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Why you should listenMark Emond shares his strategic pivot from traditional marketing automation to AI transformation services, offering a proven roadmap for consultants looking to evolve their positioning before the market forces them to.Discover how to identify and attract visionary clients who are ready to invest strategically rather than just experiment—learn the signals that separate early adopters from those who'll waste your time with endless pilot projects.Get practical insights on building an internal AI Innovation Lab that drives both client value and operational efficiency, including how to structure experimentation without killing momentum or burning budget.I'm watching too many consultants get paralyzed by AI—either ignoring it completely or drowning in tool experimentation without a strategy. Mark Emond made a bold pivot, repositioning his B2B marketing consultancy to lead AI transformation for enterprise CMOs. In this conversation, we dig into how he identified the shift before his clients demanded it, how he's separating visionary buyers from tire-kickers, and what he's learning by building an internal AI Innovation Lab where his team plays with everything from ChatGPT to Make and Clay. If you're sitting on technical expertise but wondering how to package it for the AI era without becoming a commodity, this episode shows you exactly how one founder is skating to where the puck is going.About Mark EmondDemand Spring's founder, Mark has a tremendous passion for helping marketing leaders transform their Revenue Marketing practices with AI, enabling them to become strategic leaders within their organizations. A Forbes Council member and contributor to MarketingProfs, Mark brings thought leadership to the marketing community, sharing insights on cutting-edge strategies, industry trends, and AI-driven marketing transformation. Prior to founding Demand Spring, spent 17 years in marketing leadership roles at IBM, Cognos, Watchfire, and Corel. Mark happily resides in Ottawa, the coldest capital city in the world, with his wife and teenage daughter. He combines his passion for athletics and developing young people as the coach of one of the top competitive girls basketball teams in Ontario. Resources and LinksDemandspring.comMark's LinkedIn profileBrandlightMakeClayn8nReplitWispr FlowTiga AIPrevious episode: 647 - The Cost of Figuring It Out AloneCheck out more episodes of the Paul Higgins PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube channel: @PaulHigginsMentoringJoin our newsletter

The path to progressing as a leader isn't always linear. SUMMARY Col. (Ret.) Mike Ott shows how a childhood dream can evolve into a lifetime of impact—from commanding in uniform to leading innovation in healthcare and national defense. Hear more on Long Blue Leadership. Listen now!   SHARE THIS PODCAST LINKEDIN  |  FACEBOOK   MIKE'S LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS A leader worth his or her salt should be comfortable not being the smartest person in the room. Striving for a lack of hubris is essential in leadership. Setting a clear vision is a fundamental leadership skill. Moving people without authority is crucial for effective leadership. Resource management is key to achieving organizational goals. Acknowledging what you don't know is a strength in leadership. Effective leaders focus on guiding their teams rather than asserting dominance. Leadership is about influencing and inspiring others. A successful mission requires collaboration and shared vision. True leadership is about empowering others to succeed.   CHAPTERS 00:00: Early Inspiration 06:32: Academy Years 13:17: Military Career Transition 21:33: Financial Services Journey 31:29: MOBE and Healthcare Innovation 40:12: Defense Innovation Unit 48:42: Philanthropy and Community Impact 58:11: Personal Growth and Leadership Lessons   ABOUT MIKE OTT BIO Mike Ott is the Chief Executive Officer of MOBĒ, a U.S.-based company focused on whole-person health and care-management solutions. He became CEO in April 2022, taking the helm to lead the company through growth and operational excellence following a distinguished career in both the military and corporate sectors.  A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Mike served as a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves before shifting into financial services and healthcare leadership roles including private wealth management at U.S. Bank and executive positions with UnitedHealth Group/Optum. His leadership ethos emphasizes alignment, acceleration, and human potential, building cultures where teams can thrive and leveraging data-driven models to improve health outcomes.   CONNECT WITH MIKE LinkedIn MOBE CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org Ted Robertson | Producer:  Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org    Ryan Hall | Director:  Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org  Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor:  Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer:  Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org      ALL PAST LBL EPISODES  |  ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS     OUR SPEAKERS Guest, Col. (Ret.) Mike Ott '85  |  Host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99   FULL TRANSCRIPT Naviere Walkewicz 0:00 A quick programming note before we begin this episode of Long Blue Leadership: This episode will be audio-only, so sit back and enjoy the listen. Welcome to Long Blue Leadership, the podcast where we share insights on leadership through the lives and experiences of Air Force Academy graduates. I'm Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99. Today, on Long Blue Leadership, we welcome Col. (Ret.) Mike Ott, Class of 1985, a leader whose vision was sparked at just 9 years old during a family road trip past the Air Force Academy. That childhood dream carried him through a 24-year Air Force career, culminating in retirement as a colonel and into a life of leadership across business, innovation and philanthropy. Mike is the CEO of MOBE, a groundbreaking company that uses data analytics and a revolutionary pay-for-results model to improve health outcomes while reducing costs. He also serves as a senior adviser to the Defense Innovation Unit, supporting the secretary of defense in accelerating commercial innovation for national security. A member of the Forbes Councils, Mike shares his expertise with leaders around the world. A former Falcon Foundation trustee and longtime supporter of the Academy, Mike has given generously his time, talents and resources to strengthen the Long Blue Line. His story is one of innovation and service in uniform, in the marketplace and in his community. Mike, welcome to Long Blue Leadership. We're so glad to have you here.   Mike Ott 1:29 Naviere, thanks a ton. I'm glad to be here. Naviere Walkewicz 1:31 Yes, yes. Well, we're really excited. I mean, you're here for your 40th reunion.   Mike Ott 1:35 Yeah, it's crazy.   Naviere Walkewicz1:37 You came right in, and we're so pleased that you would join us here first for this podcast.   Mike Ott 1:39 Right on. Thanks for the time.   Naviere Walkewicz 1:41 Absolutely. Well, let's jump right in, because not many people can say at 9 years old they know what they want to do when they grew up, but you did. Mike Ott 1:48 Yeah. I guess some people can say it; might not be true, but for me, it's true, good or bad. And goodness gracious, right? Here for my 40th reunion, do the math team, and as a 9-year-old, that was 1972, And a lot was going on in the world in 1972 whether it was political unrest, Vietnam and all of that, and the Academy was in the thick of it. And so we had gone — It was our first significant family vacation. My father was a Chicago policeman. We drove in the 1968 Buick LaSabre, almost straight through. Stopped, stayed at a Holiday Inn, destination Colorado, simply, just because nobody had ever seen the mountains before. That was why. And we my parents, mom, mom and dad took myself. I have two younger sisters, Pikes Peak, Academy, Garden of the Gods, Royal Gorge. And I remember noon meal formation, and the bell going off. Guys at the time — we hadn't had women as cadets at that point in time — running out in their flight suits as I recall lining up ready to go. And for me, it was the energy, right, the sense of, “Wow, this is something important.” I didn't know exactly how important it was, but I knew it was important, and I could envision even at that age, there was they were doing good, Naviere Walkewicz 3:21 Wow. Nine years old, your family went on vacation, and it just struck you as this is important and something that I want to do. So what did that conversation look like after that experience that you had as a 9-year-old and kind of manifest this in yourself? How did that go with your parents? Mike Ott 3:36 Well, I didn't say too much about it, as I was in grammar school, but as high school hit, you know, I let my folks know what my plans were, and I had mom and dad — my mother's still alive, my father passed about a year ago. Very, very good, hard-working, ethical people, but hadn't gone to college, and we had been told, “Look, you know, you need to get an education.” They couldn't. I wish they had. They were both very, very, very bright, and so I knew college was a plan. I also knew there wasn't a lot of money to pay for it. So I'm certain that that helped bake in a few things. But as I got into high school, I set my sights. I went to public high school in Chicago, and I remember freshman year walking into my counselor's office, and said, “I want to go to the Air Force Academy,” and he kind of laughed.   Naviere Walkewicz 3:21 Really?   Mike Ott 3:22 Well, we had 700 kids in my class, and maybe 40% went on to college, right? And the bulk of them went to community college or a state school. I can count on one hand the number of folks that went to an academy or an Ivy League school or something of that. So it was it was around exposure. It had nothing to do with intelligence. It was exposure and just what these communities were accustomed to. A lot of folks went into the trades and pieces like that. So my counselor's reaction wasn't one of shock or surprise insofar as that's impossible. It was, “We haven't had a lot of people make that commitment this early on, and I'm glad to help.”   Naviere Walkewicz 5:18 Oh, I love that.   Mike Ott 5:19 Which is wonderful, and what I had known at the time, Mr. Needham...   Naviere Walkewicz 5:23 You Remember his name?   Mike Ott 5:24 Yeah, he was in the Navy Reserves. He was an officer, so he got the joke. He got the joke and helped me work through what classes to take, how to push myself. I didn't need too much guidance there. I determined, “Well, I've got to distinguish myself.” And I like to lean in. I like a headwind, and I don't mind a little bit of an uphill battle, because once you get up there, you feel great. I owe an awful lot to him. And, not the superintendent, but the principal of our school was a gentleman named Sam Ozaki, and Sam was Japanese American interned during World War II as a young man, got to of service age and volunteered and became a lieutenant in the Army and served in World War II in Europe, right, not in Asia. So he saw something in me. He too became an advocate. He too became someone that sought to endorse, support or otherwise guide me. Once I made that claim that I was going to go to the Academy. Naviere Walkewicz 6:30 Wow. So you mentioned something that really stuck with me. You said, you know, you didn't mind kind of putting yourself out there and doing the hard things, because you knew when you got to the top it was going to feel really great. Was that something you saw from your father? Was that something, there are key leaders in your life that emulated that? Or is that just something that you always had in yourself? Mike Ott 6:51 I would say there's certainly an environmental element to it — how I was raised, what I was exposed to, and then juxtaposition as to what I observed with other family members or other parts of the community where things didn't work out very well, right? And, you know, I put two and two together. y father demonstrated, throughout his entire career what it means to have a great work ethic. As did mom and, you know, big, tough Chicago cop for 37 years. But the other thing that I learned was kindness, and you wouldn't expect to learn that from the big, tough Chicago cop, but I think it was environment, observing what didn't occur very often and how hard work, if I apply myself, can create outcomes that are going to be more fulfilling for me. Naviere Walkewicz 7:48 Wow, you talked about kindness. How did you see kindness show up in your journey as a cadet at the Air Force Academy? Or did you? Mike Ott 7:58 Yeah, gosh, so I remember, started in June of 1981, OK, and still connected with many of the guys and women that with whom I went to basic training and all that. The first moment of kindness that I experienced that it was a mutual expression, but one where I recognized, “Wow, every one of us is new here. None of us has a real clue.” We might have some idea because we had somebody had a sibling or a mother that was in the military or father that went to the academy at the time, but none of us really knew, right? We were knuckleheads, right? Eighteen years old. Maybe there were a couple of prior-enlisted folks. I don't recall much of that, but I having gone to a public high school in Chicago, where we had a variety of different ethnicities. I learned how to just understand people for who they are, meet them for who they are, and respect every individual. That's how I was raised, and that's how I exhibited myself, I sought to conduct myself in high school. So I get to the Academy, and you're assigned, you know, the first couple three nights, the first few weeks before you go to Jacks Valley, you're assigned. It was all a alphabetical, and my roommate was an African American fellow named Kevin Nixon. All right, my God, Kevin Nixon, and this guy, he was built. I mean, he was rock solid, right? And he had that 1000-yard stare, right? Very intimidating. And I'm this, like, 6-foot-tall, 148-pound runner, like, holy dork, right? And I'm assigned — we're roommates, and he just had a very stoicism, or a stoic nature about him. And I remember, it was our second night at the Academy, maybe first night, I don't quite recall, and we're in bed, and it's an hour after lights out, and I hear him crying, and like, well, what do you do? Like, we're in this together. It was that moment, like we're both alone, but we're not right. He needs to know that he's not alone. So I walked around and went over his bed, and I said, “Hey, man, I miss my mom and dad too. Let's talk. And we both cried, right? And I'll tell you what, he and I were pals forever. It was really quite beautiful. And what didn't happen is he accepted my outreach, right? And he came from a very difficult environment, one where I'm certain there was far more racial strife than I had experienced in Chicago. He came from Norfolk, Virginia, and he came from — his father worked in the shipyards and really, really tough, tough, tough background. He deserved to be the Academy. He was a great guy, very bright, and so we became friends, and I tried to be kind. He accepted that kindness and reciprocated in ways where he created a pretty beautiful friendship. Naviere Walkewicz 7:48 Oh, my goodness. Thank you for sharing that story. And you got me in the feels a little bit, because I remember those nights, even you know me having family members that went through the Academy. There's just something about when you're in it yourself, and in that moment, it's raw.   Mike Ott 11:13 Raw is a good word. Naviere Walkewicz 11:15 Oh, thank you for that. So you're at the Academy and you end up doing 24 years. I don't mean to, like, mash all that into one sentence, but let's talk… Mike Ott 11:22 I didn't do very much. It was the same year repeated 24 times over. Like, not a very good learner, right? Not a very good learner. Naviere Walkewicz 11:30 Yeah, I was gonna ask, you know, in that journey, because, had you planned to do a career in the Air Force? Mike Ott 11:36 Well, I didn't know, right? I went in, eyes wide open, and my cumulative time in the Air Force is over 24 but it was only it was just shy of seven active duty, and then 22, 23, in the Reserves, right? I hadn't thought about the Reserves, but I had concluded, probably at the, oh, maybe three-year mark that I wanted to do other things. It had nothing to do with disdain, a sense of frustration or any indignation, having gone to the Academy, which I'm very, very proud of, and it meant an awful lot to who I am. But it was, “Wait, this is, this is my shot, and I'm going to go try other things.” I love ambiguity, I'm very curious. Have a growth mindset and have a perhaps paradoxical mix of being self-assured, but perhaps early on, a bit too, a bit too, what's the word I was thinking of? I wrote this down — a bit too measured, OK, in other words, risk taking. And there were a few instances where I realized, “Hey, man, dude, take some risk. What's the downside? And if it isn't you, who else?” So it was that mindset that helped me muscle through and determine that, coupled with the fact that the Air Force paid for me to go to graduate school, they had programs in Boston, and so I got an MBA, and I did that at night. I had a great commander who let me take classes during the day when I wasn't traveling. It was wonderful. It was there that I was exposed to elements of business and in financial services, which ultimately drew me into financial services when I separated from active duty. Naviere Walkewicz 13:17 Well, I love that, because first you talked about a commander that saw, “How can I help you be your best version of yourself?” And I think the other piece of financial service, because I had to dabble in that as well — the second word is service. And so you've never stopped serving in all the things that you've done. So you took that leap, that risk. Is that something that you felt developed while you're at the Academy, or it's just part of your ethos. Mike Ott 13:41 It developed. It matured. I learned how to apply it more meaningfully at the Academy after a couple, three moments, where I realized that I can talk a little bit about mentoring and then I can come back to that, but mentoring — I don't know, I don't recall having heard that term as a mechanism for helping someone develop. I'm sure we used it when I was a cadet at the Academy and out of the Academy, and having been gone through different programs and banking and different graduate programs, the term comes up an awful lot. You realize, wow, there's something there helping the next generation, but also the reciprocity of learning from that generation yourself. I didn't really understand the whole mentoring concept coming out of Chicago and getting here, and just thought things were very hierarchical, very, very command structure, and it was hit the standards or else. And that that's not a bad mindset, right? But it took me a little while to figure out that there's a goodness factor that comes with the values that we have at the Academy, and it's imbued in each one of you know, service excellence, all of those pieces. But for the most part, fellow cadets and airmen and women want to help others. I mean, it's in service. It's in our DNA. Man that blew right past me. I had no idea, and I remember at one point I was entering sophomore year, and I was asked to be a glider instructor. I'd done the soaring and jumping program over the summer, and like, “Hey, you know you're not too bad at glider. You want to be an instructor?” At the time, that was pretty big deal, yeah, glider instructors. Like, “Yeah, no, I'm not going to do that, you know? I've got to study. Like, look at my GPA.” That didn't really matter. “And I'm going to go up to Boulder and go chase women.” Like, I was going to meet women, right? So, like, but I didn't understand that, that that mechanism, that mentoring mechanism, isn't always bestowed upon a moment or a coupling of individuals. There are just good people out there that see goodness in others that want to help them through that. I had no clue, but that was a turning point for me.   Naviere Walkewicz 15:56 Because you said no.   Mike Ott 15:58 I said no, right? And it was like what, you know, a couple months later, I remember talking with somebody like, “Yep, swing and a miss,” right? But after that, it changed how I was going to apply this self-assuredness, not bravado, but willingness to try new things, but with a willingness to be less measured. Why not? Trust the system. Trust the environment that you're in, the environment that we're in, you were in, I was in, that we're representing right now, it is a trusted environment. I didn't know that. And there were a lot of environments when I was being raised, they weren't trusted environments. And so you have a sort of mental callous mindset in many ways, and that that vigilance, that sense of sentinel is a good protection piece, but it prevents, it prevents... It doesn't allow for the membrane to be permeated, right? And so that trust piece is a big deal. I broke through after that, and I figured it out, and it helped me, and it helped me connect a sense of self-assuredness to perhaps being less measured, more willing to take ambiguity. You can be self-assured but not have complete belief in yourself, OK? And it helped me believe in myself more. I still wish I'd have been glider instructor. What a knucklehead. My roommate wound up becoming one. Like, “You, son of a rat, you.”   Naviere Walkewicz 17:29 So tell me, when did the next opportunity come up where you said yes, and what did that look like in your journey? Mike Ott 17:36 I was a lieutenant. I was a lieutenant, and I was looking for a new role. I was stationed at Hanscom Field, and I was working at one program office, and I bumped — I was the athletic officer for the base with some other folks, and one of the colonels was running a different program, and he had gotten to know me and understand how I operated, what I did, and he said, “Hey, Ott, I want you to come over to my program.” And I didn't know what the program was, but I trusted him, and I did it blindly. I remember his name, Col. Holy Cross. And really good guy. And yeah, I got the tap on the shoulder. Didn't blink. Didn't blink. So that was just finishing up second lieutenant. Naviere Walkewicz 18:26 What a lesson. I mean, something that stuck with you as a cadet, and not that it manifested in regret, but you realized that you missed that opportunity to grow and experience and so when it came around again, what a different… So would you say that as you progress, then you know, because at this point you're a lieutenant, you know, you took on this new role, what did you learn about yourself? And then how did that translate to the decision to move from active duty to the Reserve and into… Mike Ott 18:56 You'll note what I didn't do when I left active duty was stay in the defense, acquisition, defense engineering space. I made a hard left turn…   Naviere Walkewicz 19:13 Intentionally.   Mike Ott 19:14 Intentionally. And went into financial services. And that is a hard left turn away from whether it's military DOD, military industrial complex, working for one of the primes, or something like that. And my mindset was, “If I'm not the guy in the military making the decision, setting strategy and policy…” Like I was an O-3. Like, what kind of policy am I setting? Right? But my point was, if I'm not going to, if I may, if I decided to not stay in the military, I wasn't going to do anything that was related to the military, right, like, “Let's go to green pastures. Set myself apart. Find ways to compete…” Not against other people. I don't think I need to beat the hell out of somebody. I just need to make myself better every day. And that's the competition that I just love, and I love it  it's greenfield unknown. And why not apply my skills in an area where they haven't been applied and I can learn? So as an active-duty person — to come back and answer your question — I had worked some great bosses, great bosses, and they would have career counseling discussions with me, and I was asked twice to go to SOS in-residence. I turned it down, you know, as I knew. And then the third time my boss came to me. He's like, “OK, what are you doing? Idiot. Like, what are you doing?” That was at Year 5. And I just said, “Hey, sir, I think I'm going to do something different.” Naviere Walkewicz 20:47 Didn't want to take the slot from somebody else.   Mike Ott 20:49 That's right. Right. And so then it was five months, six months later, where I put in my papers. I had to do a little more time because of the grad school thing, which is great. And his commander, this was a two-star that I knew as well, interviewed me and like, one final, like, “What are you doing?” He's like, “You could have gone so far in the Air Force.” And I looked at the general — he was a super-good dude. I said, “What makes you think I'm not going to do well outside of the Air Force?” And he smiled. He's like, “Go get it.” So we stayed in touch. Great guy. So it had nothing to do with lack of fulfillment or lack of satisfaction. It had more to do with newness, curiosity, a challenge in a different vein. Naviere Walkewicz 21:30 So let's walk into that vein. You entered into this green pasture. What was that experience like? Because you've just been in something so structured. And I mean, would you say it was just structured in a different way? Mike Ott 21:48 No, not structured. The industry… So, I separated, tried an engineering job for about eight months. Hated it. I was, I was development engineer at Ford Motor Company, great firm. Love the organization, bored stiff, right? Just not what I wanted to do, and that's where I just quit. Moved back to Chicago, where I'm from, and started networking and found a role with an investment bank, ABN AMRO, which is a large Dutch investment bank that had begun to establish itself in the United States. So their headquarters in Chicago and I talked fast enough where somebody took a bet on me and was brought into the investment banking arm where I was on the capital markets team and institutional equities. So think of capital markets, and think of taking companies public and distributing those shares to large institutions, pensions funds, mutual funds, family offices.   Naviere Walkewicz 22:48 So a lot of learning and excitement for you.   Mike Ott 22:51 Super fun. And so the industry is very structured. How capital is established, capital flows, very regulated. We've got the SEC, we've got the FDIC, a lot of complex regulations and compliance matters. That's very, very, very structured. But there was a free-wheelingness in the marketplace. And if you've seen Wolf of Wall Street and things like that, some of that stuff happened. Crazy! And I realized that with my attitude, sense of placing trust in people before I really knew them, figuring that, “OK, what's the downside? I get nipped in the fan once, once or twice. But if I can thrust trust on somebody and create a relationship where they're surprised that I've trusted them, it's probably going to build something reciprocal. So learn how to do that.” And as a young fellow on the desk, wound up being given more responsibility because I was able to apply some of the basic tenets of leadership that you learned and I learned at the Academy. And face it, many of the men and women that work on Wall Street or financial services simply haven't gone to the Academy. It's just, it's the nature of numbers — and don't have that experience. They have other experiences. They have great leadership experiences, but they don't have this. And you and I may take it for granted because we were just four years of just living through it. It oozed in every moment, every breath, every interaction, every dialog, it was there.But we didn't know it was being poured in, sprinkled across as being showered. We were being showered in it. But I learned how to apply that in the relationships that I built, knowing that the relationships that I built and the reputation that I built would be lasting and impactful and would be appropriate investments for the future endeavors, because there's always a future, right? So it wasn't… again, lot of compliance, lot of regulations, but just the personalities. You know, I did it for the challenge, right? I did it because I was curious. I did it because I wanted to see if I could succeed at it. There were other folks that did it simply because it was for the money. And many, some of them made it. They might have sold their soul to get there. Some didn't make it. Maybe it wasn't the right pursuit for them in the first place. And if I go back to mentoring, which we talked about a little bit, and I help young men and women, cadets or maybe even recent grads, my guidance to them is, don't chase the money, chase the environment, right? And chase the environment that allows you to find your flow and contribute to that environment. The money will come. But I saw it — I've seen it with grads. I've seen it with many of the folks that didn't make it in these roles in financial services, because I thought, “Hey, this is where the money is.” It might be. But you have to go back to the basis of all this. How are you complected? What are your values? Do they align with the environment that you're in? And can you flow in a way where your strengths are going to allow success to happen and not sell your soul? Naviere Walkewicz 26:26 Yeah, you said two things that really stood out to me in that —the first one was, you know, trusting, just starting from a place of trust and respect, because the opportunity to build a relationship faster, and also there's that potential for future something. And then the second thing is the environment and making sure it aligns with your values. Is that how you got to MOBE? Mike Ott 26:50 Yeah, I would say how I got to MOBE, that certainly was a factor. Good question.   Naviere Walkewicz 26:57 The environment, I feel, is very much aligned Mike Ott 27:00 Very much so and then… But there's an element of reputation and relationship that allowed me to get there. So now I'm lucky to be a part of this firm. We're 250 people. We will do $50 million of revenue. We're growing nicely. I've been in health care for four years. Now, we are we're more than just healthcare. I mean, it's deep data. We can get into some of that later, but I had this financial services background. I was drawn to MOBE, but I had established a set of relationships with people at different investment banks, with other families that had successfully built businesses and just had relationships. And I was asked to come on to the board because MOBE, at the time, great capabilities, but struggled with leadership during COVID. Lot of companies did. It's not an indictment as to the prior CEO, but he and the team struggled to get through COVID. So initially I was approached to come on to the board, and that was through the founders of the firm who had known me for 20 years and knew my reputation, because I'd done different things at the investment bank, I'd run businesses at US Bank, which is a large commercial bank within the country, and they needed someone that… They cared very little about health care experience, which is good for me, and it was more around a sense of leadership. They knew my values. They trusted me. So initially I was asked to come onto the board, and that evolved into, “No, let's just do a whole reset and bring you on as the CEO.” Well, let's go back to like, what makes me tick. I love ambiguity. I love a challenge. And this has been a bit of a turnaround in that great capabilities, but lost its way in COVID, because leadership lost its way. So there's a lot of resetting that needed to occur. Corpus of the firm, great technology, great capabilities, but business model adaptation, go to market mechanisms and, frankly, environment. Environment. But I was drawn to the environment because of the people that had founded the organization. The firm was incubated within a large pharmaceutical firm. This firm called Upsher-Smith, was a Minnesota firm, the largest private and generic pharmaceutical company in the country, and sold for an awful lot of money, had been built by this family, sold in 2017 and the assets that are MOBE, mostly data, claims, analysis capabilities stayed separate, and so they incubated that, had a little bit of a data sandbox, and then it matriculated to, “Hey, we've got a real business here.” But that family has a reputation, and the individuals that founded it, and then ultimately found MOBE have a reputation. So I was very comfortable with the ambiguity of maybe not knowing health care as much as the next guy or gal, but the environment I was going into was one where I knew this family and these investors lived to high ethical standards, and there's many stories as to how I know that, but I knew that, and that gave me a ton of comfort. And then it was, “We trust you make it happen. So I got lucky. Naviere Walkewicz 30:33 Well, you're, I think, just the way that you're wired and the fact that you come from a place of trust, obviously, you know, OK, I don't have the, you know, like the medical background, but there are a lot of experts here that I'm going to trust to bring that expertise to me. And I'm going to help create an environment that they can really thrive in. Mike Ott 30:47 I'm certain many of our fellow alum have been in this experience, had these experiences where a leader worth his or her salt should be comfortable not being the smartest gal or guy in the room. In fact, you should strive for that to be the case and have a sense of lack of hubris and proudly acknowledge what you don't know. But what I do know is how to set vision. What I do know is how to move people without authority. What I do know is how to resource. And that's what you do if you want to move a mission, whether it's in the military, small firm like us that's getting bigger, or, you know, a big organization. You can't know it all. Naviere Walkewicz 31:30 So something you just mentioned that I think a lot of our listeners would really like, would love a little bit to peel us back a little bit. You said, “I know how to set a vision. I know how to…” I think it was move…   Mike Ott 31:45 Move people without authority and prioritize.   Naviere Walkewicz 31:47 But can we talk a little bit about that? Because I think that is really a challenge that some of our you know younger leaders, or those early in their leadership roles struggle with. Maybe, can you talk a little bit about that? Mike Ott 32:01 For sure, I had some — again, I tried to do my best to apply all the moments I had at the Academy and the long list of just like, “What were you thinking?” But the kindness piece comes through and… Think as a civilian outside looking in. They look at the military. It's very, very, very structured, OK, but the best leaders the men and women for whom you and I have served underneath or supported, never once barked an order, OK? They expressed intent, right? And you and I and all the other men and women in uniform, if we were paying attention, right, sought to execute the mission and satisfaction of that intent and make our bosses' bosses' jobs easier. That's really simple. And many outsiders looking in, we get back to just leadership that are civilians. They think, “Oh my gosh, these men and women that are in the military, they just can't assimilate. They can't make it in the civilian world.” And they think, because we come from this very, very hierarchical organization, yes, it is very hierarchical — that's a command structure that's necessary for mission execution — but the human part, right? I think military men and women leaders are among the best leaders, because guess what? We're motivating men and women — maybe they get a pat on the back. You didn't get a ribbon, right? Nobody's getting a year-end bonus, nobody's getting a spot bonus, nobody's getting equity in the Air Force, and it's gonna go public, right? It's just not that. So the best men and women that I for whom I've worked with have been those that have been able to get me to buy in and move and step up, and want to demonstrate my skills in coordination with others, cross functionally in the organization to get stuff done. And I think if there's anything we can remind emerging graduates, you know, out of the Academy, is: Don't rely on rank ever. Don't rely on rank. I had a moment: I was a dorky second lieutenant engineer, and we were launching a new system. It was a joint system for Marines, Navy and Air Force, and I had to go from Boston to Langley quite often because it was a TAC-related system, Tactical Air Force-related system. And the I was the program manager, multi-million dollar program for an interesting radio concept. And we were putting it into F-15s, so in some ground-based situations. And there was this E-8, crusty E-8, smoked, Vietnam, all these things, and he was a comms dude, and one of the systems was glitching. It just wasn't working, right? And we were getting ready to take this thing over somewhere overseas. And he pulls alongside me, and it's rather insubordinate, but it was a test, right? He's looking at me, Academy guy, you know, second lieutenant. He was a master sergeant, and he's like, “Well, son, what are we going to do now?” In other words, like, “We're in a pickle. What are we going to do now?” But calling me son. Yeah, it's not appropriate, right? If I'd have been hierarchical and I'd relied on rank, I probably would have been justified to let him have it. Like, that's playing short ball, right? I just thought for a second, and I just put my arm around him. I said, “Gee, Dad, I was hoping you're gonna help me.” And mother rat, we figured it out, and after that, he was eating out of my hand. So it was a test, right? Don't be afraid to be tested but don't take the bait. Naviere Walkewicz 35:46 So many good just lessons in each of these examples. Can you share a time at MOBE when you've seen someone that has been on your team that has demonstrated that because of the environment you've created? Mike Ott 35:57 For sure. So I've been running the firm now for about three and a half years. Again, have adapted and enhanced our capabilities, changed the business model a bit, yet functioning in our approach to the marketplace remains the same. We help people get better, and we get paid based on the less spend they have in the system. Part of some of our principles at MOBE are pretty simple, like, eat, sleep, move, smile, all right. And then be thoughtful with your medication. We think that medicine is an aid, not a cure. Your body's self-healing and your mind controls your body.   Naviere Walkewicz 36:32 Eat, sleep, move, smile. Love that.   Mike Ott 36:35 So what's happening with MOBE, and what I've seen is the same is true with how I've altered our leadership team. I've got some amazing leaders — very, very, very accomplished. But there are some new leaders because others just didn't fit in. There wasn't the sense of communal trust that I expected. There was too much, know-it-all'ing going on, right? And I just won't have that. So the easiest way to diffuse that isn't about changing head count, but it's around exhibiting vulnerability in front of all these folks and saying, “Look, I don't know that, but my lead pharmacist here, my lead clinician here, helped me get through those things.” But I do have one leader right, who is our head of vice president of HR, a woman who grew up on a farm in southern Minnesota, who has come to myself and our president and shared that she feels liberated at MOBE because, though this firm is larger than one that she served as a director of HR, previously, she's never had to look — check her six, look right, look left and seek alignment to ensure she's harmonizing with people. Naviere Walkewicz 37:49 Can you imagine being in an environment like that? Mike Ott 38:51 It's terrible, it's toxic, and it's wrong. Leaders, within the organization, I think you're judged more by what you don't do and the actions that you don't take. You can establish trust, and you will fortify that trust when you share with the team as best you can, so long as it's nothing inappropriate, where you made a mistake, where we went wrong. What did we learn from that? Where are we going to pivot? How we're going to apply that learning to make it better, as opposed to finding blame, pointing the finger or not even acknowledging? That happens all the time, and that toxicity erodes. And regretfully, my VP of HR in prior roles experienced that, and I don't have time. Good teams shouldn't have time to rehearse the basic values of the firm. We don't have time the speed of business is like this [snaps]. So if I can build the team of men and women that trust one another, can stay in their lanes, but also recognize that they're responsible for helping run the business, and look over at the other lanes and help their fellow leaders make adjustments without the indictful comment or without sort of belittling or shaming. That's what good teams, do. You, and I did that in the Air Force, but it is not as common as you would think. Naviere Walkewicz 39:11 20 we've been talking about MOBE, and you know, the environment you're creating there, and just the way that you're working through innovation. Let's talk a little bit how you're involved with DIU, the Defense Innovation Unit. Mike Ott 39:21 Again, it's reputation in relationships. And it was probably 2010, I get a call from a fellow grad, '87 grad who was living in the Beltway, still in uniform. He was an O-5 I was an O-5. Just doing the Academy liaison work, helping good young men and women that wanted to go to the Academy get in. And that was super satisfying, thought that would be the end of my Reserve career and super fun. And this is right when the first Obama administration came in, and one of his edicts and his admin edicts was, we've got to find ways to embrace industry more, right? We can't rely on the primes, just the primes. So those were just some seeds, and along with a couple other grads, created what is now called Joint Reserve Directorate, which was spawned DIUX, which was DIU Experimental, is spawned from. So I was the owner for JRD, and DIUX as a reserve officer. And that's how we all made colonel is we were working for the chief technology officer of the Defense Department, the Hon. Zach Lemnios, wonderful fellow. Civilian, didn't have much military experience, but boy, the guy knew tech — semiconductors and areas like that. But this was the beginning of the United States recognizing that our R&D output, OK, in the aggregate, as a fund, as a percentage of GDP, whether it's coming out of the commercial marketplace or the military DoD complex, needs to be harnessed against the big fight that we have with China. We can see, you know, we've known about that for 30 years. So this is back 14 years ago. And the idea was, let's bring in men and women — there was a woman in our group too that started this area — and was like, “How do we create essential boundary span, boundary spanners, or dual-literacy people that are experiences in capital markets, finance, how capital is accumulated, innovation occurs, but then also how that applies into supporting the warfighter. So we were given a sandbox. We were given a blank slate.   Naviere Walkewicz 41:37 It's your happy place.   Mike Ott 41:38 Oh, super awesome. And began to build out relationships at Silicon Valley with commercial entities, and developed some concepts that are now being deployed with DIU and many other people came in and brought them all to life. But I was lucky enough after I retired from the Reserves as a colonel to be asked to come back as an adviser, because of that background and that experience, the genesis of the organization. So today I'm an unpaid SGE — special government employee — to help DIU look across a variety of different domains. And so I'm sure many of our listeners know it's key areas that we've got to harness the commercial marketplace. We know that if you go back into the '70s, ‘60s and ‘70s, and creation of the internet, GPS, precision munitions and all of that, the R&D dollars spent in the aggregate for the country, 95% came out of DOD is completely flip flopped today. Completely flipped. We happen to live in an open, free society. We hope to have capital markets and access a lot of that technology isn't burdened like it might be in China. And so that's the good and bad of this open society that we have. We've got to find ways. So we, the team does a lot of great work, and I just help them think about capital markets, money flows, threat finance. How you use financial markets to interdict, listen, see signals, but then also different technologies across cyberspace, autonomy, AI. Goodness gracious, I'm sure there's a few others. There's just so much. So I'm just an interloper that helps them think about that, and it's super fun that they think that I can be helpful. Naviere Walkewicz 43:29 Well, I think I was curious on how, because you love the ambiguity, and that's just something that fills your bucket — so while you're leading MOBE and you're creating something very stable, it sounds like DIU and being that kind of special employee, government employee, helps you to fill that need for your ambiguous side.   Mike Ott 43:48 You're right. You're right.   Naviere Walkewicz 43:49 Yeah, I thought that's really fascinating. Well, I think it's wonderful that you get to create that and you just said, the speed of business is this [snaps]. How do you find time in your life to balance what you also put your values around — your health — when you have such an important job and taking care of so many people? Mike Ott 44:06 I think we're all pretty disciplined at the Academy, right? I remain that way, and I'm very, very — I'm spring loaded to ‘no,' right? “Hey, do you want to go do this?” Yeah, I want to try do, I want to do a lot of things, but I'm spring loaded. So like, “Hey, you want to go out and stay, stay up late and have a drink?” “No,” right? “Do you want to do those things?” So I'm very, very regimented in that I get eight hours of sleep, right? And even somebody, even as a cadet, one of the nicknames my buddies gave me was Rip Van Ott, right? Because I'm like, “This is it.” I was a civil engineer. One of my roommates was an astro guy, and I think he pulled an all-nighter once a week.   Naviere Walkewicz 45:46 Oh, my goodness, yeah.   Mike Ott 45:50 Like, “Dude, what are you doing?” And it wasn't like he was straight As. I was clearly not straight As, but I'm like, “What are you doing? That's not helpful. Do the work ahead of time.” I think I maybe pulled three or four all-nighters my entire four years. Now, it's reflected in my GPA. I get that, but I finished the engineering degree. But sleep matters, right? And some things are just nonnegotiable, and that is, you know, exercise, sleep and be kind to yourself, right? Don't compare. If you're going to compare, compare yourself to yesterday, but don't look at somebody who is an F-15 pilot, and you're not. Like, I'm not. My roommate, my best man at my wedding, F-15 pilot, Test Pilot School, all these things, amazing, amazing, awesome, and super, really, really, happy and proud for him, but that's his mojo; that's his flow, right? If you're gonna do any comparison, compare yourself to the man or woman you were yesterday and “Am I better?”. Naviere Walkewicz 44:48 The power of “no” and having those nonnegotiables is really important. Mike Ott 45:53 Yeah, no, I'm not doing that. Naviere Walkewicz 45:56 I think sometimes we're wired for a “we can take on… we can take it on, we can take it on, we can take it on. We got this.” Mike Ott 46:03 For sure. Oh, my goodness. And I have that discussion with people on my team from time to time as well, and it's most often as it relates to an individual on the team that's struggling in his or her role, or whether it's by you know, if it's by omission and they're in the wrong role, that's one thing. If it's by commission, well, be a leader and execute and get that person out of there, right? That's wrong, but from time to time, it's by omission, and somebody is just not well placed. And I've seen managers, I can repatriate this person. I can get him or her there, and you have to stop for a second and tell that leader, “Yeah, I know you can. I'm certain that the only thing you were responsible for was to help that person fulfill the roles of the job that they're assigned. You could do it.” But guess what? You've got 90% of your team that needs care, nurturing and feeding. They're delivering in their function, neglect, there destroys careers, and it's going to destroy the business. So don't, don't get caught up in that. Yeah. Pack it on. Pack it on. Pack it on. You're right. When someone's in the crosshairs, I want to be in the crosshairs with you, Naviere, and Ted, and all the people that you and I affiliate with, but on the day-to-day, sustained basis, right to live, you know, to execute and be fulfilled, both in the mission, the work and stay fit, to fight and do it again. You can't. You can't. And a lot of a little bit of no goes a long way. Naviere Walkewicz 47:40 That is really good to hear. I think that's something that a lot of leaders really don't share. And I think that's really wonderful that you did. I'd like to take a little time and pivot into another area that you're heavily involved, philanthropy side. You know, you've been with the Falcon Foundation. Where did you find that intent inside of you? I mean, you always said the Academy's been part of you, but you found your way back in that space in other ways. Let's talk about that. Mike Ott 48:05 Sure. Thank you. I don't know. I felt that service is a part of me, right? And it is for all of us, whether you stay in the military or not. Part of my financial services jobs have been in wealth management. I was lucky enough to run that business for US Bank in one of my capacities, and here I am now in health care, health care of service. That aligns with wanting things to be better across any other angle. And the philanthropic, philanthropic side of things — I probably couldn't say that word when I was a cadet, but then, you know, I got out and we did different volunteer efforts. We were at Hanscom Field raising money for different organizations, and stayed with it, and always found ways to have fun with it. But recognized I couldn't… It was inefficient if I was going to be philanthropic around something that I didn't have a personal interest in. And as a senior executive at US Bank, we were all… It was tacit to the role you had roles in local foundations or community efforts. And I remember sitting down with my boss, the CFO of the bank, and then the CEO, and they'd asked me to go on to a board, and it had to do with a museum that I had no interest in, right? And I had a good enough relationship with these, with these guys, to say, “Look, I'm a good dude. I'm going to be helpful in supporting the bank. And if this is a have to, all right, I'll do it, but you got the wrong guy. Like, you want me to represent the bank passionately, you know, philanthropically, let me do this. And they're like, “OK, great.” So we pivoted, and I did other things. And the philanthropic piece of things is it's doing good. It's of service for people, entities, organizations, communities or moments that can use it. And I it's just very, very satisfying to me. So my wife and I are pretty involved that way, whether it's locally, with different organizations, lot of military support. The Academy, we're very fond of. It just kind of became a staple. Naviere Walkewicz 50:35 Did you find yourself also gravitating toward making better your community where you grew up? Mike Ott 50:41 Yeah, yeah, yeah. One of my dear friends that grew up in the same neighborhood, he wound up going to the Naval Academy, and so we're we've been friends for 50 years. Seventh grade.   Naviere Walkewicz 50:53 Same counselor? Mike Ott50:54 Yeah, no. Different counselor, different high school. His parents had a little bit of money, and they, he wound up going to a Catholic school nearby. But great guy, and so he and I, he runs a business that serves the VA in Chicago, and I'm on the board, and we do an awful lot of work. And one of the schools we support is a school on the south side, largely African American students and helping them with different STEM projects. It's not going to hit above the fold of a newspaper, but I could give a rat, doesn't matter to me, seeing a difference, seeing these young men and women. One of them, one of these boys, it's eye watering, but he just found out that he was picked for, he's applying to the Naval Academy, and he just found out that he got a nomination.   Naviere Walkewicz 51:44 Oh my goodness, I just got chills.   Mike Ott 51:46 And so, yeah, yeah, right, right. But it's wonderful. And his parents had no idea anything like that even existed. So that's one that it's not terribly formal, but boy, it looks great when you see the smile on that kid and the impact on that individual, but then the impact it leaves on the community, because it's clear opportunity for people to aspire because they know this young man or this young woman, “I can do that too.” Naviere Walkewicz 52:22 Wow. So he got his nomination, and so he would start technically making class of 2030?   Mike Ott 52:27 That's right. Naviere Walkewicz 52:28 Oh, how exciting. OK Well, that's a wonderful…   Mike Ott 52:27 I hope, I hope, yeah, he's a great kid. Naviere Walkewicz 52:33 Oh, that is wonderful. So you talk about, you know that spirit of giving — how have you seen, I guess, in your journey, because it hasn't been linear. We talked about how you know progression is not linear. How have you grown throughout these different experiences? Because you kind of go into a very ambiguous area, and you bring yourself, and you grow in it and you make it better. But how have you grown? What does that look like for you? Mike Ott 53:02 After having done it several times, right, i.e. entering the fray of an ambiguous environment business situation, I developed a better system and understanding of what do I really need to do out of the gates? And I've grown that way and learn to not be too decisive too soon. Decisiveness is a great gift. It's really, really it's important. It lacks. It lacks because there are too many people, less so in the military, that want to be known for having made… don't want to be known for having made a bad decision, so they don't take that risk. Right, right, right. And so that creates just sort of the static friction, and you've just got to have faith and so, but I've learned how to balance just exactly when to be decisive. And the other thing that I know about me is I am drawn to ambiguity. I am drawn… Very, very curious. Love to learn, try new things, have a range of interests and not very good at any one thing, but that range helps me in critical thinking. So I've learned to, depending on the situation, right, listen, listen, and then go. It isn't a formula. It's a flow, but it's not a formula. And instinct matters when to be decisive. Nature of the people with whom you're working, nature of the mission, evolution, phase of the organization or the unit that you're in. Now is the time, right? So balancing fostering decisiveness is something that that's worth a separate discussion. Naviere Walkewicz 54:59 Right. Wow. So all of these things that you've experienced and the growth that you've had personally — do you think about is this? Is this important to you at all, the idea of, what is your legacy, or is that not? Mike Ott 55:13 We talked a little bit about this beforehand, and I thought I've got to come up with something pithy, right? And I really, I really don't.   Naviere Walkewicz 55:18 Yeah, you don't.   Mike Ott 55:19 I don't think of myself as that. I'm very proud of who I am and what I've done in the reputation that I have built. I don't need my name up in lights. I know the life that I'm living and the life that I hope to live for a lot longer. My legacy is just my family, my children, the mark that I've left in the organizations that I have been a part of.   Naviere Walkewicz 55:58 And the communities that you've touched, like that gentleman going and getting his nomination. I'm sure.   Mike Ott 56:04 Yeah, I don't… having been a senior leader, and even at MOBE, I'm interviewed by different newspapers and all that. Like I do it because I'm in this role, and it's important for MOBE, but I'm not that full of myself, where I got to be up in lights. So I just want to be known as a man that was trustworthy, fun, tried to meet people where they are really had flaws, and sought to overcome them with the few strengths that he had, and moved everything forward. Naviere Walkewicz 56:33 Those are the kind of leaders that people will run through fire for. That's amazing. I think that's a wonderful I mean that in itself, it's like a living legacy you do every day. How can I be better than I was yesterday? And that in itself, is a bit of your living and that's really cool. Well, one of the things we like to ask is, “What is something you're doing every day to be better as a leader?” And you've covered a lot, so I mean, you could probably go back to one of those things, but is there something that you could share with our listeners that you do personally every day, to be better? Mike Ott 57:05 Exercise and read every day, every day, and except Fridays. Fridays I take… that's like, I'll stretch or just kind of go for a walk. But every day I make it a moment, you know, 45 minutes to an hour, something and better for my head, good for my body, right? That's the process in the hierarchy of way I think about it. And then read. Gen. Mattis. And I supported Gen. Mattis as a lieutenant colonel before I wanted to and stuff at the Pentagon. And he I supported him as an innovation guy for JFCOM, where he was the commander. And even back then, he was always talking about reading is leading none of us as military leaders… And I can't hold the candle to the guy, but I learned an awful lot, and I love his mindset, and that none of us can live a life long enough to take In all the leadership lessons necessary to help us drive impact. So you better be reading about it all the time. And so I read probably an hour every night, every day.   Naviere Walkewicz 58:14 What are you reading right now?   Mike Ott 58:15 Oh, man, I left it on the plane! I was so bummed. Naviere Walkewicz 58:17 Oh, that's the worst. You're going to have to get another copy. Mike Ott 58:22 Before I came here, I ordered it from Barnes & Noble so to me at my house when I get home. Love history and reading a book by this wonderful British author named Anne Reid. And it's, I forget the title exactly, but it's how the allies at the end of World War I sought to influence Russia and overcome the Bolsheviks. They were called the interventionalists, and it was an alliance of 15 different countries, including the U.S., Britain, France, U.K., Japan, Australia, India, trying to thwart, you know, the Bolshevik Revolution — trying to thwart its being cemented. Fascinating, fascinating. So that's what I was reading until I left it on the plane today. Naviere Walkewicz 59:07 How do you choose what to read? Mike Ott 59:10 Listen, write, love history. Love to read Air Force stuff too. Just talk to friends, right? You know, they've learned how to read like me. So we get to talk and have fun with that. Naviere Walkewicz 59:22 That's great. Yeah, that's wonderful. Well, the last question I'd like to ask you, before I want to make sure you have an opportunity to cover anything we didn't, is what is something you would share with others that they can do to become better leaders? Maybe they start doing it now, so in the future, they're even stronger as a leader. Mike Ott 59:42 Two things I would say, and try to have these exist in the same breath in the same moment, is have the courage to make it try and make it better every day, all right, and be kind to yourself, be forgiving. Naviere Walkewicz 59:59 That's really powerful. Can you share an example? And I know I that's we could just leave it there, but being courageous and then being kind to yourself, they're almost on two opposite sides. Have you had, can you share an example where I guess you've done that right? You had to be you were courageous and making something better, and maybe it didn't go that way, so you have to be kind to yourself. Mike Ott 1:00:23 Yeah, happy to and I think any cadet will hear this story and go like, “Huh, wow, that's interesting.” And it also plays with the arc of progress isn't linear. I graduated in '85 went to flight school, got halfway through flight school, and there was a RIF, reduction in force. And our class, our flight class, I was flying jets, I was soloing. I was academically — super easy, flying average, right? You know, I like to joke that I've got the fine motor skills of a ham sandwich, right? You know, but, but I didn't finish flight school. And you think about this, here it is. I started in 1981 there were still vestiges of Vietnam. Everyone's going to be a fighter pilot. Kill, kill, kill. Blood makes the grass grow. All of that was there. And I remember when this happened, it was very frustrating for me. It was mostly the major root of frustration wasn't that I wasn't finishing flight school. It was the nature by which the determination that I wasn't finishing was made. And it was, it was a financial decision. We had too many guys and gals, and they were just finding, you know, average folks and then kicking them out. So our class graduated a lower percent than, I think, in that era, it was late '85, '86, maybe '87, but you can look at outflows, and it was interesting, they were making budget cuts. So there was a shaming part there, having gone to the Academy.   Naviere Walkewicz 1:02:02 And knowing since 9 years old. Mike Ott 1:20:04 Right, right, right, and I knew I wanted to go the Academy. I'd like to fly, let's check it out and see if it's for me. I would much rather have been not for me, had I made the decision I don't want to do this or that I was just unsafe and didn't want to do it. The way it turned out is, and this is where I learned a little bit about politics as well. In my class, again, I was very average. Like, nobody's ever going to say, like, yeah, I was going to go fly the Space Shuttle. Like, no way, right? Very, very average, but doing just fine. And a lot of guys and gals wanted to go be navigators, and that's great. I looked in the regs, and I learned this as a cadet, and it's helped me in business, too. If there's a rule, there's a waiver. Like, let me understand the regs, and I asked to go to a board. Instead of just submitting a letter to appeal, I asked to go to a board. And so I went to a board of an O-5 five, couple of threes O-4 four, and ultimately shared the essence of why I shouldn't be terminated in the program. And son of a gun, they agreed, and I still have the letter. The letter says, “Recommend Lt. Ott for reinstatement.” Nobody in my class has that letter, nobody makes the appeal. And I'm like, I'm going downstream. I'm going downstream. And that's the Chicago in me, and that's the piece about… but also move forward, but forgive yourself, and I'll get to that. And so I, I was thrilled, My goodness, and the argument I had is, like, look, you're just not keeping me current. You put me in the sim, and then you're waiting too long to put me in the jet. The regs don't allow for that. And like, you're right. So I'm assigned to go back to the jet. My pals are thrilled. I'm going to stay in the same class. I don't have to wash back. And then I get a call from the DO's office — director of operations — and it was from some civilian person so the DO overrode the board's decision. Heartbreaking. Heartbreaking.   Naviere Walkewicz 1:04:12 You were so high, you did all of your work. And then… Mike Ott 1:04:15 Yeah, and then heartbreaking and frustrating, and I guess the word is indignant: anger aroused through frustration. In that I figured it out. I knew exactly what's happening. I made the appeal and I won. And it wasn't I was expecting to be assigned to fly a fighter. It was like, “Just let me, let me express the merits of my capabilities. It's how the system is designed.” The son of a gun, I jumped in my car and I ran to base and I waited and reported in. He didn't really know who I was. That's because he didn't make a decision. It was just it was that decision, and that's how life comes at you. That's just how it is. It isn't linear. So how do you take that and then say, “Well, I'm going to be kind to myself and make something out of it.” And he went through, you know, a dissertation as to why, and I asked him if I could share my views, and it's pretty candid, and I just said, If my dad were something other than the Chicago policeman, and maybe if he was a senator or general officer, I wouldn't be sitting here. That lit him up, right? That lit him up. But I had to state my views. So I knew I was out of the program. Very, very frustrating. Could have had the mayor of Chicago call. Didn't do that, right? Like, OK, I understand where this is it. That was very frustrating and somewhat shaming. But where the forgiveness comes in and be kind to yourself, is that I ran into ground. I ran into ground and drove an outcome where I still… It's a moment of integrity. I drove an outcome like, there you go. But then what do you do? Forgive yourself, right? Because you didn't do anything wrong, OK? And you pivot. And I turned that into a moment where I started cold calling instructors at the Academy. Because, hey, now I owe the Air Force five years, Air Force is looking for, you know, things that I don't want to do. And thank goodness I had an engineering degree, and I cold called a guy at a base in Hanscom. And this is another tap on the shoulder.   Naviere Walkewicz 1:06:24 That's how you got to Hanscom. Gotcha.   Mike Ott 1:06:27 There was a friend who was Class of '83, a woman who was in my squadron, who was there. Great egg. And she's like, “Hey, I was at the O Club.” Called her. I said, “Hey, help me out. I got this engineering degree. I want to go to one of these bases. Called Lt. Col. Davis, right? I met him at the O Club. I called a guy, and he's like, “Yeah, let's do this.”   Naviere Walkewicz 1:06:44 Wow, I love that..   Mike Ott 1:06:46 It was fantastic So it's a long winded way, but progress isn't linear. And progressing through that and not being a victim, right, recognizing the conditions and the environment that I could control and those that I can't. Anything that I could control, I took advantage of and I sought to influence as best possible. Ran into ground and I feel great about it, and it turns out to be a testament of one of my best successes. Naviere Walkewicz 1:07:17 Wow. Thank you for sharing

Sherré DeMao is founder and CEO of BizGrowth Inc, an award-winning strategy, intellectual property, and training firm focused on providing next-level, next-idea solutions for entrepreneurial enterprises. She is an expert in helping entrepreneurs and their teams realize success through empowering exponential growth, building preferential value, and embracing industry leadership. Her firm has earned more than 50 awards locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Her business acumen, advocacy and innovative approach to advising and working with entrepreneurs has resulted in national recognition including being honored with a Small Business Woman Champion Award (2006) by the Small Business Administration, named among North America's 50 Most Enterprising Women (2007), and being inducted as an expert in Forbes Council in 2022 as a result of her business growth track record. A Certified Growth Strategist, Sherré is a nationally acclaimed speaker, author, and thought leader. Her book, Me, Myself & Inc. resulted in her being the subject matter expert for Chapter 2, also called Me, Myself & Inc. in the university textbook, Smart Start-up Business Management. Her book Dream Wide Awake was released in February 2020 and selected as a Leadership Book Club choice by NAWIC National. Her next books, The Profitability Quotient: What COVID Business Successes Confirmed, and THIRVE! Too Agile to Fail, will be released in 2026.Contact Sherre De Mao:Since my books are not going to be released until 2026, the one book that could be promoted is Dream Wide Awake which is an empowerment guide for dream doing instead of daydreaming. It can be purchased on amazon and any other book retailer websites.My blogs, Dream Wide Awake & BizGrowth 5.0 and Forbes thought leader insights. May be the easiest to promote.https://www.sherredemao.com/dream-wide-awake/ (weekly)https://www.bizgrowthinc.com/bizgrowth-5-0/ (bi-monthly)https://councils.forbes.com/profile/Sherre-DeMao-CEO-BizGrowth-Maestro-BizGrowth-Inc/917cdcd3-f596-4c5f-8d0f-06596dca6053https://www.facebook.com/sherre.demao/https://www.instagram.com/bizgrowthmaestro/https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherre-demao-02248a1/Dr. Kimberley LinertSpeaker, Author, Broadcaster, Mentor, Trainer, Behavioral OptometristEvent Planners- I am available to speak at your event. Here is my media kit: https://brucemerrinscelebrityspeakers.com/portfolio/dr-kimberley-linert/To book Dr. Linert on your podcast, television show, conference, corporate training or as an expert guest please email her at incrediblelifepodcast@gmail.com or Contact Bruce Merrin at Bruce Merrin's Celebrity Speakers at merrinpr@gmail.com702.256.9199

The world doesn't move in straight lines. Headlines whiplash from inflation scares to rate cuts, tech booms to banking jitters, and back again before lunch. In that kind of turbulence, relying solely on the classic 60/40 mix can feel like sailing with a single sail in shifting winds. Alternative investing—owning assets beyond public stocks and bonds—adds more tools to the kit: private credit that pays you to wait, real assets that rise with the cost of living, uncorrelated strategies that don't flinch every time the S&P sneezes.Patrick Grimes, founder and CEO of Passive Investing Mastery, an internationally bestselling author, and a Forbes Council contributor, is a serial entrepreneur specializing in alternative investments. His portfolio is diversified across energy, litigation finance, commercial lending and acquisitions, including retail, industrial, and thousands of apartment units. Patrick has developed a range of diversified passive investments focused on growth and cash flow, including the Diversified Litigation Portfolio, Acquisitions Fund, and Income Fund, all designed to thrive during economic downturns.Formerly a robotics and automation engineer, Patrick holds a BS and MS in Engineering and an MBA. Based in Honolulu, Hawaii, he is dedicated to educating investors on achieving financial independence through mastery in passive alternative investing.Contact Details:Email: patrick@passiveinvestingmastery.com Website: www.passiveinvestingmastery.com Socials:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricksgrimes/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/passiveinvestingmastery/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PassiveInvestingMastery Media Samples: ● Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing ● The Art of Passive Income ● The Wealth FlowFREE GIFT: PassiveInvestingMastery.com/bookRemember to SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss "Information That You Can Use." Share Just Minding My Business with your family, friends, and colleagues. Engage with us by leaving a review or comment on my Google Business Page. https://g.page/r/CVKSq-IsFaY9EBM/review Your support keeps this podcast going and growing.  Visit Just Minding My Business Media™ LLC at https://jmmbmediallc.com/ to learn how we can help you get more visibility on your products and services. 

Sonal Jain joined EPL in June, 2023 as the Global CHRO. She has more than 19 years of diverse experience in FMCG, Health Care, Information services and EdTech sector. Prior to this role, Sonal was Head of People, Asia Pacific at Coursera. Sonal has also worked in various capacities for Johnson & Johnson, Unilever and Wipro Technologies.A well-known name in the HR community, Sonal has been recognized as one of the “10 Best CPOs in India 2023” by TradeFlock and was honoured as a “Top 100 HR Leader for 40under40” by Bombay in 2018. She was facilitated as “Inspirational Women Leader 2024 by Transformance Forum”. She was featured as Top 10 Best Women CHRO by Women Entrepreneur Magazine 2024" along with Most Iconic HR Leaders 2024 by World HRD Congress" She is a core member of CII National Committee for Leadership and HR and Forbes Council 2024. Her expertise extends beyond borders, as she has held roles and engaged teams across markets such as the Americas, Japan, Europe, Middle East, South East Asia, Africa, Australia and South Asia. Sonal holds a graduate degree in Civil Engineering for Jamia Millia Islamia and MBA in Human Resources from University Business School, Panjab University.She hold certifications and accreditations such as ICF ACC Certified Coach, Hogan Assessor, Hays Assessor, and Chartered MCIPD

Why you should listenLearn how to build your own AI revenue streams now with agents and digital employees.Get a reality check on where AI adoption is really at—and how it's disrupting mid-tier SaaS faster than you think.Hear practical agent use cases across sales, support, and delivery—straight from a tech leader who's helped raise $ 400 M+ and worked with Fortune 500s.If you're still hanging your hat on your SaaS vendor adding AI features, you're already behind.In this episode, I talk with Ken Gavranovic, a tech exec who's been building with AI since before most people could spell LLM. Ken shares how agents (aka “digital employees”) are quietly becoming the next big service you should offer—and why relying solely on platform tools like Salesforce's Agent Assist will cost you deals, not win them.We dive into the difference between LLMs and agents, how to package AI advisory work for clients, and the mindset shift SaaS Consulting Partners must make to stay relevant and profitable in 2025.About Ken GavranovicKen Gavranovic is a seasoned technology executive, global keynote speaker, and member of Thinkers50 and the Forbes Council, renowned for helping brick-and-mortar businesses leverage AI and advanced technologies for immediate, impactful results. With over three decades of experience, Ken has collaborated with top venture firms, guiding over 18 successful exits, 35 mergers and acquisitions, and one IPO. Ken's expertise spans iconic brands like Disney World and 7-Eleven, where he implemented technology solutions that improved customer engagement and operational efficiency.Resources and LinksProductgenius.guruKen's LinkedIn profilePrevious episode: 611 - From CRM to Agents: How SaaS Consultants Can Sell Bigger Deals with AICheck out more episodes of the Paul Higgins PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube channel: @PaulHigginsMentoringJoin our newsletterSuggested resources

This week on That Tech Pod, Laura and Kevin sit down with tech veteran and AI thought leader Ken Gavranovic, CEO of Product Genius, for a lively and insightful conversation that spans AI, ethics, innovation and pop culture. Ken opens up about his challenging childhood, sharing how it sparked a passion for technology and a desire to build tools that could truly make a difference, much like the kid in the movie War Games. From early fumbles in fax software that made others millions but netted him nothing to working with tech giants like Disney and 7-Eleven, Ken walks us through his evolution into the AI space and why he believes AI will have the most substantial impact on humanity. We talk about ethical AI and data privacy, especially when it comes to children and younger audiences, how to leverage AI insights without drowning in data and the key contrasts in AI adoption between big corporations and smaller businesses. Laura and Ken geek out about functional health, from UV-cap water bottles to proactive blood testing to the very real fears (ahem, Laura) about robot uprisings from a tangent on the movie Smart House, the series Cassandra and The Terminator movies. Plus, we discuss recycled toilet paper and sustainability with a shoutout to Who Gives a Crap, and wrap things up with a peek into Ken's Amazon best-seller, Business Breakthrough 3.0, a must-read for any leader navigating digital transformation. Tune in for an episode that's smart, human, and just the right amount of tech-weird.Ken Gavranovic is a global keynote speaker, a seasoned technology executive, and the CEO of Product Genius, where he leads the development of AI-powered tools that transform real-time data into actionable customer insights, driving service improvements and operational efficiency. With over two decades of experience, Ken has helped businesses—from startups to global brands like Disney World and 7-Eleven—leverage cutting-edge tech to achieve measurable results. He has led 18 successful exits, 35 mergers and acquisitions, and an IPO, and has held key executive roles at New Relic and Cox Automotive. A global keynote speaker and member of Thinkers50 and the Forbes Council, Ken is also a co-author of the Amazon best-seller Business Breakthrough 3.0, a practical guide for leaders navigating digital transformation and scaling operations.

In this week's episode of The Venue Rx Podcast, host Jonathan Aymin sits down with Ken Gavranovic, CEO of Product Genius, to explore how AI is shaking up the wedding venue industry. Ken shares eye-opening insights on how AI is changing the way couples discover venues—especially through search engines like Google—and how it's helping businesses create more meaningful, personalized customer experiences.From streamlining day-to-day operations to gathering real-time feedback, Ken breaks down how venue owners can harness AI to boost efficiency and improve service. He also dives into practical strategies for using AI to stay competitive, manage online reviews, and build stronger client relationships. About Our Guest: Ken Gavranovic is a hands-on tech leader, global keynote speaker, and member of both Thinkers50 and the Forbes Council. With over 20 years of experience, he's helped traditional businesses harness the power of AI and emerging tech to get fast, real-world results. Ken has partnered with top venture firms, led 18+ successful exits, 35 mergers and acquisitions, and even taken a company public. He's also brought innovation to major brands like Disney World and 7-Eleven, using technology to boost customer experience and streamline operations.As CEO of Product Genius, Ken is building AI tools that turn real-time data into personalized customer interactions—helping businesses improve service, efficiency, and stay ahead of the competition. He previously founded Interland (now Web.com), growing it from zero to $200 million in just three years and guiding it through an IPO. He's also held executive roles at New Relic and Cox Automotive, where he led digital transformations that made a big impact on both customers and teams.Ken has spoken at 50+ events around the world, sharing practical insights on AI, scaling, and driving growth. He's also co-author of the Amazon bestseller Business Breakthrough 3.0, which lays out a clear five-step roadmap for leaders to drive change, align teams, and grow with purposeFind Him Here: Email: ken@kengavranovic.comWebsite: https://kengavranovic.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavranovic/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kengavranovic/X: https://twitter.com/kgavranovic

Ep 189 One World in a New World with Gregory StebbinsHow can we navigate humanity's evolution with wisdom and compassion? How can leaders integrate heart-centered wisdom into their decisions?What is the difference between transformational and transcendent leadership?Embark on a profound journey into the essence of leadership, wisdom, and human connection in this episode of One World in a New World. Join Zen Benefiel as he engages in a transformative conversation with Dr. Gregory Stebbins, a master coach, Forbes Council member, and author of Wise Leadership: Embracing Our Heart's Wisdom. Together, they explore the power of transcendent leadership, the intersection of heart and mind, and the evolution of consciousness in shaping a better world.What does it mean to lead with wisdom? How can we align our inner and outer realities for a more harmonious existence? Dr. Stebbins shares his personal journey, from growing up in a military family to discovering meditation and spiritual leadership, offering deep insights into self-awareness, acceptance, and transformation.If you seek to elevate your leadership, embrace your heart's wisdom, and contribute to humanity's evolution, this conversation is for you. Stay tuned for an inspiring discussion that will shift your perspective and ignite your inner wisdom.Connect with Greg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregstebbins/Website: https://PeopleSavvy.com

In this episode of The Long Game Podcast, Alex Birkett interviews Alice Wyatt, a B2B fintech marketing leader with experience at Codat, Bloomreach, and Adyen. Alice shares how her personal journey of building community and maintaining sanity in a fast-paced city like New York connects with her marketing philosophy: agile, people-first, and impact-driven. The conversation explores person-based marketing (PBM), the limits of MQLs, aligning sales and marketing teams, and embracing adaptability in an AI-disrupted world. Alice also reflects on how her approach to building community mirrors how great marketing is done: with empathy, boldness, and a willingness to challenge the status quo.Key TakeawaysFrom ABM to PBM: Moving beyond account-based strategies to person-based marketing creates deeper personalization and stronger alignment with buying behavior.MQLs Are Outdated: Relying on MQLs limits alignment; marketing and sales need shared, outcome-driven goals instead.Adaptability Over Tactics: Successful marketers focus on business outcomes and adapt tactics as priorities shift—agility trumps specialization.AI Is Redefining Roles: AI is reshaping marketing roles, requiring teams to adopt tools while maintaining strategic thinking and creativity.Community as a Superpower: Whether in marketing or life, building and contributing to genuine communities creates long-term value.Hire for Resilience and Curiosity: Non-traditional backgrounds (e.g., comedy, hospitality) often produce standout BDRs with adaptability and EQ.Thought Leadership ≠ Press Releases: Modern thought leadership means leading with perspective, not parroting trends or relying on legacy PR tactics.Show LinksVisit Alice's Forbes Council for Marketing ExpertsConnect with Alice Wyatt on LinkedInConnect with Alex Birkett on LinkedIn and TwitterConnect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or TwitterPast guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Ryan McReady (Reforge), and many more.Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard)Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social)Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEOShould You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?How Do Growth and Content Overlap?Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:Twitter: @beomniscientLinkedin: Be OmniscientListen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

Ken Gavranovic is a seasoned technology executive, global keynote speaker, and member of Thinkers50 and the Forbes Council, renowned for helping brick-and-mortar businesses leverage AI and advanced technologies for immediate, impactful results. With over three decades of experience, Ken has collaborated with top venture firms, guiding over 18 successful exits, 35 mergers and acquisitions, and one IPO. Ken's expertise spans iconic brands like Disney World and 7-Eleven, where he implemented technology solutions that improved customer engagement and operational efficiency. As CEO of Product Genius, Ken pioneers AI-powered tools that turn real-time data into meaningful customer interactions, empowering customer-facing businesses to achieve measurable improvements in service and efficiency. His career highlights include founding Interland (now Build Your Site or Hire an Expert | Web.com AI Site Builder ), where he grew the company from $0 to $200 million in revenue in just three years before leading it through a successful IPO. What you will learn Learn how embracing AI can deliver immediate benefits by automating processes, analyzing data, and enhancing decision-making for businesses of any size. Discover how advanced AI technologies can transform customer experiences, from real-time problem-solving to personalizing interactions that drive satisfaction and loyalty. Explore proven strategies for scaling and future-proofing brick-and-mortar businesses by leveraging AI to streamline operations and improve customer engagement. Gain insights into building high-growth startups, from initial ideas to scaling rapidly, using AI-powered tools and data-driven decision-making. Understand the role of AI in creating transformative growth opportunities, enabling businesses to innovate, adapt, and thrive in competitive markets.

Discover the most critical AI and cyber threats facing organizations in 2025 with cybersecurity expert Dr. Fene Osakwe, Forbes Council member and former NYSE cybersecurity leader. In this eye-opening discussion, we explore the emerging dangers of shadow AI, sophisticated deep fake attacks, and AI-powered malware that's changing the cybersecurity landscape. Dr. Osokwe, an Amazon bestselling author and multi-award winning professional, shares crucial insights on: • The rise of shadow AI and its implications for corporate security  • How third-party risks are evolving into "one-to-many" threats • The growing sophistication of deep fakes and their legal implications • AI-generated malware reaching 87% accuracy in exploit creation  Learn practical strategies to protect your organization against these emerging threats, including essential third-party management approaches, multi-factor authentication improvements, and building cyber resilience for 2025 and beyond. Want to stay ahead of cyber threats? This discussion provides vital information for business leaders, security professionals, and anyone concerned about the future of cybersecurity. Dr. Osakwe brings his global experience from the US, UK, Dubai, Africa, and Latin America to help you understand and prepare for tomorrow's security challenges. If you want to be our guest or suggest a guest for our Risk Management Show, send your email to info@globalriskconsult.com with the subject line "Guest Suggestion for Risk Management Show."

In this episode of the Brand Called You, Alexander Zheltov, CEO of Educate Online, explores the transformation of global education through technology and personalization. Delve into the challenges of making international education accessible, the impact of AI on personalized learning, and innovative solutions to bridge the digital divide. Alex shares his journey from Russia to founding a company serving 27 countries, discusses strategies for ensuring education quality across cultures, and offers a glimpse into the future of EdTech.  About Alexander Zheltov Alex is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Educate Online, which is a global education and technology company dedicated to making education accessible worldwide. He's also been recognized as a Forbes 30 under 30.  In 2021, Educate Online won a Forbes award for the best-emerging startup, and Alex was offered a position on the esteemed Forbes Council. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tbcy/support

Bringing Hope to the Family, a nonprofit organization founded in Uganda, has successfully expanded its mission to the United States, focusing on supporting vulnerable children and communities. Christine Deschaine, Executive Director and Founder of the USA division, shares her journey of introducing the organization to American audiences, highlighting the challenges and strategies involved in effective communication and engagement. With the help of the Hoyt Organization, Christine emphasizes the importance of storytelling through various channels, including social media, to showcase the positive impact of their work. The conversation also delves into the emotional connections created through their initiatives, such as providing clean water and medical care to underserved communities. About the Guest Leeza Hoyt, APR, is president of The Hoyt Organization, Inc., the Los Angeles area partner agency of PRGN. As a 25+ year veteran of the communications industry, she is passionate about helping clients navigate the new world of today's communications landscape. Her team has developed awarding winning campaigns for regional companies and national organizations in a wide variety of industries. She has been recognized by many organizations including being named as a "woman to watch" by Globest.com, and named as one of the top Marketing & Communications CRE Influencers by Real Estate Forum. In addition, she is a member of the Forbes Council, and the agency was named one of the top 200 PR firms in the country in 2021.Christine Deschaine is a Senior Vice President in Kennedy Wilson's brokerage division and specializes in the leasing and sale of retail property. She has more than 25 years of experience in tenant and landlord representation and has worked extensively in urban redevelopment with some of the area's most prominent retail developers. Since joining Bringing Hope to the Family in 2019, Christine has visited Bringing Hope in Uganda eighteen times and helped to develop the Building Women and Crisis Pregnancy Center program. She is also the Founder and Board Member of ThinSpace, a nonprofit that works to bring vital resources and opportunities to the people of Kaihura, Uganda. Additionally, Christine works with City of Hope as an agent at Kennedy Wilson and the Commercial Real Estate, where she received the Spirit of Life® Award for her professional and humanitarian accomplishments. For 20 years, she has volunteered with Harvest Home and helped in programs including fundraising and hands-on programs including Bible studies, baby and mother baskets, sorting baby clothing and landscaping projects. Her work continues at Ann Douglas Women Center DTLA, supporting women with life recovery services. Christine's passion for non-profit work is extensive as she has dedicated her life to serving the needs of others. About the Host Abbie Fink is president of HMA Public Relations in Phoenix, Arizona and a founding member of PRGN. Her marketing communications background includes skills in media relations, digital communications, social media strategies, special event management, crisis communications, community relations, issues management, and marketing promotions for both the private and public sectors, including such industries as healthcare, financial services, professional services,...

Dominik Szot discusses the importance of AI for leaders, emphasizing its role as a database for leaders to ask powerful questions and simplify their jobs. What is the most important thing for leadership these days, with so much talk about AI? You mentioned Clean Coaching, Marshall Goldsmith's Stakeholder Centered Coaching and Solution Focused Coaching, Positive Psychology, and Nonviolent Communication. Define the different approaches you use and how do you bring these approaches to your coaching? Given your extensive knowledge of the different approaches and models, how do you help leaders? What attracted you to write for Forbes council and now you are the leader a group called Culture Architects? Dominik Szot Dominik Szot discusses the importance of AI for leaders, emphasizing its role as a database for leaders to ask powerful questions and simplify their jobs. Dominik highlights his coaching methods, including solution-focused coaching, stakeholder-centered coaching, clean coaching, positive psychology, and non-violent communication. Szot stresses the need for leaders to understand and address emotions like shame and guilt to build trust and psychological safety. He also underscores the generational differences in leadership, advocating for curiosity and openness towards younger generations. Szot's involvement with the Forbes Council aims to foster a community of leaders to create a stronger, more inclusive work environment. Excellent Executive Coaching Podcast If you have enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our podcast on iTunes. We would love for you to leave a review. The EEC podcasts are sponsored by MKB Excellent Executive Coaching that helps you get from where you are to where you want to be with customized leadership and coaching development programs. MKB Excellent Executive Coaching offers leadership development programs to generate action, learning, and change that is aligned with your authentic self and values. Transform your dreams into reality and invest in yourself by scheduling a discovery session with Dr. Katrina Burrus, MCC to reach your goals. Your host is Dr. Katrina Burrus, MCC, founder and general manager of Excellent Executive Coaching a company specialized in leadership development.

Discover how industry leaders are harnessing the power of delegation and automation to streamline their operations and boost their success in this episode with Daniel Ramsey. Grab this opportunity to learn the insider techniques that can transform your business and free up your time for what truly matters. Tune in now and start scaling your business like a pro!     What you'll learn from this episode Effective delegation strategies to grow your business How the pandemic initially affected MyOutDesk and led to exponential growth Common mistakes when delegating tasks  Tips for managing expectations when hiring virtual assistants  Advantages of embracing technology and staying ahead of industry trends     Resources mentioned in this episode  Founder CEO shares all the books that helped build a $100M enterprise | Daniel Ramsey   Scaling Your Business with MOD Virtual Professionals by Daniel Ramsey | Paperback The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz | Paperback, Hardcover, and Kindle  GoBundance     About Daniel Ramsey Daniel Ramsey is the founder and CEO of MyOutDesk, the leading virtual assistant company with over 6,000 clients. Inspired by his own time-management struggles, he founded MyOutDesk in 2008 to provide businesses with virtual staffing solutions across various industries. Daniel also hosts the "Scale the Show" and "RISMedia RealEdge Podcast," sharing expert insights on business scaling. He is a member of the Forbes Council and the author of "Scaling Your Business with MOD Virtual Professionals." Additionally, he founded ModMovement, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.     Connect with Daniel Website: MyOutDesk  Podcasts: Scale the Podcast YouTube:  Daniel Ramsey  Instagram: @thedanielramsey  LinkedIn: Daniel Ramsey       Connect With Us Love what you're hearing? Don't miss an episode! Follow us on our social media channels and stay connected.  Explore more on our website: www.alltechnational.com/podcast Stay updated with our newsletter: www.mochoumil.com Follow Mo on LinkedIn: Mo Choumil

Sonia Maslovskaya, is a renowned public speaking coach with a Master's in Linguistics. She's developed a unique method that integrates physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual aspects of communication. Her approach has been recognized in Forbes, YahooFinance, and MarketWatch, and she has appeared on the CW Network. A member of the Forbes Coaches Council and a leader in their Public Speaking Group, Sonia received the Best Group Event Award from the Forbes Council last year. She's inspired to share her passion for communication with you and to reveal her unique method for unlocking public speaking success. Website: www.soniampower.com

In this episode, Abbie Fink talks with Leeza Hoyt and James Mowdy about the client perspective on building a communications team and working with an external public relations agency. James shares his experience transitioning from being a consultant to working in-house at CHOC and assembling a team of external communications professionals. They discuss the organizational structure of CHOC's communications department, the importance of managing expectations, budgeting for communications, and the value of having quality assets for media coverage.Key Takeaways CHOC has built a team of consultants to support their communications efforts, ensuring they have access to top-notch professionals in various areas. James Mowdy's previous experience as a consultant gives him a unique perspective on hiring and working with communications agencies, allowing him to understand the challenges and needs of both sides. The partnership between CHOC and the Hoyt Organization has been successful due to a shared passion for the organization's mission and a strong understanding of each other's roles and expertise. Having quality assets, such as photos and videos, is crucial for media coverage and can make the job of the communications agency much easier.Budgeting for communications is an important aspect of planning, and CHOC has been able to predict their costs by working closely with their consultants and setting clear expectations. About the Guests Leeza Hoyt, APR, is president of The Hoyt Organization, Inc., the Los Angeles area partner agency of PRGN. As a 25+ year veteran of the communications industry, she is passionate about helping clients navigate the new world of today's communications landscape. Her team has developed awarding winning campaigns for regional companies and national organizations in a wide variety of industries. She has been recognized by many organizations including being named as a "woman to watch" by Globest.com, and named as one of the top Marketing & Communications CRE Influencers by Real Estate Forum. In addition, she is a member of the Forbes Council, and the agency was named one of the top 200 PR firms in the country in 2021.James Mowdy, MBA, is the Director, Corporate Communications for the Community Housing Opportunities Corporation (CHOC), a non-profit, affordable housing developer based in Fairfield, California. He is known for transforming stories into bold tactics and a winning, goal-focused strategy. Prior to joining CHOC, he had his own consulting practice that delivered communications solutions to small businesses, startups and the C-suite across multiple sectors. His background also includes working with Discovery Communications, MC Saatchi Advertising and British Airways prior to founding his own practice.About the Host Abbie Fink is president of HMA Public Relations in Phoenix, Arizona and a founding member of PRGN. Her marketing communications background includes skills in media relations, digital communications, social media strategies, special event management, crisis communications, community relations, issues management, and marketing promotions for both the private and public sectors, including such industries as healthcare, financial services, professional services, government affairs and...

Unlock the power of high-converting images with Kamal, CEO of AMZOneStep, and optimize your Amazon listings for skyrocketing sales!Join us as we dive into the world of Amazon optimization with Kamal, the CEO and founder of AMZOneStep. With a wealth of experience in e-commerce and as a member of the Forbes Council, Kamal shares invaluable insights on how to optimize Amazon listings for increased sales, ranking, reviews, and profits.Key Takeaways:1.The Importance of Main Images: Kamal emphasized the critical role of the main product image in driving click-through rates on Amazon. He advised sellers to break the pattern of their competitors' images and to continuously split test their main images to ensure they stand out in search results.2. Split Testing: Sellers should regularly split test their main images, as well as their other creatives and A+ content, to avoid leaving money on the table. Tools like PICFU, IntelliView, and Amazon's own manager experiments can be used for this purpose.3. Visual References: When creating infographics and lifestyle images, it's important to use visual references that customers can relate to. For example, showing how many items a product can hold rather than just listing dimensions can be more effective.4. Amazon TOS Compliance: Kamal warned against making claims or using prohibited keywords in listing images, as this can lead to issues with Amazon's terms of service. He also recommended having a backup main image ready in case Amazon flags the primary one.Additional Resources:Visit AMZOneStep's website at www.amzonestep.com.Connect with AMZOneStep on Instagram.Access the special offer for listeners: 2 Free Main Images + Split Testing.SPECIAL OFFER:Access the special offer for listeners: 2 Free Main Images + Split Testing.For more Amazon Seller tips, subscribe to Post Purchase PRO Podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.Timestamps[00:02:09] Conversion strategies for Amazon sellers.[00:03:41] Importance of main product image.[00:07:56] Main image importance.[00:12:05] Using visual references in images.[00:14:28] Targeting Specific Customer Needs.[00:20:01] Free main image offer.[00:22:50] A splurge on a Tesla.

Patrick Dillon is an investor and he views the marketing of his business as an investment. Over the years Pat's companies have been featured in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, Pando, TechCrunch, and numerous industry-specific publications. He's had the opportunity to work with national and global brands such as the NFL, Warner Bros. Records, and NBC Universal, as well thousands of small and medium-sized businesses across the United States. The Deal Current Network, a software company he was the Co-Founder and President of, was listed in Entrepreneur Magazine's list of ‘100 Most Brilliant Companies' in 2011 and later acquired by a global media company. Lightpost Digital, a division of Deal Current, developed into a stand-alone digital marketing agency that franchised nationwide, and was also later acquired under his reins as CEO. Today, Pat runs WISE Digital Partners, a full-service digital agency based in San Diego, CA with clients and employees across the globe. He also owns and operates two commercial janitorial companies. Pat is currently a contributing member of the Forbes Councils, an invitation-only network of executives in successful media strategy, creative, and advertising agencies.Connect with Patrick:Website: https://www.wisedigitalpartners.com/Exciting news! Our $4,500 website promotion is now on sale for $2,250. This incredible deal includes an entire year of hosting, maintenance, and an online booking tool. Click here for ProWeb Legal Offer: https://lbms.us/product/proweb-legal-website-and-maintenance Check out our spring website promotion here: https://lbms.us/product/proweb-legal-website-and-maintenance/General Info: Need help with your law firm's digital marketing? Check out these case studies of some killer results we have gotten for law firms just like yours.Click here to review the case studies: https://lbmsllc.com/lp-attorneys/Click here for a free online presence report and marketing analysis. Connect With Us On Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lbmsllcInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lbmsllc/Twitter: https://twitter.com/lbmsllcLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/local-business-marketing-solutionsAlignable: https://www.alignable.com/fanwood-nj/local-business-marketing-solutionsConnect With Frank Directly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fdemming/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lbmsllc

Do you want to learn how to optimize your Amazon product listings to increase your sales and attract more customers? Then don't miss this video, where we will have as a special guest Kamaljit Singh, the CEO and founder of AMZ One Step, a creative and marketing agency for Amazon sellers.Kamaljit Singh is also a Forbes Council member and an Amazon conversion and branding expert. In this video, Kamaljit Singh will share his tips and strategies to improve conversions for your Amazon product listings, using relevant keywords, compelling descriptions, quality images and videos, positive reviews, and more.Don't pass up this opportunity to learn from one of the best in the business. Subscribe to the channel and activate the bell so you don't miss this video!#ecomcy #Amazon #amazonfba #amazonseller #amazonbusiness #amazonfbaseller #amazonppc #amazonadvertising #amazonsellercentral #amazonppctips #amazonprivatelabel #amazonselling #amazonseoe

Unlock the secrets of transformative marketing with Raman Seghal, as he shares a treasure trove of insights from his remarkable journey in biotech and pharmaceutical marketing. From the cobblestone streets of Newcastle to the boardrooms of Royal Marketing, Raman's narrative is a tapestry of resilience and innovation. His experiences reflect a masterful understanding of brand identity and digital marketing, challenging the status quo of a traditionally conservative industry. As an author, podcast host, and esteemed member of the Forbes Council, Raman does more than just narrate his story—he provides a roadmap for marketers at the crossroads of biotech and pharma, offering pearls of wisdom that can redefine your marketing strategy.This episode paints a vivid picture of niche marketing's indispensable role in catalyzing business growth, juxtaposed with a deep dive into the art of strategic branding and client engagement. As we scrutinize a Danish company's case study, we reveal the stark differences in value perception across global markets, and why an intentional approach to branding can be the linchpin to a company's outreach success. Raman and I dissect the elements of crafting a marketing strategy that resonates with not just potential clients but also stakeholders, while also addressing the pitfalls of underpricing services and the dangers of attracting the wrong clientele. Enlightening and pragmatic, this discussion is a beacon for anyone eager to navigate the maze of targeted marketing and client relationship building.Concluding with a personal touch, we explore the symbiotic relationship between business scalability, leadership development, and personal satisfaction. Raman's candid reflection on the challenges of book writing during a pandemic, the excitement of international relocation, and the profound impact of daily habits on shaping one's future, offer a compelling glimpse into the life of a dynamic entrepreneur. His journey is a testimony to the power of intentional living and the role of persistent, daily actions in achieving both personal and professional greatness. Join us as we traverse the landscape of marketing mastery, personal evolution, and the relentless pursuit of excellence—an episode brimming with actionable insights for the visionary marketer and the aspiring leader alike.https://www.ramansehgal.com/We're happy you're here! Like the pod? Follow us on all socials at @amplifywithanika and @yourbrandamplified Leave a review on Apple Podcasts Visit our website Connect with us at anika@yourbrandamplified.com Join me on PodMatch to start your own journey as a podcast guest!

Kale is of Maori heritage and was born in Brisbane Australia. From his own account, he had a pretty rough upbringing in Australia and it sounds like his saving grace was his mother's decision to relocate to Clyde in Central Otago NZ to get away start afresh. Kale seemed to have thrived in Clyde at school and through uni and then went onto become a PT.Kale's had crazy success since with a really popular story being that he started a gym with his cousins with $200 to raising $220K in just 14 days before the gym had even opened. With numbers like this, it's no surprise that Kale was headhunted by global giants Tik Tok and Microsoft to help with their brands, and he now owns 3 businesses: K&J Growth, Rugby Bricks and Hakune. These businesses have offices as far afield as LA, Amsterdam and of course Dunedin.Follow Kale for easy-to-follow tips on success, entrepreneurship, marketing and more at these links:Kale Panoho (LinkedIn): Kale Panoho | LinkedInK&J Growth: Growth Hacking & Digital Marketing Agency Los Angeles - K&J Growth (kjgrowth.com)RugbyBricks: Rugby Bricks - Kicking Tees, Tips, Training, PodcastsHakune: Start, Build and Grow Your Business with Hakune

Welcome to The Day Trading Show. This podcast is hosted by Austin Silver and powered by ASFX. We bring you conversations with the best traders of our generation. No rented Lambos or fake Rolexs will be found here. Grab your indulgence of choice and enjoy a conversation focused on making money in markets, trading psychology, and becoming the best trader you can be! This is the best podcast in the world for day traders so make sure you're subscribed! In this episode, Austin Silver is joined by Andrew Aziz! Andrew is a Canadian trader, fund manager, Forbes Council official member, investor, and #1 best-selling author who has ranked as one of the top 100 best-selling authors in the “Business and Finance” category for over 6 consecutive years (2016-present). His books on finance and trading have been published in 13 different languages. An entrepreneur since childhood, Andrew actively invests in FinTech companies related to the development of AI for trading. When not busy watching the markets, Andrew enjoys trail running, climbing, skiing, and high-altitude mountaineering. On May 19, 2023, Andrew accomplished a remarkable feat by summiting Mount Everest, showcasing his determination and passion for conquering challenges. Andrew Aziz's remarkable achievements, extensive knowledge, and dedication to his craft have earned him a well-respected position in the trading industry Connect with Andrew: https://bearbulltraders.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------- 3-Day Free Trial To Our Live Trading Room on ASFX.TV - https://asfxtv.uscreen.io/ More info on Trading Mentorship - https://asfx.biz/bsc Take the ASFX courses and see an instant improvement in your trading -- https://asfx.biz/education Stay Connected With Our Weekly Newsletter — https://asfx.biz/subscribe/ Connect With Austin: https://www.instagram.com/austinsilverfx https://www.twitter.com/austinsilverfx https://www.facebook.com/austinsilverfx

Jen is thrilled to have our special guest, Pirie Jones Grossman, joining us on the podcast today. Pirie Jones Grossman is a Forbes Council certified Life Coach, TEDx keynote speaker, influencer, and best-selling author. She is on a mission to help others heal, reflect, connect and empower! With a Masters in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica, Pirie spreads her message through a blend of life coaching and event production. She's shared the stage with leading influential figures in the personal development space such as Deepak Chopra and she is a contributing writer for Thrive Global. Pirie lives in Sun Valley, Idaho with her two teenagers who are on the road to being Olympic skiers. Pirie Jones Grossman was born and raised in South Texas where she experienced grueling childhood trauma and despite it all, Pirie went on to become a model, actress, and TV host for E!, Fox Television, NBC, CBS, and ABC interviewing visionaries like Maya Angelou. Pirie has firsthand experience on how aging can feel disempowering and intimidating, giving her a mission to empower women to reject media stereotypes, reinvent themselves, own their power, wisdom, and value, and to embrace their inner strength, especially in their second chapters. Pirie is here to remind us all that love comes from within and that through healing and connection, we are able to find joy, purpose and passion.   Key Notes: The 5 activator steps of reinvention How our inner thoughts and beliefs manifest physically Different tools and strategies that can help you show up more authentically   Show Notes: (04:00) Jen introduces this week's guest on the show (08:00) Pirie shares what her driving force is doing what she is doing (11:37) How important it is as women that we know who we are now (14:57) How all of the inner healing starts to show in the outside too (18:57) Pirie walks us through her 5 activator steps of reinvention (37:25) Pirie shares what gets her up in the morning (39:35) How changing a mindset so that you can do what you really want to do is key (44:21) How it's never the issue, it's how you handle the issue (45:49) How emotions are only signals that are telling you what needs to be healed inside of you (54:36) How women are givers and how women want to make the world a better place Quotes: (19:02) Who am I now? (25:35) What you're focusing on today is what's creating your tomorrow (28:32) Are you willing to do what it takes to get what you really want in life? (40:51) Take responsibility for the energy you bring into your life (44:15) Where you focus is where you go (53:58) What if it does work out?   Resources: Website Facebook Instagram Youtube The 13 Moons of Daily Devotion Journal Meditation Bundle Book a Call to Connect Wellness Wisdom & Wealth Retreat   Connect with Pirie: Website: https://www.piriejonesgrossman.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/piriejonesgrossman/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/piriej Awaken and Activate Your Reinvention Workshop Registration/Application Page (use code: podcast to receive 20% off the cost of registration)   FREEBIES: Meditation Next Chapter Journal Prompts   PODCAST DISCLAIMER: This podcast is to educate, inside, and inform the listeners of various pathways to wholistic well being.  This information is not to replace the advise of your physician, specialist, medical doctor, therapist, nutritionist or dietician. Please refer to full Medical Disclaimer Here.

In a world of countless Amazon listings, one man stumbled upon a hidden secret that would forever change his perspective. Kamaljit Singh's journey into the realm of Amazon selling took an unexpected turn when he uncovered the mesmerizing power of the main image. His discovery, an enticing twist in his pursuit, revealed how a captivating image could revolutionize click-through rates and ultimately boost sales. But what tactics did Kamaljit employ to create these beguiling images that defied the norm? The answer lies in his relentless experimentation, leaving us on the edge of our seats, eager to unravel the secrets of his remarkable strategies.In this episode of The Seller Process Podcast, Gianmarco talks with Kamaljit Singh as he shares advanced strategies for optimizing main images that go beyond the basics. Discover how to use the label-it strategy, the two-second rule, and more to attract customers and improve your click-through rates. Here's a breakdown of what to expect in this episode:Nail down strategies to augment the appeal of your Amazon main product images for increased click-through rates.Get a grip on crucial metrics that reveal the true performance of your product.Learn to strategically add labels to your main image, magnifying your product's triumph card.Iterate the importance of the two-second rule to fetch instant attraction and understanding.Figure out how to employ models and acing different angles to intensify understanding and show off your product's assets.Download the “Amazon Main Image Strategies Ebook” by AMZ One Step. About Kamaljit Singh: Kamaljit Singh is the CEO and Founder of AMZ One Step. Kamaljit is an official member of the Forbes Council. He started selling on Amazon in 2015 with retail arbitrage and eventually built a private-label brand that he sold in 2018. Kamaljit organizes meetups in different cities of Canada. At AMZ One Step, Kamaljit and his team have created over 80,000 infographics for Amazon sellers. He is passionate about conversion optimization and branding on Amazon. Connect with Kamaljit SinghWebsite: https://www.amzonestep.com/LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/kamaljit-singh-52175855Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMZonestep/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amzonestep/ Connect with Gianmarco!Website: https://www.thesellerprocess.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gianmeli/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesellerprocessLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianmarco-meli/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB07vjOEJnu3mhYxmoaVlegFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/gianmarco.meliTools & Useful ResourcesPickFu -  Polls & Split Tests - Perfect for split testing product variations before launching them. Also useful to optimize your listings by getting real instant data. Get 50% off your first poll with code: THESELLERPROCESSFBAExcel - Best Automation Tools - FBAexcel offers powerful tools built entirely on Google Sheets to help you automate keyword research, PPC optimization, metrics tracking, and more. Sign up for free through the link below to get "Keyword Dominator" 

Liudmila Schafer, MD, FACP, is a board-certified and award-winning medical oncologist and founder of The Doctor Connect Professional Corporation, Helping Physicians and Established Professionals Become Proprietary Brands by using an "Organic Bravery™," a dynamic framework that helps you align passion and expertise, which includes developing proprietary business offers for physicians entrepreneurs, how to become bestseller author, how to start business,  grow profitable revenue, media appearances in front of multimillion audiences, how to find speaking engagements, how to to enhance career and have professional and personal fulfillment. She strives to find methods to end "labeling" and promote equality. Dr. Liudmila is a TEDx and international speaker, a business consultant, a group leader Aligning your Passion and Career in Forbes Council, a TV host on ABC15, and a podcast host, #1 Best Selling Author of the book "The Other Side of Oncology." She has a wealth of experience speaking about enhancing careers, cancer education, leadership, the healthcare system, women empowerment, and business strategies at various prestigious forums. She speaks at regional, national, and international conferences, including in Dubai and Paris, among a few. Her clients appear in reputable media within 30 days, including Forbes, NBC, Healthline, WebMD, Authority Magazine, and ABC, among a few. Journalists and reporters reach out to her and her clients as an expert, so they can grow their business and medical practice. She is guiding a book, a compilation of stories and experiences of 15 physicians from multiple specialties, titled "AI in Medicine." If you want to enhance your career and find out how to share your expertise in front of a multimillion audience in press or television, write a book, become a professional speaker, start a business, appear on a television show and or her show on abc15, or podcast, visit her at https://thedoctorconnect.com or connect via email: info@thedoctorconnect.com.Some of the topics we discussed were:What exactly is a proprietary brand and why it is important What helps to build your proprietary brandTeaching points from Dr. Schafer's area of expertise that can help women physiciansMistakes to avoidLessons learned3 tips for physiciansThe AI bookHer book The Other Side of OncologyAbout her business/what she offers and how to connectAnd more!Learn more about me or schedule a FREE coaching call:https://www.joyfulsuccessliving.com/Join the Voices of Women Physicians Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/190596326343825/Connect with Dr. Schafer:WebsiteAssessmentLinkedInInstagramFacebookYouTubeTikTokClubhouse 

A Middle Tennessee Business Podcast...At his core, Colby B. Jubenville, PhD is a coach who uses the obstacles and challenges people face in search of achievement as “teachable moments” that help make sense of their life, work and relationships. Dr. Jubenville holds an academic appointment as a Professor at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and is the Director of the Center for Student Coaching and Success.He is the author of two books including Zebras and Cheetahs: How to Look Different and Stay Agile to Survive the Business Jungle (Wiley) and Me: How To Sell Who You Are, What You Do & Why You Matter to the World. During his tenure, Jubenville has published over 50 peer reviewed, professional and trade articles. His work on campus is funded through a generous seven figure gift that he secured through the John D. Floyd Foundation. The Center focuses on 1 on 1 and group coaching helping students become gainfully employed in their chosen career path prior to walking across the stage at graduation.At the Center, he connects Narrative Based Coaching and Harrison Assessments to help students develop their unique perspective, education and experience grounded in the belief that if you want “more,” the first thing you must have “more” of is yourself. Jubenville completed training for The Shift Profile and is certified in Decisionwise 360, Harrison Assessments, EQ-i 2.0 (MHS) and Cylient's Coaching In the Moment program.A Community Leader and In-Demand SpeakerJubenville works in the business community in human capital and believes at the intersection of personal brands and personal relationships is Emotional Intelligence (EI). He was selected by The Nashville Business Journal as a member of its 40 Under 40 class and selected by YP Nashville as its Impact Award Winner, which recognizes top leaders who have made a significant impact on the city's YP demographic. He is the recipient of the St. Paul's Episcopal School (Mobile, AL), Distinguished Alumni award. Jubenville is a member of the Forbes Councils and publishes content on Forbes.com; and is the host of The Goat Consulting Podcast, which drops weekly on Apple Podcast and YouTube.In addition to speaking for businesses and trade associations, he has been an invited lecturer at California Polytechnic University, The University of Florida, Elon University, Florida State University, The University of Alabama, and Vanderbilt University. His insights have been published in The Washington Times, The Nashville Business Journal, The Tennessean, The Nashville Post, Canvas Magazine, and AthleticBusiness.com. He serves as a mentor for the Williamson County (TN) Entrepreneur and Innovation Center.In 2022, Colby signed with Nashville based JRA Speakers, an agency specializing in speakers who bring authentic messages for organization change, learning and personal growth. He completed his doctoral studies at the University of Southern Mississippi in Human Performance and competed as a NCAA D-III student-athlete at Millsaps College. He calls Mobile, Alabama home and resides in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.Follow Dr. Jubenville:www.drjubenville.comEpisode highlights:*****SUBSCRIBE/RATE/FOLLOW What's Your Problem? PODCAST:www.whatsyourproblempodcast.comwww.instagram.com/whatsyourproblempodwww.instagram.com/jimmccarthyvosTiktok: @jimmccarthyvos __________________________________________________________The Dad Joke Challenge is sponsored by Ed Fox and Tradebank of Nashville, for when you have unsold inventory or services and think that barter is smarter, go to www.nashville.tradebank.com. The Dad joke challenge with Ed Fox - Author of 101 groan-tastic dad jokes available on Amazon Kindle, or you could go TikTok channel @specialedfoxdadjokes____________________________________________________________****You hear Jim mention it on almost every episode, ME vs. WE and how 2023 will be 1943 all over again….order “PENDU

Meet Tracy Lownsberry, the dynamic founder of Annuity Giants, who is shaking up the insurance sector with his unique approach. This former Special Ops Soldier and Police Officer decided to pivot into the world of insurance amid the Covid crisis. Tracy believes in continuous personal growth and attributes his success to his strong faith. A member of the esteemed Forbes Finance Council 2023, he currently impacts lives positively through his venture - Annuity Giants, providing insurance exposure for advisors.In this episode of Gathering The Kings, we unpack the importance of ethical conduct in business, even at the cost of profits, and the role of technological innovation in boosting profitability. Transparency with clients emerges as a non-negotiable value, and Tracy elaborates on how an ethical foundation can help in damage control when inevitable mistakes occur. This is not just another episode, it's a treasure chest of insights and practical advice! So, ready yourself, hit that play button, and immerse yourself in this thought-provoking conversation with Tracy Lownsberry on Gathering The Kings!During this episode, you will learn about;[01:20] Intro to Tracy and his business[01:56] Tracy explains what annuities are and the types of annuities that you can have[03:21] Why Tracy continues to push himself in his business[09:53] Tracy's background before getting into insurance[15:43] Does Tracy love to win or hate to lose?[18:17] Tracy discusses a good decision that he has made in business[28:39] Bad decisions that Tracy has made that he has been able to learn from[35:25] Tracy's book recommendation[37:20] How does Tracy obsess over his business and family life at the same time[43:03] Advice Tracy would give to the younger version of himself[44:36] How to connect with Tracy[46:37] Info on Gathering The Kings MastermindNotable QuotesIgnorance is not a self-defense against ill will." - Tracy Lownsberry"When you fail, learn from it, fail forward, and become a better person." - Tracy Lownsberry"You should structure your business to positively impact your family or your personal life." - Tracy Lownsberry"Time is a commodity you cannot create more of." - Tracy Lownsberry"Live in the moment. Don't be absent. Don't wish you were elsewhere. Live there. That's what I wish I had done." - Tracy Lownsberry"Ensure it's fuel, not a grudge or a negative emotion, because that stuff will consume you." - Chaz Wolfe (Host)"There's a building period where you can't just hold out your hand and say, 'look, I deserve X.' Yes, you're a good person, but your finances are what will allow that time with your family." - Chaz Wolfe (Host)Books and Resources Recommended:Urban, Hal. Positive Words, Powerful Results. Simple Truths, 2004.Amazon.com: Positive Words, Powerful Results: Simple Ways to Honor, Affirm, and Celebrate Life (Audible Audio Edition): Hal Urban, Hal Urban, Simon & Schuster Audio: Audible Books & OriginalsLet's Connect!Tracy Lownsberry's Info:Website: https://upnorthretirement.com/E-mail:

Are you really listening?Prior to becoming an executive coach, Thomas Gelmi moved between jobs from cutting people's hair to joining the circus and then becoming a flight attendant, to eventually becoming a chief purser at Swissair. Throughout the journey, he was already having deep conversations and actively listening to the people he interacts with.In this episode, Thomas shares how he conducts his executive coaching program as an official member of the Forbes Council of Coaching. This starts off with the process of 360-degree anonymous feedback from the stakeholders of the leader, which holds space for the leader to learn from his blind spots. He also highlights how psychological safety is the key driver for high performance in teams, where the employee with an unpopular opinion feels safe to speak up. And to be able to inculcate this culture, the leader must be the first to demonstrate and tolerate having a speak-up culture. Listen to this episode to discover what it truly means to think human, act human and be human.References: Website: https://gelmi.coach/en/Practicing Connection: Working together to help families and communities thrive.Jessica Beckendorf and Bob Bertsch host this exploration of personal and collective...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Teaching While Queer PodcastTeaching While Queer Podcast is a space for LGBTQIA+ educators, administrators, and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showJoin us in our mission at The Leadership Project and learn more about our organization here. https://linktr.ee/mickspiersYou can purchase a copy of the Mick Spiers bestselling book "You're a Leader, Now What?" as an eBook or paperback at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZBKK8XV

Join me as I talk with Emilia D'Anzica, Founder and Managing Director of Growth Molecules. We discuss women in tech, mental health issues in the customer success industry, work/life balance (as if there is one when you're a mom), and more! Emilia M. D'Anzica is the Founder and Managing Director of Growth Molecules, a management consulting firm focused on customer support and success. The company's mission is to help organizations increase profit while maximizing value to customers. Emilia is also on several advisory boards globally and an active contributor of the Forbes Council. As an early employee at several successful companies, Emilia amassed more than 20 years of customer experience in roles as Vice President of Customer Engagement at WalkMe, Director of Client Service Operations at BrightEdge and Director of Customer Success at Jobvite. Emilia holds a BA from the University of British Columbia and an MBA with Honors from Saint Mary's College of California. She is PMP and Scrum certified. Emilia resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her three children and partner. Pressing ON as a Tech Mom is her first book. Learn more about Growth Molecules here: https://growthmolecules.com/

Татьяна Мельничук — генеральный директор международного IT-рекрутингового агентства Lucky Hunter. Она является единственным учредителем и основала компанию без каких-либо внешних инвестиций. Бизнес стал прибыльным уже в первый месяц работы. В 2022 году Татьяна открыла четыре офиса в Ереване, Астане, Лондоне и Дубае, переехала в Лондон и вывела компанию на международный уровень, заключив контракты с 18 клиентами из Великобритании и ОАЭ. Она также увеличила команду с 18 до 30 сотрудников. Татьяна выступает на различных международных конференциях, в том числе на мероприятиях TEDx. Кроме того, она является членом Forbes Councils и номинантом международной премии в области ИТ-рекрутинга (Recruiter Awards). Tatiana Melnichuk is the CEO of an international IT recruitment agency Lucky Hunter. She is the sole founder and started the company without any external investments. The business became profitable within its first month of operation. In 2022, Tatiana opened four offices in Yerevan, Astana, London, and Dubai, relocated to London and took the company to an international level, securing contracts with 18 clients from the UK and UAE. She also grew the team from 18 to 30 employers. Tatiana is a speaker at various international conferences, including TEDx events. Additionally, she is a member of the Forbes Councils and a nominee for an international award in the field of IT recruiting (the Recruiter Awards). FIND TATIANA ON SOCIAL MEDIA LinkedIn | VKontakte | Facebook | Instagram | Telegram ================================SUPPORT & CONNECT:Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/denofrichTwitter: https://twitter.com/denofrichFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.develman/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/denofrichInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/den_of_rich/Hashtag: #denofrich© Copyright 2023 Den of Rich. All rights reserved.

Brian Bogert is a performance coach, motivational speaker, and business strategist who strives to create unparalleled growth for individuals and organizations. He's worked with businesses and nonprofits, including the Lockton Companies and the American Cancer Society. Bogert is also a member of the Forbes Council, an invite-only community for the most successful executives and entrepreneurs. Here, he talks about how we can improve our performance in business and life by addressing the “trash” from our past.Key Takeaways:- How people's past interferes with their ability to succeed in the present- How a traumatic injury inspired Brian's journey- How to process trauma- The Five Pillars of Taking Out Your TrashEpisode Timeline:2:30 Brian's traumatic injury5:00 The trash from your past7:25 How people are boxed in by "shoulding"8:20 A client success story11:30 The many faces of trauma13:40 Your trash isn't your fault14:30 Processing Tod's trauma17:45 The Five Pillars of Taking Out Your Trash20:30 Nobody's gonna judge your intention23:00 Flipping the lid27:00 The Take Out Your Trash ChallengeThis episode's guest:• Brian Bogert• www.BrianBogert.com Subscribe and leave a 5-star review: https://pod.link/1496390646Contact Us!• Join the conversation by leaving a comment!• Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn!Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Remote CEO Show, I had the pleasure to interview Emilia D'Anzica. Emilia D'Anzica is the founder and managing director of Growth Molecules™, a management consulting firm focused on helping B2B and B2B2C SaaS Companies protect and grow revenue. Emilia is also on several advisory boards globally and an active contributor to the Forbes Council. As an early employee at several successful companies, Emilia amassed more than 20 years of customer experience in roles as Cheif Customer Officer of Copper, Vice President of Customer Engagement at WalkMe, Director of Client Service Operations at BrightEdge, and Director of Customer Success at Jobvite. Emilia holds a BA from the University of British Columbia and an MBA with Honors from Saint Mary's College of California. She is PMP and Scrum-certified. Emilia resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, California with her three children and partner. Pressing ON as a Tech Mom is her first book.

In this episode, Jim James interviewed Thomas Gelmi, a top B2B business coach with clients like Siemens and the WTO, where he shares how he built his teaching brand and increased his visibility by hiring a German personal branding and marketing firm to build his communication strategies. He also discusses the importance of curating content with Buffer to share third-party content that adds value to his target audience.Thomas also emphasises the importance of self-reflection and narrowing down your focus to a specific area to establish yourself as a go-to expert and shares how he allied with big brands like Marshall Goldsmith and Forbes Council to expand his reach and build credibility.Gelmi advises entrepreneurs to look for brands that are aligned with their branding and serve the same target group, have more reach, and are stronger and well-established in the market. By associating with a well-known industry name, entrepreneurs can leverage their visibility and credibility.The UnNoticed Entrepreneur podcast is sponsored by Prowly, the all-in-one software for leveraging PR activities. Boost the media relations game for your business - get more coverage while saving time and money on everyday tasksPost-production, transcript and show notes by XCD Virtual AssistantsSupport the showAm I adding value to you?If so - I'd like to ask you to support the show.In return, I will continue to bring massive value with two weekly shows, up to 3 hours per month of brilliant conversations and insights.Monthly subscriptions start at $3 per month. At $1 per hour, that's much less than the minimum wage, but we'll take what we can at this stage of the business.Of course, this is still free, but as an entrepreneur, the actual test of anything is if people are willing to pay for it.If I'm adding value to you, please support me by clicking the link now. Go ahead, make my day :)Support the show here.

In this episode, Jim James interviewed Thomas Gelmi, a top B2B business coach with clients like Siemens and the WTO, where he shares how he built his teaching brand and increased his visibility by hiring a German personal branding and marketing firm to build his communication strategies. He also discusses the importance of curating content with Buffer to share third-party content that adds value to his target audience. Thomas also emphasises the importance of self-reflection and narrowing down your focus to a specific area to establish yourself as a go-to expert and shares how he allied with big brands like Marshall Goldsmith and Forbes Council to expand his reach and build credibility. Gelmi advises entrepreneurs to look for brands that are aligned with their branding and serve the same target group, have more reach, and are stronger and well-established in the market. By associating with a well-known industry name, entrepreneurs can leverage their visibility and credibility.The UnNoticed Entrepreneur podcast is sponsored by Prowly, the all-in-one software for leveraging PR activities. Boost the media relations game for your business - get more coverage while saving time and money on everyday tasksPost-production, transcript and show notes by XCD Virtual AssistantsSupport the showAm I adding value to you?If so - I'd like to ask you to support the show.In return, I will continue to bring massive value with two weekly shows, up to 3 hours per month of brilliant conversations and insights.Monthly subscriptions start at $3 per month. At $1 per hour, that's much less than the minimum wage, but we'll take what we can at this stage of the business.Of course, this is still free, but as an entrepreneur, the actual test of anything is if people are willing to pay for it.If I'm adding value to you, please support me by clicking the link now. Go ahead, make my day :)Support the show here.

Beyond The Story is the podcast everyone's talking about. Founded and hosted by Sebastian Rusk, this amazing podcast goes beyond the story to explore different aspects of life, business and creativity. As an entrepreneur, Sebastian is an expert in leveraging PR and has published pieces in some of the world's biggest publications.In his interview with special guest Kimanzi Constable, Sebastian emphasizes how real editorial is not for sale and one should always run if approached with a payment opportunity. He also explains how one can become a contributor to Forbes as long as they understand their noncompeting agreement. Moreover, personnel can look for editors through the hashtag #JournalRequest, emails, and other sources. Finally, Sebastian suggests for people to be aware of their online presence since having a common name can get them in trouble.In agreement with Sebastian, Kimanzi emphasizes the need to pursue these opportunities. He states that these can be earned through hard work and dedication and it's something that one can do on their own. Additionally, he recommends PR pitches dot com as another source of information.Be sure to tune in to Beyond The Story to hear these insights and more. Host Sebastian Rusk has some wonderful guests lined up and every week he unravels their stories and experiences to give listeners valuable information. Subscribe today to get exclusive access to this amazing podcast.Blog Postable to start early and kind of capitalize on this new marketing world of digital marketing, because it was emerging 8 to 10 years ago, they're not even a thing. So, I started creating content on websites, providing back broke services and things like that, and then discovered that actually, my real passion was journalism.Blog Post OneKimani Constable has taken his impressive journey from entrepreneur to becoming a recognised journalist and PR expert to amazing heights. After the success of his business at 19, Kimani discovered the online marketing world of digital media and he has never looked back since. Speaking to host Sebastian Rusk, Kimani shares his top tips on how to leverage the world of PR and make your mark in the industry.Here are a few of Kimani's best tips on becoming a PR expert:1. Develop a successful online presence by creating content for websites and creating back links.2. Take advantage of new digital marketing opportunities when they arise.3. Connect with the successful leaders in the industry and learn from them.Don't miss this episode of Beyond The Story featuring guest Kimani Constable to further your understanding of how to succeed in PR. As Kimanzi said, “In 2011, as I between things, I was able to start early and kind of capitalize on this new marketing world of digital marketing, because it was emerging 8 to 10 years ago, they're not even a thing.”Blog Post TwoIn a recent episode of Beyond The Story featuring guest Kimanzi Constable and host Sebastian Rusk, Kimanzi provides invaluable insight into the world of PR and the steps to build a career in the industry. Kimanzi shares his inspiring story from an early business in 2011 to becoming a successful journalist and PR expert. Drawing from his professional experience, Kimanzi provides three key tips to increasing your likelihood of success in PR.Here are 3 tips on breaking into the world of PR from Kimanzi Constable:1. Increase your network by talking to the successful PR people in the industry.2. Create content that is informative and well-researched.3. Utilize digital marketing platforms/importance of being active on social media.After hearing Kimanzi's story and advice, it is no surprise that he became successful in his field. As Kimanzi put it, “I started creating content on websites, providing back broke services and things like that, and then discovered that actually, my real passion was journalism.”Listen to this episode of Beyond The Story to hear more of Kimanzi's story and how to unlock the potential of PR.Best Quotes[00:00:28] "It's been too long. Way too long, man."[00:01:39] "I started as an entrepreneur. More than a journalist. My first business was at 19."[00:02:56] "The simplest way to build your audience is to leverage somebody else's audience who already has 1, leveraging other people's audiences."[00:07:47] "Real editorial is never for sale. You cannot buy your way to be written about or having columns in a large publication."All Quotes[00:00:28] "It's been too long. Way too long, man."[00:00:59] "That was the fastest interview I've ever done in my life. I was like, that was awesome. I need to learn how to do fast interviews like that."[00:01:39] "I started as an entrepreneur. More than a journalist. My first business was at 19."[00:02:01] "Why can't I make money, like, with my mind, like, this podoculture guy is talking about?"[00:02:22] "I paid a formatter and an editor, I paid somebody to build a website, I put the book out there, and nobody bought it. Like, I sold 5 copies in 6 months."[00:02:43] "I had no audience. I can't sell anything if I don't have an audience."[00:02:56] "The simplest way to build your audience is to leverage somebody else's audience who already has 1, leveraging other people's audiences."[00:03:07] "I started guest posting on big blogs like Michael Hyatt and Dan Miller and John Acuff and Jeff coined some of the big people at the time."[00:04:08] "And I love cold pitching. So, I'm like, you know what? I just pitched him. And I pitched entrepreneurs. I became 1 of the first 30 contributors at entrepreneur dot com when they started their contributor program in 20 14."[00:04:43] "I have weekly columns where I'm writing for, you know, Business Insider and Fast Company, unfortunately, some of the largest publications in the world. And I wake up and I love what I get to do."[00:05:14] "That's what the most important part is. And you're currently working on a software that launches in just a couple weeks?"[00:05:44] "But The 1 thing that I always wanted was the ability to help somebody do this without needing my direct involvement."[00:07:47] "Real editorial is never for sale. You cannot buy your way to be written about or having columns in a large publication."[00:06:33] "It does all of the heavy lifting. PR pitches do all have me lifting for you."[00:06:17] "We have a database of over 3000000 media professionals and podcasters, and it's 1 click, and you're sending out the pitches, follow ups built in, metrics are built in so that you can see, oh, the pictures open. You got a response. The links were clicked."[00:06:37] "And so I'm pretty excited about that. Amazing. And that drops in a couple weeks. It drops. Should be dropping it in a couple weeks. Yeah. Love it."[00:07:56] "If somebody is trying to sell you that, run the other way, that is not real."[00:08:27] "Editor is never for sale. Now are their things that happen behind the scenes? Absolutely."[00:08:52] "That is an FTC disclosure violation because that's advertising. And if you pay to be written about your paid for advertising, that has to be disclosed by law."[00:09:18] "The Forbes Council is probably, you know, the most confusing out of all of them because it's not part of Forbes dot com. The council is a coaching. It started as a coaching platform, but it's grown beyond that. It's a third-party platform started by 2 entrepreneurs. That licensed the Forbes name on their platform."[00:09:56] "When you pay to join the console, you're paying to join the console, not Forbes. Your articles are not published on Forbes dot com. They're not indexed on Forbes. We can't look you up on Forbes. They're not indexed in Google."[00:10:28] "There's a noncompete agreement so you can never be a regular Forbes contributor. And here's the thing. Regular Forbes contributors are paid by Forbes. Orbes pays them to write articles on forbes dot com. They don't pay to be on some platform."[00:11:16] "Had I not known you, I would have never gotten published on the article that you went and read. I know I was an entrepreneur magazine back in 20 15 randomly. A journalist called and said, hey. We're doing an article on the business of books. We saw you wrote a book. Can you contribute to this here?"[00:11:15] "It is all about relationships. Had I not known you, I would have never gotten published on the article that you went and read."[00:11:52] "If you want media, earned media is by far the most respected number of media out there. That means the outlet reached out to you and said, hey, we like what you're up to. We've got to get you an interesting angle here, and we want to talk about that."[00:12:40] "You can also pitch it too. I love it. Absolutely. I did not know about that. I'll be saving the journal hashtag journal request now."[00:12:48] "I have heard of, like, being able to reach out to journalists or, you know, local news, you know, individuals that are looking for stories, etcetera. And be able to pitch them that way through Twitter."[00:13:20] "If someone's listening to this right now, they're like, hey, I got a really cool angel story product service, whatever it may be. And I know it'd be a great contribution to this XYZ platform. What's the process that someone takes? To be able to pitch themselves to a media?"[00:13:38] "You can search the hashtag journal request and then also request with an s. You can search calls for submissions on Twitter, the hashtags."[00:14:03] "If you have a specific hook, you can simply go to the publication of your choice."[00:14:40] "You look for the editor for which your topic would fit leadership, marketing, personal development, whatever. You look for that vertical editor. And again, through email, you pitch them in 1 paragraph, you tell them what the hook is going to be."[00:15:14] "If you're in business, you're an entrepreneur, sold entrepreneur, you're in business and you're not seeking out ways to figure out PR while then you're totally missing the beat."[00:15:37] "If you're approaching these opportunities with your ego hanging out and, in an effort, to sell someone on how cool you think that you are, probably not the best approach."[00:15:46] "If you think it's, you know, it's like media 01:01, what's in it for the viewer, what's in it for the reader, that's all they really give a rip about there."[00:16:05] "My business is always going to have 3 approaches or 3 different levels where I'm always going to write for publications because that's my first love."[00:16:47] "Getting earned PR is not hard. It's just figuring out your whole angle, getting that very clear, getting it very concise, and actively pitching. There are so many opportunities. There's you you really don't have to pay, you know, some kind of a get featured service or, you know, pay for the skinny you know, we'll get you in the classified section or whatever. You don't have to pay for that standing stuff. You can really earn it on your own."[00:17:14] "I love what you're doing here because this is not the typical journalist protocol if you will. Usually, it's just head down right and that's just there. It's not but you let that entrepreneur spirit of yours go wild, which is fantastic, which has led to launching a software, having a mastermind, teaching people."[00:18:42] "My question to you is what pops up when they Google you? And if you have a common name, you're gonna be screwed. So, you really have to differentiate yourself from all the John Smiths or whatever. And if people Google you and they see Forbes, entrepreneur, business insider, and they click through and they see, you know, you're sharing wisdom, you're sharing your story, that's when you start to build that credibility."[00:18:02] "Technology makes life, you know, just that much easier."[00:18:31] "PR is incredible brand credibility if you're an entrepreneur or if you are somebody that wants to get your message out to the world. When people want to know who you are, the first thing they do is Google you."[00:19:21] "It's not the best product or service. It's the best-known product or service that wins the market."[00:19:28] "That's where PR can help you, you know, and you get featured or written about PR in a publication like Business Insider, for example, that has 240000000 unique visitors every month. That's going to do something for you, your business, your message."[00:19:42] "So this is a worthy pursuit. It can be earned. There are many opportunities out there. This is something you should spend your time pursuing, and you could do it all on your own."[00:20:05] "If you're looking to build more PR relationships out there, you need to figure out, you know, who those individuals are that you need to develop that relationship with and and make it happen."TopicsEntrepreneurship and Leveraging PRThe Benefits of Contributing to Popular Blogs in 2014The Dangers of Paying for Editorial CoverageThe Benefits of Being a Regular Forbes ContributorPitching a Journal Article to an EditorHow to Manage Your Online Presence with Common NamesThe Value of Self-Growth and Personal Development.Episode LinksConnect with Sebastian Rusk:Beyond The Story PodcastInstagramFacebookConnect with Kimanzi ConstableLinkedInCall to ActionIf you enjoyed this podcast and want to support us, please subscribe on the platform you listen to podcasts from, leave a review and share with your friends. We'd greatly appreciate it!

Entrepreneurial at heart, always looking to create something different, Reena Khullar lives a life of no regrets, only learnings. Sharing how a lot of decisions were made for her early in her life, Reena reflects on her new trajectory of growth through new opportunities. Living with purpose and unconditional love has helped Reena to be authentic, to be vulnerable with herself and to know who she really is and what a difference she can make. Taking ownership of her own destination has ensured that a life of change is normal.   KEY TAKEAWAY “Change is normal. Staying where you don't belong, that's not normal.”   ABOUT REENA KHULLAR Reena Khullar is the Founder and CEO of Agilis Executive Consulting™, a management consulting firm that offers HR partnerships and executive coaching to organizations across the globe. In 2020 and during the midst of the pandemic, Reena Khullar launched her management consulting firm in Calgary, Alberta. In 2023, Reena founded and launched Visionarious Entrepreneur™, a Canadian business created to support Entrepreneurs in their path to business ownership at various stages of their entrepreneurial journeys; from initial start-up, to rebranding, to scaling, and global expansion. Reena has participated in speaking engagements, podcasts and led webinars across the globe to discuss the impact of effective leadership and personal branding, and how a brand identity defines success when organizations are represented with authenticity through their people. Recently, Reena was featured in Forbes™ through the Forbes Council™ to share her professional journey spanning 20 years, and the foundation to her entrepreneurial success. Reena is a proud contributor to Forbes™ Magazine as a member of the Forbes Council™. She is also a member of the Harvard Business Review™ Advisory Council and provides research in shaping the content developed for publications on management and leadership. In addition, Reena contributes to Entrepreneur Media™ as an Executive Leadership Network member to inspire and celebrate entrepreneurs, offering actionable steps for readers to take away and start their own entrepreneurship journeys.   CONNECT WITH REENA https://agilisexecutive.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/reenaksharma/ https://www.facebook.com/AgilisConsultants/ https://www.instagram.com/AgilisExecutiveConsulting/ https://twitter.com/AgilisExecutive   ABOUT THE HOST - AMY ROWLINSON Amy is a Life Purpose Coach, Podcast Strategist, Top 1% Global Podcaster, Speaker and Mastermind Host. Amy works with individuals to improve productivity, engagement and fulfilment, to banish overwhelm, underwhelm and frustration and to welcome clarity, achievement and purpose.   WORK WITH AMY Amy inspires and empowers entrepreneurial clients to discover the life they dream of by assisting them to focus on their WHY with clarity uniting their passion and purpose with a plan to create the life they truly desire. If you would to focus on your WHY or launch a purposeful podcast, then please book a free 20 min call via www.calendly.com/amyrowlinson/enquirycall     KEEP IN TOUCH WITH AMY Sign up for the weekly Friday Focus - https://www.amyrowlinson.com/subscribe-to-weekly-newsletter   CONNECT WITH AMY https://linktr.ee/AmyRowlinson   HOSTED BY: Amy Rowlinson   DISCLAIMER The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast belong solely to the host and guest speakers. Please conduct your own due diligence. 

Awakened Life Podcast - Interview with David Robertson "Finding Balance and Partnership with God in Business” Awakened Life Podcast Season 3 Ep. 66 --- David Robertson is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and business coach on a mission to discover what it means to fully partner with Christ in business. In his 17 years in business he has lead 6 companies, experienced a few small exits, and has trained and coached over 200 owners ranging from the $300k/yr electrician to the $33MM firm with a team of over 75. In addition to his coaching firm, Growthpoint Coaching Co. David has been hired by Forbes Councils, Fast Company Executive Board, Chet Holmes International to coach their executive members and clients. When it comes to growing a company, David believes business growth is a natural result of a job well done and can only be stopped by the capacity to receive the growth. In this episode, we will also discuss the 5 essential components of a successful business: Attracting attention Converting sales Delivering results Stewarding resources Building a team In addition, we will delve into the 3 areas of capacity that are crucial for business success: Systems Mental/emotional Spiritual It's important to remember that as business leaders, we shouldn't sacrifice the important things in life for the sake of business success. One way to ensure that we are living a balanced life is to "tithe" our time. This means dedicating a certain percentage of our time to specific areas of our life such as networking, rest, and our children. Lastly, we will talk about how to partner with God in the growth of your business. This can be done by casting your care to God on paper and documenting the delivered promises of God. By doing so, you are effectively putting it on "God's desk" and entrusting Him to handle it. In summary, this episode will discuss the concept of "thresholds" in business and how they relate to the number of employees a company has. We will also discuss the 5 essential components of a successful business, the 3 areas of capacity that are crucial for success, and how to balance business success with our personal lives. Lastly, we will explore how to partner with God in the growth of your business. Take the assessment, get a coaching session: https://growthpointos.com/ https://thedavidrobertson.com/ Exitreadyowner.com --- To find greater balance in your work and life, download the Total Freedom (life wheel) Exercise here: wheel.awakenedlife.com To join the Awakened Life Community at our next live retreat in Scottsdale, please apply here: https://www.awakenedlife.live/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/scott-landis/message

Business leadership: Leveraging What You Have to Develop Leadership Skills and Style to be an Effective LeaderKnowing the importance of business leadership is the first step to understanding effective business leadership. Even though having a great business is a goal for many individuals, developing the needed qualities can be complex. Many books offer motivational tips for successful leaders, methods to delegate tasks, and how to take decisive actions. However, there is one skill that Karen Ferrell-Rhodes, CEO of Shockingly Different Leadership and member of the Forbes Council, believes is very important- leadership differentiation. This is the ability to champion the most promising initiatives to remain competitive. A leader creates an environment that encourages employees to bolster the company culture and, thereby, the company's success. If you're interested in learning more about this, then learning about Karan Ferrell-Rhodes will benefit you."However, it pains me when organizations lack the knowledge, resources, or bandwidth to effectively support the very people accountable for their bottom-line"To learn more about Karan Ferrell-Rhodes go to her website: To learn more about Sirisha Kuchimanchi from Women Career & Life PodcastPodcast & Website I invite you to listen! Thank you for your time and interest in this podcast! I invite you to leave a heartfelt review on whichever podcast platform you listen to. It does so much to bring exposure to the podcast and helps lift others up! Connect with me! Website: In the Rising Podcast Website Email: Bettina@intherising.com Pinterest: Facebook

Join Gianmarco Meli and his guest, Kamaljit Singh, as they talk about leveraging human beings' innate tendency to think visually so we can create high-converting product images that will make our listing stand out from the competition. Suppose you're looking to get a competitive edge over other Amazon products in your niche and want to upgrade your listings' visual assets in a way that genuinely appeals to your target audience, then this episode is for you.Here's a breakdown of what to expect in this episode:1. How to use visual references in your listings to help you understand numbers.2. Use images to help you sell your products.3. What to look for when you're changing your main image.4. What is a brand archetype, and how does it work?5. Way to optimize your visual content in your listings. 6. And so much more!Download the “99 Best Visual References For Your Amazon Listing” by AMZ One Step, and set your listings up for stellar conversions!  About Kamaljit Singh:Kamaljit Singh is the CEO and Founder of AMZ One Step. Kamaljit is an official member of the Forbes Council. He started selling on Amazon in 2015 with retail arbitrage and eventually built a private-label brand that he sold in 2018. Kamaljit organizes meetups in different cities in Canada. At AMZ One Step, Kamaljit and his team have created over 80,000 infographics for Amazon sellers. He is passionate about conversion optimization and branding on Amazon.Find Kamal on...Visit the website: https://www.amzonestep.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamaljit-singh-52175855/?originalSubdomain=caFacebook: https://ru-ru.facebook.com/AMZonestep/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amzonestep/?hl=enYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPJECvvzO2k-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Connect with Gianmarco!Website: https://www.thesellerprocess.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gianmeli/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesellerprocessLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianmarco-meli/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB07vjOEJnu3mhYxmoaVlegFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/gianmarco.meliTools & Useful ResourcesPickFu –  Polls & Split Tests – Perfect for split testing product variations before launching them. Also useful to optimize your listings by getting real instant data. Get 50% off your first poll with code: THESELLERPROCESS – https://www.thesellerprocess.com/pickfu/FBAExcel – Best Automation Tools – FBAexcel offers powerful tools built entirely on Google Sheets to help you automate keyword research, PPC optimization, metrics tracking, and more. Sign up for free through the link below to get “Keyword Dominator” - www.thesellerprocess.com/fba-excel

Since 2010, SupportYourApp has become an industry leader for premium outsourced customer support. Their multinational team of incredibly creative and hardworking individuals is carefully picked to fit your business needs. Originally founded in Kyiv, Ukraine, the heart of Eastern Europe's booming tech scene, SupportYourApp turned global with offices in many countries worldwide while focusing on providing professional inbound, outbound, and back–office customer support specifically for innovative software and hardware companies. Connect with Daria

In today's episode I'm talking with entrepreneur Kim Neeson. She's a Forbes Council writer + leadership coach based out of the Greater Toronto Area. She's not new to owning a business, having successfully sold her former court reporting business. Tune in and you'll discover how she's made the pivot to owning and running a digital coaching business. We dive into a juicy conversation around the differences between coaching, consulting, and mentoring where Kim has extensive experience. To see the full show notes, go to https://HowCanThisBeEasy.com/33

Introduction: Paul Glover is a C-suite Performance Coach with 20 years' experience as a Federal Court Tral Lawyer. Paul is a passionate story teller who believes in the power of narrative to influence and educate in business, personal life and even in court rooms. He is now a recovering Federal Trial Lawyer having spent 7 years in a United States prison for felony charges. In prison he chose to transform his narcissistic patterns and on release he chose to become a business coach. Paul is a member of Forbes Council and author of the book “WorKQuake” This is a playbook for Leaders, Leaders who want to navigate the future of work beyond traditional command and control models of leadership to a more inclusive, engaging work environment.    Podcast Episode Summary This episode chronicles the professional and personal life of Paul Glover, the mistakes he made and the choices he assumed to transform. He explores his approach, the books he has written and life after prison as well as his contention that everyone needs a fool in their lives.    Points made over the episode Paul is a no bullshit performance coach He starts the podcast by sharing his own story, a different story from the bio that was shared.  Paul was incarcerated in a Federal Prison for 7 years for committing 33 counts of bribery, kickbacks and for tampering with Government witnesses, while he was a practicing attorney in the city of Chicago.  He was sentenced to 7 years but managed to get out in 5 for good behaviour  For the first two years of his sentence Paul spent his time consumed by “revenge fantasies”  For those two years he could not accept responsibility for his crimes  The mere fact of entering Prison was insufficient to activate Pauls desire for personal change. He was a committed narcissist.  The shock of seeing prisoners, white collar prisoners be resentenced was the shock Paul needed to commit to change.  Recidivism or the tendency for a convicted criminal to reoffend is 80% in US prison systems Paul started to self-reflect and quickly appreciated that self-reflection alone was insufficient to help him transform. He needed more. He needed people to tell him the truth about him.  He asked anyone visiting him to be willing to share a difficult truth about him.  By year 3, Paul announced to his wife that he was committed to change Paul admits that the commitment to change is hard-  it has to be necessary The people who respond to the kind of coaching Paul offers are those you have failed and are committed to change.  People fear success as much as they fear failure. Sometimes being successful is a curse as it blocks us & stymies our potential for future growth.  Time in prison afforded Paul the chance to reform. It shocked him to realise how much of an “asshole” he was before prison. He adopted a professional persona, a hard, mean and cruel persona that permeated his personal domain. He believed that rules did not apply to him, there were no boundaries and he would take any short cut he needed to meet his ends.  He transformed from being a committed narcissist to becoming an empathetic listener, more interested in the people around him.  He had a captive audience in the 300 inmates who surrounded him in Prison. They were drawn to Paul because they thought he could help them with their cases and he was able to practice being perpetually curious. He ultimately turned to service and volunteered to be a trainer for a qualification called GED or a General Education Diploma He activated the prisoners interest and attention by developing his own anti-recidivism program & he made sure every class attendee succeeded in getting the GED.  Paul could never practice Law again and he decided to use the skills he had as a practicing lawyer and his newly acquired skills in prison to become a no-bullshit performance coach.  He translated his acumen for critical thinking and storytelling from his days as a lawyer to help leaders become more effective.  He has developed a Leadership Coaching Program that requires considerable commitment from his C-Suite clients.  He employs the concept of the “fool” in his approach in that he is willing to share tough feedback and be tough as an accountability buddy for his clients.  Paul uses the arc of Joseph Campbells Heroes' Journey to explain his approach.  Leaders need to become good story tellers and they need to be authentic. They also need to be willing to be vulnerable and to admit what they do not know. They then need to commit to find out.  The world knows a lot about engagement and still the figures for engagement languish at a miserly 33% with two thirds of the workforce remaining disillusioned. This phenomena has now become the “Big resignation” post the pandemic. Employees are not identifying with the purpose of businesses Leaders need to share adversary. They have to prepare people for adversary.  Little red riding hood would be a story about a walk in the woods if it wasn't for the Wolf.  As a trial Lawyer Paul developed a finely honed skill for detecting bullshit. Clients do not tell the truth, as much as coaching clients rarely tell the whole truth.  Paul wrote the book “WorkQuake” ten years ago and it is still as relevant today. He calls it a classic. The messages inherent is his book include the following; Apply Self-Care- Leaders need to get the requisite sleep, exercise and work patterns to lead.  Eliminate Command and Control.  Stop paying for hours and instead pay for outcomes. We are assuming an industrial mindset instead of a knowledge centred mindset Believe in the concept of reciprocity  Apply 3 As'-Attraction-Attention and Appreciation -employees crave attention give it.  Stop being a professional & instead be personal    Paul summarises the need for everyone to have a fool in their lives. People create self-images that are often flawed.  The opportunity to recognise the need for a fool in your life is self-awareness. If you believe you are finished or have all the answers you are a narcissist.  People willing to have your back, people whom you respect and trust can apply for the fool role.  Paul surrounded himself with co-conspirators who did not have his back. They used and manipulated his blind spots. His need to belong overrode his need at the time to be discerning. You need a fool to hold you to account. Self-accountability is hard.   Paul shares a story of his own sentencing where he was offered a reduced sentence if he admitted his crimes. He refused.  It is often difficult for fools to rise up within an organization because of the power differential. Paul makes the case for an external objective person such as a coach to assume the role of the fool.    Resources shared across this podcast  www.paulglovercoaching.com  WorkQuake by Paul Glover  The Heroes' Journey; Joseph Campbell   

285 Paul Glover https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulglovercoaching/ https://paulglovercoaching.com/ Paul Glover is a C-Suite Performance Coach with 20 years experience as a Federal Court Trial Lawyer. He is a passionate storyteller who believes in the power of narrative to influence and educate in business, personal life and even court rooms. Member of Forbes Council and Author of “WorkQuake”, a playbook for leaders who want to navigate the future of work beyond traditional command and control models to more inclusive, engaging environments.   His approach is practical, hands-on, grounded in the realities of the real world of work and results oriented – all undertaken with a sense of humour and panache. His workshops allows every member of the organization, from C -Suite Executives to Front Line Team Members, to understand the importance of resilience and how they can enhance their own resilience and positively impact performance and productivity throughout the organization. MYImpactAcademy.com/Join

#49: On today's episode, we're chatting with Krista Berlincourt, the CEO & Co-Founder of Kenshō Health. Krista has spent the past decade driving social innovation through transformative technology for top tech companies like T-Mobile, Microsoft, Simple, and Acorns. She was named a Top Female Founder to Watch as well as LA's Rising Entrepreneur of the Year, is a founding member of both The Forbes Councils and The Aspen Institute's Fringe Diplomacy. Krista is an internationally accredited coach and author whose work traverses transformation and all that makes us human — exploring the science of shame, emotion, and connection. An Oregonian at heart, Krista is an avid cyclist, naturalist, and outdoorswoman. In this episode, we cover:Krista's battle with extreme adrenal fatigue and the conventional vs. holistic approach that she experienced Krista's journey from FinTech to Health CareThe problem with our healthcare system in the US & what Kenshō is doing to solve itHow to use insurance providers for holistic healthcarePutting in the work with our health vs. taking the ‘quick fix' routeThe ideal future of healthcare and how to make it more humanWhy everyone needs a health coach, for life!CONNECT WITH THE GUESTWEBSITE |  https://www.kenshohealth.com/INSTAGRAM | @kenshohealthRESOURCES:Grab your Seed Daily Synbiotic and use code ALYSIA15 for 15% off your first month of seed! #SeedPartnerTo shop #ThePurelyPodcast Amazon Store & any items mentioned on this episode, click HERETo connect with Alysia, click HERETo stay up to date with #ThePurelyPodcast, click HEREGrab your copy of Alysia's 5 Star Rated e-Book, Leading with Love & use code 'PODCAST' for $5 off your copy of HERETo schedule a COMPLIMENTARY 1x1 Health Coaching Consultation with Alysia, click HEREFor a chance to win a copy of Leading with Love + 3 Health Coaching Sessions with Alysia, rate, review & subscribe to the podcast + send a screenshot to assistant@purelypope.comThanks for being here, tune in every Thursday for new episodes! #ThePurelyPodcast

➡️ Like The Podcast? Leave A Rating: https://ratethispodcast.com/successstory ➡️ About The Guest⁣ Yaagneshwaran Ganesh is an award-winning marketer, an author, and a TEDx speaker. He is among the top 100 global marketing technologists. He is recognized by The World Marketing Congress as one of the Marketing Mavericks, in association with the World Federation of Marketing Professionals. He is also a best-selling author of 7 books. Yaagneshwaran has more than 12 years of marketing experience in the MarTech space. He is currently the Director of Marketing at Avoma. He enjoys helping early-stage MarTech startups with their content, more especially in building their narrative and category. He plays an active role in the Google for Startups initiative called ‘The Startup Weekend.' He is a member of the Forbes Council and speaks at international business forums such as TEDx, Performance Marketing Moscow, Chamber of Commerce Netherlands, The World Marketing Congress, and academic institutions such as the IITs, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, and more. ➡️ Show Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaagneshwarang/ https://twitter.com/Yaagneshwaran/ https://www.yaagneshwaran.com/ ➡️ Podcast Sponsors HUBSPOT - https://hubspot.com/ ➡️ Talking Points⁣ 00:00 - Intro 04:53 - Yaagneshwaran Ganesh's origin story. 07:22 - Why would you start working in marketing? 10:45 - Why you should start writing books. 15:08 - Being an operator while building a personal brand. 20:11 - Lessons learned from writing books. 25:14 - Lessons learned from starting a podcast. 30:05 - How to always give out immense value. 34:53 - How to find more listeners for your podcast. 41:15 - What is conversational intelligence? 47:30 - Yaagneshwaran Ganesh's involvement in Avoma. 50:55 - Using conversational intelligence. 56:29 - The best strategy to market a product. 1:03:08 - How to connect with Yaagneshwaran Ganesh. 1:04:57 - Yaagneshwaran Ganesh's biggest challenges. 1:07:57 - Yaagneshwaran Ganesh's mentor. 1:08:50 - Yaagneshwaran Ganesh's book or podcast recommendation. 1:09:16 - Yaagneshwaran Ganesh's advice to his 20-year-old self. 1:09:30 - What does success mean to Yaagneshwaran Ganesh? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What a treat to talk with a fierce feminist who's been a force of nature for more than half a century! At 71, Nadine embodies a lifelong commitment and ever-evolving talent to amplify her passion for social justice. Her volunteer work in 1964 on Shirley Chisholm's campaign for New York State Assembly and at Women Strike for Peace with Bella Abzug immersed her in an understanding that sexism, racism, classism and militarism are inextricably linked. She's been an intersectional organizer ever since. At 60, she left her lifetime home, New York City, and moved to a UNESCO Heritage city in Switzerland, becoming the first woman Executive-in-Residence at IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland. Eleven years later, she's still there. Nadine continues to be a “Master Bridge-Builder” as CEO of beCause Global Consulting, and senior advisor of Global Citizens Circle, as noted by her alma mater, Harvard and by Nobel Peace Laureate Desmond Tutu in the foreword to her upcoming book, The Power of Connectedness. We celebrate our sister-old-bitch, Nadine Hack, who is acutely aware of “her sacred obligation to carry the torch” as long as possible, and know our listeners will be inspired by her wisdom on voice, aging and the power of the collective.    -------- Follow Nadine Hack at:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nadinehack Twitter: @nadinehack Instagram: @nadine.hack LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadinehack  Forbes Councils: https://bit.ly/35rRBOT  beCause Global Consulting: https://www.because.net  Global Citizens Circle https://globalcitizenscircle.org 

Bogdan Zlatkov won't disappoint. This multi-faceted personality has become a friend, trusted advisor, and colleague.  The most recognizable thing in Bogdan's history is his time as a content marketing manager with LinkedIn Learning. He's since moved to a Green tech company serving the solar industry, but that's not all.  One of the reasons I wanted to introduce you all to Bogdan is because he has nailed the idea of a side hustle, and he's a proven example that you can grow a business endeavor a long side a full time (demanding job).  Growth Hack Your Career helps almost 30,000 job seekers find new opportunities through proven strategies Bogdan has tested himself. He works with coaches, authors, and Forbes-Council members to uncover the best job search tips, and I Happen to have the honor of being just one small resource within the Growth Hack Your Career family.