Performing Without A Net Featuring Rob Schneider at Joe Polish's Genius Network
Joe Polish and Rob Schneider explore how removing safety nets unlocks responsibility, creativity, and stronger leadership. They also unpack ethical influence, failure, and why calm, human presence builds lasting trust.
Here’s a glance at what you’ll discover in this episode:
- Why removing the “safety net” often unlocks performance, creativity, and responsibility instead of fear
- What Rob does in the first 30 seconds to win a room and why signaling humanity matters more than authority
- How to push on sensitive or controversial topics without losing people or triggering defensive shutdowns
- The mistake leaders make when they lead with “this is hard” and how to find agreement before resistance
- The difference between manipulation and ethical influence and where persuasion quietly crosses the line
- What bombing on stage teaches about ego, rejection, and why failure is an interpretation, not an identity
- Why your worst performances and best performances should get closer together over time
- How to quickly tell who is serious and who is just consuming attention so you stop wasting energy
- Why calm leadership during chaos creates trust, loyalty, and better work
- How to make “boring” or uncomfortable ideas compelling using entertainment and storytelling
- Why making life too easy can quietly handicap kids, teams, and future leaders
- The danger of fame, validation, and external approval when identity isn’t grounded
- A simple way to have difficult conversations without becoming angry, preachy, or dismissible
- Why love, humility, and curiosity change minds faster than force ever will
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Show Notes
Calm Under Pressure (Boxers, War, and Finding Peace at Work)
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Why the calmest people Rob knows are professional boxers—and what that teaches CEOs about peace during “storms”
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How finding calm between rounds translates to calmer teams, more trust, and better decisions under stress
Fire, Ego, and the “Desert Island Test” for Hiring
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“Fire burns off what doesn’t belong”: why ego gets exposed (and should be burned away) fast
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The “desert island test” to quickly spot who will help you survive vs. drain your Team
No Safety Net = Performance (Fear vs. Thrill)
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Why removing the “net” forces you to make it work—and how fear can fuel focus and creativity
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The not-knowing as the real thrill (and why “certainty” often kills engagement)
The First 30 Seconds — Signaling Humanity Over Authority
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Rob’s method for disarming a room fast: remind people there’s a human being “in the car”
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The hand-signal metaphor: how small signals of humanity change how people respond to you
Comedy as a Leadership Skill (Seeds, Safety, and Sensitive Topics)
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How to make a room feel safe enough to laugh at uncomfortable ideas—without attacking people
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“Planting seeds” through humor: entertaining first, then slipping in meaning people can digest
Persuasion vs. Manipulation (Ethical Influence)
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Rob’s idea of “subversion”: gently removing false assumptions so people choose better outcomes
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Joe’s definition of ethical selling: intellectually engaged + emotionally committed to a result that’s good for them
Why “This Is Hard” Can Backfire (Find Agreement Before Resistance)
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The leadership mistake of leading with difficulty
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A better approach: locate shared goals first, then invite people into the challenge
Sales, Storytelling, and “Congratulations, You Spent a Lot of Money”
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Why marketing is storytelling and selling is persuasion—and why people are often “buying you”
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The Sotheby’s reframing lesson: how language changes the emotional experience of spending
Reading Signals and Stopping Energy Waste
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Rob’s early shoe-sales lesson: how to spot who’s there to buy vs. who just wants attention
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Why faster pattern-recognition protects your time, confidence, and momentum
Bombing, Rejection, and Resilience
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What bombing teaches about ego, identity, and why failure is interpretation—not a verdict
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The “worst shows vs. best shows” principle: how pros tighten the gap over time
Fame, Validation, and Identity (When You Don’t Know Who You Are)
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The danger of external validation when identity isn’t grounded
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Why awards, applause, and attention can distort your self-image—and how to stay anchored
Culture, Courage, and Risk
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Why Rob believes meaningful impact requires risk—and why he aims to communicate without fear
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How to stay entertaining while discussing heavy topics, without losing the room
Kids, Comfort, and Quietly Creating Fragility
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“Don’t handicap your kids by making their life too easy”: how comfort can sabotage capability
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Why ownership mindset matters—and how “rental car” thinking shows up in life and leadership
Work Ethic, Expectations, and Leading Through Limitations
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The reality of motivation gaps on teams—and why clarity about expectations matters
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Joe’s framing: fountains vs. drains, “batteries included” vs. “batteries not included”
Creating Something From Nothing (Entertainment as a Business Advantage)
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How Rob learned the “non-existent problem, inefficient solution” rule from SNL sketches
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Joe’s carpet-cleaning example: making “boring” compelling through framing, story, and tension
Love, Humility, and Curiosity as the Fastest Way to Change Minds
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Why compassion and humanity move people faster than force
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“I got you” as a working definition of love—and how it shows up in leadership