Author Archives: Nick Westergaard

I’m a runner. I’m not fast, but like Forrest Gump, I will keep running, so in school I found my way to cross-country and track. As a grown-up juggling jobs and five kids, running became an important anxiety-management tool.

The brands we build are shaped by the cultures we build around them. But what happens when the culture tells you that parts of who you are don’t quite belong? Arturo Nunez has worked inside some of the world’s most … Read More →

What happens when a brand that once mattered stops mattering? Joey Shamah has spent more than two decades answering that question, from co-founding e.l.f. Cosmetics to building AS Beauty Group through the acquisition and reinvention of brands like Laura Geller, … Read More →

What happens to an organization when people stop believing in themselves? Dr. Cindra Kampoff is a confidence researcher and performance psychology expert who has worked with Minnesota Vikings players and Olympic athletes. Her new best-selling book, The Confidence Habit, explores … Read More →

What happens to your voice when everyone has AI helping them find the right words? Gina London, an Emmy-winning former CNN correspondent and author of Amplify You, has coached tens of thousands of professionals around the world on communicating with … Read More →

Before the first Apple Store opened, the experts said it would fail within a year. But Ron Johnson saw a different story. As the retail pioneer who worked directly alongside Steve Jobs to build the Apple Store from scratch, Ron … Read More →

In preparing for the launch of another podcast, Hoover 360, I’ve been embracing my identity as a plaque-reading history dad. While I’d love to take credit for this turn of phrase, it actually came from my kids.

What if the biggest threat to your organization isn’t disruption from the outside, but the way you operate inside? Tom Dennis argues that many companies have become overcontrolled and disconnected from the things that make organizations resilient: trust, adaptability, and … Read More →

AI may be everywhere, but Brian Herr says the technology itself isn’t the competitive advantage. The real moat, he argues, is data, distribution, and trust. As founder and CEO of Starting Blocks and managing partner at HHI Advisory Group, Brian … Read More →

Leaders have more advice, tools, and resources than ever. So why are so many still overwhelmed? Don Gregori says we’ve been missing the bigger picture. He’s the COO of First Factory and author of The Emergent Leader, a book about … Read More →