Matt Brown Show

Humans have two basic desires: to stand out and to fit in. Companies respond by creating groups that tend to the extreme—where everyone fits in and no one stands out, or where everyone stands out and no one fits in. How do we find that happy medium where workers can demonstrate their individuality while also feeling they belong?The answer, according to Stefanie Johnson, is to Inclusify. In this essential handbook, she explains what it means to Inclusify and how it can be used to strengthen any business. Inclusifying—unlike “diversifying” or “including”— implies a continuous, sustained effort towards helping diverse teams feel engaged, empowered, accepted, and valued. It’s no use having diversity if everyone feels like an outsider, she contends.In her research, Johnson found common problems leaders exhibit which frustrate their attempts to create diverse and cohesive teams. Leaders that underestimated the importance of group coherence and dynamics often have employees who do not feel like they belong; leaders

R. Dutt is an entrepreneur and product leader who has participated in four acquisitions, two of which were companies that she founded.Iteration rules product development, but it isn't enough to produce dramatic results. This book champions Radical Product Thinking, a systematic methodology for building visionary, game-changing products.Methodologies such as Lean and Agile have democratized innovation by teaching us to harness the power of iteration to innovate faster, but our ability to set a clear destination hasn't kept up with the pace. When we iterate without a clear vision or strategy, our products become bloated, fragmented, and driven by irrelevant metrics. They catch "product diseases" that are often fatal to true innovation.In Radical Product Thinking (RPT), product development is led by the vision for the change it's intended to create. This methodology helps leaders reimagine the problems they face and align their team to find creative solutions using five elements: Vision,

Every interaction is a performance, and much of our success—professional and personal—hinges on being able to inspire an audience. And while some people seem to be naturals in the spotlight, this ability very rarely derives from talent alone. Confident communication is a skill, and anyone can learn how to do it. In Steal the Show, New York Times best-selling author, top-rated corporate speaker, and former professional actor Michael Port teaches you how to make the most of your own moments in the spotlight. He makes it easy to give your presentations a clear focus, engage your listeners, manage your nerves, play the right role in every situation to give your message maximum impact, and much more. Drawing on his MFA training at the prestigious Graduate Acting Program at New York University, Port has engineered a system that the non-actor can use to ensure his or her voice is heard when it matters most.  Support the show

Just about every book on creativity is bullshit. Filled with lofty theoretics and complexity about why you should be creative, they lack sound, practical tools about how to become more creative.The Creator Mindset is designed to bring you simple, sound, and practical tools to awaken your creativity at work—even if you don’t think you are creative. Not fluff or theories. No bullshit or fillers. Bashan draws on a lifetime of success in business to give you real actionable tools that you can use to become more creative.  Support the show

Imagine you’re on a deadline for a big project, and feeling overwhelmed. Or you’re looking for a new job, but can’t seem to get your foot in the door.  Or you’re facing a personal challenge, and just don’t know what to do. What do these problems have in common?  They can all be solved simply by reaching out to a colleague, friend, acquaintance, or wider network and making an ask.  Studies show that asking for help makes us better and less frustrated at our jobs.  It helps us find new opportunities and new talent.  It unlocks new ideas and solutions and enhances team performance.  And it helps us get the things we need outside the workplace as well.  And yet, we rarely give ourselves permission to ask.  Luckily, the research shows that asking—and getting—what we need is much easier than we think.Here, Wayne Baker shares dozens of tools—used at companies like Google, GM, and IDEO—that individuals, teams, and leaders can use to make asking for help a personal and organizational habit, such as SMART criteria for

This episode is an expert guide for emerging and established businesses to accelerate growth, facilitate scalability, and keep pace with the rapidly changing economic landscape. The contemporary marketplace is more dynamic than ever before—increased global competition, the impact of digital transformation, and disruptive innovation factors require businesses to implement agile management and business strategies to compete and thrive. Equal parts motivation and practical application, this episode answers the questions every business leader asks from the startup ventures to established companies.  Support the show

Matt sits down with Chloë Thomas in this week’s mentorship session exclusive to SMERocketFuel.comIn the last year, eCommerce has been growing exponentially with businesses finding untapped marketplaces online. Chloë Thomas is an eCommerce expert and has written numerous books on the subject, listen to the full episode right now on SMERocketFuel.com.It's FREE to join – https://www.smerocketfuel.comWith SMERocketFuel.com you can access new markets, fund your small business, and connect with other business owners from around the world.Support the show

Mark is who major brands hire to skyrocket their online sales. Mark's secret? Growth Hacking. Growth Hacking is the practice of taking an unconventional and innovative approach to lighting a fire under the sale of any product online or offline. Find out how Mark growth hacked his way from the 9-5 slog to developing and selling his own online product for a 6-figure sum in under 3 months in this exclusive clip. The full episode will be made on SMERocketFuel.com.It's FREE to join – https://www.smerocketfuel.comWith SMERocketFuel.com you can access new markets, fund your small business and connect with other business owners from around the world.Support the show

Brant is one of the most successful producers in Hollywood, having sold more than 300 TV and movie projects. From Bar Rescue to The Biggest Loser, he has convinced risk-averse studios to turn over their money for his ideas - not by using his charm (though he is pretty charming), or by calling his ideas the greatest things since sliced bread (though they are pretty great).Instead, he uses a simple, straightforward system called the WHAC method to boil any idea down to its most essential components, and structure it for maximum impact. By answering the questions- "What is it? How does it work? Are you sure? Can you do it?" you can weave your most crucial points into a compelling narrative structure and use the power of storytelling in any setting and at any level.It's a method that's helped Brant sell each of his projects in no more than 3 minutes. But it's not just good for pitching Hollywood! Brant shows you how the same method has helped everyone from Fortune 100 CEOs to PTA presiden

Judith Grisel was a daily drug user and college dropout when she began to consider that her addiction might have a cure, one that she herself could perhaps discover by studying the brain. Now, after twenty-five years as a neuroscientist, she shares what she and other scientists have learned about addiction, enriched by captivating glimpses of her personal journey. In this episode, Grisel reveals the unfortunate bottom line of all regular drug use- there is no such thing as a free lunch.Drug abuse has been called the most formidable health problem worldwide, and Grisel delves with compassion into the science of this scourge. She points to what is different about the brains of addicts even before they first pick up a drink or drug, highlights the changes that take place in the brain and behavior as a result of chronic using, and shares the surprising hidden gifts of personality that addiction can expose. She describes what drove her to addiction, what helped her recover, and her belief that a ‘cure' for ad

Orrin’s passion for business creation, people management, and customer service have been a fundamental driving force to the success of Netsurit. Armed with a Bachelor of Commerce degree (with Information Systems as an additional subject) he has also completed an Entrepreneurial Masters Course at MIT in the United States. He was also one of the founding members of the Entrepreneurs’ Organisation in South Africa. In this episode, Matt & Orrin talk about scale on an international level, they also talk about exiting a business and what happens to entrepreneurs after they have left their businesses.  Support the show

Stress is our internal response to an experience that our brain perceives as threatening or challenging. Trauma is our response to an experience in which we feel powerless or lacking agency. Until now, researchers have treated these conditions as different, but they actually lie along a continuum. Dr. Elizabeth Stanley explains the significance of this continuum, how it affects our resilience in the face of challenge, and why an event that's stressful for one person can be traumatizing for another.With training, we can access agency, even in extreme-stress environments. In fact, any maladaptive behavior or response conditioned through stress or trauma can, with intentionality and understanding, be reconditioned and healed. The key is to use strategies that access not just the thinking brain but also the survival brain. Support the show

Dr. Caroline Leaf is a neuroscientist specializing in cognitive and metacognitive neuropsychology. Since the early 1980s, she has researched the mind-brain connection, the nature of mental health, and the formation of memory.Toxic thoughts, depression, anxiety--our mental mess is frequently aggravated by a chaotic world and sustained by an inability to manage our runaway thoughts. But we shouldn't settle into this mental mess as if it's just our new normal. There's hope and help available to us--and the road to healthier thoughts and peak happiness may actually be shorter than you think.Backed by clinical research and illustrated with compelling case studies, Dr. Caroline Leaf provides a scientifically proven five-step plan to find and eliminate the root of anxiety, depression, and intrusive thoughts in your life so you can experience dramatically improved mental and physical health. In just 21 days, you can start to clean up your mental mess and be on the road to wholeness, peace, and happines

Scott Picken is a serial Fintech entrepreneur who is passionate about technology and marrying it with real estate. He is a published author, an authority on Fintech in real estate, and a master real estate analyst and investment expert who's active in several global markets, including the United States, the UK, Australia, Asia, and South Africa. Matt and Scott also talk about how COVID has impacted property and investing. m Support the show

How many presentations on innovation have there been recently? Thousands? Millions? We are experiencing 'innovation fatigue': we feel cheated by the endless rounds of consultants who come into our organizations, deliver conceptual models that don't stick with the realities of business, and then leave again. Companies and teams are left feeling more deflated than before, and with not one idea that's impacted the bottom line. Innovation for the Fatigued argues it is worth fighting for the concept and study of innovation in organizations.Business leaders are always looking over their shoulders for the next Uber moment to overtake them, and they recognize that innovation needs to be a top priority. But how does one innovate? Support the show

Unlocking Creativity is an exploration of the creative process and how organizations can clear the way for innovation. In many organizations, creative individuals face stubborn resistance to new ideas. Managers and executives oftentimes reject innovation and unconventional approaches due to misplaced allegiance to the status quo. Questioning established practices or challenging prevailing sentiments is frequently met with stiff resistance. In this climate of stifled creativity and inflexible adherence to conventional wisdom, potentially game-changing ideas are dismissed outright. Senior leaders claim to value creativity, yet often lack the knowledge to provide a creative framework.In this episode, best-selling author and scholar Michael Roberto presents a thorough investigation of organizational obstacles to creative thought. Support the show

Part One:Matt is interviewed by Grant Smee on The Unshit Show, a podcast dedicated to entrepreneurs. Matt talks about the early stages of Digital Kungfu and The Matt Brown Show, the failures of trying to build a podcast business, Black Swan Technology and the slingshot growth from solving problems. Matt also touches on the 'Silicon Valley Narrative' and how that has created a false narrative around scale. All this and more on Part 1 of Matt's interview. Part Two:In the second part of this interview, Matt is LIVE on the Watts Involved show with David Watts. Matt continues the conversation about Black Swan & Digital Kungfu's growth during the pandemic, the future of his business, and his new book 'Slingshot Grwoth' coming out in 2021. Support the show

Are you overwhelmed by the breathtaking rate of change in the business world? Are confusing consumer trends, the unrelenting pace of technology, and the breakneck speed of digital marketing making you feel irrelevant and lost? Path-finding author Mark Schaefer provides an achievable and realistic framework to help you stay ahead of the curve by re-imagining marketing in a world where hyper-empowered consumers drive the business results.Matt & Mark also talk about human-to-human connections, and how human impressions mean more than advertising impressions. Mark also touches on COVID and how companies can connect with their audience during this time.  Support the show

In this special edition of The Matt Brown Show, Matt sits down with his dad Kevin Brown to talk about life in the military, parenting, & entrepreneurship.Matt & Kevin have an in-depth discussion on how kids should be taught entrepreneurship in today's world. They also touch on points of legacy, mentorship, making mistakes, and the message they want to leave for future generations to come. A special message from the host: If you do have your parents around today, give them a call. You only get one set of parents and they are a gift. Support the show

Every start-up and entrepreneur struggles to reach and attract customers. Content Inc. introduces a new business model that uncovers how entrepreneurs with limited resources can build a massive online audience as the engine that drives their entire businesses. The book reveals a systematic process any entrepreneur or small business owner can use to dominate the market without initially selling anything at all.Content marketing expert Joe Pulizzi shows you how to position yourself as an informational leader in your niche and develop content that is as beloved as that coming from any traditional media company. Support the show