Courage, Creativity, and the Power of Change - Beth Comstock

Welcome to Season 2 of When Women Win Podcast!

Before we dive in, I would like to take a moment and acknowledge you for making When Women Win the number 1 podcast in the Middle East. To all of you who subscribed and listened to the podcast, to all who reviewed and shared it... A million thanks.

For the opening episode of Season 2 we are fortunate to have an international powerhouse in the world of marketing. Beth Comstock spent 25 years at GE where she led efforts to accelerate new growth and was named GE's first Chief Marketing Officer in 2003. Beth served as President of Integrated Media at NBC Universal, from 2006-08, overseeing ad revenue and the company's digital efforts, including the early formation of Hulu. She is a corporate director of Nike and has been named to both the Fortune and Forbes lists of the World's Most Powerful women.

We discussed Beth's new book, Imagine It Forward. We covered many aspects of innovation – how entrepreneurs approach it, how entrepreneurial people within a corporation can innovate and disrupt, and how the corporation can encourage and support them. We explored the personal and professional price that disruptors might pay as organisations resist change. Beth gave practical tips for introverts like herself – introverts who wish to lead, as well as tips for managers of introverts. We touched on the problems that have rocked GE and talked about gatekeepers versus goalkeepers and how they can shape your job choices.

My favorite quotes are:

"No is not yet"

"You cannot mitigate risk, you have to navigate it."

Beth recommended three books:

The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp

Management Principles by Peter Drucker. "Without a customer there is no business"

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

If you would like to follow Beth on social media you can find her on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @bethcomstock. Her book, Imagine It Forward, is available in stores and online.