LIFT

About LIFT

Leadership inspiration for professionals who appreciate life-long learning infused with sarcasm and wit. Silicon Valley consultant Allison J. Taylor curates intelligent conversations that illuminate fresh points of view across business, technology, communications, and management. Time-pressed execs can get informed and inspired in under 60 minutes.

Publisher

Allison J. Taylor

Category

business · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 Apr 2019

Latest episode

4 Aug 2025

Latest episodes

10 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   4 Aug 2025

   EP#9: A Unique Mindset Diminishes Common Mistakes Made in Product Management - Chris Naunheimer

   Welcome back to another episode of the Allison J. Taylor LIFT Podcast. What does it take to succeed as a product manager? It’s not just about building great products, but also about leadership -- piloting people, processes, and change. In this episode, Alison J. Taylor speaks with Chris Naunheimer about building and making the product and also about selling the product so that it’s profitable because it fulfills an unmet need. They explore the topic through the lens of their new book Power Up Product Management, a quick-start guide that includes stories, practical exercises, and ready-to-use templates, designed to help product managers thrive in the first 90 days of their product management journey. In their conversation, Allison and Chris discuss common misperceptions about product management and share practical advice for new and seasoned product managers. They explore why success is not purely about the product, why the process is rarely linear – more chaotic, and why emotional intelligence (EQ) matters as much as IQ. They also delve into the customer, whoever is going to either use, buy, or influence the product and how critical it is to manage those stakeholders. Finally, they discuss the often-overlooked skillset that product managers should have – emotional intelligence. The reality is that you must sell people on your idea and to convince people to invest – whether it’s with their physical money, emotional energy, or time and effort. Their book delves into what product managers need to know to perform successfully – the tools and the people management. Tune in now! Key Points from This Episode: •    Discover why product management is about more than just the product itself. •    Explore why stakeholder mapping is a critical skill for product managers to learn. •    Learn why product development is rarely linear and the importance of embracing flexibility. •    Find out what a common misperception is surrounding the Agile framework and how Agile may be more disciplined than the Waterfall framework. •    Unpack why EQ and persuasive communication are essential skills. •    Hear ways technology has impacted the development of products and processes. •    Learn how AI can be a tool within product management and what it cannot replace. •    Hear a real-world example of a simple tool that delivers great value and how. •    Find out what Chris and Allison hope to achieve with their book. Chris Naunheimer Guest Biography: Chris Naunheimer is an adjunct faculty member and a capstone project advisor in the Masters of Product Design and Development Management program at Northwestern University. Along with a Master’s of Product Design and Development Management, Northwestern University, and a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering, University of Illinois, Chris has more than 20 years of experience at multi-national Fortune 500 industrial companies with leadership roles in engineering, R&D, strategic marketing, new product ventures, and user-centered design. Chris holds 25 patents and brings this innovation and continuous improvement mindset to teaching. This mindset, coupled with his user experience, design education, and industry experience, brings a broad cross-functional skill set to his roles at Northwestern University. Chris is passionate about design and has a deeply held belief that we can use design to develop insights and solutions that can change people, cultures, and the world. Tweetables: “One of the most common misperceptions about product management is that product management is all about the product.” — Chris Naunheimer (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisnaunheimer/) [0:01:59] “The user, the customer, or whoever is going to either use, buy, or influence the product; those stakeholders are critical. And if you want to be a good product manager, that’s part of what you have to manage.” — @allisonthought [0:05:01] “Product and product development can be very, very chaotic. It doesn’t always follow a linear path.” — Chris Naunheimer [0:06:45] “Agile adds complexity as much as it is helpful for pivoting in smaller increments.” — @allisonthought (https://twitter.com/allisonthought) [0:12:54] “One of the motivations for us even writing this book is to be able to help other people. And that’s why we created it. I like tools like that.” — Chris Naunheimer [0:26:50] “We put the stakeholder map in the book to make sure product managers were aware of what potential bumps could occur. Who is the team that you’re going to work with and make sure they’re inspired, they’re understanding why, and they’re motivated, not just informed.” — @allisonthought [0:15:20] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Chris Naunheimer on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisnaunheimer/) Thought Marketing LLC Power Up Product Management Strava Kool Stop Email Listener feedback to info@thoughtmarketing.com Allison J. Taylor on LinkedIn Allison J. Taylor on X

2. 

   3 Feb 2025

   EP#8: Building AI-Led Products from Frustration & Inspiration Moments - Dr. Joshua Tamayo-Sarver

   Allison J. Taylor interviews Dr. Joshua Tamayo-Sarver, Vice President of Innovation at Inflect Health and Vituity, about using frustration and inspiration to build impactful AI innovations in healthcare, exploring challenges and opportunities in delivering AI-led solutions.

3. 

   31 Oct 2024

   EP#7: Sleepless AI (and Saunas) are Bringing Wellness to Salesforce Architects and Admins - Jari Salomaa

   Valo CEO Jari Salomaa discusses with Allison Taylor how his company uses AI to streamline Salesforce tasks for administrators, architects, and developers, improving control and efficiency in this interview.

4. 

   22 Sept 2023

   EP#6: Sending Money Freely -- Sara Drakeley

   CEO Sara Drakeley discusses MobileCoin's mission to revolutionize global payments with Allison Taylor, exploring her leadership journey and the challenges of being a female CEO in the tech industry in this interview.

5. 

   22 Apr 2022

   EP5: Intent Data: The Perfect Answer is Imperfection

   VP of Growth Marketing Michelle Bastelier at Celigo discusses intent data with host Allison Taylor, including its use cases, common pitfalls, and how it optimizes marketing programs, in this interview.

6. 

   25 May 2021

   EP4: Leading a STEM Organization -- Andrew Chrostowski

   RealWear CEO Andrew Chrostowski discusses instilling values, scaling teams, and the importance of presence in leadership with host Allison Grealis, sharing lessons on managing complex systems in this interview.

7. 

   6 Apr 2021

   EP4 (Part 1): Leading Amidst Complexity -- Andrew Chrostowski

   RealWear CEO Andrew Chrostowski discusses systems thinking, the importance of the human element in automation, and building resilient systems with host Allison, in this interview episode.

8. 

   25 Aug 2020

   EP3: Succeeding in a World of Risk -- Bob Zukis

   Host Allison interviews Bob Zukis, co-author of *The Great Reboot*, about navigating global risks and opportunities, offering models for digital transformation and the role of digitally savvy board members.

9. 

   7 Feb 2020

   EP 2: Digging Deep on Motives to Meet Your Customer’s “Invisible” Needs - Cheri Anderson

   Global researcher Cheri Anderson discusses with Allison J Taylor how understanding customer motives and self-image impacts business, marketing, and product design, revealing insights into consumer behavior and decision-making in this interview.

10. 

    24 Apr 2019

    EP 1: Unpacking a Loaded Term: Communications - with Matt Abrahams

    Stanford lecturer Matt Abrahams and Allison J. Taylor explore the meaning of great communication, emphasizing listening, audience focus, and emotive connection for successful interactions; this is an interview.

Who has been a guest on LIFT

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Dr Joshua Tamayo-Sarver
• Jari Salomaa
• Sara Drakeley
• Michelle Bastelier
• Andrew Chrostowski

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 39 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

65

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact LIFT

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.