Episode 306: Choose Audacity & Bold Success

When life throws chaos at you like typhoons, tech meltdowns, or 87 million live viewers; Anne Marie Anderson’s rule never changes: work the problem.

In this week’s energizing conversation, broadcaster and author Anne Marie Anderson joins Allison to explore the mindset behind her book Cultivating Audacity: How to Dismantle Doubt and Take Bold Risks. Drawing on three decades in elite sports and leadership rooms, Anne Marie breaks down the four barriers that stall careers and shows how to turn each into fuel.

She shares the now-famous mantra “work the problem,” reframing failure as data, not drama, and walks us through practical frameworks like Your Two Lives, the Front Row (your accountability circle), Jump (taking the leap before you feel ready), and the continual Reevaluation Loop. From international travel snafus with her 13-year-old to her first on-air moment beamed into 87 million homes, Anne Marie reveals how calculated risk builds resilience, clarity, and results.

Here are highlights:

-Work the Problem (Always): Strip out ego and emotion, identify what’s actually true, list options, act, then iterate.

-Name the Four Barriers: Most stalls trace back to fear, time, money, or the inner critic; bring each into the open and use it.

-Failure = Data, Not Identity: Trade shame for information. What did you try, what happened, what will you change next?

-Your Two Lives & the Jump: You can keep the life you have or take a calculated leap; you’ll never feel fully “ready.”

-Build Your Front Row: Curate challengers, not cheerleaders, who push, check in, and keep you accountable without jealousy.

About the guest:

Anne Marie Anderson is a three-time Emmy Award–winning broadcaster, keynote speaker, and author with over three decades in sports television, covering six Olympic Games, heavyweight title fights, golf’s majors, NBA and MLB playoffs, and the Super Bowl. As one of the most experienced female play-by-play announcers in the country, she calls more than 75 live events each year for ESPN, ABC, NBC, FOX, and TBS, and has been nationally recognized for her journalism and leadership in advancing sport. She is the author of Cultivating Audacity: How to Dismantle Doubt and Take Bold Risks, a guide to overcoming barriers like fear, time, money, and the inner critic by reframing failure as data and embracing persistence, resilience, and curiosity. Known for her humor, authenticity, and storytelling, Anne Marie is also a sought-after keynote speaker and emcee who inspires audiences to pursue audacious and fulfilling lives.

Connect with Anne Marie:

Get the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1646871693 

Website: https://annemarieanderson.com/ 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/anne-marie-anderson-3557ab39 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annemarieandersontv/

Connect with Allison:

Feedspot has named Disruptive CEO Nation as one of the Top 25 CEO Podcasts on the web, and it is ranked the number 6 CEO podcast to listen to in 2025! https://podcasts.feedspot.com/ceo_podcasts/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonsummerschicago/ 

Website: https://www.disruptiveceonation.com/  

#CEO #leadership #startup #founder #business #businesspodcast 

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