What's Next! with Tiffani Bova

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.    Every once in a while, I get to sit across from someone who didn't just participate in an industry, but helped change what we expect from it. Ron Johnson is one of those people and I'm excited to have him as my guest. At Target, he helped bring great design to the mass market. At Apple, working alongside Steve Jobs, he created the Apple Store and helped reimagine a store as something much bigger than a place to buy things. He also has been the CEO of JCPenney and founder of Enjoy Technology. He has a new book out, Shop Different.    THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…entrepreneurs, founders, and business leaders looking to challenge conventional thinking, create differentiated experiences, and turn bold ideas into lasting business impact.   TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…great businesses are about more than selling a product. Ron shares what he learned at Target, JCPenney, Apple about creating experiences that make people want to come back. He also talks about why leaders need both conviction and an open mind, and why the right people and culture are so important when you're trying to do something new.   KEY TAKEAWAYS: Conviction matters, but leaders need to stay close to customer feedback and remain open to changing course. The best customer experiences start with a clear vision and an employee experience designed to support it. Differentiation isn't simply about being different, it's about creating something meaningfully better. Transforming a business requires the courage to think beyond what has worked in the past. The strongest brands create experiences that go beyond transactions and give people a reason to come back.   WHAT I LOVE MOST…the best innovations don't always start with a goal of changing the world. They start with someone willing to think differently, do the work, and create something people genuinely value.   Running Time: 28:05   Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X    Find Ron Online: LinkedIn   Ron's Book: Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.    I'm excited to welcome Caroline Webb to the show this week. She is an economist, executive coach, former McKinsey partner and senior advisor to the firm, and the best-selling author of How to Have a Good Day. She's also been recognized by Thinkers 50 as one of the world's top executive coaches. Her new book, Leadership Intelligence, draws on psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral economics to tackle 21 of the everyday challenges leaders face.    THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…leaders and managers looking to lead more effectively under pressure, communicate with greater intention, and turn good leadership knowledge into better everyday behavior.   TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…knowing what good leadership looks like is one thing; practicing it when you're tired, stressed, or under pressure is another. Caroline explains how stress affects our ability to think and respond well, and shares practical ways leaders can pause, ask better questions, give clear feedback, and stay connected to what matters.   KEY TAKEAWAYS: Stress and fatigue can make good leadership much harder to access in the moment. Small habits can help leaders respond thoughtfully instead of reacting. Better questions create space for people to share concerns and different perspectives. Clear, specific feedback is a form of kindness, not a lack of empathy. Taking a pause can lead to better decisions and better leadership.   WHAT I LOVE MOST…great leadership isn't about being perfect. It's about building the habits that help you respond with intention when it would be much easier to react. Running Time: 25:35   Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X    Find Caroline Online: LinkedIn Website   Caroline's Book:  Leadership Intelligence: Science-Backed Strategies for Mastering 21 Everyday Management Challenges

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.     This week I'm reflecting on a conversation I had with Molly Bloom. Molly is an inspirational keynote speaker, entrepreneur, and the bestselling author of Molly's Game, a memoir which was adapted into an award-winning film of the same name by Aaron Sorkin. Molly began her career as a world-class skier. While training as a pre-teen she was diagnosed with severe scoliosis and had to undergo surgery that doctors said would end her athletic career. A year later, fully recovered, she was back on the slopes and went on to join the U.S. Ski Team. But, her Olympic dreams would go unrealized and this would lead her to what she thought would be a year sabbatical in LA. She was finishing her degree in Political Science at the University of Colorado – Boulder and was in the process of applying to top tier Law Schools, when her assistant job turned her into an accidental entrepreneur running one of  the most exclusive, high-stakes underground poker games in the world, pulling in as much as $4 million per year. What happened next is where her story truly begins!     THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…everyone! Everybody and anybody will find Molly's story fascinating and intriguing.   TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…Molly shares her story of inspiration, intrigue, and events straight out of a Hollywood movie! She recounts her journey from Olympic-hopeful and college student, to LA waitress, to building and operating the largest and most notorious private poker game in the world. Molly's story is one of innovation, inspiration, ambition, redemption, and entrepreneurship.   WHAT I LOVE MOST…I love what Molly has to say about owning your name, and really being seen and heard. I also love how clear she is on finding what you stand for, and getting clear on what you are and are not willing to do.   Running time: 33:10    Subscribe on iTunes    Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X   Find Molly Online: LinkedIn

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.    I'm excited to welcome Scott M. Curran to the show this week. Scott is a social impact lawyer, advisor, educator, founder and CEO of Beyond Advisors and former general counsel of the Clinton Foundation, where he advised a global nonprofit operating in more than 40 countries. His new book, Better Good, asks a deceptively simple question: instead of always trying to do more good, how can we get better at the good we're already doing?    THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…entrepreneurs, business leaders, and anyone looking to create meaningful impact without feeling like they have to do more, give more, or solve everything. TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…doing good isn't about doing more, it's about doing better. Scott shares how small, intentional actions can create meaningful impact, why businesses benefit from aligning with their values, and how each of us can focus our time and energy where we can make the biggest difference.   KEY TAKEAWAYS: Small actions can create meaningful collective impact. Doing good can be good for business, too. Your "not-to-do" list matters as much as your to-do list. Focus your time on what aligns with your strengths and values. Momentum grows when people take action together.   WHAT I LOVE MOST…Scott's reminder that we don't need more money, time, or influence to make a difference. Sometimes, doing better simply starts with being more intentional about how we use what we already have   Running Time: 25:51   Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X    Find Scott Online: LinkedIn Website   Scott's Book:  Better Good: A Simple System for Creating Lasting Impact

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.    This week I'm joined by Karina Mangu-Ward, organizational design expert and author of Teams That Meet The Moment. Karina has worked with organizations ranging from PepsiCo and Chanel to Planned Parenthood and the Sundance Institute. Her work challenges a fundamental assumption about performance: that the individual is the unit we should be trying to optimize. I'm excited to share this conversation with her.   THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…entrepreneurs, founders, and business leaders looking to build stronger and more effective teams.   TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…organizations often try to solve performance problems by focusing on individuals: hiring a superstar, coaching an underperformer, or replacing someone on the team. But Karina argues that the real issue is often the system surrounding those individuals. She explains why teams, rather than individuals, are the true unit of value creation and how shared language, clear decision rights, and better teaming practices can help organizations move faster and learn more effectively. In this conversation, we also explore what happens when AI agents become part of the team and why automating a broken process can simply make the problem bigger.   KEY TAKEAWAYS: Teams, not individuals, are the true unit of performance. Consensus isn't always the goal; decisions need clarity and momentum. Clear decision rights can make teams faster and more effective. AI amplifies the need for strong processes, roles, and collaboration.   WHAT I LOVE MOST…this conversation challenges the instinct to always look at the individual when something isn't working. Sometimes the most important thing to fix isn't the person, it's the way the team is designed to work together. And as AI changes how work gets done, that lesson is only becoming more important.   Running Time: 26:55   Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X    Find Karina Online: LinkedIn Newsletter   Karina's Book:  Teams That Meet the Moment: 9 Practices for Unlocking Performance and Growth in Uncertain Times