Joe Hudson

Executive Coach at Art of Accomplishment

One of the most sought-after executive coaches among tech leaders, working with people from OpenAI, SpaceX, and Apple, known for his unique approach drawing from spiritual, psychological, and neurological practices, helping people build a productive relationship with their critical inner voice and fall in love with their emotions.

The Org Builder The Craftsperson

Dimension Profile

Strategic Vision 20%

Execution & Craft 20%

Data & Experimentation 10%

Growth & Distribution 10%

Team & Leadership 80%

User Empathy & Research 50%

Key Themes

critical voice in your head is always wrong falling in love with emotions enjoyment as productivity tool changing relationship with inner critic emotions you avoid become the problems you create want versus should in decision making

Episode Summary

Joe Hudson shares his approach to executive coaching for tech leaders, revealing that the two biggest things keeping people stuck are a dysfunctional relationship with the critical voice in their head (which is always wrong) and avoidance of emotions (which paradoxically invites those exact emotions into your life). He argues that enjoyment is an underrated productivity tool — increasing enjoyment by 10% makes you 10% more efficient — and that the best way to work with your inner critic isn't to silence it but to change your relationship with it.

Leadership Principles

→ The critical voice in your head is always wrong — it may contain a kernel of truth but it's never accurate, never helpful, and never the full picture
→ Don't try to stop the voice in your head — change the way you relate to it, try responding with 'I see you're scared, I'm right here with you'
→ Whatever emotion you're trying to avoid, you are inviting into your life in exactly the way you're trying to avoid it

Notable Quotes

"Every single time the critical voice in your head is wrong. That doesn't mean there isn't truth to what it says, but it's incorrect."
— On the nature of the inner critic

"Whatever emotion that you're trying to avoid, you are inviting into your life in exactly the way that you're trying to avoid it."
— On why avoiding emotions creates the problems you fear

"If you say, I'm going to figure out how to enjoy what I do 10% more and you succeed, you are 10% more efficient. Not only that, the quality is going to get a lot better too."
— On enjoyment as a productivity multiplier

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