What's Next! with Tiffani Bova

Hosted by Tiffani Bova

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383

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Nov 2026

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About the show

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast. I've met so many brilliant people as I traveled the globe and have had some fascinating conversations that I've wished had been recorded so I could share them with you - this podcast was a way for me to recreate those moments and let you in on some fantastic insights. My current conversations center around one objective: what's next for companies and individuals as they look to innovate and grow. I hope these conversations inspire you as much as they have inspired me. Whether I am preparing for a keynote speech or writing for publications such as Harvard Business Review and Huffington Post, these are my go-to people. My goal with the What's Next! podcast is to keep you thinking and to challenge you to think about What's Next!

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November 12, 202629 min

The Leadership Skills That Matter Most in the Age of AI with Liat Ben-Zur

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. This week, I'm joined by Liat Ben-Zur. Liat has spent more than three decades leading innovation and transformation at companies including Qualcomm, Philips, and Microsoft. At Microsoft, she helped revive Edge and led the launch of the first commercial GPT-4 experience with Bing. Today, she's an AI strategy and governance advisor, board director, and author of the forthcoming book The Bias Advantage. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…leaders navigating AI transformation who want to rethink how they lead, build trust with their teams, and turn AI adoption into meaningful business change. TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…AI can now do much of the work that organizations have traditionally used to measure competence, but that doesn't make leadership less important. Liat explains why judgment, curiosity, and the ability to question assumptions are becoming essential, and why people who have been overlooked by traditional systems may have an advantage. KEY TAKEAWAYS: AI is changing which leadership skills matter most, putting greater value on judgment and questioning assumptions. AI adoption won't deliver business results unless companies rethink how work gets done. Employees need to understand how AI will affect their roles and what opportunities it creates for them. AI is shifting who has access to information and the ability to influence decisions. Successful AI transformation requires a culture where people feel safe challenging AI and speaking up about risks. WHAT I LOVE MOST…AI may be changing the work, but it's also revealing what leadership has always needed: good judgment, the courage to question assumptions, and the ability to make room for perspectives that might otherwise be overlooked. Running Time: 29:52 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X Find Liat Online: LinkedIn Website Liat's Book: The Bias Advantage: How Unconventional Leaders Gain Power in an AI-Driven World

November 5, 202626 min

What Customers Say vs. What They Buy with Rob Snyder

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. My guest today is Rob Snyder. He's a serial entrepreneur, Harvard Innovation Labs fellow, former McKinsey consultant, investor and author of The Power of Pull. Rob has spent years studying why some ideas seem to get pulled into the market while other seemingly great products have to be pushed every step of the way. And his argument challenges some pretty fundamental assumptions about customers, product market fit, and even how we think about demand itself. I'm excited to have him on the show! THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…founders, product leaders, and marketers who want to understand what customers will actually buy and build products that generate real demand. TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…customers may say they like your idea, but that doesn't mean they'll pay for it. Rob explains why companies need to look beyond surveys and focus groups to understand what customers are actually trying to do, where their current options fall short, and what they're willing to buy. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Customer interest isn't the same as demand. Look for evidence that people are willing to buy. The strongest opportunities come from understanding what customers are trying to do that their existing tools can't help them accomplish. Sales should be a learning engine, not just a function responsible for convincing people to buy. Product-market fit often emerges through listening, observing, and adjusting what you bring to market. Leaders need to get closer to real customer conversations and use what they hear to challenge assumptions and guide product decisions. WHAT I LOVE MOST…you don't find product-market fit by convincing people to want what you've built. You find it by understanding what they already want to do and building something that helps them do it. Running Time: 26:04 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X Find Rob Online: LinkedIn The Physics of Startups Substack Website Rob's Book: The Power of Pull: What You Need to Know About Customer Demand to Build a Successful Startup

October 29, 202636 min

RELOAD: Building Your Courage and Lifting Your Voice with Gretchen Carlson

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

October 22, 202633 min

How to Reinvent Your Company With AI with Brian Solis and Dave Wright

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

October 15, 202627 min

Building Trust in the Age of AI with Alice Sesay Pope

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

October 8, 202628 min

How Great Teams Make Decisions with Ricardo Valerdi

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

October 1, 202629 min

RELOAD: Cracking the Leadership Code with Alain Hunkins

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

September 24, 202629 min

How AI Is Changing the Marketing Playbook with Kipp Bodnar

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. My guest this week is Kipp Bodnar, CMO of HubSpot, where he spent more than 15 years helping scale the company from startup to a global customer platform. He is also the host of Marketing Against The Grain. He also released a new book with Kieran Flanagan, Loop: Outlearn. Outmarket. Outgrow. where the authors explore how AI is changing the ways customers discover, evaluate, and ultimately choose. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…marketers, CMOs, and business leaders looking to rethink their growth strategy and adapt to AI. TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…AI is making it easier to create and distribute content at scale, but it's also raising the bar for what actually makes a brand stand out. Kipp explains why marketers need to move beyond chasing website traffic and instead focus on depth, faster learning, customer understanding, and distinctive ideas. Kipp argues that the future of marketing isn't about producing more but about knowing what matters and doing it exceptionally well. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Website traffic is no longer a reliable indicator of demand or revenue growth. AI makes depth, focus, and faster learning critical sources of competitive advantage. Great personalization requires strong customer data and a clear point of view. The brands that stand out will earn attention through distinctive ideas, not simply by generating more content. WHAT I LOVE MOST…AI may change how marketing gets done, but it doesn't change what makes great marketing great. The advantage belongs to the marketers who understand their customers, have something distinctive to say, and know how to turn great ideas into action. Running Time: 29:15 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X Find Kipp Online: LinkedIn Kipp's Book: Loop: Outlearn. Outmarket. Outgrow.

September 17, 202628 min

How to Think Different and Change the Game with Ron Johnson

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. Every once in a while, I get to sit across from someone who didn't just participate in an industry, but helped change what we expect from it. Ron Johnson is one of those people and I'm excited to have him as my guest. At Target, he helped bring great design to the mass market. At Apple, working alongside Steve Jobs, he created the Apple Store and helped reimagine a store as something much bigger than a place to buy things. He also has been the CEO of JCPenney and founder of Enjoy Technology. He has a new book out, Shop Different. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…entrepreneurs, founders, and business leaders looking to challenge conventional thinking, create differentiated experiences, and turn bold ideas into lasting business impact. TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…great businesses are about more than selling a product. Ron shares what he learned at Target, JCPenney, Apple about creating experiences that make people want to come back. He also talks about why leaders need both conviction and an open mind, and why the right people and culture are so important when you're trying to do something new. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Conviction matters, but leaders need to stay close to customer feedback and remain open to changing course. The best customer experiences start with a clear vision and an employee experience designed to support it. Differentiation isn't simply about being different, it's about creating something meaningfully better. Transforming a business requires the courage to think beyond what has worked in the past. The strongest brands create experiences that go beyond transactions and give people a reason to come back. WHAT I LOVE MOST…the best innovations don't always start with a goal of changing the world. They start with someone willing to think differently, do the work, and create something people genuinely value. Running Time: 28:05 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X Find Ron Online: LinkedIn Ron's Book: Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius

September 10, 202625 min

Leading Well Under Pressure with Caroline Webb

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. I'm excited to welcome Caroline Webb to the show this week. She is an economist, executive coach, former McKinsey partner and senior advisor to the firm, and the best-selling author of How to Have a Good Day. She's also been recognized by Thinkers 50 as one of the world's top executive coaches. Her new book, Leadership Intelligence, draws on psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral economics to tackle 21 of the everyday challenges leaders face. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…leaders and managers looking to lead more effectively under pressure, communicate with greater intention, and turn good leadership knowledge into better everyday behavior. TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…knowing what good leadership looks like is one thing; practicing it when you're tired, stressed, or under pressure is another. Caroline explains how stress affects our ability to think and respond well, and shares practical ways leaders can pause, ask better questions, give clear feedback, and stay connected to what matters. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Stress and fatigue can make good leadership much harder to access in the moment. Small habits can help leaders respond thoughtfully instead of reacting. Better questions create space for people to share concerns and different perspectives. Clear, specific feedback is a form of kindness, not a lack of empathy. Taking a pause can lead to better decisions and better leadership. WHAT I LOVE MOST…great leadership isn't about being perfect. It's about building the habits that help you respond with intention when it would be much easier to react. Running Time: 25:35 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X Find Caroline Online: LinkedIn Website Caroline's Book: Leadership Intelligence: Science-Backed Strategies for Mastering 21 Everyday Management Challenges