Think Outside the Boss

Katie Armentrout
  • 5.0 (16)
  • Entrepreneurship

Leadership would be easy if it weren’t for the people. Think Outside the Boss is a leadership podcast for business owners, founders, and people leaders who are tired of managing team drama and ready to lead differently, more human, more effective, and with a lot less exhaustion. Hosted by Katie Armentrout, a recovering corporate leader turned entrepreneur, this show challenges traditional leadership development and replaces it with something far more useful. Clear thinking. Better conversations. And one practical action you can try right away. Through honest solo episodes and real conversations with experienced leaders, Think Outside the Boss explores proven leadership frameworks, innovative ideas, and people-first tools you can actually use. No theory for theory’s sake. No performative leadership nonsense. You’ll learn how to: - Strengthen trust and accountability without micromanaging - Navigate team conflict and communication breakdowns - Build a culture where employees feel valued and customers stay loyal - Lead people with clarity instead of control There’s no silver bullet when it comes to people. But there are better ways to think, choose, and lead. No corporate lingo bingo. No meeting after the meeting. If leadership has started to feel heavier than it should, this podcast is your invitation to Think Outside the Boss. 🎧 New episodes weekly: https://www.peoplefluence.com/podcast

  1. Aug 12

    025: You Have to Disappoint People to Lead Them | Haider Ala Hamoudi

    Difficult conversations as a leader are the ones nobody else can have for you. You can delegate almost everything, the budget, the calendar, even the hiring, but not the moment you have to tell someone their work is not working. If you find yourself softening bad news, avoiding accountability talks, or feeling guilty for disappointing your own team, you are not alone, and there is a real reason it feels this hard. Left unaddressed, that avoidance quietly costs teams trust, slows decisions, and turns small problems into resignations. Katie Armentrout, founder of Peoplefluence and host of Think Outside the Boss, sits down with Haider Ala Hamoudi, dean of the University of Cincinnati's Donald P. Klekamp College of Law and the first Muslim dean of a law school in the United States. Haider shares what the DISC assessment revealed about his own people pleasing pattern, why he still returns to Brene Brown's idea of daring greatly, and the specific line he uses instead of softening bad news to a direct report. He also opens up about growing his law school's applications by 50 percent, reaching some of the top bar passage rates in Ohio, and landing the largest naming gift in the school's history, all without losing his team's trust. If you lead people and hate disappointing them, this conversation will change how you think about that discomfort. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why the willingness to disappoint people, not avoiding conflict altogether, is the leadership skill Haider Ala Hamoudi says took him the longest to build.How the DISC personality assessment revealed a people pleasing pattern in Haider, and the specific script he now uses to say no without losing trust.What courageous leadership looks like in practice, drawing on Brene Brown's idea of daring greatly, and why vulnerability is part of that courage.How Haider grew University of Cincinnati College of Law applications by 50 percent and landed the largest naming gift in the school's history.Why being named America's first Muslim dean of a law school adds pressure that has nothing to do with the job itself.How Haider separates conflict as a transactional lawyer from conflict as a dean managing his own team day to day.Why loneliness at the top is real, and how Haider finds ways to communicate honestly without a peer to vent to daily. We talk about: 00:00 Meet Dean Haider Ala Hamoudi and his path to leadership 00:56 The two week Harvard program that first taught him about leadership 02:04 One leadership lesson that has stuck with him the most 04:30 How Haider leads differently through difficult conversations 06:58 Does conflict feel different for a lawyer than for a dean 11:23 Being named America's first Muslim law school dean 16:29 Why Haider chose law over medicine growing up 19:18 The move from civil rights law to Islamic finance 22:04 What surprised him about leaving law practice for academia 23:40 Why leadership can feel lonely even with a team around you 30:34 Turning around a law school's budget and reputation 35:41 Lightning round: DISC, books, and his walk on song Resources: Way of the Peaceful Warrior https://amzn.to/3RAhqHw Connect with Haider Ala Hamoudi: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haider-ala-hamoudi-1b96311b/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cincylawdean/University of Cincinnati College of Law: https://www.law.uc.edu/faculty/directory/DeanHaiderAlaHamoudi.html Connect with me Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/katie_armentroutYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@katiearmentroutLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiearmentroutNewsletter: http://www.peoplefluence.com/newsletterWebsite: http://www.peoplefluence.com #leadershipdevelopment #courageousleadership #difficultconversations #peoplepleasing #teamtrust #executiveleadership #leadershipskills #accountability #daringleadership #firstgenleader #lawschoolleadership #DISCassessment #leadershipcoaching #conflictresolution #civildiscourse #businessowners #thinkoutsidetheboss

  2. Aug 5

    024: Why Does Screen Time Feel Like a Constant Fight? | Katie Armentrout

    A screen time framework is a way of deciding how your kids use their screens, not just how long they are on them. If you are tired of fighting over timers and hourly limits, you are not alone, and the fight itself is about to change. In January 2026, the American Academy of Pediatrics moved away from strict hourly rules toward guidance built on quality and context, the exact shift Katie Armentrout has already been making at home for years. Katie Armentrout, founder of Peoplefluence and host of Think Outside the Boss, built the Six E's of screen time (entertain, educate, escape, earn, errands, and engage) after asking herself one simple question on a dog walk: what am I actually using this phone for? In this solo episode, she walks through each E with real examples from her own house of three kids, explains why escape is the one to watch most closely, and shares the exact script she uses to help her own kids learn to manage their screen time. Download her free Six E's one pager and start the conversation with your family before the new school year begins. In this episode, you’ll discover: A screen time framework built around purpose, not hours, and the one question Katie asks before handing over any device: what are you using this for right now?The Six E's of screen time: entertain, educate, escape, earn, errands, and engage, and how naming the purpose behind a screen session changes the outcome for kids and adults alike.Why escape is the riskiest of the Six E's, how it quietly turns into doom scrolling, and the warning signs Katie watches for with her own three kids.How much of a message actually lands in a text versus a phone call, and why that changes how you should engage with people through a screen.Why Katie's family keeps three screen free days a week in the summer, and what happens to that rule once homework enters the picture.A simple script to ask your kids, or yourself, before every screen session so they eventually learn to manage their own screen time without you standing over their shoulder.Where to download Katie's free Six E's one pager so you can print it and talk through it with your own kids before the new school year starts. We talk about: 00:00 Why screen time is the wrong question to ask 00:32 Meet Katie's three kids and their three different stages 01:36 Why Katie actually loves screen time some days 02:24 What's the real problem with time based limits 03:08 How the Six E's framework was born on a dog walk 04:03 The Six E's revealed: entertain, educate, escape, earn, errands, engage 05:27 Escape, the riskiest of the Six E's 07:19 Errands, why your phone does more than you think 09:45 How much of communication is really tone of voice 12:04 How to use the Six E's with your own kids today 17:01 Why Katie's family keeps screen free days in summer 23:00 Get the free Six E's one pager Resources: Want a print out of the Six E's of Screens framework? Download it here: https://skilled-trailblazer-7280.kit.com/6es Connect with me Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/katie_armentroutYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@katiearmentroutLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiearmentrout Newsletter: http://www.peoplefluence.com/newsletterWebsite: http://www.peoplefluence.com #screentime #parentingtips #screentimeforkids #digitalwellness #healthyhabits #parentinghacks #screenfree #digitalparenting #parentingadvice #raisingkids #familyrules #middleschoolparenting #parentingteens #mindfultech #backtoschool #parentingpodcast #thinkoutsidetheboss

  3. Jul 29

    023: A CEO's Playbook for Leading with Kindness | Simona Costantini

    How to lead with kindness and care starts with letting go of the idea that leadership only looks like one person at the head of the table. If you've ever doubted whether you're leader enough because you don't fit that image, this episode reframes what real leadership looks like day to day. Simona Costantini, founder and CEO of VOLT Productions, an award winning podcast agency running over 20 shows a week, joins host Katie Armentrout, founder of Peoplefluence, to unpack the four values, kindness, care, connection, and integrity, that guide every decision she makes as a leader. Simona also shares why most podcasts stall by episode seven and how direct feedback, done right, is one of the clearest expressions of care a leader can offer. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why leadership doesn't require sitting at the head of the table, and how Simona realized she had been leading for years before she ever called herself a leader.The four values, kindness, care, connection, and integrity, that Simona built her business around, and why she holds clients to the exact same standard as her team.Why direct feedback is one of the clearest ways a leader shows care, and how Simona reframes tough creative notes so they build trust instead of tension.The three questions every new podcast client has to answer before recording a single episode: what the show is about, who it's for, and why they should care.Why up to 80% of new podcasts never make it past episode seven, and why the real cause has less to do with content than with how the show was planned from the start.How Simona uses human design types like generator and projector to explain why some leaders have nonstop energy while others need to be invited to speak up.The sticky note Simona wrote to herself in 2020 that predicted, almost to the month, when she would finally leave corporate leadership behind for good. We talk about: 00:00 The biggest differentiator between growing podcasts and stalled ones 00:37 Introducing Simona Costantini and VOLT Productions 02:14 When Simona first realized she was a leader 05:19 From crisis communications to launching VOLT in 2021 10:45 The sticky note that predicted her exit from corporate 13:00 Why she renamed the agency from Costantini Productions to VOLT 16:00 The four values behind every decision she makes as a leader 21:29 What actually separates growing podcasts from the ones that stall 24:54 Why most podcasts never make it past episode seven 32:02 Why direct feedback is one of the clearest ways to show care 43:10 Lightning round, human design, and the best advice from her grandma Resources: 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think by Brianna Wiest https://amzn.to/4bfGhHf The Pivot Year by Brianna Wiest https://amzn.to/4fXwJDe Connect with Simona VOLT Website: https://www.voltproductions.coPersonal Website: https://simonacostantini.comInstagram (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/simona__costantiniInstagram (VOLT): https://www.instagram.com/volt.productionsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simona-costantini-25653a30Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/SimonaCostantini_ Connect with me Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/katie_armentroutYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@katiearmentroutLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiearmentrout Newsletter: http://www.peoplefluence.com/newsletterWebsite: http://www.peoplefluence.com #Leadership #LeadershipValues #FeedbackCulture #WomenEntrepreneurs #PodcastGrowth #PodcastStrategy #BusinessLeadership #CorporateToEntrepreneur #DirectFeedback #HumanDesign #EntrepreneurMindset #PodcastProduction #ServantLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #ContentStrategy #ThinkOutsideTheBoss

  4. Jul 22

    022: 70% of New Customers Quit Before Day 100 | Joey Coleman

    The first 100 days methodology is the reason some businesses keep customers for years while others watch them disappear before the ink is dry. If you have ever wondered why a promising new hire quit within months, or why a happy sounding customer never came back, the first 100 days are where the answer lives. Research shows that 20 to 70% of new customers, and a strikingly similar share of new hires, never make it past this window, and most leaders have no idea it is happening. Katie Armentrout, founder of Peoplefluence and a leadership consultant for executive teams, sits down with Joey Coleman, the two time Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Never Lose a Customer Again and Never Lose an Employee Again. Joey walks through the real numbers behind customer and employee churn, from banking at 32% to auto mechanics at 68%, and explains what changes once a relationship survives day 100. You will walk away with a new lens for your own onboarding, whether you are welcoming a customer or a new hire. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why the first 100 days methodology matters: 20 to 70% of new customers quit before their 100 day anniversary, and the numbers on the employee side are nearly identical.Why 40% of new hires never make it to their one year anniversary, and why more than half of those departures happen inside the first 100 days.Why a net neutral customer experience is actually a negative experience, and what that means for how you design onboarding today.How Joey Coleman built his customer experience career through unlikely stops at the Secret Service, the White House, and the CIA.Joey's practical test for spotting broken customer experience: if your team ever says "it's our policy," you are telling customers not to come back.Why customers who reach day 101 feeling valued and appreciated typically stay for a minimum of five years.Why the persistence that makes a 13 year old exhausting to parent is the same trait that makes them successful at 30. We talk about: 00:00 Joey's advice for people who ask to pick his brain 01:15 Welcome and Joey Coleman's introduction 01:35 When did Joey first realize he was a leader, not a boss? 04:29 Growing up as the oldest of seven and learning persuasion 08:07 From the Secret Service and White House to customer experience 13:00 What draws someone to customer experience over sales 14:59 The professor who changed his career path 27:52 How Joey met his wife at a coworking space 34:57 Why do 20 to 70% of new customers quit before day 100? 39:00 The real cost of a bad onboarding experience for employees 43:35 Lightning round: books, love languages, and hype songs Resources: The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman https://amzn.to/4vAR4TyPattern Recognition by William Gibson https://amzn.to/4f8Ns6oNever Lose a Customer Again by Joey Coleman https://amzn.to/45dSmcc Connect with Joey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeycoleman1/Website: https://joeycoleman.com/ Connect with me Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/katie_armentroutYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@katiearmentroutLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiearmentroutNewsletter: http://www.peoplefluence.com/newsletterWebsite: http://www.peoplefluence.com #First100Days #CustomerRetention #EmployeeRetention #CustomerExperience #EmployeeExperience #NeverLoseACustomerAgain #NeverLoseAnEmployeeAgain #LeadershipDevelopment #EmployeeOnboarding #CustomerOnboarding #JoeyColeman #ThinkOutsideTheBoss #KatieArmentrout #Peoplefluence #LeadershipPodcast #BusinessLeadership #EmployeeTurnover #CustomerChurn #ExecutiveLeadership #TeamCulture

  5. Jul 15

    021: Are You Retiring 10 Years Too Early? | Derek Coburn

    Retirement planning for entrepreneurs usually starts with the wrong question: how much do you need to save by 65? If you've been telling yourself you'll finally rest, travel, and enjoy life once you hit that number, this conversation is going to challenge your timeline. Katie Armentrout, founder of Peoplefluence, sits down with Derek Coburn, a financial advisor with 27 years in the industry and USA Today bestselling author of Let's Retire Retirement, to break down why the traditional retirement model is failing so many business owners. Derek walks through his Tale of Two Tonys math, showing how pushing retirement back five to ten years can cut your required monthly savings by up to 96 percent, then shares how he built a business and parenting rhythm around presence instead of postponement. If you're building something now and still waiting for someday to start living fully, this episode hands you the numbers and the mindset to start today. In this episode, you’ll discover:Why the traditional retirement math almost always overestimates how much you actually need, and how shifting your target retirement age by just five to ten years changes the entire equation.How Derek's Tale of Two Tonys breaks down the real dollar difference between retiring at 65 versus 70 or 75, using one client's actual numbers.Why financial advisors are financially incentivized to keep you saving and working longer, and the one question you should be asking about your own plan.How to build a business and a life around presence instead of postponement, including the exact schedule Derek uses to be done working by three o'clock.Why finding a job you don't hate can beat chasing a job you love, and what that reframe means if you're a burned out business owner right now.How Derek uses intentional car rides and a recurring family Q&A to build real connection with his teenage sons before they leave for college.Why the skills, relationships, and income you build in your 40s and 50s make it easier, not harder, to earn money later in life. We talk about: 00:00 Why the traditional retirement model is failing you 00:50 When Derek first realized he was a leader 04:00 The book passage that sparked this conversation 05:23 The Tale of Two Tonys retirement math explained 07:21 Why Derek cut his client base by 75 percent 09:00 What happens if every advisor adopted this approach 13:05 What do you say to someone who says they can't do this 18:41 The moment that changed Derek's relationship with time 19:32 How to teach your kids a healthy money mindset 26:32 What if you're already in your 60s with regret 34:37 How to prepare for a 30 minute car ride with your kid 41:59 Derek's favorite personality test and walkout song Resources: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People https://amzn.to/4wvrOii Networking Is Not Working by Derek Coburn https://amzn.to/3R2iUK4 Connect with Derek LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekcoburn/ CADRE: https://www.cadredc.com/Website: https://www.derekcoburn.com/ Connect with me Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/katie_armentroutYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@katiearmentroutLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiearmentrout Newsletter: http://www.peoplefluence.com/newsletterWebsite: http://www.peoplefluence.com #RetirementPlanning #FinancialFreedom #RetireLater #FinancialAdvisor #EntrepreneurLife #BusinessOwnerLife #WorkLifeBalance #IntentionalLiving #ParentingTips #MoneyMindset #WealthBuilding #Unretirement #DelayedRetirement #PresentOverPerfect #LeadershipPodcast #BusinessOwners #FinancialIndependence #ThinkOutsideTheBoss

  6. Jul 8

    020: Are You Building Culture Or Just Enforcing Rules | Katie Armentrout

    A hybrid work policy for leaders is not really about where your team sits, it's about the culture you are willing to build and defend. If you are stuck debating remote versus in-office, you are asking the wrong question. This episode reframes hybrid work, return to office, and remote work policy around one thing: intention. Katie Armentrout, founder of Peoplefluence, spent 20 years in corporate leadership before building her practice around helping executive teams cut through conflict and drama. In this episode, she breaks down how Dropbox, Microsoft, and Goldman Sachs each built radically different work policies that work, and why the difference wasn't remote versus in-office, it was clarity versus arbitrary rules. You will walk away with three leadership principles you can apply before you write another policy. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why forcing a hybrid work policy from the top down without a clear culture behind it creates arbitrary rules that erode trust and drive turnover. How Dropbox's Virtual First model produced a threefold increase in job applicants, 15 percent faster time to hire, and a 16 percent increase in diverse candidates. Why Microsoft stopped counting office days and started designing specific office moments for kickoffs, creative sessions, and complex problem solving instead. How Goldman Sachs justifies its five day in office mandate through an apprenticeship model, and what CEO David Solomon says is actually driving that decision. The three leadership principles to apply before setting any policy: people follow the culture you build, design for the experience not the expectation, and leaders are the policy. Why the hybrid versus remote debate really only applies to knowledge workers, and what that means if you lead a team in healthcare, retail, or manufacturing. The gut check questions to ask your own team about where your culture actually stands today versus where you want it to be. We talk about: 00:00 Why your hybrid work policy might be the wrong question 00:38 The viral Instagram clip that sparked this episode 03:05 Three leadership principles before you set a policy 07:19 Dropbox's Virtual First case study 13:26 Microsoft's office moments, not mandates 22:00 Goldman Sachs and the five day apprenticeship model 27:19 Is remote work really only a knowledge worker debate? 27:55 Gut check, where are you on the continuum? 30:21 The three principles recap for leaders 31:17 How to reframe the hybrid work conversation for good Resources: Dropbox Blog Post: https://blog.dropbox.com/topics/company/Virtual-First-2025-Designing-a-culture-that-drives-impact Connect with me Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/katie_armentroutYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@katiearmentroutLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiearmentrout Newsletter: http://www.peoplefluence.com/newsletterWebsite: http://www.peoplefluence.com #HybridWork #ReturnToOffice #WorkplaceCulture #Leadership #ExecutiveLeadership #PeopleManagement #CultureBuilding #RemoteWork #LeadershipDevelopment #EmployeeRetention #WorkplaceTrust #TeamCulture #CEOLife #HRLeadership #ModernLeadership #BusinessCulture #ThinkOutsideTheBoss

  7. Jul 1

    019: 94% of Companies Get No Real Value From AI. Here's Why | Alyssa Fenoglio

    AI strategy for leaders is not about choosing the right tools. It is about closing the gap between AI ambition and real business results. Right now, 88% of companies are using AI in at least one function, yet only 6% report getting substantial value, defined as five or more points of EBIT impact. That gap is not a technology problem. It is a leadership problem, and most executive teams do not have a playbook to fix it. In this episode, Katie Armentrout, leadership consultant and founder of Peoplefluence, sits down with Alyssa Fenoglio, founder of The Human Algorithm and a 20-year veteran of P&G, Medtronic, and several global healthcare companies. Alyssa shares the two defining differences between companies that win with AI and the 94% that do not: a grander growth ambition and a willingness to redesign workflows from the ground up. You will walk away with a way to think about AI that is less about technology and more about how leaders actually make it work. In this episode, you’ll discover:Why 80% of companies are overindexing on efficiency as their primary AI objective, and why it is limiting their results. What the top 6% of AI high-performing companies do differently, including setting growth and innovation objectives alongside efficiency goals. How the Human Algorithm framework helps executive teams close the gap between AI ambition and measurable business value. Why Alyssa says AI high performers are nearly three times more likely to redesign workflows, and what that looks like in practice. The two critical skills leaders need in the AI era: strategic framing and judgment, including knowing when to bring AI in and when to lead with your own thinking first. Why most companies still have time to build a competitive advantage with AI, even if they feel behind, and where to start. We talk about: 00:00 Why most AI strategies are not moving the business forward 03:30 How Alyssa's leadership foundation was built through athletics 06:45 What formative career moments shaped her values as a leader 12:00 How AI shows up differently for corporate leaders vs. entrepreneurs 15:20 Why 94% of companies are not seeing real value from AI 18:30 What makes the top 6% of AI high performers different 22:00 How to stay agile with AI tools without chasing every trend 25:00 The case for leading with your own thinking before handing off to AI 27:30 What is The Human Algorithm and how does it work? 31:00 Why AI principles transfer across industries, not just within one 33:20 Lightning round: personality assessments, Culture Map, gut instinct, and hype songs Resources: The Culture Map by Erin Meyer https://amzn.to/4xPl00D Connect with Alyssa LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afenoglio/ Website: https://thehumanalgorithm.co/ Substack: https://thehumanalgo.substack.com/ Connect with me Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/katie_armentroutYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@katiearmentroutLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiearmentrout Newsletter: http://www.peoplefluence.com/newsletterWebsite: http://www.peoplefluence.com #AIStrategyForLeaders #HumanAlgorithm #AILeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveLeadership #AITransformation #AIAdoption #ChangeManagement #HumanCenteredAI #AIAndBusiness #ThinkOutsideTheBoss #KatieArmentrout #PeopleFluence #LeadershipPodcast #AIForExecutives #AIValueGap #OrganizationalChange #BusinessLeadership #WorkforceAndAI #AIHighPerformers

  8. Jun 24

    018: Liked AND Respected: The Status Formula for Women | Alison Fragale

    Women status at work is not the same as power, and that distinction could be the most important thing your career has been missing. Most women have been told to work harder, get the promotion, earn the title. But if the people around you don't respect and regard you, none of that moves you forward. You can have the degree, the credentials, and the job offer, and still be overlooked. In this episode of Think Outside the Boss, host and recovering corporate leader Katie Armentrout sits down with Dr. Alison Fragale, organizational psychologist, professor at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, and national bestselling author of Likeable Badass: How Women Get the Success They Deserve. Alison breaks down the science of status, why being authentic and being strategic are not opposites, and exactly how women can build the kind of reputation that earns them a seat at the table. You'll walk away with a new way to think about influence, self-promotion, and the relationships that make or break your career. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why status and power are not the same thing, and why chasing power without building status is costing women at workHow the Likeable Badass Framework helps you build both warmth and authority so you can be genuinely liked and deeply respected at the same timeThe self-promotion strategy Alison learned from a difficult boss at McKinsey and how it changed the way she shows up professionallyWhy authentic and strategic are not opposites, and how to show up as a real version of yourself while still being intentional about how others perceive youHow to practice negotiation and advocacy in low-stakes environments so you are ready when it actually mattersThe subtle allyship behavior that builds someone else's status without a single grand gesture, and how anyone can use itWhy "don't care what other people think" is advice that will actually hurt your career, and what to do instead We talk about: 00:00 Why liked and respected is not a trade-off for women 03:30 Alison's career pivot from McKinsey to organizational psychology 07:00 The status vs. power distinction that changes everything 10:30 How to practice negotiation in low-risk everyday situations 14:00 How to talk about yourself without sounding arrogant 17:30 Why authentic and strategic can coexist 20:00 What does caring about what others think actually mean? 25:00 How to decide whose opinion of you actually matters 28:00 The subtle allyship move that builds someone else's status 34:00 What the research says about women and workplace influence 38:00 Books that changed the way Alison works and sleeps 43:00 The best advice Alison has ever received 46:00 Lightning round: personality assessments, deep work, and walk-on music Resources: Likeable Badass: How Women Get the Success They Deserve, by Alison Fragale, PhD: https://amzn.to/4oS1NHH Connect with Alison LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonfragale/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisonfragale/Website: https://alisonfragale.com/ Connect with me Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/katie_armentroutYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@katiearmentroutLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiearmentroutNewsletter: http://www.peoplefluence.com/newsletterWebsite: http://www.peoplefluence.com #WomenAtWork #WomenLeadership #WorkplaceInfluence #StatusVsPower #LikeableBadass #AllisonFragale #WomenInBusiness #LeadershipForWomen #HowToGetRespected #WorkplaceAdvice #NegotiationTips #WomenCareer #AuthenticLeadership #CareerGrowthTips #ThinkOutsideTheBoss #LeadershipPodcast #CareerDevelopment #WomenEmpowerment

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About

Leadership would be easy if it weren’t for the people. Think Outside the Boss is a leadership podcast for business owners, founders, and people leaders who are tired of managing team drama and ready to lead differently, more human, more effective, and with a lot less exhaustion. Hosted by Katie Armentrout, a recovering corporate leader turned entrepreneur, this show challenges traditional leadership development and replaces it with something far more useful. Clear thinking. Better conversations. And one practical action you can try right away. Through honest solo episodes and real conversations with experienced leaders, Think Outside the Boss explores proven leadership frameworks, innovative ideas, and people-first tools you can actually use. No theory for theory’s sake. No performative leadership nonsense. You’ll learn how to: - Strengthen trust and accountability without micromanaging - Navigate team conflict and communication breakdowns - Build a culture where employees feel valued and customers stay loyal - Lead people with clarity instead of control There’s no silver bullet when it comes to people. But there are better ways to think, choose, and lead. No corporate lingo bingo. No meeting after the meeting. If leadership has started to feel heavier than it should, this podcast is your invitation to Think Outside the Boss. 🎧 New episodes weekly: https://www.peoplefluence.com/podcast

Information

  • Creator
    Katie Armentrout
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Katie Armentrout
  • Show Website
    Think Outside the Boss