Catch Fire

In this episode, my guest is Joel Schwatrzberg, a communications coach and writer. He has published articles in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Toastmaster Magazine, Huffington Post, and written four books with his most recent, “The Language of Leadership: How to Engage and Inspire Your Team.” In our discussion, we learn the power of focusing on the audience instead of ourselves as well as how to maximize interactions and effectively deliver points with small or large audiences. As leaders, public speaking comes with the job and it can be intimidating; however, Joel's tips and tricks offer helpful ways to stay on track and strengthen your skills when delivering presentations in front of a live audience or in a virtual environment. Memorable quote: “When you think of yourself as a public speaker instead of as a point maker, you get in your own way because you're focusing on what you came to do instead of what your audience can receive.” (28:14)

Humans make up the teams that we lead and humans, including us leaders, show up to work each day with our own emotional background and experiences. Dustin Shell, works at TiER1 Performance as a Principal Consultant and Director of Strategic Growth. In this episode, Dustin offers his understanding of people's emotions to help us better empathize with others and understand their behaviors. We discuss how the spaces we create matter and the importance of putting others at ease. This conversation is important, and it will help you accept the whole version of yourself as well as those you lead. Memorable quote: “We hide so much of who we are that it makes everyone else feel like to be not who they are, and to put someone at ease means to be yourself authentically, first.” (15:25)

Dr. Richard Blackaby is the president of Blackaby Ministries International where he travels the world investing in church and corporate leaders. In this episode, he shares the five views a leader should have, why they are important and offers practical steps for those feeling stuck. Dr. Blackaby also discusses how to navigate leading through change and when it comes to making better decisions, he shares his belief as to why we are stronger together than as individuals. His blog, richardblackaby.com has over 150k subscribers and the investment he has made into leaders over time, including myself have made us become who God invites us to be. Memorable quote: “A leader is someone who moves people to a desired place.” (1:50)

In this episode, I have a conversation with Jeff Kober, a premier thought-leader in best-of-Disney practices. His work at The Walt Disney Company led to his work of helping organizations all over the world be remarkable for every person that comes to their church or business. We dive into the tie between how great customer experiences are linked to how supported employees feel, the importance of his model titled, The Chain Reaction of Excellence, and what customers are really looking for when it comes to satisfactory experiences. If you want to gain trust with your employees and retain loyal customers through exceptional guest experiences, this conversation with Jeff provides insight and wisdom that will help you exceed expectations. Memorable quote: “Great leaders don't count shoes, great leaders walk in the shoes.” (24:40)

In this episode, I have a conversation with Stephanie Holcombe who leads all events for The John Maxwell Company and EQUIP Leadership. We discuss what it looks like to work at the intersection of leadership and experiences and how to create meaningful events. Stephanie has worked with several well-respected leaders across the country and she shares the key elements to understand their needs, build trust, and cast vision on the execution. Event planning isn't the same anymore. From virtual experiences to in-person events, these environments are continually adapting and this conversation serves as a reminder that every event is a significant opportunity to connect with your community. Memorable quote: “We all need to listen first and we need to evaluate what's around us before we decide how to lead others.” (21:40)

Danny Franks leads the team responsible for creating the guest experience at The Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina and the author of a book titled, “People Are the Mission”. In this episode, we discuss how he would describe his leadership style which is, “Recovering Micromanager” and he offers wisdom on what he wishes everyone understood about leading teams. We also dive into intentionally creating guest experiences that are consistent. Plot twist: Danny explains why a guest process should be boring and predictable. This conversation will help you become a stronger leader, navigate through change and foster a stronger connection with your guests. Memorable quote: “All leaders have to be ultimately in submission to someone else. We can't be the top person on the totem pole because that is never a healthy place to be.” (2:58)

Logan Lyles is the Vice President of Customer Experience at Sweet Fish Media, a company that produces podcasts for the most innovative B2B brands in the world. In this episode, we learn about their strategy behind “content-based networking”. He shares what customers really want to experience when it comes to your organization, how to build trust, and the importance of celebrating the wins on your team as well as the people. We all know when it comes to guest experiences not everything will go right, this conversation with Logan will help you approach those situations to recover kindly and quickly. Memorable quote: “Develop what you want to see then, share them, celebrate the wins, and celebrate the principle or mantra as much as you are celebrating the person.” (24:13)

Rachel Ricker and Angie Ward help architect and grow the remarkable guest experience culture at Life Church. In this episode, they share their wisdom for how to lead volunteers, especially when it comes to guest experience teams. We talk about the importance of reminding volunteers how crucial their role is in connecting with guests each week and the purpose behind continually celebrating the wins. This conversation is helpful for anyone whose job is to build connections with teams, guests, or staff members. Everyone wants to feel known regardless of the organization they work at or the team they are on, and Rachel and Angie's wisdom will help you develop stronger volunteer teams as well as become better leaders. Memorable quote: “Fill the gap with trust that we are both serving and chasing the same mission. We are serving something bigger than ourselves and our heart is to do that and go forward together.” (11:07)

Jerry Hurley is the Church Team Development Leader at Life Church, voted the #1 place to work among small and medium-sized businesses in 2019 and 2020. As business leaders and pastors, we understand the important role culture plays in leading healthy, productive organizations. Jerry offers practical wisdom and tangible steps to ensure your values don't just become pretty words hung on the wall. We learn the reasons he believes good values will always cost you something and why emotional intelligence really matters when it comes to building a healthy culture. Memorable quote: “Consistency over time is critical to building and establishing a life-giving culture.” (6:40)

Elizabeth Dixon is a business leader, serial entrepreneur, and speaker. She works in Strategy for Chick-fil-A, Inc. and with executive teams integrating innovation, leadership, and personal development. In this episode, we discuss how leaders can stay focused in a world filled with distractions, and how to live with intentionality. If you are in a season of feeling stuck, this conversation will help provide you with the right questions to ask when seeking clarity and the power that comes in quieting your inner critic. Bonus: You will also hear Elizabeth's answer to the question, is the customer really always right? Memorable quote: “The foundation that we are building from determines the strength that we're living from.” (9:40)

In this episode, you will hear from Chris Green who works as an organizational consultant and partner at Arch and Tower, a company that focuses on Customer and Employee Experience and Operational Excellence. As leaders striving to give your best to the organization or company you lead, this conversation will help you reimagine the lens in which you view your brand's operational excellence. Learn why operations are the manifestation of your brand and how your employee experience is driving the customer experience. Chris introduces us to the concept of Initiative Fatigue, what it means, what it is costing you, and actionable ways to combat it. As a longtime follower of his leadership, I am grateful for his insight and the impact of this conversation. Memorable quote: “If you want to compete on experience you have to drive operations through the idea of brand - Who are we? Who do we want to be? What are our systems and processes, and how does it make people feel?” (15:20)

We all want to lead intentional lives. In this episode, I have a conversation with Chris Brown who has held key leadership roles at Dave Ramsey Solutions, Elevation Church, and Potential Church. He recently started a new church with his wife called The Well Columbia in Columbia, TN. We discuss unspoken tensions in leadership, why so many of us struggle with humility, and address the temptations we have all felt at times to impress others. As business leaders and church pastors, this conversation will help you define what it means to live intentionally by allowing you to happen to your day, not the other way around. Memorable quote: “You can't demand honor unless you deliver honor.” (5:55)

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Michael Zigarelli, professor of leadership and strategy at Messiah College and the author of 12 books. We discuss the power of influence, what great leaders do differently, and the three types of evidence needed for persuasion. If you are in a season of rediscovering your vision, feeling stuck or navigating the ambiguity that comes with any form of leadership, Dr. Zigarelli shares an exercise that will help you recalibrate the momentum you're lacking. You don't need to have a fancy title or hold a certain kind of power to define yourself as a leader, we all have influence over the people in our lives and this conversation will help you tap into that.  Memorable quote: “At the root of it is what is inside of us, because we can engage in all kinds of external behaviors and if it's not real or not authentic, people are going to see through it eventually.” (18:54)

Jenni Catron is a writer, speaker, and leadership expert. She is the author of several books including, “Clout: Discover and Unleash Your God-Given Influence” and “The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership”. In our conversation, we discuss all things leadership influence from the importance of providing clarity, how to leverage your influence well, and why preventing isolation might be one of the most impactful components of a healthy leader. Jenni's approach to understanding how we can steward our influence serve as concrete pathways to becoming a leader worth following. Memorable quote: “Influence by definition, means the power to change or affect someone.” (12:15)

Horst Schulze is one of the most respected executives in the hospitality industry. After creating the culture at the Ritz Carlton as their COO, he went on to become the Founder of Capella Hotel Group, a collection of luxury hotels. In this conversation, we explore what it means to make a promise to a guest, how leaders can hold their teams accountable to the standards that have been set, and ways to show care for your employees. As leaders and pastors, we are all in the business of caring for people who are searching for a purpose. Horst provides insight and wisdom in helping others find belonging. Memorable quote: “You cannot change missions just because situations change.” (10:35)

A former executive at Chick-fil-A, Dee Ann Turner brings a wealth of knowledge to our conversation. As the author of two leadership books, “Bet on Talent” and her most recent, “Crush Your Career," she is the kind of leader who lives out her words and serves in her calling of helping others find their purpose. In this episode, we cover how leaders can discover their own purpose, the importance of prioritizing culture on your team and with your guests, as well as the value in mentoring younger leaders at the start of their careers. Memorable quote: “The entire culture will have no credibility if the leader doesn't make decisions with the purpose as the filter.” (11:31)