Badass Softie

Most leaders assume that working more hours means getting more done. But what if doing less actually produced better results—and a healthier, more loyal team? In this episode of Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson sits down with Hannah Lee, co-founder and CEO of Second Mile. Hannah helps organizations shift from a five-day to a four-day work week without losing productivity or profit. Hannah has led this transformation inside her own...

Most leaders feel caught between impossible expectations. Be driven, but stay humble. Strive for excellence, but give yourself grace. Speak with candor, but never lose kindness. If that tension sounds familiar, this episode will change how you lead. Dr. J.J. Peterson sits down with Tim Arnold — international keynote speaker, best-selling author, and leadership coach — to reveal how embracing tension instead of trying to solve it ...

Have you ever worried that if you’re honest about your struggles, your team will lose respect for you? Many leaders default to fear and control to protect authority but that approach actually kills creativity and trust.

On this episode of Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson shows why being “safe” doesn’t mean being weak. True safety creates environments where teams can take risks, tell the truth, and do their best work. Skill may get ...

If your business is just delivering “good service,” you may already be forgettable. Customers don’t talk about good — they remember extraordinary. Those are the moments that earn loyalty, spark word-of-mouth, and make your business unforgettable. In this episode of Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson unpacks lessons from Will Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality — the philosophy that turned 11 Madison Park into the #1 restaurant in the...

If you confuse, you lose. It’s the single biggest mistake leaders and businesses make — and it’s costing them influence, connection, and growth. In this episode of Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson breaks down the StoryBrand framework and shows why story is the most powerful tool for capturing attention and driving action. Most leaders put themselves at the center of the story, but your customers don’t need another hero — they need...

This choice defines your future. Every leader lives out four roles: victim, villain, hero, and guide. The question isn’t whether these roles will show up in your story — it’s which one you’ll choose next. In this episode of Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson unpacks Donald Miller’s Hero on a Mission framework and shows why your leadership story changes the moment you stop playing small. Through personal stories (including the time h...

For too long, leadership has been framed as a false choice: Be loud and aggressive, or compassionate and empathetic. Be ambitious, or be likable. Be respected, or be real. In this premiere episode of Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson reflects on his own career and the leaders he’s worked alongside — and names the tension many of us feel. Too driven for the “soft” spaces, yet not cutthroat enough for the boardroom. For years, he bel...

Have you ever felt the tension of trying to imitate other leaders — tough and aggressive on one hand, all passion and heart on the other? Like you had to choose one lane or the other just to be taken seriously?

Dr. J.J. Peterson has dealt with that same struggle. But the most successful leaders who inspired him most didn’t pick. They were able to be unapologetically ambitious while still leading with heart.

That realization is at t...

Have you ever felt that to be a great leader you have to choose between being loud and aggressive or compassionate and empathetic? You're too driven for the “soft” spaces, yet not cutthroat enough for the boardroom. But here’s the truth: you don’t have to choose.

Badass Softie is a new podcast for leaders who are unapologetically ambitious and want to lead with heart. Hosted by Dr. J.J. Peterson — professor, nonprofit leader, Holly...