A Geek Leader Podcast - inspiring technical and creative leaders around the world
The ultimate podcast for aspiring leaders in the creative or technology fields. John Rouda discusses leadership topics, interviews some of the greatest minds today and teaches you practical leadership tips, techniques, tricks and hacks to improve motivation, negotiation, and other much needed skills for leaders today.
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AGL 380: Dominic Dithurbide
08/29/2024
AGL 380: Dominic Dithurbide
About Dominic Dominic is a creative, goal-driven marketing leader that’s dedicated his career to the translation industry. Dominic brings proficiency in global marketing, demand generation, and go-to-market strategies as the Director of Marketing at MotionPoint. MotionPoint is a managed translation platform that delivers concierge-level, end-to-end translation to meet the needs of brands across desired languages and local markets. MotionPoint’s concierge-level managed translation service has led the industry for 22 years. Today We Talked About Dominic's background Journey at MotionPoint Visa's, Green cards, etc. Languages AI / Machine Learning "More people got rich selling shovels during the gold rush, than they did from finding gold." Leaders are Fulcrums Empathy Start with Why Don't Walk the Plank Connect with Dominic Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 379: Greg Davis
08/23/2024
AGL 379: Greg Davis
About Greg Greg has served on the Bigleaf Networks' board of directors since 2020. He has a consistent track record scaling businesses and creating enterprise value through revenue growth, operational performance, and strategic acquisitions. Greg’s technology leadership career spans more than 25 years, where he has led multiple companies from start up to over $100 million in annual revenue. Prior to Bigleaf, Greg served as COO at HungerRush, a national leader in hospitality software. Prior to HungerRush, Greg spent eight years as EVP of Sales at Alert Logic, where he led sales, marketing, and other key area of the business. Today We Talked About Greg's background Events that lead from Hospitality to Tech Developing Folks Solving Problems Growing people's careers Goals High Performance Safety Physical Safety Intellectual Safety Financial Safety Transparency Trust Retrospective on ALL Meetings Connect With Greg Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 378: Dr. Marshall Goldsmith
08/15/2024
AGL 378: Dr. Marshall Goldsmith
About Marshall Dr. Marshall Goldsmith has been recognized as one of the Top Ten Business Thinkers in the World and the top-rated executive coach at the Thinkers50 ceremony in London since 2011. Published in 2015, his book Triggers is a Wall Street Journal and New York Times #1 Bestseller! He’s also the author of New York Times best seller and #1 Wall Street Journal Business Book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, winner of the Harold Longman Award as Best Business Book of the Year. Today We Talked About Leadership Luck IBM Coaching Knowledge Philanthropy MarshallBot Connect with Marshall Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 377: Dean Guida
08/08/2024
AGL 377: Dean Guida
About Dean Dean Guida has led his organization through decades of technological change, cultivating Infragistics from a small startup in 1989 into a global enterprise software leader. Dean oversees all aspects of Infragistics' business operations and corporate direction, maintaining a steady focus on delighting the customer, delivering value to the market, and inspiring STEM students. With a developer and UX professional community of more than two million, Infragistics has achieved the highest awards in software development, and Infragistics enterprise apps help users collaborate and obtain insights and results for their companies. Dean has developed software solutions that accelerate design, development, and collaboration, including the trailblazing digital workplace platform, . A regular contributor to Entrepreneur Magazine and a frequent podcast guest, Dean is the author of (Inc. Original). Today We Talked About Dean's background What is Grit? Optimistic Open to solve problems and not blame You're Never "Done" Tough Skin Data Decisions by Data Leading with Data Validation Tough Conversations Situation Behavior Impact Hiring and retaining valuable team members How you write job descriptions What is it like to work on the team Soft Skill assessments Don't Settle... Hiring is hard 30,60,90,180,365 Success criteria and evaluations Onboarding is important Culture is important... Pay is also important, but it's not #1 Invest in yourself to learn Build a learning culture Check-in personally and professionally Be Authentic Connect With Dean Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 376: The Dystopian Utopia with Carl M.A. Arden
08/02/2024
AGL 376: The Dystopian Utopia with Carl M.A. Arden
About Carl Carl is a Swedish-born author with a background in business and international relations. He studied economics at the University of Oxford and completed an MBA at the London Business School. He worked as a diplomat in Moscow and completed one tour of peacekeeping in Kosovo before moving into different roles in investment banking and corporate finance. His main interests are in future trends, disruptive technologies, socio-political and economic systems, risks and uncertainty, sustainable development, and all creative arts. Carl is interested in alternative history novels and realistic books about the near and far future. Despite, or probably because of, his background in economics and finance, he does not believe in single trajectory forecasts, but rather in base-case and outlier scenarios that open our eyes to how the future could unfold. He believes in chaos, in the sense that small changes to our current situation can have a large impact on future development. He is also interested in world-crafting books that describe carefully designed and internally consistent worlds. Carl is interested in the nature of man and in our creative and destructive potential. As a result, he is a keen reader of books on different utopias and dystopias. He tries to follow research institutes like the Future of Life Institute at MIT and the Center for the Study of Existential Risks at Cambridge, which he believes do very important work on what he would refer to as the meta-sustainability of our species. Among non-fiction authors that he finds insightful, Carl would mention Yuval Harari, Toby Ord, William MacAskill, Jared Diamond, David Wallace-Wells, and Nassim Taleb. Among fiction authors that inspire him, he would mention George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, and Frank Herbert. There are of course many more. *The Dystopian Utopia* is Carl's first book. It is a work of speculative fiction about one (of infinitely many) possible futures for humanity. He is married with two children, lives in Sweden, and enjoys sports and nature. Today We Talked About Background The Title Be a Hero A.I. Dystopia Why? What's next for Humans Virtual Dreams Finding Purpose Connect With Carl Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 375: Chad Brown
07/29/2024
AGL 375: Chad Brown
About Chad Chad Brown is a leadership engagement expert. He coaches founders and executives in the art and science of leadership for themselves, their teams, and clients to create new, unprecedented results and experience fulfillment in their work. Chad founded a media production studio called Shade Tree Films in 2008 that has serviced global companies such as Volkswagen, Target, and Pixar Animation Studios. This is where his love and passion for leadership and causing results through others was ignited. He sold that company in 2021. He thrives in extreme environments and difficult conversations. Over the last 7 years, Chad has trained and developed leaders at globally recognized brands like Lulu Lemon, and Ironclad Document Services along with many burgeoning start-ups. When he is not engaging in meaningful conversations with leaders, you will find (or won't be able to find) Chad on a wild adventure in the mountains with his family. He resides at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in Orem Utah with his wife Katie and three children Addison, Kenya, and Milo. Today We Talked About Chad's background Team building Leadership Coaching Learning from Failure Ego Letting Go Trust isn't built, its Chosen Immature Trust All of us have Snakes in us - Jordan Peterson Mature Trust Accountability with no Authority Information is a social currency Generously communicating information Celebrate Failure Personal Vulnerability Courage 4 Pillars of Founder Freedom Assessment Connect with Chad Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 374: Richmond Alake
07/19/2024
AGL 374: Richmond Alake
About Richmond Richmond Alake is an AI/ML Practitioner with an academic background in computer vision, robotics, and machine learning. He has worked in software development and machine learning roles since 2016. Richmond has also taught online AI/ML/Data courses and written over 200 technical articles with over 1 million views. He is passionate about using technology to solve real-world problems. Today We Talked About AI/ML MongoDB Compute Data Models Opensource Language Models LLM applications Prompt Engineering RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) architecture Credible Sources are important BAP - Becoming A Person Connect with Richmond Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 373: Madeline Miller
07/12/2024
AGL 373: Madeline Miller
About Madeline Madeline Miller is making executive coaching more accessible and inclusive for rising leaders, specifically, Gen Z and Millennial women; so they can take control of their careers, reduce burnout and develop interpersonal skills and healthy resilience to become the leaders they wish they had. As a lawyer, DEI consultant, and Career and Leadership coach, Madeline founded Coaching With Madeline after 15+ years spent walking the line between milestone successes and frequent uncertainty. With degrees from The University of Melbourne and UCLA, she’s worked in high-profile roles across the globe (including as production attorney on the James Bond movie franchise). Known for her easy-to-digest content bites and online resources and courses, she helps Gen Z and Millennials identify and align work choices and values, gain clarity on goals, and refine interpersonal skills and influence. Today We Talked About Madeline's background Leadership The AIR Framework Alignment Influence Resilience Values Communication Fear "And Then What?" Saying "No" Assertive Communication Connect With Madeline Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 372: Sol Rashidi
07/05/2024
AGL 372: Sol Rashidi
About Sol Sol Rashidi, a former C-Suite executive, is now a consultant and influencer within the AI, data, and technology space, having helped IBM launch Watson back in 2011 and involved in “hands on” AI deployments since. She’s been named 50 Most Powerful Women in Tech, Top 100 Innovators in Data & Analytics, CAO of the Year, CDO of the Year, Global Data Power Women, and holds eight patents. Her new book, (Wiley, April 30, 2024), was named among Best Books in AI by CEOWorld and made it to the bestseller list in less than one month. Learn more at Today We Talked About Sol's background Sol's executive journey learning Watson... what was that like? Practitioner to Executive Connect with Sol Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 371: Rhea Wessel
06/27/2024
AGL 371: Rhea Wessel
About Rhea Rhea Wessel, an American writer, specializes in empowering companies to expand their reach by enhancing their storytelling capabilities. She provides guidance on ideation, messaging, and the art of articulating one's best ideas to drive innovation. With a prolific career in journalism, Rhea has penned thousands of articles for esteemed publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and BBC. As a corporate writer, she has crafted and refined countless narratives spanning across 30 diverse industries. Rhea proudly leads The Institute for Thought Leadership. For further insights, visit the website at Today We Talked About Rhea's background Leadership Why AI for writing Thought Leadership Finding your niche Frame it Flesh it out List making Mind Mapping Using Generative AI Finding your Audience Pitfalls of writting Don't put in too much Connect with Rhea Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 370: Powerful Phrases
06/21/2024
AGL 370: Powerful Phrases
About Karin And David Karin Hurt helps human-centered leaders find clarity in uncertainty, drive innovation, and achieve breakthrough results. She’s the Founder and CEO of , a global leadership development firm known for practical tools and techniques for human-centered leaders. A former Verizon Wireless executive with more than two decades of experience in sales, customer service, and human resources, Karin is known for growing courageous leaders, building great cultures, and inspiring high-performance teams. Since 2013, Karin and her husband, David have grown tens of thousands of leaders on every continent (except Antarctica) with their leadership development programs and keynotes. In addition to encouraging courage around the world, they also provide clean water to the people of Cambodia through their philanthropic initiative. Karin is an award-winning author of five books, including: She is the host of the popular LinkedIn show, . And she was recently named by Inc. Magazine as a David Dye helps human-centered leaders find clarity in uncertainty, drive innovation, and achieve breakthrough results. He’s President of , a global leadership development firm known for practical tools and techniques for human-centered leaders. A former executive, David is known for helping leaders and teams achieve transformational results without sacrificing their humanity Since 2013, Karin and David have helped grow tens of thousands of leaders on every continent (except Antarctica) with their leadership development programs and keynotes. They also provide clean water to the people of Cambodia through their philanthropic initiative. David is an award-winning author of six books including: David also hosts the popular podcast, . Today We Talked About Backgrounds Dimensions of Collaboration Connection Clarity Curiosity Commitment Acknowledgement of the Emotion What went right? It sounds to me like you're feeling _____, Do I have that right? Do we need conflict? What would a successful outcome do for you? What does it matter? Managing Up. ? I hear you, and I am concerned ____ The sooner you handle something, the easier it will be. Have I set clear expectations? Are they in conflict because of me. What do you want me to know? Vent or Intervention? Should the 3 of us talk together? Notice the pattern What is most needed? The 12 GOATs Connect with Karin Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 369: Mindfulness with Daniela Bumann
06/14/2024
AGL 369: Mindfulness with Daniela Bumann
About Daniela Daniela, a Swiss native based in California, is a corporate consultant, international teacher and transformational speaker, life coach, and evolutionary consciousness guide. She helps high-performers overcome achievers burnout, repair relationships, and boost productivity. With expertise in performance and positive psychology and communication, Daniela maximizes individual and team performance. Her unorthodox approach blends wit and reflection, enabling personal growth through new habits, next-level mindset and boundaries. In her groundbreaking book, "," Daniela explores unlocking spiritual potential for fulfillment. As an evolutionary guide, she helps individuals from all walks of life. Her insights and teachings open new pathways for change and help individuals tap into their spiritual potential, creating greater unity on Earth. Today We Talked About Her background High Performance without Pain Boundaries Burnout Being Present Mindfulness 7 Habits Slow Down to speed up Pivot 3 Minute Power Meditations (LIVE ON THE SHOW). Pragmatic and Spiritual Schedule Flow State Dolphins Ego Patience Become Intentional Connect with Daniela Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 368: AI Tools with Peter Guirguis
06/07/2024
AGL 368: AI Tools with Peter Guirguis
About Peter Peter Guirguis is the founder of Support, a company dedicated to creating affordable, engaging websites and apps for small businesses. By leveraging scientific methods and psychological principles, Peter creates designs that not only attract customers but also keep them engaged. His work, recognized by the Wells Fargo Leaders Club, reflects his commitment to delivering impactful digital solutions. At SwiftPress Support, Peter’s approach is not just about building an online presence; it’s about empowering small businesses to connect deeply with their audience, driving success online and beyond. Today We Talked About Peter's background Side Hustles AI Replying to Emails AI Tools Google Gemini Microsoft Co-Pilot Cider AI Write Sonic Super Human AI Have a conversation with the AI Empathy Never Split the Difference Tactical Empathy DISC personality models Use AI for feedback Use Humans Wordpress Themes Wordpress Security Connect With Peter Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 367: Martin Gonzalez
05/15/2024
AGL 367: Martin Gonzalez
About Martin Martin Gonzalez is the coauthor of The Bonfire Moment, and the creator of Google’s Effective Founders Project, a global research program that decodes the factors that enable startup founders to succeed. He also works closely with Google’s engineering and research leaders on org design, leadership and culture challenges. Martin is a frequent lecturer at Stanford, Wharton and INSEAD, and has advised leaders across the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia. He has been recognized as a Fellow by the Aspen Institute's First Movers Program and as a Thinkers50 Radar awardee, both for his contributions to shaping the future of management and leadership. He studied organizational psychology and behavioral science at Columbia University and the London School of Economics. Today We Talked About Martin's background Time at Google Teaching Book 4 Traps at the root of Failed Startups 65% of startups fail because of people issues What is a Bonfire Moment How to run a Bonfire Workshop? Compare yourself to other founders User guide for working with me 3 Masks we wear Imposter Syndrome Conflict 2 Minute Hack Xerox Park Story (Bob Taylor) Beautiful Mess Effect Connect With Martin Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 366: Burnout Immunity with Kandi Wiens
05/15/2024
AGL 366: Burnout Immunity with Kandi Wiens
About Kandi Kandi Wiens, EdD, MSEd, MBA, is a senior fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, the director of the Penn Master's in Medical Education Program and the Penn Health Professions Education Certificate Program, and the academic director of the PennCLO Master's Program. She is the author of . She frequently teaches in various graduate-level and executive-format programs across the University of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the Thinkers50 Radar 2024 cohort, a researcher, a national speaker, and an executive coach whose work focuses on helping leaders hone and use their emotional and social intelligence to amplify their positive impact and protect themselves from burnout. Today We Talked About Kandi's background Burnout Stress Health scare Burnout What causes it? Culture Leaders' goal The Sweet Spot of Stress Open conversations about stress and deadlines Clear Expectations Boundaries 3 Rx Prescription Recovery - Prioritize it Reconnect Reimagine Walk n Talks Emotional Intelligence Social Intelligence "How did that land with you?" ! Connect with Kandi Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 365: AI with Adityo Prakash
05/15/2024
AGL 365: AI with Adityo Prakash
About Adityo Adityo Prakash is the co-founder and CEO of Verseon, a company at the forefront of modern drug discovery. Adityo started Verseon because he wanted to change how the world finds new medicines. He enjoys building fundamental science-based solutions to major business problems. In addition to guiding the company’s business strategy, he has also been instrumental in building various aspects of the company’s technology platform. Prior to starting Verseon, Adityo was the co-founder and CEO of Pulsent, and the principal inventor of that company’s technologies, which lie at the heart of all video streaming today. A technologist and business strategist with a track record of delivering industry firsts, he is an inventor on over 40 patent families, and received his BS in Mathematics and Physics from the California Institute of Technology. Today We Talked About Adityo's background Video Streaming Background High Tech and Bio Tech Combine AI with Quantum Physics Connect with Adityo Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 364: AJ Jacobs on Living Constitutionally
05/10/2024
AGL 364: AJ Jacobs on Living Constitutionally
About AJ A.J. Jacobs is a journalist, lecturer and human guinea pig who has written four bestselling books—including Drop Dead Healthy and The Year of Living Biblically—that blend memoir, science, human and a dash of self-help. A contributor to NPR, The New York Times, and Esquire, among other media outlets, Jacobs lives in New York City with his family. Today We Talked About Books Gratitude Puzzles Curiosity 18 century mindsets News intake Flexibility Focus Slow down Privateers Virtues Connect with AJ Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 363: Financial Planning with Landon Loveall
05/03/2024
AGL 363: Financial Planning with Landon Loveall
About Landon Landon Loveall is a certified financial planner and dedicated advocate for tech professionals to increase their wealth through financial, investment, and stock option planning. He is a partner of KB Financial Advisors which has been specializing in maximizing stock options for tech employees since 2014. Landon regularly shares his thought leadership on the KB Financial Advisors blog about the unique scenarios presented by employee stock options. When he's not assisting clients, Landon enjoys kayaking down the Duck River with his wife Melissa and their three children in Columbia, Tennessee. Today We Talked About Financial Planning Basics 401K planning Maxing out your retirement Supplemental Wages Taxes Investments Roth IRA Budgets Consistence YNAB - Connect with Landon Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 362: Moral Code with Lois Melbourne
04/26/2024
AGL 362: Moral Code with Lois Melbourne
About Lois Lois’ eighteen years as CEO and co-founder of a workforce analytics and talent management software company, gave her front-row seats to people watching within the corporate habitat. Working with clients around the world developed her deep curiosity around people’s choices and the stories surrounding them. She continues to collaborate with her software co-founder and husband, Ross. She weaves the stories around his technology vision in their debut novel, titled Moral Code. A science-fiction for readers from book clubs to AI technologists. Bringing strong women in STEM into the possibilities of powerful ethical artificial intelligence has been creative passion project. Upon selling their company, Lois founded the nonprofit My Future Story and published two children’s books to engage kids in their exploration of career opportunities. “STEM Club Goes Exploring” and “Kids Go To Work Day”. Lois is now engaged in writing and advocacy for voting rights and civic education. She volunteers with several organizations improving education and many other issues that matter to her communities. She writes because there are stories to tell and wonders to interpret and translate for others. She believes in science and rejects the concept that embracing technology leads to a dystopian future. Raised in Iowa and then Missouri, Lois moved to warmer Texas, as soon as she had the power to choose. Her favorite quote is “Live like others won’t, until you can live like others can’t.” Residing on a tree-filled acreage, she seldom writes creatively in a conventional desk chair. Today We Talked About Lois's background AI Co-founding Software Company Reseach for fiction writers Moral Code STEM Leading through the community Using Interns properly Connect with Lois Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 361: The Ask Approach, by Jeff Wetzler
04/19/2024
AGL 361: The Ask Approach, by Jeff Wetzler
About Jeff Jeff Wetzler is co-CEO of Transcend, a nationally recognized innovation organization, and an expert in learning and human potential. Wetzler combines unique leadership experiences spanning more than 25 years in business and education, as a management consultant to the world’s top corporations, a learning facilitator for leaders around the world, and as Chief Learning Officer at Teach For America. Jeff earned a Doctorate in Adult Learning and Leadership from Columbia University and a bachelor’s in psychology from Brown University. Based in New York, he is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network and is an Edmund Hillary Fellow. Today We Talked About Jeff's background Ask? Learning Fear Curiosity We feel certain respect by trying first Start with Why Make it Safe The ASK approach 5 Practices Choose Curiosity - what can I learn from this person? Make it Safe Pose Quality Questions - Underutilized questions (reactions) How we Listen to the answers - door knob moment Reflect and Reconnect - sift it and turn it Connect with Jeff Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 360: Programmed to Fail with Brandon Epstein
04/12/2024
AGL 360: Programmed to Fail with Brandon Epstein
About Brandon Brandon Epstein is a world class Mental Performance Coach with over fifteen years of experience coaching professional athletes, entrepreneurs, and executives. He founded the Jump Rope Dudes Initiative, an online fitness community with over a million members, and is the author of Programmed To Fail: How to Break Through Your Mental Blocks and Achieve Greatness. He lives in in Fort Lauderdale, FL with his wife and two daughters. Today We Talked About Brandon's background Chris Weidman Don't operate from obligation Ego Focus Mindset Jump Rope Inspiration vs. Obligation Mindset Connect with Brandon Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 359: AI Doctor with Dr. Ronald Razmi
04/05/2024
AGL 359: AI Doctor with Dr. Ronald Razmi
About Dr. Ronald Razmi RONALD M. RAZMI, MD is a cardiologist and the co-founder and Managing Director of Zoi Capital, a venture capital firm that invests in the applications of AI in healthcare. He completed his medical training at the Mayo Clinic and holds an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. Ron was one of the pioneers in application of MRI systems in managing cardiac patients. He built the software system, cardiovascularmri.com, to serve as a platform for education and training of cardiologists in using MRI in managing their patients. He is a co-author of the textbook "Handbook of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging." Ron was a McKinsey consultant with focus on investments and buyouts of medical technologies. In 2011, he founded a population health management software company at the dawn of digital health. He saw firsthand the confluence of clinical, technical, and business factors that need to come together for new technologies to gain adoption in healthcare. Much of what he learned is covered in his new book, , to educate innovators, buyers and investors about the roadmap of technology adoption in healthcare. AI Doctor has received international media coverage, including the World Economic Forum, , , and more. Ron has been one of the prominent voices in digital health over the last 15 years. In 2021, he launched one of the only blogs focused solely on the applications of AI in healthcare. He's a frequent speaker at conferences, guest on podcasts, and author of medical and business articles. Today We Talked About Ron's background AI Medicine Digital Data Sharing Data in the same language Short-term, Mid-term, Long-term outlooks The future Challenges of AI in healthcare Connect with Ron Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 358: Elliott Parker on the Illusion of Innovation
03/28/2024
AGL 358: Elliott Parker on the Illusion of Innovation
About Elliott Elliott is CEO of High Alpha Innovation, the leading venture builder that partners with organizations and entrepreneurs to solve big problems through startup creation. Prior to High Alpha Innovation, Elliott led business design at High Alpha, the Indianapolis-based venture studio; he has also worked in innovation and strategy consulting at Innosight, in corporate venturing, and as an entrepreneur to bring new ideas to market. Originally from California, Elliott has a deep entrepreneurial background as a founder, advisor, and investor. He earned a B.S. in Finance from BYU and an M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, where he was a Venture Fellow. Today We Talked About Elliott's background Digital Transformation Scaling business Start-ups Efficiency vs Innovation Facebook Innovation in Nature More Experiments Faster, Cheaper, Weider. Structure your experiments Autonomy Launch External Startups Be surprised by what you learn Learning Problem vs. Execution Problem Connect with Elliott Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 357: Alex Natskovich
03/22/2024
AGL 357: Alex Natskovich
About Alex He is a seasoned engineering leader and CEO. Born in Belarus, he harbored a lifelong dream of becoming an engineer. After graduating from university, he moved to the USA. During the initial years, he resided in New York, working as a software engineer in various companies. One of the most notable was the startup Conductor, where he joined as the 5th employee. It has now evolved into the leading global SEO and content intelligence platform. During his tenure there, Alex was responsible for building and maintaining an industry-leading link-building system. Simultaneously, he embarked on building his own company, MEV (named after the mega-electron-volt) - a strategic software development partner for fast-growing companies. Afterward, he decided to settle in the Bay Area. While at the helm of his company, he assisted esteemed companies such as Cartier, Novo Nordisk, Daiichi Sankyo, and Avadel in overcoming complex business challenges through software solutions. Additionally, he aided numerous startups in developing stable and scalable digital products, making them attractive for acquisition. Alex is passionate about empowering businesses with the right technology. He firmly believes in the power of teams. Building a high-performing team, in his view, necessitates being open-minded and always striving to thoroughly understand the team's objectives and needs for success. This solution-oriented mindset and team focus form the cornerstone of his company. Today We Talked About Alex's background Software Development Master Purpose Autonomy Motivation 3.0 Values Empathy In-house and Outsourced Teams Full integration Aligned autonomy Culture of Ownership Eliminate Toxic Cultures Ukraine vs. Russia War Focus on what you can control Take Connect with Alex Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 356: John Fisher
03/15/2024
AGL 356: John Fisher
About John John has worked for a wide variety of companies including BPP, GP Strategies (on the HSBC contract), Training 2000 Ltd, Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions and BAe Systems designing and delivering leadership and personal Development interventions, coaching and Project Management. He is experienced at operating at all organizational levels providing, not only development training but also coaching and Boost Growth business consultancy Background John designs, develops and facilitates learning in a highly interactive environment, based on participants own experience. His sessions involve group activities and facilitate discussion to elicit key points. This is to allow participants to gain a thorough working knowledge, with constructive feedback, in a safe environment. John is an experienced coach and trained counsellor who works from a Constructivist perspective that encourages individuals to explore their own solutions. Today We Talked About John's background Soft Skills Coaching IF/THEN "Leadership is what you lack when you don't know what to do." George Kelly Change Curve Fear, Threats, Anxiety Change is hard Make Windows from Walls Managing The Horizon Timeline Therapy Hypnotherapy Connect with John Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 355: Krishna Bala
03/08/2024
AGL 355: Krishna Bala
About Krishna Krishna Bala, is currently Sr. VP of Engineering at Proscia, a leading provider of digital and computational pathology solutions, where he oversees the development of its enterprise pathology platform. He is an experienced healthcare technologist with more than 20 years of experience in software development, data engineering and AI/Machine-Learning. He is also an entrepreneur with several successful exits including an IPO as CTO/Founder. Krishna has a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University in New York. Today We Talked About Krishna's past Data and Healthcare Going from Product to Platform AI in Pathology Scrum of Scrums Conway's Law Breaking down Silos Product Management Robust Dialog Transparency Prioritization Quarterly Business Review (Retrospective) Connect with Krishna Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 354: Hannah Ryu and Veronica Shelton
03/01/2024
AGL 354: Hannah Ryu and Veronica Shelton
About Hannah and Veronica Hannah Ryu is the Co-Founder of Oak Theory alongside her other half, Veronica Shelton. Oak Theory is a design studio specializing in UX/UI, web and application design. Their resumés have names on them like Disney, HBO, Salesforce, Estée Lauder, Oprah, Unilever, Sephora, Subaru, and MAC cosmetics, where Oak Theory now currently works with industry giants like Google and the University of California. Leading with a human-centered yet deeply analytical approach, Hannah’s strategic know-how shapes Oak Theory’s mission to transform diverse perspectives into robust digital designs. Growing Oak Theory as one of the 0.1% of agencies founded by women of color posed its own challenges, but in just 3 years Hannah, alongside Veronica, has built a team that delivers exceptional, inclusive, and human-centered design. “Our cultural backgrounds and unique perspectives as a collective of diverse creatives help our clients show up in a more authentic, impactful, and purposeful way. It’s been a joy to enable that transformation for them.” Hannah’s career trajectory has been anything but ordinary. Starting out in a nonprofit, she then took on the role of a magazine assistant (think “Devil Wears Prada”), and ultimately ascended to a product manager position in a tech company. Her journey has given her perspective and clarity, making her uniquely equipped her to shape a workspace that prioritizes psychological safety, and promotes a culture that combines open-ended curiosity with solution-driven thinking. To put it simply, Veronica’s brain is literally built for design. Being a neurodivergent person, she has a knack for capturing complex concepts and ideas with visuals that anyone can relate to. Over the past 10+ years, she has partnered with brands of every size, from startups to Fortune 500 conglomerates, using her abilites to build impactful experiences across every medium, from print, to social media, to entire rebrands for top organizations. Her work is more than a profession; it’s a reflection of her life. Whether she’s exploring new technologies, mastering programming languages, or indulging in her gaming life with Apex Legends, Veronica’s hobbies are a testament to her dedication to her craft. A true globetrotter at heart, she eagerly anticipates the opportunity to draw fresh inspiration from her travels. The inception of Oak Theory, co-founded with Hannah during the pandemic, marked a pivotal moment in her career. Their mission: to forge a space where inclusivity is not just a goal, but the cornerstone of design philosophy. This endeavor is about more than creating sharp visuals and frustration-free navigation; it’s about making every user feel seen and accounted for. Parallel to her role at Oak Theory, Veronica is the driving force behind , a mobile game development company. Here, her focus is on infusing mobile puzzle games with a feminine flair and bringing better representation to women of color in emerging media. Whether it’s through game development or her broader design work, Veronica’s vision is clear: to create experiences that resonate universally, transcending audience differences and showcasing the power of inclusive design. In everything she does, Veronica embodies the essence of a designer who not only captures complex concepts with ease but also paves the way for greater diversity and representation in the world of design and beyond.” Today We Talked About Hannah's background Veronica's background AI Diversity in Design Leadership Creativity Solving Problems Showing up Data-Driven UI/UX UI/UX Ecosphere Connect with Hannah Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 353: Vitaly Gerko
02/23/2024
AGL 353: Vitaly Gerko
About Vitaly Vitaly is the Chief Business Development Officer of the global Adtech video platform for publishers . During his career, he managed to work with Google, META, Amazon Ads as well as the largest publishers & advertisers. He is also an Investor, Limited Partner at True Global Ventures (16+ projects). Vitaly has 15+ years of experience in AdTech, MarTech and project oversight, and 5+ years of experience in mentoring startups in AdTech and unit economics. Today We Talked About Vitaly's background AI in Ads Privacy Hiring Soft Skills and Hard Skills ad performance Connect with Vitaly Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 352: Sean Falconer
02/16/2024
AGL 352: Sean Falconer
About Sean has a lofty goal: to make the digital economy safer. And he's doing so one API at a time. A former competitive programmer, entrepreneur, and expert storyteller, his many accomplishments include designing the software used to create ICD-11 at the World Health Organization, founding Proven.com, and leading developer relations teams at Google. When he's not interviewing industry insiders as one of the hosts of the popular podcast or diving into all things data security and privacy on , you can find this world-class tech talent serving as Head of Marketing and Developer Relations at , the world's first and only data privacy vault delivered as an API. Today We Talked About startups teaching developer advocacy data manipulation privacy abstracting privacy away from engineering Connect with Sean Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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AGL 351: Lisa Nestor
02/09/2024
AGL 351: Lisa Nestor
About Lisa Lisa Nestor, a seasoned strategist in the financial services industry, is the Chief of Strategy at Airtm, an innovative online platform that provides financial services to people around the world. With her guidance, Airtm has facilitated over 26M transactions and helped hundreds of thousands of individuals access financial markets. Passionate about building solutions that empower individuals by improving their financial capabilities, Lisa believes that everyone should have access to the tools they need to manage their finances effectively and participate in the global economy. Lisa has a strong background in digital assets, payments, and ecosystem development. An early employee of the Stellar Development Foundation, she led partnerships and ecosystem strategy from 2016 – 2020. She has played a crucial role in Airtm's success and has been instrumental in creating a platform that offers low fees and quick transaction times for users. Lisa Nestor's dedication to empowering individuals and improving financial markets has helped to make Airtm a leader in the online financial services space, and her insights and expertise will undoubtedly continue to shape the industry. Today We Talked About Lisa's background Micro Finance Blockchain Stellar Blockchain Connect with Lisa Leave me a tip $ to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word. Thanks again!
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