Taking the Leap: Recent Episodes
Bob Dickie
The Taking the Leap Podcast is where you can learn how to launch your full-time career in this part-time gig economy. No matter what career you’re in, you have the potential to be the best version of you and overcome whatever obstacles stand in your way. And now here’s your host, the CEO of Bonvera, Bob Dickie.
Bassel Hamwi has a fascinating career journey, having been in private equity and the banking industry along with being a CEO of start-ups and board member for 19 different companies. He spent 20 years as a senior staff member at the World Bank and was also a CEO and board member for over 12 years in start-ups and financial institutions. Bassel is currently the President of BASY Ventures, an investment and consulting company operating in the US, MENA, West and South Asia. BASY Ventures invests in asset-backed lending and the fintech space and also provides consulting, executive coaching, and board and family governance. Bassel is also the Chairman of GlobalTech, a technology investment and development group of companies operating in MENA, India, and the US. From 2005 to 2014, Bassel was the Founder and CEO of Bank Audi Syria, which became the country’s largest private lender. He is the founding member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO) Levant Chapter and the Syrian-American Business Council. He was also a global board member of YPO from 2018 to 2022.
Bassel holds an MBA in International Finance and a BBA in Business Computer Information Systems and Organizational Management from the University of North Texas and he is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Presidents Program and just started an executive leadership program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. He has 32 years of expertise in the financial markets and has contributed to publications like the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and the New York Times.
Show Notes:
4:00 – Bassel shares his origin story, upbringing, and how he got to the point he is now in his career. Quote– “I learn from my own mistakes, those are the lessons that are most powerful.”
11:30 – Bob asks Bassel what sparked his determination at a young age to work at the World Bank.
19:30 – Bob asks Bassel how he responded to the catastrophic events happening in his home country when he had to leave his friends and family behind. Bassel shares his learnings and advice in processing the event and pushing through. Quote– “Part of our identity comes from the reflection we have on people’s faces.”
27:00 – Bassel discusses some of the things that he is doing to get help so that he can continue being a leader. He mentions the help of his parents and the benefits of being coached.
33:00 – Bob emphasized that history repeats itself and that our nation’s freedom could be threatened at any time. He proceeds to ask for Bassel’s advice in preparing for these potential events and facing challenging situations. Quote– “I behave in a way that is consistent with my values.”
38:45 – Bassel begins to share what he is doing next and how he is continuing to grow, aligning himself with his values and beliefs.
41:45 – Bob asks why Bassel is so passionate about executive coaching and how he got involved. He then describes the differences between therapy, mentoring, and coaching. Quote– “When you go to bed tired but you feel energized from your work, what were you doing?” ; “Coaching is a thinking partnership.”
49:45 – Bassel tells what he thinks makes a good coach. Quote– “Coaching is also about chemistry.”
54:30 – Bob asks Bassel what he would say to a friend with high potential in their career who may need an executive coach for a specific reason, though they might not see it, to encourage them to look into getting their own coach. Quote – “Not everyone is coachable.”
57:30 – Bob then asks Bassel what attributes the people have that get the most out of their coaching.
1:01:00 – Bob asks if there is anything that is off-limits to ask a coach.
1:04:40 – Bob dives into the importance of having a specific mentor for a child outside the parent to protect their relationship.
1:10:30 – Bassel shares what he sees as the future for his industry regarding changes and developments.
1:20:50 – Bob asks for Bassel’s advice in continuing to educate themselves as they continue their professional development, regardless of their career.
1:24:00 – Bob and Bassel discuss the value of online certifications.
1:31:00 – Bassel shares how to begin your search for an executive coach in your life.
1:34:10 – Bob asks Bassel what he would say if the president were to ask him to give a State of the Union Address to the American people, what is on his heart to share. Quote– “It seems that there is so much division. I would like to figure out what can bring us together.”
Book Recommendations: “From Strength to Strength Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life” by Arthur Brooks, “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman, “Staring at the Sun” by Irvin D. Yalom, “The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself” by Michael Alan Singer, “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” by Carol Dweck, and “Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know” by Adam Grant, “Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secret’s of the Heart” by James R. Doty
JP Sicotte is the branch leader for Movement Mortgage in Littleton, Colorado. He is passionate about helping every client find the ideal loan package for their home or investment property. He is best known for his short, insightful, "Mustache Mortgage Minute" videos on Linkedin and Instagram. JP is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and was a track and field athlete while he was a cadet. He served in the Air Force for over 23 years as a navigator of the RC135 and C-130 aircraft, having multiple deployments around the globe. He also completed his MBA in Finance from the University of Colorado.
Homeownership and understanding real estate is a foundational tenet in building wealth. The market is very dynamic at the moment, with interest rates fluctuating and home prices on the move. Everyone I meet from young people starting out looking for their first home, to mid-career professionals looking for a vacation home, and late-career professionals considering downsizing or moving to their retirement destination…seems to be talking about real estate. I could not wait to have this conversation with JP and hear his insights on this market and advice for those ready to make "the leap". I know you will learn something new in this conversation.
Show Notes:
4:00 – Bob asks JP to tell us what is happening in the American real estate and mortgage markets. JP unpacks this for the listeners who may be in the process of making a big decision. JP begins by discussing the high-interest rate and lack of affordability.
7:30 – JP encourages those in the market to get in now. He gives his housing market predictions and forecasts.
12:30 – JP discusses his belief in the significance of real estate for the American family building wealth. Quote– “When is the best time to plant a tree? 20 years ago. When is the next best time? Now.”
14:40 – Bob asks JP’s advice for newlywed young adults who are looking to buy their first home. Bob then asks JP what the wise things young adults can be doing now in preparation for buying their first home.
22:30 – JP advises how to improve your credit score in preparation for purchasing a home.
25:30 – JP gives his advice to people in mid-career who are looking for a vacation home.
28:00 – JP gives his thoughts on Airbnb vs. Vrbo
29:40 – Bob asks JP what those near retiring are asking and things they need to be doing in advance to prepare.
33:30 – JP talks about American homeowners tapping into equity to pay bills and pay down debt and gives his insight on the best ways.
37:30 – Bob touches on JP’s background and asks what drew him to the real estate industry from serving in the Air Force. JP gives how he applies his discipline and learnings from the military in his real estate and financing.
42:00 – Bob and JP reminisce on their favorite planes that they flew in the military and their favorite aspects of being in the Air Force.
50:00 – Bob and JP share how their military backgrounds shaped the way they view the significance of teamwork and how they take that into their respective careers.
52:20 – Bob asks JP how the military core values of integrity, honesty, and building trust show up in his career now. Quote– “I really do think that I am a bit of a breath of fresh air for people to know that I am working to figure out what is in their best interest.”
53:50 – JP tells us what people should be looking for to ensure that they get someone who is honest and forthcoming when looking for a mortgage advisor.
55:40 – AI is changing every industry. JP shares how he views AI impacting his industry and jobs within the industry. Quote– “I do love the ability to leverage AI, but it definitely is not perfect.”
57:40 – Bob asks JP what books he is currently reading to continue learning and growing.
Book recommendations: “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius, Ryan Holiday’s books, “Outlive” by Peter Attia
1:00:00 – Bob asks JP what he would say if he was invited to inspire and encourage our nation via the State of the Union Address. Quote– “Let’s all focus on the things we agree on and believe in.” JP highlights the importance of focusing on the elements in life we agree on instead of our differences.
JP Sicotte on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jpsicotte/
Jim Stirewalt started his career as an entrepreneur at the urging of his father. After growing and selling his company and learning the art of sales he jumped into enterprise sales, growing and leading international sales teams for iconic companies such as Kronons, SAP, and IBM. As Vice President of SAP, leading the Fashion and Retail business Jim helped grow the business by 247% in his final two years. Jim was head of World Wide Sales for IBM Watson Customer Engagement. During this time, he led the transformation of a 1,600-person sales team in charge of $1.6B in software sales. Furthermore, he helped lead an AI initiative to disrupt markets leading to a pipeline of new business over $100M. He later was part of a $2B divesture of the IBM Watson Customer Engagement business. He also has been the Chief Revenue Officer of CoreMedia Corp, President of Marketplacer, and SVP and Managing Partner of GreyOrange. Jim has vast experience in business, ranging from start-ups to global enterprises.
Show Notes:
4:00 – Jim’s origin and the beginning of his fascination for building businesses. Jim talks about
his entry into graphic design and the development of his small business and how he grew it into
a full-service agency over a 7-year span.
13:45 – Jim breaks his journey into three parts: entrepreneurialism (“hustle and sell”), the
power of the network, and execution.
19:00 – Jim talks about how he took the sales leader skills that he learned early on in his career
and took it into his role in corporate America.
23:00 – Bob asks Jim’s advice that he would give to young people who might have a friend or a
peer or mentor who is approaching them and trying to give them executive coaching. Jim’s
advice, “seek people’s feedback actively.” Quote - “Pride is the biggest hindrance to growth.”
28:15 – Jim is in the second stage of his career. He discusses the failures and
successes he has experienced and the lessons he is learning. The importance of knowing the
product, the value proposition, and how it fits into the market. The 3 key elements of a
successful deal are: First, execution sponsorship, second, business value assessment, third, mutually agreed sequence
of events.
40:00 – Jim applies his learnings to a direct-to-consumer model. Jim discusses the consumption
gap.
50:20 – Bob asks how Jim handles the complex changes and difficulties he experienced in his
career. Jim talks about his experience before announcing a vast change in the company.
53:45 – Bob talks about how there will be times in your career where you will be facing a
challenge or obstacle that is high stress and high stakes and you’re asking yourself, “how am I
gonna execute this particular challenge?” Bob gives the advice to operate with a high level of
character and integrity and be honest and take good care of your people. Jim advises to
embrace the situation wholly and to force yourself to be adaptable.
59:00 – Bob and Jim discuss how to embrace the challenging times we have faced and will
continue to face. Jim talks about the importance of adaptability and resilience.
1:04:00 – Bob asks Jim if he has ever found himself in a spot in his career where the timing was
bad, where the product or service was “past its sell date,” or the economy was moving in
another direction and how did he pivot out of these times.
1:10:00 – Jim shares his experience and the challenges of scaling small, start-up companies.
Jim shares the quote, “fail fast forward,” meaning to make a plan, learn from it, readjust, execute.
1:15:30 – Bob begins asking rapid-fire questions. Jim gives advice for young people when
facing adversity, what books he is reading at the moment, the “imposter syndrome," how pride
can be connected to insecurity, and more.
Quote - “I grow the most when I am in a place where
I am being stretched.”
Kim has been the President of multiple companies in the fashion and retail industry, spanning a twenty-year career where she led R&D, manufacturing, product design, marketing, and growing market share during some of the most dynamic and challenging retail environments. Kim is passionate about helping women in poverty and used her leadership and roles in companies to help develop and implement an industry-leading approach that provides opportunities for women providing true living wages that allow team members to have real opportunities and thrive and break the cycle of poverty. You will hear in this episode how Kim is finishing a mid-career sabbatical and entering the second phase of her career with new insights, motivations, and goals of how to best serve and inspire those around her and the next generation of leaders. Kim has studied finance at Queen’s University and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School President’s Program. She also just completed Oxford University’s “Reimagining Leadership Executive Program.” Kim is a member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO) and has been a chapter chair and education chair, and has previously been on the Canadian board for YPO/WPO. Kim provides incredible insight and learning from her journey. As you will hear, Kim is a close friend of mine whom I have a great deal of respect and admiration. I have watched her over the past decade lead in many different environments. She consistently demonstrates class and grace while being tenacious in achieving every goal and overcoming any obstacle in her way. She is loved by all our classmates because she has a true servant-leader heart and cares about everyone she meets.
Show Notes:
(13:11) - Kim realizes a key to her success was to get near leadership and learn from people who had results.
(17:30) - Kim gives advice to young people starting their careers today.
Quote - "Success Leaves Clues"
(23:00) - Discussion of the "Imposter Syndrome."
(27:00) - The power of testing your assumptions.
(29:00) - Kim talks about the importance and her learnings of taking a mid-career sabbatical.
(41:00) - Bob and Kim discuss work-life balance and the challenge of going all in early in your career to achieve while still seeking balance.
(48:45) - "My mess is my message."
(49:30) - What Kim learned leading her company during COVID. "Cash is King and get lean fast!"
Quote - "No decision is a decision and it is the worst decision you can make!"
(1:00:45) - Kim talks about changes in the e-commerce business and what business leaders need to do.
(1:07:00) - The importance of having a real relationship with your customer...connection with them.
(1:10:00) - Advice to mid-career professionals who must leap a new direction or career.
(1:16:00) - The importance of having a global perspective.
(1:25:00) - Kim is thinking about using her island retreat as a retreat for other leaders needing a sabbatical in their career.
(1:30:00) - What would Kim say to the American and Canadian people if she was given the chance to give a "State of the Union" address?
Quote "Progress over perfection!"
Book Recommendations:
- Untethered Soul - The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael Singer
- Fearless Heart - Why Greater Compassion is the Key to Greater Well-Being by Thupten Jinpa
- Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
- EOS - Gino Wickman
Vadim Belyakov is from Moscow, Russia and has been a serial entrepreneur since 1999 when ROST XXI Group was founded. ROST main activity was the importation and distribution of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) throughout the entire Russian Federation and it quickly became Russia’s leader in brand sales. In recent years, the company has shifted focus providing real-estate development and back office solutions to medium size multi-national companies doing business in Russia. Vadim is also the President of Uniland, a trading company that distributes a wide range of products to consumers in the Urals. He is a member of YPO and has won multiple awards to including Best Regional Learning Officer, Best Large Personal Event, and Best Overall Experience.
He has his Master of Arts from the Russian Academy of Economy and is a graduate of London Business School and Harvard Business School. Since 2017 he has been working on the NotAlone App, which is an application for young people who feel alone, depressed, and struggle with Anxiety. The app uses innovative and life-changing technology like an AI bot, online forums, and 20 years of established clinical psychological experience to provide users with various strategies to meaningfully connect and deepen healthy and positive self-awareness.
Show Notes:
- Not Alone App - Vadium's creation to help people dealing with feeling alone, depressed, and struggling with anxiety.
- (15:00) - How is Vadim dealing with the conflict? What is the mood in Moscow and how are people reacting?
- (24:00) - How has life changed in Russia and Moscow?
- (29:00) - President Putin still has the majority support of everyone in Russia.
- (30:00) - If you are a Russian and oppose the war you are alienated. If you travel outside the country you are alienated. You feel like a compete refugee. You are judged by the actions of the government not your own character as a person.
- (36:00) - How are Russian businesses dealing with sanctions?
- (45:00) - What do Russian people say is the reason this conflict started?
- (52:00) - In Negotiations you understand the term ZOPA (Zone Of Possible Agreement). Before the start of the conflict we had a small ZOPA area but now Vadim believes there is none.
- (1:12:13) - "I believe that iron curtains today are built in our brains by propaganda. It is no longer physical walls." - Vadium
- (1:15:00) - Professor Rawi Abdelal - HBS Case Study "Russia: A Drama in Three Acts"
- (1:21:00) - Why Vadium is worried that nuclear weapons could be used.
- (1:24:00) - "My heart is for peace." - Vadium
"The most American thing we can do is think for ourselves, question authority, and demand transparency, and when we are faced with the rare moments where we find the unusual convergence of consensus narrative forming...double down on all of the above."
Adam is the CEO and founder of the Lloyd Group, a prominent managed service provider for small and medium-sized businesses that provide services like asset management, help desk support, project management, cybersecurity, IT governance, and cloud services. Under Adam’s 28 years of leadership, the Lloyd Group has been named on the list of Inc 500 and Inc 5000 fastest-growing companies in America, along with many other accolades and recognitions, including employee satisfaction and corporate culture. Adam has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Adelphi University and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School President’s Program. He also completed the Entrepreneurs Organization MIT Birthing of Giants Program. Adam is a member of YPO (Young President’s Organization) and serves as the Learning Alliance Champion, and was the Chair of the Harvard Business School President’s Program.
Show Notes:
- (11:00) - The key to growth and transformation is moving from thinking you know everything to admitting you know nothing and starting a lifelong journey of self-discovery and lifelong learning.
- (12:00) - Adam created six "Truth North Objectives" to measure everything against to ensure he did not waste any more of his life and stayed on track what is his "True North."
- 1 - Have a supportive fun, accepting, relationship with my spouse.
- 2 - Instill a sense of responsibility and humility in my children.
- 3 - Have a transparent and deep relationship with my children.
- 4 - Have a life of no regrets and fear will not stop me.
- 5 - Achieve a state of acceptance of myself and others.
- 6 - Have a balance of unplanned time with value-producing activities.
- (19:42) - What is a painted picture exercise? Why is this important for people to do.
- (23:30) - Why working at McDonalds was one of the most formative jobs he had in his life.
- "Hold your kids with open palms."
- (27:00) - "Your network is your net worth!"
- (29:35) - Adam and Sarah started their business in 1995 with a simple but profound Noble Purpose. "To create opportunities to learn, earn, and live better!" It all centers around building a team and community.
- "You need to put a process around your relationships!"
- (37:00) - How did Adam get started in business, accounting, and entrepreneurship?
- (41:00) - Everything I deal with in business is people related. Adam shares how the smartest people in the world with poor people skills get passed up and don't advance in their careers.
- (46:00) - The most successful people have consistent integrity.
- "One of the things I regret most is conversations I have had when I was still emotional about it.
- "You need great relationships with friends who are not afraid to call you on your crap."
- (1:03:00) - Executive education programs are designed for people who want to enhance the education and lives of their peers.
- (1:05:00) - How to design a world-class educational event program. (Connect people, Get People Committed, Get People Uncomfortable)
- (1:15:00) - What does Adam see as similar or different with EO, Vistage, and YPO?
- (1:22:00) - We didn't focus on building a company...we focused on building a community!
- (1:33:00) - How is AI changing the world? "What I am most worried about is if in the past what you learned depreciated every five years it is now every 2-3 years. I am most concerned with people not lifelong learners, not subscribing to MasterClass, and not using Coursera.org. These are the people that will become irrelevant and will not get new jobs."
- (1:36:00) - Adam's three core values are "Be Human, Be Accountable, and Be Better!"
- "Younger people see opportunity and as you get older you see things as threats and move into protection mode."
- (1:46:00) - "I want to double click on that!" :)
- (1:50:00) - "If the American President asked Adam to give a State of the Union Address to the american people what would he say?"
Show Notes:
Special thanks to the guests of Pensacola Naval Air Station class 1958 (28-58) for their time and insight.
- Captain Walter "Dub" Fields aka "Fireball"
- Captain Bill Solms
- Captain Rodney Neibauer aka "Rocket Rod"
- Commander Bob Vollaire
- LT Floyd Joramo
- (13:15) What was America like in 1958 when you were entering the military? What was the world like?
- (18:27) Dub recalls meeting and hanging out with Elvis Presley in Kilgore, Texas.
- (23:00) Advice and words of encouragement to young people and to the country during a time of division.
- Capitalism vs. Socialism
- Problems with the media
- America needs energy independence
- (35:00) Dub recalls classmate Bob Flynn who was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam war and his "six principles" that helped him survive 5.5 years in prison all of which were in solitary confinement.
-
1 God
-
2 Duty
-
3 Honor
-
4 Country
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5 Family
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6 Self
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- (37:00) How to make decisions in life.
- (42:00) Capt Bill Solms gives a warning about China, debt, and a divided America.
- "You can't be afraid to fail." - Rodney Neibauer
- (47:00) Capt Bill Solms decides to do a loop - "The smartest thing I did was start that at 20,000 feet!"
- An old aviator saying, "Three things a pilot does not need; Altitude above you, runway behind you, and fuel left in the truck!"
- Advice for parents raising kids.
- (56:00) If you could give a state of the union address to the American people what would say?
- Why optimism is a difference maker!
- (1:02:45) - Bob Dickie's "call to action" for the men and women who are enjoying freedom today!
Show Notes:
Grant is a graduate of Brown University and is finishing his executive program at Harvard Business School. He is a Young President’s Organization (YPO) Member. He is the managing director of Benevolent Capital.
- Montgomery Securities – Institutional Sales Program
- First non-MBA member to be hired in the program.
- “Sometimes it is about timing. Sometimes it is about who you know more than anything else!”
- Grant has his securities licenses and his series 7, 79, 63, 24 as a financial banker.
- Venture Capital is for very early-stage companies to help them get off the ground.
- Private Equity is generally for later-stage companies looking to grow or transition.
- Grant became a “Sherpa” at Montgomery Securities
- (9:00) One of his first tests early in his career was to see if he had the ability to tell people that he didn’t know the answer. Always tell the truth and be honest.
- Don’t be afraid to apply for jobs where you don’t have all the skills. Skills can be taught. Hiring managers are looking for character, integrity, honesty, interpersonal skills, and communication skills.
- (12:45) Grant highlights a learning experience as the captain of his crew team when he lost a position in the first boat.
- “Sometimes out of the bad comes the great!”
- You really learn about yourself and life when things go wrong.
- Covid presented a learning and growing opportunity for us all.
- (17:45) Why is tenacity so important?
- Why did Montgomery Securities start by only hiring Athletes?
- (24:00) When Warren Buffet is wrong he is barely wrong but when he is right BIG and for a long time.
- Why did Grant leave Greenwich, Connecticut, and New York City?
- Wanted a state with no state income tax
- A friend told him to check out Baylor School in Chattanooga, TN
- Chattanooga was voted “Best small town” in America twice.
- (34:45) Grant’s advice to his daughters “Free to be you, free to be me.”
- (40:00) “Our country needs the ability to have more debate.”
- (43:10) “You feel like we are fighting and arguing and I feel like we are finally communicating.” Grant uses a quote from the movie Jerry McGuire to help demonstrate a point on modern-day politics.
- Do we believe in free speech and diversity and inclusion or do we not? Today many only believe in this as long as you agree with them.
- (54:00) How to build a company with a billion in revenue?
- The importance of a robust board
- Your customers are raving evangelists for your product or service
- “Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast.” – Peter Drucker
- (55:00) How is Grant training his daughters to have success in life?
- Mixed Martial Arts
- Best Day Brewing – Non-Alcoholic Beer and Athletic Brewing – Are two of the companies that Grant’s firm has invested in.
- SPV – Special Purpose Vehicle for each investment in Benevolent Capital
- They charge NO management fees for the investments in their fund. (The Traditional "2 and 20")
- Plus they give all investors a 100% preferred return before they get paid
- This is very different from most investment firms
- For us to make an investment in a company we need to believe in the company and we have to want to be an evangelist for the product or service.
- Brett Johnson was running the family business (Targus Computer Accessory Company) and during that time frame after working with PE firms they decided when it was time for them to start their own investment firm they would do it differently.
- “We don’t need the management fees to be motivated to be successful.”
- Why did they invest in Orua Ring?
- How do they do due diligence in companies they invest in?
- Believe in the product – Great Products
- Teams when championships. Who is the management team?
- Is this in an A or C industry?
- What is the exit? How to exit the investment?
- Either a big company needs to buy the product or they are buying it so it doesn’t not fall into the hands of their competitor.
- Many times the price they will pay to prevent their competitor from getting it is higher than if they just want it for themselves.
- (1:26:30) How did Grant and Brett Johnson get involved in Professional Soccer in the United States and Great Britain?
- How has the Ted Lasso show helped Professional Soccer?
- Best Day Brewing is an official sponsor of Professional Pickle Ball!
- (1:38:00) Grant Johnson’s State of the Union Address to the American People
- “Good, Better, Best. Never let it rest until your good is your better and your better is your best!”
- Book Recommendation
- Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork – Dan Sullivan
- Blueprint to a Billion: 7 Essentials to Achieve Exponential Growth – David Thomson
Follow Bob Dickie on Twitter @RobertDickie
Follow "Taking the Leap Podcast" on Youtube.com
Show Notes:
- Oren is a graduate of California State University at Long Beach & Harvard Business School
- Young President's Organization (YPO) member
- Marc Andreessen “Software is eating the world!”
- Flock Freight – “We are building an enormous tech stack and incredible cutting-edge technology business while building a best-in-class freight block – algorithmic ride-sharing of freight.” https://www.flockfreight.com/about-us/
- 50% of the semi-trailers on the road are only 50% full. This is wasteful of space and increases carbon emissions to move cargo.
- Terminal-free or hubless shipping to move cargo across the country.
- Key performance indicators in the freight industry.
- On-time pick up
- On-time delivery
- Damage
- Transit time
- Loss/theft
- (9:45) HBS Professor Francis Frei - Three Wedges of Business
- Customer Delight
- Supplier Surplus
- Profits for the Firm
- Flock Freight is the only Certified B-Corporation in the freight industry!
- It is important to be environmentally AND financially sustainable
- (18:00) Is deflation coming to the freight industry?
- Transportation as an industry is $7 Trillion globally and $1 Trillion in the US
- (20:50) How does Oren pivot and tackle the challenges of entrepreneurship while dealing with the stress of the job?
- “It is better to expect that you will have to chew glass daily!”
- “Because it is hard it is worth doing! Don’t expect hard things to be easy.”
- (27:00) Why is it important to have close friends, confidants, mentors, and coaches around you on your journey to help you?
- (29:00) “Business is like middle school.”
- (33:00) What is it like to navigate an 18-month near-death experience for his business?
- (39:00) What is it like to have big outside investors like Softbank, Google Ventures, GLP, and Signal Fire as investors in your company?
- (49:00) Why is it important to wear your values on your sleeve as a leader and CEO?
- (50:40) Why does Oren invest so much in continuing education?
- Why I started vs. Why I stayed.
- “I loved it because I felt safe.”
- (1:04:00) How can society come together to communicate better and see different points of view?
- Be conscious about the world around us
- Be thoughtful about others’ viewpoints and perspectives
- “99% of the world is the same…we all want to live in peace and raise our families in peace and prosperity.”
- As you move up Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, you are able to have different types of conversations.
- (1:11:45) What is coming down the pike with technology advancements, AV (autonomous vehicles) and how will this impact the economy?
- Upwards of 2.5m truck drivers could lose their jobs over time
- Creative destruction in all industries are changing jobs and careers across many sectors…causing “career migration or career immigrants”
- (1:22:00) We love our truck drivers!
- “It’s hard…Let’s do it!”
- “The benefit of being a for-profit is we are sustainable! You can do well by doing good.”
- Book Recommendations
- Mornings on Horse Back – David McCullough
- War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
- Washington – Ron Chernow
- Hamilton – Rob Chernow
- (1:25:00) Why Oren is reading historical biographies of leaders
- “They were people who worked on big things with a lot of purpose behind what they did and many times were reluctant but they felt called and felt compelled into service.”
- “I’ve been filling up my tank on people doing hard things!”
- Final Question: If you had the ability to give a state of the union address to the American people what would you say?
Follow Bob Dickie on Twitter @RobertDickie
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- Jim Paullin – MBA from Emory University, division manager for global paper company and now an entrepreneur
- Kathy Paullin – BS from Emory in Chemistry, worked at the CDC and Monsanto and now an entrepreneur
- (6:45) “Joe Darkangelo, I need your help. I have slight chest pains.”
- (10:15” *Code Blue*
- (17:15) “The most important realization we had about this heart attack was that God was in control….if we had the heart attack at home he might not have made it.”
- (21:10) “All I can remember is I WANT SOME OXYGEN!”
- (25:50) Why it is important to invest consistently through life.
- (29:00) Why you buy insurance when you don’t need it.
- (31:00) Jim Paullin gives advice to young people of what he has learned in life.
- We decided to do life together
- Learning soft skills and personal development in life is critical
- The secret to success is to ask questions and then LISTEN.
- Get mentors and coaches that can help you in life.
- (41:00) The hare vs. the tortoise.
- (46:45) Words of encouragement to Jim Paullin about his mission for the next generation. The best days of America are ahead, and there is hope and opportunity!
- (56:00) Jim & Kathy’s parting words of wisdom
- “The life you want is easily obtained by getting new information.”
- Book Recommendations
- Leading With A Limp – Dan Allender
- Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
- How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie
- Thundering Aspens Sportsman Club – Mesic Michigan
- http://thunderingaspenssportsmanclub.com/about/
- Ken Herman – sportsman, teacher, coach, business leader
- Ken is passionate teaching and coaching kids in sports and life.
- Joe wants to make a difference in people’s life.
- Isaac Darkangelo playing linebacker for the University of Illinois.
- How you prepare for a hunt is similar to how you prepare for victory in life.
- Take counsel from people who have expertise and it can make a difference.
- Thundering Aspens Sportsman Club – Mesic, Michigan
- Jonathan Wright – World-Class and World Champion Taxidermy Artist
- A family business run by Jonathan, Jason, Gregory Wright brothers.
- People love being around people who are “all in” and enjoying and maximizing life!
- Following the basics in any pursuit is critical for success.
- “There is no better way to spend your life than in the service of others.”
- Ceaser Guerini Shotguns
- https://gueriniusa.com/shotguns/forum-sporting/
- Field Sport – Purveyor to the Wingshooter
- https://www.fieldsportltd.com/
- Book Recommendations
- Leading with a Limp – Turning Your Struggles into Strengths - Dan Allender
- Whale Done – The Power of Positive Relationships – Ken Blanchard
- The Obstacle is the Way – The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph – Ryan Holiday
- “Shoot and Move – always work to improve your fighting position.” US Army Rangers
- “You will meet the same people on the way up that you do on the way down in your career. Treat all people with respect in all situations.”
- “A non-self-examined life is a life not worth living.”
- No amount of success will fill a previous wound or hurt. At some point, you will have to address and deal with the problem.
- “Leadership is about serving the people.”
- “I was running from the pain…it never fixed the issue. I felt devalued and so I was trying to create value for myself with my business and success. I had to discover that I was enough as Dean Parker.”
- We have the power to break muti-generational curses.
- The saddest thing in life is to see a leader that does not have a story arch of change and growth.
- “When one door opens another will open but you have to be looking for it.”
- “I have all my employees take the 5 Love Languages test because I want to know what is most meaningful to them.”
- The key to business is to give more than you receive.
- “Always expect the worst in people and you will not be disappointed.” – Dr. Ben Carson
- Dr. Ben Carson asks Dean Parker to be the national finance chairman of his political campaign.
- “Dean, God is going to do something great through us, I just don’t know what it is.”
- What Dean learned about politics.
- It is all about the money. You need money to win and have influence.
- If you provide enough vision and people believe in that vision it’s amazing what you can accomplish.
- If someone in power with influence validates you, you get positional authority whether you have experience or not.
- Sadly, many times those who do the wrong thing often time get rewarded because they are owed a favor.
- Many times in politics people in opposite parties want the same thing but have different views on how to get there.
- Advice from Governor of Arizona Doug Ducey – Former YPO member
- Make sure your family is on board
- Make sure you have enough money that you don’t have to sell your soul to the devil.
- Donald Trump’s philosophy during the campaign was, “Say what I have to say to own the media and I will win the election.”
- Dean’s opinion is that the national economy will hinge on the mid-term elections. Many places around the country will be resilient…the southeast will continue to grow as the economy thrives and people leave places like Chicago and Illinois.
- The political campaigns changed overnight after the Paris attack. One event can be a hinge point that changes everything.
- Dean talks about the shifts in the country to states that are losing power and states that are gaining economic opportunity and freedom.
- Dean thinks we will have a “V” shaped recovery for a lot of the US but many places like LA will have a longer road to recovery due to bad politics.
- America needs to be able to have messy conversations to get to the heart of issues and find common ground. We have to get rid of polarization and that starts by seeking to understand the other's point of view.
- Book Recommendations
- 5 Love Languages – Dr. Gary Chapman
- Personality Plus – Florence Littauer
- Think Big – Dr. Ben Carson
- Gifted Hands – Dr. Ben Carson
- Networking is not working – Derek Coburn
- Game Change – John Meilemann
To comment about this episode connect with me on Twitter - @RobertDickie
Follow Dean Parker on Twitter - @DeanParker
- Drayton Wade, with a Clemson undergraduate degree and London School of Economics’s (LSE) Master's degree decides to go back to get an MBA at Dartmouth Tuck School of Business.
- Left UIPath after their IPO
- The key data point for SAS (Software as Service Companies) – ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue)
- Drayton realized he enjoyed the chaos of start-ups instead of the structured systems of a public company. This led him to make a leap.
- Drayton realized he wanted to grow in sales development but also wanted to get an MBA to get more business experience.
- The lifeblood of all business is sales (8:45)
- Key to success for young people? “Seek out more responsibility. Add value.” (12:00)
- Different people are created for different companies AND even different stages of companies. You have to know what your gifting is and where you will thrive. What is the culture and what will be rewarded? (16:00)
- To achieve "outsized" success you have to go “all-in.” Do you know what you want? Do you know how you are designed? (19:00)
- Smaller college towns do a better job of fostering community and engagement.
- Drayton joined Kogintos as Director of Business Development and Operations while he is finishing his MBA. www.Kognitos.com
- “Kognitos is the world's first automation solution that understands English. This means any business user can create, modify, and maintain automations. Kognitos can automate the many tasks that run your business such as quote generation, invoice processing, credit card payment reconciliation, bills of laden entry, or any other repetitive process.”
- Much of what you learn at a top-tier MBA program can be learned via www.Coursera.org
- Drayton learns about the issues with impact investing and ESG and “greenwashing.” (32:00)
- Book Recommendations
- The Power Law – Sebastian Mallaby
- AI 2041 – Ten Visions for our Future – Kai-Fu Lee
- Angel – Jason Calcanis
- The Firm – Duff McDonald
- The Terminal List – Jack Carr
- Amazon Unbound – Jack Stone
- Meditations – Marcus Aurelius
- The Daily Stoic - Ryan Holiday
- How to use Meditations to control emotions (49:00)
- The benefit of "first principle" thinking and removing emotions from a critical decision moment to stay focused on the logic of the issue. You will obtain better results and not make bad decisions. (52:00)
- Drayton wonders if Gen-Y has over-corrected and is too emotional and vulnerable and taking it to far. Emotions are not built and are not founded in logic.
- Kognitos allows you to write in English and create automations for your business. (1:05:30)
- The story arch of data processing using from using coding languages like Python to Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to Kognitos…the process continues to get better all to help take data and clean it, process it, and give it to the right people so analysis can take place faster and cheaper.
- What do you look for in a job interview?
- Drayton asks Bob for the his Tennessee football prediction for the Florida game and 2022 regular season record
- 9-3 for the regular season
- 35-21 Vols over Florida (actual score 38-33)
- “Everything rises and falls on leadership!” John Maxwell
Twitter @RobertDickie
Dustin Markowski – CEO of Power Solar
4:00 min – Graduated High School at 14 and was accepted to Harvard.
10:30 min – Advice to young people – people want to speak into your life. Be careful who you listen to!
13:00 min – Dustin ditches a legal career in corporate law to go into technology and sales.
14:00 min – Dustin discovers frameworks for success in sales and business.
- Slow down and do things well. Perfect your process.
- Success takes many times years of failure to learn and grow to hit your success
- “The only difference between success and failure is when you decide to end your story.”
- Don’t own labels that others give you!
21:00 min – Failure is not fatal when you learn from it.
24:00 min – Dustin makes the leap to cleantech and solar energy
- There is nothing like owning your own business
- The economics are in your favor
- The gig economy is growing faster than ever
- Advice – Young people should start a business. You have a cushion that you don’t have at other times in life.
30:30 min - Why Solar Energy makes sense now?
- One electric vehicle doubles the energy need of a household. The average household have 1.8 vehicles. We could see a tripling of energy usage of the average home in the US in the next decade we move to electric vehicles.
37:25 min – Government Investment in Clean Tech
- The government is helping businesses and homeowners go solar but why don’t government agencies have budgets to go solar themselves?
- Inflation Reduction Act – Tax credit is now 30%
- Nonprofits can now take part of this tax credit
- This not about selling but really about educating people about the benefits
48:00 min – We are at the start of the clean tech revolution just like technology was in the early 90’s
Book Recommendation
- Commanding Your Morning – Cindy Trimm
- Pitch Anything - Oren Klaff
Twitter @DustinPaul
Website - Power.Solar
Twitter @RobertDickie
Website - RobertDickie.com
In Episode 28, Bob Dickie sits back down with fan favorite guest Grant Webster to discuss the block chain revolution.
Some of the topics discussed in this podcast are:
- The Afghanistan humanitarian crisis
- Block chain technology revolution and what it is
- Cryptocurrency
- Helium and The People's Network
If you would like to learn more about Bonvera, please visit www.bonverahq.com
Jim Martin and Joe Darkangelo are both successful Bonvera Entrepreneurs who are radically changing the e-commerce space with the banner of “Home Is Business”.
Some of the topics discussed in this podcast are:
- Navigating and learning how to adapt as business owners during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Adapting, growing, and overcoming as entrepreneurs
- Connections and relationships in a virtual environment
- Being prepared for the rapidly changing economy
- Keeping a high standard of excellence in business
- The importance of connecting and building relationships
- F.O.R.M. (Family, Occupation, Recreation, Motivation)
- Insights into becoming a successful entrepreneur
Book Recommendations:
- Speed of Trust - Steven Covey
- DNA of Relationship - Gary Smalley
- Magic of Thinking Big - David Schwartz
- How To Fail At Almost Everything and Still Win Big - Scott Adams
- Radical Candor - Kim Scott
If you would like to learn more about Bonvera, please visit www.bonverahq.com
On Episode 26 of Taking The Leap Podcast, host Bob Dickie interviews Triniti Gawthrop. Triniti is the CEO and founder of Ami Wellness, a plant-only wellness company that empowers women on their wellness journey. Triniti's own personal journey ranges from living the “hippie” lifestyle as a child to working in New York City as a Director of Marketing. This contrast has given her key insights into both eastern and western medicine practices that has inspired her approach to wellness.
Some of the key points Bob and Triniti discuss are:
- Flexibility, tenacity, consistency, and dedication in all aspects of life
- Lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic
- Advice for young girls to female executives
- The entrepreneurial leap into creating your own business
- Plant-based wellness
Book Recommendations:
- Think Like A Monk - Jay Shetty
- The Third Door - Alex Banayan
- The Leap - Bob Dickie
- Love Your Work - Bob Dickie
If you would like to learn more about Ami Wellness products, please visit www.vivemood.com
Albert “Bud” Ayers is a lecturer at San Jose State University where he teaches social dancing. He has been dancing since 1990 and has taught thousands the joy of dancing as well as the physical and social benefits. Bud truly believes that if more people danced the world would be a better place because dance is an expression of joy. What separates Bud from the other dance instructors are his words of wisdom or life lessons he incorporates at the end of each class. He inspires his students to take risks, accept failure and be better at communication, and understand that dance is a metaphor for life. His varied experiences in manufacturing, distribution, personal growth, sports, communication, entertainment, entrepreneurship, public speaking and ballroom dance give him a unique supply of resources and perspectives on life. He is known for his passion for sharing his love of dance as well as helping others navigate their personal life challenges. Some of his students who took his class as a mere curiosity have taken his words and have changed their careers to become either professional or competitive ballroom dancers. He is happily married to his wife Deborah Borlase (whom he met dancing) and has three children and seven grandchildren.
Key Learnings:
- Dance can help you be confident, and it brings joy to life.
- It’s also about communication, learning your partner, and how to work together in relationships.
- Life and dancing cross in showing us how to take risks, be afraid, and do it anyways.
- People’s thoughts don’t hurt them.
- Fear kills more dreams than death.
- Life is not just success. A lot of failure precedes the success.
- It’s about learning the struggle in the journey.
- Knowledge is the vehicle, passion is the gasoline.
- We reap more benefits when we live in the moment, not being focused on worries and preoccupations.
- You know what's expected of you. You know what's right.
- The seven C’s of life: Choice, challenges, character, change, charity, community, courage.
Links:
- Napoleon Dynamite & Can’t Buy Me Love, other classic dance movies
- Bud Ayers Dance Website
- Become a Fan of Bud Ayers on Facebook
- Words Matter website
- Tiger Mom, or Tiger Parenting
- What’s In the Way Is The Way
To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.
April Zeilinger is helping to keep her husband’s family legacy alive in the challenging arena of American textiles. She is not only the Vice President of Operations but also the heart and soul behind the Brand Awareness and Marketing for the company. April is the creator of Foodie Yarn, a fun yarn line that is dyed the colors of food and launched it during the pandemic. Zeilinger Wool Company is a fourth generation fiber mill producing thousands of pounds of natural fibers per week into yarn, socks and other items enjoyed within the craft and wool lovers market. April worked 20 years in financial institutions before leaving everything that was comfortable around her, for half of her salary and took the risk to join her husband Jon in his family business. The business had no presence on social media and a twelve year old website to start her entrepreneurial journey. She is a self-taught business gal who never wants to stop learning with a certificate in leadership from Great Lakes Bay Hispanic Leadership Institute through Saginaw Valley State University in Saginaw, Michigan.
In this episode, April shares how she came into her own and stepped up in her career journey.
Key Learnings:
- A break-up with your job isn’t fun, but you have to break-up sometimes.
- You will experience resistance, so get ready for it.
- Don’t let fear guide your decisions.
- When you work with your spouse, you learn to have a mutual respect for each other’s strengths.
- Learning to take knowledge and experience it in action is true learning.
- No one tells you how to be an entrepreneur; you figure it out.
- Ask people, especially women, where they see their career going.
- Write good things to yourself and speak them to yourself.
- Two things to do to grow in your own leadership abilities? Spend time by yourself and be curious.
Links:
- Zeilinger Wool Company
- Myers Briggs Personality Test
- Great Lakes Bay Hispanic Leadership Institute
To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.
Joe & Laura Darkangelo left corporate America in 2005 and haven’t looked back. Most of their days consisted of reaching someone else’s goals and dreams, and they found little time for each other or for their children. With Joe in the sales department for a large distributor and Laura in the airline industry AND owning their own pizza franchises at the same time, they were spent. With exhaustion and an unfulfilling life, they started their entrepreneurial journey. Today, they’re entrepreneurial giants leading teams in Bonvera.
In this episode, they recount their personal journey to entrepreneurship, and they hash out the dreams, the struggles, and the victories.
Key Learnings:
- Stress is one thing; entrepreneurial stress is another.
- We justify a job rather than taking a leap to entrepreneurship.
- I noticed a lot of people in entrepreneurship, and they had better marriages, were always learning, and had good relationships.
- I learned more in entrepreneurship more than I ever did in college.
- Negative motivation doesn’t work. Positive reinforcement works best by lifting others up and encouraging them.
- Education saves us from becoming who we don’t want to be.
- I’m different from everyone else, so I can’t be like this author or that. But I can use their teachings and apply them to myself.
- It’s your time that matters and what you do with it that’s important.
- Live your priorities.
Links:
- Dream Big by Bob Goff
- Love Does by Bob Goff
- Forgiving What You Can’t Forget by Lysa Terkeurst
- Live in Love by Lauren Akins
- Phyzix MD
- Bonvera’s Global Impact Initiative
- Hard Easy by Arthur Coombs III
To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.
“Discipline is really about doing what you don’t want to do until you often find joy in what you do.” - Anne Beiler
Anne Beiler is the creator and founder behind the world renowned franchise, Auntie Anne’s pretzels. Most wouldn’t know this about her, but she started this incredible company with no business plan, no capital, and no education. Growing up in an Amish community, she only received up to an eighth grade education and got married when she was 19 years old. Years of baking cakes and breads for her large family taught her how to make some of the world’s tastiest pretzels, and what started out as a small business and dream grew to be a global sensation.
In part 2 of this interview series, Anne shares her professional experience learning and growing from a founder and creator to a manager and business woman. She shares her keys to success and her biggest takeaways from managing a global enterprise of tasty pretzels.
Quotes:
- Overcoming personal challenges helped me to know I could overcome other obstacles I’d face.
- I didn’t know anything about training, writing a mission or purpose statement, or franchising. It was going back to my roots -- discipline and hard work.
- A list is good no matter your age.
- If we can’t manage the small things right now, we’ll never be able to manage the bigger opportunities coming.
- The appetite for learning is a part of your personal growth, your professional growth, your emotional growth, and your spiritual growth. You have to grow in all those areas to become truly successful.
- I define success as are you doing what you love to do?
- At the end of the day, can you put your head on the pillow and can you say I did my very best?
- Training isn’t barking out orders. Training is role modeling. Training is talking to your people to help them understand who you are.
- Create relationships with people and train them to be excellent in what they have -- loving, respecting, and honoring them.
- It’s about role modeling what is important to you, and you do that with grace and kindness. People will come flocking to you. They’ll carry out your purpose. They’ll do it without you being the boss.
- The very seeds of your greatest victory are being planted right now.
Links in this episode include:
Anne Beiler
Auntie Anne’s Pretzels
Anne Beiler Store
The Secret Lies Within: An Inside Outlook at Overcoming Trauma and Finding Purpose in the Pain
Blog from Anne
To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.
“With faith and hard work, all things are possible. That’s what truly makes you successful.” - Anne Beiler
Anne Beiler is the creator and founder behind the world renowned franchise, Auntie Anne’s pretzels. Most wouldn’t know this about her, but she started this incredible company with no business plan, no capital, and no education. Growing up in an Amish community, she only received up to an eighth grade education and got married when she was 19 years old. Years of baking cakes and breads for her large family taught her how to make some of the world’s tastiest pretzels, and what started out as a small business and dream grew to be a global sensation.
But her story of entrepreneurship and professionalism grew from experiences she was going through personally and spiritually. She overcame so much trauma, suffering, and pain in order to become the person she is today. Having sold Auntie Anne’s, she now shares her personal experiences and testimony to help others overcome their own obstacles and challenges with hope in this part 1 of 2 interviews.
Quotes:
- The successful entrepreneur will do what others don’t feel like doing.
- Most of the time, I was the obstacle. I limited myself because of my pain.
- Perseverance is the point. You don’t stop when you feel like it. You don’t stop when you think you can’t do something.
- Life is hard. God is good. I’m not confused about that anymore.
- If I would have stayed there and didn’t have the courage, there would be no Auntie Anne’s.
- What I discovered was that stepping outside of that box, there is so much more room out there to be who God created you to be.
- We spend so much time wishing we were somebody else that we don’t take time to be ourselves and use our gifts. Be who God made you to be.
- Out there, it is limitless. Whining about what we don’t have is wasted energy. Understanding what we do have is enough. Focus on what we do have instead of whining about what we don’t have gave me boundless energy.
- Salt doesn’t speak, it only makes things tasty. Light doesn’t speak, it only draws people in.
Links in this episode include:
Anne Beiler
Auntie Anne’s Pretzels
Anne Beiler Store
The Secret Lies Within: An Inside Outlook at Overcoming Trauma and Finding Purpose in the Pain
Blog from Anne
To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.
“I always think there is so much more to see. I’m so excited to be alive, and there is always potential to be cultivated.” - Reggie Leonard
Reggie Leonard is an education, tech, and learning fanatic. He’s a young millennial leader influencing the way we think about education, technology, AI, and the entire learning process. Reggie received his undergraduate degree from Bowie State University where he was the treasurer and founding member of the men’s soccer club. He attended Liberty University following, and he got his Master’s degree in Counseling. Today, he works at the University of Virginia, and he serves as the Associate Director for Career Connections and Community Engagement for the School of Data Science and Engineering.
Bob and Reggie don’t waste a minute as they dive right into the heart of education and how it’s changing especially with the onset of COVID-19. They discuss the paradigms of education and learning, and they have an interesting dialogue about how it’s changing and what the future could really hold. Together, they banter back and forth about insights they’re learning and influencing in today’s world.
Notes and Quotes:
- Make sure that the decisions you’re making are in line with the vision for your life. The earlier you ask the questions about who and how you want to be in the world, the more defined your path and direction will be.
- For those that don’t have strong social capital or access to opportunity, college is a great opportunity for that. To not go to college is to have a sense of resilience and ingenuity. Our education system hasn’t trained people in that way, it’s trained them to check the boxes. College is the most linear.
- Imagine living in a world where you can never take your shoes off. It’s one thing to have protection on your feet, and it’s another to feel safe taking off your shoes and can kick back. There is efficacy in creating safe spaces - comfort, belonging, camaraderie. There is a difference between peace keeping and peace making.
- “People are easy to hate from a distance, move in.” - Brene Brown
- That’s the word -- strengthen and practice. The way to be great at something is to practice something. We don’t often think about practicing things like resilience or having enough or being uncomfortable and learning how to operate like that. We don’t seek that out nor fully exist presently while we experience them.
- Most people do their jobs, but they don’t think about their jobs. That’s what separates professionals from workers.
Links in this episode include:
About Reggie
Reggie Leonard, Bio at the University of Virginia
The Great Mental Models: General Thinking Concepts
MBA In a Book
Trello board, project management tool
New Way MBA
The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek
The Art of Gathering
Winners Take All
Substack
To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.
“The number one reason you’re going to succeed is because of your passion.” - Gino Wickman
Gino Wickman has been an entrepreneur since age 21, and even at an early age, he’s had an obsession for learning what makes businesses and entrepreneurs thrive. At 25, he took over the family business, which was deeply in debt and in need of help. After turning the company around and running it for seven years, he and his partners successfully sold the company. He then set out to help entrepreneurs and leaders get what they want from their businesses. Based on his years of real-world experience, he created the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), a practical method for helping companies achieve greatness. He has personally delivered more than 1,900 full-day sessions for more than 135 companies, helping them implement EOS. He’s also the author of the award-winning, best-selling book Traction: Get a Grip On Your Business, as well as Get a Grip, Rocket Fuel, How to Be a Great Boss, and What the Heck is EOS?, which have sold more than one million copies. As the founder of EOS Worldwide, an organization that helps tens of thousands of businesses implement EOS with the aid of an international team of over 350 professional certified EOS Implementers and online support. There are almost 100,000 companies using the EOS tools worldwide.
He’s now devoting his time and energy toward helping entrepreneurs-in-the-making get a jump-start on taking their entrepreneurial leap, which is why he created Entrepreneurial Leap. The mission of Entrepreneurial Leap is to find all of the entrepreneurs-in-the-making, at any age, wherever they are - to help them realize their purpose and live the life they were born to live.
In this episode, Bob and Gino break down Gino’s latest book, Entrepreneurial Leap, and they talk about the principles and philosophies of what makes an entrepreneur. It’s really an inside peek at his new book and a unique conversation with the author first-hand.
Notes and Quotes:
-Responsibility is really this -- you tend to look at yourself when something goes wrong, and you dive in to solve your problem.
-The first thing to do is discover your passion. Do some soul searching. Get clarity about what you’re built for. A simple exercise is to evaluate your 3 greatest successes, your 3 greatest failures, and what life has prepared you for.
-Success as an entrepreneur is greatly accelerated and improved with a mentor. It’s undeniable.
-A mentor wants to leave a legacy. Show them appreciation, give them feedback on how you’re applying what they’re giving to you, and put in the work.
-Make a 10 year goal, and then work backwards from there. You’ll find you get to your goal faster, better, and more peacefully.
Links in this episode include:
Entrepreneurial Leap Information
Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) Worldwide
Letting Go: The Pathway to Surrender by David Hawkins
Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Essentialism by Greg McKeown
7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Entrepreneurial Leap: Do You Have What It Takes to Become an Entrepreneur?
Take the Free Entrepreneur-in-the-Making Assessment
Subscribe to the Entrepreneurial Leap YouTube Channel
Visit www.e-leap.com for more information.
To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.
“There are no crops without both the sunshine and the rain.” - Bill & Jann Newton
Bill & Jann Newton are a dynamo duo as Bonvera co-founders and leaders. Married for 44 years and with 33 years in the relationship building business, they know a thing or two about working together and overcoming trials and tribulations. Both from Kansas, they met when they were in high school and stayed together through their university days at Texas A & M. Bill was an all star javelin thrower in college, and he was bound for the Olympics. Yet, he and Jann started their journey together and were called to help the family farm in Kansas. Together and with their family, they grew their farm equipment business to a hugely successful venture. In 1980, they were one of the largest tractor dealers in America, and a year later, they were the largest combine dealer in America. Today, they’re speakers, sought after mentors, teammates, and leaders to one of Bonvera’s largest Kansas teams, VIP United. They’ve got sage wisdom and they’re leaving a legacy.
In this episode, Bill and Jann join Bob in the Bonvera HQ home office studio. The key thread woven throughout this episode is wisdom. In this dialogue, Bill and Jann talk about lessons they learned through their business, even when times were hard and difficult. They recount the early days of meeting one another, and Bill unpacks what it was like to be a college athlete bound for the Olympics with a javelin in one hand and big dreams in the other. Leaving a legacy is important, and in this episode, you’ll learn why.
Notes and Quotes:
-Problems aren’t bad. Every successful venture has come about because of a problem.
-When you go through obstacles, ask yourself: what could I have done differently?
-Don’t look at others to blame or make excuses. Look to yourself.
-I’m enthralled with information as I am with application.
-It’s okay to be down, but don’t stay down.
-There are no crops without both the sunshine and the rain.
-Pain is a great motivator if you use it properly.
Links in this episode include:
Bill & Jann Newton Leadership Profile
Bill Newton, Bonvera Board Member
What is the ICAA?
QBQ! The Question Behind the Question book on Amazon
New Way MBA, the new way to pursue continuous education online for any entrepreneur
To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.
“Someone said you’re a pyromaniac at heart. I said, it just depends on what we’re burning. We try to take anything creative for clients and burn it up and make it light up the sky for them.” - Mark Sullivan
Mark Sullivan has an interesting bio to say the least. Mark is the founder and Creative Director of Lime Biscuit Creative (@limebiscuit1), one of the Atlanta area’s fastest growing branding and design agencies. Currently, Mark also serves as a Lieutenant with the Douglas County Fire Department, where he has been for over two decades. Mark is also co-owner of Toxic Suppression, a company specializing in post-fire decontamination for firefighters. On top of all that, Mark served as the host and emcee for the Love Worth Fighting For Marriage Tour with actor Kirk Cameron and Warren Barfield. In the past, Mark worked with talent from History Channel, A&E, and other major networks. When not working, which is rare, Mark loves to attend concerts and sporting events. Mark has been married to Sherry for 22 years, and they have two children Zach and Mia. It is easy to see why his co-workers penned him as "The pyromaniac of creativity".
In this episode, Bob and Mark discuss the importance of branding as well as how he decided to brand and name his own design and branding creative agency. Mark teaches that branding isn’t the same as it used to be. It’s easier now more than ever to begin a business today and get your brand out there in front of people. From firefighter by day to entrepreneur by night, Mark discusses the entrepreneurial journey and best branding tips for entrepreneurs everywhere.
Notes and Quotes:
-Millennials enjoy going out and seeing who you are and what you do, connecting with your personality and who you are.
-“Education is what remains after you’ve forgotten what you learned in school.” - Albert Einstein.
-Now that time is minimized to start a business, you can maximize your time to market yourself, see clients and customers, and network. It enables you to do that face to face with people and build that relationship with them.
-Doing business with everyone is not your goal. It’s too big. You need to refine your brand to attract a particular audience.
-We developed this idea of entrepreneurs to find your torch. You have to light your ship with something. What’s your torch to light your ship then? What’s your passion and what’s your gift? How to discover that and use it to light the ship and burn it down to get it out of your way to light your path.
-The entrepreneurial journey is fraught with difficulty. There is no such thing as a journey with no risk involved.
Links in this episode include:
About Mark
Lime Biscuit Design and Branding Agency
Toxic Suppression
The1519 Podcast
GRIT by Angela Duckworth
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Finish by John Acuff
The1519 Podcast
Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire
Storybrand by Donald Miller podcast
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
Storybrand process
One At a Time with Kyle Idleman podcast
Southeast Christian Church podcasts
Love Worth Fighting For marriage tour
To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.
“I wasn’t scared to try.” - Nicole Porter
Nicole Porter is a business owner, entrepreneur, leader, speaker, mother, and wife. She builds teams, builds businesses, and connects with others for a living as a part of Bonvera. She and her husband also run multiple other businesses in the education, technology, and realty sectors. (And they were guests on Episode #9 inside their store, MacDaddy’s). Formerly a dental hygienist, she left that industry to start her own businesses and dictate her own freedoms. Today, with 14 years in the industry, she joins us to talk about how to build a home-based business in a socially distanced world.
In this episode, Bob and Nicole recount her journey from full-time employee to full-time business owner. They discuss trends in the industry of household purchasers, the part-time gig economy, building communities online, and connecting with others.
Notes and Quotes:
-Over 80% of participants in the home-based business are females. In most American households, the CFO is generally the female. She is making the majority of the purchasing decisions.
-What’s unique about this industry is that you can earn a couple hundred dollars a month or you can earn a career level income. You don’t have to do a 40 hour work week either. I think that’s what is so attractive to women in this industry.
-With social media, I want to add value to people’s lives by what I post on my social media platforms. I want people to see my life, get to know me, and be genuine. When you do that, people want to be a part of it.
-People are going to follow you, they aren’t going to follow a product.
-We’ve seen a huge need for high communication with people right now. We are no longer in the hustle and bustle, but our world is still so noisy. Your voice needs to be a little bit louder and a little more positive than the noise out there in the world.
-People need to be lifted up right now, and they need to be encouraged and inspired.
-We need vision casters more than ever. We need leadership more than ever.
-Everyone is on social media right now, and if we know they’re on there, where do we want them to be? We want them to be getting positive information with a clear vision to see past all of this.
-If you’re going to be a successful leader, you need to check your attitude and your expectancy.
-If you want to be a successful leader, be hungry to grow and learn.
-What made the biggest difference for me? I just wasn’t scared to try.
-Success is where opportunity and preparedness meet.
-Before all of this, we used to say, “I just want to be at home.” Now, look at us, we have the most time at home we’ve ever had. Think of the time we have.
Links in this episode include:
Kirk & Nicole Porter’s bio
Kirk & Nicole Porter’s Taking the Leap Episode #9
The 5 Voices by Jeremie Kubicek
To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.
“Don’t get weary in well doing. Communicate and think about others. Don’t fall into woe is me. We can’t change what has happened, but we can change our actions towards what is going to happen.” - Jim & Dolores Martin
In part two of this episode, Jim and Dolores note the unique circumstances that COVID-19 and the global pandemic present -- an opportunity to be leaders and inspire hope in others. At the same time, Jim and Dolores talk about how to structure your time and implement daily disciplines into your rhythms. The episode concludes with a few rapid fire questions from this power couple.
Notes and Quotes:
-I did learn one major thing to set my priorities to be in this order: my God, my husband, my children, my business. To do that then, I need to structure my time that way. If I have to make phone calls, I have to clear the time before I do it. I communicated that to my kids, so they knew that they mattered.
-You don’t want to make them feel like you’re putting them on a shelf, and you’re going to come back to them after you’ve become successful in your business. Otherwise, they’ll learn to hate the business. I had to make sure my kids saw that we were running for goals.
-We prioritize our time. I live by what I say I live by, and I write it down.
-Eliminate the distractions and be disciplined. An undisciplined life is rough.
-The American dream is to own something. I believe it’s security and freedom from depending on someone else. It’s woken people up. Security is from the neck up. It’s how we think that differentiates us. What we do, what we think, and how we act.
-If we can get a bunch of people together and working together, we will move mountains.
-Attitude and selflessly loving people you are in business with are the two skills they mentioned to being an entrepreneur.
-Last encouraging words to a global audience? Don’t get weary in well doing. Communicate and think about others. Don’t fall into woe is me. Write down 10 things that are going right in your life before you go to bed at night. It keeps you focused. We can’t change what has happened. We can only change our actions towards what is going to happen.
-Don’t waste this opportunity to move your business forward. Consistency is what is going to win the day. The power of compounding will take effect. Get into action and don’t stop the action. Adapt, change, and don’t waste this. Stay consistent.
Links in this episode include:
Jim & Dolores’s bio
UKAppoints a Minister of Loneliness, an article from the New York Times
Meet UK’s Minister of Loneliness, an article from TIME magazine
Vertical Marriage by Dave and Ann Wilson
Personality Plus by Florence Littauer
Everyone Communicates, Few Connect by John Maxwell
The Power of 5 by John Maxwell
The DNA of Relationships by Dr. Gary Smalley
Tribes by Seth Godin
Winning Every Day by Lou Holtz
National Training Event, part of Bonvera’s education system powered by New Way MBA
To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.
“Every reason not to do something is the reason to do it. We have the right opportunity at the right time with the right people, and we want to help people succeed. This quarantine time is just time for real community. Facebook isn’t the same as a phone call. Stay connected to people. Everybody matters.” - Jim & Dolores Martin
From sunny Florida, Jim and Dolores Martin are top industry leaders in the relationship business. With 18 + years of experience in the industry, they partnered up with a team of men and women to found Bonvera, a business built on entrepreneurship and community. In another life, Jim was a master plumber who owned his own business for many years, but his life was spent working about 70 - 90 hours a week running his business. Dolores was in the banking and insurance industry as well as running an in-home daycare business. After they got past their own excuses, the rest was history. Today as co-founders and co-owners of Bonvera, they are building teams of authentic community leaders who serve and support one another.
In part one of this episode, Bob joins Jim and Dolores to talk about their story. They recap joining this industry right around 9/11, a time very similar to COVID-19, and why they got started. They also discuss why they founded Bonvera and the gap Bonvera filled in the industry space. With their experience and results, Bob and Jim and Dolores urge listeners to see the unique opportunity this global pandemic presents to support, care for, and communicate with your community.
Notes and Quotes:
-I wasn’t looking for something more to do, but I wanted the results that others had. Now, I see that if I wanted different results, I’d have to do something different to get them.
-I wasn’t looking, but I should have been looking. The reason I should have been looking was because someone in my industry as a plumber that had more experience than me was in the exact same predicament as I was in. I kept doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.
-Every reason not to do something is the reason to do it. I don’t have money, that’s the reason to do it. I don’t have time, that’s why you should do it. Every excuse is the reason to do something. We have the right opportunity at the right time with the right people, and we want to help people succeed.
-What it boiled down to was that we didn’t want special deals. It didn’t matter if you just got started or you had been in the industry for years, we wanted everyone to have the same opportunity. We saw that in Bonvera we could be leading the change.
-Being able to look face to face with people and let them know you care is huge in our industry.
-In this industry, people want to know you care. They know that by looking in your eyes. Now that we have this, it’s still important for people to hear your voice. People need fun and community, and that’s what I love about this business. This is a selfless business. The more you serve others, the more you will win as well. Serving people by being relatable, real, transparent and that you’re in it together.
-You mention how rapidly our business is changing. We are not going to go back to what was prior to COVID-19, and our industry is going to thrive if you do it in the right way and still do it with community.
-You can live 7 days without food, 3 days without water, but 10 minutes without hope.
Links in this episode include:
Jim & Dolores’s bio
Gig economy, a blog article we’ve written on why the regular 9 to 5 job is declining and the gig or “freelancer” economy is on the rise
The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Why Bonvera got started, a blog article about Bonvera’s history and why it met gaps in the industry
Bonvera At Home, a product line of household and personal hygiene products
To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.
“I always start with the basics. Basics of handwashing have been effective. This virus is surrounded by a lipid membrane, which means it’s a fat. That means that anything that cuts grease is going to destroy this virus. Simple soap and handwashing is extremely effective. Practice basic hygiene."
Dr. Jeff Davis is a practicing doctor of family medicine, functional, and integrative health. He’s the owner of Prairie Health and Wellness in Wichita, Kansas, and he serves as Bonvera’s Medical Director of the Phyzix MD product line. He is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine, and he is an advanced fellow in regenerative and functional medicine through the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. As for his schooling, he completed his residency in Family Medicine through University of Kansas at Via Christi Hospital in Wichita, Kansas and earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degree in clinical gerontology from Baylor University. He’s on the leading edge of healthcare as he has been involved in multiple FDA clinical trials, and his clinic has been designated an FDA research site. He and his team do this to provide the best care to their patients.
In this episode, Bob and Dr. Jeff Davis discuss the current state of our country and our world due to the ramifications of the global pandemic that COVID-19 has caused. In this episode, they speak on everything related to the virus from simple tips to staying hygienic and practical steps you can take to boost your immune system to the future of healthcare and how to sleep well during this time.
Notes and Quotes:
-“People go from slightly sick to seriously sick in a matter of hours, and we don’t see that with influenza. Common symptoms are fever and a cough. Because this virus enters through AC2 receptors, which are found predominantly in the lungs those are the common symptoms. However, they are also found in cardiac tissue or the gut, which less reported symptoms could be diarrhea, abdominal cramping, or even nausea and vomiting.”
-“The European Association of Ear Nose and Throat Doctors put out a bulletin that an early symptom is a loss of smell.”
-“SARS-COV-2 is the name of the virus that causes the disease, and the disease named COVID-19, which is short for coronavirus disease and named 19 because it was discovered in 2019. SARS is a severe acute respiratory syndrome.”
-“One research said it looks like drowning or it looks like HAPE, which is high altitude pulmonary edema. That’s where it’s like you’ve gone to sea level to 20,000 elevation and you can’t oxygenate your tissue.”
-We have data that Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Zinc can help support you during this time. “You’ll know if you’ve had too much vitamin C in your system, your body will tell you. You’ll get diarrhea. Making sure that your vitamin D is at a healthy level. Zinc has been effective, you can find that in smoked oysters or a zinc supplement.”
-“I always start with the basics. Basics of handwashing have been effective. This virus is surrounded by a lipid membrane, which means it’s a fat. That means that anything that cuts grease is going to destroy this virus. Simple soap and handwashing is extremely effective. Practice basic hygiene. Don’t touch your face. The mask is a simple effective thing.”
-“I think developing a vaccine in 18 months is too optimistic. The fastest vaccine we’ve ever developed was the mumps vaccine -- it took 3 years to develop a safe vaccine. We had 20 years of research to develop this vaccine, and it still took 3 years to develop. The HPV virus took 15 years, and the rotavirus was close to 20 years in development. The burden of safety on these vaccines has to be much much higher. The problem with vaccines is that you’re giving medication to healthy people who have no problems, so you don’t want to cause a problem in these people.”
-“If you hear that people are saying skip the animal trials and move forward, we can’t do that. We have to follow the safety procedures.”
-“Dan Crenshaw said, “This is akin to having a small military force getting a rain of bullets and getting a hasty retreat in the middle of the night.” Those soldiers would sit in a safe spot, and they would decide how they’re going to re-engage the enemy. They would do that by deciding okay, how much ammunition do we have left, does everybody equipment work, do we know where the enemy is, should we wait for daylight?”
-“Magnesium and vitamin C are two you typically don’t have to be measured for. Magnesium and vitamin C you can dose to bowel tolerance. Your body will let you know when you’ve had too much -- you’ll have loose stools. With vitamin C, a typical dose 250 - 500 mg capsules. It’s easy to take 2.5g of vitamin C 1 - 2 times a day. Vitamin D internationally is 4000 - 6000 IU a day is fine. So a 5000 IU capsule once a day is adequate. For green tea, those antioxidants are great. It has a chemical substance called ECGC, it’s a potent antioxidant. It’s another form of antioxidant like vitamin C.”
-“Sleep is critical to human functioning. You can’t store sleep. You can’t get a sleepless night of 3 - 4 hours of sleep, and then go back and add 3 - 4 hours of sleep to catch up. Brain function is tied to it, cardiovascular health is tied to it, so many things are tied to not getting a good night’s sleep. It’s probably tied to what a lot of people are going through right now. Make sure you’re getting 8 hours of pillow time. Don’t be on your phones when you go to sleep. You shouldn’t have a tv in your bedroom. You should have the room be as dark and cool as possible. Don’t eat late at night, don’t exercise close to bedtime. All of those things are going to disturb your sleep. So anything you can do to keep yourself in a balanced sleep pattern will ultimately make almost all areas of your health better.”
Links in this episode include:
Dr. Davis’s bio
Immun-C, a vitamin C product in the Phyzix MD product line with Bonvera
Immun-D, a vitamin D product in the Phyzix MD product line with Bonvera
Immune Boost, a new product Bonvera just launched!
Why We Sleep by Matt Walker, a book our New Way MBA subscribers are reading
Want to hear content like this? Bob and Dr. Davis gave an exclusive talk to New Way MBA subscribers at the end of March. Subscribe to New Way MBA to listen in.
To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.
*This Podcast is for educational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for the diagnosis, treatment and advice of a qualified licensed professional. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
“For me, I wouldn’t go back and change anything. It’s been a great ride. I’ve gotten to do things, learn things, and experience life in a way I don’t think I would have otherwise. ” - Kelly Fletcher
Kelly Fletcher (@fletcherpr) is a powerhouse leader, CEO, speaker, author, podcast host, marketer, and former Miss North Carolina. She graduated from Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina with a degree in Music, Vocal Performance, and Communications. All through her twenties, she was aspiring to be a singer and lived in New York. She’d tell you, “I worked a lot, but I didn’t make a lot of money.” Up until she was 29, she sang with the National Opera Company as a cover, which is similar to an understudy, for two years, she worked odd jobs to make ends meet, and she toured with music companies. When she left New York, she decided to pivot to a career in communications as well as start a family of her own. At age 40, she started her own marketing and PR firm, and let’s just say she’s killing it. She not only reinvented herself, but she created an incredible company, successful career, and community of leaders following in her footsteps.
In part 2 of this episode, Bob and Kelly dive into the power of the female consumer. Additionally, Kelly shares helpful and timely advice for leaders looking to grow in their leadership skills and abilities. Bob and Kelly talk about if this entrepreneurship journey is all worth it, what her pet peeves are, and a few productivity hacks.
Notes and Quotes:
-The female is the CFO of American households. They do the majority of household purchasing.
-About 50% of women in this country aren’t married. If you only market to women that are married, you’re leaving market share on the table. You can’t market to all women in the same way.
-Advice I’d give to young women is that you really can’t have it all. Media portrays that women can, but it’s not that simple. It’s only in certain seasons, and you have to realize how to prioritize.
-There are sacrifices to be made for different choices. We are kind of raised to think we should do it all, and it’s just not possible.
-Prioritize what’s important to you. Make a list. Set goals every year. I found this old journal of mine, and a lot of my goals are still the same as they are now. To find that and look back on it, it was cool to see I’ve been doing the right things. Figure out your process and stick with it over the years.
-For me, I wouldn’t go back and change anything. It’s been a great ride. I’ve gotten to do things, learn things, and experience life in a way I don’t think I would have otherwise.
-If you really want to find what you’re capable of, you have to push yourself.
-It’s a pet peeve of mine whenever someone on our team says, “I’m not this or I’m not that. Or I don’t know how to do this.” We don’t ever say that to a client. We deliver solutions. If we don’t know how to do something, we figure that out internally. It’s also a pet peeve when someone asks me how to do something. Be resourceful. Try Googling it. Figure it out.
-Another pet peeve of mine is when people are on their phone in a meeting. Be respectful of people’s time and don’t be on your phone in a meeting.
-Any productivity hacks? Something that really works for me is calendaring. Blocking off your calendar to do certain projects or tasks. I don’t know about you but if I have a to-do list, I’ll check off the things I want to do and leave the things I don’t want to do. But really I should have done the things I didn’t want to do first.
-Another productivity hack is this -- don’t live on email. It takes you down a rabbit hole, and it causes you to lose focus. Decide. How are you going to respond to email?
Links in this episode include:
New Way MBA, Bonvera’s education system for any entrepreneur
Blinkist, an app to that summarizes key takeaways from books in text and audio formats
Fletcher Marketing & PR, Kelly’s marketing and PR agency
Scott’s Cheap Flights
Under the Tuscan Sun, a movie that’s inspired a love for Italy
American Ad Federation Association
Bonvera Brew, it won Gold at the Addy Awards!
Kutano Refuel, it won a Silver at the Addy Awards!
Luebella, it won a Bronze at the Addy Awards!
Want to hear more with Kelly Fletcher? Subscribe to New Way MBA as we’ll be recording more exclusive content with Kelly and making that available to New Way MBA subscribers.
To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.
“I would rather take the chance of being able to work harder, put in more time, and push for a different outcome rather than having someone else control my future.” - Kelly Fletcher
Kelly Fletcher (@fletcherpr) is a powerhouse leader, CEO, speaker, author, podcast host, marketer, and former Miss North Carolina. She graduated from Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina with a degree in Music, Vocal Performance, and Communications. All through her twenties, she was aspiring to be a singer and lived in New York. She’d tell you, “I worked a lot, but I didn’t make a lot of money.” Up until she was 29, she sang with the National Opera Company as a cover, which is similar to an understudy, for two years, she worked odd jobs to make ends meet, and she toured with music companies. When she left New York, she decided to pivot to a career in communications as well as start a family of her own. At age 40, she started her own marketing and PR firm, and let’s just say she’s killing it. She not only reinvented herself, but she created an incredible company, successful career, and community of leaders following in her footsteps.
In this episode, Bob and Kelly reminisce on the beginnings of her entrepreneurial journey. They recount the fear and courage it took for her to transition careers over the years from music and performance to marketing and communications. She shares her personal journey of growing in confidence and growing into her own, and with such care, she inspires audiences with her empowering spirit and advice.
Notes and Quotes:
- I really wasn’t that confident, and it didn’t come until much later. I didn’t really come into my own until my mid to late thirties.
-I got more and more courage, and I got less and less fearful. The fear is still there, and if it’s not, it may be a bit of an issue. Having a little bit of a pit in your stomach when you’re trying to make a decision is a good thing. That little moment of doubt fuels you to push through.
-Fear isn’t a bad thing unless you let it drive you or control you. Fear helps you perform better. It keeps you from complacency, which is so important as a small business owner or entrepreneur.
-As a small business owner or entrepreneur, you have to keep working at your business even when you’re in the good times or seasons. It prepares me for harder times in my business. When it gets hard, I’m motivated and I’m on it. It pushes me to work however many hours to get it done because the alternative isn’t looking good.
-Consistency is so important to any business. If you aren’t consistent, it’s hard to maintain a level of normalcy in business. This helps you weather the storms.
-I quickly realized that if I wanted to move up and control my own destiny, I needed to get into sales. That’s when I learned a lot about selling and building relationships. That’s all sales really is -- relationship building.
-I wouldn’t be in business today if I hadn’t learned the disciplines of selling, and it is a discipline.
-Sales drives everything in a business. If you can learn sales, you can work anywhere.
-I started reading a lot, and that’s the key to reinvention.
Links in this episode include:
New Way MBA, Bonvera’s education system for any entrepreneur
Blinkist, an app to that summarizes key takeaways from books in text and audio formats
Fletcher Marketing & PR, Kelly’s marketing and PR agency
Scott’s Cheap Flights
Under the Tuscan Sun, a movie that’s inspired a love for Italy
American Ad Federation Association
Bonvera Brew, it won Gold at the Addy Awards!
Kutano Refuel, it won a Silver at the Addy Awards!
Luebella, it won a Bronze at the Addy Awards!
Want to hear more with Kelly Fletcher? Subscribe to New Way MBA as we’ll be recording more exclusive content with Kelly and making that available to New Way MBA subscribers.
To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.
“Everyone has something different and unique to share, but yet there are similarities amongst them all. Everyone has a unique story; everyone has a unique journey. We can learn something from everyone.” - Bob Dickie
In this episode, we walk back through the past few months of podcasting together. We highlight the guests who have been on this show and the guests we’re thinking of having in the future. Additionally, we discuss some of the key learnings and observations we’ve seen in our guests and their insights. Amongst all of the guests, there is a common thread -- we can all learn from mistakes and failures. We set the stage in this recap episode for highlights and insights to come in 2020.
Notes and Quotes:
-You expect a highlight reel from people, but that’s not often what we actually get when we sit down and connect with people. We get the realness and rawness of lessons learned which were the greatest factors to success for our guests.
-Be a great questioner. Be someone who genuinely wants to learn and know other people.
-You can do this exact same thing we’ve done via this podcast. Sit down with someone, build that relationship, ask questions, and genuinely invest in one another.
-Social media isn’t where real relationships are built. They’re built eye to eye and face to face.
Links in this episode include:
The very first introductory podcast episode
Tim & Brandy Jarvinen’s podcast episode
Cody Newton’s podcast episode
Jeremie Kubicek’s podcast episode
The 100X Leader by Jeremie Kubicek
Bonvera’s NTE, shorthand for National Training Event, these are Bonvera’s big training events held 3 - 4x a year
Tymber Lee’s podcast episode
Grant Webster’s podcast episode
Mark & Raquel Williams’s podcast episode
Drayton Wade’s podcast episode
Kirk & Nicole Porter’s podcast episode
Dollar Shave Club, a revolutionary business and subscription model for men and women’s razors
Relationology by Matt Bird
Billion Dollar Brand Club by Lawrence Ingrassia
Root of Riches by Chuck Bentley
To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.
A huge congrats to our host and CEO, Bob Dickie, for graduating from Harvard Business School! We’re so proud of his hard work, and we’re so blessed to have him serve our company and community.
“You get that exhilarating feeling of like, ‘Oh, man, I could get out of this place.’ And that's really where I was. I was very hungry to learn. I was very hungry for different results. And so even though it took time, a lot of people think it's going to be easy too when they take that leap. Like, ‘Oh, I'll just make this decision, everything's going to be easy.’ You got to be willing to stick it out. You've got to be willing to do the hard things to be able to get where you want to go. And so even though we made the decision that we were going to do something different, it took time to begin to work hard and to switch that from being an employee to jumping over into entrepreneurship.” - Kirk & Nicole Porter
Kirk & Nicole Porter (@Kirkporter and @Nicole_insights) hail from Dallas, Texas where they fell in love, started their careers, had their boys, and pivoted to multiple different ventures, including their current venture as Bonvera entrepreneurs. Before becoming entrepreneurs, they were comfortable and keeping up with the Joneses but they wanted so much more. With Nicole as a dental hygienist and Kirk in IT, they were trapped and stuck in the daily grind. But, they weren’t staying stuck. Through battle after battle, they gained more knowledge, got grittier, and learned to stay in the fight. Today, they’re serial entrepreneurs who run multiple businesses in realty, technology, network marketing, and education. They’re passionate about helping others find success as entrepreneurs too.
In this episode with Bob, Kirk & Nicole recount why they decided to pursue entrepreneurship. In this process, they learned how to shift their thinking from an employee mindset to entrepreneurial freedom. They learned how to keep pushing past the challenges, and they learned how to focus so strongly on their dream that nothing stood in their way.
Notes and Quotes:
-We basically got into the spot where we bought the American dream, right? Like we had the nice cars, we had corporate jobs, we had the nice house, and we looked good from the outside. But on the inside, we were in debt. Any money we made, we spent it.
-We learned three keys to wealth, which was delayed gratification, long term vision, and the power of compounding.
-But [in this documentary of Pumping Iron], he says, "When I'm competing, if my car gets stolen, I can't even think about my car getting stolen. Because I'm so focused on my goal to get where I'm going, that someone else can't even come and tell me that, they have to handle it for me."
-When you're chasing your dream and you're doing those things, you’re so focused on your goals. Nothing is going to stand in your way. Your car gets smashed on the side of the road. You're like, I don't got no time for that, right?
-I'm in the hunt. I think a lot of times people want to pass that hunt and just talk about the success that they think they've already achieved. But I love the hunt and I think the hunt is the funnest part of the whole thing. The battle being the battle and getting to where you want to go.
-I think there's always a challenge. There's always something that’s being created, there's always something being recreated. I mean if you're a business owner you've got to be okay with that. You know that you’re constantly reinventing yourself, constantly you're on to the next challenge. It's challenge to challenge to challenge to success. Challenge to challenge to challenge to success.
-Man, do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? To me, one of the biggest keys is having that long term vision. You've got to be able to see far ahead, not just what is this going to produce for me in a week. You've got to have that staying power and be able to see things long term.
Links in this episode include:
Kirk & Nicole Porter’s Leadership Profile
Kirk & Nicole’s website & blog
Visit their store at Macdaddy’s
Lockheed Martin, an Aerospace and Defense Company
Define, Learn, Do principle, a method of learning referred to in the New Way MBA program
The Messy Middle by Scott Belsky
The E - Myth by Michael Gerber
Pumping Iron, a documentary of Arnold Schwarzenegger on his bodybuilding journey
Delayed gratification, a brief overview from Wikipedia
The Power of Compounding, a brief video on this principle
Long Term Goals, an article from Entrepreneur
Cash Flow Quadrant, a book by Robert Kiyosaki
Stay Thirsty, My Friends, the famous Dos Equis commercial
Thrive Farmers coffee
Bonvera, a health, wellness, and lifestyle company
The 100X Leader by Jeremie Kubicek
Life Is Good, a book about the founders of the company, Life Is Good
How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.
"If work is going to be that consuming and that integratable into life, it better be something you’re interested in. I keep making these pivots because of A.) self-awareness and B). what I am interested in. If I’m going to put in lots of hours, I want to be interested in it. [So I ask myself,] is it something I’m interested in? Is it something that leads to more opportunities?" -- Drayton Wade
Drayton Wade (@draytonwade) is a millennial entrepreneur, start-up veteran, Clemson grad, Knoxville Fellow, and graduate of London School of Economics. As one of the youngest delegates at the Christian Economic Forum, Drayton has worked at multiple start-ups and is currently working at a start-up in the area of technology and automation at UiPath. His passions include counterterrorism, economics, automation, artificial intelligence, nonprofit work, and sales.
Drayton joins Bob in this podcast to talk about his unique passions and how they helped him pivot in his atypical career path from his college studies that started out in engineering to his post-grad days working for start-up companies in AI and automation. Together, they banter back and forth over what sales really is, the differences between American education and British education, and the many remarks people make about millennial career men and women. Not to mention, they discuss countless books they’re reading, how they implement education into their life, and the mentors that have authority to speak into their lives.
Quotes from this episode:
-“People with backgrounds that are atypical can leverage that in sales because they have a good EQ. They have a good understanding of how to communicate precisely and concisely. [At the London School of Economics,] they wanted to know how you thought, how you could structure an argument, and how you could communicate. That’s sales in a nutshell.”
-“We aren’t rational creatures. With sales, it’s the same way. It’s all about the relationship. It’s about understanding the person, it’s about getting to know the person on the other side.”
-“The atypical path has helped me. I don’t know any better. I don’t have this rigid path I have to follow. I jumped around, and I pursued whatever there was.”
-“I’ve changed jobs almost every 2 years. It’s often viewed as a negative [for millennials]. It’s total crap to me. Think about the expectation you’re setting on them. You’re expecting them to be self-aware enough to know their interests and gifts God has given them [for their lives at the young age of 18 - 22].”
-“If work is going to be that consuming and that integrable into life, it better be something you’re interested in.”
-“I keep making these pivots because of A.) self-awareness and B). what I am interested in. If I’m going to put in lots of hours, I want to be interested in it.”
-“Too little options cause unhappiness and too many options cause unhappiness.”
-“[With a mentor], there has to be the freedom to just straight up tell you, ‘You’re wrong.’ That’s really valuable in a spouse and in a mentor. Otherwise, you don’t really have a mentor. I’m giving you authority over my life to tell me no or to tell me I’m wrong.”
-“Every day is running up the score. Every day, [I ask myself] what meaning can I derive from this particular day.”
-“If you truly believe what you say you believe, it doesn’t matter. You’ve already won. I’ve gotten more than I deserve to begin with, so I’m just running up the score.”
Links in this episode include:
The Knoxville Fellows, a branch of the Fellows initiative in Knoxville, TN
The Fellows Initiative, a network of Christian Fellows programs all over the US
Thinking, Fast and Slow, a book by Daniel Kahneman on Amazon
Force multiplication, a military term to multiply power to have greater effects than without it
Napoleon Hill, a Wikipedia article on his life and work as an author
MOOCs, these are massive open online courses available to all via the web that are free
Khan Academy and Coursera, both are online learning platforms where you can find lots of courses on various subjects
New Way MBA, an online learning community designed to help entrepreneurs fill the gaps in their education
Wine MOOCs, a list of MOOCs that feature wine specific courses
AI Superpowers, a book by Kai-Fu Lee on Amazon
Harvard Business School Case Study Method, this is the education method Harvard Business School uses that isn’t based on memorization but experience
London School of Economics and Political Science
Bottom Line Upfront, this is a business principle about saying the conclusion of the argument first
The Fifth Discipline, a book by Peter Senge
Cuban Missile Crisis, a brief synopsis on this situation from JFK’s presidency
Groupthink, a psychological phenomenon on the mindset a group takes on
Virtual reality, a brief overview of what virtual reality is
Oculus, the virtual reality (VR) equipment and technology Facebook acquired
Apple AR glasses, a brief article on the release, price, and specs of these augmented reality glasses
Augmented reality, a brief overview of what augmented reality is
Microsoft Hololens, mixed reality technology Microsoft developed
Metaverse, the collective space we live in, including both virtual and physical reality
Principles for Success, a book by Ray Dalio
Saudi, Inc, a book by Ellen Wald
The Messy Middle, a book by Scott Belsky
Dichotomy of Leadership, a book by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
Loonshots, a book by Safi Bahcall
Blitzscaling, a book by Reid Hoffman
What You Do Is Who You Are, a book by Ben Horowitz
The Hard Thing About Hard Things, a book by Ben Horowitz
Hacks on Tap, a podcast on Luminary with Mike Murphy and David Axelrod
Jocko Podcast, a podcast on leadership and discipline
The Tim Ferriss Show, a podcast by Tim Ferriss
Slowburn, a podcast by Slate Magazine
Dan Carlan’s Hardcore History podcast
To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.
"I had a win, and it told me that I could do it. I had that piece of me that kept reminding me of that win saying 'You can do it. Remember?’" -- Mark & Raquel Williams
Mark and Raquel Williams (@mdub50 and @RRWilliams_) are a couple of entrepreneurs partnered up with Bonvera. Both from different backgrounds, these two are humble but incredibly successful on their own and together in their respective industries. Mark comes to the table with a background in law enforcement, detective work, SWAT team, and kicking butt, while Raquel comes from a background of recruiting, staffing, and sales. Coming together, they’ve brought their expertise and grit to be business partners, entrepreneurs, and industry professionals in their own ventures, including an ice cream shop and a Bonvera business. Mark and Raquel reside in California where they manage a big family, multiple businesses, and several teams of entrepreneurs.
They join Bob in this podcast episode to talk about how to win. Raquel personalizes her story about how she came to believe “I can do it!” Mark shares his training and experience with law enforcement and as a SWAT officer. Together, they share with Bob the lessons they learned from a typical 9-to-5 job and how they applied them in their entrepreneurial pursuits.
Notes on Believing in Yourself:
-Remind yourself over and over again of your self-belief.
-You can do it. Remember? You’ve done it before.
-Find a great mentor who will believe in you and push you.
-A great mentor instills the courage in you to help you develop and grow.
-Oftentimes, we have pain and wounds that hold us back.
-It takes courage to go into our wounds, heal them, and move forward.
-Find tools and resources that help you heal your wounds.
Links in this episode include:
Mark & Raquel’s Leadership Profile, a bio on their story, why they joined Bonvera, and what their life looks like as entrepreneurs
How to Beat Self-Doubt and Stop Selling Yourself Short, an interesting article from Forbes on the very topics Raquel faced early in her career
SWAT Team process, an article on how you become a SWAT officer
Hair Loss Solutions, a company somewhat similar to what Raquel did in LA early in her career
Hair Club, hair replacement solutions for men and women
Hair Grafting and Restoration Methods, a medical procedure on hair restoration
The Power of the Subconscious Mind, a book by Joseph Murphy on Amazon
Bonvera RTE, it’s a regional training event hosted by Bonvera and powered by the New Way MBA education program
Attitude is Everything, a book by Jeff Kelly on Amazon
To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.
“It's really just realizing 'look on my own, I don't have what it takes to be successful or perform at a high level.' I need other people to come alongside of me and help me." -- Grant Webster
Grant Webster (@grantwebster) is the CEO and Founder of Launch Thought, an investor in several startups, Silicon Valley consultant. Grant gravitated toward learning while being homeschooled as a kid, even checking out classic business books from the library. While still in college Grant started his own software and web development firm. The combined busyness of getting married and the growth of his business led him to drop out of school and continue his career without a formal degree. Despite this nontraditional path, Grant’s career has continued to flourish. Today, Grant is able to spend the majority of his time serving other entrepreneurs and leaders who are advancing God-inspired solutions to the world’s greatest challenges through his work in the Christian Economic Forum.
He joins Bob in this podcast episode to talk about what a coach is and why Grant invested in one. He highlights key differences between a friend, mentor, and coach, and he emphasizes the key things to look for in a mentor or coach. Additionally, Grant shares his story on his educational background, how he got started in his entrepreneurial endeavors, and the thoughts he encounters daily as an entrepreneur. Along the way, Bob and Grant discuss how to dispel fear, combat the doubt, and believe in the truth.
Notes on the difference between a friend, mentor, or coach:
-A friend is close to you, and they may be biased.
-A mentor counsels you and gives advice. They’re typically intentionally asked to mentor an individual.
-A mentor wants to see that their investment in you will be worthwhile. They’re gifting you something, so they want to see you use the gift.
-A coach can give you unvarnished and unbiased outside perspective.
-A coach can see things you can’t see.
-One coach can’t help you with everything. It’s not a one-sized all approach.
-A tennis player is so successful because they have a coach for multiple areas of their game -- their nutrition, their technique, their mental health, their strategy, etc.
-If you’re looking for a coach, don’t look for a unicorn that can mentor you or coach you on everything. Those are unfair expectations. Don’t view a mentor or coach as the end all be all.
-Look for a mentor that’s really good at something you want to learn about or improve upon yourself. However, be careful not to take everything that they are and emulate that.
-Keep in mind you are a unique individual, and you can’t replicate their whole life. You’re a different person.
-If you want a mentor, prove you’ll be a good student. Volunteer to help them. Learn as much as you can from them. Be a value-add to them.
-Oftentimes, someone you’re asking to mentor or coach you lives a busier life than you do. They’ll willingly mentor you if you’ll use what they’ve given you. If it falls on deaf ears, the doors will close.
Links in this episode include:
Executive Coach or Therapist? It’s Getting Harder to Tell the Difference, a WSJ article
Peter Thiel’s Fellowship Program, his program open to students to start their own businesses
Zero to One, a book by Peter Thiel
Launch Thought, Grant’s web development company
Antifragile, a book by Nassem Taleb
Sunk Cost Fallacy, here’s a Wikipedia page on sunk cost and the sunk cost fallacy
The OODA Loop, a Wikipedia link about the Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act process cycle developed by John Boyd, a military strategist and United States Air Force Colonel
The Messy Middle, a book by Scott Belsky
Overlap, a book by Sean McCabe
Platform, a book by Michael Hyatt
Blitz Scaling, a book by Reid Hoffman
The Customer-Funded Business, a book by John Mullins
Mailbox Money, an article explaining the concept of mailbox money
To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.
"The race you are starting, I've finished. I survived. You can take your life experiences that are personal to you and you can open yourself up. There are people at the starting point of the race you've finished. The social media lens we have into people's lives is unfair. All you see is their best picture on vacation or their perfect cup of coffee with their devotion. You don't see the chaos on either side of the phone. It's the same thing with entrepreneurship. You compare yourself to the highlight reel of all of these companies, and that's not fair. It's not real. If you can peel back the onion, maybe 10 layers back, you'll see they were where you were at at some point too." -- Tymber Lee
Tymber Lee (@tlee3232) is an investor, board member, former professional baseball pitcher, and commercial real estate investor and developer. Tymber is a get-after-it use every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears kind of entrepreneur and business owner. With entrepreneurialism in his blood, he’s been involved in various business opportunities and endeavors since he was a kid helping in his family business of custom homebuilding and development. His love for competition, teamwork, and winning carried over into his studies as he attended Wichita State University as a student athlete and was selected in the Major League Baseball draft as a pitcher by the Anaheim Angels. His career evolved into specializing in commercial investment property and industrial sales and leasing, which has led to the development of The Lee Companies (TLC).
He joins Bob in this podcast episode to talk about fear and failure, the lessons from heartbreak, and the grandfather who taught and mentored him growing up. They hash out the journeys they’ve experienced as entrepreneurs, investors, and business executives in this heart-wrenching and thought provoking episode.
Notes on Fear and Failure:
-Ask thought leaders, “If you were to go back and do anything differently, would you?”
-Then, “shut up, and listen.”
-Action cures fear.
-Don’t be afraid of failure. Failure is where the gems are.
-People want to see how you’re going to fail. How will you handle the failure? How you handle failure determines your success.
-Failure is not a matter of how or if. It’s a matter of when.
Links in this episode include:
Tymber’s Board Bio
Tymber’s MiLB Profile, a stat sheet from the Minor Leagues
Tymber’s MLB Profile, a stat sheet from the MLB
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, a book by Angela Duckworth found here on Amazon
Instagram’s history, a synopsis from Wikipedia
Bonvera, a business platform that Bob and Tymber are both passionate about
Audible, Amazon’s audible book platform
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike, a cool story about the creator of Nike
The Messy Middle: Finding Your Way Through the Hardest and Most Crucial Part of any Bold Venture, a book by Scott Belsky found here on Amazon
The American Icon, a book by Alan Mulally found here on Amazon
Netflix’s History, a synopsis from Wikipedia
Are you an Entrepreneur or a ‘Wantrepreneur?’, an article by Entrepreneur.com
The Trillion Dollar Coach, a book by Bill Campbell found here on Amazon
To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work. Have questions about the podcast, reach out to us at podcast@bonvera.com!
“The best leaders in the world gain influence because people want to be around them not have to be around them.” --Jeremie Kubicek
Jeremie Kubicek (@JeremieKubicek) is the CEO of GiANT TV, Co-Founder of GiANT, speaker, best-selling author of multiple books, husband, and father to three. Jeremie specializes in getting leaders to a higher and healthier level, which he talks about in his books The 100X Leader and 5 Voices: How to Communicate with Everyone You Lead among others.
In this episode, Jeremie highlights and elaborates on a talk recently given to entrepreneurs from all over the United States about the differences in a dominating and liberating leader. He weaves many themes and principles from his book The 100X Leader into this discussion including the analogy of climbing Mount Everest with the help of a Sherpa. Jeremie teaches audiences what a leader should do in terms of providing support while also providing challenge, what he has learned about being a leader throughout his entrepreneurial journey, and the practices he uses to live out leadership daily.
Notes on a Dominating vs. a Liberating Leader:
A dominating leader provides high challenge with low support.
A protecting leader provides high support with low challenge.
A liberating leader brings empowerment and opportunity but also a challenge.
Awesome quotes by Jeremie in this episode:
“We need leaders who bring unbelievable challenge but provide support.”
“No one can do it without someone helping them along the way. To be a sherpa, I fight for them. I create support for them. And I follow up behind them to challenge them.”
“The platinum rule is to do unto others as they’d like done unto them.”
“Credibility and influence is a daily thing. It’s something I’m doing today.”
“Opportunity comes when you do relational things really well.”
“Call people up, don’t call them out.”
“My dad always told me this in my 20s. It’s not what you do, it’s who you work for.”
“Circumstances don’t dictate your behavior.”
Links in this episode include:
Zoom, a digital video conferencing tool
New Way MBA, Bonvera’s education platform for entrepreneurs
GiANT TV, a digital media company for leadership information transformation
The Sherpa people, the group of people who live their lives summiting Mount Everest
Leadercast Conferences, leadership conferences Jeremie was a part of
GiANT Worldwide, a leadership transformation company
The Prairie at Post, a modern farmhouse community real estate development
The Change Equation, the equation needed to evaluate and implement change
Nicole Porter, a former dental hygienist who is now an incredible female entrepreneur with Bonvera
Bonvera, a vehicle for change and lifestyle in people’s lives
Jeremie’s Bio & Experience
The 100X Leader, book available on Amazon
Heroic Leadership, by Chris Lowney available on Amazon
5 Voices: How to Communicate with Everyone, book available on Amazon
5 Gears: How to Be Present and Productive When There is Never Enough Time, book available on Amazon
This episode mentions books 5 Voices: How to Communicate with Everyone You Lead by Jeremie Kubicek, The 100X Leader by Jeremie Kubicek, and Heroic Leadership by Chris Lowney. A principle referenced is the Change Equation, which is as follows: Change = dissatisfaction with the status quo x your future vision x the next steps to get you there to your future vision > resistance. You can learn more about Jeremie at this link. To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.
“As a leader, you put yourself in their position, and I think that has been an asset in my entrepreneurial journey. Just being able to feel what they're feeling." -- Cody Newton
Cody Newton (@newton_cody) is a leading industry professional, serial entrepreneur, Co-Owner and Co-Founder of Bonvera, franchiser, and father of 5. Cody is a self-taught, hands-on entrepreneur that has started multiple companies including Bonvera and has become a leading industry professional building teams of passionate people rooting together towards gone goal and vision.
In this episode, Cody joins Bob to discuss the heart behind his entrepreneurial journey. They chronicle hilarious stories from Cody’s childhood that shaped his educational path and the beginning of his entrepreneurial endeavors. Along the way, Bob highlights the phenomenal speaker Cody is and what good books they’re reading. The continuous thread throughout this episode is what it takes to have the heart of an entrepreneur, to feel the pain and joy, and the heart to learn, grow, and do it even when you’re scared. With these two, there are many laughs, good stories, and sharings from the heart.
This episode mentions books and leaders including Peter Thiel, The Captain Class: The Hidden Force That Creates the World's Greatest Teams by Sam Walker, The Power of Five by John Maxwell, How to Have Confidence and Power in Dealing with People by Les Giblin. Links include Thrive Farmers Coffee, which is a unique partnership with Bonvera to provide customers and entrepreneurs exceptional coffee from Latin America. Thrive Farmers offers specialty-grade coffee hand-grown by farmers in Latin America that have grown coffee for generations. By partnering with Thrive Farmers, farmers receive 3.5X more in wages than before. This net income increase empowers farmers to then improve access to other needs for a thriving life, including healthcare, education, clean water and more. You can learn more about Cody at this link.
“Anybody can be what they want to be if they're willing to put in their 10,000 proverbial hours." -- Tim Jarvinen
Tim Jarvinen is a Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Bonvera, an all-star football and basketball athlete, Delphi automotive engineer, and an industry professional at Bonvera. In this episode, Tim joins Bob to rehash what it was like to be an engineer dreaming of a day where he had more time, more money, and more time with his family of six.
Tim reflects on lessons he learned as a football and basketball athlete and how they carried over into lessons he learned as an entrepreneur. His wife, Brandy, joins him later in the episode to talk about what it was like to set out to build a business together as a couple and team. They share sacrifices, goals, and teachings they carry out in order to do it well, embracing that entrepreneurship is a family affair. It’s something they can do together with their kids.
This episode mentions books including Real World MBA by Jack Welsh. Links include Tim and Brandy Jarvinen’s Leadership Profile which can be found at http://bonvera.rocks/bonvera-profiles-in-leadership-tim-brandy-jarvinen/.
“It's so important to us that we connect what we're doing with what matters to us and what we're passionate about. We want more. We want to do something we love and enjoy but also resonates deeply with us." --Casey Roths
Casey Roths is a millennial career gal, recent University of Tennessee Knoxville college graduate, and Manager of Marketing Operations at Bonvera, a network marketing start-up in Knoxville, Tennessee. In this episode, Casey joins Bob to set the stage for the podcast. In this episode, Casey asks Bob why he wanted to do a podcast, what he’s most excited about, and what content to expect in this podcast.
Along the way, they discuss what it’s like to be a millennial in this new age economy, what’s important to millennials, and how their values impact their decisions when beginning their career journeys.
They land the episode on the hope this podcast offers to those later on in their career and the bridge that connects these two generations.
This episode mentions books Windows of the Soul by Ken Gire, Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller, and At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider. Links include following these podcast episodes at www.bonvera.rocks and www.takingtheleappodcast.com. Keep up with this podcast via social media on Facebook (@BonveraUS), Instagram (@bonvera_us), Twitter (@bonvera_us), and LinkedIn (Bonvera).