Branch Out - A Podcast from Connection Builders: Recent Episodes

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According to research, one in seven clients has an unvoiced complaint. Do you know how your clients feel about your firm's service?

In today’s episode, Alyson Fieldman, founder of Rockit Results, an independent consulting firm specializing in strategic marketing for high-growth professional services firms, shares her expertise in client experience (CX) and why it is a strategic differentiator in the marketplace. Alyson explains that CX is the sum of all a firm's touchpoints with its clients and how it makes the client feel. She emphasizes the importance of empathy and understanding the emotional components of CX, which technical professionals often overlook.

The key to happier repeat clients, less client attrition, more client loyalty, an easier sales cycle, and more referrals is to ask, listen, and act. It’s as simple (and as complicated) as that. Although it requires time, resources, and ongoing effort to get to the bottom of what your clients really want and to make the changes that will give them that, it will always be a worthy investment!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Alyson shares her thoughts on why client experience (CX) is a strategic differentiator in the marketplace.
• Elements that CX is made up of and why they matter to your firm’s success.
• The difference between client service and client experience.
• Why so many professional services executives struggle with CX.
• Examples of different CX approaches.
• Ask, listen, act; why this is Alyson’s favorite CX approach.
• How to ask questions in a way that will allow you to make the biggest impact.
• The opportunity that presents itself when there is a breakdown in client service.
• Some of the obstacles that prevent companies from enhancing their CX.
• The many benefits of taking the time to understand what your clients really want.
• Why CX is a program rather than a project.
• Examples of the types of questions to ask your clients in order to understand their feelings towards your company.
• How to respond to different types of client feedback.
• The best place to start on your journey of improving CX.

Alyson Fieldman on LinkedIn
Rockit Results
Connection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn

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Does it ever feel as if your life has become mechanical or routine? Do you find that it’s becoming more and more difficult to find success in your career? This is the episode for you! Today, we speak with keynote speaker, CPA, yogi, technologist, TEDx speaker, Breaking Beliefs Podcast host, and CEO of the B3 Method Institute, Amy Vetter, who guides business professionals on their journeys to become happier, more engaged, and more successful.

As a CPA and a yogi, Amy has a unique perspective to offer on achieving work-life harmony, changing our thoughts and habits, becoming connected leaders, and more; all of which we discuss in this episode. Above all, Amy emphasizes the importance of doing the work, and she encourages listeners to step back, get still, and embrace new perspectives, especially when doing so feels like it challenges your existing belief systems. To discover some of the tools you need to overcome adversity, identify your personal purpose, and align it with the work you do, be sure to tune in to this insightful conversation with Amy Vetter!

Key Points From This Episode:

• A look at the B3 Method Institute and its methodology: business plus balance equals bliss.
• The importance of doing the work to change your thoughts, habits, and belief systems.
• Tips for taking the first steps on your journey to transform your work and life.
• Dispelling the myth that there’s never “enough time” for self-development.
• Why individual buy-in is essential for workplace transformation.
• Leadership, self-deception, and the importance of prioritizing people.
• What it means to become a more connected leader (according to Amy).
• Key elements of successful workplace transformation, including intentional culture.
• The role of empathy, mutual respect, collaboration, detachment, and mindfulness.
• Listening and feedback techniques for connected leaders.
• Finding the energy for iterative growth and the value of learning in real-time.
• Why firms need to evolve to continue to attract the talent they want.
• How organizations can benefit from allowing people to inform their strategy.
• Actionable advice for firm leaders: begin with self-assessment.

Amy Vetter
The B3 Method Institute
Breaking Beliefs Podcast
Disconnect to ConnectBusiness, Balance & BlissAmy Vetter on LinkedIn
Amy Vetter on Twitter
Amy Vetter on Instagram
Connection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn

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Strategic growth is about more than just growth for growth’s sake. It’s about identifying the most efficient path for profitability and sustainability and then pursuing it. Our guest today, Gale Crosley, is a Strategic Growth and Innovation Consultantwho has helped countless growth-oriented CPA and Accounting firms overcome barriers and achieve high-performing strategic growth. Crosley started her career as a CPA with Arthur Andersen before transitioning to technology sales. After the dot-com bust, she started her own growth consultancy to help CPA firms grow strategically.

We discuss strategic growth within the CPA and broader professional services profession, including what firms can learn from traditional corporate enterprises and how technological innovations like AI are changing the industry. Gale explains that strategic growth is not just top-line growth but also about the bottom line. It's not growth for growth's sake; rather, it's about growing profitability. She also breaks down the biggest impediments to strategic growth, like unprecedented staffing shortages and adapting to revenue cycles.

Finally, Gale notes that firms must shift their strategy as the market changes. Firms need to specialize and innovate to stay relevant. Gale believes private equity and technology are disrupters to the CPA profession that will accelerate the need to evolve current business strategies. Gale advises managing partners to focus on strategic growth and specialization instead of riding the rollercoaster of market conditions. By being forward-thinking and focusing on strategic growth, firms can achieve the most profit and the fastest growth.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know Gale, her deep experience, and her work as a Strategic Growth Consultant.
• Why she pivoted from accounting early in her career.
• How she partners with CPA firms to transform them into high-growth environments.
• The concept of strategic growth and how it is accomplished.
• How strategic growth is the most profitable and fastest growth and why it is not growth for growth's sake.
• Broadening geographic reach and its impact on opportunity and competition.
• An overview of the unprecedented disruption within the CPA profession and how private equity is changing the landscape so radically.
• Why strategic growth is the movement from an individual contribution, book of business, tactical generalist to a leader-driven and strategic specialist.
• The impediments to strategic growth that Gale has observed.
• What firms should be doing with increased revenue levels to optimize for strategic growth.
• How leadership and organizational structure can foster (or impede) strategic growth.
• The differences between what drives corporate America, private equity firms, and CPA firms.
• Combining the best parts of corporate America with the best parts of the CPA profession.
• Advice for firms on approaching industry changes and the role of private equity.
• Gale’s predictions for what the industry will look like in ten years.

Gale Crosley
Gale Crosley on LinkedIn
Connection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn

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Give credit and take blame; this is Bruce Ditman’s golden rule of leadership. In today’s episode, he shares his story of how he went from selling television advertising to Chief Marketing Officer at Marcum LLP, a $700 million dollar CPA & accounting firm, then later to the founder of Chief Seconds.

Bruce has never had one day of formal marketing education in his life, but his intellectual curiosity, humility, and thoughtful approach to everything he does has led to him achieving success at every stage of his career. We discuss the difference between an educational approach and an indoctrination model, the importance of cultivating professional empathy in your organization, and how leaders who have been in the game for a long time need to learn to meet the needs of younger generations. Bruce also shares his approach to managing people, which leads to increased production levels without causing burnout.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Bruce shares the story of how he became a Chief Marketing Officer despite never getting any formal marketing education.
• How the non-traditional career path he has taken has played to his advantage.
• Bruce’s approach to becoming the best CMO he could be.
• One of the key skills to which he attributes his success.
• The maladies that marketers commonly suffer from.
• Problems Bruce has with the way training is done in professional services industries.
• Indoctrination versus education models for upskilling.
• The importance of cultivating professional empathy in your organization.
• Why people who are naturally gifted at something are often not the best teachers.
• How Bruce decided on Chief Seconds as the name of his company.
• How to effectively upskill your employees.
• The core traits required for developing a successful business.
• How to master the art of asking good questions.
• Bruce’s thoughts on creating a culture of intellectual curiosity.
• The golden rule of managing people and what it takes to be a good leader.

Bruce Ditman on LinkedIn
Bruce Ditman Email Address
Chief Seconds
Connection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn

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Unexpected connections exist all around us; we just have to be open to them. One such connection that many listeners may find surprising is the link between music and accounting. Our guest today, Scott Scarano, has always had a passion for both these disciplines. He describes accounting as the language of business and music as the language of life. Scott is the owner of a thriving accounting firm, a podcaster, and the custodian of Accounting High, an online resource that is helping to modernize the accounting profession and make it more accessible for everyone. While many people view accountants as lacking creativity, Scott, aka The Rapping CPA, is here to insist otherwise. In today’s conversation with Scott, we delve into One CPA’s Journey: The Nexus of Creativity and Entrepreneurship.

Our discussion includes the nature of creativity, how repetition helps us grow, and what it means to be open to recognizing new and unexpected connections. Scott talks with us about how his grandfather inspired him to pursue accounting, what it was like to build his CPA firm, and how he made the transition from being an operator in his business to a high-level visionary. We also contemplate the nature of failure before hearing the story of how Scott started writing highly detailed and entertaining rap parodies. Scott closes off today's episode with a rendition of his riveting Superapp rap, which is based on Eminem’s Superman (and written for Expensify), and shares the response he got from Expensify CEO David Barrett when he had him as a guest on his podcast.

Key Points From This Episode:

• A story from Scott illustrating the power of being open to connection.
• Scott’s lifelong dream of being an actor, rapper, entertainer, and accountant.
• The connection between performance, music, and accounting.
• Scott’s history selling drugs and what it taught him about business.
• An overview of Scott’s career as an accountant and how he grew his CPA firm.
• How to go from being an operator to a high-level visionary in your business.
• Scott’s reflections on starting a podcast and what he’s learned from it.
• The Dunning-Kruger effect and the experience of repetition, change, and growth over time.
• What Scott has learned about creativity and his own desire to form new connections.
• Why every failure is an opportunity to learn, even if it’s painful.
• How Scott realized his dream of becoming a rapper.
• What Scott learned from writing rap parody songs.
• The story of how Scott wrote an Eminem rap parody for Expensify.
• Scott’s parody version of Eminem’s Superman, Superapp!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Scott Scarano on LinkedIn
Scott Scarano on Twitter
Accounting High
Accounting High on YouTube
Accounting High PodcastThe Dunning-Kruger effect
The Creative Act: A Way of Being
FreshBooks
Expensify
ExpensiCon
David Barrett on LinkedIn
Connection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn

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Elana Margulies-Snyderman is a director and thought leadership expert at EisnerAmper, a global audit and tax firm with offices worldwide and throughout the US. She hosts two podcast series, one dedicated to financial services and the other focusing on private equity deal-making. She also contributes to the firm's content management by maintaining a financial services blog and overseeing content across various industries and service lines.

Elana has a wealth of experience in creating thought leadership and the management and strategic thinking required to ultimately leverage it to drive value. In today’s episode, Elana shares her inspiring career journey with us. Tuning in, you’ll hear how she built a career and a network in this space despite having no financial education and overcame her challenges. She shares helpful advice on networking, moderating panels, driving engagement, excelling at live or recorded content, understanding your audience, and other elements of becoming a successful thought leader.

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to today’s guest Elana Margulies Snyderman.
• The career journey that led her to this point.
• How she was able to build a network and consume knowledge in this space despite having no financial education.
• Some of the challenges she faced in networking and how she overcame them.
• Advice to young professionals who are starting out and trying to build relationships.
• Elana’s definition of thought leadership and the value of sharing information.
• Some of the unexpected benefits of creating thought leadership elements.
• The benefits of moderating panels, the importance of engagement, and how she gets the audience engaged.
• The starting point for anyone who wants to be a thought leader.
• What Elana does to be successful in live or recorded content like videos and podcasts.
• Understanding who your audience is and where it's worth placing your effort.
• How producing content has helped Elana grow her network and build relationships with other professionals across the industry and how it benefits the guests as well.

Elana Margulies Snyderman on LinkedIn
EisnerAmper
EisnerAmper blog
Engaging Alternatives Spotlight podcast
Private Equity Dealbook podcast
Connection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn

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Today we are joined by Timothy Keith, the CEO and Founder of Propense.ai, an AI cross-selling platform that helps professional services firms grow more efficiently and holistically. Tim shares his unique career path that helped build his expertise in the professional services industry, starting with his experience in CRM implementation at a large-scale CPA firm. Tim’s path to becoming a founder is as inspiring as it is unique, and he explains how a love for solving difficult problems fuels his passion. Tim shares his view of why CRM implementation can be particularly challenging in the professional services space due to the partnership model, and he notes that most growth in professional services firms comes organically, making cross-selling a crucial element in their growth strategy.

During our conversation, Tim identifies that the problem of cross-selling in professional services is often two-fold: first, there is a lack of transparency and visibility of the services the firms offer, and second, there is a lack of process behind their cross-selling strategy. We also talk about how behavior and accountability influence a company’s cross-selling success, why humans are driven by incentives, and what Propsonse.ai as a company is hoping to achieve with its AI-driven products.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Tim’s unique path to becoming a founder, and his love for solving difficult problems.
• The process of implementing a CRM; what he’s learned and the problems he’s encountered.
• Exploring the behavioral elements of CRM implementation for individuals versus businesses.
• Tim’s definition of cross-selling, and his solutions for its complicated problems.
• What firms should focus more on regarding behavior and accountability in cross-selling.
• The basic human trait of seeking incentives.
• What Propense.ai does and what the company is hoping to achieve.
• How many big companies don’t understand the full extent of the benefits of a CRM.
• What Tim has learned from being a founder and using AI in the CRM implementation space.
• The first steps to take to improve cross-selling at your company.

Timothy Keith on LinkedIn
Timothy Keith Email
Propense.ai
Connection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn

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The private equity and deal advisor landscape is currently ablaze with fierce competition, reaching unprecedented heights and continuously expanding. Professional service providers working in the sector must showcase their unparalleled expertise, captivating the attention of target companies. Joining us today to help navigate the intricacies of building a brand as a consultant in the space is Jack Vawdrey, a marketing consultant for private equity. As a seasoned consultant, Jack meticulously guides clients through the intricacies of strategic comprehension. He also facilitates the implementation of robust systems, seamlessly harmonizing the blueprint with operational execution. Jack’s expertise lies in orchestrating the entire process, ensuring that every facet aligns flawlessly, ultimately propelling the businesses toward success. In our conversation, we discuss what makes the private equity space unique, the requirements for building a reputation in the space, and what sets it apart from other sectors. We dive into the various key pillars of effective marketing in helping you build your brand, from effective messaging to the power of public relations. We unpack the complexity of the market, list curation management, business development, and much more.

Key Points From This Episode:

• What makes the private equity market unique.
• How the unique nature of the sector allows for targeted marketing approaches.
• Building a brand within the private equity space, including cost structure.
• We unpack what determines the buying behavior of a customer.
• Outline of the differences between outbound and inbound marketing.
• Jack explains messaging in a nutshell and how to leverage it effectively.
• We unpack list curation management and why it is vital.
• Business development in the private equity space.
• Why content marketing is essential and what value it drives.
• Learn about the role of public relations in marketing.
• Advice for listeners who want to differentiate themselves in the space.

Marketing Consultant for Private Equity
Jack Vawdrey on LinkedIn
Connection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn

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Creating a remarkable brand is not a task for the faint of heart. It requires unwavering authenticity, a fierce dedication to values, and an unrelenting commitment to purpose. Mike Jones, the CEO and Managing Partner of Resound, truly believes in these principles. With an unbridled passion for every client, he leads Resound’s vision, strategy, and business development, relentlessly pursuing building brands that resonate deeply with people. Resound is a brand consultancy providing services that enable organizations to create genuine brands and experiences that strike a chord with people, encouraging their return. In our conversation, we unpack everything about brand management and recognition and why it should be a priority for any professional service business. Mike explains the power behind a brand, what makes a successful brand, and what effective brand alignment means. We also discuss whether personal relationships are still beneficial to a company’s brand, how businesses are no longer location by location, the challenges of creating a brand, and much more.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Mike explains why brand recognition is so essential and so powerful.
• Hear an interesting example that demonstrates the power of a brand.
• Discover whether research conducted by consumers influences what they buy.
• The importance of creating a brand in the professional services industry.
• Why a professional service brand needs to be specific.
• We discuss the value of personal relationships in the context of professional services.
• An overview of marketing trends within the professional services industry.
• Why finding your company’s niche is crucial.
• What makes a successful brand and the pitfalls companies should avoid.
• The fundamental aspects of a company’s brand story.
• Mike’s advice for listeners who want to start improving their brand.

Mike Jones on LinkedIn
Mike Jones on Twitter
Resound
The Remarkabrand Podcast
You are RemarkableAssociation for Accounting Marketing
Connection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn

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Selling your business is not just a transaction. It is a period of transition filled with unexpected highs and lows. After exiting her own legal practice and watching a close friend struggle with the sale of his company, global keynote speaker and bestselling author, Denise Logan realized that business owners need emotional support for this process of transition. Over the last 13 years, she has woven together her previous experience as a lawyer and mental health professional to help business owners and their advisors navigate the emotional aspects of letting go when it is time to sell their business; ultimately enhancing the likelihood of a successful conclusion while keeping costs and delays to a minimum. Denise joins us on Branch Out today to explain how she keeps people and deals from falling apart by giving emotions a seat at the table. We discuss the pitfalls of growing for the sake of growth, the term ‘product-market-maker fit,’ and Denise’s belief that it’s unprocessed emotion that kills deals, not time. We also touch on the importance of context, how advisors can close more deals by slowing down, and so much more. Don’t miss this thought-provoking conversation with The Seller Whisperer herself, Denise Logan!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The emotional aspects of letting go when it’s time to sell.
• Periods of transition that many of us face in our lives and businesses.
• Advice for redefining your relationship with the business you’ve created.
• Unpacking the common belief that scaling should be the objective.
• What Denise means by product-market-maker fit and how it can help you.
• An example that illustrates the costs of growing for the sake of growth.
• Why Denise always says that selling a business is a transition, not a transaction.
• Reflecting on the fear-based expression, “Time kills all deals.”
• How to pause the content to deal with the context.
• A surefire way to know if emotions are present; especially in the face of logic.
• Why business owners often refer to their business as their baby.
• Tips for attending to the emotions in your professional and personal life.
• How advisors can close more deals and create better relationships with sellers.

Denise Logan
Denise Logan on LinkedIn
Denise Logan on Twitter
The Seller’s JourneyConnection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn

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Small and aspiring CPA firms face several formidable challenges. From workload management to technology implementation and expanding their professional expertise, they will likely spend a disproportionate amount of time and energy on things other than building their book of business and serving clients. To solve this problem, today’s guest started a firm that provides the necessary resources and support to enable CPAs to build scalable, profitable practices and stay relevant for decades to come—introducing Chase Birky, the co-founder, President, and CEO of Dark Horse CPAs, which was born from the belief that small businesses, intrapreneurs, and entrepreneurs are often seen as “dark horses” amongst their larger, more well-known competitors. Chase believes that the proper guidance can help propel these dark horses to unexpected heights, and in this episode, he shares his goal to democratize the modern CPA firm and provide a better life for CPAs (and, by extension, their clients). During our conversation, we also touch on the need for a safe space to make mistakes, the immense value of mentorship, the role of AI in the future of accounting, and so much more. For a fascinating and insightful conversation with a trusted advisor specializing in serving small businesses and individuals often overlooked, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Two major challenges facing small CPA firms and how Dark Horse solves them.
• Why modern CPAs need support to make the leap and build a scalable practice.
• Advice for burnt-out senior managers who want to step out on their own.
• How Dark Horse helps CPAs gain perspective and gives them a “safe place to fail.”
• The value of eliminating uncertainty while offering guidance and mentorship.
• Obstacles Chase encountered as he pivoted his own business.
• Chase’s take on the future of accounting and the role of AI.
• How technology will augment the way solopreneurs and micro-firms perform.
• The rise of fractional CFO services for small to midsize organizations.
• Why the road to success is paved with systematized, scalable, “outsourceable” offerings.
• A non-binary reflection on the 150-hour credit requirements for CPAs.
• Free and budget-friendly alternatives to formal education, including podcasts.
• Where and how you can learn more about “the CPA firm built for CPAs!”

Chase Birky
Chase Birky on LinkedIn
Dark Horse CPAs
Book a Discovery Call with Chase
Connection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn

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A big part of business development is communication; selling yourself or someone else, building relationships, making a pitch, and so on. As a professional, you should build up the skillset to truly be able to articulate what value, skills, and experience you (or your group) have. Today, we are joined by Alex Egan, a director at Kaufman Rossin, a full-service public accounting and consulting firm. Alex leads a team of consultants and advisors who specialize in helping broker-dealers, RIAs, FinTech companies, banks, and other financial services firms, address their compliance risk and regulatory challenges. As listeners tune in, they’ll hear from Alex about his career journey and how the skills he acquired prepared him for his current role as a consultant and advisor. We discuss how communication is essential to creating value for clients and the benefit of a team-based approach to business development. If you want to gain insights on how to communicate in a way that’s going to present your true self, then don’t miss out on this episode.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Alex shares with listeners about his background and unique career path.
• More about what Alex does today and how he got there; from military to consulting.
• Alex gives examples of transferable practical experiences/skills gained through his career.
• Why it’s important to be able to truly articulate what value, skills, and experience you have.
• We dive into the topic of business development and what that means to Alex.
• Insights into what makes you successful at building a business, relationships, and driving value.
• Why you should care about the relationships you develop; honing the soft skills to communicate.
• Alex shares his business development journey and process.
• We discuss the concept of business development in groups.
• His thoughts on public speaking, as a communication skill to hone.
• Tips that helped Alex develop his public speaking skill.
• Alex’s advice to someone starting out in their professional career.

Alex Egan on LinkedIn
Kaufman Rossin
Connection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn

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Sometimes, a job that was initially fulfilling begins to feel less meaningful over time. Luckily, there are several strategies you can follow to help you reignite your passion for the work that you already do or even redefine your role around what gets you excited! Today, we are joined by Randy Crabtree, speaker, writer, co-founder, and partner of Tri-Merit Specialty Tax Professionals and host of The Unique CPA podcast. Randy is also a two-time finalist for Accounting Today's Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting and a regular presenter for National Accounting Associations in state CPA societies. In this episode, Randy shares his experience of navigating his mental health after a midlife stroke and his advice for finding passion in the work you do. We also discuss some of the tips and tricks he suggests for mitigating work-related stress, finding direction in your career, and bringing your outside passions to work with you, plus so much more. If you want to find out why Randy believes that “passion is everything,” make sure to tune in today.

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Randy reevaluated his mental and physical health after a midlife stroke.
• Advice for navigating work-related stress and burnout: first, acknowledge it!
• The importance of finding someone to talk to and choosing to reframe your challenges.
• Why Randy decided to redefine his role in the business.
• Determining what you are passionate about and creating your role around that.
• Tips for finding direction in your career as a young professional.
• Ways you can change your daily habits to help you avoid burnout.
• Bringing your outside passions into the work that you do.
• How you can benefit from “shutting down” at the end of the day.
• Insight into why Randy is so passionate about education.
• What advice Randy would give to his 30-year-old self.

The Unique CPA Podcast
Randy Crabtree on LinkedIn
Tri-Merit
Ep. 93: Rethink Your Approach to Work with Dan Montgomery
What’s Your And?Connection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn

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Resilience breeds success, and no one articulates it better than Lisa Howze. Lisa is a former Michigan state representative and the former chief of staff and chief government affairs officer for Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. She is now known as "The Career Transformation Specialist" and joins us today to discuss her book, Candy Girl Mentality. Lisa generously shares an endless stream of wisdom as she breaks down the "candy girl mentality," defining setbacks and disappointments and providing tools to overcome them. We find out what informed her entrepreneurial mindset, how she navigates responsibility, and what she personally gleaned from the process of writing the book. Tune in to find out how best to manage expectations, combat imposter syndrome, and change your situation by changing your mind.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Lisa Howze's journey to writing her book, Candy Girl Mentality.
• What informed her entrepreneurial mindset.
• The genesis of the title of her book.
• Lisa Howze breaks down the "candy girl mentality."
• Lisa defines setbacks and disappointments and shares examples of each.
• How she learned resilience.
• The art of changing your situation by changing your mind.
• Lisa's process of writing and editing the book.
• How she navigated the responsibility of being Chief of Staff for Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan.
• What to do when you feel like you're in over your head.
• How to combat imposter syndrome.
• How best to manage expectations.
• Lisa's top three tools for bouncing back from major setbacks or disappointments.
• Her greatest takeaway from the process of writing the book.

Lisa Howze on LinkedIn
Lisa Howze on Twitter
Candy Girl MentalityConnection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn

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Building a strong network of professional connections ultimately comes down to the time and energy you are willing to invest in those relationships. Today’s guest understands this and has managed to build credibility by consistently looking for new ways to add value. George Sirignano is the Managing Partner of Old City Investment Partners, a firm that identifies high-quality alternative investment sponsors for a growing investor base of families and institutions. George manages Old City’s investing and capital placement businesses, including those of its SEC-registered broker-dealer, and acts as the firm’s general counsel.

In this episode, he offers insight into Old City’s broker-dealer platform and what sets them apart from other firms. We discuss the importance of advocating on behalf of your clients, prioritizing authentic interactions without distraction, and being open to mentors who might not be the obvious choice, plus so much more! You could say that collaboration, credibility, and curiosity are the three C’s of George’s unique approach to facilitating engagement between broker-dealers and building a network of meaningful relationships.

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to George and the services that Old City offers.
• Insight into the process of raising capital for funds and private companies.
• A look at the expertise and network value that Old City provides.
• Why George says he isn’t engaged in “pure play investment banking.”
• The role that collaboration plays in differentiating the Old City approach.
• How George facilitates engagement across the broker-dealer platform.
• The significance of acting as a trusted intermediary.
• Conflicts that can come up, and the credibility needed to resolve them.
• The huge impact that perception can have, regardless of the facts.
• Why confidence is key in any sales business.
• How Old City has evolved and why they set up the broker-dealer platform.
• What George enjoys about advocating on behalf of his clients.
• The importance of consistently working on your relationships.
• Benefits of helping investors in different areas of their careers and lives.
• George’s advice for building a network of meaningful relationships.
• What it means to be open to “conscious serendipity.”

George Sirignano on LinkedIn
Old City Investment Partners
Connection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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The word “sales” often leaves a sour taste in people’s mouths. But sales is different than most people think, as today’s guest explains. Gary Braun, the Co-Founder of Pivotal Advisors, shares why it’s all about asking the right questions. Gary takes us on the journey of how he and his brother launched Pivotal Advisors and the lessons they have learned over the last 10+ years. We debunk negative connotations associated with “sales” and discuss why asking the right questions can build trust and lead to opportunities. Gary shares what it means to shortcut the discovery process, how to have a great pitch when you have little time, the positives of having repetitive systems, and why the fear of change is holding most sales professionals back. Gary also shares insights on creating accountability, the importance of reinforcement, and continual evolution.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The journey that led to Gary and his brother starting Pivotal Advisors.
• Debunking the negative connotations associated with being a person in sales.
• Why solving problems is the core of sales.
• How asking the right questions uncovers opportunities.
• How asking the right questions can help build trust.
• The right way to approach sales, and some wrong ones.
• Earning respect: what it means to shortcut the discovery process.
• How to stick to a quality sales pitch when time is limited.
• Why you shouldn’t chase every sale and how to identify hot leads.
• Narrowing your focus to help you grow.
• How repetitive systems can help you scale.
• Why the fear of changing behavior and mindset is the biggest thing holding sales professionals back.
• How to deal with accountability in sales: positive and constructive reinforcement.
• Why change is necessary for evolution and the importance of developing soft skills.

Gary Braun on LinkedIn
Pivotal Advisors
Pivotal Advisors on YouTube
Connection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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To be an entrepreneur requires hard work, self-discipline, and a tremendous amount of courage. When you are your own boss, there is no one else to look to. Therefore, everything your business needs to succeed requires your efforts and discipline. Today we are joined by the Managing Director of EisnerAmper, Isatou Smith. She is a natural entrepreneur who left a stable corporate role to gain greater autonomy and agency in her personal and professional life. In our conversation, we discuss how Isatou became an entrepreneur and what she's learned from her journey. Isatou shares examples of the challenging moments she has had to endure and ultimately persevere. Isatou also explains why all entrepreneurs need to know themselves very well, why instant gratification is a slippery slope, and how society can break you down if you let it. Finally, we discuss the importance of self-discipline, how to be intentional with how you spend your time, and why goal-setting is an entrepreneurial necessity.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Isatou's entrepreneurial journey: when it started, how she chose it, and what she learned.
• The part of her journey that forced her to endure and persevere.
• The importance of knowing yourself and what you want very well.
• Instant gratification and living in a world of 'right now'.
• How external influences could be detrimental to your entrepreneurial endeavor.
• The importance of leading both yourself and others as an entrepreneur.
• Why there's a high risk of burnout and poor mental health when you're your own boss.
• How to be self-disciplined when given full autonomy.
• Being intentional with how you spend your time.
• Why it's important to set goals as an entrepreneur.

Isatou Smith on LinkedIn
Isatou Email
EisnerAmper
Connection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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From heading a family business, running franchising models, running a private equity firm, and being a mother to two, is there anything Susan Black-Bethcan't do? Growing up in an entrepreneurial family, Susan's relationship with business started at an early age and has been formative to her leadership style.

In this episode, Susan shares the value of having a robust and reliable network, how to overcome unforeseen challenges, her serendipitous relationship with COVID-19, and the importance of resiliency, authenticity, and vulnerability. With years of experience in multiple spheres of entrepreneurship, Susan explains how all these skills unexpectedly came together to help her through a life-changing family crisis. Finally, bringing this all together, we hear how a shift in perspective can help improve our outlook and allow us to lead ourselves and those who depend on us.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Susan's experience with an entrepreneurial family.
• Susan and her sisters experience buying and building carwashes.
• Why Susan felt called to move away from the safety of the family business.
• How Susan overcame her limiting and self-doubting internal dialogue.
• Susan's seven-year journey in private equity.
• The life lessons Susan has learned while overcoming challenges.
• What Susan learned about leadership from the most challenging days of COVID.
• Susan's experiences with her son's heart transplant journey.
• Susan's relationship with resiliency and leadership.
• Most importantly, the power of gratitude and how it has helped Susan succeed.

Susan Black-Beth on LinkedIn
Avante Capital Partners
Connection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Today we are joined by partner, director, and advisor at Anders CPAs, David Hartley to discuss how he has found success and happiness in his career by taking risks and embracing uncertainty. You'll hear about David's professional career journey, the catalysts for change early on, and how he handled changes he encountered along the way. We also talk about why we as leaders have to accept that we do not know all the answers and instead focus on being a facilitator for problem-solving.

David also shares his view on why it is critical to be open to learning, staying up to date with technology, asking questions, and staying true to yourself. We then dig into how to handle changing circumstances, manage your mental health, and why self-care is essential. Finally, David shares a piece of advice for professionals hitting the five-to-10-year mark in their career.

Key Points From This Episode:

• David talks us through some of the pivotal points in the beginning of his career.
• How to work your way through life change.
• Why it's okay not to know all the answers.
• The importance of facilitating a group as a leader rather than dominating problem-solving.
• The importance of embracing the newest tools and latest technologies.
• How to navigate constant change.
• The importance of asking questions and being a sponge in the beginning of your career.
• Why you don't need to know everything and why it's imperative to ask questions to learn.
• The themes that came out of the new partner presentations David's company has just done.
• Why we need to manage mental health in the workplace.
• The importance of being authentic to the things you enjoy early in your career.
• David shares some advice about self-care for professionals hitting their five-to-10-year mark.

David Hartley on LinkedIn
Anders CPAs
Dare to LeadConnection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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In today's high-paced professional world, it's easy to lose perspective on what moves the needle in your company and get mired down in a slew of everyday tasks and emails. And while creating a structure that prioritizes reflection and planning can be challenging, it is immensely beneficial in the long run. Here to help us unpack this topic and give us a fresh perspective on our approach to work is Dan Montgomery, audit partner and director of business development at Forge Financial and Management Consulting, a forward-thinking advisory firm. In our conversation, Dan expands on how Forge's novel approach is making the busy season more manageable for their team and what they are doing to prioritize planning, reflection, and productivity at their company. We then move on to what Dan has learned from the value of journaling, reflection, and planning and how those lessons have changed the way he works and lives his life. Finally, today's episode offers a high-level breakdown of creating an innovative professional services model that allows for increased profitability, greater productivity, and, most importantly, more personal life satisfaction.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know today's guest, Dan Montgomery, and his fascinating childhood in Alaska.
• Why Forge Financial Management Consulting was created and who it is meant to serve.
• An overview of Dan's firm and its approach to accounting.
• The pitfalls of the busy season in accounting and how Dan's firm is addressing it.
• Why Forge Financial Management Consulting isn't taking on new tax-only clients.
• The importance of prioritizing the most impactful work within your company.
• Defining your value proposition and why it will attract more ideal clients.
• How reflection helps Dan function in a more healthy way.
• A breakdown of how Dan prioritizes daily and weekly 'Big Three' tasks.
• The most important elements of weekly reflection.
• How to create space for focused, deep work.
• What an ideal week for Dan's company looks like.

Forge Financial Management Consulting
Dan Montgomery on LinkedIn
Dan Montgomery's Email
Connection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Building a Client Advisory Services (CAS) practice can be challenging, but when you identify the right business opportunities and apply a value-based pricing model, you'll not only increase your business revenue but reveal your true worth to your clients! Today's guest has identified seven tips for growing your CAS practice and is here to share his insights on growth opportunities for professional service providers. Join us in welcoming Ed Warren, an accomplished sales executive with over 25 years of professional services, sales, and marketing experience. Ed has worked in marketing, business development, and practice growth roles in Top 100 CPA firms, and today, we discuss the seven ways that practitioners can leverage a CAS model to shift the traditional service model, create a more value-added service, and function more like a fractional provider while driving increased revenue and building a more scalable practice.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Defining Client Advisory Services (CAS).
• Thinking about CAS like an on-call fractional CFO.
• Why finding and mastering your niche is critical for advisory success.
• How to leverage low-hanging fruit with existing clients.
• Benefits of thinking like a general manager, especially in an increasingly virtual world.
• The importance of systems in building a replicable model.
• Ed's tips for creating a sales and marketing plan.
• The value of being anticipatory.
• Your responsibility to understand hard trends if you want to become a thought leader.
• Recommended first steps on your CAS journey.

Edward Warren on LinkedIn
7 Tips to Increase Your Revenue with Client Advisory Services
Sage Intacct
The E-MythThe Anticipatory OrganizationConnection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
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Insatiable curiosity is often correlated with leadership and business success. But if it isn't combined with a healthy dose of strategy and discipline, it can have the opposite effect. With more than 35 years of experience in public accounting, Gary Thomson is a sought-after consultant and leadership development expert. His years of experience working in firm structures and as an entrepreneur make him well equipped to discuss what it takes to drive innovation and growth for yourself and your business.

Although every person and every situation is unique, Gary shares his thoughts on why curiosity and discipline are two essential keys to success and how you can cultivate these traits and use them to your advantage along your own career journey. For the technology geeks out there, we also go down a bit of an unplanned rabbit hole about the rapid pace of technological advancements today. Make sure to tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The biggest change that Gary has witnessed in his industry since his career began.
• Technological advancements that are taking place in the CPA world today.
• Why a high level of curiosity is correlated with great leadership.
• The downsides of too much curiosity amongst people within an organization.
• How taking breaks will benefit your business.
• The value in setting goals and being flexible in your approach to achieving them.
• Cultivating your curiosity within a corporate structure.
• A hypothetical example of implementing a cascading, organization-wide strategy.
• How boundaries promote creativity.
• How to foster creativity amongst your employees.
• A better way to think about sunk costs.
• Examples of indirect ROIs, and the value these hold.

Thomson Consulting
Gary Thomson on LinkedIn
True ProfessionalismExtreme OwnershipConnection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
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Telling her story on the Podcast today is one of McGuireWoods' Women in Private Equity to Know, Meahgan O'Grady Martin. Meahgan is the Director of Business Development for Palladium Equity Partners and a chairwoman at the Association for Corporate Growth Women in Leadership committee. During our discussion, we unpack the process of enduring challenges to earn confidence, the power of building a network, and the perils of having a mindset of victimhood. Drawing on her own experience, Meaghan shares some powerful advice with listeners on how to grow from everything you experience and leverage your relationships to find success.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Meahgan's unique path to private equity and the unique skill set that helped her succeed.
• The learned and innate skill sets behind Meahgan's success.
• Distinguishing between confidence and arrogance.
• Meahgan's thoughts on victimhood and understanding that you have to work for confidence.
• Combatting victimhood with resilience and grit.
• Why self-pity is a waste of time and what you should do instead.
• Her belief in the power of looking fear in the face.
• Thinking of your career as a marathon to avoid analysis paralysis.
• Why there is always a way forward.
• The value of a network and where to find time to prioritize it.
• Why it is important to see your network as more than transactional.
• How even though she doesn't always have the answers, Meahgan knows she can figure them out.
• The reality that sometimes an opportunity is just more work in disguise.
• Leveraging the power of your network to solve problems.
• How time and maturity develop your perspective.

Meahgan O'Grady Martin on LinkedIn
Palladium Equity Partners
Connection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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As a leader, your team's performance is your responsibility; if you take this responsibility seriously, you can transform your organization. Today's guest is Dan Cremons, former private equity investor and CEO and the bestselling author of The Blue Flame and Winning Moves. While writing his first book with the aim of helping leaders improve their approach to managing people, Dan had an epiphany that led him to change the trajectory of his career and become an entrepreneur. Dan is passionate about helping leaders bring out the best in their employees; he encourages conversations that revolve around figuring out what energizes people and where their strengths lie. Tune in today to hear about the fundamentals of building a thriving team.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Dan shares an overview of his journey from pre-med student to entrepreneur in the private equity space.
• An explanation of The Blue Flame concept that shares a name with Dan's first book.
• The life-changing realization that Dan came to while writing The Blue Flame.
• What Dan believes to be the fundamental responsibility of a leader.
• The self-serving element of servant leadership.
• A story that highlights how Dan's mindset has evolved since his first job of transforming a company.
• Why Dan once gave each of the managers on his team a mirror during a weekly meeting.
• Some of the most important lessons that Dan has learned through his journey as an entrepreneur.
• What a 'one-page plan' is and why it is such a valuable tool.
• Understanding the adversity quotient.
• The hiring model that involves giving big responsibilities to people early on in their careers.
• The motivation behind the creation of the Alpine CEO In-Training program and the results it has garnered.
• Three keys to building a thriving team.

Dan Cremons on LinkedIn
The Blue FlameWinning MovesConnection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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No matter what line of work you choose to pursue, finding a clear niche and narrowing down who you serve and how you add value will be one of the best ways to ensure your career success. Today we welcome Jay Harrington to share his story starting at a large law firm, then starting his own private law, and finally launching his current consultancy. Jay is also the author of three books, The Productivity Pivot, The Essential Associate, and One of a Kind.

Jay covers the pivotal moments of his journey from attorney to co-founding a firm and how he used the lessons he learned along the way to successfully transition into his current role as coach, trainer, and consultant. Jay shares his thoughts about growing your practice, embracing fundamental entrepreneurial ideas, and focusing on prioritization, impact, and target markets. He also shares his framework for insights, introductions, and invitations, and towards the end of our conversation, Jay distinguishes these business development methods from the vital marketing piece.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Looking at Jay's history and the beginnings of his law career in Chicago.
• The transition that Jay made from his work in bankruptcy law to consultancy work.
• How Jay took the lessons he had learned himself and began using these to help others.
• What Jay wishes he had known when starting out; the links between autonomy, motivation, and satisfaction.
• Framing a practice as an entrepreneurial project and working on your business, not just in it.
• Escaping the hamster wheel of billable hours!
• Working within the time limitations that we all experience; investing in yourself and the business through better time allocation.
• Jay's perspective on the most critical areas to focus on when building a practice and finding clients.
• An argument for niching down your offer in order to gain traction.
• Choosing your own game and finding a less crowded field to win on.
• Jay's recommendations for best practices, and his emphasis on separating marketing and business development.
• Allowing space for chance connections and opportunities; why consistently putting your business out there is so powerful.
• Unpacking the marketing component of building and maintaining a practice.
• Jay explains his LinkedIn strategy and how it has evolved over time.

Jay Harrington on LinkedIn
The Productivity PivotThe Essential AssociateOne of a KindConnection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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In the evolving landscape of the accounting world, firms need to manage growth and shifts in the right way if they are going to survive. Here on the podcast today, we are joined by Gary Shamis, Principal of Winding River Consulting, who shares the wisdom he has acquired in his long and illustrious career as a leader in this space.

Firm leaders will not want to miss the insights Gary shares as we discuss the key issues that should be on the top of every managing partner's list and best practices for navigating these. Gary shares his thoughts on human capital strategy, the importance of building capacity, and how MPs should be approaching growing in today's market.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Gary's background and his career journey.
• A look at Gary's 'What's on Your List?' framework for managing partners.
• The need for firms to prioritize human capital and build their capacity.
• The biggest and most common mistakes that firms make.
• Gary comments on the power of outsourcing work as an accounting firm.
• Creating a better working environment for the millennial workforce and providing a higher level for them to work at.
• Gary's thoughts on the most significant barriers to the necessary change and progress for firms.
• The need for more conversations about diversity and inclusion in the accounting world.
• Advice for leaders on how to facilitate intentional growth for a firm.
• The trend toward mergers and acquisitions and the influx of private equity into the accounting sector.
• Gary's perspective on using advisory boards to navigate critical initiatives successfully.

Gary Shamis on LinkedIn
Gary Shamis Email
Winding River Consulting
Managing Partner Bootcamp
Building BlocksConnection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
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People are at the center of almost every business, whether clients, employees or a combination of both. This is even more true in the professional services industry, where a people-focused approach is essential to success. However, it is not always clear what a people-centered approach is and how to establish it in your organization’s culture. In today’s episode, we speak to Paul Aversano, a Managing Director and Global Practice Leader at Alvarez & Marsal, a top consulting firm with more than 5,000 team members worldwide. Paul has over 25 years of experience in the sector, leading financial and accounting due diligence projects for complicated public and private company transactions, including capital markets.

In our conversation, Paul shares what qualities he thinks drive success, the value of a people-focused approach, and much more. We start by learning about Paul’s professional background and a moment that propelled him into his current career. Then, we discuss why clients and people should be the focus of any business, the Alvarez & Marsal approach, and mentality to serving clients, how to build a work culture focused on the clients, and what it takes to be successful within the professional services sector. He also shares his approach and style to leadership, why he thinks reading is essential to success, and advice for young professionals.

Key Points From This Episode:

• We start by learning about Paul’s background and professional career journey.
• How a small moment led to greater opportunities in his career.
• Paul explains why he thinks clients and people should be a priority in professional services.
• The value of a people-focused approach to a company or organization.
• Why he thinks the focus should be on servicing clients with the right people.
• Paul breaks down the Alvarez & Marsal approach and mentality to serving clients.
• How to build a business culture that is people and relationship-focused.
• An outline of his leadership philosophy and style.
• What essential lessons Paul has learned during his career
• He shares a story about a significant lesson he learned as a mid-level manager.
• A detailed explanation of what he means by, ‘having a positive mentality.’
• He delves into how a learning mindset is helpful to your career.
• Learn why the element of ‘grit’ is so important for Paul.
• A final takeaway message regarding relationships that he has for listeners.

Paul Aversano
Paul Aversano on LinkedIn
Paul Aversano on Twitter
Alvarez & Marsal
Alvarez & Marsal on LinkedIn
Binghamton University
‘What Sets Successful CEOs Apart’Goldman Sachs: The Culture of SuccessConnection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
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Are you looking to succeed in business, exceed your goals and ambitions, and advance in your career? Well, you're in the right place, and today, you'll learn how staying ahead of the curve can set you apart, especially early on in your profession!

In this episode, we welcome back returning guest Leon Brujis of Palladium Equity Partners, the oldest minority-owned private equity buyout firm in the industry with over $3 billion in assets under management. As you may recall, Leon is a repeat contributor to the Branch Out Podcast, and our conversations are always packed with wisdom and valuable insights to fuel your growth. In previous episodes, we spoke to him about stoicism, diversity, and more.

In today's discussion, Leon shares a series of lessons that he has learned throughout his career in investment banking and private equity, and you'll hear his advice for junior professionals looking to get ahead of the curve. From understanding your role on the team to developing your ability to prioritize, there are a number of things you can do that will significantly impact your career progression.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Some context for today's conversation and a brief overview of Leon's experience.
• Why it's important that you get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
• Understanding your role on the team and how that can contribute to your progress.
• What Leon means when he says that you have to learn how to "play the game."
• A practical look at why learning to prioritize can be a tremendous asset.
• Leon expands on the concepts of speed versus quality and the 80-20 rule.
• The three-point system Leon uses to check his work: check, check, and check again!
• Advice for how to take a step back and improve your attention to detail.
• Finance as an apprenticeship business and the value of finding mentors early on.
• Tips for finding mentors and building and maintaining those relationships.
• How you can benefit from requesting informal feedback regularly.
• Why your attitude and work ethic are the easiest ways to develop a good rapport.
• Developing a solution mindset, starting with the answer, and more!

Leon Brujis on LinkedIn
Palladium Equity Partners
Episode #70 - Diversity Equals Alpha
Episode #55 - Stoicism and Private Equity
Connection BuildersAlex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
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Professional firms typically bill by the hour, as any accountant or lawyer knows all too well. But, as you'll discover in this episode, today's guest argues strongly for implementing a subscription-based model.

Meta-consultant and business iconoclast, Ed Kless is the Senior Director of Partner Development and Strategy for Sage in North America and a Senior Fellow at the VeraSage Institute, a think tank dedicated to the elimination of the billable hour. He is also an author, speaker, and co-host of The Soul of Enterprise, a business podcast designed to champion the insight that wealth is created by intellectual capital.

As you'll learn from our conversation, Ed has noticed a significant shift towards the subscription-based business model, where you have control over how you price the relationship you have with your customer. In this candid and thought-provoking discussion, Ed shares his expertise and advice when it comes to subscription-based pricing models for professional knowledge firms and best practices for firms looking to transition to this approach. We also touch on the difference between a client and a customer, the notion of serial transformations, and why Ed believes that pricing is an art, not a science. This episode will challenge the way you think about pricing and encourage you to consider the value proposition of a subscription-based model.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Ed shares some insight into his role at Sage, as well as his 'why.'
• A look at why he believes that professional firms sell knowledge, not service.
• Why the business model that best serves this transfer or access to knowledge is not the hour.
• An understanding of the difference between clients and customers.
• The value proposition of a subscription-based model and how it serves customers better.
• Defining subscription-based pricing and what Ed calls 'serial transformations.'
• The Disney concept of 'plussing' and the mindset shift that comes with subscription models.
• Ed debunks some common misconceptions about subscription models.
• What Ed means when he says that subscriptions should be frictionless.
• Ed's belief that pricing is an art, not a science, and a look at his 'ensurance' model.
• Learnings from one of the biggest subscription success stories that Ed has seen.
• Where to start educating yourself, including Ed's recommended reads.

Ed Kless
Ed Kless on LinkedIn
Ed Kless on Twitter
The Soul of Enterprise (TSOE)
Sage
VeraSage Institute
TSOE Episode 296: Subscription Pricing at Summit CPA — Jody Grunden
Managing the Professional Service FirmSubscribedTime's Up!Connection Builders Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
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Mergers and acquisitions can sometimes feel daunting for entrepreneurs, but they don't have to be. In fact, growth through M&A can yield huge rewards if you are willing to accept some risk and remain open to opportunities. Today, we are joined by John Bly, the South Atlantic Regional Leader for Top 35 CPA firm, Aprio, as he cracks the code to M&A growth with us, sharing some of the lessons he has learned throughout his career journey and offering his advice for anyone considering M&A as a growth strategy.

You'll gain insights into John's trajectory, from the beginning of his career in public accounting at the Big 4 to starting his own CPA firm, completing more than 15 M&A transactions, and ultimately merging his firm with Aprio. John also shares the importance of being clear about how you drive value, the benefits John has seen from treating both sides of a transaction with fairness and respect, and the value of establishing appropriate expectations upfront.

Key Points From This Episode:

• A look at John's career trajectory, from big-four CPA to entrepreneur to regional manager.
• What starting his own firm taught John about working with small business owners.
• How John's firm grew exponentially thanks to M&A between 2006 and 2009.
• Why he believes in doing what you're passionate about, even if that means pruning clients.
• Lessons John has learned about the importance of taking your own advice.
• His experience of growing his business through a global financial crisis.
• What made John realize that his firm was unique when it came to M&A growth.
• Insights that came from making 15 acquisitions in 15 years, followed by the decision to ultimately merge with Aprio.
• What John means when he says "a CPA does not equal a CPA."
• Key takeaways from John's M&A growth strategy, including the importance of having clarity about how and where you drive value.
• Why it always pays off to treat both sides of a deal with the utmost respect and fairness.
• The value of establishing expectations and ensuring those expectations are appropriate.
• Questions to ask yourself to determine what is important to you going into an M&A deal.
• Why you should be thinking about M&A (and stay open to opportunities).
• How ego can get in the way of profound M&A growth.
• Advice for those considering M&A as a growth strategy: be open, listen, and make friends!

John Bly on LinkedIn
John Bly Email
Cracking the CodeAprio
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
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Change is inherent in Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) transactions, making preparation and methods to overcome the challenges associated with the change essential to a successful process. In today’s show, we speak to Jennifer Fondrevay, an M&A expert, speaker, and Founder of Day1 Ready. Her company is on a mission to rediscover the humanity in business and provides services for a wide variety of Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, and small businesses. The human component is the core of the business, such as culture, productivity, and retention. Jennifer advises senior leadership, acts as a liaison to middle managers and provides a progressive approach to organizational transformation companies require during an M&A.

She is also the author of the book Now What?,providing readers with a guide to navigating the complex M&A process based on more than 60 interviews with M&A integration survivors and practitioners. In our conversation, Jennifer walks us through the M&A process and how change can lead to opportunities. Specifically, we discuss the role of emotion during an M&A, the impacts the process has on employees, ways in which M&A is similar to a relationship, the underlying ideology of her approach to M&A, and why change is inevitable in the business world. We also learn what red flags to look out for when assessing a partnership and how companies can overcome the challenges during an M&A.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Outline of the lessons that Jennifer has learned during her career.
• The benefits an advisor, like Jennifer, can provide companies during M&A processes.
• Discussion about how change is inevitable in the business world.
• A walkthrough of the essential aspects to consider during an M&A, such as culture.
• The impacts that the M&A process has on employees.
• We learn about the underlying characteristic of her approach to M&A.
• How grief is a part of the M&A process and ways companies can overcome it.
• Why respect and acknowledgment of the opportunities are essential to the M&A process.
• Another important aspect to be considered: partnership.
• What red flags to look out for when assessing a potential partnership.
• A simple exercise that companies can practice: a pre-mortem assessment.
• Why building working relationships is essential to driving value.
• Jennifer shares how she developed her philosophy and approach to M&A.
• She gives us a rundown of the different characters that she uses to convey her approach.
• What not to do during an M&A process to avoid creating a toxic work environment.
• What her favorite type of characters are in the context of an M&A.

Jennifer Fondrevay
Jennifer Fondrevay on LinkedIn
Now What?ACG InterGrowth SessionAlex Drost LinkedIn
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It's no secret that the B2B buyer has changed more in the past ten years than in the previous 100. The modern consumer is digitally driven, socially aware, and has all the information they need at their fingertips. So, how can B2B service providers keep up with this rapid evolution and meet the buyers of today where they're at?

To help us find the answer to this question, we're joined by Eric Gregg, Founder, and CEO of ClearlyRated, an online client satisfaction survey firm that works with B2B service providers to maximize the value of their client experience surveys. They achieve this through leveraging Net Promoter Scores (NPS) to improve retention, grow accounts, win new business, and maximize online reputation. Since its founding, ClearlyRated has sustained double-digit growth by actively partnering with firm leaders and managers to find answers to critical issues of client satisfaction and retention.

In this episode, Eric shares his expertise and provides a \overview of the evolution taking place in the client buying and decision-making process and the different ways that professional service firms can address these changes. He highlights the importance of being proactive, building deeper connections with clients, and making diversity, equity, and inclusion a priority, plus so much more!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An overview of what ClearlyRated does and why it matters to B2B service providers.
• Why ratings and referrals are important for professional service firms.
• Recent trends that reinforce the value of referrals, including information symmetry.
• Insight into why risk aversion increases as the buying group size increases.
• Evaluating the role that trust plays on an institutional, individual, and repetitional basis.
• The impact that COVID-19 has had on the vetting process in the B2B space.
• What Eric believes drives client satisfaction today, including proactivity.
• The opportunities that professional service firms have to utilize data to add value.
• Why relationship building and 'soft skill' development are crucial in this context.
• Using what Eric calls the 'two by one' strategy to connect with clients on a deeper level.
• The role that authenticity plays in building deeper connections.
• How important diversity, equity, and inclusion are for buyers in the professional services environment today.

Eric Gregg on LinkedIn
Eric Gregg on Twitter
ClearlyRated
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Today on the Branch Out Podcast, we are joined by a passionate people developer and self-described rebel with a cause, Maria Moss! Maria is a training and development consultant and the owner of Phoenix Leadership Solutions, a training consulting firm that utilizes classroom-based learning and development programs to help empower leaders to reach their full potential. By sharing the discoveries, challenges, and lessons she has encountered on her journey towards creating her destiny, Maria helps entrepreneurs and individuals find their 'magic': that special mix of passion and talent that will propel them towards the future of their dreams! In today's episode, we unpack what it means to invest in personal and professional growth and how to set yourself up for success, which Maria believes comes down to consistency over time and focusing on the right systems to keep you on track. We hope you'll join us! You'll walk away with some fantastic insights into how to find your magic that might just change your perspective on training, personal development, leadership, and perseverance.

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Maria found her love for training and development.
• Some of the little moments that keep her motivated, even on her worst days.
• How she helps organizations sustain and ignite their most valuable asset: their people.
• Maria's view of individual success: the lessons you learn can never be taken from you.
• An organizational perspective on training and development, pre-and post-COVID.
• The value of consistency and implementing tools and systems to help you stay on track.
• Learning to embrace the process and celebrate your wins along the way!
• The key role that reflecting on your progress plays in keeping you motivated.
• Maria's morning ritual of expressing gratitude, forgiving herself for yesterday's mistakes, and setting her intention for the day.
• The power of a smile to change your mindset.
• How you can benefit from viewing your low moments as opportunities for growth.

Phoenix Leadership Solutions
Maria Moss
Maria Moss on LinkedIn
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Jeff Henningsen has always been curious, creative, and committed to his goals. These are some of the traits that have allowed him to succeed in so many different realms. Jeff’s entrepreneurial career started with mowing lawns to make some extra money while he was still in school; this turned into a business that he was able to sell at the age of 22. After that, he gained experience in the private equity world before becoming the President of Lockton Companies in Texas, where he has worked for the past 26 years. Alongside his day job, Jeff is also the host of the Private Equity Fast Pitch podcast, which is about to reach its 100th episode! In our conversation today, Jeff and I discuss the value of coaching, the importance of finding your “why,” the benefits of being an introvert, and why doing is better than dreaming!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The key factor which differentiates “idea men” from successful entrepreneurs.
• Why Jeff is so passionate about the value of coaching.
• Jeff explains what motivated him to start his podcast. And the unexpected things that have come out of Jeff’s podcast.
• The importance of committing to your goals.
• Why Jeff thinks of himself as a (figurative) orchestra conductor.

Jeff Henningsen on LinkedIn
Lockton
Private Equity Fast Pitch Website
Private Equity Fast Pitch on Spotify
Private Equity Fast Pitch on Apple
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Today we speak with accomplished Founder and CEO of Star Mountain Capital, Brett Hickey. Brett shares his personal and professional journey from a small town in Northern Canada to founding one of the leading lower middle-market investment firms in New York City. Brett discusses how his unique background led him to where he is today and why he believes that it is so important to focus on making an impact in building a scalable life. We touch on the benefits of taking a step back rather than charging forward, why it might be more efficient to manage your energy over managing your time, and the key roles that exercise, nutrition, and sleep have played in Brett's success.

Key Points From This Episode:

• From speed skater to CEO, how Brett's unique background led him to where he is today.
• The role that fun and engagement have played in his entrepreneurial journey.
• What sparked his passion for finance and his focus on making an impact.
• How to make an impact in a scalable way by starting with a proper game plan.
• Why the Owner/President Management Program at Harvard Business School was transformational for Brett.
• The benefits of taking a purposeful step back sometimes rather than charging forward.
• Why managing your energy is arguably more important than managing your time.
• Why Brett believes that proper nutrition, exercise, and sleep are critical to his success.
• The challenges that come with bringing differentiated products and services to the market and what they taught Brett about aligning with investors.
• What entrepreneurs can learn about relatability and transfer of trust from the film industry.
• Brett's advice for young entrepreneurs: remember the value of relationships!
• Why he suggests looking 10 years ahead before making strategic decisions.

Brett Hickey on LinkedIn
Star Mountain Capital
Star Mountain Capital on LinkedIn
Star Mountain Capital on YouTube
Barbarians at the GateRay Dalio
Harvard Business School Owner/President Management Program
Eat That Frog!What it TakesAlex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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"Hire smart people and get out of the way." This is the leadership philosophy of today's guest, Tyler Fair. Tyler is the co-founder and CEO of SourceScrub, the leading data service for dealmakers who want to find, research, and connect with founder-owned businesses. Though the company is just seven years old, it has grown into an 8-figure business that works with top private equity and investment banking firms. In this episode, Tyler joins us to share his entrepreneurial journey and explain how instead of getting venture capital backing, SourceScrub bootstrapped its way to success. Tuning in, you'll hear how Tyler first identified the need for a product like SourceScrub and realized that he could create a tech-enabled solution to solve this pain point. You'll also discover how he developed his leadership philosophy and how Tyler has grown his company to include hundreds of employees from around the globe. Finally, hear how Tyler has learned through this process, how he uses his time to the highest level, and what advice he would give his former self.

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to Tyler Fair and how he first saw the need for a product like SourceScrub.
• The struggles of trying to hire interns to scrub through Google.
• How Tyler realized that he could figure out a tech-enabled solution to solve this pain point.
• Insight into the current size of SourceScrub and the number and location of its employees.
• What Tyler has learned through the process of growing this company.
• How SourceScrub is supporting employees in the Philippines and Ukraine.
• How Tyler learned the value of hiring smart people and getting out of the way.
• What Tyler has learned in this process and why he is trying to get as many things off his plate as possible
• How Tyler is prioritizing and using his time to the highest level and for the best use.
• The advice that Tyler would give his former self.

Tyler Fair on LinkedIn
SourceScrub
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Some of the many work-life aspects that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted were the opportunities to network and build professional relationships. Talking to us today about his professional journey and how he made it through the pandemic is Thom Singer, professional speaker, coach, podcast host, and networking expert. Thom started his career in marketing and sales; however, he grew into a networking expert through his skill at building relationships. We find out what Thom did to be noticed (it's as simple as being nice!) and how he advises others to make an effort. Intent is not action, and the two minutes it takes to connect people can pay dividends exponentially. We dive into why a "link, like, and share" is not enough to build meaningful relationships and what you can do instead to ensure a shared experience. Tune in to discover the unexpected benefits of referring business to your competitors and how Thom has continued to grow his own network using this very technique. Thom also breaks down how to use associations to their full potential, why asking questions is the key to an elevator pitch, and where he sees networking going in a post-COVID- world.

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Thom grew into a networking expert, from marketing and sales to public speaking.
• Why being good at networking ensured Thom was never unemployed for long.
• Intent is not action: how taking two minutes to connect people will make all the difference.
• Why it's important not to get caught up in your own busyness.
• How a shared experience makes all the difference in building a relationship.
• Thom's advice on why being nice to everyone (regardless of whether they are "useful") is crucial.
• Why referring to your competitors is so beneficial: building relationships, keeping abreast of developments, and gaining business.
• The benefits of associations and conferences in building your network.
• How Thom makes associations work for him.
• The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on networking and Thom's business.
• Why you should start conversations with those around you.
• How to do elevator pitches well: ask questions!
• Where networking is going in a post-COVID world.
• The benefits of altruism and where you can get hold of Thom.

Thom Singer
Thom Singer on LinkedIn
Speakernomics
Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive: Outsell, Outmanage, Outmotivate, and Outnegotiate Your CompetitionDig Your Well Before You're Thirsty: The Only Networking Book You'll Ever NeedAlex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
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Today we are joined by George Khalife, the Vice President of US Capital Formation with the Toronto Stock Exchange, and the host of the podcast, Let's Grab Coffee. Listeners can expect to get some great insight into how creating content offers direct value to your network and you and why it is so important to show up as your best self for your audience and community. Being a creator, in this sense, is such a rewarding and important role, and it is heavily dependent on your mindset and intentions, and George expands on some of his ideas to help point you in the right direction. Towards the end of our chat, we also cover the positive sides of social media and the importance of giving back. So, to hear it all and get started on your next steps in content creation, listen in with us today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Creating value for your network; the questions that can clarify your mission.
• Surprising areas of exploration that open up through conversation.
• Chipping away at your work and slowly improving your content over time as your audience grows.
• Getting comfortable on camera and on record and moving past the anxiety that is so often there.
• A few simple tips from George for better conversations and presentation.
• George explains his interpretation of good energy and why it can be so powerful.
• How to show up with the best energy possible to important meetings and events.
• The positive sides of social media; George weighs in on the constant debate.
• Putting in the reps in order to up your game and the common results of practice

Let's Grab Coffee
George Khalife
George Khalife on LinkedIn
George Khalife on Instagram
George Khalife on YouTube
George Khalife on Twitter
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Often, we put in so much time and effort to create a brand identity, but we don't realize that there's a huge disconnect between that brand identity and our consumers' perception of our brand image. In this episode, we are joined by Lydia Michael, Founder of Blended Collective, a multicultural marketing firm that helps people and brands reach and engage diverse audiences. We discuss the difference between brand identity and brand image, their importance, and what to do to ensure that they align. Lydia also explains how consumers increasingly support brands that have meaning and are purpose-driven and the importance of picking values and brand pillars that you know you can live out as a brand. We then discuss the Blended Collective's multicultural and diversity work, how it intersects with brand, and how to build brand love through authenticity, humanizing, personalizing experiences, and storytelling.

Key Points From This Episode:

• How there is often a disconnect between who a brand says they are and who they are perceived to be.
• Brand identity versus brand image and the importance of them aligning.
• What brands need to consider to ensure that their brand identity aligns with brand image.
• What to do about the brand pillars that you associate with your brand that consumers are not perceiving.
• How Blended Collective ensures that brand identity and brand image align.
• The importance of picking values and brand pillars that you know you can live out as a brand.
• How to build brand love through authenticity, humanizing, personalizing experiences, and storytelling.
• The importance of brand love to a successful business.

Lydia Michael
Lydia Michael on LinkedIn
Lydia Michael on Instagram
Blended Collective
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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SPECIAL EPISODE: Diversity Matters in the Middle Market, brought to you by the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) and Connection Builders.
Being financially literate does more than help your bottom line: it also improves your mental health. Today’s guest has experienced this firsthand… Join us to hear from Karen A. Clark, SVP Multicultural Strategies with City Nation Bank, a community activist and financial literacy volunteer. Karen talks us through how the positive attitude at the bank that she works at inspired her to make a difference in those around her and what her first experience educating kids about savings was like. Find out about the obstacles throughout history that black and brown Americans have had to overcome to gain wealth and how financial literacy is linked to societal turmoil. Tune in to learn how, where, and why you should be volunteering your financial expertise and so much more in this inspirational episode.

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Karen got to where she is now.
• How black and brown Americans have historically been left out of financial education and savings and investment opportunities.
• Redlining and the collapse of the Freedman’s Bank: how the wealth gap has widened throughout history.
• How financial literacy improves emotional wellness and subsequently reduces turmoil in the world.
• The link between mental health and sound financial decisions.
• How Karen’s experience of bankruptcy showed her the impact of financial stress on her mental health.
• How you can contribute to improving financial literacy: who to volunteer with, and what makes you qualified.
• Karen’s experience with kindergartners and how she started her volunteering journey.

Karen A. Clark on LinkedIn
Operation Hope
ACG DEI Committee Mission and Resources
Connection Builders
Alex Drost on LinkedIn

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SPECIAL EPISODE: Diversity Matters in the Middle Market, brought to you by the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) and Connection Builders.
No matter your educational background or where you start out in your career, if you have support, an open mind, and are willing to put in the effort, there is no limit on which direction you can go! Nobody epitomizes this truth better than today’s guest, Michelle Chao. 14 years ago, after receiving a master’s in child education, Michelle started working at Bertram Capital as an Executive Assistant and today she is the Senior Vice President of Business Development and the head of Investor Relations at the firm. In this episode Michelle shares what this journey of hers has looked like, and how Bertram creates an environment that facilitates these kinds of growth opportunities. You’ll hear about the importance of advocating for people who you see potential in, and the value of putting out into the universe what you hope to get back.

Key Points From This Episode:

• What Michelle’s 14-year journey with Bertram has looked like.
• How Michelle learned about business development.
• Some of the key lessons that Michelle has learned through her time at Bertram.
• Examples of the different facets that exist within a private equity firm.
• Bertram Capital’s approach to exposing people to opportunities.
• How Bertram’s recruiting strategy has changed over the years.
• Characteristics that Michelle looks for in potential hires.
• The value of advocating for people whom you see potential in.
• How Michelle learned to balance work and family life.
• Advice for leaders who are eager to build a more diverse team.

Michelle Chao on LinkedIn
Bertram Capital
Peninsula Bridge
ACG DEI Committee Mission and Resources
Connection Builders
Alex Drost on LinkedIn

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SPECIAL EPISODE: Diversity Matters in the Middle Market, brought to you by the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) and Connection Builders.Joshua Berggrun joins us today to share his thoughts on how firms can create a more inclusive workplace and why that tends to attract and retain better talent. Josh is an attorney with Calfee, Halter & Griswold, based in Cleveland, Ohio. In this episode, he shares his career experience as a member of the LGBT community and the steps that professional services firms can take to create a more inclusive and diverse culture. Josh talks about the committees in place at Calfee that drew him to the firm and the benefits of making people feel welcome in the workplace. Furthermore, we find out what could be done at a base level in law schools to foster diversity and inclusion and set the industry standard. Tune in to discover why it’s so important to have an inclusive workplace, bring different voices to the table, and why allies should take the initiative to effect change.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why it’s important to have an inclusive workplace and bring different voices to the table.
• How having an inclusive culture fosters better interactions, internally and externally.
• Josh’s experience at Calfee, Halter & Griswold as a member of the LGBT community.
• How to foster diversity and inclusion by allocating resources and forming committees.
• How law schools can promote more diversity and inclusion and why it’s essential to do so.
• What organizations can do to make people feel more welcomed.
• How male-dominated industries can benefit from hiring LGBT candidates.
• What Calfee, specifically, is doing to foster diversity and inclusion.
• The importance of taking the initiative to effect change as an ally.

Joshua Berggrun on LinkedIn
Calfee, Halter & Griswold
ACG DEI Committee Mission and Resources
Connection Builders
Alex Drost on LinkedIn

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SPECIAL EPISODE: Diversity Matters in the Middle Market, brought to you by the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) and Connection Builders.
Building a career without coming from a background rich in resources can lead to many challenges and struggles. But it can also develop unique qualities that bring perspective and diversity into the workplace and sets you apart as someone with unique value to your team. Today's guest, Charmone Adams, a senior manager with Grant Thornton, is the youngest of seven children and the first person in his family to have pursued tertiary education. During our conversation, Charmone gets candid about feeling like he was behind and how lacking resources can hold people back from reaching success. We also discuss why diversity is a tool to grow your perspective and can often strengthen your team.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Some of the challenges that came with being the first person in his family to complete higher education.
• How having a lack of resources prevents people from being successful.
• The gratitude and appreciation he has as someone who did not come from resources.
• How the mentality of working harder and smarter has enabled him to be successful.
• Why diversity is an essential tool to grow your perspective.
• The importance of understanding that everyone comes from a different background.
• Why Charmone believes it is not sustainable to be traditional in your approach.
• Why it is vital to create a welcoming environment.
• Where you should look for talent outside of the conventional pathways.
• Why Charmone would recommend that young students study accounting to understand business.
• Why Charmone believes resilience is the most important quality to create success.

Charmone Adams on LinkedIn
Charmone Adams on Email
Grant Thornton
ACG DEI Committee Mission and Resources
Connection Builders
Alex Drost on LinkedIn

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SPECIAL EPISODE: Diversity Matters in the Middle Market, brought to you by the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) and Connection Builders.
One of the easiest ways to drive diversity equity and inclusion is to reach out to the youth, show them that they can do it too, or give them the opportunities to enter the field. Talking to us today about how to inspire the next generation is Marcia Nelson, co-founder of Triple C Advisory. Marcia has had an eclectic career, from fashion publishing to a family office to serving on the board of ACG. Her early career placed her in female-dominated teams, and so it wasn't until she entered the world of finance that she realized the impact of the lack of diversity on company culture and value. She talks us through her experiences and how having role models made a world of difference.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Marcia's eclectic career path: from fashion to family office.
• How starting her career in a female-dominated team inspired Marcia to get involved in DEI.
• The surprising question Marcia was asked on entering the world of finance and how it showed her the impact of a lack of diversity.
• Why creating opportunities for ourselves creates value.
• How diversity within corporations increases their value.
• Marcia's tips on how to make a change to incorporate more diversity.
• How you can do simple things like helping your alma mater with interviews allows you to share your expertise and inspire the next generation.
• Why we need to educate communities about the important work of private equity.
• Marcia's advice to people early in their career: get smarter about what you're interested in.
• The importance of networking in getting a foot in the door.

Marcia Nelson on LinkedIn
ACG DEI Committee Mission and Resources
Connection Builders
Alex Drost on LinkedIn

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SPECIAL EPISODE: Diversity Matters in the Middle Market, brought to you by the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) and Connection Builders.Ernie Lyles was always incredibly ambitious, and at the Howard University School of Law, Ernie gained the confidence which made him realize what he was capable of. Starting his finance career with a summer internship at a bulge-bracket investment banking firm, he excelled. Ernie Lyles is the founder and CEO of The HiGro Group, a New York-based private equity firm focusing on middle-market companies. Ernie shares his view on how diversity offers organizations a competitive advantage and why properly understanding and embracing this complex concept is the best way to optimize success.
Key Points From This Episode:

• What Ernie's path to investment banking looked like, and the success his company, The HiGro Group, has experienced over the past five years.
• The complexity of the concept of diversity, and the importance of having a universal understanding of it.
• Why having diversity in your organization gives you a competitive advantage.
• Limits of having a homogenous workforce.
• The history of Howard University, and what Ernie gained through being educated there.
• Disadvantages of not being exposed to the achievements of people who look like you.
• The summer internship that changed the course of Ernie's life.
• Examples of the many different layers of diversity.
• Advice for leaders who want to enhance diversity within their organizations.

The HiGro Group
Ernie Lyles on LinkedIn
ACG DEI Committee Mission and Resources
Connection Builders
Alex Drost on LinkedIn

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SPECIAL EPISODE: Diversity Matters in the Middle Market, brought to you by the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) and Connection Builders.

In today's episode, we are joined by Thomas Bohn, President and CEO of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), and Martin Okner, President and COO of dpHUE and past chair of the ACG Global Board of Directors, for a discussion around the key elements that need to be cultivated within an organization in order to attract and retain diverse talent. These include mitigating biases in the hiring process, facilitating open conversations, and maintaining accountability at all levels. Diverse talent is out there if you're willing to put in the work to find it.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Some key statistics which highlight the benefits of a diverse workforce.
• The trajectory of diversity in the consumer goods industry.
• Why our society is far behind where it should be in terms of diversity within organizations.
• How executives need to change their thinking in order to ensure they build a more diverse team.
• Examples of how to create an inclusive company culture.
• How inherent bias exists in the hiring process, and the tool ACG uses to mitigate some of that bias.
• What Marty and Tom see as the most important elements of company culture.
• Tom shares the life lessons he and his family have learned through sharing their home with a person of color.
• Why empathy is a prerequisite for being a good leader.

Martin Okner on LinkedIn
dpHUE
Thomas Bohn on LinkedIn
Association for Corporate Growth
Parity.org
ACG DEI Committee Mission and Resources
Connection Builders
Alex Drost on LinkedIn

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SPECIAL EPISODE: Diversity Matters in the Middle Market, brought to you by the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) and Connection Builders.

Today we are joined by Leon Brujus, a Partner at Palladium Equity Partners. Leon shares his three-pronged approach to diversity that he and his firm use. We discuss the importance of cognitive diversity and how it drives decision-making and creates alpha. Leon also shares his personal experiences of feeling like an outsider and the challenges he overcame to become his authentic self.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Value that lies in cognitive diversity.
• The problem with the way diversity is viewed by many organizations.
• Findings from studies which highlight the value of diversity.
• Leon’s personal experience as an outsider.
• Limitations of homogeneity within organizations.
• Benefits that come from being your authentic self.
• Leon runs through the three-pronged approach to diversity that he has developed.
• One step that everyone can and should take in the direction of enhanced diversity.
• Some of the diversity-focused organizations that Palladium Equity Partners supports.
• The importance of understanding that finding diverse talent is a challenging task because it takes you out of your comfort zone.

Leon Brujis on LinkedIn
Palladium Equity Partners
ACG DEI Committee Mission and Resources
Connection Builders
Alex Drost on LinkedIn

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SPECIAL EPISODE: Diversity Matters in the Middle Market, brought to you by the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) and Connection Builders.For today’s conversation, we are joined by Brandon Hawkins, Chief Revenue Officer at CFO Hub. Brandon shares the story of how he benefits from having a diverse pool of people in his corner, both professionally and in life, and what motivates him to implement diversity within companies. In addition, he shares with us which characteristics he looks for in staff that go beyond technical skills, and why ultimately, he is just looking to work with good people. Brandon’s message around diversity is a hopeful one, but he also shares the struggles he faces in the form of finding buy-in from companies and finding the right messaging to implement effective change. Key Points From This Episode:

• Why Brandon is committed to hiring, recommending, and referring diverse employees.
• How having multiple sets of eyes on a problem can eliminate some of your blind spots.
• What they are learning as a result of their hiring practices and why diversity creates magic.
• The effect of having a diverse pool of people in all aspects of your life.
• Which characteristics he looks for in staff that goes beyond technical skillsets.
• Why, ultimately, he’s just looking to work with good people.
• What we can do to get organizations thinking more about diversity.
• The struggle of finding the right messaging around diversity for effective change.
• Why putting in the time is such a powerful tool to improve who you are as a person.
• Why it is so important to choose to keep up with the new ever-evolving generation.
• How every time you leave the house, you’re on stage, and why you should make the most of it.

Brandon Hawkins on LinkedIn
CFO Hub
ACG DEI Committee Mission and Resources
Connection Builders
Alex Drost on LinkedIn

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SPECIAL EPISODE: Diversity Matters in the Middle Market, brought to you by the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) and Connection Builders.In today’s conversation, we are joined by Ariail Barker, Senior Director of Business Development & Sponsor Coverage with 7 Mile Advisors, a boutique middle-market investment banking firm. She is also the host of the Deal Us In Podcast, which promotes the advancement of women in private equity and finance. We talk about the changing landscape of work and life and how the pandemic has helped people realize that ‘butt in seat’ time is not as necessary as they once believed. You’ll hear about the importance of empathy and advocating for your own group’s needs, and we unpack some of the main misconceptions about women in the workplace and why they are damaging. Ariail shares how she believes having a child can be a huge catalyst for a woman’s career and urges listeners to ignore feedback outside of their chosen circle.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Ariail shares what she has learned hosting the Deal Us In podcast.
• Her observation that work-life is normalizing, but home life is still in a pandemic situation.
• Why there has always been a sense of flexibility built into 7 Mile’s way of doing things.
• How the pandemic helped them to realize that butt-in-seat time is not necessary.
• The importance of empathy and advocating for your own group’s needs.
• Misconceptions about women in the workplace and why they are damaging.
• How having a child can be a huge catalyst for someone’s career.
• The myth of ‘having it all’ and why you have to understand there are trade-offs.
• How the mindset of not internalizing people’s feedback helped her.
• How being happy is the most important thing to bring to your work and family life.

Ariail Barker on LinkedIn
Deal Us In Podcast
7 Mile Advisors
ACG DEI Committee Mission and Resources
Connection Builders
Alex Drost on LinkedIn

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Many of us could not readily answer if you asked us what we had for lunch yesterday or how we spent our time last week. Talking to us today about making time for growth is Ryan Cutter, senior associate with CID Capital and positive intentions and actions enthusiast. Ryan tells us how he manages a full-time job yet still gives himself time to read books, exercise, and meditate. He breaks down the benefits of taking time to do the things you love, including being more productive and less resentful of those taking up your time. We find out why we should have the work ethic of a lion (short bursts of intense concentration) compared to that of a cow (prolonged, less intense effort) and why you owe it to yourself to make time to grow. We discover the creative benefits of relaxing and how looking back at previous journal entries can show you how much you've grown.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The importance of finding time to yourself in being intentional in your daily life.
• How meditating for as little as 10 minutes a day can set you up for success.
• Looking back at previous journaling and observing how you've grown.
• Owing it to yourself: giving yourself space to do the things you love.
• The Lion vs Cow work ethic: why being highly productive for a shorter period is better than being less productive over a longer period.
• Taking ownership of your time to avoid resentment.
• How spending time in your thoughts can help you grow.

Ryan Cutter on LinkedIn
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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It can be daunting to put yourself out there to network and meet new people, but it helps to bear in mind the opportunities for growth and support that come with being part of a community. This week on Branch Out we welcome back Carrie Schochet, Founder, and CEO of Purple Squirrel Advisors, a boutique executive search firm based in Troy, Michigan. In our conversation with Carrie, we discuss the lifelong journey of personal growth and how feedback networking and seeking out peer groups can support it. She shares how she has fostered a working culture that welcomes feedback in her business and the benefits of soliciting feedback internally. We also discuss the benefits of building and maintaining relationships with your peers and how to grow by surrounding yourself with other leaders.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Carrie's definition of growth and why she believes it's so important.
• How Carrie creates the right environment for better feedback.
• The benefits of soliciting feedback internally.
• How to create a work culture where feedback is welcomed.
• How soliciting feedback has helped Carrie grow.
• How Carrie has benefited from surrounding herself with leaders and good people.
• How being part of a community has helped Carrie in challenging situations.
• The value of building and maintaining relationships with others in your industry.
• Why most of Carrie's networking is about exchanging ideas, rather than a sales pitch.
• How to learn and evolve through your peers.
• Why Carrie is a big proponent of peer groups.
• How Carrie was inspired by her peers at a fire walking event.
• How your energy and mindset affect those around you, especially as a leader.

Carrie Schochet on Linkedin
Carrie Schochet Email
Purple Squirrel Advisors
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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One of the most vital characteristics of a successful entrepreneur is the ability and desire to continue learning. This growth mindset can be the determining factor in the longevity of your business, and to help us unpack this important subject, we welcome back popular guest Elliott Holland, Founder and Managing Director of Guardian Due Diligence. In this conversation, we talk about how staying open to new paths and strategies is what can bring you closest to future successes, with Elliott strongly underlining the need to invest your time and money in personal development. There are habits and methods for continuing to grow, but that foundation of open-mindedness and a willingness to change and adapt is the most critical aspect, in our opinion.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Elliott's general thinking about a growth mindset.
• Staying open to the possibility of improvement.
• Reframing wins and losses can change your whole perspective on learning.
• Setting the appropriate expectations and how these can determine your results.
• How experiences of failure and loss can propel innovation and different kinds of success.
• Finding time and energy to invest in learning within a busy schedule.
• Investing your money in your learning; why Elliott values this trait so highly.
• Getting creative and opening your mind to innovation and new possibilities.
• Drawing on the experience and intelligence of older professionals.

Elliott Holland on LinkedIn
Guardian Due Diligence
Throughline
Hidden Brain
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Being an entrepreneur might seem risky in some ways, but what if, instead of thinking about the risks, you thought about all the opportunities that come with taking the leap? Ken Marblestone is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Ten:34 Partners; a private investment firm focused on family-owned and entrepreneurial businesses. In this episode, Ken shares his passion for family businesses and how he became so interested in them. We find out more about what it takes to be an entrepreneur; the journey is not easy, but as they say, nothing worth it ever is. Ken talks about finding out where your strengths are and the power of knowing what you are not good at. Our conversation also touches on the importance of introspection, relationship-building, and the value of referrals.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Ken’s work with family business owners and why he is so passionate about them.
• Hear about where the name Ten:34 comes from.
• The misconceptions that many people hold about what it takes to be an entrepreneur.
• Ken’s perspective of risk and why it’s about more than just finance.
• Some of Ken’s tips on how to figure out what you are good at.
• A key to success is not trying to master everything.
• You can gain clarity from taking steps back during your day.
• Ken’s approach to building relationships; it’s not about generating business.
• You will build a good reputation over time, so be patient.
• Whatever you are thinking of doing, start now.
• What Ken would say to himself if he could go back 20 years.

Ken Marblestone on LinkedIn
Ten:34 Partners
StrengthsFinderAlex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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In the world of business, one of the biggest favors that you can do for yourself and your firm is to stand out and differentiate what you do from others. Today we are joined by Emily Ackerman, who takes that idea very seriously and who has leveraged it to attain success over the years. Emily is a business development executive at Lane Gorman Trubitt, and she shares her expertise and wisdom in this fascinating conversation! Emily talks about being memorable and why focusing her energy on her own strengths has enabled her to build a strong network and develop business opportunities. Emily has a staunch commitment to changing the way people think about business development.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Unpacking Emily's primary thoughts on the meaning of business development.
• The types of clients that Emily works with and how to grow a network through referrals.
• Building real relationships: approaches to a strong foundation with clients.
• Telling your story and standing out to create a strong brand image and calling card.
• Keeping it real, investing the time, and getting to know the people you are working with!
• Finding hidden connections and how relating on deeper levels can impact your work.
• The processes that Emily has used to stand out: owning what made her different in the world of CPAs.
• Strategic use of time and why Emily disagrees with the excuses about not having enough of it!
• Moving on from what you cannot control and focusing on things within your grasp.

Emily Ackerman on LinkedIn
Lane Gorman Trubit
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Business Development is a broad concept that can sometimes be difficult to pin down. It encompasses not only hard data, systems, and figures but also networking, relationship building, and deal acquisition. Joining us this week to help us explore the art and science of business development is Stephen Madsen, Director of Business Development, Deal Origination, and Capital Markets at Monomoy Capital Partners. In our conversation with Stephen, we hear how he has spent his career focusing on adding value to others without expecting anything in return and how actively facilitating introductions creates goodwill and positively affects people's perception of you. We also explore how he and his firm were able to leverage data more efficiently and use their limited time and resources to keep track of buyer opportunities and remain top of mind.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Stephen's definition of business development and how it shifts depending on the context.
• Why Stephen believes there is both an art and a science to business development.
• Some of the elements that make up the science of business development like data analysis and pattern recognition.
• The importance of facilitating networking opportunities and how this has served Stephen in his career.
• How to recognize how you can facilitate networking opportunities for others.
• How actively facilitating introductions creates goodwill and positively affects people's perception of you.
• Why you shouldn't assume that people already know one another.
• How to take a systematic approach to business development.
• Using data analysis to address specific questions around business development.
• How to efficiently use your limited time and resources to identify and keep track of potential opportunities and relationships and stay top of mind.
• The importance of the watch list process at Monomoy and how it has informed their data analytics.
• How the data revealed the superiority of in-person meetings for securing deals.
• Stephen's theories for why in-person meetings are more likely to result in successful deals.
• Why tracking data can be tedious and how Stephen's company had a surprising experience when they started their watchlist.
• A call to action for listeners this week: identify where you can track information around your relationship building and how you can leverage that.

Stephen Madsen on LinkedIn
Stephen Madsen's Email
Monomoy Capital Partners
In-Person Is the Essential Currency of PE Business Development
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Most of us have heard the importance of networking at some point in our career, but why is it so critical, and why should we invest time into building our network? Today's episode is a deep dive into why networking matters and the hidden benefits from private equity investor and master connector Corrie Menary. Corrie is a Partner at Kirtland Capital Partners, and she shares examples of how the relationships she has formed through her authentic approach to networking have added value to the company. Corrie also shares the various ways in which networking can benefit you personally and professionally and why she recommends networking with a diverse range of people, including those with whom you may be considered direct competition. Learning to network has the power to unlock immense potential, so don't miss this insightful episode which could have a long-lasting positive impact on your career!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Corrie shares some examples of how she and her team at Kirtland Capital Partners help small businesses grow.
• The approach that Corrie takes in the early stages of interacting with small business owners.
• How Corrie helps combat some of the challenges of being a leader of a small business.
• Benefits of forming and nurturing a network of people in the same line of work as you.
• Corrie's thoughts on networking with "competitors".
• Why Corrie recommends networking with a diverse range of people.
• The value of having a long-term perspective.
• A realization that Corrie had about networking as she progressed in her career.
• Being authentic is key when it comes to networking.
• Examples of how Corrie's network has positively contributed to her business.

Corrie Menary on LinkedIn
Kirtland Capital Partners
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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As building relationships is integral to achieving success in your career, today, we talk about how we can do this by using our platforms to add value to others. In this episode, we are joined by Paul Gray, the co-founder and managing partner of Ironhold Capital, the chairman of Leaders in Business and Investing, and the president of the Capital Allocators Roundtable. We discuss how meaningful building relationships come from adding value to someone else and how to go about this in a genuine way. Paul started a podcast two years ago, and he shares how he has built and leveraged this platform to add value to others. He explains the investment this requires and how he receives no monetary compensation, but some of the connections he's made in the process and how this translates into ROI. Tuning in, you'll hear why Paul hates the advice that you just have to work hard, and he explains why this is not true. Find out the importance of being a constant learner, why you need your own style, the value of practice, how to nurture a relationship once you have made a connection.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Paul Gray reflects on the benefits of building meaningful relationships and his relationship with Alex as an example of this.
• How building meaningful relationships come from adding value to someone else and how to go about this in a genuine way.
• How adding value to others means that there may not always be something in it for you.
• Paul explains how having a podcast has helped him build relationships and some of the connections he's made through it, including Anthony Scaramucci & Chet Holmes.
• How Paul doesn't derive monetary benefit from the podcast, but the relationship-building aspect makes it worthwhile.
• How Paul frames ROI when it comes to building relationships.
• The challenges of meeting people at in-person events.
• Advice for a young person looking to connect with more senior people in business.
• The power of creating and leveraging media.
• The importance of a high-quality finished product and putting your best foot forward.
• Why Paul hates the advice that in order to be successful you just have to work hard.
• The importance of being a constant learner.
• How you can't copy someone else, you need your own style.
• How to nurture a relationship once you have made a connection.
• Why you should keep your social media profiles updated.
• Paul's advice is to truly progress forward and reach your goals.
• Paul's final words of advice are to build your profile, leverage technology, and get out there and do it.

Paul Gray on LinkedIn
Paul Gray on Twitter
Ironhold Capital
Leaders in Business and Investing
Leaders in Business and Investing Podcast
Capital Allocators Roundtable

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There is so much more to success than making money. In today’s episode, we are joined by Leon Brujis, partner at Palladium Equity Partners and an expert in the field of private equity and a striving stoic, who explains why a curiosity mindset, acceptance of failure, having a positive impact on others, and a commitment to continuous learning, are far more critical than the number of deals you do or the amount of money you have. Leon explains the core foundations of the stoic philosophy and shares some personal stories that highlight how he uses these principles in his own life. This episode is full of pearls of wisdom from start to finish, and you are likely to walk away with a whole new perspective on the true meaning of success.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Problems with the “me-first,” money-orientated mentality that is so pervasive in today’s world.
• Why Leon thinks forming strong business relationships is so important.
• Two examples highlight why he believes success is a state of mind.
• Leon shares the best piece of advice he has ever received.
• Why Leon was drawn to stoicism, and what the four core principles of this philosophy are.
• How Leon thinks about failure.
• One of the bad investment decisions that Leon made, and what he learned from it (and all the others).
• A story about what mastery means.
• What the people who Leon looks up to most all have in common.
• Why knowledge should be a continuous, lifelong process.
• How to listen with a curious mind.
• Ways that showing interest in others improves your relationships.
• True success is not about making money; it’s about how you touch the lives of other people.

Leon Brujis on LinkedInPalladium Equity Partners
Palladium Equity Partners on LinkedIn
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Because of the ever-changing, consistently increasing level of complexity that exists in our modern business environment today, as an entrepreneur or a business owner, it’s often hard to foresee the ‘unknown unknowns’ that could ultimately cause the demise of your business altogether. Today’s guest is Sheon Karol, a partner at Paladin, a middle-market advisory firm. Sheon authored an article for Entrepreneur Magazine stating that as a business owner, in light of the current climate, it’s really important to find advisors and professional service providers that have a broad set of experiences and a broader understanding, rather than niche providers that are targeted in one specific technical area. Sheon proposes that an advisor with a broad range of expertise, knowledge, and understanding will be able to better help you to identify these ‘unknown unknowns’ that you don’t know about or even think about because you didn’t know they existed. Today we unpack this. To find out what ‘unknown unknowns’ you may be overlooking, how to hire the right adviser to help you identify these, or how to develop the right skillsets to become a broad-based professional to better serve your clients, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:
* Why Sheon makes the argument that it’s important to find advisors and service providers with a broader understanding, rather than a niche understanding. * Insight into what Sheon means by ‘unknown unknowns’. * Why professionals push clients towards a solution that may not be in their best interests. * What business owners should be looking for in professionals when hiring. * The two ways that advisors tend to steer companies incorrectly. * The importance of a financial incentive to the advisor to do what is best for the client. * How a professional can display to their clients that they are a broad-based advisor. * How the professional can get ahead of the client in terms of what is important to the client. * How to ask the right questions to get your clients to think about the unknown unknowns. * How to develop the right skillsets to become a broad-based adviser. * The importance of having humility.

Articles from Sheon:
What Greek Mythology, Bill Gates and Blockbuster Can Teach Entrepreneurs About Turning Unknowns into Opportunities * Safeguarding Entrepreneurial Success with the “Early Signs of Change” Predictive Analysis*

Sheon Karol on LinkedIn
Sheon Karol Email
Paladin
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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In an ever-changing world, one thing that remains constant is the power and importance of relationships. On today's episode, we speak with Adam Klein, Chief Growth Officer with Bennett Thrasher, a full-service, CPA advisory business advisory firm based in Atlanta, Georgia, about his perspective on the ins and outs of building value-added connections. We kick off our conversation with an overview of what has changed since the pandemic and what has stayed the same. This introduces us to today's theme: relationships as the core of business-building. Adam gives us his predictions for the future of communication, encourages us to embrace flexibility, and be strategic about when to meet online, and make the additional effort to see someone in person. He introduces us to the practice of reframing selling as helping and seeking to understand people in order to add value. We talk about developing soft skills, why people do business with people they like, how to adjust our networking expectations for a post-COVID world, and why there is no shortcut to building fruitful relationships. We hope you join us for an episode packed with insights with the power to change your perspective today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• What the pandemic has not changed: relationships at the core of business development.
• What has changed: bringing internal and external communication into the digital space.
• How the pandemic has highlighted the importance of relationships.
• Why building rapport supports business.
• A prediction for Zoom going forward: a new dynamic for what is considered face-to-face.
• Bridging the gap when you have different needs to the person you are meeting with.
• The benefit of arranging an initial meeting digitally before engaging in person.
• How Zoom has created greater ease of making new connections.
• Ways we should adjust our networking expectations in a post-COVID world.
• Reframing selling as helping.
• Seeking to understand people in order to add value.
• The value of developing soft skills: people do business with people they like.
• Why there is no shortcut to building relationships.
• Adam's advice: don't overcomplicate it, enjoy the process, and treat people well.
• Call-to-action: write down three ways that you can be helpful to your existing network.

Adam Klein on LinkedIn
Adam Klein Email
Bennett Thrasher
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Working with the right service providers is at the heart of every successful business. Today’s guest, Lori Gleeman, Founder and CEO of Soul Equity Solutions, combines her two superpowers in business development and recruitment to connect private equity firms to service providers at the top of their game. In today’s episode, she tells us how she developed this niche for herself and her role as a professional services concierge. She shares her two priorities when pairing providers with firms: industry-aligned experience and excellent references, and we discuss the role of building strong relationships and generating trust. Lori also tells us why she introduces private equity firms to each other as a complementary value add. Next, she reveals the details of her unusual pricing structure and shares her three-part goal to help firms to gain knowledge, save money, and learn from other clients. Hear how Lori has leveraged her strengths and her network to build a successful business that offers massive support and value to both service providers and private equity firms. We hope you join us today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Lori’s background as an executive search recruiter.
• Lori’s role as a professional services concierge.
• The value of finding service providers with relevant experience to your industry.
• How Lori pairs firms with industry-aligned service providers with excellent references.
• Why doing good work is the foundation of building a solid reputation as a service provider.
• How Lori’s role lets her focus on her two strengths: business development and recruitment.
• How building strong relationships within her network has generated trust.
• Why Lori introduces private equity firms to each other as a complimentary value add.
• Lori’s pricing structure where she charges service providers and not equity firms.
• The network of highly trusted service providers and firms that makes her work possible.
• How Lori looks to add value by having conversations with private equity firms.
• Lori’s goal to help firms to gain knowledge, save money, and learn from other clients.
• How Private Equity Firms work closely together and how Lori offers advice and solutions.
• This week’s call to action: create a list of ways that you can support your existing network.

Lori Gleeman on LinkedIn
Soul Equity Solutions
Soul Equity Solutions on LinkedIn
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Successful business development and networking require a multitude of skills and daily practices, but the foundation for all of these is mindset. Today we are joined on the show by Jim Ries, who is the Director of Business Development at Offit Kurman, a full-service law firm with 14 offices in seven different states. Jim is also the host of the Java with Jim and is truly a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field. In our conversation, we drill down into Jim's wisdom, unpacking the approaches and mindset that have served him so well over the years. We talk about the components of building a meaningful network and how to add value to this community constantly. Jim goes out of his way to underline the importance of following through and reminding us of the vital role of the human element of interactions. For Jim, any meaningful connection is built around authenticity and empathy, things he likes to lead with when meeting new prospects.

Key Points From This Episode:
* Jim's unique career path and the factors that have enabled him to excel. * The mindset Jim embodies in order to sustain and build his network every day. * Important soft skills that Jim has developed and applies in his work. * How Jim approaches connecting in an authentic and personal way before getting into business. * Preparing for networking opportunities and Jim's mindset going into meetings and interactions. * Staying motivated and focused on the long-term rewards on a daily basis. * The dangers of empty offers and fake giving; the failure to follow through on networking promises. * Staying committed to following up with prospects and why this area of networking is often forgotten. * Writing things down and calendarizing your commitments to make sure you do them! * Jim's morning and daily routine and the parameters he puts on his time * Challenges to balancing a normal workload with business development goals. * Job security is associated with building a strong book of business at a firm. * The value of patience and persistence in the business development field. * Two calls to action for today; making time for follow-ups and exercising patience and persistence!

Jim Ries LinkedIn
Offit Kurman
Java with Jim
Jim Ries Email
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Thinking Bigger Than Yourself can be so impactful, yet so challenging at times. It requires a conscious effort to step out of our default myopic view and consider another viewpoint. In today's episode, we speak about diversity inclusion with Charmone Adams, an advisory service senior manager with Grant Thornton. We discuss what diversity and inclusion mean to us and how thinking bigger than ourselves is the key to building a more diverse and inclusive life. Charmone kicks us off by defining what diversity means to him and how inclusion complements this. He talks about different perspectives as the vital component and gives us the scoop on how seeking out someone else's perspective enriched a decision-making process of his own. Next, we begin to explore the power of thinking bigger than ourselves, and Charmone tells us how his personal mentor equipped him with tools to do so. Next, we dive into self-development and why we think it is the foundation of all success and agree that intentionality is the key ingredient. We also chat about the power of writing things down, and Alex leaves us with a challenge for the week: to list three things we want to change over the next six to twelve months. We hope you join us for a practical peek at prioritizing diversity personally and at work today!

Key Points From This Episode:
* Why diversity inclusion is important to Charmone. * How he defines diversity as a concept. * Embracing diversity in your personal life if you want it to work in your professional life. * Why Charmone thinks of inclusion as the secret sauce. * The importance of including diversity in decision-making. * Why different perspectives are the key component. * How seeking out a different perspective enriched Charmone's decision-making. * The power of thinking bigger than yourself. * How Charmone's personal mentor helped him be intentional in thinking beyond himself. * Why self-development is the most important thing. * The value of creating a list of all your goals and how you wish to change. * Alex makes a summary of our conversation. * Intentionality as the key ingredient. * A challenge for the week: write down three things you want to work on over the next six to twelve months.

Charmone Adams LinkedIn
Charmone Adams Email
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Leading your team through a project is like building a house. You need a good understanding of the house you want to build, sturdy foundations, and a variety of contractors, each with their own set of expertise. Today we sit down with Howie Siegal, an audit partner at RSM, to find out how he leads his teams through projects. To open our conversation, Howie tells us about the first steps he takes when a project commences. Regardless of the project, Howie says it's imperative to build the right kind of team. Yet, the path to curating a team is always different, and it is important to create one that caters to the client's specific needs. We then turn our focus onto the next step of the process: speaking with stakeholders. As Howie tells us, this phase will provide you with additional information that will help your team execute their tasks. Following this, we find out how to bring ideas to fruition. Howie details some of the ways this can happen and shares examples like having a whiteboard session where factors are listed, deliverables are recognized. To do this, your team needs to be aligned. Later in the show, Howie tells us how he reaches consensus within a team, and why it is essential to embrace different perspectives between members. We then shine a light on one of the more important tools a project leader can use — a timeline. Timelines are versatile as they represent the project journey and help keep the team and its individuals accountable. To conclude our conversation with Howie, he touches on why project feedback from clients is important, even if you failed to secure them in the first place. Be sure to join us today!

Key Points From This Episode:
* The first thing Howie does when a project commences. * Hear why the path to building a team is always different and how to shape a team around a specific project. * The next steps to take once you have created your project-specific team. * Howie shares why he arranges meetings to arrange meetings. * Find out how you can bring an idea that's in your head to fruition. * How Howie builds consensus and alignment within his teams. * Fundamental questions to ask your team when its members have vastly different interpretations of information. * The importance of implementing a project using a timeline. * Howie talks about how to motivate your team. * Asking what we can do to ensure that we are growing and better the next time around? * We hear why feedback can be so valuable to a team and its leader.

Howie Siegal on LinkedIn
Howie's Previous Branch Out Episode
Howie Siegal on Twitter
RSM
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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So much of our success relates to the habits and systems that we are able to implement in our lives. It is a huge theme for us here on the Branch Out podcast, and to continue our exploration of this critical part of personal and professional development, we are joined by Mike Alberts from Cohere Capital to share his experience and learnings. Mike's central message is around finding what works for you; he believes strongly that there is no one size fits all strategy, and the best framework will be found through a curious and adaptive approach. He argues for constant reassessment and rigorous practice of shifting and adjustment. We hear about Mike's current routine, helpful changes he made in response to friction, and how he chooses to view supposed failures or disappointments. Our guest sheds some light on the power of journaling, how he fits in his exercise goals, and the best ways to respond to mistakes. He also gives us some great tips for parameters that can enable us to stay on track when something unforeseen comes along before diving into some deeper concepts of stoicism and staying motivated.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The potential for habits to stand in the way of success instead of aiding it.
• How Mike rethought his morning routine to better suit his particular needs.
• Putting helpful parameters in place to ensure getting all the essential things done.
• The power of starting the day with wins and gratitude!
• How Mike's attitude towards gratitude journalling shifted over time.
• Using a consistent approach to break in a tricky new habit that you want to adopt.
• Allowing for mistakes and giving oneself the grace to miss a marker and then improve.
• Reassessing and rearranging things in an honest and realistic way for your own benefit.
• Motivation through the image of your ideal self to make it through the trickier days.
• Recapping all of today's great lessons about better personal habit building.
• Today's call to action around reflecting on what is standing in the way of your ideal habits.

Mike Alberts on LinkedIn
Cohere Capital
Mike Alberts Email
Logan Loomis
The Daily StoicAlex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Today's guest on the Branch Out Podcast is Mark Walztoni, Managing Director with Crowe, based in their Grand Rapids, Michigan office. He provides human capital and culture due diligence and integration support services that include change management, employee communication, culture alignment, and HR infrastructure transition. He also serves turnaround, restructuring, performance improvement, and high-growth clients across a broad array of industry verticals. With over 25 years of industry and consulting experience as an integration project manager, planner, advisor, and interim "roll-up-the-sleeves" team member, Mark has plenty of wisdom and insight to share in today's episode! Tuning in, you'll hear our discussion on the differences between management and leadership and what it takes to successfully lead through change, including the importance of authenticity, emotional intelligence, having a big-picture perspective, and serving your team rather than pleasing them. In the end, it comes down to the logistics and the people, both of which are equally important, so make sure to tune in today to learn more about when to lead and when to manage.

Key Points From This Episode:
* Mark shares his initial thoughts on the differences between managing and leading in 2020. * Why management and leadership are equally important; being so well-prepared logistically that you don't have to think about it. * Part of being a leader is understanding how you and your team complement one another. * Learn about this team leadership model: Forming, storming, norming, and performing. * How, as a leader, you can identify what causes a storm and work past it, starting with acknowledging and talking about it. * Mark emphasizes the importance of authenticity in a period of transition or change. * Essential skills of a leader include equipping your team with change leadership skills. * How wisdom and intelligence are two different (but equally important) things. * Mark shares a team management tool; assess what each team member can do, will do, and commitment level before assigning roles. * The importance of having an enterprise or company perspective rather than a siloed one. * Why an emotionally intelligent leadership approach never begins and ends at your desk. * Mark highlights influencing skills and serving a stakeholder rather than pleasing them. * Communication is key: tell people what they need to know six times, in six ways. * Hear Alex's summary of the discussion, from what it means to be a leader or a manager to fostering a growth mindset and culture. * Mark's parting words of advice: it's not weaknesses that get you; it's overused strengths.

Crowe’s Business Resiliency
Building Resilience, at Home and at Work
Mark Walztoni on LinkedIn
Crowe
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
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As much as humans hate the unknown, the fact is that circumstances always change, so the better we get at adapting, the more chance we have of surviving and thriving. Tom Boniface is Vice President of Business Development with Hilco Global, and he joins us on the show to share the challenges the pandemic posed to his routines and the lessons he learned about adaptation. At the height of the pandemic and a time where social distancing was in full effect, Tom was assigned two new markets to develop and had to figure out how he was going to do this successfully in a remote capacity. Tom is a big subscriber to the E plus R equals O framework, or events plus response equals outcomes. So for him, it was all about changing his response to new events as a way of achieving the desired outcomes. Tom believes that we should not get hung up on a premise that states there is only one way of doing things, and he talks about how reflection, creativity, and believing that anything is possible can help us invent new methods for achieving our goals as our environments change. We also hear from Tom about the way he practiced authenticity with his professional connections, the lesson being that people are always willing to help if you just ask. For all this and more about the best attitude to employ in a constantly changing environment, be sure to tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:
* Changing responses to events to achieve desired outcomes. * Finding ways to meet the same goals even when circumstances change. * The story of host Alex starting a new business and adapting as COVID struck. * Changing your attitude toward shifting circumstances and not getting flustered. * Methods Tom used to still build relationships remotely. * Positive outcomes of Tom’s changed lifestyle as far as having extra time. * Bearing in mind that change is inevitable and being ready to adapt. * Taking comfort in the things you can control in times of uncertainty. * Tom’s attitude to being assigned two new markets he had to develop remotely. * How helpful people can be; how Tom remembered to be vulnerable and ask for help. * Not getting hung up on a premise that there is only one way to do things. * Remembering to reflect on a new method and revise it. * Whether to lean into things you are not good at or work around them. * Creating zones for different focuses to deal with living and working at home. * Remembering not to give up because you can’t do things in the same way anymore. * The way that change encourages one to reshuffle their life in positive ways. * Learning to believe that there is always another way of doing something.

Tom Boniface on LinkedIn
Hilco Global
Tom's Previous Branch Out Episode
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Automated systems free your team up to focus on the best uses of their time, but these systems could not be developed if one did not take the time to reflect on how to improve. Today we invite Max Friar onto the show to speak about the reflections he made about his industry, how they allowed him to automate the mundane sides of his business, and the huge benefits this has offered. Max is the Managing Partner at Calder Capital, a full-service M&A firm focused on lower middle-market companies within the Midwest. Calder was successful in closing 40 transactions in 2020, and it was the most successful year the firm ever had, despite all of the challenges the pandemic presented. Max takes us through the various positions he occupied in the M&A industry and how he figured out how to solve different pain points using automation before starting Calder. He then gets into the weeds of exactly which parts of the business brokerage process he has automated using software and other systems. We talk about how these jobs, when done manually, are incredibly draining for business brokers, leading to burnout and poor service. The plus for Max is that since implementing his automation systems, his team does not struggle with these issues anymore, and this, in turn, has allowed him to scale and broaden the range of high-quality services he can now offer. We talk about what these are before wrapping our conversation up on the topic of reflection once more. Without these valuable moments of contemplation, Max would never have been able to scale his business and refine his services in the way he had. Tune in for all this and more today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Max's experience in M&A and how automation helped him scale Calder.
• Automation processes Max put in place using software to vet potential buyers.
• Three ways business brokers get burned out and how automation can help.
• How Max's attitude about the value of rest for productive work has changed.
• The way automation can free up staff for more key roles and treating clients better.
• Attachment sellers have to their businesses and how important the right buyer is.
• The need to market a business widely for finding the right buyer.
• How much emotional bandwidth is needed to take a buyer through the selling process.
• The role of reflection in helping Max come up with his automation systems.
• Evolution in the business; prospecting for new sellers, data analytics, and more.
• Max's ideas around whether a concrete business plan is necessary for success.

Max Friar on LinkedIn
Max Friar Email
Calder Capital
Infusionsoft
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Progress is what we all drive for, but achieving it can be tricky. Without proper processes in place, you could be headed down a bumpy road filled and unseen dangers. But if you could boil this journey down to a few simple tenets, then you can soar beyond what you originally thought was possible. Today we sit with Doug LaLone, who is a partner and patent attorney at Fishman Stewart, a premier specialty law firm dedicated to the practice of intellectual property law. In this episode, Doug shares the genesis of his balance scorecard practices and unpacks the top metrics to focus on. He first touches on the metrics you're most in control of, like reaching into new areas, generating a referral network, and identifying new targets. After going into detail about each metric, Doug reveals five additional metrics, like retaining clients, fees collected, and personal income, and more. Later in the show, Doug peels back his process to show listeners what the balanced scorecard looks like. By using visual cues, users are able to quickly identify their weaknesses, strong points, and areas that need refinement. As host Alex Drost puts it, scorecards give you a chance to allocate time and energy into the right spaces. To hear more on how balance scorecards can help you progress in business, be sure to join us today.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Doug introduces the concept of balanced scorecards.
• How balanced scorecards can help optimize the result of your efforts.
• Doug shares how he boiled this complex process down into a simple business formula.
• Some of the metrics which can be measured on balance scorecards.
• How Doug uses IP snapshots to help target new clients.
• Doug breaks down an example of a balanced scorecard for viewers.
• Why the visual aspect of balanced scorecards is so beneficial.
• Doug touches on why balanced scorecards can be versatile tools for its users.
• The value of having coaches walk beside you.
• Host Alex Drost's challenge to listeners.

Doug LaLone LinkedIn
Fishman Stewart
ACG Detroit
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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While it is easy to associate leadership with perfection, there is a lot to be said for leaders who show up as authentic human beings that still have a lot to learn. Today's guest is Ben Vance, and he joins us to talk about how this approach to leadership informs his role as Director of Business Valuation and Transaction Advisory with Postlethwaite & Netterville. Our conversation starts on the difference between management and leadership, and Ben makes some critical distinctions. For Ben, management is all about ensuring a project is perfect and delivering it on time. In contrast, leadership is more interpersonal and thus more complex and more challenging to get right. Ben tries to see himself as a constant student in the art of leadership, and he talks about the value of accepting that we won't get things right the first time around when it comes to leading people. This aspect of admitting our shortcomings is a crucial part of being authentic, and it is authenticity that helps us empathize with, connect to, and motivate our staff better at the end of the day. Ben also shares some valuable points about the challenge of knowing when to take command as a leader versus letting staff make mistakes and learn on their own. Another key subject from today is how to stay motivated and keep up a spirit of learning once we master our professional roles' technicalities. We cover a lot more ground on the complex subject of leadership today, so be sure to tune in for the whole conversation!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The difference between management and leadership.
• Why being a good leader is a continuous learning process.
• The deadlines and deliverables of management versus the people business of leadership.
• Being a manager requires being perfect, while being a leader is about being comfortable with not being perfect.
• The leadership style Ben advocates for of giving his employees agency.
• Knowing when to take control versus give employees the space to fail and learn.
• The value of downtime for leaders and knowing when to give it to employees.
• Learning leadership lessons by going through cycles of stress and recovery.
• How Zoom calls in the pandemic have allowed people to show more authenticity.
• Being a more empathetic leader by remembering people have a lot going on in their lives.
• Knowing when to prioritize family versus work: an essential leadership skill.
• How to overcome decreasing satisfaction and stay energized.
• The mindset piece of good leadership; being mentally prepared for the challenge.
• How much better of a leader one becomes by being authentic.

Ben Vance on LinkedIn
Postlethwaite & Netterville
The Way We Work Isn't WorkingThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective PeopleSimon Sinek
Alex Drost LinkedIn

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Change takes on many shapes and forms and can be daunting for many people. Creating big change in an organization oftentimes requires a well-considered approach based on disruptive leadership. Today’s guest is Tom Bohn, President and CEO of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG). In this episode, he talks to us about disruptive leadership and driving change in uncertain environments to take organizations to new heights. We ask Tom to expand on disruptive leadership as he walks us through its central pillars to kick things off. Following this, we unpack why change can be so unsettling for organizations and how you can make the process seamless. We also uncover some of the excuses people use to avoid growth, like fear of failure and a fear of not having all the answers. We then look at a practical example of how Tom coped with drastic change, focusing specifically on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking at change more closely, we then speak with Tom about how to ensure diversity within organizations.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Tom’s thoughts on disruptive leadership and how it applies to the organization he leads.
• Why meaningful change is disruptive by nature.
• Three components from a cultural perspective that impact disruptive change.
• Common excuses used to not grow during a time of change.
• How Tom has coped with the drastic change caused by COVID.
• How leaders can best address angst.
• Tom shares why he is never unwilling to have conflict and to disagree with his peers.
• Hear how leaders can affect change in organizations to bring about more diversity.
• Tom shares how working with Parity has been a real game-changer.

Thomas Bohn on LinkedIn
Thomas Bohn email
ACG
Stetson University
Good to Great on Amazon
Parity
The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person on Amazon
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Creating an inclusive environment is key to a more equal society as well as success in our business and personal lives too. Here on the show today to discuss the important subject of diversity are Christine Nowaczyk, Arizona Corporate Banking Executive for BOK Financial, and Rich Grant, Director of Business Development at Northlane Capital Partners. Rich and Christine bring their experiences of being minorities in their work environments to bear and share the ways that they are pushing the conversation about diversity and inclusion forward. We talk about the need for everybody in a team to work together to create an inclusive environment, especially the leaders who have the power to make decisions and hires that shape a company. To this end, they both weigh in on the value of simply being excellent as a way of reinforcing their value to their teams every day. We talk about the idea that diversity is achievable by simply being kind to other people and share some ways that can help us learn to listen to perspectives that are not our own. Our conversation also covers the importance of networking in success and the need to offer everybody equal opportunities to networks that can help them grow and flourish. For valuable perspectives on achieving a more diverse workplace and the professional and personal benefits of this, be sure to tune in today.

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Rich is being intentional about having conversations about diversity in the workplace.
• Christine’s thoughts on the value of treating others kindly toward the project of diversity.
• How Rich sets an example as a Black man in a largely white industry.
• Christine’s approach to conducting herself and staying strong in a male-dominated world.
• The value of being good at what you do for encouraging diversity as a minority.
• Rich’s thoughts on the need for management to be on board with the diversity project.
• Not employing somebody as a token, but to recognize the value they can bring.
• The need for upper management to give everybody in the organization a chance to be heard.
• Different ways of learning how to see things from other people’s perspectives.
• Creating a safe environment that lifts everybody up.
• How Rich got to where he is by putting himself in uncomfortable situations.
• Giving people access to mentors that push them so they can grow.
• What Rich has learned about the willingness people have to work towards diversity.
• Lessons Rich has learned about the value of networking for increasing diversity.
• Normalizing a culture of inclusivity and diversity initiatives.
• Encouraging diversity is about more than just a wish: It’s about having a plan.
• Tackling the things that you can control as a way of encouraging diversity.
• Encouraging diversity through recruitment but also enablement afterward.

Christine Nowaczyk
BOK Financial
Rich Grant
Northlane Capital Partners

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Today we welcome back returning guest Jamil Sanders, Vice President and Relationship Manager of Key Private Bank in Cleveland, Ohio. In this episode, we shine a light on how accepting ourselves is the first step to accepting others. Jamil offers a wealth of wisdom and helps kick off our conversation by defining the importance of accepting yourself. He touches on the interconnectedness of acceptance and self-love, as well as why we should try not to take on the role of being our own harshest critic. Jamil then takes a moment to explain how he balances the dichotomy of being the best version of himself and forgiving of his flaws. By understanding that success and doubt come with ebbs and flows, he notes that keeping a constant balance of humility is one of the best ways to cope with unexpected adversity. For added perspective, Jamil references his wrestling experiences in high school. Later on in the show, we tuck into the importance of not just hearing those around us but listening to them on much deeper levels. To conclude, Jamil shares advice to those who want to want to make an active change to accept others and improve the lives of those around them. He suggests focusing on what people are and what they are not, as well as how we can have a more productive dialogue to encourage change. To hear more on why self-acceptance is one solution to many business problems, be sure to join us today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Jamil defines the importance of accepting yourself.
• Jamil balances the dichotomy of being the best version of himself and forgiving of his flaws.
• Jamil shares how he copes with success being met with sudden adversity.
• Hear Jamil's definition of success.
• Jamil touches on the virtues of using grace instead of blame.
• We talk about what it means to truly listen to someone and process how they're feeling.
• Jamil's advice to those who want to make an active effort to accept yourself and others.
• Why dialogue should be centered around finding likeness and not differences.
• A call to action for you to commit to over the next week.

Jamil Sanders on LinkedIn
Past Jamil Sanders Episode
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Today we open a multi-episode conversation into what diversity means in our personal and professional lives. For this episode, we welcome back Key Bank VP and Relationship Manager Jamil Sanders to hear his insights on authenticity and diversity. Early in the show, we chat about authentically presenting yourself within public and private spaces. We then dive into the challenges faced by minorities in predominantly white industries. As Jamil answers our questions, he highlights the importance of mental coaching, knowing your value, and learning from failure as key in helping minorities to navigate the workplace. After opening up about his own experiences as a black professional, we take a look at what we can all be doing to promote equal work environments. We wrap up the episode with a call to action that will help listeners understand diversity issues. Join us to learn more about authenticity and diversity from our illustrious guest.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Acting authentically in both public and private spaces.
• Challenges faced by minorities in predominantly white industries.
• Tips on how we overcome our limiting beliefs.
• Insights into showing your value without seeming arrogant.
• Why listening is key to building connections.
• Jamil’s process in dissecting and learning from his failure.
• Jamil shares some of his experiences of being a black financial advisor.
• How Jamil helps others to overcome the challenges of being in a white-dominated industry.
• Hear how recent news events and racial tensions have impacted Jamil’s life.
• What you can do to help resolve workplace inequity.
• We share this episode’s call to action on understanding diversity.

Jamil Sanders on LinkedIn
Past Jamil Sanders Episode
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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For years, Dan Lee (Partner with Comvest Partners) was striving for results and results only. On every call, he was looking to make a quick win to add to his tally of success. Yet, Dan realized he was chasing success in the wrong ways. In this vulnerable and honest episode, Dan shares his biggest lessons in business so far and tells us the major mindset shifts he’s made in an effort to gain knowledge and provide more value. We begin our conversation with Dan by hearing about how the COVID pandemic was an ‘aha’ moment that lit a fire under him to make a change. He touches on how the bulk of his career was transaction-focused and why a pivot into business development changed all that for him. Delving deeper, Dan describes his shift in focus toward being a truer, more authentic version of himself. His notes capture what authenticity means to him, as we learn why the ‘all or nothing’ ethos isn’t practical, as well as Dan’s reasons for wanting to be good at several things instead of being great at just one thing. Dan is especially candid in this episode but in an inspiring and magnetic fashion. He shares the advice he’d give his 30-year self and why balance should’ve been his north star. To hear more on Dan’s impressive and evolutionary story, be sure to join us today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Dan shares some of his ‘aha’ moments brought about since the start of the pandemic.
• What led to Dan’s fundamental mind shift.
• The importance of looking at business development as itself, and not sales.
• How Dan’s core focus has changed in recent times.
• Dan touches on focussing on things as they are, and not how they seem to be.
• Hear about the advice Dan would give his 30 year-old-version of himself.
• Dan talks about why he’d rather be good at several things than great at one thing.
• Why it is important to consistently try to improve yourself.
• Dan fills us in on how his view on competition was an unhealthy one.
• Host Alex Drost leaves listeners with a challenge for the week.

Dan Lee on LinkedIn
Comvest Partners
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Being true to our authentic selves is no easy task. However, we can use simple strategies to overcome the fears and barriers that hinder our ability to find our own voices and align our actions with those voices. Stephanie Gaffin, Co-Founder & Managing Partner with SLS Capital Advisors and The Gaffin Group joins us on the show today to discuss the power of meditation and journaling with regard to reaching a state of authenticity in the way we live our lives, the problem with social media and why it degrades authenticity, and the fact that our thoughts cannot always be trusted and we should not let them define us. Stephanie is no stranger to challenging situations, and she shares with us a story of how she turned one of her darkest moments into something much lighter and found herself in the process. In every single situation we find ourselves in, we have a choice as to how we respond. By becoming more mindful and more in touch with who we really are, we are far more likely to make better choices, leading to better outcomes. It's always daunting starting something new, but once you start, the hardest part is already over, and the benefits you experience from journaling and meditation will have you wishing you started sooner.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Stephanie shares her definition of authenticity: Being true to who you really are.
• The importance of human connection and why authenticity and vulnerability create better relationships.
• Aligning your thoughts and actions is key to authenticity.
• Stephanie shares a story about how a funny sticker helped her feel like herself again, in the midst of a challenging experience.
• Social media degrades authenticity because the audience only sees the "highlight reel, not the behind-the-scenes takes."
• Fear of judgment on social media prevents people from engaging and connecting in the virtual world.
• It's impossible to do things perfectly, and nobody expects that of us, so we shouldn't put so much pressure on ourselves.
• Learning to live in the present moment can help us manage our anxiety about the future.
• Stephanie's meditation journey and how this practice can help us overcome our fears and find our own authentic voices.
• Our thoughts are not necessarily true, and we should not let them control or define us.
• An experience that Stephanie had while skiing where she saw the benefits of her meditation practice.
• We can only be our true, authentic selves when we remove fear and anxiety from our thoughts and actions.
• Getting into the habit of doing something like journaling or meditating can be daunting, but you just have to start.
• Stephanie's call to action: Think about a situation that you have coming up and how you can show up to that as your most authentic self, and then do that.

Stephanie Gaffin on LinkedIn
Stephanie Gaffin email address
SLS Capital Advisors
Right in the Middle Market
Brené Brown
Headspace
Ca

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Passion fuels authenticity, and authenticity drives change for the better. Everybody can find their passion, but sometimes it just takes a little fuel to ignite this process. As the Director of Business Development for BDO and the co-founder of 503(c)s 100 Women Who Care and 100 Businesses Who Care, Amy Whipple has made caring for others as well as connecting people her passion. She joins us today to weigh in on how to find this powerful emotion, the effects it can have, and a whole lot more. We kick things off by hearing about what passion means to Amy, and she talks about how passionate her aunt was, how it drew people toward her as well as helped her fight Lou Gehrig's disease. The key takeaways here are that good energy is infectious, and that passion can be a driving force to get you through hard times. From there, we dive into the question of how to find your passion, and Amy talks about how helpful it can be to keep doing new things because our passion could be lying on the other side of those experiences. We then get into the idea that challenges drive growth and fuel passion before wrapping up our conversation with a meditation on Bob Burg's notion of the 'go-giver'. By coming into any situation with an authentic will to help others, we will spread positivity, build community, and experience a life of abundance too.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The meaning of passion for Amy and the role her aunt played in her idea of this quality.
• How living passionately drew people to Amy's aunt and helped her fight ALS.
• The responsibility of leaders to show passion in hard times and set an example.
• Amy's true passion for making connections; her excitement about learning from others.
• The contagiousness of good energy; the effects of bringing good energy to situations.
• Passion as the core driving energy that gets people through hard times.
• How masks are stunting connection, but technology can help open it up again.
• Finding the silver linings in our COVID world through passion.
• The work Amy does with her non-profits and how they help people discover their passions.
• How looking back at past overcome hurdles can drive passion and authenticity.
• The need for challenges because they drive growth – dig deeper if everything in your life feels easy.
• How valuable it is to try new things because new passions could lie in those experiences.
• The idea that 'finding your passion' is not a lightbulb moment; we can have many passions.
• Anchoring things you don't enjoy but are good for you in things you are passionate about.
• Rewards to be reaped by coming into every situation with a mentality of 'what can I give?'
• Perspectives on being a 'go-giver' when you have too much on your plate already.
• A suggestion to find time to give to others and make that a passion of yours.

Amy Whipple on LinkedIn
Amy Whipple Email
BDO
100 Women Who Care
100 Businesses Who Care
ALS Therapy Development Institute

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Today we introduce Branch Out's new mini-series theme: the power of authenticity. As one of the most essential success skills in business, its value should never be underestimated. We also welcome today's special guests, Jeremy Holland and Grant Marcks, who speak to us about how authenticity has impacted their careers and personal lives. The show kicks off with Jeremy defining authenticity, as listeners discover how this trait is defined by consistency of behavior and transparency. After hearing about the difference between consistency and frequency, we talk to Grant about the challenges associated with authenticity, especially when you're involved in a business that oftentimes spins on an axis of bad news. Adding positive notes to this, we find out how you can cultivate better relationships with clients and colleagues. Jeremy then tells us what gets in the way of authenticity and shares some personal anecdotes about insecurity and how he used it to launch himself forward in life. He talks about how a family health crisis affected his career and that by revealing his more vulnerable side to his inner circle, he was able to conquer some of the challenges which lay ahead. We then continue by practicing what we preach and find out how Grant has been doing as a young father, having taken on a new role during the pandemic. To find out more about authenticity and the power it has, be sure to join us today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Jeremy tells us about the consistency of behavior and why it's not about frequency.
• Grant talks about how you can face up to your challenges with clients and colleagues.
• Why perfection is worth giving up on.
• The value of creating relationships and rapport with colleagues and clients.
• Why cultivating relationships is like a gardener planting mystery seeds.
• Grant fills us in on his new role at Riverside.
• Jeremy shares what gets in the way of authenticity and how you overcome it.
• We touch on the effects of Zoom fatigue.
• Jeremy tells us about how embracing his insecurities has launched him forward in life.
• Grant's journey as a young father and starting a new business role during the pandemic.

Jeremy Holland on LinkedIn
Jeremy Holland Email
Grant Marcks on LinkedIn
Grant Marcks Email
Riverside
Alex Drost LinkedIn
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In today's episode, we sit with Rob Meyers, President and Managing Member of Republic Business Credit, to discuss key factors that drive business development success. We cover topics including clear communication, setting expectations, and following tried and tested processes. Rob kicks off the episode by guiding listeners through the steps of a qualification call before talking in detail about how you can develop trust with clients. Listeners will learn that simple strategies like setting realistic expectations and consistent updates can benefit even the laziest salespeople, provided they follow the correct steps. Rob then takes a closer look at how to set expectations, especially when the goalposts are changing shape and are constantly on the move. The bottom line, says Rob, is that you're the janitor of your business, and you need to take ownership over issues, whether it's your fault or the clients. We then shift the spotlight onto the client, as Rob tells us about which clients are worth saving and why it's best to let others go. Rob shares valuable insight in the latter minutes of the show and provides insider tips for young professionals looking to make a break in the business development space. Perhaps his biggest piece of advice is elaborating on the preparation and reflection phases. To hear more about these phases and much, much more, be sure to join us today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Hear about a qualification call and its components.
• Why building trust with clients is so important, especially in the virtual world.
• How to ensure effective communication with clients.
• Ways expectations can be managed between clients and buyers.
• The importance of being the "janitor" in your business.
• How giving your potential clients guidance upfront can bolster the relationship.
• How to handle angry clients, despite your own performance.
• Rob's advice for young professionals in the sales industry.
• Hear about email etiquette — how to send and receive with a good mindset.
• Why it is good to prepare and to reflect on calls and sales.
• What makes sales fun, and how to make it more fun.

Rob Meyers on LinkedIn
Republic Business Credit
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Today we sit with Ryan Grand, Principal with HKW, an Indianapolis-based middle-market private equity firm. In this episode, Ryan shares his story and tells us how he landed a business development role by accident before finding that he unexpectedly loved it. We kick off the show with a breakdown of Ryan's professional history. After hearing about his transition into the field, Ryan fills listeners in on some of the challenges he faced early on before sharing his daily responsibilities, like nurturing relationships with thoughtful conversation and creating a pipeline of unmissable deals. But this is business, and some deals go to the wayside, with Ryan telling us how he adapts to missed opportunities. Toward the end of the show, we talk about Ryan's top-of-mind strategy and hear about how he keeps balance when striking a deal. Ryan goes on to tell us about some of the biggest misconceptions of business development and why only having a friendly nature might not give you the upper hand you're looking for. Bringing the show to a close, he leaves with details about the importance of keeping organized as well as notes on his transition to the virtual world in light of a global pandemic.

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Ryan was able to pivot his career.
• Hear some of the initial challenges Ryan expected to face.
• Why Ryan wanted to do transactions and the reasons he pivoted to business development.
• Ryan tells us about his daily responsibilities and the nuances of his BD role at HKW.
• Find out about Ryan's top-of-mind strategy and how the pandemic has shifted his mindset.
• How Ryan keeps balance when executing deals.
• Ryan shares some of the biggest misconceptions about business development.
• Ways Ryan copes with the 'big' personalities in the room.
• Why Ryan is committed to organization, and how he uses it as a tool for success.
• How relationships form the backbone to successful business development.
• How Ryan has coped with COVID.
• Why his pre-COVID experiences helped Ryan mesh with the virtual world.

Ryan Grand on LinkedIn
Ryan Grand Email
HKW Private Equity
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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We all talk about business development, but what does “business development” even mean? To explore this topic, we have a special two guest episode with Heather Madland, Partner and Head of Business Development with Huron Capital along with Polly Mack Director of Business Development for Gryphon Investors. We open the show by listening to our guests’ thoughts on business development and what it means to them. After hearing about creating and maintaining credibility and building your brand both internally and externally, Polly and Heather expand on the balance between being an expert and nurturing your brand. We then turn our attention toward the challenges that come with growth and change before hearing about what it takes to be successful in business development. So what does it take? Polly and Heather walk us through why reputation is so important and which soft skills you can make special use of, like empathy and cultivating a humble nature. Toward the end of the episode, we look at how to be an intricate communicator and why communication comes from listening. To find out more, be sure to join us today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing today’s topic: what business development means and how to excel at it.
• Heather shares her thoughts on business development and what it means to her.
• Polly talks to us about thought leadership and how to maintain a personal brand.
• The heart of engaging with your market and why failure should be embraced.
• Hear about the challenges that come with growth and change.
• The best ways to approach business development.
• What it takes to be successful in business development.
• Find out about valuable soft skills that can benefit business development.
• How you can approach colleagues and clients using empathy.
• We go into the intricacies of dynamic communication.
• Why accepting faults and weaknesses leads to better business development.

Polly Mack on LinkedIn
Polly Mack Email
Gryphon Investors
Heather Madland on LinkedIn
Heather Madland Email
Huron Capital
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Branding is not just about what makes you unique but about how you portray that to the world. Your personal brand is the sum of how people perceive you, and understanding how to influence these perceptions is key to branding success. As the Founder and CEO of InTandem Marketing, Kyle Lindenboom helps businesses drill down on their brands by narrowing the gap between how they want to be perceived and how they present themselves. Kyle joins us today on the show to explore how to assess a personal brand and craft a vision for a desired future brand to help listeners identify potential gaps and areas for improvement. We start our conversation by hearing more from Kyle about what exactly a brand is and why it's critical for success. From there, we dive into the idea of personal brands, getting into some of the ways we can align our branding with our goals, and talking about how we get perceived through the way we dress, respond to messages, and more. We discuss the value of authenticity, awareness, and intentionality in building a brand, the centrality of expectations in brand-building, and a whole lot more on today's show, so be sure to tune in!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing Kyle and the brand-building services he offers through InTandem Marketing.
• What a brand is and the importance of understanding its components for building one.
• Connecting branding to the personal: What is a personal brand, and how is it communicated?
• The idea that a personal brand is the sum of all perceptions about somebody based on how they portray themselves.
• The value of being intentional about personal branding but staying authentic as well.
• How to be more aware of how your representation of yourself influences perceptions about you.
• Kyle's method of taking clients through the process of aligning their branding with their goals through a gap analysis.
• How valuable it is to know your target audience when building your brand.
• How your branding will create expectations about you; how to set expectations correctly.
• Kyle's thoughts on a branding exercise involving iteratively whittling down a list of brand goals.
• The idea that strong brands are focused and not concerned with pleasing everybody.

Kyle Lindenboom on LinkedIn
Kyle Lindenboom Email
InTandem Marketing
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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In today's business world, it's all about quick wins and immediate gratification. But this isn't what it should be about. If you want to create an impactful business that will generate consistent revenue and success, you need to go focus on relationships. In today's show, we talk with Bober Markey Fedorovich ("BMF") partner Mark Bober, who has 35-plus years in transactions, mergers, acquisitions, and litigation serving as a state witness. We open the episode by hearing Mark's thoughts on what business growth is and how to create it. After discussing his ethos on achieving long-term growth, Mark shares valuable insight into how you can create business opportunities by treating conversations, Zoom calls, and meetings as research. We then move onto the backbone of business growth — trust. In the latter half of the show, Mark talks to us about the key to his success and touches on how offering top-notch client service has been the main driver behind it. We also hear about why it's important to work well with partners and not just clients and learn that referrals often come from positive experiences of collaboration.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Hear about what business development means to Mark.
• Explore opportunity-generating events that promote business growth.
• Mark's take on networking and expanding your knowledge base.
• Why trust is such an essential factor to Mark and his firm.
• How your effort today can pay dividends in the future.
• The key to Mark's success in business.
• Marks talks about why client service is a cornerstone of business growth.
• Why it is important to work well with partnering companies and not just your clients.
• Find out about a customer's lifelong value and why you should strive to earn it.
• Mark's most significant challenges in business and career development.
• Discussion about the business impact of being introverted or extraverted.
• Why time is such an important factor in business growth.

Mark Bober
Mark Bober on LinkedIn
Mark Bober Email
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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While personal growth is incredibly important for moving our careers and ourselves forward, it is not something that happens on its own. We need to set time aside to be intentional about our growth! Today's guest is Bob Doyle, President and CEO of the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA), and he joins us on the show to talk about how he is investing in his personal growth. We begin our conversation with the idea that everybody wants to grow and get better and our intention to discuss how we can actually accomplish that. Bob has a whole list of personal habits and areas that he is trying to improve on, many of which fall into the category of what are conventionally called soft skills. For Bob, soft skills are so important for success that they might better be reframed as 'success skills.' We dive into Bob's morning routine, hearing him talk about how he begins the day with journaling and gratitude. We zoom into the importance of these two practices, highlighting the idea that journaling can help us to be more reflective and shift our mindsets towards becoming more grateful for challenges because they are often what make us grow the most! Bob shares a great quote about approaching self-improvement in baby steps, and then we dive into an exchange about how we can rethink 2020 as a year that encouraged growth in all of us. Toward the end of our conversation, Bob shares his current intention of becoming a better listener – a more active and empathetic listener. We explore how much people appreciate being heard and how listening well can make you a better leader and human being. Listen in today for actionable personal growth tips from Bob Doyle!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing Bob Doyle, President and CEO of the Michigan Association of CPAs.
• Today's topic: Investing in your personal growth through habits.
• The idea that people fundamentally want to grow.
• Bob's view that personal growth is a muscle that you have to exercise.
• The morning routine Bob practices for personal growth; journaling, gratitude, and more.
• How important it is to practice gratitude, even for things that seem hard or bad.
• Bob and Host Alex's journaling practice; the reflectiveness and intentionality it produces.
• Advice from Bob for implementing new habits by starting small and improving in baby steps.
• A way Bob has implemented growth at MICPA by making the move to virtual.
• The mindset piece of implementing good habits; it is essential to believe it is possible.
• Seeing 2020 as the year that pushed us out of our comfort zones and the growth this produced.
• Understanding that past challenges overcome have made you into who you are.
• Reframing soft skills as success skills to drill down on their importance.
• Bob's goal to become a better listener, and how he is training his team to do the same.
• The need people have to be heard by you, rather than have their problems solved by you.
• How Bob incorporates listening into his morning routine and the effects this has.
• Keeping a growth mindset because every moment is an opportunity for growth.
• A challenge from Alex for listeners to implement a journaling practice.

Bob Doyle on LinkedIn

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Continuing the discussion on investing in your professional growth, today, we have Mike Witzke, a partner with McDonald Hopkins, a Cleveland-based law firm with more than 140 professionals. Mike is the Chair of the Estate Planning and Probate Practice Group and practices in numerous areas. He focuses on helping clients protect and transfer wealth efficiently, and he works with high net worth families, primarily business owners, physicians, and athletes. In this episode, Mike shares his thoughts on what growth means to him, and we discuss ways to stay focused on continual growth and self-improvement. Tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How to stay focused on your personal growth by setting up systems and habits.
• Make growth a priority! Saying you don't have time indicates that it's not important to you.
• By defining what you are trying to accomplish, you can plan the time you set aside for growth.
• Growth isn't linear, but Mike says you have to set specific goals in order to maintain progress.
• Creating tangible milestones by breaking big goals into smaller parts and having an accountability partner.
• Mike comments on the benefits of having a mentor younger than you if you're over 45.
• The importance of seeking out different perspectives and being open to honest feedback.
• You need time with that feedback, says Mike, to allow it to percolate before taking what you need from it and taking action.
• How COVID has presented an opportunity to use your extra time to work on these things.
• Alex provides a recap of the episode, from carving time out and building habits to finding accountability and being open-minded.
• Mike shares the final part of the puzzle, which is also the first step: commit to doing it!
• Hear what Alex's call to action is this week: set aside some time, even 30 minutes.

Mike Witzke LinkedIn
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Stepping out of your comfort zone is a difficult thing to do, but it is absolutely essential for growth, in both a business and personal capacity. The world is changing at a rapid rate and if you aren't continuously growing, you are going to get left behind. Our guest on today's show, Elliott Holland, Managing Director of Guardian Due Diligence, believes that your most frustrating experiences will often be your biggest learning opportunities, so you shouldn't shy away from situations that are difficult or stressful. Elliott also shares why and how he maintains a practice that has been invaluable to his success in business; reflection. There is always room for improvement, and if you don't look back and figure out where you went wrong (or where you went right), you will struggle to move forward. Learning from the experiences and the reflections of the more senior people in your field will also benefit you greatly. Don't let fear prevent you from fulfilling your dreams; most people suck at the beginning, and you have to start somewhere!

Key Points from This Episode:

• The world is rapidly changing, and it is so important to stay up to date in terms of your knowledge and skills.
• Invest in yourself in order to move forward and grow in your chosen career.
• Elliott mentions an example of how things can go wrong when people aren't keeping up with the times.
• Growth can occur in numerous ways, not just through books and the internet. Elliott shares examples of different ways of investing in oneself.
• As you grow, you will realize how much your younger self didn't know.
• Make sure that in every situation, you are either winning in monetary terms or you are learning and growing.
• Don't be too quick to walk away from deals that aren't working out; instead, use them as an opportunity to learn a lesson.
• Books are helpful, but the best way to learn how to negotiate is through on-the-job-training.
• Looking back at your previous work and figuring out where you went wrong (i.e., reflection) is an extremely valuable practice.
• Smart, dedicated, well-prepared people don't often make mistakes; look at their behavior and learn from it.
• See stress as a blessing because it means you are learning, but make sure you also take time to recover.
• Don't be scared to step out of your comfort zone; everyone 'sucks' in the beginning.
• Practice, practice, practice, and you'll get to where you want to be!
• Elliott shares some of the toughest things he has had to learn in his career.
• In order to grow, you need to let yourself be vulnerable and open to change.
• Knowing when and when not to trust your intuition is a skill that comes with growth.
• Listen to and learn from the more mature people in your space.
• Two calls to action for today from Alex: Take time to reflect on a past work experience and how you can improve, and reach out to a more mature person in your field to ask for their advice.

Elliott Holland LinkedIn
Elliott Holland Email
Guardian Due Diligence
Alex Drost LinkedIn

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Dustin Hill, today’s guest, is a Director at FINNEA Group, a middle-market investment banking firm. He joins us to talk about how mindset is a driving force for our success (or lack thereof). We kick off the conversation with a look at soft skills, their importance, and how they contribute to success. We also discuss having a ‘why’ and the role this plays in motivating us.

Growth is not easy. In fact, we are hardwired to shy away from change, so how do we lean into it and accept it as par for the course if we are to grow? Dustin shares his approach to this and how talking to people who have done what he may be fearing sets his mind at ease.

Another key part of growth we touch on is task prioritization and strategies you can use to separate responsibilities. No matter how busy you might think you are, if you are intentional about making time for what nourishes you and helps you grow, you will be able to fit it in. We wrap the conversation up by debunking the myth that growth means increased working hours and why progress rather than perfection counts when developing essential soft skills.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The difficulty that comes with developing soft skills; they are not easily quantifiable.
• It is so important to have a ‘why’ when it comes to personal and professional growth.
• How Dustin views growth and getting closer to your why.
• Work Dustin has done on his mindset: Why you need to change your perspective.
• Why making to-do lists can help you focus in on what is truly important for the day.
• The benefits Dustin has seen from turning off his text and email notifications.
• How Dustin deals with change and leans into it.
• Getting over fears and vulnerabilities looks different for everyone, so find what works for you.
• Dustin’s childhood and how his early life has framed his why and motivated him.
• Making time for self-reflection and how to use this to understand where you need to grow.
• Balancing the day-to-day grind with carving space for personal and professional growth.
• Professional growth should not be confused with doing more work.
• It is so important to distinguish between tasks that are urgent and those that can wait.
• How Dustin approaches task importance and assigns values to things on his to-do list.
• A call to action for you to start working on your mindset.
• Apply the 80/20 rule when it comes to developing your soft skills.

The Eisenhower Matrix
Pareto Principle
Dustin Hill LinkedIn
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Today’s guest is Jeremy Holland, Managing Partner of Origination at The Riverside Company, and he understands that building relationships is the key to creating long term value. Jeremy joins us today to share the secrets he’s learned from the world of deals about why investing your time in people can help you achieve more than you ever thought possible. Jeremy explains that while hardly anybody is willing to invest their time in something that does not present an immediate benefit, the fact remains that the more you help others, the more they will want to help you later. What’s more, relational encounters are far more fulfilling than transactional ones. Jeremy shares some tips for how to build meaningful relationships with your team, stressing the value of private, candid conversations. Regarding external relationships with his firm’s clients, having a ‘how can I help attitude’ has proven to pay back its weight in gold, long term. We also get into the idea of goodwill impairments today – situations where an angry outburst can destroy trust built up over years; we talk about how to avoid having these, and the idea that if you take bad news professionally today, you might be able to turn it into the good news you were hoping for in future. For all you need to know about building long term value by investing in relationships, tune in.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Jeremy’s belief that investing in meaningful relationships is key to creating long-term value.
• Private, candid conversations with people as a way of building meaningful relationships.
• How much a person would appreciate honest feedback about their behavior.
• Using a ‘how can I help?’ attitude to build meaningful relationships outside of your firm.
• What it takes to truly invest in a person who can’t immediately help you: A time investment.
• The delayed, long-term payback that comes from investing in helping others.
• Examples of goodwill impairments and the work it takes to repair those relationships.
• How to curb a potential goodwill impairment by taking bad news professionally and scheduling a follow-up.
• The idea that you’ll often win the same deal later if you take an initial rejection well.
• Discussing James Carse’s idea that the vitality of a garden does not depend on a harvest.
• An example of how Jeremy helped an old friend get a job at a top-tier firm.
• The immediate rewards in terms of fulfillment that come with helping others.

Riverside Company
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Part of being in a leadership position is that you cannot take a “woe is me, hide in the closet mentality”; you have to take a “we are going to get through this mentality” or you may ultimately struggle to be successful. The winners in life are not the ones who never get defeated or never fall on their face. It’s how you respond afterward — it’s about resiliency and persistence and bouncing back off of the mat. Today on the show, we welcome Kurt Wilkin, Co-Founder and Chief Evangelist of HireBetter, your strategic talent partner. During this episode, Kurt and I talk on the topic of resiliency and why it is something we all need to have the right mindset around. We are in a time where we are facing challenges that we have never seen before and Kurt shares some insightful thoughts on how to maintain a resilient mindset. As an entrepreneur, Kurt has experience growing, scaling, and exiting high-growth companies and now devotes his time to helping business leaders unlock their own success. His responsibilities include strategic client consultation, client satisfaction, recruiting, and practice development. His success as an entrepreneur stems from his ability to build long-term relationships with clients, attract a loyal team of dedicated leaders and associates, and consistently deliver on commitments. Kurt is an alumnus of the University of Arkansas, a Certified Public Accountant, and an active member and officer of Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). He is passionate about entrepreneurship, is an active angel investor, and sits on the boards of several companies and nonprofits. Stay tuned for this interesting conversation with one of our leading experts on today’s episode of Branch Out.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Kurt shares his general thoughts on resiliency.
• How Kurt maintains his resilient mentality while dealing with challenges: Leadership responsibility.
• What Kurt would recommend to someone who was crushed by COVID-19: Survival.
• Comfort zone versus growth zone: Growth requires discomfort.
• Failure is not an option: What does failure really mean?
• Kurt unpacks one of his most inspiring quotes.
• The way self-care ties into the concept of resiliency.
• Taking time for self-care will influence your productivity and effectiveness.
• Kurt shares his number one thing to do in order to remain resilient: Connecting with others.

Kurt Wilkin LinkedIn
HireBetter
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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The Art of Managing Up, Down, and Sideways with Michelle AcciavattiIt doesn’t matter where you are in the corporate hierarchy. Nearly all jobs require working with people and managing up, down, or sideways. Today we speak with Willis Towers Watson market leader Michelle Acciavatti about the art of managing. Starting at the entry-level, Michelle gives tips on managing up and impressing the bosses by creating ‘presentation-ready’ work. A recurring theme throughout our conversation, Michelle emphasizes the importance of developing an empathetic viewpoint, thinking one step ahead, and trying to understand other perspectives. Linking to his and on the subject of dealing with unreasonable bosses, Michelle advises that listeners operate the framework that 99.9% of people are rational people. Empathy can help you understand their position. We then dive into managing down and why developing your team can free you up to do more tasks. We talk about the false conception that people need managing, when really, your role is to manage tasks, problems, and deliverables. Another key theme, Michelle discusses why teams need trust and honesty before sharing how you can develop this within your team. Finally, we tackle how to manage sideways, with Michelle highlighting the need to build strong relationships. As you move up, Michelle explains, having a strong team that can give you honest feedback is critical to your success. Tune in to hear more about the art of managing — these lessons will benefit you wherever you are in your career.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The three vantage points to consider when managing up.
• Generating ‘presentation-ready’ work from an empathetic viewpoint.
• How to manage up when your boss seems like an unreasonable person.
• Finding common ground and operating from the framework that 99.9% of people are rational.
• Common challenges faced when managing down and why no one works for you.
• Developing the people below you instead of managing them.
• Why trust and honesty are key in developing your team.
• How to build trust and honesty within the team that you’re working with.
• How not letting the ‘perfect’ get in the way of the ‘good’ can give you time to nurture your connections.
• Why building relationships is the most important aspect of your career.
• The importance of developing an honest team when you reach upper-management levels.
• Seeking out people with different perspectives and skillsets.

Michelle Acciavatti LinkedIn
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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Networking has its challenges; it’s not comfortable at first, you are not always going to be good at it, and you are certainly not always going to enjoy it. It is important to keep in mind that you are not always going to be the perfect fit for every room you go into, but if you don’t go out and do it you are never going to get better at it. When it comes down to it, you have to learn to develop your soft skills to help your career advance. Today’s guest is Dillon Zwick, from MeadowLark Advisors, out of Austin, TX. Dillon has a background in heavy industrial design and manufacturing. His primary team role at MeadowLark Advisors is finding opportunities, solving difficult problems, and figuring out whatever needs to get done. He has helped numerous client companies successfully work through the corporate restructuring process, and worked closely with company CEOs, CFOs, and accounting staff to support cash-constrained situations, prove transparency, and strategic analytic support to the process. During our conversation Dillon and I discuss the personal and professional benefits of networking. So stay tuned for this insightful interview as part of our series of conversations with leading professionals to take your career to the next level.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why are you networking and what are some of the great values in doing so.
• Dillon shares how networking can help with career advancement.
• How networking has opened up opportunities for Dillon to practice his soft skills.
• The importance of practice: Working through discomfort, unpleasant rooms, and more.
• Dillon shares some past networking experience mishaps.
• Job security and how networking leads to success in this area.
• How networking plays a role in securing you a job amongst hundreds of resumes.
• Dillon shares the personal benefits of networking.
• The difficulty with letting past relationships go and looking for new relationships.
• How networking helps with lifelong learning and access to information.
• Dillon shares his most recent challenges: COVID-19 and networking online.

Six Reasons You Need to be Networking
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NPR Podcast - Hidden Brain: The Lonely American Man

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Everyone wants to work smarter not harder, and when it comes to building your professional brand, networking offers that exact opportunity. Networking allows you to establish yourself as a helpful resource to others, not only professionally but also personally. Networking is good for meeting potential clients but it is just as effective for building key mutually beneficial connections that might serve you well in the future. And even if someone cannot offer you anything in return, it is in the best interest of your brand to help them anyway since it contributes to a positive reputation. Talking to strangers and putting yourself out there do not come easy for everyone, but by challenging yourself and practicing the soft skills of interpersonal communication and speaking, you will grow in confidence, meet new people, and begin to add value to others, and this will stand you in good stead to take your professional brand to the next level. Joining us today to share his expertise on the topic is Steve Adamjee, a vice president with USI Insurance Services, so be sure to tune in!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Learn what a personal and professional brand involves and how they are built.
• How networking can be leveraged for brand development.
• Understanding that networking is a long-term game of serving and helping people.
• Why building relationships and knowledge sharing are such important aspects of networking.
• Seeking mutually beneficial relationships versus helping those who can’t help you.
• How your unwillingness to help others will be reflected in your brand.
• Finding better results by seeing how you can be of service to others.
• Establishing yourself as a trusted resource regardless of the industry you are in.
• Thoughts on the value of being part of associations and participating in speaking opportunities.
• Getting involved in associations that are meaningful to you at both a personal and professional level.
• Growing as a professional by practicing your interpersonal communication skills.

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The Power of a Positive Mindset with Carrie Schochet

In the society we live in today, we’re being bombarded with negativity from many different directions — whether it be the news, social media, friends, family or our workplace. It is crucial that if you want to establish and maintain a positive mindset you have to choose to do so on a daily basis. We have to intentionally sift through all the negativity and consistently choose to focus on the positive. Our discussion today is around the power of a positive mindset, but not only how to establish one, but how to maintain it once you’ve got it. In this episode, we welcome guest Carrie Schochet. Carrie is the Founder and CEO of Purple Squirrel Advisors, a boutique executive search firm based in Troy, Michigan. With a passion for helping companies grow by creating exceptional leadership teams, Carrie has spent the past 16 years connecting C-level and senior executives with leadership positions in finance, accounting, human resources, operations, sales, and marketing. In our conversation, Carrie and I dive into the topic of the power of a positive mindset and the daily habits that help up to maintain this attitude. So stay tuned for a great discussion on positivity and resilience with one of our leading experts on this episode of Branch Out!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Carrie shares on why it is important to have a positive mindset.
• Some things Carrie does to maintain her positive focus and attitude: Creating habits.
• The role journalling plays in helping you maintain a positive mindset and attitude.
• Having an accountability partner and changing the outcome.
• How Carrie makes meditation work for her and her lifestyle.
• What are we doing that we shouldn’t be doing: Non-value adding areas.
• The importance of taking time to reflect: Asking yourself why.
• Scheduling your way to maintaining a positive mindset.
• Why having a positive mindset helps you overcome challenges and reframe circumstances.
• The importance of modeling resilience.
• What advice Carrie would tell her younger self.

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Purple Squirrel Advisors LinkedIn
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Achieving Authenticity with Jamil Sanders

Authenticity is something that is often discussed on our podcast and we often talk about in the sense of professional development and professional growth. Authenticity, by definition, will mean something different to every single person and ultimately we all pursue it differently. However, the key is that you simply have to be authentic in what you are doing. Today’s guest is Jamil Sanders, a Vice President with Key Private Bank. In this episode, Jamil shares his thoughts on what it means to achieve authenticity and we discuss steps that we can all take to become a more authentic version of ourselves. Jamil studied Business Administration and Cleveland State University and completed his MBA at Ashland University, specializing in Project Management. His expertise at Sequoia is centered around working with emerging professionals and successful entrepreneurs and his approach to financial planning and investment strategies are disciplined, strategic, and tailored to each client’s unique goals and primary objectives. Stay tuned for our discussion on authenticity and how to achieve it, on today’s episode of Branch Out.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Jamil shares what authenticity means to him and how he strives to achieve it.
• Moving from mimicking others to forming a truer version of yourself.
• Why we have to be intentional: Is this really who we are? Who I am?
• Jamil shares some challenges he had to overcome when he asked himself who he truly was.
• The importance of giving yourself grace as you go through the process.
• Being grounded in your authenticity as life forces push and pull on you.
• Being conscious of the daily battle and aware of when you aren’t being true to your authentic self.
• The importance of yourself daily to be your authentic self.
• When you establish your values it positively impacts your decision-making.

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Leveraging Social Media to Enact Positive Change with George Khalife

Not every professional needs to go out and create a blog, start a podcast, or build a platform, but we all have the opportunity to leverage the technology available to us in order to accelerate our careers. This is why social media can be so powerful! Today’s guest is George Khalife of the Toronto Stock Exchange. George is based in Chicago, where he helps Midwest-based companies access the Canadian public markets, and he is also the host of a podcast Let’s Grab Coffee. George has been able to leverage social media and build a platform to ultimately deliver a positive message and, in this episode, he shares with us how he did it. We discuss the value of building connections both online and offline, knowing your story and telling it authentically, and scheduling time for creativity. George gives us some tips and tricks on how to use LinkedIn to our benefit, and talks about documenting your experiences, building self-awareness, and finding mentors that you admire and respect. Looking to leverage social media to accelerate your career? Tune in to this episode of the Branch Out Podcast today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How George used social media to build connections, start a podcast, and provide value.
• Advice for people to overcome anxiety and put themselves out there: Document your story.
• Storytelling and coming up with content are both muscles that you can exercise.
• Schedule white space – not all of our creativity happens at work, so make time for it!
• Leverage LinkedIn by following respected people in your industry and being an active user.
• George explains how important it is to build your connections in person as well as online.
• Every story is unique, so make sure to document, create, and talk about your experiences.
• Authenticity and building self-awareness and how George is continuously working on himself.
• The value of having mentors around you who you really admire and learning from them.
• Why it’s important to read or listen to podcasts to develop your mindset and connect the dots.

Let’s Grab Coffee Podcast
George Khalife LinkedIn
Alex Drost LinkedIn
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At the end of the day, community is at the center of personal and professional growth, and life is so much more fun with friends anyway! Today's guest is Benny Mathew, the founder of the Orion3 network. Our conversation with Benny is all about the power of bringing people together and his gift of being a connector! Benny tells the story of his difficulty making genuine connections in Chicago initially and how he solved this by putting his gift for connecting people to good use and founded Orion3. He takes us through the growth of this amazing network which now enjoys packed events, also sharing the symbolism of warm connections in its name. From there, we get into the networking mindset, talking about what it takes to build genuine connections, authentic relationship building as a long-term game, and building true friendships in your professional network. We discuss all the benefits of community next and hear some high points from Benny about how his life has changed since he started giving back in this way. Wrapping up, Benny shares a few lessons he has learned along the way, weighing in on the value of having a growth mindset and the role his networks have played in making him who he is today, so be sure to tune in!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why Benny started to host networking events after struggling to connect in Chicago.
• Benny’s gift for connecting others which he applied to founding Orion3.
• The story of the growth of Orion3, going from 5 to 150+ attendees at their events.
• The symbolism of the name Orion3, signifying warm connections.
• The importance of the connector mindset, and having connections and community for growth.
• High points for Benny: Realizing many of his friends came from his events, and hearing about the value of Orion3 from participants.
• Gaining value in your own life by bringing value to others, but not making this your motive.
• The idea that building genuine connections has to be conceived as a long-term process.
• Being yourself and building genuine relationships with your professional network.
• How much you can grow by meeting others and your responsibility to pay it forward.
• Having a growth mindset and how Benny learns from mistakes rather than dwell on them.

Benny Mathew LinkedIn
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Finding yourself in a state of poor mental health not only affects your personal life but also infringes on your work productivity. Often our stresses as professionals are sourced from high demands at work and inadequate methods of managing them. It is important that you begin to implement steps towards changing the way you deal with your mental health. If you find yourself in a poor space of mental health, being able to talk openly about your struggles goes a long way in helping you process and work through your challenges. It is key for you, as a professional, to make sure that you are finding time for yourself, finding time to invest positively in your mental health, and finding the right person to talk to. On today’s episode of Branch Out, we welcome guest Erik Daly, a corporate and M&A attorney with Miller Johnson, a west Michigan-based law firm. Erik focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate financing, restructurings, and securities law matters. He also focuses on emerging technology topics such as artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, cryptocurrencies, and other blockchain technologies. Erik studied law at Harvard Law School, where he graduated cum laude in 2007. During our conversation, Erik and I dive into the topic of mental health as a professional and discuss some of the challenges we all face in our careers on a daily basis.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Erik shares his outlook on talking about mental health in the workplace.
• He shares his background, how he deals with his mental health, and the challenges he overcame.
• What brought the realization to Erik that he was facing some mental health challenges.
• Some quick daily tips for how to deal with mental health challenges.
• The importance of learning to manage the demands of work as a professional.
• The little things Erik does on the daily to make sure he is taking care of his mental health.
• Why it is important to monitor your work-life balance and be aware of the impact it poses on your mental health.
• The importance of talking about where you are with your mental health.
• The role exercise and meditation plays in mental clarity and health.
• The struggle with an “All-or-Nothing” mentality.
• Why finding a way to talk about your mental health helps you through the process.

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Human Bandwidth: Expanding Your Life with Leon LaBrecque

Burnout, stress, and anxiety are increasingly common in our society. With a never-ending plateful of things to get through, it can often feel like you are just trying to make it through each day. By merely surviving, we are not living up to our full potential. One way to change this and expand our lives is to work on our human bandwidth, and today’s guest, Leon LaBrecque, is here to provide insights on how to do just that. As the Chief Growth Officer at Sequoia Financial Group, Leon has seen firsthand what it takes for people to flourish. In this episode, he shares his theory on the parallels between electronic bandwidth and its human counterpart. Through critical inquiry, Leon has found that four components make up human bandwidth — time, money, happiness, and love. We learn more about what he discovered when he played around with the formula and how an increase of one component leads to nine times more volume! Noise adversely affects electronic bandwidth, and it’s no different with human bandwidth. Leon sheds light on how we can distance ourselves from the mental clutter to see what’s important. We also discuss how to reframe our time-money relationship and the importance of delegation. Outsourcing draining work has cascading effects, increasing your time and money, which in turn grows your capacity to love. We hear some incredible tips on altering your bandwidth inputs too. What Leon ultimately wants us to remember that as overwhelmed as you may feel, making small, consistent changes is what gets the needle moving, so just start. Don't miss out on this great conversation!

Key Points From This Episode:

• What Leon means by ‘personal bandwidth’ and the four components it’s comprised of.
• Leon’s fascinating discovery about the bandwidth formula and tweaking the inputs.
• The interrelationship between time and money and ways to optimize money and time actions.
• The signal-to-noise ratio is as important in human bandwidth as it is in regular bandwidth.
• How to step back from the noise and focus on what is actually important.
• What construal is and how it impacts our perception of the world around us.
• Rethinking our time-money relationship and looking for opportunities to save on both.
• Increasing our own bandwidth increases everyone’s bandwidth, through network connectivity
• Leon’s tips on how to prioritize activities so that your bandwidth inputs are optimal.
• Why you should try to figure out a way to not sell your time.
• The cumulative effect of small, positive changes and why they end in big results.

Human Bandwidth TEDx talk
Vince Lombardi
Mindset: The New Psychology of SuccessLeon LaBrecque LinkedIn
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Most of us are in some form of remote working position right now and this brings about a whole host of new challenges. Brendan McKay is a Principal with Falcon Investment Advisors who has been working remotely for the last few years and today we have him on the show to talk about the lessons he has learned! Our conversation with Brendan is all about creating a productive remote working environment and the value of maintaining social connections between employees for the firms they are a part of. We kick things off with Brendan hearing about his transition from New York to L.A. and how he set up an appropriate space for working. From there, Brendan details his process of slowly realizing that while he was very productive at home, something was missing. The problem was that working remotely doesn’t allow for those informal ‘water cooler talk’ moments which seem unimportant but actually end up playing a large role for firms as far as decision making, and building trust amongst staff. We drill down on the necessity of this type of social interaction, and Brendan talks about the changes he made to incorporate more of it into his remote work arrangement. Next up, we get into the importance of mentorship, the idea that so much of what you learn at work happens through doing. Falcon has been building formalized systems for this into their corporate culture since even before the lockdowns and we hone in on their value as far as the firm’s long-term vision. Tune in to get it all!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Unforeseen challenges remote work presented Brandan and lessons he learned.
• How technology has allowed for remote working styles, especially in the investment industry.
• The value of creating a separate space at home so that work can be focused on properly.
• How much harder one has to work in a remote environment to stay in touch with people.
• ‘Water cooler talk’ – its role in decision making and the challenge of replicating it remotely.
• Regular catch-up calls and increasing travel cadence: Remote water cooler talk.
• Productivity versus effectiveness, the need for the latter for building trust and decision making.
• Building a corporate culture that values bringing back the informality that is lost remotely.
• How the responsibility rests with seniors to reach out to juniors to build informal relationships.
• The mentorship program at Falcon and the role it plays in formalizing building relationships.
• ‘You only learn investment by doing’ – stewarding apprenticeships through mentorship.
• The role of mentorship in ensuring the continuation of high-quality workers for the long term.

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Relationships matter and we need to get to know people, for people. Especially if you’re working in business development for private equity, which is by nature, a highly transactional environment and it can be very easy to forget the people side of things. Today’s guest is Jessica Ginsberg, the Director of Business Development for LFM Capital out of Nashville, TN. Jessica is responsible for LFM’s business development activities such as overseeing the firm’s direct sourcing and outreach to intermediaries. Jessica has served in many different roles including business development, transaction diligence, credit analysis, and investor communications. In today’s episode of Branch Out we dive into our conversation on why relations and responsiveness matter, the need for an established workflow, the importance of culture in a transactional world.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Jessica unpacks why relationship matters and we should get to know people for people.
• How Jessica manages the building relationships and making deals balance.
• The importance of responding: Responsiveness matters.
• Why a workflow is helpful to effectively manage relationships and communication.
• The importance of intentional messaging: Having a unique story and approach.
• How to create and articulate your “story.”
• How to bring company culture to the forefront of your focus: People are important.
• Jessica shares a personal experience about the importance of culture.
• More about the LGO Program: Leaders for Global Operations.

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Investing in Your Growth and Development with Lenny Dacanay.

The link between business development and leadership may not be evident straight away, but it’s one today’s guest, Lenny Dacanay, has paid a great deal of attention to. In this episode, Lenny talks about how his idea of business development has evolved from a sales-focused one to a problem-solving one, and why this shift showed him that leadership skills were non-negotiable. Lenny also shares how he went from the speaker to the listener. He realized that to help his clients in the best way, he needed to unearth their problems and get to the heart of their issues. Through becoming client-centric, Lenny has managed to cultivate his empathy and trust-building skills. While it is not always easy being honest, Lenny has seen the power of it in forging strong relationships. Throughout the conversation, Lenny emphasizes the importance of understanding the complex nature of the people you work with. Everyone has their struggles, so approaching people with kindness first will always go a long way. We round the show off by hearing about Lenny’s experience with his coach and how it has made him a better leader, along with the importance of making time to consume content that promotes your learning. This was a fun, enlightening conversation, so tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why Lenny has focused on building his leadership skills and how it ties into business development.
• Lenny’s ‘aha moment’ when he saw how his leadership education was helping his business development skills.
• How Lenny’s thinking about business development has evolved over time.
• What Lenny would do differently to help his clients solve their problems if he could go back in time.
• Lenny’s understanding of authenticity and what it means to him professionally.
• How Lenny approaches clients who are not willing to confront the truth.
• Understand that relationships are built with people who have their own lives and struggles.
• Lenny’s experience with his coach, how he engaged with her, and the valuable skills he’s gained.
• Some habits Lenny has used to aid his personal and professional growth over the years.
• The importance of fueling your mind with positive, growth-forward content.
• Lenny’s piece of advice for anyone starting out in the business — always be open to learning.

The Eisenhower Matrix
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Communication is Key with Christopher Letts

Being able to communicate effectively is perhaps the most important of all life skills. Today’s guest is Christopher Letts, Chairman and past President of ACG Detroit. In this episode, we discuss the importance of communication as a professional. Chris shares some thoughts on how to improve this critical skill set, firstly from the perspective of public speaking, and then in the context of interpersonal communication and the written word. Prepare, practice, learn from your mistakes, learn from others, and don’t be afraid to be vulnerable! Vulnerability and transparency are important in breaking down barriers in communication, and putting in the time and effort to improve your spoken and written communication can differentiate you from your competition. More on effective communication from Chris Letts in this powerful and important episode; don’t miss it!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The value and power of communication and what it means to Chris in his career.
• How Chris anticipates and addresses the anxiety and physical response to public speaking.
• Controlling responses through repetition and preparing properly for public speaking events.
• Learn from failure, watch recordings of yourself, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
• Chris cites Winston Churchill as an inspiration for his own communication evolution.
• Communicating with executives and clients – know your audience and find consensus.
• The importance of vulnerability and transparency to break down barriers in communication.
• The fine line between confidence and arrogance and knowing when to admit you are wrong.
• Written communication like email, text, or long-form communication – be clear and concise!
• Reflective communication – understanding how someone communicates and applying it.
• What Chris has learned about control in long-form communication through practice.
• Good public speaking and written communication skills are ways to differentiate yourself from your competition in nearly any industry.
• How to ensure that others interpret what you say correctly by listening and asking questions.

Christopher Letts LinkedIn
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Getting Comfortable in Uncomfortable Situations with Rich Grant.In an ever-changing world, where we are all increasingly confronted with difficult conversations, it would be easy to retreat and go back to our comfort zones. But growth does not happen here; it happens when you are uncomfortable, and you are pushed to find a way through. Being in uncomfortable situations has contributed enormously to today’s guest, Rich Grant’s, professional and personal growth. As the Director of Business Development for GO, Growth Operators, Rich’s path to the role was not a conventional one because he did not come from a finance or consulting background. Rather than dwelling on this, Rich realized that his skills, albeit different from his colleagues, are equally as valuable. We begin this episode by hearing more about some of these uncomfortable situations Rich has found himself in and the lessons he has taken away. From there, we move onto the topic of diversity. As a Black man in a predominantly white industry, Rich realizes that his background and experiences are unlike anyone else's. He stresses the importance of diverse stories and perspectives in work environments. There is a symbiosis between colleagues where everyone has value to bring, but this calls for greater inclusion of voices that have been marginalized. We then turn our attention to a different side of discomfort – being vulnerable. It can be hard to admit when you do not have particular knowledge, but this humility and openness to learning is where Rich believes we grow. This was an incredible conversation, so be sure to tune in!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Rich has used uncomfortable situations to propel his professional growth.
• A story of a time where Rich found himself out of his depth and found a way to make it work.
• The power of asking questions and taking a personal interest in people.
• Rich’s experience of being a Black man in a generally homogenous industry, and tips for other minorities in similar situations.
• Why it’s so important to have diverse thinking in a workspace.
• The mutual sharing and learning benefits that come with a diverse work environment.
• Some views, like racism, are deal-breakers, but a difference of opinion is not one of those things.
• If you cannot face difficult conversations, it’s not possible to progress and move forward.
• What Rich means by ‘thinking independently together,’ and why he thinks it’s a valuable approach
• Put yourself in uncomfortable situations so that you can grow personally and professionally

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Serve on a Board, Grow Your Network, Follow-Up is Critical & Identify Good Mentors with Karin Kovacic.

When you are in the process of business development there are several key factors to remember including the importance of being authentic, being reliable, focusing on genuine connections to build your network, and seeking advice from the right mentors. These can be daunting if you find yourself not sure of where to start with the whole process. Today we continue our series of conversations with professionals and discuss some of these basic points with our guest, Karin Kovacic. Karin is a Managing Director at Neptune Financial, a tech-enabled lower middle market lender. During the episode, we dive into the topics of serving on a board to grow your network, the power and importance of follow-up, and the value of identifying good mentors to aid in your professional growth and development. Stay tuned to learn more about how to connect and grow your network!

Key Points From This Episode:

• We unpack what business development is: It’s all about your brand.
• The importance of authenticity in your role in business development.
• Trust, personal relationship, and what differentiates you from the rest.
• The power of volunteering on a board and how it helps your network.
• Being reliable: Following through and doing what you said you’re going to do.
• The importance of touch-points when building your network.
• Advice on seeking and finding the right mentors.

Karin Kovacic LinkedIn
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Build Your Community and Pay It Forward with Eric Fischer.

We know that a successful career begins with meaningful connections. Everyone you connect with intentionally will have something of value to give and offer a different angle to the same problem. The reality is that doing things by yourself is tough! We need to focus on becoming the best for our community, to learn to truly listen to what’s going on out there, to hone our public speaking skills, and to build effective teams! Today’s guest is Eric Fischer, a tax partner with BDO out of Grand Rapids. During our conversation, Eric shares his thoughts on what it means to build your community and how you can go about paying it forward. We hear different strategies on how to build your network, what skills are important, how to invest in other people to help them grow, and the concept of passing on your knowledge and opportunity to help others. Stay tuned for all that and more on today’s episode of Branch Out!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Eric shares some of his thoughts around building community and community involvement — what that means to him and how he’s applied it in his personal and professional lives.
• Why public speaking and being able to communicate is a critically important skill to hone.
• How giving to, and helping other people grow makes you grow in return.
• Eric shares more about the idea behind his Pay It Forward group.
• Building your network from different angles: Your own personal board of directors.
• How to get out and actually build your network: Overcoming common challenges.
• The importance of hearing problems from many different angles to find solutions.
• As leaders we need to help our teams grow and reach their full potential.
• The importance of finding your team's internal strengths.

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We’re no longer in the era where bosses say, “You work for me.” People want to own their careers and personal growth. To thrive in the modern workplace, where collaboration is the new norm, team leaders need to sharpen their leadership abilities. Our conversation with today’s guest, RSM Audit Partner Howie Siegal, reveals what qualities excellent leaders need along with the tools that can help you become a better one. Howie talks about why embracing feedback and being a good communicator is the foundation of successful leadership. Based on his own experience, Howie shares how the ‘lead by example' style of guiding teams doesn’t work and that the essence of leadership lies in providing accountability, challenging your team, and sparking constructive debates. This results in a multiplying effect that improves your team’s performance. Howie contrasts this approach with that of the ‘accidental diminisher,’ who ends up taking opportunities away from people. Emphasizing the importance of boosting your soft skills, Howie talks about how coaches, ranging from your spouse to your colleagues, are vital in improving your leadership ability and providing you with alternate perspectives. While some are innately better at it, Howie highlights that anyone can learn good leadership. Tune in for more on how you can become a better leader.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why being a good communicator is a hallmark of successful leadership.
• The importance of reflecting on your communication and having people give you feedback.
• Why you should implement a ‘360-degree’ feedback process into your annual plan.
• Learn about how Howie’s leadership style allows his team to own their careers.
• The difference between delegation and directing people to follow instructions.
• How you can avoid being an ‘accidental diminisher’ and let your team grow.
• Why we need to develop soft skills to sharpen our leadership abilities.
• How professional coaching helped Howie become a better leader.
• Why Howie will remove barriers but won’t ‘give people answers’.
• Finding a mentor is key to accelerating your growth, especially when you’re young.
• All great leaders seek perspective from people outside of themselves.
• How building a network of coaches around you will better your leadership ability.
• The complexity of modern work and how it increasingly requires collaboration.

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As rising professionals, it’s important to learn that both building relationships and serving your clients are major parts of growing your business. On the show today we welcome James Reid, a partner with Dinsmore & Shohl, a national law firm based out of Cincinnati, Ohio. James is based out of metro Detroit, and his practice focuses on labor law and dispute. Throughout his career, James has done a phenomenal job of not only going above and beyond for his clients and providing that superior service that is needed as a professional but has also built up his network along the way. During our conversation, we will be discussing advice for rising professionals who are looking to grow their networks and establish strong relationship foundations while also putting their clients at the forefront of their mission. We talk about managing your time to optimize outcomes, leveraging your networking, practical tips to help you succeed, dealing with change, and much more! So stay tuned and don’t miss out on this insightful episode!

Key Points From This Episode:

• James shares some steps and thought processes he went through to establish his career.
• He explains the magic number of 5.
• Tips on how to manage your time and how to drive the best result outcomes with your time.
• How to leverage your networking to get a return on your investment.
• Not defending your network: A mindset to embrace.
• The importance of using your electronic calendar and how to make it work for you.
• The power of LinkedIn with regards to networking and the trusted advisor role.
• James talks about finding his focus and the mistakes he made along the way.
• The above and beyond factor: Giving 110% all the time.
• How to deal with change and remain adaptable.
• Advice James would give his younger self.

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The business world has both personal and professional aspects; it’s not binary, it’s both. Being kind in a competitive world is important because you are not just looking for a contact, you are looking to broaden your world. You need to adopt the mindset that every person you encounter is of value and has something of substance to share, whether it’s business-related or everyday life. Today on the podcast we welcome Kim Easterle Mattes. Kim has been a friend for many years and we have had the opportunity to work on multiple transactions together. Kim is a VP at AON Risk Solutions in Detroit, Michigan. In today’s episode, we unpack thoughts on ‘People Are Interesting,’ and ‘The Power of Trust,’ and so much more. Stay tuned for an insightful conversation with Kim and me.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Kim unpacks the statement “The Power of Simply Being Kind in the Competitive World”.
• Examples of how to find value and interest in everyone — People are interesting.
• Conversational tips for getting to know people at networking events.
• The importance of building relationships before looking for business opportunities.
• How to maintain friendships and continue to find value in people.
• Team business development versus doing it alone.
• The power of trust as a foundation in teamwork.
• How to build trust in the business development environment.
• The importance of being vulnerable.
• Constant evolution: Reinventing yourself and how it plays in your career path.

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ACCELERATE YOUR CAREER GROWTH

Career success comes from having a strong professional network. Take your career to the next level by jumpstarting your networking.

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In this episode, we dive into a conversation with David Swatosh, a senior manager at BDO—one of the world’s largest accounting firms—to discuss some of the challenges involved in moving from a small regional firm to a large multinational one. David was able to leverage the power of internal networking to overcome some of the weaknesses in his existing network as well as to lean into some of his personal strengths. He discusses what he has done to accelerate his business development within BDO, and also advising listeners on building relationships in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the most fruitful ways of making connections and keeping in front of your target audience is by educating people and also finding specialists with whom to consult when you lack knowledge in a specific area. Joining in the conversation, listeners will also learn why attending large networking events are not the be-all and end-all and how it is all about knowing what you are good at and playing to your strengths.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The challenge of developing a new network when transitioning from a small to a large firm.
• What David has done to accelerate his business development efforts in BDO.
• Advice for building out your internal relationships before and after COVID-19.
• Suggestions for spending your time and efforts strategically in business development.
• Bringing thought leadership to other partners and using it as a marketing tool for his services.
• The importance of educating internal and external parties in your network.
• The value of having specialists to consult with and offering your expertise in return.
• Differentiating who you are, your role, target market, and where your revenue comes from.
• Thoughts on the value of attending large networking events as an introvert.

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Our guest today is Grant Marcks, the principal and head of business development for Atlantic Street Capital, here to discuss the idea of your relationship equity and keeping it in the black as well as having a data-driven process while remaining authentic in your networking and business development efforts. Grant talks about paying it forward in a real way, showing that you have taken genuine interest and are committed to the follow-through rather than simply repeating the words you think people want to hear. What is particularly challenging is finding the balance between growing the size and scale of your network while remaining authentic and coming at each relationship from a personal perspective. But Grant assures listeners that they cannot go wrong with authenticity and transparency. He shares how his outreach approach has evolved over the years, how he keeps connected with people further afield, and the role of data in helping you to relate to people in a personal manner. We also get into the difference between activity and productivity, the value of simply chasing down the numbers, and why you should never presume to know where your next deal is coming from.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The importance of finding ways to create real connections with people.
• What it means to pay it forward authentically instead of just saying things by the book.
• Follow-through and genuine interest: two things that distinguish those who really want to help.
• The balance between building out the size of your network while remaining authentic.
• How Grant’s outreach approach has evolved since he started at Atlantic Street Capital.
• Advice for getting in front of and staying engaged with “second-degree” connections.
• Examples of how data and CRM can help you to approach people on a more personal level.
• Grant’s stance on the best communication mediums from a relationship-building perspective.
• Keeping focused on deals amid the stunted market presented by the COVID-19 crisis.
• The importance of authenticity and honestly when it comes to relationships and deals.
• Differentiating between activity and productivity and building purpose-built relationships.
• Never taking people for granted and presume to know where your next deal is coming from.
• Making your mark through authentic relationships that become assets to your network.

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Tom Boniface is the Vice President of Business Development at Hilco Global and someone who lives out the practices of intentionality, awareness, and a positive mental attitude in his daily life and career. We chat with Tom today about what these concepts mean to him and how he approaches them in a purposeful and specific manner each day. Tom is a firm believer in focussing on the smaller, controllable things in one's life, arguing that when we do what is in front of us, we can affect greater change and broader achievements over time. We chat about the idea of the 'R' factor and how reactions to the hurdles we encounter are such a big part of how things pan out. The conversation also covers the processes that allow intentionality and reflection; for Tom, drilling down and organizing his activities makes all the difference. From there, we get into the all-important aspects of reflection, self-awareness, and identifying weaknesses, key components to improvement for any professional. The last part of today's episode is spent on the topic of networking and how to navigate social and business events in the best possible way. This means aligning to your own, individual strengths and playing to those as much as possible in order to avoid exhaustion. Listeners can expect to learn a great deal about Tom's attitude and hear some really inspiring ideas for implementing these notions

Key Points From This Episode:

• The power of intentionality and purpose and how this applies to goal setting for Tom.
• Small steps and reactions on a daily basis on the way to achieving important milestones.
• Examples of Tom's reactions to common scenarios that arise in his work.
• Processes and preparedness; making the most of the opportunities leading up to a goal.
• The small, controllable variables that can determine the results of bigger things.
• The conditions for effective reflection and how it can play a big part in your growth.
• How Tom has identified weaknesses in himself and the time it took to address these.
• The levels to growth and the inspiration Tom has taken from mentors and heroes.
• Tom's struggles with balance and following what feels healthy for you
• Networking events and working within your strengths to avoid overwhelm.
• It all comes down to integration and prioritization — making the most of each day.
• Tom's advice for embracing life's challenges!

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ACCELERATE YOUR CAREER GROWTH

Career success comes from having a strong professional network. Take your career to the next level by jumpstarting your networking.

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Welcome to the Branch Out Podcast, where we focus on the vital professional skills of building connections and networking! Joining us for our first episode is Gary Lewis, founder and managing partner at Aquila Equity Partners in Detroit. We are so excited to share this great conversation with all of our new listeners, as Gary unpacks the foundational nature of this part of his work and why it should not be an occasional pursuit, but rather a daily attitude and exercise. We also get into how to balance the immediate requirements of work with the long-term strategy of networking and relationship building. For Gary, there is a definite selflessness involved in finding commonality and nurturing a shared interest and the keys he points out specifically are open communication and honest dialogue. Our conversation also covers work-life balance, avoiding burnout, and the need for positivity and fresh energy when dealing with people, so make sure to tune in for this fantastic conversation with a great friend and inspiration!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The core value of networking in building connections.
• Measures that Gary has taken to keep networking central to his work.
• Lessons that Gary learned from a young age from his father and other good mentors.
• The focus on people in your company and others; allowing everyone to win!
• Humility, patience, and balance in your approach to professional life.
• Avoiding burnout and learning the painful lessons that lead to longevity.
• The shared benefits of healthier practices at work and during downtime.
• What is work-life balance? Finding a comfortable and individual standard for yourself.
• Networking requires positivity; don't forget to bring that energy to the table!
• The integral position of networking in daily work and people-based business.
• Constant evolution and honesty in the pursuit of building connections and problem-solving.

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Have thoughts or comments? We want to hear from you. growth@connection.builders

ACCELERATE YOUR CAREER GROWTH

Career success comes from having a strong professional network. Take your career to the next level by jumpstarting your networking.

I am Interested in the Networking Bootcamp for Myself
I am Interested in the Networking Bootcamp for my Firm or Team

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