Joanna Bloor on potentialism, humans as emerging technology and positive sum games

In this episode of Out of the Clouds, host Anne Mühlethaler welcomes Joanna Bloor, a creative thinker and self-proclaimed "Potentialist" who has spent decades helping people and organisations unlock their untapped potential. With a background spanning from selling high-end swimwear to pioneering work in emerging technology during the dot-com era, Joanna brings a unique perspective on how we buy and sell human potential in today's world.

The conversation begins with Joanna's transformative journey from moving from England to Texas at 15 (going from "Hogwarts without boys or magic to Americana") to her pivotal moment entering the tech world in 1995 when "nobody had a rule book." She shares how these experiences taught her that future you is who people want to get to know and shaped her approach to helping others articulate their potential.

At the heart of the discussion is Joanna's revolutionary framework for understanding potential. She explains her concept that humans are essentially "emerging technology" - complex, upgradeable, and often misunderstood products that we buy and sell using outdated methods like resumes and job descriptions. Her famous principle that "every decision made about you and your opportunities is made in a room that you're not in" becomes the launching point for a deep dive into how to make yourself "easy to buy."

The conversation takes a delightful turn as Joanna deconstructs the Cinderella story, which is the heart of her book, Tales of Potential, revealing how she reframed the fairy tale princess to reveal a strategic marketing genius who understood the importance of leaving the right "marketing materials" (the glass slipper) behind. This leads to a rich discussion about authenticity, power dynamics  in professional settings, and why women need to shift from playing non-zero sum games to positive sum games - essentially, making more pie rather than fighting over slices.

Joanna shares practical advice for people who want to unlock insights to better talk about their own potential, including her "three words exercise" for discovering how others perceive you, and discusses the four power dynamics at play in any interaction: being liked, wanted, invited, or honored. 

The episode concludes with Joanna's vision for bringing more magic into the corporate world, including her dream of standing on stage unironically in a sequin ball gown with a wand to help people see the potential in themselves and others. 

A warm, funny and deeply insightful conversation, which is sure to leave you thinking differently about your own potential. Happy listening! 

 

Selected Links from Episode

Connect with Joanna:

• Joanna's website
• Follow Joanna on LinkedIn
• Joanna's Substack, The Potentialist, a dispatch from the edge of what’s emerging.
• Follow Joanna on social media: @JoannaBloor
• Joanna’s book, Tales of Potential: The Cinderella Story You Didn’t Hear
• Joanna’s TED talk “How 3D printing helped me lose weight”

Resources mentioned:

• The quantum pen article on Joanna's Substack
• "Clever Lazy" by Joan Badger - the book that inspired 12-year-old Joanna
• PT Barnum 
• Angus Harvey quote on monsters and superstition: “The old world is dying and while the new world struggles to be born, now is the time of monsters  because we are unable to distinguish between what feels good and what is true.”
• The other quote Joanna was looking for: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Arthur C. Clarke
• "Playing Big" by Tara Mohr - recommended book for women
• Introduction makeover examples by Joanna with a host of wonderful people on YouTube (a must watch!)

Books Joanna recommends:

• "Humans" by Matt Haig
• "The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August" by Claire North
• "The Sudden Appearance of Hope" by Claire North

Other references:

• Positive sum games vs zero sum games
• Songs: