Episode Details

This episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times features Josh Golden, CMO at the marketing powerhouse Quad, who is unpacking his special brand of digital marketing and communications magic. It’s no coincidence that he has blazed a trail by making transformational inroads at legacy companies like Xerox, Ad Age and NBC Universal. As he explains to Host Chris Schembra, Josh believes “when you connect people together and are a positive influence, they kind of want to do hard things!” This consummate connector shares with us the “why” that drives both his humanity and humility. As two A+ students of gratitude, Chris and Josh share insights into falling in love with what we do in life – an intentional process that can be cultivated with patience and kindness towards others as well as ourselves.

Enjoy this heartfelt conversation about the art and science behind effective leadership as well as the challenges Josh has navigated while acquiring the tools necessary to guide organizations – and inspire teams – to bring their best. Does that mean meeting fixed goals, one by one? Not necessarily! For Josh, who also hosts "Three Things I Know for Sure" and "Eureka," the emphasis – whatever the career or life context – has to start first with genuinely loving the process and enshrining collaboration as a living, breathing goal in and of itself. You’ll come away from this passionate exchange ready to double down on the kind of can-do attitude that inspires rapid-fire growth and steady satisfaction. Looking for motivation? This episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times will leave you fired up and ready to go!

Want to know more about the science and behavior that result from an attitude of gratitude? It’s all detailed in Chris’s book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours." 

If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience, please visit this link. And click here to listen to previous episodes of Gratitude Through Hard Times.

KEY TOPICS:

• If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life that you don’t give enough credit or thanks to – that you’ve never thought to thank – who would that be? Josh lives in a world of “a thousand thank-you notes,” never leaving his appreciation unspoken. 
• Points on the Compass: Josh holds a space of gratitude both for lessons learned from a person who treated him badly and a deep well of goodness bequeathed by his father.
• What Resonates: Josh makes a practice of observing leadership behaviors and noting what works – authenticity, emotion, humanity. That’s what gets people engaged!
• Solving Puzzles: Josh looks to untangle hard things and then invites others to come along with him in rising to the challenge!
• Transformational Leadership and how Josh got there:
• Honing his craft – communications and storytelling.
• Learning what it means to manage people – assembling the best possible team and inspiring them to do great work.
• Evolving a replicable plan that motivates talented teams to tackle challenge, growth and change.
• Maintaining a Positive Mindset: Why a can-do attitude leads to rapid-fire growth!
• How the best working relationships resemble a process of falling in love, working together to build upon something flawed but always beautiful.
• If you aren’t in love with what you’re doing in your day job, find that passion on the side and grow it into a deeper pursuit.
• You don’t have to quit your day job: Growing what lights you up professionally may take time and cultivation. It’s okay to pursue multiple paths, organically and at the same time.
• The Paradox of Goal Setting as