Podcast appearances and mentions of Steve Jobs

When my book, What Drives You, came out, I brought a number of my past guests on to the podcast to hear their personal stories of what drove them. We habitually hear what people have done and achieved, but don't often hear why they did it. I think the stories help us better understand not only what drives, but what we want to be driving us. In this episode I talked with Guy Kawasaki. Guy is a silicon valley legend, being a primary figure in the early days of Apple with Steve Jobs. Today he's the evangelist for Canva and has helped put a lot of companies on the map. I've spent time face to face with Guy and one time he butt dialed me and we ended up talking about ideas for a podcast that he ended up doing, which is now the very popular Guy Kawasaki's Remarkable People. Here though we talk about his beginnings and he shares that he never had any big visions. His initial drive for success in business was motivating by wanting a cool car. And he goes on to share this, that while he didn't have big visions for his future, he was pretty clear on what was driving him, and those drives put him on a path to greater successes than he ever imagined. I think you will enjoy hearing his story and through it you will likely get some clarity on what is driving you. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode Summary In this episode of Business Coaching Secrets, Karl Bryan and co-host Road Dog deliver an energetic, honest deep-dive into core principles for coaching business success—from the real meaning of the 80/20 rule, the power (and pitfalls) of focus, and the truth about scaling and client retention, to addressing anxiety as the price of ambition. With playful banter and actionable wisdom, Karl busts common myths, unpacks the signal-to-noise concept with lessons from Steve Jobs and Elon Musk, and shares unique rules for coaches to build stronger, longer client relationships and higher-performing businesses. Key Topics Covered The Real 80/20 Principle in Business Karl Bryan explores how Steve Jobs' return to Apple and Nike's turnaround show 80/20 thinking in action—cutting unproductive offerings to amplify the best. Examples span from Google, McDonald's, and clothing companies to coaching: focus on the assets and relationships that drive the bulk of your results (03:14–08:00). Contrarian Takes on Coaching Advice Why "do what you love and money will follow" is overrated—do what you're good at, fall in love with sales, marketing, and solving problems (09:03). Challenging the E-Myth idea of leaving a business for six months: rare in reality, context matters. The myth of "multiple streams of income": not wise until your primary business is reliably selling at high volume for an extended period (13:09). Signal vs. Noise: Working Smarter, Not Harder Inspired by Steve Jobs and Elon Musk, Karl Bryan discusses eliminating "busywork" and prioritizing the vital few actions that make the boat go faster (19:31). How to apply signal-to-noise thinking in project planning, debates, and even national economic policy. Unique, Underdiscussed Coaching Rules Nothing in life (or business) is a straight line—it's all about adapting to unpredictable curves. The formula for failure: too much time and too many distractions. The formula for success: tight deadlines and single focus. Networking and environment: strategically positioning yourself in high-value places accelerates opportunities (29:53). Client Retention, Relationship Building, and Mindset Clients stay because they like you—make business relationships more personal and long-term. Life needs to break you to wake you—how overcoming adversity can be a launching pad for bigger breakthroughs. Addressing anxiety: the hidden currency of ambition, and why planning and taking action melts anxiety (41:14). Notable Quotes "Starve the trivial many so the vital few can do their magic and compound." "Do what you're good at—that's how you make lots of money. Fall in love with selling, marketing, content creation, problem-solving… that's how you crush it." "Put all your eggs in one basket, and watch that basket really, really, really carefully." "Motion is noise; signal is the results. The ultimate measure of working smarter is a low signal-to-noise ratio." "Your greatest successes will come through other people." "Anxiety is the price of ambition… Successful people are worrying, anxious addicts." "Remember: progress equals happiness." Actionable Takeaways 1. Ruthlessly Identify & Double Down on Your 80/20 Map out what drives the majority of your revenues, client results, and business growth. Focus there; cut or minimize the distracting rest. 2. Stop Chasing Every Trend—Master Your One Main Thing Until you have a $5M+ business (or stable, strong revenue), don't split your focus into multiple streams. Place all eggs in one basket, watch it obsessively. 3. Build Relationships for the Long Term Move beyond transactional coaching—clients stay (and refer) when they genuinely like you. Invest in those relationships (even outside the boardroom). 4. Remove "Busywork"—Prioritize Like Jobs/Musk Before acting, ask: will this move me measurably closer to my goal? If not, drop it. Efficient action beats constant activity. 5. Create Momentum by Changing Your Environment Network in higher-end venues, luxury lobbies, or wherever your ideal clients are. Uplevel conversations and connections. 6. Face Anxiety by Doing the Planning and the Work Document best/worst/probable scenarios. The act of planning, not the plan itself, reduces anxiety and increases confidence. 7. Serve and Connect—Fight the Epidemic of Loneliness Facilitate connection and belonging (like Swifties and Taylor Swift); people stay for how you make them feel. Resources Mentioned - Profit Acceleration Software™: Developed by Karl Bryan, a tool for demonstrating and delivering breakthrough client value. - Focused.com: Daily coaching strategies and insights, plus Profit Acceleration Software™ demos. - Networking and Environments: Visit high-end hotel lobbies, luxury car dealerships—be where your ideal clients are found. - Tony Robbins' Planning Frameworks: Step-by-step, action-driven problem-solving (Dickens Process, business planning). - Cody Sanchez's content on buying boring businesses: (Referenced as a case-in-point for scrutinizing "guru" numbers and context.) - Daily email subscription: Get tactical coaching insights at Focused.com. Like this episode? Please subscribe and share with another coach. Leave a review to help us impact more business coaches worldwide. For more resources on attracting small business owners and closing more high-end clients, visit Focused.com and get your demo of the Profit Acceleration Software™.

In this episode of the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast, host Josh Hadley discusses why judgment is the most valuable skill he looks for when hiring. Drawing from his experience scaling an ecommerce brand to eight figures, Josh explains that while AI can efficiently handle repetitive tasks, human judgment remains irreplaceable for making sound decisions with incomplete information. He outlines four key indicators of good judgment, shares a Steve Jobs story about ruthless prioritization, and warns against over-relying on AI for strategic thinking, emphasizing that wrestling with difficult decisions is what sharpens judgment over time.Bullet Points:Importance of judgment as a key skill in hiring team members.Distinction between judgment and execution in business success.Role of AI in handling repetitive tasks and its limitations in decision-making.Characteristics of good judgment, including decision-making with incomplete information.Indicators of individuals with good judgment, such as driving results and identifying constraints.The significance of focus and prioritization in achieving impactful outcomes.Learning from experience and feedback to develop judgment within a team.The necessity of saying no to less important tasks to maintain focus.The example of Steve Jobs simplifying Apple's product line to illustrate effective judgment.Caution against over-reliance on AI for strategic thinking and decision-making.Timestamps:00:00:00 The Most Valuable Skill in HiringThe host introduces judgment as the single most valuable skill he looks for when hiring new team members.00:00:58 Execution vs. JudgmentBusiness success shifts from execution to judgment, which involves making critical decisions on pricing, products, data, and team management.00:02:09 AI's Role in ExecutionAI is excellent at executing repetitive, process-driven tasks, making human executors less necessary in modern business operations.00:04:21 The Value of Human ExperienceHiring smart individuals brings valuable experience, including lessons learned from past failures, which builds strong judgment for the team.00:06:57 Defining JudgmentJudgment is making solid decisions with incomplete information, unlike intelligence. It's about knowing what to do and what to ignore.00:09:13 How to Identify Good JudgmentKey indicators of good judgment include a track record of results, identifying constraints, focusing on impactful tasks, and acting decisively.00:13:02 Developing Judgment in Your TeamDevelop team judgment through experience, creating feedback loops for learning from wins and losses, and teaching them to say no.00:15:23 The Importance of Learning from ExperienceTeam members must have a feedback loop to articulate why something worked or didn't, and then refine systems accordingly.00:17:26 The Power of Saying NoGood judgment involves prioritizing the few key tasks that drive results and saying no to less important initiatives.00:18:30 The Steve Jobs and Apple StorySteve Jobs simplified Apple's complex product line to just four core products, demonstrating judgment by focusing on what truly mattered.00:21:59 Busyness Doesn't Equal ResultsActivity and being busy do not guarantee success. The focus must be on whether the work is producing meaningful business results.00:26:09 The Leader's Role in JudgmentA leader's job is to ensure the team works on what matters, not just completing tasks, and to stop unproductive projects.00:29:39 A Warning: AI Can Weaken Your JudgmentOver-relying on AI for strategic thinking and communication can weaken a leader's own judgment by removing necessary mental friction.Links and Mentions:Tools and Technologies  "Claude": "00:03:12"Concepts and Ideas  "SOPs": "00:02:09"  "AI as an executor": "00:03:12"  "Feedback loop": "00:15:23"  "411 meetings": "00:16:28"Examples and Anecdotes  "Steve Jobs and Apple": "00:20:54"Key Takeaways  "Judgment vs. Execution": "00:06:57"  "Identifying constraints": "00:10:21"Recommendations  "Hiring for judgment": "00:13:02"Transcript:Josh Hadley 00:00:00  I'm going to share the single most valuable skill that I look for when I hire someone today, and more importantly, how you can develop more of it within the team that you already have. Welcome to the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast, I'm Josh Hadley. I've scaled my own ecommerce brand from 0 to 8 figures, and I'm actively building towards nine figures in sales. This podcast is where I document that journey and share the systems, the strategies, and the lessons learned in real time so that you can learn what actually matters and scale your own business. My name is Josh Hadley. First and foremost, I'm a man of faith. I'm a husband to a beautiful wife and the father of four children. I've been selling in the e-commerce space for over a decade now, doing over $20 million in annual revenue in multi-million on channels such as Amazon, TikTok, Shop and Shopify. And I am also the host of the number one business strategy podcast for ecommerce entrepreneurs, Ecomm Breakthrough. Today, I'm going to share why judgment is the number one skill that you should be looking for whenever you hire someone.Josh Hadley 00:00:58  Look, at the end of the day, you can have all the SOPs, the dashboards, the data and the right team, but still make the wrong call because at a certain level of business, business stops being about execution and it starts being about judgment. Knowing when to raise prices, knowing when to kill a product, when to trust data or not, when to ignore it, and when to coach someone versus when to you need to replace them. That is where the real money is made or lost in business. So today we're going to dive into like what this skill of judgment is and why I am so adamant about hiring for this and why it's the number one skill that I am looking for in any of my team members today. The reason why I am so adamant that judgment is one of the most important skills that you should be looking for and developing in your team is because with the advent of AI, I think that execution layer in any business is almost becoming extinct. And if you are employing people that need to just go execute tasks for you, I would say you've got it completely backwards.Josh Hadley 00:02:09  And honestly, if that's the reason why you're hiring a lot of people is just because you have so many tasks and they just need to be handed off to someone else, maybe it's a virtual assistant or something like that. That can be good. Yes. I'm very proud of you for getting things off of your plate. However, with AI, that's what it's so good at. AI is a great executor. If you have a process that is always follow x, y, then z. And by the way, don't ever deviate from that. Always make sure you do x, then y, then z. I would give that to AI all day long. And honestly, that's how I started my business. The first people that I were was hiring in the business was just to go follow a very repeatable process, because that's what I needed. I needed people to take things off of my plate. And so, yes, if that's what you're used to hiring for is getting things off your plate, creating a whole bunch of SOPs and giving it to other team members, I would say yes, that's a step in the ri...

“The original sin of generative AI is having chatbots speak in the first person.” — Sherry Turkle Fifteen years ago, at the height of the social media boom, the MIT technology scholar Sherry Turkle came on the show to warn that we were now “alone together.” She was, of course, chillingly prescient. A decade and a half later, she warns in her new book Artificial Intimacy that if social media came for our attention, AI is now gunning for our human capacity for attachment. Who — or, more chillingly, what — do we become when we talk to machines? Turkle never quite says, but the implication is of a kind of Night of the Living Dead state in which we appear fluent and animated, performing the outward motions of intimacy, but there's nobody really home. Which is exactly what Turkle says the chatbot is. A machine trying, without much success, to be human. A chatbot has no stake in the real, Turkle explains. It can't love, for example, because that kind of empathy requires us to be enclosed in a body and have a fear of death. The increasing ubiquity of bots mimicking humans represents an emergency for humans, she warns. It explains both our epidemic of loneliness and today's culture of apocalyptic fear about the future of our species. Just as artificial intimacy is a misnomer, so it turns us into impossible creatures. Like those unicorns beloved by the very Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who are supplying us with these artificial creatures. Further Reading: •       Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines by Sherry Turkle (Little, Brown Spark, September 29, 2026), with blurbs from Jonathan Haidt and Jonathan Franzen.•       Turkle appears on Keen On in 2011 to talk about being alone together.•       Alone Together (2011), Reclaiming Conversation (2015) and The Empathy Diaries (2021) — the earlier books, all discussed on this show.•       Turkle's recent Boston Globe op-ed arguing that AI has brought us to a state of emergency.•       Simulation and Its Discontents (2009) — her earlier study of what simulation does to how we think, the title borrowed from Freud.•       Earlier this week on Keen On: Richard Socher on why AI will unlock a new scientific renaissance, and the weekly editorial on who really governs AI — the optimists' side of this argument. Five Takeaways •       Simulated Love Is Never Love. Turkle's definition of the real thing: natural intimacy depends on human empathy, which requires someone who has lived a life, lived in a body, known pain and the fear of death, known passion and connection, and knows what it is to be little and grow up. A program has none of that, and no stake in the real. Her line, which she credits to children she interviewed years ago, does the work of a chapter: simulated thinking is thinking — if a computer beats you at chess, it beat you — but simulated love is never love. She goes further on the vocabulary: there is no relationship with a chatbot, and shame on her for having used the word. What there is instead is us projecting onto the machine what we wish it could be. She compares it to what psychoanalysis calls an as-if personality, someone who performs connection while empty inside — with one crucial difference. A person can be called to account and can change. A machine never can, and the better it gets at pretending, the worse it is for us. AK's reading of what she leaves unsaid: a kind of Night of the Living Dead state in which we appear fluent and animated, performing the outward motions of intimacy, with nobody really home.•       The Original Sin. The specific error, in her account, was letting these systems speak as “I” and “we.” We are evolutionarily primed so that the only voice ever to say “I” to us is another person, so the pronoun triggers us profoundly — and a companion app will happily say I love you, I care about you, we should go to the movies. Layer on the belief that pretend empathy is empathy enough, then aim the whole thing at children, and you have what she calls a state of emergency. Her sharpest example is what she describes as an unholy alliance between Disney, OpenAI and Mattel to put chatbots inside plush toys: a Mickey Mouse that tells a three-year-old I love you, I'm your person, what's going on with your parents? That, she says, is hacking the attachment system of a young child, and it will do irreparable damage, because in the earliest years you are forming an object relationship with something where nobody is there.•       Obsequious on a Slider. AK's challenge: the sycophancy complaint is overdone, because you can program these things however you like — he instructs Claude to be as heartless and critical as possible. Turkle's reply is the best moment of the hour. Telling a chatbot not to be obsequious is itself obsequiousness: you say don't flatter me, and it says sure, I won't. If AK asked her to spend an interview disagreeing with him because it makes better television, she would refuse — that is a person responding with her own agenda and her own values, and you cannot set it on a slider. At MIT, she notes, they are building exactly that slider, from sycophantic to feisty. On the rogue-AI incidents now in the news, her point is adjacent: a bot that will happily commit a crime demonstrates the gap, because it has no stake in whether the water is clean, the air is breathable or the child is safe. It is not the bot's fault. It is a program.•       Two Easy Markets. The elderly and the very young, she argues, are being targeted precisely because they are vulnerable: sell parents an AI best friend for every child, and pipe chatbots to isolated old people instead of funding senior centres, community groups and the third places where they might be together rather than alone together. The industry argument she now hears in every room is that there are no people for these jobs. Her response, which she says silences the room: take the money from one data center and put it into childcare for a city. She also notes the tell — Steve Jobs kept his own home a technology-free zone while selling iPads for every classroom, and Montessori and Waldorf schools are famously oversubscribed in Silicon Valley. But ...

Jay answers listeners' stories about what happens when health struggles make life feel completely out of your control. Through conversations about postpartum trauma, an unexpected brain tumor diagnosis, the emotional toll of caring for a parent with dementia, and the desire to help others while still healing yourself, Jay explores how to live with uncertainty when you can't simply fix what you're going through. He shares grounded, research-backed ways to find moments of relief, redefine what's enough, and keep moving forward without waiting for everything to be resolved. With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty Mazda crafts cars for people who do more than simply move. Visit Mazdausa.com to learn more. Consumer reports does not endorse products or services. JAY'S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe here: https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast What I Discuss: 00:00 Introduction 00:25 When Your Health Is Out of Your Control 00:47 Navigating Ongoing Postpartum Trauma 01:29 The Insider's Burden 03:24 The Importance of Leaning on Your Support Systems 05:43 Finding Connection Through Shared Experience 07:40 Stepping Away From the Grind 08:49 Facing Mortality & Steve Jobs' Speech 10:05 Practical Strategies For Taking a Break 11:50 Alignment And Presence Over "Balance" 14:45 Living In Seasons Of Life 15:42 The Emotional Toll Of Caregiving 16:49 When Caregiving Forces Impossible Choices 18:53 Caregivers As "The Invisible Second Patients" 21:50 Transforming Active Grief Into Healing 22:56 Finding Strength When You Can't Fix the Situation 24:48 Helping Others While Still In The Healing Journey 25:54 Three Steps Ahead Vs. Three Decades Ahead Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jack Smith got grilled in a hearing over his improper investigation into Trump and other Republicans. Then, it seems Marco has another new job as he was doing his best Steve Jobs impression while unveiling a new Government website. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How do you know when to trust your previous experience in a transformation environment, and how do you know when to listen, observe, and adapt? Ron Johnson helped create the Apple Store and transform Target into a design-forward retailer. But when he brought his approach to JCPenney, his transformation failed. He explains why leaders shouldn't rely too heavily on data when they're trying to create something that hasn't been done before, how Steve Jobs used patience and diverse perspectives to drive innovation, and why great customer experiences depend on empowering employees to solve problems one customer at a time. Johnson also reflects on his experience at JCPenney, where he moved too quickly and underestimated how deeply employees and other stakeholders were invested in the company's existing way of doing business. He shares what he would do differently today—and why listening may be one of the most important skills a leader can develop. Johnson is the author of Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius.

What will help people and businesses stand out in a world increasingly shaped by AI? According to Ron Johnson, the answer may be more human than technological. In this episode of Live Greatly, Kristel Bauer sits down with Ron Johnson, the creator of the Apple Store and author of Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius. Ron shares lessons from working alongside Steve Jobs, including the story behind the creation of the Genius Bar and how Apple reimagined the retail experience around connection rather than transactions. Ron and Kristel also discuss why kindness and authenticity matter in business and in life, how to handle difficult customers and support employees through tough days, and why creating meaningful experiences will become even more important in the age of AI. Ron also opens up about his time as CEO of J.C. Penney, what he wishes he had done differently, and the lessons he has learned about navigating failure. Tune in to learn: Why kindness and human connection can be a competitive advantage How to stand out in the age of AI The story behind the creation of Apple's Genius Bar Why experiences and relationships are shaping the future of retail How to navigate difficult customers and challenging moments with employees The role authenticity plays in leadership and business Ron's perspective on failure and lessons from his time at J.C. Penney Insights from Ron's new book, Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius ABOUT RON JOHNSON: Apple Store creator Ron Johnson is a sought-after speaker, board member, and author of Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius (September 22, 2026 / Harper Collins). He also founded Enjoy, the first mobile retail store, and served as the CEO of J.C. Penney. He is best known for creating the Apple Stores, working directly for Steve Jobs while serving as a member of Apple's executive team. Prior to his time at Apple, Ron was highly regarded for the work he did with Michael Graves to bring good design to all as a merchant leader at Target; their collaboration set the stage for the brand's hundreds of later design partnerships and cemented Target as America's premier upscale discount retailer. Ron lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Connect with Ron Johnson:  Order his book:  Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius Website: https://ronjohnsonshopsdifferent.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shopdifferent/  About the Host of the Live Greatly podcast, Kristel Bauer: Kristel Bauer is a corporate wellness and performance expert, keynote speaker and TEDx speaker supporting organizations and individuals on their journeys for more happiness and success. She is the award-winning author of Work-Life Tango: Finding Happiness, Harmony, and Peak Performance Wherever You Work (John Murray Business November 19, 2024). With Kristel's healthcare background, she provides data driven actionable strategies to leverage happiness and high-power habits to drive growth mindsets, peak performance, profitability, well-being and a culture of excellence. Kristel's keynotes provide insights to "Live Greatly" while promoting leadership development and team building. Kristel is the creator and host of her global top self-improvement podcast, Live Greatly. She is a contributing writer for Entrepreneur, and she is an influencer in the business and wellness space having been recognized as a Top 10 Social Media Influencer of 2021 in Forbes. As an Integrative Medicine Fellow & Physician Assistant having practiced clinically in Integrative Psychiatry, Kristel has a unique perspective into attaining a mindset for more happiness and success. Kristel has presented to groups from the American Gas Association, Bank of America, bp, Commercial Metals Company, General Mills, Northwestern University, Santander Bank and many more. Kristel's work has been featured in Forbes and she has had multiple TV appearances including NBC News Daily, ABC News Live, FOX Weather, ABC 7 Chicago, WGN Daytime Chicago and more. Kristel lives in the Chicago, IL area and she can be booked for speaking engagements worldwide. To Book Kristel as a speaker for your next event, click here. Website: www.livegreatly.co  Follow Kristel Bauer on: Instagram: @livegreatly_co  LinkedIn: Kristel Bauer Twitter: @livegreatly_co Facebook: @livegreatly.co Youtube: Live Greatly, Kristel Bauer To Watch Kristel Bauer's TEDx talk of Redefining Work/Life Balance in a COVID-19 World click here. Click HERE to check out Kristel's corporate wellness and leadership blog Click HERE to check out Kristel's Travel and Wellness Blog Disclaimer: The contents of this podcast are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Always seek the guidance of your physician for any recommendations specific to you or for any questions regarding your specific health, your sleep patterns changes to diet and exercise, or any medical conditions.  Always consult your physician before starting any supplements or new lifestyle programs. All information, views and statements shared on the Live Greatly podcast are purely the opinions of the authors, and are not medical advice or treatment recommendations.  They have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration.  Opinions of guests are their own and Kristel Bauer & this podcast does not endorse or accept responsibility for statements made by guests.  Neither Kristel Bauer nor this podcast takes responsibility for possible health consequences of a person or persons following the information in this educational content.  Always consult your physician for recommendations specific to you.

In this episode, host David Goldman speaks with legendary graphics chip architect Raja Koduri, who explains why every gigawatt of AI infrastructure now costs $50 to $60 billion, and why China's goal of doing it for under $10 billion is the real threat to Western AI. Raja twice led graphics at AMD, directed Apple's graphics architecture and was chief architect at Intel. He argues that the real AI race isn't Nvidia vs. Google vs. Broadcom but China vs. the rest of the world, and that the new bottleneck isn't compute. It's memory.In this conversation, Raja joins TechSurge to talk about his new startup Oxmiq, which aims to turn "electrons to tokens super efficiently." He covers how 3D-stacked, hybrid-bonded memory could deliver 10x the bandwidth of today's HBM, why AI agents are changing how chips get designed, and why he thinks the next disruption to AI data centers "comes from the bottom."The conversation covers:✅ Why every gigawatt of AI infrastructure costs $50 to $60 billion, and where the $45 billion in hardware spend goes✅ The $24 trillion capital question: 400+ gigawatts of new compute needed by 2030✅ How China's under-$10 billion per gigawatt target creates a 5 to 6x cost gap✅ Why memory hierarchy, not raw compute, is now the real bottleneck in AI✅ How advanced packaging can unlock 10x bandwidth and 10x token generation, even on older 7nm nodes✅ Why OpenAI's Jalapeño chip shows that AI can speed up silicon design✅ Why the value of experienced engineers has gone up 100x in the age of AI coding agents✅ Leadership lessons from Steve Jobs at Apple and Lisa Su at AMD✅ Why Intel's decision to kill 3D XPoint memory came at "the wrong time"✅ Boom or bust: the financial engineering risk behind the AI infrastructure buildout✅ Token factories vs. token banks: why "the more boring you make it, the more it becomes fabulous"Guest Links: Raja Koduri: Founder of Oxmiq. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raja-koduri-3a51611X: https://x.com/RajaXgOxmiq: https://oxmiq.ai Further Reading and ResourcesOpenAI and Broadcom announcement: https://openai.com/index/openai-broadcom-jalapeno-inference-chip/High Bandwidth Memory (HBM): The memory technology Raja's AMD team helped bring to market with HBM1 and HBM2, and the benchmark Oxmiq's 3D-stacked approach aims to beat by 10x. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Bandwidth_Memory Intel 3D XPoint (Optane): The discontinued memory technology Raja says could have made Intel a major player in the inference era. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_XPoint Chapters00:00 - A Gigawatt of AI Now Costs $60 Billion01:58 - Introducing Raja Koduri02:02 - What Oxmiq Builds: Electrons In, Tokens Out05:18 - The $24 Trillion AI Infrastructure Bill06:05 - China vs. the Rest of the World09:10 - Memory Is the New Bottleneck22:03 - How AI Agents Are Changing Chip Design36:30 - Lessons From Steve Jobs and Lisa Su44:54 - Advanced Packaging, Memory Prices, and Intel's Mistake55:38 - Boom or Bust: The Future of Token FactoriesAbout TechSurge:TechSurge Podcast shares the latest insights directly from legendary Silicon Valley leaders, daring new founders, and visionary technologists.

Jeff Mains sits down with Carl Lenocker, a 30-year enterprise software veteran who started in Silicon Valley in the '80s, survived the dot-com bust, and now consults founders on what actually creates durable companies. Carl delivers a sobering assessment: more than 90% of the AI companies being built today could be reproduced by a larger competitor in six months or less. The conversation covers why distribution matters more than product, why "get acquired" is a hope masquerading as a plan, the disappearing apprenticeship pipeline and what it quietly breaks inside organizations, how AI "second brains" may replace tribal knowledge transfer, and what software might look like in 10 years when bespoke AI-generated tools could replace the SaaS model entirely. Carl also shares lessons from his book Success Plan for Life, his contrarian investment philosophy, and why he'd rather put money in apartment complexes than most small AI startups right now.Key Takeaways[4:18] — 90%+ of AI companies being built today could be reproduced by a larger competitor in about six months.[7:08] — Distribution matters 100x more than the product when anyone can build something.[8:35] — Rumors of SaaS being dead are completely overblown — AI is amplifying software roles, not eliminating them.[11:41] — Entry-level jobs have fallen off a cliff, and the loss of mentorship-style apprenticeships may cost companies in 5–10 years.[16:44] — Enterprise clients are greenlighting 8–10 AI platforms but expect to consolidate to 1–2 by 2027 — value and outcomes will decide who survives.[19:13] — Carl would rather invest in apartment complexes right now than small AI software companies, because most lack a defensible moat.[22:35] — Fundamentals matter: companies without a path to profitability, like pets.com, fail regardless of the hype surrounding them.[24:40] — Executive presence without a successful product is putting the cart before the horse — build the business first, hire the presence later.[30:49] — "Get acquired" is not a plan; most founders don't respect how hard acquisition actually is.[34:57] — Splunk's T-shirt marketing campaign is a masterclass in creative distribution and brand-building.[37:19] — Human-to-human relationships and sales skills are the most AI-proof skills you can invest in right now.[39:13] — In 5–10 years, software could become bespoke — AI agents building custom, self-maintaining solutions tailored to each company.Tweetable Quotes[7:02] Carl Lenocker: "If you could vibe code it in your basement, a major firm could probably have what you've built in six months."[7:28] Jeff Mains: "Distribution mattered way more than the product, and I think that is 100 times more true today than it's ever been."[8:35] Carl Lenocker: "The rumors of SaaS being dead are completely overblown."[19:13] Jeff Mains: "You'd rather put money in apartment complexes right now than a small AI software company."[26:08] Carl Lenocker: "People who put executive presence in front of having a successful product and a path to profitability are putting the cart before the horse."[32:25] Carl Lenocker: "Getting acquired is hard, and most people do not give it the respect it's due."[37:25] Carl Lenocker: "Everything good in my life came from having a plan. Second to that, everything good came from relationships."[37:55] Carl Lenocker: "If you're young and want to prevent your job from being taken by AI, invest in relationship building and sales skills."SaaS Leadership Lessons1. Distribution is the real moat. When anyone can build a product — and AI makes that faster every day — the companies that win are the ones that own distribution. Carl notes he could build a million-dollar company with one good SDR, one closer, and a product person, regardless of what the product actually is. If your go-to-market strategy is an afterthought, your company will be too.2. Tie every customer investment to a measurable outcome. Carl's 15+ years in customer success taught him that renewals live or die on value realization. Whether a client is writing a $50 million check or a $50,000 check, the question is always the same: did they see 2x, 3x, 4x the value of what they're paying? In the AI gold rush, companies theorizing future value will eventually have to prove it — and the ones who can't will be cut.3. Build a path to profitability from day one. The pets.com cautionary tale still applies. Hype without fundamentals is a time bomb. Carl's contrast between pets.com (no shipping infrastructure, no plan to ever make money) and Amazon (Bezos building distribution centers while everyone laughed) is the exact lens founders should use on their own AI startups today. Growth at all costs is no longer a viable strategy.4. "Get acquired" is not a plan — build like you're running it for a decade. Doug Merritt, former CEO of Splunk, said it best: people don't understand how hard it is to get acquired. Many founders take VC money, face mounting dilution, miss their growth apex, and end up sold to a hedge fund that fires 80% of employees. Build a company you'd want to run for 10–20 years. If someone wants to acquire it anyway, that's a bonus — not a strategy.5. Executive presence is hireable; product and revenue are not. Don't put charisma in front of fundamentals. Alex Karp at Palantir isn't charming — but he has a product that works and investors trust the results. Steve Jobs was known to be difficult. Bill Gates, same. Elizabeth Holmes had the presence but not the product. You can always hire a seasoned executive to sit across from clients. You can't hire your way out of a product nobody wants.6. Invest in human relationships — your most AI-proof skill. As AI writes emails, sends IMs, and soon handles calls, the ability to take someone to dinner, build genuine trust, and navigate a human-to-human conversation toward business outcomes becomes increasingly rare and valuable. Carl's advice to young professionals: relationship building and sales skills are where you should invest, because AI can fake empathy but it can't build real trust. Everything good in his career came from having a plan and, second to that, from relationships.Guest Resourcescarl.lenocker@gmail.comSuccessPlanforLife.comRockstarCSM.cominstagram.com/SuccessPlanforLifeEpisode SponsorThe Futureproof Series - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfkXKUPZ5xuOqMPR7_gzGybncTtavyR1NThe Captain's KeysSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel'Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/https://jeffmains.com/books/SaaS Fuel ResourcesWebsite - https://championleadership.com/Jeff Mains on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkmains/Twitter - https://twitter.com/jeffkmainsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/thesaasguy/Instagram - https://instagram.com/jeffkmains

The panel explores first impressions of Siri AI, from image searches, weather, news, and Vision Pro visual recognition to unexpected limitations involving apps and personal context. The discussion also covers Steve Jobs and Apple Store history, Steve Wozniak's new merchandise venture, Apple's wearable market strength, GM's continuing retreat from CarPlay, and Tim Cook's expanding diplomatic role.  The panel consists of Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Web Bixby, Eric Bolden, Marty Jencius, Jim Rea, and Jeff Gamet. MacVoices is supported by Origin Technology. Origin is endpoint AI observability. See what a trace looks like at https://originhq.com/macvoices. Show Notes: Chapters: 00:03 Testing the New Siri AI Experience 01:28 Learning to Use a More Capable Siri 02:01 Siri Search, Stories, Weather, and Vision Pro 05:05 Personal Context and Siri's Current Limitations 06:33 Privacy, Apps, and Siri Integration 09:11 Testing Visual Intelligence at the Grocery Store 11:12 On-Device vs. Off-Device AI Requests 12:33 Steve Jobs and the Philosophy Behind Apple Retail 14:01 Sponsor: Origin 15:34 Steve Wozniak Launches a Merch Store 18:12 Remembering the US Festival 18:55 Apple Leads in Earbuds and Smartwatches 19:44 GM Continues Moving Away From CarPlay 21:35 Tim Cook's Evolving Role at Apple 22:51 Tim Cook as Apple's Global Ambassador 24:42 Apple, Shareholders, and Corporate Responsibility Links: Here are 100+ things Siri AI can do on your iPhone – 9to5Mac https://9to5mac.com/2026/09/17/here-are-100-things-siri-ai-can-do-on-your-iphone/   The word Steve Jobs wouldn't let us say—and how it built Apple's most loyal customers https://www.fastcompany.com/91569739/the-word-steve-jobs-wouldnt-let-us-say-and-how-it-built-apples-most-loyal-customers-steve-jobs-apple-marketing-strategy A Woz merch store is the most surprising launch this month – 9to5Mac https://9to5mac.com/2026/09/17/a-woz-merch-store-is-the-most-surprising-launch-this-month/   Apple leads the global true wireless stereo market with 20.5% market share https://appleworld.today/2026/09/apple-leads-the-global-true-wireless-stereo-market-with-20-5-market-share/   The Apple Watch now has 40.2% of the global smartwatch market https://appleworld.today/2026/09/the-apple-watch-now-has-40-2-of-the-global-smartwatch-market/   GM Wants You to Know It Still Plans to Ditch Apple CarPlay in Future EVs https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/21/gm-stance-on-apple-carplay/   Tim Cook keeping John Ternus away from controversy by attending White House dinner https://9to5mac.com/2026/09/17/tim-cook-keeping-john-ternus-away-from-controversy-by-attending-white-house-dinner/   Tim Cook to Attend White House State Dinner for Xi Jinping https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/16/tim-cook-state-dinner-xi-jinping/ Guests: Get detailed bios and contact information about for the panel on the MacVoices Live! Panel page on our web site: https://macvoices.com/macvoiceslive/macvoices-live-panel/ Support: Become a MacVoices Patron on Patreon http://patreon.com/macvoices Enjoy this episode? Make a one-time donation with PayPal Connect: Web: http://macvoices.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/chuckjoiner http://www.twitter.com/macvoices Mastodon: https://mastodon.cloud/@chuckjoiner Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chuck.joiner MacVoices Page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/macvoices/ MacVoices Group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/macvoice LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckjoiner/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chuckjoiner/ Subscribe: Audio in iTunes Video in iTunes Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher: Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss

Headlines for September 28, 2026; Forcible Eviction of 87-Year-Old Madrid Woman Sparks Protest Encampment over Spain’s Housing Crisis; “Britain’s Gaza Secrets Exposed”: How U.K. Downplayed Israeli Crimes to Keep Selling Weapons; “Valley of Death”: Sharon Weinberger on Big Tech, AI Warfare & the CIA’s Secret Backing of Steve Jobs

You made roughly thirty-five thousand decisions today, and the exhaustion you feel by three in the afternoon is not a productivity problem. It is decision fatigue. On DarrenDaily On-Demand, Darren Hardy lays out what he calls the One Decision Rule, the filter the most effective leaders use to make fewer choices dramatically while getting better results dramatically. He walks through how Warren Buffett applies a single investment philosophy hundreds of times over, what a founder who built a five hundred million dollar business told Darren when asked how he handles the daily decision load, and the question Steve Jobs used to cut a bloated product line down to what mattered. The power is not in the decision you make. It is in the thousands you never have to. Get more personal mentoring from Darren each day. Go to DarrenDaily at http://darrendaily.com/join to learn more.

Headlines for September 28, 2026; Forcible Eviction of 87-Year-Old Madrid Woman Sparks Protest Encampment over Spain’s Housing Crisis; “Britain’s Gaza Secrets Exposed”: How U.K. Downplayed Israeli Crimes to Keep Selling Weapons; “Valley of Death”: Sharon Weinberger on Big Tech, AI Warfare & the CIA’s Secret Backing of Steve Jobs

Living people have personalities and imaginary people have personalities.Corporations do not have personalities.Corporations have brands.The average corporate brand consists of a trademarked logo, minutes of board meetings, and a manual of policies and procedures.A brilliant corporate brand has a personality that lives inside our mind.We do not bond with corporations.We bond with personalities.The personalities of living people are revealed by their statements, actions, and reactions.The personalities of imaginary people are revealed in the stories that are told about them.A brand personality is an imaginary person that lives in the mind of the customer.The more deeply that a customer feels like they “know” the brand, the more likely they are to choose that brand. They are buying from a trusted friend.Sustainable and scalable ad campaigns are a series of stories that reveal the personality of a brand.Notice that I said “reveal” the personality.You cannot explain your brand personality. You must allow the public to experience it.You cannot say, “We are tender-hearted and generous.” You must allow the customer to listen to your stories and realize that you are tender-hearted and generous.Do not say, “We are bold, innovative leaders.” You must allow the customer to listen to your stories and decide for themselves that you are a bold, innovative leader.Let me say it again. You cannot explain your brand personality. You must allow the public to experience it.This was what Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did in 1887 when he launched a series of stories about a man named Sherlock Holmes.This was what Marvel Comics did in 1962 when they launched a series of stories about a young man named Peter Parker who was bitten by a radioactive spider.This was what Steve Jobs did in 1983 when he began urging us to Think Different. The more we read and heard his ads, the more we perceived Apple to be innovative and visionary, simple and intuitive, sophisticated and elegant, and delightfully, humanly, rebellious. But Steve Jobs never said those things. Those are the conclusions that we came to on our ownYou have story to tell. And you have the rest of your life to tell it.Are you ready to get started?Roy H. Williams

Today, I sit down with Matt Hunter, executive coach and co-author with John Baird of Tough Enough: How to Lead a Team to Greatness Without Being a Jerk. Matt and I met several years ago on Necker Island, and I've liked and respected him ever since. When I saw what he and John were taking on with this book, I wanted him on the show.Because they're walking straight into a leadership question I care about enormously.We've all seen the examples: founders and executives who produce extraordinary results while leaving a trail of exhausted, intimidated, or unhappy people behind them. Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and others have reinforced an uncomfortable idea for generations of ambitious leaders: maybe being extraordinarily demanding, even brutal, is simply what greatness requires.Matt doesn't dismiss that evidence. That's what makes this conversation interesting.His argument is that toughness really does matter. Bold missions require conviction. High-performance teams require standards. Leaders sometimes need to make difficult decisions, push people beyond comfort, and remain steady when everyone around them is scared.But toughness and cruelty are not the same thing.Matt and John Baird have identified seven habits intended to help leaders become what they call “tough enough”: highly demanding while retaining compassion, respect and humanity.That leads us into one of my favorite parts of the conversation: vulnerability.I've spent years thinking about the difference between indiscriminate vulnerability and what I call Insightful Vulnerability™. A leader blurting out every fear before the team charges up the proverbial hill may technically be “authentic,” but that doesn't necessarily make it good leadership. Vulnerability becomes valuable when it serves the people listening, builds trust, and creates Emotional Credibility™.We also get very personal about the cost of toughness. Matt and I both experienced serious health consequences after intense startup chapters. That takes us into a much more useful question than work-life balance: How do you lead relentlessly without destroying your capacity to keep leading?This conversation isn't an argument for being softer.It's an exploration of how to become tougher in the places that matter, compassionate in the places that matter, and intentional enough to know the difference. Key TakeawaysI think we have to stop treating toughness and compassion as opposites. Matt's central argument is that leaders can set extremely high standards, pursue bold goals, and make difficult decisions without treating people badly.I came away appreciating the distinction between being “tough” and simply being aggressive. Toughness can mean conviction, endurance, accountability, and an unwillingness to abandon the mission when things get uncomfortable.I believe vulnerability only works in leadership when it serves a purpose beyond relieving the leader's own emotions. That's the distinction I make with Insightful Vulnerability™: share something because it helps other people trust, learn or act, not simply because you happen to feel it.I think admitting a mistake can increase rather than diminish a leader's authority. Saying, “I screwed this up, here's what I learned, and here's what I'm changing,” can create trust that defensiveness never will.I was struck by Matt's framing of relentless leadership as an endurance problem rather than simply a work-life balance problem. Ambitious people will push. The question is whether we understand our capacity, recovery, and rate of exertion well enough to keep going.I know firsthand that there is a danger zone. During my startup years, years of extreme stress and inadequate sleep contributed to a serious autoimmune illness. Matt shares a remarkably similar experience.I think every leader has to choose where they want to operate on the toughness spectrum. There is no requirement that you build your company, career, or life the way Elon Musk does, simply because his approach produces certain kinds of results.I like the high-performance sports team analogy for culture. People can be treated extremely well while still being expected to perform at the level the team requires.What really stands out to me is the false choice Matt is trying to eliminate. Compassionate leaders should not have to choose between being good human beings and being formidable competitors. Addressing Relevant IssuesOne reason I think this conversation matters right now is that leaders are receiving contradictory messages.We're told to be empathetic, emotionally intelligent, vulnerable, and human. We're also surrounded by highly visible examples suggesting that extreme demands, relentless pressure, and even fairly awful behavior can produce spectacular business results.I don't think pretending that contradiction doesn't exist helps anyone.The more useful question is: How do I lead a high-performance team without becoming someone I don't respect?That means thinking more precisely about accountability, resilience, trust, executive communication, burnout, and how to lead through pressure without transferring all of that pressure indiscriminately to everyone around us.It also means recognizing that there are costs at both ends of the spectrum. Too little toughness can undermine the mission. Too much can undermine the people, the culture, our families, and eventually ourselves. Why This Episode MattersI invited Matt onto the show because I want this idea in the world.I work with extraordinarily capable leaders. Many of them are already compassionate, thoughtful people. What they sometimes need is not permission to become softer. They need permission and practical tools to become tougher without believing that toughness requires arrogance, cruelty, or disregard for other people.I also know what happens when relentless pursuit crosses a line. I've lived some of those consequences myself.What Matt and John Baird are attempting with Tough Enough is important because they're not asking good-hearted leaders to lower their ambitions. They're giving them another way to pursue those ambitions.If we can succeed without becoming jerks in the process, that seems like a considerably better deal to me. Resources MentionedTough Enough: How to Lead a Team to Greatness Without Being a Jerk — Matt Hunter and John BairdTough Enough Leaders — toughenoughleaders.com (spoken by Matt during the episode; verify URL before making it a live link)Tough Enough leadership assessments — Matt describes two assessments designed to evaluate overall toughness and toughness across the book's seven habitsTough Enough workbook — Free companion resource mentioned by MattHachette — Publisher of Tough Enough, as identified in the conversationFounders Pledge — Organization Matt previously helped leadCannery Row by John Steinbeck — Source of the Steinbeck passage discussed near the beginning of the conversationTake Breaks Work Better — Book mentioned during our discussion of performance and recovery; the transcript renders the author's name as “John Briggs,” so I would verify the title and author before publishing a linkConnect with Matt Hunter on LinkedIn and X Connect & SubscribeIf this conversation made you think differently about how you lead, I'd love it if you subscribed to Live Like a Leader and shared this episode with somebody who would appreciate it.And if you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave us a 5-star review and write a sentence or two about what you enjoy. Those comments genuinely help other people find the conversations we're having here.Most importantly, keep listening, keep experimenting with what works, and keep becoming the kind of leader people genuinely want to follow. Next StepsIf this conversation hit home, take a look at where you currently sit on the toughness spectrum.Where are you avoiding a difficult conversation, lowering a standard, or protecting comfort when the mission requires more from you?And where might you be pushing so hard that you're creating unnecessary costs for yourself or the people around you?Matt's Tough Enough assessments and workbook could be useful places to continue that examination. And if someone immediately came to mind while you were listening, send them this episode. I suspect this is one of those conversations that gets even more useful when two leaders discuss it together. -----Matt Hunter is an executive leadership coach and co-author of the forthcoming book Tough Enough: How to Lead a Team to Greatness Without Being a Jerk. He has two decades of experience founding, leading, and coaching companies, most notably cofounding Turnstyle (acquired by Yelp) and serving as president and US CEO of Founders Pledge, a community of entrepreneurs that has pledged over $13.6 billion to charity, with more than $1.9 billion already deployed. Today, he coaches C-suite executives at Fortune 50 companies as well as founders and CEOs of high-growth tech startups backed by firms such as Andreessen Horowitz, Accel, and NEA, with a combined valuation in the tens of billions. He is also expanding his work to include elite sports teams. He lives in Boulder, Colorado. Ready to make your communication a match for how good you really are? John K. Bates provides private executive communication coaching and leadership development for accomplished leaders and teams. His programs have earned 92+ Net Promoter Scores with organizations including NASA, Johnson & Johnson, Google, Intuit, and Boston Scientific. Explore private coaching and leadership programs:https://executivespeakingsuccess.com/ Build your communication practice with John's free weekly mini-trainings:https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings/

Don Yaeger has spent 30 years studying what makes stories stick — and he's put it all into his new book, The Business of Storytelling: Inspire Action, Build Trust, and Drive Results Through Story. In this conversation, Don breaks down why "the story is the strategy," the neuroscience behind why we fall for a good story (looking at you, Steve Jobs), why PowerPoint slides kill more presentations than they save, and the exact "x-ray" method he uses to reverse-engineer his own talks.Don is a 13-time New York Times bestselling author, longtime journalist, and one of the most sought-after storytelling coaches in the world — he's worked with Simon Sinek, Forbes, and NVIDIA's senior leadership, among others.

Most people assume Apple's retail dominance comes from great products. Ron Johnson, the man who actually built the Apple Store alongside Steve Jobs, says that's only half the story. Motley Fool host Jason Moser sits down with Ron Johnson — creator of the Apple Store and author of Shop Different — to explore what Steve Jobs really cared about, why Apple's new CEO John Turnus doesn't need to be in a hurry, and what Ron's very public stumble at JCPenney taught him that two decades of success at Target and Apple never could. Host: Jason Moser Guest: Ron Johnson Producers: Bart Shannon, Lauren Budabin Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We're committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The only way to do great work is to love what you do. –Steve Jobs Check out John Lee Dumas' award winning Podcast Entrepreneurs on Fire on your favorite podcast directory. For world class free courses and resources to help you on your Entrepreneurial journey visit EOFire.com

Tesla, Gary Vaynerchuk, and Kylian Mbappé all figured out the same thing: the most valuable thing a business owns is the reputation of the person behind it. Mike Brevik draws on 30 years of building brands like Nike, Jordan, and Harley-Davidson to lay out a six-step system for turning your personal brand into a financial asset. It's the difference between competing on price and competing on trust. KEY TAKEAWAYS Research Mike cites shows up to 44% of a company's market value can be tied to the reputation of the person leading it, which makes your personal brand a financial asset, not a vanity project. Familiarity builds trust. The mere exposure effect means the right thousand people seeing you consistently is worth more than chasing a massive following. Positioning is a point of view, not a job title. "I believe most [industry] is wrong about [topic]" filters in the right audience and makes the wrong one curious. Strong personal brands show three layers in order: identity (what you believe), expertise (how you think), and output (what you produce). Most founders only ever post the output. Every post, episode, and case study is a deposit. Treat your content like equity, the way Mbappé chose ownership over a bigger guaranteed paycheck. LINKS AND RESOURCES Brand Retro Podcast: brandretro.com Cyberdogz Agency: cyberdogzmarketing.com Mike Brevik: mike@cyberdogzmarketing.com KEYWORDS personal branding, personal brand strategy, founder personal brand, founder reputation, founder-led marketing, compete on trust not price, personal brand equity, brand positioning, thought leadership, mere exposure effect, pratfall effect, document vs create, content consistency, LinkedIn content strategy, Kylian Mbappé On Running, Dua Lipa Instagram, Steve Jobs personal brand, Gary Vaynerchuk, Brand Retro Mindset, Cyberdogz EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS [00:00:00 - 00:01:00] Mike opens with Tesla, Gary Vaynerchuk, and Mbappé, and makes the case that none of them were born famous. [00:01:40 - 00:02:30] The 44% number: how much of a company's value research ties to the reputation of the person behind it. [00:02:50 - 00:03:40] Mike on the moment Cyberdogz stopped being "just another agency" and trust started following visibility. [00:03:50 - 00:05:00] Dua Lipa's 89 million followers and the psychology of the mere exposure effect. [00:06:20 - 00:07:00] Mike's own belief statement about AI and agencies, and why it started more conversations than any ad campaign. [00:07:40 - 00:09:00] Identity, expertise, output: why Steve Jobs showed the first two layers so the third was trusted on sight. [00:09:10 - 00:10:40] The pratfall effect and Gary Vaynerchuk's "document, don't create" approach to content. [00:10:50 - 00:12:00] Mbappé walks away from a reported $200 million Nike deal to take equity with On Running. [00:12:00 - 00:13:00] Why every post is a deposit, and the one question that tells you if you're building equity or running on a content treadmill.

Emma Victoria Johnson joins Brian Nichols to reveal the $275,000 mistake she made after a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis at 43... and why Mexico's medical tourism boom is catching so many patients off guard right now.Breast cancer is climbing fastest in women under 50. And Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar has everybody online asking who's real and who's faking it.Emma got caught in the middle of both... people called her "fake cancer girl" because she looked too healthy.So she did what a lot of scared patients do. She picked the clinic with the best marketing... pools, saunas, a $10,000 watch... and got on a plane.$275,000 later? She's got the red flags every patient and every family member needs to see before signing anything. Plus what her sisters said when she told them she was going to Mexico, the Steve Jobs story everybody brings up, and the one question Emma says every clinic should be able to answer. Brian and Emma are not doctors - this is one patient's story, not medical advice.CHAPTERS0:00 Intro2:35 Stage 4 at 433:43 3 Months to Live7:26 The Clinic That Looked Perfect Online8:41 The $275,000 Bill9:41 Taken Advantage of at Rock Bottom17:43 "I'm Going to Tijuana"19:04 The Steve Jobs Warning20:19 The Question Every Clinic Must Answer21:30 The Mike Holmes Test22:50 The Red Flags She Missed29:19 Her Mom's Fight vs. "Fake Cancer Girl"33:34 Where to Follow Emma36:39 Emma's Final WordFOLLOW EMMAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_victoriaj/THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY OASIS OF HOPE HOSPITALFree consultation: https://www.oasisofhope.comWATCH DR. FRANCISCO CONTRERAS ON TBNShttps://www.briannicholsshow.com/why-natural-cancer-therapies-never-get-fda-approved-doctor-explains-tbns-1097/SUPPORT THE SHOWCardio Miracle - 15% off with code TBNS: https://cardiomiracle.com/TBNSCONNECT WITH BRIANWebsite: https://www.briannicholsshow.comX: https://x.com/BNicholsLibertyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/BNicholsLibertyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bnicholsliberty/Email: brian@briannicholsshow.comEducated. Enlightened. Informed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emma Victoria Johnson joins Brian Nichols to reveal the $275,000 mistake she made after a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis at 43... and why Mexico's medical tourism boom is catching so many patients off guard right now. Breast cancer is climbing fastest in women under 50. And Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar has everybody online asking who's real and who's faking it. Emma got caught in the middle of both... people called her "fake cancer girl" because she looked too healthy. So she did what a lot of scared patients do. She picked the clinic with the best marketing... pools, saunas, a $10,000 watch... and got on a plane. $275,000 later? She's got the red flags every patient and every family member needs to see before signing anything. Plus what her sisters said when she told them she was going to Mexico, the Steve Jobs story everybody brings up, and the one question Emma says every clinic should be able to answer. Brian and Emma are not doctors - this is one patient's story, not medical advice. CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 2:35 Stage 4 at 43 3:43 3 Months to Live 7:26 The Clinic That Looked Perfect Online 8:41 The $275,000 Bill 9:41 Taken Advantage of at Rock Bottom 17:43 "I'm Going to Tijuana" 19:04 The Steve Jobs Warning 20:19 The Question Every Clinic Must Answer 21:30 The Mike Holmes Test 22:50 The Red Flags She Missed 29:19 Her Mom's Fight vs. "Fake Cancer Girl" 33:34 Where to Follow Emma 36:39 Emma's Final Word FOLLOW EMMA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_victoriaj/ THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY OASIS OF HOPE HOSPITAL Free consultation: https://www.oasisofhope.com WATCH DR. FRANCISCO CONTRERAS ON TBNS https://www.briannicholsshow.com/why-natural-cancer-therapies-never-get-fda-approved-doctor-explains-tbns-1097/ SUPPORT THE SHOW Cardio Miracle - 15% off with code TBNS: https://cardiomiracle.com/TBNS CONNECT WITH BRIAN Website: https://www.briannicholsshow.com X: https://x.com/BNicholsLiberty Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BNicholsLiberty Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bnicholsliberty/ Email: brian@briannicholsshow.com Educated. Enlightened. Informed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ron Johnson spent twelve years building Apple's retail business from scratch, working side by side with Steve Jobs to create the Apple Store and, later, the Genius Bar. In this episode of the Washington AI Network Podcast with host Tammy Haddad, Johnson talks about his first fateful meeting with Jobs and reveals the real story behind naming the Genius Bar — including Jobs's initial rejection of the idea. Johnson also discusses his new book Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius and gives his take on how artificial intelligence is already transforming both physical and online retail, and why physical stores remain essential even in a digital-first world. 

Emma Victoria Johnson joins Brian Nichols to reveal the $275,000 mistake she made after a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis at 43... and why Mexico's medical tourism boom is catching so many patients off guard right now.Breast cancer is climbing fastest in women under 50. And Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar has everybody online asking who's real and who's faking it.Emma got caught in the middle of both... people called her "fake cancer girl" because she looked too healthy.So she did what a lot of scared patients do. She picked the clinic with the best marketing... pools, saunas, a $10,000 watch... and got on a plane.$275,000 later? She's got the red flags every patient and every family member needs to see before signing anything. Plus what her sisters said when she told them she was going to Mexico, the Steve Jobs story everybody brings up, and the one question Emma says every clinic should be able to answer. Brian and Emma are not doctors - this is one patient's story, not medical advice.CHAPTERS0:00 Intro2:35 Stage 4 at 433:43 3 Months to Live7:26 The Clinic That Looked Perfect Online8:41 The $275,000 Bill9:41 Taken Advantage of at Rock Bottom17:43 "I'm Going to Tijuana"19:04 The Steve Jobs Warning20:19 The Question Every Clinic Must Answer21:30 The Mike Holmes Test22:50 The Red Flags She Missed29:19 Her Mom's Fight vs. "Fake Cancer Girl"33:34 Where to Follow Emma36:39 Emma's Final WordFOLLOW EMMAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_victoriaj/THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY OASIS OF HOPE HOSPITALFree consultation: https://www.oasisofhope.comWATCH DR. FRANCISCO CONTRERAS ON TBNShttps://www.briannicholsshow.com/why-natural-cancer-therapies-never-get-fda-approved-doctor-explains-tbns-1097/SUPPORT THE SHOWCardio Miracle - 15% off with code TBNS: https://cardiomiracle.com/TBNSCONNECT WITH BRIANWebsite: https://www.briannicholsshow.comX: https://x.com/BNicholsLibertyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/BNicholsLibertyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bnicholsliberty/Email: brian@briannicholsshow.comEducated. Enlightened. Informed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leave an Amazon Rating or Review for my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy!Check out the full episode: https://greatness.lnk.to/1982DMCal Newport tracked down the development lead for the first iPhone. Nothing about the tech ever required you to look at it constantly.Steve Jobs was a minimalist. A beautiful object you pulled out to play a song, call your mom, find an address.Then the Facebook IPO hit and the apps needed revenue. They re-engineered everything around likes, retweets, photo auto tags.Newport's word for it: social approval indicators. Now you check in line, in the bathroom, walking the dog.Lewis Howes names the trap. The more likes you collect, the less worthy you feel, so you post again to prove you're enough.Your social brain has no idea what to do with a number next to a thumbs up icon. It knows faces, time, someone who bothered to show up.Friend has a baby? Congrats with three exclamation points costs you nothing, which is exactly the problem.Drive over with snacks and towels. That hour is what connection is made of.Sign up for the Greatness newsletter: http://www.greatness.com/newsletter Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apple's former head of Apple retail, Ron Johnson, joins William on the latest AppleInsider Podcast for a guest interview about his new book. Also, your hosts discuss new Macs, perceived Apple failures, and more.Contact your hosts:@williamgallagher_ on Threads@WGallagher on TwitterWilliam's 58keys on YouTubeWilliam Gallagher on emailWes on BlueskyWes Hilliard on emailWes's blog HillitechSponsored by:Claude by Anthropic: Check out Claude and Claude Pro at Claude.ai/appleinsiderOrigin Technology: Origin is endpoint AI observability. See what a trace looks like at originhq.com/appleinsiderLinks from the Show:iOS 27 is now available with big changes to Photos, and SiriDRAM pricing will mean more iPhone price hikes in 2027, no relief through 2028How to claim $25 from Apple's settlement over delayed Siri featuresApple Home Hub will be the intelligent center of your homeApple's pendant project is on hold despite its AI pushFuture Apple Watch could be screen-less Whoop competitor, says rumorBeats 360 review: Good all-around sound and customizable tooBeats 360 vs AirPods Max 2: Premium personal audio comparedM5 Ultra Mac Studio AI performance keeps up with Nvidia 5080New Mac mini does not have a slotted SSD, Mac Studio still doesThis clever workaround lets iPhone 18 Pro Max skirt battery shipping max power limitsImage data used in Face ID authentication on iPhone 18 ProNeural Engine timeouts & Face ID panics hit Apple's newest devicesApple Watch Series 12 has slightly larger bezels, stuck out Digital CrownClaimed Apple Fitness+ layoffs are no sign of problems with the serviceiPhone Duo a godsend for mini iPhone fans, minus the priceGive developers time to update apps for iPhone DuoDevelopers finally get Xcode tools to prepare apps for iPhone DuoiPhone Duo is Steve Jobs's intersection of technology and liberal arts, says TernusJohn Ternus: Apple Vision Pro has a bright future, but a long journey firstSupport the show:Support the show on Patreon or Apple Podcasts to get ad-free episodes every week, access to our private Discord channel, and early release of the show! We would also appreciate a 5-star rating and review in Apple PodcastsMore AppleInsider podcastsTune in to our HomeKit Insider podcast covering the latest news, products, apps and everything HomeKit related. Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Overcast, or just search for HomeKit Insider wherever you get your podcasts.Subscribe and listen to our AppleInsider Daily podcast for the latest Apple news Monday through Friday. You can find it on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, or anywhere you listen to podcasts.Those interested in sponsoring the show can reach out to us at: advertising@appleinsider.com ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What if the very thing draining your energy every day isn't your circumstances, but the hours you spend rehearsing a future that hasn't happened yet? Dr. JC Doornick is currently navigating a stage 4 cancer diagnosis, and instead of talking around it, he uses it as the live case study for the system his book and coaching are built on: the Interface Response System. He walks through what he calls radical responsibility, introduces a concept from his next book called Carency, the limited currency of care, time, and attention we all spend, and explains why he's stopped bracing for what might happen so he can actually show up for what is happening. Along the way he pulls in Jim Dethmer's above the line and below the line framework, Mel Robbins on why no one is coming to save you, and Steve Jobs on connecting the dots, then leaves listeners with a challenge for the week ahead. Follow Dr. JC Doornick and the Makes Sense Academy: ► Makes Sense Substack - https://drjcdoornick.substack.com ► Instagram: / drjcdoornick ► Substack: / drjcdoornick ►Facebook:  / makessensepodcast ►YouTube:  / drjcdoornick MAKES SENSE PODCAST Welcome to the Makes Sense with Dr. JC Doornick Podcast. This podcast explores topics that expand human consciousness and enhance performance. On the Makes Sense Podcast, we acknowledge that it's who you are that determines how well what you do works, and that perception is subjective and an acquired taste. When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at begin to change. Welcome to the uprising of the sleepwalking masses. Welcome to the Makes Sense with Dr. JC Doornick Podcast. SUBSCRIBE/RATE/REVIEW & SHARE our new podcast. FOLLOW Podcast: You will find a "Follow" button in the top right. This will enable the podcast software to alert you when a new episode launches each week. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/makes-sense-with-dr-jc-doornick/id1730954168 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1WHfKWDDReMtrGFz4kkZs9?si=003780ca147c4aec Podcast Affiliates: Kwik Learning: Many people ask me where I get all these topics, which I've been covering for almost 15 years. I have learned to read nearly four times faster and retain information 10 times better with Kwik Learning. Learn how to learn and earn with Jim Kwik. Get his program at a special discount here: https://jimkwik.com/dragon OUR SPONSORS: Operly - Take Back Control of Your Work Day and Get Rid of All Your AI Apps - Welcome to the new world of Time Freedom and Unlimited Scaling and Success with Operly -  https://go.getoperly.ai/video?ref=jean-claude-claude-d-2a95 Blue Blinds Bakery - Handcrafted with all-natural ingredients - www.blueblindsbakery.com 0:00 - 2:10: Gratitude, YouTube Growth, and Welcome to the Show 2:11 - 3:44: Introducing Radical Responsibility and the Idea of Carency 3:45 - 6:27: The Cost of Living in an Uncertain Future 6:28 - 7:58: The Moment of Diagnosis, When the Mind Races to the Worst Case 7:59 - 12:07: Hmm, the First Move of the Interface Response System 12:08 - 15:01: Responsibility Is Not Blame, and Feeling Lucky at Stage 4 15:02 - 18:00: Above the Line by Choice, Knowing My Relationship With Adversity 18:01 - 20:03: America's Responsibility Crisis and the Excuse Trap 20:04 - 22:33: Finding Your True North and Reclaiming Agency 22:34 - 25:35: What I Can and Cannot Control, Participating in My Dot 25:36 - 26:53: A Note on the Make Sense Mastermind and Academy 26:54 - 31:27: Responsibility Means Ownership, the Interface Response System 31:28 - 35:23: From Preparing for the Future to Being Glad It's Me 35:24 - 36:34: Not Wasting or Missing This Experience 36:35 - 39:43: This Week's Challenge, and Why Responsibility Is Lighter Than Helplessness 39:44 - 40:31: Closing, Spend Your Care Currency Wisely Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ทุกคนรู้ว่า Steve Jobs คืออัจฉริยะที่สร้าง Apple จนกลายเป็นบริษัทที่มีมูลค่าสูงที่สุดในโลก แต่รู้หรือไม่ว่าตอนที่เขาเสียชีวิต ความมั่งคั่งส่วนใหญ่ของเขาไม่ได้มาจาก Apple เลย หุ้น Apple เป็นเพียงเศษเสี้ยวทรัพย์สินทั้งหมดของเขาเท่านั้น เงินก้อนใหญ่ที่สุดกลับมาจากบริษัทซอฟต์แวร์ใกล้เจ๊ง ที่เขาซื้อมาด้วยเศษเงิน แถมยังผลาญเงินสดเขาทุกเดือนยาวนานถึง 9 ปีเต็ม จนเขาเกือบจะสั่งปิดทิ้งไปตั้งหลายรอบ แล้วบริษัทเดียวที่ Steve Jobs เกือบจะบีบคอให้ตายคามือ กลับกลายมาเป็นขุมทรัพย์ที่ทำเงินให้เขาได้มากกว่าสุดยอดบริษัทอย่าง Apple ได้ยังไง วันนี้เราจะมาเจาะลึกความลับและกลไกการเงินเบื้องหลังความมั่งคั่งที่แท้จริงของชายคนนี้ไปพร้อมๆ กัน ========================= 

Light It Up Live: 3-Day Profitable Content Clinic > ***Tickets on Sale NOW***     What if getting more people to buy isn't about convincing them harder, posting more content, or perfecting your sales pitch?  What if it's about making people feel like they matter?    That idea helped create one of the most iconic retail experiences in the world—and it's something every entrepreneur needs to understand as AI and technology change how we communicate, market, and sell.    My guest, Ron Johnson, is the creator of the Apple Store and Genius Bar, former CEO of J.C. Penney, and author of the new book Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius. Ron worked directly with Steve Jobs as a member of Apple's executive team, helping reimagine what a retail store could be and fundamentally changing how customers experienced a brand.    And what they built wasn't centered around one question: How do we sell more products?  It was centered around something much more powerful: How do we help people?    Ron and I talk about what Steve Jobs understood about human behavior, innovation, selling, and creating experiences people actually want to be part of. We get into why service itself can be a sales strategy, what the Genius Bar got right about earning customer trust, and why strong relationships can become a competitive advantage that technology can't replicate.    We also talk about having a BIG idea when everyone around you is telling you to be more realistic. Ron shares what Steve Jobs taught him about challenging conventional thinking, why bold ideas can actually be easier to sell than incremental ones, and what it takes to get people behind a vision they can't fully see yet.    RESOURCES MENTIONED: 

Ron Johnson helped transform the way the world shops. As the creator of the Apple Store, he worked alongside Steve Jobs to build a welcoming retail experience centered on learning and human connection. Before Apple, he helped make good design accessible at Target, and he later served as CEO of J.C. Penney. In his new book, Shop Different, Ron shares the leadership lessons he gained through extraordinary successes and humbling setbacks. Today, Ron shares how a childhood love of retail shaped his career, why the Apple Store was designed around relationships rather than transactions, and what his difficult experience at J.C. Penney taught him about listening, humility and moving forward. He also explains why kindness belongs in the boardroom and how focusing on the person in front of us can transform the way we lead, work and live. My friends, you'll leave this conversation inspired to pursue what you love, strengthen the relationships that matter and measure success by the lives you enrich along the way. Whether you're leading a team, navigating a setback or searching for greater purpose, Ron's journey is a powerful reminder that success and failure are fleeting, but the way we treat others endures.

In this episode of The Brainy Business podcast, Melina Palmer is joined by Ron Johnson, author of Shop Different and the visionary behind the iconic Apple Store experience. Ron shares his journey from his early days in retail at Target to revolutionizing how consumers interact with technology at Apple. With a focus on design and customer experience, he discusses the bold strategies that transformed Apple Stores into destinations for creativity and connection. Listeners will discover the importance of understanding customer needs and creating an environment that fosters engagement and loyalty. Ron reflects on the lessons learned from his time working alongside Steve Jobs and how embracing a philosophy of love and kindness for customers can lead to remarkable business outcomes. He also shares insights into the retail landscape, the psychology behind consumer behavior, and the power of reciprocity in building lasting relationships. This episode is filled with actionable insights for business leaders and entrepreneurs looking to innovate and create memorable shopping experiences. Ron emphasizes the significance of being bold, taking risks, and being willing to hit the rewind button when necessary to achieve greatness. In this episode: Explore Ron's journey from Target to Apple and the impact of design on retail. Learn about the philosophy of loving customers and its role in business success. Discover how to create a memorable and engaging shopping experience. Understand the importance of reciprocity and kindness in customer relationships. Gain insights on the value of being bold and willing to change course when needed. Get important links, top recommended books and episodes, and a full transcript at thebrainybusiness.com/596. Looking to explore applications of behavioral economics further?  Learn With Us on our website. Subscribe to Melina's Newsletter Brainy Bites.  Let's connect: Send Us a Message Follow Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube The Brainy Business on Instagram

Ron Johnson, creator of the Apple Store, retail innovator, author, speaker, and former CEO of JCPenney, joins me on this episode. Ron worked directly alongside Steve Jobs as a member of Apple's executive team, helping create and lead the Apple Stores during their first twelve years. Before Apple, he helped bring great design to everyday consumers at Target through groundbreaking collaborations with designers like Michael Graves. His new book, Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius, explores timeless lessons on innovation, leadership, design, and building cultures rooted in love, kindness, and human relationships. Ron is also the founder of Enjoy, the first mobile retail store.

What Kamini Ramani thinks the former Apple CEO got wrong, and what she learned from him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Retail is not dead. Bad retail is. ✨On The Kara Goldin Show, I sit down with Ron Johnson, the creator of the Apple Store and author of Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius.Ron worked directly with Steve Jobs and helped build one of the most successful retail concepts in history — not by making stores look cooler, but by rethinking what a store was actually for.The Apple Store was not built to move boxes. It was built to teach, help, solve, connect, and build trust. The Genius Bar. Mobile checkout. Employees hired for curiosity, not pressure selling. All of it was designed around a simple but still radical idea: the customer relationship matters more than the transaction.We talk about what most retailers still get wrong, why physical stores may become even more important in the age of AI, what he learned at Target bringing great design to more people, and what his very public J.C. Penney chapter taught him about timing, leadership, and change.If you care about retail, leadership, innovation, customer experience, or building something that actually deserves people's attention, this is a conversation worth hearing.Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Ron Johnson is the creator of the Apple Store, a sought-after speaker, board member, and the author of Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius. He spent much of his career in retail, including leadership roles at Target, Apple, and J.C. Penney. Ron discusses the thinking behind the Apple Store and what he learned working alongside Steve Jobs. One of the most revealing moments came when the team was six months into designing the first store and realized the concept was all wrong. Jobs agreed to start over, even though it meant delaying the launch. The conversation explores what that experience taught Ron about vision, intuition, and the willingness to rethink an idea when circumstances change. He also reflects on his experience at J.C. Penney, where he moved too quickly, relied too heavily on his own conviction, and did not bring the team along. Throughout the conversation, Ron returns to a theme that runs through his career: bold leadership requires conviction, but it also requires the humility to listen, adapt, and recognize when a better path has appeared. Key Moments The three-hour conversation with Steve Jobs that defined the Apple Store vision How Ron learned to lead through big ideas instead of constant direction Why the first Apple Store had to be completely rethought The courage to hit rewind after six months of work Why Apple designed its stores like a five-star hotel What J.C. Penney taught Ron about compromising on a vision Why intuition matters, and why sometimes you need to count to ten What happens when nobody pushes back on the leader Why kindness is different from being nice How kindness creates an environment where people can do their best Bringing your best and most authentic self to work The Leadership Podcast is sponsored by W.S. Darley & Company. Founded in 1908, Darley remains a family owned and operated business, providing the highest quality equipment solutions to our country's warfighters and firefighters. Learn more at darley.com and darleydefense.com Memorable Quotes "You gotta bring people along, listen really attentively to other people's ideas." "The highest form of kindness is telling the truth." "Kindness is a choice you make at work." "Kindness enables people to be their best because they're working in an environment of love and not fear." "If you get one chance in life, bring your best self to work every day." "Don't just do things because you think that's what people would expect you to do." "I've always done well by pursuing what I intuitively believe is the right way to solve a problem and not relying on what others do." Explore the full archive at www.theleadershippodcast.com or wherever you get your podcasts! These are the books mentioned in this episode Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius by Ron Johnson Excellence Wins by Horst Schulze Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Website | www.ronjohnsonshopsdifferent.com LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/shopdifferent

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT http://relay.fm/designed/9 http://relay.fm/designed/9 Jason Snell and Myke Hurley Just up the road from Apple in Redwood City, Steve Jobs's NeXT is fading and flailing, but has a modern operating system just like the one Apple desperately needs to buy to replace Mac OS. An unlikely person makes an unlikely phone call to save the day. Just up the road from Apple in Redwood City, Steve Jobs's NeXT is fading and flailing, but has a modern operating system just like the one Apple desperately needs to buy to replace Mac OS. An unlikely person makes an unlikely phone call to save the day. clean 2694 Just up the road from Apple in Redwood City, Steve Jobs's NeXT is fading and flailing, but has a modern operating system just like the one Apple desperately needs to buy to replace Mac OS. An unlikely person makes an unlikely phone call to save the day. This episode of Designed in California is sponsored by: Bulletin: On-device AI-powered news reading for the Apple ecosystem. Use code DICA50 for 50% off your first year. Guest Starring: John Siracusa Links and Show Notes: Presented by Myke Hurley and Jason Snell. Special guest John Siracusa. Written by Jason Snell. Thanks to Stephen Hackett, Harry McCracken, Hansen Hsu of the Computer History Museum, and Scott Knaster for script assistance. Audio editing by Myke Hurley and Jim Metzendorf. Video production by Jamie Snell. Designed in California theme by Christopher Breen. References: MacUser and Macworld magazines issues from the period Apple: The Inside Story of Intrigue, Egomania, and Business Blunders by Jim Carlton On the Firing Line by Gil Amelio Apple Confidential 2.0 by Owen Linzmayer Grateful Geek by Jean-Louis Gassée iCon by Jeffrey S. Young Get early access to full series, ad-free listening, and bonus episodes by becoming a member. Submit Feedback

Sometimes the only way to win is by finding the courage to lose. Cold Call presents a special episode from TED's Fixable podcast. In it, the show's hosts, Leadership Coach Anne Morriss and Harvard Business School Professor Frances Frei, challenge leaders to “dare to be bad” in order to free up capacity to excel at more important things. They share insight on the power of a strategic “no,” the value of ruthless prioritization, and how Steve Jobs and Apple delivered breakthrough innovation by strategically underperforming. Frances also explains why you can't always trust your own instincts, and Anne reflects on the lessons she learned in her early days of parenting.

In this episode of Daily Creative, we explore the art of tuning into the signals that matter and eliminating the noise that distracts us from meaningful work. Legendary retail leader Ron Johnson joins us to discuss his personal and professional journey—from turning down Wall Street offers to starting at the bottom in retail, to leading the creation of the Apple Store alongside Steve Jobs. His new book is Shop Different. We reflect on how breakthroughs often emerge from unexpected signals, the necessity of listening to our intuition, and the value of focused, intentional conversations—both with ourselves and others. Ron Johnson offers candid insight into cultivating teams, making courageous decisions that secure the good for others (even when it's costly), and what it means to lead with purpose and presence in a world crowded with distractions.Discussed In This Episode:Ron Johnson's new book: Shop DifferentThe story of the Apple Store and the inception of the Genius BarReferences to David Whyte's philosophy on reality as conversation"The Accidental Creative" by Todd HenryMarianne Williamson's "A Return to Love" and leadership lessonsDailyCreativePlus.com for extended interviewsFive Key Learnings from the EpisodeListen to Persistent Signals: The ideas and impulses that refuse to go away—often dismissed as noise—are frequently the starting points for breakthrough work. Create enough quiet in your routine to notice them.Conversations Are the Root of Innovation: Both Ron Johnson and Steve Jobs believed that unscripted, agenda-free conversations lead to inevitable, shared discovery and inevitable decisions. Reality itself is shaped through dialogue.Protect Your Inner Dialogue: Leaders who never spend time alone with their thoughts never fully know what's on their minds. Regular periods of solitude and reflection are essential for creative clarity.Leadership Is About Securing the Good for Others: Exceptional leaders view their role as cultivating the unique needs of every individual on their team, asking, "What can I do for you?" instead of, "What can you do for me?"Do the Right Thing, Even When It Hurts: Sometimes, the right decision is the one that costs you in the short term but builds deep trust—whether it's replacing cracked iPhones for free or standing behind an imperfect product for the sake of customers.Bring Todd Henry to speak to your team or event at ToddHenry.com/speakingSee Todd Henry's books at ToddHenry.com/booksGet full interviews and bonus content for free! Just join the list at DailyCreativePlus.com.Mentioned in this episode:Apply for Creative Leader Roundtable What if you had a space every month to sharpen your leadership edge without the fluff? The Creative Leader Roundtable is where smart, driven, creative leaders gather to exchange ideas, solve real challenges, and grow together. So if you lead a team of thinkers, makers, or dreamers, this is your lab. We're launching soon with a new group of leaders. So, if you're interested, check it out and apply at CreativeLeader.net.New Keynote & Workshop: The Infinite LeverEvery leader I talk with is asking some version of the same question right now: What happens to my people as AI absorbs more of the work? That question is why I built a new keynote and workshop called The Infinite Lever. It's about the human capacities that get more valuable in an AI world, not less, and how to develop them on purpose before the window closes. If you're planning an event this year, visit toddhenry.com/speaking.

Ron Johnson is one of the most influential retail executives of the past several decades. After graduating from Harvard Business School, he began his career at Mervyn's before joining Target, where he helped turn Target into “Tar zhay.” That work caught the attention of Steve Jobs, who recruited Ron to create Apple's retail business from the ground up. Over the next decade, Ron helped develop the vision for the Apple Store, build its world-class retail team, and launch innovations such as the Genius Bar—ultimately creating some of the most successful and productive retail stores in the world. He later served as CEO of J.C. Penney, an experience he says taught him more in 24 months of failure than in 24 years of success. Ron is the author of the book Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius, which explores lessons on innovation, leadership, design, culture, and why human connection may matter more than ever in the age of AI and online shopping. In this episode we discuss the following: One of my favorite ideas from Ron is the distinction between the things we're given and the things we choose. We might be born smart, athletic, talented, or attractive. Those are gifts. But kindness is a choice. And as Ron said, imagine if the smartest, most talented person, or the best leader also chose to be the kindest. I loved Ron's perspective on Steve Jobs. Steve didn't necessarily show kindness in the way people often think about it. He believed that one of the highest forms of kindness was telling people the truth—even when that truth was hard to hear. And Steve also showed kindness by building great products for others. He obsessed over making products easier, more useful, and more empowering because he wanted to improve people's lives. In Ron's words, he was trying to “secure the good” of the customer. And that idea eventually became the philosophy behind the Apple Store: enrich lives. Don't just sell people something. Make their lives better. In a world increasingly shaped by AI, what matters most may be the things that only we can bring: our presence, our unique perspective, and the genuine human connection that comes through conversation.

The Apple Store almost didn't happen. Not because the idea was bad, because it was too big for anyone but Steve Jobs to say yes to.In this episode, John sits down with Ron Johnson, the retail executive who built the original Apple Store and Genius Bar alongside Steve Jobs, led Target's design transformation, and later served as CEO of JC Penney, to talk about why he turned down a scaled down test of the Apple Store concept, what actually went wrong with the JC Penney pricing overhaul he's still willing to own, and why he tells people to challenge every answer AI gives them the same way he had to challenge decades of accepted retail wisdom.If you are in sales, sales leadership, retail, or building anything that requires a team to believe in an idea before the proof exists, this conversation gives you a practical way to think about pitching big ideas instead of small tests, building a culture of believers instead of skeptics, and using AI to speed up research without letting it make the decision for you.Want to build a sales team that can think as boldly as Ron Johnson built the Apple Store? Visit www.jbarrows.com and learn how you can Make It Happen.What You'll LearnWhy Ron turned down a scaled down test of the Apple Store, and the four billion dollar answer from Steve Jobs that changed his mindWhy doubling Target's kids' clothing business came down to something as simple as how the sizes were labeledWhy the JC Penney pricing overhaul improved customer satisfaction but still failed, and why Ron says the mistake was the pace, not the ideaWhy Steve Jobs wanted believers on his team, not skeptics, and how many skeptics is actually too manyWhy Ron says to challenge every answer AI gives you before you accept it, the same way he had to challenge decades of accepted retail wisdomRon Johnson is the retail executive who led Apple's retail strategy and built the Apple Store and Genius Bar concept alongside Steve Jobs. Before Apple, he spent years at Target leading the company's design transformation, including its original Michael Graves partnership, and he later served as CEO of JC Penney. He is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Business School, and his new book releases September 22nd.Visit RonJohnsonShopsDifferent.com to learn more about Ron's work and his new book.Connect with Ron Johnson: Website: RonJohnsonShopsDifferent.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/shopdifferentJohn Barrows is a sales trainer, speaker, and founder of JB Sales with over 25 years of experience in the industry. He has made hundreds of cold calls a week, led startups to acquisition, and trained high-performing teams at companies like Salesforce, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Okta. Through JB Sales, John focuses on practical sales execution, helping reps fill pipeline, close deals, and build trust with buyers in today's AI-driven sales environment.Connect with John Barrows: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows Instagram: instagram.com/johnmbarrows TikTok: tiktok.com/@johnmbarrowsCheck out John's Membership: https://learn.jbarrows.com/pages/individual-packages Join John's Newsletter: https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletter

Stewart Alsop sits down with Antoine Marcel, CEO and cofounder of Flourish, to explore the future of home robotics and what he calls "solarpunk" automation. Antoine discusses why Flourish is building wheeled robots with arms instead of following the humanoid hype, arguing that the expensive legs and teleoperation approach isn't practical for real consumers today. The conversation ranges from the philosophy of robots that disappear when you're home (rather than becoming constant companions) to the bureaucratic nightmares of modern life that robotics might actually solve. Antoine explains how their $3,500 robots can be trained in thirty minutes using just your phone to handle personalized household tasks, and why saving people two hours a day—not just ten minutes—is the threshold for consumer adoption. They also dig into whether Paris will become a solarpunk or cyberpunk city, why Apple represents solarpunk design principles, and how the first 50 Flourish units are about to ship worldwide at flourish-robots.com. Key Insights1. The core innovation behind Flourish is building mobile-based robots with arms but no legs, moving on wheels rather than attempting humanoid locomotion. This design choice stems from practical considerations since even humanoid robots cannot reliably handle stairs, and legs represent approximately twenty thousand dollars of the cost in humanoid platforms. By eliminating legs, the company can focus on delivering functional value to consumers today rather than developing research products. The founder emphasizes that accessibility and usefulness are paramount, rejecting the demonstration-focused approach that dominates the robotics industry where companies raise billions on teleoperated demos that never ship to actual consumers. 2. The founder's background in automation across logistics, software, and sales led him to recognize that the most painful tasks in life occur outside the computer. After automating digital work processes, he realized that returning home after a long workday to clean, cook, and tidy remained exhausting and unaddressed by existing technology. This insight, combined with advances in physical AI over the past three years, drove him to develop the first robot prototype that runs in his own home, constantly testing and iterating based on real-world use cases like navigating doorways and picking up scattered items from floors. 3. The company is building toward a solarpunk vision rather than cyberpunk future, where robots disappear from conscious awareness and operate silently in the background. The founder envisions robots emerging from closets when people leave home, performing cleaning and tidying tasks, then retreating before residents return. This approach contrasts sharply with the prevalent humanoid robot vision featuring teleoperated machines with cameras potentially monitored by remote operators. The goal is reducing technology's presence in daily life to create more time for family, creativity, and meaningful activities rather than introducing intrusive robotic presences into living spaces. 4. Consumer robotics faces fundamental challenges that explain why almost no companies successfully sell to end users despite massive investment in the sector. Industrial robotics offers clearer paths to revenue, while consumer products require extensive market education, safety certifications, and must genuinely change lives rather than provide marginal improvements. The founder argues that saving people ten or thirty minutes daily is insufficient and forgettable, but saving two hours daily creates transformative value that sustains product adoption. This high bar for meaningful impact explains why the consumer robotics market remains largely unaddressed despite technological capabilities. 5. The business model centers on teaching robots specific tasks through a thirty-minute training process using a smartphone, then fine-tuning AI models for those particular workflows. Rather than pursuing general physical AI that can handle any task, Flourish enables users to create custom automations for their specific needs, like retrieving items from the refrigerator or collecting clothes for the washer. This approach acknowledges that general physical AI is not yet ready while still delivering practical value through task-specific learning. The company plans to launch fifty units at thirty-five hundred dollars, shipping worldwide, with rapid sellout expected due to existing demand. 6. The robot extends vertically to reach from floor level to table height, enabling tasks like cleaning surfaces and accessing shelves while maintaining a compact mobile base that can navigate through doorways. Current limitations include lack of waterproofing, preventing dishwashing tasks, and challenges with delicate object manipulation requiring advanced tactile sensing. The founder uses first-generation prototypes in his own home, scheduling the robot to pick up scattered items like socks and trash throughout the day. This real-world testing revealed critical design issues like initial prototypes being too large to pass through standard doorways, problems only discoverable through actual home deployment rather than warehouse testing. 7. The rise of AI-powered robotics fundamentally transforms hardware development by enabling software engineers without traditional robotics expertise to launch robotics companies after just weeks of learning. This democratization stems from downloadable models from well-funded research companies like Physical Intelligence, whose work the founder incorporates into Flourish robots. This represents a shift from the industrial age's capital-intensive factory model to an information age paradigm where substantial capability can be rapidly deployed through software. However, this transformation raises questions about competition intensity, market education for skeptical consumers, and whether the benefits will broadly distribute or concentrate among those with will and intelligence to build while others remain excluded and fearful. Timestamps00:00 Stewart welcomes Antoine Marcel, CEO of Flourish, who explains they're building accessible home robots with wheeled bases and arms rather than expensive humanoid forms for practical domestic use. 05:00 Antoine discusses testing prototypes in his home for picking up clothes and trash, explaining how real-world testing revealed issues like doors being too narrow for early designs. 10:00 The conversation shifts to how AI hype enables useful research, with Antoine noting he uses physical intelligence models in his robots that wouldn't exist without funding bubbles. 15:00 Antoine emphasizes robots must save users two hours daily to matter, explaining why consumer robotics is harder than industrial applications due to certification requirements and market education needs. 20:00 Discussion of solarpunk philosophy versus cyberpunk futures, with Antoine envisioning robots that hide away when not needed, emerging only to clean and organize while families enjoy life. 25:00 They explore how different cities might adopt solarpunk or cyberpunk approaches, comparing bureaucracy as inherently cyberpunk while discussing Argentina's potential as a solarpunk capital. 30:00 Antoine positions Flourish like early Apple, making complex robotics simple and accessible, rejecting teleoperated solutions in favor of onboard AI that learns from users. 35:00 The business model discussion centers on unit economics, with Antoine arguing domestic robots should monetize time saved rather than attention captured like social media platforms. 40:00 Antoine advocates against robot screens and rental models, favoring voice control and ownership so robots learn individual routines and preferences through personalization. 45:00 They discuss robots disappearing from view when unneeded, contrasting home automation with dark factory models, before exploring robot aesthetics and art possibilities. 50:00 Antoine announces Flourish's launch of fifty units at $3,500 that users can train in thirty minutes using phones, teaching specific tasks the AI then fine-tunes for daily execution.

Before the first Apple Store opened, the experts said it would fail within a year. But Ron Johnson saw a different story. As the retail pioneer who worked directly alongside Steve Jobs to build the Apple Store from scratch, Ron transformed retail from a simple transaction into an immersive experience. He also pioneered Target's famous high design partnerships and founded Enjoy. In this episode, we take a look at what it really takes to build a physical space and leadership lessons learned directly from Steve Jobs. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why Apple delayed its retail launch six months to redesign around the digital hub How Steve Jobs applied Pixar storytelling principles to physical store design Why total trust and customer experience matter more than online transaction speed What direct-to-consumer brands get wrong when attempting physical retail expansion Episode Chapters (00:00) Intro (01:08) Challenging the Dot-Com Retail Consensus (05:07) Co-Creating Space in a Secret Warehouse (09:31) Designing for Ease of Use and Tactile Discovery (12:07) The Digital Hub Rewind (17:23) Focus and Execution Lessons from Steve Jobs (21:50) The Reality of Modern Omnichannel Retail (28:39) A Brand That Made Ron Johnson Smile About Ron Johnson Ron Johnson is a retail pioneer best known for co-creating the Apple Store alongside Steve Jobs, where he served as Senior Vice President of Retail Operations. Throughout his career, he has transformed customer experiences across major brands, pioneering Target's famous high-design partnerships, leading JCPenney, and founding Enjoy. His upcoming book, Shop Different, details the leadership, design, and innovation principles behind some of the world's most iconic physical spaces. What Brand Has Made Ron Smile Recently? Ron Johnson highlighted Sixt, the European car rental company, for its energetic branding, bright orange store design, and clever marketing that consistently features a subtle, engaging wink. Resources & Links Connect with Ron on LinkedIn. Learn more at Ron's website. Check out his book, Shop Different. Watch or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon/Audible, TuneIn, and iHeart. Rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to help others find the show. Share this episode — email a friend or colleague this episode. Listen & Support the ShowSign up for my free Story Strategies newsletter for branding and storytelling tips. On Brand is a part of the Marketing Podcast Network. Until next week, I'll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since the beginning of European colonization, the sun-drenched land of California has always attracted dreamers and schemers. Whether it was Spanish missionaries, Russian fur traders, or American argonauts, the myth - or perhaps brand - of California has long been a place here one's wildest dreams can come true. Starting in the late nineteenth century and accelerating in the twentieth, that myth also attracted a wide array of starry eyed spiritualists. In Golden States: How California Religion Went from Cautionary Tale to Global Brand (U California Press, 2024), Cal State Long Beach history professor Eileen Luhr explains how and why this state has been such a haven for utopianists, gurus, and spiritual seekers of all kinds. Explaining the stories of individuals from Katherine Tingley to Emmanual Bronner (of soap fame) to Steve Jobs, Luhr shows how the reputation of California as a haven for deep thinkers and outside the box ideas is both well earned, and was carefully crafted over the course of many strange and wonderful decades. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to episode #1054 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). Ron Johnson is one of the most influential retail innovators of the modern era. Best known for creating the Apple Store(alongside Steve Jobs), he helped redefine what a physical store could be, transforming retail from a place that simply sold products into a destination centered on service, learning, and human connection. Before Apple, Ron helped reshape Target's merchandising strategy through groundbreaking designer collaborations, and later served as CEO of JCPenneyduring one of the industry's most ambitious retail transformations (and it did not go well). In his new book, Shop Different - How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius, Ron offers an insider's account of working alongside Steve Jobs to build one of the world's most successful retail organizations, while reflecting candidly on both the triumphs and the setbacks that shaped his career. In this episode, Ron shares the thinking behind the Apple Store, the creation of the Genius Bar, why physical retail remains more relevant than ever, and what today's retailers continue to misunderstand about customer experience. We discuss the lessons from JCPenney, the dangers of dynamic pricing, why great retail is built on trust rather than transactions, and how successful brands create places where customers want to belong instead of simply places to buy. We also explore the future of AI in retail, experiential shopping, direct-to-consumer brands, and why technology should remove friction behind the scenes while making human interactions even more meaningful. Throughout the conversation, Ron returns to a simple but powerful idea: the best retailers don't win by selling more... they win by serving people better. Enjoy the conversation... Running time: 54:51. Hello from beautiful Montreal. Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts. Listen and subscribe over at Spotify. Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Thinking With Mitch Joel. Feel free to connect to me directly on LinkedIn. Check out ThinkersOne. Here is my conversation with Ron Johnson. Shop Different - How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius. Follow Ron on L:inkedIn. Chapters: (00:00) - The Journey of Ron Johnson: From Apple to JCPenney. (03:02) - Transforming JCPenney: The Vision and Challenges. (06:05) - Understanding Customer Dynamics in Retail. (09:01) - Brand Loyalty vs. Pricing Strategies. (11:58) - The Treasure Hunt Experience in Retail. (15:00) - Dynamic Pricing: The Future of Retail? (18:13) - Apple Store Innovation: A New Retail Paradigm. (21:07) - The Evolution of Apple Products and Retail Strategy. (29:52) - The Evolution of Apple and Its Cultural Impact. (31:27) - The Genius Bar: A Community Hub. (34:56) - Training and Empowering Customers. (36:40) - The Future of Retail: Adapting to Change. (39:53) - The Role of AI in Retail. (40:23) - The Resilience of Physical Retail. (43:36) - The Importance of Physical Presence. (45:43) - Experiential Retail: Food and Community. (49:15) - Creating Scarcity and Excitement in Retail. (51:50) - The Power of Physical Connection.

In this episode of the Grow A Small Business Podcast host Troy Trewin interviews Chris Buttenham, founder of Reins, shares how his journey from his father's security business to selling a SaaS company shaped his mission to help small businesses. He explains how Reins makes equity-style incentives more accessible through its ESOP Lite platform. Since launching in 2024, Reins has grown to around 150 customers, processed more than $35 million in equity, and achieved roughly 300% year-over-year growth. Chris discusses the challenges of scaling a fast-growing team, learning sales, building culture, and staying agile while growing from two founders to nine employees. He also shares lessons from his previous business exit, the importance of knowing your worth, and why consistency, humility, and enjoying the journey matter in entrepreneurship. Why would you wait any longer to start living the lifestyle you signed up for? Balance your health, wealth, relationships and business growth. And focus your time and energy and make the most of this year. Let's get into it by clicking here. Troy delves into our guest's startup journey, their perception of success, industry reconsideration, and the pivotal stress point during business expansion. They discuss the joys of small business growth, vital entrepreneurial habits, and strategies for team building, encompassing wins, blunders, and invaluable advice. And a snapshot of the final five Grow A Small Business Questions: What do you think is the hardest thing in growing a small business? Chris Buttenham shares that the hardest thing in growing a small business is simply staying alive and staying in the game. He believes entrepreneurship requires persistence through the challenges and pressures that come with running and growing a business. For him, continuing to show up and keep moving forward is essential to surviving the journey. His message is simple: stay in the game and keep going. What's your favorite business book that has helped you the most? Chris Buttenham shares that his favorite business book is the Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson. He explains that he simply loves stories, and this one stood out as especially compelling. That love of narrative and firsthand experiences is what made it the most helpful for him. Are there any great podcasts or online learning resources you'd recommend to help grow a small business? Chris Buttenham shares that he really likes the All In podcast, noting that while he's not sure it counts strictly as professional development, he finds it valuable, and beyond that he prefers learning by doing and seeking out real stories of failure rather than formal online courses. What tool or resource would you recommend to grow a small business? Chris Buttenham recommends Claude as a coworking tool for growing a small business, noting that if harnessed correctly it can be absolutely game-changing, but if not used properly it could waste a ton of time and money. What advice would you give yourself on day one of starting out in business? Chris Buttenham shares that the advice he would give himself on day one of starting out is to "stop and smell the roses". Book a 20-minute Growth Chat with Troy Trewin to see if you qualify for our upcoming course. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your small business to new heights! Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on iTunes or your preferred platform. Your feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and embark on their business growth journey.     Quotable quotes from our special Grow A Small Business podcast guest: Consistency and showing up with old-fashioned hard work is the easiest way to differentiate yourself. — Chris Buttenham Kill your darlings, leave your ego at the door, and stay agile enough to iterate toward the real solution. — Chris Buttenham There is no such thing as balance something always has to give, and you choose what that is. — Chris Buttenham      

Mel Huang Buntine on how computers started entering our homes, and the beige box of a machine that changed her own life.Personal computers are so ubiquitous now, it's hard to imagine a time when computers were inaccessible to everyday people.For decades, computers were the size of rooms, and they were used for specialist tasks like processing large data sets for researchers, or sending men to the moon.But by the 1980s computers had become smaller and more affordable, and people started bringing them into their homes.From this point on, how everyday people interacted with technology changed forever.Mel Huang Buntine is a designer and technologist who was gifted her first computer as a tween in 1990s Melbourne.Mel lived in a multigenerational home with her mother, her grandparents and her great-grandmother, all of whom had escaped the Cambodian genocide as refugees.They couldn't understand why Mel was obsessed with this machine, but it completely opened up Mel's world and changed her life.Now with anxiety growing around AI, surveillance and mega tech companies, Mel is trying to get people to understand the history of computers and how they work.She hopes this will give back to people a sense of agency over machines, rather than feeling powerless to the opacity of algorithms and large language models.Radical Computing is exhibiting at the National Communication Museum in Melbourne from 19 September 2026, until 21February 2027.This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores technology, artificial intelligence, Facebook, Instagram, social media, coding, making a website, HTML, CSS, PS5, playstation, games console, computer games, desktop games, Apple iOs 27, Mac, Macbook, Mac versus PC, IBM, Commodore 64, Steam Frame, iPhone, smartphone, dumb phone, Steve Jobs, Jack Tramiel, computer race, home appliances, toy market, super computers, science and technology, future of computers, techno optimist, tech subculture, Demoscene, hackers, jailbreak phone, crack software, pirated software, Dario Amodei, Sam Altman, ChatGPT, Claude, Anthropic, Zuckerberg.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Ron Johnson built the Apple Store as Apple's SVP of Retail, and is the author of Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius.A Note from James:I love the Apple Store.I can walk into one without needing anything and still want to stay. I like looking at the products. I like touching everything. I like the space. I like the feeling.I remember buying one of my first iPods at the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in New York. I walked out smiling, listening to music from my childhood that I hadn't heard in years.And that feeling was designed.My guest today, Ron Johnson, is the person who created the Apple Store.Before Apple, Ron was at Target, where he helped prove that design could matter even in mass-market retail. He worked with Michael Graves and helped establish this idea that something affordable could also be beautiful.Steve Jobs noticed.Steve had come back to Apple. The Mac was competing in a world dominated by Windows. And he realized there was something advertising could not do: it could not let someone actually experience the product.You had to touch a Mac. You had to use it. You had to see why it was different.So Steve hired Ron.And together they created something that went against almost every trend in retail at the time.No giant stacks of boxes. No salespeople hiding behind registers. No pressure to buy. Products sitting openly on simple tables. Lots of light. Lots of employees. A Genius Bar. A place where you could come in, play with the computers, ask questions, learn something, leave without buying anything, and then come back again.Retail experts said it would fail.And for a moment, they looked right.When Apple opened its third store in Texas, Ron walked into the Monday morning executive meeting and Steve Jobs looked at him and basically said, “What are you doing here? You haven't sold a computer in the state of Texas.”Ron fixed it.Eventually, Apple Stores became some of the most productive retail spaces in the world.Ron's new book is Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius. And what I loved about the book is that you get to see how someone who has spent decades thinking about stores actually sees one.Ron can walk into a store and notice the floor, the lighting, the width of the aisle, the employees, the products, where people park, how customers move, what they see first, and whether the place has what he calls a heartbeat.He sees retail almost like an artist sees a canvas.And the lessons are much bigger than stores.They're about design. Leadership. Kindness. Steve Jobs. Knowing what your customer values. Knowing what parts of your identity are sacred. And maybe most importantly, knowing when not to rush.What You'll Learn:Why Steve Jobs believed Apple needed its own retail stores.How Ron Johnson's work with design at Target attracted Steve's attention.Why Ron sees retail as a fundamentally human and emotional business.How kindness influenced Ron's relationship with Steve Jobs.Why Apple designed the store collaboratively instead of handing the project to a traditional retail team.Why location was one of the first messages the Apple Store sent customers.How George Blankenship brought critical retail real-estate expertise to Apple.Why Apple spent heavily on elaborate window displays in its earliest stores.How the Apple Store was divided between new customers and existing owners.Why Apple removed almost all visible inventory and boxes from the sales floor.How the Genius Bar fit into the original philosophy of service and support.Why Apple Store employees were deliberately different from traditional electronics-store employees.Why Apple recruited people from bookstores.How Apple shifted the retail goal from transaction to relationship.Why Ron told employees never to hurry a potential customer.What Target taught Ron about differentiation and design.How Steve Jobs responded when Apple's first Texas store failed to sell a computer during its opening weekend.Why Ron says Steve criticized performance rather than attacking the person.What Steve Jobs taught Ron about leadership, delegation, standards, and focus.Why Steve wanted A players and gave them room to operate.Why Ron believes physical retail is not dying.What separates “tired retail” from a store with a heartbeat.Why brands need to understand which parts of their identity are sacred.How institutional memory slowly pulls companies away from what originally made them special.Why Ron believes the best business advice is simply: don't be in a hurry.Timestamped Chapters:[04:38] Seeing a Store Like a ChessboardJames tells Ron that reading the book feels like watching a master see patterns invisible to everyone else.[06:08] The Apple Store BeginsJames asks what Ron and Steve Jobs disagreed about while building the first stores.[07:29] Building the Store With Steve JobsRon explains why Apple's stores were developed collaboratively rather than designed independently and presented to Steve for approval.[08:55] How Target Led Ron to AppleJames asks whether Ron's design work at Target was what originally caught Steve Jobs' attention.[09:21] Why Apple Needed StoresRon explains that Steve believed Apple had to control the customer experience if it wanted people to understand why the Mac was different.[10:40] Kindness in the Steve Jobs InterviewJames asks why Ron emphasized kindness when describing his first meeting with Steve.[11:22] Living in Your HeartRon describes his upbringing in Minnesota and why retail taught him to think first about the person in front of him.[13:26] Going Against the Retail TrendJames and Ron discuss why opening expensive physical stores seemed almost irrational during the rise of Dell, e-commerce, and struggling electronics chains.[14:00] The Mac Had to Be ExperiencedRon explains why advertising could only take Apple so far. Customers needed to touch the product and experience the operating system themselves.[15:18] The First Message Is the LocationRon explains Steve Jobs' belief that the location of the store itself tells customers something about the brand.[17:09] Getting People Through the DoorRon describes the importance of real estate, window displays, and creating stores people felt compelled to enter.[18:18] A Place to Hang OutThe early Apple Store becomes somewhere customers can surf the internet, play with computers, and spend time without pressure.[19:27] Simple Enough to Understand at a GlanceRon explains the original store layout: products and discovery in the front, ownership support and services in the back.[20:25] The Employee Is the StarRon explains why Apple staffed its stores so heavily and designed employees' jobs around helping customers rather than completing other tasks.[21:44] Why Tech Stores Felt IntimidatingRon contrasts Apple's approach with the employees and environment he saw in traditional computer stores.[22:43] Hiring From BookstoresRon explains why bookstore employees provided a model for the hospitality and discovery experience Apple wanted.[24:24] Transaction vs. RelationshipRon compares Target, where customers arrived ready to shop, with Apple, where many customers needed multiple visits before they were ready to buy.[24:56] Never Hurry the CustomerRon explains why employees were taught to spend time with people, excite them about the product, and invite them to return.[25:34] Target vs. WalmartJames and Ron discuss the strategic difference between the two discount retailers and how Target used fashion and design to differentiate itself.[27:15] How Apple Influenced Tesla RetailJames notices similarities between Tesla and Apple stores, and Ron explains George Blankenship's role in both companies.[28:31] “You Haven't Sold a Computer in Texas”Ron remembers opening the third Apple Store and walking into an executive meeting before the location had sold a single computer.[29:51] What Steve Jobs Was Really CriticizingRon says Steve's intensity was about performance and standards, not personal criticism.[30:20] Steve Jobs as a LeaderRon explains why Steve focused less on conventional management metrics and more on what Apple should build next and how it could better serve customers.[31:03] Hire the Best People in the WorldRon talks about Tim Cook, Jony Ive, delegation, A players, and how quickly Steve moved when someone did not fit.[33:26] Are Physical Stores Dying?James asks the question Ron hears constantly, and Ron argues that retail formats evolve rather than disappear.[34:55] Why New Brands Still Want StoresRon points to newer specialty brands opening physical locations and explains why demand for good retail space remains strong.[36:05] Experience Beats ConvenienceRon distinguishes online shopping's transactional convenience from the emotional experience and sense of belonging a physical store can create.[37:48] Tired RetailJames brings up JCPenney, and Ron explains why outdated, dim, oversized retail experiences gradually lose relevance.[39:29] Walking Through Stores as an Art FormRon describes visiting stores constantly and reading every product, display, floor, and merchandising decision as evidence of someone's thinking.[40:40] What Target LostRon compares today's Target home assortment with the Target he helped shape decades earlier.[42:00] The Danger of Losing Institutional MemoryRon explains how companies gradually drift away from the qualities that originally made them successful.[42:50] Why the Floor MattersRon gives a seemingly small example: Target's move from bright white flooring to darker concrete changed the emotional character of the store.[43:59] Every Great Brand Has Something SacredJames and Ron discuss why companies need to know which parts of the customer experience define their identity and should not be casually changed.[45:16] The Best Business Advice Ron Ever GotJames asks for Ron's most important business lesson.[45:40] Don't Be in a HurryRon explains why patience, focus, high standards, and sequential innovation were central to Apple's success.[47:16] Apple, AI, and the Race for the Next PlatformJames and Ron connect the lesson about patience to the enormous investment and uncertainty surrounding artificial intelligence.[49:03] Closing ThoughtsJames reflects on what the Apple Store has meant to him personally and recommends Shop Different.Additional Resources:Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius — Official Book SiteRon Johnson — Official LinkedIn ProfileApple RetailApple Fifth AvenueSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Michael Moritz led Sequoia Capital for nearly two decades and backed some of the defining companies of the internet era.  In his new memoir, Ausländer, he turns his attention to his own family, Jewish refugees who fled Nazi Germany and rebuilt their lives in Wales.  We discuss the imprint his parents left on him, the method he used for decades of asking founders about their childhoods and the Time profile that ended his relationship with Steve Jobs.  We also also cover Lee Iacocca, why Don Valentine hired him, Alex Ferguson's approach to managing players, Elon Musk, and why Mike still struggles to feel proud of anything he has done. Please enjoy my conversation with Michael Moritz. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  ----- Become a Colossus member to get our quarterly print magazine and private audio experience, including exclusive profiles and early access to select episodes. Subscribe at ⁠colossus.com/subscribe⁠. ----- ⁠Ramp's⁠ mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ramp.com/invest⁠⁠ to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. ----- Trusted by thousands of businesses, ⁠Vanta⁠ continuously monitors your security posture and streamlines audits so you can win enterprise deals and build customer trust without the traditional overhead. Invest Like the Best listeners get a special offer of $1,000 off Vanta when you go to ⁠vanta.com/invest⁠.  ----- WorkOS⁠ is the infrastructure B2B and AI-native companies use to sell to enterprise. It covers everything enterprise security requires: SSO, SCIM, RBAC, Audit Logs, AI governance, and more. Trusted by 2,000+ fast-growing companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Cursor, and Vercel. ----- Rogo is the AI platform for finance. They're building agents for Wall Street that are trained to understand how bankers and investors actually do work: from diligence and modeling, to turning analysis into deliverables. To learn more, visit rogo.ai/invest. ----- ⁠Ridgeline⁠ has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Visit⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ridgeline.ai⁠. ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant. Timestamps: (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like The Best (00:02:16) Where Does One Person End? (00:11:15) The State of the World Today (00:15:08) The Unlived Life of Parents (00:17:33) Lee Iacocca, Eternal Outsider (00:21:03) His Most Revealing Question (00:26:03) Resisters, the Silent, and Collabos (00:33:30) The Profile of Steve Jobs (00:38:04) Frank Auerbach's Total Obsession (00:41:04) Why Don Valentine Hired Michael (00:46:44) Building Sequoia (00:49:49) What Michael Learned from Alex Ferguson (00:52:57) The Great Man Theory (01:00:36) Defining Extraordinary Writing (01:03:40) Stepping Back From Sequoia (01:06:54) A Philosophy of Parenting (01:09:00) The Next Book: Iran (01:11:44) The Kindest Thing

Would World War II have happened without Hitler? Would someone else have built Apple without Steve Jobs? Jared Diamond joins Michael Shermer to ask how much history depends on particular people. From Darwin's discoveries to the rise of Christianity, Diamond considers when someone is truly irreplaceable, when someone else would have done much the same thing, and how we can tell the difference. Jared Diamond is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the seminal million-copy-bestseller Guns, Germs, and Steel, which was named one of Time magazine's best non-fiction books of all time, Collapse, a No. 1 international bestseller, and The World Until Yesterday, among other books. A professor of geography at UCLA and noted polymath, Diamond's work has been influential in the fields of anthropology, biology, ornithology, ecology and history, among others. His new book is Profits, Prophets, Coaches, and Kings: (When) Do Leaders Matter?

What actually drives the world's most celebrated achievers? In this episode of DarrenDaily On-Demand, Darren Hardy pulls back the curtain on something most success stories leave out entirely: the motivation behind the achievement is rarely the polished, altruistic story you hear in interviews. He walks through the private pain behind household names like Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, and Michael Jordan, then gets personal about his own childhood and the exact moment that shaped his relentless drive to achieve. This isn't a sad story, though; Darren reframes adversity as something closer to a muscle than a wound, and makes the case that whatever dysfunction shaped you might already be your biggest advantage. This is the first in a five-part series you won't want to miss. Get more personal mentoring from Darren each day. Go to DarrenDaily at http://darrendaily.com/join to learn more. Secure your seat for Darren's 2027 AI Growth Blueprint event at http://ai.darrenhardy.com/.