Amy and Meg get brutally honest about the toxic workplace archetypes every leader faces - and share the real stories that shaped their careers. This isn't just storytelling; it's a masterclass in pattern recognition, strategic response, and hard-earned wisdom. These are REAL experiences from two executives who've navigated decades in corporate America. We're not just sharing war stories - we're breaking down what was actually happening, how we handled it (the good, the bad, and the ugly), and what we'd tell our former selves now. ⏰ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Cold Open - "Airing of Grievances" 00:44 Book Club Anniversary & PeopleSoft Legacy 04:51 The Caregiving Burden During The Holidays (Women in the Workplace Reality) 08:39 Amy's "Undercover Man" Confession 15:11 Season 1 Finale Announcement 17:01 The Credit Thief - When Ideas Get Stolen 22:36 The Diminisher - Toenail Polish & Power Games 40:34 The Gatekeeper - Controlling Access & Visibility 53:01 The Saboteur - Coordinated Workplace Attacks 1:09:01 The Narcissist & The Proxy War - When You're a Pawn 1:18:42 The Wins - How We Became a Force of Two 1:31:50 Season 2 Vision & 2026 Predictions 1:35:11 Thank You & Madison's Maternity Leave 🔑 KEY INSIGHTS & HARD-EARNED WISDOM: - Why some executives have an invisible "unfair advantage" (Amy's stay-at-home husband revelation) - How to recognize when someone is diminishing you - and why it's about their insecurities, not your worth - The crucial difference: gatekeepers you can work around vs. narcissists you must exit from - Why workplace sabotage is often a twisted compliment - you've struck a chord - How to identify proxy wars (when you're collateral damage in someone else's battle) - Strategic advice: "Don't let your enemies know who they are" - The middle schooler test: advise yourself like you'd advise your kid about bullies - Why investing in your own professional development can't depend on your employer - When credentials get weaponized: "If they have to explain how important they are instead of discussing ideas, that's a red flag" - The power of documentation: timestamp your ideas, save your receipts - Sometimes the only winning move is to walk away (and that's not failure) - How gratitude and appreciation unlock more than demands ever will 📚 RESOURCES: Jess Von Bank on The Women in the Workplace 2025 Report | https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jessvonbank_the-women-in-the-workplace-2025-report-is-activity-7404939453028274176-HR6Y/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAAVeN8BrXyqZRtd37eT9lCYDRykSAdLh5A Charlotte Otter’s LinkedIn Post | https://www.linkedin.com/posts/charlotteeliseotter_no-one-gets-badges-for-being-a-good-parent-activity-7406374962317594624-xpbB/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAAVeN8BrXyqZRtd37eT9lCYDRykSAdLh5A Festivus Airing of the Grievances | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l8Eag9CAFk 🔗 CONNECT: Amy's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-wilson-insight/ Meg's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megbear/ Meg’s Blog: https://www.megbear.com/blog Special thanks to our Executive Producer Madison Harney - enjoy maternity leave! And to our book club celebrating 20 years of badass women supporting each other. These stories shaped us. They don't have to break you. We'll be back March 2026 for Season 2. #Leadership #CorporateToxicity #WorkplaceArchetypes #ExecutiveLeadership #CareerAdvice #WomenInLeadership #ToxicWorkplace #WorkplaceBullying #ProfessionalDevelopment #CareerStrategy #WorkplaceWisdom #LeadershipLessons #CorporateLife #WorkplacePolitics #ExecutiveCoaching #CareerGrowth #WorkplaceResilience #LeadershipSkills #WomenInBusiness #CareerSuccess #WorkplaceCulture #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveInsights #WorkplaceStrategy

🚀 Jason Averbook reveals the 4 forces creating the biggest change HR has ever seen—and why 95% of AI projects are failing. This isn't about technology; it's about trust, engagement, and fundamentally rethinking how work gets done. ⚡ THE 4 FORCES RESHAPING WORK: 1. Engagement is slipping (trust in companies at all-time lows) 2. Jobs and skills are changing rapidly 3. Early career on-ramp is broken 4. AI is being pushed into unprepared organizations 🔑 KEY INSIGHTS: - We're asking people to change while wearing "uniforms they don't trust" - AI transformation is a people problem, not a technology problem - Most companies are trapped in task optimization vs. workflow revolution - Early talent needs to challenge assumptions, not just fill roles - "Proof of work" beats "proof of education" in today's job market - Unlearning matters more than skill development 💡 FRAMEWORKS REVEALED: - Jason's 4 Sets: Mindset, Heart Set, Skill Set, Tool Set - Amy's AI Transformation Maturity Model - The FAFO Philosophy (Fool Around and Find Out) - AI Enablement Centers vs. traditional training 🎯 TACTICAL TAKEAWAYS: - Build proof of work without a job (18-year-old built 5 apps example) - Use LinkedIn to access networks, not just contact people - Start with workflows, then add technology (not the reverse) - Invest in unlearning before upskilling - Create "challenge partners" across age groups 🏢 THE PEOPLESOFT CONNECTION: Jason, Meg, and Amy share insights from their days as young professionals disrupting the status quo at PeopleSoft—and why today's organizations need that same fresh perspective. Jason Averbook is Senior Partner and Global Leader of Digital HR Strategy at Mercer, guiding 1,000+ organizations through transformation. This conversation bridges cutting-edge AI strategy with timeless leadership principles. ⏰ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction & The 4 Forces Framework 07:55 Trust Crisis: Why Engagement Matters 17:00 AI Enablement Centers vs. Traditional Training 28:37 Early Career Crisis: Proof of Work vs. Education 41:09 Diversity Redefined: Age, Context & Experience 42:43 Amy's AI Transformation Maturity Model 44:45 Jason's 4 Sets Framework 47:40 Leadership Corner: Merging Dysfunctional Teams 📚 RESOURCES: Jason's Now to Next Podcast | https://open.spotify.com/show/1zrFUr0dBTUG2EUcK8ca5g How HR Took Over the World | https://www.economist.com/business/2025/11/10/how-hr-took-over-the-world The Palantir Model | https://blog.palantir.com/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-palantir-forward-deployed-software-engineer-45ef2de257b1 Meg Bear on WTF Is a Forward-Deployed Engineer? by Thomas Otter | https://thomasotter.substack.com/p/wtf-is-a-forward-deployed-engineer/comment/110916540 Amy's Transformation Maturity Model | https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-transformation-paradox-why-todays-innovation-tomorrows-amy-wilson-8adqf/ 🔗 CONNECT: Jason Averbook: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonaverbook/ Amy Wilson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-wilson-insight/ Meg Bear: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megbear/ Instagram: @megandamyshow #AITransformation #Leadership #HRStrategy #DigitalTransformation #FutureOfWork #EmployeeEngagement #EarlyCareers #WorkflowOptimization #MegAndAmyShow

🚀 FROM FOOD CRITIC TO KITCHEN: John Sumser, HR tech's leading independent analyst for over 20 years, reveals what happens when you step from the sidelines into operations—and why most of what we believe about AI, HR, and career success is wrong. Learn how to navigate uncertainty as opportunity, why "I don't know" is the most powerful thing a leader can say, and what the next 5 years hold for HR in this candid conversation about transformation and truth-telling. ⏰ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Teaser: The Best Clips 02:21 Welcome & Introduction 03:03 The Door-to-Door Santa Story 05:03 Polaroid's $100M Mistake: Old Problems, New Technology 10:00 Navigating Recession and Uncertainty 15:40 Comfort with Uncertainty as a Career Tool 18:00 From Food Critic to Kitchen: The Analyst Becomes an Operator 20:30 "I Don't Know" - The Most Powerful Leadership Tool 22:00 What Surprised Him About Being Inside 25:48 Re-igniting HR Examiner with Heather Bussing 28:00 AI's 80% Problem: Why Silicon Valley's $20 FUD is Working 31:55 Anthropomorphism: When AI Feels Like Your Friend 35:00 The Gigawatt Problem: AI's Energy Reality 40:00 Five Years Out: HR's Cracks Are Starting to Show 42:30 "What the Hell Do You Need Recruiters For?" 45:00 Strategy = Alignment (Not What HR Thinks It Means) 48:00 Leadership Corner: Caught Between Competing Executives 🔑 KEY INSIGHTS: - People take new technology and solve old problems without understanding what the new tech can do—this is how Polaroid failed, and it's exactly where we are with AI today - The difference between being a food critic and working in the kitchen: analysts imagine smooth stories, operators learn to wrap stories around chaos - "I don't know" is the most powerful thing you can say—it gives you a path out and creates space for improvisation - LLMs are 80-84% accurate, which means 1 out of every 5-10 words is wrong—and that makes them unusable for most HR applications - AI companies want you to anthropomorphize their tools so you'll lower your expectations and stay sticky with their product - In 5 years: People closer to the problem will solve it—recruiting shouldn't be centralized, it's a first-level supervisor's job - HR is an "ocean of exceptions to budget discipline" while every other function has rigorous budget management - The line from checkbook to productivity runs AROUND HR, not through it—and that has to change 📚 RESOURCES: HR Examiner: https://www.hrexaminer.com (John's analysis and commentary) John's Articles: 80% Isn't Very Good | https://www.hrexaminer.com/p/80-isnt-very-good Anti-Anthropomorphism Prompt | https://www.hrexaminer.com/p/anti-anthropomorphism-prompt Promptly Transparent | https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/promptly-transparent-john-sumser-qwjgc/? Sam Altman on AI's Energy Consumption | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gnl833wXRz0 Democrats Seek New Relationship With Fossil Fuels | https://www.semafor.com/article/12/04/2025/democrats-seek-a-new-relationship-with-fossil-fuels 🔗 CONNECT: John Sumser: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsumser/ Amy Wilson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-wilson-insight/ Meg Bear: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megbear/ Instagram: @megandamyshow This episode features one of the most provocative conversations we've had about the gap between AI hype and AI reality, why HR's current design is broken, and what happens when someone who's been watching for decades steps into the arena. John doesn't hold back—and neither do we. #AITransformation #HRTech #CareerReinvention #Leadership #FutureOfWork #MegAndAmyShow

Finland – Universal Basic Income Pilot🚀 THE CASE FOR GIVING PEOPLE MONEY: UBI expert Scott Santens reveals why the most radical idea in economics might be the simplest - just give people cash. Discover how Alaska has proven this works for 40+ years, why his crowdfunded basic income changed everything he thought about work, and what happens when we shift from survival mode to abundance thinking. ⏰ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction: The Man Living UBI 02:33 How Scott Crowdfunded His Own Basic Income 07:32 What Universal Basic Income Actually Is 08:51 Why Work Requirements Don't Work 10:36 The Billionaire Question: Why Universal Matters 15:38 The Power to Say No 17:46 Reduced Stress Changes Everything 20:13 The Biggest Impact Is Always on Kids 22:28 Automation Since the 1970s: We're Already Living It 25:04 The Business Case for Consumption 27:57 Alaska: 40+ Years of Proof 36:29 Trust, Finland & the Rory Stewart Connection 46:44 Star Trek vs. Dystopia: Two Possible Futures 51:35 Amy's Aha Moment: The Dividend Concept 54:19 Where to Give Cash With No Strings Attached 57:17 We Have the Data - Time to Act 59:28 Leadership Corner: Moving from Full-Time to Portfolio 🔑 KEY INSIGHTS: - How living on crowdfunded UBI taught Scott about human potential - Why Alaska proves UBI works (and has for decades without inflation) - The hidden connection between stress reduction and crime prevention - Why cash beats free services every single time - How economic security literally rewires decision-making - The difference between surviving and thriving economies 📚 RESOURCES: Scott's UBI FAQ: scottsantens.com Basic Income Show: https://www.youtube.com/c/ScottSantens Income To Support All Foundation: itsafoundation.orgWhat If Everybody Didn't Have to Work to Get Paid? | https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/05/what-if-everybody-didnt-have-to-work-to-get-paid/393428/Basic Income Grant (BIG) in Namibia | https://centreforpublicimpact.org/public-impact-fundamentals/basic-income-grant-big-in-namibia/Income Dividends and Subjective Survival in a Cherokee Indian Cohort | https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7250001/How AI will impact the future of work with Kara Swisher and Betsey Stevenson | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUrBYWQAcpECash Transfers and Child Welfare: Lessons from Alaska | https://www.nber.org/digest/202401/cash-transfers-and-child-welfare-lessons-alaska?page=1&perPage=50To End Extreme Poverty, Give Cash — Not Advice | Rory Stewart | TED | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt0HOe7gf7IFinland – Universal Basic Income Pilot | https://weall.org/resource/finland-universal-basic-income-pilotManna: Two Visions of Humanity's Future Book | https://www.amazon.com/Manna-Two-Visions-Humanitys-Future-ebook/dp/B007HQH67UEverything is Figureoutable Book | https://amazn.so/5wcD9tFIkigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life | https://amazn.so/yNaA8GI Thanks to Laurie Ruettimann for the introduction! #UBI #UniversalBasicIncome #ScottSantens #AlaskaDividend #FutureOfWork #Economics #Alaska #Dividend #NegativeIncomeTax #MegAndAmyShow 🔗 CONNECT: Scott Santens: scottsantens.com Leadership Questions: amywilsonadvisor@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megandamyshow/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-meg-amy-show

🔄 What happens when two leaders with completely different upbringings join forces? In this deeply personal episode, Amy and Meg explore how their vastly different childhoods - one marked by stability and support, the other by constant change and scarcity - shaped their leadership styles, decision-making approaches, and the way they navigate challenges today. ⏰ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction & Banter including Meg's Vietnam travels, The Gist Project and Sangeet's Provocative post 13:13 Main topic introduction - Scarcity to abundance 14:13 Meg's two realities - Evangelical vs working class 25:38 Amy's stable childhood - The complete opposite 30:10 Risk tolerance and planning styles analysis 37:17 Decision-making patterns and communication styles 46:03 How they help each other see blind spots 50:13 The "plums trauma" - Amy's childhood story 51:05 Leadership Corner - Building resilient team culture 55:33 Closing thoughts on gratitude and community 🔑 KEY INSIGHTS: - How childhood experiences of scarcity vs. stability create different leadership superpowers and shadows - Why "nobody's gonna save you" became Meg's greatest adult strength - The difference between direct and diplomatic communication styles - How Amy's "it'll all work out" philosophy transforms team dynamics - Why protecting each other's hearts is crucial for leadership partnerships - The psychology behind why some leaders plan everything in advance 📚 RESOURCES: The Gist Project with Marne and Chrissy: https://www.youtube.com/@UCM3-PP9OqIJDRcWFE-s9TxQ https://open.spotify.com/show/3Ct5MqBunjMNRgC1EBNwhf Sangeet Paul Choudary's LinkedIn Post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sangeetpaul_theres-a-strange-idea-going-around-that-activity-7395005212517867520-cRig?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAAYiVkBNGvG88w_XozNSZSs3tmPrlwlqZA Sangeet Paul Choudary's Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaSZhRkk2NU The Insight Loop Newsletter | Meg's Personal Story: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/meg-amy-show-newsletter-issue-9-the-meg-amy-show-wggbc/?trackingId=0zitkl3iQBCekr1X9EFjyw%3D%3D 🔗 CONNECT: Leadership Questions: amywilsonadvisor@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megandamyshow/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-meg-amy-show #Leadership #ChildhoodTrauma #Resilience #LeadershipDevelopment #Scarcity #Abundance #MegAndAmyShow

What would you build if you were creating a product organization from scratch in 2030? SugarCRM Chief Product Officer Maksim Ovsyannikov joins Amy and Meg to explore how AI is fundamentally reshaping product development, design thinking, and organizational structures. From "very little user experience" as a value proposition to why QA is more critical than ever in probabilistic systems, this conversation challenges everything you think you know about building products in the AI era. ⏰ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction: Three types of software companies 08:20 Why "very little UX" is the future value proposition 10:48 Why every dashboard is broken and what to build instead 15:46 The AI context problem: smart LLMs need smarter humans 22:04 Hiring explorers vs. map readers in product roles 24:16 The tool explosion problem for product managers 25:56 Building for jobs that won't exist tomorrow 31:20 Legacy company transformation: additive AI strategy 32:51 Turn AI into your customer intelligence superpower 41:19 Why QA becomes make-or-break in agentic enterprise 46:21 Product operations: the expanding role you need 48:23 Leadership Corner: Networking tips for introverts 56:30 The optimistic view: jobs getting more interesting 57:44 The messy middle: AI's awkward transition phase 🔑 KEY INSIGHTS: - How to hire product managers who focus on outcomes over features - Why dashboards are broken and what to build instead - The context problem: keeping AI relevant in fast-changing businesses - Additive AI strategies for legacy companies - QA challenges in probabilistic vs. deterministic systems - Why your existing skills matter more dramatically now 📚 RESOURCES: SugarCRM Precision Selling Platform: https://www.sugarcrm.com Mostly Growth Podcast with CJ & Kyle: https://www.youtube.com/@MostlyGrowth M&A Show, Episode 22 | Dr. Kirstin Ferguson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lceHtsbNAcs M&A Show, Episode 23 | Yamini Rangan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca_zbuD6IYI 🔗 CONNECT: Maksim Ovsyannikov: https://linkedin.com/in/movsyannikov Leadership Questions: amywilsonadvisor@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megandamyshow/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-meg-amy-show #ProductManagement #AI #ProductStrategy #FutureOfWork #SoftwareDevelopment #Leadership #MegAndAmyShow

🚀 After 24 episodes and conversations with 20+ transformation leaders, Amy reveals the AI Transformation Maturity Model that synthesizes everything we've learned. Discover how to get ahead of AI transformation instead of being a victim of change, why this moment offers the biggest career opportunity in decades, and how to build the change agility that separates thriving organizations from struggling ones. This episode weaves together insights from Sangeet Choudary (constraints thinking), Yamini Rangan (grassroots experimentation), Jen Morrow (strategic transformation), John Wookey (customer conversations), Angela Le Mathon (generalist advantage), Usman Sheikh (new co vs legacy co innovation), Kieran Snyder (organizational transformation), and more into a practical framework for navigating AI transformation. ⏰ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction to the AI Transformation Maturity Model 05:30 The Race to the Bottom: Why Task Optimization Fails 12:01 Feature Factory vs Strategic Innovation Parallel 15:24 The Constraints Breakthrough: Thinking Beyond Tasks 18:25 Customer Conversations and Real-World Examples 20:01 The Generalist Advantage in AI Transformation 21:20 Grassroots Innovation: Why Collaboration Beats Top-Down 26:53 Why Specialization Has a Low Shelf Life 28:13 The Career Opportunity: Everyone's Back at Baseline 30:09 Why These Skills Are Now Crucial, Not Just Nice-to-Have 30:58 The Software Coordination Revolution 34:18 Scale Challenges: From 50 to 3000 People 37:00 The Context Switch Problem 39:06 The Looping Process of Organizational Reinvention 40:00 Building Change Agility vs. Fear-Based Culture 42:18 Community Input and Next Steps 🔑 BREAKTHROUGH INSIGHTS: - Why most companies get stuck optimizing tasks when they should be reimagining systems - The career reset happening right now (and how to capitalize on it) - How to build organizations that thrive on continuous change - Why grassroots experimentation beats top-down AI training - The coordination breakthrough that could finally fix software development This isn't just another AI episode—it's the culmination of everything we've learned about transformation, synthesized into actionable insights for leaders who want to get ahead of change instead of being overwhelmed by it. 📚 RESOURCES: NYT Vietnam Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/world/asia/vietnam-russia-relations.html Meg's Blog 'The Future is Interdisciplinary' | https://www.megbear.com/post/the-future-is-interdisciplinary AI Transformation Maturity Model: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-transformation-paradox-why-todays-innovation-tomorrows-amy-wilson-8adqf/ Amy's Product Transformation Story at SAP SuccessFactors: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/my-product-transformation-story-sap-successfactors-what-amy-wilson-djk9c/ Sangeet Paul Choudary's "Reshuffle": https://www.amazon.com/Reshuffle-wins-restacks-knowledge-economy-ebook/dp/B0DTKW6NQV 🔗 CONNECT: Leadership Questions: amywilsonadvisor@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megandamyshow/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-meg-amy-show #AITransformation #BusinessTransformation #MegAndAmyShow #ChangeManagement #FutureOfWork

🚀 INVENTING THE AI-FIRST OPERATING MODEL: HubSpot CEO Yamini Rangan reveals how she completely scrapped her $40B company's roadmap and rebuilt it AI-first. Learn how to pivot from volume to conversion, navigate the decline of SEO, and lead transformation when no one has the answers. ⏰ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction: From Reading Every Book in the Library to CEO 05:00 Moving to the US: The Airport Story and Finding Her Voice 15:50 Immigration, Grit, and Tools for Navigating the Unknown 25:30 Customer Centricity: Sales is About Getting Customers Promoted 33:45 The 2023 AI Pivot: "When I Said Go, Nobody Went" 42:00 Change Management: Innovation Density vs Team Size 49:25 Board Role in AI Transformation 52:30 Marketing's Biggest Shift in Decades: SEO to AEO 57:00 3X Better Conversion: Volume Game vs Conversion Game 1:04:15 Leadership Corner: What mindset shifts do leaders need to make during times of huge change? 🔑 KEY INSIGHTS: - The mindset shift from "knowing" to "exploring" required for modern leadership - Sales isn't about closing deals - it's about getting your customers promoted - The shift from information to answers: People no longer want to search, they want well-researched answers - LLM queries average 23 words vs 5-word searches - showing much deeper, specific intent - Why LLM leads convert 3X better than traditional search leads - Why 8 out of 10 Google searches now result in zero clicks 📚 RESOURCES: Blindspotting: How to See What Others Miss | https://amazn.so/97uYE8w Yamini's Thought Leadership From INBOUND | https://www.linkedin.com/posts/yaminirangan_yesterday-at-inbound-i-had-the-pleasure-activity-7369750149276815360-RJC7?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAB5eYzoBji0hRFR25InbUtOYcrXhHjARevM Yamini on AEO vs. SEO | https://www.linkedin.com/posts/yaminirangan_its-been-a-week-since-we-launched-the-loop-activity-7371552819247759361-21_r?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAB5eYzoBji0hRFR25InbUtOYcrXhHjARevM **🔗 CONNECT:** Yamini's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaminirangan/ Yamini's Executive Bio: https://www.hubspot.com/company/management/yamini-rangan Leadership Questions: amywilsonadvisor@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megandamyshow/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-meg-amy-show #Blindspotting #Leadership #AI #IntellectualHumility #BusinessTransformation #HubSpot #MegAndAmyShow

🚀 Why "I Don't Know Yet" Is the Most Valuable Leadership Skill in the AI Age: Dr. Kirstin Ferguson reveals how expertise becomes your biggest enemy and why intellectual humility beats certainty every time. ⏰ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction & Antarctica Adventures 02:06 Welcome to Dr. Kirstin Ferguson 04:38 Why Travel Reduces Blindspots 05:49 The UK Post Office Scandal: When "The Computer Is Always Right" 08:44 How Success Becomes the Enemy of Adaptation 10:50 The Power & Authority Problem: Why People Won't Tell You You're Wrong 12:45 Why Leaders Are Trained to Have All the Answers (And Why It's Wrong) 20:13 Meg's SuccessFactors Story: Leading Through "I Don't Know" 26:32 What If the Post Office Had Been Curious Instead of Certain? 35:48 Meg's Oracle Epiphany: When Everyone's Pretending to Know 38:11 Reading the Room: When NOT to Say "I Don't Know Yet" 46:33 Kirstin's Work-From-Home Pivot: How to Change Your Mind Publicly 49:06 The Career Advice Blindspot: Why Parents Give Terrible Job Advice 51:50 The Three Practices: Be Honest, Be Curious, Be Flexible 53:22 Leadership Corner: Should You Pursue Leadership During Uncertain Times? 🔑 KEY INSIGHTS: - The "curse of expertise": Why being right makes you worse at knowing when to doubt yourself - How 900+ innocent people were prosecuted due to blind faith in technology - Why "I don't know yet" builds more trust than false certainty - The art of reading the room while admitting uncertainty - How to unlearn outdated expertise for the AI age 📚 RESOURCES: Blindspotting: How to See What Others Miss | https://amazn.so/97uYE8w Head & Heart | https://amazn.so/oOLPfL2 Dr. Kirstin Ferguson's weekly column "Got a Minute?" - Sydney Morning Herald/The Age How Travel Rewires Your Brain | https://superage.com/one-creativity-habit-nobel-scientists-swear-by/ SAP SuccessFactors Migration | https://news.sap.com/2023/02/sap-successfactors-next-generation-cloud-delivery/ Think Again, Adam Grant | https://amazn.so/wglEb5N **🔗 CONNECT:** Kirstin's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirstinferguson/ Kirstin's Website: https://www.kirstinferguson.com/ Leadership Questions: amywilsonadvisor@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megandamyshow/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-meg-amy-show #Blindspotting #Leadership #AI #IntellectualHumility #BusinessTransformation #MegAndAmyShow

🚀 BREAKING OUT OF THE DEFAULT MALE WORLD: Meg and Amy reveal the hidden challenges of female leadership in a world designed by and for men. Learn how to navigate bias, own your power, and redefine what leadership looks like in the AI era in this raw and empowering conversation. ⏰ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction to Female Leadership Challenges 05:55 WNBA Success and Equal Pay Movement 07:06 Fiji Simo's Historic OpenAI Appointment 08:09 AI Bias: ChatGPT Recommends Lower Salaries for Women 14:17 Invisible Women: The Default Male Design Problem 18:46 Power vs. Pleasant Language in Performance Reviews 24:42 Media Bias: Men Talk Money, Women Talk Culture 30:05 When Did You First Notice You Were "Other"? 33:49 From Mentee to Threat: How Power Changes Everything 42:42 "Everyone's Full of Shit" - Overcoming Imposter Syndrome 46:09 Hope for the Future: AI Era Leadership 48:50 Leadership Corner: New Mom Executive Concerns 🔑 KEY INSIGHTS: - Why AI systems perpetuate gender bias by recommending lower salaries for women - The "default male" problem affects everything from T-shirts to car safety systems - How women are described as "pleasant" while men get "powerful" language in reviews - The shift from welcomed mentee to perceived threat as women gain real power - Why balancing confidence with warmth is a uniquely female leadership challenge 📚 RESOURCES: - Kieran Snyder's LinkedIn Post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kieran-snyder_35-of-people-in-the-nerd-processor-survey-activity-7358858695188901888-Yd6-?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAB5eYzoBji0hRFR25InbUtOYcrXhHjARevM - Surface Fairness, Deep Bias: A Comparative Study of Bias in Language Models: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2506.10491 - Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez: https://amazn.so/Ie3mLd9 - Freakonomics: https://amazn.so/NeeOmhN - Likeable Badass by Alison Fragale: https://amazn.so/o1suXHW - Kieran's Interview Study: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kieran-snyder_35-of-people-in-the-nerd-processor-survey-activity-7358858695188901888-Yd6-/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAAVeN8BrXyqZRtd37eT9lCYDRykSAdLh5A - Jingjin Liu's Post on Diary of a CEO: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jingjin-liu_ive-been-a-long-time-admirer-of-diary-activity-7341970108489093121-nlu_?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAB5eYzoBji0hRFR25InbUtOYcrXhHjARevM - Meg's Podcast with Charlotte Otter: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6jTHKO5ieg1PPErWb6BndQ - Amy's Podcast with Charlotte Otter: https://open.spotify.com/episode/164CQ4o14jqgRPWB40cKAC?si=Ytj7HsCeRQG8xGzhcUHT3ghttps://open.spotify.com/episode/164CQ4o14jqgRPWB40cKAC?si=Ytj7HsCeRQG8xGzhcUHT3g - Becoming by Michelle Obama: https://amazn.so/baf6fwF - The Insight Loop Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7357876676623544322 **🔗 CONNECT:** Leadership Questions: amywilsonadvisor@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megandamyshow/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-meg-amy-show #FemaleLeadership #WomenInTech #AIBias #LeadershipDevelopment #MegAndAmyShow

Angela Le Mathon reveals how HR leaders can move beyond the "skills data trap" to drive real business outcomes with AI. Learn how to speak the language of business, avoid the employee experience trap, and design AI-native organizations in this thought-provoking conversation on business transformation and leadership. **🔑 KEY INSIGHTS:** Skills data works for talent marketplaces but doesn't drive business outcomes HR must shift from talking about programs and platforms to speaking outcomes language Treat AI as experimental technology and focus on safe use cases first Employee experience initiatives need specific productivity unlocks, not general improvements Future organizations will be designed AI-native from the ground up **⏰ TIMESTAMPS:** 00:00 Introduction to Angela Le Mathon 02:05 Culture shock: Coming back to America 03:57 Angela's journey into analytics 07:29 Evolution from "what's happening" to "what's possible" 15:28 Building cross-functional analytics teams 16:50 Why everyone needs to become a unicorn 19:53 The analytics evolution moment 23:14 AI advisory tips for CHROs 26:31 The employee experience trap 42:46 AI native org design and workforce planning 45:30 Speaking the language of business 47:00 The skills data reality check 49:11 Final advice: Embrace experimentation 50:23 Leadership Corner: Getting senior colleagues to listen **📚 RESOURCES:** Angela's Guest Lecture at Stanford: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7358923352830296065/ Everything is Figureoutable: https://amazn.so/mOs1fUJ Range: https://amazn.so/iUn324r **🔗 CONNECT:** Angela: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lemathon/ Leadership Questions: amywilsonadvisor@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megandamyshow/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-meg-amy-show #AILeadership #PeopleAnalytics #SkillsData #BusinessTransformation #HRStrategy #MegAndAmyShow

🌐 Most companies are approaching AI adoption backwards. While executives push top-down strategies, the real innovation is happening in the trenches. Seth Wylie reveals why successful AI transformation starts with the people already experimenting - not training programs or executive mandates. **🔑 KEY INSIGHTS:** - Why mandatory AI training kills experimentation before it starts - The one question that gets everyone talking: "What have you been experimenting with this week?" - How to connect grassroots innovation to executive priorities - Why executives are disconnected from AI tools (and what to do about it) - Building "AI Clubs" that people actually want to join - Creating psychological safety for awkward first attempts **⚡ SETH'S APPROACH:** Find the experimenters already on your team → Create space for them to share → Let insights bubble up naturally → Then add training when there's momentum "Companies need to harvest the experimentation that's already happening, not mandate what should be happening." **⏰ TIMESTAMPS:** **01:00** - Meet Seth Wylie: AI Transformation Expert & Acapella Singer **08:32** - Finding Signal: How to Spot AI Innovation in Your Organization **10:45** - **The Magic Question: "What Have You Been Experimenting With This Week?"** **13:18** - Why Executives Are Disconnected from AI Tools **14:11** - What Companies Get Wrong: Training Before Mindset **18:08** - Leadership by Example: When CEOs Use AI for Poetry **19:26** - The Translation Problem: Executive vs. Individual Priorities **20:23** - Emergence Capital's Offsite Success Story **28:36** - Organizational Structure Changes for AI Transformation **32:22** - Creating Value Categories: ROI vs. Engagement vs. Innovation **34:48** - The Spreadsheet Story: How Leaders Kill Innovation and The Power of Executive Curiosity **37:10** - **Seth's Favorite Tool: AI for Self-Knowledge** **40:29** - Amy's Claude Projects Discovery (Life-Changing!) **42:19** - Wrap-up & Gratitude **💼 LEADERSHIP CORNER** **42:47** - Question: Should I Dive Into AI Tools or Let My People Mature First? **43:03** - Meg's Take: Get Context First, Model Curiosity Over Perfection **44:56** - The Learning Paradox: Being Bad at Things Builds Empathy **47:15** - Practical Advice for AI Leadership Balance **53:58** - Final Thanks & Sign-off 🎵 **BONUS:** Seth performs an acapella song live on the show! **📚 RESOURCES:** New York Times: CEOs Adopt AI: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/16/business/ceos-adopt-ai.html Meg's AI Fluency Blog: https://www.megbear.com/post/stop-wasting-time-on-ai-fluency-projects Emergence Capital Offsite: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jakesaper_at-emergence-capitals-investment-team-offsite-activity-7328060051531747328-v3on/ Reshuffle Book: https://amazn.so/Rrd62oi **🔗 CONNECT:** Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwylie/ Leadership Questions: amywilsonadvisor@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megandamyshow/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-meg-amy-show #AITransformation #BottomUpInnovation #AIStrategy #OrganizationalChange #Leadership #Innovation #AIAdoption #BusinessTransformation #WorkplaceInnovation #AIExperimentation

Meg and Amy welcome Sangeet Paul Choudary, author of Reshuffle. Their discussion explores how companies must evolve beyond traditional operating models to embrace structural change. Sangeet highlights the often-overlooked role of coordination costs in organizations, how AI can help manage these costs, and why rethinking business models is central to AI transformation. He also shares insights on creating structural optionality and reimagining software development for a rapidly changing landscape. Workflowy Note Organization | https://workflowy.com/ Books: Reshuffle, Sangeet Paul Choudary | https://amazn.so/wxNJYbB Platform Scale, Sangeet Paul Choudary | https://amazn.so/5Rret0U Platform Revolution, Sangeet Paul Choudary and others | https://amazn.so/3LgCWFT Blogs: Platforms, AI, and the Economics of BigTech, Sangeet Paul Choudary | https://platforms.substack.com/p/the-many-fallacies-of-ai-wont-take Centaurs and Cyborgs on the Jagged Frontier, Ethan Mollick | https://www.oneusefulthing.org/p/centaurs-and-cyborgs-on-the-jagged Pipelines, Platforms, and the New Rules of Strategy, Marshall W. Van Alstyne, Geoffrey G. Parker and Sangeet Paul Choudary | https://hbr.org/2016/04/pipelines-platforms-and-the-new-rules-of-strategy Connect with Sangeet, Meg, and Amy: Sangeet's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sangeetpaul/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megandamyshow/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-meg-amy-show Meg’s Website: https://www.megbear.com Submit Leadership Corner questions to: amywilsonadvisor@gmail.com

This week on The Meg & Amy Show, Meg and Amy welcome fitness expert and wellness coach Angie Mercado. Angie shares her decades of experience helping women find joy in movement, balance demanding lives, and stay consistent with their health goals even when work, travel, and family make it difficult.The conversation explores breaking free from the “one-hour workout” mindset, strategies for staying fit while traveling, the importance of jumping for bone health and longevity, and how community and accountability create lasting motivation. Angie's Links: Angie's Website: https://fit2beat.com Angie's Instagram: instagram.com/fit2beat3474/?hl=en Matt Adams' Dance Sweat Smile Group: https://www.youtube.com/@dancesweatsmile Connect with Angie, Meg, and Amy: Angie's Website: https://fit2beat.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megandamyshow/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-meg-amy-show Meg’s Website: https://www.megbear.com Submit Leadership Corner questions to: amywilsonadvisor@gmail.com

In the business of software, how you charge is just as important as what you build. In this episode of The Meg & Amy Show, Meg and Amy sit down with Kyle Poyar, creator of Growth Unhinged and one of the leading voices in SaaS pricing and monetization. Kyle coined the term Product-Led Growth, and in this conversation he unpacks the seismic shifts happening in pricing – from the rise of hybrid and usage-based pricing to the new frontier of AI ARR. Save your spot for Kyle's upcoming keynote: How to Monetize Your Product in the AI Era | https://productdrive.userpilot.com/talks/how-to-monetize-your-product-in-the-ai-era/ Kyle's Substack: https://www.growthunhinged.com/ Kyle's Blogs: Usage-Based Pricing 2.0 | https://www.growthunhinged.com/p/usage-based-pricing-20 I'm Roasting Your Pricing Model | https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kyle-poyar_today-im-roasting-your-pricing-model-flat-fee-activity-7341873621071523841-ey8F?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=member_desktop_web&rcm=ACoAAB5eYzoBji0hRFR25InbUtOYcrXhHjARevM Intercom's Decisive Bet on AI | https://www.growthunhinged.com/p/intercoms-bet-on-ai The State of B2B Monetization in 2025 | https://www.growthunhinged.com/p/2025-state-of-b2b-monetization Blogs: How Top Tech Companies Define ARR | https://www.mostlymetrics.com/p/how-top-tech-companies-define-arr Books: Likeable Badass | https://amazn.so/kQLSuBp Connect with Kyle, Meg, and Amy: Kyle's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-poyar/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megandamyshow/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-meg-amy-show Meg’s Website: https://www.megbear.com Submit Leadership Corner questions to: amywilsonadvisor@gmail.com

This week, Meg and Amy sit down with John Wookey, a legend in the enterprise software world, to explore the power of mission and values in organizations, why transparency is essential for strong leadership, and how AI is reshaping the way we work. John also reflects on the importance of unlearning outdated structures to foster innovation, and shares advice for first-time people managers. John's Strategy 101 Paper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-wookey/recent-activity/documents/ Books: The Silk Roads, Peter Frankopan | https://amazn.so/Qb6LoCe Radical Candor, Kim Scott | https://amazn.so/aLlnUwb Articles: Organizational Jazz and New Ways to Work, Tom Winans, John Seely Brown, Ann Pendleton-Jullian | https://ai.gopubby.com/organizational-jazz-and-new-ways-to-work-5d51b6d0cdf6 On Becoming a Manager, John Wookey | https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/becoming-manager-john-wookey/ Connect with John, Meg, and Amy: John's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-wookey/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megandamyshow/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-meg-amy-show Meg’s Website: https://www.megbear.com Submit Leadership Corner questions to: amywilsonadvisor@gmail.com

In this episode of The Meg and Amy Show, Meg and Amy get personal, opening up about their individual health journeys and what inspired them to make wellness a priority. They share the turning points that pushed them to take action, what they discovered through their initial health scans, and the lifestyle changes they’ve embraced — from fitness routines to nutrition to smart supplementation. Submit questions for future Leadership Corner segments to: amywilsonadvisor@gmail.com Resources & Mentions Glucose Goddess: https://www.instagram.com/glucosegoddess/?hl=en Prove It Supplement Scanner: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/prove-it-supplement-scanner/id6740288836 The 7-Minute Workout: https://archive.nytimes.com/well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/09/the-scientific-7-minute-workout/ Books: Outlive | https://www.amazon.com/Outlive-Longevity-Peter-Attia-MD/dp/0593236599 Blogs: What I Learned From Exercising 100 Days in a Row, Patty Azzarello | https://azzarellogroup.com/web/what-i-learned-from-exercising-100-days-in-a-row/ Podcasts: Huberman Lab: Dr. Stacy Sims | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZX8ikmWvEU Connect with Meg and Amy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megandamyshow/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-meg-amy-show Meg’s Website: https://www.megbear.com

Join Meg, Amy, and Gustavo Alba as they dive into the new rules of executive search, the evolution of talent profiles in the AI economy, and the new characteristics required for transformational leadership. Listen in to learn more about the challenges of navigating AI transformations in legacy companies, the need for bravery and vision in leadership, and survival tips for CEOs in the AI era. Heidrick and Struggles | https://www.heidrick.com/en Articles: Thrive-backed accounting firm Crete to spend $500 million in AI roll-up | https://www.reuters.com/business/thrive-backed-accounting-firm-crete-spend-500-million-ai-roll-up-2025-06-04/ Books: The Innovators Dilemma, Clayton M. Christensen | https://amazn.so/Ue6AruB Connect with Gustavo, Meg, and Amy: Gustavo's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gustavoalba/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megandamyshow/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-meg-amy-show Meg’s Website: https://www.megbear.com

In this episode of The Meg and Amy Show, Meg and Amy are joined by Usman Sheikh for an insightful conversation on the transformation of business models — from legacy organizations to the rise of new players. They explore the critical role of leadership in guiding organizations through disruption, the human impact of large-scale change, and why building personal agency is essential for thriving in today’s rapidly evolving world of work. High Output Ventures | https://www.hov.co/ Usman's Blogs: Your People Aren't the Problem, Your Model Is | https://www.usmansheikh.com/post/your-people-arent-the-problem-your-model-is The Answers That Fail Us | https://www.usmansheikh.com/post/the-answers-that-fail-us The Painful Reality of Uncoupling | https://www.usmansheikh.com/post/the-painful-reality-of-uncoupling Perfect Maps, Broken Journeys | https://www.usmansheikh.com/post/perfect-maps-broken-journeys Wipro's Execution Debt | https://www.usmansheikh.com/post/wipros-execution-debt Revenue Per Employee: The New Vanity Metric | https://www.usmansheikh.com/post/revenue-per-employee-the-new-vanity-metric Books: Reshuffle, Sangeet Paul Choudary: https://www.amazon.com/Reshuffle-wins-restacks-knowledge-economy-ebook/dp/B0DTKW6NQV Agency at Work, Indro Roy | https://www.agencyatwork.com/ The Messy Middle, Scott Belsky | https://www.amazon.com/Messy-Middle-Finding-Through-Hardest/dp/0735218072 Jim Collin's Flywheels | https://www.jimcollins.com/concepts/the-flywheel.html Connect with Usman, Meg, and Amy: Usman's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/usmans/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megandamyshow/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-meg-amy-show Meg’s Website: https://www.megbear.com

In this episode, Meg and Amy discuss the evolving landscape of organizational design and business models. They explore the complexity of communication in growing organizations, the need for redesigning structures to adapt to new technologies, and so much more. The conversation emphasizes the importance of curiosity, flexibility, and understanding the core principles of business as organizations navigate these changes. Submit questions for future Leadership Corner segments to: amywilsonadvisor@gmail.com Resources & Mentions Articles: Your Business Model Didn't Break... Your Org Chart Did | https://www.lookingforleverage.com/p/your-business-model-didnt-breakyour?r=2x7oew&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web From Many Hats to Tight Boxes: How Company Growth Narrows Roles | https://peerdom.com/blog/growth-leads-to-specialization AI-Native Organizations: The Next Evolution of New Work | https://peerdom.com/blog/ai-native-organizations-the-next-evolution-of-new-work The Shift from Talent Intelligence to Work Intelligence | https://www.fastcompany.com/91318934/the-shift-from-talent-intelligence-to-work-intelligence Blogs: Nick Mehta's Blog: https://mehtaphysical.com Connect with Meg and Amy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megandamyshow/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-meg-amy-show Meg’s Website: https://www.megbear.com