Badass Softie

Some of the most meaningful leadership lessons don’t come from business books, keynote stages, or boardrooms.   Sometimes, they come from places you don’t expect.   In this episode of Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson shares unexpected leadership insights inspired by a behind-the-scenes look at Taylor Swift and her record-breaking Eras Tour. What he expected was spectacle. What he didn’t expect was...

As a new year begins, many leaders feel an unspoken pressure to measure themselves against impossible standards — more growth, more output, more proof that they’re “enough.” In this episode of Badass Softie, Dr. JJ Peterson invites listeners to pause and challenge the definition of success they’ve been handed. Drawing from his own experiences launching businesses, leading teams, publishing a bests...

As leaders, we’re often taught that joy should wait its turn. That celebration is something you earn after the work is done, the chaos settles, and everything feels appropriate.   But what if that belief is quietly burning us out?   In this episode of Badass Softie, Dr. JJ Peterson invites leaders to rethink joy—not as a reward, but as a leadership practice. Through a simple, human story and resea...

Ever been at a holiday party, networking event, or standing awkwardly near a charcuterie board when someone asks, “So… what do you do?”   And suddenly your brain short-circuits.   You ramble. You minimize. You say something vague like “I help humans” and quietly watch the conversation die.   In this episode, Dr. J.J. Peterson breaks down why leaders dread that question—and how to answer it in a wa...

Dr. J.J. Peterson sits down with author and speaker Jen Hatmaker for a candid conversation about courage, integrity, and what happens when the life you’ve built no longer fits who you’re becoming.   Jen Hatmaker has navigated public success, private heartbreak, theological transformation, and the painful cost of choosing integrity over approval. Through every rise and collapse, she has remained te...

Everywhere I go lately, people are asking me the same thing: How do I stay human when everyone is using AI? And honestly, I get it. We’re living in a moment where content is being produced faster and more generically than ever before and leaders are wondering how to keep their voice from disappearing into the noise.   In today’s conversation, I’m sharing something I’ve learned after years of helpi...

In this episode of The Badass Softie Podcast, Dr. J.J. Peterson sits down with creative business mentor and coach Laura Higgins for a heartfelt, grounded conversation on what it really means to lead as a creative.   Laura opens up about her journey from “generalist” uni dropout to running a successful business coaching over 1,000 creatives — and the mindset shifts, courage, and leadership skills s...

In this episode of Badass Softie, I sit down with my longtime friend and former colleague, Tim Schurrer — someone whose leadership shaped not only my career, but the culture and growth of StoryBrand itself.   Tim is the author of The Secret Society of Success , a book that gently dismantles the assumption that success means being the one in the spotlight. And trust me… I’ve watched him live out th...

For leaders who chase big goals but crave meaning just as much as momentum — this conversation is for you.   Dr. J.J. Peterson sits down with Amy Porterfield, New York Times bestselling author of Two Weeks Notice, to unpack how ambition can serve you without consuming you.   Amy shares how she went from corporate employee at Tony Robbins to building a multimillion-dollar business — and how redefin...

You’ve been grinding nonstop: chasing goals, managing pressure, holding it all together. But lately, even the wins don’t feel like wins anymore. If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. In this solo episode of Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson unpacks how burnout quietly steals your joy, and how reclaiming joy isn’t about pretending things are fine. It’s about reconnecting to purpose, ener...

What do you do when life doesn’t go to plan — when the roadblocks, losses, and grief feel like they’ve stopped you in your tracks? In this episode of Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson opens up about the year he lost his father and became a dad in the same weekend. Through stories of heartbreak and unexpected joy, J.J. reveals how to keep moving forward when grief and growth show up at the same time...

Most leaders don’t fail because they lack skill — they fail because they stop asking the right questions. When the path feels murky, pressure mounts, and clarity fades, it’s easy to slip into control or chaos. In this episode of Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson sits down with Amy Smith — a leadership coach and consultant who’s led global training for Apple, coached executive teams for McDonald’s,...

Most leaders think they’re self-aware — but they’re often just self-critical. The truth is, you can’t lead what you don’t feel. When emotions go unnamed, they run the show from behind the scenes, shaping decisions, reactions, and team dynamics. In this episode of Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson sits down with Tera Wages to unpack why emotional fluency is the missing link between burnout and break...

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...

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 tensi...

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...

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...

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 d...

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 pers...

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 fo...

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 w...

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 —...