My Favorite Mistake: Business Lessons from Failures and Success

Mistakes On The Jerry Springer Show, Reality TV, And Podcasts: Reena Friedman Watts

Host of the "Better Call Daddy Show," former producer on "The Jerry Springer Show"
Show notes: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake65
My guest for Episode #65 is Reena Friedman Watts, the host of the podcast “Better Call Daddy.” She's also producing a new podcast called the “SNF Spotlight” (focused on Skilled Nursing Facilities).
She started as an intern, a guest booker, and a producer for The Jerry Springer Show and never looked back. She’s hooked on telling the stories of outsiders. There's a long list of shows she has worked on… including Nanny 911, Judge Alex, and Divorce Court, She helps entrepreneurs get seen! Reena is also a Media Marketing Specialist through her company MegaWatts Productions.
In the episode, Reena shares a few amazing stories about working with guests on “Springer.” Why is her favorite mistake “trying to make people what they're not”? Where did they find these guests? Did she ever feel unsafe with the fighting and the crazy situations? Did guests ever lie or make up stories? Spoiler alert: they did.
We also talk about podcasting mistakes and whether she ever thought it was a mistake to start a podcast with her dad.
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Forcing Change on Others in the Workplace: Lee Houghton

Business improvement consultant and podcaster
Show notes: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake64
My guest for Episode #64 is Lee Houghton, coming to us from England. He's a business improvement coach — his company is called Get Knowledge and he's also the host of a podcast called “Business Problems Solved.”
Here is his episode with Adam Lawrence, who was also my guest here in Episode 41 of My Favorite Mistake. Coincidentally, today Lee is publishing his episode where I am his guest. It's funny how that worked out.
In the episode, Lee shares a few stories about how he was forcing change on others in the workplace (including the use of Lean manufacturing tools and methods). Why was he telling others what to do and what caused him to reflect on that? Is it a mistake to think that knowledge (training, education) is enough to influence people and affect change? What's the difference between “being told” and “discovering knowledge” in a way that includes learning from mistakes?
Lee also has a program that's worth checking out — “Creating Confident Change Leaders.”
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Moving For a Cheating Boyfriend After Graduating: Christy Whitman

Author of "The Desire Factor"
Show notes: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake63
My guest for Episode #63 is Christy Whitman, a Transformational Leader, Celebrity Coach and Law of Attraction expert, as well as the two-time New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Having It All and Taming Your Alpha Bitch. She is also the author of the international bestseller Quantum Success. Her new book The Desire Factor: How to Embrace Your Materialistic Nature to Reclaim Your Full Spiritual Power is available now.
Christy has appeared on The Today Show, The Morning Show, and The Hallmark Channel and she has been a TedX speaker.
Today, Christy and Mark talk about topics including:
How did a new friendship point your career in a new direction?
“A life of no excuses” — acknowledging mistakes means no excuses? Learning without beating yourself up?
What is an “hyper-aggressive alpha bitch” and why is that, being that, a mistake for women?
Why “watch your words“?
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Creating a Culture That Learns From Mistakes: Keith Ingels

TPS Manager, The Raymond Corporation
Show notes and links: http://markgraban.com/mistake62
My guest for Episode #62 is Keith Ingels, the “TPS Manager” (Toyota Production System Manager) at The Raymond Corporation, a Toyota Industries Company. Learn more about the “Raymond Lean Management System., which is based on TPS. We had a longer conversation about this on my Lean podcast series, if you want to check that out.
In today's episode, Keith and host Mark Graban talk about one of his “favorite mistakes,” misunderstanding what the common Lean /TPS method called 5S really was really about. How did he make the “mistake of bad assumption” in the course of that work? Why was that mistake repeated, and how could it have been avoided? Why was it a mistake to blame people for being messy?
One key lesson was about how can we help others “discover the need” for an improvement or a method instead of “forcing” them to do it?
Keith also discusses how they work to create a culture where it's OK to talk about mistakes, so we can learn about them — that's the key theme of this entire podcast series!
The Raymond Corporation also offers a free “quick tips” series on improvement, if you want to check that out.
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New Job in Toyko, Mistakes on the First Day at Honda: Laura Kriska

Author of The Business of We: The Proven Three-Step Process for Closing the Gap Between Us and Them in Your Workplace
Show notes: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake61
My guest for Episode #61 is Laura Kriska. When she was just 22, Laura became the first American woman to work in the Tokyo headquarters of Honda Motor Company.
Her experience working with thousands of middle-aged Japanese men inspired her to write her first book The Accidental Office Lady: An American Woman in Corporate Japan.
Inspired to create a ‘WE building’ revolution, Laura wrote her latest book The Business of We: The Proven Three-Step Process for Closing the Gap Between Us and Them in Your Workplace – a new approach to diversity, cultural difference, and inclusion that will increase employee retention and productivity and prevent misunderstandings that lead to lost revenue, lost time and increased legal risk.
In today's episode, Laura and host Mark Graban talk about her experiences working Japan and what she has learned about working across cultural and organizational divides.
Laura also discusses topics including:
How her mistake could have been avoided with one sentence
Failing to see how “cultural data” matters – the ways people are different
Why did she offend the “most important office lady”?
A “quality circle” project about getting rid of the women's uniforms
What do you mean by a “we” culture?
What's the connection between “we” and the Japanese word “wa” (harmony)
Is a “we culture”? more prevalent in Japan and other Eastern cultures?
What does she mean by being on “the home team” in a country or a culture?
Paul O'Neill as a “we builder”
Her article: "Covid-19 is not killing us, polarization is"
Laura on her first day of work: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/laura-kriska-she-her-0a93902a_mistakes-firstjob-webuilding-activity-6788436074688516096-rIvq
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A New NFL Assistant Coach’s Many Mistakes: Dr. Jen Welter

Author Play Big: Lessons in Being Limitless from the First Woman to Coach in the NFL.
Show notes: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake60
My guest for Episode #60 is Dr. Jen Welter. She has a PhD in Psychology and a Masters in Sport Psychology.
Jen played professional and semi-pro football as a linebacker (on women's teams) and as a running back (for a men's team). She's most notably known for being the first woman to be hired as an assistant coach, when the Arizona Cardinals brought her in to be an assistant coaching intern during their 2015 pre-season training camp.
She is author of the book Play Big: Lessons in Being Limitless from the First Woman to Coach in the NFL.
In today's episode, Jen talks about breaking the “glass sideline” of NFL football and what it was like to work amongst men on the field and the sidelines. She openly shares some mistakes she made when she got so much attention in 2015 with the Cardinals, including “maintaining an air of perfection,” “not being open to help,” and getting taken advantage of since she didn't have an agent or others looking out for her.
Jen also discusses topics including:
Coaching and working with girls and how football is great for their self confidence and developing their bodies for strength, not just appearance
What would we have seen if they did a reality show about her coaching? Or if they made a movie about her story?
What are your biggest strengths as a football coach in terms of connecting with players? Knowing you played the game? Or more than that?
Being a speaker — what sorts of messages for a corporate setting?
Your unique value proposition is special – lean into it… be more special
Authenticity – giving note cards to the players, “that’s what I would have wanted”
Empathy is a leadership trait, period
Has she watched "Ted Lasso"?
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BONUS: MIT Prof. Jonathan Byrnes on Mistakes Related to the Covid Vaccine Supply Chain

Senior Lecturer at MIT
This is some bonus audio related to an episode of "My Favorite Mistake" that Prof. Byrnes and I recorded last week.
I'm going to release his full episode in mid-May where we talk about his "favorite mistake" and his new book (released 5/11) on CHOOSE YOUR CUSTOMER: How to Compete Against the Digital Giants and Thrive.
I had the chance to ask him about lessons and advice related to the Covid vaccination supply chain and roll out. It's very timely in a fast-changing vaccination landscape, so I wanted to share this now.
You can read more here in an article he wrote: https://www.mdm.com/blog/strategy/how-to-structure-the-covid-19-vaccine-supply-chain/
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The Hurting Hockey Player Who Felt Sorry For Himself: Dave Scatchard

Retired NHL player Dave Scatchard
Show notes: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake59
My guest for Episode #59 is Dave Scatchard, a retired National Hockey League player who now serves others as a coach through his practice, All Star Coaching.
Dave played for 6 different NHL teams, from 1997 to 2011, scoring 128 goals in 659 games. Before making the NHL, the team that drafted him, the Vancouver Canucks, wanted him to shift his playing style from “goal scorer” to “tough guy.” This led to many fights, at least five concussions, and post-retirement injuries had led to a three-year period full of pain, memory loss, and struggle.
Having recovered, Dave now shares a systematic approach for both businesses and individuals to redesign their lives and operating systems and live a healthier, brighter future with all of the abundance that goes along with living what he calls “The Big Life.”
In today's episode, Dave shares his compelling and dramatic story. Beyond his medical recovery, why was it helpful for Tony Robbins to curse at him on stage, demanding to know, “Why are you hurting those people?” by not stepping up to help others. How did helping others accelerate his own personal progress?
Dave talks about his “favorite mistake” of spending three years cursing his former career, asking God why he was punishing him, and looking at himself as a victim. He talks about the importance of his faith, his amazing recovery, and the power of positivity in this special episode.
FOR A FEW MORE DAYS, you can join his free “Reawaken the Champion Within” Challenge.
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Tom Peters on Getting Fired From McKinsey Because of His Long Hair?

Author of Excellence Now: Extreme Humanism.
Show notes: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake58
My guest for Episode #58 is Tom Peters, the legendary management speaker and consultant, author of 19 books including his latest: Excellence Now: Extreme Humanism.
You can also watch or listen to my interview with Tom back in August 2020 in my Lean podcast series.
Today, we talk about Tom's “favorite mistake” of getting fired from the consulting firm McKinsey for reasons that might include the long hair he had at the time. Other questions and topics include:
Why and how Tom got “caught up in the work” and “forgot the rules” while working at McKinsey
Why he hates “successful people who think they deserve their success”
What is humanism? What is “exteme humanism”?
Innovation means whoever tries the most stuff wins?
Why we should hire people who are “decent” and “nice”
Why research shows it's a mistake to not have 50% women in your executive team
Why it's a mistake to think only “noisy” people are the most creative, the best at sales, the best leaders
Tom Peters' party mistakes
Books he mentions:Compassionomics (The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence that Caring Makes a Difference)Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girl: And Why You Should, TooQuiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
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When Bill Maher Wanted Me Fired From Comedy Central: Founder Art Bell

Creator of Comedy Central, author of the book Constant Comedy
Notes and links: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake57
My guest for Episode #57 is Art Bell, the creator of The Comedy Channel (which later became Comedy Central). He's also the author of the book Constant Comedy: How I Started Comedy Central and Lost My Sense of Humor, and co-host of the podcast “Constant Comedy.”
Today, we talk about Art's “favorite mistake” (it involves the comedian and talk show host Bill Maher) and topics and questions including:
The ad campaign for “Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher” and how that ended up leading to an award
Why it's bad to surprise the talent
Did Al Franken walk out on “State of the Union: Undressed” because he didn’t know it was going to be live??
Was that show a better fit, the next year, for Dennis Miller?
Having to often talk Nancy Grace into going on the air on Court TV
Is it risky to write a memoir like this? Did you need lawyers involved to make sure you weren’t making a mistake?
Jon Stewart – on “Short Attention Span Theater, was it a mistake to fire his co host Patty Rosborough without taking to him? – telling or asking? He was surprised…
Mistake for them to not make him the original host of The Daily Show?
Mistake for Michael Fuchs to say the programming quality was a 2 or 3 out of 10?
You decided quickly it was a mistake to say you were quitting?
New York mag called the channel “the biggest flop in years”
Making adjustments?? PIVOTED and made changes as quickly as we could
Getting fired from Comedy Central and lessons learned
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