
Dr. J.J. Peterson - Finding the Balance Between Badass and Softie
From Ditching Hourly by Jonathan Stark
November 25, 2025 · 54 min · Episode 382
About this episode
Dr. J.J. Peterson discusses balancing authority and empathy in leadership and coaching, along with insights on AI's impact on professional services.
Professor-in-residence at StoryBrand and host of the new podcast Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss how to strike a balance between authority and empathy. And be sure to stick around to the end to hear J.J.'s take on AI's impact on professional services and how to avoid creating ‘louder garbage’ :-) Chapters (00:00) - Introduction and Guest Welcome (00:17) - JJ Peterson's Current Ventures (01:11) - The Concept of 'Badass Softie' (03:26) - StoryBrand Framework Explained (06:20) - Empathy and Authority in Leadership (08:42) - Balancing Empathy and Authority in Coaching (12:38) - Personal Experiences and Coaching Styles (16:05) - Communicating Empathy and Authority Effectively (24:44) - Engaging Your Audience with Empathy and Authority (28:06) - Controlling the Narrative in Marketing (29:07) - Embracing Your Authentic Self as a Guide (31:41) - Overcoming Imposter Syndrome (40:52) - The Importance of Niching Down (47:35) - Leveraging AI in Professional Services (51:39) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts Links J.J.'s website » https://www.drjjpeterson.com/ J.J.'s podcast » https://www.badasssoftie.com/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve…
People in this episode
Host: Jonathan Stark
Guest: Dr. J.J. Peterson
Topics covered
- authority
- empathy
- leadership
- coaching
- AI in professional services
- personal branding
Keywords
- badass softie
- empathy
- authority
- coaching styles
- AI impact
- professional services
- imposter syndrome
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: StoryBrand, Badass Softie
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