In this deeper-than-the-main conversation, New York Times bestselling author Diana Kander joins host Megan Martin to translate her curiosity methodology into something an event-led growth strategy team can actually implement Monday morning. If you've felt the lukewarm warning signs in your role, watched your experiment runway stretch to a full fiscal year, or quietly accepted "we've always done it this way" as a strategic direction, this Aftershow is for you.
What You'll Learn
Why innovation isn't a thing, it's a mindset, and how to spot the difference between real innovation and same-hat-new-box
Why cameras feel scarier than comedy clubs (and what it reveals about how leaders connect)
The "7 chapters" theory of career reinvention and how to use it inside an org that won't let you leave
Diana's $500,000 software failure at 29 and the iteration habit she'd install in every event team today
How to run event experiments year-round when your conference is twelve months away
The "closet of old ideas" test that reveals whether your team is actually innovating or just relabeling
The Calendar Test for curiosity (your meeting calendar reveals exactly how curious your business is)
The 3 questions to ask attendees who DIDN'T come back, and why nobody on your own team should make the call
The 10-emotional-moments framework for designing event experiences attendees actually remember
Featured Frameworks
The Curiosity Muscle (Diana Kander) - the methodology behind asking the people who left, not just the people who showed up
Curious Like It's Hot - Megan Martin's question-first diagnostic for stagnant industry symptoms
Reinvention Math - translating Stanford's "Designing Your Life" research into event marketing and sales leadership
About Diana Kander
Diana Kander is a New York Times bestselling author of All In Startup, The Curiosity Muscle, and Get Curious and Grow. A serial entrepreneur and former senior fellow at the Kauffman Foundation, she's spent her career helping organizations turn curiosity from a corporate value into a daily habit. She came to the U.S. as a refugee from the Soviet Union at age eight, is a Georgetown-trained attorney, and is one of the most-booked innovation and curiosity keynote speakers in the country.
Connect with Diana:
Website: dianakander.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianakander/
Instagram: @dianakander
Featured Charity
Diana and her husband Jason support Veterans Community Project, which builds tiny houses and wraparound services for homeless veterans. Learn more at veteranscommunityproject.org.
About Your Host
Megan Martin is the founder of M Squared Dynamics, a consulting, facilitation, and content strategy firm helping event leaders, marketers, and sales teams turn live experiences into measurable business growth. She's the host and executive producer of Event About It, co-founder of Opportunity Hunters, and a two-time PCMA Visionary Award nominee (2022 winner). With nearly 20 years in the industry, Megan operates at the intersection of event strategy, marketing alignment, and behavioral intent signals, turning events from line items into pipeline drivers.
Connect with Megan and M Squared Dynamics:
Podcast: EventAboutItPodcast.com
Newsletter (Step and Repeat): msquareddynamics.com/stepandrepeatsignup
Consulting and strategy: msquareddynamics.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganmartincmp/
Instagram: @m2dynamics and @eventaboutit
TikTok: @eventaboutit
Keep the Conversation Going
The best conversations start after the show ends, and the best ones keep going in your inbox. Subscribe to Event About It wherever you get your podcasts and sign up for the Step and Repeat newsletter at msquareddynamics.com/stepandrepeatsignup.
Until next time, stay curious.