I worked 26 years at ad agencies and never knew there was a thing called Learning & Development (L&D).

Like an actual team dedicated to the growth of the people who work there.

Huh.

It had been my understanding that learning was a thing that happened by having your work pissed on repeatedly, forcing you to come back with so many new ideas that one might actually squeak through unscathed and you’d be invited back for the next gauntlet.

You “developed” a thick skin but not much else. Leadership skills, communication, discernment and emotional intelligence?

Ha!

Thankfully, Jared Andres came on the DesuckifyWork® podcast to share a better way. Jared is an L&D manager at Jane App and previously led L&D at Critical Mass in Calgary. Both places put a lot of effort into helping folks learn and grow.

His thoughts?

🐱 Less pissing all over the work and more useful feedback.

🐱 Less just figure it out and more here are some things to consider

🐱 Less assuming you’ll be a good leader because you’re good at something completely unrelated to leading and more actual training

🐱 Less stay in your lane and more inviting you to create new lanes that solve the biggest challenges in the organization

He’s also got thoughts on AI that aren’t the ones you’ve already heard. And he shares a sound effect that reminds us that real, tangible things still have value in our robot world.

(If you enjoy this episode, please like, share, rate, review or subscribe to the podcast.)

Let the desuckifying begin. Here’s Jared.

You can follow Jared on LinkedIn. He’s always happy to chat about this stuff.

If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to dive deep into some of your own challenges at work, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session, where we can explore new, desuckified possibilities for your future.

Bye, everyone!

Bonus question from Jared to our audience:What would you say is the one barrier in your organization that's stopping your leaders from showing up at their best? And why is it there? What's keeping it there?

If you’d like to watch this episode on YouTube, please click here.

#desuckifyworkpodcast #desuckifywork #findyourwhy #findyourcape #executivecoaching #advertising #adagency #learninganddevelopment

Ad agencies are good at 3 things:

👏 Building brands👏 Driving sales👏 Making employees so miserable they would prefer to be literally anywhere else, almost as soon as they are hired. (Hence the industry-wide 33% turnover rate)

The James Agency in Scottsdale is quite good at the first two. But has failed miserably at the third. Many of their folks have stuck around for over ten years. The CCO has been there since the beginning, 20 years, with agency founder and today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® podcast, Veronique James (known simply as V to most).

What is V doing wrong? Why is she struggling to live up to the precedent set by so many in our industry?

She didn’t get the memo.

You know, the one that says you should keep business details shrouded in secrecy, even from your top leaders. The one that says accountability is too scary and complicated. The one that says caring deeply about your clients and their business results isn’t important… just focus on the task at hand, brah.

V has this nutty idea that having a team aligned around shared values can make the work better. And make working better too.

Values like:🐱 Give a s**t🐱 Be yourself🐱 Aspire to be better🐱 Take action🐱 Contribute positivity🐱 Challenge convention🐱 Communicate honestly

Values that allowed the agency to avoid layoffs or pay cuts during COVID. And have led them treat RFPs like actual projects instead of just dropping them into the workflow like methed-up honey badgers.

Does this kind of wackiness actually work? Could other agencies follow their lead and see similar results?

Take a listen to V and see what you think.

(If you enjoy this episode, please like, share, rate, review or subscribe to the podcast.)

Let the desuckifying begin.

You can follow Veronique on LinkedIn. And check out her agency’s site at thejamesagency.com.

If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to dive deep into some of your own challenges at work, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session, where we can explore new, desuckified possibilities for your future.

Bye, everyone!

Bonus question from V to our audience:What is the one thing that you'd ask your younger self now, knowing what you know about your business or where you are in your professional career?

#desuckifyworkpodcast #desuckifywork #findyourwhy #findyourcape #executivecoaching #advertising #adagency #adagencyculture #employeeturnover

Quick, are you a meerkat? A chimp? A snow leopard? A wolf?

No, I’m not high. I’m talking about the 4 belonging personas developed by Dan Berger, today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® podcast.

This may be the most important work anyone is doing right now. We are in the midst of a belonging crisis, fueled by social media, egged on by COVID and reinforced by our own lack of clarity on how to make things better.

Enter Dan.

Dan’s whole life has been centered around belonging. It hasn’t always been easy. But his work has paid off—for him and for all of us.

His quest began in the womb, a mother preparing to give him up for adoption, a son feeling that disconnect viscerally. As an adopted child, he always wondered if he belonged. As a 9 year old Israeli moving over 5,000 miles to the US, those feelings only intensified. As an adult navigating the business world and ultimately selling the startup he founded, his quest became a calling.

Where do we find belonging? How do we cultivate it? Why does it feel so elusive at times?

Dan has answers. And some practical tools that can help us find our way.

You can start by taking the belonging persona quiz on his website. (I’m a snow leopard, btw.)

Then, you should read his book, The Quest: The Definitive Guide to Finding Belonging.

Lastly, you should listen to this episode. Dan goes deep on a bunch of practical ways to increase belonging. Including

🐱 Creating a belonging mindset

🐱 Fostering a belonging culture at work, which needs to come from top leadership, not HR

🐱 And one I don’t fully agree with, but can appreciate… taking a more transactional view of work.

That last one would be misery for me, but nirvana for others. I think the key is asking yourself the question I pose to every guest: What role does work play in your life?

There’s no wrong answer. You get to decide. And I can help you figure it out, btw.

(If you enjoy this episode, please like, share, rate, review or subscribe to the podcast.)

Let the desuckifying begin.

You can follow Dan on LinkedIn. And check out his site, belongingquest.com, where you’ll find his belonging quiz, info on his book and a ton of other helpful goodies.

If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to dive deep into some of your own challenges at work, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session, where we can explore new, desuckified possibilities for your future.

Bye, everyone!

Bonus question for our audience:Ask this of anything you do in life: “Does (fill in the blank) give me belonging?”

If you’d like to watch this episode on YouTube, please click here.

#desuckifyworkpodcast #desuckifywork #findyourwhy #findyourcape #executivecoaching #belonging #DEI #connection #belongingpersona

From overseas battlegrounds to overseeing booze regulations to fighting human trafficking and cleaning up county government, Bentley Nettles has been a busy man.

Oh, and he wrote a book, because of course he did.

The book captures a leadership philosophy honed over the course of his impressive career. As a Brigadier General (JAG) in the Army, Executive Director of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) and Brazos County Commissioner.

The philosophy? Pretty straightforward. Embrace different perspectives, invest in people, encourage creative problem solving, provide meaningful work and seek constant feedback.

The results? Nothing short of amazing.

🐱 Bentley was deployed to multiple combat theaters around the world, including Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq and earned the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart Medal for his service.

🐱 He reduced permit approval time from 85-89 days to 48 hours at TABC.

🐱 While there, he created a system for identifying human traffickers that was so successful it’s been replicated in 12 states.

🐱 He founded Brazos Valley Cares, a non-profit group dedicated to serving military veterans and their families.

My takeaway? It’s not just about the philosophy, it’s about living it. That’s what Bentley Nettles has done. Is doing. And will continue to do.

We’d do well to follow his lead.

(If you enjoy this episode, please like, share, rate, review or subscribe to the podcast.)

Let the desuckifying begin.

You can follow Bentley on LinkedIn. And check out his book, “Creating Excellence: Insights for Leaders and Their Legacy” on Amazon.

If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to dive deep into some of your own challenges at work, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session, where we can explore new, desuckified possibilities for your future.

Bye, everyone!

Bonus question for our audience:What do you like to see in your leaders? If you can answer that question, then you can probably help shape the leaders that you want to have over you—or become that leader.

#desuckifyworkpodcast #desuckifywork #findyourwhy #executivecoaching #leadership #legacy #walkingthewalk

Work sucks? Maybe it’s not you. Maybe it’s the model you’re working in.

Carlos Musquez came to this realization after 30+ years in the ad business. And he’d love it if you didn’t have to wait so long.

He invites you to ask a very simple question. When was the last time you were really proud of your work? And if the answer is, “it’s been a minute,” ask yourself why?

It might be time for something new. For Carlos, that new thing is Old School—a creative collective that lives the values learned throughout his career.

You can check out those values on his site. Some of my favorites:

🐱 Creativity is an Act of Defiance🐱 Risk is a Requirement🐱 Reject the Trend Trap🐱 Impact Over Optics

I’d argue those values are a solid recipe for good living, not matter what you’re doing. Good for life, good for advertising.

A good foundation to start something new.

Let the desuckifying begin.

—————

You can follow Carlos on LinkedIn. And check out his site at oldschool-collective.com. It’s full of inspiring goodness.

If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to dive deep into some of your own challenges at work, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session, where we can explore new, desuckified possibilities for your future.

Bye, everyone!

#desuckifyworkpodcast #desuckifywork #findyourwhy #executivecoaching #creativity #advertising #neverstoplearning

No one lies on their deathbed and says, “I wish I was more productive.”

But maybe they should. Because productivity is making progress towards our priorities. Towards the things that actually matter. That’s the definition shared by Sarah Ohanesian, today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® podcast.

At work, that might mean doing something we’re passionate about, or finding meaning where none seems to exist. Outside of work, with our families, our friends or off on our own, it simply means spending more time doing what we love.

I think Sarah’s onto something here.

Sarah is a former CMO turned productivity consultant. She saw (and experienced) the rampant burnout in the marketing world and decided she wanted to play a different game.

We all need to figure out what game we’re playing.

🐱 If you work for a company, you need to get clear on what game they’re playing and decide if you’re on board.

🐱 If you’re a leader, get really clear on your game and bring in diverse teams who want to play it with you.

🐱 No matter who you are, block your time for the stuff that matters. That’s your real work.

🐱 Create conversations with your team, your boss, your peers and your clients to make sure everyone recognizes the importance of focusing on priorities

🐱 If priorities aren’t clear, and this is just me talking, run! Life is too short to kill ourselves doing dumb s**t for no apparent reason.

Ultimately, all of this needs to come back to the game we want to play. The game we’ll be happiest looking back and saying, yeah, that was worth it. That was fun. That was me.

Let the desuckifying begin.

You can follow Sarah on LinkedIn. And check out her site at so-productive.com, where she’ll help you get clear on what matters.

If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to dive deep into some of your own challenges at work, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session, where we can explore new, desuckified possibilities for your future.

Bye, everyone!

Bonus Question from Sarah to our audience:When you're looking at your to do list next, what big impact do you want to make? What big impact are you capable of making? And what is that one task that's going to help to get you there?

If you’d like to watch this episode on YouTube, please click here.

#desuckifyworkpodcast #desuckifywork #findyourwhy #executivecoaching #productivity #meaning #priorities #alifethatmatters

I thought I had a bold mission, to desuckify work.

Then, Maria DeLorenzis Reyes shows up and hits me with a Devil Went Down to Georgia throw down: “Sit down in that chair right there and let me show you how it’s done.”

Her mission: to change the world of work forever.

Okay, okay. I’m listening. How do we do that, exactly?

Maria has some thoughts:

🐱 Be vulnerable. This is a huge superpower for leaders, who think they need to know everything. No. They need to know how to navigate a world where they know almost nothing. And show others that this is okay.

🐱 Stop the short-termism. Or it will (already has?) lead to long-term disaster. Time to hop off the hamster wheel of doom and actually go somewhere.

🐱 Don’t wait to lead, no matter your title. Start walking and inspire others to join you. People are dying for some direction right now, you can be the source.

🐱 Own and elevate our humanity. In the face of AI, we need to shift workplace cultures to nurture uniquely human capabilities. You know, the ones we’ve been ignoring for 100 years or so?

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to rosin up my bow and go all in on this. It’s time.

Let the desuckifying begin.

You can follow Maria on LinkedIn and on Instagram @themariadr. And check out her site at mariadr.com, where you can learn more about her life-changing work and her awesome podcast.

If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to dive deep into some of your own challenges at work, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session, where we can explore new, desuckified possibilities for your future.

Bye, everyone!

Bonus Question from Maria to our audience:What is the one thing that could be done that could have a major impact on how we work?

If you’d like to watch this episode on YouTube, please click here.

#desuckifyworkpodcast #desuckifywork #findyourwhy #findyourcape #executivecoaching #workculture #changeworkforever #leadership #vulnerabilityisasuperpower

Baba Booey.

The childish taunt of a crude shock jock or the cultural glue that helped build one of the world’s most successful media empires?

Yes.

The Leadership Lessons of Howard Stern is a provocative book from Michael Kublin, today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork® podcast.

Michael is an entrepreneur, author and founder of PeopleTek—a leadership coaching and development company.

He’s also one of the most positive, uplifting and thoughtful people I’ve met. His “unauthorized guidebook” on The King of All Media outlines the unconventional ways Howard has embodied some of the most universally beneficial approaches to leadership.

Michael follows a similar blend of renegade thinking and time-tested wisdom with the work he does.

🐱 It all starts with his 12-part compass framework, which helps you find your “Magic Dust,” the stuff that makes you sparkle.

🐱 Then, you align your dust with the vision/mission/goals of the organization you’re supporting, or leading.

🐱 Once we do that, we’re set up for the future that’s coming, like it or not (Michael loves it and so do I, btw). Where workers are independent contractors aligned to their strengths, not fixed roles. Jumping in and dropping their dust where it’s needed most.

🐱 To make this system sustainable, we need a major shift in our education system. Teaching leadership skills (via Howard or not) in schools, instead of waiting until we’re 30, 50 or 80 (the age of one his recent, amazing clients!)

He may not be the king of all media, but he’s a prince of a man and a near-endless source of leadership wisdom.

Let the desuckifying begin.

You can follow Michael on LinkedIn. And check out his site (with info on his Howard book) at michaelkublin.com. You can learn more about his company at peopletekcoaching.com.

If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to dive deep into some of your own challenges at work, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session, where we can explore new, desuckified possibilities for your future.

Bye, everyone!

Bonus Question from Michael to our audience:What stops you from investing in the one of the most important things in your life—your career?

To watch the episode on YouTube, please click here.

#desuckifyworkpodcast #desuckifywork #findyourwhy #executivecoaching #leadership #howardstern #magicdust #values