Best Graban Podcasts (2025)

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Kakorrhaphiophobia: How Fear of Failure Sabotages Continuous Improvement and Innovation 8:31

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7h ago8:31

8:31

Read the blog post When I first came across the word kakorrhaphiophobia, I thought it might be one of those obscure terms you learn once and never use again. But the meaning stopped me in my tracks: an irrational, intense fear of failure or defeat. It turns out, this fear is more common–and more consequential–than we might admit, especially in work…

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Jared Thatcher on Growing the Global Lean Summit and Partnering with Toyota 10:39

1d ago10:39

10:39

In this bonus episode of Lean Blog Interviews, host Mark Graban talks with Jared Thatcher, founder of the Global Lean Summit, to preview the upcoming event taking place September 23–25, 2025 in Bloomington, Indiana. Jared shares the Summit’s origin story—from a virtual event launched during COVID lockdowns to a high-impact in-person gathering that …

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Your Work Won’t Speak for Itself: Mistakes & Branding Lessons from Sapna Pieroux 44:46

20h ago44:46

44:46

My guest for Episode #319 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Sapna Pieroux, award-winning author of Let’s Get Visible!, a branding consultant, and the founder of Inner Visions ID. Episode page with video, transcript, and more With a background spanning 20 years in media and experience working with major brands like Toyota, Sony, and L’Oréal, Sap…

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What Is the Continuous Improvement Model and How Does It Drive Business Success? 16:46

3d ago16:46

16:46

Read the blog post Summary The continuous improvement model is a systematic approach where organizations constantly implement small, incremental improvements to services, products, and processes. Built on seven core principles, this model enables businesses of any size to reduce waste, increase efficiency, and engage employees in meaningful change …

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Kaiteki: The Japanese Philosophy Behind Motivated Employees and Lean Success 4:56

4d ago4:56

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Episode page with links and more During my most recent visit to Japan (as part of a tour hosted by Katie Anderson), we spent time in several remarkable organizations where the focus wasn't just on performance or process… but on people. One company in particular introduced me to a word I hadn't encountered in this context before: kaiteki. Roughly tr…

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Take 2: Melisa Buie on Lean Culture, Scientific Thinking, and Empowering Engineers 54:53

7d ago54:53

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My guest for Episode #531 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Dr. Melisa Buie, a seasoned operations and engineering leader with decades of experience in high-tech manufacturing. Episode page with video, transcript, and more Melisa has held senior roles at companies like Lam Research, Applied Materials, and Coherent, where she led large-scale Le…

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The Art of Preventing Stupid: Lawyer and Author Matthew Davis on Business Mistakes and Growth 45:12

7d ago45:12

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My guest for Episode #318 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Matthew Neal Davis, an attorney, entrepreneur, and author of the provocative book The Art of Preventing Stupid. Episode page with video and more Matthew is the founder and managing partner of Davis Business Law, which has grown more than 1,000% in six years, earning a spot on the Inc. …

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How Do I Get Executive Buy-In for Improvement Initiatives? 8:12

10d ago8:12

8:12

Read the blog post You’ve identified inefficiencies. You have a clear roadmap. You know your improvement initiative can move the needle. What's next? You need executive buy-in. One of the most common challenges for CI and OpEx leaders is getting senior leadership to engage, support, and actively champion improvement work. It's not that leaders don'…

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Why Going to Law School Was Her Favorite Mistake – Davina Frederick of Wealthy Woman Lawyer 44:47

14d ago44:47

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My guest for Episode #316 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Davina Frederick, founder of Wealthy Woman Lawyer, host of the Wealthy Woman Lawyer Podcast, and a business coach who has helped women law firm owners scale their practices to seven figures and beyond. Episode page with video, transcript, and more In our conversation, Davina shares why…

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6 Steps to Continuous Improvement in Automotive Manufacturing 9:14

18d ago9:14

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The blog post Manufacturers in the automotive sector face significant pressures today, from rising material costs and supply chain disruptions to the demand for faster production times and stricter regulatory requirements. Achieving continuous quality improvement (CQI) remains critical, as it not only enhances product consistency and drives complia…

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Transforming Healthcare: Ken Segel on Lean, Shingo, and Operating Systems 48:52

21d ago48:52

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My guest for Episode #530 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Ken Segel, Co-Founder and Chief Relationship Officer at Value Capture. Episode page with video and more With over two decades of experience in healthcare improvement, Ken has been instrumental in guiding Value Capture's mission: helping healthcare organizations pursue habitual excelle…

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The Danger of Optimism: CEO Jim Schleckser on His Biggest Leadership Mistake 49:22

22d ago49:22

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My guest for Episode #316 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Jim Schleckser, founder and CEO of The CEO Project. Episode page with video, transcript, and more Jim is a seasoned business leader, bestselling author, and trusted advisor to CEOs around the world. With experience spanning 42 countries and multiple industries, Jim has spent decades he…

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Why 100 Coffee Meetings Didn’t Work—And What Kat Halushka Did Instead 37:43

26d ago37:43

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My guest for Episode #315 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Kat Halushka, a business and visibility strategist for coaches, consultants, and speakers. She’s the founder of Profitable Impact Academy, where she helps entrepreneurs grow their audience, automate marketing, and land clients through speaking and streamlined funnels. EPISODE PAGE Kat’…

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What Your C-Suite Wants From Your Improvement Program (But Hasn’t Said) 6:47

1M ago6:47

6:47

Link to the blog post If you’re a CI leader, you’ve likely experienced the paradox: you’re driving improvements across the organization, but your executive team still sees your program as “supporting work” and not strategic work. You may hear positive feedback, even encouragement. But behind closed doors, your program is being measured against a di…

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How Culture Creates Freedom and Profit: Josh Cunningham Returns to Share His New Book 13:57

1M ago13:57

13:57

In this special bonus episode of My Favorite Mistake, host Mark Graban welcomes back Josh Cunningham, founder and CEO of Rokrbox and guest from Episode 244. Josh returns to share insights from his brand-new book, Culture Is the Key: How to Unlock Massive Profits and Freedom. We dive into: How Josh built a culture-first company that’s thriving—even …

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Designing a Culture of Respect: Scott Gauvin's Insights from the Respect for People Roadmap 1:10:10

1M ago1:10:10

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My guest for Episode #529 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Scott Gauvin, CEO of Macresco and co-creator of the Respect for People Roadmap. Episode page with video, transcript, and more With 30 years of experience leading operational transformations across sectors including biotech, pharma, agriculture, and manufacturing, Scott brings both a s…

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The Mistake of Unrealistic Expectations: Mark Struczewski’s Solopreneur Journey 44:03

1M ago44:03

44:03

My guest for Episode #314 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Mark Struczewski, also known as “Mister Productivity.” Mark is a Houston-based productivity coach, speaker, and host of The Mister Productivity Podcast, with over 1,300 episodes to his name. He helps overwhelmed professionals cut through distractions and focus on what truly matters. Ep…

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How Safe is it to Admit a Mistake at Work? [Poll] 4:18

1M ago4:18

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Episode page with survey results and more When someone on your team makes a mistake, what happens next? Do they speak up–or stay quiet? Do leaders give feedback that demonstrates curiosity–or do they blame employees? After interviewing over 200 leaders and contributors for my podcast “My Favorite Mistake” and book, The Mistakes That Make Us, one tr…

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Avoiding Bad Marketing: Amber Gaige on Mistakes, AI, and the Four Cs 32:41

1M ago32:41

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My guest for Episode #313 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Amber Gaige, a marketing strategist, international bestselling author, and founder of Far Beyond Marketing. With over 20 years of experience, Amber helps entrepreneurs simplify their marketing and drive real results. She’s also the author of The Far Beyond Marketing Guidebook: Stop Bei…

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Mark Reich, Former Toyota Leader on Hoshin Kanri and 'Managing on Purpose' 1:02:00

2M ago1:02:00

1:02:00

My guest for Episode #528 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Mark Reich, a Senior Lean Coach with the Lean Enterprise Institute and former Toyota leader with over two decades of experience. Episode page with video, transcript, and more Mark spent six years working in Japan, including helping launch the Lexus brand and later leading Hoshin Kanri…

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Breaking Through Cultural Friction: The Role of Respect for People (Strengthening Culture for Sustainable Performance) 59:57

2M ago59:57

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A webinar presented by Scott Gauvin, CEO of Macresco Consulting and the Co-founder of the Respect for People Roadmap Video, slides, and more Learning objectives: Identify the hidden barriers that prevent Lean from gaining traction—and discover practical strategies to overcome them Learn the nine behaviors leaders and employees can adopt to build a …

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Ballet, Mistakes, and Masked Performances: Jared Redick’s Story of Grace Under Pressure 42:44

2M ago42:44

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OOPS! Due to an editing mistake, I had to reupload the file. Again. My guest for Episode #312 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Jared Redick, a third-generation ballet dancer, choreographer, and award-winning educator. Episode page with links and more Jared is a full professor and Assistant Dean of Dance at the University of North Carolina Scho…

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How a Mistake in Confronting Workplace Discrimination Shaped a Leadership Career – Karin Hurt on Speaking Up the Right Way 40:51

2M ago40:51

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My guest for Episode #311 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Karin Hurt, CEO of Let’s Grow Leaders, a global leadership development firm. Karin is a former Verizon Wireless executive and the award-winning author of five books, including her latest, Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Workplace Conflict. Episode page with video, transcript, and mor…

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Excited to Facilitate a Workshop at AME 2025: Deming, Red Beads & Process Behavior Charts 5:10

2M ago5:10

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The blog post I'm honored to share that my workshop, "The Deming Red Bead Game & Process Behavior Charts: Practical Applications for Lean Management," has been accepted for the 41st Annual International AME Conference, taking place this October in St. Louis. The conference theme--Gateway to the Future: AI and Beyond--is both timely and forward-look…

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A Free Resource for Leaders: The Mistake-Smart Leader's Checklist 2:30

2M ago2:30

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Read the blog post We all say mistakes are a part of learning. Or at least many of us do, as individuals. But how many organizations actually act that way? Too often, people are punished for systemic errors. So, problems get hidden. When problems are discovered, blame is assigned instead of learning being shared. And we wonder why our teams hesitat…

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What Nearly Killed Andrew Laws’ Business—and Why He’s Now Grateful for It 41:48

2M ago41:48

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My guest for Episode #310 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Andrew Laws, Founder of the SEO agency Yeseo IO and host of The Business Amplifier Podcast. Andrew has been working in digital marketing for over 25 years and has seen just about every shift in the SEO landscape. But one of the biggest lessons of his career came not from Google’s algor…

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What do Crayola, the NFL, MIT, the Pope, and Red Eyes all have in common? 1:29:59

2M ago1:29:59

1:29:59

In Season 2, Episode 3, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh both share specific episodes of their other podcasts. Jamie shares his People Solve Problems episode featuring Crayola CEO Pete Ruggiero, and Mark shares a repeat guest for My Favorite Mistake with NFL Players Association Dr. Thom Mayer to talk about the experiment of new kickoff formats and…

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How Busy Teams Can Better Execute Growth Plans: Andrea Jones on 'Executagility' and Mistakes 14:20

2M ago14:20

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In this special bonus episode of My Favorite Mistake, Mark Graban talks again with Andrea Jones, Principal at AJC and CEO of The Executagility Company. Andrea was previously featured in Episode 105, and she returns to discuss the release of her new book: The Executagility Field Guide: How Busy Teams Can Execute Growth Plans. Andrea shares a new “fa…

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40 Years Ago: Just for the Mistake of It… New Coke! 6:56

2M ago6:56

6:56

The blog post Thanks to NPR for their recent story about how today, April 23, 2025, marks the 40th anniversary of what is considered one of the biggest business or product marketing failures of my lifetime — the failed introduction of “New Coke.”

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Update on my June 17th Workshop: Improving the Way We Improve (Cincinnati) 4:11

2M ago4:11

4:11

The blog post Are your improvement efforts falling flat, or are you constantly chasing red dots? Are you interested in improving the way we improve? I've had to re-tool my Cincinnati workshop (June 17th) since my collaboration partner is now, unfortunately, unable to make it. Join me for a practical and thought-provoking day exploring two essential…

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Burnout to Breakthrough: How La Tonya Roberts Found Harmony by Leaving Corporate Consulting 29:39

2M ago29:39

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My guest for Episode #309 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is La Tonya Roberts, the founder and CEO of Harmony Consulting Group. La Tonya is a fractional COO, HR consultant, and executive coach who helps women entrepreneurs scale their service-based businesses from six to seven figures through systems, strategic planning, and operational excellen…

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Psychological Safety: You get your say, not always your way. 3:19

2M ago3:19

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The blog post There's a phrase I've been thinking about a lot lately: "You get your say, not always your way." It's a short sentence, but it says a lot. It's about voice, it's about respect, and it's about the kind of culture we're building--especially when we aim for continuous improvement. In The Mistakes That Make Us, I wrote about the character…