Take Command: A Leadership Podcast

About the Guest:

Ania Smith is the CEO of TaskRabbit, the global marketplace connecting people who need everyday tasks done with skilled local "Taskers." Born in Poland, she immigrated to Sioux Falls, South Dakota at 12, learned English, and went on to study business — including an exchange back in Poland — before earning her MBA at Wharton. She began her career in international development, moved through investment banking and consulting at L.E.K., and held leadership roles at Expedia, Walmart, and Airbnb before taking the top job at TaskRabbit at the end of August 2020.

Ania is known for her candor about ambition, her belief in running toward growth and discomfort, and her conviction that great leadership is fundamentally human. She leads TaskRabbit (now part of the IKEA family) with a focus on helping Taskers build meaningful income while keeping human connection at the center — even as AI reshapes the way we work. Hear more about her journey from a paper route in South Dakota to the CEO seat in this episode of the Take Command Podcast.

What You Will Learn:

Why resilience is "getting up after the fall" — and how to stop catastrophizing setbacks

Why careers are non-linear, and how lateral moves and new skills set you up to lead

How humility ("hire people smarter than you") becomes a leadership superpower

Why listening is the single most important skill of a good leader

How to build relationships that last by keeping in touch when you need nothing

Why human creativity and connection still beat AI's "generating to the mean"

Join us for this episode of the Take Command Podcast to explore what it takes to lead with grit, humility, and heart. Ania Smith doesn't claim to have all the answers — she'd rather hire people who do — but her journey offers clear, practical lessons for any leader navigating uncertainty and growth.

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We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share.

About the Guest:

Eric Ries has been a force in entrepreneurship and innovation for over twenty years. He is the creator of the Lean Startup method and the author of The Lean Startup, The Leader’s Guide, and The Startup Way. His ideas have shaped how startups and large companies approach growth, decision-making, and innovation.

As a founder, Eric has applied his principles with ventures like The Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE); Answer.AI, an AI research lab; the Lean Startup Co.; Virgil, a legal services startup; and IMVU, where many of the concepts that became the Lean Startup method were forged. He has served as an entrepreneur-in-residence at Harvard Business School and IDEO. Eric lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and three children.

What You Will Learn:

How to create systems and cultures that encourage experimentation and learning

Lessons in influencing and leading without formal authority

Why long-term thinking matters for both founders and teams

The importance of compounding small, deliberate actions over time

Insights on how Lean Startup principles can transform established organizations

Join us for a deep dive into leadership, innovation, and the mindset that allows founders and executives to build companies that last. Eric’s approach is practical, disciplined, and forward-thinking. Tune in to gain strategies that go beyond theory and into the real-world application of building lasting organizations.

Please rate and review this Episode!
We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share.

About the Guest

Janice Bryant Howroyd is the Founder and CEO of The ActOne Group, a global workforce solutions company operating in more than 30 countries. She is recognized as the first African American woman to build a multi-billion-dollar enterprise.

A best-selling author and global speaker, she has been honored for entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovation, and has advised leaders across business, government, and education. Her work focuses on connecting people to opportunity through a deeply human-centered approach to business.

What You Will Learn:

Why “no shortcuts, no excuses” is a leadership mindset for long-term success

How asking better questions and listening drives stronger outcomes

Why resilience is essential when facing adversity

How AI is changing work but increasing the need for human skills

Why people must remain at the center of leadership and growth

Please rate and review this Episode!
We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share.

About the Guest

Jake Rawson leads Craft Sportswear North America with a focus on innovation, resilience, and performance. Inspired by the principles of Dale Carnegie, he has built a culture that values collaboration, encouragement, and incremental improvement. Beyond business, Jake applies the same endurance mindset to family and coaching, proving that small, consistent actions can lead to extraordinary outcomes. Whether guiding his team, developing athletes, or mentoring his children, he turns lessons into action and emphasizes the power of patience, persistence, and positivity.

What You Will Learn:

How treating business like an endurance sport drives long-term success

The power of small, incremental gains in leadership and personal growth

Practical applications of Dale Carnegie’s principles in work and life

Why saying “yes” to opportunities can unlock hidden potential

Building confidence, resilience, and positive habits in yourself and others

Join us for a candid conversation about perseverance, mindset, and growth. Jake isn’t just running a business—he’s running the long game, stacking wins, and showing how small steps lead to big results. Tune in today and discover the incremental edge in life and leadership.

Please rate and review this Episode!
We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share.

About the Guest:

Mr. Wai Phyo is a leading entrepreneur and business leader in Myanmar whose companies span food manufacturing, nationwide distribution, and technology. He is Managing Director of Yathar Cho Industry Ltd. and Cho Cho Industry Ltd., among the largest instant noodle manufacturers in the country, and also oversees Myanmar Zarla Distribution, one of the largest B2B distribution platforms. His technology ventures include Parama Technologies, OneLink Technologies, and Cannopy Technologies. He serves as Vice President of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, founding President of the Myanmar Young Entrepreneurs Association, and is a 2017 Eisenhower Fellow.

Wai Phyo is known for his resilience in a volatile environment, his commitment to developing future leaders, and his focus on preparing organizations for an AI-driven future. He believes in reskilling and redeploying people so they can thrive as technology evolves. Hear more about how he turned a family business into a multi-company enterprise in this episode of the Take Command Podcast.

What You Will Learn:

Why grit is essential to extraordinary leadership and how to build it through failure

How to move from scattered expansion to focused, synergistic growth

Why succession is a privilege and how to prepare leaders to step up confidently

How to create a culture of ownership, trust, and shared responsibility

How to apply empathy, respect, and genuine interest in a modern organization

How AI can boost productivity while creating new opportunities through reskilling

Join us for this episode of the Take Command Podcast to explore what it takes to lead through uncertainty and build something lasting. Wai Phyo combines humility, long-term thinking, and a strong belief in people. He doesn’t claim to have all the answers, but his journey offers clear lessons for any leader looking to turn challenges into opportunity.

Please rate and review this Episode!
We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share.