Ron’s Favorite Gemba Academy Podcast Episodes

On April 30, 2014 we released the first two Gemba Academy podcasts. To be 100% transparent, we weren’t quite sure what to expect.

When we started the download “numbers” weren’t huge but, as you can see in the graph, we’ve seen steady growth ever since.

And while seeing this growth is fun, and humbling, we’re far more excited when we hear existing customers tell us that they listen to the show every week… or when a new Gemba Academy customer tells us they’ve been listening to the show for some time.

I am proud of the fact that we’ve released a new episode every week… I’m convinced this consistency has been one of the keys to our success. Of course, the most important key to success has been the amazing guests that have taken time out of their schedule to visit with us.

So, what I wanted to do in this article was present a few of my favorite episodes which, admittedly, is very hard to do since we’ve had so many awesome guests.

And, if you’ve not listened to the show, I’d encourage you to subscribe to the show on either iTunes or, if you’re an Android user, Stitcher. This way you can binge listen to past episodes while always being ready for new shows that are released every Thursday morning!

Again, thank you to everyone that listens to the show. And thank you to all past (and future) guests that have come onto the show. We obviously wouldn’t exist without you!

Oh, and I do want to give a special shout out to Greg Nickell for all the amazing editing work he does with our videos and our podcast. You’re amazing, Greg!

OK, here are some of my favorite episodes. Just click the green title to listen to that episode.  Happy listening!

1. The Courage to Lead with Simon Sinek

I had the privilege of interviewing Simon Sinek, whose 2009 TED talk has been viewed over 23 million times. Author of two best-selling books, Simon provided some truly life-changing insights on lean, human behavior, marketing strategy, and much more. This is definitely an episode to share.

2. Learning, Focus, and Innovation with Matthew May

Matt May is one of my favorite lean thinkers and in this episode we talk about “main things.” Matt is a deep thinker but is also an incredible communicator.

3. Creating a Successful Lean Enterprise with Rick Harris

In this episode, Rick Harris, author of the “red & green books,”  takes us on the most technical episode we’ve ever done.  If you’re a serious lean thinker you must listen to this!

4. The Lean Startup with Eric Ries

This episodes guest is Eric Ries, an entrepreneur and author, famous for being at the forefront of the lean startup movement. This episode has plenty of great insight for those both in and outside of the lean startup realm, covering topics like consumer value, waste, and minimal viable products.

5. Six Years Later: Our Journey with the Gemba Academy Team

Lastly, this short episode most definitely took the longest to edit and produce… but it’s also one of my favorites since it tells the story of how Gemba Academy got started and how we’ve grown up (and continue to learn and grow) over the years.

There is much more!

I could go on and one with others… but I want to keep this post manageable.

But, I do encourage you to check out all of our other episodes while also subscribing to the podcast (for free) on iTunes or Stitcher. iPhone users can easily find us in the podcast app. Just search for Gemba Academy.

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