#49: Celebrating One Year: A look back at 50 Episodes of the “Agile Mentor” Podcast

Join Brian as he rediscovers and relives the most captivating topics, memorable guests, and impactful topics from the first year of the “Agile Mentors” podcast.

Overview

From deep dives into Agile methodologies and practical tips for using your knowledge to benefit others and foster change, the first 50 episodes of the “Agile Mentor” podcast have been filled with fascinating topics and memorable guests.

In this episode, Brian Milner embarks on a retrospective journey through the inaugural year of the show. Listen in as he shares the real stars of the podcast, the moments that surprised him, those that took him out of his comfort zone, and the ones that inspired him to push to be better every day! Plus, what’s next for the show.

Listen Now to Discover:

[00:45] - Brian introduces the retrospective episode to celebrate one year and 50 episodes of the "Agile Mentors" podcast and share what's next.
[01:54] - A thank you for YOUR role in the show.
[02:17] - The role of marrying the right topic to the right guest.
[02:56] - The format that allows listeners to choose the episodes that interest them the most.
[04:03] - Pointing you toward the best of the best. Our first several episodes were focused on the Agile Framework and some core topics, including having Mike Cohn on to talk about the different roles and generally accepted practices.
[05:13] - Sending out thanks to a few of our guests, including the trainers at Mountain Goat Software, including Lance Dacy.
[05:45] - Kert Peterson joined us to share his knowledge, and Scott Dunn shared his insight from the product owner's perspective.
[06:05] - On episode 16, Mitch Lacey joined us to discuss The Hidden Secret Ingredient And Julie Chickering brought a great perspective from a project management background and applying that to some of the stuff we've discussed here on the show.
[06:39] - The time when one of my mentors joined us on the show to discuss transformation.
[07:08] - Learning about coaching and marketing from the best!
[07:27] - Roman Pitchler joined us to discuss product roadmaps and planning things from a product owner perspective. And John Miller shared about using Scrum in the education environment.
[07:46] - On EP25, Henrik Nieberg came on and talked to us about scaling, and on EP27, Tricia Broderick walked us through leadership without blame.
[08:18] - How Scrum can be applied outside of software development and mob programming.
[08:42] - The key to working with humans.
[09:03] - The episode that surprised Brian a little bit.
[09:34] - Three episodes all about change: The first one was about how one organization uses Scrum to help impoverished micro-entrepreneurs succeed (and change their lives). The second featured Chris Li sharing his insight on how to know when it’s time to strike out on your own, and Karim Harbott walked us through the difficulty of transforming an organization's culture.
[10:25] - The episode that inspired Brian to try to push in different ways to get better. And how to cultivate an Agile culture in a virtual world.
[10:53] - Why transformations take people, how to assess a company’s culture before you accept their job offer, and lean thinking in Agile with Bob Payne.
[11:49] - The real stars of the podcast.
[12:30] - What’s ahead for the podcast?
[13:02] - Stepping off the gas a bit.
[13:45] - Virtual dial—targeted tips.
[14:32] - The lifeblood of the “Agile Mentors” podcast.
[15:06] - Mike Cohn and Brian are both presenting at Agile2023 in Orlando, July 24 through 28th.
[15:39] - The most significant benefit of BIG conferences.
[16:41] - Thank you for getting us to a year and 50 episodes! Join the Agile Mentors Community to continue the discussion. If you have topics for future episodes, email us by clicking here. And don’t forget to subscribe to the “Agile Mentors” Podcast on Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode.

References and resources mentioned in the show:

Agile2023 | Orlando, Florida | Agile Alliance
#1: Scrum vs Agile & Keys to Success with Mike Cohn
#3: What Makes a Great Product Owner? With Lance Dacy
#9: Scrum Artifacts with Kert Peterson
#10: Why User Stories are the Best Way to Capture Requirements with Mike Cohn
#17: Getting There From Here: Agile Transformations with David Hawks
#18 Coaching in an Agile World with Lyssa Adkins
#21: Agile Marketing Teams with Stacey Ackerman
#22: How to Create Helpful Product Roadmaps with Roman Pichler
#23 How Agile Works in Education with John Miller
#25: Scaling with Henrik Kniberg
#27: Leading Without Blame with Tricia Broderick
#29: Influencing Up with Scott Dunn
#32: Scrum in High School Sports with Cort Sharp
#33 Mob Programming with Woody Zuill
#34: I'm Trained, Now What? with Julie Chickering
#37: Servant Leadership, Not Spineless Leadership with Brad Swanson
#38: Using Agile for Social and Societal Transformation with Kubair Shirazee
#40: Is it Time to Go Out on Your Own? Tips and Insights with Chris Li
#41: Cultural Transformation in Organizations with Karim Harbott
#42: The Importance of Self-Mastery with Bob Galen
#43: Cultivating Agile Team Culture in a Virtual World with Richard Cheng
#44: Transformations Take People with Anu Smalley
#46: How to Assess Company Culture Before Accepting a Job Offer with Christina Ambers
#47: Exploring Lean Thinking in Agile Development with Bob Payne
Mountain Good Software's Certified Product Owner course
Mountain Goat Software Certified Scrum and Agile Training Schedule
Join the Agile Mentors Community
Subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast on Apple Podcasts

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This episode’s presenters are:

Brian Milner is SVP of coaching and training at Mountain Goat Software. He's passionate about making a difference in people's day-to-day work, influenced by his own experience of transitioning to Scrum and seeing improvements in work/life balance, honesty, respect, and the quality of work.