Podcast appearances and mentions of john ratliff

From Marco Rubio to Elise Stefanik: who are the nominations that President-elect Trump has announced, and what does their selection say about how the administration may take shape? Julie Fishman Rayman, AJC Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs reviews the names announced thus far, how, if confirmed, they could impact efforts to counter antisemitism, support Israel, and uphold democratic values, and how AJC is advocating to advance these critical issues.  Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: with Hen Mazzig, Einat Admony, and more. People of the Pod:  What the Election Results Mean for Israel and the Jewish People The Jewish Vote in Pennsylvania: What You Need to Know Sinwar Eliminated: What Does This Mean for the 101 Hostages Still Held by Hamas? Go Deeper – AJC Analysis: Explainer: What to Know About President-elect Trump on Antisemitism, Israel, and Iran Policy AJC Briefing — Post-Election Analysis: What to Expect Under the New U.S. Administration | Tuesday, November 19 | 1:30 p.m. Eastern | Register Here Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Transcript of Conversation with Julie Fishman Rayman: Manya Brachear Pashman:   President Elect Donald Trump has named and nominated eight of the 24 officials, including his chief of staff, most of whom would make up his cabinet. Returning to discuss the nominees so far and where they stand on AJC missions of fighting antisemitism, defending Israel and safeguarding democracy, is AJC Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs, Julie Fishman Rayman. Julie, welcome back to People of the Pod. Julie Fishman Rayman:   Thanks for having me, Manya, glad to be here. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So you have worked with some of these nominees, and you know their track record on these issues. First of all, from a 30,000-40,000 foot view, what is your overall take on the slate so far? Julie Fishman Rayman:   I feel like if you had asked me that yesterday, I would have had a totally different answer. And so I imagine even by the time People of the {od airs, my answer maybe would have even changed, so I will answer, but I want everyone, including our listeners, to take it with a grain of salt that I am speaking from a very specific moment in tim while the clock is rapidly changing and the situation is rapidly changing. So I think the initial slate of potential nominees that were announced gave a lot of folks, especially in sort of the foreign policy world, a good deal of comfort, right?  So people like Representative Mike Waltz, people like Senator Marco Rubio, those types of folks. Even Governor Huckabee, are sort of these, these names of traditional conservatives who we say, Oh, they have a record. They have governed. They have a voting record. We know exactly where they stand and what they believe, and that it's not vastly dissimilar from any other previous Republican administration.  Then, of course, there was the news about the potential coming in of Matt Gaetz, representative, Matt Gaetz, a Republican from Florida and Tulsi Gabbard. And I think those names and what they represent put everyone in a bit of a tailspin. Not simply because of who they are, although they come with a lot of really interesting backstory that we can unpack, if you want to, but not just because of who they are, but because they represent a really different part of the Republican Party. A really different part of the right wing world view that had not theretofore been represented in Trump's cabinet picks, definitely less of the traditional conservative mindset and much more in line with a, dare I say, like populist kind of perspective. And so there's tension now that people are trying to sort of understand and unravel. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So let's talk about each individual. And you mentioned Marco Rubio, who is Trump's nominee for Secretary of State, the Florida Senator. He currently serves on the Foreign Relations Committee. He's the top Republican on the Intelligence Committee. And I mean, he and the President Elect seem to agree on America's approach to Iran and Ukraine, but not NATO, right? I mean, where do he and Mr. Trump agree and disagree? Julie Fishman Rayman:   You're asking a question as though we have a full sense of what incoming president, former President Trump believes, which I think is a bit of an assumption. They're certainly deeply aligned on sort of big picture principles as they relate to support for Israel, no question. A tough, tough approach to whether it's an actor like Iran or China, you know, sort of these nefarious global players that seek to disrupt our world order, they're aligned there. There is a potential disconnect on Ukraine. Right? We've heard statements from Senator Rubio recently where you almost see him trying to channel the former president, the president-elect, and say, like, what would Trump say? What would Trump do?  You can like, see the wheels spinning in his mind as he talks about how we have been funding a stalemate and how something needs to change. But I'm not sure that if you put them both in a room and ask them blindfolded, apart from each other, what to do about Ukraine, if you would get the same answer, I think there would probably be a good deal of daylight.  And I think the same could be said about the future of NATO and others. But it all remains to be seen. And then, of course, also will have to be balanced with other forces that are coming into the administration, not least of which Senator JD Vance, colleague of Marco Rubio, who definitely comes with a different sort of world view. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And next on the list, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York, she has been nominated for the role of UN ambassador. We kind of know her as an outspoken supporter of Israel, given her high profile role in the congressional hearings about anti-Israel protests on college campuses after the Hamas terror attacks on October 7. Those hearings actually led to the resignation of a couple of university presidents. How do you foresee that outspoken support playing out in the UN arena, or maybe even in the Trump administration's approach to higher education? Julie Fishman Rayman:   In terms of the UN and antisemitism, there will be a lot of very vocal, very strident affirmations that antisemitism is not something that the US will abide. That same sort of force that Congresswoman Stefanik brought to the Education Committee, she will bring to the UN and she won't take any bones about it, and she's not going to sit down to anybody.  Of that we can be sure what that looks like, though, beyond pontification, beyond promulgations of support for the Jewish community across the globe, remains to be seen. Right? How will she engage in a UN that she certainly will perceive to be at least biased towards Israel and possibly antisemitic at its core. Right? We can make that assumption on her world view.  How will she seek to engage with a system that she presumably views as fundamentally flawed? We know that a Republican House and Senate are already sort of gearing up towards cutting funding of major UN institutions, if not the UN across the board. So what does that mean for her role? What does that mean for the voice that the United States will have and the ability for her very strong voice, to even be at the table, and that's sort of where some of that tension arrives is also, do you get in the room? Do you get the seat at the table? Or are you on the menu? Right? The United States is never going to be on the menu, but are we going to, by virtue of our own sort of principles, going to push our seat back in and stand in the hallway. There's a lot of calculi that she's going to have to make there. In terms of the Department of Education and Congress and how they're dealing with these really important issues that that Congresswoman Stefanik has put at the fore for so long, there's no question that the threat of pulling federal funding that we've heard from the Biden administration repeatedly will be more believed under a future Trump administration. I think there are universities all over the country that already are saying, oh, like, what do we have to do? We don't want to get caught in these crosshairs. What do we need to do to make sure that we are not either under fire with the light shining on us or on the chopping block for federal funding?  So if you're an educational institution that really believes that there is a true threat that you're to your federal funding, you're reconsidering a lot of steps. And if in fact, federal funding is leveraged or cut, I think we have to be really mindful of three things. One, we have to make sure that it doesn't look as though the Jews are behind this crushing blow, because that's scapegoating. And we have to make sure that shuttering these major academic institutions doesn't foreclose the creation, the necessary creation, of future American doctors and engineers and others. And finally, we have to make sure that we're not creating a void in funding that could really easily be filled by foreign actors that are already known to use university funding to advance a particular ideology, to advance their own interests. Manya Brachear Pashman:   I want to go back to another name you mentioned at the top, and that is the Florida congressman, Michael Waltz. He has been named as National Security Advisor to head up the National Security Council, and he has been a huge champion of the Abraham accords. So what can we expect to see from him if he indeed does take this post. Julie Fishman Rayman:   So one of the things that I think is really interesting about, you know, looking back on the last trump administration, while we sort of forecast for the next, is that the National Security Council, this body that Mike Waltz will lead, was always the brain trust for him in the previous administration. Of course, there was the State Department. It was filled, it was supported. But generally, I think he thought of the State Department as a place of a foreign policy bureaucracy, where passports got stamped, that kind of, step by step, day by day, keeping the wheels turning, but not where real change happened.  So if we're, you know, we're talking about Marco Rubio at State, we're talking about Mike Waltz as National Security Advisor, I think we really need to sort of dig into what's Waltz gonna bring. And of course, like, as you said, Manya deeply supportive of Abraham Accords, very hawkish when it comes to China, and very, very embedded in the military establishment himself, right? He's not the DoD pick, but he's a Green Beret vet. He served in Afghanistan, he served in the Middle East. He served in Africa. In addition to being on the foreign affairs committee and Congress, he was on the Armed Services Committee and the Intelligence Committee, if there are, if there's a trifecta of committees that someone could serve on to be as informed and at sort of the pinnacle of information about what's going on in this world, it's those three committees. Ukraine is the big question mark here. He's criticized aid to Ukraine, and has talked about getting Putin to the negotiating table, getting a diplomatic solution, or some sort of settlement to this war. And that I think remains this major looming question for a lot of folks about, as we're looking at these various picks whose voice is going to win here. Or, you know, if we're channeling the last Trump administration again, who's going to be the last person in his ear before he goes and makes a major announcement. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You mentioned DoD. Let's talk about President Elect Trump's DoD pick. Fox News anchor Pete hegseth, he is a retired US Army Major. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan, but a surprising pick to head the Department of Defense.  Julie Fishman Rayman:   It's interesting that you asked that question, because I think for folks who just think of him as a, you know, the guy on the Fox News couch, everyone who I've talked to who really knows Pete Hegseth and really is engaged with him for a long time, they they're not surprised, and they say, Oh, that does make sense. I don't know how much we can anticipate his fox views translating into a DoD cabinet pick. I don't really know how to manage that, right? He's talked about, like the Joint Chiefs, for example, in sort of a disparaging way.  So, he's definitely one of these picks that you know shows the future President's desire to be at the vanguard, right? He wants to shake things up. He wants to keep people on their toes.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   Okay, so now let's move on to some of the names you mentioned that are curious, curious choice. Other curious choices. Former Hawaiian Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, she has been nominated to serve as Trump's chief intelligence advisor, the Director of National Intelligence. That would mean she would be responsible for overseeing 18 spy agencies and keeping the President informed of the nation's international intelligence as anti semitism rises around the world, incidents like what we saw in Amsterdam this past weekend continue to flare up. Do you foresee her prioritizing that kind of news for the president elect? Julie Fishman Rayman:   This is a position that has to be confirmed by the Senate, and it's not, I think, a slam dunk in a lot of ways. She's not always been a Republican. She certainly hasn't always been a Trumpist Republican. She had a major leadership role in the Democratic Party for quite some time. She was the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, and not rank and file, she resigned from that position to endorse Bernie Sanders in 2016 she supported the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the Iran deal that many Democrats broke with the administration to oppose that. AJC opposed, I think that there's a lot of baggage that she brings, and not personal baggage, but policy baggage that might make it very, very difficult for her to make the step through that confirmation process, and someone very smart said that'll be the test. Maybe I'll give him credit. Josh Kraushauer, the editor of Jewish insider, said this will be the test for how Senate leadership is going to respond to the calls from President Trump. You know, if they're able to just sort of if Senator Thune, in this new role that he has just received is able to push through the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard, then we can expect a lot of confirmations legislation Trump desires to move through the Senate. If she gets a little bit held up. If it's not as easy, then we can anticipate just a little bit more gridlock, as much gridlock as one could expect from one party control of the House, Senate and the White House. But a little bit more of a pushback. It'll be a real test. Manya Brachear Pashman:   She is nominated to be his chief intelligence advisor, and yet she has posted blatantly false propaganda on her social media channels. And people know that, people have called her out for that. Is that concerning? Julie Fishman Rayman:   I think it's deeply concerning whenever anyone puts out blatantly false propaganda, particularly that which emanates from Russia, that is problematic at any level of elected official, appointed official, period. We need to constantly, as a society and as a nation, be on fierce guard against that, because it is real and it is pervasive. I anticipate that, you know, when the confirmation hearings are up, there's going to be a lot of questions about, you know, what has she posted, where is she getting her information, and from whom does she rely on for real, authoritative information that is truthful? Manya Brachear Pashman:   So another name that you mentioned at the top of the conversation, and that is Congressman, well now former Congressman Matt Gaetz from Florida, since he resigned immediately after his nomination for attorney general. He was one of, I think, 21 republicans who voted against the Antisemitism Awareness Act in May, saying he couldn't support a definition of antisemitism that labeled claims of Jews killing Jesus as antisemitic. I think Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel might have had some choice words for him, if he is indeed, if he indeed progresses through this process toward Attorney General, what could we see from him? What can we see, period, of this whole process? Julie Fishman Rayman:   So first off, I just, I want to speak a little bit about it was sort of him in his record, because I think that it's important for our community to to be refreshed about exactly who Matt Gaetz is it there were a number of Republicans who voted against the Antisemitism Awareness Act because they did not think that it was appropriate for there to be a law that says the Jews didn't kill Jesus. This is, of course, like a sort of gross mischaracterization of what the international Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of anti semitism says and purports to do. But he wasn't alone. And it was, it was very interesting to see how this, this sort of trope that I think a lot of us thought was over about the Jews killing Jesus. You know, Nostra Aetate was in the 70s, right? So we thought that this was done and behind us. But to hear, particularly from the evangelical set, that, okay, like, maybe the Jews didn't kill Jesus, or maybe they did.  He also invited a Holocaust denier and a white supremacist to be his guest at the State of the Union later, he said, like, Oh, I didn't really know. But either he got terrible staffing or he knew, and he just didn't want to get caught. He's deeply, deeply scandal ridden, without question. And he, you know, is constantly defending Marjorie Taylor Green, who, you know, compared the COVID mask laws to, you know, the Holocaust and things like that. He called the ADL racist. He is not representative of any stream, really, within the Republican Party. He is emblematic of the most populist of the populace, the most MAGA of the MAGA. So we should remember who he is, first and foremost.  Beyond that, I cannot imagine an America that would confirm him as Attorney General. I'm a congressist by heart. I believe that Congress does the right things, if given enough time to do so, and I cannot believe that they'll let this one go through. So forgive my rant. I think it needs to be said about him. But in terms of, you know, who are we watching, and what do we think is going to happen in the long term? I don't think there's a long term there. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Let's talk about another pick, and that is his pick for Homeland Security, who I don't think is so outlandish, and that is South Dakota Governor Christie gnomes. She could play a really vital role in his immigration the proposal that he's made for the immigration system. She has been a strong ally of AJC in the past.  Julie Fishman Rayman:   Yes, she has. When she signed North South Dakota's bill, um on the international Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, working definition of antisemitism, when she signed into law, AJC was there. She's been outspoken about anti semitism, and has consistently, sort of done, she's done the right things there. That being said, South Dakota has a very small Jewish population. So it's not, the same as if she were the governor of New York or Florida or even California that has major Jewish populations that are constantly calling with various, you know, security needs or something like that. So she's been there when she's needed to be there. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And I know South Dakota is not a border state, but didn't she send army reserves to the border to help Texas Governor Greg Abbott, at one point? Julie Fishman Rayman:   She has. A lot of Republican governors sort of backed Abbott in that way. I think that her crew in the governors, in the Republican Governors Association, etc, will be much aligned with the incoming administration. And of course, you know, that's why she's picked. Manya Brachear Pashman:   We also have the choice of John Ratliff, who Trump has named as a potential CIA director. And you know, technically, CIA director is the person who's nominated as head of intelligence is the CIA director's boss, and so he was the former director or chief intelligence advisor. So in a way, it's kind of a demotion. However, what I've read is President elect Trump believes that the CIA director is actually more important. So what are we looking at here? Are we looking at a smoother confirmation process for the CIA director, perhaps, and are we looking at kind of an elevation of that job?  Julie Fishman Rayman:   I think we can probably assume it's an elevation, and in the same way that we talked about the previous Trump administration prioritizing the National Security Council almost above the State Department, I think we'll see that sort of shift in alignment, the CIA being sort of the new center of gravity, if it wasn't already within the the intelligence community. So I think that we probably will see him playing a much more dominant role. That being said, I think America has always held this deep fascination with CIA directors, FBI directors. They always, because of the really interesting and critical roles they play, they always sort of punch above their weight in terms of, you know, how much are they on TV? How much are people watching what they're saying and what they're doing? So I think that we can absolutely anticipate that. And you know, he has some skeletons in his closet, but I don't think that there's anything that will prohibit or impede his nomination for that role. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And as a religion reporter, I found the naming of former Governor Mike Huckabee as the ambassador, a potential ambassador to Israel, to be very interesting, given that he is an evangelical Christian, a Baptist pastor. Aren't too many non-Jewish ambassadors to Israel. There have been some, but not too many. And I thought that this was a really interesting selection. What can we see or expect to see from that choice? Julie Fishman Rayman:   You know, part of me kind of loves this for America. I think there's, Governor Huckabee has always been a stalwart supporter of Israel, without question, deeply, deeply supportive. There are questions about, what is he going to do with regard to like, the question of settlements or annexation and things like that. And and I think we're going to have to be watching that very, very closely.  But if we're looking sort of at the macro level, the issue of Israel and America has become so polarized and in some ways so toxic, that this reminder that it's not just the Jews that care about Israel, I think, couldn't come at a better time.  I do think that it's really interesting to now have someone going to sit at the embassy that President Trump moved to Jerusalem, who is not representing the Jewish community there, but representing the massive Evangelical community in the United States and even frankly, around the world. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, Julie, thank you so much for sharing your perspectives. As these names keep trickling out each day, many things are said, some important, some not so important. So I'm glad I appreciate you kind of focusing our audience on what matters to AJC, what matters to the Jewish community and for those who support Israel. So thank you so much.  Julie Fishman Rayman:   It's been my pleasure and many and if I can just say, as we conclude that the personalities take up a lot of space, they take up a lot of oxygen. But for AJC, we're always singularly focused on the policies, and we'll continue doing what we've been doing already for months, and that's reaching everyone who will have influence in this next administration, to advance our policy perspective, to share our agenda and to talk about what we think needs to form the policy priorities of the next administration.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   Thank you so much, Julie. Julie Fishman Rayman:   Thank you.  

John Ratliff started a 24/7 telephone answering service in 1995…. … as the sole employee and operator

Curiosity and emotional intelligence are the keys to entrepreneurial success.

In this insightful episode of the Outside Insights podcast, I sat down with John Ratliff, the entrepreneurial force behind Align 5 and CEO of Scaling Up Coaches.During the episode, John and I discuss the multifaceted journey of entrepreneurship and the significance of mental health and creativity in the entrepreneurial realm.  I have known John for decades and admire his body of work, accomplishments and drive to impact the entrepreneurial landscape globally. John has been a top 100 wish list target for Outside Insights - goal accomplished!Few have built a business from scratch, bootstrapped, built organically, grown by acquisition, exited successfully, been an investment banker, entrepreneurial coach, leader of coaches and all in all entrepreneurial advocate. Most importantly, John is a learner, loves new ideas and seems to always see the possibilities and bigger picture. I'm always feeling inspired by John.Save this podcast for your next commute or workout to hear two serial entrepreneurs discuss: The importance of recognizing and leveraging hidden assets within your business or any new venture. The value of external perspectives in uncovering these "Rembrandts."The challenges of entrepreneurship, including the risk of isolation and mental health struggles.The significance of creativity, curiosity, and continuous learning in navigating the fast-paced business landscape.The need for a supportive community and the willingness to seek help and mentorship.John Ratliff's entrepreneurial voyage began with his call center business, which, despite initial hurdles, laid the foundation for his understanding of business dynamics and growth strategies. His involvement with Align 5 and Scaling Up Coaches underscores his commitment to nurturing middle-market companies and their leaders, emphasizing the critical role these entities play in the economy.A pivotal theme John discusses is the concept of "Finding Your Rembrandt in the Attic." This metaphor illustrates the often-overlooked assets within businesses that, when recognized and leveraged, can significantly enhance a company's value. John stresses the importance of external perspectives in identifying these hidden treasures - someone to help you see what may have been right in front of you the whole time.The conversation also touches on the solitary nature of entrepreneurship. John candidly shares the challenges and internal struggles many entrepreneurs face, including the risk of isolation, depression, and burnout. He advocates for a supportive community and the courage to seek help, emphasizing the importance of mental health awareness and self-care in the entrepreneurial journey.John's leadership philosophy is deeply ingrained in the principles of creativity and lifelong learning. In an era marked by rapid technological advancements and societal shifts, he believes that the ability to adapt and innovate is paramount for entrepreneurial success. His parting advice for entrepreneurs: Take moments to reflect on achievements and while remaining grounded in the fundamentals of business. Don't get caught in the allure of rapid, often unsustainable, growth strategies. I hope you find yourself as inspired as I am in guests like John - who have achieved their goals many times over through grit, resilience and a healthy amount of stubborness. Thanks for listening, friends.ChrisLinksOpposite The Crowd

Title: Advocacy Guest faculty: John Ratliff, MD, FACS Host: Brian R. Gantwerker, MD Dr. Ratliff will discuss his road to becoming a physician advocate. Panelists will discuss goals to set forth and the potential obstacles and allies in affecting positive change in medicine. Dr Ratliff will discuss the small and big things neurosurgeons can do to become more involved in the political processes affecting medicine, and neurosurgery in particular.

We're chopping it up with John Ratliff - Founder of the align5 Companies, CEO of Scaling Up Coaches, and an overall Serial Entrepreneur and Pilot. We learn about his first business as a kid, entreprenuership, motivating teams and attention to detail. We discuss risk-taking, flying planes and the infamous Fighter Pilot Colonel John "5-Second" Boyd and his OODA Decision Making Loop. We learn how to be more productive by utilizing the DAILY HUDDLE to identify the day's #1 priority and the "stucks" your team might face. Listen up! Lots of takeaways! Recommended Books: - Unreasonable Hospitality - The E-Myth Revisited

With over 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur, CEO, and investment banker, John co-founded align5 advisors in 2013 to advise growth company entrepreneurs and family enterprises on a variety of strategic issues including sell-side and buy-side M&A. Prior to this, John was a managing director with STS Capital Partners, a boutique investment bank. John was also the President and CEO of Appletree Answers, a call center company he founded in 1995. He grew the company organically by implementing strategies from Rockefeller Habits 2.0, and through a series of acquisitions to 24 U.S. locations and 650 employees. John sold Appletree Answers to a strategic buyer in June 2012. In addition to growing the company‘s revenue and profitability, Appletree Answers had a remarkably low turnover rate of 18% versus the industry average of 110%.To reserve a personalized marketing roadmap strategy session for your business, visit https://itmarketingconsult.com.

In this episode of Entrepreneurs at Scale, we are joined by John Ratliff. John is a co-founder and CEO of align5 an advisory and consulting organisations focused on helping growth entrepreneurs establish a strategy for scaling their businesses and preparing for a Strategic Exit.John is also CEO of the Global Scaling Up coaching organisation.Prior to founding align5, John was the President and CEO of Appletree Answers, a telephone answering service company he started in 1995 from his two-bedroom apartment in Wilmington, Delaware. John grew the company organically and through a series of acquisitions, growing the company to 24 US- based locations and 650 employees before it was sold to a strategic buyer in June 2012.In this episode we focus on the key lessons that John learnt as he scaled up and successfully exited the  Appletree Answers Business:  - The importance of discovering core values  - Building out a culture that is massively focused around caring about the people in the business - His acquisition strategy - Key areas that will add value to your business - Preparing a business for a strategic exit - How to discover Rembrandts in your attic  - Strategies to ensure that every client experience is remarkable

Do you have an exit plan developed with your business? As a CEO or entrepreneur, it can be difficult to think about leaving your company, but you've worked hard to accumulate wealth and you likely want to enjoy it. On today's episode, John Ratliff explores developing exit strategies with business owners and CEOs and how he's helping these high-level professionals enjoy their wealth.    TIMESTAMPS  1:12 – Welcome to the show John! 4:36 – What brings about happiness? 9:09 – When's the right time to think about an exit? 11:39 – Making yourself redundant in your business 19:04 - Why the bigger number? 22:49 – Creating a perpetual philanthropy model 26:32 – Creating core values and a foundation 32:00 – What happens if you don't get it right? 38:20 – This is your biggest asset, get it right 44:15 – Having someone that's been there on your side   Read the full blog and get additional information on The Way2Wealth®: https://www.theway2wealth.com/episodes/   RESOURCES More on The Way2Wealth®: https://www.theway2wealth.com/ More About Scott Ford: https://www.carsonwealth.com/team-members/scott-ford/ Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/354Pd2M Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-way2wealth/id1607901600   Securities offered through Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through CWM, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC is under separate ownership from any other named entity. Carson Partners, a division of CWM, LLC, is a nationwide partnership of advisors. 19833 Leitersburg Pike, Suite 1 Hagerstown, MD 21742. Guests are not affiliated with Cetera Advisors Networks LLC, or CWM, LLC. Opinions expressed by the presenter may not be representative of Cetera Advisors Networks LLC, or CWM, LLC.

Today's guest knows all about scaling up. Not only is John Ratliff CEO of Scaling Up Coaches, he's also a seasoned entrepreneur himself. Having started Appletree Answers, a telephone answering service from his apartment in 1995, John grew the company to 24 US-based locations and more than 600 employees, taking nearly 10 years to get to $1million in revenue, and then six years to get to $30 million, before a fantastic exit well over market value, selling the company to a strategic buyer in 2012. This experience gave John a unique perspective into the importance of culture, employee engagement, and the guidance and tools entrepreneurs need to have a successful exit. Today John spends the majority of his time defending entrepreneurs against private equity buyers - he says if you're considering selling your company, you'd be mad not to get representation. In this episode, John shares some fantastic tips for owners thinking of selling, the time he turned a potentially $400,000 loss into $7 million of value, and how he really understood employee happiness by changing one NPS question. This episode is a little longer than normal, but it's jam-packed full of useful insights and guidance. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did. On today's podcast:Business selling advice for foundersWhy you shouldn't start from scratchBuilding and selling Appletree AnswersJohn's M&A playbookThe importance of happy employeesLinks:LinkedIn – John RatliffWebsite – stscapital.com, align5.com

On this episode of Top 3, Marcia is joined by John Ratliff, CEO of align5. John and his team work with values-driven growth companies to align around no more than 5 key initiatives or priorities at any given time as a way to ensure focus and execution. John shares his secrets to scaling, pitfalls to avoid, and why strategic partners are key to success.

A conversation with Dr. John Ratliff

We have a special episode for you today as we close out the decade. A best of 10 podcast episodes from the Scaling Up Podcast that our listeners and production crew have loved over the years! Happy New Year!   Stacy Bare is a veteran of the Iraq war and is the Founder of Bare LLC, a consulting firm working to grow healthy organizations, people, and places through health and adventure. He is also the Founder of Adventure Not War, which aims to climb, ski, and adventure in places veterans have fought in.   Brian Solis is a digital analyst and anthropologist, where he studies disruptive technology and how it impacts the market, society, and individuals. He is also a keynote speaker and the author of eight books. Brian became a digital anthropologist in the late ’90s to study how emerging technologies are changing our society and our behaviors. The goal was to understand these changes so that new technology would have a positive impact on us and not a negative one.   Nick Nanton is a four-time Emmy Award Winning Director, Producer, and Filmmaker. A master storyteller, Nick is recognized as one of the top thought-leaders in the business world and is the author of StorySelling. On today’s podcast, Nick and I dive right into the art of storytelling and how to tell your story in a compelling and engaging way.   John Ruhlin is the author of GIFTOLOGY: The Art & Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through The Noise & Drive Referrals and founder of the Ruhlin Group. There are an art and science to using gifts to cut through the noise and drive real referrals to your business. In this episode, John discusses how to use gifts to scale your business and increase referrals.   John Ratliff first applied The Scaling Up Rockefeller Habits when he was the Founder/CEO of Appletree Answers. He grew it from a relatively small company in 1995 to 700 employees, before selling it in 2012. Today, he is the Managing Director of STS Capital Partners and sits down with Bill to discuss our overall mental health and how to combat depression when you’re sitting at the top.   Verne Harnish is the author of Scaling Up, Founder and CEO of Gazelles. He is also co-founder of the world-renowned Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) and the Birthing of Giants.   Morra Aarons-Mele is the founder of award-winning digital agency Women Online and its database of women influencers, The Mission List. She is an internet marketer who has helped launched online campaigns for world leaders and organizations including the United Nations, Malala Fund, Hillary Clinton for President, President Obama, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Morra is also the author of Hiding in the Bathroom.   Ron Lovett is an author, entrepreneur, and leader with a passion for change. He is the Founder of Connolly Owens, where he and his team build companies with a purpose. They teach companies how to create accountability so that their entire team is focused on the same company goals.   Lara Hodgson is the co-founder, president, and CEO of NOW Corp. She also serves as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Harvard Business School. NOW Corp is the company she co-founded to free small businesses from the burden of funding trade credit and to enable small business growth. The concept for NOW Corp’s NOWaccount payment system stems from the challenges Lara faced when growing her manufacturing business, Nourish.   Carl Gould is an entrepreneur and business growth expert. Carl has built three multi-million dollar businesses by the age of 40, has mentored the launch of over 5,000 businesses and has trained and certified over 7,000 business coaches in 35 countries.   Interview Links: “Stacy Bare — Adventure Not War” “Brian Solis — Live a Happier, More Productive Life” “Nick Nanton — ‘Storyselling’ – How to Tell Your Personal Story” “John Ruhlin — The Strategic Way to Use Gifting” “John Ratliff — It’s Lonely at the Top: Your Work and Your Mental Health” “Verne Harnish — The Biggest Mistakes in Scaling Up” “Morra Aarons-Mele — How to Network and Show up While Being An Introverted Leader” “Ron Lovett — Remove Mid-Level Management Through Task Mapping” “Lara Hodgson — How Lacking Resources Generates Innovation” “Carl Gould — Get More Customers Without Compromising on Price”   Resources: Scaling Up Workshop: Interested in attending one of our workshops? We have a few $100 discounts for our loyal podcast listeners!Scaling Up for Business Growth Workshop: Take the first step to mastering the Rockefeller Habits by attending one of our workshops. Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube   Did you enjoy today’s episode? If so, then head over to iTunes and leave a review. Help other business leaders discover the Scaling Up Business Podcast so they, too, can benefit from the ideas shared in these podcasts.   Scaling Up is the best-selling book by Verne Harnish and our team for Gazelles Coaching, on how the fastest-growing companies succeed where so many others fail. My name is Bill Gallagher, host of the Scaling Up Business Podcast and a leading Gazelles Coach. Gazelles is the term we use for fast-growing companies.   We help leadership teams with 4 Decisions around People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash so that they can Scale Up successfully and beat the odds of business growth success. Scaling Up for Gazelles companies is based on the Rockefeller Habits 2.0 (from Verne’s original best-selling business book, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits).  

There's so much to consider when shopping for meat. Not only do you need some basic knowledge about what cuts you want to purchase, but you also have to navigate decisions around ethics, sustainability, animal welfare, cost, and more. On today's special live recording of Eating Matters, Jenna has an all-encompassing conversation about meat with guest John Ratliff of Ends Meat. The holiday season is all about food and community. There’s no better time to show your support for food radio by becoming a member! Lend your voice and help HRN continue to spreading the message of equitable, sustainable, and delicious food – together, we can change minds and build a better food system. Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate  today to become a crucial part of the HRN community.Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast. meat, sustainability, industry city, ends meat, john ratliff, live, sourcing, grass-fed, 

John is currently CEO of Scaling Up Coaches and Managing Director & Partner of align5 advisors. In his leadership role of Scaling Up Coaches, John will be utilizing years of business experience and relationships with business thought leaders to grow a dynamic community of coaches impacting entrepreneurs and scaling companies around the globe. With over 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur, CEO and investment banker, he co-founded align5 advisors in 2013 (in partnership with STS Capital) to advise growth company entrepreneurs and family enterprises on a variety of strategic issues including sell-side and buy-side M&A.Before founding align5 advisors, John was a Managing Director with STS Capital Partners, a boutique investment bank specializing in middle-market M&A.John was also the President and CEO of Appletree Answers, a telephone answering service company he founded in 1995. He grew the company organically by implementing strategies from Rockefeller Habits 2.0, and through a series of acquisitions to 24 U.S. locations and 650 employees. John sold Appletree Answers to a strategic buyer in June 2012. John is passionate about strategy, company culture and employee engagement. In addition to growing the company's revenue and profitability, Appletree Answers had a remarkably low turnover rate of 18% versus the industry average of 110%.John comes into his role in the coaching organization having spent the last 5 years as a strategic advisor to Verne Harnish and Scaling Up. He is active in Virgin Unite, a charitable foundation created by Sir Richard Branson.John lives in Wilmington, Delaware, with his wife Lynne and their three children. As an avid pilot, John flies his TBM 850 single-engine turboprop plane for both business and pleasure.--------------------CONNECT WITH PETER BOOLKAH:--------------------http://www.Boolkah.comhttps://www.facebook.com/Boolkahhttps://www.instagram.com/pboolkah/https://www.linkedin.com/in/boolkahhttps://twitter.com/boolkah--------------------ABOUT PETER BOOLKAH--------------------Peter Boolkah (AKA The Transition Guy) is the World’s #1 Business Transition Coach whose main passion in life is to work with talented and high performing business owners who are in the process of creating exciting, high growth businesses. Peter helps you to navigate and transition through the crucial growth pains that all growing businesses experience making it as painless and exciting as possible.It is important to remember that businesses do not just grow and develop on their own, it is up to us and our teams to make this happen by making every day purposeful. As businesses grow some parts of the journey will be easier than others and most owners do not have all the answers. Starting a business is one of the most exciting things we get to do and we all have aspirations of achieving great things. In fact Peter is yet to meet someone who started a business with the intention of failing.Peter’s ultimate life goal is to inspire and empower over 100,000 Entrepreneurs to create long term thriving businesses resulting in the creation of 1,000,000 jobs.So if you are scaling up your business, you’re in a business transition period, and want to know more then connect with Peter at Boolkah.com--------------------THE TRANSITION GUY --------------------Peter Boolkah is the World's #1 Business Transition Coach and also known as ‘The Transition Guy’. This YouTube channel and his podcast is where he shares his unique and direct approach to taking back control of your business (and your life) while growing and transitioning your business from one level to the next.As a business owner, transitioning your business is all about setting and reaching your goals as well as business transition planning and process. Do you want to accom

The share of felony defendants in the criminal justice system who are required to post bail to avoid pre-trail detention is increasing, while the share released without bail is dropping. Simultaneously the amount of time from arrest to adjudication has also increased. These and related factors have significant negative economic impacts on the individuals involved, and are linked to increased recidivism. In this episode, , the director of the and a senior fellow in Economic Studies, talks about new research on monetary sanctions in the criminal justice system. Also, John Ratliff, in a new Metro Lens, talks about how America's governors are pursuing digital innovation policies. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts  or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at  on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Competitive Advantages of Great Culture - 3 Universal Truths in Business with John Ratliff. Discover the power of a dream, 3 myths about employees, what great companies focus on and do better than anyone else, and more. John founded Appletree Answers in 1995 and sold it in 2012. He is currently Managing Director of STS Capital Partners, an international mergers and acquisitions firm and a Partner and CoFounder of align5 - a business consultancy that focuses on strategic coaching and execution planning for growth entrepreneurs. Recorded live at the Genius Network Annual Event. If you would like access to the full video presentation, the special resources, and show notes for this episode please visit GeniusNetwork.com/51 Here’s a glance at what you’ll learn from John in this episode: Power of a Dream: How to give yourself a huge competitive advantage by building a great company culture 3 myths about employees and the big secret to having team members who are super happy to work for you How John shifted his frontline employee turnover from 100% to 19% while growing his company 32x the industry average What great companies focus on and do better than anyone else to attract, hire and retain superstar talent How to properly implement core values, net promoter and team meetings so your team effectively drives your vision and business The one most important question you can ask yourself (and the one most important action step you can take) to create an extraordinary team

John Ratliff first applied The Scaling Up Rockefeller Habits when he was the Founder/CEO of Appletree Answers. He grew it from relatively small company in 1995 to 700 employees, before selling it in 2012. Today, he is the Managing Director of STS Capital Partners, and sits down with Bill to discuss our overall mental health and how to combat depression when you’re sitting at the top. When it comes to mental health, John looks back and reflects that he had been struggling with it since he was a little kid. So, instead of facing it, he did what most people did, he dived into his work, and did not confront what was going on with himself internally. When it comes to mental health, sleep is very important, yet John picked a business where he didn’t get much of it at all. He was working 100 hours a week, and was up at all hours of the night when he first started his answering service. He was so sleep deprived that he doesn’t remember the entire year of 1997. To be completely honest, John kept his life-long battle with depression a complete secret from everyone in his life until now, when he’s finally able to talk about it. It was something he didn’t want anybody to know about. From the outside, he was often the life of the party and a fun guy to be around. Bill reflects on his own personal experience and how many entrepreneurs pretend that it’s all ‘cool,’ when it really is not. Through some reflection, Bill was able to notice, just like John, the various ways we try to hide from the outside world, and to make it look like we’re more than just okay. It seems entrepreneurs have the tendency to overcompensate to try and avoid what’s going on in the inside, which has its pros and its cons.   Interview Links: STSCapital.com John on LinkedIn   More Resources: Scaling Up for Business Growth Workshops: Take the first step to mastering the Rockefeller Habits by attending one of our workshops. Scaling Up Website Gazelles Website Bill on YouTube  

Tune in for the meatiest Fuhmentaboudit yet, featuring John Ratliff, founder of End’s Meats NYC.  Chris and Mary hear how Ends Meats uses whole animals from responsible, pasture-raised farms in New York and New Jersey, along with imported spices to produce the tastiest cured meats possible. John goes on to explain that while fermenting meat is a complicated process that involves culturing the right type of bacteria “flora” that live in the process facility, or by adding carefully made started cultures and controlling the temperature/moisture of the environment, the friendly bacteria improves flavor, increases acidity, and converts nitrates.  Want more? Check out the website!    

John Ratliff started Appletree Answers in a spare bedroom of his house in 1995 and by 2012 had grown it to 650 employees and 24 locations when he decided it was time to sell. John Ratliff was able to scale Appletree Answers by buying small competitors for around 3 times EBITDA using borrowed money. He quickly went from 1 to 650 employees in less than twenty years while his EBITDA went from nothing to more than $5 million a year.  Then one day, he got a call from a strategic acquirer that would change his life forever.

Show Notes: John Ratliff delivers a presentation on the Genius Network Stage on cultivating great company culture.  In this presentation you'll learn: The primary reason entrepreneurs create a bad culture and how you can fix it How to create great company culture where your team will want to make your company better every day The one question every manager should ask to create a productive company culture http://ILoveMarketing.com/191    

Episode 147: Noise Exposures in Restaurants: John Ratliff, Past Chair of the AIHA Noise Committee, joins the show to talk about noise exposures of workers in the restaurant industry, and the harmful effects of noise exposure for elongated periods of time.

Leon Singletary, President of First Contact HR is host Ric Franzi's first guest.  Leon and Ric talk about the role full-service background checks and HR security plays in mid-market company's hiring decisions. John Ratliff, President of Appletree Answers discusses his telephone answering service which has been on either the INC500 or INC5000 list of America's Fastest Growing Companies for the past 7 years.