Working Without Waste

Vistage is the world's largest executive coaching organization for small and midsize businesses. For more than 60 years we've been helping CEOs, business owners and key executives solve their toughest challenges through a comprehensive approach to success. At the heart of our proven formula is confidential peer advisory groups and executive coaching sessions.Our podcast guest is George Satula, Chairman at Vistage. As a Vistage Chairman, as well as in his private management consulting practice, George's fundamental belief is that business is all about great leadership, developing people, innovation, and operational excellence. Without these core concepts, nothing changes and nothing improves. George's Point of View: Business leaders need to have an entrepreneurial mindset, which means superior competency as a strategic thinker and operational planner, be results driven, and be motivational and inspirational for your team. Equally important, is having a great culture where people are first, who work with proficient processes, and proudly provide products and services that are meaningfully differentiated, serve a need, and delivers value to customers. Doing this, and doing it really well, positions organizations on the best path of business success. What George does: Simply stated, he helps build leaders who build organizations. As a Chairman with Vistage Worldwide, he provides business leadership coaching and facilitates progressive leadership groups. George also help business leaders engage in the deeper thinking needed to be more structured and opportunistic. It is his purpose to help leaders “see” the truth (and deal with today's reality), find simplicity (out of complexity), and engage in enlightenment (to learn more, do more, and be a better leader).To contact George directly and learn how Vistage can help you - visit his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgesatula

OnSite Waste Technologies is a Newport Beach California-based company dedicated to reducing the cost, risk, and environmental impact of medical waste processing and disposal.Our podcast guest is Don Suxho, National Account Executive at OnSite Waste Technologies. Onsite Waste Technologies developed the TE-5000, an innovative desktop-sized processing unit that converts regulated medical waste like syringes into sterile garbage that can be placed in a practice's regular trash. The TE-5000 reduces the liability associated with the traditional method of hauling waste to a central location by reducing or eliminating the time waste sits in a practice.It's the future of medical waste processing and it's happening right in practices across the country. The system converts both sharps and red bag waste to non-biohazardous, non-infectious solid waste that can be disposed of as regular trash.​This smart system monitors itself as waste is processed and automatically sends all required documentation to our cloud-based system. So, compliance documentation is never out of reach.Not only is the TE-5000 easy to use, it meets or exceeds all EPA, CDC, state and local guidelines.For small waste producers, The TE-5000 is a greener, cheaper and safer option for handling medical waste disposal than typical haul-away services.Learn more about the TE-5000 and OnSite Waste Technologies at www.onsitewaste.comContact Don Suxho directly at donald@onsitewaste.com

Jeff VanVoorhis, VP at Symbiont Science, Engineering & Construction, Inc. Symbiont is a nationally recognized full-service engineering, design-build, construction firm utilizing innovative engineering technologies that optimize environmental and sustainability goals to enhance our communities and our world. Symbiont’s core business includes wastewater treatment, waste-to-energy, construction, manufacturing production process, and environmental projects. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the company also has a presence in Atlanta, Georgia; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Detroit, Michigan; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Nashville, Tennessee. Symbiont’s diverse team includes civil, environmental, chemical, mechanical, structural, electrical, and controls engineers as well as hydrogeologists, construction project managers, environmental compliance specialists, GIS analysts, and technicians. Jeff has a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from Marquette University. He’s been with Symbiont for more than15 years, during which he’s worked on projects like Renewable BioGas Systems at Landfill, Wastewater Treatment and Food Manufacturers; Industrial Wastewater Pre-Treatment Systems. Aerobic & Anaerobic Digesters, Storm Water Management, Brownfield Assessments–and a lot more.Connect with Jeff Symbiont LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/symbiont/Symbiont Website - https://www.symbiontonline.comHome | Symbiont Science, Engineering and Construction, Inc. (symbiontonline.com)

Jason Byer is the marketing and partnerships manager for Crowdspring, a Chicago based branding company that helps businesses, agencies and non-profits of any size start, run and grow their business through great design and naming. Crowdspring dramatically simplifies the design process by handling the complexity so that you can focus on getting great results. Crowdspring was started to address a fundamental problem with the design process, that most clients had little choice and most designers had few opportunities to find clients. Since launching in 2008, Crowdspring has helped to democratize design around the world. Over 220,000 Crowdspring creatives from 195 countries have helped more than 60,000 of the world’s best entrepreneurs, small businesses, startups, agencies, and non-profits with logo design, web design, graphic design, product design, and naming. You can listen to Crowdspring's CEO and Founder, Ross Kimbarovsky on the How'd It Happen Podcast, episode 136.In addition to learning more about how Crowdspring works and the benefits it can provide businesses of all sizes, Jason will also be sharing details on a free special Brand Review offer that Crowdspring is making available to ERC Midwest clients and Working Without Waste listeners.**Special Offer–Free Website Review and Feedback**Crowdspring is offering listeners a free website branding review. Taking advantage of this free offer is as easy as it gets. Email your website link to jason@crowdspring.com using the Subject Line “WWW Listener Website Review.” Jason will review your site and send you back a video that details his thoughts on where you are and where you might want to consider going. This is a no strings attached offer. The review is absolutely FREE and there is NO OBLIGATION to work with CrowdspringYou will receive a website feedback video from Jason, similar to this example he did for another client - check it out here:  https://share.vidyard.com/watch/HmexoP6Cg5jLweK4Pq1vnZGuest Contact Info:jason@crowdspring.comwww.Crowdspring.com

Manufacturing has a labor problem. Skilled talent has never been tougher to find. Stagnating wages have driven workers to other industries, while the rise of automation is driving more jobs to be highly skilled. Factory Fix decided to fix that problem. They’re building the industry’s largest marketplace, connecting skilled professionals with opportunities to earn more while developing their skills and manufacturers with the right people to get the job done. Because of its laser focus on manufacturing, Factory Fix's industry-specific expertise enables the company to best understand the problems facing skilled workers and manufacturers today and into the future. Traditional staffing platforms are expensive and slow. @FactoryFix does things differently. Utilizing technology to make the recruitment experience smarter, faster, and cheaper.

Tune in to the Working Without Waste Podcast Episode #19 with guest @ChrisMcCarthy. Chris founded @EarthPaint in 2013 to solve three big problems. The first was a resource problem. There wasn’t a readily available option for reusing the thousands of containers of perfectly good latex paint left over from construction and remodeling projects. The second problem was environmental. Most unused latex paint ended up in landfills. And the third problem was a lack of employment opportunities for people living with disabilities. Earth Paint designed an elegant, comprehensive solution that solves all three of these problems in an amazing way. From their location in Wood Dale, IL Earth Paint upcycles latex paint, improves our community’s environment, and provides meaningful & important vocational work. 

For all its advantages, increased connectivity brings inherent risks of theft, fraud, and abuse. As we become more reliant on modern technology, we also become more susceptible to hacking, security breaches, phishing, social media fraud, privacy infringement, ransomware, identity theft the list is quite long indeed.In Episode #18 of the Working Without Waste podcast, we learn how Total Digital Security (TDS) disrupts and defeats cybercriminals with Personal Cybersecurity Products and Services. The TDS network security experts, with a deep understanding of the technologies and vulnerabilities malicious actors are targeting, effectively respond to, fend off and protect against cyber incidents. TDS helps you accomplish two things; protection from harm getting at your technology and anonymizing the information you send and share online. Tune in and get protected.

Working Without Waste Episode #17 guest is Tim Repas, President of Fixed Earth. Based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada. Fixed Earth rebuilds ecosystems using microscopic tools to do everything from removing difficult pollution all the way to enhancing the growth of forests and improving water quality. Thinking small to overcome big challenges is how they put a visual to the work they do. Better microbes for a cleaner tomorrow. Fixed Earth specializes in four focus areas: Remediation, Ecosystem Restoration, Agriculture and Client Driven Research. They are making rapid advances in the global challenge of PFAS remediation. Recently, Fixed Earth won the Global Water Council’s Fall 2020 Technology Challenge using their PFAS [also known as forever chemicals] degrading microbes to tackle one of the newest and potentially widespread risks to our drinking water supply. Their remediation solutions also target organics, halogenated organics, salinity and inorganics. Tim can usually be found where he is most at home: In the lab working to develop new solutions or brainstorming with other experts in the environmental industry.He is passionate about the environment and responsibly mining for resources and a firm believer that we can utilize the resources we require as a society while still acting responsibly towards the environment and the people who interact with that environment.

Episode #16’s guest is Mike Altmayer. Mike is the Safety &Training and Hazardous Waste expert at ERC Midwest. He's a guy who knows hazardous waste. With Mike's guidance, ERC Midwest recently launched an online RCRA Hazardous Waste Training course. This course satisfies the annual training requirements for Federal and State RCRA training mandates for hazardous waste personnel. Whether that's on their desktop, laptop or mobile phone, folks needing training and certification can complete it at their own pace and on their own schedule. Organized in 3 modules, the certification test is administered once the third module is complete and a RCRA training certification is sent directly to the participants email address. All for only $79! Avoid costly EPA penalties, satisfy annual training requirements, protect personnel, and prevent releases and register today.When you need thorough, convenient and cost-effective hazardous waste training, go to https://rcra.ercmidwest.com/training/register/ and you'll be on your way! Guest Contact Info: Maltmayer@ercmidwest.com

Episode #15’s guest is Zach Marlin. Zach is the Transportation & Treatment Group Director at ERC Midwest and the author of ERC Midwest’s Newest eBook titled “The Lifecycle of Wastewater”. In this episode, we talk about industrial wastewater treatment. Specifically, Zach will walk you through how ERC manages our client’s wastewater, a process that his book covers in great detail. We cover all of the steps involved in the preparation, removal, treatment, and recycling of industrial wastewater. Zach sheds light on the aqueous discard that results from substances having been dissolved or suspended in water, typically during the use of water in an industrial manufacturing process or the cleaning activities that take place along with that process. Tune in to learn what happens after treatment. The treated industrial wastewater may be reused or released to a sanitary sewer or to a surface water in the environment which is a common misconception. If you’d like a copy of The Lifecycle of Wastewater eBook, you can find it on our website at www.ercmidwest.com.

Lynn Corazzi is the founder and CEO of Data2Profit Consulting. He’s best known as the Data Magician. He helps companies double sales and profit growth rates by using untapped data to make better decisions, have greater insights and develop more powerful strategies. In this episode, we talk about how Lynn’s team dives into your data to resolve the pitfalls inside your CRM systems, clean up Messy Data, help you use data rather than your gut to make great decisions, aligning your team around data and how Data Confidence Propels a Business Forward.

Food waste is a global problem. It’s not solely a production problem. Often, it’s a distribution problem as well. On top of that, in many parts of the world women are disenfranchised. They don’t have the same opportunities as men do to earn money and support their families. Agricycle’s mission is to change that game. For example, mango trees are abundant in Sub Saharan Africa. And they bear a lot of fruit. More than can be consumed locally or transported long distances because it’s perishable. Agricycle’s founders saw that this was a problem and went to work to create the solution. Partnering with the community of women farmers, Agricycle Global created an upcycling model that immediately increased the percentage of mangos that could be processed and sold, rather than rot on the ground. The model leveraged an Agricycle designed inexpensive and highly effective fruit dehydrator with women farmer’s willing to purchase and operate them. It’s helped the women earn 7-10 times the normal wage in their community. Their brand, Jali Fruit, has a long shelf life, allowing it to be shipped to markets around the world. Today, we’re joined by Josh Shefner, one of the company’s founders to tell us the story of how they’ve gotten where they are today. Along the way, you’ll learn about the many ways Agricycle benefits communities by empowering over 40,000 farmers all around the world, and you’ll also hear about other exciting and innovative products developed by the company that are yet to hit shelves.

Every so often, the stars align and the perfect entrepreneurial opportunity reveals itself to just the right person. They spot the perfect niche, have a spark of inspiration, and after a tremendous amount of hard work, a stellar business is born. In today’s case, that person is Ana Kraft, and that stellar business is Xena Workwear, a company that’s redefining workplace attire for women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers. Xena Workwear produces footwear and other attire for women that’s as stylish as it is functional. On today’s episode of Working Without Waste, we’ll learn more about the story behind Xena Workwear, and take a deep dive into how this creative business went from concept to design and finally, production. We’ll touch on how the idea came to be, and discuss Kraft’s time working with gBETA, Milwaukee’s nationally-renowned startup accelerator program.After listening to this inspiring episode, head to xenaworkwear.com to read more about the company, check out their products, and get inspired by their series of fantastic blog posts focused on empowering women and being yourself in the workplace.

The modern workplace is filled with tools meant to make life easier: Email. Google Drive. CRMs. Excel. SCMs. Slack. Google Docs. Mailchimp.The list goes on endlessly, and each platform — though usually helpful in some way — presents a new learning curve and another tab to get lost in the fray with the thirteen you’ve already got open.Enter Monday.com: A super-modular platform that helps teams manage their work. Monday is built up of boards that can be linked and automated to create entire workflows and processes, handling just about anything. Sales to delivery, project brief to creative asset completion and more, it can truly do it all.This week, we sat down with Ophir Penso who joined us from Tel Aviv, Israel to talk about all things Monday. He’s the Global Director of Channel Partnerships at the company, and over the course of our chat, we uncovered a lot of interesting information about the company’s technologies, how its customers use the platform, and how allowing companies to easily create their own processes and digital applications is changing the future of the workplace.Tune in, and you’re sure to be wowed and inspired a few times along the way.

No matter what you do for work, chances are, your workplace has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. For many people that work in an office, this has meant a transition to working from home, or very reduced time in an office with limited capacity. Though some people thrive working remotely, many employees enjoy the separation of work life and home life and look forward to the day they can physically return to work.Today, we sit down with Sande Golgart, President of ZONEZ, to discuss the company’s revolutionary Clean ZONEZ technology. They’re rethinking the ways in which we treat air in the office environment by addressing the source, building complex and effective filtration systems into their already-successful modular office layouts.Tune in to this week’s show, and you’ll hear even more about how this innovative technology hit the market so quickly and effectively. We’ll also discuss how it works, what kind of filters are used, and discuss the design of the product from concept to market.

Most of us are probably familiar with virtual reality in one way, shape, or form. This quickly developing tech sector is widespread in the video game, movie, and software industries.Since then, many users have been whisked away to virtual lands far and wide — but one company is here to embrace the more practical, lesser-explored side of virtual reality: VR training. Today, we’ll sit down with Steve GrubbS, the Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of Chalkbites, a VR training company that’s here to change the way we learn in the workplace.

Managed IT is, more or less, the outsourcing of some or all of a company’s IT operations. For some businesses, this means hiring a managed IT firm to handle everything: purchasing and setting up computers and servers, training employees on equipment, strategizing for future technological growth, and much more. For other businesses, managed IT functions as an expert guide, offering advice for big projects like cloud migration, server room design, and even IT hiring.So, how does it all work? On this week’s podcast, we’re joined by Dave Stamm, CEO of Stamm Technologies, to talk about all things managed IT. Listen in, and you’ll learn about Dave’s story, how Stamm Technologies and their clients are adapting to COVID, and what the technological future of the workplace might look like. We’ll also hear Dave’s opinion on the ol’ server vs. cloud debate, and you’re also sure to pick up a few tips to help streamline the IT experience in your workplace.

Private equity sometimes gets a bad rap, but it’s not always warranted. Like any investment firm, it all comes down to the people behind the company, and the good news is, many private equity firms really do care about the business at hand.Sequoya Borgman, Founder & Managing Director of Borgman Capital, has made it his sole prerogative to keep the best interest of any business and its owner top of mind. Today, we’ll chat with this entrepreneurial-minded owner about what private equity companies do.You’ll learn about how private equity investments help small businesses, where the money comes from, and learn how many owners are able to grow their companies when they accept a bit of expert advice.

For many people, persisting health problems present a daily struggle. Visiting specialists, trying different medications, and working toward a healthier lifestyle can take up a lot of time. Often, it can be frustrating to track down the root of a particular health problem — the symptoms that manifest, don’t necessarily present a clear diagnosis or path for treatment, and too often, the root cause of the symptoms are never known.But what happens when patients don’t even realize they’re having symptoms? What happens when the body has been dealing with the issues so long that it’s adapted, leaving patients unaware there’s any underlying issue at all?Dr. Madan Kandula, ENT and CEO/Founder of Advent, sees many patients that are unaware of their problems. People suffering from depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, and even weight gain are often unaware that issues stem from airway problems that lead to poor sleep.Listen to this week’s episode and you’ll hear about the many ways Dr. Kandula helps reduce waste in his patients’ lives by ensuring restful sleep to foster more energetic, productive days.

How do you go about hiring when the world’s flipped on its head? For Amy Fallucca, CEO and Founder of Bravent, it’s all about taking a practical approach. Bravent is a strong player in the HR consulting and recruitment world, and their tailored process has changed the ways companies hire for the better. They paint a comprehensive picture of the role that needs to be filled, and dedicated recruiters work hand-in-hand with the business in need to ensure the person they pick is right for the job.Her smart techniques borrow the best from other industries, and you’re sure to learn something from her practical, entrepreneurial mindset. During our talk, we’ll cover how new technology has shaped the recruiting world, discuss how big data is coming into play in the HR world, give a few tips to our job-seeking listeners, and more.

A lot of folks are intimidated when they think of selling. You might know your product like the back of your hand, believe in it fully, and trust it to the ends of the Earth — but when you go to pitch that product, you find yourself getting cold feet. Why is that?Well, in short, people aren’t buying your product; they’re buying you. Sales is all about relationships, and this episode’s guest, Dean Nardi, knows a thing or two about them. His sales expertise has helped him gain a fantastic position as Executive Vice President of Business Relations at Tradebe Environmental Services.Dean is a tremendous individual to work with, and today, we get to pick his sales brain a bit. We’ll hear about his approach to educating clients, dig into his beliefs about selling and interpersonal relationships, and even divulge a few secrets about the future of the waste industry and its technologies. Enjoy! You’re sure to learn a thing or two from this one.

Sometimes, complex chemical reactions don’t go quite as planned. In the case you’ll hear about today, a reaction that took place inside an 8,000-gallon tank — one about the size of a gasoline tanker you’d see driving — got especially sticky.Tom Held is a Project Manager here at ERC Midwest, and he’s solved quite a few complex waste solutions in his day. In this particular situation, he saved our client massive amounts of time and money by thinking outside the box. Normally, Tom describes the process for something like this as creating a “violent environment” for the workers that have to clear out the reactor. There’s one way in and one way out, and the guys are placed carefully inside with a breathing lifeline and a shotgun, a cleaning tool with about the same kickback as a Winchester 1897. What was Tom’s elegant solution that saved time, money, and safety risk? Tune in and find out!

If you’re a business owner, you know one thing for sure — you’re never able to address every single little issue that pops up. Choosing what to tackle next can be tough, and putting out small fires can get in the way of achieving your growth goals.So what’s there to do? Here at ERC Midwest, we gave the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) a run. After seeing great results, we wanted to share a bit about the system with you, our listeners, and let you know how it’s helped us streamline our operations. On this episode of Working Without Waste, we’ll sit down with Drew Acklam, the General Manager here at ERC Midwest, to talk all things EOS. You’ll learn about what it was like to implement the system, how it’s improved our day-to-day operations across the board, and even how it’s helped us through business operations during COVID-19.

When most people think of podcasting, they see a form of entertainment and don’t immediately see a tool that can be used for business. But Richie Burke, Founder and CEO of GoGeddit Marketing and Media, has embraced audio as the next big consumable medium, building successful marketing strategies with podcasting as the cornerstone. On this inaugural episode of Working Without Waste, host Mike Malatesta talks with Richie about using podcasting as a content machine. They’ll dive into why ERC Midwest decided to embrace the medium, why podcasting is a good play for many businesses, and why audio is an efficient medium to create content and convey your message.

Welcome to our introductory episode of Working Without Waste. At ERC Midwest, we solve complex industrial waste problems – but on this show, we’ll be sharing stories focused on ways you can eliminate wasted time, energy, and resources in your daily life.Today, you’ll meet your host, Mike Malatesta, and get a quick preview of our great conversations with guests Richie Burke, Drew Acklam, and Tom Held. We hope you enjoy what you hear, and get value out of each episode moving forward. Thanks so much for tuning in.