The Business of You: From Employee to CEO of Your Own Life – Episode 67

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It’s time to stop drifting and start charting your own course.

I had the great fortune of welcoming back Marnie Stockman, Ed.D. and Nick Coniglio, the brilliant minds behind Lead It Like Lasso, to discuss their phenomenal new book, The Business of You: Ask the Right Questions, Tell Your Story, and Lead Your Life.

This is a complete methodology for anyone who feels like they’re doing all the “right things” (good grades, internships, certifications) but is still struggling to stand out, find direction, or land the job they actually want. It’s time to stop letting the world define your value and start defining it yourself.

Here are the big beats from our conversation:

Run Your Life Like a Business

The game has changed. With the rise of AI and automation scanning resumes, the traditional career ladder is obsolete. Marnie and Nick argue that every successful person runs their life like a business, and you should too. This means:

  • You are the CEO: You are ultimately in control of your strategy and direction.
  • You are the Head of HR: You must intentionally identify your core values and what truly motivates you.
  • You are the Head of Marketing: You must craft and manage your visible personal brand.

The Two Ladders

We discuss the essential difference between the old way and the new way of building a career:

  • The Credential Ladder: Stacking degrees, certifications, and titles. This helps you.
  • The Value Ladder: Building skills and taking actions that generate value for other people. This is the multiplier that accelerates true growth.

The Power of Your Crew: The Personal Board of Advisors

Success isn’t solitary. You need a dedicated, intentional team around you. This board isn’t just people you network with; they fulfill distinct, essential roles:

  • The Mentor: Someone who has “been there, done that” to guide your path.
  • The Connector: Someone who can open opportunities you didn’t know existed.
  • The Challenger: Someone willing to ask the hard questions and push you off the easy path.

From Selling to Sharing Your Story

In a world where algorithms scan identical resumes, your story is your competitive advantage. If you know your values (your HR department), you can craft stories that highlight your “superpower.” This is how you differentiate yourself in an interview—people remember stories, not facts.

The Power of Adaptability

It’s hard enough to write a plan for a year or five years, but what happens when life inevitably goes sideways? As the Director of Operations, you must practice resilience. We talked about using a pre-mortem—assuming your plan will fail, and then figuring out why ahead of time so you can be proactive.

“If you’re not intentionally taking care of what your persona is in the public, it will be done for you. People will make assumptions.”

Try it this week

  • Identify your Challenger: Who is the person in your life willing to ask you the hard questions? Call them this week and share your biggest goal.
  • Share, Don’t Sell: Prepare a 30-second answer to “Tell me about yourself” that tells a story connected to a core value, rather than just listing facts from your resume.
  • Pre-Mortem a Plan: Take a short-term goal (3 months) and write down why it might fail. Then, build two steps into your current plan to prevent those failures.

Links & Resources

Until next time, friends,

Chris

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This episode of Outside Insights is brought to you by Placers — a values-led staffing and workforce solutions company helping businesses and individuals reach their highest potential. Whether you’re looking to build a more flexible workforce or take the next step in your career, Placers is your partner in creating what’s next. Learn more at myplacers.com.