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

This week I’m eager to replay a conversation with Bill Wooditch. Bill is the founder and CEO of Wooditch Enterprises. He works with Fortune 500 companies like AIG, Old Republic, Zurich, and Bank of America to improve their sales and leadership. He appeared regularly on Steve Harvey’s “Act Like a Success” show and has also appeared on CNBC, Fox, and CBS. He has written for Inc., New York Daily News, and the American Management Association.

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone who wants to succeed and learn how to use their indispensable failures to get there faster!

TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE…..it’s the serious student of success that treats failure as the indispensable teacher. Unless you’re able to first move through the pains of rejection and the fear of the attempt, you will not be able to move forward to create the lifestyle you dream of. The key here is to be dispassionate about failure and check your irrational fears, ego, and the fear of losing prestige because this can paralyze your progress. Bill shares some wisdom and strategies for addressing fear, failure, and the pursuit of success.

WHAT I LOVE MOST… it’s a pleasure to have someone on the What’s Next! Podcast who talks about fear of failure and having the courage and fortitude to lean into the kind of discomfort that leads to success. 

Running time: 32:34

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Fail More

Always Forward

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

This week I’m giving another listen to a conversation I shared with Professor Christian Terwiesch and I'm eager to share it with you! Christian is a Professor in Wharton’s Operations and Information Management department, co-director of Penn’s Mack Institute for Innovation Management, and also holds a faculty appointment at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine. He is the co-author of Matching Supply with Demand, a widely used textbook in Operations Management. He launched the first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in business on Coursera based on the book and since its inception, more than half a million students have enrolled. His first management book, Innovation Tournaments, details a new process-based approach to innovation and has inspired innovation tournaments around the world. His latest book, Connected Strategies, combines his expertise in the fields of operations, innovation, and strategy to help companies take advantage of digital technology leading to new business models. In addition to his teaching and his research, Professor Terwiesch is the host of “Work of Tomorrow,” a national radio show on Sirius XM 132. 

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone wanting to become more innovative or bring a culture of innovation to their organization, as well as those wanting to get a pulse on new business models shaping how organizations interact with customers today. 

TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… we have to find different ways of delighting our customers. How do we do that? Through innovation and continuous connection. Professor Terwiesch maintains that innovation is a cultural process that can be managed. That is the power of the Innovation Tournament, it leaves room for that magic spark to fly while giving it direction and structure. Beyond Innovation Tournaments, it’s about becoming continuously connected. This connection enables new ways of delighting the customer and also allows organizations to provide more value to the customer, potentially at a lower cost. The purpose of a connected strategy and a continuous relationship is not only to get data but also to do a better job for the customer. 

WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST… I love that Christian has identified these new business models that are fundamentally changing the way organizations interact with their customers.  

Running Time: 30:47

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Christian’s Book: 

Connected Strategy Book 

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

This week, I have the wonderful pleasure of welcoming two guests. The first is Wes Adams. He is the founder and CEO of SV Consulting Group. He has led teams that were recognized as one of Fast Company's most innovative brands, won multiple Webby Awards, and received two James Beard Award nominations. Also joining him is Tamara Myles. She is a consultant and an international speaker with over two decades of experience helping leaders improve business performance. She is a professor at Boston College and an instructor at the University of Pennsylvania and author of The Secret to Peak Productivity. But the reason they're here today is because they have a new book coming out called Meaningful Work.

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… leaders and managers looking for actionable ways to create more meaningful and fulfilling workplaces.

TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… research shows that finding meaning at work is the single most important factor in creating fulfilled, high-performing teams. In this conversation, Wes and Tamara explore how leaders can foster environments where employees feel a sense of purpose and impact. They share a simple yet transformative framework—community, contribution, and challenge—that helps align individual fulfillment with organizational success. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS…

• Meaning happens in moments. Paying attention to details can go a long way.

• Creating community at work starts with authentic connections and showing genuine care for colleagues.

• Recognizing the contribution of employees strengthens engagement and enhances performance.

• Meaningful work is not just beneficial for individuals but drives long-term organizational success.

WHAT I LOVE MOST… these three simple but powerful questions for leaders: Did I connect with someone today? How did my work have a positive impact? Did I learn something new today? These reflections inspire actionable steps toward more meaningful work environments. 

Running Time: 23:57

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

This week I’m reflecting on a conversation with Heather Monahan that I think is valuable to everyone, no exceptions! Heather is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, entrepreneur, and founder of Boss In Heels. As a Chief Revenue Officer in Media, Heather Monahan is a Glass Ceiling Award winner, named one of the most Influential Women in Radio in 2017, and Thrive Global named her a Limit Breaking Female Founder in 2018. Heather is a confidence expert and her book Confidence Creator shot to #1 on Amazon’s Business Biographies and Business Motivation list the first week it debuted on Amazon, and her show “Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan” can be found on Apple podcasts.

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone who wants to reach his or her full potential and needs that important confidence boost! 

TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… take ownership of your mental platform and be intentional about the tape you run repeatedly in your head. Confidence is the key to unlocking your full potential, and that confident mindset starts with you. It starts by developing that confidence skill through discipline and frequency. When that confidence muscle is strong, scary does not mean freeze, it means go faster. So, take action! Major action is the catalyst that accelerates the confidence growth cycle. There are many paths to confidence, but not all the steps along those paths are created equal, and the bigger the risk, the bigger the confidence reward. Stop letting self-limiting beliefs and fear tell you you’re stuck. No excuses. Just take action! 

WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST… Heather has no shortage of passion for building confidence, taking risks, “firing your villains,” and making the big decisions that will lead you where you need to be and doing what you love! 

Running Time: 30:03 

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Creating Confidence

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

This week, I have two amazing guests on the show. The first is Bob Moesta. He is a founder, maker, innovator, speaker, and professor. He is the president and founder of the Rewired Group, as well as an adjunct lecturer at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern and a research fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute. But what I love most about him is he co-created the famous Jobs to Be Done theory, which I use in almost every keynote I have. Alongside Bob, and not to be outshined by any stretch, is Michael Horn who strives to create a world in which all individuals can build their passions, fulfill their potential, and live a life of purpose. He is the co-founder of and a distinguished fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute, a nonprofit think tank. He also teaches at Harvard Graduate School of Education. 

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…anyone navigating career decisions, seeking purpose, or looking for strategies to make meaningful progress in their work.

TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE…making career moves isn’t just about finding the next big opportunity—it’s about aligning your work with your values, energy, and aspirations. In this conversation, Bob and Michael discuss how to evaluate your current situation, identify opportunities for growth, and take steps toward a more fulfilling career. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Align your career with what energizes and fulfills you.

• Evaluate your current role to identify opportunities for growth.

• Instead of making a person fit the work, make the work fit a person’s strengths.  

• Thoughtful career moves start with clarity about your values and goals.

WHAT I LOVE MOST…Bob and Michael’s insight that career fulfillment doesn’t always mean a big leap—it can come from small, intentional changes that better align your work with your strengths and aspirations.

Running Time: 31:03

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Michael and Bob’s Book: 

Job Moves Assessment

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

This week I am excited to replay a conversation I had with the innovative Tom Stockham. Tom is a passionate champion of disruptive technologies who began his career as an associate at BCG, immersed in the shift to “big-box” retail. He later served as president of Ticketmaster.com, where he helped lead the transition to online ticketing. Then, as CEO of Ancestry.com, he built one of the Internet’s first online content subscription businesses. Today, as CEO of ExpertVoice, Tom leads the company in pioneering a new influencer-marketing category that’s transforming commerce. He’s devoted to the mission of creating a better buying experience for brands, retailers, and consumers through a large network of authentic influential experts who make trusted recommendations. 

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… passionate disrupters, innovators, and those interested in learning more about influencer marketing. 

TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… brands should always put trust at the center of their organization and make a concerted effort to build it up over time. Increasingly, the sources brands are and should be using to do this are Influencers. It’s time to shift the balance and shift resources from speaking on your own behalf as a brand to finding trusted figures that can recommend your brand and speak on your behalf in a trusted way. If you are going to do this well, you need to think about who is going to be best to speak on your behalf, how you are going to get them to do so and be more articulate about your brand, and where that influence is going to take hold such that it is beneficial to your brand.  

WHAT I LOVE MOST… talking to an innovator who has been involved with so many major industry transitions. Now he’s driving the conversation around Influencer marketing, and he feels that this is the next great frontier. 

Running time: 34:26

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ExpertVoice

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

I have the wonderful pleasure of welcoming Mike Maples Jr. to the show this week. He is a co-founding partner at Floodgate. He has been on the Forbes Midas List eight times in the last decade and was also named a “Rising Star” by FORTUNE and profiled by Harvard Business School for his lifetime contributions to entrepreneurship. Before becoming a full-time investor, Mike was involved as a founder and operating executive at back-to-back startup IPOs, including Tivoli Systems, which was acquired by IBM, where his dad used to work, and Motive acquired by Alcatel-Lucent. Some of Mike's investments include Twitter, Clover Health, Okta, Outreach, Chegg, Demandforce, and Applied Intuition. And he has a new book out called Pattern Breakers with his co-author, Peter Zimmerman. 

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…anyone curious to learn about the ingredients to start-up success. 

TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…why is it that 80% of start-ups fail? What factors sets the 20% apart? As a seasoned venture capitalist, Mike says it comes down to breaking patterns. In this episode, he shares how to break away from linear strategies and dare to think boldly and take a risk. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS...

• Great startups force choices, not comparisons. 

• Early believers are essential for co-creating groundbreaking futures.

• Intrapreneurs succeed by innovating discreetly before scaling their ideas.

• Striking out on bold experiments is crucial - safe bets won’t lead to grand slams.

WHAT I LOVE MOST…Mike says that the best ideas often begin as unsettling or even disliked by many. It’s a testament to the power of sticking to bold, authentic visions despite early skepticism.

Running Time: 30:05

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Mike’s Book: Pattern Breakers: Why Some Start-Ups Change the Future

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. In this LinkedIn Live, I had the wonderful honor of welcoming my dear friend, Seth Godin, who I met in 2001 through his book Purple Cow, which is one of my all-time favorite books. Along the way, Seth has always been a great supporter of me and my career. Today, I’m eager to discuss Seth’s latest book, This Is Strategy: Make Better Plans.

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…anyone who wants a fresh perspective on leadership and strategy.  

TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE…strategy isn’t a lofty document or annual exercise. It’s a compass guiding every decision you make. Seth challenges the conventional idea of strategy as static and instead frames it as a dynamic, iterative process of becoming. He shares nuggets of wisdom from his new book, which he says is a love letter for the people he cares about. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS…

• Fear is often the thing that holds people back from making bold decisions.

• False proxies, like easy-to-measure but irrelevant metrics, can misguide your focus.

• The best leaders inspire action by focusing on the “why” behind their strategies.

WHAT I LOVE MOST…Seth’s thoughts on practical empathy. He says it’s easy to become attached to something because you’ve worked hard on it. Practical empathy is understanding your audience and imagining what they need, even if that means reinventing your offerings. It’s a call to lead with both courage and care. 

Running Time: 29:45

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Seth’s Book: 

The Corporate Startup

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

As we approach the end of the year, I’m pausing to look back and celebrate all of the wonderful guests that I had the honor of speaking to on the show. And based on your feedback, many of these guests resonated with you as well so we’re giving you another chance to revisit the stories, insights, and lessons you loved most in 2024! 

This week I'm excited to highlight an episode with Scott Edinger.  

Scott is a consultant for leading business growth and is trusted by clients in the Fortune 50 and across the globe. He has worked with CEOs and senior leaders to develop pragmatic strategies and execute approaches to drive top and bottom-line results. He's written three books. His latest, The Growth Leader, is out now and is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller. He creates positive change for clients and is recognized as an expert in the intersection of leadership, strategy, and sales. 

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone who wants to learn how to close the gap between the C-Suite and the sales team to create profitable growth. 

TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… sales teams are often divorced from talks about strategy, yet the sales process is where strategy is executed. It’s where everything comes to life. In fact, interactions with salespeople drive 25-53% of decisions! In this episode, Scott discusses why it’s so critical to not treat sales as an afterthought and how to effectively include it in planning.    

WHAT I LOVE MOST… it’s the responsibility of a leader to inspire every level of the organization, yes sales, but also product developers, marketers, finance, legal, and customer service teams, to understand the value they bring to the customer.  

Running Time: 29:18 

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Scott’s Book:  

The Growth Leader 

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

As we approach the end of the year, I’m pausing to look back and celebrate all of the wonderful guests that I had the honor of speaking to on the show. And based on your feedback, many of these guests resonated with you as well so we’re giving you another chance to revisit the stories, insights, and lessons you loved most in 2024! 

This week I'm excited to highlight an episode with Michael Bungay Stanier, otherwise known as MBS. 

Despite being virtual friends for a long time, we only had the chance to meet in person this year at the Thinkers50 event, where Michael won a coaching award. If you’ve never met, I’m so delighted to introduce you to Michael. He’s best known for his book The Coaching Habit, which is the bestselling book on coaching this century and is considered a classic by none other than Seth Godin. His most recent book is How to Work with (Almost) Anyone. 

He founded Box of Crayons, a learning and development company that has trained hundreds of thousands of managers to be more coach-like in organizations, from Microsoft to Gucci. His TEDx Talk has been viewed by more than a million people.

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone who wants to approach professional relationships more actively and intentionally. 

TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… sometimes work relationships have great chemistry - you get along with your manager or team and are excited about working together. Although it’s an ideal situation, that’s rarely the case. In this episode, Michael shares his strategies for building the best possible relationships with the people you work with.  

WHAT I LOVE MOST… taking a step back to learn about how we and the people around us work so that together we can amplify the best of who we are and avoid the worst of who we are. 

Running Time: 30:49 

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Michael’s Book: 

How to Work with (Almost) Anyone