The New Rules of Business Chief, Pod People

The business world is abuzz with the promise – and potential dangers – of the metaverse. The space seems to have a high barrier for entry, requiring a confident working knowledge of the blockchain, crypto, and NFTs to even begin to dive in. But as a business leader, you can’t ignore this rapidly-growing space, nor the potential to be a savvy early adopter.

Lindsay and Carolyn speak with Janine Yorio, CEO of virtual real estate firm Republic Realm, to get a handle on what the metaverse is and why the conversation around the metaverse is unnecessarily confusing. Then, they interview Cathy Hackl, host of the Metaverse Marketing podcast and “Godmother of the Metaverse,” about balancing the ideal of decentralization with making sure the next frontier is welcoming for everybody.

It feels like every time we talk about multiage working relationships, the same tired themes arise: who’s better at technology, who prefers in-person work to remote, who’s biased. But that can’t be the whole picture; interage collaboration — and the two-way mentorship that comes with it — can create a thriving collaboration.

Lindsay and Carolyn chat with ageism researcher and speaker Ashton Applewhite, author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism to get to the bottom of what people get wrong about matters of age. And then they’re joined by a pair of leaders whose intergenerational collaboration has been great for business: designer Diane von Furstenburg and DVF President and Chief Executive Gabby Hirata.

Humor can bring people together. But in the wrong context, it can be disastrous. So how can leaders make sure they’re using it to their advantage?

Enter Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas, Stanford Business School professors and co-authors of Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life (And how anyone can harness it. Even you.) Jennifer and Naomi join Carolyn and Lindsay to break down the distinctions between levity, humor, and comedy, and the secrets to make humor the sharpest tool in your belt.

The last year has hastened the rise of the most crucial changes to the way we work: hybrid workplaces and large-scale commitments to DEI. But do DEI efforts fall short when colleagues can’t see each other in person?

First, Carolyn talks with author, speaker, and DEI consultant Minda Harts for a look at what she sees as the most important learnings from lockdown — and the importance of making sure racialized employees aren’t being left behind as we return to work. Then, Frances Frei & Anne Morriss are back to highlight for Lindsay and Carolyn the places where they believe remote offices can be a boon for DEI work.

Everyone wants to be liked. But for leaders, does pursuing likability put your authority into question? Or worse, can it sand down the edges of everything that makes you a dynamic leader?

MSNBC host and author of The Likability Trap Alicia Menendez joins Lindsay and Carolyn to unpack the many-edged sword of likability, why (shocking!) it’s even more fraught for women and non-white people, and what we can do to push back against our culture’s bias.

Ben & Jerry’s is almost synonymous with corporations standing for social causes. So Lindsay and Carolyn chat with founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield to find out how they baked their social mission into their ice cream brand. Plus, they share their best advice for co-founders navigating a long-term working relationship.