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John is a University of Washington Foster School of Business Graduate and works as the Chief Operating Officer at Hemmat Law Group. In this episode, we dive deep into the extraordinary journey of John, a rising star in the legal world whose career is just getting started. From humble beginnings at the University of Washington to becoming the COO law firm at the age of 21, John's story is packed with insights, grit, and a relentless drive to make things happen.John's time at the University of Washington was marked by government internships and academic challenges, but grades never told the full story. His intellect and curiosity led him to pursue a Paralegal certification, which eventually landed him a role at Hemmat Law Group. It was here that John truly hit his stride—scaling the firm to seven figures and leading it with a vision that transformed the way Family Law is practiced. His secret? Focusing on team culture. John believes that the real test of a company's culture is how it functions when no one is watching. He puts the team first, knowing that without a strong foundation, clients can't be served at the highest level.But John didn't stop there. Recognizing the need to level up his knowledge, he enrolled in the University of Washington's Foster School of Business—on a full-ride, no less—thanks to Hemmat Law Group's investment in him. During the episode, John breaks down how he applied his MBA learnings, emphasizing the importance of KPIs, laser-focused metrics, and building a culture of accountability.Beyond the professional achievements, John also shares his framework for success: find what you love, discover your unique strengths, and excel where others don't. His passion for continual growth led him to take the LSAT just 15 days before recording this episode—because, for John, the journey is far from over.And if that's not enough, John also gave us one of the most comprehensive tech stack breakdowns in podcast history!This episode is dripping with wisdom and actionable insights from start to finish. Don't miss this one—John's story will inspire anyone looking to push boundaries and elevate their career to the next level.John's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnavisochaBe sure to check out the Official Sponsors for the Lawyers in the Making Podcast:Rhetoric - takes user briefs and motions and compares them against the text of opinions written by judges to identify ways to tailor their arguments to better persuade the judges handling their cases. Rhetoric's focus is on persuasion and helps users find new ways to improve their odds of success through more persuasive arguments. Find them here: userhetoric.comThe Law School Operating System™ Recorded Course - This course is for ambitious law students who want a proven, simple system to learn every topic in their classes to excel in class and on exams. Go to www.lisablasser.com, check out the student tab with course offerings, and use code LSOSNATE10 at checkout for 10% off Lisa's recorded course! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lawyersinthemaking.substack.com

On this episode of The Founder's Sandbox, Brenda McCabe speaks with Kelly Breslin Wright, Founder & CEO of Culture Driven Sales. They discuss resilience and purpose related to the Culture Driven Sales methodology where Kelly Breslin Wright operates as a C-level executive, board director, advisor, and adjunct university professor.  Kelly Breslin Wright is an experienced executive and corporate board director for both public and private companies, with over 30 years of experience in leadership, sales, operations, and strategy roles. She has served as an Independent Director and Advisor for multiple Boards and has helped companies navigate multiple stages of growth. These include IPOs, enterprise expansion, CEO and leadership transitions, globalization, M&A, financings, business model changes, and global crises. She has a unique mastery of sales, go-to-market, leadership, transformation, strategy, growth and scaling, data and analytics, and culture.  As an operator, Kelly Breslin Wright served as President and COO of Gong, an artificial intelligence platform that serves revenue organizations to deliver insights at scale. There, she managed all go-to-market functions, including Sales, Customer Success, and Marketing. For nearly 12 years prior to Gong, Kelly Breslin Wright was Executive Vice President of Sales (Chief Revenue Officer) at Tableau Software (formerly NYSE: DATA). She joined as the company's first salesperson, where she grew Tableau's worldwide sales and field operations from zero to $850M in revenue and managed over half of the company's 3,400 global employees. Tableau was purchased by Salesforce in 2019 for $15.7B. Before Tableau, Kelly Breslin Wright spent time at Bain & Company, McKinsey & Company, Bank of America, Dale Carnegie Training, AtHoc, and Southwestern Advantage.  You can find out more about Kelly Breslin Wright at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellybreslinwright/   Culture Driven Sales Website: https://culturedrivensales.com/   University of Washington Foster School of Business Website: https://foster.uw.edu/faculty-research/directory/kelly-wright/   Winning the Board Game:   How Women Corporate Make THE Difference   Show transcription: 00:04 Welcome back to the Founder's Sandbox. The Founder's Sandbox is a podcast now in its second season. It's a monthly podcast in which I reach entrepreneurs and business owners that want to learn   00:33 about building resilient, scalable, and sustainable businesses with great corporate governance. I am Brenda McCabe, your host on the Founder's Sandbox, and my mission is really simple. By interviewing guests through their stories, I want to assist entrepreneurs in building those scalable, well-governed, and resilient businesses. Guests to my podcast are founders, business owners, corporate directors, and professional service providers   01:01 who like me want to use the power of the private enterprise, be it small, medium, or large, to create change for a better world. Through storytelling with a guest that will touch on topics that include resilience, purpose-driven enterprise, and sustainable growth, my goal is to recreate a fun sandbox environment where we can equip one startup founder at a time to build a better world through great corporate governance. Today, my guest is Kelly Breslin Wright. Thank you, Kelly, for joining me today.   01:31 Thank you for having me. I'm excited for the conversation. I've been pursuing Kelly for a number of years. And finally, we're making it happen today. So Kelly and I are going to talk about purposeful, culture driven sales. I'm going to give you a little background on Kelly. She is founder and CEO of Culture Driven Sales. She has promoted and led the Culture Driven Sales methodology as a C level executive,   02:01 public and private company board director, advisor, and adjunct university professor. She is an experienced executive and corporate board director for both public and private with over 30 years of experience in leadership, sales, operations, and strategy roles. We actually share a common past. We both originated from McKinsey and Company, where are paths crossed there. She has served as an independent director and advisor for multiple boards.   02:30 She's helped companies navigate multiple stages of growth, including IPOs, enterprise expansion, CEO and leaderships transitions, globalization, M&A, financing, business model changes, and global crisis. So we're in for a treat today. I asked Kelly to come because she really has a unique way of bringing in culture   02:58 behind sales. I think sales often times is a hidden or unwanted child. And I was amazed that none of my guests up until now has the expertise nor did they speak about sales. So it's the first time, Kelly, that you're gonna be talking to my listeners around your 30 years experience in sales. As an operator, Kelly served as president and COO at Gong, an artificial intelligence platform.   03:28 And we're going to talk a little bit about AI today. And prior to Gong, Kelly was Executive Vice President, Sales Chief Revenue Officer at Tableau Software. And it is formerly was on the stock exchange with the sticker symbol DATA. She was there for nearly 12 years. And she joined that company as the 10th employee. And we're going to listen to her story and what brought her to them.   03:57 So thank you again for joining me on the Founder's Sandbox, Kelly. Thank you for having me. You know, when we were just prepping for today's podcast, Kelly said, what actually made you wanna reach out to me? And it goes back quite a few years. Our first encounter was through a common passion serving on corporate boards. And you reached out to me to thank me for sharing my experiences that is in a book.   04:26 published and written by Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire, winning the board game, how women corporate directors make the difference. So I'm always thankful to people that do reach out unexpectedly and just thank you. And I finally, two years later, I've achieved what I wanted to get you on my podcast. So I am honored that you agreed to share   04:56 quite a few real world experiences that started while in undergraduate days and informed your career choices that led you to be the first sales person to join Tableau and number 10 employee. And while you were the CRO, the company went public. The learnings you continue to share as advisor, educator, board director, and executive to private and public companies are centered around your passion for culture-driven sales.   05:26 In preparation, I listened to a recent podcast interview on operators, building and scaling companies and your recruitment to Tableau. It had something to do with educational books. It also had something to do with grit and resiliency. And I work on resilience with the founders I serve as the foundational piece. And I wrote an article myself on empowering resilience   05:54 by unlocking your personal and enterprise value. I touch on three things, Kelly. I'm knowing oneself as a leader, having options and making choices, and finally being thankful. So can you share why Tableau asked you to join as employee number 10? That's going way, way, way back to the beginning of the career. Well, so,   06:20 it's interesting, you mentioned about selling books door to door. When I was in college, I knew I wanted to do something entrepreneurial and I wanted to be independent. And I came across this opportunity to run my own business selling educational books door to door. And that's what I did for my four summers when I was in college. And I think there are a lot of things, Brenda, that you had touched base on. One was sales. And we'll talk about that a lot today.   06:49 The second was resiliency. And I appreciate that you're always talking about resiliency because it's so critical, not only in business, but in life. And selling educational books door to door, when you show up at someone's house, you're not the most welcome person that they want to see that day. So there's a lot of doors that are slammed in your face and a lot of adversity that I dealt with in my 18 to 21 year old formative years.   07:20 taught a lot about resiliency of how to get yourself back up, keep on going, being able to learn to control what you can control and not worrying as much about the rest, a whole bunch of things. So we could talk about resiliency. Anyway, going back to how I started at Tableau, because when I was in college, I was known as this person that while everyone else was doing these cool internships or   07:48 They were lifeguarding at their home pool. I was talking to thousands of families, working 80 plus hours a week, running my own business. And people thought I was crazy, but I ended up making quite a bit of money. I paid for my undergrad, it paid for my first car, paid for my first house, paid for most of business school. And so later on in my career, when people were starting their first,   08:17 their startup or starting their own entrepreneurial venture. Oftentimes people would call me and say, hey, Kelly, you did that crazy job in college. They'd say, you sold all those books. Maybe you can help us. And that's exactly what happened at Tableau. So what happened at Tableau was the CEO of Tableau had gone to Stanford Business School and was classmates with a friend of mine from undergrad.   08:45 And so I had met him multiple times as Tableau was an incubation idea. And we had met actually at an Oscar party. And so when it came time to, to hire the first salesperson, there was this conversation of, Hey, maybe you should go talk to Kelly. And I remember thinking about resiliency and just raising your hand. When I first had that conversation and I looked at the job requirement.   09:14 Brenda, I literally didn't match anything on there. It was understand a lot about data, has taken multiple companies public, has been at companies that have grown to sizable amounts of revenue. And I had done none of that. So I think I'd had sales and hopefully the, smart and can think on your feet, hopefully that matched, but I didn't match any of the other things. And it really came down to,   09:41 having a passion about what the company's mission was and alignment of the values and how we wanted to work, which is how I ended up joining as the first salesperson. And then the story goes on from there. Wow. And you did just touch briefly on mission and we're gonna get to that in the next question. Okay. Yeah. So, so Tableau, 12 years, amazing. I admire that company.   10:08 A piece you wrote back in 2021, it's on your website and it will be in the show notes. It's called creating winning company culture by perfecting these two elements. You touch on mission. Often founders wait for later in creating a mission statement. And that they're either focused on for a client, a customer, their product or service, hiring a few of their team members   10:39 When does it make sense in your experience, Kelly, to create a mission statement? And what are those two elements you believe that create a winning company culture? That's a loaded question, but you've written about it. We're gonna hear it here on the founder's sandbox. Well, Brenda, I think that it's really important to have a mission from really early days.   11:04 And I think you're right in that companies often feel like they need to have, they need to figure out their product, they figure out the service, they figure out their operational cadence, they go get the first customers. But it can be very confusing if you don't understand where you're going. The way I like to describe it is building a business as you hire employees and as you get investors and   11:32 as you find your first customers and partners, it's building with these building blocks, similar to having a map. Okay. You have a map, you have to have a destination, you have to know where you're headed, because otherwise you can get very lost. And so although companies might not have their exact wording of a mission statement from very early days, it's important, I mean, I think it's important to have a mission right from the beginning. When I talk about Tableau,   12:02 Tableau from the time I started, the mission was help people see and understand data. And that was something that I really was drawn to, which is how I ended up joining as the first salesperson and employee 10 before we even launched version one. Because everyone then that we were hiring, our customers, the whole team was aligned on what it is that we were doing. What was the company's purpose? What was our why?   12:31 And what ends up happening is when companies are not clear on what that is, you might hire different people that all know you're building something in this space, but they may have very different ideas of the reason and the purpose of the company, the why of the company. And so it's really imperative to not only drive the alignment, but to also...   12:57 be able to make sure that the people that you're hiring to go on this journey with you are passionate and committed to what it is that you're trying to build. And if you don't have a stated mission, then everyone will come up with their own definition and reason for why you exist. And it's not always the same. And one thing, Brenda, that I really liked, like for instance, when you started off and kicked off this podcast, the first thing you said is at the Founder's Sandbox, our mission is this, and you explained it.   13:28 So everyone knows what it is that your, what your purpose is and why they're listening. And it's really important for companies to do that. But the mission isn't the only important part. So the two things is there's a mission and then also core values. Okay. Any companies that I meet with, they'll say, we're not gonna spend that much time on mission and core values, because then they're just words on the wall. You throw it up and it doesn't mean anything. Well.   13:54 If you're going to have mission and core values and they're just going to be words on the wall, yeah, then they're not going to work. They're not going to work and it's not going to mean anything. But it is actually really important to have them and help them guide and advise how you build your business, how you hire, how you engage with your customers, and then holding yourself and your teams accountable.   14:22 to make sure that you're behaving in a way that's in accordance with your core values or your operating principles. And I'm sure we can talk about that more as we go through. But each company that I have joined is very intentional about their mission and core values. And that helps them to be very intentional about how they build their culture and how they're guardians of that culture. Yes, and you actually, for your...   14:52 the course you're teaching in the Culture-Driven Sales Institute. You did a lot of surveys and interviews. Can you shed some light on some of the background? I think you talked about the 85 companies at different stages of growth. Tell us a little bit about what you found, those aha moments of particularly back to mission and core values. Yeah, well, so at Tableau, just to go back a little bit.   15:19 So at Tableau, the management team at Tableau had not built a business of that scale before. We were all doing it for the first time. And so we were in a space that was very disruptive and transformative. We were in business intelligence, we were doing data analytics in a different way. We had a different go-to-market approach of how we were actually handling sales. And there weren't companies to go look at to how to do it. So the way we were doing it as,   15:49 first time executives in a first time team is we were very clear, I mentioned on our mission, to help people see and understand data. And we had very specific core values that helped to drive the way that we were behaving. We were on a mission, we used our products, we kept things simple, and we could go through and talk about a lot of these other core values. Well, that is really what helped us to go build this   16:19 really transformative company. When I finished at Tableau and decided that in this next stage, I wanted to be able to help other companies to grow and scale and do work both in teaching as well as an advisor or board director. I wanted to figure out, well, how can I be the most helpful? What is it that companies actually need? And so I ended up meeting with the whole slew   16:47 of founders, go-to-market leaders and CEOs. So in that first year, I did, I sat down with about 85 founders and CEOs over the course of the next few years. I've met with maybe 135, 140. And I asked these companies some very specific questions. One of the first questions that I've always asked, because I'm so passionate about mission, and I just assumed that companies were doing it in the same way we did at Tableau. And I found out,   17:16 that that actually is not the case. So when I was meeting with companies, one of the first things I would ask these CEOs is, well, tell me about your mission. Tell me about your company why. What I learned was actually quite eye-opening. Some of these founders would say, our mission is to get 30% market share. Our mission is to get to profitability in X number of years.   17:45 or very operational KPIs. And so I'd say to them, that's not a mission statement. That doesn't rally around the purpose of what you're doing. And sometimes these CEOs would say, no, that is our mission statement. That's how we're rallying our team. And so that I kind of was scratching my head. That's not a mission statement. Even more interesting to this though, is often times these CEOs or founders would say, hey, Kelly, you're an expert in go to market.   18:13 we're having some lack of alignment and we need help of why we have our salespeople don't want to sell what it is our product team is building or our sales team is trying to sell something that's different than how the marketing team is marketing it. Got it. And so then I would say, well, let me talk to some of those other leaders. And I would ask everyone that I talked to, first question is, what's your mission statement? And this was what was so...   18:42 crazy. I would ask the CEO, I would ask the co-founder, I would ask the chief revenue officer, I'd ask the chief marketing officer, the head of product, what is your mission statement? And guess what? Almost all of the time, each executive that I would ask would have a different answer to what their mission statement was. Wow, at the same company. So crazy, even if they had a published mission statement. And that's when I realized, oh,   19:12 People are just using these as words on a wall. And then you wanna know, well, why is a company not aligned? Well, if you have a product leader who is driving the engineers according to one mission statement, and you have a sales leader that's going and trying to engage your customers with a different mission statement, well, duh, you're not aligned if you're actually training your teams and advising your customers that you do something different.   19:42 And that was a huge aha. And the same thing was true for the core values. And so it is actually, here's just a main takeaway. Okay. Companies need to realize that the corporate strategy is very intertwined with the go-to-market strategy. Got it. Many companies think of their corporate strategy is often very aligned with the...   20:12 product strategy, but it all trickles down to how are you hiring? How are you engaging with customers? How are you making sure those customers are successful? How are you telling your story on your website and how you engage with your investors and in the world? And that go to market strategy goes all the way back up to the corporate strategy and all starts from mission, vision.   20:41 What is your company's story? What is your company's why? And we need to roll that all together. And that's a lot of what I teach in my course on culture-driven sales. That's a lot of how I end up helping companies when I'm advising or on the board. All right. So I often pride myself on my guests bringing in some practical tools while in the interview.   21:11 alignment of strategy with the culture. All right, we get that. Corporate strategy is very intertwined with sales strategy. And again, depending on the stage of the company, what do you see as key takeaways? I mean, how do you recruit? Is it dependent upon stage of the company? What are those KPIs or what are those core values? How do you measure? So can you walk us through some specific examples and tools that you perhaps used at Tableau?   21:42 on bringing in the mission to the core processes, hiring, training, the sales motion. What are those behavioral elements that you would include in your managing your teams, as well as growing the company? Yeah. Well, Brenda, I think it is really important to be able to have very specific hiring and performance management tactics that help to make sure you're managing that.   22:11 bar of your mission and value. So here are some very specific things. And I can give kind of tangible examples. Like for instance, companies should be using behavioral interviewing. And what happens is many companies are focused so much on the experience and the resume skills that they're looking at, has someone done this job before? Have they been successful in doing this exact   22:40 thing that I need, whether it's enterprise sales or have they been a CFO before, depending on whatever the role is. But it's really important that everyone can do behavioral interviewing. Now behavioral interviewing can be kind of tricky. The first thing you need to do is you need to make sure that you understand what behavioral traits you're trying to flesh out and be very specific on that. And then training everyone that is in the interview process on   23:08 How do you do behavioral interviewing? Now, some of the things that to do with behavioral attributes is look at the most successful people in your company, what are the behavioral attributes that they have, and then how do you interview and flush that out in the interview process? So that's example one, and we can do a little bit more there. Number two is how...   23:36 can you make sure that your core values are being identified and fleshed out, not only in your interview process, but in performance management? So I'll give a very specific example. At Tableau, one of our core values were like the first core value was we build great products, second core value, we use our products. How do we flush that out? In at Tableau, I had.   24:06 at the end, maybe 1800 people on my team in the GoToMarket organization. Virtually every single one when they were hired during the interview process had to do a demo on Tableau because our mission was we help people see and understand data. Our product was so easy, everyone could use it. And typically in software sales, it's the sales consultant or the sales engineer   24:34 that does the demo. But in Tableau, it's so easy, we wanted everyone to use the product. So here's an example of what often would happen, especially for someone that was more experienced and further along in their career, we would give them the assignment of, we need you to go download the product, takes 90 seconds to download, go find your own data set or you can use our sample one and do a demo. And this is gonna be one of the interview stages.   25:04 And sometimes people would be very excited about it. Other times people would say, hey, you know, Kelly, I'm interviewing with a ton of companies. And if you hire me, then I will learn the product, but I'm not gonna spend tons of time to go learn the product in the interview process. And the answer there, you can imagine Brenda, was thank you very much. The interview process is done.   25:33 And yeah, because, and that was a few things. One is our mission is we help people see and understand data. We want people that are super excited about that. So if you want to work here, we want you to be very excited about understanding what it is that we do. And if you're not going to do that in the interview process and you're not really that passionate about our mission. But secondly, we wanted people who were going to be all in and be able to use our product.   26:00 And that was one of our core values that we fleshed out very early on. So there's ways that you can look at that. Another tangible is in the annual performance review, it wasn't just the work that you did, but in our annual performance review, at most of the companies that I've been involved in, one of the checks are how much are you abiding   26:28 and embodying the core values of the company. People didn't get promotions, they didn't get pay increases, they didn't get high ratings unless they were living every day according to the core values of how they interacted with the internal team and with the customer. So those are some tangible ways to summarize again, behavioral interviewing flesh out the core values in the interview process.   26:58 and make sure that those core values and adherence and passion about the mission are part of your annual performance review process. Thank you very much. Three practical tools when you're scaling your organization, not just in sales, the entire organization. That's very, very helpful. You've recently launched Culture Driven Sales Institute.   27:28 And I know in one of the podcasts that you've been a guest to, you talk about storytelling and that a salesperson has to have at least three stories. So I wanted to do a practical exercise here today. Give you a bit of your own medicine, right? Which is you've started a culture-driven   27:58 that you would tell about. Yes. Well, so let's back up a little bit and why storytelling is so important. Thank you. I think what happens is when companies think about selling their product, they often are so focused on the what and the how, they miss the why. And the why comes back to why the mission is really important. Because   28:28 Well, when you think about not only employees, but for customers, customers want to understand why a company exists. Because what people don't realize is that the whole process of purchasing is very emotional. People use logic to do their research, to make sure that that product or service has everything that they need. But the lion's share of why someone actually makes a purchase decision,   28:57 is actually emotional. And so companies need to be emotionally connecting with their prospect and their customers. Think about this on a very tangible level. Just think about it separately of why you as an individual would buy a house or why you would buy a car. If you're looking for a house, you know you want it in this neighborhood, you want this number of bedrooms, you want this amount of square footage, this amount of bathrooms, but in the end,   29:26 you have to like feel it with the house. It's an emotional connection with that house. And this is the same reason that people buy, even if it is a software or an enterprise product or whatever it is that people are buying, a system or consulting, you need to feel it with the person and company that you're going to be interacting with. And it's shown in, if you look at research,   29:56 had done a whole survey to understand why people buy a certain product or service, most companies behave as if it is the specs of the product or service and the price. And as it turns out, those are two reasons why people buy. But the largest reason why people buy is actually their engagement and experience with the company. So this is really important to think about. So now going back to the stories.   30:25 The stories are, well, you want to be able to communicate the company story. You want to be able to communicate the individual, your personal story, and then also your customer story. So three stories, company story, personal story, and your customer story. So if I were to talk about it specifically for me, the company story of why I founded culture driven sales in the first place was.   30:54 What I realized is companies were just focused so much on the what and the how, focused so much on operational processes and operational execution and all these tactics. And they were missing the real reason of why companies buy, which is tied to   31:19 having an integrated go-to-market strategy that ties back to the corporate strategy, coming all the way from mission, vision, company story, values, but then how that ties into how a company tells their company story. What are your unique differentiated value propositions? Who is the ideal customer profile that you're trying to reach?   31:48 And then what is the best sales approach to be thinking about it? Companies were often asking me, well, how can I go get my specific sales? Hey, Kelly, just help me with, should I be enterprise sales or a different motion? What should be on my sales operational tactics? And they were getting in at such a detailed operational level, they were missing that high piece, which helped guide the strategy on the go-to-market strategy. So this is why.   32:16 I founded Culture Driven Sales in the first place. The second reason of my personal story is why was this important to me? Well, when I talk about what we did at Tableau, remember we discussed how this was the first time I had built an enterprise software team. And the first time that I had been building a company from zero up to a public company.   32:46 We had a team that we were so focused not only on building a great company, but thinking about our high priority was we want to build a great place to work. We were intentional on creating a great place to work with a great culture where people felt like they could bring their authentic self and be able to really build their career at Tableau. That was as important a goal to us.   33:15 as it was to go build a huge sustainable business that was creating great products for our customers and good returns for our investors. And what I realized was not all companies were thinking about that, but we were creating this movement where our customers were really excited and our employees are really excited. And this is something companies want to do, but they just don't know how to do it.   33:45 by putting culture at the center is really important. And so having culture drive sales rather than just focusing on your sales and thinking culture will just fall out on the backside. Culture isn't just a derivative that happens. You have to be as intentional and thoughtful about culture as you are in driving all of your other strategic priorities as a company. So that is the whole company story.   34:12 And then my own personal reason, my personal story for why I did it for a customer story is customers are actually realized that they get better results when they do this. And so when I'm on these different boards, oftentimes companies are saying, you know, how, like what, what, one specific example is oftentimes a company will say,   34:41 Well, how can I do this myself? If you look at their website and then you look at the website of their five competitors, they might all look identical. You take their name and their brands off and they all say that they're doing the same thing. But when you weave the company's story into it and their unique differentiated value propositions, that company gets more of a personality. It actually is unique. And that is what...   35:10 can really help to light up these individual companies so they can be different, they can be unique, and they can understand how they're gonna go and differentiate themselves across everyone else in the noise when they go and focus on culture more than they have before. Yeah, so what maybe, you know, biodegradable chickens are largely made by emotional, right? Okay, so.   35:38 One of the things that we did that was very different at Tableau is we did storytelling training. Okay. Many companies, they do when they're training their salespeople, they do customer centric selling, they do spin selling. They're trying to talk about solution selling in a way where it's really more about pitching the wares of the company. When you're really focused on the customer more.   36:06 you want to do storytelling because we've already established that it's an emotional type of cell. So we did a very atypical type of training. We brought in storytelling training and we taught people, well, how can you learn to tell stories? More about the company's why, more about the customer story, more about your personal story. And it was very interesting what happened is after this two interesting derivatives came out of this is   36:35 Our employees said, wow, this is not a typical sales trading. This is a communication trading that's helping me to communicate with not only my prospects and my customers, but everyone in my life, my family, my kids, all these things, because sales is about communication and emotionally connected. So that was the first derivative of our employees said, this is really useful.   37:05 The second derivative that came out of this is we had our customers came back and they were saying to me and my team, huh, why is it that Tableau is selling in such a different way? It seems like the Tableau salespeople are understanding me and my problems and my company in a way that others are not. And it was because when you're storytelling,   37:31 you're really emotionally connecting in this more deep communication way. It's not just twitching your wares. This is why you should buy. Here are all the things that we should do. And companies want to really be able to strive to do that. And the companies that do this well, they're often talked about that they're creating a movement. They're doing something transformational and disruptive where they're bringing these customers in that really wanna be   38:01 part of that whole aura, rather than just buying the widget in a transactional way. It's a way to really connect with your customers in a much deeper, more meaningful way. Thank you. You heard it here. Storytelling training. This is fascinating. Going to switch gears. Let's get back to the corporate boardroom. All right.   38:28 The right you check so many boxes. So you with scaling companies. They start out with advisory boards, but when they're at their first fiduciary fiduciary board of directors, what would you be seeking in a high performing company, Kelly, for this important milestone in terms of all the nuggets you've provided today, mission, core values.   38:57 storytelling, what are some of the nuggets you'd want to bring into the boardroom at the fiduciary board level?   39:06 at the board level? Well, that's a really wide question. I think there's a couple things, Brenda, to consider, especially if people are considering adding board directors or for those in the audience who are considering maybe being a board director yourself. Okay. First thing is companies will often have a board matrix. They'll have their idea of what are the different skills that they want to have represented   39:36 on the board. And so if you're a company, you want to be able to be thinking of what are the different skills and experiences that you want on the board to be able to help guide your executive team and your entire company. So for instance, for me, I brought, I've been a strategic consultant, so there's strategy. Strategy is a very big part of what happens on the board to help   40:06 the company think about their short and long-term strategy. Two, I'm a go-to-market expert, I'm in sales. And many boards will have different experts in different disciplines. So pretty much every board will have a former or currently sitting CEO to be a CEO coach or mentor. Oftentimes there will be a financial expert who was a CFO or worked at one of the big audit firms.   40:36 because they might be chair of the audit committee to help drive all of the financial and regulatory issues that are on there. And then oftentimes they'll have a product person that helps them with the actual product. My expertise would go to market for sales and marketing and branding. And you want different members on the board to have different expertise. So you can bring that and have resources for all those different areas of knowledge   41:05 will help to upscale and scale your team. The next piece is you want to be able to have a culture in the boardroom that is reflective and complimentary to your culture as a company. So you just in the same way, you want to do behavioral interviewing for your employees to make sure that the employees...   41:31 are aligned and operate in adherence with your core values and are passionate about your mission, you want that in the boardroom too. You don't want people that are just gonna tick the boxes for experience and resume, but they're passionate about what it is that your company is doing and that they will behave in a way that will help to further those core values and the culture. The last thing that I'll say is,   42:00 You want to be able to have discourse and open conversation in the boardroom. Yes. And you want to be able to promote diversity of thoughts and ideas so that you not only can have different experiences represented in the boardroom, but you're going to be able to have different respectful conversation so that the best idea wins.   42:29 and that you can have board directors who will challenge your way of thinking and ask questions to make sure that you're getting that top performance. And many companies, they think they want that in the boardroom, but they actually operate in a way where they want more yes people on the board. Just people to validate and say yes and agree, that is not going to be the most effective board.   42:57 You actually want people in the boardroom who are going to be able to challenge your way of thinking to call you when there may be a better way to do things. And of course, they're not the ones ultimately making the decision. You as the operators are going to make the decisions, but you want to have a respectful discourse where people are going to be able to challenge the way of thinking.   43:27 rather than just have a stamp of approval.   43:32 Excellent. Thank you for changing course there. So skill matrix, largely functional, strategy, finance, go to market sales, prior CEO or sitting CEO, culture in the boardroom, that is reflective of the company. So actually choosing and through the interview processes, right? For the corporate boardroom. I like that. And then finally, diversity of thought.   44:01 Right. First thing you thought is really important, not only in the boardroom, it's important inside the company too. And that is when we go back to having the best culture and behavioral interviewing, all of those kinds of things. Remember when you're thinking about culture, companies evolve. So in the past, people talked about cultural fit. I don't like to use that term because cultural fit is they're fitting into the mold of what the company already is. It's more of.   44:30 Are they going to be culturally additive to help to abide by these core values and to help to continue to grow and extend the culture in a way that you're scaling and growing into your next space? Thank you, Kelly. I want to ask you a question because last night when I was preparing the Zoom, we record this on Zoom platform,   45:00 they now have generative AI. And it is the presence of AI for me as an operator on my podcast and other materials that I generate myself, it's quite overwhelming and kind of intrusive. So I tried to turn it off, right? I was unable to. So after this recording, we'll have AI generated summary. How do you see...   45:30 AI's role in sales motions. And can you share your experience while perhaps you served as president and COO at Gong, which is indeed an artificial intelligence platform that serves revenue organizations to deliver insights? Just bring some light and maybe I'll be less overwhelmed. Well, I think Brenda, anytime you're introducing a new technology,   45:58 There is a transformative time because things change. And a lot of it has to do with change management and people just accepting that new technology. And you can think about that with, it took a while for people to accept new cell phones and smartphones. If I think back to early days at Tableau, for people to say, wait, you're going to collect all my data?   46:22 Are you, oh my goodness, no, there's the privacy and all of that. Now that's the same thing that's happening now with generative AI. Okay. Saying, Oh, it's a little scary. It's a little big brother. I don't want someone to be looking at all of this data and information. It seems a little creepy. And this is just typical of technology evolutions. You have the first movers who are the early adopters.   46:49 And then you have the rest of the world you ask to get comfortable with that. So, so Brenda, you shouldn't feel bad. It's just, there's many companies that are saying, Hey, I'm not sure that I'm really comfortable with it. I think the next thing though, is it's interesting for companies to look at it in a different perspective and see generative AI and AI overall. It's here to stay. It is not going away.   47:17 and it's going to transform businesses and transform the way we do work in a pretty meaningful way. And so you can push it, but it's gonna catch up anyway. So the companies who are actually going to do the best are going to be those who embrace the new technology and figure out how they can make it beneficial to them and help get through that change management faster.   47:46 Now you asked a specific question about how is it going to transform and augment go to market and sales. Yes. If you think about a sales person, salespeople have to know so much. I mean, when you're interacting with a company and a prospect, you have so many conversations, you have emails, there's texts, there's so many different things and there's their. Customers are going to your website. They're putting in.   48:15 report and support questions and tickets and all of this. And it is very difficult for any one human being to actually recognize, synthesize, and know everything that's going on with all those customer interactions. Okay. And from a sales way, if you could as a sales person actually have a technology that would help you to understand   48:43 What is this customer a prospect? What are they most interested in? What are their key issues and problems and challenges? What are the main things that they've been bringing up consistently on all of these prior conversations and sales calls and interactions and support tickets? And it was able to say to you, Hey, this is what you need to know. Okay. Then it, then it doesn't become scary anymore. Then it becomes, wow.   49:11 I am helping someone as my own personal assistant to do my job faster and more effectively. And that is what AI does. That's what Gong does, is Gong takes all the interaction with the customer and helps to tease out what are the most important things that you need to know. And now it can even be more of an assistant of I'm writing an email to you as a followup for this call.   49:37 Well, the AI will actually tell me, here are the most important things we talked about. It might even draft the email. And then it allows me to have more time to help my customers and less time having to parse through all of these disparate sources of information and content to try to remember, or sometimes it's not even remembering because I wasn't even involved in all those conversations. So you should think about AI as a way   50:07 that is a personal assistant to help you be faster, more effective, and you can always change it and you can augment it and you can edit it, but it's helping you to do your work faster and better and more effectively. Excellent. Productivity. Productivity, yes. Helping productivity. Wow. So the show notes are actually generated in Zoom. I have...   50:36 use a different platform myself, Riverside. But you should see how it works. Yeah, and it's amazing. Yeah, and it was in beta and now it's fully, so I was like, oh, that saves me at least two hours of running things. It saves you two hours of time. So ask yourself, it seems scary and overwhelming, but if it saves you two hours, then one, you have two hours of your time back to do more meaningful work.   51:04 but it also might give you a bunch of good ideas of synthesizing the content in ways that you hadn't thought of, or it might actually bring up something that you would have missed. So it's making you more effective at your job, but you are still in complete control because you can use it or not use it, right? So it's just helping your productivity. Thank you, thank you. Well, we're...   51:28 This is the time that I want my guests to have an opportunity to provide some contact information on how to reach you. It will also be in the show notes. Would you like to share some contact details? Absolutely. There are two of the best places to reach me. The first is on LinkedIn. Please go find me, Kelly Breslin-Wright on LinkedIn. Connect to me. Reach out. Send me a message. And would love to be connected there.   51:57 The second is on my website, which is cult Just the three words, cult There's tons of content there. There's a lot of tips and tricks and podcasts and speaking bits of what we have talked about there. There's also a contact form on that website. If you would like more information, if you would like to do one of my workshops for your company, if you have any kind of questions,   52:26 or would like to engage in a different way, please go visit the website and I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you, Kelly. So I'm bringing it back to the Founder Sandbox now in the second season. I do ask each of my guests to share what the meaning is of certain areas of work that I work with founders on, which is resilience.   52:56 purpose-driven enterprise and sustainable growth. So not one guest has the same definition which makes it so rich. What does resilience mean to you? We kind of started the interview around the grit and resilience you had selling educational books. I think resilience, if we go back full circle to where we started, resilience comes back to one, being able to bounce back, being able to   53:26 control what you can control because there's a lot of uncontrollables. But resilience also means embracing failure and growth with the growth mindset because we learn a lot more from our failures and where things go wrong and our challenges, often than we do from what goes right. And resilience is being able   53:52 to be elastic in that way of not everything is going to be perfect and be able to continue to grow and develop. So that would be my answer on resiliency. And what about purpose driven enterprise? What does that mean to you? Well, purpose driven enterprise. I mean, this is a very easy one for me. I teach class on culture driven sales. Much of that is helping companies to really think about   54:20 What is their mission? What are their core values? So that they can understand and operate in accordance to their company's why, be able to communicate that. And so much of this means is, if you look at what is engaging employees the most now, yes, employees want to be employed at a company where they can identify with the mission and the purpose.   54:48 where they can see how the work they're doing, they're not just a cog in the wheel, but they're actually contributing to have an impact on a larger purpose. So this is important for the employees. The thing though, when it comes to purpose-driven enterprise, it's important for all of those different communities as well because it's not only the employees, it's the prospects, it's the customers, it's the investors.   55:17 it's the communities in which we serve, people want to understand who is it these companies that they're dealing with? And do they believe in the purpose of what that company is? So it's important for not only the culture side, but these purpose-driven enterprises, they're the ones that are getting much better, proven, factual results. The data shows.   55:46 The person driven enterprises are actually the ones that are doing better, getting better performance. Amazing. Sustainable growth, not to be confused with sustainability, but sustainable, scalable growth. What's that mean to you? Yeah. Well, with this for sustainable growth, it's interesting because there's always a balance between doing what's important right now for the short term.   56:15 And also making sure that you're looking far enough out into the future. And the things of this is if you think about companies, companies are building day by day. So one of the tidbits that I often will give companies is don't get too ahead. Don't go too far over your skis because companies are built day by day. And oftentimes there might be a smaller company. I deal with a lot of   56:42 startups or hyper growth companies and they'll say, hey, I want to be a public multi-billion dollar company and they might be at a hundred million now. Well, you're not going to get there overnight and you have to remember that companies are built one day at a time. So make sure you don't go too far at the same time though. You need to balance and say, okay, sometimes people get so looked at what is sitting right in front of them.   57:11 They forget to see the forest between the trees and they're only focused on, well, I'm gonna do this today, I'm gonna do this this week, I'm gonna do this next month. And they end up adding a whole bunch of operational processes and systems that then in six months or a year or two years from now, they're gonna have to rip out and redo. And so we need to be thinking, well, as we add, is this something that is going to help create   57:41 like the baseline of where we're going to go. So it's always a balance of make sure you're not getting too far in advance, but make sure you're not getting too stuck in the weeds today. And I think that if you can balance out those two, then you can really have sustainable growth. Yeah, so thank you so much. This is truly from the voice of an operator. I appreciate that. Last question, did you have fun in the sandbox today?   58:09 I did have fun in the sandbox and Brenda, it's always good seeing you. I appreciate the conversation and looking forward to continuing to connect with people that are going to go play in your sandbox. Thank you. So to my listeners, if you liked this episode with Kelly Breslin, right? Sign up for the monthly release. We're founders, business owners, corporate directors and professional service providers.   58:37 help to share their lessons on how to build with strong governance, a resilient, scalable, and purpose-driven company to make profits for good. Thank you, signing off for this month. Have a great day.  

  My guest, T.A. McCann, Managing Director of Pioneer Square Labs, brings an exceptional blend of experience and insight. A serial entrepreneur, T.A. has founded companies like Synosis (acquired by Google), GIST (acquired by BlackBerry), and Rival IQ, a leader in marketing analytics. His journey from leading roles at Microsoft to being an active angel investor and a respected professor at the University of Washington Foster School of Business offers a panoramic view of innovation and entrepreneurship. In our conversation, T.A. discusses the critical role of venture studios and corporate venture capital in shaping the future of corporate innovation. He delves into how corporations can effectively navigate decision-making, balancing internal development with external collaborations and the strategic importance of engaging with early-stage startups. This episode is a masterclass in understanding the intricacies of corporate strategy, the build/buy/partner/create decision matrix, and the role of venture studios in realizing ambitious innovation goals. As we explore these themes, we also touch upon the challenges large corporations face in internal innovation, such as attracting the right talent, creating sustainable equity structures, and the importance of building venture-scale standalone companies. This episode offers invaluable insights, whether you're a CEO, a chief innovation officer, a business leader, or just someone fascinated by the interplay of technology and business. Join us as we uncover the strategies that can help corporates not just navigate but thrive in the ever-evolving landscape of tech innovation. What strategies does your organization employ to stay ahead in the innovation game? Share your thoughts and join the conversation!

Christina Fong, PhD, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs at the University of Washington Foster School of Business and co-director of the Seattle Fire Department Executive Leadership Academy talks the growth mindset, identity and power differences.. She emphasizes how strong psychologically safe organizations invest in cohesion and have mechanisms in place for learning from one another, providing feedback and tracking progress. Christina encourages leaders to find and make strong relationships with people who are very different than you.

Frank Joseph Hoff, President of Atlantis Publications and Philipe Santos Araujo, Vice-President of Atlantis Publications discuss the book "Atlantis- The Lost Continent Finally Found {The Definitive Localization of Plato's Lost Civilization}" by the late Prof. Arysio Santos, Ph.D. Frank Hoff was the understudy, researcher and business agent for the late Brazilian Professor Arysio Nunes dos Santos, Ph.D. who was a Nuclear Physics, Nuclear Engineer, Geologist, Physical Chemist, Climatologist and spoke 14 languages. He taught at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Frank Joseph Hoff graduated in 1982 from the University of Washington Foster School of Business in Seattle where he earned a Bachelor degree in Business Administration with concentrations in both Marketing and Management & Organization. From a very young age Mr. Hoff became very interested in the sciences and ancient mysteries (e.g. The Lost City and Continent of Atlantis). In 1996 Mr. Hoff met with Richard Hoagland (the former science advisor to Walter Cronkite) at a Mars conference in Seattle and started doing some pro bono research for him on his off hours. It is while doing research for Mr. Hoagland that Mr. Hoff came across the unusual work of a Brazilian professor by the name of Prof. Arysio Nunes dos Santos (Ph.D.) on his Atlantis website (www.atlan.org) Atlantis - The Lost Continent Finally Found. Philipe Santos Araujo is an Information Scientist and Physicist working with Academic Research; Editing of Articles and Videos; Software Development and Solar Energy Sales. Specialist in International Intellectual Property Research with broad experience in Computer Sciences and Modern Trends. Vice President of Atlantis Publications, Inc; Sales Manager of Solar Photovoltaic Systems with “Station 1 Energy Solutions”; CEO of “Pelada.App” (Brazilian Sports Pickup App); Graduate in Physics and Post-Graduate in Information and Knowledge Managing with Brazil's “Federal University of Minas Gerais” (‘'UFMG''). Philipe is Professor Arysio Santos' First Grandson. Born American with fluency in English, Portuguese and Spanish. Websites: www.AtlantisPublications.com or www.atlan.orgThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5231151/advertisement

In this episode, T.A. McCann shares his entrepreneurial journey and insights into the world of startups. T.A. McCann is a serial entrepreneur, having founded and led successful companies such as Senosis and Gist. He is also an active angel investor and an adjunct professor at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. During our conversation, T.A. McCann dives into various topics, including the challenges of building and scaling a startup, the importance of quantified health ideas and investments, and the lessons he learned from his experience as a professional sailor. We explore the creative process behind entrepreneurship, the role of technology and innovation, and the impact of collaboration and community in the startup ecosystem. Some highlights we explore: T.A. McCann's journey from professional sailor to successful entrepreneur The key factors that contribute to startup success The role of marketing analytics in driving business growth The importance of understanding user needs and feedback Lessons learned from T.A. McCann's experience in the America's Cups and the Whitbread Round the World race Enjoy!

Listen to the Be Bold for Jesus Podcast to be encouraged, inspired and empowered to go out and share your faith with others. Today we are hearing from Keith Atneosen.https://freedomsummitconsulting.com/Keith is the founder of Freedom Summit Consulting LLC and a FocalPoint Business Coach. He assists family business owners with planning and preparing to transition the stewardship of their business. In addition to exit planning, Keith coaches clients in value acceleration and developing the next generation of leadership.Following over two decades of various management and sales roles in financial services and hardlines retail, Keith founded Freedom Summit Consulting in 2021. He earned his Master of Science in Financial Services through The American College and completed the Executive Development Program through the University of Washington Foster School of Business.In 2004 Keith's wife, Lauren, lost her parents in a car accident. Out of this experience, Keith was compelled to help others work through major transitions, steward financial resources, and plan for future life events. He authored the short book “The Life in Your Years” which addresses the importance of stewardship and legacy planning. Keith's mission is to be a person of purpose, adventure, and resource by providing a trustworthy and innovative perspective that engages, encourages, and empowers others.Keith and Lauren live in Hayden, Idaho, with their children. They enjoy being involved in church ministries and exploring the outdoors.

Rachna Kumar is a recent graduate from the University of Washington Foster School of Business and is now a full-time strategy consultant. She is also a content creator with a community of over 17k on TikTok where she shares life in Seattle, college advice, and so much more. In our conversation, Rachna shares how she landed her first brand deal with Mejuri, if you really need a niche in order to grow, and her top five spots if you're visiting Seattle. We also dive into Rachna's time at UW - how to make friends and find a balance between work and play. Connect with Rachna on TikTok: @rachnaxo For podcast updates and more, follow @ourplaygroundpod + @allyphan_

It is much easier for us to have compassion for others as compared to self-compassion. Dr. Yu Tse Heng studies self-compassion and humannizing the workplace, and her research supports that self-compassion helps promote other compassion, and vice versa. Speaking with Yu Tse has made me even more willing to be self-compassionate; maybe the same will be the case for listeners. Dr. Yu Tse Heng, PhD is an Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce. She received her Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the University of Washington Foster School of Business. Her research program uncovers ways in which we can humanize the workplace by acknowledging, appreciating, and wherever possible, harnessing employees' full humanity. She has been awarded the William H. Newman All-Academy Best Dissertation Award (2022) and was runner-up for the Organization Science/INFORMS Dissertation Proposal Competition (2020). Yu Tse's popular press writing has been published in Harvard Business Review and Harvard Business Publishing (Education). Her work has also been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times, The Financial Times, and CNBC Make It.

Compassion is one of the words that is variably defined, depending on who you talk to, and this is true in psychology vs. business/management circles. In this episode, Dr. Kira Schabram talks about compassion as a process of noticing, empathizing, and DOING. She also covers what it means for compassion to be a muscle, and how self-compassion and other compassion actually are working that SAME muscle. Dr. Kira Schabram, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Management at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. She received her PhD from the University of British Columbia, her Masters of Science from Concordia University, and both a Bachelors of Science and Bachelors of Arts from the University of California, San Diego. Her academic expertise centers on compassion, meaningful work, and teamwork. Here are links to two different articles about her work, one on burnout and one on meaningful work.

I last spoke with Dr. Michi Shinohara on burnout, and this episode delves into burnout and how self-care vs. other care can be a remedy for the particular symptoms of burnout: exhaustion, inefficacy, and cynicism. Dr. Kira Schabram, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Management at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. She received her PhD from the University of British Columbia, her Masters of Science from Concordia University, and both a Bachelors of Science and Bachelors of Arts from the University of California, San Diego. Her academic expertise centers on compassion, meaningful work, and teamwork. Here are links to two different articles about her work, one on burnout and one on meaningful work.

A "calling" is defined as something that gives you personal, social, or moral significance. For me, and for many physicians, the practice of medicine is a calling. Those in pursuit of a calling generally are on one of three different paths: the identity path, the contribution path, and the practice path. Dr. Kira Schabram goes over her research in this area and talks about why the practice path is the one to be on. Dr. Kira Schabram, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Management at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. She received her PhD from the University of British Columbia, her Masters of Science from Concordia University, and both a Bachelors of Science and Bachelors of Arts from the University of California, San Diego. Her academic expertise centers on compassion, meaningful work, and teamwork. Here are links to two different articles about her work, one on burnout and one on meaningful work.

In this episode of Shift AI we feature Elizabeth Scallon, a prominent figure in the Seattle startup scene who discusses her experiences and insights on co-working, mentorship, and the future of work. Elizabeth highlights the potential of AI and co-creation in scaling and accelerating work processes. and shares her expertise on funding structures for underrepresented small businesses. In this episode of Shift AI, we cover:  Elizabeth discusses her first experience working and her family's relationship to work growing up in Bellevue Washington. Elizabeth's background as a leader in the Seattle startup accelerator scene, as a mentor and champion for small business people. Elizabeth's experience as the leader of Seattle WeWork Labs and how co-working and face to face serendipity in the workplace accelerate creativity and innovation. Ways that early founders and entrepreneurs corroborate to build community and help each other with the loneliness of starting a business. Thoughts about hybrid work and remote work post pandemic with a focus on targeted face to face focussed collaboration Find Ventures explained and how this unique type of funding structures allows for under-represented small businesses to launch their startups without diluting their equity presence. Discusses mentorship for young entrepreneurs given that going into the office has diminished and career building has gotten more challenging Elizabeth gives advice to young founders who are just getting their businesses started and off the ground. Talk about corporate incubation at Amazon and HP and the similarities between startup accelerators and some of the differences in the enterprise. Co-creation with AI and the excitement of what the future of work looks like when robots can help you scale and accelerate. How Elizabeth instructs her students at the University of Washington Foster School of business to use Chat GPT and AI to move faster and rapidly iterate with guardrails. How to get involved at the University of Washington's Foster's MBA program and intro to startups. Connect with Elizabeth Scallon Twitter findventures.org LinkedIn Connect with Boaz Ashkenazy Twitter  LinkedIn Email: shift@simplyaugmented.com Learn more about Simply Augmented --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/shift-ai/message

Without your support as listeners, we wouldn't be here in Season 4....so THANK YOU!!!!  Additionally, thank you, #CatchSitkaSportFishing and #ACMEHomes, for your continued support as sponsors of this podcast!Today, we sit down with T.A. McCann, who comes to the podcast through the talented Chase Nall and Marcus Womack.   T.A. is one of the most intelligent, curious, successful, and down-to-earth dads we've interviewed over the past few years.  He was the founder and CEO of Senosis (acquired by Google), Gist (acquired by Blackberry), and Rival IQ, a leader in marketing analytics. Previously, he was an EIR at Polaris Venture Partners, Vulcan Capital, where he built Vulcan Labs and Providence Health Services, focused on quantified health ideas and investments. He also held senior roles at Microsoft, leading Exchange and the Mobile Services divisions. In addition to his own startup experience, he is an active angel investor in companies including SkillJar, CreativeLive, Assist, Migo, and Vendor Hawk and is on the board of Guidant Financial, Volt Athletics, and Splash.org.  He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Washington Foster School of Business and an active TechStars mentor.  Prior to his startup career, he was a professional sailor, having competed in 2 America's Cups (won one, lost one) and the Whitbread Round the World race. Today's conversation is about T.A., the dad.  We learn how his parents taught him to take risks and be curious.  He shares a story of his father on the power of "look it up," which he said was very annoying, yet he is so thankful for the guidance now as an adult.  His entire family is driven, goal-oriented, and enjoys seeing the world!  In fact, his father visited over 100 countries!  Yes, that's right!   T.A. would also share a mantra that is a gift and also a gap where he finds himself happy but not satisfied.   As you listen to his story, it is no surprise to hear about his success, and I hope you enjoy learning about T.A., the dad, as much as I did today!  To connect with T.A. and learn more about Pioneer Square Labs, you can connect with him here. Catch Sitka Sport Fishing At Catch Sitka, Issam and team provide an amazing fishing experience with Halibut, Salmon and more!Established in 2006, Acme Homes WA One of the most value-based home builders in the state of Washington! Go Check them out!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!

Kristen Bauer is the CEO of Laird Norton Wealth Management (LNWM) and has more than two decades of experience in private wealth management, financial services, and business management. Before joining LNWM, Kristen was a senior leader at Tiedemann Advisors serving as Managing Director for the Pacific Northwest. She also served as CFO, Chief Business Development Officer, Chief Client Service Officer, and then President of Threshold Group. Kristen graduated from the University of Washington Foster School of Business with a Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in Business and Accounting. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Personal Financial Specialist (PFS). Kristen grew up in Bend, Oregon, which inspired her love of the outdoors and her ongoing involvement with environmental causes. She currently serves as Board Chair of The Nature Conservancy, Washington Chapter, and is Board President of the Wilderness Awareness School. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More often, successful business leaders and entrepreneurs who build massive wealth portfolios intend to bequeath their assets to their children and grandchildren. With the sheer amount of wealth built by business leaders of our generation, the next generation is poised to take over $10 trillion (yes, with a “T”) worth of business assets. Are they ready to take the reins?Our guest today, Keith Atneosen of Freedom Summit Consulting, weighs in on the topic of transitioning wealth to the next generation. Having advised several high-net-worth business owners and families in planning and preparing the transition of business stewardship to their heirs, Keith highlights a key aspect - the passing on of wisdom before transmitting wealth. Above all, he brings attention to using wealth for kingdom purposes and the importance of teaching this to the next generation. Click now and learn how we can help the future generation to become better stewards of God's resources.Key Points From This Episode: Keith shares his personal background, his education, and early careerPivotal moments in Keith's life that urged him to examine his life trajectoryHow did Keith realize his calling of helping people in stewardship and legacy planning and business coaching as well as in major life transitions?What's Keith's definition of success?In what areas of his life has Keith had the greatest success? What has been the most surprising thing that Keith has learned in his kingdom-centric career journey?What has been the biggest misunderstanding about money that Keith has come across the most?How can we change people's mindsets about their unrelenting pursuit of material success?What has been the most damaging mistake people make with money and their biggest regret people around money and investing?What's Keith's key advice to people who want to steward their business and their wealth in ways that promote God's kingdom?Keith's contact informationKeith answers the lightning round questions.Tweetables:“Pass on wisdom first before wealth. A hammer is a fantastic tool but a hammer in a 3-year-old's hands can cause great harm. We need to equip them to steward those tools."“Mistaking financial success as the complete, holistic understanding of success is a huge trap.”Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:Freedom Summit Consulting"Fulfilled" by Kathryn and Michael Redman About Keith AtneosenKeith Atneosen is the founder of Freedom Summit Consulting LLC and a FocalPoint Business Coach. He assists closely-held business owners with planning and preparing to transition the stewardship of their business. In addition to exit planning, Keith coaches clients in value acceleration and developing the next generation of leadership.Following over two decades of various management and sales roles in financial services and hardlines retail, Keith founded Freedom Summit Consulting in 2021. He earned his Master of Science in Financial Services through The American College and completed the Executive Development Program through the University of Washington Foster School of Business. In 2004 Keith's wife, Lauren, lost her parents in a car accident. Out of this experience, Keith was compelled to help others work through major transitions, steward financial resources, and plan for future life events. He authored the short book “The Life in Your Years” which addresses the importance of stewardship and legacy planning. Keith and Lauren live in Hayden, Idaho, with their children. They enjoy being involved in church ministries and exploring the outdoors.

Colleen O'Brien is an accomplished marketing executive with over a decade of experience leading strategic internal and external communications for companies of all sizes—from Fortune 500 corporations to early-stage startups. Currently, she is the chief communications officer for high-end clothing rental startup Armoire.   Previously, Colleen led brand marketing, content creation, and communications strategy for Microsoft's venture fund M12, which invests globally in early-stage enterprise software companies.  Prior to joining M12, Colleen held several marketing and communications roles across Microsoft, and led product marketing initiatives for Windows and Office, driving growth, engagement, and partnerships globally. Colleen produced and hosted Microsoft's Women in Business and Technology podcast and served as a spokesperson on the weekly YouTube series Microsoft Unboxed.   Colleen has an MBA from the University of Washington Foster School of Business and graduated cum laude from Harvard College with a Bachelor of Arts in film production and a minor in studies of women, gender, and sexuality. Colleen sits on the advisory board of Women in Cloud and is a member of the Forbes Communications Council.   She is also a certified executive coach and a sought-out speaker on the All Raise Visionary Voices speakers bureau, and has appeared at the PRSA Storytellers Series, the Women in Tech Regatta, and Ideagen's Global Goals 2030 Summit.    Read the show notes here: https://arcbound.com/podcasts/    Links: Homepage: Arcbound.com Services/Work with Us: https://arcbound.com/work-with-us/ About: https://arcbound.com/about/ Founders Corner: https://arcbound.com/category/founders-corner/ Connect: https://arcbound.com/connect/

Dan Sheridan is President and COO of Brooks Running. He started his career 23 years ago as a National sales rep. He's a graduate of University of Washington's Foster School of Business. Brooks Running makes men's and women's high-performance running shoes, apparel, and accessories that meet the needs of runners of all levels. Entirely focused on the run, Brooks is dedicated to inspiring people to run and be active. Brooks creates innovative equipment that keeps you running longer, farther and faster—and with more enjoyment of the run. Timestamp 3:03 Growing up in a leader-rich environment 5:50 Running the perfect business strategy 8:11 Setting the pace with customer centricity and communicating with clarity 10:03 Fumbling a project – and getting back on track 11:44 Navigating through problems in a pandemic 12:43 Acting like Brooks, whether in prosperity or crisis 16:55 Leading the pack with humility and kindness 20:19 Moving into the future with optimism 23:47 Getting everyone to Run Happy – managing one's fears and motivations, step by step 28:05 The essentials of personal leadership development 30:13 Dan's current reading list  Follow Dan Sheridan on Linkedin  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-sheridan-2a04316  Brooks Running https://www.brooksrunning.com/  Follow Patti Dobrowolski - Instagram https://www.instagram.com/upyourcreativegenius/  Follow Patti Dobrowolski - Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/patti-dobrowolski-532368/  Up Your Creative Genius - https://www.upyourcreativegenius.com/  Patti Dobrowolski 00:03 Hello superstars! Welcome to the Up Your Creative Genius podcast - where you will gain insight and tips to stomp on the accelerator and blast off to transform your business and your life. I'm your host, Patti Dobrowolski. And if this is your first time tuning in, then strap in because this is serious rocket fuel. Each week, I interview fellow creative geniuses to help you learn how easy it is to up your creative genius in any part of your life. Patti Dobrowolski 00:39 Hey, everybody, it's Patti Dobrowolski. Oh my gosh, I have one of my favorite leaders here today. I'm just saying that I have had the opportunity to work with this person multiple times. I absolutely love him, and you will too. So let's welcome the recently crowned President and COO of Brooks Running - Dan Sheridan. Dan Sheridan 01:04 Every time I see you, I just smile. Every time I see your name, every time I see you on a screen, I just smile. I mean, the energy is insane. Patti Dobrowolski 01:15 Oh, that's fantastic. Well, that is back at you because - So listen, I need to tell them a little bit about you so they don't have to go in the show notes to read your bio - I'm going to give my down and dirty of it. Listen, people. He joined Brooks Running in 1998 - 23 years ago. And he really started as a tech rep - which is a junior role there - and worked his way up. And now he oversees, you know, the business and the brand. He was once the brand guru at Brooks, and he's helped to build that business and brand over those years. Now he's overseeing the wholesale business, the distribution partnerships, he connects with runners to build the E-commerce business and oversees the regional marketing programs. And let me just say that they grew 26%, didn't you? It was like recently or is probably higher than that now. But he was given, in 2009 - which was way back in the Wayback Machine - 40 under 40 Sports Good Award. I mean, that's kind of a big deal. He went to the University of Washington, and he got a certification from Washington Foster School of Business. So yes, Dan Sheridan's here, woo! Dan's in the house. Dan Sheridan 02:30 I love it! Patti, you can be my promoter, whenever you want. I mean, the language that you use, I just - I gotta bottle it and take it with me. Patti Dobrowolski 02:39 That's right. Now, you know, Dan, you are honestly one of the favorite leaders of mine. When I ever get to be in a room with you, I'm like, yes, Dan's gonna be there. So I want you to tell people, how did you get started? Like, tell us your story? I think you're from Washington State, aren't you? Yes. Tell us the whole thing, starting from the beginning, would you? Dan Sheridan 03:03 Let me first say that I am humble enough to know that you've been in front of many, many leaders. So I don't take that comment lightly at all. And I am a student of leadership - I'm fascinated by leadership, I think I always have been. Back to my childhood, my dad and my mom were fantastic leaders. They were teachers and led community work and students. And so, I was always under this kind of group of people that were just great examples for me. Growing up, I was a team sport kid. So I played basketball and baseball. I played a little football, I played soccer, swimming, the whole thing. I was in team sports and I tell people that that was literally my business school. That's how I formed my leadership skills. Yeah, I was captains of teams and had to work with impossible people and - Patti Dobrowolski 04:00 Welcome to the world of impossible people. That should be a book. Dan Sheridan 04:05 Right? Well, there you go. So my journey is, I think, at times it's unique. It's probably really strange to some people that I've been with a company for as long as I am- Patti Dobrowolski 04:17 23 years. 23 years - look me in the eye and say, “I've been here 23 years.” Dan Sheridan 04:24 I've been here 23 years. Patti Dobrowolski 04:25 I know. Dan Sheridan 04:26 You know, I'm waiting for somebody to tap me on the shoulder and say, "Hey, man, the gig's up?" Patti Dobrowolski 04:31 I don't think so. I don't think so. Dan Sheridan 04:33 Yeah. So it's awesome. You know, I'm such a fortunate person in so many ways. I think on the professional side, I started with a company that was tiny, we had 56 people. When I started, we shrunk actually to like, 35. We had a layoff in my first couple years, and now we're close to 1200 globally. We've got about 550 in Seattle here and so I'm fortunate, right? I got with a great company with a great leader in Jim Weber. And I made mistakes. And nobody either knew about them or they weren't begging people to kick me out. So I feel just incredibly fortunate and always have been that my journey was with one company that was growing the whole time. Patti Dobrowolski 05:18 Yeah. And, you know, I mean, it took a dip. And so I think the whole running industry took a dip. But there was a point where I was like, Oh, I hope they continue through this, you know, and then oh, I hope their shoes will start to look cooler. Dan Sheridan 05:36 I mean, we like to call them inflection points, Patti, we don't know. Yeah, we call them- Patti Dobrowolski 05:41 Yes, we do. On the S curve, that's an inflection point, maybe go down, then you go up, and you have to leap off into something else or you become irrelevant. Dan Sheridan 05:50 That's right. I think every business does this, right, where you have these moments where there's a gut check on your strategy. Yeah. On the addressable market that you're going after? Yep. On, you know, the talent that you have? And are you developing talent within? Are you adding talent to stay relevant? And Brooks has had that over its journey. I mean, we've had, I don't know, call it four or five owners over the years. And we've been fortunate enough, in the last, call it 15 years, to have Berkshire Hathaway as our parent company - which couldn't be anything better for us. Patti Dobrowolski 06:24 No, no, no doubt. No doubt, yup. Dan Sheridan 06:27 So we go through these moments where it is a gut check on strategy. And here's the beauty of our strategy. It's pretty simple, you know, and Brooks has a simple strategy. We're focused on runners. We're focused on the run, we're focused on getting people moving, we're focused on what running means to people's lives. And if we can deliver products and programs and services, you keep them running farther, faster, longer. We're winning. And yeah, pretty simple. Patti Dobrowolski 06:52 Yeah, it is. You know, secretly, I've been designing a shoe to present to you guys, when I see you, I'm like, I have to design some shoes that are cool. And so I've been just mocking up these shoes I got behind the scenes. I'm like, I have any, I want to talk to the guys in creative again, you know, because I always get to see them. And they're fantastic. And I think that there's a few things I could add to that little chemistry of that. So of course, that's my secret dream. Dan Sheridan 07:25 You've been on our journey. You've had many checkpoints with us that have helped us create our vision through your process, and it's why you and I connected - and the value that you've created with us is playing out today. You helped us imagine the future for Brooks, and here we go. Patti Dobrowolski 07:43 You will- I think to- you have Imagineers there. That's what's true. The people that work there really are Imagineers, you know, including Jim, but I think in your stream, you know, you have really galvanized the sales community. I mean, the team is just unstoppable. And so, say something about what you had to do to get them motivated to go, to get going. Dan Sheridan 08:11 Yeah, it's not about me. I mean, when I showed up here in 1998, this company had a customer focus that was incredible. And it was just part of the culture at Brooks. And so I got trained by people that were so intensely focused on our customer base, whether it was our customer service team, our marketing team, our sales team. And so there was no other thing to do, but focus on the customer. And what we've been able to do is keep talent here. You know, I've got colleagues that I've worked with for 20 plus years. Patti Dobrowolski 08:43 Wow, that's fantastic. That's unheard of! Dan Sheridan 08:47 Yeah! Especially in our industry, right? I think, you know, this is a very competitive industry in terms of acquiring talent and developing talent. So it's customer focused, and we've been able to deliver on customer focus, specifically and run with our specialty run community around the world. And then we execute. You know, we used to have a sheet of paper as a one pager that just simply answered the question: why Brooks? And we would go through and list all the different programs that we had. But at the very bottom, we would say, we're going to do what we tell you we're going to do. And every day our sales team acts that way. If we can't do something, we're going to tell them, we're going to be honest, we're not going to sugarcoat it. And I think that creates an execution that's clear to people. But ultimately, it's customer focus. Patti Dobrowolski 09:35 Yeah. So when we were working together, you were moving this supply chain, right? I mean, you were moving manufacturing to the US. Say a little bit about what that did or how that process went, because we didn't talk about it afterwards, and I'm curious - like when you take something as much production as you were doing, what did you end up doing and how did it go? Dan Sheridan 09:57 So point of clarity, not our manufacturing but our distribution. Patti Dobrowolski 10:01 Distribution, your DC. Dan Sheridan 10:03 Yep, we moved our distribution from the West Coast here in Seattle, to the middle of the country for a lot of reasons: One, we need to be closer to our customer base: just speed of delivery, cost, all those things. And you know, the short story- Patti Dobrowolski 10:16 Price too, because come on, I mean, Washington State, you got to move to the Midwest. Dan Sheridan 10:21 That's right. You know, short story is: we fumbled. We fumbled the football on many different yard lines on this project. And we literally had a design that didn't match our business model. And it took us three months to unlock the design to match the business model. And what it did is it created, you know, and reinforced a humility that we all needed in a checkpoint along our journey to say: Okay, how did we make this mistake? What were the things that we took for granted that we shouldn't have? What was the expertise we needed in our teams that we didn't have going on? Right? Patti Dobrowolski 10:59 And then you hired somebody, brought them in to help. Right? Dan Sheridan 11:03 We hired Christophe Mahaut in operations, we hired a whole new team and our distribution center, and we started to build depth in our operations. One, because we're growing like crazy; but two, we learned along the way that, you know, you can't muscle your way through some things - you've got to have experience and capability on your business. And so, we are now in such a great spot through the pandemic - you know, we grew 35%. Now you're 31% and 21. And all of that was done on the backs of this, this distribution- Patti Dobrowolski 11:37 Yeah, no doubt, no doubt. Now, has this supply chain, uh, COVID, did that impact you guys at all? Dan Sheridan 11:44 It did, you know, starting in July of last year, Patti. I think, as everyone was starting to see - COVID, you know, impacted all the factories throughout Vietnam and broader Asia. And so our footwear and apparel factories were impacted pretty drastically. We focused on our people, obviously. And luckily, we kept them safe and healthy. But you know, the impact is massive in our industry. So we talk about it in terms of, it's kind of like a crop that yeah, that just goes bad. And we lost a crop of shoes. And we estimate about 7 million units we lost in production as those factories were working through COVID. And so we're digging out right now, like every day. Patti Dobrowolski 12:22 Yeah, yeah. And when things like that happened, so what leadership things do you call upon in yourself? Like, I looked to see who you're influenced by - you've got Simon Sinek there, you got Brené Brown there, you know, you have some other leaders in there. So what do you call upon in yourself to help you figure out what to do? Dan Sheridan 12:43 You know, it's something I reflect a lot on. I've been through a lot of change management at Brooks, whether it's changing in ownership, whether it's, you know, projects that have gone sideways, and the distribution center, one of those, now we've got a pandemic supply chain challenge, you know, we're actually going to be impacted by this war that's going on. And so, you know, in moments like this, the very first thing I always tell our teams is we're going to act like Brooks, no matter what's happening. Patti Dobrowolski 13:10 That's right. Dan Sheridan 13:11 We got to know who we are, what are our values? What's our purpose? So that's rule number one, we're going to act the same way we did in times of prosper as we do in times of crisis. So: focus on the customer, focus on the runner, focus on our employees, and begin to get into a faster cadence. One of the things we find in crises is, if you're not telling your story, somebody is filling that gap, whether a competitor is or an employee is, somebody that may not be as engaged. So, we always get into the special cadence of communication, that maybe we're not always in in times of smooth business journey. So, you know, communication is huge during crisis and change management. During the pandemic, you know, we would have four times a year where we do company meetings, we're doing them every single Friday for an hour. Jim and I in the leadership team, we're on a town hall, every Friday, just communicating what's going on in the business decisions we're making, taking questions from employees. So I think when you go through these moments, you got to act the same way you do in good times, you got to over-communicate, and you got to understand who your stakeholders are and who you want to communicate to. And that's something that's served us well. And then, I think, we lead with authenticity. You know, I'm the same person I am at work as I am at home - my wife would probably, you know, say that's true. And that's not always a good thing (laughs). But I'm lucky to have, you know, just my ability to act the same wherever I am. And so, I'm married to the love of my life. And I've got two great kids that are, I think, benefited from me being home the last two years. I don't know, I have a 14 year old daughter and she and I are tight. My son is 12, and is one of my best buddies. And so, it's good - I think that shows up at work too, people know who I am because I've been here a while and I haven't changed over the 23. I've changed. I'm getting older. Patti Dobrowolski 15:05 Yeah, that's that's really it, but you're still fun - and funny, engaging. You know, these are the things that matter, really. And caring - I think this is one of the things that I noted - when I worked with you is that you were kind to people: you just were, it was part of your DNA. And I don't know, all leaders are like that, you know, you sort of get full of what's holding up your head, you know, what all the things you're worrying about, sort of interfere with your ability to communicate with kindness sometimes, and I never witnessed that even when you were giving feedback to people, which was necessary and important and essential in the room. It was always done in a way that helped them to take the biggest leap. I was telling, you know, I've started to do this new thing with Draw Your Future, which is at the current reality, when you get to the challenges, I've started to ask people: Alright, so if every experience without exception is here for you to grow from, what's the superpower that you're getting from that challenge? Because I think that's what we all learned in COVID - was we got to develop some superpowers, one of them was appreciation for whoever was running the household, because you got to see what they actually did every day, and then you got to pitch in. And then you got to be more in that - It was almost like we went back in time, you know, to a time where being with your family mattered, right? Because we've gotten so caught up in being out there, right? And so when COVID hit, how did you personally adjust? How did you adjust? Why did you have to pivot in yourself? Dan Sheridan 16:40 Well, I think I appreciate those comments on kindness. I grew up in a household, I was one of six kids, Irish Catholic family, my parents were both teachers. And so I tell people that- Patti Dobrowolski 16:53 That's where your work ethic came from. Dan Sheridan 16:55 Yeah, I also think humility is something that, you know, at times, I get maybe critique that, I don't maybe speak or network enough into the industry. But here's how I was raised: I was raised one of six. If you were cocky, or confident even, you got smacked down. I was second to youngest. So if you really got cocky - and that still exists today, to be honest with you. I've got five brothers and sisters that live within, you know, about 30 miles of me and, and to this day, we still have this relationship, which is rooted in humility, and kindness. And my parents may never explicitly said those words to us every day, but that's what our household was built on - it was built on humility, kindness, and I would add humor at the end, because with six kids, you got to be able to laugh at yourself. Patti Dobrowolski 17:43 Oh yeah, no doubt. Dan Sheridan 17:45 The neighbors were laughing at us, believe me. Patti Dobrowolski 17:49 Two teacher salaries, six kids, you know, that's slim living. Next Friday, are we going to have enough food, right? Dan Sheridan 17:55 Yeah, yeah, I got many stories about that. But my parents were incredible. And I know, I had a launchpad that not a lot of people had though, to be very transparent. I was fortunate for all the reasons - my race, just where we were in our community, and the people that surrounded us. So when COVID hit - to get back to that question - on a personal level, it was this pause in our life that actually I was thrilled about. I was traveling 25-30 weeks a year, internationally, domestically, wow. And my pace was at a rate that probably wasn't sustainable for me, for my wife, my kids, my relationships outside of my wife and kids. And so, you know, we really paused as a family, and we started talking about our values - what are the values that we want people to think about when they think of us? And so I brought up, you know, “be humble and kind”. And that's something now that we say to our kids, as they walk out the door, "be humble and kind, be humble and kind", - and my daughter will say, "I'm being humble and kind." Patti Dobrowolski 19:01 Yeah. Dan Sheridan 19:01 We've decided that we're going to start to add to these values as a family and so they're having input on it. They (my son and daughter) are very funny people. And so they're starting to add. So I think during COVID, that spilled over into me as a leader, and I started to think about the kindness - one that the world needed, as we all know - but more so just what everybody was going through: employees, the stress that was on employees. My wife's a pediatrician here in Seattle and she would come home and talk about the stress on kids and teenagers and, and just stress on the medical profession and so, I can see it throughout my everyday. So, we adopted "be humble and kind" and I'm going to get T-shirts made for the Sheridan family that say that. Patti Dobrowolski 19:49 That's good. You should let me design them for you. I've been doing this, my new thing. I've just done T-shirts, and they're fantastic. There's nothing too fancy about them, but they get the point. Well, I love that. And when you think about the future for you, what do you think about, like, did you know that you were going to move into the President's role? We had a brief conversation, but did you know that it was a goal of yours? How do you figure that out for yourself? Dan Sheridan 19:57 Oh, I'd love that. You know, I think I'd be lying if I said in 1998 I had this grand plan to become- At that time, there was not one person that would have bet on it either. Just for the record, I didn't know what I was doing. Some might argue, I still don't know what I'm doing. But you know, look, I've always been somebody that likes to be in front of the pack, not back of the pack. And I've been wired that way. I think it's, you know, my upbringing - my parents are that way, and so I've been wired that way. So I always knew that I wanted to lead. Patti Dobrowolski 20:39 Yeah. Dan Sheridan 20:45 And, so that's the first thing. And so yeah, you know, as my career started to progress, I knew I wanted to lead something - whether it was Brooks, or somewhere else in the path open for me to develop my career here. I think when I think about the future is one thing that I've been reflecting on a lot during all this change that's going on, and uncertainty and fear and negative division that's happening throughout the world, is that I think as leaders, you have to have optimism. If you don't have optimism in yourself, in how you lead, progress is really hard to think about. And so I've been trying to practice optimism. I'm an Irishman. So, optimism is not the first thing that comes into an Irish brain. But, you know, I think leaders have to be optimistic. And if they're not, their teams aren't going to be, um, they're not going to see the vision you have, they're not going to see why you're doing things. And so for me, the future is optimistic for my kids, for Brooks. For me as a person, I'm, you know, cresting 50, here, and so I've got a runway here that can still do great things in terms of my family and my professional life. So I think the future is optimistic. And I think we've got to get more people thinking about what we can do to make it optimistic for more people. Patti Dobrowolski 22:23 Yes, yes. And I would agree, I think that when Brooks started to do "Run Happy'' is when I was like, oh, yeah, now we're turning. Now we're turning, because we're all about community now. And we're understanding, really, we understand the neuroscience of what it means to get out there. And so if we can find a way to help people - you know, I still am fascinated with how, one out of eight people, even when they could die from something, will not make change - you know, that's the stat - is that only one out of eight will actually make the change. So what do we do to show people in incremental ways how you can make change more easily by simply getting out and walking. Walk first, run second, that's how I get - you know, I'm a cyclist, but every year, I'm like, you know, it's good on your bones when you get out there and run. So start running a little bit, see what you can do in running. And then of course, I get obsessed with that - like every other, you know, any kind of athletic thing, you know, you just got to do it. But one of the things that I wonder about is when you think about that stat about people needing to change - and you think about how do people make change, you know, and how do people in their health make change - how do you all talk about it there at Brooks? And how do you think about it? Dan Sheridan 23:47 Yeah. So there's a lot of ways to answer this question. I mean, everybody's different, right? So what are your motivations, your intrinsic or extrinsic motivations, right? You know, for me, some people may say, I have extrinsic motivations, you know, I want to move people in when I talk to them, I want them to develop underneath me, as I manage groups and teams and businesses. I have a lot of intrinsic motivation as well. And, you know, that comes out of a fear of people thinking “I'm not smart”, or a fear of not being in shape, or, you know, not being clear in how I communicate. So I think it really depends on this extrinsic and intrinsic motivation that people have. We have some good friends, we had this discussion the other night over a glass of wine around this topic. And so at Brooks, we think about that. And the truth is, Patti, that we have to do all of it because we want everyone to be a part of this brand. We want this to be the most inclusive brand in the world. Because running is the simplest thing to do - running and walking is the simplest sport to do. Really, all you need is a great pair of shoes - Patti Dobrowolski 24:55 That's right. Dan Sheridan 24:56 - to move and you can just kind of hit people with the reasons to move, you know, ultimately we believe running can change your day, can change your life. And I think all added up, it could change the world, not only in terms of health and wellness, but it may ease tension and debate and conflict in our lives. So we try and really think about everybody that's invited to this game, which we think is the greatest game in sporting goods, and- Patti Dobrowolski 25:25 Yeah, yeah, it's the easiest, let's be clear about that, you know, if you travel as much as you do, and as often as much as I do, and now we're open again to travel. So we're back on, the thing that goes in that suitcase are my running shoes, because I know that no matter where I am, I can either go to the gym and run - or I can get outside, which is even better, and then you know, do what everybody calls nature bathing. Now, it just cracks me up. Because you know, what that means is we were just going out and playing in the field before, and now we're finding a place to run and you know, nature bathe. But what's also true about that - and this is the research that's being done around flow - that if you want to get into a state of flow, you add some challenge to it, and then you add some physicality to it, and then you add some drive to it. And then suddenly, you're in a state of flow, as you know, when you go running, right. The greatest part of it is that it makes you feel so good. You want to do it tomorrow. And this is what people forget, yeah - once you get past the really hard hurdle of the first couple days, right? And you get into the first couple of weeks; and then the third and fourth, fifth week, you're hooked. And you never want to stop. That's what- Dan Sheridan 26:46 Habits, habits, habits - and they can be every other day habits. Don't have to be every day. Patti Dobrowolski 26:51 No, I know it's little tiny things. So you can hit the success button. Dan Sheridan 26:55 My alarm goes off, the first thing I think about is coffee. Second thing I think about is: I just have to move before I go to work. I got to do something, right. And so, you know, some days that I don't always get to it, but I think about it every single day. So that's my habit that I think about and that's something that I think doesn't have to be every day - it can be every other day. Patti Dobrowolski 27:19 That's right. Well, I think I love this because what you said was: I think about it every day. And I do too. If I'm not on that bike, I'm thinking about it every single day. Because I know that it makes me feel better, and I know I don't want to lose my shape. I don't want to lose my fitness. It's hard earned. Right? And so that's it. All right, well, I know you're busy. I don't want to keep you from what other things you've got going. I love this. And I hope you'll come back and talk again, just about as you ease into that President role. And you keep doing that - I want to hear how it's going. So, just leave us with some thoughts. What would you say are some tips for people who need to pivot or want to step into leadership? What would you tell them? Dan Sheridan 28:05 Yeah, I think this is such an interesting question for a lot of reasons. I think leadership roles, you know, there's this debate of, are you born a leader? Or can you develop leadership? I think you can absolutely develop leadership. Patti Dobrowolski 28:17 Yes, yes. Dan Sheridan 28:18 I think you have to love it. You have to absolutely love leadership in every kind of fashion, right? You have to understand that it's not about authority - it's about responsibility. And that's a Simon Sinek thing that I just gravitate to. You have to think about service in terms of leadership. Sometimes, you have to think about the hard decisions and everything that comes with it, and the responsibility that comes with it…but you gotta love it. And so when I talk to people, and they ask about leadership, I ask them, do you love it? And it doesn't mean you have to love it 100% of the time - I have an 80:20 rule that I live by: 80% of what I do, I love; 20% I don't - and if it ever gets out of whack for a long period of time, I'm probably going to shift. Patti Dobrowolski 29:06 You're going to change something. Dan Sheridan 29:07 I'm gonna change. And so I think you know, somebody that's thinking about a leadership role, you got to answer the question, are you going to love it? And you don't have to answer it until you're in it, right? But you got to love it to be in leadership. And I think if you can have an optimistic mind, you can communicate really effectively, and you can be authentic every day you show up, then you're probably going to have a pretty good run as a leader and I'm still working all those every day. Patti Dobrowolski 29:35 Yeah. But you've had a fantastic run as a leader. That's what's true. And your teams love working for you. You can see it in the room when I was facilitating those rooms full of people. I'd be like, whoa, this is incredible. At the end, you know, it just was so amazing to see the build and you create the environment for that. So, I would say, you know, always look at "Do you love it as a leader?" and just know that leadership is a skill you develop over time. And so what are you reading right now about leadership? What's your, you know, just as something that you would tell us? What are you reading? Dan Sheridan 30:13 So I'm rereading right now, Angela Duckworth. Patti Dobrowolski 30:17 Yeah, “Grit”. Me too. Me too. Dan Sheridan 30:20 She's incredible. So I started reading it for a lot of reasons. One, we redid; rewrote all of our values of Brooks in 2021. And when we started to tell stories, we wanted stories attached to all the values. So new people coming to Brooks could experience the value instead of just reading on a wall. And one of our values is "Champion Heart". And we were having a hard time explaining what Champion Heart was. And I said, it's grit. That's what it is. It's grit. And so I'm reading that for a lot of reasons. But one of them is that I just think that there's talent in this world, and then there's grit - and you got to have both. And I think in leadership roles, you got to have a lot of talent. I didn't go to business school, I wasn't classically trained in business, I don't have an MBA; I'm not apologizing for any of that. But what I do have is I have a work ethic, and I have a way to connect people and that served me well. So for me, I refresh myself sometimes by rereading books. I also think deeply in terms of just communicating with great leaders. And I've been very fortunate at Brooks to be under the guidance of Jim Weber, who's been here for 20 years, and his leadership and many board members and the network in this industry. I refresh myself through leadership through people, and books, and podcasts, and you, Patti. Yes. Patti Dobrowolski 31:43 I can't let this end without saying that you are amazing. You have changed the way I think you've helped Brooks along our journey. Your ability to tap into people's creativity is insane. So right back atcha - I love ya. I love seeing your name. I love seeing articles. I love it. This has been so much fun. Thanks for having me. Patti Dobrowolski 31:43 Yeah. We're into that Grit piece. Because this week, I'm - you know, I do coaching some classes, online classes, and this week is about grit coming up, because it's the thing that separates whether you're gonna get something done or not - you got to get in there and get your hands dirty. And I just remembered that about you going up with a supply chain issue talking to you in the lunch room, and you're like - on your way there. And I was like, okay, here we go. He's rolled up his sleeves, and there he goes. Well, that's just one of the amazing qualities, only one of the many amazing qualities of you as a leader: your humility and your kindness. I'm just so grateful for you to take the time and to spend time with the audience today and sharing some of your wisdom because all those nuggets are going to drop and they're going to go: Yes, I love that! So thank you so much for everything and for being here with me today. Patti Dobrowolski 33:00 Oh, it was so great. And you know everybody listening in. You know, if you love this podcast, be sure to share it with your friends because this guy - not like he needs more visibility, his family will just give him a hard time about it - so we don't want him to get too tease on that end. But these tips are important. So share them with everybody, and you know what to do. Until next time, Up Your Creative Genius. Thanks, everybody. Patti Dobrowolski 33:28 Thanks so much for listening today. Be sure to DM me on Instagram your feedback or takeaways from today's episode on Up Your Creative Genius. Then join me next week for more rocket fuel. Remember, you are the superstar of your universe and the world needs what you have to bring. So get busy. Get out and Up Your Creative Genius! And no matter where you are in the universe, here's some big love from yours truly, Patti Dobrowolski and the Up Your Creative Genius podcast. That's a wrap!

Brian Tuskan is the Chief Security Officer, Sr. Director for Global Security Operations in the Microsoft Global Workplace Services Organization, responsible for the physical security of all of Microsoft's global corporate locations. Brian was named one of The Most Influential People in Security 2017. He founded Cop to Corporate, providing free advice for law enforcement professionals to plan their transition to the private sector. He is also a champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion, supporting many Women in security associations and the International Organization of Black Security Executives (IOBSE). Brian spent 12 years in law enforcement with the City of Redmond Police (Washington) and the Honolulu Police Department as a patrol officer, SWAT, ATV officer, and detective. Brian has a Criminal Justice degree from Wayland Baptist University, is a graduate of the University of Washington (Foster School of Business, EDP), and received an Executive Leadership Certificate from Georgetown University. Brian Tuskan Linked InCop to Corporate websiteASISHost: Kira DorrianProduced by the Northshore Schools Foundation, a Top-Rated “Great Nonprofits” award-recipient, “Guidestar” Gold Participant, and Best of a “Best of Northshore” nonprofit.Thank you, supporters! DonateContact us: podcast@nsdfoundation.orgFollow us on:InstagramFacebookSkills 4 Life FacebookTwitterLinked In

Dr. Nwando Anyaoku is Vice President and the inaugural Chief Health Equity Officer for a large health system in the Seattle area. She has been there since 2016 leading the pediatrics and Medicaid strategy. Prior to that, she served as the physician lead for health equity and community partnerships, which led to her current position. She is a board-certified pediatrician and professor of pediatrics. Prior to her arrival at her current system, Dr. Anyaoku served as the Division Chief of General Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of New Jersey, then as the Medical Director of Pediatrics for CHI Alegent Creighton health system in Omaha, Nebraska. Dr. Anyaoku received her medical degree from the University of Nigeria. She completed residency training in pediatrics and served as chief resident at the Children's Hospital of New Jersey. She holds an MPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and an MBA from the University of Washington Foster School of Business. Today we will learn about improving health equity and about finding work in the hospital C-suite. You can find all the links for this episode at https://nonclinicalphysicians.com/chief-health-equity-officer/        =============== You can now join the most comprehensive Community for all clinicians looking for a nontraditional career at NewScr!pt. And if you'd like to join my Nonclinical Mastermind Group, you can learn about it at nonclinicalphysicians.com/mastermind. Get an updated edition of the FREE GUIDE to 10 Nonclinical Careers at nonclinicalphysicians.com/freeguide. Get a list of 70 nontraditional jobs at nonclinicalphysicians.com/70jobs. Check out a FREE WEBINAR called Best Options for an Interesting and Secure Nonclinical Job at nonclinicalphysicians.com/freewebinar1

In this episode, it is with great pleasure that we present to you another article from the academic journal division of the Mass Timber Construction Journal. Congratulations to the authors. Travis Welt and the team at University of St. Thomas looked at the #shear #connector performance in #CLT. Citation: Cooke, M., Nodland, E., & Welt, T. (2021). State of research for shear connector performance in steel-CLT composite beams. Mass Timber Construction Journal, 4(1), 1-9. Architects and engineers are turning to an environmentally-friendly material known as “mass timber” to construct buildings. Mass timber, which is made of planks of wood glued together and stacked perpendicularly, emits less carbon than using steel, iron and cement. Roxana Saberi has more. Air Date: Sep 25, 2021. In the larger Housing Project sector is Jackson Clement Burrows' student housing for La Trobe University. With two arcing wings, 624 student units and some facade aspects reflecting the colours of the plantings across the Melbourne bush campus, it is Australia's biggest engineered-timber construction to date. It is also mostly empty at present. LMN Architects' mass timber structure for Founders Hall at the University of Washington Foster School of Business has topped out. The 85,000-square-foot structure, expected to be completed in the summer of 2022, frames the northeast edge of the school's historic Denny Yard, an open space at the heart of the original campus plan. It expands the Foster School of Business education complex while improving connections to the surrounding area. SOS Children's Villages Illinois's Roosevelt Square Community Center is a new single-story cross-laminated timber (CLT) office and community center with kitchen space near their Roosevelt Square Village property.  WoodSolutions timber storage flyer is announced. The two-page PDF document titled ‘Reduce Moisture Issues by Storing Timber Correctly' by Jeffrey J. Morrell.The first eco-passive multi-storey office building in Romania, built using cross-laminated timber (CLT), will be launched this Friday in the village of Vlaha, some 20 km from Cluj-Napoca. The 75m-tall Sara culture house, designed by Gothenburg practice White Arkitekter, is located in Skellefteå on the Gulf of Bothnia, just below the Arctic Circle. The San Francisco 1 De Haro building has a triangular shape and is wrapped in a glass curtain wall. It is comprised of three stories of exposed glulam columns and beams, and cross-laminated timber (CLT) floor slabs, on top of a concrete podium.  Top Knot Carpentry & Joinery are extremely proud to announce the successful completion of our MASS TIMBER project at Geelong Civic Precinct, VICTORIA.  Rotho Blaas "Build the [Im]possible" Solutions designed for building in wood that are easily accessible adapting to the needs of all. IAMTC Delivering value through an all-encompassing approach to advocacy and thought-leadership.Sponsor Wanted Here Looking for global sponsorship opportunities in the mass timber sector? Why not consider sponsoring?

Grace Macjones is a Nigerian -American technologist, mentor, podcaster, and Azure Customer Engineer.She is a STEM + inclusion advocate for women of color and underrepresented groups. She is passionate about democratizing technology through mentoring students, speaking at tech events, and volunteering with tech organizations such as Black Girls Code, Women Who Code, ChickTech, and DigiGirlz. Grace has been a mentor at Year Up, Husky Tech, and The Master of Science in Information Systems program at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. Grace is also the host of the Tech Unlocked podcast which aims to demystify and diversity the tech industry by giving people of color the keys they need to unlock their successful tech career.During this episode, we take a look behind the 'LinkedIn curtain' and discuss the mental strength and courage that powers a path less travelled.

Tune in for the latest episode of The FemCity Podcast with Founder + CEO, Violette de Ayala and featured guests Tammey Grable Woodford, Regena Rosa-Celeste Ozeryansky and Victoria Lowell. This week they're diving into How to Take the Time for You including why it's important. Plus, they are sharing their best tips for making the time. Listen now.   About Tammey Grable Woodford // With over 25 years of senior-level experience and an Executive Master's in Business Administration from the University of Washington Foster School of Business, Tammey is a proven leader and change agent. Her greatest passion is guiding people and organizations to tangible and sustainable growth. Learn more at taniant.com About Regena Rosa-Celeste// Regena is an international speaker, best selling author and recovering perfectionist, and she's commonly known as the Internal Peace Revolutionist. She specializes in speaking, coaching and teaching skills of internal peace to realtors, investors, and conscious minded entrepreneurs. Learn more at: internalpeacenow.com  About Victoria Lowell // In 2018, Victoria founded Empowered Worth. Recently, she became an international bestselling author. Her book Empower your Worth, both English and Spanish versions, reaching the Bestseller's List in various categories and countries. In 2020, Empower Your Worth became a finalist in the Canadian Book Club Awards. Learn more at empoweredworth.com.  About FemCity //  FemCity offers a Free 30-Day Trial Membership and Memberships start at only $15.99. You can also learn more about launching a FemCity Chapter in your community. FemCity has been seen in Gilt, Vogue, AP News, Entrepreneur, Forbes, and MarieClaire. Learn why FemCity is more than just a women's networking group at www.femcity.com and on all social platforms @FemCity.

Tune in for the latest episode of The FemCity Podcast with Founder + CEO, Violette de Ayala and featured guests Julia Mae Hunt, Laurie Hunt, Tammey Grable Woodford for a panel discussion on How to Show up Authentically. About Julie Mae Hunt // Whether you are struggling with your business or life or even BOTH, we can create an ongoing partnership to bring about clarity and joy. I will help guide you to that fulfilling place by starting where you are today and lead you to your destination. I practice both International Coaching Federation Professional Life Coaching as well as Unlimited Body holistic practice. Learn more at juliamaephotography.com/coaching-mentoring/  About Laurie Hunt // Laurie's work is focused on helping people find their unique ‘more-in-me' — the resilience to navigate the unknown, the stamina to carry on when challenged or perhaps the courage to try something new. Your possibilities are unlimited! Learn more at lauriehunt.com  About Tammey Grable-Woodford //With over 25 years of senior-level experience and an Executive Master's in Business Administration from the University of Washington Foster School of Business, Tammey is a proven leader and change agent. Her greatest passion is guiding people and organizations to tangible and sustainable growth. Learn more at taniant.com About FemCity //  FemCity offers a Free 30-Day Trial Membership and Memberships start at only $15.99. You can also learn more about launching a FemCity Chapter in your community. FemCity has been seen in Gilt, Vogue, AP News, Entrepreneur, Forbes, and MarieClaire. Learn why FemCity is more than just a women's networking group at www.femcity.com and on all social platforms @FemCity.

Join FemCity Founder + CEO, Violette de Ayala for The FemCity Podcast with featured guests Laurie Hunt, Janet Sandberg, Tammey Grable-Woodford for a 30 min conversation on how to make lemonade out of lemons.  About Laurie Hunt // Laurie's work is focused on helping people find their unique ‘more-in-me' — the resilience to navigate the unknown, the stamina to carry on when challenged or perhaps the courage to try something new. Your possibilities are unlimited! Learn more at lauriehunt.com  About Janet Sandberg // Janet is passionate about helping soulpreneurs get unstuck. She knows the last thing they need is another system, funnel, set of instructions, or how-to manual. They just need to use what they already know and have within them to create success. Learn more at bluedragonflyenergywellnesscentre.com  About Tammey Grable-Woodford //With over 25 years of senior-level experience and an Executive Master's in Business Administration from the University of Washington Foster School of Business, Tammey is a proven leader and change agent. Her greatest passion is guiding people and organizations to tangible and sustainable growth. Learn more at taniant.com About FemCity //  FemCity offers a Free 30-Day Trial Membership and Memberships start at only $15.99. You can also learn more about launching a FemCity Chapter in your community. FemCity has been seen in Gilt, Vogue, AP News, Entrepreneur, Forbes, and MarieClaire. Learn why FemCity is more than just a women's networking group at www.femcity.com and on all social platforms @FemCity.

Join FemCity Founder + CEO, Violette de Ayala for The FemCity Podcast with featured guests Lorrie Thomas Ross, Regena (Rosa Celeste) Ozeryansky, Tammey Grable-Woodford for a roundtable discussion on How to Up-Level Your Life  About Regena Ozeryansky // Regena is an international speaker, best selling author and recovering perfectionist, and she’s commonly known as the Internal Peace Revolutionist. She specializes in speaking, coaching and teaching skills of internal peace to realtors, investors, and conscious minded entrepreneurs. Learn more at: internalpeacenow.com  About Lorrie Thomas Ross // Lorrie Thomas Ross is a marketing advisor, speaker, educator and lifestyle business owner who loves supporting intentional entrepreneurs, small business owners, and women business leaders. She is the CEO (that’s Chief Enthusiasm Officer) of Web Marketing Therapy®, a full-service marketing agency that diagnoses, prescribes, and guides healthy marketing solutions. Lorrie is also known as The Marketing Therapist® for her healthy advice, stress-free guidance, and tough-love approach. (She is known to stage interventions if a client is making themselves a danger to themselves and others). Learn more at lorriethomas.com.  About Tammy Grable-Woodford // With over 25 years of senior-level experience and an Executive Master's in Business Administration from the University of Washington Foster School of Business, Tammey is a proven leader and change agent. Her greatest passion is guiding people and organizations to tangible and sustainable growth. Learn more at taniant.com About FemCity //  FemCity offers a Free 30-Day Trial Membership and Memberships start at only $15.99. You can also learn more about launching a FemCity Chapter in your community. FemCity has been seen in Gilt, Vogue, AP News, Entrepreneur, Forbes, and MarieClaire. Learn why FemCity is more than just a women’s networking group at www.femcity.com and on all social platforms @FemCity.

Today Crystal is joined by the legend that is Monisha Harrell to talk about public safety and policing bills in the state legislature, Bruce Harrell's run for office, and mainstream Seattle politics finally realizing that there is more than one Black leader in Seattle. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Find the host, Crystal Fincher on Twitter at @finchfrii and find today's guest, Monisha Harrell, at @RuleSeven. More info is available at officialhacksandwonks.com.   Resources Learn more about the passage of Initiative 940 last fall here: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/initiative-940-modifying-law-regulating-police-use-of-deadly-force-holds-strong-lead-in-tuesdays-returns/  Read about how previously fired cops end up back on the force here: https://crosscut.com/news/2021/04/how-fired-cops-win-their-jobs-back-arbitration  Read the recent Crosscut in-depth report on cops with credibility issues still working in Washington State (by friend of the show and previous guest, Melissa Santos): https://crosscut.com/news/2021/04/nearly-200-cops-credibility-issues-still-working-washington-state  Learn more about the bills discussed on the show today here: https://southseattleemerald.com/2021/03/12/ground-breaking-police-accountability-bills-pass-the-house-await-senate-consideration/  Follow all police accountability bills before the legislature this year here: https://www.seattle.gov/community-police-commission/current-issues/state-legislative-agenda/bill-tracker    Transcript Crystal Fincher: [00:00:00] Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm your host, Crystal Fincher. On this show, we talk to political hacks and policy wonks to gather insight into local politics and policy through the lens of those doing the work and provide behind the scenes perspectives on politics in our state. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes.  We are thrilled today to be joined by Monisha Harrell. Thank you for joining us, Monisha. Well, I just wanted to take some time to actually read your full bio, which I'm indulging myself in doing. Because a lot of times we hear about people - we see you in one capacity or another capacity. Lots of people know you're the Board Chair for Equal Rights Washington, you've done work around politics and around legislation and policing, but they don't know the full story. And I just enjoy, especially for women and people of color, just to really understand what you've done and what you've been involved in. So let me tell you who Monisha Harrell is. She's a Seattle native, Board Chair for Equal Rights Washington, and she chairs the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund. She served as a fellow for Lifelong AIDS Alliance, co-chair of the Capitol Hill LGBTQ Public Safety Task Force. She's an appointee of the City of Seattle's 2017 search committee for a new director of police accountability and co-chair for the De-escalate Washington Campaign Committee, requiring deescalation training for all law enforcement officers in the state in 2018. The Stranger named Monisha one of the smartest people in Seattle politics - I concur - in 2013. And she was most recently honored as the Greater Seattle Business Association's Community Leader of the Year for 2018. As chair of Equal Rights Washington, Monisha helped lead the work to ban conversion therapy for minors in Washington state, pass an updated uniform parentage act to support LGBTQ families, and banned trans panic and gay panic as legal defenses for violence against the LGBTQ community - still such a critical issue. Harrell was recently appointed in July 2020 by Governor Inslee to serve on a task force to provide recommendations for legislation on independent investigations involving police use of force, and recently completed work as a member of the Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson's Hate Crime Advisory Working Group. In 2019, Monisha participated in a leadership exchange program with the American Council of Young Political Leaders, supporting LGBTQ community advancement in both Thailand and Malaysia. Monisha owns and operates a small marketing firm, Rule Seven, focused on offering community-driven outreach and engagement. She has an undergraduate degree from Columbia University and an MBA from the University of Washington Foster School of Business. In 2017, she was named the University of Washington Consulting and Business Development Center's Alumni of the Year.  Man, Monisha. You - that's Monisha, and I have admired Monisha and watched her just do her thing and impact policy and politics and life for a lot of people - we were just talking, for a decade plus now. And just seriously, one of the smartest people in Washington politics - in politics period. If you want to figure out a successful path for whatever you want to do, Monisha can make that happen, so I am just thrilled to have you on the show today. Monisha Harrell: [00:04:10] Thanks so much, Crystal. It's hard to believe it's been a decade of working together. It's amazing because one, I don't feel that old, but I learned so much from your leadership in those early phases, particularly of politics and really learning how to navigate political circles, particularly as a young Black woman. It's been a great decade together and looking forward to many, many more decades ahead for us. Crystal Fincher: [00:04:48] Absolutely. I mean, you've gone global with your influence and advocacy, so I'm just watching and cheerleading from the sidelines over here. But what I wanted to talk about - something you're involved in - in a variety of ways and have been, are the policing bills going through the legislature right now, the entire conversation about what we need to do and how we need to change that. I guess starting off, and just a recap or overview in what is happening in Olympia right now? There was lots of fanfare going into the session in response to demands from community that we finally take action to stop some of the abuses and the violence that we have seen from police, and just the absolute lack of accountability in so many spaces. What is on the table to address that right now? Monisha Harrell: [00:05:48] Yeah, absolutely. I'll start back with Initiative 940, De-Escalate Washington. That work was really - it was really interesting because there wasn't a lot of political will around it back when that work was beginning in 2016 and 2017. There were a lot of people in positions of power who really believed that the work around police accountability was being kind of blown out of proportion. Communities of color, particularly Black communities, have often been the canaries in the coal mine when it comes to, "No, please listen to us, this is important, and this is serious." And the great thing about the work with De-Escalate Washington was it hearkened back to "The Four Amigos", right? Communities from different segments of the state coming together and saying, "We're going to use our collective power in order to create the change that we know we need to see." And people said, "If you pass Initiative 940, you'll have people leaving policing in droves. You'll never have enough police to be able to fill all the spots." And here's what happened. We knew the public was with us. The public wanted reform and the people spoke, and the people spoke loudly. Halls of power weren't ready to address policing issues that our communities were.  Fast forward to last summer, to George Floyd. And if we had voted on De-Escalate Washington last summer, the numbers would have even been higher. But we knew that that initiative was just the beginning. We knew that there is no one single piece of legislation - to be candid, there's not 10 pieces of legislation - that are going to solve the problems that we need to solve around police accountability. And so, 940 was a start. And the tailwinds of last year gave us the political power to be able to go back to legislators who were like, "Our districts are basically up in arms. What do we do?" And then we had their ears - "Okay. We've been trying to tell you what to do. But now that you're saying, what do we do? Here's the package." And that's where we ended up this year. I'd love to talk just a little bit about some of the package that was offered and some of what's moving forward. Crystal Fincher: [00:08:28] Yeah. What is in that package? I mean certainly, we did see protests and just people sick and tired of seeing over and over again, violence against - disproportionately - people of color. But certainly dramatically impacting the disabled community - I mean, communities far and wide, this is affecting all of us. And then no accountability afterwards. It just feels like this lawless attack on community, where we are actually powerless. If someone who's not wearing a badge commits a crime - that should never have happened, but when it does, there is accountability. But if you have a badge, it's just completely different. How is that being addressed with legislation? Monisha Harrell: [00:09:20] The interesting thing that we learned, and I'll say it over and over again, there's no one piece of legislation that's perfect and that will fix everything. One of the things we learned from Initiative 940 was - we passed a law that required de-escalation training for all law enforcement officers in Washington state, that required an independent investigation for lethal use of force incidents by law enforcement. And what we found is that - we expected, naively, officers of the law to follow the law. But without teeth, Initiative 940 was ineffective. It was legally put in place, but we found that there were so many police departments and law enforcement agencies that weren't following it. And so, that's not a mistake that will repeat again. That is something that we learned from that. And so, this year's police accountability legislation shows, actually, that we've learned and we're beginning to put teeth in some of what is being passed as legal. I'll kind of start with Senate bill 5051, sponsored by Senator Jamie Pedersen. That bill has a pathway for de-certification for law enforcement officers that have histories of misconduct. Prior to this bill, and as it stands right now - we haven't passed it yet - but prior to, if you have an officer that's got a history of misconduct in one department, well they basically can just say, "Well I'm about to get in trouble for all this stuff over here, let me go 10 miles down the road to that police department." And then they get a whole clean slate. The investigation at the previous department - it ends - and over at this new department, they have a brand new record and they're a shiny new officer again. And what we've found is that, it's those officers - these incidents like George Floyd, they don't just happen. Derek Chauvin, he had a record of misconduct. If in Minnesota, they had a way to begin to de-certify officers that have records and histories of misconduct, he wouldn't have even been on the job that day. So we as Washington State, we've taken that responsibility to say, "No, you can't just switch departments and get a clean record. We're actually going to ensure that your history follows your career. And if you're not deserving of a badge and gun, a state sanctioned badge and gun, then you shouldn't have a state sanctioned badge and gun." That's the gist around Senate bill 5051. It looks that it will be passing this year. It's cleared both the Senate, and then it's cleared the House committee. It's just ready to come to the Floor for a vote. Crystal Fincher: [00:12:20] That's really interesting, and on that issue, certainly, it is a big problem where officers can just department hop, to escape their past. And they do successfully escape them. Monisha Harrell: [00:12:35] Look at Ian Birk, right? Everybody said that the John T. Williams shooting was unjustified, and what did he do? He left Seattle and he went to Shoreline. So again, 10 miles north, and he's got a whole new career. Crystal Fincher: [00:12:50] Yeah. It's a big problem. It looks like that's going to pass. Is there anything else that looks like it's also going to pass? Monisha Harrell: [00:12:58] We surprisingly got a really sturdy slate this year - not that there's not more to do - but another one and I'll relate it again back to the Chauvin case and George Floyd's death. We have Senate bill 5066, which is duty to report and duty to intervene. What that bill basically says is - if you are an officer and you see another officer using excessive use of force, you now have a duty, a responsibility - a legal responsibility - to intervene in that excessive use of force in order to save that person's life. So unlike in the case of George Floyd, where you saw officers standing by, it would now be illegal for them to just stand by and watch another human being be murdered, when they have the power to do something about it. That originated in the Senate and is ready to come to the House. Another one passed both chambers yesterday - it passed the Senate last night, which was House bill 1054, which is law enforcement tactics bill. And again, I'll go back to the George Floyd case just because it's such a good example of all of the things that can go wrong and that have gone wrong. But in House bill 1054, it will ban choke holds and neck restraints, as well as a few other police tactics - no-knock warrants, in the case of Breonna Taylor. It would ban those police tactics for all law enforcement officers in Washington State. These are good practices. These are good policies. They're not theoretical, because we can point to the real life cases of where, with this in place, we would have saved lives. Crystal Fincher: [00:14:56] It certainly appears that those bills do have legs and that they are an improvement over current policy. I don't think that there's many people who are earnestly trying to address this issue, who don't think those are improvements over good policy. It is - just looking at the conversation and where we are now - is so much different than where we were 5 years ago, 10 years ago. And even just in the public conversations around the idea of reform, they're like, "Okay, we're actually over reform. It's time to transform and to reconfigure, to fundamentally revisit how we address the structure and function of public safety and policing. Down to examining - why do we need an armed response to the wide variety - to everything, really, right now - and how do we change that? And do we need police to respond, period? And models of community-based alternatives to an armed police response or a police response, period. And people saying, "We don't have the time to keep tinkering around the edges and for incremental change in the public safety process, because people continue to die." Even when it's not the worst case scenario with dying, people are having their civil rights violated, their lives turned upside down. Even if they're unjustly arrested because they were over policed and now they're saddled with legal bills and missing work, just to get out of something that they never should have gotten into. Looking on the front end - Monisha Harrell: [00:16:50] Yeah. Crystal Fincher: [00:16:50] Can that be addressed in the legislature? How do you see that? How do you address that? Monisha Harrell: [00:16:56] There are so many people in this fight, and in this battle, right? I'm one person, one type of person. I always say when you're a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. I'm a policy person, so I'm dealing with it from a policy perspective because that's where my expertise is. I am grateful, grateful, grateful for the folks who, maybe they're not the policy person, but they put the boots to the ground and they protest. They give us the wings to be able to do this policy work, right? I have had many great and wonderful conversations with Nikkita Oliver, and we have a different approach to how we show love within community and how we do this work. You need all types. You need all types of leadership to be able to step up and step into the places where they provide expertise to do it. We don't talk enough about things like, do we need an armed response? The answer is no, we don't always need an armed response. In fact, there's probably very few times where you actually need an armed response to a certain situation, particularly because, and this is where Nikkita and I will probably agree, a lot of times 911 is called after the incident. Crystal Fincher: [00:18:22] Mm-hmm [affirmative]. Monisha Harrell: [00:18:22] So you don't need an armed response when the incident has passed. Now we have different approaches for how to get there. But I think what we're working for, I think ultimately the vision of what we're working for in community, is very similar, right? We need less policing, right? We need more resources so that there's a requirement for less policing. We need more money into education and social services, so that we can spend less on what is called criminal justice. I don't think anybody is disagreeing with all of those things. We don't want to spend our money punitively. We want to be able to pool our resources into what lifts us up, not what holds us down. What people may think are very different people - we're actually not that different. We're just working from different angles. We have different perspectives and we have different strengths. You need all of those different strengths to be able to come to the table, to be a part of the conversation, to figure out where do we go and how do we get there, right? What I'll also say is - you made me think of it with the choke holds - it's not just that they cause death. We're talking about the scars that they leave on communities. If you cut off somebody's oxygen for a minute, you may not leave them without life, but you leave them without brain. Crystal Fincher: [00:20:04] Mm-hmm [affirmative]. Monisha Harrell: [00:20:07] Seconds without oxygen is brain death. So maybe they are still walking of this earth and their body is living, but you've left them with mental impairment, permanent lifetime mental impairment. That's what we're talking about, right? There are better solutions and we have to be willing. We have to be willing to work towards those better solutions. Crystal Fincher: [00:20:32] We do. And I appreciate, just you addressing that in your response and talking about - people have different expertise and are in different lanes. And that we need all of those lanes. We need all of those lanes pushing, in order to actually get change accomplished. Pushing in just one of those is not sufficient. I think we have seen, in a variety of situations - that okay, if people are only paying attention in the policy sphere with no connection to community, with no mandate from folks in the community and in the streets - that that leaves people in a position where they don't have power on the inside. And if we're only talking about what's happening in terms of protest and community engagement, then turning that into policy or impacting the institutions that really, whether we choose to or not, we have to engage with in our daily lives - that there is no change made there. And that things stay as they are, and the status quo is unacceptable. So it really does take pushing by people in politics and policy, and community organizations engaging in meetings and on the street - to get it all done. And there are so many conversations about, "Well, which way is better? Either or. Do we do this or do we do that?" And my response to that is always, "It takes all of it." We make a change when we are pushing in all of our different lanes to get that accomplished. I appreciate your lane, it's necessary. I appreciate the lane of people who are in the streets and holding power accountable that way, because that is a lever of accountability and necessary. It just takes all of it. We can't just say - we can't do part of it. It's unfortunate that people who are being harmed have been the ones who've had to mount up and lead in fixing the issue. That should not be the case, but unfortunately, that is the situation that we're in right now. Monisha Harrell: [00:23:05] Absolutely. It's always been an and. It's always been an and. You need Rosa Parks and Medgar Evers. You need Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King. You need James Baldwin and Lorraine Hansberry. You need and, and a call-out, right? And we need our allies. Sometimes you're going to be the leader, and sometimes you're going to be an ally - and if you see a situation, the best way to get this work done is to join in community with others, where sometimes you're going to be the leader and sometimes you're going to be an ally, but you have to add your strength in order to change these systems. Because these systems - power will never concede itself, we know that. We hear that over and over again. Power won't concede itself, but if we work together, we can do anything. Crystal Fincher: [00:23:55] Absolutely, and I'm glad you brought that up because that is actually one of the things that I personally appreciate most about you - is that you're always willing to be an ally. People see when you're out in front, but I have been able to see several opportunities across several policy spheres, and in community, in organizing, supporting, where you've just been like, "Hey. However I can help, however I can support. I know how to do this and the other. I can make a connection." You have always offered yourself as a resource and as an ally in supporting. I know that has been instrumental in so many things happening in so many different areas. Just the amount of policy that you have been involved in across the sphere - in campaigns, elections, ballot initiatives - the list is long that people know about, but where you have been really supportive and instrumental in your knowledge has been helpful, that list is much more broad. Monisha Harrell: [00:25:02] I've had so many people invest in me, right? It's a requirement. It's a requirement to be able to give back, because - I never know what the story is that people think of me or see of me, but I was born to two teenage parents. My mom was still in high school - I'm in the 1976 Garfield yearbook in the little nursery that they had there, right? And yet, I have still had people who have invested so much in me, who have given so much of themselves, so much of their time, their energy, their wisdom, and I feel the responsibility to pay that forward. I really do feel like, despite the hard times, I have been incredibly fortunate. The only way for me to show that, my love language, is paying that forward to other folks. Crystal Fincher: [00:26:03] Well I've been a beneficiary of that, I appreciate it. I know many others who appreciate it. And yeah, I'm just thankful.  Now, I do have to ask you about your uncle. I don't know if people know your last name is Harrell. You share a last name with Bruce Harrell, who is a former Seattle City councilman. He was briefly the mayor. Monisha Harrell: [00:26:36] Five days. Crystal Fincher: [00:26:36] Five days. And now he is running, for the second time actually, running to be Mayor of Seattle. And he has caught my attention. Monisha Harrell: [00:26:48] Yeah. Crystal Fincher: [00:26:49] Principally for a couple of statements that he's made on this subject of policing. One, when he - I think it was when he was announcing and he was talking about the subject of policing - and said that the first thing he's going to do, is have officers watch the video of George Floyd and sign a pledge saying that that's unacceptable. And then last week, few days ago - time is running into itself for me. But within the past week, said another statement, "Hey, if I'm mayor and we go a week without having a shooting or a murder of a Black person, we're going to go to the precincts and high five the officers." Monisha Harrell: [00:27:43] Yeah. So here's what I'm going to say. He is actually quite smart and he is good for sound bites, right? He gives a sound bite that gives people something to talk about. You have to get to the bottom of - but what is he really getting at? What is he actually talking about? And what he's talking about is culture change, right? We have to have a culture change in policing, and particularly at SPD, in order to be able to effectuate real change. And it's an example of a thing that would be done, but not the only thing done. It's an example of, how do you ensure that if you're going to invest in an officer, if you're going to invest training in an officer, education into an officer, support into an officer, that you have a baseline to even start with. And so, watching the George Floyd video - it shows - can this person even admit at a baseline level that that is wrong? If they can't admit that's wrong, then any amount of education or training that we try to put into this person is going to be wasted. They're not who we spend energy on. It comes out sounding really simplistic, because it's a sound bite versus what you're actually getting at, which is not everybody is suited to be an officer. And we have to admit that. We have to admit that there are people - not everybody is suited to every job. And how do you just, at a baseline level, root out who is not suited for that job? And so you get this over simplified example. But it's actually - as an example, it shows you what kind of conversations we have to be willing to have. We have to be willing to say, "This person is not suited for this role. We are not going to expend education and resources into trying to train this person for something that they are just - we can't teach this value. If you can't see this and say that's wrong, there's no amount of sitting you behind the desk and training you, that is ever going to get you to the point where you realize that that's wrong."  I get it. It's definitely something that people talk about, but hopefully they also kind of get to the deeper issue around that, which is we have to determine who has the basis, who has the heart, to do public service and public safety, be a servant leader in that way. And who just, it's not a job that's a fit for you. It's not going to be a job that's going to be a fit for you. And we need to move you on. Crystal Fincher: [00:30:38] I appreciate your perspective and context around that. That certainly is a conversation worth having, and one I think that we should. I'm looking forward to the full, robust debate about policing in Seattle overall, from all of the candidates and evaluating who is best suited, in terms of the ability to lead, and enacting the policies we need with a sense of urgency that it requires. I'm looking forward to that continuing throughout the place. And what else I appreciate about this, is that we have a number of people of color running. We have more than one Black person in the race. We have some of everybody. I've said this before and I think is useful - we aren't all the same. We are not a monolith. We have different opinions and different approaches and we have the opportunity... Monisha Harrell: [00:31:34] Thank God people are realizing that, right? Crystal Fincher: [00:31:36] Right. Monisha Harrell: [00:31:36] Thank God we don't have to all be the same person anymore. Crystal Fincher: [00:31:40] Yes. For those candidates whose perspectives I find myself aligned with and others where I don't, I do think that it is useful for the wider community to see a range of opinions and perspectives addressed, because that's absolutely true and valid. We know that. We've known that, but sometimes the wider community has a harder time engaging. I feel like it's been in the past year or two, where they stopped referring to people just as "Black leaders." Monisha Harrell: [00:32:19] Right. Crystal Fincher: [00:32:20] That's okay, we don't elect Black leaders. For other people, they use their title. For this person, it's "Black leader." Is there anything else to the story? Or they'll just be like, "activist." Monisha Harrell: [00:32:33] It's always funny, because I was always like, "When did we vote? When did we ..." Crystal Fincher: [00:32:35] Right. Monisha Harrell: [00:32:36] And that - to be candid, that's annoyed me, beginning from the '80s. When I started kind of thinking about it, they would say "Black leader" and then they would have somebody talking on the news and I thought, "Well, who elected them to speak for all of us?" I appreciate the fact that there's more nuance these days. I have to give some credit to social media for actually allowing us to have more of a voice, because if we were relying on mainstream media, we'd still have just one Black leader. I'm grateful that we get to have a few at this juncture. I get to be on this program with one of our Black leaders, so I'm happy that we get a full ... Look, this is radio, so y'all can... Crystal Fincher: [00:33:24] I am not claiming that title, just to be clear - I'm a political consultant with a podcast. That's it. Monisha Harrell: [00:33:30] Look, I want people to understand - Crystal and I have a deep, deep respect for each other, but could not be more different. Crystal is on this radio show looking fabulous right now, and I'm sitting here in some Adidas sweatpants. So I just want you all to know that there is many, many ways to be, and we deserve the humanity to be able to be all of those things and the entire robustness of how that shows up. Crystal Fincher: [00:33:57] Oh my goodness. Okay. Yes, all of these things.  Okay. We're in podcast only time and not in the airtime on the radio. Let's just be real - I'm here. I just got into wigs, y'all. They're so simple and easy and wonderful. Look! I threw on this wig. I'm looking at Monisha on this online chat - weird seeing each other, just we're not putting out the video on the podcast - but I mean, look, it's just a wig. It's just a wig and I have my other wig that you saw that I was wearing yesterday in the meeting that we were in about something else. It's totally - it's a different color. It's a different length, but they all take about two minutes to put on... Monisha Harrell: [00:34:43] I'm just saying ... Crystal Fincher: [00:34:44] ... and look like I actually did something. Monisha Harrell: [00:34:45] ... you look ready to go out. And I look ready to go take a nap. Crystal Fincher: [00:34:49] And what you see, is just the very top. Look, you don't see the below the screen situation happening right now. It's not consistent, I'll just tell you that. It is not consistent with what this appears to be. And even this is optimized for two minutes. Just in the interest of realness, I think you probably spent more time getting ready and prepared than I did today. I'm fairly positive about that. Monisha Harrell: [00:35:19] Not in this Zoom world. In this Zoom world, I only gotta dress from the shoulders up. Crystal Fincher: [00:35:24] That's the situation. And that's probably more information than you bargained for, podcast listeners, but there you go. That's real. This is where we're at.  Well, I appreciate you taking the time to join us and talk to us today. I appreciate you, Monisha, period. I appreciate you addressing your uncle's comments and providing some more context and the basis for a useful and necessary conversation. Just thank you. Monisha Harrell: [00:35:56] Yeah and I appreciate being here. It's always a pleasure to talk to you, Crystal. And I listen to your show, I'm a big fan. I like Hacks and Wonks, and I hope more people are listening, because they will learn as much about politics from you as I have learned from you. So it's a great opportunity. Crystal Fincher: [00:36:18] You're too kind and I appreciate it, but thank you everyone and enjoy your day. Thank you for listening to Hacks and Wonks. Our chief audio engineer at KVRU is Maurice Jones Jr. The producer of Hacks and Wonks is Lisl Stadler. You can find me on Twitter @finchfrii, spelled F-I-N-C-H-F-R-I-I. And now you can follow Hacks and Wonks on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts. Just type in "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to get our Friday almost live shows and our mid-week show, delivered to your podcast feed. You can also get a full text transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced during the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the podcast episode notes.  Thanks for tuning in. Talk to you next time.

At the age of 43, Tammey Grable-Woodford had recently been awarded her MBA from the University of Washington Foster School of Business, completed her campaign for Washington State Representative, and was enjoying her long standing executive career which encompassed the non-profit, healthcare and technology sectors. When suddenly, the healthiest and most vibrant time of her life was punctuated with a cancer diagnosis.   Tammey was diagnosed with Stage 3b ER/PR+ Infiltrating Lobular Carcinoma (ILC) with micro-metastasis to the lymph nodes and dermis. With such a grave diagnosis, she realized that she had a choice to make—submit to the chaos and uncertainty, or choose to thrive.  Through that trauma and loss, Tammey built an uncompromising life of authenticity, purpose and reach.   Please come and get to know her as a speaker, podcaster, mentor and successful business consultant as she shares her story with humor, passion and hope.   In this episode of The Self Project Podcast: Tammey's journey through a cancer diagnosis Steps she took to gain confidence to make her life what she really wanted it to be   Where to find Tammey: Visit her website: www.yourkillerlife.com Find her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/yourkillerlife Find her on Instagram: www.instagram.com/yourkillerlife Find her on Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/yourkillerlife Find her on Twitter: www.twitter.com/yourkillerlife     Thank you for tuning in!  If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review!   Find me on Instagram:    www.instagram.com/_kristymartin Find me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/theselfprojectstudio Visit my website:    www.theselfprojectstudio.com  

Join FemCity Founder + CEO, Violette de Ayala for The FemCity Podcast with featured guests Tammey Grable Woodford, Cheli Grace, + Laurie Hunt where they dive into the topic of reconnecting to your self worth.  About Tammy Grable Woodford // With over 25 years of senior-level experience and an Executive Master's in Business Administration from the University of Washington Foster School of Business, Tammey is a proven leader and change agent. Her greatest passion is guiding people and organizations to tangible and sustainable growth. Learn more at taniant.com About Cheli Grace // Cheli Grace is a high-achieving professional speaker, published author, media personality, leader, manager and communicator having received numerous awards and accolades for her contributions to education, and her dedication in providing information throughout various platforms for others to become empowered. She is an Archetypal Profiler, Executive Coach, Adjunct Professor and is always writing and creating individualized programs and curriculum to assist individuals, organizations and businesses to learn archetypal language and develop leaders. Learn more at  evolve360show.com About Laurie Hunt // Laurie’s work is focused on helping people find their unique ‘more-in-me’ — the resilience to navigate the unknown, the stamina to carry on when challenged or perhaps the courage to try something new. Your possibilities are unlimited! Learn more at lauriehunt.com  About FemCity //  FemCity offers a Free 30-Day Trial Membership and Memberships start at only $15.99. You can also learn more about launching a FemCity Chapter in your community. FemCity has been seen in Gilt, Vogue, AP News, Entrepreneur, Forbes, and MarieClaire. Learn why FemCity is more than just a women’s networking group at www.femcity.com and on all social platforms @FemCity.

Dr. Crystal Farh is an Associate Professor of Management at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. Dr. Farh's expertise is helping organizations create space for open, productive, on-mission dialog, especially for individuals whose voices are easily dismissed or misunderstood by the prevailing institutional culture. She is a member of Trinity Church Seattle.

Interim executive expert and University of Washington Foster School of Business leadership lecturer Ken Myer joins Dan Albaum to discuss the drivers of effective leadership during times of organizational transition. Times of great change are often the best opportunity to achieve transformational impact as a leader!

On this episode of The Built in Seattle Podcast, I talked with  Kelly Breslin Wright, Board Director and Former EVP of Sales at Tableau.For extras from this interview, subscribe to my weekly emailEpisode HighlightsWhat really mattered in the journey from $0 to $850M in revenue.How long-term relationships were the biggest pay-off from success.Why having the right people is a practical imperative.What matters more than optimizing operations.How to make company values useful and fit the personality of a business.What it looks like when companies practice what they preach.How to approach a missionary sale. What works and what fails.Why companies need to answer "why?"The importance of clarity and consistency when articulating a company's mission.What's missing when sales people can't sell like the CEO/founder.How honesty creates credibility in sales, even when the answer is "no."Finding balance between big thinking and daily results.Driving for achievement vs being present to relationships.How to take tangible action on diversity and representing women in boards.Guest BioBoard Director for public and private high growth companies with specialized expertise in digital transformation, go-to-market, scaling, strategy, and culture. Seasoned Sales and Technology Executive with over 30 years of deep Go-To-Market and P&L experience in leadership, sales, and operational roles. As Board Director, Advisor, and Operator, has navigated through multiple stages of growth, IPOs and financings, global expansion, CEO and leadership transitions, strategy development, crisis management, economic downturns, planning, people operations, and change management. Audit Committee and Compensation Committee member.Kelly helps companies create best-in-class sales and marketing organizations. She assists companies in creating purpose-driven companies and getting the most out of their people by developing great cultures and workplaces. Kelly teaches an MBA course on Go-To-Market Strategy at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. She is an active leader in multiple organizations that promote the support, education, sponsorship, and placement of women in board director positions. Kelly is a frequent speaker for company meetings, leadership panels, and in university courses.Kelly's areas of expertise include Sales | Go-To-Market | Scaling | Hyper-Growth | Technology | Data | Digital Transformation | Global | Culture | Leadership | Diversity | Change Management | Strategy | ESG | B2B | SaaS | Cloud.Where to follow Kellyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kellybreslinwright/https://twitter.com/kellybwrightWhere to follow Adam:https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamschoenfeld/https://twitter.com/schoenyFeedback? Suggestions on who to interview? Email me anytime - adamseattlepodcast@gmail.com

My guest today is one of the partners of The Statement Group, which uses proprietary data to help brands with a more defined marketing and content strategy. Nick Dimengo, has 12 years of experience in sports, music and entertainment industries working for and with companies like Viacom, Maxim, Bleacher Report, and FHM Magazine. He is also currently an Editor at BroBible, Green Entrepreneur, and is a Mentor at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. Comment below what your biggest takeaway is

Joel Berman offers lessons in entrepreneurship, innovation and business from 25+ years of experience with several start-ups to Fortune 500 companies including Microsoft, Amazon.com, Pearson Education, Lenati, Wonder Forge, Ravensburger, Avanti Markets, One Foot Productions and more. By working across diverse industries – publishing, education, online learning, software, technology, e-commerce, unattended retail/vending, food and beverage, entertainment, games and other consumer packaged goods – Berman is able to draw from a range of topics and experiences. Berman joined Avanti Markets, Inc. in 2018 to build a new division and launch Smart N Go, a cutting-edge, smart vending innovation in the on-the-go refreshment space. In early 2019, Berman took on the role of Head of Sales & Customer Success for Avanti Markets, where he leads the sales, business development and account management, and customer service practices for the organization, while continuing to oversee the management of Smart N Go. Berman earned his MBA from the University of Washington Foster School of Business, and his BA from UCLA. Berman also taught Entrepreneurship (Creating a Company) at the Buerk Center of Entrepreneurship for the Foster School of Business (2017-2018).

Imagine you’re sitting with your team at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, in one of the early and most active hot spots, Seattle, Wash. You lead a manufacturing team at a 39-year-old outdoor apparel and gear company that’s been a U.S. manufacturer for the entirety of your brand history. You all know there’s a bigger role to play. Within an instant, you all agree to go forward and go big to serve in the COVID-19 crisis.    In this instant, the reality of pivoting to become a manufacturer of FDA-compliant Personal Protective Gear for front-line healthcare workers, starts to become real.   It’s an industry you know nothing about. Your factory is not set up to safely operate in COVID-19 conditions, let alone as an FDA-compliant protective equipment manufacturing space.    Yet you go for it together anyway. Five weeks plus of 24-7 work and dedication ensue.    It’s at the five-week mark that I was able to sit down with Jason Duncan, who leads Tactical, CSR and the U.S. manufacturing operations at Outdoor Research. What you’re about to hear is a story of an incredible company culture (you’ll hear first hand the emotional bond and strength this crew finds in the word “team”), a level of human resilience in employees of all ages and focuses at the brand, and the incredibly fast progress that’s being made.   It all started in one moment when the agreement was made to serve in a way that’s much broader than the teams’ known before. For almost two months now, Jason and his team at Outdoor Research have been leading the charge and have transformed the manufacturing arm of this incredible legacy brand with deep US manufacturing roots into a PPE cranking machine. Through thoughtful processes, an all-hands leadership team and creativity, the story of their pivot is incredible, albeit inspiring. The Channel Mastery podcast has offered in-depth interviews going deeper into the commitment, results and tenacity of several outdoor brands and organizations. It was truly an honor to facilitate the original panel, and to share the inspiration and gumption of the individuals using their brands and organizations as vehicles for positive change.   I get a sense that the broader outdoor recreation community is just getting started as engines of opportunity to build the future that’s ahead. I look forward to journeying through the forthcoming innovations with you, right here on Channel Mastery.    Jason Duncan is currently lead Tactical, Innovation, and CSR teams for Outdoor Research. He has over twelve years of management experience supplemented by business administration education and eight years of chemistry experience (academic and private sector), prior to working in the outdoor industry. Duncan received an MBA from the University of Washington Foster School of Business as well as a BSc in Chemistry and Mathematics from McGill University.

On this episode of The Built in Seattle Podcast, I talked with Julie Sandler, Managing Director at Pioneer Square Labs (PSL). Links Mentions:Brad Feld on "The Thee Crises" https://feld.com/archives/2020/03/the-three-crises.htmlThe Founder's Dilemna by Noah Wasserman: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007AIXKUM/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0The Intentionalist: https://intentionalist.com/Shipium: https://www.shipium.com/Guest BioJulie Sandler joined PSL as a managing director in June 2017, and spends most of her time running the venture capital arm, PSL Ventures.  Prior to PSL, Julie was a partner at Madrona Venture Group, where she led the firm’s investments in Integris, Poppy, and Julep. She is an adjunct lecturer at the University of Washington Foster School of Business and teaches an MBA course on Entrepreneurship for which she has been named a UW “Star Teacher” several years running. She is a member and Board Director of the Washington Roundtable, and was appointed in 2016 by Washington State Governor Jay Inslee to the board of directors of the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship. In addition to serving on several not-for-profit boards, she has also served on the boards of privately held companies, industry associations, and several advisory boards. In 2013, Julie launched the Seattle Entrepreneurial Women’s Network, an informal forum for women entrepreneurs and startup executives to connect in the Greater Seattle area.  Julie was also one of 60 Americans selected as a Presidential Leadership Scholar in 2016 by the Clinton Foundation, LBJ Foundation, and the two Bush Presidential Centers.  She was voted Geekwire’s 2014 “Geek of the Year” for her work supporting women innovators, was selected to Puget Sound Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, and was named a Rising Star to Seattle Magazine’s Seattle Hall of Fame for her work with local entrepreneurs in 2016. She was also voted Geekwire’s 2018 “Hire of the Year” for joining PSL.  She is a regular speaker at technology conferences and has appeared on CNBC, Bloomberg, and at WE Day.  Where to Follow Julie:https://twitter.com/juliesandlerhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/juliesandler/Where to follow Adam:https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamschoenfeld/https://twitter.com/schoenyFeedback? Suggestions on who to interview? Email me anytime - adamseattlepodcast@gmail.com

Spotlighting the great work being done at the University of Washington Foster School of Business.

Episode Overview This episode features Jeremy Diamond, founder of the blog Startup Deck Review, which is dedicated to studying startup pitch decks. He has a rich media background and is an MBA graduate from the University of Washington Foster School of Business. In this episode we will be covering 3 key factors in a winning pitch, how to communicate your “Grit”, and advice for sellers in how to improve their selling conversations.   Episode Timestamps [1:27] How Jeremy Got Focused on Helping Startups Master Their Pitch Originally worked in TV production for Discovery and Animal Planet. Decided to move to Seattle, get an MBA at the UW, and wanted to work for a tech company. Worked for a startup that wanted someone who could think through things from a business perspective. How he got into helping companies fundraise.   [3:55] 3 Key Factors in Driving a Winning Pitch Their strong understanding of the customer problem that the founder has a mission to solve. Their passion to solve the problem. Jeremy talks about their “marrying the problem” Their grit. What any investor would be looking at in a founder of a startup: What problem solving “grit” they have to bring to the market. Investors want to know what they are investing in.   [9:58] “Grit” – the 3rd Factor Grit is a subjective thing. When investors are entering into a long relationship with people, they want to know that those people are going to be worthy of the money that they're investing. More unique to Venture Capital.   [11:09] Story on How a Founder Communicated “Grit” Airbnb pitch deck Founders sold commemorative cereal boxes during the 2008 election Saw a desire path: Recognized that certain data was not being understood by existing hospitality/lodging. As an investor you're asking these types of questions: What was their character during that challenging time? What sorts of actions did they take? Were they creative in how they marketed and solved the problem? Were they creative in how they operated their business?   [12:17] Communicating to your customer that you have the “Grit” Making sure that the customers investment in you (your company/your solution) will be money well-spent. Paul Smith: Story Telling for Sales Different stories you can tell as a seller.   [13:33] Advice for Sellers Social Proof. Bring in traction: Investors will argue. Illustrate why your solution is better than the competition and how you're going to compete. Get and incorporate feedback into your pitch: People like to help as long as they like to give constructive criticism and as long as you like to receive constructive criticism. “Cold” Communication.   Additional Resources Start Up Deck Review Blog Jeremy's Email Linkedin Airbnb Founder Grit Story at 20:47   If you have a pitch deck that you would like to suggest Jeremy to review, feel free to reach out!   For More Great Content I would appreciate it if you would subscribe, rate, and review this show at Apple Podcasts. Here's a cool very short video that shows you how to do this. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and will help me promote the show to others who will benefit.   Credits Sound editing and show notes produced by – ChirpSound

Overcoming adversity is nothing new to Steven Matly. A high school dropout turned entrepreneur, he has twice created six figure revenue generating companies with less than $5,000 startup capital. Raised by a single mother in the South Seattle housing projects, Steven entered the workforce at age fifteen and quickly recognized the limited resources, mentors, and role models available to families like his in the area. In the years that followed Steven worked for both small companies and large corporations in a number of different roles. In 2014, Steven launched SM Diversity, a boutique hiring agency committed to helping businesses create a more diverse and inclusive workforce. By connecting them with community based organizations, subject matter experts, and experienced recruiters, his clients are able to leverage a broader network of diverse talent, ultimately resulting in an expanded marketplace. Steven has become one of the up and coming thought leaders in the area of diversity and inclusion employment practices. He was recently featured in the Seattle Times October 2016 issue around “Untapped Talent” and was selected to be a speaker for TED TALKS at University of Washington in May 2017 as it relates to organizational behavior and Inclusive Leadership. He has conducted ground breaking workshops such as their HACK Diversity & Inclusion Program to serving on panels alongside organizations such as SHRM, Tech Inclusion, Seattle Interactive Conference, Chase Startup Week, WTIA, Uber, F5, Boeing, Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Bank Of America, Amazon, Zillow, Expedia, Wells Fargo, Slalom, Progressive, Seattle Police Department, Starbucks, BECU, Comcast, IBM, and other Fortune companies. In his quest for continued education, Steven successfully completed his Cornell University's online Strategic Human Resource Leadership program focusing on diversity & inclusion in the workplace. Steven also completed the Business Certificate Program at University of Washington Foster School of Business in August 2017 and serves as a Partner at SDS Consulting in September 2017 to focus on providing end to end resources towards current and future Professional Cleaners. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Washington Foster School of Business, host of the Seattle Growth Podcast, and the creator of Good For A Change.org, Jeffrey Shulman joined us to talk about his podcast and how great Seattle is. 

Listen to the first ever taping of Seattle Growth Podcast before a live audience at the Impact Hub in Seattle. University of Washington's Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship organized the event on October 17th, 2016. Host Jeff Shulman moderated a panel of three individuals who have made immeasurable contributions to Seattle and will play a major role in its future: Maggie Walker, John Connors, and John Creighton. Maggie Walker is well known in Seattle as a philanthropist and civic leader. Walker was a founding member of Social Venture Partners and of the Washington Women's Foundation. She is Chair and Board President of Global Partnerships. She is Vice Chair of the National Audobon Society Board of Directors. She is a member of the UW Foundation Board of Directors and the Seattle Art Museum Board of Trustees where she previously served as President. She is a board member of Friends of Waterfront Seattle. She is an advisory board member for the University of Washington's College of the Environment, the Evans School of Public Policy, and the College of Arts & Sciences. Walker previously served as chair of The Bullitt Foundation's Board of Trustees, co-chair of the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) Board of Trustees, chair of the Washington Women's Foundation (founding member and first Chair) and was the first vice-chair of The Seattle Foundation Board of Trustees. John Connors is a managing partner at Ignition Partners, an early stage, business software venture capital firm. Connors was named to the 2013 Forbes Midas List, a ranking of the world's top venture capital investors, and to Business Insider's 2013 list of top enterprise technology VCs. Connors joined Ignition in 2005 after a distinguished career as a software-industry executive. Connors spent sixteen years at Microsoft in several high-level, strategic roles. From January 2000 to April 2005 he was senior vice president of finance and administration, as well as the company's chief financial officer. Connors is a member of the board of directors of Nike (NKE), Splunk (SPLK), FiREapps, DataSphere, Motif Investing, Chef, Azuqua, Tempered Networks, and Icertis. John Creighton has served on the Port of Seattle Commission since 2006. He came to the commission with broad experience as a lawyer specializing on complex international transactions in the port cities of Singapore, Helsinki and Istanbul prior to returning home to Seattle. Creighton currently has a solo practice focused on business law and public policy. As a commissioner, Creighton has focused on keeping the Port strong as a jobs creation engine while increasing the agency's commitment to the environment and making it a more accountable, socially responsible public agency. Creighton grew up on the Eastside and graduated from Interlake High School in Bellevue. He earned a B.A. and M.A. from Johns Hopkins University, a J.D. from Columbia University and a Certificate of Administration from the University of Washington Foster School of Business.

What is the ideal movement? How can building muscle improve your foundation of training? What's the deal w/ Crossfit athletes find out on this episode of Strength Doc Podcast w/ guest Dr. Ryan DeBell. About Ryan from: http://themovementfix.com Ryan DeBell, M.S., D.C. graduated summa cum laude from the University of Western States with a doctorate in chiropractic and a master's degree in exercise and sport science. He has a passion for human movement and helping people improve their health and performance. Ryan DeBell, M.S., D.C. Education • University of Washington Foster School of Business • BA in Management of Information Systems • Magna Cum Laude • University of Western States • Master of Science (MS) in Sport and Exercise Science • Doctorate in Chiropractic (DC) • Summa Cum Laude Post-Doctoral Education • Active Release Technique (not currently “certified”) • Upper Body • Lower Body • Spine • Rocktape Fascial Movement Taping (FMT) I & II Certified • Functional Movement Screen (FMS) Level 1 & 2 Certified • Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) Certified • Motion Palpation Institute Certified • CrossFit Gymnastics Personal • Started crossfitting in 2007 • Team competitor 2010 NorthWest CrossFit Regionals • 2011, 2012, 2014 CrossFit Open • Provider on RockTape team at 2013 NorthWest CrossFit Regionals