In this episode, global brand experts Katherine Melchior Ray and Nataly Kelly discuss how international brands must evolve to stay relevant in an era marked by cultural shifts, technological acceleration, and rising consumer expectations. Drawing on their leadership experience at companies like Nike, Louis Vuitton, HubSpot, and Zappi, they highlight the urgency of embedding trust, cultural fluency, and adaptability into brand strategy. Key insights include: Localization Requires Strategic Adapta...
Jun 25, 2025•53 min
Leslie Grandy, a seasoned executive with leadership roles at Apple, Amazon, Best Buy, and T-Mobile, discusses the underestimated nature of creative capability and how leaders can systematically cultivate it. Drawing from her early career in the film industry and later product leadership across Fortune 50 companies, she presents a grounded, practical perspective on how creativity functions in high-performance environments. She outlines three foundational skills transferable across domains: enduri...
Jun 23, 2025•55 min
In this wide-ranging and direct conversation, Bill George, former Medtronic CEO and Harvard Business School professor, offers a disciplined framework for leading in conditions of persistent volatility. Drawing from decades of leadership experience and research, George emphasizes that leadership today is no longer about managing processes, it is about confronting ambiguity, enabling experimentation, and sustaining purpose across shifting conditions. Five themes stand out: Opportunity Must Be Crea...
Jun 18, 2025•50 min
Central banks in major economies have repeatedly misread inflation trends by relying on models that omit a fundamental economic lever: the money supply. In this episode, economist Steve Hanke offers a detailed critique of prevailing post-Keynesian frameworks and the policy missteps that have followed. Drawing on historical and current data, Hanke underscores the predictive power of the quantity theory of money, a model largely excluded from central bank thinking, and explains how ignoring this l...
Jun 16, 2025•40 min
In this episode, finance professor and author, Alex Edmans, offers a rigorous examination of the narratives surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in corporate strategy. Drawing on his critique of widely cited studies, including those from McKinsey and BlackRock, Edmans illustrates how flawed data interpretations and confirmation bias contribute to the persistence of questionable claims. He warns against relying on correlation-based research that lacks causal rigor, especially when s...
Jun 11, 2025•51 min
In this episode, Tim Koller, co-author of Valuation and a leading authority on corporate finance, offers a substantive examination of capital allocation decisions under real-world constraints. The discussion moves beyond theory to explore how CEOs and CFOs should approach resource deployment in mature, capital-rich companies—where investment opportunities are limited not due to lack of ambition but due to economic reality. Key insights include: - Share Buybacks as Rational Policy: Many firms und...
Jun 09, 2025•49 min
In a world that often rewards taking, James Turk believes the most powerful leaders are the ones who give clarity, opportunity, second chances, and their full attention. In this episode, I speak with James Turk, who is an executive coach, CEO of The Turk Group, and author of The Giving Game , about what it truly means to become the kind of leader others want to follow. We explore: Why most new leaders struggle and how to set them up for success from day one The difference between “getting” and “...
Jun 04, 2025•47 min
What if cultural relevance isn’t just a marketing strategy but a business imperative? In this episode, I speak with Hernan Tagliani, a multicultural marketing expert, award-winning strategist for Fortune 500 companies, and author of The Hispanic Market for Corporate America and Multicultural Mainstream, that explains how brands can drive lasting growth by truly understanding and serving Hispanic consumers. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Hernan shares how he rebuilt his career from the ground u...
Jun 02, 2025•47 min
Your company’s next breakthrough isn’t about doing more, but doing less with purpose. In this episode, I speak with Bill Canady, CEO of two major industrial companies (OTC Industrial Technologies and Arrowhead Engineered Products), a former U.S. Navy officer, and author of From Panic to Profit, about the operating system he’s used to turn around billion-dollar businesses and lead through uncertainty. Bill brings a rare blend of military discipline, private equity strategy, and grounded human lea...
May 28, 2025•49 min
What if the key to innovation isn’t a process, but a mindset that travels across boundaries, disciplines, and decades? From international development to McKinsey to leading AI strategy at Microsoft, Dean Carignan has built his career at the intersection of systems, people, and impact. Now, as co-author of The Insider’s Guide to Innovation at Microsoft, he’s helping organizations rethink how real innovation happens, not just in startups or labs, but in legacy institutions and global companies. In...
May 26, 2025•40 min
In this episode, Kris speaks with Matthew Dixon, founding partner of DCM Insights and bestselling author, about his latest research on business development in professional services. Drawing on a global study of 3,000 partners, Dixon outlines five distinct sales profiles and highlights the “Activator” as the only approach consistently linked to higher revenue performance. Key insights: - Traditional models of client loyalty are eroding, with fewer clients returning automatically to the same firm....
May 21, 2025•55 min
In this episode, Kris speaks with Ken Rusk, nine-figure CEO and bestselling author of Blue Collar Cash, on building and scaling a successful business. Key insights: - True growth comes from empowering entrepreneurial employees and building autonomous teams aligned with the company’s mission and motivated to perform. - Rusk’s approach emphasizes the alignment of personal goals and corporate objectives, using a system of “timed pathways” where employees publicly commit to and pursue personal miles...
May 19, 2025•42 min
What if the key to driving real innovation isn’t genius, but orchestration? Innovation is often seen as the domain of visionaries or tech geniuses. But in this episode, JoAnn Garbin, former Director of Innovation at Microsoft Cloud and co-author of The Insider’s Guide to Innovation at Microsoft , shows that true innovation is a craft: one grounded in discipline, collaboration, and conscious leadership. JoAnn brings a rare lens to the conversation — an engineer with a background in philosophy and...
May 14, 2025•51 min
What if the leadership edge you’re looking for doesn’t come from working harder, but listening deeper? We talk often about productivity, performance, and pushing through. But few conversations explore the quieter forces shaping our best decisions, like intuition. In this episode, I speak with Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir, a director, writer, systems thinker, and an award-winning sustainability leader, about intuition as a source of strength, clarity, and resilience in both leadership and life. Hrund s...
May 12, 2025•58 min
Dr. Tiffany Moon isn’t just breaking stereotypes — she’s rewriting the script. In this episode, Dr. Tiffany Moon — board-certified anesthesiologist, founder of Aromasthesia, and former cast member of Bravo’s Real Housewives — opens up about what it really takes to balance ambition, motherhood, entrepreneurship, and public scrutiny. From immigrating to the U.S. at age 6 to graduating from college at 19 and medical school at 23, where she finished in the top ten percent of her class, to launching ...
May 07, 2025•53 min
What if the financial advice you trust is actually hurting your future? Mark Matson believes it is, and he has the data to prove it. In this episode, I sit down with Mark Matson, founder of Matson Money and a pioneer in the evidence-based investing movement. With over $10 billion in assets under management, Mark has helped thousands of families and advisors break free from Wall Street myths, media-driven panic, and the illusion of market timing. But Mark didn’t start in finance. In fact, he near...
May 05, 2025•59 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 547, an interview with Bernard Harris, an astronaut, physician, venture capitalist, philanthropist, and author of Embracing Infinite Possibilities: Letting Go of Fear to Find Your Highest Potential. In this episode, Bernard Harris, the first African American astronaut to walk in space, shares his experiences and describes the thrill of launching into space as well as the physical challenges of microgravity. He discusses the significance of inner strength, resil...
Apr 30, 2025•57 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 546, an interview with the authors of Radical Listening: The Art of True Connection, Prof. Christian van Nieuwerburgh and Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener. Most conversations barely scratch the surface, because true connection isn’t just about hearing words, it’s about listening with purpose and presence. In this episode, Prof. Christian van Nieuwerburgh and Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener introduce the concept of Radical Listening: an intentional, culturally aware approach t...
Apr 28, 2025•55 min
From CIA hacker to cybersecurity advisor to a U.S. President. Now trusted by Fortune 500 companies, international banks, and leaders like Bill Gates. (And he almost missed the CIA meeting... because it was raining.) "Something told me, it was a Thursday afternoon. ... and something told me, you have to go to the co-op office today. You have to go today. ... I believe there’s this inner voice and ... this thing came over me, and I get out of class at 3:30. It’s raining. It’s a 10-minute walk... S...
Apr 23, 2025•55 min
What can a $2B concert tour teach us about business strategy? Quite a lot. We often speak about innovation and reinvention in the corporate world. Yet, few embody it as consistently and successfully as the artist and strategist Taylor Swift. In this episode, I spoke with Kevin Evers, Senior Editor at Harvard Business Review and author of There’s Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift. Kevin brings a rare perspective, someone who has quietly shaped the voices of influential busin...
Apr 21, 2025•50 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 543, an interview with the author of The Power of Enough: Finding Joy in Your Relationship with Money, Elizabeth Husserl. Many people chase wealth as a number, but the truth is that true wealth is more than just money in the bank. In this episode, Elizabeth challenges common assumptions about financial success and explores how fulfillment, stability, and meaning factor into what it really means to be wealthy. Elizabeth explains how our “scarcity brain” influenc...
Apr 16, 2025•51 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 542, an interview with the author The Psychology of Leadership: Timeless principles to improve your management of individuals, teams… and yourself! , Sébastien Page. Ever wondered what truly drives successful leaders and how psychology plays a role? In this episode with Sébastien Page, we explore the habits, mindset, and science behind great leadership. He shares lessons drawn from 20 years of experience and in-depth research in positive and sports psychology. ...
Apr 14, 2025•48 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 541, an interview with the author of Transcend: Unlocking Humanity in the Age of AI, Faisal Hoque. In this episode, Faisal shares his journey from his early days developing software to becoming a business leader focused on strategy and impact. Faisal talks about how Eastern philosophy, particularly Buddhism, influences his approach to business and leadership, helping him stay grounded while pursuing innovation. He opens up about how his son's serious illness ch...
Apr 09, 2025•47 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 540, an interview with the authors of Meaningful Work: How to Ignite Passion and Performance in Every Employee, Wes Adams and Tamara Myles. What makes work truly meaningful, and how can leaders create it? In this episode, Tamara Miles and Wes Adams, researchers and positive psychologists, have studied how leaders can intentionally promote cultures where people find purpose, connection, and challenge in their work. Drawing from their own career and research, the...
Apr 07, 2025•54 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 539, an interview with the author of From Panic to Profit: Uncover Value, Boost Revenue, and Grow Your Business with the 80/20 Principle, Bill Canady. In this episode, Bill shares insights from his military background and how it shaped his leadership approach. Bill explains his Profitable Growth Operating System (PG OS) framework, including the five key components that drive business success. He also offers practical advice on pricing strategy, the need for a f...
Apr 02, 2025•53 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 538, an interview with the coauthor of Leading for Wellness: How to Create a Team Culture Where Everyone Thrives, Patricia Grabarek. In this episode, Patricia talks about why workplace wellness matters and why it’s important to have a holistic approach that includes physical, mental, and emotional health. She explains the gap in research on leadership practices that help create a healthy work environment and how leaders can balance getting results with supporti...
Apr 01, 2025•49 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 537, an interview with the author of Wild Courage: Go After What You Want and Get It, Jenny Wood. In this episode, Jenny discusses her career journey and the key skills that helped her rise from an entry-level role to an executive over 18 years. She also discusses overcoming imposter syndrome, being strategic with time, and saying no to non-promotable work. Jenny shares the importance of obsessing over key projects, leading with enthusiasm, and breaking unwritt...
Mar 26, 2025•51 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 536, an interview with the coauthor of Conflict Resilience: Negotiating Disagreement Without Giving Up or Giving In, Joel Salinas, MD. In this episode, Joel Salinas talks about conflict resilience and how our brain reacts to disagreements. He explains how loneliness affects health, how conflicts activate pain-related brain areas, and shares techniques to manage stress. Joel also discusses brain plasticity, how age affects conflict resolution, and the power of f...
Mar 24, 2025•29 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 535, an interview with the author of Richer, Wiser, Happier: How the World's Greatest Investors Win in Markets and Life, William Green. In this episode, William Green talks about his journey from Oxford to becoming a renowned journalist. He shares stories of his unconventional career path, including impulsive moves to New York and Hong Kong, financial struggles, and being laid off during the financial crisis. William discusses how he learned to handle failure w...
Mar 19, 2025•1 hr 6 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 534, an interview with the author of The Science of Personal Power: How to Build Confidence, Create Success, and Obtain Freedom , Chris Lipp. Powerful people operate with a fundamentally different mindset. While others seek approval and dodge accountability, influential individuals take ownership and remain anchored to their goals and values. In this episode, Chris Lipp discusses the importance of personal power and the characteristics that differentiate powerf...
Mar 17, 2025•51 min
