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Arik and Derek Johnson will be talking with friends and industry leaders documenting their ‘running into the fog’ journeys, navigating the unknown and under-certainties they’ve had to cope with in their professional and personal lives. This podcast is for established business leaders and emerging entrepreneurs who are interested in developing strategies to adapt to competitive and market forces around them, enabling them to reposition consistently when conditions warrant. Getting comfortable with discomfort, the Johnson Brothers are here to champion your cause and help you see the path forward.
Episodes
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Joining us on the show today is John Olszowka, Dean at Mercyhurst University. This episode is for all you history geeks out there!
As a professor of history, John’s passion for the past started with simply interviewing his grandmother for a college project as a student himself years ago. But that experience opened his eyes to his true calling in life, and now he hopes to do the same for his students, whatever education path that might be.
Today’s show topics include students entering college versus the trades, how the war in Ukraine is shaping the arc of the global economy, and why it matters to love what you do.
Quotes
- “There’s this tendency at times, and I fell prey to that, where you start to look and say, ‘Okay, what’s this going to translate into a job for me’ and not thinking about ‘I’m going to be doing this for 40 years, am I going to truly enjoy it?’.” (13:24-13:35)
- “I think with this generation what we’re starting to see is students coming out of high school that are evaluating, ‘Is college for me, what paths do I have?’. I think that those opportunities are there for people who want to see them, but they’re certainly growing I would say.” (7:36-7:50)
- “I took the next class on the Byzantine empire thinking that’ll eradicate any interest I have in history at that point. But I was just drawn to it.” (17:03-17:12)
Arik JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/arikjohnson/
Derek JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-johnson-cfa-190893/
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
“This book project needs to get done” is how Derek Johnson put it. That’s right, the Jo Bros are writing a book together. Who better than to have on the podcast today than close colleague and friend, Dr. Craig Fleisher? With over 16 authored books to his name, Craig is a treasure trove of wisdom for anyone interested in writing a book.
It’s not easy, even for an experienced author. But with his years of practice, Craig has keyed in on six specific points to hit if you want anyone to actually read your work. Even with many difficult obstacles and impediments, Craig says “They’re all surmountable.”
Tune in as we take a closer look into what is driving Arik and Derek on this journey to put pen to paper. Filled with personal backstories, authentic authorship advice, and the vision of the upcoming book, you can’t miss this episode!
Quotes
- “The hardest thing about writing a book is getting the first chapter done” (25:37 -25:42
- “You gotta do something that you’re compelled to do, and that will compel your readers to do something.” (20:03 - 20:08)
- “Knowing who you want to read your books and what you want those people to do both during, and then after they consume your book is a critical piece for the author to plan around upfront.” (13:19 - 13:33)
Arik JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/arikjohnson/
Derek JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-johnson-cfa-190893/
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Have you ever wondered what truly drives you to get out of bed and go to work every Monday? Or why some people genuinely enjoy that process, while others dread it? Author Samuel “Skip” Halbern has pondered these questions on a personal and collective level, leading him to write the book ‘Wellsprings of Work’.
Skip describes the book as having a glass-half-full perspective, pushing back on the notion that certain sectors of jobs are always soul-sucking. He also takes a deep dive into the so-called “great resignation” during the Covid pandemic, explaining some of the common reasons why people who quit their jobs did so.
Join us on the pod today for a great discussion about the average worker in the 21st-century marketplace. Topics today include the link between competition and play at work, finding fulfillment, and what a voicemail from Warren Buffett can teach us.
Quotes
- “If meaning is just electrochemical brain function, it doesn’t feel very meaningful” (21:30 - 21:35)
- “There’s gotta be an appreciation of what it’s like for the working person, regardless of profession. Does that person feel he or she gets respect on the job? That he or she has some degree of autonomy, some degree of dignity.” (28:15 - 28:34)
Arik JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/arikjohnson/
Derek JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-johnson-cfa-190893/
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Don’t let the title of professor fool you into thinking that Mike Litman is simply an educator. In addition, he’s also a software entrepreneur, former D1 tennis player, crypto and VR consultant, and competitive eater just to name a few of his other pursuits.
During today’s episode, Mike explains his unique method for teaching computer programming languages. “How do human beings solve problems? We remember stuff, we ask a lot of questions, and we do repetition.” Using this formula, he says it’s often achievable to learn additional languages in just one weekend since all languages operate on similar principles of communication.
Join the Jo Bros as they chat with Dr. Litman about how technology affects us now and will do so even more in the future. Topics include the world of competitive eating, how to problem solve across the board, what VR could mean for education, and how to identify new talent.
Quotes
- “I teach computer programming from the perspective that the language does not matter” (13:04 - 13:08)
- “How do human beings solve problems? We remember stuff, we ask a lot of questions, and we do repetition.” (13:25 - 13:32)
- “I think that technology is something that we’re going to be leveraging more and more moving forward. Not just in education, but also in industry”
Arik JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/arikjohnson/
Derek JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-johnson-cfa-190893/
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Living by the scriptural motto “to whom much is given, much is required”, Mark Lay knows the meaning of having much, as well as little. Born into a blue-collar family, Mark utilized his prowess in basketball to open a door at Columbia University. From there, Mark worked his way into the world of wall street, where he successfully handled a slew of large-scale clients.
At the peak of his success, however, Mark faced unjust imprisonment during a state-wide financial scandal. Rather than being bitter about the 10 years of life taken from him, Mark has used his own story as a launchpad to help others. Whether tackling food deserts or workforce development, Mark strives to make a positive and lasting impression on everyone he meets.
Be sure to listen in for this can’t-miss episode. In addition to sharing his incredible life story, Mark talks about the importance of forgiveness, why networking is so impactful, and how his personal faith has guided him.
Quotes
- "I really didn’t know I was poor until I got to Colombia. I thought the fact that I was the first kid on my block to have a Schwinn bike made me rich until my first college roommate said ‘Yeah my dad owns Korean Airlines and I have a Porsche’” (8:45 - 8:59)
- “Life is about taking advantage of opportunities as we’re given them” (9:10 - 9:14)
- “When I meet someone, I want them to either say, ‘I don’t want to talk to him again ever because he’s a total idiot, or I want them to say he’s the brightest guy I’ve ever met in my life. I really want to do business with him, I really want him in my life, I really want to know him.’ Those people in the middle we forget.” (12:46 - 13:04)
- “That’s the mission I’m on, to really be able to make a difference across the country in the lives of men and women in these distressed communities and let them know that there is hope” (26:52 - 27:01)
Arik JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/arikjohnson/
Derek JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-johnson-cfa-190893/
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
While completing a degree in business, Jonathan Dunnett had the opportunity to take on a research side gig, thus beginning his journey into the world of competitive intelligence. He has since founded Enable Leaders, a platform designed to grow and encourage leadership in the professional world. This is done through a focus on four key components: behavioral economics, decision-making, leadership, and psychology.
“I think we have a marketing issue in competitive intelligence,” Jonathan says. Often seemingly shrouded in mystery, the intelligence field simply boils down to decision-making. He discusses how breaking down competitive intelligence into language that people understand opens up the door for use across any sector or business.
Tune in to hear about the vision for Enable Leaders, what intelligence consultants need to improve upon, and the peaks and pitfalls of technology in the modern world.
Quotes
- “To me, a leader is anyone that wants to be a leader. It doesn’t mean you need to be a CEO. It’s down to if you lead yourself, you are leading.” (11:18 - 11:29)
- “More than ever, I think it’s important that we have a discriminating eye towards what’s really worth your time.” (17:17 -17:22)
- “What I’ve found through some of the work that I’ve been doing over the last number of years is when you talk about decision making, that suddenly becomes much more accessible to most people than if you say competitive intelligence.” (10:25-10:39)
Arik JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/arikjohnson/
Derek JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-johnson-cfa-190893/
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Intuition is a key part of Lindy Smart’s career journey. As a first-generation college graduate in her family, she didn’t have the luxury of a career roadmap to get her to where she is today. Lindy completed her master's degree in Applied Intelligence from Mercyhurst and hasn’t looked back since. With over a decade of combined experience at Target, including time as their Director of Competitive Intelligence, Lindy was also an impactful member of the Aurora team from 2017 to 2018. She now begins the exciting journey as the Executive Director of Intelligence studies at her Alma mater.
Lindy shares some of the development that she’ll bring to the program, explaining how competitive intelligence can be the launchpad for building a diverse knowledge base in areas such as health, law, and supply chain structure. As she says, “The scope of what intelligence can do has broadened…It shouldn’t always be just to make recommendations for the decision maker.”
Jump in to hear insights from Lindy and the Jo bros regarding the future of competitive intelligence, the importance of speed and flexibility in today’s business climate, and what it can look like to forge a career path in the intelligence field.
Quotes
- “When we think about intelligence or corporate intelligence, it’s how do you build a profession for those students to span across the entire corporation?” (16:20 - 16:32)
- “The ability to ask better questions. I think that’s what intelligence brings to the table, not the right answers, but if you can get your leaders….to verbalize what it is that their concerns are, or what they really want to go after so that then they can act on it.” (22:49 - 23:26)
- “The more that we can coach our leaders and decision-makers to ask better questions, I think that just serves the entire organization to know what is really a concern or top of mind for where the organization needs to head to.” (23:36 - 23:53)
Arik JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/arikjohnson/
Derek JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-johnson-cfa-190893/
Wednesday Sep 28, 2022
Wednesday Sep 28, 2022
What they may lack in podcasting background, today’s show guests more than make up for with their years of valuable experience running a variety of war game simulations. From CBG to aerospace, Aurora’s own John Westberg and Tim Smith have walked companies through a multitude of scenarios, with many twists and turns along the way. John is the Director of Market Insights while Tim is the Director of Competitive Simulations. Together, they take us through some of their favorite simulations that they’ve been a part of over the years, extracting takeaways that can be applied across the board.
“If your company is or your organization is investing hundreds of millions of billions of dollars of capital into any sort of tactical merger, acquisition, or product launch, doing a competitive simulation should be table stakes. It’s amazing how many organizations don’t do that.” John says as he talks about the dangers of strategizing based on the status quo. Whether you’re a hundred-thousand-dollar company or a hundred-million-dollar company, setting aside one day to participate in a properly orchestrated war game can help weatherize your company for financial winter, avoid a product launch misstep, or reveal untapped markets.
Join us today as we look at why it is vital to align your tactics with your strategy during simulations, in what ways your legal department should be involved, and who should be in the room during a simulation.
Quotes
- “If you design a good war game, and you have the right levers to pull coming out of that and the right strategies in place, regardless of what really happens in the real world, you’re in a much better position than you would be otherwise.” (14:42 - 14:53)
- “Having the right people in the room, having all the key stakeholders that can really provide some solid input to where we’re going is critical.” (19:54 - 20:04)
- “War games are really to expose who might help or hinder you that you haven’t thought of yet." (28:46 - 28:53)
Links
Arik JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/arikjohnson/
Derek JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-johnson-cfa-190893/
Tuesday Apr 19, 2022
Tuesday Apr 19, 2022
“We lack CI programs in business school settings, both in the US and internationally and I think that's a deficiency for the profession,” says Dr. Tom Qingjiu Tao, the Assistant Professor of Strategy at the University of Delaware. Throughout his career in education, Dr. Tom has noticed that most Competitive Intelligence professionals are forced to learn more on the job because their education is limited. Finding this to be a disservice to students, Dr. Tom explains why real-world relevance is needed in the classroom to prepare recruits for the CI profession.
Dr. Tom recognizes that the CI academic track is a work in progress. With few programs out there and vital classes reduced to electives, students are graduating college unprepared for their future careers. Although Dr. Tom advocates for curriculum change, he understands that CI theory is still in development and that everyone has to start somewhere.
Tune into this week’s episode of Running Into the Fog for a fascinating conversation on the Competitive Intelligence education track. Learn more about Dr. Tom’s career in academia, why CI educators should cater their coursework to CI job listings, and the obstacle of CEOs making poor decisions.
Quotes
• “We lack CI courses or CI programs in business school settings, both in the US and internationally. I think that's a deficiency for the profession. We need to get to business school, and we need to build up the programs.” (3:17 - 3:38)
• “It is critically important that we research and teach the theory part. But we also need to bring real-world relevance to the classroom.” (5:00 - 5:13)
• “It comes down to accountability, not for CI professionals, but for decision-makers and the CEOs. We don't have clear transparency of their decision-making process and we don't hold them accountable for all their decisions.” (29:31 - 29:55)
• “20 years ago, many would say that CI is a covert operation that you do under the table. But you can tell in the last 10 years, that it has really become part of the mainstream vocabulary. People are recognizing that this is a legitimate business practice.” (35:58 - 36:32)
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/qingjiutao/
Arik JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/arikjohnson/
Derek JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-johnson-cfa-190893/
Tuesday Apr 05, 2022
Tuesday Apr 05, 2022
“Every human being is made on purpose and for a purpose. Seek it,” says Bill Baker, Board Member and Vice President of Sauk Prairie Food Pantry and Youth Mentor. While studying at the University of Madison, Bill found his way to the crew team, a sport he credits for giving him the discipline to succeed in the business world. Now a youth mentor, Bill teaches his mentees to find their purpose and build the foundation for the rest of their lives.
Due to his lucrative career in sales and entrepreneurship, Bill realizes that human beings are led by two emotions: hope and fear. He also understands that you can help others find their purpose by using those two emotions positively. Ultimately, Bill wants young people to accept that self-worth comes from within, and by following your path, you can live a happy and fulfilling life.
Tune into this week’s episode of Running Into the Fog for an inspiring conversation about seeking your purpose. Learn more about how rowing influenced Bill’s worldview, the difference between activity and productivity, and why you need to take care of yourself first to be a better person to others.
Quotes
• “You have to go past your limits and find out what more you have inside you.” (11:30 - 11:36)
• “Find your purpose. Every human being is made on purpose and for a purpose. Seek it.” (20:10 - 20:18)
• “You can't motivate people. You have to inspire people. Motivation is an internal emotion, while inspiration is an external emotion. And we need to inspire more people.” (25:36 - 25:46)
• “The two emotions people have in life are hope and fear. I've concluded that people make decisions based on those two emotions. And you can use those as positive emotions to help people navigate their purpose.” (26:45 - 27:01)
• “You have to run through the fog of life to find your clear path. And in doing so, you're a better contributor, and you'll find greater satisfaction and contentment in life.” (36:15 - 36:32)
Links
Bill Baker LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-baker-00a943a/
- Social Media handles: wisconsintimberworks.com and #wisconsintimberworks (small business created to craft wood projects and fund my charities)
Arik JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/arikjohnson/
Derek JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-johnson-cfa-190893/