S2 Ep20. The Power of Positive Disruption: Insights from Behavioral Specialist Wanda Richardson

In this inspiring episode, host Aderonke Bademosi Wilson sits down with Wanda Richardson, a dynamic behavioral specialist and self-described disruptor for a rich conversation brimming with stories of growth, empowerment, and innovation. 

Together, they explore how challenging the norm can lead not just to change, but to transformation in personal and professional realms.

Wanda kicks things off by redefining what it means to be a disruptor. For her, it’s not about stirring the pot for its own sake, but about purposefully reimagining systems and approaches to create meaningful progress. She shares how disruption, when rooted in intention, becomes a powerful catalyst for innovation and evolution.

The conversation then turns to passion, Wanda’s personal superpower. With an infectious energy, she reflects on how her passion for people and problem-solving has propelled her through life’s toughest moments. For Wanda, passion isn’t just a feeling, it’s fuel that drives resilience, persistence, and impact.

With her background in psychology and industrial-organizational psychology, Wanda brings a unique lens to human behavior. She considers herself an informal behavioral scientist and shares thought-provoking insights into what motivates people. She emphasizes the importance of empathy, perspective-taking, and balancing one’s own passion with a genuine curiosity about others’ experiences.

Listeners also get a glimpse into Wanda’s personal world. She shares three fun and unexpected facts about herself: she rediscovered a love for drawing during the pandemic, she’s fascinated by horoscopes (and proudly identifies as a Scorpio), and she finds joy in low-key thrill-seeking activities like zip-lining.

Rounding out the episode, Wanda talks about her entrepreneurial journey in launching Innovize, a business innovation consultancy. Drawing on more than 25 years of corporate leadership, she stresses that innovation isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a practice. She explains how cultivating innovation requires discipline, cross-functional collaboration, and a commitment to unlocking the creative potential within teams.

Whether you’re a leader, a creative thinker or someone navigating change, this episode offers a fresh, energizing perspective. Wanda’s story encourages us to embrace disruption with intention, lean into our passions, and tap into the power of human behavior to drive innovation and meaningful change.

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Transcript

Aderonke (00:01.031):
Welcome to another edition of ABWilson's Heart of the Matter, a podcast that uses overwhelmingly positive questions to learn about our guests, where every episode uncovers extraordinary stories of triumph, growth, and empowerment. Hi, I'm Aderonke Badamosi Wilson. My guest on today's show is Wanda Richardson. Wanda is a passionate behavioral specialist and disruptor. Wanda, welcome to the show.

Wanda Richardson (00:35.234):
Thank you for having me here today. It's been great so far.

Aderonke (00:38.571):
So Wanda, I want to start with your descriptors. What does "disruptor" mean, and what does it look like for you?

Wanda Richardson (00:48.142):
Well, I use the term "disruptor" because I'm one of those people who really doesn't like the status quo. I always believe we have an opportunity to do something better. While I'm not trying to be disruptive just for the sake of it, I do feel that in my life, I'm always trying to find ways to reimagine and not just do what people expect. So, I guess I use the term "disruptive" in a positive sense-really trying to reimagine and do things differently. I take that approach in many aspects of my life.

Aderonke (01:27.477):
So what kinds of things are you disrupting, or have you disrupted?

Wanda Richardson (01:33.304):
Well, for me, even when I'm talking to friends or people trying to figure out a situation, I sometimes ask them to step back and stop thinking about the past. I encourage them to reimagine-if they took a different approach, would they have a different outcome? Or maybe rethink a particular outcome and what they may have learned from it. For me, it's always an opportunity to learn something. I look at it in my personal life, but also in my business interests and in pursuing the goals of others. In this day where things are changing so much, disruption is in all aspects of our lives. How can we use that as a strength instead of a weakness? I see disruption as an opportunity, not necessarily a negative.

Aderonke (02:47.883):
And you've called yourself passionate. Passionate about what?

Wanda Richardson (02:53.038):
I'm passionate about life. Anyone who knows me or gets to know me will see that. I'm not just driven; I'm also passionate. I care very deeply about people, about causes, about solving real problems. Sometimes, being passionate can come across as being too driven or too emotional, but that's something that keeps me focused. It helps me get through tough situations where you just have to push through. I think passion is a superpower when it's used right. People often describe me as passionate, and I see that as a compliment. I embrace it.

Aderonke (03:48.627):
And the second descriptor I have for you is "behavioral specialist." Take me through that.

Wanda Richardson (03:55.308):
Or a behavioral scientist, as I sometimes say. That's what I really mean. I say "scientist" informally because I'm just curious about people. I always want to understand what helps us stay motivated and what stops us from doing what we feel we should be doing.

Aderonke (03:57.982):
A behavioral scientist.

Wanda Richardson (04:24.942):
It's been a part of my career. I started out with a degree in psychology and have a master's in industrial-organizational psychology. I've always been curious about human behavior and our nature. Informally, I use that curiosity in my day-to-day life, even with myself. I reflect on what motivates me and drives me to do or not do things. It's part of who I am. I didn't always think of it that way, but now I see that I'm very interested in how people behave-and more importantly, how we can get the best out of people in the way we want to behave. Especially in today's society, with so much pressure on us, how can we support each other and stay motivated? That's why I consider myself an informal behavioral scientist.

Aderonke (05:34.347):
So, give me a few things you've learned about what motivates people-how to get people motivated.

Wanda Richardson (05:43.446):
I think it starts by really walking in someone else's shoes. In my experience, a lot of times, even in my passion, I have a great idea or way of thinking about a situation. But as human beings, we can get self-absorbed and only see things from our own perspective. The first thing is to step back, really listen, and try to understand their perspective-what matters to them. Appreciate it not from a place of judgment, but by truly understanding their perspective. If you can do that, you can see what might help them get excited, get motivated, and see a better outcome. Through my experience, I've learned to balance my passion with appreciating someone else's passion. That's been my journey: learning to work with others in a way that allows both of us to grow mutually.

Aderonke (07:10.741):
Thank you, Wanda. I want to learn a little more about you. Please share three interesting things about yourself our listeners may not know, and your friends would be surprised to learn.

Wanda Richardson (07:25.184):
Okay. One thing I sort of always knew I had a desire for was drawing, but I didn't do it very often. During COVID, when we were all shut in and had to find new ways of entertaining ourselves, I started drawing again. People were doing things like sip-and-paint, and I fell back into it. I don't do it as often as I’d like. I even have an art degree, but I won’t mention my grade-especially since I’m talking to an artist! Even when I was younger, I had an interest in art, but you sort of get away from that part of yourself. Tapping back into it has really allowed me to relax and appreciate my creative side. I probably should do it more often as a way to balance myself out, to slow down a bit. That’s one thing I enjoy.

The next thing is, believe it or not, I like to read horoscopes. I’m sort of embarrassed to say that! I think it goes back to my interest in behavioral science and understanding that while some people don’t believe in horoscopes, I do feel there’s some basis to it. There are patterns of behavior you see among people that are similar. It’s about curiosity for me. I read horoscopes to find similarities in people’s signs. Sometimes, if something positive is said, I’ll embrace it-maybe it’ll happen! It’s just another data point in my life to keep things positive. If it’s something negative, I just move on.

My third thing is that I call myself a low-key adrenaline enthusiast-not a junkie! I like things like zip-lining, and when I’m on vacation, I want to do something a little more exciting. I like to challenge myself a bit. While I won’t do things like bungee jumping or other extreme activities, I do like the idea of having that adrenaline rush now and then. When I go on vacation, I always want to create one of those experiences. Those are three things people may not know about me.

Aderonke (10:50.793):
Let’s go back to the horoscopes. What is your zodiac sign?

Wanda Richardson (10:56.216):
Scorpio.

Aderonke (11:03.517):
Okay. So what does that mean? On social media, I always see "Scorpio season." What is it about Scorpios? What similar behavior patterns do you see?

Wanda Richardson (11:26.51):
Not to generalize, but Scorpios tend to be very passionate. We’re straight shooters. We have strong intuition and know how to read a room. I think we use that as a way to have high emotional intelligence. I’m speaking about myself, but maybe other Scorpios can relate. People always talk about the Scorpio "tail," the way we can bite back. There’s some truth to that. We are very loving, open, and warm, but we’re not ones to be taken for fools. If there’s an opportunity, depending on how "evil" we are, some of us will bite back more quickly. I can’t say I haven’t been that person at times-we’re all human. But as you mature, you realize not everything needs a response. Another thing about Scorpios is transformation. We like to evolve on a personal level, not in comparison to others, but for our own self-development. We’re naturally competitive with ourselves and tend to be very results-oriented and like to make progress. That’s my experience with Scorpios, but I’m sure others have a much longer list.

Aderonke (13:35.875):
When you read horoscopes, is there a website or book you look at? Where do you go for information?

Wanda Richardson (13:46.638):
When I was younger, I might have bought books where they’d publish yearly readings. Now, I don’t go to a specific source. For me, it’s more trial and error. If I see something, I might stop and read it. I’m not subscribing to anything or into it like that. It’s more about curiosity-what are they saying today? Sometimes I use it as inspiration with close friends who are different signs. If I read something positive, I’ll tell them, "Your horoscope said..." They know it’s a joke, but also that I’m being positive. I hope it plays out the way I’m talking about! It’s just a little side habit to tap into my curiosity, but I’m not a fanatic.

Aderonke (15:03.679):
Next question. Wanda, can you tell us about a recent accomplishment or success that you’re particularly proud of?

Wanda Richardson (15:14.456):
Sure. Last year, I embarked on becoming an entrepreneur and CEO of Innovize, a business innovation consulting company. It really came about because of my 25 years as a leader in different corporate settings and working with cross-functional teams. I watched a lot of good ideas that could have become great-if they were given a chance. Often, in organizations, we have so many competing priorities or different ways of working, and sometimes we’re just working on the wrong idea. I often felt that as individuals, we could have been offering more value to the organization. Having worked in many parts of organizations-from marketing to sales, operations to HR, and finally leading an innovation team-I realized that a lot of skill sets are necessary. You need that cross-functional view and to bring in other people’s perspectives. Many companies talk about innovation, but people don’t realize that innovation is actually a skill, a discipline, a mindset, and a way of working. The great thing is, we can all be creative-it’s an innate part of who we are. The challenge is how to do it in a way that delivers results. That requires organizations to invest in it like any other skill. I tell people, if you were running your finance team, you wouldn’t just hire anybody. You’d make sure they have certain skills and experience. It’s the same with innovation. You need to train people with the right skills and ensure processes are in place so you can remove friction and be more effective.

Wanda Richardson (17:35.066):
And I think it’s so critical right now, particularly in this day and age...

End of transcript excerpt.
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Citations:

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