Podcasts about empower your team

What if the toughest moments in your life were preparing you to lead better, serve deeper, and live with more purpose? In this episode of Unstoppable Mindset, I sit down with Greg Hess, known to many as Coach Hess, for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, resilience, trust, and what it really means to help others grow. Greg shares lessons shaped by a lifetime of coaching athletes, leading business teams, surviving pancreatic cancer, and building companies rooted in service and inclusion. We talk about why humor matters, how trust is built in real life, and why great leaders stop focusing on control and start focusing on growth. Along the way, Greg reflects on teamwork, diversity, vision, and the mindset shifts that turn adversity into opportunity. I believe you will find this conversation practical, honest, and deeply encouraging. Highlights: 00:10 – Hear how Greg Hess's early life and love of sports shaped his leadership values. 04:04 – Learn why humor and laughter are essential tools for reducing stress and building connection. 11:59 – Discover how chasing the right learning curve redirected Greg's career path. 18:27 – Understand how a pancreatic cancer diagnosis reshaped Greg's purpose and priorities. 31:32 – Hear how reframing adversity builds lasting resilience. 56:22 – Learn the mindset shift leaders need to grow people and strengthen teams. About the Guest: Amazon Best-Selling Author | Award-Winning Business Coach | Voted Best Coach in Katy, TX Greg Hess—widely known as Coach Hess—is a celebrated mentor, author, and leader whose journey from athletic excellence to business mastery spans decades and continents. A graduate of the University of Calgary (1978), he captained the basketball team, earned All-Conference honors, and later competed against legends like John Stockton and Dennis Rodman. His coaching career began in the high school ranks and evolved to the collegiate level, where he led programs with distinction and managed high-profile events like Magic Johnson's basketball camps. During this time, he also earned his MBA from California Lutheran University in just 18 months. Transitioning from sports to business in the early '90s, Coach Hess embarked on a solo bicycle tour from Jasper, Alberta to Thousand Oaks, California—symbolizing a personal and professional reinvention. He went on to lead teams and divisions across multiple industries, ultimately becoming Chief Advisor for Cloud Services at Halliburton. Despite his corporate success, he was always “Coach” at heart—known for inspiring teams, shaping strategy, and unlocking human potential. In 2015, a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer became a pivotal moment. Surviving and recovering from the disease renewed his commitment to purpose. He left the corporate world to build the Coach Hess brand—dedicated to transforming lives through coaching. Today, Coach Hess is recognized as a Best Coach in Katy, TX and an Amazon Best-Selling Author, known for helping entrepreneurs, professionals, and teams achieve breakthrough results. Coach Hess is the author of: Peak Experiences Breaking the Business Code Achieving Peak Performance: The Entrepreneur's Journey He resides in Houston, Texas with his wife Karen and continues to empower clients across the globe through one-on-one coaching, strategic planning workshops, and his Empower Your Team program. Ways to connect with Greg**:** Email:  coach@coachhess.comWebsite: www.CoachHess.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachhess Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachHessSuccess Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachhess_official/ About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! 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Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson  01:21 Well, hi everyone. I am Michael Hinkson. Your host for unstoppable mindset. And today we get to enter, well, I won't say interview, because it's really more of a conversation. We get to have a conversation with Greg. Hess better known as coach Hess and we'll have to learn more about that, but he has accomplished a lot in the world over the past 70 or so years. He's a best selling author. He's a business coach. He's done a number of things. He's managed magic Johnson's basketball camps, and, my gosh, I don't know what all, but he does, and he's going to tell us. So Coach, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad that we have a chance to be with you today. Greg Hess  02:07 I'm honored to be here. Michael, thank you very much, and it's just a pleasure to be a part of your program and the unstoppable mindset. Thank you for having me. Michael Hingson  02:17 Well, we're glad you're here and looking forward to having a lot of fun. Why don't we start? I love to start with tell us about kind of the early Greg growing up and all that stuff. Greg Hess  02:30 Oh boy, yeah, I was awfully fortunate, I think, to have a couple of parents that were paying attention to me, I guess. You know, as I grew up, at the same time they were growing up my my father was a Marine returned from the Korean War, and I was born shortly after that, and he worked for Westinghouse Electric as a nuclear engineer. We lived in Southern California for a while, but I was pretty much raised in Idaho, small town called Pocatello, Idaho, and Idaho State Universities there and I, I found a love for sports. I was, you know, again, I was very fortunate to be able to be kind of coordinated and do well with baseball, football, basketball, of course, with the sports that we tend to do. But yeah, I had a lot of fun doing that and growing up, you know, under a, you know, the son of a Marine is kind of like being the son of a Marine. I guess, in a way, there was certain ways you had to function and, you know, and morals and values that you carried forward and pride and doing good work that I learned through, through my youth. And so, you know, right, being raised in Idaho was a real great experience. How so well, a very open space. I mean, in those days, you know, we see kids today and kids being brought up. I think one of the things that often is missing, that was not missing for me as a youth, is that we would get together as a group in the neighborhood, and we'd figure out the rules of the game. We'd figure out whatever we were playing, whether it was basketball or, you know, kick the can or you name it, but we would organize ourselves and have a great time doing that as a community in our neighborhood, and as kids, we learn to be leaders and kind of organize ourselves. Today, that is not the case. And so I think so many kids are built into, you know, the parents are helicopter, and all the kids to all the events and non stop going, going, going. And I think we're losing that leadership potential of just organizing and planning a little bit which I was fortunate to have that experience, and I think it had a big influence on how I grew up and built built into the leader that I believe I am today. Michael Hingson  04:52 I had a conversation with someone earlier today on another podcast episode, and one of the observations. Sense that he made is that we don't laugh at ourselves today. We don't have humor today. Everything is taken so seriously we don't laugh, and the result of that is that we become very stressed out. Greg Hess  05:15 Yeah, well, if you can't laugh at yourself, you know, but as far as I know, you've got a large background in your sales world and so on. But I found that in working with people, to to get them to be clients or to be a part of my world, is that if they can laugh with me, or I can laugh with them, or we can get them laughing, there's a high tendency of conversion and them wanting to work with you. There's just something about relationships and be able to laugh with people. I think that draw us closer in a different way, and I agree it's missing. How do we make that happen more often? Tell more jokes or what? Michael Hingson  05:51 Well, one of the things that he suggests, and he's a coach, a business coach, also he he tells people, turn off the TV, unplug your phone, go read a book. And he said, especially, go buy a joke book. Just find some ways to make yourself laugh. And he spends a lot of time talking to people about humor and laughter. And the whole idea is to deal with getting rid of stress, and if you can laugh, you're going to be a whole lot less stressful. Greg Hess  06:23 There's something that you just feel so good after a good laugh, you know, I mean, guy, I feel that way sometimes after a good cry. You know, when I'm I tend to, you know, like Bambi comes on, and I know what happens to that little fawn, or whatever, the mother and I can't, you know, but cry during the credits. What's up with that? Michael Hingson  06:45 Well, and my wife was a teacher. My late wife was a teacher for 10 years, and she read Old Yeller. And eventually it got to the point where she had to have somebody else read the part of the book where, where yeller gets killed. Oh, yeah. Remember that book? Well, I do too. I like it was a great it's a great book and a great movie. Well, you know, talk about humor, and I think it's really important that we laugh at ourselves, too. And you mentioned Westinghouse, I have a Westinghouse story, so I'll tell it. I sold a lot of products to Westinghouse, and one day I was getting ready to travel back there, the first time I went back to meet the folks in Pittsburgh, and I had also received an order, and they said this order has to be here. It's got to get it's urgent, so we did all the right things. And I even went out to the loading dock the day before I left for Westinghouse, because that was the day it was supposed to ship. And I even touched the boxes, and the shipping guy said, these are them. They're labeled. They're ready to go. So I left the next morning, went to Westinghouse, and the following day, I met the people who I had worked with over the years, and I had even told them I saw the I saw the pack, the packages on the dock, and when they didn't come in, and I was on an airplane, so I didn't Know this. They called and they spoke to somebody else at at the company, and they said the boxes aren't here, and they're supposed to be here, and and she's in, the lady said, I'll check on it. And they said, Well, Mike said he saw him on the dock, and she burst out laughing because she knew. And they said, What are you laughing at? And he said, he saw him on the dock. You know, he's blind, don't you? And so when I got there, when I got there, they had and it wasn't fun, but, well, not totally, because what happened was that the President decided to intercept the boxes and send it to somebody else who he thought was more important, more important than Westinghouse. I have a problem with that. But anyway, so they shipped out, and they got there the day I arrived, so they had arrived a day late. Well, that was okay, but of course, they lectured me, you didn't see him on the dock. I said, No, no, no, you don't understand, and this is what you have to think about. Yeah, I didn't tell you I was blind. Why should I the definition of to see in the dictionary is to perceive you don't have to use your eyes to see things. You know, that's the problem with you. Light dependent people. You got to see everything with your eyes. Well, I don't have to, and they were on the dock, and anyway, we had a lot of fun with it, but I have, but you got to have humor, and we've got to not take things so seriously. I agree with what we talked about earlier, with with this other guest. It's it really is important to to not take life so seriously that you can't have some fun. And I agree that. There are serious times, but still, you got to have fun. Greg Hess  10:02 Yeah, no kidding. Well, I've got a short story for you. Maybe it fits in with that. That one of the things I did when I I'll give a little background on this. I, I was a basketball coach and school teacher for 14 years, and had an opportunity to take over an assistant coach job at California Lutheran University. And I was able to choose whatever I wanted to in terms of doing graduate work. And so I said, you know, and I'd always been a bike rider. So I decided to ride my bike from up from Jasper, Alberta, all the way down to 1000 Oaks California on a solo bike ride, which was going to be a big event, but I wanted to think about what I really wanted to do. And, you know, I loved riding, and I thought was a good time to do that tour, so I did it. And so I'm riding down the coast, and once I got into California, there's a bunch of big redwoods there and so on, yeah, and I had, I set up my camp. You know, every night I camped out. I was totally solo. I didn't have any support, and so I put up my tent and everything. And here a guy came in, big, tall guy, a German guy, and he had ski poles sticking out of the back of his backpack, you know, he set up camp, and we're talking that evening. And I had, you know, sitting around the fire. I said, Look, his name was Axel. I said, Hey, Axel, what's up with the ski poles? And he says, Well, I was up in Alaska and, you know, and I was climbing around in glaciers or whatever, and when I started to ride here, they're pretty light. I just take them with me. And I'm thinking, that's crazy. I mean, you're thinking every ounce, every ounce matters when you're riding those long distances. Anyway, the story goes on. Next morning, I get on my bike, and I head down the road, and, you know, I go for a day, I don't see sea axle or anything, but the next morning, I'm can't stop at a place around Modesto California, something, whether a cafe, and I'm sitting in the cafe, and there's, probably, it's a place where a lot of cyclists hang out. So there was, like, 20 or 30 cycles leaning against the building, and I showed up with, you know, kind of a bit of an anomaly. I'd ridden a long time, probably 1500 miles or so at that point in 15 days, and these people were all kind of talking to me and so on. Well, then all sudden, I look up why I'm eating breakfast, and here goes the ski poles down the road. And I went, Oh my gosh, that's got to be him. So I jump up out of my chair, and I run out, and I yell, hey Axel. Hey Axel, loud as I could. And he stops and starts coming back. And then I look back at the cafe, and all these people have their faces up on the windows, kind of looking like, oh, what's going to happen? And they thought that I was saying, mistakenly, Hey, asshole, oh gosh, Michael Hingson  12:46 well, hopefully you straighten that out somehow. Immediately. Greg Hess  12:50 We had a great time and a nice breakfast and moved on. But what an experience. Yeah, sometimes we cross up on our communications. People don't quite get what's going on, they're taking things too seriously, maybe, huh? Michael Hingson  13:03 Oh, yeah, we always, sometimes hear what we want to hear. Well, so what did you get your college degree in? Greg Hess  13:10 Originally? My first Yeah, well, I'd love the question my first degree. I had a bachelor of education for years, but then I went on, and then I had my choice here of graduate work, right? And, you know, I looked at education, I thought, gosh, you know, if I answered committee on every test, I'll probably pass. I said, I need something more than this. So I in the bike ride, what I what I came to a conclusion was that the command line being DOS command line was the way we were computing. Yeah, that time in the 90s, we were moving into something we call graphical user interface, of course, now it's the way we live in so many ways. And I thought, you know, that's the curve. I'm going to chase that. And so I did an MBA in business process re engineering at Cal Lu, and knocked that off in 18 months, where I had a lot of great experiences learning, you know, being an assistant coach, and got to do some of magic Johnson's camps for him while I was there, California. Lutheran University's campus is where the Cowboys used to do their training camp, right? So they had very nice facilities, and so putting on camps like that and stuff were a good thing. And fairly close to the LA scene, of course, 1000 Oaks, right? You know that area? Michael Hingson  14:25 Oh, I do, yeah, I do. I do pretty well, yeah. So, so you, you, you're always involved in doing coaching. That was just one of the things. When you started to get involved in sports, in addition to playing them, you found that coaching was a useful thing for you to do. Absolutely. Greg Hess  14:45 I loved it. I loved the game. I love to see people grow. And yeah, it was just a thrill to be a part of it. I got published a few times, and some of the things that I did within it, but it was mostly. Right, being able to change a community. Let me share this with you. When I went to West Lake Village High School, this was a very, very wealthy area, I had, like Frankie avalon's kid in my class and stuff. And, you know, I'm riding bike every day, so these kids are driving up in Mercedes and BMW parking lot. And as I looked around the school and saw and we build a basketball and I needed to build more pride, I think in the in the community, I felt was important part of me as the head coach, they kind of think that the head coach of their basketball program, I think, is more important than the mayor. I never could figure that one out, but that was where I was Michael Hingson  15:37 spend some time in North Carolina, around Raleigh, Durham, you'll understand, Greg Hess  15:41 yeah, yeah, I get that. So Kentucky, yeah, yeah, yeah, big basketball places, yeah. So what I concluded, and I'd worked before in building, working with Special Olympics, and I thought, You know what we can do with this school, is we can have a special olympics tournament, because I got to know the people in LA County that were running, especially in Ventura County, and we brought them together, and we ran a tournament, and we had a tournament of, I don't know, maybe 24 teams in total. It was a big deal, and it was really great to get the community together, because part of my program was that I kind of expected everybody, you know, pretty strong expectation, so to say, of 20 hours of community service. If you're in our basketball program, you got to have some way, whether it's with your church or whatever, I want to recognize that you're you're out there doing something for the community. And of course, I set this Special Olympics event up so that everybody had the opportunity to do that. And what a change it made on the community. What a change it made on the school. Yeah, it was great for the Special Olympians, and then they had a blast. But it was the kids that now were part of our program, the athletes that had special skills, so to say, in their world, all of a sudden realized that the world was a different place, and it made a big difference in the community. People supported us in a different way. I was just really proud to have that as kind of a feather in my calf for being there and recognizing that and doing it was great. Michael Hingson  17:08 So cool. And now, where are you now? I'm in West Houston. That's right, you're in Houston now. So yeah, Katie, Texas area. Yeah, you've moved around well, so you, you started coaching. And how long did you? Did you do that? Greg Hess  17:30 Well, I coached for 14 years in basketball, right? And then I went into business after I graduated my MBA, and I chased the learning curve. Michael, of that learning curve I talked about a few minutes ago. You know, it was the graphical user interface and the compute and how all that was going to affect us going forward. And I continued to chase that learning curve, and had all kinds of roles and positions in the process, and they paid me a little more money as I went along. It was great. Ended up being the chief advisor for cloud services at Halliburton. Yeah, so I was an upstream guy, if you know that, I mean seismic data, and where we're storing seismic data now, the transition was going, I'm not putting that in the cloud. You kidding me? That proprietary data? Of course, today we know how we exist, but in those days, we had to, you know, build little separate silos to carry the data and deliver it accordingly for the geophysicists and people to make the decision on the drill bit. So we did really well at that in that role. Or I did really well and the team that I had just what did fantastic. You know, I was real proud I just got when I was having my 70th birthday party, I invited one of the individuals on that team, guy named Will Rivera. And will ended up going to Google after he'd worked us in there. I talked him into, or kind of convinced him so to say, or pushed him, however you do that in coaching. Coached him into getting an MBA, and then he's gone on and he tells me, You better be sitting down, coach. When he talked to him a couple days ago, I just got my PhD from George Washington University in AI technology, and I just turned inside out with happiness. It was so thrilling to hear that you know somebody you'd worked with. But while I was at Halliburton, I got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Michael, and so that's what changed me into where I am today, as a transition and transformation. Michael Hingson  19:21 Well, how did that happen? Because I know usually people say pancreatic cancer is pretty undetectable. How did it happen that you were fortunate enough to get it diagnosed? It obviously, what might have been a somewhat early age or early early Greg Hess  19:35 time, kind of a miracle, I guess. You know. I mean, I was traveling to my niece's high school graduation in Helena, Montana. And when we were returning back to Houston, we flew through Denver, and I was suffering from some very serious a fib. Was going up 200 beats a minute, and, you know, down to 100 and it was, it was all. Over the place. And I got the plane. I wasn't feeling well, of course, and they put me on a gurney. And next thing you know, I'm on the way the hospital. And, you know, they were getting ready for an embolotic, nimbalism potential, those type of things. And, and I went to the hospital, they're testing everything out, getting, you know, saying, Well, before we put your put the shock paddles on your on your heart to get back, we better do a CAT scan. And so they CAT scan me, and came back from the CAT scan and said, Well, you know what, there's no blood clot issues, but this mass in your pancreas is a concern. And so that was the discovery of that. And 14 days from that point, I had had surgery. And you know, there was no guarantees even at that point, even though we, you know, we knew we were early that, you know, I had to get things in order. And I was told to put things in order, a little bit going into it. But miracles upon miracles, they got it all. I came away with a drainage situation where they drained my pancreas for almost six months. It was a terrible pancreatic fluids, not good stuff. It really eats up your skin, and it was bad news. But here I am, you know, and when I came away from that, a lot of people thought I was going to die because I heard pancreatic cancer, and I got messages from people that were absolutely powerful in the difference I'd made in their life by being a coach and a mentor and helping them along in their life, and I realized that the big guy upstairs saved me for a reason, and I made my put my stake in the ground, and said, You know what? I'm going to do this the best I can, and that's what I've been doing for the last eight years. Michael Hingson  21:32 So what caused the afib? Greg Hess  21:35 Yeah, not sure. Okay, so when they came, I became the clipboard kid a little bit, you know. Because what the assumption was is that as soon as I came out of surgery, and they took this tumor out of me, because I was in a fib, throughout all of surgery, AFib went away. And they're thinking now, the stress of a tumor could be based on the, you know, it's a stress disease, or so on the a fib, there could be high correlation. And so they started looking into that, and I think they still are. But you know, if you got a fib, maybe we should look for tumors somewhere else is the potential they were thinking. And, yeah, that, Michael Hingson  22:14 but removing the tumor, when you tumor was removed, the AFib went away. Yeah, wow, Greg Hess  22:22 yeah, disappeared. Wow, yeah. Michael Hingson  22:26 I had someone who came on the podcast some time ago, and he had a an interesting story. He was at a bar one night. Everything was fine, and suddenly he had this incredible pain down in his his testicles. Actually went to the hospital to discover that he had very serious prostate cancer, and had no clue that that was even in the system until the pain and and so. But even so, they got it early enough that, or was in such a place where they got it and he's fine. Greg Hess  23:07 Wow, whoa. Well, stuff they do with medicine these days, the heart and everything else. I mean, it's just fantastic. I I recently got a new hip put in, and it's been like a new lease on life for me. Michael, I am, I'm golfing like I did 10 years ago, and I'm, you know, able to ride my bike and not limp around, you know, and with just pain every time I stepped and it's just so fantastic. I'm so grateful for that technology and what they can do with that. Michael Hingson  23:36 Well, I went through heart valve replacement earlier this year, and I had had a physical 20 years ago or or more, and they, they said, as part of it, we did an EKG or an echo cardiogram. And he said, You got a slightly leaky heart valve. It may never amount to anything, but it might well. It finally did, apparently. And so we went in and they, they orthoscopically went in and they replaced the valve. So it was really cool. It took an hour, and we were all done, no open heart surgery or anything, which was great. And, yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I feel a whole lot better Greg Hess  24:13 that you do does a lot. Yeah, it's fantastic. Well, making that commitment to coaching was a big deal for me, but, you know, it, it's brought me more joy and happiness. And, you know, I just, I'll share with you in terms of the why situation for me. When I came away from that, I started thinking about, why am I, kind of, you know, a lot of what's behind what you're what you're doing, and what brings you joy? And I went back to when I was eight years old. I remember dribbling the ball down the basketball court, making a fake, threw a pass over to one of my buddies. They scored the layup, and we won the game. That moment, at that time, passing and being a part of sharing with someone else, and growing as a group, and kind of feeling a joy, is what I continued to probably for. To all my life. You know, you think about success, and it's how much money you make and how much this and whatever else we were in certain points of our life. I look back on all this and go, you know, when I had real happiness, and what mattered to me is when I was bringing joy to others by giving assist in whatever. And so I'm at home now, and it's a shame I didn't understand that at 60 until I was 62 years old, but I'm very focused, and I know that's what brings me joy, so that's what I like to do, and that's what I do. Michael Hingson  25:30 I know for me, I have the honor and the joy of being a speaker and traveling to so many places and speaking and so on. And one of the things that I tell people, and I'm sure they don't believe it until they experience it for themselves, is this isn't about me. I'm not in it for me. I am in it to help you to do what I can to make your event better. When I travel somewhere to speak, I'm a guest, and my job is to make your life as easy as possible and not complicated. And I'm I know that there are a lot of people who don't necessarily buy that, until it actually happens. And I go there and and it all goes very successfully, but people, you know today, were so cynical about so many things, it's just hard to convince people. Greg Hess  26:18 Yeah, yeah. Well, I know you're speaking over 100 times a year these days. I think that's that's a lot of work, a lot of getting around Michael Hingson  26:27 it's fun to speak, so I enjoy it. Well, how did you get involved in doing things like managing the Magic Johnson camps? Greg Hess  26:37 Well, because I was doing my MBA and I was part of the basketball program at Cal Lu, you know, working under Mike Dunlap. It just he needed a little bit of organization on how to do the business management side of it. And I got involved with that. I had a lunch with magic, and then it was, well, gee, why don't you help us coordinate all our camps or all our station work? And so I was fortunate enough to be able to do that for him. I'll just share a couple things from that that I remember really well. One of the things that magic just kind of, I don't know, patted me on the back, like I'm a superstar in a way. And you remember that from a guy like magic, I put everybody's name on the side of their shoe when they register. Have 100 kids in the camp, but everybody's name is on the right side of their shoe. And magic saw that, and he realized being a leader, that he is, that he could use his name and working, you know, their name by looking there, how powerful that was for him to be more connected in which he wants to be. That's the kind of guy he was. So that was one thing, just the idea of name. Now, obviously, as a teacher, I've always kind of done the name thing, and I know that's important, but, you know, I second thing that's really cool with the magic camp is that the idea of camaraderie and kind of tradition and bringing things together every morning we'd be sitting in the gym, magic could do a little story, you know, kind of tell everybody something that would inspire him, you know, from his past and so on. But each group had their own sound off. Michael, so if he pointed at your group, it would be like, or whatever it was. Each group had a different type of sound, and every once in a while we'd use it and point it kind of be a motivator. And I never really put two and two together until the last day of the camp on Friday. Magic says, When I point to your group, make your sound. And so he starts pointing to all the different groups. And it turns out to be Michigan State Spartans fight song to the tee. Figured that out. It was just fantastic. It gives me chills just telling you about it now, remembering how powerful was when everybody kind of came together. Now, you being a speaker, I'm sure you felt those things when you bring everybody together, and it all hits hard, but that was, that was one I remember. Michael Hingson  28:50 Well, wow, that's pretty funny, cute, yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, he has always been a leader, and it's very clear that he was, and I remember the days it was Magic Johnson versus Larry Bird. Greg Hess  29:10 Yeah, yeah. Well, when he came to LA you know, they had Kareem and Byron Scott, a whole bunch of senior players, and he came in as a 19 year old rookie, and by the end of that year, he was leading that team. Yeah, he was the guy driving the ship all the time, and he loved to give those assists. He was a great guy for that. Michael Hingson  29:30 And that's really the issue, is that as a as a real leader, it wasn't all about him at all. It was about how he could enhance the team. And I've always felt that way. And I you know, when I hire people, I always told them, I figure you convince me that you can do the job that I hired you to do. I'm not going to be your boss and boss you around. What I want to do is to work with you and figure out how the talents that I have can complement the talents that you have so that we can. Enhance and make you more successful than you otherwise would be. Some people got it, and unfortunately, all too many people didn't, and they ended up not being nearly as successful. But the people who got it and who I had the joy to work with and really enhance what they did, and obviously they helped me as well, but we they were more successful, and that was what was really important. Greg Hess  30:24 Yeah, yeah, I appreciate that. It's not about controlling, about growing. I mean, people grow, grow, grow, and, you know, helping them certainly. There's a reason. There's no I in team, right? And we've heard that in many times before. It's all about the group, group, pulling together. And what a lot of fun to have working in all throughout my life, in pulling teams together and seeing that happen. You know, one plus one equals three. I guess we call it synergy, that type of thinking, Michael Hingson  30:56 Yeah, well, you've faced a lot of adversity. Is, is the pancreatic cancer, maybe the answer to this, but what? What's a situation where you've really faced a lot of adversity and how it changed your life? You know you had to overcome major adversity, and you know what you learned from it? Greg Hess  31:16 Sure, I think being 100% honest and transparent. I'd say I went through a divorce in my life, and I think that was the most difficult thing I've gone through, you know, times where I'm talking to myself and being crazy and thinking stupid things and whatever. And I think the adversity that you learn and the resilience that you learn as you go, hey, I can move forward. I can go forward. And when you you see the light on the other side, and you start to create what's what's new and different for you, and be able to kind of leave the pain, but keep the happiness that connects from behind and go forward. I think that was a big part of that. But having resilience and transforming from whatever the event might be, obviously, pancreatic cancer, I talked about a transformation there. Anytime we kind of change things that I think the unstoppable mindset is really, you know what's within this program is about understanding that opportunities come from challenges. When we've got problems, we can turn them into opportunities. And so the adversity and the resilience that I think I'd like to try to learn and build and be a part of and helping people is taking what you see as a problem and changing your mindset into making it an opportunity. Michael Hingson  32:40 Yeah, yeah. Well, you've obviously had things that guided you. You had a good sense of vision and so on. And I talked a lot about, don't let your sight get in the way of your vision. But how's a good sense of vision guided you when necessarily the path wasn't totally obvious to you, have you had situations like that? Absolutely. Greg Hess  33:03 And I think the whole whole I write about it in my book in peak experiences, about having vision in terms of your future self, your future, think where you're going, visualize how that's going to happen. Certainly, as a basketball player, I would play the whole game before the game ever happened by visualizing it and getting it in my mind as to how it was going to happen. I do that with golf today. I'll look at every hole and I'll visualize what that vision is that I want to have in terms of getting it done. Now, when I have a vision where things kind of don't match up and I have to change that on the fly. Well, that's okay, you know that that's just part of life. And I think having resilience, because things don't always go your way, that's for sure. But the mindset you have around what happens when they don't go your way, you know, is big. My as a coach, as a business coach today, every one of my clients write a three, three month or 90 day plan every quarter that gets down to what their personal goal is, their must have goal. And then another kind of which is all about getting vision in place to start putting in actual tactical strategies to make all of that happen for the 90 day period. And that's a big part, I think, of kind of establishing the vision in you got to look in front of us what's going to happen, and we can control it if we have a good feel of it, you know, for ourselves, and get the lives and fulfillment we want out of life. I think, yeah, Michael Hingson  34:39 you've clearly been pretty resilient in a lot of ways, and you continue to exhibit it. What kinds of practices and processes have you developed that help you keep resilience personally and professionally? Greg Hess  34:54 I think one of them for sure is that I've I've lived a life where I've spent you. I'm going to say five out of seven days where I will do a serious type of workout. And right now bike riding. I'll ride several days a week, and, you know, get in 10 to 15 miles, not a lot, but, I mean, I've done but keeping the physical, physical being in the time, just to come down the time to think about what you're doing, and at the same time, for me, it's having a physical activity while I'm doing that, but it's a wind down time. I also do meditation. Every morning. I spend 15 minutes more or less doing affirmations associated to meditation, and that's really helped me get focused in my day. Basically, I look at my calendar and I have a little talk with every one of the things that are on my calendar about how I'm setting my day, you know? And that's my affirmation time. But yeah, those time things, I think report having habits that keep you resilient, and I think physical health has been important for me, and it's really helped me in a lot of ways at the same time, bringing my mind to, I think, accepting, in a transition of learning a little bit accepting the platinum rule, rather than the golden rule, I got to do unto others as they'd like to be treated by me. I don't need to treat people like they'd like to like I'd like to be treated. I need to treat them how they'd like to be treated by me, because they're not me, and I've had to learn that over time, better and better as I've got older. And how important that is? Michael Hingson  36:33 Well, yeah, undoubtedly, undoubtedly so. And I think that we, we don't put enough effort into thinking about, how does the other person really want to be treated? We again, it gets back, maybe in to a degree, in to our discussion about humor earlier we are we're so much into what is it all about for me, and we don't look at the other person, and the excuse is, well, they're not looking out for me. Why should I look out for them? Greg Hess  37:07 You know, one of the biggest breakthroughs I've had is working with a couple that own a business and Insurance Agency, and the they were doing okay when I started, when they've done much better. And you know, it's besides the story. The big part of the story is how they adjusted and adapted, and that she I think you're probably familiar with disc and I think most people that will be listening on the podcast are but D is a high D, dominant kind of person that likes to win and probably doesn't have a lot of time for the other people's feelings. Let's just put it that way to somebody that's a very high seed is very interested in the technology and everything else. And the two of them were having some challenges, you know, and and once we got the understanding of each other through looking at their disc profiles, all of a sudden things cleared up, a whole, whole bunch. And since then, they've just been a pinnacle of growth between the two of them. And it was just as simple as getting an understanding of going, you know, I got to look at it through your eyes, rather than my eyes. When it comes to being a leader in this company and how sure I'm still going to be demanding, still I'm going to be the I'm not going to apologize about it, but what I got him to do is carry a Q tip in his pocket, and so every time she got on him, kind of in the Bossy way. He just took out, pulled out the Q tip, and I said, that stands for quit taking it personal. Don't you love it? Michael Hingson  38:29 Yeah, well, and it's so important that we learn to communicate better. And I'm sure that had a lot to do with what happened with them. They started communicating better, yeah, yeah. Do you ever watch Do you ever watch a TV show on the Food Network channel? I haven't watched it for a while. Restaurant impossible. Greg Hess  38:51 Oh, restaurant impossible. Yeah, I think is that guy? Michael Hingson  38:55 No, that's not guy. It's my Michael. I'm blanking out Greg Hess  39:00 whatever. He goes in and fixes up a restaurant. Michael Hingson  39:03 He fixes up restaurants, yeah, and there was one show where that exact sort of thing was going on that people were not communicating, and some of the people relatives were about to leave, and so on. And he got them to really talk and be honest with each other, and it just cleared the whole thing up. Greg Hess  39:25 Yeah, yeah. It's amazing how that works. Michael Hingson  39:28 He's He's just so good at at analyzing situations like that. And I think that's one of the things that mostly we don't learn to do individually, much less collectively, is we don't work at being very introspective. So we don't analyze what we do and why what we do works or doesn't work, or how we could improve it. We don't take the time every day to do that, which is so unfortunate. Greg Hess  39:54 Oh boy, yeah, that continuous improvement Kaizen, all of that type of world. Critical to getting better, you know. And again, that comes back, I think, a little bit to mindset and saying, Hey, I'm gonna but also systems. I mean, I've always got systems in place that go, let's go back and look at that, and how, what can we do better? And if you keep doing it every time, you know, in a certain period, things get a lot better, and you have very fine tuning, and that's how you get distinguished businesses. I think, yeah, Michael Hingson  40:27 yeah, it's all about it's all about working together. So go ahead, I Greg Hess  40:31 was working with a guy at Disney, or guy had been at Disney, and he was talking about how they do touch point analysis for every every place that a customer could possibly touch anything in whatever happens in their environment, and how they analyze that on a, I think it was a monthly, or even at least a quarterly basis, where they go through the whole park and do an analysis on that. How can we make it better? Michael Hingson  40:55 Yeah, and I'm sure a lot of that goes back to Walt having a great influence. I wonder if they're doing as much of that as they used to. Greg Hess  41:04 Yeah, I don't know. I don't know, yeah, because it's getting pretty big and times change. Hopefully, culture Go ahead. I was gonna say a cultural perspective. I just thought of something I'd share with you that when I went into West Lake Village High School as a basketball coach, I walked into the gym and there was a lot of very tall I mean, it's a very competitive team and a competitive school, 611, six, nine kids, you know, that are only 16 years old. And I looked around and I realized that I'm kid from Canada here, you know, I gotta figure out how to make this all work in a quick, fast, in a hurry way. And I thought these kids were a little more interested in looking good than rather being good. And I think I'd been around enough basketball to see that and know that. And so I just developed a whole philosophy called psycho D right on the spot almost, which meant that we were going to build a culture around trying to hold teams under a common goal of 50 points, common goal, goal for successful teams. And so we had this. I started to lay that out as this is the way this program is going to work, guys and son of a gun, if we didn't send five of those guys onto division one full rides. And I don't think they would have got that if they you know, every college coach loves a kid who can play defense. Yeah, that's what we prided ourselves in. And, of course, the band got into it, the cheerleaders got into it, the whole thing. Of course, they bring in that special olympics thing, and that's part of that whole culture. Guess what? I mean, we exploded for the really powerful culture of of a good thing going on. I think you got to find that rallying point for all companies and groups that you work with. Don't you to kind of have that strong culture? Obviously, you have a very huge culture around your your world. Michael Hingson  42:54 Well, try and it's all about again, enhancing other people, and I want to do what I can do, but it's all about enhancing and helping others as well. Yeah. How about trust? I mean, that's very important in leadership. I'm sure you would, you would agree with that, whereas trust been a major part of things that you do, and what's an example of a place where trust really made all the difference in leadership and in endeavor that you were involved with? Greg Hess  43:29 Yeah, so often, clients that I've had probably don't have the they don't have the same knowledge and background in certain areas of you know, we all have to help each other and growing and having them to trust in terms of knowing their numbers and sharing with me what their previous six month P and L, or year to date, P and L, that kind of thing, so that I can take that profit and loss and build out a pro forma and build where we're going with the business. There's an element of trust that you have to have to give somebody all your numbers like that, and I'm asking for it on my first coaching session. And so how do I get that trust that quickly? I'm not sure exactly. It seems to work well for me. One of the things that I focus on in understanding people when I first meet and start to work with them is that by asking a simple question, I'll ask them something like, how was your weekend? And by their response, I can get a good bit of an idea whether I need to get to get them to trust me before they like me, or whether they get to get them to like me before they trust me. And if the response is, had a great weekend without any social response at all connected to it, then I know that I've got to get those people to trust me, and so I've got to present myself in a way that's very much under trust, where another the response might be. Had a great weekend, went out golfing with my buddies. Soon as I hear with the now I know I need to get that person to like. Me before they trust me. And so that's a skill set that I've developed, I think, and just recognizing who I'm trying and building trust. But it's critical. And once, once you trust somebody, and you'd show and they, you don't give them reason to not trust you, you know, you show up on time, you do all the right things. It gets pretty strong. Yeah, it doesn't take but, you know, five or six positive, that's what the guy said he's going to do. He's done it, and he's on top of it to start trusting people. I think, Well, Michael Hingson  45:31 I think that that trust is all around us. And, you know, we we keep hearing about people don't trust each other, and there's no trust anymore in the world. I think there's a lot of trust in the world. The issue isn't really a lack of trust totally. It's more we're not open to trust because we think everyone is out to get us. And unfortunately, there are all too many ways and times that that's been proven that people haven't earned our trust, and maybe we trusted someone, and we got burned for it, and so we we shut down, which we shouldn't do, but, but the reality is that trust is all around us. I mean, we trust that the internet is going to keep this conversation going for a while. I shouldn't say that, because now we're going to disappear, right? But, but, trust is really all around us, and one of the things that I tell people regularly is, look, I want to trust and I want people to trust me. If I find that I am giving my trust to someone and they don't reciprocate or they take advantage of it. That tells me something, and I won't deal with that person anymore, but I'm not going to give up on the idea of trust, because trust is so important, and I think most people really want to trust and I think that they do want to have trusting relationships. Greg Hess  47:02 Yeah, totally agree with you on that, you know. And when it's one of those things, when you know you have it, you don't have to talk about it, you just have it, you know, it's there, right? Michael Hingson  47:16 Yeah, and then, well, it's, it's like, I talk about, well, in the book that I wrote last year, live, it was published last year, live like a guide dog. Guide Dogs do love unconditionally, I'm absolutely certain about that, but they don't trust unconditionally. But the difference between them and us, unless there's something that is just completely traumatized them, which isn't usually the case, they're open to trust, and they want to trust and they want to develop trusting relationships. They want us to be the pack leaders. They know we're supposed to be able to do that. They want to know what we expect of them. But they're open to trust, and even so, when I'm working with like a new guide dog. I think it takes close to a year to really develop a full, complete, two way trusting relationship, so that we really essentially know what each other's thinking. But when you get that relationship, it's second to none. Greg Hess  48:15 Yeah, isn't that interesting? How long were you with Rosella? Before the event, Michael Hingson  48:21 Rosella and I were together. Let's see we Oh, what was it? It was February or May. No, it was the November of 1999 so it was good two year. Good two years. Yeah, wow, yeah. So, you know, we we knew each other. And you know, even so, I know that in that in any kind of a stressful situation, and even not in a stressful situation, my job is to make sure that I'm transmitting competence and trust to Roselle, or now to Alamo. And the idea is that on September 11, I all the way down the stairs just continue to praise her, what a good job. You're doing a great job. And it was important, because I needed her to know first of all that I was okay, because she had to sense all of the concern that people had. None of us knew what was going on on the stairwell, but we knew that something was going on, and we figured out an airplane hit the building because we smelled jet fuel, but we didn't know the details, but clearly something was going on, so I needed to send her the message, I'm okay, and I'm with you and trust you and all that. And the result of that was that she continued to be okay, and if suddenly she were to suddenly behave in a manner that I didn't expect, then that would tell me that there's something different and something unusual that's going on that I have to look for. But we didn't have to have that, fortunately, which was great. It's. About trust, and it's all about developing a two way trust, yeah, Greg Hess  50:05 yeah, amazing. Well, and it's funny how, when you say trust, when in a situation where trust is lost, it's not so easily repaired, no, Michael Hingson  50:16 you know, yeah. And if it's really lost, it's because somebody's done something to betray the trust, unless somebody misinterprets, in which case you've got to communicate and get that, that that confidence level back, which can be done too. Greg Hess  50:33 Yeah, yeah. Important to be tuned and tuned into that, Michael Hingson  50:40 but it is important to really work to develop trust. And as I said, I think most people want to, but they're more often than not, they're just gun shy, so you have to really work at developing the trust. But if you can do it, what a relationship you get with people. Greg Hess  50:57 Circumstances, you know, and situational analysis change the level of trust, of course, in so many ways. And some people are trusting people where they shouldn't, you know, and in the right in the wrong environment. Sometimes you know, you have to be aware. I think people are fearful of that. I mean, just even in our electronic world, the scammers and those people you gotta, we get, we get one or two of those, you know, messages every day, probably people trying to get you to open a bank account or something on them. Better be aware. Don't want to be losing all your money. Yeah, but it's not to have trust, right? Michael Hingson  51:41 Yeah, it's one we got to work on well, so you you support the whole concept of diversity, and how has embracing diversity of people, perspectives or ideas unlocked new opportunities for you and the people you work with. Greg Hess  52:00 I got a great story for you on that. Michael A when I got into this coaching business, one of the one of the clients I was lucky enough to secure was a group called shredding on the go. And so the mother was kind of running the show, but her son was the president, and kind of the one that was in charge of the company. Now he's wheelchair, 100% wheelchair bound, nonverbal, very, very, I don't remember the exact name, but I mean very, very restrictive. And so what she figured out in time was his young is that he could actually take paper and like putting paper into a shredder. So she grew the idea of saying, Gosh, something James can do, we can build a business. This, this kid's, you know, gonna, I'm gonna get behind this and start to develop it. And so she did, and we created, she had created a company. She only had two employees when she hired me, but we went out and recruited and ended up growing it up to about 20 employees, and we had all the shredders set up so that the paper and all of our delivery and so on. And we promoted that company and supporting these people and making real money for real jobs that you know they were doing. So it was all, you know, basically all disabled autism to, you name it. And it was just a great experience. And so we took that show to the road. And so when we had Earth Day, I'd go out and we'd have a big event, and then everybody would come in and contribute to that and be a part of growing that company. Eventually, we got to the company to the point where the mother was worried about the the owner, the son's health was getting, you know, his life expectancy is beyond it, and she didn't want to have this company and still be running and when he wasn't there. And so we worked out a way to sell the company to a shredding company, of course, and they loved the the client. We had over 50 clients going, and they ended up making quite a bit of money that they put back into helping people with disabilities. So it was just a great cycle and a great opportunity to do that and give people an opportunity. I got to be their business coach, and what a lot of fun I included myself in the shredding I was involved with all parts of the company, and at one point, what a lot of fun I had with everybody. Michael Hingson  54:22 Yeah, yeah. There's something to be said for really learning what other people do in a company and learning the jobs. I think that's important. It's not that you're going to do it every day, but you need to develop that level of understanding. Greg Hess  54:37 Michael, you'll love this. Our best Shredder was blind. She did more than anybody, and she was blind. People go, you can't be doing that when you're What do you mean? She had it figured out. Yeah. Michael Hingson  54:48 What's the deal? Yeah, no, Shredder doesn't overheat, you know? But that's another step, yeah. So what's an example you've worked with a lot of teams. And so on. What's an example where a collaborative effort really created something and caused something to be able to be done that otherwise wouldn't have happened? Right? Greg Hess  55:10 Well, I referred back real quickly to the psycho D thing, where he had a common goal, common pride in taking it, and we just were on it. And I think that was a really, really transformational kind of thing to make everybody better as one whole area in a team. Now that's probably the first thing that comes to mind. I think the the idea of bringing the team together, you know, and really getting them to all work as one is that everybody has to understand everybody else's action plan. What's their plan? What is their vision? Where are they going in terms of, you know, playing basketball, to whether you're on the sales team, whether you're on the marketing team, or whatever part of the business you're in, do you have an action plan? And you can openly show that, and you feel like you're 100% participating in the group's common goal. I can't over emphasize an element of a common goal. I think, in team building, whatever that may be, you know, typically, the companies I'm working with now, we try to change it up every quarter, and we shoot quarter by quarter to a common goal that we all and then we build our plans to reach and achieve that for each individual within a company. And it works really well in building teams. And it's a lot of fun when everything comes together. You know, example of how a team, once you built that, and the team's there, and then you run into adversity, we have a team of five people that are selling insurance, basically, and one of them lost her father unexpectedly and very hard, Hispanic, Hispanic background, and just devastating to her and to her mother and everything. Well, we've got a machine going in terms of work. And so what happened is everybody else picked up her piece, and all did the parts and got behind her and supported her. And it took her about five months to go through her morning phase, and she's come back, and now she's going to be our top employee. Now going forward, it's just amazing how everybody rallied around her. We were worried about her. She comes back, and she's stronger than ever, and she'd had her time, and it was just nice to see the team of a group of company kind of treat somebody like family. That's a good thing. Michael Hingson  57:30 That's cool. What a great story. What mindset shift Do you think entrepreneurs and leaders really need to undergo in order to be successful. Greg Hess  57:45 Boy, you know, we talked a little bit earlier about the idea of looking through it, through other people's eyes, right? And then as a leader, you know, the same thing you were mentioning earlier, Michael, was that you draw the strength out of the people, rather than demand kind of what you want them to do in order to get things done, it's build them up as people. And I think that that's a critical piece in in growing people and getting that whole element of leadership in place. Yeah, what was the other part of that question? Again, let me give you another piece of that, because I think of some Go ahead. Yeah. I was just remember, what did you ask me again, I want to make sure I'm right Michael Hingson  58:28 from your books and coaching work. The question was, what kind of mindset shift Do you think that entrepreneurs and leaders have to adopt? Greg Hess  58:39 Yeah, yeah. So that's one part of the mindset, but the big one is recognizing that it's a growth world that we need to look at how we can grow our company, how we can grow individuals, how we can all get better and continuous improvement. And I think that is an example of taking a problem and recognizing as an opportunity. And that's part of the mindset right there that you got to have. I got a big problem here. How are we going to make that so that we're we're way better from that problem each time it happens and keep improving? Michael Hingson  59:10 Yeah, that makes sense. Well, if you could leave everyone who's listening and watching this today with one key principle that would help them live and lead with an unstoppable mindset. What would that be? What, what? What advice do you have? Greg Hess  59:30 Yeah, my advice is make sure you understand your passion and what, what your purpose is, and have a strong, strong desire to make that happen. Otherwise, it's not really a purpose, is it? And then be true to yourself. Be true to yourself in terms of what you spend your time on, what you do, in terms of reaching that purpose. It's to be the best grandparent there you can be in the world. Go get it done, but make sure you're spending time to grandkids. Don't just talk it so talks cheap and action matters. You know, and I think, figure out where you're spending your time and make sure that fits in with what you really want to gather happen in your life and fulfilling it. Michael Hingson  1:00:09 Well, I like that talks cheap and action matters. That's it. Yeah, I tell that. I tell that to my cat all the time when she doesn't care. But cats are like that? Well, we all know that dogs have Masters, but cats have staff, so she's a great kitty. That's good. It's a wonderful kitty. And I'm glad that she's in my life, and we get to visit with her every day too. So it works out well, and she and the Dog get along. So, you know, you can't do better than that. That's a good thing. Well, I want to thank you for being here. This has been absolutely super. I we've I think we've talked a lot, and I've learned a lot, and I hope other people have too, and I think you've had a lot of good insights. If people would like to reach out to you and maybe use your services as a coach or whatever, how do they do that? Greg Hess  1:01:00 Well, my website is coach, hess.com Michael Hingson  1:01:06 H, E, S, S, Greg Hess  1:01:07 yeah, C, O, A, C, H, H, E, S, s.com, that's my website. You can get a hold of me at coach. At coach, hess.com that's my email. Love to hear from you, and certainly I'm all over LinkedIn. My YouTube channel is desk of coach s. Got a bunch of YouTubes up there and on and on. You know, all through the social media, you can look me up and find me under Coach. Coach S, is my brand Cool? Michael Hingson  1:01:38 Well, that it's a well worth it brand for people to go interact with, and I hope people will so Oh, I appreciate that. Well, I want to thank you all for listening and watching us today. Reach out to coach Hess, I'd love to hear from you. Love to hear what you think of today's episode. So please give us an email at Michael H i, at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, i, b, e.com, wherever you're monitoring our podcast, please give us a five star rating. We value it. And if you know anyone who might be a good guest to come on and tell their story, please introduce us. We're always looking for more people to come on and and chat with us. Coach you as well. If you know anyone, I'm sure you must love to to get more people. Now, if you could get Magic Johnson, that'd be super but that's probably a little tougher, but it'd be, it'd be fun. Any, anyone t

In this episode, I share critical year-end reflections for growth-stage CEOs, especially those leading organizations of around 20 employees. As companies scale, leadership must shift from personal execution to empowering others and ensuring the business can thrive even in the leader's absence. I walk through seven powerful reflection questions designed to accelerate leadership growth, from identifying your highest-impact actions to confronting avoided conversations and evaluating how well you're adapting to what the future demands. This episode challenges leaders to lead with courage, rethink their approach for the year ahead, and strengthen both self-awareness and organizational health. All reflection questions are included in the show notes for easy reference. Episode Highlights & Time Stamps 3:09 Seven Reflection Questions for CEOs 6:33 Exploring Leadership Identity Changes 7:16 Leading with Courage in the New Year 7:54 First Steps to Empower Your Team 9:00 Closing Thoughts and Final Reflections Episode Summary In this episode, I guide growth-stage CEOs through a critical year-end reflection often missed during scale, especially around the 20-employee mark. As leadership demands increase, success is no longer about doing more yourself, but about building a business that can move forward without your constant presence. The episode challenges leaders to confront a simple but sobering truth: "If nothing changes in how you lead, this is exactly where your company will be next year." Through seven focused reflection questions, I help CEOs evaluate where their leadership truly creates leverage, where it limits growth, and what must change to build a healthier, more scalable organization. The 7 Reflection Questions The Leverage Audit Which 20% of your leadership actions created 80% of your company's momentum this year? The Impact Test Where did your leadership create meaningful growth in others, not just results? Who became more capable because you led differently? The Avoided Conversation What is the one conversation if addressed that would most reduce friction and free you as the CEO? The Capacity Gap Is the way you're currently leading sustainable for the next stage of growth? The CEO Identity Shift As your company grows, which parts of your founder identity are no longer serving you? Who must you become for the business to grow beyond you? The Courage Move If you were willing to lead with more courage, not more effort, what would you do differently in the first 90 days of the new year? The First Shift What is the first leadership behavior you will stop, start, or delegate in the next week to reinforce a business that doesn't depend on you? Closing Reflection If nothing changes in how you lead, where will your company and your energy be this time next year? All reflection questions are included here for easy reference. Key Takeaways Growth-stage CEOs often become the bottleneck around the 20-employee mark; scaling requires a shift from personal execution to leadership leverage. If your leadership approach does not change as the company grows, it will eventually limit both organizational performance and your personal energy. Effective leadership is measured not by how much you do, but by how well others perform and grow in your absence. Identifying the small set of leadership actions that drive the majority of results creates clarity, focus, and momentum. Avoided conversations are often the hidden source of organizational friction and CEO overload. The leadership style that helped you reach this stage may not be the one required for the next phase of growth. Courage not increased effort is the defining factor in meaningful leadership evolution. Small, intentional behavior shifts (what you stop, start, or delegate) can rapidly increase organizational independence. Year-end reflection is not passive; when done well, it becomes a strategic act that shapes the company's future. Sustainable growth depends on building a business that can operate and win without relying on the CEO's constant presence. Ideal For: Founders, CEOs, executives, managers, and anyone committed to elevating their leadership capacity. Resources & Next Steps Ready to take your leadership energy to the next level? Explore free training and resources at training.coreelevation.com to help you identify energy leaks, strengthen your leadership presence, and elevate your team's performance.

In this episode, leadership coach and trainer Jen Recla discusses the vital role managers play in supporting and sustaining employee development after formal training ends. Drawing from her experience with executive leaders in smaller organizations, Jen emphasizes that true learning and change occur in the workplace, where ongoing coaching and follow-up from managers are crucial. She offers practical advice for leaders on prioritizing team support, effective delegation, and creating growth opportunities—all while managing the demands and potential burnout of leadership roles. The conversation also covers how organizations can better equip managers with resources and how collaboration between leaders and learning and development teams leads to more lasting impact.

You believe your biggest competitive advantage is the quality of your work. You're wrong. In today's fast-paced world, your customers have quietly started to care about something else far more. In this sharp and eye-opening episode from the archive, Andy Lopata revisits his conversation with customer experience expert David Avrin, who drops a bombshell: for the first time in history, convenience has officially supplanted quality as the primary reason customers choose you—or leave you. This isn't just about faster delivery. It's a deep dive into the hidden points of friction—the frustrating websites, the chatbot dead-ends, the rigid policies—that are silently driving your best customers to your competitors. David provides a masterclass on how to stop frustrating your audience and start being ridiculously easy to do business with. This episode is an urgent wake-up call for any leader who thinks "good enough" is still good enough. Key Takeaways  What is the crucial difference between Customer Service and Customer Experience (and why does getting it wrong make your relationships irrelevant)? Why do customers now willingly pay more for the exact same item just to get it one day sooner, even when they don't need it? What is the “voicemail of the internet” that 86% of your potential customers refuse to use (and is it on your website right now)? What is the magic six-word phrase your team can use to turn a frustrating policy-driven "no" into a moment of customer loyalty? How are your automated emails and "please take our survey" requests secretly pushing your most loyal customers away for good? Tune in to learn more and gain more insights from this episode of the Connected Leadership Bytes Actionable Insights Become Ridiculously Easy to Do Business With: Conduct a "friction audit" of your customer's journey. Map every step from initial contact to final follow-up and identify every delay, complicated form, or frustrating process. Challenge your team to cut at least four unnecessary steps this month. Digitise the Process, Personalise the Person: Use automation for routine, one-way communications like billing or newsletters. However, ensure every automated system has a clear, easy-to-find "off-ramp" to a real human. Never automate personal follow-ups where a human touch is expected. Empower Your Team to Say "Yes": Stop neutering your employees with rigid policies. Train them on what a good decision looks like within your business model and give them the authority to be flexible. Equip them with the phrase, "Let me tell you what I can do," to solve problems on the spot. SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE Connect with Andy Lopata: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | X/Twitter | YouTube Connect with David Avrin: Website |LinkedIn | The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring Episode 148 Featuring David Avrin  

Send us a textZack sits down with Geoffrey Toffetti, CEO of Frontline Performance Group, to talk about why the guest experience can never exceed the employee experience. Geoffrey explains how clear standards, consistent measurement, and coachable behaviors turn service into revenue. He shares practical ways to set expectations, train for the right language, and use recognition and incentives that actually drive results.Zack and Geoffrey discuss: Frontline culture as the brand experience Reward, recognition, and accountability From selling to serving with better recommendations Leaderboards and measurement that lift performance Setting clear standards leaders can enforce Simple recognition rituals that build team prideThanks, Geoffrey!Links:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gtoffetti/https://www.linkedin.com/company/frontline-performance-group/about/https://www.instagram.com/frontlineperformancegroup/https://frontlinepg.com/

In this episode, Tino Delgadillo, a Project Manager with MP Nexlevel, shares his journey from the field to office, the leadership mindset he's embraced, how he's improved work-life balance, and more.   

Everyone's talking about artificial intelligence, but before you invest in new tools and software, it's worth looking at the alternative intelligence already inside your firm. Drawing on insights from W. Edwards Deming, this episode looks at why empowering your team's creativity and problem-solving ability often drives greater improvement than AI ever could. You'll learn how to make work visible, build psychological safety, and turn everyday team members into continuous-improvement partners, so your law practice runs better, not just faster. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/94Take your law practice from overwhelmed to optimized with Greenline LegalFollow along on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnegrant

 In this episode of Grocer Pod, Ana Velazquez—Vice President at the Retail Learning Institute and IGA Coca-Cola Institute—returns to share how AWG University can help retailers cut costs and boost performance through effective staff training. Ana and host Sean Kosednar dive into the wide range of learning resources available, from onboarding to advanced retail strategies. If you're ready to elevate your team's skills and efficiency, reach out to Ana to get started with AWG University.

Lindsey Cannon, communication coach and creator of Elevation Sessions, who helps accomplished leaders get their great ideas out of their heads and into the world through focused communication strategy.Through her two-hour intensive Elevation Sessions, Lindsey guides business leaders to bridge communication gaps in both internal and external messaging, drawing from over 20 years of experience in communication coaching.Now, Lindsey's approach to helping leaders clarify their vision addresses the common frustration of having ideas that make sense internally but are difficult to articulate to others.And while supporting visionaries who struggle to rally their teams or communicate their value proposition, she's creating ripple effects that benefit entire organizations and the clients they serve.Here's where to find more:https://www.facebook.com/share/15Le2xwbap/?mibextid=wwXIfrhttps://www.reifycopywriting.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseycannonreifycopywriting?utm_…________________________________________________Welcome to The Unforget Yourself Show where we use the power of woo and the proof of science to help you identify your blind spots, and get over your own bullshit so that you can do the fucking thing you ACTUALLY want to do!We're Mark and Katie, the founders of Unforget Yourself and the creators of the Unforget Yourself System and on this podcast, we're here to share REAL conversations about what goes on inside the heart and minds of those brave and crazy enough to start their own business. From the accidental entrepreneur to the laser-focused CEO, we find out how they got to where they are today, not by hearing the go-to story of their success, but talking about how we all have our own BS to deal with and it's through facing ourselves that we find a way to do the fucking thing.Along the way, we hope to show you that YOU are the most important asset in your business (and your life - duh!). Being a business owner is tough! With vulnerability and humor, we get to the real story behind their success and show you that you're not alone._____________________Find all our links to all the things like the socials, how to work with us and how to apply to be on the podcast here: https://linktr.ee/unforgetyourself

Learn how to shift from control to empowerment so your business — and your team — can grow without burning you out. Description Micromanagement may feel like the fastest way to get results, but it's actually the biggest bottleneck in your business. In this episode of Engineer Your Success, Dr. James Bryant sits down with Cary Prejean — a CPA and strategic business advisor with 40 years of experience — to explore why entrepreneurs often sabotage their own growth and how to break free. You'll discover: Why the skills that launch a business often stall it later How to spot when you've become the bottleneck The difference between specifying outcomes vs. micromanaging details Why empowering employees to design processes leads to real ownership How trust, curiosity, and vulnerability build stronger leaders and healthier teams Practical ways to use KPIs and dashboards to stay in control without hovering If you're tired of feeling like everything depends on you, this conversation will show you how to create systems, empower your team, and scale your business — without losing your sanity.

Welcome back to The Power Lounge, a space dedicated to meaningful conversations with industry leaders. In today's episode, "Empower Your Team with Responsible AI," host Amy Vaughan, Together Digital's Chief Empowerment Officer, explores a critical challenge for digital teams: adopting AI responsibly without compromising ethical standards.Joining Amy is Nikki Ferrell, Associate Director of Online Enrollment and Marketing Communications at Miami University. Nikki has been instrumental in launching an AI steering committee to manage the swift integration of generative AI in higher education. Together, they examine the potential risks of unmanaged AI use, the importance of establishing clear policies, and how continuous learning and experimentation can cultivate ethical and innovative teams.Whether you're a team leader, a business owner, or simply interested in the complexities of AI, this episode offers a practical framework for implementing technology that prioritizes people, purpose, and ethics. Gain actionable insights and hear real-world experiences right here on The Power Lounge.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction01:24 - AI's Impact: Unprepared Marketing Practices05:08 - Creating AI Steering Committees09:32 - Normalize Open AI Use at Work14:42 - Adopting AI for Organizational Success16:30 - Take Initiative to Lead21:00 - Cautious Marketing on Mother's Day25:25 - AI in Education: Gen Z & Alpha Hesitations29:19 - "AI as Amplifying Tool"30:55 - AI's Impact on Cognitive Skills36:31 - AI Augments, Not Replaces, Workforce38:30 - "Embracing Tech Amidst Red Tape"41:45 - "Responsible AI Adoption Insights"44:19 - AI Use Case Library Development48:03 - Embracing AI for Strategic Future51:01 - Exploring AI for Everyday Tasks54:58 - AI-Assisted Strategy Development58:51 - Subscribe for Updates & Community59:45 - OutroQuotes:"Empowerment begins when we stop being afraid of new technology and start building community around it."- Amy Vaughan"You don't need a title to lead the way with AI—start small, learn together, and let your curiosity spark real change."- Nikki FerrellKey TakeawaysStart Small, Stay Grounded in ResearchPolicies Aren't Optional—They EmpowerOpenness Overgoing UndergroundYou Don't Need a Title to LeadAlign with Mission and ValuesBuild a Culture of ExperimentationTransparency Builds Trust (and Avoids Backlash)AI Augments, Not ReplacesMeet People Where They AreThe Future is CollaborativeConnect with Nikki Ferrell:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nferrell/Website: https://miamioh.edu/Connect with the host Amy Vaughan:LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/amypvaughanPodcast:Power Lounge Podcast  - Together DigitalLearn more about Together Digital and consider joining the movement by visitingHome - Together DigitalSupport the show

Feedback or Questions? Send us a text!1 BIG IDEAYou can't reach bold goals alone. Empowered teams are how leaders multiply their impact—and that means creating the systems, structure, and trust they need to succeed.4 WAYS TO APPLY THISClarify mid-year goals with your team—not just for them.Equip your team with tools and encouragement to own their part.Let go of control by modeling ownership, not micromanagement.Shift your mindset from solo operator to system builder.3 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELFWhat team-level goals need to be clarified or re-committed to for the rest of the year?How might I shift from doing for my team to building with my team?Where might I need to trust more—and control less?ENJOYING THE SHOW? LEAVE A RATING & REVIEWApple: scroll to the bottom, choose a rating, and write a review.Podchaser (Android): https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/stand-tall-own-it-empowering-p-1406762RESOURCES & NEXT STEPSGet your Free Core Values Blueprint: https://www.theintentionaloptimist.com/corevaluesexerciseJoin the Core Values Coaching Program (Beta): https://www.theintentionaloptimist.com/core-values-beta Thrive in '25 Live2Lead:https://www.theintentionaloptimist.com/thrivein25_choose_your_city LET'S CONTINUE THE CONVERSATIONDM Andrea on Instagram or LinkedIn: @theintentionaloptimistLet's chat: andrea@theintentionaloptimist.com SHARE THIS EPISODEIf this episode encouraged you, share it with a fellow leader who's ready to lead with courage and confidence.Prefer to watch instead? Catch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/p7UPNPggDU4 Listen & Subscribe: www.theintentionaloptimist.com/podcast Skillshare: Spark your creativity.Get 40% Off Annual MembershipDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Curious if AI can really take over your marketing or worried it might turn your brand into a robot? You are definitely not alone. With all the hype, it is tough to know what to trust and what to ignore.In this video, I will walk you through what works with AI, what is just hype, and what can actually hurt your brand if you do not approach it carefully. We will talk about how to keep your marketing authentic, protect your brand voice, and use AI as a partner rather than a replacement.

In this episode, Molly dives into why weekly reporting isn't just a numbers game—it's the foundation of effective law firm leadership. You'll discover how weekly reporting helps identify process inefficiencies, drive better marketing results, and improve intake conversions. More importantly, you'll learn how using the right metrics can empower your team to lead confidently, without constant oversight. If you're stuck in a cycle of reactive decision-making and chaos, this episode will show you how structured reporting can bring clarity and consistency.   Key Takeaways: Predictable Success: Implementing consistent weekly reporting aids in creating predictable success by providing clear, actionable insights. Empowered Leadership: Use data-driven strategies to foster a sense of empowerment and responsibility among team members. Internal Integrity: Ensure every department maintains high standards of internal integrity to drive sustainable growth. Efficient Meetings: Streamline various operational meetings into one comprehensive session to enhance clarity and focus. Continuous Learning: Emphasize ongoing education and training to enhance skills and maintain a growth-oriented mindset.   Quote for the Show: "When emotions are high, and everything's chaos, it's the lack of data and information leading to fear and anxiety." - Molly McGrath   Links: Website: https://hiringandempowering.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hiringandempowering Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiringandempowering LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hiring&empoweringsolutions/ Law Firm Admin Bootcamp: https://www.lawfirmadminbootcamp.com/ Get Fix My Boss Book: https://amzn.to/3PCeEhk   Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music - https://www.amazon.com/Hiring-and-Empowering-Solutions/dp/B08JJSLJ7N Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hiring-and-empowering-solutions/id1460184599 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3oIfsDDnEDDkcumTCygHDH Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/show/hiring-and-empowering-solutions YouTube - https://youtu.be/GpBLQnI397k

How do you motivate your team when you're barely holding it together yourself? In this solo episode of Get Real, Get Results Chantell delivers a candid, no-BS talk about leadership during times of low motivation. Drawing from her own experiences—including grief, burnout, and the never-ending pressure to "be on"—Chantell shares five powerful strategies leaders can use to keep their teams inspired without sacrificing their own well-being.You'll hear how Chantell uses simple systems like setting out clothes the night before, carving out morning energy for high-priority tasks, and scheduling mental resets to keep her leadership steady. Most importantly, she emphasizes that vulnerability isn't a weakness—it's a leadership strength that fosters connection and resilience.Whether you're running a business, leading a team, or simply trying to show up for your people, this episode offers real-world insight for women in leadership navigating the hard days with grit, grace, and strategy.CHAPTERS:00:00 Burnout Is Real—Especially for Women00:32 The Hidden Struggle Behind the Smile01:37 What to Do When You're Just Not Feeling It02:00 Lead with Transparency and Build Trust03:00 Why Burnout Statistics Should Wake Us Up04:00 Honesty Creates Connection05:17 Empower Your Team by Delegating06:25 How Leaders Can Recharge Personally06:51 The Power of Micro-Routines07:54 Managing Energy Throughout the Day08:19 Your Mood Impacts the Whole Team09:05 Ask for Support—Strategically10:24 Self-Awareness Is the First Step12:42 5 Tactics to Lead Through Low Motivation14:18 Closing Thoughts & TakeawaysAbout Chantell PrestonJoin host Chantell Preston, a seasoned professional with over two decades of experience in healthcare operations, project management, and consulting, as she shares invaluable insights and lessons learned from navigating the complexities of career advancement and personal satisfaction. Through candid conversations and expert advice, "Get Real, Get Results" serves as your go-to resource for achieving harmony between work and life without sacrificing well-being. Learn more at:https://chantellpreston.comLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/chantellprestonYouTube:http://www.youtube.com/@ChantellPreston

Ready to finally get your board fired up about fundraising? Discover the powerful steps you can take right now to turn passive board members into excited champions for your cause! In this episode of Hey Nonprofits, host Trevor Nelson sits down with Don Stinson to reveal what actually works when it comes to inspiring your board to act.Learn simple scripts, clear messaging practices, and relationship-building strategies that make board involvement in fundraising easy and rewarding. See how authentic communication and small wins can create big results for your nonprofit. Perfect for nonprofit leaders, development directors, and volunteers who want their board to take action.Follow Don on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-stinson/This episode was brought to you by HGA Fundraising. The team at HGA helps event fundraisers create auction success with the most profitable (and mission focused) auction items in the space. Trips and experiences that excite donors, ignite bidding, and help your organization RAISE MORE MONEY.To learn more about HGA Fundraising click here:  https://hgafundraising.com/trips-and-experiences/Sign up to receive the HGA Fundraising newsletter to receive fundraising insights from the brightest minds in the space: https://hgafundraising.com/subscribe-to-newsletter/Feeling stuck with your fundraising? No matter where you are at in your journey, HGA offers FREE coaching for fundraisers:  https://hgafundraising.com/nonprofit-coaching/Chapters:0:00 - Money's Not the Real Problem! Find Out Why!0:36 - Struggling with Your Board? Get Them Engaged Now!1:27 - Sneaky Wins! How to Succeed Without Board Approval!2:44 - Starting a Nonprofit? Avoid These Huge Mistakes!3:28 - Super Niche Fundraising Idea for Schools: Steal This!5:04 - From Poverty to Power: My Fundraising Origin Story!6:49 - Mom's Genius Trick to Fund Band Trips8:21 - Scrappy Fundraising Secrets You Need Today!10:07 - Keep Donors Coming Back—Year After Year!11:36 - Old-School Trick: Handwritten Notes Win Hearts!13:20 - New Donors Will Find You!14:25 - No Shortcuts! Build Trust for Long-Term Success!16:23 - Small Wins Matter: Start Tiny, Grow Big!18:12 - Get Noticed! Media Tips for Small Nonprofits!20:03 - Clear Messages Win! Stop Confusing Your Team!22:38 - Get Everyone on the Same Page: Fast Messaging Tip!24:42 - Test Your Pitch! Find What Donors Love Most!26:51 - Don't Overthink It: Cut the Fluff, Get Results!28:37 - Talk Everywhere! Simple Chats Build Big Support!30:08 - Trust Is Low: Be Real to Win Donors Over!32:37 - Feeling Small? Build Confidence with These Reps!34:23 - Masterclass in Asking for Money: Learn Now!36:27 - Listen to Donors: Give Them What They Want!38:45 - Promise and Deliver! Keep Donors Happy!40:13 - Empower Your Team to Solve Donor Issues Fast!42:03 - Say No Gracefully—Free Yourself for What Matters!44:05 - Hate Tasks? Make a Not-To-Do List Today!46:26 - Can't Say No? Practice These Easy Tricks!48:40 - Fundraising Is Like Family—Build Real Bonds!50:04 - Power of Thank You—Don't Skip This Step!52:08 - Make Thank Yous Personal—Win Loyal Donors!53:46 - Fundraising Is Hard—Don't Make It Harder!55:27 - Boring Work Wins! Focus on Real Problems!56:31 - Connect with Don! Get Help for Your Nonprofit!

Are YOU the bottleneck for every decision in your business, even though you have a good team in place? Imagine a workplace where every team member thinks like a leader, acts with intention, and communicates with purpose. That's the power of a coaching culture—and it changes everything! Dr. Sabrina Starling is The Business Psychologist, founder of Tap the Potential, and author of How to Hire the Best and The 4 Week Vacation ® ️. She takes the reins for this episode, helping you learn how to go from compliance to commitment, build a feedback-rich environment, and foster purpose-driven collaboration. Are you ready to align your team members with your shared vision and purpose? Join us!Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production.Show Highlights:The key is your coaching skills: Can you ask powerful questions?Shifting from managing team members to leading team membersExamples of a team perfectly aligned with your immutable laws and core values to eliminate inefficiency and wasteThe beauty of collaborative problem-solving on a team (and increased profitability!) A feedback-rich environment allows your team to offer creative ideas and solutions in a safe space.Shifting from a compliance culture to a culture of commitment develops a sense of ownership and invites your team members to be part of the solution!Building a coaching culture results in much better decisions in your business!Having multiple team members go through The Coach Approach course creates momentum in your culture to work from curiosity, not judgment.Resources:For more information about The Coach Approach or to join us in the next round, click the link! We start in July!Don't wait! Download your Strategic Planning Guide and 2025 Tap the Potential Strategic Planner today!Want to know the best attracting and recruiting strategies for small businesses? We can help! Learn more about our How to Hire the Best course.Retain, grow, and deeply engage your A-players with the Dream Manager Program! The best way to create buy-in from your team members for your vision is to identify how your vision supports them in achieving their dreams. Enroll today!Become an employer of choice to attract the A-players you want on your team! We are now enrolling for the How to Hire the Best course. Sign up today!Sign up for the free A-Player Development Plan/Mini-Course. Track your A-players' development and retain your A-players!Ready to take your life back from your business? Want more time for what matters most and more money in your bank account than ever? Book a call with us today! Get your copy of

What happens when a luxury brand scales without losing its heart?In today's episode, I'm sitting down with Eleanor Scola and Pablo Oliveira from Nuage Designs to explore exactly that. You'll hear how a hospitality setback led to the founding of one of the most beloved names in high-end event rentals—and how trust, humility, and shared values have shaped a thriving leadership dynamic. This one's a masterclass in growing with integrity and trusting your team.Let's dive in.

In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with David Gray about empower your team. David Gray is the CEO of FedUp Foods, a leading external manufacturer for functional, flavorful beverages in North America. An innovator in his field, David leverages his wealth of experience to help companies grow in a way that positively impacts society and the environment. David's work as a CEO centers around his commitment to community, culture and continual learning. David is a Six Sigma trained CEO and a 2022 winner of The Pros to Know Award which recognizes outstanding executives whose accomplishments offer a roadmap for other leaders looking to leverage supply chain for competitive advantage. A transformative leader, David drives impact through best-in-class performance improvement across internal and external clients, and lean and agile processes to enhance profitability. His uncanny ability to shift the way brands think, act, and go-to-market have made him a sought-after leader and motivator in the industry. Prior to joining FedUp Foods, David served as the President and CEO of GreenSeed, a global contract packager of natural foods. His diverse work experience across private equity and the food industry allowed him to scale GreenSeed into a high performing, positive-impact company which was recognized in 2015 as the 5th fastest-growing packaging company in North America. A highly requested speaker, David has presented on noteworthy stages at Mo Summit, Real Leader and Georgia Tech. He has served on boards domestically and internationally. David's impressive track record is a testament to his experience and education, having studied at Yale University, Georgia Tech, and Hope College. Check out all of the podcasts in the HCI Podcast Network!

I'd love to hear from you! Send a text message.Problem solving might be the most underrated leadership skill – one we use daily but rarely examine critically. How much time do you spend tackling problems each week? And more importantly, how many of those "problems" are actually legitimate issues versus complaints, venting, or whining?This episode challenges leaders to distinguish between genuine problems (those with measurable gaps and consequences) and vague complaints that lack substance. A real problem sounds like "Our turnover is 20% above industry standard" rather than "Our morale sucks." Without this crucial distinction, we waste valuable time and energy on issues that can't be meaningfully addressed.The 1-3-1 model offers a streamlined approach to problem solving: identify the specific problem, generate creative solutions that break from conventional thinking, and implement effectively. But the most surprising insight might be how our brains form problem-solving patterns early in our careers that become automatic – meaning we solve problems the same way for decades without evaluating whether our approach still works. Even worse, by positioning yourself as the ultimate problem-solver, you might unwittingly create "learned helplessness" in your team, undermining their growth while overwhelming yourself.Critical thinking emerges as the foundation of effective problem solving – focusing on logic rather than emotion, eliminating biases, and recognizing that decision-making is its own discipline with various approaches suited to different situations. Are you using the right decision-making style for each challenge? Ready to transform your approach? Take our new course in Intentional Problem Solving available now: https://www.intentionaleaders.com/intentional-problem-solving-leaders-courseBe the Best Leader You Know Perform with Power, Lead with Impact, Inspire GrowthTo sharpen your skills and increase your confidence, check out the Confident Leader Course: https://www.intentionaleaders.com/confident-leader

Are you feeling overwhelmed by back-to-back meetings and struggling to find time for strategic thinking? You're not alone! Many leaders fall into traps that hinder their ability to delegate effectively and empower their teams. In today's episode, Laura brings back a listener favorite where she dives into the crucial topic of delegation and empowerment for leaders. Join Laura as she highlights three key traps they often encounter: 1. Comfort in the Weeds: Discover why it's easy to get bogged down in details and how to shift your focus. 2. Protecting Your Team: Learn how trying to shield your team from workload can actually hinder their growth. 3. Fixing Instead of Coaching: Understand the importance of leading through coaching rather than providing all the answers. By the end of this episode, you'll gain actionable tips to protect your time and empower your team, allowing you to focus on what truly matters in your leadership journey. Laura's first book – Values First. How Knowing Your Core Beliefs Can Get You the Life and Career You Want – is now available! Grab your copy today! Love audiobooks? Values First is also available on Audible and Itunes, so be sure to take a listen! Go to www.thecatchgroup.com to check out the show notes, resources, and links mentioned in this episode! Connect with Laura: -Follow The Catch Group on LinkedIn. -Follow the show on Instagram @thecatchgroup. -Enjoying what you hear? Follow and leave a review HERE.  

This powerful episode of the Coaching Culture Podcast illuminates the nuanced dance of leadership, exploring the vital tension between radical responsibility and the art of empowering others. JP Nerbun, Betsy Butterick, and Nate Sanderson delve into the heart of what it means to lead with both strength and grace, challenging the notion that "extreme ownership" can equate to self-blame. They instead propose a transformative vision: a leader who bears responsibility while simultaneously igniting the spark of ownership in those they guide. This episode isn't just about strategies; it's about a profound shift in mindset. It reminds us that leadership is not a solitary endeavor, but a collaborative journey where shared ownership creates a more robust and resilient team.

Do you ever feel like your business is entirely on your shoulders, like every decision, deadline, and detail depends on you alone? I see you. I've been there too. But what if you could empower your team to not only take on tasks but truly own them—sometimes even doing them better than you? In this episode, we're diving into the power of delegation and trust. I know firsthand how difficult it is to let go, especially when your work is deeply personal. But the reality is that refusing to delegate is the riskiest move of all. It keeps you stuck in a cycle of overwork and burnout, limiting your impact and slowing your growth. If you want to step into true leadership and scale your business, you have to build a team that doesn't just support you, they lead alongside you. I share my own turning point, when I realized I couldn't keep carrying everything alone. By implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and building clear accountability structures, my team started thriving. In this episode, I walk you through the exact framework I use to empower my team, including: Defining roles clearly with an accountability chart Starting small to build trust gradually Setting clear expectations using 90-day goals (or “rocks”) Holding weekly check-ins to maintain progress and solve challenges together Celebrating wins because recognition fuels motivation When you put these strategies into place, you create a business that runs efficiently, a team that feels empowered, and the freedom to focus on the work that truly lights you up. If you're ready to take action, I've also created a Delegation Checklist to guide you step by step. Download it from the show notes at theprofessionalcreative.com. Let's build a business where trust and leadership go hand in hand.

Are you exhausted from being the only person in your business who can solve problems? Tired of explaining the same things over and over to your team? In this powerful episode of Big Dreams Great Teams, Paula Maidens reveals why "telling" might actually be your biggest leadership blindspot.Discover the simple shift in approach that has helped Paula's clients for over 15 years cut problem-solving time in half and dramatically reduce those frustrating "why are we dealing with this again?" moments that drain your energy as a business owner.What You'll LearnThe hidden leadership habit that's accidentally training your team to depend on youWhy even the most well-intentioned business owners get stuck in the "bottleneck cycle"A fundamental mindset shift that transforms how your team operates without youThe surprising way this tiny change develops true ownership in your team membersA practical challenge you can implement this week to see immediate resultsHighlightsPaula shares a powerful insight that questions activate thinking while answers shut it down. She explores why many small business owners get caught in the trap of being the constant problem-solver and how this apparently efficient approach actually creates long-term inefficiencies in your business.Through practical examples and real-world scenarios, Paula demonstrates how this simple shift works across various leadership situations, and why investing a little more time now will save you massive amounts of time (and sanity) later.You'll walk away with a concrete challenge to implement in your business this week, along with the reassurance that this shift from telling to asking is one of the most powerful leadership transformations Paula sees happen in her clients.Connect With PaulaReady to transform how you lead your team and create the kind of responsibility and ownership that frees you up to work ON your business rather than IN it? Book a complimentary Book a Dream Team Discovery Call  to discuss your specific situation.Website:https://paulamaidens.com/Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/paulamaidensconsulting/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulamaidensbuildingawesometeamsLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulamaidens/

156. It's Time to Empower Your Team Today's episode is focused on the four roles that you may see someone leverage in an organization. These are not career roles, but instead the roles that you choose from in various career situations with your team or other people in your organization. The four roles are mentoring, coaching, teaching and leading. Each of these roles plays a crucial part in your team's development. As a leader, you may find yourself switching between these roles depending on the situation and the needs of your team. The key is to adapt to what your team members need so you can motivate them to grow and develop. In this episode: Definitions of the four roles that leaders can leverage. Depending on the level of experience and maturity of the employee, leaders will need to adapt to them and choose which role to use. Leaders need to switch to different roles by situation and your team. A client experience with his team and goal he has to shift more towards coaching. What are the nuances between the four different roles? Thank you for listening to The Visibility Factor Podcast Check out my website to order my book and view the videos/resources for The Visibility Factor book. As always, I encourage you to reach out! You can email me at hello@susanmbarber.com. You can also find me on social media everywhere – Facebook, LinkedIn, and of course on The Visibility Factor Podcast! I look forward to connecting with you! If you liked The Visibility Factor, I would be so grateful if you could subscribe and rate it where you listen to podcasts! It helps the podcast get in front of more people who can learn how to be visible too! Thank you to the team at Sheep Jam Productions for the amazing support of The Visibility Factor Podcast! 

In this episode, Dr. Brancu begins by sharing two leader scenarios - one in which the leader felt stuck and unable to take action and a contrasting one where a leader felt empowered to take action. She will explore differences between feeling empowered vs disempowered and then provide a 3-Part solution:Part 1: Identifying How You Want To Show Up- Includes five mechanisms: reflect, temper responsiveness, be present and steady, manage your energy, and practice self-care and compassionPart 2: Communicating Clarity Even When You Don't Have Clarity- Clarity doesn't mean certainty, nor does it mean perfection, and transparency doesn't mean oversharing. We will provide examples for how to be clear and transparent even in the face of uncertainty or lack of personal clarity.Part 3: Increasing Connection and Communication Opportunities to Maintain Morale- How to counteract our current society's increasing isolation, polarization, and degradation of interpersonal care.Each of these build on each other to help you manage fear, uncertainty and anxiety and help others do the same.Dr. Mira Brancu is a leadership consulting and coaching psychologist, founder of the Towerscope and Towerscope Leadership Academy, Associate Professor, Psychology Today columnist, author of the Millennials Guide to Workplace Politics and the associated recently published Workbook version, and had a leadership career before transitioning to helping teams and high-achieving women navigate their leadership complexities.How do we, as leaders, help our employees navigate uncertainty and maintain morale when we ourselves are working through the same challenges? In this episode, listeners will gain insights around how to navigate the stress and overwhelm of the current national landscape, and importantly, how to communicate effectively with employees to maintain morale and gird resilience, even when you don't have all the answers. Listeners will also be provided with access to a free resource: a Tip Sheet for Communicating During Times of Uncertainty.www.gotowerscope.comhttps://gotowerscope.com/other-free-stuffNewsletter signup:https://mailchi.mp/2079c04f4d44/subscribehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/MiraBrancu#LeadingThroughUnCertainty #MaintainingMorale #CommunicatingThroughCrisis #TheHardSkills #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamDevelopment #TeamBuilding #OrganizationDevelopment #CrisisCommunicationTune in for this empowering conversation at TalkRadio.nyc

Join host Patrick Hussey as he chats with Melissa Post, Director of People & Culture at SoftWriters, about tackling staffing challenges and creating a thriving workplace in long-term care (LTC) pharmacies. Melissa shares actionable strategies for recruiting and retaining top talent amid industry-wide shortages, building a strong talent bench through professional development and mentorship, and fostering a culture of engagement, inclusion, and belonging. She also offers insights into leading teams through change and effectively overcoming resistance. Packed with practical tips, real-world examples, and expert advice, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to help their pharmacy team thrive.

I dive into delegation strategies to free up your time, empower your team, and ultimately transform your business. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ The Common Barriers To Delegating  ✔ The Benefits Of Delegating ✔ How To Create A Culture Of Accountability ✔ Effective Delegation Strategies To Try ✔ The 4 Simple Steps To Delegating ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/360 P.S. Want to discover what's most holding you back in business and receive a personalized playlist to help you overcome those specific challenges? It only takes a few minutes to take the Next Level Business Owner Quiz and get on the path of taking your leadership and business to the next level!  And… If you want help managing your time, creating efficiency, making a new hire, reducing the stress and overwhelm of running a business, or making strategic decisions that will help you level up your business, I'd like to talk to you. Let's discuss how we can partner together to help you get unstuck, reduce stress, and determine a clear path to increased profits! Schedule your Discovery Call  

Welcome to another insightful episode of the Entrepreneur to Employer podcast! In today's episode, we explore how building effective business systems can empower your team, streamline operations, and set the stage for scalable growth. Whether you're already running a thriving business or preparing to take your operations to the next level, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you confidently scale.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Why systems are critical for scaling your business – Discover how systems reduce complexity, eliminate bottlenecks, and allow your team to thrive.The three pillars of effective systems – Learn how clarity, automation, and accountability can transform your processes and empower your team to take ownership.A step-by-step guide to building scalable systems—From identifying key processes to documenting workflows and training your team, we walk you through the system creation process.How empowered systems create empowered teams – Understand the link between strong systems, team confidence, and a thriving business culture.Why This Episode Matters:Scaling a business doesn't mean working harder or micromanaging every detail. By building systems that empower your team, you can create a company that operates efficiently, even when you're not in the room. This episode equips you with the tools and mindset needed to become a confident, strategic leader.Resources and Links:Get our free checklist: “6 Steps to Create Systems That Scale” in the Patreon Community. Join our Patreon community for exclusive resources, templates, and insider tips on scaling your business and leading confidently. https://bit.ly/E2ECoachingandCommunitySubscribe to the Entrepreneur to Employer podcast for weekly insights into building strong teams and thriving businesses.Listen and Share:If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with another business owner who is ready to scale confidently. Also, remember to leave a review—it helps other entrepreneurs find valuable resources like this one.Connect with Brian:Email - brianm@scaleocityworks.comLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianmontes/And that's a wrap. If you love the Entrepreneur to Employer podcast, you will love the Entrepreneur to Employer Business Growth Community on Patreon. As a business owner, you're already making moves to grow your company—but what if you had access to even more tools, strategies, and exclusive content to help you scale faster and reclaim your time? That's what you'll get by joining the Entrepreneur to Employer community on Patreon! Here's what's waiting for you inside:✅ Bonus content with actionable strategies to build scalable systems✅ Exclusive templates & resources to streamline your HR and operations✅ Monthly Q&A sessions to get personalized insights for your business✅ Early access to new content before anyone else If you're serious about building a business that doesn't run you, this is your next step.

Hey Change Maker, Does this sound familiar? The meeting starts like it always does—polite exchanges, someone cracking a joke to loosen the tension. The agenda is clear, and the goals are ambitious. You should leave this room feeling energized, aligned, ready to move forward. But halfway through, it's obvious: something's missing. Ideas get lost in translation. Questions stay unasked. People agree, but you can't help but notice the hesitation. You know the work your team is capable of—you've seen it—but these moments of disconnection feel like a weight, holding everything back. And then, the patterns emerge. It's the unspoken dynamics. The hesitation to trust. The stories people tell themselves about their place in the room—about you, about the work, about each other. It's nothing anyone says outright, but it shapes everything. “Your brain is always trying to categorize: is this person, this moment, a reward or a threat? Those split-second assumptions? They shape trust, communication, and collaboration before you even realize it.” This week on Impact Innovators, Christina Blacken reveals how these unseen dynamics affect everything you're building. She'll guide you through how to surface and rewrite the stories holding your team back—creating trust, connection, and a foundation for the year ahead. You'll learn: How unconscious biases show up in team dynamics and how to shift them. The power of story rituals and how they shape organizational culture. Christina's three-step framework—awareness, attunement, and action—for rewriting the narratives holding your team back. Next Steps:  Read Christina's story in Strategic Edge Magazine: https://media.feliciafordandco.com/power-moves  Align Your Numbers, Empower Your Team: https://bit.ly/yearendpowermoves  Connect with Felicia: www.threads.net/@friendscallmefe 

Does your organization struggle with aligning and engaging employees amidst complex challenges? Join us for this discussion with Casey Thomas, VP of Global Learning, Development, and Performance at Seagate Technologies, to explore how effective leadership can cut through the noise. Discover the power of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to align individual contributions with corporate goals and foster a strong company culture. We delve into emotional intelligence, innovation support, and empowering emerging leaders. Learn actionable strategies to build a noise-free, inclusive, and high-performing work environment.

In this episode of The KidzMatter Podcast, Ryan and Beth Frank dive into everything you need to know about Global KidMin Week—an incredible opportunity to equip, inspire, and empower your team like never before. You'll discover the vision behind this global initiative, what's in store for the week, and how your ministry can make the most of it. Whether you're looking for fresh ideas, powerful resources, or a way to bring your team together, this episode will give you the tools and inspiration to take your children's ministry to the next level. Don't miss it!Learn more at https://www.globalkidminday.com.

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interviewed Stephanie Chung, a bestselling author and transformative leader with over 30 years of experience driving growth and building high-performing teams. Stephanie, a trailblazer in private aviation as the first African American woman to lead a private jet company, shared insights from her book, Ally Leadership: How to Lead People Who Are Not Like You. Our conversation explored the evolving dynamics of modern workplaces, the importance of building bridges across differences, and actionable strategies leaders can use to foster inclusion and trust. Whether you're managing diverse teams, navigating generational divides, or seeking tools to lead empathetically, Stephanie's advice is a game-changer for today's leaders. Today we discussed: [0:00] Opening [01:03] Who is Stephanie Chung? [01:40] Introduction to ALLY Leadership [03:12] Diversity in Leadership: Broadening the Conversation [05:09] Cultivating Cultural Intelligence and Effective Leadership [14:21] Overcoming Unconscious Bias Through Human Connection [20:16] Barriers and Benefits of Leading Diverse Teams [22:57] Creating a Psychologically Safe Workplace More About Stephanie Chung Stephanie Chung's website - http://www.stephaniechung.com Connect with Stephanie Chung on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/TheStephanieChung/ Rate, Review, & Follow If you liked this episode, please rate and review the show. Let us know what you loved most about the episode. Struggling with strategy? Unlock your free AI-powered prompts now and start building a winning strategy today!

In this episode of the Better Leadership Team Show, I dive deep into leadership and decision-making with Chris Seifert, author of "Enabling Empowerment." Chris shares actionable insights on how leaders can foster a culture of effective decision-making and break free from the cycle of micromanagement. Drawing from his experience as a Navy officer, plant manager, and VP of Operations, Chris introduces a powerful decision-making framework that can transform your team's performance. His vision is to equip leaders with transformative strategies and decision-making training to build a culture of Principled Entrepreneurship. Highlights include:The root causes of micromanagement and how to overcome them.A six-step decision-making framework to guide leaders and teams.Building a culture of ownership and principled entrepreneurship.Practical strategies for teaching decision-making skills.Tune in to learn how to empower your team and create a more engaged, productive organization!

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Auto Care Focusing on the third part of a five-part 'Unstoppable Framework for Auto Shop Owners' series, Maryann Croce discusses strategies for optimizing processes and empowering teams. Mary Ann shares insights from her coaching experiences, including a case study of a client named Steve, who overcame burnout by streamlining operations and delegating tasks. The episode emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement, setting boundaries, and fostering a supportive team environment for business success. Maryann, Small Biz Vantage. Maryann's previous episodes HERE. Show Notes Watch Full Video Episode Here's the link to the fillable download: https://bit.ly/409jaZV Unstoppable Framework for Auto Shop Owners Part 1: Core Values and Vision [RR 997]: https://remarkableresults.biz/remarkable-results-radio-podcast/e997/ Unstoppable Framework for Auto Shop Owners Part 2: Mastering Your Finances [RRR 1004]: https://remarkableresults.biz/remarkable-results-radio-podcast/e1004/ Unstoppable Framework Overview (00:01:12) The Goal of the Framework (00:02:13) Steve's Story: The Doing It All Trap (00:04:37) Creating Standard Operating Procedures (00:05:46) Impact of Delegation on Business and Life (00:08:30) Importance of Accountability (00:10:46) Steps for Creating SOPs (00:12:51) Encouraging Team Autonomy (00:16:13) Structured Onboarding and Continuous Learning (00:18:27) Feedback Loops and Open Communication (00:19:39) The Business Control Dilemma (00:20:38) Small Wins Matter (00:20:51) Breaking the Micromanagement Cycle (00:21:53) Setting Boundaries for Well-being (00:23:44) The Importance of Personal Time (00:24:42) Final Thoughts on Business Growth (00:25:42) Continuous Improvement Mindset (00:26:52) Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Auto Care Learn more about NAPA Auto Care and the benefits of being part of the NAPA family by visiting https://www.napaonline.com/en/auto-care Connect with the Podcast: -Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RemarkableResultsRadioPodcast/ -Join Our Virtual Toastmasters Club: https://remarkableresults.biz/toastmasters -Join Our Private Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1734687266778976 -Subscribe on YouTube:

Scaling a business as a founder or CEO brings its own unique set of challenges, especially when it comes to building a high-performing team. Balancing rapid growth with maintaining the company culture can be tricky, and motivating a team through the ups and downs of expansion often requires more than just good management—it calls for clear vision, trust, and open communication. Founders frequently find that, as they scale, letting go of certain responsibilities and trusting others to lead becomes essential. Leandro D'Elia is the Fractional CFO of Eightx, a company dedicated to helping founders, boards, and CEOs scale their businesses with more cash and less stress. With his extensive experience in leadership and team building, Leandro has developed a unique approach to empowering teams and driving sustainable growth. Today, Leandro shares his insights on the importance of surrounding yourself with intelligent people, setting aside one's ego, and developing responsible and accountable team members. Stay tuned! Resources Eightx: Scale Your Company With More Cash And Less Stress Leandro D'Elía on LinkedIn

Imagine enjoying the freedom to focus on visionary leadership while your business runs like a well-oiled machine. This Monday Morning Episode dives deep into the art of systemization in business operations, partnering with systems expert David Jenyns to reveal transformative strategies that liberate business owners and team members from monotonous daily tasks. Discover insights behind legendary organizations like McDonald's and Netflix, as David sheds light on the benefits of implementing documented processes. This episode not only highlights how these processes lead to career growth, job security, and streamlined workflows but also tackles the common hurdle of team resistance, providing actionable advice on engaging early adopters and ensuring positive introductions to new systems.David emphasizes the importance of clear communication and tailored processes that strike the ideal balance between systemization and empowerment. He discusses how business owners can remove non-compliance excuses, set clear expectations, and build a team of systems-driven individuals, paving the way for sustainable success. Tune in to learn how to transform your business into a systemized powerhouse, where creativity and structure coexist seamlessly, all thanks to tried-and-true methodologies.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Benefits of documented processes for career growth.Strategies for overcoming team resistance to new systems.How clear communication and setting expectations lead to smoother workflows.Techniques to remove excuses for non-compliance.The impact of surrounding yourself with systems-driven individuals.How renowned companies like McDonald's and Netflix utilize effective systemization.Tune in now to transform your business with expert strategies for systemization!‍‍You can reach out to David Jenyns here:Website: https://www.systemology.com/‍Mentions and Links: ‍Accounting Software:MYOB‍Brands:McDonald'sNetflix‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Michael: Hey Dave, so talk to us. What's one piece of advice you can give us this Monday morning? David: When it comes to stepping out of the day to day operations as a business owner, you've got to capture your systems and your processes. And most importantly, you've got to get your team on board. And I feel like that's probably the biggest challenge for a lot of business owners.They try to systemize, they try it for a little bit, maybe one team member follows, maybe most of them don't, and then before they know it, everybody's forgotten about it, and it's just back to the way that things have always been. And it really, this one piece of advice I've got centers around how do you get your team on board?How do you get your team to follow process? And even. resistant team members. How do you get them to go, Oh, this is how we do things here. And key here is the way in which it's introduced to your team. A lot of business owners, when they go, Oh, we're going to start documenting our process. And we're going to have a particular way of doing things.The team member in their brain, they start to think, Should I be worried about my job? Is he trying to document what I'm doing so that he can replace me? Is he going to take my job offshore? I kind of like having this little black box where no one really knows what I'm doing because. It creates some level of job security for me.I don't want to capture my process and have that available and accessible for everybody else. So that's some of the things that go on in their head and that's what can make them resistant and then fall back to the ways that they may have done things in the past or not even want to share what it is that they're doing.So the bit of advice and the secret here is to really think about How it's going to benefit the team member. rather than just introducing it where the team thinks, Oh, the business owner is doing this to replace me, or maybe they want to go on a holiday. And, don't want to support that.Show them how, hang on, if you document your process or capture the way that you're doing things, this can help you move up in our organization because, by documenting process, we could delegate down to some newer team members. And that doesn't make you less valuable. It makes you more valuable because now you can work on higher value tasks.You can start to work your way up and work on these higher value activities. That's might appeal to some people. For other people, you might need to say, Hey, when you go on holiday and you tell me you want two weeks off and I say fine, but then I call you up every second day to go, Oh, where's that client's file up to?Oh, is that job up to? Do you remember where we saved that thing? And I'm on the phone calling you every second to try and find out what's going on. By documenting our process, it means that other people can step in and do some of those tasks, and the team can keep things moving while you're on leave, so when you come back, those things are done, and you can have a proper, restful holiday.So that might appeal to someone else, or, maybe it's, hey, there are going to be times when you're going to need time off for family. So, having process and the enable systems just means that people can step in and keep things moving. And that makes your job more secure and this business more secure.So again, a lot of it has to do with how you frame it and how you let them know this is going to benefit their situation. That'll dramatically increase the adoption of a systems culture. Michael: Gotcha. Okay. So then, David, can you share specific communication strategies you've used to address this type of resistance?How do you ensure the message is understood and embraced by team members? David: Well, The first thing to do and it's a little bit counterintuitive, is you actually don't think about who's going to resist it up front. Think about who's going to support this initiative. So when you first introduce the topic and you say, Hey, we're going to look to build a systems culture and want to capture some different processes.Hey, I've got, this book or this podcast that I want to share with you, just that talks a little bit about what we're doing and then see who resonates with it, who listens to it, who gets it and say, Hey I'm looking for some people who want to help me drive this forward. Who sticks their hand up.And then start off by leaning into them. So that's kind of step number one. You start to empower them, you get the first set of systems down and then you start to celebrate system wins. when a team member does something, you go, Hey, we just documented this new process. Jenny did an awesome job over here.Hey, Sarah, we normally have this frustration when someone goes on leave, but Sarah documented this process. And then we had John step in and do the task. Hey, Sarah, you're awesome. And you shine a spotlight on that. Maybe you give out a monthly most valued player award to the person who really embraces this idea.that's the best place to start because then you start to go, Hey, we're going to celebrate and showcase, and this is what we want more of. So that's the first step. And then you start to watch out for the. resistant team members. Now, the best thing that you can do for them is firstly lead by example, and then by shining a light on the people that are, doing it.And then you want to give those team members every opportunity to jump on board because new things you have to figure it out. And some people are going to embrace change more than others. And you try and support them. And then you need to really think about every team member and their situation.And the real key is a lot of times team members, their default excuses. Yeah, but I didn't know how, or I didn't know that was expected of me. So one of the first things that you need to do is. To remove that. So by capturing a system and a process, you're then saying, Hey, well, we have a way of doing things.You want to make sure that's never more than one click away from when they actually are doing the task. So if it's, setting up something in the dental practice, we'll have a QR code that they scan on their phone. Maybe it's on the printer or something, and it jumps to the. System or the process after scanning that QR code, or maybe it's setting up the dental practice in the morning and here's the 10 point checklist that needs to be done.It's got to be so obvious. So front and center. So you can remove that. And then the conversation can start to change. Okay, you did know we've got a process. It's listed out here. My expectation is that you follow the process. I don't care if you've got it open or not, if you're doing it right, but since you don't yet know the process, you've got to have it open, but once you get it right, then fine.You don't have to have it open every single time, but at the start, this is my expectation. And that's kind of just the start of how you address it. You've got to remove excuses. Michael: so then what consequences do you implement for team members who continually resist systems? Even though you've, done these systems, you've,Remove the excuses or try to, have you found incentives to be effective in encouraging this type of adherence? David: you can, like I said, have something like the MVP where you might reward the system wins and shine a spotlight. You can even link it towards KPIs either the generation or the following of process.can do a few things like that. I think the reality is. A lot of business owners don't realize up front how important it is to have someone who follows process. And it's not something that they've, incorporated into their recruitment process. Once you get this moving forward, it actually gets a lot easier.Because you look for people who will adopt this way of doing things right from the get go. The challenge is always the existing staff who are used to doing things a certain way, who there may actually be some people in there who aren't processed people. you'll need to navigate through that.Am I saying that you might need to jump in and do a whole bunch of, layoffs? that's definitely the last resort. And I know in certain different industries, finding labors can be challenging, but the reality is a business is infinitely easier when you surround yourself as a business owner with systems driven people.And that goes double if the business owner, or maybe the. dental practitioner owner isn't a systems person. If you don't see yourself as a systems person, then you better make sure that you're surrounded by systems driven people. Because again, business just works better that way.So do have to navigate through it. I've not seen, incentives. work amazingly well, generally you want people to do it, who do this naturally and then naturally organized people and you giving everybody the chance to jump on board and then addressing the ones that don't, oftentimes you're the employer, like the person listening to this, you're paying, they're there to do a job and it's okay for you to have, A set of expectations around the way that you want things done.That's your right as a business owner. But just persist with it. Cause it's, challenging at the start, but you get over this hump and then business just gets so much easier. Michael: Yeah, I like that. Okay. So then you mentioned KPIs to like, do you track and measure whether team members are following the systems specifically as a leader?Like what role do you personally play in and ensuring systems are followed? David: there's a couple of different ways that you can do it depending on the task, depending on who it is. If you've got some sort of project management software in how tasks are signed out, you can look at how they complete the tasks many times they're checking certain things off.You can have a look at error rate depending on if certain tasks causing you some challenges because people aren't following process and it's causing errors. So you can track that error rate and you're looking for reduction in that by following the process. it comes down to this whole idea that, to improve something, you have to track it.So you just have to think about what is it that you want to improve? If you want to improve the fact that they're. Opening the process or successfully completing it. Maybe there's some final step that they have to complete, which confirms that they have reviewed and followed the checklist.And then you're monitoring how often they're doing that, or are they doing that? depend on the situation and the task. Michael: Gotcha, gotcha. I like that. that in mind, like at the end of the day, make sure you're,you let me know, or you send me an email or you do this checklist.And then office manager at the end of the week, we'll look at how many people did this. How do you balance being hands on with empowering your team to take ownership of these systems versus it's seeming like, man, he's just micromanaging everything. David: Yes. Yeah. The main thing there is depending on what the work is, you've got to Systemize all of the things that need to happen in business.There are certain things that kind of just need to happen a certain way. patients will need to be checked in a certain way or they have to fill out certain forms, maybe The practice or the studio needs to be set up a particular way, try and systemize all of the mundane pieces or parts of business that just need to be done a certain way.And sometimes leaving out the creative part or doing those types of systems a little bit more high level, You, you've got to think about who's doing the task and documenting to the level that's required for that person. If they're a skilled operator, you don't need to tell them well, here's exactly how you log into MYOB.Here's the exact buttons that you need to check. it can feel, like you're micromanaging at that level. It's art and science, to try and find the right balance for this. look at something like McDonald's, And McDonald's has systemized every possible aspect down to the minute detail, but they're also running a hamburger business that is taking very unskilled operators, flipping hamburgers.So they've got to go down to that level and it can really feel. Like micromanagement, whereas a lot of people are going to be running, a successful business with high quality team members, and you've mightnot need to get down to that level. A quote that Reed Hastings said from Netflix and he said, when we started systemizing, we wanted to systemize every possible aspect of the business. We wanted to make sure our business was dummy proof. The only thing was once we got it to that level, only dummies wanted to work there. Because they'd gone too far on the systemization spectrum.So again, lot of this has be with, thinking about the situation, the individuals and what they need to do a great job. If it feels like micromanagement chunk up a level, have a higher quality or higher level checklist that has, key milestone levels instead of these super micro details.Michael: Nice. Awesome, David. I appreciate your time. And if anyone has further questions, you can definitely find them on the Dental Marketer Society Facebook group or where can they reach out to you directly? David: Yeah, best to just go to systemology. com and there's some links through to, all of the ways to contact us or follow us on social media.Michael: Awesome. So that's going to be in the show notes below. And David, thank you so much for being with me on this Monday morning episode. David: Pleasure. Thank you.‍

Have you ever questioned your effectiveness as a leader? What steps have you taken to enhance your leadership skills and empower your team to independently address challenges? Today's featured guest experienced significant growth and had to learn to evolve her leadership skills. She has grown a team of now 110 people and built a business that can run without her, all while maintaining the necessary work-life balance. Hear how she went from executive assistant to paving her way as an agency owner in an unconventional niche. Lauren Von is the founder and CEO of Quintessa Marketing, a unique agency that connects individuals who have been injured in accidents with personal injury lawyers. She shares her unexpected journey into the world of personal injury law, starting as an executive assistant and evolving into a pivotal role in sales and SEO for a company serving lawyers. She discusses the challenges and insights she gained while working closely with legal professionals and how these experiences laid the groundwork for launching her own business. In this episode, we'll discuss: Hiring for cultural fit. Becoming the type of leader you wish you'd had. Team empowerment - building confidence. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources E2M Solutions: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by E2M Solutions, a web design, and development agency that has provided white-label services for the past 10 years to agencies all over the world. Check out e2msolutions.com/smartagency and get 10% off for the first three months of service. How Corporate Experience Can Shape Agency Success Working with personal injury lawyers wasn't exactly Lauren's dream. She started as an executive assistant working in sales for AT&T, where her skills quickly shone through. One day, she successfully persuaded a hesitant customer to retain his phone instead of returning it, leaving such a lasting impression that he invited her to join his team. Transitioning into the realm of personal injury law, Lauren honed her sales abilities over six years, ultimately spearheading the development of the company's SEO division. Her proactive approach led to a significant increase in sales, transforming SEO into a cornerstone of the business. After gaining valuable agency experience, Lauren returned to Oklahoma as a new mother, figuring it was the perfect moment to start her own business. She credits her time as an executive assistant and her gradual ascent within the company for equipping her with the insights necessary to run her own business. If something's going wrong in the business, she's probably seen it happen before at her previous workplace so she appreciates the experience that made her a better owner when the time came. Scaling Without a Roadmap: A Key to Agency Expansion One aspect of ownership that presented the biggest learning curve for Lauren was bringing on outside leadership to help scale and grow her business. Since she built her agency on a relatively new niche, she couldn't just go to a competitor and pluck out their leadership. There was no blueprint so she needed to figure it out. There was also a constant battle between allowing her team to make mistakes and giving them time to learn while running a profitable business. Ultimately, Lauren needed to acknowledge the need to ask for help. No leader has all the answers and a key element of getting beyond a certain point in your growth will be accepting that and having the humility to seek guidance and advice from others. Aligning Values: Hiring for Agency Culture Fit Lauren's hiring strategy relies on hiring individuals who align with her agency's values. To this effect, she clearly defines her core values and conducts survey assessments that explore candidates' innate characteristics. These assessments provide insights into candidates' personalities and their suitability for specific roles, particularly in a sales context. For instance, a potential hire might have all the best traits to fill a position, but if they don't care about the company's philanthropic values their motivations will not resonate with the agency's mission.  This nuanced understanding of individual capabilities allows Lauren to make informed hiring decisions that prioritize long-term success over immediate financial gain. Becoming the Type of Leader You Wish You'd Had Lauren has felt like a bad leader many times during the agency's growth process, but she never stopped striving for improvement. As the business grew, she instated an open-door policy to encourage employees to have open communication with her and the leadership team and make herself more approachable. As she tried to become the type of leader she'd wanted to have in the past, she realized that she needed to be a different leader for each worker. For instance, she believes the way she leads her accounting team should be different than how she leads her sales team. In this sense, she strives to really understand them to be able to inspire and lead them naturally. Nowadays, Lauren is proud to say her company continues to thrive and grow, even when she is not physically present. This autonomy is crucial; it demonstrates that the organization is not solely reliant on the founder for direction. Instead, it cultivates a sense of resilience and adaptability, allowing teams to navigate challenges effectively. With this, her role has now evolved to be someone who removes obstacles, solves problems, is a subject-matter expert, and leads their philanthropy mission by investing in the community. Team Empowerment: Building Confidence for Problem-Solving With her team now equipped to address 99% of potential issues in her absence, Lauren is now able to enjoy more time with her family, promote the agency brand on podcasts, and meet clients in person. For agency owners who have yet to reach this level of operational autonomy but aspire to empower their teams, it's essential to train them in a way that encourages independent problem-solving. This is something you can achieve using the one-three-one approach. Instead of coming to you with a problem and expecting you to provide a solution, have them already come up with three possible solutions of how they would personally solve this problem and why, and ask them which of these three solutions they would recommend. Eventually, they'll stop coming to you because they have internalized that they are capable of coming up with an effective approach. Although agency owners usually dream of accomplishing this level of agency autonomy, it can be hard to adapt to not being needed anymore. In these cases, agency owners should remember that they don't have to let go of the part of the business they truly love doing. If you love being a part of a client's first call then continue to do that. You don't have to be part of the entire process. Just stick to the part of the business you truly enjoy and where you can have the biggest impact. The two-week audit. The easiest way to figure out what you truly want to continue doing in the agency and what you want to delegate is to do a two-week audit. Take a screenshot of the past two weeks in your calendar and highlight each activity in either red – for the activities that drain you, or green – for the ones you truly enjoy. If you do this while being truly honest with yourself, you can start building the business around you. Mastering the Art of Balance and Reclaiming Your Time                         As a mom of five and an entrepreneur, Lauren manages to balance her personal and professional lives by having clarity and alignment. Together with her husband, she establishes clear goals and daily priorities, which allows them to effectively share responsibilities. She is intentional about her time at home, implementing boundaries that enable her to fully engage in family moments. This principle extends to her business as well. When entrepreneurs and their teams engage in work that aligns with their core values, they tend to feel more energized and motivated. Such alignment not only boosts productivity but also cultivates a sense of purpose within the organization. By figuring out how much time you need to focus on your agency to feel fulfilled yet have enough energy to dedicate to your family life, you'll be able to have the proverbial “balance” entrepreneurial life promises and experience the luxury of buying back your time. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? Looking to dig deeper into your agency's potential? Check out our Agency Blueprint. Designed for agency owners like you, our Agency Blueprint helps you uncover growth opportunities, tackle obstacles, and craft a customized blueprint for your agency's success.

In today's episode, Laura goes over the common traps that leaders fall into that hinder their effectiveness and overwhelm their schedules. Are you finding yourself buried in back-to-back meetings, struggling to focus on strategic work? You're not alone! Laura discusses three key traps: Getting comfortable in the weeds: Learn how being too involved in day-to-day details can prevent you from focusing on long-term strategic priorities. Protecting your team: Discover why shielding your team from work can actually hinder their growth and development. Delegating but not empowering: Understand the importance of leading through coaching and how to create space for your team to solve problems independently. Throughout the episode, Laura provides actionable tips to help you audit your workload, intentionally delegate tasks, and empower your team to take on meaningful work. Are you ready to reclaim your time and lead with authenticity? Tune in to learn how you can shift your mindset and practices to thrive in your leadership role. Laura's first book – Values First. How Knowing Your Core Beliefs Can Get You the Life and Career You Want – is now available! Grab your copy today! Love audiobooks? Values First is also available on Audible and Itunes, so be sure to take a listen! Go to www.thecatchgroup.com to check out the show notes, resources, and links mentioned in this episode! Connect with Laura: -Follow The Catch Group on LinkedIn. -Follow the show on Instagram @thecatchgroup. -Enjoying what you hear? Follow and leave a review HERE.

“I can't think of one reason not to have a Dream Manager. There's nothing like it out there because it requires commitment. It requires the individual to really change over time.”In this episode of Lead with Culture, Kellie Zimmet, a certified Dream Manager for the Friendly Group, explores the transformative impact of the Dream Manager program. She reveals how this approach helps employees achieve both personal and professional dreams, boosting job satisfaction, improving retention, and enhancing overall workplace well-being.Kellie shares compelling success stories and explains the significant business advantages of implementing the program. She highlights how focusing on employee dreams can reshape company culture, discusses how to measure the program's ROI, and encourages leaders to consider integrating this powerful tool into their organizations.In this episode, you'll discover:How to successfully introduce The Dream Manager program to your teamMeasuring the ROI of The Dream Manager programBenefits of running The Dream Manager programThings to listen for:(00:00) How Dream Managers influence leadership choices(02:50) How to Launch the Dream Manager Program(07:10) Onboarding challenges for the Dream Manager program(17:42) Dream management's transformative impact on individuals(18:26) Business benefits of helping people achieve their dreams(22:00) Measuring the ROI of the Dream Manager programResources:Floyd CoachingThe Culture AssessmentMatthew Kelly's BooksFloyd Coaching's BlogConnect with the Host & Floyd Coaching:Kate Volman's LinkedinFloyd Coaching on LinkedinFloyd Consulting on FacebookFloyd Consulting on TwitterFloyd Consulting on YouTubeFloyd Consulting on Instagram

In this episode, we explore John 5:24 and its powerful message of trust and eternal life.

This episode is for all you entrepreneurs out there with a team, whether it be a virtual assistant or a whole crew of twelve! If, like me, you are managing a remote team, then you know the challenges of keeping everyone connected and engaged when you're not physically together. I have definitely dreamt about having an in-person studio, but with where I live, it's simply not happening, so I have had to get creative in making our virtual environment feel close-knit, collaborative, and, perhaps most importantly, fun! Listen in as I share some of the little things that we do as a team that make a big difference. We have a “watercooler” Slack channel where we chat about anything and everything non-work-related, and a “watch list” channel where we bond over our latest TV obsessions. We even celebrate our side hustles together! I am also all about giving my team permission to take it easy when they need to! I also talk about how taking a step back as the boss can actually empower your team and why a little flex time can go a long way in creating a strong company culture, even when you're all miles apart! Tune in for tips on fostering connection in your virtual team and making work feel a little less like, well, work!

Imagine rating your life a six or seven—could you settle for that?

Send us a Text Message.Step up your game by confidently delegating client calls and empowering your team to take charge. Watch as Steven Pope breaks down how to seamlessly transition from running meetings yourself to letting brand managers lead the way. You'll learn the importance of having your team support you, just like a quarterback relies on their team to protect them on the field. With the right approach, your team will be ready to handle calls like seasoned pros.As you scale your Amazon business, it's crucial to build a system that works for you and your team.Remember, the hardest part is often in the first few weeks, but with the right support and cadence, your team will be running those calls with confidence, leaving you free to focus on the bigger plays!#amazonagency  #clientmanagement  #teamleadership  #delegationskills #amazonsuccess  #businessgrowthstrategy  #teamempowermentYou  may also watch the video here: https://youtu.be/7lcD49yZPiE→ Use Data Dive with code MAG for exclusive savings!↳ https://2.datadive.tools/subscription/subscribe?ref=otkxnwu&coupon=MAG-------------------------------------------------Join My Amazon Guy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28605816/Follow us:Twitter: https://twitter.com/myamazonguyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenpopemag/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/myamazonguys/Please subscribe to the podcast at: https://podcast.myamazonguy.comApple Podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-amazon-guy/id1501974229Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4A5ASHGGfr6s4wWNQIqyVw Timestamps:00:00 - Teamwork and Delegation: The Foundation of Success00:30 - Training Your Brand Manager: The Step-by-Step Process01:20 - Transitioning Responsibility: Empowering Your Team02:10 - Overcoming Challenges: Finding Your Groove at MAG03:00 - Amazon's Edge: Innovation and Logistics→  Upgrade your main product image at half the price!Visit https://myamazonguy.com/IMG and use promo code: CTR for a 50% discount.→ Need help managing your Amazon account? Access over 450+ Amazon SOPs at https://myamazonguy.com/SOP. Make your brand grow easily.→ Learn about PPC, SEO, Design, and Catalog at https://mag-school.com/. Boost your Amazon skills with our courses.→ Want to increase your Amazon sales or solve a problem? Visit https://myamazonguy.com for expert assistance.→ Show your support by buying our Swag at https://myamazonguy.com/Swag.→ Use Data Dive with code MAG for exclusive savings!↳ https://2.datadive.tools/subscription/subscribe?ref=otkxnwu&coupon=MAG→ Save 20% on your first 6 months of H10. Use code STEVENPOPE6M20 at https://bit.ly/3RTm5id.→ Get a trademark through My Amazon Guy for $825. Fast-track your brand registry on Amazon in less than 7 days. Order at https://myamazonguy.com/trademark-services/.→ Enhance your Amazon listing with A+ Content. Learn more at https://myamazonguy.com/amazon-enhanced-brand-a-plus-content/.→ Check out our Beginner Tutorial Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDkvNlz8yl_bC5ERcdJm9mu_MLSTyl3e_.→ Book a quick coaching call today at https://myamazonguy.com/book-a-coaching-call/.→  Looking for a career opportunity? Apply at https://MyAmazonGuy.com/jobs.Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.Unlock the secrets to transformative leadership and team collaboration with John Chan, co-founder of 2X Growth Agency. From dropping out of university to building a successful digital marketing agency, John's journey is packed with lessons in empathetic leadership and personal growth. Discover how he transitioned from a technical expert to a company builder, mastering challenges and evolving his skills from design to analytics.John shares practical strategies for balancing professional and personal relationships, including working closely with a spouse. Learn how to manage power dynamics, leverage strengths, and foster a cohesive team mindset. Emphasizing continuous learning and mentorship, John highlights the impact of asking the right questions and the guidance of experienced mentors.Tune in to Catalytic Leadership for actionable insights that will empower your leadership, enhance team collaboration, and navigate the complexities of personal and professional dynamics. Join us to elevate your leadership skills with John Chan's transformative experiences.Books Mentioned: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. KiyosakiThe Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben HorowitzCatalytic Leadership: 12 Keys to Becoming an Intentional Leader Who Makes a Difference by Dr. William AttawayConnect with John Chan: To connect with John Chan and delve deeper into his insights, visit 2x.agency, connect with him on LinkedIn, or find him on social media by searching JTChan.As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.Support the Show.Join Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence. Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success. Special Offer:Get your FREE copy of Catalytic Leadership: 12 Keys to Becoming an Intentional Leader Who Makes a Difference. Connect with Dr. William Attaway: Website LinkedIn Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube

Since getting back from a season of heavy travel, I have been bombarded with to-dos and meetings. It's like I'm being penalized for taking a vacation. Have you ever felt this way? I'm in a blizzard of activities this summer at work and with the kids, that I find I'm breathing a bit shallower and not paying attention to what I need to say yes and no to on my calendar. So, if you follow me on social media, you know I have been thinking about time a lot lately and how I'm allocating it to various areas in my life. As we all know, time is our most precious resource. As an ambivert, or someone who is more naturally introverted but has trained themselves to be able to be extroverted for short stints, I'm craving more stillness to tap into myself. To read a few books this summer. To crank up my internal wisdom. All these activities make me a better person, wife, mother, friend, and of course, leader. So, I gladly welcomed my conversation with guest, Christy Pretzinger. While Christy and I never met before the show, you would think we were old friends with the way the conversation just flowed. Christy reminded me that I do need to get still and know my values, remember my Enneagram, go to therapy if needed, and more so that I can lead as a kind, compassionate, and growth-oriented leader. During our conversation, Christy and I chatted about: Values, the importance of them, and how to find our ownThe Enneagram, what it is, and what our types areStanding in our values in professional and personal situationsHow values are at play at workWhat EQ is and why it is important in leadershipA few book resources, including Christy's upcoming book, so listen in!

EPISODE 337: Does everything have to go through you? Are you becoming the bottleneck? In this week's episode, we're joined by construction business owner and long-time client turned guest coach Max Christiansen.  Max is the founder and sales director at Tru Builders–a family-owned home remodeling company based in Arizona. Today, he shares his journey from working in corporate America to building his own construction company. He talks about why effective delegation, accountability chart, and letting go are crucial for business growth and personal freedom. Plus, the benefits of systematizing your construction business, the importance of a morning routine and networking, and much more. Let's dive in!   Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00) Meet Max Christiansen (02:31) From corporate America to entrepreneurship (08:46) Construction business challenges and frustrations (17:34) The real value of delegation and strategically letting go (26:14) Most impactful business changes for Max and his team (29:34) Results after implementing systems and processes (39:40) Key factors when implementing systems (44:39) Importance of having a morning routine and a CEO time (46:10) The CEO Alliance group, goals, and hiring (54:42) Rapid-fire questions (1:05:05) Episode wrap-up (1:12:08)   Additional Resources: - Join our FREE Get Out of Your Construction Business Masterclass HERE - Download your FREE strategic planning guide HERE - Schedule your FREE business evaluation call with our team HERE -- The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time. Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode!

It's time to level up your business this year! In this episode, I'm chatting with Emily GIbson as she shares how she went from zero to seven figures through trusting herself and her intuition. She also talked about the importance of focusing on impact over income and really empowering your team so you don't burn out and can enjoy time off. Freedom! Isn't that why so many of us start businesses to begin with? 05:15 Trust, fear, and pursuing dreams despite judgment.13:00 What made you so successful in network marketing?18:00 How do you build trust in your intuition and decision making in business?23:15 Approaching hard conversations when you're let down in a relationship or business.30:00 How to be a critical thinker in your business.34:00 Would you be happy to see your kids copy the example you are setting?38:30 What vacations and experiences have you been creating as a family?43:45 How to set up systems and delegation to be able to take vacations and time away from your business.Links + Resources:Download the FREE resource How to Heal Your Nervous SystemFollow Emily: @emilygibsonandcoGet executive coaching with Cayla Craft! - Submit Here!Increase your INCOME, PORTFOLIO, and IMPACT!https://caylacraft.com/Check out the program to Rewire YOU for Business & take your business to the next level!Caylacraftpodcast.comCONNECT WITH CAYLA!Follow Cayla on Instagram @cayla.craftWebsite https://caylacraft.com/Watch + Subscribe on YouTube - Cayla Craft