Ever been at a holiday party, networking event, or standing awkwardly near a charcuterie board when someone asks, “So… what do you do?”

And suddenly your brain short-circuits.

You ramble. You minimize. You say something vague like “I help humans” and quietly watch the conversation die.

In this episode, Dr. J.J. Peterson breaks down why leaders dread that question—and how to answer it in a way that actually starts conversations instead of ending them.

Drawing from storytelling frameworks used in Hollywood, J.J. introduces a simple, human one-liner formula designed to help leaders explain what they do with clarity, confidence, and heart.

You’ll learn:

• Why most leaders accidentally confuse or bore people when talking about their work
• The 3-part one-liner formula (problem, solution, success) and why the brain remembers it
• How starting with someone else’s problem builds instant connection
• Why clarity isn’t just good marketing—it’s good leadership
• How a strong one-liner makes it easier for others to remember you and refer you

This episode is for leaders who are unapologetically ambitious—but still deeply human. The ones who want their words to open doors, not shut conversations down.

Because a great one-liner doesn’t pitch. It honors the person you’re talking to. It sparks curiosity. And it gives people a reason to ask the next question.

👉 Download the one-liner worksheet - https://www.drjjpeterson.com/one-liner

If this episode resonated, share it with someone you think is a Badass Softie—a leader who wants to lead with clarity, heart, and confidence.

When I first sat across from Jen Hatmaker for this conversation, I knew we were going to talk about courage and integrity. What I didn’t expect was how deeply her story would echo some of my own — and probably some of yours, too.

I’ve watched Jen navigate public success, private heartbreak, theological transformation, and the painful cost of choosing integrity over approval. Through every rise and collapse, she has somehow stayed tender, honest, grounded, and fiercely aligned with who she’s becoming.

In this conversation, we explore what happens when the life you built starts to crack. When the roles you’re praised for no longer fit. When the values you were handed reveal themselves to be too small for the person you’re growing into.

Jen and I talk about:

• the moment her 26-year marriage shattered
• how she examined the “faulty bricks” her life was built on
• which values are worth keeping — and which ones have to go
• the cost of living out of alignment
• the cost of choosing integrity instead
• what it really takes to rebuild a life that finally fits
• how pain can make you softer instead of harder

There’s humor here too — AC/DC trauma, country music fangirling, and a Grand Ole Opry moment that will make your throat tight. But at its core, this is a conversation about truth, courage, and the lives we claim when we stop pretending.

The reminder I needed most: There is always a cost to staying in a life that no longer aligns with who you are becoming. And the longer you stay, the higher the cost becomes.

In the end, that’s the work of a badass softie — letting courage and compassion walk you toward the life that’s meant for you.

Everywhere I go lately, people are asking me the same thing: How do I stay human when everyone is using AI? And honestly, I get it. We’re living in a moment where content is being produced faster and more generically than ever before and leaders are wondering how to keep their voice from disappearing into the noise.

In today’s conversation, I’m sharing something I’ve learned after years of helping leaders craft clear, meaningful messaging: AI can create, but only you can curate. AI doesn’t have a point of view. It doesn’t have lived wisdom. It can’t tell the story that shaped you or the moment that changed your leadership. Only you can do that and that’s exactly what makes your voice irreplaceable.

Inside this episode, I walk you through the two practices that will help you stand out in an AI-saturated world: personal stories and paradigm shifts.

I’ll show you how your stories build trust, how your perspective sets you apart, and how you can start developing a stronger point of view this week — not by being louder, but by being more you.

And because I want you to leave this episode with something you can use right away, I give you three simple assignments that will help you clarify your voice, connect more deeply with your audience, and create content that feels human again.

If this conversation resonates and you want help shaping your message or your thought leadership, you can always reach out at drjjpeterson.com — it’s the work I love most.

And if this episode speaks to you, share it with someone in your life who is both ambitious and deeply human — someone you’d call a Badass Softie.