The Influence Ecology podcast features case studies, stories and lessons from business owners, executives, and entrepreneurs and is followed by ambitious professionals in 70 countries and counting.
The Influence Ecology Podcast is hosted by Co-Founder and CEO John Patterson.
Cory Shepherd – Welcome to Your Brain
We all think we know more than we actually do. Do you know how paper is made? How does a toilet work? How about a pen? Our species has produced sophisticated technologies, cities, and accomplishments, but most of us don’t honestly know how these things work. How can we aspire to so much despite understanding so little? Perhaps genius is instead found in the ways we co-opt the intelligence of the social ecology: Our collaborative minds enable us to aspire to great things. In the 2017 book The Knowledge Illusion, cognitive scientists Steven Sloman and Philip Fernbach argue that we…
John Severson – Some Possibilities Are Dangerous
Swimming in possibilities and excitement might be more detrimental than we think. As a biological ‘exchange animal,’ our moods and transactions are inextricably linked. We read or mimic the moods of others faster than we recognize their words. We've all learned the hard way that a text or email can't include the wordless cues like mood, body language, appearance, inflection, and more. Might we sometimes produce moods that are inappropriate for transacting? John Severson, of Severson Compass & Associates, a Los Angeles-based travel and venue company, offers a case study in the dangers of being oriented around too many possibilities.…
Jenn Oliver – Put Your Oxygen Mask On First
Jenn Oliver, Senior Director of Service for the Academic Division at the University of Virginia, has learned a valuable lesson about what we refer to as "putting the mask on first." Before her study with Influence Ecology, primarily, other people's needs informed her plans. Her work was oriented only around doing for others, leaving her overwhelmed and aimless. Like many people, she was waiting for others to notice her value and reward her accordingly. She now takes care of herself and her aims first before assisting others. She's learned to decline requests, respect her own aims, and spend time on…
Simon Chesney – From Talented Generalist to Agile Specialist
Simon Chesney's journey is a case study in the benefits of evolving from a talented generalist to a unique specialist. He's learned that specialization and differentiation can help him build a valued identity and that it’s possible to incorporate and combine his past experiences and expertise with his newly acquired specialized knowledge. Simon Chesney is an Enterprise Agile Coach for Western Digital, an American Fortune 200 data storage company headquartered in San Jose, California. Agile Development refers to a group of software development methodologies based on iterative development, where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing cross-functional teams. Subscribe to Podcast…
Matthew Jackson – Slow Down to Speed Up
Ever found inspiration in the William H. Murray quote: "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it! Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it”? How about this one by Daniel Burnham: "Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood and probably themselves will not be realized"? While these statements do seem to inspire action, perhaps boldness for its own sake is overrated . . . or a bit too, well, magical. Maybe there are other ways to stir men's blood. Perhaps there is a balance of dreaming and pragmatism that in fact speeds…
Kirkland Tibbels – Founding Transactionalism
Influence Ecology launched its first podcast episode in August of 2016 and saw our listener base grow to 70 countries and counting. This episode is our 50th, and my special guest is Influence Ecology's very own Kirkland Tibbels. You often hear him on the Guru Talk that underscores the primary point of each episode. Today, we get to learn about his own journey, the founding of this philosophy, and why transactional competence matters—especially now. Kirkland Tibbels is co-founder and chairman of Influence Ecology—an international education company specializing in the field of transactional competence. Kirkland and his colleagues comprise an international collective…
Sarah Shepherd – Always an Aspect, Never an Entity
Is it better to be more selfless or more selfish? If you're like most people, you probably treat one of these behaviors as the more preferred way to act. But have you ever considered that in either case, someone gets reciprocally dismissed? Those too selfless can leave others enabled while devaluing themselves; those too selfish can leave others neglected while isolating themselves. Is there a healthy balance . . . perhaps a middle ground? Like many people, Sarah Shepherd discovered that her desire to lead a good and virtuous life eventually proved too selfless to meet her aims for health, work,…
Karl Strand – The Guardian of Standards
Who keeps us from falling off the proverbial cliff? While some are naturally inclined to dream new ideas and others can't help but build new relationships, there is a segment of society whose entire focus and role are to protect us from our poorly constructed shortcuts. This typically skeptical personality recognizes that nothing around us is a coincidence; things are either poorly designed or built to exacting standards. Often shamed for not seeing the world as ‘glass-half-full,’ this transactional personality plays the vital role in offering the evidence required to lay claim to facts. Karl Strand founded his consultancy by…
Drew Knowles – Embrace Your Naïveté
We all can observe naïveté in others, but can we identify it in ourselves? As a poster child for ambition, Drew Knowles is a case study in embracing his naïveté. This episode describes and demonstrates what we mean by the term State of Mind: the state or condition of one’s thinking or knowing. We address four primary states of mind—despair, naïveté, adult, and ambitious adult—and the importance of learning to acknowledge the condition of your own ambition. Drew Knowles is Vice President and Partner of Influence Ecology and is responsible for sales for our enterprise worldwide. Subscribe to Podcast Podcast…
Johnny Washington – I Took Too Many Risks
With an aim to make the most money he could, Johnny Washington, from McKinney, Texas, acknowledges that he used to take way too many risks. Amped on the rush-to-action tendencies typical of the idea-oriented personality, he thought he could do just about anything he imagined. He produced many significant breakdowns, and burdened by some of his choices says, "I still don’t see a clear way out." Armed with transactional competence, he's now thinking accurately about how his choices will affect his Conditions of Life, and he's compressed his sales cycle from arduous meetings lasting hours and weeks into a simplified…
Special Episode: Faculty Dinner with the CEO
Our 2018 Annual Member Conference in Los Cabos included a podcast episode dinner with a few members of our faculty. You'll hear from Vice President Drew Knowles, Dr. Gary Ward, James Walls, Marne Power, and Suzanne Pool—five faculty from five different countries—as we dialogue about why Influence Ecology has become their tribe and speculate on the possibilities the future may have in store for our education and its role in people's lives and society. Subscribe to Podcast Podcast Bonuses: The Influence Ecology Faculty Represented: John Patterson - Co-Founder and CEO, Ventura, California Drew Knowles - Vice President, Auckland, New Zealand Marne Power -…
Tara Collison, Ph.D. – The Conceit of Independence
Always willing to help, but never able to ask for it, Tara Collison's journey as a student of Influence Ecology is a useful case study in the conceit of independence. She discovered that her ‘independence’ was merely ego and that this view and the subsequent actions alienated others, left her exhausted, and had long-term consequences to her finances, health, and family. Now eager to discover more of her flaws, warts, and vulnerabilities, she's currently collaborating to expand her newly branded consultancy, Meddlers. As "Chief Meddler," Tara blends her two decades of experience working in the Fortune 50 and her training…
