#385 Lisa Bodell: Stop Drowning in Complexity—How Simplicity Fuels Innovation — Part One
Descripción del Episodio
Lisa Bodell didn’t just study the future—she built a career helping others prepare for it.
In Part One of this two-part series, the CEO of FutureThink shares how her path from advertising to futurism led to a global mission: helping teams simplify, innovate, and stop drowning in busywork. She breaks down what it really means to be a futurist (hint: no crystal balls involved), why complexity is the true enemy of innovation, and how she’s helped companies like Pfizer kill zombie meetings and make space for what actually matters.
If your calendar is packed but your brain is fried, this episode is for you.
Key Highlights of Our Interview:
From Ads to Innovation Strategy
“I was great at selling creative ideas—but I realized people needed help generating them.”
What a Futurist Actually Does
“It’s not about trendspotting. It’s a structured approach to planning multiple scenarios—and preparing for them.”
Why Simplicity Comes First
“People aren’t tired of innovation. They’re tired of all the unnecessary stuff that gets in the way.”
The Leap into Entrepreneurship
“When you work for yourself, there’s no safety net. But that’s what makes it exciting—and all yours.”
Pivoting with Purpose
“Nothing stays the same. The best entrepreneurs know how—and when—to shift.”
Futuring ≠ Trendspotting
“Real futurists use models, not guesses. It’s about resilience through structured foresight.”
Kill a Stupid Rule (Yes, Really)
“When Pfizer saw that employees couldn’t get things done, we trained 40 champions in one simple tactic: kill a stupid rule. The result? Thousands of hours—and dollars—saved.”
Make Room for What Matters
“Simplification isn’t about doing less. It’s about doing more of what’s meaningful.”
Busy ≠ Valuable
“We reward people for doing more, not for doing what matters. That’s the problem.”
Personal Simplicity = Mental Clarity
“Write down everything you do. Circle what’s meaningful. Then start deleting what’s not.”
______________________
Connect with us:
Host: Vince Chan | Guests: Lisa Bodell
--Chief Change Officer--
Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself.
Open a World of Expansive Human Intelligence
for Transformation Gurus, Black Sheep,
Unsung Visionaries & Bold Hearts.
EdTech Leadership Awards 2025 Finalist.
20 Million+ All-Time Downloads.
80+ Countries Reached Daily.
Global Top 1% Podcast.
Top 5 US Business.
Top 1 US Careers.
>>>180,000+ are outgrowing. Act Today.<<<
Episodios Recientes
Más podcasts de Sociedad y Cultura
Ver toda la categoría →
The Binge Crimes: What Happened to the Harrisons?
By shows
From the outside, 3635 Pitch Pine Crescent looked like the kind of home where nothing bad could happen, the gathering place for every birthday and holiday. Until one spring night when tragedy struck. In less than five years, three people would end up dead in the same house. Each time, the authorities found a way to explain it away. But the family who loved them knew something was wrong. Host Amy Dempsey Raven, an investigative reporter for the Toronto Star, spent more than a decade asking what really happened inside that house. Binge all episodes of What Happened to the Harrisons?, ad-free by subscribing to The Binge. Search and follow The Binge Crimes and The Binge Cases feeds on Apple Podcasts and hit Subscribe, or visit GetTheBinge.com. From serial killer nurses to psychic scammers – The Binge is your home for true crime stories that pull you in and never let go. New episodes drop on the first of every month. Join our free newsletter for behind-the-scenes details at Patreon.com/TheBinge. The Binge – Feed your true crime obsession. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Cañones o Mantequilla
By shows
Un espacio donde los analistas de El Orden Mundial debaten temas de la actualidad internacional. Un pódcast semanal de El Orden Mundial. Síguenos en redes en @canonesomantequilla.podcast y en @elordenmundial . Descubre nuestro contenido en elordenmundial.com
CAMINO AL ÉXITO por BRIAN TRACY
By shows
🎙️ CAMINO AL ÉXITO con Brian Tracy ¿Listo para resultados previsibles? 🚀 En este podcast, desglosamos la psicología del alto rendimiento. Aquí el éxito no es un accidente, es una habilidad que se aprende. 🧠💼 Descubre cómo dominar la autodisciplina, triplicar tu productividad y alcanzar metas con claridad cristalina. 🎯 Basado en leyes de causa y efecto, te damos el mapa exacto para ganar más y vivir mejor. ⏱️💰 ¡Deja de desear y empieza a lograr! El viaje a la cima comienza aquí. 🏔️✨ ¡Suscríbete y toma el control de tu destino! 🔥
Entre el mundo y yo con Anaís
By shows
Bienvenidos a “Entre el Mundo y Yo”, el podcast donde la historia mundial se cuenta como si fuera el chisme más sabroso de la familia. Aquí Anaís mezcla guerras, revoluciones y anécdotas personales con humor, sarcasmo y comparaciones que te harán decir: “Mi hermana en Cristo, ¿qué acabo de escuchar?” Porque sí: tragedia + tiempo = comedia, y aquí vas a descubrirlo con relatos que son tan absurdos como interesantes. Prepárate para reír, sorprenderte y aprender, todo al mismo tiempo.
We Fixed It, You're Welcome
By shows
Armchair quarterbacking isn’t just for sports anymore. We’re taking the same approach to companies: what would you do in their shoes? Each episode, our lively panel will debate a new issue ripped from the headlines involving a different well-known company. Between our instincts, experiences, and unsolicited opinions, we may just come up with gold. At the end, we’ll critique ourselves and see how we did. If we fixed it, you’re welcome! Season 3 launched January 20, 2026. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode!
Notes from the Edge
By shows
Notes From the Edge is where polished stories end and the truth begins. Hosted by writer, trauma educator, executive advisor, and author Lisa Lacy, this globally ranked podcast explores survival, identity, trauma, addiction, recovery, leadership, relationships, and reinvention through raw, deeply human conversations. No scripts. No small talk. Just the stories we were taught to hide, the roles we performed to survive, and the truths that set us free. What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the edge. www.lisalacy.com
In The Dark
By shows
In the Dark, hosted by Madeleine Baran, is an award-winning investigative-journalism podcast that started in 2016. Its first season looked at the mysterious abduction of Jacob Wetterling in rural Minnesota and the lack of accountability that sheriffs face when they fail to solve cases. Season 2 examined the case of Curtis Flowers, who was tried six times for the same crime. In 2020, In the Dark released a special report on the coronavirus pandemic in the Mississippi Delta. In 2023, In the Dark joined The New Yorker and in 2024, it released “The Runaway Princesses,” a four-part series that asks why the women in Dubai’s royal family keep trying to run away. Season 3, released in 2024, asked why no one was punished for the killings of twenty-five civilians in Haditha, Iraq. In the Dark won the Pulitzer Prize for audio for Season 3. The podcast is a three-time Peabody Award winner and, in 2019, became the first podcast to win a George Polk Award, one of the top honors in journalism. The program has also received an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award and a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award. New Yorker subscribers get early, ad-free access. In Apple Podcasts, tap the link at the top of the feed to subscribe or link an existing subscription. Or visit newyorker.com/dark to subscribe and listen in the New Yorker app. If you have comments or story tips, please send them to [email protected].
We!
By shows
<p>The #1 U.S. How To podcast for emotional growth, WE is a movement for reconnection—heart to heart, soul to soul. Hosted by Joe Mittiga, WE explores emotional healing, mental health, personal growth, relationships, and spiritual awakening in a world that feels increasingly disconnected. Each episode reveals why you feel the way you do—and the emotional, mental, and spiritual growth that leads to healing, peace, purpose, and deeper human connection. Through honest conversations and real-life experiences, WE helps you better understand yourself, others, and your place in a changing world. Healing doesn't happen alone. It happens when we remember WE. <br><br></p><p>Visit <a href="http://www.wepodcast.global"><b>www.WEPodcast.global</b></a> to learn more<br><br></p><p>Download my books free at <a href="http://www.joemittiga.com"><b>www.JoeMittiga.com</b></a>.<br><br></p><p><b>Voices of WE</b></p><p><em>Healing humanity, one story at a time.</em></p>