What We Do Matters

In this video, I want to talk about something that's been on my mind lately: COBRA and Marketplace insurance. I want to talk about some of the lessons learned after my wife's breast cancer diagnosis.I hope that this podcast will help you understand COBRA and Marketplace insurance and make the best decisions for your health insurance needs. I want you to know that you're not alone and that there are people out there who understand what you're going through.www.whatwedomattersnow.comhttps://www.facebook.com/whatwedomattersnowhttps://youtu.be/SFRrvKKTuYs#breastcancer, #breastcancerawareness, #insurance, #insurancemarketplace, #leadership

The lessons discussed will help you on your journey if you care about being a better leader. Listen to Simon share his story about Noah and share your thoughts in the comment section!

In This episode I talk about the top 4 qualities leaders need based on my late 2021 Linkedin survey.Pleaser share your thoughts!

On this episode of In The Back Room, I sit down with comedian and actor Lenny Clarke for a free-wheeling discussion touching on his alcoholism, stroke, charity work, dramatic weight loss and more. Lenny features in the new Halloween Kills film, starring Michael Myers, realizing a childhood dream of his to be killed in a Hollywood horror film.Lenny and I start off by talking about some great American comedians who were friends and heroes of Lenny, from Stephen Wright to Steve Sweeney. Lenny was inspired by these guys to pursue a career in acting and comedy, but he's faced many challenges along the way, from a childhood growing up in poverty to an addiction to drugs and alcohol. He was also overweight, weighing 388lbs at his heaviest, and worked hard to eventually bring his weight down to 188lbs. His weight loss was actually spurred on by me and a discussion we had during a golf game, which we go into more detail about in this episode. Lenny also talks about the massive stroke that he had, which temporarily damaged his speech and affected his mobility. He was lucky enough to be saved by doctors at the Martha's Vineyard hospital, who had him airlifted to a specialist stroke unit.Throughout this episode, Lenny goes into detail about some of the charities that he works for and the causes he represents, which are all very near to his heart. He volunteers for the Globe Santa organization, which provides books, toys and games to children in underprivileged families and he is also participating in the Cape Cod Getaway bike ride to raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis, a disease that affects his two of his sisters.Stay tuned to the end to hear how Lenny helped to boost Joe Rogan's career, and you can also find links to support Lenny's charities in the show notes.Timestamps[01:40] Where should I retire?[04:14] Lenny Clarke on the Jimmy Kimmel show [05:35] Lenny Clarke on Halloween Kills[08:20] Bostonian comedian Stephen Wright[10:02] A clip of comedian Steve Sweeney[13:33] Lenny's alcoholism[15:45] Lenny and I discuss his charity work with Globe Santa [25:50] Lenny's fathers sickness[32:00] When Lenny had a stroke[35:25] Bob and Lenny on being a little portly[42:40] Joe Rogan's early career and how it was boosted by Lenny [45:28] Being friends with Joe RoganLinksLenny Clarke on IMDb Globe SantaLenny's MS fundraiser Alcoholics AnonymousIn The Back Room website     

Leissa Miller is a wife, mother of an 11-year old son with Down Syndrome, and advocate for people with disabilities. She has been making the world better for him and other parents of children with Down Syndrome.Bob and Leissa are taking the principles of leadership beyond The Back Room and into our communities. Leissa discusses her son's diagnosis, the medical staff that made a difference, and the programs, like Gigi's Playhouse, paraprofessionals, teachers  & Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)  that have supported her family throughout their journey.  In this episode, we celebrate children with Down Syndrome and the various programs and initiatives that are making a difference.[00:01:24] Get to know Leissa's story [00:13:20]The different levels of Down Syndrome.[00:16:39] The benefits of sign language for nonverbal children[00:19:11] How leaders can get involved and Down Syndrome Initiatives[00:31:32] The one thing Leissa wants to share with new parents who have a child with Down Syndrome [00:33:42] Misconceptions about children with disabilitiesTakeaways:Resources are available on the federal, state, and local levels, but what can organizations do to support the Down Syndrome Community? In this episode, Bob and Leissa share a few resources.Leissa shows how you can take on a leadership role in your community by advocating for individuals with disabilities.  Last week we discussed mindfulness and its benefits in the workplace but did you know that studies show that mindfulness practice is equally beneficial for individuals with disabilities and their support network. --------------------------------------------------------Resources Mentioned In This Episode:  GiGi's PlayhouseDown Syndrome CreedU.S. Dept of Education The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) National Down Syndrome Society-----------------------------------------------------Get to Know the Host:Bob Howard has over 30 years of sales and management experience and has spent the last 16 years leading a subsidiary of a Fortune 1,000 technology solutions company. He currently resides in New Hampshire. Want to connect further?LinkedInFacebookGroup:http://www.inthebackroompodcast.comIf you have any ideas or suggestions on who would be an excellent guest to interview, or if you would like to appear on the show, don't hesitate to reach out!Send me an email: Bob@inthebackroompodcast.com

What if leaders could wave a magic wand and instantly improve their company culture while reducing their employee's stress? Military organizations and Fortune 500 companies accomplish these results every year through mindfulness-based programs.  No magic. Just time-tested techniques that deliver results. In this episode, I am speaking with Cecilia Howard, mindfulness and meditation workshop leader, to address misconceptions around mindfulness practices and explain how leaders can embrace the positive results from this practice. Leaders, join us In The Back Room, where we discuss:  ●    The Dalai Lama's thoughts on mindfulness & leadership●     How one CEO used mindfulness to create the world's most powerful CRM system●    The one thing leaders can do to overcome their trepidation around creating mindfulness practices●     Myths surrounding mindfulness in the workplace●     A quick exercise to manage stressKey Takeaways:●     Discover the biggest misconceptions about meditation- and how you can create a mindfulness practice●     Learn what a beginners mind is - and how leaders can benefit from it●     The practice of mindfulness meditation is not dependent on any religion or spiritual beliefs.●     Unlearning negative responses to stress so that you can manage your life and business with more ease-----------------------------------------------------Get to Know the Host:Bob Howard has over 30 years of sales and management experience and has spent the last 15 years leading a subsidiary of a Fortune 1,000 technology solutions company. Want to connect further?LinkedInFacebookGroup:Email If you have any ideas or suggestions on who would be an excellent guest to interview, or if you would like to appear on the show, don't hesitate to reach out!--------------------------------------------------------You can reach Cecilia Howard at cbhoward@mac.com or Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/cecilia-howard-9b4191a4Resources Mentioned In This Episode: UMass Center for Mindfulness: https://www.ummhealth.org/umass-memorial-medical-center/services-treatments/center-for-mindfulnessN.Y. Times Mindfulness Strategy: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/05/health/military-mindfulness-training.htmlDalai Lama HBR Article: https://hbr.org/2019/02/the-dalai-lama-on-why-leaders-should-be-mindful-selfless-and-compassionate CNBC Article on Salesforce.com Mindfulness Zoneshttps://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/05/salesforce-ceo-marc-benioff-why-we-have-mindfulness-zones.htmlIf you have any ideas or suggestions on who would be an excellent guest to interview, or if you would like to appear on the show, don't hesitate to reach out via Linkedin or Email Bob@inthebackroompodcast.com

Are you making a true impact on the lives of others through your current career? In this episode of In the Back Room, I welcome Tom Looney to share his unique perspective on leadership and innovation in business and education, highlighting the characteristics of great leaders, offering expert advice for new salespeople, and sharing ways business can help optimize the efficiency of educators in 2021. Tom gives insight into his first sales job and how he grew and leveraged his skills in sales, product development, and information technology over the years. He shares his candid thoughts on retaining clients, gaining new clients, and building trust through video conferencing, as well as how resellers can build trust and win business with field organizations from major manufacturers. “Time kills deals. You have to be responsive, you have to think creatively. Don't give the same pitch twice.”                                                                                                        - Tom Looney Tom speaks on his work in joining businesses with community colleges to integrate more technology and boost students' success, including his partnership with Lenovo in creating powerful internships for students at Wake Technical Community College. He also shares about other projects he's been working on such as his collaboration with the North Carolina Coastal Federation to show there's economic development associated with environmental work. “Change people's lives… and don't wait until the end of your career.”         - Tom Looney Join me every week In the Back Room! Now available to stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Buzzsprout, Castro, and Overcast! Connect with Tom Looney on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomaslooneyNC Community Colleges: https://www.nccommunitycolleges.eduNational EstuarineResearch Reserve System Science Collabrative: https://nerrssciencecollaborative.org/project/Darrow16Get to Know the Host:Bob Howard has over 30 years of sales and management experience and has spent the last 15 years leading a subsidiary of a Fortune 1,000 technology solutions company  1,000 technology solutions company subsidiary and is based in New Hampshire and is based in New Hampshire. Want to connect further?Visit my website: www.Inthebackroompodcast.comConnect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/roberthoward3rdJoin the Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/inthebackroomwithbobhowardFollow me on Instagram: Subscribe to my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCmLGNWse31-3g_ANvl-kYpQSend me an email: Bob@inthebackroompodcast.com 

Is AI the future of teaching?  Technology has become necessary for learning, especially during the New Normal. In this episode of In the Back Room, our guest Gus Schmedlen talks with us about the future of learning. He serves as President & Chief Revenue Officer at Merlyn Mind. He formerly served as Vice President and Head of Worldwide Education at HP, where he oversaw a period of rapid expansion, leading to creating a multi-billion-dollar global education technology business. During his tenure at HP, Gus also led international efforts to improve access to quality education for students in marginalized contexts, contributing innovation, support, and scale. Earlier in his career, Gus led education and public sector industry solutions units for IBM and Lenovo. A company from North Carolina did a study and found that an average school district uses 1,400 different apps per month. This indicates that we live in this era of the forced digitalization of education. And unfortunately, the people that bear the brunt of all these complexities are teachers. So instead of looking to replace the unreplaceable teaching job, Merlyn Mind built a digital assistant that is contextual to teachers. They created an AI that uses the language of teachers and does what teachers do in the classroom. They made an AI that unlocks utilities across the spectrum of student information systems and, naturally, learning management systems. A professor at Bowdoin College called Doris Santoro wrote a book called Demoralized. The book is about how teachers are becoming demoralized. It's not just because they're overworked or burnt out, but because they're making fewer decisions about what they teach and how they teach it.  Learn more about Gus Schmedlen on:LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/schmedlen/Website: https://www.merlyn.org/ Learn more about HP in Education: https://www.hp.com/us-en/solutions/education/overview.htmlLearn more about Vonage:  https://www.vonage.comLearn more about Lenovo in Education: https://techtoday.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/educationLearn more about Connection Public Sector Solutions in Education: https://www.govconnection.com/public-sector/k-12-education?cm_sp=MegaMenu-_-Industries-_-K12Ed 

Is Big Brother watching you? At what point does surveillance cross the line of privacy and ethics? In this episode of In the Back Room, I talk about the potential of Big Brother listening in on us and how the increased use of surveillance and monitoring during COVID is affecting the world. Highlighting insightful results from a LinkedIn survey, I share why leaders, especially leaders in business, need to be focused on communication above anything else.As I speak on factors of trust and legality in surveillance, you'll gain insight into why surveillance and monitoring can be beneficial to businesses and how they could become inappropriate and overly intrusive. “Everything in communication goes back to trust. If you do a really good job on it, you're going to have trust with your people… which is going to increase productivity.”Get to Know the Host:Bob Howard has over 30 years of sales and management experience and has spent the last 15 years leading a subsidiary of a Fortune 1,000 technology solutions company. He currently resides in New Hampshire. Want to connect further?LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/roberthoward3rdFacebook Group:http://www.facebook.com/groups/inthebackroomwithbobhowardemail: mailto:bob@inthebackroompodcast.comIf you have any ideas or suggestions on who would be an excellent guest to interview, or if you would like to appear on the show, don't hesitate to reach out!

In this debut episode of In the Back Room, I shed light on my background and what you can expect in future episodes of this new podcast, including deep dives into topics like leadership, sales, workplace dynamics, industry trends that are shaping our future, and stories of overcoming personal and professional struggles. Today, I share a few stories from my childhood that shaped my life forever and taught me never to give up, no matter what.In future episodes, you'll listen in on candid conversations with business experts and thought leaders during live Q&As and walk away with powerful ideas and suggestions that will motivate you to keep striving for success and lead a fulfilling life without fear holding you back.My goal is to create a community of like-minded business professionals who are looking to support one another in achieving their goals and becoming better business leaders. Does that resonate with you?Join me every week In the Back Room! Now available to stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Buzzsprout, Castro, and Overcast!Get to Know the Host:Bob Howard has over 30 years of sales and management experience and has spent the last 15 years leading a subsidiary of a Fortune 1,000 technology solutions company. He currently resides in New Hampshire. Want to connect further?Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/roberthoward3rdJoin the Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/inthebackroomwithbobhowardSend me an email: mailto:bob@inthebackroompodcast.comIf you have any ideas or suggestions on who would be an excellent guest to interview, or if you would like to appear on the show, don't hesitate to reach out!