Your Working Life

Lori Rosenkopf is the Simon and Midge Palley Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. As Vice Dean for Entrepreneurship, she serves as Wharton’s faculty director for Venture Lab, Penn’s home for student entrepreneurs, and also their San Francisco campus. In a prior role as Vice Dean of Wharton’s Undergraduate Division, she introduced a new curriculum and developed experiential classwork in the tech sector. For over thirty years, Rosenkopf has taught entrepreneurship and management of technology to more than 20,000 high schoolers, undergraduates, MBAs, and executives, connecting these learners to many of the most entrepreneurial alumni at Wharton and Penn through treks, panels, and classes. Rosenkopf was named a Best Undergraduate Professor by Poets and Quants, and has received multiple awards for her teaching, including Wharton’s prestigious David Hauck Award for Distinguished Teaching. Rosenkopf has published more than thirty articles on technological communities and social networks in top management journals, and she is a Fellow of the Academy of Management. Rosenkopf received her PhD in Management of Organizations from Columbia University, her MS in Operations Research from Stanford University, and her BS in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering from Cornell University. She worked as a systems engineer at AT&T Bell Laboratories and Eastman Kodak between her degrees. Rosenkopf lives in Philadelphia with her partner, Allan, and their dog, Winston.   Book: Unstoppable Entrepreneurs: 7 Paths for Unleashing Successful Startups and Creating Value through Innovation (April 22, 2025)   UNSTOPPABLE ENTREPRENEURS 7 Paths for Unleashing Successful Startups and Creating Value through Innovation   By Lori Rosenkopf   Discover your own path to entrepreneurship and make your mark in the world In a world where entrepreneurship often seems to be driven by tech prodigies and venture-backed unicorns, many aspiring entrepreneurs find themselves wondering: “What if I don’t fit the stereotype of a Silicon Valley wunderkind? Is there a place for me in this landscape?”   In Unstoppable Entrepreneurs, Lori Rosenkopf, Vice Dean of Entrepreneurship at The Wharton School, shatters these limiting perceptions, revealing a diverse array of entrepreneurial paths that are open to anyone with the drive to create value through innovation. Drawing from her thirty-year career and interactions with more than 20,000 students, Rosenkopf offers a compelling roadmap for entrepreneurial success. From Amy Errett’s disruption of the hair care industry with Madison Reed to Jarrid Tingle’s mission to diversify venture funding through Harlem Capital, the book showcases a rich tapestry of founders who have carved their own unique paths. These inspiring stories reveal that entrepreneurship is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor, but a realm of possibilities limited only by one’s imagination and determination. In Unstoppable Entrepreneurs, readers will discover: + 7 distinct entrepreneurial paths, from disruptors to intrapreneurs; + The 6 Rs of entrepreneurial success; + Insights for navigating the inevitable setbacks and challenges; + Strategies for overcoming biases and obstacles in securing funding and support; and + Tools for developing an entrepreneurial mindset, regardless of background or industry.   Entrepreneurs play a crucial role in driving innovation and economic growth. Among them are a special breed of individuals often referred to as "unstoppable entrepreneurs" - individuals with a relentless drive, unwavering determination, and an unshakeable belief in their vision. These unstoppable entrepreneurs are not deterred by challenges but instead see them as opportunities for growth and learning. They possess a unique resilience that propels them forward, even in the face of adversity. Their willingness to take risks, think outside the box, and push boundaries sets them apart in the business world.   Empowering these unstoppable entrepreneurs is essential to shaping the future. By providing them with the resources, support, and network they need, we can catalyze their impact and accelerate their journey towards success. These individuals are the drivers of change, the creators of new opportunities, and the visionaries shaping tomorrow's business landscape. Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur with a groundbreaking idea, a seasoned business owner looking to scale, or an employee seeking to drive innovation within your organization, this essential read will challenge your assumptions, unleash your entrepreneurial potential, and inspire you to make your mark in the world.   LinkedIn Twitter  

Abby Davisson episode:  Quickening by malictusmusic (source: Free Music Archive) (CC BY)  Abby Davisson is an author, speaker, and award-winning leader obsessed with holistic decision-making (the kind that takes multiple bottom lines into account). After spending two decades making change from within existing organizations, she launched her own, focused on helping leaders make smart choices for lasting success in work and life. The book she co-wrote with Stanford Professor and labor economist Myra Strober, Money and Love: An Intelligent Roadmap for Life's Biggest Decisions, was called “brilliant” by professional poker player Annie Duke; named a top business book of 2023; and is required reading at Stanford's Graduate School of Business. Prior to launching the Money and Love Institute®, Abby’s professional experience included strategy-focused roles in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, including a decade at Gap Inc. where she led the Gap Foundation and co-founded the company’s employee resource group for working parents. Abby holds a BA from Yale University (from which she graduated summa cum laude) and an MBA and MA in Education from Stanford University. She lives with her husband and two sons in San Francisco, where she serves on the board of Children’s Day School. She’s also an aspiring tennis player, dark chocolate fan, and resale shopping maven. You can learn more about her at www.abbydavisson.com.   Social media links: ·       LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbydavisson/ ·       Substack: https://abbydavisson.substack.com ·       Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abby.davisson/

Distances by Beat Mekanik, via Free Music Archive (CC BY)    Wes Adams is the CEO of SV Consulting Group. He partners with Fortune 500s and scaling companies to develop high-impact leaders and design operating structures that support high performing teams. He is also a positive psychology researcher at the University of Pennsylvania where he studies the leadership practices and organizational structures that help employees thrive. He lives in Atlanta, GA.  LinkedIn  Website   Tamara Myles is a speaker, author, professor, and entrepreneur specializing in the science of human flourishing at work. She helps leaders and organizations like Microsoft, KPMG, and MassMutual unlock the power of meaningful work to drive peak performance, innovation, and resilience. A faculty member at Boston College and a researcher and instructor at the University of Pennsylvania, Tamara’s work challenges assumptions about work, showing that when leaders make work meaningful, they create thriving teams and lasting impact. She lives in Concord, Massachusetts. LinkedIn  Website Book: Meaningful Work: How to Ignite Passion and Performance in Every Employee   We’re in the middle of the most significant transformation in work in over a century. Whether it’s remote work, the rise of burnout and “quiet quitting,” or the changing values and priorities of employees, leading an organization has never been more complex. But through all this, a single factor remains the core driver of fulfilled, high-performing teams—their belief that their work has meaning.     In Meaningful Work, Wes Adams and Tamara Myles, advisers to some of the world’s most successful companies, leverage the science of positive psychology to show leaders why and how to make meaning the cornerstone of leadership practice. It is a practical playbook based on decades of research, including their own groundbreaking multi-year study of meaning at work, and stories from leaders you already admire and others that will surprise and inspire you.   The book reveals that high engagement, happiness, productivity, and financial performance from employees are all outcomes of helping them find meaning at work. And that every job can be meaningful when leaders create a workplace culture that focuses on the three Cs: Community, Contribution, and Challenge.   Whether you lead a team of call center workers, care professionals, cycling instructors, or corporate executives, this book will show you how to take small actions each day to inspire passion and performance in every employee. Questions/topics: What is meaningful work and why is it so important? What are the biggest misconceptions about meaningful work? How can leaders create an environment where employees can find meaningful work? How does the “Three C” framework (Community, Contribution and Challenge) factor into meaningful work? How can leaders address employees’ different generational or cultural needs when it comes to meaningful work? How does meaningful work help a company’s bottom line? What happens to an organization that fails to offer meaningful work? Why is the onboarding process so crucial in creating an environment for meaningful work? What’s your prediction for meaningful work in the future?            

Karen Freeman is Chief Product Officer at DCM Insights and one of the authors of the Activator research published in Harvard Business Review, titled "What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently."  That article was named one of HBR’s top 10 reads of 2025. At DCMi, she is one of the global faculty and responsible for the company’s training products and diagnostics.  She has delivered the Activator research and training programs across the globe to clients in the legal, consulting, accounting, and talent advisory sectors. Before joining DCMi, Karen was head of digital & analytics learning for generalist consultants at McKinsey & Company. She led a team upskilling roughly 17,000 consultants globally in topics including advanced analytics modeling, leading digital transformations, and agile methodology. Prior to McKinsey, Karen spent 13 years at Corporate Executive Board (CEB) in research and learning & development roles. There, she led three best practice membership organizations, developing insights, advice, and benchmarks for Global 1000 functional heads in marketing, sales, and customer service. Much of the company's highest-impact research was spearheaded by the teams that Karen created. Several were published in Harvard Business Review and became the subject of two best-selling business books (The Challenger Sale and The Effortless Experience). Later, as Head of CEB University, Karen oversaw development and delivery of training sessions for more than 10,000 participants worldwide in sales, insight & advisory, and corporate roles. Karen has an A.B from Harvard and an MBA from MIT, plays cello and piano, and currently lives in Arlington, VA with her husband and two children. Book promo: Today’s professional services sector faces sharp declines in client loyalty. And the “trusted advisor” model, once the gold standard in business development, no longer stands up to rapidly changing client expectations.  A groundbreaking new study - The Rainmaker Genome Project – surveyed nearly 3,000 partners at professional services firms in law, accounting, consulting, executive search, investment banking, and PR, and revealed five profiles in business development (Experts, Confidants, Realists, and Activators).   THE ACTIVATOR ADVANTAGE: What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently (HBR Press, 5/20/25) reveals why only one of these profiles—the Activator—consistently drives growth and profitability to win, retain, and grow client relationships in today’s disruptive environment. Co-Authors: Matthew Dixon, Rory Channer, Karen Freeman, Ted McKenna The authors explore the keys to winning and growing relationships:  ·         Behaviors: characterized by Commit, Connect, and Create. ·         Habits: engagement strategies from developing relationships to managing stakeholders. ·         Mindsets: self-determined, resilient, and focused on client needs. ·         Pivot Points: optimizing key moments like initial contact, pitching, negotiation, and navigating setbacks to build stronger relationships.    Activators deeply embed business development strengths into their daily workflow, proactively leverage their networks and deliver value to clients—ensuring longer-lasting, more engaged relationships while preventing uncertain client buying behaviors.   Socials: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenefreeman/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/dcm-insights/  

Mark Fava episode:      Liberosis (Instrumental) by Nihilore, via Free Music Archive (CC BY)    Mark C. Fava is an author, retired Navy officer, and an aviation lawyer. He currently works as a Vice president at The Boeing Company. Fava flew as a Naval Flight Officer and Mission Commander in the P-3 Orion, accumulating more than 3,000 flight hours, tracking Soviet submarines during the Cold War. He retired in 2015 from the Navy Reserve as a Captain.  He has led a national aviation law practice at a major law firm. From 2001 to 2004, he worked as the Chief Operations Attorney for Delta Air Lines. He began his legal career as a federal judicial law clerk in Charleston. His first book Lessons from the Admiral, Naval Wisdom and Sea Stories for Leaders, was published in January 2025 and is an Amazon Bestseller. He is an entertaining speaker and lecturer.

Kweilin Ellingrud episode:      Glass Structures by Unheard Music Concepts, via Free Music Archive (CC BY)    Kweilin Ellingrud is McKinsey's Chief Diversity Officer and a director of the McKinsey Global Institute, based in Minneapolis. As a senior partner at McKinsey, she has led research on the topics of gender equality, racial equity, generative AI, the future of work, and global competitiveness. She also serves clients in financial services across strategy and operational transformations. She is the co-author of THE BROKEN RUNG: When the Career Ladder Breaks for Women--and How They Can Succeed in Spite of It, with fellow McKinsey senior partners Lareina Yee and María del Mar Martínez. Book Promo: The broken rung is more pervasive than the glass ceiling in holding women back from career success. Three McKinsey senior partners offer strategies for overcoming it and fulfilling your potential. Women around the world do extremely well when it comes to their education. They graduate at higher rates than men and have higher average GPAs. But then a strange thing happens: upon entering the workforce, they immediately lose their advantage. When the first promotions come around, the slide continues. For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 81 women overall and 77 women of color get promoted. This is what McKinsey senior partners Kweilin Ellingrud, Lareina Yee, and María del Mar Martínez call "the broken rung," and its effects compound throughout women's careers, causing them to fall behind at the start and keeping them from catching up. In this groundbreaking book, the authors reveal the problem's underlying cause: while about half of a person's lifetime earnings come from education and half from work experience, men get more value from their experience than women do. It is also here, in one's work experience, that the solution lies: women need to build their "experience capital" to level the playing field and maximize their earning potential. The book combines over a decade of research, personal conversations with more than fifty remarkable leaders, and the authors' own rich experiences as leaders at McKinsey. They weave data on the potential pitfalls with inspiring and instructive stories of women who have climbed over the broken rung using strategies that increased their experience capital. Leaders and companies must do more to address gender inequalities in the workplace. But you don't have to wait. The Broken Rung is your guide, right now, for moving up the career ladder and reaching your full potential at work. Questions or topics of discussion: What is the broken rung? How does it compare to the glass ceiling?  What is experience capital? How does it impact one's ability to advance in their career and increase their earnings?  What advice do you have for young women looking for their first entry level job?  You recommend making frequent job moves early in one's career to gain experience capital. Do you advise changing companies or roles within an organization? Why is it important?  You highlight the dangers of the broken rung to those in the first few years of their career, but you reveal it's never too late in one’s career to gain experience capital. How can women accelerate their well-established careers? How can women make motherhood an experience capital escalator? Why is it often seen as a career derail? What questions should women ask themselves to help accelerate their career and build experience capital? What do you hope readers take away from this book? Social media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kweilinmellingrud/  

Steve is a visual artist whose work has been displayed in numerous galleries, juried exhibitions, and prestigious corporate art spaces. He’s planning on transitioning to full-time artist from managing the creative side of a web design firm he founded 25 years ago. Previously, Steve had engaged in numerous careers: media training, tech journalism, book writing (he penned more than 50 solo titles and collaborations, including a million-copy, bestselling parenting book). He was also the founder of a successful ad agency and founder of numerous ill-conceived small businesses that failed miserably. Prior to striking out on his own, Steve had intended to become an academic in the field of ancient Chinese science and technology. But after receiving his masters in East Asian studies from Harvard, he decided that academia was not for him. From the outside, his professional life seems to be a maze of disparate paths; from the inside, it’s all logical stepping stones.  Topics: What I’ve Learned from 50+ years of Making a Living as an Entrepreneur 1.     “Accidental” vs “intentional” transitions; riding the currents vs steering the boat. 2.     Being receptive to career/entrepreneurial opportunities—even when you’re not looking for one. My train station metaphor. 3.     ABN: Always Be Networking! Networking as a “long-tail” activity. 4.     Don’t believe that if you do what you love the money will follow. It often doesn’t. 5.     Hope and blind optimism are not strategies for success. Get real. 6.     Everyone fails along the way. Failure is a great teacher. But it still sucks. If failure will rock your self-esteem, travel a safer path. 7.     Retirement is a four-letter word. Wearing out vs rusting out. Think encore career. 8.     Choosing visual arts as an “encore” career entails unique challenges. The solution: treat it like any other kind of business in terms of promotion and marketing, tactics, and strategies.   Social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebennettvisualartist/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/sjbennettvisualartist/ X: https://x.com/sjbennettvisual  

  Anjali Sharma The music used in this episode is Upstream Color by Mark Wilson X Source: Free Music Archive (CC BY)    Website: https://narrative.com.sg/storytelling/blog/author/anjali/ Anjali Sharma is the founder of Narrative: The Business of Stories and is one of the most sought-after keynote speakers trusted by international brands seeking guidance on finding, developing, and using their stories to make a dynamic change happen. Sharma works with private and government organizations to determine what their individual and unique business challenges are, and by incorporating story skills, she crafts individualized solutions to help solve those challenges. She is based in Singapore.   Anjali Sharma introduces leaders and ambitious influencers to the Who, Why and How of strategic storytelling in business, enabling them bring about change and drive corporate success by telling exactly the right story in the right way.   Book: Strategic Storytelling: Why Some Stories Drive Your Success at Work and Others Don’t   In today's connection economy, the most successful leaders inspire their people with purpose and meaning. Powerful corporate storytelling can mobilise people around an organisational objective in a way that a focus on market share never will. Be it a digital transformation or a diversity and inclusion initiative, corporate change needs the support of the people in that organisation in order to stick. Yet, while all stories can move people to take action, storytelling isn't a one size fits all. The most effective influencers learn to flex their narrative based on the audience's time or their level of expertise. A story that works on the stage doesn't work in the boardroom A story that works in the boardroom doesn't work in a team meeting A story that works in a team meeting doesn't work in a one-to-one conversation A story that works in one-to-one conversation doesn't work in sales... Socials: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjali-sharma-i-strategic-storytelling%E2%84%A2%EF%B8%8F-4973a642/?originalSubdomain=sg Twitter: https://x.com/anjsharmaaa?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anjalistories/    

  Website: https://secure.ice/?https://www.crushyourmoneygoals.com/ BERNADETTE JOY isn’t just another financial expert—she is a passionate advocate for financial literacy and empowerment and a sought-after financial coach and speaker. Having paid off $300,000 in debt by age 37 she is a living testament to the power of smart money habits having achieved a net worth of $1 million in her 30s as a first-generation Filipina-American. Bernadette’s story is proof that anyone can take control of their finances and thrive. Since launching Crush Your Money Goals® in 2020, she has impacted thousands of people nationwide, offering down-to-earth financial education that’s both fun and relatable. Bernadettes has been featured in Forbes, on CNBC, ACCESS Hollywood, Good Morning America, Publishers Weekly, and recognized as one of The 25 Most Influential New Voices of Money, Now with CRUSH Your Money Goals, she’s making financial education more accessible, actionable and enjoyable than ever before. Book promo: Financial coach and debt-crushing expert Bernadette Joy reveals 25 game-changing habits that will help you save more, invest smarter, and fast-track your wealth journey in her just released book: CRUSH YOUR MONEY GOALS - packed with practical no-nonsense strategies like her $1 rule. Packed with practical no-nonsense strategies like the $1 rule, along with real-world advise on overcoming financial fears and breaking free from debt, this book empowers readers to make smarter decisions with their money. Bernadette’s step-by-step habits aren’t just for getting by – they’re for getting ahead. Whether you are learning how to budget, save for the future, or invest with confidence, CRUSH Your Money Goals provides you with the tools to transform your financial life. Social: ·      Twitter: Profile / X ·      IG Bernadette Joy Cruz Maulion (@bernadebtjoy) • Instagram photos and videos ·      LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernadebtjoy/

Jacqueline Carter is an international partner and leads Potential Project in North America. She has worked across industries with top companies including Cisco, Disney, Accenture, Kimberly-Clark, and Royal Bank of Canada to navigate the challenges of leadership and successfully implement complex changes for large organizations. She is the coauthor, with Rasmus Hougaard, of Compassionate Leadership and The Mind of the Leader. Book: More Human: How the Power of AI Can Transform the Way You Lead by Jacqueline Carter and Rasmus Hougaard (NOTE: co-author)  AI has the potential to transform leadership and business—or to lead us toward an automated and uninspiring work experience. Which will it be? Humans have always been good at inventing tools that change the way we live and work, but not always good at adapting to those changes. The internet has given us instant access to gigabytes of data and yet has made us more distracted. Social media has enabled constant connection to our networks and yet it can also alienate or isolate us. What impact will the phenomenal growth of AI ultimately have on our life and work? So far, that question has mostly prompted a wave of anxiety about the disappearance of jobs and the loss of humanity in our work lives. But as founder and managing partner of Potential Project Rasmus Hougaard and senior partner Jacqueline Carter show in this essential book, that's a very limited perspective, leaving out a crucial point: AI has the power to transform leadership for the better. The key is in how leaders use it. The authors conducted in-depth interviews with more than a hundred CEOs and executives across a range of industries, met with top AI experts, and completed 360-degree surveys of scores of leaders and employees worldwide. They found that by thoughtfully delegating tasks to AI and using it to augment skills and behaviors, leaders can unlock a truly human experience of work while enhancing organizational performance. The AI-augmented leader moves beyond a focus on the technology itself to constantly probe how it can strengthen the core qualities of human-centered leadership: awareness, wisdom, and compassion. In this way, AI can help leaders and organizations become more human. With deep insight and rigorous research, More Human will help leaders navigate our AI-enabled future. >>> Article in Harvard Business Review: “The Best Leaders Can’t Be Replaced by AI” Social media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelinecarter1/