Tomorrow's Leader

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I love to have business owners in the podcast talk about how they navigate their business throughout the pandemic. It’s very refreshing and inspiring to hear how they thrive and grow during a time that most owners are throwing in the towel. Today we are joined by Jennifer Rodriguez who is the owner of Think Holistic Fitness. A semi-private "women only" training facility that will help you achieve your personal goal of improved health, body appearance or physical fitness. Jennifer’s journey is simply filled with motivation, so make sure you don’t miss out.

Make sure you visit her website: www.thinkholisticfitness.com

Show notes:
[0:00] Intro
[2:26] Where and how things started for Jennifer
[5:21] Experiencing pain, how the passion for music went away, and rehabilitating herself
[10:05] On starting her journey in physical fitness, finding herself and what she really wanted to do
[14:20] Who she loves working with
[20:15] Jennifer’s thoughts on anxiety
[24:09] On taking smaller goals and slowly working their way to big wins
[26:07] "The scale messes with people"
[29:38] Her business during the pandemic
[35:16] What is great leadership for Jennifer
[39:12] The vision for Think Holistic Fitness
[40:47] Where to find Jennifer
[41:42] What Jennifer does in a nutshell
[43:38] “Don’t wait for the perfect time”
[44:47] Outro

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Here’s a quick update and some reflection after hitting 100 episodes. I just want to take a moment to breathe in fresh air while being grateful for the things that came and those that will come. This year has tested, stretched, and stressed us all but this year has also given us the courage to try something new. To think creatively and be comfortable (or try to be) with change.

Show notes:
[0:00] Intro
[1:03] Thank you for listening to 100 episodes!
[2:09] A moment of gratefulness and reflection
[3:45] Do something out of the box
[4:47] Think of what lies ahead and try something new    
[5:38] Outro

Text LEADER to 617-393-5383 to receive The Top 10 Things That The Best Leaders Are Doing Right Now

For questions, suggestions, or speaker inquiries, contact me at [email protected] 

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“You save a life of a child, you save generations.” - Dr. Andrea

Our guest for today is the first African-American female pediatric surgeon in the country and today, she shares how she leads as a surgeon and an educator. We talked about her clinical research efforts and how she has changed and saved lives. I really enjoyed this episode and I learned so much from Dr. Jordan and I am sure you will too.

Who is Dr. Andrea Hayes-Jordan?
She is a Distinguished Professor of pediatric surgery and surgical oncology at the University of North Carolina Children’s Hospital.  She is the Surgeon-in-Chief of the UNC Children’s Hospital and the division chief of pediatric surgery at UNC. She has a basic science laboratory that focuses on rare sarcomas and also maintains clinical research efforts. She is nationally and internationally known for her work pioneering an operation known as HIPEC for children.

How to connect with Dr. Jordan?
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AHayesJordan

Show notes:
[0:00] Intro
[2:13] Guest intro and Dr. Andrea’s background story
[4:54] On working with kids and kids with cancer
[10:37] It’s easier to connect the dots looking backward
[14:24] The number of lives saved
[17:08] Splitting time between teaching and surgery
[18:45] On being an educator
[20:11] Toughest part of the role: time
[21:56] What makes someone tomorrow’s leader?
[25:52] Acknowledging your blind spots
[29:22] On viewing, navigating, and leading through change
[34:29] Risk-taking as a leader
[36:53] Swimming on unchartered waters: Dr. Andrea's journey
[40:04] Words of wisdom from Dr. Andrea
[41:44] Where to find Dr. Andrea Hayes-Jordan
[42:42] Outro

Text LEADER to 617-393-5383 to receive The Top 10 Things That The Best Leaders Are Doing Right Now

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Are you the type of leader who does everything for the team? Like literally everything? Did you know being over protecting as a leader may cause more harm than good? Today I share a great analogy of how a perceived protective mechanism can actually be harmful to your organization similar to that of weight lifting.

Show notes:
[0:00] Intro
[0:46] Fantasy football league problem: I need help
[3:00] Weight belt analogy
[5:46] What does this have to do with leadership?
[6:49] What leaders should realize in order to grow an organization?
[8:58] What my boss did for me to make me grow?
[10:02] My message to you: develop the other muscles
[10:45] What’s gonna happen to your top people if you keep protecting the organization or team too much?
[11:58] Outro

Text LEADER to 617-393-5383 to receive The Top 10 Things That The Best Leaders Are Doing Right Now

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Have you ever made a bad decision based on the short-term wins that resulted in losing long-term opportunities? That’s what I’m going to talk about today because of a recent experience that almost resulted in a loss, but made a turn for the better because of a good managerial decision. Stay tuned to find out.

Show notes:
[0:00] Intro
[1:04] Storytime: shopping for golf clubs
[5:24] When things started to get bad
[7:40] A fortunate turn of events: the manager making the right decision
[8:58] The result of a good managerial decision
[10:00] What makes a good leader?
[10:36] Another story about someone not being upfront and transparent
[12:51] Being too focused on the short-term objective and losing sight of the long-term vision
[13:53] My challenge to my listeners
[14:34] Outro

Text LEADER to 617-393-5383 to receive The Top 10 Things That The Best Leaders Are Doing Right Now

For questions, suggestions, or speaker inquiries, contact me at [email protected] 

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“Your talent can only take you so far, if you are a horrible individual no one is going to want to work with you anyway.” - Moe Taylor

It is a pleasure and honor to have my son’s best coach in today’s episode to talk to us about how leadership is very palpable even in the basketball field. Moe Taylor or Coach Moe is the Program Director at Prodigy Basketball Community for more than 12 years now who strives to help young boys and girls to become better players, students, and members of society. We talked about his history, on handling A+ players, sizing up someone’s potential and so much more. Even if you are not a basketball coach, I assure you that this is going to be an episode filled with great nuggets.

Check Moe and his company at www.prodigybasketball.com

Show notes:
[0:00] Intro
[2:52] Who is Moe Taylor and how he became a basketball coach?
[4:57] On developing listening skills and did he like coaching from the onset?
[7:15] On continuously getting coached
[8:40] The fine line between pushing too far and just enough
[10:22] An athlete’s character
[11:59] Dealing with an outlier
[13:34] Mindset is very important; do not be complacent
[16:47] Coaching on off-days and leveraging on your emotions
[21:24] How much of other people’s opinions should matter?
[23:53] The three things that Moe lives by as a coach
[28:26] Sizing up someone’s potential
[32:25] The importance of making a choice and not overthinking
[36:10] Moe’s perspective on gratefulness
[41:52] How to get in touch with Moe and his outreach program
[44:10] Final thoughts and nuggets to ponder on
[51:27] Outro

Text LEADER to 617-393-5383 to receive The Top 10 Things That The Best Leaders Are Doing Right Now

For questions, suggestions, or speaker inquiries, contact me at [email protected] 

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“You don’t see the things that you’re gonna see when you’re sitting on the shoreline.”

I am beyond ecstatic to have made it to 100 episodes because statistics have shown that most podcasts don’t make it to more than 30. So in honor of that, I share my journey into becoming the John Laurito, your host of Tomorrow’s Leader in today's episode. It has been quite a roller coaster, but I am honestly glad to have made that one bold move 9 months ago. Hope you enjoy today’s very special episode.

Show notes:
[0:00] Intro
[1:23] Interesting podcast stats
[4:39] Sharing a very personal story: the changes, the struggles, and the triumph
[8:15] My fascination with leadership books but didn’t know how to use the concepts in real life
[9:32] When did the wheels start turning?
[12:25] The three things your A-players needs
[16:58] “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” - Brian Tracy
[19:32] Fast forward to Feb. 14, 2020, and what COVID did to my business
[21:34] How things are going virtually?
[27:55] Where am I now in this podcast venture?
[29:39] Looking back and thinking about how life has changed just because of that 1 step
[35:20] Outro

Text LEADER to 617-393-5383 to receive The Top 10 Things That The Best Leaders Are Doing Right Now

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“Every breakthrough starts with brutal honesty.”

I recall a moment in my life when I was too thin to even defend myself from a headlock and didn’t feel too confident with my body and how skinny I was. I share how a particular event became the breakthrough that pushed me to change. How does this relate to leadership? Well, stay tuned to find out --- because you all know me by now, everything relates to leadership.

Show notes:
[0:00] Intro
[1:22] My fascination with the concept of breakthrough
[9:38] How that headlock experience changed my life?
[10:05] How do breakthroughs happen in real-life and business?
[12:45] As a leader, are you communicating frequently? Are you present?
[14:36] Gaps can be easily solved if you are brutally honest and understanding your “why” 
[18:55] Next episode’s teaser
[20:04] Outro

Text LEADER to 617-393-5383 to receive The Top 10 Things That The Best Leaders Are Doing Right Now

For questions, suggestions, or speaker inquiries, contact me at [email protected] 

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Today’s story is all about your internal thermostat and how it can be a disadvantage, more often than not. My regular listeners all know me by now, that I share a story that happened in real life and relate it to a leadership lesson. And today is no different. Stay tuned to learn more about your internal thermostat and its possible effects on your leadership way of thinking.

Show notes:
[0:00] Intro
[0:46] My book is coming out in the next couple of months
[2:18] Let me tell you a story…
[7:46] When things started to become a sh*t show
[8:48] What is an internal thermostat?
[12:00] A quick intro to the concept of breakthrough
[13:07] Self-awareness
[15:05] Interrupt the thought pattern 
[15:33] Reframe your thinking
[17:27] Teaser for episode #100
[17:54] How to adjust your internal thermostat?
[20:07] Outro

Text LEADER to 617-393-5383 to receive The Top 10 Things That The Best Leaders Are Doing Right Now

For questions, suggestions, or speaker inquiries, contact me at [email protected] 

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In today’s episode, I wanted to dive deeper and have a conversation about feedback. I get so many questions about this topic and rightfully so because giving feedback is the most critical and essential part of a leader’s job. So stay tuned as I share examples of how to give effective feedback, when to give one, and the whole message model that will help your virtual feedback process.

Show notes:
[0:00] Intro
[0:48] What are we talking about in today’s episode?
[1:50] The problem with forced feedback i.e. annual performance review
[3:01] How often should leaders give feedback?
[3:59] Why is feedback critical?
[5:03] The one big obstacle leaders are having during this pandemic and how to give a good feedback in the virtual world
[11:29] Observations, thoughts, feelings, and actions
[13:45] What can you do with a member with problems outside work?
[17:28] Outro

Text LEADER to 617-393-5383 to receive The Top 10 Things That The Best Leaders Are Doing Right Now

For questions, suggestions, or speaker inquiries, contact me at [email protected]