480: The Case for Good Jobs with Zeynep Ton

Two years ago, my 81-year-old mother, fell in love with Turkish culture. Credit Turkish men. Suffice to say, there’s not a Turkish movie or soap opera she hasn’t seen at least twice. She’s even teaching herself the language.

zeynep ton

This means, of course, that possibly for the first time ever, she’ll be excited to give one of my episodes a listen because Turkey is from where my guest today originally hails.

Her name is Zeynep Ton (Zeynep, according to my mother, is a popular girl’s name in Turkey. It’s even the name of a leading character on one of her “shows.”).

And Zeynep’s new book, released just a few weeks ago, is called The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay & Meaning to Everyone’s Work.

From healthcare facilities to call centers, fulfillment centers to factories, and restaurants to retail stores, companies are struggling to find or keep workers, Zeynep says, because the jobs they offer are low-paying, stressful, and provide little chance for growth and success.

Workers want good jobs, and many leaders want to provide them.

But they don’t think they can offer higher pay and more motivating work without hurting the bottom line. Most business leaders want to win with customers, but their companies are hobbled by a host of service and operational problems largely driven by high employee turnover—turnover that’s partly driven by low pay.

With expertise drawn from spending time on the front lines with workers and their managers, Zeynep knows what’s keeping most companies mired in mediocrity and how implementing a good jobs system makes them more competitive, more resilient, and more likely to attract and retain loyal customers and dedicated employees.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Zeynep and her work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

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479: Finding Clarity, Confidence, and Courage with Dr. Heather Penny

Once in a great while, a book title just grabs you in a way that makes you want to stop what you’re doing right then and there and open it up to experience the gems you know are waiting inside.

dr. heather penny

I recently discovered just such a book, and its gems were numerous to say the least.

I’m talking about a new book titled The Life You’re Made For: Finding Clarity, Confidence, and Courage to Be Fully Alive by Dr. Heather Penny.

Heather helps you blaze a path to the life of your dreams through a transformative process she calls 3C Living. Her guidance helps individuals and teams get traction in their personal and professional lives.

Whether you’re new to executive leadership or are feeling like your career is on pause and your personal life is dragging you down, 3C Living provides a practical, proven blueprint to take you from where you are to where you want to be.

But don’t worry. This isn’t one more book about doing more. You’re probably already doing too much.

This is a book about building rest into your hectic schedule, recognizing and reducing mind chatter, identifying the Givers in your life as well as those who may be taking too much.

You’ll read about the art of receiving, how to “spiral up” rather than down, and how to pursue that unique dream that goes beyond just surviving day to day to actually thriving. Along the way, Heather provides a few simple exercises, questions, and cautions to empower you to stay on track.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Heather and her work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

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475: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most with Adam Alter

You may recall that in the first episode of 2023, I spelled out the six books I was most looking forward to in the first half of this year.

adam alter

Today, I’m thrilled to be able to feature the fourth of those six books. That book is Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most.

Adam has spent the past two decades studying how people become stuck and how they free themselves to thrive. Here he reveals the formula he and other researchers have uncovered. The solution rests on a process that he calls a friction audit—a systematic procedure that uncovers why a person or organization is stuck, and then suggests a path to progress.

The friction audit states that people and organizations get unstuck when they overcome three sources of friction: HEART (unhelpful emotions); HEAD (unhelpful patterns of thought); and HABIT (unhelpful behaviors).

Despite the ubiquity of friction, there are many great “unstickers” hidden in plain sight among us and Alter shines a light on some exceptional stories to share their valuable lessons with us. Getting stuck, Adam says, is a feature rather than a glitch on the road to thriving, but with the right tweaks and corrections we can reach even our loftiest targets.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Adam and his work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

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474: How to Talk About Your Work Using Purposeful Self-Promotion with Lisa Bragg

I love speaking with authors who also happen to be former broadcasters, as is the case today. Why? Because they’re excellent communicators, and today’s guest is certainly no exception.

Lisa Bragg

I’m talking about Lisa Bragg, whose new book comes out in two days called Bragging Rights: How to Talk About Your Work Using Purposeful Self-Promotion.

Tell me if you identify with this: We’ve long been told, “Put your head down, do good work, and eventually someone will notice you.” But that limiting and diminishing advice doesn’t hold up in the noise and pace of these transformative times. The reality is, no one cares about your future the way you do. If you want to achieve remarkable results, it’s up to you to talk about your successes and accomplishments.

In the book, Lisa shows you how to get comfortable with sharing your strengths. Drawing on proprietary research, consultations with high-performing leaders, and her own rich experiences as a journalist and entrepreneur, she examines why so many people are afraid to speak up about their work, illuminates why bragging is a catalyst of positive change, and offers practical advice on embracing and applying the art of authentic self-promotion.

With proven tools, techniques, and insights, Bragging Rights will help you understand and tell the world about your true superpowers, so you can access new opportunities and, along the way, elevate others.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Lisa and her work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

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473: How to Make a Sustainable Living from Your Creativity with Miriam Schulman

Today, I owe a special thanks to former podcast guest and author Michael Schein. He’s the one who introduced me to today’s guest. And a great guest (and author) it is!

miriam schulman

Her name is Miriam Schulman, and she’s written a new book called Artpreneur: The Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Sustainable Living from Your Creativity.

Whether you’re a musician, photographer, painter, writer, dancer, singer, or any other creative with aspirations of making a living from your art, this is the perfect time to turn your creative ideas into a sustainable business. With gatekeepers no longer controlling the market, Miriam says, anyone with a laptop and a dram can make a thriving living from their creativity.

Miriam, who hosts the Inspiration Place podcast, breaks down the five core elements in the “Passion to Profit” planning framework to help you develop your art business—so that you can have the time and freedom to do what you love.

After twenty years of selling art as well as coaching other artists, she knows that now is the time to leave the rat race behind and pursue your highest dreams. It’s time to gamble on yourself.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Miriam and her work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

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