Conferences still matter. But the way we design them must change.

With rising costs, economic pressure, and AI reshaping professional development, association leaders can’t afford events that stop at “great content.”

In this episode, Penny Zenker shares:

• Why information is now a commodity
• What Millennials and Gen Z actually expect from events
• How to use real-time feedback and live polling to increase engagement
• A practical framework for embedding accountability into your conference
• How AI can personalize and extend impact long after the event ends

Because the real ROI of a conference isn’t inspiration.

It’s implementation.

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In today's hyper-complex, information-saturated world, the impulse is often to do more. More tasks, more meetings, more data consumption. But what if the path to true success lies in doing less while achieving more? We sat down with Rich Horwath, a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and the leading authority on strategic thinking, to uncover the crucial insights that separate successful leaders from those stuck on the activity treadmill. Horwath, Founder of the Strategic Thinking Institute and author of Strategic: The Skill to Set Direction, Create Advantage, and Achieve Executive Excellence, argues that relying on AI to think for us is a critical mistake. Instead, leaders must intentionally carve out time to gain the "fuel insights"—learnings that lead to new value.

In this must-read post, learn how to:

• Stop reacting and start acting on your own agenda.
• Implement simple, daily "Reset Practices" to capture one valuable insight a day.
• Use strategic reflection to clarify success and double down on what’s working.
• Leverage your time, talent, and attention for maximum strategic advantage.

Discover why doing less leads to more strategic achievement and how you can develop the mindset required to thrive in a complex world.

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In a world of constant change, uncertainty can feel overwhelming—especially for leaders responsible for guiding others through it. In this solo episode, Penny Zenker shares a powerful reframe: certainty isn’t about predicting outcomes—it’s about anchoring yourself internally.

Drawing from real-world leadership challenges, stress neuroscience, and her proven Reset Mindset, Penny explores how leaders can reduce emotional intensity, regain clarity, and take the next right step, even when the future feels unclear. You’ll learn why logic alone can’t solve emotional overload, how to move out of reactive mode, and how a simple three-step practice—step back, get perspective, and realign—can restore calm, focus, and confidence.

This episode is especially relevant for leaders, executives, HR professionals, coaches, and wellness practitioners navigating cognitive overload, market volatility, and emotional fatigue—both in themselves and their teams.

If you’re looking for practical leadership tools that support both performance and well-being, this episode will help you reset, refocus, and lead with intention—no matter what’s happening around you.

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Technical experts are masters of their specific crafts, but they often find themselves dealing with the universal challenges of overwork, burnout, and micromanagement. Penny Zenker sits down with Alistair Gordon, CEO of Expertunity, who shares how he leads the so-called expertship revolution to address this growing problem happening in most workplaces. Alistair sheds light on how experts and specialists are often trapped in their “technical bubbles,” causing them to be extremely underappreciated and typically overwhelmed. Find out how to regain agency, set clear priorities, and push back on unreasonable demands to finally get the recognition you truly deserve.

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What does it mean to choose a word for the year — and actually live it?

In this solo episode, Penny shares why generosity became her word of the year and how it’s shaping the way she moves through each month. Rather than treating generosity as something to do, she explores it as a way of being — one that begins with letting go and unfolds through intentional monthly themes.

This episode walks through the structure behind the practice, offering a grounded, sustainable approach to living generosity with clarity, presence, and purpose throughout the year.

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Stop letting fear of the wrong choice lead to the biggest mistake of all: no decision making at all. Join the conversation as host Penny Zenker sits down with neuroscientist, researcher, and keynote speaker Lorne Epstein, who consults with senior leaders on improving decision making outcomes. They dive into how to navigate today's volatile, uncertain, chaotic, and ambiguous (VUCA) world by identifying unconscious bias, the critical role of cognitive flexibility, and why you need to master your personal 'reset moment' to filter out the noise and find your signal. Lorne also shares insights on his novel psychometric assessment for teams and explains how AI can be a great advisory tool in your decision making process.

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Clarity doesn’t happen by accident—it happens by intention.

In this episode, Penny explores the overlooked moment at the start of every day that determines whether you lead with focus or fall into reaction mode. Learn how clarity creates a filter for your energy, helps you challenge false urgency, and allows you to right-size your effort for what truly matters.

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Are you ready to dive deep into personalizing the sales process in a world saturated with AI? Nikki Rausch, CEO of Sales Maven, author, and podcast host, joins the conversation to explain why people still buy from people and how a "high-tech" world demands an even more "high-touch" approach. Discover her game-changing techniques for fostering authentic connections, including her specific, powerful questions to ask in a sales conversation, the strategic power of replacing "if" with "when" in your language, and why she believes the most important word for a salesperson's presence right now is "generous."

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/