Your best people are busy — they are just never at their best. And the reason might be you.

Shawn Vanderhoven is the author of Pause and a partner at The Wiseman Group. He measured distraction across 150 companies and found the number one thing holding people back from their very best work: "I'm not clear. I don't really know what success looks like."

In this episode of The Genius Effect, Shawn joins Donnie Tuttle to explain why successful teams go 100 miles an hour in the wrong direction — and what leaders can do about it. They dig into the difference between a bias towards action and a bias towards impact, why productivity is a social problem, and the small deliberate pauses that help teams get clearer, protect deep work, and clear out what is stealing their attention.

Shawn also shares the story of the workshop attendee who slammed his hand on the table, the 12 performance pauses his research uncovered, and a delegation habit — "tune in before you jump in" — that changes everything.

Connect with Shawn:
Take the quiz + get the book — https://pausebook.co
Shawn on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnvanderhoven/

Follow The Genius Effect for conversations about bringing out the genius in ourselves and others. Find your Genius Quotient free at gq.donnietuttle.com.

You can win every battle and still be starving when you are fighting at someone else's table.

Brian Cook spent 33 years in the United States Army, graduated from West Point, completed five combat tours, rose to colonel, and helped shape military strategy. Then a medical condition brought that identity to an abrupt end and forced him to reconsider who he was and what he wanted his life to become.

In this episode of The Genius Effect, Brian joins Donnie Tuttle to discuss the ideas behind his book, Set Your Table.

They explore how high achievers can accomplish impressive goals while drifting away from their values, why our digital environment constantly competes to shape us, and how to build a life that nourishes our personal lives, relationships, professional work, and communities.

Brian also shares lessons from four near-death experiences, explains why winning individual battles can cost you the larger war, and offers encouragement for anyone whose current struggle is making them question their worth.

Connect with Brian:
Set Your Table on Substack — https://setyourtable.substack.com/
Join Brian's weekly newsletter — https://setyourtable.kit.com/
Get the book — https://books.manuscripts.com/product/set-your-table/

Follow The Genius Effect for conversations about bringing out the genius in ourselves and others. Find your Genius Quotient free at gq.donnietuttle.com.

School of Professional Design Audio Experiences

Take the ⁠Peak Personality Quiz
Episode Type: Guided Experience
Duration: ~27 minutes

Power Couple Re-Imaging Vision Field Trip
Ready to build a shared vision with the most important person in your life? In this guided audio field trip, Donnie Tuttle from the School of Professional Design invites you and your partner into a dynamic experience designed to awaken hidden desires, align your goals, and reignite your vision—together.

This isn't just a podcast—it's an assignment. A co-creative journey that begins with a trip to a bookstore and ends with deeper connection and clarity. Whether you're newly married or decades deep, this practice can reveal what truly matters to you both—and how to move toward it in unity.

You’ll learn:

• How to get unstuck from invisible “tug-of-wars”

• Why imagery reveals what language hides

• How to recognize the Venn Diagram of your dreams

• A powerful practice to spark momentum in your shared future

📍 This episode includes music for a 10-minute self-guided magazine photo walk — perfect with headphones and an open heart.

00:00 – Introduction to the Power Couple Vision Field Trip
01:45 – Why Unity Creates Acceleration
03:30 – The Invisible Tug of War (and How to Stop It)
05:00 – Vision Activation Through Imagery
07:00 – Field Trip Instructions: Go to the Bookstore
09:00 – Start the Photo Discovery Experience (10 min Music)
20:00 – Debrief: Discover What Your Photos Reveal About You
22:30 – Explore Your Partner’s Vision
24:00 – The Overlap: Where Dreams Align
25:30 – The Vision Date Night Challenge
26:30 – Closing Thoughts + Vision Playlist

• Unity creates momentum. Division creates drag.

• Imagery can reveal desires buried beneath language or daily routine.

• Shared vision begins with curiosity and ends in communication.

• You don’t have to agree on everything—but you must understand each other.

• Vision is a gift you give to your future selves.

"The resistance we bring into a moment often creates the resistance we fear."
"You are more powerful united than divided."
"Look through your partner’s eyes, and you’ll find new clarity in your own."
"Desire hides in plain sight—sometimes we just need to shift the lighting."
"Your overlap is your on-ramp to acceleration."

💿 Power Couple Playlist – A curated soundtrack to accompany your vision journey. (Add Spotify/Apple Music link)

💡 Want to go deeper? Take the Peak Personality Quiz to understand your professional design and how to build better with your unique strengths.

📲 Share your bookstore photo journey on Instagram with the hashtag #VisionFieldTrip and tag @schoolofprofessionaldesign