Show Up and Be Credible

Season 4, Episode 255 Show Up and Be Credible (feat. DJ Hodge & Mike Sipple Jr.) Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus Take the FREE Self-Care Inventory Quiz: https://www.talentmagnet.com/quiz DJ Hodge spent over 20 years running some of the biggest radio markets in the country before walking away from a safe, known role to help build the Cincinnati Crown Network from scratch. He tells Mike what changed the moment a mentor told him he was working too hard to establish credibility when he could just show up and be credible. In this episode: \- Why "you're working so hard to establish credibility when you could just show up and be credible" changed how DJ leads \- The pivot point of being a terrible leader at 27, managing a team older than himself, before he'd ever heard the term imposter syndrome \- Why DJ tracks mentors, not mentees -- and the specific people (Joe Calabrese, Mike Wieder, Louis Kirkham) who altered his career path \- The daily non-negotiables that keep his battery full: protecting sleep, being in the office by 6:30 a.m., and rehearsing hard conversations on a six-mile Saturday walk \- How the Cincinnati Crown Network launched with 2.2 million social impressions in 4 hours against a goal of 500,000 \- Why DJ said no to two safer job offers within eight days of a reorg to build something new with Anthony Breen instead \- His framework for leading through setbacks: separate what's real from what's fear, then lean into what you can control \- What "unconventional leadership" means to him: leading with your heart, not a textbook, and finding what motivates each individual person Timecodes: 00:00 It is your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your altitude 01:05 Introducing DJ Hodge and his 20+ year media career 04:00 The pivot point: a terrible first year as a leader at 27 06:29 Accountability is not a punishment 08:02 Launching the Cincinnati Crown Network 12:30 The John Woodhouse quote that changed his mindset in 1995 18:41 Daily habits and non-negotiables that keep him grounded 29:15 Leading a team through setbacks and hard seasons 53:17 Inside the Crown Network launch: 2.2 million impressions in 4 hours 1:00:03 What unconventional leadership means to DJ Resources mentioned: Cincinnati Crown Network Centennial Talent Magnet Institute Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman Links and Resources: \- Connect with DJ Hodge: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dj-hodge-9666643/ \_\__ Subscribe & Listen to more content here: Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C \_\__ Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! LinkTree: https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr \_\__ Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute \_\__ Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc