Seth Godin, famed author, blogger, and podcaster shares his wisdom on what communication skill we should work on, the issue with authenticity for professionals, and a new definition of personal branding. Let’s make a ruckus!

BOOKS BY SETH GODIN

• This is Strategy – https://amzn.to/4dwi1PS


• Linchpin – https://amzn.to/4fIr7ux


• Tribes – https://amzn.to/3yHo4lI


• The Dip – https://amzn.to/3X4E7n6


• Purple Cow – https://amzn.to/3M3SuBR


• This Is Marketing – https://amzn.to/46PIaXK


• The Song of Significance – https://amzn.to/4ctABHl


• Seth’s all-volunteer community project: The Carbon Almanac – https://amzn.to/3YLSIFk

RESOURCES

• “The Brand Called You” by Tom Peters Personal Brand FastCompany article – https://www.fastcompany.com/28905/brand-called-you


• Smart Brevity book – https://amzn.to/3pj2Jdj


• Roger Martin “A Plan is not a Strategy” video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuYlGRnC7J8


• Seth’s recommendations:
  
  
  
  • Mystery Show podcast (ep.3) – https://gimletmedia.com/shows/mystery-show
  
  
  • A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs – https://500songs.com/
  
  
  • The Moment with Brian Koppelman podcast – https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-moment-with-brian-koppelman/id814550071
  
  
  • Hardcare History podcast with Dan Carlin – https://www.dancarlin.com/hardcore-history-series/
  
  
  • Just Kids: An Autobiography by Patty Smith – https://amzn.to/3ApVA0k
  
  
  
  

CONNECT WITH ANDREA & TALK ABOUT TALK

• Website: TalkAboutTalk.com


• Communication Coaching Newsletter:  https://talkabouttalk.com/newsletter


• LinkedIn Andrea: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreawojnicki/


• LinkedIn TalkAboutTalk: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talkabouttalk/


• Youtube Channel: @talkabouttalkyoutube


• Talk About Talk Podcast Archive: https://www.talkabouttalk.com/communication-skills-podcast/

TRANSCRIPT

That, as you can probably guess, from the title of this episode, is Seth Godin. And he’s on a mission, encouraging us all to make a ruckus.  To make a generous contribution to the world.  To change the world for the better. 

Whether it’s in one of his books, in his blog, or in this conversation you’re about to hear, Seth Godin always makes me think about things in new ways. Take, for example, Seth’s answer to the first rapid fire question that I ask every guest: “Are you an introvert or an extrovert?”  Seth had the most unique answer to this Q that I’ve ever heard :

I never thought of it that way before, did you? You know, most of the smart guests I interview tell me they’re an introvert. So maybe he’s right. We’re evolving to all be introverts. I guess I really am an anomaly. And now I know why cocktail parties without alcohol don’t work very well.

Are you keen to learn more from Seth? Let’s do this!

Welcome to Talk about Talk podcast episode #171 “Making a ruckus with Seth Godin”. In this episode, you’re gonna learn what communication skill Seth thinks we should work on, a new definition of personal branding, and why we all need to choose our genre – amongst other things.

In case we haven’t met, my name is Dr. Andrea Wojnicki please just call me Andrea. I’m your executive communication coach. I coach executives like you to improve your communication skills so you can communicate with confidence and clarity, establish credibility, and ultimately achieve your career goals. Sound good? To learn more about me and what I do, head over to talkabouttalk.com and you can read about the coaching and workshops that I run. Plus there are a bunch of free resources for you at the bottom of the takaboutalk.com homepage.

Ok, let’s get into this. I’m sure you want to hear from Seth. Here’s how this episode is going to go. After I introduce Seth, we’ll get right into the interview. Then at the end I’m going to summarize with the three learnings that I want to reinforce based on our conversation. Three things that I hope you’ll take away and that I hope will help you in your quest to make a ruckus.

Seth has been on my radar since I was a brand manager early in my career, and I read his book called “Purple Cow.” That book is just one of the 21 books that have been bestsellers around the world and that have been translated into more than 35 languages. He writes about the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, marketing, quitting, leadership and most of all, changing everything. You might be familiar with his books Linchpin, Tribes, The Dip, and of course Purple Cow. His book, “This Is Marketing,” was an instant bestseller around the world. Recently, he organized the all-volunteer community project called The Carbon Almanac. In 2023, he wrote, The Song of Significance, which is already a bestseller, and I strongly recommend it if you are a leader of any kind, or if you seek to become one. I’ll leave links to all of these books in the shownotes. Yes, Seth is prolific.

Seth also creates impact. His blog (which you can find by typing “seth” into Google) is one of the most popular in the world.

His podcast is in the top 1% of all podcasts worldwide. In 2018, he was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame.

It would not be an exaggeration to say Seth changed my life. In 2018, I read a Seth blog, where he invited candidates to join the inaugur