Tech journalist Gina Smith had never been on TV when she was asked to appear on PBS to debate Steve Ballmer of Microsoft about Windows ’95. It was a gutsy move, but she said yes because she was determined to let consumers know her criticisms of Windows ‘95. After the interview, she was worrying “Whoa, should I have actually done that?” when ABC called and asked her to be the tech correspondent on Good Morning America and World News Tonight. And that’s how Gina started her TV career: by saying yes to opportunities, taking risks and sharing her passion.
Gina is also the New York Times bestselling author (with Steve Wozniak) of iWOZ: From Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-founded Apple and Had Fun Along the Way. She’s a radio host, wrote an award-winning column for the San Francisco Sunday Chronicle, wrote a book about DNA, and now she’s a partner in First 30 based in San Francisco, which is an incubator firm for tech start-ups.
During our conversation, we talk about Gina’s serendipitous career journey and her current role at First 30, and:
- How getting a text from a friend who met Steve Wozniak at a Grateful Dead concert turned into a book deal
- Bringing great ideas to life: getting the guy who’s been working in his basement for 7 years a patent, an expert team, and a million dollars in funding
- The Purple Cow: what Gina looks for when deciding which projects to back
- Ripping the band-aid off: how to reject people without making them resent you
Learn more about Gina’s company at www.first30services.com.
Listen to my interview with Gina Smith
Posted on August 31, 2010
I met Annie McKee, one of the world’s top advisors on leadership, at a conference in Dubai last year. I was excited to meet her because her work as the founder of the Teleos Leadership Institute focuses on creating large-scale change in organizations to evolve and do more great work.
Annie is the co-author of several groundbreaking leadership books: Primal Leadership, Resonant Leadership and Becoming a Resonant Leader.
Annie has been dubbed the “High Priestess of Executive Coaching” by Business Week. With a title like that, you may picture her dressed in flowing white robes and carrying a sacrificial dagger. But the truth is—her approach to finding meaning (at work and in life) is incredibly down-to-earth.
In our conversation, we discuss:
- How all people wake up with intentions to do good work, and how to rekindle their spark when they get knocked off balance
- 3 magic words that could revolutionize every conversation you have at work
- Tools for defining a “noble purpose” to drive you forward in your personal and professional life (believe it or not, this may include tarot cards!)
- How playfulness, taking a walk, and the “perceived weird index” can get you from good to great work
NB-Although Annie’s voice comes through nicely in this interview, I sound a bit like I’m standing in a wind tunnel. Sorry about that.
Posted on July 15, 2010
If you’re a small business owner, I hope to heck that you’ve heard of John Jantsch, the man behind Duct Tape Marketing.
With Duct Tape Marketing, John has created a system for marketing your small business, so you can forget about the hype and guesswork, and counting on consultants to decode the mysteries of marketing. John’s system will get your business beyond the clutter and into the limelight.
John is insatiably curious, admits to getting bored easily and is a voracious reader of 100 blogs and 4 books a week. During our conversation he shares his wisdom about:
- How social media years are like dog years
- His “light bulb” moment about the secret to marketing small businesses
- The 2 biggest mistakes that John sees over and over, and make him smack himself on the head every time
- How to turn your biz into a “Referral Engine” that people love talking about
- Creating a brand that’s as cool as Apple (don’t worry.. you don’t need their budget or iPads)
You can read John’s award-winning blog Duct Tape Marketing here (it’s a Forbes fave and Harvard Business School featured marketing site) and follow him on Twitter at @ducttape.
Posted on July 13, 2010
Be real.
Be whole.
Be innovative.
That’s the essence of Total Leadership, and Stew Friedman is the man behind it and the best-selling book of the same title. He’s been at the forefront of evolution of leadership thinking (and being) for more than twenty year as senior faculty at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. And he’s honed his thoughts on leadership by spending time as the Director of Ford’s Leadership Develop Centre.
In our conversation we chat about:
- The “Jerry Maguire” moment in his own career, when leadership become critical
- The importance of managing the boundaries
- Why deciding who matters is one of the secrets to “being whole”
You can learn more about Stew and his work at www.TotalLeadership.org.
Posted on April 30, 2010
