What if the strategies you trust most are quietly keeping you from your next level of growth?

In professional services, we’re taught that strong delivery and trusted relationships lead to more business. But what if that model no longer matches how clients actually buy?

In this episode, I speak with Matthew Dixon, the co-founder of DCM Insights and bestselling author of The Challenger Sale and The Jolt Effect, about his latest research and book, The Activator Advantage. Based on a global study of 3,000 partners across consulting, law, accounting, and professional services, Matt reveals that the top rainmakers aren’t the most experienced or connected; they’re the ones who act differently.

He introduces the concept of the Activator: a business developer who proactively creates client value before the engagement even starts, connects deeply across networks, and builds trust by helping people, not just closing deals.

We explore:

• The five types of business developers and why only one correlates with high performance

• Why traditional “trusted advisor” models are falling short in today’s buyer environment

• How Activators build loyalty before there’s even a contract

• Why “personal value” (not just professional impact) creates sticky client relationships

• How to lead your team through behavior change — without forcing it from the top down

• What AI, network tools, and tech platforms are enabling, and what they still can’t replace

Matt also shares the mindset shifts that high-performing consultants embrace, not to sell harder, but to invest more generously in their relationships, their ideas, and the value they create.

Whether you’re a seasoned partner or building your book of business, this episode offers a new way to think about trust, relevance, and sustainable growth in a world of shifting client expectations.

Matthew Dixon is the Founding Partner of DCM Insights. Matthew is a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review and a WSJ bestselling author, with his books translated in a dozen languages.

Get Matthew’s book here: https://rb.gy/a6ygc7

The Activator Advantage: What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently

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What if your company’s success depends less on what you build and more on what your people are chasing?

For Ken Rusk, digging ditches became the foundation for building something far more valuable: a company where employees don’t just show up to work — they show up for their lives.

In this episode, I speak with Ken Rusk, nine-figure entrepreneur and author of Blue Collar Cash, about how he built his business by aligning personal dreams with company growth, and why creating a culture of ownership, vision, and peace is more powerful than chasing the next milestone.

Ken shares how he developed a visual goal-setting system that drives performance, why he made his company employee-owned, and how his leadership mindset shifted after overcoming personal and professional crises, including a health scare with his daughter and navigating the pandemic.

We talk about:

• How turning employees into goal-setters created unstoppable momentum

• Why giving up control was the best decision he ever made as a leader

• How to build long-term loyalty without high-pressure tactics or perks

• The difference between reacting and proacting as an entrepreneur

• What “comfort, peace, and freedom” really mean, and how to build toward them

• How to spot internal leaders (and how to help them thrive)

This episode is packed with wisdom for anyone building a business, leading a team, or simply looking to live more intentionally, not someday, but starting today.

Get Ken’s book here: https://www.kenrusk.com/blue-collar-cash/

Blue-Collar Cash: Love Your Work, Secure Your Future, and Find Happiness for Life

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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 performance, a systems thinker who has lived through startup exits, corporate reinvention, and a life-altering cancer diagnosis. Her approach to leadership, creativity, and risk is grounded not in theory but in lived experience.

We talk about:

• How real innovation happens inside complex, slow-moving organizations

• Why orchestration, not brilliance, is the most underrated leadership skill

• The critical role of community and trust in long-term innovation success

• How to build political capital without becoming “political”

• What cancer taught her about control, clarity, and letting go

• The mindset shift that makes innovation more accessible (and less magical)

JoAnn also shares how she navigates uncertainty with structured frameworks, how she invests in her learning every day, and why innovation, especially in an AI-powered future, must be inclusive, sustainable, and human-centered.

Whether you’re leading change, launching something new, or trying to stay relevant in a fast-shifting world, this episode will expand how you think about creativity, courage, and what it really means to build something that lasts.

JoAnn Garbin is a former Director of Innovation in Microsoft’s cloud business. She is the founder of Regenerous Labs, where she focuses on building practical solutions across industries that integrate sustainability and innovation.

Get JoAnn’s book here: https://www.innovationatmicrosoft.com/

The Insider's Guide to Innovation at Microsoft

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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 shares how her work in post-conflict Kosovo with the UN led to burnout and a full reset — one that turned her toward the science and practice of intuition. Through personal stories, research, and the Icelandic concept of innsæi (“the sea within”), she explains how we can train our intuition as rigorously as we train our intellect.

We explore:

• How to know whether your intuition is guiding you, or your ego is pulling you

• Why many of us lose touch with inner guidance (and how to return to it)

• How to use an “attention journal” to strengthen your discernment

• The difference between insight and overthinking

• What it takes to create workplace cultures that respect sensing as much as data

• Why intuition is not the opposite of reason, but essential to it
  
  

This episode is for anyone navigating uncertainty, complexity, or the quiet knowing that something needs to change.

Whether you're leading a team, facing a major decision, or simply looking to reconnect with your inner compass, this conversation offers both inspiration and practical tools to help you find your way — from the inside out.

Get Hrund’s book here: https://hrundgunnsteinsdottir.com/

InnSaei: Heal, Revive and Reset with the Icelandic art of intuition

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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 a wellness brand rooted in science and self-care, Tiffany’s story is as raw and relatable as it is inspiring.

We cover:

• The culture of overachievement and how it can become an emotional cage

• The silent weight of perfectionism in high-achieving women

• How childhood trauma shaped her relentless drive and how she’s healing from it

• Why asking for help isn’t a weakness — it’s a strategy

• The behind-the-scenes reality of being a doctor and a reality TV personality

• Why she’s choosing presence over perfection in parenting, career, and business

Plus:

• Why even the most “put-together” people struggle with self-worth

• How Tiffany balances a medical career with being a mother, wife, and founder

• Why her social media presence is as real as it gets and why that matters

Tiffany also shares the surprising impact of being on reality TV, not on her brand, but on her identity, and why she now uses her platform to champion authenticity, self-care, and breaking generational cycles.

This is an honest, unfiltered conversation about legacy, self-awareness, and the courage to define success on your own terms.

Tiffany Moon, MD, is a board-certified anesthesiologist, entrepreneur, keynote speaker, mother of twins, and author of Joy Prescriptions: How I Learned to Stop Chasing Perfection and Embrace Connection. She is also the founder and CEO of Aromasthesia Candles, Three Moons Wine, and LeadHer Summit. Tiffany has published over fifty peer-reviewed articles, is one of D Magazine’s “Best Doctors,” and serves as an Oral Board Examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology. She was the first medical doctor and Chinese American cast member on Bravo’s Real Housewives. Her story has been featured in Forbes, Variety, Harper’s Bazaar, USA Today, and more. She lives with her family in Dallas, TX.

Get Tiffany’s book here: https://rb.gy/5fvfl5

Joy Prescriptions: How I Learned to Stop Chasing Perfection and Embrace Connection

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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 nearly gave up on the entire industry — until a few key realizations (and one powerful idea from a Nobel Laureate) reshaped his approach to wealth entirely.

We talk about:

• The dangerous psychology behind most investing decisions and how to fix it

• Why traditional financial advice often fails to deliver real value

• What Wall Street doesn’t want you to understand about your money

• The importance of storytelling in transforming investor behavior

• Why “doing nothing” is sometimes the smartest move in volatile markets

Mark also shares how he trains financial advisors to become coaches — not salespeople — and why aligning your portfolio with purpose is key to long-term success.

Whether you’re an investor, advisor, or entrepreneur, this conversation will change how you think about money — and what it really means to grow wealth with integrity and intention.

Mark Matson is an American entrepreneur, author, and innovator in the fields of investing science and financial education. He is the creator of educational experiences, platforms, and tools that make Nobel Prize winning investing research accessible to investors and transform their relationship to money. Most notably, he is the creator of The American Dream Experience and the Matson Method.

Get Mark’s book here: https://rb.gy/h4brr0

Experiencing The American Dream: How to Invest Your Time, Energy, and Money to Create an Extraordinary Life

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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, resilience, and a growth mindset. His book, Embracing Infinite Possibilities, encourages self-discovery, overcoming obstacles, and opening your mind to life's infinite possibilities, instilling hope in those who have yet to discover their own power.

Get Bernard’s book here: https://rb.gy/fgx6d8

Embracing Infinite Possibilities: Letting Go of Fear to Find Your Highest Potential

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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 to making others feel seen, heard, and valued. Drawing from their research and coaching experiences, they explain why our intentions behind listening matter just as much as the act itself and how distractions, politeness, and even the need to be right can undermine true connection. They share practical strategies leaders can use to build stronger teams, navigate conflict, and create space for deeper conversations, even across cultural differences.

Prof. Christian van Nieuwerburgh (PhD) is a leading academic and executive coach with an international reputation. He is Professor of Coaching and Positive Psychology at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences (Ireland) and Principal Fellow at the Centre for Wellbeing Science at the University of Melbourne (Australia). Christian delivers consultancy, training, and executive coaching globally, regularly presenting in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the Middle East. He is passionate about motorcycling, writing, and coaching.

Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener is a researcher, author, and consultant with 75 peer-reviewed academic articles and over 27,000 citations. His previous books include The Upside of Your Dark Side (New York Times bestseller, 2014) and the 2007 PROSE Award winner, Happiness. He has presented keynotes to Lululemon, Deloitte, Humana, AARP, the World Bank, and others. In 2024, Thinkers50 named Robert one of the “50 most influential executive coaches in the world.” He lives in Portland, Oregon, and enjoys drawing and rock climbing.

Get Radical Listening here: https://rb.gy/z5x7wt

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