Tien Tzuo | A Founder's Journey: From Zero to $1.5B
Tien Tzuo has been at the epicenter of Silicon Valley innovation for three and a half decades. In 1990, Tien was hired by Oracle. Eight years later, he joined Salesforce as employee #11. In 2007, he co-founded Zuora, a company he has been running since its creation. Tien and his team grew Zuora from an idea to a company that was valued at $1.5B when it was acquired in early 2025. In this interview, Tien shares why great startups need to have a visionary who is supported by leaders who can manage both relationships and execution. He dispels the Genius/Jerk myth so often associated with leaders like Steve Jobs, he shares what he has learned about selecting exceptional talent, and Tien discusses how the lessons he has learned about founders apply to other businesses and in our personal lives too. He closes the interview by sharing what fills him with optimism and what mistakes humans are making today that the people of 2075 will look back at in disbelief. Tien currently serves as CEO of Zuora (NYSE:ZUO), a company he co-founded in 2007 and took public in 2018. Under Tien's leadership, Zuora has emerged as the leading evangelist of the Subscription Economy -- the idea that all industries are shifting to a customer-centric, subscription-based business model. He is also the author of "SUBSCRIBED: Why the Subscription Model Will Be Your Company's Future - and What to Do About It". His second book, “Founders, Keepers: Why Founders Are Built to Fail, and What It Takes to Succeed,” was released in June 2025.
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Chad Sanschagrin | Creating a Life of Abundance
There is a theory that humanity is on the precipice of abundance. But what exactly is abundance? Speaker and author Chad Sanschagrin says that abundance is often confused with things or money. He describes abundance as “more than enough” - love, health, faith, and contribution. In the full interview, Chad shares his definition of abundance and the most common barriers that prevent people from experiencing abundance. He goes on to talk about how the power of choice is much stronger than an individual’s circumstances. Chad says that the key to creating an abundance mindset is shifting the stories people tell about themselves. Chad shares his definition of “success” and how he recommends people structure success. Using his experience as a distant runner and triathlete, Chad provides guidance around how to build resilience, he gives advice for creating trust, and he shares his thoughts on the mistakes people are making today that the people of 2075 will look back at in disbelief. Chad Sanschagrin is a nationally recognized speaker, author, and performance coach dedicated to helping individuals and organizations unlock their full potential. As the founder of Cannonball Moments, Chad delivers keynotes and workshops focused on leadership, mindset, and personal growth. Drawing from his own experiences of transformation in business and life, Chad equips audiences with actionable strategies to improve performance and create lasting impact. Chad’s mission is simple: help people live and lead with greater purpose, clarity, and confidence. Chad’s book “Keep Telling Yourself: Shift Your Story and Create a Life of Abundance” was released in December 2024.
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Jack Uldrich | AI & Human Evolution
It’s clear that artificial intelligence is going to be one of the most powerful forces shaping the future of humanity and the planet today and over the next two decades. Much of the AI discourse is negative or dystopian themed. Far too little AI news is highlighting how the planet’s problems and the challenges humans face can be solved. In this conversation, futurist Jack Uldrich paints a picture of how we can collectively benefit from the advancements in artificial intelligence. Given the moving target of forecasting the future, Jack provides AI scenarios that he is 99% certain will occur, 75% certain, and 50% certain. He even provides a few scenarios that have a 25% — and even a 1% — chance of happening.Jack says that we will see great leaps in diagnosing cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease sooner. He is optimistic that AI can be used to address the effects of climate change and greatly assist in the pursuit of nuclear fusion. In what is becoming known as the “compressed century” - where there will be a century’s worth of change in just a decade, Jack points out that “AI is doubling in capacity and capability every seven months” which means that the capabilities of AI in six years could be a thousand times more powerful than they are today. Jack doesn’t see AI as a panacea. He points out that there will be job losses because of AI. He says that trust could be further eroded as a result of AI-generated deep fakes and fake news. He also points out that the “internet is broken” as we move from “social media to social production.” The conversation ends with Jack sharing his ideas around how purpose, faith, and trust will grow in importance to cope with the disruption AI is certain to bring. Jack Uldrich is a well-recognized global futurist, speaker, and the author of thirteen books, including a number of award-winning best sellers. He is a frequent speaker on technology, change management and leadership and has addressed hundreds of corporations, associations and not-for-profit organizations on five continents. He regularly makes television appearances on PBS’s Frontline, the Science Channel, and the Discovery Channel, and is a frequent guest on major media outlets, including CNN, CNBC, Fox and National Public Radio.
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Simon Hartley | The Mindsets of Elite Athletes
Achieving peak performance is something athletes strive to attain and getting that peak performance to coalesce is the goal for coaches, managers, and trainers leading teams in pursuit of victory. As sports psychologist Simon Hartley says, getting elite athletes to perform up to their potential is more about the mind than it is the body. In this conversation, Simon Hartley - author of “Master Mental Toughness” and “Stronger Together” - discusses the factors that lead to peak athletic performance, the habits and routines of world-class athletes, and how these lessons can be applied in a business setting that doesn’t involve sports. Simon goes on to talk about developing a winning culture, how to turn a dysfunctional culture around without firing leadership, and how to create an environment of pro social behavior where people sacrifice individual achievement for the good of the team. Simon closes the conversation by sharing advice and tips for selecting talent. Simon Hartley is the CEO and founder of the Be World Class Group. He is a ten-time author, keynote speaker and co-host of The Podium Podcast and The Demon Charmers Podcast. Through his background in sport psychology, Simon has spent much of his career working with elite athletes and sports teams, helping them to get their mental game and their mindset right. Simon’s real passion is working with and studying the very best in the world, figuring out what makes them great, and then helping others adopt those principles.
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Dr. Bob Rosen | Overcoming Unhealthy Attachments
Why do people make it so difficult on themselves to achieve their goals and pursue happiness? Why do people “attach” themselves to unhealthy things that hold them back or hold them down? These attachments vary widely, ranging from attachments to the past or future, control or perfection, and success or pleasure.In this interview, Dr. Bob Rosen says the secret to letting go of the attachments holding someone back is to replace them with more powerful aspirations. To overcome the attachment to “stability,” one has to learn to embrace and become agile. To get past the attachment of “control,” the aspiration of vulnerability is necessary. Dr. Rosen also discusses the attachments that are most persistent among young adults, the elderly, and tweens and teens. Dr. Rosen finishes the conversation by talking about the keys to happiness and the mistakes humans are making today that the humans 50 years from now will look back at in disbelief. Dr. Bob Rosen is a psychologist, New York Times best-selling author, researcher, and preeminent business advisor. He is the Founder and CEO of Healthy Companies, advising over 500 CEOs in sixty countries. His books include Detach, the New York Times Bestseller Grounded®, and the Washington Post best-seller Conscious, among others. He earned a PhD in clinical psychology at the University of Pittsburgh and has been a longtime faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at George Washington University’s School of Medicine.
The difference between average and greatness might be one or two well executed things. 12 Geniuses explores the highly successful people in business, athletics, and music so we can all learn how to perform at our highest level.
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