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Today's author and restaurateur shares hospitality lessons learned from turning Eleven Madison Park into the #1 restaurant in the world. Join Mike & Cory as they consider how they, too, can transform ordinary transactions into extraordinary experiences.Support the ShowUnreasonable Hospitality by Will GuidaraNathan Barry Show with Will Guidara & Brian CanlisThe One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard & Spencer JohnsonRadical Candor by Kim ScottDiary of a CEOIntelligentsiaChemex Coffee BrewerChemex OttomaticSiphon BrewingTheory11Simon Sinek | The Optimism CompanyLeaders Eat Last by Simon SinekThe Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric JorgensenThe Book of Elon by Eric JorgensenMike's Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Cory's Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In this episode, Charlie Newcomb shares his inspiring journey from a young McDonald's employee to a leadership expert and author. Discover how pivotal quotes, emotional intelligence, and mentorship have shaped his career and leadership style. Whether you're a business owner, aspiring leader, or writer, there's valuable insight for everyone seeking to make a meaningful impact."Effective leaders trust their team enough to let them make mistakes, learn from failures, and develop resilience."Chapters00:00 - The significance of letting people go and controlling your destiny01:09 - Introducing Charlie Newcomb and his journey from McDonald's to leadership expert02:12 - Charlie's career start at 18 and influential training from Ken Blanchard and Stephen Covey03:41 - The impact of company culture and leadership skills on business success04:07 - The essential leadership trait of active listening05:07 - How leaders can support team members through mistakes and failures06:00 - Approaching mistakes with empathy and understanding, not punishment06:56 - How writing a book shifted Charlie's perspective and impacted his career07:55 - Emotional intelligence and handling crises like successful CEOs08:25 - Recognizing influential mentors and the humility of leadership10:49 - The impact of mentorship, influence on others, and the importance of legacy12:41 - Advice to new writers: storytelling, impact, and embracing imperfections13:57 - The choice of Ronald Reagan as an inspirational figure for leadership and communication15:03 - How to connect with Charlie, his book on Amazon, and inspiring the next generation of leaders"Strong emotional intelligence creates trust and rapport, enabling leaders to manage complex dynamics with grace."Other Takeaways*Charlie's career started at McDonald's and evolved over 33 years through leadership training influenced by Ken Blanchard and Stephen Covey. *The importance of listening, trust, and allowing team members to learn from their mistakes. *How emotional intelligence enhances leadership and crisis management.*Writing a book as a tool for legacy, influence, and self-reflection. *Lessons learned for aspiring authors about storytelling, impact, and mentorship. *The importance of humility and recognizing the influence of others on personal success. *Exploring leadership through humor, honesty, and finding the good in people – inspired by Ronald Reagan.Send us Fan MailSupport the showRemember to subscribe for the next episode. Show Sponsor: ComingAlive PodcastProduction.com (Download your Podcast Launch Checklist for only $1 here)Music Credits: Copyright Free Music from Adventure by MusicbyAden.
What is the goal and assignment you have received from God? In this episode, Jeff and Chuck discuss: God can find you wherever you are, even if you aren't expecting it. Humbling and honestly handling struggles. Ministry outside of church employment. Beginning with moderation on business ministry. Key Takeaways: Your work matters to God. He can have an impact through you no matter what industry or sector you are in. You're not as smart as you think you are; you're not as dumb as you think you are, either. You don't treasure what you don't measure. How are you progressing God's Kingdom each day? Get good at what you're doing. It will help your business flourish and your generosity increase. "We say you don't treasure what you don't measure. We measure everything, and then we rely on God to show us how we can change and how we can evolve, how we can modify." — Chuck Welden Episode References: Pete Ochs: Creating a Vision of Who You Can Be Lead Like Jesus Revisited by Ken Blanchard, Phil Hodges, and Phyllis Hendry Your Work Matters to God by Doug Sherman and William Hendricks About Chuck Welden: Chuck Welden is a principal at WeldenField in Birmingham, Alabama, where he focuses on alternative investments and real estate opportunities, which include acquisition, development, and construction for multifamily, single-family, hotel, active adult, and land development. www.weldenfield.com Investing in Business as Mission Companies has been one of the focal points for alternative investments, with over 40 investments in a dozen countries. He, along with several others, created the Lion's Den, which is an annual “shark tank” like event for business as mission companies held in Birmingham each October. www.thelionsden.us These interactions continue to inform WeldenField as it looks for intersection points for integrating business and faith in its own business activities, including forming a Business as Mission Real Estate Fund focused on value-add opportunities in the Southeast. The Fund's goal is to achieve market-rate returns while having a strong social and spiritual impact with their residents and the surrounding community. Chuck and his wife, Lauren, reside in Birmingham, Alabama. They have four children and eleven grandchildren. Connect with Chuck Welden: Website: www.weldenfield.com Website: www.thelionsden.us Connect with Jeff Thomas: Website: https://www.arkosglobal.com/ Podcast: https://www.generousbusinessowner.com/ Book: https://www.arkosglobal.com/trading-up Email: jeff.thomas@arkosglobal.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArkosGlobalAdv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arkosglobal/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkosglobaladvisors Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkosglobaladvisors/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLUYpPwkHH7JrP6PrbHeBxw
Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we're joined by Hal Mayer, a coach and consultant who works with pastors and business leaders to help them grow healthy teams without burning out. With decades of ministry experience and a background in coaching, Hal brings actionable insights into one of the most common leadership challenges: how to move a team from passive compliance to active engagement. Are you carrying too much of the leadership load yourself? Feeling like you're the only one coming up with ideas or pushing things forward? In this conversation, Hal shares a simple but effective framework to help leaders shift from telling to asking—and unlock the potential of their teams. Why teams become disengaged. // One of the most common frustrations leaders express is that their team feels stagnant or unmotivated. Hal suggests this is often not a team problem but a leadership problem. When leaders consistently provide the answers, shut down ideas, or unintentionally reward passivity, team members learn that their input isn't needed. Over time, they stop contributing and simply comply. What appears as laziness is often the result of a system that has trained people not to engage. From answer-giver to question-asker. // Many leaders are promoted because they have strong ideas and can solve problems quickly. However, if they continue operating as the “answer person,” they eventually limit both their own capacity and the development of their team. Hal emphasizes that asking better questions is the key to unlocking engagement. Questions reveal what team members understand, help them think critically, and shift ownership of solutions back to them. When people help create the solution, their investment in execution increases dramatically. The Smart Ask framework. // Hal introduces a practical coaching framework called Smart Ask, designed to guide conversations that lead to action. The process begins broadly by asking, “What issues are you facing?” This allows team members to surface their own challenges and become more self-aware. From there, the leader helps narrow the focus by identifying one clear goal for the conversation—something the person can act on immediately. Next comes a pivotal question: “If you could try anything, what would you do?” This opens up creativity and removes internal barriers that might limit thinking. From there, the conversation moves toward selecting one idea, identifying potential roadblocks, and outlining specific next steps. By the end, the team member leaves with a clear, self-generated action plan. Why buy-in matters more than the idea. // Even a great idea will underperform if the person responsible for executing it isn't fully invested. Conversely, a slightly weaker idea can produce better results if the team member has full ownership and enthusiasm. Engagement drives execution. When leaders consistently choose their own ideas over their team's, they unintentionally lower buy-in and limit results. Coaching toward self-leadership. // Over time, consistently using questions develops leaders who can think and solve problems independently. Hal describes the ultimate goal as “self-coaching” where team members begin asking themselves the same questions and generating solutions without needing constant input. This not only reduces the leader's workload but also builds a stronger, more capable team. Balancing development and delegation. // Hal cautions that delegation is not the first step. Rather, it's the result of development. Leaders must invest time in coaching and guiding their team before handing off responsibility. Skipping this process leads to frustration and failure. However, when leaders take the time to develop people through intentional questions and feedback, they create a foundation for effective delegation and long-term growth. Recognizing true engagement. // Leaders can spot engagement by watching for energy, initiative, and ownership. Engaged team members proactively solve problems, follow through on ideas, and bring solutions rather than just concerns. In contrast, disengagement shows up as slow execution, repeated questions, or a lack of enthusiasm. These are signals that more coaching, and better questions, are needed. Leading with humility and transparency. // For leaders who recognize they've been over-directing, Hal encourages a simple starting point: acknowledge it. Telling your team, “I've been giving too many answers, and I want to change that,” creates trust and opens the door for a new dynamic. This kind of vulnerability invites feedback and helps reset expectations for how the team will function moving forward. To learn more about Hal Mayer and his resources—including Smart Ask and The Coaching Playbook—visit halmayer.com or find his books on Amazon. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: TouchPoint As your church reaches more people, one of the biggest challenges is making sure no one slips through the cracks along the way.TouchPoint Church Management Software is an all-in-one ecosystem built for churches that want to elevate discipleship by providing clear data, strong engagement tools, and dependable workflows that scale as you grow. TouchPoint is trusted by some of the fastest-growing and largest churches in the country because it helps teams stay aligned, understand who they're reaching, and make confident ministry decisions week after week. If you've been wondering whether your current system can carry your next season of growth, it may be time to explore what TouchPoint can do for you. You can evaluate TouchPoint during a free, no-pressure one-hour demo at TouchPointSoftware.com/demo. Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. So glad that you are tuned in to today’s episode. Man, we’ve got something super helpful for us. It’s one of these areas that many of us spend lots of time doing, but we maybe haven’t taken a step back and think thought about what do we do in coaching relationships? We all are involved in coaching staff and people on our teams. And today we want to help you with some practical steps to make that even better. Rich Birch — Excited to have Hal Mayer with us. He’s a coach and consultant for both businesses and business leaders and pastors who want to grow but don’t want to burn out. He’s authored a few books, including “Smart Ask”, “The Coaching Playbook”, and excited to have Hal on the episode today. Welcome. So glad you’re here.Hal Mayer — It’s good to be here, Rich. I’ve been a fan on the sidelines for years, and unSeminary was so good because I did the seminary thing, and I did all the stuff, and you’re right. There’s so many things we didn’t talk about there that you help us prepare for, so thank you for what you’re doing.Rich Birch — Oh, that’s super exciting. That’s kind of you to say, but I'm I’m really looking forward to today’s conversation. It’s been a while coming and so excited. We bumped into each other at the Exponential conference this year.Hal Mayer — Yeah.Rich Birch — Shout out to Exponential. I was like, we got to get you on. So excited that you’re here today. Well, why don’t we kind of start. Give us kind of the Hal background. Tell us for folks that don’t know, you know, you give us the kind of the 90 second, this is who Hal is conversation.Hal Mayer — Yeah, I, ah goodness, was born up north, came to faith in Georgia in high school. We moved down there, played basketball in college, and then coached for about five years. Married Sandy, moved off to seminary, finished that up, and I’ve been in Florida since ’84, serving in churches from the size of 200 to 12,000. Rich Birch — Love it. Hal Mayer — So all over the yard, and also do some business coaching in the middle of that.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so good. Yeah. And I’m, I really, that’s really what I want to tap in today. You spend your days coaching both pastors and businesses leaders, like we talked about that. Rich Birch — When, when someone first sits down with you, I want to kind of use the fact that you have a lot of these conversations today to help our listeners kind of take advantage of you. When someone first sits down with you, what’s like a common version of stuck that you hear, whether it’s a pastor or maybe a business leader, like do you hear common themes with folks.Hal Mayer — Yeah, you know, probably the most common thing I hear is our team’s stuck, our team’s stagnant. And I’ll say, what do you mean by that? And they’ll often say something that relates to this of, I have to come up with all the ideas. It seems like I’m the only one pushing the team to get going. I’m the only one with the ideas. They just seem often lazy, or they’re not doing it. What do I do to engage them?Rich Birch — Right. Love that. Well, man, I wish I hadn’t thought that. I haven’t thought that as a leader over the years. What what, so then take us the next step from there. What what, as you’re kind of coaching someone, I’m assuming as a leader, you know, I, or one of my convictions is our teams are a by-product of our leadership… Hal Mayer — Yeah. Rich Birch — …and we’re leading in a way that’s leading them to act that way. So what what leads our people to be like that?Hal Mayer — Yeah, I think it’s the leader. And that’s the fun thing to do. As a parent, I loved watching my kids do something that was dumb, but they repeated it, and it’s because it was rewarded.Hal Mayer — So I watch team members disengage because they come up with an idea and it gets shot down. Or they ask everybody in the room the idea and it’s only the leader’s idea they go with. And when that happens, they they kind of go, well, I guess we’re just here to hear his ideas. And they start pulling back and not engaging and just being compliant.Rich Birch — Interesting. I remember years ago we had a coach in who said who said to us, this is when I was on the senior leadership team of a fairly large church, fast growing. We were like four or 5,000 people at the time. And he spent a bunch of time with our ah you know with our team, with us.Rich Birch — And ah he looked at us and he said, listen, you guys answer way too many questions. You need to be asking more questions than answering questions.Rich Birch — And that was a pivotal you know changing moment for me as a leader. I was like, oh, Oh my word, that is so true. Talk us through that dynamic of, you know, asking the right questions versus always being the answer man or the answer person.Hal Mayer — You know, we usually get promoted because we did the job well or we have the answers. If we continue in that framework, one day we will run out of the answers, but let’s say we’re in that framework. I’m not developing anybody if it’s only my ideas we’re using. And if we’re only using my ideas, they’ve got ideas, but they’re dying. So what I encourage and push guys to do is exactly what you said, ask questions. Hal Mayer — I mean, questions will do a couple things. One, it will tell me what they understand. I mean, do they really understand the problem? I say, tell me what’s going on. Okay. What do you see here? And all that. It tells me, do they understand the problem? And I may have to probe some more, but I want them solving things that I find out about later. And to do that, I’ve got to lead different. Hal Mayer — For me, we were in a fast growing church in South Florida. And I was the answer man. And what I realized was I’m working harder and harder and I’m not developing people. So I started stepping back and then learning this principle and started asking questions, looking for their engagement. Here’s what I found. When they had the answer or they got to do what they wanted to do, their engagement went way up.Hal Mayer — So for me, not only did it go up, they began to develop. And I’ve had somebody say, well, I don’t have time to develop people. He said, in fact, if I develop them, they’ll just leave me. I say, yeah, yeah you know, it’s worse is if you don’t develop them, they stay, right? Right.Rich Birch — Right. Exactly.Hal Mayer — So I found this to be a tool for development: asking questions.Rich Birch — Okay, that’s cool. I, like talk to me more about engagement. What would be some telltale signs for you of like someone who’s really engaged, fully engaged versus, you know, when your team isn’t as engaged? Because maybe we’re having a hard time even discerning what that looks like.Hal Mayer — Yeah, I I mean, if they’re slow walking the solve that we came up with, if there’s no passion around it, if there’s no energy going in it, and I find myself even answering the same question over and over, I’m realizing more and more, I don’t have engagement. I’ve got compliance. And I really want them engaged and dialing in to what we’re doing. And to get that, I’m going to have to get them on the same page.Rich Birch — Well, and then obviously questions are at at a core of this. And a part of what I love about your resource, “The Smart Ask” or just “Smart Ask” is this framework, it’s it’s, you know, it’s simple… Hal Mayer — Yes. Rich Birch — …but powerful. So why don’t you kind of talk us through the Smart Ask framework? What’s kind of the basic arc that you try to walk someone through?Hal Mayer — Very good.Rich Birch — Coach us through that. Talk us through what that looks like.Hal Mayer — I start very broad and I’ll say, and by the way, I take notes, but at the end I give them the notes and I’ll explain that in a minute. Rich Birch — Okay.Hal Mayer — So I'll I’ll ask permission, can I take some notes? And they’ll say, sure. And I say, I’m going to give them to you. But our first question is, what are the issues you’re facing right now? And let them just elevate them out. Let them say everything they want to say, every problem they’ve got.Hal Mayer — And then I’d say looking at these problems, is what’s one goal that we could have for our time today? Now, what that does is it focuses it on a goal and what they’re going to do, not on me. It can’t be, how could you find me 10 more leaders? That’s not something we can do in that meeting.Rich Birch — Right.Hal Mayer — So I want a goal from them, something they can do when they leave the meeting. And so they say, you know what? I want to face this volunteer engagement. In fact, I use the illustration from the book about a preschool lady who said, I need 30 more volunteers to serve in preschool. And I said, well, I can’t get that for you now. So her goal was come up with an idea that I could engage 30 more people. And then I’d go with this.Hal Mayer — Okay. If you could do anything, what would you try? Yeah. And of course, the first, she says, anything? She said, yeah. She said, I’ll pay them $1,000 a piece. I said, okay.Rich Birch — Right.Hal Mayer — And I just write it down to go ahead and get that out and get them moving on to the next thing. Rich Birch — Right. Hal Mayer — And they run through things. And I listen, I’ve got to be careful not to go, oh, that’s a really good one. But let them talk about it. And as they get through, if I’ve got something at the end, I mean, as they’re going, I’ll go, anything else you could try? Anything else you could try? And you feel like you’re asking that too much, but what you’re doing is just unpacking all of it. If I’ve got an idea, I can add that in, but I don’t give any passion to it because I don’t want to control.Hal Mayer — Then I’ll say, now look at these. Which one of these ideas would you like to explore further? And they’ll look, and this lady said, I want to explore the one about a lemonade stand in the lobby, which I thought was a dumb idea. I didn’t tell her that, but I thought, aaaah.Rich Birch — Right.Hal Mayer — So then I said, okay, what potential roadblocks? Well, I’ve got to talk to leadership. Okay, what else? And they talk about that. And any detours?Hal Mayer — Well, if this happens, we’re walking through solving the problem before it approaches, right? And then the last thing I said, okay, if you’re going to do this, what will it look like? And we list out six or eight things. And I say, okay, let me know like it goes. And hand her the paper. In this case, I said, hey, listen, let me know on Instagram how it went. Rich Birch — Oh, nice.Hal Mayer — So the next week she picked up 40 new workers. And this was a very large church. Rich Birch — Wow.Hal Mayer — She picked up 40 workers with this idea, because it was hers. And to me, it was crazy. It worked. Hal Mayer — But so the the framework is you’re starting broad and you’re narrowing down. And I’m actually getting a set of to-dos and objectives. One, two, three, four, five. Then I hand them that. They’ve got their plan. All going to do is execute it. And they develop it when I’m asking them questions. Rich Birch — Yeah, I love that. Hal Mayer — Now, let me tell one of the advantages of that too.Rich Birch — Yeah.Hal Mayer — If I use that enough with them, there’s going to be a time when they come to me and say, and want to talk to me and I’m not available. They’ll say, well all he was going to do is ask questions. Rich Birch — Right.Hal Mayer — And they start going through the questions and they start self-coaching is what they do. And that’s the end game. That’s what I want. And by the way, when I use questions with people, I explain to them what I just did. So they can then take it and use it somewhere else.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s cool. I’d love to start right back at the beginning. Hal Mayer — Sure.Rich Birch — I love this idea of really starting at a wide open. Hey, what challenges are you facing today? I think too often if we’re, I’m thinking in kind of the one-on-one situation, maybe I’m an executive pastor at a church of 1,500. One of my people comes to me and I go to that conversation, and I’ve got five things I want to talk to them about. Hal Mayer — Right. Rich Birch — But I love, you know, starting with what challenges are you facing? What happens if we skip that with people? If we if we don’t start there, I’m sure we get, you know, we end up in all kinds of bad places. Talk us through why you encourage people to start with that question.Hal Mayer — Especially early on when you’re coaching folks, because as they go later, they’ll kind of work through that, no, that’s the framework I’m going to work with. And they’ll come up with their biggest issue. But the reason I do that, I want to show this value to everything they’re facing. And I want them to elevate it, not me tell them what they’re doing, so they become more self-aware.Hal Mayer — Now, if they don’t list one of the things I see as an issue, I may say, and what about this? Is this an issue for you? Oh, yeah, that too. I just don’t want to put a lot of passion on it because then they’ll do what I want. And I want them to do something they’re passionate about because the framework just means I’m going to get more from it.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s cool. That that’s a key lesson. I think particularly for first-time managers or people who haven’t managed a lot of people before, we don’t realize the weight of our voice, right? Hal Mayer — Right.Rich Birch — If we, you know, even by saying like, oh yeah, you’re right. That’s a good idea. Then all of a sudden they’re running with that idea just because you indicated it. That’s an interesting thing. That’s interesting. Rich Birch — Now one of the, I mean, you kind of pulled it apart, but I would love to double click on it there. To me, as I go through your framework, I can imagine, that, hey, “what if you could try anything” is a is a pivotal moment, is kind of a turning point, it is an important question. Why is that and so important? Maybe give us another example. I love the idea when you talked through with the lemonade stand, but talk us through why that’s so important and what does that unlock as we’re interacting with our teams and people?Hal Mayer — That’s a great question because what will happen there is if we don’t ask that question, ah it’s “what if you could try anything”, they may be in the back of their mind have something they go I can’t try that. So they keep trying to think somewhere else. Just get it out on paper.Hal Mayer — It’s like when I feel stressed or something, I just list everything that I’m dealing with and then I can focus on one thing.Hal Mayer — But I allow them to get it all out at that point of trying this and trying that. And usually what will happen is they’ll come up with six or seven ideas. And I say, “and what else” a lot? And it seems like I’m saying a lot, but is when they’re in the zone, they’re answering, well, could try this. Well, could try that. I could try this. And then I find which one they have the most energy around because that’s what they want to do.Rich Birch — Yeah. And obviously you would, you observe that, that energy and you’re like, Hey, it seems like this one, tell me more about that.Hal Mayer — No, no I don’t I don’t do that.Rich Birch — Oh okay. Okay. Talk to me about that.Hal Mayer — What I do is I say, okay, which one of these seven things would you like to try?Rich Birch — Okay.Hal Mayer — Once they identify it, then I say, okay, tell me more about that. What would that look… Why do you want to try? And and then we dive into that.Rich Birch — Okay. One of the things that this strikes me, and this, when I read, again, friends, you should pick up a copy of of this book and there’s a playbook as well I want to talk about. But but I think this could be ah a huge gift for…Just this week, two days ago, I was talking to somebody who, they asked me, they said, hey, what should I be doing in my one-on-ones? I’ve got these staff, what should I be doing with them? And I thought of this framework. Rich Birch — So I think the part of what I love that you’re driving towards is is buy-in. At least my, my my impression as an outsider looking in is that this would really increase the buy-in of my staff. Talk me through, you know, the connection there between buy-in and moving the organization forward and that sort of thing. What, how does that help us think through those issues? Hal Mayer — Yeah. I’m going to bring up the equation I use in the book, the buy-in equation, or the engagement question, whatever that is. I was a math teacher in a former life. So PBI, possible value of an idea, times BI, the buy-in, equals their ROI.Hal Mayer — Now, let’s say, you know, we’ve we’re we’ve got, you’re my boss and I’m doing student ministry and you have an idea because you did student ministry and all that. Your idea out of one 10, it’s going to at least be a nine. I mean, you’re Rich Birch. I mean, you have all the answers.Hal Mayer — Now me doing it, I don’t get any input on it. So I will comply. I will do it, but my buy-in is probably going to be about a three. I’ll do what you ask, but there’s not going be a passion with it. So 3 times your 9 idea is a 27. Hal Mayer — However, let’s say I come up with an idea and it’s not going as good as yours. In fact, it’s a only two thirds as good as yours. It’s a 6, but what’s my buying going to be if it’s my idea? It’s a 10.Rich Birch — A lot higher. Yeah.Hal Mayer — That’s a 60. So there’s a 60 ROI to my buy-in because of my buy-in as opposed to a 27. Now you had the better idea, but buy-in is what gets it done. We’ve seen that over and over again. When people are bought in on something, they often they’ll make a bad idea work. We’ve seen that.Hal Mayer — So for me, that’s what I want. I want full engagement. And when they know that they get to do their ideas, people are much more engaged than they’re running around doing mine. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so true. As a coach, somebody who obviously I coach people full time now and and that is you’ve you’ve named something there that I think is critically important and that oftentimes like I can’t coach people who don’t want to be coached.Hal Mayer — Right.Rich Birch — Right? Like if they’re not bought in, if they don’t think this will help. And, you know, I’ve said in other contexts, I’ve been like, man, the the leaders who who apply the frameworks we’re talking about are seeing great results. And those that are applying, the majority of them are seeing, but a lot of it is just their own buy-in on these issues. Hal Mayer — Right.Rich Birch — There might be a leader that’s listening in today that’s like, okay, this all sounds good, but like, what if my people just have bad ideas? Like, and if, if it’s going to push us in the wrong direction, like it’s one thing to be like, tell me seven ideas. All seven of those are crappy and they’re going to, we’re going to end up somewhere where I don’t want us to end up as it. How do I steer somebody back towards better direction?Hal Mayer — Yeah. One the things before I give people full leash or full run on something is I want to check out their readiness for it. For example, if I want to do brain surgery, I may be excited. I may have done AI search on it and Claude said, do it this way and all that. But I’m not ready for that. It wouldn’t take but a second to find that out. I found that out in high school. I went, so I worked at a gas station where they actually worked on cars too. And I saw a guy fixing the valve. So I went home and took my 1960s Comet and tightened the valves down and ended up having to get a valve job. Hal Mayer — I was excited. I was passionate, but I wasn’t ready. So if you don’t have people who are ready, you cannot hand it off to them. They must be developed some. They’ve got to have some experience. To hire somebody in fresh who’s never done it before and start leading with questions is like leading me with questions in how to operate. I wouldn’t have a clue. I’d be most excited about cutting. No, stop.Hal Mayer — However, questions also help draw focus. And sometimes the reason they don’t have ideas, is we haven’t focused them.Hal Mayer — I learned this with a physical metaphor. Somebody told me it would work. My son, pretty good basketball player. I had him out driveway. I said, son, see how many shots you can make out of 10? And so what that basically did was put a little pressure on, right? And he’s a good, so he shot four out of 10 from the three point line.Hal Mayer — I said, okay, let’s forget about how many you’re making and just shoot and answer my questions. I said, okay, what do you notice? All right, what do you notice about the ball? What do you notice about the ball? He hit 10 in a row. And what I discovered was, you know, you college athletes who will shoot seven out of 10 in a game, but in practice hit 20 in a row. It’s the fog of war or whatever.Hal Mayer — And so with employees, sometimes we haven’t asked enough questions. to get through that. However, we could also have some people who aren’t ready to lead. It’s not fair to expect them to come up with good ideas. They haven’t done anything. So both edges on that. Hal Mayer — And at the end of the day, all of the employees I have are my fault. And if I haven’t developed them, that’s on me, right?Rich Birch — Right. Yeah, that’s good. Talk to me about, so I feel like there are, lead there’s leaders on our teams or there’s people that are listening in today that think they’ve got buy-in, but they really actually don’t. They think their teams are really with them, but they don’t. How, what advice could you give us to try to spot the difference around buy-in that’s not actually there? Like I keep kind of bumping into this wall. How can, how can we spot that?Hal Mayer — You know I look for people who are solving problems. Are they solving them and telling me about it later? Are they coming to me with every problem? Because that means I’m still solving. Buy-in has to do with the passion and the ability to finish something. It doesn’t mean you work until 9 o’clock every night, but it does mean you manage to get the ball across the line.Hal Mayer — So when I watch a lack of energy around an idea or somebody slow walking it. Or maybe somebody asking questions that really aren’t, that are just curmudgeon questions. They’re asking questions just to find every hole that’s wrong. I mean, everything that you can find, well, suppose that doesn’t work. Suppose… That’s not buy-in because for me, my challenge is always, don’t tell me what won’t work or tell me what’s not working. Give me an idea of what we might try. At least then we’re thinking in solutions and not just problems.Rich Birch — That’s good. That’s really good. So a big part of scaling any organization, a growing church, a growing business is delegation, is leaders figuring out how to give away things they’re doing. I’ve said this in so many contexts, you know, roll this clock forward. The majority of what you’re doing, we need to figure out how to give to someone else… Hal Mayer — Right. Rich Birch — …how to empower a volunteer or another staff member to pick that up. How does asking better questions change the way we hand off responsibility to other people? How how does it help in that transaction?Hal Mayer — You know, I'm a big fan of Ken Blanchard and the book “Situational Leadership”.Hal Mayer — And I used to train that with a corporation. And one of the things I watch is people like to start people and like to delegate. But when they leave off the coaching in between, it’s not delegation, it’s abdication. And people fail. Hal Mayer — I go, what’s wrong? They said they understood. Well, you stay engaged. I mean, you give them a task. You stay engaged. You’re asking questions. Soon, you’re no longer asking questions to to help them figure out what to do. You’re just asking questions to draw focus. And then you know they’re ready. You can hand it off to them. Hal Mayer — But you’re right. If we’re not finding a way to delegate, but delegation is not the first step nor the second. It’s more like the fourth, right? You watch me. We do it together. I watch you. You’re doing it. However you want to call that. But it takes more engagement. Hal Mayer — People say, well I don’t have time for that. Well, here’s the deal. You can pay me now or you’ll pay me later. But you’re going to pay me. If you’re if you’re not developing people, you’re going to run into a system where you’ve got a bunch of people who don’t know how to think and do. And that’s on you.Rich Birch — True. Yeah, that’s so true. And if we don’t start that process, hey, you watch me, we do together. And if we don’t start that process today, we’ll never get there. And so it takes time. But we’ve got to, you know, that’s, that’s what it we just constantly have to repeat that over and over and over in our areas. I love that. So let’s talk more specifically about the books specifically. So it’s “Smart Ask: Questions that lead your team to win.” Where can we pick up copies of this? If people are looking, because I think this is not a huge book. It’s, you know, if you’re watching on video, it’s just a little thin one, but it’s got, it’s one of these ones. It’s a quick read. You could literally give it to a team member and say, hey, let’s read through this. And then we’re going to talk about it next week. I’d love to get your thoughts on it. But talk to us kind of, when why did you put this together in a book form?Hal Mayer — Well, I was training it and people kept asking me questions. And the only reason I write books is to stop answering all the questions I get asked, right? Is to put it out there. I mean, Seth Godin’s idea of a long tail, right? I want it to last when when I put a book out there.Hal Mayer — So “Smart Ask” is on Amazon, but it was created for the purpose to to help people, after I’ve used it in coaching, to be able to take it then and train their teams. Because it dives in also to the why it works and and such as that. But you’re right, intentionally a short book because I like short books and there you go.Rich Birch — Well, and we all, you know, I can say this as an author, that we’re tempted when we write to be like, well, I’m just going to stuff a bunch of other stuff in there.Rich Birch — But this is, it’s to the point, it’s it’s focused, it’s a great training material, I think, like you say, for you know for our entire team.Hal Mayer — Right.Rich Birch — But then you also put together a playbook. Talk us through how this is different than just the standard book.Hal Mayer — Well, my daughter-in-law, Chrissy, Chrissy Mayer, married to my son. She’s a pastor over to church in Tampa, Grace Family Church. And she said, why don’t you create a handbook for it? And you know what I said? Why don’t you do that?Rich Birch — That sounds like a great idea for you.Hal Mayer — So I said, that sounds like great idea. Once you create the framework, I’ll get it published on. So she did the work and we got together and we put it there. And the reason for it is you can take your coaching conversation, it has all the questions in it. It’s got lines you can write answers. And it gives you a chance to keep up. And I would probably take a picture and send the person they’re the the answers they gave to the questions or whatever like that. It just helps you stay on track. So you’ve got all the questions right there.Rich Birch — And yeah, talk us through the the handing off of the notes back to someone. I think that’s a great move. Hal Mayer — Yeah.Rich Birch — Talk us through why that’s important. Why is that such a critical piece of the puzzle?Hal Mayer — Well people are so used to us building files on them. And you’re going to put that in my file to show that I didn’t know what to do? And so I asked for permission on the front end to take notes. Now, if I’m the boss, I’ll do take notes if I want to. But I I won’t and I won’t if they say no, though. So I’m I’m really giving it to them. And I tell them, I’m going to give you these at the end because I don’t want them taking notes. I want them talking. I want their full engagement with me. And you can’t get that while they’re writing.Rich Birch — That’s good.Hal Mayer — So I said, you just pay attention to me. I’ll take the notes and I’ll give you them at the end. Then you hand them at the end and they’ve got their execution plan.Hal Mayer — So my meeting with them, usually it’s a 30-minute meeting and land with an execution plan that gets handed to them and they go back and do the work. So it pulls them into full engagement. They’re not getting distracted by trying to write down everything or slow play that way. So I’m taking notes again, putting value to them. Hal Mayer — When when they’re the hero, right, and I’m the guide, what I’m doing is is setting them up. And when you take notes on somebody, that means something to them. Rich Birch — Right, right. Hal Mayer — So that’s where I am. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s cool. Now, what about, so one of the tensions I have found in my one-on-ones is wanna make sure that I’m doing all the other stuff: caring for them, you know releasing, you know I guess, finding barriers that that I can pull apart for them and say like, hey, here’s some stuff. Yeah, I’m gonna take some to…Hal Mayer — Right.Rich Birch — And I’ve said to my team in the past, hey, I’m hoping that you don’t walk away from this with a bunch of to-dos. That’s not the the goal of today. I want to help you. And I know you got a lot going on. I don’t want to just dump on you today. And so how do you avoid that in this framework that we don’t end up with? Okay. Every time they meet with Hal, now I’ve just ended up with a plan that I just, gosh, I just gave myself more work to do. How do you, how do you, do you understand that tension?Hal Mayer — Yeah, I don’t do this every meeting with them.Rich Birch — Okay.Hal Mayer — The meetings on there. And I, you know, I’ll check in. How are you doing? One the things I i really want to pay attention to is the emotional, soul, health of the individual.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Hal Mayer — Because we’ve got people facing burnout today. So I’ll ask them, you know, tell me on a scale of one to 10, what are you feeling? You feel like you want a 1 being I want to go home and go to bed, a 10 being let’s charge hell with water pistols. Right, that gives me a framework. The number doesn’t really matter. I just compare it each time to see if they’re tanking.Hal Mayer — The second thing I’ll ask for is give me a win in your private life, in your home.Rich Birch — That’s good.Hal Mayer — Give me a win in your ah ah ministry side because I want to get them on the positive run. And then I’ll say, anything you need from me. And this may be 15-minute meeting. But what it is is I’m checking in on them. If I have something I need them to do, sure, I can tell them. But I’m checking in on them, and ah that gives them value, right?Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Yeah, that’s really good. That’s good. I love there’s, friends, as you’re listening and you can tell Hal’s done this a few times. And so, you know, it’s been such a great conversation for you. So if if I’m a church leader listening in today and I feel like, man, I’m doing way too much telling and not enough asking, where would I, and and maybe even my team has told me this.Hal Mayer — Yeah.Rich Birch — Where do I start? How do I start to shift that dynamic with my people? Because because you you you kind of set this up at the beginning of like the teams that are passively disengaged, they’re just waiting for for you to give the list of, okay, go do these 12 things and then come back. How do I shift that dynamic? Where do I start? If i if my analysis is, I think that I’ve actually done that to my team, ah where would we start?Hal Mayer — If I’m convinced of that, I start at this place and I’ve done this before. Guys, you know what? I’ve been running our meetings and coming up with the answers and that’s not fair. So what I want to do is pull back more and get your engagement. So I’m going to be asking questions. I need your engagement in this meeting and your ideas coming. And in fact, if you see me over talking, catch me one-on-one afterwards and give me some feedback because I’m open up the feedback loop then, right?Hal Mayer — But I will do some self-disclosure and just own it because here’s what I do know. If you don’t own it, they won’t recognize the difference later. For example, if I tell somebody, you know what, I’m going to work on asking more questions. Six months they go, wow, you’re asking more questions. If I don’t tell them, they’ll never at they’ll never notice. Sometimes you have to highlight it. Hey, I’m going to stop being the guy trying to be the smartest man in the room, and I’m going to do this.Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah.Hal Mayer — People get, vulnerability from a leader is a great thing, right? Own their stuff, but come up with some resources ah to help them, so so you’re asking more questions.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. I like that. I like i think that’s a keen insight, that not just like shifting the behavior, but actually pointing to it like, hey, as a person, I’m changing. And the implicit, the great kind of ninja move you’re doing there is like, and therefore I need you to change because, you know, what?Hal Mayer — Right. Right.Rich Birch — I’m changing because I don’t think this is working. Implicit in that is I don’t think our relationship is structured correctly and we need to figure out a different way to do that. You don’t even need to necessarily say that. But but flagging that, hey, I need to change my approach, I think is a really smart move for sure. That’s you know that’s fantastic. Rich Birch — Well, as we’re coming down to land today’s episode, any kind of final words around this idea of asking, leading with questions rather than being the answer person all the time?Hal Mayer — Yeah, this model doesn’t mean you don’t ask offer suggestions. This model doesn’t mean you couldn’t collaborate to build it. It just means you can’t be the person always having the answer.Hal Mayer — And it’s engaging other people. And the thing you will find for me that I have found, when I truly am asking them for their ideas and we execute on their ideas, they’ll come back later and say, you know, I thought that was one of those conferences you went to that said ask questions.Hal Mayer — But you actually did execute on what we talked about. Then they’re more engaged because everybody wants has ideas and wants to be heard and wants to be a part. I think people are motivated. They’re just not motivated when we take over a meeting and and run everything, right? There’s an intrinsic motivation. There’s there’s something they want to do. They’re in ministry, not because they’re just wanting to plow through. They want to see a difference. Well, they’re in the business cycle.Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah, that’s very true. And I think that’s a good reminder for us. I think sometimes we can get caught in the weeds of running Church World and we forget that like all these people have chosen to be here. They could be doing something else. Hal Mayer — Right.Rich Birch — And how do we bring the best out of them? And how do we, you’ve encouraged me to thinking about long term the long-term win, that really engagement, even if we have to walk through a couple of things that maybe are not the best, because… But if I can get engagement up with my team, man, that’s way better place than like, sure, we have the, it’s the, you know, it’s that perfect plan that’s poorly executed. We want to avoid that, you know, even an imperfect plan. But if it’s got tons of engagement behind it, man, there’s some gold there that we need to think more clearly about. That’s good. Love it. Hal Mayer — Yep.Rich Birch — Well, I want to send people to Amazon to pick up both of these. I think it’d be great. I really do think this could be the kind of book you could build a staff training around it, friends, really easily. You’ve got 15 staff. You could buy 15 copies of this and say, hey, you’re going to read this. And then we’re going to come to our you know team meeting in two months or whatever in a month. And we’re going to work through how do we ask better questions in our our training. That’s how it sticks out to me. Anywhere else we want to send people online to connect with you or to pick up copies of the book?Hal Mayer — You can catch my web website at halmayer.com. They can email me at hal@halmayer.com or I’m on the socials just as Hal Mayer. I, my son is Hal Mayer also, but I beat him to all of them. So I’m Hal Mayer on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn. It’s just /halmayer. So I win there.Rich Birch — Nice. Really appreciate you, Hal. You’re a good friend of leaders and I appreciate you being on today. Thanks for being here.Hal Mayer — Thanks, man. It’s been an honor.
Frank Carbajal grew up the son of Mexican migrant farmworkers in California's Imperial Valley, where summer temperatures hit 115 degrees and his mother worked the fields through her third trimester. Today he's the founder and president of Es Tiempo LLC, a co-author of three books on Latino leadership, founder of the Silicon Valley Latino Leadership Summit at Stanford University, and a former keynote speaker in Ken Blanchard's network. In this conversation with Simma, Frank talks about what it actually means to be Latino in America today — and why that word doesn't fit everyone who could claim it. He breaks down the Bracero Program that brought his parents to the U.S., the "101 Infrastructure Divide" that shows how Latino hands built Silicon Valley while Latino representation in tech sits in the single digits, and why his mother told him being bilingual is a superpower. This is a conversation about immigration, identity, family, and what it takes to move from picking fruit in the fields to standing in front of executive boardrooms — without ever forgetting where you came from. What You'll Learn What the Bracero Program was, and how it shaped Mexican American families in California for generations Why "Latino" is not one identity — and how to talk to people about their background without making assumptions The real numbers behind Latino representation in education, the corporate boardroom, and venture capital How to start a conversation across race and culture without getting yourself into trouble Why being bilingual is a competitive advantage, not something to hide What "the 101 Infrastructure Divide" means and why it matters for anyone working in or with the tech industry How to spot the difference between performative diversity and actual connection Key Takeaways Latinos are not a monolith. There are 20 Latin American countries, multiple generations of Latino Americans, and people who identify as Latino, Latina, Chicano, Mexican American, American, or simply as a leader — and all of those answers are valid. The hands that built Silicon Valley are not the hands sitting in its boardrooms. Latino representation in tech leadership and venture capital is still in the low single digits despite Latinos making up over 40% of California's population. Conversations across race work when you start with what's in front of you — food, art, family, a shared interest — not with politics or assumptions. Bilingualism is a superpower. So is resilience. Frank's parents had third- and fourth-grade educations and built a life for their children through nothing but hard work. Leadership, not identity politics, is the through-line that travels across borders, languages, and generations. Timestamps [00:00] — Simma's opening: why this podcast exists for anyone who wants to talk across race but is afraid of saying the wrong thing [02:30] — Meet Frank Carbajal: Es Tiempo LLC, Silicon Valley Latino Leadership Summit, two published books, and the award he's most proud of (hint: it's not the corporate one) [05:00] — What legacy means in a Latino family [07:00] — The elephant in the room: why race conversations are crucial conversations, and what "healthy conversation" actually looks like [09:00] — The numbers don't lie: 65 million Latinos in the U.S., but only 1–2% of PhDs, 1.5% of CEOs and board members, and less than 2% of venture capital [11:00] — What is the Latino community, really? Why "Latino" doesn't fit everyone — and why some people say "Just call me a leader" [14:00] — The Bracero Program explained: Frank's parents, migrant farmworkers, and the pathway that shaped a generation of Mexican American families [17:00] — Born on Juneteenth in 115-degree heat: Frank's mother worked the fields through her third trimester and almost died giving birth to him [19:00] — The 101 Infrastructure Divide: how Latino hands built Silicon Valley's buildings by hand — including NVIDIA's $4.9 trillion headquarters — while Latino representation in tech stays in the single digits [22:00] — When Simma brought a Spanish-speaking facilitator to a workshop, and her class hated him. Why language alone is not connection. [25:00] — Frank's mother's wisdom on sangrón: how she could spot arrogance instantly, and why she'd rather work with a humble white person who spoke Spanish than an arrogant Latino with a sense of entitlement [28:00] — Bilingual is a superpower: Frank's parents told him to never be embarrassed, and why he tells his own daughters the same thing [30:00] — "Wow, you speak without an accent" — the microaggression Latino professionals know too well, and how Frank handles it [32:00] — Afro-Latinos, Caribbean Latinos, Mexican Americans, Chicanos, Latinos of European descent: why the Latino community is not a monolith, and the language families use to describe all the shades within it [35:00] — Frank's Brazilian soccer coach who was Afro-Latino, spoke three languages, and taught a 10-year-old Frank what unity actually looks like on a team [37:00] — How to have a conversation across difference without stepping on a landmine: Frank's mentor's advice about reading the room — start with the Frida Kahlo painting on the wall, not politics [40:00] — Simma and Frank agree: food and stories are how you build a bridge. Why curiosity beats tiptoeing every time. Guest Bio Frank Carbajal is the founder and president of Es Tiempo LLC, a leadership development and keynote speaking firm. He is the founder of the Silicon Valley Latino Leadership Summit, held at Stanford University, which brings top Latino thought leaders together from across the country. He is co-author of Building the Latino Future: Success Stories for the Next Generation (with a foreword by management guru Ken Blanchard) and co-author of El Futuro Latino, published in 14 Latin American countries. He was part of Ken Blanchard's keynote speaker network and works with CEOs, executives, managers, and small business owners on leadership development. Frank received the 2013 Father of the Year Award from Building Peaceful Families and the 2013 Portraits of Success Award from the Hispanic Development Corporation. He serves on the advocacy committee for the Silicon Valley Education Foundation. He is the son of Mexican immigrants, the husband of a Salvadoran American wife, and the father of three daughters. Connect with Frank Carbajal Email: frank@estiempo.com LinkedIn: Search Frank Carbajal (C-A-R-B-A-J-A-L) Company: Es Tiempo LLC Click here to DONATE and support our podcast All donations are tax deductible through Fractured Atlas. Simma Lieberman, The Inclusionist, helps leaders create inclusive cultures. She is a consultant, speaker, and facilitator. Simma is the creator and host of the podcast, Everyday Conversations on Race. Contact Simma@SimmaLieberman.com to get more information, book her as a speaker for your next event, help you become a more inclusive leader, or facilitate dialogues across differences. Go to www.simmalieberman.com and www.raceconvo.com for more information Simma is a member of and inspired by the global organization IAC (Inclusion Allies Coalition) Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Twitter LinkedIn Tiktok Website Previous Episodes Dr. Gina Paige on African Ancestry: How DNA Reconnects Black Americans to Their African Roots From Black Panther to Corporate America: Elmer Dixon on Race, Revolution, and Why DEI Is Not Dead Why We Can't Stop Talking About Race: A Conversation with Carole Copeland Thomas Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating
I'm excited to revisit this conversation with Claire Diaz-Ortiz discussing her book, One Minute Mentoring, co-authored with legendary leadership expert Ken Blanchard. Claire is a keynote speaker, author, and former head of social innovation at Twitter who helps individuals and organizations build more intentional, meaningful connections — and this conversation is one of the most practical we've had on the show when it comes to how relationships actually help us grow.In this conversation, we cover:Mentoring vs. Everything Else: Claire breaks down how mentoring differs from coaching, consulting, masterminds, and accountability groups — and why the holistic, mutual nature of a true mentoring partnership is what sets it apart.How to Find the Right Mentor: She walks through the practical first steps for identifying the type of mentoring relationship you need in this season of life, and why leading with essence over form is the key to getting it right.The MENTOR Formula: Claire shares the six-step framework from the book — Mission, Engagement, Networking, Trust, Opportunity, and Review — that gives any mentoring partnership a clear structure without making it feel clinical.The Mentoring Mission Statement: Why putting a simple, shared mission statement in place at the start of a mentoring relationship can save you both from the most common reason these partnerships quietly fall apart.Mentoring Moments and Low-Stakes Entry Points: For anyone not ready to commit to a full mentoring relationship, Claire offers a practical way to start small — and how those smaller moments can open the door to something much more meaningful.If you've ever wondered whether you're the type of person who should have a mentor — or whether you have what it takes to be one — this conversation will answer both questions and give you a clear next step. Learn more about Claire and her work at ClaireDiazOrtiz.com, and find One Minute Mentoring wherever books are sold.Connect with Erik:LinkedInThreadsFacebookBlueskyThis Podcast is Powered By:Brain.fm - 20% off your first monthDescriptDescript 101CastmagicEcammPodpageRodecaster ProMake sure to grab Shortcasts from Beyond The To-Do List by Blinkist. A Shortcast is a 7-10 min version of a podcast where you get the core takeaways. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
¿Un líder nace o se construye? En este episodio vas a descubrir las señales reales que separan a alguien que inspira… de alguien que solo aparenta. Hablamos de confianza, coherencia, ego y decisiones que definen tu impacto en otros. Si querés liderar mejor (o dejar de seguir a quien no suma) este episodio te va a hacer replantear todo.00:00 Comienzo 00:46 ¿Quién fue tu primera inspiración como líder?01:45 ¿Alguna experiencia que refleje ese liderazgo?02:23 ¿Qué hace que una persona genere confianza y sea seguida?03:19 ¿Hay señales de alerta para no seguir a un líder?04:11 ¿Alguna vez te desilusionaste de alguien?05:48 ¿Qué valor es innegociable en un líder?06:04 ¿Te inspira más el logro o el cómo?06:55 ¿Qué parámetros medís para seguir a alguien entre tanto ruido?Abrazá un propósito. ¡Desafía al mundo e inspirá a otros!Recordá que si querés enviarnos tus preguntas, consultas o sugerencias podés hacerlo a podcast@emprendeconproposito.com.arTambién podés seguirnos en las otras redes:Web: emprendeconproposito.com.ar IG: @sebasosaemprende @somosecp YT: Emprende con propósito (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtx_YSTTLzddsBX2lOLhYbw) TikTok: @somosecp (https://www.tiktok.com/@somosecp)Te dejo un resumen del podcast: ¿Quiénes fueron tu primeros líderes?Desde chico, una de las primeras imágenes que tuve fue Jesús, por las historias de cómo formaba equipos y guiaba a otros. Más adelante apareció Mandela, sobre todo cuando viajé a Sudáfrica y entendí el impacto real de su liderazgo. Mi padre también fue una gran referencia: tenía la capacidad de movilizar a otros, de impulsarlos a hacer cosas que parecían imposibles. Con el tiempo entendí que eso era liderar: influir, abrir caminos y ayudar a otros a ver más allá de sus propios límites.¿Alguna experiencia que refleje ese liderazgo?Sí, muchas veces vi cómo ideas que parecían imposibles se convertían en realidad, como ayudar a personas con adicciones a salir adelante y construir algo distinto para sus vidas. Ese tipo de acciones, hechas sin necesidad ni obligación, muestran lo que es liderar de verdad: impactar en otros y acompañarlos a crecer.¿Qué hace que una persona genere confianza?La confianza aparece cuando sentís un interés genuino del otro. No solo en lo que hacen, sino en quién sos. También es clave la coherencia entre lo que alguien dice y lo que hace, incluso cuando nadie lo ve. Esa congruencia es lo que realmente construye credibilidad.¿Y qué señales te alertan sobre lo contrario?Es difícil crecer al lado de alguien que está enfocado solo en sí mismo y no celebra el crecimiento de los demás. Un buen líder impulsa a su entorno. También genera desconfianza quien muestra una imagen pero actúa distinto en privado. Esa falta de coherencia rompe cualquier vínculo.¿Te pasó de admirar a alguien y cambiar tu percepción?Sí, y también entendí que muchas veces tiene que ver con etapas. A veces juzgamos sin conocer el contexto del otro. Lo que intento hacer es aprender de eso y decidir cómo quiero actuar yo cuando esté en ese lugar. También valoro mucho a personas que eligen enfocarse en lo positivo de los demás, como Doti, que tiene una forma muy natural de pensar en el otro y ayudar sin juzgar.¿Qué valor es indispensable en un líder?La base es la confianza. Y eso se construye desde un lugar de genuino interés por las personas. Sin eso, es muy difícil que alguien quiera seguirte.¿Qué pesa más: lo que logra o cómo lo logra?Al principio uno mira los resultados, pero con el tiempo empieza a importar más el proceso. Porque no todo vale para llegar. El equilibrio entre ambas cosas es lo que realmente define a un líder.¿Cómo elegir a quién seguir en un mundo con tantas voces?Cada uno conecta con quienes están alineados con sus propios valores. En mi caso, sigo a personas como John Maxwell, Ken Blanchard o Craig Groeschel, porque lo que enseñan está en línea con cómo viven. Eso es lo que termina marcando la diferencia.
Episode 447 | School Owner Master Class Series (4): Mike Bogdanski Podcast Description Episode 447 is the fourth installment in our School Owner Masterclass Series, and we brought on someone who's lived the full arc of martial arts school ownership. Allie interviews his longtime friend Mike Bogdanski, a highly successful school owner who ran a full-time school for about 40 years, then sold the business and transitioned into retirement (without losing his identity, his energy, or his impact). If you've ever felt like “branding” is just a buzzword that belongs to Coca-Cola (not a local martial arts school), this episode will reset your perspective. Mike breaks branding down into something way more practical: becoming known, trusted, and talked about in your community—so when people think “martial arts,” they think you. Key Takeaways Branding isn't your logo. It's what people call you when you're not in the room. Mike gives the simplest definition through everyday examples: people ask for a “Kleenex” even when it's not Kleenex. That's brand strength. In a town, that can look like: “Oh, you're Mike… you're the karate guy.” Martial arts schools are destinations—so you can't rely on foot traffic. Most schools aren't next to the grocery store. People have to choose to find you. That means being known matters more than it does for businesses that naturally get walk-in traffic. Start with the end in mind (then build the brand to match). Mike's advice: decide what you want your life to look like and what income you need, then reverse-engineer the business. He points out that $100,000 today isn't what it was 20 years ago, so school owners need to be honest about the math. Know your market—and go where your market already is. If your community is mostly kids, go where kids are. Mike's example: after-school programs that build rapport with families and schools. Create win-wins that make the community promote you for free. Mike ran a three-week after-school program for $50 and donated the money back to the PTO. The school loved it, the PTO loved it, and families trusted him because he showed up as a contributor—not just a business owner. You don't need to serve everyone. In fact, you shouldn't. Mike talks about defining the kind of school you want (and that it should match your personality). He also shares that sometimes he “fired” students who weren't a fit—and sometimes found creative ways to keep good families training (scholarships, work-trade, etc.). Your name and your face matter more than most school owners realize. Duane shares why he added his name to his school brand (Duane Brumitt's TriStar Martial Arts Academy). Mike agrees and adds a tactical point: include your picture in your marketing so people connect the school to a real person. Social proof is a branding shortcut—especially with respected community members. Mike describes enrolling well-known professionals (like doctors) and letting their results and praise travel through the community. He also points out how easy it is now to capture testimonials because “we have a film studio in our pockets.” Parents need to be sold (and re-sold) on the value—especially before churn seasons. One of the most important lines in the episode: champions don't always need to be told what to do, but they do need to be reminded. Mike's point is that parents forget the deeper value unless you keep communicating it. Don't treat summer like doom and gloom—treat it like opportunity. Mike's mindset: if a family only wants an 8-week immersion, don't turn them away. Get them in, build the relationship, and many will stay when fall sports hit. You can't make everyone happy—don't let negativity anchor you. Allie asks about the stress of students quitting right before big milestones. Mike's advice: try to repair what you can, ask what would need to happen to fix it, but accept that some people won't be satisfied. Learn, make amends where appropriate, and then let it go. Retirement is a transition, not a cliff. Mike reduced teaching volume over time, created a foundation for the next owner, and stayed involved in ways that still felt meaningful. His bigger message: keep something that excites you, or you'll lose momentum. Action Steps for School Owners Write your “local brand sentence.” Fill in the blank: “When people in town think of martial arts, I want them to think of ________.” Now ask: what would have to be true for that to happen? Pick one community access point and commit for 90 days. Examples: After-school program at one school PTO partnership fundraiser Chamber of Commerce involvement A monthly community self-defense workshop Build one win-win offer that makes other people talk about you. The goal isn't “more advertising.” The goal is creating a story people repeat. Add your face to your marketing (intentionally). If you're the owner, don't hide. Put a clear photo of you on your website and key ads so people connect the school to a trusted person. Start collecting “pocket testimonials.” When a parent says something powerful (“My kid handles sports differently because of your program”), ask them to repeat it on video. Keep it simple and real. Pre-sell summer before spring hits. Don't wait until families are already drifting. Start talking about summer value early, and make it feel like something kids don't want to miss. Create a simple parent reminder system. Once a month, send a message that re-sells the deeper benefits: confidence, discipline, emotional control, focus, leadership, and resilience. Additional Resources Mentioned Episode 386 (Mike Bogdanski): Smart retirement strategies for martial arts school owners (Duane references this as a companion episode). Stephen Covey concept: “Begin with the end in mind.” Book recommendation: Passages by Gail Sheehy. Author referenced: Ken Blanchard (classic business books and leadership concepts). Business concept referenced: McDonald's as a real estate business (used as an analogy for long-term wealth building).
Send us Fan MailIf your agency's culture lives in your head and dies when you leave the room, this conversation is the reset you didn't know you needed. In this episode, I sit down with Mark Miller, former VP of High Performance Leadership at Chick-fil-A, principal architect of one of the most recognized leadership cultures in corporate America, and co-author of The Secret, 4th Edition with Ken Blanchard. Mark breaks down why servant leader culture doesn't happen by accident, why your leadership skills alone won't build the team that follows you, and what Chick-fil-A's 25-year research journey, validated across hundreds of locations, revealed about what actually accelerates leadership development. If you're scaling an agency and your bench is thin, this episode is the framework you've been missing.Books MentionedThe Secret, 4th Edition: What Great Leaders Know and Do by Mark Miller and Ken BlanchardCulture Rules by Mark MillerThe Heart of Leadership by Mark MillerUncommon Greatness by Mark MillerConnect with Mark at leadeveryday.com, reach him directly at mark@leadeveryday.com, or call or text him at 678-612-8441. He gave out his personal cell, which tells you everything about the kind of leader he is. Join Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence.Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success.Special Offer:Get your FREE copy of Catalytic Leadership: 12 Keys to Becoming an Intentional Leader Who Makes a Difference.Connect with Dr. William Attaway:WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTikTokYouTube
The late Bob Chapman reveals the foundational leadership principles behind Barry-Wehmiller's stunning success.— YOU'LL LEARN — 1) The case for caring as a business strategy2) The one skill to transform your relationships3) How to dramatically boost team morale with one simple practiceSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1148 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT BOB — BOB CHAPMAN is the chairman of Barry-Wehmiller, a $3.6 billion global manufacturing company. Under his leadership, the company grew from $20 million in revenue to over $3.5 billion while pioneering "Truly Human Leadership"—refusing to lay off employees during the 2008 recession and instead implementing shared sacrifice that saved $20 million while protecting everyone's livelihood. Featured in a Harvard Business School case study taught at 70+ business schools worldwide, Chapman has addressed the United Nations, Congress, and leading academic institutions on human-centered leadership. His approach has been validated by research showing that workplace stress is the fifth leading cause of death in America, and that good bosses create more wellness than wellness programs do. • Book: Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family--Expanded 10th Anniversary Edition, with Raj Sisodia• Website: Barry-Wehmiller Outreach— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Study: “Truly Human Leadership at Barry-Wehmiller” by Dylan Minor and Jan Rivkin• Book: "The New One Minute Manager: A Timeless Guide to Effective Leadership, Stress Reduction, and Success in a Rapidly Changing Workplace" by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Keepsake Voices. Get mom something special and save about $100 with keepsakevoices.com/pete• Narwhal. Treat your home to spotless, fresh floors with us.narwhal.com/pete.• Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.• Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll with gusto.com/AWESOME• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/better• Vanguard. Give your clients consistent results year in and year out with vanguard.com/AUDIOSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture. Ken Blanchard was told in college he couldn't write. His graduate professors said he lacked academic ability. When he finished The One Minute Manager, his colleagues warned him it would embarrass him professionally. It went on to sell 15 million copies and become one of the most influential business books ever written. In this episode, we sit down with Martha Lawrence — editor, novelist, and the woman who spent 22 years working directly alongside Ken Blanchard. Martha recently wrote his biography, Catch People Doing Things Right, and she's here to share what she learned about the man, the philosophy, and why his ideas matter more than ever in today's leadership landscape.
I have bumbled my way through life with a reasonable degree of success, I think.Especially when you consider the number of people who have patted me on my head and told me that I didn't need to understand what they were talking about because they would happily, “do all of those difficult things” for me if I would just hand them the checkbook and the keys.I never did that, of course.Head-patters are always convinced that I am a fool-child from Oklahoma because I never bother with a written plan, a budget, or a timetable for major undertakings.But somehow, they always turn out okay.Here's an example of what I'm talking about:When Pennie and I began filling 21 acres in Austin, Texas with large, complicated, and expensive buildings, I was asked at least once a day,“How long will it take to build all of this, and how much will it cost?”I always answered with the truth,“It will take as long as it takes, and it will cost what it costs.”That answer really alarmed people.I didn't say it to be shocking or cute. I said it because I honestly didn't know and I genuinely didn't care.When you don't borrow money, you can take as long as you want to do whatever you are doing. Rarely did Pennie and I have the money to do the things that we chose to do, but we knew that the money would find us.That attitude drove people crazy. They were absolutely certain that we would utterly fail because I didn't have a detailed plan.I'm not suggesting that other people should reject written plans. Other people can do whatever they want.But so can I.Planning is somethingI have never hated,But I do believeit is overrated.I cannot,(but maybe you can)remember whenthere was a planthat let you sailthe river ofyour dreamwithoutchanging coursein mid-stream.Planning is areligion theoretical.Yes, I am certainlyspeaking heretical,but I am dependingupon your receptivitywhen I say that I preferEnergy and Activity.But now I am gettingahead of myselfwhich happens when youleave the plan on a shelfand rely on your Commitmentto an Outcome agreed-uponand not some soggy paperthat Circumstances peed upon.Commitment and Creativity.That's my plan.Plus Energy and Activityand a frying panbecause a good breakfast,you will remember,is essential to Christmas Elvesin late December.Commitmentand Creativity.Energy and Activities.Keep your eyeon the star stationaryand do whateveryou think is necessary.And never forgetthat in your handyou carry a cast ironfrying pan.Roy H. WilliamsA Note from Indy Beagle: For those of you who are curious, @GreatWritersSeries and @TribalGospelhad a good week on Youtube. GreatWritersSeries climbed from 44,000 subscribers to more than 100,000. TribalGospel climed from 105,000 subscribers to more than half a million.I wonder what will happen next! Aroo. – IndyFauzia Burke generates visibility for her literary clients and their books. Her authors include Ken Blanchard, Daniel Silva, Jeffrey Archer, Alan Alda, Dean Koontz, S.C. Gwynne, and Brian Tracy. Fauzia could undoubtedly rest on her laurels, but ever since she launched her firm in 1995, she has continually updated and reinvented her methods.This week, she shares the story of her steep learning curve in applying AI to her existing processes, lessons that you can adapt, regardless of the business you are in. As Fauzia tells roving reporter Rotbart and his deputy, Maxwell, “AI will not replace professionals who know their craft, but the ones who learn to use AI will almost certainly outperform the ones who don't.” Tune in and Win! At MondayMorningRadio.com
John talks with Bill Cates — Hall of Fame professional speaker & TEDx presenter, financial services & referral marketing expert, wealth mindset coach, entrepreneur, author of The Hidden Heist: Stop Robbing Yourself of Lasting Wealth and seven other books, host of the Top Advisor Podcast, and a proud dad. Bill has spent more than 30 years in financial services, helping thousands of advisors bring in billions of dollars through better referrals, relationship marketing, and messaging. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Intro [00:49] - The million-dollar TEDx prop [03:38] - Bill's backstory [06:20] - How relationships helped Bill land a TEDx talk [08:00] - Bill's journey from grad school to rock band drummer [10:11] - How he entered the financial services world [13:36] - Marketing, prospecting, and selling [16:29] - The key to marketing [19:45] - Difference between employees and entrepreneurs [22:19] - How to find a financial advisor you can trust [27:10] - The 3 R's of relationship marketing [29:42] - The 3 C's & 3 R's for an entrepreneur [33:34] - How Cates Academy started [36:46] - The OG referral coach [38:10] - The Hidden Heist book [43:09] - How Bill's business affected his relationship with his daughter [47:19] - #1 daily habit [48:27] - Traits of a great leader [50:24] - How Bill invests in his growth [52:00] - Best way to connect with Bill [56:39] - Book recommendations [57:20] - Wrap-up NOTABLE QUOTES: "When you're building a business, it's always best to be in a position to solve a blatant, critical problem, meaning the prospects of your business know they have the problem, and it's not just aspirational. It's not, 'I'll get around to it someday.' It's critical." "Marketing is getting your message out. It's a promotion. It's getting your message out in front of people with the intention of attracting them to you." "If it's not relevant, your message will be ignored." "If you're all prospecting, it's tiring. It's a grind. But as you market your product, service, or brand better, you start to attract people to you, and you catch them later on in the process." "Most people don't have the patience to pay themselves first, make their savings automatic, and let it build over time. That takes a unique, disciplined mindset, but it's extremely powerful when you do." "When you learn how money really works, it sometimes sheds light on what you were or weren't taught when you were younger." "Sometimes we don't have the vision yet. Sometimes we're not clear on it, and creating that vision can be a process." "Everyone in an organization, whether you're in sales, marketing, customer service, a clerk, or whatever, should know who the customer is. We should all know our value, and we should all know how to talk about it." "You get clarity through imperfect action. You start heading in a direction you think is right, make some mistakes along the way, and make adjustments. That's when clarity starts to come." "Just about everybody trying to produce any kind of result, it boils down to confidence. Because if you don't have that, you won't get to the next stage." "You don't want just word of mouth. You want to get connected with people. So use the word that represents that." "The hidden heists are the limiting beliefs and mistaken assumptions we all have around money. There's a lot of money story going on for us." "If you're stuck somewhere, the first place to go isn't necessarily strategy or tactics. It might be to self-reflect, on your business, your product, and your belief in yourself." BOOKS MENTIONED: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (https://a.co/d/0aINW0V2) The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz (https://a.co/d/06aeI1I8) Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results by James Clear (https://a.co/d/0cPmYjfO) The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann (https://a.co/d/08FTL8jK) The Latte Factor: Why You Don't Have to Be Rich to Live Rich by David Bach and John David Mann (https://a.co/d/0fjibjj8) Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson and Ken Blanchard (https://a.co/d/0deaqMQ8) The New One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson (https://a.co/d/03FL34dR) The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (https://a.co/d/0gLeenbt) The Greatest Salesman In the World by Og Mandino (https://a.co/d/0ec9TlQ9) Your Money and Your Brain: How the New Science of Neuroeconomics Can Help Make You Rich by Jason Zweig (https://a.co/d/0eR6ftUu) USEFUL RESOURCES: https://referralcoach.com/ https://www.thecatessystem.com/link-in-bio https://www.linkedin.com/in/billcates/ https://www.instagram.com/thereferralcoach/ https://www.facebook.com/billcates1 https://x.com/Bill_Cates https://www.youtube.com/@BillCatesReferralCoach Top Advisor Podcast - https://tinyurl.com/TopAdvisorPodcast TEDx Talk "How to Stop Your Money Anxiety & Start Building Wealth Today" - https://youtu.be/PycIrnPEUPo?si=D7G-06vXxXtk4hot The Hidden Heist: Stop Robbing Yourself of Lasting Wealth (https://a.co/d/03soYwRf) The Language of Referrals: The Words & Scripts Financial Professionals Use to Gain More Ideal Clients (https://a.co/d/067bNxYZ) Radical Relevance: Sharpen Your Marketing Message - Cut Through the Noice - Win More Ideal Clients (https://a.co/d/00IEcIMY) Beyond Referrals: How to Use the Perpetual Revenue System to Convert Referrals into High-Value Clients (https://a.co/d/0fOqolyF) Don't Keep Me A Secret: Proven Tactics to Get Referrals and Introductions (https://a.co/d/0824AHDa) Get More Referrals Now! (https://a.co/d/0dbxqU7j) CONNECT WITH JOHN Website - https://iamjohnhulen.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhulen Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnhulen Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/johnhulen X - https://x.com/johnhulen YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLX_NchE8lisC4NL2GciIWA EPISODE CREDITS Intro and Outro music provided by Jeff Scheetz - https://jeffscheetz.com/
Ronald A. Alexander, PhD, MFT, SEP (Somatic Experiencing Practitioner) is a Creativity and Communication Consultant, and an Executive and Leadership Coach, with a private psychotherapy practice working with individuals, couples, families, and groups in Santa Monica, California. He is the Executive Director of the OpenMind® Training Institute, a leading-edge organization that offers personal and professional training programs in core creativity, mind-body therapies, transformational leadership, and mindfulness meditation. For more than forty-four years, Alexander has been a trainer of healthcare professionals in North America, as well as in Europe, Russia, Japan, China, and Australia. As a Mindfulness and Zen Buddhist practitioner, he specializes in utilizing mindfulness meditation in his professional and corporate work to help people transform their lives by accessing the mind states that open the portal to their core creativity.Alexander is a leading pioneer in the fields of Mindfulness Based Mind-Body Therapies, Gestalt Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, Ericksonian Mind-Body Therapies, Holistic Psychology, and Integrative and Behavioral Medicine. He is a long-time extension faculty member of the UCLA Departments of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Entertainment, a lecturer in the David Geffen School of Medicine, and an adjunct faculty member at Pacifica Graduate Institute and Pepperdine Universities. Alexander received his SEP Certificate from the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute in Boulder Colorado. He consulted with and received treatment from Milton H Erickson MD. He personally trained with Ernest Rossi and Steven Gilligan in Ericksonian Hypnotherapy as well as with Daniel P. Brown of the Harvard Medical Cambridge Hospital professional training's seminars in hypnosis and hypno-analysis. He trained with and was certified by the Los Angeles Gestalt Therapy Institute and with Erving and Miriam Polster PhD of the Gestalt Training Center of La Jolla. He also received training and supervision in Contemporary Gestalt and Family Therapies, Psychoanalytic Self-Psychology, Relational and Object Relations Therapies.Dr. Ronald Alexander, PhD is a leading Creativity and Communication Coach, International Clinical Trainer, Executive and Leadership Coach, with a private practice in Santa Monica, California. He is the originator of the OpenMind Training® Institute, a leading edge organization that offers personal and professional training programs in mindfulness based mind-body therapies, transformational leadership, and meditation. His unique method combines ancient wisdom teachings with Leadership Coaching and Core Creativity into a comprehensive integrated, behaviorally effective mind-body program. This system combines techniques that support strategies of personal, clinical, and corporate excellence and growth.Alexander's extensive training includes core creativity, conflict management, Gestalt therapy, leadership and organizational development, and vision and strategic planning. He pioneered the early values and vision-based models for current day leadership and professional coaching. He specializes in Mind-Body therapies and has been studying and teaching Mindfulness Meditation, Creative Visualization and Transpersonal Psychology since 1970. Alexander studied with and was influenced by noted leaders in these fields such as Ken Blanchard, Werner Erhard, Warren Bennis, Umberto Materana and Francesco Variela, and was one of the grandfathers of coaching along with Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins and Jack Canfield.To learn more about Dr. Ron and his work, visithttps://ronaldalexander.com
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Brad Lichtman. Brad's money story moves through moments many people wrestle with but rarely say out loud. Walking away from a prestigious career path. Hitting financial free fall with young children at home. Starting over when a risk does not work out. What makes Brad's story land is the heart and soul he brings to it. He meets setbacks with humility, people with compassion and each chapter with a steady commitment to help others flourish. Across decades as an educator and leader, he came to believe that money alone does not create wealth. Vision, purpose and accountability are, also, key ingredients. Raised in Palo Alto, California in the middle of the turbulent 1960s and early 1970s, Brad's parents fostered in him the importance of living a life of meaning and purpose. As a young 14-year-old political activist who spent the following four summers walking disadvantaged neighborhoods to register voters, Brad felt willing to take risks to improve the lives of others. Ten years later he found himself in law school after graduating from UCSD (and honored by delivering the commencement address). He was preparing for a future in politics when he became disenchanted with that direction and found himself teaching history and coaching sports at a private high school in San Diego. Surprisingly, he found his niche and gifts as a teacher and later a principal of two large public high schools, “retiring” twelve years ago as an Assistant Superintendent (HR) of a midsized, unified school district in San Diego County. During that journey, he had the opportunity to help build and begin a brand-new high school, which received a rare highest award for a new school from the State of California. As principal, he led a staff of nearly two hundred employees and oversaw a $15 million budget. As one of three leaders of the district, he oversaw seventeen principals, many directors, 2,500 employees and a $150 million budget. Through trial and error, successes and failures, he learned that people flourish when organizations place a primacy on two core values equally: A challenging environment that simultaneously cares for each member with dignity and support. Along the way, he gained significant experience in coaching leaders and helping to build high quality teams where everyone has the best opportunity to thrive. He has continued coaching leaders about organizational culture throughout his retirement and enjoys seeing people's lives changed in the process. While working alongside world-renowned business leader, Ken Blanchard, on a two-year project, Ken once told Brad that he was one of the two best leaders he'd ever worked with. While Brad and Diane, his wife of forty years, should not be considered as having high wealth, they have benefited from having been with their current Aspiriant advisors for nearly eighteen years, who treat them as family, frequently referring to them as being “the poster children for retirement.” Brad still lives out the focus of his very early formative years: That we should all seek to live a life of meaning and purpose. Those values continue to guide how they see their money and wealth, as means for living fruitful lives while always seeking to improve the lives of those around them. And Brad sees Aspiriant as a perfect match to his vision. Purpose, People and Impact Brad Lichtman's life illustrates how meaning, resilience and values can shape not just a career but an enduring way of being in the world. From walking the streets to register voters at 14, to teaching students others had written off, to leading large, diverse public schools through moments of crisis and possibility, Brad has consistently used his talents in service of others. His story is a reminder that money is not the goal it is a tool that becomes powerful when guided by clear values, deep relationships and a commitment to helping others flourish. What makes Brad's journey so compelling is how he integrates purpose with practicality through careful budgeting, thoughtful planning and disciplined stewardship in support of a larger vision for life. If you're thinking about how to align your wealth with your values whether that's planning for education, navigating career transitions, preparing for retirement or creating impact through mentorship and giving an Aspiriant advisor can help you clarify your vision and build a plan that supports it. They can work with you to connect your financial decisions to what matters most so your money becomes a means to live out your values with confidence and intention. Follow Money Tales on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Music for more real stories about money, meaning and how people use their wealth to shape a life of purpose.
Are your current growth strategies actually increasing your business worth—or are hidden constraints quietly keeping you stuck as your company scales? If you're feeling stretched thin, hitting growth ceilings, or wondering why scaling feels harder than it should—this episode is for you. Carl Gould breaks down the real stages of business growth and the predictable pinch points that trip up founders, especially as AI disruption accelerates change and raises the bar for how companies scale, systemize, and create long-term value. By listening, you'll walk away with: A clear framework for identifying exactly where your business is stuck—and what that says about your next growth move Practical insight into how to shift from founder-driven hustle to scalable systems without killing momentum A sharper understanding of how to build a company that's not just growing, but increasing in enterprise value and exit readiness Hit play now and steal proven growth strategies that help you scale smarter, protect your time, and build a business that's actually worth more at every stage. Check out: [~12:30] – Carl explains why most founders get stuck in Stage 3 and how ego and control quietly cap business growth [~28:45] – A clear breakdown of systems vs. flexibility—and why consistency (not creativity) is what actually scales companies [~47:10] – The moment your business becomes a true asset, including the leadership shifts that dramatically increase business worth About Carl Gould Carl Gould is a globally recognized authority on business growth and entrepreneurship who built three multi-million-dollar companies by age 40. He is the Chief Growth Advisor at 7 Stage Advisors and has mentored the launch and scaling of over 5,000 businesses, with his methodologies now used in 35 countries and by more than 7,000 certified coaches worldwide. A multi-award-winning author and speaker, Carl co-authored Blueprint for Success with Stephen R. Covey and Ken Blanchard and wrote the bestselling The 7 Stages of Small Business Success. Known for his high-energy, real-world approach, he has delivered over 1,200 keynote speeches and lectures at institutions including MIT and Rutgers.
What does it look like when a leadership legend actually lives the principles he teaches? In this episode, Peter Winick sits down with Martha Lawrence, author of the new biography "Catch People Doing Things Right", and longtime collaborator with Ken Blanchard—the leadership icon behind "The One Minute Manager". Martha offers a rare behind-the-scenes view of how Blanchard's ideas became timeless, scalable, and globally adoptable. This is not a "how he got started" story. It's a masterclass in thought leadership that works in the real world. Martha breaks down why Ken's approach—simple, human, and relentlessly practical—still wins in today's noisy, distracted, algorithm-driven world. The message holds because it's built on what never changes: people. Peter and Martha go deep on what has shifted in publishing and platform-building over the last 40 years. Fewer gatekeepers. More fragmentation. Less time. More pressure on authors to act like CEOs. Podcasting replaces book tours. Brand clarity beats broad exposure. And the book isn't the business—it's the business card for a larger value ecosystem. They also explore what separates a "famous author" from a durable thought leadership enterprise. The Blanchard organization didn't just depend on Ken as the rock star. It scaled the IP, built culture around it, and created a leadership brand that outlives any single personality. That's rare. And it's instructive. If you care about creating a thought leadership platform that drives real business outcomes—without losing the humanity—this conversation will give you both strategy and signal. It's a reminder that servant leadership isn't soft. It's scalable. And it's still a competitive advantage. Three Key Takeaways: • Simple wins when it's built on real principles. Ken Blanchard's genius wasn't complexity—it was accessibility. The One Minute Manager style made leadership ideas easy to absorb, apply, and share. That "human" voice is now the playbook for today's biggest thought leaders. • The message is timeless because leadership is still about people. Even with everything changing—technology, AI, publishing—the core truth remains: performance comes from people. The episode reinforces Blanchard's central idea that people matter as much as results, and that the best leadership is servant leadership: serve, don't be served. • The strongest thought leadership platforms scale beyond the thought leader. Blanchard wasn't built around a "rock star founder." It was built around IP, culture, and systems—so the work lasts even when Ken isn't in the room. That's how you move from "guru business" to a durable enterprise. If today's conversation with Martha Lawrence resonated—especially the idea that simple leadership principles can scale, stick, and drive results—you'll want to go straight to our episode with Ken Blanchard. It's the "source code" behind the philosophy. You'll hear Ken unpack what servant leadership really looks like, why it works, and how to build a leadership approach that people actually adopt. No theory. No fluff. Just practical, proven leadership you can use immediately. Listen to the Ken Blanchard episode next and connect the dots between the story Martha shared and the thinking that built a global leadership platform.
In this podcast episode of *Inside Personal Growth*, host Greg Voisen sits down with Martha C. Lawrence**, the longtime collaborator, editor, and biographer of legendary leadership thinker Ken Blanchard. What begins as a conversation about her book *Catch People Doing Things Right* quickly unfolds into a deeply human story of intuition, optimism, faith, and a radically different way to lead. Through personal memories, behind-the-scenes moments, and powerful life lessons, Martha reveals how a man once told he couldn't write or lead went on to shape how millions of people understand leadership—by leading with love, humility, and service. This episode goes far beyond traditional business advice. From a championship basketball shot guided by an inner voice, to the quiet influence of Ken's parents, his partnership with his wife Margie, and his evolution from academic to spiritual servant-leader, listeners are invited into the moments that shaped a philosophy rooted in trust, acknowledgment, and values. If you've ever questioned whether leadership can be both effective *and* compassionate, this conversation offers a compelling, soul-level answer that lingers long after the episode ends.
Today, Mark Larson fills in for the Sheriff! He talks about some current events in the country and invites Ken Blanchard to the program, an author, business consultant and motivational speaker, to chat about his new Biography hitting the shelves: Catch People Doing Things Right.
In this inspiring episode of the Build A Vibrant Culture Podcast, host Nicole Greer sits down with Martha Lawrence, veteran editor, author, and long-time collaborator of leadership icon Ken Blanchard.Martha shares behind-the-scenes stories from more than two decades working alongside Blanchard, revealing how The One Minute Manager and the philosophy of “catching people doing things right” transformed leadership from command-and-control to connection, trust, and service.This episode is a masterclass in leadership with heart—perfect for executives, managers, HR professionals, and anyone passionate about building a culture where people thrive.Vibrant Highlights:00:02:28 – Martha Lawrence shares the life-altering experiences that led her from mystery writing to purpose-driven leadership work and a deep commitment to kindness, resilience, and meaning.00:06:18 – A powerful reflection on why The One Minute Manager became a timeless classic and how it fundamentally changed leadership from command-and-control to people-centered development.00:13:14 – A formative childhood story from Ken Blanchard's life reveals why trust, not titles, is the foundation of true leadership.00:28:48 – The origin of the philosophy “Catch People Doing Things Right” and how adapting leadership to individual needs unlocks performance and potential.00:44:21 – A defining example of ethical leadership in action, showing how transparency, values, and collective problem-solving carried an organization through crisis.Buy Martha's book: Catch People Doing Things RightConnect with Martha:Website: https://marthalawrence.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marthaclawrence/IG: https://www.instagram.com/marthaclawrence/X: https://x.com/mysmarthaFor more on Ken Blanchard or any of the topics discussed in this episode, visit https://www.blanchard.com/Also mentioned in this episode:The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard & Spencer Johnson Trust Works! by K Blanchard, C Olmstead, M Lawrence Nicole's TEDX Talk Peter F. Drucker books King: A Life by Jonathan EigThe Situational Leader by Paul HerseyWho Moved My Cheese? by Spencer JohnsonThe Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent PealeThe Power of Ethical Management by K Blanchard & N V PealeListen at vibrantculture.com/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts!Book Nicole to help your organization ignite clarity, accountability, and energy through her SHINE™ Coaching Methodology.Visit vibrantculture.comEmail: nicole@vibrantculture.comNicole's TEDX Talk
On this Live Greatly podcast episode, Kristel Bauer sits down with "Courage Catalyst" Dr. Margie Warrell, six-time bestselling author of The Courage Gap. Kristel and Margie discuss how to navigate being an insecure overachiever and how to build courage. Tune in now! Key Takeaways From This Episode: A look into being an insecure overachiever and how to overcome it Tips to build courage within ourselves A look into Dr. Warrell's book, The Courage Gap ABOUT DR. MARGIE WARRELL Dr. Margie Warrell is a six-time bestselling author, leadership advisor, keynote speaker, and "courage catalyst" bringing deep insight into human and organizational behavior to foster braver leadership and better outcomes. Dr. Warrell has gained profound insights on managing fear, navigating risk, and embracing change since her childhood in rural Australia. Thirty years of living and working around the world—from Papua, New Guinea to Singapore—have provided her with a globally grounded perspective on navigating risk and overcoming the barriers that stifle potential in individuals and organizations. Drawing on her doctoral research and experience in coaching and Fortune 500 consulting, Dr. Warrell is a trusted advisor across private and public sectors, helping to embolden braver leadership and cultivate forward-thinking "cultures of courage" that counter change resistance, foster learning, and accelerate growth. Organizations such as NASA, Dell, Morgan Stanley, SAP, Novartis, the UN Foundation, HP, Google, and Johnson & Johnson have sought her expertise. Author of the new book, The Courage Gap, Dr. Warrell is renowned for her ability to bridge the "head and heart" as a writer and speaker. She has also co-authored two other books with Stephen Covey, Ken Blanchard, and Jack Canfield. Her interviews with leaders and luminaries—including Bill Marriott, Richard Branson, and Amy Edmondson of Harvard Business School—inform her thought leadership, which she shares through her global top 1.5% podcast, Live Brave, Forbes column, and leading media outlets such as CNN, Bloomberg, and the WSJ. Dr. Warrell's commitment to "braver leadership for a better world" extends to advising US Congressional Chiefs, McCain Global Fellows, and emerging female leaders in burgeoning democracies. A passionate advocate for women in leadership, she has served on numerous government roundtables, co-led Korn Ferry's Power of All initiative to advance more women to C-suite and board tables, and been Senior Partner in their CEO & Leadership Institute. Connect with Dr. Warrell Order Dr. Warrell's book: https://a.co/d/81cuf2F Website: https://margiewarrell.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margiewarrell/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margiewarrell/ About the Host of the Live Greatly podcast, Kristel Bauer: Kristel Bauer is a corporate wellness and performance expert, keynote speaker and TEDx speaker supporting organizations and individuals on their journeys for more happiness and success. She is the author of Work-Life Tango: Finding Happiness, Harmony, and Peak Performance Wherever You Work (John Murray Business November 19, 2024). With Kristel's healthcare background, she provides data driven actionable strategies to leverage happiness and high-power habits to drive growth mindsets, peak performance, profitability, well-being and a culture of excellence. Kristel's keynotes provide insights to "Live Greatly" while promoting leadership development and team building. Kristel is the creator and host of her global top self-improvement podcast, Live Greatly. She is a contributing writer for Entrepreneur, and she is an influencer in the business and wellness space having been recognized as a Top 10 Social Media Influencer of 2021 in Forbes. As an Integrative Medicine Fellow & Physician Assistant having practiced clinically in Integrative Psychiatry, Kristel has a unique perspective into attaining a mindset for more happiness and success. Kristel has presented to groups from the American Gas Association, Bank of America, bp, Commercial Metals Company, General Mills, Northwestern University, Santander Bank and many more. Kristel has been featured in Forbes, Forest & Bluff Magazine, Authority Magazine & Podcast Magazine and she has appeared on ABC 7 Chicago, WGN Daytime Chicago, Fox 4's WDAF-TV's Great Day KC, and Ticker News. Kristel lives in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida area and she can be booked for speaking engagements worldwide. To Book Kristel as a speaker for your next event, click here. Website: www.livegreatly.co Follow Kristel Bauer on: Instagram: @livegreatly_co LinkedIn: Kristel Bauer Twitter: @livegreatly_co Facebook: @livegreatly.co Youtube: Live Greatly, Kristel Bauer To Watch Kristel Bauer's TEDx talk of Redefining Work/Life Balance in a COVID-19 World click here. Click HERE to check out Kristel's corporate wellness and leadership blog Click HERE to check out Kristel's Travel and Wellness Blog Disclaimer: The contents of this podcast are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Always seek the guidance of your physician for any recommendations specific to you or for any questions regarding your specific health, your sleep patterns changes to diet and exercise, or any medical conditions. Always consult your physician before starting any supplements or new lifestyle programs. All information, views and statements shared on the Live Greatly podcast are purely the opinions of the authors, and are not medical advice or treatment recommendations. They have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration. Opinions of guests are their own and Kristel Bauer & this podcast does not endorse or accept responsibility for statements made by guests. Neither Kristel Bauer nor this podcast takes responsibility for possible health consequences of a person or persons following the information in this educational content. Always consult your physician for recommendations specific to you.
On the Schmooze Podcast: Leadership | Strategic Networking | Relationship Building
I'm pleased to interview one of our Biz Book Pub Hub Partners. Our Hub Partners are experts who support entrepreneurs along their author journey. Today's guest is a powerhouse in the world of thought leadership and publishing—a true connector who helps experts transform their ideas into influential books that make a real difference. She's built an extraordinary career as both an author and strategist, earning six traditional publishing deals, ten thought leader titles, a New York agent, and even a feature on Oprah. She's also a Wall Street Journal bestselling author whose award-winning networking books were licensed by major brands like Motorola and Yale's Graduate School of Business. She founded Networlding Publishing, where she's guided more than 175 thought leaders through every stage of writing and launching their first books. Along the way, she's helped global companies like Cisco, Office Depot, and American Express build powerful leadership networks—and even created a thought leader podcast to amplify her authors' visibility and success. Her passion is helping authors leverage both their books and their relationships to create meaningful impact and lasting influence. Please join me in welcoming Melissa G. Wilson. In this episode, we discuss the following:
TrulySignificant.com honors Martha Lawrence, prolific author and biographer of Catching People Doing Things Right- How Ken Blanchard Changed the Way the World Leads. WINNER OF THE 2025 BEST BOOK AWARD FOR BIOGRAPHY, this candid business biography reveals how bestselling author, speaker, and business consultant Ken Blanchard revolutionized management by leading with love and service.Ken Blanchard transformed modern leadership theory through unlikely means—by catching people doing things right. Written like a novel with warmth and humor, this authorized biography reveals how a mediocre student who was told he "couldn't write" became a bestselling author and a globally renowned management expert.Through extensive access to personal papers, letters, and interviews spanning six decades, Martha Lawrence paints an intimate portrait of the man behind The One Minute Manager and dozens of other influential books. From his early days coaching Cub Scouts to building a worldwide training organization, Blanchard demonstrated that nice guys can finish first by focusing on serving rather than being served.During pivotal moments—his sister's tragic death, losing his home to wildfire, economic downturns threatening his company—Blanchard's optimistic leadership philosophy was tested. Yet his unwavering commitment to bringing out the best in others while leading with love created a lasting legacy that continues to influence organizations globally.More than just a business biography, this book shows an American success story of someone who achieved greatness not through ruthless ambition but by genuinely caring about people and helping them reach their full potential. Blanchard's story offers an inspiring road map for anyone seeking to lead with both results and relationships in mind.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/success-made-to-last-legends--4302039/support.
The Donkey Leadership Mindset Every Leader Needs From "I Don't Know: to Great Leadership Episode 284 (Gary is based in California) In this conversation with Gary Ridge we explore: how humility accelerates learning and strengthens leadership why saying “I don't know” unlocks collective intelligence what servant leadership looks like in practice inside WD-40 how leaders shift from managing to coaching why culture requires consistency, not charisma what it means to lead from the “stinky locker room” how clarity about “what an A looks like” transforms performance why purpose matters more than product how to protect culture by removing toxins early how great leaders help people step into the best version of themselves ----- About Our Guest, Gary Ridge: Garry has 25 years of experience as Chairman and CEO of WD-40 Company. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego, where he teaches the principles and practices of corporate culture in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership program. He's the USA Today Bestselling Author of Any Dumb Ass Can Do It and co-author of Helping People Win at Work with Ken Blanchard. Learn more about Gary Ridge and his services at https://thelearningmoment.net/ Follow Gary on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/garryridge/ ----- Key Points from this Conversation with Gary Ridge: Leadership begins with humility and the willingness to say “I don't know.” Great leaders embrace the role of forever learner and forever teacher. Coaching, not managing, is the true work of effective leadership. Trust is built in the “stinky locker room,” not the corner office. Culture requires values, behavior, and consistency — not quick fixes. Purpose gives meaning beyond the product and unites people around impact. Clarity about “what an A looks like” prevents conflict and accelerates performance. Leaders must remove cultural toxins early, even when performance is high. Ego destroys leadership; empathy and awareness enable it. Leadership is not about the leader — it is about helping people step into the best version of themselves. ----- ----more---- Your Intended Message is the podcast about how you can boost your career and business success by honing your communication skills. We'll examine the aspects of how we communicate one-to-one, one to few and one to many – plus that important conversation, one to self. In these interviews we will explore presentation skills, public speaking, conversation, persuasion, negotiation, sales conversations, marketing, team meetings, social media, branding, self talk and more. Your host is George Torok George is a specialist in communication skills. Especially presentation. He's fascinated by the links between communication and influencing behaviors. He delivers training and coaching programs to help leaders and promising professionals deliver the intended message for greater success. Connect with George www.SpeechCoachforExecutives.com https://superiorpresentations.net/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgetorokpresentations/ https://www.youtube.com/user/presentationskills
Martha Lawrence discusses her biography of Ken Blanchard, author of The One Minute Manager. She explores his journey from rejected academic to leadership legend, emphasizing his authentic servant leadership philosophy of "catch people doing things right" and how he built a values-driven company focused on people over profit. TAKEAWAYS Ken Blanchard co-authored The One Minute Manager in 1982 after being told he couldn't write, creating one of the world's bestselling business books with its accessible, story-based approach He founded his leadership company on four core values—ethical behavior, relationships, success, and learning—revolutionary for the hierarchical 1970s business culture His lasting legacy centers on servant leadership and positive reinforcement: catching people doing things right rather than focusing on mistakes A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR Host: Brandon Laws In Brandon's own words: "The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders." About Xenium HR Xenium HR is on a mission to transform workplaces by providing expert outsourced HR and payroll services for small and medium-sized businesses. With a people-first approach, Xenium helps organizations create thriving work environments where employees feel valued and supported. From navigating compliance to enhancing workplace culture, Xenium offers tailored solutions that empower growth and simplify HR. Whether managing employee relations, payroll processing, or implementing impactful training programs, Xenium is the trusted partner businesses rely on to elevate their workplace experience. Learn more: https://www.xeniumhr.com/ Connect with Brandon Laws LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawsbrandon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawsbrandon About: https://xeniumhr.com/about-xenium/meet-the-team/brandon-laws Connect with Xenium HR Website: https://xeniumhr.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xenium-hr Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/XeniumHR Twitter: https://twitter.com/XeniumHR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xeniumhr YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/XeniumHR
In this episode, host Matt Crawford speaks with writer and leadership collaborator Martha C. Lawrence about her insightful book Catch People Doing Things Right: How Ken Blanchard Changed the Way the World Leads. Drawing on decades of insight into the leadership principles of Ken Blanchard — the bestselling author of The One Minute Manager and one of the most influential thinkers in modern leadership — Martha breaks down why his philosophy of positive reinforcement is both timeless and urgently needed. Martha and I explore the stories behind Blanchard's breakthroughs, the real-world application of his principles, and how "catching people doing things right" can transform teams, workplaces, and lives.
Praise in Public, Criticize in Private Leadership Lessons with Martha Lawrence Episode 278 ( Martha is based in San Diego, CA) In this conversation with Martha Lawrence, we explore: how the culture of positivity shaped Ken Blanchard's leadership philosophy why The One Minute Manager changed how organizations lead and communicate how to apply “catch people doing things right” both at work and at home the fine line between genuine praise and shallow flattery what “servant leadership” really means in practice how leaders can help team members by asking better questions how Martha Lawrence turned trauma into meaningful creative work why apologizing and letting go of ego strengthen leadership how Ken Blanchard modeled love and humility in leadership how positivity and purpose can transform organizations and lives ----- About our guest Martha Lawrence: She's a vertern book editor who has edited hundreds of book including major bestsellers - Feel the Fear and Do it Anyways and The One Minute Enrepreneur. As the executive editor at Blanchard, she worked with business guru, Ken Blanchard for over two decades. Learn more about Martha and her new book at https://marthalawrence.com/ Books by Ken Blanchard https://www.kenblanchardbooks.com/ Wow! More resources from Ken Blanchard https://www.blanchard.com/ ----- Key Lessons from this conversation with Martha Lawerence: Positive leadership is rooted in valuing people as much as results. The One Minute Manager principles — clear goals, one-minute praising, and one-minute redirects — remain timeless leadership tools. Catching people doing things right is more effective than focusing on mistakes. Praise in public, criticize in private — simple rule, powerful impact. Servant leadership means inverting the hierarchy: leaders serve their teams. Leadership is learned behavior; empathy and humility can be practiced. The best leaders help others grow by asking, “How can I help you do your job better?” Adversity can become the catalyst for purpose and contribution. Apologizing well is a leadership strength, not a weakness. Real leaders let go of ego — as Ken Blanchard says, ego means “edging good out.” ----- ----more---- Your Intended Message is the podcast about how you can boost your career and business success by honing your communication skills. We'll examine the aspects of how we communicate one-to-one, one to few and one to many – plus that important conversation, one to self. In these interviews we will explore presentation skills, public speaking, conversation, persuasion, negotiation, sales conversations, marketing, team meetings, social media, branding, self talk and more. Your host is George Torok George is a specialist in communication skills. Especially presentation. He's fascinated by the links between communication and influencing behaviors. He delivers training and coaching programs to help leaders and promising professionals deliver the intended message for greater success. Connect with George www.SpeechCoachforExecutives.com https://superiorpresentations.net/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgetorokpresentations/ https://www.youtube.com/user/presentationskills
Catch People Doing Things Right: How Ken Blanchard Changed the Way the World Leads by Martha C. Lawrence https://www.amazon.com/Catch-People-Doing-Things-Right/dp/B0DTP1BCYM Marthalawrence.com This candid business biography reveals how bestselling author, speaker, and business consultant Ken Blanchard revolutionized management by leading with love and service. Ken Blanchard transformed modern leadership theory through unlikely means—by catching people doing things right. Written like a novel with warmth and humor, this authorized biography reveals how a mediocre student who was told he "couldn't write" became a bestselling author and a globally renowned management expert. Through extensive access to personal papers, letters, and interviews spanning six decades, Martha Lawrence paints an intimate portrait of the man behind The One Minute Manager and dozens of other influential books. From his early days coaching Cub Scouts to building a worldwide training organization, Blanchard demonstrated that nice guys can finish first by focusing on serving rather than being served. During pivotal moments—his sister's tragic death, losing his home to wildfire, economic downturns threatening his company—Blanchard's optimistic leadership philosophy was tested. Yet his unwavering commitment to bringing out the best in others while leading with love created a lasting legacy that continues to influence organizations globally. More than just a business biography, this book shows an American success story of someone who achieved greatness not through ruthless ambition but by genuinely caring about people and helping them reach their full potential. Blanchard's story offers an inspiring road map for anyone seeking to lead with both results and relationships in mind.
Martha Lawrence is Executive Editor at Blanchard and author of the book, “Catch People Doing Things Right: How Ken Blanchard Changed the Way the World Leads” in which she paints an intimate portrait of the man behind “The One Minute Manager” and dozens of other influential books. Mike Petrusky asks Martha about Ken Blanchard's leadership philosophy which emphasizes working with people rather than controlling them and they discuss how catching people doing things right can significantly boost energy levels and morale. Martha says that leadership is not just about formal positions, but she believes anyone can be a leader by influencing others, so our focus should be on empowering people and fostering a positive environment. Innovation often requires collaboration and overcoming the natural tendency to focus on mistakes, but effective change management involves addressing people's concerns about information, personal impact, and implementation. Mike and Martha discuss Ken's influence and his work as they offer the practical advice and inspiration you will need to be a Workplace Innovator in your organization! Connect with Martha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marthaclawrence/ Learn more about Blanchard: https://www.blanchard.com/ Explore Martha's book, “Catch People Doing Things Right”: https://www.amazon.com/Catch-People-Doing-Things-Right/dp/B0DTP1BCYM Discover free resources and explore past interviews at: https://eptura.com/discover-more/podcasts/workplace-innovator/ Learn more about Eptura™: https://eptura.com/ Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepetrusky/
Hello and welcome to The Rob Burgess Show. I am, of course, your host, Rob Burgess. On this our 284th episode, our guest is Martha C. Lawrence. A former editor at Simon & Schuster and Harcourt, Martha C. Lawrence has shaped the voices of some of the world's most successful thought leaders. As executive editor at Blanchard, she has collaborated with Ken Blanchard for more than 20 years, including on “Trust Works!,” winner of the San Diego Book Award. Her editing credits include multi-million-copy bestsellers and no. 1 New York Times titles. She is also the author of an Edgar, Anthony, Agatha and Shamus-nominated mystery series featuring private investigator Elizabeth Chase. Martha holds a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and studied creative writing at The New School in New York City. She was a founding faculty member of The La Jolla Writers Conference and has been a book reviewer for The San Diego Union-Tribune. Outside of her professional life, she is an avid hiker and long-time yoga practitioner. She lives in Escondido, California, with her partner and a full contingent of backyard wildlife. Lawrence is passionate about leadership, storytelling and capturing legacies that matter. Learn more at marthalawrence.com. Her new book, “Catch People Doing Things Right: How Ken Blanchard Changed the Way the World Leads,” will be published by Berrett–Koehler Publishers on Oct. 21. Follow me on Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/robaburg.bsky.social Follow me on Mastodon: newsie.social/@therobburgessshow Check out my Linktree: linktr.ee/therobburgessshow Subscribe to my Substack: therobburgessshow.substack.com/
Blanchard* trains more than 150,000 people annually in 30 countries. The firm's founder, Ken Blanchard, is one of the all-time outstanding leadership and management experts. His books, including most notably The One Minute Manager, have sold more than 28 million copies. That's what pretty much everyone knows. However, in her new biography, Catch People Doing Things Right: How Ken Blanchard Changed the Way the World Leads, veteran book editor and author Martha C. Lawrence reveals a side of Blanchard that few people outside of his immediate circle know — an exceptionally kind and generous man of deep conviction who had to overcome numerous hardships and setbacks to achieve his global stature. Martha has worked closely with Blanchard for more than two decades, following stints at Simon & Schuster and Harcourt Publishers, where she edited hundreds of books. Catch People Doing Things Right delivers an inspiring roadmap for anyone seeking to lead with both results and relationships in mind. Blanchard, who is now 86 years old, has been a guest on Monday Morning Radio twice, in 2019 and 2022. *Formerly The Ken Blanchard Companies Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Martha C. Lawrence, Catch People Doing Things RightPosted: October 20, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 48:23 Episode: 14.20 Popular Books By Ken Blanchard: The Secret: What Great Leaders Know and Do Simple Truths of Leadership: 52 Ways to Be a Servant Leader and Build Trust The Simple Truths of Service: Inspired by Johnny the Bagger The New One Minute Manager: A Timeless Guide to Effective Leadership, Stress Reduction, and Success in a Rapidly Changing Workplace Martha Lawrence's Mystery Novels Include: Murder in Scorpio The Cold Heart of Capricorn Ashes of Aries
Ken Blanchard has shaped how millions of people think about leadership. From The One Minute Manager to his philosophy of "Catching People Doing Things Right," his work has redefined what it means to lead with purpose, compassion, and effectiveness.In this special episode of The Aging Well Podcast, Dr. Jeff Armstrong speaks with Martha C. Lawrence, longtime collaborator and author of the forthcoming biography Catch People Doing Things Right: How Ken Blanchard Changed the Way the World Leads. Drawing on more than two decades of working alongside Blanchard, Lawrence shares insights into the man behind the message: his values, his journey, and the principles that made him one of the most beloved management thinkers of our time.Together, they explore how Blanchard's leadership philosophy remains relevant in today's rapidly changing world—and how older adults can continue to lead with wisdom and purpose.Learn more about Martha C Lawrence at: https://marthalawrence.com/Learn more about Ken Blanchard and his work at: https://www.blanchard.com/https://www.kenblanchardbooks.com/BUY Catch People Doing Things Right: How Ken Blanchard Changed the Way the World Leads on Amazon and support this podcast: https://amzn.to/3KULuK5Please, support The Aging Well Podcast by hitting the ‘like' button, subscribing/following the podcast, sharing with a friend, and….BUY the products you need to… age well from our trusted affiliates and support the mission of The Aging Well Podcast*.The Aging Well Podcast merchandise | Show how you are aging well | Use the promo code AGING WELL for free shipping on orders over $75 | https://theagingwellpodcast-shop.fourthwall.com/promo/AGINGWELLRebalance Health | products created by hormone health experts to lower cortisol, improve sleep, and minimize the impact of stress on the body and mind | https://get.aspr.app/SH1AkZ or https://rebalancehealth.com with the promo code: AGING WELLAuro Wellness | Glutaryl—Antioxidant spray that delivers high doses of glutathione (“Master Antioxidant”) | 10% off Code: AGINGWELL at https://aurowellness.com/agingwellpodcast (If this link doesn't work, try the following: https://aurowellness.com/?ref=1957)Berkeley Life | Optimize nitric oxide levels | Purchase your starter kit at a 15% discount | Use the promo code: AGINGWELL15 | https://berkeleylife.pxf.io/c/6475525/3226696/31118Oxford Healthspan | Primeadine®, a plant-derived spermidine supplement | 10% off code: AGINGWELL | https://oxford-healthspan.myshopify.com/AgingWellJigsaw Health | Trusted supplements. “It's fun to feel good.” | Click the following link for 10% off: https://www.jigsawhealth.com/?rfsn=8710089.1dddcf3&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=8710089.1dddcf3Prolon | The Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) is a revolutionary five-day nutrition program scientifically formulated to mimic the effects of a prolonged water fast while still allowing nourishment - supporting the benefits of fasting without the challenges and risks that come from water-only fasts. | For the best available discount always use this link: https://prolonlife.com/theagingwellpodcastL-Nutra Health | The medical division of L-Nutra, focused on helping people manage and potentially reverse chronic health conditions, like type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, insulin resistance, and obesity, using personalized, lifestyle-based programs grounded in evidence, not prescriptions. | Use this link: https://l-nutrahealth.com/theagingwellpodcastDr Lewis Nutrition | Fight neurodegeneration and cognitive decline with Daily Brain Care by Dr Lewis Nutrition—a proven daily formula designed to protect and restore brain function. | 10% off code: AGINGWELL or use the link: https://drlewisnutrition.com/AGINGWELL*We receive commission on these purchases. Thank you.
Servant Leadership in Action: Lessons from Ken Blanchard with Martha Lawrence What does it really mean to lead by serving others? In this episode, Martha Lawrence—executive editor at Blanchard and co-author of Trust Works—shares personal stories from her 20+ years working alongside Ken Blanchard, the legendary author of The One Minute Manager. We discuss: How Ken Blanchard helped make servant leadership mainstream Why catching people doing things right builds stronger cultures The story behind The One Minute Manager and Blanchard's global impact What leading with love really looks like in practice The surprising lessons from Ken's early life and family
Hear Martha Lawrence share stories about how Ken Blanchard revolutionized leadership from her new book, Catch People Doing Things Right. She explains why this is more than a business biography. It is the American success story of someone who achieved greatness by genuinely caring about people and helping them reach their full potential. To learn more visit marthalawrence.com. Or connect with Martha Lawrence on LinkedIn
What if you discovered that bravery isn't something you're born with—but a muscle anyone can build, one courageous act at a time?In this inspiring episode of Thrive LouD with Lou Diamond, US Marine Corps veteran, keynote speaker, and bravery expert Jill Schulman unveils the science behind fear and how anyone can practice and grow their own courage. Jill shares her unlikely journey from a small-town Minnesota girl—arriving at Marine training in a hot pink outfit—to leading Marines and ultimately becoming a thought leader on bravery. She reveals the evidence-based tools and daily practices that helped her (and can help you) push through fear, pursue uncomfortable challenges, and experience profound personal growth.Key highlights from this episode:The surprising truth: bravery isn't innate, but trainable like a muscle—discover how to flex it dailyJill's classic “Legally Blonde” moment in the Marine Corps—and what it taught her about moving past fearThe “embrace the suck” mentality and why seeking out discomfort leads to growthHow cognitive reframing, morning routines, and your “brave tribe” boost your courage and consistencyThe behind-the-scenes fears and breakthroughs in writing her book—and how a conversation with Ken Blanchard changed everythingJill's practical advice for leaders, teams, and anyone who wants to step up and perform at their best, even when scaredWhether you're ready to conquer a big goal, take a small brave step, or simply curious how courage really works, this episode will give you actionable strategies and the motivation to thrive onward and upward.Timestamped Episode Overview:00:00 – Lou Diamond opens with a challenge: How brave are you?01:00 – Meet Jill Schulman: USMC vet, bravery expert, and her “Legally Blonde” arrival 02:54 – How Jill discovered the science of bravery and overcame her early Marine hurdles 04:34 – Why bravery is built, not born (the muscle analogy)06:14 – Defining bravery: Voluntary action in the face of fear09:05 – Practical ways to get braver: cognitive reframing, “embrace the suck,” and behavioral hacks12:34 – The power of your “brave tribe” and implementing bravery daily13:22 – Writing a book: Jill's personal “suck” and how Ken Blanchard helped her push through16:10 – What Jill gained from creating her bravery movement (and overcoming good for great)18:33 – Where to find Jill's bravery assessments, tools, and more19:39 – Fun Street: Avatar, pump-up music, brussels sprouts, peach cobbler, skydiving, Paris, and more!26:32 – Lou and Jill wrap up with a call to keep moving “onward and upward” bravelyReady to grow your own bravery? Hit play now!
In this Pocket Sized Pep Talk, you'll learn:Martha has worked with Ken Blanchard for more than 20 years and discusses the moment when she knew Ken's story had to be told in full.The One Minute Manager was everywhere when it came out in the early 1980s. Martha discusses why that book became such a phenomenal success.You'll hear a story from the book that moved Martha personally. (Rob was moved too!) What was different about working with Ken.What it means to “catch people doing things right,” and how can leaders put this into practice today.How Ken experienced deep personal loss and professional rejection, and how this tested his leadership philosophy.To learn more about this guest:https://www.linkedin.com/in/marthaclawrence/www.marthalawrence.com
What if the secret to a thriving culture wasn't about playing it safe, but about helping people be brave? In this episode of the Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast, host Nicole Greer sits down with Marine Corps veteran, keynote speaker, and bravery scientist Jill Schulman to explore her new book, The Bravery Effect. Jill reveals how fear shows up at work — from staying silent in meetings to avoiding tough conversations — and how leaders can help their teams cross the bridge from where they are to where they want to be.Together, Nicole and Jill break down the three keys to building your “bravery muscle”: developing a courageous mindset, taking bold action, and curating a brave tribe that calls you to higher ground. Expect practical strategies, science-backed tools, and a healthy dose of inspiration. Whether you're leading a team, growing your career, or simply trying to face your next big challenge with confidence, this episode is your invitation to run toward fear and transform it into growth.Vibrant Highlights:02:44 – Blowing Things Up (Literally): Jill's combat engineering background and transition to business leadership08:39 – Everyday Acts of Bravery: Speaking up, asking for promotions, having hard conversations12:18 – The Habit of Being Brave: From Bandura's self-efficacy research to Roy Baumeister's “attack the day” strategy23:10 – Building Your Bravery Muscle: How repeated action rewires your brain and strengthens courage33:32 – Growth Mindset + Stress Mindset: How believing it's possible fuels action and resilience38:27 – Embrace the Suck: Turning stress into character-building fuelConnect with Jill:Jill's book, The Bravery Effect: https://a.co/d/6f8NymUWebsite: https://www.jillschulman.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillaschulman/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillschulman/YouTube: https://youtube.com/@jillschulman?si=OLp_zRLNANAiidSyAlso mentioned in this episode:The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson: https://a.co/d/b4REjLcPositive Psychology in a Nutshell by Ilona Boniwell: https://a.co/d/dBcNyHRMindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck: https://a.co/d/8FyyErZThe Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal: https://a.co/d/3aTqDqyRethinking Positive Thinking by Gabriele Oettingen: https://a.co/d/5bXJXNSListen at vibrantculture.com/podcast or wherever you listen to podcasts!Learn more about Nicole Greer, The Vibrant Coach, at vibrantculture.com.
Colette Slone, RMT and Clinic Owner shares how freedom fuels her clinic ownership, why communication is core to care, and how small details—from intake questions to hot towels—turn good treatments into memorable experiences that keep clients returning. We cover specific prompts she uses before, during, and after sessions to earn clearer feedback and stronger results. Resources:FREE Communication Resource Guide for RMTs In this Guide Colette provides you with some examples of questions that she utilizes during her time with patients during the Intake Process, During the Treatment, and After the Treatment.Book: Stop Selling, Start Asking — Roman Kmenta Book: Massage MBA — Rachel Beider Book: Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service. Ken Blanchard and Sheldon BowlesCourse/Teacher referenced: Walt Fritz, PT on IG @waltfritzptContact Colette Slone, RMTInstagram & Facebook: @mimicomassagetherapy Email: coletteslonermt@gmail.com Contact The Radical Massage Therapist PodcastEmail: krista@theradicalrmt.comWeb: www.theradicalrmt.comIG: @theradicalmassagetherapist
I will never forget reading Ken Blanchard's "One Minute Manager". It was at that point I started to catch my team doing something right instead of always finding what they were doing wrong.Segment 1 with Martha LawrenceMartha Lawrence is a veteran book editor and the executive editor at Blanchard, where she worked side-by-side with Ken Blanchard for over two decades. She has edited hundreds of books. Her new book is “Catch People Doing Things Right: How Ken Blanchard Changed the Way the World Leads”.Segment 2 with Evan Levine and Nainesh Shaw It's a common saying in business that your company is only worth what people are willing to pay for it, but how do you set the asking price value or set a price when selling shares in the company or giving it to the next family generation?My guests are Evan Levine and Nainesh Shaw at Complete Advisors also provides ancillary business advisory and valuation services including start-up valuations, succession planning, and valuation enhancement. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-small-business-radio-show--3306444/support.Listen to all the episodes of The Small Business Radio Show at www.barrymoltz.com
In this episode of FP&A Tomorrow, host Paul Barnhurst welcomes Garry Ridge, former CEO of WD-40 Company and a globally recognized leadership coach, to discuss how company culture and employee engagement can drive business success. With his extensive experience building a culture of trust, respect, and belonging, Garry shares how FP&A professionals can align financial strategy with a purpose-driven organizational culture. From leadership to mental health in the workplace, Garry's insights provide valuable lessons for creating thriving teams and lasting business impact.Garry Ridge is a purpose-driven leader, coach, and global keynote speaker. As the former Chairman and CEO of WD-40 Company, Garry led the brand to become one of the world's most trusted names, achieving over 90% employee engagement and consistent shareholder growth. Known as The Culture Coach, Garry helps leaders create values-driven workplaces where learning, innovation, and connection fuel success. He is the author of Any Dumb-Ass Can Do It and co-author of Helping People Win at Work with Ken Blanchard.Expect to Learn:The connection between company culture and business successHow FP&A can guide strategy while fostering engagementWhy servant leadership is key to unlocking innovationPractical advice on building a workplace of belongingThe importance of "learning moments" in continuous improvementHere are a few quotes from the episode:"Great FP&A looks like a road map to a destination that's directionally very concise and understandable." - Garry Ridge"If only a small percentage of your organization is passionately working on executing your strategy, you'll get limited outcomes." - Garry Ridge"If you want to create a high-performing culture, focus on building trust, respect, and belonging." - Garry RidgeGarry Ridge offered a powerful vision for the future of leadership and organizational culture, one where trust, respect, and belonging are the foundations of success. He emphasized that great leaders are not just managers, but coaches who inspire their teams to thrive by focusing on values-driven cultures. From building employee engagement to navigating mental health challenges, Garry's insights provide actionable guidance for leaders looking to create work environments where people feel valued, connected, and empowered to contribute to a greater purpose.Get Certified with the FPAC CredentialEarn the only FP&A credential that proves your expertise and commitment to the profession.Use TheFPAGuy-FPAC for $150 off the ExamUse TheFPAGuy-FPACEPP for $100 off the Exam Prep PlatformLearn more: https://www.thefpandaguy.com/fpa-certificationsAFP FP&A Forum: All insights. Zero spin.March 23 – 25 in IndianapolisThis immersive, three-day event is built for financial professionals, by financial professionals, and it's designed to help you sharpen your skills, stay on top of trends, and connect with peers who understand your challenges.Learn more: https://www.financialprofessionals.org/events/meetings/afp-fp-a-forumFollow FP&A Tomorrow:Newsletter - Subscribe on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6957679529595162624 Follow...
Do you have an organized, detailed, strategic marketing plan for every book that you publish? President and Founder of Media Kit Buzz Brian Feinblum joins “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)” to share expert tips about the most important aspects of a book marketing plan pre-publication, during publication, and post-publication, including what your budget should be, best practices for marketing through email lists, social media, advertisements, and much more.PARTICIPANTSBrian Feinblum has been an award-winning book promoter and marketer for over three decades, working with thousands of authors and scores of book publishers to promote books of every genre, including children's books, poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. He worked for two independent publishers as their publicity director, and for 21 years was the chief marketing officer for the nation's largest book publicity firm. His own company, Media Kit Buzz Inc, celebrates five years of providing book marketing consulting and public relations services.You may enjoy reading his award-winning blog of 14 years, which has generated over 4.7 million page views, BookMarketingBuzzBlog. BookBaby and FeedSpot each recognized this as one of the best book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He can be reached at brianfeinlbum@gmail.comHe has worked with indie presses, small presses, the Big 5, university presses, hybrids, and self-published authors, ranging from bestselling authors such as Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Susan RoAne, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler, as well as many first-time, self-published, unknown authors -- and everything in between. His clients have been featured in the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal, as well as on nationally syndicated radio and television shows and major podcasts. He has spoken before many writer's conferences and presented for several years at Book Expo America. He has been published numerous times in The Writer magazine and The Independent. He served as a judge for the IBPA Book Awards.Independent Book Publishers Association is the largest trade association for independent publishers in the United States. As the IBPA Director of Membership & Member Services, Christopher Locke assists the 3,900 members as they travel along their publishing journeys. Major projects include managing the member benefits to curate the most advantageous services for independent publishers and author publishers; managing the Innovative Voices Program that supports publishers from marginalized communities; and hosting the IBPA podcast, “Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA).” He's also passionate about indie publishing, because he's an author publisher himself, having published two novels so far in his YA trilogy, The Enlightenment Adventures.LINKSLearn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) here: https://www.ibpa-online.org/Learn more about Book Marketing Buzz Blog here: www.bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com Sell more books with IBPA's book marketing programs here: https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/ListofBenefits#sellmorebooksFollow IBPA on:Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IBPAonlineX – https://twitter.com/ibpaInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/ibpalovesindies/Follow Brian Feinblum here:LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum
I read a book once by a feller named Ken Blanchard. He wrote - None of us is as smart as all of us. - I love that. It's so true. The Bible says - In the counsel of many, there is wisdom. - So let's lean into that. I literally just copy and pasted a simple question into a text to a ton of friends and people I respect. The question: Gimme one piece of brief tournament advice. First thing that comes to mind. (and obviously this applies to way more than just fishing a derby. this is about preparation, how to attack / dissect, how to plan for weather, boat stuff, everything) We got so much good stuff from people and its so diverse and kinda all over the place. So instead of Jordan, Nate and Lola giving advice on winning, it's from people who win at the very highest level and it's them responding to my text. It's not just some thing I looked up that they said once. And it's not just BP and Gussy and John Cox, it's local sticks that we respect . Like Lonnie Peterson and Justin Rowe, Adam Crigger, Jeremy Moldrem, Andrew Full from Serious Angler, Brian Latimer, Tyler Berger from BassFishing HQ, etc. Write some of this stuff down. No jokes. It's so good. I literally actually think that if you put some of this stuff into practice, you will be better at fishing derbies, you will win more tournaments. Just in general, these two episodes will make you win at fishing more, competitively and just for fun fishing. PART TWO COMING SOON! PLEASE GIVE US A 5 STAR POSITIVE REVIEW ON WHATEVER PLATFORM YOU'RE ON! TELL A FRIEND. SHARE THE WORD! Seriously though, it really helps us! POSITIVITY IS WORTH THE EFFORT! ALL FISHING IS FUN FISHING! https://www.tackleandtacos.com/ https://www.grizzlycoolers.com- code WCB for 15% off https://hookandarrowsupply.com https://www.leupold.com/ https://www.workingclassbowhunter.com/ https://www.facebook.com/p/Moldys-Marine-100067184804787/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This biography offers a fascinating look at Ken Blanchard's journey and how his groundbreaking concepts like "Catching People Doing Things Right" transformed the world of leadership. Lawrence, who has worked closely with Ken Blanchard for over two decades and served as an executive editor at Blanchard, provides a unique insider's perspective on his life and impact.This insightful biography explores the origins and evolution of "Situational Leadership" and the impactful concept of "Catching People Doing Things Right," tracing the life of its pioneer, bestselling author of One Minute Manager, and leadership expert, Ken Blanchard. From his beginnings as a self-proclaimed "mediocre student" to becoming a global icon in management thought, the book delves into how Blanchard revolutionized leadership worldwide. He is the co-founder of management and leadership training company, BlanchardBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.
My guest for Episode #318 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Matthew Neal Davis, an attorney, entrepreneur, and author of the provocative book The Art of Preventing Stupid. Episode page with video and more Matthew is the founder and managing partner of Davis Business Law, which has grown more than 1,000% in six years, earning a spot on the Inc. 5000 list. In addition to running a multi-office law firm across several states, he's also the frontman of a heavy metal band called Geriatric Steel. In this episode, Matthew shares how not fully recognizing the leadership lessons from his Eagle Scout experience early in his legal career became a favorite mistake—and how it shaped the way he leads his firm today. Matthew reflects on the hiring and leadership missteps that stemmed from overlooking those early lessons—particularly how applying Ken Blanchard's Situational Leadership framework helped him better support team members through growth phases. He explains how understanding where someone is on the spectrum from “excited beginner” to “self-reliant high achiever” has transformed how he mentors attorneys and minimizes costly turnover. These insights, combined with structured systems and data dashboards, now fuel a high-performance culture rooted in learning and ownership. ...we have rituals around this. Every Wednesday is WINSday—we celebrate successes. Every Friday, we have a firm huddle where we talk about what kicked our butts that week. We put it all on the table. That's how we learn. That's how we build trust and improvement into the culture. We also talk about the core idea behind Matthew's book: that most business problems come from one of three vulnerabilities—catastrophes, ignorance, or ill-discipline—and how leaders can build a "business immune system" to prevent them. From mismanaged Google Ads campaigns to ill-advised partnerships, Matthew brings humor and clarity to how we can all learn faster, prepare better, and focus on growth. His story is a compelling reminder that being proactive beats being reactive—and that embracing mistakes is the best way to strengthen your systems and your culture. Questions and Topics: What's your favorite mistake? What did you overlook from your Eagle Scout experience that later became valuable in business? What specific mistakes did you make in those early years of running the firm? How do you apply situational leadership in your law firm? Can you share an example of helping someone move through that “frustrated learner” phase? What lessons from Scouting translate to business leadership? Did you ever think growing the firm beyond a solo practice was a mistake? What do you mean by “preventing stupid”? Can you explain your framework for categorizing business vulnerabilities? How do you distinguish ignorance from stupidity in business? What are examples of ill-discipline you've seen in your firm? Have you created checklists to avoid repeating mistakes? What is the Strong Protected Business System? How does your business immune system tool work? What do you mean by circular systems in business? How do you think about culture as your firm grows? Have you managed to avoid hiring narcissistic or toxic attorneys? How often do you get to play with your band, Geriatric Steel? Are your original songs available on Spotify or anywhere online?
Have you heard these myths about toxic work environments? 1. "It's just part of the job, suck it up." 2. "If you speak up, you'll be seen as a troublemaker." 3. "You're overreacting, it's not that bad." I'll share the truth about these toxic workplace myths, but trust me, you'll want to stick around for the real strategies. In this episode, you will be able to: Mastering strategies for creating psychological safety at work can transform team dynamics and boost productivity. Navigating toxic work environments requires understanding the impact on employee well-being and organizational success. Identifying workplace bullying behaviors empowers leaders to foster a healthier and more inclusive work culture. Understanding the impact of abrasive leaders on team health is crucial for cultivating a positive and supportive work environment. Building healthier team dynamics in the workplace can lead to increased collaboration, engagement, and overall job satisfaction. My special guest is Catherine Mattice Catherine Mattice, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is the founder/CEO of Civility Partners, an organizational development firm focused on helping organizations create respectful workplace cultures and specializing in turning around toxic cultures. Civility Partners' clients range from Fortune 500's to small businesses across many industries. Catherine is a TEDx speaker and an HR thought-leader who has appeared in such venues as USA Today, Bloomberg, CNN, NPR, and many other national news outlets as an expert. She's an award-winning speaker, author and blogger, and has 50+ courses reaching global audiences on LinkedIn Learning. Catherine's award-winning book, BACK OFF! Your Kick-Ass Guide to Ending Bullying at Work, was hailed by international leadership-guru, Ken Blanchard, as, “the most comprehensive and valuable handbook on the topic.” Her latest book is Navigating Toxic Work Environments For Dummies (Wiley). The key moments in this episode are:00:02:19 - Recognizing Toxic Behaviors in the Workplace 00:08:00 - Overcoming Gaslighting and Competence Questioning 00:10:39 - Shifting Toxic Culture in Organizations 00:13:22 - Misalignment of Organizational Values 00:02:55 - Impactful Conversation with Kathryn Matthias 00:13:54 - Challenging Narratives and Toxic Work Environments 00:15:33 - Dangers of Abrasive Leadership 00:19:37 - Perception and Behavior Change 00:23:25 - Impact of Workplace Bullying 00:25:37 - Uncovering Blind Spots in Organizations 00:27:02 - The Purpose of Core Values 00:29:02 - The Cost of Toxic Behavior 00:32:23 - The Importance of Self-Awareness 00:37:00 - Reimagining HR for Culture Management 00:38:56 - Preparing for Keynotes and Leadership 00:40:01 - Evolution of Workplace Trends 00:41:37 - Humanizing the Workplace 00:42:24 - Supporting Victims of Workplace Bullying 00:44:32 - Encouraging Empathy and Kindness Subscribe, rate, and share the show with five people to spread the message of empathy, equity, and kindness. Help build a community of people who believe in listening to those who are different from us. Join the Patreon community, Difference Makers, for behind-the-scenes content, extra questions, and a community that gets it. Hop on Substack for deeper conversations and thoughts, where the deeper conversations happen. Rate and review the show to provide feedback and shape the community. Share what challenges you are facing at work and what you would love to hear more of on the podcast. Check out the Mastering the Career Pivot masterclass to take control of your career pivot with confidence and land a job you love. Gain access to video training, self-paced exercises, a free career pivot guide, and the Pivot Package for a clear, actionable roadmap to make career moves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode of The Jon Gordon Podcast, I sit down with Rafi Kohan, author, cultural observer, and the mind behind Trash Talk: The Only Book About Destroying Your Rivals That Isn't Total Garbage. What started as a casual Zoom between new friends quickly turned into a lively deep dive into the world of competitive banter, all captured here in real time. Together, Rafi and I explore the fascinating, untold science and history of trash talk. He breaks down why trash talk is more than just gamesmanship on the field, it's a fundamental part of human behavior, threaded through ancient stories from the Bible to the Homeric poems, and alive in everything from politics to playgrounds. We get into how trash talk manipulates attention, anxiety, motivation, and even performance, and why some of the world's greatest athletes and public figures use it to their advantage. Rafi shares wild stories, including some next-level antics from a soccer goalie who turned mental distraction into an art form, reveals why even the most positive folks can't resist a little friendly ribbing (looking at you, Ken Blanchard), and reflects on how the lessons of trash talking stretch far beyond sports, touching on politics, performance, resilience, and even moral character. We also riff on modern-day masters of the craft (think Muhammad Ali to Donald Trump) and the fine line between competition that lifts us up versus rivalry that tears us down. If you've ever wondered why we talk smack, how to handle it when it happens, or what it really says about us, you'll find insight and plenty of laughs in this episode. Whether you're a serious competitor, a sports fan, or someone who's just curious about why people do what they do, this conversation brings fresh perspective, energy, and practical takeaways on embracing pressure, building grit, and becoming the kind of rival that makes everyone better. And yes, there's a little trash talk between us too. If you want to rethink the way you handle challenges, on the court, at work, or in life, this episode is for you. Rafi Kohan is an award-winning sports journalist and dynamic keynote speaker. He is the author, most recently, of Trash Talk: The Only Book About Destroying Your Rivals That Isn't Total Garbage, which explores the phenomenon of verbal gamesmanship in sports, and everywhere, and what it reveals about our ability to perform under pressure. About Rafi, Kohan's first book, The Arena, is a wide-ranging examination of the modern American sports stadium and was a finalist for the 2018 PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing. Previously, Kohan has served as deputy editor at the New York Observer and as executive editorial director for the Atlantic's creative marketing studio. His writing has appeared in numerous publications, including GQ, the New York Times, Men's Journal, Rolling Stone, and the Wall Street Journal, among many others, and his thought leadership on the surprising benefits of trash talk has been featured on Fast Company, Scientific American, NPR's Science Friday, BBC's Unexpected Elements, and Re:Thinking with Adam Grant. Here's a few additional resources for you… Follow me on Instagram: @JonGordon11 Order my new book 'The 7 Commitments of a Great Team' today! Every week, I send out a free Positive Tip newsletter via email. It's advice for your life, work and team. You can sign up now here and catch up on past newsletters. Join me for my Day of Development! You'll learn proven strategies to develop confidence, improve your leadership and build a connected and committed team. You'll leave with an action plan to supercharge your growth and results. It's time to Create your Positive Advantage. Get details and sign up here. Do you feel called to do more? Would you like to impact more people as a leader, writer, speaker, coach and trainer? Get Jon Gordon Certified if you want to be mentored by me and my team to teach my proven frameworks principles, and programs for businesses, sports, education, healthcare!
Do you want to bring out the best in your people while also maximizing your bottom line? In this episode, former WD-40 Company CEO Garry Ridge explains how leaders can build dedicated teams and drive phenomenal success by following Aristotle's principle, “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” YOU WILL LEARN:· The ‘dumbass' leadership philosophy.· The 4 pillars of a fearless tribe.· The impact of values on organizational success. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: thelearningmoment.net “Any Dumbass Can Do It,” by Garry Ridge “Helping People Win at Work,” by Ken Blanchard and Garry Ridge “To Be Honest,” by Ron A. Carucci “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten,” by Robert FulghumNOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE: “Anything of value comes from learning.” – Garry Ridge “People are happy when they know they're making a difference and they're respected for doing that.” – Garry Ridge “Dumbassery is a superpower, and the dumbassery really is you as the leader deflating your ego and making sure your role is to bring out the best of everybody else.” – Garry Ridge “Let's get rid of the word failure, and let's talk about ‘We don't make mistakes in our organization. We have learning moments.'” – Garry Ridge “It's not about you; it's about the people you have the privilege to lead.” – Garry Ridge itsagoodlife.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk Episode #625: Anthony Consigli - Digging Graves, Playing Football at Harvard, Learning From Failure, Taking Big Chances, & Growing a Business From $3 Million to $4 Billion Anthony's great-grandfather came from Italy and he was a stone mason. He had 6 sons. He gave each a trade. His grandfather had a business mind. Then WWII came. 4 brothers went and fought. His grandfather and blind uncle stayed back to run the business. He brought his son into it (Anthony's dad) he was a heavy equipment operator. And did business leadership work after it. Hard Work: Born in 1967, 2nd oldest of 5 kids. Grew up in the 1970's remembering his dad always working 2 jobs including Saturdays as a heavy equipment operator in construction with side jobs at night, his mom as a night nurse with his grandmother watching them during the day. Hard work and work ethic were drilled into them by their dad, grandfather, and uncles who all were in construction. All had stoic personalities. Anthony started working full-time in the Summer, Saturdays, and school vacations in the 7th grade when he was 12. Cleaning the mortar off bricks from demolished buildings so that they could be reused, then digging and covering graves by hand at a bunch of local cemeteries. Chopping wood and burning the rubber off electrical wire from demolished buildings so we could bring the copper to the scrap yard for cash. It was not your typical childhood but I can see now it gave me incredible life lessons at an early age that allowed me to flourish in business and be a strong leader. Anthony was a gravedigger -I was a big part of the business because it was a consistent revenue stream. Regardless of a recession, people were going to die. For that reason, his dad and grandfather never wanted to give it up. Anthony dug them by hand, year-round. When I was in high school I was in charge of laying out the graves to be dug for the recently deceased. As the Catholic Church was not known for great record keeping the coordinates were often confused. I would cut the sod, save it and then start digging; 7.5' long, 4 foot wide, about 5.5'deep. I had to take 22 wheelbarrows of dirt and wheel them up a plank onto a truck as that was the displacement from the coffin and concrete box. One night the phone rang at the house. My dad yelled at me to tell me I had buried the body in the wrong place. He may have had a few expletives in there. The next morning, I spent the day digging a new hole, moving the box to the new grave, and then filling in both graves while the family watched. I tried blaming the priest but this was a losing battle. Lessons like this taught us accountability. Own it. Do what you say you are going to do and clean up your own messes. Dump Truck Story - When I was 14 I was helping to demolish the interiors of an old convent and we were throwing all the old cinder blocks into a dump truck. My grandfather didn't have anyone available to go dump the truck so he showed me the different lever and buttons; the clutch, the PTO, and gears, and told me where to go dump the truck. I knew a little about how to drive standard but had never driven a dump truck so he told me to leave it in first gear. I drove down the Main Street of the town with a long line of traffic behind me as I was going about 5 miles per hour. I got to the dump site, got the truck in position, enacted the PTO let my foot off the clutch, and got the dump body to start raising. I remember being so proud of myself. Like I had made it as a man. All of a sudden the truck jerked up violently and before I knew what happened the truck cab was in the air and the truck was upright vertically. I had forgotten to open the tailgate so the load had shifted and flipped the truck. There were no cell phones so I walked about a mile back to the site very embarrassed to call my grandfather. Construction has no shortage of occasions to be humbled as there are so many changing dynamics at hand all the time. But at the same time, being thrown into situations like this gave me this incredible tolerance for risk. It was embarrassing but you could overcome that embarrassment. 1997 - Anthony became the CEO. $3m business at that time. Anthony pushed for bigger work. 25 people at the company then. 2024 - $3.4B 2,400 employees. What happened? One big thing is a concept/book called Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard. Construction at the time was low bid, hard knuckles, people flipping the table, throw staplers. It wasn't friendly. It started to get more professional over time. “Raving fans makes sense to me. Apply how you treat people in hospitality to construction. We work hard on client service skills. Being really professional. There is so much repeat business. That was harder than I expected it to be. Clients were rewarding us work over and over again. We were nice people to deal with. Raving fans stayed with us. We've done a lot of jobs at Harvard or hospital systems. We've earned that reputation. I came into the business during a bad recession. That bruised me. I had to tell people I couldn't pay them. I worried about where money would come from.” The significance of their logo? The arch… The Arch is our logo and helps support these values. The arch is from the oldest surviving picture of our great grandfather who was a simple, hardworking, stone mason building this big stone arch. The arch denotes teamwork as you can't do it alone. It symbolizes forward progress, quality, and craft. All stuff we want to be associated with. Take Big Chances – We got through the first recession knowing we needed to be larger to be able to withstand the ups and downs of the economic cycle. We started taking some chances on some larger jobs with more demanding clients which was extremely stressful as we had no idea what we were doing. It was new territory. This is where all the humbling experiences as a kid like digging graves helped as it gave me the courage to take some risks. Failure isn't final and you can push through mistakes. Football at Harvard - Learned more on the football field than in any classroom. Discipline to a process. All the players at Harvard are there for the love of the game. I was admitted to Harvard with OK grades, but I could snap a football and block. I was surprised at the time Harvard accepted me. Looking back on it now, I should have been shocked as I was a meathead. At the same time, I think my blue-collar work history in a small family business, my being an Eagle Scout, and generally smart kid all helped. Harvard changed me in good ways despite my best efforts not to let Harvard change me in bad ways. I had this perception of blue-blood kids walking around with ascots and monocles or hippies protesting every earthly transgression on the planet. But that is not what I found. I made the best friends of my life; incredible diversity with kids from every socio-economic strata you could think of. Our team had a kid who was in an LA street gang and a kid who worked summers second shift in a limestone mill outside of Pittsburgh yet at the same time had a kid who was fifth generation Harvard who was just a nice guy. Really smart but normal kids. As much as I didn't want to change, I needed to change; be more open-minded, more curious, have better dressing and grooming habits, and manners. It meant being able to engage in meaningful conversation on heady topics; not Hulk Hogan and the WWF or how tough Chuck Norris was. I would always say that I didn't learn much in the classroom at Harvard but that's not fair. Liberal arts education is a bit under fire right now but it has served me well. I learned more through exposure to different people, other students smarter than me who were in random conversations and late-night debates. I learned more on the football field as I learned more about resilience, how to lose, and how to prepare. The liberal arts education gave me an appreciation for continued curiosity, learning, and study which may be a more important skill than any in a fast-changing world. It was the well-roundedness I needed. Leadership in Construction - Leadership means different things to different people. It can be easy in some settings. In football, all the players wanted to play. For a job site in South Boston, you walk onto a job site, you have 300-400 that don't want to be there, some don't speak English, then we get a union group, or an architect has other ideas, then traffic, weather, and things you can't control. It's hard for a leader to keep everybody working in the same direction. That's a huge leadership task. I was thinking about that. A construction superintendent at 6 am is thinking about all of this stuff. What makes someone good at that job? Sense of urgency, align and motivate hundreds of people, great planners, organized. Had a former Marine Vietnam Seargent who was great. A gym teacher who's awesome, he's in NYC with a job several city blocks. High sense of urgency, detail-oriented, motivates and aligns people. We do personality testing, and we've got a lot of people who are lower A and just as successful as higher A personalities. Such team players. Can put a team together. We like people who have played sports. Hiking – About 12 years ago, Anthony, his brother, son, and a few guys went out to hike a 10,000-footer in Colorado. They met their guide who was this little, old dude who looked like he smoked pot fairly regularly. As they looked to get started, Anthony asked him for the trail map and he said he didn't have one. “How do you know how to get to the top?" He pointed to the top of the mountain and said “It's right up there, we just need to keep going up." But when they were at the top, Anthony realized it was just an analogy for their business. We just needed to keep taking one more step up. ESOP - Consigli implemented an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) to make the company entirely employee-owned, fostering a culture of accountability, shared responsibility, and pride among their teammates, where employees directly benefit from the company's success and feel a stronger sense of ownership in decision-making; essentially, it aimed to create a more engaged and motivated employee base by giving them a stake in the company's performance.
Mentors. Chances are slim you have someone who really fills the role. These days people will tend to cite their favorite authors and philosophers and influences as their mentors. And to that degree, I'd say that almost everyone in my life “mentors” me, as I learn from everyone. But I really define a mentor as someone who literally knows you and is invested in helping guide you. We used to have this in families where we lived in a village and closely amongst family and friends. We had grandparents, aunts and uncles and even neighbors who were truly involved in our lives. Today, we are isolated. A few years ago I sat down with Ken Blanchard, famous business and personal leader. Ken authored The One Minute Manager which is a business classic and has sold more than 15 million copies. But this conversation wasn't about management. It was about mentoring. Ken became the mentor for Claire Diaz-Ortiz, who is an author, speaker and innovation advisor who was an early employee at Twitter. She was named one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company and called “The Woman Who Got the Pope on Twitter.” Clair is an award-winning author of eight books that have been published in more than a dozen countries. But the story here is Ken became a mentor to Claire, and together they co-authored a book titled, One Minute Mentoring: How to Find and Work With a Mentor - and Why You'll Benefit from Being One. Ken asked Claire to do this book with him because he not only personally mentors her, but she in turn mentors him in regards to the younger generation. It makes an incredibly valuable perspective on the need, value and opportunity of mentoring. I bring this back because at the age of 53, I found a true mentor in my life, and it has been transformational. My core devotion is to finding deep fulfillment in life, and helping others find find it as well. When I'm not on this microphone I'm working with people as a life coach and often applying what fulfills them into their work and business. Connect with me at kevinmiller.co or email me at kmiller@kevinmiller.co. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices