Podcasts about north star

How will we scale humanoid robot product to hundreds of thousands and millions of units? In this TechFirst we do a deep dive with Apptronik CEO Jeff Cardenas. We chat about Apptronik's Apollo, his recent $400M+ funding round, the partnership with manufacturing giant Jabil, and much more.We also talk about innovations in AI that have accelerated robot learning and dexterous manipulation, the challenge of scaling manufacturing, and Apptronik's future vision.

In this episode of the Vanderbloemen Leadership Podcast, Jared sits down with William Vanderbloemen to unpack why vision isn't just a top-level conversation—it's the fuel that drives every part of a healthy organization. From pop quizzes on vision statements to the concept of "uber vision," they explore why vision clarity at all layers of leadership is critical for building, running, and keeping great teams. Key discussion points include: Vision at Every Level: Why it's not enough for just the leadership team to know the vision—and how to make sure everyone from the receptionist to the CEO is aligned. Uber Vision vs. Vision: How setting a high enough North Star can create momentum that carries the whole team farther than ever imagined. Turning Vision into Action: Why casting big vision must be paired with clear, practical steps so teams don't feel overwhelmed but empowered. Navigating Changes: How the age and size of an organization affect how quickly (or slowly) vision shifts can happen—and why urgency matters. (For a deeper dive into leading through change, check out our episode Leading Through Change). The Power of Repetition: How Aristotle's principle of “reminding people of what they already know” helps leaders reinforce vision without sounding redundant. Vision and Organizational Growth: Why understanding the founding heartbeat of an organization can help you contextualize vision for the future. Whether you're leading a startup, a growing team, or a historic organization, this episode will help you sharpen your vision-casting skills, energize your team, and swing the pendulum farther toward meaningful impact. Resources Follow William on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wvanderbloemen/ Follow Vanderbloemen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanderbloemen/ Subscribe to the Vanderbloemen YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@vanderbloemensearchgroup

Whether you are going strong on your goals, not making as much progress, or want to start NOW, this episode is for you!  This will ANCHOR in your vision & give your a North Star to make choices from every day. Get HOT AF

How Do We Fix Poor Mental Health in Hospitality for Women and the LGTBQ+ community? Zan Kaufman of Bleecker Burger has some thoughts.Intense. Hilarious. Raw.Soul-irking. Thought-twisting conversation with ZahnBleecker Burger.ON THE MENU:Accept your why and purpose will FLUCTUATE as you build your brandYour Circle of Us vs Circle of NowDiverse should make truthWhy Racism and Sexism is rife in every organisation + how to solve itHow Bleecker solve sexual harassment “no one's immune to it”How Bleecker build a company culture that actually LISTENS to its employeesIt's an extension of you, how you see if your suppliers are an issue?Who are your suppliers? If you're suppliers aren't inclusive BIN THEM IMMEDIATElYThe Bleecker handbook & Nudging theory: nothing happens over nightHow to Lead with Humanity at the core of everything to help othersunconscious bias in these companies & Bleecker has unconscious biasHow to actually hire a diverse workforceSimple is NOT easy. Consistency.onion wonderland - Alice and Wonderlandjourney into the beef underworldConsistency gets you out of bed. Consistency should be hard.Change happens from consistently having hard conversations. Create a history of open hard uncomfortable conversations as you get bigger ==============================================

Mike explains how Easter changes everything for those who put their trust in Jesus.

Marie Fay is a Masters level Occupational Therapist with 20 years of clinical experience supporting individuals with dementia. She is the clinical director of the Dementia Bermuda charity and the owner and manager of NorthStar, which offers support to Bermudians navigating dementia.Her work aims to optimise the daily function, safety and quality of life of those living with a diagnosis of Dementia as well as their family members and caregivers. Marie has made it her goal to assist her clients with successfully aging at home with the support of their family caregivers to reduce the overall cost and burden of care for this vulnerable population. Marie's Links:FB: NorthStar Dementia/Dementia BermudaInstagram: northstarbda/dementiabermudaLinkedIn: Marie Fay/Dementia Bermudawww.northstardementia.bmwww.dementiabermuda.bm-- Subscribe to the Able Voice Podcast, leave us a review and connect with us (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@ablevoicepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @synergymusictherapy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) to share your experiences and takeaways. We release new episodes every other Sunday between the end of January and end of August.AVP Theme Music by: Christopher Mouchette. Follow him on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Soundcloud (Chris Mouchette)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Episode audio edited by: Justis Krar (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immvproductions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)Rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts here:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/able-voice-podcast/id1505215850⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://screamtherapyhq.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://screamtherapyhq.com/book⁠

Get my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy!Your mind holds the keys to create the life you want, but most people stay locked in their past instead of manifesting their future. Today, three transformation giants—Dr Joe Dispenza, Gabby Bernstein, and Eric Thomas—share their unique approaches to breaking free from limitations. Dr Joe reveals how our bodies can't distinguish between emotions created by experience versus thought alone, making your feelings the catalyst for your future. Gabby introduces her revolutionary four-step "check-in" process to heal wounded parts of yourself that block manifestation, sharing a personal transformation that led to instant synchronicities. Meanwhile, ET delivers the raw truth about taking responsibility, showing how the moment you stop blaming others and "take the keys back" to your life is when everything changes. This episode provides practical wisdom for anyone ready to overcome their past, heal internal wounds, and manifest their greatest future.Dr Joe's Books:Breaking The Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New OneBecoming SupernaturalYou Are the Placebo: Making Your Mind MatterGabby's Books:The Universe Has Your Back: Transform Fear to FaithSelf HelpSuper Attractor: Methods for Manifesting a Life beyond Your Wildest DreamsEric's books:You Owe You: Ignite Your Power, Your Purpose, and Your WhyGreatness Is Upon You: Laying the FoundationIn this episode you will learn:Why most people find it easier to believe in their past than their future and how to reverse this patternThe four-step check-in process to heal wounded parts that block manifestationHow to identify and transform the emotions of lack that prevent abundanceWhy taking back "the keys" to your life is the essential first step to transformationHow to create a harmonious relationship with your wounded parts through compassionWhy finding your personal North Star is crucial for sustaining motivation and purposeFor more information go to https://www.lewishowes.com/1760For more Greatness text PODCAST to +1 (614) 350-3960More SOG episodes we think you'll love:Dr Joe Dispenza – greatness.lnk.to/1702SCGabby Bernstein  – greatness.lnk.to/1714SCEric Thomas – greatness.lnk.to/1696SC Get more from Lewis! Get my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy!Get The Greatness Mindset audiobook on SpotifyText Lewis AIYouTubeInstagramWebsiteTiktokFacebookX

Nobel Peace Prize nominee Amanda Nguyen has achieved stunning success passing legislation to protect the civil rights of rape survivors. On this episode of Women of Impact with Lisa Bilyeu, Amanda Nguyen describes exactly what motivated her to take on the entire legal system and its double standards about sexual assault. Along the way, she describes the importance of radical empathy, details exactly how to stay centered on your own internal compass, and advocates just showing up and being present. [Original air date: 12-4-19]. SHOW NOTES: Amanda details the experience of going through a rape kit and its legal aftermath [3:36] Amanda describes being betrayed by the criminal justice system [6:32] Amanda asks why evidence from murder trials is never destroyed, but rape kits are [9:57] Outrage fueled Amanda, but it didn't sustain her. Hope sustains movements. [11:22] What is the difference between referring to people as victims versus survivors? [14:31] The difference between having a dream and having hope is having a plan [15:28] Amanda describes her internal compass, her North Star [16:50] Amanda explains how incredible optimism and outrage helped her deal with politics [17:47] Amanda talks about radical empathy, clear objectives and staying grounded [20:14] Amanda advocates the importance of just showing up and being present [24:27] Amanda deals with pressure simply by reminding herself that it's not about her [27:15] Amanda talks about having already had two heart surgeries [29:36] Other survivors have been inspired by Amanda's organization Rise to advocate [33:40] Amanda describes the experience of being seen as nothing more than a victim [35:38] Amanda talks about believing in democracy and running an efficient campaign [36:51] Amanda shares her superpower [40:35] CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS Audible: Sign up for a free 30-day trial at https://audible.com/WOI  Vital Proteins: Get 20% off by going to https://www.vitalproteins.com and entering promo code WOI at check out.  BiOptimizers: Head to https://bioptimizers.com/impact and use code IMPACT for 10% off.  Kettle & Fire: Get 20% off at https://kettleandfire.com/lisa with code LISA Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/lisa Netsuite: Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning at https://NetSuite.com/women ********************************************************************** LISTEN TO WOMEN OF IMPACT AD FREE + BONUS EPISODES on APPLE PODCASTS:  apple.co/womenofimpact ********************************************************************** FOLLOW LISA: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisabilyeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisabilyeu YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/womenofimpact Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lisa_bilyeu?lang=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Business Coaching Secrets, Episode 293: Building Profitable Coaching Practices  Just finished the latest episode of Business Coaching Secrets with Karl Bryan, and I'm fired up! Karl dropped a ton of actionable insights on business cost control, profitability frameworks, and how the power of focus (and saying “no”) is central to scaling any business or coaching practice. Here are my top three takeaways from the episode: Profit is the true domino: Karl emphasizes that profit is the driving force that knocks over all other dominoes in your business. Want a better team, more time off, happier clients? Focus on profitability first—it enables everything else. Frameworks beat firefighting: Don't get dragged into the weeds with clients. Leverage video training for the fundamentals, and use your coaching time exclusively for execution, implementation, and accountability. This strategic approach lets you double your client impact without doubling your hours. The power of saying NO: The most successful people (and coaches) are those who relentlessly say no to distractions and yes only to their core vision. Whether you're building your own practice or guiding clients, clarity on your “North Star” will dramatically improve your decision-making and results. There's so much gold in this episode for anyone in coaching or entrepreneurship. If you want to build a business you could sell tomorrow (but won't want to), this is a must-listen. #businesscoaching #profitability #entrepreneurship #growthmindset #BusinessCoachingSecrets Ready to elevate your coaching business? Don't wait! Listen to this episode now and make strides towards your goals. Visit Focused.com for more information on our Profit Acceleration Software™ and join our community of thriving coaches. Get a demo at https://go.focused.com/profit-acceleration

What makes product management in startups so different—and what lessons can translate back to enterprise? In this episode, we welcome Arturo Piña, founder of The Startup Agency, angel investor, and President of ProductCamp Austin. Arturo shares insights from his work offering fractional product management and strategy services for early-stage startups, and compares those experiences with his time in larger enterprise environments. From hands-on execution and GTM hustle to building alignment through a strong North Star metric, Arturo outlines the unique role of product managers in startups and the key takeaways enterprise teams can adopt to stay nimble, focused, and customer-connected. Tune in for a thoughtful discussion on structure, speed, stakeholder dynamics, and how product leaders can thrive at any company stage. For detailed takeaways, show notes, and more, visit: www.pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/podcasts Pragmatic Institute is the global leader in Product, Data, and Design training and certification programs for working professionals. Learn more at www.pragmaticinstitute.com.

I'm Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I've spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses.In this episode, I dive into why profitability has to be the North Star for every restaurant owner — because without profit, nothing else is sustainable. I also break down one of the most underrated marketing tools in the game: the power of 'surprise and delight.' We're talking about those unexpected moments that turn a first-time guest into a lifelong fan. I share practical ways to build those moments into your operations — from budgeting for them to training your team to execute with heart. Because when you systemize joy, you create loyalty. And that's how you win. Takeaways:Money makes every other problem a minor inconvenience.Surprise and delight isn't just generosity; it's unexpected generosity.Creating unforgettable experiences turns guests into raving fans.A surprise and delight budget empowers staff to enhance customer experiences.It's about exceeding expectations in ways they couldn't even imagine.Transforming guests into ambassadors is key for marketing.Marketing through surprise and delight pays for itself.Training staff on surprise and delight strategies is essential.Focus on creating genuine moments of connection with guests.Implementing a structured approach to surprise and delight can lead to greater profitability.Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Restaurant Profitability02:06 The Power of Surprise and Delight05:54 Creating Unforgettable Experiences09:47 Implementing Surprise and Delight StrategiesIf you've got a marketing or profitability related question for me, email me directly at josh@joshkopel.com and include Office Hours in the subject line. If you'd like to scale the profitability of your restaurant in only 5 days, sign up for our FREE 5 Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting https://joshkopel.com.

While one cannot control the external environment, one can control the progress and direction of their legal career. As this BigLaw partner has learnt, putting one's best foot forward on any given client matter and making the biggest difference one can is the best way to get ahead and open new professional doors. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Clifford Chance partner David Clee about his professional journey, the idea of not always following commonly trodden pathways in one's career, the importance of being open to different pathways, how he has remained open-minded about opportunities while also following a guiding light for what he has wanted in his career. Clee also delves into the need to “maximise the return” on any client matter one works on, being clear about where one wants to end up while also not looking too far ahead, mitigating the “natural inclination to be in a hurry”, finding greater purpose, overcoming environmental uncertainty, adopting the right mindset, and the importance of seeking feedback. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!

What does it mean to find out what your team is actually good at—and how do you use that insight to grow, scale, and lead effectively?In this episode, Amir sits down with Pallavi Pal, Head of Product at Grata, to unpack the nuanced art of identifying strengths within product teams. From hiring with purpose to fostering technical and soft skills, Pallavi shares how she built her team from the ground up and established a culture of collaboration and excellence. Whether you're a product leader, aspiring manager, or simply navigating your growth path in tech, this conversation is packed with frameworks and hard-earned lessons.✨ Key Takeaways“Good” is personal and team-specific – Recognize where individual team members naturally lean in and where they need support.Hiring with intention matters – Building a team from scratch allows leaders to define what “good” looks like for each role early on.Balancing technical and soft skills is crucial – Successful PMs don't just understand the product—they empathize with users and collaborate effectively.Path to people management starts with mentorship – Use mentorship as a low-risk way to identify potential managers.Culture isn't just top-down – Product teams should reflect company values while fostering technical curiosity and peer collaboration.Metrics can't be mandated – Teams need to co-create their North Star metrics and OKRs to stay engaged and aligned.⏱️ Timestamped Highlights[00:20] – Introducing Pallavi and the focus on identifying what your team is great at[02:05] – Observing behaviors to identify strengths and hesitations[05:22] – Hiring to match specific skill sets across different product functions[08:20] – The balance between domain knowledge, technical skills, and soft skills[12:03] – Identifying future people managers within your team[16:21] – Building a product culture that aligns with company values but has its own identity[21:06] – How to define and align around standards and metrics in product[24:21] – How to connect with Pallavi for follow-up questions

Live With Vision - Ken WetmoreMission describes who we are. Vision describes where that mission is taking us. Without mission, the vision has no North Star. Without vision, the mission has blueprints. A person or church does well to seek God's vision for them.Let us know your thoughts by reaching out and joining the conversation with your questions and comments using the information below:Text/Voicemail: 407-965-1607Email: podcast@wholelife.church#ThisIsWholeLifeJoin our ‘This Is WholeLife Podcast Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/hFXqFSUEWG - Get access to pictures, videos, and other occasional easter eggs! If we mention in the episode that it's in our Discord Channel, you'll find it here! Download the Discord App from your device's app store, or go to https://discord.com/ and create your free account today!Get Connected with WholeLife! Reach out and let us know how we can serve you: http://wholelife.church/connectSUBSCRIBE NOW to our weekly companion podcast, Speaking of Grace, to listen to the message this episode is based on and where our pastors and guest speakers invite you into a lifelong friendship with God. Never miss another message or series again! Take it with you in the car, at home, on your phone, on your smartwatch, and in your earbuds, wherever life takes you!This Is WholeLife features Pastors Ken Wetmore and Melanie Bockmann, with Assistant Communication Director Lucas Moraes, and Communication Director Randy Magray as the host. It is available everywhere you listen to podcasts! If you've enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite platform and share it with your family, friends, and social media, where you will find us at the following links! X, Facebook, Instagram, and now on YouTube! Thank you for listening! To learn more about our podcasts at WholeLife Church, visit the Podcasts page on our website.NEXT WEEK: 04/19/25 - It's Easter at WholeLife! Please don't miss it.To learn more about WholeLife Church, visit our website:

The X-Men are here! Well, for a couple pages. But then we get Wolverine and Lady Deathstrike's first appearance! We chat about those Alpha Flight episodes, plus the issue of Marvel Fanfare that focuses on Northstar!

Send us a textLooking to scale a tech company from zero to multi-millions? Our latest guest achieved just that in only 4 years!In episode 128 of Extrology, Tim Barnett, CEO of Credas breaks down how he built a team that can outperform competitors from Silicon Valley, with just 40 people in Cardiff. Whether you're an entrepreneur, leader, or someone looking to understand what truly drives high-performing teams, this episode offers valuable insights. Lee and Tim discuss:How clear values, trust, purpose, and removing fear of failure breeds high performance teamsThe importance of defining a clear “North Star” goal.Demonstrating vulnerability as a leader, admitting mistakes, and creating a culture of accountabilityThe future of digital verification technologies and the challenges Credas faces in a complex marketIntegrating community engagement and purpose beyond pure business metricsTim Barnett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothymbarnett/Credas: https://credas.com/Get in touch: lee@extrology.comExtrology: https://www.extrology.com/ https://www.instagram.com/extrologypodcast/ https://www.tiktok.com/@extrology https://substack.com/@extrology https://www.youtube.com/@extrology Lee Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecooperrecruiter/

Live With Vision - Ken WetmoreMission describes who we are. Vision describes where that mission is taking us. Without mission, the vision has no North Star. Without vision, the mission has blueprints. A person or church does well to seek God's vision for them.Reach out to us with your questions and comments:Text/Voicemail: 407-965-1607 Email: podcast@wholelife.church#SpeakingOfGraceGet Connected with WholeLife! Reach out and let us know how we can serve you: http://wholelife.church/connectSUBSCRIBE NOW to our companion podcast, This Is WholeLife, which dives deeper into the message and topic with Pastors Ken Wetmore, Melanie Bockmann, Digital Content Creator Lucas Moraes, and Communication Director Randy Magray as the host. It's the perfect midweek commute podcast to stay connected with your family at WholeLife Church. We encourage your questions, comments, and feedback, which we are ready to discuss and share in the next episode! Speaking of Grace is available everywhere you listen to podcasts! If you've enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite platform and share it with your family, friends, and social media, where you will find us at the following links! X, Facebook, and Instagram. Thank you for listening! To learn more about our podcasts at WholeLife Church, visit the Podcasts page on our website.NEXT WEEK: 04/19/25 - It's Easter at WholeLife! Please come early, bring a friend, make a new friend, and be reconnect with the 'Greatest Story Ever Told'!Find out what's happening at WholeLife Church by visiting our Events Calendar: https://wholelife.church/events!To learn more about WholeLife Church, visit our website: www.WholeLife.Church The theme music for Speaking of Grace was written, produced, and performed by WholeLife Church's own Phillip Burks - https://www.phillipburks.com/.#WholeLifePodcast #ThisIsWholeLife #Overflow

This episode is brought to you by Puori: Clean protein powder is here with Puori's Pw1 Whey Protein, and we have an exciting deal for you! Right now, get 20% off, or if you choose their already discounted subscription, you get almost a third off the price! Only available when you visit the exclusive URL https://www.Puori.com/VALERIA and use promo code VALERIA In this week's episode, Valeria sits down with singer, songwriter, and Eurovision finalist Eden Golan for an unforgettable conversation about resilience, identity, and purpose. Eden opens up about growing up between Israel and Russia, being bullied as a child, and finding confidence through music from an early age. She shares raw stories from her childhood and career, inserting herself into the entertainment industry as a child, navigating harsh criticism, and discovering her voice through it all. They dive deep into Eden's experience representing Israel on the Eurovision stage in the wake of October 7th, and what it meant to carry the weight of an entire nation while facing global backlash, death threats, and overwhelming pressure. Through it all, Eden speaks with clarity, power, and emotional intelligence far beyond her years. The conversation also touches on self-worth, manifestation, mental strength, and the importance of having a North Star.  Follow Eden: https://www.instagram.com/golaneden/  https://www.tiktok.com/@golaneden_music  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEZTREqOHoMOJliA81k8Lg  Stream Wait for You: https://bit.ly/3Rh2hH9  Shop my look from this episode: https://shopmy.us/collections/1485666  Follow me: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky/  What we talked about: 01:07 Early Life and Moving to Russia 01:50 Journey into Music and Early Challenges 03:10 Bullying and Overcoming Adversity 08:22 Lessons Learned and Personal Growth 23:03 Pursuing Music in Israel 29:42 Finding Purpose Through Music 29:59 Facing Fear and Responsibility 31:37 The Intensity of Eurovision 34:13 Security Measures and Isolation 40:39 Performing Under Pressure 43:54 Post-Performance Reflections 51:49 Self-Love and Acceptance 57:46 Manifestation and Future Goals 01:02:06 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Just Schools Podcast, Jon Eckert interviews Dr. Matthew Lee, research professor at Baylor University and co-leader of the Global Flourishing Study—a longitudinal project spanning 22 countries and nearly 200,000 people. They discuss what it means to flourish as whole human beings and how education can support not only academic success but spiritual, emotional, and relational well-being. Dr. Lee shares insights on how flourishing is not just about individual happiness or wellness, but about contributing to the greater good—what he describes as "ecosystem-wide flourishing." He and Eckert explore how love, hospitality, and compassion can shape the culture of schools, drawing from research and real-world examples, including organizations like Barry-Wehmiller that center care and community in their leadership. The Just Schools Podcast is brought to you by the Baylor Center for School Leadership. Be encouraged. Mentioned: Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara Christian Caregiving: A Way of Life by Kenneth Haugk Connect with us: Baylor MA in School Leadership EdD in K-12 Educational Leadership Jon Eckert LinkedIn X: @eckertjon Center for School Leadership at Baylor University: @baylorcsl     Transcript: Jon Eckert: All right. Today we get to welcome a good friend and colleague at Baylor University. So Matt Lee is here with us today, and his work all revolves around flourishing, which is the ultimate goal of all education and one of the most intrinsically human things that we think about. So Matt, if you just give us a quick intro as to why you're at Baylor and kind of the 30,000-foot view of what you do here at Baylor. Matt Lee: Well, thanks, Jon. I'm delighted to be here at Baylor, and I would say part of the reason that I'm here is that the Global Flourishing Study is a joint project of Baylor and Harvard, and this is a five year, 22 country survey to understand the forces that affect flourishing for about 200,000 people globally. And we've got nationally representative samples in each of these countries. So we're almost able to generalize to all humanity, which is unusual for a study. And to have this longitudinal approach enables us to follow up over time, look at changes. We've got the time ordering nailed down, we've got some statistical techniques to address robustness. We're almost able to make causal claims that generalize to all humanity. So that was one of the reasons. The other thing is I just really appreciate Baylor's mission and ability to combine really rigorous research with a Christian commitment. And so I think that is a special strength of Baylor University, not to go into a commercial for Baylor right now. Jon Eckert: Oh no, we're all for that. But it's one of the reasons why our work overlaps, because we work with education leaders in over 45 countries and all 50 states and the stated goal of education since Aristotle has been for the flourishing of human beings. And so there's obviously a school component of this. You're looking at all of humanity. Again, that's not probably something I'll ever be able to say as a researcher that I've able to generalize findings to all humanity. But I'm curious to hear how you all think about words like flourishing in love and operationalize those for educators. What does that look like in whatever school you're called to? Obviously, we're here at Baylor and we can have a faith component to what undergirds everything we do, but a lot of our educators that we serve are in public schools, and there's secular humanism there, and there's all different kinds of kids with all different kinds of backgrounds. So what does flourishing and love look like universally, in the way you would define it? Matt Lee: Well, I would frame it as a dialogue. And so we are contributing to a dialogue. And I remember there was a chaplain at Harvard who used to just observe that Harvard tends to treat students as though they are just a brain on a stick or maybe a neocortex on a stick. And of course, there's more to human beings than that. And so when we think about flourishing, we think about multiple domains. We're flourishing in terms of our physical health, we're flourishing in terms of our spiritual health, our emotional health. And so there's all of these different domains at the individual level, but it's sort of meaningless in a sense if we're not contributing to the greater good. And for most people, particularly in the United States, the greater good is going to be largely defined in terms of a sacred narrative. So if we're not honoring that need to serve the greater good in terms of a sacred narrative, then we are dehumanizing people by definition. And so if we care about the inherent dignity, the infinite value of every person, that we need to attend to all of the domains of flourishing across levels. So flourishing is different than well-being and happiness and wellness and some of these other constructs because it really is not just about the person, it's about the person in their context. And their context might include a sacred context. Their context certainly would include a political and economic context. It's knowing we have the skills in order to make a meaningful difference in this person's life. We're not trying to fix anything. We know that that doesn't necessarily work, but we can be present with loving awareness in a way that is itself healing, and then we can get people the help that they need if we can't provide it. But it's not one person's responsibility to do that. So oftentimes when we think of love or compassion, we think of one-on-one, but this is actually something that you find at the level of groups. And Brian Wellinghoff, my co-author on the one article about Barry-Wehmiller, he's a senior director at Barry-Wehmiller. He said in the article, what we've found over these couple of decades is that when love is present, it promotes the conditions that are required for flourishing. It's not just that love is present at the level of one-on-one interactions, it's that it's now that love is part of the culture. Love is part of the context, and that enables everything that they do. And they help encourage that by promoting skills like listening and the practice of gratitude and regularly celebrating people, not just employee of the month where you get a nice parking spot and everyone hates you for the month or whatever. But like a culture of celebration where it actually is joyful to celebrate the people that you care about and you want to do that and you appreciate it when they do it for you. And you know it's going to happen because you can see your love, make a difference on a daily basis. You know that you're contributing, you know that you're engaged. And I remember asking Bob Chapman, again, the CEO of that company, "What do you do about free riders?" When I went to Harvard, I thought, "I'll never see any free riders," and there's free riders everywhere, and how do you do that? And so he said, "Well, we want everyone to get on the bus, but they're not necessarily going to get on at the same stop, but we have faith and we're committed that eventually everyone's going to get on the bus." So there's some mercy and there's some grace. And then there's the tough conversation. There's the tough love. It's not just the warm hug, it's the powerful love that says, "Look, I'm going to speak truthfully to you about your contribution as a co-creator of this culture," he calls it a culture of caring, but I think we could also call it a culture of love and compassion. Jon Eckert: So couple of things that came to mind when you were talking about that. I like the term sacred hospitality, but the book Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara came out just a few years ago. He ran Eleven Madison, and they became the best restaurant in the world based on not their service, but on their hospitality. And he differentiates service from hospitality. And it's absolutely a culture that gets created. It can't just be one person. It's how the whole team views the experience they're creating for diners. And it's a remarkable book that it's hard to replicate in schools because that is an elite experience with lots of money behind it, and public schools aren't functioning in that world. But how do we have that kind of an attitude about how do we see whole human beings and reach out in a hospitable way, not just in a service way? So I wonder if you have any... Are you familiar with Unreasonable Hospitality at all? Matt Lee: I've not read it, no. Jon Eckert: Okay. But does that align with sacred hospitality as you're considering it? Matt Lee: Well, one conceptual resource that I found helpful is from a book called Christian Caregiving, and this is written by the founder of the Stephen Ministries. This is the laypeople in a congregation who provide care to others in the congregation. They're not trained as psychologists or counselors, but they've been given a set of skills and they know their boundaries. That's the most important skill is knowing what's yours and what's for a professional and what's for God. And so when you think about the critical distinction in that book, it's between servitude and servanthood. And so when we are living into our vocation, that's servanthood. And when we are forced to do something that we wouldn't want to do in a way we wouldn't want to do it, then we're talking about servitude. And so when we imagine education and we think about a system that is perfectly designed to get the result that it gets, what is our system getting? It's perfectly designed to get disengagement. That's what we see from the Gallup data. So as you progress through your journey, you start out highly engaged in kindergarten, and then you're less engaged in middle school, less engaged in high school, and it just continues. It's a nice linear downward trend. Jon Eckert: That's not a nice trend, Matt. Matt Lee: Well, it's not nice, but from a research standpoint- Jon Eckert: It's clean. Matt Lee: It's very clean. So what are we doing systematically there? Well, we start out in kindergarten, we're sitting in a circle with our friends holding hands, finger painting the alphabet, singing songs. The creative arts are infused into this container of friendship. And we're learning our core material in that kind of container. And then we systematically start pulling all that stuff out. No more recess, take art maybe once in four years in high school. Jon Eckert: Elementary school, on average now, get 27 minutes of recess a day in the United States. Matt Lee: Oh, so we're- Jon Eckert: It's devastating. Matt Lee: We're doing it even younger than when I was a kid. Jon Eckert: Yes. Yeah. Matt Lee: I started doing this UN class called Love and Action at the University of Akron, and I said, "Rather than reading about this, why don't we practice it and then come back in a community of friends and share what are we learning?" And it just felt more like kindergarten to me. Let's sit in a circle and let's sing some songs about what we're learning. And I remember saying, "Well, do we even need exams at some point in these UN classes? Maybe there's a different way to be in relationship where we don't need the exams." And some of my colleagues would say, "Well, that's dangerous. You're going to have all these free riders." I had so few free riders in that context, and it's sort of like Barry-Wehmiller company as well. There's so few free riders because you empower people to be what they were created to be. Jon Eckert: Seeing data coming out on what leads to flourishing and mental health and what doesn't. But we're always looking for the things, what's working. I don't have time to spend a lot of time on the things that aren't working. I do like Bob Chapman's belief that everybody will eventually get on the bus. I don't believe that is true. I believe some people need to find another bus. But I think eventually you need to get the people that need to be on the bus, on the bus, and they'll get there. And they may choose there's another bus route that's better for them, and that will lead more to their flourishing. And that's great. But with 12,000 people in that company, that's not going to be 12,000 people that are on the right bus all the time. Matt Lee: Well, and I think maybe it's not everyone, but you go after the lost sheep. Jon Eckert: That's right. Yeah, you do. You do. That is fair. That's fair. And teachers definitely do that. And you can run yourself ragged. This is the last part of the time, and this is always the hardest part for me. I would be terrible at this, but you have four questions, four sentences. So one sentence for each one. So in all of your flourishing work that you've done, what is the most obvious finding that you're like, "That's kind of a duh, we all knew that and now we have empirical evidence that says that's true." Matt Lee: Better to give than receive. Jon Eckert: Okay. Well, there you go. Some ancient wisdom. All right, second. What's the most surprising finding that really jumped out? Like, "Oh, didn't see that coming"? Matt Lee: Yeah, I don't know that it was really surprising. It was just surprising to see it so consistently that groups that so obviously prioritize financial material stability, have the lowest flourishing on all the other domains. At the country level, at the group level, even within particular organizations. So we find in a paper that I've just... This is more than one sentence, but I'll give you an example. Jon Eckert: That's all right. Matt Lee: So I'm co-leading a paper on showing love and care to another person, and this is using the global flourishing study data. We find a fairly strong negative correlation with GDP. Countries that have higher GDP have people who show lower levels of love and care. Jon Eckert: Wow, okay. And I'm not- Matt Lee: So I'm not totally surprised by that, but it's still kind of shocking to see it so reliably surfacing in all of this work. Jon Eckert: I'll keep this short, but my daughters went down to the Dominican Republic to do some work there with a lot of high school and college students this summer. And they had an amazing experience because of the joy of the people that they were with in the Dominican Republic. And so the joy that they exuded through... Some of them had very little, but the joy was there and it made a fundamental difference I think will mark my daughters for the rest of their lives because they recognize, "Oh, really, joy is not tied to what we have." Matt Lee: Yeah. I had a group from Spain consult me a couple of years ago, "We're going to this impoverished country and we're going to help them with their flourishing." And I said, "Oh, really? You might find that they help you with your flourishing." Jon Eckert: 100%, right. So the last two questions. What's the biggest challenge you see globally or in the US, take your pick, that's inhibiting flourishing right now? Matt Lee: Yeah. I think that the way we understand flourishing or love or leadership is really just a small part of what those words represent. And so I think if we understood flourishing as ecosystem-wide flourishing, we would have the appropriate North Star. But if we keep doing it as, or understanding it as, a kind of subjective experience of wellbeing for an individual, I think we'll never get out of the crab bucket. Jon Eckert: That's good. And then what's your biggest hope for flourishing, globally or in the US? Matt Lee: My biggest hope would be that we would learn from the positive outliers who are already doing it everywhere in the world. And I think I remember some years ago... So I'm bad at one sentence. Jon Eckert: I know, I am too. This is a challenge. Matt Lee: I have to immediately support it with evidence. Jon Eckert: That's good. Matt Lee: So let me give you just one example of evidence. I was chair of the section on altruism, morality, and social solidarity of the American Sociological Associations. That's a lot to remember. But as part of my role as chair, I was also editing the newsletter, and I was approached by a member of the section who had done some research on concentration camps, Nazi Germany, and he found in his argument... I'll just cut to the chase. His argument was, most of the Holocaust museums focus on the narrative of victimhood. But what you saw in the camps was incredible heroism, incredible sharing under pain of death of your last crumbs and incredible, just inspiring altruism. The human spirit was soaring, even as the body was being destroyed by this evil regime. And so people who have never had their names in the history books have done incredible things. And Holocaust museums around the world could tell that story too. Not just the victim story and not to the exclusion of the victim story, but tell the story of empowerment. Jon Eckert: Wow. That's a great place to end. Thank you for taking the time, and thanks for the work you do, Matt. Matt Lee: Thank you.  

Gregory Shepard is a highly accomplished serial entrepreneur with a remarkable track record of building and successfully exiting 12 businesses across diverse technology sectors, including BioTech, TransitTech, AdTech, and MarTech. His insights and expertise have earned him recognition as a Forbes Book Author and contributor, with features and quotes in prominent publications like Fortune. Further solidifying his thought leadership, Gregory is also a TEDx Speaker, a recipient of four Private Equity awards, and a Penguin Random House Author, dedicated to sharing his extensive knowledge to empower the next generation of innovators. Drawing from over 35 years of hands-on experience, Gregory specializes in navigating the complexities of the startup journey. His book, "The Startup Lifecycle," sponsored by the Fulbright Program, provides entrepreneurs with a battle-tested roadmap. It outlines a clear, seven-phase path, starting from crystallizing the initial "Vision & North Star" through rigorous market validation and purpose alignment, all the way to achieving a successful and lucrative exit. His approach focuses on imparting practical business science to help founders avert common mishaps and build sustainable ventures that can positively impact future generations. Through his platform, StartupScience.IO, Gregory and his team actively nurture technology startups, particularly from the seed stage to Series A funding. They leverage a proprietary Business Operating Support System (BOSS) designed to optimize operations for successful exits. Gregory's deep experience encompasses not just founding companies but also executing complex maneuvers like rollups, carveouts, turnarounds, and cleanups. StartupScience.IO serves as a comprehensive resource, powering hundreds of startup assistance programs and supporting thousands of founders globally. Listeners can expect Gregory to share actionable strategies gleaned from his extensive career and thousands of interviews. He expertly teaches entrepreneurs how to utilize industry-specific language effectively, secure the right types of investment, cultivate strong relationships with investors, and proactively avoid the common pitfalls that often derail early-stage companies. His insights, combined with resources like the StartupScience.IO platform (often offered with free access alongside his book), provide a comprehensive toolkit for aspiring and current founders aiming for success. For More Info: https://GregoryShepard.com

J Darrin Gross I like, to ask my guests if they can look at their own situation. Could be your clients, the economy, you know, whatever it is that you, you identify and consider to be the BIGGEST RISK?   Kelly Stratton Yeah. And when you ask, like, the first thing that pops in my head, because I, you know, as the chief product officer, and I kind of help drive like, what is our product going to be, you know, today, versus, you know, six months from now, a year from now, and you know, we have a really strong feedback loop with our users, and they have a mandate for us about, how can we make a difference in their work lives and in their work product? And both those things are really important to me, because this is a bit like our platform, is a space they spend a lot of time in. And, you know, so, so you have that, but then you also have this, this powerful energy around AI, and how do we incorporate that intelligently and effectively into our product? And again, the mandate from our customers is, you know, is pretty specific. They want to be able to access their past experience. They want to be able to interact with their and harvest their intellectual property, and it that that you know, you know, again, I use the phrase institutionalize that knowledge that's really important to them. You know, in the past, it's just, you know, write the report and put it in the file folder, and then it's on to the next one. But there's an awakening around this, like, hey, no, this isn't just an archive this that that we never look at again. How can we use this as a tool to make train our team and improve our reports and our process going forward? So I think just getting creating products where we give them access to their content, smart, yeah, powered searching, and we, we don't step outside of that too much, right? That we give them kind of the the access to their historical information, that that can really make a difference, and we deliver on it. So I think for me, is continuing to keep purpose built as our North Star, and we introduce risk if we spread ourselves too thin and are not incorporating kind of that feedback with our customer for things that they want, and then the things that we know how our product makes a big difference in how AI kind of supports both of those things. So. That's how I'd say that risk is getting AI right for our customers, helping lead them away being lead the way for them, being their innovation partner, and not spreading ourselves too thin. https://openquire.com/ Kellys@openquire.com  

Building Foundations, Breaking Cycles Trigger Warning: This episode contains honest discussions around mental health and suicidal ideation. Please take care while listening.In this episode, Kelly Kirk sits down with Lauren Duke, founder of Core Ops Collective, a powerhouse in operations leadership and real estate systems strategy. From hairstylist and military spouse to multi-business entrepreneur, Lauren's story is one of grit, grace, and real growth.Lauren shares her winding journey—from doing hair in Alaska and Italy, to launching a virtual assistant company supported by family, and then an unexpected leap into real estate. After working within a high-powered expansion team that did over 3,000 transactions a year, Lauren saw the cracks in the foundation of hustle culture—burnout, blurred boundaries, and reactive systems. Instead of patching holes, she set out to build something different.Peaks & Valleys of Her Journey:Burnout and Breakthrough: While juggling a high-pressure role and motherhood, Lauren found herself losing presence—especially during pivotal moments like childbirth. A wake-up call came when she realized she couldn't remember the birth of her second son because she was mentally absent.Postpartum Darkness: During her third pregnancy, Lauren faced deep depression, weight gain, and near-hospitalization. It wasn't until after giving birth that she felt the “clouds lifted,” attributing healing to a mix of support, medication, and faith.Mental Health and Boundaries: Lauren now relies on a mix of medication, deep self-awareness, and values-based decision-making to stay grounded. Her mantra: “Core values are the North Star.”From Chaos to Clarity: Core Ops Collective was born in May 2023 after a business pivot. She now guides agents in building businesses with a foundation—prioritizing systems, sustainability, and soul.Powerful Reflections:“Someone else's urgency is not your emergency.”“Ask yourself: Do you want comfort or do you want solutions?”“If the best-case scenario is better than the worst-case, go for it.”Lauren is rewriting what it means to thrive in business and life. Her story is a masterclass in resilience, redemption, and rising with purpose.Connect with Lauren:IG: @coreopscollectiveWebsite: www.coreopscollective.comResources Mentioned:The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark ComerContact the Host, Kelly Kirk: Email: info.ryh7@gmail.com Get Connected/Follow: IG: @ryh_pod & @thekelly.tanke.kirk Facebook: Reclaiming Your Hue Facebook Page YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@RYHReclaimingYourHue Credits: Editor: Joseph Kirk Music: Kristofer Tanke Thanks for listening & cheers to Reclaiming Your Hue!

ACTIONABLE TAKEAWAYS: SPFs for Short-Term Change: Use SPFs to drive short-term behavior changes. Long-term shifts should align with consistent metrics in your "iron square" framework. Strict Holdover Rules: Allow one quarter for closing open opportunities after a territory change if they're past stage two. No exceptions ensure fairness and consistency. The Iron Square: Track rep productivity with win rate, AE-sourced pipeline, total pipeline generation, and forecast accuracy, with quota attainment as the central North Star. Customer-First Processes: Avoid letting internal rules disrupt customer experience. Build buffer zones in ROEs and territories to minimize deal handoffs. ELEANOR'S PATH TO PRESIDENTS CLUB: Head of Sales @ Retool Global Head of Commercial Retention & Regional Director of Commercial Sales @ Segment Global Head of Commercial Renewals and Retention @ Segment Head of Customer Success and Solutions engineering @ Clever Inc RESOURCES DISCUSSED: Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

In this conversation, Barry Rowan shares his transformative journey of faith, exploring the deep turmoil and questions that led him to a surrendered life in Christ. He discusses the importance of understanding Jesus' integrity and the role of failure in personal growth. Barry emphasizes the significance of surrendering to God's will and how this surrender can lead to a fulfilling life. He connects his spiritual insights to the world of business, advocating for a life of service and purpose, and challenges the notion of ambition by highlighting the importance of abiding in Christ. Ultimately, Barry encourages listeners to embrace their unique purpose and the beauty of serving others.Mike's Biggest Takeaways:Barry's journey began with a crisis of meaning and work.The anguish of the soul can lead to deeper understanding.Surrendering to God is essential for transformation.Achievement can become an idol if not aligned with God.Failure can be a powerful teacher in our lives.Living an integrated life means connecting faith with daily actions.Surrender is an ongoing process, not a one-time event.Welcome to the Linch with a Leader Podcast, where you're invited to join the spiritual principles behind big success, with host Mike Linch.Subscribe to the channel so you never miss an episode: Watch: @linchwithaleader Prefer just listening? SUBSCRIBE to the podcast here:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dJfeLbikJlKlBqAx6mDYW?si=6ffed84956cb4848Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/linch-with-a-leader/id1279929826Find show notes and more information at: www.mikelinch.comFollow for EVERYDAY leadership content and interaction:Follow on X: https://x.com/mikelinch?s=20Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikelinch?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==https://www.instagram.com/mikelinch/?...JOIN Mike for a Sunday at NorthStar Church:www.northstarchurch.org Watch: @nsckennesaw

This podcast is brought to you by Outcomes Rocket, your exclusive healthcare marketing agency. Learn how to accelerate your growth by going to outcomesrocket.com Innovation and efficiency are opposing ideas, with a focus on cost-per-lesson-learned being key to effective innovation processes.  In this episode, Ty Hagler, Founder and Principal at Trig, shares how his company helps medical innovators navigate the journey from early-stage prototyping to commercialization. He discusses his background, from Olympic hopeful to Home Depot innovator, before founding Trig and discovering his passion for medical devices. Ty highlights their Med Design Training, which emphasizes understanding clinical needs as the "North Star" for any medical device company. He also shares a success story of Couplet Care, an infant bassinet designed for postpartum mothers, and offers insights on market validation, FDA clearance, and practical business tips for medical innovators. Tune in and learn how to reduce your cost-per-lesson-learned to a minimum and take what you're doing to the next level! Resources:  Connect and follow Ty Hagler on LinkedIn. Learn more about Trig on their LinkedIn and website. Buy Profit First by Mike Michalowicz here. Get The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick here. Fast Track Your Business Growth: Outcomes Rocket is a full-service marketing agency focused on helping healthcare organizations like yours maximize your impact and accelerate growth. Learn more at outcomesrocket.com

The biggest HURDLE every challenger brand faces? The moment a founder hires a Senior executive.Founder Operator tension is always bull-ragingly bombasticOperators joining challenger brands is like a well-polished CowBoy mounting a Raged Spanish BullOperators must control founders rage, steer vision, channel energy, calm zeala Supple Art, Elusive Science so many get wrongHonour to sit down for an Operator Masterclass with Graham xxx from Ole & SteenHUGE!!! thanks to legends at UberEats and Sam Nicanui for setting up this conversation.

Through the story of Barabbas, Mike continues our Changemaker series by showing us how Jesus changes us when He takes our punishment and sets us free.

Send us a textOn this week's episode of the Quarterback Dadcast, Casey Jacox sits down with the talented Trent Cotton, the VP of Culture from Hatchworks AI.Maintaining a meaningful connection with your child when physical distance separates you isn't just challenging—it can feel nearly impossible. Trent knows this struggle intimately. After separating from his wife when their daughter was only two and a half years old, with three hours of distance between them, Trent had to build his relationship through phone calls with a toddler who sometimes wasn't interested in talking."There were numerous nights that I would cry myself to sleep just thinking I'm not going to have the relationship that I've always wanted to have with my child," Trent reveals. Yet today, he and his daughter speak almost daily, discussing everything from fashion choices to profound conversations about physics, politics, and faith. How did he transform those tearful nights into this thriving relationship?The cornerstone of Trent's approach came from advice that changed everything: "Never say anything negative about your child's other parent in front of them." Through years of co-parenting challenges, he maintained this principle, refusing to let family members speak poorly of his ex-wife in his daughter's presence. This commitment created a foundation of safety and respect that allows his daughter to have relationships with both parents without feeling caught in the middle.Trent's philosophy of "excellence always" has guided both his career and his parenting. "Do things when people aren't looking and do them well," he explains, "and I promise you, it'll become such a habit that the world will start to notice." This value has taken root in his daughter, who was recently accepted into a master's program in civil engineering—something Trent speaks about with unmistakable pride.Perhaps most powerful is Trent's advice to "lead people to where they need to be, but don't judge them for where they are." This compassionate approach recognizes that our children are on their own journey, and our role isn't to criticize their current position but to guide them toward their best future self.Want to transform your parenting approach? Listen now to discover how playing the "long game" in parenting can help you navigate even the most challenging circumstances while building unbreakable bonds with your children. Your parenting North Star is waiting.Please don't forget to leave us a review wherever you consume your podcasts! Please help us get more dads to listen weekly and become the ultimate leader of their homes!

If you're ready to elevate your business, message, and mission with deeper purpose and authentic alignment, don't miss this latest episode of the School of Impact podcast. Explore how your "deeper why" becomes your North Star, why big ideas matter more than tactics, and how to operate from your zone of genius to build real momentum—without selling your soul or chasing validation. Whether you're a coach, creator, or entrepreneur, this episode will remind you that your message does matter—and it's time to light yourself on fire with passion and let it shine. Listen in now.   “You gotta find what are you naturally good. You start with what you feel more comfortable with, and then you build the confidence, you learn the skills, so you can apply it everywhere.Then you use that platform to share your story, to share your wisdom, to share your message, to basically magnetize your people, because when you're deeper why and your big idea flows through your gifts, that's when things start to take off.”   Gain insight on: Authenticity Over Strategy: True success in business and marketing comes from showing up authentically—your realness connects more powerfully than any tactic or trend. Discover Your "Deeper Why": Identifying your core purpose (your North Star) beyond surface-level goals helps you stay grounded and aligned in your message and mission. Stand Firm in Your Convictions: Don't compromise your values to gain clients or validation. Sharing your beliefs boldly can attract the right people and build trust. Leverage Your Zone of Genius: Focus on what comes most naturally to you—whether it's speaking, writing, or connecting—and let that guide how you share your message. Create Without Seeking Validation: Success isn't measured by likes or applause. Fall in love with the process, create from joy and service, and trust your message will resonate.   Connect with Jason Meland: Email: jason@goliveonlinemastermind.com Website: https://www.growmyvisibility.com/ Instagram: @coachjasonmeland Facebook: Jason Meland - In Demand Coach LinkedIn: Jason Meland

In this episode, Mike Linch and Casey Linch discuss the insights shared by Steve Cuss on leadership anxiety, the impact of unmet expectations in relationships, and the importance of processing trauma for personal growth. They explore how personal challenges can bleed into professional life and emphasize the significance of recognizing God's presence during difficult times. The conversation highlights the interconnectedness of personal and professional experiences and the need for leaders to navigate their emotional landscapes effectively.

Brian goes live from Optimove Connect in London to explore how the idea of “positionless marketing” is revolutionizing the way we think about team structure, agility, and creativity in marketing. He chats with endurance swimmer and environmental activist Lewis Pugh, as well as DAZN's Ria Chin-You and Optimove's Paul O'Shea, about marketing's future and how AI is shaping it.Strive for EpicKey takeaways:[12:25] Lewis Pugh shares how emotional drive and preparation fuel extraordinary feats—like swimming across the North Pole—and what brands can learn from that level of purpose.[20:29] “Epic” vs. “great”: Pugh discusses how to distinguish good work from game-changing campaigns.[33:42] Environmental justice, consumer justice, and the universal value of doing what's right—and what this really means for global brands today.[46:05] DAZN's Ria Chin-You discusses managing CRM across 200+ markets with a team of nine—and the challenges of scaling personalization with limited resources.[50:48] Integrating GenAI into real-world workflows is still a challenge, especially for resource-strapped teams—but the potential is there.[58:24] Paul O'Shea explains Optimove's vision for creating “super workers” through native AI integration and simplifying marketers' jobs.[1:01:08] Cultural nuance is key—global messaging isn't just about translation, it's about resonance.[1:07:49] In fast-moving industries like sports, being agile isn't optional. AI could be the key to real-time, reactive marketing at scale.“Practice until you can't get it wrong, not until you get it right.” — Lewis Pugh“We need tools that help us scale personalization without sacrificing cultural authenticity.” — Ria Chin-You“AI isn't replacing you, it's your new teammate.” — BrianIn-Show Mentions:Learn more about Optimove's positionless marketing platform at Optimove.com/futurecommerceDiscover Lewis Pugh's environmental work at lewispughfoundation.orgFind Ria Chin-You's work via DAZN and LinkedInAssociated Links:Check out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

What is your North Star? What are you fighting for, and what are you struggling to overcome, or leave behind? The goal is not a precise and detailed roadmap—that way lies dogma, orthodoxy, and worse—but rather a vision and a hope with which to gauge and partially frame our work in the here and now. The great Uruguay revolutionary, Edwardo Galeano, tells a story of being confronted by a person accusing him of being a utopian, and asking contemptuously, “What good is Utopia?” Galeano says, “It's true that if I walk 2 steps toward Utopia, Utopia walks 2 steps away, and if I walk 10 steps toward her, she walks 10 steps away. So what good is Utopia?” His reply: “It's good for walking.” We're joined in conversation by M.E. O'Brien and Eman Abdelhadi, authors of Everything for Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune 2052-2072, a novel that is so imaginative, so challenging, and so surprising that it reorders our conception of what's possible to write—and to think.

➡️ Like The Podcast? Leave A Rating: https://ratethispodcast.com/successstory In this "Lessons" episode, Brett Berish, a renowned Spirits Industry Disruptor, reveals how unconventional marketing strategies have built multiple billion-dollar alcohol brands across the globe. He delves into the power of authentic storytelling and the importance of staying true to your North Star, even when faced with setbacks. Learn how prioritizing long-term loyalty over quick exits and continuously iterating on your brand strategy transforms mistakes into valuable lessons. Brett explains that by embracing a mindset focused on sustainable growth, you can build a brand that not only stands out in a crowded market but also endures the test of time.➡️ Show Linkshttps://successstorypodcast.com YouTube: https://youtu.be/mBNWnJdQJ-Q Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brett-berish-president-ceo-at-sovereign-brands-how/id1484783544 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5jaKVXISPYoUfcqL9yJVtO ➡️ Watch the Podcast on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/c/scottdclary See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Send us a textMindy O'Neall is the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly Chair and the Executive Director of the Cold Climate Housing Research Center. CCHRC is a non-profit organization located near the Univerity of Alaska Fairbanks that for the past 25 years has advanced building solutions for healthier, more resilient homes in cold climates. Prior to her current roles, Mindy was the director of the coordinated campaign for the Alaska democratic party. She worked as staff for Senator Johnny Ellis and House Representative Les Gara and House Representaive now Senator Scott Kawasaki. 

Why would any leader choose to take on a transformation that requires rethinking how they lead, how their organization functions, and how they learn? In this episode, we dive deeper with Cliff Norman and David Williams, co-authors of Quality as an Organizational Strategy, exploring Chapter 11: “Getting Started.” They share powerful stories, practical steps, and the deep-rooted challenges leaders face when shifting from conventional methods to building true learning organizations grounded in Dr. Deming's philosophy. This conversation highlights why improvement cannot be delegated, why leadership transformation is essential, and how to begin the journey—with clarity, commitment, and courage. TRANSCRIPT 0:00:02.1 Andrew Stotz: My name is Andrew Stotz and I'll be your host as we dive deeper into the teachings of Dr. W. Edwards Deming. Today we are going to continue our conversation with Dave Williams and Cliff Norman about their book Quality as an Organizational Strategy. I found this book fascinating because I think it's addressing something where there's been a bit of a hole and that is how do we think about the strategy of our business? And so we already had our conversation in a prior episode about the overview of the book, but today we're going to be talking about specifically, now this is kind of funny because we're going to be talking about the back of the book and that is chapter 11, getting started. Dave, why don't you take it away?   0:00:53.3 Dave Williams: Well, thanks, Andrew. Thanks for having us back on the Deming podcast. So, as you mentioned, part of the way that the book is laid out is that it describes kind of the foundations that are behind quality as an organizational strategy and begins sort of with an introduction that explains a good bit about how Dr. Deming had this provocation of a need for leaders to transform the way that they approach leading organizations. And part of that was to move not just from process based improvement projects, but to start to think about major systems in the organization and to pursue quality as the overall strategy and create a continuous improvement organization or learning organization. And so the book lays some of the foundation behind the science of improvement or behind profound knowledge that underpin the thinking, walks through quality as an organizational strategy, as a method of five interdependent activities. Then at the end it comes back full circle to say, well, this is great, now you've learned about these theories and methods. But a natural question for any leader would be, how do I get started? And one of the first things that we talk about in that section actually is about why leaders would want to do this transformation.   0:02:30.9 Dave Williams: And this actually came from a conversation that Lloyd and Cliff and I had in 2020 where we were talking about getting on this journey of building the book. And we all kind of recognized that this was really, really hard work. And we were curious or we, we didn't have a good answer of what was our theory about why somebody would deviate from the way in which they work today and embark on a transformational change of the way that they approach leadership, the way that they approach organizations. And actually I ended up going on a journey of interviewing a whole host of leaders who had been influenced by Deming, who had been involved in improvement in healthcare, folks like Dr. Berwick and Paul Batalden and Brent James. I interviewed some folks in the UK and other places, like John Seddon, and asked them, oh and I should Blaine Godfrey, who had been the lead of the Durand Institute, and I posed the question, what causes somebody to want to embark on this change? And many people actually had a hard time articulating it. But the answer that emerged, or actually Blaine Godfrey was the one that kind of framed it the best, I think, for us, was a number of things.   0:03:57.7 Dave Williams: Sometimes it's something like a book like this comes out and people read it and it's interesting and new. Sometimes it's an event happens, a patient safety event or a major accident or something of which causes people to have to change or do something different. Sometimes it's a discouragement with a desire that you know you could do better, but you don't have methods or know how to. So there were a host of things that we listed, and those are some of a sample of them that might invite somebody to say, the way that we're working today is not getting us to the level that we want to. And now we want to embark on something different. And we might look to something like quality as an organizational strategy as a method for us to transform the way that we're working and build on the shoulders of Deming's philosophy and the science of improvement and do it differently.   0:04:56.0 Andrew Stotz: And when I look at the book, you guys are bringing together a lot of different stuff. It's not just a Deming book. It's Deming is a part of this, and that's fascinating. One of the questions I have is when we look at, let's say, a business owner, a business leader is looking for answers, as you said, maybe it's an event, maybe it's a discouragement, maybe it's a feeling like we can do better. Maybe it's just being beaten by competitors. They come to a point where they start looking for answers and they find some fantastic books, authors, ideas, consultants, all this and I think about whether that's Peter Drucker or whether that's the Lean movement or whether that's, let's say Taguchi or something like that is the teachings that you guys are talking about - and I'm going to specifically ask about the teachings of Dr. Deming. Is it more or is it more difficult or less difficult to implement than other books or styles or methods that someone's going to come across?   0:06:08.7 Cliff Norman: I have to quote one of my colleagues here who probably knew about more about Deming than anybody in API or all of us combined, that's Ron Moen, who did, I think it was 88 seminars, four-day seminars with Dr. Deming. Dr. Deming once told him, he said, Ron, I believe you've been to more of these and I've been to. And it's kind of a joke. He had a great sense of humor. But you know, Ron told me the problem with Deming is he's asking us to change. And there's all sorts of things out there that require the management and the leadership, they really don't have to do anything different. And there are several things out there. In fact, Philip Crosby, one of the three gurus during when they launched, he was more the evangelical and had a way of talking to management so that they understood it, which that was his contribution to all that. But when Six Sigma came up and black belts and all that, and Crosby looked at him and says, that's not going to change the system. He said, all you're doing is killing a bear for management, killing a bear for management, and then you'll get a black belt.   0:07:19.9 Cliff Norman: You know, And I thought, wow that's pretty profound. Because the management at that point doesn't have to do anything, just have the black belt ceremony. There's absolutely no change on their part. Where Deming, as Ron says, he's kind of a pain. You've got to learn about variation, you got to learn about Shewhart charts. You've got to be able to put together a family of measures for your organization. You've got to understand your organization's system. You need to understand psychology, you need to understand theory of knowledge and how people learn how they change. And nothing else out there puts that on leaders. And so that was a question that Dave was lending back to. Why would somebody do this to themselves? You know, why would they take on this whole extra thing to learn and all the rest of it. And for the people that I know that have made that, that bridge, the pure joy that they get and the rewards they get from people who are learning and that they're leading and that they're changing and they're able to go to other organizations and repeat this and call them up and say, thank you so much for helping me learn how to be a real leader.   0:08:35.8 Cliff Norman: I mean, that's the reward in it. But it requires a real change on the part of the leader. And I don't know of anything else, Andrew, that actually requires that kind of in depth change. And there was one of our leaders, Joe Balthazar, he had Jane and I do four years in a row with his leadership team, teach them the science of improvement. The same curriculum, same leaders, four years in a row. And the second year I was doing it, I said, don't we need... No, no, Cliff, I want you to do exactly what you did last year. He said, it takes years for people to understand this. And I thought, wow, this is unbelievable. But on the fourth year, the VP of sales walked up to me and he says, I think I figured it out. And I thought, wow. And it does it literally... Because you've got to depart from where you've been and start thinking about how you're going to change and let go of what's made you successful up to this point. And that's hard, that's hard for anybody to do.   0:09:47.2 Cliff Norman: And anybody's been through that four day seminar knows when they crossed that path that all of a sudden they had to say, you know what I've been doing, I can see where I've been, the problem and not the solution. And that's tough for us. That really is tough. And Deming says you have to give up that guilt trip. And once you understand the theory of variation, once you understand systems, once you understand psychology and theory of knowledge, it's time then for you to move on and let go of the guilt. I hope that makes sense. But that's the difficulty in this.   0:10:17.6 Andrew Stotz: It reminds me of two, it made me think about two things. I mean, I was just a 24 year old guy when I attended the seminars that I did, and they weren't even four day. I think they were two-day ones at Quality Enhancement Seminars in, what was it, George Washington, I think. But the point that I remember, as just a young guy who I was, I pretty much admired all these business leaders. And then to see Dr. Deming really nail em to the wall and say it's about you changing. And whether he was saying that directly or whether that he was implying that through the Red Bead experiment or other things, it's about you shaping the system. That really blew me away because I had already read some books and I was pretty excited. And then it also made me think about, let's say there's a really good book, I would say Good to Great by Jim Collins that highlights some things that you can do to succeed and make your business better. And you can just buy that book and hand it to your management team and go, hey, implement what you learned from this book.   0:11:20.8 Andrew Stotz: Whereas with the Deming book, it's like there's just so much more to it. So I guess the answer to this is it is more takes time. There's more thinking going on. And I think that's part of the whole point of what your book does, is to help us map it out. So why don't we go through and think about this and kind of maybe step by step through what is the starting point and how do we go?   0:11:45.4 Cliff Norman: Andrew, I just got to add to what you just said there and go back to Joe Balthazar at Hallmark Building Supplies. He shared with me that, and he's the one that said I want you to do these four year seminars dedicated Deming's idea of Profound knowledge. And he said, Cliff, the day I made it, I knew I'd made it. Is my son Joey spilled his milk. He's about three years old. And he said, I started to do my normal leap across the table and he said I was about mid air. And I thought, oh my, this is what they do. This is part of their system. This is common. And I'm treating this like it's special. And that was so profound for him. And when, when you move beyond the Shewhart chart and you see events in your life around you relative to the theory of variation, common and special cause variation at a deep way like that, that's the kind of transformation you want to see in a leader. And Joe will tell you he's forever grateful for Deming and everything he's learned, and I think that's the reward. But people need to be willing to go on that journey, as Dave was saying.   0:12:53.0 Andrew Stotz: So Dave, why don't you walk us through a little bit of what you guys are teaching in that chapter.   0:13:00.3 Dave Williams: Sure. Well, one of the next steps obviously is if somebody, if a leadership team thinks that they want to go on this journey, there's some considerations they got to think about. As we've already sort of alluded to or touched on, this is a leadership responsibility and a leadership change. And so there's got to be will amongst the leadership team in order to say we want to work together and work hard to do this work. That this is not something that, similar to Cliff's example of say, having black belts, that we can just hand it off, somebody else will do it, and we can just keep going about our business and hope. It's important that leaders spend time recognizing and thinking about the fact that this is going to involve them doing work, doing effort, changing the way that they think, changing the way that they practice. And I like to say it's good hard work. I mean it's going to be something that's deeply rewarding. But it does require them to have that will. And with will then it's going to come time and energy, right? They've got to make the space, they've got to create regular routines and opportunities for them to learn just in terms of content, learn in terms of practice or application and learn in the process of doing the improvement work and doing the change to the way that they work in the organization.   0:14:38.0 Dave Williams: So there's going to be a need to build in that ability. And then a third thing is to ask whether you think this is something that you can do on your own or whether it might be useful to have help. And help may be an internal, a consultant, but likely not to promote consulting it but, but there's a good chance that you're going to need somebody that has both experience in improvement and helping people do results-driven improvement as well as somebody who has experience doing system wide change through a lens like QOS. And, and the advantage of that often is it it gives you as a leadership team to focus in on your job of thinking and looking and learning and allow somebody else to be an external intervener, somebody who comes in and creates some of the support, some of the context, some of the ways that can make it easier for you to step back and look at your organization in a different way. And so many times those are some of the things that should be considered as teams working through it. Cliff, what would you add or improve upon.   0:16:07.3 Cliff Norman: The idea of external help. Deming was pretty black and white about that. I was kind of surprised. I went back and read one of his quotes. He said, "I should mention also the costly fallacy held by many people in management that a consultant must know all about a process in order to work on it. All evidence is exactly the contrary. Competent men in every position, from top management to the humblest worker know all there is to know about their work except how to improve it. Help towards improvement can come only from outside knowledge." And I was reflecting on that today with Jane who's been involved in this for 40 plus years also. I said Jane, when he said that, I think it was accurate because at that time she and I were going to Duran seminars. There's only two books out there with methods. One was Ishikawa's book on Guide to Quality Control. And the other was Feigenbaum's book. And then of course you had Duran's book on The Quality Handbook, which was a nice doorstop. But there wasn't that much knowledge about improvement. And the worst part where Deming was really getting to was there's very few people you'd run into that actually under the Shewhart methods and charts and understand the difference between special and common cause variation.   0:17:27.0 Cliff Norman: And so you had to bring that kind of knowledge in from the outside. And frankly, we've had people go off the rails here. You know, Dr. Deming in the teaching of statistics has identified analytic studies which is focused on looking at data over time and trying to understand that and simple methods and approaches and then what he calls enumerative statistics, which is use of T tests, F tests and all the rest of it, which assumes that under the IDD principle that data is independent and identically distributed. Well, if you have any special causes in the data set, it blows up both of those assumptions and the use of those methods doesn't offer any help in prediction. And as Dr. Deming often said, prediction is the problem. And then go back to Shewhart. And Shewhart said, things in nature are inherently stable, but man-made processes are inherently unstable. So when Dave and I first do a Shewhart chart for a client, we don't expect for it to be stable. We expect for to have special causes. And as Dr. Deming said and also Dr. Juran, that when you get a stable system, that in and of itself is an achievement, that means nobody's messing around with the system anymore.   0:18:43.0 Cliff Norman: And you see this in the simplest things, like in an office, somebody will walk in and they think that their body is the standard for what the internal temperature should be for that room. So then they walk up and they start tampering with the thermostat. And by the end of the day everybody's irritated because we've had so many bodies up there with their standard. Moving the funnel on us here, and just leaving it alone would probably all be better off. But you have to learn that. And I think that's what Dr. Deming was saying, is that that kind of knowledge is going to come from the outside. Now the good news is is that since he wrote that in 1986, we've got a lot of people out there and some of them are in organizations that do understand the Shewhart methods and can understand the difference between common and special cause variation. They do understand the difference between a new and analytic studies and statistics and they can be of help. So the Deming Institute has a room full of these people show up, but they're at their gatherings annually. So we're a lot further along than we were in 1986.   0:19:45.2 Andrew Stotz: Yeah. So let's go through that for just a second. Some considerations you've talked about. You know that it's a leadership change. Right. And you gotta ask yourself, are we ready to work on this? And you know, this is not a hands-off thing. The second thing you talked about is time and energy. Are we ready to make the space for this? We have to have regular meetings. You know, we've gotta really... There's some work involved here. And then the third part you've talked about is outside help. And you mentioned about this story of Joe Balthazar and how he asked you to do the same topic over and over for four years. And imagine if he was telling his team, let's meet and try to implement some of this stuff on our own. Everybody dig into a book and then let's try. It would be very difficult to make that kind of progress compared to bringing an outside person. Which also brings me to the last thing that you said, Cliff, which was the idea that Dr. Deming had mentioned, that you need an outside person to truly change something. Everybody's got the expertise on the inside.   0:20:44.5 Cliff Norman: I appreciate you summarizing that because my job and working with Joe and leadership team, I was meeting with him every month. But what the four years that Jane and I spent were the next levels of his leadership. You know, it wasn't the leadership team. And I'm glad you brought that up because it was the very next level that he wanted exposed to this and the VP of sales that came in, he was new, so he had to be part of this group because he wasn't there originally. And so there was that ongoing... He wanted that next generation that was going to take over for him and the others to really understand this. So I'm glad you summarized that for me to help.   0:21:30.5 Andrew Stotz: Yeah. And I think one of the starting points too, I mean, the body of work, not just this book, but the other books that you guys have been involved in and produced provide a lot of the starting points for this. So there's a lot there. Dave, where do we go after these considerations? And the people say, okay, yeah, leadership says, we want to make this change. We're ready to make some time for it. We're willing to get outside support and help. Where do we go next.   0:21:57.7 Dave Williams: Right. Well, one thing that we typically invite a leadership team to do is to take kind of a self assessment of where they sort of see their baseline in relation to the methods and activities of QOS. So in chapter one of the book, there's actually a table that is 10 different categories. And then each leader takes it independently and they rate their level of agreement with different definitions from 0 to 10. 0 being this really isn't present, and 10 is, I'm very, very far along on this journey that in the book that's out now, there's a summarized table, it's on a page. But actually in the QOS field guide that we're working on publishing this year, there's a much more detailed version that we use in practice that has deeper definitions, but basically it works its way through purpose and leadership and systems thinking and measurement and all the things that are tied into QOS and what... And as I mentioned, we have each individual member of the leadership team take it independently and then we bring those scores together to learn together.   0:23:32.5 Dave Williams: And there's different ways in which you can display it. In the book, we show an example of a leadership team's scatter plot where it shows the rating and then it also shows the standard deviation amongst that exists between the leadership team. It's very, very common for leaders to not be in agreement in terms of their score in each of the different areas. You know what I said, It's a 0 to 10 scale. Typically, in my experience using the tool, people tend to be between a 2 and a 6 and hovering around a 2 or a 4. But it sort of looks like a buckshot or shotgun blast where there's a very... If you were to put dots where everybody scores, where there's variation that exists. And that's good because it's useful for the team to pause and think about why they assess the organization the way that they did. Looking at it through this new lens, where are the places that there's agreement and also where are the places that there's variation? And that helps them to be able to think about the fact that through this process, they're likely to both improve their assessment of the organization, but also increase their agreement about where they are and what they need to do to move forward and what they need to do to improve.   0:25:05.2 Dave Williams: And so that's a useful starting point, gets everybody kind of on the same page, and it's something that we can use at intervals as one of the ways to continually come back and evaluate progress towards the destination of pursuing quality as an organizational strategy.   0:25:23.7 Andrew Stotz: Yeah, I mean, I imagine that self assessment, it helps you too when you work with companies to be able to really understand, okay, here are starting point with this company is really, they just really don't know much about all of this stuff, whereas you'll have some other clients that basically, wow, okay, there's a lot of knowledge here about it, but how's the implementation and all that? So are we ready to change? Are we prepared to devote the time and energy? Are we going to get outside help? And where are we now? What's our starting point that's great to help us understand exactly how you step through it. What comes next?   0:26:03.5 Cliff Norman: Well, in that very first milestone, in that table, is it table three, Dave? Anyway, the very first milestone is to establish formal improvement efforts. And the reason for that is that unless people experience what it takes to develop, test and implement changes in the organizations, they really can't appreciate the structure that comes with quality as an organizational strategy. Because it's very difficult for many organizations to launch three or four improvement efforts and then bring them to fruition. And there's all sorts of stuff that happens. And then you find out very quickly whether you have managers or leaders, and organizations they've brought me in, they say, let's do some leadership training. I said, no, let's just do some improvement and then we'll find out if we have leaders or not. And one group, I won't mention who it was, but they had five people on their leadership team and they had to replace two of them because they found out they couldn't actually manage an improvement effort. And then the CEO was wondering how they actually manage their organization, which they weren't either. And so it's a rather, it's an important test in the front.   0:27:22.2 Cliff Norman: But as Dr. Juran says, it's real important to develop the habit of improvement. And if you don't know what that is, if you've never experienced it, then it's hard to say to people, gee, I need a purpose that aligns my improvement efforts. I need to understand my system so I know where those improvements are going on. I need to build an information system, get information from customers outside, people inside. I need to put together a strategic plan that actually makes improvements on purpose. That's a lot of work. And once you understand how complicated it can get in terms of just doing three or four improvement efforts and then all of a sudden you got a portfolio of 30 to do your strategic plan. Now that needs some structure, that needs some guidance and all the rest of it. But I'll just go back one step further. My own journey. I was sent by Halliburton at Otis Engineering to go see Dr. Deming 1982 in February. And coming back, I had an audience with the president of our organization, Purvis Thrash. And I went on and on about Dr. Deming. He said, Cliff, you know what I'd like to have? I said, what's up, Mr. Thrash?   0:28:27.5 Cliff Norman: He says, if you'll take this 50 million dollar raw material problem and solve this for me, I'll be a happy man and I'll give you all the quality you want. But go take care of that problem for me first and then come back to me and talk about Deming and Juran and anything else you want to talk about. So I put together four or five people and over about three months we solved his 50 million dollar raw material problem. And then he had a meeting of all executives and I was sitting with the managers in the back row and he called me to the front and he says, Cliff, will you sign this card right here? And I says, well Mr. Thrash, what is this? He says, well, I'm giving you authority to sign $50,000 anytime you need it to get all the quality we can stand here at Otis Engineering. One of the vice presidents said, well, I don't have that authority. He said, you didn't save me $50 million. You know, but once that happens, Andrew, once you do that, then you've got people that are willing to help you. And then once that takes place, I can't tell you how important, it allowed me then to bring in Lloyd Provost to help me.   0:29:36.2 Cliff Norman: And they weren't about to pay out money. They didn't like consultants, in fact, they were anti-consultant. But you saved us $50 million. I gave you $50,000. And Lloyd doesn't make that much. So get him in here, do whatever you need to go do. And I just think it's so critical that we have that demonstration project that people understand at the leadership level what we're talking about when we talk about design and redesign of the system.   0:30:00.0 Andrew Stotz: Yeah. I mean, I appreciate in the book you're talking about this concept. I'm not going to call it quick wins, but the idea is we need to get results. You know, this isn't just about talking about stuff so that's one thing that as you just illustrated, that's one point. The second thing you mentioned, is this person a leader or a manager? You know, and I think for the listeners or viewers out there, they're probably... When they heard you say that, they're probably thinking. Okay, wait a minute. Are my team managers or leaders? How do I know? What would you say? What differentiates the two?   0:30:37.2 Cliff Norman: I was fortunate to hang around Dr. Maccabee, as Deming did, and I asked Dr. Maccabee that question. He said, Cliff it's actually pretty easy. He said leaders have followers, and if you have followers, you can be anywhere in the organization, be a leader, but if you don't have followers, you're not a leader. You might be a manager with authority. You're not a leader.   0:31:02.7 Andrew Stotz: Can I ask a little bit more on that? So I'm thinking about my own business, which is a coffee factory, and I have people that are running the business, but I also have people that are running departments like the roasting department. And that area when they're overseeing this and they're doing a very good job and they're keeping things up and all that. How do I understand in a sense you could say, are they followers? Well, not really. They're people working for them and they have a good time and so do I view that person as not necessarily a leader, but more of a manager, or how do I look at it in my own company?   0:31:35.5 Cliff Norman: It could be a manager, which is essential to the organization. And that's another big difference. You see, the leader can't delegate their relationship with the people who are followers. You can't do that any more than a teacher can dedicate her class to a substitute teacher. Anybody that's ever watched that knows that chaos is getting ready to break out here because that teacher has a relationship with those students. She knows them all in a big way. And when the substitute comes in is game time in most classrooms and so forth, the managers have skills and things that they're applying and they can actually delegate those. Like when I was a foreman, I could have somebody come in and take over my department and I say assign all my people tomorrow. And they could do that. Now, in terms of the people that I was leading that saw me as a leader in that department, they didn't have that relationship.   0:32:30.2 Cliff Norman: But management or skills and necessary things to make the organization run like you're talking about, the coffee is not going to get out the door unless I have people with subject matter knowledge and competent managers to make sure that the T's are getting crossed, the I's dotted and the rest of it. But the leadership of the organization that has followers, that's a whole different person. And I think it's important. That could be anywhere in the organization. Like I had at Halliburton, I had a VP of engineering. Everybody went to him, everybody. He had 110 patents. You know, he built that system. He built the whole organization. So the CEO did not have the followers that the VP of engineering had. And it was well earned. It's always earned, too.   0:33:16.7 Andrew Stotz: Yeah. Okay, that's great. Leaders have followers. Leaders cannot delegate their authority. They have a different relationship.   0:33:24.0 Cliff Norman: They can't delegate the relationship.   0:33:25.8 Andrew Stotz: The relationship. Okay.   0:33:27.4 Cliff Norman: Yeah. Very important.   0:33:34.3 Andrew Stotz: So now let's go back to what, where we were. So we were saying some of the considerations. Are we ready to change? Are we prepared to devote the time and energy? Are we ready to get outside help and where are we now? And that self assessment that you talked about helps us to understand what's our starting point. I always tell a joke with my students about this when I talk about. I'd say, imagine you go to London and you're going to go visit your friend and you call your friend up, you say, I've arrived and I'm calling from a phone booth and just tell me how to get there. And the friend says, well, where are you? And you say, I'm not really sure. Well, do you see anything around you? Yeah, well, there's lots of buildings, but I don't really, you know. Well, do you see any names of any streets? No, I don't really see anything. But just tell me how to get there. There's something missing. If we don't know where we are, it's very difficult to get to where we're going. So now we understand where we are. We got that scatter plot that you guys have that you've talked about. Dave, where do we go next?   0:34:26.6 Dave Williams: Well, so Cliff already mentioned one of the fundamentals. And sometimes I think this is something that people struggle with because they want to jump into something new. But one of the best starting points is to focus in on improvement. And there's a number of different reasons for that. So one is that I don't know about you all, but in my experience, if I ask people, like, hey, I want to create some improvement projects and get started on improvement, I always tell people, like, if you remember the old Stephen Covey exercise where he put the rocks and the stones and the sand into a jar and poured water. And like you would do it in different orders. And I'm fascinated that people will stare at the big rocks or the things that are right in front of them, or the things that are on their agenda, or the things that are part of their strategy. And then they'll look to the side and grab some rare event or some extra thing that isn't related to that, but they've always wanted to work on. And where we try to focus people's attention is one, what are you already working on? Can you look through your and ask around, what are the things that are currently in play, projects that exist? And sometimes we won't ask, what improvement projects do you have? Because if you do that, you get a short list.   0:35:51.4 Dave Williams: Those are the things that people defined as an improvement effort, or maybe use some kind of framing to decide it was an improvement project. It may be better to in the beginning of the book, in the first chapter, we talk about different ways that you improve. And there's designing and redesigning a process. There's designing and redesigning a service or a product. There's changing a whole system. And so it can be useful to say, well, what are we doing in these areas? And that may actually create a bigger list of the various things where people are working on something that's about change to the system that may lend itself to be better activated through firing it up as an improvement project. And then, of course, there's a good chance that any organization, especially if they've done some kind of strategic planning, have some strategic objectives or some strategic priorities which they've committed to or already said, these are the things we're going to work on. So kind of crowdsourcing or bringing those together helps us to potentially find the early portfolio of projects without having to look much further, without having to say, what else do you want to work on.   0:37:07.0 Dave Williams: And then if we've got that, if we've got that list, a second thing that we can do is invite people to use the three questions of the model for improvement and reflect on can you answer these three questions? Do you know what you're trying to accomplish? Do you know how a change will result in improvement? Do you know what changes you'll make? What's your theory about how you'll get to improvement? And so having a list of the things that are already present or existing may be one first step. Another second step in the firing up a portfolio of improvement projects is asking the three questions for the model for improvement. And then a third one, if it's an active project is we have a project progress scale that you might use that can help you gauge. So I've got a project where is it on its journey towards achieving its aim or getting results? Those three can help us to sort of get a sense of the work that is at hand and that has already been sort of started in some fashion that is already in progress and maybe to get a sense of the level of definition and the progress that exists.   0:38:22.3 Dave Williams: They may not be the right projects, but that's a good place to start before trying to create new ones. And I'll hand it to you, Andrew.   0:38:30.4 Andrew Stotz: I find that interesting. Both the story that you told Cliff about fix my raw material problem and then, Dave, what you're talking about is as you talk in the book, focus first on improvement. What are we already working on? What's an improvement project we've got? What's a problem we've got? Because a lot of times, let's say in the teachings of Dr. Deming, it's like, no, get your mind right, read this stuff, read this, figure this out, think about this, go to a seminar, talk to other people before you do anything. I feel like that is oftentimes where people get caught is they get caught up in, I need a year to think about this. And can you explain a little bit more about why once we've done our self assessment and we're ready to go, that you focus on improvement rather than the thinking process?   0:39:21.7 Dave Williams: Well, because we want to... Well, one, we know that in order to get results or to get a different result than what we want, we got to change the system that we got. Right. So in order to do that, we've got to do improvement. The other thing is that there's already energy that's being expended here.   0:39:41.4 Andrew Stotz: That's a good point.   0:39:42.7 Dave Williams: The risk that often I find people run into is that they then add other projects that are not strategic into that bucket and take up more energy. I'll tell you an example. I was working with the health system here in the States and we crowdsource just the things that they were calling improvement projects. The health system had 25 active teams that were just the ones that were called out as improvement projects. When we looked at those 25 teams, the vast majority of them were not actually... They had been meeting for months and doing things for quite some time, but they actually weren't doing any changes and, or they've been testing changes for quite some time. So, now just this exercise alone by only asking, what improvement projects do you have? You realize you've got 25 teams that have been resourced or are spending energy or going to meetings or focused on something. They may not be the strategic thing that matters, but that's irrelevant right now. We just know that we already have invested some interest here. The second thing is these folks have been on this journey for quite some time and are not making progress.   0:41:01.7 Dave Williams: So that tells me something about maybe the way that they framed it. Did they charter it well? Did they have the right people in the room or the right team? Did they have the right tools and methods to be able to break down the problem and then figure out what to test and learn? So there may be some difficulty...   0:41:19.4 Andrew Stotz: Or did they even just dissipate their efforts across 25 projects too? Right in their resources, yeah.   0:41:26.1 Dave Williams: Yeah. Or there are overlaps? So there's a number of different factors. There's actually a paper that was published by a health system in the United Kingdom, and it was really interesting. They spent a lot of attention on generating will through training and getting people in the classroom and teaching them about improvement methods. And they fired up all this energy. They had a massive explosion of the number of projects that were started or where somebody went into their software. They had a software platform. Anybody could go and start a project. Well, something like 50% of those projects never actually got to PDSA testing where they changed anything. And then there were a slew of them that were stuck in PDSA testing but never saw any movement in their process measures or their outcome measures. And only a small number actually progressed in achieving their aim. And I asked the Chief Quality Officer about this, and and he admittedly said that it was very exciting that we we're generating will and getting things going, but that alone was only getting them to maybe some early design and some thinking, but they weren't getting them to results.                                                                         0:42:34.8 Dave Williams: And I said, well, what about the ones that were getting results? And he said, well, those are actually ones where we've got an improvement advisor who's got some skills and ability and improvement. There are things that are resourced, there are things that were prioritized. And man, when we did all those things, they moved from planning and organizing and thinking to testing changes and moving in a direction of goodness and getting at least results in their process measures, if not their outcome measures. And so in my mind, I was like, I appreciate you're trying to build this sort of culture, but it felt like a lot of burnt energy at the front end with all these teams getting into training and firing up their software and more energy might have been strategic in copying what was getting to results. And I think that's part of what we're trying to get to, is helping people learn. You've got if you don't have a method to figure out strategic projects, let's look at the ones you got. How are they going? Where are people at? And how effective is the capability that you have within your system right now? And the leaders want to be part of that, and they can learn within that to go, oh, wow, this is our current state.   0:43:47.2 Dave Williams: And so maybe we're going to agree to continue on with these projects. Maybe we're going to sunset some of them, but we're going to learn together about how do we get better at getting better, and how do we learn how to move projects forward and not to have them take two years. Let's try to get them down to four or six months, whether that's through scope or execution. But let's get better at getting better. And then as we're building... Developing the early activities of QOS, we'll eventually get to a point where we'll also be able to identify more strategic projects that are going to move us towards our aim or towards our purpose better. And this will help us as we're trying to build the capability to get there.   0:44:32.7 Cliff Norman: You know, Andrew, early on, when Dave went down this path, he said that we got to make sure that somebody's working on improvement. They're actually making changes. And Jane and I were working with a group, and the CEO said they've been meeting a long time. Could you down there and see what they're doing? Because nothing's happening. And we started looking through their agendas and they had everything well documented, and it was all about getting ready to get ready. And then they'd assign the dessert. Who's going to bring the dessert to the next meeting. And Jane looked at him and says this reminds me of something, Cliff. I said, what's that? Can I share my screen?   0:45:10.9 Andrew Stotz: Yeah. Yep, go ahead.   0:45:13.7 Cliff Norman: I may send this to. You may know about it, but this is Dr. Deming's Diary of a Cat. And everyday...   0:45:20.6 Andrew Stotz: It hasn't come up yet. Hold on one second. Hopefully you've got permission now.   0:45:28.6 Cliff Norman: Let me go back and check here.   0:45:33.9 Andrew Stotz: Okay. It looks like it's coming up. One second.   0:45:38.4 Cliff Norman: It said every day is today. There's no theory days of the week. But today I got up some food in a bowl, it was great. Slept some too. Play with yarn, got some food in a bowl, had a good nap, slept, food, yarn, fun. Play with a shoelace. There's a big change right there. Went from yarn to a shoelace. Some people call that a job shop. And ate, slept, had a good day, slept, ate some food, yarn, so forth. So, and the team meeting looked just like that. But there's really no changes going on relative to improvement. So Dr. Deming would often share this into four days seminar to make sure that we weren't involved in the Diary of the Cat, but we were actually doing something useful in terms of making changes in the organization.   0:46:24.4 Andrew Stotz: That's a great one. And it helps us to understand that we could be busy all day long and not improve anything.   0:46:31.8 Cliff Norman: You know, or actually confuse that with improvement. In fact, we have an operational API that my team, we were embarrassed in our first, wait a second, our first improvement guide we wrote. And Dr. Adamir Pente, who's a professor at the university in Brazil, he sent us a note and he said, I know you guys and he said you're real big on operational definitions, but you've written this book on improvement and nowhere have you, you've defined what you mean by improvement. And then he put together a three part definition that there's a design and redesign system, there's system measures and the change is sustainable and lasting and so we put that definition in the second edition. But I was confronted at a university, I won't mention which one it was, but they had 30 Keystone projects for a advanced degree program for nursing and they were convinced they were doing improvement. And when I had them apply that definition, they came up out of the thirty. They only could find two projects out of the 30 where they were actually designing and redesigning the system, which, that's the first thing Dave said are we designing and redesigning and making real changes? And people think just showing up and going through motions and all the rest of it is improvement. No, it means...   0:48:07.8 Dave Williams: Looks like we've lost...   0:48:11.9 Andrew Stotz: We lost you at the last, the last statement you just made. People are going through all this stuff and thinking that they're improving, but they're...   0:48:22.8 Cliff Norman: Yeah, it's showing up and going through motions and you know, having the meetings and making sure we assign who's bringing dessert. But we're not really designing and changing the system. We're not getting measurable changes of improvement. In other words, we haven't tracked the data over time and we can't say that the changes that we've made are going to in fact be sustainable because we haven't known what we've done to the system to deserve a sustainable change.   0:48:51.4 Andrew Stotz: By the way, what a buzzword these days, sustainability, sustainable and all that. And you just think do people really think about how we're building something that's really lasting and sustainable?   0:49:04.8 Cliff Norman: Well, we have a checklist and actually Jane designed it for the first edition and it literally lays out what changes did you make, which processes did you change, what's going to change in the documentation, whose role statements have been changed in the organization because of this change. And once all that's answered on that checklist, which is in the book, then we can... But we're pretty certain that we've created the structure to make it easy for people to do the right thing and hard to do the wrong thing. But unless that structure's changed, probably not much going to happen.   0:49:40.8 Andrew Stotz: Just for the sake of time, because I think we want to wrap up in just a bit. But there's so many stuff, so much stuff that we've been through. But I know there's even more in this chapter, but how would you start to bring this together for the person who is a leader, himself or herself, and they're listening to this and they're thinking, okay, I'm ready to make a change and I'm prepared to devote the time and energy because I see the outcome and I'm open to help, whether that's through the book and other books, whether that's through a consultant, whatever that is. And I can even do a self assessment to some extent and know where our level is, which is very low. We don't know much about this type of stuff and that type of thing. We talked about the first focus on improvement. How do they pull this all together and start moving on it?   0:50:35.0 Dave Williams: There's three things that follow the self assessment. The first one is this focus on doing improvement work and setting up a portfolio of projects. And we just kind of talked about many of the different methods that go into that. And like I said, sometimes that when you say that out loud, leaders don't initially get excited by it because they think they have it. But actually it's a powerful opportunity for you to learn about what's currently going on in the organization and about where this opportunity is to reduce a lot of the noise and a lot of the friction that's getting in the way from you getting to results. The second thing that often happens in parallel is that the leaders need to build a learning system where they're going to be able to learn together both about these projects and what these projects are telling them about their organization, about their culture, about their people, and about their capacity to get results, but also that they can start to be learning about the science of improvement and profound knowledge and the activities of QOS that are going to be part of what they're going to work on developing over the course of the first year or two.   0:51:50.6 Dave Williams: And so that typically is, that's making that space and energy. It's a blend of book learning and application and practical. Trying and looking at things within the organization. It's a very applied approach, but it's an ongoing piece of their discovery. And I often argue that this is a real opportunity for leadership because they're going to be able to see their organization in a way that they haven't seen it before. And when we talk about profound knowledge, they're going to gain this profound understanding and expertise about what they're charged with and what they own and what they want to change in a way that they haven't been able to have it before. And so it's a hard work, but rewarding work. And then third is that typically where the, where we invite people to start is to focus in on the first activity, which is to develop or establish or develop their purpose. When this work was initially framed, not everybody was as... Not everybody had a mission, vision and value statement or a purpose statement that wasn't as common, but today people do. But the difference here, and you'll see this in the chapter on purpose, is that organizations that are pursuing quality as an organizational strategy are organizations that are systems that are built to constantly be trying to match a need that exists out in the world.   0:53:34.7 Dave Williams: And so often a learning for people is to step back and have to reflect on, well, what is the need in which we are creating these products and services to match? And if we're creating these things to match the need, how do we understand what's important, what are the quality characteristics that matter? And then how do we define what our mission is in that context? And being able to say, here's why we exist and the need that we're trying to serve, and in what way? And how do we set a vision for where we want to get into the future and what are the tenants or the practical values that exist in our organization, that we want to define how we work together in terms of building in that way. And so purpose is a big focus. It's that clarity of the need, the clarity of the quality characteristics that it takes to match that need. Understanding what are the products and services that we have. I know that sounds a little trivial, but you'd be stunned how hard it is, especially in service organizations, for people to actually describe what it is that they do, what are the actual services.   0:54:54.3 Dave Williams: They might have the name of the service or the class or the whatever, but to actually say this is what we deliver, and then really think about how do I use this as our organization's sort of North Star, our aim, so that everything else that follows is going to be about building a system that produces the results that we want and produces the services that match that need. So going forward, that's going to be very, very important in instructing the direction and instructing the way in which we're going to work as a community of professional people together.   0:55:30.8 Andrew Stotz: So after self assessment, we're talking about focusing on improvement. We're talking about building a learning system, and we're talking about revisiting or establishing or developing our purpose?   0:55:43.3 Cliff Norman: Yeah, I'll just add to what you just said there, Andrew. There's three basic things that have to happen when we start working. Number one is create the habit of improvement. Start improvement right away. Second thing, Dave just went through some detail on building a system of improvement. And Dave called that a learning system, which I thought was interesting because that's what Dr. Maccabee called it when he saw the five activities. Said, these are really methods for building a learning organization. And he said, I've never really seen them before, but this is what will come out of this, which is the essence of what you want. You want people continually learning, as Dr. Deming said, so they can continually improve. But the third thing that has to happen is we have to develop internal capability for them to carry this on, because we're not going to be around with them. We've never advertised. We don't advertise for clients, and we only get word of mouth. And we're only in there to do those three things, get them started on the habit of improvement, start building the system improvement so they can take it over.   0:56:43.4 Cliff Norman: And the third thing, start developing internal capability so they can continue it on into the future. So those three things basically take off on day one. And depending on the organization, I think this is critical. Dave, you asked this question the other day, if the context is such they've got things in front of them are so bad and so challenging that they just need to work on improvement. That's where we're going to be focused. But now if they can chew gum and walk at the same time, we're going to start building the system of improvement. And the first people I want on those initial teams, I want people on there who are going to be future improvement advisors. And more importantly, they perceive them as future leaders in the organization. I don't want a cadre of a whole bunch of improvement advisors. I want leaders in the future who actually understand the science of improvement, understand these methods, so when they go to the next department, the next organization, they can carry this on. So those three things start improving, start building a system of improvement. And the third thing, start developing internal capability. Those have got to take off almost simultaneously, depending on the situation, of course.   0:57:49.8 Andrew Stotz: Well, on that note, that's quite a discussion. I'm so happy that we can have this to go in a little bit deeper into the work that you guys have done. Again, the book is Quality As an Organizational Strategy. I got mine on Amazon and it sent it to me. But I wonder if you have any last words that you'd like to share about what we've talked about today in relation to getting started.   0:58:18.3 Cliff Norman: So, Dave, why don't you talk a little bit about. Because I think this is critical. We've just finished Andrew, the book that's going to be for the people who actually have to build this system. So Dave, just say a few things about that if you would, because you.   0:58:32.0 Dave Williams: About the field guide?   0:58:33.8 Cliff Norman: Yeah.   0:58:35.5 Dave Williams: Yeah. Well, so when this body of work was first created, there was the content of which you see in this book. And then there were also a lot of exercises and methods and applications and examples that existed as well. And it was a pretty thick binder. We have created two volumes. One, the book that you have, which is the description of the theory and the method and gives you some of the tools. And we're now in the process of pulling together what we call the QOS Field Guide, which is a guide that is supporting people that are going down this journey. It follows the same structure as the book, with the exception of the, the Getting started chapter that we had at the end is now at the beginning. And it walks through in great detail various ways in which you leaders and practitioners can approach getting started and building the capacity and then working through each of the activities. And it's equal in size, I mean, it's about the same thickness. But what we tried to do is to give people really pragmatic things to do.   1:00:01.1 Dave Williams: So there are exercises where people are simulating an idea or a concept or a particular piece. There are what we call QOS applications, which are where you're actually taking the theory or the method and applying it to your own organization. There are case studies and things that have been built that might allow you to practice. There's wonderful examples of just about everything from all, from people that we have worked with over the years across multiple different fields, from my background in emergency services and healthcare to education to manufacturing to elevator companies, all kinds of great stuff. And so that will be helpful as people are trying to think about pursuing this journey and working through that first phase of developing QOS and moving into using it. And we're in the stages of having it done to be available later this year.   1:01:08.6 Andrew Stotz: Exciting.   1:01:09.2 Cliff Norman: We've tried to make it useful, Andrew, that the people have to stay overnight with the management and actually get something done and build it without being run off. That everything is there for them to make sure that they make it successfully. That's the thing we kept in mind as we kept writing this second volume.   1:01:25.2 Andrew Stotz: Yeah, I mean, I would say my experience with your guys's writing is that it's applicable.   1:01:34.1 Dave Williams: Well, Andrew, one thing I was going to add on you mentioned a lot of different examples. There are a lot of books in which people tell you a theory, but they don't tell you how to do it. Or they tell you about their own experience, but they don't actually convey the theory. The Quality as an Organizational Strategy book is laying out the theory and the methods of this approach built on the foundations of the science of improvement and profound knowledge and the Deming philosophy. The QOS Field Guide adds to that by giving you the methods and the tools and the things. It doesn't mean that that by itself you can't just go through like it's some kind of self guided tour and all of a sudden magic happens. There's a lot of work and learning and things that have to go into going through that process. But between these two volumes, a leadership team has the tools and methods that put them in position to be able to make this journey.   1:02:41.4 Andrew Stotz: Right. Well, let's wrap it up there. On behalf of everyone, I appreciate Dave and Cliff. All that you're doing and you're sharing with us and taking the time to do that. So from everyone at the Deming Institute, I want to thank you again for joining this and bringing your discussion on these topics. And for listeners, remember to go to deming.org to continue your journey. And you can find this book, Quality as an Organizational Strategy at Amazon and other booksellers. Are there even booksellers these days? I don't even know. They're mainly online these days. So this is your host, Andrew Stotz, and I'm going to leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Dr. Deming, which is "people are entitled to joy in work."  

In this episode of The Loop, Joe McLaughlin sits down with Liam Collins, VP of Paid Acquisition at Cognism, for an inside look at how the marketing team is driving Cognism's shift into the mid-market and enterprise space. From laying strong strategic foundations to aligning sales and marketing around a single North Star, Joe and Liam unpack the planning, data modeling, messaging evolution, and ABM initiatives behind the move. A must-listen for marketers looking to scale smart and go upmarket with impact.

Mike continues our Changemaker series with the life transformation of a paralytic who was carried to Jesus by his friends.

In this soul-stirring episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Avik Chakraborty sits down with the inspiring Rachna Singh to explore one of the most subtle yet powerful epidemics of our time—loneliness. In a world addicted to validation and social media likes, genuine human connection is fading. Rachna shares powerful insights into how we can revive the art of authentic connection, embrace our fears as fuel, and align with our inner purpose or North Star. She also touches on the transformative power of deep listening, the importance of reconnecting with nature, and why fulfillment doesn't come from more success—but from more self-awareness.

Robert Edward Grant discusses his latest discoveries in Egypt, including the alignment of the Orion constellation with the Great Pyramid's King's Chamber. He notes the significance of the North Star's shift every 6,000 years and the potential for a pole shift causing catastrophic events. Robert also explores the concept of life as a dream, emphasizing the importance of discernment and personal growth. He reveals his findings of seven pyramids in Antarctica, shaped like perfect pyramids, and theorizes about time travel and the nature of reality. Robert stresses the role of individuality and rebellion in the Age of Aquarius. Robert discusses his approach to teaching, emphasizing personal journeys over dogmatic teachings. He critiques the historical amalgamation of the Old and New Testaments at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD, attributing it to Constantine's strategic adoption of Christianity. Robert explores the evolution of religious practices, the role of suffering in enlightenment, and the importance of authenticity and self-love. He highlights the transformative power of love and the need to integrate shadow aspects for personal growth. Robert also mentions his work, including his show "Codex" on Gaia and his books, advocating for a journey of higher consciousness and personal evolution.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/next-level-soul-podcast-with-alex-ferrari--4858435/support.

If your fitness brand isn't growing the way you want it to, it's probably not a marketing problem. It's not your logo. It's not even your class experience. It's the lack of a North Star—a core belief that guides your messaging, your experience, your team, and your future. In this episode, Barry and Shay break down what a North Star really is, how to find yours (with a dead-simple exercise), and how to use it to create consistency across your brand—even as you scale, hire, expand, or pivot. You'll learn: Why growth by default leads to burnout and brand confusion How to unify your team, marketing, and client experience under one idea Why consistency beats charisma when it comes to instructors How a studio with less experience outperformed a stacked team of experts The single most important question to ask about your business. Want to find your North Star? Download our free worksheet here:

In this episode, I speak with Arpan Gautam from Noon Capital — a self-funded project building what they call the most intelligent and fair yield-bearing stablecoin. We dive into how their stablecoin (USN/sUSN) delivers through-cycle returns by allocating capital across delta-neutral strategies, and why they're committed to distributing 90%+ of returns and up to 80% of governance tokens back to users.We also discuss how Noon Capital avoids the pitfalls of treasury-only stablecoins, why they've rejected VC funding, and Arpan's advice for founders on staying focused and aligned as a team.Whether you're a DeFi builder, an investor in yield-bearing assets, or just curious about the next generation of stablecoins — this is a must-listen.Key Timestamps[00:00:00] Introduction: Sam introduces the episode with Arpan from Noon Capital and outlines the focus on stablecoins and DeFi.[00:01:00] What is Noon Capital?: Arpan explains their mission to build a fair and intelligent yield-bearing stablecoin. [00:03:00] Yield Intelligence: How Noon adapts across market cycles using delta-neutral strategies. [00:05:00] Fairness via Governance: Noon distributes up to 80% of governance tokens to users — no VC involvement.[00:06:30] Arpan's Background: From McKinsey and Goldman to crypto trading and stablecoin design. [00:09:00] The Origin Story: How Noon spun out from prop trading into product. [00:11:00] Performance: Past returns and how Noon balances between T-bills and funding rate arbitrage. [00:13:30] Users & Growth: Why institutional LPs are first movers and how retail follows. [00:16:00] Market Indicators: What data Noon tracks to stay ahead — from Fed signals to Bitcoin open interest. [00:17:30] USN vs SUSN: The difference between Noon's staked and unstaked stablecoins. [00:19:00] Scaling Challenges: Growing TVL and building composability in DeFi and beyond. [00:21:00] Founder Advice: Arpan shares a simple but powerful rule — one North Star goal for the entire team.[00:23:00] Ask: Noon is looking to connect with liquid funds, whales, and builders — but remains proudly self-funded.Connecthttps://www.noon.capital/https://www.linkedin.com/company/nooncapital/https://www.linkedin.com/in/arpan-gautam/https://x.com/noon_capitalDisclaimerNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. Finally, it would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/

In this deeply intimate conversation, I sit down with Libby and Andy Drish, a couple who have mastered the delicate balance between devotion and freedom in their 15-year relationship. Starting young and admittedly anti-relationship, they've navigated through volatile beginnings to discover a level of harmony most couples never experience. What sets their journey apart is their extraordinary commitment to relationship mastery—they've dedicated years to studying with the world's most advanced relationship teachers, experimenting with cutting-edge frameworks, and developing their own maps for love's terrain. Their journey reveals how relationships evolve through distinct stages and how the thread of devotion can sustain you through the darkest moments when nothing else is working. Unlike most couples who rely on conventional wisdom, Andy and Libby have approached their relationship like relationship astronauts—venturing into uncharted territories, testing boundaries, and bringing back wisdom that few have access to.What You'll Learn:The three stages of relationship evolution: codependence, independence, and interdependenceHow to navigate "death portals" in your relationship where old dynamics must die for new ones to emergeThe Infinite Theory of Love - a powerful map for balancing freedom and safetyWhy devotion feels like death in the darkest times but becomes the most exquisite experience in the lightest timesHow to shift from exhausting stage two "processing" to the harmony and polarity of stage threeThe difference between conditional romantic love and unconditional loveWhy vulnerability and emotional expression are more effective than verbal negotiationThe immense power of their weekly "ritual" practice and how it can transform your relationshipIf you've ever felt lost in your relationship, questioning whether the struggles are worth it, or longing for a deeper connection that seems just out of reach, this episode offers a rare glimpse into what's possible. Andy and Libby share battle-tested wisdom from their 15-year experiment, revealing maps and frameworks they wish they'd had during their hardest moments. Their journey proves that with devotion as your North Star, you can create a relationship that continually evolves into something you wouldn't have believed possible.Tools/resources mentioned here:The Three Stages of Relationship- Inspired by David DeidaConnect with Libby and Andy:Website: https://www.theartoflove.com/Connect with Raj:Instagram: @raj_janaSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/22Hrw6VWfnUSI45lw8LJBPYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@raj_janaLegal Disclaimer: The information and opinions discussed in this podcast are for educational and entertainment purposes only. The host and guests are not medical or mental health professionals, and their advice should not be a substitute for seeking professional help. Any action taken based on the information presented is strictly at your own risk. The podcast host and their guests shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss, damage, or injury caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by information shared in this podcast. Consult your physician before making any changes to your mental health treatment or lifestyle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In his 1962 book, Propaganda, Jacques Ellul outlines three conditions for propaganda's success. Bombard people with excessive information so they will forget, always have “breaking news” so they do not reflect or think critically, and have no North Star or standard to measure deviation. As Christians we are called to remember, called to think, and called to follow our certain and firm North Star. Dr. Stephen J. Nichols, president of Reformation Bible College and chief academic officer for Ligonier Ministries, discussed how a Christian worldview speaks to these conditions and encourages us to both speak and live truthfully in difficult times.Support the show

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 1, 2025 is: cynosure • SYE-nuh-shur • noun A cynosure is a person or thing that attracts a lot of attention or interest. As a proper noun, Cynosure may refer to the North Star or its constellation Ursa Minor. // He was the cynosure of all eyes as he walked into the room. See the entry > Examples: "Look at any picture of Kashmir and you'll understand why it is called heaven on earth. And Srinagar, framed by the majestic Zabarwan Mountains, is the cynosure of all travel itineraries, offering a mix of breathtaking landscapes, rich culture, and spirituality." — Mallika Bhagat, Times Now (Mumbai, India), 17 Dec. 2024 Did you know? Ancient mariners noted that all the stars in the heavens seemed to revolve around a particular star, and they relied on that star to guide their navigation. The constellation that this bright star appears in is known to English speakers today as Ursa Minor, or the Little Dipper, but the Ancient Greeks called it Kynósoura, a term that comes from a phrase meaning "dog's tail." Kynósoura passed into Latin and Middle French, becoming cynosure. When English speakers adopted the term in the 16th century, they used it as a name for both the constellation and the star (which is also known as the North Star or Polaris) and also to identify a guide of any kind. By the 17th century, cynosure was also being used figuratively for anything or anyone that, like the North Star, is the focus of attention or observation.

In this engaging conversation, Mike Linch and Steve Cuss explore the intricacies of leadership, the challenges of managing anxiety, and the impact of expectations in relationships. Steve shares his journey from pastoring to leadership coaching, emphasizing the importance of naming feelings and experiences to foster personal growth. They delve into the complexities of faith, the process of deconstruction, and the pressures of spiritual growth, ultimately highlighting the need for grace and understanding in both personal and communal contexts. In this conversation, Steve Cuss and Mike Linch explore the complexities of faith, leadership, and personal growth. They discuss the importance of understanding mental expectation gaps, the significance of being a 'well self', and the impact of inner critics on self-perception. The dialogue emphasizes the need for leaders to recognize their limitations and the importance of God's presence in challenging situations, ultimately advocating for a more human-sized approach to faith and leadership.Mike's Biggest Takeaways:Steve Cuss emphasizes the importance of naming leadership anxiety to help others feel understood.The transition from pastoring to leadership coaching has allowed Steve to focus on leaders in ministry.Expectations in relationships can create anxiety and misunderstandings.Steve's journey of faith involved significant deconstruction and grappling with grief and suffering.Chaplaincy provided Steve with invaluable experiences that shaped his understanding of faith and leadership.Processing trauma is essential for personal growth and understanding in relationships.Steve's marriage has been a source of unconditional love and support throughout his journey.The pressure to grow spiritually can often lead to feelings of inadequacy.Understanding that expectations can be false is crucial for healthy relationships.Welcome to the Linch with a Leader Podcast, where you're invited to join the spiritual principles behind big success, with host Mike Linch.Subscribe to the channel so you never miss an episode: Watch: @linchwithaleader Prefer just listening? SUBSCRIBE to the podcast here:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dJfeLbikJlKlBqAx6mDYW?si=6ffed84956cb4848Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/linch-with-a-leader/id1279929826Find show notes and more information at: www.mikelinch.comFollow for EVERYDAY leadership content and interaction:Follow on X: https://x.com/mikelinch?s=20Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikelinch?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==https://www.instagram.com/mikelinch/?...JOIN Mike for a Sunday at NorthStar Church:www.northstarchurch.org Watch: @nsckennesaw

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. If you have suggestions or feedback on how I can earn your paid subscription, shoot me an email: cmclymer@gmail.com. And if this is too big of a commitment, I'm always thankful for a simple cup of coffee.]Today is International Transgender Day of Visibility, often shortened to Trans Day of Visibility (or TDOV).It was created by Rachel Crandall Crocker in Michigan in 2009, and it's now celebrated in countries around the world. Most estimates put trans and nonbinary people at between 0.5 and 1 percent of the total U.S. population, but some data suggests we may be as high as two percent. Personally, I think it's higher than that. I believe there are millions of closeted trans and nonbinary and gender-expansive and gender-questioning people in our country who don't have the necessary encouragement and resources to live authentically. I don't need to elaborate on how our political climate has been saturated with an ongoing campaign of fear and terror against trans people. That's why visibility is so important: it saves lives, it gives voice to the voiceless, and it offers joy and hope and comfort where scarce.I would not be alive today were it not for three primary blessings: 1) friends of all backgrounds who ensured I had love and safety and dignity, 2) the grace of a merciful and loving God who kept me buoyed through many difficult years of feeling incongruent with the world around me, and 3) every trans and nonbinary person whose visibility gave me strength and confidence to come out in my own time.I exist today in my authenticity because of the visibility of trans and nonbinary people whose selflessness and courage paved roads that have permitted me to navigate the world with an expansive liberation in broader society they never got to experience.I think of the closeted trans girl in Central Texas who once felt so alone and scared and ashamed of how I was born. For many years, I prayed every day that God would cleanse me of my desire to be who I really am, and it took a long time to recognize that being trans is a gift from God and part of my soul's commission.I thank God that I'm trans. I can't help but feel sympathy for the tens of millions of non-trans people in our country who are constantly burdened and tortured with struggling to meet the gendered expectations demanded of them by so much of society.I think many non-trans people struggle with how our culture successfully and cruelly controls them, forcing them to be who they're not, shaming them who they really are, all in service to a painful and unnecessary gendered framework that insists on an unforgiving rigidity solely meant to avoid discomfort based on irrational fear.I think non-trans people who hate those of us who are trans are really motivated by a taught fear of themselves. It has to be terrifying to suppress oneself, only to witness people who have rejected that painful suppression. Every transphobic argument can basically be boiled down to: "I actually don't know the science at all or have a good argument here, but trans people challenge my long held view of the world and it's very uncomfortable and everyone should be expected to move around my discomfort."There's obvious bigotry in that mindset, of course, but there's also an extraordinary and unyielding and obvious pain, too.Trans people are a constant reminder that there's an entire world outside of what most non-trans people have been aggressively and irrationally conditioned to accept.Today is about trans visibility and trans joy, to be sure, but I would also like to believe it can mean so much more. It can mean that non-trans people feel greater comfort and acceptance in embracing their own authenticity—however that may look—by the example trans and nonbinary people set.I want every trans and nonbinary child in this country to be safe and loved and empowered, and I also want that for every non-trans child. I want every trans and nonbinary adult to be safe and loved and empowered, and I also want that for every non-trans adult.I think that's an essential North Star worthy of any compass. That's why I'm visible, and that's what I wish for all of you, too.Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

Mike shows us how to increase the size of our catch as we fish for disciples of Christ in our community and world.

Mining Stock Daily hosts Kevin Wadsworth, a technical analyst from Northstar Bad Charts, who discusses the current state of the gold and silver markets, the implications of capital rotation, and the potential for significant price movements in precious metals. Wadsworth emphasizes the importance of technical analysis in understanding market trends and provides forecasts for gold and silver prices, while also discussing investment strategies for navigating the current economic landscape.You can watch the presentation on the MSD YouTube page: https://youtu.be/VCmuIn2dr30

It's the 10 year anniversary of The Beauty Biz Show! In this special episode, Lori celebrates a decade of passion and perseverance in the world of podcasting. Tune in to hear Lori reflect on her favorite behind-the-scenes moments and what makes The Beauty Biz Show so meaningful. “Helping other estheticians build a beautiful life truly is my North Star guiding light mission.” - Lori Crete Learn more about The Beauty Biz Show at https://loricrete.com/10-year-anniversary/