Top Voice Podcast with Michael J. López

Michael J. López
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Careers

Each week, I sit down with leading voices in business, leadership, and transformation to unpack the issues that matter most. Together, we explore fresh insights, bold ideas, and real-world stories from the people shaping how we think about change, culture, and what's possible. As a LinkedIn Top Voice myself and an expert in change and transformation, I bring a unique lens to every conversation—connecting each episode to powerful, science-backed strategies that help individuals, teams, and organizations navigate change with confidence. Whether you're leading a company, driving culture shifts, or simply looking to level up in your career or life, these episodes are designed to challenge your thinking and expand your perspective. Subscribe now to join the conversation and never miss an episode.

  1. 3d ago

    The Creator Economy is Dead. Long Live the IP Economy with Bia Granja

    Michael talks with creator-economy builder Bia Granja about her hot take that the creator economy isn’t dead, but the attention economy that fueled it is ending as reach becomes commoditized and organic reach declines. Bia argues creators must shift from chasing virality and platform-optimized metrics to building repeatable formats, worlds, and durable IP with multiple revenue streams, while owning direct relationships with their communities through subscriptions and other channels. They discuss how AI accelerates content abundance and makes copying easier, increasing the importance of meaning, trust, critical thinking, and adaptability. Bia also explains why Wall Street, private equity, and Hollywood are focusing less on follower counts and more on underlying assets and franchisable systems. Timestamps: 00:24  Welcome 01:22  Meet Bia Granja 03:16  Attention Economy Ends 06:07  Virality vs Business 09:23  AI and Meaning 16:01  Wall Street Meets Creators 17:14  Formats Worlds and IP 21:08  Ownership and Trust 24:40  Organic Reach Is Dead 27:33  Key Takeaways for Creators 30:21  Bonus Question Adaptability 33:55  Where to Follow Bia 34:47  Closing Connect with Bia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/biagranja/ https://creatoreconomy.rocks https://povcreatoreconomy.substack.com https://www.instagram.com/biagranja/ Michael's National Workforce Study on Change Management: https://www.michaeljlopez.coach/research

    36 min

  2. May 19

    How AI Is Reshaping Education Beyond the Classroom in 2026 with Christophe Zoghbi

    Michael interviews Christophe “Chris” Zoghbi, founder and CEO of Zaka, about how AI is reshaping education and workplace learning, with a focus on the Middle East. Zoghbi shares his path from software engineering and early machine-learning work in 2014 to building Beirut AI and then Zaka to make AI accessible through training, consulting, development, hiring, and governance. He explains how AI is shifting education away from memorization toward practical, personalized, project-based learning, including Zaka’s Seeds K–12 program for students and educators. They discuss corporate AI adoption challenges, the need for contextual hands-on training, and Zoghbi’s mission to build local talent to solve local problems. Timestamps: 00:24  Welcome and Setup 01:28  Christophe Origin Story 05:28  AI Then vs Now 07:09  Rethinking Curriculum 09:29  K12 AI Learning Path 13:23  Corporate AI Transformation 16:34  Training for Real ROI 21:50  Global Adoption Patterns 24:23  Democratizing AI Access 27:18  Why Focus on MENA 29:09  Key Takeaways Connect with Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophezoghbi/ https://zaka.ai Michael's National Workforce Study on Change Management: https://www.michaeljlopez.coach/research

    34 min

  3. May 13

    Lessons from Three Decades in the NFL with Tom Melvin, TE Coach Kansas City Chiefs

    Michael welcomes longtime friend and former coach Tom Melvin, current Kansas City Chiefs tight ends coach and three-time Super Bowl champion, to discuss Melvin’s coaching journey from small college football to 14 seasons with Andy Reid in Philadelphia and nearly 14 in Kansas City. Melvin explains how organizational stability, preparation, and managing information overload shape NFL coaching, and why culture fit matters as much as talent, including the value of promoting from within. He describes coaching elite players by setting boundaries rather than scripts, raising standards daily, and embracing personality. The conversation covers habits behind championship success, shared struggle in training camp, responding to adversity, continual innovation in a cyclical game, lessons learned about leadership and humility, sacrifices like family time, and advice for aspiring coaches to love coaching football, not the title. Timstamps: 00:24  Welcome 01:25  Tom Melvin Coaching Journey 02:42  Stability Under Andy Reid 04:18  Formative Coaching Lessons 05:57  NFL Coaching Reality 08:59  Culture and Staff Chemistry 11:11  Talent Versus Culture Fit 13:32  Building Fit Through Development 16:24  Football Brotherhood and Shared Struggle 18:39  Coaching Greatness 23:36  Evolving Standards for Elite Players 26:35  Habits Behind Chiefs Success 30:42  Preparation and Sustained Excellence 32:42  Never Get Complacent 34:26  Habits Over Outcomes 36:04  Research Before Innovation 36:49  Responding To Adversity 39:58  Day Better Mindset 41:29  Sustaining A Coaching Career 42:58  Football Keeps Evolving 45:33  Lessons From Coaching Mistakes 47:09  Regrets And Family Time 48:02  Super Bowl Moment 49:21  Favorite Players And Leaders 54:08  Coaching Career Advice 55:40  Final Thanks

    57 min

  4. May 5

    The New Blueprint for Going Global with Your Personal Brand with Sandra Long

    Michael interviews LinkedIn expert Sandra Long about building a global personal brand. Long shares how she moved from B2B sales to helping individuals and organizations leverage LinkedIn, and explains why global reach is easier post-2020 but requires intentional positioning through your profile, network, and content. They discuss defining “local” vs. “global,” the difference between audience and revenue over long time horizons, and the importance of values like Long’s “Be the Friend First,” including an example of a client from Serbia. Long recommends auditing connection geography with Sales Navigator, using warm connection paths (schools, former employers, groups), prioritizing commenting over frequent posting, engaging with posts in other languages via translation, and using AI to check cross-cultural risks and improve discoverability, while not obsessing over the algorithm. Timestamps: 00:24  Welcome 01:46  Meet Sandra Long 03:24  Why Think Global 05:04  Local vs Global Defined 07:08  Audience vs Revenue 09:40  Be the Friend First 12:50  Culture and AI Checks 14:09. AI and Being Found 15:58  Build a Global Network 18:42  Groups and Search Tactics 20:05  Multi Platform Presence 23:42  Global Commenting Strategy 26:22  Time and Consistency 30:36  Avoid Algorithm Chasing 32:58  Key Takeaways and Wrap Up 35:04  Closing Question and Where to Follow 38:02  Final Thanks Connect with Sandra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/longsandra/ https://www.thesandralong.com https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sandra-Long/author/B01LZRIURP?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=ef06a9f0-d106-453d-a74b-b0c52dce608c Michael's National Workforce Study on Change Management: https://www.michaeljlopez.coach/research

    38 min

  5. Apr 28

    Overcoming the PMO and Project Manager Stereotype with Fola Alabi

    Michael welcomes project and strategy leader Fola Alabi to discuss stereotypes about project managers and PMOs and why many are seen as process-heavy status reporters rather than value creators. Fola shares her 20+ year career across government, finance, energy, and other sectors, emphasizing the persistent gap between strategy and execution and the need for project leaders to build business acumen, domain knowledge, and executive-level language to drive measurable value. They explore why PMOs are often built and cut, how PMOs can reposition as strategic partners in prioritization and value realization, and how AI can automate basic reporting while increasing the need for specialized, context-driven leadership. Fola closes with practical guidance: lead with business impact, align to strategy, offer options—not just problems—and execute for benefits realized. Timestamps: 00:24  Welcome 01:29  Meet Fola Alabi 03:35  From Strategy to Execution 05:07  PM Stereotypes Explained 07:13  Evolving the PM Skillset 09:44  Domain Knowledge Matters 13:46  Specialize or Stay Broad 16:15  Value Language of Business 18:19  PMO Pendulum and Purpose 21:19  PMO Visibility Crisis 22:45  Strategic Project Intelligence 24:33  From Cost Center to Investment 25:37  When You Need a PMO 25:58  Numbers Tell the Story 28:00  Strategy Execution Value 30:13  AI and the PM Future 33:48  Level Up Your Impact 36:19  Ritualized Avoidance Systems 39:06  Where to Follow Fola 40:09  Final Wrap Connect with Fola: https://folaalabi.com https://strategicprojectleader.com https://www.thepmoleader.com/fola-alabi https://www.instagram.com/folaFalabi/ https://x.com/folaFAlabi https://www.youtube.com/c/FolaAlabi https://www.facebook.com/FolaFAlabi/ https://www.clubhouse.com/@folafalabi Michael's National Workforce Study on Change Management: https://www.michaeljlopez.coach/research

    41 min

  6. Apr 21

    Why Bias is a Luxury the Economy Can’t Afford with Katica Roy

    Michael welcomes economist, data scientist, and Pipeline CEO Katica Roy to discuss why bias and inequity “sub-optimize” the economy, citing women earning nearly 60% of degrees while being promoted 21% slower and the large GDP and fiscal impacts of pay and opportunity gaps. Roy shares her family’s refugee story and connects equity to economic returns, national debt service, Social Security solvency, and taxpayers subsidizing pay gaps. They examine how policy currently puts the burden on individuals to prove inequity, contrast it with the EU’s upcoming pay transparency rules, and describe Pipeline’s behavioral-economics approach to improving equitable talent decisions. The conversation covers corporate responses to DEI pressure, Target vs. Costco, generational shifts in work expectations, AI-driven layoffs and human-agent collaboration, and closes with Roy’s key takeaways that equity is economic, not zero-sum, and rooted in measurable math. Timestamps: 00:24  Welcome 01:08  Meet Katica Roy 01:47  Katica Name Moment 02:30  Refugee Roots and Purpose 05:16 Bias Costs the Economy 07:53  Debt and Pay Gap Math 11:57  Policy Fixes and Proof 14:50  Pipeline Behavioral Design 16:59  DEI Backlash and Shareholders 22:10  Breadwinner Moms and Generations 24:23  Gen Z Rethinks College 27:01 Gen X Readiness Gap 28:34  AI Layoffs And Equity 34:39  Gen X Fatigue And Power 36:45  Hope As A Strategy 38:48  Key Equity Takeaways 41:36  Closing Connect with Katica: https://www.katicaroy.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/katicaroy https://www.instagram.com/katicaroy/ https://www.facebook.com/officialkaticaroy https://x.com/katicaroy

    44 min

  7. Apr 14

    The Judgment Gap: Why Lawyers Won't Be Replaced But Must Evolve with Colin Levy

    Michael speaks with Colin Levy, General Counsel at Malbek and adjunct professor at Albany Law School, about how AI is disrupting the legal profession and what Levy calls the “judgment gap.” They discuss AI’s growing role in performing tasks formerly done by lawyers, the need to verify AI outputs that can be plausible but inaccurate, and how legal advice is shifting toward more complex, solution-oriented recommendations. Levy explains how AI may change what junior lawyers are asked to do, why client counseling and emotional intelligence remain essential, and why legal education should better prepare students to use AI. He shares tools he uses daily—including Malbek AI, Perplexity, Claude (including Claude for Work), and Gamma—and emphasizes experimenting with clear goals. Timestamps: 00:24  Welcome 01:38  Meet Colin Levy 04:09  AI Disrupts Law 06:26  Trust and Verification 09:20  Training Junior Lawyers 13:48  Clients and Transparency 16:19  Existential Threat Debate 19:45  Emotional Intelligence Edge 24:17  Learning Judgment and AI 27:17  Daily AI Tool Stack 29:02  Key Takeaways 30:48  Career Influence Story 32:24  Where to Follow Colin 33:20  Closing Connect with Colin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinslevy/ https://x.com/Clevy_Law https://www.colinslevy.com https://a.co/d/06HSUhbs Michael's National Workforce Study on Change Management: https://www.michaeljlopez.coach/research

    34 min

  8. Apr 7

    Why So Many Experts Sound the Same and How to Actually Stand Out with Christie Bilbrey

    Michael welcomes strategic communications advisor Christie Bilbrey, founder of Stella Nova Media, to discuss why many professionals sound the same and how to stand out through clearer positioning and storytelling. Christie explains that credentials alone don't differentiate; what people hire is perspective and relatability rooted in understanding an audience's pain points and desired outcomes. She outlines a strategic approach to storytelling: define the goal, work backward to select a relevant moment, zoom in on key turning points, and share thoughts and emotions from the journey while protecting sensitive details when necessary. The conversation also broadens "audience" beyond clients to include gatekeepers, media, organizers, and communities, and addresses avoiding "AI slop" by letting human direction and experience lead. Michael also mentions his newly launched national workforce study, Rethinking Change Management. Timestamps: 00:24  Welcome  01:44  Meet Christie Bilbrey 04:12  Why Everyone Sounds Same 04:46  Perspective Over Credentials 07:12  Audience First Storytelling 10:12  Finding Your Real Audience 13:24  Vulnerability That Connects 15:49  Story Structure That Lands 21:32  Senior Leaders and Safe Sharing 28:33  Avoiding AI Content Slop 31:29  Key Takeaways to Stand Out 33:34  Proud Moment and Growth 36:19  Where to Find Christie 37:10  Closing Connect with Christie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiebilbrey/ https://www.stellanovamedia.com https://www.instagram.com/stellanovamedia/ https://www.youtube.com/@christiebilbreymedia

    38 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Each week, I sit down with leading voices in business, leadership, and transformation to unpack the issues that matter most. Together, we explore fresh insights, bold ideas, and real-world stories from the people shaping how we think about change, culture, and what's possible. As a LinkedIn Top Voice myself and an expert in change and transformation, I bring a unique lens to every conversation—connecting each episode to powerful, science-backed strategies that help individuals, teams, and organizations navigate change with confidence. Whether you're leading a company, driving culture shifts, or simply looking to level up in your career or life, these episodes are designed to challenge your thinking and expand your perspective. Subscribe now to join the conversation and never miss an episode.

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