Chief Change Officer
#224 Love, Logic, and a Reality Check: Waverly Deutsch on Changing for the Better – Part Two
Wed, 12 Mar 2025
If there’s one thing Waverly Deutsch doesn’t do, it’s fluff. In Part 2 of Love and Logic series, she shares her bold journey from STEM to stage, academia to entrepreneurship, and why she built WyseHeart Advisory to help founders thrive. A champion for LGBTQ and women entrepreneurs, Waverly proves that real mentorship isn’t about hand-holding—it’s about giving the kind of feedback that sticks.Key Highlights of Our Interview:Blending Heart and Head“Whether it’s calming executives’ cautious approaches or reining in overly ambitious young entrepreneurs, success lies in balancing heart (vision) with head (practicality). It’s about building a compelling story that resonates with both emotions and logic.”Executives: Breaking the Incremental Mold“Executives often pitch ideas that feel safe but lack innovation. They’re so aware of corporate barriers that their creativity gets stifled. My role? Push them to think beyond incremental improvements and aim for groundbreaking changes that truly stand out.”“Executives often present highly calculated plans—‘$5 million investment for $7 million returns.’ While safe, it doesn’t excite investors. Encouraging them to aim higher, to envision $50 million, injects the passion and ambition their pitches often lack.”Unleashing Undergraduate Imagination“Undergraduates are brimming with ideas because they haven’t yet encountered the roadblocks of the corporate world. The challenge is teaching them the process—how to take their boundless creativity and add logic, research, and structure to turn dreams into sustainable ventures.”Overzealous Optimism Meets Reality“On the flip side, young entrepreneurs brim with optimism, promising billion-dollar outcomes for modest investments. The challenge? Bringing logic into their bold dreams—helping them see the steps, resources, and realistic pathways to scale.”The Power of Experimentation“Sometimes, all it takes is encouraging an entrepreneur to think bigger—just as an exercise. That simple shift in perspective can unlock enormous potential, as it did with Simple Mills, now a model for blending passion and pragmatism to scale innovation.”_________________________Connect with Us:Host: Vince Chan | Guest: Waverly Deutsch______________________--Chief Change Officer--Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself.Open a World of Expansive Human Intelligencefor Transformation Gurus, Black Sheep,Unsung Visionaries & Bold Hearts.10 Million+ All-Time Downloads.Reaching 80+ Countries Daily.Global Top 3% Podcast.Top 10 US Business.Top 1 US Careers.130,000+ are outgrowing. Act Today. --Chief Change Officer--Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself.Open a World of Expansive Human Intelligencefor Transformation Gurus, Black Sheep,Unsung Visionaries & Bold Hearts.12 Million+ All-Time Downloads.Reaching 80+ Countries Daily.Global Top 3% Podcast.Top 10 US Business.Top 1 US Careers.>>>140,000+ are outgrowing. Act Today.<<<
What is the focus of this podcast episode with Waverly Deutsch?
Hi, everyone. Welcome to our show, Chief Change Officer. I'm Vince Chen, your ambitious human host. Our show is a modernist humility for change progressives in organizational and human transformation from around the world. This episode is the second part of our three-part series titled Love & Logic, featuring Waverly Deutsch as our special guest.
Here, she explores from three perspectives how the intricate balance of love and logic shapes our career decisions and life choices. The last episode delved into Waverly's personal journey. looking into the love and logic that have guided her career path and experiences.
In this episode, which focuses on her role as a teacher and expert guide, we'll dive into a major chapter of her life, 22 years at Chicago Booth. There, she taught and coached a sharply focused group of highly logical talents. all deeply engaged in their passion for innovation, change, and entrepreneurship.
Since leaving that structured academic environment, she has transitioned to her current role as a coach for a more diverse and larger group of entrepreneurs. Throughout my personal experience, having both official and unofficial mentors and coaches has been profoundly beneficial. is not just about the outcomes, but the process.
And more importantly, I've learned so much from the real life experiences of humans, my supervisors, teachers, colleagues, classmates, and even my life partner, who was once my teacher. These individuals have provided me with immense love and helped me refine my logic. human experience has always been critical to my personal and professional development.
As we enter the age of AI, Waverly and I will also discuss the role of human coaches. In this still developing scenario, AI is the powerhouse of logic. While decent coaches like Waverly represent love, providing that essential human touch in the coaching process. Without further ado, let's get started. Now, let's dive into a significant chapter of your career at Chicago Booth.
where you've dedicated 22 years to teaching and coaching the environment there was highly structured and students ranging from college undergrads to full-time mbas about mid-20s and late 20s and executives who are mid-30s to mid-40s All of them represented a distinctly logical and talented group of people.
Many of these students, like myself, came from very strong corporate backgrounds where we were primarily trained to think with our heads over our head. With that in mind, I'm curious about your perspective about them. They came to you. very eager to explore and explode their passions for innovation, for change, and for entrepreneurship. What common challenges did you observe them facing?
That's the first part of my question. For the second part, given those challenges you've identified, how have you leveraged your own experiences to guide them? Do you find yourself offering more love, i.e. emotional support, over logic, i.e. calculated strategies? Or is it a mix of both? or depending on individuals or segments of individuals?
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