Absolute Advantage Podcast: Recent Episodes
Kelly Hatfield
The Absolute Advantage Podcast is about learning from some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, leaders, and achievers at the top of their game.
When chasing your dreams, a lot of times there isn’t a need to reinvent the wheel. Instead, shorten your path to success by learning from the stories, strategies and concepts shared by our guests. Then shorten it even further by learning about amazing resources (books, webinars, tools, software, events, coaching, etc.) that should be on your radar. You are not alone in the challenges you face!
It's my mission to help you walk away with at least one idea you can apply each episode and to offer content that inspires, encourages and helps you grow and progress QUICKLY both professionally and personally.
Author of the national bestselling book You.Are.The.One. and widely considered the next generation leader in the field of personal development by everyone ranging from Larry King, Jack Canfield, Marianne Williamson and more. He has been featured on Larry King Now, Fox and Friends, Dr. Drew, as well, Inc magazine calls him ‘The Mindfulness Guru Billionaires Go To For Advice’.
He recently received a Walden Award in the New Thought Wisdom category that Unity honors once a year to recognize socially conscious leaders who are making the world a better place, past winners in the same category have been Oprah Winfrey and Michael Bernard Beckwith.
A charismatic visionary and transformational teacher, he offers a fresh, bold look at spiritual awareness for a whole new generation. Born in Ghana, West Africa, Coot’s multi-cultural upbringing as the child of a Japanese mother and a Ghanaian father has spanned four different continents. His unique lineage lay the foundation for his approach to breaking down barriers and unlocking an individual’s true gifts and greatness.
His mission is simple: To awaken and inspire people across the planet to access inner freedom, live authentically and fulfill their true life’s purpose.
In this episode, we talk about his new book, “Magic of Surrender – Finding the Courage to let go”.
What you will learn:
- Kute’s journey to live into his truth
- How do determine whether it is your instinct or an unlimiting belief that is holding you back
- How to move you past inner struggle to discover the power of letting go of control and how letting go leads to more
- Allowing life to lead us instead of needing to KNOW
- The lies we tell ourselves and how they hold us back
- What does it mean to “surrender”
- Why surrender is the most powerful thing you can do
- The stages in the process of surrendering
Ways to contact Kute Blackson:
- Website: kuteblackson.com
- New Book – “The Magic of Surrender – Finding the Courage to Let Go”
- Facebook: @kuteblacksonlovenow
- Twitter: @kuteblackson
Doug is a retired military veteran of over 24 years. During his time in the military, he held numerous leadership positions to include instructor and manager of 500 personnel to Troop Chief of a hand-selected group of special communicators tasked with supporting and deploying into austere environments with Special Operations Forces. Upon retirement, he supported numerous government agencies as a subject matter expert in non-standard communications and as a business development executive. These experiences have enabled him to pass on the knowledge and lessons of leadership under extreme conditions for companies needing management team building. Pulling from his past experience as an executive-level technology leader, he has built numerous successful teams based on building a common vision that is understood and predicated upon impact and purpose.
What You Will Learn:
- Doug Ward’s leadership journey
- How Doug tapped into his leadership abilities by observing his peers
- Why self-awareness is such an important trait for effective leaders to have
- How to earn your team’s trust from a position of authority
- How to find a balance between your leadership position with your team and your leadership position with your family
- How Doug navigated the transition from military to civilian life
- The steps Doug takes to combat toxicity in a work environment
Ways to contact Doug Ward:
- Upcoming Podcast: “The Truth with Danger Doug”
- Website: https://www.anchorstrategiesllc.com
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-ward45/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/anchor-strategies-llc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/douglas.ward.501
- Twitter: @Truth_DangerD
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthwithdangerdoug/
Kelly Hatfield and April Taylor are leaders and entrepreneurs at heart. They believe fully in the power of the ripple effect and the opportunity that each of us has to create meaningful, positive and long-lasting impact in the lives of our teams, our clients and all who we serve. They consistently focus on ensuring that this amazing opportunity is realized. Kelly and April have built several successful companies directly connected to helping others live into their opportunity to make a greater impact.
They have been in the recruiting and HR field for over 25 years and love serving others. Kelly and April, along with their amazing teams, have created 4 successful businesses aimed at matching exceptional talent with top organizations. Through Kelly and April’s passion for service and people, their reach has organically expanded into the area of coaching and consulting. With a focus on high-performance, they partner with companies to support and develop their leadership teams and design recruiting and retention strategies. Additionally, their work as hosts of Absolute Advantage Podcast offers a conduit to deep discussions with successful entrepreneurs, executives, and thought leaders across a variety of industries. This has provided them a unique perspective and deep connection to leadership, people, entrepreneurship and high-achieving practices from all viewpoints.
What You Will Learn:
- The meaning of courage at the Absolute Advantage
- Why many of us are actually more courageous than we might think
- How to “put on your damn shoes” and overcome fear, resistance, or friction
- Why focusing on delivering value will make you more courageous than focusing on yourself
- How acts of courage are presented in everyday life
- How to get involved in the discussion on our private Facebook group and our All Access group
- How to move past the negative connotations associated with failure
Ways to contact us:
- Website: https://www.absoluteadvantageleadership.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/absolute-advantage-leadership/
- Twitter: @kellyhatfield11
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/absoluteadvantageleadership
Part CEO, part personal development wonk, and part biohacker info geek, Thom King is a self-confessed serial entrepreneur. While his favorite book list contains many success-oriented and personal-development classics, the traditional definition of achieving success (e.g. make a lot of money) is not what inspires or motivates King. He follows more of a ‘you aren’t doing well unless you’re also doing some good’ line of thinking. King’s company has been built around the simple principle of ‘do the right thing.’ In 1999, Thom’s personal passion for food and his concern over the explosion of metabolic disease led him to found Steviva Brands, now known as Icon Foods, with a mission to help food manufacturers replace unhealthy sugars in their products with natural options. With 20 years of R&D work, Thom has helped hundreds of manufacturers improve the quality of their products. In recent years, his passion for food and optimal health have intersected with his embrace of a ketogenic (low carb, high fat) diet.
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Thom King is the founder of Icon Foods and the author of “Guy Gone Keto: How to Lose Weight, Feel Great, and Achieve Lifelong Fitness.” As you can imagine, health and fitness are at the core of everything Thom has built. But he did not develop a health-conscious mentality until much later in his life. He started to question the effects of sugar on our bodies, then sought out a viable alternative with zero calories and no negative effects. It was a pivotal moment that paved the way for Steviva and eventually Icon Foods, enabling Thom to make an impact on manufacturers, consumers, friends, and family to this day.
Thom joins us in the latest episode of the Absolute Advantage to share his journey and bring us full circle with the concepts of health and energy. They are intertwined, and our health has a significant impact on how we show up in the world. Diet and exercise are directly tied to our ability to operate as effective leaders, and they can shape our organizations as a whole. To learn more about the relationship between health, energy, and leadership, listen to the latest episode of the Absolute Advantage.
Click here to listen to the episode, and make sure to visit www.absoluteadvantagepodcast.com for more content that inspires, encourages and helps you grow and make an impact QUICKLY both professionally and personally.
Ways to contact Thom King:
- Book: Guy Gone Keto: How to Lose Weight, Feel Great, and Achieve Lifelong Fitness
- Website: http://iconfoods.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guygoneketo/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steviva/
- Twitter: @steviva
Kelly Hatfield and April Taylor are leaders and entrepreneurs at heart. They believe fully in the power of the ripple effect and the opportunity that each of us has to create meaningful, positive and long-lasting impact in the lives of our teams, our clients and all who we serve. They consistently focus on ensuring that this amazing opportunity is realized. Kelly and April have built several successful companies directly connected to helping others live into their opportunity to make a greater impact.
They have been in the recruiting and HR field for over 25 years and love serving others. Kelly and April, along with their amazing teams, have created 4 successful businesses aimed at matching exceptional talent with top organizations. Through Kelly and April’s passion for service and people, their reach has organically expanded into the area of coaching and consulting. With a focus on high-performance, they partner with companies to support and develop their leadership teams and design recruiting and retention strategies. Additionally, their work as hosts of Absolute Advantage Podcast offers a conduit to deep discussions with successful entrepreneurs, executives, and thought leaders across a variety of industries. This has provided them a unique perspective and deep connection to leadership, people, entrepreneurship and high-achieving practices from all viewpoints.
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Our mental, emotional, and physical energies are directly tied to how we show up in the world. And when we get intentional with our energy—when we are actively managing it—we make a greater impact in everything we do. Like attracts like, so energy management connects us with opportunities and people who will propel us forward. Whether you are leading a team or not, energy is about self-leadership, and self-leadership is something that every single one of us can benefit from!
Energy is reciprocated, and the energy we put out is the energy we will get in return. But it is not possible to operate at 100% capacity 100% of the time. Energy management is about setting ourselves up for success so we can bring the best version of ourselves to the table when it counts most. In this episode of the Absolute Advantage podcast, we dive into the topic of energy management, explore energy from a leadership perspective, and discuss some of the tactics we use to change how we show up in the world.
Click here to listen to the episode, and make sure to visit www.absoluteadvantagepodcast.com for more content that inspires, encourages and helps you grow and make an impact QUICKLY both professionally and personally.
Ways to contact us:
- Website: https://www.absoluteadvantageleadership.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/absolute-advantage-leadership/
- Twitter: @kellyhatfield11
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/absoluteadvantageleadership
Chris is the best-selling author of Real Estate on Your Terms: Create Continuous Cash Flow Now, Without Using Your Cash or Credit. He’s also the founder of SmartRealEstateCoach.com and the Smart Real Estate Coach Podcast.
Chris has been in real estate for over 25 years. His experience includes the construction of over 100 single-family and duplex homes (mostly in the 1990s and selectively to date), has owned a Realty Executives Franchise (Massachusetts 1994-2000) as broker/owner which maintained high per-agent standards and eventually sold to Coldwell Banker in 2000. The 2000s included coaching ½ million and higher REALTORs® in order to scale & automate their business throughout the US and Canada. He also participated (and still does selectively) in doing condo conversions (multi-family homes to condos) and “raise the roof” projects (converting single family ranches to colonials in growth neighborhoods).
Chris has been a big advocate of constant education and participates regularly in high-end mastermind groups, as well as consults with private mentors. He runs his own buying and selling businesses with his family team, which buys 2-5 properties monthly, so they’re in the trenches every single week. They also help clients do the same thing around the country.
Chris and his family team have done over 80 million in real estate transactions. They mentor, coach, consult, and actually partner with students around the country (by application only) to do exactly what they do.
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Chris Prefontaine and his family mentor, coach, consult, and partner with students across the country to do real estate deals on terms. Between his associates and his own deals, Chris is still acquiring 5-10 properties each month. He controls $20-30M in real estate deals that are all done without using his own cash, credit, or signing for loans. And in this episode of the Absolute Advantage podcast, Chris explains how business leaders and established entrepreneurs can get into real estate with minimal exposure.
Smart Real Estate Coach is all about values mission and purpose because Chris recognizes the common misperceptions surrounding real estate education. There are a lot of programs out there with a significant gap between the time you take the course and the time you see revenue—sometimes it never happens at all. But Chris has built an unbelievable support network to guide his associates through deals using owner-financing and lease-purchase arrangements. If you are interested in getting into real estate so you can build wealth with a community of likeminded business leaders, this episode is you.
Click here to listen to the episode, and make sure to visit www.absoluteadvantagepodcast.com for more content that inspires, encourages and helps you grow and make an impact QUICKLY both professionally and personally.
Ways to contact Eric Kapitulik:
- Books: Amazon Author Profile
- Website: https://smartrealestatecoach.com
- Facebook:
- https://www.facebook.com/CHRISPRE/
- https://www.facebook.com/smartrealestatecoach
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisprefontaine/
- Twitter: @SmartRECoach
- Free Webinar: www.smartrealestatecoach.com/webinar/
- Podcast: https://www.smartrealestatecoachpodcast.com
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/smartrealestatecoach
- Email: support@smartrealestatecoach.com
Kelly Hatfield and April Taylor are leaders and entrepreneurs at heart. They believe fully in the power of the ripple effect and the opportunity that each of us has to create meaningful, positive and long-lasting impact in the lives of our teams, our clients and all who we serve. They consistently focus on ensuring that this amazing opportunity is realized. Kelly and April have built several successful companies directly connected to helping others live into their opportunity to make a greater impact.
They have been in the recruiting and HR field for over 25 years and love serving others. Kelly and April, along with their amazing teams, have created 4 successful businesses aimed at matching exceptional talent with top organizations. Through Kelly and April’s passion for
service and people, their reach has organically expanded into the area of coaching and consulting. With a focus on high-performance, they partner with companies to support and develop their leadership teams and design recruiting and retention strategies. Additionally, their work as hosts of Absolute Advantage Podcast offers a conduit to deep discussions with successful entrepreneurs, executives, and thought leaders across a variety of industries. This has provided them a unique perspective and deep connection to leadership, people, entrepreneurship and high-achieving practices from all viewpoints.
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2020 has arrived and it is ripe with opportunity. But as time moves forward, many of us fall further and further out of touch with the entrepreneurial spirit that led us down this path in the first place. How can we bring more fun and more joy into the work we are doing? How will our reinvigoration impact our teams and businesses as a whole? These are questions we should be asking ourselves—not just at the turn of each decade—but every single day!
There are tons of resources and strategies out there to help us set our goals for the new year, but a lot of the content we consume is sugar-coated. Since 2016, April and I have striven to bring you along for the ride in our journey with full-transparency. Being a leader is extremely difficult and sometimes we fall flat on our faces, but even the smallest victories make it all worth while. Think about what has held you back in the last year, what helped you move forward, and why you are doing this. Let’s hit the ground running.
Click here to listen to the episode, and make sure to visit www.absoluteadvantagepodcast.com for more content that inspires, encourages and helps you grow and make an impact QUICKLY both professionally and personally.
Ways to contact us:
- Website: https://www.absoluteadvantageleadership.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/absolute-advantage-leadership/
- Twitter: @kellyhatfield11
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/absoluteadvantageleadership
Eric Kapitulik was born and raised in Thompson, CT and attended Pomfret Preparatory School where he was a three-sport varsity athlete. Upon graduating, he attended the United States Naval Academy. While there, he was a 4-year varsity letter winner and played on three NCAA Division I Lacrosse Tournament teams. During his junior year, Eric received the Lt. JG Frank McKeone Award, given to the Navy player who most demonstrated spirit and sportsmanship and who served as the unsung hero. Eric was also named Navy’s Most Outstanding Defenseman and received North-South All-Star honors his senior year at the Academy. He graduated in 1995 and went on to serve as both an Infantry Officer and Special Operations Officer with 1st Force Reconnaissance Company, 1st Marine Division. As a Force Reconnaissance Platoon Commander, Eric led 20 covert operations specialists in Special Forces related missions including long-range reconnaissance patrols, hostage rescue, high altitude jump exercises, ship takeovers, and gas-oil platform takedowns. He left active duty after eight years of service and graduated from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 2005.
Eric has been extensively involved with the Force Reconnaissance Scholarship Fund, which he established for the children of six Marines who died in a helicopter crash while serving under his command. Since 1999, he has been helping to raise funds and has done so through public speaking engagements covering Leadership and Attacking Adversity and through participation in Iron Man Triathlons and other ultra-endurance races around the world. In addition to finishing 8 Iron Man triathlons, Eric has competed in numerous marathons, the Canadian Death Race Ultra Marathon, the Eco Challenge, the American Birkebeiner Ski Marathon and was a competitor on The Outdoor Life Networks Global Extremes Challenge.
Eric is also an avid high altitude mountaineer. He has summited five of the Seven Summits (the highest peaks on the seven continents); Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. McKinley, Mt. Aconcagua, Mt.Elbrus and most recently Mt. Everest.
Eric sits on the board of directors for the Massachusetts Soldiers Legacy Fund and is the Founder and President of The Program LLC, a team-building and leadership development company for high school and collegiate student-athletes and corporate teams.
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As a former D1 lacrosse player and Special Operations Officer with 1st Force Reconnaissance Company, Eric Kapitulik maintains a standard of excellence in every facet of his life. The lessons he took away from those experiences are invaluable, so Eric is paying it forward by teaching structure, discipline, and an unrivaled leadership methodology to athletes and executives who want to take their teams to the next level.
Eric’s program has one mission: to develop better leaders and create more cohesive teams—that’s all they do. He facilitates personal development, leadership development, and team building through shared adversity, and helps individuals and teams grow by stepping outside of their comfort zones. Eric works with collegiate and professional athletic programs and corporations across North America to reinvent their standards of leadership. Then, they commit the lessons to memory through experiential training.
Click here to listen to the episode, and make sure to visit www.absoluteadvantagepodcast.com for more content that inspires, encourages and helps you grow and make an impact QUICKLY both professionally and personally.
Ways to contact Eric Kapitulik:
- Book: The Program: Lessons From Elite Military Units for Creating and Sustaining High-Performance Leaders and Teams
- Website: www.TheProgram.org
- The Program’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeDoOneMore/
- Eric’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-kapitulik-6996a048/
- The Program’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-program-llc/
- Eric’s Twitter: @erickapitulik6
- The Program’s Twitter: @theprogramorg
Mike Kitko is an Executive Self- Mastery Coach, Speaker, and Author. He found external success in the world through attaining powerful titles, incomes, and material possessions. His family only focused on material wealth as the primary means of trying to find happiness. He ultimately fell into depression, alcoholism, and the near-collapse of his family before he began a journey of internal happiness. Mike now coaches Executive Leaders to feel as powerful on the inside as they appear to those they lead – which creates a fulfilled person and powerful family.
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Early in Mike Kitko’s career, he found himself running from fear, inadequacy, and insecurity no matter what he accomplished. His life was crumbling around him and he struggled to maintain a facade of strength and composure. But when Mike took a step back and sought out a path of authenticity, he no longer felt like an imposter. He became the master of his own life and is now helping other leaders to do the same.
Mike and his wife pulled themselves out of the depths and started living the life they always wanted. But it is important to note the relatively short time frame in which the Kitkos’ transformation took place. We are only one decision away from changing our lives for the better and it starts with identifying everything that serves your vision and cutting out the things that don’t.
Mike Kitko wants to help you create a life of your own dreams, not a life someone else designed. It all starts with an internal journey and the ‘right’ path is the path that suits you! Click here to listen to the episode, and make sure to visit www.absoluteadvantagepodcast.com for more content that inspires, encourages and helps you grow and make an impact QUICKLY both professionally and personally.
Ways to contact Mike Kitko:
- New Book: The Imposter In Charge
- Website: https://mikekitko.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikekitkocoaching/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikekitko/
- Twitter: @mike_kitko
Peter Guzzardi has worked in publishing for more than forty years. Prominent books he has edited include Stephen Hawkings A Brief History of Time, Deepak Chopras Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Queen Noors Leap of Faith, Arianna Huffington’s Fanatics and Fools, and Paula Poundstone’s There’s Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say. Emeralds of Oz: Life Lessons from Over the Rainbow was published by HarperCollins in May 2019 and marks Peter’s debut as an author. An independent editor and writer, he lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Peter’s book, “Emeralds of Oz: Life Lessons From Over the Rainbow,” is available for purchase now where books are sold. You can see his upcoming events by going to peterguzzardi.com and clicking on “Events.”
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Peter Guzzardi stumbled upon a spectacular 75th-anniversary edition of The Wizard of Oz and it sparked an epiphany. It occurred to him that, throughout his forty-year career in publishing, all the lessons he learned from the brilliant minds of his industry were presented in the film.
Peter shaped the lessons into sixty-two insights that parallel events in the Wizard of Oz. Then, he distilled the insights into nine substantial takeaways dubbed the “nine emeralds.” The nine emeralds can be used to address particular issues in your life and work through them. They are extremely useful in a leadership position, especially as you learn to speak the language.
Each emerald is linked to an iconic moment in the film because Peter’s goal is to take you through an emerald circuit similar to Dorothy’s. The emeralds are intended to facilitate a transformation and help you step into the best version of yourself. Being your best self is not just about improving your own experience; it is about creating a richer and more rewarding experience for your employees as well. You will make a tremendous difference just by showing up that way.
Click here to listen to the episode, and make sure to visit www.absoluteadvantagepodcast.com for more content that inspires, encourages and helps you grow and make an impact QUICKLY both professionally and personally.
Ways to contact Peter Guzzardi:
- Website: www.peterguzzardi.com
- Twitter: @peterguzzardi
David Hauser has built a number of successful companies in the startup space, both organically and inorganically. He is the founder of Grasshopper, which was acquired by Citrix after he bootstrapped the company to $30M+. David founded Chargify and made it profitable, securing a Mark Cuban investment. He founded ReturnPath and is a founding member of National Entrepreneurs’ Day (http://entrepreneursday.org). David is an angel investor in Intercom, Unbounce, Munchery, Groove and more. He is a public speaker at FOWA, Big Omaha, LessConf, SuperConf, Entrepreneurs Organization, and has received major media coverage by CNN, Fox, Inc. Magazine, Fortune, Entrepreneur, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Inc. 30 Under 30.
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As leaders and business owners, we prioritize other people’s needs. It is part of what makes us great leaders in the first place. You signed up for long days and late nights when you entered this world, but you can only operate at full capacity when you put your oxygen mask on first. Sometimes, to help others, you have to help yourself. David Hauser explores that notion and more in his new book, Unstoppable.
We preach the importance of health and wellness, but we don’t always practice it ourselves. David Hauser struggled to prioritize self-care in the hustle-hard culture of modern entrepreneurship—a position that many of us are in right now. You have to recognize that there is no ‘right’ time to start practicing self-care and stop putting it off. When you achieve balance and become the best version of yourself, your business will reflect that. Health and wellness is a great place to start.
In this episode of the Absolute Advantage podcast, David Hauser joins us to share his journey of personal development. He discusses the key principles in his book, “Unstoppable,” such as the optimization mindset, the myths surrounding diet and exercise, and the top things you should be paying attention to on your own journey.
Click here to listen to the episode, and make sure to visit www.absoluteadvantagepodcast.com for more content that inspires, encourages and helps you grow and make an impact QUICKLY both professionally and personally.
Ways to contact David Hauser:
- Website: https://www.unstoppablebook.com/
- Twitter: @dh
Jennifer Brown is an award-winning entrepreneur, dynamic speaker and diversity and inclusion expert. She is the founder, president, and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting (JBC), a strategic leadership and diversity consulting firm that coaches business leaders worldwide on critical issues of talent and workplace strategy. Brown is a passionate advocate for social equality who helps businesses foster healthier, more productive workplace cultures. Her book Inclusion: Diversity, the New Workplace & the Will to Change (2016) will inspire leadership to embrace the opportunity that diversity represents and empower advocates to drive change that resonates in today’s world. Jennifer’s second book, How to Be an Inclusive Leader, is available everywhere!
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Many of us look at leadership and say, “I don’t see anyone that looks like me or shares my story.” We leave parts of ourselves at home for fear of not being accepted. Jennifer Brown has been a member of the LGBTQ community for 22 years, and she struggled with her self-image in almost every role. Today, she is working with businesses and leaders across the country to eradicate that fear.
As a consultant and speaker, Jennifer has worked with Fortune 500 corporations like Wal-Mart and Microsoft to help them integrate strategies of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. But small businesses are starting to adopt these practices as well. Companies need a culture that promotes inclusivity because they will only recruit and retain the top talent if people can bring their full selves to work. It is a significant competitive differentiator.
In this episode of the Absolute Advantage, Jennifer Brown discusses the “full self” and the advantages of bringing it to work. She explains the impact that building a culture of inclusivity has on small businesses and Fortune 500 companies alike. Click here to listen to the episode, and make sure to visit www.absoluteadvantagepodcast.com for more content that inspires, encourages and helps you grow and make an impact QUICKLY both professionally and personally.
Ways to contact Jennifer Brown:
- Website: jenniferbrownspeaks.com
- Twitter: @jenniferbrown
John Waid has thirty years of sales and sales leadership experience in Fortune 500 companies and twelve years of senior consulting experience in the learning and development field. John earned his MBA in International Business from a top program and is fluent in three languages which has allowed him to work in Europe, North, Central and South America. He started his own firm, C3—Corporate Culture Consulting, to work with leaders and their companies on their cultures.
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John Waid is the founder and CEO of C3, a firm that specializes in aligning an organization’s culture with its strategic goals. In his experience, culture represents the relationship of values and behaviors within an organization. When your organization’s values are well-defined, employee behavior is the best indicator of how the values are being exemplified.
Values are implemented by profound leaders, and leaders are people that others follow voluntarily. Leaders are responsible for the culture, coaches are responsible for the growth, and managers are responsible for operational excellence. Although all of those components play a role in the organization’s success, you cannot achieve growth and operational excellence with a frail culture.
The most well-run companies put their employees first, their customers second, and their profits third. At the top of the pyramid is your leader or the ambassador of your culture, and at the base is your results. Everything in between determines how much you are going to grow. However, many organizations do not have a structure like that in place.
In this episode of the Absolute Advantage, John Waid explains the direct link between a company’s culture and its performance. He shares his methodology and talks about the role of culture in recruiting, growth, and ultimately, profit. Click here to listen to the episode, and make sure to visit www.absoluteadvantagepodcast.com for more content that inspires, encourages and helps you grow and make an impact QUICKLY both professionally and personally.
Ways to contact John Waid:
- Website: https://corporatecultureconsulting.com/
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Erik Salzenstein’s story is one that truly shows the power of change and what’s possible. From greed and addiction to purpose and fulfillment. Erik found himself facing life in prison, with his back against the wall where he finally had to face his worst enemy up until that point…himself.
What stands out that he had to go to prison to find freedom and realized he was in his own prison long before actually being behind bars. He then went on to spend 4 years relentlessly pursuing personal growth, coaching, speaking, running workshops and even being published in a newspaper all while in prison. He developed a 4 step process using the acronym ROCK that allowed him to tap into his full potential and develop the ROCK solid foundation needed to transform and build his life on. He’s since used this process with much success to his clients lives.
Erik is a powerful and sought out speaker and transformational coach who shares his signature talk “From Prison to Prosperity” and takes people through his ROCK process and helps them break free from the constructs of their own prison.
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Erik Salzenstein was facing life in prison at just 23 years old, but as his freedom was being ripped away, Erik realized that he was never free in the first place. None of his decisions were made in a heightened state of mind because fear, doubt, and insecurity fueled his M.O. The deeper he crawled into that hole, the higher the stakes became, and Erik finally realized that to grow as a human being, he had to believe that he could achieve something more.
At that point, he was able to embark on a journey of personal transformation, bringing as many others as he could along with him. By tapping into his own experience of self-discovery, Erik could help others step into their greater selves by making choices that align with their core values and beliefs.
In this episode of the Absolute Advantage podcast, Erik Salzenstein joins host Kelly Hatfield to share his story and talk about helping people understand who they really are so they can make decisions that embody the best version of that. Click here to listen to the episode, and make sure to visit www.absoluteadvantagepodcast.com for more content that inspires, encourages and helps you grow and make an impact QUICKLY both professionally and personally.
Ways to contact Erik Salzenstein:
- Website: www.eriksalzenstein.com
John Livesay, aka The Pitch Whisperer, is a sales keynote speaker and shares the lessons learned from his award-winning sales career at Conde Nast. In his keynote Better Selling Through Storytelling, he shows companies sales teams how to become irresistible so they are magnetic to their ideal clients. After John speaks, the sales team becomes revenue rock stars who know how to form an emotional connection and a compelling sales story with clients. His TEDx talk: Be The Lifeguard of your own life has over 1,000,000 views. His best selling book is Better Selling Through Storytelling.
He is also the host of The Successful Pitch podcast, which is heard in over 60 countries. These interviews make him a sales keynote speaker with fresh and relevant content. Audiences love him because they know hes been in their shoes.
John has been interviewed by Larry King and appeared on TV as an expert on How To Ask For What You Want And Get A Yes. John currently lives in Los Angeles with his King Charles Spaniel, Pepe, who welcomes him home after he returns from being a sales keynote speaker, reminding him of the importance of belly rubs.
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As a leader, the right direction is not always clear, but establishing a personal brand will give you parameters that you can always fall back on. John Livesay taps into his background in advertising to provide strategic insights for building your brand and communicating it through the art of storytelling.
Storytelling is what makes us memorable, and whether you are making the first touchpoint or trying to close, creating an emotional connection is the key to playing the long game. Crafting a compelling narrative is one of the most effective methods to accomplish this, and with the proper strategy, your sales team will be able to attract key prospects at a point in the sales cycle when they are ready to spend.
In this episode of the Absolute Advantage podcast, John Livesay joins host Kelly Hatfield to share his story and talk about the fundamental components that make storytelling an effective pitch strategy. If you tell the best story, you’re going to get the ‘yes,’ so find out how to move “from invisible to irresistible,” with John Livesay.
Ways to contact John Livesay:
- Book: Better Selling Through Storytelling
- Website: www.johnlivesay.com
- Twitter: @john_livesay
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlivesay/
Ric Lindberg is a freelancer who helps global organizations with business intelligence and team development based on coaching, metrics and KPIs. He is a deep technical data-nerd who understand the desire to replace tools and processes for better results, but having worked within business intelligence for 24 years, Ric learned that it’s never about the tool. The path to better and lasting change requires leadership way more than tools.
He’s been podcasting for more than 5 years about self-leadership, focus and relationship building on the show Relationship Power at work and has now turned into a beginner YouTuber helping parents better connect to their computer gamer children.
Ric helps you Connect and Levelup.
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By helping businesses harness the power of advanced analytics and team development, Ric Lindberg works with his clients to build a stronger connection between the employees and their work. Lindberg’s process combines a technical background in computers with intra-organizational analysis to create custom strategies based on the unique business problems of each client.
As a freelance consultant, Lindberg has spent years refining the skill of empathic listening which allows him to construct metrics-based solutions with a deep understanding of a business’s functionality. His approach is very data-centric, but software and tools are only a small part of the work he does.
When leaders become more vulnerable and start to understand the worldview of others, it opens a pathway for connection that yields higher productivity and better team chemistry. Ric Lindberg is helping leaders tap into that by eliminating the traditional power dynamic and coaching them to unlock the full extent of their teams’ capabilities.
Ways to contact Ric Lindberg:
- Website: www.RicLindberg.com
- Twitter: @RicLindberg
- LinkedIn: https://se.linkedin.com/in/riclindberg?trk=people-guest_profile-result-card_result-card_full-click
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Joe Williams helps coaches, consultants and entrepreneurs become world-class communicators!
Joe is the Founder of Creative Performance Group, where he helps people get their message out to the world in the most powerful way possible. He created the Master Your Message Bootcamp, an intensive training that has created hundreds of other successful speakers, coaches, consultants, and authors. In addition to live events, consulting, and corporate programs, Joe lead the Impact Entrepreneur group a high-end mentorship program for professional speakers, coaches, and consultants.
His new book “The Impact Awakening: How to go from having a calling to changing lives”, focuses on how to master your message, communicate it powerfully, and scale it into an Impact Business.
Joe is a passionate student and trainer of personal and professional development techniques he has worked with and spoken for peak performance coach Anthony Robbins for over 20 years.
Joe’s work has led him to consult with companies in a number of fields such as financial services, aerospace, retail business, internet and software, direct sales, publishing, entertainment, and the federal government. Joe is professionally responsible for helping his clients create over $50 Billion in new business.
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Both of Joe Williams’ parents went to prison for tax evasion when he was just a teenager, and his drive to produce results was born almost instantaneously. Williams had a knack for entrepreneurship and managed to take his company public at only twenty-six, but it didn’t take long before he realized that shuffling around an office was not his passion.
Williams developed a friendship with Tony Robbins in the late 90s who gave him the opportunity to discover his true passion; public speaking, mentorship, and coaching. Now, Williams works with people who are trying to reinvent themselves and helps them take their calling, story, message, or gift, and create an action plan to bring it to the world.
In this episode of the Absolute Advantage Podcast, Williams joins host Kelly Hatfield to share his story and discuss the methodology he uses to make transformational strides with his clients’ endeavors. Click here to listen to the episode, and make sure to visit www.impactawakeningbook.com for a free pdf of Williams’ new book.
Ways to contact Joe Williams:
- Website: www.creativeperformancegroup.com
- Free ebook: www.impactawakeningbook.com
- Twitter: @joebwilliams
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joebwilliams
Jonathan Keyser is the founder and thought leader behind Keyser, the largest tenant rep commercial real estate brokerage/consulting firm in Arizona. Through his disruptive focus on selfless service, Jonathan is re-shaping the commercial real estate industry, and his firm has quickly become one of the fastest-growing CRE firms in the country, representing companies globally across multiple industries.
Jonathan is thrilled to share his journey and mission of selfless service through his highly-anticipated book, You Dont Have to Be Ruthless to Win (hitting bookshelves in mid 2019). A strong supporter of the Conscious Capitalism movement, Jonathan is eagerly working toward the upcoming launch of The Keyser Institute to inspire and equip the next generation of selfless leaders. Jonathan is passionate about helping and empowering others, and has been involved in many different executive and nonprofit organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Phoenix and several business leadership organizations in Arizona. He is also spearheading an initiative to connect Arizona business leaders, alongside Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (www.arizonabusinesscommunity.com).
On the personal side, Jonathan prioritizes family. He is a loving and devoted father to wife and four children. Jonathan is extremely committed to personal development and self-improvement, and he stays active with mountain/water sports, spin, and hiking.
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With a background that instilled concrete values and a strong moral compass, Jonathan Keyser had a difficult decision to make when he entered the world of commercial real estate. It wasn’t necessarily that Keyser had ill will, he just didn’t know how else to succeed in that industry other than to become a ruthless prick. After years of clawing his way up the food chain with one self-serving act after another, Keyser eventually attended a conference that flipped his perspective on building relationships by revealing the success that can result from helping people.
Keyser is not hustling an instant-gratification, get-rich-quick scheme. His methodology focuses on creating long-term, sustainable success by nurturing relationships through selfless service. It was a grueling transition for him to make, but Keyser is a completely different person now. He is the founder of a commercial real estate brokerage that is built on the principle of succeeding by helping others succeed, and he trains all of his team members to live out that value in all facets of their lives.
In this episode of the Absolute Advantage podcast, Jonathan Keyser joins host Kelly Hatfield to share his journey and discuss the challenges and successes he experienced on the path of selfless service. Keyser breaks down his philosophy and highlights all of the key principles that business leaders can follow to reach a higher level of happiness and success. Click here to listen to the episode, and make sure to visit www.absoluteadvantagepodcast.com for more informative episodes about pushing the boundaries of your leadership potential.
Ways to contact Jonathan Keyser:
- Website: www.keyserco.com
- Twitter: @KeyserWay
Carey Jenkins had an unconventional path to CEO of Substantial, a Seattle-based digital product studio that has worked with companies like Amazon, Mercedes Benz, and the Wall Street Journal. In 2012, Carey joined the client services team, and six short years later she became the CEO. As the sixth female employee and first mother hired at Substantial, Carey is proud that Substantial has grown the female employee base to 37% overall and 40% on the leadership team, and she is committed to empowering other women to seize more leadership opportunities.
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Beyond the excitement of graduating from college, many students wander out of the auditorium as lost souls. Their failure to recognize opportunity in disguise creates a void of purpose, but it is important to acknowledge that no one in history had a road map to success. Carey Jenkins’ story emphasizes the importance of framing adverse situations differently to become more resilient. Ironically, her success story is more of a collection of failures than successes, but in this episode of Absolute Advantage, she explains how a will to learn from them will only tear you down and rebuild you stronger.
Jenkins’ toolbox as a CEO includes project management, people management, writing, and public speaking, but not a single one of those skills came from her experience in one role or industry. They are the culmination of all her past experiences and failures, which led to greater opportunities that she was already prepared for. Jenkins faced many challenges climbing the ranks to become a female executive, but she made it to the top because of her capacity to lead and adapt to adversity—any one is capable when they start asking “why not me” instead of “why me.”
Throughout her journey, Jenkins was always hungry for feedback and coaching, but what set her apart was the ability to step into really uncomfortable situations and recognize her value to the company. This relentless mindset drove her to fight tooth and nail for the CEO position when the opportunity presented itself, and it proved that you can always pull yourself up if you’re prepared to do so.
Ways to contact Carey Jenkins:
- Website: https://substantial.com/
- Twitter: @Substantial
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/careyvjenkins
After their business crumbled due to a sudden illness that had Joeel bedridden for a year, Joeel (jo-ELL) and Natalie Rivera (ri-VAIR-uh) decided they never wanted to be in that situation again. So they dedicated themselves to converting their training and speaking programs into online courses that would outlive them and would provide passive income. They reached over 100,000 students from 191 countries in only 3 years. They believe that entrepreneurship is the ultimate form of empowerment. Today they teach INDIEpreneurs how to create a purpose-driven business in this new economy so they can monetize their passion and live life on their terms.
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Joeel and Natalie Rivera both had entrepreneurial dreams early on, but what brought them together was their desire to help others, create a legacy, and make an impact on the community. After their paths merged, Joeel and Natalie found a collective calling to establish a multitude of platforms that would help business leaders in the community grow. As fate would have it, their devotion to the cause quickly caught up with them and Joeel fell severely ill, completely incapacitated and unable to work.
The adversity Joeel faced culminated a desire to build something that would outlive him, so Joeel and Natalie began converting all of their content into videos that were accessible to a much larger audience. All of their students have an expertise that they haven’t acknowledged yet, so the Riveras thrive on helping students identify their passions in order to monetize and share them with the world. The courses are not necessarily complex and a lot of them are built around simple skills that other people are hungry to learn; if it is something you can teach, it is something you can turn into a passive income and anything is possible.
For the most part, a lot of the information being taught is already out there, but the reason people pay for these courses is because Joeel and Natalie’s students provide packaged content that is taught step by step. A lot of changes are taking place as the capacity to do business online grows, so people are searching for more niche information as they develop new skills to keep up with the shift. That demand is only growing with people looking to make a greater impact in this world, by stepping into themselves and assuming a growth mindset. In this episode of Absolute Advantage, Joeel and Natalie explain how you can accomplish that by uncovering your passions and sharing them with others. Click here to listen to the episode.
Ways to contact Joeel and Natalie Rivera:
- Website: http://www.transformation-academy.com
- Special Link: onlinecourserevolution.com/absolute
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/transformation-services-inc-
Kathleen Trotter is a fitness expert, media personality, personal trainer, writer, life coach, certified Pilates and ELDOA instructor, and overall health enthusiast. Her passion is motivating others to find their fit. Kathleen does this through writing, regular TV and media appearances, working with clients (ranging from athletes of all ages to individuals living with Parkinson’s disease and osteoporosis), and speaking engagements.
Kathleen holds an M.Sc. in Exercise Science from the University of Toronto and a nutrition diploma from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. She is a C.H.E.K. Level 3 trainer, a Level 2 Fascial Stretch Therapist, Level 1 ELDOA practitioner, and a certified Pilates Equipment Specialist.
Kathleen started her work as a fitness writer at Chatelaine in 2010. Shortly after, she started blogging for the Huffington Post and filming and writing for the Globe and Mail. Kathleen has published articles in magazines, such as Canadian Running, Glow, Todays Parent, Healthy Directions, and Impact Magazine.
Kathleen is regularly interviewed as a fitness expert for multiple news outlets including Global News and the Toronto Star. She also makes regular TV and media appearances on Breakfast Television Montreal, Rogers Ottawa, CTV News, CHCH Morning Live Hamilton, the CBC, ABC News 7, and many others. Kathleen has been a guest on numerous radio shows, podcasts, and is a regular on Zoomer Radios The Tonic.
Her new-found passion is motivational speaking. Kathleen’s speaking engagements have included a series of motivational lectures at the Toronto Public Library, guest lectures at the University of Toronto and Concordia University, Lunch and Learns at the University of Toronto, and corporate presentations, including her recent Cisco Women of Influence keynote talk.
Kathleen loves her job. Her mission is to inspire as many people as possible to adopt (in an intelligent way) a healthier lifestyle and to make healthier choices because they love themselves, not because they hate themselves. Kathleen does not believe in body shame. Kathleen does believe in goals and results. She does not believe in being easy on yourself or letting negative brain propaganda win. She does believe in self-compassion and holding yourself accountable. Kathleen does not believe in being active to create a whole new you. Kathleen does believe in being you, but working toward creating a you who has more healthy habits. She believes in learning and growing, passion, gratitude, and actively finding pockets of joy. Most important, Kathleen believes in actively creating the version of yourself that you want to be, and that the key to health success is finding YOUR fit hence the name of her first book, Finding Your Fit.
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Kathleen Trotter is a speaker, author, and media personality set out to help people ‘find their fit,’ but this process requires a lot more involvement than starting a diet or getting a gym membership. Unless you are willing to act to change, your future self is just going to be a version of your current self. Trotter’s approach focuses on making fundamental changes to your mindset in order to prioritize self-care and become the best possible version of yourself.
It is all about small wins because your health and well being is just an aggregate of every decision you make in the moment. If you can assign more value to health and exercise, you will be able to make small adjustments in real-time that make a significant difference in the long run. You cannot effectively lead others if you are not leading yourself first, and by taking Trotter’s initiative you can start to replenish your energy, self-confidence, and overall happiness that will see a major shift at work and in the household.
The growth mindset assumes that there is no experience good or bad as long as you learn from it. In this episode of Absolute Advantage, Trotter joins host Kelly Hatfield to talk about creating a system to hold yourself accountable and grow as an individual in your pursuit of better health. Learn some of the strategies that Kathleen has used to successfully transform the lives of her clients’ lives.
Ways to contact Kathleen Trotter:
- Website: kathleentrotter.com
- Twitter: KTrotterFitness
- Instagram: KathleenTrotterFitness
- New Book: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Fittest-Future-Self-Healthier/dp/1459741285
Drew Tarvin is the world’s first Humor Engineer teaching people how to get better results while having more fun. He has worked with thousands of people at 200+ organizations, including Microsoft, the FBI, and the International Association for Canine Professionals. He is a best-selling author, has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and TEDx, and has delivered programs in 50 states, 20+ countries, and 6 continents. He loves the color orange and is obsessed with chocolate.
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The term ‘humor engineer’ might seem completely foreign, because Drew Tarvin coined it himself. His work focuses on becoming effective with humans, and he is driven by the discovery that similar skills are needed to be successful in both comedy and leadership.
In this episode of The Absolute Advantage, Andrew Tarvin discusses a powerful shift in mentality that can generate positive momentum in the workplace and the direct benefits of integrating humor into your communication.
You can use humor to get your team to pay attention, and if you do that consistently people want to experience it in your meetings. But, although it is not a perfect strategy in every situation, humor can be used more than we realized to change perspectives and get people to experience a change of state.
Tune in to this week’s episode of The Absolute Advantage podcast to learn how you can start implementing strategic humor to make a difference in the workplace.
Ways to contact Drew Tarvin:
- Website: https://www.humorthatworks.com
- Twitter: @drewtarvin
- Book: http://gethumor.org/buybook
Tevis Trower is the founder and CEO of Balance Integration Corporation, focused on helping build corporate cultures that allow employees to thrive. Their remarkable client list includes companies like Google, Yahoo, Disney, Viacom, AOL, Soros, Bloomberg, Morgan Stanley and more. Tevis is considered a pioneer and leader in the field of cultural transformation at work, with significant expertise in imposter syndrome, trust, innovation, emotionally sustainable leadership, and fostering an environment of resilience. She has been featured in prominent media outlets such as Forbes, Business Week, Fortune CIO, The New York Post, Yoga Journal and many more.
Early in Tevis’s business career, she recognized that there is a need for more human-focused leadership in today’s business world. Many companies say “people are their most valuable asset”, but not enough companies focus on creating powerful people-focused cultures that allow their employees to shine. Tevis believes that the key to being a stronger, more effective and empowering leader is to recognize and embrace the reality that you bring your whole self to work, both your strengths and your weaknesses.
Tevis sees imposter syndrome as a sort of “default human state” that we all experience, created by our fear of failure and our strong need for success. She believes that what pushes many high performers to succeed is not a desire to win but a drive to avoid failure and the stigma associated with it. In her work, she helps people recognize their focus on the things that create discontent rather than the things that bring them joy, and she helps them reconnect with their heart and with the things they love.
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There is a tremendous amount of pressure that every leader has to face, but the reality is that much of that pressure comes from within. From imposter syndrome to fear of failure, from being honest about our weaknesses to the constant need to bring our best selves to work every day, we often create our own obstacles that get in the way of stepping into our potential as great leaders. How can we face these challenges in an emotionally honest and authentic way?
For this episode of Absolute Advantage, I invited Tevis Trower to speak with me about these very challenges. Tevis is the founder and CEO of Balance Integration Corporation, an organization that helps top companies like Google, Yahoo, Disney, Viacom, and many others build great cultures and empower their executives to thrive. Tevis is an expert in imposter syndrome, trust, innovation, emotionally sustainable leadership, and fostering an environment of resilience. She has been featured in prominent media outlets such as Forbes, Business Week, Fortune CIO, The New York Post, Yoga Journal and many more.
During the episode, Tevis discusses the mental and emotional challenges that leaders have to deal with, and she shares some surprising statistics about the expectations employees have for their leaders. She discusses the importance of authenticity and the vital skill of allowing ourselves to admit our weaknesses, and she offers smart strategies for coping with the pressure of being a great leader. I hope you enjoy our conversation and learn much from Tevis Trower’s wisdom.
Ways to contact Tevis Trower:
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tevistrower/
- Website: www.balanceintegration.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/BalanceIntegration/
- Free Download of The Game-Changer’s Guide to Radical Success by Tevis Trower: www.balanceintegration.com/e-book
Tommy Baker is a writer, speaker, author, coach, consultant, and the host of the Resist Average Academy. He is the CEO of Tommy Baker Fitness and an entrepreneur who believes in people’s endless potential and whose goal is to help them achieve their purpose and potential. After beginning his career in the financial services sector, Tommy had an awakening during the 2008 economic crash and realized that his life was on a path he didn’t want to follow.
Tommy realized that he was “in it” for the wrong reasons, and so he made major life changes, took on a new mindset, and began a journey of self-discovery and growth that led him to his current work. This clarity and willingness to listen to his own internal voice were transformational for Tommy, pushing him to create the life he truly wanted for himself and achieve his personal and professional goals.
Tommy believes that developing the right mindset is the key to making a change, especially for ambitious and driven high-performing leaders. In his work, Tommy teaches skills related to mindset, intentionality, and emotional intelligence and resilience to create transformation, strengthen leadership and help business leaders and entrepreneurs make a greater impact.
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Mindset is such an important factor for strong leadership, and having the right foundation and habits is the key to developing a powerful mindset. However, with a world full of chaos and distractions constantly pulling for our attention, it can be difficult to develop the right practices to strengthen our mindset. It can often be too easy to shrug off meditation or to say we don’t have time for journaling, yet these activities can be transformative tools if we are willing to invest in ourselves.
For this episode of Absolute Advantage, my guest is Tommy Baker. Tommy is a writer, keynote speaker, coach, and author. He is the host of the Resist Average Academy and the companion podcast of the same name, and he is the CEO of Tommy Baker Fitness. His goal is to help empower others by setting them on a more mindful, purpose-driven path. Tommy believes in limitless human potential and in the long-term transformational power of emotional intelligence and emotional resilience.
During the episode, Tommy shares how he realized that his own life was on a path he didn’t want, and he discusses the steps he took to change his mindset. He offers strategies to help you find clarity of purpose, and he explains why clarity is one of the true keys to being a more effective leader or entrepreneur. I hope you are engaged and enlightened by Tommy Baker’s wisdom and that you are able to implement his strategies into your own life.
Ways to contact Tommy Baker:
- Website: https://resistaverageacademy.com
- The Leap of Your Life by Tommy Baker: https://amzn.to/2XQeIiX
- The 1% Rule by Tommy Baker: https://amzn.to/2XKUV4L
Juliana Stancampiano is the CEO of Oxygen, business leader, and strategist whose work involves helping business leaders and their teams modernize workplace education. With more than 15 years of experience, Juliana has helped leaders translate their company’s sales and business strategy into tangible achievements for people in sales, service and delivery, and retail channels. Juliana is the author of Radical Outcomes: How to Create Extraordinary Teams that Get Tangible Results.
In her role as CEO, she and her teams partner with clients in large companies including Fortune 500 companies like Microsoft, Sony, Big Fish Games, Starbucks, Expedia, Western Digital, and many more. As a business development and strategy expert, Juliana believes in helping unburden themselves of distractions and challenges so that they can better focus, excel in their jobs, and create success for themselves and their organizations.
Juliana believes that building and supporting great teams and giving them the resources and support they need to thrive is the key to business success. Part of her work involves helping organizations find ways to maximize the potential of their teams while making the workplace be an enjoyable experience rather than a grind.
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Many companies say “our people are our greatest resource”, but the sad fact is that too few companies behave that way. Strong, cohesive, effective teams can accomplish incredible things, but many companies don’t give enough thought to how to best support their employees and structure their teams to maximize their success.
For this episode of Absolute Advantage, I was joined by Juliana Stancampiano. Juliana is the CEO of Oxygen, a consultancy that helps Fortune 500 businesses strategize, modernize, and enable their employees for success. Juliana is also the author of Radical Outcomes: How to Create Extraordinary Teams that Get Tangible Results, where she offers readers a blueprint for a new way of collaborative, fast-paced and highly effective working using modern tools and strategies.
On this episode of Absolute Advantage, Juliana shares why the modern workplace has changed and collaborative team efforts will be the key to business success and innovation going forward. She shares why the “old” way of doing things can’t keep up with today’s highly stressful, distracted, competitive environment, and she offers strategies for creating camaraderie and a supportive environment where teams can flourish. I hope you find tremendous value from Juliana’s knowledge that you can implement into your own teams.
Ways to contact Juliana Stancampiano: * Website: www.oxygenexp.com * Radical outcomes by Juliana Stancampiano: https://amzn.to/2XkPPrB
Arthur Joseph is the founder and chairman of the Vocal Awareness Institute, and he is widely considered to be one of the world’s foremost communication strategists and authorities on the human voice. Arthur’s stated mission is to “Change the World Through Voice”. His trademarked, proprietary voice and leadership training program, Vocal Awareness,™ is a program to teach a mastery of communication skills to enhance a student’s leadership and personal presence. Arthur’s Vocal Awareness uses body language techniques, vocal warm-ups, and storytelling.
Arthur’s clients are leaders in politics, business, entertainment and broadcasting, hospitality, athletes, motivational speakers, life coaches, actors, and singers including globally recognized talents such as Angelina Jolie, Sean Connery, Tony Robbins, Stephen Covey, Jerry Rice, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and more. Prior to founding the Vocal Awareness Institute, Arthur served as faculty at the University of Southern California School of Theatre, a visiting professor at the New York University Graduate Extension program, and a visiting artist at Yale and George Washington Universities.
At a young age, Arthur recognized that he had a talent for hearing and interpreting tonal and non-verbal cues in the spoken word, and he also recognized the power of speaking with awareness of these cues. Arthur was able to cultivate this talent and teach others to be more aware of their speech. Much of leadership is convincing others to see things the way you see them, and a clear, confident and powerful voice can be an incredible tool that any leader can take advantage of.
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Most of us speak automatically, using our words to convey our intent. Few of us give much consideration to how we deliver those words. Or worse, we confuse having a powerful voice with having a loud one. The truth is that how we deliver our message is just as important to our leadership as what the message contains.
For this episode of Absolute Advantage, I was delighted to be joined by Arthur Joseph. Arthur is the founder and chairman of the Vocal Awareness Institute, and he is widely considered to be one of the world’s foremost communication strategists and authorities on the human voice. Arthur works to teach others how to deliver powerful and effective messages by being more aware of the way they speak. Through his Vocal Awareness program, he helps leaders and influencers from all walks of life become more effective communicators.
On this episode of Absolute Advantage, Arthur demonstrated some of the powerful exercises he teaches, and he shows how speaking with awareness and intentionality can amplify the message in the words you speak. He explains how altering the way you speak can help empower you and give you a tremendous sense of confidence. And he explains how speech plays a profound role in effective leadership. I hope you are as surprised and enlightened by Arthur Joseph’s wisdom as I was during our conversation.
Ways to contact Arthur Joseph:
- Website: https://vocalawareness.com/
- Email: support@vocalawareness.com
Steve Gordon became CEO of an engineering consulting firm at age 28, and he grew the firm's revenue by ten times in just twelve years. He's invested the last twenty years in the study and application of selling high-ticket services. He is the editor of four business newsletters read by thousands of CEOs, professional practitioners, entrepreneurs and sales pros around the world. Steve consults with businesses in thirty different industries, all selling high-ticket products and services in high-trust selling environments. He is a bestselling author, the founder of The Unstoppable CEO, and the host of the podcast of the same name.
When Steve began his role as CEO of his engineering consulting firm, he knew nothing about marketing or selling services. Steve quickly recognized the need to study sales and marketing as a way to attract new clients and keep his business thriving. Steve now shares the hard-won lessons he learned with other CEOs and growth-minded professionals through his consulting business.
Steve recognized that the same "sales" skills that work so well for product-based businesses tend to be detrimental to selling a service. Sales pitches are fine for getting a customer interested in your product, but they won't help you become someone's trusted advisor. That's why Steve developed the Unstoppable CEO and fine-tuned his marketing strategies to be tailored solutions for service firms.
As the leader of a service-based business, the challenges you face are often very different from those of a product-based company. Growing your business has added layers of complexity because you and your team are your company's product. Marketing yourselves can be challenging, but your business can't grow or thrive without leads and without new clients.
For this episode of Absolute Advantage, my guest is Steve Gordon. Steve knows firsthand the challenge of leading and growing a service-based organization; when he was just 28 years old, he became the CEO of the engineering consulting firm he had worked at since college. One of the biggest challenges Steve faced as CEO was that he had gone to school for engineering, not marketing. He didn't know how to effectively sell his company's services, so he began studying. Thanks to his hard work and dedication to learning effective marketing processes, he was able to grow his firm's revenue by ten times in his twelve years as CEO. Today, Steve and his team work with other business leaders to help them achieve those same remarkable results.
On this episode of Absolute Advantage, Steven shares the major marketing challenges service-based firms face, and he outlines the strategies he and his team employ to help them overcome these challenges. He discusses the importance of narrowing your focus to marketing to the right clients rather than to anyone with "a heartbeat and a wallet". He talks about why improving your offer and being more valuable to your clients matters. And he shares organic and engaging marketing strategies that your prospective clients will actually appreciate. I hope Steve Gordon’s wisdom helps you supercharge your marketing.
Ways to contact Steve Gordon:
- Website: www.unstoppableceo.net/absolute
Krister Ungerböck is a keynote speaker, CEO coach, and global expert in the Language of Leadership. Krister served as CEO of one of the largest family-owned software companies in the world before he retired at age 42. As a global CEO, Krister did business in 40 countries around the world and led hundreds of employees across 8 countries. With truly remarkable employee engagement rates of 99.3%, Krister won five consecutive annual Top Workplace Awards.
As a keynote presenter, Krister's highly sought and engaging wisdom addresses today's most pressing topics such as employee engagement, winning the war for talent, retaining high-potential employees, developing leaders, and business growth. He shares the hard-won skills he developed through his time as a CEO, with a particular focus on the importance of emotional intelligence.
Krister’s upcoming book The Language of Leadership: Words to Transform How We Lead, Live and Love offers business leaders a way to learn a powerful new language of leadership that allows them to speak in a more impactful and emotionally intelligent way. Krister’s methods can help maximize employee engagement, productivity, business growth, and talent retention. The Language of Leadership gives business leaders a simple, straight-forward and practical way to become a better boss.
“It’s not what you say, but how you say it.” Think about it, how many times have you heard that expression in your life? Even so, how often do you stop to consider not just your message but how you are communicating it? Are your words being received as you intended them?
My guest for this episode of Absolute Advantage is Krister Ungerböck. Kirster is an award-winning leader, keynote speaker, CEO coach, and a true expert in the Language of Leadership. Kirster believes that one of the most powerful ways we can level up our leadership is through emotional intelligence and in learning to understand how our choice of language impacts and sometimes alters the message we are communicating to our teams. In Krister’s upcoming book The Language of Leadership: Words to Transform How We Lead, Live and Love, he outlines many of the techniques he has used himself to become more aware of his own language and how it impacts those around him, both personally and professionally.
On this episode of Absolute Advantage, Krister shares smart tips and strategies for identifying and altering the language you are using as a leader, and he explains why emotional intelligence and language choice matters so much for employee engagement and morale. He discusses how the language skills he teaches others can be applied to all aspects of our lives, both professionally and personally. And he shares wisdom from his upcoming book on steps we can take to become more conscious of the language we are using in our interactions with others. I hope you learn much from our conversation that you can implement into your own leadership.
Ways to contact Krister Ungerböck:
- Website: www.krister.com/absolute/
Johnny Wimbrey is an internationally-acclaimed talk show host, motivational speaker, and the bestselling author of From the Hood to Doing Good and co-author of several volumes of Multiple Streams of Inspiration and Conversations on Success. His mantra, "Say Increase!" is repeated all around the world by dedicated and enthusiastic audiences, and his remarkable rags-to-riches story has inspired people from countless countries around the world.
Johnny's early life consisted of living in a battered women's shelter with his single mother. He was first exposed to illegal drugs at eight years old, and by the time he was fourteen, he was selling them. However, despite this incredibly difficult childhood, Johnny decided he was meant for a better life. He completely turned his life around and, starting from rock bottom, he was able to build an immensely successful life for himself and others. Today he is a celebrated and inspiring speaker and, along with his wife, founded Wimbrey Worldwide Ministries, a nonprofit organization that has built six schools in Central America and has helped to fund water purification systems to provide clean drinking water for communities in Africa.
Johnny’s life story is one of truly overcoming adversity to achieve greatness, and now he works to share his message that it doesn’t matter what race, religion, background or economic situation, everyone can find true success, wealth and happiness.
As you know, my goal with the Absolute Advantage podcast is to help you become the best leader you can be, to help you create a powerful Ripple Effect that positively impacts those around you, and to inspire you with stories of great leaders who have overcome their own challenges and found true success.
That’s why I’m so delighted to introduce you to Johnny Wimbrey. Johnny is the very definition of a rags-to-riches story; he started life with no advantages and many obstacles, but he was able to turn his life around through optimism, determination, and force of will. Today, he shares his profound story with the goal of inspiring others to realize that they aren’t limited by their surroundings and situation. Johnny is a speaker, author and thought leader who overcame some of life’s most significant difficulties to rise into his own success.
On this episode of Absolute Advantage, Johnny shares his deeply personal story of overcoming adversity and achieving greatness. He lives his life as an example that your past doesn’t dictate where you are going and that you can change the course of your own destiny. He shares how the first step on his journey was personal forgiveness, and he discusses how he managed to change his entire mindset to focus on his potential rather than his limitations. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Johnny Wimbrey and that you are as inspired by his powerful story and the Ripple Effect it has created as I am!
Ways to contact Johnny Wimbrey:
- Website: www.costarauthor.com
- Website: www.coachjohnny.com
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/wimbrey
Regan Hillyer is a multimillionaire global changemaker, thought leader, entrepreneur, philanthropist, global speaker, and mindset coach. Regan is the founder of Regan Hillyer International, a company that offers clients personal development and business training. Regan has helped thousands of clients and has impacted millions using her unique mindset tools. She is also the author and co-author of several books, including The Abundance Codes: Fifty-Two Codes to Unlock Abundance in Every Area of Your Life.
Regan strongly believes in the power of mindset changes as a catalyst for incredible personal, professional and financial growth. Regan’s specialty is in helping experts uncover their true message and launch powerful personal brands that both make an impact and leave a lasting legacy. After originally preparing to be an architect, Regan had a powerful “aha!” moment and realized that she was on the wrong path in her life. Her second “aha!” moment came when she realized that to become truly successful she would need to invest in herself and evolve her own mindset. Today, she has helped thousands of people build multiple six- and seven-figure businesses, location free, using the incredible mindset tools and strategies she developed for herself.
Regan is an incredible thought leader and is living proof that her methods work. She has been able to turn her company, Regan Hillyer International, into a thriving multi-million dollar business using the very principles that she teaches others. She believes that 80% of the work you need to do to find true success is internal, and only 20% involves external strategic action.
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Do you ever feel like you keep running into a wall, no matter what you do? Have you tried to work on personal development but feel you’ve made little progress? Or have you ever wondered if your life is on the wrong path and that you are meant to be doing something else, something more impactful and meaningful?
Regan Hillyer knows what that feels like. Regan grew up in Auckland, New Zealand and was fully prepared to become an architect… until a lecturer had the class envision what their lives as architects would look like in 20 years. Suddenly, Regan realized she was on the wrong path, so she left school and began searching for a greater purpose. However, through all of her attempts, nothing seemed to work, and now she was $100,000 in personal debt for mentors, coaches, seminars, and programs with little to show for it. It all changed when a coach told her that 80% of her success was related to mindset and only 20% was related to actions she was taking externally. Today, Regan is leading a multiple seven-figure business that teaches others to reshape their mindsets in the same way she did.
On this episode of Absolute Advantage, Regan shares her powerful personal story and discusses the methods, tools, and processes she uses to help her clients “rewire” their mindsets, release their personal limitations, and step into a life of true abundance and success. Regan shows us that our mindset can either elevate us and help us break through to the next level, or hold us back with (usually false) internal limiting beliefs. I hope you will listen to the episode and embrace Regan’s remarkable wisdom in your own life!
Ways to contact Regan Hillyer:
- Website: www.reganhillyer.com
- Website: www.abundancecodes.com
- 5 Crucial Steps to Conditioning Your Mindset by Regan Hillyer: www.reganhillyer.com/5-crucial-steps-to-conditioning-your-mindset/
Matt Sandrini is a high-performance and business coach, Amazon bestselling author, and an expert in time management and productivity. His coaching helps entrepreneurs find the results they are looking for through clarity, structure and accountability. He helps his clients reduce their stress, improve the productivity of their workday, and get more accomplished in less time.
Matt is the founder of Time Zillionaire, a website and program designed to help entrepreneurs and business leaders cut through the endless minutia we tend to get trapped by, and instead learn to focus on those few activities that will actually benefit our quest for success and happiness. Quick weekly emails provide actionable tips and strategies and offer readers easy access to Matt’s wisdom. Matt is also the author of Invest Your Time: Work Less, Achieve More, Master Your Life, where he outlines many of the strategies he teaches to his clients.
Matt learned early in his own entrepreneurial career to question the value of his time and the activities he was spending it on. When he began his first business, he recognized that he was focusing on the wrong activities and putting in too much time for too little value. That was when he began learning to refocus his priorities and better manage his time, and today he shares those valuable practices and habits he developed for himself with other business leaders and entrepreneurs.
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It takes a mix of many different ingredients to find success as a business leader: money, the support of your team, professional and social connections, the list goes on and on. But there is one precious resource that could be said to be more valuable than the others. This particular resource is always in short supply, and there is really no way to get more when you run out. Of course, I’m talking about time. Balancing your time can easily be a constant struggle and source of stress for any business leader. It seems that there are always countless things jostling for your attention, so how do you know where you can best spend this precious resource?
Meet Matt Sandrini. Matt is a business coach, Amazon bestselling author, and a time management expert. Matt believes that the key to finding true success as a business leader or entrepreneur is learning to cut through the static and focus on the activities that truly matter and best contribute to your happiness and success. In his own entrepreneurial career, Matt had to learn to refocus his efforts and make the most of the time available to him, and now he teaches others the valuable skills he developed.
In this episode of Absolute Advantage, Matt shares his strategies for determining where you are spending your time and discovering all the places you are losing it to unhelpful, unnecessary activities. He offers up sensible strategies and insights for maximizing the amount of time available to you and accomplishing as much as possible in as short an amount of time as you can. Your time is incredibly valuable, and I hope you’ll spend a little of it listening to my conversation with Matt Sandrini and learning from his incredible time-saving wisdom!
Ways to contact Matt Sandrini: * Invest Your Time: Work Less, Achieve More, Master Your Life by Matt Sandrini: https://amzn.to/2WveD0p * Website: www.timezillionaire.com/advantage
Michelle Tillis-Lederman is a recognized speaker, trainer, leadership coach and consultant, and author. She was named by Forbes on their list of “25 Professional Networking Experts to Watch.” Through her company, Executive Essentials, Michelle works to help national and global businesses, organizations and individuals build stronger relationships. Michelle has been featured on NBC, CBS, the New York Times, Forbes, Working Mother Magazine and many other high profile publications and news outlets. Prior to her current work, Michelle served as an NYU professor, financial executive and CPA.
Michelle’s newest book, The Connector’s Advantage: 7 Mindsets to Grow Your Influence and Impact, seeks to help readers learn to more effectively communicate, form and cultivate relationships, and ensure that their voices are heard, through smart strategies and sage advice from more than two dozen experts in the area of communication and relationship-building.
Michelle Tillis-Lederman is truly an expert in the art and science of building better relationships and becoming a Connector, and I hope that you will listen to her wisdom and apply it to your own role as a business leader.
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As business leaders, we live and die by our relationships to the people around us. Whether they are our clients, our peers, or the teams we lead, our relationships to the people we work with professionally can either drag us down or elevate our leadership to new levels of success.
I want to introduce you to Michelle Tillis-Lederman. Michelle is an expert in strengthening those key relationships that are so important to our role as business leaders. Through extensive professional experience and research, Michelle has mastered the art of creating, growing and strengthening relationships, and she has helped many high-profile organizations create more successful, impactful and effective teams.
In this week’s episode of Absolute Advantage, Michelle discusses her background in every aspect of the finance industry and her interest in creating stronger connections between members of organizations. She explains why anyone can become a Connector, someone who serves as the catalyst for stronger relationships in everyone around them. She describes the different types of connectors and their various strengths, and she shares tips and strategies for strengthening your own relationships with others and becoming a true Connector.
How to connect with Michelle Tillis-Lederman: * Website: www.executiveessentials.org * Website: www.michelletillislederman.com * Website: www.theconnectorsadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/communicationexpertspeaker/ * Twitter: @mtlederman * The Connector’s Advantage by Michelle Tillis-Lederman: https://amzn.to/2ZQrP1N
Harry Maziar’s career as a business leader has been long, successful, and storied. Harry served as the President of Zep Manufacturing Company, a division of National Service Industries, for 27 years. Prior to his role as President, Harry served as the company’s first director of sales, where his leadership helped to create double-digit growth consistently for two and a half decades.
In recent years, Harry has served on a number of business and community boards for both for-profit and charitable organizations. He is also the author of Story Selling: Sage Advice and Common Sense About Sales and Success, where he offers a collection of entertaining and informative stories as a mechanism to teach the key principles of sales in a memorable and engaging way. Harry’s passion is to inspire and empower others to pursue their life’s purpose and find true success.
Harry Maziar’s wisdom, experience and talent for sales and leadership can be valuable tools for your own pursuit of being the most effective leader you can be. I hope you will listen to the episode and absorb Harry’s teachings.
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As leaders, we’re always looking to better ourselves, strengthen our leadership, and inspire those around us. That focus and drive to constantly be improving is a key ingredient in becoming a great leader. And one of the many ways that we can learn important lessons is through stories
Today I’d like to introduce you to master storyteller Harry Maziar. Harry is a business leader and salesperson with a proven track record of success. As both director of sales and, later, President of Zep Manufacturing Company, Harry led his company through an incredible period of growth and prosperity over the span of his career. Harry is also the author of Story Selling, in which he shares powerful, entertaining and inspiring stories of sales and leadership.
In this episode of Absolute Advantage, Harry discusses the importance of storytelling as a way to transfer knowledge in a memorable way. He talks about the qualities of a leader and the critical role that clear communication serves in leading others and bringing them to your way of thinking. And he shares his thoughts on mentorship and the importance of paying it forward. Harry Maziar is a thoughtful, genuine and entertaining storyteller and a truly exceptional leader.
Additional Resources:
- Story Selling by Harry Maziar: https://amzn.to/2VxzjaO
Petra Velzeboer is an international keynote speaker, psychotherapist, mental health consultant, executive coach, and podcast host who is dedicated to helping others through developing empathy in the workplace to create stronger connections with our teammates and improve the productivity of our organizations.
Petra’s own remarkable story is one of triumph in spite of the odds being stacked against her. Having been raised in a cult, Petra experienced a level of abuse and control that led her to develop addiction problems and ultimately consider suicide as her only way out. However, Petra was able to overcome these incredible challenges, conquer her addiction issues, and attain an education that was denied to her as a child growing up within a religious cult.
Petra shares her powerful and inspiring story in an effort to help lift others up and promote kindness and compassion. She believes greatly that empathy, authenticity and connection are the keys to making the world a better place and to allow us, both individually and as a society, to achieve our full potential.
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Inspiration, motivation and empathy can come from many sources. These sources can be uplifting stories of human love and compassion, or they can come from a darker place of overcoming the most difficult of life’s challenges. But, no matter the source, we can draw on these stories to lift ourselves up, inspire ourselves, and better understand ourselves and the world around us.
I want to introduce you to Petra Velzeboer. Petra is a psychotherapist and mental health consultant, and she also works as an internationally respected keynote speaker and executive coach, as well as hosting her own podcast, Adversity to Advantage. Petra’s story is a remarkable tale of falling all the way to rock bottom and then climbing back up again through perseverance, willpower and hope.
In this episode of the Absolute Advantage podcast, Petra shares her emotional story of growing up in a religious cult, being subjected to brainwashing and intense punishment, turning to substance abuse to deal with the internal hurt and turmoil, and eventually overcoming all of these obstacles to find true success and happiness. Petra’s story is deeply personal, powerful, and inspiring. Petra also discusses her role as a mental health professional and the vital importance of mental health and self-care as a leader.
Ways to contact Petra Velzeboer:
- Website: www.petravelzeboer.com
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/
Dr. Daphne Scott is a leadership coach and corporate development expert with more than two decades of experience working with organizations. In addition to her own extensive coaching and leadership training and her degrees in Applied Positive Psychology and Physical Therapy, Daphne leans on her background in theater with the Second City Improvisational Conservatory Program to strengthen and diversify her coaching.
Daphne is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, certified Hendricks Coach, a founding member of the Conscious Leadership Group, as well as a member of the International Coaching Federation. She has also studied with top-level executive coaches, consciousness experts and organizational psychologists.
Daphne believes that one of our key roles as leaders is to equip and enable the people around us to succeed. This involves spending the time and effort necessary to help them identify their natural abilities, and it also involves putting them in positions that best leverage those abilities. It requires us to recognize and appropriately respond to the thoughts, feelings, fears and questions our team may experience.
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A goal we all have in common is our ongoing work to become better, stronger leaders. It’s why I created the Absolute Advantage podcast, to help you obtain the skills and wisdom of other great leaders so that you can achieve your maximum potential.
That’s why I want to introduce you to Dr. Daphne Scott. Daphne is a leadership coach and corporate development expert par excellence. Daphne believes that we have the ability to equip our teams with the skills and motivation needed to truly excel in their roles… but only if we ourselves step into our own potential as leaders.
In this episode, Daphne discusses the importance of understanding the thoughts and feelings our team members experience, and she shares her five key relationships that we as leaders should develop: our relationship to time, to money, to ourselves, to our friendships, and to the unknown. By strengthening those relationships and by taking proper care of ourselves, we can then create that all-important Ripple Effect in our team.
I hope you will listen to the episode and embrace the remarkable insights Daphne Scott shares during our conversation. Daphne’s wisdom is an amazing road map you can follow in your quest to become an unstoppable leader of an incredible team!
Ways to contact Daphne Scott: * Website: www.daphne-scott.com/absolute/
Laura Gassner Otting is a professional keynote speaker, respected author, and successful entrepreneur. She helps innovators, idealists, and iconoclasts get “unstuck” by providing the extra push they need to achieve extraordinary results.
Laura is the founder of Limitless Possibility and a founding board member of the Boston-based philanthropic group SheGives. Prior to her current work, she served as the founder and president of the Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group for more than thirteen years. She also served as a Presidential Appointee in the Clinton White House, helping guide and shape AmeriCorps. Laura is the author of several successful books including Mission Driven and Transitioning to the Nonprofit Sector, and her latest book is called Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life.
Laura is a strong believer in not letting others put you in a box and hold you back. She believes that we all have limitless potential within ourselves to set our own definition of success and then achieve that success by breaking through walls and finding our own path through life. Limiting thoughts, whether from ourselves or others, have no place in Laura’s philosophy. She truly believes that self-empowerment is the key to unlocking our true potential and becoming limitless.
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All of us have certain limits and expectations placed upon us from the time we come into this world. Whether it’s the parent that pushes us to go to medical school, or the teacher who tells us we aren’t capable, or the well-intentioned family member who warns us against pursuing our dreams, outside pressures are a constant anchor that too often weighs us down.
Laura Gassner Otting wants to free us from that weight. Laura is a professional keynote speaker, author and entrepreneur who believes in the hidden potential present in every person. Laura believes in helping people achieve consonance, the state of aligning what they do with who they are. Through her four C’s (calling, connection, contribution, control), Laura helps people break through their limits and achieve success, no matter how they define it for themselves.
In this episode, Laura discusses her career journey and shares how she “accidentally” became a keynote speaker. She shares strategies and insights from her new book, Limitless, with the goal of helping her readers get “unstuck” from the roadblocks they face and break through to a new level of success, prosperity and empowerment. She teaches people that success is not a list of boxes someone else creates for you to check off, success is however you define it.
As business leaders, from time to time we can all use a reminder that our limitations are illusions and that our goals are within our reach. I hope you’ll listen to the episode and share in Laura Gassner Otting’s remarkable wisdom.
Ways to contact Laura Gassner Otting: * Website: www.limitlessassessment.com * Website: www.heylgo.com * Twitter: @heylgo * Limitless by Laura Gassner Otting: https://amzn.to/2FRFRY0
Tristan White is the founder and CEO of The Physio Co., a unique healthcare business focused on delivering exceptional physical therapy for seniors that ranked number one on BRW’s list of Australia’s 50 Best Places to Work in 2014, and has consistently been placed on the list for ten consecutive years. He is also the author of the book Culture is Everything: The Story, Secrets & Systems of a Startup That Became Australia’s Best Place to Work.
Tristan is a qualified physical therapist who began his career working in a nursing home. He had originally hoped to work in athletic physical therapy, but after his experience at the nursing home he recognized an immediate and urgent need for a service that could help senior citizens stay mobile, safe and happy.
Tristan built his business from the ground up on a foundation of strong culture, and his own experiences have evolved into his “Culture is Everything” system that helps other business leaders develop a world-class culture in their organizations. The four pillars of Tristan’s system can help any business become a great place to work, and that can lead to increased team efficiency, motivation and morale.
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One of the primary things that can elevate your business into a great business is its culture. A strong culture and clear values provide many different benefits to an organization, and it is often the starting point for the Ripple Effect that you’ve heard me speak about so many times. But a great culture is more than a plaque on the wall. It’s something that is found deep within the DNA of the business and its leadership.
Tristan White knows the importance of culture. Tristan is the founder and CEO of The Physio Co., an Australian business that helps bring effective physical therapy to elders and helps them maintain their mobility, safety and independence. The Physio Co. has been rated among the best places to work in Australia for ten consecutive years and even topped the list in 2014, and the main reason is its powerful culture and values.
In this episode, Tristan shares why he founded The Physio Co. and why he realized early on that the best way to grow his organization was through culture-focused and values-focused leadership. Through this commitment to culture, Tristan was able to grow his business from a one-person operation to a large and thriving team that is able to deliver over 200,000 consultations every hear.
I hope that you can derive great wisdom from the story Tristan shares during our conversation. His dedication to culture is something that can benefit every business in every industry. By making your culture an inextricable part of your business, you can begin a powerful Ripple Effect of your own. Please enjoy the episode.
Ways to contact Tristan White:
- Website: www.tristanwhite.com.au/absolute/
- Think Big, Act Small Podcast: www.tristanwhite.com.au/podcast-page/001-podcast-welcome/
- Culture is Everything by Tristan White: https://amzn.to/2FKyIc0
Terry A. Smith is the Lead Pastor of The Life Christian Church (TLCC) in West Orange, New Jersey. TLCC has grown from a small 54-member congregation to nearly 3,000 members over the course of 27 years. TLCC is widely recognized for the diversity of its membership as well as its powerful leadership culture.
Terry is also the co-founder of the New York City Leadership Center and has served as a board member or leader for many organizations. He is also a respected national and international speaker and the bestselling author of “Live 10: Jumpstart the Best Version of Your Life” and “The Hospitable Leader”.
Terry believes in the idea of hospitable leadership, defined as creating an environment of welcome that embraces diversity and inclusivity. In Terry’s opinion, hospitable leadership is the foundation of every other leadership style and structure. After all, if you don’t invite people in, you can’t hope to lead them.
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There are many different styles of leadership, and there are countless leadership methodologies, courses, books, and seminars that each promise to teach you the secrets of becoming an effective leader. But you can’t be a leader if you have no one to lead, and that’s where hospitable leadership comes in.
Terry Smith understands this. Terry serves as the Lead Pastor of The Life Christian Church in New Jersey, and he is an expert in leadership. Terry practices hospitable leadership, which is the idea of creating a diverse and welcoming space for people, allowing them to be open and receptive to your message. Hospitable leadership is closely related to servant leadership, but it also serves as the necessary first step to fostering communication and building trust.
In this episode, Terry shares his thoughts on hospitable leadership and the profound effect it can have on your organization and your team. Hospitable leadership creates an empowering and safe environment that allows the Ripple Effect to flourish and work its magic.
I hope that you will listen to my conversation with Pastor Terry Smith and are able to absorb the incredibly valuable information and strategies he shares. Terry’s thoughts on hospitable leadership will allow you to lay the foundation of openness and trust that is critical for any business leader to be able to more effectively guide their teams. Please enjoy the episode.
Ways to contact Terry A. Smith:
- Website: www.terryasmith.com/advantage/
- Live 10 by Terry A. Smith: https://amzn.to/2WyQm9q
- The Hospitable Leader by Terry A. Smith: https://amzn.to/2V2RkKt
Lila Stewart is the co-founder of Hari Mari, a high-end flip flop brand sold in stores like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Zappos, and by hundreds of other retailers as well as through the company’s own website. These flip flops are made with high-quality materials and feature bold, bright colors and extreme comfort. They have been featured in Forbes Magazine, Vogue Paris and Business Insider among other global media outlets. Hari Mari believes in the Ripple Effect, donating 1% of their sales to the fight against pediatric cancer.
Lila’s journey began in Jakarta, Indonesia, where she and her husband lived for three years. During her time there, Lila volunteered for human rights organization American Women’s Organization of Jakarta. Upon returning to the United States, Lila and her husband realized how stale and low-quality the flip flops available here were, so they set about revitalizing the market with their own high-quality brand. Lila’s philanthropic roots continue today with Hari Mari’s donations to pediatric cancer research.
Lila believes that great leadership stems from lifting up the people around her, treating everyone with fairness, and tackling every challenge with a positive outlook. Lila Stewart is a phenomenal example of how the Ripple Effect can bring lasting, positive changes that go far beyond the profitability of a business and extend outward to the community at large.
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What makes a strong business leader? Certainly, guiding the organization toward success is a factor, but an exceptional leader is also a champion for positive company culture, employee engagement and satisfaction, and a sense of family and community. An exceptional leader uses the Ripple Effect to not just run a business but to make lasting positive changes to everyone around them.
Lila Stewart understands that the role a leader plays goes far beyond the bottom line of the business. Lila and her husband co-founded Hari Mari in an effort to bring a quality product to a stagnant and uninspired market. In doing so, they have built a strong organization that offers great value to its customers, takes care of its employees, and gives back to its community through giving a portion of its sales to the fight against pediatric cancer.
In this episode, Lila shares how the idea for Hari Mari came about, and how her philanthropic spirit became interwoven in the company’s culture from its beginning. Lila discusses how her gratitude, mindfulness and passion have all contributed to her success as a leader and to the success of Hari Mari itself.
As you know, I deeply believe in the tremendous power of the Ripple Effect. It is one of the guiding principles of my own work and one of the main themes of the Absolute Advantage podcast. Lila’s story is an excellent example of why the Ripple Effect is such an incredible force and how it can enrich our organizations and our lives. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Lila and are inspired to allow the Ripple Effect to work its magic for you.
Ways to contact Lila Stewart: * Website: www.harimari.com * Instagram: www.instagram.com/harimarishoes/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/harimarishoes/
Steven Griffith is a respected author and speaker, researcher, performance expert, and a leading authority on the connection between time, productivity and performance. In his work, he recognizes that our use of time is a major indicator (and driver) of our success as business leaders.
Steven is also the author of the new book The Time Cleanse: A Proven System to Eliminate Wasted Time, Realize Your Full Potential, and Reinvest In What Matters Most. In the book, Steven teaches valuable time management skills and helps readers reframe their relationship with time, maximizing the potential of the time they spend. For more than 20 years, Steven has worked with CEOs, entrepreneurs, athletes, business executives, celebrities and other high-profile clientele across the globe.
Steven believes that we are wasting tremendous, reclaimable amounts of time without even realizing it. His own work with his clients has shown that the average person can reclaim ten, twenty, even up to forty hours a week from pointless activities, distractions, unnecessary conversations and other insidious “time toxins” that don’t reward us for the time we spend on them. We can save those wasted moments and channel them into things that matter, making us happier and more productive.
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How many times in your week do you find yourself wishing you had more time in your day to be more productive? How often do you say “I don’t have time for that right now”? How often do you catch yourself wishing you had more leisure time or more time to focus on the things you enjoy?
Steven Griffith has the solution that will allow you to reclaim more precious time in your week. Steven is an expert in time management, and he has helped high-profile clients all over the world recover time that would otherwise be wasted. Steven has identified “time toxins,” distractions and other unproductive wastes of time that we can easily sacrifice hours of our week too, without even realizing that we’re doing it.
In this episode, Steven shares valuable strategies for identifying your unnecessary time sinks and then reclaiming your time from them. You are going to be shocked when you realize exactly how much of your valuable time is being wasted on time toxins throughout your life. Learn from Steven’s wisdom and, instead of asking yourself where the time has gone, start asking yourself what you’re going to do with all those reclaimed hours!
Ways to contact Steven Griffith:
- Website: www.stevengriffith.com/absolute/
- The Time Cleanse by Steven Griffith: https://amzn.to/2Y1PZFP
- “Get Steven’s Master Class on Time Free When You Order The Time Cleanse!” www.stevengriffith.com/master-class
- https://www.stevengriffith.com/absolute/
Elise Keith is the self-described “Meeting Maven” and the author of Where the Action Is: The Meetings That Make or Break Your Organization. She is the co-founder of Lucid Meetings, a consultancy that helps organizations develop and scale effective meeting habits.
Elise is also the “Ask the Meeting Maven” columnist for Inc. Magazine, where she has written numerous articles on holding more effective and productive meetings. Prior to co-founding her company, Elise worked in the software industry for more than a decade.
Elise believes that it is possible to conduct business meetings that are engaging, enjoyable and productive. She has dedicated herself to helping other organizations turn their meetings from boring-but-mandatory workday intrusions into dynamic, energetic and useful tools to help simplify communications and get things done.
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Meetings. We all know them as a “necessary evil” that we are forced to endure during our work week. The broadly-held consensus is that they are disruptive, pointless, tedious and only serve to interrupt us. No one is ever excited about a meeting… right?
Elise Keith loves meetings. Elise is the “Meeting Maven” and co-founder of Lucid Meetings, where she helps her clients conduct better, more engaging, and more useful meetings. Elise believes that well-structured and well-conducted meetings can be a valuable communication tool for businesses of all kinds.
In this episode, Elise discusses some of the common complaints about business meetings and offers solutions that can transform meetings into powerful opportunities for engagement. Elise is also an advocate for the Ripple Effect, and she believes that with appropriate time-management skills and proper direction from leadership, meetings can become strong cornerstones of company cultures and values. Listen to the episode and learn from Elise’s remarkable insights into what business meetings too often are and what they can become through effective leadership.
Ways to contact Elise Keith: * Website: www.lucidmeetings.com * Email: elise@lucidmeetings.com
Andie Kramer is a partner at international legal firm McDermott Will & Emery LLP, where she serves as the head of the Financial Products, Trading and Derivatives Group. She is also the founding chair and current co-chair of the firm’s Gender Diversity Committee. She has previously served on the Management Committee and Compensation Committee at McDermott Will & Emery. Outside of her practice, Andie is a nationally recognized advocate for the advancement of women, having helped countless women navigate obvious and subtle gender biases in their careers.
Al Harris was a founding partner of the law firm Ungaretti & Harris, which later merged into the national law firm of Nixon Peabody LLP. All served as managing partner and as a member of the firm’s Executive and Compensation Committees. Al recognizes the barriers that women often are forced to navigate in male-dominated settings. Together with Andie, Al co-authored “Taking Control: Women, Gender Stereotypes, and Impression Management”.
Together, Andie and Al feel strongly that the visible and invisible gender biases in today’s workplace culture can be overcome, and they believe that education and mentorship are the key to doing so. Especially in today’s #MeToo environment, it is more important than ever that organizations be prepared to reflect on their company cultures and bring gender equity to their workplaces.
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It is a fact that our modern society is more aware of the prevalence of gender bias and workplace discrimination than ever before. But are we, as leaders, doing all we can to tear down gender barriers and recognize our own biases, whether external or internalized?
Andie Kramer and Al Harris are subject-matter experts with two very different perspectives on gender bias, but they share the same conclusions and beliefs on how to make workplaces be more fair, open, and equitable. Both are legal professionals, but while Andie has had to personally experience gender bias in her career journey, Al has recognized the problem as an outsider looking in. Despite their different viewpoints, they are both dedicated to raising awareness and educating organizations on how to handle these challenging issues.
In this episode, Andie and Al share their own points of view on gender bias and its detrimental effects on workplace health, culture and morale. From obvious and blatant discriminatory statements to more subtle microaggressions, from pay inequities to gender differences in mentorship opportunities, our “enlightened” modern society still struggles with the specter of workplace discrimination.
The ripple effect of leadership is a powerful tool, and Andie and Al believe it can be used to bridge the gender gap in the workplace. But gender bias is a systemic habit that has a way of embedding itself deeply into organizations, and the true challenge comes from doing the necessary self-reflection to break out of the cycle of bias. Listen to the episode, and learn how to recognize and respond to gender bias in the most effective way possible.
Ways to contact Andie Kramer and Al Harris:
- Website: www.andieandal.com
- 10-Question Assessment: www.andieandal.com//the-assessment
Elise Auxier is an expert in leadership development. Elise helps her clients transform their limiting beliefs, reduce stress and gain clarity, and channel their passion and energy into their work in powerful new ways.
Elise is the owner of Gulfcoast Coaching and an International Coach Federation-certified professional executive and life coach. Elise is a certified master practitioner of the “Energy Leadership Index”, which she uses to help her clients better understand themselves and how their perceptions, attitudes, behaviors and beliefs either enhance or detract from their leadership abilities.
Elise believes that when we are under stress, we feel powerless and lethargic or angry and trapped in conflict. These emotions can follow us into our roles as leaders… if we allow these thoughts to dominate our behavior. Fortunately, this doesn’t have to be the case. If we take the time to understand ourselves and where we are in the “seven levels of energy”, we can reframe our stress into a more positive thought process that can aid us in our roles as leaders rather than limit us.
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We all have stressful periods of our lives. Stress, in addition to its many well-documented effects on our health and wellbeing, can also reduce our energy levels. As business leaders, the last thing we need is a reduction in energy. But when we are feeling overwhelmed, what can we really do about it?
Elise Auxier has the solution. Elise is a life coach and expert in executive development, and she believes that we can learn to control our energy levels by deliberate internal awareness and action. We can reframe those stressors into positive motivators instead of anchors weighing us down. And as leaders, we can do the same for our team… if we know how to empower and support them.
In this episode, Elise shares the seven levels of energy that we move between throughout our day, and she explains how we can learn to control our thoughts to keep ourselves in the more productive higher levels, rather than being mired in powerlessness or anger over our frustrations. The energy we bring to our roles as leaders is critically important to our effectiveness, and another cup of coffee isn’t the solution when our energy levels begin waning.
You know how powerful the ripple effect can be, so it is incredibly important to break out of your old patterns and thought processes and bring high-energy focus to your interactions with your team. Listen to the episode and learn how to energize yourself and everyone around you!
Ways to contact Elise Auxier: * Free gifts, discounts and more: www.gulfcoastcoaching.com/absolute/ * Website: www.gulfcoastcoaching.com
Karen Brown is an executive-level business and leadership coach, motivational speaker, author, and CEO. Her company, Velocity Leadership Consulting, brings exceptional leadership training to the C-suite with their high performance results-driven methods.
Karen knows a lot about performance. For almost thirty years, she dreamed of competing in the Ironman World Championships triathlon. Her internal voice kept telling her she couldn’t hope to compete, and so she continually set her dream aside… until the day she overcame her own limiting beliefs and challenged herself. She hired a coach and began training in earnest, and through passion and tenacity she crossed the finish line two years after she started her training.
In her journey from recreational athlete to world-class competitor, Karen was able to transform her limiting beliefs into “unlimiting beliefs” and unleash her potential by tapping into her subconscious mind. This became the foundation of Karen’s book, Unlimiting Your Beliefs: 7 Keys to Greater Success in Your Personal and Professional Life; Told Through My Journey to the Toughest Race in the World.
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What are you capable of? Do you know your own limitations, or do you believe you can break through them and achieve the seemingly impossible? How much does your internal monologue hold you back? Is that little internal voice helping you, or hindering you?
Karen Brown allowed her little voice in her head to hold her back, through limiting beliefs about herself and her capabilities. Karen’s business career was on a great trajectory but she kept finding herself wondering if she was capable of more. Watching the Ironman triathlon was profound for Karen, and she had a burning desire to become a competitor herself. But, as her little voice reminded her, surely she couldn’t hope to race against world-class athletes…
After 28 years of listening to her internal voice tell her she couldn’t, Karen had enough. She stepped out of her comfort zone, hired a coach to help her go from recreational athlete to true competitor, began tapping into her subconscious mind to change her internal voice, and turned her limiting beliefs into “unlimiting beliefs”. And two years later, she was crossing the finish line of the Ironman triathlon.
In this episode, Karen gives us a firsthand account of how she conquered her limiting beliefs and ultimately did the thing she had once thought impossible. She explains the control our subconscious minds have over us, and she outlines how she reprogrammed her little internal voice to support instead of hinder. I hope you’ll listen to Karen’s awe-inspiring journey of physical and emotional self-awareness and allow it to help you conquer your own “I could never do that” limiting beliefs!
How to connect with Karen Brown: * Website: www.velocityleadershipconsulting.com/absolute/ * Unlimiting Your Beliefs by Karen Brown: https://amzn.to/2WMQz9D
Paresh Shah is a remarkable person. He is the CEO and co-founder of Lifters, an organization promoting a new model of business leadership that seeks to strength leaders and their teams, promote employee engagement, value diversity, and develop purpose and social responsibility. He is the co-founder and Chief Strategist of the Non-Obvious company, an organization specializing in innovation and out-of-the-box thinking.
Paresh is a global thought leader, having conducted business in 30 countries across the world. He is a keynote speaker, and has spoken at TedX Hong Kong, SXSW and an extensive list of other impressive venues. His work has been published in Inc. Magazine and Forbes, and he has been recognized by both the United Nations and His Holiness the Dalai Lama as a true force for international peace and compassion. Additionally, Paresh is a trained and respected mindfulness yogi.
A cornerstone of Paresh’s work lies in the belief that business leaders are uniquely positioned to make a lasting, positive impact on their organizations, teams, customers, and communities. Through compassion, mindfulness, and purpose, we can become stronger in every aspect of our lives.
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“Lifter Leadership” is a fascinating business leadership model developed by Paresh Shah, that seeks to bring an enlightened attitude of mindfulness, purpose and happiness to organizations, strengthening them from the inside out. Lifter Leadership can apply to everyone in an organization whether they are a part of the C-suite or not. From the CEO to the receptionist, everyone can benefit.
Paresh Shah developed his Lifter Leadership model after integrating his business and engineering background with his meditative philosophies as an experienced yogi. This multifaceted leadership program addresses many of the most common problems found in the existing force-driven and control-oriented model of today.
In this episode, Paresh shares his unique and personal journey and how he came to integrate his engineering background and love of business with his mindfulness training and spiritual philosophies. Paresh discusses how his Lifter Leadership can be a positive force for change in any business.
The ripple effect is a powerful catalyst for touching the lives of those around you, and Paresh Shah’s Lifter Leadership is a fantastic example of the ripple effect at work. Listen to the episode and see how you can invoke the transformative powers of the ripple effect to strengthen your own leadership!
Additional Resources from Paresh Shah: * Website: www.iamalifter.com/absoluteadvantage/ * Website: www.nonobviouscompany.com
Adam Hergenrother is a widely respected speaker and business coach, as well as the founder and CEO of Hergenrother Realty Group and co-owner and CEO of BlackRock Construction, both companies he turned into thriving enterprises within just 10 years. Adam is an expert in helping business leaders chart a path to success. Success for Adam means more than just wealth, it means going beyond mediocrity in all aspects of his life.
At the age of 15, Adam decided that he didn’t want to live a life of mediocrity. He turned his life around and made the conscious decision to excel. Adam made half a million dollars at age 26, but he decided the corporate grind wasn’t for him, so he changed his lifestyle yet again. Adam is a living example of the transformative power of dedication, passion and drive, and his strong focus on his family life serves as the cornerstone for everything he does.
Through daily activities like meditation, exercise and journaling, Adam works to maintain a healthy lifestyle and a clear mind. These important rituals help him build momentum and maintain the energy he needs to tackle every challenge… with the goal of exceeding his own high expectations.
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Are you satisfied with the status quo, or do you hunger for more? More success in your career, more quality time with your family, more balance in your life, a more healthy lifestyle, and more energy and focus? In short, are you satisfied with mediocrity or do you want to break out and excel in every aspect of your life?
Adam Hergenrother learned very early on that he wasn’t meant for a mediocre life. At fifteen, Adam was struggling with poor grades, was taking recreational drugs, and was hanging out with the wrong kinds of friends. But Adam realized the path he was on would lead to a life he didn’t want, and so he hit the reset button. He got rid of the bad influences, straightened out his grades, dumped the drugs, and turned to athletics as an outlet (dropping over a hundred pounds in the process).
This dedication to personal excellence is the same energy and focus Adam brings to his real estate business. Adam realized he wanted more from his life, and he took the steps needed to achieve his goals. He practices daily rituals like meditation and journaling, so that by the time he starts his workday at 8 a.m., he is energized and ready to conquer.
In this episode, Adam shares his personal journey out of mediocrity, as well as key tips, strategies and philosophies that can help other business leaders rise to their potential. Listen and be inspired by Adam’s infectious optimism and drive!
Ways to contact Adam: * Blog: www.herglife.com * Website: www.adamhergenrother.com
Rey Ybarra is a mediapreneur and the author and producer of the multimedia digital book Conversations With Shark Tank Winners, featuring written, audio and video interviews with 14 carefully selected entrepreneurs from the hit television series Shark Tank. He has toured the nation with some of the former contestants with his Sharks & Stripes Conference and Expo, engaging audiences from the main stage of the Small Business Expo, Network After Work, the University of Phoenix School of Business, Broward College School of Business, and the Santa Monica College Entrepreneur Program.
In 2005, Rey was diagnosed with severe and incurable rheumatoid arthritis. As a result of the diagnosis, this year he is launching a program to help other entrepreneurs suffering from the debilitating disease combat the stigma and prejudices associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
Rey is passionate about the power and inspirational stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Through his work with entrepreneurs and business owners, Rey has had the opportunity to share incredible journeys of perseverance, tenacity and passion; all qualities that can be found in every successful business leader.
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Each entrepreneur’s journey is unique, but the passion we feel and the goals we set for ourselves are universal. Every great business started with an idea and a spark of inspiration and spirit, and though the stories may be unique, they’re all connected by the same thread of hard work, passion and a desire to create something incredible.
Rey Ybarra is fascinated by those stories. For the last seven years, he’s been working on an engaging multimedia book project titled Conversations with Shark Tank Winners, in which he interviews contestants from TV’s Shark Tank. In his book, Rey explores the unique and fascinating journey each entrepreneur took that ultimately led to their appearance on the show.
In this episode, Rey shares valuable lessons he learned through those inspirational stories of overcoming hardships and challenges. Rey also tells his own deeply personal and powerful story of transformation, acceptance and motivation after being diagnosed with severe and incurable rheumatoid arthritis, and how that diagnosis led him to develop a program for other entrepreneurs suffering from the painful disease, helping them overcome the associated stigma of their autoimmune disease and its visible effects on their bodies.
These stories of adversity, persistence, dedication and passion will hopefully help you become even more motivated and energized in your own work!
Ways to contact Rey Ybarra: * Email: info@sharktankeffect.com * Instagram: www.instagram.com/ry_media/
John Murphy is an expert in leadership development, a podcast host, bestselling author, and renowned mentor and coach. His global clients include giants like Pfizer, Airbus, Great West Life Co., State Street Bank, Vodafone and Johnson & Johnson. He is also the founder and CEO of John Murphy International, a global consulting agency.
John started his career as a door-to-door life insurance salesman, and he rose through the ranks to CEO. At the pinnacle of his executive career, John ultimately decided to make a major life change and left the C-suite, choosing instead to channel his talents into helping other executives reach the top of their potential.
John is the author of the bestselling book 10 Key Traits Of Top Business Leaders, where he walks readers through the most important skills and qualities that all successful business owners use to develop and grow their businesses. He is an expert in teaching the skills needed to lead corporate teams to greatness. He takes pride in sharing his wisdom, strategies and experience with today’s top executives across the globe.
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Do you know what really makes a leader? Having an executive title doesn’t necessarily grant you the qualities of a great leader. It’s about the skills, qualities, traits and guidance you bring to your team. It’s about having the passion to lead and the wisdom to recognize and confront new opportunities and challenges. Leadership isn’t a title, it’s a mindset.
John Murphy knows leadership. John has worked with global brands like Pfizer, Airbus, Johnson & Johnson and others, teaching corporate leaders the key traits they need to excel. Rising from door-to-door insurance salesman to CEO, John learned firsthand what it takes to guide a team to greatness. Now he works to coach others on their own journeys to leadership.
In this episode, John shares the qualities he feels are absolutely necessary for anyone who wants to embrace effective leadership. John believes that leadership is a personal journey of self-awareness and learning, and he is passionate about sharing his knowledge and helping organizations further their excellence.
John is here to share with you his wisdom, insights, and philosophy of leadership. I hope you’ll find his guidance useful in your own growth and development, so please enjoy our conversation!
Ways to contact John Murphy: * Website: www.johnmurphyinternational.com/absolute * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/johnmurphyinternational * Facebook: www.facebook.com/JohnMurphyInternational
Dr. Rachel MK Headley is a Mensa PhD scientist and expert in project management. Her impressive resume includes a decade spent in the scientific field of satellite imaging, and another decade as a geologist and the operational science officer at the Landsat satellite mission for the U.S. Geological Survey.
Meg Manke is an expert in the field of human resources, and she has worked extensively in talent management, safety, organizational psychology, and communications. Meg has an extensive background in strategic leadership within the business world.
Together, these incredible women are the co-founders of Rose Group International (RGI). They have also co-authored an insightful and important book titled iX Leadership: Create High-Five Cultures and Guide Transformations. Through their guidance, organizations can create a lasting vision and culture and develop the behaviors necessary to achieve greatness.
Dr. Rachel Headley’s Bio:
High Intellect CEOs, Leaders, Entrepreneurs, Investors – ensure critical new IP, strategies, and tech gets implemented quickly & effectively by leveraging the energy of your team’s creativity and passion.
Developing big, complicated culture and process opportunities is her passion – from across the org chart to internal teams to executive one-on-one coaching. Dr. Rachel Headley applies her experience and lessons from a decade of satellite science research and a decade of satellite operational management.
She is a professional keynote speaker, with a TEDx and TED-esque talk in front of a 10,000-plus live audiences.
She is also an author, having written on topics ranging from technical complexities of satellite systems, to satellite data use in conservation, to change strategy.
She is a global citizen, and she has been known to blog about the more ridiculous travel situations in which she occasionally find herself.
Dr. Meg Manke’s Bio:
Meg has years of experience in leading through transition. From major changes in highly-regulated industries to managing through $100M acquisition, Meg has refined skills in understanding people through change. Her studies in organizational psychology and mastery in leadership concepts ensure that your people are taken care of. Period.
Meg has a passion for helping other realize their full potential – breaking down social and personal barriers – changing their story. Her innate ability to recognize opportunity in weakness and present a strategic solution is unprecedented in today’s business world.
Meg is a ranch kid from western South Dakota, where she still puts in a hard day’s work on the family place. Ranch life gave her sticktoittiveness, passion for family and outdoors, and maybe a touch of stubbornness. Meg is an avid runner, an advocate of the well-rounded education of youth, and a major supporter of finding humor in all things.
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Whether you know it or not, the members of your team fall under four distinct types, based on the ways they interact with each other. Your fixers are very team-focused and thrive in chaos, while your organizers are independent and prefer order. Stabilizers prefer teamwork and the clarity of organization, while independents prefer to work alone on the big, difficult problems.
Meg Manke and Dr. Rachel Headley’s work focuses on helping organizations better understand and accommodate these four distinct types of team members. They believe that the keys to effective leadership and communication lie in understanding how your team interacts and integrating that knowledge into your culture… and the results can be profound.
In this episode, Rachel and Meg share the eye-opening principles that serve as the foundation of their work, and they give practical advice for how to apply this knowledge to your own teams. Unlike systems like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Color Code Personality Profile, Rachel and Meg’s iX system isn’t based on an individual’s personality, but rather how that person prefers to work with others as part of a team.
This visionary perspective will give you some incredible insights into your own team, and I’m confident you’ll find a lot of fascinating information to take away from this episode!
How to contact Dr. Rachel Headley and Meg Manke: * Website: www.rosegroupintl.com * Website: www.ixleadership.com * Rachel’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rachel-mk-headley * Meg’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/megmanke * Rachel and Meg’s book “iX Leadership”: https://amzn.to/2Rxm2hd
Think and Grow Rich explains the "science of success". It changed John Mitchell's life. It allowed him to alter a 20 year history of earning low six figures a year, as an entrepreneur, to earning over $5 million a year. John's 12-minute-a-day technique is recognized as the top practical application in the world of this legendary book. Think and Grow Rich worldwide has sold over 100 million copies, whereas the next best selling book on success has sold under 10 million copies. So clearly, it is the top book ever written on success and achievement. Listen in as John talks about applying this book to your life using a simple and practical technique called Think It Be It, which only takes 12 minutes a day.
John’s technique doubles your control of yourself, triples your daily personal growth, and helps you to focus on and advance your career. The science behind the technique was profiled in a TIME Magazine cover story.
Today, John serves as a faculty member of the nationally top-rated McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, where he teaches his “Think It Be It” technique. John previously appeared in episode 121 of my podcast a year ago, and I encourage you to go back and listen to that episode as well. Implementing John’s 12-minute-a-day methodology has honestly changed my life. It’s an honor to have John back on Absolute Advantage.
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Did you know that there’s an actual science that determines what makes someone successful? By far the biggest driver of your own personal success lies in your daily thoughts and actions. Luckily, John Mitchell returns to Absolute Advantage to explain how 12 minutes a day and the application of brain science can completely change the course of your life. John is living proof of the power of his methods; in his 50s he realized he wasn’t where he wanted to be, but after applying his methods to his own life he’s now making more than $5 million a year.
John has appeared on Absolute Advantage before to discuss his “Think It Be It” strategy, and after a year of practicing his methods I can’t even begin to tell you how much of a difference it has made in my own life. I’m so convinced of the science behind John’s methods that I actually became a partner in his business.
In this episode, John returns to further discuss “Think It Be It” and how it can benefit you in all aspects of your life. John shares some eye-opening statistics as well as the brain science that serves as the foundation of his methodology. We’ve also got a free five-day email introduction to our course so that you can try out John’s principles firsthand.
Your brain is the most powerful tool you have at your disposal to turn your hopes and dreams into real action that can benefit your entire life. I really hope you’ll get some amazing, life-changing information from this episode!
Additional resources: * Free 5-day Email Course: Text the word genius to 44222
My name is Kelly Hatfield, and I’ve been a business leader and part of the recruiting industry for more than 25 years. If this is your first time listening to the Absolute Advantage podcast, welcome! My goal with Absolute Advantage is to bring you valuable wisdom from some of the world’s most successful business leaders and entrepreneurs. Each episode is all about sharing fresh visions and new perspectives from many top voices in the business world, helping you to shorten your path to success.
I’d like to share a little more of my background with you. I’m a successful entrepreneur several times over, as well as a certified speaker, certified coach and trainer for the John Maxwell Team, and certified High-Performance Coach. I have dedicated myself to helping others succeed, and I believe strongly in making a positive impact on the people around me.
It’s this goal of having a positive ripple effect that brought about the Absolute Advantage podcast in the first place. This podcast is for business leaders who want to level-up your skills and further your own personal growth so that you can maximize your potential… and become your best self. Thank you so much for joining me.
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Long-time listeners have heard me mention my profound belief in the ripple effect in many previous episodes of Absolute Advantage. So, today I wanted to really take a deep dive into the transformative power of the ripple effect and how it has touched my own life. This is an incredibly important topic for me, and so I’ve decided that for this episode I’ll be speaking with you about my own experiences and thoughts rather than inviting a guest to join me.
I can’t stress enough how closely I hold this topic to my heart; it truly is the catalyst behind so much of what I do. The ripple effect is a guiding light that has been present throughout my life, informing my choices and helping to keep me grounded. From my personal life to my professional work, the ripple effect has helped me maintain focus on the things that matter.
In this episode of Absolute Advantage, I want to share with you how the ripple effect can be a force for positivity in your own life. I believe that the more good we put into the world, the more we get back in return. This has proven to be true time and time again in my life, as you’ll hear in the episode. As always, thank you for spending time with me today. I truly hope the ripple effect from this episode will help bring wonderful things into your own life and the lives of those around you.
Resources: * Website & Free Download: https://khatfield.com
Rick Cesari is a branding guru who has worked with Fortune 500 and other major companies such as Clorox, Microsoft, GoPro and The George Foreman Grill to build billion dollar brands through direct response advertising and video marketing. He’s also a celebrated speaker, consultant, and bestselling author. Rick’s upcoming book, “Building Billion Dollar Brands”, was written to put big-brand knowledge into the hands of small business owners, entrepreneurs, inventors, and other independent sellers.
Rick’s original plan was to attend dental school, but his career path changed when he took a real estate seminar and his first sale made him $12,000. He transitioned into working with the seminar business and discovered both his innate marketing skills, and the marketing power of direct response videos.
Rick leaned into his newfound talents and used direct response TV marketing to promote the Juiceman® Juice Extractor and the Sonicare® toothbrush. He went on to help redesign and remarket a taco maker device into the George Foreman Grill, and the rest is history. Now he works to teach others the marketing skills and strategies he originally pioneered.
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From the Sonicare® toothbrush to The George Foreman Grill, from OxiClean to GoPro cameras, every huge invention got to where it is today through the power of marketing. But how do you take the great idea you had in your garage one day and turn it into a billion dollar brand? That’s easy; the answer is Rick Cesari.
Rick is the marketing guru behind the aforementioned products and many more. Rick was one of the first people to identify the overwhelming potential of direct response advertising, and it was his vision that turned those brands into the easily recognized brand names they are today.
In this episode of Absolute Advantage, Rick shares wisdom from his upcoming book, Building Billion Dollar Brands: Spectacular Successes & Cautionary Tales: The Lure Of Brand Response From Both Sides Of The Marketing Fence. He also discusses how direct response marketing works, what benefits it offers, and what five steps are necessary to turn your marketing into an explosive force.
By understanding what turns potential customers into loyal fans, by knowing how to outsource your marketing efforts to the right partners, and by turning your marketing efforts into a call to action, you can build your own billion dollar brand. Listen to the episode and let wisdom from Rick Cesari’s proven record of success work for you!
How to contact Rick Cesari: * Rick’s Website and Free Giveaways: www.rickcesari.com * Rick’s Book Building Billion Dollar Brands: http://a.co/d/jgaLN2W * Rick’s Book Buy Now: http://a.co/d/6IX35KV
Dan Sachs has an amazing and storied background in the restaurant industry, and now he works to bring the knowledge and wisdom he has gained over the course of his career to business professionals and entrepreneurs.
Dan is the President of Meerkat Restaurant Advisory, and serves as an instructor at the School of Hospitality Leadership as well as being named entrepreneur-in-residence with the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center at DePaul University. Dan owned and operated wine-focused restaurant brand BIN 36 from 1999 to 2015, and he is the co-author of the new book The Million Dollar Greeting, where he shares five key steps entrepreneurs can take to create a world-class culture in any business or industry.
As a professional consultant, Dan believes that any organization can benefit from a strong culture to improve profitability and develop workplace satisfaction throughout their team, regardless of the size of the business. This goal–to help businesses grow stronger and more successful–is what drives Dan in his work today.
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You know the buzzwords: “values and culture,” “customer-focused”, “effective leadership”… but have you looked past the lingo to consider what those things truly mean in a real-world environment? I’d like to introduce you to Dan Sachs, a true expert in translating those oft-repeated corporate buzzwords into real action with powerful, lasting results.
Dan has a long history as a restaurateur and as an instructor of hospitality, so he truly understands how a company’s values, policies, and philosophy combine to form the unique DNA of the business. Dan has identified and studied the key ingredients required to become the kind of leader who inspires and motivates a team to success.
In this episode, Dan explains three different types of hospitality leaders–evangelists, transformers and pragmatists–and cites examples from his book of business leaders who exemplify those types. Dan explains how the types differ and showcase how leaders of each type achieve phenomenal results in their area of expertise regardless of the scale, size, and industry of their businesses.
Your company culture is one of the most powerful tools you have at your disposal to generate the energy and enthusiasm needed to power your organization’s journey to success. Listen to the episode and learn from Dan’s stories of leadership and vision!
Ways to contact Dan: * Website: www.themilliondollargreeting.com * Amazon link to Dan’s book The Million Dollar Greeting: https://www.amazon.com/Million-Dollar-Greeting-Practices-Retention/dp/1948062143/
Justin Kerr describes himself as an “efficiency monster”. He’s also an expert in effective business communication, leadership and management development, and creating a successful workplace environment.
Justin is a fascinating person with an impressively diverse background. He has served as the youngest senior executive at major clothing brands like Gap™, Old Navy™, and Levi’s®. He is the author of fourteen books, including his most recent title How to be Good Great at Your Job. Justin is the host of the Mr. Corpo podcast, has toured across the US in his rock band, and even keeps rooftop bees (no, seriously).
As multifaceted as Justin is, he says his number one passion is workplace efficiency. Today, Justin works to help others improve their time management by learning to write better emails, communicate more effectively, and stop wasting precious minutes that could be better spent elsewhere.
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How much do you really accomplish in your day? How much time do you waste writing emails, waiting on people to answer you back, and putting off big projects you know you should be focusing on? Meet Justin Kerr, the self-proclaimed “efficiency monster” who believes that wasted time throughout your day could be put to much more effective use.
Justin has the distinction of being the youngest senior executive ever at some of the country’s top apparel brands. But Justin’s passions and hobbies are diverse and he wanted to find a way to carve out as much time as possible for those interests, so he began streamlining his workday and maximizing his efficiency. And thus, the “efficiency monster” was born.
In this episode, Justin shares helpful strategies and tips you can use to reclaim time and stop working past 5pm. Things as simple as the liberal use of the…
- bullet point function
…in your emails can help ensure that your communications cut through the white noise and are seen and replied to quickly. Justin is filled to the brim with these kinds of helpful workday life hacks that will help you glide through your day and out the office door.
We all inadvertently waste time during our workday without even realizing we’re doing it, and that time adds up to lost hours each week. Thankfully, Justin “Efficiency Monster” Kerr is here to help!
Ways to contact Justin: * Website: www.mrcorpo.com * Podcast: www.mrcorpo.com/pages/mr-corpo-podcast * Justin’s Books: www.mrcorpo.com/collections/frontpage * Instagram: @mrcorpo
David Quick is a speaker, leadership coach, and CEO who has worked with everyone from single-employee startups to Fortune 100 companies, teaching them to harness the power and passion of their employees.
David channeled his own passion and power into a tool to propel him to success. David is a three-time CEO of rapid-growth organizations and truly understands the role of leadership in a successful corporation. David has spent more than 20 years of his career with giants like Bayer, Johnson & Johnson, and Roche Diagnostics, and now he is the CEO of “Helping Bulls Thrive in China Shops.”
As the name suggests, David’s organization believes that when business leaders channel the energy of their teams, amazing things can happen. When your herd is full of powerful bulls moving in the same direction, your business can become stronger and more capable. That’s why David has dedicated himself to teaching business leaders to recruit, recognize, and empower the bulls in their teams.
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You’ve heard the expression, “like a bull in a china shop,” but have you ever given thought to what it means? It implies that something lacks precision, tact, or a delicate touch. But a bull is a powerful creature. And when that power can be harnessed and channeled, the outcome might surprise you. David Quick is the CEO of “Helping Bulls Thrive in China Shops,” a leadership organization that teaches leaders to utilize the energy and passion of their teams to spur growth and commit to positive vision and values for their businesses.
David calls himself a “recovering bull,” and he learned early in his career that his passion and power could be leveraged to become a force of forward momentum. David’s organization uses executive coaching, keynote presentations, group sessions, and events to turn teams into powerful herds of high-performing bulls.
In this episode, David shares his personal journey of self-understanding and career growth and explains how reflecting on his career gave him the drive and experience to coach others. David discusses employee engagement, the ripple-effect of vision and values, and how a strong vision and core values can draw in the right talent to build your herd and put the right people in the right seats.
By finding and hiring high-performing bulls, you can turn your herd into a powerful cohesive business with a shared vision and passion for success. Listen and learn from David Quick’s no-BS wisdom!
Ways to contact David: * Website: www.helpingbulls.com/absolute
Cash Keahey has become a true expert in leadership types, after spending 23 years working in global Fortune 500 companies and being exposed to many varied corporate cultures and corporate leaders.
Through the various positions and industries he has worked in through his storied career, Cash has dedicated himself to understanding the different styles of leadership and how each can thrive. Cash has led leadership workshops in 20 countries on 6 continents and is versed in bringing the leadership potential out of entrepreneurs and executives. Through his gift for engaging audiences, Cash has coached leaders to better understanding of their unique value and talents.
Cash is the author of Eight LeaderTypes in the White House: Discover and Leverage Your Oval Office Leadership Style. Through his qualification with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, he has categorized eight unique leadership types. He now works to help today’s business leaders understand which type they belong to, empowering them to better implement their ideas and strategies.
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As a business or team leader, how well do you really understand yourself? Understanding how you lead others can give you valuable insight into how you make decisions and guide your organization. Cash Keahey knows this better than most. Cash is an expert in helping entrepreneurs and C-suite executives bring out their full potential by understanding their leadership type.
Cash wrote his book Eight LeaderTypes in the White House after exhaustive study of the top ten US presidents. He was encouraged to begin his research after being asked the question, “what personality type makes the best leader?” Cash believes that any type of leader can shine under the right circumstances, and his efforts were intended to prove his theory.
In this episode, Cash explains what a LeaderType is, and spells out the eight types and how they interact with each other. Cash shares how to identify your dominant and secondary LeaderTypes, explains why understanding your LeaderTypes can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and gives examples of the power of deliberately invoking the correct LeaderType for the problem at hand.
By knowing and trusting yourself, you can become a master of decision-making and leading your organization. Listen to this episode and learn more about Cash’s amazing insights!
Ways to contact Cash: * Book: Eight LeaderTypes in the White House: Discover and Leverage Your Oval Office Leadership Style
Kirsten Bunch spent the first twenty years of her career working for international non-profit organizations in ten different countries, and now she works to empower others to make their own positive mark on the world.
Kirsten has contributed to such diverse projects as helping impoverished people get eye glasses, helping to remove lead from pottery in Mexico, and assisting the Rainforest Alliance in their work. Kirsten has been an expert fundraiser, raising over $20 million in donations throughout her career.
Today, Kirsten works tirelessly to help others get involved in action they believe in through her Women’s Changemaker Mentorship program, empowering women to create positive changes in their communities. Kirsten is also the international best-selling author of the book Next Act Give Back: Discover Your Personal Path to Go From Being Charitable to Being a Changemaker.
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Do you believe passionately that the world can be a better place? Have you ever recognized a problem in your community that nobody else was addressing effectively? Have you wanted to help, but weren’t sure how to get started? Allow me to introduce you to Kirsten Bunch.
Kirsten has spent her career working with and fundraising for global non-profit organizations, and now she works to help other women get involved in impactful ways beyond making a charitable donation. Kirsten believes that women can be superheroes in their communities, and she helps them turn their skills and ideas into tangible action that can improve the world around them.
In this episode, Kirsten shares her inspiring journey of working for non-profit organizations all over the globe and starting her mentorship program, helping women take the first steps toward getting involved in a hands-on way. Believing in yourself and your own potential is the key to giving your ideas form and becoming a catalyst for change. Too many great ideas fall to the wayside because people doubt themselves or feel powerless, but Kirsten believes that the important thing is to take those first steps without fear.
We all need more inspiration, compassion, and joy in our lives. Listen to this episode and learn how you can change the world around you!
Ways to contact Kirsten: Text the word “change” to 36260 to download Kirsten’s app, where you can learn more about her mentorship program, purchase her book, and find her contact information.
Kelly Resendez is a mother, business executive, and best-selling author who believes in helping others overcome self-sabotage and find joy in their professional and personal lives.
Because of all the different hats Kelly wears, she has had to master the art of being in the moment. Now she has dedicated herself to teaching others how to find joy in individual experiences and share that joyfulness with everyone in their lives.
Kelly is the author of the new book, Big Voices: Increase Joy, Reduce Suffering, Think Differently, and has founded Big Voices, a women-empowered network that uses the principles in her book to lift women up. Kelly is passionate about helping others embrace joy and learn to think differently.
------ Your mind is all over the place, you’ve got a hundred little things begging for your attention, deadlines are ticking down, and on top of all of that you aren’t sleeping enough at night because you can’t shut off your inner voice. How can you hope to deal with all the pressure?
Kelly Resendez knows how you feel. She’s the Executive Vice President of Paramount Partners Group, an author, an influencer, and mom to teenagers. Kelly learned how to keep juggling all her responsibilities through mindfulness, meditation, faith and joy, and now she is passionate about helping others learn to manage their time, priorities and distractions.
In this episode, Kelly teaches you the steps to find a better balance, take control of your thoughts, and be present in the moment. By doing so, you will be more able to focus on each individual priority of your day and share a joyful attitude that will spread to every part of your life and everyone you interact with.
We also discuss why it’s crucial to retrain your thoughts and stop being a “people-pleaser,” how to identify and overcome the self-sabotage we’re all guilty of, how to manage your emotional triggers, and the importance of asking for help when you need it.
No matter how overwhelming your day is, I promise you’re going to want to find the time to listen to this episode!
Ways to contact Kelly: * Website: www.bigvoicesrise.com/absolute * Email: kelly@kellyresendez.com
Dr. James Kelley, author of The Crucibles Gift: 5 Lessons from Authentic Leaders Who Thrive in Adversity, brings a fresh perspective to leadership coaching and keynotes. His journey from a humble home in Portland, Oregon to earning his PhD and living near Dubai with his wife and four children is full of adversity. James also has a keen interest in the adversity that shapes great leaders around the world.
----- What does an authentic leader look like? Dr. James Kelley has some ideas, thanks to his long work with business leader biographies and his own life experiences. In his remarkable book The Crucible’s Gift: 5 Lessons from Authentic Leaders Who Thrive in Adversity, he narrows down the common traits that authentic leaders have and how we can practice them in our leadership positions to make a difference.
While our discussion covered many excellent topics, I’d like to talk about three different points Dr. Kelley made which struck me as particularly important:
Self-Awareness: Business leaders have trouble with self-awareness, especially if they already have a profile of their own strengths and weaknesses, which may not be that accurate. Truly self-aware leaders know to make space for honest feedback and to understand that they always have more to learn about themselves.
Compassion: Compassion is sometimes seen as a weakness in the business world, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, compassion shows strength, understanding, and the ability to bind teams together and help their care about company goals. It’s one of the most valuable traits inauthentic leaders.
Accepting Your Flaws: Understanding that you are flawed can be difficult. Accepting those flaws and finding ways to work around them is even harder. But the best leaders understand their flaws and then use them to become even better, creating support systems and using their experiences to help others around them.
Throughout our conversation, Dr. Kelley provided life stories, advice from his experience with other business leaders, and many insights into the ways that you can more effective and self-aware – including methods to spot the “micro-moments of meaning” in your daily life and capitalize on them.
Interested in hearing more? You can listen to the full episode right now!
Thanks for listening today. I appreciate your time so very much.
Ways to contact Dr. James Kelley: * Website: www.drjameskelley.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kelleyjamesb * Book: The Crucible’s Gift
Tim Fulton is a serial entrepreneur turned small business consultant and executive coach, an award-winning author, and a nationally recognized advocate for small business.
----- Do you feel like your business has stalled out after years of successful growth? Are you struggling to hire talented people that will stay with the company for years?
This week I spoke on these issues with the accomplished Tim Fulton, author of Small Business Matters. Tim currently services as a Vistage Group Chair. Vistage is an international membership organization for CEOs and Presidents that encourages them to learn from each other.
One of the fascinating things we discussed was the growth barrier that many businesses – including successful businesses – face after several years in operation. Many owners and entrepreneurs find that around this time their growth suddenly stalls out. It’s no surprise that many panic!
But experienced business owners know that this is common, especially as company reach a certain point of growth. A time comes when the business owner has too many balls in the air and has to stop juggling: In other words, the business needs to shift to focus more on teams and an organization system. The owner must learn to delegate, too!
Alongside this is the problem of hiring talented employees. As Tim advises, hire early and expect turnover (as much as 75% turnover in many cases) to find the right talent for your business. It’s alright to let people go if, after a month, you are sure they aren’t a good fit. Don’t be afraid to put in time and effort to create a good team!
This period of growth also means that owners need to start thinking about the company culture: Will bringing in so many new people threaten the work relationship of those who have been there since the beginning? How can you encourage a healthy culture during these times of expansion?
If you’d like to learn more about our interesting conversation, listen to the full episode!
Thanks for listening today! I appreciate your time so very much.
Ways to contact Tim: * Website: Smallbusinessmattersonline.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/timcfulton
Nate Bailey is a natural leader, a best selling author, a renowned coach, and a speaker who knows how to impact and reach an audience.
Nate is the Lead Trainer and Lead Coach inside of the Prosperity Revolution. He has built multiple successful businesses in the areas of Insurance and Real Estate. He recently fulfilled his long-time dream of selling his insurance agency to become a full-time coach.
Nate was a Lieutenant, serving our country in the United States Army. As a Platoon Leader during the Operation Iraqi Freedom, Nate was charged with the safety and leadership of 42 soldiers as they served our country in Kuwait. Nate has a simple philosophy on life – “live what you teach.”
----- Do your inspirational speeches fall flat? Struggling with anemic personal relationships? Debt out of control? Nate Bailey is a personal coach who teaches people how living intentionally expands your horizons and growth potential.
As a real estate and insurance professional, Nate Bailey helped people build financial security. Pursuing his passion for living intentionally, today, Nate helps people push themselves physically, emotionally and spiritually.
He transforms experiences from the battlefield and personal struggles that shaped his past, into insights that inspire others to lay down their fears and self-inflicted barriers to personal growth.
In this episode, we discuss how having integrity with yourself empowers personal growth and success in every aspect of your life from achieving financial stability to healing relationships and leading a successful business on the short path to prosperity.
Nate explains you must “live what you teach” and push yourself to the limit every day to achieve your full potential.
Want to learn how he went from a 250 pound, out-of-shape, out-of-hope individual to a thriving, inspirational speaker and life coach? Listen to the full episode now!
Thank you for listening today! I appreciate your time so very much.
Ways to contact Nate: * Website: www.natebaileyspeaks.com/meet-nate * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nate-bailey-805b31b * Facebook: www.facebook.com/natebailey84
Todd Palmer is the collaborative business advisor and CEO of Extraordinary Advisors (EA).
As the CEO of a 6-time INC 5000 company, Todd knows that business success begins and ends with people. People make all of the business decisions regarding strategy, execution, cash, and staff.
Todd isn’t happy until his clients trust themselves as leaders AND their decisions. He won’t rest until teams trust the leaders AND each other. He knows they’ve nailed it when CEOs and their leadership teams take action towards high-level achievement, resulting in clients that trust the company. (Read: more sales, more profits, more partnerships.)
Todd is also the author of the popular book The Job Search Process: Find & Land a Great Job in 6 Weeks or Less.
----- Succeeding in business is more than just having a great idea. Todd D. Palmer, CEO of Extraordinary Advisors, found out at the age of 27 what it meant to truly be the leader of a company. After having moderate success early on in his business, he stepped away for six months only to return to find the company riddled with debt and within weeks of total collapse. The hard lessons he learned through that experience shaped how he advises CEO’s and managers of the country’s top organizations.
No one at a weekend dinner party wants to hear about how entrepreneurs can’t make payroll or are in dire need of cash flow.
In this episode, we discussed how small business owners need a community where they are free to celebrate success and admit failure. In doing so, the road to success is dramatically shortened for new businesses and established organizations alike.
It may be okay to “fake it until you make it,” but discover why “imposter syndrome” paralyzes so many business owners. Plus, find out why “finding your why” can dramatically shift the entire roadmap of your organization. Todd Palmer also discusses the importance of hiring for DNA instead of hiring for resume in today’s full employment economy.
Want to hear more? Listen to the episode now!
Ways to contact Todd: * Website: extraordinaryadvisors.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/toddpalmer1
Once upon a time, David Hooker was a writer, and you can tell that from the opening to this bio. Somewhere along the way he got lost and ended up leading a team of world-class designers who make beautiful visuals for rockstars, scientists, entrepreneurs, TV hosts, filmmakers, politicians, educators, and a guy who likes to jump into volcanoes. He is the Lead Evangelist for Prezi, the presentation platform that’s changed the way 100 million people share their ideas, a mission David takes so seriously that he helps 100s of people every year do just that.
------ We are taught in school how to look for deeper meaning in the context of language and literature, but we are never taught how to do the same for the images we see. It is in this depth of analysis that organizations are winning the war for the attention of the consumer.
David Hooker, lead evangelist for Prezi, the cloud-based presentation platform helps you connect more powerfully with your audience.
Examining how images influence the way we consume products and information, David Hooker discusses how advertisers are using pictures to sway public opinion about themselves and the items they buy.
In this episode, we discuss how images are dependent on the culture we live in, how public opinion changes the types of images we consume on a regular basis, and how producers of those images are trying to change our culture by changing their images. Learn how something as simple as a thumbnail picture can influence the movies you watch on a video streaming app.
David Hooker also touches on the neurological processes involved in the way we see and interpret images. He also offers practical tips for how we can use this process to our advantage as we prepare visual presentations, websites, ads, and other visual media.
Interested in hearing more? Listen to the full episode!
Ways to contact David: * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/hookerdj * Twitter: @HookerDavidJ
Alex Vorobieff is an expert in aligning companies and helping them find their way to success. He wrote his book Transform Your Company as a guide to help everyone get on the same page.
On a trip to Disneyland, he had an aha moment that made him realize that not only does everyone need to be in the same boat, but they need to know where they’re going and how to get there.
----- In this episode, we talk about ways that companies can overcome a plateau. Alex reveals that one of the major hurdles to success isn’t systems or lack thereof, it’s the people. Leaders have a huge role in helping people work together and in figuring out what’s wrong when a company is facing frustration or a plateau.
Too much of what we do today is on autopilot. Alex explains the scientific reason for this as well as why we are biologically wired to dislike negative feedback. It’s important for companies to create a safe space for negative feedback, and Alex talks about ways you can train yourself to get better at handling negative feedback. Part of this is finding out what your “no-fly zones” are and working to eliminate them if possible.
Alex also talks about getting to the “starting line” so everything can run smoothly once a company starts to fix itself.
You don’t want to miss out on all of Alex’s science and research-backed tips and tricks for finding clarity and transforming your company.
Already interested? Listen to the full episode now!
Thank you for listening today! I appreciate your time so very much.
Ways to contact Alex: * Website: ConfidentROi.com * Website: alexvorobieff.com/absolute
Michael Gale founded Strategic Oxygen in 2001, which was widely seen as one of the technology industry primary data toolset for marketers, used by over 20 brands and used to model over $4 billion in marketing and sales investments. The company was sold to Monitor Group, where he was a group partner from 2006 to 2010. In 2011, he became a partner at Pulsepoint Group, a digital consulting company, which was acquired by ICF in 2015. Michael has also served as chief web officer and GM at Micron Technology and was the vice president of Worldwide brand research at IntelliQuest.
----- Are you still trying to run your company with the same structure you used 20 years ago? Michael Gale is an expert in helping companies in various industries successfully make the leap to the digital age.
After studying a thousand companies to see how they succeeded or failed, he wrote his book “The Digital Helix.” Michael knows how the seven drivers of change are important in different industries and works to help companies discover which drivers they need to focus on to set realistic expectations.
In this episode, we talked about how to digitize for the new world we live in and what is going to happen to organizations that don’t do this successfully. Michael explained the biggest mistakes organizations make when trying to digitize and gave tips on how to avoid those mistakes.
One of the biggest things you have to realize is that you can’t do everything. That’s why Michael offers a free tool that allows you to see what works in your industry so you can focus on that aspect. He also explains the difference between a digital and a truly digital business.
When it comes to digitizing your company, it has to start from the leadership. If it doesn’t matter to the leaders in the company, the probability of real change is 0. Digitizing isn’t just for big companies; Michael explains how smaller scale entrepreneurs can be successful in this new era as well.
Michael gives many other tips on transforming your organization for the digital age, including key questions he asks himself as a leader.
Are you interested in hearing more? Listen to the full episode now!
Thank you for listening today! I appreciate your time so very much.
Ways to contact Michael: * Email: michael@inc.digital * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/migale * Website: inc.digital
Kimberly White is a freelance writer, certified Arbinger Institute presenter, and former research assistant to its founder, Terry Warner. Her nine months of research for The Shift included dozens of hours working alongside nursing home employees in offices, vans, patient rooms, and kitchens. She recently relocated from Harlem to a small farm town in Pawnee, Illinois to focus on writing.
----- Does your job give you as much satisfaction as you want? No? Don’t worry, you are not alone. Nationwide, only around half of all employees report that they love what they do. But did you know that you can learn to tweak the way you think in order to make significant increases in your level of happiness at work?
In this week’s episode, I speak with Kimberly White, the author of the book The Shift: How Seeing People as People Changes Everything. In her book, White explores some of the life-changing lessons she learned over the nine months she spent with nursing home employees in an attempt to uncover why they the profession has an average job satisfaction level which far exceeds workers in other industries.
Throughout our discussion, White touches on the importance of positivity and offers advice on how to avoid a toxic environment by getting rid of the negative ripple effect. White suggests by viewing coworkers and employees as authentic humans instead of as tools to help you achieve your own goals, you can create a more positive and enjoyable work environment.
White illustrates practical applications of several of the techniques she presents in her book through personal antidotes and describes how to use these approaches to improve all areas of your life.
Do you want to discover the secrets to making immense and immediate changes in your happiness level? Listen to the full episode!
Ways to contact Kimberly: * Website: KimberlyWhiteBooks.com
Rob Shallenberger is one of the world’s leading authorities on leadership and strategic planning. He’s trained and coached hundreds of companies around the world, to include many Fortune 500 organizations.
After spending two years of service in Bolivia, he attended Utah State University where he graduated in 2000. He went on to earn an MBA from Colorado State University.
He served as an F-16 Fighter Pilot in the Air Force for 11 years. He was also an Advance Agent for Air Force One and traveled the world working with foreign embassies and the Secret Service.
He’s the CEO of Becoming Your Best Global Leadership. His company released a national bestselling book titled Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders and a new book titled the Transformation Challenge: The Six-Steps to Planning and Execution. He’s also the author of three other books.
He considers his greatest accomplishment to be that he’s been married for 19 years and has four beautiful children.
----- Are you a highly successful leader? Rob Shallenberger discusses the 12 principles of highly successful leaders and how he trains individuals and businesses to adopt those principles into their lives and business practices, so they can reap the rewards of phenomenal success.
Rob has dedicated years to studying some of the most successful leaders throughout history to discover 12 principles that set them apart from others. In this episode, he identifies those 12 principles and discusses the tools and techniques he uses when training others how to use them.
He goes on to describe why the principle “Be true to character,” is the most critical and why you should adopt that principle first. He also discussed businesses and leaders who have lost sight of that principle, such as Enron, and the devastating consequences that can have.
Rob also discusses time in a meaningful way. We all have the same 1,440 minutes in a day. One of the things that sets highly successful leaders apart from the rest of us is how we use those minutes.
He goes on to discuss the differences between being a transformational leader and being a transactional leader and how that impacts your success on a personal and professional level.
One of the most endearing things Rob talks about, though, is what the 12 principles of leadership mean for him as a husband and as a father and how his vision is different, yet similar, in each of those roles.
Are you interested in learning more? Listen to the full podcast now!
Thank you for listening today! I appreciate your time so very much.
Ways to contact Rob: * Website: www.becomingyourbest.com
Founder of Burg Communications, Bob Burg is also a former television personality and top sales producer. His experience working with Fortune 500 organizations is the foundation for his leadership and business development books and teachings. He was named one of the 30 most influential leaders by The American Management Association and has shared the platform with key social, economic and political leaders, including a former U.S. president. He was also named as one of Inc. magazines Top 100 Leadership Speakers.
----- It’s the responsibility of a business leader to “give” first – when making sales, when settling disagreements, and when moving ahead in the company.
This is the heart of Bob Burg’s line of Go-Giver books, which focus on the power of providing value to everyone around you as part of your job. Bob’s latest book is all about influencers and the nature of influence on the job. In our discussion, he talks the value of influencing others and how the right influence is all about giving to others.
Bob has been named one of Inc. Magazine’s top 100 leadership speakers. If you haven’t heard him speak you should really take the opportunity – but you can listen to the latest episode of Absolute Advantage for a good idea of what it’s like!
I speak with Bob about how finding common ground is more difficult now than ever, how people skills are an important complement to any leadership position, and about how influencing others is about pulling them toward you with your own giving, listening, and helping skills.
We also go in-depth on the five different ways that influence can work in the business world, how to make sure you don’t turn business partners into enemies by accident, and how to properly ask for a favor (yes, there is a right way).
If you’ve ever had trouble striking deals in the workplace, or you struggle with – shall we say, coworkers who aren’t the easiest to get along with – this episode may be particularly useful for you. Anyone who collaborates or works on a team will also be able to appreciate the many tips we touch on!
You can listen to the full episode now and learn more about Bob’s advice, life stories, and latest book.
Thank you for listening today! I appreciate your time so very much.
Ways to contact Bob: * Website: burg.com * Books: The Go-Giver Way * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bobburg * Twitter: @bobburg
Founder of Burg Communications, Bob Burg is also a former television personality and top sales producer. His experience working with Fortune 500 organizations is the foundation for his leadership and business development books and teachings. He was named one of the 30 most influential leaders by The American Management Association and has shared the platform with key social, economic and political leaders, including a former U.S. president. He was also named as one of Inc. magazines Top 100 Leadership Speakers.
----- It’s the responsibility of a business leader to “give” first – when making sales, when settling disagreements, and when moving ahead in the company.
This is the heart of Bob Burg’s line of Go-Giver books, which focus on the power of providing value to everyone around you as part of your job. Bob’s latest book is all about influencers and the nature of influence on the job. In our discussion, he talks the value of influencing others and how the right influence is all about giving to others.
Bob has been named one of Inc. Magazine’s top 100 leadership speakers. If you haven’t heard him speak you should really take the opportunity – but you can listen to the latest episode of Absolute Advantage for a good idea of what it’s like!
I speak with Bob about how finding common ground is more difficult now than ever, how people skills are an important complement to any leadership position, and about how influencing others is about pulling them toward you with your own giving, listening, and helping skills.
We also go in-depth on the five different ways that influence can work in the business world, how to make sure you don’t turn business partners into enemies by accident, and how to properly ask for a favor (yes, there is a right way).
If you’ve ever had trouble striking deals in the workplace, or you struggle with – shall we say, coworkers who aren’t the easiest to get along with – this episode may be particularly useful for you. Anyone who collaborates or works on a team will also be able to appreciate the many tips we touch on!
You can listen to the full episode now and learn more about Bob’s advice, life stories, and latest book.
Thank you for listening today! I appreciate your time so very much.
Ways to contact Bob: * Website: burg.com * Books: The Go-Giver Way * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bobburg * Twitter: @bobburg
Vishal Agarwal is the best selling author of Give to Get. He has lived the corporate life cycle from start to finish, beginning as an intern and working up to Senior Deals Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Until recently, Vishal was a Global Top 500 Senior Leader for General Electric before becoming Chairman and CEO of his own private investment management firm, Full Circle Africa. During his 24-year career, he navigated all facets of corporate life from building teams and delivering value, to translating multinational visions into local wins.
A true globalist, Vishal was born in Bombay, lived in Iran during the Iran-Iraq War, was educated through his adolescence in the US, and now lives in Nairobi, Kenya, with his wife and two daughters.
----- There are two sets of challenges for those who want to achieve leadership positions at work for push ahead in their company. The first challenges are those everyone knows about – how to make those quarterly goals, how to communicate effectively, how to ask for an increase in salary or more responsibilities.
But there’s a second set of challenges that people don’t talk about as much: For example, when you are new to a team or a business, how do you overcome that “new guy” struggle where no one is entirely confident in your abilities? Once you have earned the respect of your peers and managers, how do you capitalize on that in effective ways?
In this episode of Absolute Advantage, I speak with Vishal Agarwal, author of Give to Get, a book about overcoming the unique challenges on your path to business leadership.
For example, we discuss creating a map of all your contacts when you enter a new position: This allows you to quickly see the people you need to get acquainted with. By planning regular contact with this map of people, you can quickly get past the “new guy syndrome” and start building up a healthy reputation in your company.
That’s just one of the tactics we talk about, along with stories about Vishal’s own experiences, more information about Give to Get, and other important tidbits you won’t want to miss.
Interested in learning more about what Vishal has to say about reaching your leadership goals?
You can listen to the full episode right now!
Again, thanks for your time today! I appreciate it very much.
Ways to contact Vishal: * Website: givetogetbook.com
Kelly Hatfield is co-founder of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group, Enginuity Virtual Recruiter, and Impact Real Estate Real Estate Group based in Everett, Washington. She has been in the recruiting and HR field for over 20-years and loves serving others. Kelly and her business partner have built three successful companies with the purpose of helping others succeed and delivering remarkable results. Kelly and her team strategically align themselves as “The Partner of Choice” with clients and strive to be the first place clients call when they are looking for extraordinary service, quality, and reliability. The resulting outcome has been an outstanding referral network that has built and continues to build their companies.
As Co-Founder and Owner of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group and Enginuity Virtual Recruiter, April (together with her amazing partner) has created and developed three successful businesses aimed at matching exceptional talent with the top organizations. With 17 years in the human resources and staffing realm, April has experience, knowledge, and a love for people and aims to offer solutions to all who are served. Being a natural problem solver, she prides herself on developing and leading a team of recruiting professionals whose mission is focused on connecting people to opportunity. Through creative and exhaustive methods, the Enginuity Group successfully matches the right talent with the right businesses each and every day.
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Google+Share on Linkedin How would you describe your company’s culture? A healthy culture is essential when it comes to the success of your organization and your employees. In this episode, learn how to change or improve your company’s culture for the better. After all, culture is the language of your organization.
We also talk about the ripple effect, which is how the actions of leaders ripple into the organization and beyond. As a leader, you are responsible for establishing a healthy and prosperous culture for your organization.
A major aspect of this responsibility involves establishing a sense of clarity surrounding the culture of their organization. This includes being as clear as possible about their business’ culture when it comes to the hiring process. After all, “fit” when it comes to the company’s dominant culture is a major predictor of whether a new employee will thrive within an organization.
During this episode, we talk about the consequences that a leader and business may face for failing to establish this sense of clarity. Unfortunately, many leaders fail to live by the values posted on the wall in their office.
We also discuss how leaders can live and lead according to their values. Culture refers to the values that are acknowledged and celebrated by your organization. April encourages leaders to focus on developing a healthy company culture above all.
We hope you enjoy this episode!
Ways to contact Kelly: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-hatfield-2a2610a
Ways to contact April: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/apriltaylor
In 2007, Roy Austin founded Rockwell Business Solutions, LLC (RBS), to provide coaching, mentoring, and seminars for small businesses. His passion is helping small business owners achieve their vision and potential to move their business to the next level. RBS has been involved in business development, mergers and acquisitions, investor relations, and negotiations with partners and vendors, particularly banks. Clients include Crescent Investments, Inc.; Cargo Group, LLC; Cargo Transportation Services, LLC; Blue Diamond Pool Services, Inc.; Bottles Up, Inc.; Atlas Surveying, Inc.; Cornerstone Physical Therapy; Polmak LLC; and D. J. Powers, Inc., to mention a few. Through his involvement in BNI (Business Networking International) and other groups he has met and worked with hundreds of small business owners.
Roy is a coach, not a consultant. Consultants tell you what to do; Coaches teach you how to do! Roy is the author of The Alligator Business Solution, which was released March 28, 2017. The book is, in essence, a user’s manual for small businesses. His experience, education, and community service provide a wealth of information for his readers and clients. He also has extensive speaking experience.
----- From his early years in the military to his most recent work as a CFO for a freight forwarder and customs broker, author Roy Austin has spent his life building the foundation of knowledge that he now leverages to help businesses. He works closely with leaders of small to midsize businesses who are discovering that there’s more to running a business than simply knowing their trade.
Roy and his team help manage the business, marketing and operational side for a wide range of organizations and he brings his vast expertise to each coaching project. Roy shared: “I began to realize that small businesses are started by people who know how to do the work, but doing the work and running a business are two different skill sets.”
Roy uses the term “coaching” instead of “consulting” to indicate that he wants to bring people alongside throughout the process. Coaches are able to help empower their clients to refine valuable leadership skills. Explore how the best players working together may not always create the best team — but that the best team working together can change the world.
There are 7 key leadership traits that will cause people to follow you. These include listening skills, knowing where you’re going, understanding the fundamental purpose of your business, and a matching set of values. Roy also notes that creating a culture that people want to be a part of is an important aspect of retaining star performers.
Listen to the full episode with Roy Austin of Rockwell Business Solutions to hear more insight on a range of topics of interest to businesses, such as how each individual hire is a crucial part of maintaining your organization’s culture.
Anni Keffer is a nationally recognized educator, speaker, author, and entrepreneur who is passionate about youth leadership. She has been featured on CBS, ABC, NBC, and FOX affiliates as well as in a number of publications, including Yahoo, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, New York Business Journal, Miami Herald, Mompreneur Media, and more. She’s the founder of the Young Women of Influence Conference and an in-demand leadership speaker. Anni was nominated for WHIRL Magazines Women In Business 2016, and is a co-author of Girls Lead. Her new book is Leadership Built On Why: A Guide for Young Adults.
----- Author Anni Keffer’s most recent book, Leadership Built on Why, is starting conversations among young adults and encouraging them to take advantage of the opportunities to lead regardless of their age. Her focus is on supporting women and young adults as they overcome external and internal criticism and find the inner strength and inspiration to seize the mantle of leadership. In this episode, Anni Keffer discusses how her leadership traits manifested and offers advice for other young people and women of all ages to overcome negativity and trust their own leadership potential.
From an early age, Anni’s family were leaders in their community and in their careers. From this introduction to leadership, Anni realized that no one will pass you the torch — in order to be successful, you must reach out and grab it! Leadership is about making a conscious decision to make an impact in the world, serving people by giving back at both a local and global level.
One of the biggest takeaways is that while we see successful people in the media every day, what we don’t see is the struggle that they each went through to attain greatness. They didn’t magically wake up one day and claim wealth and a new lifestyle beyond our dreams. Instead, they worked tirelessly every day until their dreams came to fruition. You have to follow your passion — focus on what excites you personally or something that frustrates you greatly so you can change the world.
When you’re hearing negativity from others, it can be easy to get bogged down in those feelings. Instead, separate yourself from that feeling and respond with love and peace. Negative comments often come from a place of jealousy, from individuals who don’t have your same self-belief and trust.
Throughout the episode, Anni Keffer unpacks what it means to truly dig deep into your thoughts and feelings to release positivity and free yourself to become a true leader.
Ready to hear more and be inspired? Listen to the full episode now!
Resources: * Book: Leadership Built On Why: A Guide for Young Adults
Melinda F. Emerson, known as SmallBizLady, is America’s #1 Small Business Expert. She is an internationally known keynote speaker and an expert on small business start up, business development, and social media marketing. In addition to being a former columnist for The New York Times, she is frequently quoted by other media organizations including The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Fortune, MSNBC and Fox News.
Emersons small business advice is widely read reaching more than 3 million entrepreneurs each week online. She is the host of #Smallbizchat, the longest running live chat on Twitter for small business owners. She publishes a resource blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com.
Emerson is the bestselling author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months and the ebook How To Become a Social Media Ninja. She is the founder and president of the Quintessence Group, an award-winning marketing consulting firm based in Philadelphia, PA. Notable Clients Include: FedEx, ADP, Pitney Bowes, American Express, Dell, Staples, Sams Club, Chase Bank, Facebook, IKEA, Verizon, Wells Fargo, and Xerox.
----- Shortly after graduating from Virginia Tech, Melinda Emerson landed at her dream job. A journalism student, she was hired as a producer at the age of 23. Soon, after going from the frying pan to the skillet, she realized that she wanted more than that dream, a better career. She saw Oprah Winfrey as a model, another journalist who went on to start successful businesses.
In this episode, Melinda Emerson talks about how she set out on her own business adventure with a laptop, fax machine, and a dream. She tapped her skills as an investigative journalist to research her strategy, build networks, and won an opportunity from a business incubator. Within a couple of years, her firm became the largest female-owned production company in Philadelphia. Awards followed, along with lucrative contracts.
She compiled every “expensive mistake” she made along the way and these helpful notes became the basis for her first major book.
Her goal is to boost small business entrepreneurs everywhere so they experience success and learn the lessons she shares with them. We need to build our personal leadership in order to bring success to our business activities. Melinda Emerson reminds listeners that they never lose in business: They either win or they learn of mistakes that need to be corrected.
This is a very inspiring interview!
Ways to contact Melinda: * Website: succeedasyourownboss.com * Facebook: www.facebook.com/smallbizlady * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/melindaemerson * Twitter: @SmallBizLady * YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/melindaemerson
Born in Kingston, Jamaica to a single mother, Albert Williams grew up in the birthplace of Hip Hop and the home of the NY Yankees – the Bronx. Motivated by the countless hours his mother worked to create a better life for him and his siblings, Albert grew up to hold several jobs in both the public and private sectors while all at the same time owning and operating several of his own businesses.
His entrepreneurial spirit led him to explore many avenues including landscaper/snow removal, restaurant menu designer, and printer, computer consultant, barbershop owner, part-time owner in a laundromat and part-time owner in a hair salon.
In June 2012, Albert acquired Best Deal Private Car Service Inc., based in the North East Bronx with 19 owner-operated cars in its feet. As President and CEO, he went on to certify the business as a Minority Business Enterprise, increased the company’s revenue to top $1.5 million, added hundreds of new drivers and created a new revenue stream by adding non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) to their line of services.
This serial entrepreneur with a proven ability to grow a business now teaches others through his Mastermind coaching. Albert considers it his responsibility to give back, coaching minorities with entrepreneurial aspirations to realize their dreams.
Albert also hosts the Plan Build Become podcast, interviewing inspiring thought leaders to further help his own minority communities.
----- A native of Jamaica, Albert Williams arrived in the Bronx with his mother and two siblings when he was 8 years old. He exemplifies how the ripple effect of entrepreneurship can take hold in someone at a young age, manifest itself, and now give back through mastermind coaching and mentorship to minorities with business ambitions. He started by bagging groceries in the express line while still in elementary school, held many jobs since then, owned a barbershop and laundromat, and acquired Best Deal Private Care Service Inc. in June 2012.
Best Deal specializes in nonemergency medical transportation, but more importantly, it is a community car service that takes pride in knowing customers by their names and their needs. As CEO, Albert Williams gives his Bronx-based livery company strategic direction while assuring that its operations remain high-quality and focused on the needs of its loyal customers.
In this episode, Albert Williams explains that he coaches other minorities who aspire to be entrepreneurs by reminding them that there is no magical pill. Mastermind groups allow us to bring out those qualities we may not see in ourselves. Albert Williams explains the importance of listening, being humble, and investing in your own personal development.
Even in a company where all of his drivers are independent contractors, he reminds them that they have to be the right fit since he is the face of the company and that elderly woman they are picking up for an appointment may be somebody’s mother. And she most certainly matters.
When thinking about his business, he always wants to know how his drivers, his vision, and the strategic plan he has put into place will move the needle forward.
Take lots of notes and enjoy!
Ways to contact Albert: * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/albertjwilliams * Website: bestdealcarservice.com * Twitter: @BestDealCarSvc * Facebook: www.facebook.com/BestDealCarServiceInc * YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCBQugT5gZs5xyh4jLAkxIcQ
Ken Pasch brings over 30 years experience in revolutionizing leader development within a broad range of organizations, including the U.S. Military, Johnson & Johnson, the American College of Healthcare Executives, and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
He is the founder of KiVisions, Inc., which advises good people on how to become great leaders, and serves as faculty in executive education at the Smeal College of Business at Penn State University. Pasch is a retired Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Air Force, where he served proudly and with distinction.
----- Ken Pasch won the lottery decades ago, the draft lottery that took him to the jungles of Vietnam. After returning from his service in the army, he pondered how successful organizations get off the ground and reach their destination.
The author of the recently published On Course: Become a Great Leader and Soar likened the process to that of an airplane. Choose a destination, prepare to get there, and watch out for winds of resistance that might take you off course and forces that might drag you down.
In this episode, Ken Pasch discusses some of the themes from his book. He reminds us that leaders must possess a proper mindset and be aware of the impacts their actions have on others. He tells us that we should become an “ACE.” The “A” stands for the abundance in leadership we should exhibit. The “C” refers to the concentration we must focus upon our priorities, while the “E” reminds us to pursue our passion and purpose earnestly.
Effective leaders bring about change through their mindsets, efforts, and willingness to accept feedback.
They ensure that their firms have an excellent onboarding process in place that sets people up for success and establishes the best tone. Throughout this podcast, Ken Pasch shares a wealth of helpful advice about the value that high-quality leadership brings to an organization.
Please enjoy this program!
Ways to contact Ken: * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ken-pasch-certified-leader-coach-713b4a2 * Website: www.kivisions.com * Twitter: @Ken_Pasch * Facebook: www.facebook.com/KiVisions * Faculty Page at Penn State: https://psep.smeal.psu.edu/how-we-work-with-you/open-enrollment-executive-education/penn-state-smeal-faculty/kenneth-w.-pasch * Book: “On Course: Become a Great Leader and Soar”
Howard Partridge is an international business coach, #1 Amazon.com bestselling author, and in-demand conference speaker. He grew up on welfare, started his first business out of the trunk of his car, and transformed it into a multimillion dollar, turnkey enterprise. He has owned nine small businesses, and for two decades has helped small business owners revolutionize their businesses and have more freedom in their lives. His new book is “The Power of Community: How Phenomenal Leaders Inspire Their Teams, Wow Their Customers, and Make Bigger Profits.” It includes a proven, step-by-step approach to transforming your organization by tapping into the human need to connect and feel valued by others.
----- How did one L.A. native with only a quarter in his pocket transform his life before gaining international acclaim as a best-selling author and business coach? Howard Partridge grew up poor in L.A. — lower Alabama — one of seven kids in a tiny shack in Mobile. His family on welfare, his mother fed them for $100 a month.
Howard Partridge left home young, arriving in Houston with a quarter in his pocket to begin his life anew. What he lacked in funds, he had in motivation. His first business began in the trunk of his car and became a multimillion-dollar turnkey. Mentored by Zig Ziglar, he later became Ziglar’s exclusive small business owner coach.
In this conversation, Howard Partridge explains why we must turn management theory upside down, re-engage our workers, and assure that recognition of their efforts regularly occurs. Three keys must be remembered:
- First, when we value people with support, they will value us and support our mission.
- Second, we must create a culture that encourages workers.
- Third, we expect accountability, but it needs to permeate all levels of the organization so that employees can also ask management tough questions.
Howard Partridge inspires businesses to create phenomenal products. He transforms corporate organizations by tapping into the human need to connect and feel valued by others.
Take plenty of notes. You will enjoy this episode!
Ways to contact Howard: * Website: howardpartridge.com * Facebook: www.facebook.com/HowardPartridgePPI * Twitter: @HowardPartridge * YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/HowardPartridge * Book: “The Power of Community: How Phenomenal Leaders Inspire their Teams, Wow their Customers, and Make Bigger Profits”
Glenn Elliott is the founder and Debra Corey is group reward director of Reward Gateway, a world leader in integrated employee engagement technology with more than 1,800 clients worldwide. Elliott and Corey’s new book, “Build it: The Rebel Playbook for World-Class Employee Engagement” (Wiley, Feb. 27, 2018), highlights practical improvements that organizations can make to build a highly engaged company culture.
----- Why would a successful entrepreneur rebel against common business practices? As Glenn Elliott explains in this podcast, it is imperative that we rebel against common models and age-old perspectives if we want our company to thrive and our employees to stay engaged.
During his years as a software engineer and in other corporate settings, Glenn Elliott witnessed more than his share of employee disengagement in the workplace. Knowing that miscommunication breeds mistrust, he founded Reward Gateway in 2006 with a plan to restore engagement among those working in the financial services industry. He stepped down as CEO there in 2017 and currently consults and motivates businesses on ways to bring enthusiasm to the workplace.
In this conversation, Glenn Elliott reminds us that engaged employees spend less time distracted, make better decisions, and frequently are a source for innovation.
Glenn Elliott believes managers should be connected, humble, and honest to those who report to them. This principle should also apply to other units that have a direct impact on employees. As an example, he also discusses the challenges that many human resources departments face when tough HR decisions have to be made with lawyerly precision. We need to restore the human touch.
I hope you enjoy this podcast!
Ways to contact Glenn: * Website: glennelliott.me * Facebook: www.facebook.com/glennelliott72 * Instagram: @glennelliott72 * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/glennelliott * Twitter: @glennelliott * YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/glennelliott72 * Book: “Build It: The Rebel Playbook for World Class Employee Engagement”
Does the constant talk about rising healthcare costs worry you as you balance the benefits you offer your employees with the bottom line? If so, you will want to hear how Michael Menerey collaborates with private firms and public agencies to bring a fresh approach to offering employee benefits with a goal of lowering their costs while enhancing their value to all parties involved.
A senior vice president with Alliant Insurance Services, Michael Menerey launched his Reconstructing Healthcare podcast in 2017 as a platform for discussing the factors that escalate healthcare costs. He seeks innovative approaches that provide better value with reduced costs. By creating a new dialog, he seeks to educate employees and managers of ways they can lower healthcare costs.
In this episode, Michael Menerey explains how the status quo is untenable. We need to explore different approaches, including a plan to offer benefit alternatives that provide our employees the flexibility to select less expensive options that may be available through another nearby pharmacy or clinic. This makes more sense than continuing to keep the same rigid plans while shifting more of the escalating co-pays and deductibles to our workers.
If an MRI costs our present plan $3,000 but our employees still have to pay a deductible, we should have the ability through better transparent pricing in the industry to steer the employee to another location outside of the plan that performs the same procedure for a fraction of the cost. Michael Menerey also encourages benefits managers to consider reimbursing those who can find cheaper prescription prices outside of our plan if the savings benefit the employer and employee in the long run.
I hope you enjoy this important conversation!
Ways to contact Michael: * Website: www.reconstructinghealthcare.com * Facebook: www.facebook.com/ReconstructingHealthcare * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michaelmenerey
Resources: * 10 Myths about Healthcare and Health Insurance: Available here
Nikki Lewallen fosters connections and promotes networking as CEO of Rainmakers, an Indianapolis firm she joined in 2007 that builds bridges within Indiana’s business community. She also shares her expertise on the Gut + Science podcast that started in April this year.
----- Do you know someone who lives for the weekend and hates the thought of Mondays? If so, learn how Nikki Lewallen inspires people to live life for Mondays. She enjoys connecting people and enhancing corporate culture by helping others appreciate their contributions as valued members of their companies.
In this episode, Nikki encourages managers and leadership to discover what motivates staff and how we can inspire them to find deeper meaning in their work. This motivational speaker and philanthropist shares her passion for putting systems in place that allow us to gain valuable feedback. She encourages the use of an assessment tool managed by a third party to encourage higher participation and honest responses.
When we solicit feedback from employees, we must act upon it rather than file it away. We need to do this regularly, perhaps once each quarter. If we plan to inspire action and enhance our corporate culture, we need to reassure those willing to share their opinions that they will be valued, disclosed in a way that assures confidentiality, and will lead to change. We must do more than go through the motions.
Nikki encourages intentional acts of kindness and discusses the value of seeking mentors.
The messages from this podcast should offer inspiration for those throughout the organization.
I hope you enjoy this episode!
Ways to contact Nikki: * Website: gorainmakers.com/our-staff * Instagram: @nikkilewallen * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nikkilewallen * Twitter: @NikkiLewallen * Email: nikki@gorainmakers.com
James Swanwick is an Australian-American investor, entrepreneur, speaker, former SportsCenter anchor on ESPN, and host of The James Swanwick Show podcast. He is the creator of blue-light blocking glasses Swannies from Swanwick Sleep, which helps people sleep better; and the 30 Day No Alcohol Challenge, which helps people reduce or quit alcohol. Forbes magazine voted him one of the Top 25 Networking Experts. Swanwick has interviewed celebrities including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Kobe Bryant, David Beckham and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
----- How did a pair of “ugly” glasses inspire a successful marketing campaign? James Swanwick, a journalist by training, explains how seeing his friend wearing those glasses gave him the idea to create Swannies Blue Blockers that promote better sleep.
From his time writing for newspapers and magazines and appearing on broadcast media, James Swanwick learned the impact of effective media in getting a message across. He launched his career in his native Australia, gained skills in London, and moved to Los Angeles in 2003. He later co-founded Crocmedia as a media company with connections in Australia and became an anchor and correspondent for ESPN.
In this episode, James Swanwick explains how his early experiences in media gave him the skills to develop solid marketing brands. In recent years, he has developed motivational programs to ensure better sleep, reduce a reliance on alcohol among social drinkers, and encourage others to develop successful habits. He explains how he learned to overcome procrastination through “seemingly impossible deadlines” and why paying for a top-notch mentor can be a sound investment.
James Swanwick reminds us that compromising on your sleep compromises your business and ultimately your relationships, finance, and health. He also explains ways that his 30 Day No Alcohol Challenge benefits health and may offer a competitive edge.
The theme that defines James Swanwick’s discussion is his desire to teach others about “health, wealth, love, and happiness.”
This week’s program has great advice. I hope you enjoy his message.
Thanks for listening today!
Ways to contact James: * Website: jamesswanwick.com * Facebook: www.facebook.com/JamesSwanwickOfficial * Instagram: @jamesswanwick * Twitter: @jamesswanwick * YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/jamesswanwick1
Resources: * Swannies Blue Blockers * 30 Day No Alcohol Challenge * 47 Day Habit Hacker * Crocmedia (Australian-American media company co-founded by James)
Free Book: * “12 Easy Ways to Beat Procrastination”: Enter name and email at the bottom of his website
After spending 15 years working in a traditional marketing agency designing and developing websites, George B. Thomas stumbled into Inbound Marketing & HubSpot in 2012. After helping run the Wild Boy agency in Massillon Ohio for 2 years, George had the joy of accepting a phone call from Marcus Sheridan asking him to join The Sales Lion team. After he picked the phone up off the floor and stuttered his way through an acceptance, he joined the team and @GeorgeBThomas was born.
As an inbound marketer and brand strategist, George’s daily contributions include inbound strategy and design, HubSpot intensive training, speaking at conferences, content marketing, and social media marketing as well as business management and development.
----- What can you learn about inbound marketing from a former youth pastor and bouncer in a pub? George B. Thomas definitely took a different path as he entered the field of inbound marketing and developing high-quality video content. After he learned to be proud of his nerdy tendencies, he expertly applied them to become a “nerd who needs to educate” in the areas of content, inbound, and social marketing.
George Thomas strongly believes in the potential of HubSpot and has done tutorials about HubSpot’s CRM. From his work in the industry, he has witnessed the ways that HubSpot certifications enhance abilities in marketing and sales and the value that video adds for inbound marketing.
In this episode, George Thomas talks about how video bridges sales and marketing with digital customers. Whether we want to reach current customers, prospective customers, or our own employees for professional development, making well-designed videos allows them “to see us, hear us, know us.”
There are various ways that you can enhance your business by incorporating video. For example, George Thomas gives you reasons that you should have a video signature on your email so those you communicate with can know about you, what you do, and learn “something fun” about you. A strong video presence is important because 70 percent of a buyer’s journey may be finished by the time they reach you.
This is certainly a conversation you will want to hear! I hope you enjoy the full episode now.
I appreciate you listening to us discuss the ever-increasing importance of video-based content on the web.
Ways to contact George: * Website: georgebthomas.com * Facebook: www.facebook.com/Mr.GeorgeBThomas * Instagram: @georgebthomas * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/georgebthomas * Twitter: @GeorgeBThomas * YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCT5E1GJlfF4fnGbWlV8AdsA
A professional engineer, Jill Marilley is the Construction Services Manager, Pacific Northwest District for WSP, Inc. (formerly Parsons Brinkerhoff) based in Seattle, WA.
Jill has more than 30 years of public and private industry experience in public works from project ranging from transportation to drinking water quality to parks. She has served the public as a public works director and city engineer and now leads a team in the Pacific Northwest providing high quality construction management service to ensure the public’s money is well spent.
Jill is a strong leader and advocate in the public works industry and is currently the National President-Elect for the American Public Works Association. Her focus is on public works funding, operation and maintenance of our infrastructure, and the continued development of APWAs next leaders.
----- Sometimes we take some things for granted that we just don’t think about. Whether it be brushing our teeth while leaving the water running to the transportation we use every day for work. Jill Marilley was inspired to improve everyone’s quality of life and create a ripple effect on the community.
In this episode, Jill and I explore leadership, STEM education, gender and wider diversity in engineering and other STEM professions. It is a powerful and wide ranging-discussion.
As numbers continue to remain low for women working in the engineering industry within the last 30 years and 25 percent of women leaving the profession, Jill gives great insights about her experience as a woman in the engineering field and how there is a need for diversity in education.
The perspective Jill brings on the area of leadership is refreshing. You don’t have to be up front to be leading. Leadership comes from deep within and is about your ability to expand yourself, your family, your friends, your community, your world.
Jill also made a great point about how we all need to remind ourselves to see what we are willing to provide to others to help reach all of our goals.
Jill Marilley offers amazing stories and wisdom on how you can create a ripple effect within your community and lead by example to create change within your own industry.
You will not be disappointed!
I appreciate your time so very much.
Ways to contact Jill: * Twitter: @jillh2o
Paula Brown Stafford and Lisa T. Grimes are two award-winning, c-suite executives who together have accumulated 60 plus years of work experience at the highest levels, 60 years of marriage, and raised four successful children. Collectively, they have managed more than 25,000 employees globally. Paula recently retired as President, Clinical Development at QuintilesIMS and Lisa has served as President & CEO of PurThread Technologies. Although Paula and Lisa were fierce competitors 20 years ago, they eventually formed a friendship and now, as a team, speak to corporations and women’s groups on a number of topics, including Complementing Not Competing, Packing Your Potential, and The Juggling Act.
Together, Paula and Lisa wrote the book, Remember Who You Are: Achieve Success. Create Balance. Experience Fulfillment.
----- Finding balance in the midst of a successful career is a challenge – and women face unique challenges as they rise up the ranks in business. Paula Brown Stafford and Lisa Grimes know that first hand, so their stories and advice are truly priceless.
In business, you will inevitably face competition – but there is more to advancing and excelling in your career. Mentorship is a huge factor in building on your skills and experience. Learning from someone who went down this path before you can open doors and open your mind to seeing a path more clearly.
Paula Brown Stafford and Lisa Grimes are my guests on Absolute Advantage today, and we had a wonderfully animated conversation. From competing for multi-million dollar contracts 20 years ago, to literally finishing each other’s sentences – the respect Lisa and Paula have for each other really shows through.
What sticks with me is the way they are giving back – offering guidance not just to women in (or on their way to) positions of power, but men too as we all interact together. Respect is the key that provides a way forward for everyone. The book they co-wrote even includes – cleverly I thought – a “Her Perspective” forward and and “His Perspective” forward.
We talked — among many topics — about networking and cultivating your personal brand. These are important elements of building a trifecta of success, balance and fulfillment.
Lisa and Paula also worked with this great juggling metaphor: in life you juggle so much. You have crystal balls, glass balls, rubber balls, plastic balls and lead balls – you’ll just have to listen to find out more! What these two share on this subject is really powerful.
The c-suite and life experience both Lisa and Paula have had brings unique and powerful insights we can all learn from. So if you like the idea of success, balance and fulfillment, our conversation is a great one to get in on.
Thank you for listening today! I appreciate your time so very much.
Ways to contact Paula and Lisa: * Website: habergeon.com
Rob is President and Co-Founder of imageOne, a Document Lifecycle Management company. Rob’s journey began in ninth grade when he and his current business partner, Joel Pearlman, launched their first business selling blow pop candy out of their school lockers. Rob and his partner realized early on that their passion for delivering an extraordinary customer experience would be key to their success. It is this passion that has become the driving force behind imageOnes success. Rob has completed 14 marathons and is an avid meditator and loves spending time in Northern Michigan with his family and friends.
----- My guest today has some surprising ways to tap into his creativity and increase his success.
Today, I’m with Rob Dube and talking to him about his thoughts regarding working smarter and not harder.
What he has to say is not exactly what you might think the owner of a company that Forbes named one of the “Best Small Companies” would say though.
According to Rob — and he has the backing of researching and the fact that leaders all over the world embrace this strategy — that slowing down is the key to unlocking both your creativity and your leadership potential.
Putting away your technology opens up the mind and relieves stress. This is because silence enables the mind to clear away chaotic thoughts and clarity emerges.
Successful business CEOs and all branches of the military practice some form of meditation. If you’re going to become a leader, you have to give your company your full energy and your employees your full presence. If you don’t those that rely on you can feel the disconnect.
How does Rob suggest that you do this in order to be successful? Attend a silent retreat.
Listen to more about Rob’s experiences with silent retreats and how this lead to his newest book “Do Nothing.”
Ways to contact Rob: * Website: www.imageoneway.com * Book: “do nothing: The most rewarding leadership challenge you will ever take.”
Dr. Rick Brinkman is a leadership and communications expert who teaches Conscious Communication® for leadership, teamwork, customer service and effective meetings. Since 1987 he’s performed more than 4,000 programs in 17 countries, sharing his insights on human behavior and strategies for practical communication. He is known for Educating through Entertainment, using humor and storytelling to make the learning memorable.
A popular keynote speaker, his clients range from the Astronaut Corps at NASA and the FBI to Merck, Adobe, the Federal Reserve, and IBM. His newest book is Dealing With Meetings You Can’t Stand: Meet Less and Do More (McGraw Hill, 2017).
----- Are you able to lead effective meetings? Dr. Rick Brinkman is a communications expert who teaches conscious communication for leadership, teamwork, and customer service applications.
As a medical naturopath, Dr. Rick Brinkman discovered that the mental and physical health of his patients were entwined. He brings this knowledge to business communication, creating a holistic approach to information dissemination.
In this episode, we discussed now negativity surrounding meetings can serve as a barrier, preventing the proper retention of information. If your employees resent the meetings they’ve brought into, why should they pay attention?
Yet if you empower people to change the ways in which they meet, you can get better results — sometimes increasing output by up to 25 percent without any additional cost to you. Dr. Brinkman explains that in terms of structure, meetings are divided into four important categories: preparation, processing, people, and time. Mastering all of these leads to effective meetings and effective leadership.
Running bad meetings will eventually lead to a lack of confidence in your leadership, as your employees may doubt your decision-making abilities. Bad meetings waste your time, your employee’s time, and ultimately your company’s time.
Dr. Rick Brinkman offers numerous incredible tips on how to improve your meetings and offers a document — called a “cage rattling document” — for convincing higher level executives.
Are you interested in hearing more? Listen to the full episode now!
Thank you for listening today! I appreciate your time so very much.
Ways to contact Rick: * Website: dealingwithmeetings.com
Kelly Riggs is an author, speaker and business performance coach for executives and companies throughout the U.S. and Canada. Kelly is a former sales executive and two-time national Salesperson of the Year with well over two decades of executive management and training experience. His new book with his son, Robby Riggs, Counter Mentor Leadership: How to Unlock the Potential of the 4-Generation Workplace (Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 2018), offers practical, actionable advice that improves workplace culture and enables organizations to bridge the generational divide.
----- Getting team members from different generations to work well together has always been a challenge businesses have had to face, but it’s never been as pressing of an issue as it is today. Four generations make up today’s workforce — and the divide between Boomers and Millennials is a larger gap than we’ve ever seen.
Millennials are the first generation to bring skills to the table when they enter the workforce that other generations don’t have, and that has completely disrupted the traditional company structure where, in most cases, the people with the most knowledge are the ones who have been in the industry the longest.
That’s just not true anymore, and something has to be done to bring these generations together.
You’ve probably heard of the idea of reverse mentoring before, even if you aren’t familiar with it by that name. Reverse mentoring is the idea of taking an older employee and a younger employee, pairing them up, and having them teach each other what they know.
Kelly Riggs is my guest on this week’s episode of Absolute Advantage, and he believes there’s more to it than that, which is why he and his Millennial son wrote the book Counter Mentor Leadership: How to Unlock the Potential of the 4-Generation Workplace.
The book is built on their idea of counter mentoring, a seven-step process for assimilating all generations into a singular team that can be highly effective. All of the seven steps make up the acronym COUNTER.
The first of those steps is communication, and in our interview, Kelly stresses how critical communication is for employee engagement.
“Every leader should care dramatically about employee engagement or disengagement because it impacts the bottom line. It has everything to do with the amount of money you make, how much productivity you get, how safe your people are, how much turnover you have. All of those things are contingent upon communication. Communication is where you build trust, and trust is what creates leadership.”
Kelly has a great system for improving your communication. To learn all about that system as well as the other six steps that make up the acronym COUNTER, please listen to the full interview with Kelly.
Thank you for listening today! I appreciate your time so very much.
Ways to contact Kelly: * Website: bizlockerroom.com * Website: countermentors.com * Book: “Counter Mentor Leadership: How to Unlock the Potential of the 4-Generation Workplace”
Ken Baker is currently serving as a member of Gensler’s Board of Directors and the Gensler Management Committee. As a Co-Regional Managing Principal of Gensler’s Southeast Region and past Co-Managing Principal of Gensler’s UK, EMEA and Gulf Regions, Ken is considered a global expert on workplace design and planning, particularly for law firms.
He has designed tens of millions of square feet of corporate headquarters and offices for law firms and financial institutions and is one of Gensler’s major Global Account holders, managing relationships with clients such as Sidley Austin LLP, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, JP Morgan Chase, and Barclays Capital worldwide. Ken is also a leader in Gensler’s furniture and product development practice and frequently speaks about the power of design at industry events around the world.
A fellow of the College of Law Practice Management and a member of the Board of Trustees for the National Building Museum, Ken is passionate about producing design solutions that optimize trends that align with clients core objectives. Ken’s focus on maintaining strong client relationships is a core tenant of his leadership philosophy and design strategy and is a natural outgrowth of his people oriented personality.
----- I was recently emailing back and forth with a listener about building a recruitment marketing strategy for their business. How companies can make people want to come work for them is actually one of the things I’ve been talking to people about the most lately, so I wanted to make sure to have an episode of Absolute Advantage with a guest whose business is excelling in this area.
The architectural design firm Gensler is an excellent example of this, and I was so thrilled to have Ken Baker, Co-Regional Managing Principal of Gensler’s Southeast Region, join me to talk about making an impact in everything you do.
One of the areas in which Gensler makes an impact is their excellent process for growing and developing their team, no matter what position someone might have inside their organization. That internal mentorship program is absolutely top notch.
This really stood out to me because of the impact actually making that effort and investing in their team has on their recruitment and retention efforts. When every person inside your company continues to get better and better, that becomes really attractive for people job searching. Top talent loves attracts top talent, and that’s absolutely the case for Gensler.
Not only that, but the growth is really important to the millennial generation. They often get a bad rap, but growth is so important to them. When you give them the opportunity to grow, develop, and gain purpose, they want to stick around. We all know how expensive it is to turn people over, so you have to do what you can to keep your good employees around. The best way to do that is through this growth program that Gensler has implemented so well.
This is just one of the many ways that Ken talks about around this idea of how you can make an impact that is spread all over this episode. I highly recommend that you listen in to the full episode because when you apply Ken’s strategies to your business, you will be applying the secrets that have made Gensler one of the most successful companies in the planet.
Thank you for listening today! I appreciate your time so very much.
Ways to contact Ken: * Email: kenneth_baker@gensler.com
Aaron Hendon is a Seattle Realtor, real estate investor, author, educator, and speaker. He is managing partner of Christine & Company, a Seattle Magazine awarded, Five Star Real Estate Agent, winning team for the past 6 years and an individual Rising Star in Seattle Real Estate winner.
Bringing together a diverse background and history including transformational leadership, entrepreneurial start ups and traditional cold calling sales, Aaron and his team consistently outperform the local market, selling homes for over 5% more than local market averages.
Born in New York, Aaron graduated SUNY Purchase with a BFA in 1997. Discovering his fine art degree made him eligible to work in the foodservice industry anywhere in the country, he headed out to New Mexico immediately after school. He eventually found his stride opening a real New York bagel shop in Albuquerque, selling it 9 years later as a business grossing over $1,000,000 annually.
In 2000 he found his way to the Pacific Northwest and now lives on a small island off the coast of Seattle with his brilliant wife, Kael, his two brilliant children, Leela and Jonah and his adoring, if not exactly brilliant, Golden Doodle, Rozy. He has just published his latest book, Shortchanged by Shortcuts? 44 Surprising Ways People Rip Themselves Off When Buying or Selling Their Home.
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“A leader’s job isn’t to make followers. A leader’s job is to make other leaders.” – Aaron Hendon
When I asked my guest Aaron Hendon to share a lesson of leadership as I do with all of my Absolute Advantage guests, I thought the idea he shared about developing the people in your organization was incredibly profound.
It’s a great example of the incredible conversation we had about what a great culture looks like and what it takes to build one, which is something Aaron knows all about. His company Christine & Company is Seattle Magazine award winning company, and it is that way because of their culture.
Christine & Company has turned qualified people down that didn’t gel with the rest of the team because that’s just how important culture is for a successful team, and they know it. Not only that, but they’ve let people go that have gossiped about the team because of their belief that you can’t belittle any member of the team.
It takes a lot of work to build an award-winning culture like Christine & Company, but it’s so worth it because of the way your team gels with each other and makes your company so much more successful than it could be with a lesser culture.
To learn how to do it in your business, please listen to this episode with Aaron Hendon.
That was one of the nuggets from my conversation with Aaron Hendon that stood out the most to me. Please let me know which stood out the most to you.
Thank you for listening today! I appreciate your time so very much.
Ways to contact Aaron: * Book: “Shortchanged by Shortcuts?: 44 Surprising Ways People Rip Themselves Off When Buying or Selling Their Home” * Free Bonus: www.rationalrealestate.pro
After doing tech startups in Canada and the US for about 10 years, Mark Sears lived in Nepal for 6 years building CloudFactory. He is driven daily by his passion for technology, business and people. Mark lived in Durham, NC the last 3 years to help grow sales and marketing and now is building out CloudFactory’s global HQ in Reading, UK. Mark’s better half is his beautiful wife Laurel and together they have a lot of fun seeing the world through the eyes of their children Noah and Maya.
He started his career as a software developer with Sun Microsystems before finding his groove in the world of startups. Moving into technology evangelism and product management roles he helped a 5 person startup grow to 130 employees across 4 international offices after raising $48 million in venture capital. Mark then raised angel investment, launched and managed his own startup company for 6 years before coming to Nepal and starting the CloudFactory adventure.
It isn’t enough to have full-time employees that live in the same location you do anymore. You need to have access to the best talent in the world, and it’s highly likely that those people don’t live within 30 miles of your office.
Luckily, there are a lot of options to fill out your business. When you have an important project come along that requires a specific skill to complete, you don’t need to hire a full-time employee to do that work. You can work with a consultant, contractor, freelancer, agency, or a variety of other options to help get that work done, and they don’t have to live in the same city you do.
This idea of how to supplement your business using outside talent is one of the topics I talked to my guest Mark Sears about.
Mark loves this strategy because it allows your in-house team to focus on the core parts of your business while allowing you to leverage on-demand talent at a high level with really expensive experts but only using them when you need them.
Mark says leveraging talent in this way is going to become critical in the years to come.
“It’s a huge competitive advantage when you can learn to tap into the talent of the world…when you can build a culture that allows people to really interact and collaborate with your organization no matter where they sit in the world. Those are competitive advantages that are pretty much going to be table steaks in the coming years.”
So, next time you’re thinking about hiring someone new because you need some extra capacity, think “how would I do this if I’d never done it any other way before.” If you typically resort to hiring full-time people in your area, that’s not going to suit you well in the long run.
That was one of the nuggets from my conversation with Mark Sears that stood out the most to me. Please let me know which stood out the most to you.
Thank you for listening today! I appreciate your time so very much.
Ways to contact Mark: * Website: www.cloudfactory.com * Twitter: @marktsears * Email: mark@cloudfactory.com
Pam Wasley is Co-founder & CEO of Cerius Executives and Cerius Advisors. She is a serial entrepreneur with multiple decades of knowledge and experience. She has personally sold companies, led a management buyout, and advised hundreds of companies on strategies for growth and higher shareholder value. Pam has served on several private boards and is a highly sought after speaker. She’s been featured in prestigious publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fortune, and Bloomberg Businessweek on the topics of mergers and acquisitions, the workforce of the future, and global contingent workforces.
If your business is currently hiring, this statement shouldn’t come as a shock to you, but talent is a big problem today. There aren’t enough qualified applicants currently on the market to fill all the positions that companies are looking to hire.
What can you do about it? My guest Pam Wasley says you need to really have a strategy for your talent … which means both new hires and current employees … and how to grow that talent long-term.
For most companies, talent is an afterthought when it comes to their strategy. They say, “Okay, what talent do we need to execute our strategy,” but as Pam explains in the episode, that’s backwards thinking.
Companies need to integrate their talent into their strategy conversation and start thinking about how to build their talent into a long-term asset to be more profitable.
This is a problem for many of the clients we work with, and we struggled with it ourselves starting out, but it can be solved without having to make expensive hires.
Companies are lacking a plan for growing their existing talent. Try identifying where your strengths and weaknesses are and then develop the talent you already have to fill those gaps.
Listen and learn how!
That was one of the nuggets from my conversation with Pam Wasley that stood out the most to me. Please let me know which stood out the most to you.
Thank you for listening today! I appreciate your time so very much.
Ways to contact Pam: * Free gifts: getcerius.com/absoluteadvantage
Known worldwide as The Millionaire Marketing Mentor®, Adam Urbanski is the go-to guy for coaches, consultants, and other successful service professionals who want to attract more clients, convert more high-value sales, build an authority brand, and grow a lifestyle business that makes a bigger impact while generating more income.
His clients and students often double, triple, and even 10x their business – some in as little as 90 days!
Adam started out with only $194 and a limited ability to speak English but was able to build and sell his first 7-figure business in less than 10 years.
Today Adam influences over 100,000 coaches, consultants, speakers, experts, online marketers and entrepreneurs worldwide, teaching them how to transform their limiting, time-intensive businesses into automated money making machines that Attract Clients Like Crazy®.
We all face fear. It doesn’t matter who you are. It doesn’t even matter how successful you’ve been in your career. The Imposter Syndrome or the Fraud Factor or whatever you want to call that little voice that tells us we aren’t good enough or smart enough … it comes knocking for us all and keeps us from taking that next step forward.
Why does this happen? My guest Adam Urbanski says it’s all about self-confidence. There are so many people out there with the skills to reach the next level, but they just don’t have the confidence to put themselves in new situations.
But Adam has a great strategy for fixing that. Whenever he isn’t feeling confident, he uses a psychological trick he calls outing himself.
“The minute you out your fear, you disempower it. It’s gone.”
I think that’s just brilliant for a number of reasons.
#1: The Imposter Syndrome likes to tell you that things are scarier than they actually are. It wants to keep your fears inside you. When you vocalize your fears … when you hear yourself say them out loud … you start to hear how silly they are.
#2: When you open yourself up like that, you build a lot of trust with the person you’ve just shared your fears with. They see you as the authentic person you are, and that goes a long way for building a relationship that will help you take down the fears you’re facing.
Learn more about this trick in our episode.
That was one of the nuggets from my conversation with Adam Urbanski that stood out the most to me. Please let me know which stood out the most to you.
Thank you for listening today! I appreciate your time so very much.
Ways to contact Adam: * Facebook group: fastestpathtocash.club * Website: themarketingmentors.com * Twitter: @AdamUrbanski * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/adamurbanski * Facebook: www.facebook.com/adamurbanski * Instagram: www.instagram.com/adamurbanski
Jeremy Slate is the founder of the Create Your Own Life Podcast, which helps entrepreneurs live the lives they know they were meant to. He studied literature at Oxford University, specializes in using online social networking to build an offline relationship, and was ranked #1 in iTunes New and Noteworthy and #26 in the business category. After his success in podcasting, Jeremy Slate and his wife, Brielle Slate, founded Command Your Brand to help entrepreneurs get their message out by appearing as guests on podcasts.
I’m so grateful that you’ve joined me here today. I’m Kelly Hatfield, and as always, my goal is that you’ll walk away from this episode with one strategy, idea, or insight that inspires you to take action in your professional and personal life.
I know you’re going to get that from Jeremy Ryan Slate. Jeremy and I talked about how being a guest on podcasts can really pay off.
Let’s face it: being a regular guest on podcasts is a major time commitment, and as business leaders, we don’t have the time to waste on things that aren’t going to add value to the bottom line.
But podcasts give you access to people’s lives in ways that you’d never have before. Because people listen to podcasts when they’re driving, working out at the gym, etc, they don’t have to be sitting down at their computer in order to find you.
Not only that, but when you make a guest appearance on a podcast, you get access to the host’s built-in audience.
So then, as business owners, we have to ask…if being on someone’s podcast gives us access to more people, how do we monetize being a guest so that it grows our businesses?
Jeremy has a great strategy for that. His business is built around helping entrepreneurs monetize their podcast appearances by creating value and building relationships.
In the episode, you’ll learn how to offer listeners of podcasts value both in your interview and long after it’s complete through strategies like building a value-adding email sequence.
He’s even offering you a checklist for how to be a great guest — absolutely free! Click here to download it.
Being a guest on podcasts is one of many ways to market your business, and Jeremy’s strategy is a great reminder that it’s foolish to go into any of them without a solid plan.
How you are going to add value has to be top of mind in any marketing strategy, and once you’ve added value, you will be able to convert those people into customers.
Thank you for listening today! I appreciate your time so very much.
Ways to contact Jeremy: * Website: www.jeremyryanslate.com
Resources: * How to be a great guest checklist: commandyourbrand.media/checklist
Books Mentioned: * “So Good They Can’t Ignore You” by Cal Newport * “The 10X Rule” by Grant Cardone * “The Everything Store” by Jeff Bezos
Travis Chappell is a direct sales expert who has built teams for several sales organizations over a few different industries and is also active in the real estate market. More recently, he decided to pursue his passion of helping others and founded Build Your Network, a podcast dedicated to helping professionals grow their inner circle.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Travis’ entrepreneurial itch that has been with him since high school * The value of creating relationships and why that opens doors to business opportunities * How actually reading and focusing on personal development changed the game for Travis * Why you need to hang out where the people you want to recruit hang out (and an example of how to use this theory for building a great sales team) * Why you should pay more attention to the kind of person someone is vs what’s on their resume * Strategies for effectively networking online * How to get people to engage with your content inside Facebook groups * What should go in your Facebook profile * Why Facebook is Travis’ favorite social media site, followed by Instagram (and why he generally doesn’t bother with LinkedIn) * The networking opportunities that come from providing people with incredible value * Why you shouldn’t be afraid of people telling you “no”
Ways to contact Dave: * Free eBook: Groupology: How to network in Facebook groups without being “that one person” * Email: travis@buildyournetwork.co
Dave Sanderson is an inspirational survivor, speaker, and author. His thoughts on leadership have made him an internationally sought out speaker. When US Airways Flight 1549 (or “The Miracle on the Hudson”) ditched into the Hudson on January 15, 2009, Dave knew he was exactly where he was supposed to be.
The last passenger off the back of the plane on that fateful day, he was largely responsible for the well-being and safety of others, risking his own life in the frigid water to help other passengers off the plane. Despite the hazards to himself, Sanderson thought only of helping others and emerged from the wreckage with a mission to encourage to do the right thing.
Today he travels the globe sharing his inspirational and motivational leadership messages to help people make a difference in how they do business and live their lives.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why you’re never too good to do anything when your name’s on the building * How Dave ended up as the Director of Security for Tony Robbins while working in sales and trying to improve through Tony’s seminars * Leading yourself: why it’s just as if not more important than leading your business * Dave’s incredible story of surviving “The Miracle on the Hudson” * What caused Dave’s mind to flip from trying to get off the plane as quick as possible to doing whatever he could to help everyone else on the plane first * Knowing your strengths and weaknesses and taking a step back when someone else is better equipped to take charge of a situation * The power of having a positive mindset and asking yourself the right questions * Why you have to see things exactly as they are — no better or no less * Focusing on the outcomes, not the actions * Sticking to your values no matter what in life in business * Dave’s overcoming adversity in challenging times video * Dave Sanderson Declassified: Dave’s new partnership with Amazon Echo
Ways to contact Dave: * Website: davesandersonspeaks.com * Facebook: www.facebook.com/davesandersonspeaks * Twitter: @DaveSanderson2 * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davesandersonspeaks
Resources: * Text Brace4Impact to 797979 to receive the first video of Dave’s video series * Dave’s Ted Talk * Book: “Moments Matter”
Aaron Agius is one of the world’s leading digital marketers according to Forbes. He is the CEO of Louder Online, one of the world’s leading digital agencies with a global reach.
Louder Online is an inbound marketing agency that works globally with clients such as Salesforce, IBM, Coca-Cola, Intel, and scores of leading brands, showing them how to technically optimize their sites, perform influencer outreach and link acquisition and produce and distribute content that drives significant lead generation and ROI.
Aaron is a highly sought speaker at Search, Content Marketing and Growth Hacking and many other conferences around the globe including the U.S, U.K, Brazil, London and Australia. His passion to help businesses is driven from his own experience. Aaron was at the cutting edge of the emerging digital marketing field over 10 years ago. He uses that lived experience and now translates it into revenue for clients.
He is also a regular contributor to some of the worlds largest editorial publications, including Entrepreneur.com, Hubspot.com and many more, with thought leadership on marketing and business growth.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The story of how Louder Online made its first 40 cents with affiliate marketing (and how it scaled from there) * Why they added a consultancy side to their business very early on * Inbound Marketing: what it is and why it’s so important for businesses * Creating content that answers questions and solves problems * Strategies for content distribution so that people actually see it * Why you need to have a detailed content strategy before you ever put the metaphorical pen to paper * How to improve your SEO by running a good business (and why you need to be realistic about the results you’re going to get) * Writing the content that attracts the kind of people you want to come work for you * The importance of balancing long-term marketing with short-term results as a startup * Why video is big now and only going to get more massive going forward
Ways to contact Aaron: * Website: louder.online/absolute * Twitter: @iamaaronagius
Resources: * The Complete Guide To Building Your Blog Audience
Ordinary to Extraordinary is something Erik Seversen lives by, and he’s been pretty successful at it. Erik studied Anthropology (often voted the least-likely-to-succeed major), and used anthropology in business, helping a company grow from $7M to over $100,000,000 in ten years as VP of International Business Development. He also taught English as a Second Language for 10 years in Japan, France, Thailand, and universities within the USA. Erik uses entrepreneurial success formulas and motivational materials in business, but he’s also pioneering their use in the field of education.
Erik is a writer, speaker, adventurer, entrepreneur, and educator who refused to let others tell him what he could and could not do. He continually worked toward his goals even when others said they were unreasonable. Erik’s travels and intersections with people from around the world weren’t just a fun romp around the planet — they were a deep study of people, love, struggle, and ways of thinking that can be used to tackle problems in school, business, and life. His most current ambitions are sharing the lessons he’s learned through his business and climbing mountains which he says makes everyday challenges seem a lot easier.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Ordinary to Extraordinary: how Erik lives this out in his life * Why the way we approach an interaction with people determines how it is going to play out — positively or negatively * The tendency for entrepreneurs to spend too much time preparing and why they’re ready way sooner than they think * Asking for help and not being afraid of what other people think * Why things will change in your favor when you step back and take a deep breath * Erik’s upcoming book that shares lessons from his life and structures them around the pillars from Emily Esfahani Smith’s book “The Power of Meaning” * Ways to imbue your life with more purpose and meaning * Recalibrating yourself by occasionally breaking your routines * Leading by absolute example (or leading by action, not command) * Staying focused and doing what needs to be done to work on your goal * Perfectly balancing family, work, and self (and why you cannot neglect the self part of that triangle) * Staying focused on what truly matters
Ways to contact Erik: * Website: erikseversen.com/absolute
John Mitchell’s 12 Minute a Day Think It Be It technique is recognized today as the top practical application in the world of the legendary book “Think and Grow Rich.” Applying this book to his own life caused his annual income to go up from the low six figures to over $5 million a year. This technique also allowed him to meet the love of his life in his fifties.
John’s technique doubles your control of yourself, triples your personal growth and focus every day on what moves the needle in your career. The science behind the technique was profiled in a TIME Magazine cover story.
Today, John teaches his 12 Minute a Day technique at the University of Texas in Austin as a faculty member of the McCombs School of Business, one of the top-rated business schools in the country.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * John’s story of achieving his two major life goals: achieving the financial freedom that would allow him to not have to work and finding the woman of his dream (and how he achieved both of these after the age of 50) * The fundamental changes that happened to John after applying Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” into his life and business using the 12 minutes a day methodology he developed and tweaked over time using the lessons from Hill’s book * Freedom: being able to get up every day and do what you want * Why hard work isn’t enough to achieve success * The built in human operating system that causes us to react with fear to everything (and how to get rid of this OS) * Building good habits through repetition * Defining exactly who you want to be, what you want to achieve, and how you are going to achieve it * Why you can’t do what everyone else does and expect to have an exceptional life * Why most people consider success a preference, not a necessity * How John’s method differs from meditation * The importance of being self-aware
Ways to contact John: * Website: thinkitbeit.net * Email: john@thinkitbeit.net (email John for the special offer mentioned at the end of the episode)
Steve Utech is the CEO and Founder of Illumyx. Steve is compelled to find meaning in all that he does, cherishing all the highs and lows that life brings. He works to embrace the duality of life, exploring the depth and nuance of the human experience. His background in both the hard sciences and the art of family dynamics inspired him to combine data and compassion as he entered the field of leadership, team and culture development in 2008. An entrepreneur at heart who can’t help but create, he has been spending the past 5 years developing illumyx, finally giving companies a way to objectively measure and improve their workplace culture.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Illumyx: a unique culture analytics tool that allows users to instantly see the strengths of their organization and highlights the challenges that should be addressed * Taking negative feedback and using it become better * Culture: how you get things done within the walls of your organization * Why companies struggle with creating a vision that people can get excited about and communicating it to the team * Consistently keeping all members of the team accountable * The key traits of a really strong culture * How to start/stop/continue feedback show people what they need to focus on to meet the expectations of everyone in the company * What it means if you’re struggling to get feedback from your team and what you need to change * How Illumyx helps increase employee engagement * Avoiding culture clash when entering into a merger * How promising things you can’t commit to can be deadly in a merger or acquisition * Avoiding making the wrong hire by truly showing your culture — warts and all * Bridging the gap between millennials and boomers and the role clear communication plays in that * Paying attention to your fear and not falling into the trap of making bad decisions because of it
Ways to contact Stephen: * Website: illumyx.com * Website: utechod.com
Having a keen eye isn’t just for what one sees, but also for what one senses. Having been one of the most sought after portrait photographers in the U.S. for more than three decades, Jeffrey Shaw, a.k.a. the Lingo Guy, uses this honed intuition to teach entrepreneurs how to attract their ideal customers by speaking their Secret Language. Jeffrey is the host of the popular business podcast Creative Warriors, a nationally acclaimed keynote speaker, a business coach for entrepreneurs, and the author of the forthcoming book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer’s Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why every market has a secret language * The danger of building the business you want and then trying to stuff people into it * Studying your market and learning their perspective * Why customers are going to require that we know more about them than their statistics and behavior * Looking through your customer’s eyes and seeing what’s already familiar to them * Why your ideal customers want your brand to speak on their behalf * How pricing creates perception and why the right price will magnetize your ideal customers * The power of using the right — and wrong — words * Your ideal customers: the people who will love what you do * How to win customers when you can’t compete on price * The New Niche: defining what your area of expertise is (and why this is open to multiple audiences)
Ways to contact Jeffrey: * Website: www.jeffreyshaw.com * LINGO Media Kit: www.jeffreyshaw.com/absolute * Book: “LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer’s Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible”
Adam Anderson is a long-time small business owner who also happens to be one of the leading authorities on small business cyber security. He is a serial entrepreneur, author, and founder and Chairman of Palmetto Security Group (PSG), an IBM Premier Cyber Security Business Partner. He recently launched Anderson Security Group. With 20 years in cyber security, and 13 as a small business owner, Adam is positioned to understand both sides of the cyber security equation in a way most aren’t. Adam got tired of answering all his business owner friends’ questions about cyber security, so he co-authored a book and created some tools for them. The book is called Small Business Cyber Security: Your Customers Can Trust You…Right? Adam is on a mission to help fellow business owners find the answer to the question, “Should I even care about cyber security?”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * What small business owners need to know about cyber security (and why common beliefs are usually wrong) * Some of the most common mistakes business owners make with cyber security * The kind of back ups you should be doing with your information * Why you need a cyber security insurance policy (and what kind of policy you should get) * Why you should use a cloud-based email system * How to formulate secure passwords (and why you should use two-factor authentication whenever possible) * Why you should log into your computer as a user and not an administrator * How to detect if you’re under a cyber attack and having a plan for when this happens * Is cyber security actually important for your company? * Ways to keep cyber security top-of-mind with your team * Resources to use to stay on top of what’s important for cyber security * Signs to look for that show you may have been attacked
Ways to contact Adam: * Website: www.elementsecuritygroup.com/absolute * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/adam-anderson-28a97811 * Twitter: @AdamAndersonCEO * Book: “Small Business Cyber Security: Your Customers Can Trust You…Right?”
Steve Sims is the visionary founder of Bluefish: the world’s first luxury concierge company that delivers the highest level of personalized travel, transportation, and cutting-edge entertainment services to corporate executives, celebrities, professional athletes, and other discerning individuals interested in living life to its fullest. He has been invited to speak to MBA students at Harvard (twice), has spoken at the Pentagon, and has been featured in major media all around the world: From The Sunday Times and China Post to The Wall Street Journal.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Steve’s book “Bluefishing” and how it gives you the tools to make things happen * The lesson Steve’s dad taught him about why you always get up stronger * Fire Your Vampires: why you need to get the rid of the naysayers in your life * Email is not communication: why it’s so easy to misinterpret email and why you should send videos instead * Ugly works: why you should strive for rawness and transparency instead of perfection * Why you should try to engage people with as many senses as you can * Why your team will be thankful when you let bad employees go but won’t tell you they want them gone beforehand * Delegation: why this is a skill that will keep you from going broke * Doing what you can to get yourself continually one step closer to your dream
Ways to contact Steve: * Website: www.stevedsims.com * Website: www.thebluefish.com * Book: “Bluefishing: The Art of Making Things Happen”
Carl Gould is an authority on business growth who advises organizations to grow to the next level. He is an entrepreneur who built three multi-million dollar businesses by age 40. His consulting firm, 7 Stage Advisors, has mentored the launch of over five thousand businesses. He has advised over 100 of the Inc. 500/5000 Fastest-Growing Companies, and currently works with the 9th fastest-growing company in NJ.
Carl created the farthest-reaching business mentoring organization in the world, and his methodologies are in practice in 35 countries. He has trained, certified or accredited over 7,000 Business Coaches and Mentors since 2002.
Carl has written multiple books on the subject of business strategy, leadership and sustainable growth. He co-authored “Blueprint for Success” with Stephen R. Covey and Ken Blanchard; and his best-selling book, “The 7 Stage of Small Business Success”, lays out the formula for HyperGrowth. In 2016, Biz Dev Done Right became a #1 Best Seller on Amazon. Each week he co-hosts “Quit and Get Rich” on iHeart® radio; and shares share his insights from working with top companies from around the world.
Carl’s dynamic and energetic presentation style has made him one of the most sought after speakers internationally. He combines practical and impactful content with real-world experience…no theory here! He engages his audiences and keeps them on the edge of their seat. Gould’s content is original, profound and battle-tested…his stuff works!
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Carl’s transition from his construction business to his coaching business * How to transfer your skills when you want to make a change from one role (or even career) to another * The lifeline exercise for analyzing when life was good and when it was bad * Why you find out what you’re made of when you’re faced with tough circumstances * Why there are no boundaries for master coaches * How to grow your business through lead generation and marketing * Turning your clients complaints about your competitors into your business plan * Outcome-based thinking and planning vs. activity-based thinking and planning * How to enhance and magnify every experience in your life
Ways to contact Carl: * Website: carlgould.com * Books: carlgould.com/books * Free copy of “The 7 Stage of Small Business Success” book: Text hypergrowth to 26786
Mike Bundrant is the founder of iNLP Center. He is an NLP Master Practitioner, IANLP Fellow Trainer and retired psychotherapist (NM). He became a certified NLP practitioner in 1993 by taking a 27-day NLP certification course from Western States Training in Salt Lake City, UT.
Because of NLP, Mike’s been fortunate enough in life to do exactly what he wants. He couldn’t ask for anything more. Mike and Jake Eagle are co-authors of the book published in Japan in 2007 called Holistic NLP.
What takes up most of Mike’s time today is his family. He lives in Murrieta, CA with his wife, Hope, and their children.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The magic of the “a-ha!” moment and why Mike lives to give other people those moments * Becoming aware of the choices we make to self-sabotage ourselves * Why — if you work hard every day but wind up feeling like garbage — you need to embrace that * After you’ve decided to embrace what’s making you feel bad, noting everything that makes you feel that way * The Imposter Syndrome: how this ties directly into self-sabotage * Why your psychology — and how you act day in and day out — is the biggest part of being a great leader * The questions you should ask yourself before having a difficult conversation with one of your team members * The importance of a mindfulness practice to keep yourself centered
Ways to contact Mike: * Website: inlpcenter.org
Nathan Hirsch is a 28-year-old serial entrepreneur who is an expert in hiring online and building eCommerce businesses. He co-founded his first eCommerce company out of his dorm room in 2009 drop shipping products on Amazon.com and built it to sell over $25 million worth of product over 5 years. While scaling, Nathan discovered the power of outsourcing and ended up building a remote army of freelancers.
In 2015, Nathan co-founded and became the CEO of FreeeUp, an online hiring marketplace that allows business owners fast access to a hand-picked network of top talent freelancers in eCommerce, digital marketing, web development, and much more who have already been vetted for skill, attitude, and communication. FreeeUp interviews hundreds of freelancers each week and only allows the top 1% of applicants into the network. The company has been growing at rapid paces (500%+ YoY) and has quickly become a top destination to hire online for over 3,000 businesses around the world.
Nathan has built his personal brand to be synonymous with online hiring and entrepreneurship through 75+ guest appearances on top podcasts: Entrepreneur on Fire with John Lee Dumas, Eventual Millionaire, and handfuls more. Nathan has also become a regular speaker at industry conferences where he teaches other business owners how to hire freelancers and gain back more time in their growing businesses.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The story of how Nathan ran a multi-million dollar business out of his college dorm room * Accepting the risk and making smart decisions when hiring * How to learn from hiring mistakes so you do better next time * Being clear with your team on what is expected * Why there’s nothing in your business that you can’t hire for * Figuring out what you should delegate off your plate (and when to do it) * Focusing on attitude and communication when hiring an employee or contractor * Why Nathan uses the same process for hiring FreeeUp freelancers as he does hiring people to his team * The Client Expectations Document: how to use this to onboard new employees * The importance of consistency as a leader * Using meetings to keep people on the same page * Why you need to diversify your business
Ways to contact Nathan: * Website: FreeeUp.com
Resources: * Client Expectations Document * Skill Sets Rates for FreeeUp * Video testimonial on FreeeUp from Ben Cummings * How FreeeUp Works Infographic * Free Up Your Business: 50 Secrets to Bootstrap Million Dollar Companies
Steve Weiss is a lifelong entrepreneur having started his first successful venture at age 16 in his high school’s computer lab. Steve is supremely passionate about building and recruiting agile marketing teams that execute.
Over the last three years, Steve invested most of his time building MuteSix as a performance marketing powerhouse. It’s since grown at a rate of 300%+ per year and is the most awarded Facebook social advertising agency with more Facebook & Instagram marketing case studies than any other agency. In 2017, MuteSix was named one of Inc. magazine’s Best Workplaces and ranked #341 on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies.
Steve is a highly regarded speaker on Entrepreneurship, eCommerce, and Facebook advertising. Hes recently been a featured speaker at Mumbrella, Affiliate World Europe, the Digital Growth Summit, the Seller Summit and can be heard weekly on the Spend $10K a Day digital media podcast.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Steve relates his experience with stand up comedy to working with Facebook ads * The growth of MuteSix’s team and why they are so good at focusing on their specific niche of performance marketing * The key to success: always having an open mind * Why you need to focus on the best case scenario, not the worst * Keeping your company culture when you scale your team * Why multiple people should interview a candidate * The importance of not being afraid to fail * Why Steve has elected not to have a virtual team * Putting a high price tag on diversity * Putting yourself and your team in a position for success * Encouraging your team to never be afraid to ask for help * Steve’s podcast Spend 10k a Day * Not worrying about what you can’t control
Ways to contact Steve: * Email: steve@mutesix.com * Website: mutesix.com * Podcast: mutesix.com/spend-10k-day-podcast
Having led in both restaurants and a startup, Drew is no stranger to the travails of leadership, mentorship, and management in chaotic, cash-constrained environments. He currently serves as Human Capital Advisor to Fulcrum Investing and as an Engagement Manager for Artemis Connection. He recently published his first book, “What I Learned Before 30.”
Drew climbed the ladder of the restaurant industry as many do: with a great deal of empathy, a little bit of luck, and a massive amount of overconfidence. After graduating from Harvard in 2009, he worked his way up from being a busboy in Boston to being a beverage director for Momofuku in New York City, where he managed the buying, pricing, and selling of wine, beer, and spirits for the restaurant. He decided that he wanted to have more ownership of the guest experiences he was creating, so he took to Chicago to see how Booth could help him open his own restaurant.
While attending Booth, Drew met his business partner, Hunter Swartz, and the two quickly realized that their shared background in endurance sports mixed with complementary work experiences could build something remarkable. Drew joined the Eastman Egg team in January 2014 and served as COO for three years. In his time there, the company grew to four operating units and grew its revenues and team each by a factor of 10.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why Drew decided to leave a business that he built up * The importance of actually taking action * The coaching groups and one-on-one sessions Drew built after leaving his business * Being open-minded to change in your business and being ready to not necessarily stick with your original idea * Why culture is more about how you interact with your team and your customers and less about how well written your mission statement is * Incentivizing people to act in accordance with your company culture * How to attract the right candidates * Why you should ask your team “why do you work?” * The benefits of empathetic leadership * The difference between working towards something and finishing something and why it matters
Ways to contact Drew: * Website: www.86gravity.com * Email: drew@86gravity.com * Book: “What I Learned Before 30”
Resources: * Book: “Designing Your Life” by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
Over the past 20 years, Carl Cox has been supporting companies grow 3x to 5x on the finance and operations side. He has always been passionate about Strategic Planning – but not just to build a plan – but to actually deliver the plan so that the potential of the organization can be reached. Yet, it is always more fulfilling to see the people responsible for delivering the plan growing and reaching their personal goals as well.
In his new role as the CEO for Cascade North America, Cascade Strategy is a perfect fit. Carl has the wonderful opportunity to launch Cascade in North America but to also help organizations from high-tech start-ups to Fortune 500 companies to not-for-profits to governments simplify their strategic execution process. He truly believes this is the biggest impact that he can have in the world – and he is going All In!
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Cascade North America: Carl’s software for managing strategic planning * The lessons Carl learned from his mentor Jerry Ramey, the Founder & CEO of Lightspeed Technologies * Why you have to walk the walk as a leader and stay consistent to your core values * Core value meetings: how Carl turned a bad decision into something that built a lot of trust with the team * Asking questions in the right way so that your team feels safe in responding * Listing out the top three things you need to get done each day and getting them done first whenever possible * Empowering your team to take ownership in your company * Hiring the right person for the right role * Why you need to take risks * What to consider before going out on your own and starting your business * The most important daily habit: getting up early
Ways to contact Carl: * Website: www.executestrategy.net
Clara Capano is an international Trainer, Performance Coach, Speaker, and Author. She has helped thousands become more purposeful and intentional in their business and life. She has a passion for helping others become their truest and greatest self.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Clara’s book “Find Your Focus” * Starting your day with the best version of yourself * Why clarity of vision and culture are huge for success * Becoming the best leader you can be and build a great culture * Who Clara learns from herself to become the best leader she can be * Realizing that when you choose to do one thing you’re choosing not to do something else * Why having a schedule brings you freedom * Letting go of the wrong things to make time for the right things * The benefits of not watching the news * Learning from setbacks and looking for the lessons in everything * Asking questions of your team to really improve your company * Why you need to take your time with the hiring process * The importance of a strong morning routine
Ways to contact Clara: * Website: www.clara-ty.com * Book: “Find Your Focus: 52 Weeks of Clara-Ty” * Twitter: @claraty_capano
Resources: * Book: “Traction” by Gino Wickman * Book: “The Ideal Team Player” by Patrick M. Lencioni
Sarah Jones is the founder of Introverted Alpha, the premier dating coaching company for introverted men. She and her team help men find their own uniquely attractive vibe and connect with women in a relaxed, confident way.
Sarah has loved introverted men all her life, and she naturally brings out their best. After three solid years, Introverted Alpha has established itself as the strong alternative to pickup artist advice, an oasis for men who want genuine connections with women.
Sarah has been featured in Business Insider, Forbes, Entrepreneur, General Assembly, Ramit Sethi’s GrowthLab, AskMen, Order of Man, Knowledge for Men, Self Made Man, and much more.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Sarah’s journey into coaching that began by tutoring in high school * Why Sarah got rid of her passive income program that was doing well financially but wasn’t serving her customers * The importance of waiting to understand something before you delegate it * The challenges Sarah has faced when growing her team * Taking negative feedback from your audience and using it to be better * How Sarah learned to actually take the time and rest and the massive impact it’s had on her life * Understanding your personality (and why Sarah studies the Enneagram) * Sarah’s dating skills assessment for introverted men
Ways to contact Sarah: * Dating Skills Assessment: introvertedalpha.com/dating-skills-assessment-introverted-men
Resources: * Book: “The Wisdom of the Enneagram” by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson
Jon Dwoskin is an executive advisor, business coach, and motivational speaker who’s been called the business whisperer for his skilled and compassionate insights into what can keep a corporate culture from thriving. At age 23, he created one of the first internet marketing companies in America, then went on to great success at several national commercial real estate firms.
Jon has built, trained, expanded and restructured both sales teams and corporate structures, but after 20 years in a C-suite, knew it was time to make a business out of being himself. The Jon Dwoskin Experience teaches the secrets, hard work and discipline required to Think Big. Very Big! A prolific business blogger, Jon is the author of The Think Big Movement, a business fable about getting unstuck and transforming a business.
A 15-year cancer survivor, he lives with his wife and two children in Michigan, where he is active in community organizations. Jon has been included in the prestigious Crains Detroit Business 40 Under 40 list and named Alumnus of the Year by Eastern Michigan University, where he double majored in economics and journalism.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Jon’s career path and why he decided to leave the C-suite to become an entrepreneur * Advice Jon has for people contemplating a similar switch * Why you need to write your vision in a journal every single day * Keeping your ego in check as a leader * Focusing on leadership skills, influence, and communication * Why the biggest challenge for companies is that they have the wrong people in the wrong jobs and what they need to do about it * Never settling on the wrong hire * How to know when you’re stuck as a leader and what you can do about it * Thinking big: doing small things on a daily basis that compound to something bigger * Managing and leading from your heart, not your head
Ways to contact Jon: * Book: “The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big!” * Website: jondwoskin.com * Email: jon@jondwoskin.com * Phone: (248)535-7796
Jeff Koser is the spirited founder and CEO of Selling to Zebras (STZ). STZ is the software company that helps organizations profitably increase revenue. The Selling to Zebras™ software platform helps start each sales engagement in a better place.
STZ launched the newest version of the Selling to Zebras™ software platform last September. The Selling to Zebras™ software provides insights that help identify Zebras, Power (the person who can buy even without a budget) and the Power-level critical business issues which, when solved, create measurable value. Eliminate the waste associated with chasing deals that will not close 85% of the time. Pursue Zebras and close 90% of the business you pursue faster, more easily and more profitably. As an important by-product, the Selling to Zebras™ software ends the busy work associated with entering CRM and forecast data. The Selling to Zebras™ software is a real-time up-to-date CRM or can be integrated with your present CRM, eliminating the need to do separate updates in preparation for a forecast or sales business review.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Jeff’s extensive background that features time growing the Baan business in the US * The seven attributes that make up every deal * Zebras: the perfect fit for your business (or the animal you want to hunt) * Why sellers hate CRMs and why Selling to Zebras (STZ) is a better solution * Knowing when it’s time to pivot away when something isn’t working * Just putting a product out there so you can get feedback and improve * Why what you say “no” to is more important than what you say “yes” to * The most important thing you can do: hiring the right people * Getting into the right frame of mind before starting your work * Focusing on the “needle-moving” activities * Getting crystal clear on your “why” * Jeff’s weekly one-on-one meetings with his team * How to manage virtual employees * Why you should never be afraid to hire people smarter than you
Ways to contact Jeff: * Website: www.sellingtozebras.com
Eddie Yoon is the founder of EDDIEWOULDGROW, a think tank and advisory firm on growth strategy. Prior to that he was a partner at The Cambridge Group where he worked for 18 years, a strategy consulting firm founded in 1975 that specializes in helping CEOs and senior leadership teams within Fortune 1000 corporations drive growth by understanding how to unlock new sources of consumer demand. In the last 5 years, he has helped double numerous businesses-cable media company, food brand, beverage company, pet food brand, consumer robotics, standby generators-from several hundred million to close to a billion dollars.
Eddie is the author of the acclaimed book, “Superconsumers: A Simple, Speedy and Sustainable Path to Superior Growth” (Harvard Business School Press, 2016). Eddie has been a keynote speaker in the U.S., Africa, Australia, Denmark, the UK, and Japan.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Eddie’s journey as a consultant * How competitive strategies “split the pie” and why they need to “make more pie” * Why you should create your own category to do business in * Asking crazy questions to figure out how to grow the business in your category * Talk less; listen more: why this needs to be how brands operate going forward * Why categories are now the star and brands are not * The psychology of a superconsumer * What makes services even more suited to superconsumers than products (which also have many superconsumers) * Using data and doubling down on the things that are growing your business * Why you need to engage with the people who are talking about you on social media
Ways to contact Eddie: * Website: eddiewouldgrow.net * Book: “Superconsumers: A Simple, Speedy, and Sustainable Path to Superior Growth” * Email: eddie@eddiewouldgrow.net * Twitter: @eddiewouldgrow
Determination and resilience have served Maureen in her many accomplishments. As a member of the US Cycling Team, she won a National Championship, set a national record, earned a silver and 2 bronze medals at National Championships, competed in 3 World Championships and won a silver medal at the 1990 World Championships.
Maureen’s cycling career came to an abrupt halt at the sudden onset of Multiple Sclerosis. She turned her determination and focus to a new journey, exploring ways to integrate her Mind, Body, and Spirit in order to create optimal health and peace of mind. This inquiry led her to gain knowledge and understanding from a variety of fields, including mind-body sciences, behavioral sciences, faith based traditions, psychology, meditation, life coaching, and systems theory. The application of her learnings led her to a deeper understanding that THRIVING originates from the specific choices we make when facing uncertain and challenging times.
After completion of a Master’s Degree in Integrated Wellness, Maureen established her private practice and return to her much-loved sport of cycling.
Maureen is a well-respected speaker, counselor, educator, and consultant. She currently delivers motivational presentations around the country, leads workshops, teaches classes, designs wellness programs and consults with organizations who wish to empower both their workforce and clients.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Overcoming tremendous obstacles to achieve great success * How to succeed even when the odds are against you * Pushing yourself to reach the highest levels * Becoming a world-class cyclist through grit and determination * Manifesting your success through willpower * Avoiding a fixed mindset by developing adaptability * Developing competency as a means of thriving under pressure * Thriving under pressure instead of being a victim of it * The realities of working as a cohesive team at a very high level
Ways to contact Maureen: * Email: momanley@earthlink.net * Website: www.MaureenManley.com * Twitter: @SpiritedgalMo
Linda Raynier CPA, CA, a Career Strategist, Speaker, and Intuitive Purpose Coach who helps experienced professionals to enhance their personal brand so they can pursue careers that they’ll truly enjoy. Formerly a top-performing headhunter in Toronto, Linda has worked with thousands of corporate professionals and has learned what it takes to find and develop a truly fulfilling career. She is establishing herself as a thought leader in the career and professional development space and has a rapidly growing YouTube channel where hundreds of new subscribers are joining on a daily basis to learn her insights on anything career-related, from interview and resume tips to personal branding and confidence-building strategies. Her clients have successfully landed exciting career opportunities within a short time of working with Linda, by executing her unique strategies.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Finding your passion and having the courage to pursue it * Getting interviews and then successfully obtaining offers * Tips and techniques for helping people to build their brand * How to sell yourself in a job search and convince others to hire you * Avoiding ending up stuck in jobs you don’t like * Listening to your heart and following through on what it wants * Managing transitions that might be very scary * Enjoying everything that you do while doing what matters * Conditioning yourself to feel confident and brave in any situation
Ways to contact Linda: * Email: linda@lindaraynier.com * Website: www.lindaraynier.com * YouTube: Linda Raynier
Cort Dial believes the only leader who needs to change is you. He has spent the last 30 years in a variety of environments ranging from corporate skyscrapers to South American jungles. Cort has honed a unique approach to developing coaches and business leaders founded in the core conviction: Leaders reach the summit of leadership when they can create extraordinary business performance while caring for people. Cort calls this new breed of 21st-century hero the All-In™ Leader.
Today, Cort is the President of Cort Dial Consulting, LLC where he has successfully guided business coaches and executives from organizations such as Chevron, Intel, U.S. Borax, Disney, and Apple to cultivate a new breed of leader. He guides individuals through frank self-evaluation, personal change, and the pursuit of extraordinary performance, he creates the All-In™ Leaders, high achievers who recognize the power of human connection.
Cort is also the author of the Globe and Mail’s 2016 #1 business book, Heretics to Heroes: A Memoir on Modern Leadership. His book introduces a new framework for inspiring and influencing others with his All-In™ Leadership. As provocative as it is practical, Heretics to Heroes reminds readers that history’s greatest men and women were once seen as heretics.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How to become a leader who does big things * Finding great leaders and developing them to achieve their full potential * The most inspiring people and how to use what they teach you * Never forgetting that business is about results * Overcoming your limits with imagination and creativity * Becoming a time traveler who goes to the future and comes back to help us get there * Asking the questions no one else wants to ask * Figuring out what is really happening and how to work toward your true goals * Helping others to overcome self-imposed challenges
Ways to contact Cort: * Email: Cort@CortDial.com * Website: www.CortDial.com * Twitter: @CortDial * Book and White Paper: www.CortDial.com/AbsoluteAdvantage
Prior to co-founding Meditation Studio, Cyd served as the COO and CDO of Gaiam Brands, where she led key growth initiatives including brand repositioning, category expansion and the evolution of Gaiam’s content strategy. In addition, she was heavily involved in the marketing and eventual sale of the Gaiam brand to the Sequential Brands Group. Previously, she held leadership roles at Whole Foods Market and Corporate Express. Cyd is on the Digital Advisory Board of the USO and serves as the Secretary of the Board of the STEPS Foundation. Cyd is committed to conscious commerce and strongly believes that most sustainable way to do good is via ethical commerce.
She has an undergraduate degree in Computer Science from Oklahoma State University, and when she isn’t working on Meditation Studio, she enjoys growing trees, raising longhorn cattle and listening to vinyl records at her micro-ranch in the sandhills of Nebraska.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How meditation can help people from any walk of life to improve themselves * Using technology and modern networks to promote wellness * Managing stress in your personal and work life even in the worst circumstances * Bringing your best self to your life and your job * Developing a consistent practice of meditation that will feed your success * Why mindfulness and meditation can work for anyone anywhere * Maintaining a consistent practice of meditation * How to tap into your real potential as a person and professional * Setting realistic expectations for yourself and what you can do day-by-day
Ways to contact Cyd: * Website: www.meditationstudioapp.com * Twitter: @cydcrouse
Jeff McManus grows things. As the Director of Landscape Services at the University of Mississippi, he grows plants, he grows people, and he grows ideas. Jeff is a problem-solver, understanding that doing more with less is a 21st-century mandate. Faced with a multi-million dollar landscaping beautification project, a demand for excellence, high productivity, and with a stagnant budget, Jeff knew that growing the people was critical to growing the plants. Understanding that all humans either have or strive for the innate elements of Greatness, Resiliency, Opportunity, and Wisdom, Jeff developed his GROW-theory into an impactful management and professional development leadership program for his staff.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Finding and attracting passionate people to your organization * Using curiosity and research to learn continually * Taking ownership of issues and finding resolutions that work * Inspiring people to be their best selves every day no matter what they do * Hiring strategies that can weed out the wrong people for your organization * Lengthening the interview process and utilizing your whole team when hiring * Being adaptable and overcoming daily challenges * How self-leadership can lead to a productive mindset and healthy habits * Effective leadership in the modern workplace
Ways to contact Jeff: * Website: www.jeffmcmanusspeaking.com * Twitter: @jeffmcmanus * Special Offer for Absolute Advantage listeners: www.jeffmcmanusspeaking.com/absolute
Bill Troy is an Inc. 500 CEO and a natural-born contrarian who, for 25 years, has helped global brands like Sony, Disney and Nestle see the world from a different perspective.
As CEO of Civilis Marketing, Bill and his team help companies initiate and nurture REALationships™ that drive business growth using today’s digital communication tools without resorting to the high-pressure, high-volume automated techniques sold by online marketing pitchmen.
Bill’s crusade these days is to rid the world of the garbage that floods all of our inboxes garbage sent by businesses who have followed the advice of online marketing pitchmen and help business owners avoid or escape the CLICKSAND trap before it’s too late.
In CLICKSAND, Bill Troy compares giant firms like HubSpot, Google, and LinkedIn as well as local agencies and consultants in towns big and small to snake-oil pitchmen of the 1800s.
Bill details the unscrupulous techniques that online marketing pitchmen use to convince business owners, the societal factors that are unnaturally magnifying their success and how businesses who are caught in the trap can escape and get back to what really works.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Asking the right questions about your marketing strategies * Building relationship processes that create customer bases * Thinking about the future and working toward it by acting now * How to decide for yourself what a relationship is for your business * What you need in order to make email marketing people want to read * Avoiding the common pitfalls of online marketing * What to be careful about when crafting your marketing strategy * The questions you need to ask yourself when marketing your company * Understanding the life of the person who will buy from you
Ways to contact Bill: * Website: www.civilismarketing.com * Book: www.clicksand.net
Andrew Roman Wells is the CEO of Aspirent, a management-consulting firm focused on analytics. He has extensive experience building Analytical Solutions for a wide range of companies, from Fortune 500s to small non-profits.
In addition to his role as an executive, Wells is a hands-on consultant. He refined his craft in Silicon Valley working for two successful startups focused on customer analytics and the use of predictive methods to drive performance. Wells has also held executive roles in industry as Director of Business Intelligence at Capital One and built solutions for a wide variety of industries and companies including Coca-Cola, IHG, The Home Depot, Capital One, Wells Fargo, HP, Time Warner, Merrill Lynch, Applied Materials, and many others.
Kathy Williams Chiang is an established Business Analytics practitioner with expertise in guided analytics, analytic data mart development, and business planning. Prior to her current position as VP, Business Insights, at Wunderman Data Management, Chiang consulted with Aspirent on numerous analytic projects for several multi-national clients including IHG and Coca-Cola, among others. She has also worked for multinational corporations including Telecommunications Systems of Trinidad and Tobago, Acuity Brands Lighting, BellSouth International and Portman Overseas.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * A framework and approach with best practices in data analytics * Building analytics that help you monetize your data * Insights into data analytics from two subject matter experts * The power of integrating qualitative and quantitative data * Empowering your customers to drive your business by understanding your data * Segmentation of your market to leverage tailor made products and services * Understand how to raise revenue and lower inventory costs through sales data * How to avoid common data collection and management mistakes * Setting accurate expectations for data analytics projects
Ways to contact Andrew and Kathy: * Website: www.monetizingyourdata.com
Jody Foster, MD, MBA, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Vice Chair for Clinical Operations in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Health System and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Pennsylvania Hospital. She attained her MBA, with a concentration in finance, from the Wharton School.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Finding your niche even when you least expect it * How to combine knowledge of psychology with business savvy * Creating better teams through understanding everyone you work with * Intervening on disruptive behavior in the workplace * Why you need to start with yourself when addressing workplace problems * Increasing retention and decreasing turnover in your workplace * How to process positive and negative feelings at work * Identifying problematic behaviors and handling them effectively * Accepting that most people are not maliciously causing problems at work
Ways to contact Jody: * Email: jjfmdmba@gmail.com * Website: www.schmuckinmyoffice.com
Jason Forrest, the CEO and Chief Culture Officer at FPG (Forrest Performance Group), is a leading authority on culture change programs and an expert at creating high-performance, high-profit, and Best Place to Work cultures. As a sales professional, author, speaker, and management coach, Jason’s job is to empower professionals and executives to unleash their human performance and master their leadership skills in sales, management, culture, and service; for the purpose of increasing profit through people.
The winner of four international Stevie Awards for his Warrior Selling and Leadership Coaching training programs, Jason is also an award-winning author of six books, including Leadership Sales Coaching rated as one of Selling Power Magazine’s Top Sales Books. Additionally, Inc. Magazine has named FPG as one of the Nation’s Best Workplaces for 2017.
With a decade of coaching and speaking experience, Jason Forrest is a member of the acclaimed National Speaker Associations Million Dollar Speaker Group, as well as The Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), the world’s only peer-to-peer network exclusively for entrepreneurs. Every year, Jason delivers approximately 100 keynotes for sales teams, managers, and executives.
Jason Forrest’s new book, “WTF: Why Training Fails,” intends to change the behavior of how managers interact with their employees. $164.2 billion is spent annually on training, yet 70% of the training fails to produce a positive ROI; this book explains why the failure rate is so significant and how businesses can implement more effective training strategies.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why training is unsuccessful and how to make it work * The simple reason you need to evolve from a manager into a coach * How Millennials are ushering in a new era of humane management * Turning potential into performance * Focusing on improvement – telling your people what you do want * Modeling engagement to your employees, loving what you do so they will too * Giving your employees purpose, helping them to feel like they make the world better
Ways to contact Jason: * Email: jason@fpg.com * Website: www.fpg.com * Twitter: @jforrestspeaker * Book: Why Training Fails
PJ Jonas is a business owner, goat-wrangler, entrepreneur, and mother. After getting goats to provide healthy milk for her eight children, she decided to put some excess milk into a batch of handmade soap. That decision was the beginning of Goat Milk Stuff, a growing goat milk products business that has been featured on The Today Show, The Doctors, The Huckabee Show, and in O, the Oprah Magazine. This is a great story of how a business was started in her kitchen and grew into a million dollar business that now employs her entire family as well as other employees.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How ingenuity can arise from simply wanting to help others * Solving problems as a mother that turned into a million dollar business * Insider knowledge of entrepreneurship from a successful owner * Thinking about employees carefully before hiring to promote success * Understanding your missteps and not letting yourself be defined as a failure * Why you can’t get it all done and how to seize on the right opportunities * Maximizing efficiencies and processes through carefully designed systems * Growing your business at the right pace * What you need to know about your competition when diversifying your business * How to be humble and a good listener and why all leaders must be able to do both * Where you can have a chance get a free bar of soap from Goat Milk Stuff
Ways to contact PJ: * Website: www.GoatMilkStuff.com * For a free bar of soap: GoatMilkStuff.com/AbsoluteSoap * Twitter: @goatmilkstuff
Bix and Joe Bickson are Future Hackers…they have reimagined management for today’s and more importantly, tomorrow’s world.
Bix Bickson lived in Berkeley in the 60s, built a community in the Canadian woods for 10 years in the 70s, was an est trainer in the 80s, became an organizational consultant in the 90s. He has consulted major corporations, institutions, non-profit organizations, and individuals throughout the world. His clients include executives and their teams at Starbucks, Escada, Microsoft, Guinness, Ford Motors, and much, much more. He was joined by his son, Joe, two years ago with the energy, passion, and commitment of a millennial bringing his Dad and their clients into the digital economy. They are regarded as authorities on the ability to tap the collective creativity of groups, how to inspire others toward action, how to accelerate significant measurable change across large, complex projects.
Future hacking is the management discipline that provides leaders with the essential tools required to push past what is in the way of creating and fulfilling the future. Bix and Joe have led many turnarounds of organizations ranging in size from 100 to over 10,000, with revenues of a few million dollars to over a billion.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Transformational conversations that rewrite your corporate DNA * Infusing purpose and meaning into your company’s work * Motivating young people and crafting companies that look forward * How to see the DNA of a company in its conversations * Future Hacking and unlocking the power of your company * Being a partner and not a savior in your relationships * Why the source of results is not skill, talent, or experience but it is to be present
Ways to contact Bix & Joe: * Website: www.bickson2.com * Website: thebixbook.com * Twitter: @bickstweet
Kevin Harrington has been a successful entrepreneur for over 40 years. He is an original member of the cast of ABC’s hit, Emmy Award-winning TV show, “Shark Tank.” Also known as the “Inventor of the Infomercial” and pioneer of the “As Seen On TV” label, he co-founded the Electronic Retailers Association (ERA) and the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO). Kevin has launched over 20 businesses now worth over $100 million in sales, been involved in more than a dozen public companies, and launched over 500 products generating more than $5 billion in sales worldwide with iconic brands and celebrities such as Jack Lalanne, Tony Little, George Foreman, and the new I-Grow hair restoration product on QVC.
Kevin got his start as a young entrepreneur in the early 80’s when he launched Quantum International with $25,000. Entrepreneur Magazine has called him, “one of the top entrepreneurs of our time.” As a business thought leader he is often featured and quoted in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, CNBC, Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, Fortune, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS Morning News, The View, Squawk Box, Fox Business, and more. He is a regular contributor to Forbes.com and Inc.com and has published acclaimed books like, “Act Now! How I Turn Ideas Into Million Dollar Products,” the best-seller, “Key Person of Influence,” and “Put a Shark in Your Tank.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Kevin became the inventor of the infomercial through smart media buying * Strategies you can use to build a winning team * What Kevin did to build many of the best-known brands in consumer products * Raising your own profile to leverage your expertise into marketing opportunities * Why a balanced approach to marketing covers many channels * How to raise capital by making the right impression on potential investors * One simple habit of the most effective managers and leaders * Long-term planning strategies to grow your business the smart way * What you can do every day to maximize your potential
Ways to contact Kevin: * Email: kevin@kveinharrington.tv * Twitter: @HarringtonKevin * Website: www.kevinharrington.tv
Drew McLellan is a 25-year marketing veteran who helps clients create authentic love affairs with their customers. In 1995, Drew started his own agency — McLellan Marketing Group that he still actively runs today. He also helps other agency owners learn how to take their business to the next level through the consultancy — Agency Management Institute.
Drew is also one of the world’s top marketing and branding bloggers, according to AdAge’s Top 150 index. He’s written the book 99.3 Random Acts of Marketing and co-edited the Age of Conversation series of books.
Drew often appears in publications like Entrepreneur Magazine, New York Times, Washington Post, Agency Post, AdAge, CNN, BusinessWeek, and many others. The Wall Street Journal calls him “one of 10 bloggers every entrepreneur should read.”
Drew also hosts the brilliant Build a Better Agency Podcast.
He also speaks at leading agency conferences and is often cited in agency centric content for his expertise in the industry.
When he’s not hanging out with clients or agency owners and their staff, Drew spends time with his daughter and cheering for the Dodgers.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The best practices you need to take your business to the next level * Failing forward by learning from past mistakes with business partners * What Drew means when he says he’s an “accidental entrepreneur” * Why you need to help your people grow even if it is away from you * The simple truth behind thinking like a child to foster creativity * How scaling your business also means scaling your recruitment * Having a relationship-focused approach to business and management * Why one-on-one meetings are vital to retaining and developing your people
Ways to contact Drew: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * Twitter: @drewmclellan * Website: www.agencymanagementinstitute.com
Amy Norman knew in the 4th grade that she would become a dentist. She began dental assisting at the age of 16 and worked her way through college as an assistant in various dental specialties. Dr. Norman has worked in the dentistry field for 31 years. Amy received early acceptance to dental school at the University of Washington and was dubbed Doogie Howser by her team. Later, she studied and taught at the prestigious Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies with an emphasis on Cosmetic and Neuromuscular Dentistry.
Over the last 18 years, Dr. Norman’s office has come to be known for excellence in complex cases including worn-down teeth, headache and migraine patients, multiple missing teeth, and bite problems. She also provides cutting-edge services such as non-extraction orthodontics and Fountain of Youth Dentures. Her office is also known for its amazing, highly-skilled and healthy team with virtually no turnover.
Dr. Norman is attracted to Dentistry because of its unique nature combining art and science while routinely changing lives. The rush of giving someone a new smile or relieving a lifetime of pain from TMJ, headaches or migraines, is magical and addicting. She is one of the lucky ones because her hobby is her job.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How to set up the environment in your workplace to maximize productivity * Why customer experience is the number 1 differentiator in business today * The importance of being proactive and not reactive in every aspect of your business * What you can do to be more flexible and retain more employees * How to balance the personality types in your business to ensure synergy * The simple trick for keeping employees longer and pushing them to be better * What airline pilots have to teach us about running our businesses * Why being an early riser gives you more time for yourself
Ways to contact Amy: * Email: drnorman@dreamsmile.com * Twitter: @AmyNormanDDS * Website: www.dreamsmile.com
Robert (Bob) Glazer is the founder and Managing Director of Acceleration Partners and the founder and Chairman of BrandCycle. He is a serial entrepreneur with an exceptional track record and passion for growing revenue and profits for B2C-based companies. In demand by top brands and investment firms, he has extensive experience in the consumer, e-commerce, retail, online marketing, and ad-tech industries partnering with brands such as Adidas, ModCloth, Reebok, Target, Tiny Prints, Gymboree, and Warby Parker.
Bob is a regular contributor to numerous outlets, writing about performance marketing, strategy, and culture. He is the recipient of the Boston Business Journal 40 under 40 award, the SmartCEO Boston Future 50 award, and a finalist for the E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year in New England, among other accolades. A sought-after speaker, Robert presents to global audiences and serves as an advisor to high-growth businesses.
Bob strongly believes in giving back. He serves on the Board of Directors for BUILD Boston, is a global leader in Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO) and founded The Fifth Night charitable event (www.fifthnight.org). He previously served on the boards of the Performance Marketing Association and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mass Bay and participated in the annual Rodman Ride for Kids for a dozen years, raising almost $100,000 for charity.
In his spare time, Bob is an avid writer, skier, traveler, cyclist, and serial home renovator.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why Bob says, “My job is to fire myself,” and what it means to lead authentically * How you can inspire your people to be a little bit better every day * The importance of hiring for your culture and how to do it * A simple solution for defining your core values so well they are always on your mind * What Bob gained from “a book’s worth of mistakes in hiring” * Why you need to interview against aptitude and outcomes, not experience * What hiring an “up and comer” versus an “old hand” can do for your company’s future
Ways to contact Bob: * Company Website: www.accelerationpartners.com * Book (with free chapter download and affiliate grade 5 min test): www.accelerationpartners.com/performance-partnerships * Book (on Amazon): amzn.to/2qUd5QM * Personal Website: www.robertsglazer.com * Twitter: @robert_glazer * Weekly Inspiration Blog: www.fridayfwd.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/glazer
Nitin Chhoda is an immigrant who arrived in the US penniless in 2002, in a post 9-11 world. Delivered pizza, slept in his car, and didn’t have money for winter clothes, but always a hustler. Became a licensed physical therapist, entrepreneur, author and public speaker in 2007. Now owns and runs several multi-million dollar companies with 30+ employees worldwide.
He is the author of “Total Activation: The 5 Step Fitness Mantra”. It is a dynamic new approach to weight loss and personal wellness. It is a system modeled in three stages of change: Identity, Compare, Integrate (ICI) which has 5 components: Emotional, Physical, Social, Spiritual and Intellectual (EPSSI).
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How and why to change your relationship with money * The truth behind the philosophy of Total Activation * Simple steps you can take to find your balance as a business person and human * How to get out of a poverty mindset and into a wealth mindset * Why it is so important to own only what you need and make your money truly work * The value of a horizontal structure in your organization and empowering your people * How to activate the best version of yourself * What it takes to grow with Eastern and Western philosophies and cultures * Why remote teams work and how to find the right people
Ways to contact Nitin: * Website: www.totalactivation.com * Twitter: @totalactivation
Matt Miller spent the first 9 years of his career as an Air Force pilot, before entering the private sector to work in both the medical device and advertising industries. While a top performer in the corporate world, his long-term desire was to be his own boss. A good friend one day mentioned the gumball machines he and his young daughters owned, and that conversation began a 10-year business quest that has brought Matt’s company, School Spirit Vending, to the cutting edge of both the vending and school fundraising industries. Today, School Spirit Vending’s franchising program provides a proven and profitable business system for busy professionals and their families looking to develop secondary income streams with a limited time commitment.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Matt went from being turned down for a payday loan to owning a $5 billion business * What to do with your “entrepreneurial itch” * Why multigenerational entrepreneurship is a cornerstone of Matt’s business * The power of empathy to inspire associates and franchisees * A tried-and-true method for earning passive income with minimal time investment * What it takes to lead by example * Why your company needs an internal podcast and how to produce one * The reason Matt franchised his company and what he gained from that experience
Ways to contact Matt: * Website: ssvbusiness.com/advantage * Twitter: @ssvbusiness * Email: matt@ssvbusiness.com
Bill Prater, business owner, entrepreneur, publisher, author, speaker, consultant, and coach. He is best known for long-term success enabling business owners and leaders to quickly eliminate personal barriers, rapidly reach their current dreams, and to embark on a journey of business mastery.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How to be a leader by being the Chief Dreamer * Bill’s path from technology at IBM, to finance, and finally to top-flight business consulting * The #1 thing all business schools do not teach their students * How hundreds of businesses have benefitted from Bill’s knowledge and strategies * The 3 things that separate the best from the rest in the business world * How to navigate the 7 phases of dynamic growth * What every elite company shares * Why you need to dream outrageously to lead charismatically * One simple daily practice to achieve your vision and live your mission
Ways to contact Bill: * Website: www.businessmasterysecrets.com/advantage * Blog: www.billpraterjr.com * Twitter: @BillPraterJr
Peter Winick is the Founder and CEO of Thought Leadership Leverage, a company that helps thought leaders turn foundational ideas into thriving businesses. He is an entrepreneurial-minded director who leverages the power of internal and external relationships, accelerating the growth of aspiring thought leaders and exponentially increasing the value of their intellectual property.
For over twenty years, Peter has worked with thought leaders to monetize their content by developing products and solutions applicable to large enterprises. Further, his accomplishments with start-ups, turnarounds, and M&A (in the b2b services sector) have equipped him with the ability to drive results using practical strategy, focused execution, and a disciplined method of cost control.
As an information junkie and avid reader of business books, he is capable of taking great content and creating a platform to best support it through a combination of art, science, logic, focus, passion, and creativity. Peter knows that visionaries, whether speakers, authors, corporate leaders, or just really smart people, need help with moving beyond one-book-one-gig. He’s here to bring you solutions.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * What thought leadership is and how to apply your business savvy to leverage it * How to stand out in the sea of information available today * The most productive way to think about your conversation and what you add to it * What elements of thought leadership are the most overlooked and how to use them * Why the content you create and the modality you use to get it out matters * Where to focus your time and avoid wasting your most precious resource * How to find your focus and take advantage of the “age of the long tail” * What you need to do to build your content to suit your audience * Why becoming a thought leader is so easy today and how to avoid the common pitfalls
Ways to contact Peter: * Website: www.thoughtleadershipleverage.com * Twitter: @peterwinick * Email: peter@thoughtleadershipleverage.com
Rochelle Lisner’s mission is and has always been to energize, inspire, and educate business owners to achieve productivity, profit, and peace. Since 2007, she has worked with family-owned businesses and entrepreneurs resolve their sales, internal communications, and business growth headaches.
Rochelle brings an interactive and practical approach to sales and scaling key talent, borne out of dealing with diverse industries, crisis management, multicultural clients, and demanding customers.
Rochelle’s deep understanding of how to communicate powerfully in a noisy world (both internally and externally) supports business owners and their teams engage in Story Telling, not Boring Telling for the consistent and powerful verbal branding needed for greater focus and profits.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Every business matters: why Rochelle shifted her focus away from travel and tourism and towards helping business owners * Never give up: how this lesson from her mother has guided Rochelle throughout her life * How isolation kills success and why you need to regularly evaluate your team so they don’t become complacent * Tackling fear inside your business * Creating a winning culture by recognizing and appreciating your team * Hiring for skills — not positions * The impact of a bad onboarding system * Why you need to look at character when hiring * The four things every leader needs to be able to do * Surrounding yourself with an amazing team that complements you in areas you’re not strong in
Ways to contact Rochelle: * Website: dynamicbusinessgrowth.com * Email: rochelle@dynamicbusinessgrowth.com * Phone: (917) 842-0283 * Twitter: @mindsetforbiz
Evan Hackel, creator of the concept of Ingaging Leadership and author of “Ingaging Leadership,” is a successful businessman who has started more than 10 companies. During his tenure at CCA Global Partners, he ran a $5 billion division. One of his signature achievements was turning around a bankrupt business in four years, more than doubling system-wide sales to exceed $2 billion. As CEO of Tortal Training, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based firm that specializes in developing and implementing interactive training solutions for companies in all sectors, Evan is a leader in the training field. He is also Founder and Principal of Ingage Consulting, a consulting firm headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts. He is recognized as a thought leader, speaker, and author on leadership.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Two life experiences that had a profound impact on how Evan leads and manages * How to live your company’s identity and purpose beyond the ‘plaque’ * Creating a culture of training within your company * How a higher level of engagement leads to explosive growth * Evan’s book, “Ingaging Leadership,” and how it helps companies to become more successful * Practical ways to master the art of engagement * The benefits of having a hierarchical management style * The importance of treating people with high degrees of respect and responsibility * How focusing on the good things that are happening around you can shift your mindset * Using specific praise as a powerful management tool * Creating a shared, common vision amongst everyone in the company
Ways to contact Evan: * Website: www.tortal.net * Twitter: @ehackel * Twitter: @IngageConsultin * Email: ehackel@ingage.net * Book: “Ingaging Leadership”
Corey Jahnke is the Chief Imagineer at Mind*Star Academy, a Best-Selling Author, Speaker, Coach, Community Pharmacist, Lifelong Learner, and Enthusiastic Dog Lover.
Corey has devoted his life to helping people reengineer their confidence levels so that they can explode their businesses, expand their influence, and live the kind of magical life that he gets to live on a daily basis.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why it’s vital to understand your own value, especially when you’re in a leadership role * The key to getting your employees to work hard for you * As a leader, why you shouldn’t be afraid of sharing your weaknesses * What to do if you’re struggling to see your value * Surrounding yourself with people who lift you up and make you feel like the best version of yourself * Keeping a sense of humor and maintaining your perspective * What your #1 job is as a leader * The importance of caring about your employees and their lives * Why a leader needs to focus on managing the emotions of their team * Corey’s free 12-week group coaching program for leadership & personal development
Ways to contact Corey: * Website: www.MindstarAcademy.com * Email: corey@therealsecret.net * Free Coaching Program: www.TwelveWeeksFREE.com
David is the Founder and President of Website Properties. After graduating from UBC with a Bachelor of Commerce and Major in Marketing, he traveled extensively through parts of Southeast Asia, the South Pacific, and Central America. It was during his travels that he made various contacts and connections that would lead him to start his first entrepreneurial venture. He created a business importing hammocks and selling a wide variety of styles via mail order, trade shows and wholesale. Soon thereafter he expanded operations establishing an online presence that eventually became Hammocks.com and would later be sold to the billion dollar company, Hayneedle.com Over the next six years, David personally developed, bought and sold Strollers.com, Drums.com, Unicorns.com and over 60 website businesses in multiple niches and of various business models.
During this same time period, the e-commerce market was growing rapidly and while there were many business brokers assisting with brick and mortar businesses, there were none that specialized in the sale of internet businesses. Identifying the need for a business broker with e-commerce industry knowledge and experience selling online businesses, he started down the path of his next entrepreneurial venture. David established Website Properties as the first online business brokerage specializing in selling established and profitable Internet-based businesses. From 2002 – present, he continues to enjoy and draws great satisfaction from bringing buyers and sellers together to complete a transaction that is a win, win for both parties.
With his industry knowledge, years of experience, and successes, David Fairley is considered an expert in online business marketing, appraisal, and sale. He is often retained as a consultant for companies seeking to maximize their exit strategy or by companies looking for strategic website opportunities to grow their business through acquisitions. He has been invited as a panel member and speaker at various domain name industry conferences, cited in DN Journal for a number of high profile domain name sales and interviewed by Domainsherpa, The New York Times, and local radio shows for his expertise in the sale of online web based businesses.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Internet businesses: why they’re so attractive to buyers and why the market is really robust right now * How to value an online business * Choosing the right business to purchase * What to do when you want to sell your business * The relationship between brand and higher valuation * Should you worry about your brand being tied too close to you (the individual)? * Giving your team the ability to use their talents and rewarding them accordingly * Things to consider before making the change towards running your company virtually
Ways to contact David: * Website: websiteproperties.com * Podcast: coming soon!
Heather Picken is The Entrepreneur Catalyst and renowned success and business coach, Bestselling author with her third book, "Woman On Fire Entrepreneur: How to Own your Power Profit from your Passion and create Prosperity." She leads teams and entrepreneurs worldwide on how to create a global impact through her brand, La Dolce Vita: The Formula For Fabulous Living™, which teaches the science, psychology, and philosophy of living the sweet life.
Heather combines the latest technology from neuroscience to online marketing in helping her clients create massive visibility with their product, service, and mission. She has appeared on many TV & Radio stations including ABC, FOX, and Hay House Radio.
Heather also hosts a national show called La Dolce Vita: The Formula For Fabulous Living™, where she interviews entrepreneurs and leaders across the world in demonstrating that there is a unique formula for life and business mastery, and each person on this planet has the ability to unleash their own creative genius. Heather says with this formula you can create your fabulous vision, mission, and purpose and live an inspired life.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The relationship between getting clear on your purpose and achieving success * Creating strategies for balancing your emotions and not getting bogged down with the negative * Focusing on up to (and no more than) four vital priorities a day * How to start and end your day * Delegating away tasks you shouldn’t be doing * Measuring your money metrics * Why you need a coach/mentor to help you excel in the areas you want to excel at * How to negate the imposter syndrome by embracing who you are as a person * Understanding what your highest values are * The danger of setting “fantasy goals”
Ways to contact Heather: * Website: www.heatherpicken.com * Book: www.womanonfireentrepreneur.com * Complementary Values Determination Leadership Assessment: www.sessionwithheather.com * Show: heathershowgift.com
With 30 years of leadership experience, Guy Neal serves as President of PBS Engineering and Environmental, recognized as a Top 500 Engineering Firm by Engineering News-Record. Guy’s engagement with the firm began 24 years ago as one of PBS first civil engineers. His unique background blends engineering with environmental science, assisting clients with the challenges of meeting regulatory standards as they expand. He later became Principal of PBS Engineering Division, overseeing environmental, geotechnical, and civil engineering services.
As President, Guy’s leadership has played an important role in assuring the growth of PBS amidst an economic recovery which heavily impacted the engineering design industry. Now in its 35th year, the firm has emerged as one of the Northwest’s premier engineering and environmental practices, with a well-diversified client base and expanding geography. Guy leads the firm’s efforts to reinvest in the local community through sustainable practices, environmental volunteerism, and participation in STEM education programs that support a new generation of engineers.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Guy’s focus on giving back and ushering in the next generation of engineers * The importance of diversifying your client base * The benefits of a culture where your team always asks “why?” * PBS’ formal feedback process every employee goes through * Quality: why this must be top of mind for engineers entering into a leadership role * Filling your team with quality people * How “A Players” inside PBS define themselves * Strategies PBS uses to retain their talent * The challenges of keeping up with new technology (like PBS’ recent use of drones) * Why you need to spend more time with your team
Ways to contact Guy: * Website: www.pbsenv.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/guy-neal-96a10678 * Twitter: @pbsusa
Kathleen Trotter is the author of “Finding Your Fit.” Kathleen has been a personal trainer, Pilates specialist, and fitness writer for over fifteen years. Kathleen writes for publications including the Globe and Mail and Huffington Post, makes regular TV and media appearances, is the featured trainer in the Globe and Mails Fitness Basics video series, and blogs for Flaman Fitness. Kathleen holds a Master of Exercise Sciences from the University of Toronto and a nutrition diploma from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Just making one change: the secret towards starting your path to fitness * The relationship between working out and improved mood * Combatting the overwhelmed feeling when beginning fitness * Setting the right health goals for setting yourself up for success * The three Cs: convenience, consistency, and clarity * Moving towards exercise bliss * Figuring out your exercise why * Why mindfulness + preparation = success * Sleep: why it really is so crucial and why you can’t afford to be sleep deprived * Analyzing the things that you’re certain of because certainty is the opposite of growth * Putting yourself in other people’s shoes * Kathleen’s book: “Finding Your Fit”
Ways to contact Kathleen: * Website: KathleenTrotter.com * Twitter: @KTrotterFitness * Instagram: @kathleentrotterfitness * Facebook: www.facebook.com/KathleenTrotter * Book: “Finding Your Fit: A Compassionate Trainer’s Guide to Making Fitness a Lifelong Habit”
Kathleen's articles: * Turns out sleeping can help you shed those extra pounds * Have A Plan And Make Bad Habits Utterly Inconvenient * The Key To Long-Term Fitness Success Is Leaning Into The ‘Fall’ * Weight loss is not always the answer to better health * Even the smallest amount of exercise can boost your mood
Lolly Daskal is one of the most sought-after executive leadership coaches in the world. Her extensive cross-cultural expertise spans 14 countries, six languages, and hundreds of companies.
As founder and CEO of Lead From Within, her proprietary leadership program is engineered to be a catalyst for leaders who want to enhance performance and make a meaningful difference in their companies, their lives, and the world. Based on a mix of modern philosophy, science, and nearly thirty years coaching top executives, Lolly’s perspective on leadership continues to break new ground and produce exceptional results.
Of her many awards and accolades, Lolly was designated a Top-50 Leadership and Management Experts by Inc 100 Great Leadership Speakers for Your Next Conference and Speakers at your next event by Inc. magazine. Her writing has appeared in HBR, Inc.com, Fast Company (Ask The Expert), Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, and others.
Lolly’s proprietary insights are the subject of her new book, “The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Lolly’s journey that led her to become a leadership guru * The difference between someone who fixes problems and someone who navigates through them * Lolly’s upcoming book: “The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness” * The traits/archetypes we need to get to the next level and the gaps that are keeping us from them * How to fill those leadership gaps * RETHINK: the seven archetypes that are all about rethinking who you are * The truth-teller archetype and why its archetype is the deceiver * The best ways for leaders to build trust * Why the imposter syndrome is real and lives within the rebel archetype * The difference between virtue and skills and why the difference will make or break a leader * Why every single person has what it takes to be a great leader — and — what it takes to stand in your greatness * Tailoring the questions you ask the people you lead need to be tailored to the individual * Meditating on the things that went well and not taking them for granted
Ways to contact Lolly: * Book: www.theleadershipgapbook.com * Website: www.lollydaskal.com
Tara Christopher has been in the health industry for 30 years. She started as a competitive AAU swimmer at the age of 5 swimming five days a week and completed her first swim-a-thon at age 9. She continued swim-a-thons annually to raise money for different nonprofit organizations. At 12 years old was the first 20-mile walk-a-thon. The understanding of the power of her own body to help others and be grateful for health began at a very young age.
Tara began teaching Aerobics and was part of a team that opened a health club at the age of 17. While opening the new health club McDonald’s was trying to incorporate the veggie burger and Tara hosted the McDonald’s commercial to launch the idea of a healthier choice. Always one that was up for the challenge, she did her first sprint triathlon at 21 years old. She was featured on the cover of Triathlon program as the cyclist.
After moving locations to teach weight training and classes she was invited to speak at the corporate office of Anheuser-Busch inspiring a room full of upper management and executives to educate them on exercise and better nutrition. This was the first of many engagements to teach health and wellness.
After she received her degree from Hunter College, she launched a successful career at a highly demanding gym on 57th street in NYC. Her strategy was to develop a roadmap for individuals to reach their goals based on their own health needs. With her rapid growth and success, she launched her own business on 57th street at Lift gym NYC. In the process of launching her business, she finished the NYC marathon. Since then, she has completed many endurance events including the Ford Ironman.
Throughout her career she was featured in many national publications, was in an exercise layout in fitness plus, wrote a TV clip for Life Time Live and featured in the episode, was chosen to represent a book Baby to Bikini traveling to many news morning shows. In 2012 she was on Dateline NBC as the coach, After the showing, the clip was featured on TMZ and the O’Reilly factor. With social media and the changing format, Tara was inspired to reach to many people with her message. This lead to her passion for spreading the word Just Keep On Movin!!!
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Tara’s story and how she caught the health and wellness bug at a very young age * Health: why it’s just as important for the mind as it is the body * Why what you define as success for yourself has to include your health * Just Keep On Movin!!!: Tara’s campaign for living a healthier life * Shifting your entire psychology around health and wellness * The importance of using repeatable systems * Hiring people to fill in the gaps of what you don’t know * Ways to get out of ruts so that you don’t spend too much time in a low point * The massive impact of meditation * Why you need to be uncomfortable to grow as a leader
Ways to contact Tara: * Blog: tarachristopher.net * Book: “50 Million Pounds in America” * Phone: (973)479-1320 * Email: taranewlife37@yahoo.com * Tara’s services: tarachristopher.net/services
Eric Miller grew up in Everett, WA. When he was 6 he was diagnosed with a serious case of ecoli-0157, and through that experience became very close with his pediatrician and the process of medicine. From then, Eric became obsessed with the human body and how using science, testing, and insight can cure illnesses. He set his sights on becoming a doctor.
Fast-forward 12 years, Eric went to University of Washington to pursue a career in medicine. He made it through the Pre-Med undergrad curriculum with a degree in Medical Anthropology & Global Health. During that time, he was working for the eye-bank as a tissue harvesting as well as volunteering in a research lab gaining the experience he needed for the next step: Medical School.
However, as much as his brain loved science and systems, it was also equally creative and imaginative. Art has always been a huge part of Eric’s life, so when he picked up a video camera in high school, that unknowingly put the rest of his life’s plans of becoming a doctor in somewhat of an existential crisis. While pursuing his degree, Eric would film snowboarding, music videos, weddings, and short films. What started as a hobby turned into a burning passion. So when Eric graduated college, he made the difficult decision to put Med School on hold for one year, to see where video could take him.
It’s been 6 years since, and he hasn’t looked back. Vidbotz is a culmination of his science and art background — systematizing the production process, much like the scientific method.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * When to take the leap of faith in starting a business like Eric did with Vidbotz * Lessons that Eric’s learned in the early stage of his startup like boosting productivity by blocking time on the calendar * Being mindful of who you are today vs who you want to be tomorrow * A great resource for getting free mentorship from seasoned business veterans * Collaboration, communication, systemization, and delegation: how to exploit the power of people and technology to make your business efficient * Why video is so essential for both your marketing efforts and internally * How Vidbotz strips away the complexity for their customers so they don’t have to worry about the technological challenges of video * The importance of regularly checking yourself on being the best you can be * Not falling trap to the sunk cost fallacy * Networking strategies that the young entrepreneur needs to know
Ways to contact Eric: * Email: eric@vidbotz.com or devin@vidbotz.com * Website: www.vidbotz.com
Resources: * Mentorship resource: www.score.org
Rob is President and Co-Founder of imageOne, a Document Lifecycle Management company. Rob’s journey began in ninth grade when he and his current business partner, Joel Pearlman, launched their first business selling blow pop candy out of their school lockers. Rob and his partner realized early on that their passion for delivering an extraordinary customer experience would be key to their success. It is this passion that has become the driving force behind imageOnes success. Rob has completed 14 marathons and is an avid meditator and loves spending time in Northern Michigan with his family and friends.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Out of the basement to 52 employees: how imageOne was built * Defining core values: an absolutely crucial exercise for every business * Leadership lessons from Ari Weinzweig that shaped how Rob runs imageOne * The importance of putting the right person in the right seat when it comes to hiring * The challenges Rob has faced scaling salespeople and how he’s met those challenges * “What are you doing that’s uncomfortable?”: why you need to regularly ask your team — and yourself — this question * Getting out of the office to get feedback from your team * Building out your schedule so that you prioritize tasks that help you achieve your goals * The huge positive impact meditation can have on your life * What Rob does with imageOne: a Document Lifecycle Management company
Ways to contact Rob: * Website: www.imageoneway.com * Book: “do nothing: The most rewarding leadership challenge you will ever take.”
David Covey is the 3rd son of Stephen R. Covey, author of the groundbreaking book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” David was the chief operating officer of FranklinCovey. He then left Franklin Covey to start his own company, now called SMCOV. SMCOV works with the best intellectual property content experts on the planet and helps distributes their content globally through licensees. David loves working with impactful IP and setting up distribution systems around the globe.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why David co-founded SMCOV with Stephan Mardyks * Leading by modeling the behavior you want to see in other leaders and extending trust to others * Struggling through the challenges unique to entrepreneurship * David and Stephan’s new book “Trap Tales: Outsmarting the 7 Hidden Obstacles to Success” * The four characteristics of a trap * How viewing your problems and challenges as traps will assist you in getting through them * The seven types of traps and how to avoid them * Turning a negative trap into a positive result * Why you will relate to the protagonist in “Trap Tales” * Epiphany Breakthrough: the unconventional approaches given in “Trap Tales” to help you get out of the traps that you fall into * Why most people don’t change until they’re forced to (and why you cannot wait that long)
Ways to contact David: * Book: www.traptales.com * Book on Amazon: www.amazon.com/Traptales-Seven-Biggest-Traps-Avoid/dp/1119365899 * Website: www.smcov.com
Mo Gawdat is the Chief Business Officer at Google’s [X], an elite team of engineers that comprise Google’s futuristic dream factory. In the past ten years, he has made happiness his primary topic of research, diving deeply into literature and conversing on the topic with thousands of people in more than a hundred countries. He is also a serial entrepreneur who has co-founded more than twenty businesses. He speaks Arabic, English, and German. In 2014, motivated by the tragic loss of his son Ali, Mo began pouring his findings into his first book, “Solve for Happy.”
Here are some words from Mo on his book:
“This book is my attempt to fulfill the task assigned to me by my happiness idol, my wonderful son, Ali. My hope is that by sharing his message, his peaceful way of living, I may be able to honor his memory and continue his legacy.” – Mo Gawdat
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Mo’s background * How his life was impacted by the loss of his son * 10 Million Happy: happiness initiative he started after the tragic loss of his son * Why we all start out happy, why that changes over time, and what we can do about it * The six grand illusions and what they mean about life * Why happiness exists inside yourself * Your brain’s blind spots * Why you need to focus on the present moment and live in the now * The ultimate truths of life * Mo’s belief that the universe is a product of meticulous design * Committing to make the changes that will make your life happier * Using technology in a way that aids in your happiness
Ways to contact Mo: * Website: www.solveforhappy.com
Kelly Hatfield is co-founder of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group, Enginuity Virtual Recruiter and Impact Real Estate Real Estate Group based in Everett, Washington. She has been in the recruiting and HR field for over 20-years and loves serving others. Kelly and her business partner have built three successful companies with the purpose of helping others succeed and delivering remarkable results. Kelly and her team strategically align themselves as “The Partner of Choice” with clients and strive to be the first place clients call when they are looking for extraordinary service, quality, and reliability. The resulting outcome has been an outstanding referral network that has built and continues to build their companies.
As Co-Founder and Owner of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group and Enginuity Virtual Recruiter, April (together with her amazing partner) has created and developed three successful businesses aimed at matching exceptional talent with the top organizations. With 17 years in the human resources and staffing realm, April has experience, knowledge and a love for people and aims to offer solutions to all who are served. Being a natural problem solver, she prides herself on developing and leading a team of recruiting professionals whose mission is focused on connecting people to opportunity. Through creative and exhaustive methods, the Enginuity Group successfully matches the right talent with the right businesses each and every day.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why feedback from your employees is so important * Building a culture where your employees feel safe giving feedback * Why not getting feedback from your employees will leave a bigger impact than you realize * Why you can’t say you will do one thing and do something else * Why you must express gratitude and take action when you receive feedback * Why you need a planned meeting for employee feedback (and how to prepare for that meeting) * How to respond to feedback you don’t see coming
Ways to contact Kelly: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-hatfield-2a2610a
Ways to contact April: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/apriltaylor
David Winter is the American Council of Engineering Companies Engineer of the Year. David is CEO of Hart Crowser. He has been with Hart Crowser for nearly 27 years total and steadily worked up through the ranks as a staff engineer, project manager, market leader, officer, and now President and Chief Executive Officer. Through those many years he has organized and led many company initiatives, targeted and overseen expansion into new geographic regions and into new technical disciplines, negotiated and integrated acquisitions, and mentored young staff in business, project management, and client development.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * David’s background * Hart Crowser’s culture where team members feel the freedom to try new things * Some of the biggest lesson David’s learned in his career from mentors like his cousin, his stepfather, and John Crowser * Why you need to get good at writing proposals * Why young engineers need to pay attention to those around them early in their career * The importance of not being afraid to try something new * A story of a time when Hart Crowser lost a lot of money on a project that they bid way too low and how that turned out well in the long run * Identifying the team members that you need to keep and creating a career path for them * Why expanding through acquisition is a strong strategy * What both successful and unsuccessful acquisitions look like and how to make sure your acquisition is one of the successful ones * How Hart Crowser has created a culture of stay and community and how they make sure their business isn’t just a job for employees * Some of the biggest economic factors that Hart Crowser competes with * Some of the biggest challenges that David is facing and will face
Ways to contact David: * Email: david.winter@hartcrowser.com * Website: www.hartcrowser.com
It’s Steven’s job to set and execute GoDaddy’s vision of providing elegant, end-to-end technology solutions for their more than 14.5 million small business customers. He also heads up the Online Bookkeeping and WorkSpace teams.
Steven brings over a decade of experience from Intuit, where he built solutions to help small businesses use the Web to grow and run their stores. He also has small business experience as the founder of a Web company that simplified shopping for insurance. Steven earned an M.B.A. from Stanford and a B.A. in physics from the University of North Carolina.
After hours, Steven serves as President of the Board of the Bay Area Glass Institute, a non-profit glass studio, and enjoys spending time with his wife Allison and their son, Jackson, at many sports and arts events.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Steven’s background * Why you need a sense of urgency so that you solve problems today * Why you need to constantly ask yourself what your objective is * Why you need metrics to measure success by * What you need to think about when considering having someone acquire your company * Why you need to start from the customer’s point of view * Why you need to bring your whole self to work * Why Steven left Posit Science when he decided that he wasn’t the right fit for CEO of that company * Why — when you start a firm — it’s not about you * Why you need to spend your time in the right way * Questions that you need to ask your team members to further their career * Why you need to define why people would work for you * How to eliminate biases in your hiring process * How GoDaddy is tilting the world’s economy towards small business * What GoDaddy’s “A Players” look like * Why you must stay current with your industry and with yourself
Ways to contact Steven: * Website: www.godaddy.com * Careers: www.godaddy.com/careers * Twitter: @spaldrich
Lee Caraher is the CEO of Double Forte PR & Digital Marketing; an acclaimed communication strategist, she’s known for her practical solutions to big problems. Her company works with some of the top consumer and technology brands in the country. Lees the author of Millennials & Management based on her experience with failing and then succeeding at retaining Millennials. Her next book, The Boomerang Principle will be published in April 2017.
Lee has a reputation for building cohesive, high producing teams who have fun together at the same time. She is a straight talker who doesn’t hold too many punches, although she does her best to be pleasant about it. Her big laugh and sense of humor have gotten her out of a lot of trouble.
Lee is active in the community and currently serves on three nonprofit boards. A graduate of Carleton College with a degree in Medieval History, which she finds useful every day, Lee lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two sons, and a blind cat.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Lee’s career journey and how she came to found Double Forte * Double Forte’s four metrics for business * What Lee learned when she decided to hire millennials for the first time and all six of them left * Lee’s book “Millennials & Management: The Essential Guide to Making it Work at Work” * Why you need a strong personal brand * Lee’s new book “The Boomerang Principle: Inspire Lifetime Loyalty from Your Employees” * Why you can’t feel like employees that leave your business are dead to you * How “alumni” employees can bring back enormous benefits to your business * Why leaving is sometimes the most loyal thing an employee can do * Finding the words that people of different generations have different definitions for and peeling them back until you find pain points that arise * How to communicate to millennials that they’ve dropped the ball * The impact of showing your team that they’re appreciated * Why your first customers are your employees
Ways to contact Lee: * Website: leecaraher.com * Twitter: @leecaraher * New Book: “The Boomerang Principle: Inspire Lifetime Loyalty from Your Employees”
Hilary Laney is the President of Evia, Inc (formerly Tri-Digital). She has been at Evia for over 12 years, and she has held the position of president for nearly three years. During her time as President, she has been responsible for the growth of the company from 11 employees to over 35 today, and revenue growth 71%. Hilary has achieved this by anticipating clients needs and expectations for the future and working closely with her team to develop innovative solutions. Most recently, she has overseen the launch of Evia’s first product, a self-managed virtual events platform, as well as the first-ever rebranding of the 23-year-old company.
Hilary knows that every organization has a story to tell to their employees, partners, and customers. In a virtual world, these stories can be told through videos, social posts, blogs, infographics, and on and on. The problem most companies are faced with today, is there are TOO MANY options for releasing content to their audience, so it often feels disconnected. This is where Hilary and her team at Evia have made an impact. They are experts in sharing the stories of their customers, and she embodies the company’s mission: to unify people through access to relevant content.
Hilary has applied her talents to philanthropic efforts as well. She is always keeping her eyes and ears open to the community around her so she can work with them to help achieve their goals rather than simply donating checks. A few of the organizations she is most committed to are: Friends of Youth, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, TEDxSeattle, and the Museum of History And Industry (MOHAI), where she is a candidate to join the Board of Trustees.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Hilary’s background * Why you need to surround yourself with people who know what you don’t * The lessons of honesty and integrity that Hilary learned from her dad while working with him * How Evia took a massive failure at an event and turned it into a great business relationship with Microsoft * Why you need to work on your personal development and the development of your team * Why Hilary has a one-on-one with every employee in her company twice a year * The challenge Hilary faces in finding employees that fit into Evia’s culture * What Evia’s culture looks like * How Evia retains their “A Players” * Why you need to look for the positive in everything
Ways to contact Hilary: * Upcoming Speech: www.mpicascadia.com/speaker/hilary-laney * Website: evia.events * Twitter: @hilarymwlaney * Hilary’s one-on-one guide
Larry Ransom is founder and president of The Synergy Network and Brain on Future. He earned his master’s degree in applied behavioral science from Bastyr University. Larry worked for over 10 years with Jim Bergquist, founder, and president of bizFuture’s Consulting Company, coaches to the world-famous Pike Place Fish Market.
Larry has worked with numerous Fortune 500 companies, including Microsoft, Starbucks, Hallmark, and more, providing his expertise as a trainer and coach in building high-performance cultures and teams. His clients also include a number of high-profile individuals such as a Platinum Recording Artist, an Emmy Award Winning Director, and a National Best Selling Author.
Larry’s passion is to empower individuals to take responsibility for their passionate purpose and creativity, so they can produce results beyond what they might normally imagine. Larry believes in the concept of ownership mindset where each team member not only takes ownership for his/her individual role within the team but also takes ownership of the overall success of the organization.
Once team members have been given the tools and strategies to tap into their power and passion, Larry gives them the opportunity to invest and commit themselves as a member of the team and to take a stand for the overall objectives and vision of the organization.
Larry’s focus is to produce results you can measure. Larry’s technology for aligning, engaging and inspiring your team equates to results that you can see.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why you need to get really clear on your “why” * Why you need to build your business on purpose, vision, and values * What Larry learned from his three most influential mentors * Why you absolutely need a coach to learn and grow to your highest potential * Why you need to look at failure as an opportunity to grow * What will happen when you ask your clients “what’s missing?” * The five key elements to building a high-performance team * Why your business is an expression of who you’re being * What Larry does with Brain on Future
Ways to contact Larry: * Website: www.brainonfuture.com
Jonathan Martin was born in California but raised in Auburn, Washington. He graduated from the University of Washington with a business degree and started coolblueweb from his basement in 2009. He loves getting to see the impact of his work in the community and enjoys the hard-working, fun-loving culture at the company office. When he isn’t at the office, Jonathan can be found rock climbing or spending time with his wife, two daughters, and son. His favorite Seattle landmark is Alki Beach.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why you need to build a team of exactly the right people * Why you need to be painfully honest with anyone you communicate with * The lessons Jonathan learned about taking care of your employees while an employee himself at Costco * Why you need to let go of the people that aren’t right for your business * The sales skills Jonathan learned as a real estate agent * Why you need to ask yourself “why” a lot * Teaching your team to deliver the most value for your customers * How to sustain a great company culture when your business grows past your ability to know every employee well * coolblueweb’s culture of character, passion, forward thinking, and quality * Their morning daily meeting where every employee shares what they’re working on and what they need help with that day * What coolblueweb’s “A Players” look like * Why having an interview at a restaurant is a great idea and what Jonathan learns during these interviews * Why listening to your “A Players” is a must if you want them to stick around * Why you need to celebrate your wins with your team * Why you need to surround yourself with a peer group * Why you should use a stand-up desk
Ways to contact Jonathan: * Website: coolblueweb.com * Twitter: @coolblueweb * Email: jonathan@coolblueweb.com
Michael Hauge works with people who want to change more lives and make more money, by telling better stories. He is one of Hollywood’s top story experts, script consultants, and authors. He now uses the principles of blockbuster storytelling to help entrepreneurs, consultants, and business leaders with their speeches, articles, and marketing emails. Michael has presented seminars, lectures, and keynotes in person and online to more than 70,000 participants worldwide. According to Will Smith, No one is better than Michael Hauge at finding what is most authentic in every moment of a story.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Michael’s background working with Hollywood storytellers to tell better stories, and how and why he’s brought that to other industries * The critical evaluation of Michael’s script coaching and how he used that feedback to improve his coaching services * The three secrets to success in screenwriting Michael learned from his mentor Art Arthur (which can be applied to all forms of writing) * Why stories are a great way to an emotional question between you and your audience or you and your clients * The six steps of a success story (and how to apply them to your business) * The common mistakes business owners make when telling a story * Why you will tell a better story and connect with your audience better when you own your fears
Ways to contact Michael: * Website: www.storymastery.com
Resources: * Michael Hauge’s 6-Step Success Story Chart * Michael’s new book “Storytelling Made Easy” (coming very soon)
Randy is a Principal at The Spur Group and a leader in executive communications and staffing practices. He has over 20 years of experience in the consulting industry.
He has written internal & external communications, developed presentations & speeches and created communication plans for many executives at clients including Microsoft, Cisco, Nokia and Juniper Networks. In addition to the communications experience, he has led large team projects for the clients I just named as well. Excellent training and management of his teams have led to the development of a practice line of placing highly talented, highly skilled people in fast-paced environments with great results.
The Spur Group has been recognized for its culture and investment in people in magazines such as Seattle Business Magazine for the last three years.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Always looking for the beauty in the people you work with, for, and around * The lessons of respect Randy learned from his father * Why you need to get really clear on your “what” and your “why” * How The Spur Group overcame their struggles with scaling * What Randy and his team looks for in candidates during the interview process * What The Spur Group’s culture looks like * Why you need to give candidates a well-rounded view of your business throughout the interview process * The week-long paid training program The Spur Group has candidates go through before deciding whether to hire them as employees or not * Mentors, Career Managers, and Engagement Managers: the three people each employee is assigned to help aid them in their career at The Spur Group * Why you should offer your “A-Players” the opportunity to lead * How to prepare for key employees leaving * Why you should force employees to answer their own questions * Why you need to really focus on getting every engagement right from the beginning * The importance of being open and inclusive
Ways to contact Randy: * Website: www.thespurgroup.com
Valerie McMurray, President/CEO of NorthStar Consulting Group, has 25 plus years of human capital management experience with leadership roles in human resources, organizational and leadership development, coaching, and training. She has held strategic HR positions in the financial industries, professional services, manufacturing, and distribution. Valerie has an extensive background in the development of innovative human capital management programs and leading cultural change emphasizing collaboration and effective employee engagement initiatives. As President/CEO of NorthStar Consulting Group, Valerie works with individuals and organizations to expand capability and capacity with innovative human capital management initiatives building on the strengths of clients to move toward their greatest potential. As a board certified executive coach she works with profit and nonprofit leaders and managers to coach them in leadership, professional development, and career transformation.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Valerie’s journey * The WISE (Women’s Inventory of Success Empowerment) Profile tool and how it can be used by both male and female leaders * The lessons of self-awareness Valerie learned from her mentor early in her career * Why you can never stop working on your own personal development * Why underestimating your own limitations is so crucial * Valerie’s daily reflection and planning strategy that keeps her focused on her priorities * Why you should think about “how you can be a better…” * Why you need to be aware of your own emotions and the emotions of those around you * Developing processes to mitigate unconscious biases in the hiring process * Why you can’t afford to hire people that are just like you * Structuring your interview process so that you come away with the information that you actually need * Why you need to understand the individual motivations of every member of your team * Why you need to set up an onboarding process and longer success path (30 days to a year, depending on resources) to make sure new hires achieve success * Why you should always seek out as much feedback as you can
Ways to contact Valerie: * Website: www.thenorthstarcg.com * Email: valerie@thenorthstarcg.com
Ryan Neal is a seasoned investor, director, and advisor with more than ten years of experience in collaborating with the owners and managers of private companies to increase their value. Ryan is the President and co-founder of Blueprint Consulting Services, LLC. He also is an active member of the Seattle chapter of Entrepreneurs Organization.
Blueprint Consulting Services is Washington State’s fastest-growing private company for 2015 and 2016 by Puget Sound Business Journal. They’ve also won Best Company to Work For by Puget Sound Business Journal and Seattle Business Magazine.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Ryan’s background * How Blueprint Consulting Services bridges the gap between strategic analysis and solution delivery * The challenges they’ve faced growing from 0 to 600 employees in just four years * Why you need to be uncomfortable to keep growing * How and why Ryan vets applicants so that their team is full of people who take challenges that would intimidate most people and figure out how to better their company through the solutions to those challenges * Why Blueprint treats all their employees like entrepreneurs and gives them the freedom to spend their time wherever they want * Why Blueprint celebrates when then their employees leave (and what they do when an employee leaves for a reason that is Blueprint’s fault) * Why you have to have crashed and burned to learn the lessons you need for success as an entrepreneur * Why you should never stunt an individual’s growth because you “need” them to service your business in a certain way * Why you need to reevaluate your processes and be self-reflective as an entrepreneur * Aligning your priorities so that what you focus on is aligned with who you need to be * What Ryan’s learned from his mentor John Connors * Why you need to have the humility to not be an expert
Ways to contact Ryan: * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ryantneal * Website: www.bpcs.com
Kelly Hatfield is co-founder of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group, Enginuity Virtual Recruiter and Impact Real Estate Real Estate Group based in Everett, Washington. She has been in the recruiting and HR field for over 20-years and loves serving others. Kelly and her business partner have built three successful companies with the purpose of helping others succeed and delivering remarkable results. Kelly and her team strategically align themselves as “The Partner of Choice” with clients and strive to be the first place clients call when they are looking for extraordinary service, quality, and reliability. The resulting outcome has been an outstanding referral network that has built and continues to build their companies.
As Co-Founder and Owner of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group and Enginuity Virtual Recruiter, April (together with her amazing partner) has created and developed three successful businesses aimed at matching exceptional talent with the top organizations. With 17 years in the human resources and staffing realm, April has experience, knowledge and a love for people and aims to offer solutions to all who are served. Being a natural problem solver, she prides herself on developing and leading a team of recruiting professionals whose mission is focused on connecting people to opportunity. Through creative and exhaustive methods, the Enginuity Group successfully matches the right talent with the right businesses each and every day.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why a hiring search will lose direction and momentum if a Project Champion is not in place * Why having too many people working on a hiring search instead of just one Project Champion can make the whole process very confusing * How not having a Project Champion can leave candidates with a bad impression of your company * Why having a Project Champion to keep things moving has a bigger impact on your business than you realize * Why the Project Champion must have a vested interest in the success of the search * The qualities that make a person a great fit to be your Project Champion
Ways to contact Kelly: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-hatfield-2a2610a
Ways to contact April: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/apriltaylor
Ray is the Managing Principal and leader of The Spur Group, Inc, a business consulting firm. He brings over 30 years of experience to Spur’s consulting business. As the leader of Spur’s communications and operations practices, Ray is responsible for developing and delivering offerings that drive organizational impact and business attainment. Prior to founding The Spur Group, Ray was the Managing Principal of Touch Business Consulting where he grew the business to a nationally recognized consulting firm.
The Spur Group won several awards in 2016 from the likes of Inc Magazine, Consulting Magazine, and Seattle Business Magazine.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Ray’s journey * Connected communications: how The Spur Group builds marketing and sales materials around difficult and technical topics * How to manage rapid change * What The Spur Group’s great culture looks like * The nine attributes that make up Spur’s “A Players” * Spur’s clear career paths, challenging work, and shared profits: how they keep their “A Players” * Why Spur’s training program is based on having team members work on their strengths — not their weaknesses * Why Spur’s attrition rate is so low — and why they’ll often have people who have left come back * Asking your team what they know vs. what they suspect * Why you need to constantly assess if you’re focused on what matter * The importance of picking the right partners * Why you need to say hello to everyone you can in your business every day
Ways to contact Ray: * Website: www.thespurgroup.com * Facebook: www.facebook.com/thespurgroup * Email: ray.rasmussen@thespurgroup.com
Kelly Hatfield is co-founder of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group, Enginuity Virtual Recruiter and Impact Real Estate Real Estate Group based in Everett, Washington. She has been in the recruiting and HR field for over 20-years and loves serving others. Kelly and her business partner have built three successful companies with the purpose of helping others succeed and delivering remarkable results. Kelly and her team strategically align themselves as “The Partner of Choice” with clients and strive to be the first place clients call when they are looking for extraordinary service, quality, and reliability. The resulting outcome has been an outstanding referral network that has built and continues to build their companies.
As Co-Founder and Owner of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group and Enginuity Virtual Recruiter, April (together with her amazing partner) has created and developed three successful businesses aimed at matching exceptional talent with the top organizations. With 17 years in the human resources and staffing realm, April has experience, knowledge and a love for people and aims to offer solutions to all who are served. Being a natural problem solver, she prides herself on developing and leading a team of recruiting professionals whose mission is focused on connecting people to opportunity. Through creative and exhaustive methods, the Enginuity Group successfully matches the right talent with the right businesses each and every day.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why you need to really get clear about what your reputation is * How to figure out what your employees and customers think of you * The kind of feedback about companies that we receive as recruiters * Sites like Yelp, Google, and Glassdoor where you can find feedback * Why no presence is as bad as a bad presence * Why you need a person keeping their finger on the pulse of social activity * What to do when something negative happens online * Why you should always share anything that makes your company look positive * Making sure you’re visible when people are searching for jobs * How to use your reputation to retain employees
Ways to contact Kelly: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-hatfield-2a2610a
Ways to contact April: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/apriltaylor
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert and the Chief Amazement Officer of Shepard Presentations. He is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and has been inducted into the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement in the speaking profession. Shep works with companies and organizations who want to build loyal relationships with their customers and employees. His articles have been read in hundreds of publications, and he is the author of Moments of Magic®, The Loyal Customer, The Cult of the Customer, The Amazement Revolution and Amaze Every Customer Every Time. He is also the creator of The Customer Focus™, a customer service training program which helps clients develop a customer service culture and loyalty mindset.
In 1983 Shep founded Shepard Presentations and since then has worked with hundreds of clients ranging from Fortune 100 size organizations to companies with less than 50 employees. Shep Hyken’s most requested programs focus on customer service, customer loyalty, internal service, customer relations and the customer experience. He is known for his high-energy presentations, which combine important information with entertainment (humor and magic) to create exciting programs for his audiences.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Shep’s background * How to get great feedback (and how to understand feedback that you’re not being given) * Why your job is not the product or service you create * The six steps for creating a customer-focused culture * What you can learn from Walt Disney about great customer service * Why everyone in your company is your internal customers (and why you must treat them as such) * Learning from Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh’s 10 core values that their culture is built upon * Why you need to create a journey map for the journey you want your customers to take * Thinking outside to take away customers’ complaints * Why you need to make it easy for your team to succeed (and how that ties into having a clearly defined mission) * The difference between learners and successful learners * Why you must act and behave like you want others to act and behave * Shep’s virtual training course
Ways to contact Shep: * Shepard Virtual Training: www.shepardvirtualtraining.com * Website: hyken.com
Menlo Innovations CEO Rich Sheridan had the all-consuming thought during a difficult mid-career in the chaotic technology industry that things can be better. Much better. He had to find a way. His search led him to books, authors, and history, including recalling childhood visits to Greenfield Village every summer. The excitement of the Edison Menlo Park New Jersey Lab served as his siren call to create a workplace filled with camaraderie, human energy, creativity, and productivity.
Ultimately, Rich and his co-founder James Goebel invented their own company in 2001 to “end human suffering in the world as it relates to technology” by returning joy to one of the most unique endeavors mankind has ever undertaken: the invention of software.
Their unique approach to custom software design, they named it High-tech Anthropology® has produced custom software that delights users rather than frustrating them. The programming team creates the software that works every day without the emergencies that are all too common in the tech industry. The process itself is so interesting that almost 4,000 people a year travel from around the world just to see how they do it. Many spend a week or more studying “The Menlo Way” being taught by the Menlonians who love to share their experience and knowledge.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Rich’s background * Menlo Innovations’ joyous culture that people come in the thousands every year to witness * Why you need to turn your sights outward to who you serve and deliver joy to them * Why Menlo has its employees work two to a computer and bans the use of earbuds * How Menlo simulates the work environment during the interview process * Why Menlo doesn’t even look at resumes * The three-week paid trial new hires at Menlo enter into * The tower of knowledge problem that becomes a prison on knowledge problem in the IT industry and what Menlo does about it * How Menlo systematically gives each other feedback * The one meeting Menlo has every day (and why they avoid other meetings at all costs) * Why the Menlo team doesn’t even look at email on vacation * Why staying the same is riskier than growing
Ways to contact Rich: * Email: rsheridan@menloinnovations.com * Website: menloinnovations.com * Book: “Joy, Inc.: How We Built a Workplace People Love” * Twitter: @menloprez
Craig Cody is a Certified Tax Coach, Certified Public Accountant, Business Owner and Former New York City Police Officer with 17 years experience on the Force. In addition to being a Certified Public Accountant for the past 15 years, he is also a Certified Tax Coach. As a Certified Tax Coach, Craig belongs to a select group of tax practitioners throughout the country who undergo extensive training and continued education on various tax planning techniques and strategies to become, as well as remain, certified. With this organization, Craig has co-authored an Amazon best seller book, Secrets of a Tax-Free Life.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Craig’s background in the NYPD and how he became a Certified Tax Coach and Certified Public Accountant * What Craig learned on the NYPD that influenced what he looks for when hiring employees * What Craig learned from his dad, one of his biggest mentors * Why Craig hired a coach for himself and how that had a big impact on his business * How Craig structures his hiring process and how it’s helped him hire great employees * Why a great culture has to be built on the working relationship working for all parties * Why you should never ever hire in a panic * Proactive tax planning: how Craig helps his clients save more of what they make * The biggest mistakes business owners make all the time * Why Craig doesn’t just work with his clients during “tax season” * Craig’s free giveaway: “10 Most Expensive Tax Mistakes That Cost Business Owners Thousands” * Why you need to join a mastermind group and need an accountability partner * How to know if you are getting the right kind of tax planning (and what to do if you aren’t)
Ways to contact Craig: * Free copy of Craig’s book: www.craigcodyandcompany.com/absolute * Phone: (516)869-4051 * Email: craig@ccodycpa.com * Website: www.craigcodyandcompany.com
Michele Stuart graduated with a Masters in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (IEOR) from Va. Tech. She has performed improvement projects using Lean/6 Sigma tools, advanced analytics and simulation for 40 years concentrating on Healthcare organizations over the past nine. Since 1994, as President and founder of Efficiency Engineers, she and her staff have been bringing together the expertise and experience of internal teams utilizing the Lean/6 Sigma tools for sustained meaningful change. Whether the organization is a single hospital/physician office or a network of over 20 hospitals, Lean/6 Sigma teams under Michele’s facilitation have not only made the patient experience better, but better the clinical outcomes and the organization work more effectively.
As a Project Management Professional, PMP, Michele also provides expertise in keeping her projects on time and on budget. To ensure that her expertise remains fresh, she also has and continues to teach PM, Lean/6Sigma, and IEOR courses through various universities including Lehigh, Penn State, and DeSales University. Mentorship and expansion of learning are a cornerstone to her management style as well. Customers enjoy the empowerment of expanding their staffs capabilities whenever Efficiency Engineers joins them as a partner in projects.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Michele’s background * How Michele learned that she had to bill more of the total project cost up front * Why you need to listen to what people are telling you * Taking enough time to review information before jumping to conclusions * Why Michele runs her business virtually and doesn’t pay her employees on a salary * Why you should let employees work when they’re most productive * Why it’s easier to replace employees that leave on a project-based business * How Michele pushes her employees to think outside the box * Why your employees have to be able to give and receive feedback * Why you always have to be ready for change in industrial engineering * The ongoing problem of masters level students in engineering being primarily foreign students * Michele’s presentation at the Society for Healthcare Systems conference in February on the Implementing Electronic Medical Record Systems
Ways to contact Michele: * Website: efficiencyengineers.com * Email: mstuart@efficiencyengineers.com
Involved in the financial planning profession since 1979, Lynn Evans was the first person in Northeast Pennsylvania to earn the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation. She is a graduate of Cedar Crest College, Allentown, PA and has over three decades of experience in financial planning. She is the founder and president of Northeastern Financial Consultants, Inc., a fee-only financial life planning firm in Clarks Summit, PA.
Named by the Governor of PA as one of the Top 50 Best Women in Business, Lynn maintains memberships in the Financial Planning Association, the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, and is one of the founders of the Northeast PA Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners.
Lynn is a Founder and former Board Member of the Women’s Resource Center, Inc., a domestic violence shelter, a member of the President’s Advisory Board of Keystone College, and served as a volunteer with the United Way of Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties.
Lynn is also the author of a recently published book, Power of the Purse, Fear-Free Finances for Baby Boomer Women, available on amazon.com, and is the host of Power of the Purse Podcast, on iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Lynn’s background * Why listening more than you speak is a great tool for leadership * Leaving a legacy behind you * The story of how Lynn recovered from a cease and desist order and got the law changed to be more relevant for financial planning * Why you need to treat all of your employees fairly * The challenge (especially for women entrepreneurs) for needing to set boundaries but wanting your employees to like you * Why you need self-directed employees * Focusing on the things that are most important and doing what furthers the progress of your business * Why Lynn doesn’t function doing the same things in the same order every single day * Lynn’s podcast Power of the Purse
Ways to contact Lynn: * Podcast: www.powerofthepursepodcast.com * Email: lynn@powerofthepursepodcast.com * Personal Website: lynnsevans.com * New Business for Financial Planning: womenofsubstancellc.com * Book: “Power of the Purse: Fear-Free Finances for Baby Boomer Women”
Amy Anderson is the creator of Transformative Writing for Non-Writers, founder of Anderson Content Consulting LLC, and former senior editor of SUCCESS magazine. She’s an Emmy Award-winning writer, writing coach, and speaker who has worked with clients like John Addison, Todd Duncan, John Assaraf, and Darren Hardy, as well as companies like Advisors Excel, Ryan, and Dell. Today, Amy has turned her years of experience toward helping experts, coaches, and consultants discover their authentic voice and write with confidence so they can build connection, inspire action, and change lives.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Amy’s journey * Why you should sit down with an experienced entrepreneur if you’re fearing going out alone * Why you need to be willing to sacrifice more for your business than you’re asking anyone else to sacrifice * Why a virtual business is the way to go * Why “A Players” have to be good people * Why your team needs to feel like they’re all in it for a cause * Amy’s challenge learning to slow down and do things like small talk * Why Amy believes being spiritual helps her be a better leader * Amy’s strategy for staying focused by writing out her intentions * What Amy learned working one-on-one with Darren Hardy * How to receive mentorship (and why you must invest in mentorship) * Amy’s Transformative Writing for Non-Writers course
Ways to contact Amy: * Website: www.amykanderson.com * Email: amy@amykanderson.com
Summer Tannhauser teaches small business owners and bloggers how to build an email list, increase website traffic, and make sales through the power of Pinterest. She matches Pinterest with content creation and conversion strategies, to create a powerful marketing “machine” for any online business.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Summer’s background * Lady Boss League: Summer’s business built around driving leads with Pinterest * What you need to do Pinterest well * Why you need to find a way to get your team as invested in your business as you are * What Summer’s virtual business looks like and why that makes communication between her team so important * Why you need to be able to let go of your control as you scale * How Summer learns about potential hires before she ever gets on the phone with them * Why Summer made the switch from independent contractors to employees * How she realized teaching wasn’t for her and why she made the switch into entrepreneurship * Why network/mastermind groups have helped Summer push herself to new levels * Why Summer breaks her to-do list into the big project she wants to complete each week * How to figure out what you should be doing in the business
Ways to contact Summer: * Website: www.ladybossleague.com * Free 5-day Pinterest Power course: freepincourse.com * Twitter: @LadyBossLeague * Facebook: www.facebook.com/LadyBossLeague
Marketing professional, speaker, and writer Don Osmond focuses on authentic marketing to help businesses develop sound branding strategies. Widely regarded as a marketing and communications thought leader, he works with clients to develop the genuine narrative of their companies, which becomes the foundation for their branding and messaging. Son to international entertainment icon Donny Osmond, his approach to marketing incorporates lessons from the entertainment industry. After years of education and experience, he knows firsthand that good marketing requires truth-telling and invitation, not spin. Don believes that authenticity is the only true value proposition that a company can offer, so he serves his clients by developing genuine story-based marketing and authentic marketing strategies. Don lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Jessica and two tiny storytellers-in-training, Truman and Leo. He loves hiking, biking, and camping, all of which are easily accomplished in this city full of green spaces.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Don’s journey * Why you need to just put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward * Why storytelling is so important in marketing * Why a company’s most valuable asset is authenticity * Why it’s so dangerous to assume that you’re smarter than your customers * What Don learned from his father, entertainment icon Donny Osmond * Why Don’s business OzComm focuses solely on strategy and how he helps his clients do the execution * Why you need to reach outside of your organization for help * Why you don’t need to spend time on all social networks equally and the dangers of automating too much
Ways to contact Don: * Website: ozcomm.marketing * SXSW Speech on March 14: schedule.sxsw.com/2017/speakers/1553 * Facebook: www.facebook.com/donosmond * Twitter: @DonOsmond * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/donosmond
Kate is the co-author of the award-winning book “Reinvention: Accelerating Results in the Age of Disruption” and is also co-author of the best-seller “The Leadership Code: Five Rules to Lead By.” She was named by the London Times as one of the world’s Top Emerging Management Gurus for her career work in the leadership development space. She specializes in leadership, culture, high performing teams and the inner work of developing oneself as a leader.
Kate has advised, trained, coached, and consulted with leaders and organizations in 26 different countries over the past 20 years. She and her family also lived in Asia for 3 years. A former editor at Harvard Business Review, she worked closely with renowned thought leaders like Jim Collins and helped them articulate their groundbreaking theories and models into material that could lead to publication. Kate has written over fifty business cases for clients.
Kate is a visiting lecturer and coach at MIT’s Legatum Center for Entrepreneurship. She has authored and published more than 30 articles on leadership-management in respected journals, magazines, and newspapers worldwide, such as Forbes, Sloan Management, the Boston Globe, and the Asian Economic Times. She has blogged for Fast Company and Harvard Business Review.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Kate’s background * Why you need to be very careful about the culture that you create * Why you need to pause frequently to ask yourself “what am I doing and how am I doing it?” * What Kate has learned from her many mentors * The advice Jim Collins gave Kate about how to lay out her week and why it’s so effective for her * Why you need to be very selective of what you’re working on * Staying focused on what you’re trying to accomplish and the key few things that will get you there * How to become genuinely helpful to other people and not get distracted from what you need to be doing * Why resiliency is the most important thing * The dangerous blindfolds entrepreneurs can wear * Why you need to be with people who compliment you, not give you compliments
Ways to contact Kate: * Email: kate@sweetmancragun.com * Text: (617)291-8981 * Book: “Reinvention: Accelerating Results in the Age of Disruption”
Elise Mitchell, the CEO of Dentsu Aegis Public Relations Network, is a smart, successful, female entrepreneur and new author that is inspiring leaders with her latest book, Leading Through the Turn: How a Journey Mindset Can Help Leaders Find Success and Significance (McGraw Hill, January 6, 2017).
Elise Mitchell started her public relations firm, Mitchell, from scratch and quickly turned it into one of the Top 10 Fastest-Growing Firms included in the Holmes Report global ranking and a two-time Small Agency of the Year winner honored by both PRWeek and The Holmes Report. She attracted major brands including Walmart, Procter & Gamble, Hilton Worldwide, Kraft, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and Restaurant and Southwestern Energy.
Under Elise’s leadership, Mitchell grew more than 500% in five years and became one of the top 35 PR firms in the U.S. and made Inc. 500/5000 Fastest Growing Companies, Women Presidents Organization/ American Express OPENs 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies in North America and PRWeek’s Top 50 Power Player and Global Power List.
At the end of 2012, Mitchell sold to one of the world’s largest communications networks, Dentsu Aegis Public Relations Network. Today, Mitchell is the leading PR agency brand at Dentsu. In addition to her role as CEO, Elise is working to build a global PR brand for the network.
Prior to founding Mitchell, Elise worked on both the agency and corporate sides of the business serving as the top public relations executive for Promus Hotel Corporation, vice president at Sossaman, Bateman, McCuddy and assistant director of public relations at Walker & Associates.
Elise has been awarded Agency Professional of the Year from PRWeek, Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year from the National Association for Female Executives and Enterprising Woman of the Year from Enterprising Women.
Elise is a wife, mom, runner, motorcyclist and author. She is a mentor, a passionate advocate for women entrepreneurs, and a frequent writer and keynote speaker on leadership, the public relations industry and the secret to enjoying the journey while reaching the destination.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Elise’s journey and why she founded Mitchell * Elise’s book “Leading Through The Turn” * Finding significance in life and not just being focused on the destination but the journey * Why you need to focus on what only you can do and give the rest away * Why to be a great leader you have to admit what you don’t know * Elise’s four point plan for handling growth * Why you need specialized talent more and more as you grow * Creating a culture that attracts the right people * Reclaiming time that you spend in other ways * Learning to look at people holistically * Why you need to always make the right decisions for the business
Ways to contact Elise: * Website: elisemitchell.com
Jim Cathcart is one of the most award-winning professional speakers in the world. He’s been inducted into the Sales & Marketing Hall of Fame, Speaker Hall of Fame, received the Cavett Award, the Golden Gavel award and much more. As the author of 17 books he has delivered over 3,000 speeches worldwide and tours China each year delivering lectures to 1,000+ people for 6 hours at a time. He’s a mountain trail runner, life member of the American Motorcyclist Association, a professional guitarist and singer, and past president of the National Speakers Association.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Jim’s entrepreneurial background and connection to President Clinton * How to become an expert at anything * How Jim got to know and work with Earl Nightingale and ended up being the only speaker other than Jim’s wife at his memorial service * Jim’s Ted Talk “How to Believe in Yourself” and his book “The Acorn Principle” * Traditional selling vs. relationship selling * What separates top producers from everyone else * What Jim learned from interviewing over 100 self-made millionaires * Jim’s commitment to fitness that changed his life * “The Self Motivation Handbook”: Jim’s newest book
Ways to contact Jim: * New Book: theselfmotivationhandbook.com * To get your free one minute weekly idea, email: Acorn@Aweber.com * Website: cathcart.com * Twitter: @jimcathcart * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/cathcartinstitute * Facebook: www.facebook.com/jim.cathcart * YouTube: www.youtube.com/jimcathcart
When your message must be memorable, your presentation powerful, and your sales successful you need to know Patricia Fripp. She is a Hall of Fame keynote speaker, executive speech coach, sales presentation skills expert, and online learning expert. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine wrote that the sixth best way to invest in your success is to learn presentation skills from Patricia Fripp. Patricia is now virtually everywhere with her interactive virtual training, FrippVT.com Powerful, Persuasive Presentations.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Patricia’s story * How to inspire your team * The power of stories * Why you need to make everyday people into heroes when speaking * The big mistakes leaders make when presenting * Why you should get a speech coach like Patricia * Why you should “schmooze” with your audience * A speaking mentor that Patricia learned a lot from * Fripp VT: Patricia’s online training course
Ways to contact Patricia: * Website: www.fripp.com * Free Trial of Training: www.frippvt.com/#_free-trial
Kelly Hatfield is co-founder of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group, Enginuity Virtual Recruiter and Impact Real Estate Real Estate Group based in Everett, Washington. She has been in the recruiting and HR field for over 20-years and loves serving others. Kelly and her business partner have built three successful companies with the purpose of helping others succeed and delivering remarkable results. Kelly and her team strategically align themselves as “The Partner of Choice” with clients and strive to be the first place clients call when they are looking for extraordinary service, quality, and reliability. The resulting outcome has been an outstanding referral network that has built and continues to build their companies.
As Co-Founder and Owner of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group and Enginuity Virtual Recruiter, April (together with her amazing partner) has created and developed three successful businesses aimed at matching exceptional talent with the top organizations. With 17 years in the human resources and staffing realm, April has experience, knowledge and a love for people and aims to offer solutions to all who are served. Being a natural problem solver, she prides herself on developing and leading a team of recruiting professionals whose mission is focused on connecting people to opportunity. Through creative and exhaustive methods, the Enginuity Group successfully matches the right talent with the right businesses each and every day.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * What to pay attention to on a resume * Verifying education, certification, and licenses * Checking up on candidates on social media (without taking it too far) * Vetting references: how to listen to what companies say and don’t say about past employees * Why the background, drug, and credit checks are important pieces of the hiring process
Ways to contact Kelly: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-hatfield-2a2610a
Ways to contact April: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/apriltaylor
Brian Duncan has over 12 years in the restaurant industry beginning his career in college working every job from dishwasher to server. After graduating from Purdue University, Brian went on to work in food and beverage consulting focusing on international chains and consumer products manufacturing for such companies as Hilton and Revolution Foods. During his time consulting Brain focused on creating efficiencies by utilizing technology. Brian’s background paved the way to multiple tech startups including Chowly. Brian now serves as co-founder and board member for Chowly Inc. and is primarily focused on business development, sales and marketing.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Brian’s background * What Chowly is and why Brian created it * The challenges of the early stage of a startup * Why strong relationships are so important when you’re starting a business * Why you need to plan for everything * What Brian has learned from his mentor * Why you need to provide your employees the opportunity to learn and grow * Why Chowly offers unlimited time off for their employees * Why your employees need to know that you understand that your business is not more important than their life * Why Brian lives in his to-do list * Why you need to speak with the people you depend on every single day
Ways to contact Brian: * Website: www.chowlyinc.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/brian-duncan-5929745
Dean Marchese is the President and CEO of Empower Media, which is a business growth consulting firm. As a matter of fact, Dean has been President and CEO of many organizations from high-tech companies to Non-Profits. Throughout his career he has successfully started and/or turned around nearly 30 organizations, purchased and grew over 20 separate companies, and helped run a billion dollar public company. Dean has been written about in magazines and interviewed on TV and is an in-demand speaker all over the world.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Dean’s background * Why you need to choose the words you tell yourself very carefully * Dean’s job where he was treated terribly that taught him how important it is to treat your employees right * Why you need to give your team the luxury of failure * Why you need crystal clear communication with your employees * Why treating your employees like adults will help your turnover rate * What you need to teach Millennials — and what you don’t * Figuring out and communicating the parameters of your culture * Why you shouldn’t ever have your salespeople collect money * Why an employee being great in one role doesn’t automatically mean they will be great in a role you promote them into * Why all employees need to understand how they’re making someone else’s life better * Why leaders need to focus on their strengths — not their weaknesses * Why you need to be laser-focused on your goals * What entrepreneurs must focus on to be successful today
Ways to contact Dean: * Website: empowermediallc.net * Email: dean@empowermediallc.net
Jeffrey Hayzlett is the primetime television host of C-Suite with Jeffrey Hayzlett and Executive Perspectives on C-Suite TV; he is the podcast host of the award winning All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett on the CBS on-demand podcast network Play.It. Hayzlett is a global business celebrity, CPAE Hall of Fame speaker, best-selling author, and Chairman of C-Suite Network, home of the world’s most trusted network of C-Suite leaders.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Jeffrey’s background * Jeffrey’s C-Suite Network * Some of Jeffrey’s most influential mentors * Why you shouldn’t be proud of your failures (even though it is okay to fail) * Setting conditions of satisfaction * Crawl, walk, run: learning that you have to go through all stages of learning * Why you need to be a good customer * Having a team that lets you focus on what you need to focus on * Recommended reading * Why you can’t let invite the negative voices in
Ways to contact Jeffrey: * Website: c-suitenetwork.com * Website: hayzlett.com
Vanessa is the CEO and founder of Vanessa Kromer Female Entrepreneur Life and Success Coaching. As a certified life and success coach, Vanessa helps hundreds of women tackle their goals and dream big daily. She is a fashion-forward self-made entrepreneur who loves to motivate and encourage other women to succeed and crush goals. She is a born leader and speaker with an energetic and fun personality!
In addition to individual and group coaching, she uses her coaching skills as the Divisional Merchandise Manager for Chloe + Isabel NYC, where she leads, manages, and trains hundreds of women.
Vanessa has a gift for bringing out the qualities deep inside the women she works with, qualities they did not even know existed. She is known for the ultimate in positive reinforcement, yet transparent coaching. Her genuine care for her clients and her level of professionalism keeps her customers coming back for more.
Vanessa is very involved in ministry and charity work during her free time. She also enjoys styling jewelry.
Vanessa is always seeking new and innovative ways to build her brand, including ways to help encourage other leaders and entrepreneurs.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Vanessa’s background * Vanessa’s strategies for effective time management * What you can learn from Steven Covey’s time matrix * Why it’s more than okay to say no * The challenges of getting people to be committed to your business’ vision * The resources Vanessa provides to the people that she works with * Why passion is so crucial * Why you need to be a constant student * Why you must give out constant encouragement * Why you need to focus on your why (and why this shouldn’t be money) * Why you don’t need to take every course * Vanessa’s struggles with getting too emotionally involved with clients * Why you need someone to keep you accountable
Ways to contact Vanessa: * Website: www.vanessakromer.com * Email: hello@vanessakromer.com
Personal Development’s power couple Preston Smiles and Alexi Panos are world renowned innovators and pioneers in the Emergent Wisdom Movement. As founders of the groundbreaking Bridge Method (which includes their live workshops and various online training programs), they have created a movement of transformation that has taken humanity by storm through their unique and passion-filled approach to sharing age-old wisdom. Using social media as a main source of connection and distribution of their lively educational videos, they’ve built an incredible tribe of loyal fans around the globe who aren’t just inspired by their work, but are empowered by it. Their new book “NOW OR NEVER” debuts 12/27/16, and their previous books are “LOVE LOUDER” and “50 WAYS TO YAY” (Simon & Schuster).
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Preston and Alexi’s journey * Changing your mindset so that failure is just information * Diminishers: internal responses deployed by your ego that hold you back * Using feedback to be able to see your blind spots * How to get honest feedback from your employees * Making sure to schedule in play * Designing the life you want * Hiring people for roles that fit their personal genius * The questions Preston and Alexi ask themselves and others
Ways to contact Preston and Alexi: * Website: www.alexiandpreston.com * Book: www.noworneverthebook.com
Kelly Hatfield is co-founder of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group, Enginuity Virtual Recruiter and Impact Real Estate Real Estate Group based in Everett, Washington. She has been in the recruiting and HR field for over 20-years and loves serving others. Kelly and her business partner have built three successful companies with the purpose of helping others succeed and delivering remarkable results. Kelly and her team strategically align themselves as “The Partner of Choice” with clients and strive to be the first place clients call when they are looking for extraordinary service, quality, and reliability. The resulting outcome has been an outstanding referral network that has built and continues to build their companies.
As Co-Founder and Owner of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group and Enginuity Virtual Recruiter, April (together with her amazing partner) has created and developed three successful businesses aimed at matching exceptional talent with the top organizations. With 17 years in the human resources and staffing realm, April has experience, knowledge and a love for people and aims to offer solutions to all who are served. Being a natural problem solver, she prides herself on developing and leading a team of recruiting professionals whose mission is focused on connecting people to opportunity. Through creative and exhaustive methods, the Enginuity Group successfully matches the right talent with the right businesses each and every day.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Being clear about what you want * Understanding what candidates want from your company * The importance of moving quickly through the hiring process * Why recruiting is like a courting process * Offering competitive packages
Ways to contact Kelly: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-hatfield-2a2610a
Ways to contact April: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/apriltaylor
Kelly Hatfield is co-founder of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group, Enginuity Virtual Recruiter and Impact Real Estate Real Estate Group based in Everett, Washington. She has been in the recruiting and HR field for over 20-years and loves serving others. Kelly and her business partner have built three successful companies with the purpose of helping others succeed and delivering remarkable results. Kelly and her team strategically align themselves as “The Partner of Choice” with clients and strive to be the first place clients call when they are looking for extraordinary service, quality, and reliability. The resulting outcome has been an outstanding referral network that has built and continues to build their companies.
As Co-Founder and Owner of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group and Enginuity Virtual Recruiter, April (together with her amazing partner) has created and developed three successful businesses aimed at matching exceptional talent with the top organizations. With 17 years in the human resources and staffing realm, April has experience, knowledge and a love for people and aims to offer solutions to all who are served. Being a natural problem solver, she prides herself on developing and leading a team of recruiting professionals whose mission is focused on connecting people to opportunity. Through creative and exhaustive methods, the Enginuity Group successfully matches the right talent with the right businesses each and every day.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The high demand and low supply that requires you to always be recruiting engineering talent * Using social media to engage with engineering talent * Getting involved in professional organizations like The American Council of Engineering Companies * Partnering with engineering departments in colleges * Getting clear on your culture and brand and shouting it from the rooftops * Getting your employees involved in your recruiting efforts * Why you need to move FAST * Why you need to be very clear with candidates
Ways to contact Kelly: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-hatfield-2a2610a
Ways to contact April: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/apriltaylor
Super Julie Braun is a clever cocktail of right brain (creativity and big picture), left brain (knowledge and process), and a splash of a sassy attitude.
In her corporate career, Super Julie’s held Creative Director, Executive Vice President, and Chief Marketing Officer positions with super-sized brands like Victoria’s Secret, MTV, Bath and Body Works, Estée Lauder, Nike, and Carter’s Childrenswear. At Carters, in just 18 months, Super Julie’s team contributed to the company doubling their business from $500 million to over $1 billion, which also led to a public stock offering.
When she started her own company, Super Julie did what Super Julie does best. She immediately recruited interns to help her grow her business. Super Julie’s interns were working directly with clients on high-level projects, serving as integral, contributing members of her team. Realizing that other businesses and organizations could greatly benefit from her experience, mentorship abilities, and proven systems, SuperInterns.com was born in December of 2008.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Julie’s background and how she built her intern business * How Julie turned her dyslexia from her biggest liability to her biggest gift * Focusing on what makes you the most money and delegating everything else away * Why you should use interns to leverage your resources * Paid vs. unpaid internships: what you need to know * The rules and regulations that come with unpaid internships * How to create a culture for virtual internships (or employees) * The benefits of working from home * The impact Julie’s live broadcast has had on her business * Julie’s business’ manifesto (that was written by interns!) * A piece of Julie’s process for vetting the super interns that work for her * Why you need someone that will call you out * Why you need to listen to those around you * Why you can’t do it alone
Ways to contact Julie: * Website: www.superinterns.com
Kelly Hatfield is co-founder of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group, Enginuity Virtual Recruiter and Impact Real Estate Real Estate Group based in Everett, Washington. She has been in the recruiting and HR field for over 20-years and loves serving others. Kelly and her business partner have built three successful companies with the purpose of helping others succeed and delivering remarkable results. Kelly and her team strategically align themselves as “The Partner of Choice” with clients and strive to be the first place clients call when they are looking for extraordinary service, quality, and reliability. The resulting outcome has been an outstanding referral network that has built and continues to build their companies.
As Co-Founder and Owner of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group and Enginuity Virtual Recruiter, April (together with her amazing partner) has created and developed three successful businesses aimed at matching exceptional talent with the top organizations. With 17 years in the human resources and staffing realm, April has experience, knowledge and a love for people and aims to offer solutions to all who are served. Being a natural problem solver, she prides herself on developing and leading a team of recruiting professionals whose mission is focused on connecting people to opportunity. Through creative and exhaustive methods, the Enginuity Group successfully matches the right talent with the right businesses each and every day.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How toxic relationships impact your life and business * The impact of removing toxic relationships from your business * How removing toxic employees impacts the rest of your team * How to recognize a toxic relationship * The difference between a toxic client and a challenging client * How to end a toxic relationship * How to attempt to fix a toxic relationship before ending it
Ways to contact Kelly: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-hatfield-2a2610a
Ways to contact April: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/apriltaylor
Don Yaeger is a nationally acclaimed inspirational speaker, longtime Associate Editor of Sports Illustrated and author of 25 books, nine of which have become New York Times Best-sellers. He began his career at the San Antonio (TX) Light and also worked at the Dallas Morning News and the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville before going to work for Sports Illustrated.
As an author, Don has written books with, among others, Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, UCLA basketball Coach John Wooden, baseball legends John Smoltz and Tug McGraw and football stars Warrick Dunn and Michael Oher (featured in the movie The Blind Side). He teamed with Fox News anchor Brian Kilmeade to pen the 2013 best-seller “George Washington’s Secret Six,” a look at the citizen spy ring that helped win the Revolutionary War and then again in 2015 writing “Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War that Changed American History.”
Don left Sports Illustrated in 2008 to pursue a public speaking career that has allowed him to share stories learned from the greatest winners of our generation with audiences as diverse as Fortune 10 companies to cancer survivor groups, where he shares his personal story. More than a quarter-million people have heard his discussions on What Makes the Great Ones Great.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Don’s background * Learning from mentors from afar * Don’s new book “Great Teams” * Why it’s so important to understand your “why” — and what Don’s “why” was while writing his new book * What great teams look like — and what they all do to keep achieving greatness * The four pillars of great teams: purpose, effective management, activating efficiency, and mutual direction * How Don defines organizational culture * What “A Players” are * How to prepare for top employees leaving by having a strong bench * Why Don is a very open leader with his team * Why Don makes sure he learns something every day
Ways to contact Don: * Website: donyaeger.com * New Book: “Great Teams: 16 Things High Performing Organizations Do Differently”
Kelly Hatfield is co-founder of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group, Enginuity Virtual Recruiter and Impact Real Estate Real Estate Group based in Everett, Washington. She has been in the recruiting and HR field for over 20-years and loves serving others. Kelly and her business partner have built three successful companies with the purpose of helping others succeed and delivering remarkable results. Kelly and her team strategically align themselves as “The Partner of Choice” with clients and strive to be the first place clients call when they are looking for extraordinary service, quality, and reliability. The resulting outcome has been an outstanding referral network that has built and continues to build their companies.
As Co-Founder and Owner of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group and Enginuity Virtual Recruiter, April (together with her amazing partner) has created and developed three successful businesses aimed at matching exceptional talent with the top organizations. With 17 years in the human resources and staffing realm, April has experience, knowledge and a love for people and aims to offer solutions to all who are served. Being a natural problem solver, she prides herself on developing and leading a team of recruiting professionals whose mission is focused on connecting people to opportunity. Through creative and exhaustive methods, the Enginuity Group successfully matches the right talent with the right businesses each and every day.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Some powerful quotes about the power of saying no * Why you need to set firm boundaries * Why it can be a challenge to say no * Getting clear on what really matters * Understanding that you can’t be everything to everyone * Why — if you always say yes — your time is devalued * Why you should say no fast * Why you need to ask questions before saying yes * Why — if it’s not “hell yes” — you have to say no * Why you should delegate to people who are well equipped * Being prepared to let go * Why you need to put a dollar amount on your time
Ways to contact Kelly: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-hatfield-2a2610a
Ways to contact April: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/apriltaylor
Geoff Tamble is Project Manager and Principal at The Blueline Group, an award-winning first choice for developers, builders, architects, property owners, and municipalities who need civil engineering and land use planning services throughout Washington State.
Blueline was founded in 2003 by Brian Darrow, PE; Todd Oberg, PE, LEED AP; and Geoff Tamble, PE; with the belief that superior engineering and planning services could be achieved with a more enjoyable process for all by focusing on employees first. The ability to contribute to the community whenever possible was also important and a portion of profits have been dedicated to supporting charities and events from day one. Three years later, Ken Lauzen, PE, joined the ranks of Principal bringing the senior management team to four.
Today, more than 90% of their clients are repeats or referrals…a testament to client satisfaction.
Geoff has been part of a joint leadership strategy that helped Blueline Group earn several awards:
- Top 50/100 fastest growing companies in WA in 2007, ‘08, ‘13, ‘14, and ‘15 by Puget Sound Business Journal (50-Bellevue Eastside and 100-Statewide).
- Best Company to work for in 2007 (2nd) and 2008 (5th) as rated by WA CEO Magazine.
- Top 50 Best Company to work for in WA in 2008 as rated by Puget Sound Business Journal.
- Top 25 Best Engineering Company to work for in 2008 in the Nation as rated by CE News Magazine.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Geoff’s background and what led him to start Blueline * Why you should write your business plan like you’re writing a prenup * What Geoff learned from being coached by legendary college football coach Don James * What Geoff and the Blueline team learned that helped them focus their website * Why you employees need to fit in your culture * Blueline’s “work hard, play hard” culture * Why you need to invest in your employees — and how Blueline does this * Why Blueline is extremely flexible with their employees * What “A Players” look like to Geoff * The political skills Blueline employees need to navigate the tricky waters of the engineering industry * What Blueline’s relaxed interviewed process looks like * How Blueline keeps their employees * Why Seattle is going to be great job security for Blueline
Ways to contact Geoff: * Website: www.thebluelinegroup.com
Ben Brown is a Best Selling Author, Keynote Speaker, and the CEO of 360 Sales Consulting. He has over 20 years background in Sales and Sales Management. His passion is helping business people with their sales. Many companies focus on marketing but leave the most important part of the business out. That is sales! 360 Sales Consulting has a 10 step sales process that can help anyone understand the simple law of properly selling a customer something that they can help and benefit from.
360 Sales Consulting specializes in sales training and coaching for small business and entrepreneurs who need help with their sale process. We have a proven method of the sales process and also can analysis current method to see where improvements need to be added.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Ben’s background * Bringing in the right person to lead up your sales department * Finding the right mentor to push you to the next level * Why you have to be ready for your relationship with your business partner to blow up * Emulating the behavior that you want your team to put forth * What you need to know about recruiting and hiring sales people * Why Ben isn’t afraid to hire people who have never worked in sales before and use them as salespeople * Why employee training must be ongoing * Why salespeople need to be fit — physically and mentally * The best time to sell to people * Why you need to communicate with everyone on your team * Why you should never assume anything * Ben’s book: “Master the Art of Closing the Sale: The Game-Changing 10-Step Sales Process for Getting More Clients and Referrals”
Ways to contact Ben: * Website: 360salesconsulting.com * Twitter: @team360sales * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/360sales * Facebook: www.facebook.com/ben.brown.102361 * Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/EntrepreneurSalesMastermind * Book: “Master the Art of Closing the Sale”
George Wright has over thirty years’ experience as a management consultant and is the founder and President of WrightOne Consulting. He specializes in psychological assessment analysis, organizational assessment as well as leadership and team development. He has experience helping clients with selection, executive development, performance management, strategy formulation, change management, and organizational development.
George is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a Bachelor’s in Psychology & Sociology. He also has a Masters Degree from Radford University in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Economics. Additionally, he has studied Technology Management at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
He is an Adjunct Instructor in Industrial & Organizational Psychology, Social Psychology, and Positive Psychology at Bloomfield College in Bloomfield, NJ. He has also served on the faculty of the NJ Judicial College, lecturing on Cognitive Bias.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * George’s background * Why listening is the most important skill for leaders — and why you need to listen with more than just your ears * George’s two most influential mentors * Learning from your mistakes and looking for three lessons to learn from a mistake * Combating fear and giving yourself permission to try something * Why it’s so important to take care of yourself, especially as a leader * What emotional intelligence is and why it’s so important in the workplace * Why you need to get people to prove that they belong on your team * The fundamental characteristics that make up “A Players” * Building a plan that will help someone become successful inside your organization * How to prevent employees from leaving your company * How to lead from the top and challenge mediocrity * Why you shouldn’t fall in love with a candidate and ignore
Ways to contact George: * Website: www.wrightoneconsulting.com * Phone: (973) 419-0870 * Email: gwright@wrightoneconsulting.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/georgefwright * Facebook: www.facebook.com/WrightOneConsulting * Twitter: @GwrightOne
Resources: * Interview Guide * Training Course Catalogue * Sample Assessment Report
Jason Treu is a business and executive coach and former lawyer. He’s an expert in leadership, human behavior, influence, networking, and culture-building. He’s helped his clients meet influencers such as Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Tim Cook, create more than $1B in wealth in last 3 years, and get on influential boards such as TED and Xprize.
His bestselling book, “Social Wealth, the how-to-guide on building personal and professional relationships,” has sold more than 45,000 copies on Amazon, has been #1 in four business and self-help categories, and has more than 125+ five star reviews.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Jason’s journey * “Social Wealth”: Jason’s bestselling book * Why you need to focus on soft skills the most — even though we typically focus on them the least * What Jason has learned from Brené Brown from her Ted talk and books * Why Jason had to part with his business partner to move his business towards the next level * Building a team that helps you see your blind spots * Why it’s so important to know what you’re doing what you’re doing right * Surrounding yourself with the right people * Practicing gratitude in your life * Why you need to get comfortable with your circle adapting to where you’re going * Creating a people-first culture * The difference between “A Players,” “B Players,” and “C Players” * How “C Players” kill organizations and zap productivity away from “A Players” and “B Players” * Why you need to have a succession plan * Why you have to invest in your “A Players” — and why people tend to focus on their “B Players” * Why you MUST invest yourself * Why keeping a tight calendar is so important
Ways to contact Jason: * Website: www.jasontreu.com * Twitter: @jasontreu * Book: “Social Wealth”
Adrienne Garland is the founder of She Leads Media, a media company dedicated to leadership – both professionally and personally – for women, worldwide. The mission of She Leads Media is to inspire, educate and ultimately, to showcase women as the leaders we were all meant to be. Adrienne has an extensive marketing background and has helped media companies such as Cablevision, DIRECTV, SiriusXM, PR Newswire and PricewaterhouseCoopers with customer growth and digital transformation over the course of her career. She is a sought-after marketing consultant with expertise in bringing together and activating audiences and brands to achieve tangible results. Adrienne is a New York Business Journal 2016 class of Women of Influence honoree.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Adrienne’s background that led into the founding of She Leads Media * Why it’s so important to trust yourself * What Adrienne learned from her former business partner Laura — and how she’s moved on in her business since Laura left * What Adrienne learned from hosting a conference that she lost money on * The importance of thinking in a bigger way * How Adrienne works with vendors for her conferences * How to figure out what to outsource * How to vet your outsourcing partners * Why it’s so important to talk to yourself in the right way * Why Adrienne follows Ben Franklin’s “early to bed, early to rise” advice * Why you need to put everything in your calendar * Why women need to hold off on the perfect and think really big
Ways to contact Adrienne: * Website: www.sheleadsmedia.com
Jeff Jensen has been involved in recruiting and building companies for 30+ years in a number of industries and in a number of positions.
Jeff was President/Principal of two private placement companies, the Knapp Agency Seattle a Mgmt., & staffing company as well as The Lynnwood Placement Center that placed people in the Logging industry.
Jeff has held positions as Sr. V.P., Exec., V.P., Branch Manager and Sales Manager in the lending industry. He is a Past President of the Seattle Mortgage Bankers Association and a current director for the Washington Association of Mortgage Bankers. He has Chaired Non-Profit groups as well.
He recently published a book on recruiting called “What A HOOT! Let’s Recruit!” wherein he shares techniques that work in a number of industries to improve the performance of the recruiting initiative.
Jeff has been married to his wife Taryn for 40 years and lives in Woodinville, Wa.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Jeff’s background * Why integrity is so vital * What Jeff learned from his mentor Jim Moats * What Jeff learned from a time where he felt like he failed * Why Jeff hires for soft skills * How to avoid make a bad hire — and why this must be done at all costs * Why culture is so important * What “A Players” in Jeff’s organization look like — and what qualities he looks for in potential hires * Why Jeff loves using LinkedIn during his employee search * Jeff’s Six E’s for keeping his attention level where it needs to be to nurture employees * What Jeff does to take care of his body and mind * How to recognize and capitalize on momentum
Ways to contact Jeff: * Website: hootinrecruiting.com * Phone: (425)344-2066 * Email: jjensen@hootinrecruiting.com
Kelly Hatfield is co-founder of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group, Enginuity Virtual Recruiter and Impact Real Estate Real Estate Group based in Everett, Washington. She has been in the recruiting and HR field for over 20-years and loves serving others. Kelly and her business partner have built three successful companies with the purpose of helping others succeed and delivering remarkable results. Kelly and her team strategically align themselves as “The Partner of Choice” with clients and strive to be the first place clients call when they are looking for extraordinary service, quality, and reliability. The resulting outcome has been an outstanding referral network that has built and continues to build their companies.
As Co-Founder and Owner of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group and Enginuity Virtual Recruiter, April (together with her amazing partner) has created and developed three successful businesses aimed at matching exceptional talent with the top organizations. With 17 years in the human resources and staffing realm, April has experience, knowledge and a love for people and aims to offer solutions to all who are served. Being a natural problem solver, she prides herself on developing and leading a team of recruiting professionals whose mission is focused on connecting people to opportunity. Through creative and exhaustive methods, the Enginuity Group successfully matches the right talent with the right businesses each and every day.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * What an accountability partner is and why you need one * How April and I hold each other accountable * Why you will justify anything in your own mind if you don’t have someone else hold you accountable * Why the words you use create your reality — and why you need to have another voice to change what you say * How a good accountability partner can add objectivity * How to know who the right accountability partner is for you * What qualities to look for in an accountability partner * Being aware of when you outgrow your accountability partner * Making the accountability relationship fun by making a game out of it
Ways to contact Kelly: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-hatfield-2a2610a
Ways to contact April: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/apriltaylor
Kevin Chadwick is a Principal with FSi Consulting Engineers, and has been with the firm since 2005.
FSi Consulting Engineers provides HVAC, plumbing, and fire protection engineering for a wide range of buildings, as well as process systems for specialized industrial functions. FSi’s projects have been recognized by professional organizations, government agencies, and industries, for design excellence and for elegant solutions to complex problems. Their award winning projects range from airplane hangars to chocolate factories, to civic buildings.
Kevin is a licensed mechanical engineer and LEED Accredited Professional with more than 13 years of experience. Kevin has led FSi’s team on the firm’s largest contracts, with construction costs up to $185M, and prime contracts as large as $15M. Beyond the technical side of things, Kevin is part of the leadership team at FSI and a big contributor to the amazing culture they have.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Kevin’s story and how he ended up at FSi * Why caring about people is the best thing you can do as a leader — and what that looks like at FSi * What Kevin has learned from Larry Ransom, a business coach that FSi works with * Why people you work with need to buy into who you are and what you do * The benefits of being very intentional * Choosing who you’re going to be as a leader * The challenges of finding the right experienced people * FSi’s culture and why they focus on vision, value, and purpose * FSi’s recruiting process * What “A Players” look like to Kevin — and why they absolutely need to be coachable * The challenges of integrating 3D design into the construction world and other challenges that face the industry in the coming * Why you will have very little turnover if you hire people that fit your culture
Ways to contact Kevin: * Website: fsi-engineers.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-chadwick-pe-9a1a5615
Judy Robinett has led both public and private companies as CEO and served in management positions at Fortune 500 companies.
She is on the advisory boards of Illuminate VC, Pereg VC, and Springboard Enterprises. Judy previously served as a managing director of Golden Seeds Angel Network and as a member of the faculty of Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Business Program.
Judy’s book, “How to Be a Power Connector: the 5+50+150 Rule,” was named the #1 business book of 2014 by Inc. She has been profiled in Entrepreneur, Vogue, Fast Company, Forbes, CBS, Huffington Post, and Bloomberg Businessweek.
Judy also has a program called Crack the Funding Code for helping entrepreneurs obtain investor funding for their early-stage businesses and startups.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Judy’s background * What she learned when she ran out of money * Why you need to vet people before working with them * Utilizing people in your network * The reasons startup fail * Fighting your own worst enemy: you * Why you can’t do it all by yourself * How to outsource when you don’t have a lot of resources * Understanding your blind spots * Creating a safe place for your team and understanding what motivates them * How to get the right team for each stage of your business * Strategies Judy uses to lead herself * Judy’s Crack the Funding Code program
Ways to contact Judy: * Website: www.judyrobinett.com * Email: judy@judyrobinett.com * Twitter: @judyrobinett * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/judyrobinett
Travis Snider is Co-President of BETS Consulting. He is a successful business coach and consultant focused on creating profit ideas for small business. As the Creator and Lead Instructor of the Small Business Accelerator at Everett Community College, he conducts a ten month workshop and coaching program for experienced business owners.
Travis has developed a collection of “Profit Strategies” of Successful Small Business Owners which guides his profit improvement coaching. This collection includes over 300 profit ideas to “supercharge” any small business. He has created a unique set of assessment tools that allow companies to identify and manage key profit drivers critical to growth.
Travis is a former CPA and partner in local and regional accounting firms. He has served as Chairman and Director of numerous business and social service organizations in the Puget Sound community. Travis writes frequently about growing small business and is a regular speaker on the subject. He received his MBA from Seattle University.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Travis’ background * The importance of seeking out coaching, mentorship, and mastermind groups * Why you need to have a vision for the future * Travis’ relationship with his wife and how they complement each other inside their business * Why you shouldn’t make assumptions without vetting them * Getting clear on your most important priorities — and acting upon them * How to find and hire the right people * Hiring for attitude — not skills * When is it time to part ways with an employee? * The characteristics Travis sees in “A Players” * How to keep your “A Players” around * What drives millennials * How to deal with employees leaving and how to have effective turnover * Keeping relevant through constant learning, embracing change, and making it fun
Ways to contact Travis: * Small Business Accelerator Signature Program: www.everettcc.edu/ccec/small-business-accelerator/signature-program * Email: travis@betsconsulting.com * Website: betsconsulting.com
Kristin Marquet is the founder and managing director of Creative Development Agency (formerly award-winning firm, Marquet Media). She oversees the day-to-day operations of the agency as well as directs all client accounts and projects. Kristin also develops, manages, and implements various internal and external communication and social media initiatives. With a strong eye for creating memorable brands and a diverse range of knowledge, Kristin provides strategic counsel to clients interested in developing successful internal and external communication programs across all media platforms.
Kristin has forged successful partnerships with celebrity fashion designer and correspondent NV Nick Verreos; womens wear designer Yunes Swathe; Vancouver Fashion Week; prestige hair care brand Briogeo; French accessory designer Mona Roussette; and many more. She has generated media placements in Wall Street Journal, The Today Show, Seventeen and Lucky magazines, Glam.com, and countless other outlets.
Kristin holds a master’s degree in marketing and PR from New York University, and is also a contributor to Entrepreneur.com and NYDailyNews.com. She is also the founder of the business blog LifestyleandBusiness.com and lifestyle tech startup, TheLABDaily.com.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Kristin’s background and journey * What you need to figure out before you start hiring employees * Kristin’s story of how losing a big piece of business led to a bigger, better opportunity * The mentorship lessons Kristin took from her father * How Kristin learned to let go and start delegating effectively * How she finds and hires people * Looking at your company from your hire’s perspective * What “A Players” look like to Kristin * How to nurture your employees so that they stick around * Leading yourself through focus and time blocking * Why prioritization is so important * Kristin’s brand coaching packages
Ways to contact Kristin: * Website: www.creativedevelopmentagency.com * Website: www.lifestyleandbusiness.com
Lee Caraher is the CEO of Double Forte PR & Digital Marketing; an acclaimed communication strategist, she’s known for her practical solutions to big problems. Her company works with some of the top consumer and technology brands in the country.
Lee’s the author of “Millennials & Management” based on her experience with failing and then succeeding at retaining Millennials. Her next book, “The Boomerang Principle,” will be published in April 2017.
Lee has a reputation for building cohesive, high producing teams who have fun together at the same time. She is a straight talker who doesn’t hold too many punches, although she does her best to be pleasant about it. Her big laugh and sense of humor have gotten her out of a lot of trouble.
Lee is active in the community and currently serves on three nonprofit boards. A graduate of Carleton College with a degree in Medieval History, which she finds useful every day, Lee lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two sons, and a blind cat.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Lee’s background and journey * What Lee and Double Forte did to survive the market crash * How that crash forced Double Forte to become exceptional at customer service * Why they changed their model from only hiring people with 10 years of experience to hiring people straight out of college and what their balance of employees under/over 30 looks like today * How Lee’s experiences failing and then succeeding at retaining Millennials led to her publishing “Millennials & Management” * Why you have to have millennials in your business if you want to have a future * Why you need to work at creating an environment where your millennials will thrive * Creating a culture where employees are appreciated * Why you need to explain to millennials why they need to do things * What “A Players” look like to Lee * How Lee finds her “A Players” and what Double Forte does to use them effectively * Running an alumni program * What Double Forte’s interview process looks like
Ways to contact Lee: * Website: www.leecaraher.com * Twitter: @LeeCaraher
John Livesay is a funding strategist who helps CEOs craft a compelling pitch that engages investors in a way that inspires them to join a startup’s team. He is partners with Judy Robinett in Crack The Funding Code which gets founders funded fast. He hosts The Successful Pitch podcast with investors from around the world. He is the Pitch Mentor at Startfast.net, the number one accelerator in Upstate New York. INC magazine calls him the Pitch Whisperer. After a successful 20 year career in media sales with Conde Nast where he worked across all 22 brands in their corporate division, John won salesperson of the year in 2012. John is the author of “The Successful Pitch: Conversations On Going From Invisible To Investable.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * John’s background * John’s book “The Successful Pitch: Conversations On Going From Invisible To Investable” * What makes a great pitch * Why collaboration is the secret to success * How to improve your confidence * What John learned from his mentor Tim Sanders * Why John started his podcast The Successful Pitch * Why building your team with people that fit your culture is more important than anything else * What John’s interviewing process looks like * How to avoid making the wrong hire * What you need to do to inspire your employees * Strategies you can use to lead yourself * Why you must meditate if you want to be good at sales * Strategies to maximize productivity
Ways to contact John: * Website: www.johnlivesay.com * Twitter: @John_Livesay * Book: “The Successful Pitch: Conversations On Going From Invisible To Investable” * Free “3 Mistakes To Avoid When Pitching” download: sellingsecretsforfunding.com/fire
Tracey and Doug Hepner founded IWS in 1987. IWS has built a staff of seasoned personnel with a reputation of broad experience, pride in craftsmanship and the ability to deliver both complicated and off the shelf solutions to their customers. The integrity of what they supply from the bid to the installation shows in their professional approach and desire to supply the very best.
Their key to success comes from running a well-managed small business that supports their dedicated family of employees and includes their extended family of vendors and customers.
They take the team approach to everything they do. They involve all the right people and create a winning attitude that allows long-term relationships to be built and maintained. IWS works under the belief that their reputation and signature is on every piece they deliver and that’s the way they like it! IWS applies the same quality to production runs as it does to custom runs, ensuring that the inside is as strong as the outside is beautiful. That is one reason their customer base is so loyal — if they say they can do, they do it. Their slogan is, “If you can draw it, we can build it.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Tracey’s background and how IWS came to be * Why you need to surround yourself with quality people and why you need to listen to what they have to say * What Tracey learned from her dad, an entrepreneur himself * How Tracey made it through the time when IWS was on life support — and how her business mentor helped her turn it around * Why Tracey had to turn away a major business opportunity and why it turned out for the best in the end * The point where Tracey decided that her team was wearing too many hats and how she grew the team to where it needed to be * The award-winning project for the University of Washington that moved IWS to the next level * Why the organizational chart is so important for the growth of your company * How to recognize which employees are holding you back * Why “A Players” are self-motivated and have the entrepreneurial spirit * What IWS’ hiring process looks like * How IWS onboards their employees — and why Tracey believes this is something that needs improving * Getting the processes out of your head and onto paper * How IWS stands out through their culture and opportunity
Ways to contact Tracey: * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/traceyhepner * Website: www.interiorwoodworking.com
Kelly Hatfield is co-founder of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group, Enginuity Virtual Recruiter and Impact Real Estate Real Estate Group based in Everett, Washington. She has been in the recruiting and HR field for over 20-years and loves serving others. Kelly and her business partner have built three successful companies with the purpose of helping others succeed and delivering remarkable results. Kelly and her team strategically align themselves as “The Partner of Choice” with clients and strive to be the first place clients call when they are looking for extraordinary service, quality, and reliability. The resulting outcome has been an outstanding referral network that has built and continues to build their companies.
As Co-Founder and Owner of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group and Enginuity Virtual Recruiter, April (together with her amazing partner) has created and developed three successful businesses aimed at matching exceptional talent with the top organizations. With 17 years in the human resources and staffing realm, April has experience, knowledge and a love for people and aims to offer solutions to all who are served. Being a natural problem solver, she prides herself on developing and leading a team of recruiting professionals whose mission is focused on connecting people to opportunity. Through creative and exhaustive methods, the Enginuity Group successfully matches the right talent with the right businesses each and every day.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: Quotes from the following people and the lessons that we have learned from them:
- Maya Angelou
- Henry Ford
- Oprah Winfrey
- Warren Buffett
- Benjamin Franklin
- John Wooden
- Dr. Seuss
Ways to contact Kelly: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-hatfield-2a2610a
Ways to contact April: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/apriltaylor
Kute Blackson is a charismatic visionary and transformational teacher who offers a fresh, bold look at spiritual awareness for a whole new generation. Blackson’s unique lineage lay the blueprint for his approach to breaking down barriers and setting the gifts and greatness of others free. Born in Ghana, West Africa, Blackson’s multicultural upbringing as the child of a Japanese mother and a Ghanaian father has spanned four different continents. His unique lineage lay the blueprint for his approach to breaking down barriers and unlocking an individual’s true gifts and greatness.
Blackson has had a gift for transforming lives — including his own — since childhood. The son of a revered spiritual leader and healer, Blackson was speaking to his father’s congregations in more than 300 churches by the age of eight. At the age of 14, he was ordained into his father’s ministry and groomed to carry on the family’s spiritual legacy. But his heart’s truth told him that his destiny would not be in the church. He would need to take a leap into the unknown and forge a path of his own.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Kute’s background and why he decided to pursue the path he’s pursued * Why entrepreneurs can feel unfulfilled and why living a life of service can alleviate that feeling * What to do when it feels like nothing is working * Avoiding the trap of success * Why we constantly lie to ourselves and why the truth will set us free * Why it’s so important to stay in the moment * Why you have to lead yourself first * Kute’s personal routines and rituals for staying on track and leading himself * Kute’s book “YOU.ARE.THE.ONE.”
Ways to contact Kute: * Book: www.youaretheonebook.com * Website: www.kuteblackson.com * Event: www.boundlessblissbali.com * Facebook: www.facebook.com/kuteblacksonlovenow * Twitter: @kuteblackson * Instagram: @kuteblackson
Kelly Hatfield is co-founder of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group, Enginuity Virtual Recruiter and Impact Real Estate Real Estate Group based in Everett, Washington. She has been in the recruiting and HR field for over 20-years and loves serving others. Kelly and her business partner have built three successful companies with the purpose of helping others succeed and delivering remarkable results. Kelly and her team strategically align themselves as “The Partner of Choice” with clients and strive to be the first place clients call when they are looking for extraordinary service, quality, and reliability. The resulting outcome has been an outstanding referral network that has built and continues to build their companies.
As Co-Founder and Owner of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group and Enginuity Virtual Recruiter, April (together with her amazing partner) has created and developed three successful businesses aimed at matching exceptional talent with the top organizations. With 17 years in the human resources and staffing realm, April has experience, knowledge and a love for people and aims to offer solutions to all who are served. Being a natural problem solver, she prides herself on developing and leading a team of recruiting professionals whose mission is focused on connecting people to opportunity. Through creative and exhaustive methods, the Enginuity Group successfully matches the right talent with the right businesses each and every day.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why it’s sometimes necessary to use a staffing firm in lieu of trying to hire alone * Some of the common complaints about staffing firms * Choosing the right recruiting firm for your specific needs * Why your recruiting firm must be a partnership, not a vendor-client relationship * Why working with multiple recruiting firms is a bad idea * The prep work that needs to be done to set expectations and why you should expect pushback from a good recruiting firm * Why you need to be clear on what you’re hiring for * Making sure the employees you spend a premium to hire will succeed in your company * Interviewing staffing firms like you would an employee
Ways to contact Kelly: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-hatfield-2a2610a
Ways to contact April: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/apriltaylor
Marty Wolff is a serial entrepreneur having started and operated four different businesses. Those businesses were in transportation, retail, management consulting and business/executive coaching.
Marty has been recognized as a Presidents Club member as the leading indirect sales person for Cellular One, the VP of Sales and Marketing in the state of CA for Patrick Media Group, the Regional Sales and Marketing Manager for US Foodservice in Baltimore, MD, and the Director of Sales for Reinhart Foodservice of Eastern PA.
As a business coach and consultant Marty has played an important role in the success of large publicly traded companies, some with revenues exceeding $20 billion and with privately owned firms in many different industries.
Marty serves as an executive coach for several CEOs of privately owned companies. In 2012 Marty started the Business Builders Radio Show and Podcast. The show has nationally and internationally recognized speakers, authors and CEOs as guests.
Marty is also the host of Business Leaders Radio, a Northeastern PA based radio show for entrepreneurs, which is a production of Bold Gold Media. Effective March 2016, the Business Builders Show is also doing video interviews at major conferences across America. Combined with Marty’s success as a business/executive coach, the podcasts have created a demand for Marty as a professional speaker, meeting facilitator / emcee and as part of the media teams at major conferences.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Marty’s entrepreneurial journey * What freedom looks like to Marty * The importance of seeking advice from a number of different sources * Why you need to read Ari Weinzweig’s books before you do anything * The mentors that Marty has learned from throughout his career * The failure that led Marty on his path * What you need to think about when scaling your business * Why “A Players” are team players * What to look for on potential employees’ social media accounts * What Marty’s hiring process looks like and techniques he uses to find the right employees * The challenges of engaging with your employees in 2016 * What causes people to leave and how to prevent it * Marty’s tips for continual growth * Why keeping a routine is so important * Why your to-do list needs to be focused on what moves the needle
Ways to contact Marty: * Website: martywolffbusinesssolutions.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marty-wolff-a72a3a7 * Facebook: www.facebook.com/MartyWolffCEO * Twitter: @martywolffceo
Heather Ann Havenwood, CEO of Havenwood Worldwide, LLC and Chief Sexy Boss, is a serial entrepreneur and is regarded as a top authority on internet marketing, business strategies, and marketing. Since marketing her first online business in 1999, bringing together clients and personal coaches, she has played an active role in the online marketing world since before most even had a home computer.
In 2006 she started, developed and grew an online information marketing publishing company from ground zero to over $1 million in sales in less than 12 months. Starting without a list, a product, a name, or an offer, Heather Ann molded her client into a successful guru now known as an expert in his field.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Heather Ann’s story * What Heather Ann learned going through bankruptcy * Why you need to give yourself permission to fail * “Does this feed my confusion or strengthen my clarity?” * Why Heather Ann doesn’t refer to people who work with her as employees * Hiring for attributes, not for experience * Techniques Heather Ann uses when bringing on vendors, partners, and team members * What to do when key people leave your business (and why you need to prepare for that) * Holding people accountable * Tactics for growing your business through personal growth * Living from your calendar
Ways to contact Heather Ann: * Website: heatherhavenwood.com * Book: sexybossinc.com * If you’re in the US, text “sexy” to 72000 for three free audios
Paul Kirch is the President and CEO of sales management consulting firm Actus Sales Intelligence and founder of BOSS Academy and host of BOSS Academy radio. He has a passion for entrepreneurship, sales and sales coaching and a proven track record of success.
The BOSS Academy is the ultimate resource for anyone who is trying to grow their business or if you’re looking to get started on your entrepreneurial journey. They’re truly raising the bar for excellence through Business Ownership Success Strategies (BOSS) by bringing you some of the best tools, tips and techniques from industry leading experts.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Paul’s journey * How Paul has scaled his business without bringing in employees * What Paul does so that he focuses on the tasks that move the needle * The importance of empathy in leadership * What motivates your team? * What Paul learned from an incredible mentor on his second sales job * The impact Paul’s divorce had on his business and how he came back from that low point * What “A Players” look like to Paul * How to find the right employees and/or partners * Why new entrepreneurs need to get clear on what they want * How to overcome the overwhelm * How to stay motivated
Ways to contact Paul: * Website: www.bossacademy.com * Twitter: @paulkirch * Twitter: @yourbossacademy
Dan Lok is the CEO of Emperor Business Group, a multi-millionaire, serial entrepreneur, and an international best-selling author. Dan is considered the world’s leading expert in internet marketing and is referred to by many as the “Millionaire Mentor.” Dan Lok’s success extends far beyond the digital marketing space and into the business world where he has built a thriving network of multi-million dollar enterprises that are inspiring people around the world to build their dreams as entrepreneurs and business visionaries as well.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Dan’s journey * Why failure is so important * The lessons Dan learned from his two biggest mentors * What makes people quit and how to prevent disappointment * How to get the freedom you want through entrepreneurship * What Dan has learned in his career (including what he learned after losing $2 million) * The number one key to new business success * The most common struggles in scaling businesses and Dan’s strategies for overcoming these * Why you can’t let your ego get in the way * How to get the most out of conferences * What Dan looks for when he hires employees * The three kinds of employees * Why “time is money” is a terrible myth * Dan’s big productivity tips
Ways to contact Dan: * Website: www.danlok.com * YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/vanentrepreneurgroup * Facebook: www.facebook.com/danlokfan * Twitter: @danthemanlok * Instagram: www.instagram.com/danlok * Podcast: www.shouldersoftitans.com
Kathy Northrup is the Owner of a top-ranked State Farm Agency located in Everett, WA. Her firm has been acknowledged repeatedly over the years ranked number one in production in our 6 state area and in the top 100 of 17,000 agents company wide. They have received lots of rewards over the past 35 years, but what matters most to Kathy is helping one client, one family at a time, achieve financial success and avoid financial loss. She has a passion for serving others and her success is directly attributed to that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Kathy’s career journey and how she ended up in insurance * Why the most important element of your business is your people and how to get those people * The leadership lessons Kathy learned from her dad * A recent experience where Kathy had to make the decision to abandon a goal she had worked hard to achieve * The biggest challenge Kathy has found in scaling her business * Why a great attitude is the #1 most important factor of “A Players” * The challenge of scaling in insurance * How to find great employees * Kathy’s onboarding process * What Kathy give her employees to keep them from leaving * What to do when a key employee leaves * Why you need to constantly be improving yourself in order to be an effective leader * Three strategies for maximizing productivity
Ways to contact Kathy: * Email: kathy@northropinsurance.net
Kelly Hatfield is co-founder of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group, Enginuity Virtual Recruiter and Impact Real Estate Real Estate Group based in Everett, Washington. She has been in the recruiting and HR field for over 20-years and loves serving others. Kelly and her business partner have built three successful companies with the purpose of helping others succeed and delivering remarkable results. Kelly and her team strategically align themselves as “The Partner of Choice” with clients and strive to be the first place clients call when they are looking for extraordinary service, quality, and reliability. The resulting outcome has been an outstanding referral network that has built and continues to build their companies.
As Co-Founder and Owner of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group and Enginuity Virtual Recruiter, April (together with her amazing partner) has created and developed three successful businesses aimed at matching exceptional talent with the top organizations. With 17 years in the human resources and staffing realm, April has experience, knowledge and a love for people and aims to offer solutions to all who are served. Being a natural problem solver, she prides herself on developing and leading a team of recruiting professionals whose mission is focused on connecting people to opportunity. Through creative and exhaustive methods, the Enginuity Group successfully matches the right talent with the right businesses each and every day.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How we define “A Players” * Why “A Players” want to work with “A Players” * Challenge, opportunity, and growth: why the bigger picture matters to “A Players” * Why you need to invest in “A Players” * Why you need to keep “A Players” in the loop * How much does compensation matter? * What else besides compensation should you bring to the table? * What you should be doing to keep everyone engaged and in tune with each other
Ways to contact Kelly: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-hatfield-2a2610a
Ways to contact April: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/apriltaylor
Ross Warne P.Eng is Anvil’s Manager of Resources where he has the responsibility of leading Anvil’s Project and engineering effort. He establishes annual goals, works metrics by working with all disciplines to ensure Anvil continuously provides consistent, quality products and services to all clients.
Ross joined Anvil in 1997 as a Mechanical Engineer where he provided detailed discipline engineering for several of Anvil’s main clients. From there he moved into a discipline lead role and managed the mechanical work for several of Anvil’s largest projects. Following that he transitioned into a project management role from 2009 – 2010 and then managed their Anchorage office from 2010 – 2011. When he returned from Anchorage, Ross took over the Management of the Mechanical department from 2012-2013 before taking on his current role.
Ross has over 30 years of Mechanical Engineering, Construction Management and Mechanical design experience. He has mainly worked in two industries, Pulp and Paper in both domestic and overseas projects and Oil and Gas. He started out in the trades earning his Journeyman Certification as a machinist and worked in heavy oil research and development in the late 70s.
Ross holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Calgary, a Journeyman Machinist Red Seal certification from the Province of Alberta, and is a Registered Professional Engineer in the province of British Columbia. He immigrated to the United States with his family and they are now American citizens.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Ross’ journey and the challenges of his career * Why listening is the most important part of leadership * The lessons Ross as learned from Jim Wakefield, one of his most influential mentors * What Ross has learned from making mistakes and why mistakes don’t stick as much when you make them learning experiences * Why engagement is what separates the “A Players” from lesser employees * How Ross finds and recruits his talent * What Anvil’s onboarding process is like and how that is supported by their strong culture * How to provide meaningful careers to employees from different generations * What leaders need to do to keep learning * Ross’ personal development strategies * Three strategies for productivity
Ways to contact Ross: * Email: rwarne@anvilcorp.com (don’t forget to mention Absolute Advantage!) * Website: anvilcorp.com
Ari Weinzweig is CEO and co-founding partner of Zingerman’s Community of Businesses, which includes Zingerman’s Delicatessen, Bakehouse, Creamery, Catering, Mail Order, ZingTrain, Coffee Company, Roadhouse, Candy Manufactory and the newest business—Cornman Farms. Zingerman’s produces and sells all sorts of full flavored, traditional foods in its home of Ann Arbor, Michigan to the tune of $60,000,000 a year in annual sales. Ari was recognized as one of the “Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America” by the 2006 James Beard Foundation and has awarded a Bon Appetit Lifetime Achievement Award among many recognitions. Ari is the author of a number of articles and books, including “Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon” (Zingerman’s Press), “Zingerman’s Guide to Giving Great Service,” “Zingerman’s Guide to Good Eating” (Houghton Mifflin), “Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading, Part 1: A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Building a Great Business,” and “Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading, Part 2: A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Being a Better Leader.” “Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading, Part 3; A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Managing Ourselves,” was released in December of 2013. “Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading, Part 4; A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to the Power of Beliefs in Business” is scheduled for release in 2016.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Ari’s background * What “A Players” look like to Ari and why they’re different from other employees * Ari’s customer service philosophy * Ari’s employee onboarding process for developing the right employee mindset from the very beginning * Why Ari treats his employees as his customers * How Ari is able to retain employees and help them develop * Visioning and getting clear on the future you want to create * Ari’s four Zingerman’s business books (these don’t have to be read in any specific order!) * How Zingtrain came to be
Ways to contact Ari: * Email: ari@zingermans.com * Website (for food mail order): zingermans.com * Website (for business training): zingtrain.com * Website (for general info): zingermanscommunity.com * New Book: “Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading, Part 4; A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to the Power of Beliefs in Business”
Kerry Ward is the Founder and CEO of Corporate Explorer Training. Business education that is effective, memorable and FUN! He is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience building companies in the technology and training fields. His extensive leadership training has served Kerry well in his roles as CEO, trainer, writer, media producer and father. His videos have been seen and downloaded by millions of people. He has carefully studied technology, information publishing, and internet marketing to stay on the cutting edge of modern business. An infectious love of Adventure pervades any of the high-energy courses facilitated by Kerry and his team.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Kerry’s entrepreneurial journey * The four different areas of development Kerry’s training focuses on * How energy and attitude influence everything * Enthusiasm, experience, energy, education, and entrepreneurial experience: how the “Five E’s” make a great leader * What Kerry learned from failing to make a challenging run in the Grand Canyon * How Kerry learned that you don’t have to have be fully formed before going to market * What qualities the “A Players” in Kerry’s business all share * How to keep virtual employees motivated * What to look for when interviewing potential hires * How to create a strong culture * Giving people an opportunity to shine
Ways to contact Kerry: * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kerrywward (remember to mention Absolute Advantage!) * YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/fulltiltward * Website: corpxtraining.com
Kelly Hatfield is co-founder of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group, Enginuity Virtual Recruiter and Impact Real Estate Real Estate Group based in Everett, Washington. She has been in the recruiting and HR field for over 20-years and loves serving others. Kelly and her business partner have built three successful companies with the purpose of helping others succeed and delivering remarkable results. Kelly and her team strategically align themselves as “The Partner of Choice” with clients and strive to be the first place clients call when they are looking for extraordinary service, quality, and reliability. The resulting outcome has been an outstanding referral network that has built and continues to build their companies.
As Co-Founder and Owner of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group and Enginuity Virtual Recruiter, April (together with her amazing partner) has created and developed three successful businesses aimed at matching exceptional talent with the top organizations. With 17 years in the human resources and staffing realm, April has experience, knowledge and a love for people and aims to offer solutions to all who are served. Being a natural problem solver, she prides herself on developing and leading a team of recruiting professionals whose mission is focused on connecting people to opportunity. Through creative and exhaustive methods, the Enginuity Group successfully matches the right talent with the right businesses each and every day.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why making the wrong hire is one of the costliest mistakes you can make in your business * Identifying key attributes to look for employees * Getting laser-focused on a consistent hiring process * Why it’s important to get current employees involved in the hiring process * Why you need to have multiple interviews per potential hire and how to structure them differently * Why you need to interview with a partner * Should you allow your potential employees to submit a counter offer? * Putting systems in place to track employees after they’ve been hired * Why you need to be transparent with employees all throughout their employment — especially if it isn’t going right * When to pull the trigger and fire an employee
Ways to contact Kelly: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-hatfield-2a2610a
Ways to contact April: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/apriltaylor
Vera Fischer began her career in residential real estate, working her way up from Leasing Agent to Property Manager. She segued to Operations Manager for the first privately held Cognitive Rehabilitation clinic in Austin, Texas. In 1993, Vera launched her career at GSD&M, an internationally known advertising agency. After various positions within several Austin area agencies, Vera went client-side to Forgent Networks. There she managed and implemented a multi-million dollar marketing budget for several years.
In 2004, Vera founded her agency, 97 Degrees West known as The Brand Marketing Agency. Since 2004, the agency has survived both recessions and shown significant growth since 2012. Clients include: LS Tractor USA, United Heritage Credit Union, FirstCare Health Plans and several area small businesses in real estate, oil & gas and speciality medical practices. 97 Degrees West has been the recipient of 15 international creative and marketing awards including a Stevie Award from the American Business Association.
Vera is a member of the University Area Rotary Club, a member of the Advisory Board for the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Texas State University, a Mentor at Capital Factory and most recently, was accepted to the Masters program at Texas State University in Strategic Communications.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why Vera decided to start 97 Degrees West * How hiring a coach helped Vera stop making the same mistakes over and over * Understanding what you can and can’t do and hiring employees to offset your strengths * What Vera focuses on herself * How Vera has combated the challenges of unpredictable revenue * Why Vera has removed herself from 97 Degrees West hiring process * The qualities “A Players” at 97 Degrees West share * How Vera is able to retain employees * Things Vera does to develop her own skills * What Vera does to stay focused * Vera’s calendar scheduling tactics that keep her organized * Vera’s upcoming podcast launch
Ways to contact Vera: * Twitter: @verafischer97 * Email: vera@97dwest.com
Dave Gardner has spent over 25 years as a professional in the Real Estate industry as Professional Land Surveyor, Builder, Residential and Commercial Investor, and Mortgage Advisor. From early on, he built a career serving others. In his role as a Mortgage Advisor, Dave helps purchasers with much more advice than just their rate and the cost of their loan. His resume spans many years and experience in all aspects of real estate.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why Dave decided to go into business and the journey he’s been on since then * Dave’s unique housing project * Surrounding yourself with good people and setting up your business to survive after you leave * How Dave sees mentorship from a career-long perspective * Why you should hire a coach * Dave’s struggles in the early days of his business and the lessons he learned from * What to look for in employees and how to find them anywhere * How to get employees to stick around * Making sure your business is ready for anything * Evolving both professionally and personally * Why it’s so important to hire an assistant as soon as possible and other methods Dave has for staying productive * Why your business can only survive if you delegate
Ways to contact Dave: * Email: dave.gardner@nafinc.com * Phone: (425) 754-2561
Wendy Keller is an award-winning former journalist, a respected literary agent, an author, speaker and acclaimed book marketing consultant. She got her first job as a newspaper reporter as a 16-year-old college freshman. Since then, Wendy worked for PR Newswire; the Knight-Ridder newspaper chain; as managing editor of Dateline magazine; and as associate publisher of Los Angeles then-second-largest Spanish-language weekly, La Gaceta. She founded what is now Keller Media, Inc. as ForthWrite Literary Agency in 1989.
She has sold an astonishing 1,500 rights deals worldwide, including 17 New York Times best-sellers and 9 international best sellers.
Wendy was 26 when her own first book was published. Today, she is the author of 31 published books under 9 pseudonyms and 11 self-published books.
Her next book, “The Ultimate Guide to Platform Building,” will be published by Entrepreneur Press in Fall 2016.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why Wendy started her own agency and how she was able to grow it quickly * The physically and emotionally devastating experience Wendy experienced early in her career * Creating a business that lets you live your life on your own terms * How Wendy helps entrepreneurs as a literary agent (it’s not just selling books!) * Some of the big mistakes entrepreneurs make * The things Wendy wishes she would have done earlier * Why you need to delegate whatever you can * The best hiring strategy * Wendy’s strategies for recognizing great employees * How Tony Robbins changed Wendy’s life * Why it’s so important to do what you say you’re going to do when you say you’re going to do it * Wendy’s list of five things that have to get done every day * How to set clear expectations of others * Making life as systematized as possible * Growing your personal platform
Ways to contact Wendy: * To contact Wendy: www.kellermedia.com/contact-us * To pitch a book: www.kellermedia.com/query * Speaking information: www.kellermedia.com/webinars * Personal website: wendykeller.com * Facebook: www.facebook.com/WendyKellerCompassionPage
April Taylor, Co-Founder and Owner of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group, and Enginuity Virtual Recruiter, has, with her business partner, created and developed three successful businesses aimed at matching exceptional talent with the top organizations. With 17 years in the human resources and staffing realm, April has experience, knowledge and a love for people and aims to offer solutions to all who are served. Being a natural problem solver, she prides herself on developing and leading a team of recruiting professionals whose mission is focused on connecting people to opportunity. Through creative and exhaustive methods, the Enginuity Group successfully matches the right talent with the right businesses each and every day.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * April’s career before co-founding Enginuity Group and why we decided to co-found it together * How to be a clear communicator * The lessons of leadership April learned from her dad * A challenging time in our business and how we were able to make it a turning point * The challenges we’ve faced scaling our business * The attributes of a successful team member on what an “A Player” looks like * How to find and keep great employees * What to do when key employees do leave * Why complex isn’t always better * Why you need to surround yourself with people smarter than you * Why staying organized is so important for April * The importance of strong delegation tactics
Ways to contact April: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * Email: april@enginuityadvantage.com * Phone: (425) 374-0187 * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/apriltaylor * Facebook: www.facebook.com/april.m.taylor.92
Stephen Woessner is the CEO of Predictive ROI and the host of the brilliant Onward Nation podcast. He is the author of two bestselling books, “The Small Business Owners Handbook to Search Engine Optimization” and “Increase Online Sales Through Viral Social Networking.” His digital marketing insights have been featured in SUCCESS, Forbes, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, Inc. Magazine and more. His agency blends education in very transparent ways for clients.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Stephen’s background and why he started Predictive ROI * The lessons of parenting that can be used when running a company * What Stephen learned from his grandfather that impacted the way he runs his life and his business * The lessons Stephen learned when Predictive ROI lost $200,000 on a failed event * Why “proactive” is Stephen’s favorite word and how the Predictive ROI team is built around this * How to find “A Players” and recruit them into an internship program * The improvements Stephen and his team have had to make to their onboarding process due to previous failures in that area * Why overnight success is a myth * How to keep your employees * Why you need to be very careful of who you are spending your time with * Why you need to be completely transparent with your mentors * What separates the super-high achievers from the rest * How to protect your schedule
Ways to contact Stephen: * Podcast: onwardnation.com * Website: predictiveroi.com * Twitter: @stephenwoessner * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner * Facebook: www.facebook.com/Stephen-Woessner-576522319080312
Resources: * Stephen’s Onward Nation solocast on recruiting unpaid interns
David Mammano is the Founder/CEO of Next Step Education Group, entrepreneurial coach and professional speaker.
He has created five companies from scratch and has become known as a successful, serial, grassroots entrepreneur. He loves helping other entrepreneurs shorten the learning curve.
David’s mission in life is to help people realize their highest potential through education. To accomplish this mission, David founded what has become Next Step Education Group, in 1995. Next Step Education Group is a multi-media enterprise with digital, mobile, video and consumer products and has grown to become a nationwide resource that helps millions of students a year with college, career and life planning.
In 2004, David published his first book, "101 Things You Can Do To Become an Outstanding Young Adult." His second book, "Make Love in the Workplace," a guide to awesome culture in the office, was published in 2014.
David has spoken at hundreds of high school, college, business and EO events. In June 2012, he was able to check something off from his bucket list and spoke at a TEDx Conference.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * What made David decide to become an entrepreneur and how his career has evolved since then to where it is today * Why you need to surround yourself with mentors * Why business leaders have to put their egos aside, hire people smarter than them, and let them do what they do * Young employees vs. veterans: who should you hire and when? * Turning failures into opportunities * The challenges David has faced when scaling his business * What David looks for in his “A Players” * How to retain your employees easily * What David uses to work on his personal development * Why you should never ever wing your schedule
Ways to contact David: * Email: david@davidmammano.com * Website: http://davidmammano.com/ * Book: “Make Love in the Workplace”
Kelly Hatfield is co-founder of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group, Enginuity Virtual Recruiter and Impact Real Estate Real Estate Group based in Everett, Washington. She has been in the recruiting and HR field for over 20-years and loves serving others. Kelly and her business partner have built three successful companies with the purpose of helping others succeed and delivering remarkable results. Kelly and her team strategically align themselves as “The Partner of Choice” with clients and strive to be the first place clients call when they are looking for extraordinary service, quality, and reliability. The result outcome has been an outstanding referral network that has built and continues to build their companies.
As Co-Founder and Owner of Enginuity Advantage, Advantage Staffing Group and Enginuity Virtual Recruiter, April (together with her amazing partner) has created and developed three successful businesses aimed at matching exceptional talent with the top organizations. With 17 years in the human resources and staffing realm, April has experience, knowledge and a love for people and aims to offer solutions to all who are served. Being a natural problem solver, she prides herself on developing and leading a team of recruiting professionals whose mission is focused on connecting people to opportunity. Through creative and exhaustive methods, the Enginuity Group successfully matches the right talent with the right businesses each and every day.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Our recent experience speaking with a company that had a high employee turnover rate * Why hiding major leadership change creates an environment of fear that leads to people making their own inaccurate assumptions * How to show employees that they are valued when increasing pay is not an option * Why your employees need to know what your expectations for them are * Why you need to be careful when promoting employees into new roles * Our recommendations to the company
Ways to contact Kelly: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-hatfield-2a2610a
Ways to contact April: * Website: www.enginuityadvantage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/apriltaylor
Resources: * Book by David Mammano: "Make Love in the Workplace"
David Long is a Speaker, Author, World Class CEO and Student of the Game of Business. He is the Founder and CEO of MyEmployees, a 27-year-old firm in the Top 1% Worldwide in the Employee Engagement and Recognition industry. His firm specializes in helping managers build stronger, more engaging relationships with their team members while linking the rewards and recognition program to the desired goals of the company.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The story of how David started his company from desperation, not inspiration * Why David’s company is able to grow by 20% every year and how he’s able to take more than 20 weeks of vacation a year * Why you need a mentor and need to keep learning * What David’s father taught him * How David turned a really negative situation into (conservatively) $20 million * The problem with hiring friends and family * What “A Players” look like to David and how to find them * How David creates a great culture * David’s onboarding process * How he’s able to run a business where people don’t leave * The importance of the mastermind group * How replaying today helps David make tomorrow better
Ways to contact David: * Email: davidlong@top10manager.com * Phone: 1-800-489-0230 * Website: www.top10manager.com * Special gifts for those who go to Amazon and buy Wall Street Journal Bestseller: "Built to Lead" - mail me your receipt number to: davidlong@Top10Manager.com, and I will send you (at no cost to you) the Kindle version AND the Workbook I wrote to help people maximize what they learn from my book, "Built to Lead" * Our "STAR Culture" Program http://myemployees.com/solutions/ * Our "Resources" Page for our "Employee Recognition Reminder Chart" (among others) http://myemployees.com/resources/
