The Melting Pot with Dominic Monkhouse: Recent Episodes

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Physician, physiologist, researcher, explorer, serial technology entrepreneur and Founder & CEO of Well Founded Dr. Jack Kreindler shares his unique journey as both a physician and technologist, discussing the evolution of medicine through technology, the importance of teamwork in extreme environments, and the insights gained from his South Pole expedition. He emphasises the significance of gender differences in endurance and collaboration, and introduces a health program designed for founders to enhance their well-being and performance. The discussion also touches on future innovations in health and the role of technology in improving medical practices.

takeaways

• Dr. Jack's journey began at a young age with a passion for technology.
• The intersection of medicine and technology is crucial for future practices.
• Longevity is a rebranding of preventive and lifestyle medicine.
• Women often outperform men in endurance and teamwork in extreme conditions.
• Team dynamics play a significant role in success during challenging expeditions.
• The South Pole expedition provided insights into human performance under stress.
• Founders' health is increasingly recognised as vital for business success.
• The six-month health program for founders is designed for maximum impact.
• Open sourcing the methodology allows broader access to health insights.
• Future innovations in health may involve AI and human collaboration.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Jack and His Journey

03:07 The Intersection of Medicine and Technology

05:47 Exploring Longevity and Preventive Medicine

09:03 Gender Differences in Endurance and Team Dynamics

11:54 Insights from the South Pole Expedition

15:12 The Importance of Teamwork in Extreme Conditions

18:06 Founders' Health Program and Its Impact

20:59 Future Directions and Innovations in Health

Mentioned in this episode:

Get Mind Your Fking Business**

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Arnie Malham, founder of CJ Advertising and Legal Intake Professionals, discusses the importance of workplace culture and the value of reading in personal and professional growth. He shares his experience with building a strong culture in his own companies and the impact it had on employee satisfaction and performance. Arnie also introduces the concept of the Better Book Club, a program he developed to encourage reading and personal development within organisations. He emphasises the role of leadership in shaping culture and provides a framework for creating a positive and thriving work environment. Arnie Malham discusses the importance of creating a strong company culture and shares insights on how to build and maintain it. He emphasises the need for leaders to prioritise their team's growth and development, and to be deliberate in shaping the culture they want. Arnie suggests giving cultural programs to champions within the organisation, rather than relying solely on HR or top leadership. He also highlights the significance of celebrating milestones and creating a history of success within the company. Arnie shares his own experiences and lessons learned from running his company for 10 years and offers book recommendations for further reading on culture and leadership.

takeaways

• Workplace culture reflects leadership and is crucial for employee satisfaction and performance.
• Reading is a valuable tool for personal and professional growth.
• The Better Book Club is a program that promotes reading and personal development within organisations.
• Leadership plays a key role in shaping and maintaining a positive work culture.
• A strong culture is built on core values, consistent actions, and a focus on growth and development. Leaders should prioritise the growth and development of their team members to create a strong company culture.
• Cultural programs should be led by champions within the organisation, rather than relying solely on HR or top leadership.
• Celebrating milestones and creating a history of success within the company is important for building a positive culture.
• Arnie shares his own experiences and lessons learned from running his company for 10 years.
• Book recommendations for further reading on culture and leadership include 'Double Double' by Cameron Harold, 'Uncontainable' by Kip Tindell, and 'Find Your Yellow Tux' by Jesse Cole.

Chapters

01:10 Arnie's Expertise in Workplace Culture

03:13 The Better Book Club

06:25 Arnie's Background and Transition to Coaching

10:11 Target Audience and Pain Points

12:07 Arnie's Background and Introduction

19:16 Arnie's Businesses: CJ Advertising and Legal Intake Professionals

21:22 Creating a Strong Culture

25:46 Arnie's Framework for Building a Great Culture

28:08 Leadership's Role in Shaping Culture

28:46 Prioritising Growth and Development for a Strong Company Culture

30:00 The Role of Champions in Cultural Programs

36:23 The Importance of Onboarding and Checklists

41:10 Creating a Culture of Celebration and Milestones

45:20 Lessons Learned from Running a Company for 10 Years

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Summary

Josh Seiden & Jeff Gothelf join Dominic Monkhouse to talk about one of his favourite growth tools - OKRs (Objectives and Key Results)

The discussion dives deep into the world of OKRs, highlighting their critical role in goal-setting and driving organisational alignment. The guests introduce their latest book, Who Does What By How Much?, which offers a fresh, customer-focused take on OKRs. They stress the importance of shifting from output-driven goals to outcome-based objectives that are tightly aligned with customer needs and behaviours.

A key theme of the conversation is the delicate balance between Business as Usual (BAU) activities and the implementation of OKRs. This episode explores how OKRs should not only complement existing operations but also help steer an organisation’s strategy. They discuss the ideal timeframe for setting corporate OKRs, with an emphasis on quarterly check-ins and measurable key results that track progress throughout the year.

The conversation also addresses practical challenges, such as fostering collaboration across teams and securing leadership buy-in, both of which are essential for successful OKR implementation. The speakers advise organisations to start small, gradually expand OKR adoption, and invest time and effort into their OKR process while still keeping an eye on BAU performance.

In addition to their insights on OKRs, the guests share personal book recommendations and reflect on their own definitions of success, rounding out a rich discussion that not only offers practical advice but also broader perspectives on achieving meaningful outcomes in today's customer-driven world.

Takeaways

• OKRs should be customer-centric and focused on outcomes rather than outputs.
• Aligning goals with the needs and behaviours of customers leads to better products and services.
• Strategic goals should be set for a year, while tactical goals can be set on a quarterly or monthly basis.
• The conversation and alignment around OKRs should be a two-way process, involving input from all levels of the organisation.
• Flexibility and customisation are key in implementing OKRs, as each organisation's needs and context may vary. Set quarterly check-ins and key results that can be measured throughout the year.
• Prioritise customer-centric goals and focus on changing customer behaviour.
• Start small and gradually expand OKR implementation.
• Allocate time and effort to OKRs while maintaining business as usual metrics.
• Facilitate collaboration and foster leadership buy-in for successful OKR implementation.
• Continuously learn and acquire new skills to enhance personal and professional growth.

Chapters

03:13 The Power of Customer-Centric OKRs

07:19 Balancing BAU and OKRs

13:53 The Role of Strategy in OKR Implementation

25:15 Setting the Timeframe for Corporate OKRs

30:40 Setting Quarterly Check-ins and Measurable Key Results

32:14 Prioritising Customer-Centric Goals for Changing Customer Behavior

41:40 Challenges of Collaboration and the Role of Leadership Buy-in

47:00 Starting Small and Gradually Expanding OKR Implementation

49:16 Allocating Time and Effort to OKRs while Maintaining Business as Usual Metrics

56:01 Continuous Learning and Personal Growth for Success

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Martin Gonzalez, Principal of Organizational Leadership Development at Google, discusses the challenges and importance of people and organisational dynamics in startups. He shares insights from his book, The Bonfire Moment, and the workshops he runs for founders. The workshops focus on addressing the people factor in startups, including co-founder conflict, team culture, and building the right management team. Martin emphasises the need for founders to evolve from being chief bricklayers to chief architects as their companies grow. He also explores the question of whether founders should remain as CEOs or bring in professional CEOs. The conversation explores the challenges of scaling a startup and maintaining an entrepreneurial spirit. It discusses the importance of codifying the founder's spirit without stifling innovation and the need for continuous self-reflection and self-awareness. The workshop described in the conversation focuses on creating clarity, having tough conversations, and addressing sources of conflict within the leadership team. The conversation also touches on the role of trust in team dynamics and the potential pitfalls of overemphasising trust-building activities.

Who is Martin Gonzalez

Martin Gonzalez is the creator of Google’s Effective Founders Project, a global research program that decodes the factors that enable startup founders to succeed. He also works closely with Google’s engineering and research leaders on org design, leadership, and culture challenges. Martin is a frequent lecturer at Stanford, Wharton, and INSEAD, and has advised leaders across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. He studied organisational psychology and behavioural science at Columbia University and the London School of Economics.

Takeaways

• The people factor is a major reason for startup failure, and founders often struggle with addressing people and organizational challenges.
• Founders need to evolve from being chief bricklayers to chief architects as their companies grow.
• Building the right team culture and management team is crucial for startup success.
• There is a need for more research on how founders can remain as CEOs and lead their companies through the scale-up phase. Scaling a startup while maintaining an entrepreneurial spirit is a challenge.
• Codifying the founder's spirit can lead to a company of rule followers and a loss of entrepreneurial spirit.
• Continuous self-reflection and self-awareness are essential for effective leadership.
• Creating clarity, having tough conversations, and addressing sources of conflict are crucial for a healthy leadership team.
• Trust-building activities may not always address the root causes of trust issues.
• Recommended books for further reading: 'The Founder's Dilemmas' and 'The Hard Thing About Hard Things'.

Chapters

00:29 Selective Upgrades and Performance Outcomes

03:59 The Need to Change the World of Work

08:04 Trusting Data Over Intuition

13:07 The People Factor in Startup Failure

15:31 Founder Obsession with Product and Lack of Tools for People Dynamics

18:39 The Importance of Bullshit as a Founder

23:24 Founder CEOs and the Transition to Chief Architect

26:03 The Impact of Founder CEOs on Business Success

26:43 Maintaining an Entrepreneurial Spirit

28:08 The Challenge of Codifying the Founder's Spirit

29:49 Creating Clarity and Addressing Conflict

37:30 The Bullshit Circle and Real Talk

45:38 Learning Leadership from Cult Leaders

54:30 The Myth of External Enemies

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Summary

The conversation explores the topic of dyslexia and its connection to entrepreneurship. Jamie Waller, The dyslexic entrepreneur and advocate, shares his insights and experiences. He discusses the challenges faced by dyslexic individuals in the education system and society, as well as the unique strengths and traits they possess. The conversation also touches on the importance of changing the narrative around dyslexia and empowering individuals with dyslexia to pursue their goals. Waller emphasises the need for support and understanding, both in education and the business world. The conversation concludes with a discussion on Waller's upcoming adventures, including a trip to space. Jamie Waller, The Dyslexic Entrepreneur, discusses his plans to take a two-year trip around the world with his children and the challenges of balancing work and family life. He shares his experience as a serial entrepreneur and investor, highlighting the importance of curiosity and being open to new ideas. Waller also talks about his struggles with sleep due to ADHD and offers tips for managing sleep challenges. He emphasises the need for kindness in business and challenges the myth that you have to be ruthless to succeed. Waller recommends the books 'Good to Great' and 'Strength to Strength' for personal and professional development.

Takeaways

• Dyslexia is a learning difference that affects individuals in various ways, but it is not a measure of intelligence.
• Dyslexic thinkers often possess unique strengths, such as explorative thinking and a strong sense of justice.
• Entrepreneurship can be a natural fit for dyslexic individuals due to their risk-taking mindset and ability to think outside the box.
• Changing the narrative around dyslexia is crucial to empower individuals and promote understanding and support.
• Supporting dyslexic individuals in education and the business world can lead to positive outcomes and opportunities for success. Balancing work and family life can be challenging, but it's important to make time for experiences and adventures with loved ones.
• Curiosity and openness to new ideas are key traits for entrepreneurs and investors.
• Managing sleep challenges, especially for individuals with ADHD, can be aided by supplements like GABA and creating a conducive sleep environment.
• Kindness is an important quality in business; success does not require ruthlessness.
• Planning for life after exit is crucial for entrepreneurs to maintain purpose and fulfilment.

Chapters

03:25 Exploring the Connection Between Dyslexia and Entrepreneurship

08:27 Changing the Narrative: Empowering Dyslexic Individuals

12:28 Unique Strengths of Dyslexic Thinkers

19:37 Supporting Dyslexic Individuals in Education and Business

25:45 Adventures and Challenges: Dyslexia and Personal Growth

31:26 Taking a Two-Year Trip Around the World

35:00 The Curiosity and Openness of an Entrepreneur

38:03 Managing Sleep Challenges with ADHD

46:55 The Importance of Kindness in Business

52:09 Planning for Life After Exit

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summary

James Ashford shares his entrepreneurial journey and the importance of creating amazing customer experiences. He emphasises the need for systemization and continual improvement to deliver exceptional service. Dominic Monkhouse highlights the significance of sales in business success and the fear of rejection that holds many businesses back from increasing their prices. They discuss the value of simplifying the sales process and closing deals on the spot. James also shares his experience with Go Proposal, a pricing proposal software for accountants, and how it helped streamline the sales process. James Ashford shares his experience of building and selling his software business, GoProposal, and the importance of creating a sales culture and simplifying the sales process. He emphasises the need for businesses to focus on providing a great customer experience and highlights the value of being exit-ready. James also discusses the challenges he faced after selling his business and the importance of understanding the true reason why entrepreneurs do what they do.

Takeaways

• Creating amazing customer experiences is crucial for business success.
• Systemisation and continual improvement are key to delivering exceptional service.
• Many businesses fear increasing their prices due to a lack of self-worth and fear of rejection.
• Simplifying the sales process and closing deals on the spot can lead to faster business growth.
• Go Proposal, pricing proposal software, helps streamline the sales process for accountants. Instead of relying solely on a sales team, focus on creating a sales culture in your business.
• Simplify the sales process to provide a better customer experience and increase efficiency.
• Be exit-ready by systemising your business, having a playbook, and extracting yourself from day-to-day operations.
• Understand the true reason why you do what you do as an entrepreneur and honour that passion.
• Surround yourself with positivity and block out negativity to maintain a positive mindset.

Chapters

02:51 Creating Amazing Customer Experiences

10:04 Overcoming the Fear of Rejection and Increasing Prices

19:07 Simplifying the Sales Process for Faster Business Growth

22:50 Streamlining the Sales Process for Accountants with Go Proposal

29:17 Creating a Sales Culture and Simplifying the Sales Process

35:55 The Value of Being Exit-Ready

51:51 Understanding the True Reason Why Entrepreneurs Do What They Do

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Renan de Villiers, CEO and co-founder of OSS Ventures, discusses his niche in B2B SaaS for manufacturing. He explains that manufacturing accounts for 25% of the world GDP and highlights the importance of software in factories. Renan shares his experience as a former factory director and how it led him to start a venture builder and investment firm focused on SaaS B2B for manufacturing. He emphasises the challenges of scaling executive talent in mature companies and the need for better incentive packages in the VC world. Renan also discusses the state of the economy, de-globalisation, and the future of manufacturing. The conversation explores the importance of hardware in tech companies, the challenges of scaling businesses, and the myths and realities of venture capital. It also delves into the personal journey of the guest and his sources of inspiration.

takeaways

• Manufacturing accounts for 25% of the world GDP, making it a significant niche for B2B SaaS.
• Scaling executive talent is a challenge in mature companies, and better incentive packages are needed in the VC world.
• The US is decoupling from China, and there is a trend of reshoring and nearshoring in manufacturing.
• Energy and chip production are becoming increasingly important in the manufacturing industry. Hardware will play a significant role in the success of tech companies in the future.
• Scaling a business involves two major breaking points: transitioning from founder-led chaos to a more structured approach and managing the challenges of communication and processes as the company grows.
• Founders need to be willing to adapt and change as their company scales, and sometimes, that means letting go of the chaotic energy that fuelled the early stages.
• Ideas do matter in business, but they are nothing without execution.
• Success in life is measured by the impact you have on others.
• Recommended books: 'No Rules Rules' by Reed Hastings and 'Hunger, Famine, and Wealth' by London philosopher.
• Recommended podcast: 'Revenue Builder' for insights on revenue generation in B2B SaaS.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Niche in B2B SaaS for Manufacturing

02:11 Scaling Executive Talent in Mature Companies

06:21 Challenges in Incentive Packages for VC-backed Companies

13:22 The Decoupling of the US from China

24:07 The Importance of Energy and Chip Production in Manufacturing

25:55 The Role of Hardware in Tech Companies

30:25 Scaling Challenges and Breaking Points

32:17 Adapting as a Founder During Growth

39:37 The Importance of Ideas and Execution

45:22 Measuring Success in Life

49:08 Timeless Inspiration from 'Meditations'

49:53 Debunking the Myth: Ideas Do Matter

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Tim Cameron-Kitchen, founder of Exposure Ninja, discusses the impact of AI on search and the future of Google. He highlights the emergence of Chat GPT and TikTok as potential threats to Google's dominance. Google responded by integrating AI functionality into its search engine, including Search Generative Experience (SGE) and Perspectives. Tim's agency was one of the first to figure out how to optimize for SGE. However, Google's release of AI overviews, which provide generative AI answers to user queries, received negative feedback. Tim believes that while AI can potentially disrupt search, Google is adapting to stay relevant. In this conversation, Tim Cameron-Kitchen and Dominic Monkhouse discuss the future of search engines and the role of AI in marketing and business. They explore the impact of generative AI on search engine results and the challenges faced by new search engines in competing with Google. They also discuss the use of AI in business operations, such as using AI models to analyze documents and transcripts for better decision-making. The conversation touches on the importance of video presence in remote interviews and the significance of attention to detail in online interactions. Tim shares his favourite books and podcasts for learning and offers insights into measuring success in life.

Takeaways

• The emergence of Chat GPT and TikTok poses potential threats to Google's dominance in search.
• Google has responded by integrating AI functionality into its search engine, such as SGE and Perspectives.
• Exposure Ninja was one of the first agencies to optimize for SGE and share the process with others.
• Google's release of AI overviews, which provide generative AI answers to user queries, received negative feedback.
• While AI has the potential to disrupt search, Google is adapting to stay relevant. Generative AI has the potential to revolutionize search engine results, but it has not yet posed a significant threat to Google's dominance.
• AI models like ChatGPT and Claude can be used to analyze documents and transcripts, providing tailored and fast results for complex queries.
• Video presence and attention to detail are crucial in remote interviews and online interactions.
• Success can be measured by the balance of health, family, and business, with a focus on avoiding regret in the future.

Chapters

29:57 Threats to Google's Dominance

31:49 Negative Feedback on AI Overviews

34:04 Generative AI in Search Engine Results

36:16 The Dominance of Google and the Challenges Faced by New Search Engines

39:14 AI in Business Operations: Analyzing Documents and Transcripts

46:02 The Importance of Video Presence and Attention to Detail in Remote Interviews

51:12 Recommended Books and Podcasts for Learning and Inspiration

54:26 Measuring Success: Health, Family, and Business

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Summary

🎙️ Get ready for a transformative episode of the Mind Your F**king Business podcast with Dominic Monkhouse! This week, Dominic sits down with leadership guru Kyle McDowell, author of the revolutionary book, 'Begin With We'. Dive deep into their dynamic discussion on overturning traditional corporate hierarchies and embracing a principle-based leadership style that champions collaboration and authenticity.

🌟 From Kyle's own radical shift from conventional management to leading with principles to tackling the pervasive challenges of toxic work cultures, this conversation is packed with insights. They explore the seismic impact of shifting from a 'me' to a 'we' mindset, underscore the importance of genuine connections within the C-suite, and dissect the destructive nature of office gossip.

💡 Plus, don't miss Kyle's breakdown of the 10 cardinal principles of leadership that could redefine your approach to team dynamics and personal accountability. Learn why embracing vulnerability and authenticity isn't just good practice—it's essential for creating a culture of excellence and trust.

🔥 Tune in as they reveal how true leadership means leading by example, owning your mistakes, and stepping up to challenges head-on. This isn't just another leadership discussion; it's a call to fundamentally change how you lead.

Keywords leadership principles, collaboration, C-suite, toxic work environments, culture of excellence, leadership, mindset shift, genuine connections, gossip, leading by example, 10 principles of leadership, relatability, authenticity, vulnerability, trust

Takeaways

• Leadership principles are essential for creating high-performing teams and organizations.
• Collaboration is crucial in the C-suite and throughout the organization.
• There is often a disconnect between leaders' perceptions and the reality of their teams' experiences.
• Toxic work environments can have a detrimental impact on individuals and the overall success of the organization.
• Creating a culture of excellence requires a focus on both internal and external service. Transitioning from a 'me' to a 'we' mindset in leadership is challenging but essential for building genuine connections with team members.
• Leaders should lead by example and avoid negative conversations about team members in their absence.
• The 10 principles of leadership outlined in 'Begin With We' include leading by example, taking action, owning mistakes, and embracing challenges.
• Relatability, authenticity, and vulnerability are key in building trust within teams.
• Leaders should focus on outcomes rather than activity and be open to challenging and being challenged by team members.
• Attention to detail is crucial for delivering exceptional experiences and establishing a strong brand.

Sound Bites

• "There's no I in team, but there's a you in cunt."
• "My name is Kyle McDowell. I'm an author, I'm an inspirational speaker, and I am trying to change the world."
• "I'm here to rid the corporate world of its toxic ways of dysfunction and create environments that allow people to thrive, not just loathe."
• "Simple is not easy."
• "No triangulation."
• "What a wonderful example of simple."

Chapters

02:58 The Power of Leadership Principles

07:46 Collaboration in the C-suite

13:20 Bridging the Disconnect Between Leaders and Teams

21:33 Creating a Culture of Excellence

25:36 The Challenge of Transitioning to a 'We' Mindset

27:15 The Impact of Gossip and the Importance of Leading by Example

31:33 Creating a Culture of Vulnerability and Support

37:11 Focusing on Outcomes and Avoiding Busyness

38:40 Challenging and Being Challenged for Growth

39:37 The Power of Attention to Detail

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Dominic Monkhouse explores the importance of intentional leadership and creating a strong company culture with John DiJulius from The DiJulius Group

A recent survey of 4,500 UK workers by the Chartered Management Institute found that 82% of those in management positions are 'accidental managers', and have little training or qualifications. The problem is that to be an effective leader you need to develop a whole new set of skills and competencies. John and Dominic highlight the need for formal training for managers and the lack of training in areas such as difficult conversations and interviewing. Their conversation also delves into the concept of purpose in the workplace and the changing attitudes towards hustle culture. The recruitment process is discussed, emphasising creating a unique and engaging experience for candidates. The importance of knowing employees' aspirations and helping them achieve their goals is also emphasised. In this conversation, John DiJulius and Dominic Monkhouse discuss the importance of encouraging and believing in others to help them reach their full potential. They also talk about the power of positive thinking, the impact of personal experiences on leadership, and the value of creating a remarkable customer experience. John shares his personal journey of overcoming challenges and how he has used his experiences to inspire and motivate others. They also touch on the concept of making price irrelevant and the importance of treating customers and employees based on their individual needs.

Keywords

leadership, company culture, formal training, difficult conversations, interviewing, purpose, hustle culture, recruitment process, employee aspirations, encouragement, belief, potential, positive thinking, leadership, customer experience, personal journey, challenges, price irrelevant, individual needs

Takeaways

• Leaders should be intentional and create a strong company culture.
• Managers should receive formal training, especially in areas like difficult conversations and interviewing.
• The concept of purpose in the workplace is important for all generations.
• The recruitment process should be unique and engaging to attract top talent.
• Knowing employees' aspirations and helping them achieve their goals is crucial for employee retention. Encouraging and believing in others can help them achieve more than they ever thought possible.
• Positive thinking and a strong belief in oneself can overcome challenges and lead to success.
• Creating a remarkable customer experience is essential for business growth and customer loyalty.
• Treating customers and employees based on their individual needs is more effective than treating them how you would like to be treated.
• Making price irrelevant by focusing on the value and experience you provide can lead to loyal customers and increased sales.

Chapters

00:00 Creating an Intentional Company Culture

09:38 The Importance of Formal Training for Managers

13:16 Redefining Purpose in the Workplace

23:43 Supporting Employee Aspirations for Long-Term Retention

31:13 Unlocking Potential: The Power of Encouragement and Belief

36:45 Overcoming Personal Obstacles: A Journey of Resilience

43:28 Creating Remarkable Customer Experiences for Business Growth

49:08 Making Price Irrelevant: The Value of Customer Experience

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Summary

The conversation explores three main topics: business model resilience, AI, and environmental sustainability. The accessibility and democratisation of AI tools have made a significant impact on innovation and value creation. AI has the potential to propose better value propositions and even replace human managers. The integration of AI tools in consulting processes has resulted in faster results and improved efficiency. However, the development of better value propositions through the integration of different data sources is still a work in progress. In this conversation, Alex and Dominic discuss the potential of AI in innovation and business processes. They explore the idea of using AI to automate customer interviews and the impact it can have on the speed and efficiency of innovation. They also touch on the importance of environmental sustainability and the need for new business models that harmonize profit and impact. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the challenges and opportunities of AI and the importance of regulation.

Keywords

business model resilience, AI, environmental sustainability, accessibility, democratisation, innovation, value creation, value propositions, AI tools, consulting processes, data sources, AI, innovation, business processes, customer interviews, speed, efficiency, environmental sustainability, business models, profit, impact, regulation

Takeaways

• The accessibility and democratization of AI tools have revolutionized innovation and value creation.
• AI has the potential to propose better value propositions and even replace human managers.
• The integration of AI tools in consulting processes has resulted in faster results and improved efficiency.
• The development of better value propositions through the integration of different data sources is still a work in progress. AI can greatly speed up the innovation process by automating tasks like customer interviews.
• Businesses need to embrace environmental sustainability and find new business models that harmonise profit and impact.
• Financial sustainability and resilient revenue models are crucial for the success of a business.
• Experimentation with pricing and revenue streams is essential for business growth.
• The rapid pace of change in AI presents both challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurs and innovators.
• Regulation is necessary to ensure the responsible and ethical use of AI.

About Alex Osterwalder

Alex Osterwalder is ranked in the top 10 on the Thinkers50 list of management thinkers worldwide. He is passionate about simplifying the complex challenges that today's leaders face. Along with Yves Pigneur, he invented the Business Model Canvas and other practical tools, which are now used by millions of practitioners around the globe.

Strategyzer, the company Alex co-founded, provides technology-enabled innovation services to leading organisations, including Colgate-Palmolive, MasterCard and Merck.

Alex spends most of his time advising leaders on how to scale their innovation efforts and get results. They already have the assets but lack the organisational design and innovation culture.

His books include Business Model Generation, Value Proposition Design, Testing Business Ideas, The Invincible Company, and High-Impact Tools for Teams. Together with his children he created Biz4Kids, a comic book to promote entrepreneurship.

Chapters

02:22 The Impact of AI on Innovation and Value Creation

05:10 The Potential of AI in Proposing Value Propositions

10:42 Challenges in Developing Better Value Propositions with AI

30:30 Harmonising Profit and Impact: The Future of Business Models

37:27 Financial Sustainability and Resilient Revenue Models

42:28 Experimentation with Pricing and Revenue Streams

44:19 The Challenges and Opportunities of AI

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Summary

Ken Rusk, the blue-collar entrepreneur, shares his insights on achieving success and living your best life. He emphasises the importance of having a clear purpose and maximising every opportunity. Ken believes that anyone can be an entrepreneur or an intrapreneur as long as they have a clear vision and take action. He also discusses the significance of creating a culture that supports individual goals and fosters entrepreneurial thinking. Ken encourages people to be specific and actionable in their goals, and he shares his method of using visual representations to create a brochure for their ideal life. Ken Rusk discusses the importance of visualising and manifesting one's goals, the value of collaboration and support in achieving success, and the benefits of financial literacy and trade skills. He also shares insights on creating a positive work culture and the impact of giving back to the community. Ken emphasises the need for individuals to take control of their own lives and make responsible choices. He encourages young people to consider trade careers and challenges the societal pressure to pursue traditional college education. Ken's new book, 'Cool Boss,' focuses on creating a positive work environment and attracting entrepreneurial thinkers.

Keywords

blue-collar entrepreneur, purpose, maximising opportunities, vision, action, culture, entrepreneurial thinking, goals, specific, actionable, visual representations, visualisation, manifestation, collaboration, support, financial literacy, trade skills, work culture, giving back, self-reliance, responsible choices, trade careers, college education, positive work environment, entrepreneurial thinkers

Takeaways

• Having a clear purpose and maximizing opportunities are key to achieving success and living your best life.
• Anyone can be an entrepreneur or an intrapreneur as long as they have a clear vision and take action.
• Creating a culture that supports individual goals and fosters entrepreneurial thinking is crucial for business success.
• Being specific and actionable in your goals is essential for making progress and achieving desired outcomes.
• Using visual representations can help create a clear vision and motivate individuals to work towards their ideal life. Visualize and manifest your goals to bring them into your life.
• Collaboration and support from peers can help in achieving success.
• Financial literacy and starting early with saving can lead to a secure retirement.
• Consider trade careers as they offer high demand and good earning potential.
• Create a positive work culture by recognizing and valuing employees.
• Giving back to the community can bring personal fulfillment and success.
• Take control of your own life and make responsible choices.
• Challenge the societal pressure to pursue traditional college education.
• Create a work environment that attracts entrepreneurial thinkers.
• Ken's new book, 'Cool Boss,' focuses on creating a positive work culture.

Sound Bites

• "Sometimes it doesn't necessarily matter what you do for a living, as much as it does what you do with what you do for a living."
• "I think a blue collar entrepreneur is someone that possesses probably nine or 10 characteristics, which we all have, but they're just driven by where they want to go in their life."
• "Surround yourself with entrepreneurial thinking, and your company will take off way further than you can take it yourself."
• "If I know my favourite colour, my favourite car, my favourite house, my favourite sport, my favourite hobby, my favourite spiritual moment, my favourite vacation, why am I not putting that out into the universe?"
• "You can't build a puzzle without the box. The box is the vision, the picture, the end, the goal, the conclusion."
• "I've had people high-fiving each other when they hit a goal. It's nice to see them getting advice from their peers."

Chapters

03:36 The Importance of Purpose and Action

08:00 Defining a Blue-Collar Entrepreneur

11:14 Building a Culture of Entrepreneurial Thinking

15:07 Setting Specific and Actionable Goals

23:31 Visualizing and Manifesting Your Goals

25:08 The Power of Collaboration and Support

26:12 The Importance of Financial Literacy and Trade Skills

34:30 Creating a Positive Work Culture

36:32 The Benefits of Giving Back to the Community

40:51 Taking Control of Your Own Life

42:16 Challenging the Pressure to Pursue College Education

44:10 Attracting Entrepreneurial Thinkers with a Positive Work Environment

Mentioned in this episode:

Get Mind Your Fking Business**

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Summary

One of Dominic's favourite recordings yet! The conversation with Karin Hurt and David Dye explores the topic of workplace conflict and the importance of having productive conversations. They discuss the fear and discomfort associated with conflict, the need for connection, clarity, curiosity, and commitment in resolving conflicts, and the power of using specific phrases to initiate and navigate these conversations. The conversation emphasises the positive aspects of conflict and the potential for growth and innovation that can result from addressing conflicts effectively. In this conversation, David Dye and Karin Hurt discuss the importance of de-escalating conflicts in the workplace and providing strategies for effective communication. They emphasise the power of phrases like 'tell me more' and 'I'm curious' to break the cycle of conflict and create a safe space for dialogue. They also highlight the significance of acknowledging emotions and using check-ins for understanding to ensure that everyone feels heard. The conversation explores the benefits of teams that handle conflict well, such as fostering innovation and creating a united front. David and Karin share personal anecdotes and recommend books like 'Tribes' by Seth Godin and '4000 Weeks' by Oliver Burkeman.

Keywords

workplace conflict, productive conversations, connection, clarity, curiosity, commitment, phrases, conflict resolution, workplace communication, deescalating conflicts, effective dialogue, acknowledging emotions, understanding, team dynamics, innovation, collaboration, leadership

Takeaways

• Conflict is not inherently negative; it is a difference of perspective that can lead to innovation and problem-solving.
• Having productive conversations about conflicts requires connection, clarity, curiosity, and commitment.
• Initiating conversations about conflicts can be uncomfortable, but it is necessary for growth and improvement.
• Using powerful phrases, such as 'Tell me more' and 'What would a successful outcome do for you?', can facilitate productive conversations about conflicts.
• Conflict resolution requires understanding and addressing all parties' underlying needs and motivations. Use phrases like 'tell me more' and 'I'm curious' to deescalate conflicts and create a safe space for dialogue.
• Acknowledge emotions and use check-ins for understanding to ensure that everyone feels heard.
• Teams that handle conflict well foster innovation and have a united front.
• Effective communication and collaboration are essential for successful conflict resolution.
• Recommended books: 'Tribes' by Seth Godin and '4000 Weeks' by Oliver Burkeman.

Chapters

02:59 The Need for Productive Conflict Conversations

09:04 Connection and Clarity in Conflict Resolution

13:38 Curiosity and Commitment in Addressing Conflict

16:24 Using Powerful Phrases to Navigate Conflict Conversations

24:04 Deescalating Conflicts: The Power of Effective Communication

27:27 Creating a Safe Space for Dialogue: Strategies for Conflict Resolution

29:29 The Benefits of Teams that Handle Conflict Well

31:47 Innovation and Collaboration: The Role of Conflict in Driving Change

36:37 War Stories: Examples of Conflict Resolution

42:18 The Importance of Psychological Safety and Challenging the Status Quo

46:38 Unpopular Opinions and Worst Business Advice

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Summary

This conversation between Ruth Wageman and Dominic Monkhouse delves into the critical elements of crafting high-performing teams.

Ruth and Dominic discuss the challenges of working with leadership teams and the need for clear purpose and interdependence.

Ruth talks about the ‘Six conditions for team effectiveness’, which include the essentials of creating a real team, clarity of team purpose, and a sense of team norms and values. The conversation highlights the importance of these conditions in driving team performance and the need for leaders to continuously revisit and adapt them. The third essential for building effective teams is having the right people. This means identifying the capabilities needed to achieve the team's purpose and finding individuals who can contribute those capabilities. It's important to have a team that is small enough to allow for effective collaboration and to have a diverse range of experience and perspectives. Collaborative skills are often overlooked but are crucial for effective teamwork. It's also important to create a supportive context for the team, including a sound structure for the work, supportive norms of conduct, and an organisational context that promotes teamwork.

Keywords team effectiveness, high-performing teams, leadership teams, purpose, interdependence, team norms, team values, teamwork, collaboration, purpose, capabilities, small team, diversity, supportive context, sound structure, norms of conduct, organisational context

Takeaways

• Creating a high-performing team requires clear purpose and interdependence.
• The six conditions for team effectiveness include creating a real team, clarity of team purpose, and a sense of team norms and values.
• Leaders need to continuously revisit and adapt the conditions for team effectiveness.
• Many teams lack clarity of purpose and are not truly interdependent, which hinders their performance.
• Building a great team requires a focus on the unique added value the team brings to the achievement of the organisation's mission. The right people are essential for effective teams
• Collaborative skills are often overlooked but crucial for teamwork
• A small team with diverse perspectives is ideal
• Creating a supportive context is important for team success

Chapters

02:59 The Importance of Clear Purpose and Interdependence in Teams

09:57 The Six Conditions for Team Effectiveness

24:05 Creating High-Performing Teams: The Essentials and Enablers

30:06 Revisiting and Adapting the Conditions for Team Success

35:02 The Importance of Having the Right People

44:21 Creating a Sound Structure for the Team

54:39 The Role of Organisational Context

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In this week's episode of MYFB, Dominic Monkhouse chats with Interview Valet's Tom Schwab about engaging with your customers to build a profitable business online.

They discuss the different approaches to podcasting, whether as a guest or a host, and the importance of targeting a specific audience. They also touch on the changing landscape of podcasting, including the inclusion of video and the repurposing of podcast content. Tom emphasises the value of meaningful conversations and the need to focus on quality rather than quantity. They also discuss the challenges of starting and maintaining a podcast and the benefits of being a guest on other podcasts.

Tom shares insights from his upcoming book, emphasising the need for effective connections and the power of storytelling. He also highlights the importance of positioning and focusing on the right audience.

Keywords

podcasting, guesting, hosting, specific audience, podcast evolution, video, repurposing content, quality over quantity, challenges, benefits, podcasting, business growth, book launch, podcast impact, measurement, marketing, relationships, sales, effectiveness, connections, storytelling, positioning, audience

Takeaways

• Consider whether to be a guest or a host based on your goals and target audience.
• Podcasting has evolved to include video and the repurposing of content.
• Focus on quality conversations and meaningful engagement rather than quantity.
• Starting and maintaining a podcast requires commitment and consistency.
• Being a guest on other podcasts can provide exposure, leads, and backlinks. There are millions of podcasts in the world, but only a fraction of them are currently active.
• Launching a book with a podcast can be a valuable strategy, especially when each episode dives deep into a chapter of the book.
• Measuring the impact of being a guest on a podcast is crucial for effective marketing.
• Podcast interviews can lead to faster sales cycles, higher initial prices, and less churn.
• Quality and quantity both matter in podcasting, but it's important to focus on the right audience and prioritize effectiveness over efficiency.
• Building relationships and telling great stories are key to success in business and life.
• Positioning and targeting the right audience are essential for business growth.
• Choosing who you work with is just as important as choosing who you drink with.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Embarrassing Podcasting Mistakes

01:12 Choosing Between Guesting and Hosting

03:40 Quality over Quantity

04:37 Challenges and Benefits of Starting and Maintaining a Podcast

08:28 The Value of Being a Guest

24:11 Launching a Book with a Podcast

26:06 Measuring the Impact of Being a Guest

27:56 The Power of Relationships in Sales

29:22 Effectiveness vs. Efficiency in Podcasting

32:07 Building Connections and Telling Great Stories

34:20 The Importance of Positioning and Targeting

37:42 Choosing Who You Work With

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300 episodes on Dominic's catching up with guest #1 Evgeny Shadchnev, Executive Coach and Founder & ex-CEO of Makers Academy, to talk about that all-important decision: Do you stay on as founder CEO, or do you go and what happens next?

Evgeny's new book "Startup CEO Succession: a Founder's Guide to Leadership Transition" is out now

Summary

The conversation explores the topic of startup CEO succession and the importance of founders considering stepping down from their roles. The premise of Evgeny's new book is that founder-CEO succession is often the best thing for both the founder and the company. The conversation covers various aspects of CEO succession, including the need for founders to assess their fit for the role as the company grows, the different options for transitioning from CEO to another role in the company, and the challenges and benefits of employees setting their own salaries. The conversation also highlights the importance of having a clear understanding of the CEO's role and the need for open and early conversations about succession. The conversation explores the motivations and challenges of CEO succession in startups. It delves into the personal satisfaction derived from helping others and the shift in motivation when transitioning from a B2C to a B2B business model. The importance of open and early conversations about succession planning is emphasised, as well as the role of the board and the time required for a smooth transition. The conversation also touches on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on business operations and the need for adaptability.

Keywords

startup, CEO succession, founder, leadership transitions, stepping down, role fit, options, employee salaries, CEO role, open conversation, CEO succession, motivations, challenges, B2C to B2B, open conversations, board, transition, COVID-19

Takeaways

• Founder CEO succession is often the best thing for both the founder and the company.
• Founders should assess their fit for the CEO role as the company grows and consider transitioning to another role if necessary.
• There are various options for transitioning from CEO to another role in the company, such as becoming an executive chair or advisor.
• Employees setting their own salaries can lead to challenges in ensuring equality and can create administrative overhead.
• Having a clear understanding of the CEO's role is important for both founders and investors.
• Open and early conversations about CEO succession are crucial for a smooth transition. CEO succession in startups requires open and early conversations about the future of the business.
• Motivations for being a founder and CEO can evolve over time, from personal validation to making a meaningful impact on people's lives.
• Transitioning from a B2C to a B2B business model requires a different skill set and motivation.
• Succession planning should involve the founder taking charge of the process and driving it, rather than waiting for the board to initiate the conversation.
• CEO succession in startups takes time and should be approached with careful consideration and planning.

Sound Bites

• "Founder-CEO succession makes sense more often than it's actually happening."
• "Behaviors that are genuinely helpful at the early stage get in the way after 50."
• "The admin overhead of employees setting their own salaries was not worth the benefits."
• "I wanted to create something that I could point my finger to and say, I've done it."
• "Our customers regularly describe their experiences as life-changing."
• "That's one of the reasons why I work as a coach. It's essentially about meaningful, deep one-to-one conversations."

Chapters

02:55 Assessing Fit for the CEO Role as the Company Grows

08:00 Challenges and Benefits of Employees Setting Their Own Salaries

13:06 Understanding the CEO's Role

15:52 The Need for Open and Early Conversations about CEO Succession

28:13 From B2C to B2B: Shifting Skill Sets and Motivations

29:49 The Importance of Open and Early Conversations about Succession Planning

31:44 The Role of the Board in CEO Succession

35:46 The Time and Care Required for a Smooth CEO Transition

39:18 Navigating CEO Succession During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Mentioned in this episode:

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The 300th Episode!

In this landmark episode of MYFB, Dominic Monkhouse talks with the man who's been called the UK's Most Hated Sales Trainer, Benjamin Dennehy, to discuss the art of selling and the common misconceptions about sales.

This podcast is sixty-minutes that will change how you see sales. Benjamin explores the importance of self-confidence, being in control, and understanding the motivations behind prospects' questions. He emphasises the need for salespeople to focus on having meaningful conversations and helping prospects discover their needs rather than pushing products or services. He also highlights the importance of hiring and training salespeople effectively and challenges the traditional sales approach of show up, throw up, and hope for the best. In this conversation, the UK's Most Hated Sales Trainer shares his unconventional approach to sales and prospecting. He emphasises the importance of getting prospects emotional and focuses on the purpose of a prospecting call. He also discusses the need for consultative selling and the importance of asking probing questions. The conversation covers topics such as the future of cold calling, the myth of 'people buy people,' and the risks and rewards of entrepreneurship.

04:00 Book Recommendations and the Misconception of Sales Books

07:19 Why the UK's Most Hated Sales Trainer is Hated

09:08 The Problem with Traditional Sales Approaches

23:19 The Art of Asking and Answering Questions in Sales

28:44 Creating Comfort and Lowering Walls in Sales Conversations

31:25 Getting Prospects Emotional: The Purpose of a Prospecting Call

33:44 Consultative Selling: Asking Probing Questions and Understanding Pain Points

35:42 The Future of Cold Calling and the Rise of AI

39:03 The Myth of 'People Buy People'

45:49 The Risks and Rewards of Entrepreneurship

50:40 Mastering a Methodology: Continuous Improvement in Sales

51:33 Critical Thinking, Communication, and Emotional Control in Sales

59:51 Knowing When to Quit and When to Persevere in Business

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This week on Mind Your F**king Business, we have the immense pleasure of learning from Tom Searcy, a renowned expert in B2B sales strategy and the mind behind Hunt Big Sales. With a rich background in operations and a track record of aiding companies in doubling their size by targeting large accounts, Tom brings a blend of practical experience and strategic insight. Having scaled companies from under $10 million to over $100 million in annual sales, Tom’s consultancy specialises in helping businesses between $5 million and $250 million in annual sales achieve extraordinary growth. His systematic approach to sales is essential knowledge for any organisation looking to capture big contracts and drive substantial revenue.

In this episode, Tom shares the different stages of his process for successful sales, emphasising the significance of alignment and accurate problem identification before crafting proposals and closing deals. We delve into the power of personalised closing statements to reassure clients and differentiate from competitors, along with the importance of leveraging customer references to build trust and overcome objections.

Tom and Dominic discuss the challenges of being perceived as a risky option compared to larger competitors and how to address client fears to close deals effectively.

If you struggle to stand out in this crowded marketplace, download, watch and listen to the full conversation today!

On today’s podcast:

• Tom’s Stage-Gate Sales Process
• Removing the sales stigma
• How to maintain your credibility during the sales process

Follow Tom:

Hunt Big Sales

LinkedIn

The Secret to Big Sales

Recommended reading:

The Challenger Sale

100m Offers

100m Leads

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Is your marketing team making the most strategic decisions with their budget? Do your marketing efforts align seamlessly with the latest digital platforms? If you question whether your brand could benefit from an in-house marketing shift, today's episode of Mind Your F**king Business is essential listening.

This week, we get to learn from John Readman, a marketing visionary and founder of Modo25, a company dedicated to transforming the landscape of in-house marketing teams. John brings a wealth of expertise in crafting platforms that not only enhance the efficiency of marketing budgets across diverse digital platforms like Google, Facebook, and TikTok but also streamline complex decision-making processes with the help of AI-driven insights.

In this episode, John delves deep into the mechanics of successful in-house marketing, the strategic deployment of budgets, and the revolutionary impact of his technology, ASK BOSCO®. He shares invaluable advice on building robust marketing teams and discusses the transformative effect of predictive analytics in optimising ad spending across numerous channels. John also shares his dedication to philanthropy through his charity cycling initiative, Ride25, which supports an orphanage in Uganda.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur eager to reclaim control of your marketing strategies or a seasoned marketer looking to innovate, this conversation will give you essential insights to revolutionise your marketing approach.

Download and listen today!

On today’s podcast:

• Cycling around the world for charity
• Bringing marketing services in-house
• The human element in business success

Follow John:

Ask Bosko®

Modo25

LinkedIn

Recommended reading:

The Extra Mile

Multipliers

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Summary

Nicola McQueen, CEO of NHS Professionals, discusses the challenges and successes of leading a public sector organization. She shares her experience of navigating the differences between the private and public sectors, including the slower pace and more complex decision-making processes in the public sector. McQueen also highlights the transformation journey of NHS Professionals, from a business focused on temporary workforce solutions to a provider of training and new workforce for the NHS. She emphasizes the importance of stakeholder management and readiness for successful transformation. In this conversation, Nicola McQueen discusses the importance of resource allocation and communication in a transformation program. She shares that they initially underestimated the need for dedicated resources for communication and engagement, but eventually brought in external expertise to support their efforts. McQueen emphasizes the significant impact of effective communication on user adoption and the successful delivery of the technology. She also discusses the importance of diversity and inclusion in her organization and shares her experiences as a female CEO. McQueen highlights the need for balance and flexibility in managing both career and family responsibilities. She concludes by sharing her excitement for the future of NHSP, including plans to double the size of the business and create more opportunities for staff.

Bio

With over two decades of experience in recruitment, Nicola McQueen has continued to develop creative staffing solutions to complex business challenges across the private and public sectors. As CEO of NHS Professionals since 2019, McQueen led the business through the COVID-19 pandemic, successfully recruiting more than 50,000 healthcare professionals to the NHS at a critical time for the country. She continues to grow key parts of the business, such as its international offerings and non-nursing business.

Takeaways

• Leading a public sector organization requires navigating slower decision-making processes and complex governance structures.
• The transformation journey of NHS Professionals involved reshaping the organization, adopting new technology, and fundamentally rewriting processes.
• Stakeholder management and readiness are crucial for successful transformation in the public sector.
• NHS Professionals has evolved from a business focused on temporary workforce solutions to a provider of training and new workforce for the NHS. Underestimating the importance of resource allocation and communication can have significant negative impacts on the success of a transformation program.
• Bringing in external expertise can be crucial in ensuring effective communication and user adoption.
• Diversity and inclusion should be prioritized in organizations, and efforts should be made to create a more diverse workforce.
• Finding a balance between career and family responsibilities is essential, and it may require constant adjustment and flexibility.
• NHSP has ambitious plans for the future, including doubling the size of the business and creating more opportunities for staff.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Financial Impact of the Pandemic

06:10 Navigating the Differences Between Public and Private Sectors

13:12 Transformation of NHS Professionals

27:25 Resizing and Reshaping NHS Professionals

33:48 Underestimating the Importance of Resource Allocation and Communication

40:38 NHSP's Ambitious Plans for the Future

Mentioned in this episode:

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Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, delves into the nuanced world of strategy, addressing its complexities in both personal and business spheres. In an engaging discussion, he highlights the scarcity of truly exceptional strategies and underscores the necessity of evaluating success progressively over time. Through his conversation with Dominic Monkhouse, Reeves elaborates on CEOs' critical role in executing strategies and the hurdles involved in preserving an innovative culture as organisations expand. He sheds light on why keeping strategies confidential can be beneficial, the adaptability required in strategic planning, and the risks posed by complacency and an inward focus.

This podcast highlights the vital role of imagination and creativity in spurring innovation and fostering organisational change. They dissect the challenges associated with implementing transformative ideas, emphasising the need to move beyond conventional procedures and navigate internal politics effectively. The power of storytelling and the ability to mobilise enthusiasm for new ideas are discussed as pivotal tools in driving change. The conversation touches on the importance of framing the right questions, the paradox of hierarchy and innovation, and the need for depoliticisation and depth of debate in business. Martin shares insights from his book 'The Imagination Machine' and recommends other books on innovation and strategy.

On today’s podcast:

• Great strategies are rare and enduring success is hard to achieve.
• The role of CEOs in strategy execution is important but not the dominant factor.
• Secrecy in strategy is not as valuable as having robust and evolvable scripts.
• Complacency and internal focus can hinder innovation and change.
• Imagination is a crucial aspect of strategy and should be given more attention. Change is a strategic problem that requires understanding the forces of change and resistance and working on both sides of the equation.
• Imagination is triggered by surprise and the ability to detect anomalies and changes in the world.
• Selling ideas and driving change requires storytelling, galvanising energy, and making it clear why the change is in everyone's best interest.
• Mental models can limit creativity and innovation, and it's important to challenge existing mental models and embrace counterfactual thinking.
• Depoliticisation and depth of debate are crucial for effective strategy and innovation.
• Ambidexterity is the ability to balance the focus on running the current business with preparing for the future.
• Diversity is important for variation and selection, but it requires a focus on both ethical and evolutionary aspects.
• Curiosity drives innovation and learning, and listening is a skill that can be continuously improved.
• Simplicity and focus are more valuable than comprehensive and exhaustive lists of strategies and actions.
• The biggest myth in business is that it's mostly a financial equation when in reality, it's about serving human ends and using human means to achieve them.

Follow Martin:

Website

LinkedIn

Your strategy needs a strategy

Recommended reading:

Co-Intelligence: Living and working with AI

Obliquity: Why Our Goals Are Best Achieved Indirectly

The Intelligence of Intuition

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Are you ready to demystify the complex world of artificial intelligence in the workplace? Are you unsure about how AI can transform your business strategy and operational efficiency? If you're grappling with these modern challenges, then this week’s episode of Mind Your F**king Business should be the top one in your playlist.

This week we dive into the world of AI with the brilliant Asha Saxena, CEO and founder of Women Leaders in Data and AI (WILDA), and an admired technology veteran with 30 years of experience. As an innovator, author, and esteemed professor at Columbia University, Asha brings a wealth of knowledge in big data, analytics, and the transformative power of AI. She articulates the necessity of a role we'll soon come to know as the Chief AI Officer – a role tasked with marrying technology with business and strategic data implementation.

Asha goes beyong beyond the mere technicalities and explores the human side of tech. Her book, "The AI Factor," penned during the pandemic, aims to simplify AI concepts for business leaders and tackles the crucial issue of biases in AI models, which have far-reaching impacts on society. With Women Leaders in Data and AI, she promotes diversity in technology spheres and emphasises inclusive AI development.

Whether you're the head of a company contemplating using AI in your operations or a professional eager to upscale your skill set for a future integrated with AI, this episode will give you the insights you need for your journey.

On today’s podcast:

• The role of tech leaders addressing gender bias
• AI in business strategy
• A peek into the future of Artificial Intelligence

Follow Asha:

Website

LinkedIn

The AI Factor

Recommended reading:

Good To Great

Great By Choice

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Sales and marketing strategies can make or break your business. That's why we invited no other than TEDx speaker, advisor and business author, Simon Severino for a new episode of Mind Your F**king Business.

In this episode, Simon unpacks the intricacies of coaching across multiple domains, from the sales floor to the spiritual journey, all aimed at accelerating both personal and professional growth. We'll explore the significance of clear communication within a team and why having a structured sales approach can mean the difference between closing a deal and watching it slip through your fingers.

Dominic and Simon also talk about creating "flywheels" to drive business, the power of role-play in sales meetings to boost confidence, and why training is as essential in business as it is in sports.

Simon also offers a treasure trove of advice for solo entrepreneurs—from establishing structured processes to reducing reliance on the founder within 90 days. He'll explain why some tech founders flounder with sales and how his strategies can turn the ship around and create a culture brimming with opportunities.

Whether you're a solopreneur, a tech founder struggling with sales, or simply someone passionate about mastering the art of business, this episode is tailored for you.

Download and listen today!

On today’s podcast:

• How can solopreneurs focus on their Genius
• The Importance of role plays in sales
• 90 days cycles to accelerate a big business

Follow Simon:

Website

LinkedIn

Recommended reading:

The Power Of Moments

The Sales Acceleration Formula

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Today we have a very special episode for you. It’s the first of our newly branded Mind Your F**king Business podcast.

If you are a leader struggling to steer your company through the complexities of transformation in the digital age, our guest this week will bring you the answers. John Rossman, former Amazon executive, and best-selling author, joined Dominic Monkhouse for a truly enlightening conversation.

Not just content with shaping Amazon's strategies, John co-authored Big Bet Leadership, a crucial playbook for leaders navigating the uncharted waters of major transformations.

In a riveting conversation, John dismantles the intricacies of innovative leadership, discussing everything from the dangers of "zombie projects" to finding your company's "fish hook in the eye." With insights drawn from his extensive background and expertise, John maps out the terrain of high-stakes decision-making with the precision and acumen that only a seasoned expert can offer.

Whether you're at the helm of an enterprise or simply intrigued by the mechanics of successful strategic changes, this episode will equip you with the insights to set your compass towards triumph in a hyper-digital landscape.

Download and listen today!

On today’s podcast:

• The key elements and complexities of a Big Bet
• Finding your company’s ‘Killer Feature’
• Dealing with Innovation ‘zombie projects’
• Looking to the future of business

Follow John:

LinkedIn

Big Bet Leadership

The Amazon Way

Recommended reading:

Elon Musk

How big things get done

Switch. How to change things when change is hard

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Are you ready to explore the intersection of passion, leadership, and the groundbreaking world of AI in the tech industry? If you're intrigued by how AI is revolutionising the marketplace and the ways in which businesses can stay ahead of the curve, then this episode of The Melting Pot with Dominic Monkhouse is a must for you today.

This week we had the pleasure of learning from Scott Chasin, Chief Technology Officer at Pax8, a leading cloud marketplace for managed service providers. Scott's extensive background in technology and cybersecurity, coupled with his transformative insights on artificial intelligence, positions him as a vanguard in the cloud commerce sector. His keen understanding of how passion drives quality within the workplace, and how it's cultivated through thoughtful leadership and a nurturing culture, makes Scott a true maven in engineering dynamic business environments.

In this episode, Scott shares why he believes AI is not just evolutionary but revolutionary, and those who are not embracing it might soon find themselves out of business. He also shares the exciting journey of Pax8’s record months in operations—bucking the narrative of a global recession—and how their business model is innovatively leveraging AI to redefine the way software and hardware services are provided to small and medium-sized businesses.

Scott delves into the Pax8 partner ecosystem, consisting of over 30,000 MSPs, and their strategy in utilising AI to fine-tune customer lifecycle solutions, thereby sculpting a three-sided marketplace ripe with opportunities.

Moreover, Scott reflects on the resilience and adaptability required to thrive as a unicorn company, underscoring the importance of sustainable growth and conscientious execution. He also weighs in on the potential of remote work and the hybrid models that may shape the future of the workforce.

Download and listen today!

On today’s podcast:

• Embracing The AI Revolution
• Pax8: Passion And Innovation
• How Can Leaders Develop People’s Passion
• How To Hire And Retain Great People

Follow Scott:

LinkedIn

Pax8

Recommended reading:

This Is How They Tell Me The World Ends

In Plain Sight

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This week we're diving deep into customer experience, leadership, and the relentless pursuit of excellence with a returning guest, Joseph Michelli. He is an organisational consultant extraordinaire and the author behind Customer Magic – The Macquarie Way, his new book out on Kindle today in the UK.

Joseph shares his insights on the non-negotiable personality traits for success in technology careers, the inherent service gene, the grit to work hard, and the strategic vision to see beyond immediate gratification. He will unpack the fascinating story of Macquarie Technology Group and their bold move from outsourcing to onshoring, hiring savvy university students part-time, and creating a formidable talent pool.

Macquarie’s contrarian approach has positioned them exceptionally well in the tech world. Joseph will their clever transition from legacy systems to dominating the cloud business, their diverse revenue streams, and their winning philosophy which intertwines top-tier customer service with solid profitability.

A deeply insightful episode with Joseph. He never disappoints.

Download and listen today to enjoy the full conversation!

On today’s podcast:

• The Macquarie Way
• What it takes to be a great place to work
• A high-performing hiring process
• Mcquarie’s contrarian approach

Follow Joseph:

Website

LinkedIn

X

Customer Magic – The Macquarie Way

Recommended reading:

Think Like A Horse

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This week on The Melting Pot, we dive into the depths of business value, purpose, and profitability with none other than the inquisitive and insightful Bo Burlingham. As a journalist and the author of excellent books including Finish Big: How Great Entrepreneurs Exit Their Companies on Top, and Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big, Bo is no stranger to the keys to long-lasting business success.

In this episode, Bo imparts wisdom gleaned from 40 years in business, shedding light on dynamic business models and discussing the principles vital for business resilience. He talks about protecting gross margins, the perils of debt, and the agility needed to adapt to industry changes.

Bo also introduces us to the world of "evergreen companies" – organisations rejecting the short-termism of outside funding in favour of purpose-driven, employee-focused, and steady internal growth.

This episode is a treasure trove of business acumen, discussing the qualities that make a company not just big, but genuinely great—impacting communities, forming personal connections with customers, and employing unique organisational strategies.

Download and listen today!

On today’s podcast:

• Evergreen companies and what they have in common
• What makes a great business
• Small Giants: what makes them successful and how can they fail
• The Great Game Of Business: key takeaways

Follow Bo:

Website

LinkedIn

Small Giants

Finish Big

Recommended reading:

No Man’s Land

The Great Game of Business

Great by Choice

Managing Corporate Lifecycles

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This week we're set for a riveting discussion with Andrew McAfee, a Principal Research Scientist at MIT and the ingenious author of The Geek Way. In this episode, Andrew and Dominic explore the realm of “geek companies" — organisations that defy the conventional corporate playbook through their technology-driven services and groundbreaking strategies.

Andrew shared his unique perspective on why companies like Uber and Airbnb – while not traditional tech firms – epitomise the behaviours and characteristics of this new breed of business. He will explore the essential norms that set these companies apart—science, speed, ownership, and openness—and how these principles fuel high performance and break the shackles of hierarchy and deference that often hold back conventional organisations.

During this insightful conversation, Dominic and Andrew dived into the birth of the agile movement, the fallacy of the "Liars’ Club," and the critical importance of autonomy and empowerment in nurturing a successful, forward-thinking workforce.

Don’t miss this genuinely insightful episode where we blend the ingredients of business performance, corporate culture, and high-performing teams into a concoction that's bound to challenge your perceptions.

Download and listen today!

On today’s podcast:

• What is the Geek Way
• The Core Norms of Geek Companies
• So-Called Tech Firms: Are They Really?
• Lessons From Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk
• The Importance of Transparency and Speed in Project Management

Follow Andrew:

Website

LinkedIn

Twitter

The Geek Way

Recommended reading:

The Knowledge Machine

Elon Musk

How Big Things Get Done

Right Kind of Wrong

The Secret of Our Success

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Are you harnessing the untapped genius within your organisation and leading with the conviction needed to navigate through chaos? If you're questioning your leadership methods or your ability to break down complex concepts, we have an absolutely fascinating episode for you.

This week we delve into the mind of Simon Bowen, a mastermind in distilling intuitive brilliance into structured know-how. Simon is celebrated for applying geometric principles to streamline and demystify dense ideas, transforming the way leaders communicate. Beyond his expertise, Simon also shares his experiences winning an extraordinary array of prizes by finding and analysing patterns, showcasing the practicality of his analytical strategies.

During their conversation, Simon shared his critical views on leadership, especially during pivotal organisational growth spurts. Dominic and Simon also discussed pushing through discomfort to maintain a connection with teams, irrespective of size. Simon also uncovers the compelling art of visual storytelling, presenting a methodology that flips resistance to engagement.

For anyone involved in business, sales, marketing, or simply intrigued by the mastery of influential communication, this episode promises to equip you with strategies for leadership and clarity.

A quick note: to fully enjoy this episode we recommend you to watch it on YouTube.

It’s a truly remarkable episode worth watching to experience and understand Simon’s insights.

Download and listen today!

On today’s podcast:

• The power of drawings to understand the world
• Thinking in models and patterns
• Unpacking the Genius: from intuitive to organised
• The different dimensions of value

Follow Simon:

Website

LinkedIn

Recommended reading:

Go-Givers Series

Napoleon Hill

Outwitting the Devil

Someone has to be the most expensive. Why not make it you?

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Are you leveraging the full potential of your sales team? Do you have a clear strategy for hiring and nurturing top sales talent? And, are you curious about how to infuse your sales approach with vigour and vision? If you’re grappling with these considerations, then today's episode of The Melting Pot is an essential listen for you.

This week, we learned from Jamie Hamer, CEO and co-founder of Bolt Cover, a trailblazing insurance tech startup revolutionising the way insurers connect with retailers and manufacturers. Jamie isn’t just a seasoned CEO – he’s a master salesman with a passion for building high-performance sales cultures and an eye for what it takes to succeed in transactional sales environments.

In this episode, Jamie uncovers the art of defining values, setting expectations, and the power of hiring through referrals. He delves into the intricate relationship between sales team dynamics and business growth stages, advocating for data-driven decision-making as outlined in his sales-focused book, The Exceptional Sales Career.

Jamie’s book is not just a collection of anecdotes; it’s a testament to the strength of networking, evidenced by his lucrative investment in a US solar company. He also offers practical advice from evaluating business ideas to the nuances of introverted versus extroverted selling. Furthermore, our discussion pivots to the balance between office and remote working settings, the integration of insurance products into retail, and the tailored approach needed for sales team management.

For business leaders and entrepreneurs, the insights Jamie offers on the importance of patiently refining business ideas, coupled with the practical coaching tips he shares from his tenure at Southwestern Consulting, stand out as essential guidance for those striving for excellence.

Download and listen today!

On today’s podcast:

• Connecting insurers to independent retailers and manufacturers
• The keys to hiring great salespeople
• How to build high-performance sales teams
• The importance of self-talk

Follow Jamie Hamer:

Website

LinkedIn

The Exceptional Sales Career

Recommended reading:

The Challenger Sale

The Jolt Effect

From Impossible To Inevitable

The Go-Giver series

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Are you tapping into the mind of Generation Z effectively? Have you considered the nuances of their consumer behaviour and their impact on your brand strategy? If you find yourself second-guessing or simply curious, this week’s episode of The Melting Pot is a must-listen for you.

This week, we learned from Jay Richards, the innovative entrepreneur behind the game-changing platform, Imagen Insights. Having been sought out by the NFL’s head of retail to craft a marketing campaign rich with Gen Z insights, Jay recognised a persistent challenge for brands: how to rapidly and effectively engage with this dynamic demographic. Out of this, Imagen Insights was born – connecting companies like Amazon, Google, Nike, and others with Gen Z to shape their product design, marketing strategies, and macro-level brand questions.

During their conversation, we’ll learn more about Jay’s innovative '’Imagen Index', its applicability beyond the limits of social listening, and the nuanced dynamics it reveals within Gen Z's political and social engagement, particularly in the context of the ongoing U.S. election cycle. They further discuss the pandemic’s lasting impacts on youth development, the rise of zero-party data, and the integration of AI within research methodologies.

For business leaders, marketers, and strategists seeking a rigorous, informed approach to engaging with Gen Z, Jay offers not only his perspective but also practical tools that eschew performativity for authenticity.

Download and listen today!

On today’s podcast:

• Understanding Gen Z
• The Imagen Index
• The role of social listening and social media
• Gen Z’s core values and political views
• Using AI in qualitative research

Follow Jay Richards:

Website

LinkedIn

Recommended reading:

The Psychology of Money

Hooked

Elon Musk

Steve Jobs

Viola Davis: Finding Me

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Is your business strategy truly positioning you for success? Are you cutting through the noise to deliver a unique and compelling message to your customers? If you're grappling with these pivotal questions and contemplating the essence of an effective strategy, today's episode of The Melting Pot is tailored just for you.

This week we learned from Alex Smith, Founder of Basic Arts and the author of No Bulsht Strategy: A Founder's Guide to Crafting a Strategy That Actually Works,* a tour de force aimed at demystifying strategic planning and bringing it within reach of every entrepreneur. With his unorthodox approach to strategic thought, Alex challenges conventional paradigms, believing that strategy needs to be fun, engaging, and, most importantly, straightforward.

During their conversation, Dominic and Alex take us on a journey through Tesla's revolutionary market model, a testament to thinking outside the box and engineering consumer perceptions. Alex also shares the importance of authenticity over mimicking competitors and how personal and team relationships outside the office can significantly enhance strategic outcomes.

Whether you're an established CEO or a novice entrepreneur, this is a thought-provoking episode emphasising the role of empathy in customer relations and the importance of aligning your value proposition with market trends.

Download and listen today!

On today’s podcast:

• The truth about strategy and how it gets done
• Unlocking the value of building relationships within the executive team
• The importance of talking with your customers to understand the problem you’re solving
• Tesla's outstanding original strategy

Follow Alex:

Website

LinkedIn

Newsletter

No Bullsh*t Strategy

Recommended reading:

Nassim Taleb’s Books

Elon Musk

Steve Jobs

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This week on The Melting Pot we learned from the CEO of Fluffy, Pavel Gertsberg.

In this episode, Pavel offers us an inside look at the transformation of Fluffy from its roots as a pet insurance company to a comprehensive pet health business that's reimagining support for pet owners. With the rise of pet ownership, particularly after the pandemic, Pavel discusses the fresh challenges that new pet parents face and how Fluffy aims to ease the stress that accompanies caring for our four-legged companions. He'll share how Fluffy’s digital vet clinic and subscription model aim to revolutionise the industry by providing cost-efficient, accessible, in-house pet care.

Drawing from his rich background in startups and revenue acceleration, Pavel cautions against the siren call of growth hacking in the early stages. Instead, he advocates for founders to get their hands dirty to find the elusive product-market fit before scaling. How can we develop products that resonate with our customers emotionally? Pavel will help us find the answer using the example of Airbnb’s approach.

During this conversation, Dominic and Pavel will also discuss their views on the unpredictable nature of B2C businesses, the strategic advantages the UK presents for B2B enterprises, and the complexities of globalisation for financial firms.

Download and listen today!

On today’s podcast:

• An innovative approach to pet healthcare
• The impact of COVID on the pet insurance industry
• The importance of product market fit before scaling
• Exploring the complexities of globalisation for financial firms

Follow Pavel Gertsberg:

Website

LinkedIn

Fluffy

Recommended reading:

Paul Graham’s essays

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This week on The Melting Pot we welcomed back a special guest. We're diving into today’s international economic landscape, and the critical debates surrounding Germany's own industrial landscape with none other than the renowned pricing expert and consultant, Hermann Simon.

As ever, Simon leaves us with an extremely insightful episode where he explores the provocative argument for Germany's deindustrialisation, the challenges and strategies for managing automation, and the intriguing concept of hidden champions—those mid-sized market leaders in niche sectors that silently dominate the global stage. He examines Germany's rich history of entrepreneurial internationalisation and technological innovation (both fundamental pillars in the DNA of German entrepreneurs), as Hermann shares insights on everything from the inner workings of seed-sorting machines to autonomous driving achievements.

During their conversation, Simon and Dominic discuss the complexities of immigration, the need for skilled talent, and Simon's perspective on the essential balance for effective integration. Plus, insights into pricing strategies amid inflation, the significance of education and vocational training in shaping a skilled workforce, and a glimpse at the future role of AI and raw materials in industries like automotive.

To top it off, Hermann imparts his wisdom on staying optimistic amid a global economy peppered with uncertainties but also ripe with opportunities. So, gear up for a thought-provoking journey through the economic, technological, and social realities that shape our world.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Inflation and its effect on pricing strategy
• Germany vs UK’s economy
• Why Are Hidden Champions ‘Hidden’
• The DNA of German entrepreneurs
• Deindustrialisation in Germany

Follow Hermann Simon:

Website

LinkedIn

Hidden Champions in the Chinese Century

Confessions of the Pricing Man

Beating Inflation

Book recommendations

Elon Musk

Forged in Crisis

Previous episodes with Hermann:

How To Better Combat Inflation

How To Become A Hidden Champion

Why Pricing Is Not Primarily About Price

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Is your sales team performing at their best? Do your sales managers have the right skills for the role? Are you following the best approach when hiring new salespeople? If your answer to any if these questions is no, or even hesitation, this episode of The Melting Pot should be a compulsory listen for you today.

This week we have the immense pleasure of listening to and learning from Matt Dixon, one of the world’s leading experts on sales, customer service and customer experience. Matt is also the founding partner of DCM Insights. With a background in research, he brings a distinctive approach to understanding customer buying behaviours and the strategies top salespeople employ to meet evolving needs. Matt's extensive tenure at corporate executive board and his bestselling book The Challenger Sale firmly establish him as a leading figure in sales expertise. His unique persona as a "sales anthropologist" offers valuable insights into the scientific and psychological aspects of successful selling, making him a highly sought-after thought leader in the industry.

In this episode, Matt dives into the best approaches to getting top talent in your sales team and the difference between a great salesperson and a great sales manager. He also shares why coaching is for him the most important trait of a sales manager. Then, he gives his own view on paying your salespeople commission, how to help your buyer overcome their ‘fear of messing out’, challenging the status quo and making the right decision.

If you are running a business, or you are in sales – even if you're not in sales and you run a company – or if you're frustrated and you want things in your business to run differently, this episode is for you.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Mastering sales strategies to engage customers effectively.
• How to attract the right talent to your sales team.
• Why the obsession with paying commissions to sales teams?
• Dealing with customer indecision during the sales process
• Effective sales techniques to address emotional factors and drive sales.

Follow Matt Dixon:

LinkedIn

DCM Insights

The Challenger Sale

The Effortless Experience

The Challenger Customer

The Jolt Effect

Book recommendations:

SPIN selling

Made to Stick

The Power of Habit

Drive

Malcolm Gladwell’s books

Daniel Kahnemann’s books

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Do you feel like you can never step away from the business? You've probably been told that as the leader, you should be involved in every decision and action to ensure success. But this approach only leads to burnout and limits the growth potential of your business, leaving you feeling overwhelmed and stuck.

This week on The Melting Pot, we learned from Robbie Vann-Adibé, a seasoned entrepreneur and business leader with decades of experience in the startup world. Robbie started as a coder, learning the ropes from the ground up. His experience in the US, particularly on the West Coast, exposed him to the intricacies of building and scaling businesses. Through his involvement in companies like Illustra and Wineowners, he gained invaluable insights into the early stages of tech innovation and its impact on the market. In his conversation with Dominic, Robbie brings to light the challenges and triumphs of navigating the ever-evolving landscape of technology and business, showcasing the significance of timing and adaptation.

In this episode, Robbie dives into building a strong team and effective delegation. He also emphasises the significance of finding technical and cultural fit when hiring new people and the importance of making oneself redundant as a manager by empowering the team to take over roles. He also discusses the ethical considerations in business and highlights the need for prioritising company values.

If you’re a leader seeking to build a solid, cohesive team that will catapult your growth, don’t miss this fantastic conversation with Robbie.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Mastering entrepreneurship and startup experiences for success.
• Unveiling the significance of cultural fit in hiring top talent.
• Bootstrapping versus Venture Capital funding.
• Cultivating a strong team and making oneself redundant for business growth.
• Upholding company values and ethics for sustainable success.

Follow Robbie Vann-Adibé:

LinkedIn

Book recommendations:

Nexus

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If you're feeling frustrated with your current sales process, constantly hitting roadblocks, and struggling to achieve your growth targets, then you are not alone. Instead of seeing the scalable business growth you desire, you are pouring resources into outdated tactics, hoping for results that never materialise. It's time to break free from the cycle of inefficiency and disappointment and take control of your sales process. With the right strategies in place, you can transform your approach and achieve the improved efficiency and scalable business growth you've been striving for.

To talk about this, we’ve invited back on the show no other than Justin Roff-Mars, a renowned figure in sales process engineering and a dear friend. In this episode, Justin emphasises the critical need for optimising sales processes to drive efficient business growth. He challenges the common misconception that solely doubling the size of the sales organisation results in doubling revenue, highlighting the importance of understanding the underlying reasons for growth.

Justin’s insights on the misconception of account management, the significance of loose coupling between sales and operations, and his practical examples provide valuable guidance for businesses aiming to enhance their sales and operations processes. This conversation offers in-depth insights and practical strategies for sales executives and managers who seek to optimise their sales processes, improve efficiency, and achieve scalable business growth.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Engineer your sales process for maximum efficiency and growth.
• Optimise front-of-house operations to drive sales success.
• Understand key business growth factors to propel your sales.
• Embrace the importance of loose coupling in sales strategies.
• Continuously learn for ongoing sales improvement and succes.

Follow Justin Roff-Marsh:

Website

LinkedIn

Sales Process Engineering

The Machine

Book recommendations:

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing

Crossing the Chasm

Inside The Tornado

Zero to One

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This week on The Melting Pot, we learned from Benj Miller, the CEO of System & Soul. Benj brings a refreshing perspective to the challenge of transitioning from a founder-centric to a collective mindset. His journey began with the realisation that the bass line in a jazz performance symbolises the essential cadence needed to provide consistency and empowerment. Having witnessed founders' struggle to elevate their best technicians into leadership roles without adequate support, Benj learned the importance of clear, candid conversations to align individual motivations with the needs of the business.

As a business coach and serial entrepreneur, Benj has an extensive background in founding and managing ten successful businesses. Specialising in crafting a business operating framework based on his own entrepreneurial journey, Benj has honed his expertise in guiding senior leadership teams of stage two companies through the challenging shift from a founder-centric to a team-led approach. With a focus on developing purpose-driven cultures and fostering collective mindsets within organisations, he brings a wealth of practical insights and strategies to help leaders navigate this pivotal transformation for long-term success and sustainable growth.

His unique approach incorporates the "six dimensions of compensation," acknowledging that effective leadership goes beyond financial rewards. By sharing his own experiences, Benj's storytelling captivates and inspires, demonstrating the transformative power of embracing a purpose-driven culture and nurturing a collective mindset within growing organisations

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Cultivate a purpose-driven culture for long-term success.
• Clarify expectations when hiring for organizational success.
• Build a successful organization with clear direction and purpose.
• Shift from a founder-centric mindset to a collective approach.
• Establish a clear destination statement for organizational alignment.

Follow Benj Miller:

System & Soul

LinkedIn

System & Soul podcast

Book recommendations:

Renegades

The Only Leaders Worth* Following

Leadership and self deception

Feck Perfuction

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Do you feel your marketing efforts are not getting you the results you need? Are you frustrated by the lack of customer engagement and differentiation in the market? But what if there's a better way to achieve clear differentiation and increased customer engagement?

This week on The Melting Pot, we invited the world’s foremost authority on product positioning and author of the book Obviously Awesome and Sales Pitch, April Dunford. In this episode, April delves into the significance of effective positioning in marketing and its impact on the success or failure of tactical execution. She shares her journey of learning about positioning and the frustration she faced when existing resources did not provide a clear process for implementation, leading her to develop her own methodology.

April emphasises the critical role of positioning in marketing and the need for a clear and effective process to determine and implement positioning strategies. Her insights provide valuable guidance for companies struggling with positioning and developing impactful sales pitches, highlighting the importance of understanding markets, competition, and customer value.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Mastering the art of positioning for marketing success.
• Crafting compelling sales pitches that win over clients.
• Tailoring product value to meet customer needs effectively.
• Uncovering untapped niche markets through experimentation.
• Streamlining the process for clear and impactful positioning.

Follow April Dunford:

Website

LinkedIn

April’s books

Book recommendations:

The Challenger Sale

Positioning The Battle For Your Mind

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In a world of traditional market targeting, one man's journey took an unexpected turn. His quest to solve sales and marketing challenges led him to a groundbreaking discovery that changed everything. The impact was profound, revolutionising go-to-market strategies and driving unparalleled success.

In this episode, we learned from Paul Gilhooly, Vice President overseeing EMEA expansion and growth at 6sense. With two decades of experience in sales, primarily within the Martech sector of the SaaS industry, Paul has gained valuable expertise in leveraging data and AI to optimise go-to-market strategies. His focus lies in navigating the transition from a lead-based model to an account-based model, aiding companies in effectively prioritising their accounts. Through his in-depth knowledge of predictive analytics, customer data platforms, and AI, Paul offers practical insights to businesses seeking to enhance their sales and marketing approaches in the current competitive market landscape.

A must-listen if you’re looking to boost your sales and marketing performance.

Download and listen to hear more.

On today’s podcast:

• Unlocking the potential of AI for go-to-market success.
• Maximising sales impact through Account-Based Marketing and intent data insights.
• Streamlining sales processes with an AI-driven platform.
• Enhancing collaboration for improved marketing and sales synergy.
• Harnessing the power of AI to drive better sales outcomes.

Follow Paul Gilhooly:

6sense

LinkedIn

Book recommendations:

No Forms, No Spam, No Cold Calls

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This week on The Melting Pot we learned from Massimiliano Pogliani, an Italian entrepreneur with an incredible experience in brand development. Throughout his career, he has helped turn Nespresso into a global brand, he has taken Vertu, a luxury Nokia product, continued its development, and sold it on to private equity. Massimiliano was also the first Chief Executive Officer at Illy Coffee who wasn’t a family member.

In this episode, Massimiliano shares the playbook he used at Nespresso to turn a locally managed product into a global premium brand, how they got to the point where 50% of their sales were coming through referrals, and how they built a community that was referring and acting as ambassadors and salespeople for their product and their brand. He also talks about the cultural transformation he undertook at Illy Coffee and how he found the promoters within the company that allowed him to do it.

Massimiliano shares the essential pillars of building a premium brand, focusing on product excellence, emotional engagement, and consistent brand management. His insights, drawn from his roles at Vertu and Nespresso, offer valuable lessons on exceeding customer expectations, creating a brand community, and fostering emotional attachment with consumers. His emphasis on personal connections, team management, and the development of a cohesive brand culture provides valuable insights for luxury brand managers looking to create meaningful and emotionally engaging brand experiences.

A fantastic conversation about building and running three amazing businesses and brands.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• The pillars of creating a luxury brand
• Positioning Nespresso as a global luxury brand
• The importance of living your brand
• Changing the culture at Illy Coffee
• How to find the promoters within the business to change your culture

Follow Massimiliano Pogliani:

Px3 Partners

LinkedIn

Book recommendations:

Who Moved My Cheese

Out of the Maze

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Change is inevitable, but making it stick in an organisation can be a monumental challenge. Our guest on The Melting Pot this week, Luke Battye, tackles this issue head-on. As a founder and managing partner of consultancy Sprint Valley, Luke helps companies embed the Change Reflex — empowering teams not just to accept but embrace and enact change.

Luke shares real examples where he applies the frameworks and behavioural science-based techniques with multinationals to help them deliver better performance and growth. One great example is the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. Luke and the team helped them improve their efficiency in serving food and drinks at halftime to their 60,000 fans by looking at how fast food chains like McDonald’s drive consumer behaviour and decision-making. He also dived into how he used peer learning and body cams to boost sales performance for field-based sales teams. Luke emphasises that enacting organisational change starts with building psychological safety through trust in leadership competency, integrity and benevolence.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Diving into the Change Reflex
• Understanding and shifting consumer behaviour
• Relying on behaviour rather than opinions: the Friendship Method
• The importance of self-awareness in leadership
• Helping salespeople improve performance

Follow Luke Battye:

The Change Reflex

Sprint Valley

ChangeMakers Anonymous

LinkedIn

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In the face of personal loss, Jeannie Arthur found herself searching for a new purpose. Little did she know her journey would take an unexpected turn towards scaling a remote team. With doubts and a lack of confidence, she stepped up as CEO and embarked on a rapid growth journey. But what happened next? How did this remote team achieve such unprecedented success?

In this week’s episode, we learned from Jeannie Arthur, the former CEO of Qunifi and current Group Chief Transformation Officer at Dstiny. Jeannie shares her journey of joining Qunifi during the pandemic and successfully scaling the remote team from four people to 70 employees with an impressive $20 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) in just 18 months. Her background as an engineer, management consultant, and entrepreneur in B2B SaaS businesses brings a unique perspective to the discussion. Jeannie highlights the importance of intentional communication, remote fit during hiring, and democratising culture and engagement in a remote organisation. Whether you're a CEO or COO leading a remote team, this episode is packed with practical ideas to inspire you in your own journey to success.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Scaling a remote organisation
• Exploring intentional communication and engagement
• Democratising culture in a remote organisation
• The challenges of finding the right people for remote-fit
• Getting the team involved in driving engagement

Follow Jeannie Arthur:

Dstiny

Sedex

LinkedIn

Book recommendations:

Team Topologies

The Effortless Experience

Scaling Customer Success

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In a world where growth and innovation are the lifeblood of businesses, two seasoned experts unveil a secret weapon for entrepreneurs and business leaders. Matthew May and Pablo Dominguez shatter the perception that lean principles are solely for startups and scale-ups. Brace yourself for a mind-bending twist as they reveal how lean thinking can revolutionise go-to-market strategies for companies of any size.

Matthew May and Pablo Dominguez are the authors of the book What a Unicorn Knows: How Leading Entrepreneurs Use Lean Principles to Drive Sustainable Growth. Matthew works for Insight Partners, a private equity VC firm in New York, where he runs the Lean Scale Up program, helping scale-ups remove obstacles to growth. With a background in strategy and a decade of experience with Toyota, Matthew brings a unique perspective to the application of lean principles. Pablo, also with Insight Partners, supports their advisory teams and has a strong focus on sales effectiveness. With over five years of experience working with portfolio companies, Pablo brings valuable insights to the table. Together, they offer practical examples and templates in their book to help businesses of all sizes drive consistent growth and innovation through lean thinking.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Diving into the Unicorn Model
• The five foundational principles of the Unicorn Model
• Improving the quote-to-cash process by removing waste
• The value of frontline employees
• The importance of leadership to foster innovation

Follow Matthew May and Pablo Dominguez:

Insight Partners

Pablo’s LinkedIn

Matthew’s LinkedIn

What A Unicorn Knows

Book recommendations:

Greenlights

Just Because (Chidlren’s book)

In Pursuit of Elegance

The Elegant Solution

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Do you want to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty by providing seamless experiences? Wondering how to achieve this result effortlessly? This week we had a discussion that you will find inspiring. Our guest? Best-selling author, Bill Price. Bill will be unveiling the ultimate solution to create a frictionless customer experience that fosters enhanced customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Best-selling author of The Best Service is No Service, and The Frictionless Organization, Bill Price is a renowned expert in customer experience and service. His journey to becoming a guru in this field began when he joined Amazon in 2006. At Amazon, Bill was relentless in his pursuit of creating a frictionless customer experience, focusing on removing any confusion or need for customers to contact the company. This philosophy led to a fourfold increase in revenue without hiring additional customer service staff. Bill's approach was centred around delivering on promises and constantly monitoring customer satisfaction through leading quality metrics. His work at Amazon and subsequent clients has helped businesses of all sizes simplify their operations and create more value for their customers. Bill's passion for putting customers first shines through in his storytelling and examples, making him a sought-after consultant and advocate for exceptional customer service.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Changing the Customer Experience at Amazon
• Embracing criticism for continuous improvement
• Why you need to go beyond average metrics
• Examples of frictionless organisations
• The importance of understanding your customers

Follow Bill Price:

Website

LinkedIn

The Best Service Is No Service

The Frictionless Organization

Book recommendations:

How The Mighty Fall

Setting The Table

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Feeling frustrated and overwhelmed by the lack of progress in your efforts to transform your company's culture? Fear not, this week, we have an amazing guest on The Melting Pot to bring you proven strategies that can help you achieve true and intentional culture transformation, leading to tangible business results.

This week, Dominic Monkhouse talked with and learned from Dr. Jessica Kriegel, Chief Scientist of Workplace Culture at Culture Partners. During their conversation, Jessica delved into the world of workplace culture and challenged the notion of generational stereotypes. Her passion for culture transformation was born out of a negative experience early in her career, which led her to research best practices for creating a positive and impactful workplace culture.

In this episode, she debunks the stereotypes surrounding millennials and shares her insights on how intentional culture transformation can drive tangible business results. Jessica offers valuable advice for leaders looking to transform their organisations.

Download and listen today to gain a fresh perspective on culture transformation, employee experience and learn how to achieve your desired results through intentional culture building.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• A simple way to define culture
• Debunking generational stereotypes
• The Culture Equation to build a culture that drives results
• Creating intentional experience to drive people’s beliefs and actions
• Why leaders need to foster positive accountability

Follow Jessica Kriegel:

Culture Partners

LinkedIn

Unfairly Labeled

Book recommendations:

The Oz Principle

Change The Culture, Change The Game

The Way of the Pilgrim

Everything is illuminated

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Have you ever achieved some success and hired people, only to realise that managing people is not for you? Have you become a disillusioned leader?

Being a founder is a wild ride - full of exhilarating highs and crushing lows. After starting a "ridiculous number" of businesses himself, Scott Ritzheimer discovered the secret entrepreneur map with seven stages that nearly every founder goes through: from dissatisfied employee to startup entrepreneur, to reluctant manager, and all the way through to becoming a visionary leader. Scott has been in the trenches and emerged with critical lessons learned that he is keen to share.

In a short period of time, Scott has launched over 22,000 businesses and, whilst doing that he has seen over and over again how the patterns of failure and success repeat themselves. But when leaders get through that challenging journey, they can become visionary founders again. In his book, The Founder’s Evolution, Scott dives into the seven stages that every founder goes through and educates you how to take your leadership skills to the next level, to conquer the journey – and you can get it for FREE (see link below).

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Recognising the pattern of success
• The Ever-Changing Challenges of Growing a Business: From Execution to Leadership
• Transitioning from Founder to CEO: Learning to Hire and Lead Executives
• The Importance Of Recognising The Different Stages In Your Organisation’s Progression
• Learning How To Manage People In a Growing Business

Follow Scott Ritzheimer:

Website

LinkedIn

The Secrets of a High-Demand Coach

Get your FREE copy of The Founder’s Evolution

Scott’s book recommendations:

Predictable Success

The Founder’s Survival Guide

Renegades

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This week on The Melting Pot, we learned from the founder and managing partner of the CEO Advisory Guru and best-selling author, Adam Coffey. Adam started his CEO journey working for Jack Welsh at General Electrics when it was the biggest business in the world. He's got a new book coming out, Empire Builder, which is a playbook on how to build a billion-dollar business.

Adam spent 21 years as a CEO of three national companies for nine private equity sponsors. He's made billions of dollars in exits and completed 58 acquisitions.

In this episode, he talks about the difference between buy-and-build and organic growth and how he did that in some of his businesses. He also talks about culture, how to avoid buying the wrong business, how he does due diligence thinking about the CEOs, and the difference between trapping a CEO and letting them run their company post-acquisition.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today's podcast:

• A meticulous approach to acquisition
• The role of the CEO as a motivator
• Building a sustainable empire
• Educating about Private Equity
• Culture and profit: mutually exclusive?

Follow Adam Coffey:

Website

LinkedIn

Book recommendations:

The Millionaire Next Door

Blue Ocean Strategy

Good to Great

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Fully remote work isn’t for everyone. For instance, some people get their energy from having a community at work, whilst others get it from elsewhere. Some can deal with the ambiguity that comes with working remotely, and others struggle with it. Our guest this week believes that working remotely is not just a decision over having an office or not, but an operating system. And that means that you need to curate every aspect of your people operations.

This week on The Melting Pot, we learned from Jessica Zwaan, author of Amazon Best Selling, Built for People, and founder of Being People consultancy. She’s also the Chief Operating Officer at Whereby, a calm and user-friendly video call solution that integrates directly into your platform using our API or SDK.

In this episode, Jessica joined us to discuss the importance of cultural responsibility and effective performance evaluation within organisations. She delved into the different spectrums of responsibility at different levels, emphasising the crucial role of HR leaders in driving strategic success. She also explores the challenges of traditional HR practices and shares the innovative strategies they’re implemented at Whereby to encourage the team to book holidays in advance.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Working fully remote. Does it work for everyone?
• Creating a sense of community remotely
• The three spectrums of responsibility
• Calibrating the role of managers in assessing performance
• The philosophy behind Built For People

Follow [Guest Name]:

Website

Built for People

LinkedIn

X

Book recommendations:

Severance

Customer Centricity

Four Thousand Weeks

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This week on The Melting Pot, we delve into the world of venture capital, IPOs, and the limitations of traditional investment structures. We learned from Nic Brisbourne, a serial founder of VC firms and founding partner at Forward Partners, which has some rarity value. It's one of only a handful of VC firms in the UK that has gone through an IPO. Every year, they get 4,000 pitch decks, from which they only interview 400. Ultimately, they only invest in 1% of the people they meet. That's a very wide funnel at the top and incredibly narrow at the bottom.

In this episode, Nic dives into the complexities of recruitment and the importance of making the right hiring decisions. Along the way, he unveils his proprietary framework for assessing founders and shares valuable lessons on the IPO process and the structure of venture capital firms.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today's podcast:

• Forward Partners investments
• The recruitment challenge
• Traditional vs Innovative VCs structure
• The CIDL proprietary framework to assess founders

Follow Nic Brisbourne:

Forward Partners website

LinkedIn

Twitter: @brisbourne

Book recommendations :

The Great CEO Within

Breath

Thanks for the Feedback

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Do you want to create a customer-centric culture that prioritises exceptional customer experience? This week, we enjoyed learning from the internationally sought-after speaker, author, and organisational consultant Joseph Michelli. Joseph started his consultancy journey working for the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle. Since those early days in his career, he's worked with some of the biggest brands in the world, including Starbucks, Zappos, Mercedes Benz and Ritz Carlton.

In this episode, Joseph shares some great stories about excellent customer service he has seen throughout his career and how leadership plays a pivotal role in prioritising a customer-centric culture. He dived into his work at Ritz Carlton, Mercedez Benz and Starbucks, all experiences from which he wrote fantastic books.

If you want customer service to be at the heart of your strategy. Joseph explains what do you need to do. How to map out the customer journey, finding those high-value touch points.

An energising conversation. Download and listen to learn more.

On today's podcast:

• A passion for being of service to others
• The Ritz Carlton's standard of service
• The pivotal role of leadership in customer service
• Exploring the power of emotion
• Shifting towards technology-aided service

Follow Joseph Michelli:

Website

LinkedIn

Fish Throwing at Pike Place Fish Marketplace in Seattle

Book recommendations:

The Experience Economy

The Airbnb way

The New Gold Standard

The Starbucks Experience

The Zappos Experience

Driven to Delight

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This week on The Melting Pot with Dominic Monkhouse, we learned from David Shonthal, ward-winning Professor of Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Kellogg School of Management and co-author of The Human Element. Overcoming The Resistance That Awaits New Ideas.

You will know this feeling if you're an entrepreneur or an innovator inside your business. Something that makes sense to you is being resisted by everybody at every turn. It's often why people leave larger companies and go to smaller ones. Or start up their own where they feel there would be less resistance. It's true for a while, but some of these elements will creep back in if that business succeeds.

David has been involved in entrepreneurship, design and innovation for over 20 years, and his work has led to the creation of over 300 products, services, and new ventures worldwide. In this episode, he dives into the four types of friction that stand in the way of new ideas going forward. He also explains why it is important to recognise human behaviour to drive change, whether in B2C sales or B2B.

A fantastic conversation with David about how to take your idea and move the organisation to adapt to the change.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today's podcast:

• There's more than one flavour of entrepreneurship
• The Friction Theory Framework
• The four frictions against innovation
• How recognising human behaviour can drive change

Follow David Shonthal:

Website

LinkedIn

Twitter

Book recommendations:

The End of Average

Demand Side Sales

Competing against luck

A Man's Search for Meaning

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Combining great leadership with strong relationships can be a game-changer in our professional and personal lives. Did you know that your early years' experiences can significantly shape your beliefs and behaviours? Uncovering these influences can give us valuable insights into our personal growth and how we manage our relationships. Effective communication and managing expectations are critical in maintaining healthy interactions. Seeking out diverse perspectives can encourage growth and prevent us from falling into the trap of thinking in an echo chamber. Understanding these aspects allows us to propel ourselves towards better leadership and stronger relationships.

This week on The Melting Pot, we learned from Wouter van den Berg, the trailblazing neuroeconomist with a passion for understanding the human brain and its impact on performance. From early dreams of being a professional footballer, Wouter has traversed an unusual path that has led him into the field of neuroscience. His stint at a Dutch football academy gave him invaluable insights into peak performance and the intense focus it demands. Wouter's educational journey includes a PhD where he researched predicting success and understanding why people make certain decisions. His work has evolved into Brain Compass, a revolutionary platform that brings together multiple fields to aid people in reaching their peak potential.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• From a football player to Neuro-Economist
• Can we predict success?
• Defying our default mental models
• The impact of our self-limiting beliefs
• Understanding the Attachment theory

Follow Wouter van den Berg:

BrainCompass

LinkedIn

Book recommendations:

Synaptic Self

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In a world where knowledge is power, one woman dared to question the effectiveness of traditional learning methods. Sherry Coutu's unwavering curiosity led her on a journey of discovery from Cambridge University to the heart of entrepreneurial success. But her path took an unexpected turn when she realised that the resources meant to ignite growth were failing entrepreneurs like her. Now, she stands on the precipice of a groundbreaking solution that could revolutionise learning and unlock limitless potential.

This week on The Melting Pot, we learned from Sherry Coutu, a prolific British entrepreneur with an unyielding drive for catalysing progress in business growth. Her portfolio showcases a seamlessly fascinating journey through the tech industry, marked by her triumphant co-founding roles in companies like Interactive Investor International and LinkedIn, which continue to dominate their respective niches. Add her impactful stint as an angel investor, and it's clear she can identify, back, and shepherd startups to exponential growth. Her firm belief in the power of learning has instigated her remarkable contributions towards bolstering educational endeavours, making her an advocate for skills development.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today's podcast:

• Helping scale-ups solve the skills problem
• The outcomes from the UK scaleup report
• The value of choosing the right learning path
• The five barriers to growth
• How Superpower helps scale-ups with talent acquisition and development

Follow Sherry Coutu:

Superpower website

LinkedIn

Twitter

The Scale-up report 2014

Book recommendations:

Atlas Shrugged

The Alliance

The Startup of You

Masters of Scale

Lessons in Chemistry

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If you're feeling frustrated and overwhelmed by your inability to effectively influence behaviour, despite your best efforts, then you are not alone! You may be tirelessly implementing marketing strategies, leadership tactics, or political campaigns, only to witness minimal impact on the desired outcomes. Instead of influencing behaviour, you find yourself facing resistance, indifference, or even backlash from the very individuals you are trying to engage.

Drawing from his experience in the advertising world and his academic background, Marcus Collins stands as a beacon in understanding and influencing human behaviour through culture. He’s put his theories to practice crafting successful campaigns for mammoths like Google and Nike, earning him widespread recognition including a spot on Advertising Age’s 40 under 40. His insightful book, For the Culture, accentuates his understanding of culture's profound influence on behaviour. Nowadays, Marcus continues to influence minds as a professor at the esteemed Ross School of Business, University of Michigan.

In this episode, Marcus talks about how to get people to do things that they didn't necessarily think they wanted to do, whether that's buying an iPod or supporting the Brooklyn Nets. Because this is about moving people. How all of those tools and the knowledge that has been garnered by the advertising industry can be applied in churches or organisations to get people to move? Also, as leaders, what can we do to build a culture? What are the elements that define it? What makes people behave the same way as another person? How do you make things attractive to people so that they want to move?

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Understanding the power of culture to influence behaviour
• Leveraging shared meanings in advertising
• The role of culture in personal development
• The concept of ‘moving people’
• Defining brand and its cultural implications

Follow Marcus Collins:

Website

LinkedIn

For The Culture

Book recommendations:

The Society of the Spectacle

The Kingdom of Prep

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Does this sound familiar? As a founder or CEO of a venture-backed startup, you've likely been told that you need to work harder and longer hours to scale your business. But despite your relentless efforts, you're still facing challenges and not seeing the desired results. The pain of pouring your heart and soul into your business, only to be met with roadblocks and frustrations, is all too real. It's time to break free from this ineffective action and discover the strategies that truly empower you to overcome scaling challenges and maximise your potential for success.

This week on The Melting Pot, we learned from Rachel Turner, a seasoned founder coach with over two decades of immersion in the entrepreneurial realm. An early adopter of executive coaching since the '90s, Rachel's journey takes a unique path as she leans into applied psychology to optimise business success. Author of the Founder Survival Guide, she translates years of personal experiences and insights to help fellow founders overcome their own hurdles during the transition from startup to scale-up. Once an entrepreneur herself, Rachel's understanding of founder psychology is unparalleled, making her coaching approach as engaging as it is enlightening.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• The crucial role of coaching in founder’s success
• Understanding the concept of minimally viable CEO
• Coaching venture-backed company’s founders
• The warrior, the architect and the monarch
• The future of technology and coaching

Follow Rachel Turner:

VC Talent Lab

LinkedIn

The Founder’s Survival Guide

Book recommendations:

The Advantage

Meditations

The Daily Stoic

How to make friends and influence people

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In the digital era, achieving successful transformation is not just important—it's essential. For business leaders and executives, the challenge lies in approaching this change strategically and efficiently. Fortunately, they can navigate this by adopting an iterative approach to organisational change, concentrating on relevant business problems, and nurturing a culture of experimentation and validation. Add in the elements of continuous learning and execution, and you have a comprehensive strategy for digital transformation. This week, our guest David Rogers guides us through a framework to help you tackle these challenges.

David is an author, faculty at Columbia Business School, and an advisor to senior business leaders. Over the years, he developed a passion for helping companies navigate the complexities of the digital age. It was observing the struggles of organisations clinging to their pre-digital identities that sparked David's interest. Seeing a clear dividing line between companies born before and after the internet era, he recognised the blind spots that often held them back.

He realised that these companies were stuck in their ways, and their assumptions about their business were outdated. He encourages organisations to get better at shutting things down, accepting change, and moving forward. While many established companies were struggling with the rapid pace of digital transformation, there was a significant minority who were succeeding. This prompted David to delve deeper, discovering that successful companies followed a specific pattern. Rather than viewing digital transformation as a threat, these companies created a shared vision unique to their firm, addressing their particular needs and challenges in the digital age.

Today, David focuses on helping companies navigate this complex process. His optimistic outlook and belief in the power of change are inspiring, showing the world that digital transformation may be daunting but far from impossible.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today's podcast:

• Helping established businesses adapt to digital transformation
• Understanding your customer's problem first
• Driving change in a rapidly changing world
• The Barriers to digital transformation
• Rethinking Governance inside an established business

Follow David Rogers:

Website

LinkedIn

The Digital Transformation Roadmap

Book recommendations

Seeing Is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees

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Does it feel like something is missing in your remote work environment? Have you been told to just schedule more virtual meetings to enhance collaboration, only to end up feeling disconnected and unproductive? The pain of trying to foster human connection through endless video calls is real, and it's time to explore alternative ways to achieve meaningful collaboration.

Jim Kalbach had always been an advocate for remote work, long before the world was thrust into a virtual environment due to the pandemic. Working with Citrix, makers of GoToMeeting, he had already been navigating the remote collaboration space for over a decade. But, he quickly realised that the conventional etiquette of an in-person office setting didn't translate well into a virtual space. The norms, the rituals, and even the simple act of turn-taking in a meeting required a rethink.

It was this realisation that pushed him on a journey to find alternative ways to foster human connection in a remote work environment. He began experimenting with intentional habits and rituals, aiming to create a sense of inclusivity and equity in virtual participation. Introducing microstructures such as popcorning, a method of taking turns in a meeting, proved to be a game changer, fostering a sense of connection among team members. His efforts were guided by a single principle - intentionality. The pandemic may have ripped off the band-aid of conventional norms, but in its wake, it also presented a unique opportunity to reimagine and redefine the remote work experience.

In this week’s episode, Jim will uncover the untapped potential of remote work and the transformative power of collaboration tools and will walk us through the common pitfalls of virtual meetings and how to turn them into productive engagements.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Harnessing digital tools for effective team communication
• Using Mural to enhance team collaboration
• Team agreements in remote work
• Diving into the Jobs To Be Done framework

Follow Jim Kalbach:

Website

LinkedIn

Jim’s books:

The Jobs To Be Done Playbook

Mapping Experiences

Designing Web Navigation

Killer Walking Bass

Book recommendations:

Playing to Win

A New Way To Think

Reinventing Organizations

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In the world of professional services, how you approach sales and how you price your products or services can make or break your business. Our guest this week has seen how shifting from a price buyer to a value buyer mindset has a massive impact on the success of a business.

This week we’re learning from Blair Enns, the founder of Win Without Pitching. Blair is known for his impactful insights on pricing strategies and value-based selling in professional services, whose journey began 21 years ago. He perceived creative professionals as people working in advertising or design, a mindset that gradually transformed with the shifting dynamics of the creative firm market. He realised that creativity was more than that; it was the ability to see, bring a novel perspective to a problem, and propel entrepreneurs towards their vision.

He now guides them through the process of selling, not as a predatory act, but as a path of facilitating and helping clients buy. Blair's path was not without its challenges. He grappled with the balance between selling as an expert versus a vendor, and the different outcomes each role could produce. While being an expert provided more power and leverage, being a vendor resulted in reduced impact, lower margins, and a higher cost of sale. Recognising the importance of vision and selling, Blair began to view these roles as the foundations of leadership, a perspective that helped him let go, take risks, and say no in order to scale his business. Embracing these lessons, Blair is now inspiring others to do the same, helping them navigate their own journeys in the world of professional services.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Overcoming the fear of selling
• Winning without pitching
• Implementing a bold pricing strategy
• Shifting from price-buyer to value-buyer

Follow Blair Enns:

Books

LinkedIn

2BOBS podcast

Twitter

YouTube

Book recommendations:

Million Dollar Consulting

Implementing Value Pricing

$100M Offers

The Boutique. How to start, scale and sale a professional services firm

Secret Tradecraft of Elite Advisors

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Do you desire a life of growth and fulfilment as you navigate your midlife transition? Are you ready to challenge the negative stereotypes about ageing that may be holding you back? Join us as our guest, Jeff Hamaoui shares the solution to reframing ageing as a time of personal growth and purpose. Discover how you can achieve a life of meaning, embracing the untapped potential within you during this transformative phase.

This week on The Melting Pot, we learned from Jeff Hamaoui, a seasoned social entrepreneur with a rich background in sustainable practices and innovative ventures. Cutting his teeth in the ever-evolving realm of green business, Jeff's professional journey has seen him partnering with leading corporations like NASA, Nike, and Ikea. After a twenty-year stint in California spearheading various social initiatives, he co-founded the Modern Elder Academy. Drawing from his vast experience, Jeff now heads programming at the academy, using his knowledge to design impactful and immersive learning experiences.

In this episode, Jeff challenges the negative narratives and stereotypes about ageing. He argues that age is not a barrier to success and that older people have valuable resources, wisdom, and the potential to make a significant impact in the world. In fact, the data shows that the most successful enterprises in the US are actually started by people aged 45 and older. Jeff also discusses the need to reframe ageing and embrace the opportunities that come with it. He believes that as life expectancy increases, we need to reconsider what it means to get old and focus on taking care of physical health to ensure a longer health span.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Rewriting the narratives around entrepreneurship
• The role of Modern Elder Academy in midlife transitions
• The three elements of a healthier midlife
• Changing the view about masculinity and feelings

Follow Jeff Hamaoui:

Website

LinkedIn

Book recommendations:

Of Boys and Men

I Don’t Want To Talk About It

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This week we’re learning from Andrew Winston, one of the most widely read writers on sustainable business, and a globally-recognised expert on megatrends and how to build companies that thrive by serving people and the planet.

Andrew’s journey into the realm of sustainability was a winding one. His formal education in economics and his subsequent tenure as a consultant instilled in him the strategic approach he would later need. However, it was the dot-com crash that turned the tide and urged him to follow a new path. He yearned for something more meaningful, leading him to pursue a degree in environmental management. He didn't anticipate that his first book, written like a consultant and not an environmentalist, would become a bestseller and lay the foundation for his work in helping companies understand the role of business in society.

He passionately believes that profits and sustainability are not mutually exclusive and that the majority of a company's value lies in its intangible aspects, such as brand value and customer loyalty.

In this episode, Andrew emphasises the need to think beyond traditional business models and consider the broader societal and environmental impacts of operations. He also discusses the B Corp certification and Benefit Corporations, encouraging small to medium-sized enterprises to explore these avenues for demonstrating their commitment to environmental and social responsibility. Andrew also addresses the perception of sustainability practices in Asian companies and dispels myths surrounding China's efforts in renewable energy.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Green to Gold and the two-by-two matrix
• What makes leaders care about sustainability
• The politicisation of social and environmental issues
• Multinationals and sustainability
• The value of the B Corp Certification

Follow Andrew Winston:

Website

LinkedIn

Net Positive

The Pig Pivot

Green To Gold

Green Recovery

Book recommendations:

The Ministry for the Future

The Inner Game of Tennis

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In a world where pricing is often feared and neglected, one woman is on a mission to bring some light to the topic. But what happens when she reveals the power of pricing to shape customer actions and boost business performance? Find out on a new episode of The Melting Pot with Dominic Monkhouse.

This week we learned from pricing expert and the founder of Untapped Pricing, Jenny Millar. With a decade worth of hands-on experience in managing the fees for selling on eBay's European platforms, she has a deep understanding of how to use pricing as both a financial boost and a mechanism for customer behaviour management. She extends her ability to help organisations discover their product's true value, leaving no room for guesswork. Jenny's unique insights, drawn from both qualitative and quantitative customer research, provide game-changing guidance for businesses eager to leverage pricing to optimise growth.

Download and listen to learn more from Jenny Millar.

On today’s podcast:

• Unearth the hidden power of pricing
• Using pricing to shape customer behaviour
• Understanding the power of price options
• Debunking some of the most common pricing myths
• The importance of an evolving pricing strategy

Follow Jenny Millar:

Website

LinkedIn

The Pricing Scoreapp

Bitesize pricing tactics

Book recommendations:

The Mom Test

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Do you know what your main constraint is? What’s holding your business performance back? Our guest this week is an optimisation expert, and he’ll explain how to use the theory of constraints to double net profit without doubling sales, in a conversation that explores the power of identifying and managing constraints to achieve optimal business performance.

This week we learned from Dr Alan Barnard. Alan is a thinker who wears many hats; a researcher, strategic advisor, app developer, and author who resides in the heart of Las Vegas. But what stands out about Alan is his lifelong love for learning and his unique speciality in the Theory of Constraints it's no surprise he's a driving force at Goldrat Research Labs, co-founded with the respected Dr Eli Goldrat.

Alan's journey has seen him propel significant improvements in company performance, taking the likes of Cisco Systems, ABB, and Random House Publishing to new heights. A true advocate for system optimisation, Alan isn’t one to shy away from a challenge—instead, he thrives through finding unorthodox solutions to complex problems, truly demonstrating his ability to help businesses optimise and maximise their potential.

In this episode, Alan talks about how constraints can hinder and possibly fortify your business performance. He says that management attention is probably the only constraint in fast-growing, successful businesses. So, how do you apply it to the right things? Finally, he dives deep into the nuances of system optimization for maximising performance and profitability.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• The power of the Theory of Constraints
• Optimising performance and profitability
• What is the ultimate constraint?
• Why do smart people make bad decisions?

Follow Dr Alan Barnard:

Website

LinkedIn

Twitter

Instagram

Book recommendations :

The Goal

10x is easier than 2x

Antifragile

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Is a resilient team the result of putting resilient individuals together? Does everyone in the team need to have the same level of resilience? What makes a resilient team resilient? All these questions get answered in the new episode of The Melting Pot this week.

We’re learning from Dr Adam Stoverink and Bradley Kirkman, co-authors of Unbreakable: Building and Leading Resilient Teams, the book considered by Forbes as the number one team leadership book to read in 2023. Bradley and Adam’s work and research projects revolve around teamwork, leadership, and cross-cultural management.

They have done a lot of research on resilience in teams and individuals, and they have come up with four things that you need to have in place to build resilient teams. One of them is psychological safety, but you might find the other ones surprising. In this episode, they start by explaining what resilience is and why you would want resilient teams in your organisation. For them, it’s about bouncing back when challenged. What if somebody leaves? What if a project they're working on doesn't succeed? Which teams dust themselves down and come back stronger? That's what team resilience is about. So it’s definitely a worthy goal in building a high-performing team.

Fantastic conversation with Adam and Bradley. Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Defining resilience
• Resilient individuals VS resilient teams
• The impact of purpose on resilience
• The four qualities of resilient teams
• The importance of diversity in teams

Follow Bradley Kirkman & Adam Stoverink:

Adam Stoverink on LinkedIn

Bradley Kirkman on LinkedIn

Bradley on Twitter

Bradley Kirkman’s website

Unbreakable

3D Team Leadership: A New Approach for Complex Teams

Book recommendations:

The Fearless Organization

Grit: The Power Of Passion and Perseverance

Switch

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This week on The Melting Pot, we learned from speaker and award-winning author, Greg Orme. Greg was the founding CEO of London Business School’s Centre for Creative Business. He was named one of HR Magazine's Most Influential Thinkers in 2022. His book The Human Edge, how curiosity and creativity are your superpowers in the digital economy, won Business Book of The Year 2020. Today he helps leaders and teams thrive in a world of accelerating change through creative thinking, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit.

In this episode, Greg talks about the four pillars of his book The Human Edge. What does it mean to drive psychological safety and performance in an organisation? He talks about leadership and why it’s so important for them to have purpose and be able to create purpose in an organisation. Leaders can help foster creativity, curiosity, collaboration, and communication. Also, he discusses the importance of storytelling to drive change, and that is the antithesis of crafting a PowerPoint deck and ‘cascading’ it down through the business.

Fantastic conversation with Greg.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Helping leaders thrive
• What’s your leadership style?
• How to capture your purpose
• The power of storytelling

Follow Greg Orme:

Website

LinkedIn

The Human Edge

Book recommendations:

The Spark

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This week we learned from the Chief Workplace Scientist at Gallup, Jim Harter. Jim is also the co-author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Wellbeing at Work and the No. 1 Wall Street Journal and Washington Post bestseller, It's the Manager. Now, he’s written another book, Culture Shock, where he explores how organisations adapting to this culture shock will determine whether they thrive or even survive and whether U.S. and global productivity will go up or down.

Jim has been studying human behaviour in organisations for 37 years and really gets a kick out of studying what happens inside them. His work at Gallup is to study what happens in the populace at large and to do massive polls of the world and workplaces around the world and understand what's going on in people's work and lives. Last year, Gallup did a daily survey throughout COVID, and fifteen thousand people take part in their quarterly survey, so they got some fantastic data. That’s why we wanted to invite Jim to The Melting Pot to find out what that data said about working from home versus being fully remote, or hybrid.

In this episode, we learned how many days in the office drive engagement. Also, do higher levels of engagement translate into better financial performance? How do we make business more productive and outperform our competitors? We also dig into the data about working from home versus in the office, and we find out what are the five things that drive wellbeing as humans, how to structure one-to-one meetings, and how often they should be. And finally, what are the top five things that we should talk about with our teams every week to drive high levels of engagement.

An absolutely fantastic conversation. Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Culture Shock
• The effect of COVID on engagement
• The five elements of wellbeing
• Fully remote, fully on-site and hybrid. What’s best?
• The managers are key to driving engagement

Follow Jim Harter:

Jim Harter - Gallup

LinkedIn

Culture Shock

2023 Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award Winners

Book recommendations:

Wellbeing at Work

It’s The Manager

Maslow on Management

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How can we generate thousands of ideas in your organisation? Feel overwhelmed just by thinking about it? Our guest on the podcast this week thinks that, if you can’t come up with thousand ideas, you’re unlikely to come up with a winner. That’s why he suggests creating an innovation tournament.

This week on The Melting Pot, we learned from Dr Christian Terwiesch, professor at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and Chair of Wharton's Operations Information and Decisions Department. Christian has written numerous business books but, in this episode, we wanted to learn more about his latest work, The Innovation Tournament Handbook. This book is a more practical approach to the theory he laid out in his first book, Innovation Tournaments.

In this episode, Christian explains how to run an innovation process in your business and how to build an innovation tournament so that you’re running one every six months. That means lots of people get involved with loads of ideas emerging, all in a relatively low-cost way. He also talks about the importance of destigmatising failure in innovation and why we need to embrace it as part of the process of innovation.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• What is innovation, really
• The Innovation Tournament
• Removing the stigma of failure in the innovation process
• Getting the whole team involved in the innovation process
• The innovation dilemma

Follow Christian Terwiesch:

Website

LinkedIn

The Innovation Tournament Handbook

Other books

Book recommendations:

The Arsenal of Democracy

Innovation Tournaments

Connected Strategy

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How do you manage your metrics around innovation? How much investment do you need to put into innovation as a mature business? How do you give people the time and structure needed to innovate in your business? This week we asked one of the most influential strategy and innovation experts to come back to The Melting Pot to answer these and some other questions about innovation.

Founder and CEO of Strategyzer, Alex Osterwalder reckons that seven out of ten projects that you start within your business need to be killed. And maybe one in ten of your innovation projects is a go, but you're going to need to build a portfolio of maybe 50 live projects that are at any one time to get enough innovation going in your business to make a material change, to get a return on your investment. He also introduced us to the concept of AKIs (Aspirations and Key Insights) – as opposed to Objectives and Key Results – for innovation teams not to produce results, but key insights to understand whether they should kill, iterate or scale a product.

Fantastic conversation with Alex. If you’re in the innovation arena, this is a must-listen for you.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• What’s the ideal innovation team
• How and when to kill your innovation ‘zombie projects’
• How to ‘fail faster’ in innovation
• Getting the best ROI
• AKIs (Aspirations and Key Insights) vs OKRs (Objectives and Key Results)

Follow Alex Osterwalder:

Strategizer website

LinkedIn

Twitter - @alexosterwalder

High Impact Tools for Teams

The Invincible Company

Testing Business Ideas

Book recommendations:

The Courage To Be Disliked

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This week we learned from the inventor of the Outcome-Driven-Innovation (ODI) process, Tony Ulwick. Tony developed this process and, in 1999, he described it to Clayton Christensen, author of The Innovator's Dilemma. Although Clayton loved it, he didn’t like the idea of customers having a process, so he called it Jobs-To-Be-Done. Every customer has a job to be done, so what we can do is innovate around solutions to help them get that job done.

What’s the job your customer is trying to get done? And how do you measure success? In this episode, Tony guides us through the process that innovators need to answer those questions, and he shares some interesting case studies of how he’s helped different firms understand what jobs their customers were trying to get done, and how to identify their unmet needs.

A fascinating conversation with Tony.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• The Jobs-To-Be-Done Theory
• How can you define a need
• The cases of Bosch and Conagra
• How your customers measure success
• Understanding the job that your customer is trying to get done

Follow Tony Ulwick:

Website

LinkedIn

Jobs To Be Done - Book and Audiobook

Book recommendations:

What Customers Want

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Is there any fractured relationship in your team? Many teams have people with dysfunctional relationships that show up in different ways. Often people find it difficult to solve problems. Somehow we find ourselves with a breach of trust, breach of contract, or competence. We believe one of our colleagues isn't competent, and it grows like an inverted pearl in an oyster or stone in your shoe. When this happens, people move away from those relationships or change companies. But if a business is a team sport, it's like taking the field to play football with only nine players against the opposition because some people on your team have a dysfunctional relationship.

This week we talked with and learned from Doug Bouey, a coaching and facilitation veteran, recognised by Vistage/ TEC. His newest book, Fixing Fractures, creates a sure path to peace of mind and a quiet heart. Like Dominic, Doug holds a Gazelle’s (now Scaling Up) International qualification. He’s a master coach and, as part of his Vistage Chair life, Doug came across a facilitation technique to fix fractured relationships in business and life. So, he wrote his book Fixing Fractures, to help teams or individuals overcome these breaches of trust and help them build a high-performing team.

In this episode, Doug guides us through his technique to help teams have these types of conversations and overcome this issue in their relationship. He explains the different levels or ‘gates’ of trust and how he helps individuals in businesses get to the bottom of their problems and what are the ‘Magic Five’ that need to be present during these ‘healing’ conversations.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Fixing Fractures
• How to fix dysfunctional relationships
• Understanding the breaches of trust in teams
• Team building workshops
• The Magic Five

Follow Doug Bouey:

Website

LinkedIn

Fixing Fractures

Book recommendations:

Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott

Difficult Conversations by Douglas Stone

The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr

The Status Game by Will Storr

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Why do we do the things we do? How did COVID truly affect our behaviour? Will our ability to empathise and connect with others ever fully recover? In a world of constant change and uncertainty, Dr Helena Boschi, a psychologist specialised in applied neuroscience, offers insight into how our brains are wired to react and cope and helps us make some sense of why we do what we do.

In this episode, Dr Helena Boschi discusses why we do what we do, which is also the title of her book. She also talked about feedback, why we are doing it, and what the real impact is. She gives some interesting tips on how to do it, how it works, and how the brain absorbs the feedback we give people. We also learned about the entrepreneur’s brain and what drives them, the effect of COVID on our empathy and much more.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• “Every child is an artist”
• Why we do what we do
• The Impact of COVID on our brains
• Why it’s so difficult to change our beliefs
• Something is wrong with feedback

Follow Dr Helena Boschi:

LinkedIn

Why We Do What We Do

Book recommendations:

One of the things that Helena recommends to the listeners is to read as much as they can and talk to everybody, “because everybody has got something to teach us”.

In particular, she truly enjoys the work of these authors:

David Eagleman

Robert Sapolsky

Dan Ariely

Daniel Kahneman

Simon Sinek

Mathew Syed

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Are you struggling to achieve successful digital transformation despite continuous training and collaboration? Find out how to unlock agile decision-making with the military-inspired command by negation technique and improve employee engagement with immersive training programs - all while boosting manufacturing efficiency through SAP systems.

Marty Groover offers a unique perspective on the future of manufacturing. Drawing from his experience as a retired Navy officer and working in the manufacturing sector at Caterpillar, he has developed a deep understanding of the importance of technology integration and employee training. Now a partner and CTO at C5MI, Marty is dedicated to helping companies adopt Industry 4.0 technologies, creating smarter systems and more efficient processes. If you are a manufacturing leader, you will undoubtedly benefit from his insights, experience, and passion for innovation.

In this episode, Marty explains how you can boost manufacturing efficiency by harnessing the power of SAP systems, and how to drive digital transformation in your workplace. Marty is an advocate for creating a culture of learning, so he discusses how you can cultivate effective leadership and change management in your manufacturing operations, and unleash agile decision-making with the military-inspired command by negation technique.

A fantastic conversation with Marty.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Transforming the manufacturing operations through strategic SAP
• Bringing military systems to manufacturing
• Using real-time tracking to improve efficiency
• Creating a thriving learning culture by encouraging knowledge-sharing and regular upskilling
• Overcoming the problem of working in silos in business

Follow Marty Groover:

Website

LinkedIn

Speed of Advance

Book recommendations:

Relentless by Tim Grover

Winning by Tim Grover

Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink

You Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins

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This week on The Melting Pot, we learned from Eric Meisel, creativity coach and trainer of creativity coaches. He writes the ‘Rethinking The Mental Health’ blog for Psychology Today, which has more than three million views, and he’s the lead editor for the Ethics International Press Critical Psychology and Critical Psychiatry series. Eric is also the author of more than 50 books covering the areas of creativity, life, purpose, meaning, and mental health.

Once upon a time, in a world filled with rules and orthodoxies, Eric discovered the power of self-forgiveness, purpose, and creativity. Growing up in a neighbourhood where the aftermath of World War II still lingered, he was instilled with the idea of being a resistance fighter against societal norms at a young age. This spirit of opposition led him to question the status quo and seek out his own life purposes. He faced the challenges of being a smart individual in a society that often sought to silence voices like his. Through this struggle, Eric learned the importance of embracing one's individuality and passions. Over time, he developed into a creativity coach, guiding artists and entrepreneurs on their journeys to self-discovery and success.

In this episode, Eric talks about one of his books, Redesign Your Mind, and cognitive therapy, and how it works on your thoughts. In his book, Eric proposes a methodology for changing your thoughts or replacing them with something else. He also about entrepreneurs and how he coaches them, as well as artists, who he thinks share many things but are also very different. He shares some tips about how to get in flow, his thoughts about burnout, and how to live a better life and lower your anxiety.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Being smart in a non-smart world
• Why are people burnt out?
• The creative power of sleep
• The trances of working
• How to redesign your mind

Follow Eric Meisel:

Website

LinkedIn

Redesign Your Mind

Why Smart Teens Hurt

Book recommendations:

Eric has always felt that he is in the existential tradition, a specific philosophical and literary tradition. If you have lost your understanding of that, or have never encountered it, he recommends that you read the books by Nietzsche, Dostoevsky, Camus, Orwell,and Kafka.

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How would you define meaningful work? And your team? If you're struggling to find the right words, our guest on The Melting Pot this week has various ideas to help you. How can you expect your team to do meaningful work if you can't define it? Here's a hint: it might not be about what you need to do, but what you should stop doing.

This week we learned from Lisa Bodell. Lisa is a best-selling author and, CEO and founder of FutureThink, a business focused on helping companies simplify how they work to make space for driving growth and innovation. This has been Lisa's passion for over twenty years, and she is all about taking a provocative approach to challenge our assumptions every day.

In this episode, Lisa and Dominic talk about how to get people to do more of the right things, building culture –specifically, how to cut the crap and stop stupid rules. She also asks what makes meaningful work, which she often finds leaders can't articulate clearly. Lisa shares a few of the 'killing' exercises she uses with leaders to help them start investing their time and drive innovation.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today's podcast:

• Driving change in our lives and at work
• Becoming 'unbossed'
• Doing more valuable work by simplifying things
• The barriers to innovation
• How to 'Kill Your Company'

Follow Lisa Bodell:

Website

LinkedIn

Kill The Company

Why Simple Wins

Book recommendations:

The Artist Way

The Art of Gathering

A More Beautiful Question

The Curious Advantage

Think Again

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Do you know what’s your Unique Ability? Every entrepreneur has theirs and is only able to succeed if they're supported by a team. Because you can’t be good at everything, is important to surround yourself with a team that complements you, to compensate for your weaknesses with their strengths. Our guest this week teaches exactly that to the teams of entrepreneurs so they can do the things that they're great at and they can thrive in their unique ability.

This week on The Melting Pot, we learned from highly-sought after coach, author, and creator of The Strategic Coach® Team Programs, Shannon Waller. Shannon joined Strategic Coach in 1991 as a team member, and since then, she’s created the Strategic Coach® Team Programs. She’s a decision-maker at Strategic Coach, Bab Smith’s strategic partner, and Dan Sullivan’s Creative Collaborator.

In this episode, Shannon shares with us the secret of her long career at Strategic Coach and how she realised what was her unique ability. She also dives into the twelve timeless truths for successful entrepreneurial organisations found in her book Multiplication by Subtraction, and how applying the ‘who not how’ concept can help entrepreneurs do what they’re really good at and thrive at work.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• What is Strategic Coach?
• Finding your Unique Ability
• The Timeless Truths for success at entrepreneurial organisations
• Who not How
• The four modes of the Kolbe assessment

Follow Shannon Waller:

Website

LinkedIn

The Team Success Handbook

Multiplication by Subtraction

Book recommendation:

Unique Ability 2.0

Driven

ADHD. A Hunter in a Farmer’s World

Come Up For Air

Radical Candor

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Does everyone in your team look at risk in the same way? When we make decisions on whether to take a risk or not, we all have our biases. Our guest on The Melting Pot this week argues that diverse groups tend to make better decisions as they bring different perspectives. That’s why it’s really beneficial to look at the risk profile of everyone in the room to ensure that your team is looking at risks the right way and understands everyone’s perception of risk.

This week we learned from strategic advisor and best-selling author, Michele Wucker. Michele is famous for having coined the term Gray Rhino – a metaphor that made headlines around the world as a framework for the ignored warnings for the COVID-19 pandemic and has appeared in media in more than 70 countries and 35 languages and counting. It has sent tremors through global stock markets when Chinese officials warned of gray rhino financial risks. Central banks and securities regulators around the world use gray rhino theory, as do business strategists, boards of directors, business continuity and emergency management professionals, insurers, ESG specialists, and policymakers focused on everything from national security to climate change.

In this episode, Michele talks about her latest book, You Are What You Risk: The New Art and Science of Navigating an Uncertain World, about the perception of risk and how people feel about it. Also, she explains how you can ensure that your board, your advisory team or your executive team looks at risks the right way, understanding what those risks might be, and even the perception difference within the team, so that, as you assess how your business moves forward, you don't make the wrong decision. At the end of the episode, Michele shares her perspective on the recent collapse of several banks and how people chose to ignore the signs that led to it.

A great conversation with Michele. Make sure to download and listen to learn more from her.

On today’s podcast:

What is risk?

• How different people perceive risk differently
• The ‘risk fingerprint’ metaphor
• Balancing the different risk profiles in a team
• Dealing with risks as an organisation

Follow Michele Wucker:

Website

LinkedIn

Book

Book recommendations:

You Are What You Risk

Death and the Penguin

The hour between dog and wolf

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This week on The Melting Pot, we learned from Gene Browne, founder of The City Bin Co. Gene has led this company to be a five-time winner of the ‘Deloitte Best Managed Company’ in Ireland, as well as a two-time National Winner of the European Business Awards - Customer Focus Category for 2013 and 2017.

In this episode, Gene walks us through his journey from founding his business, how he scaled up, what tools he used, and how important Rockefeller Habits have been to him, how he then did a reverse takeover and cultural transformation of a business in the Middle East.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• The beginning and rise of City Bin Co.
• Delivering great service, no matter the industry
• Starting in the waste management industry in the 90s VS today
• Building a culture around service
• The secret to getting outstanding NPS scores

Follow Gene Browne:

Website

LinkedIn

Book recommendations:

Scaling Up by Verne Harnish

Good Strategy, Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt

The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

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Have you ever felt that you were wasting your time in a meeting? When we ask clients this question, all hands go up. Yet, everybody seems clear on what a good meeting looks like. Why is this? Our guest on The Melting Pot this week brings some light to this.

This week we learned from Mamie K Stewart, host of The Modern Manager podcast, author of Momentum: Creating Effective, Engaging and Enjoyable Meetings and Founder of Meeteor, a training firm focused on improving the productivity of meetings.

In this insightful conversation, Mamie tells us why she decided to write a book about meetings and gives us some tips on how to run great meetings in person and virtually. She also discusses how meetings are a reflection of your culture and your team dynamics, and what questions you should ask yourself before setting up a meeting.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• Why write a book about meetings
• Are your meetings reflecting your culture?
• What to ask yourself before setting up a meeting
• How to bring clarity to meetings
• Using tech during meetings

Follow Mamie K. Stewart:

Website

LinkedIn

Delegation Quiz

The Modern Manager Podcast

Momentum book

Book recommendations:

Getting things done by David Allen

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Do you really understand how taxes work in your country? Our guest this week believes that 80% to 90% of people pay taxes and complain about the rich not paying. But, why do the rich don’t pay taxes? Our guest says it’s because smart entrepreneurs and wealthy people understand the laws. What people don’t realise is that tax law is primarily a series of incentives for entrepreneurs and investors.

This week on The Melting Pot, we learned from Tom Wheelwright, the CEO and founder of Wealth Ability, a network of CPA firms in the US and Canada. He’s spent 25 years buying, building, and selling CPA accounting, whilst travelling the world with Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, giving financial education to entrepreneurs and investors.

In this episode, Tom tells us about the difference between CPAs and entrepreneurs and how rare entrepreneurial CPAs are. He’s also a Rich Dad advisor and shares the story of how he met Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and how they ended up teaching the fundamentals of business to entrepreneurs all over the world. Drawing from his latest book The Win-Win Wealth Strategy, he talks about what are the seven investments the government will pay you to make.

A fascinating conversation. Download and listen today.

On today’s podcast:

• Is it a moral duty to pay taxes?
• How do taxes really work?
• The seven investments governments will pay you to make
• The power of playing Cashflow
• Becoming financially independent

Follow Tom Wheelwright:

Website

LinkedIn

The Win-Win Health Strategy book

Podcast

Book recommendations:

Who Not How by Dan Sullivan

The Innovation Ultimatum by Steve Brown

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

Happy Money by Ken Honda

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Does your organisation suffer from onboarding debt? It’s the difference between what people should understand and what they actually understand about how to succeed in their role. This debt manifests itself through low retention, poor cultures and frustrated leaders. But it doesn't need to be this way.

In his new book, Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the point where they are effective, faster, Brad Giles gives a simple step-by-step process that leaders can use to significantly increase the effectiveness of new hires and existing teams. And this week, we got the chance to learn more from him on a new episode of The Melting Pot.

Brad is a business coach based in Perth, Australia, and this week he joined us to talk about how to get new employees to deliver faster, how to get clear on expectations, and the impact that will have. Often, there are structural reasons that lead companies to do onboarding inadequately. There's a big gap that remains unmeasured, which is what is the difference between what people should know and what they actually know. Onboarding isn't something that should be left to HR. It should be done by the hiring manager and the team. Brad also talks about managerial fit and expectations, the technical skills that people need to learn and the things that culturally define the business that new hires need to pick up on.

Don’t miss this fantastic conversation. Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• The difference between a job scorecard and a role scorecard
• The 90-day onboarding plan
• What is onboarding debt
• Who owns onboarding in a business
• How to build a robust onboarding process

Follow Brad Giles:

Website

LinkedIn

Book

Book Recommendations:

Jiro Dreams of Sushi (Movie)

Small Giants by Bo Burlingham

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How do you want people to feel when they buy from you? How do you want people to feel when your sales team shows up? What fears might they have that stop them from staying with you or buying from you? As a marketer, if you really want to stand out from competitors and emotionally connect with your customers, these are important questions to answer.

This week on The Melting Pot we learned from Anthony Butler, author of Primal Storytelling and founder of the Marketing Agency Can-Do Ideas. From Helena, Montana, Anthony talks about his journey of discovery. He was a linguist and served in the army, but his story really kicks off when he gets fired by one of his marketing agency clients, who told him that his work hadn’t made any difference in the business. That was a turning point in his career. In this episode, we find out why.

In this conversation, Anthony shares his Primal Storytelling methodology and how he helps clients drive emotion in their marketing. We find out what questions you need to ask yourself to better connect with your audience. He also guides us through his process to map sales to marketing and what type of content and messages we need to deliver at each stage.

A fantastic conversation, make sure to download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• The impact of emotions on marketing
• The Primal Storytelling content system
• How to make your brand stand out from competitors
• Mapping the sales process to marketing
• Understanding your audience's cultural background

Follow Anthony Butler:

Website

LinkedIn

Primal Storytelling book

Primal Storytelling podcast

YouTube

Book Recommendations:

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Expert Secrets by Russell Brunson

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What are the differences and similarities between regular businesses and family businesses? Can family businesses be as successful? Our guest on The Melting Pot this week argues that family businesses can prove to be successful in the long run, as long as they focus on fostering the next generation of leaders while preserving the legacy.

Jonathan Goldhill is a business coach, having been in the field since 2003. He is passionate about family businesses and his book, Disruptive Successor, is a guide for family business owners wanting to drive growth in their businesses. He has a deep understanding of the complexities of multigenerational family businesses, and is well-versed in the challenges of transitioning between generations.

After exploring his passion for family businesses, Jonathan Goldhill discovered the unique challenges of transitioning from one generation to the next. He witnessed first-hand what it took for his father and uncle to join the family business, and how the tension of preservation and growth could be difficult to balance. Regular businesses and family businesses have different time horizons when it comes to making profit. In family businesses, success is usually determined by maximising family value, not shareholder value. Jonathan concluded that a crucial factor to success was to ensure that the older generation was encouraged to transition out of the business, whilst the younger generation was given the opportunity to grow it.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• The differences and similarities between family and non-family businesses
• Family before business
• Generational transitions within family businesses
• The unique dynamics of multigenerational family businesses
• Measuring performance in a family business

Follow Jonathan Goldhill:

Disruptive Successor Book

Website

Disruptive Successor Show

LinkedIn

Twitter

Instagram

Book recommendations:

Jack Welch Straight From The Gut

Patrick Lencioni’s books

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Do you believe in the power of building a happy workplace to grow your business? We definitely do, and this week we bring proof. This week’s guest is an expert in creating joy at work, no matter how many days a week you’re in the office. If you need some inspiration to build trust in your team and set the foundations for a happy culture, this is a must-listen for you.

This week on The Melting Pot, we learned from a long-time friend, Henry Stewart, founder, and Chief Happiness Officer of Happy, a company that helps organisations create happy workplaces. Henry and Dominic met many years ago when their organisations were competing for the Unisys Service Excellence Awards. Happy is the second happiest company in the UK or Best Place to Work, as measured by the Great Places to Work organisation, and number 15 in Europe.

Henry has an innovative approach to running a business and was part of the British pilot for 4-day work weeks. Then, he decided to continue on that path, which resulted in 40% year-over-year revenue growth and increased productivity. He also implemented a salary transparency system, made the staff set his salary, and decided not to make any decisions, after which his employees took ownership of raising prices during the pandemic, which ultimately saved the company. Henry is now exploring Employee Ownership Trust and is happily living out his 4-day work week.

Download and listen to this fantastic conversation today.

On today’s podcast:

• The impact of a four-day week at Happy
• Implementing salary transparency in Happy
• Should your staff decide your salary?
• How to maintain productivity with a four-day week
• Can a CEO make no decisions?

Follow Henry Stewart:

Happy Website

LinkedIn

Twitter

Book

Book Recommendations:

Maverick by Ricardo Semler

Multipliers by Liz Wiseman

Reinventing Organizations by Frederic Laloux

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What if you had to radically transform your business, change the culture, improve the percentage of A-players, drive staff engagement, and roll out a purpose and core values, all without raising salaries or changing the team? Well, that’s what our guests this week have done in their organisation. And all whilst improving the education delivery and striving to change the lives of the children in their schools.

This week on The Melting Pot, we learned from Hazel Pulley and Jonathan Smart, CEO and Deputy CEO at Excelsior MAT, a multi-academy trust, currently with six primary schools in innercity Birmingham in their portfolio. ExcelsiorMAT is one of the teams that we’ve worked with at Monkhouse & Company, and we’re deeply proud of their amazing transformation over the past few years. Hence why we wanted them to join us on the show to share with us the keys to their incredible success.

In this episode, we hear from Hazel and Jonathan about their journey applying the Scaling Up framework and how it radically transformed their organisation. They also dived into how they managed to change the business without raising salaries or changing the team. This episode is a true testament to great leadership, making the right decisions and building an amazing culture.

A fascinating and exciting episode, download and listen to learn more!

On today’s podcast:

• What is a Multi Academy Trust
• Can Scaling Up be applied in Education?
• Changing lives through teaching
• Cultivating existing talent
• The importance of happiness at work

Follow Hazel and Jonathan:

ExcelsiorMAT website

Jonathan Smart LinkedIn

Hazel Pulley LinkedIn

ExcelsiorMAT Twitter

ExcelsiorMaT LinkedIn

Book Recommendations:

Finding Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Trusted Leader by David Horsager

Lincoln on leadership by Donald T. Phillips

Belonging by Owen Eastwood

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What comes to mind when you think about innovation? Creating something new from nothing. But does the word innovation push people away from doing it, thinking they don’t have the skills? Our guest on the podcast thinks so, and that’s why he uses the word reinvention instead. And that, reinventing, is exactly what he did with his own career after retiring from professional rugby. Today, we hear about his fascinating journey.

This week on The Melting Pot, we learned from the author of Undisruptible, and host of The Innovation Show, Aidan McCullen. Formerly a professional rugby player, Aidan now works as an Executive Coach and Innovation Consultant.

In this episode, Aidan talked about his journey as a rugby player and how he shifted from that to a career in innovation, and became a podcast host and innovation consultant. He also explored the cultural differences between some of the teams he played with, and he dived into the Butterfly metaphor that he uses in his book Unsdisruptable to explain the life cycle and how it applies to businesses.

Make sure to download and listen to this fascinating episode day.

On today’s podcast:

• Writing Undisruptable
• The cultural difference between rugby teams
• The Butterfly metaphor
• From professional rugby to innovation
• The impact of self-talk on mental health

Follow Aidan McCullen:

LinkedIn

Book

Blog

Podcast – The Innovation Show

Book recommendationsThe Heart of Business by Hubert Joly

The Biology of Belief by Bruce H. Lipton

Change Your Paradigm, Change Your Life by Bob Proctor

How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton Christensen

Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert M. Sapolski

The Hidden Messages in Water by Masaru Emoto

Built from broken by Scott H. Hogan

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How do you find enough qualified people to deliver on the revenue opportunities that your business comes across? This is a problem that might be familiar to many professional services organisations, particularly within the cloud space. Our guest this week Neil Marley, came across that challenge whilst he was working at New Signature.

Neil is the Managing Director at Qualyfi. He's also former UK MD and EMEA lead at New Signature, an IT Services Management company that grew from 8 to 300 people in the UK and twice won the prestigious Microsoft UK Partner of the Year award (2014, 2019), before being acquired by Cognizant in 2020.

We know Neil since 2017 when New Signature started coaching with us. During the course of our time working together, they grew from about ten people to 350. From a revenue perspective that’s around 48% compound annual growth rate.

There are two things that Neil is excited about. The first is helping people build an exciting new technology career, regardless of their background or previous opportunities; the second is building long-term partnerships with growth organisations, offering services to help fuel their growth. He has now taken his experience doing that to make Qualyfi a positive force for the world.

In this episode, he shares his journey working in public cloud technologies with Microsoft, moving from working in a big organisation to a small team, and he and his small team managed to become one of the leading partners for Microsoft. He also talked about the challenges the business faced along the way, the secrets to New Signature’s success and the impact coaching had on the team dynamics.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

A journey of growth in Microsoft

Leading a successful partnership with Microsoft

New Signature and Winning Microsoft UK Partner of the Year

The importance of business coaching

Qualyfi and placing new cloud tech talent

Follow Neil Marley

Qualify website

LinkedIn

Book recommendations:Radical Candor by Kim Scott

What got you here won't get you there by Marshall Goldsmith

CEO Excellence by Scott Keller

Awaken The Giant Within by Anthony Robbins

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Hiring top talent –the right talent– is crucial to growing a business. Yet, so many companies get their recruitment process wrong. Clarity on what an A-Player looks like, and transparency with candidates in the process are just some of the missing elements that our guest this week noticed in many companies after falling into the world of recruitment.

This week on The Melting Pot, we learned from Ross Lauder, founder and CEO at Single Focus Talent. Before becoming the talented headhunter he is today, Ross was a tech sales manager, working for big firms like Dell and Hubspot. Today, he recruits salespeople across Europe and North America.

In this episode, we wanted to learn more from him about sales, and how the role of a salesperson has changed over time. Ross also shared his approach to recruitment and how he’s helping candidates in their careers. Also, what are people thinking about returning to the office, remote and hybrid work, and what's happening in the labour market. Is the tech world awash with talented people after the big tech layoffs?

A great conversation.

Make sure to download and listen today!

On today’s podcast:

How the sales process has changed over the years

Moving from sales to recruitment

A transparent and honest approach to recruitment

What's going on in the current labour market

Remote or office? What candidates prefer

Follow Ross Lauder:

Website

Single Focus Talent podcast

Global Tech Leaders podcast

LinkedIn

Ross on YouTube

Book Recommendations:

Brain Hacks by Keith Barry

Unlimited Power by Anthony Robbins

Awaken The Giant Within by Anthony Robbins

Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki

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Building trust is at the heart of a high-performing team and a great culture. Sometimes, that trust comes from allowing vulnerability and honesty into the room and acknowledging our flaws, as well as our geniuses. Our guest this week is a huge advocate of using that vulnerability to strengthen the relationships in leadership teams.

On this week's episode of The Melting Pot, we learned from Ronan Harrington, an expert in the neuroscience of resilience. After receiving a Master in Public Policy from Balliol College, Oxford University, Ronan then became one of the youngest executives in the City of London, as Director of Futures and Strategy at RPC. At the age of 24, he authored a report on the world of 2030 and how the British Government should respond.

In this fascinating episode, Ronan shared his views on what it takes to develop a great business culture, how allowing vulnerability can help build trust in teams, and how power can impact cultural change in an organisation. He also talked about his experience working with Extinction Rebellion and how ethical power plays work in politics and business.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

Developing a conscious culture

How competing commitments affect culture

Building trust through vulnerability

Working for Extinction Rebellion

Defining resilience and dealing with burnout

Follow Ronan:

Website

LinkedIn

Twitter

YouTube

Book recommendations15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership by Jim Dethmer and Diana Chapman

Fortitude by Bruce Daisley

Smalls things like these by Claire Keegan

Foster by Claire Keegan

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The definition of value creation is giving something valuable to receive something else that’s more valuable to you. In today’s fast-paced economy, every business owner should strive to make his company as valuable as he can, and optimize wherever possible to provide value.

Isn't it all about profit? It may be true for large company stockholders, but it is less true for small business owners. A major corporation's stockholder may be exclusively concerned with earnings. It's part of their investment portfolio, and its sole purpose is to increase their wealth. However, a small company would be more interested in communicating a mission and vision that attracts the world, creating a product or service that adds value to both customers and shareholders, and creating value through optimizing processes and finance. Some investors have advanced to impact investing because they seek more than just profits from their investments. As a result, B-corporations are becoming increasingly common. Impact investment and B-corporations seek to maximize financial returns while also providing a public benefit and creating long-term value.

Today, on the Melting Pot, we are joined by Patrick E. Donohue, an expert in valuation, business angel, and financial advisor for entrepreneurs. He started his adventure at a very young age when he showed interest in stock shares and making money at only 10 years old. His passion lies in helping small businesses grow in a way that generates value and has a lasting impact on the community. He firmly believes that business owners shape the world by providing solutions to the complexities of human life.

In his book “Breakout Valuation”, he breaks down complex financial concepts and shares them in plain easy English. His aim is for every leader to be able to understand financial intelligence and apply it in actionable plans to drive sustainable growth.

In today’s episode:

Business Valuation For Beginners

How to Define a Sustainable Level of Growth

Insights from “Breakout Valuation”

Business Design That Drives Value

Every Business Has A Special Talent That Makes It More Investable

What Patrick E. Donohue WishesHe’d KnownEarlier

Links:

Website

LinkedIn

Twitter

Book

Book Recommendations:

Aiden McCullen - Undisruptable

Mike Michalowicz -Profit First

Greg Crabtree – Simple Numbers 2.0

Patrick E. Donohue – Breakout Valuation

Ryan Holiday & Stephen Hanselman – The Dialy Stoic

Anthony De Mello – Awareness

James Nestor - Breath

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Having travelled to every country in the world, Scott Keller, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, New York Times best selling author of Beyond performance 2.0 and CEO Excellence, was looking for a new challenge. And he found it during lockdown. 

Along with his fellow authors, he sought to uncover what makes the best CEOs of this century the best. They combined extensive quantitative analysis with in-depth interviews with today’s top CEOs to understand what sets exceptional leaders apart.

And they found the best CEOs have to master six core things to become great. Because, and Scott uses the analogy of Ashton Eaton, the greatest decathlete of all time here - no decathlete is the best 100 metre runner in the world or the best Javelin thrower, they have to not suck at anything, while being amazing at everything.

In this episode of The Melting Pot, Scott shares the methodology they used to narrow down their list of CEOs from 7,800 to the 67 they interviewed, before discussing the six things they found were the core of every great CEO. 

On today’s podcast:

• Why we need to own our goals
• How hard it is being CEO
• Great CEOs have humility
• The decathlete analogy
• The six core elements of the CEO role
• The link between mindset and CEO excellence

Links:

• Book - CEO Excellence
• Twitter – @Linked_name
• LinkedIn – Scott Keller
• Website – McKinsey & Company

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If your business is struggling to innovate, or is in fact resisting innovation all together, then don’t miss Anthony Rose, founder and CEO of SeedLegals on this week’s episode of The Melting Pot.

Who better to learn from about how to incorporate, raise funds and grow your business, than the founder of the startup that one in six of all early-stage startups in the UK are using in their funding rounds.

Widely known as “The man behind BBC iPlayer”, Anthony ran the iPlayer and other BBC services from 2007 to 2010, taking the iPlayer from pre-launch to a major success story.

In this episode, Anthony talks about the jobs that only the CEO should do, including the CEO’s role in innovation, building company culture, getting to product market fit, and why, when you’ve got product market fit, the most important job of a CEO is to then manage culture.

This is a truly insightful episode and a must listen for all leaders of startups looking to grow and build their companies.

Book recommendations:

The Mom Test - Rob Fitzpatrick

History of Western Philosophy - Bertrand Russell

On today’s podcast:

• Making lawyers redundant
• The CEO’s role in innovation
• How to innovate
• Why CEOs are responsible for culture

Links:

• Twitter – @anthonyrose
• LinkedIn – Anthony Rose
• Website – SeedLegals

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Hard decisions are part of every aspect of our human life. In business, these are what shape the future of a company and what define its success if done right. We often praise the hiring process in a company, as it constitutes a decision based on precise forecasting and analysis. However, we often brush off the equally important decision of letting someone go, as we generally believe it should be done as easily as this: take a subjective decision, have an end-of-contract meeting, and empty a desk. What we don’t realize is that letting go of an employee should be subject to the same amount of well-thought analysis, as it is as strategic for the company as hiring.

Today, on the Melting Pot, we are joined by Annie Duke, an ex-professional poker player and author of two books called “Thinking in bets” and “Quit”. The first makes a parallel between poker and business and covers ways in which we could bring the critical decision-making process from gambling into our entrepreneurial adventure. The second book is a gem that helps us know when to call it quits. More specifically, it helps decision-makers discover the neuroscience behind firing people, and how to do it right. She proposes a precise methodology to know when an employee is not a good fit anymore, and how to let them understand that it is time for them to quit.

After earning the title of “The Duchess of Poker”, she now focuses on cognitive-behavioural decision authorship and coaches businesses in making the right decisions in their environment.

Listen and download this fascinating episode in which Annie shares the journey that got her into coaching decision-makers and interesting concepts such as loss aversion, and aspects of the human cognitive bias that can affect our forecasting.

In today’s episode:

• The way our mind works when it comes to quitting things
• The loss aversion bias in decision making
• Specificity vs. Sensitivity in decision making
• The ‘Thinking in Bets’ book and playing poker
• The role of luck in success

Links:

Annie Duke's Website

QUIT - The Power Of Knowing When To Walk Away

Annie's Other Books

Youtube Channel

Linkedin

Twitter

Book recommendations:

Phillip E.Tetlock and Dan Gardner- Super Forecasting

Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths- Algorithms to Live By

Alex Sangha- The Modern Thinker

Michael J. Mauboussin- The Success Equation: Untangling Skill and Luck in Business, Sports, and Investing

Daniel Kahneman- Thinking Fast and Slow

Richard H. Thaler- Nudge

Katy Milkman- How to change

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Leadership development is not about studying leadership, but about practising leadership in an intentional way, in a culture and environment that enables learning.

For over 20 years, Cameron Herold has been the mastermind behind hundreds of companies’ exponential growth and his passion for coaching and mentoring others earned him the reputation of THE CEO Whisperer.

His career in business coaching started with College Pro Painters, a house painting franchise he joined at the age of 21. This franchise turned out to be the perfect breeding ground for an entire generation of entrepreneurs and businesses.

By the age of 35, Cameron built his first two 100 Million Dollar companies and in just six years of being the COO for 1-800-GOT-JUNK? he transformed it into one of the most successful new business ventures of the last decade, with a spectacular growth from $2 Million to $106 Million in revenue.

In 2016 he founded the COO Alliancewith one simple goal in mind: to provide COOs with the same professional development and growth opportunities CEOs have enjoyed for many years.

In this episode, Cameron shares how he discovered his passion for mentoring leaders, his beginnings in the College Pro Painters franchise, and the strategies that CEOs should use to achieve alignment in their organisations.

We also dive in and talk about his 5 books, a truly powerful resource on leadership and growth solutions for companies.

In today’s episode:

• Where it all started- The College Pro Painters franchise
• Nurturing tomorrow’s business leaders
• Build real teams and achieve company alignment
• 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
• What’s the difference between a CEO and a COO
• Cameron’s fabulous books
• Living the nomad life

Links:

Website - cameronherold.com

Instagram- @cameron_herold_cooalliance

Linkedin - Cameron Herold

Facebook - Cameron Herold

Podcast - Second in Command

Youtube - COO Alliance

Cameron Herold - Published books

Cameron's solution to breeding high-performance leaders - Invest In Your Leaders

Cameron and his wife’s travel channel - @EverWanderTravel

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According to important voices in the economics sphere, inflation is back and here to stay. For companies, this “new normal” means that the world in which they do business has fundamentally changed. Their main priority now is to discover and apply new strategies that can ensure their survival.

Hermann Simon is a renowned speaker, founder and honorary chairman of the world’s number-one pricing consultancy, Simon-Kucher & Partners.

His impressive background and expertise in strategy and marketing recommend him as one of the world's most influential management thinkers and an invaluable source of knowledge on topics such as globalization, profit orientation, corporate strategy, world market leadership and pricing.

Hermann is also an acclaimed author with multiple bestsellers like Confessions of the Pricing Man and Hidden Champions of the Twenty-First Century, published and translated into over 25 languages.

Hermann joins me again in this new episode of The Melting Pot and shares some insights into his new book, Beating Inflation. This guide comes as a solution to the current economic inflation, exacerbated by the worldwide pandemic and the war between Ukraine and Russia. We debate on increased costs and pricing, how often should companies increase their prices so they don’t put too much strain on their clients and how to prepare their sales teams to combat inflation.

Download and listen! This is a conversation you don’t want to miss!

In today’s episode:

Hermann’s new book, Beating Inflation: An Agile, Concrete and Effective Corporate Guide

What is inflation and how to deal with it

How often should companies raise prices

Increasing prices as a consultancy business

Reducing cost by offshoring

How should leaders prepare their sales teams to tackle inflation

Managing the leaky bucket

Links:

Website - Hermann Simon

Linkedin- Hermann Simon

Twitter-@HermannSimon

Facebook- Hermann Simon

Youtube-Hermann Simon

Hermann Simon- Book catalogue

Links to a list of articles and interviews with Hermann

Hermann’s latest book-Beating Inflation- An Agile, Concrete and Effective Corporate Guide

Book recommendations:

Hermann Simon- Hidden Champions in the Chinese Century: Ascent and Transformation

Hermann Simon- True Profit!: No Company Ever Went Broke Turning a Profit

Hermann Simon- Beating Inflation- An Agile, Concrete and Effective Corporate Guide

Walt Bogdanich- When McKinsey Comes to Town: The Hidden Influence of the World's Most Powerful Consulting Firm

Hermann Simon- Many Worlds, One Life: A Remarkable Journey from Farmhouse to the Global Stage

Philip Baechtold- My Great Right

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A company’s success is measured by the happiness of its employees, and that goes for any industry we can think of. This sounds like basic knowledge, but increasing happiness in the workplace is one of the most overlooked and at the same time essential changes a company can make in order to be more successful. Often times even simple acknowledgements like a handshake or a hello at the beginning of the day can really impact an employee’s level of engagement and create a positive workplace culture.

Today, on The Melting Pot, we are joined by Tom Peters, a business management pioneer and co-author of “In Search Of Excellence”, the book that, to this day, is recognized as one of the most influential books about business practices. Through this work, Tom’s ultimate goal was to motivate business owners and entrepreneurs to focus more on their employees and the way their happiness directly affects productivity and to discover their products through the eyes of their customers.

Twenty books and forty years later, Tom is still one of the leading management thinkers, preaching about the importance of human connection and creating business excellence through work culture.

Listen and download this fascinating episode in which Tom shares the story behind his well-known bestseller, the legacy that leaders should really focus on leaving behind and his views on women as business leaders, remote leadership and building excellent culture in this “work from home” era.

In today’s episode:

40 years of “In Search Of Excellence”- the book that changed the way the world does business

Why businesses need more women leaders

A leader's job is to grow people

Remote leadership and building excellent culture and business in the “work from home” era

Tom’s latest book, “The Compact Guide To Excellence”

Links:

Website - Tom Peters.com

Linkedin- Tom Peters

Twitter-@tom_peters

Youtube- Tom Peters

Blog- tompeters!

Biography- Tom Peters

Publications-Tom Peters- books and articles

Tom’s latest book- Tom Peters' Compact Guide to Excellence

How Human Connection Can Lead A Business To Excellence With Tom Peters, Co-author Of “In Search Of Excellence”

Tom Peters is a well-renowned business management pioneer and co-author of “In Search of Excellence”, the book that even 40 years after its publication is still considered to be the book that changed the way the world does business. But as he himself declares, this is just one of the numerous ventures in his life and career.

Tom attended Cornell University where he received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and a master's degree and later on, earned an MBA and a PhD in Organizational Behaviourfrom the Stanford Graduate School of business. During the war in Vietnam, he served in the U.S. Navy, making two deployments as a Navy Seabee and also participated in an exchange program between the U.S. Navy and the Royal Navy (UK) which led to him serving as a midshipman on the HMS Tiger (a battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy during the 1910s).

While working forMcKinsey & Company, he was inspired to develop different practices for business management that support the idea that productivity can be achieved through people that work for the company, and that businesses should not focus only on financial data.

“I've spent my life trying to tell leaders to stand in the door in the morning and smile and say, glad to see you (but) the notion that the outcome in your organisation would be more affected by saying “good morning” than it would be by a business plan that could only be understood by Nobel laureates in mathematics, it just doesn't feel right to the business person. My little one-liner, one pager is business is people serving people, serving people. Leaders serving frontline employees, serving customers. It's all about that simple chain. That's the beginning, the middle, and the end.”

40 years of “In search of excellence”- the book that changed the way the world does business

Almost 40 years after its original publication, “In Search of Excellence” remains a widely read classic and an influential book for leaders and managers.

When Tom Peters and Robert Waterman were asked to do research on “culture” (or, as Tom translates it, “the way we do things around here”), they had the opportunity to meet John Young, the President of Hewlett Packard, one of the young companies that at the time was literally transforming the world. There, he got introduced to MBWA (management by wandering around) a style of business that offers managers the opportunity to connect directly with employees and collect information, deal with suggestions or complaints, and generally keep track of the organisation and increase productivity.

“That hour in Hewlett Packard, in retrospect obviously, I wouldn't have a sense of it at the time, changed my life more than anything. What I learned from MBWA is that leadership is an intimate act. It is about human interaction, whether it's the founder of the company, uh, or whomever and the 26-year-old engineer. Today, we call it culture, but it’s actually the humanity of the organization.”

But, four decades later, Tom thinks that companies still have a hard time realising the importance of employees and how their happiness unequivocally affects productivity.

“I find it as hard to sell today as it was years and years ago. People still wanna work on that hard stuff. They still wanna get the plan right. You know, my favourite quote of all is a general Omar Bradley quote: “Amateurs talk about strategy, professionals talk about logistics”. You can have the world's greatest strategy, but when you land on Omaha Beach on D-Day, unless the bullets are there to meet the guns, you know, all that other crap is immaterial.”

A leader's legacy is to develop people

Tom Peters remains to this day focused on putting people first and believes that training leaders to stay in intimate touch with the front-liners who do the real work is the best thing anyone can do for their company.

“The role of a leader is to develop people. The leader is not supposed to be the best engineer. The leader is supposed to be the person who takes that group of 15 engineers and allows them to flourish and learn.”

And most importantly, as Tom says, the true measure of a leader’s legacy is not the amount of money he collected in his career, but the number of people whose lives he managed to transform and improve while they were under his command.

“I did a lot of running around and speaking and I used PowerPoint slides. And my favourite one of all the millions had a tombstone on it, and on the tombstone said “$26,423,892 and 8 cents. Joe's net worth at the close of the market on the day he died”. And my comment is nobody's ever had a tombstone with their net worth on it.”

Why businesses need more women leaders

The stereotype that the business world is a male-dominated industry still exists. Companies need to renounce these old gender bias practices and realise that the perspective a woman brings into a business can breed creativity and innovative ideas that can push that organisation forward.

Everything, from the way they evolved over time to the basic human characteristics that they possess, makes women better candidates to create and develop communities.

There are even numerous studies that claim women are significantly “better-measured leaders than men”, says Tom, and the reticence regarding women's leadership is just another consequence of the fact that “we're still living in a boys' world.”

Remote leadership and building excellent culture and business in the “work from home” era

Despite his former beliefs, after these two years of Covid restrictions, Tom is now convinced that there is as much humanity and interaction in a remote environment as there is in a normal in-office attendance.

“I still believe in the value of getting together, it’s not a matter of one or the other, but I really believe that you can have an intimate, caring, people-centric organization where 98% of what you do is done remotely.”

It was also during that Covid period that Tom developed the “Covid 19 Seven Leadership Commandments” which summarised, reveal “the only thing that matters in the end”, which is “helping people grow, thrive and have better lives” because ultimately “the right thing to do is also the profitable thing to do”.

“ The Compact Guide To Excellence”

When asked about the book he prefers out of the 20 he’s written so far, Tom admits that the latest always becomes his favourite. But he feels that “The Compact Guide To Excellence”, co-written with Nancy Green, is really the first one of his books he’s fallen in love with.

“I've been writing about and talking about design and the power of design for 25 years, but the power of this book is its look, feel, taste, touch, and smell as much as it is the words that are inside.”

Book recommendations:

Stephen Trzeciak, Anthony Mazzarelli- Compassionomics: The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence That Caring Makes a Difference

Nicole Perlroth- This Is How They Tell Me The World Ends

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When it comes to leadership, we normally think of one person that is in charge of holding the reins and steering the direction of a company. While it might seem counterintuitive to our traditional view regarding authority, oftentimes equally sharing power and influence can have more benefits than we can imagine.

Robert Chapman, co-founder of Firebrand joins today’s episode of The Melting Pot and shares how Firebrand became an incontestable leader of the Accelerated Learning market, with 21 years of continued growth and performance even while going through three major recessions and a world pandemic.

We talk about the unconventional way he and his business partner Stefano Capaldo shared the responsibilities of leading the company as co-CEOs, the sales and marketing strategies they’ve improved and adapted for Firebrand and how they transformed Verne Harnish’s book, “Scaling up” into the perfect blueprint for scaling their company.

This is a fascinating episode packed full of insights, so make sure to download and listen.

In today’s episode:

• 21 years of successful business in an unconventional co-leadership
• Delivering high-quality training at twice the speed of traditional methods
• Leading a business through four recessions
• The Firebrand version of scaling up and the one thing that ensured its success
• Sales and Marketing strategies they learned at Onyx and implemented in Firebrand
• Selling to BPP

21 years of successful business in an unconventional co-leadership, with Robert Chapman, co-founder of Firebrand

Firebrand Training was co-founded by Stefano Capaldo and Robert Chapman and for the last 21 years has been a leader in the Accelerated Learning market.

Even though conventional wisdom says two heads are better than one, co-partnership in the business world is often looked at as the odd one out. So how did Robert and Stefano build a successful company under such unconventional leadership?

Like all relationships, being co-leaders requires trust, constant communication and a very clear understanding of the role each CEO has.

“I was in charge of business development, sales, marketing, go-to-market strategy, he was in charge of delivering, hence the cook it, catch it tactic. If I got the fish, I threw it over the fence and I just trusted Stefano to go and make sure a great meal conjures up.”

Delivering high-quality training at twice the speed of traditional methods

Since its inception in 2001, Firebrand has grown at an incredible rate, from a start-up to a £ 20 million business. A testament to the value they offer through their unique Accelerated Learning methodology is their applicants' high rate of success in getting their IT and project management certification.

“That puts a huge amount of pressure on us,” says Robert. “We gotta do a great job. We can't hide if the instructor's done a poor job of delivering that knowledge.”

Leading a business through four recessions

In regards to their leadership strategy, they’ve certainly made the right decisions, because successfully navigating a company through 4 major recessions including a global pandemic is not something everyone can do.

“We took some really difficult decisions. We did make some people redundant, we asked staff to take pay cuts. But by the end of 2020, we'd navigated those waters pretty well and in a really strong position financially and paid back all the staff that had pay cuts.”

“I do genuinely get really emotional because so many people went the extra mile during those periods and they genuinely didn't complain.”

The Firebrand version of scaling up and the one thing that ensured its success

When Brett Raynes, CEO of Cloud Direct and Robert’s good friend told him to read “Scaling up” written by Verne Harnish he didn’t imagine that this recommendation would become the blueprint for scaling Firebrand.

“I vividly remember him saying, I've just read this book called “Scaling up”. You should read it. I read it and then I said to Stef, you should read this because I think this is the answer to the problem we've got.”

So they tried everything in that book, and whatever stuck became the Firebrand version of scaling up. And from that trial and error strategy, there was one thing that became the determinant factor for their success.

“I'd say it's the meeting rhythm and getting the cadence of a business and forcing the business to meet,” says Robert. “ If you do just that one thing, I'd be amazed if your business doesn't fly.

Sales and Marketing strategies Robert learned at Onyx and implemented in Firebrand

There are three key factors that Robert claims to have worked for them and transformed Firebrand into an incontestable leader in the Market.

“Define your product, have great people, have great processes.”

If you manage to be disciplined and keep these three elements going and “build on brand memory in such a way that people recognize the thing, but don't get confused” then your path to success is almost guaranteed.

Deciding to sell

For Robert and Stefano, 2022 was the year of the great leap. After leading their business for two decades, it came time for them to sell.

“We planned it for years. You know, we didn't sort of wake up last November when BPP approached us and went, oh yeah, that's a great idea. We'll do that. We've been building up to it, again, off the back of scaling up. So it wasn't an overnight decision. (...) I’m 56 and when you think about it, you have to exit a business”, says Robert about Firebrand being recently acquired by BPP.

But they never forgot to take into consideration their staff and the years they’ve dedicated to Firebrand.

“I'm absolutely delighted that we've exited to BPP. It’s so much about it that’s right and the thing that’s most right it’s that it’s great for the staff of Fiber. That’s the thing I’m most proud of. So it wasn’t kind of, the money’s good but we don’t like the guy we’re selling to, which would have been a huge compromise.”

Links:

• Linkedin-Robert Chapman
• Website- Firebrand Training
• Linkedin- Firebrand Training
• Twitter- @BeAFirebrand

Book recommendations:

• Verne Harnish- Scaling up
• Andrew Griffiths- Someone Has To Be The Most Expensive, Why Not Make It You?
• Jim Collins- Turning The Flywheel
• Geoffrey Moore- Crossing The Chasm
• Richard Shotton- The Choice Factory: How 25 Behavioural Biases Influence the Products We Decide to Buy
• Andy Maslen- Write to Sell: The Ultimate Guide to Great Copywriting
• Conversion Rate Experts- Making Websites Win: Apply the Customer-Centric Methodology That Has Doubled the Sales of Many Leading Websites

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There’s no secret that, in today’s business climate, innovation is the only way companies can maintain an advantage over their competitors. No matter the field or industry you position yourself in, if you manage to create extra value for your company and the customers your company serves, you are almost undoubtedly destined for success.

But, in order to achieve this holy grail and transform your organization into an innovating engine, you first need to learn to listen to your customers and your employees and understand the role they play in helping you identify real problems and the right solutions for those problems.

Today’s guest on “The Melting Pot” is Ben M. Bensaou, professor and former Dean of Executive Education at INSEAD and business innovation thought leader. In his book, “Built to Innovate- Essential Practices to Wire Innovation Into Your Company's DNA”, Ben shares the proven system for building relentless innovation and culture that he discovered while researching companies from all over the world.

We talk about all of his findings and the skills he thinks are required to create that perfect innovating culture, so make sure to download and listen to this fascinating episode!

In today’s episode:

Solutions for businesses that struggle with innovation

Listen to your customer- they hold the key to discovering the weaknesses in your business

Three skills you need to develop in order to create the perfect exchange of information between you and your clients (or potential clients)

The importance of middle managers

How to identify real problems that need solving

Improve your ability to spot and develop good ideas for your business

Links:

Website - Built to Innovate

Linkedin- Ben M. Bensaou

Twitter- BenBensaou

Blog- Built to Innovate by Ben M. Bensaou

Biography & Publications- Ben M. Bensaou

Ben’s book- Built to Innovate- Essential Practices to Wire Innovation Into Your Company's DNA

Follow Dominic:

Website

Linkedin

Youtube

Blog

Mentions:

We Solve- an inclusive community engagement platform for companies and organizations that Co-create sustainable and lasting solutions together.

Kordsa- develops reinforcement technologies for the tires of automobiles, airplanes, motorcycles, agricultural and industrial vehicles.

Fiskars- a Finnish group company; its products are related to the home, outdoor activities, interior decoration and table setting.

Allianz Insurance- the largest general insurer in the UK, offering a range of personal and commercial insurance solutions for their customers.

W.L Gore & Associates- an American multinational manufacturing company specializing in products derived from fluoropolymers; it is best known as the developer of waterproof, breathable Gore-Tex fabrics

Book recommendations:

• Aidan McCullen- Undisruptable
• Sumantra Ghoshal-The Individualized Corporation

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Like most good ideas, the idea for Hoxby, the purpose-led organisation that exists to create a happier, more fulfilled society through a world of work without bias, came to co-founders Alex Hirst and Lizzie Penny, in the pub.

Fed up with, and burned out from the traditional way of working, they decided it simply wasn’t what they wanted. So they decided to take matters into their own hands.

Fast forward a decade and Alex and Lizzie not only changed the way they work, but they’ve also changed the way their community works too. A community made up of more than 1,000 handpicked, talented and diverse freelancers who work remotely in 30 countries around the world.

Alex and Lizzie have recently published a book, Workstyle, about how workstyle is better for wellbeing, improves productivity, and can reshape inclusion for the benefit of society. And in this episode of The Melting Pot, they share why they’re so passionate about autonomy at work, what Hoxby is, the conditions necessary to foster workstyle, and how to create connections remotely.

Book recommendations

• Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire - Akala
• Rebel Ideas: The Power of Diversity - Matthew Syed
• Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus

How The Future Works - Brian Elliott

On today’s podcast:

• What is Hoxby?
• Wellbeing, productivity & society
• The three conditions needed to foster workstyle
• How to implement Workstyle in your organisation
• How to create connection remotely

Links:

• Book - Workstyle Revolution
• Twitter – @ah_hirst, @Lizzie_Penny, @WeAreHoxby
• LinkedIn – Alex Hirst, Lizzie Penny
• Website – https://hoxby.com/, Workstyle Revolution

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Have you ever felt that you’re in a job that doesn’t fit your genius, but you’re not sure how to find your real purpose? Then don’t miss Jay Radia on this episode of The Melting Pot.

Having spent a few years in banking, working in a job that didn't bring him the joy he was after, Jay realised his unique expertise lay in coming up with ideas that need to be funded.

Today, Jay is the founder of startup studio, Bliss Growth. And he has founded three tech startups - the first three got to £1 million in 12 months, and two of them got to £10 million in three years. While Jay has invested in 25 angel investments, coming up with the idea is his secret sauce.

In this episode, Jay shares what the challenges of coming up with new ideas and funding rapid trajectory are, and what he's learned along the way, and how he got comfortable with not being the CEO anymore.

This is a truly insightful episode from a passionate entrepreneur, download and listen.

Book recommendations* Eckhart Tolle - A New Earth * Untethered Soul - Michael singer * Conscious Capitalism - John Mackey

On today’s podcast:

• Founding a corporate gifting company
• Find your genius zone
• How the Startup Studio works
• Understanding Screen Loop
• The importance of listening

Links:

• Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/Happy_Millionaire_Listen
• Website: Blissgrowth
• LinkedIn: Jay Radia
• Twitter: @jayradia_

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Did you know that the 80:20 principle also works in reverse? Whilst 80% of your output will come from 20% of your people, the same is true of your problems. Meaning 80% of the errors will be caused by 20% of your people.

But, says Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Organisational Psychologist, currently Chief Innovation Officer at ManpowerGroup, companies spend way more time on development than they do on talent acquisition.

So, what can you do about that? Well, don’t miss Tomas on this episode of The Melting Pot explaining how technology is revolutionising the recruitment role, why assessing candidates is a costly mistake, the difference between genders in terms of curiosity, why the world is so full of rubbish leaders, and how we can bring about change in leadership.

This is a fascinating episode, truly insightful. Download to listen.

Book recommendations

• Lisa Barrett Feldman - Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain
• Carmine Gallo - The Bezos Blueprint
• John Petrocelli - The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit
• Oxford Very Short Introductions
• Bill Perkins - Die With Zero

On today’s podcast:

• The problem with testing candidates
• It’s hard to know if you hired the right person
• Why is the world full of rubbish male leaders?
• How to bring about change in leadership
• The definition of leadership competence

Links:

• Website: Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic
• LinkedIn: Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic
• Twitter: @drtcp
• Book: Why do so many incompetent men become leaders? Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

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Are you looking for your next big adventure? How does rowing across the Atlantic sound? Think you’re not fit enough? Too old? Think again.

Guy Rigby, chair of the Entrepreneurial Services Group at Smith & Williamson, and founder of advisory and mentoring business, The Entrepreneurs’ Adviser, holds the world record for the oldest, fastest man to row across the Atlantic (aged 68), and he’s looking for crews to do the same for 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027.

But before we get into that, in this episode of The Melting Pot, we find out why a man in his late 60s would want to row the Atlantic, and more importantly, how on earth did he pull it off?

Want to learn more? Of course you do! Download and listen today.

On today’s podcast:

• UnLtd - the charity
• Rowing across the Atlantic Ocean
• The daily rowing routine
• Training for the row
• The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge

Links:

• Website: Guy Rigby
• Books: From Vision to Exit
• LinkedIn: Guy Rigby
• Twitter: @guyrigby
• Charity - UnLtd

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How do you deal with uncertainty? Do you avoid it at all costs or do you embrace the unknown excitedly?

To discuss the upside of uncertainty is husband and wife team, Nathan and Susannah Furr, authors of The Upside of Uncertainty.

As the Professor of Strategy and Innovation at INSEAD, and with a PhD from Stanford, Nathan is an expert in innovation and technology strategy. Susannah is an entrepreneur, designer, artist, and contrarian who’s recently started a bio-intensive garden as part of a ‘hope accelerator’ in Normandy, France.

On this episode of The Melting Pot, Nathan and Susannah share their experiences of tackling uncertainty, and discuss how you can improve and train your risk tolerance and seek the upside of uncertainty. And in doing so, how we can then impact organisations.

Download and listen to learn more.

On today’s podcast:

• The portal to possibility
• Uncertainty balances
• How do you teach uncertainty?
• Regret minimisation decision making
• Driving innovation inside businesses

Links:

• Books: The Upside of Uncertainty: A Guide to Finding Possibility in the Unknown
• Twitter: @nathan_furr
• LinkedIn: Nathan Furr
• Website: The Upside of Uncertainty

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Do you want to be a force for change in the world? Of course you do, but how to begin? That's actually the title of Michael Bungay Stanier’s latest book - How To Begin, a book written to help people be ambitious for themselves, for the world, to help them find their Worthy Goal, and start something thrilling, important, and daunting.

Best known for writing The Coaching Habit, a best selling coaching book that’s sold over 1.2 million copies world wide, Michael is back on The Melting Pot once more to talk about how you can figure out what that thing is you want to do, and then how you stop procrastinating so you can go and have an impact.

Having handed over the reins of Box of Crayons, a learning and development company, Michael has had to find his own worthy goal, and in this episode he shares how he stepped away from Box of Crayons, how to find your purpose, and the key elements of what makes a worthy goal.

To hear all this and more, download and listen today.

Book recommendations

High Conflict - Amanda Ripley

Super-Infinite - Katherine Rundell

On today’s podcast:

• How to Begin
• Stepping away from Box of Crayons
• Finding your purpose
• The key elements of a worthy goal
• The Care Matrix

Links:

• Books - Top Books & Training for Coaches, Mentors, Leaders
• Twitter – mbs_works
• LinkedIn – Michael Bungay Stanier
• Website – Michael Bungay Stanier

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How do you think about compensation in your organisation? In this episode of The Melting Pot, Verne Harnish, a world-leading expert, speaker, author, and entrepreneur in the field of business growth, shares his recent research into how different organisations tackle compensation.

Having founded the Entrepreneurs' Organisation in 1987, Verne’s also the Founder and CEO of Scaling Up, as well as author of Scaling Up, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, and co-author of The Greatest Business Decisions of All Time, for which Jim Collins wrote the foreword.

But it’s his latest book, Scaling Up Compensation, a short read at just over 100 pages, that Verne is discussing here. In this book, he explores over 100 case studies to help you move top and bottom lines by hundreds of percent, just by tweaking your existing comp plan.

While the case studies aren’t there for you to copy, let them inspire and guide you in how you can take compensation and make it work for you, so you can attract and retain the best possible talent you can afford, so you can build the best team money can buy for your organisation.

This is a fabulous conversation, download and listen now.

On today’s podcast:

• Scaling up compensation
• How to afford the A-players
• Let compensation set you apart
• Sales commission - yes or no?
• Promotions and a pay rise

Links:

• Book - Scaling Up Compensation
• Twitter – thegrowthguy
• LinkedIn – Verne Harnish
• Website – scalingup.com

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In this incredibly tight labour market where the power well and truly sits in the job seekers’ hands, how can you optimise your LinkedIn profile so that you make yourself (and your company) more attractive to A-players and job seekers? 

Don’t miss Donna Serdula, author of LinkedIn Profile Optimization for Dummies, and founder of LinkedIn specialist firm LinkedIn-Makeover, on this week’s episode of The Melting Pot. 

What should you do as a company? More specifically, what should you do as individual leaders and hiring managers to try and make it more likely that candidates, prospects, even partners, find you and connect with you on LinkedIn? 

Donna details how people should be thinking about this. She shares what you as an individual leader, a CEO, should be doing. How often should you post? Should you put hashtags on? If you do, which ones? Should you share content that's already on the LinkedIn platform? Or try to get people to connect to content off the platform?

To find out all this and more, download and listen to this episode today. 

On today’s podcast:

• How to show up to prospective candidates
• Selling the company culture in the description
• The LinkedIn algorithm
• How often to post on LinkedIn
• The golden hour
• All about hashtags

Links:

• Podcast: Dream Big with Big Dreamers
• Twitter: @donnaserdula
• Linkedin: Donna Serdula
• Website: LinkedIn-Makeover.com

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If you’ve grown your organisation and you’re now at the point where you don’t quite remember everyone’s name, and the coffee cups aren’t being stacked in the dishwasher, perhaps it’s time to reassess your company culture. 

To share how they’ve transitioned their culture as the organisation has grown to just over 150 people in 6 years, is co-founder and CEO of Jahnel Group, Darrin Jahnel. 

In this episode, Darrin explains why they’ve moved away from an executive team to implementing an extended leadership team, why he’s maniacal about company culture, and why they believe they've cracked the code on hybrid working. He also talks about inclusion, how he’s got people to show up to work being their authentic selves, as well as a fantastic metric for how many culture drivers per employee you need in your business.

So, to learn more about how to transition your culture as you grow, download and listen today.

On today’s podcast:

• Great culture starts with having a great team
• How to create a buzz
• Cracking the remote culture code
• The benefits of a buffet culture
• Overcoming scaling up hurdles

Links:

• Twitter: @djahnel
• LinkedIn: Darrin Jahnel
• Website: Jahnel Group

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Do you have a problem with the free flow of energy in your organisation? Perhaps you’ve been replacing individuals who aren’t performing only to find that their replacements are also not bringing in the results. Then you need to listen to Michael Cahill, author, trainer, coach and facilitator at MarketMatters.

Michael blends a rich and deep knowledge of NLP (neuro linguistic programming), Systemic Coaching and Constellations with his considerable experience of business and investment, to inspire change, growth and transformation within organisations.

In this episode, Michael explains systemic coaching, his energy model, and how making decisions with the right energy can make all the difference in your organisation. He also discusses how you build a business, what leadership looks like, how you make decisions, and how you become more strategic.

To learn more, download and listen today.

Book recommendations * ​​Daniel Pink - A Whole New Mind * Jim Collins - Good To Great * John Whittington - Systemic Coaching and Constellations

On today’s podcast:

• What is systemic coaching?
• What the business world can learn from Tiger Woods
• How to make decisions
• Difference between leadership and management
• Get clear on what you’re good at

Links:

• Book - An Investor's Guide to Analysing Companies and Valuing Shares
• Twitter –
• LinkedIn – Michael Cahill
• Website – Market Matters

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Leading from the heart is the secret to high performing teams and financial success, says leadership speaker, consultant, change agent for workplace engagement and culture, and author of ‘Lead From The Heart’, Mark C Crowley.

Mark has spent 25 years leading teams in the financial services industry to record breaking sales and profitability performance by focussing his leadership on the most authentic driver of human engagement - emotional connection.

In this, The Great Resignation, demonstrating to employees that you not only care about them, but value them and trust them, is one of the best ways to retain them. Simple, heart felt reciprocity, Mark found, is what is required for employees to not just excel, but routinely exceed expectations.

So, how do you lead from the heart? How do you connect with employees and redefine your employee proposition?

In this episode of The Melting Pot, Mark reveals why he advocates for leading from the heart, he shares a few simple ways that leaders can lead from the heart, and explains why, 11 years on, the Second Edition of his book is coming out.

Book recommendations

Leonard Mlodinow - Emotional

Swami Yogananda - The Autobiography of a Yogi

Zoe Chance - Influence is Your Superpower

Robert Cialdini - Influence

On today’s podcast:

• How to lead from the heart
• The influence of COVID on managers
• Why the Great Resignation is happening
• The benefits of reciprocity

Links:

• Book - Lead From The Heart: Transformational Leadership For The 21st Century
• Podcast - PODCASTS
• Twitter – MarkCCrowley
• LinkedIn – Mark C. Crowley
• Website – Mark C. Crowley

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If you’re struggling with your marketing efforts, or you’re concerned that what you’re doing isn’t working, or is a waste of time and money, then don’t miss Oren Greenberg, founder and CEO of Kurve, a digital marketing agency, on this episode of The Melting Pot. 

Now, Oren may specialise in search marketing, but he splits his time between getting companies to rank in Google, and being a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer with FTSE 250 companies such as Canon, Investec Bank, Lenovo & HomeServe, and supporting a number of the world's fastest scale-ups.

So, if you’re looking to hack growth marketing in your business, if you’re wondering where to spend your money - distribution or content, if you’re unsure about Account Based Marketing, if you don’t know where to start with building your marketing tech stack or even your marketing team, download and listen to this episode. 

On today’s podcast:

• Being a fractional CMO
• The difference between scale ups and corporates
• How to market in the current economy
• The benefits of marketing tech stack tools
• The truth about marketing success

Links:

• Skillshare (free course) - Grow your business through growth hacking experiments
• Twitter – @Orengreen
• LinkedIn – Oren Greenberg
• Website – Kurve

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If you struggle to have difficult conversations then you aren’t alone. According to Rasmus Hougaard, founder and CEO of global research, leadership development and consulting firm, Potential Project, only one in 100 of us are naturally wired to be able to give difficult feedback the right way, instinctively.

“You really have to step up if you want to lead people and learn how to do the hard things. Because it's the most compassionate and kind thing you can do. Everything else is indecent, period.”

Rasmus and the team at Potential Project have spent the last three years undertaking a huge research project to find out just how CEOs and leaders do hard stuff with humanity.

In this episode, Rasmus shares why he learned the art of mindfulness in Buddhist monasteries not just as a way of driving employee wellness, but actually driving leadership behaviours. He also explains why, if we care deeply about people, it's on us to be direct and to give them the feedback they need to grow to be the best version of themselves that they can be.

To find out more about the four behaviours Rasmus and the team uncovered, to create more trust, psychological safety, and improve performance in your individual employees, your teams, and the culture, download and listen to this episode.

Book recommendations

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying - Sogyal Rinpoche

Good to Great - Jim Collins

On today’s podcast:

• Why mindfulness is your secret business weapon
• The distinction between empathy and compassion
• Why women are better leaders
• The four behaviours that help do hard things humanely

Links:

• Book: Compassionate Leadership
• Twitter: @RasmusTPP
• Linkedin: Rasmus Hougaard
• Website: Compassionate Leadership, Potential Project

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How do you get people to bring their authentic selves to work? By building a culture of psychological safety in the workplace, says clinical psychologist, Dr Vikki Barnes.

With 10 years working in the NHS delivering psychology services to patients with mental health issues under her belt, and designing and leading the national wellbeing programme across the Virgin Group, Vikki subsequently set up her own business called Positive Wellbeing.

With Positive Wellbeing, she tries to bring the science of clinical psychology of positive psychology to those organisations she works with and tries to help them get the best from their people.

In this episode, Vikki discusses the Google programme Project Aristotle, how you can build psychological safety in the workplace, how to get people into flow, and how you can get people to be authentic and bring their best selves to work.

So, to learn how you can implement positive psychology in your workplace, download and listen to The Melting Pot today.

Book recommendations

Brene Brown - Daring Greatly

Wild Guides

On today’s podcast:

• The positive psychology movement
• The business benefit of positive psychology
• Getting into a state of flow
• Learning happy hormones

Links:

• Twitter – @DrVikkiBarnes
• LinkedIn – Dr Vikki Barnes
• Website – Dr Vikki Barnes

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How can you help your team to do the best work of their lives? By building a conducive culture that allows them to thrive.

Gustavo Razzetti is a sought-after speaker, culture consultant, and author of three books. He realised that most companies don’t lack ideas, resources, or talent, but rather an advantageous culture.

And so he created Fearless Culture, a workplace culture consulting firm, to help organisations become purpose-driven, agile, and innovative. He’s also the creator of the Culture Design Canvas, a culture mapping tool used by consultants, coaches, and organisations worldwide.

On this episode of The Melting Pot, Gustavo discusses the book he wrote during the pandemic, Remote Not Distant, which takes the concept of deliberately designing a culture and applying it to a new normal hybrid workplace.

Because how do you design a culture that helps everyone thrive when not everybody is office based? Download and listen to find out.

Book recommendations:

Insight: The Power Of Self-Awareness In A Self-Deluded World - Tasha Eurich

Creativity, Inc - Ed Catmull

On today’s podcast:

• Determining the work model
• Why you should care about culture
• Creating rituals when remote working
• The benefits of feedback
• Decentralised decision making

Links:

• Book - Remote Not Distant: Design a Company Culture That Will Help You Thrive in a Hybrid Workplace
• Twitter – @gusrazzetti
• LinkedIn – Gustavo Razzetti
• Website – https://fearlessculture.design
• Culture Mapping Tool - Culture Design Canvas

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Do you aspire for your company to become a Hidden Champion?

Hidden champions are what businessman and bestselling author, Hermann Simon, describes as medium-sized, unknown companies with annual revenues under $5 billion that have quietly, under the radar, become world market leaders in their respective industries.

Having previously written about hidden champions in his bestselling book, Hidden Champions, Hermann now explores China’s continued impact on the business world since its meteoric rise in the global business and economic sphere in recent years.

While the main focus of Hermann’s research is on companies in German-speaking countries, because they comprise 56% of the world’s hidden champions, their success factors can be applied globally to any mid-sized companies as they strive to become global market leaders.

“The takeaway is to go really deep, find something you can really be the best in the world, that will drive your profit margin. It will drive a strategic moat around your business. You can be world famous in your niche.”

So, whether your company is a “Hidden Champion”, or aspires to be one, don’t miss Hermann on this week’s episode of The Melting Pot.

On today’s podcast:

• Hidden Champions
• The hidden champion culture
• Chinese hidden champions
• The problem with startups
• Mental globalisation

Links:

• Book - Hidden Champions in the Chinese Century
• Twitter – @HermannSimon
• LinkedIn – Hermann Simon
• Website – Hermann Simon

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If you’re thinking about targeting the US market with your startup or to scale up business, do you have a US expansion plan? Don’t miss Daniel Glazer, an American technology lawyer and strategic business adviser, and founding partner of Wilson Sonsini’s London office on this episode.

If you’re confused as to why you would need legal support so early in the process, Daniel explains the difference between hiring a lawyer in the UK and hiring a lawyer in the US, in particular why having lawyers attached to companies is a much more strategic decision in the early life of a US business.

But mostly what Daniel talks about in this latest episode of The Melting Pot is US expansion - M&A, moving your HQ to the US, raising money in the US, or wanting to do an IPO on one of the stock exchanges in North America.

Honestly, nobody knows more about how to launch into the US as a European technology business than Daniel. So if the US is where you’re heading, download and listen to this episode.

Book recommendations

Venture Deals - Brad Feld

On today’s podcast:

• Difference between US and UK approach to legal advice
• Why businesses seek US expansion
• What you need to trade in the US
• 8 primary considerations for companies considering setting up in the US
• When’s the right time to go?

Links:

• Twitter – @DanielCGlazer
• LinkedIn – Daniel Glazer
• Website – Daniel Glazer | Wilson Sonsini

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The fundamental unit of growth in any organisation is the individual.

The more you understand about how to respond to your own deep longing to grow, the greater your capacity to grow your people, to grow your organisation, says Whitney Johnson, co-founder of tech-enabled talent development company, Disruption Advisors.

Disruption Advisors supports people and organisations through coaching, training, and technology, empowering innovation through disruption. Whitney’s latest book, Smart Growth, explains if you grow your people, you grow your company.

In this episode of The Melting Pot, Whitney talks about the S curve model and what it means to you as an individual, how to start one, how to envisage it, how to get up when you might get stuck.

And by way of as an example, we use Whitney's personal journey along her own S curve of public speaking. So, if you’re looking to grow your organisation, your team, or individually, download and listen to Whitney today.

Book recommendations:

Bittersweet - Susan Kane

Range - David Epstein

Anti Time Management - Richie Norton

On today’s podcast:

• The S curve
• What drives motivation
• The S curve - the launch point, the sweet spot and mastery
• Moving beyond mastery
• Grow your people to grow your company

Links:

• Books – Whitney Johnson
• Twitter – @johnsonwhitney
• LinkedIn – Whitney Johnson
• Website – www.whitneyjohnson.com

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What do you need to do your best work? That is the question David Lancefield strives to find the answer for with his clients in his role as CEO catalyst, strategist and coach.

What does that mean? It means David works with CEOs, senior professionals and executives, helping them become more extraordinary, by focusing on strategy, innovation, leadership and culture.

In this episode of The Melting Pot, David talks us through how a new leadership team comes together and gets to agree on the way forward, how and why M&A or creating new teams works and doesn't work, as well as sharing how leaders can set priorities, i.e. how do you bring a team together to agree on the few things that the team needs to do?

This is a fascinating episode packed full of insights, so grab a pen and paper and listen.

Book recommendations:

• How To Begin - Michael Bungay Stanier
• Creative Construction - Gary Pisano

On today’s podcast:

• Being a catalyst for CEOs
• Why he has an anti-office mentality
• Laying the foundations for psychological safety
• What it takes to do amazing work
• How to have better meetings

Links:

• Newsletter - Newsletter | David Lancefield
• Twitter – @Dlancefield
• LinkedIn – David Lancefield
• Website – David Lancefield
• Lancefield on the Line podcast

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How can you change someone’s mind? Don’t miss David McRaney, a science journalist fascinated with brains, minds, and culture, explain all in this podcast. 

In this episode, David, author of three books, discusses his latest book ‘How Minds Change’. He lifts the lid on how people who believe in flat Earth come to believe in flat Earth; how people who are anti vaxxers come to have that as their belief system; as well as explain the Dunning Kruger effect. 

Why are these insights relevant to the modern workplace? 

Because the results of these studies have far reaching implications, including how you hold your management team meetings, your all hands meeting, how you hire, how you might want to hire to avoid bias, as well as overcome the heuristics that are in place that make you make snap decisions on people. 

This is a fantastic episode, we’re sure you’ll enjoy it as much as we did.

On today’s podcast:

• How to change minds
• The people swap experiment
• Difference in gender confidence
• The Dunning Kruger effect
• The Halo effect at work
• Understanding pluralistic ignorance

Links:

• www.youarenotsosmart.com
• Twitter – @davidmcraney
• LinkedIn – David McRaney
• Website – David McRaney

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What does the future of your office look like? Are all of your employees back to work yet? Or do you have a hybrid approach to working? 

That’s the question today’s guest, Peter Cappelli, Professor of Management at Wharton School, and director of Wharton's Centre for Human Resources, has been researching. 

Why do we go to offices and what don’t we like about them? In the wake of the pandemic, our thoughts around offices have changed dramatically, with more employees than ever before keen to adopt a hybrid approach to work. 

But having zero offices and fully remote staff simply doesn’t benefit employers (or employees), yet according to the Financial Times, the UK is one of the last countries where offices have returned to ‘normal’, so what gives?

In this latest episode of The Melting Pot, Peter shares his thoughts on AI, the decline in employee training, and why it’s so hard to hire in the current market. 

On today’s podcast:

• Will college pay off?
• The hiring conundrum
• Training in the workplace
• The remote working conundrum
• The future of the office

Links:

• Book - The Future of the Office
• Twitter – @Linked_name
• LinkedIn – Peter Cappelli
• Website – Peter Cappelli
• FT article - UK ahead of European peers on shift to working from home | Financial Times

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Are you struggling to create a simple strategy for your business? Then don’t miss Felix Oberholzer-Gee, faculty member at Harvard Business School in the Strategy Unit, and author of the recent book on strategy: Better, Simpler Strategy, on this week’s episode of The Melting Pot.

In Felix’s new book, he shows readers how to create value based strategy with their service or product. Not in the sense of making customers or employees happy, but in so much as - creating a product or service that delivers so much value, people are willing to pay more for it.

The simple truth of the matter, says Felix, is that business and financial success boils down to imagination. Finding new ways to serve your customers or employees better will always yield better business results. But it’s amazing how many businesses have forgotten this simple strategy in their quest to be successful.

So, if you’re overthinking your business strategy, or you think you have no place to think strategically, think again.

To find out more, download and listen to this latest episode.

Book recommendations* Youngme Moon - Different * Madeleine Thien - Do Not Say We Have Nothing

On today’s podcast:

• Strategy is all about value creation
• Applying strategy to staff retention
• You can be high quality and low cost
• The discovery of complements

Links:

• Book - Better, Simpler Strategy: A Value-Based Guide to Exceptional Performance
• Twitter – @fogathbs
• LinkedIn – Felix Oberholzer-Gee
• Website – Felix Oberholzer-Gee

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If your business is struggling to innovate, or is in fact resisting innovation all together, then don’t miss Anthony Rose, founder and CEO of SeedLegals on this week’s episode of The Melting Pot.

Who better to learn from about how to incorporate, raise funds and grow your business, than the founder of the startup that one in six of all early-stage startups in the UK are using in their funding rounds.

Widely known as “The man behind BBC iPlayer”, Anthony ran the iPlayer and other BBC services from 2007 to 2010, taking the iPlayer from pre-launch to a major success story.

In this episode, Anthony talks about the jobs that only the CEO should do, including the CEO’s role in innovation, building company culture, getting to product market fit, and why, when you’ve got product market fit, the most important job of a CEO is to then manage culture.

This is a truly insightful episode and a must listen for all leaders of startups looking to grow and build their companies.

Book recommendations:

The Mom Test - Rob Fitzpatrick

History of Western Philosophy - Bertrand Russell

On today’s podcast:

• Making lawyers redundant
• The CEO’s role in innovation
• How to innovate
• Why CEOs are responsible for culture

Links:

• Twitter – @anthonyrose
• LinkedIn – Anthony Rose
• Website – SeedLegals

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Are you a mid to late ‘nail it’ stage business, trying to scale your company? Then you don’t want to miss Lex Sisney, business coach and author of Organizational Physics, on this week’s episode of The Melting Pot.

Organizational Physics might be an odd title for a book, but it’s memorable, and it explains the repeatable systems that all organisations have difficulties with. But more importantly, it teaches readers how to overcome their issues by redesigning their organisation’s structure.

Rather than thinking in terms of hierarchy, or thinking about your business’ org chart, Lex advises clients to think about things that need to be done in the short term and things that need to be done in the long term. Because there are things that have to be effective, and things that have to be efficient to scale a business.

So, if you’re looking for guidance about how to scale your business, or you need a new way to look at your organisational design, then this is a conversation you’ll want to listen to.

Book recommendations

• Marty Cagan - Inspired
• Marty Cagan - Empowered
• The Arbinger Institute - The Outward Mindset
• Shirzad Chamine - Positive Intelligence

On today’s podcast:

• Why businesses need organisational physics
• Understanding corporate life cycles
• The importance of structure in a business
• How to use org structures

Links:

• Book: Organizational Physics - Lex Sisney
• Website: https://www.OrganizationalPhysics.com
• LinkedIn: Lex Sisney
• Twitter: lexsisney

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If you’re looking for advice on how to grow and scale your startup or business, then don’t miss Jeff Hoffman, founder of booking.com, award-winning global entrepreneur, proven CEO, worldwide motivational speaker, bestselling author, and Hollywood film producer on this week’s episode of The Melting Pot.

Jeff has been an entrepreneurial CEO from the second day he joined university. He got kicked out of Yale University because he couldn’t pay the tuition fees and started a business on his second day of school to pay for his college education.

You might have heard of his little venture… booking.com (priceline.com in the US).

Jeff has recently put pen to paper and written down the seven principles for growing a business in his book, SCALE: Seven Proven Principles to Grow Your Business and Get Your Life Back.

In this episode of The Melting Pot, Jeff talks about the importance of mindset, why CEOs need to get out of the way, and what the role of a CEO really is. So grab a pen and paper now, this is a truly insightful podcast, you’ll want to take notes.

On today’s podcast:

• The importance of mindset
• Why CEOs need to get out of the way
• How to recruit great people
• The CEO’s job
• Learn why your customers buy from you

Links:

• Book: Jeff Hoffman - SCALE: Seven Proven Principles to Grow Your Business and Get Your Life Back
• Twitter – SpeakerJeff
• LinkedIn: Jeff Hoffman
• Website: Jeff Hoffman, Global Entrepreneurship Network,
• TV show - Click-to-Invest series | Going Public®

Book recommendations:

• Paulo Coelho - The Alchemist
• Mitch Albom - Five People You Meet In Heaven

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Think your organisation is too small to outsource processes? Think again, says CEO and founder of Smartsourcing, Mike Selfe. If you feel like your team’s time could be better spent elsewhere then don’t miss Mike explaining how Smartsourcing supports small businesses. 

Founded in 2015, Smartsourcing, a purpose led, business process outsourcing (BPO) organisation based out of Cebu, Philippines, has been growing 100% year on year, with 350 staff now on their books. 

In this insightful episode, Mike discusses how they handle the challenge that significant growth brings, how they tackle recruitment challenges, and what it takes and what it looks like to be awarded Great Place to Work certification.

Finally, he reveals how Smartsourcing has managed business continuity following a natural disaster - just 24 hours after Cebu was devastated by the Typhoon Odette, MIke and a skeleton team were back ‘at work’ the next day.  

So, if you’re looking for a way to maximise your team’s productivity and efficiency, listen today to find out more about how business process outsourcing (BPO) could help your small businesses. 

On today’s podcast:

• Changing lives for good through BPO
• Handling the recruitment challenge
• Weathering the storm
• The importance of business continuity
• No business is too small to outsource

Links:

• LinkedIn – Mike Selfe
• Website – smartsourcing.co
• Charity - Habitat for Humanity

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If you’re in the legal, accounting or professional services sector and you’re looking to harness the intelligence and creativity of your partners and employees through performance management, don’t miss Ray D’Cruz, CEO of Performance Leader, a consulting and software for professional services firms, on The Melting Pot. 

In this episode, Ray shares why firms should consider moving away from the annual performance review for partners and employees, to a more 360 review, incorporating client feedback and behavioural and project based feedback.

He discusses why prioritising leadership is vital in remote or hybrid organisations, why purpose is more important than ever before, and how nudge tools can benefit everyone. 

So, if you’re wondering how to leverage performance and feedback software in your professional services firm, download and listen today.

On today’s podcast:

• The problem with a traditional performance review
• The benefit of continual performance management
• Using nudge tech for hybrid working
• The growing interest in purpose

Links:

• Pre-order book -  Ray D’cruz - The Partner Remuneration Handbook
• Performance Leaders podcast
• Twitter – @PerformanceLDR
• LinkedIn – Ray D'Cruz
• Website – Performance Leader

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Do your employees love your business? asks James L Heskett, UPS Foundation Professor Emeritus at Harvard Business School and author of Win from Within. Because if your employees don’t love your company, your customers won’t love it either. 

In Win from Within, James argues about the importance of building organisational culture for competitive advantage. Having spent 30 years on this journey, his latest book is about busting myths and shattering beliefs around what it takes to build an organisation's culture. 

Why is your company culture so important? Because, argues James, if you need to attract customers, then you need to have great employees. And to attract great employees, you need to have a great environment that encourages them to come join you and to stay the course. 

In fact, the most amazingly successful businesses, says James, are those who have at their heart the trifecta of employee engagement, customer engagement, and sales, growth and profit levels for the investor. 

Does yours? 

To find out more, download and listen to this episode today. 

On today’s podcast:

• The obsession with culture
• Win from Within
• The four steps to hire great employees
• It doesn’t take long to change culture
• The problem with the hybrid work model

Links:

• Article - Does Remote Work Mix with Organisational Culture?
• Book - Win from Within: Build Organisational Culture for Competitive Advantage
• Website – James L. Heskett

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If you’ve found that the way your organisation does things isn’t working for you any more, rather than flogging a dead horse, why not try a new way of thinking?

In this episode of The Melting Pot, Roger L Martin, author, advisor, speaker, and one of the world’s top business thinkers, shares how he turned Canadian Tennis around, as well how he took the Rotman School of Management and transformed it into Canada’s #1 business school, on a limited budget.

Now when company leaders come to him for help, his response is to first break the spell of their current way of thinking. But how can you transform your way of thinking?

Download and listen to this insightful episode to find out more.

On today’s podcast:

• Business writing in the academic world
• Elevating the Canadian Tennis Federation
• A New Way to Think
• Why strategy and execution are the same thing
• Why he doesn’t believe in OKRs

Links:

• Book: A New Way to Think: Your Guide to Superior Management Effectiveness
• Twitter: @RogerLMartin
• LinkedIn: Roger L Martin
• Website: Roger Martin

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Having travelled to every country in the world, Scott Keller, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, New York Times best selling author of Beyond performance 2.0 and CEO Excellence, was looking for a new challenge. And he found it during lockdown. 

Along with his fellow authors, he sought to uncover what makes the best CEOs of this century the best. They combined extensive quantitative analysis with in-depth interviews with today’s top CEOs to understand what sets exceptional leaders apart.

And they found the best CEOs have to master six core things to become great. Because, and Scott uses the analogy of Ashton Eaton, the greatest decathlete of all time here - no decathlete is the best 100 metre runner in the world or the best Javelin thrower, they have to not suck at anything, while being amazing at everything.

In this episode of The Melting Pot, Scott shares the methodology they used to narrow down their list of CEOs from 7,800 to the 67 they interviewed, before discussing the six things they found were the core of every great CEO. 

On today’s podcast:

• Why we need to own our goals
• How hard it is being CEO
• Great CEOs have humility
• The decathlete analogy
• The six core elements of the CEO role
• The link between mindset and CEO excellence

Links:

• Book - CEO Excellence
• Twitter – @Linked_name
• LinkedIn – Scott Keller
• Website – McKinsey & Company

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How can you be the leader you want to be, every day? The answer, says Amy Jen Su, lies in focusing on five key leadership elements - Purpose, Process, People, Presence, and Peace.

In this enjoyable conversation, Amy, CEO and leadership coach of 20 years, author of The Leader You Want to Be: Five Essential Principles to Bringing Out Your Best Self - Every Day, and co-founder and Managing Partner of Paravis Partners, a boutique executive coaching and leadership development firm, talks listeners through the five essential principles that she’s identified for bringing out your best self.

Because, says Amy, the answer lies within.

“My own mission as a coach is how can I help others be who they're meant to be and make the difference they're meant to make without this tremendous sacrifice towards our health, our relationships, [all within the] life that we're living.”

So, if you haven’t worked out what your purpose is yet, or if you have, but you’re still figuring out how you can deliver that purpose, don’t miss Amy on this episode of The Melting Pot.

On today’s podcast:

• The challenge around culture
• What sets high performance organisations apart
• Being a lifelong learner
• The five essential principles
• Defining your purpose

Links:

• Book: The Leader You Want to Be: Five Essential Principles for Bringing Out Your Best Self--Every Day
• Twitter – @AmyJenSu
• LinkedIn – Amy Jen Su
• Website – Paravis Partners, LLC

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To stay ahead of the curve, organisations need to innovate. But how do you structure innovation if you run a large corporation? Where do you put the money? Who’s in charge? How do you get sales to not be a blocker?

These are the questions (among many) answered by Jim A Euchner in this week’s episode of The Melting Pot.

Jim is an expert in how to innovate inside large corporations having been Vice President of Global Innovation at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, where he led the development of new businesses and helped launch five businesses on three continents.

So if you’re wondering how your organisation can adopt a Lean Startup approach to innovation, don’t miss this hugely insightful episode with Jim.

On today’s podcast:

• Overcoming resistance to innovation
• How Goodyear innovates
• The need for multiple routes to market
• Two critical things people fail to do
• The benefits of incubation

Links:

• Book - Lean Startup In Large Organisations: Overcoming Resistance To Innovation
• Twitter – @jaeuchner
• LinkedIn – James Euchner
• Website – Lean Startup in Organizations

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If you’re thinking of selling your business, or you’re wanting to create value to make your business more attractive to potential acquirers, then don’t miss Robert Belgrave, CEO EMEA for Pax8 and co-founder of Ecologi, on this week’s The Melting Pot. 

Having founded Wirehive in 2012, with a vision to create the sort of business they themselves wanted to be a part of, Wirehive was subsequently acquired by Pax8 in 2021. 

So how can you replicate their success and set up your business for a future sale? To make it attractive to potential buyers? 

In this latest episode, Rob shares how they set Wirehive up to be acquired - the specific decisions they made to enable success, how they chose who they wanted to acquire them, how they triggered the process without a formal advisor to help them, and what (if anything) he might have done differently. 

If this all sounds like something you’re going through or are about to go through, download and listen today. 

On today’s podcast:

• Tackling the climate crisis with Ecologi
• Building a business to sell
• Selling without a broker
• Choosing a buyer
• The hiring challenge

Links:

• Twitter – @RobertBelgrave
• LinkedIn – Robert Belgrave
• Website – https://ecologi.com, Pax8 UK

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Are you worried your business hasn’t hit the big time yet? Don’t be, says Morris Miller, former managing director at Rackspace, now the managing partner of Tectonic Ventures. Most of the businesses he’s involved in have become overnight successes, only after being in business for 10 years. 

Morris is also the CEO of Xenex Disinfection Services, a business he was drawn to because the original founders were mission driven to not just change lives, but save thousands of lives by stopping the spread of pathogens within healthcare facilities. 

How? Because Xenex makes UV germ-zapping robots that are 22X better at destroying  superbugs  than the standard hospital cleaning routine of cleaning, mopping, and bleaching alone. 

So, if you’re concerned that your business isn’t a success yet, don’t miss Morris share the two pillars that contribute to overnight success: listening to customers and the talent density you amass.

On today’s podcast:

• Germ-zapping robots - LightStrike 6
• Xenon vs manual housekeeping
• Mission driven businesses
• 10 years to become an overnight success
• Hiring the right people

Links:

• Twitter – @Linked_name
• LinkedIn – Morris Miller
• Website – Xenex Disinfection Services

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How can you maximise sales growth while minimising the workload and stress on both you and your executive teams?

This is what Aaron Ross, dad of 10 kids, co-author of From Impossible To Inevitable and author of Predictable Revenue, is currently advising revenue executives about.

In this latest episode of The Melting Pot, Aaron shares what’s changed in the world of work since he wrote Predictable Revenue back in 2011. Because the world has moved on a lot since then - what implications are there now for both sales and executives as a result of the pandemic?

If you’re finding that your outbound sales are broadening out, and you’re wondering how to create predictable, scalable revenue, then don’t miss the world's foremost expert on outbound sales development chat about what works for him.

Because juggling 10 kids, being on numerous SaaS boards and being an author is a serious skill to master.

On today’s podcast:

• Predictable Revenue & From Impossible to Inevitable
• Why sales need specialist roles
• The increase in outbound noise
• Rebalancing the workplace
• Post-pandemic sales recruitment
• The importance of self-care

Links:

• Book - From Impossible to Inevitable
• Twitter – @motoceo
• LinkedIn – Aaron Ross
• Website – Predictable Revenue

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Is your business founded on a clear purpose? Bobby Herrara, author of The Gift of Struggle, founded Populus Group in 2002, a company set up to help organisations manage their non-permanent employees. But what does purpose have to do with HR?

Bobby is passionate about helping people understand and overcome their struggle. He’s a firm believer that by aligning yourself and your company around your purpose can have a profound impact on you, the people around you, and the people your organisation touches.

What’s interesting about Bobby is that he’s so driven by his purpose, that even though he didn’t share his origin story with his employees for over 10 years, he was so inspirational the business still reached $100 million turnover in those first 10 years. However, after sharing his origin story, they added another $500 million in the next 10 years.

That’s the power of purpose right there.

So what is Bobby’s origin story? You’ll have to listen to find out.

Don’t miss Bobby on this week’s episode also shares the three pillars he’s built his business on, and why his organisation will go out of their way to back the underdog and solve problems for people.

On today’s podcast:

• Discovering his purpose
• Populus Group
• The bus encounter
• How to recruit great staff
• Working Genius

Links:

• Book - The Gift of Struggle: Life-Changing Lessons About Leading Hardcover
• Twitter – @BobbyHerreraPG
• LinkedIn – Bobby Herrera
• Website – Bobby Herrera, populusgroup.com/

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If you’re the CEO and you think people should get to meetings on time, yet you don’t, that’s never going to create a culture of accountability.

Luckily for you, on this week’s episode of The Melting Pot, we have the author of the book Creating a Culture of Accountability, business and leadership coach and speaker, Mark Green. 

“The reason I wrote the book is because I have yet to observe an organisation of any size and scope, anywhere on the planet in any industry, who one way or another didn't have a significant struggle with accountability.”

If you’re thinking - well we don’t have an accountability problem, be truthful: do things always get accomplished by your team? Without drama? On a regular basis? 

Exactly. 

If you want to learn how to make people in your organisation more accountable, don’t miss Mark explain his definition of accountability. He also shares the exercise he gets his clients to undertake about how to identify what they’re accountable for. And he explains the three elements of accountability. 

On today’s podcast:

• Creating a culture of accountability
• Don’t equate accountable with contribution
• Three elements to accountability
• Role accountability
• Process accountability
• Leading by example

Links:

• Book - Creating a Culture of Accountability
• Twitter – @MarkEGreen
• LinkedIn – Mark Green
• Website –  Mark Green

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Why do some organisations grow really quickly? How do they reach the scale that they do? If you’re looking for the secret sauce to make your company grow exponentially, then don’t miss Chris Yeh on this week’s episode of The Melting Pot. 

Chris is a venture capitalist with Blitzscaling Ventures, educator at the Blitzscaling Academy, and co-author with LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, of bestselling books Alliance and Blitzscaling (among others).

In this latest episode, Chris explains why companies and employees lie to each other, why we all need to be having more grown up conversations, and why he wrote Blitzscaling. 

He also discusses the algorithm his VC firm has built to score companies as they come to market looking for money, and shares his thoughts on the most interesting businesses to come to market in recent years (and the ones to avoid). 

Download and listen today. 

On today’s podcast:

• The lies employees and companies tell each other
• What Blitzscaling is
• Successful companies and ones to be wary of
• What makes a business attractive to investors
• The meaning of life in 60 seconds

Links:

• Book (Blitzscaling): Blitzscaling
• Podcast: The Chris Yeh Podcast
• Twitter – @chrisyeh
• LinkedIn – Chris Yeh
• Website – Chris Yeh

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Is your organisation looking for a new growth strategy? Are you about to undergo a digital transformation? Perhaps you already have but you’re not sure what the next step for you is. 

In this episode of The Melting Pot, Paul Leinwand and Matt Mani, both of PwC and Strategy&, discuss the book they’ve written, Beyond Digital, the result of their research into companies that have successfully undergone a digital transformation. 

But just what is a digital transformation? What does one look like? What does it entail? And what did these companies have to do to achieve it? What changes did they have to make in their leadership team? In their business? How did they plan for and execute on their digital transformation plan? 

Don’t miss Paul and Matt share all of this and more, using examples from the Japanese construction firm Komatsu and Starbucks. This is a fantastic conversation, we’re sure you’ll enjoy it as much as we did.

On today’s podcast:

• Beyond Digital
• The definition of a transformation
• Learning from companies that have digitally transformed
• The social contract with your people

Links:

• Beyond Digital | Strategy& + PwC
• https://store.hbr.org/product/beyond-digital-how-great-leaders-transform-their-organizations-and-shape-the-future/10527?sku=10527E-KND-ENG
• Twitter – @paulleinwand, @MMahadev
• LinkedIn – Paul Leinwand & Matt Mani
• Website – Beyond Digital | Strategy& + PwC

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What do your customers say about you? What sort of customer experience do you deliver? Today’s guest, Jeff Toister, has quite literally written the book (well, four books) on service culture, and he’s here to discuss his latest book - The Service Culture Handbook.

Jeff has trained over 1 million people in customer service. He has the number one training course on LinkedIn Learning, and he makes a living from being a public speaker and author on this very topic.

So just how do you guarantee customer experience? What can you do to set your business apart from the competition?

Don’t miss this fantastic conversation, and listen to the very end where Jeff shares a fantastic exercise for leaders to try - something they can do today to make a difference to the customer service in their organisation.

On today’s podcast:

• Do employees need to love the products?
• What customer experience are you trying to create?
• What guarantee customer experience looks like
• How to make a difference tomorrow

Links:

• Book: The Service Culture Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Your Employees Obsessed with Customer Service
• Twitter – @toister
• LinkedIn: Jeff Toister
• Website: Toister Performance Solutions

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Are you scaling up to exit your business or are you focused on scaling up to build a more sustainable business? Either way, don’t miss Stuart Ross, author of The Scale Up Leader on this week’s episode of The Melting Pot. 

Stuart is a business coach who started life as a buyer for Burton Arcadia group. From there he moved to Boots where he led a number of innovations such as launching their first website (and they were so cheap they wouldn’t pay for the .com, only the .co.uk, and then subsequently spent a small fortune a few years later acquiring the .com, but that’s another story.) 

He also launched the meal deal - something almost everyone on the highstreet has now, and he worked on the Boots Advantage Card.

Stuart launched his consulting coaching business High Growth in 2012, and today he works with a range of clients across the UK and the US. He also features frequently in the news, talking about what it takes to build a scale up business. Scaling up is something he’s so passionate about, he’s written a book about it. Which is precisely what he discusses in this episode. 

So if you’re wanting to grow and scale up your business, download and listen today. 

On today’s podcast:

• High Growth & The Scale Up Leader
• A company can’t outperform the leadership
• Developing the right habits
• Who do you want to be?
• Learn to let go

Links:

• Stuart Ross, High Growth
• Twitter – @high_growth
• LinkedIn – Stuart Ross
• Website – High Growth

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How loyal are your customers and employees? How likely are they to refer your organisation to their colleagues and friends? 

This is the basis of the Net Promoter System, a way of measuring customer retention devised by Fred Reichheld in the 1990s. Because Fred realised that if you increase customer retention, your profits will grow. 

Fred assumed that having discovered this and told people about it that all businesses would instantly put customers first. That what he’d come up with was a one and done thing. He hadn’t realised how hard it would be to change mindset. 

So Fred invented the Net Promoter Score so that businesses could measure this thing that drives retention. And he found that it all boils down to one simple question - would you recommend X company to a friend or colleague?

It’s that simple. Yet here we are, some 20+ years later still arguing about NPS. 

So Fred’s written another book called - Winning On Purpose, The Unbeatable Strategy Of Loving Customers (link below), and it’s a more accountancy based metric i.e. earned revenue or earned growth rate. 

This is a truly fantastic conversation with Fred, we enjoyed it immensely, we’re sure you will too. 

On today’s podcast:

• The Earned Growth Rate
• Net Promoter System
• Likelihood to recommend
• Be humble to keep customers
• Why referrals are earned growth

Links:

• Fred Reichheld
• Article: The One Number You Need to Grow
• Twitter – @FredReichheld
• LinkedIn – Fred Reichheld

Website: 

https://www.netpromotersystem.com/books/winning-on-purpose

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If you’ve ever wondered how to be more purpose led in both business and your personal life, don’t miss this incredible episode of The Melting Pot with The Conduit co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Paul van Zyl. 

Paul isn’t just trying to build a purpose led business, he’s trying to change the world. Having grown up in apartheid South Africa, Paul trained as a human rights lawyer and went on to serve as the Executive Secretary of South Africa’s post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission. 

We talk about his entrepreneurial journey to date; an incredible adventure that has taken him on a purpose led voyage of discovery, which has ultimately led him to co-found The Conduit Club in London. The Conduit is not just another private member's club. The Conduit Club is a purpose led club where its members come together to change the world. 

Paul also shares how even in a hospitality business like The Conduit Club, purpose can lead to amazing staff connectivity, where his chefs don't just cook food, they're on a mission to help The Conduit in its mission to change the world. 

This is a great conversation with Paul. We really enjoyed it. We’re sure you will too.

On today’s podcast:

• Learning from the Truth Commission
• Gathering changemakers
• Why entrepreneurs need central insight
• The value of proximity
• The Conduit restaurant and its purpose

Links:

• Twitter – @Paul_VanZyl
• LinkedIn – Paul van Zyl
• Website – The Conduit

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If you’re an entrepreneur thinking of selling your business and want to maximize the return on your life’s work, or you’re going through the process of exiting currently, then don’t miss this latest episode of The Melting Pot with Arrowpoint Advisory MD, Daniel Domberger. 

Most of the work that Daniel and his team at Arrowpoint Advisory - a division of the investment bank, Rothschild and Co. Daniel and his colleagues typically help entrepreneurs, owners, managers, corporates and investors with M&A, more specifically buying and selling companies or raising investment for them.

But what does that look like if you’re an entrepreneur? How do you set your business up to exit? How do you choose an advisor and what should you look for in an advisory firm? Should you do your own due diligence early? And what are some of the pitfalls along the way? 

To find out the answers to all these questions and more, download and listen now. 

On today’s podcast:

• Get in shape to sell
• When to bring an advisor in
• Leave M&A to the experts
• What due diligence to do
• One thing to do tomorrow

Links:

• Livingstone talk - Daniel Domberger, Livingstone
• LinkedIn – Daniel Domberger
• Website – Daniel Domberger | Arrowpoint Advisory

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Fintech company Artesian:DueDil  - a London/Reading based business helps B2B customers do better business faster with a focus on using data science and curated business information to help find the right customers, onboard them faster and keep them for a lifetime.

BT uses it and sees a 48% ROI. You could too. 

In this latest episode of The Melting Pot, CEO and founder of recently merged Artesian:DueDil, Andrew Yates, talks about how you can take data from banking and financial services and put it to work for you.

More specifically, he delves into what you can do if you’re not in that sector: how do you take the data and use it to define your target audience? How do you use data to make progress in your go-to market? How do you use data to successfully onboard clients, keep them, and then work out which of them have best upsell potential?

This is a fascinating conversation about data, fast growing businesses and how to use data in your organisation, whether you’re a customer of Artesian:DueDil or not. 

On today’s podcast:

• Why the Artesian:DueDil merger
• Using data to find the right customer
• Artesian:DueDil ideal client
• How to make the most of the data
• Onboarding customers and keeping them for life

Links:

• Twitter – @apgyates
• LinkedIn – Andrew Yates
• Website – Artesian + DueDil merge

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What’s your business aim? To achieve growth? To create a winning corporate culture? Deb Gabor, keynote speaker and bestselling author is on a mission to inspire 1 million brands to create irrational loyalty.

Yes, that’s also the name of her latest book, Irrational Loyalty, but the premise behind it should strike a chord with anyone who owns a business - not least because the subtitle is - Building a Brand That Thrives In Turbulent Times. And times don’t get much more turbulent than the ones we are currently living through.

The irrepressible Deb was born to brand and excels at her craft. With Dell as one of her core customers, Deb knows her stuff and is compelled to share her ‘grow or die’ mindset with other entrepreneurially spirited leaders.

At the heart of this episode is the need for businesses to understand their core customer as a person, and (in Deb’s own words), understanding what your customer needs to do to get laid and if you can achieve that, you’ll get their irrational loyalty and growth for your business.

“Irrational loyalty is that condition where people are so indelibly bonded to a brand that they feel like they were cheating on it if they were to choose a competitor or an alternative… I'm in the business of creating those conditions, which can sustain brands for the long term, make them grow profitably, rapidly, and in a highly focused way.”

On today’s podcast:

• Irrational loyalty
• The four things the biggest brands in the world do
• Creating the ideal customer profile
• A niche is the sexiest thing about business
• The branding misconceptions holding businesses back
• Create core values to benefit your business and your clients

Links:

• Branding Is Sex: Get Your Customers Laid and Sell the Hell Out of Anything
• Irrational Loyalty: Building a Brand That Thrives in Turbulent Times

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The British Army is renowned for its outstanding leadership, and command and control. But what do they know about psychological safety?

These are just a few of the many topics that come up in the conversation with Lieutenant Colonel Langley Sharp MBE, who heads up the Centre for Army Leadership. This is a unit that has, over the last five years, codified what leadership means in the British Army, and how to develop leaders within the Army.

What are some of the principles of leadership in the Army? What is the difference between being a peacetime leader and a wartime leader? And what does training for adversity look like?

From how you train people to make the right decisions to how the army has codified its leadership, this is a fantastic conversation with a first class leader. And if you think it’s not relevant to the world of business, you couldn’t be further from the truth.

Langley has also written a fantastic book called The Habit Of Excellence, where he says:

“Leadership, good leadership, effective leadership, that social relationship, that interpersonal relationship has to be nurtured every single day 24/7/365 to enable you to deliver effectively under pressure.”

This is a really insightful conversation with Langley, we really enjoyed it. We’re sure you will too.

On today’s podcast:

• The Habit of Excellence
• The importance of leadership for military campaigns
• Leadership is contextual
• How to make quick decisions
• Mission command and psychological safety

Links:

• Twitter – @SO1Leadership
• LinkedIn – Langley Sharp
• Book – The Habit of Excellence: Why British Army Leadership Works
• Website - Centre for Army Leadership

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This episode of The Melting Pot is actually a recorded webinar we held called ‘There’s a hole in your Bucket’ with Watertight marketing methodology creator, Bryony Thomas.

Bryony cut her teeth as Divisional Director of Marketing for Experian before leaving to found her own company in 2008. She took everything she’d learned from doing business development i.e. getting on the phone and doing sales, and joined it up to create the concept called Watertight.

The idea behind Watertight is that there’s no point filling your bucket unless you plug the holes first, otherwise your money will simply run out of the bottom.

In this fabulous episode, Bryony walks us through some elements of her programme and in particular she asks, how would you steal your neighbour’s cat?

Intrigued? Download and listen to find out how you can apply the Watertight marketing methodology to your own business.

On today’s podcast:

• What is world-class marketing performance?
• The four foundations of healthy, and sustainable, sales flow
• First Flow Foundation – The Right Work
• Second Flow Foundation – Balanced Routine
• Third Flow Foundation – Baseline Rhythm
• Fourth Flow Foundation – Maintain Momentum
• Your Marketing Flow Score

Links:

• Book: Watertight Marketing
• Twitter: @bryonythomas
• LinkedIn: Bryony Thomas
• Website: www.watertightmarketing.com

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If you’re a leader and you don’t have a coach, then you’re missing a trick.

Ian Windle is group chairman at Vistage, a global peer board organisation. He's also a TEDx speaker, executive coach, team builder, author, podcast host. In this latest episode of The Melting Pot, Ian talks about his obsession with leadership, developing leaders, and having a growth mindset.

He discusses building high performing teams, what being in a peer organisation like Vistage or YPO, or EO is like, and the value you get from being a part of it. He also shares what you can learn from being a member, and what you can take back into your own organisation, and how to solve problems, either in a peer organisation or with coaching.

He also talks about building trust, why leaders need to show vulnerability, and how to create and cultivate a growth mindset.

Finally, Ian has some questions that you as a leader should be asking of your executive team as we end 2021, about to enter 2022, as well as some great book recommendations.

To hear all this and more, download and listen to the episode now.

This is a fantastic chat, we’re sure you'll enjoy it too.

On today’s podcast:

• The personal growth business
• Leaders lose more often
• How do you spend your time?
• Why you need a coach
• Why peer groups work

Links:

• Book - The Leadership Map: The gritty guide to strategy that works and people who care
• Podcast - The Gritty Leaders Club
• Twitter – @ianlivechange
• LinkedIn – Ian Windle
• Website - Ian Windle, vistage.co.uk/

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If you worry about being irreplaceable in your business, then don’t miss Ari Meisel, the productivity coach entrepreneur, founder of Less Doing, and author of The Replaceable Founder, who’s helped thousands of clients achieve the art of less doing - less work, more results, more happiness.

At 23, Ari thought he knew it all. He wasn’t open to criticism, he wasn’t open to feedback. Ari was working really hard, 18 hours a day, believing that was the path to fulfilment. He was working in construction, working in property development, was $3 million in debt, and then his world came to a shuddering halt.

Diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, Ari found himself in the position where he could only work an hour a day. He couldn’t rely on his old work habits any more. He had to come up with a new system to keep him moving forward.

And he did.

To find out how he teaches coaches, entrepreneurs and CEOs around the world how to do less and live more, and to become replaceable in their organisations, don’t miss this latest episode. This is a fantastic conversation, we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

On today’s podcast:

• The Replaceable Founder
• The unfortunate culture issue
• How to find motivation
• Work life integration
• The secret of innovation

Links:

• Twitter – @arimeisel
• LinkedIn – Ari Meisel
• Website – Ari Meisel, https://lessdoing.com/
• Book - On Productivity - Ari Meisel
• Book - The Replaceable Founder - Ari Meisel

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If you want to improve the managers in your business, says Michael Bungay Stanier, do more coaching. You might think coaching equals being soft, but you couldn’t be further from the truth. 

“When I'm asked to talk about my philosophy of coaching I've got two words, and the words are Fierce Love.”

Michael wrote the book on coaching, literally. The Coaching Habit is the biggest book on coaching this century. He is the go-to guy for anything coaching related - his 7 questions format has revolutionised coaching, and while we don’t necessarily talk about those today, they do feature. 

In this enlightening episode all about coaching, Michael, who’s also founder of Box of Crayons - a learning and development company helping organisations shift from advice-driven to curiosity-led, talks about his latest book - The Advice Trap. 

This conversation is full of fantastic insights from Michael on how to be a better coach, how to be a better leader, and how to encourage coaching inside your organisation. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did. 

On today’s podcast:

• The Coaching Habit
• The need for social contracting when hiring a coach
• The principles of coaching
• Why ‘and what else?’ is the most powerful question to ask
• The power of staying curious a little bit longer
• The advice trap

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If you want to be better at leading a team. If you want to know how to lead a good decision making process. Or how to engage and inspire people to bring their full self to work. If you want to improve the culture in your business, then don’t miss Amy Edmondson on this week’s episode of The Melting Pot.

Amy hasn’t just written the book on psychological safety in the workplace, Fearless Organization, she’s a global expert in organisational development. She’s taught the topic to countless Harvard MBA students for the last 25 years, in her role as Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School.

But why did Amy write the book and how did that Google project lead to one of the most globally revered books about the importance of psychological safety in the workplace? And why does Amy consider Pixar to be the poster child for psychological safety?

Download and listen to find out what it takes for an organisation to build great leaders and psychological safety. And learn how you can develop and roleplay psychological safety while developing as a leader.

This is a really fantastic conversation, we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

On today’s podcast:

• Amy and Google’s Project Aristotle
• What is psychological safety?
• The 3 elements required to build psychological safety
• Why responding positively is so hard
• The industrial age issue that persists today

Links:

• TED Talk - Amy C. Edmondson
• Book - The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth
• Book - Extreme Teaming: Lessons in Complex, Cross-Sector Leadership
• Twitter – @AmyCEdmondson
• LinkedIn – Amy Edmondson

Website –

Amy C. Edmondson - Faculty & Research

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Do you understand cash flow? As in, do you really understand your cash flow, or are you just saying yes because you know you ought to?

Alan Miltz, co-founder of Cash Flow Story and co-author of Scaling Up has made it his life mission to help business owners not just understand cash flow, but to use it to avoid growing broke. 

Alan’s idea, The Power of One, is that if you incrementally changed your business by 1% or 1 day changes, how long would it take you to achieve your desired financial results? The Power of One, says Alan, is the code of your company. 

Why 1? Because everything Alan has developed one common theme - to make the complex simple. He wants business leaders and their teams to learn to love the numbers. 

“Revenue is vanity, Profit is Sanity and Cash is king.”

Why might you listen to Alan? Because he’s the chartered accountant who co-wrote Vern Harnish’s book - Scaling Up Rockefeller Habits 2.0. 

In today’s episode Alan explains why you need a cash flow ladder for your products or customers. You need to know what the working capital and cash implications are of each dollar of revenue to that customer cohort or for that product. He also discusses the levers that the leadership team should be able to pull to improve cash flow. 

To find out more, check out the links to www.cashflowstory.com where Alan’s software resides. 

On today’s podcast:

• Cash flow story
• The 7 levers
• Cash flow ladder
• The power of one

Links:

• https://cashflowstory41746.ac-page.com/cfs-1-post-talk
• Book - Scaling Up
• Twitter – @AlanMiltz
• LinkedIn – Alan Miltz
• Website – Alan Miltz, cashflowstory.com

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If you’re looking for some inspiration to help you find your Super North Star, let Floyd Woodrow DCM MBE be your guide. Floyd is Managing Director and founder of Chrysalis Worldwide, a world-leading values-based organisation and owner of Quantum group. But as you may have guessed from his post-nominal letters he hasn’t always been a businessman.

Floyd spent his formative years first in the Parachute Regiment before joining the Special Air Service at the age of 22, where he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his work in Iraq and an MBE for his work in Afghanistan.

While he was serving, Floyd realised the importance of continual learning and wanted to continue down this path of pursuing excellence when he left the military. And that’s precisely what he’s done.

He’s also written several books including Learning to Learn, and more recently, The Warrior, The Strategist and You in which he outlines the “Compass for Life model for leadership and life”.

In today’s episode Floyd discusses the idea of having a Super North Star and how a compass provides the framework you need to achieve balance and point toward your Super North Star. He also talks about the importance of mindset, and he succinctly sums up, in 30 seconds, what it takes to be an amazing salesperson.

This is a fantastic conversation with Floyd, we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

On today’s podcast:

• Finding Your Super North Star
• The four cardinals
• Summing up selling in 30 seconds
• Learning through hostage negotiation

Links:

• Podcast - Floyd's leadership journey
• Book - The Warrior, The Strategist And You: How To Find Your Purpose And Realise Your Potential
• Book - Elite!: The Secret To Exceptional Leadership And Performance
• Twitter – @floydwoodrow
• LinkedIn – Floyd Woodrow
• Website – Floyd Woodrow

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If you’re wondering if there’s a silver bullet to help you grow your company and get you there with speed, ease and confidence, then don’t miss Shannon Byrne Susko discussing her latest book, Metronomics, in this episode. 

Shannon is a CEO and leadership team coach, bestselling business author, speaker, serial entrepreneur, and corporate director. She has distilled her extensive knowledge gained over 25 years at the helm of various companies, and coaching clients, into her new book Metronomics, a definitive How To guide to take your CEO and leadership team on a very prescriptive journey. 

Metronomics is the silver bullet your organisation has been looking for. Shannon’s book takes you on a journey, it guides you to where you want to go, asks what’s the goal, and shows you why the one thing people need to do - define purpose, core values and their culture - is the one thing they never want to do. 

In this episode, Shannon discusses her 3HAG system, why she wrote Metronomics, how Metronomics will help high performing teams win their business Olympics, why businesses need a playbook, the Coach Cascade System, and why key function flow map (KFFM) is essential to business growth.

Enjoyed the show? Leave Us A Review. Follow Us and be the first to listen to a new episode each week on your favourite platform.

On today’s podcast:

• The 3HAG system
• Why businesses need Metronomics
• Using Metronomics as a playbook
• The hardest part of the system
• Key function flow map (KFFM)

Links:

• Twitter – @MetronomeEffect
• LinkedIn – Shannon Byrne Susko
• Website – Metronome United, Books by Shannon

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Is your company in trouble? Is your business on the verge of going bust? Then don’t miss this week’s episode of The Melting Pot with business rescue and recovery experts, Rick Smith & Ben Westoby, from Forbes Burton. Ben and Rick work with companies that haven't quite gone bust, but are in trouble and need help. 

What’s fascinating is following the pandemic, you’d have thought that lots of businesses would have had to shut up shop for good. But actually, here in the UK we're running at about 40% or less - almost half the traditional insolvency rate for businesses in the UK. This is thanks to government investment in furlough and bounce back schemes, as well as various other handouts, all of which have actually kept many companies afloat. 

In today’s episode, Rick & Ben share examples of companies they’ve helped, where they step in before the shutters come down and the creditors foreclose, what it is they do, who they help, and how they help. 

So if you're listening to this, and your cash flow isn't where it needs to be, or there's a gap in your funding and you’re wondering how you’re going to get back to where you want to be. Or perhaps you need some help negotiating with your creditors, or your suppliers, and you need a plan, or you need a third party to come in and help you, then let Rick and Ben share their sage advice with you. 

On today’s podcast:

• Getting into business rescue and recovery
• How Forbes Burton works
• The rise of zombie companies
• How to close the funding gap
• Not every business can be saved

Links:

• Twitter – @ForbesBurton
• LinkedIn – Rick Smith, Ben Westoby
• Website – https://www.forbesburton.com

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Have you ever wanted to just put a pin in your life, upsticks and travel the world with your family before it’s too late? Well, that’s just what Nigel Bennett did.

Nigel is an entrepreneur. Just not like any other entrepreneur we’ve had on the show. Where most people work hard, scaling up their business in order to sell it, Nigel, after taking mind altering drugs deep in the Amazon rainforest had an epiphany, and decided not to sell.

That’s pretty much how this episode, re-broadcast from our archives, goes.

It is just story after story of Nigel’s fascinating life. It doesn’t seem like he’s had any dull moments, and he hasn’t stopped for a second.

Nigel is the founder and owner and International business development for Aqua-Guard's environmental response services and equipment business. Aqua-Guard specialises in marine oil spill response. He’s the author of "Take that Leap - Risking it all for what really matters"; the founder of TruBeach, an app and a mobile platform community for reporting coastline and ocean cleanliness, and he’s the co-founder of GiftAdd.com, an organisation that works to bring awareness to the actual gift of ADHD and dyslexia.

This is a truly enlightening conversation, one we are sure you’re going to enjoy.

On today’s podcast:

• Why Nigel decided not to sell his business
• The incident with his father in an Egyptian prison
• The life goals he set with his business coach, Kevin Lawrence
• Why he wrote his book - ‘Take that Leap - Risking it all for what really matters’
• His gap year with his family

Links:

• Entrepreneurs’ organisation
• YPO organisation
• Take That Leap - Risking it all for what really matters
• Lynne Twist - the soul of money
• TruBeach
• gifadd.com

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If you’ve ever suffered with your supply chain, then don’t miss Justin Floyd, founder and CEO of RedCloud, the startup looking to solve the distribution problem for B2B merchants and consumers outside of the Western world. 

They’ve already run a trial in Argentina, and put an e-commerce or a digital distribution platform, trading platform and finance platform in the hands of physical stores in Southeast Asia, South America and Africa. 

This is a truly fascinating conversation about Justin’s product and the problem they’re trying to solve. Because some of the parallels they’re tackling are currently challenging the UK, namely, tracking qualitative, consumer data. 

Justin’s got an incredible track record: 25 years of building technology startups, he spent some time in Silicon Valley and some time in Cambridge. He's run companies, he's built companies, he’s sold companies, he's invested in companies. All of which makes for a fascinating conversation. 

“The world that I operate in, it's got a product distribution problem. I mean, last year, there were just under $2 trillion worth of products that weren't available in store for customers who wanted to buy them, because there is such little ability to be able to successfully distribute at scale.”

We really enjoyed it, we hope you do too. 

On today’s podcast:

• Global distribution problem
• The lack of qualitative data
• The local store conundrum
• RedCloud’s solution
• Justin’s hiring secret sauce

Links:

• Twitter – @Jfloyd_1
• LinkedIn – Justin Floyd
• Website – RedCloud, Justin Floyd

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If you’re wondering what you can do to improve your sales function, but you’re not a salesperson yourself, then don’t miss Steve Schrier on this episode of The Melting Pot.

Steve knows sales. He’s been a salesman, he’s run sales, he’s consulted on selling. His focus isn’t on transactional one off sales, he sees sales as more deal making, consultative selling, doing deals in negotiating. In particular, as the business world moves towards an annual or monthly recurring revenue model with longer customer life cycles, rather than one off deals, Steve decided to help people get their sales function in order to write a book about it.

Build Your Sales Tribe is a step by step guide for non sales managers, i.e. not salespeople, who are looking for a commercial structure to take their business on a high growth path and need to know everything about building and managing a sales organisation.

In this conversation, Steve shares a little bit about his background, but the chat is mainly about the things he felt compelled to capture in the book, the things that non sales people wouldn’t know, but need to know to grow their business in the Information Age.

This is a fantastic conversation with Steve, we’re sure you’ll enjoy it as much as we did.

On today’s podcast:

• Build your sales tribe
• Developing B2B sales
• The need for customer success
• 3 different types of salespeople
• The lack of sales management training
• The issue with commission

Links:

• Build Your Sales Tribe
• Twitter – @SalesTribeLtd
• LinkedIn – Steve Schrier
• Website – https://www.salestribe.co.uk/

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Is everything you know about business wrong?

Alastair Dryburgh is a contrarian who taught himself to think differently so that he can help businesses that want to remaster themselves.

For 10 years, Alastair penned a monthly column for Management Today titled, ‘everything you know about business is wrong’, which is why he’s the perfect guest for The Melting Pot. Because if your business is suffering and you can’t figure out what the problem is, maybe Alastair can help.

Alastair is a recovering finance director who studied maths at Cambridge University. While becoming an FD was a natural career path, it never made him happy, which is why he segued into the world of business reengineering and crisis management.

Alastair happily acknowledges he’s a bit weird as it allows him to look at business from a different perspective, a perspective that most business owners can’t see for themselves.

Download and listen to this latest episode to hear Alastair discussing fundamental attribution error, which is what’s stopping people from seeing reality for what it really is. He also talks about recruitment, and whether people see curiosity as an opportunity or as a threat. And why those that are threatened by change, don't get curious, they just get angry. This is such a fascinating conversation with Alastair, we’re sure you’ll enjoy it as much as we did.

On today’s podcast:

• WTF consultations
• Unknown knowns
• Fundamental attribution error
• The trouble with recruitment
• Business Remastered

Links:

• Twitter – @acddryburgh
• LinkedIn – Alastair Dryburgh
• Website – www.wtfconsult.com
• Book - Everything You Know About Business Is Wrong
• Book - Business Remastered

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“We bring all of the tools and methods into everything we do for the companies we work with. We call it technology enabled services. We help large companies like MasterCard, WL Gore, Nestle, and so on, reinvent themselves.”

This is Alex Osterwalder, entrepreneur, author and co-founder of Strategyzer.com. Alex believes that innovation is what your business needs for longevity and success. He also believes that successful companies are those that compete at the level of business model, not just at the level of product, service, or price.

“Innovation is not a talent or idea problem. It's a process and culture problem. Companies are not putting in place the right systems for the great innovators and great ideas to emerge. People on the ground know very well what could work, but we don't give them the space to explore. And if that doesn't change, a lot of companies are actually going to pay the price and go out of business.”

Alex knows what the challenges are in driving innovation. He knows what needs to be done in terms of structure, power and resources. And he knows how company culture fits into a business model. And in this incredibly insightful episode, he shares his thoughts and actionable processes with listeners.

“An invincible company has three characteristics - they always reinvent themselves, they compete not just on products, technology, price and service, they compete on superior business models. And they understand transcending industry boundaries. People who see themselves in one industry, usually that's not going to play out well in the long term.”

It’s a slightly longer episode, so make sure you’re sitting comfortably, and don’t forget to bring a pen and paper, you’ll want to take notes.

On today’s podcast:

• Creating an innovation culture in a company
• Rethinking business models and business R&D
• Transcending industry boundaries
• Entrepreneurial CEOs don’t have to be founders
• Innovation needs money and power to succeed
• The monetary value of experience

Links:

• Book - The Invincible Company
• Book - Business Model Generation

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Dom has spent most of his life in sales. He was a good sales guy, a terrible sales manager, a better sales director. When he got to the point where he knew he was playing to his strengths, it was because he’d spent years dialling 300+ times per day, he’d accrued 10,000 hours in sales. 

Today, he often helps clients think about or fix their sales organisation, particularly technology led businesses where the founder doesn't come from sales, and needs help understanding what  their sales function might look like. From helping clients hire their first salesperson through to thinking about what the structure of sales looks like, to what their sales and marketing organisation might look like. 

And so in this special podcast episode, we’ve pulled together a podcast of three sales experts (all the links to their individual episodes are in the show notes). We've got Jamal Reimer, who only ever wanted to be the sales guy who does multi million dollar deals, never a sales manager; David Davies, a Sandler trainer; and Justin Roff Marsh, who believes that sales people should just sell, nothing else. 

We’ve taken the best sales advice from all three episodes and strung it together to highlight the nuggets that were really, really interesting, to challenge you when thinking about your sales organisation. These are three great conversations, turned into one.

On today’s podcast:

• The value of rapport
• Sales is not about personal relationships
• Account managers are order takers
• Don’t make your best salespeople managers
• The low benchmark for sales
• The value of saying no

Links:

• Rethinking The Sales Process with Justin Roff-Marsh
• Sandler Training and Making Channel Sales Work with David Davies
• The Secrets Of The Mega Deal with Jamal Reimer
• Twitter: @Justin Roff Marsh, @SandlerTV & @Jamal_Reimer
• LinkedIn: Justin Roff-Marsh, David Davis & Jamal Reimer

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This week we’re bringing you a special episode: a recording of one of our live webinars with Greg Crabtree, founder of accountancy firm, Crabtree, Rowe and Berger. Greg is exactly the type of person that we love to be able to bring you here on The Melting Pot. If you weren’t able to join us for the live chat, don’t panic, you haven’t missed out.

Greg is author of The Simple Numbers, and is famous for cutting through jargon and making his theories accessible. He also co-wrote a chapter of Vern Harnish's brilliant Scaling Up. More recently he’s written Simple Numbers 2.0, where he’s dug into some concepts that we wanted to talk about more - labour efficiency ratio and launch capital.

While Greg is an accountant, he comes at it from a very unusual perspective. As an entrepreneur himself and a small business financial expert he is such a fantastic person to listen to and learn from.

“The vast majority of businesses struggle to understand financial truth. And that's really the epidemic crisis in the privately held business world. Entrepreneurs are trying to scale and they're 100% focused on revenue. But [they’re like] are we profitable? How do we make money? You can't just be changing quarters for dollars and think that's success.”

We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did, don’t forget to subscribe to stay up to date!

On today’s podcast:

• Why he’s an unusual accountant
• How to run a successful business
• Return on investment
• Labour efficiency ratio
• Importance of marketing
• Understanding launch capital

Links:

• Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits
• Simple Numbers 2.0: Rules for Smart Scaling
• Scaling Up
• Twitter – @gregcrabtreecpa
• LinkedIn – Greg Crabtree
• Website – https://simplenumbers.me/

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Nick Cramp is a transformation coach and author. He challenges leaders to consider Better Before Bigger.

In the past he’s been an e-myth coach, out of which came a book looking at how to build processes into your business, but now he’s written a new book, Better Before Bigger - Rethinking business success, where he shares how leaders can get out of the success trap.

In this episode, Nick shares some guiding principles to help you rethink your business and how to define what success looks like.

Business owners and leaders get to the point often where there are no more hours in the day, they can't work any harder. And that's when you've been caught in the success trap.

• How do you get out of that?
• How do you build teams of people?
• How do you build companies that can function with less, so that you can enjoy the success that you've built?
• What internal resources do you need?
• What resistance will you find within the organisation?
• What principles will guide you on this journey?

Nick answers all of these questions and more in this great conversation. We really enjoyed it, we hope you will too.

On today’s podcast:

• The success trap
• The first hire
• Build in the plateau phase
• Reframe, rethink, and then refocus
• Working with Nick Cramp

Links:

• Book - Better Before Bigger - Rethinking business success
• Twitter – @nickcramp
• LinkedIn – Nick Cramp
• Website – www.nickcramp.com

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In this special episode, the shoe is on the other foot as our illustrious host, Dominic Monkhouse, finds himself on the other side of the microphone, being questioned by long time friend and fellow coach, the brilliant podcast host, Phil Rose, of Sparks by Ignium. 

Dom and Phil have worked together for years and their conversation in this episode is jam packed full of advice that you can take away and put into practice in your business today. 

Of particular note is how Dom helps CEOs and business leaders take the mystery out of business growth, and why 7s (either customers or employees) can kill your business and what to do about them. 

This is a really fantastic conversation and we would love to hear what you think. We really hope you enjoyed this conversation as much as we did. 

On today’s podcast:

• Taking the mystery out of business growth
• Being a coach not a consultant
• Adding value through learning
• Leadership needs leaders
• 7s kill your business

Links:

• ‎Sparks by Ignium
• Twitter – @MalabarMan
• LinkedIn – Philip Rose
• Website – igniumconsult.com

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Today’s guest knows all about scaling up. Not only is John Ratliff CEO of Scaling Up Coaches, he’s also a seasoned entrepreneur himself. 

Having started Appletree Answers, a telephone answering service from his apartment in 1995, John grew the company to 24 US-based locations and more than 600 employees, taking nearly 10 years to get to $1million in revenue, and then six years to get to $30 million, before a fantastic exit well over market value, selling the company to a strategic buyer in 2012. 

This experience gave John a unique perspective into the importance of culture, employee engagement, and the guidance and tools entrepreneurs need to have a successful exit. 

Today John spends the majority of his time defending entrepreneurs against private equity buyers - he says if you’re considering selling your company, you’d be mad not to get representation. 

In this episode, John shares some fantastic tips for owners thinking of selling, the time he turned a potentially $400,000 loss into $7 million of value, and how he really understood employee happiness by changing one NPS question. 

This episode is a little longer than normal, but it’s jam-packed full of useful insights and guidance. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did. 

On today’s podcast:

• Business selling advice for founders
• Why you shouldn’t start from scratch
• Building and selling Appletree Answers
• John’s M&A playbook
• The importance of happy employees

Links:

• LinkedIn – John Ratliff
• Website – stscapital.com, align5.com

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Is your organisation a disruptor? Or is it being disrupted? Don’t miss Eleanor Winton, a consultant and expert in disruption, innovation and foresight, and founder of Foresightfully, a disruption consultancy, on this week’s The Melting Pot.

Eleanor has extensive experience of working with senior teams, helping stimulate creative thought and action - she was an investigator of conduct in the Scottish Government and she was part of KPMG’s financial crime forensic function. At Foresightfully, she works with organisations to understand what the future might hold for them and helps them develop strategies in response.

Because the thing about disruption is that it’s hard to spot - just look at Blockbuster, how did they not spot Netflix coming?

In today’s episode, Eleanor shares some fantastic stories about clients she's worked with, ways to look at different challenges, what you can do to think about the future - i.e. where's the value? How are customers thinking about value? Because that's where companies get disrupted - the way they think about value is not always how customers see it.

At the end, as well as some cracking book recommendations, she also imparts a great tip for something to do tomorrow. We hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we did.

On today’s podcast:

• Disruption happens to all industries
• How to see around corners
• There is no good or bad solution
• Have a vision, strategy and tactics
• Innovate to create actual value for customers

Links:

• Book - The Disruption Game Plan: New rules for connected thinking on innovation and risk
• Twitter – @Eleanorwinton
• LinkedIn – Eleanor Winton
• Website – foresightfully.com , disruptiongameplan.com

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Is making sure your company is a great place to work at the core of your recruitment strategy? Are you a fixture on the Sunday Times Best Companies list of great places to work in the UK? 

Simon La Fosse, founder of La Fosse Associates, having had a bad experience in a previous company, where the directors there deemed his contribution not to be worthy of many stock options, decided to start his recruitment company with the goal of building a search firm centred around care and respect, coming up with a unique way to reward long service and loyalty in his team.

Today La Fosse Associates grows 30% per annum - the industry average is 1-2%. He achieves this because of his firmly held belief that treating people well is not just the right thing to do, it’s a better way to do business. 

Simon talks about his journey to date, his plans for the future and a potential float of the business. We discuss what happened last year with recruitment and from their perspective, even in the tech sector, where they are a specialist, they lost half of their revenue. He also shares why he stepped away from being the CEO and why he doesn’t believe he’s really a leader. 

This is a fantastic conversation with some great book recommendations, we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

On today’s podcast:

• The atypical recruitment firm
• The top 40 Best Companies to Work for in the UK
• Stock ownership for employees
• The issue of WFH for maintaining company culture
• The idea of a management shadow
• Stepping back as CEO

Links:

• Twitter – @simonlafosse
• LinkedIn – Simon La Fosse
• Website – La Fosse Associates
• futureproof

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If you’re struggling with resilience, if you or your business is going through change, then don’t miss public speaker, executive coach, business advisor, and founder of Vision Executive Coaching, Gerry Valentine, on this week’s The Melting Pot. 

Gerry has written a great book called The Thriving Mindset, a book that is part autobiography and part tool set design and delivery. 

Gerry grew up as a gay man in Brooklyn in the 1970s, and the adversity of his upbringing gave him the resilience he needed to succeed in the corporate world. And succeed he did. 

Today we talk about how the chances of him being where he is today were about 6% - a sad statistic that is as true in 2021 as it was in 1970. Gerry is a very humble man with a thriving mindset - a term he uses to teach others how to cope with uncertainty and change. 

Gerry also talks about why we get fearful, and how we can learn to not run away from the problem, how to take fear, look it in the eye and work out what could be on the other side of this disruption, and how to have the mindset to push through. 

This is a really interesting conversation with some of the most diverse book suggestions of recent guests. A truly fantastic conversation with Gerry, we really enjoyed it. We’re sure you will too.

On today’s podcast:

• Turning adversity into advantage
• Disruption is a normal part of life
• The importance of education
• The Thriving Mindset
• Curiosity gets you through disruption
• Our response to fear

Links:

• The Thriving Mindset | Book
• Twitter – @gerryval
• LinkedIn – Gerry Valentine
• Website – https://gerryvalentine.com/

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Are you the founder or the leader of a fast paced organisation and you’re wondering why your once high performing team are now sort of bumbling along, barely scraping by - simply not being great anymore?

Then you need Dave McKeown, founder and CEO of Outfield Leadership. Dave’s written a fantastic book - The Self Evolved Leader, and so in this episode we discuss that and the all too common issue of Learned Helplessness.

Learned Helplessness is a situation where the founder, leader or CEO, gets the team over the line by being heroic and doing all the work themselves, or they’re the one everyone defers to because they have the technical, business or sales knowledge. They do everything themselves, they don’t bring their team up with them.

So, if you want to be a better leader, you have to become a self evolved leader and learn to get out of your way. Because if you don’t, you’re going to stop your organisation or team developing.

To learn some practical ways to become a more self evolved leader, don’t miss this latest episode of The Melting Pot. We really enjoyed this conversation with Dave, we’re sure you will too.

On today’s podcast:

• The importance of strategic planning
• Getting in your own way
• How Steve Jobs instilled innovation at Apple
• Having difficult conversations and effective meetings
• Being a self-evolved leader

Links:

• Free guide: Six Secrets of Effective Strategic Planning. Discover how to set and achieve your strategic goals with ease, which can be downloaded from www.outfieldleadership.com
• Book - The self evolved leader
• Twitter – @davemckeown
• LinkedIn – Dave McKeown
• Website – Outfield Leadership

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If you’re pondering what to do when you exit your current business, or you’re thinking of a retirement project, let serial entrepreneur and self taught technologist, Rod Banner, inspire you in your next steps.

Having spent years helping businesses become world dominating brands through sharp advertising, today his focus is on the architecture of business. As CEO of 3LA, he leads a collective of brains that help technology firms become more agile and relevant.

Rod founded 3LA having sold his hugely successful advertising agency, Banner - the biggest and most respected B2B agency in Europe, to WPP. He's also the founder at JoyTech.org, a project that explores how to stop tech companies marketing us into madness but, instead, bring more joy to the world.

But that’s not what Rod discusses in this latest episode of The Melting Pot. Today, Rod ruminates on what he would have done differently if he’d had his time again. How he’d be more deliberate about creating a plural life. Because that’s what he’s living.

For example, during lockdown he became involved in a project reimagining high fashion and technology, trying to link high fashion to consumers through tech, and what that might look like - because tech is truly where Rod’s heart lies.

This is an incredibly fascinating, wide ranging conversation, we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

On today’s podcast:

• Technology and marketing
• The beauty of a plural life
• The importance of customer loyalty
• Reimagining high fashion and technology
• Customer lifetime value
• Our content consumption preferences

Links:

• JoyTech.org - Interviewing Noreena Hertz
• Twitter – @RodBanner
• LinkedIn – Rod Banner
• Website – 3LA.com

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If you feel like you need a coach to get you into peak performance, look no further than Eric Partaker. Eric was named CEO of the Year in 2019 by Business Excellence Awards; he's been awarded top 30 entrepreneurs in the UK by Startups magazine, and the Telegraph said he was one of Britain's most disruptive entrepreneurs.

He was formerly with McKinsey. He was part of the early team at Skype. He was the CEO of Chilango, which sadly, like many other hospitality businesses, got wiped out by COVID. And now he works as a Peak Performance coach for other entrepreneurs and founders.

In today’s episode, Eric teaches us that anybody can be extraordinary. Eric says we need to learn from children and their ability to adopt another identity when they role play. We just have to create our own identity, and then we can step into it.

Eric also explains why we need to stop thinking about stress as something that's bad - he believes stress can be, if used correctly, something that can empower us to be amazing. And lastly, it only takes a small movement or an awareness, to unlock the door to amazing change.

We thought this was a fantastic conversation. We’re sure you'll agree.

On today’s podcast:

• The 3 things you need to scale to reach your fullest potential
• Three alarms
• Identity drives behaviour
• Progress, not perfection
• Coaching in relationships

Links:

• Book - The 3 Alarms: Transform your Health, Wealth and Relationships Forever
• LinkedIn – Eric Partaker - CEO Coach & Mentor
• Website – https://www.ericpartaker.com/

Are you looking to scale your business faster? Learn more at our 6th July Business Growth Workshop

You can also get weekly insights straight to your inbox by joining our Newsletter.

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Nicolaj Siggelkow is a lifelong academic, currently the David M. Knott Professor of Management at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He is a Co-Director of the Mack Institute for Innovation Management and the former Department Chair of Wharton’s Management Department.

Nicolaj loves the intersection of teaching and research and getting to focus on the things he's excited about. And so he's written a fantastic book called Connected Strategy: Building Continuous Customer Relationships for Competitive Advantage.

In today’s episode, Nicolaj discusses how organisations can sell one off interactions they have with customers, he uses healthcare as his example, for a set amount of money. How do they persuade customers of the lifetime value of that asset so that they part with their cash up front for something they may not need for a long time?

We talk about pricing, subscription, technology and how these things are coming together to change the way organisations compete, in a connected strategy. How can we take a transactional relationship with a customer and turn it into a lifetime revenue generating relationship?

This is an absolutely fantastic conversation with Nicolaj, we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

On today’s podcast:

• Interdependencies of strategic choices
• Identifying customer pain points
• Connected strategy
• The subscription model
• Differentiating yourself through added value

Links:

• Book - Connected Strategy
• Twitter – @NicSiggelkow
• LinkedIn – Nicolaj Siggelkow
• Website – https://connected-strategy.com/

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Are you ready to change? If so, don’t miss Greatness U founder, Gina Mollicone, on this week’s episode of The Melting Pot. 

Gina, based in Whistler in British Columbia, Canada is a best selling author and an agent of change. She's written Think Or Sync and The Secret Of Successful Failing.

She is a product of what she preaches: having had to pivot hard in March 2020, when Covid hit and her business went to zero, overnight. Today, Gina helps clients get what they want. Because, says Gina, anything is possible. 

“There are only two conditions required to change anything. That is a bonafide desire to change and that desire must be burning inside the person, you've really gotta want it. And the second thing is you gotta be willing to give it what it takes.”

Her business, Greatness U, trains coaches, like Dom, to be better coaches. From talking about change and her model for change and the things people need to do to see change, to how to build rapport, and why if you’re struggling, impact change can help you break out of the box. Download and listen now.

You can’t spend time with Gina and not find yourself learning new things. We found this conversation illuminating, we hope you do too. 

On today’s podcast:

• Becoming the change person
• The leadership game
• Successful failing
• Flexibility of behaviours
• Representational systems
• Inductive change

Links:

• Twitter – @GinaMollicone
• LinkedIn – Gina Mollicone-Long
• Website – Gina ML, Greatness U

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Darryl starts his talk by inviting the audience to discuss what motivates them. An unusual but thought-provoking take on work-life - Why are we here?- What gets you out of bed in the morning? What do you care about, and what are you scared about? Darryl often asks this question to business leaders and is enjoying the ways these answers have changed post covid.

Phycology in threesDaryll coined his Lion, Monkey, Dog theory after a lifelong fascination with phycology, NLP and the basis of communications we use in every setting: "I think phycology fascinating, its the most fascinating thing in the world ..every communication is received by a person, its the most important thing in the world."

Daryll is fascinated by the way psychology and as a large society is obsessed with grouping experience into threes; Freud's Id, Ego and super-ego down to the chip paradox- He believes this trilogy is down to the way people expense the world in 3 fundamentally different ways; our outside world, our uninternalised knee-jerk reaction and the internalised thought-based experience. This idea links into his Monkey, Lion, Dog Theory:

Learned helplessnessWhen an elephant is trained, says Daryll, it starts off heavily chained to something, but as it gets used to its confinement, the efforts of chaining it are reduced, until "you can tether an elephant with a piece of string or a cord because it never tests it." This is key in Daryll's idea of changing your approach and looking at communications from different perspectives; he adds that "If your unconscious mind asks for something and you say no, enough times, it stops asking." And these things that you've been saying no to will resurface. Darryl knows that we put ourselves into containing scenarios and let the rest bubble away, but that doesn't make the background less important.

Because understanding someone's motives and mindset is fundamental to how we communicate with them, whether for sales, or as a leader, or for any other reason. We can approach either side of these communications using Monkey Lion Dog to understand the other person's reactions and also help position ourselves in the most productive approach. The beauty of using Monkey, Lion, Dog to understand human experiences is that it's very versatile and can be applied in many ways.

Monkey"Monkey motivations are continental" in neuroscience, it would use the primal part of the brain. It asks "Who am I" type questions and wonders; what impact am I having on this situation? Can I change it? In Daryll's theory Monkey process are interested in legacy and autonomy and the ways in which you can be yourself. This is perhaps a noticeable jump to his opening question around what people actually want from their work life. But of course, we can approach this in different ways.

LionLion "processes are all the rational things" how we judge them and value decisions. It asks, is it good or bad quality, its judgemental and used in value and figures, says Daryll. Understandably marketers and business leaders are often incredibly good at these types of thought processes; used to approaching decisions in terms of whether or not it's professional, ROI etc. But perhaps, as Daryll comments, this can be detrimental as they can gain a tenancy to become over-reliant on these approaches.

Dog"Our Dog interestingly is around our feelings. Feelings of connection of being on red-alert or comfortable of comradery and trust… ". This agenda may have been neglected "normally" in workplace culture but, Daryll's team has done some recent research and found a shift in what people have been valuing since covid. They found that people are looking to pay more attention to dog values in that "themes around having a chat, seeing people, those types of human connection are over-indexing about 20 to 1 since before the pandemic."

What does this mean in terms of what we need from work?Well from a Monkey point of view, Daryll feels "we need contextual stimulation, to be queued from our environment we need to be able to be creative and adjust to things" from a lion point of view, we need "to feel some degree of control, we to be able to make choices". We also need human connection, and with that in mind, Daryll believes we should use any post-pandemic changes to consider our values. He asserts that there's a real cost to lockdown that we need to remember when we look forward; our lack of touch and connection needs to be considered in terms of its impact on future abilities and availabilities for teamwork etc.

Considering different perspectivesOften businesses are very good at Lion motivations. For example, in marketing material, we are saturated by bold, rational lion messages. But Daryll consistently finds that the other two, when used in advertising, are more effective. This may, in part be because they are more unusual but also because they appeal to peoples deeper needs; which Daryll points out is often more powerful. Using Monkey or Dog appeals can capture "the systems that really drive us as human beings". He refers to his work as a therapist in that "you can't cure a spider phobia by convincing them that spiders aren't scary; that's not where the problem exists, you've got to do something else". It's looking from different and often more powerful perspectives that can give the best communicators an advantage.

Recommended Reading Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us * Can We Start Again?: The Patterns of NLP Applied to Business Interactions*

This Episode Is Also Available On Our Youtube Page

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We met Kim Scott last year when she was on the podcast talking about how to give difficult, impactful feedback in the workplace, following the release of her book, Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity.

Today Kim is back, but with Trier Byrant this time, to discuss their latest book, Just Work, Get Sht Done, Fast & Fair*.

While bias, prejudice and bullying may be present in the workplace, they aren’t inevitable in the workplace, say Kim and Trier. It is possible to combat workplace injustice so that everyone can get shit done and enjoy working together.

Be warned, the book makes for uncomfortable reading because it makes you reflect on times when you should have been an upstander and called out injustice, instead of not speaking up when you could have.

In today’s episode, Kim and Trier highlight what injustice, bias and bullying can look like and how you can tackle it, and when you should stand up and when you can go easy on yourself.

This issue is hard, they’ve written a difficult book, but it’s a book everyone should read. This is a great conversation, we’re sure you’ll find it as illuminating as we did.

On today’s podcast:

• Why Just Work
• The importance of having difficult conversations
• Recognising bias, prejudice and bullying at work
• Being a bystander v an upstander
• How to respond to bias, prejudice and bullying
• Bias to be aware of

Links:

• How To Be Radically Candid With Kim Scott
• Just Work (Book)
• Twitter – @kimballscott, @Trier
• LinkedIn – Kim Scott , Trier Bryant
• Website – Just Work

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What is your employee experience like? Would your employees write rave reviews about their experience working at your organisation?

Today’s guest, Ben Whitter, is an employee experience expert and a bestselling author. He works with a number of global companies helping the CEOs fix their employee experience so that it's in keeping with their preferred customer experience and their brand.

“We look at everything that's connected to people, society, culture, the organisation, leadership, technology, and we say, how is this driving people forward and helping them fulfil their potential?”

Today, Ben talks about his mission, how he wants to see HR own the commercial metrics inside an organisation and step away from the typical HR metrics of recruitment and sickness absence. He wants HR to instead be responsible for innovation, profitability, customer satisfaction and productivity.

“If you're developing and investing in your customer experience, you would expect to see some return with new business coming in, retaining clients or customers, new customers, new referrals. And it's the same for employee experience.”

From where his research has taken him, to the best place for an organisation to start, to sharing a few tactical examples from the organisations he’s worked with, to his views on hybrid work and how that’ll affect employee experience when we start to return to the office, this is a fantastic conversation with Ben.

We hope you learn as much as we did.

On today’s podcast:

• The best place for an organisation to start
• Tactical examples of best practice
• How to measure employee experience
• His favourite CEO story
• The Timpson model for talent
• The hybrid model and employee experience

Links:

• First Book - Employee Experience
• New book - Human Experience at Work

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If you need help with your recruitment, then you need Lou Adler. At 75, he’s spent the last 50 years in the recruitment game. He knows how to play it.

“My name is Lou Adler. [I’m here] to talk about hiring and business strategy and how to have a successful life, and how to hire great people and how not to screw up making important business decisions.”

Lou is CEO and founder of Performance-based Hiring, an end to end, four step business process for hiring top talent. Lou’s firm helps recruiters and hiring managers around the world source, interview and hire the strongest and most diverse talent. Lou is also the author of the Amazon top-10 best-seller, Hire With Your Head (on its 4th edition).

Lou was working for a Fortune 500 company in Southern California. He moved there from New York for the weather, but hated his boss. Sound familiar?

Most people would leave, Lou decided to become a recruiter because he realised there’s no point hiring great people, if you’re just going to lose them because they aren’t a fit with the manager.

Now he has a business that teaches firms how to do recruitment using his high performance hiring methodology. From how to hire for fit, the ultimate question you should use in your recruitment process, and why you should hire for cultural fit, rather than just skills. Don’t miss this latest episode of The Melting Pot.

On today’s podcast:

• Why we still get hiring wrong
• The 3 buckets of hiring
• Lou’s greatest success
• 2 questions to ask during the interview
• Approach hiring like it’s a capital investment
• Hire for fit

Links:

• Book - Hire With Your Head

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If you lack confidence, or you’re faking it ‘til you make it, don’t miss the Queen of Swagger, Leslie Ehm, on this week’s episode of The Melting Pot. 

From TV host to advertising executive to training guru for some of the biggest global brands such as Disney and Uber, Leslie has had a few careers in her time. Today, she is a full time Swagger Coach. 

“Your swagger is not something external to you. It is something that you already have. And it will manifest differently in every different human being. There is not one prescribed way to have swagger.”

But the episode isn’t all about swagger. Leslie also talks about swearing and why swearing is actually important, and why people who swear are smarter and happier than those that don’t, and why you should ignore those who tell you not to swear.

“It's not that their ears are going to melt off, or that their brain is going to malfunction. It's that they're trying to impose their levels of acceptance on you.”

She also discusses what business leaders can do to lead with swagger and what they can do to build psychological safety in their organisation. 

This is a truly cracking episode, full of energy and with some top book recommendations too. We really enjoyed this conversation. We know you will too. 

On today’s podcast:

• From Montreal to London to Toronto
• Founding Combustion
• From no BS training to Swagger Coach
• Learning confidence
• The benefits of swearing
• Why leaders need to create psychological safety

Links:

• Book - Swagger by Leslie Ehm
• Combustion

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If, over the course of the last year, you’ve come to enjoy working from home and don’t want to have to revert to the daily commute into the office. Or if you’re scaling a business and wondering how you can attract the right level of skill and experience without having to hire someone full time. Then don’t miss Romanie Thomas, an experienced headhunter, founder and CEO of Juggle Jobs, a platform connecting businesses with high-quality professionals on a flexible basis. 

Founded in 2017, Juggle Jobs is for people who have more to offer scaling businesses than simply their skills and experience. They understand and appreciate the need to be flexible and are prepared to roll their sleeves up and muck in, helping out where necessary. 

Romanie, an experienced headhunter, realised while there are plenty of platforms for low level, entry positions, there aren’t many offering these sorts of flexible opportunities to mid to high level roles. 

Seeing a gap in the market, she created a platform to help women who don't want to work full time, get access to great jobs. Very quickly, she realised that this wasn't a gender issue, this was a matching skills to jobs and helping people facilitate a portfolio career issue. 

In today’s episode, she talks about the implications of remote first versus office culture versus hybrid. What might that look like? What's the best? What's the worst? What's the best of the worst? And she shares what it's like to be a digital nomad. Where she's been and where she's worked from, and what lessons she's learned along the way. This is a fantastic conversation with a fantastic founder. 

On today’s podcast:

• Figure out the problem you’re solving
• The future of flexible working
• The problem of hybrid working
• Why more men are opting for flexible work

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2020 Summit Special: The Rules for Aggressives Sales Growth with Justin Roff-Marsh

Today's Summit Special is Justin Roff-Marsh. On a wet and windy day in Wiltshire it is great to look at the video of Justin speaking at the Monkhouse & Company Summit September 2020.

Justin helps people revolutionise their sales function. If the question you ask yourself is, "if I double the number of sellers, will I double my revenue?". And if you paused, or hesitated, or said no, then implementing Justin's The Machine would give you some clarity. It fixes not just sales; it might even fix many bits of your organisation. But it certainly impacts sales, marketing, and customer service—the whole customer journey.

Justin looks at it from the perspective of lean manufacturing. There are a couple of controversial things: no commission, no individual targets. Those are pretty difficult for some people to accept in the first instance. They feel that salespeople are coin-operated. So, challenge your bias and beliefs in how sales works or should work, or seek a solution to the problem in your business and listen to this twenty minutes of Justin Roff-Marsh magic from the stage at the Summit.

If in the end, you find yourself amazed and in need to find out more, you're in luck because Justin is running one of his workshops in the UK on 26th May at The Management Lab on the farm in Wiltshire.

So if you like this twenty minutes, head over to our Prescription for Growth page to get your ticket. You better be quick because there's only a few left.
Enjoy!

Born in Cambridge, raised in Australia and resident in Los Angeles, Justin started his fantastic talk at the Summit, defining his accent as a "hybrid".

Right after that, he jumps straight into what he calls the three-step programme. Justin and his team are usually introduced to an organisation by the CEO or private equity. "Our mandate is always the same, figure out how to grow this organisation". Then, three ideas are brought to the table. "You could think of these ideas as a three-step programme"

The three-step programmeWith a mandate to rapidly grow an organisation, the first thing that Justin and his team do is work to restructure the organisation so that salespeople perform only one activity, which they call selling conversations. "And by only, I mean they do absolutely nothing else", says Justin. That means that if you work for this organisation and you come in with a card that has the word 'Sales' on it, you only have one decision to make: "will I work in this particular instance or not?".

If you choose to work, there's no further thinking required. "There's only one activity that you're responsible for, and that is selling conversations". And that will go on, selling conversation after selling conversation on repeat until you go home. Achieving that requires a restructuring of the organisation.

So, that's the first idea. If you want to grow your organisation aggressively, Justin's first piece of advice is to "restructure those organisations so that salespeople do nothing other than selling conversations".

The second idea is that after restructuring your company, the next thing you want to do is carefully examine the activities performed in the field. "You want to look at each activity and ask yourself one question: does this activity absolutely have to be performed in the field, face to face with customers". If you are honest, you'll conclude that not every activity currently being performed face to face with customers actually needs to be. In fact, virtually none do.

Justin reckons that when you identify those activities that don't need to be performed face to face, "the obvious thing you can do is take those activities out of the field and move them inside to a central location". And by that, he means an office in the UK if your market is Europe, not 27 offices spread across Europe.

So that's the second piece of advice.

The third one is straightforward. Remove your salespeople's autonomy and remove their commissions. At these words came out, you could see the shock on the audience faces. To which Justin admits, "I didn't say salespeople were going to like it. I said it was simple".

By doing that, he's not suggesting that you take away their autonomy and invariable pay because salespeople are going to like it or because you're likely to see an increase in performance - "even though you will". He suggests that, in reality, taking away their autonomy and piece-rate pay is a prerequisite for the first two steps. As Justin simply put it: "you cannot restructure your organisation - so that salespeople spend 100% of their time selling - and you cannot move 90% of activities that are currently performed face to face with customers inside."

The important reason is that "it's those first two steps that are what's really going to move the needle."

"So if you really want to give your organisation a kick in the pants and grow it aggressively", those are the steps you have to take. Assuming that your business has good fundamentals.

You have to take away commissions so that you have a "mandate that allows you to implement those first two steps consistently, unflinchingly and exhaustively in your organisations."

Selling ConversationsTo achieve aggressive growth following Justin's three-step programme, you need to be clear on what 'selling conversations' mean. We all know what the word 'conversation' means, but what about that other one, 'selling'?

If you asked your Director of Sales to define the word selling, "they will have you believe that the word 'selling' refers to all the activities that a salesperson typically performs, which has a degree of circularity that should disqualify for many intelligent explorations into the subject."

So then, Justin takes a different approach to the same question: "but what's the one activity that a salesperson performs that genuinely and inarguably generates value?" And what do we mean by closing? - Justin asked the audience - do we mean actually signing the paperwork?

Persuasion

Drawing from the question what does closing actually means, the author of The Machine, demystify the idea of salespeople sitting with the customer wrestling.

He goes back to his past in sales when they used to say, you move the pen, I'll hold the paper. "That doesn't actually happen, and in most of the cases, contracts come in by email or via DocuSign, right?". So when we talk about closing, what we really are talking about is convincing persuasion.

Justin then defines a selling conversation as a "conversation where a salesperson is persuading". Now, if you've had a customer coming back for his seventh transaction, the amount of persuasion required will depend on your operational performance. "If you screwed up the last six transactions, a whole bunch of persuasion. But if you've done a good job, none." Justin attributes this to "the magical thing called nurture".

It's costly for organisations to move their business around the place. You've got all sorts of switching costs, including the risk. If you sell expensive things, the risk can be the highest switching cost. So if you transacted with an organisation more than zero times and sell a product of substance, and you've done a good job at keeping your promise, then there will be no persuasion required.

According to Justin, there's only one type of interaction where persuasion is required: "the first. The role of your salespeople should be to convince folks to transact with you for the first time. Because once they transact with you for the first time, they get to experience your operational efficiencies. And on account of switching costs, after they've experienced those operational efficiencies for the first time they're hooked and no further persuasion is required."

This will result in what we should call "a relationship". But we don't. We degraded that word, and we use it to refer to the personal relationship between the salesperson and the prospect. But the personal relationship should be overpowered by the commercial relationship.

Justin's recommendation is that salespeople should use their superpower exclusively to convince those that have never transacted with you before to do it for the first time.

The end result of moving sales activities inside, says Justin, is we get to build what he calls "inside sales team". We don't want telemarketers. We want to take professional salespeople with whom your customers would like to transact with. We want them inside in an environment where they can comfortably have 15 selling conversations a day – many more than what salespeople is currently having."

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How do you solve problems? Are you even trying to solve the actual problem that needs solving? Today’s guest is so good at solving problems they named him twice, Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg.

Thomas has developed a theory of problem-solving, but that’s not what he talks about in this latest episode.

No, in this conversation, he talks about how you can deliberately spend time stepping away from the problem in order to look at it differently, how can you reframe the problem, and then how can you come up with a different solution to solving the problem, before moving on.

Thomas spent 7 years studying innovation, and it was then he realised that the more things didn’t work, it wasn’t that people weren’t innovating correctly, they were solving the wrong problem. This is all discussed in his book - What’s Your Problem? (link below).

The problem we have when we’re trying to solve problems is that we get solution blindness - we get so emotionally attached to something that we can’t see the solution, like a sort of learned behaviour. One of the tips Thomas shares is looking for ‘bright spots’, i.e. was there a time when there wasn't a problem? And can we use that to find our way to a solution?

From how he got into problem-solving, identifying if we’re solving the right problem, the process that he uses to solve a problem, and why he brings in outside help the more important the problem is. This is an absolutely fascinating conversation with Thomas, we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

On today’s podcast:

• The theory of problem-solving
• The slow elevator problem
• Framing, reframing, moving forward
• The bright spots method
• Thinking outside the frame

Links:

• Book - What's Your Problem?: To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve
• Book - Innovation as Usual: How to Help Your People Bring Great Ideas to Life
• www.howtoreframe.com

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Today we’re in conversation with Daryll Scott, author, speaker, consultant and performance coach, and boy did we have a wide ranging conversation covering a number of disparate topics.

Daryll’s unifying theory of everything, which is leadership and culture are responsible for all of the performance gain inside an organisation. And also they’re the reason why every company that he's ever worked with, which was broken and in need of fixing, that was where the problem lay.

He also talks about his behavioural economics meets neuroscience theory of Monkey Lion Dog, and how rational based buying marketing personas are pointless.

“You learn that the less controlling you are, and the more respectful and mindful you are of the ecology of the other person, and what's best for them, that the better, the more effective and influencing you become.”

And finally, he talks about how you can apply his Monkey Lion Dog theory to COVID, because the last year has taken spontaneity out of the UK population and left us in a state of learned helplessness.

“We've got out of the habit of bustling interactions. I used to get to London, on autopilot to my office. And now going to London would seem like a big day out.”

This truly is an enlightening conversation, varied, yes, but illuminating. We go all over the place, we have great fun, we’re sure you'll enjoy it. But if you only take away one thing, let it be this:

“If you want to remember something really well, make sure that the conditions you do the remembering in are as similar as possible to the conditions where you're going to need to remember.”

On today’s podcast:

• What is a performance coach
• Curing phobias in half hour
• Monkey Lion Dog
• IQ EQ CQ
• Learned helplessness during COVID
• Using NLP in business

Links:

• Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Daryll-Scott/e/B00HR6KD2A
• Book - Can We Start Again
• Book - Feedback Or Criticism?

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Do you know anyone that’s worked with Sir Elton John and Elon Musk, sent people down to see the wreck of the Titanic on the sea bed, closed museums in Florence for a private dinner party and then had Andrea Bocelli serenade guests while they ate their pasta?

Meet Steve Sims, a biker with face piercings, a goatee and a bald head. He’s heavy set, into heavy metal, yet Forbes and Entrepreneur magazine have described him as “The Real Life Wizard of Oz" for the amazing feats he’s pulled off for his billionaire clients.

While he may have put a pin in his party planning days, he’s certainly not forgotten them. In fact, as a best-selling author, sought-after coach and a speaker, he now dedicates his time to coaching entrepreneurs to break through their glass ceiling and reach heights they didn’t know were possible, all by teaching them how to ask questions, have a conversation, and deliver results.

This is an incredibly entertaining, lively and engaging conversation, we’re sure you’ll enjoy it as much as we did.

On today’s podcast:

• From bricklayer to billionaire party planner
• The personal concierge service
• Aggravating oysters
• The Florence story
• Blue Fishing
• Find clarity in your business

Links:

• The Sims Distillery - https://simsdistillery.com
• The Art of Making Things Happen Podcast with Steve Sims
• Book - Bluefishing: The Art of Making Things Happen

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Decline

At the original point of writing his presentation, Jim had been struck by the sudden realisation that he was “a man in decline’”. In a whirlwind of 00’s nostalgia, he re-examines with the audience, his thought process. Following his then-recent device, Jim was staying at his mum’s, and having been compared to decreasingly attractive celebrities, he was forced to do some soul searching. He decided that many things were to blame… mainly crisps.

Confidence

Looking at his bags of belongings, he decided he heeded to re-find his confidence.“So that I could achieve the things I wanted to achieve- confidence is a feeling of assurance, particularly self-assurance. It means that you can do things that you otherwise might not. We are here today, in a way, to get extra confidence.” But Jim decided that to ‘scale his life up, fast’ he wasn’t going to need extra confidence but “blind confidence”.

Following a few literal car-crashes “in this period of experimenting with blind confidence”, he decided there might be something to it. The common features of blind confidence, Jim declares are “Little knowledge”, “Decisions” and “Thought” he refers to The Dice Man by George Cockcroft in a string of life decisions he put to a toss of a coin.

Shame or Success

“I’m the kinda guy who likes to say yes. I got married at 19, and at 27, I remortgaged my house to open a vintage clothing shop and many other things”. This brought Jim to a rather disastrous role on a rather extreme military-based reality TV programme. A mortifying mess caught on camera. Which he asserts, drew him to the conclusion that to build confidence you need to build a tolerance to shame. “You need to build your shame confidence in the open as you confess to it”, jokes Jim as he examines old webchat confessions with the audience. Blind confidence puts you in situations where you are guaranteed either shame or success “if you learn to accept shame, then you’ll be successful”.

Jim concludes that “Little knowledge + Decisions ÷ thought = blind confidence. The output of which is shame OR success”.

Recommended reading

The Dice Man by George Cockcroft

You can also find this episode on our Youtube

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If you’re the owner of your business and you’re keen to improve productivity, or you want your business to run 200X better when you’re not there, why not get your employees to step up, not step back, from the challenge of running the business as efficiently as you do.

Don’t miss Andrew Holm and Julian Wilson of Matt Black Systems on this week’s episode. Some of the challenges that they’ve solved are probably some of the challenges that your business is facing today.

Andrew and Julian turned their business around by whittling the organisation down from 30 people to five over two years and dissolving the former hierarchical business model and creating a network of one person businesses.

The result? Two employees now produce the same turnover each year as 30 people used to do.

They spent £250m trying to improve productivity by implementing lean and then agile processes, but every time the consultants left, the business reverted back to how it operated before the change.

So they decided to change some stupid rules, triggering an awakening in their employees, encouraging their employees to think for themselves:

“On a roundabout, every car has a controlling mind in it. In a traffic light, there's only one controlling mind.”

This episode is slightly longer than normal, but it’s worth it. Julian and Andrew explain, in detail, precisely the experiments they undertook to create their current business model. This is an absolutely fantastic conversation.

On today’s podcast:

• Lean and agile are outcomes, not processes
• Natural human behaviour at work
• The invisible manager
• Traffic lights vs roundabouts
• Creating a central market

Links:

• Book - 500%: How Two Pioneers Transformed Productivity
• www.fractalwork.com

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If there's a problem in your organisation, but you can’t put your finger on what it is, have you considered it might be a trust issue?

Today’s guest studied trust as an undergraduate and 23 years later, David Horsager, CEO of Trust Edge Leadership Institute, has dedicated his career to researching trust, looking at the data, and seeing how trust is built with individuals, in companies, in countries, with brands.

Every year he publishes an annual trust survey in the US and this year he’s got a new book coming out called Trusted Leader, which provides a framework for building trust so that you and your organisation can perform at your best.

In today’s episode, David talks about what the 8 pillars of trust are and how his publisher wanted him to make it a more catchy number, but how he wouldn’t be swayed to change them, because that’s what the research revealed - the data says there are 8 things that underpin how we trust each other.

And, says David, trust is usually where the issue lies. When companies say they have a sales problem, they really have a trust problem - there's something about the character or the clarity of their message that's not getting through to clients. When a leader can't bring his team with them. It's a trust issue, etc.

As well as delving into the 8 pillars, David also shares some case studies, some observations and some hints and tips along the way. This is a fantastic conversation. And we’re sure you’ll enjoy it as much as we did.

Below, listeners will find links to some assets that David has made available to fans of this podcast.

On today’s podcast:

• The real issue in an organisation
• Researching trust
• The impact of trust on sales
• The 8 pillars in Trusted Leader
• How to bring about change in your organisation

Links:

• www.trustedleaderbook.com/meltingpot
• Book - Trusted Leader

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• If you’re tired of being overworked and underpaid,
• If you lack the ideal clients, or you don’t know how to find, attract and close clients,
• If you keep experiencing project creep,
• If you’re an expert in what you do, but you’re constantly overlooked and having to explain the value of what you do,

Then you need to listen to Pia Silva on this week’s episode of The Melting Pot.

Pia is a partner and brand strategist at Worstofall Design where they build entire brands in 1-3 day intensives. But these days she is just as focused on helping other small branding and marketing companies build profitable, lifestyle businesses using her No-BS model.

She’s a TEDx speaker, a Forbes contributor, author of Badass Your Brand and host of the podcast Show Your Business Who’s Boss.

And on today’s episode, she talks about how she went from being $40,000 in debt, working 100 hours a week for clients she didn’t want to work for, delivering work she wasn’t happy with, to 12 months later, making $500k, being profitable and working with a client she wants to work with.

Pia does the work she wants, her way, and she charges proper money for it. This is a fascinating story about the benefits of niching, adopting a no-BS approach and creating authority to drive business in.

We hope you enjoy this conversation with Pia as much as we did.

On today’s podcast:

• How she built her own brand
• From debt to success with Worstofall Design
• Niche down
• Definition of badass branding
• Create authority building content
• Charge proper prices

Links:

• TedX talk - When You Bank True Confidence, Anything Is Possible
• Podcast - Show Your Business Who's Boss
• Worstofall Design

Book:

• Badass Your Brand

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Do we really need another book on leadership? Well, when it’s been written by two global heavy hitters - Adam Bryant and Kevin Sharer, yes we do.

Adam was a 30 year journalist and editor at the New York Times where he did a weekly column called From The Corner Office, where he chatted to CEOs about the transferable skills that they've learned, not so much about their industry or their business, but about what lessons life had taught them that were transferable and that they could share.

Kevin is the former CEO of Amgen, the world's largest biotech company. He was an extremely successful CEO who went on to teach strategy at Harvard Business School.

What these guys have done isn’t write just another book on leadership, no, what, what they’ve done is put together a book - The CEO Test, which is, if you want to be the best as a leader, top of your game, not the table stakes, then these are the seven hardest things that the best leaders in the world managed to get good at.

Can you develop a simple strategy? Easy to say hard to do. Can you build a culture? Can you build teams that are true teams, not just a collection of individuals. Can you lead transformation? Can you learn to listen? Can you handle a crisis? And can you master the inner game of leadership?

This is a really great conversation about what Kevin and Adam think are the hardest of these tests. We also discuss which are their own personal kryptonite, and then we get some fantastic book recommendations. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.

On today’s podcast:

• Why another book on leadership?
• From 150 - 7 tests
• Building a diverse team
• Creating the culture you want
• The simplification of strategy
• The hardest test

Links:

• The CEO Test

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If your company is an early stage or scaling startup looking for support to help you hire and attract the best talent when you don’t have a brand. 

If you need help building a highly engaged, productive, high performing team, (and that’s not the destination, it's a journey). 

Or if you’re wondering how to create another layer of management underneath the founders and management teams, then don’t miss this insightful episode with Anouk Agussol, founder and CEO of Unleashed. 

“So my name is Anouk Agussol. I'm the founder and CEO of a company called Unleashed. And we work with early-stage and scaling startups on all things people and culture to make sure that their scaling journeys are successful, speedy and sustainable.”

Unleashed started life as a lifestyle business for Anouk to run from home a couple of days a week. Today, Unleashed is a team of 10 and they’ve helped 90 high growth companies over the last few years solve their challenges. 

To find out how Unleashed work and how they can help you and your team, download and listen to this latest episode of The Melting Pot. 

On today’s podcast:

• How Unleashed help companies grow
• The unexpected problems startups face
• Communication can be a core problem
• How to hire for great
• Scaling culture remotely
• Learning Fridays

Links:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoukagussol
• https://twitter.com/oz_anouk
• https://unleashed.company

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Does your team need training and coaching to help people find a fit, alignment, productivity and clarity to exceed their potential? 

Do you feel like you were made for more? 

Are you ready to take your team’s communication up another gear?

Then you might need Bert Robinson, President at Inpowering People.

“I do coaching and consulting with my company Inpowering People. I'm in Firestone, Colorado, out in the Rocky Mountains, and have been doing this for over 12 years now. And basically, when I'm at my best, I inspire and align people to be their creative best.”

Twelve years ago, Bert had an epiphany relating to the notion of positive psychology - if you can harness the talents and the job you're in, and those two things come together. You’ll never work another day in your life.

Bert and his team help people and businesses discover their untapped talents and potential, building them into performance that achieves tremendous success professionally and personally. 

In this genuinely insightful episode, Bert talks about CliftonStrengths, how to help an executive team develop the language to have difficult conversations and the positive elements of strengths. 

We rattled on for a bit, so the episode is a bit longer than usual, but we thoroughly enjoyed the conversation; we hope you will too. 

On today’s podcast:

• The Inpowering People toolset
• Finding your strengths with CliftonStrengths
• Understanding your top five talent themes
• We all think differently
• Learning to ask for help
• InpowerU

Links:

• Listeners discount

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Happiness vs work

Nic Marks grew Friday Pulse from a career-long passion for work-life happiness. He draws from Daniel Kahneman's 2004 Day Reconstruction Methodology, in which people were asked to divide their day up into activities they did and then rate each in terms of how happy they felt. The data shows that the time spent on the activity is almost exactly opposed to the amount of happiness gained from it. Nic says, "I found this kind of desperately sad for the human condition. You know, we spend a lot of time at work, and we find it the least enjoyable activity."

Feelings are data

Therapists often look at feelings as data and information we can use in decision making. Nic discusses Antonio Damasio's understanding of feelings as a way of receiving signals from our environment. And how feelings help motivate us and adjust to our environments. These elements can help measure happiness "in every data set there is. It's called an Eigenvalue, but basically it's the structure of the data. So in the middle there's a big Good/Bad signal".

Friday Pulse

Friday Pulse grew from Nic's passion for finding the Good/Bad signal for happiness and translating it into something usable. "We can look at happiness as our Good/Bad signal, and we can put numbers on that... we can say give me a 1 for this, give me a 5 for this, and suddenly we've translated a feeling into data". Friday Pulse collected data on happiness across all client teams in the run-up to 2020, and through the first lockdown. This allowed clients to monitor their happiness each week.

Positive and negative emotions

It is important to point out the different forms of happiness. Emotions have multiple meanings and evolutionary formations - anger to deal with threats and sadness to deal with loss. So in assessing happiness at work, you also have to understand what type of happiness, and what forms of happiness you want to promote. For example, you want your team to feel curiosity as a form of happiness that is really intellectually engaged. These types of emotion are often harder to measure quantitatively and, as a result, require qualitative data and looking for trends against more obvious measures like staff retention and success.

Success = happiness

We all want to build happier, more successful teams to scale our companies faster, and Nic's data shows that you can't really maintain one without the other. "If you're building an organisation, don't think that team building and happiness is a nice to have, it's essential". Of course, happy unproductive teams may exist - but as you would expect they will quickly collapse and some teams may be successful even though they are unhappy, and members are likely to leave. "There is a correlation coefficient. It's true that success does lead to more positive feelings...but the other way round it was twice as strong." To grow though the pandemic at a continued speed, teams will need positive energy for a creative, successful environment. As "in a world that demands more and more innovation from us all the time, mood is massively important."

Recommended Reading

Thinking, Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman

The Strange Order of Things- Antonio Damasio

Drive- Daniel Pink

You can also find the video of this talk here on our youtube

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So many of us are waking up to the fact we no longer have to live where we work. COVID has shown us that we can be just as productive, if not more so, WFH. And Paul Bennett, co-founder and CEO of PerchPeek, the AI-powered relocation agent, is cashing in on this realisation. 

Prior to COVID, Paul and his co-founders set about trying to solve the problem of relocation, having suffered through the process themselves. They initially described their startup as the ‘Tinder for rental’, before pivoting the business in 2020, in response to the specific pain points many people experience when relocating.

“People tend to underestimate how many moving parts are involved in a relocation process from deciding the area, to finding your home, to shipping your stuff, to getting your transport, to settling in when you arrive, setting up your utility bills, council tax, bank account, finding friends, finding community.”

And so in this post-COVID, hybrid, closed offices, new normal world, if you’re considering relocation, perhaps you might want to draw on Paul and his colleagues’ expertise to get you to your dream location, and maybe without having to change jobs. 

“I think what people love, and you'll see this in our reviews, is people just love having one place to coordinate and be guided by the relocation experts through all of those different verticals of the relocation.”

This is a fantastic conversation. We talk about everything from what's going to happen in the world of employee engagement, to office space and the implications of that. As well as some of the lessons that they've learned in their own business, and how and why they do unlimited holiday and various other perks. 

We really enjoyed this conversation with Paul, we hope you will too.

On today’s podcast:

• The genesis of PerchPeek
• Pivoting the business
• Relocating via PerchPeek
• The issues of remote working
• Managing unlimited holiday

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How is it possible that somebody who (in his own words) literally couldn’t lead a silent prayer, become a Hall of Fame speaker and a speech coach to Verne Harnish, author of Scaling Up and Rockefeller Habits?

In today’s episode we speak with Joel Weldon about how and why he became Verne’s speaking coach, because Verne has been public speaking for decades, so why would he now need someone to help him with speaking publicly?

But that’s a story he saves until the end of the podcast. Plus, the episode isn’t about Verne, it’s about Joel, a man who brings life to the phrase: find a job you love and never work another day in your life.

Joel is 80 and still working full time. He shares some of his backstory: how he thought he would never be the kid that would go on to speak in public. He didn't go to college, he didn't think he was smart enough. He was a former construction worker who was too shy to speak in public and too shy to sell, until he had his transformational awakening.

This is a really fantastic conversation, much of which you can put to work today or tomorrow or whenever you listen to this podcast. There are so many takeaways that can change your business in big and small ways.

As Joel so succinctly said:

“Let me give you 22 words. If you had to take everything that I've learned about communicating, speaking, and put it in one sentence, here it is - speak to your audience about what they need, in an organised way they can follow and get yourself out of the way.”

For more gems like this, download and listen to this week’s episode.

On today’s podcast:

• How Joel got into public speaking
• Speaking is a learned skill
• The ‘you’ factor
• How Joel tweaked Verne Harnish
• The importance of CTA
• Know your audience

Love Joel's work? He has been kind enough to offer subscribers a fantastic 50% discount on his Ultimate Speaking System!
To take advantage of this brilliant offer, subscribe to The Melting Pot and get the discount code here on our website.

Links:

• Toastmasters International

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If you’re looking for a virtual, hybrid and in-person meetings software that maximises audience engagement, retention and monetisation, then don’t miss this latest episode of The Melting Pot, with Mike Piddock, founder and CEO of Glisser, the award-winning audience engagement software.

Just over a year ago, Mike’s original platform was all about how to drive interactivity in a physical meeting, but like a lot of companies, with physical meetings reducing to zero, he’s had to pivot.