Explore every episode of the podcast TAILGATING WITH GENIUSES

We all get it: how do we keep ourselves, our work and our world going in harmony. Ok...how do we get back to harmony? For +35 years Interface.com's Chief Design Officer Chip DeGrace has been deep in the weeds and traveling the entire world trying to answer that question. From the bowels of factories to shop floors to the board rooms of the biggest corporations in the world, Interface has become known as one of a handful of companies actively trying to figure things out. And what's crazier still, they're a flooring company. 

Chip is beyond smart, he gets right to genius territory in that he never stops asking for better answers and trying to solve the biggest problems today and tomorrow. 

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Kevin Wenzel spent over 20 years as a brand VP at Procter & Gamble developing marketing and marketing initiatives for some of the biggest name brands in the world. In his final years he was asked to lead the training and integration of an AI system the company rolled out to move faster and smarter as they managed their brand portfolio. Inadvertently, P&G created one of the most well rounded thinkers on how to actually "use" AI to support research, teamwork and create ideas that test ideas faster than ever before. 

We go over all of that plus his take on what are his favorite tools to use.  

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Derrick Kayongo was a happy child living in Uganda until civil war forced him and thousands more to flee. As an immigrant to the US he was told by his father that America is an experiment and that he needed to seize the opportunity. To date he's changed a massive waste stream in the hotel industry and turned that waste to save lives in the developing world. He's been the CEO of the Civil and Human Rights Museum in Atlanta and is now working with companies around the world to take bad acting chemicals out of products. 

We talk leadership, empathy and more. And while Ken discusses bio pics, Martin laments the loss of a Girl Scout cookie line and the celebrates cottage cheese. 

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From tending sheep on an Iowa farm to revolutionizing cow burps, Joan Salwen isn't your typical climate change warrior. Picture this: a former Accenture Managing Director who once led organizational strategy now spends her days wrestling with bovine digestion and seaweed science. As the CEO of Blue Ocean Barns, Joan has transformed from corporate strategist to agricultural innovator, proving that sometimes the most unexpected solutions to global challenges come from the most surprising places. Today, we're diving into a conversation about how a simple red seaweed supplement could be the unexpected hero in our fight against climate change – one cow burp at a time.

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“Hey Siri: What’s the most beloved podcast right now?”  Siri: “Are you kidding? Tailgating With Geniuses.”  Siri’s right. Siri’s always right. Her calm, assuring voice – even when we swear at her (you’ve done it) – is always there.  So we wondered, “Who is Siri?” Or at least, “Who is the voice of Siri?” Now we know. She’s voice-over mega-talent Susan Bennett and she’s our brilliant guest this week. How’d she land such an amazing gig? How do people get work in the voice market? Does it help if you sing with famous rock and rollers? She’s got your answers. As always. 

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Enough already with the over-hype, over-promising and over-committing to A.I. It’s time for a sensible, fact-based look at what’s really happening and how global businesses should be reacting. And who better to guide us down the road to sensibility than Nikhil Suresh, executive director of Hermit Tech –  a software engineering consultancy focused on a model of “radical honesty and trust” – and writer with a bazillion followers? We’re all in on honesty and trust at TWG. Well, sorta.

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Sarah Furness is a genuine badass. She served 21 years in the Royal Air Force as a squadron leader and helicopter fighter pilot. After leading on combat operational tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, she taught at the Defence Academy of the UK and became a leading voice in prioritizing, focusing and staying calm under pressure. We learned some awesome combat techniques that can be used to train our minds to be bulletproof when we’re facing the worst.. Great stuff!

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Ken and Martin talk to Jamie Clark. Jamie Clark is a master at the psychology of motivation and how to foster it, bring it to life and put it to work. From the Stanley Cup winners, The Washington Capitals to the tallest peaks around the world; Jamie helps people reach heights they didn't know they could reach but does so by fostering camaraderie while balancing both fear and the euphoria of freedom. 

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Jamie Clark is more than a motivational speaker. Jamie Clark is a master at the psychology of motivation and how to foster it, bring it to life and put it to work. From the Stanley Cup winners, The Washington Capitals to the tallest peaks around the world; Jamie helps people reach heights they didn't know they could reach but does so by fostering camaraderie while balancing both fear and the euphoria of freedom. 

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Ken and Martin follow Bob Keefe's suggestion and simply "follow the money". Partisanship, the economy and how American's are making more money than now (through stock investments mostly) than before. And still...we're being told things are going badly. 

We discuss the personal effect of living with boredom as a result of Hurricane Helene. Ken wrestles with the fact that the algorithms have targeted him as a Brady Bunch super fan. 

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If you want to uncover where sweet, sexy buckets of money are being made today, do what we did: Talk with Bob Keefe about America’s clean economy revolution. Wait. What?! When the world’s largest businesses are actively supporting and pursuing clean energy policies and working to convince elected officials to get on board, issues such as climate change and income inequality become solvable. Why? Because they’re incredible money-generating machines. Keefe, author of “Clean Economy Now,” breaks it down in language we can all understand. Wow. Just wow.

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Sure, there's been a movie. And if you're fortunate, you'll have heard Aron speak and tell his story. We took our time with him to discuss not only what happened, but what it's meant to him and what the human body can endure in the most extreme conditions.  

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Just WOW! Mariana Atencio gave us so much great content, and better still...items you can do right now to create change in yourself and your company. We'll talk about what we learned, and helped us better understand more about uniqueness and visibility. 

What Got Our Attention showcases Martin talking about tone, language and discourse is taking place in US politics (and works really hard not to be political!). Ken discusses teen sex and badminton. Really...he does that.  

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Navigating change and uncertainty in life is hard for everyone. It’s even harder when you’re not confident about who you are (see: TWG’s Tolerable Hosts). Peabody Award-winning journalist, network news anchor and reporter, Mariana Atencio came to America from Venezuela, felt uncomfortable trying to fit in, became a hugely successful journalist  and turned her story into a Ted Talk that’s been viewed more 24 million times. That’s not a mis-print. Mariana’s message and great stories speak to the glorious benefits that come from being different and that channeling authenticity unlocks human potential in ways most of us never imagined. The world has feasted on Mariana’s message and storytelling. Eat it up. 

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We discuss the Monday interview with Jeff Henderson, the former cocaine dealer found redemption in a prison kitchen, where he discovered a new direction for his life, then went on to become a massive success as the first African American executive chef at The Bellagio in Las Vegas. 

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Chef Jeff Henderson is the ideal role model for anyone who needs the encouragement to reinvent their life. The former cocaine dealer found redemption in a prison kitchen, where he discovered a new direction for his life, then went on to become a massive success as the first African American executive chef at The Bellagio in Las Vegas. His New York Times best-seller, “Cooked” united him with Oprah and TV stardom followed. Equally impressive, his Chef Jeff Project creates opportunities for disenfranchised youth, formerly incarcerated individuals and anyone seeking a second chance. Jeff’s story is one you’ve got to hear. 

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We discuss the Monday interview with Theresa Payton, the tactics she shared to protect yourself from cybercrime as well as "What Got Our Attention" where Ken talks hotdogs and Martin discusses his love of nice people, great roads and our lovely neighbor to the north. 

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Right now, some scumbag, somewhere, is scamming you or your business – or tying to. We all know how if feels to be a victim and the futility of trying to stop it from happening again. Because it always does.  Protecting yourself and your family, protecting your business, protecting your sanity can be overwhelming because the crooks are always one stop ahead of the good guys. TWG breaks it down and simplifies personal and business protection with Theresa Payton, the first-ever woman to serve as CIO in the White House, star of CBS series “Hunted”  and one of the world’s premiere experts on cybersecurity. Scammers are going to use AI to steal from you (if they haven’t already) unless you protect yourself. They’re also trying to steal the election. Theresa tells us what to watch for and offers up some simple advice to keep the scum at bay. 

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The Power of Simplification with FutureThink Founder Lisa Bodell. We’d all love to stop wasting so much time (looking at you, Flaherty) doing crap that sucks the productivity, life and joy out of our workdays. Impossible, you say?  Let’s learn from the person who teaches the major businesses you buy from every day how to do it. Lisa Bodell is a two-time best-selling author and the founder of FutureThink, the world’s largest source of simplification and innovation tools and training. We like her alot. 

Books:

 - https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B006J7TYTQ/about

Links: 

 - https://www.damelionetwork.com/lisa-bodell/

 Video: 

 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm172DbaSbc 

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In less than 15 minutes you’ll hear your TWG tolerable hosts offer up a few how-to storytelling lessons based on our recent episode with Disney/Pixar’s Matthew Luhn, then listener-favorite “What’s Got Our Attention” with Ken delving into how all-you-can-eat shrimp dinners can be fatal and Martin shamelessly promoting Apple. Again. 

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Matthew Luhn is a former storyboard artist, animator and "story guy" on Pixar's "Toy Story" films, "Monsters Inc.," "Finding Nemo," "UP," "Cars," "Ratatouille" and other smash hits.

Today we discuss the power of great stories to build demand, differentiation and memorability -- withone of the greatest story creators of all time. 

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Customer Experience: how to do it, how to make it real and how to make it matter. Geoff DeVito of Explora Journeys shares his background, TED talk content and the basics of creating REAL/high value customer experiences. His employer Explora is a cruise ship unlike any other on the seas, they're creating deep experience for both passengers and crew. 

We discuss hospitality and the thinking behind creating great experiences, plus how those lessons can cross over to all businesses.  

The "What's Got Our Attention" has Ken angry about self-checkout, Geoff discusses attending an AirSupply concert and Martin shares his joy of dealing with Woot.com's customer service team. 

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Author and professor Scott Habegger shares stories about positioning and how companies can do it better. Scott talks about the need for a shift in focus to what he calls "small data". We all know "big data" but it's the small data that colors what people think and say about your company. Scott shares stories related to banking, retail and Harley's. 

We discuss Bed Bath and Beyond as well. 

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We throw out a run of show in favor of a discussion about a practical and unexpected application of A.I. that Lekan demonstrated. We discuss what happened and welcome the remarkable Amanda Schneider, President and Founder of ThinkLab. 

With Amanda we discuss the ideas about where work is going and the notion that it's process and not any product that will inform the next wave of how work gets done. Amanda also joins us for our "What's Got Your Attention" feature. 

To put it mildly, Amanda is pretty damned cool. 

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We welcome Portuguese entrepreneur and founder Antonio Cuco of Sharish gin to the show this week. A literal start from nothing 10 years ago, to becoming the #1 gin maker in Portugal, Antonio tells a story everyone needs to hear. 

Tolerable Host Lekan Bashua had to answer his version of the Bat Signal leaving Ken and Martin to go "duo".  We discuss storytelling and highlight its value through the perspectives of legendary brands Harley-Davidson and The Coca-Cola Company.  Plus we talk sad songs and our collective shock at the loss of the Wiener mobile.

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After 14 months, we're back with Season 2! Rumors of Ken starting a perineum sunning center were proven to be false. Lekan's move from the northwest to the southeast proved to be true. And Martin's perpetual reading of arduous and mostly boring content is a constant.

We discuss everything from the new show structure, A.I. changing the world, Ken's frustration with Hallmark cards and the remarkable - on brand - send off of legendary drag/female impersonator Dame Edna (R.I.P.). 

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Get your groove on, Tailgaters! We’re betting you’ve never wondered how adding a “boogie room” to your workplace can make you and your team mates more productive. Or how the timing of a woman’s fertility cycle, combined with dancing, increases her attractiveness. Hoo boy! You’ve got a lot to learn and we’ve got the best teacher for the job, Dr. Peter Lovatt, who’s one of the world’s leading authorities on the psychology of movement, with an academic career that extends from Cambridge University to the Royal Ballet School. He’ll also share how movement impacts thinking, learning, problem-solving, pro-social behavior and memory. And being liked. So how’d he end up on stage with Barack Obama and Oprah? If you sit behind a desk all day or lead people who do, you’ve got to hear this! Listen now! And get moving!

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After Episode 19’s postmortem of a particularly painful 2021, your Tolerable Hosts to kick off a new season by copping to the many imprecise projections we posited in the past year’s shows and making pragmatic predictions for 2022. Meaning: We’re setting ourselves up for another year of mid-course corrections and mea culpas (plus more cheap alliteration). But that’s just business as usual. The return to work story will never die. Ditto supply chain issues. But cannabis, crypto and climate are even more fun to talk about. As are four-day and hybrid work-weeks. And the upcoming epic billionaire space disaster the media continues to ignore. 
Hear it here first.

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Ooof...what a year! Our Brilliant Guests get a break and we wrap up 2020 with a show about the biggest event each host felt defined the year that was and what it means going forward. 

Lekan talks January 6th that includes part of his life story as an immigrant to the US: Ken talks division and how it's affecting his day to day life; and Martin talks supply chain and the Ever Given that blocked the Suez Canal and how our entire system of business was rocked. 

And we conclude with a year end "What Got Our Attention". 

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You've been moved by Robert Tepper. His work creating the artwork we all see for the entertainment we love is burned in your consciousness. As a Creative Director working on the art for movies featuring Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump), Marlon Brando (The Freshman), Robert De Niro, Amy Schumer, Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean)  and animated features like Moana as well as The Masked Singer on Fox, Robert tells a story in a single visual that makes you stop, pay attention  spend your money. 

Robert shares stories about the process of this work as well as stories about a photoshoot with Brando, one with De Niro; and we take a look behind the scenes at a part of the world of entertainment most of us know nothing about. 

We'll also discuss the state of work and new life in the office. 

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Alison Levine is an author, explorer, mountain climber and a  kick ass person. Accomplishing unbelievable feats in the elements and in business is even more bonkers given the fact she has had three heart surgeries and suffers from Raynaud’s disease. From a career that includes work at pharmaceutical companies, Goldman Sachs and then as deputy finance director for Arnold Schwarzenegger in his successful bid to become Governor of California; Alison knows adversity and success. 

Her work  at the Thayer Leader Development Group at West Point and stories about starting out and getting noticed created great storytelling for our show.

Additionally we cover the recent troubles the retail shopping world is facing and What's Got Our Attention This Week as well. 

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Dave Bruckner knows what terrifies us.  And he knows the grittiness and struggle of believing in what you want to do and doing it. Starting as a kid in a backyard with a DV camera to rebooting horror icon Pinhead in Clive Barker's story and classic Hellraiser; Dave has come a long way. He talks about the psychology of fear, making things, why we love to be scared and the thinking and craft behind the movies we watch. 

From his writing, co-directing to directing work on critical and fan favorite horror anthologies The Signal, V/H/S , Southbound, as well as directing Netflix's "The Ritual" and the remarkable "The Night House" starring Rebecca Hall, Dave is one of the bright lights in the world of film terror. 

We also discuss The Facebook Files, their potential name change, Eric Clapton and Vikings! 

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Greg Schwem is an author, nationally syndicated humor columnist, TV travel host, as built a career doing so along with developing a unique perspective on the changing state business. His views on  corporate communications, marketing and the need for businesses to take themselves less serious show a need for more humor in the workplace, but with limitations. 

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With an 11-year playing career in the NFL and two Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots, Don Davis knows the game. At the NFL Players Association he knows the business of the game having just lead the negotiations for the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) that will change all aspects of players financial lives in and after their time in the league. 

Candid, funny and blunt...Don shares insights to the changing nature of the game of football, how we now look at the game and how that will change in the next years. Don brings his personal story to the table as well and his association's work to drive financial freedom and success for all players. 

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Helping firms like Coca-Cola, Nestle and 50 other firms set up their venture funds, Mark Kaiser is the go to guy in the corporate world for getting it right from the get go. Mark has been a CEO at a publicly traded firm where he bought over 30 companies and now sits as an External Advisor to Bain & Company.

No one knows both sides of a deal like Mark and fewer still are as funny, candid and willing to talk about how it all works. He even discusses the red flags that show up as the game gets played. 

Mark shares what's really going on with all that money businesses have and talks about where he sees serious change happening. (Oh...and he wants to know why we aren't spending more time on the Pringles redesign. Damn he's good.) 

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Listener mail, phone calls and reviews drove us to  showcase elements of our first three shows with Mitch Lowe (founding exec) of Netflix and COO at Redbox, CEO Sarah Robb O'Hagan of EXOS and former President at Gatorade, and Dana Arnett, founding Partner and CEO at VSA Partners. 

Short excerpts about scaling, learning that what got you where you are won't get always get you where you (and your company) need to be, failing and how great brands think their ways to better success.

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This week we discuss Leadership with Commander Kirk Lippold, USN (Ret.).
We discuss what good leadership is, why it's imperative, the consequences of not having it and why he believes leaders must do better to uphold this critical skill.

Commander Kirk Lippold was the Commanding Officer of the USS Cole when it came under a suicide terrorist attack by al Qaeda in the port of Aden, Yemen. During his command, he and his crew distinguished themselves by saving the American war ship from sinking. This event is widely recognized as one of the most brazen acts of terrorism by al Qaeda prior to September 11, 2001.

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Tiffani Bova, Salesforce Growth and Transformation Advisor joins us to talk about the staggering gaps between what companies are doing and what needs to be done to get ahead. It is all about the customer, and companies still keep getting it wrong. However in an unexpected shift, she encourages companies to first focus on their employees. Eye opening stats, observations and perspective make Tiffani a joy to listen to and learn from. 

Also we talk Ford's shift to "build to order", bad customer service and what's got our attention. 

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Cheryl Durst is a treasure trove of perspectives on work, place, design and how we navigate our surroundings. As CEO of the largest commercial design association with over 13,000 members in over 60 countries, Cheryl brings perspective to a practice that literally informs how we move through our world. Funny, blunt, deeply empathetic and fearless in what she'll talk about; Cheryl provided us with profound insights, laughs and hope. 

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Dan Bush is a film maker, director, writer, producer and now podcast creator who has taken his ideas from independent movies to international renowned.  Most recently his 13 episode immersive sci-fi thriller "Tomorrow's Monsters" starring John Boyega and Darren Criss has become a podcast hit that's gotten the attention of both the media and Hollywood. 

We talk about the determination, goals, focus and the essential need of pivoting to different thinking when the opportunity presents itself. 

Also Reece Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson and Rhyianna are part of our discussion of platforms and the changing landscape of "IP".

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Author Kevin Salwen talks about his and co-Author Kent Alexander book, "The Suspect: An Olympic Bombing, the FBI, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the Man Caught in the Middle" went from a NYT best seller to a Clint Eastwood major motion picture. Kevin's experience of over 18 years at the Wall Street Journal gave him the opportunity to perfect his craft and develop a sense of story that's apparent in his works.  

We also talk about, the media, our institutions and the perilous state of truth and what we need to do to correct and build better connections. 

Also, Victoria's Secret, United Airlines and what stories corporations are telling us these days and if they are making an impact. 

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For Chuck Runyon, CEO of Self Esteem Brands, building Anytime Fitness into one of the largest and most valuable non-food franchises in the world takes passion and resolve in equal measure. Being at the helm during the shutdown of more than 4,000 mom-and-pop franchises around the world during the pandemic was a challenge few could have weathered so successfully. Now Anytime Fitness and Self Esteem's other health, fitness and nutrition brands are roaring back to life to the delight of its legions of countless fans -- even gym fanatics in Antarctica -- who bare their Anytime tattoos with pride. He's clearly on to something you should know about.

Plus we discuss marketing the Covid vaccine. 

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Gabe Wing has spent 20 years at Herman Miller and is their Director of Sustainability. When Gabe talks about ethical companies and corporate behavior we listen. Herman Miller is renowned as a leader in corporate social responsibility, environmental stewardship all while making some of the most beautiful products available around the world.   

We talk about what the capital markets are looking for and the value brands that present their diversity, governance, sustainability actions; and the scorecards that are being created about those companies. 

Additionally: We talk to Bellow.press publisher Rob Kirkbride about the return to office. (And man...Rob doesn't mince words!) 

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Dana Arnett is a founding partner and CEO of VSA Partners, one of the world's largest and most successful design and marketing firms. Dana and his teams have led design, marketing, digital and interactive initiatives for multiple household-name brands, including Nike, Anheuser Busch, Google, IBM, AT&T, Harley-Davidson and Toyota.. There's a great reason CEO's of top companies want his advice on how to build their businesses: Nobody tops his wealth of experience and success. 

Also: Additional content shows greater tension in return to work. Additionally the hosts discuss what got their attention this week;  Foos, space and  soap

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Sarah Robb O'Hagan  - CEO at EXOS, The Human Performance Company. Named among Fast Company’s “Most Creative People in Business” and Forbes’ "Most Powerful Women in Sports,” she led the reinvention and turnaround of Gatorade as its global president and led major marketing initiatives at Nike and Virgin Atlantic. Fearless, frank, and funny in talking about learning from failures and inspiring greatness. 

Also: Multiple surveys indicate massive shifts in worker expectations about how they work

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Mitch Lowe - Founding Exec at Netflix, COO at Redbox and discusses retail,  growth, pivoting business models and making tough decisions. His start from a Northern California video store owner put him on a path that changed how the world watches movies and consumes content. 

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