Badass Softie

Dr. J.J. Peterson
  • 5.0 (21)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

A Badass Softie is unapologetically ambitious and leads with heart. Ambitious and kind. Fun and driven. Powerful and deeply human. Badass Softie, hosted by Dr. J.J. Peterson, is a podcast that challenges the false choice leaders are too often given: be strong or be compassionate. The world doesn’t just need more leaders — it needs leaders bold enough to make an impact and compassionate enough to make it meaningful. Each episode pulls back the curtain on leaders, creators, and innovators who are rewriting the rules of what real leadership looks like. You’ll walk away with stories, insights, and practical takeaways that show you how to lead with both strength and softness — the very definition of being a Badass Softie. Subscribe and step fully into the kind of leader the world is waiting for. 

  1. 4d ago

    What If Your Job Is to Create More Magic? | Will Guidara

    What if part of your job is to create more magic? After attending Will Guidara's Welcome Conference in New York, Dr. J.J. Peterson found himself returning to a conversation that had already changed how he thinks about work, creativity, and the people around him. Listening again, he discovered new meaning in an idea that sounds simple but can be surprisingly difficult to practice: making ordinary moments extraordinary. Will Guidara, bestselling author of Unreasonable Hospitality, helped turn Eleven Madison Park into the number one restaurant in the world by caring as much about how people felt as he did about the food they were served. But his philosophy goes far beyond restaurants. It's about noticing people, creating moments of connection, and being willing to invest more energy into an experience than anyone might reasonably expect. J.J. and Will explore why the most meaningful things we do aren't always the most practical, why joy deserves a place in everyday life, and what becomes possible when we stop talking ourselves out of generous ideas. What This Conversation Explores: Why making people feel seen can transform the experience of work How hospitality applies to every business, not just restaurants Why creating memorable moments sometimes requires unreasonable effort What we miss when every idea has to produce an immediate financial return Why joy and celebration shouldn't be reserved for special occasions How small acts of generosity can create more magic in everyday life During their conversation, J.J. shares an idea for a community event that he's not entirely sure he should pursue. Now, months later, he's bringing that idea to life—a fitting reminder of Will's encouragement to stop letting good ideas pass us by. Because creating more magic doesn't necessarily require a grand gesture. Sometimes it simply means noticing an opportunity to make someone's day better and choosing to act on it. Mentioned in This Episode Unreasonable Hospitality: https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/products/unreasonable-hospitality-the-remarkable-power-of-giving-people-more-than-they-expect  The Unreasonable Hospitality Field Guide: https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/products/unreasonable-hospitality-the-field-guide  Website: https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com  Milk Bar: https://milkbarstore.com  Follow Badass Softies Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badasssoftiepod Website: https://www.badasssoftie.com

  2. Oct 5

    Some Answers Only Come After You Start | Jill Pickering

    You have an idea you keep coming back to. A book you want to write. A podcast you want to start. A business, creative project, or next chapter you can see yourself pursuing. But starting means finding out what happens when the idea leaves your head. What if it isn’t as good as you thought? What if nobody wants it? What if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing yet? Jill Pickering has spent more than 20 years making creative work as a musician, songwriter, producer, podcaster, and author, including touring with Kelly Clarkson. She’s also learned that you can’t answer every question about an idea before you begin. Jill and Dr. J.J. Peterson explore what changes when you stop requiring certainty before taking the first step. They talk about starting small enough to learn from what happens, finding your voice by actually using it, recognizing real signs that an idea has potential, and recovering when something you put into the world doesn’t go the way you hoped. Because sometimes the next step isn’t another plan. It’s making enough of the thing to discover what comes next. What This Explores Starting before you know whether the idea will work Using small experiments to discover what comes next Finding your voice through making, not just planning Looking for real signs that your work is connecting Recovering when the response—or the work itself—falls short Defining success for yourself as the work evolves Connect with Jill Pickering Instagram: @jipimusic Website: jipicreative.com Podcast: Take a Jill Pill   Follow Badass Softie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badasssoftiepod Website: https://www.badasssoftie.com

  3. Sep 28

    When Good Communication Isn’t Creating Connection

    We have more language for healthy communication, boundaries, and emotions than ever before. So why can our relationships still leave us feeling so disconnected? Dr. Lee Long believes part of the problem may be where we put our attention. When a conversation becomes difficult, we often focus on finding the right words to get the other person to understand, respond differently, or change. We may genuinely believe we’re trying to communicate better, without realizing how much energy we’re putting into managing the outcome. Dr. J.J. Peterson and Lee explore what changes when we bring some of that attention back to ourselves. They talk about the difference between influence and control, the stories we create when we assume we know what someone else is thinking, and why anxiety can make it difficult to recognize what we’re actually feeling. Lee also shares a simple question that can interrupt those patterns: Where am I in this? Because understanding where you are doesn’t mean avoiding the difficult conversation. It can help you decide how you want to show up in it. What This Explores Why trying harder to communicate doesn’t always create more connection When communication can quietly become an attempt to control the outcome The difference between influence and control How mind reading and old patterns contribute to conflict and disconnection What anxiety and other emotions may be trying to tell us How “Where am I in this?” can help us choose what to do next Connect with Dr. Lee Long Follow Dr. Lee Long on social media: @dr.leelong Learn more about Lee, his book Wait! Where Am I in This?, his podcast, and his work at drleelong.com.   Follow Badass Softie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badasssoftiepod/ Website: https://www.badasssoftie.com/

  4. Sep 21

    Let AI Make Room for What Only You Can Do

    AI can write, research, organize, automate, and produce at a scale that would have been impossible for most people a few years ago. But Dan Cumberland thinks the more interesting question is what all of that frees you up to do. As AI takes on more of the execution, it can create room to go deeper—to spend more time on the ideas that are working, the problems worth solving, and the decisions that need your experience and judgment. It can also force a bigger question: If technology can perform more of the tasks you associate with your work, where do you bring the most value? Dan and Dr. J.J. Peterson explore what to hand off to AI, how to identify the deeper value you bring beyond the tasks you perform, and why the time AI gives back doesn't have to be filled with more work. Because the real opportunity may be letting technology do more of what it can do so you have more room for what only you can do. What This Explores How AI can create more room for higher-value work Where your experience, judgment, and perspective matter most How to identify the execution AI can take off your plate Why getting time back doesn’t automatically mean producing more How AI can help you go deeper on the work that’s already creating value Why human judgment and transparency matter as AI scales your work Mentioned Pacemark AI Maturity Assessment: pacemark.ai  AI Training Guide: aitrainingguide.com  Dan Cumberland Labs: dancumberlandlabs.com  Follow Badass Softie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badasssoftiepod Website: https://www.badasssoftie.com/

  5. Sep 14

    What Can You Do When You Can’t Fix It?

    What do you do when a problem is so big that anything you could possibly do feels insignificant? On September 11, 2001, Dr. J.J. Peterson was thousands of miles from home, volunteering with a medical clinic in a rural village in the Dominican Republic. With almost no information and no way to change what was happening back home, someone in his group finally asked a simple question: “What can we do?” Twenty-five years later, J.J. still comes back to that question when the suffering in the world feels too big to hold, much less fix. He reflects on the difference between control and agency, Viktor Frankl’s idea of tragic optimism, and how we find meaningful ways to respond when some things simply can’t be fixed. What This Explores Why having no control doesn’t mean having no agency What Viktor Frankl meant by “tragic optimism” What research after 9/11 revealed about the search for meaning Why small acts of care still matter when the problem feels overwhelming A different question to ask when “why?” has no satisfying answer Mentioned in This Episode Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl: https://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl/dp/0807014273  Website: https://www.drjjpeterson.com  Follow Badass Softie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badasssoftiepod Website: https://www.badasssoftie.com

  6. Sep 7

    When Changing the Plan Feels Like Failure

    You’re used to being the person who follows through. So when plans change, it can feel personal. Dr. J.J. Peterson had just celebrated a year of Badass Softie without missing an episode. Then interviews moved, a new client required unexpected travel, his daughter left for college, and suddenly the plan he had been following no longer fit his life. Instead of simply adjusting, JJ found himself wondering if he was dropping the ball. But changing the plan isn’t the same as giving up on what matters. JJ explores why ambitious people can be so quick to judge themselves when circumstances change, why being harder on yourself may not actually help you move forward, and how to distinguish between abandoning a commitment and finding a different way to honor it. What This Explores Why changing the plan can feel like a personal failure The difference between changing your approach and giving up What unfinished commitments can do to your attention Why grace may be a better motivator than self-criticism Three questions to help you decide what moving forward looks like now Follow Badass Softie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badasssoftiepod/ Website: https://www.badasssoftie.com/

  7. Aug 31

    Staying Grounded When Things Get Hard

    Something will eventually not go according to plan. Maybe a project doesn’t turn out the way you hoped, a difficult conversation catches you off guard, or life takes you in a direction you didn’t expect. You can’t control all of it, but you can get better at what happens next. Dr. J.J. Peterson talks with wellbeing educator, author, and Self-Care Sensei Jan Raeder about how knowing yourself can help you stay grounded when things get hard—and respond with more intention when they do. Drawing from positive psychology, behavioral change research, and 30 years in martial arts, Jan offers a different way to think about self-care. It isn’t only about stepping away from difficult things. It’s also about understanding your reactions, recognizing the stories you carry, and building the resilience to move forward without pretending everything is okay. What You’ll Take Away What happens when you start taking difficult conversations personally How old stories can shape the way you respond to what’s happening now Why challenging yourself can help you better understand what you’re capable of A simple practice for pausing and examining your reactions How to practice optimism without ignoring what went wrong Go Deeper With Jan Jan explores her M.O.R.E. framework—Meaning, Optimism, Relationships, and Engagement—in Strive for M.O.R.E.: What Wellbeing Really Means and How You Can Achieve It. If you want to put these ideas into practice and better understand what supports your own wellbeing, Get a copy of Strive for M.O.R.E. here - https://selfcaresensei.com/purchase  You can also learn more about Jan and her work as the Self-Care Sensei - https://selfcaresensei.com  Follow Badass Softie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badasssoftiepod Website: https://www.badasssoftie.com

  8. Aug 24

    Courage Is Something You Practice

    A year ago, Dr. J.J. Peterson launched Badass Softie with a lot of questions. What if nobody listened? What if it went nowhere? And maybe the hardest one: Who am I to do this? A year later, the fear wasn't the thing that disappeared. J.J. changed. After a year of conversations about ambition, vulnerability, leadership, visibility, work, and what it means to stay human while doing big things, one idea keeps rising to the surface: courage isn't something you either have or you don't. It's something you practice. Sometimes courage means moving forward. Sometimes it means changing the plan, asking for help, telling yourself the truth, letting yourself be seen, or having the conversation you'd rather avoid. And sometimes the people around you are what make the brave thing possible. What This Explores Why courage isn't the absence of fear — or something you have to wait to feel How doing difficult things gives you new evidence about what you're capable of Why changing direction, asking for help, and letting yourself be seen can all be acts of courage How safety and support can make people more willing to take meaningful risks Why the people you surround yourself with can change what becomes possible From the Conversation to the Room One of J.J.'s biggest realizations from the past year is that courage rarely happens alone. The people who challenge us, remind us who we are, offer a different perspective, and sit with us when we don't know what to do next can change the decisions we're able to make. That's also what's behind Become the Obvious Choice (https://become-the-obvious-choice.com/), a one-day intensive J.J. is hosting with Julie Firth and Sonya Whittam on October 9 in Nashville. This isn't a conference built around sitting back and collecting more information. It's a small, carefully curated room where experienced business owners and leaders can bring a real challenge, put their thinking in front of people who understand what it's like to build a business, challenge their assumptions, and leave with a clearer way forward. Because sometimes the next brave thing isn't figuring it all out yourself. Sometimes it's putting the decision in the right room. Learn more and secure your place at Become the Obvious Choice. Mentioned Episodes Allison Trowbridge: The Company Changed. The Mission Didn't.  Heather Adams: Building Visibility Without Becoming Performative Ally Fallon: Trusting Yourself When the Outcome Isn't Guaranteed Matt Turner: Are You Being Kind—or Just Avoiding Conflict? J.J. Peterson: Confidence Isn't What Creates Courage  Jen Hatmaker: The Price of Integrity Will Guidara: What We Lose When Everything Has To Be Productive Kris Jones: The Hardest Marketing Decision You'll Ever Make Raj Lulla: Stop Marketing Like Everyone Is a Stranger Follow Badass Softie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badasssoftiepod Website: https://www.badasssoftie.com

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About

A Badass Softie is unapologetically ambitious and leads with heart. Ambitious and kind. Fun and driven. Powerful and deeply human. Badass Softie, hosted by Dr. J.J. Peterson, is a podcast that challenges the false choice leaders are too often given: be strong or be compassionate. The world doesn’t just need more leaders — it needs leaders bold enough to make an impact and compassionate enough to make it meaningful. Each episode pulls back the curtain on leaders, creators, and innovators who are rewriting the rules of what real leadership looks like. You’ll walk away with stories, insights, and practical takeaways that show you how to lead with both strength and softness — the very definition of being a Badass Softie. Subscribe and step fully into the kind of leader the world is waiting for. 

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. J.J. Peterson
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    61
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Badass Softie

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