How to Be Awesome at Your Job

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1157: How to Improve Processes, Remove Friction, and Accelerate Innovation with Jon McNeill Jun 01, 2026

Show notes

Tesla’s former President Jon McNeill reveals the five-step framework behind one of the world’s fastest-growing companies

— YOU’LL LEARN —

1) What most miss when designing processes

2) How to identify outdated requirements that slow things down

3) Why automation should be your LAST step

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1157 for clickable versions of the links below.

— ABOUT JON —

Jon McNeill is the CEO and Co-Founder of DVx Ventures. With a track record of founding and scaling companies, Jon has led teams that generated tens of thousands of jobs and delivered multi-billion dollar returns for investors.

Previously, Jon served as President at Tesla, where revenue grew from $2B to $20B in under 30 months, and later as COO at Lyft, helping double revenue and take the company public. He currently sits on the boards of General Motors, Lululemon, Asurion, CrossFit, and Stash.

• Book: The Algorithm: The Hypergrowth Formula that Transformed Tesla, Lululemon, General Motors and SpaceX

• Website: DVX.ventures

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW —

• Book: Sam Walton: Made In Americaby Sam Walton

• Book: The Goal: 40th Anniversary Edition: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu Goldratt

• Book: Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expectby Will Guidara

• Past episode: 810: How to Get Stuff Done inside Bureaucracies with Marina Nitze

• Research paper: "Attention Is All You Need"

— THANK YOU SPONSORS! —

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1156: How to Make Great Meetings that Stop Wasting Time with Rebecca Hinds May 28, 2026

Show notes

Rebecca Hinds discusses the simple shifts that turn meetings from time-wasters into value-generators.

— YOU’LL LEARN —

1) Why most meetings don’t feel like “real work”

2) Why every organization needs a “meeting doomsday”

3) The easy agenda fixes that save so much time

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1156 for clickable versions of the links below.

— ABOUT REBECCA —

Rebecca Hinds is a leading expert on organizational behavior and the future of work. She holds a BS, MS, and PhD from Stanford University. Rebecca founded the Work Innovation Lab at Asana and the Work AI Institute at Glean, first-of-their-kind corporate think tanks dedicated to conducting cutting-edge research on the future of work.

She is a trusted advisor to companies navigating the challenges of modern work—from meeting overload and hybrid dysfunction to the messy realities of AI adoption and organizational change.

• Book: Your Best Meeting Ever: 7 Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done

• LinkedIn: Rebecca Hinds

• Website: RebeccaHinds.com

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW —

• Tool: Glean

• Book: Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success by Adam Grant

• Book: Scaling Up Excellence: Getting to More Without Settling for Less by Robert Sutton and Huggy Rao

• Book: The Friction Project: How Smart Leaders Make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder by Robert Sutton and Huggy Rao

• Past episode: 492: Making Meetings Work with J. Elise Keith

• Past episode: 684: Achieving More by Tapping into the Science of Less with Leidy Klotz

— THANK YOU SPONSORS! —

• Scribe. Book a personalized enterprise demo with scribe.how/awesome

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• Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.

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1155: How to Escape the Procrastination Trap and Achieve Your Goals with Jon Acuff May 25, 2026

Show notes

Jon Acuff talks about the hidden fears, assumptions, and overwhelm that are keeping you stuck in the procrastination trap.

— YOU’LL LEARN —

1) Why discipline and willpower are not enough to solve procrastination

2) How to “make tomorrow easy today” with simple preparation

3) How to go from stuck to unstuck in 4 steps

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1155 for clickable versions of the links below.

— ABOUT JON —

Jon Acuff is a New York Times bestselling author of 11 books. His titles, including Soundtracks, Finish and All It Takes Is A Goal, have sold more than one million copies. Named one of Inc.’s Top 100 Leadership Speakers, he’s delivered keynotes to companies such as Microsoft, Walmart, and Comedy Central. Host of the popular podcast All It Takes Is a Goal, Jon has inspired hundreds of thousands of people to overcome overthinking and finish what matters most. Jon lives outside of Nashville with his wife and two daughters.

• Book: Procrastination Proof: Never Get Stuck Again

• Book: Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking (Overcome Toxic Thought Patterns and Take Control of Your Mindset)

• Free Quiz: "There Are Four Reasons People Procrastinate. Which One Is Yours?"

• LinkedIn: Jon Acuff

• Podcast: All It Takes Is A Goal

• Website: JonAcuff.com

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW —

• Book: Shift: Managing Your Emotions--So They Don't Manage Youby Ethan Kross

• Book: The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield

• Book: Thinking, Fast and Slowby Daniel Kahneman

• Past episode: 1050: How to Shift Your Mood and Keep Your Cool with Dr. Ethan Kross

— THANK YOU SPONSORS! —

• Scribe. Book a personalized enterprise demo with scribe.how/awesome

• Narwhal. Treat your home to spotless, fresh floors with us.narwhal.com/pete.

• Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.

• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/awesomepod

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1154: The Fundamentals of Great Executive Presence with Elisia Keown May 21, 2026

Show notes

Elisia Keown breaks down what it really means to develop your executive presence.

— YOU’LL LEARN —

1)  What it really means to have “more executive presence”

2) The sentences hindering your executive presence

3) How to show up more confident for your next meeting

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1154 for clickable versions of the links below.

— ABOUT ELISIA —

Elisia Keown is an Executive Coach and Founder of Keown Coaching, with 26 years of experience in Coaching, Leadership, Talent Acquisition, and Human Resources. Direct, honest, and kind, she helps executive leaders strengthen their executive presence, elevate their impact, and achieve measurable results through strategic planning. Elisia is also the host of The Executive Coaching Podcast, where she shares practical insights for today’s leaders. Known for her no-nonsense yet fun approach, she brings energy and real-world experience to every coaching conversation. She lives in Wesley Chapel, FL, with her husband and their blended family of five children.

• LinkedIn: Elisia Keown

• Podcast: The Executive Coaching Podcast

• YouTube: Elisia Keown Executive Coach

• Website: ElisiaKeownCoaching.com

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW —

• Tool: Self Coaching Model (CTFAR Model)

• Study: 2025 Global Coaching Study: Strategic Advantage & ROI

• Book: Start With Yourself: A New Vision for Work & Life by Emma Grede

• Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

• Past episode: 465: The Cure for Impostor Syndrome: How to Feel Less Like a Fraud and Appreciate Your Successes with Dr. Valerie Young

— THANK YOU SPONSORS! —

• Scribe. Book a personalized enterprise demo with scribe.how/awesome

• Narwhal. Treat your home to spotless, fresh floors with us.narwhal.com/pete.

• Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.

• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/awesomepod

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1153: How to Confidently Negotiate for What You Want with Attia Qureshi May 18, 2026

Show notes

Attia Qureshi shares simple techniques to build up your negotiating skills, one step at a time.

— YOU’LL LEARN —

1) How to take the fear and tension out of negotiating

2) The simple trick to arrive at more win-win solutions

3) How to feel comfortable making big asks and saying no

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1153 for clickable versions of the links below.

— ABOUT ATTIA —

Attia Qureshi is a negotiation and influence expert, former MIT faculty member, adjunct professor at the University of Michigan, and the founder of Attia Qureshi Consulting — where she has spent two decades helping leaders, teams, and organizations negotiate better outcomes in every room they walk into. Her work spans Fortune 500 boardrooms, university classrooms, and conflict zones around the world, where she has negotiated on behalf of the U.S. State Department in some of the most complex environments imaginable.

• Book: Never Settle: Persuasion and Negotiation Skills to Get What You Want

• Tool: Emotion Wheel

• Website: AttiaQureshi.com

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW —

• Article: “Ask For A Raise? Most Women Hesitate” by Jennifer Ludden

• Study: “Evolution of responses to (un)fairness” by Sarah F. Brosnan and Frans B.M. de Waal

• Book: Influence: Science and Practice by Robert Cialdini

• Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

• Past episode: 366: Mastering Conversations through Compassionate Curiosity with Kwame Christian

• Past episode: 664: Dr. Robert Cialdini on How to Persuade with the 7 Universal Principles of Influence

• Past episode: 873: Dr. Steven Hayes on Building a More Resilient and Flexible Mind

— THANK YOU SPONSORS! —

• Scribe. Book a personalized enterprise demo with scribe.how/awesome

• Narwhal. Treat your home to spotless, fresh floors with us.narwhal.com/pete.

• Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.

• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/awesomepod

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1152: The Five Essential Steps to Getting to Where You Want to Go with Dr. Henry Cloud May 14, 2026

Show notes

Dr. Henry Cloud reveals the five essential components to achieving your desired future.

— YOU’LL LEARN —

1) Why the human body is our best model for achieving results

2) The biggest power move of high performers

3) Two questions to go above your natural wiring

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1152 for clickable versions of the links below.

— ABOUT HENRY —

Dr. Henry Cloud is a clinical psychologist, leadership expert, and New York Times bestselling author whose books have sold over twenty million copies worldwide. Named by Success magazine as one of the top 25 leaders in the field, his work spans executive coaching, organizational transformation, and personal growth. He holds a BS in psychology from Southern Methodist University and a PhD in clinical psychology from Biola University. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

• Book: Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life

• Book: Necessary Endings: The Employees, Businesses, and Relationships That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Move Forward

• Book: Your Desired Future: The Five Essential Steps That Take You Where You Want to Go

• Website: DrCloud.com

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW —

• Book: Making TIME for Strategy: How to be less busy and more successful by Richard Metcalf

• Book: Management by Peter Drucker

• Book: No Man Is an Island by Thomas Merton

• Past episode: 867: How to Stop Being Busy and Start Being Strategic with Richard Medcalf

— THANK YOU SPONSORS! —

• Scribe. Book a personalized enterprise demo with scribe.how/awesome

• Narwhal. Treat your home to spotless, fresh floors with us.narwhal.com/pete.

• Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.

• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/awesomepod

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1151: How to Harness the Surprising Power of Ignorance with Alan Gregerman May 11, 2026

Show notes

Alan Gregerman shares why the right kind of ignorance is the secret to driving innovation.

— YOU’LL LEARN —

1) How to challenge assumptions that are keeping you stuck

2) Why not knowing can often lead to better solutions

3) Six ways to unlock ignorance as a superpower

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1151 for clickable versions of the links below.

— ABOUT ALAN —

Alan Gregerman is an internationally renowned authority on business strategy, innovation, and hidden potential who has been called “one of the most original thinkers in business today” and “the Robin Williams of business consulting.”

As the president and chief innovation officer of Washington, D.C.-based consultancy VENTURE WORKS, a bestselling author, and a sought-after keynote speaker, he focuses on helping companies and organizations unlock the genius in all of their people in order to deliver the most compelling value to their customers. He is also the founder of Passion for Learning, an award-winning nonprofit that teaches girls technology skills as a key to life and career success.

His three previous books—The Necessity of Strangers, Surrounded by Geniuses, and Lessons from the Sandbox—challenge conventional thinking about people, the world around us, what it means to be remarkable, and where brilliant ideas actually come from. He’s also the author of the critically acclaimed blog Surrounded by Geniuses.

• Book: The Wisdom of Ignorance: Why Not Knowing Can Be the Key to Innovation in an Uncertain World

• LinkedIn: Alan Gregerman

• Website: AlanGregerman.com

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW —

• Book: Around the World in Eighty Days (Macmillan Collector's Library) by Jules Verne

• Book: Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes

• TED Talk: Why I train grandmothers to treat depression | Dixon Chibanda

• Book: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

— THANK YOU SPONSORS! —

• Scribe. Book a personalized enterprise demo with scribe.how/awesome

• Narwhal. Treat your home to spotless, fresh floors with us.narwhal.com/pete.

• Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.

• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/awesomepod

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1150: How to Reclaim Your Schedule and Own Your Time with Laura Vanderkam May 07, 2026

Show notes

Productivity expert Laura Vanderkam shows you how to take charge of your schedule so that you can make time for what truly matters.

— YOU’LL LEARN —

1) Why you feel like you don’t have enough time–and how to change it

2) How setting aside 15 minutes can change your whole workday

3) How to become the ringmaster of your schedule circus

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1150 for clickable versions of the links below.

— ABOUT LAURA —

Laura Vanderkam is the author of several time management and productivity books, including Off the Clock, I Know How She Does It, What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, and 168 Hours.

Her 2016 TED talk, "How to Gain Control of Your Free Time," has been viewed more than 5 million times. She regularly appears in publications including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and Fortune.

She is the co-host, with Sarah Hart-Unger, of the podcast Best of Both Worlds. She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and four children, and blogs at LauraVanderkam.com.

• Book: Big Time: A Simple Path to Time Abundance

• Podcast: Best of Both Worlds

• Website: LauraVanderkam.com

• Email: Laura@LauraVanderkam.com

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW —

• Book: War and Peaceby Leo Tolstoy

• Time Tracking App: Toggl

• Previous episode: 314: How to Feel Less Busy With Laura Vanderkam

— THANK YOU SPONSORS! —

• Keepsake Voices. Get mom something special and save about $100 with keepsakevoices.com/pete

• Scribe. Book a personalized enterprise demo with scribe.how/awesome

• Narwhal. Treat your home to spotless, fresh floors with us.narwhal.com/pete.

• Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.

• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/awesomepod

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2nd Year - 221: Becoming a Great Conversationalist with Celeste Headlee May 04, 2026

Show notes

Journalist Celeste Headlee breaks down the steps towards being a better conversationalist.

— YOU’LL LEARN —

1) The top ways to have better conversations

2) The myths you believe about good listening

3) An eye-opening way to find out your bad habits as a conversationalist

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep221 for clickable versions of the links below.

— ABOUT CELESTE —

Celeste Headlee, Public Broadcast Radio Show Host, and Author of Heard Mentality and We Need To Talk. Celeste Headlee is the host of “On Second Thought” at Georgia Public Broadcasting in Atlanta and has been a host and correspondent for NPR and PRI since 2006. She has trained many journalists through NPR’s Next Generation program. Headlee also has appeared as a guest on CNN, the BBC, and other international networks, and in 2012, she anchored presidential election coverage for PBS World.

• Book: We Need to Talk

• Website: CelesteHeadlee.com

• TED Talk: "10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation"

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW —

• Tool: Fitbit

• Tool: S+ ResMed

• Book: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

• Book: Bleak Houseby Charles Dickens

• Previous episode: 171: Brevity = Critical with Joe McCormack

— THANK YOU SPONSORS! —

• Keepsake Voices. Get mom something special and save about $100 with keepsakevoices.com/pete

• Scribe. Book a personalized enterprise demo with scribe.how/awesome

• Narwhal. Treat your home to spotless, fresh floors with us.narwhal.com/pete.

• Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.

• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/awesomepod

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1149: How to Stand Out, Multiply Your Opportunities, and Win People’s Confidence with Justin Humphries Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

Justin Humphries reveals his fundamental principles for rapidly growing opportunities and income in an uncertain job market.

— YOU’LL LEARN —

1) How to multiply your inbound opportunities

2) The simplest way to expand your professional network

3) The key that keeps people coming back to you

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1149 for clickable versions of the links below.

— ABOUT JUSTIN —

Justin Humphries is a dedicated Loan Officer with experience since June 2021, specializing in VA, first-time homebuyer, and DSCR loans. A Nashville native, Justin is deeply motivated by personal and professional growth, drawing strength from his faith, family, and a passion for building meaningful relationships. He takes great pride in helping clients align their mortgage strategies with their life goals, aiming to support them in building long-term wealth. Justin values the opportunity to develop lasting connections with customers who return to him year after year for their mortgage needs.

Beyond his professional work, Justin is actively involved in his church community, serving on the parish council and volunteering with the Society of St. Vincent DePaul to assist families at risk of homelessness. He is happily married to his wife Stephanie and is a proud father of three young children, including twins.

• LinkedIn: Justin Humphries

• Profile: Justin Humphries

• Phone number: +1 615-438-8125

• Email: jhumphries@loandepot.com

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW —

• Tool: Claude for Google Chrome

• Article: “Researchers Asked LLMs for Strategic Advice. They Got “Trendslop” in Return.” by Angelo Romasanta, Llewellyn D.W. Thomas and Natalia Levina

• Study: “Death Squared: The Explosive Growth and Demise of a Mouse Population” by John B. Calhoun

• YouTube: Squat University

• Book: Rebuilding Milo: A Lifter's Guide to Fixing Common Injuries and Building a Strong Foundation for Enhancing Performance

• Book: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: 30th Anniversary Editionby Stephen R. Covey

• Previous episode: 184: Building Your Network Before You Need It with Dr. Ivan Misner

— THANK YOU SPONSORS! —

• Keepsake Voices. Get mom something special and save about $100 with keepsakevoices.com/pete

• Scribe. Book a personalized enterprise demo with scribe.how/awesome

• Narwhal. Treat your home to spotless, fresh floors with us.narwhal.com/pete.

• Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.

• Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll with gusto.com/AWESOME

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