What's Next! with Tiffani Bova

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 

This week, I wanted to bring back a conversation I shared a while back with the first What’s Next guest to be quoted in my book, Growth IQ. Mayur Gupta is the Chief Marketing Officer at Freshly, leading a team of marketers to make Freshly an iconic brand and drive breakthrough growth. Before Freshly, Mayur was the Global VP for Growth & Marketing at Spotify, the Chief Marketing Officer at Healthgrades, and the first-ever Global Chief Marketing Technologist at Kimberly Clark, one of the largest global consumer packaged goods companies. In 2014, Mayur was recognized as one of the “40 under 40” leading marketers in the industry by Brand Innovators, was profiled by the Harvard Business Review and the Economist as the model Chief Marketing Technologist, and also received the CMO Programmatic Award by the CMO Club. He sits on the Board of Directors of Adtalem (NYSE:ATGE) and D’Addario (private), guiding the C-Suite in their digital transformation.

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… marketers looking for a master class of modern marketing and how to create an experience that will influence, inspire, and change a human life from one of the quintessential marketers of our time. 

TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… Mayur brings his engineering mind to the world of marketing. His message? Your internal culture–your company culture–is key and central to the culture you are trying to build around your product. It’s important and indispensable to use everything at your disposal: math, science, and research. But ultimately, it’s all about being customer-focused, authentic, and transparent. At the core of any well-rounded, successful, and long-lasting organization is a human-centric strategy that is sincere and authentic. Your goals as an organization should always be customer-focused, and that starts within your organization with your very first customer, your employee. You cannot be customer-focused if you do not first care for and about the people you work with, because they are the brand.  

WHAT I LOVE MOST… Mayur’s transparency on the fact that this is all a journey and things in our industry continue to change based on what the customer wants from us. 

Running time: 36:07

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Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 

I have the pleasure of welcoming Mo Bunnell to the show today. He helps complex organizations grow by scaling business development skills and creating a growth-oriented culture. He's the founder of Bunnell Idea Group (BIG), which has trained tens of thousands of professionals at hundreds of organizations. He is the author of The Snowball System and has a new book out called Give to Grow: Invest in Relationships to Build Your Business and Your Career.

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone looking to grow their business and deepen client relationships in a more meaningful, human-centered way.

TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… in this day and age, business development isn’t about deals but relationships. Mo dives into this approach and explores how to build authentic, lasting relationships that add real value and, ultimately, drive growth.

Key Takeaways:

• Mo’s 3-step process to collaborate better and drive more revenue: fall in love with their problem, give them the experience of working with them, and make a recommendation. 

• The skills you need to do the work after you get the “yes” are the opposite of the skills you need to get the “yes.”

• Those who identify where the decision makers see value and attach to it will find the magic.

• Relationship building takes time and effort. Mo recommends quarterly audits to strategically delegate or automate tasks to create more space for relationships. 

WHAT I LOVE MOST… take a few minutes to make a list of the 10-15 relationships that are the most important to your future success. Mo says these are the relationships you should be focused on developing now. 

Running Time: 29:34

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Mo’s Book: 

Give to Grow

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 

This week, I’m excited to welcome Frederik Pferdt to the show. He’s the former Chief Innovation Evangelist at Google where he helped shape one of the most fabled creative cultures in the world. He founded Google's Innovation Lab, where he trained tens of thousands of Googlers to develop and experiment with cutting-edge ideas and taught groundbreaking classes on innovation and creativity at Stanford for more than a decade. He has a new book out called What's Next Is Now: How to Live Future Ready.

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone eager to learn how to proactively create their future and develop a growth-oriented mindset.

TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE… in this inspiring conversation, Frederik dives into what it means to live future-ready. He believes we each have the power to intentionally shape the future instead of waiting for it to happen. Frederik introduces his six principles that help shift to this way of thinking. 

Key Takeaways:

• The future isn’t something that happens to you. You have the power to create it. 

• We talk a lot about mindset, but Frederik introduces the idea of “mindstate” and our ability to influence a moment. 

• When you pay attention to your choices throughout your day and week, you’ll quickly notice that your future isn’t predetermined but something you’re actively creating. 

• Some situations are out of our control, but we can always control our responses and outlook. 

WHAT I LOVE MOST… the sixth principle, Dimension X, or your superpower. Discovering your strengths takes time, reflection, and sometimes courage, but when you incorporate them into the way you see the future, you’re able to impact the world in a unique way. 

Running Time: 27:13

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Frederik’s Book:

What's Next Is Now: How to Live Future Ready

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 

This week, I’m joined by Jessica Kriegel. She is the Chief Scientist of Workplace Culture for Culture Partners, leading research and strategy in best practices for driving results through culture. For 15+ years, Jessica has been guiding global, national, Fortune 100, and other organizations across finance, technology, real estate, and healthcare industries on the path to creating intentional cultures that accelerate performance. And she has a book coming out called The Culture Equation, where she dives into how people think and act to get results. 

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… leaders who want to improve company culture.

TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE… what does it take to build a thriving company culture? In this episode, Jessica shares her findings and explains why traditional corporate structures aren’t cutting it anymore. She shares how leaders can create a more people-first approach that drives engagement and results. 

Key Takeaways:

• Stereotypes around how Gen Z and millennials impact the workforce are keeping leaders from actually seeing these employees on their team as people. Jessica says it’s not about understanding different generations but about understanding life stages. 

• Culture isn’t a task that can be delegated to HR. Leaders need to be closely involved in shaping it.

• Leaders must be adaptable to the evolving needs of their teams.

• Focusing on what’s in your control gets you out of the blame game and into your sphere of influence.

WHAT I LOVE MOST… Jessica’s technique to encourage accountability in her team is to model above-the-line thinking. She breaks it down into these four steps: see it, own it, solve it, do it.

Running Time: 32:18

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Podcast

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 

This week, I’m reflecting on a fun conversation with the wonderful Ron Carucci. Ron is a co-founder and managing partner at Navalent, where he works with CEOs and executives pursuing transformational change for their organizations, leaders, and industries. He has a thirty-year track record helping some of the world’s most influential executives tackle challenges of strategy, organization, and leadership. He is a best-selling author of 8 books.

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone looking to learn how to create diverse communities and support a thriving company culture helmed by true leadership. 

TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… Ron shares the four things that successful leaders have all done and how others can follow the same path to success. He refocuses our thinking on leadership training, self-development, and a true understanding of diversity and, more importantly, diversity of thought. 

WHAT I LOVE MOST… I love having a conversation about true leadership. I often hear, “I don’t know where to begin,” from people trying to move in their careers or who want to take on more management responsibilities. The way Ron positions thinking about training, self-development, and understanding diversity is invaluable to getting started.  

Running time: 34:03

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Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 

I have the pleasure of welcoming Dana Maor to the show this week. She is the Global Co-Head for the McKinsey People and Organizational Performance Practice and is a member of its Knowledge Council. As a senior partner, she works with leaders globally to transform their organization and themselves and serves as the co-dean of multiple McKinsey leadership programs. She's also the co-author of a new book called The Journey of Leadership.

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone who wants to develop leadership skills that focus on long-term success. 

TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE… leadership isn’t about having all of the answers. It’s about creating environments where people can thrive and innovate. In this episode, Dana explores practical solutions to become this leader.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn to think beyond what you deliver in the here and now.

• Develop the muscle to problem-solve together.

• Understand whether it’s the moment to be vulnerable or confident.

• It’s important to develop your capacity as a leader to be able to help your team members grow. 

• Taking the time to reflect is in service of your organization. 

WHAT I LOVE MOST…Dana's advice on the necessity of “micro experiments” stood out – small, actionable changes that expand your comfort zone and leadership capacity.

Running Time: 28:51

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Dana’s Book: 

The Journey of Leadership

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 

This week, I’m excited to replay an insightful conversation with the accomplished Beth Comstock. Beth is a self-described change-maker who has been the President of Integrated Media at NBC Universal, overseeing Ad-sales, Marketing, and Research. She led the company’s digital efforts, including Peacock Equity acquiring iVillage.com, and oversaw the founding of Hulu. She was then tapped by GE to accelerate its evolution from an old-school conglomerate to a global technology-driven company. Cultivating a start-up mentality across the organization for over two decades, she catalyzed growth and novel thinking within GE, ultimately operating their Business Innovation unit. She was also the first female Vice Chair and first Chief Marketing Officer at GE in more than 20 years. She is a member of Nike’s board of directors and a Forbes World’s 100 Most Powerful Women. She’s also a published author with her book Imagine It Forward.     THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone who wants to learn from one of the most successful ‘introverted change-makers’ about how to inspire teams, get uncomfortable, change jobs and companies gracefully, and transform a 125-year-old brand.    TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… Beth shares nuggets of gold gleaned from her 20-year career at GE and NBC Universal. Beth provides inspiration and guidance in an age of staggering technological advancement, the ever-stronger pull of the “next big thing,” and the gravity of the unknown. It is becoming exceedingly important to be self-aware and cognizant of the things that make our businesses human and creative. We work with and for humans, and our customers and audiences are human. Likewise, it is important that our leadership be just as rooted in our humanity. It is our honest and dynamic experience as human beings that will allow us and our businesses to thrive in a world ruled more and more by algorithms and automation.    WHAT I LOVE MOST… Beth is always looking to write her next story and live it as a courageous human being. She has learned along the way that our jobs do not define us. Who we are, the networks we create, the people we meet along the way–that’s what is important. With each new opportunity comes the next story we will create!    Running time: 34:54  

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Beth’s Book: 

Imagine It Forward 

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 

This week, I’m eager to share an entertaining yet highly insightful conversation with Dave Liniger.

Dave co-founded RE/MAX, the Denver-based global real estate franchise, with his wife, Gail, in 1973. Since its founding, RE/MAX has become the leading franchisor of real estate offices worldwide and has expanded to over 9,000 offices in 110 countries with 140,000 sales agents. Even though Dave retired from a CEO position in 2018, he continues to lead the network as Chairman of the Board. He is also a New York Times bestselling author of a book called My Next Step: An Extraordinary Journey of Healing and Hope. It was a remarkable memoir chronicling his triumphant battle against a life-altering medical diagnosis. But he's also the author of a new book that come out in March of 2024 called The Perfect Ten. 

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone who wants to learn from a successful and seasoned leader. 

TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… in our conversation, Dave recounts his journey of building RE/MAX, the leading global real estate franchise. As he reflects on the past 50 years, he presents lessons for every listener, from how to forge a new path in an industry to hiring the right people and leading them well. 

Key takeaways:

- Often, the reason we fail is not that we’re bad at something but that we don’t have a goal.

- From single parents to community leaders, we all have areas of influence. 

- Connecting with leaders outside your industry will teach you things you’ll never figure out independently. 

WHAT I LOVE MOST… you might be surprised to hear that Dave spent 10 years as a NASCAR driver and didn’t start racing until his 50s! He is proof that it’s never too late to explore a different path. 

Running Time: 33:33

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Dave’s Book: 

The Perfect 10: 10 Leadership Principles to Achieve True Independence, Extreme Wealth, and Huge Success

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 

This week, I’m eager to welcome Dr. Thom Mayer to the podcast. He is the Medical Director for the NFL Players Association and was recently nominated to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Dr. Mayer was the originator of the entire NFL Concussion Guidelines program and thus has changed the nature of concussion diagnosis and management worldwide. He served as the Command Physician at the Pentagon Rescue Operation 9/11, Incident Commander for the inhalational anthrax outbreak in Washington, DC, that same year, and led a Team Rubicon Mobile Emergency Team in Ukraine following the outbreak of war.

But if that isn’t enough, he's written 25 books, including his most recent, Leadership Is Worthless...But Leading Is Priceless.

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone looking to sharpen their leadership skills. 

TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE… leading through a crisis requires more than just quick decision-making but resilience, adaptability, and a team-first mentality. Dr. Mayer draws on his experience to explore how leaders can navigate uncharted territory while inspiring growth and innovation. 

Key takeaways:  - It’s better to build relationships than to build a resume. - Burnout occurs when you become disconnected from your deep joy. - There’s no such thing as a “future” leader. We’re all leading in some way.  - Everybody will fail, but those who learn to make their failures their fuel will grow from setbacks. 

WHAT I LOVE MOST… Dr. Mayer says the three common qualities of standout leaders are: thinking about leading as a verb, acting on it within a week, and innovating not at the speed of genius or creativity but at the speed of trust. 

Running Time: 24:05  

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Dr. Mayer’s Book: 

Leadership Is Worthless...But Leading Is Priceless

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 

This week, I’m welcoming two incredible guests to the show who are co-founders of the Convincing Company, a crisis communication and training firm. They have recently co-authored the book Convince Me. 

Adele Gambardella owned an award-winning PR agency in DC for 15 years. She has served as a PR strategist, corporate counsel, and crisis management for clients including the United Nations, Facebook, Johnson and Johnson, and our current president, Joe Biden. 

Chip Massey is a former FBI hostage negotiator and special agent. In his 22-year career in the Bureau, he has led high-profile cases, spearheaded the New York FBI Office Crisis Negotiations team, and won the prestigious FBI Director's Award. At the Convincing Company, he guides executives and their teams in how to apply the bureau's negotiation techniques to business situations. 

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone looking to sharpen their persuasion skills.   TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… being experienced is one thing. Being able to convince others is an entirely other thing. In this episode, Adele and Chip dive into proven strategies for convincing others effectively and respectfully. Whether you're in sales, leadership, or any other field, these tips are invaluable.

Key takeaways: - Adele introduces the idea of a convincing continuum that unfreezes cognitive biases. - Be mindful of how people want to be convinced. Some may be fact-based while others may be emotions-based. - When you get closer to understanding somebody’s unstated narrative, you have a better shot at persuading them to accept a belief.

WHAT I LOVE MOST… I love how different Adele and Chip’s backgrounds are and how that contributes to this episode's unique insights and strategies.    Running Time: 31:29  

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Adele & Chip’s Book: 

Convince Me: High-Stakes Negotiation Tactics to Get Results in Any Business Situation