One Navy Seal should have the fighting effectiveness of 100 of the enemy. One quality employee, properly equipped and supported, can have the effectiveness of many.br /

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LEARN MORE ABOUT DANIEL WALKERbr /

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/danwalkerhrsbr /

http://www.thehrstudios.com/br /

http://www.sunstoneleadership.com/

Dr.G’s guest today is the award-winning investigative journalist, Roberta Baskin. The impact of her work has made controversial waves across the media having exposed misconduct among the worlds most trusted and influential corporations – from the Nike sweat shops to the Small Smiles Medicaid scam to the Heineken toxins. Stories ridden with controversy, Roberta backs down to no one, and reveals the hidden truth behind how she cracked these cases. Through her latest initiative AIM2Flourish, Roberta has now re-focused her attention 180 degrees towards educating and inspiring leaders on how to “do well while doing good”. How did she uncover these hot stories? What was the resistance? What’s it like to be a journalist today? Why is there so much bad new today? How do we train our future leaders to be socially responsible? All this and more on today’s episode. Now, That’s Unusual.br /

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Visit www.thatsunusualpodcast.combr /

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ABOUT ROBERTA BASKINbr /

Roberta Baskin, executive director of AIM2Flourish, is an investigative journalist who spent her career exposing corporate misconduct. As a correspondent for esteemed news programs such as 20/20, 48 Hours and NOW with Bill Moyers, Baskin broke noteworthy stories such as the Nike sweatshop scandal and Small Smiles Medicaid scam. Her work has earned 75-plus journalism prizes including multiple Emmys, prestigious George Foster Peabodys, and the Radio-Television News Directors Edward R. Murrow Award. But after 30 years earning the nickname “Bad News Baskin,” she has shifted her focus to that of showcasing of innovative businesses who do good around the world. br /

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KEY INTERVIEW TAKEAWAYSbr /

• To be an extraordinary investigative journalist, one needs tenacity. Because Baskin didn’t have a journalism degree, she was willing to take risks and work harder than anyone else to get the story. Her naiveté gave her permission to do things that others wouldn’t, i.e.: wait five hours to speak with the manager of a soccer ball factory in Pakistan – a factory that was protected by armed guards. Baskin’s success was rooted in this resolve to tell the stories that weren’t being told.br /

• “The story is bigger than the self.” Investigative journalism has the power to transform industries. When Baskin was fired from WMAQ in Chicago over a story about the cancer-causing agents in beer produced in the US, she took it to another network. Once Baskin had uncovered the presence of toxic chemicals, beer companies were finally willing to spend the money necessary to change their process.br /

• The media movement to share not just “bad news,” but also stories of resilience and opportunity is powerful and inspiring. Baskin’s AIM2Flourish is a global learning initiative that teaches the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals to business school students and then challenges them to find companies with products and practices that align with said goals. For example, the Indonesian company PT Tirta Marta makes plastic bags out of tapioca. The environmentally friendly bags biodegrade within two weeks, and the use of cassava root in production supports local farmers. AIM2Flourish seeks to discover and reward these pioneering businesses.br /

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LEARN MORE ABOUT ROBERTA BASKINbr /

http://aim2flourish.com/br /

https://twitter.com/baskinr?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthorbr /

http://www.kosmosjournal.org/contributor/roberta-baskin/br /

http://www.democracynow.org/2005/5/17/investigative_journalist_recalls_leaving_cbs_afterbr /

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbhYMs95zy4br /

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIPlBI8Zuk

On this episode, Dr. G gets into the fearless mind of Mick Ebeling, Founder of Not Impossible Labs. Media production artist turned world problem solver, Mick shares with us how he overcomes seemingly impossible feats with simple everyday hacks. You will hear stories of how he adventured through active war zones to help a single boy amputee named Daniel, and how we gave a paraplegic a second chance in life to continue his craft as a graffiti artist. Mick is a force to be reckoned with who always “commits first, and then figures things out”. He believes technology, if used correctly, can be a valuable tool to advance humanity. On this show, we discuss everything from the advantages of the novice mind over the expert, to how for-profit organizations can “do well while doing good”. Now, That’s Unusual.br /

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Visit www.thatsunusualpodcast.combr /

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ABOUT MICK EBELINGbr /

Mick Ebeling is the CEO and founder of Not Impossible, a “social innovation lab” created to address real-world problems via accessible technology. His upbringing in a family of philanthropists coupled with his background in media production led him to the idea of developing technology to benefit the most vulnerable. Ebeling is a two-time South by Southwest Innovation Award Winner, one of Ad Age’s Top 50 Most Creative People, and the 2014 Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year. Beyond Not Impossible, Ebeling is a renowned public speaker and author of the book Not Impossible: The Art and Joy of Doing What Couldn’t Be Done. His inspirational TED talk has been viewed over 1M+ times, and counting. He lives in Venice Beach , California with his wife and their three sons.br /

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KEY INTERVIEW TAKEAWAYSbr /

• Expertise is not necessary when working to find a solution to an impossible situation. In fact, not knowing can be a strength. The Not Impossible team starts every project with a “beautiful, limitless naiveté,” then assembles talent to create a workable, DIY solution. The Eyewriter, for example, affords ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) patients the fundamental human need to communicate by means of eye movement; its component parts include sunglasses, the wire of a coat hanger, duct tape and a webcam attached with zip ties.br /

• “Commit first, then figure it out.” Project Daniel stemmed from the story of a Sudanese boy who lost both arms when his village was bombed. Compelled to help despite a lack of expertise, Not Impossible built a team that developed a low-cost, sustainable solution: prosthetic limbs generated by a 3D printer.br /

• “Help one. Help many.” Not Impossible seeks to go beyond helping the individual by telling his story. Sharing the process that led to an innovative solution promotes further collaboration and inspires others to action.br /

• The hybrid business model combining nonprofit and for-profit can work. While maintaining the Not Impossible Foundation so that inspired donors can contribute, the organization has found a way to create value proposition so that funders get something tangible in return for their backing. It is feasible to “do well while doing good.” br /

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LEARN MORE ABOUT MICK EBELINGbr /

http://www.notimpossible.com/#notimpossiblebr /

http://www.notimpossiblenow.com/br /

http://mickebeling.com/home/br /

https://www.ted.com/speakers/mick_ebelingbr /

https://twitter.com/mickebelingbr /

https://twitter.com/notimposs?lang=enbr /

https://www.facebook.com/mickebeling/br /

https://www.facebook.com/notimpossiblelabs/

In this very first episode, Dr. G is joined by Christian Long, a pioneer and advocate for re-imagining the role of education for our future generations. Having spent much of his life as an educator, Christian has now linked up with his architectural peers to re-design learning communities that are built around wonder, curiosity, and collaboration. He shares with us how we need to rethink our approach to learning, and how physical space plays a critical role in creating optimal learning environments. How do we evolve past century old traditions and rituals? What is the future value of a degree? What role does technology play in the education of our kids? How can space be designed to encourage wonder and curiosity? We discuss these and much more in our conversation. Now, That’s Unusual.br /

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Visit www.thatsunusualpodcast.combr /

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ABOUT CHRISTIAN LONGbr /

Christian Long, Ed.M. is the co-founder of WONDER, By Design, the “multidisciplinary design studio that is unapologetically curious about the future of learning.” In addition to a career in the school design industry, he spent 15 years as an educator, coach and experiential education leader in the US and Japan. An advocate for innovative learning communities, Long is a frequent speaker at a number of TEDx events and regularly delivers keynotes on the future of learning all over the world. He holds a master’s degree in education from Harvard and a bachelor’s degree in English from Indiana University. A novice farmer, Long resides on ten acres in Ohio with his wife Karla and their two children. br /

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KEY INTERVIEW TAKEAWAYSbr /

• In the last twenty years, a shift has occurred in the way we view education. The two key components of this shift include:br /

o Technology – With profound advancements in the digital tools available, there are opportunities for customization that did not exist prior to this radical transformation of our environment.br /

o Teacher Worth – In the last ten-plus years, nearly everyone has become invested in the topic of education and considers themselves an expert. At the same time, career educators have been assigned less and less value. With this “tectonic shift,” the question becomes: Who is going to opt into the profession while society continues to degrade the role?br /

• Innovation is difficult when we are unwilling to let go of the rituals and traditions (i.e.: an agrarian calendar, comprehensive programming) we have embraced for a century. At the same time, if we abandon everything that school has been in favor of a corporate model, we run the risk of losing the potential for community (relationships among teachers, students and their families) that makes our educational system a powerful human experience.br /

• As increasing numbers of employers no longer see a college degree as an indicator of a candidate’s potential, we need to let go of the idea of college “at all costs” and instead focus on customizing practices to individual learners and their families:br /

o Ask each young person, “What are you curious about?” and then provide them with resources and systems to foster that curiosity.br /

o Stop thinking of students as a “team of one.” Evaluate what students bring to a team rather than assessing them individually against a law of average.br /

o Shift away from the idea of a college degree as a finish line to an “ATM model” in which students have lifelong access to training, resources and opportunities through an institution of higher learning.br /

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LEARN MORE ABOUT CHRISTIANbr /

http://www.wonderbydesign.org/about/br /

http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/Wonder-By-Design-Christian-Longbr /

http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/TEDxOverlake-Christian-Long-Re;search%3Atag%3A%22tedxoverlake%22

Thanks for checking out the first episode of That’s Unusual which premiers September 29, 2016! In this podcast, I ask the unusual questions that uncover the unexpected stories behind what truly makes people uniquely successful. The most successful people aren’t defined by what makes them similar, but rather by what makes them different. That’s Unusual reveals the untold secrets, habits and tips from the world’s greatest minds, inventors, innovators, and influencers that makes them stand out from a world of averages. Within each individual resides an unusual story that captures the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’. And I believe the best ideas germinate from the most unexpected, unscripted conversations. Join me every week starting September 29th as we embark on a wondrous storytelling journey that explores the hidden depths of the world’s most intriguing people. Please subscribe on iTunes and help me out by leaving a review!