Executive Breakthroughs Podcast

Diane Hessan (@dianehessan) is one of the most influential movers, shakers, thinkers, investors, entrepreneurs, artist, marketers, author and connectors that you will ever meet. TRUST me she has done more than her lifetime so far than you could ever dream up. And she is extremely well connected in Boston. I interviewed two Boston startups that Diane has invested in the same day I interviewed her. You can’t fully appreciate her hard work, expertise, breadth of experience and how much she cares unless you read her full biography. The Cheat Sheet: How to manage doubt, despair and other negative “d” words What’s are the two keys of building a great culture and how to apply them Learn why getting involved and applying yourself in highschool can give you a huge advantage in college and beyond Learn the positives and minuses of bootstrapping versus raising money Get key insights on the hiring process and why you need to get a detailed process Why pivoting your business idea/concepts is a must, and what you need to do Get key lessons on being on entrepreneur and leader that you can implement And so much more…

Zac Sheffer (@zsheffer) is the CEO and co-founder of Elsen, and one of Boston’s hot startup companies. Elsen is a platform-as-a-service company that enables anyone at large financial institutions to harness massive quantities of data for better decision making and problem solving. An engineer by training, Zac worked at Schneider Electric before catching the finance bug. During a later position at Credit Suisse, he applied his engineering and programming skills to macroeconomic research. His ability to create solutions that address complex problems in manageable ways gave him the tools he needs to solve difficult finance problems, and led him to Elsen. What Zac loves most about Elsen is its talented team of dedicated people who want to do something incredible every day. When he’s not leading the team, he enjoys longboarding, surfing, cooking, watching Chef's Table, and playing board games. Zac holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University and holds several patents. The Cheat Sheet: How to manage doubt, despair and other negative “d” words What’s are the two keys of building a great culture and how to apply them Learn why getting involved and applying yourself in highschool can give you a huge advantage in college and beyond Learn the positives and minuses of bootstrapping versus raising money Get key insights on the hiring process and why you need to get a detailed process Why pivoting your business idea/concepts is a must, and what you need to do Get key lessons on being on entrepreneur and leader that you can implement And so much more…

Byron Reese (@byronreese) is an investor, entrepreneur, publisher and futurist. He is the publisher of tech news site Gigaom and the founder of several high-tech companies. He has obtained or has pending patents in disciplines as varied as crowdsourcing, content creation, and psychographics. He is the author of the best selling book, Infinite Progress: How Technology and the Internet Will End Ignorance, Disease, Hunger, Poverty, and War. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer for Knowingly, a venture-backed Internet startup based in Austin, Texas.He also has a TEDxAustin talk on “Achieving Greatness is a Choice.” The Cheat Sheet: Want to learn about artificial intelligence? Byron says start here: Read about IBM’s Watson, get a “smart” speaker, and learn about chatbots (and listen to learn why these are the best places to start). What is the role of artificial intelligence and how can you leverage it? Which companies are on the forefront of it? Learn about robotics and what’s coming that will impact you. Why people will live for hundreds of years soon. How you can maximize the impact you have on your business and the world around you. Learn key insights into creating successful business ventures And so much more…

Tamsen Webster (@tamadear) is my incredible speaking coach I worked with over the past year. She is part "idea whisperer," part message strategist, and part presentation coach, Tamsen Webster helps people and organizations like Verizon, State Street Bank, Ericsson, Johnson & Johnson, and Disney find and communicate the power of their ideas. She is the Executive Producer of TEDxCambridge, one of the oldest and largest locally organized “TED talk” events in the world. In former lives, she worked in both agencies and at nonprofits heading up brand, marketing, and fundraising communication strategy, along with a brief but enduring turn as a change management consultant. She was a reluctant marathoner...twice; is a winning ballroom dancer (in her mind); and everything she knows about people, speaking, and change, she learned at Weight Watchers. True story. The Cheat Sheet: Check out these fantastic tips (on YouTube) to create a powerful and inspiring TEDx speech and land a great TEDx opportunity. Get your worksheet on how to create your “Red Thread” for any speech or presentation you do. Learn why the life you are living today can turn into a very powerful speech (and you don’t need to go manufacture one). Understand the key mistakes people make in giving speeches and how to avoid them. Get advice on how to pivot in your career and ultimately start your own business. Learn how to take a huge leap of faith that will change your life and the lives of everyone you interact with. And so much more…

Scott Baradell (@dallasinbound) is president of Idea Grove, oversees one of the fastest-growing inbound marketing agencies. Idea Grove focuses on helping technology companies reach media and buyers; and its clients range from venture-backed startups to Fortune 200 companies. Scott launched Idea Grove in 2005 along with his groundbreaking blog, Media Orchard. He has been a consistent innovator in the public relations and marketing space. Scott was among the first to understand the role of blogging in audience building. He was quick to recognize the vital importance of content quality and the power of social sharing. “Leadership comes down to inspiring people to want to be part of what you're doing. And that comes down to having a story that you're telling too. They want to be part of that narrative of what you're trying to do and why.” -Scott Baradell “Because my parents had views about race and other things that, to me, flew in the face of what felt right to me. And I think it probably led to me being a more of questioning person, which is I think what leads people into journalism a lot of times, questioning the conventional wisdom about things. So a lot of me focusing on southern history, was trying to understand what was making these people tick. Why were they making decisions that hurt other people..” -Scott Baradell “I think today increasingly you have to have powers of persuasion to be successful.” -Scott Baradell (On giving critical feedback to others) “Well, I think you can be honest without being hurtful. And I think what it really comes down to, preparation. Mental preparation about how you're gonna deliver the message in such a way that shows that you're trying to be protective of their feelings.” -Scott Baradell The Cheat Sheet: Learn why questioning and being inquisitive is a game changer in business How to give out critical feedback in business What makes a great leader (and why) Learn why almost everyone pivots in their career Learn how as introvert you can best manage your energy and get your alone time How to be an advocate for yourself and why it’s essential for your success Why storytelling is a huge corporate advantage you may not be leveraging And so much more…

Patrick MeLampy | Finding Great Co-Founders (Episode 6) Patrick MeLampy (@pmelampy) is the COO and Co-Founder of 128 Technology, one of the hottest startups in Boston (and has raised $57M to date). He’s been awarded 35 patents in telecommunications. Prior to 128 Technology, Patrick was the Vice President of Product Development at Oracle. Prior to Oracle, Mr. MeLampy was CTO and Founder of Acme Packet (NASDAQ: APKT) that was acquired by Oracle in February of 2013 for $2.1 billion dollars. He’s also on the board of directors at Ipswitch. Mr. MeLampy has an MBA from Boston University, and an Engineering Degree from University of Pittsburgh. “The life-cycle of many small businesses ultimately is to be acquired when they can't sustain growth. And so you just got to face into it and say, all right, now it's time.” -Patrick MeLampy “No one will invest in you if you don't invest in yourself first.” -Patrick MeLampy “We always ask ourselves, is that the right thing to do? Then we try to do it. Sometimes it's hard, but that's we do. We saw a lot of shenanigans in the late 90s and early 2000s at other companies, and maybe it's a fall out of that. It's just what we've always done.” -Patrick MeLampy The Cheat Sheet: Learn the key metric when it’s time to sell your company What’s one huge signal you’ve hired the right leader Learn why pivoting in your business is a must Learn why building the right relationships can be the difference between starting something big or always thinking about what could have been Understand what basic fundamental philosophy can help you to rise to the top

Becky Powell-Schwartz is the founder and CEO of The Powell Group, Becky Powell-Schwartz has been a thought partner to the C-suite for more than 25 years. Her depth of experience solving business and communications issues has made her a trusted advisor for executives of Fortune 500 and industry-leading companies across diverse business sectors. She is also Vistage International CEO group leader. Becky is a graduate of the Harvard University Mediation Training program, Leadership America, Leadership Texas and Leadership Dallas. She is also the recipient of the Most Powerful Women in PR Award from the Council of Public Relations. Additionally, she currently serves on the advisory boards of the Texas A&M Mays Business School Center for Retailing Studies; Leadership Women, the oldest women’s leadership program in North America; and Senior Source of Greater Dallas.

Dave Will (@propsdave) is a serial entrepreneur, and started a new company, PropFuel (focused on employee recognition and feedback). While working for SAP, a multi-billion dollar software company, nearly 20 years ago, he was advised to "walk faster and smile less, because perception is reality". He took this to heart and started a business based around the antithesis of this advice.​ In 2001, he started what became Peach, a Learning Platform software company, and sold his to AKKR, a private equity firm. He’s serving on EO (Entrepreneurs’ Organization) Boston's 2016-2017 board of directors as learning chair.

Stefania Mallet (@StefaniaMallett) is the CEO and co-founder of ezCater. She has spent over 25 years building and growing technology-enabled companies that solve real business problems. Stefania co-founded and successfully sold InSite Marketing Technology (now NASDAQ: KANA). Her tenure at National Logistics Management (a broker for $225M in transportation services) brought NLM to profitability for the first time in 4 years. At IntraNet (now NASDAQ:TSAI), Stefania revamped the firm and vaulted it to #1 in its market, a position it has maintained for 15+ years. Stefania also operates as a Director and advisor to many for-profit and non-profit firms. She has a BS and an MS from MIT. The Cheat Sheet: Why you should be asking yourself is my company’s solution or product a “painkiller” or a “vitamin”?- When do you bootstrap versus take outside capital? What are the three main reasons people become entrepreneurs and why does that matter? What does your last company’s success or failure mean to for your next venture? What matters more the people or ideas or both? What are the three core values in ezCater’s culture that propels the business? How do you become “fearless” and learn to take a leap of faith when you are scared? How do your emotions play into your leadership ability? And so much more…

Brent Brightwell (@doublehorn) is the Senior Vice President of Products & Strategy at DoubleHorn in Austin. Brent Brightwell is a Technology Leader and Entrepreneur with extensive Startup, SMB, and large Enterprise experience. He is currently the SVP of Products at DoubleHorn where he is responsible for R&D, Product Management, Marketing, Alliances, and Strategy.  Prior to DoubleHorn, Brent held positions such as CMO of Artisan Infrastructure, VP of Products for Gravitant, and Product Marketing Executive in the HP Helion Cloud organization. Brent has also led Global Marketing and did Technical Pre Sales for the HP Software Portfolio. Prior to Sales, he led R&D and Product Management for HP's strategic Solutions.   He studied business and marketing at Panola College and Texas A&M University, earning a BSB/IS degree from the University of Phoenix in 2002 and an M.B.A. from Regis University in 2004. He is IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and Level 5 Pragmatic Marketing Certified. He is a certified Facilitator and often asked to lead and speak at various boards, events, and conferences. Brent is a founding member and on the Board of Directors for an Austin Children’s Museum. Brent is also a Board Advisor for several startup companies.   The Cheat Sheet: What’s the best role in a technology company to have to be the CEO? What’s a huge mistake people make in business that can wipe away all their success? Why spending time thinking about what you need to do or skills you need to acquire is more critical than you think? Why lifelong learning is a major key to your success? Does mentorship really matter? And so much more…

Ron Nash (@hronaldnash) is the CEO and Chairman of Pivot 3 in Austin. He’s worked alongside Ross Perot, Mort Myerson and many other industry titans. He’s been a VC, Board Member, and avid art collector. He has been a corporate officer at the following companies that completed IPO's: Perot Systems, Teleci and Rubicon. He has been a director of the following successful companies that were acquired: Vendavo, Lombardi Software. The Cheat Sheet: How do you turn things around when the wheels have completely gone off the wagon? What’s the ultimate secret ingredient to long lasting business success (and how is your ego intertwined with it)? How do you spot bigger and better deals as a venture capitalist or angel investor? Why do leaders fail, what blind spots are they missing, and how can they course correct? Do mentors really matter and how do you find them? What’s the role of Board Members and why do they often get off track? Does modeling others actually work? How should you do this? And so much more…

"We have survival patterns and they can really hold us back because they end up being our blind spots. Back in the “cave man” days our survival patterns actually helped us survive and stay alive. But now most of our fears are not about whether we’d be alive or dead. Now they’re fears that are irrational and they stop us from doing something like talking to a person across the room, starting our own business, leading and managing others, or speaking up at a meeting at work. We need to turn our survival patterns into patterns of purpose. Patterns that fuel us and allow us to live our dreams. The challenge for people is to how to go about doing that, it may sound simple but it’s not easy. It’s about going into the root of what’s holding them back starting with behavior, stories, emotions, limiting beliefs, and modeling from childhood. "

Today we are becoming overwhelmed with the need for instant reward, immediate verification that we are significant. It’s a misguided attempt to satiate our hunger for meaning and belonging. Because we are propelling ourselves toward an emptiness that can only be filled by a constant need for temporary pleasures and distractions. Our need to belong, understand, explore, connect to others and the world around us, lead, and express and create are foundational to the human experience. Mastery is a journey — It’s a curious and wonderful trail — that has few, if any, guides. It’s much more than the pursuit of expert performance. It’s far deeper than high performance and the achievement of success. In each episode you’ll learn from the most visionary, transformative and standout (and their missteps). You’ll learn how to apply the information with “game changing” tools to help you: Maximize your true potential in your business and career, Make your unique mark in the world, and Lead and inspire others to soar to heights they never thought possible.

“Life purpose” is a pretty common phrase these days, but I have a different spin on the subject. Instead of focusing on specific tasks, projects, career paths, etc, I emphasize the importance of generating the emotions that drive your happiness and fulfillment. Why? Because you have control of your emotions. You don’t have control over external experiences. I share with you a quick and transformative exercise you can do. We look at the happiest moments in your life, and give you the framework to recreate those moments every single day.

I break down for you how to create extraordinary relationships (and network for business), and create an urgency for the other person to follow back up with you. You’ll learn the three pillars to building extraordinary relationships and how to master each pillar. This methodology works especially well for introverts, and people that are shy. It’s quick, easy and you can implement it immediately. My clients have built millions of relationships using this process. You'll master business networking and relationship building too.

We discussed in Part 1 how our survival patterns turn into blind spots. They are based on irrational fears. I share with how to go about making long-term changes from the inside-out. It's where the most powerful transformations and lasting change starts.