In today’s fragmented and fast-moving influence landscape, what does it mean to lead with principle—and still drive real impact?In this episode of Chief Influencer, host Anthony Shop sits down with Peter Goettler, President and CEO of the Cato Institute, to explore how principled leadership can be a powerful force for influence in Washington and beyond.Peter shares how he has guided one of the nation’s most influential think tanks by staying grounded in core values—while evolving its strategy to meet the demands of a digital, decentralized world.From expanding Cato’s reach beyond the Beltway to building a national network of over 20,000 educators, Peter offers a compelling look at how influence is earned through credibility, consistency, and connection.Takeaways:Principle as a Competitive Advantage: In a world where positions shift quickly, Peter makes the case that consistency builds trust. Influence isn’t just about persuasion—it’s about credibility. When audiences know where you stand, they’re more likely to listen.Influence Through Common Ground: Rather than avoiding disagreement, Peter embraces it. By focusing on areas of alignment across political divides, leaders can move ideas forward without compromising core beliefs.Incremental Change, Strategic Direction: Big change rarely happens overnight. Peter shares how effective leaders pursue incremental progress—while staying aligned with a clear “north star.”Expanding Influence Beyond Traditional Channels: The think tank model has evolved. Instead of relying solely on white papers and policy elites, Cato now prioritizes distribution—leveraging digital platforms, real-time engagement, and viral moments to reach broader audiences.Investing in the Next Generation of Influence: Through its nationwide educator initiative, Cato is helping rebuild civic culture—equipping teachers and students with tools for civil discourse, critical thinking, and respectful disagreement.Leadership Without Imitation: Peter challenges the idea that leaders must follow the same playbook. Whether it’s skipping social media or redefining outreach strategies, authentic leadership means focusing on what drives the greatest impact—not what others are doing.Preparation Creates Breakthrough Moments: A viral exchange featuring a Cato expert wasn’t planned—but it was possible because of deep preparation, expertise, and clarity of conviction. Influence favors those who are ready.Quote of the Show:“Being rooted in principle, being seen as having a high level of integrity and credibility, is a very important element in having influence, exerting influence, and ultimately persuading people.”Links:Website: https://www.cato.org/ 

In this episode of Chief Influencer, Anthony Shop sits down with Paul R. Lawrence, Ph.D, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, to explore what it means to lead and influence at a massive scale. With responsibility for serving over 17 million veterans, Dr. Lawrence shares how his transition from private sector consultant to government operator required a shift from advising to executing, all while navigating the complexity of one of the largest organizations in the world. From improving benefit delivery timelines to simplifying access and modernizing digital experiences, he emphasizes the importance of clarity, accountability, and continuous improvement.A central theme of the conversation is the power of listening as a leadership tool. Through in-person town halls and direct engagement on platforms like LinkedIn, Dr. Lawrence gathers unfiltered feedback that directly shapes policy, communication, and innovation. He also highlights how leaders can extend their influence by embracing modern channels, creating content that educates, resonates, and drives action. Ultimately, this episode reveals that influence isn’t about visibility; it’s about delivering meaningful value, building trust, and ensuring the right message reaches the right people at the right time.Takeaways:Turn Listening Into Strategy: Great leaders don’t just listen—they operationalize what they hear. Identify recurring themes from conversations, town halls, or feedback channels, and use those insights to drive decisions, prioritize initiatives, and shape communication.Translate Complexity Into Clarity: If your audience can’t easily understand your message or process, they won’t engage. Break down complex systems into simple, actionable steps and continuously refine the experience to meet rising expectations shaped by the private sector.Meet People Where They Are: Different audiences require different communication channels. Combine digital platforms, in-person engagement, and traditional outreach to ensure no one is left out—especially when serving diverse or underserved populations.Leverage Personal Platforms for Mission Impact: Your personal brand can be a powerful extension of your organization’s mission. Focus on sharing insights, answering real questions, and providing value—positioning yourself as a trusted source, not just a spokesperson.Start With What You Already Do Well: You don’t need to reinvent yourself to succeed on modern platforms. Identify your natural strengths—whether it’s teaching, storytelling, or simplifying ideas—and adapt them to formats like video, social posts, or short-form content.Make the Ask, Not Just the Awareness: Awareness alone rarely drives change. Clearly articulate what action you want your audience to take—whether it’s applying for a benefit, supporting a cause, or checking in on a colleague—and make it easy for them to follow through.Humanize Leadership: People connect with authenticity, not institutions. By showing up as a real person—sharing perspective, context, and even small personal touches—you build trust and make your message more relatable and memorable.Quote of the Show:“We’re trying everything we can to get veterans the information they need that helps them access what they’ve earned. If you care about this issue passionately — if you think it's important, what are you doing with it? Don't be shy. Tell everybody about it."Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drpaullawrence/ Website: https://www.va.gov/ 

In this episode of Chief Influencer, host Anthony Shop speaks with Amy Martin Ziegenfuss, Chief Marketing Officer of Carnival Cruise Line, about how she's redefining cruise travel marketing. Amy walks through Carnival's shift toward mindset-based segmentation, moving beyond demographics to understand what travelers truly want, and how that approach can be applied across industries. She shares how Carnival uses a mix of external micro-influencers, employee-generated content, and live activations to bust cruise myths and bring the onboard experience to life for potential guests. The conversation also touches on the critical role of internal alignment, ensuring marketing promises match what the business can actually deliver, and closes with Amy's evolved view of influence as less about pushing ideas and more about building bridges.Takeaways:Ditch pure demographic targeting. Move beyond age and income to understand your audience's mindsets and passions. Two people who look identical on paper can want completely different things from your brand.Go deep with niche influencers. Mega-influencers are great for big launches, but smaller, specialized creators, like a food blogger or a fitness expert, can tell a more credible, detailed story to the exact audience you're trying to reach.Look inside for your best storytellers. Your own team members are often natural content creators who already have authentic stories to tell. Formalizing that and giving them a little guidance can be more powerful than any paid campaign.Align internally before you publish. Before you promote something externally, make sure the teams responsible for delivering it are on board. A great marketing moment can quickly backfire if operations can't keep up with the demand it creates.Influence is about building bridges, not battering rams. The most effective leaders don't force their ideas through; they bring the right data, emotion, and empathy to create environments where great work can happen. Persuasion through collaboration almost always outlasts persuasion through pressure.Quote of the Show:“So that’s what mindset does, right? To me, mindset segmentation unlocks the people who are most likely to want your brand, product, or service based on a whole range of factors.”Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-martin-ziegenfuss-9573382/ Website: https://www.carnival.com/ 

In this special live episode of Chief Influencer, Anthony Shop moderates a powerful panel at the Face the Fight Coalition convening, bringing together influential leaders committed to reducing veteran suicide. The conversation features Chef Robert Irvine, Founder of the Robert Irvine Foundation; The Honorable Patrick Murphy, former U.S. Under Secretary of the Army and Iraq War veteran, and JoAnne Bass, 19th Chief Master Sergeant of the U.S. Air Force. Together, they share how personal influence, lived experience, and leadership at scale can drive meaningful change on one of the most urgent issues facing the veteran community.Throughout the discussion, the panelists explore the intersection of authenticity, systems change, and storytelling, highlighting how influence must go beyond awareness to create real impact. From breaking down institutional silos to reimagining how we engage service members before they reach a crisis point, this episode underscores a critical truth: solving complex challenges requires both bold leadership and collective action. It’s a call for every leader to use their voice, platform, and relationships to move the mission forward.Takeaways:Lead with Story, Backed by Data: Data earns trust—but stories move people to act. The most effective leaders use both to influence change.Break Down Silos to Scale Impact: Real progress requires collaboration across organizations, sectors, and systems. Shared mission must outweigh individual ownership.Use Your Personal Brand as a Force Multiplier: “Faces are the new logos.” Leaders must show up authentically and consistently to advance causes bigger than themselves.Start Early—Not at the Point of Crisis: Engagement with service members should begin at enlistment, not transition. Prevention starts with proactive connection.Prove It to Scale It: Innovative solutions must be backed by measurable outcomes. Data is the gateway to funding, adoption, and systemic change.Normalize Conversations Around Mental Health: Authentic leadership—especially vulnerability from the top—helps eliminate stigma and encourages people to seek help earlier.Reimagine Systems, Don’t Just Improve Them: Incremental change isn’t enough. Leaders must challenge outdated models and design solutions for the next generation.Quote of the Show:"Ethos, pathos, logos... The data is incredibly important. But what moves people is when you can speak through their heads and their hearts." - Patrick Murphy“We’re gonna have to care about the outcome more than we care about our stuff.” - JoAnne Bass“Food breaks down barriers. It allows you to be your most authentic self—even in your most private moments.” - Robert IrvineLinks:Robert IrvineLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chefirvine/ Website: https://www.robertirvinefoundation.org/ JoAnne BassLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-bass/ Patrick MurphyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmurphypa/ Website: https://hilcoglobal.com/ About Face the Fight®Face the Fight® is a life-saving initiative uniting more than 250 cross-sector partners to dramatically reduce veteran suicide by 2032. Founded by USAA, Reach Resilience, and the Humana Foundation, the movement breaks stigma, expands access to proven solutions, and builds a culture where seeking help is a sign of strength, ensuring every veteran and their loved ones are supported and never left to fight alone. Learn more at WeFaceTheFight.org.

This week, we’re revisiting our conversation with iconic guest Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.How can leadership in cybersecurity help shape the future of national security and public awareness?In this episode of the Chief Influencer Podcast, guest host Liesl Riddle, Dean of George Washington University’s College of Professional Studies, sits down with Craig to explore his ongoing philanthropic work and advocacy in cybersecurity. Often compared to Paul Revere for his efforts to sound the alarm, Craig has been a leading voice in raising awareness around the threats facing America’s digital infrastructure.He shares how he’s working to influence key stakeholders, mobilize action, and protect both personal and national assets. From training veterans for careers in cybersecurity to building partnerships across universities and government agencies, Craig underscores the importance of collective effort in addressing today’s challenges. The conversation also highlights his leadership philosophy, rooted in the Golden Rule, and his deep commitment to supporting military families and veterans.Takeaways:Mobilize the Whole Country on Cybersecurity: A national mobilization effort is needed to protect individuals, families, homes, jobs, and infrastructure from cyber threats. This involves raising awareness and actively encouraging everyone to participate in cybersecurity efforts.Segment and Focus on Key Areas: Cybersecurity efforts should be segmented by targeting specific sectors, such as workforce development and training for veterans and their spouses, to address particular needs effectively.Implement Cybersecurity Basics in Business: Businesses, especially utilities, should adopt basic cybersecurity hygiene, ensuring that employees and devices are secure both at work and at home. Employees should be educated on maintaining cybersecurity protocols in various environments.Invest in Tools to Cut Through Confusion: It’s important to acquire advanced tools that simplify and clarify cybersecurity efforts, such as technologies that detect and manage anomalies or potential threats efficiently.Be Ready for Adversity: Preparing for negative actions from adversaries, such as dirty tricks and cyberattacks, is crucial. Being ready means having robust defenses and contingency plans in place.Quote of the Show:“Prepare to be as agile as you can because everything is way more unpredictable than it ever was.” Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craignewmark/ Website: https://craignewmarkphilanthropies.org/