What if the price you put on something didn’t just reflect value—but created it? In this episode, we explore three real-world stories where pricing reshaped perception, influenced behavior, and even altered experience itself. From shirts to luxury office supplies to the world of wine, each example reveals how price can tell a powerful story. And for leaders, that story matters—because how you position value can shape how others see your product, your brand, and even your leadership. — Learn To L...
Jun 11, 2025•9 min•Ep. 138
Some problems are so obvious, we forget they’re problems at all. In this episode, we explore two surprising stories: how the tin can was invented nearly 50 years before the can opener, and why it took centuries after the invention of the wheel to finally put wheels on luggage. These examples aren’t just amusing—they reveal a deep truth about leadership and innovation. Often, the biggest opportunities are hidden in the pain points we’ve learned to tolerate. What frustrations have you accepted wit...
May 14, 2025•7 min•Ep. 137
What do a photography giant and a live comedy show have in common? In this episode, we explore how two iconic institutions—Kodak and Saturday Night Live—faced the same challenge: what to do when the thing that made you successful starts holding you back. One resisted change and paid the price. The other built reinvention into its DNA and stayed relevant for nearly five decades. These stories reveal the high stakes of clinging to comfort and the power of breaking what works—before the world does ...
Apr 16, 2025•9 min•Ep. 136
Setbacks are an inevitable part of any journey, but what if they were actually the first step toward success? In this episode, hear the fascinating stories of how a failed adhesive experiment led to the creation of Post-it Notes and how 5,126 failed prototypes became the foundation for Dyson’s billion-dollar breakthrough. Discover how seeing opportunities in obstacles can transform failure into a launching pad for greatness. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie, a leading provider of ex...
Mar 19, 2025•9 min•Ep. 135
The Gold Rush was full of dreamers searching for fortune—but the biggest successes didn’t come from those digging for gold. In this episode of Learn to Lead, we uncover the surprising stories of those who found lasting success by thinking differently. Their journey holds a powerful lesson for leaders today. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie, a leading provider of experiential learning. Abilitie’s simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more tha...
Feb 19, 2025•9 min•Ep. 134
We’re kicking off a whole new approach to the Learn to Lead podcast this year. Every month, I’ll bring you real-world stories packed with surprising lessons in leadership, creativity, and innovation. For our first iteration of this new approach I want to start with a question: What do tires, trivia, and food ratings have in common? In this episode of Learn to Lead , we uncover the surprising origins of two iconic innovations born from unexpected challenges. These stories reveal how bold, creativ...
Jan 22, 2025•10 min•Ep. 133
After 130 episodes exploring leadership, I decided to shake things up and let technology step into the spotlight. For this episode, I used AI to analyze and learn from every conversation we’ve had so far. From those 130 episodes, the AI has pieced together its own take on leadership, shaped by the many insights we’ve shared along the way. I gave the AI tool no guidelines whatsoever, I simply asked it to summarize the key topics from this podcast, and I hit generate. — Learn To Lead is brought to...
Dec 11, 2024•19 min•Ep. 132
Andrea Sampson is the CEO and Founder of Talk Boutique. She joined me on the show to discuss the power of storytelling in business and in life. We discuss a structure to tell more clear stories and how some people get off track when attempting to integrate storytelling into their approach to leadership. We finish the show by talking about curiosity and what makes a story that someone will remember. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie, a leading provider of experiential learning. Abilit...
Nov 13, 2024•18 min•Ep. 131
Lisa Bodell is the CEO of Future Think and the bestselling author of "Why Simple Wins" & "Kill the Company.” She joined me on the show to talk about why successful leaders don't fear failure, instead they fear complacency. We also talked about her process around goal setting and what advice she would have for her younger self. We closed the conversation talking about the power of curiosity and how education needs to change to prepare future leaders and professionals for the current challenge...
Oct 09, 2024•18 min•Ep. 130
Rocky Garza is a keynote speaker focused on people and culture development. On this episode we talk about the power of challenging the stories we tell ourselves so that we can experience the freedom and confidence that comes with living vulnerably. We also talk about the way a leader can build a life of fulfillment and success without compromising their true self. We close by talking about the power dealing with life’s challenges with a focus on what is possible in the darkest times. — Learn To ...
Sep 18, 2024•16 min•Ep. 129
Erin Defosse is a longtime entrepreneur in the Austin area and is the founder of the Magellan School. He joined me on the show to talk about his experience as a founder and leader of early stage companies and what that has taught him about the importance of inspirational leadership. We also discuss why effective leadership begins by realizing that it isn’t about you as the leader. We close by talking about his lessons for his younger self and the importance of knowing oneself in the pursuit of b...
Aug 28, 2024•26 min•Ep. 128
Petra Velzeboer is a mental health expert and author of the book Begin With You. She is also the CEO of mental health consultancy PVL. On this episode we talk about Petra’s journey and some of the lessons she learned along the way. We then talk about goal setting and how to have effective (and fewer) meetings. We also discuss her advice for her younger self and the power of curiosity. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie, a leading provider of experiential learning. Abilitie’s simulatio...
Aug 07, 2024•19 min•Ep. 127
Vitaly Veksler, is the CEO of Vista Social, a unified social management tool that has almost 3 million social profiles connected through their platform. On this episode we talk about the defining moments in getting Vitaly to the place he is today and what he has learned along the way. We also talk about lessons around hiring effectively and figure out how to find balance in work and in life. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie, a leading provider of experiential learning. Abilitie’s si...
Jul 17, 2024•17 min
Ryan Estis is a former Fortune 500 CRO who is the Founding Partner of ImpactEleven. He is also the author of the book Prepare for Impact, and he was recognized by Meetings & Conventions Magazine as one of the best keynote speakers in the world. On this episode we talk about what Ryan means by “human centered organization” and why they have an advantage in the competitive business world we operate in. We also discuss risk taking and how two moments in Ryan’s life had a transformative impact o...
Jun 26, 2024•19 min
Michael Coughlin is Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC Chief Program & Innovation Officer. On this episode we talk about what it takes to run NYC’s largest youth-mentorship program, which annually matches more than 2,500 kids from across the five boroughs with “bigs” who support and advise them. We also talk about the power of partnerships and how Michael has evolved as a leader as his role has grown. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie, a leading provider of experiential learning. Ab...
Jun 05, 2024•16 min
Patrick and Kathy Terry, are the co-founders of P. Terry's Burger Stand an American Fast Food Company that was named by USA Today as one of America’s 15 favorite regional fast food chains. Not only are they business partners, they are also a married couple. They joined the show to talk about the origin story of the restaurant and how they were feeling on their opening day in 2005. They also shared how they have evolved as leaders over the years, and what makes the employees that work at P. Terry...
May 15, 2024•23 min
Jason Weeman is the founder of Refine Talent Development. On this episode Jason shares his journey to the world of entrepreneurship and what he has learned on the way. He also explains the power of small changes and why we don’t need drastic changes to make a big impact. We also discuss what he thinks young leaders need to do to prepare for the evolution that we all go on as we learn about ourselves as leaders. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential l...
Apr 24, 2024•16 min
Michael Batnick is a managing partner at Ritholtz Wealth Management. Michael is the author of Big Mistakes: The Best Investors and Their Worst Investments. He is also co-host of the Animal Spirits podcast and The Compound and Friends Podcast. On this episode we talk about Michael’s journey to the world of finance and we talk about the role of luck and hard work. We also discuss what he has learned about leadership as his firm has experienced immense growth. Michael closes by talking about the po...
Apr 03, 2024•17 min•Ep. 121
Kevin Eikenberry is the bestselling author of Remarkable Leadership: Unleashing Your Leadership Potential One Skill at a Time. He is also a contributing author to nearly 20 other books. He writes Unleashing Your Remarkable Potential, a weekly email publication that has been read worldwide since 2004. Kevin has twice been named by Inc.com as one of the Top 100 Leadership and Management Experts in the World. On this episode we talk about Kevin’s origin story as a leader and what he learned from hi...
Mar 13, 2024•18 min
Megan Galloway is the founder of EverLeader where she embarks on a mission to make our workplaces a more authentic and human place for current and future generations to thrive. She founded Everleader with the vision to change the future of work. On this episode we talk about Megan’s founding journey and the mistakes and lessons along the way. We also talk about her perspective on the role of all leaders, not just HR, to shape a company’s culture. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a l...
Feb 21, 2024•16 min•Ep. 119
Bradley Tusk is a venture capitalist, political strategist, philanthropist and writer. He is the author of The Fixer and his newest book is entitled Obvious In Hindsight. Previously, Bradley served as campaign manager for Mike Bloomberg’s 2009 mayoral race, as Deputy Governor of Illinois, overseeing the state’s budget, operations, legislation, policy and communications, as communications director for US Senator Chuck Schumer, and as Uber’s first political advisor. On this episode we talk about B...
Jan 31, 2024•30 min•Ep. 118
Richard Newman is the Founder and CEO of Body Talk, a global leader in evidence-based communication training. He is the author of You Were Born to Speak, and his newest book is, Lift Your Impact: Transform Your Mindset, Influence, and Future to Elevate Your Work, Team, and Life. On this episode we discuss a transformational journey that Richard took at a Tibetan monastery. We also get into the details around how small communication changes can create a massive difference in the way you are perce...
Jan 10, 2024•23 min•Ep. 117
Deb Smolensky is the author of the bestselling book: Brain On: Mental Fitness Strategies for Sharpening Focus, Boosting Energy, and Winning the Workday. Deb joined us on the show to talk about the power of our brain, and how to think about upgrading it for the world we operate in. She also shared how training your brain can lead to more joy, engagement, and resilience — especially in the workplace. —------------ Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential le...
Dec 20, 2023•18 min•Ep. 115
This week, we have a special episode. Bjorn Billhardt is the CEO and Founder of Abilitie and Nathan Kracklauer is Abilitie’s Chief Research Officer. Together, they are the authors of the upcoming book entitled The 12-Week MBA. The premise of the book is that there is a core set of business skills that entrepreneurs and future leaders of organizations can learn and will need regardless of their industry, function, or level. On this episode we talk about their journey over 20 years in the learning...
Dec 06, 2023•27 min•Ep. 115
Art Markman is a cognitive scientist, an author, and the Vice Provost of Academic Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Art joined the show to talk about his role at one of the largest and most influential public universities in America. He also shared why the humanities and behavioral sciences are so important to effective leadership development. Art closed by talking about his advice for his younger self and gave a fascinating perspective on planning the future. —------------ Learn To ...
Nov 01, 2023•19 min•Ep. 114
Andrea Pacini is the Presentation Director for Ideas on Stage in the United Kingdom. He is also the best-selling author of the book entitled 'Confident Presenter'. Andrea joined us on the show to talk about his approach to cultivate “techniques to get people to like your ideas.” He also shared his beliefs around how artificial intelligence will impact his field and what individuals can do to prepare for that disruption. —------------ Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provi...
Oct 13, 2023•19 min•Ep. 113
Somi Arian the founder of InPeak, an innovative platform enabling creators and businesses to build using AI and blockchain functionalities. She is an award-winning filmmaker whose documentary, "The Millennial Disruption," won several international awards. She is also the author of Career Fear and how to beat it. She was also honored by LinkedIn who recognized her with their Top Voices Award. Somi joined us on the show to talk about her upbringing, her leadership journey, and her advice for other...
Sep 20, 2023•18 min
Nicolai Chen Nielsen is a partner at the Super Trends Institute and the author of Return on Ambition and Leadership At Scale. His newest book is entitled From Malthus to Mars. On this episode Nicolai describes the future leaders will need to operate in. We discuss the 8 key mindsets from his newest book and Nicolai also shares his process for book writing and how he organizes his day to excel. —------------ Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learnin...
Aug 30, 2023•18 min•Ep. 111
Donald Knight is the Chief People Officer at Greenhouse Software. On this episode he gives an inside look at the role of a CPO and how he thinks about the role that vulnerability plays in effective leadership. We also talk about the power of positive tension and what it takes to build high performing teams. —------------ Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie’s simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 55,000 professional...
Aug 09, 2023•21 min•Ep. 110
Brenden Kumarasamy is the Founder and President of Master Talk, a firm focused on helping individuals master the art of communication. He is the creator of the Master Talk YouTube channel with over 30,000 subscribers. On today’s episode we discuss the most important skills for effective communication in the workplace and what individuals can do to enhance their skills in this arena. We also talked about why being open and transparent about your own struggles and challenges can impact your team's...
Jul 19, 2023•21 min•Ep. 109
