Author, founder two times over, and marketing titan Rand Fishkin joins me on Good Boss Bad Boss. In our chat, Rand didn’t shy away his own experiences, including the emotional challenges he faced when leaving Moz.

What stands out is Rand’s strong advocacy for transparency in business. He believes this openness has been critical in fostering trust with employees and customers, although he knows potential drawbacks of sharing sensitive information do exist.

Where he has landed in his journey has brought him to prioritize personal relationships over hustle culture, the team at SparkToro has created a unique working atmosphere that values a relaxed environment and flexible schedules.

Jump into the conversation:

(02:05) Meet Rand

(07:30) Hard lessons from Moz

(9:57) Rand’s case for transparent leadership

(21:40) Rand’s ex-CEO and ex-best friend

(23:32) Relationships > Business

(27:56) What is chill work?

Connect with Joei: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeichan/ Subscribe to GBBB’s Substack: https://joeichan.substack.com/

Produced by Share Your Genius https://www.shareyourgenius.com/

Artistic direction by Alexandre Lenoble https://www.alexandrelenoble.com/

From negotiating for my very first salary to having to deny an employee’s raise request, I have been on one heck of a ride when it comes to learning about negotiations.

What can you negotiate for? What challenges can arise in the negotiation process? What makes this process less stressful? I’m sharing what’s worked for me to help you negotiate, as an employee and as a manager. This process doesn’t always have to be painful—it should be a helpful moment each time it happens in your career.

Listen in for: 💡 The importance of negotiating from both an employee and employer perspective 💰 Strategies to confidently negotiate for what you deserve, for salary, promotion, and benefits 🌟 The techniques that helped me secure those pay bumps and promotions in my own career 🎯 How to navigate tough negotiations when you're calling the shots as a manager

Jump into the conversation:

(00:28) My first negotiation (03:00) Negotiation learnings from becoming a manager (04:40) Negotiations gone wrong (09:10) It all comes down to this.

Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeichan/ Subscribe to GBBB’s Substack: https://joeichan.substack.com/

Produced by Share Your Genius https://www.shareyourgenius.com/

Artistic direction by Alexandre Lenoble https://www.alexandrelenoble.com/

Did you know the average manager doesn’t receive leadership training until they’ve managed for 10 years or more 😱. So what do you need to know (or wish you’d known) early on in your journey?

Joei sits down with Alma’s Senior Director of Demand Gen, Carmen Cedeño to talk about just that. Carmen has been in managerial roles for over 7 years, so Joei asks her to reflect on asking for her first managerial role and the lessons learned. She shares her own stories and lessons with great insight, self-awareness, and vulnerability Some of the lessons she learned include:

1️⃣ Finding the Right Balance: As a new manager, it's natural to feel the need to advocate for your team and protect them from questions or doubts from your boss. But actually transparent communication and honesty keep your team on track and focused on what’s best for the business. Which is actually best for your team, too.

2️⃣ Managing Other Managers is About Empowerment: When you’re managing multiple people with their own teams, remember to allow space for different leadership styles and cultures. Looking ahead to keep developing these managers is more important than micro-managing their teams for them!

3️⃣ Use Frameworks for Effective Communication: To communicate clearly, especially for people who don’t know you as well, utilizing frameworks and systems can help immensely. Carmen uses the SBI framework (Situation, Behavior, Intent) to help stay transparent and honest (especially in those harder conversations).

Jump into the conversation:

(01:45) Meet Carmen

(07:40) The biggest hurdles when jumping from IC to manager

(18:45) Carmen’s pivotal moment as a leader

(25:00) Transparency in the hard moments

Connect with Joei: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeichan/ Subscribe to GBBB’s Substack: https://joeichan.substack.com/

Produced by Share Your Genius https://www.shareyourgenius.com/

Artistic direction by Alexandre Lenoble https://www.alexandrelenoble.com/