Podcasts about missionu

In this episode, we sit down with Mike Adams, Founder & Chief Innovation Officer of Grain, to discuss how his company is transforming the way businesses handle virtual meetings. Grain leverages AI-powered technology to record, analyze, and derive insights from customer conversations, helping teams close more deals and better understand their clients. Mike shares his journey from co-founding MissionU, a Zoom-based university acquired by WeWork, to creating Grain amidst the rise of remote work and remote selling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn how Grain's innovative platform is positioned perfectly to capitalize on the increasing importance of conversation data and how it continues to grow with the rise of large language models. Tune in to discover the future of meeting intelligence, the impact of AI on remote work, and how Grain is helping businesses stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. This show is supported by www.matchrelevant.com. A company that helps venture-backed Startups find the best people available in the market, who have the skills, experience, and desire to grow. With over a decade of experience in recruitment across multiple domains, they give people career options to choose from in their career journey.

Experienced venture founders talking about topics that can help others. Guest @michaelglena (Degreed, MissionU, Grain) Hosts @berman66 (Nanit, Vowel) @kevingibbon (Shyp, Airhouse)

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Mike Adams, Co-Founder & CEO of Grain, a meeting insights platform that raised $22 Million in funding, about how to build the next in-demand product by really drilling down into the problems people deal with on a daily basis. Grain exists to capture, copy, and share key points from live conversations automatically so clients can concentrate more effectively on the conversation itself instead of losing focus on writing notes about it. We also talk about how Grain acquires customers as a startup and builds strong relationships with them, tailoring their solution to a client's specific problem. In addition to that, we also talk about Mark's challenges in navigating remote work through the pandemic, despite his dislike towards remote working. Topics Discussed: Mike's journey from Utah to San Francisco where he built his first start-up and eventually started Grain Mike's experience building MissionU, an education company which was sold to WeWork back in 2018, which is where the idea for Grain came from. Mike's admiration for Sid Sijbrandij, the Co-Founder and CEO of GitLab, particularly about their solid business and company culture. How Mike met his Co-founder and decided to start a company that could record every meeting or interview and store that data in their own software. How Grain acquires big names as a startup. He talks about building good and genuinely needed products that actually solve problems. They were always doing one-on-one on-boarding meetings with their customers to build relationships and tailor the product to the customer's needs. Grain's competitive landscape and market creation. Mike considers Grain as a ‘new flavor inside an existing category'. Mike's greatest challenge while building Grain: COVID and navigating through completely remote work.  Grain's vision for the next three years and how those visions excite Mark.   Favorite book:  The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

Mike Adams is a 3x founder and CEO of Grain.co. Grain, a communication platform for teams to turn every daily video call into shared team knowledge. He has over 10 years of experience building skills to job education software programs like Degreed, Hack Reactor, and MissionU. He is a pioneer of fully immersive cohort-based education. Through Grain, Adam is on a mission to help teams to share more understanding with each other and the people they work together to serve. In this episode, Mike shares how we can create customer value via systems of intelligence that drive growth. Insights he shares include: Why Mike is trying to build a category with GrainHow do systems of intelligence create predictable business growthCustomer value: what it means with examplesHow to create customer valueWhat are forms of customer valueHow do you add value to a serviceWhat can destroy value for a customerHow can we add value to our productWhat strategies can you apply in order to create customer valueWhy businesses don't believe that recording every conversation is worth the riskDoesn't recording all conversations create clutter and add to the noiseHow to create customer value by recording every conversationand much much more ...

Today’s guest is Mike Adams, Cofounder and CEO of Grain, a SaaS platform that records, transcribes, and shares highlights from Zoom video calls. Mike shares his history in the tech field, how he came to identify the need for a system like Grain, and how he founded it. He also mentions the many uses and benefits of the platform and its integrations with other platforms. As the founder of MissionU, which was shut down shortly after being acquired by WeWork, Mike talks through that process, the acquisition, and some of the valuable lessons he learned from its success and demise. Tuning in today, you’ll hear the pros and cons of income share agreements as vehicles to provide access to education and training instead of loans, and the importance of transparency. To find out more about Grain, how it makes money, and other insights from Mike as a successful three-time founder, make sure not to miss this episode! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:14] An introduction to three-time founder, Mike Adams.  [00:57] His history in tech and how he founded Grain. [02:14] What inspired Mike to come up with the concept for Grain. [04:02] Examples of use-cases of Grain, from interview settings and meetings between consultants and clients to general team knowledge.  [06:27] How Grain is different from similar products like Gong. [08:16] The benefits of using Grain with embeddable partners like Slack. [10:13] Other integrations, like Zapier, Dropbox Paper, Notion, Coda, and Miro, and the benefits of using embeddable media from Grain through them. [12:00] How Grain makes money through subscriptions.  [12:59] Why Mike exited MissionU: not every VC-backed business is appropriately VC-backed. [15:30] Why he didn’t actually make any money on the acquisition and why it was shut down shortly after.   [17:14] What he learned from the experience. [17:46] The pros and cons of income share agreements as vehicles to provide access to education and training instead of loans. [20:04] Mike’s history in education and training.  [21:22] Mike’s views on loans, financiers, and income share agreements in education and the importance of transparency. [26:20] Mike’s cheat code for healthy living: training for triathlons. [28:54] His favorite business tool and book. Resources From The Interview:   Grain Gong  Zoom Slack  Zapier  Dropbox Paper  Notion  Coda  Miro WeWork Strava Roam    Must read book: Inspired The Mom Test   Mike Adams Email — mike@grain.co Mike Adams Blog — mgadams.com   Leave Some Feedback:     What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed     Connect with Eric Siu:      Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter    

Adam Braun is an American entrepreneur, best-selling author, and philanthropist. He is the Founder of Pencils of Promise, a non-profit organization that builds schools and increases access to education for children in the developing world. He has recently founded a company called MissionU which is an alternative to higher education that is set to disrupt the industry and change the way that we view higher learning. Favorite Success Quote “Live not in dreams but in contemplation of a reality that is perhaps the future.” ~Rainer Rilke Key Points 1. Say “No” More One of the most powerful words in the English language is the word “No”. If you learn to use this word effectively, you can add dozens of hours of productive time to your weeks, reduce your mental and emotional stressors, and eliminate the vast majority of the tasks that aren’t truly serving you. But there’s a catch… In order to become a master of the word “No” you must first learn to prioritize your own time, success, and happiness above anyone else’s. It might sound selfish or egotistic, but the simple fact of the matter is that you should come first. If you aren’t taking care of yourself by saying “no” to the things that aren’t serving you, then you are withholding your potential and your power from the world. Think about it… If you say “Yes” to working on a project for 3 clients even though that project will not pay you what you are worth and isn’t in alignment with your goals and values, then what’s going to happen when you are swamped with work but have a new client reach out to you with a position that would change your life? Or imagine that you have said “Yes” to several meetings that you didn’t want to attend and that didn’t serve you in any way… You are now forced to say “No” when an opportunity presents itself that is in true alignment with your vision. And all of these seemingly little and innocuous compromises will eventually accumulate until you are off track, off purpose, and up to your neck in things that aren’t part of your ultimate mission on this planet. 2.Learn to Delegate Richard Branson, the (in)famous entrepreneur, author, playboy, and philanthropist was once asked to share the secret behind his numerous billion-dollar companies. His answer was surprising… He didn’t say anything about needing a good idea, or working hard, or having lots of capital. No, he said that his secret was to find people who were better than he was, hire those people, and provide them with everything they needed to take his companies into the stratosphere. If you truly want to excel at business, then you must learn to delegate. Find people who are better than you are at a given position and give them the reigns. Because you can’t do it alone. And you would be a fool to try. 3. Be an Entrepreneurial Missionary, not a Mercenary  There are two types of entrepreneurs. Missionaries and mercenaries. The entrepreneurial mercenary has one focus… Money. And while money is not necessarily a bad thing (as we will discuss momentarily) you need to realize that anyone who is solely focused on wealth will likely lose motivation, tire out, and quit. Instead, you should strive to be an entrepreneurial missionary, or, in other words, an entrepreneur whose end goal encompasses more than just a few added zeroes in your bank account. You need to have a mission for your business, you must genuinely want to serve the world and make an impact, and believe that you are the person to do it. Otherwise, you will spend years of your life tirelessly chasing money and success without ever making a real dent in the universe, without ever making a difference. And the irony of all of this? Entrepreneurs who focus on adding value and serving their world first tend to be the entrepreneurs who make the greatest profits in the long run. So regardless of whether you own your own company or are working for someone else, do your best to ensure that every step you make and every goal you set is for a purpose and a mission greater than yourself. The results will astonish you… 4. Money is an Avenue to Freedom Money is a complicated beast. It can bring about so much joy, happiness, and fulfillment, but it can also be at the heart of so much pain, agony, and suffering. Because of the dichotomous and confusing nature of money (and the fact that few of us receive a relevant financial education), it can be easy to fall into the trap of viewing money as either “Evil” or the “End all be all” of life. I am here to tell you… It’s neither. Money is simply an avenue to freedom, it’s a tool, an instrument to be wielded by those who possess it. With money, you can do some incredible things. You can transform lives, build a lasting legacy, and create a real impact on the universe. Without it, your options are severely limited, and your freedom is hindered. The sooner you realize that money is a tool and that in and of itself, has no moral standing, the sooner you will be able to create real wealth for yourself that you can use to bring about a significant amount of good in the universe. 5. Set a Vision, Stick to It, and Stay Accountable  If you want to achieve your goals and live a life of success and fulfillment, then you must set a vision, stick to it, and get massively accountable. You see, most of you reading this right now have at least one of these three steps in order. Maybe you have a vision, but you are constantly changing it and find yourself unable to follow through. Maybe you have been working tirelessly towards a goal or a dream but you know in your heart that it isn’t truly congruent with your values and deepest desires. Maybe you have surrounded yourself with people who lift you to a higher level and want you to excel… But you have no vision for which they can hold you accountable. Whatever the case may be, if you want to excel in all areas of life and truly live a level 10/10 life, then you must set a crystal clear vision for what you want, stick to that vision, and get massive accountability from people you respect and admire. If any one of these ingredients is missing, the whole ship will sink and your dreams will never come to fruition. Set a vision. Stick to your vision. And get accountable. Now…

Adam Braun is an American entrepreneur, best-selling author, and philanthropist. He is the Founder of Pencils of Promise, a non-profit organization that builds schools and increases access to education for children in the developing world. He has recently founded a company called MissionU which is an alternative to higher education that is set to disrupt the industry and change the way that we view higher learning. Favorite Success Quote “Live not in dreams but in contemplation of a reality that is perhaps the future.” ~Rainer Rilke Key Points 1. Say “No” More One of the most powerful words in the English language is the word “No”. If you learn to use this word effectively, you can add dozens of hours of productive time to your weeks, reduce your mental and emotional stressors, and eliminate the vast majority of the tasks that aren’t truly serving you. But there’s a catch… In order to become a master of the word “No” you must first learn to prioritize your own time, success, and happiness above anyone else’s. It might sound selfish or egotistic, but the simple fact of the matter is that you should come first. If you aren’t taking care of yourself by saying “no” to the things that aren’t serving you, then you are withholding your potential and your power from the world. Think about it… If you say “Yes” to working on a project for 3 clients even though that project will not pay you what you are worth and isn’t in alignment with your goals and values, then what’s going to happen when you are swamped with work but have a new client reach out to you with a position that would change your life? Or imagine that you have said “Yes” to several meetings that you didn’t want to attend and that didn’t serve you in any way… You are now forced to say “No” when an opportunity presents itself that is in true alignment with your vision. And all of these seemingly little and innocuous compromises will eventually accumulate until you are off track, off purpose, and up to your neck in things that aren’t part of your ultimate mission on this planet. 2.Learn to Delegate Richard Branson, the (in)famous entrepreneur, author, playboy, and philanthropist was once asked to share the secret behind his numerous billion-dollar companies. His answer was surprising… He didn’t say anything about needing a good idea, or working hard, or having lots of capital. No, he said that his secret was to find people who were better than he was, hire those people, and provide them with everything they needed to take his companies into the stratosphere. If you truly want to excel at business, then you must learn to delegate. Find people who are better than you are at a given position and give them the reigns. Because you can’t do it alone. And you would be a fool to try. 3. Be an Entrepreneurial Missionary, not a Mercenary  There are two types of entrepreneurs. Missionaries and mercenaries. The entrepreneurial mercenary has one focus… Money. And while money is not necessarily a bad thing (as we will discuss momentarily) you need to realize that anyone who is solely focused on wealth will likely lose motivation, tire out, and quit. Instead, you should strive to be an entrepreneurial missionary, or, in other words, an entrepreneur whose end goal encompasses more than just a few added zeroes in your bank account. You need to have a mission for your business, you must genuinely want to serve the world and make an impact, and believe that you are the person to do it. Otherwise, you will spend years of your life tirelessly chasing money and success without ever making a real dent in the universe, without ever making a difference. And the irony of all of this? Entrepreneurs who focus on adding value and serving their world first tend to be the entrepreneurs who make the greatest profits in the long run. So regardless of whether you own your own company or are working for someone else, do your best to ensure that every step you make and every goal you set is for a purpose and a mission greater than yourself. The results will astonish you… 4. Money is an Avenue to Freedom Money is a complicated beast. It can bring about so much joy, happiness, and fulfillment, but it can also be at the heart of so much pain, agony, and suffering. Because of the dichotomous and confusing nature of money (and the fact that few of us receive a relevant financial education), it can be easy to fall into the trap of viewing money as either “Evil” or the “End all be all” of life. I am here to tell you… It’s neither. Money is simply an avenue to freedom, it’s a tool, an instrument to be wielded by those who possess it. With money, you can do some incredible things. You can transform lives, build a lasting legacy, and create a real impact on the universe. Without it, your options are severely limited, and your freedom is hindered. The sooner you realize that money is a tool and that in and of itself, has no moral standing, the sooner you will be able to create real wealth for yourself that you can use to bring about a significant amount of good in the universe. 5. Set a Vision, Stick to It, and Stay Accountable  If you want to achieve your goals and live a life of success and fulfillment, then you must set a vision, stick to it, and get massively accountable. You see, most of you reading this right now have at least one of these three steps in order. Maybe you have a vision, but you are constantly changing it and find yourself unable to follow through. Maybe you have been working tirelessly towards a goal or a dream but you know in your heart that it isn’t truly congruent with your values and deepest desires. Maybe you have surrounded yourself with people who lift you to a higher level and want you to excel… But you have no vision for which they can hold you accountable. Whatever the case may be, if you want to excel in all areas of life and truly live a level 10/10 life, then you must set a crystal clear vision for what you want, stick to that vision, and get massive accountability from people you respect and admire. If any one of these ingredients is missing, the whole ship will sink and your dreams will never come to fruition. Set a vision. Stick to your vision. And get accountable. Now…

Adam Braun is an American entrepreneur, best-selling author, and philanthropist. He is the Founder of Pencils of Promise, a non-profit organization that builds schools and increases access to education for children in the developing world. He has recently founded a company called MissionU which is an alternative to higher education that is set to disrupt the industry and change the way that we view higher learning. Favorite Success Quote “Live not in dreams but in contemplation of a reality that is perhaps the future.” ~Rainer Rilke Key Points 1. Say “No” More One of the most powerful words in the English language is the word “No”. If you learn to use this word effectively, you can add dozens of hours of productive time to your weeks, reduce your mental and emotional stressors, and eliminate the vast majority of the tasks that aren’t truly serving you. But there’s a catch… In order to become a master of the word “No” you must first learn to prioritize your own time, success, and happiness above anyone else’s. It might sound selfish or egotistic, but the simple fact of the matter is that you should come first. If you aren’t taking care of yourself by saying “no” to the things that aren’t serving you, then you are withholding your potential and your power from the world. Think about it… If you say “Yes” to working on a project for 3 clients even though that project will not pay you what you are worth and isn’t in alignment with your goals and values, then what’s going to happen when you are swamped with work but have a new client reach out to you with a position that would change your life? Or imagine that you have said “Yes” to several meetings that you didn’t want to attend and that didn’t serve you in any way… You are now forced to say “No” when an opportunity presents itself that is in true alignment with your vision. And all of these seemingly little and innocuous compromises will eventually accumulate until you are off track, off purpose, and up to your neck in things that aren’t part of your ultimate mission on this planet. 2.Learn to Delegate Richard Branson, the (in)famous entrepreneur, author, playboy, and philanthropist was once asked to share the secret behind his numerous billion-dollar companies. His answer was surprising… He didn’t say anything about needing a good idea, or working hard, or having lots of capital. No, he said that his secret was to find people who were better than he was, hire those people, and provide them with everything they needed to take his companies into the stratosphere. If you truly want to excel at business, then you must learn to delegate. Find people who are better than you are at a given position and give them the reigns. Because you can’t do it alone. And you would be a fool to try. 3. Be an Entrepreneurial Missionary, not a Mercenary  There are two types of entrepreneurs. Missionaries and mercenaries. The entrepreneurial mercenary has one focus… Money. And while money is not necessarily a bad thing (as we will discuss momentarily) you need to realize that anyone who is solely focused on wealth will likely lose motivation, tire out, and quit. Instead, you should strive to be an entrepreneurial missionary, or, in other words, an entrepreneur whose end goal encompasses more than just a few added zeroes in your bank account. You need to have a mission for your business, you must genuinely want to serve the world and make an impact, and believe that you are the person to do it. Otherwise, you will spend years of your life tirelessly chasing money and success without ever making a real dent in the universe, without ever making a difference. And the irony of all of this? Entrepreneurs who focus on adding value and serving their world first tend to be the entrepreneurs who make the greatest profits in the long run. So regardless of whether you own your own company or are working for someone else, do your best to ensure that every step you make and every goal you set is for a purpose and a mission greater than yourself. The results will astonish you… 4. Money is an Avenue to Freedom Money is a complicated beast. It can bring about so much joy, happiness, and fulfillment, but it can also be at the heart of so much pain, agony, and suffering. Because of the dichotomous and confusing nature of money (and the fact that few of us receive a relevant financial education), it can be easy to fall into the trap of viewing money as either “Evil” or the “End all be all” of life. I am here to tell you… It’s neither. Money is simply an avenue to freedom, it’s a tool, an instrument to be wielded by those who possess it. With money, you can do some incredible things. You can transform lives, build a lasting legacy, and create a real impact on the universe. Without it, your options are severely limited, and your freedom is hindered. The sooner you realize that money is a tool and that in and of itself, has no moral standing, the sooner you will be able to create real wealth for yourself that you can use to bring about a significant amount of good in the universe. 5. Set a Vision, Stick to It, and Stay Accountable  If you want to achieve your goals and live a life of success and fulfillment, then you must set a vision, stick to it, and get massively accountable. You see, most of you reading this right now have at least one of these three steps in order. Maybe you have a vision, but you are constantly changing it and find yourself unable to follow through. Maybe you have been working tirelessly towards a goal or a dream but you know in your heart that it isn’t truly congruent with your values and deepest desires. Maybe you have surrounded yourself with people who lift you to a higher level and want you to excel… But you have no vision for which they can hold you accountable. Whatever the case may be, if you want to excel in all areas of life and truly live a level 10/10 life, then you must set a crystal clear vision for what you want, stick to that vision, and get massive accountability from people you respect and admire. If any one of these ingredients is missing, the whole ship will sink and your dreams will never come to fruition. Set a vision. Stick to your vision. And get accountable. Now…

This week, Cory speaks to entrepreneur, bestselling author, and philanthropist Adam Braun, who is best known for being the Founder of Pencils of Promise, a non-profit organization that builds schools and increases access to education for children in the developing world. He also wrote a New York Times best selling book The Promise of a Pencil and more recently the co-founder of one-year debt-free college alternative called MissionU. In this weeks episode, Adam talks about his personal upbringing and what lead him to start his organization, his offers advice to current college students, he opens up about past failures and says what are the biggest misconceptions about the outcome of a degree. “YOU SHOULD BE A SAVVY ROI-DRIVEN CONSUMER OF YOUR EDUCATION” Adam Braun (@AdamBraun) is a New York Time Bestselling Author, the Founder of Pencils of Promise, and the Founder of MissionU, a college alternative. Cory Levy interviewed Adam on the OFF RCRD Podcast about his past and advice for others based on his experiences. “I would say to any student, that you should be a savvy ROI-driven consumer of your education…thousands of the schools around the country that are charging enormous prices without particularly strong results.” In the interview, Adam also talked about the financial burden that college puts on students. “College is supposed to be this great economic enabler. My wife went to college and initially (went) out of state and transferred back in state because the tuition fees were so high and she just got absolutely decimated by this crazy amount of student debt and had to leave school before even completing her bachelor’s degree.” MissionU is a tuition-free college alternative that earns money from students based on their future earning potential instead of charging fees upfront. Adam explained that MissionU students aren’t looking for a traditional overpriced college education. “They don’t just want to learn about theory, about these abstract ideas. They want to do things that they can actually present to the real world and that employers will actually value as a skill that’s going to be needed for the rest of their career.” Adam believes in following your purpose but is skeptical of the advice that young people should follow their passion. “I think this idea that you should follow your passion is not a great piece of advice because passions are incredibly fleeting. The idea of following your passion means follow whatever you’re excited about at this moment, and I don’t think that it stretches people to really do the tough, introspective work, to not discover passion but to discover purpose. I’m a huge advocate of following your purpose.” Adam has followed his purpose, which has led him to become a best-selling author and the founder of two impactful companies.

Adam Braun from MissionU is building the future of education. Find out what it looks like through his innovative program. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Serial founders get good at knowing how to mobilize, when a big change is coming and how to push through. And if they're lucky, they also know themselves a lot better. That's certainly the case with Adam Braun. With his first venture, Pencils of Promise, Braun, who was in his 20s at the time it started, was able to completely focus of his nonprofit's mission: to build schools and create educational programs for those living in developing countries. He built 450 schools across the globe. He also suffered from major burnout -- a state he'd rather not reach again. Today, Braun is a more experienced founder with a new project: MissionU, a college alternative with no upfront tuition. To learn more about how Braun prevents burnout, the principles behind MissionU and his take on being an entrepreneur, listen to the latest edition of How Success Happens.

This week on the show we interview Adam Braun. Adam is the CEO & Co-Founder of MissionU, a debt-free college alternative for the 21st century that CNN called "perfect for young people who are eager to launch their career." Adam's goal is to overhaul the traditional higher education model by providing a solution that doesn't require upfront tuition and allows students to graduate debt-free.We discuss:How to balance family life with starting a company?What are Adam's favorite interview tactics?What's wrong with going to college?What does it take to turn your idea into a business?Adam has been featured as a speaker at The White House and named to Forbes 30 Under 30, Business Insider’s 40 Under 40, and Wired Magazine‘s 50 People Who Are Changing the World. He was previously founder & CEO of Pencils of Promise, the award-winning organization that has built nearly 400 schools around the world. Adam is the author of the bestselling book, The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change.

Higher education seems to be quite the topic these days. With the rising costs of education and the debate as to whether or not students are learning applicable skills, it seems inevitable that we'll see a shift away from traditional higher education to something more practical and affordable. I've been an advocate for trade schools and apprenticeships programs for some time now but my guest today gives us yet another option to the challenges our young men and women face on the road to higher education. My guest today is the founder of MissionU, a one-year higher educational program that gives students the skills and experience to succeed after college. Today we talk about the rising cost of education and what can be done about it, how education institutions and students can and should work together towards solutions, bringing back the human element to schooling, and the future of higher education. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS Why traditional higher education is becoming less relevant
 The future of higher education
 Enhancing the human element to higher education
 The rising cost of college and how to reduce it
 How to create win-wins between educational institutions and potential employers
 Utilizing technology to make education more efficient
 The power of teaching "soft skills" in college 
How colleges have an obligation to teach applicable skills
 Where traditional education is falling short 
How educational institutions and students can work together for solutions
 The power of investing in student's education ADAM BRAUN My guest today is Adam Bruan. Adam is a New York Times Bestselling author, an entrepreneur, and a speaker. He is the founder of Pencils of Promise, a "for-purpose" organization dedicated to building schools around the world. In fact, they have now built over 400 schools. What's even more impressive is that he took $25 and turned it into this organization that has generated $30,000,000 of funds raised. Since then, he has turned his attention to the challenges surrounding higher education and has dedicated himself to creating solutions to some of the world's most challenging problems. You're going to hear the passion and excitement in his voice as Adam and I have a conversation everyone would agree needs to be had about where to go with our post-secondary education. Please leave us a review at http://orderofman.com/itunes Shownotes: http://orderofman.com/152 Website: http://orderofman.com

Todd Uterstaedt interacts with high-powered leaders all day, guiding them as they build their teams, create their company culture, and practice the productivity hacks that help them transform from founders to CEOs. But ask the founder/CEO coach and "From Founder to CEO"podcast host just how he stays focused on his priorities as he juggles a family and demanding clients, and his answer may surprise you: pool walking. Yup, you read that right. Uterstaedt's secret to being a high achiever hinges upon whether he can get to his local pool and unplug for an hour while walking laps. "Productivity and mental clarity are intimately connected,"Uterstaedt explained to me. "You have to exercise, right? You have to do things that give your mind peace and clarity so that you know the single biggest thing to do as it relates to productivity, which is appropriately prioritize. "You can't prioritize things if your mind is racing and you haven't given your mind the opportunity to be clear about exactly who you are, exactly what your company's doing and exactly what your responsibilities are within that company." Uterstaedt experienced a major moment of professional clarity during his time in the Army. He was stationed in Berlin just after November 9, 1989 — a.k.a. the date the Berlin Wall fell. "I was enlisted at the time and watching military officers do their work as intelligence officers. I was doing well and heard about a "Green to Gold" scholarship, in which an enlisted individual can apply to go back to school, finish their degree, and become army officer." Not one to back down from a challenge, Uterstaedt decided to go for it, and got it. Now, he credits that year in Berlin and the amazing things that were happening there with him going after his first big professional moment. And the achievements have only piled up since then. Today, Uterstaedt brings people together through his peer group for founding CEOs, Trail Team 10. Recognizing that founders need a group of peers to bounce ideas off of, Uterstaedt launched Trail Team 10 about a year ago to help a group of founders from different cities come together on a regular basis and solve practical problems. And despite being from different cities, Uterstaedt helped this group foster a distant intimacy that felt real and authentic. But whether you're a founder/CEO or a regular 9-5er trying to grow professionally, Uterstaedt has one piece of advice for setting and achieving your goals. First, he suggests setting six month goals instead of annual goals, reasoning that a year is too long for most goals and a June check-in can be much more valuable. Second, Uterstaedt recommends sharing that goal with two key people: one who knows you personally and "just gets you," and one professional acquaintance who "knows the industry" and can offer their perspective there. To hear more of Uterstaedt's tips for founders and CEOs and apply them to your own goals, listen to our episode of #WeGotGoals. Don't forget to rate and review on iTunes. --- JAC: Welcome to #WeGotGoals, a podcast by aSweatLIfe.com on which we talk to high achievers about their goals. I'm Jeana Anderson Cohen; with me, I have Cindy Kuzma and Kristin Geil.   KG: Good morning, Jeana.   CK: Good morning, Jeana.   JAC: Good, morning, Kristen and Cindy.   KG: So this week I spoke with Todd Uterstaedt, who is the founder and CEO of a company called from Founder to CEO. He's got a podcast of the same name and his goal is to help level up your leadership. So he's a founder and CEO coach and he has a lot of really interesting insights into productivity and the sort of ways that you organize your day and the small changes you can make to make you not only a better more productive manager but a better leader and a better CEO.   CK: There were so many things that I thought were interesting about this interview, Kristen, and one of them was the way that Todd uses both old school techniques and technology to achieve his goals and to help others achieve their goals. I thought his workout of choice was particularly fascinating, pool walking, because this is something that as a runner who has been injured I have forced myself to do when I've been hurt but the idea that if somebody does that as their workout of choice it's fascinating and I think some of the reasons were really interesting. Can you talk to me a little bit about that.   KG: Yes absolutely. So Todd, as you will hear in this podcast, he loves technology. He is all about using technology strategically to help us replace time-sucking administration tasks. One he mentions specifically was the act of scheduling a meeting. You know there's always a lot of back and forth about. No I've got this time at this time.   But what about location and he mentioned a technology that specifically takes that back and forth out of scheduling so all you have to do is sign up for a time slot and you are good to go with your partner that you're trying to meet with. However, when everything's getting to be a little too much and he needs to clear his head his favorite way to do that is to go completely off line for some pool walking. And he said that he loves the Zen aspect of it. He loves the fact that he physically can't have a phone or an iPad or a computer with him obviously because of the water. And he said it's when he gets some of his best thinking done. So I think there's other ways to do it if pool walking has bad memories for you Cindy, I'm sure you know running without technology could be something similar. Any way to unplug throughout the day and really sort of get into a flow state where you can let the ideas come to your mind more naturally instead of having a brain that works on overdrive trying to solve every one of the world's problems in the next 24 hours.   JAC: He talks to a lot of people who have gone from starting their own company to really moving into the role of CEO. And one thing he sort of preaches is the act of accountability. Can you talk a little bit about that?   KG: Yes. So one thing that I thought was really interesting. We've all heard about accountability buddies. You know someone that you text in the morning to make sure that they're going to the gym at the same time as you or someone who is maybe trying to reach a similar goal to you at the same time so you can work on it together. And he encourages his clients to do that as well of course but with a slight twist he wants his clients to share their goals with two people. One person that you know personally and who gets you, who sort of understands the way that you're wired and maybe why you're choosing to accomplish certain goals and maybe how you'll stand in your own way or what particular strengths you have that will help you in that process. But aside from that personal friend he wants you to share your goals with one professional acquaintance who can hold you accountable while knowing maybe more about your industry and you know wha tips and tricks you can use, other people in your network who might be able to help you and sort of having this dual accountability really keeps your goal well-rounded and makes it more of a focus because you're not just segmenting it off until like this is a professional goal or this is a personal goal. It really helps to incorporate it into your whole life.   CK: Yeah I loved that and I think that that is just one of the pieces of practical advice that people are really going to be able to take away from this interview. So here is Kristen with Todd.   KG: Welcome to the #WeGotGoals podcast. My name is Kristin Geil and today I'm here with Todd Uterstaedt, the founder and CEO of From Founder to CEO. Todd, how are you doing today?   TU: I'm doing great Kristen, how are you?   KG: I'm good. Thank you. We're so excited to have you on this podcast because leadership and goal setting is something that we're very passionate about over here on aSweatLife and we've loved hearing from you about how you take people to the next level especially when they're cofounding and founding their small businesses and really going through that process to become leaders. So to kick us off can you tell us a little bit about yourself and where you got the idea for From Founder to CEO?   TU: Yeah. So I'm a former Army intelligence officer who kind of transformed myself into a management consultant at one point in time. And we started our own executive coaching firm and along the way we started getting lots of phone calls from startup CEOs who said, hey, Todd can you coach us? And Kristen, our business model was not set up for them. It was usually it was set up for mid-sized companies and for corporations. So I got the crazy idea saying well why don't I do a podcast interview successful founders about kind of their personal leadership transformation into CEO because it's really hard to scale a business and scale yourself at the same time. And so yes we started this podcast called from founder CEO and it just took off.   KG: Who was a recent guest that you had on? Anyone interesting?   TU: Yeah. Do you know Adam Braun of Pencils of Promise?   KG: No. Tell me more.   TU: So Adam wrote this book a New York Times bestselling book called Promise of a Pencil. And it describes his journey from starting Pencils of Promise, which builds schools around the world in underdeveloped areas and they've built over 400 schools now. And Adam is just a rock star. He's really great guy and he's starting a new company called MissionU. And his book is really about the transformation of him of founding Pencils of Promise into a real organization. And so it was really a joy to have him on the show because I'd read his book and he's really a good guy.   KG: That's awesome. I can't wait to check it out. One of the things we asked everyone who comes on the #WeGotGoals podcast is, what is a big goal you've achieved in the past and why was it so important to you. And how did you get there?   TU: Yeah that's a big question. I love how you guys ask that question because it's so fundamental to our lives don't you think.   KG: Yeah yeah. Really getting into the deep stuff right away here.   TU: Yeah well when we started the podcast maybe I'm a little bit ashamed to admit that we didn't really come up with a monetization version of it. We just said you know see if we can build an audience and help people around the world and now we're listened to in over 100 countries around the world. And so at some point in time I said, Well you know this is a lot of work but at the same time people started asking us well what else could you do for us? You know they would e-mail me and say we like to podcast but we need a little bit more help. So I had this goal of creating a group of founders from different cities to come together on a regular basis to really help them solve their practical problems while simultaneously helping them navigate that road from founder to CEO. And so a year ago we started it and it was a lot of work, Kristen. I mean from the branding of it into a setting you up in marketing the marketing of it was a big deal. And a year ago we launched our first group. And in the first 48 hours we got like half of our members right away. And it was just so gratifying to know that we listened to our audience and we created something that they said yes we need this. And then a couple of days ago we had a reunion. They missed each other and we had a reunion and hearing them all described their 2017 and how powerful it was and how well they were doing really made setting that goal of creating what we call Trail team 10. That's the name of the group. really kind of come full circle. Wow I'm so glad that big crazy goal to create this group called Trail Team 10 actually not only came true but also has so impactful in people's lives   KG: Ah, that's so fulfilling. I'm sure that must've been a really big moment for you.   TU: It was you know it didn't really hit me until we had this reunion call and everyone was saying it had their best year yet 2017 was their best year yet and they just were so excited to see each other again and they missed each other and it was gratifying to see them all doing so well. Because all I did was bring them together and facilitate a dialogue and help keep them focused and really bring them together in a way. It's funny that a friend of mine said to me, well Todd, how are you going to get all these people to connect with each other in a group when they don't know each other. And one of the requirements is they have to be from different cities. And I found that I didn't have to worry about it because they had what we call now distant intimacy. Because they were in different cities they felt real and authentic about sharing. And it worked out really well. So it was very gratifying to answer your question yes.   KG: You mentioned right at the start of the interview that you were an army intelligence officer. And I know that you were in Berlin soon after a major moment in human history. Can you tell me a little bit about what that moment was like and how it impacted you as a young man and still today? Not to imply that you're not a young man but it's been a few years since you were in the army.   KG: Yes yes that's true. No that's OK. You call me an old man. That's all right. No, you know, it was you know at the time I took it for granted. I was stationed in Berlin Germany just after November 9th 1989 when the wall quote-unquote came down. But it took a while to take the wall down. And I was there after November 9th 1989 and it was really a pivotal moment in my life and it actually turned out to be one of my big first goal setting kind of experiences because I was watching all the military officers and I was enlisted at the time, enlisted in the U.S. Army. And I was watching the officers do their work as intelligence officers. And I was doing well as an enlisted soldier kind of in Berlin Germany when a lot of historical things were happening so it was really interesting time period and they had this thing called a green to gold scholarship. Where basically an enlisted individual can apply to go back to school, finish their degree and become an Army officer and at some point in time I said wow you know I think I really want to strive for this really big goal of competing for this scholarship to go back to school and then go back in the Army as an Army officer. And Kristen, I had no idea whether or not I would get it or not but it was a lot of work to put out the application again and get all the recommendations and just a lot of work.   And lo and behold I got it. So I credit that year in Berlin and all the really amazing things that were happening there with me kind of getting my first big professional career goal and accomplishing it.   KG: Wow that's amazing. It was such a transformative moment in human history and it's interesting to hear about how it impacted the world at a macro level but then also how in you on a micro level and then came right back out as you work to transform other people as well.   TU: Yeah it's funny you haven't thought about that way that way until you just mentioned it but there were so many people's lives that were transformed in that year. I mean East and West Germany came together, East Berlin and West Berlin came together. Families that were separated for decades and it just was really impactful on me to see the power of the human spirit overcome oppression, overcome difficult circumstances. And it just reminded me that gosh my goal was to compete for this scholarship and go back in the Army as an officer. That's a pretty micro goal compared to the big goal of reuniting two countries and it just put things in perspective for me you know.   KG: Yeah I totally get that. As you said just now you saw a lot of people overcome huge challenges and obstacles during this time in history. But you also help founders, new founders of emerging startups face their own challenges. What challenges have you found that the founders that you work with face typically that slow them down on their way to becoming an effective CEO and leader?   TU: You know it's funny because it's my intention to go back and kind of mine our podcast episodes and pull together kind of an empirical research project and just go back to all of them and kind of catalog all of that.   But off the top of my head I would say probably the biggest issue of a founder moving to CEO is being self aware enough to know at the different inflection points the new type of leader is that they need to be for their company. It's hard because it's a constant self-awareness and you have to start off with being someone who is very in tune with who you are and that's not easy to do when your company is growing fast. You know what I mean?   KG: Yeah, absolutely. I was thinking when I was brainstorming questions for this interview I thought that maybe a ton of founders that you work with might tend to get caught up in just the small day to day administration of running a new and fledgling company which sort of leaves them hanging when it comes time to big picture and more strategic thinking.   TU: I think you're right that exactly it is exactly one of the things that happens because when you are a founder maybe there's you know three or four people on your team maybe they're all cofounders. You tend to wear many hats and it's very difficult to know which hats to begin to take off per se and give those responsibilities to someone else. And so many of them I mean the phrase, the so common phrase Kristen that all of them say is it's hard letting go right? But it means different things at different points in time in that journey. But it's a common phrase because to your point they get used to doing things and now the organization requires them, is asking them sometimes is demanding them to be a different leader and kind of rise up above some of the tasks and focus on larger issues like for example hiring key people and establishing the culture of the organization and managing the culture of the organization which is often kind of the differentiator between a successful startup and scaleup and unsuccessful one.   KG: You know that reminds me of one of our favorite things that we say at aSweatLife and that's that everything is better with friends. I also tend to think of that as a way to remind me to keep key people around me. I think of it as like my personal cabinet right. The people that I go to for advice or for help with major decisions or just when I need like a good slap on the face be like wake up a little bit. This is what you need to be doing. So what sort of advice you give the people that you work with for finding those people and maybe not just defaulting to the people who make you feel good but the people who challenge you.   TU: Yeah it's a great question the way that those people around you they serve different purposes for you personally right?   KG: Right.   TU: So I think the same it's the same thing for a founder It's realizing that you need different types of people around you to support you for various different reasons and that takes the shape of many different resources for a founder. So for example if you if you're a funded company your board obviously plays a big role in that. If you're an unfunded company you can create your own personal board of advisers to be a board for you. A lot of founders will join an organization. There's Young Presidents Organization, there's EO. There's an array of organizations to your point to bring people around you and that's why we created Trail Team 10 too because we saw a need for startup CEOs to different cities to kind of be able to come together and challenge each other kind of sharpen each other to be better. But I think it's important to remember that it's okay to have different people sort of different roles so someone could be a really good expert on you have someone who's a mentor about financial issues and you know you get together with him maybe twice a year and it could be a friend it could be a relative or it could be somebody you pay it could be just somebody who takes an interest in you in your business. But bringing those types of people around you is so important. Everyone talks about that and every interview that I've ever done and I know that there's a lot of there's like CEO roundtables that are part of a lot of chambers in different cities that are a lot of people joined as well so I think it's important. You're right not only just from the professional perspective but from a friend perspective to know other people are kind of experiencing some of the things same things that you are.   KG: Yeah it gets lonely at the top I hear for CEOs.   TU: It does. I just had a lunch appointment today with someone who literally is three doors down from my office who listens to my show. I had no idea who he was and we were just talking about that I said and he was working on some issues as you know my company really knows about all the decisions they have to make on this as it's pretty lonely isn't it he says. You don't even know, Todd. I said, of course I know. He says, oh yeah that's right. So yeah it gets very lonely but it doesn't have to be. And that's one of my kind of mantras to people is it doesn't have to be lonely. Most teams want you to be transparent with them share. Tell them what you're how you're feeling. They can't be overly maudlin about it because then they'll get scared. Right. But you have to share your emotions and how you're feeling about things.   That's the pathway for the most successful founding CEOs that I've worked with and I've interviewed.   KG: That's awesome. Let's pivot a little bit and talk about productivity. Your website and your podcasts tend to focus on practical, actionable tips that founders can take to follow their dreams. What have you found that works personally for you in your daily life?   TU: Yes so there are a lot of things now that technology wise that don't necessarily make you more productive. Like, they don't make a task for you more productive they actually replace tasks which makes you more productive. So we're used to doing things. So maybe I'll be able to do this faster. Well nowadays for example there's an x.ai which completely takes the task of scheduling meetings with people out of your list because it talks to a computer with some artificial intelligence that looks at your calendar and their calendar and sets up the meeting for you without having to do a thing but CC Amy at x.ai. And so that's an example of productivity where founders nowadays are not saying Hey I just want to be able to faster X Y Z they say no I want to use some technology and some other things that replace some of the activities that I do. I think that's the first major insight that many of them have taught me as I've interviewed them. That's number one. Number two is I personally believe that productivity and mental clarity are intimately connected. That you have to have you have to exercise. Right?   KG: Right.   TU: You have to do things that give your mind peace and clarity so that you know the single biggest thing to do as it relates to productivity which is appropriately prioritize. If you can't prioritize things if your mind is racing and you haven't given your mind the opportunity to be clear about exactly who you are exactly what your company is doing exactly what your responsibilities are in that company. And that requires you know sometimes I'll go to I work at Lifetime Fitness in Cincinnati and I'll go pool walk because it's mindless and no one bothers me and that sounds silly. But just walking back and forth in the pool because it's mindless. Instead of walking outside where there's no resistance it's walking in the pool. But that for me clears my head so that I can then prioritize correctly and then that affects my my productivity.   KG: And with that pool walking you have the added bonus of generally not being reachable by phone. You actually have to unplug unless you've got some really fancy waterproof case that I just haven't heard of yet.   TU: That's my favorite part. Next time you said I was in the pool and couldn't call you back.   KG: Well that is a lot of technology. But you use any fine tools as well.   TU: Absolutely. I still use it right here next to me a little notebook. My favorite version is the Moleskin. I love the Moleskin little books, do you know what I'm talking about?   KG: Yes absolutely.   TU: And every night before I go to bed I write down what are the top three things that I need to get done and the next day. And I do that the day before and I put it in my moleskin notebook in the morning when I wake up I'm I'm able to focus on the things that I need to do in the morning, which is take care of my family get my kids off to school make them breakfast make benefits my wife breakfast. I'm not worrying about having to prioritize what my next day's going to look like. So I do that in my little Moleskin notebook handwriting. I used to use technology for that but I find that doing that and notebook is much more KG: I'm the same way. I still use pen and paper planner which are redundant because of course I've got my google calendar my icalendar all synced up. But everything has to be written down in a paper planned as well just so that I it gets it into my memory a little bit better right like I can remember my appointments easier if I find that I've written down beforehand.   TU: There's something about handwriting isn't there?   KG: Yeah yeah. Plus not to mention the satisfaction of actually crossing something off your list.   TU: My favorite part.   KG: And it's off your plate for at least another few days.   TU: Yeah well plus you know I don't know about you but like when you do something or computer it feels ephemeral, it feels ... but in my notebook I keep my notebooks and sometimes I go back and look in them. Oh yeah I actually did get a lot accomplished.   KG: Yeah absolutely it's a great way to actually track the things that you did get done. I mean who hasn't written something in their notebook that they've already done just so that they can cross it out and feel that sense accomplishment. Right.   TU: Yes. Yes Will I also use that notebook too once a week I'll journal and I'll say hey what's bothering me right now what am I grateful for and what will bring me joy in the next couple of weeks and I just do that once a week in my notebook with my other tasks because it gets me kind of thinking bigger picture and the handwriting part I think is to your point is key because it kind of engages my brain differently.   KG: We are also big believers at aSweatLife in starting your day off strong especially starting your Mondays off strong. We started carpe Monday. The idea is just to start your week off strong so that your set the tone for everything else that you're going to accomplish the rest of the week. And I feel like that's something that everyone asks CEOs right. So I was wondering if you had a strong morning routine and noticed that the founders and CEOs you work with have similar routines or they have quirky little differences that help set them up for success for the rest of the week or the day?   TU: Yeah. So I think I'll put them in two categories and I fall into one category. One is those that have kids and those that do not have kids because for me personally I'm the mom with kids. My wife is a physician and so I always want to give her the gift in the morning of peace before she sees 30 patients in a day. And so I make breakfast for her. I make sure the kids are downstairs eating breakfast and make sure they're ready to go out the door because she brings them to school. So for me my beginning of my morning is about making three other people's lives better and that actually makes me feel good. And I can focus on the rest of the day because I know they're off to a good start. So my getting off to a good start is actually about getting three other people off to a good start. That I think gives a lot of entrepreneurs and founders and founding CEOs who have kids there's usually somehow involved in that. But for those that don't often find a lot of them will meditate or pray. Many of them tell me that they will work out. First I think many of them work out in the morning because they find that the endorphins and everything else that kick in makes them sharper during the day rather than working out at the end of the day. But I think the other thing that they often do is they have a huddle meeting with their team. This is becoming more and more common where it's not one of these big overarching meetings. It's especially for a lot of the virtual ones. They will have a huddle meeting hey here's the three things that I'm focusing on today and here's something I may need help with. Some of them will do. Hey what's your one minute win from the previous day so that they all have some sort of positivity in their lives as they start their day. But usually it's just huggle meeting. That's not long it usually last 10 15 minutes. It's not over. You think that sets the course a lot for many of them.   KG: And with those huddle meetings do they find that accountability is a key part of that you know announcing to the group what you're working on helps you sort of stay true to your tasks and maintain that focus during the day?   TU: Absolutely. And it does. Another thing I think because of that it helps the founder hear from others so they can in their mind overlay the things that they're doing with the current priorities and strategy of the company since things change so quickly. They're listening to what people are putting their efforts in and then they're able to go back and help them make adjustments. If for some reason something's changing so again it's not heavy but it gives them the kind of that touch base to be able to say oh yeah you know what my team is still focused on the things that we all agreed are the priorities or someone has something personal going on that we need to help them out with. And also maybe rise to the occasion and do their work for them so that kind of alignment with the team is a big factor in addition to the accountability piece.   KG: It sounds like it also helps keep the CEOs grounded in terms of being up to date on what exactly their employees job descriptions are and what they're having to do everyday because I know in those companies world can shift really quickly right. And sometimes a CEO might not necessarily know the many hats that someone under him is wearing.   TU: Absolutely. I think you're right. And you know they don't talk about it that way mostly but I think the roles and responsibilities is something I often talk with him about. And now that I'm thinking about some of the stories I hear on the course of time some of them actually have a chart. In fact many of them are doing this now. You know they kind of. who has primary responsibilities in this area and who is their backup and they use that conversation to figure out whether or not the backup person needs to move in to their primary role. If as you say a role is changing.   KG: Interesting. Yeah that's a great little system for people to start right from the beginning.   TU: Yeah I think you're right.   KG: Well of course not everyone who listens says podcast is a founder or a CEO. But they are probably taking this month of January to evaluate their new goals and habits that they want to set for the rest of the year. Which of your favorite productivity hacks can be adopted by non CEOs like me?   TU: That's a great question. You know I find that sharing your goal with two types of people. One a family person or someone who knows you personally could be a family person could be a friend could be someone that just knows you as a human being rather than a role and then a second person is someone who really knows you professionally. Sharing with them your first six months goal. I don't think it should be an annual goal because it's too far, too many things happen in a year. But I do think between now and the end of June sharing that that goal with two key people. It's hard when it's the same person for the personal professional that's why I think it's important to have to kind of break that out a bit. You are much more likely to accomplish that goal if you told those two people because at least one of them is going to ask you in the next two to three weeks Hey how's it going with x y z. Right. Because they're just curious. And you've stated to them unequivocally and with intention and purpose and so they are naturally going to be interested because we all kind of want to know how we're doing and you know what happens mid February the gym drains. Right?   KG: Right. There is a literal day on the calendar called quit day or quit your resolutions day.   TU: Is that what it is? I didn't know that.   KG: Yeah, it's sometime around the sixth week of the year. Sometime in mid February. I've seen it happen.   TU: It's so interesting I did not know that. It's the same idea with any other goal. You know? Whether it's fitness or whatnot if you tell at least two people then you increase the odds that you'll follow through with that six month goal in the new year.   KG: It's interesting that you break it down into six month goals instead of a full year goal. Do you envision people reevaluating that goal of the six month period to adjust their course or just hoping to be accomplished within that time frame?   TU: No definitely reevaluating definitely. In fact when I worked with founders I always tell them hey you should be having offset from your quote unquote performance evaluation conversations, offset from that you should have your career and goal setting conversations with individuals on your team because the two are very very different. And when you conflate your performance with your goals and your aspirations and hopes it's too difficult to get down. If for example you're not performing well in certain areas will you want to make sure you keep that positive energy.   And so I recommend they offset those conversations--and it's the same thing with us we have to revisit the goal setting conversation kind of separate from other things in our lives so that we can look at it and kind of give ourselves the attaboy if we accomplish it or to retweak it right because it may change because something happens between now and June. It's too long ago here.   KG: You know you sort of touched on this just now but I imagine that in your work with founders a lot of them are probably focused on very tangible results that they want to achieve for their company. Right. You want to hit this metric you want to hit that. But at the same time as you help them on their journey to becoming really effective leaders and CEOs there's some what I call fuzzy things that they're going to have to change about themselves right? Like how to become a better leader. Well how how can you really measure that? So how do you help reconcile the differences between a less measurable goal with something maybe a little bit more tangible?   TU: There is a great question and that is actually the secret sauce about what we do at from founder to CEO because we really help the individual as a human being transform themselves into someone who has more responsibility for more people. And you'd be surprised about how you can actually measure the immeasurable, or the things that you see that are appeared to be measurable. For example one way to measure. You mentioned leadership is to do a quality qualitative or quantitative 360 degree feedback with an individual at the beginning of a time period and later on in the end of a time period. And what that does is you crowdsource feedback from the key stakeholders around you. It could be friends, direct reports, peers, customers, family and you get a really good sense of self awareness around your effectiveness and some of those more intangible areas. And if you do a qualitative interviews with those individuals as well it really adds to a robust set of measurements, quantitatively and qualitatively around those issues. And then you redo that in maybe six months and you can see a shift. It is very clear whether it's just leadership or self-awareness in general.   KG: General that's a great idea. It sounds like it must be pretty humbling for the people seeking that 360 degree feedback too.   TU: You know there are times people tell me they never got so much feedback all at once about themselves.   And it can be overwhelming but at the same time to so many people tell me when I do that exercise with that it is transformational not just to them as a leader or as a founder,  founding CEO but as a person because it's about quality feedback. We all get feedback on a regular basis but frequently it's reactive. And that's important that's you know. We want to give an individual an opportunity to fully think through who we are and how we lead etc. And when we do that in a more formal way the richness and robustness of that data produces patterns that are very clear.   KG: Interesting. And once you start to recognize those patterns you can start consciously putting in the habits to change them.   TU: Absolutely and that's what we do all the time. We help create development plans from that information that get to the heart of an individual's journey from founder to CEO. Because it can be disorienting because especially a fast growth company where you know a year from now there's 25 employees and you had two at the beginning of a year and 25 is the magic number where a lot of the wheels fall off the organization for a lot of different sociological reasons and you have to rethink who you are and how you're leading. Dan Shapiro, the founding CEO of GlowForge told me in his interview--and he has a book called the Hotseat, it's a really good book. And he said a lot of founders will hire someone who is not very good at some of the jobs you're giving up to hedge their bet about if when they get like 25 employees if they're not good at leading that number of people they can go back into what they were doing before. Because they're kind of concerned about their ability to lead. And I found that so interesting that and I see that now kind of how we sabotage ourselves because to your point we're not quite certain we can do these things and we don't have any measurements around them.   KG: It sounds like you work with a ton of interesting people and you know really put in the legwork in helping them accomplish their goals. Let's circle back to our second big question that we asked everyone who comes on our podcast. What is a big goal that you have for the future and how do you plan to reach it?   TU: This is hard for me because we're just talking about this right now and we're struggling with it. Our Trail Team 10 program is pretty successful and we're proud of it. And it's really producing great results not only for our customers but also for our company. But I think it's time to create a membership program for founders at a price point that is not overwhelming to them so that they can come and go into the membership when they have needs without it being a six month commitment which is what our Trail Team 10 program is. And so my goal is that by June we will have mapped out what that looks like. Got enough feedback about it we can launch a beta membership for founding CEOs. And it's a lot of work you know and I'm a little bit cautious about bringing it up but I figured if I don't talk about it, if I don't share it with you then you know and so I wouldn't be practice what I preach. But that's our big, as Collins says, are our big hairy audacious goal is to kind of create that membership platform and program that can really serve our audience of founders around the world in a different way so that they can really take advantage of democratizing what we call executive coaching for leaders who are growing fast and help them grow faster because businesses are just crazy now and they're growing faster than ever before but our ability to grow as a leader at the same speed is lagging in a membership platform where people can get what they need without having a long term commitment and a larger price point is something I'm really passionate about.   KG: While I look forward to hearing from you in June about how successful you were.   TU: Yes, holding me accountable.   KG: Just like you said. Todd, do you want to tell us where we can listen to your podcast or check out anything else about from Founder to CEO?   TU: Absolutely. We invite you all to check us out at FromFoundertoCEO.com. We are on Spotify. Super excited couple weeks ago Spotify invited us to come on their platform. We're on iTunes or on Google Play. You can pretty much find the podcast on any service that you use to listen to podcasts and I'm also probably more active on LinkedIn than any other social media platform. So feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and if I can help out in some way I'm happy to do so.   KG: Awesome. Well thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us today, Todd. We really appreciate it.   TU: It's my pleasure Kristen you take care. Thanks for the opportunity.   KG: Thank you.   CK: This podcast is produced by me. Cindy Kuzma. And it's another thing that's better with friends. So please share it with yours. You can subscribe whereever you get your podcasts. Hey while you're at it please leave us a rating or review. Special thanks to J. Mano for our theme music and our guest this week, Todd Uterstaedt.  

We are just about to close out January. Can you believe we are already checking off one month in 2018? I hope you are feeling momentum and a sense of “I got this” now that we are a few weeks in. If you don’t I want you to know you are not alone! There is a virtual workshop I am doing next week on how to get hours back in your week and in retrospect I am seeing that I will be doing this workshop prior to starting the Tolerations Detox Challenge the next time I run it. The reason for this is the biggest obstacle those who did the challenge faced was not having enough time to keep up the pace and complete the challenge. What has been heartening is I am still getting messages from women letting me know they fell off but they are carving out time in the next couple of weeks to complete it. They are reporting that they’ve seen the benefits of identifying and removing tolerations from their life, even though they may have only addressed two or three thus far. Those benefits include a sense of relief, feeling in control, having more mental and physical energy and feeling like they can tackle more. Also, I’ve been getting feedback on The Accomplished Intensive. The common theme is, “it sounds great but an 8 week commitment feels too overwhelming right now.” I get it so I’m going to break the intensive into two separate shorter programs and you’ll be hearing more on that soon! As for the workshop next week, this idea came to me as I was getting all this feedback. For those of you struggling with managing your time, whether you’re currently still working through the Tolerations Detox Challenge, thinking about doing The Accomplished Intensive, or you just are overwhelmed with what you’ve already got going on in your life, this workshop may be the thing that draws the line in sand for you regarding overwhelm. I’m going to cover 7 different strategies that will help you get control of your time, your calendar and your peace of mind so you are accomplishing everything you want to be accomplishing with more ease and a sense that there is plenty of time. To find out more about this workshop and to sign up go to womentakingthelead.com/time. If this workshop interests you but you can’t make the call live, don’t worry about it, still register. I will be recording the call and sending the link to the video and worksheets to anyone who registers. Since this episode represents month end I thought I would give you and update on the progress I’ve made with my goals at the very end of this episode. Since many of you expressed how helpful it was for me to use myself as an example for creating goals, I’m going to give monthly updates that will be in the 100% Jodi episode at the end of each month. Let's define transparency, authenticity and vulnerability In this episode I am going to cover transparency, authenticity and vulnerability. These have become buzzwords in the current vernacular. We have a strong desire to connect with something real. Turns out reality TV is actually staged and the current requirement for political correctness has caused an avoidance of truth. With all the media channels, social or otherwise, that we are now on to engage with our friends and find out what’s going on out in the world we have also exposed ourselves to an enormous amount of over-done marketing. It can be exhausting. On the flip side is the experience when someone without drama or manipulation tells the truth. They open up their minds, their hearts and share their experiences in the hopes they can connect with others and be helpful to them. Just thinking about the experiences I’ve had when another person was willing to be real with me, it makes me feel joy. I sigh with relief because we can let go of the pretenses and have a real conversation about things that mean something to us. You can see why the pendulum is swinging and we are craving more of these experiences. Now many people are jumping on the movement to be more real but this is also causing the waters to muddy because people are using the terms transparency, authenticity and vulnerability incorrectly and it’s creating some confusion. Given that I have taken on Vulnerability as my theme for 2018 I am especially interested in clarifying these terms because it will keep my intention top of mind. To start let me give you some simple definitions. Transparency is how much you share. Transparency has more to do with the quantity of information you share rather than the relevance or quality of information you share. People or organizations that have a core-value of transparency will likely let you see a good deal of their records but you may have no interest in that information. Authenticity is the truth of your words and actions. Authenticity has more to do with the quality of the information you share rather than the quantity and it is backed up in everything you do. People who have a core-value of authenticity will not quibble or try to couch their responses to your questions. They will give you their honest perspective and their gut-reactions. You may not like what you hear them say but that’s your issue, not theirs. Vulnerability is the quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally. The added layer that is required to being vulnerable is risk. You have to be willing to risk rejection or attack. This is why Brene Brown, who is a social researcher on shame and human connection, rarely talks about vulnerability without discussing bravery. To truly connect with others we must be brave and take the risk of getting vulnerable. How do these transparency, authenticity and vulnerability play together? You can be transparent without being authentic or vulnerable. You can be authentic without being transparent or vulnerable. But you cannot be vulnerable without being transparent and authentic. To be vulnerable you must share more than you are comfortable with and be completely honest in the sharing. In The Accomplished Community, which is my membership community, we have two Zoom calls a month when anyone and everyone can jump on to ask questions, get feedback from the group or get coaching. In one of our December calls someone asked about how to build confidence. There were a lot of great tips shared by the whole group. After it was done I invited everyone, rather than focusing on building confidence, to take on being more vulnerable. Because when you are willing to be vulnerable you don’t need confidence and those you are speaking with are more likely to connect with you as a human, as a professional and as an expert. I did a presentation for a local women’s network about a year ago and one of my clients came and sat in the front row. After the presentation she came up to me all excited and said, “I couldn’t believe it. When you started talking you did great and then I saw your hands were shaking and I realized you were nervous!” I responded, “Yes, I was nervous! There are a lot of powerful women in this room.” She went on, “Before today I would have never imagined you getting nervous about anything. And while I watched you be nervous and still do a great presentation I realized I can do it to. Before today if something made me nervous I would avoid it. Now I know I can be nervous and do it anyway.” Spoiler alert: before I speak and probably for a good minute or two at the beginning I get nervous. Some of it’s just excitement but nonetheless my mouth will get dry, my voice my tremble and my hands may shake. I don’t let that stop me. Because I’m clear that I can help people by doing public speaking I take the risk of looking foolish and I speak, openly and honestly. That’s vulnerability. Where you can find more opportunities to practice vulnerability Just like The Accomplished Community I want to encourage you to find more opportunities to seek to be vulnerable rather than confident. For those of you who need to tell your story as a part of your business or your career you’re going to need to get vulnerable if you want to create a human connection. I’m not just talking about facts and figures. That’s transparency. You need to be transparent and authentic to the point that you expose yourself to being judged and rejected. That’s vulnerability. If you are looking to transform a relationship in any area of your life, that’s going to take vulnerability. If you want to have influence, start a movement or gain buy-in... You guessed it, vulnerability. To quote Brene Brown in her book, Daring Greatly… “Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path.”  ~ Brené Brown If you never fell like you have enough time... Vulnerability is on the agenda this year for me and so is my helping you to feel more freedom in your time. For those of you struggling with managing your time my workshop may be the thing that does the trick for you in letting go of overwhelm. In this online workshop I’m going to cover 7 different strategies that will help you get control of your time, your calendar and your peace of mind so you are accomplishing everything you want to be accomplishing with more ease and a sense that there is plenty of time. If this workshop interests you but you can’t make the call live, don’t worry about it, still register. I will be recording the call and sending the link to the video and worksheets to anyone who registers. I promised to give you an update on my goals 1. Build more strength and endurance. Goal: Do 300 Spartan-regulation burpees in one session by June 30. Separately, do an unassisted pull-up. Originally I guessed my baseline was 50 burpees in a session but turns out my baseline was 100 and the next week I did 120 burpees and then last week I did 140 burpees. At this rate I will hit 300 burpees well before June 30. And during one of my burpee sessions I got the inspiration to turn the achievement of 300 burpees into an event. Maybe find a place to accomplish this goal, invite others to burpee with me (they don't have to do 300 burpees) but it could be a fundraiser for a local charity and maybe do a Facebook live. I'm still playing with the idea. So it was great that I was more fit than I had guessed but I was feeling like I was going to have to really raise the bar on the area of strength and endurance and then I remembered, Oh yeah I also have to do a pull-up. I don't think I'm going to accomplish this goal so easily so it will probably keep me busy for a while. I already have a pull-up bar. My next step is to buy a set of pull up bands. I'll start with the largest band for support and graduate to a smaller band when I can do 3 sets of 5 pull-ups in one session. That sounds right but if you’re a personal trainer and you have a better idea for me let me know. I am totally open to feedback on this goal. And if I can't do a pull-up by September I'm going to hire a personal trainer to help me with this goal. 2. Be in a relationship. Goal: be in a committed, monogamous, romantic partnership with a man. *I am taking on embodying being more open to partnership and having fun (look the part). I tend to be very focused when I'm out and about and I have gotten feedback from friends and family that I give off signals like I'm already in a relationship or I'm too busy or disinterested in chatting with strangers. Sigh. I'm going to have to change that. *I have begun telling my family and friends about my goal and ask that they introduce me to single men that they admire and who they think I would get along with, preferably a man with some goals in life who is interested in self-improvement. *I have also started to research online dating apps and been asking around as to which one would be the best for me. If you've successfully done online dating and you have any tips for me please reach out - jodi@womentakingthelead.com. My intention is to do the organic thing to start and then create an account in online dating app by end of February. 3. Increase profitability in my business. Goal: have a net income (earnings minus expenses) of $80,000 minimum. I have created a spreadsheet that outlines how many books, assessments, strategy sessions, group programs, private coaching packages, etc. that I need to sell in order to hit my goal. Now I’m focusing on the marketing and the promotion of those things. As for my Profit and Loss report I’m going to have to give you the January update in the episode I do at the end of February but I’m in the black at this point by about $1000 and I am pre-recording this obviously so the final numbers are not in. However, if I’m going to have a net profit of $80,000 I’m going to have to do a lot better than this. The last two goals, 4. Do a Women Taking the Lead branded full-day event in the summer or fall and 5. Outsourcing are contingent upon my profitability goal so no real action taken in these areas as of yet but I’ve started documenting some actions steps I can take when I’m ready to take action. Okay, that’s it for now. Please feel free to reach out to me regarding anything you heard in this podcast or if you are looking for some support with vulnerability or your goals for 2018 you can reach me at jodi@womentakingthelead.com. As always I hope this was helpful to you and here’s to your success! Thank You to Our Sponsors! Podcast Movement is the world’s largest gathering of new and veteran podcasters, or anyone looking to start their own podcast the right way. For $50 off any level of registration, visit podcastmovement.com and enter promotional code lead. MissionU is an education for the 21st century. It’s a one-year, full-time program that gives you the skills and experience needed to launch a successful career with no upfront tuition costs or high-risk loans. To learn more about MissionU and to earn $500 upon completion of the full year program, go to MissionU.com/lead Zebralove Web Solutions: Your website tells a story about your business! At Zebralove Web Solutions, Milly and her team are going to make sure your website tells the story you want your customers to hear. Connect with Milly at zebralovewebsolutions.com to create the impression you want to make! Resources Private Facebook Community: Chat, share and collaborate with other women listening to the podcast! Accomplished: How to Go from Dreaming to Doing: A simple, step by step system that gives you the foundation and structure to take your goals and make them happen.

This week we unveil the new name for Studio C (it's a mouthful), learn Toby's actually the nice one, and get freaked out by what this drug can make you do in your sleep. The Crime Writers eat some humble pie and admit they were too quick to dismiss one of America's most underappreciated media figures last week - Keith Morrison from Dateline NBC. Some special podcasters will join the discussion - and you can find their awesome show A Date With Dateline right here. The main focus shifts to the new Netflix series, "Dark." This German-language "Stranger Things"-meets-"Lost" has everything: caves, dead birds, surprisingly depressing school plays...and a cast of characters dripping in Teutonic angst. (Try this link to see the Dark family trees.) TO JUMP OVER THE SPOILERS AND GO STRAIGHT TO OUR REVIEWS, FAST FORWARD TO TIME CODE 59:59 Then in crime of the week: I love you. You love me. But it's going to cost you $350. Sponsors this episode Squarespace - go to squarespace.com for a free trail & use the offer code CWO to save 10% off your first purchase Madison Reed - go to madison-reed.com for 10% off plus free shipping on your first color kit with our new promo code ButcherBox - For FREE Bacon and $20 off your first box, go to ButcherBox.com/crime and enter CRIME at checkout 1-800-Flowers - For a dozen multicolored roses for $19.99 or 24 for only $10 more, go to 1800Flowers.com, click the radio icon and enter code CRIME HelloFresh - for $30 off your first week, visit hellofresh.com and enter the code CRIME30  MissionU - to earn $500 upon completion of the full year program, go to MissionU.com/crime  Support the show.

This episode is part of an EdTech Times series called "Challenges and Solutions for Student Financial Aid & Debt." What if there was a way to get the benefits of a college degree without going into debt or paying tuition up-front? One college alternative could provide just that. MissionU is a college alternative that doesn’t require students to pay tuition until after they get a job — and not just any job, but a job that pays over $50,000 a year. But this is just the beginning. Listen to our full interview with Adam to find out how else MissionU is different from your typical university.

Attending college in the United States comes at a price. It feels almost – dare I say – criminal to me. We tell students that you have to go to college if you want to get a good job – so you go to college, take on a ton of student debt or work yourself crazy […] Read more...

Adam is a co-founder of MissionU where he is building a school for the 21st century. He is also a founder of Pencils of Promise that has built over 400 schools around the world and provided over 70k kids with an opportunity to learn! At MissionU, Adam is building a school for the 21st century! Millions of people are either themselves effected by college debt or know someone in their family who is effected by it. College loans are also the only kind of debt you cannot default on. To fix that, Adam and his team want to give you a world class education, debt free. When he first started, Adam went on a listening tour. He spoke to over 200 people, including students, educators and CEOs of publicly traded education companies to figure out how to solve the problem. As the result, MissionU partnered with companies like Spotify, Uber, Lyft, Warby Parker and many others to understand which base, skill-sets, a student must have in order for these companies to hire them. Afterwards, Adam and his team went back to the drawing board and designed a program where they will teach you the needed skills for a year, completely free and you’ll pay them a percentage of your salary once you get a job and you're making over fifty thousand dollars. Their program is a year long, it’s full time and because they realize that not everyone can afford to not work for a year, the program is meant to accommodate a 20-hour a week part time job as well.

We have covered the problem of student debt many times and we are always trying to find alternative ways to get a good education without being saddled with debt. Today we will show you a  way not only to get a great education that will put you on the path to a great career without incurring debt but also takes a fraction of the time that getting a traditional college education takes. We’re very excited to have found this guest and bring him to you. Today we’re joined by the founder of MissionU, Adam Braun, to discuss the debt free, one-year college alternative.   Full Article Here Show Notes adam@ipromise.org: Adam's e-mail if you have questions about MissionU. Tool Box: All the best stuff to manage your money. Instagram: Follow MissionU Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam Braun, the founder of Pencils of Promise and MissionU shares his advice on what it takes to really move the need in this world for change. Adam will show you how to be the light in a dark place and how to inspire others with your vision to create change. Checkout Adam Braun's new world changing organization MissionU which was built to provide a forward-thinking, world-class education that prepares students for the jobs of today and tomorrow, debt-free: https://www.missionu.com/

Adam and Jenna discuss how MissionU is redefining higher education and pioneering lifelong learning, how to use your voice to change lives, why we should still believe in magic, and the most important lesson he wants to share with his kids: To be the person your inner truth tells you to be.

Adam Braun is an American entrepreneur, best-selling author, and philanthropist. He is the Founder of Pencils of Promise, a non-profit organization that builds schools and increases access to education for children in the developing world He has recently founded a company called MissionU which is an alternative to higher education that is set to disrupt the industry and change the way that we view higher learning.

In today’s episode, Eva and Olga welcome Adam Braun, founder of MissionU & Pencils of Promise, who shares how ordinary people can create extraordinary change. For show notes, visit DreamBigPodcast.com/45

Adam Braun is a New York Times bestselling author, an entrepreneur, and the Founder & CEO of MissionU. At only 25, Adam founded Pencils of Promise and worked to bring access to education to children all around the globe. Adam’s new mission is fixing the broken higher education system in the US with his new project, MissionU. “When you are accepted to MissionU, we invest in you.” - Adam Braun Learn more about this episode of Successfully NY at www.alexshalman.com/07

Emily and Jenna walk through Red Antler's process designing multilayered brand experiences for companies like Allbirds and MissionU as well as highlight how today's most influential brands harness empathy to tap into the human experience and speak truth into our lives. They also chat about why Emily doesn't have a 10-year plan and how to leave room for serendipity in your life to lead you to unexpected, and incredible, places. 

Do you think a college degree is really that important anymore? Will college even be around in 10 years? The institution, as we know it, is starting to transform thanks to visionaries like Adam Braun, our guest today, who's recently launched a college alternative called MissionU. You may know Adam as the founder of Pencils of Promise, a non-profit that has built more than 400 schools around the developing world. Now he's launching a very different type of college experience called MissionU, a one-year program that offers students the modern skills and experience to launch a successful career. Adam was first exposed to what he describes as a broken higher education system when he witnessed his wife's experience. She had over $100K in college debt and no bachelor's degree to show for it. MissionU became Adam's solution for a higher-quality, debt-free education that positions students for success. To learn more visit www.somoneypodcast.com.

Adam Braun (@AdamBraun) is the founder of school-building Pencils of Promise and bestselling author of The Promise of a Pencil. He joins us to discuss his new project, MissionU, and how it aims to update higher education for the 21st century. "Credential isn't nearly as important as competency." -Adam Braun The Cheat Sheet: How and why is the education system in the US failing students? Why students are even less prepared for careers now than ever before. How MissionU protects its students from the crushing debt typically incurred by most college graduates. New methods and tracks of study that are more "futureproof" than others. How to think like an executive even if -- and especially -- it's your first year on the job. And so much more... Does your business have an Internet presence? Now save a whopping 50% on new webhosting packages here with HostGator by using coupon code CHARM! Want to wash two loads and dry two loads of laundry at the same time? The new Wi-Fi enabled Samsung FlexWash and FlexDry washer and dryer pair can do it -- and you can get it now at The Home Depot! Need eyeglasses? Warby Parker provides high-quality, great-looking eyewear at a fraction of the usual price. Go to WarbyParker.com/aoc to order your free home try-ons today! SmartMouth is the only activated oral rinse clinically proven to eliminate existing bad breath and prevent it from returning for a full twelve hours per rinse. Visit SmartMouth.com to get an in-depth, scientific analysis of how SmartMouth is able to deliver such incredible results! Free yourself from typing notes, reports, and documents by going with the transcriptionists we trust here at AoC: TranscriptionOutsourcing.net -- 99% or higher accuracy guaranteed! Find out more about the team who makes The Art of Charm podcast here! Show notes at https://theartofcharm.com/626/ HELP US SPREAD THE WORD! If you dig the show, please subscribe in iTunes and write us a review! This is what helps us stand out from the crowd and help people find the credible advice they need. Review the show in iTunes! We rely on it! http://www.theartofcharm.com/mobilereview Stay Charming!

Getting rich is for amateurs. A real entrepreneur, one with serious guts and vision, wants to make the world a better place. If that's you, it's time to enter the world of social enterprise—business that seeks to make both a profit and a positive impact, on anything from education to world hunger. This is a tall order, but it's possible and an increasingly popular form of entrepreneurship. So today's podcast is going to show you exactly how to make money, while also making a difference. Unlike your traditional businesses, social enterprises have a much harder time securing funding and even staff. The legal frameworks and business models can also be much trickier. Lucky for us, we were able to sit down with Adam Braun, founder of Pencils of Promise and MissionU. He shared with us how he managed to raise over $50 million in contributions, build hundreds of schools, and grow a worldwide staff of more than 125 employees as a social enterprise. As he turned 25, Braun only had $25 in his bank account, but was still determined to build a school for the less fortunate. Before crowdsourcing was even a thing, Braun turned to strangers to help him fund his first project. He used social media and event marketing to attract people to his cause, relying on influencer and word-of-mouth to secure the funding he needed. "You start scrappy and understand that maybe one day you'll have the resources to hire full-time staff and work with capital at hand, but most people don't start that way, and I certainly didn't," Braun says. Starting with this grassroots marketing strategy and an all-volunteer staff, he built Pencils of Promise into a huge success. Today, more than 400 schools have been built as a result, and Braun's turned his sights to education in the United States with his new project MissionU. In this episode you'll learn: How to use event marketing to build your brand and attract investors What makes a story "newsworthy" and how to use it to build an audience Braun's methodology for attracting A-players to work toward his vision Social media marketing tactics to reach your target audience without paid advertising The right way to go about asking for money, whether it's for crowdfunding or from investors & much more!

Adam Braun is an author and entrepreneur who you may know from his work with Pencils of Promise, an organization that creates schools and other projects that bring education to underserved populations living in rural poverty. He’s also the author of the book “The Promise Of A Pencil” and more recently the founder of a super exciting education startup called MissionU whose model is 1 year of intense, skill-based education with NO upfront tuition - instead, you give them a percentage of your income once you land that sweet job. Today on the podcast, * Why he walked away from a career in management consulting to dedicate himself to his passion of giving the rural poor access to education via Pencils Of Promise * We get into a topic I’ve been touching on a lot lately which is balance. As a new father and entrepreneur this is a big challenge for Adam and he speaks very candidly about the real tradeoffs he has to make between his company, his family and his health * On that note, he also shares some of the habits and hacks he’s developed such as his journaling routine and practice of putting his phone in airplane mode in another room before going to bed Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.chasejarvis.com/podcast. This podcast is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.

Adam Braun is an entrepreneur, bestselling author, and philanthropist. Adam's latest project, MissionU, looks to redefine the higher education industry with a one-year program that gives young professionals the skills and experience they need to kickstart their careers. He is also the founder of Pencils of Promise, a non-profit organization that builds schools and increases access to education for children in the developing world. His book, The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change debuted at #2 on the New York Times Bestseller list in 2014. In this discussion with IVY's co-founder Beri Meric, hear about Adam's experience in building over 400 schools across the globe, and how it helped inspire his mission to fix our education system back home. Please enjoy our conversation with Adam Braun. And remember to visit IVY.com to enjoy access to a lifetime of learning, growth, and impact through in-person collaborations with world-class leaders, thinkers, and institutions. Live from Blender Workspace!

If you’re struggling to recruit talent, listen in. Because according to this week’s guest, Adam Braun, your traditional candidate pool is about to get a lot deeper. The founder of Pencils of Promise, a nonprofit that builds elementary schools in third-world nations, has recently launched a new form of higher education. MissionU is an alternative to college that teaches students the hard and soft skills they need to thrive in any 21st century career. And did we mention that every student graduates without being saddled with debt? This is a fascinating conversation that explores a rising trend you can’t ignore. entreleadership.com/podcast Summit Event EntreLeaders Guide to Hiring  

Another GREAT week in the books. From VaynerSports signing all-star wide receiver Braxton Miller, to a rant of mine that went viral, to #AGV with my main man and MissionU founder Adam Braun, to another week in the life of the CEO of VaynerMedia, we put some serious work in. Hope you guys enjoy this version of this week's highlights !!    

On this episode one of my favorite humans of all-time, Adam Braun, co-hosts the showwwwwwwww with me. If you don't know, Adam is the founder of Pencils of Promise, a non-profit that's near and dear to my heart. Now he's on new "mission" with MissionU, bringing a new age thought to how we approach higher education. Such an important episode for so many reasons. Hope you guys enjoy!! 

Adam Braun founded Pencils of Promise to build schools in Ghana, Guatemala, Laos and Nicaragua. Now he's moving on to MissionU, a for-profit thats a one-year college alternative meant to prepare young people for careers without the burden of college debt.

A for-profit startup recently launched what it calls an alternative to traditional college, that takes only one year to complete, is advised closely by big-name employers, and that costs nothing at first, though students have to later pay back a portion of their incomes. What’s missing are the general-education curriculum. It’s called MissionU, and the reaction has been mixed, and passionate. Some academics have trashed it as a kind of employment service passing itself off as education. While others have praised it for trying to shake up the higher education system. For this week’s EdSurge On Air podcast, we decided to try something different. We put together a virtual panel discussion, inviting people with a variety of views on MissionU to face off—including its founder, and a critic. Our hope was to start a dialogue and get beyond misperceptions on both sides. That means that the episode is a bit longer than usual, but it gets pretty lively, and we hope you’ll listen through to the end.

Adam is a New York Times bestselling author and entrepreneur. He is the Founder of Pencils Of Promise, the award winning organization that has built nearly 400 schools around the world. In 2017 he is focusing on our broken college system by launching MissionU, a college alternative for the 21st century. Sponsors: DesignCrowd: Post your design project on DesignCrowd today and get a special $100 VIP offer! Visit DesignCrowd.com/fire and enter the discount code FIRE when posting your project! ​Caliper: ​Assess your team today – FOR FREE – and you’ll discover what makes each person tick and how to improve the performance of your team. They’ll also give you an hour of free consulting! Visit Caliper​C​orp​.​com​/​fire

“True self discovery begins where your comfort zone ends.”Adam BraunIt’s no secret that aspects of our current education system are at best antiquated, at worst broken. Whether it's quality education in the developing world, properly training people to meet our rapidly changing workforce needs or the crippling student loan debt that onerously burdens millions of young people, we're long overdue for some systemic upgrades.This week's guest has devoted his life to tackling these problems.A young man with a bright future, Adam Braun graduated from Brown and threw himself headfirst into a burgeoning career in finance when an extended backpacking trip across the developing world forever changed his perspective. Inspired by a sense of purpose and a call to service, in 2008 Adam walked away from Wall Street to launch Pencils of Promise – a for purpose philanthropic endeavor with the mission of building schools in countries across the world. A massive success, Pencils of Promise is responsible for over 400 new schools to date, distinguishing itself as one of a handful of charitable organizations that has fundamentally changed how we think about and practice philanthropy and giving.Named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 List, Business Insider's 40 Under 40 List, and Wired's Smart List of 50 People Changing the World, Adam chronicles his remarkable journey in The Promise of a Pencil*, a powerful story of awakening and action that demonstrates how one person can make a huge difference in a short period of time. Debuting at #2 on the New York Times Bestseller list and going on to becoming a #1 national bestseller, it's a favored read among business leaders and can even be found on many a college syllabus.Today finds Adam embarking a new chapter, taking on higher education with an ambitious new start up called MissionU – a for-profit for purpose, venture-backed organization that presents a compelling alternative to traditional college by sending students into the workforce debt-free.This is a great conversation about Adam’s journey to entrepreneurial success. It's about the current state of education, the business of education, and the innovative path forward. It’s a conversation about self-awareness, integrity and lightning moments. But mostly, this is a conversation about the transformative power of leading a meaningful life of service fueled by purpose.I applaud Adam's commitment to dream big and solve huge problems. A special human, I promise you will be captivated by the extraordinary story behind it all.I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.Peace + Plants,Listen & Subscribe on iTunes | Soundcloud | StitcherJoin us for our next retreat in Italy, May 20-27 — for info visit: See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.