#99 Wanda Herndon: What Are They Really Asking? | Former Starbucks SVP on the Second Question

" I had to start trying to think beneath the questions: what are they really saying?" - Wanda J. Herndon

Wanda J. Herndon trained as a journalist, then spent forty years on the other side of the notebook. Dow. DuPont. Eleven years as Starbucks SVP of Global Communications while the company grew from 550 stores to more than 11,000.

Her curiosity starts with a middle child in Flint, Michigan, who wore out her siblings asking why. She describes learning, after being misquoted, to ask what a reporter is really asking. She calls listening a discipline she never mastered. And the question that carried her through divorce: what is this moment trying to teach me?

Crisis work as a puzzle solved with who, what, why, when, where, how. Mentoring as a two-way street. Why she always asked Howard Schultz why. Being the CEO of you. Owning Flint rather than letting others define it.

And her right now question: will we survive this chaos, and what can I do to help?

This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.

Be sure to subscribe to the weekly Curated Questions Dispatch newsletter for more fun with questions and curiosity! (https://substack.com/@curatedquestions)

Keep questioning!

#52 Amy Radin: Why Asking the Right Questions Beats Having Quick Answers!

"Asking the right questions the right way at the right time can often be more of a determinant of your success than being the person to raise their hand and come up with the answer." - Amy Radin

Amy Radin is a pioneer in corporate innovation and strategic questioning. Amy shares her journey from the influence of her father's corner drugstore to becoming one of the world's first Chief Innovation Officers at Citi, and her roles at American Express, E-Trade, and more.

The conversation delves into the importance of curiosity and questioning for personal growth, achieving corporate goals, the emotional and practical aspects of leading change, and the role of strategic questioning in innovation.

Amy also discusses her experiences as an early-stage investor and advisor, highlighting the significance of asking the right questions to assess founders' pitches and provide guidance as they build their companies.

Sign up for Amy's newsletter, Uncommonly Pragmatic, at her website amyradin.com.

Amy is available for live or virtual keynotes and workshops. She can be easily reached through LinkedIn direct messages to collaborate on how to bring her expertise to positively impact your organization.

This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.

Keep questioning!

#34 MK Palmore: From FBI Interrogations to Corporate Conversations

In this episode of Curated Questions, host Ken Woodward engages MK Palmore, an expert in cybersecurity and leadership, in a holistic conversation about the nuances of interviewing, the significance of psychological safety, and the impact of people-centered leadership. MK, a former FBI special agent, shares the invaluable lessons he's learned from his diverse career spanning the US Naval Academy, the Marines, Silicon Valley, and his own start-up, Apogee Global RMS. He reveals the power of strategic silence in eliciting critical information during interviews, his unique approach to fostering team growth and leadership, and how his constant curiosity has been a driving force in his professional journey. Listeners will gain practical insights on improving their questioning techniques, building trust within their teams, public speaking, and leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance productivity and learning.