What's Next! with Tiffani Bova

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.
 
This week I'm reflecting on a conversation I had with Gretchen Carlson a while back. Gretchen is a journalist, author, and empowerment advocate who paved the way for the #MeToo movement with her historic 2016 sexual harassment complaint against the chairman of Fox News, Roger Ailes. Named one of Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World," Carlson is one of America's most successful news anchors, as well as a globally recognized advocate for female empowerment–her TED Talk on the subject garnering almost 2 million views.  She is also the celebrated author of the New York Times bestseller "Be Fierce," and a main character in the 2019 film, Bombshell, where she is played by Oscar-winner, Nicole Kidman. In December 2019, Carlson founded the organization "Lift Our Voices" with former Fox News colleagues Julie Roginsky and Diana Falzone. Its mission is to end the practice of Non-Disclosure Agreements, confidentiality provisions and forced arbitration clauses that have prevented employees from publicly discussing and disclosing toxic workplace conditions, including sexual harassment and assault. An honors graduate of Stanford University, Carlson was valedictorian of her high school class and studied at Oxford University in England. A violin prodigy, she performed as a soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra at age 13, and in 1989 became the first classical violinist to win the Miss America crown. 
 
THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…anyone and everyone looking to build their courage, stand up for what's right and feel safe in telling your own story.
 
TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…Gretchen shares her story of moving from opportunity to opportunity and witnessing her life work in mysterious ways. She impresses upon us the importance of being prepared to rise to the opportunity and building your courage along the way. Throughout her storied career, Gretchen says she was building courage–the courage that would ultimately serve her in her advocacy for women. She shares her experience in journalism and television and her advocacy work to help lift the voice of other women and keep them from being silenced. If you don't tell the truth, who will?
 
WHAT I LOVE MOST…I love talking to Gretchen about courage, taking chances, and standing up for what you believe in!
 
Running Time: 36:43
Subscribe on iTunes
 
Find Tiffani Online:
LinkedIn
Facebook
X
  
Find Gretchen Online:
LinkedIn
Website
 
Gretchen's Book:
Be Fierce: Stop Harassment and Take Your Power Back

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 
 
This conversation is a little personal for me because one of my guests is someone I've known and have had the pleasure of working with for many years. Brian Solis and I worked together at Salesforce and if you know Brian, you know he's been asking some version of the same question throughout his career: what happens when technology changes faster than organizations do? Today, Brian is Head of Global Innovation at ServiceNow, he's a Futurist, nine-time best-selling author and someone who has spent decades studying digital transformation and business reinvention. He's joined by his colleague and co-author, Dave Wright, Chief Information Officer at Service Now who brings nearly 30 years of experience turning emerging tech into actual operating models inside enterprises. Brian and Dave have a new book out, Infinite.
 
THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…leaders looking to move beyond AI adoption and rethink how their organizations work, grow, and create value.
 
TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…AI can make existing processes faster, but that doesn't mean a company is actually transforming. Brian and Dave explain why leaders need to stop asking how to automate what already exists and start asking what they would build differently if they were starting today. They share how AI can free up resources, reshape workflows, create new business models, and help people do better work when leaders are willing to rethink the way the organization operates.
 
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Using AI to automate existing processes isn't the same as transforming the business.

AI strategy should start with a business objective, not with the technology itself.

Leaders need to decide how freed-up time and resources will be used to create new value.

Reimagining workflows across the organization can uncover opportunities that siloed teams miss.

Employees need a clear vision, honest communication, and room to question whether AI is actually the right solution.

 
WHAT I LOVE MOST…the biggest risk with AI may not be moving too slowly. It may be moving quickly in the wrong direction. The real opportunity is to ask whether we would design the business the same way if we were starting today.
 
Running Time: 33:14
 
Subscribe on iTunes
 
Find Tiffani Online:
LinkedIn
Facebook
X
 
Find Brian Online:
LinkedIn 
Website
 
Find Dave Online:
LinkedIn
 
Brian and Dave's Book:
Infinite: How Visionary Leaders Transform Today's Businesses into AI-Forward Companies

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 
 
This week, I'm welcoming Alice Sesay Pope to the show. Alice is a Fortune 100 executive and former Global Vice President at Amazon, where she led a 10,000 person global organization across devices, Alexa and Prime Video. She's held senior leadership roles at Visa, Capital One, Microsoft, USAA, and Johnson& Johnson. She has a new book, out The Trust Algorithm.
 
THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…leaders navigating AI transformation who want to build trust with their customers and employees while making technology work better for the business.
 
TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…AI may be changing what businesses can do, but technology alone doesn't create better customer experiences or stronger businesses. Alice explains why leaders need to start with the friction they're trying to solve, involve employees in the process, and build a clear strategy for governance, data, and change. She also shares why trust has become one of the most important parts of AI transformation and what leaders can do to protect it.
 
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Start with customer and employee friction instead of leading with new technology or features.
Employees need a voice in AI transformation because they see problems and opportunities leaders may miss.
Strong AI strategies require upfront planning around change management, governance, data, and accountability.
Leaders need to be honest about how AI will change jobs while also creating a vision for the new opportunities it can create.
Trust depends on knowing where AI can be used safely, what risks are acceptable, and where human oversight is essential.
 
WHAT I LOVE MOST…Alice brings the conversation back to something that can get lost in the rush toward AI: people. The technology may be new, but building trust still comes down to listening, transparency, good judgment, and putting people at the center of transformation.
 
Running Time: 27:02
 
Subscribe on iTunes
 
Find Tiffani Online:
LinkedIn
Facebook
X
  
Find Alice Online:
LinkedIn
Website
 
Alice's Book:
The Trust Algorithm: How Leaders Build Trust with Generative AI

How Great Teams Make Decisions with Ricardo Valerdi
Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 
My guest this week is Dr. Ricardo Valerdi. Ricardo has studied decision-making in some of very unique environments, from SpaceX and the U.S. Army to Major League Baseball and the NCAA. Ricardo is an engineer and a sports scientist professor at the University of Arizona, social entrepreneur, and author of the new book, The Five Tooled Team. His work challenges the idea that great decisions come from one brilliant leader and instead asks us to think about decision-making as a team capacity, something that can actually be designed, practiced and improved.
 
THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…leaders, managers, and teams looking to make better decisions, build stronger decision-making processes, and create space for diverse perspectives.
 
TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…we often think great decisions come down to having the smartest person, the most data, or the best technology in the room. Ricardo makes the case that it's really about having a good process and creating space for people to challenge assumptions, bring different perspectives, and ask better questions. In this conversation, he explains why leaders need to know which decisions deserve deep analysis and which ones can simply be made and adjusted along the way.
 
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Great decisions can still lead to bad outcomes. It's best to focus on the quality of the decision-making process.
The smartest person in the room can sometimes make a team less curious and less willing to challenge assumptions.
Most decisions are reversible, so they don't need the same time and energy as truly irreversible decisions.
Strong teams align around the "why" while giving people flexibility in how they get there.
 
WHAT I LOVE MOST…better decision-making isn't about having all the answers. It's about asking better questions, listening to people who see things differently, and being willing to say, "I may be wrong."
 
Running Time: 28:20
 
Subscribe on iTunes
 
Find Tiffani Online:
LinkedIn
Facebook
X
  
Find Ricardo Online:
LinkedIn
Website
 
Ricardo's Book:
The Five-Tool Team: Bringing Out the Best in People to Make Better Decisions

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 
   
This week I am looking back to a conversation I had with Alain Hunkins. Alain is a sought-after speaker, consultant, trainer, and coach. He is the author of the gound-breaking book about leadership, Cracking The Leadership Code. Over his twenty-year career, he has led over 2,000 groups in 25 countries himself. Alain's clients include Wal-Mart, Pfizer, Citigroup, General Electric, State Farm Insurance, IBM, General Motors, and Microsoft. He has designed and facilitated seminars on numerous leadership topics, including teambuilding, conflict management, communication, peak performance, innovation, engagement, and change. Alain serves on the faculty of Duke Corporate Education and has published over 400 articles on leadership. 
   
THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…leaders both new and old, aspiring and current! Anyone who wants to shorten the leadership learning curve and accelerate their growth. 
 
TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…why do people choose to do what they do? Where is the disconnect between intention and actual performance? Are we truly self-aware? Alain breaks down how we can crack the leadership code and how we can learn from great leaders as well as mediocre ones to get the best results! Alain is all about shortening the learning curve and accelerating your growth. He analyzes the principles and what he terms "shadow principles," to help you get there too. 
 
WHAT I LOVE MOST…this conversation is as relevant in 2026 as it was a few years back. Alain's leadership lessons are evergreen!
 
Running time: 29:07
  
Subscribe on iTunes 
 
Find Tiffani Online:
LinkedIn
Facebook
X
 
Find Alain Online:
LinkedIn 
X
Website
 
Alain's Book: Cracking the Leadership Code