Robbie Samuels hosts the On the Schmooze podcast and today he released his conversation with me, “Leadership Through Living.”

I love that, unlike many podcasters, he enjoys the conversation and has fun, not just asks questions.

Listen to the conversation

Listen to the conversation

Robbie’s show notes:

Today’s guest is an “astrophysicist turned new media whiz” who has earned five Ivy League degrees and holds six patents. He helped build an X-ray observational satellite for NASA, and has co-founded and led several ventures.

A serious athlete, he has completed six marathons and competed at the World and National level of Ultimate Frisbee. He has swam across the Hudson River, and has done burpees every day for six years, 90,000 and counting.

Although his passions are dramatically diverse, his dedication to excellence in them all has established him as a thought leader in fields that include science, invention, entrepreneurship, art, leadership, coaching, and education.

My guest co-founded Submedia, which brought to market one of his inventions – a technology to display motion pictures for subway riders to enjoy between stations, thereby pioneering the field of commercial in-tunnel media. Submedia has grown worldwide to install dozens of displays in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

His book “Leadership Step by Step” is a powerful and practical guide to help readers cultivate key abilities, behaviors, and beliefs through experience. This isn’t your run of the mill leadership book.

Please join me in welcoming Josh Spodek.

Would you leave an honest rating and review on iTunes? Or Stitcher? They are extremely helpful and I read each and everyone of them. Thanks for the inspiration!

In this episode we explore:

• how he defines leadership: “To influence at least one other person to achieve a common goal.”
• his poor people skills early in his career was a blind spot that led to him losing his company and a humbling “ah ha!” moment in business school.
• not being born with leadership skills doesn’t mean you can’t acquire them – through experiential learning. “You can’t read to get integrity. No amount of lectures you can listen to to get persistence.”no
• the challenge of communicating how different his leadership lessons are from traditional learning. Curious? Watch this video: NYU Students Speak About Joshua Spodek’s Entrepreneurship and Leadership Courses.
• how work/life balance is a misnomer – Keith Richards doesn’t worry about work/life balance, he loves what he does all of the time.

What were the key takeaways you plan to put into practice this week and benefit from for years to come? Share your thoughts in the comments.

LINKS

• Josh Spodek on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Special gift from Josh: Meaningful Connections Matter, learn to connect meaningfully with anyone, any time, and FAST! This is the most popular exercise from Josh’s Leadership Step by Step Course. It works for anyone, even if you’re an introvert. Includes bonus videos and an excerpt of his book “Leadership Step by Step”
• www.joshuaspodek.com
• www.spodekacademy.com
• Leadership and the Environment podcast hosted by Josh Spodek

Books mentioned in this episode:

• “Leadership Step by Step: Become the Person Others Follow” by Josh Spodek
• “Croissants vs. Bagels: Strategic, Effective, and Inclusive Networking at Conferences” – by Robbie Samuels
• “Give and Take” – by Adam Grant

Listen to the conversation

From Robbie’s about page:

I’m so pleased you are taking the time to get to know more about me. Since 2009, I’ve led engaging and fun presentations for a wide array of audiences to increase their confidence when it comes to relationship-building – whether through networking, fundraising, intercultural communication, or sales. My clients have included Marriott International, Cornell University, and PA Consulting to name a few. I’ve been recognized as a networking expert by Inc. and Lifehacker.

My background is in social justice and issue advocacy. In 2006, I founded Socializing for Justice (SoJust), a nearly 3,000 member grassroots cross-cultural, cross-issue progressive community and network in Boston based on the philosophies of abundance and radical inclusion.

In recognition of my social justice work, Boston City Council named my birthday “Robbie Samuels Day” in 2011 and I was profiled in Stand Out: How to Find Your Breakthrough Idea and Build a Following Around It by Dorie Clark [Portfolio/Penguin Press 2015].

In December 2014, after 10 event seasons as the Senior Manager of Events and Donor Engagement at Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), I became a full-time speaker and consultant.

I help leaders stop wasting time networking and start build great relationships through my signature session, Art of the Schmooze.

What message do you want to share with your audience? I’ll work with you to develop the perfect keynote or session.

I’m a big believer in sharing resources and will be adding content to this website that will help you create stronger connections. Is there something in particular you’d like to learn about? Just ask!

Best,
Robbie

Listen to the conversation

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