What’s Your ‘And’? Embracing Individuality as a Differentiator, with John Garrett
When John Garrett decided to write a book, he launched a podcast to help with his research. This created a unique space for professionals to discuss their personal interests and passions alongside their careers.
Eventually, the What's Your And? podcast has served as a remarkable launchpad for speaking engagements and business opportunities, contributing to an estimated $200,000 in new business—all despite having zero sponsors.
Garrett leverages the anecdotes and real-life stories from his podcast during public speaking engagements and in his book, strengthening his message and making his presentations more engaging and authentic.
From Stand-Up Comedy to Podcast Pioneer
John Garrett became a CPA with PwC before working several years in the accounting industry. Since then, he wrote two emmy-nominated shows, and even has a comedy album on Sirius XM.
Through his consulting business, John helps people-centric leaders value the worker as much as they value the work. He was recently named one of the 100 most influential people in accounting, and is the host of the “What’s Your ‘And’?” podcast, which has published over 600 episodes.
During his rounds on the speaking circuit, John started to get inquiries from attendees on whether he had written a book on the topic. “I was speaking and a lot of people started to come up to me and say, ‘Hey, do you have a book? Because my manager isn't here and he needs to hear this.’ Or, ‘My coworker isn't here and she needs to hear this,’” John said.
After deciding to write a book, John began interviewing peers and colleagues as part of his research. He decided to record and publish the audio on a podcast under the name The Green Apple.
Rebranding a Podcast: From Clever to Clear
“I speak at a lot of conferences, and the messaging was ‘just be the green apple in the bin of red apples.’ So I'm not asking you to be grapefruit or something gross that people don't eat, like just be your flavor, your version of an accountant, an engineer, a lawyer, a banker.”
After a while, John realized that clear beats clever when it comes to branding, and changed the name of his podcast to What’s Your And? “The problem is that if people hadn't heard me speak, then [The Green Apple] is just weird,” said John. “And so that's why, at some point, along with my speaking, [the podcast] also transitioned to just ‘What's Your And?’
“You're this and something else. You're an accountant and a ballroom dancer. Well, I have zero follow up questions on the accountant part, but I have a lot of follow up questions on the ballroom dancer part…”
How the Podcast Impacted the Book
In the early days, the podcast added a third party perspective to the book Garrett was writing at the time. “I had written the book and then my publisher was like, ‘Hey, you have this podcast. Are they transcribed?’ And I was like, yeah, all of them. And they said, ‘Why don't you just grab some of the [stories]?” This led to nearly 40 examples that John included in his book.
Since then, the podcast has become a major part of John’s marketing strategy. With more than 600 episodes published, What's Your And? has become a thriving podcast. But chasing downloads and sponsors isn’t John Garrett’s goal for the podcast. "So many people come on the show and they say, ‘thank you for giving us permission to just be human.’”
People-Centric Leadership: How to Truly Make Your People a Differentiator
Beyond podcasting, John Garrett's consulting work emphasizes people-centric leadership—valuing employees as individuals who hold interests and passions outside of work. This approach differentiates professional services firms by bringing personality and emotion to the workplace. For Garrett, recognizing each individual's unique experiences and personal branding is not just a differentiator, but a necessity.
"I've always believed in creating a space where people can express who they are authentically, without the overshadowing weight of their professional achievements," Garrett shares. This belief drives his efforts to level all facets of leadership, race, and ethnicity, facilitating meaningful human-to-human conversations on his show.
Sharing your ‘and’ while encouraging others to share theirs creates a stronger connection among team members. But it’s not just for folks in the office. This philosophy can have a major impact on distributed and remote teams.
John Garrett recounted a recent conversation with a client: “ I talked to a managing partner at a pretty big accounting firm, and they're starting to outsource some of their work. And he’s like, ‘What's Your And? is awesome for creating connections with people that live in a totally different country and different culture. All of a sudden, we know way more about Cricket from the people in India than we ever possibly would have known.”
Behind the Scenes of What’s Your And?
According to John Garrett, the #1 rule in podcasting is to have good audio. In fact, John is so adamant about audio quality that he is willing to ship out a microphone and headphones for his guests to borrow for the recording. This way, his audience can expect a good listening experience.
The podcast editing workflow for What’s Your And? is supported by technology and a small team. John uses Dropbox for managing recordings, Trello for guest management, JotForm for organizing show page information, and Headliner for creating engaging videos with audio. An editor cleans up the audio from Dropbox files and a virtual assistant creates social cards and other promotional pieces.
Expanding Horizons: Monologues and High-Profile Guests
Looking to expand his impact, Garrett plans to introduce three to five-minute monologue episodes in his podcast, discussing insights from previous episodes or sharing his own thoughts. This way, listeners can hear more insights from a voice they already know and trust.
Another goal for his podcast is to bring in higher-profile guests, including professionals and semi-celebrities in the corporate space. By doing so, Garrett hopes to diversify perspectives and create a richer tapestry of discussions that resonate with a broader spectrum of listeners.
“The CEO of Goldman Sachs is a DJ at night, like he has a whole DJ name and a whole thing,” recalls Garrett. “He should absolutely be on the show.”
Is Podcasting Your Future ‘And’?
John Garrett’s journey shows that meaningful business impact can happen at the confluence of genuine interest, thoughtful conversation, and the relentless pursuit of authenticity. Just like John, you can launch and grow a successful business podcast. There is a blue ocean of opportunity for professional services firms to use this format to accelerate their networks, humanize their brand, and create endless content. Here are a few resources to help you take the next step:
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