Why Not Now? With Amy Jo Martin

Marcus Buckingham is the author of two of the best selling business books of all time. He studies psychometrics for a living and brings research into everything he does. Both his insight, and storytelling, are unrivaled.   In the episode, Marcus exposes the key to life as he sees it. He dives into the fact that as humans, when we are in love, we are smarter. On the flip side, he also explains how there are consequences when love is repressed. The bio-chemical make up of our brain is unimaginable.   Marcus explains how who you are, and how you contribute in the world, is massively connected to what you love. Therefore, we must find the love in what we do. We cannot sustain without love.   You’ll learn how to identify what it is about your days that you love, and the 4 questions he believes you should ask every week so that you are clear on the things you love. Marcus also shares his book writing tips as well speaks to what he thinks leadership is.   Additionally, Marcus showcases the similar benefits of love i

Mike Evans, the founder of Grubhub, author of “Hangry” and founder of Fixer, is one of the most grounded and passionate workers around. He knows how to start from nothing and build success. Mike took Grubhub public. The company had a multibillion dollar IPO. Even though that might sound “successful” to everyone else, Mike defines success for himself. He says success is all about alignment. In this week’s episode, Mike challenges the question of “why stay?” and flips it to “why leave?”. He discusses how inertia is a terrible reason to stay in any situation. Mike and Amy Jo cover many topics ranging from Mike’s emotional leadership style to transitioning from Founder to CEO, to making decisions based off data and the idea of a perfect work life balance being a complete lie. In particular, Mike and Amy Jo discuss Mike’s evolution as an entrepreneur. You’ll learn his key takeaways from starting Grubhub and how that experience changed his business model for Fixer. Mike shares many of his tangible business tactics,

Alli Webb is the Co-Founder of the wildly successful Drybar, a New York Times Bestselling Author and Canopy President. She is also a Co-Founder of Squeeze and Becket + Quill.   Alli is the kind of person who skips the small talk and dives right into the deep end. There is nothing off limits for her.   In this episode, recorded live at the 2022 Renegade Summit, Alli discusses how she turned her simple business idea into a brick and mortar reality, then a national sensation, during a recession and in a location where all previous businesses had failed.   Her journey hasn’t been without struggle, and Alli shares the pain points of scalability, the entrepreneurial hustle, communicating the end of her marriage to her team and learning that it’s ok to ask for help.   Alli shares how she fumbled a lot during the rapid growth of her business and the many lessons she’s applied through that experience.   You’ll also learn Alli’s approach to being a role model for her kids, the importance of instilling a strong work eth

Brad Slater is one of the top talent agents in the world and a Senior Talent Partner at William Morris Endeavor. He represents some of the biggest names in Hollywood, Professional Sports and Business. Amy Jo and Brad have been friends for over a decade and she has learned so much from him, both personally and professionally, during that time.   This conversation was recorded live at the 2022 Renegade Summit.   Brad starts by discussing his Why Not Now? moment - in which he took the most untraditional route to becoming an agent. Additionally, you’ll hear some of of Brad’s tips and tricks to remain successful when it comes to selling. Spoiler alert…Brad truly believes in what he is doing.   Even as Brad has risen to the top, and the stakes have gotten higher, he has managed to keep a grip on his mental health and work life balance. You’ll learn his secrets and what he has found to be most helpful.   Brad and Amy Jo also touch on the power of deal flow and angel investing, the difference in treatment between men

Renegade graduate Syrita Steib is running for US Senate in the state of Louisiana. If elected, she will be the first black women to ever hold that position. Her story is remarkable. She grew up in a small rural town surrounded by sugar cane, spent 10 years in prison and has successfully created, and passed, legislation that is changing the narrative for many people. In this discussion with Amy Jo, Syrita talks about her trauma that led her to prison and the moments since that have motivated her down the current path she is on. She details the lack of access to bare necessities she faced after incarceration. Syrita has taken Renegade Rule #3 (turn adversity into an asset) to a whole new level as she has leveraged adversity over and over again. Syrita has always been a fighter and her mindset is that the only way is forward. Syrita’s resilience and fierce commitment to doing what she sets out to do is apparent. She has started the non profit, Operation Restoration, passed Louisiana Act 276 which banned a bo

Nadya Okamoto is the Founder & CEO of August, a company that makes sustainable tampons and pads. She is also an influencer with 3 million TikTok followers. Entrepreneurship is in her bones. She started her first non profit, at the age of 16, to find a solution to a problem that she faced growing up. She is now 24 and has started multiple companies. The non-profit is still growing. Nadya has grown from a place of understanding and processing who she is. She is incredibly self aware, unapologetic, humble, has a smart approach and a very strong worth ethic. Despite her accomplishments, her level of “experience” is often questioned. In this episode, Nadya walks you through her childhood and many personal moments that have shaped her career. She discusses her struggle with mental health, self hatred and a dangerous work ethic as well as the positives of social media and how her insecurities keep her humble. Nadya does not expect perfection. Nadya also reveals her unique selling point and how she had to over

Renegade Grad, Chanel Dokun, helps women step into a calling greater than their career. She is a master at guiding others to find their life purpose and build a plan around it. Her new, and first, book “Life Starts Now: How to Create the Life You’ve Been Waiting For”, was released this week.   Chanel used to work in magazine publishing. She thought it was her dream job, but found herself with the growing feeling that it was not enough. None of her strategies were working. As a result, she left to pursue her own life purpose of being a safe space for others to grow and thrive.   In this wide ranging discussion, Amy Jo and Chanel talk about the path to pivot and how to take those steps in building a plan around your life purpose. Chanel also dives into the process of writing her book, including a touching story about her powerful Mom, and talks about her experience sharing the stage with the one and only Oprah.   Chanel has a radical commitment to honesty. Her beautifully written book is full of truth, humor, d

Marisa Thalberg is one of the most iconic CMO’s out there. She is the Executive Vice President and Chief Brand & Marketing Officer at Lowe’s Companies, Inc. Marisa has previously worked for Estee Lauder Companies, Revlon, J. Walter Thompson, as well as built Taco Bell into the lifestyle brand we know it to be today.   In this episode, recorded live at the Cannes Lions Festival in France; the advertising Super Bowl, Amy Jo and Marisa discuss weaving in and out of business and life. You’ll dive into Marisa’s strong and desirable whisper brand, learn how to make a major life move with kids, hear the key to creativity and learn how Marisa rebranded from a corporate perspective.   Marisa talks about the importance of seeing peers as humans and not just coworkers.   Marisa is also the Founder of Executive Moms - a resource and online community for Executive Moms. She recognized a need in this niche 20 years ago and came up with a solution. For Marisa, it was not about creating a business, but rather creating a

Liz Matthews is the Senior Vice President of Global Brand, Creative and Experiential Marketing at Dell Technologies. She oversee’s all brand at Dell, which is a 100 billion dollar company. Liz has around 700 people who report up to her. Her leadership style is unmatched. It has to be. In this episode, recorded live at the 2022 Cannes Lions Festival in France, Amy Jo and Liz discuss what it means to be a leader today. They explore what teams need now versus what they may have needed in a leader a few years ago. You’ll learn the two traits that drive the highest engagement within teams at Dell, and how Liz is encouraging her people leaders to show up at work as their full selves by focusing on the whole person, not just the work persona. Liz talks through the future of work and what she’d like to see more of in this work from anywhere age. You’ll also learn why confidence and physiological safety are needed in order to experiment and drive innovation in the workplace. When people don’t feel safe, they don’t tak

Regan Walsh, Chief Renegade Officer at Renegade Global, is an incredible people leader who has coached some of the top executives at Nike, Wall Street and everything in-between. She navigates her own life with constant curiosity and guides others around healthy boundaries by shifting the way people lead. In this episode, Amy Jo and Regan discuss their point of view on perfection and provide tactical steps you can take to optimize your day, as well as your relationship with perfection before paralysis kicks in. They break apart the “disease to please” and differentiate between a preference versus a requirement. Regan also explains how you can operate with a full tank of gas by taking out your head trash, shedding your shoulds and being brave before good, instead of faking it until you make it. You’ll learn the key ways Amy Jo and Reagan integrate these tactics into the Renegade Accelerator programming. They provide personal examples of how they have reclaimed time in their own days and shifted to a mindset of

Ken Coleman is America’s Career Coach, the #1 national bestselling author of The Proximity Principle and From Paycheck to Purpose, and host of The Ken Coleman Show. Ken is known for helping people discover what they were born to do and providing practical steps to make their dreams reality.   In Amy Jo’s conversation with Ken, they talk through his personal journey and how he had to realize that “Nobody is sitting around thinking about how they are going to help you. You have to help yourself.” Ken went back to the basics and started with connecting, which he describes as a posture of learning.   Ken left the business world to move into broadcasting with no degree, no experience, and little connections. He talks about how he overcame fear, doubt, and pride issues. Ken had to collect on his career collateral so that he could get in the broadcasting industry and win.   Amy Jo and Ken discuss the difference between making things happen versus a letting things happen, and you’ll learn three key questions to ask y

Jodi Shelton, the co-founder and president of GSA (Global Semiconductor Alliance), plays full out. She has maintained a job since 6th grade, established herself as a pioneer within the technology space, written a screenplay, moved across the country, ran a triathlon and has grown GSA to include companies throughout the supply chain, representing 25 countries across the globe. Her strong work ethic and grit materializes as perpetual forward movement. Jodi is not afraid when it comes to going from idea to action. In this episode, you will hear how she followed Renegade Rule #2 and manifested her Why Not Now? idea to move to China. Jodi also discusses how one conversation, at a typical quarterly board meeting, sparked her to start the Women’s Leadership Initiative almost immediately once the meeting ended. You’ll learn Jodi’s tips for parents trying to juggle work and home life, her philosophy on “busy” and how she rejects it, the importance of curiosity, and how she kept her sanity through a very difficult se

Liya Sharif is a former corporate Renegade who led Brand Marketing at Qualcomm. Like all Renegades, Liya has pushed beyond normal expectations and structure, and does not have a traditional journey. Currently, Liya is studying for a degree in interior design as well as guiding emerging companies, looking to grow, with her creativity and unconventional approach to leadership. In this episode, Liya discusses how she did an audit of her life. She shares her roots, her history in dance and how that skill taught her to be disciplined, her desire to always know what it feels like to be a beginner and her rigorous education. As a woman who grew up in the former Soviet Union, Azerbaijan, Liya also shares her point of view on the war in Ukraine. Liya does many things, but conform is not one. It is in her DNA to innovate. She follows her curiosity and looks for continual renewal which drives all sorts of things in life that get her excited. Her personal motto; “If you continue doing the work you love, it is no longer w

As a corporate Renegade, Erik Day has many titles, one of which is Senior Vice President and General Manager of Global Small Businesses at Dell Technologies, where he serves as a heartbeat behind the brand. Erik has been working at Dell for 20+ years combining career with passion, purpose and skill.   In this episode, Eric shares 5 incredibly valuable steps for approaching difficult situations. You’ll learn two vital ingredients for a business to succeed, how to break down bias, how to be an empathetic leader and retain top talent, the importance of accountability and how to lead with optimism.   Erik lives with his finger on the pulse. When trying to make advisors more effective at talking to clients, he was told to stay in his box and not given any support from his bosses, until he ran a successful pilot program they could not say no to implementing further. In 2002 he also created a pride LGBTQ employee resource group at Dell to talk about challenges and solutions the community was facing.   Eric and Amy J

Phyllis Newhouse has quite the resume. She is the first African American woman to lead a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), the first woman ever to win the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of the Year award in the technology category, she’s on the board of the Women’s Presidents Organization and is a pioneer in business. She is a retired senior military officer, a CEO, an investor and serial entrepreneur. Phyllis also happens to be a “frientor” to Amy Jo (a friend and mentor). Phyllis is changing the game and rewriting the business play book, especially for women. One way she does this is with “ROCs,” which stands for Resources, Opportunities and Connections. Phyllis generously gives these out all day every day. Amy Jo has personally been a beneficiary, as Phyllis has opened many doors for her. In this wide-ranging conversation, Amy Jo and Phyllis talk about business, their relationship with money, how Phyllis looks at wealth versus revenue, and how Phyllis’ power always enters the room before she does

Amy Browns-Taylor is a US citizen living in Poland. She is personally involved with helping Ukrainian refugees.   Amy and her family recently said “Why Not Now?” and moved to Poland. Not long after, they found themselves faced with a unique opportunity to open their home up to Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war. After making that difficult decision, they haven’t looked back.   Amy is a communications professional with her Bachelors in Journalism and Masters in Arts Administration. In this episode, you’ll hear how Amy has learned to leverage technology to do a whole lot of good. She has truly become a home base connection point for many Ukrainians needing help in Poland, and you’ll hear some of those heartfelt and inspiring stories during this conversation.   She also discusses the amazing ways technology has allowed her efforts to be amplified as well as the hardships she has faced. It has not been an easy journey, but she says the love and humanity she see’s daily is incredible.   Visit the link below to lea

Tatiana Ferreira is the Senior Vice President of Customer Service Excellence at Neiman Marcus. Tatiana has quite a colorful career journey. She has worked for some of the biggest brands in retail and fashion, and got her start at Disney.    As a top Latina executive in the luxury experience arena, she has been able to do things that are pretty unheard of. One of which is bringing mindfulness into the corporate world. She talks through some tactical suggestions on how you can introduce mindfulness into your own business or corporation and the ROI of doing so.    Tatiana refers to her Why Not Now? story as “productivity hell”. She talks about her addiction to work. Specifically, she dives into what resulted from that, some of the rules she set for herself to overcome the problem, the concepts around those rules and how she was able to shift and get ruthless about her new priorities.    Tatiana also discusses Service Excellence. What it looks like today, and how it compares to Service Excellence experiences of t

John Hardin is the co-founder and Executive Director of Proclaim Justice—a not-for-profit organization that frees victims of wrongful convictions. He is also a private investigator who has years of experience in public affairs communications. John is known for bringing media and public attention to situations where there’s a wrongful conviction.    John’s co-founder, Jason Baldwin, was one of the members of the “West Memphis Three,” a well-known case in which three people in Arkansas were wrongfully convicted of a crime and sent to prison for many years. John played a critical role in freeing the trio. Now, together, John and Jason are doing that for other people.    In this multifaceted conversation, John shares what he’s learned from knocking on doors and looking for answers. John also discusses the power of persistence and resilience; how it feels to come up short and not find what you’re looking for; and getting up each day to fight for what you believe is right.    John’s experience with the West Memphis

Andres Traslavia has interviewed more than 2,000 executives as a longtime recruiter and the head of executive search and talent acquisition at Whole Foods Market. He has a rare view into talent trends spanning the past 15 years—and insights into what he calls “the Great Rebellion,” or the mass resignations employers are seeing in 2021 and 2022. Dangling shiny salaries and massive compensation packages is not enough to attract talent anymore. In this episode, Andres shares how employers can retain talent and maps out three things he is looking for when he interviews an executive. Listen for his cheat sheet for anyone going through the interview process. Andres grew up in Bogota, Columbia. He came to the United States and fell for the idea that success was about having material things. In the midst of this lonely realization, he walked into Whole Foods and fell in love with how happy the workers were. Andres knew he had to work for this “Disneyland for foodies.” So he said, “Why Not Now?” and moved to Austin wi

Vanessa Van Edwards is the Lead Behavioral Investigator at Science of People - a company she founded over 15 years ago. She is an internationally acclaimed speaker and author of two books, Captivate and Cues.  Vanessa guides people on mastering the secret language of charismatic communication, and in this episode, Vanessa dives into the specifics of charisma. We ask the question “Are you born with it or can you learn?” and Vanessa’s answer may surprise you.  Vanessa grew up with social anxiety issues, leaving her feeling very awkward. She is an ambivert, which means she is somewhere in-between the introvert and extrovert spectrum. She details the Why Not Now? moment that set her on the path to being a Behavioral Investigator and how she has discovered that “Awkward” characteristics show up differently for different people, whether you are highly intelligent, the alpha in the room or constantly try to please everyone.  Vanessa lists her favorite non-verbal cues used by one of the most charismatic people on the