Explore every episode of the podcast Read to Lead Podcast

In this episode of Read to Lead, I dive deep into the fascinating world of creativity and innovation. Challenging common myths about creativity being an innate gift reserved for a select few, this episode empowers listeners with scientific insights and practical strategies to unlock their creative potential. For more on this topic, and for a […]

I find that I’m reading more and more books on the topic of AI these days. Why? Well, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that if you don’t want to be left behind, you need embrace the world of AI and embrace it ASAP. Today, my guest’s book is designed to help you do […]

Have you ever found yourself stuck with a book that just doesn’t seem to be going anywhere? You pick it up, hoping to power through, but instead, it feels like you’re wading through molasses. We’ve all been there, and it can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you have a pile of unread books waiting for […]

Today’s guest is a favorite of mine. That’s right. He’s been here before. In fact, today marks his third visit as a guest. His name is Carmine Gallo. He’s written bestselling books like Talk Like TED and The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs. His brand new book, out today, is called The Bezos Blueprint: Communication […]

My guest today is truly one of the best-prepared and most articulate guests I’ve ever had the privilege to welcome to the show. And that voice. I often get compliments on my own voice, but wow! Wait until you hear the voice of René Rodriguez. You just might melt. But more importantly, I can’t wait […]

It’s not every day I get to interview the founder of a multiBILLION dollar startup. Today, however, is indeed such a day. That founder is Mike Evans of Grubhub and—more recently—Fixer fame. Mike has a brand new book out today that unpacks his story in entertaining fashion. The book is called HANGRY: A Startup Journey. […]

My guest today asserts that we all want great ideas, but few of us actually understand how great ideas are born. Innovation, he says, is not an event, a workshop, a sprint, or a hackathon. It’s a result of mastering ideaflow, a practice that elevates everything else you do. His name is Jeremy Utley, and […]

When our guest is someone who’s been working in his Zone of Genius for as long as he has, you can rest assured you’re going to learn a lot! His name is Jeff Blackman, and he is the author of several books, including Peak Your Profit: The Explosive Business-Growth System. Jeff reveals years of testing, […]

Slack is a tool I use virtually every day. And it’s a tool I’ve been using for more years than I can remember. I never thought I’d one day be interviewing a member of their excellent team but, then again, I’m drawn to smart people who write smart books. My guest today, Helen Kupp, is […]

I’ve been Facebook friends with today’s guest for several years. I’ve watched him from afar and have always admired his work, his values, and his writing. It’s probably a bit overdue, but I’m proud to say I’ve finally gotten around to inviting him on to the show. His name is Kent Sanders. He’s written several […]

Stephen M. R. Covey has been one of my most favorite authors to interview. I’ve had that opportunity now three times! So when he suggested I talk to his sister about the book she was finishing up, a book co-written with their late father, I didn’t hesitate to say “yes.” That new book, out today, […]

When it comes to effective note-taking—or what I like to call note-making—most of us have never been properly trained. In today’s episode, I walk through the four key components you need to understand in order to turn your useless notes of the past into your smart notes of the future. Simply put… If you want […]

Today’s guest first visited the show back in Episode #223. I also invited to speak at my online conference back in 2019 called the Boss-Free Virtual Summit. His name is Vincent Pugliese and, over the years, he’s gone from professional sports photographer to staring his own business and, now, to sharing what he’s learned in […]

Today marks a first ever and a second ever. Let’s take the second, first. Today’s episode marks only the second time in the history of Read to Lead where the guest is not promoting a book but is, rather, here simply because of their expertise in a specific area. And the “first” is that it’s […]

My guest today says that, at this moment, rogue waves are forming under your business. Emerging technologies, changing demographics, the data economy, automation, and other trends―the undercurrents of radical, systemic change―are crashing into each other. When they converge, they’ll produce sea changes that sink companies and wash away entire industries overnight. If your competitor can’t […]

Some might say it’s a publisher’s dream. Others might suggest it’s a technique that is overused. When it comes to an author’s use of acronyms to help illustrate their methods, I am an absolute fan. In the book featured on the podcast today, there are no fewer than four (maybe even five) acronyms used to […]

When it comes to effective note-taking, the kind that leads to breakthroughs, to new ideas, being able to remember where you stored a specific thought, connecting new ideas to existing ideas and more, understanding your note-taking archetype, or style, is a key first step. I first learned about note-taking archetypes from Anne-Laure Le Cunff over […]

Today’s guest has made some pretty incredible strides in the first four decades-plus of his life. When I was his age, I was floundering in year one as a solopreneur. For Phillip Stutts, he’s eight years in to running Win BIG Media (and Go BIG Media) and already at a BILLION dollars revenue! Needless to […]

There seem to be a lot of college professors writing books these days; or at least I’m interviewing my fair share of them. That many are writing their first (or in some cases second, third, or fourth) book is for good reason. Their research and experiences testing their theories in the classroom is something few […]

This week on the podcast, I’m delighted to bring you two authors for the price of one. They are John Baird and Edward Sullivan, both of Velocity Coaching Group. Their book together is called Leading With Heart: Five Conversations That Unlock Creativity, Purpose, and Results, and it’s already spent a few weeks on the Wall […]

What is the single best tool an entrepreneur needs to build, boost, and grow their business? Win an Olympic Gold Medal? Sure! That’d be great. But apart from that? Write a book, of course! So says today’s returning guest, Honorée Corder, author of 20-plus books including 2016’s You MUST Write a Book: Boost Your Brand, […]

Many people believe—maybe you are one of them—that you’re either born creative or you’re not. Today’s guest suggests that nothing could be further from the truth. Why is it a room full of school children will say “yes” to the question of whether or not they’re creative, and demonstrate it in myriad ways, only for […]

Something I’ve always struggled with—and I’m guessing you have as well—is getting the most out of my LinkedIn profile. If you were to ask me about my LinkedIn strategy is, I’m not sure I could give you a clear answer. That’s why I’m excited to welcome a special guest today who literally wrote the book […]

My good friend Jody Maberry, who interviewed me about my book back in Episode #385, recently reached out about introducing me to a young man who’s just published his own new book. His name is Tim Schurrer and he is the author of The Secret Society of Success: Stop Chasing the Spotlight and Learn to […]

Mastery is considered by some to be an illusive concept. I hope to dispel that rumor once and for all with this short, concise, and easy-to-follow episode, all about mastery and self-improvement (our theme this month inside the Read to Lead Community). To join us for future AMAs and Guest Expert sessions, or to peruse […]

Recently, I was able to welcome a first-time guest named Honoreé Corder. Honoreé is making a return visit in just a few weeks. In the mean time, I’m chatting with an author she was kind of enough to introduce me to a few weeks ago. I’m glad she did. His name is Noah St. John […]

I admire anyone who manages to write or cowrite as many as thirty books in their lifetime. This person’s work has been featured on the podcast before, but he’s not yet been a guest…until today. I’m talking about John David Mann, co-author of The Go-Giver (with Bob Burg—Episode #098), and now author of The Go-Giver […]

I’ve known today’s guest for several years. We live near each other and have met in person on two previous occasions. The first was at my book launch party last August. Bob Lotich was kind enough to show up and give support to the project. The first time I ever met Bob was to help […]

This episode marks the third week in a row I’ve welcomed a university professor (or former professor). First Harvard, then Yale, and today’s guest, formerly of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. I feel smarter just having been around them these last few weeks. That guest today is making a returning visit to us. His name […]

Last week we chatted with a Harvard professor. Next week, we’ll chat with a professor at a prestigious college in Canada. This week, we receive a visit from at professor at Yale University. That professor’s name is Barry Nalebuff. One of his early experiences negotiating was when he and a former student sold their tea […]

When you end an interview with a Harvard Business School professor and he tells you your questions made him think, it kinda makes your day (or maybe your week, your month, your year, or, perhaps your life)! Though we may not see eye-to-eye on all the issues he presented, I consider the chance to chat […]

When a guest who’s been on the podcast more than any other guest recommends another author to you, your ears perk up quite bit. That was the case for me when four-time guest Liz Wiseman suggested I meet author Whitney Johnson. I am so thankful to Liz for that introduction because her new book came […]

I love books on the topic of productivity. It’s a topic about which plenty of books have written. Some might argue we don’t need any more books on productivity. That is not the case for the latest productivity book I read. It’s now at the top of the list of best all-time productivity books in […]

Today’s guest is on the executive team of one of the nation’s most successful companies. That company is Chick-fil-A. I’m talking, of course, about Executive Vice President of High-Performance Leadership, Mark Miller. He’s been a guest on the show before to talk about Win Every Day. His latest book, though, is called Smart Leadership: Four […]

One of my favorite productivity books ever is one called The 12 Week Year: How to Get More Done in 12 Weeks Than Others Do in 12 Months by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington. Though I didn’t get a chance to interview them about that book when it came out, I was delighted when a […]

Welcome, welcome, welcome! You’re listening to the Read to Lead Podcast, and I’m your host, Jeff Brown. Today is an incredibly special day because we’re celebrating 11 years of this podcast! 🎉 Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of speaking with some of the brightest minds and discussing some of the most transformative books […]

When it comes to other podcasters, one person I’ve always admired is also today’s guest on Read to Lead. His name is Joe Saul-Sehy, and what he’s built over at the Stacking Benjamins podcast is pretty amazing. He also happens to have a new book out (surprise) that I’m delighted to help put on your […]

Today I welcome back for the third time – and the second time in less than a year – one of my favorite authors. He’s got a brand new book out (released last week) and I can’t wait to tell you more about it. My guest is none other than Stephen M. R. Covey, whose […]

What an awesome and incredibly important discussion I have for you today! It’s my long-awaited sit-down with none other than Marcus Buckingham. I first got the chance to hear Marcus speak fifteen, or maybe, twenty years ago at the annual Global Leadership Summit in Chicago. Marcus was captivating AND inspiring that day. His new book […]

Sometimes you record an interview and it gets mangled by the technology. Something beyond your control goes wrong. It happens. Then, sometimes, the person responsible for recording the conversation forgets to click the record button. Yep. I did that. The second time in nine years. But, thankfully, most people are really forgiving. That’s certainly an […]

It’s not often the case, but my guest today is someone I’ve had the chance to get to know over the last six to eight years. His name is Dr. Sunil Raheja. We first met when he became one of my early podcast coaching clients (you can check out his blog and podcast here). We […]

Today’s guest is making at least his third appearance on the Read to Lead Podcast (it’s hard to keep up these days). Chandler Bolt has updated the content of his bestselling book that also has a slightly revised subtitle. It’s now called Published: The Proven Path From Blank Page to 10,000 Copies Sold. And you […]

Today’s guest is the second person I’ve had on recently to chat about the power of visual thinking. A few weeks ago, it was three-time guest Dan Roam. Today, it’s the CEO and co-founder of BigBlueGumball, Todd Cherches. Todd’s recent book is called VisuaLeadership: Leveraging the Power of Visual Thinking in Leadership and in Life. […]

I first met today’s guest when I discovered her last book The Million-Dollar, One-Person Business. Immediately, I invited her to appear as a speaker for my online Boss-Free Summit. She was great! Her name is Elaine Pofeldt, and she’s just published a follow-up to that book called Tiny Business, Big Money: Strategies for Creating a […]

Few would argue there are many more lucrative options to building wealth than through real estate investing. That’s the expertise of my guest today, Chris Bystriansky. But more than that, Chris has managed to instill the concepts of passive income through real estate into the brain of his six-year-old daughter, ensuring that she will likely […]

My guest today is someone I’ve learned a ton from when it comes to creating and delivering better presentations. His name is Dan Roam. I was first impacted by his first book called The Back of the Napkin (links to his books below). Then, it was Show and Tell and Draw to Win. Later, I […]

Adele Gambardella, a celebrated PR strategist and crisis management consultant, has worked with major clients like Facebook and President Joe Biden, and has been honored as a “Woman Who Means Business” by the Washington Business Journal. Chip Massey, a former FBI hostage negotiator, brings his expertise from 20+ years in law enforcement to the business […]

Today’s guest is someone I’ve wanted to have on the show for several years now, ever since her first book was published back in 2018. I’m talking about Nataly Kogan. She is a successful entrepreneur, highly sought-after keynote speaker, and founder and CEO at Happier Inc., a company that has helped more than one million […]

I have so much respect for today’s guest. Most people, especially at age 29, would have crumbled under the weight of losing control of their family’s one-hundred-fifty-year-old company. Not Warwick Fairfax. Now, that’s not to say what he went through wasn’t incredibly difficult. It certainly was. But Warwick is not your average guy. Now 30+ […]

The book I’m featuring in today’s episode is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. I’m two-thirds of the way through the book (about 200 pages in) and have already taken 35 pages of notes. I’ll easily have 50 pages of notes by the time I’m finished. That book is called […]