How to Be Awesome at Your Job

Justin Hale reveals the key to communicating difficult truths while strengthening relationships. — YOU’LL LEARN — 1) How avoiding conflict erodes trust in teams2) How to set expectations that leave no room for misunderstanding3) The mindset shift for calmer conversationsSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1160 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT JUSTIN — Justin Hale is an author and keynote speaker who has worked with hundreds of organizations worldwide, helping leaders and teams communicate better, elevate productivity, and build healthier cultures. He is the coauthor of the New York Times best seller Crucial Accountability: Proven Skills to Build Trust, Address Disappointment, and Get Results.His research and writing has been published in places like Harvard Business Review, CNBC.com, Fox Business, Bloomberg, and Fast Company. Justin’s coaching and advice is also published regularly in the Crucial Skills newsletter.• Book: Crucial Accountability: Proven Skills to Build Trust, Address Disappointment, and Get Results, Third Edition• LinkedIn: Justin Hale• Website: CrucialLearning.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • App: Note to Self• Book: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen• Book: Why We Do What We Do by Edward Deci• Past episode: 015: David Allen, The World’s Leading Authority on Productivity• Past episode: 482: David Allen Returns with the 10 Moves to Stress-Free Productivity— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/awesomepodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Anthony Klotz discusses how to manage the big and small moments that make us question our next career moves.— YOU’LL LEARN — 1) How the pandemic fundamentally altered our relationship with work2) Why doing nothing is often your best solution 3) How to find more satisfaction in a job you’re stuck in Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1158 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT ANTHONY — Dr. Anthony Klotz is a professor of organizational behavior at the UCL School of Management in London. Known for predicting a global labor shift and dubbing it the Great Resignation, Klotz writes for Harvard Business Review and The Wall Street Journal, and his research is regularly published in leading management journals. He has discussed the current and future state of work with media outlets, including The New York Times, BBC, and CNN, and with executive teams at Fortune 100 firms.• Book: Jolted: Why We Quit, When to Stay, and Why It Matters• Email: a.klotz@ucl.ac.uk• LinkedIn: Anthony Klotz• Website: AnthonyKlotz.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Study: “Employee theft as a reaction to underpayment inequity: The hidden cost of pay cuts.” by J. Greenberg• Book: Asking: A 59-Minute Guide to Everything Board Members, Volunteers, and Staff Must Know to Secure the Gift by Jerold Panas• Book: Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara• Book: The Log from the Sea of Cortez by John Steinbeck• Past episode: 346: Seizing Career Opportunities with AstroLabs’ Muhammed Mekki— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/awesomepodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rebecca Hinds discusses the simple shifts that turn meetings from time-wasters into value-generators.— YOU’LL LEARN — 1) Why most meetings don’t feel like “real work”2) Why every organization needs a “meeting doomsday”3) The easy agenda fixes that save so much timeSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1156 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT REBECCA — Rebecca Hinds is a leading expert on organizational behavior and the future of work. She holds a BS, MS, and PhD from Stanford University. Rebecca founded the Work Innovation Lab at Asana and the Work AI Institute at Glean, first-of-their-kind corporate think tanks dedicated to conducting cutting-edge research on the future of work.She is a trusted advisor to companies navigating the challenges of modern work—from meeting overload and hybrid dysfunction to the messy realities of AI adoption and organizational change.• Book: Your Best Meeting Ever: 7 Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done• LinkedIn: Rebecca Hinds• Website: RebeccaHinds.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Tool: Glean• Book: Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success by Adam Grant• Book: Scaling Up Excellence: Getting to More Without Settling for Less by Robert Sutton and Huggy Rao• Book: The Friction Project: How Smart Leaders Make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder by Robert Sutton and Huggy Rao• Past episode: 492: Making Meetings Work with J. Elise Keith• Past episode: 684: Achieving More by Tapping into the Science of Less with Leidy Klotz— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Scribe. Book a personalized enterprise demo with scribe.how/awesome• Narwhal. Treat your home to spotless, fresh floors with us.narwhal.com/pete.• Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/awesomepodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Elisia Keown breaks down what it really means to develop your executive presence.— YOU’LL LEARN — 1) What it really means to have “more executive presence”2) The sentences hindering your executive presence3) How to show up more confident for your next meeting  Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1154 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT ELISIA — Elisia Keown is an Executive Coach and Founder of Keown Coaching, with 26 years of experience in Coaching, Leadership, Talent Acquisition, and Human Resources. Direct, honest, and kind, she helps executive leaders strengthen their executive presence, elevate their impact, and achieve measurable results through strategic planning. Elisia is also the host of The Executive Coaching Podcast, where she shares practical insights for today’s leaders. Known for her no-nonsense yet fun approach, she brings energy and real-world experience to every coaching conversation. She lives in Wesley Chapel, FL, with her husband and their blended family of five children.• LinkedIn: Elisia Keown• Podcast: The Executive Coaching Podcast• YouTube: Elisia Keown Executive Coach• Website: ElisiaKeownCoaching.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Tool: Self Coaching Model (CTFAR Model)• Study: 2025 Global Coaching Study: Strategic Advantage & ROI• Book: Start With Yourself: A New Vision for Work & Life by Emma Grede• Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho• Past episode: 465: The Cure for Impostor Syndrome: How to Feel Less Like a Fraud and Appreciate Your Successes with Dr. Valerie Young— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Scribe. Book a personalized enterprise demo with scribe.how/awesome• Narwhal. Treat your home to spotless, fresh floors with us.narwhal.com/pete.• Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/awesomepodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Henry Cloud reveals the five essential components to achieving your desired future.— YOU’LL LEARN — 1) Why the human body is our best model for achieving results2) The biggest power move of high performers3) Two questions to go above your natural wiringSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1152 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT HENRY — Dr. Henry Cloud is a clinical psychologist, leadership expert, and New York Times bestselling author whose books have sold over twenty million copies worldwide. Named by Success magazine as one of the top 25 leaders in the field, his work spans executive coaching, organizational transformation, and personal growth. He holds a BS in psychology from Southern Methodist University and a PhD in clinical psychology from Biola University. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.• Book: Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life• Book: Necessary Endings: The Employees, Businesses, and Relationships That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Move Forward• Book: Your Desired Future: The Five Essential Steps That Take You Where You Want to Go• Website: DrCloud.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Book: Making TIME for Strategy: How to be less busy and more successful by Richard Metcalf• Book: Management by Peter Drucker• Book: No Man Is an Island by Thomas Merton• Past episode: 867: How to Stop Being Busy and Start Being Strategic with Richard Medcalf— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Scribe. Book a personalized enterprise demo with scribe.how/awesome• Narwhal. Treat your home to spotless, fresh floors with us.narwhal.com/pete.• Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/awesomepodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Productivity expert Laura Vanderkam shows you how to take charge of your schedule so that you can make time for what truly matters. — YOU’LL LEARN — 1) Why you feel like you don’t have enough time–and how to change it 2) How setting aside 15 minutes can change your whole workday3) How to become the ringmaster of your schedule circusSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1150 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT LAURA — Laura Vanderkam is the author of several time management and productivity books, including Off the Clock, I Know How She Does It, What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, and 168 Hours. Her 2016 TED talk, "How to Gain Control of Your Free Time," has been viewed more than 5 million times. She regularly appears in publications including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and Fortune. She is the co-host, with Sarah Hart-Unger, of the podcast Best of Both Worlds. She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and four children, and blogs at LauraVanderkam.com.• Book: Big Time: A Simple Path to Time Abundance• Podcast: Best of Both Worlds• Website: LauraVanderkam.com• Email: Laura@LauraVanderkam.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Book: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy• Time Tracking App: Toggl• Previous episode: 314: How to Feel Less Busy With Laura Vanderkam— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Keepsake Voices. Get mom something special and save about $100 with keepsakevoices.com/pete• Scribe. Book a personalized enterprise demo with scribe.how/awesome• Narwhal. Treat your home to spotless, fresh floors with us.narwhal.com/pete.• Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/awesomepodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Justin Humphries reveals his fundamental principles for rapidly growing opportunities and income in an uncertain job market.— YOU’LL LEARN — 1) How to multiply your inbound opportunities2) The simplest way to expand your professional network3) The key that keeps people coming back to youSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1149 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT JUSTIN — Justin Humphries is a dedicated Loan Officer with experience since June 2021, specializing in VA, first-time homebuyer, and DSCR loans. A Nashville native, Justin is deeply motivated by personal and professional growth, drawing strength from his faith, family, and a passion for building meaningful relationships. He takes great pride in helping clients align their mortgage strategies with their life goals, aiming to support them in building long-term wealth. Justin values the opportunity to develop lasting connections with customers who return to him year after year for their mortgage needs.Beyond his professional work, Justin is actively involved in his church community, serving on the parish council and volunteering with the Society of St. Vincent DePaul to assist families at risk of homelessness. He is happily married to his wife Stephanie and is a proud father of three young children, including twins.• LinkedIn: Justin Humphries• Profile: Justin Humphries• Phone number: +1 615-438-8125• Email: jhumphries@loandepot.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Tool: Claude for Google Chrome• Article: “Researchers Asked LLMs for Strategic Advice. They Got “Trendslop” in Return.” by Angelo Romasanta, Llewellyn D.W. Thomas and Natalia Levina• Study: “Death Squared: The Explosive Growth and Demise of a Mouse Population” by John B. Calhoun• YouTube: Squat University• Book: Rebuilding Milo: A Lifter's Guide to Fixing Common Injuries and Building a Strong Foundation for Enhancing Performance• Book: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: 30th Anniversary Edition by Stephen R. Covey• Previous episode: 184: Building Your Network Before You Need It with Dr. Ivan Misner— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Keepsake Voices. Get mom something special and save about $100 with keepsakevoices.com/pete• Scribe. Book a personalized enterprise demo with scribe.how/awesome• Narwhal. Treat your home to spotless, fresh floors with us.narwhal.com/pete.• Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.• Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll with gusto.com/AWESOME• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/awesomepod• Vanguard. Give your clients consistent results year in and year out with vanguard.com/AUDIOSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bestselling rhetorician Jay Heinrichs shows just how powerful and fun this ancient art can be.— YOU’LL LEARN — 1) How shifting tenses can ease tensions2) A huge tip from Donald Trump about speaking in 12-second periods3) The essential steps of making a persuasive argumentSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep69 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT JAY — Jay Heinrichs is the author of the bestselling book, Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion. His book, Word Hero, teaches how to craft memorable content. Combining tested tools of classical rhetoric with modern neuroscience, Jay has given presentations, workshops, and consults around the world. Jay has served clients including Southwest Airlines, NASA, the Pentagon, Walmart, Ogilvy UK, Mindshare, the National Association of Realtors, Harvard, Dartmouth, University of Virginia, Beachbody, and Kaiser Permanente.He maintains one of the leading language websites, Figarospeech.com, along with Arguelab.com. With more than 30 years in publishing as a writer, editor, and executive, Jay has written for several dozen publications, from The New York Times Magazine to Reader’s Digest.• Book: Thank You for Arguing• Website: ArgueLab.com• Website: JayHeinrichs.com• Profile: Bloomberg Business— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Study: Gottman Marriage Research• Book: Moby-Dick: or, The Whale by Herman Melville— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Keepsake Voices. Get mom something special and save about $100 with keepsakevoices.com/pete• Narwhal. Treat your home to spotless, fresh floors with us.narwhal.com/pete.• Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.• Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll with gusto.com/AWESOME• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/better• Vanguard. Give your clients consistent results year in and year out with vanguard.com/AUDIOSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Memory champion Nelson Dellis shares simple techniques to upgrade your thinking to genius level.— YOU’LL LEARN — 1) The core skills behind genius-level thinking2) How to learn faster and better using one powerful tool3) Why you shouldn’t write off your intuitionSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1146 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT NELSON — Nelson Dellis is a six-time USA Memory Champion, two-time Guinness World Record holder, Grandmaster of Memory, keynote speaker, and world-renowned memory coach. He teaches at the university level, holding degrees in computer science and physics, and is also an accomplished mountaineer with four Mt. Everest expeditions. Beyond the classroom and the mountains, Nelson has medaled in international competitions, contributed to remote viewing research on stock prediction, and even played on a professional card-counting Blackjack team that won over $100,000. He shares his passion for unlocking the mind’s potential with over 300,000 YouTube subscribers, where he makes complex skills practical, fun, and accessible to anyone willing to train their brain.• Book: Everyday Genius: Hacks to Boost Your Memory, Focus, Problem-Solving, and Much More• Website: NelsonDellis.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Book: Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas Hofstadter• Past episode: 341: Decoding Body Language with ex-FBI Special Agent Joe Navarro— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Keepsake Voices. Get mom something special and save about $100 with keepsakevoices.com/pete• Narwhal. Treat your home to spotless, fresh floors with us.narwhal.com/pete.• Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.• Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll with gusto.com/AWESOME• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/better• Vanguard. Give your clients consistent results year in and year out with vanguard.com/AUDIOSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Joshua Bandoch reveals how to persuade better in accordance with our natural human wiring.— YOU’LL LEARN — 1) The major misconceptions hurting your persuasiveness2) The six moral tastes to appeal to for more persuasiveness 3) How to get your stories to really resonate with peopleSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1144 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT JOSHUA — Persuasion expert Joshua Bandoch has spent over a decade uncovering the secrets of persuasion. He’s mined psychology, neuroscience, economics, public policy, and history for cutting-edge techniques that work. He’s put them to use in hundreds of speeches written for senior government officials delivered to just about any audience. Bandoch uses and refines these persuasion techniques on a daily basis as a think tank leader, where he crafts and communicates policies on issues like poverty, social mobility, education, and the economy to politically diverse audiences, including elected officials, local and national media, and grassroots activists.• Book: How to Get What You Want: Mastering the Art and Science of Persuasion• LinkedIn: Joshua Bandoch• Website: JoshuaBandoch.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Book: The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt• Book: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Narwhal. Treat your home to spotless, fresh floors with us.narwhal.com/pete.• Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.• Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll with gusto.com/AWESOME• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/betterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Amy Leneker discusses how to spot and stop stress for more joyful days at work. — YOU’LL LEARN — 1) The top five barriers to joy at work 2) The three-step un-stressing method 3) The simple practice that leads to more joy Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1142 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT AMY — Amy Leneker is an optimistic, joy-seeking, recovering workaholic. She's also a leadership consultant who has helped over 100,000 leaders and teams – including those at Fortune 100 companies – lead with less stress and more joy. Her soul goal? To help one billion people do the same. With over 25 years of leadership experience – including a decade in the C-suite – Amy understands the soul-crushing toll of burnout because she's lived it. Twice. After surviving her own brush with burnout, Amy became determined to help others succeed without sacrificing their joy, their health, or their weekends. A first-generation college student, Amy earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees while working full-time and later raising a family. She has studied leadership at Yale, neuroscience at the NeuroLeadership Institute, and stress resilience at Harvard Medical School.• Book: Cheers to Monday: The Surprisingly Simple Method to Lead and Live with Less Stress and More Joy• Study: "The State of Stress & Joy at Work 2026"• Website: AmyLeneker.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Book: Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Brene Brown— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.• Vanguard. Give your clients consistent results year in and year out with vanguard.com/AUDIO• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/better• Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll with gusto.com/AWESOMESee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chris Duffy discusses how to find the humor in anything—and why that’s important in the workplace.— YOU’LL LEARN — 1) Why to take humor seriously at work2) The simple habit that makes you more magnetic3) How to find humor in the most unlikely placesSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1140 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT CHRIS — Chris Duffy is an award-winning comedian, television writer, and radio/podcast host. Chris currently hosts the hit podcast How to Be a Better Human. You can watch his comedic TED talk, “How to find laughter anywhere” online. He has appeared on Good Morning America, ABC News, NPR, and National Geographic Explorer. Chris wrote for both seasons of Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas on HBO, executive produced by John Oliver. He’s the creator/host of the streaming game show Wrong Answers Only, where three comedians try to understand what a leading scientist does all day, in partnership with LabX at the National Academy of Sciences. Chris is both a former fifth grade teacher and a former fifth grade student.• Book: Humor Me: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy• Website: ChrisDuffyComedy.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • App: 7 Minute Workout• Study: “The effect of a pratfall on increasing interpersonal attractiveness.” by E. Aronson, B. Willerman, and J. Floyd• App: Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.• Vanguard. Give your clients consistent results year in and year out with vanguard.com/AUDIO• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/better• Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll with gusto.com/AWESOMESee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nilofer Merchant debunks some of the pervasive beliefs and practices that keep us from succeeding at work.— YOU’LL LEARN — 1) Striking examples of how hidden norms limit us2) Why you owe it to yourself to play office politics3) The mindset that creates more win-win solutionsSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1138 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT NILOFER — Nilofer Merchant spent over 25 years leading technology companies (Apple, Autodesk, GoLive/Adobe) and personally launched over 100 products and services, netting $18 billion in revenues. She is ranked among the top 50 influential management thinkers in the world (one of her TED Talks has been referenced 300 million times). Our Best Work is her 4th book.• Book: The New How: Creating Business Solutions Through Collaborative Strategy• Book: Our Best Work: Break Free from the 24 Invisible Norms That Limit Us • Website: NiloferMerchant.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Book: Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver by Mary Oliver— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.• Vanguard. Give your clients consistent results year in and year out with vanguard.com/AUDIO• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/betterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.