Innovation Nation Podcast

Episode 12: Deleting Your Toxic Thoughts with Visualization w/ Laura Eiman

In this episode, I interview Laura Eiman, Gold Medal Olympic Weightlifter and Mental Toughness Leadership Coach, about techniques for becoming like a corporate Navy SEAL. She and I discuss:

• Her journey from toxicity to mental toughness and elite athleticism
• Team building techniques of Navy SEALs that work in the office, too
• Her advice for positivity during COVID-19 The relationship between innovation, determination, and excitement

Episode 11: How to Promote a Fail-Fast Culture

What’s the optimal environment for innovation? In this episode, I interview Alisa Coffey, Head of Marketing at Abaco, about how she creates a culture of change and why she loves failure. What we talked about:

• Technology tools of the future spark innovation
• Alisa: “We need to fail fast.”
• The importance of collaboration and consensus in spurring creativity

Episode 10: Innovators Don’t Just Wake Up and Decide to Innovate

They work towards objectives — and those become the moments when innovation happens. In this episode, I interview Ben Branham, Director of Global Quality at Abaco, about innovation en route toward objectives. What we talked about:

• What to measure & what not to measure
• Getting your team positive & motivated about the goal
• Appropriate risk in prioritizing objectives
• What makes a tool valuable

Episode 9: 3 Spaces for Innovation in Manufacturing

The velocity of innovation has ramped up in the manufacturing space. Today’s guest explains why. In this episode, I interview Jeff Wurzbach, Founder and Engineer at Wurzbach Electronics, about 3 spaces for innovation in manufacturing. What we talked about:

• Software management techniques don’t go down well with hardware
• Distributed manufacturing has embraced innovation and creativity
• A plug for more vertical integration
• Innovation isn’t a step function but a continuous function

Episode 8: Innovators for the #NoMoreBoxes Movement

Boxes are awfully cramped, especially when we put ourselves in them. It’s hard to do very much growth in a box. Innovators need to ask this question: How can I change the box that’s holding me back? In this episode, I interview Runa Magnusdottir, CEO & Creator at The Change Makers, about her #NoMoreBoxes movement. What we talked about:

• Finding & trusting your flow
• Breaking out of what you’re “supposed” to do
• Strategies for recognizing & overcoming your box
• What innovation looks like for a leader in the flow

Episode 7: Education Fuels Innovation: Building a Learning Organization

The concept of synthesis doesn’t come up a lot at work. But it should. We innovate by synthesizing knowledge we already have with what we’ve recently learned. This is why education is the heart of innovation. In this episode, I interview Rodger LeGrand, Academy Manager at TÜV SÜD, about how and why to build a learning organization. What we talked about:

• Einstein, art, and poetry
• 2 things that learning organizations must do
• The intricacies of course design
• Empowering all employees to be knowledge workers

Episode 6: Trust Is the Foundation of Innovation

Trust is the foundation for a shared mission among team members and for relationships with customers. We actually don’t think it’s possible to innovate without trust. In this episode, I interview John Tesoro, President & CEO at TÜV SÜD, about how trust and innovation influence our industry. What we talked about:

• The impact of trust on teams’ expertise
• How to build & retain marketplace trust in the time of COVID-19
• Future episode topics with John

Episode 5: Continuous Innovation Through Data Analysis

We’ve all had enough of grand, sweeping changes with COVID-19. What we would benefit most from right now is gradual, continuous, and client-focused innovation. In this episode, I interview Jim Marsh, President & CEO at TÜV SÜD, about best practices for continuous improvements. What we talked about:

• Hearing the voice of the client
• Kaizen focus groups
• How data & technology are only as good as the use to which they are put

Episode 4: Mark Alpert on Hygiene Audit Innovation

Once upon a time, customers didn’t ever want to see people cleaning. Now they expect it. The ways we have innovated in the hygiene industry are here to stay. In this episode, I interview Mark Alpert, VP of Business Assurance at TÜV SÜD, about innovations in hygiene audits. What we talked about:

• The hidden industry that makes us feel safe during COVID-19
• How Mark has innovated on innovation
• The qualities of communication & responsiveness that are here to stay

Episode 3: Start Valuing Your Time Like a Corporate Asset

With today’s remote work culture, we all feel trapped on Zoom for 9 hours a day… Well, there’s an easy way to save yourself from bad meetings. Ask why you were invited. In this episode, I interview David Grady, CISM & Security Evangelist at Verizon, about innovating our mindset about time. What we talked about:

• Not everyone on a team needs to go to the meeting!
• In security as in life, you need to clarify your goals
• Digital transformation actually starts with communication
• Being continually available for work erodes your resilience

Episode 2: Diverse Team Members for Diverse Clients

When you evolve from a chemistry postdoc to the head of sales, marketing & communications at a fragrance company, you learn something about innovation. One of the things you learn is to ask many questions. Another thing? Gratitude. In this episode, I interview Marta Araujo, Board Member & former CEO of Castelbel, about how her roles at Castelbel evolved. What we talked about:

• The strength of an interdisciplinary team
• Before launching a product, ask for as many opinions as you can
• The social responsibility of manufacturers to give back

Episode 1: The Only 2 Kinds of Cybersecurity Victims

We’re all working from home not thinking about cybercriminals at all. They’re thinking about us, though. In this very first episode of Innovation Nation, I interview Matthew Rosenquist, CISO at Eclipz.io, about cybercrime in the time of COVID-19. What we talked about:

• Hardware vs. software vs. wetware (people)
• We’re vulnerable during quarantine not because technology but our behaviors
• Cybersecurity issues that SMBs need to consider with IOT
• Security fears that we have & education that we need