Wayne Chen Of Dharma Realm Buddhist University: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Lead with insight instead of with fear. It is easy to give into fear during times of instability. Because a team can sense when the leader is panicking or acting out of fear, it is especially important to rely on insight when making important decisions. Insight can come from research, analysis, informed experts, sound judgment, or astute business acumen.
As a part of my interview series about “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times”, I had the pleasure to interview Wayne Chen.
As Director of Development and Strategic Planning, Wayne Chen helped Dharma Realm Buddhist University become the first accredited institution offering Buddhist liberal education. With a background in strategic and financial planning, Wayne has worked since 2009 to articulate DRBU’s direction, develop an implementation strategy, and advise leadership on major institutional decisions. In 2013, he expanded his role, becoming Director of Admissions and Financial Aid and overseeing new student recruitment. In his time at DRBU, Wayne also helped facilitate the purchase and management of the University’s downtown Ukiah location at the Sudhana Center.
Prior to his time at DRBU, Wayne worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, working with corporate clients in multiple sectors, including finance, transportation, basic materials, and climate change. Wayne holds an M.B.A. degree from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a B.S. in economics from Washington University in St. Louis.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I joined the Buddhist community at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas when I was a middle school student in the early ’90s. The campus is home to primary and secondary schools, in addition to Dharma Realm Buddhist University (DRBU), where I now work. After my time in secondary school, I left Mendocino County to pursue my undergraduate degree. I got a job consulting, and I completed my MBA, but I kept coming back to this place I knew from my youth. About 13 years ago, I returned to DRBU in an official capacity, when I took on the opportunity to be a driving force in shaping the University as we now know it today. I always knew I wanted to return to the Buddhist community because of the people; they practice wisdom and compassion and live in a virtuous way. By joining DRBU, I was entering a unique type of work culture, where I would work alongside colleagues and students that hold each other in high regard and treat one another with a great amount of respect.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take always’ you learned from that?
While volunteering for the local Red Cross as a teenager, I was asked to provide free gift wrapping services at a local department store before the holidays. When my buddy and I arrived for our shift, no one was there to provide instructions on what we were supposed to do. Shoppers started to arrive, so we improvised with the supplies we had available, carefully wrapping gift boxes for the next three hours. Though shoppers were appreciative of our service, they looked somewhat puzzled and amused at our work. It was not until much later that I realized we were wrapping the gift boxes with tissue paper instead of wrapping paper. The lesson learned here is that no matter how simple a task may seem, training is always important. This moment also taught me that we cannot assume what people do or do not know.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
It’s hard to name just one, as there are many teachers and mentors over the years that have left a lasting impression. I’ve learned the most from mentors who live their values authentically and holistically — essentially, role models that lead through both the personal and professional aspects of their lives.
Extensive research suggests that “purpose driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your company started, what was its vision, what was its purpose?
From the beginning, we set out to establish Dharma Realm Buddhist University as an authentic Buddhist university that brings together scholarship and practice. While there are Buddhist programs at colleges throughout the world, DRBU created a brand new model that merges curriculum with spiritual practice, ensuring that both are rooted in a supportive environment that is integral to a Buddhist community.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or difficult times?
As a small liberal arts university that is founded in Buddhist tradition, things at DRBU have always carried a bit of uncertainty because we were forging a new path, working together to create a new approach to higher education. Nearly every business or organization appears successful during good times, but it is during difficult times that our skills and strengths are tested. I’ve found that working through these times is when we see some of our best work. The past two years of the pandemic have presented many challenges, testing the community at large as well as individuals. At DRBU, we were able to forge through because we maintained the strength of our community. Our foundation is rooted in a sense of meaning and in taking care of one another. These principles were central to how we exhibited care, and contributed to what we studied and examined in our spiritual practice.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
This question reminds me of a Buddhist verse that states, “Everything is a test to see what you will do. Mistaking what’s before you, you’ll have to start anew.” This describes my approach to adversity: rather than giving up when things are difficult, find alternative ways to make incremental progress toward the goal. If we do not succeed this time, it simply means we get to try again with a different approach or another set of conditions.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
People look to their leaders for guidance and reassurance during challenging times. The most critical role for a leader is to be present, to be honest, and to be caring.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate and engage their team?
At DRBU, we’ve found that it is crucial to promote a culture of trust. A culture of trust builds confidence and empowers a team to rise to any given challenge. To a leader, this could mean communicating more frequently with the team, acknowledging uncertain outcomes, welcoming more input on key decisions, and admitting mistakes.
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers?
Direct, caring communication demonstrates respect for the receiver of the news. I’ve found that sugarcoating bad news can be perceived as patronizing. In an environment with a high degree of trust, the best approach is to be open and honest. If I were receiving bad news, I’d want to be informed clearly and concisely so I can begin to understand the situation or plan for an alternative.
How can a leader make plans when the future is so unpredictable?
The future is always unpredictable. In Buddhism, we learn that nothing is permanent, and change is constant. We are taught to not make assumptions and to practice non-attachment. Therefore, we are always nimble, allowing for the greatest flexibility during volatile situations. This also ensures that we are not attached to a certain outcome. Outcome is a combination of effort and circumstances. While we have complete control over our own efforts, we also have to be willing to adapt to evolving circumstances.
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make during difficult times? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
One major mistake is when leaders act based on emotions — usually fear — instead of insight and wisdom. Another common mistake is when blaming or finger pointing cause businesses to fall apart, rather than coming together to solve a problem or understanding how to support one another personally and professionally. Turbulent times can also cause leaders to miss the opportunity to grow or innovate because focus is being pulled in many directions. In all of these cases, approaching difficult situations with compassion and mindful care will move leaders away from being too reactive.
Generating new business, increasing your profits, or at least maintaining your financial stability can be challenging during good times, even more so during turbulent times. Can you share some of the strategies you use to keep forging ahead and not lose growth traction during a difficult economy?
Higher education has been primed for major changes, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a model that is centuries old and does not always serve the needs of modern people. While higher education has traditionally been slow to innovate, the past two years have created conditions for a moment of reckoning. With declining enrollment, changing demographics, high cost of delivering the educational experience, and rising student debt, there are many areas where these challenges can result in innovation and experimentation. At DRBU, for example, we’re looking at how to structure financial aid and scholarships so that no student graduates with debt. Because of our size, we’re able to be nimble and open-minded as we examine new ways for higher education to weather turbulent times.
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times? Please share a story or an example for each.
Lead with insight instead of with fear. It is easy to give into fear during times of instability. Because a team can sense when the leader is panicking or acting out of fear, it is especially important to rely on insight when making important decisions. Insight can come from research, analysis, informed experts, sound judgment, or astute business acumen.
Moment to shine. It might not be easy to tell a good company from a bad one during good times. Tough times are when good companies really stand out. Great organizations with a strong team and sound infrastructure can adapt, weather the storm, withstand the test of market forces, and survive. There is no need to fear turbulent times if you have a good team and a great product. Turbulent times may just be market forces helping to thin out the competition. Keep it simple. The basics are important: timely delivery, good customer service, maintaining quality products or services. Keep doing what you do well. Customers and clients will value your reliability and consistency.
Culture of trust. It is important to be open and honest with your team. Trust begets trust. They need to know that the times are tough. While difficult choices will be made, they need to know that you, as the leader, have a plan and will steer the organization through the difficult times. This will also give your team members a chance to demonstrate their trust in you (the leader) or the company. Some team members might step up and seize the opportunity to grow or to innovate.
Uncertain times are perfect for making changes that are long overdue. A leader should keep the organization focused on core products, tighten the budget, phase or spin out underperforming projects. These are moments to reflect, to regroup, and to remember not to take clients, customers, supporters, or donors for granted.
Turbulent times are often times of opportunity. When companies are laying off people, selling off properties, or scaling back investments, there are bound to be good opportunities for those who are ready. There will always be uncertain times: the savings and loan crisis in the 1980s, the dot com bubble in 2000, the financial crisis in 2008 and the subsequent housing market crash. Be ready and be prepared.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“The most valuable lessons in life usually come from the worst experiences in life.” As I mentioned earlier, difficult times can result in some of the best work. When we are faced with challenges, we have the opportunity to not only get through it, but also to learn from it and grow.
How can our readers further follow your work?
Find DRBU online, on social media, and sign up for our newsletter. DRBU website, facebook, instagram, newsletter, etc.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
You’ll need to check your ego, constantly. As a leader, it is seldom worth it to be right. In order to grow, you’ll need to actively welcome feedback and lean on the expertise of your team. As the company grows, this will be of even greater importance as you will get further and further away from the day-to-day work each team member is doing.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing James Rockwood.
James Rockwood is the CEO and Founder of CapIntel, a B2B financial technology company that aims to streamline time-consuming tasks for advisors and provide quick perspectives on a client’s investments and proposal developments. After working in the financial industry for several years, James recognized the need for a digital transformation and set out to do just that. Now, over 10,000 financial advisors use CapIntel’s proprietary technology to enhance advisor-client relationships and client outcomes.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
I was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a Canadian city that’s very quickly becoming a tech and entrepreneurial hub. Growing up, I had always wanted to run a large business, but I initially pursued accounting and investment banking because I wanted a foundation in technical skills. While working in finance, I recognized I didn’t have a long-term future there so I started spending my free evenings working towards creating a business that would impact the world.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“First say to yourself what you would be, and then do what you have to do.” — Epictetus.
This quote plays a significant role in my life because of its relevance to enacting change. It reminds me that I need to take full responsibility in making my goals happen rather than leaving it up to external forces.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Yes! That would be “Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win” by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin.
While I knew I wanted to run a business, I wasn’t always certain about what type of business. What I was certain of was that I wanted to build a business in a way that served its people in a positive way. I read this book about six months before I started CapIntel. It stresses the importance of building a framework and culture that enables employees to find fulfillment and enjoy what they do.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
Building a business can seem like a big and daunting step, but I think it’s important not to put too much “ceremony” around starting a business.
I find that a lot of people put too much pressure on themselves by trying to wait for things to be perfect before starting. The key is to begin and continue to build on your product or idea while being flexible as things progress.
Give it your all and actively track what’s working and what’s not. By doing this, you will increase your chances of turning your idea into a thriving business.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
If you find yourself dismissing your ideas because of what others may or may not have done, you’ll need to shift your mindset. Your concern shouldn’t be whether an idea is new, but rather if you can execute on it best.
Initially, I recommend focusing on the existing pain points and not the solution. If there are clear, identifiable pain points, the current solutions in place are not addressing them, and that gap presents your opportunity. As an entrepreneur, your goal should be to address a pain point rather than to build a solution.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
Once you have an idea, devote time to developing it. Then, determine how to create a minimum viable product (MVP) for the lowest cost and effort. This would be a product or service that you can test in the market to validate that it can address a unique need. At this stage, I would recommend reading the book “The Lean Start-Up” by Eric Ries.
If you can’t afford to create an MVP or if you already have validation from an MVP, your next step is to raise money to create that product in a still-imperfect but more advanced form. A customer will likely purchase this version of the product or its next iteration, so you need to prioritize selling it. You must continue to iterate on the product or service while still selling it. Putting the product out there is the only way to know if people want to buy it.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why?
Fundraising is a lot harder than it sounds. In the early days of CapIntel, I used to benchmark myself against other companies because I repeatedly heard “it’s easy to get money.” That may be true for some, but it’s not the reality for most entrepreneurs, so you can’t let yourself get discouraged. You need to stick with it and try to block out what others are doing. There’s no such thing as an easy dollar, so you have to accept the reality, work hard and smart, and focus on your business.
Raising money doesn’t necessarily translate to success. Many well-funded companies fail, so your benchmark of success should be rooted in your business. You’ll need to ask yourself the following questions:
Are people willing to buy my product?
Is the feedback I’m receiving positive?
Do I see a future where my product will improve and solve a pain point better as I continue to build? If you can solve that model, you’re already successful.
3. Your team will never operate at 100%. Especially at the growth stage, there are so many variables and factors beyond your control that will impact your team. You’ll need to actively look out for and be ready to respond to issues your team is facing. This effort will be continuous as long as you have a team working for you. The key is to build a culture where people feel safe to share when they’re not at 100% and ensure there is support for those team members.
4. You’ll need to check your ego, constantly. As a leader, it is seldom worth it to be right. In order to grow, you’ll need to actively welcome feedback and lean on the expertise of your team. As the company grows, this will be of even greater importance as you will get further and further away from the day-to-day work each team member is doing.
5. Say goodbye to your anonymity. People will start paying more attention to what you do and say. This means your words will have a lot more weight than they once did. You’ll need to be very mindful and intentional when interacting with your team because you can inadvertently impact people negatively. On the flip side, you can also empower people and make them feel good about themselves and the work they do. As a leader, your job is to create the best possible environment for people to succeed.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
Buy “The Lean Start-Up” by Eric Ries and get familiar with that approach.
Build out the minimum viable product, feasibly.
Test your product.
I would caution against over-analyzing the market because it will likely lead to you not trying. Trying is the only way to see if your idea will be successful. Unless you’re replicating something that already exists and is massively well-funded and incredibly successful, you can likely create a space for yourself in the market.
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
Invention development consultants can be useful in certain situations, but I wouldn’t recommend them during the first attempt at entrepreneurship. No one, even an invention development consultant, can tell you whether your product will work, and by trying to bring someone on to do just that, there could be lasting impacts on your journey as an entrepreneur. Your first attempt is when you will be the least certain and knowledgeable — however, being in this position leads to plenty of opportunities for growth and critical learnings.
I had a mentor once tell me, “never fall in love with the hero.” There will be times when it seems like someone can solve all your problems, which is rarely ever the case.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
I don’t believe that one option is objectively better than the other as they serve different purposes based on your situation and goals. With CapIntel, we did neither; our approach involved completing two accelerator programs, Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) and Next Founders.
When we started looking for our first accelerator, we were at a point where we needed to realign our vision for CapIntel and get our product in front of more investors and clients. For us, it wasn’t just the opportunity to find investors that appealed to us but also the exposure to accomplished mentors and support on the business development side.
After we graduated from our first accelerator, CDL, I stayed focused on the business, and we began generating more significant revenue. We were very close to product-market fit, so it made sense to accelerate again to learn how to position the business for the next round of funding. Our second accelerator program, Next Founder, was specifically designed for companies at that stage.
Ultimately, no matter what approach you take, it’s important to remember that fundraising doesn’t always mean success.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
Our long-term mission at CapIntel is to drive the industry towards a holistic approach to wealth management that builds wealth for all. Thus far, we’ve supported over 10,000 financial advisors across North America to improve their clients’ outcomes. Our platform allows advisors to provide greater support to their clients who have needed an unprecedented level of service over the last few years.
We are also working on a program to help new fintech companies kick-start their growth. Our vision for this new program is to equip these startups with quality hardware in the form of gently-used laptops, as well as access to mentors.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
One of my goals as a leader is to elevate the standard of work culture. People devote so much of their time to their work, so it’s important to me that they do it in a great environment.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I would have to say, Will Smith. I recently read his memoir “Will” and found his story very inspiring. A central theme that resonated with me was his focus on spreading the message about motivation and work ethic. I’d be very interested to dive into that conversation a little deeper over a meal.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Find ways to support yourself. Books and podcasts helped to support me. Seeing other people in the world doing things that required courage bolstered my own. On the days when things were most difficult, I would open my audible, listen to a book and take a hot bath and the world would feel a fraction kinder. Other days, I phoned a friend or my coach. It is important to feel every part of the journey and to care for yourself along the way.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Shana Francesca (Fannon).
Shana Francesca is a Professional Interior Designer with 15 years of experience. She is the founder and lead designer at Concinnate, a design firm serving clients nationally. Inspired by childhood trauma she has spent much of her life leaning into curiosity around physical environments with particular interest in human behavior and psychology. Shana founded her company wanting the freedom to incorporate interior design and life design consulting, creating space for people to be their authentic selves, to be curious, and to expand their lives.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
My early life was tumultuous. It was marked by a significant amount of abuse and trauma. For a long time, trauma seemed an inescapable reality. Seeing both of my parents struggle with their own trauma and no tools to do so forced the narrative that if I was going to make it out, I was going to have to do it on my own. Working through my trauma and those narratives is what has led me to be the person I am today. I think this is one of the main sources of my independence, determination, and my curiosity.
From an early age, I spent a good amount of time watching people, trying to understand the world in ways I did not have direct access. I spent time reading and surrounding myself with mentors through books and magazines. I would post inspirational quotes all over my room written on index cards. I ripped pages from magazines I found at doctor’s offices or catalogues that came in the mail to create a vision board of sorts. I would fantasize about a life built on my terms.
I wanted to take my ability to imagine unique and authentic spaces and apply it to other people’s lives. This desire stayed with me as I prepared for college, eventually making the decision to study interior design. In design school, I really struggled in my third and fourth semester. I barely made the grades necessary to continue in the program. Everyone else around me seemed to know what they were doing and I was falling behind. What I learned was to dive back into curiosity. I needed to return to excitement about learning instead of letting insecurities stifle my creativity. In my final semesters, I ended up earning top grades in all of my design classes. It was such a triumphant moment. The lessons I learned from those years still serve me well.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“You are only free when you realize you belong no place — you belong every place — no place at all. The price is high. The reward is great.” -Maya Angelou
For a very long time, it was not safe for me to allow people close to my life. The more people around me, the more likely they would realize what was going on at home. I couldn’t belong, it wasn’t safe. In my teen years, I realized there was much more nuance to the word normal and the concept of belonging than I had imagined. There were times I wanted so badly to belong to a specific group but that meant defining myself by what they determined as normal. Hiding parts of myself was not something I wanted anymore. I found myself floating between groups more than specifically belonging to one. I belonged to no place and every place but I found beauty in it. It still is that way for me.
These realizations shaped and formed, and continue to define, not only my life, but my business as well. It reminds me to create space for people’s divergence, their uniqueness, their normal, their story and for my own. To not so eagerly place people in neat categories. I do not need someone else to choose me to know that I belong, and yet I know how powerful it is to be seen.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
One book that I will forever be grateful for is You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero. When I first took my business full time, I had no idea how I was going to survive. Life experience had shown me that pressure only made me stronger and more resilient, but this was different. This was me choosing the pressure.
I knew I could build this business, I felt it in my soul. I still had no idea how. I needed to build my confidence and release beliefs that were holding me back. I read You Are a Badass, probably once a month for about 6 months and every quarter after that for 2 years. I also read every book Brene Brown had written at the time. Shame was a huge part of the first 2.5 decades of my life and I needed to sort that out if I was going to build a business.
Books became my way of reminding myself of who I am when circumstances did not line up with expectations. The wisdom I encountered in books helped me get to the place where I realized failure is a platform. To hit rock bottom, we tear down what once stood. The part we have a hard time seeing is that it had to be torn down in part or whole because it was no longer serving us. We had become too attached to what was, causing distraction from what could be here in this moment. Rock bottom is a foundation. It creates space for curiosity. It is a place from which we are able to build a beautiful, authentic life. If we let go of attachment, rock bottom is not failure; it is a beginning.
I was choosing this moment to tear down what was (working for others) so that I could make space for what could be present in my life (building a business). It was terrifying, exhilarating, and necessary-because I chose it.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
For me, it started with taking something familiar and pushing it to a new level, leveraging my unique perspective. Whatever the idea, it is important to look for a relatable metaphor for people to connect to and compel them into action. The key is to refine the metaphor to one that has an impact on the people you want to reach and their lives.
Think about what business ideas have been ‘sticky’, they ask a series of questions that relate to their target audience. They seek to tell a story with the answers to those questions. Uber asked people “What if you could pay for a ride from anyone with a clean, well running vehicle with some spare time and good customer service?” For my business, I ask people, “What if your home, restaurant, or boutique hotel could be uniquely designed to reflect your goals and needs for your life and/or business?” “How do you think that would impact your life and your vision for your future?” “In what ways would you like that to be possible?”
Even with a strong story, we will run into challenges, they are necessary for growth. Keeping that in mind helps to move through those moments rather than to feel stuck. Being curious about what is possible gives us the opportunity to pivot and find another way forward.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
Google and dive in from there. There are rarely ever brand-new ideas, something that in no way has ever been done before. So, it is important to figure out what you are doing and in what ways it has been done or is currently being done. You can also enlist the help of an attorney who can search patents and / or trademarks for you to make sure that you do not enter a space in a way that is legally not available to you.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
I think this is different for every person, every idea, every company. I buy other people’s products for my clients. This process, for Concinnate, has been finding manufacturers whose products and customer service align with our culture.
Founding a business, bringing together the ideas and the people who help you form it, is never what you expect and, at times, demands growth. The key is thinking of your business and the relationships required for it like a complex sculpture. You want to take a look at it from various angles and continue to do so over time so you do not get overly familiar with it from one particular angle and lose sight of the larger picture.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why?
-Remember this is a Choice.
There was so much fear when I decided to take my business full time. I had to get to a place where I chose to lean into discomfort seeing it as an opportunity to learn something, an incredible moment that could open my eyes to new possibilities.
-Stay curious instead of defensive.
At the beginning, my pitches were clumsy. I started paying attention to the clarifying questions people would ask. They revealed ways that I could expand the business or ways I needed to refine, clarify, and simplify the pitch. I still practice this.
-Surround yourself with other business owners and entrepreneurs.
Being understood was critically important to my founder journey. Who I was to the people around me had fundamentally changed. Gathering people who understood and could mentor me was vital.
-Find ways to support yourself
Books and podcasts helped to support me. Seeing other people in the world doing things that required courage bolstered my own. On the days when things were most difficult, I would open my audible, listen to a book and take a hot bath and the world would feel a fraction kinder. Other days, I phoned a friend or my coach. It is important to feel every part of the journey and to care for yourself along the way.
-Have a plan for when things go in a direction you wished they hadn’t.
A plan is like a well placed column. It takes the weight so you do not collapse or go into panic mode when things inevitably go sideways. I had to ask myself, Could I take a short term personal loan? Could I move in with a family member or friend? Could I find a flexible part time job so I wasn’t stressing about money? Exploring the answers to these questions allowed me to create a plan to continue moving forward.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
My first stop when considering an invention has been to talk to others who are part of innovative companies and who I trust deeply. Then I call my attorney to search for existing patents. I have a long time friend who works for Gore & Associates, he has been my sounding board for more than a decade. The first time was in my late 20’s, ultimately I did not move forward with it but it did lead me to continue exploring ideas.
There are other ways to innovate than simply with physical products. I am currently exploring and creating, for Concinnate, around accountability and expectation setting. I have our company values posted on our website so that our clients and partners are able to hold us, as a company, accountable. Also, my project manager and I are currently refining codes of conduct for our clients and contractors to review and agree to, at the outset of a project. Many times people are hesitant to communicate what they need in a moment, eventually forcing difficult conversations that can fracture trust. By setting the expectation that we all have the responsibility to speak the truth in a timely fashion and take up space in an honest and respectful manner, it can help keep communication flowing and reinforces trust.
We believe we cannot succeed without open lines of communication that are actively used, with intention, often, with thoughtful pause but not hesitation, and with respect, not reverence. We want to continue to explore what is possible in the realm of authentic communication. Who knows what will come of this particular project but we are open to innovation and creativity in all of its forms.
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
In just about every aspect of life and business, I find that I use consultants to help guide me. Ultimately, I do not do so at the cost of overriding my own intuition. I have attorneys and accountants and other advisors who are part of supporting me and the business. Yet, I take on as much as I can myself at the beginning of a new project. Along the way, I learn what I can from books, research and consultants. I formulate an idea and then see how far I can move forward with it before it gets to the place where I need to hand it off. That is a critical part of my process, but for others, it may not be. I think you have to do what is best for you and what stage you are in your business.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
I think this may be driven largely by what type of business you are building and if you have a physical product or not. No matter what type of business you are building, there is a certain magic that is found in bootstrapping. It shows us our own resilience and creativity. Necessity is the mother of invention and requires us to learn how best to use the resources we have. We also learn how to resource differently. However, I believe, at some point, especially if you are selling a widget of any kind, an infusion of cash is necessary for scaling.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
A couple of years ago I hired my first assistant and it forced me to ask myself what culture I wanted to create. What culture had I created for myself? What came out of that moment was a commitment to paying great people great money for great work and a commitment to honoring people’s time and creativity.
From the beginning I have paid people well, including interns. Currently, interns are paid $20 per hour, assistants paid $25 per hour, other positions are paid $30+ per hour. I will increase those amounts as the company grows and responsibilities morph and change. People can focus better on work when they aren’t trying to figure out where their next meal is coming from or if they will have gas money this week to even get to work. We are also committed to people regularly taking time for creative exploration and taking time off experiencing the world and developing beautiful relationships that enrich and enhance their lives and their work. People who are valued are more invested in the company and the people they work for.
We are building Concinnate as a galaxy. Galaxies are groups of millions of stars, brought together by a gravitational pull. They are breathtaking together AND each star shines bright individually. A galaxy is built on each star’s individual beauty being fully represented and respected; they have the space to shine.
We also have a commitment to hiring individuals who have been brought up in the foster care system and/or are aging out, as well as those who have been previously incarcerated have grown through the experience and want to contribute. I had the opportunity to work with the City of Philadelphia prison system as a client prior to starting my business, through Philacor. Philacor provides opportunities for those incarcerated to gain skills that could translate to more opportunities once they have completed their allotted time. I met some really great people there. I believe that we have to create space for people, and opportunities for individuals to support themselves and their families well. Being needed is a critical part of our human experience. Creating the space for people to be contributing members of a team is vital for them and for the world as a whole-there are so many talented people who could use a second chance.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
There are so many things I hope to be a part of changing. The one thing that seems to continually come back up is curiosity. From my perspective, curiosity did not kill the cat; it allowed the dog and the cat to be friends. When we lean into curiosity, we find we are more alike than different. It is when we lean into categories that we objectify and dehumanize people. Classifications separate us; curiosity can bring us together or at least help us to view one another in less strictly defined ways.
Everything we do has a ripple effect into every other being and living thing. When we fully realize how powerful we are, we cannot shrink from that. Curiosity has led me to being comfortable with being uncomfortable. I would love to lead others into doing the same.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Oprah. Oprah has found a way to write her own story and invite others to do the same, in such a beautiful, impactful way. She has long been a person I looked to, to remind myself of what is possible and a mentor in my head. I am in awe of Oprah’s strength of character, her empathy, her joy, and her ability to authentically connect with others. To sit and have a conversation with her, to take in her wisdom, it would (will) be magic simply by being made possible.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Competence is critical to how successful or unsuccessful an individual will be as a speaker. Who wants to listen to someone who is not knowledgeable about the topics he/she presents or lacks decent communication skills? One of my top tips for speaking is to give speeches on topics with which you possess knowledge and expertise. I vividly recall when I was an educator having to give a presentation on a subject that I am not comfortable with- geometry. It was disastrous. As I gave my presentation, it became very clear to the audience that I was incompetent. I am so thankful they were gracious and helped me out along the way.
At some point in our lives, many of us will have to give a talk to a large group of people. What does it take to be a highly effective public speaker? How can you improve your public speaking skills? How can you overcome a fear of speaking in public? What does it take to give a very interesting and engaging public talk? In this interview series called “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker” we are talking to successful and effective public speakers to share insights and stories from their experience. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Damon “DaRil” Nailer.
Multifaceted, passionate, and skilled all describe Damon “DaRil” Nailer. With over 1K speaking engagements and many published works under his belt, Damon is known as a “Renaissance Man”, Inspirational Communicator, Gift Guru, and Authority/Expert who provides direction, inspiration, and education to any audience. Mr. Nailer possesses a wealth of knowledge in the following areas: educational, entrepreneurial/business, religious, entertainment, relationships, leadership, and parenting. As a result of his experience and expertise, he has been featured 200+ times in various media outlets, including The Huffington Post, Reader’s Digest, Thrive Global, Goalcast, MSN, Yahoo, Yahoo Finance, Redbook, Insider, podcasts, radio/TV shows, magazines, newspapers, etc. Currently, he serves as a motivational speaker, consultant, author, and educator.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I was born and raised in the Uptown 13rd Ward section of New Orleans, LA. My caregivers were my mother, grandmother, and 3 older brothers. My childhood was interesting as well as challenging because I saw a lot, heard a lot, and experienced a lot. In addition, I constantly struggled with sickness in the forms of asthma and allergies, which included many emergency room visits, and hospital stays. Despite my issues/dilemmas, overall, I would say my adolescent years weren’t too bad and I wasn’t a terrible child (I wasn’t an angel either). LOL!!!
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
While growing up, I found myself regularly searching for positive role models. It seemed as though no matter how much I looked, they were few and far in between. Because of this, I pledged to become a source of inspiration and positivity that young people could admire, look up to, and emulate. This commitment is what led me into initially becoming an educator and later a motivational speaker.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I would have to say the most interesting story that has happened to me since beginning my career is how my speaking skills enabled me to land my current job as a parent educator. I reached out to a local nonprofit organization to conduct some workshops that coincided with a program I had created. They informed me that they did not have funds to pay speakers, but they were always looking for life skills presenters. I agreed to facilitate a few life skills sessions if they allowed me to offer my program to their clients. All parties agreed, and we proceeded. After one of the sessions, I discovered that I knew one of the employees. She spoke to me about facilitating a men’s parenting class. They ended up hiring me as an independent consultant to oversee their Nurturing Fathers Program and eventually, a full-time position became available, and the rest is history.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The funniest mistake took place when I conducted my first speaking engagement. After observing an experienced speaker conduct his presentations without utilizing any note cards or written outline, I decided I would do the same. And boy, oh boy, my first presentation was awful. I totally bombed. I thought I had prepared enough and had sufficient content, but I did not. It lasted only a few minutes. Thank God, I did not allow this to hinder me from trying again. From that experience, I learned to prepare notecards or at least an outline of a speech for my speaking engagements. Of course, after many years, I can speak without note cards or an outline, but during those early days, I had to use them until I developed enough competence and confidence as a speaker.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I’m certainly grateful to God for all of my success. I would have to say my wife, Necole, has been the other common denominator in my journey to success. She has stood by me through every venture, adventure, creative idea, business, and form of employment. Not only has she been present, but she has always encouraged me to pursue these endeavors and supported me once I began them. The most critical situation she backed me on was when I left my sure, stable teaching career to pursue the unpredictable life of an entrepreneur. I know it took trust, faith, and love on her part to do this, especially when things became a bit challenging. Nevertheless, through it all, she never discouraged me or left my side.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging and intimidating. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
The greatest pieces of advice I can give anyone trying to pursue a challenging and intimidating career path are the following. 1. Condition yourself to believe that failure is not an option and if things don’t go as well as planned, then chalk it up as a learning experience. 2. Always remember that you do have options and be willing to pivot if you don’t succeed in one endeavor. 3. Overcome fear by trusting your gut and following your passion. If it’s burning inside of you, pursue it so you won’t have any regrets later.
What drives you to get up everyday and give your talks? What is the main empowering message that you aim to share with the world?
There are several reasons why I am driven to get up every day and give my talks. The first reason is that beyond a shadow of a doubt, I know that I was created to be a speaker. Secondly, I truly believe I possess insight and transformative wisdom to share with others. The final reason is that I fully understand the power and influence of words. With that being said, I realize I am gifted with the ability to change the trajectory of individuals’ lives through my encouragement, inspiration, and knowledge. I wholeheartedly embrace this, and I don’t take it lightly.
My message aligns with my mantra which is- All men/women are created with a skill and a mission to fulfill, meaning everyone has a purpose for existing and once it is discovered, an individual’s existence will truly change for the better in that he/she will be able to live a passionate, exciting, fulfilling, and prosperous life.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
I am currently working on a new online course that will provide great information on visualizing, communicating, networking, public speaking, and so much more. I see myself continuing to conduct speaking engagements and expanding my audience across the globe.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favorite life lesson quote is “No means next option, new opportunity, and not over”. This is relevant and resonates with me because of my varied experiences with so many endeavors. I have endured countless closed doors and rejections as a music producer, songwriter, artist, motivational speaker, author, entrepreneur/business owner, and talk show host. In order to keep going and remain encouraged, I had to adopt this as my life lesson quote.
Ok, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker?” Please share a story or example for each.
Competence, Confidence, Charisma, Authenticity, and Empathy are the five vital elements needed to be highly effective at public speaking.
Competence is critical to how successful or unsuccessful an individual will be as a speaker. Who wants to listen to someone who is not knowledgeable about the topics he/she presents or lacks decent communication skills? One of my top tips for speaking is to give speeches on topics with which you possess knowledge and expertise. I vividly recall when I was an educator having to give a presentation on a subject that I am not comfortable with- geometry. It was disastrous. As I gave my presentation, it became very clear to the audience that I was incompetent. I am so thankful they were gracious and helped me out along the way.
Confidence- My perspective is that competence breeds confidence. When you work on developing your speaking skills and choose to give talks on concepts you know, you will automatically possess it. This element is important because an audience can discern your level of confidence when you speak. If they perceive that you are full of confidence, it will make them comfortable and supportive. If they detect that you lack confidence, it will often make them uneasy and inattentive. Fortunately, I am a confident individual, so most of the time I have been successful with this component. However, on a couple of occasions, I have struggled with it. I believe it happened several times when I first began speaking at a juvenile correctional facility. It was probably because this was not my normal element/environment that I spoke in. Once I gave a few speeches, I eventually gained my confidence to speak in that setting to that particular audience.
Authenticity- Finding your distinct, unique voice is the greatest milestone you can achieve in your quest for becoming highly successful at public speaking. I have witnessed many speakers throughout my life. However, the most memorable and inspiring ones were those who were genuine, original, and humble. They ran in their lane and flowed in their vein. They didn’t imitate anyone else, stretch the truth, or act as though they were superior, but they connected well with the audience and their content resonated with me.
Empathy- Individuals who are apathetic or lack feelings usually struggle when it comes to public speaking. This component is a must if you want to be highly successful at speaking. This characteristic enables you to sense and detect the vibe of the audience. I always say that speakers are like thermostats. We can measure and control the temperature/energy of the audience. Those who lack empathy are not able to feel out audiences effectively. The result is that there is not much connection between them and the audience, they fail to pivot or go in a different direction when the audience’s attention span is waning, and they don’t know how to evoke a variety of moods in an audience.
Charisma- I consider charisma as the “it” factor for being a successful speaker. You may have all the other elements, but if you lack this one, public speaking may be a challenge. Charisma is the ability to charm, persuade, and influence people. It’s an art and uncanny ability that successful speakers possess. The reason why it is so vital is because it is something innate and can’t be taught. I can give tips to improve the aforementioned elements for being highly successful at public speaking, but, for this one, individuals either have it or they don’t.
As you know, many people are terrified of speaking in public. Can you give some of your advice about how to overcome this fear?
One way to overcome the fear of public speaking is to consider the audience to be a group of friends. This way, you approach your engagement as a casual, comfortable conversation as opposed to a formal speech. Another way to overcome the fear of public speaking is to seek small group speaking opportunities to gain more experience.
Additionally, here are some ways you can improve your public speaking skills 1. Record yourself delivering speeches and then listen to them to evaluate the positives/negatives. Use this method to continue adjusting, improving your speeches. 2. Watch and listen to quality professional speakers to see their styles, formats, and techniques. 3. If possible, join a speaking group like Toastmasters’ International where you can learn more about speaking and get opportunities to deliver various speeches in a safe space. 4. Conduct research on tips for public speaking and/or enroll in a course on the topic.
You are a person of huge influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I believe I am actually already in the process of leading such a movement. I will name it after the title of my latest book- Living, Loving, Leading. My philosophy is that all of us are leaders in some form or fashion. I think if we can find the best space to serve humanity with our gifts, then we will become better leaders and live a life that we truly love.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
Bishop T.D. Jakes.I believe it would be great to be in the presence of a highly successful individual who possesses similar talents and wears some of the same hats as me.
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
Meet The Disruptors: Christopher Babayans Of Ashured On The Five Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
“Patience is a virtue” — Act according to your goals, wait, and repeat. This leads to a snowballing of minor effects which result in a large change. It means you can start getting your goal today, right now, immediately, by doing one small thing and repeating every day.
As a part of our series about business leaders who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Chris Babayans.
Christopher Babayans is an entrepreneur, programmer & author who has synergized his passion for technology & politics. The toxicity on social media platforms and abundance of divisiveness regarding politics as well as the government’s slow issuance of aid in the early stage of the pandemic moved him to create Ashured.com. He wants the federal government to be more accountable & responsive to the needs of citizens and for we the people to be united again.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I have an insatiable curiosity and at a young age I was left with a Windows 95 computer that had no internet, so I tinkered with every setting and configuration to learn about operating systems. This interest carried on as I matured, but I was also interested in politics, so I started college as a Political Science major. After the first year I didn’t find textbook politics enjoyable and knew computers would be interesting, so I switched majors to Computer Information Technology.
The fundamentals I learned through higher education gave me the ability to find doors to open for my career which grew my knowledge base while exposing me to concepts I would use to build Ashured. It was really hard to find those doors in the first place; The only door that opened initially was a questionable IT consulting firm that placed me in 10 weeks of training for a contract with one of their clients. After working there for a little more than a year, I joined American Airlines and got my first exposure to big data on the cloud which is how Ashured is built. In a synergy of my drive, skills, and desire to improve how we interact, Ashured was created.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
The way we interact politically online is toxic in its level of humanity, misguided in the sense it’s paired with the mundane, and fails to bring clarity on the collective opinion to our legislators. Ashured tackles these problems first by eliminating public profiles & avatars to remove any perspective of non-wholeness. Next, we focused on the connection between citizens and legislators directly more than the connections between citizens. Finally, by providing dedicated tools for politics, the connections you will make with your fellow citizens to our legislators will make our government function much more responsive to We The People.
Firstly, the only direct interaction between citizens is through choosing our voice on initiatives we make. This eliminates the area where political discourse becomes cluttered. Next, legislators can get immediate results for polls they make providing instantaneous insight on constituent opinions. Finally, the bills our legislators sponsor or cosponsor are displayed chronologically, and we have the power to yay or nay each bill, showing our legislator whether or not they should continue their support. These tools, and the ones to come, will give us oversight of our legislators, connect us to our legislators, and empower us.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
In the beginning, I had to watch YouTube videos on how to use a web development code library and I downloaded an outdated version of the code library as a result. I learned to plan a bit more when starting something new from that incident; it cost many hours and headaches upgrading the code and all the moving parts.
I also made several mistakes figuring out how to connect people with their legislators. I quickly discovered that zip codes can sometimes have two districts, so my effort in matching you to your legislators by zip code failed. I tried two different free interfaces to get your legislators based on your address, both of which were incomplete and erroneous. As my efforts to build this functionality myself kept coming up short, I accepted that I will have to pay a company for this functionality perpetuating the life lesson that some tasks are better to delegate to others to keep my focus high level.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
I have learned from everyone who I have worked with at all levels, whether we kept working together after the interview or not! Related to Ashured, the senior engineers who hired me and practiced patience with a novice like I was, have had great impact in my ability to build Ashured.
People who have achieved success in their life have shown me that persistent hard work will get me where I want to go. The best mentorship can sometimes come in a simple phrase like “better to add tools to your belt”. That made me focus on gaining the technical skills to build Ashured.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
Being disruptive is good when a system has failed and/or can be greatly improved or revolutionized, so pursuing disruption, which usually does result in disruption of some manner good or not, doesn’t produce optimal results when you do it either for the sake of it, to be eccentric or purely for profit. The saying goes somewhat like, “If it’s not broken don’t fix it”, to which I add “and if it is, do!”. Nothing is purely positive or negative and that includes disruption; everything has a yin yang balance.
The system Amazon improved, getting groceries and such, wasn’t broken, yet they greatly improved it and most consider their disruption net positive while acknowledging the negatives it’s brought on society like making malls, mostly a thing of the past. The same goes for smart phones because while many realize the negative impacts the computer in our pocket that also makes phone calls has, the massive positive impact they’ve had on our lifestyle is unpassable. A failed disruption that couldn’t make a large enough positive impact on a system that stood the test of time, our vision, is the Google Glass; it just wasn’t packed with lifestyle improvements the same caliber as the smartphone.
Can you share five of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
“Patience is a virtue” — Act according to your goals, wait, and repeat. This leads to a snowballing of minor effects which result in a large change. It means you can start getting your goal today, right now, immediately, by doing one small thing and repeating every day.
“Whether you think you can or not, you’re right” — This phrase is to show you the power of your mind. You can only perpetuate your idea into existence if you think you can which will lead you to taking small steps toward the goal. If you don’t think you can, you’ll never take a single action.
“Shoot for the stars so if you don’t get all the way you’ll be on the moon” — This is great because there’s a certain level we all need to reach to thrive and if we aim far above that level it’s likely we’ll get to that thriving point necessary for living well to do good.
“Don’t just sit there. Do something. The answers will follow” — I found this especially true when I started my first business converting video tapes to digital. Initially I had so many questions regarding how to arrange a meeting with a client but I found that simply by asking them if a time would work for them would result in a meeting arrangement. We can overthink something which requires only action, not thought, to execute.
“Just do it” — While this is similar to the previous quote, it’s a simpler presentation of it and it’s so important it should be restated. Often the only reason our accomplishments are never fully realized is that we don’t keep moving in that direction. We don’t need to know how to do something to do it. There’s always a step you can take to clarify mystery in moving forward to our goal that can be taken.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
It’s important to do one thing well. Rather than be a jack of all trades, all my work will be related to Ashured. There are many additional features planned for Ashured and before we can do that, we need to get the accountability and responsiveness from our legislators that Ashured already provides.
We’re focused on growing the user base of citizens and legislators next. Once we grow the user base we will seek investments from non-politically slanted groups. The oversight and influence that Ashured gives to we the people will continue to grow with time as we build new features and sign up more users.
Do you have a book, podcast, or talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us? Can you explain why it was so resonant with you?
I was listening to a podcast and their discussion on the inadequacy of how we get our political news put my mind on the track which resulted in Ashured. Their dissatisfaction deeply resonated with me and felt similair my own. Some points made were about how sound bites don’t provide us enough context to come to sound conclusions about political matters, how the importance of politics is reduced when paired with corporate advertising, and how it is difficult to get one’s point across on existing political platforms with all the chatter.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
It would be a blend of the cliches “If you want something done right you have to do it yourself but you can’t do it alone; Good help isn’t cheap, is hard to find and you will always get what you pay for ‘’.
In previous experiences, anytime I’ve tried to save a few dollars it’s ended up costing me down the line, every time. For example, when starting my video tape to digital business (http://vhsrescue.com), I started out with a cheap VCR to USB device and had to buy the expensive one I was trying to avoid a couple weeks later. Another example is when I was buying DVDs and DVD burners; the option which saved me a few dollars cost me time in repairs and troubleshooting. In my previous experience building apps, hiring developers with a focus on price has resulted in lackluster results.
There are some things we must do ourselves because it’s so difficult to find someone else who can. Even if we find that person, their cost may be out of budget, there might be some of the things lost in translation to the person you’re delegating work to, and if they do accomplish what you set them out to do, you might not ever understand how it was achieved.
With those things in mind, there is certainly an overload point for each person where we realize “I can’t do it alone” and that occurred to me in my video tape to digital business. I was so caught up in the day-to-day operations of meeting clients, and performing the tape to digital conversions, I couldn’t grow the business. To my earlier point, if you want a job done right do it yourself, every sane client was satisfied because I did the work alone yet this was ultimately a net negative because the company never reached its full potential.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I want to inspire a movement that unites the nation, makes both parties work together often, in a consistent manner and smoothly and gives us oversight and influence over our legislators. To bring a golden era of politics around the world where government officials are responsive and accountable to the will of the people.
Make sure you talk to the person, use a video conference if you can, so you can see their face and they can see yours. Though much of our body language is lost working virtually, it is still possible to see how your comments are landing, and better than the phone.
As a part of our series about “How To Give Honest Feedback without Being Hurtful”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Hedda Bird.
Hedda is a human motivation and engagement expert, founder & CEO of 3C Performance Management Consultants and author of The Performance Management Playbook: 15 must-have conversations to motivate & manage your people.
Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I’m hard to classify! I did a first degree in Mathematic and Philosophy, then a Post-grad diploma in theatre directing. I went on to set up a Theatre-in-Education company, which I ran for 5 years. I found I spent more time running the company than doing the creative work. So, I changed my thinking, separated my love of theatre from earning a living and moved into industry. Roll forward several decades and I use theatre techniques to help leaders and colleagues at work understand how to make the most of working together. It’s been quite a journey.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
It’s unusual for a company in the OD space to have such a deep connection to business and numbers alongside the expected understanding of human motivation. It gives us a credibility with business leaders, not just the HR community. When I meet a CEO or CFO early in our projects, I take a set of their latest available accounts with me. It changes how the business leaders see me, and what our company has to offer. One CEO of a land development company was resisting spending money on engaging all colleagues with performance. I pointed out that with just 600 employees and a balance sheet in the billions, the impact each one of those people might have on the business was enormous compared to most organisations. He said he had never thought of it in that light and became a major support of the project.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
I was a leader in a ‘dot-com’ business in 2001, serving the global pulp and paper industry. The business had quite significant investment, and I was brought into the top team to head up the marketing function. It was my first experience of a VC funded business. For six months the VCs stormed in at regular intervals complaining that I wasn’t spending the money fast enough, that all that mattered was making as much impact as possible. Cash and profits were not a problem. As the company had no sales at that time, I and other senior leaders were slightly surprised at this behaviour. There was a sudden turning point, the VCs decided that cash was a problem, and the instructions to make the money last longer arrived within hours. A few months later the company was gone, all the money spent with zero revenue generated. Turned out profit and cash do matter after all. Still, I look back on that experience with pleasure, and stayed close to many of the others in the team for years afterwards.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Very early on I was asked to look at some accounts for a small business I was working for. There was a line item called ‘drawings’, it seemed a very large sum of money. I looked about the business for signs of people drawing, or ordering drawings from suppliers. I found nothing. I was utterly baffled. I called the external accountant and was mortified to learn that ‘drawings’ is the name given to the money the owner takes out of the business.
What advice would you give to other CEOs and business leaders to help their employees to thrive and avoid burnout?
The biggest single thing you can do for colleagues is to give them some attention. Listen, engage and respond. That’s what attention means. When you pay people attention you will have a much better chance of reducing their stress and enabling them to thrive.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Leadership is about setting direction, determining a tone, creating a culture. Leadership is often very local. I can be working with a hospital trust, and the tone, atmosphere and experience on one ward can be very different to the ward next door. The differences nearly always come down to leadership. Sometimes it’s how the ward manager leads, but it can also be massively influenced by how much leadership other colleagues exhibit. Some employees generate a positive working atmosphere wherever they go, and others don’t.
In my work, I often talk about how to release and relieve stress. As a busy leader, what do you do to prepare your mind and body before a stressful or high stakes meeting, talk, or decision? Can you share a story or some examples?
Over a long career I have learned to trust myself to do well, providing I have prepared properly. If occasionally things go wrong, I don’t beat myself up about it, none of us are perfect.
Ok, let’s jump to the core of our interview. Can you briefly tell our readers about your experience with managing a team and giving feedback?
I’ve managed dozens of teams over my career. The trickiest are those where you are responsible but you have limited authority. For example, as chair of the trustees for a charity run 100% by volunteers, I occasionally needed to give some challenging feedback about individual behaviour. I had to remember that people were giving their time free, they were not under an employment contract, yet we still needed everyone to maintain respect for each other. In my professional life I have often led teams that include experts from outside my organisation. It can be hard to give feedback to people in these circumstances as they may not consider anyone outside their organisation has the right to comment on their performance in any way. I have always been most successful giving feedback when I have a good relationship with the individual in the first place, we don’t have to be mates, just have good professional respect.
This might seem intuitive but it will be constructive to spell it out. Can you share with us a few reasons why giving honest and direct feedback is essential to being an effective leader?
We all learn from feedback, indeed in the world of work it is sometimes the only way we can learn. If you don’t give colleagues feedback you are denying them the chance to grow and develop. Feedback should mean a strong focus on what is going well, not just the occasional comment about problems. Giving good feedback about success so your team understands specifically what they are getting right is a great confidence booster and leads to more of the right actions. The more you hand out positive feedback, the more likely your colleagues will engage when what you have to say is more challenging to them. Remember, if you don’t say anything you are still ‘giving feedback’, only now your colleague has to guess what your silence means. They might interpret your silence as a disaster for them, or they might think it means they are doing a good job. Either perspective could be wrong, others will make whatever interpretation of your silence they want, which maybe the complete opposite of the message you want to give
One of the trickiest parts of managing a team is giving honest feedback, in a way that doesn’t come across as too harsh. Can you please share with us five suggestions about how to best give constructive criticism to a remote employee? Kindly share a story or example for each.
Make sure you talk to the person, use a video conference if you can, so you can see their face and they can see yours. Though much of our body language is lost working virtually, it is still possible to see how your comments are landing, and better than the phone.
Before you contact someone, think through the possible outcomes of the call. What’s the best that could happen? Perhaps they accept the feedback, respond appropriately and everything is fine. What is the worst that could happen? Perhaps they become angry, blame you, blame everyone else. Write down all the possible outcomes, and think through what is likely, and what you can do to get the outcome you most want.
When you contact someone to give them feedback, first check that they are in a position to listen to you. If they are at home are there other people around, do they need to find some privacy? If you are on the phone, you have no idea where they are or even how well they can hear you.
Once you have given your feedback be silent and allow them to be silent too. Reassure them that they don’t have to respond at once. Do not rush this moment. You may want to change the subject or simply stop the call because you are struggling with your feelings. Learn to accept your feelings at this point, they are not important. What matters is that the person who you are giving feedback to has heard and engaged with what you said. Their feelings may then show up in different ways. That’s fine. Stay calm.
Act early. There is a tendency when working remotely to avoid giving difficult feedback. A client of mine had to deal with a catastrophe of compensation claims and employment tribunals in one team. Looking into it, I discovered that the real problem was a minor issue of someone regularly coming in late to work had been ignored until the lateness was entrenched. When the manager finally dealt with it, the employee complained of being victimised because over months no-one had said a word.
Can you address how to give constructive feedback over email? If someone is in front of you much of the nuance can be picked up in facial expressions and body language. But not when someone is remote.
How do you prevent the email from sounding too critical or harsh?
I would avoid this as far as possible. You cannot see the impact of your words, your email may be forwarded on to others in a completely inappropriate context, and you have no idea what frame of mind the individual is in when your email is read. If you can’t talk to the person, try to arrange for someone else to have the conversation. I don’t think I have ever seen good quality challenging feedback given by email without causing some upset or damage. Even people who ask for feedback by email often end up feeling hurt at what comes back.
In your experience, is there a best time to give feedback or critique? Should it be immediately after an incident? Should it be at a different time? Should it be at set intervals? Can you explain what you mean?
In general, try to give feedback as close as possible to the relevant moment. However, make sure you have allowed your colleague time to recover from the moment. If they gave a big presentation, they probably want to get a drink and have a much more general talk about how it went, before you get into more meaningful feedback. Or if the incident has triggered an emotion such as distress or anger, allow time for all concerned to calm down. Anyone feeling emotional won’t be taking onboard your feedback anyway.
There is also a case for organisations to plan regular slots for more general feedback about colleagues’ progress and development. Maybe an annual conversation about their career options, or a monthly check-in on how well current work is being delivered. There is a place for feedback at multiple levels.
How would you define what it is to “be a great boss”? Can you share a story?
A great boss is someone who enables and empowers their team to do their best work most of the time. If you are a good boss, your team will be having more ‘good days at work’ than if you weren’t. When I was working in a start-up that ran into trouble, the two leaders who founded the business maintained good working relationships with everyone, even though many people were losing their jobs. It was a testament to them both that right up to the end, a lot of colleagues were working incredibly hard to save the business, even though most of them could have quickly found work elsewhere.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would throw in my lot with some aspect of preventing further climate change. Millions of people are already suffering the effects of global warming, we all need to act.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Live your passion, work your career’, which means that the endless call to ‘follow your passions’ is deeply misleading for most of us. I am passionate about theatre and the performing arts, but it is a terrible career for most people in the profession. I changed career, found a job I was good at and enjoyed, and lived my passion for theatre in different ways. I think I’ve had the best of both worlds, a sustainable interesting work life, and plenty of opportunity to follow my passions without worrying about money.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Do what you’re good at, delegate the rest: This is one I’m continually learning with every new role that I take on. The most important thing for you to know about yourself is what you’re good at. Then, only do tasks that align with those strengths. Hire for and delegate all other tasks as soon as you can. This allows you to do great work while working with others who can fill in the gaps.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dan Erickson.
Daniel Erickson is CEO and founder of Viable. Dan brings 15+ years of experience in the field as a self-taught coder including positions as CTO of Getable, and VP of engineering at Eaze, and Senior Engineer at Yammer, Inc. Dan believes in building systems and tools to help teams achieve their goals.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
I was born and raised in Oregon with my identical twin brother, and co-founder. My brother and I started our first company at the age of 16. I’ve been building systems and tools to help people achieve their goals as a self taught coder who skipped college in lieu of entrepreneurship. I’m bringing my 15+ years of experience to our new venture: Viable, the world’s first AI Qualitative Analyst.
I spent the majority of my childhood as a competitive gymnast learning a lot about how to fall gracefully and get back up every time. This comfort with failure has allowed me to approach entrepreneurship with the same mindset: building a company is all about trying new things, failing at first, and then learning from that failure to make something hugely valuable for your customers.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
A book I often refer to is Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows. Donella’s description of system thinking has been useful for me both as a leader within an organization and an entrepreneur, building a company from the ground up. Most situations in business, and often in life, can be expressed as a system. Understanding how systems and feedback loops operate can give you an edge, whether the focus is engineering, organizational culture, business fundamentals, fundraising, etc.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
There are a few ways to think about this: the first is the problem you’re solving for. An idea emerges when you can identify with the problem. To make an idea into a business, understand the problem in a data-backed way from the perspective of others.
The second relates to product strategy. I need to figure out what it’ll take to build a product that solves the problem better than others. Is it technology? Your business acumen? The connections you have? When building Viable, for example, being an early beta user of the latest in natural language technology gave us an advantage in the market.
Then comes your go-to-market strategy. In other words, how are you going to get your product into the hands of users? What channels of distribution will work best for you?
Lastly, as you build, fill in the gaps efficiently. I’ve found it helpful to know what I’m good at and what I need to look for in a new hire. For example, sales and marketing are two areas I’m not as experienced in so naturally I filled those roles early.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
My best advice would be to talk directly to the people that you intend to serve. Conducting user research helps you understand the user pain points rather than trying to figure out what solutions already exist. If a good alternative already exists, it’ll come up in your conversations with prospective users. It’s important to talk to many people, not just a handful of them.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why?
Since I’ve been at early stage and high growth startups my entire career, I’ve picked up lessons along the way before starting my own company. Here are five:
Be customer obsessed: I was an early engineer at Yammer, the enterprise social network. The main thing I took away from that experience was how important it is to keep the customer in mind. When making a decision, no matter how far removed from the customer, it is important to keep in mind how a customer might feel. For example, you may not think that a hiring decision has nothing to do with the customer. When in reality, all of your employees will affect the customer experience in one way or another. It is important to keep in mind how hiring someone will help the customer experience instead of only hiring someone to help the team. The two are directly related.
Focus on distribution before perfecting the product: You can build the best product in the world for your market, but if you can’t get it into their hands, or into their minds, then no one is going to use it. I learned this one the hard way when I was CTO at Getable, a construction rental equipment marketplace. We built a tool to help construction companies rent and manage their on-site equipment. It had all of the bells and whistles for any edge case that our early adopters threw at us, without compromising on the user experience. But, having an amazing product doesn’t mean it will fly off the shelves. We failed to build out our distribution as we built our product and our growth suffered because of it.
Do what you’re good at, delegate the rest: This is one I’m continually learning with every new role that I take on. The most important thing for you to know about yourself is what you’re good at. Then, only do tasks that align with those strengths. Hire for and delegate all other tasks as soon as you can. This allows you to do great work while working with others who can fill in the gaps.
It’s often about who you know, not just what you know: I started building my network when I was 16 and I’ve been steadily growing both the strength and number of relationships in my network ever since. So many things are unlocked when you have a strong network. With a strong network you can find people who are good at the things you aren’t, you can find a way into companies or investment firms that you’d like to partner with and you can find advice for any new situation you find yourself in.
Be great at both giving and receiving feedback: Giving and receiving feedback is hard, but being good at it levels up yourself and everyone around you. Feedback comes in many forms: customers, investors, vendors, candidates and teammates.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
First, define for yourself why you want to build this. Building something from scratch is both the most rewarding and most stressful thing you will likely ever do. Understanding your motivation for building this product is key to sustaining the effort required to bring it to market.
Second, understand the value of what you’re building for the market you’re targeting. That includes articulating the problem, the target user and the value proposition.
Third, figure out what you don’t know and make a list. Then draft a plan for filling in your knowledge gaps.
Fourth, put together a list of the ways you’re well equipped to build this product. That includes what skills you have to build it and who in your network has expertise to help you technically and from a business standpoint.
Fifth, if you’re feeling pretty comfortable with the previous four steps, start talking to the market to assess how much traction your product could potentially get.
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
There are certain situations where bringing in a consultant can be helpful. If you’re targeting a market that is hard to break into because you need to know the right people or speak the right language, a consultant can help you navigate those hurdles.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
If you don’t have the personal runway to bootstrap, the answer to this question is pretty clear: go get some funding. Just make sure you know what you’re signing up for. If you have the money to bootstrap, or you can start building the product as a side project, then you have a choice ahead of you: do you take funding to accelerate your growth or not?
Many bootstrapped companies can thrive on slow, or even no growth. That is not the case with VC backed companies — they’re, by necessity, on a high growth track. If you want to build a company that makes you money and allows you to live a comfortable lifestyle, whatever that means to you, then staying bootstrapped is the way to go. If, however, you want to shoot for the moon and build something huge, get funding and go big.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
Over the years I’ve realized my superpower is finding ways to automate things. It helps that I have a knack for visualizing how systems work together, even if they’re complex. That has allowed me to add value to teams at many organizations by cutting out time-consuming tasks. It’s one of my favorite things about managing teams. I can unblock points of friction for others so they can focus on the substantial, strategic work that’s more meaningful and fulfilling.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
My brother, Viable co-founder, and I got to where we are by doing a lot of learning on the job. From when we were teenagers to today, we’ve worked in entrepreneurial and fast-paced settings. The kind of learning that comes with that is invaluable. If I could inspire a movement around that experience, I’d love to see educational systems focus more on motivating learning-by-doing and rewarding hands-on experiences. I’m talking essentially 100% of foundational education could be done this way. I think it would inspire people in their formative years in interesting ways.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Neil Gaiman. I think storytelling is a hugely undervalued but important skill for almost any task that involves more than one person. Mr. Gaiman is a legendary storyteller and I think we could all learn from him.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Take Risks: Taking risks is the ultimate form of pushing people forward into the uncomfortable. As Leaders, we must be open to taking more risks and rolling with the punches when they arise. The path to success is often not a steady course, so it’s your grit that determines how far you will go. For example, when I wanted to become a more well-rounded professional, I took a risk by pursuing my MBA. At the time, I had a young family and a full-time job to prioritize alongside this new endeavor. But by taking a risk on myself, sacrificing time, and investing in my skills, I learned the tools to become a stronger professional, even though I did not know where it would take me at the time. While it may be hard at times to take risks, it’s crucial to develop the grit needed to make something better for the long haul.
As a part of my series about “Grit: The Most Overlooked Ingredient of Success,” I had the pleasure of interviewing Elkay’s Vice President of Operations Kraig Kniss.
Kraig Kniss is Senior Vice President of Operations at Elkay Manufacturing, a 102-year-old family-owned and privately-held manufacturing company and leading manufacturer of world-class stainless steel and quartz sinks and the award-winning ezH20 bottle-filling stations. In his role, Kraig is responsible for the Operations and Supply Chain Management for the business, including overseeing multiple U.S.-based manufacturing and distribution facilities, its global procurement, sourcing, planning, and distribution teams, and its central services quality functions. He joined Elkay in 1980 as a product engineer, and through the years, held a variety of management roles in quality services, inventory control, materials, and manufacturing.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what events have drawn you to this specific career path?
The road to the career path I followed started when I began to pursue a degree in engineering. Before I graduated from college in 1980, I began interviewing for engineering roles with optimism to land the perfect job. However, what started as a great year with the economy booming and opportunities galore quickly became a time of deep recession in the United States due to several unpredictable worldly events and political-economic changes. I had several offers from prominent companies at the time, but once these events occurred, they had to scale back their hiring efforts. This turn of events made securing a job out of college more complicated, but I reluctantly took an entry-level Engineering Technician role in my hometown. Unbeknownst to me, this company had a factory that made water bottle coolers and drinking water fountains. Now, 41 years later, Elkay, the company I began working for during a time of such change in our country, continues to be the company I work for and help lead today.
Can you share your story about “Grit and Success”? First can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey?
When I began my career at Elkay, my Manager at the time took a specific interest in career development. I was fairly new to the professional field of engineering, and I had to learn engineering skills I was not entirely prepared for at the time, including Refrigeration and Mechanical Design, Metallurgy, etc. I persevered through these challenges and worked hard to develop these skills by taking on additional training and leveraging the knowledge of my peers and industry contacts. In general, in my career, I would say I have always strived to improve my skills and keep abreast of the industry through additional training. No matter where we are in our careers and our professional journey, we always have gaps that drive opportunities for development. After being in this engineering role for 12 years and pursuing my MBA, I worked my way up through multiple operations roles. Within that journey, however, I had restrictions to relocate, so I took advantage of the opportunity to take on other lateral roles, including a two-year assignment away from home on a business systems integration. This opportunity fell outside my field and comfort zone but benefitted my cross-functional experiences. When my life entered a new season that allowed me to take on more broad-based organizational roles, it led me to where I am today as Vice President of Operations.
Looking back on my experiences, it was my hard work and dedication to becoming the best I could be, leaning on continuing education and experiences, and facing the real-world head-on that allowed me to have the position and responsibilities I have today. By having the courage to pursue a career I didn’t feel fully prepared for and having perseverance and grit in my character, I was able to turn an entry-level job into a long and fulfilling career.
Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?
I grew up on a farm in Northwest Illinois, so hard work and long days with laborious responsibilities were a part of my upbringing. These experiences helped me develop a gritty work ethic that I embraced throughout my life after pursuing a career beyond the farm. For example, some of my first jobs included working in a small screw machine factory in high school and doing concrete construction jobs during the summers while attending college. Several years after I was an established professional, my Manager inspired me to learn more about business management to create more of a balance with my technical education and background. At the time, becoming a business leader required gaining more breadth in my business leadership skills, so I began to work towards my master’s degree.
At the time, there was not a remote or online option for receiving this kind of degree, and because I had so much technical-focused training in my undergraduate education, I had a lot of catching up to do with business curriculum to receive an MBA. But I was committed to becoming a more well-rounded professional and the leader I knew I could be. It was this drive and Midwest work ethic that drove me to travel more than an hour one way to attend classes on top of my regular work schedule, complete homework while having to care for a young, active family that was incredibly supportive, and gain my master’s degree over seven years. Despite it being quite a challenge for me at that time, I knew that working hard to learn more and become who I wanted to be would be worth it. In addition, my experiences sharing with other business leaders about facing similar challenges, working through new ideas, and bringing in the social, organizational behavioral aspects of people in the workplace were extremely valuable and important. Today, this same drive pushes me to continue working toward becoming a better leader and equipping others with the tools they need to do the same because the power to do so is within people.
So how did Grit lead to your eventual success? How did Grit turn things around?
Some of my most difficult times in business revolved around leading in times of uncertainty and when jobs, and the future of specific businesses and product lines, were at risk. Being able to motivate and keep employees engaged amidst job uncertainty, high levels of cost control, and workforce management taught me a lot about being a leader, including the importance of the people that make up our company. The respect I gained for our company’s people caused a huge transition within me, making me go from being just a boss to a servant leader. The contributions and sacrifices that our employees make in times of difficulty can hardly be described. During those times, it separated good leaders from great leaders. Those experiences showed me that to be a great leader, I must always do whatever I could to preserve the longevity of their livelihoods through my support, transparency, and continued challenge for not my success but those of our employees.
I once had a Manager that told me that I would never understand the responsibility of a plant or organizational leadership role until I sat in that seat. But if you are a great leader, the switch will turn. As a leader, you will realize that it is no longer about you and your job, but rather the decisions you will make, strategies you will develop, and drive to preserve your team member’s employment, livelihoods, and quality of life. He was so right, and I think that mindset separates selfish leaders from selfless leaders.
Based on your experience, can you share 5 pieces of advice about how one can develop Grit?
Empower your people: To develop grit within people, they need to feel empowered. Empowerment, however, does not just mean supporting employees to do their own thing. With empowerment must also come accountability and ownership. To be successful, business leaders must work toward aligning people with the focus around critical business objectives while also pushing people forward into the uncomfortable, with an individual purpose, so that they can grow. By empowering your people to lean into the uncomfortable, they will have the opportunity to grow their unique skill sets while also growing as a team so that they can continue to achieve their goals and better the business. However, grit isn’t developed overnight. In my experience, grit is developed through trial and error and learning over time through having to make hard choices, making mistakes, and even failing on occasion. Therefore, leaders must set clear standards, define what success looks like for their team, and empower people to recognize where they need support and what barriers leaders can help them remove. Leaders can then ensure that grit sticks within people by consistently empowering their employees to become the best versions of themselves, be patient with the results, and be there at the conclusion with personal, genuine recognition. Once grit is within your people, they will work harder and smarter than before and empower others alongside you, and develop a culture where success is recognized and appreciated within the work unit.
Take Risks: Taking risks is the ultimate form of pushing people forward into the uncomfortable. As Leaders, we must be open to taking more risks and rolling with the punches when they arise. The path to success is often not a steady course, so it’s your grit that determines how far you will go. For example, when I wanted to become a more well-rounded professional, I took a risk by pursuing my MBA. At the time, I had a young family and a full-time job to prioritize alongside this new endeavor. But by taking a risk on myself, sacrificing time, and investing in my skills, I learned the tools to become a stronger professional, even though I did not know where it would take me at the time. While it may be hard at times to take risks, it’s crucial to develop the grit needed to make something better for the long haul.
Prioritize Perseverance: Since grit takes time to develop, those who want to become grittier must prioritize perseverance. When challenges arise, people with grit don’t back down or bow out; they are determined to press on and find new ways to overcome challenges. I often stress the importance of persevering through situations and challenges by sharing my experiences with the same philosophy as when I coached sports. I frequently apply those parallels back to the workplace when facing challenges or setbacks. I have used common football themes when leading my team, such as “inch by inch,” or “on the two-line” with projects, so need to score” or like “we can just Punt, or we can pull together and go for it.” It may sound silly to some, but these ideas are the same in business. As with sports, these challenges often create motivation, and with success, there is an opportunity for grit to form. Once you have the perseverance to withstand the storm and come out on the other side stronger than before, there isn’t anything you can’t accomplish.
Think Ahead: It’s a leader’s responsibility to develop effective strategies and consider your business’s future needs. In order to be a gritty leader, one must think ahead often, and not just about where your business’s industry is headed but also where you are and what you want to achieve in the future. To do this, leaders must often think about what are new areas can improve with opportunities to close performance gaps, when teams should reset processes and shift mindsets about how things are done so we can leverage new technologies, and what are the best practices and approaches other industries are using to create the competitive edge. I once had a Senior Leader that I often saw just looking out the window in deep thought or going for a walk by himself during the day. I remember it used to frustrate me to see him doing nothing. Then one day, I asked him about it, and he shared with me that as a leader, you have to find time “to just think” within the chaos of the day. It did not resonate with me at the time, but now as a leader, it certainly does. As a Senior Leader, you have to make time to think outside of the box and challenge yourself to think long term. To have grit, you have to use the time to develop the skill and strength to provide thought leadership and challenge your team and teach them to challenge you.
The Power is in Your People: Some of the most challenging times as a leader center around making tough decisions regarding your people. To have continued strong performance requires a solid team of talented, committed employees who are loyal and have your back as a leader. However, having the benefit of that as a leader is not a given, as it has to be earned with mutual respect and care for each other. That said, some of my toughest responsibilities as a leader have centered around addressing situations where individuals are not equipped or not motivated to do the job, or their influence causes dysfunction to occur within a team. This happens for several reasons, such as misalignment of the right talent at hire or a change in job scope. I have learned over the years that grit is required to have the managerial courage to address these directly and transparently with targeted, time-oriented personal development goals and plans, rotation of the job role to be on the “right seat on the bus,” or purely acknowledging the misfit of the individual in the role requiring a separation. I believe in people, but as a leader, you cannot ignore your responsibility to organizational performance as a whole and must make tough decisions to maintain quality business operations. I can think back to many situations early in my career where I delayed taking action or was passive in addressing issues, ultimately impacting overall team performance when it should not have. All employees have the right to succeed, and it’s a leader’s responsibility to ensure they do. Still, there are times when it just is not going to work, so having the managerial courage to address it is critical.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped you when things were tough? Can you share a story about that?
Certainly, having a strong support system with faith, family, and friends is all foundational. I have been blessed with this and have seen others inhibited without it. Developing a strong network of trusted allies both personally and professionally is very important. I give a lot of credit to those who have supported me for the professional success I have had in my career. I have also been fortunate enough throughout my career to have had strong leaders helping me grow and providing me with opportunities to grow on my own as well through trial and error.
Often, failures teach you more than successes. For example, in the middle of my career, our company was going through a significant business systems change and converted from a mainframe system to an ERP system as part of the industry’s Y2K transition. I was working at a remote plant at the time and was approached and asked by my Manager if I would be willing to support the project, which involved weekly travel for extended stays over two years. The purpose of my assignment was not only to represent the interest of operations for the new system but also as a personal development opportunity for me. My role at the time was as a manager of several functions and multiple plants that were key to plant operations. The expectation was that with his support and support of the team, I would stay connected with those responsibilities while taking on the role in the special assignment, so my current organizational position was not put at risk. As I think back on that time and my experience, working on a business systems project was probably the single best catalyst in my career, given the personal relationships and broader understanding of how a business runs I developed from it. Had I not had a supportive Manager that influenced me to do it and preserved and supported my existing organizational responsibilities, my career trajectory would have looked much different.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
One way I aim to bring goodness into the world is by being a developer of people. Coaching sports has always been a part of my life, and after coaching youth and high school football for many years, I saw the impact authentic leadership, coaching, and mentorship can have on people. It’s incredibly rewarding to have kids I coached in the past follow up with me as adults to share how my coaching impacted their life. So now I do my best to leverage the fundamentals of coaching within my leadership style and aim to coach people, whether it be in sports, business, or life in general, to work toward becoming the best versions of themselves. In coaching, you must be humble and have empathy, which is sometimes difficult to balance in a competitive environment, just like leading in business. So, I try to maintain a positive, winning attitude in whatever I do to potentially inspire others to do the same. Sometimes, the best thing you can do in this world is stay positive and work toward making the world a better place.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
At this point in my career, one of the most fulfilling projects I am working on is preparing my successors to become leaders themselves in the future. After 41 years with the business, I feel it is now my responsibility to leverage my experiences and support other leaders by sharing the lessons I have learned and how they inform the way I lead today. To prepare my successors for what they will eventually take on, I have been actively sharing my past experiences and providing them with different perspectives on business challenges to frame their thinking and future leadership. I also actively support a mentorship program at Elkay and have several mentees that I meet with regularly to discuss business challenges they are facing and help them with their personal development plans. I find this rewarding, especially since most of these mentor/mentee relationships are two-way. Often there is a natural age difference, so I leverage the opportunity to receive reverse feedback on things I can do to be a better leader by understanding the needs and wants of a different generation. Giving and receiving transparent two-way feedback is vital and very fulfilling.
It is also essential to equip our future leaders with the tools they need to succeed, and one way I can do that is by leveraging lessons I’ve learned through my past experiences to teach them so they can be better leaders. As we all continue to face new business challenges, we must do better to embrace the opportunities in front of us with advanced technologies using digital data, enabling an increased processing speed and new means for analytics. Many within the industry refer to this as 4.0, referring to the times we are in and utilizing these tools as the start of the 4th industrial revolution. We have multiple projects being deployed that embrace this thinking, and I believe it will significantly change how we do business. Embracing a progressive mindset to learn and be open to the changes and benefits this technology brings will be essential for us as leaders. This will change not only our business processes but also will change the talent we need within our organization, including leadership. Of course, these kinds of lessons can only come from people who have experienced it themselves, and as a leader, I feel that it is my duty to prepare future leaders for what is to come. It is my hope that these lessons and the on-the-job learning alongside me will help them to become even better leaders for the company’s future.
What advice would you give to other executives or founders to help their employees to thrive?
Employees thrive where they are respected and valued. At Elkay, our company values, which include “Our Strength is in Our People,” “Knowledge Empowers,” and “We Value Quality in All We Do,” drive not only business decisions but also facets that create expectations of us as leaders and our employee which in total define of our culture. Each value touches on a unique feature of Elkay’s business culture, but they all have one thing in common: they all relate to our people. With that being said, my advice to business leaders is to express the value of your company’s people regularly. This can be done through providing ample professional development opportunities for employees to pursue, ensuring leaders keep an open-door policy so employees feel that their ideas and concerns are being heard, or regularly recognizing the hard work and dedication of employees.
Of course, this can mean different things to different leaders depending on their industry. When I open each of my leadership meetings, I begin by asking leaders to identify opportunities where I personally can recognize an employee or team. These opportunities can include a service anniversary, personal accomplishment, contribution of an idea to their team, or even a simple act of extra effort or kindness. Having employees who know that I care and that their Leaders took the time to tell me can be extremely powerful. It creates followership, unity, and overall work unit performance excellence. Still, no matter the way it’s accomplished, leaders must express the value of their people so that they create a culture where their people feel appreciated and empowered every day.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I would want to inspire others to value the impact of their work. Too many times, I’ve encountered employees that do not feel as though their role or work is important or makes a difference. Every person is unique, making their individual contributions just as unique and unable to be replicated by anyone else in their very same role. Still, I’ve found that many people do not see it that way, and many times this can be because of the way business and their role in it is discussed. Business leaders often fall victim to the dangers of corporate-speak, which can result in referring to people as “heads” or “numbers” by their job instead of their personhood. Intentional or not, this way of speaking and the way we as leaders can often carry ourselves is felt by employees and makes them feel less important and valued. If more people understood and embraced their importance in their role, felt valued, and understood their impact, I believe the workplace could become more positive for all and invite two-way dialogues that lead to overall improvement.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Professional basketball player Ed Macauley once said, “When you are not practicing, remember, someone somewhere is practicing, and when you meet him, he will win.” While the quote is about sports, I often quote this in the workplace. Whether in sports or business, the message is the same: You have to keep working hard to make yourself better. At each of our business competitors, there is someone with the same role and responsibilities as you. If you work harder, longer, and with more commitment, you will perform better and grow. Then you will be able to do your role and lead your teams and employees to do better. So, the next time your business’s products, services, and reputation meet those of a competitor, you will win. At the end of the day, always working hard and toward becoming better are what really matter and make a competitive difference.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Readers who wish to connect can follow and reach out to me through LinkedIn.
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
Melissa Wong Of Zipline: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
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Positivity. Good leaders are always multi-faceted, but one constant characteristic I’ve always fallen back to in my career is kindness. Showcasing positive leadership with your direct reports can change the mood of an often stressful workplace to one full of camaraderie with potential for internal relationship-building from HQ to floor.
As part of our series about the “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Melissa Wong.
As co-founder and CEO of Zipline, a field enablement platform for distributed teams, Melissa Wong aims to improve the lives of retail associates by ensuring they feel valued and have the resources they need to excel in their jobs. With over ten years of experience in corporate communications working with disparate teams, Wong launched Zipline to streamline and simplify the way brands communicate from headquarters to the frontline. Melissa studied at Bates College and currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I launched Zipline after over a decade of working at a top global retailer in a communications and operations capacity. Despite great talent all around me and access to resources, I struggled to drive store execution and engagement. Knowing that the problem could be solved with a focus on bringing the ease of consumer technology into the enterprise, I left the company to start Zipline. I teamed up with my co-founder, Jeremy Baker, a repeat founder and technical leader,, to create the platform that I always wished I had. Today, our solution is being used by more than 65 brands, including Gap, Sephora, Rite Aid, AEO Inc., and Hy-Vee.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
Very early on in the infancy of the company, my co-founder and I had the opportunity to meet with a top retail brand that we had been coveting. I had been able to get a meeting with some of the managers and directors on the team. Our plan was to talk through how we approached store execution and engagement in a casual way, as more of a coffee chat. Instead, when we arrived, they checked us in and showed us into a 20 person conference room telling us to connect to the projector. We really had not prepared anything to show. Since then, I have always had a plan B.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
Earlier in my career at Old Navy, I had an amazing manager, Kim. She was able to see individuals for their strengths, support them in their life goals and help them achieve a healthy work-life balance. She was a role model for how I try to lead my team. She showed me that you can be compassionate and authentic while still being a compelling, courageous and impactful leader. I feel comfortable leading in a way that’s authentic to me because of her.
Extensive research suggests that “purpose-driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your company started, what was its vision, what was its purpose?
Our vision has not wavered since we started in 2014. Quite simply, we aim to to improve the lives of retail workers. We know that with better communications, retail workers can operate in a more informed, effective and efficient way. By connecting what employees need to know with what they need to do so everyone — down to the very frontline — knows what’s expected of them and what good looks like. As a result, they are more successful in their jobs, feel more aligned with their companies and are happier overall.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or difficult times?
Through COVID-19, it’s easy for people to feel scared, lonely and burnt out. There was a certain moment, where I realized that we needed to communicate more about these challenges — both personally and professionally since we were all facing it together. I learned to be more vulnerable, open and to communicate more frequently since people will fill in the gaps if you don’t.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
Yes. Building a business is hard. There are a lot of challenges that you face where there isn’t a “right” answer. It’s difficult to navigate through the unknown and have the learning agility to keep up with the pace. Every year I’m faced with different challenges (and opportunities!) as a leader. However, I do believe it comes down to conviction and for doing something for the right reason. I know how Zipline can make lives easier for stores, brands and employees. I truly believe in our vision and I see, every day, how Zipline is helping our customers be better brands and helping leaders be better coaches. As a result of Zipline, they’re transforming their operational models, providing better omnichannel experiences and improving the customer and employee experience. Knowing that the effort we put in will help make people’s lives easier across the board is what sustains me to keep going through tough times.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
One of the most critical roles of a leader is providing stability and psychological safety, particularly in uncertain times like the pandemic. In order for employees to show up to work each day and be productive, they need reassurance from managers and senior leaders that their basic needs will be met: jobs are safe, sick time will be provided, the company has a plan for how it will move forward. By being open and communicating these things to employees, it enables people to focus on doing work they love.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate and engage their team?
Uncertain times require giving employees the space to speak and be heard. Leaders can seek to foster an environment where employees can voice their concerns truthfully and without fear and in doing so, enable leaders to understand where opportunities for improvement may be. What’s equally as important — is that people feel better getting worries off their chest, knowing they’re not alone and in my experience working in the retail industry for nearly two decades, people can handle periods of uncertainty as long as they trust management has their best interest in mind. Small gestures, words of affirmation and public recognition of work well done can do wonders for morale and provide a much-needed boost.
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers?
Retail is quite a personal industry. I’ve found that honest conversation with a wider lens on the “why” and intent has been the most productive. Sharing context beyond just the news and talking about either next steps to get to a better point of clarity, or what other pieces were considered has helped with difficult news. In the field, bosses who are empathetic to their teams’ needs and share “the why” can best guide and orient teams that may not be on the same exact schedule as they are. Transparency, context and open communication are the keys for team members to know they are “in the loop,” — especially during this critical time of COVID-19 when shifting store protocols and customer policies are shifting on what feels like an irregular basis for most stores.
How can a leader make plans when the future is so unpredictable?
If there’s anything society has been forced to learn in the last two years, it’s the ability to roll with the punches. While fostering clear direction and achievable goals is essential, it’s equally as important to remain flexible and create backup solutions, as we never know what the future holds or allows. Leaders can create objectives with multiple roadmaps to success, so when forced to pivot, there’s always another way to make it over the finish line.
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
Support through open dialogue, communication and transparency. There’s often floating confusion and chaos surrounding a company in turbulent times. By opening the door for honest communication and creating a singular place for direction, everyone in the company can understand each other and align on protocols to achieve a company’s mission. It’s the reason we created the Zipline COVID-19 Hub so early in the pandemic — employees in every store fleet could easily access updated memos and first-line communication to help maintain structure within teams at critical times.
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make during difficult times? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
Not implementing new technology to adapt to changing times. Retail is forever changing. Today, agility is the new must-have quality in a strong retail brand. When times are uncertain many companies freeze. However, it’s during these periods of great transformation that brands need to transform and improve.
Not listening to employees. Zipline’s Labor of Love Report released in June 2021 showed that 43% of employees don’t feel consistently heard when suggesting in-store changes and improvements to retail headquarters. To avoid that, businesses should encourage two-way communication and adopt a platform like Zipline to support flexible communication in an easy-to-navigate app.
Over communicating. While field employees need to hear from HQ regularly, there needs to be a balance between sharing information and bombarding the field. One incredible benefit of Zipline is that it helps quiet the noise for store teams, giving them access to just the information they need for their role and allowing them to focus on what’s most important.
Generating new business, increasing your profits, or at least maintaining your financial stability can be challenging during good times, even more so during turbulent times. Can you share some of the strategies you use to keep forging ahead and not lose growth traction during a difficult economy?
The ability to pivot and remain nimble is paramount, particularly during turbulent times. The pandemic was, and continues to be, a hurdle for many of our customers. Regulations change at break-neck speeds, supply chain disruptions impact inventory, employees require time off if they exhibit symptoms of illness — the list goes on. Over the last two years, our goal has been to analyze these problems, see how Zipline can offer a solution, and empower teams with the resources they need to execute them. Being successful in this environment goes beyond offering a product; it requires being a trusted partner.
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times? Please share a story or an example for each.
Open-door policy. The strongest brand is only as strong as its employees. I‘ve found that when an associate feels safe and heard among management, the brand itself flourishes due to their comfort and security reflecting through the brand. As leaders, it’s vital to keep open communication with teams, whether virtual or physical — being able to answer questions or just lend a listening ear can mean so much to the health of a work environment.
Work constructively with field teams. As leaders, ask yourself what your frontline teams’ needs are, specific to their store and brand? The Great Resignation is real. Retail is often a hard and unforgiving job. With a common disconnect between brands and store teams, engaging with them will be the first step in leading an effective business.
Create opportunities. A stagnant workplace does nothing for an associate, therefore hurting management in the process. Leaders in-tune with their employee’s goals and aspirations within their jobs can show they’re willing to go the extra mile to help their employees on their self-actualizing journeys, creating positivity.
Maintain a vision for the future. Companies with stability and tangible goals tend to keep forward momentum. In a time where uncertainty persists, leaders who can show their employees what they’re working towardsand why can keep teams engaged with an overarching mission.
Positivity. Good leaders are always multi-faceted, but one constant characteristic I’ve always fallen back to in my career is kindness. Showcasing positive leadership with your direct reports can change the mood of an often stressful workplace to one full of camaraderie with potential for internal relationship-building from HQ to floor.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Throughout the different stages of growth at this company, I’ve had different quotes that reflected the intersections that I was at. As a founder, I’ve come to see my role more as managing change, as each year is so different from the one before. How do we move forward; what do we need to do to get to the next stage? How do we navigate through COVID and beyond? This quote in particular reflects the conviction and tenacity I think that I’d had to lean on in the past couple of years. “You have to have confidence in your ability and then be tough enough to follow through.” — Rosalynn Carter
How can our readers further follow your work?
Visit https://getzipline.com. There, they can learn more about Zipline’s platform, read about our case studies and request a demo of our product.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
The Future Is Now: Stan Farnsworth Of PulseForge On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up The Tech Scene
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Trust yourself, and learn to communicate your ideas. Plenty of times I’ve had ideas that weren’t “in the plan” or weren’t understood by my colleagues or managers. Yet, I knew they were important. I continue to strive to improve my communications skills, and coach students that effective communications are as important as having ideas to communicate! Having confidence in myself has been helpful throughout the years to help guide my day-to-day efforts as well as to provide an evolving longer-term narrative: From initial concept of the PulseForge tools to adoption in making cell phone displays!
As a part of our series about cutting edge technological breakthroughs, I had the pleasure of interviewingStan Farnsworth.
Stan Farnworth, chief marketing officer of PulseForge Corp., has been bringing technology innovations to markets and applications for over 25 years, with an emphasis on pulsed light thermal processing. As one of the founding members of NovaCentrix (2008) he was instrumental in bringing world-wide acceptance of pulsed light thermal processing to markets such as consumer electronics, photovoltaics, and RFID, along with diverse technical and scientific applications. Today, an estimated 600+ million products have been produced using this technology. As a founding member of Nanotechnologies Inc (1999), an early pioneer and recognized leader in the nanomaterial space, he set product and application priorities for nanomaterials and dispersions and led deployments in applications such as conductive inks and antimicrobial wound care additives. His volunteer activities include chairing the Frankfurt-based OE-A, the leading international association for printed and large-area flexible electronics with over 230 member organizations worldwide, mentoring entrepreneurs at the Capital Factory in Austin, and chairing the STEM advisory board at an Austin area high school. In this capacity, he has been working to increase diversity in STEM education and improve awareness of technology opportunities for all students. He has a master’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas and a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Rice University.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Hi, it’s certainly my pleasure and honor to speak with you! My first introduction to pulsed-light processing actually happened in graduate school. My lab was attached to an Army-funded facility working on electro-thermal rail guns and hyper-velocity ballistics. A curious material residue powder was observed to be accumulating at the end of the launch-tube of the rail gun, which turned out to be very novel forms of nanoscale materials. We formed Nanotechnologies Inc to evolve and produce these very unique materials for diverse applications. Eventually those related technologies formed the basis of the innovative flash-lamp-based heating system, initially dubbed photonic curing, and which has now been spun-off into PulseForge Corp. to address global opportunities in sustainable manufacturing. At Nanotechnologies Inc., I was initially leading the technology-development efforts, but we were having a hard time finding a business team with a deep-enough understanding of both the tech and the markets. I was spending my time working with them to coach them along, and soon after the foundation the investors approached me to ask if I would consider moving over to the business side. I was intrigued by that and made the switch to the business side permanently. Today, I truly enjoy being able to stay involved in tech advancements and guide the intersection and engagement with both near-term and over-the-horizon market opportunities, while taking our innovations all the way to the market.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Well, how much time do we have! Working on bio-terror remediation solutions with U.S. special forces, and in general convincing any number of very skeptical engineers that our new tech was not only feasible, but actually an advantage come to mind. Specifically though, one of the more poignant experiences earlier in my career was when we made the decision to explore the effectiveness of nanosilver powders against a range of bacteria and viruses. We sponsored a set of testing that demonstrated impressive antimicrobial and anti-viral results, even obtaining some very cool electron microscope images of the nanosilver interacting with bacteria and viruses. The FDA got wind of this and invited me to travel to Bethesda to present our findings to a special open attendance session. As a mechanical engineer the thought of presenting our bio-efficacy findings to leading global experts was very intimidating! In the end the session went very well. At the same time, we had started the EPA application process to register our nanosilver as an active ingredient for various sanitation and disinfecting products, based on the same data. We were told that these introductory meetings were often perfunctory, with one or two EPA attendees usually. To the contrary, I walked in on a full room, with maybe 2 dozen senior EPA scientists and administrators, including an assistant director of the whole EPA. We had a very helpful exchange, and that wound up playing a large role in how we decided to go forward.
Can you tell us about the cutting edge technological breakthroughs that you are working on? How do you think that will help people?
Our focus now is on the PulseForge® Digital Thermal Processing™ tools. These tools deliver energy unlike any tools in the global manufacturing industry, and in fact, are a new means of delivering applied energy for manufacturing. They allow designers to build what they imagine, resolving the limitations of materials and processing temperatures on product design and manufacturing. Essentially, they allow very high-temperatures to be achieved with temperature-sensitive materials for brief moments of time, allowing the benefits of high-temp processing without damaging the low-temp materials. For example, the PulseForge tools can solder electronic components and batteries, actually melting the metallic solder, directly onto thin lightweight flexible plastic. It seems impossible, but works because of how we are using time and physics in our favor. Not only that, because of the sub-second processing times, energy savings of as much as 85% are achieved. This in turn means significant greenhouse gas emission reductions and will meaningfully decarbonize the supply chain. We ran some estimates and broader adoption of these tools could single-handedly drop global greenhouse gas emissions by 1% or greater in the next 10 years.
So what does all this mean for real-world products? Well, for example it means blood testing and other forms of more advanced medical wearables can be built directly on skin patches, and not on detached test probes or cumbersome chunky designs. The benefits include more accurate, real-time monitoring of health conditions resulting in substantial lifestyle improvements and reduced health disruptions. Our technology also enables new light-weight versions of AR/VR goggles that look and feel more like eye masks than the awkward strap-on plastic boxes. It turns out that currently around 20 minutes is the rule of thumb for average consumer tolerance of wearing AR/VR googles. Making the goggles lighter and more comfortable dramatically increases user tolerance, which in turn increases the opportunities for content and games enriching the user experience.
How do you think this might change the world?
We envision a world with new products currently unimaginable, built to provide improved health and lifestyle while at the same time being smarter and more responsible to the health of the planet and all those who live here. By offering designers and producers new manufacturing technologies, we can let them better tap into their creativity without being hampered by current manufacturing constraints.
We chose to debut PulseForge Corp. at CES in Las Vegas a few weeks ago exactly because we could engage with product designers seeking to reduce weight and increase form-factor flexibility by being able to build electronics on new materials like lightweight recycled plastic, paper, or textiles. As wearables, AR/VR, and automotive markets continue to evolve, along with consumer expectations for performance and sustainability, our technology is proving key to enabling these to collectively be achieved, without compromise. It’s extremely important to us that we evolve with the industry and provide earth-friendly solutions to the global market. By combining increased performance and design flexibility, plus manufacturing efficiency and throughput, with dramatic energy savings, and at equipment pricing similar to or reduced from current solutions, we will make the earth-friendly choice the right choice by any consideration. This will change how businesses and brands operate, and empower consumers to make earth-friendly purchase choices.
Keeping “Black Mirror” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?
To some degree, our current global situation of pollution and strained natural resources is the result of not taking into account the earth impact of technology adoption up to now. I was actually heavily influenced by Ray Bradbury as a boy, reading the Martian Chronicles anthology many times. I was horrified at the prospect of having to live underground or in protective bubble cities due to wanton disregard for the planet’s natural resources and ecosystems, including the stunning bio-diversity Earth enjoys. With the PulseForge tools we are trying to tip the scales back into equilibrium, facilitating the next level of technology development and adoption and enabling responsible stewardship of this great planet and all life on it.
Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this breakthrough? Can you tell us that story?
For this I must credit our team including Dr. Kurt Schroder. He first realized we could take a derivative of the rail gun technology we had been using to make nanoparticles, and pivot that into powering novel flash lamps to achieve this type of near-instant thermal processing, thereby shortcutting the collateral damage that is typically the result of high-temp processing. Once this technology was refined and productized, our first major implementation was in the production of cell phone displays in the mid 2010’s. Our tools enabled the use of new materials that the product designers needed in order to achieve very aggressive design and performance requirements. To have been with the tech from concept all the way to global mainstream utilization is very rewarding I must say. Today millions of people own some piece of electronics that would not have been possible were it not for the use of our tools, all the while using materials and energy more efficiently.
What do you need to lead this technology to widespread adoption?
In this case we actually have to think social media. I have learned that presenting at conferences and making 1-on-1 presentations can certainly be very effective at bringing awareness of these important capabilities to those who will use them, but those methods are difficult to scale. In the relatively recent rise of social media in B2B use, we are seeing finally a scalable pathway to broader global awareness. Now we are being contacted daily by people who we have never met but who are already understanding the application and even urgency of using this new tech. These are exciting times — being able to build a global community through digital communications! Of course, person-to-person communication is still ultimately crucial, and we will continue to be very active at events and with building long-term personal relationships.
What have you been doing to publicize this idea? Have you been using any innovative marketing strategies?
I would like to think we are also in the process of pioneering how to use social media to build awareness. For example, the team trialed a new technique at CES recently. We met several potential users of the Digital Thermal Processing tools and discussed with them how these capabilities might impact their products and sustainability goals. With their permission and engagement, we recorded the conversations and have been releasing clips on LinkedIn and Twitter. The views and responses have been great! I’m a believer that use of social media platforms will continue to evolve, and we hope to stay as pioneers in being smarter in how we use these platforms for business and for bringing awareness to the ideals which are important for the team here at PulseForge Corp.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
There have been so many who have shown confidence in me and given me the opportunity to grow and move forward. I’ll go all the way back to my undergraduate days at Rice University, which of course is in Houston. I was looking for a summer job back home in Austin, and was contacting research professors at the University of Texas inquiring if they needed any summer help for their programs. Most just never got back to me, and a few even responded that they had their own students and why would they want me when I didn’t even go to UT. After a few weeks though I did hear back from one professor, Dr. Dennis Wilson in the mechanical engineering department, that he got some last minute funding for a quick-turn program, but all of his students were already working on other projects. He asked if I would I be interested in putting together a start-to-finish project to develop, test, and write-up a heating study looking at different types of nose-cone shapes in the university’s high-speed (Mach 5) wind tunnel. It was a dream project, especially as an undergraduate student, and resulted in his inviting me to join his graduate school group in thermal fluids. Later, we reconnected again to start up Nanotechnologies, Inc.
Another important story for me occurred in the early days right out of grad school. I was in the manufacturing quality group at Applied Materials, and we were in the process of bringing the new Austin facility on-line as a manufacturing expansion from the HQ in Santa Clara. The transition of new semiconductor manufacturing equipment from R&D in California to be built in Austin was proving a little bit rocky. From my perspective I could see some hand-off processes and areas that weren’t lining up too well, and in my spare time started to scribble some process flow diagrams that I thought might help. I showed my manager, Alan Fogle, just so he would know I wasn’t just idly doodling, and he took note. A few days later he approached me with some urgency, asking me to gather up my sketches made on taped-together printer sheets. The Global VP of Quality was in town and wanted to see what I was doing. We met Malcolm Grey in the wood-paneled executive conference room and I spread out my pen and pencil sheets on the polished wooden table. I went over my thoughts and notes with him and the next week I was on a plane for Santa Clara. He had lined up introductions with executives and directors up and down the business units. Alan Fogle’s and then Malcolm Grey’s confidence in me and recognition of my ideas were a key factors for my success, and I like to think helped Applied Materials as well.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
Well, I hope that this story is still continuing! One example is the nanosilver I mentioned earlier. That material is being used right now in wound-care dressings that offer accelerated healing for large-area skin damage such as from burns or diabetic ulcers. The nanosilver-containing bandages are shown to promote skin regrowth and reduce infection. Also on the materials-side, I’m especially excited about one of our customers called InkSpace Imaging. They recently received FDA approval for their novel medical MRI imaging vest technology, which uses our conductive inks to build light-weight imaging vests as a tremendous improvement over the current vests which are very heavy and awkward. This has proven especially beneficial for children, who are often quite scared of the MRI process anyway plus then having to be virtually pinned down with heavy vests. The new vests are light-weight and even provide better results because they can achieve better conformal fit.
Changing products, our PulseForge customers are using our tools now for developing evolved wearables including for advanced medical monitoring. The tools are also being used to build improved solar cells, and for improved manufacturing of a number of consumer electronics products.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why.
Trust yourself, and learn to communicate your ideas. Plenty of times I’ve had ideas that weren’t “in the plan” or weren’t understood by my colleagues or managers. Yet, I knew they were important. I continue to strive to improve my communications skills, and coach students that effective communications are as important as having ideas to communicate! Having confidence in myself has been helpful throughout the years to help guide my day-to-day efforts as well as to provide an evolving longer-term narrative: From initial concept of the PulseForge tools to adoption in making cell phone displays!
Be patient — play the long game. Real change can take time, and happens one step at a time. Whether changing product development processes, or building awareness for new climate-saving industrial thermal processing technology, it takes time and diligence to have a long-term impact. Setbacks happen, but persistence and adaptation will persevere. In fact, it always takes longer to accomplish a change than it seems. Change implementation has lots of dependencies, and they are never all controllable!
Build a team, and be open to input! Change doesn’t happen on our own. I truly love working with people, and both sharing vision and also building consensus and ownership about how to go forward is crucial. Our marketing efforts are based on the strength of relationships, with shared goals and convictions. Building advocates outside of our organization is crucial. We can’t be in every meeting our potential customers and partners have. Yet, in building external advocates, we increase the chances of our efforts being discussed. This is how we can scale our efforts.
Stay alert. The world is always changing, and needs and opportunities will change as well. Ideas can gain and lose significance, and it’s important to evaluate the timing as well as the effectiveness of possible next steps. We have been working with PulseForge technology now for over 15 years. Yet, only recently did we realize the tremendous energy savings inherent to the tool’s concept is important! Applying the concept to other industries beyond electronics development and manufacturing is now a goal for us, with substantial implications for the size of our business as well as the health of the planet and its occupants.
Accept help, and don’t be afraid to ask for it. Getting help is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of awareness! Whether the help is to overcome a short-term obstacle, or to achieve a long-term vision, few great changes can happen on our own.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would start a movement to encourage initiative, and to encourage rewarding initiative with opportunity. We could perhaps call the movement “The Initiative Project” and bring awareness to the ideals of individual courage it takes to try something new, to extend beyond one’s current capabilities. Entrepreneurs know this feeling well, and it can be applied in other forms and efforts. Another ideal of The Initiative Project would be to recognize and reward initiative when it is demonstrated. That’s really how we will all make progress and continue to pull forward. This can be implemented in the workplace, in volunteer work, and even in our own daily interactions with one another.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
One of the most important life lesson quotes would have to be “To thine own self be true.” Now, this can unpack in lots of ways. First, it does NOT mean “be a self-centered jerk”. It does not mean prioritize myself over all others. It does not mean my needs and wants are always the most important. What it DOES mean is to be aware of myself, recognizing myself for who I am, and trying to be honest about it. It is about self-awareness. This has been very helpful for understanding how I am similar, and different, from others around me and in the world at large. It has helped me to recognize strengths and weaknesses. The world can be a very confusing place, and if we spend our time trying to define ourselves based on those around us, we can be left unfulfilled and even be led astray from what is really important to us. For me this has meant being comfortable and embracing the natural curiosity I have, not being afraid to ask questions, and being truly interested in the people around me. I think it is always better to be authentic- plus it must be easier than trying to maintain some sort of façade!
Some very well known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
Our PulseForge tools offer a no-compromise solution to enable manufacturing of advanced product concepts such as in VR/AR/XR, wearables, and automotive electronics, all while using dramatically less energy with resulting reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) production. While electronics manufacturing is our current go-to-market target, our strategy is to adapt the Digital Thermal Processing concept to other areas of manufacturing, still predicated on faster production of innovative products, creating and growing market value while saving the planet at the same time. Not only that, because of the sub-second processing times, energy savings of as much as 85% are achieved. This in turn means significant greenhouse gas emission reductions, and will meaningfully decarbonize the supply chain. We ran some estimates and broader adoption of these tools could single-handedly drop global greenhouse gas emissions by 1% or greater in the next 10 years. We feel real urgency to move quickly, and those investors who share our vision for enabled products and reduced GHG should join with us to move forward with purpose and acceleration.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
You can follow us on LinkedIn at PulseForge Corporation and on Twitter at @PulseForgeCorp.
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
Lakeasha Williams Of Brickhouse Unlimited: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
…Transformational Leadership- the leader must have an equity warrior mindset of making things happen no matter what.
As part of our series about the “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Lakeasha Williams.
Principal Lakeasha Williams, is a Brooklyn native who is enthusiastic about serving in communities that she loves. She is a social justice educational leader with over twenty years of experience as a paraprofessional, classroom teacher, staff developer, assistant principal, special education administrator, and principal coach. During her rookie year she earned the Patricia McGuirk “Principal of the Year Award.” Lakeasha’s lived experience coupled with her professional experience gave her the necessary tools to effectively lead during turbulent times and found her company, Brickhouse Unlimited.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
Growing up as the firstborn child and grandchild I was a natural born leader. I also found myself always helping my younger siblings and cousins. As I grew up, I naturally gravitated towards teaching. However, I never thought about doing anything beyond teaching. My first principal, Dr. Janice Jacob, encouraged me to pursue additional leadership opportunities. She saw that I was able to advance my students, engage with my families, and support my colleagues extremely well. I took advantage of every opportunity to grow under her leadership. Subsequently, I am now a lead school improvement expert, author, as well as upcoming entrepreneur.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?
The funniest mistake I made as a new principal was scheduling a hair appointment during our character day parade. I had a “bad” hair day moment. My school community knows that I like to “shine” every day. But it was also important for me to show up for my children, my shining stars. Ultimately, I decided to purchase, a nice head wrap and wore it with a nice African print dress. I went to school representing an African Queen. It was a hit with the children!
I had several “take aways” such as be ready to improvise, show up no matter what, and always be willing to laugh at yourself. So even though I initially panicked, after relaxing and taking a deep breath, I was able to find a solution and make it a win- win situation for myself and the students.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
It’s extremely important that every executive leader continue to engage in mentorship. I am fortunate to have a mentor, Dennis McKesey, who continues to encourage me to grow beyond my comfort level. Becoming a new author to the amazon best seller, Shine On Brown Girl, is an example of his influence. I am grateful that he saw something special in me during a turbulent time period of my life. He stood by my side while others shunned me. His belief in me gives me the freedom and flexibility to make mistakes and stretch myself to reach even higher heights. His support during my administrative years is greatly attributed to me being a school improvement expert, best- selling author, and upcoming entrepreneur today. I am forever grateful for his impact on my life.
Extensive research suggests that “purpose driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your company started, what was its vision, what was its purpose?
My quest to improve schools led me to Brickhouse Unlimited. A company that was formed during the pandemic as an avenue to strengthen our communities, families, and schools. As a school improvement expert, I ensure that my school community has equitable resources and supportive services for children and families. As an Amazon best-selling author, I provide additional wellness opportunities for the community. As a real estate consultant, I’m developing the blueprint for creating generational wealth. My ultimate goal is to improve the overall quality of life for every community member. Hence, the purpose of Brickhouse Unlimited.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or difficult times?
I was able to effectively lead my team during the Covid 19 global pandemic. Schools shut down March 2019 and we had to pivot to remote learning overnight! I was not in the best of health, I was afraid, and I knew that my school community had some technology challenges. However, despite those factors I showed up for work and we did the impossible to prepare for remote learning in a record breaking 3 days! I provided technology professional development. We distributed technology devices to 75% of our student population. Additionally, I incorporated school wellness strategies as an integral part of our new normal during this pandemic.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
Of course, I considered giving up! This was a new phenomenon for everyone and I was afraid too. My motivation was my children and my families. They showed up everyday for remote learning. They were looking to us to provide them with some stability and a level of normalcy. My desire to serve and help others is what sustains my drive. My parents were grateful and appreciative for the supports we provided for them during this time as well. This was enough to keep me going. As a community we even conducted a Thank you Essential Workers car parade to show our appreciation to the larger community. These are the moments of unity and humanity that I live for.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
The most critical role is for the leader to exude hope. As long as we have hope we have the ability to see beyond our present set of circumstances. We know that this too shall pass.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate and engage their team?
A leader has to be honest about the situation. Provide appropriate action plans to effectively navigate the situation. The leader must also find ways to still celebrate their team.
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers?
A leader must be able to have courageous conversations. If the news affects the entire organization, then hold townhalls to share the news. If it affects individuals speak directly to the necessary party. In both cases follow up with written documentation.
How can a leader make plans when the future is so unpredictable?
The chief function of a leader is to have vision. The ability to see beyond the present set of circumstances. It is imperative that a leader make plans for the future.
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
A number one principle is to maintain a sense of hope through it all.
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make during difficult times? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
Common mistakes:
Does not meet with the team to share information.
The people on the “ground” are the last to know information yet are the most impacted.
Emotionally unavailable or distant.
No solid plans that’s applicable to the present situation or for the future.
To avoid those pitfalls a leader should do the exact opposite: meet with the team, information should be shared in a timely manner, be empathetic, have your short- and long-term action plans prepared.
Generating new business, increasing your profits, or at least maintaining your financial stability can be challenging during good times, even more so during turbulent times. Can you share some of the strategies you use to keep forging ahead and not lose growth traction during a difficult economy?
A leader has to consistently have fresh ideas on deck to pivot and create additional opportunities to grow the business. For example, although we could not meet in person during the pandemic, zoom provided a different delivery method of pertinent information. Therefore, we were able to continue to grow. Also conduct research to determine the needs of the consumers. Provide a mechanism to meet those needs. For my community food insecurity was a top priority. Subsequently, I found ways to partner with organizations to provide those services and be able to still connect with my school community.
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times? Please share a story or an example for each.
These are the 5 Major Key Shifts that’s applicable for any business leader during uncertain and turbulent times.
Transformational Leadership- the leader must have an equity warrior mindset of making things happen no matter what.
Community Empowerment- there’s power in partnerships; seek support beyond your organization to meet and exceed your company goals.
Leadership Teams- engage everyone on your team; I often times use the sports analogy- every member of the football team is a valuable player; everyone on your team has a vital role, that’s’ how teams win.
Achievement Cycles- develop a progress monitoring system to track the company’s growth and make adjustments when necessary.
Impactful Work Performance- the ability to supervise, give feedback, and grow the productivity of the employees.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favorite quote is, “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth,” Muhammad Ali.
My life is a reflection of this quote. I am here to serve children, families, and the community in an attempt to make this world a better place for all of us.
How can our readers further follow your work?
Readers can go to my company’s website and gain access to all things related to Lakeasha Williams including my social media accounts.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
The Future Is Now: Arthur Erickson Of Hylio On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up The Global Ag-Sector
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
There’s Always Tomorrow. Taking a break is important. I’ve obsessively pounded away at problems for several nights in a row but you have to recognize that sleep deprivation is affecting your decision making more than you might think. Often times, taking a break and getting a good night’s rest lets you see more clearly and allows you to solve a problem faster than if you just try to grind through it.
As a part of our series about cutting edge technological breakthroughs, I had the pleasure of interviewingArthur Erickson.
Arthur’s intense interest in UAS began when he was studying aerospace engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. While studying, he worked with a research team at UT to deploy drones for disaster prediction/response and transportation optimization. Recognizing the enormous potential of UAS technology, Arthur, and some other UT alumni decided to form Hylio in 2015. In 2017, Arthur applied his experience and passion for UAS by leading Hylio’s parcel delivery project in Costa Rica alongside a local on-demand delivery startup. Now Arthur leverages his technical and management experience to lead Hylio as it applies it revolutionizes the global ag-sector.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Like many other entrepreneurs/engineers, I grew up loving science. By the time I was a teenager, my passion started to gear more specifically towards robotics and aerospace (perhaps partially because I grew up in Houston and visited the JSC many, many times). On a semi-related note, when I was 17, I had an accident involving a very ill-conceived DIY rocket design that I had made that resulted in intense 2nd, and some 3rd degree, burns all across my lower legs. I learned a lot about risk management from that experience.
Anyway, early in my undergrad education at UT Austin, it became clear that aerospace engineering was the optimal degree plan for me. Even before I had started Hylio, I had entered into college thinking that the aerospace industry in general was going to be increasingly important for our future as species. I wasn’t quite sure yet what projects I wanted to pursue specifically, but I knew that I wanted to build up a strong foundation of aerospace skills/knowledge within myself.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
This little anecdote isn’t directly related to what our company does but it’s probably the single most interesting moment I’ve experienced during my Hylio travels. I was in Honduras in the summer of 2019. I had just been operating in the field with one of our teams; we were spraying sugar cane for a large, corporate producer using our drone systems. The job went off without a hitch, it was on my attempted return to the US that things went awry. I caught a bus into Tegucigalpa to board my flight out. Once we got within a few miles of the airport, the bus refused to go any further, claiming that it was too dangerous. I wasn’t certain what the bus driver meant so I (stupidly) decided to get out and just hoof it the rest of the way to the airport; I really didn’t want to miss my flight home.
By the time the airport was in sight, I had walked into a crowd of protestors who I later learned were protesting some recent proposed legislation in Honduras. I thought if I just kept my head down and kept up the pace, I could make it to the airport and get out of the country before things heated up even further. I managed to get just 5 meters from the airport when the military/policy at that moment decided to use the airport itself as a staging ground to organize and attempt to control the protestors. They quickly put up a barrier, blocking my entry, and then the protestors around me started rushing the barricade. The police/military responded by firing several tear gas canisters into the crowd which immediately, temporarily blinded me. In the rapidly escalating confusion, I managed to run to shelter across the street in a mall. I ended up spending the night at a nearby hotel and caught a flight the next morning.
Of course, this story doesn’t have anything to do with drones or agriculture but I still like to tell it as an example that illustrates that sometimes entrepreneurship puts you in situations that you could never expect. I’ve since been back to Honduras a few times and we still have plenty of business down there.
Can you tell us about the cutting-edge technological breakthroughs that you are working on? How do you think that will help people?
In a nutshell: Hylio develops and offers innovative drone systems that completely automate precision agriculture processes. Using Hylio’s technology, farmers/producers can now apply crop treatments directly to problem areas, allowing farmers to increase yields by addressing pests and deficiencies with more accuracy and efficacy.
The devil is in the details. Both literally and figuratively, there are thousands of moving parts in our company. Our hardware engineers are working on dozens of innovative projects including: automated payload swapping systems, automated drone charging stations, sensor suites that can safely navigate
How do you think this might change the world?
I think automated, precision farming machines (like Hylio’s) are an absolute necessity for the future of ag-production on our planet. Our world is currently facing
Declining availability of farm labor
Supply chain disruptions affecting production of farming equipment and thus food
A continually growing world population and along with that, growing food insecurity in many regions
In order to combat the above issues, our civilization needs to adopt autonomous crop treatment devices that are smarter and more cost efficient than our current methods.
In 10–20 years, I expect that most farming operations will utilize some form of precision crop tech; whether that be Hylio’s spray drones or something along similar lines.
Keeping “Black Mirror” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?
Like any new technology, there always exists the risk that certain people and/or organizations may try to utilize it for nefarious purposes. This is a ham-fisted analogy but take nuclear energy as an obvious example; tremendous potential to improve our planet through clean energy solutions but also tremendous potential to wreak havoc in the form of weapons (and I’m not saying our drones are as monumental as the advent of nuclear energy).
We need to be mindful that some bad actors will try to utilize UAS technology for harm. In fact, this is already happening throughout the world. It is up to us as the creators of the technology to keep these potential risks in mind. Through careful planning and design of secure, encrypted systems, we should be able to significantly mitigate the chance of our drones being destructive.
Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this breakthrough? Can you tell us that story?
Well, my team and I had an “aha moment” of sorts in Costa Rica several years ago in the early stages of the company. When Hylio first started, we actually were working on drones for delivery of small parcels (food, medicine, beverages). While working on that project in the Costa Rica area, we often found ourselves in rural areas where we could observe the ag-production processes that the local farms employed.
One afternoon, I recall that we were watching local workers haphazardly spraying ag-chemicals using a backpack mounted sprayer, and we even saw some workers dispensing chemicals literally by hand (cupping their hands as a bowl of sorts). Upon seeing that, we just all realized that our drones can be a much safer and effective way of applying these crop treatments.
What do you need to lead this technology to widespread adoption?
In the coming years we simply need to aggressively evangelize this technology. When we go to farm and ag-equipment expos, many of the attendants still are not aware that drone technology can be used to apply these crop treatment products. We are still very early in the technology adoption curve so the biggest challenge is simply getting the word out.
What have you been doing to publicize this idea? Have you been using any innovative marketing strategies?
Like many startups, we engage heavily in online marketing via Google and social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. I wouldn’t say we’re doing anything particularly innovative in the marketing dept. at the moment; in fact, perhaps a bit of the opposite but to positive effect. We are huge fans of physical trade shows because (A) our drones are very exciting to see in person and seeing the drone in action is worth a thousand words and (B) a lot of our target customer base prefers to learn about and purchase new products at these physical trade shows. These trade shows are out of style for many of the solely-software focused startups but we still get a lot out of them.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I have to give a shout out here to my senior design professor at UT Austin, Armand Chaput. He was one of the chief engineers on Lockheed Martin’s F-35 JSF Program. He was my professor during my final year of aerospace engineering at UT. He taught my fellow students and I how to design a mission-focused UAS from the ground up. His class was incredibly enlightening and it showed me that a seemingly complex problem can be solved with a careful, systematic approach.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
Our technology is putting power back into the hands of small farms, many of which are family owned and operated. They’re relatively cheap, meaning that you don’t have to be a corporate-backed super farm to purchase them. We also designed our software to be very intuitive so that people of all backgrounds could utilize it. Our drones have helped many small-scale farmers achieve very successful yields where previously they were finding it hard to stay afloat with rising crop care prices and large, corporate farms pushing others out of the market.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why.
There Aren’t Enough Hours in the Day.
I recall working jobs when I was a teenager, fast food delivery and things like that, and I was always just counting down the hours until I could clock out. As a CEO, the end of the day always comes way too quickly and there are usually 100 things that I still wanted to get done that day that will have to wait until the following day.
2. There’s Always Tomorrow.
Taking a break is important. I’ve obsessively pounded away at problems for several nights in a row but you have to recognize that sleep deprivation is affecting your decision making more than you might think. Often times, taking a break and getting a good night’s rest lets you see more clearly and allows you to solve a problem faster than if you just try to grind through it.
3. Two is one, one is none.
For any system, whether that be hardware, software, or even something non-physical like a standard operating procedure, you need to have backups and contingencies. In the early days of our company when we were operating as a service provider, there were countless times when we were waiting on repair parts that we didn’t have on hand. If we had planned a little better, we’d be up in the air that much sooner and back to making revenue.
4. Hardware is Hard, Flying Hardware is Even Harder.
It took several years for our hardware systems to reach a level of professional stability. I knew the endeavor would be hard going into it but I didn’t realize just how challenging it would get.
5. You Need to Delegate.
I’m the type of person that believes he can do anything; the objective truth is that there are many people that are better than me at certain things and they should handle those tasks. Not to mention the fact that there are only 24 hours in the day. Ultimately, as a CEO, it’s imperative that you get good at delegating. Maybe that team member doesn’t handle a problem exactly how you would, and maybe that’s a good thing.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I think most human beings have enormous potential, but unfortunately many great minds are never able to access education and tools that could lead to innovations for our civilization. This is a nerdy, engineer answer but if I could inspire any movement, it would be a push to give as many people around the world access to an excellent STEM education from a young age. I’m not saying that everyone should or needs to be a STEM professional but those are foundational skills that could make us all more proactive and conscientious about the problems our planet is facing. More scientific literacy, I would hope, would lead to tons of inventions and solutions that make our planet that much better to live on. You can tell I’m a fan of Carl Sagan.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
This reference is a little dated, but one quote I often come back to is from Lawrence of Arabia (1962). In the film, T.E. Lawrence says, “Big things have small beginnings”. I am a big fan of the film from an artistic standpoint but I’m not commenting on any of the surrounding politics. Simply put, the idea that massive change could come about thanks to the efforts of a few, driven individuals is something that I think is widely applicable in entrepreneurship. The systems and institutions that Hylio is going up against are fairly ingrained, but with significant effort, every day, I think we can make quite a difference.
Some very well known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
When everyone is in the metaverse, someone still needs to feed us. I completely understand the appeal of investing in the software sphere, especially where things are growing incredibly fast in the AI, blockchain, and metaverse sectors. Those companies scale quickly and exits can be fast and astronomical.
With that being said, there is incredible, perennial value in the ag-space. There is a reason why Bill Gates is the largest individual farmland owner in the US. It’s important for institutionalized capital to realize that there are big disruptions occurring in the ag-tech space now that will ultimately shape how we eat for the next few hundred years. What will ever be more important than how we put food on the table?
Blake Hansen Of Alturas: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Business leaders must be personally financially stable (or they put undue stress on their business during difficult times).
As part of our series about the “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Blake Hansen.
Blake Hansen has been an active entrepreneur since he was a young boy, making his first stock market investment at 12 years old. Today, he runs Alturas, a holding company that owns a diversified group of operating businesses in real estate, construction, software, and more. On the real estate side, they own about 3 million square feet of real estate.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
My story starts back when my dad got me into the stock market as a kid. I started thinking about business and business ownership. I came across some extra money when my mom died and I started investing more during the dot com boom.
On the other side of the bust, when I lost all my money (plus some) because of some risky investments and trades that I had done, I had to figure out if there really was a way to make money long-term, even with the market cycles. Because it seemed to me like you can make money when the market was going up and then you would lose it all in the market went down. So I started studying to see if there were people that had long-term outperformed the markets.
Naturally, I came across Warren Buffet who had some principles that felt natural to me. He also had a system using operating partners, and there’s a whole lot to this story, but that in a nutshell is how I started down the path and started creating a vision like Warren Buffet did in Omaha, Nebraska.
I thought, “Why couldn’t I do it in Boise, Idaho in my own little way?” And I wanted to create this diversified portfolio of operating businesses as he had. I found my first application in his philosophies in real estate. And then I eventually started applying the same principles across different industries and different businesses.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
Oh my gosh, we made so many mistakes.
We make mistakes all the time. You have to laugh about it.
But the fact that we’ve made so many mistakes and we don’t dwell on the mistake. We learned from it and move on. I think that’s what you probably could learn from this conversation is we make mistakes every day. We do stupid things all the time. We say, sorry. We get better. And we learn from it and try not to do it again. You know what I mean? That’s it. That’s what it comes down to. So what we have learned is how to build a culture of innovation and continual improvement by embracing our mistakes, giving room for our people to make mistakes.
How does that start? It’s the culture that starts from the top. I make mistakes. I acknowledge my mistakes. I call everything “experiments”. I give people room to play in this idea of doing experimentation. So everything we’re doing is an experiment. We don’t have final answers on anything. And if we do, we have to be open to changing it tomorrow. We may come up with the best solution today and we may find a better one tomorrow and we have to be open to that. So I don’t even know that we call it mistakes. It’s just the process. It’s this evolutionary process. It’s this iterative process of running businesses.
We’re business operators. And when you operate a business that means you’re a people builder. I say, if build businesses, you build people. It means you’re dealing with people, which means you’re dealing with what that brings.
So many people are like, “I don’t want employees. I don’t want to deal with employees. I don’t want to deal with all that headache.”
And I think, “Well, that’s unfortunate.”
That’s like saying you don’t want to have kids because they’re a pain. That just takes away your learning. That takes away from your growth and development. So I say, “Yeah, bring on the employees and what that means because all of that’s learning.”
I want to learn how to do that. I want our people to get better at managing people and working through challenges and figuring out how to rectify situations when they botch it. That’s great. That’s what life’s all about.
The day you wake up and you say, “I figured it out and I have nothing else to do.” That’s a crappy day. That’s a horrible day in your existence.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
Thousands of people. It will make me cry if I start thinking about it because people have been so good to me along the way.
In my biggest moments of potential failure, people have come through to help me out in ways that I want to be able to do for other people. My business partners and the struggles of building these businesses together. We couldn’t do it without each other.
My dad was my very first business partner. Couldn’t have ever done it without him. Although early on he was critical, I still needed him and was able to reciprocate and make his investment in me worthy of the investment.
I’ve had a lot of coaches and mentors, other entrepreneurs who have been there to help me through some of the challenges that I’ve faced.
I’ve gotten very lucky that people took a liking to me and were willing to be there and support me and help me. I can’t even tell you how many people have been there along the way. All of our employees who are dedicated to the cause.
I’ve tried to live my life in a way of being a giver where I was constantly giving to other people. I want to have the notion of having hundreds, if not thousands, of people in my life that would take a bullet for me. That notion where I’ve tried to give so much authentic giving, sincerely give in meaningful ways to other people and reciprocate the way that other people have done that for me, so that I could create this loyalty around me.
I found that successful entrepreneurs want to give and they’ve learned so much and some of them don’t have the platform to keep building. And they’ve been a great resource for me. I like to say, you need to take advice from people that have solved the problems that you’re facing or that you will face and not take advice from people that have no idea.
I’ve always just tried to align myself to the people that have been on this similar entrepreneurial path and make sure that I’m getting good advice from them. Instead of getting advice from people that have never been down that path or been on that journey.
Extensive research suggests that “purpose-driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your company started, what was its vision, what was its purpose?
I always had a vision to create this platform of diversified operating companies, working together, synergistically. It started there and it was about this partnership model. I knew I couldn’t do that alone. So I was always fixated on how I could surround myself with people that have expertise in these different businesses. I was lucky to learn that early on.
It was about attracting talent and finding talent.
It’s interesting because the business I started originally was with my childhood best friend. And we had a different vision. He didn’t want to build a business with a whole bunch of people. And out of the gate, we had a split, because my vision was to create multiple businesses with thousands of employees.
I wanted to have employees. I wanted to have talent. I wanted to create the infrastructure to go out and do fun things and to do great things. And he looked at that and thought, “Oh my gosh, that sounds like a lot of work. I don’t want to do it.”
And I think the purpose has always just been around people. It’s the theme of my life.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or difficult times?
Being a good leader is about understanding people. When COVID hit, I took time, personally, to connect with every single one of our employees. I wanted to know what their fears were and their concerns. I wanted to help them find some peace and comfort in where they were.
As a leader, you’re the one that can find pathways through difficult things, or at least you have the confidence that together you can find a pathway through hard things.
A major aspect of it is confidence. I’ve put guardrails in my life to help me when I start veering off the track of confidence by saying, “Oh no, I have to get back to confidence.” I call it getting back to confidence. I teach my teams how to get back to confidence. You’ve gotta be aware of when you’re starting to veer off in turbulent times or in challenging times where it’s like, “Hey, why is our confidence being eroded here?” We have to acknowledge that we’re losing confidence.
Because in confidence, you make good decisions. One of the ways that you can see if you have confidence, is that you’re willing to take risks. Not unnecessary risks, like jumping off the cliff and trying to go too big, too fast. But one of the things that happen in an economic downturn is people stop taking chances. They stop doing the small experiments that are crucial to an innovation culture. They stop finding new ways of doing things because they lose their confidence to try to do that stuff.
You have to recognize when you’re in a moment, where you’ve got to re-instill this confidence to push through things. Again, you don’t have to go and grow during a turbulent time, but as it turns out, I’ve made my biggest leaps when conventional wisdom says, “Now you should be hunkering down and latch the hatches. And here we go, we got to hold on.”
I’ve made my biggest moves when that’s what the conventional wisdom says, but you’re out there acting in confidence, moving forward, taking market share, finding new and innovative partnerships. Finding ways to move things for when other people are unwilling to take even small risks.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
I’m unemployable. There’s no quit in me. If I lost it all, I’d go build it back up. I have no other options. There are no other options. There has never been a thought of giving up. There have been hard moments, but there’s only one path and that’s forward.
What else am I going to do? I have a wife and six kids. I’ve got hundreds of employees. Add their spouses and kids to the mix. And I’ve got thousands of people that I have to win for. I don’t take that burden lightly. I fill the burden and I want to do good for them, and I want to sustain these things for them.
There’s no way I’m quitting. I’m not betting the farm anywhere, I don’t have to do that anymore. I can play in the sandbox that I’ve created. And continue to build these companies. I’ll never give up.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
To find the confidence in yourself, in the team, and in the organization to keep pushing on. You have to continue to just take that next step.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate, and engage their team?
I think there’s a balance between being overly optimistic and overly pessimistic. I think that you have to play that balance. I think you have to confront the actual challenges for what they are. You lose a lot of credibility when you can’t see a challenge from what it is. But if you can’t see a challenge for what it is, then people start thinking, “Oh, he’s a clueless leader, or she’s a clueless leader. They don’t get it.”
You have to call a spade, a spade. You have to lay out the facts. You’ve got to acknowledge where you are, what the challenges are. And you have to do that in a very open and honest and transparent way. That’s the basis of it. The starting point is to see it for what it is.
And then the other side of it is, to see a path forward, but not in the specifics that you might think. So laying a path forward that has too many specifics that are also hard to believe and unrealistic, you can lose credibility. So you’ve got to figure out that balance of bringing confidence and enthusiasm and a vision to the future, but also acknowledging what it’s going to take to get there. And the fact that you don’t have all the answers of how it’s going to happen, but that you’re confident in the team and their ability to work together, to solve problems, to get out of it. That’s how I look at pushing through hard times.
I think it’s important that you acknowledge the hard things that you’ve done historically, to build confidence in how you can get through these ones. The fact that you’ve already built up resiliency because you’ve done hard things, and you’ve always been keen on doing experimentation and trying things and working through failure. When that’s just a part of the culture, then the new challenges aren’t seen in a different light. It’s seen in the exact same light, things for what they are and you can take it in stride.
It’s like the kid that never had to face hardship or challenge. And then all of a sudden it’s, “I don’t know what to do.”
One of the best ways to deal with challenging things is to have contemplated those challenges in advance. If you’re not contemplating where things might go and what you might do. For example, when COVID hit, my teams have already gone through the sensitivity analysis of what might happen if we have a recession. The recession hits and you say, “Okay, bring out the tools that we’ve already used.”
It’s par for the course. We’re already there and no one lost their mind. We didn’t freak out. We said, “Hey, we’ve already planned for this. We’re ready.”
We haven’t planned for this exactly. No one knew a pandemic was going to come, but we had already thought about it. So going there with a team, using your creative juices in advance of a challenge to think about it and stress test. You’ve got to be able to do that as a management team. You have to be able to lead your people down that and really think objectively about what might happen, what could happen, where landmines are, and how you might have to do hard things under some circumstances.
When you can, in your mind, go there and talk about the hard things that you might have to do. I may have to lay you off and I might have to lay half of your team off and I may have to cut this or that. When you talk about that out loud, when you’re in the moment and when you’re actually dealing with it, you probably don’t even have to go there because you’ve talked about some of those extreme things that you might have to do. You find every way to not do that. You’ve gone to those worst-case scenarios and then you back up into the future and into where you are in the present and say, “Okay, now how do we avoid having to go through those really hard things?”
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers?
Open and honest, straight transparency. What other way is there? The best way is in person, being straight up, telling ’em the truth, acknowledging the realities of it. Again, calling it for what it is and not talking around it and not calling it something else.
How can a leader make plans when the future is so unpredictable?
It’s not really unpredictable. There are cycles to things. There’s a natural ebb and flow. There are natural cycles. You can learn from the past to predict the future.
In fact, the best way to predict the future is to look at the past. So look at the past, put it together, always be projecting, always be thinking about the future.
It goes to what we were just talking about.
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
I think the guiding principle for me and our companies is that change is constant. We’re either changing because there’s a better way or we’re changing because of market conditions. And so we’ve created an innovation culture, that’s always seeking new and better ways of doing things. And that culture allows us to deal with the challenges wherever they might come from.
So yes, it may feel unpredictable, but the future is unpredictable, naturally.
Markets change, consumer preferences change, your competition changes, technology changes, it’s constantly evolving. So we live in an unpredictable world, but that doesn’t matter. That’s what we’re navigating every day. You have to make that a natural part of the evolution of your businesses and your people, to deal with constant change.
Being a good leader requires you to deal with that in advance of it being this unpredictable catastrophic change. It doesn’t have to be catastrophic. It can be an incremental, constantly evolving iterative type of change that sets you up for success in an unpredictable future.
You want to always be adapting and changing and be flexible to create that type of resiliency that your people need and your organization needs.
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make during difficult times? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
Giving up too quickly
Holding on to false assumptions
Making unilateral decisions
Taking the burden upon themselves instead of getting help from the team
Giving up too quickly. Usually success follows failure to some degree. My biggest moments of growth came after struggle and what appeared to be imminent doom. When you push through the challenges you emerge more confident to approach the future. You realize that you just need to hold on for a little bit longer to find success. Don’t expect quick results. Success comes if you can persevere.
Holding on to false assumptions. Sometimes you believe things that were true in the past that are no longer true today. Other times you think there’s a paradigm shift and that the world has fundamentally changed, when in fact, it’s the same story playing out again.
Making unilateral decisions instead of using the collective from the team. So, failing on the collaboration. In the moments where it’s hard, people stop being transparent, which prevents their team members from making the right decisions and having the right context. You want to be even more transparent so that people can have the right context to make decisions and help navigate.
A lot of times people take the burden of the challenge on themselves alone and they don’t use the team to solve the problem. I see that all the time. It’s like, “Oh, this is my problem.” No, it’s not, this is their problem. Because if you don’t make the right decision, they don’t have a job anymore.
You’ve got to solve company problems using all the company resources, not just you as the one sole decision-maker. You’re not the unilateral decision-maker that has all the context. You have to share within the team. You’ve got to share across the departments and make decisions together.
Generating new business, increasing your profits, or at least maintaining your financial stability can be challenging during good times, even more so during turbulent times. Can you share some of the strategies you use to keep forging ahead and not lose growth traction during a difficult economy?
We consider ourselves contrarian. What that means is when things are really great, like they are right now, I start losing sleep. I lose a lot of sleep right now because every single one of my friends that owns a business had a banner year in 2021, their best year ever. And talking to them, 2022 is going to be even better than 2021.
When that happens in the magnitude that it’s happened in the last year, that makes me very concerned.
How do we forge ahead and not lose traction in a difficult economy? We are always talking about the fact that we make our biggest moves during difficult economies. We talk about the fact that we’re going to have to be creative, to utilize our resources, to find new opportunities. We have to be even more innovative when times are tough. That we have to use our competitive advantage of being hard workers that are willing to do hard things.
That’s when it comes to bear. When times are tough, it’s hard because it’s hard. And if you didn’t develop that institutional resiliency and build people in a way that they could be resilient in the tough times, then you never can take those big moves, the contrarian moves.
While everyone else is reeling, you’ve got to be stable and confident. Getting back to confidence, you have to know what gives you confidence. You need to protect that in a downturn. And in turbulent times you’ve got to be ready for it and have already got cash in the coffers and emotional resiliency built-in and all these things. You’ve got to have thought about that in advance. And when you do and you make that, again, just the natural way of doing business, then you’re ready for it. You’ve got the right mindsets and mentalities. You’ve got the right systems and processes to adapt and change.
Creating rigid systems that are inflexible, that’s how you lose. Creating people that are inflexible, that’s how you lose.
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times? Please share a story or an example for each.
1. Build resiliency in advance of uncertain times.
2. Ensure your team/leaders can identify and solve problems as they come.
3. Always operate your businesses with elements of contrived scarcity (operate under constraint).
4. Business leaders must be personally financially stable (or they put undue stress on their business during difficult times).
5. (Contrarian mindset) Understand the opportunities during the downtimes (as opposed to being defensive and guarded).
I think you have to build resiliency in advance of this uncertain time. Again, you have to have that infrastructure in place. You have to institute the mindsets, mentalities, and infrastructure to be there.
The team has to already be making the decisions. Effective leaders have already empowered their people to be able to be the frontline defense on seeing the change as it comes in, identifying the change, dealing with the changes, they’re the ones that see it. In certain businesses, you already have to have things in place where the team is solving the problems. And the team is identifying and solving problems. You have to be the type of leader that’s already given freedom and autonomy to your people.
I also think it’s imperative that you always operate your businesses with some elements of contrived scarcity. Maybe the way better way of saying it is under constraints. I think you need to teach your people how to operate under constraints. So I think effectively managing people and resources and businesses with constraints allows you to be prepared during uncertain and turbulent times.
Business leaders have to be personally, financially stable. Business leaders who are not stable financially put undue pressure on their businesses in order to maintain their lifestyles during turbulent times. These leaders lose their own stability and it trickles into their businesses. That’s the same thing with management teams. I require my business partners to have a certain level of personal financial independence so they don’t become a burden on the company and can be the exact opposite. They can be a stabilizing influence on the business and on the people. You cannot underestimate the power of your personal financial stability on a business.
In my world, it’s a mindset of being a contrarian, having the history of knowing that we’ve taken market share. We’ve started core businesses during downturns. When you have the mindset that a downturn is the greatest opportunity, instead of the mindset that this is something that we’re going to have to just hold on to and figure out how to get through it. It changes the way that you can be proactive and opportunistic versus being defensive and guarded. I think that totally changes the way that you can effectively lead your people. Because your people want to follow, they want to be pushed. They want to find ways to apply themselves.
And in the moment of uncertainty or in turbulent times, most businesses take away their team’s ability to be innovative and to find new opportunities, so their talent departs. That can be avoided long before the turbulent times arise.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Theodore Roosevelt “Man in the Arena”
”It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Ray Dalio “Struggling Well”
“In my early years, I looked up to extraordinarily successful people, thinking that they were successful because they were extraordinary.
After I got to know such people personally, I realized that all of them — me, everyone — make mistakes, struggle with their weaknesses, and don’t feel that they are particularly special or great.
They are no happier than the rest of us, and they struggle just as much or more than average folks. Even after they surpass their wildest dreams, they still experience more struggle than glory. This has certainly been true for me. While I surpassed my wildest dreams decades ago, I am still struggling today. In time, I realized that the satisfaction of success doesn’t come from achieving your goals, but from struggling well.
To understand what I mean, imagine your greatest goal, whatever it is making a ton of money, winning an Academy Award, running a great organization, being great at a sport. Now imagine instantaneously achieving it. You’d be happy at first, but not for long. You would soon find yourself needing something else to struggle for. Just look at people who attain their dreams early — the child star, the lottery winner, the professional athlete who peaks early. They typically don’t end up happy unless they get excited about something else bigger and better to struggle for.
Since life brings both ups and downs, struggling well doesn’t just make your ups better; it makes your downs less bad. I’m still struggling and I will until I die because even if I try to avoid the struggles, they will find me.”
Thomas Watson “Formula for Success”
“Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really: Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it, so go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because remember, that’s where you will find success.”
How can our readers further follow your work?
Anyone can learn more about me and my businesses as well as subscribe to my newsletter here.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
Always, always trust your gut and that inner voice insideyourself — No matter how crazy it may seem to be at the time. We instinctively have the answers; we just have to have the courage to listen to ourselves.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tracy Memoli, Founder of FrutaPOP.
Tracy created FrutaPOP as a healthy alternative to all ready-to-eat, frozen cocktails and ice pops on the market. She always loved frozen cocktails, but they were always filled with a lot of sugar and bad ingredients. She was shocked that a healthier option didn’t exist and wanted to change that. Together, with her life-long love for ice pops, she set out to create alcohol-infused ice pops without any added sugars, syrups or dyes. In 2016, Tracy founded FrutaPOP, the makers of alcohol-infused ice pops — reinventing the ice pop — a product that hasn’t seen an innovation in the last 70 years.
Tracy has served as a judge in the International Chocolate Awards and at SIGEP, the world’s largest gelato and pastry trade show in the world. Tracy works with some of the world’s largest beverage brands, start up companies, corporations, restaurants and top chefs to create alcohol-infused ice pop flavors.
Tracy has appeared on Dr.Oz and has been featured in USA Today Travel, U.S. News & World Report, TheStreet.com, The Daily Meal and Destination Weddings & Events. Tracy is a graduate of the University of North Florida with a degree in Communications. She is a member of the New York Women’s Culinary Alliance, United Women in Business and The Entreprenistas League.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
I always had an entrepreneurial spirit; ever since I was a young girl I remember going door-to-door selling Girl Scout cookies and calendars! I was always highly motivated and goal-oriented from a very young age. I was also very active, I was part of an acting troupe, took dance classes, played soccer, gymnastics and cheerleading. Participating in team sports and having an entrepreneurial spirit at a young age has had a huge impact on my life and career — especially in team building, delegating responsibilities, understanding strengths, resilience and setting goals.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’ Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along,” George Herbert
This is one of my all-time favorite quotes that I think about all the time and is so perfect for everyone, especially entrepreneurs at any stage of their journey. The timing will never be quite right and we have to work with the tools and resources that we have at hand until we have better. And I’ve adopted a more simplified version as my daily mantra: start by starting.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
My all-time favorite book is Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. Her book completely changed the way I think about creativity and the entire creative process. In the book, she discusses attitudes, approaches and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. The way she describes an idea is as a “disembodied, energetic life-form. They are separate from us but interact with us. The only way an idea can be made manifest in our world is through collaboration with a human partner.” I think about this almost every single day or whenever I have a new idea. A new idea is this energy, a lifeform in the universe and sometimes you listen to it and other times it may pass you by.
Ok super. Let’s now shift tothe main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
First of all, don’t overthink it. Second, start by starting. Whether it’s doing research, building a prototype, creating a website, talking to people about your idea, you just have to start.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
Isn’t that the truth? You have this great idea and you think someone else must have thought of it or someone else is thinking of it right now and the truth is all of that is possibly true. The first step you have to take is to do your research to see if there are any similar products or services on the market — you can start by doing a Google search and search on social media.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
First, know your strengths and how much you are able to actually do yourself — then you can create a roadmap for your product launch. For example, lay out the tasks that you are able to handle yourself and get to work. For the other tasks that you’ll need help with, ask your friends and family for any recommendations. For example, you may be able to handle the web design and product prototype yourself, but you’ll need help with filing a patent, distribution and press outreach — then you’ll want to interview and find the right people that will help you take your idea to life. Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals that you can trust is one of the most important things you can do for your idea and your future business.
What are your “5Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why?
1. Entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster — There’s really no other way to describe it. You’re going to have great days and then you’re going to have terrible days and average days in between. And you have to prepare yourself for that. For me, my favorite part of being an entrepreneur is that every day is different — the good, the bad and everything in between.
2. Alwayssurround yourself with people that make you better — “You grow the fastest when you’re surrounded by people smarter and more talented than you are,” Nobel Laureate William G. Kaelin Jr. said this and it is so true and I think of it all the time. And it leads me to the next one.
3. Know your strengths and weaknesses — This one is important. We know what we know and we have to be comfortable with that. More importantly, we have to know what we don’t know and be as comfortable with that and be able to ask and seek help when needed. It’s ok if you’re not an expert on every single topic — no one is. It helps to surround ourselves with others that know the things we don’t. That’s the only way we can grow and learn from each other. Eventually, you’ll learn new things from the people you surround yourself with.
4. Always, always trust your gut and that inner voice insideyourself — No matter how crazy it may seem to be at the time. We instinctively have the answers; we just have to have the courage to listen to ourselves.
5. Forget the mistake, remember the lesson — This is a big one. You’re going to make mistakes, you’re human and that is part of the process. What matters is how quickly you learn from that mistake to avoid making the same mistake twice.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
Doing your research is the first and most important step you must take. Start by doing a Google search, then do a social search and see what comes up. Are other companies out there already doing this? If yes, ask yourself what would make your product different? What would set your product apart? If no, why not? You’ll then have to ask yourself: Does your idea solve a problem? After you spend your time researching and answering those questions then you have to make the decision to act on the idea and turn it into a business or not.
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
That all depends on the idea and their level of experience — for instance, my background was in the food and beverage industry, I worked for a couple industry magazines, had a food blog and I launched FrutaPOP, boozy ice pops — I love cocktails, recipes and experimenting with new flavor combinations, so I was able to create all the flavors myself. If someone didn’t have that experience then I would say, they would have to hire an outside consultant to help them.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
I always say, bootstrap for as long as you can. It’s your company and you want to keep as much equity for as long as you can.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
Our company donates money to various charities throughout the year. We also give back to charities through activations and donate products. Personally, I mentor other female entrepreneurs that are just starting out.
You are an inspiration to a greatmany people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
You never know what your idea can trigger. Being your most authentic self and living with authenticity — is the most important way we can live our lives.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
If I could share a meal with someone, I would love to share a meal with Maggie Timoney, CEO of Heineken USA — she’s the company’s first woman CEO and is such an inspiration.
Thank you forthese fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
…I feel that that the most critical role of a leader during challenging times is find the hidden power of behavior science to understand the art of science of people’s behaviors, attitudes, and systems to be able to see and understand the interconnections and interconnectedness of the business to make dynamic decisions.
As part of our series about the “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Debbie Sutherland.
Dr. Debbie Sutherland is an academic executive with over twenty years of global work experiences in Canada, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. She is continually learning about the dynamics and hidden power of adult learning, organizational behaviors and systems thinking through the business lens.
She has worked in a variety of centralized roles in complex adaptive systems and international start-up organizations and is currently living and working as an executive in the UAE. She specializes in setting up the ideal structure, culture, and people-centric programs to enable leaders to thrive in the workplace.
Debbie has completed her Doctor of Education in adult learning and organizational leadership and an executive master’s degree in socio-organizational psychology, each from Columbia University, and is a certified executive coach.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I have always wondered about how people think. I was curious about what each of us was thinking that got us to this place.
I had the great privilege to work in centralized positions within different large scale start up organizations in various countries. I noticed firsthand how some executives differ widely in their understanding of and comfort level on an ambiguity spectrum. Some executives are on one side of the spectrum and avoid ambiguity and the cognitive stress that uncertainty brings. They ignore nuances when faced with too many opportunity streams and simply make fast, decisive decisions or feel anxious when they can’t see which path is better; sometimes they stall decision-making until they get more information. Conversely, on the other side of the spectrum, some executives build a tolerance for ambiguity situations by learning different coping mechanisms.
I wanted to know what propels some people to see an ill-defined decision-making path better than others. Why are some people more comfortable working in ambiguous situations, while others react negatively? Why are some people more comfortable working in ambiguous situations, while other people react negatively?
These questions become my research for my book The Business of Ambiguity. I wanted to know the executives’ thinking and behavior patterns; I wanted to know how they learned this skill, and what elements helped them make good decisions when they encountered situations they’d never experienced before, when immersed in confusion, power struggles from ill-defined policies and deeply entrenched conflicting views.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?
Learning to become a leader during turbulent times is a humbling experience. Who hasn’t been challenged to solve a workplace conflict, try to build trust within a diverse or remote working team, deal with a strategic growth dilemma or need to investigate a troublesome behavior issue at work with a co-worker? The illusive leadership capacity is built on a series of uncomfortable learning moments, events, and experiences.
However, to learn from past events, you need to be able to reflect on those moments with a sense of curiosity and of course, humbleness, to be able to find the funny in the mistakes. In my case, I find organizational behaviors ever changing and with a healthy HR sense of ‘you can’t make up what just happened’ thinking, human behavior can be funny at times.
Thus, a key lesson I have learned when working within complex adaptive systems, when there is always a messy situation at hand, is that you don’t need to be the ‘smartest person’ in the room when something unexpected happens. We are ALL shocked and wondering, “What the heck is the next step going to be?” I have found that to able to find the humor in mistakes, is to try to find the good, funny, or at least interesting within every experience.
There is a great theory called the Planned Happenstance Learning Theory, developed by Stanford professors John Krumboltz and Al Levin. The goal of the research was to examine new events as opportunities and to discover what’s possible when students are in the right place at the right time with the right tools. They found that five traits best helped students during ambiguous situations: curiosity, persistence, flexibility, optimism, and risk taking (Krumboltz & Levin, 2004).
Thus you can keep your sense of humor, be humble, have curiosity, and learn from your mistakes when dealing with our messy world.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
I didn’t have an official mentor per se, but I did tap into some wonderful and supportive groups that were my thought partners, motivators, safety net and cheerleaders.
By seeking out liked minded groups, I was able to build my community, and feel their collective force with me. During difficult times, I often felt like I was pushing that giant boulder up the hill by myself, when in reality, I had my cohort, friends, teammates, and various club members, who were helping me with their invisible strength, support and motivation.
This is one of the key strategies in my book The Business of Ambiguity on how to think and behave when stuck in uncertain situations. When you can’t see or think your way out of a situation; you need to harness the power of the diverse network to be able to tap into the social intelligence of the group and become stronger and gain insights from the wisdom of many.
I encourage everyone to find a mentor, no matter what phase of your career you are in; or find two mentors, a colleague, and an executive coach. The point is to build a community of practice; a group of people who share a common concern and learn to interact, share skills, expertise and knowledge that build connections and informational insights.
Extensive research suggests that “purpose driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your company started, what was its vision, what was its purpose?
The CEO of a large scale insurtech start up asked me to join their executive team as they were launching products that would disrupt the insurance market.
To do this, the CEO was looking for someone who would be able to lead and implement various people centric programs that enable the employees to be creative and innovative.
Behavior science plays a key role in designing organizations to leverage corporate competitiveness and sustainability. In that sense, the company was focused on hiring employees who can learn how to have adaptable mental models, create collaborative links across the organization and place emphasis on a ‘continuous learning’ ethos.
How is this accomplished? Not just by incorporating a talent development department, but by creating an organization structure in which all of these concepts are spread throughout the organization and imbedded into all the systems, processes, and behaviors.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or difficult times?
One experiences that helped shape my thinking on how to lead teams through turbulent times, was when I attended a Group Relations Conference in New York. It was not a typical conference, as this event involved ‘learning from experience’ methods to uncover group and social dynamics, to explore the uncurrent of social behaviors, assumptions, and cultural norms, and to understand how authority and power are used consciously and unconsciously in groups.
Through a series of uncomfortable learning experiences, you could begin to understand and learn how in teams and groups, we are immersed in one another’s identity, perspectives, experiences, and differences and of course, all the uncomfortable discussions regarding trust, power, authority, and biases.
And by becoming comfortable within all those group dynamics, you become able to understand how people think and act during times of ambiguity.
I have now worked for four different large scale start up organization that range from aviation, renewable energy, real estate development and now the insurtech domain. You could say that the first 18 months of each of these companies were in dynamic and fluid states of messiness. By learning about group dynamics at that conference, I can now understand the misunderstandings, paradoxes and unintentional acts that unfold regularly throughout our lives. And by becoming more humble and open to other’s perspectives, you can avoid a Hunger Games mentality and build dynamic teams who are also open to uncertainty and learning, to be able to thrive during turbulent times.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
From my corporate experiences, there seemed to be a gap in leadership training that helps executives learn coping mechanisms during these unique and disruptive situations. Books about systems thinking, which stems from the chaos theory and decision sciences, were too complex and mathematical for main-stream businesses to embrace.
And knowledge gaps continue to be our reality. We live in a dynamic and interconnected world and making well-informed and long- term decisions have become progressively difficult, given our limited understanding of the basis of unanticipated events or unintended business consequences.
As this complexity increases, patterns of errors and system-wide problems become more difficult to predict, and even our new technologies and interconnectedness continue to complicate global businesses and executives must constantly struggle with that uncertainty to make informed decisions.
My motivation goal was to write a deeply researched but easy to read book, incorporating three theories: systems thinking, adult learning and organizational behaviors, to enable business leaders who want to expand their thinking and leadership capacity, for anyone who may want to explore a knowing gap in life or business, or for anyone who has felt that it might be time to understand your own biases and assumptions to a higher level.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
I feel that that the most critical role of a leader during challenging times is find the hidden power of behavior science to understand the art of science of people’s behaviors, attitudes, and systems to be able to see and understand the interconnections and interconnectedness of the business to make dynamic decisions.
Through my research, I developed the concept of “The Ambiguity Mindset. The Ambiguity Mindset is essentially the cognitive and behavioral capacity to reflect on, examine and adapt perspectives and to seek meaning from dynamic connections, interactions, experiences, and behaviors to determine the ideal decision pathway.
The ambiguity mindset is a way of addressing cognitive complexities and behavioral insights and a way of learning how to think and act while immersed in unfamiliar situations.
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers?
If you need to communicate difficult news to one’s team or customers, it means that something is going to change. And from their perspective, it will mean — a negative change.
So consider this: People may not actually hate change, they hate ambiguity. People may be more uncomfortable with the feeling of not knowing — with ambiguous situations — rather than with the thought of change itself.
A communication plan needs to be able to address the message to everyone in different ways, through multiple mediums and through their context. If you don’t inform your team of the current reality, from their context, their minds and whispers will fill the vacuum and their narrative will become their reality.
And everyone is different. Groups of people have different values, perceptions, and attitudes. The secret ingredient to communicating with a group of people, is to get into the invisible space, where the communication, thinking and behavior patterns are located. Therefore, the communication message and plan need to be dynamic, flexible and communication needs to be frequent to address the changes.
How can a leader make plans when the future is so unpredictable?
It is a paradox. You want to be able to plan for the future when the future is relatively unpredictable.
One of the 5 key thinking and behavior strategies from my book The Business of Ambiguity is to harness the strategic power of diverse networks. This key strategy casts a bright light on how executives can work within three spheres of insight — individual, organizational, and environmental.
When I conducted the executive interviews and focus groups for my book, The Business of Ambiguity, I was honored to have such intelligent, acclaimed professionals allow me to learn about how they think and behave when immersed in confusion. It would be logical to assume, prior to the interviews, that the executives would define their ambiguity coping mechanism as simply having in-depth business acumen, or being highly skilled in strategic planning, or having merger and acquisition expertise. However, those business terms were never mentioned — not even once.
In fact, the executives’ narratives used different phrases, including the following: understand the power of connections, build a community or relationships, seek information in the network, build connections, find parallels, use direct and indirect pathways, seek nonlinear relationships, create diversity on the team, know and understand how to communicate across various groups, seek subject matter experts, seek social exchanges, understand how different cultures bring different ideas and fine the value sharing.
Why would the executives use such soft concepts to deal with seemingly risky and precarious situations, with so much at stake? The reason may lie in the innate nature of ambiguity, assumptions of strategy and how the key is to harness the strategic power of diverse networks.
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
There is a mountain of research regarding change management and the key steps for ensuring all employees are aware of the potential bad news or corporate change, but what you really need to pay attention to is the invisible space. The secret ingredient to understanding a business is to be into the invisible space, where the communication, thinking and behavior patterns are located.
Essentially, the way to turn information into wisdom is to incorporate a wide-angle lens to gain perspective taking which enables you to learn the components of your own behavior and thinking architecture and be able to learn within different environments. Thus, I could narrow that down to one principle “be open to new behaviors, ideas, and information and be ready to act on those new insights”.
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make during difficult times? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
There are three common mistakes that executives should pay attention to during difficult time; avoid the competency trap, unmasking your ego and the illusion of control.
The thinking patterns that served the executive well in normal and routine situations are familiar and comfortable, but they may not be most effective approach in new or ambiguous situations. Moreover, even highly skilled and intelligence people who are in a role for a long time fall into something called a competency trap. This is when the executive relies too heavily on their past experiences to solve future challenges. To avoid this silo thinking, executives need to reach outside of their comfort zone and find different perspectives to create a better thinking path.
As an executive, you may find that your ego is aligned to your professional identify and understandably, this can make it hard to move away from the I perspective. Executives also have blind spots and assumptions or may be stubborn. But the sheer force of one person cannot leverage corporate success when dealing with ambiguity.
And finally, executives may have the illusion of control and have a tendency to overestimate their control of events and people. Hierarchy control is not real control. Even as an executive, you cannot control all workplace variables and all the changing behaviors of the employees. The internal systems are continually shifting; knowledge flows in and out of the organization, employees’ motivations ebb and flow, and the external environment puts pressure on static processes.
Generating new business, increasing your profits, or at least maintaining your financial stability can be challenging during good times, even more so during turbulent times. Can you share some of the strategies you use to keep forging ahead and not lose growth traction during a difficult economy?
Operating from the people centric lens, the purpose is to create a continuous learning ethos across and throughout the organization. This means to create the corporate structure that include learning as a process to enable everyone to learn how to create, retain, and transfer knowledge within, around and across the organization with the purpose of gaining experiences and knowledge. Why?
You can’t rely on what you decided in the past to address the future issue. You need to incorporate dynamic discussions and learning from experience i.e. lessons learned insights’, to create the best strategic path.
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times? Please share a story or an example for each.
What I have learned from my research into systems thinking, adult learning and organizational behaviors and while speaking with dozens of high-level executives who operate in conditions of ambiguity, is that there are five key thinking and behavior strategies that help you thrive and make dynamic decisions during times of ambiguity.
The first research question I posed for the book was “What are the beliefs, behaviors and principles of business executives who work in conditions of ambiguity”? This question led to the first two ambiguity thinking and behavior strategies: Create powerful insights through critical reflection and cultivate adaptable mental models. The narratives supported the link between thinking, learning and action from different experiences and influences, rather than solely from their own point of view.
The second research question “What experiences and events provide the scaffolding in the development of an ambiguity mindset” pointed to the ambiguity thinking and behavior strategy of developing comfort in the unknown. Essentially the informal learning experiences that occur in ambiguous situations that offer a strategic learning pathway. Interestingly, there were three different types of learning experiences that featured heavily from the executive narratives: become involved in ambiguity situations, be exposed to alternative ways of thinking, and be involved with people who challenge assumptions.
The third research question “What relationships, systems and elements in the environment enable executives to develop the capacity to think through ambiguity? This question provided the path to the remaining two ambiguity thinking and behavior strategies: learn through people, context and the environment and harness the strategic power of diverse networks. These elements helped build the organizational capacity and described how the social, cultural and community practices were strong influences that enabled the executives to navigate ambiguity, social context, and complexity.
These 5 key thinking and behavior strategies sound logical and straightforward to understand, but difficult to implement. My book, The Business of Ambiguity provides the tools, insights, and exercises on how you can learn these strategies for yourself, or if you are an executive, how you can implement these insights to your company for everyone to embrace.
Essentially, if you want to be able to be a highly effective leader and understand the sum of all moving parts within an organization, during good or turbulent times, you should consider embracing the 5 key thinking and behavior strategies formulated from the research methodologies conducted using systems thinking, adult learning and organizational behaviors through the business lens to learn how to make dynamic decisions during times of uncertainty.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
The path of least resistance and least trouble is a mental rut already made. It requires troublesome work to undertake the alternation of old beliefs. John Dewy, How We Think
This quote speaks to how the older we get, the less we should rely on our own thoughts and opinions from the premise that our reality is made up of interactions with other people’s realities, opinions, and beliefs. We can only learn and grow from understanding how we and other’s think.
How can our readers further follow your work?
Visit my website: BehaviorsinBusiness.com or purchase my newly released book The Business of Ambiguity from any global digital bookstore
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
Meet The Disruptors: Danny Grannick Of Bristle Health On The Five Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Not everyone will believe in what you believe.
As a part of our series about business leaders who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Danny Grannick.
Danny Grannick is the CEO & co-founder of Bristle, a consumer health company helping people measure, understand, and improve their oral health. Bristle analyzes saliva and provides insights into the kinds of microbes you have related to oral health & disease, including conditions like cavities, gum disease, and bad breath. Bristle provides personalized diet, hygiene, and oral product recommendations to rebalance the oral microbiome and improve oral health based on your results.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
Thanks for having me! I grew up in California, receiving my BA in Biochemistry from the University of San Diego. I spent a lot of time doing basic research in the field — but I was more interested in applyingthat research in real life. There’s a big gap between basic research and clinical application in science, and I wanted to find ways to make that gap smaller.
I’d been interested in startup companies since they are at the forefront of innovation. Luckily, San Diego is a hub for biotechnology — so I was naturally exposed to the most exciting advancements in science, including genomics.
When I graduated, I transitioned to the commercial side of biotechnology, working at Illumina — a pioneer in genetic sequencing technology. Not many people choose the commercial path over a more traditional PhD route, but it was strategic. I got to interact with companies and scientists across all disciplines and applications — oncology, rare disease, and synthetic biology, to name a few. It gave me a window into everything that was going on in genomics. Those early days in sales taught me unforgettable lessons in communication, negotiation, and creating vision.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
When we talk about “oral health, “ many people think of “dental care,” but we see them as very different concepts.
In dental care today, conditions like cavities and gum disease are diagnosed based on the presence and severity of symptoms. For example, an X-ray allows dentists to identify tooth decay, interpret a pit, and operate procedures like a filling or a root canal.
The problem with a symptoms-first approach to diagnosis is that it takes the damage to occur before the oral disease is detected — requiring invasive and expensive procedures. We assume that dental conditions are unavoidable results of “bad” genetics, luck, or hygiene.
The reality is that specific microbes drive most oral diseases in our mouths.
Inside of our mouths is billions of microbes — fungi, viruses, and bacteria collectively known as the “oral microbiome.” Some of these microbes are beneficial while others are harmful — producing acid that erodes our teeth or toxins that lead to gum inflammation. When our oral microbiome is balanced (when we have more beneficial microbes than harmful ones), our risk for disease is low. An imbalanced oral microbiome puts us at risk for infection.
Reducing or eliminating the disease-causing bacteria microbes in our mouths lowers our risk for oral disease. By detecting these bacteria at the earliest stages, we can prevent or minimize the onset of painful, visible symptoms.
The problem was we never had a way to measure the oral microbiome.
We developed a saliva test that analyzes the oral microbiome to help you measure and understand your oral health. Detecting the root cause of oral disease at the earliest stages enables prevention-first care, focused on simple dietary and hygiene changes, proven to improve oral health and lower risk for infection.
Interestingly, evidence suggests that oral health links to other conditions in the body — including risk for Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and heart disease. In some cases, the bacteria in our mouths migrate to other parts of our bodies and cause damage, and changes in the oral microbiome can signal these issues. The mouth is the gateway to the body and the mirror of our overall health.
In this sense, dental care is just one component of oral health. We believe our technology will improve oral health outcomes by helping people prevent dental conditions, like cavities and gum disease, and help people address needs that extend far beyond the mouth.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
This isn’t a mistake, but I think it taught me a valuable lesson.
When we (my now co-founder Brian & I) were starting Bristle, we knew we needed a technical co-founder with the scientific skills to take our vision and make it a reality. We started Bristle in the middle of the COVID pandemic, which basically shot our ability to network. There were no conferences, events, or meetups where we could potentially find this missing piece of our puzzle.
I ended up posting on Reddit to see if anyone had ideas for meeting scientific co-founders. I didn’t describe the company at all. David replied with interest in learning more.
The stars aligned. David sent me his LinkedIn, and I saw he received his Ph.D. in microbiology & immunology. He taught microbiology to dental school students!
We met over coffee the next week, discussed Bristle, and our founding team was created two hours later.
A common mistake for startups and aspiring founders is thinking ten steps ahead instead of just taking the first step. The ability to make quick decisions and act is invaluable for startup companies. I believe our founding is an example of how taking action in the face of uncertainty almost always results in progress.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
I’ve been fortunate to have worked with incredible people, and I think they all played a part in my personal and professional growth. One person I’d like to call out is Linda Mansolillo. Linda is one of the most tenacious and composed people I’ve ever met — I’m lucky to have her as a mentor, advisor, and friend.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
I don’t think true disruption is ever purely positive or negative. Context is everything. There are also different kinds of “disruption” with other implications.
One type of disruption applies innovation to a static industry in a way that meaningfully shifts the power dynamics to favor the end-user. There’s a lot to unpack here.
First, let’s define “innovation” as better, cheaper, and more user-friendly than currently exists. We can provide more effective solutions to more people who benefit from it.
We can define a “static industry” as one that cannot or will not adapt to innovation because of entrenched interests that benefit specific stakeholders. In other words, the “status quo” maintains that innovation will negatively impact the very same people who decide whether or not it will be adopted.
Disruption always benefits some groups of people and not others — it depends on perspective. The moving assembly line helped democratize access to automobiles and (in many ways) transportation as a whole. Consumers and Henry Ford certainly saw this as a positive. Horse-and-buggy companies or the skilled mechanics paid to build expensive automobiles probably felt the opposite.
The question of whether or not disruption is a net positive or negative, for me, depends on who ultimately benefits the most from it. Positive disruption occurs when innovations improve the lives of those who need them the most.
You can have innovations that don’t disrupt and, instead, improve or optimize the status quo further. Many current applications of AI and ML fall into this bucket.
You can also have things that aren’t innovations yet — incredible technological advancements that are missing a key ingredient (more effective but wildly expensive or complex). Genomic sequencing was in this bucket for a long time and is only starting to cross the chasm into disruption.
Can you share five of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
“Nobody would ever want this” is probably the phrase that has stuck with me. The response taught me three important lessons: 1) Not everyone will believe in what you believe, 2) it takes a lot of practice to refine and articulate what you believe, and 3) take advice when it’s relevant, ignore it when it’s not.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
The double-edged sword of the oral health crisis is the endless opportunities available. We expect to uncover new insights related to our oral health, including signals about overall health, new therapeutics, and a deeper understanding of the connection between our environment and our biology.
Do you have a book, podcast, or talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us? Can you explain why it was so resonant with you?
The meaning of life by Hunter S. Thompson
The War Prayer by Mark Twain
Simon Sinek Start with Why
These pieces had a profound impact on my life; it’s hard to put any book ahead of the other. I’d recommend reading through each of them and coming to your conclusions!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Let’s assume that you think you have a choice of eight paths to follow (all pre-defined paths, of course). And let’s assume that you can’t see any real purpose in any of the eight. THEN — and here is the essence of all I’ve said — you MUST FIND A NINTH PATH.
Hunter S. Thompson
Live for purpose. Find what makes you happy and chase it. Don’t let the status quo convince you otherwise.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Our healthcare and educational systems are dismal. Make both of them free, equitable, accessible, and focused on patient/student outcomes. Pay doctors to keep patients healthy instead of treating them for disease. Pay teachers more — balance school budgets across communities, cities, and states. Let’s get our population healthy and educated.
Tax me more. Take a fractional slice from our large, tragically comedic defense budget. There are technologies available and changes we can make today that would have a massive impact on health and education, but “structures that have withstood the test of time” seem to be getting in the way.
How can our readers follow you online?
Check out our website (https://www.bristlehealth.com/) to purchase your oral health test or sign up for our newsletter. Follow @bristlehealth on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, and feel free to add me on LinkedIn!
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Jennifer Edwards Of Winning Streak Ventures: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Be open to change. Times of turbulence and uncertainty will reveal your maturity as a leader and your ability to pivot, be curious, seek to see things differently that you never have before. What don’t you know you don’t know? Lean into curiosity and find new solutions from a new way of thinking!
As part of our series about the “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Jennifer Edwards.
Jennifer Edwards is a business and leadership advisor working with Fortune 500 companies and boards, equipping them to perform and collaborate optimally when pressure and stress hit. Her clients include top leaders at global companies, including Microsoft and WeWork. She is a partner at Winning Streak Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund which invests in disruptive technology companies. More at https://howtobridgethegap.com/about-us/.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I grew up in a small town with family members everywhere. We camped, fished, played games and were constantly active in our church and community. I grew up pretty scrappy — I was always competing or starting a business — piano school, tennis coach, or cooking for families. I have always had a deep thirst to learn. I became completely consumed with understanding how the mind, body and spirit handle pressure and performance. After earning my degrees, I spent a few years teaching high school French and Spanish and loved it — I have a passion for teenagers. After that, I began teaching junior college, then started a small consulting practice with grit and passion. Today, all my work has evolved into opening a learning and development company, How To Bridge the Gap, with my “work wife,” Katie McCleary. Our forthcoming book is Bridge the Gap: Breakthrough Communication Tools to Transform Work Relationships from Challenging to Collaborative (McGraw Hill, February 2022) and it’s what I train and speak upon all day long.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?
One funny — or might I say awkward, assumptive mistake I made — was becoming way too informal way too fast. A few weeks into working with a new client, I gave them a “nickname” and started using it playfully and often. It was all good and well (or so I unwisely assumed) until I used it in front of one of his prospects. The nickname caught like wildfire and over the next month, the new name stuck. The problem was that I never asked permission from my client. I acted too cavalier and made the shy client feel little and manipulated. Even in writing this, I can feel how what I did was harmful to them and our relationship. I “created” and “shoved” a label on someone without any caring thought. It was a pivotal point for me and I learned, after a breakdown with the client, how the lack of partnering, asking, being curious and seeking permission is a critical part of building trust and respect. This mistake shook me to my core and started me down a path of becoming hyper curious before making assumptions or projecting one of mine on another person.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
My aunt Sal Edwards started and grew a national franchise called Fleet Feet, a shoe store that connected athletes to their local communities. She was a pioneer and a huge influence in how I saw who I could be as a businesswoman. She was — and IS — brave, bold, kind, encouraging and in-my-face about honing my skills and craft. Our book, Bridge the Gap: Breakthrough Communication Tools to Transform Work Relationships from Challenging to Collaborative (McGraw Hill, February 2022), comes partially as a result of her pushing and kicking me in the butt to get my knowledge and passion into written form and to play a bigger game. She not only models for me business practices that are fair, ethical, and focused on people first, but she challenges me to rethink long-held beliefs, be curious and compassionate, and to explore and strengthen new muscles in my life.
Extensive research suggests that “purpose driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your company started, what was its vision, what was its purpose?
My purpose and vision was and has always been to help people “play” in business (by opening doors they may have thought were closed). I am a partner with my clients. They become a part of my DNA — I think, dream, wrestle and am ALL IN for supporting and equipping them to excel past their perceived limits and bridge the gap to a new level of success.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or difficult times?
Challenges and uncertainty come with every contract. This is just a truth. I have never in fact met a strong team or company that hasn’t experienced challenges. One particular challenge was a huge layoff that was necessary due to some unusual circumstances. How we showed up as leaders during this time was to “go first.” In anticipation of a change in the economics of the business, our team got ahead of the challenge and took pay cuts and furlough days, and changed commission structures to demonstrate transparency in the way the business would behave. We actually lost a few of our executive team leads who were not willing to choose this path of “go first” leadership. They chose to opt out and find other jobs. Those who stayed earned the respect of the larger team, demonstrating sacrifice and commitment to the organization as a whole.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
I grind. I don’t quit. I look to build teams where the “we” is really strong. I give all my effort because I love people and working with them is my passion. So when I get stuck or disillusioned, I go and talk with my personal Board of Directors and my Coach. I get real with them about where I am stuck, what I am feeling and seek support at all levels of my “human suit” to create a meaningful breakthrough. Support is the number one place where a leader can lean into when times are challenging. Knowing that you are not alone, being heard and understood, and having the caliber of support that pushes you past a fear or worry is game-changing.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
#howyoushowupmatters
A strong, calm, grounding PRESENCE makes all the difference when there is a storm or a challenge. When the squeeze feels so tight, all of us look to the energetic presence and confidence of our leaders.
This is THE core role of a leader in challenging times: to show up present and constantly articulate cleanly and with confidence this 3-point leader narrative:
1. Here is what I know
2. Here is what I don’t know
3. Here is what you can count on me for during this time.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate and engage their team?
The best leaders that I have watched inspire and motivate their teams. They engage them with a strong energetic presence and give an experience of “being with” their team. They lead from the back, not hesitating to dig in and have a “whatever it takes” energy. When any future is uncertain, we as humans look to our leaders to be transparent and honest with us about the state of the future but we also look for them to elevate beyond the current pressure or worry they may be under and to hold the vision and mission past the pain point. We look for them to lead clearly and that in and of itself calms and motivates the team to keep their heads down, eyes forward, and heart motivated to do meaningful work.
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers?
Honestly and simply. I bring us back to the 3-point leader narrative which consistently offers a simple approach to deliver information to a team or customer group. It is transparent, consistent, and focused:
1. Here is what I know
2. Here is what I don’t know
3. Here is what you can count on me for during this time
This approach is a framework which allows for flexibility in how it is communicated but gives an architecture to the listener that helps them hear and understand what’s happening.
How can a leader make plans when the future is so unpredictable?
During unpredictable times, we need to make things simple. The more noise, worry, and pressure people experience, then the harder it is for the brain to listen. To engage our brain’s full executive function and really help others hear clearly in all the unpredictability, a leader can communicate with transparency. They should communicate often and be energetically stable and committed to their people and business. A great leader sticks to the 3-point leader narrative when times are confusing:
1. Here is what I know
2. Here is what I don’t know
3. Here is what you can count on me for during this time
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
The “number one principle” is Clarity Kills Drama. Be clear. Don’t feed the drama and the noise or turbulence. Noise creates confusion and more insecurity. Your job during turbulent times is to be present and clear.
Generating new business, increasing your profits, or at least maintaining your financial stability can be challenging during good times, even more so during turbulent times. Can you share some of the strategies you use to keep forging ahead and not lose growth traction during a difficult economy?
During a difficult economy it is important to remember that this is a season of the business, a cycle that the business is experiencing and that there is opportunity in every season for growth. When there is a squeeze or tough time, our firm focuses on increasing the curiosity quotient of the organization and supporting them. We begin by asking questions that are new and open the door on a variety of different approaches. When things are hard, we ask a question that they may not know the answer to. . . and great learning always arises out of understanding “what you don’t know that you don’t know.” Curiosity is often the cure.
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times? Please share a story or an example for each.
As a leader, be in the healthiest spot you can be personally. When pressure and stress hit, it is YOUR job to lead and that means being in the best mental, physical, and spiritual health you can be in. As you go, so goes your team. It’s crucial to focus on eating well, sleep, water intake, fresh air and exercise, gratitude or a spiritual practice. Lead by leading yourself to optimize your brain and mind’s ability to perform exceptionally well under this stress. Be sure to have a support system outside your business where you can process your worry or concern without censoring it. Your health will be a determinant to how the organizations manage through this season of uncertainty.
Be available and present with your team. When uncertainty hits, it is so easy to hide and put on your thinking cap and try to work your way through the turbulence. Thinking is critical — so please find plenty of time with your first strategy but not at the expense of being extra-available to your team. Your best motto is to “Be With” them. You may not know the answers, you may not have a path yet forward, but the simple act of being present and available will build confidence and trust in your team. You will become a leader worth following.
Be the best listener you can be. And what does listening really mean… it means to put down your biases, agendas, perspectives, and judgments to fully be present and curious while exploring with another human or idea. In our book Bridge the Gap: Breakthrough Communication Tools to Transform Work Relationships from Challenging to Collaborative (McGraw Hill, February 2022), we spend time exploring the power of listening and the hurdles we all face in listening…especially when pressure hits. Be attentive, get curious and be present with your team. Remember LISTEN and SILENT have the same letters — let’s close our mouths and open our ears.
Be open to change. Times of turbulence and uncertainty will reveal your maturity as a leader and your ability to pivot, be curious, seek to see things differently that you never have before. What don’t you know you don’t know? Lean into curiosity and find new solutions from a new way of thinking!
Remember — everyone is having their own experience during uncertain times and your job is to support moving the team from their fear into new possibility. You are the coach and your job is to have a strong pulse on what each individual and team is experiencing and feeling. Have empathy for your team and leaders. They may feel scared or uncertain. Your role will be to help them bridge the gap between those fears into new possibility by leading well and having a strong curiosity about what their needs are and how you can be their partner.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“It’s impossible,” said pride.
“It’s risky,” said experience.
“It’s pointless,” said reason.
“Give it a try,” whispered the heart.
There is always a tug between my mind and thinking and my heart and intuition. I aim to acknowledge all the ways wisdom is brought into the world! And — the best things I have in my life all came from trusting the small voice in my heart which offers light, hope and love to me in the most unexpected of situations.
How can our readers further follow your work?
Join us and be a part of #howyoushowupmatters — www.howtobridgethegap.com and we look forward to a conversation with you!
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
Paul D Kreiter Of Kreiter Creatives Consulting On 5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Engage Your Audience: You’ll stand out as a memorable speaker if you give your audience a chance to engage throughout your presentation. Don’t wait until time is up to ask if there are any questions because your listeners might have wanted to ask a question early on but perhaps they didn’t feel the timing was right, or didn’t feel comfortable interrupting, or they may have forgotten their question altogether.
At some point in our lives, many of us will have to give a talk to a large group of people. What does it take to be a highly effective public speaker? How can you improve your public speaking skills? How can you overcome a fear of speaking in public? What does it take to give a very interesting and engaging public talk? In this interview series called “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker” we are talking to successful and effective public speakers to share insights and stories from their experience. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Paul D. Kreiter.
Paul D. Kreiter, M.Ed. is a presentation coach and creative director from the Chicagoland area. Traditionally trained in the performing arts and education, he has spent the last decade working with the greatest speakers in the world, from Hollywood actors, iconic athletes, to innovative business executives, helping them understand how to communicate best with their audiences. Today, Paul has expanded his work to include company leaders and their teams, consulting them on how to create powerful, story-based presentations that fully engage virtual and in-person audiences.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up in Deerfield, IL, a north suburb of Chicago, with my parents and two sisters; I’m the middle child. I was raised in a household that valued education, the arts, music, sports, self-expression and the Jewish tradition. On any given evening, you would hear The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, REO Speedwagon blasting from my father’s stereo; he is an attorney who was in a fairly popular highschool band and continued to play the guitar. You’d see my older sister drawing murals on her bedroom walls; she would go on to study at the Art Institute Chicago. My mother could be found reading in a cozy nook; she filled our shelves with books and we pretty much had our very own Barns and Noble. You’d catch my younger sister scouring through softball footage and endlessly tossing a ball around; she ended up being a star college softball player and she still plays today. You’d find me playing video games, watching action/adventure movies and comedies (Indiana Jones, Kung Fu films, anything from Mel Brooks or National Lampoon) and running around outside with friends.
We always made time for family dinners to reflect on our weeks, but also never shied away from raucous debate on anything from homework assignments, to our social lives, to ethical issues. I have both fond and complicated memories.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I mentioned fond and complicated memories; I think the latter in retrospect led on a path to where I am now in my career. While I described what would seem like a typical upbringing, our family suffered a great trauma early on. I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia at age three, a disease that complicated my biological, social, and learning development and stunted abundances of joy in my family. While I survived, I believe my family took a serious hit, and any physical and mental health issues that were manageable or dormant prominently rose to the surface. So, while I recovered and the music blasted, art was drawn, catch was played, and books were read, the thick and heavy film of childhood cancer and its heavy aftermaths have persisted.
They say when you survive cancer, you gain a perspective and wisdom well beyond your age. I believe this was true for me, and I took it upon myself to always find an opportunity to bring humor, joy, and levity to any relationship I was in or was developing. Over the years this manifested itself into my current charming personality, my love of stories and movies, but also my passion to tell stories and entertain. Through my entire childhood and young adulthood I acted, sang, danced, and performed improv; I jumped at any opportunity to engage an audience, with the goal of giving them a few minutes, hours of fun, artistic, worry-free escape from life’s complications. And I was good, I am still good, but also humble, and quite content knowing that my ability to engage people, develop and sustain relationships helps people.
I carried this philosophy, and love of storytelling and engaging audiences into the classroom as a teacher, into clinical and mentoring roles in social service, and currently in talent management and development and consulting. Every day I get to help people find their voice and craft creative experiences for audiences. I couldn’t be happier.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I have had the opportunity to meet some fascinating people. One of whom recently passed on, the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu. It’s exciting to be in the room with a distinguished world leader but also humbling to realize and remember that they are a person like everyone else. That has helped me a great deal in my career, helping others remember that we’re all people just trying to do our best.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Funny, maybe more embarrassing. For a virtual event, I was caught on hot mic freaking out that I couldn’t find my speaker’s headset and ear pods. The virtual audience got a nice show of my franticness! I learned a few things from this:
Always be aware of your surroundings and equipment; know what’s on, what’s off, always triple check.
Events are messy, managing talent is messy, but that is not an audiences’ business to know. This is why there is a thick black curtain at the theater; what’s going on behind the scenes is irrelevant to the audiences’ experience; they came for the show, not to learn how the sausage is made if you will.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My supervisor and mentor at the speaker’s bureau, Nancy Eisenstein, is this person for me. She took me on without me having the one-to-one experience the agency was looking for. She, herself, had a similar process, having come to the world of talent agencies after a tenure as a kindergarten teacher! She saw potential in me and great interest in my “journey” and had a feeling that it would be a great choice. She was right; the world of talent management, storytelling, and events felt so right to me and I owe so much to Nancy for helping me get a foot in the door.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging and intimidating. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
I have two bits of advice:
Do not be fooled by the “Imposter Syndrome.” Own your expertise, commit to your professionalism, and remember that people are working with you/there to hear you speak because they see greatness in you. If they see it there is no reason you shouldn’t.
It’s impossible to see your forest through your trees. Everyone should have a guide that has a birds eye view of your progress and process and can nudge you in the direction you’re unable to see for yourself. It’s the old adage, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” So, surround yourself with those who do know what you don’t and can move you into the know.
What drives you to get up everyday and give your talks? What is the main empowering message that you aim to share with the world?
Audiences deserve a performance, and I believe this is the duty of every presenter to deliver this kind of experience. Whether in front of large audiences in an auditorium, with small audiences in boardrooms or on video calls, embracing the role of PERFORMER is the core of my message.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
I just finished a presentation coaching project with a Veterinarian from Arizona. From her perspective, the profession is losing key talent, burnout is high, mental health crises, including issues around suicide, loom large, and the joy of the work is all but gone. She has experienced such realities in her own practice and personal life. She has been compelled to a call to action to help the profession “change the narrative” as she puts it, to bring back the passion and joy to Veterinary practice.
She came to me with abstract presentation concepts and through five 60–90 minutes sessions we were able to craft an emotional, data relevant, and dynamic 50 minute virtual presentation for an audience of 350 industry professionals. She effectively roused her audience with an impassioned keynote, and made such an impact she has been asked to speak again next month.
It is this sort of work, helping folks find their voice, craft their message, and structure their presentations that will move audiences, that sustains my purpose in my profession.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
There’s a Hopi tribe proverb that has inspired my work throughout my career. That saying is “Those who tell the stories rule the world.” I believe strongly that stories lay the foundation for good relationships, that good relationships lead to engaged interest, and engaged interest drives growth and profitability. The crux of this message has made me a creatively-minded leader, who is able to connect on a personal level with the stories that shape personal and organizational visions and successes.
Ok, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker?” Please share a story or example for each.
Speaking TONE and CADENCE: When we are excited about something we tend to want to talk about it loudly and quickly. While this may show genuine passion, it will cause audio dissonance with the audience. As it pertains to TONE, we want to choose precise moments when to be loud and soft during a presentation. Loud for moments of major significance; soft when coming to a transition moment or section. When it comes to CADENCE, Speaking slowly and deliberately allows for a smooth flow of the presentation, including planned moments for pause/transition.
Presentation Structure: Typically, audiences want a performance, and I believe a speaker needs to present keeping this front of mind. To help speakers do this, I use a method called “Building The Sandwich with Artisan Storytelling,” which is designed to help speakers compartmentalize their content into apropos sections (intro, content, conclusion), while using creativity to move within sections. This structure is key for packaging an effective message, but also in creating a connection with the audience, as it takes them on a step by step journey that is both logical and exciting.
Engage Your Audience: You’ll stand out as a memorable speaker if you give your audience a chance to engage throughout your presentation. Don’t wait until time is up to ask if there are any questions because your listeners might have wanted to ask a question early on but perhaps they didn’t feel the timing was right, or didn’t feel comfortable interrupting, or they may have forgotten their question altogether. This can be avoided by asking the audience to get involved at key points:
You can pose a question of significance to the audience right off the bat to spark discussion in your introductionOr you can disperse mini question and answer sessions as you conclude major content items.
Any of these tactics will signal to your audience that you’re likable, easy to converse with, and that you show genuine interest in them.
4. Lighting, Sound, and Visuals: Content and delivery are moot if you cannot be seen or heard. In-person events require a speaker to plan and rehearse with event audio-visual teams to ensure queues are in place from lighting transitions and screen displays for visual materials and microphones are working, and that backup plans are in place to troubleshoot.
For virtual events, a speaker is solely responsible for these items, and should check that:
Their presentation platform (zoom, teams, go to meeting, web x etc) is functioning appropriately.
The lighting in their presentation space is optimal; either they are recording in a well-lit room (not a basement, lots of windows/sun facing the front of the speaker’s face) or they have invested in a ring light, a stable light that surrounds their web camera.
Their camera is in working order and the picture is clear. External web cameras (not attached to their desktop or laptop computer) will provide the best picture quality/resolution (HD, 4k, etc).
That their internet connection is strong, ideally hardlined for the smoothest service.
Relevant to in-person events too, presentation visuals should be impactful but simple and help to create a positive experience for the audience: images should support the over message of the slide, for easy reading and comprehension PowerPoints should have minimal text, and reading slide text verbatim should be avoided.
5. Practice/Rehearse: Once everything has come together, you must practice and rehearse your presentation so that it feels natural when you arrive at the in-person or virtual stage. This can be done in a couple different ways:
Do your talk for someone (colleague, family member, or friend) and ask them for feedback.
Film yourself, watch your performance, and critique and tweak moments requiring change.
As you know, many people are terrified of speaking in public. Can you give some of your advice about how to overcome this fear?
Practice, practice, practice, with a person or group you trust. The fear of public speaking often comes from lack of experience; so the more you get the more you’ll find your comfort level.
You are a person of huge influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
We never know where they are coming from or where they are going, nor do we have control of these realities. All we can control is how we spend the time we have with them, so make this fleeting moment impactful that leaves them and you changed for the better.
A speaker has a unique opportunity to make significant change. Even if just one person in the audience is better (has learned a practical skill for work, has been inspired to make a personal change, motivates someone to seek out an opportunity they had not considered, etc) for their message it’s worth it. Always remember that we have a finite amount of time with the random people we come in contact with.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
I have had the privilege of meeting some incredible people in my career, from celebrities, prominent athletes and authors, agents of social change. My first choice would be to spend time with someone who has passed on, Robin Williams. His comic and dramatic genius was a thing of wonder and I have been inspired by his expansive repertoire.
For those that are still with us, because I love to laugh and sing, I would relish the opportunity to have lunch with comedy legends and best friends Martin Short (who I have worked with before) Steve Martin, if only to sing “Blue Shadows” with them, one of the tender songs from the 1980’s comedy The Three Amigos!
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
After five years of regular radio and television appearances, I still get butterflies before each engagement. But I’ve made friends with the butterflies. They are there to help me. I envision them flying around in there, getting all warmed up and ready to go, and then I envision flying out in a beautiful formation.
At some point in our lives, many of us will have to give a talk to a large group of people. What does it take to be a highly effective public speaker? How can you improve your public speaking skills? How can you overcome a fear of speaking in public? What does it take to give a very interesting and engaging public talk? In this interview series called “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker” we are talking to successful and effective public speakers to share insights and stories from their experience. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Calie Herbst.
Calie Herbst is Editor-in-Chief of Milwaukee With Kids, a digital media company based in Milwaukee, WI. She has been featured in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Wisconsin Public Radio, and appears regularly on local radio and television. She loves writing, walking her dog, Oscar, and waking up before her family for some peace and quiet.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up in a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin with my parents and siblings. There’s a thriving Jewish community here, and so as a Jewish family, we felt very comfortable.
I’ve always loved writing. I wrote volumes and volumes of poems as a young kid. I wrote in my journals. I wrote notes to my friends. I wrote in the school newspaper. I was always writing.
As a child, I was outgoing and loved to make friends. But when I got in front of a group of people, I froze.
Even something as small as the teacher calling on me would cause my face to turn bright red, and blotches to break out on my neck. I was incredibly self-conscious.
I can vividly remember crying on the bathroom floor before a piano recital, with hives all over my body from my nerves. My parents were so kind and helped me through it, but the nerves were something I was going to need to make peace with myself.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
Before becoming the Editor-In-Chief of Milwaukee With Kids, I was a full-time high school Spanish teacher. After having my first child, I looked forward to my first summer off when my son and I could spend every day together.
I started to search online for all of the best things to do around Milwaukee with kids, and I quickly ealized there should be a one-stop shop for this. But there wasn’t. So I started a Facebook page to share all of the fun events I was discovering.
It started to gain traction, and about five years later, I finally took the plunge and left my teaching job to do this full time.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
The year 2020, without a doubt.
Marketing budgets dried up, which was how we monetized the business. Families were staying home from events, which was the main content we focused on. In March of 2020, I thought there was a very real possibility that Milwaukee With Kids was over.
People say that it’s the challenges that teach you the most, but we all try to cheat that to some extent, and we still hope that challenges don’t find us.
But it’s true. 2020 was an absolutely pivotal year for us, and it completely changed the trajectory of Milwaukee WIth Kids in a positive way. We were forced to serve our readers with relevant, genuine content that would help get them through an incredibly difficult time with their kids. This strengthened our relationship with our readers exponentially.
And, we were forced to learn about alternative sources of revenue, ones that ended up being much more sustainable and powerful.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I can’t believe I’m sharing this, but when I first started out, before our audience was very big, I was literally charging $25 for an advertisement on the website. I remember having dinner with a very good friend, who is a very successful business owner, and I shared that with her, and she just looked at me like “Calie. Stop. You need to charge more than $25.”
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Yes. I will always be so grateful to Jodi Becker, a producer at a local new radio station here in Milwaukee. She took a chance on me so early on in my career. They were looking to bring in more of a parenting perspective, and she reached out to me to come on the show every month.
I was so nervous before each show, and it felt like climbing a mountain each time. After each segment, she would email me a little note to encourage me and say that I did a good job. I couldn’t believe that she kept asking me back, and I will always be so grateful to her for helping me believe in myself.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging and intimidating. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
I think when you know that something is for you, you just have to trust it. I’m sure many who are reading this can relate with how scary it was for me to have three children and leave a secure teaching job that offered a decent salary, incredible health insurance benefits, a pension, etc. I had to believe that I could achieve more than what that job was offering me. And then I had to work like a dog to make it happen.
What drives you to get up everyday and give your talks? What is the main empowering message that you aim to share with the world?
Each day I want to connect with parents and encourage them that they are not alone in their parenting journey, and that there is a whole community there to support them.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
In 2022, we’re looking to return to getting our community together in person with events at the Milwaukee Art Museum and community service projects around the city.
I know my kids are getting older and eventually I’ll age out of the role I have here at Milwaukee With Kids. But I plan to stay on in some capacity to help steer the ship.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Every morning, I read an excerpt from “The Parent’s Tae Te Ching” by William Martin. The first lines are “You can speak to your children of life, but your words are not life itself.”
These words set the foundation for the book, which teaches that our children don’t belong to us. They are here to experience life for themselves, and we get to guide them through it.
I see my job as a parent (and human) as being a role model for how to live one’s life. I want to embody that which I hope for my children.
Ok, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker?” Please share a story or example for each.
Set your intention before each appearance.
Before your appearance, ask yourself what your intention is for it. Are you hoping to inspire people? To educate them about something? To persuade them? To connect with them? How do you want the listener to feel after they’ve listened to you?
Before my television and radio appearances, I get clear on what the point of it is. Usually my purpose is to inform listeners about fun things going on around town. I want their interest to be piqued, and I want them to feel inspired and empowered to go do something as a family together.
My deeper purpose is to inspire them to get out and take part in the community, thereby strengthening our city.
2. Visualize the person you are trying to reach.
Think about an individual in the audience who you are trying to talk to. Don’t talk to a group of people. Talk to that one individual.
Before my early morning radio gigs, I actually park at a Starbucks that’s close to the highway. I watch the cars going by, and visualize the person in their car, heading on their way to work, coffee in their cup holder, eyes still bleary from sleep. I’m talking to them. Not thousands of them. Just that one person.
3. Make peace with your butterflies.
After five years of regular radio and television appearances, I still get butterflies before each engagement. But I’ve made friends with the butterflies. They are there to help me. I envision them flying around in there, getting all warmed up and ready to go, and then I envision flying out in a beautiful formation.
4. Play the tape.
Always watch the tape or listen to the recording of yourself all the way through. It can be painful sometimes! But it’s important to learn from. Just like an athlete watches a tape after the game, you need to do the same.
Often, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. A slip-up or error that you thought was a huge deal ends up being barely noticeable when you play the tape back.
5. Do it again.
Just like anything else, public speaking is something you must do over and over again to get good at. After about five years of doing it regularly, I feel like this is the year I’ve finally hit my stride.
As you know, many people are terrified of speaking in public. Can you give some of your advice about how to overcome this fear?
Lean into your fear and explore it. Dive deeper and learn more about what you are afraid of.
Be grounded in your higher mission. If you set an intention for your speaking engagement, and try to speak to just one person in the crowd, you can more easily overcome your fear.
You are a person of huge influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
My wish is for moms to embody what they hope for their children. If you want your children to be self-assured people who are following their dreams, then that’s who you must be.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
I read a prayer from Marianna Williamson’s “A Year of Miracles” every morning, so I’d love to have lunch with her to thank her for her inspiring and grounding words.
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
Yes! I’m most active on Instagram @mkewithkids. I’m also on facebook @mkewithkids.
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
The Future Is Now: David Hurwitt Of Troove On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up The Tech Scene
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Be as humble as you are certain. Conviction is essential for any founder. You’re starting from a standing position and asking others to come along and run towards an unclear destination. Everyone knows most of these journeys don’t often go where planned, but as the founder, you have to sell your vision with absolute passion and conviction. You have to be unwavering in not just your vision, but also your ability to get the team there. At the same time, however, there is no way to do that alone and setbacks are going to happen. You have to listen exceptionally well and demonstrate that you’re really hearing the input and adjusting accordingly. Balancing between “I’m sure” and “I was wrong” is a delicate balance, but done with humility and conviction, it helps others vest in the journey and commit even more to the goals.
As a part of our series about cutting-edge technological breakthroughs, I had the pleasure of interviewingDavid Hurwitt.
David Hurwitt lives in Charlotte, Vermont. He is the founder of Troove, the first technology company to harness the power of alumni and current student experience to connect students with the schools where they are most likely to be happy and successful.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I’m a third generation MBA, and growing up, our dinner table was like a perpetual focus group. My Dad worked in the food business for General Foods and many nights he would bring home new products in white boxes for us to try. I was one of four kids and he’d watch us as we broke into the latest box and quiz us about what we found. I always loved that exploration and the conversation it generated. Before long I was trying to figure out why the development teams made the choices they did and really boil my answers down to their most insightful and elemental components. I was endlessly curious about both sides of the process — the core customer needs and the solutions to (hopefully!) meet them. It was incredibly creative and challenging at age 10, and it still is today!
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
In 2000, I was the Sr. Product Manager of the Whirlpool washer and dryer business. We were trying to figure out why Americans didn’t like front loading washers and hopefully design ones they would. To answer this question, I sent eight 2-person research teams into homes across the country of people who were already using one of the small European front loading washers. We wanted to learn first hand what they liked and disliked. Typically, we paired an engineer with a sales or marketing person and I went into homes in the Seattle area with our engineering head from Europe. In one couple’s semi-finished basement, we were at one end of the room watching a woman in her late sixties, on her hands and knees loading her little washer. As she rose to her feet with a hand on her aching lower back, I asked, “would it be easier if the machine opening was up higher?”. She immediately whipped around, pointed at her husband watching TV in his BarcaLounger at the other end of the room, and said loudly, “I’ve been telling that lazy SoB for years to put this thing up on some cinder blocks!”. After some nervous laughter, I explained that would be dangerous because it wouldn’t be stable, but perhaps in our new design we could create a safe pedestal option. From the other side of the room came a loud, “See!”. 18 months later, we launched the new Duet front loading washer and dryer, and they included pedestals just like we envisioned back in that Seattle basement. 20 years later, they’re still selling like crazy.
Can you tell us about the cutting-edge technological breakthroughs that you are working on? How do you think that will help people?
Only a third of Americans have a bachelor’s degree today and the average 4-year college graduation rate is a mere 44%. After 6-years, it’s just 62%. America has a college graduation problem and we believe the largest contributor to this problem is fit. Kids are ending up at the wrong schools, studying the wrong things, and failing at an alarming rate. Our technology is designed to solve these problems by helping the right people and schools connect.
At their core, schools are collections of people, gathered for a common purpose, and conforming to agreed upon norms. The schools’ academic and social cultures are defined by how they operate and how their members engage with each other. For some people, those norms are ideal, allowing them to flourish in and out of the classroom. For others, they are misaligned, preventing them from achieving the success to which they are entitled. The problem causing this misalignment has always been the opacity of these cultures. It’s easy (and common practice) to subjectively rank schools for all sorts of things, but the industry hasn’t been able to objectively quantify learning and social cultures so proper, persistent fit can be established. That’s what Troove does.
We draw experienced users — recent alumni and current students — into the process for the first time and ask them a range of questions about their academic and social interests, priorities, abilities, and values. This gives us the unique DNA sequence for each school, it quantifies their culture and establishes the success markers for their communities so that applicants can answer the same questions and be matched with the places where they share the most fundamental characteristics with existing community members. After all, graduates have achieved the success coveted by every incoming freshman, so it’s only logical to model their success and use it as a beacon for future students.
How do you think this might change the world?
Education is the great equalizer in society. It is the most important accelerator of social mobility, with a bachelor’s degree estimated to increase lifetime earnings by over 70%. And even more importantly, studies consistently find a direct correlation between health, longevity, and education. A recent long term study by Virginia Commonwealth University showed that having an undergraduate degree or higher versus not completing high school extends life an average of 14 years for men and 10 years for women. It also correlates to lower rates of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer while reducing obesity and smoking.
By matching the right student-school combinations, we throw open these doors of opportunity. And this is especially true for minorities and those without the greatest economic means. The antiquated current college search and admissions system heavily favors wealthier students, especially white ones, who graduate at significantly higher rates with dramatically less debt than their minority and less privileged counterparts. Breaking these cycles instantly starts people more evenly on the path to a degree and over time pulls millions of people into greater affluence, health, and opportunity.
The high school graduation rate in the US has risen to about 90%, while the 4-year college graduation rate is less than half of this at just 42%. A 90% college graduation rate would launch roughly 2 million more graduates into the professional and skilled workforce every year. It would improve health for these people and dramatically improve the chances their children will also go to college. America would be more competitive in a STEM driven future and the age-old promise of America as the land of opportunity would be renewed.
Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this breakthrough? Can you tell us that story?
Having put three kids through college, like most parents, I was well aware that this market was in desperate need of disruption and improvement, so when I came across an interview with the founder of eharmony, the lightbulb really went off for me. He claimed that over a 10-year period, couples who met on eharmony and married (which is some 4% of US marriages each year), had a mere 3.9% divorce rate vs. roughly 50% for the population at large. Wow! Any time you see more than an order of magnitude difference in two methods, pay attention and ask why!
Well, the “why” for eharmony lies in the fact that each new member takes a detailed personality assessment and then is only ever shown profiles of people with whom eharmony has determined there to be the basis for a long term relationship. Where other sites match first on visual attraction, eharmony says no, match first on compatibility and likely persistence and then seek attraction.
It’s really fascinating, and it triggered an idea for me about the college search process. For centuries, we’ve asked kids to come up with a list of schools they’re attracted to and then briefly date (sometimes blind!) before entering into a lifelong relationship. We know that doesn’t work, so what if we followed eharmony’s example and used technology to prequalify lasting fit and then introduce kids (and schools) to the partners with whom science and experience proves they have the greatest possibility of a forever relationship? What would an order of magnitude improvement in college persistence and graduation rates mean for millions of students from now on, not to mention the schools who serve them?
What do you need to lead this technology to widespread adoption?
We have very deliberately built our technology on a huge foundation of existing experience data so it can be really effective right out of the gate. But we’ve also built a data science platform that grows smarter with each new user and data point acquired. So, the simple answer for us is brand awareness. The system is primed for growth and maturity. We just need more users through the system.
The good news is that after two full years of working on this and pitching our core idea to everyone from college presidents and heads of enrollment and alumni relations, to guidance counselors, parents and students currently in the college search and application process, we have yet to run across a single person who hasn’t said some version of, “Well yeah, that makes a ton of sense, why haven’t we always been done it this way?” People just get it, they understand the idea of “what’s past is prologue” and they know how it will help them and their schools. So, we just need to tell more people we’re here to help.
What have you been doing to publicize this idea? Have you been using any innovative marketing strategies?
This is a two-sided market, with schools on one side and applicants on the other. As a technology whose benefits reach far beyond the admissions office, the school side for us includes presidents, provosts, VPs of Alumni Development and Admissions, not to mention school guidance counselors and private college consultants. On the applicant side, high school students, transfer students, their parents, as well as adults looking to go back to college are all part of our market. So, we have a lot of ground to cover! There’s no question however, that the key at this stage is the applicants and we’re choosing to start with the largest group of them — high school juniors and seniors. This is roughly 8 million US students and millions more internationally.
Not surprisingly, we’ve taken a content driven, video strategy, producing a series of interview style videos featuring real kids struggling with the rollercoaster of emotions and challenges they have in the college search and application process. We want real kids talking to real kids. Deciding to go to college, applying, and selecting one are really their first adult decisions and we want to treat them that way, like capable young adults making hard choices. They have enough adult voices telling them what to think and do in their lives — parents, teachers, coaches, guidance counselors…. We want Troove to be their brand. We want to trust them and support them. That has to come through in everything from product and web design to marketing communications. That’s why we’ve focused out launch marketing in particular on kids talking to kids, presenting Troove in a context they can relate to (one student refers to Troove as “like a dating app for college.”) So far, this is really resonating well with our audience and the social engagement has been great.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
As a founder from outside the higher education industry, I knew a first step for me was building a network of industry experts. I spent months networking, cold calling, and reaching out to people whose research I was reading. This was at the very beginning of Covid, so I actually found a lot of people willing to talk and jump on Zoom calls. Suddenly, getting on a video call with a stranger seemed less strange!
One of the people I met through this process was Ian Mortimer, VP of Enrollment and Associate Provost at Rochester Institute of Technology, one of the largest private universities in America. Ian is a very progresssive thinker and he instantly saw even more value and opportunity in my core hypothesis than I did. Decades in higher ed admissions had shown him the frustrating disconnect within schools between the teams serving their alumni and their applicants, and he clearly articulated for me the system-wide benefits of greater connection. In fact, in one of our first calls, I told him I had already come up with a great brand name — AdmitsU. I figured as an admissions guy, he would love it as much as I did, but a few days later, he called me and said, “you have to change your name.” When I pressed him about why — after all I had come up with this name and already loved it — he explained that we’d be short changing the benefits of our breakthrough. He said we needed to understand and sell our idea as a university-wide application with direct and tangible benefits from admissions, to retention, graduation, and alumni engagement. The name had to go. It took me a few hours to get over my attachment to AdmitsU, but later that day, I texted him and simply wrote, “Shit, you’re right!”.
Ever since, Ian has been an invaluable sounding board and advocate for us, introducing us to other industry professionals, sharing published research, and agreeing to have RIT participate as one of our Beta schools at launch.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why.
1. Be as humble as you are certain. Conviction is essential for any founder. You’re starting from a standing position and asking others to come along and run towards an unclear destination. Everyone knows most of these journeys don’t often go where planned, but as the founder, you have to sell your vision with absolute passion and conviction. You have to be unwavering in not just your vision, but also your ability to get the team there. At the same time, however, there is no way to do that alone and setbacks are going to happen. You have to listen exceptionally well and demonstrate that you’re really hearing the input and adjusting accordingly. Balancing between “I’m sure” and “I was wrong” is a delicate balance, but done with humility and conviction, it helps others vest in the journey and commit even more to the goals.
2. Trees and forests both matter. As efficiently as possible, the role of the founder is to run back and forth between tiny detail and overarching strategy. There are prolonged periods where each dominates and vacillation is counterproductive, but both are essential to success. No detail is too small and showing the team that you are engaged at that level builds a powerful connection and increases trust. But while many people are likely focused on a spectrum of details, you’re the owner of the vision, the person who provides context and helps the team see the ultimate value and potential for their work. This gives them greater courage to innovate and drive the details and invariably enhances the vision in ways you hadn’t even imagined.
3. Make yourself as uncomfortable as possible, as often as possible. Everyone’s natural instinct is to play to their strengths. This often translates into spending time on the things you’re good at or simply like doing, and those aren’t always the things that need doing in the moment. Resources are scarce at founding and we all wear many hats. For me, as a solo founder, this has been especially true and has required that I actively press myself into areas of weakness, ignorance, and reliance on others — three things I’m not naturally fond of! I’ve discovered, however, that I actually like many of these things and slaying these dragons is empowering and enriching.
4. The boogeyman is real. I am, by nature, a positive person. My first instinct is to trust and see the good in people and circumstances. That’s usually a strength, but it can also mean I get caught by surprise when things don’t go as planned. Sometimes, forces and people conspire against you. They just do. For reasons you couldn’t, or simply didn’t foresee, the plan gets blocked or simply goes off the rails you’ve carefully built. That’s OK! Never plan to fail, but always game out what might fail, have plans, or at least tools on hand for when they do, and respond quickly. Don’t be surprised by roadblocks, be prepared for them.
5. This will be the most fun you’ll have in your career. Like most founders, I’ve had a thousand ideas for companies. What makes this one perfect for me is not just its strong product-market fit or its ability to positively impact the lives of millions, it’s that it allows me to flex all of my talents while requiring that I develop a bunch of new ones I’m really loving. I spend most days doing fascinating things I deeply care about and that’s such a gift!
If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Years ago, while I was in the renewable energy industry, I heard Bill Gates speak at a conference. He said, “I guess you’re probably wondering what I’m doing here! After all, energy isn’t really my thing. Well, energy empowers my thing. By electrifying the world, especially the underdeveloped world, we can bring healthcare and education to everyone. That’s my thing.” That idea of focusing on ‘what powers your dream’ stuck with me and I see that as what we’re doing at Troove. There is a massive amount of research to prove that attaining a college degree allows people to live longer, healthier, more rewarding and impactful lives. It’s a benefit they pass on to their children, and it lifts millions of people into lives they previously only dreamed of.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Gandhi was right when he said, “Be the change you want to see in the world”. It allows for action, which I prefer. It’s available to everyone, which I value. And it’s inherently positive, which is actually part of the change I want to see. When combined with words of the same meaning, you have a powerful, authentic combination and the perfect foundation for both leadership and high functioning teams. Absent that consistency, however, look out!
Some very well known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say?
Have you ever heard anyone say, “college admissions sure is a great process!” We haven’t either and it’s time to change that.
College admissions is the $10 billion gateway to the trillion dollar higher education market. After nearly 400 years of following the same basic admissions process, Troove disrupts and significantly improves this system by introducing the matching capabilities of modern, AI-driven data science, already well proven in markets from dating to shopping.
For the first time, we directly connect the two largest parts of every school community — the applicants and the alumni. The alumni have achieved the success coveted by every incoming freshman and cumulatively, their experiences in and out of the classroom contain the unique success codes for their schools. Troove is the SaaS platform that unlocks these codes and introduces students to the schools where they are most likely to fit, stay, and succeed. This drives significant improvements from admissions yields to graduation and alumni engagement rates, reaping massive rewards for schools and improving access and graduation rates for students.
Troove launched in October, 2021 and will begin seeking a Seed round in early 2022.
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
Spend time, money and attention to the purpose, vision, values and strategic intent of your company. We ignored that in our transition to a “corporate culture” and financial goals (even though some of those goals were necessary for our continued success) and it resulted in the very painful experience of firing 240 employees and closing 15 offices.
As a part of our series about business leaders who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Robert White.
Founder and CEO of three executive training companies with over 1.3 million graduates, Robert White today mentors entrepreneurs, owners and executives committed to extraordinary results. He’s also the author of the best-seller “Living an Extraordinary Life,” a keynote speaker and an expert partner in organizational transformation.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
My first entrepreneurial effort was a sales company selling skin care via a party plan. I was in my late twenties divorced with attendant guilt; was experiencing daily chest pain from a heart condition; and used my introvert personality trait as an excuse for struggling financially. The summary: my life and business were a mess. A friend in a similar business traveled to California to attend one of the early human potential movement seminars, Mind Dynamics (MDI). He returned raving about the experience and urging me to attend — which I “made wrong” and refused repeatedly for six months. Then I couldn’t help but notice positive changes: his business grew exponentially, his failing marriage was turned around and his long struggle with adult-onset acne “cleared up.”
So with arms-crossed and my cynical, negative attitude I showed up as an MDI student and expressed those habitual behaviors for the first three days of a four day program. A miracle happened on day four and, though it seems like a cliché all these years later, I “woke up” and my life changed for the better. In the following year my business doubled in size and profit; relationships improved and chest pain stopped. The next year my business results multiplied by ten, I sold it and became a contract sales manager in New York City. A key to my success was doing weekend sales and motivation seminars where I brought in a Mind Dynamics Instructor to speak which I followed with an enrollment pitch. I learned that attendees, just like me, became better salespersons and managers. Even though I was not paid a commission by MDI, enrolling over 400 MDI students from those sessions was one of the best sales efforts ever because those graduates increased their sales results which is how I got paid.
I didn’t even know the name of the founder and Chairman of MDI so was surprised when he phoned and offered a trip to California to meet. I was curious and accepted. Ten days later I took a 70% pay cut to become President of Mind Dynamics responsible for the business side of that business. The founder, Alexander Everett, remained responsible for the course content and Instructor Training. I’m forever grateful to Alexander for the opportunity to learn the business of training, setting up five foreign operations and eventually attending his Instructor Training. Then disaster struck: Alexander’s business partner died in a plane crash and Alexander sold his shares to the estate of his late partner. I ended up working for a Probate Judge — absolutely no fun — so I resigned and launched Lifespring Inc.
This entrepreneurial effort included about a thousand mistakes (which allowed me to learn lessons I teach today). I became very unhappy so I sold my shares to my team and resigned as CEO. Moved to Tokyo on an agreement to spend 90 days setting up a company there and in return, being paid for one year. That stretched to 11 years resident in Japan. It included launching ARC International which, within our 22 year history, developed 15 training centers in 7 countries with 240 staff and 70 full-time Trainers. We became the second largest personal growth training company in the world.
Then I quit. Semi-retired at 46 to a 14,500 sf home on 76 acres in Aspen, Colorado. Remarried, had two birth children and adopted two special needs children, traveled for six months with the late John Denver, skied 65–80 days per year and joined six non-profit boards. Life was very, very good. Then my semi-retired absence led to losing the company and, even more painfully, my wife left me for an attorney. Life became very, very bad for a while. That led to company Number Three: Extraordinary People LLC.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
I am blessed to work with very talented executives who tend to fall into one of two realities. They are either in some kind of trouble: declining profits, losing key people, dysfunctional organizations, lack of innovation — in a word, trouble. Or, they are generally doing well and clearly see future opportunities; yet sense that the way that they or their team perform is inadequate to successfully seizing those opportunities.
In both situations the commonality is that otherwise very capable people are held back by their conscious and mostly unconscious beliefs, attitudes, habits, patterns and behaviors. This is often voiced as “the ways we do things around here” and becomes a cultural block to progress. My job is to disrupt any aspect of a personal or organizational culture that is getting in the way of excellence — to be a truth teller — and help them install positive, result-oriented attitudes, habits and behaviors along with producing personal joy and satisfaction.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When pioneering the introduction of experiential learning in Japan we used public guest events to enroll students. Personally (as a graduate myself), my staff and our recent grads brought guests to a 7 PM event. On one of those evenings we did all the preparatory work: phone calls to urge attendance; design the content; rehearse the speaker; set up the chairs and welcome refreshments; and train the support team of five. At 6 PM we gathered to share our vision for the evening and check everyone’s appearance and positive attitude. We expected about 25 guests and we were READY!
At 6:45 I notice there were no early arrivals. Unusual but OK. Perhaps there was a problem with the subway system? At 6:55 still an empty room so the staff scattered to make some reminder phone calls. At 7:15 …. Time for that “you could have rolled a bowling ball through the middle of the room” saying and yes, someone did say it.
At 7:30 we collectively surrendered to reality. No one was coming. We felt like terrible failures and fearful about what the episode meant to our fledging business. After a long moment of silence a staff member quietly said “there must be a lesson here and our job is to learn it.” Another long silence and then raucous laughter that broke the tension. We were teaching that approach to life’s problems and needed that reminder to process our own failure in a positive way.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
My self-awareness and several psychological tests combine to know I’m an introvert with a “lone wolf” personality. My pattern is to think I must figure out everything on my own — a pattern shared by many of my current clients so I can easily identify and connect with them.
An early mentor was the late Dr. John Jones, a Professor at the University of Iowa and co-founder of Pfeiffer-Jones Publishing, the pioneers in promoting experiential learning. I was just another audience member when Dr. Jones presented to over 400 HR executives at a national conference. The Q. & A. session was brutal. Experiential learning was a new methodology threatening the orthodoxy of many attendees and they challenged everything except his brand of underwear. I was impressed by how he handled the aggressive negativity and arranged a private meeting later that day which led to years of his mentorship and consulting services.
The lesson then and now is, everyone needs to be fully, respectfully and generously heard … especially when they disagree and especially when it “pushes your buttons.” I’ll never forget Dr. John’s hearty laugh as he referred to that Q & A session as “the Olympics of Spear Catching.”
Dr. Jones, Alexander Everett, Werner Erhard, Dr. John Enright and Dr. Robert “Bob” Wright have all made incredible mentoring contributions to my business and personal growth for which I am so very grateful.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
After twelve years of intense entrepreneurial effort in Asia which included long hours and limited vacations, I semi-retired, remarried and moved to Aspen, Colorado.
My companies continued to grow including our USA corporate culture change training organization headquartered in Denver. We lost our USA President to retirement and I hired a replacement to run that company and all of our Asian operations. “Larry” was a graduate, a retired division head with our client AT&T and a high integrity, really good man. After 90 days on the job, he arranged a worldwide meeting and, of course, invited the owner (Me!) to attend so I left my hide-out in the mountains and went down the hill to Denver.
We were approaching our twentieth anniversary, were internationally recognized for the quality of our trainings and were experiencing solid growth and profits. We did all of that without ever having financial goals beyond an adequate cash flow to fund operations, growth and my semi-retirement in Aspen. (the big house, the jet, the travel, etc. Life was very good for Robert!)
Larry facilitated the meeting to declare our first ever financial goal — to grow revenue 150% within three years. I participated in the discussions, got excited and “bought in” to the commitment along with my entire top team. To accomplish that goal we would transition from a full-time trainer body to independent contractors; go virtual instead of expanding our 15 offices; and install a rigorous financial management system — dashboards and all that. Said another way …. we would abandon training industry best-practices and become “more corporate.”
And said directly, that decision began the process of killing our culture and then our company. Our culture was one of pride in putting quality and service to our individual and corporate clients first. We became very profitable by focusing on the transformational effect of our trainings and mostly ignoring money. We were “cause motivated” and our team was motivated by the positive difference we were making for people and for client organization’s growth and aliveness.
Almost immediately, our disruptive act resulted in key people resigning or, worse, staying but with little commitment. A painful lesson was learned that disruption needs to be better planned; more forethought given to unintended side-effects; and hyper attention to culture must be practiced daily.
Can you share five of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
My leadership journey includes significant success and embarrassing failure. The lessons from all of that include:
Spend time, money and attention to the purpose, vision, values and strategic intent of your company. We ignored that in our transition to a “corporate culture” and financial goals (even though some of those goals were necessary for our continued success) and it resulted in the very painful experience of firing 240 employees and closing 15 offices.
Focus, alignment and commitment are key aspects for organizational success. They can and must be measured, monitored and trained/coached for maximize effectiveness. When I look back at how we created extraordinarily fast-growth and very profitable, it was when we hired, trained and coached against those standards: focus, alignment and commitment. Today it is the heart of the work I do with executives and teams.
My personal executive coach encouraged me to “fire a few friends.” He observed that I had developed a huge network and many members were not aligned to my purpose, vision and values. Said in a different way, they were takers, not givers. They used me and our company for income, credibility and expertise while giving little or nothing back. Perhaps in a desire to be liked, I put up with that. My personal life and company results markedly improved when I, as politely as possible, ended those relationships.
I coach executives of the inherent value in “completing your past” and dealing openly with hurt and betrayal. A business friend and mentor reminded me to “walk my talk.” I had compartmentalized some negative events because I was ambitious and knew that if those events captured my thoughts I would be less effective. What I needed to realize is that subconsciously that pain was still within me and was affecting my hiring, management, leadership and how I “showed up” with staff and clients.
Integrating fun and celebrations of success or even failure are crucial components of success. I learned this by participating in The Strategic Coach, Dan Sullivan’s amazing group coaching program. My family jokes that “Robert was born in a three-piece suit.” I lean toward being a very serious guy and learned the power of having more fun — both personally and in my company.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
Simple answer here: By demanding excellence from myself, my team and everyone I’m privileged to serve. Making excuses for myself or others diminishes my God-given gifts and results in mediocrity. My personal gift from God is that I am an interruption. If the people around me want to stay the same, they have chosen the wrong mentor.
Do you have a book, podcast, or talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us? Can you explain why it was so resonant with you?
There are so many examples and each came to me when I was finally awake to the need and willingness for personal change. Notable are two books: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand when I was confused about the prices and rewards of putting personal freedom and responsibility into practice; and Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, the book second only to the Holy Bible for profound personal growth. Attending a talk by the late General Colin Powell had a big impact on my leadership practices. Hiring a series of personal executive coaches, each with specific skill sets, helped me see different points of view and get out of my own way. Listening carefully to feedback from experienced and wise friends Lou Faust, Chris Pelley, Kenny Fischer, Chad Burmeister and Tami Young has been invaluable. Finally, I’m reminded daily of the music, words and ways of being modeled by dear friends no longer with us like John Denver, Dale Collins, Martin Leaf and Wilson Cross. Anyone reading this has a similar list and opportunity — it does take an openness and courage to actively seek counsel and act on it.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I usually quote Viktor Frankl when asked this. To mix things up I’ll change my answer to;
“Teach only love for that is what you are.” From The Course in Miracles
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
We are enduring times of great change, even chaos. To me that means a need to have a safe and inspiring fall-back to timeless principles embodied in great literature, religion and philosophies. Change is best handled by having a solid foundation. If I could wave my magic wand, we would collectively honor and embrace timeless wisdom while embracing change. You can check out one approach to this at www.LivingABetterStory.org
Know your competition: You have to know who your competitor is and know their prices so you can stay moving forward as well.
As part of our series about how to create a trusted, believable, and beloved brand, I had the pleasure to interview Maria Raquel Thomas.
Maria Raquel Thomas is an Entrepreneur, Humanitarian and Philanthropist.
Maria Raquel Thomas, 15 years old, is the owner of Maria Raquel Thomas Cosmetics. After struggling with her personal lip care, she began mixing her own products to help with chapping. She then tried samples out with her friends to see if it helped them. It did and so she began mixing more products.
When COVID-19 hit the world, Maria Raquel Thomas wanted to find a way to help girls keep up with their self-care, stay positive and stay motivated during the crisis. She started Maria Raquel Thomas Cosmetics.
Maria Raquel Thomas first developed a full line of lip scrubs and lip masks to encourage girls to take care of their lip challenges. Next, she launched the D.R.I.P. lipgloss (Daring. Radiant. Independent. Powerful.), naming the products using uplifting adjectives. The collection sold out in less than one week!
Next, she produced a collection lovingly called “Girl Power,” which included an assortment of lipglosses and eyeshadows. Again, she wanted to empower girls through positivity, so she named the individual products in the Girl Power collection adjectives such as Beautiful, Dreamer, and Adventurous and more. She most recently debuted a new 5-piece lip shine collection, called “Rockstar,” an ode to her family who has a musical background. It also reminds girls that they are rockstars in their own right.
In her future, Maria Raquel Thomas plans to take proceeds from her cosmetic line and use it to pay for medical school. She wants to be an ER doctor so she can continue to care for others.
Maria Raquel Thomas continues to give back to the community by donating a portion of her earnings to children’s charities including Victoria’s Voice, SE4K, and Standup for Kids. She is the first-ever National Youth Ambassador for Standup for Kids, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending youth homelessness. Maria Raquel Thomas has assisted StandUp for Kids in raising over $150,000 in their virtual run/walk race fundraisers. She has put in over two hundred hours of volunteer work with Standup for Kids and other non-profits. She has been awarded the 2021 President’s Volunteer Silver Medal.
Maria Raquel Thomas has earned several awards for her leadership skills. She was named a 2018 Junior National Young Leader and received the National “Girl of Merit” award in 2018 and 2019. For her voluntary work, she recently earned The President’s Volunteer Silver Medal. She was most recently nominated for Forbes 30 Under 30.
Maria Raquel Thomas has made appearances on ABC, FOX, and CBS. She’s also graced the cover of five worldwide magazines and made history as the youngest model on the cover of 17.23 magazine! In Feb 2021, she was nicknamed, “The Humble Giant,” by Malvie magazine, Vol 28.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Yes, when I became a teenager, I noticed that my lips would continuously get dry over the course of the day. I was getting really frustrated, so I came up with a solution: mix my own lip scrubs and lip masks. After several trials and errors, I made a formula that worked!
Can you share a story about the funniest marketing mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
A funny mistake I made was the sales of my first lip gloss line. I didn’t make enough for the demand from the customers. I knew the product would sell, however it sold out in a week! Now, our team stocks up with the products we know our customers like the most.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Maria Raquel Thomas Cosmetics stands out because of its authenticity. We not only sell the products, but we also wear them daily.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now?
Yes, we are working on a spring/summer collection which will feature new colors for all ages!
Ok let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain?
For me brand marketing is the overall way to promote your product. It is the approach you take when reaching a target audience. Product marketing is for specific products within that brand that you want to promote.
Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?
It is very necessary to invest in your brand. For example, we sat down a wrote out what my brand would look like, who was the target audience and then we put a budget together to show costs of advertising to them.
Can you share 5 strategies that a company should be doing to build a trusted and believable brand? Please tell us a story or example for each.
1) Have a clear purpose for your brand: For me, I knew I wanted to help teens and women with their lip dryness challenges. I also wanted them to feel good about themselves using my products.
2) Listen to your customers: I can not emphasize this enough. Your customers can give you great insight on what products work and those that do not work.
3) Know your competition: You have to know who your competitor is and know their prices so you can stay moving forward as well.
4) Learn. Be Humble.: Sometimes we want to do everything ourselves the way we want it and not look at what the customer is asking for. We have to keep our eyes and ears open with the customer.
5) Don’t give up: Being an entrepreneur is a tough however it is also rewarding. To see the smiles and the thank you notes I receive from my customers about how they liked the product, gives me energy to keep moving forward.
In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job building a believable and beloved brand. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?
I look at top brands such a Loreal and Chanel. They have longevity in the cosmetic business. I like their campaigns too!
What role does social media play in your branding efforts?
Social media plays a significant role in branding; however, you can still reach people in other ways such as text, email, and your website.
What advice would you give to other marketers or business leaders to thrive and avoid burnout?
Take time out to do things other things you love. For me, I love to roller skate, so I take time out to do other activities.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
The movement would be for everyone to be more kind. I would love to see more people on social media take a positive approach when posting. Everyone is going through something and to be kind to someone could just make their day.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“For every problem, there is always a solution.” My mom taught me this quote years ago. So, I use it in every factor of my life. When I get in a tough situation, I try to figure out at least three potential solutions.
We are blessed that very prominent leaders in business and entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world with whom you would like to have a lunch or breakfast with? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I would love to have lunch with Zenda.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Personal Instagram @mariaraquelthomasofficial
Business Instagram @mariaraquelthomas
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
Meet The Disruptors: Reza Amin Of Bastion Health On The Five Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Ideate: Always looking for a smarter solution
Learn: Always ready to learn new things
Execute: Not just a planner but a doer
Risk: Ready to take risks but smartly
Persist: Continue in spite of difficulty and opposition
As a part of our series about business leaders who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Reza Amin.
Reza Amin, Ph.D., founded Bastion Health in 2018 with a vision to provide private, simple, accessible, and comprehensive at-home support for men’s care to bring men’s health to a 21-century experience. Reza has more than ten years of experience in Medical Devices and Health Technologies. He has published several peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and has founded two medical device companies.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
When my wife and I were on our fertility journey and trying to get pregnant, we quickly realized that there was a big disparity in the number of technological solutions available for men and women. There was no male reproductive health technology available to guide me through essential preparations for fatherhood.
My difficulty with finding accessible solutions on male reproductive healthcare was symptomatic of something much larger. The truth is that male reproductive healthcare as a whole subset of medicine is severely underserved. Being a researcher in healthcare technologies and medical devices, I made it my mission to build a solution, and so, my team and I created Bastion Health. As we continue to grow, we expanded our vision to bringing men’s reproductive and prostate health care to a 21-century experience with innovation, technology, and care.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
Our goal is to bring men’s health to a 21-century experience, and provide better health care that is comfortable, comprehensive, simple, and accessible. We use deep learning algorithms to provide personalized comprehensive outcome-focused men’s health services using our programmatic treatment experiences and patented diagnostic tools that are centered around men. Our men’s telehealth mobile application works in tandem with our at-home diagnostic kit. You can download our app from the Apple or Google Play store (we are easy to find ― the only men’s fertility and prostate health app there). Once you sign up, you have access to our men’s health treatment programs for fertility and prostate health. On the app, you can schedule a consult with a men’s health expert, get diagnosed, and receive a personalized treatment plan. The plan removes the guesswork and gives you a structured approach to improve your fertility and/or prostate health, and it comes fully loaded. Your prescriptions and follow-ups happen on the app itself, plus your medications and supplements get delivered right to your home.
Our fertility test kits (in FDA trials now) can be ordered through the app or picked up from the pharmacy. You can apply the semen sample (in the comfort and privacy of your home) to the device and within 10 minutes, the results are ready to be analyzed. Using our app, take an image of the color changes on the device, and our deep learning algorithm deciphers those results instantly and sends them back.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Being an entrepreneur is not like having a job. Being an entrepreneur is choosing a lifestyle.
Binary logic is the logic governing electrical systems (a light can be on or off). An electrical and mechanical engineer by training, when first I started my entrepreneurial journey I was looking for a binary answer to the challenges that made decision-making difficult. In the enterprenal world, there is not much certainty. You are building something that does not exist from 0 to 1. Soon I found that even my mentors and advisors might have different suggestions for the next step, there is no one path for success, and as an entrepreneur I need to learn from all different advice and build the path myself. So I needed to choose a lifestyle that fuzzy logic was governing it and not binary logic — to deal with partial truth, where things may range between completely true and completely false.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
Since the day one I had the luxury of having seasoned mentors and advisors with different experiences ranging from:
Successful entrepreneurs and business owners
Scientists and futuristic designers
Academic business advisors
Investors
There are a lot of ups and downs in every entrepreneur’s journey and there are a lot of decisions that need to be made with all the uncertainties around. So you need advice from different perspectives to make the optimal decision, and therefore we were lucky to have mentors helping us see the challenges from different angles.
At Bastion Health, we built a digital health platform and at-home testing solution that could be applied to different aspects of health. There are a lot of cool applications, but from Day One our mentors and advisors wanted us to laser focus on one opportunity, and warn us when we were getting distracted. That helped us focus on men’s health and become the first specialty telehealth for men’s health on App Store and Google Play.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
By definition, disruptive companies are small companies with fewer resources that successfully challenge established incumbent businesses that focus on providing products and services for their most demanding/profitable customers, by successfully targeting those overlooked segments then gaining a foothold by delivering more suitable functionality. In this process the disruptive companies/products that are user-centric would be considered a good disruptive solution. Companies/products that are not designing their solution around users and users’ needs are not going to get adapted by users in the long run and fail.
Can you share five of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
Being an entrepreneur is not like having a job; being an entrepreneur is choosing a lifestyle and in this lifestyle you need to continuously:
Ideate: Always looking for a smarter solution
Learn: Always ready to learn new things
Execute: Not just a planner but a doer
Risk: Ready to take risks but smartly
Persist: Continue in spite of difficulty and opposition
During my entrepreneurial journey, I went through 5 different critical stages. I was looking for a solution to bring men’s health into a 21-century experience. I started learning about users’ needs and the current state of men’s health, and then I started executing the plan/vision that we had to reimagine men’s health. Implementation of any disruptive idea requires risk-taking, therefore entrepreneurs at some point in their journey should make a decision ― take a risk ― to put all their energy, focus and resources into bringing their idea to life. Entrepreneurial journeys and building a product or service have a lot of ups and downs. The only rule for success is persistence. You will face a lot of closed doors, and as an entrepreneur you need to keep knocking every single day to find your way to success.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
We are working on our at-home diagnostic kits for reproductive health and prostate health to be launched in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Our men’s telehealth mobile application is designed to work in tandem with our at-home diagnostic kit, health tracker, and personalized health insights to create a comprehensive ecosystem to improve men’s health from the comfort of their homes.
Do you have a book, podcast, or talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us? Can you explain why it was so resonant with you?
Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to Mainstream Customers by Geoffrey A. Moore is the bible for bringing cutting-edge products to larger markets. Moore explains that the adoption of groundbreaking products can be broken into five segments: innovators (who are the first to adopt), early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards, and the challenge for innovators and marketers is to narrow this chasm and ultimately accelerate adoption across every segment.
At Bastion Health, as a disruptive health tech company, Crossing the Chasm is a great guideline and game plan for us for strategizing our product development, marketing, and sales to scale up and grow our business.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
In today’s world that is changing so quickly, the risk of not taking risk is more than taking any risk. With years of research in Medical Devices, Artificial Intelligence, Microfabrication, and Health Technologies, after completing my Ph.D. in 2018 I could continue my career in academia or industry. I decided to choose a third option, which was not the safest path, but more impactful: I started Bastion Health with a vision to provide private, simple, accessible, and comprehensive at-home support for men’s care. And now after two years of research, product design and development and beta testing, we launched our telehealth service for men’s reproductive health and prostate health.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
The scientific literature on men avoiding medical care is well established. We know the problem. Studies have shown that men use less preventative healthcare services than women, and do not seek immediate treatment for many of their unique health problems. We even know why the problem exists. Masculine norms ― the assumed behavior of toughness and pushing through pain ― motivate men to avoid seeking healthcare services.
The transition to a digital world offers the healthcare and healthtech industries a fresh start. To break through the stigmas men face around engaging proactively with their own health, a more male-centric approach is needed. A movement that encourages men to be more proactive about their health to adapt men’s digital health platforms would improve men’s health
Making Something From Nothing: Tracy Vontélle Green and Nancey Harris Of Vontélle Eyewear Company On How To Go From Idea To Launch
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Photo Credit — Darren Talent
…Don’t be afraid to reach out and introduce yourself and ask what the company is doing for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous People of Color), or Women owned businesses. We led with this, and it helped us get traction to our site. We are very grateful to theSkimm, which featured Vontélle in a complimentary ad. Our website traffic increased to over 14,000 visitors during the month of February.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tracy Vontélle Green and Nancey Harris Founders of Vontélle Eyewear Company.
Vontélle, LLC was incorporated with a clear vision and ironic symbolism of “2020”. The company produces luxury bespoke eyewear that has unique African, Caribbean, and Latinx print designs and textiles. The company launched their website in October 2020 targeting consumers ages 25–65. Vontélle was created by Tracy Vontélle Green and Nancey Harris, both women of color and very highly accomplished. Tracy is a former Chief Financial Officer of a hospital and Nancey was a former sales executive at a well-known media giant.
Think about this: In 2020, the global eyewear market was valued at approximately $140 billion and estimated to grow to $200 billion by 2027. Yet there are less than a handful of Black eyewear makers. According to the Vision Council, 164 million American adults wear glasses and 218 million Americans wear non-prescription sunglasses (to block sunrays). Vontélle is poised to make their mark as there is a lot of consumers looking for eyewear.
The concept for Vontélle was born out of a need of both founders, who each lost their expensive eyewear within the same year and decided to focus their efforts on making their next purchases from a Black-owned brand. After searching high and low for glasses that were stylish, better fitting, and had an ethnic flair, they realized it simply did not exist. That is when Tracy suggested we start our own line and Nancey booked our fate determining trip to Paris. Due to their loss, the company offers a unique protection for consumers by providing a one-year/one-time replacement warranty from date of purchase if your eyewear is lost, stolen, damaged, or broken.
Most importantly, Vontélle Eyewear handcrafted designs are for diverse faces. As their research concluded that many of us are wearing ill-fitting glasses. Vontélle wider bridges for your nose, longer temples for no pain behind the ears and larger lenses for high cheekbones will fit comfortably on your face. Although the pandemic continues to ravage our nation, many people especially minorities are forced to forge new paths and career journeys. It is no different for these two new fashion couture eyewear designers. Thus, they added mid-production matching masks in the same eye-catching and awe-inspiring patterns as the eyewear. They have coined the phrase/slogan #fullfacefashion.
Eyewear is not only an extension of your wardrobe, but a necessary medical device. Vontélle understands that eyewear is essential and realizes the importance of quality, thus want to help with eye health disparities. The National Institute of Health’s National Eye Institute report that, African Americans are more likely to have cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy than any other ethnic group. Befittingly, the Co-Founders have partnered with WIN (Women in Need), the largest provider of family shelter and supportive housing in New York City. The eyewear company has partnered with local optometrists to offer free eye exams, vision companies and foundations to provide free eyeglasses and pay for the prescription lenses.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
Nancey: I’m a native New Yorker and was born and raised in Brooklyn. As a kid, I wanted to be so many things ranging from Wonder Woman, because of her superhuman strength and mobility to WNBC Award winning journalist, Sue Simmons, and make an impact in the world of journalism. My bachelor’s degree is Mass Communications with a minor in journalism. My world shifted after graduation, and I found myself in the world of advertising and sales. Before long, I became a top sales executive, and the rest is Her-story.
Tracy — I was born in Harlem and later raised Queens, New York. Funny as a child I wanted to be the boss (I was the eldest child of 4). I knew I was going to be in charge of something. As a teenager, I loved Fashion, Art and wanted to be a supermodel (I remember spending my allowance on subscribing to all the major magazines and creating collages). However, I was very good with numbers and entered college at Morgan State University as a Political Science major with my eyes set on attending law school. However, a very good friend at college (Nancey) said you should major in accounting as by that time I was doing many of my friends’ annual income taxes including my parents. Thus, I minored in accounting, received a master’s degree, and worked my way up to Chief Financial Officer (CFO). In addition, as a businesswoman, I had an income tax business and own and rent real estate.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Tracy — Quote by Nelson Mandela: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
I’ve come from meager means, neither of my parents finished college –I’m the first college graduate in my family but they always pushed me to do better, and nothing was beyond my reach. I learned that I could do just about anything if I read, take the necessary steps and execute.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Nancey — The Autobiography of Malcolm X is one of my favorite autobiographies along with The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt. The story of Malcolm X reminds me about the intersections of life and how the choices you make can shape your future. However, if you’re an astute student of life, you learn from your mistakes turning a negative into a positive. Once Malcolm X realized his intelligence could provoke change, he realized his true power. Malcolm X’s quote, “A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything,” will always hold validity.
The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt unearths the story of a woman who was courageous during her time and lived a full and rich life. Roosevelt was a controversial first lady at the time for her outspokenness, particularly on civil rights for African Americans. Indeed, she was privileged. Still, I believe that even if she wasn’t, she would have fought the same injustices.
A few of my favorite quotes from Roosevelt are, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent,” and “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
The commonality between Malcolm X and Eleanor Roosevelt is they both wanted change and to level the playing field to eradicate what we now call “Systemic Racism”.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
Tracy — Write it down! Put the goal on a piece of paper and then write all the steps to reach that goal. It also helps to have a business partner, husband, family (support) to push you and believe in your idea but if you don’t, you must believe in it. Everything we use, from our phones -to a hairbrush — to the music we listen too came from a person who had an idea. I remind myself of that every day.
Nancey — Motivational speaker, Les Brown said, “The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled.” My first big business venture was a book publishing company. After receiving dozens of rejection letters from publishers for my manuscript, I decided to start my own company. I knew I was going to need more money than I had in the bank. I took a part-time job at a retailer and dedicated every dollar I made to this project. Then I did a ton of research on the publishing industry and was able to locate book manufacturers, a typesetter, an editor, and I even tracked down a well-known artist who allowed me to use his artwork for the cover of my book. It took me two years from rejection letter to final publication. The key was, I was committed and over the course of my publishing career, I sold over 30,000 books. I never allowed “NO” to become my final resting place. Don’t travel with a duffle bag and expect overnight success. It requires an entire set of luggage!
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
We searched the internet intensely. Thereafter, we took a trip to Paris in 2019 (pre-pandemic) and saw thousands of glasses and met eyewear manufacturers and designers, but nothing like what we envisioned. This served as our “aha moment” and, we decided to design and create better fitting eyewear with a focus on adding textiles and patterns. There are many entrepreneurs who birthed companies out of necessity and a missing component (Untuck It (shirts), Bevel (razor), Ruby Love (period panties), Peloton (exercise bike), Beats (headphones), Sundial/Shea Moisture (lotion/hair products), etc. All these products already exist, but they each found a missing component and used that to build multi-million-dollar companies.Vontélle Eyewear is following a similar path by providing a new solution to the eyewear industry and working with our community. The corporate vision for Vontélle Eyewear is to become the leading African American woman-owned luxury eyewear design company. Vontélle will provide a missing component of rich textiles, patterns and better fit to the eyewear industry.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
There are a lot of steps involved and we split them based on our expertise. However, the first and most important steps are to hire an attorney, accountant and prepare a business plan. After that we did the following:
Trademark our name and logo — Vontélle is Tracy’s middle name and after going to Paris we decided we wanted to use it. It’s a beautiful French name that means, “There she goes” or “to go” and many well-known designers have French & Italian brand names. Our attorney filed the paperwork to ensure no one else was using the name or our logo that we created.
The design process is extensive. We began with choosing fabrics and textiles — this determines the colors chosen. We picked the shape of the glasses — Real estate is important to print the patterns on the frames. Lastly, we worked with a graphic designer to put it together (at the beginning Tracy was drawing designs on paper — we are not artists — but it is what we had — Nancey learned how to use Corel Draw program to make the final technical drawings).
Collaborations are key and essential to any business. When we decided we wanted to start this business, we traveled to Paris for Fashion Week, which featured all the brands in the marketplace. We immediately stood out. Truth set in as we realized, there were only a handful of African Americans present. Had we not met the right manufacturer during our visit to Paris, we would not have an eyewear collection today. We interviewed many designers & manufacturers, and they either did not believe in us, could not understand our vision and/or did not want to work with two young black women. Many did not call us back, of the 3 (three) that did; one was over charging. We had to find the right collaborator who saw our vision and wanted to work with us at the right price.
Reviewing the prototypes and making edits and changes to get them just right before going into production. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, for 2020 we had to work with our manufacturer over Zoom and WhatsApp. It was difficult and took more time, but you can’t rush perfection.
Creating a website — “You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know” — Additionally, we have colleagues assisting us with website & maintenance, marketing, social media and branding. Although we are driving the vision, we need people around us that have expertise in certain areas and help navigate the things we do not know. We are learning as we go on several topics. Luckily, we cover some areas as Nancey has extensive knowledge in sales, manufacturing and shipping, while Tracy has extensive knowledge in finance, taxes etc. On October 1, 2020, we launched our website!
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
1.Creating and building a website was more encompassing than we thought. We did not have coding experience, so we are thankful for our wonderful Website/Graphic Designer Kelsey. On October 1, 2020, at midnight we called a few close friends to visit the site and provide us with feedback. It was an effective way to see if the site was working, had grammatical errors, functioned properly, etc. After spending so much time with the site, it became impossible to see the little errors.
Lesson: I don’t think we could have done this any better. Perhaps, we could have provided access to our friends prior to the launch, but until its live, you really don’t know all the issues. We did an excellent job, fixing all the bugs immediately as friends, customers etc. brought it to our attention. Check out our website here: https://www.vontelle.com
2. There is no such thing as a soft or big launch. Once your site is up, if you post about your product, it is available for the world to see. Funny story, we had one college friend who ordered and paid for a pair of optical glasses in August. Since the website was technically up — as we were working on it- she saw our posts and just figured out the URL (we had not sent it out yet).
We were super excited, but the eyewear had not been manufactured and delivered. We launched with 37 designs. Our goal was to launch in October for pre-orders and then mail to the customers in December. So, when she ordered in August, she had months to wait. But since she was our 1st customer, we gave her an additional pair of sunglasses and matching masks at no charge.
Lesson: Consumers do not read! Although we had the word “PRE-ORDER” in the largest font possible, once the site is up, and the customer purchases, they will email you constantly about their order(s). Additionally, in hindsight, we would not open with so many designs. We probably should have started with 5–10 eyewear styles maximum — we did 37 eyewear designs.
3. Since we launched during the pandemic and we bootstrapped the firm, lack of money was an issue. Therefore, we did not have additional funds to put towards marketing or advertising. We used social media — Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter to build awareness. About six months after we began to see a revenue flow, we began a marketing campaign, which entailed running commercial spots and placing ads on social platforms.
We started to get press, and reached out to friends, business associates as well as magazines, podcasts, companies, etc. directly to say — “Hey, Vontélle is here and open for business.” Our alma mater — Morgan State University did the first article, which led to an article in a local Baltimore, MD newspaper. A friend reached out for a podcast interview, and through more networking we amassed features in Data Bird Business Journal, Sheen Magazine, Black Enterprise, The Network Journal, Good Morning America (digital) and more. In September 2021, InStyle Magazine (Jennifer Aniston on the cover), highlighted our brand as a “You Know You Want It Item”
Lesson: Don’t be afraid to reach out and introduce yourself and ask what the company is doing for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous People of Color), or Women owned businesses. We led with this, and it helped us get traction to our site. We are very grateful to theSkimm, which featured Vontélle in a complimentary ad. Our website traffic increased to over 14,000 visitors during the month of February.
Note: Online engagement doesn’t necessarily lead to sales, but we did see about 5–8 sales just from their followers/email list within the week of the ad on their site. However, many of the users signed up on our email list and now we can send them discounts, blogs, newsletters, etc.
4. Our goal was to get sales. Of course, we had the dream of breaking the internet but that’s difficult to do if you are not a celebrity. From October — December we made $6,000 and we were ecstatic. Our goal was to be taken seriously and prove that we are filling a gap in the industry. Not only bringing beautiful patterns, but better fitting eyewear for African Americans and Hispanics.
Sales was our original measure of success and we saw a direct correlation to an editorial feature and the number of sales. Each time an article came out, sales increased. We started to speak to more customers, via social media, attending events (vision expos, pop ups, etc.) and we had Asian, East Indian, Caucasian tell us they have a hard time finding glasses that fit their faces as well. Reality struck; our better fit wasn’t only for us (African American & Hispanic). We are serving a great deal of people with diverse features who love art, patterns and colors. Our measure of success began to change.
Lesson: Our measurement now is, how can we reach more consumers with this problem? While our goal was to only sell direct to consumer from our website, we adjusted and started selling to Opticians/Optometrists (Business to business) as they have our customer in their chairs and not everyone is suited for contacts. This pivot has provided a steady income for us, and we are now selling to optical stores in major cities across the U.S., including Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Charlotte, Denver, Houston, just to name a few.
5. As a startup, we are working around the clock. In 2020 alone (compounded with the pandemic), one of us was diagnosed with a rare form of diabetes and the other had a fire at her home and had to relocate. Throughout it all, we continued to work, taking calls and responding to emails. In setting boundaries, we agreed that we will try to take off on Sundays. That just means we do not call our team; we only call each other. Our determination to push through, our vision and mission was bigger than both of us.
Lesson: Our motto was to expend the same energy into our own business as we did in our paying jobs, which we both reached the C-Suite and had successful careers. It is most gratifying to put that energy into your own creation/company. We are both starting over with this business. Tracy, after having a successful financial career in healthcare as a Chief Financial Officer and Nancey as a successful Sales Executive in media and entertainment. We have taken that knowledge to start this business. We are just as happy; however, this does not feel like work. We finally get the phrase “do what you love, and you never work a day in life”.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
The first steps we recommend is to ask questions. Ask everyone how did you do that? Where should I go to get this? Do not be afraid to ask. The internet is your best friend. You can find a great deal of information using search engines. Moreover, do not take “no” or “I do not know” for an answer. If you want or need information, keep asking. Do your research and get the knowledge and answers you seek. Lastly, ensure you have a business plan, review the numbers — actual potential ROI (return on investment) and reach out to other start up business owners. There is the fun part of the business, which is probably what drew you there, and there’s the necessary business needs (taxes, sales tax, website management, content, inventory, meeting timelines etc.).
Overall Steps to Note:
Don’t be afraid to pivot, adjust, change, — listen to all feedback. We launched during a pandemic, which was crazy. Then, we decided to add masks to match the eyewear and, coined the phrase #fullfacefasion. It has been a nice selling point.
Don’t give up. Celebrate each win…no matter how small. You will need it when things are not going well.
Ensure you have a business plan with real costs and revenue projections. For every $1.00 you make you are probably spending $3.00. Websites costs, you will pay a fee for everything (credit card fees, apps fees, bank fees, accounting platform fees, lawyers, trademarks, domain names, custom emails addresses, URLs, postage, paper, phone, ads on social media, etc.).
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
Strike out on your own! It’s your idea and only YOU know what you want to do. Write it down! Draft the concept and then after you do your research, network and meet people in the industry; in most cases you will find a mentor. We were lucky to find a phenomenal mentor who has decades of experience in the eyewear industry. When you start a business, capital is precious and paying for a consultant early on may not be the best option financially or business wise. You want to create your vision, not someone else’s.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
Most venture capitalists want to see proven results — actual revenue — before investing. Therefore, you are bootstrapping by default, but you can fundraise, crowdfund and get family and friends to support. We did all the above. After one year of operation, we are generating revenue and could use venture capital funding. However, we have zero debt, and at this time, we are not ready to give up control of the company. A loan with a low interest rate is a good option. In three — five years, we expect to need venture capital as the company scales and grows. Nonetheless, it’s amazingly fulfilling to watch the company grow and know that we had 100% effort in doing it.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
Vontélle Eyewear launched a partnership with WIN (Women in Need), the largest provider of family shelter and supportive housing in New York City, to provide free eyeglasses and eye exams for families experiencing homelessness. Vontélle is collaborating with several organizations and optometrists across the city to provide these services to families in WIN’s 13 shelters. Vontélle enlisted the Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation, which generously provided a grant covering the costs of prescription lenses for WIN families. In 2021, Vontélle has provided free eye exams to over 80 homeless residents and donated prescriptive glasses to men, women and children living in three (3) WIN shelters. Our goal is to continue within NYC homeless shelters and eventually nationwide.
The National Institute of Health’s National Eye Institute report that, African Americans and Hispanics are more likely to have cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy than any other ethnic group. Most importantly due to these factors, high astigmatism, many people cannot wear contacts. Wearing ill-fitting glasses also causes pain after prolonged wear. This includes lines across the noses, pain behind the ears and imprints on the face because glasses are too tight and not made for our faces. Vontélle Eyewear has conducted a small sample research to create its current collection. We intend to conduct more research to continue to create better fitting eyewear for all ethnicities.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
There are a few movements we care about:
Homelessness is a big issue — housing needs to be more affordable. And affordable doesn’t mean old or dilapidated. It should be just as nice and safe as a place you or I would want to reside.
Education — everyone should be allowed to have the same resources and option to attend an ivy league, HBCU and/or a public college if they are qualified. Money should not be a deterrent. There should be an option to go to college for free — public college option.
Healthcare is a basic human right. Yet so many people still don’t have coverage; including affordable eyewear prescription coverage. Millions of Americans still lack coverage due to the rising health care costs. It wouldn’t hurt us to adopt the method of what our neighbors are doing in Canada to cover everyone equally.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
MacKenzie Scott with her ex-husband Jeff Bezos took an idea from their garage to create an online marketplace for books to a multi-billion-dollar company that sells everything via an online store — Amazon. Mrs. Scott has donated millions to HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) including our alma mater Morgan State University. To meet her and understand their process, what they did at each stage, and the expansion dos and don’ts would be remarkable.
Chris Paul — One of the greatest basketball players of his generation is doing phenomenal work by supporting HBCUs, black designers and, fighting for Social Justice. Both founders are products of HBCUs and would love to have the ability to work with him and his platform in the near future.
Serena Williams is a living legend and icon. She is also a fashion and jewelry designer. Her commitment to help entrepreneurs has been impactful. It would be an honor to collaborate with Ms. Williams.
T-Pain started out as a rapper who popularized the creative use of Auto-tune pitch, shifted into songwriting, producing and a host of other business ventures. We love his versatility and most recently he’s been pushing “Buy Black” and has even written a blog post with the same theme.
Oprah Winfrey is a businesswoman, entrepreneur, and a black woman that knows the obstacles and steps to getting a seat at the table. Ms. Winfrey has made careers for so many and her greenlight on your product can drastically increase your revenues and build your brand.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Consumers do not read! Although we had the word “PRE-ORDER” in the largest font possible, once the site is up, and the customer purchases, they will email you constantly about their order(s). Additionally, in hindsight, we would not open with so many designs. We probably should have started with 5–10 eyewear styles maximum — we did 37 eyewear designs.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tracy Vontélle Green and Nancey Harris Founder of Vontélle Eyewear Company.
Vontélle, LLC was incorporated with a clear vision and ironic symbolism of “2020”. The company produces luxury bespoke eyewear that has unique African, Caribbean, and Latinx print designs and textiles. The company launched their website in October 2020 targeting consumers ages 25–65. Vontélle was created by Tracy Vontélle Green and Nancey Harris, both women of color and very highly accomplished. Tracy is a former Chief Financial Officer of a hospital and Nancey was a former sales executive at a well-known media giant.
Think about this: In 2020, the global eyewear market was valued at approximately $140 billion and estimated to grow to $200 billion by 2027. Yet there are less than a handful of Black eyewear makers. According to the Vision Council, 164 million American adults wear glasses and 218 million Americans wear non-prescription sunglasses (to block sunrays). Vontélle is poised to make their mark as there is a lot of consumers looking for eyewear.
The concept for Vontélle was born out of a need of both founders, who each lost their expensive eyewear within the same year and decided to focus their efforts on making their next purchases from a Black-owned brand. After searching high and low for glasses that were stylish, better fitting, and had an ethnic flair, they realized it simply did not exist. That is when Tracy suggested we start our own line and Nancey booked our fate determining trip to Paris. Due to their loss, the company offers a unique protection for consumers by providing a one-year/one-time replacement warranty from date of purchase if your eyewear is lost, stolen, damaged, or broken.
Most importantly, Vontélle Eyewear handcrafted designs are for diverse faces. As their research concluded that many of us are wearing ill-fitting glasses. Vontélle wider bridges for your nose, longer temples for no pain behind the ears and larger lenses for high cheekbones will fit comfortably on your face. Although the pandemic continues to ravage our nation, many people especially minorities are forced to forge new paths and career journeys. It is no different for these two new fashion couture eyewear designers. Thus, they added mid-production matching masks in the same eye-catching and awe-inspiring patterns as the eyewear. They have coined the phrase/slogan #fullfacefashion.
Eyewear is not only an extension of your wardrobe, but a necessary medical device. Vontélle understands that eyewear is essential and realizes the importance of quality, thus want to help with eye health disparities. The National Institute of Health’s National Eye Institute report that, African Americans are more likely to have cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy than any other ethnic group. Befittingly, the Co-Founders have partnered with WIN (Women in Need), the largest provider of family shelter and supportive housing in New York City. The eyewear company has partnered with local optometrists to offer free eye exams, vision companies and foundations to provide free eyeglasses and pay for the prescription lenses.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
Nancey: I’m a native New Yorker and was born and raised in Brooklyn. As a kid, I wanted to be so many things ranging from Wonder Woman, because of her superhuman strength and mobility to WNBC Award winning journalist, Sue Simmons, and make an impact in the world of journalism. My bachelor’s degree is Mass Communications with a minor in journalism. My world shifted after graduation, and I found myself in the world of advertising and sales. Before long, I became a top sales executive, and the rest is Her-story.
Tracy — I was born in Harlem and later raised Queens, New York. Funny as a child I wanted to be the boss (I was the eldest child of 4). I knew I was going to be in charge of something. As a teenager, I loved Fashion, Art and wanted to be a supermodel (I remember spending my allowance on subscribing to all the major magazines and creating collages). However, I was very good with numbers and entered college at Morgan State University as a Political Science major with my eyes set on attending law school. However, a very good friend at college (Nancey) said you should major in accounting as by that time I was doing many of my friends’ annual income taxes including my parents. Thus, I minored in accounting, received a master’s degree, and worked my way up to Chief Financial Officer (CFO). In addition, as a businesswoman, I had an income tax business and own and rent real estate.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Tracy — Quote by Nelson Mandela: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
I’ve come from meager means, neither of my parents finished college –I’m the first college graduate in my family but they always pushed me to do better, and nothing was beyond my reach. I learned that I could do just about anything if I read, take the necessary steps and execute.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Nancey — The Autobiography of Malcolm X is one of my favorite autobiographies along with The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt. The story of Malcolm X reminds me about the intersections of life and how the choices you make can shape your future. However, if you’re an astute student of life, you learn from your mistakes turning a negative into a positive. Once Malcolm X realized his intelligence could provoke change, he realized his true power. Malcolm X’s quote, “A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything,” will always hold validity.
The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt unearths the story of a woman who was courageous during her time and lived a full and rich life. Roosevelt was a controversial first lady at the time for her outspokenness, particularly on civil rights for African Americans. Indeed, she was privileged. Still, I believe that even if she wasn’t, she would have fought the same injustices.
A few of my favorite quotes from Roosevelt are, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent,” and “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
The commonality between Malcolm X and Eleanor Roosevelt is they both wanted change and to level the playing field to eradicate what we now call “Systemic Racism”.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
Tracy — Write it down! Put the goal on a piece of paper and then write all the steps to reach that goal. It also helps to have a business partner, husband, family (support) to push you and believe in your idea but if you don’t, you must believe in it. Everything we use, from our phones -to a hairbrush — to the music we listen too came from a person who had an idea. I remind myself of that every day.
Nancey — Motivational speaker, Les Brown said, “The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled.” My first big business venture was a book publishing company. After receiving dozens of rejection letters from publishers for my manuscript, I decided to start my own company. I knew I was going to need more money than I had in the bank. I took a part-time job at a retailer and dedicated every dollar I made to this project. Then I did a ton of research on the publishing industry and was able to locate book manufacturers, a typesetter, an editor, and I even tracked down a well-known artist who allowed me to use his artwork for the cover of my book. It took me two years from rejection letter to final publication. The key was, I was committed and over the course of my publishing career, I sold over 30,000 books. I never allowed “NO” to become my final resting place. Don’t travel with a duffle bag and expect overnight success. It requires an entire set of luggage!
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
We searched the internet intensely. Thereafter, we took a trip to Paris in 2019 (pre-pandemic) and saw thousands of glasses and met eyewear manufacturers and designers, but nothing like what we envisioned. This served as our “aha moment” and, we decided to design and create better fitting eyewear with a focus on adding textiles and patterns. There are many entrepreneurs who birthed companies out of necessity and a missing component (Untuck It (shirts), Bevel (razor), Ruby Love (period panties), Peloton (exercise bike), Beats (headphones), Sundial/Shea Moisture (lotion/hair products), etc. All these products already exist, but they each found a missing component and used that to build multi-million-dollar companies.Vontélle Eyewear is following a similar path by providing a new solution to the eyewear industry and working with our community. The corporate vision for Vontélle Eyewear is to become the leading African American woman-owned luxury eyewear design company. Vontélle will provide a missing component of rich textiles, patterns and better fit to the eyewear industry.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
There are a lot of steps involved and we split them based on our expertise. However, the first and most important steps are to hire an attorney, accountant and prepare a business plan. After that we did the following:
Trademark our name and logo — Vontélle is Tracy’s middle name and after going to Paris we decided we wanted to use it. It’s a beautiful French name that means, “There she goes” or “to go” and many well-known designers have French & Italian brand names. Our attorney filed the paperwork to ensure no one else was using the name or our logo that we created.
The design process is extensive. We began with choosing fabrics and textiles — this determines the colors chosen. We picked the shape of the glasses — Real estate is important to print the patterns on the frames. Lastly, we worked with a graphic designer to put it together (at the beginning Tracy was drawing designs on paper — we are not artists — but it is what we had — Nancey learned how to use Corel Draw program to make the final technical drawings).
Collaborations are key and essential to any business. When we decided we wanted to start this business, we traveled to Paris for Fashion Week, which featured all the brands in the marketplace. We immediately stood out. Truth set in as we realized, there were only a handful of African Americans present. Had we not met the right manufacturer during our visit to Paris, we would not have an eyewear collection today. We interviewed many designers & manufacturers, and they either did not believe in us, could not understand our vision and/or did not want to work with two young black women. Many did not call us back, of the 3 (three) that did; one was over charging. We had to find the right collaborator who saw our vision and wanted to work with us at the right price.
Reviewing the prototypes and making edits and changes to get them just right before going into production. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, for 2020 we had to work with our manufacturer over Zoom and WhatsApp. It was difficult and took more time, but you can’t rush perfection.
Creating a website — “You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know” — Additionally, we have colleagues assisting us with website & maintenance, marketing, social media and branding. Although we are driving the vision, we need people around us that have expertise in certain areas and help navigate the things we do not know. We are learning as we go on several topics. Luckily, we cover some areas as Nancey has extensive knowledge in sales, manufacturing and shipping, while Tracy has extensive knowledge in finance, taxes etc. On October 1, 2020, we launched our website!
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
1.Creating and building a website was more encompassing than we thought. We did not have coding experience, so we are thankful for our wonderful Website/Graphic Designer Kelsey. On October 1, 2020, at midnight we called a few close friends to visit the site and provide us with feedback. It was an effective way to see if the site was working, had grammatical errors, functioned properly, etc. After spending so much time with the site, it became impossible to see the little errors.
Lesson: I don’t think we could have done this any better. Perhaps, we could have provided access to our friends prior to the launch, but until its live, you really don’t know all the issues. We did an excellent job, fixing all the bugs immediately as friends, customers etc. brought it to our attention. Check out our website here: https://www.vontelle.com
2. There is no such thing as a soft or big launch. Once your site is up, if you post about your product, it is available for the world to see. Funny story, we had one college friend who ordered and paid for a pair of optical glasses in August. Since the website was technically up — as we were working on it- she saw our posts and just figured out the URL (we had not sent it out yet).
We were super excited, but the eyewear had not been manufactured and delivered. We launched with 37 designs. Our goal was to launch in October for pre-orders and then mail to the customers in December. So, when she ordered in August, she had months to wait. But since she was our 1st customer, we gave her an additional pair of sunglasses and matching masks at no charge.
Lesson: Consumers do not read! Although we had the word “PRE-ORDER” in the largest font possible, once the site is up, and the customer purchases, they will email you constantly about their order(s). Additionally, in hindsight, we would not open with so many designs. We probably should have started with 5–10 eyewear styles maximum — we did 37 eyewear designs.
3. Since we launched during the pandemic and we bootstrapped the firm, lack of money was an issue. Therefore, we did not have additional funds to put towards marketing or advertising. We used social media — Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter to build awareness. About six months after we began to see a revenue flow, we began a marketing campaign, which entailed running commercial spots and placing ads on social platforms.
We started to get press, and reached out to friends, business associates as well as magazines, podcasts, companies, etc. directly to say — “Hey, Vontélle is here and open for business.” Our alma mater — Morgan State University did the first article, which led to an article in a local Baltimore, MD newspaper. A friend reached out for a podcast interview, and through more networking we amassed features in Data Bird Business Journal, Sheen Magazine, Black Enterprise, The Network Journal, Good Morning America (digital) and more. In September 2021, InStyle Magazine (Jennifer Aniston on the cover), highlighted our brand as a “You Know You Want It Item”
Lesson: Don’t be afraid to reach out and introduce yourself and ask what the company is doing for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous People of Color), or Women owned businesses. We led with this, and it helped us get traction to our site. We are very grateful to theSkimm, which featured Vontélle in a complimentary ad. Our website traffic increased to over 14,000 visitors during the month of February.
Note: Online engagement doesn’t necessarily lead to sales, but we did see about 5–8 sales just from their followers/email list within the week of the ad on their site. However, many of the users signed up on our email list and now we can send them discounts, blogs, newsletters, etc.
4. Our goal was to get sales. Of course, we had the dream of breaking the internet but that’s difficult to do if you are not a celebrity. From October — December we made $6,000 and we were ecstatic. Our goal was to be taken seriously and prove that we are filling a gap in the industry. Not only bringing beautiful patterns, but better fitting eyewear for African Americans and Hispanics.
Sales was our original measure of success and we saw a direct correlation to an editorial feature and the number of sales. Each time an article came out, sales increased. We started to speak to more customers, via social media, attending events (vision expos, pop ups, etc.) and we had Asian, East Indian, Caucasian tell us they have a hard time finding glasses that fit their faces as well. Reality struck; our better fit wasn’t only for us (African American & Hispanic). We are serving a great deal of people with diverse features who love art, patterns and colors. Our measure of success began to change.
Lesson: Our measurement now is, how can we reach more consumers with this problem? While our goal was to only sell direct to consumer from our website, we adjusted and started selling to Opticians/Optometrists (Business to business) as they have our customer in their chairs and not everyone is suited for contacts. This pivot has provided a steady income for us, and we are now selling to optical stores in major cities across the U.S., including Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Charlotte, Denver, Houston, just to name a few.
5. As a startup, we are working around the clock. In 2020 alone (compounded with the pandemic), one of us was diagnosed with a rare form of diabetes and the other had a fire at her home and had to relocate. Throughout it all, we continued to work, taking calls and responding to emails. In setting boundaries, we agreed that we will try to take off on Sundays. That just means we do not call our team; we only call each other. Our determination to push through, our vision and mission was bigger than both of us.
Lesson: Our motto was to expend the same energy into our own business as we did in our paying jobs, which we both reached the C-Suite and had successful careers. It is most gratifying to put that energy into your own creation/company. We are both starting over with this business. Tracy, after having a successful financial career in healthcare as a Chief Financial Officer and Nancey as a successful Sales Executive in media and entertainment. We have taken that knowledge to start this business. We are just as happy; however, this does not feel like work. We finally get the phrase “do what you love, and you never work a day in life”.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
The first steps we recommend is to ask questions. Ask everyone how did you do that? Where should I go to get this? Do not be afraid to ask. The internet is your best friend. You can find a great deal of information using search engines. Moreover, do not take “no” or “I do not know” for an answer. If you want or need information, keep asking. Do your research and get the knowledge and answers you seek. Lastly, ensure you have a business plan, review the numbers — actual potential ROI (return on investment) and reach out to other start up business owners. There is the fun part of the business, which is probably what drew you there, and there’s the necessary business needs (taxes, sales tax, website management, content, inventory, meeting timelines etc.).
Overall Steps to Note:
Don’t be afraid to pivot, adjust, change, — listen to all feedback. We launched during a pandemic, which was crazy. Then, we decided to add masks to match the eyewear and, coined the phrase #fullfacefasion. It has been a nice selling point.
Don’t give up. Celebrate each win…no matter how small. You will need it when things are not going well.
Ensure you have a business plan with real costs and revenue projections. For every $1.00 you make you are probably spending $3.00. Websites costs, you will pay a fee for everything (credit card fees, apps fees, bank fees, accounting platform fees, lawyers, trademarks, domain names, custom emails addresses, URLs, postage, paper, phone, ads on social media, etc.).
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
Strike out on your own! It’s your idea and only YOU know what you want to do. Write it down! Draft the concept and then after you do your research, network and meet people in the industry; in most cases you will find a mentor. We were lucky to find a phenomenal mentor who has decades of experience in the eyewear industry. When you start a business, capital is precious and paying for a consultant early on may not be the best option financially or business wise. You want to create your vision, not someone else’s.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
Most venture capitalists want to see proven results — actual revenue — before investing. Therefore, you are bootstrapping by default, but you can fundraise, crowdfund and get family and friends to support. We did all the above. After one year of operation, we are generating revenue and could use venture capital funding. However, we have zero debt, and at this time, we are not ready to give up control of the company. A loan with a low interest rate is a good option. In three — five years, we expect to need venture capital as the company scales and grows. Nonetheless, it’s amazingly fulfilling to watch the company grow and know that we had 100% effort in doing it.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
Vontélle Eyewear launched a partnership with WIN (Women in Need), the largest provider of family shelter and supportive housing in New York City, to provide free eyeglasses and eye exams for families experiencing homelessness. Vontélle is collaborating with several organizations and optometrists across the city to provide these services to families in WIN’s 13 shelters. Vontélle enlisted the Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation, which generously provided a grant covering the costs of prescription lenses for WIN families. In 2021, Vontélle has provided free eye exams to over 80 homeless residents and donated prescriptive glasses to men, women and children living in three (3) WIN shelters. Our goal is to continue within NYC homeless shelters and eventually nationwide.
The National Institute of Health’s National Eye Institute report that, African Americans and Hispanics are more likely to have cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy than any other ethnic group. Most importantly due to these factors, high astigmatism, many people cannot wear contacts. Wearing ill-fitting glasses also causes pain after prolonged wear. This includes lines across the noses, pain behind the ears and imprints on the face because glasses are too tight and not made for our faces. Vontélle Eyewear has conducted a small sample research to create its current collection. We intend to conduct more research to continue to create better fitting eyewear for all ethnicities.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
There are a few movements we care about:
Homelessness is a big issue — housing needs to be more affordable. And affordable doesn’t mean old or dilapidated. It should be just as nice and safe as a place you or I would want to reside.
Education — everyone should be allowed to have the same resources and option to attend an ivy league, HBCU and/or a public college if they are qualified. Money should not be a deterrent. There should be an option to go to college for free — public college option.
Healthcare is a basic human right. Yet so many people still don’t have coverage; including affordable eyewear prescription coverage. Millions of Americans still lack coverage due to the rising health care costs. It wouldn’t hurt us to adopt the method of what our neighbors are doing in Canada to cover everyone equally.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
MacKenzie Scott with her ex-husband Jeff Bezos took an idea from their garage to create an online marketplace for books to a multi-billion-dollar company that sells everything via an online store — Amazon. Mrs. Scott has donated millions to HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) including our alma mater Morgan State University. To meet her and understand their process, what they did at each stage, and the expansion dos and don’ts would be remarkable.
Chris Paul — One of the greatest basketball players of his generation is doing phenomenal work by supporting HBCUs, black designers and, fighting for Social Justice. Both founders are products of HBCUs and would love to have the ability to work with him and his platform in the near future.
Serena Williams is a living legend and icon. She is also a fashion and jewelry designer. Her commitment to help entrepreneurs has been impactful. It would be an honor to collaborate with Ms. Williams.
T-Pain started out as a rapper who popularized the creative use of Auto-tune pitch, shifted into songwriting, producing and a host of other business ventures. We love his versatility and most recently he’s been pushing “Buy Black” and has even written a blog post with the same theme.
Oprah Winfrey is a businesswoman, entrepreneur, and a black woman that knows the obstacles and steps to getting a seat at the table. Ms. Winfrey has made careers for so many and her greenlight on your product can drastically increase your revenues and build your brand.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Photo Credit — Darren Talent — Pictures of Nancey & Tracy
Learn from people when they tell you “no.” When I started Awardco I was told no many times by many prospective clients and partners, but I moved forward anyway. They were sometimes right, but hearing their reasons made it easier for me to improve what I was trying to do.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Steve Sonnenberg.
Steve Sonnenberg, Founder & CEO, Awardco. Awardco’s founder and CEO, Steve Sonnenberg, learned a great deal watching his father’s career in employee recognition with companies like McDonald’s — but something was missing. In 2011, Steve began working on plans to use new, innovative technology to solve the pitfalls of traditional employee recognition programs: burdensome processes, exorbitant markups, and limited redemption options. Awardco was born shortly after, and Steve’s vision has resonated deeply within an industry in desperate need of change. Awardco is the fastest-growing rewards and recognition platform in the world as ranked by Inc. Magazine for the last 3 consecutive years, and more clients than ever are experiencing a better way to recognize.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
I grew up in the Chicago area and remember watching my Dad work in the recognition industry for a company called Jostens. At the time it was all about rings and lapel pins and fancy acrylics, and he was one of the top sales reps for his organization for nearly a decade. He worked with customers like McDonald’s, John Deere, and even the Chicago Bulls. My Dad worked incredibly hard, and that had a big impact on me. Even at a young age I remember thinking there had to be a better way.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Bill Gates said, “How you gather, manage, and use information will determine whether you win or lose.” This quote has stayed with me my entire career because I want to win, and I have been obsessed with organizing information since I was young. For example, in my first business in the early 2000s I created a search engine to match wholesalers with new business owners that wanted to sell products online. In 2008 I helped build an eBay analytical tool that helped eBay sellers know when and how to list their items based on historical selling data. In 2011, with the help of my cousin Mike, we founded Awardco to organize and manage the world’s incentive spend. With Awardco organizations can run all their recognition and incentive programs for employees and customers on one single application — organizing their own incentive spend in their own companies. After accomplishing that we then improved our recognition programs even further by building the largest global reward marketplace, and the rest is history. Thinking through the lens of gathering and managing information will inspire you to improve the world around you.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight is a perennial favorite of mine. It really impacted me to think outside the box and to think in ways others might not be — and it still drives me today to be better. The part that had the most impact on me was when Phil described having an idea about shoes and then went for it with what seemed like no planning. He went to the manufacturer’s plant in Japan and basically started what is arguably the most successful brand ever by showing up and having the tenacity and guts to go for what he wanted. When I first read it I remember feeling incredibly fired up to go out and achieve those things I’d been dreaming of.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
People struggle to take a good idea and translate it to an actual business because they think they have to get it right out of the gate. They’re often afraid to fail, and forget to realize that failure is their greatest teacher. My advice would be to change your attitude and get excited to fail — because each time you do, you get closer to your goal. When I first started Awardco it was a trophy shop, it then became a wholesale trophy shop with a membership (like Costco), then turned out to be an embroidery business, and eventually became a redemption engine that integrates with companies like Amazon, Priceline, and other merchants. I would have never gotten there if I didn’t just begin and have a good attitude about failing.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
This comes down to having the right mindset. I believe that it doesn’t matter if someone has thought of your idea, or maybe the business idea already exists. I look for opportunities in industries that I understand. First, you must work or have had a connection in that industry you are trying to disrupt to help identify the problem you are hoping to resolve. The research comes from experiencing firsthand the problem you are trying to fix.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
My experience here is a little different because software itself is slightly different than sourcing a manufacturer or finding a retailer. The best advice I can give here is to start somewhere. All too often too many entrepreneurs will think themselves into a stalemate and won’t ever START. Many things can be figured out as you go — and many of the best entrepreneurs will tell you that building a company is often like building an airplane mid-flight. There’s some truth to that. But as far as the steps, I’d say first lay out a business plan. Determine who your customer is. Come strong with your value-add. Then go out and build it.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
There will be times when you fail. That doesn’t mean your idea is terrible or that it isn’t viable. In starting Awardco we originally set out to be a sort of “Costco” for employee recognition where employers could get items at wholesale to then give to their employees. This turned out to not be the best idea, so we pivoted.
Your plan will change, but make one anyway. This was especially true of our financial plan. It definitely changed, and quickly, but having a plan to begin with meant we could only make it better.
Start somewhere. Starting is the hardest part of any endeavor, but starting will get you to where you want to go. Don’t worry about the time it takes. I remember taking that first step to start Awardco when I already had a full-time job, and all it took was for me to take that step. Have that conversation. Ask for help, etc.
Be a lion. Lots of entrepreneurs will tell you this, and what they seem to mean is that you have to be ferocious, which often equates to bulldozing anyone and anything in your path. I believe there’s a different way to be a lion, and that is to be a hunter. Know what you’re going for, and go out and get it. With how fast Awardco has been growing it can be easy to get complacent, but I always like to remind myself of where I came from, and it refreshes my energy to be that hunter.
Learn from people when they tell you “no.” When I started Awardco I was told no many times by many prospective clients and partners, but I moved forward anyway. They were sometimes right, but hearing their reasons made it easier for me to improve what I was trying to do.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
You need to value the customer more than the money you could make. Oftentimes people get this wrong. The first steps I recommend are to build or create the product, and give it to customers to learn everything about your creation. Jeff Bezos said to “be stubborn on your vision, but flexible on the details,” and I think that’s a great place to start when refining your idea.
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
Not at first. Your new idea needs to be pressure tested to gather data, and after that you might consider bringing in a consultant. Without going in head first, your consultant won’t be valuable.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
I feel pretty strongly about this and feel like bootstrapping is the way to go. It’s not the easiest way, and there are times when taking on outside funding via venture capital is a good thing, but I feel like being fiscally responsible, profitable, and careful, especially in the first few years of business, really pays huge dividends down the road when you aren’t beholden to investors right out of the gate.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
Awardco exists to recognize the good in each of us. I believe that making this more readily available to more people, especially in the workplace, helps many of the common ills plaguing corporations today. Things like the great resignation, increased dissatisfaction with jobs or managers, lack of workplace loyalty, high turnover, low engagement…all of these things can be helped (and in some cases fixed) with timely, appropriate recognition. Success at Awardco means just that: making people’s lives better both internally and externally around us.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I often feel that the power of a simple “thank you” is incredibly underestimated. Saying thank you requires humility on the part of the giver, but it has such an incredible impact on both the giver and the receiver. Expressions of gratitude can even influence people on a chemical level, reducing stress and improving decision making. If I could inspire a movement it would be to encourage expressions of genuine thanks more often in work and in life.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Steph Curry. His positive attitude is contagious. He focuses on the good in everything he does. He loves his family, and he has built a successful business empire. Those are the types of people I want to surround myself with.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
No one cares once you publish — Every book I have published so far, I published too soon. People are fascinated by the unpublished book but once it’s published its just one of millions.
As a part of my series about “Big Ideas That Might Change The World In The Next Few Years” I had the pleasure of interviewing Jarl Jensen.
Jarl Jensen is the inventor of over two dozen medical devices with issued patents having retail sales of over a billion dollars. As an astute “idea guy”, Jarl has applied his out of the box thinking to America’s economy in The Wolfe Trilogy series, ‘Optimizing America’, Showdown in the Economy of Good and Evil’ and ‘The Big Solution. As an experienced executive of several companies, he has a track record of success. As an author his ideas can do more then heal the sick, they can change the world. His ambitious ideas gives hope to us all.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you please tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
As a kid growing up my father and I used to play a game of ideas. A random object would serve as the canvas for finding ideas and better yet the best idea. My goal in life is to make the world a better place by applying better ideas. As a father of three kids my home life always takes priority. I believes that ideas have a life of their own and as such they need nurturing just like my family.
Can you please share with us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
There are so many. But financially the biggest story was having two publicly traded companies send a LOI on the same day to buy my company. It led to a huge windfall. The negotiations were intense and playing one company up against the other is the secret sauce to getting high valuations.
Which principles or philosophies have guided your life? Your career?
Ideas are the currency of progress. First principles guides you through complexity.
Ok thank you for that. Let’s now move to the main focus of our interview. Can you tell us about your “Big Idea That Might Change The World”?
The fundamental problem for society is that the work we are doing collectively is not leading to a sustainable, equitable, aspirational, or even prosperous future. The Big Solution solves these problems and allows the work that must be done to become profitable and allows for engineering techniques to optimize opportunities leading to real across the board prosperity.
How do you think this will change the world?
I have been working on this for many years and to be honest there are many people who talk about the fundamental problems with today’s global financial system. The problem is that not enough people are even aware of this problem and how devastating it is to society today and the future for our kids. It seems this idea faces an unsurmountable level of ignorance that will be impossible to overcome. Nevertheless, I hope my books raise awareness so that we can go from today’s dystopian reality to a peaceful, prosperous future that many would call utopian.
Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this idea that people should think more deeply about?
Many people find value in other people’s suffering. What is the value of food if no one is going hungry? What is the point of being wealthy if no one is homeless? Simply being aware that poverty can be eliminated makes people realize that they can’t just ignore the millions of people who die from poverty every year… The unintended consequence of the knowledge that a utopian world without the many global problems we live with today is possible but that knowledge ultimately means that decision makers are actually responsible for the ongoing genocide of the poor.
Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this idea? Can you tell us that story?
I am an engineer and an inventor so knowing how things work and how to make things even better is fundamental to my carrier. The basic engineering technique of design optimization simply states that if you control the inputs, you can control the output of any system, process, product, or everything in existence. This is what led to the big idea that the economy is not only controllable it can be optimized for things like opportunity, sustainability and even world peace. Ultimately, the economy can be engineered to create a utopian world without the many problems we face today.
What do you need to lead this idea to widespread adoption?
I need a grass routes movement. I need volunteers. I need awareness of this problem to rise to level of awareness of global warming so that the politicians can no longer ignore it. By the way this also fixes global warming.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)
No one cares once you publish — Every book I have published so far, I published too soon. People are fascinated by the unpublished book but once it’s published its just one of millions.
Getting attention today is like yelling into a hurricane. Social media has become a profit center for Facebook. No longer, is social media a platform for the individual to be heard.
People are too busy and have little time to think about anything but themselves and their personal problems. Books and storytelling may no longer be the best way to get new ideas out into the world. It is a struggle to get people to read my books even when they are free.
There are a million other ideas out there. There are so many people who think they have it figured out. Most people believe that there is a political solution to the mounting problems in the world. The worst part is that they are so entrenched they have no capacity to entertain new ideas.
There are topics that have been banned from public speech without the consent or awareness. For example, people do not speak of a utopian future. People do not speak of the Federal Reserve and its effect on society and the world. People do not speak of the Food and Drug Administration and how 60% of the population are obese and 40% are chronically ill. Why are these topics shunned and why are federal institutions not held accountable?
Can you share with our readers what you think are the most important “success habits” or “success mindsets”?
The most important success mindset is to know what you want in every situation.
The most important success habit is to do the most important thing first.
For peace of mind be happy with achieving three important things every day.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
I post quite a bit on twitter at @jarljensen. Also, check out my videos on my website at www.optimizingamerica.com
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
The Future Is Now: Bob Summers Of Goodcall On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up The Tech Scene
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Platforms are king. Leveraging a platform such as Google or Yelp is key to growing a consumer and small business product. When you partner with these platforms, it forces you to think big.
As a part of our series about cutting-edge technological breakthroughs, I had the pleasure of interviewing Bob Summers.
Bob Summers, founder & CEO, Goodcall is the founder and chief executive officer of Goodcall, a phone assistant for local shops and services. He was formerly a senior product leader for Google Assistant and the co-founder and CEO of CallJoy, a product incubated in Google’s Area120. Born to two computer scientists, Summers sold his first piece of software at age 14, trading code for a car. Summers is a Virginia Tech and MIT graduate with two boys (11 and 13) who share his snow and wave riding passions.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Before Goodcall, I was a senior product leader for Google Ads, Google Assistant and the co-founder and CEO of CallJoy, a product incubated in Google’s Area120. I took this passion for improving the lives of small business owners and put it into founding Goodcall with the sole purpose of lightening the load of day-to-day operations and improving customer satisfaction one good call at a time. Now, businesses can use Goodcall’s smart agent to turn every phone call into an opportunity to establish a relationship with a customer and improve sales.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I created a 6,000 sq. ft coworking space that helped dozens of software companies and used crowdfunding to bring gigabit fiber to the space and the surrounding community in Blacksburg, Virginia. Most of my career has been building software that connects people in virtual spaces, such as video chat and messaging for Windows and Mac, impacting over 5 million people. But when I was looking to build my next company about 10 years ago, I wanted to work in an open space with like-minded people. This did not exist in Blacksburg, Virginia, at the time, and a friend of mine had some vacant space above his bar downtown. So, the idea for TechPad was born. Little did I know that I would bring the tech community together with space and gigabit fiber.
Can you tell us about the cutting-edge technological breakthroughs you are working on? How do you think that will help people?
Goodcall was created to design and democratize access to an enterprise-class call solution that’s readily available and easy to use for any small business. With Goodcall, store owners don’t have to decide between answering the phone and assisting customers in-store.
It may seem like a small problem, but small- and medium-sized businesses leave 62% of calls unanswered. That translates to frustrated customers, decreased loyalty, and millions of dollars in lost revenue. Companies that have tried to provide intelligent phone solutions traditionally run into two problems: it became too expensive and couldn’t scale. Goodcall has overcome those obstacles to provide a fast, simple, accurate and affordable product and makes the lives of business owners and managers easier — and profitable.
By bringing augmented staffing solutions as a free, 24/7 intelligent call agent, small businesses now have access to cost-effective and time-saving technologies to focus on what they do best: providing quality service and delightful experiences to customers.
How do you think this might change the world?
Despite dozens of virtual software and human answering services, small- and medium-sized businesses continue to struggle to address their growing number of phone inquiries. Over 30M small businesses in the U.S. mishandle hundreds of millions of phone calls every year — now, small businesses can use Goodcall’s smart agent to put a stop to that.
Goodcall is about making the lives of local businesses owners and their employees better — freeing up staff to connect on a deeper level with customers and empowering owners and managers to attract and maintain customers in an especially harsh economic climate. Existing answering services and voice mail are either cost-prohibitive or wildly inadequate — leaving customers and potential customers ignored, frustrated, and pushing their business away. Or worse, dependent upon clunky voicemail.
Goodcall makes it easier for people to start and run businesses and, by doing so, makes a positive impact on their communities.
Keeping “Black Mirror” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?
When I created Goodcall, I wanted to be careful not to create a replacement for people. Our mission was — and is — the opposite. Goodcall is an extra set of hands for busy workers. I don’t want to remove small businesses’ personal touch; I want to enhance it by enabling employees to spend more time with the people in front of them and less time answering basic questions via phone or dealing with spam and telemarketers. So, as with any new technology, particularly artificial intelligence, it’s all about identifying the potential drawbacks and ensuring that our product reaches the most people who can benefit from it.
Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this breakthrough? Can you tell us that story?
While at Google, I was lucky to be a part of the Local Services Ads team, where I began to take notice of the struggles small businesses faced, particularly with handling the demands of phone calls. It was obvious that these businesses depended on phone calls to grow and support their customers, but they had no way of improving productivity in this critical channel. We began to play around with the idea of utilizing Google Assistant technologies as part of a business assistant, and I had the opportunity to explore the idea of conversational AI in Google’s Area120 with a product called CallJoy. Early on, we realized that a virtual call assistant had merit but wasn’t necessarily a fit for Google’s priorities at the time.
We decided the initiative would be better supported to live outside of Google as a standalone company, and in my view, it was too valuable not to pursue. The Google team is excited at the technology’s prospects. After being a part of the Ondeck program for aspiring founders, and the support of the Xooglers network, I decided to take the leap and take this opportunity to bring Goodcall to small businesses across the U.S.
What do you need to lead this technology to widespread adoption?
Many small business owners perceive tech-like AI as out of reach — something reserved for enterprises. And historically, that’s been the case. Part of my job is helping people realize that tools like Goodcall are accessible, both financially and regardless of skill level. Our biggest challenge is demystifying the idea of A’ being exclusive and hard to understand; with Goodcall, that’s not the case. If you have a business and an internet connection, Goodcall is for you.
What have you been doing to publicize this idea? Have you been using any innovative marketing strategies?
So much of our business now is word of mouth. We’re also focused on generating media interest and growing our social channels. Still, the best and most effective advertising for us is when a happy business owner using Goodcall tells a friend. We believe in letting the product speak for itself and we know we’ll be successful the more happy customers that we onboard.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
When I was at Google trying to figure out a path to scale conversational AI to local business, I met Ujjwal Singh, currently Head of Workplace for Facebook. He was a Director at Google’s technology incubator, Area 120. Ujjwal understood the opportunity and challenges we would face to make the vision a reality. His support, leadership and coaching resulted in the success of CallJoy. Ujjwal is particularly good at making connections with key partners which can accelerate an idea. Without him, we would not be where we are today.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
I’ve always had a passion for technology. It was instilled in me at an early age by my parents, who were computer scientists. This passion has inspired and enabled me to create a product like Goodcall to help SMBs and take an active role in the entrepreneurial community. I’ve founded 460 Angels (now Virginia Tech Investor Network) and TechPad (acquired), a co-working space for software companies that helped 60+ startup companies. My first endeavor resulted from a crowdfunding campaign, university, government and business collaboration to improve broadband access in a college town (Virginia Tech) by deploying a gigabit fiber network and the world’s first free open access gigabit wifi network: GoGig Internet.
It’s been an incredible journey, and it’s one I want to share with people, whether that be entrepreneurs or business owners looking for extra help.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why.
The number of employees in a company does not equal success. When I started, I thought that the more people on a team, the more productive and successful it must be. So I made some early mistakes hiring too many people and in some cases, the wrong people. Hire slow!
Platforms are king. Leveraging a platform such as Google or Yelp is key to growing a consumer and small business product. When you partner with these platforms, it forces you to think big.
Atomic networks matter. Making a big business begins with starting small and fostering a network of customers in a niche. Scale is all about replicating these networks.
Meditation is helpful for balance. Building a software company can be stressful and I find that a mindfulness practice, which includes daily meditation, keeps me in the moment and focused on what matters.
Curiosity is a team value. As a person who has always been curious about how things work and how to make the world a better place, I was surprised to learn that this is not a quality of all people. We now listen for clues of curiosity when we hire. An example is someone building and launching their own app or product. Entrepreneurs are inherently curious.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I believe it would be empowering local businesses and entrepreneurs to reach their potential by giving them the tools to do so. When people shop small, they’re not only supporting that business; they’re powering local economies. The post-pandemic rush of demand from customers is leaving many small businesses overwhelmed and struggling.
Despite these struggles, recent Yelp data shows that over 500,000 small businesses opened in 2021. As tech founders and creators, we need to begin recognizing that local and small merchants need affordable and effective customer experience solutions that assist them in running their businesses day in and day out. This means leveling the playing field with the same access to enterprise-level solutions that fortune 500 companies have at their disposal.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Life is short, Break the rules.” — Mark Twain
Embedded in every entrepreneur, including myself, is the ability to see beyond a current reality to a vision of a possible future. Then execute to make the vision a reality. To get to that future, you have to take risks that sometimes seem completely crazy to everyone around you. Five years ago, we moved our family of four from a beautiful rural town in Virginia to Silicon Valley. We had a very comfortable and good life in Virginia but had a different vision for our future. That vision included impacting people at a global scale and working in an ecosystem of other like-minded people at the world’s tech hub. A mindset of “life is short” helped us make tough decisions and transition to a new life in Silicon Valley.
Some very well-known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
Think about a time you walked into a restaurant and waited to be greeted while the host took a call. Or maybe when you were getting a haircut and your stylist had to walk away to answer the phone. Or even when you were scrambling to make last-minute reservations but your calls were going unanswered.
Goodcall’s fully customizable AI solution empowers small- and medium-sized business owners to operate confidently, knowing that customer calls are being properly routed, questions are being accurately answered, appointments are being scheduled, and orders are being taken. Now EVERY phone call is an opportunity to sell or strengthen a customer relationship. Our 24/7 “smart phone assistant” is free for most small businesses. It is a lifeline that many main street businesses need as they navigate current staffing challenges and set themselves up to thrive in a post-pandemic environment.
Gina Williamson Of Health and Related Services at Anderson Center for Autism: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Leaders are most effective when they operate from a place of integrity and see things through. Team members respect strong character, loyalty, open communication, and follow-through. There have been numerous occasions where policies or processes have been confusing or outdated. When reported to me by a team member, I always explore the concerns and then follow through in a timely fashion. This has helped me build trusting relationships with the team members I directly lead, as well with the interdisciplinary teams who work with me on a regular basis.
As part of our series about the “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Gina Williamson.
Gina Williamson RN, BSN, is the Director of Health and Related Services at Anderson Center for Autism. A graduate of Purdue University with a Bachelor’s in Nursing Science, Williamson received an Associate’s Degree from Dutchess Community College and worked as a dialysis nurse for the early part of her career. With an extensive background in human services, six years ago Williamson joined Anderson Center for Autism’s team as the Children’s Nurse Supervisor, which led to a role as Health Services Coordinator, and ultimately a well-deserved promotion to her current position as Director of Health and Related Services. She believes in transformational leadership, inspiring and motivating her team as they work together to develop and carry out services that support well-being for people with autism. Williamson is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Leadership and Administration at Capella University. Learn more at andersoncenterforautism.org.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
My initial plan was to become a social worker. When I was in school to pursue that degree, I wanted to gain experience. When I had just about completed my education in social work, I was interning at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, sitting with one of the social workers who worked on the pediatric floor. Her office was a tiny closet, and I kept watching the nurses working around us, scurrying through the halls to help various patients. I was so intrigued with what those nurses were doing — and had been for some time — and I found myself asking my fellow social worker: “Don’t you want to do what they’re doing?” She replied with a quick “no”, but I realized at that moment that I was really asking myself a question I already knew the answer to, and needed to make a change. So I went to my college registrar and changed my major and began the nursing curriculum. It took an additional 3 years to graduate because I needed all kinds of sciences that I hadn’t taken, but I knew it was worth it. The experience was not easy at all, of course — I had a 5-year-old and 2-year-old and became pregnant again when I was still in nursing school — but when you’re passionate about something, somehow you make it all work. My mother had passed away from medical malpractice and I think that really kept me going; I knew I wanted to work in the medical field as opposed to doing social work. I wanted to work directly with patients like her, people who I could help. So I earned my Associate’s from Dutchess Community College, and then went to Purdue University, where I completed my Bachelor’s degree online. Upon graduation I got designation as a Registered Nurse, and specialized in dialysis. I then got into management, at which point I became the charge nurse for an entire clinic. Eventually, I landed here at Anderson Center for Autism, where my background in case management and my personal family history has inspired me to make an impact. The scenery at Anderson is breathtaking, but I also felt beauty in the immediate sense of being at home and having purpose here. It’s the perfect place for me to share my own gifts, and I love doing so to make a difference in the lives of people with autism and their families.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?
I don’t know that any mistake is funny in nursing — and this one isn’t necessarily funny, and wasn’t even a mistake of mine at all, but the experience made a mark and is worth sharing. In dialysis nursing, you have what is known as lab day, during which you do lab draws and once a month, you do tissue typing. Tissue typing goes to different hospitals for transplant, so it’s a very serious responsibility. Typically, there are technicians on staff who do the draws and send them away — and in my case, I oversaw the process for a team on my side of the clinic, along with another leader on the other side of the clinic who was overseeing her own team of technicians. Thankfully, this didn’t happen within those I was supervising, but we were told that a technician had missed a tissue typing, which led to a patient missing out on a much-needed transplant. About 18 months later, we learned that the supervisor had used this as a mere example and it hadn’t actually been true, which wasn’t funny at all — but it did send a lesson about the fact that when we make mistakes, the impact of those mistakes could be awful for someone else. That lesson really hit home with me, and helped me become more meticulous about tissue typing and everything else I do — I would never want to be the person who creates a missed opportunity for someone else because of my mistake. That supervisor taught us to become even more accountable than ever before.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
Without question, I am so grateful to both my mother and my sister. As mentioned previously, my mother died from medical malpractice, and my sister had died 11 months before my mother. My mother’s situation has driven my success in the sense that it keeps me inspired to give everything I have to my patients and to stay closely involved with every case to ensure that all steps are being taken to protect health and well-being. And my sister had lived in Cardinal Hayes home, so it was through her that I began feeling a deep connection to people with developmental disabilities, which of course has shaped my entire experience at Anderson Center for Autism. So I became a nurse because of my mom, and found my professional home at Anderson because of my sister. I feel I can carry on their light through my work, and I can communicate with parents and family members in a special way because of my family history. I remember hearing my mom talk to nurses and case managers and my sister’s entire team of helpers; I recall the fear she’d experience at times, and the complete happiness she felt when something good happened for my sister. Those moments have always resonated with me, and the importance of the personality who is there for each family through the good times and the tougher ones; it’s made me want to be as compassionate and caring as I can possibly be. I know what it means to really show up to those you serve, but also to the family members, because I’ve been one of those family members.
Extensive research suggests that “purpose driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your company started, what was its vision, what was its purpose?
Anderson Center for Autism is not a business, but rather a nonprofit organization that was founded almost 100 years ago to serve people with disabilities. It has evolved and grown dramatically over the years, especially in recent decades as it has become totally focused on its mission of optimizing the quality of life for people with autism. The incidence rates for autism are now 1 in 44, according to the Centers for Disease Control, so there is tremendous need for agencies like ours, and it will continue to expand its footprint but already attracts families from all over the country, and fellows who train with Anderson from all corners of the globe. But because Anderson is driven by its mission, each and every day is full of a sense of purpose for everyone who is part of this organization — and there is no question that it has driven success. It has made countless people want to support the agency and get involved in our cause. And our hope is to continue to connect others who may not yet understand autism or the importance of our mission. In fact, the truth is that there isn’t a lot of formal education developed yet as part of schooling for medical providers when it comes to autism. I don’t believe the subject is really taught in a deep way in nursing school or medical school (at least it wasn’t when I was a nursing student) — and that has led to unnecessary issues coming up with providers who simply don’t know how to handle or treat the neurodiverse population. It’s starting to develop as a result of our Anderson Consulting team’s efforts, but I hope to see even more training for nurses, doctors, businesses, and community members so that we can all work together to create a greater sense of belonging and community for people with autism. There’s definitely more that needs to be done out there, and Anderson’s mission is one that is beginning to make its way into our broader society; I think our impact will grow more and more significant as time goes on.
I have to say that working for a mission-oriented organization is really a privilege for me. I’m very mission-oriented myself — I see the enormous potential in terms of how we can support humanity, and what Anderson has already achieved to that end. The organization is a well-respected leader in the field — and I can see the vision for the future and I’m excited to be a part of that. In my role, I’m overseeing health and related services, which has of course become extra-critical throughout the pandemic and staying focused on our mission and purpose has helped me remain inspired even on our toughest days. I’m going for my Master’s degree now, which isn’t just about building my career in nursing or related services — it’s about supporting Anderson as a whole by ensuring that I have the leadership skills and knowledge to really make a difference. So even my degree feels like it has a great purpose. Our team opened up a preschool and there are some other things in the works too; they’ve also built relationships with colleges, which have opened so many doors — not just for staff but for the world to see institutions creating atmospheres that are inclusive and full of opportunity. In my department, we have tried to intertwine with other components of the agency, building teams to make a more far-reaching impact and gathering data that allows us to operate from an evidence-based perspective. Getting out there and advocating and creating resources that we can use for people at Anderson and can help families too, even those who don’t receive services through Anderson — to have connections and help the entire community and broaden the understanding of autism is definitely something I want to do.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or difficult times?
The pandemic is the story; these have been the most turbulent times I could have ever imagined, and it has tested all of us. I think I’ve always been a strong leader, but when you have no knowledge of something that is completely brand new like COVID-19, and everyone is looking for guidance and direction, it feels like the weight of the world on your shoulders. You have to dig deep to find the strength to lead with the confidence and the can-do spirit that will inspire everyone else. So I buckled down, gathered information from credible sources, and did all the research I could — because I felt that information was power for all of us. While doing so, I tried to help the team maintain a shared sense of purpose and ensure that everyone felt safe and appreciated as they continued to care for the people we serve. There was very little information at all in the beginning; we often had to make determinations about the health and well-being of those we serve — based on our own intuition in the context of guidance that was changing moment to moment. And we also had to develop plans and protocols that were in some cases completely brand new, such as our need to really deliver health-related services to our staff, which we hadn’t previously provided to them but that became essential. As a leader, I had to focus on those types of details and new developments while keeping my eye on the whole picture — managing broader topics like infection control as we went about our day-to-day trying to keep morale strong and deal with details and with staffing challenges when people would get exposed and have to be quarantined. Thankfully, Anderson has always been a top-notch agency in terms of having medical resources — many agencies can’t do EKGs or draw blood — but we could — so we may not have had testing at that time for COVID-19, but I was grateful for all of the resources that helped all of us, and I think staying focused on that sense of gratitude also helped. Our team worked together to put the resources we had to use, and came up with processes and procedures that would protect everyone as much as possible. But even with all of that, things continued to come up — just recently we had to deal with a shortage of tests, so when those types of situations seem to get in the way, we just have to work together to figure it all out. There were many times where I saw my team feeling overwhelmed or anxious — and when I’d look into someone’s eyes and notice that, I had to just take a step back and focus on what that person most needed from me. Being a leader, especially during difficult times, has connected me in a deeper way to the importance of building real connections. Leading with our shared purpose guiding the way and understanding the power of collaboration has helped all of us work together to carry out our mission. Communicating clearly, listening actively to make everyone feel heard, cooperating, and always coming from a place of compassion are the things that will keep everyone engaged even in the toughest of times.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
No, I would never give up or even consider it; that’s not in my DNA. What sustained me was the fact that I wanted so desperately to do all I could to protect the health and safety of my team, all the people we serve, and our entire staff. This is my job, but it’s also my life’s work. I knew everyone was looking to me for answers and I feel an ongoing responsibility to them. At home, I am a mother to six children. I have a similar responsibility for my team and everyone at Anderson — we are a family and my role is somewhat maternal in nature. We service 900 staff and about 121 adults and 132 children; and we also take care of the parents and community members too. For example, the fear that families experienced when they were unable to see their loved ones with autism because of restrictions — I felt that fear they were experiencing, and I wanted to do all I could to provide them with comfort. Those are the human interactions that keep me going and make me never give up.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
I would say the most critical role is to stay strong and to have an open door policy. Burnout is a real thing, and as a leader, it’s important to acknowledge what might be happening and to empathize. And then, to take that next step of reminding everyone on a regular basis why we’re here, why we went to school, what our goal is, that there’s light at the end of the tunnel, that they’ve been successful and can do this too — and that I’m here for them every step of the way. Clear, constant communication that is grounded but positive — providing information but focusing on what the team has achieved, the history they’re making, and the fact that I care about them — I think all of this helps everyone face the challenges with purpose.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate and engage their team?
Open communication and recognition — and the simple art of saying “thank you.’’ If I saw someone suited up to go down to a house where we knew there were positive cases, and it was the beginning of a pandemic when we really knew nothing about this virus, and I knew that nurse was to return home to family members that evening after work potentially exposing others to it, I made it a point to express my gratitude for what they were doing. Acknowledging the sacrifices my team has gone a long way — everyone needs and deserves to feel recognized for what they bring to their work.
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers?
I’m a firm believer in speaking to someone face to face, whether the news is good or bad. Unfortunately, the pandemic has required us to meet mostly over zoom or by phone — so overall, I’ve made it a point to communicate clearly what needs to be shared, and then to make myself completely available to answer questions and address concerns immediately. I also try to convey that I’m always open to any feedback and insight — whether it’s in that moment or after the person has had time to process everything. I try to stay away from email as things can so easily be misconstrued. Tone of voice is important, facial expressions are important, and body language is important — so face-to-face is always ideal — and some of this can even be done by teleconference.
How can a leader make plans when the future is so unpredictable?
The key is to always be forward-thinking. Maybe plans won’t transpire exactly as we put them together, but we can come up with a Plan B, and we should also be focused on bettering our services and figuring out how to do that with the tools we have in the situation we are in. I try to remind myself and my team, too, that it’s key to keep plans fluid and to be flexible as needed. This is not new for anyone in the nursing field — we deal with unexpected developments all the time, so I think our nature is to know how to pivot which is helpful when the future is, indeed, uncertain.
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
I think that cultivating strong relationships with others is the number one principle. Make sure people feel heard if they have ideas and opinions — and even if those ideas are not completely implemented, it’s important to open the lines of communication so that everyone feels like there’s a space where they can share. By listening, being authentic and transparent, and empathizing, individuals become teams — and teams can work together to get through the ups and downs of turbulent times. There’s power in numbers!
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make during difficult times? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
I can’t think of any common mistakes that they’re making, but I think that some do overlook the importance of networking and building community partnerships. We pooled our own resources with a local hospital because we saw a need and realized that collaborating with them would help us address that need. You have to handle what’s in the moment but always have to be thinking down the road — think 10 steps ahead of everyone else — and look for opportunities to work with others. That way, when something comes up, we are already there and prepared and ready to take action immediately. Some organizations were not ready for this pandemic. We had been watching what was happening in China and realized we needed to get things in place. So I think that while I haven’t seen specific mistakes per se, I have realized that some organizations seem to be thinking ahead more than others and getting ready for what might happen; Anderson has done so and it’s made all the difference.
Generating new business, increasing your profits, or at least maintaining your financial stability can be challenging during good times, even more so during turbulent times. Can you share some of the strategies you use to keep forging ahead and not lose growth traction during a difficult economy?
As a nonprofit organization, we are always focused on maintaining financial stability as an agency, and I am definitely keenly aware of that within my own department. We have to be practical with all that we do, and not utilize resources unnecessarily. We are very careful with our spending, and are always thinking about ways to prevent any financial burdens to the agency. Telehealth has helped us forge ahead in our efforts to maximize resources and prevent financial strain through the pandemic, and will definitely shape some of our long-term strategies. We also look at overtime — we want to be sure we use that as needed but that we’re mindful of it too so we don’t overstretch people or the pool of funds available to pay for it.
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times? Please share a story or an example for each.
Most importantly: a leader should lead by example — especially during times of uncertainty. A few weeks ago, on a Sunday afternoon, I heard my text alert on my phone. One of the nurses had texted the following: “I’m doing homework today and I’m writing about transformational leadership, and I keep thinking of you! It is so corny, but I get tears in my eyes just thinking about the fierceness, integrity, and commitment that you bring to our department. I feel so fortunate that you are the captain of this ship even though it’s been a crazy, rocky ride the last couple of years. Thank you.” This nurse has been with the agency for over 6 years. She is in school studying for her Bachelor’s degree in nursing and has appreciated and replicated the examples set. It meant the world to me.
A leader should share their vision. For a vision to come to fruition, a leader must have buy-in from the team and stakeholders. Communicating a vision also gives the team a chance to participate, offer feedback, and share helpful opinions. Team members may have valuable feedback that could enhance the vision and I find that when a team has a hand in developing a plan or a vision, the outcomes are always successful, and this empowers the team as well. A few years back, it was decided we needed to revamp our medication administration class. I formulated a team of nurses to assess, formulate, and implement an updated training. Not only was the revamp successful for its intended purpose, but the staff saw a vision come to fruition and they felt empowered because their efforts and ideas made that possible. It was a win for everyone.
A leader should possess the tools to communicate effectively. A good leader is transparent and facilitates and promotes information sharing. Communication also inspires and encourages team members, as they can bring forth questions, concerns, and valuable input to any circumstance. As an example: I was recently in a meeting with team members from related services discussing an initiative for our aging population. During this meeting, a team member expressed a great deal of interest in the committee and began expressing concerns she has had for our aging population and what areas of support her profession could bring to the committee. It helped her get engaged and will ultimately help the group who will be served by this initiative.
A leader recognizes the success of team members, and says “thank you”. Acknowledging achievements and saying a simple “thank you” can go a long way, not only within your own department, but throughout the organization. Over the last two years, one of the agency’s treatment coordinators was tasked with rolling out a new electronic health record. Her dedication, precision, and organization were extraordinary. She developed training programs and processes, and worked with every department to make the transition as seamless as possible. This was no minor feat. Although I do not oversee her department, as a leader with whom she worked on a regular basis during this roll out, I found it imperative to recognize her for all her hard work, so I reached out to her supervisor to give praise for a job well done. We all feel better when people recognize our efforts; it motivates us and lifts our spirits.
Leaders are most effective when they operate from a place of integrity and see things through. Team members respect strong character, loyalty, open communication, and follow-through. There have been numerous occasions where policies or processes have been confusing or outdated. When reported to me by a team member, I always explore the concerns and then follow through in a timely fashion. This has helped me build trusting relationships with the team members I directly lead, as well with the interdisciplinary teams who work with me on a regular basis.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
It’s not necessarily a quote — but I love the ant and the grasshopper story, which I was taught at a young age. The grasshopper was under a tree and the ants were working hard preparing for winter and they were ready for it when it came, but the grasshopper had not prepared and thus was not ready at all. The ants welcomed him into their den, which showed their kindness — but the grasshopper hadn’t worked for that as they did. It’s a reminder that although people will be helpful to you in times of need, it’s up to you to build for the future. The world does NOT owe you a living. You have to work for everything you get or want.
Matthew Pruen Of The French Retreat On 5 Things You Need To Know To Survive And Thrive After A Divorce
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Fall in love with yourself. When we fall in love, we become fascinated by our partner’s every move. Get as intrigued by your own inner workings: the range of your emotions; the spectrum of thoughts, judgements, beliefs and assumptions; the extraordinary miracle that is your body. This inner enquiry gives you vital data. Check-in with yourself every morning. What could be more important than being in good connection with yourself as you face the world?
As part of our series about the “5 Things You Need To Know To Survive And Thrive After A Divorce Or Breakup” I had the pleasure of interviewing Matthew Pruen.
Matthew is a relationship coach and group facilitator. He is also a supervising facilitator with the Hoffman Institute UK. Alongside his wife, Emma, he designs and delivers relationship workshops internationally and from their retreat centre near Bordeaux (retreat.fr). He is also a father of three, a grandfather of three, a musician and an artist.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to ‘get to know you’. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
I grew up in Lebanon. My English father was a United Nations diplomat, my mother, a Lebanese/Palestinian artist. The ‘75-’91 Civil War exiled my family to the UK where I traded the warm Mediterranean for the thrills of art school in late 70s Britain. This mixed ethnicity has enabled me to see the beauty and flaws of both cultures. And unexpectedly, it set me up to be a mediator of sorts — translating, where I could, the mistrust of the “other” into fleeting connection. Post 9/11, this has felt more and more important.
Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I’d attended numerous personal development workshop including therapy and relationship therapy and came to see there was something couples needed which couldn’t be achieved in weekly one-hour sessions. What was gained in an hour got lost in the remaining week and talking therapy wasn’t enough on its own. This inspired me to create my own private three-day course for couples in difficulty.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started this career?
A strange syndrome occurs. I see a pattern of numerous clients bringing the same issues all at once, which also happens to be a subject I’m grappling with. Is this collective intelligence at play? Part of the evolution of consciousness? Or just the fickle universe giving me a kick? Perhaps all three. In any event, themes of authenticity, forgiveness or facing fears come up with uncanny timing and regularity. The insights I gain in the privilege of my role are very helpful, if humbling, for me personally. For all my flying hours, there has been nothing quite so insightful as witnessing the openness of my couple client’s courage and vulnerability.
Until working with one fabulously honest couple, I’d understood my willingness to apologise in marital rows a sign of my virtue. When I did it first, I would be quietly smug — as though I’d won some kind of contest. Listening to one of the couple confess that he often used apologies to close the discussion down because of his fear of confrontation was a slap in my superior face. ‘Fessing up about this brought a smile of recognition to my wife’s face, but also helped me change.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
As a group facilitator, it is sometimes my job to read and absorb in-depth information about my students. I have to quickly refer to key life events to support their process. Typically I am diligent and reliable, but on one fateful occasion I inadvertently referred to cosmetic surgery to the wrong person. Mortified, I immediately apologised only to find that the client had taken it as a compliment. The lesson learnt was “if you’re not sure, shut the f*** up”!
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
“If you can’t regulate your own emotional temperature, you’ll regulate everyone around you to keep yourself comfortable.” David Schnarch
I often see the legacy of unhealed childhood wounds playing out as manipulation and drama in adult relationships. I know this in my own life too. One couple transformed their communication when they made the connections for themselves. They came to see that they had been in reaction to each other as if they actually were the abandoning father and controlling mother they’d grown up with. His tendency to shut down and escape on long business trips and her coping strategy of angrily taking over were a perfect echo of their childhood environment. Their reactions to each other in these states weren’t just the predictable frustrations of two scratchy adults, but also the deep pain of their hurt inner children. After witnessing their respective histories, they came to see a parallel between their journeys. Despite different stories on the surface, both strongly identified with the other’s experience of rejection. This empathy bonded them deeply and they were able to take things much less personally. And I knew they were on the mend when I saw them side-stepping triggering moments by ironically calling each other Mum and Dad.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
My wife Emma and I will be writing a book about the hidden dynamics of intimate relationships. There is lots out there about how to catch the guy or keep your marriage alive but less about understanding what is underneath the endless power struggle of intimate relationships, and more importantly how to get out of it and use it to deepen intimacy and connection.
Ok. Thank you for that. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. Can you tell us a bit about your experience going through a divorce, or helping someone who was going through a divorce? What did you learn about yourself during and after the experience? Do you feel comfortable sharing a story?
A couple I supported separated at such a gentle pace, healing past grievances and completing so beautifully that when they divided their possessions they took care that the other left with favourite paintings or wedding gifts, even swapping family heirlooms, remembering that in time it would all end up with their beloved son anyway. They divorced without lawyers and just for the price of submitting the papers to the law courts. They continued to co-parent and even had the odd Christmas together so their child didn’t have to choose between them. This taught me the real possibilities of good endings.
In your opinion, what are the most common mistakes people make after they go through a divorce? What can be done to avoid that?
People usually divorce when the pain becomes unbearable. We might not be in fit state to live together, but when we use divorce as an escape, there are unforeseen consequences. It’s often a mistake to rush things.
Much like a stiff gin and tonic, separation can bring an initial relief. But as with alcohol, a hangover follows. Anyone who married in good faith, discovers divorce is a bereavement. It is the death of a dream. When divorce is used as an anaesthetic this enormous loss goes ungrieved. When it wears off, the pain comes back tenfold. It is far better to process the loss together. This takes time and often needs third party support. That’s my job.
When working with couples who are facing the end or are ambivalent about a future together, I encourage them to treat the ‘should I stay or go’ question as secondary. It is important of course, but it’s essential to be in a fit state beforehand. Surprisingly, the optimal conditions for saying goodbye are identical to those needed for happily staying together. We need to witness and validate each other’s honest experience of the relationship — the highs and lows. Next, we need to let go of past grievances and forgive our partners and ourselves. This opens up the possibility of kindness and respect in the future. I can’t see a way round it and rest assured I’ve tried! It’s tempting to avoid the awkwardness and vulnerability, but if we do, we’ll likely experience these incompletions as restlessness and anxiety until we do.
People generally label “divorce” as being “negative”. And yes, while there are downsides, there can also be a lot of positive that comes out of it as well. What would you say that they are? Can you share an example or share a story?
What motivates people to get married in their twenties might have been influenced by our relatively recent childhood. This may steer them towards safety and security as a primary need. By the time we reach forty, we may find that same stability feels suffocating and our need for adventure and passion boils over. Now that marriage is less to do with the advancement of the family, it’s both innocent and honourable to say goodbye if the time comes. But of course, this must also be done skillfully and with integrity, particularly when there are children involved.
Given my own experience of having been married twice — and having a merged family — the work that touches me most is when I am asked to support couples parting. One couple I worked with slowly came to this conclusion themselves during my Couples’ Course. On the third day, having cleared their resentments, they greeted me with great vulnerability and dignity saying they had decided to free each other from the marriage and commit to an authentic friendship. They are thriving.
Some people are scared to ‘get back out there’ and date again after being with their former spouse for many years and hearing dating horror stories. What would you say to motivate someone to get back out there and start a new beginning?
I’m not a coach who gives dating advise. I support people to get in fit state for a healthy relationship. However once they are ready my top tip is this: Do what you love and lights you up. If you love singing join a choir or open mic nights, creative writers get in a writing group, if plants are your thing dig up a gardening club. Being seen in your power will attract healthy people. If not, you put yourself on the radar of rescuers and abusers. Let the world see you at your most resourced.
What is the one thing people going through a divorce should be open to changing?
Themselves! There is a bluntly simple Irish expression: If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. If there is still resentment and recrimination between you and your ex, let this be the first thing you change. Forgiveness is an act of self-interest.
Nelson Mandela famously said: “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”
If this feels impossible, then get help. Bitterness is also a choice.
Ok, here is the main question of our discussion. If you had a close friend come to you for advice after a divorce, what are 5 things you would advise in order to survive and thrive after the divorce? Can you please give a story or example for each?
Fall in love with yourself. When we fall in love, we become fascinated by our partner’s every move. Get as intrigued by your own inner workings: the range of your emotions; the spectrum of thoughts, judgements, beliefs and assumptions; the extraordinary miracle that is your body. This inner enquiry gives you vital data. Check-in with yourself every morning. What could be more important than being in good connection with yourself as you face the world?
One client genuinely struggled to find anything positive to say about herself. Provocatively I asked: “Tell me three good things about Hitler”. Unhesitatingly — and with incredible good grace (to my shame, I later discovered she’d lost family in the Holocaust) — she explained that this icon of evil had been compassionate to animals, a devout vegetarian and amazingly for the time, a committed non-smoker. Once my embarrassment had subsided, we had to concede that it was improbable that she was less endowed with qualities than history’s greatest villain.
Even if you can’t see your qualities they absolutely are there, it’s just that you cannot see them. Ask a friend to remind you.
2. Become a good hoper. Hoping is hard, especially when what we’re hoping for is our heart’s desire. Hope, far from being the thrilling, arousing experience we might have thought, is actually a deeply vulnerable business. It asks us to accept the gap between where we are, and where we yearn to be. When we are lacking a profound human need like connection and closeness, then the stakes are very high indeed.
Facing lack is painful, especially a lack of love. We immediately experience the fear of heartbreak. It feels imprudent to let ourselves dream too big. We make meaning of our history of hurts by judging ourselves as deficient. We may compare ourselves unfavourably to others and reach the sad conclusion that … “I’m not the sort of person who will find love”.
This thinking leads to despair of course, and yet we have a dangerous, but readily available way to soothe ourselves. What we do is we lower our dreams to a level where we’d be indifferent to — or at least feel able to cope — with the loss, if our hope went unfulfilled.
When, after a few months of self-denial we find ourselves still hurting, then we need to lower the bar further. Over time we talk ourselves into a smaller and smaller existence. This syndrome is more commonly called depression.
We need to learn to tolerate the vulnerability of hoping in order to give our dream a chance of blossoming.
Luckily, we all have a super power. It’s called visioning. We must be able to imagine what we want if we are to manifest it, otherwise we wouldn’t know what we were looking for and wouldn’t know when we found it.
One participant on our Finding Love workshop started by asserting her independence “I’ve realised I don’t really want a relationship at all. What I want is someone to make me a cup of tea once” she said. Nobody believed her of course, she was on a Finding Love retreat. By the end of the first day, she had come clean … “actually,” she said tearfully, “all that stuff about cups of tea was hooey”. By letting go of the false narrative and owning her vulnerability her vision finally had a chance of happening.
3. Before beginning a new relationship make sure you learn the true meaning of intimacy. I define it as:
‘Sharing your authentic thoughts, feelings and life experiences with someone and witnessing theirs — without agenda.’ Without agenda means scrupulously avoiding manipulation. For example, speaking angrily with the intention to intimidate or bully the other. Or overtly expressing hurt to instill guilt.
Intimacy is a skill, improved with practice. Before taking on a new relationship, make sure you have a handful of people you practice intimacy with. If necessary, resuscitate old friendships. Think of it as getting yourself racing fit for a more evolved relationship when it comes.
One couple I worked with noticed they had slowly let their friends slip away by making the relationship the only important thing. The cracks were showing — and not for lack of love. When they freed each other from the myth of ‘you’re my one and only’, they unburdened each other from the unsustainable role of having to be everything for them.
4. Give yourself the grace to be a beginner. You are, no doubt, super competent in many areas of your life, but take honest stock of those areas where you struggle and be curious about your own quirks. Ask trusted friends for feedback. When we develop awareness of our own part in our struggle, our blind spot gets smaller. There is a hangover from our childhoods which arrested our development in certain ways. Neglect in childhood can lead to unregulated behaviour in adult life. If we grew up with drama or threat, we may well be prone to anxiety, pleasing or isolation in relationship. If we experienced abandonment or absence we may tend towards control, or have a hunger for attention. These adaptations served us as children of course — they may well have helped us survive — but they could well be past their sell by date. The challenge is to make these automatic reflexes conscious so we can first see ourselves acting out in real time, and then write a new script.
One post-divorce client of mine took my suggestion to buy a clicker to record each time she noticed she was obsessively thinking about her ex. She had become aware that this ruminating was keeping her in the past and reinforcing a sense of being a reject. Initially she was shocked to find the daily tally was much higher than she had expected. It dropped day by day. Eventually we celebrated the milestone of a whole month free of obsession.
If you find this to be a vulnerable process, then congratulate yourself. It’s nothing less than heroic. Beginner’s mind is the openhearted state where magic happens. It may be awkward, but nothing ever changed by being comfortable.
5. If you want love again, make sure you’re in a fit state for it. Set the intention to lovingly re-parent yourself. What does this mean? As children, our parents hopefully attended to our needs. The extent to which they did this well and the extent to which they failed, both contribute to our suffering in adult relations.
When they cared for us well, when they heard our cries and swiftly fed, changed or cuddled us, it set us up with a delusional belief that to be loved, means having our needs met immediately.
Equally, when they were unable to love us as we needed and we experienced neglect or judgement or worse, it set us up with an insatiable hunger. This, as adults, robs us of the ability to accept a moderate amount when we do get our needs met. It’s never enough. More painfully, we may even push it away when we do get it because it feels too intense.
Ask yourself what did you crave most from your parents when you were little — and mostly didn’t get? What do you need to do to meet those needs for yourself now? Start by giving yourself a hug. Yes, really. Touch was the primary way we experienced our belonging as babies and it still works. As you hug yourself make a plan to meet a need today. If it’s a need for companionship, call a friend and open up a little. If it’s a need to feel special, take yourself out for a special treat. It needn’t mean buying a sportscar, maybe a bunch of flowers or an inspiring book.
A client of mine rewards herself when he’s managed to go for a swim, by stopping by the art supplies shop and treating himself to a box of pencils. He tells me his inner child responds far better to this than to a packet of chocolate biscuits.
The stress of a divorce can take a toll on both one’s mental and emotional health. In your opinion or experience, what are a few things people going through a divorce can do to alleviate this pain and anguish?
Make friends with silence and solitude. Designate clear times of the day for screens and distractions, but always ensure space for some ‘me’ time. The information age is a noisy time to be alive. It demands our attention. In the stillness of a moment of relationship with ourselves we will access the most important daily news. After the trauma of divorce, this can be uncomfortable. Checking our phone is cheap dopamine on demand so challenge yourself to put the screens away for longer and longer periods. Eventually you’ll stop twitching and you might have the good cry you need. Better out than in.
Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or resources related to this topic that you would recommend to our readers?
Anything by the fabulous Esther Perel. Also, David Richo’s The 5 Things we Cannot Change is brimming with ancient Buddhist wisdom made contemporary.
Because of the position that you are in, you are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would love to think I play my small part in scotching the myth that good relationships are always good. The difference between a good and bad relationship is not that good ones don’t have problems. Struggle is inevitable and no human being, no matter how virtuous, is kind and loving all the time. In any long term, committed relationship, no matter how lucky or successful, we’ll experience our partners in both relaxed and stressed states. And they’ll see us that way too. The simple fact is that when human beings are relaxed, they are adorable, when they are stressed, they are a nightmare. That is true of us all. Me too as Emma will testify. So, in healthy partnerships, the key difference is that grievances are processed quickly and well. In unhealthy ones the resentment grows. After all, we trust people who offend against us and put it right far more than people who never offend at all.
We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
For my own entertainment and pleasure, I would invite the author Dr Gabor Mate and the late, great journalist Robert Fisk to dinner. Dr Mate’s wisdom and compassion and getting the secret back story on world events from Mr Fisk would be heavenly.
Thank you for these great insights and for the time you spent with this interview. We wish you only continued success!
“Be open to a world where you may not understand or agree with the person next to you but have a drink with them anyways. Eat slowly. Tip your server. Check-in on your friends. Check-in on yourself. Enjoy the ride.”
As a part of our series about business leaders who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Josh Bowden.
Josh Bowden is the co-founder of and CEO of noissue, the creative packaging platform that’s making custom, sustainable packaging experiences accessible to businesses of all sizes. In his role as CEO, he is responsible for bringing the company’s long-term vision to life, team building, and holding noissue true to its core values and sustainable business strategy. Prior to founding noissue, Josh started a sustainable eyewear brand, Lewis Fredericks, with his friend and noissue cofounder, Auguste Gruar, while completing his Bachelor of Law at the Victoria University of Wellington. It was during this period that he discovered the struggle and pain points of sustainably sourcing packaging for young startups, and the idea for noissue was born. An entrepreneur at heart, Josh is passionate about building a global brand with a positive impact on people, communities, and the planet. He loves art, reading and is an avid fan of Cricket. Josh currently resides in Auckland, New Zealand, and frequently visits Los Angeles, California.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
While I was at university, I founded a sustainable eyewear brand making frames from waste materials with my friend and noissue co-founder, Augie Gruar. We were able to find an online platform for most of our needs — Shopify for e-commerce, Mailchimp for email marketing — but when it came to sourcing sustainable packaging that was suitable for brands like ours, we couldn’t find anything out there. This was the first sign of an opportunity in the market. Then, when we started pitching our eyewear brand to retailers, they were more interested in the custom, sustainable packaging we’d sourced and created ourselves rather than the eyewear! After this, Augie and I decided to quit our jobs to found noissue. As they say, the rest is history!
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
We are making custom, sustainable packaging accessible to businesses of any and every size. Small businesses, micropreneurs, and creators don’t have the same resources as their larger counterparts, so there is a real need for a platform that enables them to design branded packaging with ease using circular materials that don’t negatively impact the environment. All of our packaging materials fall into one of three circular frameworks — they are either compostable, recycled or reusable.
Additionally, smaller businesses need low minimum order quantities to keep costs down and not create excess waste, which is where noissue comes in. Our low minimum order quantities set us apart in the industry and make creative custom packaging made from circular materials affordable, accessible and achievable for businesses of all sizes. As an example, order minimums for noissue’s Recycled Mailer Bags start as low as 50 units.
We are a big believer in supporting the creator economy as much as we can and taking the stress out of packaging, so creators can get on with the important stuff: building their brand and pursuing their passions.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When we first started out, we participated in a Webinar, and had a hard time calculating the time difference; it ended up being a 3–4AM webinar! We took it all in stride and played it off like we were in the same timezone as the rest of the audience. We learned very quickly to brush up on timezones before agreeing to any meetings, and of course, quickly became well-versed in politely explaining where New Zealand is located.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
My first job out of University was at a Fund. They knew I had started a business outside of work and were extremely supportive in encouraging me to give it a go. They taught me the fundamentals of running a business and team, and ultimately shaped my passion for building a great team and investing in people.
Other mentors of mine include some great New Zealand entrepreneurs spanning different industries; Al Brown, a Chef, and Marc Ellis, a Rugby Player and Entrepreneur. They both taught me to enjoy the work, remain passionate about why we started, and continue to love what I do. They are great role models for growing a brand, following your passion, and to top it off, they’re both extremely humble!
We are also fortunate to have some amazing investors like Rod Snodgrass and Felix Capital. They’ve taught me a lot about how quickly things evolve and change, shared their experiences with scaling, and are always there to answer any questions. They’re both really accessible, and that has definitely impacted how I operate at noissue.
Finally, I have amazing parents and a remarkable grandmother. My dad taught me to be thoughtful, especially when it comes to other people, which has really shaped how I’ve built a team and how noissue works together, especially as a global, remote company. My mom taught me resilience, and that though tough times are inevitable, they can be overcome. And, last but not least, my grandmother — she is 94 and such a huge inspiration! She continues to have an incredible zest for life and passion, which is something I always try to emulate as a founder to engage and motivate my team.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
Disrupting an industry is fantastic when you can introduce a new mode of working or a new way of doing things that doesn’t negatively impact people or the planet. If a business has a positive impact on one or both of those while also scaling and creating profit, that’s even better!
Disruption is not so great when it’s at the expense of the environment and its inhabitants. Reaching high-growth goals in business can often mean taking a short-term view of your journey, without factoring in the long-term consequences.
This is why at noissue, sustainability means thinking for the long term, having robust systems that stand the test of time, and constantly innovating and rethinking how we do things. We view sustainability as a framework for how we build our company and teams, and also how we make decisions. It’s about more than just environmental impact.
Can you share five of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey?
“Teamwork > individuals”.
“Don’t get caught up in the hype and stay grounded. My co-founder and COO, Augie, is always a good example of this.
Micky Drexler once said “people like consistency” in the context of customers — this has always resonated with me and helps guide our approach at noissue.
“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art, like the universe itself… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.” — C.S. Lewis
“Be open to a world where you may not understand or agree with the person next to you but have a drink with them anyways. Eat slowly. Tip your server. Check-in on your friends. Check-in on yourself. Enjoy the ride.” — Anthony Bourdain
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
At noissue, we plan on adding to our range of products — still keeping it curated and within our circular frameworks — but adding more diverse packaging options. We’ll also continue to offer more customer-driven initiatives that tie into our values of creativity, community, and sustainability, and continue to inspire our customers to make small changes in their packaging that, collectively, make a big impact. We have a lot of fun things in the works that we can’t wait to share with the greater noissue community!
Do you have a book, podcast, or talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us? Can you explain why it was so resonant with you?
I really enjoy reading a variety of genres, and one of my all-time favorites is George Orwell’s 1984. It really got me thinking about how limited and constrained people’s thoughts, ideas, and expressions have the potential to become without access to information. Winston’s job of just taking lines out and erasing the past felt really bizarre! At noissue, we make it such a point to produce a lot of written content to help inform our customers about starting and running a business, how to get the most out of their packaging, and how they can continue to stand out and stand by their values via noissue. We encourage them to be creative and dream big, and empower themselves to create the business they dream of.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Life can be much broader onceyou discover one simple fact. And that is everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it-you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use.” Steve Jobs
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I’d be honored to inspire a movement that encourages people to confidently put themselves out there and take risks. It’s never easy to take that risk, that first step into the unknown, and to step out of your comfort zone/wheelhouse.
Often there is fear of failure, criticism (true whether you’re successful or not), and lack of support when it comes to being a new entrepreneur, or when you try something ‘unconventional’. I’d really like to foster a culture of acceptance and kindness, one that encourages people to try something new, take a risk, fail or succeed, and still be celebrated for their initiative, not torn down for succeeding or failing. I believe innovation comes from those who feel like they can take the risk, and feel supported throughout the process, regardless of the outcome, and this is how we’ll continue to do better as a society, find creative solutions, and positively impact our lives + the planet!
How can our readers follow you online?
Follow us on social media to keep up with what we’re up to! We’re @noissueco on Instagram and TikTok, noissue on YouTube and noissue.co on Facebook.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
The Future Is Now: Rajeev Dutt Of AI Dynamics On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up The Tech Scene
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Don’t invest too early or too fast in building a team. I think we could have gradually grown the organization as the solution evolved. I believe this is a common mistake a lot of startups make. They want to hire quickly and grow too quickly, but sometimes it’s a blessing in disguise to not be well-funded at the start.
As a part of our series about cutting edge technological breakthroughs, I had the pleasure of interviewingRajeev Dutt.
Theoretical Physicist and Technologist Rajeev Dutt has held leadership positions at Hewlett-Packard, Compaq, Microsoft, and Intel, among others. He launched his first company at age 26, and has since focused on using artificial intelligence to solve increasingly complex problems. His efforts have led to the creation of self-diagnosing, self-healing systems and utility-based computing solutions.
Today, he is the CEO of AI Dynamics, a global organization founded on the belief that everyone should have access to the power of AI to change the world. AI Dynamics has created the only AI platform that provides data governance and can be deployed on any on-premise device, cloud, or IoT environment.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I’ve always been interested in machine learning — it’s been a passion of mine since I was a child. I used to create video games and wrote my first game using AI when I was in seventh grade. I also loved reading science fiction novels involving robots or intelligent machines.
But throughout my career, I’ve worked for a number of companies including BBC, Compaq and Hewlett-Packard, and then Microsoft and Intel. Then, I finally launched this company, and along the way I’ve picked projects that involve large quantities of data. The common theme has always been that whenever I wanted to use AI or an intelligent way of processing information, it was difficult to do so. So, launching an AI project that made it accessible to anybody was always a dream of mine, because I see there are a plethora of problems around the world that are amenable to the use of AI or machine learning.
I wanted to do something that would bridge the gap between technologies such as AI and the average person, because I think that the applications are really beyond anything that we can even imagine at this stage. It’s almost like every aspect of our lives could potentially be enhanced using AI.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
When I joined HP and started working on my first truly intelligent enterprise application, we got a patent on it and it was really exciting to see that a machine could actually identify problems and configurations in a network that humans couldn’t.
When I was part of Intel, I was tasked with launching my own group based in Redmond. And again, it was like an opportunity to use intelligent systems to predict or correlate issues between later stage development to earlier stage development. Those are the sort of things that I remember quite distinctly in my career and points in time I cherish.
Can you tell us about the cutting edge technological breakthroughs that you are working on? How do you think that will help people?
AI Dynamics was founded about 5 years ago, and we spent most of that time in engineering. Our mission has always stayed the same, which is to make AI universally usable — something that can be easily integrated into enterprise applications. In the last couple of years, we have shifted our focus quite a bit, and although we are still focusing on the tech and ubiquity of AI, we’ve focused on two key areas.
One is in the industrial and manufacturing sector where we see there are plenty of opportunities from quality control, to manufacturing processes, to supply chain management, logistics, and so on. The second is using AI or machine learning to work on biotechnology problems within cells and the interaction of these biological systems of molecules. We believe machine learning can play a very pivotal part in that.
How do you think this might change the world?
One of the projects that our organization is working on could potentially lead to some novel treatments in cancer and would be, of course, an enormous benefit to humankind if we were able to.
We’re also pushing the boundaries of diagnostics to provide low cost diagnostics for several types of illnesses. One of them is tuberculosis, which, according to the CDC, is the number one killer in the world, which surprised us. Being able to provide low cost diagnostics to detect tuberculosis in its earlier stages, which can be deployed everywhere including cell phones and lower cost devices, would affect the world dramatically.
Keeping “Black Mirror” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?
When you democratize any technology, and our ambition is ultimately to make it accessible to anybody and everybody, there are of course bad players that may discover it. But, there are problems that can be solved that will ultimately lead to the betterment of people and certainly underserved markets. For example, in Africa there are many issues that can be solved with machine learning that are simply not of interest to some of the larger companies in the West, and we see these problems go relatively unnoticed.
We plan to eventually release a free version of our software to make it even more accessible, but the drawback, of course, is that if you’re putting such a powerful tool into people’s hands and it becomes something that anybody can use, there are those in the world who may try to use it to impinge on people’s privacy or for criminal activities. We’ve certainly seen the rise of, for example, A.I. generated malware, and increasingly A.I. is being used in cyber attacks.
We are looking to introduce an extensive governance component to our platform that will allow us to, at the very least, identify who these bad actors are, so if we do see something going wrong, we would be able to identify who is responsible for doing so.
Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this breakthrough? Can you tell us that story?
Early on in the life of AI Dynamics we noticed that we were solving the same problems over and over again, so we ended up designing our own language that would solve these problems much faster. We then saw that there were more opportunities which evolved into what we have now, which is essentially guided AI development where we have an expert system that is able to help people determine the right set of algorithms, or to guide people to picking the right set of algorithms.
What do you need to lead this technology to widespread adoption?
Although we have a complete end-to-end enterprise version, the reality is that most people just want to solve a problem and solve a problem quickly. What we wanted to do is develop a free version of our software that would allow people to do so. There are two components to our free version:
The first is the ease of use — the ability for anyone to solve machine learning problems. The second is not just simply having the ability to solve those problems, but to also deploy those solutions and monetize them.
We also have a language which dramatically cuts down the amount of code required for machine learning. So literally within about 14 lines of code, you can write an entire ML algorithm. What we’d like to do is Open-Source that so that we expand our libraries and the set of capabilities. Having a free version will allow the public to build and construct more algorithms for our platform, which will of course, continue to spread its use and demand the process of AI democratization.
What have you been doing to publicize this idea? Have you been using any innovative marketing strategies?
We are about to launch a competition in the biotechnology space. We are looking for a powerful solution to an interesting problem that is both challenging and has strong potential to benefit people. We will actually build the solution for the winners, and they can monetize the solutions that are being developed. It’s also an opportunity to solve very meaningful machine learning problems. So though this is a very targeted domain we’re offering this to, we also think it will have a lasting impact and attract a number of people who would otherwise not have considered machine learning.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
There are two people I would like to thank personally. The first is Ken Johnson, who is a leading investor on this project and something of a mentor. He helped us get seed capital and has been a constant supporter of AI Dynamics.
The second is Bob Genise, who is basically the reason we exist. He’s the one who saw the merits of this solution and helped make the connections we needed. He has put in both his own personal resources as well as offered constant advice to our company. He was primarily focused on the aviation sector, but a lot of his experience and know-how directly translated into how to run a business. We have a very different business in the sense that building a platform is never easy, but having people like Bob and Ken has been pivotal in the company’s success and evolution. We couldn’t have done it without them.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
We believe in an ethical use of AI and that it should be used for the betterment of humankind, not to its detriment. What better way than to improve the efficiencies of how we produce and deploy goods, and also develop novel treatments to save human lives?
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)
Don’t build battleships. If I could go back, I would start small and build a much more targeted solution.
Don’t invest too early or too fast in building a team. I think we could have gradually grown the organization as the solution evolved. I believe this is a common mistake a lot of startups make. They want to hire quickly and grow too quickly, but sometimes it’s a blessing in disguise to not be well-funded at the start.
Engage a VC early in the process, whether through incubation groups or through a strategic investor like Microsoft or Intel. Ken Johnson and Bob Genise were pivotal in acquiring funds, but I think part of what I should have done is raise funds through other channels.
There is no universal recipe for success. If there were, then I think there’d be any number of successful companies. Recognize that changing power and changing direction is not a bad thing. It’s in fact healthy when you realize that a certain path is not for you and your business. Do not be married to any particular concept. Our vision never changed, but how we get there is continuing to evolve.
Never assume that if you build it, they will come. It is far better to start building a customer base, even if you have an imperfect solution. What we’ve found over the last three years as we begin to commercialize is that the customer requirements have altered some of the decisions we’ve made for the better.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I love machines, and I like the potential opportunities or advantages that they can give humankind. But I also believe it’s important for us to internalize the concept of what is ethical AI. It’s something we need, but unfortunately too many people are simply paying lip service. They don’t describe what it means exactly, and so we see pernicious and unpleasant uses of it, for example invading our privacy, creating new ways of surveilling people, weapons systems, and the like.
What I would love to see is a more concerted effort toward building solutions that are geared toward helping people rather than constraining or imprisoning us, or solutions working toward democracy rather than subverting it. Having companies that are involved in these areas start to build an ethical framework for how they operate is important, as we are continuing to see a rise in surveillance in many countries. Maybe it’s a bit idealistic to imagine that, but having a framework of what is considered ethical or unethical will at least allow us to separate the different types of solutions so that we are not under any illusions that when we do something, it is considered unethical. It is wrong. We need to spell it out clearly rather than just talking the talk.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Everyone knows the quote “death by a thousand cuts”, but I’d like to turn it around and say that it’s a life by a thousand cuts. There will never, ever be a time in life where you’re not running into problems, but life is about problem-solving, and it’s by the moment that you start to feel empowered because you’re never going to feel like a victim again.
The second is simply “don’t panic”, or “If I worry, does it help?” People are always a little bit surprised that I stay calm in certain situations, but it’s largely because I just don’t believe in worrying about things that I can’t control.
Some very well known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
Imagine a world where AI is universally accessible — something where every person, every engineer, every organization has the power to transform its business using machine learning. Imagine it as a platform or solution that can completely democratize AI and put it into the hands of every single person. It has the ability to provide knowledge and understanding and intelligence to help solve almost any problem. This is precisely what we are building with NeoPulse.
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
Sile Walsh Of ELIS Advantage: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Listening to employees. For example, don’t simply ask your employees questions but listen to the answers. When questions and concerns are based on consultations, check that this is what employees intended to convey and gauge if they think the proposed solutions to the problems or concerns are effective or not. No one knows the needs of your employees better than your employees themselves.
As part of our series about the “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times”, we had the pleasure of interviewingSile Walsh.
Sile Walsh has been working with organizations for over a decade now, specializing in strategic and inclusive leadership and organizational development. She is experienced in coaching senior leaders and middle managers across sectors including healthcare, pharmaceuticals, education, technology, and commerce within Ireland and internationally.
Sile has an international client base and speaks on leadership, inclusion, and coaching psychology. Sile guest lectured with University College Cork on both the master’s in Organizational Psychology and Personal and Management Coaching, is on the committee for Coaching Psychology with the Psychological Society of Ireland and is a senior board member for a private organization providing services on behalf of government agencies.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I grew up in Ireland with an English accent and that didn’t go down well in the playground of rural Irish schools! I have two younger brothers and we did a small bit of moving around before I was 10. We then settled across the road from one of Ireland’s most famous restaurants and I spent my summers picking berries in their gardens for their kitchens.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?
In the middle of presenting on reflective practice to 45 teachers in County Kerry Ireland, I literally tripped over a table and fell on my face.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
I truly believe that success occurs with people, not despite people. Many people have contributed to my success along the way from previous bosses and coworkers to informal mentors and supervisors. The one that stands out to me for this article would be Margaret Archer, CEO of Futimis in Atlanta, operating all over the United States of America. Maggie is my aunt and has been a fundamental support and inspiration for the development of my business. She has encouraged and supported me, mostly though she has dished me some hard to hear words when I needed to hear them and has given me nudging when I most needed it in my business.
In addition to the person I am grateful for, I’d like to mention the type of support that has been invaluable to me and that I like to offer to others and encourage everyone reading this to attempt. The type of support that was golden to me and my work was “opportunity.” It was people allowing me to have experiences that I did not have yet to develop my capacity to do a role or fulfill a duty that I hadn’t previously fulfilled. This kind of support can be the difference between being interviewed or not for a promotion or a person’s ability to see their potential within their everyday lives. There are many people from the age of 11 who offered me opportunities to test my ability and develop myself. These have been irreplaceable moments in my career journey.
Extensive research suggests that “purpose driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your company started, what was its vision, what was its purpose?
My vision was quite simple at the time. It was to do the work I loved and ensure that it had a positive impact on the world around me. This vision later bloomed to become more intentional and purpose-driven forms of impact such as discussing and encouraging leadership from a more inclusive, trauma-informed, and effective rather than harmful standpoint. From my experience, leadership can result in more harm than good when not intentionally designed to incorporate these inclusive and psychologically safe ideas and practices.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or difficult times?
When I talk about leading a team, I often view it from an inclusive leadership perspective because this perspective engages the theory of high performance within teams while also conveying that inclusivity can create more innovative and creative outcomes through teamwork, which fosters a sense of belonging and value for everybody involved.
Over the last 24 months, I’ve worked with several leaders and teams to support effective leadership of teams as well as supporting team members during uncertain and difficult points. The most important takeaway that I’ve gotten from these experiences and from working across industries is that honesty and feedback are key, and that even when feedback being delivered isn’t ideal, if it is delivered in a way that is transparent and honest then team members are more likely to absorb it and accept it. The difficulty occurs when there isn’t a cycle of safety for the team and dictation is used to enforce power. In situations like this there tends to be an undercurrent of resentment that needs to be addressed.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
I think giving up is a signal that you’re overwhelmed yourself or what’s on your plate exceeds your current support and resources. I think it is difficult for some people to change, so it’s easier to give up than to go through the effort of adapting. While this isn’t something I’ve faced personally, I think it’s something that many leaders and teams that I’ve worked with have faced. I think the great resignation is a manifestation of this.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
Communication, communication, communication, and I say it three times on purpose because when we communicate, it’s not about communicating facts but about communicating feelings, concerns, road maps, and ideas and doing that over and over again. You can never hear too much of this. I would say the only time that communication isn’t effective is when what you communicate and what you do are at odds. It is at this point that communication is harmful. In other words, communicating and then following through on what you have communicated is deeply important to foster trust and safety with your team.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate and engage their team?
I think all too often leaders and organizations want to push through the reality because it’s uncomfortable and because it would be better to stick to certainties. However, when your workforce is fully aware that there isn’t this level of certainty and that things are always evolving then showing that vulnerability while also taking responsibility for the choices that can be made is crucial.
Also, because leaders are often projected onto by employees, it’s important to remember that most people appreciate being respected, and honest communication can be really helpful to the team for them to work cohesively and for leaders to inspire ideas and engage the team effectively. Again, one really good way to accomplish this is utilizing inclusive leadership.
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers?
Clearly and honestly, and if possible, face to face.
Also, behind the scenes. For example, before big public announcements are made, there needs to be indirect announcements through stakeholders and informal channels of communication so that people aren’t shocked or surprised by the announcement while others have already accepted it and moved on.
How can a leader make plans when the future is so unpredictable?
I think it is best to plan for what is within your control. Work on your practices within your team and aim for things that are within your reach without getting caught up in the negative and cyclic ‘we can’t do this until that…’ mindset.
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
Again, honest communication that is followed through would be the number one principle that I would recommend.
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make during difficult times? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
There are a few. Avoiding communication is one, reacting in anxiety is another, also being overbearing or controlling and ignoring the voices of their teams.
In order to avoid it leaders need to first acknowledge their default behaviors and preferences and ensure they are responding more than reacting.
Generating new business, increasing your profits, or at least maintaining your financial stability can be challenging during good times, even more so during turbulent times. Can you share some of the strategies you use to keep forging ahead and not lose growth traction during a difficult economy?
Acknowledge the reality and pursue opportunity. Also, ensure that your organization is stabilized as best as possible and understand the clear and effective ways of working that exist already before you pursue new avenues.
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times? Please share a story or an example for each.
The first would be to communicate clearly and often. I’ve described this idea multiple times above. To reiterate, it’s important to communicate the reality of situations and to do so in a way that gives people a chance to acclimate to the reality.
The second would be to ensure people are walking the talk. For instance, if you’re going to communicate something, ensure that you act in a way that honors what you’re saying. And take responsibility when it’s needed and adjust accordingly.
The third is listening to employees. For example, don’t simply ask your employees questions but listen to the answers. When questions and concerns are based on consultations, check that this is what employees intended to convey and gauge if they think the proposed solutions to the problems or concerns are effective or not. No one knows the needs of your employees better than your employees themselves.
Fourth is to focus on effective practices and procedures for the reality of work today and maintain processes and procedures that work for you rather than require more of you and the employees. Ensure that your processes, practices, and procedures support what the organization is trying to achieve.
Fifth is to understand the line between working hard and pushing employees to the brink of burnout. One of the most natural things to do during crisis or uncertainty is to put more effort in and put pressure on the people around you to perform at the same level that they did previously. However, during more strenuous situations you need to make allowances for the reality of current work situations and the impact these uncertainties have on your employees. In doing this, you will reduce speedbumps like sick leaves but equally engage your employees and retain them better because you won’t be burning them out in the process. As a result, you won’t be leaving your organization understaffed in the long run.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” I had gumption from a very young age and realized I wouldn’t get anywhere in life if I kept waiting for everything to be perfect. This quote is one I use in my work and as a personal motivator. I can’t control the weather, but I can control what I do when it rains.
Meet The Disruptors: DJ Exeqtive Of The Exeqtive Suite On The Five Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Having a class on being a mentor to people who aspire to be where you are in your career. I feel where I am in my career is because of my mentors!
As a part of our series about business leaders who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing DJ ExeQtive.
DJ ExeQtive is one of the leading DJ’s in the music industry, having worked for major brand names such as Fenty by Rihanna and Nipsey Hustle, and radio stations SiriusXM, Hot 97, WBLS and many brands outside of NYC. DJ ExeQtive is the creator of The ExeQtive Suite, which provides a platform for upcoming and established star talent such as Skip Marley and Chloe Bailey. DJ ExeQtive has worked all over the world, and proven himself to be a premium radio entertainer and musician.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I’m a Guyanese-American DJ from New York City. Raised in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. I started off playing basketball up until high school. My Canarsie High School’s Basketball coach, DJ Tommy Allen (RIP), who also had a slot on one of NYC’s biggest & most popular mainstream radio stations, Kiss FM, was one of my influences. My father was my 1st though; watching his love for music and also building sound systems for a few big Caribbean DJs back then was where my love for music started.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
Hmm disruptive in a good way.. me focusing on interviewing RnB artists. I love RnB music and don’t see a lot of highlights on RnB.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
One story which wasn’t so funny at the time was taking a DJ booking out of state in the DMV. I was super excited and promoters had seen me DJ several times in NYC so they knew I was able to rock a crowd. I get to the venue. I’m DJing, the crowd rocks with me but not heavy ’cause they wanted GoGo music! At that time I knew nothing about it smh. That taught me to always be prepared by doing research of the club, party goers and type of music, which now I’ve traveled to so many different states & countries DJing for different people/cultures.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
I have a lot of mentors throughout different parts of my journey. But I’ll narrow it down to 5 people. DJ S-1 , Reggie Hawkins, Pat Robinson, DJ Pupp Dawg , DJ Superstar Jay. DJ S1 (aka DJ Snatch 1), an experienced DJ, played a vital role in the trajectory of my career. In 2008, I became the opener for DJ S1 at his events, and sometimes played extended sets that would last half the night. Years later, DJ S1 gracefully passed me the torch and connected me with Manhattan club promoters and events. I learned a great deal about the business side of DJing along with things not to do while on radio ( like cutting songs short before the bridge) lol!
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the reverse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
Disrupting an industry in a positive way is by doing something I feel is different or something that others are not willing to do, but it’s all about pushing positivity like having cameras follow you showing your process of ups & downs to get to a positive goal in the end. A negative way I’ll say is doing something that you know will highlight you/ make you trend but will hurt someone’s feelings or make people uncomfortable watching but you do it anyway to go viral.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
Consistency- if you believe in what you’re doing stay consistent and it will happen!
Preparation- Always practice so when the opportunity presents itself you’re ready!
Trust the process- There’s steps in everything you wanna do… find out what they are and simply do it!
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
I would love to write a book. I have several ideas but haven’t decided on direction yet.
Do you have a book, podcast, or talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us? Can you explain why it was so resonant with you?
I enjoy listening to my friends podcast #DeadAss by Devale & Khadeem. It resonates with me ’cause we are all married and entrepreneurs. Hearing people speak about issues that you think sometimes only you’re going through actually helps ’cause you can get advice on how they deal with things.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Consistency is more important than perfection” Because I was consistent in my entertainment business I was able to leave my 9–5 6 years ago and focus full time on my business.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Having a class on being a mentor to people who aspire to be where you are in your career. I feel where I am in my career is because of my mentors!
How can our readers follow you online?
They can follow my Youtube @DJ Exeqtive and Instagram @djexeqtive!
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
CONCEPT DESIGN: Identify your plan to launch, and validate the profitability of your idea.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kevin Bartanian.
Kevin Bartanian is the Founder and CEO of KEVANI, an out-of-home (OOH) media sales organization specializing in urban-scale, iconic media assets.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
I was born in Lebanon into an Armenian family who had migrated there after escaping the 1915 Armenian Genocide. The timing of my birth coincided with the end of Lebanon’s civil war. In the late 80s, I arrived in the US at the age of nine with my mother. Unfortunately, she soon succumbed to her battle with ovarian cancer.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“The graveyard is the richest place on earth” — Les Brown
The quote refers to the graveyard being a place that you will find dreams and hopes which were never fulfilled because people were too afraid to take the first step.
Dealing with loss at a young age gave me a unique perspective on life. I learned that nothing is certain, and you’ll need to make each moment count. So, in that sense, death is my biggest motivator. This of course doesn’t refer to only business; it can apply to all aspects of life.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Two books, which I’ve read several times, have made an impact on my business. At the age of seventeen, my older brother gave me “48 Laws of a Power” by Robert Greene — a book about politics and power in which Greene conveys lessons by telling stories of ancient soldiers, emperors, pharaohs, and kings. This book provided me with early exposure to politics and positioning.
The other is “Pitch Anything” by Oren Kleff. Kleff did a great job explaining the difference between “selling” and “pitching”. In fact, he suggests pitching a concept to “three brains”. The theory suggests that we have three brains which have evolved over time. These are the “croc brain” — primal instincts like fight or flight, housed in the oldest part of our brain. In the middle, the “midbrain” creates meaning and reason around things. Lastly, the “executive brain” oversees complex decision-making and problem-solving. Kleff argues that pitchers generally need to talk to all three brains and not just the decision-making brain because that is what you used to design the pitch. What we miss constantly is going via the other brains to get to the executive layer.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
The saying goes… “Ideas are a dime a dozen” and that’s true. What makes you successful is the execution, not the idea.
I meet with startups often. One of the biggest mistakes I see made is that most of them don’t have a business plan or specific blueprint drafted.
Here are the initial idea vetting steps I recommend:
STEP 1 — Draft a detailed description of your idea and get specific — include your ideal customer and price point as well as why this would work. At the same time, explain why this idea would not work. During this process, you’re going to find out the idea is not viable most of the time. If it is, you can proceed to Step 2.
STEP 2 — Try to do a prototype of the idea if it’s a product. If it’s a service, create a simple brochure in Word, Pages, or Google Docs. This exercise helps you flesh out the idea. After this, you’re ready to proceed to Step 3, but if you tweak the business idea, you need to go back and repeat Step 1.
STEP 3 — Reach out to three influential people in the industry that your service or product in which you will be. For example, if your product needs manufacturing, meet influencers in the supply chain. However, don’t contact a possible direct competitor or a person who just started their business — they’re too busy crawling up the ladder and won’t be of value. Instead, reach out to a person that’s “made it”. The funny thing about those who “make it” is their priorities change and they begin wanting to pay it forward. In your outreach, be genuine — you’re seeking help to vet the business that you are wanting to start in their industry. If you’re not able to complete step 3, you’re not yet ready to launch the idea. Focus on your networking skills and keep trying until you’re able to get in front of at least three people.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
Your initial steps should include extensive Googling, searching for specific keywords, and identifying current or potential competitors. If your product involves a patent, invest in a patent attorney to perform a preliminary patent search. I have found that folks go into the search not wanting to find a potential competitor, so they end up never seeing one. You should go in the search process doing your best to find competitive products or services.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
The following should be of most help to you readers.
STEPS — IDEA TO LAUNCH
1. CONCEPT DESIGN: Identify your plan to launch, and validate the profitability of your idea.
2. PRODUCT DESIGN: Create a unique product that provides the best and exciting experience.
3. BRAND IMPACT: Create a brand to help you stand out from competitors by connecting with the values and emotions of your target audience.
4. MANUFACTURING: Meet in person (not online) with at least three manufacturers and compare quality, pricing, and speed.
Depending on the product you’re launching, there might be co-packers and manufacturers who are eager to help you. If you are patenting a product, the attorney who assisted you with the patent is also a great source for you to connect to manufacturers.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Making Something From Nothing: Kat Connor and Lindzi Shanks Of XO Marshmallow On How To Go From Idea To Launch
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Hire people before you need them — When you’re bootstrapping, it’s easy to get in such a scarcity mindset and be afraid to spend money before you have to. But in my experience, if you wait too long to hire someone for a new position, you are opening yourself up to missed opportunities and important items that fall through the cracks. In 2020, we missed out on a couple of large corporate gifting opportunities because we did not have someone responsible for handling them. In 2021, our CG’s increased by 40% by having some in that position. This year, when we decided to ramp up online orders, we hired a head of fulfillment now before the ramp-up to better prepare for that growth when it does happen.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lindzi Shanks and Kat Connor.
XO Marshmallow is the leading purveyor of handmade, gourmet marshmallows in the world. Whether it’s in front of a campfire or a microwave, making s’mores and sipping cocoa is a fond childhood memory for many. Created by Kat Connor and Lindzi Shanks in 2015, XO Marshmallow’s co-founders have revolutionized the confectionery industry with their modern take on these nostalgic treats.In 2020 alone, wholesale rose 114% 2020–2021, and online sales increased 40% during the same time frame. XO Marshmallow saw a 50% increase in sales from 2020 to 2021 (after a 154% increase from 19′ to 20′), and eCommerce sales increased 42% from 20’ to 21’.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
LS: I grew up in a very small town outside of Dallas, TX — the type of small town where everyone knew everyone. My mom not only graduated from the same high school I went to, but she taught there, too. That’s how small it was. The oldest of 3 girls to a single mother, I learned quickly how to be very self-sufficient and independent. I was your typical overachiever student active in sports, theater, debate, and was top of my class. I grew up in a household where “B’s” were “F’s” so this level of achievement and involvement was expected. Although I was involved in many activities, I spent the majority of my time in debate or working on DIY craft projects. After I graduated, I went on to study psychology at Texas Tech University where I planned on becoming a professor. While in undergrad, I started my first business, an Etsy store that grew so quickly I was able to quit my other jobs while in school and live solely off that income. I never planned on staying in Texas — from a young age, I dreamed of moving somewhere completely different. When it came time to go to grad school, I opted for the University of Chicago where I gained my Master’s. However, I quickly realized I didn’t enjoy graduate school. Instead, I was spending most days working on my Etsy shop, so after I finished my MA I stayed in Chicago and continued to run that shop before meeting Kat and starting XO Marshmallow together.
KC: I am originally from Chicago, and one of 5 kids. Growing up, I loved being in the kitchen and watching my mom bake; we were definitely a “microwave treats” kind of household so lots of rice crispy treats, brownies, and chocolate chip cookies. I loved reading, writing, and watching movies which led me to pursue a degree in creative writing and film at Hollins University in Virginia. I became increasingly interested in our rapidly changing political environment and how it intersected with popular culture and began focusing on political science, and then intellectual property law. Following that passion, I ended up at Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was while in school that I made my first batch of marshmallows in my tiny kitchen with a 20-year-old mixer. After graduating and moving back to Chicago, I decided to take a few months to experiment further with homemade marshmallows and the rest (as they say) is history!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
LS: I’m the type of person that absolutely loves looking at little quotes and phrases for inspiration. That said, I actually don’t have a favorite quote because I look more for a variety of quotes that match the energy I’m looking for at the time. Right now, I’m very focused on the importance of self-care and setting personal and professional boundaries as a business owner so I am gravitating towards quotes in that area that are inspiring this current stage of my life. Right now, I’m loving the quote “you can’t pour from an empty cup”.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
KC: There are so many books, podcasts, and films that have made an impact on me! Recently, the documentary Disclosure on Netflix has really resonated with me. The film focuses on transgender representation in cinema and calls into question how the trans community has been impacted by popular media. While at Marquette, I saw Laverne Cox give a speech, and her call for advocacy and allyship was incredibly powerful. I think the points she makes within the documentary offers an important view into how exactly diversity and representation matter — not just within tv and movies — but within businesses and society as a whole.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
LS: I think the main reason most good ideas never made it to a business is fear. Most people are afraid of starting something new or turning an idea into a business. What if someone doesn’t like it? What if I fail? What if someone else just copies me? These are the questions new entrepreneurs face every single day, and for most, those ‘what if’ questions are scary enough that they just don’t start. When that happens, the best advice I can give is to start planning it out and create a runway you’re comfortable with before leaping. Come up with a product, a concept, a brand, and a business plan — then just start knowing that it won’t be perfect when you do. At some point, you’ll have to either overcome the fear or learn to live with it — all entrepreneurs do. Otherwise, an idea just stays an idea.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
KC: I think most people assume an idea has been thought of before, which often keeps them from moving forward. While yes, there are legal protections that every entrepreneur should be aware of when it comes to intellectual property, one principle to keep in mind is: it is the product that is made from the idea that is protected, not necessarily the idea itself. What I would recommend to someone researching a new idea or concept is to keep in mind that it’s what you do with the idea that matters.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
KC: The process of idea to tangible product can be pretty tough and complicated.
Research: Once you have an idea, step two is always research — looking for the limits of your idea. By that I mean, where can this idea take you? Has the physical product been made before? Are you improving an existing process or creating a new one?
Logistics: That will lead you to step three, logistics. You’ll want to figure out how to get your idea to production. Maybe you need office space, materials, or legal help. That’s a great time to find some resources, and I definitely recommend knowing your own strengths and weaknesses for this part. You will save a LOT of time and money down the road setting yourself up for success now.
Manufacturing: Step four is manufacturing and scaling, so maybe you’re making a product by hand at home, but you need to keep up with demand. More decisions come up — like do you hire help? Do you automate the process somehow? A lot of the decisions come down to budget, and it’s always ok to work within your budget with an eye on the future.
Markets: Next, you’ll want to strategize on how to bring your product to the marketplace. There are a lot of great resources available here, probably in your community! I recommend reaching out to your local business center or chamber of commerce for some free guidance. E-commerce businesses versus retail establishments have different requirements and possibly different customers. Knowing what you need to make a splash in the market is an important step!
Do it! The final step is to just go for it. Showing up for your customers is the most important thing when bringing your idea to life; even if you show up imperfectly. Be flexible and learn from your mistakes as you continue to grow your business.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
LS:
There is a difference between a “leader” and a “boss” — We started our business during the height of the “girl boss hustle culture” movement, and as young entrepreneurs who both went straight from school to running a business, our concept of what a “leader” is was not what it is now. People think these words ‘boss’ and ‘leader’ are naturally interchangeable. They’re not. A leader champions their employees to grow and do better while also encouraging healthy work/life boundaries. A leader shares the credit but owns the blame. A leader is constantly looking for ways to better serve their team and customers. Your company needs a good leader way more than it needs another boss.
Your team is your biggest asset — When you start your business, it’s easy to think your product is everything. That as long as you have an amazing product, then everything will work out. But over the last few years, I’ve learned that your team is everything. A good team can be the difference between a shop that thrives during difficult times or one that crumbles. By focusing on our team over the last couple of years, we have been able to dramatically reduce turnover and focus on growing those team members rather than spending energy on rehiring and training.
Hire people before you need them — When you’re bootstrapping, it’s easy to get in such a scarcity mindset and be afraid to spend money before you have to. But in my experience, if you wait too long to hire someone for a new position, you are opening yourself up to missed opportunities and important items that fall through the cracks. In 2020, we missed out on a couple of large corporate gifting opportunities because we did not have someone responsible for handling them. In 2021, our CG’s increased by 40% by having some in that position. This year, when we decided to ramp up online orders, we hired a head of fulfillment now before the ramp-up to better prepare for that growth when it does happen.
Your mental health/health matters, too — As a founder, it’s so easy to work yourself ragged. To bear the weight of everything on your shoulders, and to put every single person before yourself. But if you are so beyond exhausted, stressed, and burnt out — you are not able to be the best leader for your team. You have to remember to set boundaries and take time for yourself. Otherwise, you are trying to pour from an empty cup, and that stress will bleed out onto your team. A few years ago, my business partner and I were working ourselves to the bone and the stress was too much. In response, she developed Bell’s Palsy and I nearly had a full breakdown. Now, we remember to take time off for ourselves and prioritize self-care and boundaries. Our business and our team thrived and grew when we started working LESS!
Who you know is so important — Growing up, I naively scoffed at the phrase “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. My upbringing focused so greatly on the importance of intelligence and hard work, that I thought you could grit your teeth and just outwork everyone to the top. Obviously, hard work helps, but do not underestimate the importance of making connections with people who can help your business. There are plenty of people out there who know more than you and who have connections with people that can help you, and you are doing both yourself and your business a disservice by not capitalizing on them. As we’ve been building our new production facility, we’ve relied heavily on the connections and knowledge of others to help get us through this process.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
KC: I would recommend first writing or drawing out the idea and all the details you can about its invention. Then, do a bit of research to see what similar products or other solutions to the problem you are trying to solve are out there. As a part of that research, try not to get too into your own head about comparing yourself to others. Refer back to your initial thoughts and feelings surrounding the product, and trust that vision! It will help keep you on track.
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
LS: Personally, I wouldn’t. I think ultimately it boils down to the product/idea, but, for me, I think it makes the most sense to try to cultivate and grow your idea as much as you can on your own first. It helps you work out any kinks or issues you may have with the product before you grow too quickly. It makes sure that you really know your product better than anyone else and are poised to be a champion of that product. Obviously, if you get to a point where you can no longer develop a product on your own, then it might make sense to bring in a consultant but do as much as you can on your own first.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
LS: I think funding is often very industry-driven. It’s hard to bootstrap in an industry where your business requires a lot of upfront capital to get started. However, if you are in a position to be able to bootstrap vs. get VC funding, I think it makes more sense to bootstrap for as long as you can. Not only does it allow you to retain control over your company, but often the “grow slow” approach leads to more long-lasting companies. If your goal is to build a business that you plan to be with long-term, then bootstrapping is the way to go. If you’re looking to grow a company incredibly quickly with a planned exit strategy, then VC is the better choice.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
KC: Our success has allowed us to give back to our community, both professionally and personally. When we first started XO Marshmallow, we each put in $100 to a bank account and scraped together what we could on the smallest of budgets. We relied on the advice of fellow business owners, our chamber of commerce, and free education wherever we could find it. Now, when we can, we like to be a resource for other entrepreneurs, especially womxn, who are asking the same questions we were when we got started. In addition, we are able to financially support many causes that we are passionate about, like racial justice, LGBTQ allyship, and mental health causes.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
LS: The importance of mental health is something we are very passionate about — not just for ourselves and our employees. We plan to continue to integrate the importance of taking care of your mental health and reducing the stigma around mental health in our company culture — but we’d like to expand upon that through our business somehow.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
KC: I would love to grab a coffee with former first lady Michelle Obama. I think what makes her such a fascinating person is her personal philosophy of becoming, that personal growth is a journey, not necessarily a destination. While her accomplishments as a lawyer, health advocate, mother, and First Lady are incredibly impressive and well-deserved, it is how she moves through these roles that makes her truly a leader and an inspiration for all.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Joe Caruso Of Caruso Leadership: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Afteryears of dealing with cancer, doctors told me that it was gone and never coming back. I decided to finally find out what I was capable of. As I recently wrote in my daily “Cup of Joe” email newsletters (available at wwww.carusoleadership.com), my hope was that my capabilities would grow to exceed my expanding reach. That’s when I not only decided to keep my promise of being committed to learning, but I also wanted to live my life to the best of my ability by helping others do the same.
As a part of our series about the “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times,” we had the pleasure of interviewing Joe Caruso.
Joe Caruso is an expert on the individual mind, the collective mind of an organization and how meaning drives our behavior and determines outcomes in all aspects of life. As an author, business advisor and speaker, Joe brings his lifetime of expertise to help organizations and leaders change the way they see themselves — and in turn, the way they think about markets, products and services. Joe has learned this change in thinking drives new behavior and allows organizations to sharpen focus and reach greater levels of success.
Joe’s efforts culminated in a best-selling book and PBS special, both called The Power of Losing Control. In it, he encourages readers to “remember that the only control you really have is over yourself,” and provides techniques and strategies to stop wasting valuable time and energy on what we can’t control. He also produced an audio book, The Principles of Authentic Power.
Joe is an in-demand keynote speaker worldwide, a syndicated columnist and a sought-after business advisor. His expansive list of corporate clients includes: America Express, American Heart Association, Wells Fargo, Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), Hyatt, Domino’s, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, the U.S. Navy and dozens more. Joe advises CEOs, military leaders and leadership teams on the essence of change for success, ultimately driving success for his clients. He is the only non-multi-national CEO to be invited to address the admirals and generals at the National Defense University, the nation’s premier joint professional military education institution. Joe was named one of the 50 Most Influential Minds in Personal Development by Nightingale-Conant, the leader in spoken-word publications.
Having grown up near Detroit with his parents and three brothers, Joe currently resides on an island between Michigan and Canada with his wife, Carol, who is an artist. He loves to travel and enjoys culinary arts and fine wine. For more information, please visit www.carusoleadership.com.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I was diagnosed with an incurable cancer at 17 years old. During my chemo treatments, I promised myself to learn as much as I could about the human experience and our minds. For however much time I had to live, I committed to studying five hours per day, five days per week.. After experimental chemo and four major surgeries, I ended up being one of the first young men to be cured of metastasized testicular cancer. I decided to keep my promise. Today, I am the author of a best-selling book “The Power of Losing Control” in six languages, I plan to release a new book, “The Quintessential Leader” and I had the privilege to have been part of a PBS television special. I have served as a personal advisor to leaders of the US Navy, CEO’s, billionaires, and even one of the past Presidents of YPO. I have been fortunate enough to travel the world sharing my experiences and my thoughts with leaders in the hopes of leaving this world a better place than I found it. Now, I am honored to be interviewed by Authority Magazine. Life is good.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
OK. Oh boy! Here it goes…During a leadership retreat I was facilitating, I took a brief trip to the restroom and forgot to turn off my lavalier microphone. Everyone had a pretty good laugh. (Thankfully, it hasn’t happened since!)
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
Three lessons really resonated with me…Attention to details is extremely important, never lose the ability to laugh at yourself and most people are kind and empathic.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
I’d have to say, my Father, Mickey. Here are a few of his gems that left a lasting impression on me.
“Joe, never feel sorry for yourself. There is always someone worse off than yourself. Never get cocky. There will always be someone who can do circles around you.”
“If you want something in life, you have to be undeniable. Make sure there is no doubt that you deserve it.”
“You can’t ever make up for a day of missed practice.” (He was a trumpet player.)
“Remember, Caruso is not just your last name. It’s the last name of your proud Sicilian grandparents, who then gave it to me and my 11 brothers and sisters. Then your Mom and I gave it to you. Take care of it.”
“Everyone can teach you something if you’re paying attention.”
When I was down because I had learned that a girl in school didn’t like me much, he had this empathic piece of advice. “Not everyone in your life is going to like you. Get used to it.”
“If you ever get married, marry your best friend.” (I did.)
Extensive research suggests that “purpose-driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your company started, what was its vision, what was its purpose?
Afteryears of dealing with cancer, doctors told me that it was gone and never coming back. I decided to finally find out what I was capable of. As I recently wrote in my daily “Cup of Joe” email newsletters (available at wwww.carusoleadership.com), my hope was that my capabilities would grow to exceed my expanding reach. That’s when I not only decided to keep my promise of being committed to learning, but I also wanted to live my life to the best of my ability by helping others do the same. Years later, I added three words. “And enjoy it!” To this day, this is the same foundation built upon Caruso Leadership. If I was undeniable and unique, my compensation should reflect that value.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or difficult times?
I tell a story about paratroopers in the newly released expanded audio version of “The Power of Losing Control” that has a three word punchline: Accept, Adjust and Advance. Whether you’re giving a keynote speech in a room full of thousands of people then the fire alarm goes off or being interrogated in an office with two guards armed with automatic weapons by a Minister of Finance of a less than honorable West African regime have been realities for me. Accept them as such. Though this current reality may be less than ideal, it probably can be optimized to some capacity. Know your role in that process. Once you stop fretting, panicking or knee-jerk reacting, you are better positioned for the second notion. Adjust. Learn to ask yourself this great question my brilliant psychoanalyst friend asked me once when I accidentally misdialed him. “What else could this mean?” You see, as I write in my upcoming book, “The Quintessential Leader,” how we define our problem determines all of the answers our minds can’t possibly fathom. This same thought also applies to ourselves — either as an individual mind or the collective mind of a company. Think of Kodak not being able to process (pun intended) the fact that film is obsolete. In over a dozen years, 13 CEO’s couldn’t figure out how they could stay a part of a viable company while being true to their founder and their blueprint identity. Finally, once you’ve accepted this reality is dynamic, meaning -ever changing-,you will have adjusted to defining the new reality. You can also find power in your reality while having no control over it, and you can advance. Advance with the plan formation and deliver a solid execution.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
There is nothing wrong with giving up on an idea if it doesn’t work. Getting past a failed idea is an important component to possess. Carl Jung once said, “People don’t have ideas. Ideas have people.” On the other hand, it’s important in life that one retains the internal belief, as famed Psychoanalyst, Author and a dear friend told me before he died as we wrote his last book together, “A healthy mind is that of a doer doing.” During one of our conversations, I added the notion that the healthiest of minds is a doer doing with the promise of a sense of achievement or completion. I was told by the top medical specialists at the University of Michigan when I was 17 years old I would die of cancer and there was nothing they nor I could do about it. Unfortunately at that time, they were right. They wanted me to join an experimental protocol where they explained it could kill me before the cancer got the chance to, but I could be one step closer to finding a cure. My choice to partake wasn’t founded in my will to live. I had already accepted my fate. My choice was based on the fact that I only saw one responsible choice. Live my life and help others. Look, in many ways, life is an incurable disease with one way out. Like a good book, there are many chapters, some happy, some suspenseful and some sad. However, while some books have sequels, all books have one ending. I’ve had a glimpse of seeing what a premature ending to life could look like. I want to finish this book and I plan to have the ending write itself much like my author friends do with their writing processes.
In my upcoming book, I talk about a conversation I had with one of the few boxers who knocked down Muhammed Ali. I asked Ernie Shavers, “Ali said that you hit him so hard that his family back in Africa felt it. He always was known for talking. So, I will deduce that when he got up and the fight resumed he said something to you. What did he say?”
Ernie said, “I’ll never forget it. Ali looked me in the eye and said, “Not tonight!”
You see, Ali knew if Ernie could land one more of those punches he could beat Ali. Ali couldn’t deny that, so he didn’t. He just reframed, or recontextualized it. Even in a brutal hand to hand combat, the mind plays a large role. Leaders need to know this fact.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
It’s quite simple. Firstly, know your role. For example, I’ve learned that on the few occasions when my wife is telling me about something that is bothering her from her day, I have to figure out the context of my role in the moment. Is it to solve her problem? Is it to provide a positive spin on it? Is it to be a great listener and be empathic?
In any event, deal with the fear first. I remember when one of my CEO’s and her leaders (many of whom were my friends) were in a live gunfire situation at an airport, she called me and was understandably quite panicked. I was on vacation and I turned the TV on to see what she was experiencing. It was being covered live on every news station. While she hid under a seat at a gate, I told her to take three deep breaths and focus on my voice. I said you are responsible right now for yourself and those employees most of whom she didn’t know where they had scattered to. As everyone just dropped their luggage and ran at the sound of the shots, I asked how much battery she had left on her phone. I told her to act beyond her feelings and to duck and cover. Secondly, I asked her, once she found better cover, to create a group text and ask everyone to report where they are and if they were okay. Some had actually gone down a jetway and were walking barefoot on the property. I felt her role in that moment was to try her best to return to a state of normalcy, so she could gain her bearings and leave the airport as soon as things settled down. Later, I contacted her assistant and asked for her to arrange food and hotel accommodations, buy phone chargers and get a bus to pick them up from the incident. Once things settled down and everyone was accounted for and on the bus, I asked my wife to check on everyone. I suggested everyone should call their families when they were safely ensconced in their hotel rooms. I wanted to make sure they could all process together what they all individually felt and went through.
Even in a crisis and personal fears coming to light, a leader has to know their role in every moment they are presented with.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate and engage their team?
It is important to know what motivates the other. In psychoanalysis, there are seven motivational systems. Especially during The Great Resignation, a leader should know three key things about each of their direct reports.
Why do you work?
Why do you work here?
What do you like the most about your job? Most leaders don’t know these things about their teams. Before I proposed to my wife, I asked what her idea was of a perfect week. She explained and listed a few things, but the one that stood out was throwing dinner parties once a week.
I made sure to keep the list she mentioned to me even when we got married. I referred to the list in my mind periodically. Within a year, I noticed that the dinner parties began to seem more like a burden to her rather than a pleasure, so I asked her what changed. She said, “Well, I don’t really want to cook, I just like the setting of the table and the planning.”
Up until the pandemic hit, we continued to throw great dinner parties. She is renowned for her style, and I have become a pretty good cook. Lesson? I had to ask about her motivation over something she was passionate about. This is called, “The why behind the what.”
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to teams and customers?
Always approach with honesty and always give clear context to the situation. A leader needs to be what I call, “The Great Contextualizer.” In my upcoming book, I write specifically about this. When you deliver triggering bad news, contextualize it in a way that they can find power in it, even though they have no control over it.
How can a leader make plans when the future seems so unpredictable?
I once had the honor of speaking to all of the lawyers involved in the US Navy. Prior to my speech, the Secretary of the Navy had a brilliant message he shared amongst everyone. I am going to paraphrase from memory his speech: Our job is not to avoid risk. It is to assess risk. Mitigate risk and take action. In life, markets and businesses are unpredictable and therefore it tends to be risky. In order to avoid them, either miss out, be left out or both. Engage with the proper amount of diligence and caution.
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
These are great and complex questions, and I was asked to be concise in my answers. Communicate often, be consistent and supportive, maintain trust, hope and faith. Turbulent times erode these capacities, so a leader’s role is to view this as an opportunity and edify them.
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make during difficult times? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
1) Letting fear lead thought and action. In 604 BC Lao Tzu said, “Respond, rather than react.”
2) Recognize false assumptions. Focus on an honest and complete assessment.
3) Truly know and understand that this too shall pass. Even if the hard times last, it will allow you to create a new normal and the accompanying cacophony will dissipate.
Generating new business, increasing your profits or at least maintaining your financial stability can be challenging during good times, even more so during turbulent times. Can you share some of the strategies you use to keep forging ahead and not lose growth traction during a difficult economy?
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room, which is Covid-19. The world has encountered pandemics and plagues before, but now we are able to see in real time the way this affects our society. Shakespeare wrote some of his greatest stories during the plagues he experienced in his time. Use your time wisely, so you can get to what you want. Learn to see that every problem has opportunity in it. One of my favorite quotes from the great Wayne Gretzky, “Skate to where the puck is going.”
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times? Please share a story or an example for each.
Keep everyone’s focus and attention. We do this by being great contextualizers. What does this mean and what can we do?
Don’t deny them their fears, rather edify their hope, faith and sense of purpose.
Give yourself alone time daily to assess, understand and manage yourself better. Everyday you wake up one day older and hopefully one day wiser. Learning more about the opportunity it can bring versus the desire to bury into yourself is the key to growth.
Find home and visit it regularly. In this regard, home is a sense of self. What is it that you need to or are compelled to do that keeps you grounded while you strive? As I traveled and helped people succeed, it was cooking, listening to music, reading and writing. We all have centering and grounding rituals that bring us joy. It is not another, no matter how romantic you choose to be about the idea.
Lead by example in every way. Always know that if you have been identified as a leader, you are always on display to exemplify. People notice your good performances and your bad. Try not to be a hypocrite. Share your struggles with those whom you trust. Be honest with others.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
— “Be fully and empathically in the moment. Bring all you are to all you do. It will be all you need.” Life is a combination of honest and candid self-reflection, a commitment to learning with true humility, a commitment to achievement, and an understanding that sometimes others can be shifting context and understanding. No matter how busy, preoccupied or self-absorbed you are in the moment, always be fully and empathically present in the presence of the other(s).
How can our readers further follow your work?
www.carusoleadership.com. Free Cup of Joe’s just for signing up which are deep, simple, and hopefully compelling little gems to consider every day. Members get to watch, “Conversations with Joe,” which are great candid interviews of leaders in different industries.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this. We wish you continued success and good health.
John Horn Of StubGroup On How to Effectively Leverage The Power of Digital Marketing, PPC, & Email to Dramatically Increase Sales
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Learn tech basics. You don’t need to become a Python expert, or even master HTML. But if you grasp how websites work, what a cookie is, the difference between a domain and a subdomain, etc., you will know more than many of your clients.
Marketing a product or service today is easier than ever before in history. Using platforms like Facebook ads or Google ads, a company can market their product directly to people who perfectly fit the ideal client demographic, at a very low cost. Digital Marketing tools, Pay per Click ads, and email marketing can help a company dramatically increase sales. At the same time, many companies that just start exploring with digital marketing tools often see disappointing results.
In this interview series called “How to Effectively Leverage The Power of Digital Marketing, PPC, & Email to Dramatically Increase Sales”, we are talking to marketers, advertisers, brand consultants, & digital marketing gurus who can share practical ideas from their experience about how to effectively leverage the power of digital marketing, PPC, & email.
As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing John Horn.
John Horn, CEO of StubGroup, has spent his professional career focused on creating and delivering a unique, successful product to each client, every time. He and his agency have worked with brands including Cash America, Amerant Bank, and many others, and have generated over $350 million on behalf of their clients. He has also created educational marketing content consumed by over 90,000 students online and is a frequent podcast guest.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
Thanks for having me!
I come from a line of entrepreneurs. My dad ran his own law office, and his father owned a grocery store in the small town where I grew up. So it was a great fit when I was given the opportunity to come to StubGroup in its early days, close to a decade ago, and help bootstrap the agency to where we are today.
We focus at StubGroup on digital advertising and helping businesses scale profitably via Google, Facebook, and other platforms. When we started the company, there were already many agencies that were helping businesses make the transition from offline to online advertising, but frankly we saw way more demand than supply for expert marketing help, and so we decided to step into the gaps.
Can you share a story about the funniest marketing mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
Only one? 🙂 In the early days, I remember it being hard to know how much time I should invest into various channels. I remember spending hours researching tiny little ecommerce directories and feed platforms, thinking “the more places we’re at, the better.” I quickly learned that the 80/20 rule applies to marketing as much as the rest of life, and that my time was best spent focused on the areas that actually moved the needle for our clients.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
The two founders of StubGroup, who brought me on as their first full-time employee, have both been instrumental in my growth in business and marketing. When I hear business owners share about the loneliness they have experienced, I realize how blessed I am to have had the mentorship of two veteran entrepreneurs who to this day still provide a sounding board and hold me accountable for the decisions I am making for our company.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
There is a perception of advertising agencies that their sole goal is to get their clients to spend more money. I think one thing that makes StubGroup stand out is that we measure our team members not in terms of the amount of ad spend they manage, but in terms of their client retention, client satisfaction, and how closely we are achieving the client’s KPIs.
We encourage our clients to think not just in terms of ROAS and ad budget but most importantly in terms of profitability, and by emphasizing comprehensive conversion tracking and analysis, we are often able to cut our client’s budgets.
One of my favorite examples comes from what we did for one of our clients in the sporting goods industry. We took a profit-driven approach to their marketing and scored a YoY increase of greater than 1,300%, while cutting their ad spend by 30%.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
I’m in the service business, so the product that I sell to clients is really the time and skills of my team members.
I genuinely care about each person who works with me, and I strive to equip them with the resources they need to do a great job and to enjoy doing it.
I also recognize how easy it is to let “caring” for a team member translate into excusing poor performance or poor attitudes. As CEO, it’s my duty to shepherd the company as a whole and to protect the livelihoods that the company is affording to our team members. If I tolerate poor behavior or team members who don’t carry their load, then I am compromising the entire company culture and doing wrong by all of the other team members who depend on each paycheck.
Lastly, I started at the “bottom” of the pole and climbed my way upwards, learning marketing tactics and strategy along the way and then in turn relaying that knowledge to our team. Personally understanding the technical challenges that my team faces equips me to set realistic expectations for them and more accurately measure their performance.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Every day is exciting! We’re exploring new marketing platforms, like TikTok, and adapting to the constant changes that Google, Facebook, and the other advertising platforms throw our way.
Ok super. Now let’s jump to the main questions of our interview. As we mentioned in the beginning, sometimes companies that just start exploring with digital marketing tools like PPC campaigns often see disappointing results. In your opinion, what are a few of the biggest mistakes companies make when they first start out with digital marketing? If you can, please share an example for each.
Trusting the wrong people to manage their advertising. For small businesses, this often means the business owner, who is used to wearing all the hats and assumes they can figure out a platform like Google Ads or Facebook Ads themselves. Queue tons of wasted time and ad spend.
Unrealistic expectations. Advertising is not a magic bullet that can fix a bad offer. Advertising provides fuel for the offer you have and helps you figure out what offers are most compelling.
Not tracking performance. You can’t accurately determine the success of your ad dollars or know where you can profitably scale unless you are tracking the results those dollars are driving for you.
If you could break down a very successful digital marketing campaign into a “blueprint”, what would that blueprint look like? Please share some stories or examples of your ideas.
Identify your target audience. What is unique about them? Demographics? Psychographics? Geographic location?
Find out if your target audience is already looking for the solution you offer. If you are an auto mechanic and people use Google to find auto mechanics, you should be on Google. If you are a lifestyle brand launching a new product, you should be on the social channels where your audience spends their time.
Set goals for your advertising. How are you going to measure success, how much data will you view as statistically significant, etc.?
Test, test, and test again.
Let’s talk about Pay Per Click Marketing (PPC) for a bit. In your opinion which PPC platform produces the best results to increase sales?
There are too many variables at play to make a definitive statement like “Google is better than Facebook.”
For some businesses, Google is a better choice than Facebook. For other businesses, vice versa. Yet, for others, maybe neither platform is a good fit.
That’s why I recommend partnering with an agency or other expert who understands the nuances of the various advertising channels that are available, and can marry that knowledge with your unique understanding of your business and customer base.
Can you please share 3 things that you need to know to run a highly successful PPC campaign?
You have to use conversion tracking to measure the success (or lack thereof) of your campaigns.
You need to be patient enough to collect data and make decisions based off that data, not your gut.
You need to spend time improving not just your campaigns, but also your website, so that you maximize your conversion rate and make the most of every ad dollar
Let’s now talk about email marketing for a bit. In your opinion, what are the 3 things that you need to know to run a highly successful email marketing campaign that increases sales?
I will be completely honest and let you know that email marketing is not my specialty, but I’m happy to share things I’ve seen work well for our clients, and for me as a consumer.
Customize your emails. Someone who abandoned an item in their cart is in a very different place than someone who signed up for your newsletter two years ago.
Split-test your subject lines. You have a fleeting moment in time to capture attention before your message is lost in the deluge that is your recipient’s inbox.
Don’t email for the sake of email. Make each email valuable to your list. Tim Ferriss’s “5-Bullet Friday” is a great example of content that subscribers (myself included) genuinely look forward to.
What are the other digital marketing tools that you are passionate about? If you can, can you share with our readers what they are and how to best leverage them?
Google Analytics — Understand how people reach your website and what they do after they arrive
CallTrackingMetrics — Comprehensively track where your phone calls are coming from
Lucky Orange/Hotjar — Watch how real people navigate your website to find conversion obstacles
Google Tag Manager — Easily install tracking coles on websites without waiting on dev teams for weeks.
Here is the main question of our series. Can you please tell us the 5 things you need to create a highly successful career as a digital marketer? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Do it. Find people who need help with digital marketing and get your hands dirty. If you must, look for internships or small business owners you can assist as a freelancer. The only way to really learn digital marketing is by doing.
Learn tech basics. You don’t need to become a Python expert, or even master HTML. But if you grasp how websites work, what a cookie is, the difference between a domain and a subdomain, etc., you will know more than many of your clients.
Be adaptable. Our industry changes constantly and is dominated by big players who can completely shift the playing field with one tweak to their algorithm. Marketers who get set in their ways are still trying to figure out why the Yellow Pages no longer works.
Study people. Communication is a critical aspect of marketing, not just in crafting compelling campaigns, but also in explaining to your stakeholders (clients, boss, etc.) why a certain strategy is smart and why you should be entrusted with their budget.
Keep up with the latest news. Not surprisingly, the digital world has a wealth of information about the digital world. Watch closely the changes that the big platforms are announcing, read deeply into the case studies and articles that experts are releasing, and pay attention to the strategies into which sophisticated marketers are sinking their money.
What books, podcasts, videos or other resources do you use to sharpen your marketing skills?
SearchEngineLand.com
#ppcchat on Twitter
Jon Loomer’s Pubcast
Constant testing with our own clients 🙂
Thank you for all of that. We are nearly done. Here is our final ‘meaty’ question. You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I think about honesty a lot because most people think “advertising” is an antonym to “integrity.”
I believe that if people were honest with each other and kept true to their word, this world would be a much better place in which to live.
The Future Is Now: Dan Reitzek Of TerraZero Technologies On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up The Tech Scene
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Never focus on “buying the dip or riding the wave;” timing the market never beats time in the market.
As a part of our series about cutting edge technological breakthroughs, I had the pleasure of interviewingDan Reitzik.
Dan Reitzik, Chief Executive Officer at TerraZero Technologies Inc. He is the former CEO and Founder of DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc. Dan is a serial entrepreneur who raised more than $35M for DMG while taking the company public on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I have always been fascinated, not by trends, but by what drives trends. There’s always going to be a hot commodity, but the system that’s facilitating that commodity is what really intrigues me — infrastructure over what’s being sold using that infrastructure. If there’s a gold rush, sell shovels. And that’s especially true for technology. You can do with technology that you can’t do in many other industries. For example, artists, labels, and music licensors always want to copyright a hit song. In technology, you can write and own a musical scale that authors a million hit songs.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I remember back when I was still CEO of DMG Blockchain and was first exposed to Bitcoin, how intrigued I was by the blockchain, the underlying technology that enables trustless transactions. As I became more familiar with it, I often thought about how this would be a gamechanger in the technology industry.
A while later, my partners and I were at a business dinner with potential investors when I brought up this emerging technology and my thoughts on how it would advance the tech world with these trustless transactions. Our dinner guests were not convinced and just laughed — simply dismissing our opinion and expertise regarding this new area.
Fast forward to two years later, and DMG owned one of the largest, most cost-efficient Bitcoin mining facilities in North America. Furthermore, once it was fully powered, it was infamously known as the most powerful cryptocurrency mine in Canada. And guess who got invited back to dinner to talk about blockchain, cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, and the like?
Can you tell us about the cutting-edge technological breakthroughs that you are working on? How do you think that will help people?
Very simply, the Metaverse is opening up a new economy and a new lifetime of opportunities for people. It’s breaking down barriers for upward social mobility — especially for people who, right now, are experiencing what the world has to offer from primarily behind a computer screen. I’m excited to be part of TerraZero, building tools to bridge the real world with the Metaverse and enabling the emergence of an entirely new economy. However, for this new economy to blossom, we need to ensure that entrepreneurial tools available in the real world are also available in the Metaverse. I’ll give you an example, a young entrepreneur with $15,000 buys a small parcel of land in the Metaverse. On this land, they could then open a small retail store, host events, or even place advertisements such as billboards to generate some ongoing revenue. However, to grow this industry properly, we need to ensure that the same tools afforded entrepreneurs in the real world are available in the Metaverse. For this reason, TerraZero offers financing on virtual real estate, which allows this same entrepreneur to purchase ten parcels with the same initial capital, and the revenue potential is now tenfold.
TerraZero is creating smart contracts which enable trustless and automated transactions for rentals and mortgages. This was the entire promise of blockchain technology, the ability for two or more parties to transact without any third-party involvement, and no need for trust.
Another beautiful thing about the Metaverse is that it’s bringing a competitive market back to technology and many other industries. There are a lot of Metaverse platforms out there, especially emerging ones, with different strengths, and many of these platforms have laid the groundwork for what a fully immersive and digitally elevated lifestyle can really be like. I look at all of this, and I go back to the idea of infrastructure. What are the tools and systems that will remove barriers to entry? What are the services that will fulfill people and empower them to leverage everything this new digital frontier has to offer? How can established businesses further capitalize on the legacies they have created? How can someone with a small sum of money take advantage of opportunities halfway across the world to change their lives?
How do you think this might change the world?
I think it already is. Look at how governments are reacting and grappling with the new normal. Once more and more banks and entities start adapting to blockchain and crypto, the more businesses will be able to operate everywhere, the more entertainment will intertwine with daily life, and the more we will all become one truly interconnected society. TerraZero employs a high school student part-time — not to grab coffee or get ‘experience.’ He’s a seventeen-year-old who was making full-on Metaverse deployments by the time we met him. He’s already a veteran in this space and will be a CTO someday. The ability to scale one’s success is unreal in the Metaverse.
I like to say that with the current internet, we consume content. With tomorrow’s Metaverse, we experience that content.
Keeping “Black Mirror” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?
There are many ways to look at that — and I’ll tell you why. For starters, some people think about crypto as not being secure. But the blockchain empowers a very clear ledger and chain of transactions. Moreover, the Metaverse can help someone be more anonymous in what they do digitally, but that also means social media giants won’t be able to harvest their private data and monitor their every move so easily. Lastly, people like to point out that crypto is a haven for money laundering and criminal activity. Yet so is the dollar. In fact, the blockchain’s clear ledger is one of the best things that has ever happened to the FBI. If there’s one thing, I think we need to institute Web 3 in an environmentally conscious way — and I know people are ardently working to that end, so I’m very optimistic.
Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this breakthrough? Can you tell us that story?
I was the founder and CEO of DMG Blockchain from 2016 to early 2021. When I was first exposed to Bitcoin, the thing that excited me the most was the blockchain, the underlying technology that enabled trustless transactions. Over the past few years, many entrepreneurs, including myself, tried to build non-crypto blockchain platforms such as those for guaranteed provenance within a supply chain. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these efforts failed because we were trying to create a solution for a problem that didn’t exist.
When I discovered the Metaverse, and more specifically decentralized worlds such as Decentraland, I quickly realized that every parcel of land, every building, every wearable, and avatar were simply NFTs secured by a blockchain. That’s when it dawned on me that the Metaverse was the next use case of blockchain technology after crypto.
What do you need to lead this technology to widespread adoption?
I think more people need to experience it to feel it and believe it. Once you’re in, it’s incredibly immersive, fun, and completely different. 2021 was the year everyone heard about the Metaverse. 2022 will be the year everybody experiences the Metaverse.
To this end, we are working with companies and brands on specific ways to bring more and more users into the Metaverse, whether by way of virtual concerts and events or by offering ways for consumers to purchase real-world products and receive a digital version of that which they can use in the Metaverse.
What have you been doing to publicize this idea? Have you been using any innovative marketing strategies?
I’ll tell you this — we’re looking to direct people to Web 3 and the Metaverse. So, we’re cooking up some pretty unique campaigns and events that will start bringing people into what we’re doing across the Metaverse platforms where we own land and build. And to give you a different kind of answer, nothing in this world is having a positive impact in the news quite like a Metaverse PR move. Many companies are realizing that, and in getting involved in the Metaverse, they’re beginning to understand why they’re going to stick around.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
In the early 2000’s I had a company called Digital Youth, a wireless network and community for teens. We partnered with a national wireless carrier and schools to promote the closed and safe social media and wireless network. The original model was to generate revenues from the sale of airtime to the network, which quickly reached a very large number of users. However, it turned out that teens didn’t have a lot of extra money to spend on airtime, so we quickly needed to figure out ways to generate other revenue streams.
I was then introduced to Randy Lennox, who was the CEO of Universal Music in Canada at the time. The music industry was struggling as the internet had enabled music to be shared free of charge, and piracy was rampant. He helped me understand the opportunity that a large customer base presented, especially as we could put brands directly into our users’ hands via their phones. We created and launched a technology that allowed our users to purchase music and other content for their phones with the charges being applied to their cell phones. This helped both industries as the record labels found an easy way to distribute paid content, and the wireless carriers had a new generation of customers that were discovering new ways to use their cell phones.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
Rest assured, there are certainly many causes that I am passionate about, and much of my spare time is wrapped up in volunteering my efforts towards their success. However, I also believe giving your time and energy to causes close to your heart is a very personal thing. And for this reason, I would prefer to keep this area of my life private and separate from my work.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)
There are many great ideas, but the key to a successful venture is in the people driving it, not the idea itself.
As a CEO, my primary role is to make decisions. Sometimes it’s the wrong decision, but the important part is making a thoughtful decision. Early in my career, I was hesitant to make some decisions for fear of failure. I wish someone had told me years ago, do not fear failure, fear indecision.
All businesses have their ups and downs, but the key is to stay the course. For example, my last company survived through crypto winter and almost became insolvent as a result. But eventually, the markets turned, and the company’s valuation went from $10M to $600M in just a few months because the business fundamentals were sound, and we stayed the course.
Never focus on “buying the dip or riding the wave;” timing the market never beats time in the market.
Finally, being present with everyone in the company. I wish I had learned much earlier in my career not to simply hire employees but instead surround myself with more intelligent and knowledgeable people than myself.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
We’ve seen a lot of separation over the last many years; for different reasons at different times. So, I think what we’re doing, what TerraZero is doing, and what the Metaverse, VR, and AR are doing… We’re bringing people back together.
I want to inspire people to get out there and get creative for the next generation of community building, entertainment, and business. The Metaverse is the most untapped new frontier I have ever seen. There’s a whole new kind of business-auteur-influencer-programmer that’s going to come forward in this space.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“See a need, fill that need.”
When we started TerraZero we needed to purchase land parcels in various Metaverse worlds. I asked my partners, “how do we purchase the land, where do we purchase our real estate, and why do we purchase in these locations?” I couldn’t find a simple way to search and purchase property, nor any type of data to help us determine which real estate would be appropriate for each specific purpose we had in mind.
That was when we decided to create the tools to assist others in their search and purchase endeavors while also developing data analytics to help make those decisions. This platform is called Amadea and will be launching soon.
Some very well-known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
When an industry is brand new, lots of entities try to come in and stake it. Titans vertically integrate. Very few companies take the time to acquire experts and conquer the create and execution, let alone infrastructure products and services that can empower a new industry. TerraZaro has both tech legacy experts and Metaverse insiders driving our value. We’re a pure play company — and we know how every creative discipline intersects when creating experiences in the Metaverse. Not only that, but we’re giving privacy and control over data back to users.
We’re simultaneously leveraging Metaverse worlds with our infrastructure products — and we’re connecting Metaverse worlds to keep the space competitive, open, and filled with unlimited possibilities. If you want an orchard filled with tall trees, the best thing to do is to have planted them ten years ago. That’s the advantage of being a first-mover in the Metaverse, and TerraZero is inviting all to be involved.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Readers can find me on all the usual socials — but if you want the real deal, come check out the events we’re throwing in the Metaverse.
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
I wish I would have worked on someone else’s entrepreneurial project before I started my own. You can learn a lot watching the process of others. Even a terrible entrepreneur can be the very best lesson of what not to do.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Brian Pirrip.
Brian Pirrip is the face of today’s modern sports card collector. Redefining the hobby, Brian has driven 15,000 miles in the last three months from Los Angeles to New York in pursuit of building relationships with others passionate about collecting. Opening iconic packs while sharing sports memories with card shop owners, avid fans, little league coaches, and pro ball players, Brian’s adventures manifest nostalgia and his diverse connections form the heart of America’s century-old hobby. Brian isn’t new to collecting. Frequently moving as an army brat, he fell in love with baseball in stadiums across the country and recognized trading as a great way to make friends. Even as he attended Cornell University and worked at Disney and Nike, Brian never lost his interest in the past time, visiting card shops all over the country to open a few packs to unwind and connect with locals and strangers. As the hobby continues to evolve into unprecedented arenas including trading cards as financial instruments, investments, and NFT’s, Brian’s TikTok personality is playing a pivotal role in keeping the pastime grounded, personal, nostalgic and fun.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
I was born in San Clemente, California — my dad was a US Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton. Then, when I was two, our family moved to Okinawa, Japan so my earliest childhood memories are all from there! Years later, our family then moved to Oregon so my Dad could go to grad school, then medical school, to become a physician. It was in Beaverton that I fell in love with sportscards, outdoor adventures, writing music, roadtripping, Nike shoes, and even entrepreneurship; all of which remain my core interests even today!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“The Main Thing is to keep the Main Thing the Main Thing.” I have lived by this for 20 years. Essentially, don’t get distracted by things that don’t matter or that don’t align with your core values and dreams. Focus on the Main Things, even if they currently feel unreachable!
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight — wow, what a book! I grew up around Nike World Headquarters, worked at Nike, and even spent time with Phil Knight, and his story and my own have a shocking number of very specific parallels. His story is remarkable by the luck, timing, and hard work of he and his team. There would be no Phil Knight without Bill Bowerman, Steve Prefontaine, Michael Jordan and many others. Similarly, I believe the only way to create a strong foundation for any business is by surrounding yourself with people of integrity that all pull together in a positive way.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
Yes, everyone has a great idea. But you need far more than that. A great idea needs execution which requires capital, time, expertise, and tenacity all working together in the same direction. Without each of those, an idea doesn’t stand a chance. The way to overcome the challenge is to dive into the deep end and go for it. It is important to understand you will fail, waste time, and lose money, but like any other skill set it takes time and patience. Entrepreneurship is very much like learning to ride a bike — you have to be willing to take the hits and bruises, and to expect the unexpected. Sooner or later, it becomes second nature and that tenacity kicks in.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
I love it when someone says, “hasn’t someone else already done that?” That’s another way of saying: “Yes, that will work.” Because the idea is believed to be achievable. How to research? Google is your friend. Search high and low, and see if anyone, anywhere is doing what you plan. Besides, even if you find someone else has already done it, perhaps you can do it better!
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
Wow. I could write a book about that second question! The best way is to outsource as much as you can to trusted people and entities. Finding a good patent law firm, having them run a patent search, and aiding you in securing your patent is crucial. Honestly, it’s easier than it sounds, it just takes time and money. If you are making a product, you are going to have to make appointments with a lot of industrial design firms to find one that can not only help you design your product, but be a one-stop shop that can take your product all the way from idea to product in customer’s hands.
It just takes the courage to take that step and set up an interview to see if they are a good fit and understand your vision, making sure they stick to their promises, and the money to see it through from beginning to end. Networking through this entire process will likely result in going from idea to retailer. Every step along the way — the people you meet — will be able to introduce you to the next link in the process! Networking, time, a great idea, great people, courage, and money are the essential ingredients to going to market!
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
I wish I would have worked on someone else’s entrepreneurial project before I started my own. You can learn a lot watching the process of others. Even a terrible entrepreneur can be the very best lesson of what not to do. (Example: I left business school and immediately launched my own company. I was too naive and inexperienced to have taken on so much, so soon.)
I wish I would have worked for a few years to have made my own money to be a bit more stable before fundraising and taking risk on very challenging goals. Investors can smell when you are just raising money to survive. (Example: After my initial company fell apart, I was so broke but determined to remain an entrepreneur rather than building a career so I spent many nights in very bad places — overstaying on friend’s couches, in the car, in dodgy motels, hostels, etc. trying to survive. It was painful, and the lack of confidence would show in meetings.)
I wish I would not have raised money through ‘friends and family’ until I had cut my teeth on a few failures before risking burning my network early on. (Example: I raised all my initial startup funds from MBA classmates — I wasn’t able to deliver on my goals, and I still feel awkward around many of them. Once you take money from any friend, the relationship is never ever the same — even if you are successful.)
I wish I had started smaller. (Example: My first real entrepreneurship was a project where I bit off more than I could chew. I was creating the first TV show made in the United States for China, while raising money, and while trying to support a cast and crew team of 100 people. I was also trying to secure international sponsorships, with no savings.)
I wish I had not hired friends and trusted employees so quickly and easily. I am a very trusting person and wanted to involve people I cared about so a ‘virtue became a vice’, and wrecked my ambitions for nearly a decade. Trust is earned over a long time. (Example: A ‘friend’ I had known for 3 years embezzled all my cash and I had to shutter my dream company.)
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
I recommend that someone with an idea ask themselves this: 5 years from now, you are sitting next to someone who asks, ‘Why didn’t that idea you have back in the day work?’ Then, write your reasoning down — this information tends to be the roadblocks that have been holding you back from succeeding. This is now your list of things you have to overcome. Just like writing an essay, creating an outline of the steps that are required to make your business a success is vital. Do not be afraid to ask others for help, or just walk them through what your plan of action is. Lastly, you get to work — make sure you are honest with yourself so you can stay on track with your goals. There is always a chance you may have to sell investors and employees to get people to help you. The important thing is to never sell yourself short; don’t be overly loyal to a mediocre idea. Give that great idea all that you’ve got!
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
I would never ever hire an invention development consultant. This is 99% of the time a trap to waste your time and money with promises of insights, networking possibilities, and access to cash. If anyone is offering these kinds of ‘services’ as a new entrepreneur, you are most likely gonna be taken advantage of. I mean, if they were so good at it, wouldn’t they be rich on their own project? Be skeptical of anyone selling ‘expertise’ who isn’t themselves a truly notable successful person. Beware the ‘services’/coaches/mentor con people! They are everywhere, and would be very happy to take your money.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
Bootstrap as much as possible on your cash for as long as you can. Going to Venture Capital is a waste of time, and energy, if you don’t already have an established record of success or a revenue generating product/service already. The last thing you need is some Venture Capital person giving you condescending comments, and then turning you down for cash while giving you a laundry list of new deliverables to create false hope. Odds are — if you are at the point that Venture Capital is the right time — you’ll already be making money and are ready to grow and scale. Use your own money for as long as possible before you go any other route. Besides, you’ll respect every dollar you spend more if it is your own.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
One of my goals as a leader is to prove that you don’t have to be a bad person to be successful. You can have morals and ethics, and make the world a better place by being a good example of integrity. Aside from donations and such, I love to host college teams and provide internships and free mentorships to good people. Also, I will only ever work on projects and companies that I believe will make a positive impact on society. I believe making the world a better palace is most often done by small and simple acts of kindness, all without hypocrisy or virtue signaling.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I care about clean oceans, clean drinking water, improving eyecare, getting adolescent youth out of poverty with better health habits and education developed early on, all worldwide. These are all the larger movements that I am fixed on, and I have actionable plans for each of these.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
For sure! I believe the greatest athlete in the world is Nimsdai Purja. To achieve what he has is nothing short of miraculous. He has altered what it means to be a dedicated athlete, entirely redefining what is humanly possible.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Nathan Kelsey Of Make Me Local On How to Effectively Leverage The Power of Digital Marketing, PPC, & Email to Dramatically Increase Sales
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
The ability to listen. Actively listen to really understand so you can tailor a strategy based on the businesses exact needs and wants.
Marketing a product or service today is easier than ever before in history. Using platforms like Facebook ads or Google ads, a company can market their product directly to people who perfectly fit the ideal client demographic, at a very low cost. Digital Marketing tools, Pay per Click ads, and email marketing can help a company dramatically increase sales. At the same time, many companies that just start exploring with digital marketing tools often see disappointing results.
In this interview series called “How to Effectively Leverage The Power of Digital Marketing, PPC, & Email to Dramatically Increase Sales”, we are talking to marketers, advertisers, brand consultants, & digital marketing gurus who can share practical ideas from their experience about how to effectively leverage the power of digital marketing, PPC, & email.
As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nathan Kelsey, Managing Director and Founder of Make Me Local.
Nathan began his own full service digital marketing agency, Make Me Local, in 2013 after years of working for larger corporations that focused solely on their internal goals rather than meeting the needs of the business in question. Nathan’s passion for helping businesses expand their online presence via effective digital marketing strategies has seen him grow his own business from a team of 1 to 26 in the last eight years and just recently he hit his first milestone revenue achievement. His web design and web marketing services ensure businesses are equipped with everything they need to achieve continued business success. His services help establish well-regarded local businesses that can attract their ideal customers in areas relevant to them. Nathan’s enthusiasm radiates throughout our interview as he shares with us his insight and experience on the power of digital marketing.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I have always been a ‘people person,’ even as a child I can remember being just as comfortable spending time with friends my own age or chatting with my grandparents and their friends. Establishing connections and empathizing with others are traits that sit comfortably with me, and I knew from a young age that I would need to incorporate them into my world of work if I were to have a shot at a career that I both loved and thrived in at the same time. Over the years, I’ve honed my ability to relate to people and I think it has been a key factor to the outstanding customer service that Make Me Local provides.
For many years, I worked within large corporations but became tired of the rinse and repeat approach to customer service. Customers were treated like a number and often the focus would be on the inward goals of the company rather than how they could best help the customer in question. I felt that I could do something better. I wanted to offer businesses the technical knowhow that would give them the opportunity to make the most of online marketing, something that larger companies and other local competitors were not offering at the time
My previous role as a Regional Manager for a global internet marketing company gave me a thorough insight into how website design and SEO can be leveraged to help local business, and I was fortunate enough to be trained via experts from one of the world’s best-known online search organisations. I knew I had the expertise and confidence to start out on my own, and when I inherited some money from my (always supportive) grandmother, I had the financial means too. Before I launched Make Me Local in 2013, I researched and developed my business plan for 16 months which helped me identify a gap in the market to help SMEs benefit from business growth that targeted digital marketing can bring. I had everything I needed, and the rest as they say, is history.
Can you share a story about the funniest marketing mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
I’m sure there were many mistakes in those early days, but my most common were copywriting, punctuation and grammar fails that often spelled disaster! I’m still prone to a slip up or two and I’m particularly prone to mis-typing company names, which sounds harmless but trust me, a misplaced ‘i’ can have very rude consequences!
The lesson I learned very quick was to always get someone else to proofread for me!
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
Way back when, I had a Line Manager called Martin Sheldon who really helped me in making sure that I was the best people manager that I could be. Martin led by example. He was an approachable man that always valued what I had to say and had a positive influence within our office environment. He was fantastic at providing honest and direct feedback, and he taught me the importance of coaching and nurturing others rather than just telling them. Martin definitely helped engage and nourish my raw talent for relating to people.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
The people. Definitely the people in the Make Me Local team.Each team member is an expert in their own vertical and is committed to living our company values. It is something that I’ve always known, but in the last few years it has really become apparent that the level of customer service and skill that we offer our customers is above and beyond. During the peak of Covid, many of our customers (like so many others) were having to diversify in order to survive, but for some clients this just wasn’t possible. Every member of our team invested as much time as they could to helping clients during this particularly hard time.
One of our customers specialise in crafting and building bespoke timber buildings and we have worked with them for several years now. They are a premium client of ours that really started to struggle during the peak of the Coronavirus pandemic. During this time, we managed to cut their bill by 75% and double their lead volume. The work we conducted for them really made a difference between them having to shut their doors and being a viable business during the lockdown of 2020.
The team shares the same passion for growing a client’s business and they understand that in doing so they are enriching the life of that business owner and their wider family.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
As I have already mentioned, the ability to relate to people and actively listen to them is critical for developing long-lasting, effective relationships and delivering outstanding customer service.
I always do the right thing and put the customer needs before our own. We turn away more work than we take on because we want to have a relationship with a client based on what we can do to help them rather than just chasing new business. I’d rather have one client for life than ten clients for three months.
I am also a firm believer that generosity goes a long way. I always try to give my time and expertise to help anyone that needs it, unconditionally. To be a successful business leader, it is vital to develop trust amongst colleagues both internal and external.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
One of the challenges that our social media team have is obtaining content from clients. Our clients are such busy business owners that it can be a struggle to get the images and information needed to create their social posts and engage with followers. It can be frustrating for the social team because they want to deliver a fantastic job and withhold their company values but, they are sometimes held back because they can’t access what they need to do it. To try and combat this, we have selected eight clients to partake in a 3-month pilot to help us develop a market leading social media offering. We plan to regularly embed our social media team into that client’s organisation to help them with their social content. The aim is to gain social content in bulk which will save the client time and hassle, as well as educate the client on the type of content that will gain their business the most engagement and growth on their social channels.
Ok super. Now let’s jump to the main questions of our interview. As we mentioned in the beginning, sometimes companies that just start exploring with digital marketing tools like PPC campaigns often see disappointing results. In your opinion, what are a few of the biggest mistakes companies make when they first start out with digital marketing? If you can, please share an example for each.
We all have phones in our pockets and use them more for scrolling social media and searching the internet than we do for talking to each other. However, you’d be surprised how many companies do not think about optimising their website for mobile customers. If customers have a bad mobile experience they will be easily turned away from a business. Think about how many times you’ve ended your experience with a website because it is slow to load and hard to navigate — if your site is mobile friendly, it is half the battle.
I would say the other mistake companies make when they first start out is not having a blog for their website. Businesses with blogs will have greater traffic. Plus, blogs can build relationships with prospective customers and allow businesses to integrate blogs with their social media channels, to reach an even wider audience and encourage interaction and engagement with even more potential customers.
Videos are becoming increasingly popular too. Again, videos are engaging and help capture the attention of potential customers, they are a great tactic to get people to check out your business website.
If you could break down a very successful digital marketing campaign into a “blueprint”, what would that blueprint look like? Please share some stories or examples of your ideas.
Start with your website. For many businesses we work with, their website represents their business online. It is the first impression a customer has of the company and the people within it, and it is the first place they are able to judge the quality of a business’s offering. Think of your website as your base. Until your base is in good order, it is pointless wasting time and energy elsewhere.
Whether a business is using their website to generate leads, or selling products, the performance of their website can have a huge impact on the growth of a business. When we are building or overhauling a website, we spend a lot of time planning the structure, conversion route, SEO and content for a website before we even think about the design and build stages.
Nailing website structure not only means that Google will love you from an SEO perspective but, it means users will find the information they need easily, and the business will make conversions. A clear conversion path will help you achieve this too, deciding on what your call to action is and where to display it is very important to persuading visitors to take the action that you want them to take.
Building a website with search engine optimisation in mind from the off is pivotal for a business to be found online. Carrying out keyword research is core to web design and to a digital marketing campaign as a whole. It all starts with finding the right search terms that are going to be transactional. You want your website to rank in Google’s search results for the keywords and phrases that your target customers are searching for online rather than just vanity keywords where you can rank number one for a term that nobody is searching for. For example, if you are a plumbing company, you may well have a friendly and well-groomed team of electricians working for you, but your prospects are not searching for “friendly plumber” or “well-groomed heating engineer,” they are looking for “emergency plumber” and “boiler servicing” instead.
Toyota made a smart SEO move recently by officially renaming its GR 86 to GR86 in order for it to be found easier online. That simple space between the letters and numbers caused such a problem with hashtags and SEO that Toyota realised they were missing tapping into thousands of potential search traffic, so they removed the space and reaped the traffic (and therefore, potential customer) rewards!
Once your fundamentals are sorted, you can use your keyword research, structure and conversion planning to write fantastic, engaging content that drives leads. Check that you are speaking to your target audience with the appropriate tone of voice and using the right vocabulary and language. A strong professional design will enhance your messaging and make you stand out from competitors. Competitors are only a back click away so a visually engaging website will help keep visitors on your site for longer, hopefully long enough for you to convert.
Let’s talk about Pay Per Click Marketing (PPC) for a bit. In your opinion which PPC platform produces the best results to increase sales?
For me, it’s Google Ads. It has the largest market share of any ad platform and has the widest reach too. It gives you control over campaigns; you can pull poor performing keywords immediately, you can track conversions, target customers and it is easy and simple to set up.
Can you please share 3 things that you need to know to run a highly successful PPC campaign?
1) Understand the client’s maximum cost acquisition. This is critical because what we don’t want to do is generate leads for clients that are going to cost them more than the profit in the job.
2) Determine the client’s goal. Whether it be to generate sales leads, revenue, or awareness it is important to pinpoint it and make it specific, measurable, achievable, time smart and of course, realistic.
3) Identify keywords and phrases. Select the most critical and bid on them accordingly.
Let’s now talk about email marketing for a bit. In your opinion, what are the 3 things that you need to know to run a highly successful email marketing campaign that increases sales?
1) Use catchy, short, subject lines. If you can personalise them, even better.
2) Review your click through rate. A high CTR is a good indication that your emails are helpful and relevant. Alternatively, a LTR will enable you to tweak your content slightly or it may be your email is not mobile-friendly.
3) Pick the right time to send them. Another good reason to check your open and click-through rates. You need to send emails at a time that is right for the recipient rather than for you.
What are the other digital marketing tools that you are passionate about? If you can, can you share with our readers what they are and how to best leverage them?
We are fully embedded into Semrush. It is a tool we use daily, and it is fully immersed into our company. Primarily, we use Semrush for the keyword allocation of a project. Our copywriters take advantage of the SEO Content Template which they use to compile the top ten pages ranking for a given keyword, making it easy to identify important ‘semantic keywords’ that they need to insert into written content to ensure it outranks what is already out there in Google’s top search results. We also use it to conduct a site audit so we can see any changes in the technical health of a website. The position tracking, reporting, backlink audit, competitor analysis, backlink gap, and link building functions are also well used by the team. On top of that, Semrush boasts its own training academy suite with some great tools to aid staff self-development.
Here is the main question of our series. Can you please tell us the 5 things you need to create a highly successful career as a digital marketer? Can you please share a story or example for each?
1) Be relatable and inquisitive. You need to have a craving to understand the deeper parts of a business rather than what it looks like on the surface. If you can understand a business and the people behind it, you will find it easier to set SMART goals. When a client says they want something, it is important to understand the ‘why’ in order to help determine what they actually need and what strategy would be best to achieve it. Being relatable will help you dig deeper into the client’s thought process.
2) An analytical mind. The key to successful digital marketing is to analyse what is working and what is not, and in the SEO game, things can change quickly at any given moment. It’s not a career where you can rest on your laurels or deliver a one-sized fits all service or approach.Measure your results and tweak appropriately.
3) The ability to listen. Actively listen to really understand so you can tailor a strategy based on the businesses exact needs and wants.
4) Agility and adaptability. The ability to be responsive is important in digital marketing. Things can change quickly, not just day to day, but long term too. Changes to the digital landscape means that adapting to new and unexpected developments is demanded. Always have contingencies!
5) Sound SEO knowledge. None of the work you do as a Digital Marketer will matter unless you are driving traffic to your website for people to see it. You need to be great at using SEO to its limit.
What books, podcasts, videos or other resources do you use to sharpen your marketing skills?
Anything from Greg Gifford is always a hit in our office. He is Vice President of Search at a boutique Marketing agency called SearchLab. He is a great speaker who not only has great practical advice but is very engaging and fun to listen to.
Backlinko and Search Engine Land are great hubs of information too.
Thank you for all of that. We are nearly done. Here is our final ‘meaty’ question. You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I’d love for the internet to be used more to influence positive social movements. The internet plays such a profound role in all aspects of our lives. It allows us to build networks, both professionally and personally, and friendships are strengthened through communication on social media networks. Plus, as we are all too aware, it provides a platform for businesses to prosper. In recent years, the internet has also been pivotal in tackling global social challenges such as gender equality and climate change.
Personally, my family and I are passionate about climate change, my daughter is particularly enthusiastic about making a difference. It would be great to leverage the power of social networking sites further to share knowledge around important subjects such as these. Social networking sites have the ability to assemble all different people, with varying backgrounds together and this is exactly what we need to aid discussion and solutions.
Andrea Hemmer Of Salon Owner and Consultant: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Make sure you set time aside to go over goals and KPIs with each team member. Goals are so important to help team members grow, even in tough times. Help them look ahead and see what’s possible. Always be optimistic.
As part of our series about the “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Andrea Hemmer.
ANDREA HEMMER is an exciting and intellectual leader in the Salon and Beauty Industry. Her gift for mentorship and her unique blend of neuroscience, mindfulness, and spirituality led her to create the innovative system, Intelligent Huddles. Her program centers on building a foundation of self-awareness and mindfulness so leaders can communicate effectively, strengthen their relationship with team members, inspire higher levels of teamwork, build organizational trust, and improve their bottom line. Drea is based in Boise, ID where she owns an upscale salon and runs her consulting business.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I have been a leader since a very young age. I had a lot of energy and drive as a child, and I loved bringing people together and figuring things out. I remember being on a sports team and bringing my teammates together in huddles at an early age. I remember having an energy to help people get excited or recover if we were behind. In the dugouts, I was the one leading the cheering. Leadership has always been part of me.
I started my business in 2008, which was a very turbulent time to start a business and become a leader. This was during the Great Recession and I had to grow up quickly. I came from a business called Lunatic Fringe in Utah and was very much a part of that culture. I started my own Lunatic Fringe salon in Idaho and have helped bring together an incredibly talented team. Every day I have to tap into that same leadership energy I had as a kid. For me, leadership means leading by example. You can’t ask people to do things you aren’t willing to do yourself. This principle has significantly helped us grow our business and be successful.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?
I had a funny experience when my husband Levi and I first started our business. We both played a bunch of roles in the beginning, including being our own cleaning company. We didn’t have a washer and dryer at our salon and would bring towels home each night. One night, I accidentally locked my car keys in the salon so we were somewhat stranded, standing in this alleyway downtown with three big bags of wet towels and nowhere to go.
Our salon is next to a concert hall and there were a bunch of people lined up waiting for it to open. I remember thinking, “Why are we doing this to ourselves? We should be having fun going to a concert, too.” We ended up going to a restaurant nearby while we waited to get the keys in the salon and I remember sitting there thinking how important it was to not take life and work too seriously. Silly frustrations are just part of building something amazing. It’s the consistency over time that really brings big things to life.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
So many people helped us get where we are today. First, my in-laws have been incredibly supportive. They fed us a lot in the early days when we were working hard to start our business and were so helpful. Also, my dear friend Jake Thompson, a fellow salon business owner, has been a huge help. He knows how to get a business started. He told us to enjoy the process of starting something new despite the challenges we would face. He taught me that no door is never closed, even when things seem hard. There are always opportunities and things we can learn. I still hear Jake’s voice in my head when I go through challenging times.
Extensive research suggests that “purpose driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your company started, what was its vision, what was its purpose?
I always knew what kind of business I wanted and the purpose for starting my business. I had worked at a company called Lunatic Fringe that had helped me grow in so many ways. It was there that for the first time I felt I had really found my tribe. Its systems and foundations were part of what I loved so much. I knew I could bring these with me as I started my own Lunatic Fringe salon. Today, everything I do has purpose within the day. Part of my purpose has been to surround myself with people who are as driven as me — and even better than me at some areas — so I can continue to become the best version of myself.
Our vision has always been about growth — we are a company with high standards and have invested lots of time and energy into creating the best five-star guest experience. We wanted a beautiful location and a culture within our walls that would embody our core values. At the same time, we want to be profitable and help our employees find financial freedom. Another part of our vision is teamwork. I believe that culture is built on relationships and relationships are built on communication. Having a team that is good at communication has been key to being successful.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or difficult times?
Like many businesses, we were hit hard by the pandemic. We were defined as a non-essential business so had to shut down for 53 days in 2020. This was so hard because we’d done so much to build a strong business and culture. This was part of the reason I knew I had to stay connected with my team while we were shut down. Like I said earlier, culture is built on relationships and relationships are built on communication. We’d been doing daily huddles for the past 14 years. We knew there was one thing that couldn’t be taken away from us during the shutdown and that was the huddle.
We committed to showing up each morning on Zoom at the same time we would’ve in our normal workday. We were able to support one another at these huddles and keep each other educated about the latest in the industry. We made a daily effort to ensure everyone was ok. This laid the foundation for us to be able to return to work immediately when we could re-open. We had all that time to prepare to re-open and were already in sync with one another.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
Even during the worst of the pandemic I’ve never considered giving up. Fortunately, the year before the pandemic began, I did a lot of personal inner-work in Mexico City, Italy, and India. My travels taught me how to ground myself. The things I learned put me in a place to better handle the challenges that came our way. I was able to stay in a service-oriented frame of mind and make sure my team was taken care of. At the same time, we were able to adapt and pivot in uncertain times. I’ve always looked for resources to help me through hard times, including a life coach, a business coach, and even a fitness coach. They help me harness my best energy. What sustains my drive is the people I surround myself with — from my coaches to my team members.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
At all times, leaders need to cultivate rituals to take care of themselves, which allows them to better take care of others. I set time aside for myself first thing in the morning by doing mindfulness practices, exercise, and meal prep. This helps me stay strong and allows me to lead through whatever uncertainty may lay ahead.
Additionally, it’s imperative that leaders continue to communicate with their team members during challenging times. Consistent communication with their team allows them to keep important rituals like celebrating wins, generating ideas, and coming up with solutions. It’s all about being connected, open and honest at all times, including the hard ones.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate and engage their team?
As I alluded to previously, consistency is extremely important when times are tough. If you are having consistent daily huddles, meetings, town halls, and one-to-one coaching, then you’re setting aside the time you need to cultivate important relationships. This is where you bring in your energy, celebrate, and help your team through any tough spots. You have to be consistent during the good and bad times. This makes all the difference. Focus on the things that will help get your team through tough times. This will help keep them inspired and motivated.
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers?
When you have to deliver difficult news, honesty is always the best way. The truth will set you free. It’s also important to prepare people to know that you’re going to be sharing news that’s unsettling or emotional. If I have difficult information to share with my team, I let them know beforehand that it’s not great news. I want them to know that we’re all in this together.
For customers, I am always transparent as this is the only way to build trust. I give them space to process difficult news and I try to be there to listen. Communication is super important for both customers and team members. Also, be sure to hold difficult conversations at appropriate times. Then, plan to find the best way through the challenge together.
How can a leader make plans when the future is so unpredictable?
The future is always unpredictable, so leaders and teams must stay agile and flexible in order to “future-proof” themselves as much as possible. Having reliable systems in place allows everyone to be adaptable as rapid change inevitably comes. The reason I wrote my book, Intelligent Huddles, is because I’ve witnessed firsthand the importance of having systems in place to help us through challenges and uncertainty. The leader sets the vision and the team helps support that vision. Daily huddles are so important because they give us a chance to check in with one another and communicate positive and negative experiences. They also allow us to come up with solutions to challenges so we can move forward together.
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
For me, the number one principle is consistency. This is done by having a strong foundation of systems and people that constantly embody actions that support those systems. Communication is also so important. I believe 99% of all challenges generally come down to communication. As leaders, we need to make sure we can keep communication strong, honest, and meaningful. We have to learn to be honest with ourselves and each other. Daily huddles have helped our team immensely with the principle of communication.
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make during difficult times? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
One of the most common mistakes I see companies make is not having a handle on the financial aspects of their business. Leaders often don’t understand cashflow, profit, and loss. They need to learn what makes their business profitable and how to track the key performance indicators (KPIs) that are most important to their business. Additionally, there should be an open business plan that includes the team so team members know how to best contribute to the goals and KPIs.
Another common mistake I see is when leaders are absent. They have the title of leader, but are not in the day-to-day grind with their team. Team members need to see leaders working hard too in order to feel like everyone is “in it” together. Likewise, even if leaders are physically present, if they are not communicating effectively with their team it produces the same negative result. Cultivating relationships through open and honest communication is so important.
Generating new business, increasing your profits, or at least maintaining your financial stability can be challenging during good times, even more so during turbulent times. Can you share some of the strategies you use to keep forging ahead and not lose growth traction during a difficult economy?
To keep moving forward, leaders should seek to understand the ways they can meet the needs of their team and customers. They should do this so their team and customers will continue to put value in the services the company provides. At my salon, we do this by having strong systems in place that help us be consistent in our guest experience. We also make sure our team knows what their roles are, so they can show up and contribute and so we can provide the support they need in their roles.
Education is also huge — you must keep your team members educated. This helps cultivate confidence and trust. It’s all about how you can build rapport and trust — whether that’s between leader and team, or team and customer. All these things will help businesses achieve the growth they want.
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times? Please share a story or an example for each.
First, leaders need to take care of themselves. You should have a strong morning and nightly routine so you can cultivate your best energy. This includes self-love and self-care so you can show up with love and concern for your team.
Second, like I keep saying, communication is so important. Always strive to be a better communicator. Implement systems that help your team members become better communicators. When I first opened my salon, I didn’t know how to get information to my team in the best way. I felt a heavy weight on my shoulders as a new business owner. I learned that I couldn’t do it all alone. If I was going to be a leader, I needed to put systems in place to bring us together and get their input and support. That’s where the practices I talk about in my book, Intelligent Huddles, were born. I needed a way to create greater relationships and connection with my team. Emails alone don’t cut it. Face-to-face communication is so important.
Third, make sure you set time aside to go over goals and KPIs with each team member. Goals are so important to help team members grow, even in tough times. Help them look ahead and see what’s possible. Always be optimistic.
Fourth, as a leader, you need to stay extremely active during turbulent times. Share successes with your team, be there alongside them, and encourage them. Acknowledge successes. Support them no matter what.
Fifth, make sure you take time to create a vision for your business. Sometimes leaders get so busy they neglect to plan where they want their business to go. Not only that, but be sure to have a vision your team members can recognize and share. This is important in good times and bad.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favorite life lesson quote is, “Choose optimism, it feels better.”
This quote has significantly helped me along my journey in life. No one can take away our free will in saying yes and no in our personal and professional lives. In our own private thoughts, we have a choice to feed the negative or we can focus on the positive. I’ve always been a dreamer and try to keep an optimistic outlook when thinking about the future. As a leader, it can be too easy to get bogged down by uncertainty and challenges. Optimism will always carry you through.
How can our readers further follow your work?
You can follow my work and find me my on my website — dreahemmer.com — and on social media @dreahemmer. You can also find my book, Intelligent Huddles, at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and on Apple iBooks. The audio version will be coming out later this summer.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
Falling In Love Again With Your Spouse: Abbe Lang Of Motivation Point Coaching On 5 Things You Need To Rekindle Love In A Marriage That Has Gone Cold
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
LOVE YOURSELF- If you don’t practice Self Love, you will not be able to accept it from your spouse. Are you treating yourself with kindness? Eating healthy? Keeping the weight off? Do you spend time with friends that make you happy? If you come to your marriage as a happy and complete person, you are more able to accept the loving behaviors when your spouse gives them to you.
When people first get married, they are usually deeply in love and extremely excited to be together. But sometimes, over time, that passion and excitement begins to fade. This has been particularly true after the pandemic, when many marriages went through great upheavals. What can a couple do to rekindle the love and excitement that they used to have when they were first together?
In this interview series, called “Falling In Love Again With Your Spouse; 5 Things You Need To Rekindle Love In A Marriage That Has Gone Cold,” we are talking to relationship professionals, therapists, psychologists, and coaches to share stories and insights from their experience.
As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Abbe Lang.
A fully certified professional life coach and Homeopath, Abbe has studied and worked with many of the leading professional people in the field. She keeps up with the most recent developments in the industry through classes and conferences devoted to continuing education.
Over the years, Abbe has attended many seminars and workshops at the Omega Institute, a leading center for health education. While there, she has met and studied with many inspirational leaders and mentors.
Abbe brings real-world experience to her coaching as a mother of three children who has been married, divorced, and is now happily remarried. Before making coaching her career, for many years she was a top-producing sales representative with a leading nutritional-supplement marketing company.
Widely read in holistic health and complementary medicine, Abbe has a wealth of knowledge in diet, vitamins, and exercise, and is a practitioner for Schuessler Cell Salts, Bach Flower remedies and Bush Flower remedies.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to ‘get to know you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I was drawn towards Life Coaching since I was always the voice of reason to my girl and guy friends about relationship struggles. Behaviors that troubled most people in intimate relationships were easy to identify as childhood wounds. I get an extreme amount of satisfaction helping others “fix” their issues.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started this career?
The most interesting thing that happened to me was the realization that all relationship issues stem from our childhood. I was able to work directly with Harville Hendrix, a relationship guru, and master Imago Dialogue, a very effective form of communication in intimate relationships.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The funniest mistake I made when I started coaching was booking an appointment with someone, I thought was a stranger but actually went to high school with them. We had a huge laugh when they walked into my office.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
EMPATHY- As a Life Coach, we are taught to refer clients who seem very depressed or nonfunctioning. In my practice, I have helped hundreds of people when therapy didn’t work just by caring very deeply for them.
CONFIDENCE- I am a very confident leader; Confident in myself and my abilities. In my practice, I have infused that same confidence and backbone into my clients. I have helped people get off drugs, lose weight, and get rid of toxic people and relationships.
RESPONSIBILITY- I take my job very seriously. When my clients come to me, I am sure that I meet their goals and get the job done. Failure is never an option for me once my client walks through the door.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Absolutely, I am in the process of launching a podcast. I think many people will benefit from listening to the various topics of their choice.
For the benefit of our readers, can you briefly tell our readers why you are an authority about the topic of marriage?
For starters, I married my ex-husband when I was in my twenties. I knew what it took to have a successful marriage, but he was unwilling to take steps to keep our marriage successful. When he left our boys and me when they were only 1,7, and 9, I knew I would have to find the new man of my dreams and remarry. I did exactly that and found my prince charming! We have been together for over 16 years, and most days, we are as romantic as a couple on their first date. Everyone around us comments on how amazing our relationship is, and we both put the communication in to keep it that way.
Ok. Thank you for that. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about ‘How to Rekindle Love In A Marriage That Has Gone Cold’. Based on your experience, what is a common root cause of marriages “going cold”?
In my experience with helping others in relationship difficulty, I most often hear “lack of communication” as the reason for the difficulty or wanting to end the relationship. Lack of communication is really a symptom of the real root cause, which is always “loss of connection.” What must be done to regain that connection? To regain connection, you must be willing to let go of resentment. Resentment does build from a lack of effective communication. Just because you are talking doesn’t mean you are being heard.
Based on your experience, what is the foundation for a successful marriage?
The foundation for a successful marriage is understanding the wants and needs of your partner, loving and accepting them as they are, and being there to communicate and listen by using Imago Dialogue is your tool for communication. Also, caring about what is important to them and Loving their family, the same as your own.
It has been said that “a healthy, happy marriage is the union of two generous forgivers”. Can you talk about why forgiveness is so important for a relationship to thrive?
Forgiveness is important because once you forgive your spouse, you are much less likely to hold resentment towards them.
Based on your experience, why do you think couples struggle to forgive and be forgiven?
Couples struggle to forgive and say I am sorry because in doing so, they feel vulnerable. Many people have difficulty letting their guard down and admitting when they are wrong.
Is it important for marriage partners to inspire each other to be the best version of themselves that they can be? Can you please explain what you mean?
In a great marriage, your spouse gives you the confidence to take on the world. Your spouse knows your hopes, your dreams, your heart. Your spouse knows your weaknesses, and it is their job to not let your insecurities get the best of you.
What is the difference between marriage partners being “a team” and not just “a couple”?
Being a team really means it’s you and me joining forces together. When you are a team, you know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. You join forces since together you can take on so much more than you could alone.
Ok, here is the main question of our discussion. Can you please share your “5 Things You Need To Rekindle Love In A Marriage That Has Gone Cold?” Can you please give a story or example for each?
COMMUNICATION- I realize everyone says you need to communicate. However, I teach my clients to communicate through Imago Dialogue.
This is a process of taking turns speaking, empathizing, and validating your partner’s feelings and concerns.
ROMANCE- It’s called a romantic relationship for a reason. When you allow your marriage to become nonromantic all the time, you are setting yourself up for your spouse to have a wandering eye. Remember when you were dating? How do you act, look, dress? Are you similar 10, 20 years later, or vastly different?
SEX- Sex is a healthy and natural component of a marriage. You need to be on the same page sexually. Are you fulfilling each other’s desires? Are you pressing for sex when your partner is saying no? Why are they saying no? Don’t give up on having a sexual relationship no matter how old the marriage is.
GET A BABYSITTER /CLEANING PERSON- If you have children or a house, you know as well as I that the everyday chores of raising children and doing chores can be a real relationship zapper. Learn to spend some of your money on babysitting to go out on dates and a cleaning person to do the mundane chores around the house. Trust me; it’s cheaper than a divorce!
LOVE YOURSELF- If you don’t practice Self Love, you will not be able to accept it from your spouse. Are you treating yourself with kindness? Eating healthy? Keeping the weight off? Do you spend time with friends that make you happy? If you come to your marriage as a happy and complete person, you are more able to accept the loving behaviors when your spouse gives them to you.
Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or resources related to this topic that you would recommend to our readers?
I love all Harville Hendrix’s books as well as John Gray.
Because of the position that you are in, you are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would love to teach the world how to identify all the baggage they bring from childhood into intimate relationships. It’s this baggage that affects their true happiness. It can be overcome.
We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
I would choose to have lunch with Marianne Williamson. At an early age, she really inspired me to understand that nothing in this world really exists except for love. All other negative thoughts and feelings are really just an illusion of the ego-mind.
Thank you for these great insights and for the time you spent with this interview. We wish you only continued success!
“Better done than perfect.” As someone with big concepts but little time in the day, I have to constantly remind myself of this. Who cares about all of the little details and perfecting it all if your timing is off and your chance is gone. Don’t wait until it’s too late.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lisa Mohar.
Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, Lisa Mohar is an artist and designer currently making the magic happen in Brooklyn, NY. She designs for the happy people who like their cuteness with a good amount of boldness, can always find a reason to laugh, and navigates the world with a confident march. She is inspired by bright colors found in her neighborhood, decent jokes, unique female perspectives, and mid-century illustration.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
I was born in the midwest and have always been crafty and imaginative. As a kid, I was bouncing off the walls, picking up new hobbies, and making messes that typically involved my mom’s craft cabinet. She was a special education teacher and girl scout leader so she pretty much had any craft supply I could possibly dream of.
I kept pretty busy during my childhood: dance classes, music lessons, play rehearsals. I went to a relatively small suburban school where I kept doing a little bit of everything. I was smart, but didn’t really care about getting the best grades. Everything besides the learning part of school was so much more exciting to me: the friends, the activities, the clubs. And I took all of those exciting things much more seriously.
I left Ohio (where I grew up) for New York when I was 18, and never looked back.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Instead of going to businesses or art school, I went to music school; specifically a jazz conservatory.
We had ensemble classes where we got together like a small band with a piano player, drummer, bass, and a handful of other students playing instruments, singing, etc. We’d play through a song and then take turns improvising. It was easy to be unsure of yourself. Maybe you didn’t know what notes would fit over the chord changes. For more complex tunes, you could get lost in the form, or maybe you just couldn’t lock into the groove. In these unsure moments, I had a teacher who would often give the advice “when in doubt, lay out.” Don’t play, but take a second to really listen, get your bearings, use your brain and all the skills you’ve learned to figure it out. When you’re more sure of what you need to do, come back in with confidence.
I rush into things and can easily jump to doubting myself and my instincts, so I often think about this quote to get myself back on track.
At the same time in school, I had another teacher who’d give different advice to the same situation: “when in doubt, play out”. Sometimes big and loud mistakes snap you back to where you should be fast or show you that you were right all along. Unfortunately for me, I couldn’t remember which teacher preferred which approach, which is another great life lesson quote I think about often: “know your audience.”
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Both of my parents (unknowingly to each other) gave me a copy of Patti Smith’s book Just Kids right around the time I graduated college. The book is centered around her long evolving relationship with Robert Mapplethorp. There’s so much more in there about living in the NY art and music scene during the late 60s and 70s, and her journey to become the artist she is. It energized me to read her stories of our city and all of the legendary artistic players in it. Thoughtful Patti Smith took in all the creative chaos around her. She internalized all of these heavy influences while forming a stronger sense of self as a person and an artist.
At the time I read it, I was a bit caught up in doing things the right way and going down a path I had set up for myself before I knew it was really what I wanted. It’s difficult to be happy in that mindset, but reading this book changed that. It triggered a creative growth spurt in my life. I wanted to live in color and be inspired for every minute of it. I started saying yes more often. I hung out in what I considered that day’s “Chelsea Hotel” where everyone had a bunch of projects going on and always wanted to collaborate. I longed to be very bohemian, surrounded by creatives and late nights talking or dancing. Like Smith, I shifted mediums a bit, and moved away from music and fell into visual art.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
Translating a good idea into an actual business is the easy part. You simply listen to those that have done it, do some research, and create a plan. The hard part is being consistently authentic from the start.
One reason why I started my stationery and gift business, Rhino Parade, is because I didn’t see anything quite like the aesthetic and messages I wanted to create. At the time, I felt that there were a lot of cute and soft or strong and bold, but not a lot in between. It didn’t seem like any fun. I wanted to design for smart and loud women who loved the color pink. Or people who could be a bit sarcastic in a positive way. They speak up on what’s important, but don’t take themselves overly seriously. The people I wanted to design for were me and my friends, and what I had to offer was something specific and genuine.
Translating that idea into a successful business means I’m always checking in. Every product, packaging, piece of marketing, etc should all remain rooted in what my business is all about.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
Google.com is a helpful website for research. I think it’s more important to focus if your idea is good. Just because an idea hasn’t been done before, does not mean it’s a good one.
I’m in the greeting card industry, ideally putting 24 new card designs a year. Happy birthday has been said every which way, and yet we’re all creating new ways to say it. I have sketchbooks full of ideas of cards, but they’re not all hits. I tend to casually crowdsource an idea and sit with it until I go all out and pursue it.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
When I’m developing an idea, I don’t go through a linear process because that’s not how my brain works.
It all starts with a lot of simmering on an idea: sketching in notebooks, to the back of a magazine, to random thoughts in my notes app.
I like to leave it all on the stove while I figure out the logistics. I’ve spent years getting the right vendors for my products so sometimes I reach out to them to get quotes, just to see how doable something is. I think of how I’ll package it.
I sell my products to a lot of stores, so I start thinking of every step of the process for them: how will I share this product (what’s the method, what’s vibe and visual? How will they have it in their store: will it sit on a shelf, next to their register? etc.).
For my brain, it helps to really break things down, so the whole process is about a million steps. I reuse similar checklists for every product release and am usually adding to the template so I make sure everything gets done. I also go through and give myself casual deadlines.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.
1.) “Better done than perfect.”
As someone with big concepts but little time in the day, I have to constantly remind myself of this. Who cares about all of the little details and perfecting it all if your timing is off and your chance is gone. Don’t wait until it’s too late.
2.) “What’s good for someone else’s business might not be good for yours.”
The previous advice and this one were things I learned when I worked with business coach Katie Hunt of Proof to Product. Katie is big in the stationery and gift industry with her courses and groups. I was really lucky to get into one of the mastermind groups that she ran. One of the biggest things she helped me with was creating a strong set of instincts that were right for me and how I wanted to do business.
My company is so connected with who I am, so why shouldn’t how I run my business align with how I do things? I’m finding this not only makes me happier, but leaning into who I am has also made me more successful. Folks buy from people that they know (another tip from Katie Hunt) and when your business is you, it’s a heck of a lot easier to get people knowing you.
3.) “You aren’t going to be perfect and quick at every single thing.”
I’m pretty much a one woman operation. There is a ridiculous amount of stuff I need to do.
I was talking to my therapist (please, everyone go to therapy), about my never ending to do list and how there must be something wrong with me (it’s ADHD, andthere’s nothing wrong with me). She stopped me and started to broadly list off the things I do.
“So you’re expecting yourself to be a good artist and good at creating new products, marketing emails, social media, photography, web design, the physical labor of sending out orders, inventory, innovative strategizing, bookkeeping, taxes, follow up and outreach with buyers, AND emailing people people back in a timely manner? While being a good person?”
I wasn’t cognisant of how much pressure I was putting on myself. I was expecting me to be perfect at everything and do things in the (totally inaccurate) time frame I projected. It helped me to recognize how unrealistic that mindset was. If I was so perfect and quick at everything, we would have known it by now. I would be a millionaire but I’m me and this is where I am. I’m quite happy with that.
4.) “Your time is your most valuable resource.”
For my ADHD, sometimes I get on kicks when I time track what I do all day. This helps me stay on task and encourages me to take mini breaks to recharge.
I started realizing how much more time it took for me to tackle things I really hate doing or was bad at. My first big hire was a bookkeeper. It was a great decision. It saved me time in the obvious ways, but it also saved me time by not stressing over this mundane must do serious business task. This made me look at my business and realize there’s a lot that I don’t like doing where I could be better served hiring someone else.
5.) “If you’re working for yourself, make sure you aren’t the worst boss in the world.”
I’ve never had the joy of working a corporate job, but I have sat across a table from a corporate job working friend as they’ve complained about their boss. Their boss made them work long hours or even on weekends. They held them to unrealistic standards, unable to make them feel like the work they did was good enough, etc.
It wasn’t until sometime last year when I realized I was this kind of worst boss to myself. I was constantly setting myself up for an imposter syndrome episode. I was assigning myself a mountain of work to do in a day. I was the boss telling myself that I had to cut my holiday weekend plans down to 2 days. It was hard to detox from the #girlboss hustle culture kool aid I’d been guzzling for years, but learning to be kind to myself and letting myself rest has made me a happier person as well as more productive when I am working.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
It’s rare that the first idea you have is your best, so brainstorm that idea out so it can reach its full potential.
Think about it while you’re on a crowded subway train: who in this car would like this idea or use it? What would they like? Take a notebook and write down everything that comes to you, sketch out visual concepts, marketing strategies.
This kind of thinking is really fun for me. While I sometimes can run away with an idea, putting the cart before the horse etc, it can also get me to where I need to be. Maybe my original product idea isn’t one I hitch a ride to, but maybe I had a far fetched vision from the product’s launch party that will inspire me to make a best selling print.
Never stop imagining. It’s fun.
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
I highly suggest not going at it alone.
I’ve never worked with an invention development consultant, but I’m lucky to have a lot of smart and creative people around me. I have multiple group chats where I’m asking for opinions on a new product. I crowdsource over happy hour or a dinner with my sister might turn into a strategy meeting. Community is everything.
I’m also really fortunate that the stationery and gift industry is a strong collective with many of us believing collaboration over competition.
If you don’t have that — find it! The internet is a big place with a lot of people in it.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
I’ve bootstrapped. Because I had no other option but to be conservative with my spending, it forced me to be very intentional. I have thrifty instincts but now five years into my business, I have the knowledge to recognize what’s a risk and what’s worth it.
The main reason I never sought VC is because I just didn’t have the bandwidth to research it. It didn’t seem accessible to someone like me. Statistically, getting funding from a venture capital isn’t an accessible option for many entrepreneurs, especially if your company doesn’t include white male founders. Until the VC industry makes big changes to diversify who they fund, bootstrapping is the only option for many.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I have many give back products. I’ve raised almost $10k for various organizations like LAMBDA Legal, and Southern Poverty Law Center, Fair Fight, EMILY’s List, and The Loveland Project. Our newest give back product is our “Queer and Vaccinated” vaccine card sleeve, where $1 from each sale is going to The Trevor Project.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I make my cards and gifts to encourage and celebrate. I believe that kind of energy is infectious. I hope everyone that interacts with my work feels that and brings some care and fun to the world around them. I’d be thrilled if in some way, what I do can inspire people to take better care of their communities, listen and support those that are marginalized, and create a happy place for us all. There are many strong voices already doing this work like Alok Vaid-Menon, Blair Imani, and Danielle Coke, and I’m happy to join them.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Lisa Congdon. She is a wonderful illustrator. She has a clear artistic voice, works with so many brands, teaches, puts out books, and so much more. She’s also an activist and seems like she has an actual life full of people she loves and hobbies that have nothing to do with work.. I’ve just started listening to her podcast. I love to learn how people think creatively, so it’s just really speaking to me. I’m not sure exactly what I’d ask her or what I’d want to talk about. I suppose I’d just want to connect naturally, discussing what comes up. I think the conversation would be easy: we have a great first name, we’re both capricorns, neither of us went to art school, and we both love color. I also think she’d order something practical yet comforting, and I’d like to know what that is.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Dr Lauren Tucker Of Do What Matters: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Build a relationship with your activist employees. Your relationship with activist employees, like those who lead Employee Resource Groups, should be a two-way street, not a highway and a bike path. They can provide key insights that will help you avert the egregious incidents that spur some company leaders to seek us out. The emergence of these egregious incidents typically indicates that the leader is not in touch with their talent force or the communities in which the talent lives. Always be educating yourself about the ever-changing context in which you operate and activist employees can help you navigate these turbulent times.
As a part of our series about the “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times,” we had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Lauren Tucker.
Frustrated with the lack of progress on diversity, equity and inclusion, Dr. Tucker left her position as an agency Chief Strategy Officer to promote a different approach to increasing diversity in an industry that is still more than 75 percent white. Tucker designed Do What Matters as an inclusion first management consultancy to help companies build sustainable inclusion, equity and diversity programs that fuel increased employee engagement and drive growth in a multicultural, transcultural and global world.
An entrepreneur with a history of leadership, research, practice and activism in race, ethnicity, and gender, Dr. Tucker is an honorary research fellow at the School of Mass Communication Research Center at the University of Wisconsin, where she received her doctorate. She has worked at some of the world’s most renowned advertising agencies, including Leo Burnett, Burrell Communications, and the Martin Agency and is also co-founder of Indivisible Chicago, a progressive political organization dedicated to making civic activism easy, accessible and impactful.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
When it comes to diversity, it’s hard to be a prophet in your own land, so I decided to turn my 30 years of ad agency experience into a business focused on inclusion management consulting. Traditional diversity first management efforts have often hurt the very people they are intended to help and good intentions have not led to sustainable impact. So after the murder of George Floyd, we focused Do What Matters on inclusion first management that helps companies address the operational inefficiencies that foster bias and exclusion and undermine the creativity and innovation required to connect meaningfully with an increasingly multicultural, transcultural and global talent pool and consumer market. In short, we realized that if everyone in the organization felt safe, valued and heard, then introducing policies and practices around equity and increasing diversity would face less resistance, be more sustainable, and increase representation and fuel quality growth.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
I’m often asked questions like this or, more likely, questions like, “Are you having fun running your own business?” Everyone that works at Do What Matters is personally invested in this mission, so any mistakes we make aren’t very funny. But, because this mission and our sessions with our clients can be emotionally exhausting and just plain tough, we make sure we take the work seriously and not ourselves. To that end, the team has a lot of laughs and those laughs often come at my expense because I sometimes lose sight of the limitations of the impact we can have. While I am deeply committed to the mission, my team will often say “Panama” to remind me that at the end of the day my personal goal is to fund my retirement and move to Panama or the south of Spain.
It’s an important reminder that my father taught me which is to never let your career goals or your company’s mission lead your life and define your personal goals. If you let your career or company’s goals take priority, you leave too much power over your life in the hands and the decisions of others and you lose perspective. The key to being successful in inclusion management consulting is not to lose perspective or you’re no good to your clients or yourself.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
My family and friends have really been the champions of my career and my life. As a Black female professional and entrepreneur, I have never found the type of championship in the corporate world that I have seen accelerate the careers of my white counterparts. Throughout my career, I’ve had a lot of cheerleaders who stood on the sidelines and hoped that I would win and I’m grateful for that. Champions, however, get in the game, investing, risking their financial, social and political capital to help you win. Outside of my own family, I have not experienced that level of active championship.
When I started to Do What Matters, I was unemployed and still looking for a way to pay my rent by obtaining a full-time job. My family, realizing I was dividing my efforts, told me to focus on building Do What Matters and they would support me financially if needed. They were willing to invest in me, firmly believing their investment would pay off and it is paying off.
I’m fascinated by the incredible rise and unsurprising fall of Elizabeth Holmes, the founder and erstwhile CEO of Theranos. She was championed to the tune of a half a billion dollars without any real proof of concept. I have rarely seen this type of championship for Black women business owners who have viable, proven offerings. Culturally and historically, Black female business owners only have their families and their “hustle” or self-championship to rely on to see their business dreams come true.
Extensive research suggests that “purpose-driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your company started, what was its vision, what was its purpose?
As an inclusion management company, Do What Matters is inherently a purpose-driven business. The vision was to achieve the impact on inclusion, equity and diversity that employees and consumers expect of 21st-century businesses and organizations. What’s not so apparent on the surface about our business is that we are really focused on eliminating the abusive culture of work that dominated the model of the relationship between employers and employees during the late 19th and all of the 20th century.
Our purpose is to transform corporate culture, one organization at a time, by helping company leaders adapt to the needs and demands of a 21st century “talentforce,” a term I use to indicate that our economy has evolved from the abusive model of labor abundance based on the perceived commodity of workers to the more realistic and productive model of talent scarcity in a world where the knowledge, culture and service industries drive our GDP and our standard of living. Ultimately, our purpose is to help 21st Century companies transform into inclusive, talent focused organizations that get the right talent doing the right jobs so they can all reach their full potential while creating services, products and content that connect with an increasingly multicultural, transcultural and global world and, most importantly, DO NO HARM.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or difficult times?
The key to leading a team in uncertain times is to not be afraid of letting them lead you. I’m clear about the goals, the methods and the targets, and then I ask my team to share their ideas on how we will meet these expectations. My favorite response to my team members is, “Let’s do that!” Our business is serious, but we’re not saving lives here. So the key is being transparent about the GPS destination, getting ideas on how to get there and then making a clear and definitive decision about which path to take. If we find ourselves lost, we just make another decision to get back on track. To paraphrase General Ulysses S. Grant, not making a decision is what gets a leader into big trouble and can cost you everything.
The biggest challenge we face is that the pendulum is always swinging back and forth around issues of inclusion, equity and diversity. There are always knee-draggers out there that wrongly position these initiatives as a zero-sum game. This lack of leadership fortitude is a drag on the culture and can wear on the souls of those who push inclusion strategy as a proven business growth initiative. We hate seeing businesses work against their own interest because of the fear of a few fearful but influential leaders that continue to live in the last century.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
I wake up every morning ready to give up. When I wake up to see news about company leaders like McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski making ignorant and unacceptable remarks about Black parenting or University of Michigan’s president Mark Schlissel getting fired for inappropriate relationships with a subordinate or another gang of white police officers yanking a young Black food delivery out of her car and arresting her for no reason, and all of this two and three years after #Metoo and the George Floyd murder, I wonder if anything we do will really matter or make a difference. Then I pull up my big girl panties, look in the mirror and say, “Panama.” My team and my clients remind me that we really Do What Matters and that should be enough for me.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
The most important role of a leader during any time, not just challenging times, is to make a decision. I referenced Ulysses S. Grant’s perspective earlier, but here is the actual quote: “Anything is better than indecision. We must decide. If I am wrong, we shall soon find it out, and I can do the other thing. But not to decide wastes both time and money and may ruin everything.”
I can’t say it better than that.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate, and engage their team?
Define a clear GPS destination and then include your team in the strategy for getting there. Inclusion management is all about ensuring that everyone feels they are part of the mission of the company. Unfortunately, too many company leaders want to be heroes and lead without inclusion. But in uncertain times, you don’t need a hero; you need a team. Then encourage team members to use their own superpowers to help the organization find the light in the dark and get to the destination successfully.
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers?
Delivering tough news is tough, that’s why leaders are paid the big bucks. As the Superman origin story makes very clear, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Too many leaders abdicate their responsibility. They like the power, but then fold like a lawn chair when the going gets tough.
The key to delivering hard news is to be as transparent and explicit as possible without compromising confidentiality. Take real responsibility for your mistakes and don’t turn the mea culpa into public relations theater. Be a builder. Don’t live in the misery of the past or get stuck in the problem. Deliver a new vision for getting beyond the issue and set the GPS destination for the solution. The final tip: Absolutely, positively don’t blame up or down. That undermines your credibility and credibility is the one asset that leaders need to lead. Once it is lost, it is hard to regain.
How can a leader make plans when the future is so unpredictable?
I’m a fierce advocate of solution building over problem-solving. The first principle of solution building is that change is happening all the time, so the key is to find useful change and amplify it. Unpredictability is part of life. As humans, we just choose to ignore change because it’s uncomfortable. Comfort and familiarity are the enemies of creativity and innovation. Solution building focuses on the small but impactful changes that lead your organization into the direction of your GPS destination, a destination that is always in motion, so don’t make big hairy plans. Stay agile with small incremental changes, which can make a big impact while preserving momentum.
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
I can’t repeat this enough. Change is happening all the time. The key to successfully building solutions in uncertain times is to find useful change and amplify it and don’t waste time trying to avoid the “dreaded future.” Focus on getting to the “desired future,” which is where you want to be. No one uses a GPS to find out how they got lost or to identify the routes of where they DON’T want to go.
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make during difficult times? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
Indecision. It undermines credibility and leads to stagnation and failure.
Blaming up and blaming down. It undermines credibility and erodes morale.
Normalizing deviance. It undermines credibility, eventually undermines the company’s reputation and in egregious cases like sexual harassment, racism and abusive management practices, it exposes the company and its leadership team to legal action that can destroy the organization.
Command and control management. It may make you feel better about yourself, but it erodes morale and corrodes the creativity and innovation that you need to succeed in the 21st Century. The Bit Quit should prove that leaders must earn followers. They can’t demand them.
Generating new business, increasing your profits, or at least maintaining your financial stability can be challenging during good times, even more so during turbulent times. Can you share some of the strategies you use to keep forging ahead and not lose growth traction during a difficult economy?
Stop focusing on growth as your first priority. If you focus on hiring, retaining, and advancing the best talent, growth will follow. Talent is the engine of your growth. Focus on keeping that engine running smoothly and you’ll get to your GPS destination.
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times? Please share a story or an example for each.
Focus on attracting, hiring, retaining and nurturing the best talent. Do that and growth will come through a more stable talent force. We have helped our clients implement an inclusive talent management program that addresses the operational inefficiencies associated with the old-school approaches to managing talent. This program starts with explicit, performance-based job descriptions and transparent, structured interviews and interview panels. This approach has the additional benefits of reducing the time to hire by 50 percent, improving hiring decisions and increasing retention, all of which increases stability in an uncertain environment. This is the key to 21st Century leadership.
Focus on becoming a 21 Century Leader. The 20th century is the century of talent abuse. We’re almost a quarter of a century into the 21st century. You must create a humane, inclusive, equitable and diverse culture if you want to compete and grow in an increasingly multicultural, transcultural and global market. Our client, Kristen Cavallo, CEO of the Martin Agency in Richmond, Virginia, came into a demoralized culture in 2017. Through her strong, inclusive leadership and that of her executive team, the struggling agency emerged from the rubble to be named Adweek’s Agency of the Year two years in a row. She is the only female advertising agency CEO to win once, let alone twice. The agency’s Chief Creative Officer Danny Robinson is the only Black CCO to have ever led an agency to win this accolade.
Build a relationship with your activist employees. Your relationship with activist employees, like those who lead Employee Resource Groups, should be a two-way street, not a highway and a bike path. They can provide key insights that will help you avert the egregious incidents that spur some company leaders to seek us out. The emergence of these egregious incidents typically indicates that the leader is not in touch with their talent force or the communities in which the talent lives. Always be educating yourself about the ever-changing context in which you operate and activist employees can help you navigate these turbulent times.
Don’t revel in the power and then abdicate the responsibility of leadership. Be clear and explicit in your expectations of your talent and then get in the game and help them win. Too often, people leaders will blame their direct reports for career failure, placing responsibility on those with the least amount of power to create the conditions for success. Our talent engagement research includes technology that allows our client companies to gain insights about how managers impact talent engagement and what they can do to help their direct reports achieve career success.
Invest in your own learning and development to be an effective leader for the 21st Century. Times have changed and the C-suite must make time to understand how these changes should impact their leadership model. Today’s C-suite behaviors are largely modeled on an obsolete style of leadership that will not be effective in managing talent in an economy driven by the knowledge, culture and service industries. Unfortunately, C-suite leaders rarely invest in learning new ways to manage. Ignore your own learning and development at your peril.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
This exchange from Kill Bill 1, especially the comment by the Bride, played by Uma Thurman, to O-Ren Ishii pretty much sums up my whole professional life.
You didn’t think it was gonna be that easy, did you? — O-Ren Ishii
You know, for a second there, yeah I kinda did. — The Bride
Laura Charanza Of Out of the Dark On 5 Things You Need To Know To Survive And Thrive After A Divorce
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Heal. Healing is the most critical step during and after a divorce. The person who hurt you isn’t coming back to fix things. You must take responsibility for your healing.
As part of our series about the “5 Things You Need To Know To Survive And Thrive After A Divorce Or Breakup” I had the pleasure of interviewingLaura Charanza.
Laura Charanza is a survivor of forty years of narcissistic abuse, first from a parent then a husband. Laura’s mission now is to help other men and women recover from toxic relationships. Her online courses and coaching programs help others not only survive but thrive.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to ‘get to know you’. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
I grew up in a small town in Arkansas. My parents have been married 52 years, and I have a younger brother who still lives in that beautiful state. He is married with four great kids. I was one of the first in my family to get divorced, but most of my family members were very supportive.
Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I realized my quintessential family wasn’t so perfect after all when I realized I had married a narcissist. I began to uncover why I had made unhealthy choices in relationships my entire life, from friends to lovers to work colleagues. I discovered I had been raised by a narcissist, so naturally a relationship with a narcissist is where I felt comfortable and that’s what felt “normal” to me. There is little that is healthy about any connection with a narcissist. Narcissism is a mental health disorder, and most narcissists don’t change. These toxic people tend to control those close to them and harbor a sense of entitlement and superiority. The most toxic trait is that they have low empathy or lack it altogether.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started this career?
I met my spiritual recovery coach, Rebecca Lynn Pope. She changed my life, and I feel like I owe everything to her. We worked through all my “stuff” from an abusive childhood and marriage. Rebecca encouraged me to write my story in 2018, so I did. My intention was to help one person. I published my first book, Ugly Love; A Survivor’s Story of Narcissistic Abuse in October 2018, and the book became an instant #1 Best Seller on Amazon.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
My son, now 16, had to teach me how to use YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. He was 13 at the time and got a huge kick out of mom’s inability to learn social media on her own.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
I have been so fortunate to work with Rebecca Lynn Pope and recently, Dr. Dharius Daniels. He is a transformational coach, author, and pastor. Dr. Daniels has also changed my life in the last year, as well as my colleagues in his mastermind group. The quote that sticks out the most is about our generational strongholds: “If it still has hold of you, it likely didn’t come from you.”
A second quote from Dr. Daniels that resonates with me today is “Fear makes you prophesize the wrong outcome.” I often get in my head and overthink my future, instead of enjoying today and celebrating what has happened so far. Where your mind goes is where you go!
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
I had a YouTube channel with a psychologist for three years. We had half a million followers. It was difficult to part ways, but I recently left to start my own mission to help others. My channel is called “Out of the Dark; Transformational Knowledge for Survivors.” Thanks to my son, I have also started a TikTok under the same name.
Ok. Thank you for that. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. Can you tell us a bit about your experience going through a divorce, or helping someone who was going through a divorce? What did you learn about yourself during and after the experience? Do you feel comfortable sharing a story?
Divorce is one of the most difficult things any person can go through.
Life as you know it comes to an end. Sometimes it isn’t so much the relationship that has ended, but it’s the dream you had for a family. I wanted the white picket fence, a loving husband, two kids, a few dogs, and even a goldfish or two. I ended up with my greatest gift, my son, and a temporary broken heart.
The biggest lesson I learned that I want to share with others is that you WILL KNOW when it’s time to leave your marriage. I was looking out the kitchen window and watching my sweet son play in the backyard with a friend on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon in May 2013. My husband saw me responding to work emails on my laptop, and he snidely asked, “What are you doing? Emailing all your boyfriends?”
I calmly shut my computer and said, “You can leave now. Get out.” At my core, I knew whatever came after this abusive marriage couldn’t be any worse than what I had been through (verbal abuse, gaslighting, silent treatments, double standards, stealing, lying, suspected infidelity on his part, and an affair on mine).
In your opinion, what are the most common mistakes people make after they go through a divorce? What can be done to avoid that?
If you are going through a divorce, give yourself time to grieve. Let the emotions flow. One day will feel relieved and the next day you may not be able to get out of bed. Resist the urge to stay on autopilot or the desire to immediately jump into another relationship.
If you were in a toxic relationship, you’ll need to give yourself longer to recover. You need to break the trauma bonds, which are unhealthy bods we develop with an abuser. We become addicted to the highs of the relationship, like heroin, and we suffer the lows, like withdrawal, just to reach the high again. We must stop that cycle. Therapy and coaching can really help with that.
People generally label “divorce” as being “negative”. And yes, while there are downsides, there can also be a lot of positive that comes out of it as well. What would you say that they are? Can you share an example or share a story?
I am the best version of myself that I have ever been, and I hear that from many divorce survivors. You get to know yourself again: your likes, your dislikes, and your passions. You can redefine yourself in a way that makes you happy.
Some people are scared to ‘get back out there’ and date again after being with their former spouse for many years and hearing dating horror stories. What would you say to motivate someone to get back out there and start a new beginning?
Date when you feel like you have done most of your healing work. Healing isn’t linear and continues throughout life, but there is a point where you tell yourself, “I think I am okay. This isn’t so bad.” That is the best time to start dating. Hurt people hurt people. Healthy people attract healthy people.
What is the one thing people going through a divorce should be open to changing?
Be open to changing how you view the world. You will lose people you thought were your friends, yet you’ll gain others as friends that you never knew would get your back. It’s refreshing and a great way to start over. Embrace what an adventure life can be!
Ok, here is the main question of our discussion. If you had a close friend come to you for advice after a divorce, what are 5 things you would advise in order to survive and thrive after the divorce? Can you please give a story or example for each?
Allow yourself to grieve. The emotions want and need to surface, so permit yourself to let them out. If necessary, schedule a time for grieving. Work and home life can get in the way, and you don’t want to unintentionally erupt when it could hurt your job performance or children. Foregoing the grieving process can set up roadblocks and guarantee disaster for future relationships. The five stages of grief you will go through are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. These are a part of the framework that makes up our learning to live without the person we once loved. Divorce is an emotional minefield for most people going through it. For example, someone may find themselves relieved and smiling one day, then distraught and crying the next. The complexity of feelings to process can be overwhelming, but there are ways to survive and set yourself up for your best life yet. However, grieving isn’t linear, so you may move from one stage to the next then back two steps. There is no roadmap or correct way to grieve. There’s an adage that says grieving is personal. And it is. Everyone grieves differently. The point is to let your grief out. Foregoing the grieving process can set up roadblocks and guarantee disaster for future relationships.
Give yourself grace. One of the most challenging things to do after a divorce is to forgive yourself. You are not a failure. In 2021, the divorce rate fell to 11% on average in the United States. However, the number of marriages decreased significantly. Understand that you are not alone. Sometimes when a relationship disintegrates, the downfall can be attributed more to one partner than the other. But, many times, the relationship just didn’t work. These are two people that don’t need to experience life together for the rest of their lives. Marriages can have expiration dates. One or both partners may mature or change, and expectations evolve with that. Don’t chastise yourself. Learn what you can from the divorce and move on.
Heal. Healing is the most critical step during and after a divorce. The person who hurt you isn’t coming back to fix things. You must take responsibility for your healing. There are many ways to heal, and there is no right way. Options for healing include but aren’t limited to therapy, life coaching, spiritual healing, divorce classes, books, videos, and more. Those who heal the quickest use a combination of modalities that they find helpful. You get out of healing what you invest in it.
Don’t isolate. It’s easy to sit at home and watch sad movies, eat ice cream, and mourn what was. Sure, that’s okay for a time. But the more you isolate, the more you stay in your head and open yourself up to alcohol or drug abuse to “just get through tonight.” Instead, make yourself get out and see friends or invite them over. Integrate yourself into society once again. You will need to be careful not to overdo socializing. Sometimes being around many people can soothe your soul, but you aren’t processing what you need to process. Find the best scenario for you.
Wait to date. Some therapists tell clients not to date for a year or more. However, you know yourself best. If isolation makes you depressed and suicidal, get out there when you feel strong enough. Be careful not to jump immediately into a relationship because many people carry their problems with them. Those who seem to have the healthiest relationships after a divorce are those who waited until they felt “ready,” stronger, and healed. Hurt people hurt people, especially when dating too quickly after a divorce. You can find true, unconditional love your second or third time around. Everyone deserves that. You deserve that. By following the guidelines above, you give yourself the best chance to have it.
The stress of a divorce takes a toll on both one’s mental and emotional health. In your opinion or experience, what are a few things people going through a divorce can do to alleviate this pain and anguish?
It helps to develop a network of friends who have been through a divorce. Most men and women who have been through this life-changing ordeal are happy to help others navigate their emotions and a new way of life.
Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or resources related to this topic that you would recommend to our readers?
Of course, if you’ve been in a toxic marriage, check out my resources on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok under “Out of the Dark.” Also, my book, Ugly Love, is available at Amazon and on other retail sites worldwide.
Other books I found helpful where Why Does He Do That? By Dr. Lundy Bancroft, Should I Stay or Should I Go?” by Dr. Lundy Bancroft, and Never Go Back by Dr. Henry Cloud.
Because of the position that you are in, you are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
We must let narcissists understand that we know your game. You cannot treat men and women like this any longer. The more education that is done to teach people about narcissism and toxic relationships, the more we stop these narcissists from hurting good people.
We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
Oh my gosh!!! I hope George and Barbara Bush see this column. I have always wanted to meet George W. Bush and his wife. I am amazed at his strength when it came to overcoming alcoholism, his courage when he guided our country through one of the greatest American tragedies, his effort to make his family the top priority, his love for dogs, and his relationship with God. (Is that enough? LOL.) Please tell him dinner is on me! I live just across town from the Bushes.
Thank you for these great insights and for the time you spent with this interview. We wish you only continued success!
“Outcomes over hours” is a phrase that I coined about twenty years ago and discuss in-depth in my new book Effective Remote Teams. Instead of looking at the number of hours that a person puts into a task to make a deadline, this perspective allows the leader to gauge how effective the employee truly is.
As a part of our series about the “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times,” we had the pleasure of interviewing Tina Paterson.
With a wealth of experience spanning over 20 years, it’s no surprise that clients describe Tina as inspirational, strategic, and instrumental. Having worked across multiple industries around the world, Tina has led large departments, governed billions of dollars of assets, and steered teams to deliver transformation programs and projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The epitome of commitment and passion, Tina lives life by the ‘unbusy’ principles she practices. A mother of two and wife to husband James, a multiple marathon runner and million-dollar charity-raiser. She takes three-month family sabbaticals every five years, runs a successful business with clients across six continents, and nurtures 10,000+ blog followers.
She dispels the entrenched notions of time and effectiveness and instead teaches the hard-earned strategies she has learned first-hand, to move from exhaustion and being overwhelmed to a happier, healthier, more productive leader, wife, and parent.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your backstory and how you got started?
It was about eight years ago when I was working in a senior role in a fast paced, global corporation. I really loved my job. I thought I had everything under control. I spent a lot of time with my husband, James, and our children, who were six and four at the time, and I felt like I was doing a good job at leading my team. I ran three times a week. I did yoga once a week. I caught up with my friends on a regular basis. I had balance, despite the demands of my intense corporate job.
One day, the CEO asked me to take on a special project in addition to my normal responsibilities. I saw it as a great opportunity to learn from him, so I was super excited to take on the project. And it was going to be great for my career. Why would I turn it down? Burnout doesn’t happen straight away. It took me about three months. At night, I’d put the kids to bed, open my laptop, and sit on the couch to get some extra work done. At about 10 p.m., I’d clear out my email inbox. I’d work until midnight to try to get on top of things. I wanted to feel like I was in control. At 6 a.m., I’d get up, do what I needed to do to take care of the kids, and start my workday again.
At the end of each day, I’d take a look at my workload and make a decision. Do I go for a run or get more work done? Do I do yoga or do more work? Each time, I chose work. Even when it came to sleep, work won. After that, other bad habits crept in. I’d pick the kids up from school and day care, go home, and start thinking about what to make for dinner. Because I usually hadn’t given it any consideration beforehand, I’d look for the easiest option. And I ended up on this downward spiral until one weekend, when I knew I wasn’t well. On the Sunday night, I opened my work laptop. I stared at my calendar, with the goal to figure out when I could take a sick day that week. I thought a day off was all that was needed to make me feel better and then I’d be back to 100 percent. But as I stared at my calendar, all I could see was important meetings. Every day. Monday through Friday was filled with important meetings, which left me no time for a day off to get better. So on the Monday, I simply showed up at the office for work. I was coughing and fighting fatigue, but I pushed through. By Wednesday, my cough was sounding like a barking dog. I just kept pushing. I was focused on getting to Saturday, thinking that would be my day to recharge. But on Friday, while meeting with my boss, he said, “Tina, are you OK?” He was genuinely concerned. I paused, took a deep breath, and said, “No. I’m not.” I knew we were in an important meeting, but I couldn’t function properly. I had to leave right then. I packed up my things and went straight to my doctor.
Within five minutes, he sent me to the emergency department of my local hospital, where they diagnosed me with pneumonia. I had worked all week with pneumonia. As I lay there in the emergency department with James now by my side, I kept apologizing. I kept saying to him, “I tried to be strong and push through.” I’ll never forget what he said to me. “Tina, no job is ever worth you lying here in the emergency department.” Of course, I knew he was right. No job was worth being so sick that I needed that many painkillers and antibiotics running through me. But I didn’t know how to fix my problem. I had prioritized everyone else over myself. My husband, my kids, my team, my stakeholders, my boss. My health came last. And while lying there in the emergency department, I thought, I’m not being a great leader for my team. I’m not being a great role model for them. I’m not being a great employee. I’m not being a great wife. Or a great parent. I hadn’t returned any of my friends’ phone calls, so I thought, I’m not even being a great friend.
I was putting everyone else first. James had called his parents to look after our kids so that he could be at the hospital with me. I felt like I was letting everyone down. The reality was, I had let myself down. That wasn’t the life I wanted. I didn’t want to be so exhausted that I needed the emergency department. Telling this story now reminds me of the proverbial frog in the pot of boiling water. If you put the frog in the water while it’s boiling, it immediately jumps out. But if you put it in cold water and turn up the heat slowly, then it doesn’t realize it’s too hot until it’s too late. I was the frog and the pressure I had put myself under was the water with the heat slowly turned up.
I’d been making micro-decisions, focused on work instead of myself, and that led to a serious burnout. After taking a month to recover, I realized that I wanted a different life for me and my family. Even though I loved my corporate job and I wanted to continue to have a wonderful career, I had to make changes. I analyzed my old habits in detail and sprung into action. I took the time to look for every article, video, and piece of information I could find on how to have a successful corporate career AND a life outside of work. For me, that meant having a strong marriage and raising our kids aligned with our values. It also included yoga, running, giving back, traveling and many other activities associated with an active and meaningful life. However, I became really frustrated, because all the advice I came across said the same thing. You’ve got to fit your own oxygen mask first. It was an analogy. Like being on a plane where there’s an emergency, they always tell you to fit your own oxygen mask before you help someone else fit theirs. In other words, they were telling me that I couldn’t lead my team effectively or care for anyone else if I wasn’t taking care of myself. I got annoyed because I agreed with them.
It made sense. However, every article, book, and video fell short of telling me how to do it. I knew I needed to look after myself, but I didn’t know how. When I had back-to-back meetings from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and my “real work” started at five, when I had to pick up the kids, make dinner, and try to get eight hours of sleep, that seemed like an impossible task. How could I fit it all into twenty-four hours?
So, I went on this journey of discovery, experimenting with different work, productivity and well-being hacks. I read everything I could find on the subject, to find out the secret to this thing called work-life balance. I wanted to know what actually works for a leader in a fast-paced company, not just the theories. Every time I found a nugget, something I wanted to experiment with, I’d ask myself, “Could this work for me? Could I apply this to my role as a senior leader in a large, global company?” I wanted to work out which tips were practical, realistic, and sustainable.
To do this, I’d try them on myself, and check to make sure they stuck over time. Once I started seeing results, I started teaching my teams, colleagues, and mentees how to apply them too. In parallel, I knew my leadership style was different from most other corporate leaders. I’d led my teams for several years with the mantra, “Outcomes over hours in the office.” My team knew that I didn’t care when or where they worked, as long as they collaborated effectively to get their most valuable work done. Way before “remote teams,” “hybrid teams,” “virtual teams,” and “distributed teams” were phrases common in today’s corporate language, my teams worked in this way. We worked out together what was needed to make this way of working … well, work. And this is what I now teach to leadership teams in other large, global organizations.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you started?
When I first started, I was coaching for leadership teams; I wanted to live my mantra of working smarter. Instead of spending hours making beautiful PowerPoint presentations, I scribbled my diagrams on paper, took a photo of them, and pasted that into the PowerPoint as my presentation. I thought that this was clever since I was working smarter, not harder.
I quickly got feedback from my clients that my training content was repulsive, and it distracted them from my presentation by having these hand-drawn scribbles. What I realized was you need to meet your clients where they are. The scribbles might have suited me, but that didn’t suit my clients. My clients were these excellent, large corporate companies who were used to slick PowerPoint presentations. I realized I just needed to pull together the presentation once, and I could move on to more effective work.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person you are grateful towards who helped you get to where you are? Can you share a story?
When I first started out on my own, I was working out what to do with my business. I decided to have 40 coffees with 40 people in 40 days. I reached out to people I’d worked with who knew me well enough to ask them, “How do you think I could be of most service and add value as I’m thinking about starting my business?”
One of the people I met with for coffee was an executive I had worked with about ten years ago called Anthony. I was sharing with him how I was starting to think that maybe I should work with working moms to help them juggle how to have a great career, as well as their family and other things outside of work. After I shared this, Anthony said to me, “Why would you deny what you’ve got to offer to half of the market? I’m a dad who works crazy hours, and I want to see my kids more. What you can offer would help me just as much as any working mom. So please don’t consider only that target market. I think what you’ve got is needed by leadership teams in corporations, all across the board.” And that advice from Anthony was one of the critical foundations that led me to do what I now do of helping all corporate leaders, whether they are male or female, whether they’ve got kids or not, to help them to be more effective at work. When these leaders are more effective at work, they can free up time for whatever and whoever matters most for them outside of work.
Extensive research suggests that purpose-driven businesses are more successful in many areas. When you started your company, what was its vision, and what was its purpose?
My purpose was straightforward. It was to make sure that as many corporate leaders as possible didn’t go through what I went through. And that meant helping at the root cause of helping corporate leaders to understand how they could work smarter, how they could get their work done effectively, how they could permit themselves to look after themselves so that they wouldn’t end up in an emergency department or in a major breakdown as I did.
I know that corporate leaders make similar micro-decisions to what I made leading up to my burnout. At 10:30 at night, they choose to either get a little more work done or get some sleep. They have the micro decision of, “Should get up early and go for a walk or a run? Or should I get into work early and do more work?” I know that most times, the work wins out.
My purpose is to help leaders so that they can make those micro-decisions earlier and easier so they can realize they can have a great corporate career and whatever’s essential for them to the outside of work as well. I also realized that I knew it was essential to fit my oxygen mask first. Every article I’d read had told me that that’s what I needed to do. But no article, no video, no expert was telling me how to do it. I realized, “Well, someone’s got to do it. It may as well be me.”
Now I teach corporate leaders how to practically and efficiently get their work done. Even when they have got back-to-back meetings from eight till five, and they get a couple of hundred emails each day, I teach them how they can get their work done effectively and still have time to prioritize themselves and the people they love outside of work.
Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you led your team during uncertain or challenging times?
It was about 15 years ago. I was leading an operations department of a few hundred employees, and our business had just launched a new product introduction. This new product did way better than anyone expected, three times more. I ran the contact centers. What that meant was all these new customers were calling into the contact center, and we were significantly under-resourced to deal with the issue. Because we were working with a major client, they wanted to understand why it took so long to answer the phones and what we were doing about it.
I had people in my organization come from every department, speaking with people in my department to work out what was going on, the call wait times, how many people we were hiring, et cetera. I realized that we had gone into significant firefighting mode, and I knew that this was not sustainable. I told my team, “I’m just going to go and shut myself away for an hour or two and think. I need to reflect on how we can move from this reactive mode to being proactive and getting back under control.”
What I realized from that introspective contemplation was that all the different departments of this client all wanted similar information from my team and me. I went into the CEO’s office and spoke with him. He received me openly and said, “What do you need from me?” And I said, “I need you to send an email telling everyone that my team will send out a daily email of the statistics, the report, and what we are proactively doing to get our resourcing back, to be able to handle our customer call volume. If we do this, could you please ask everyone to give my team the time and the space to get on with recruiting people?” He agreed.
Every morning, we would send out this daily report so that the people who needed the information got 90% of what they wanted, and my team could focus on the challenge at hand. Taking a tiny bit of time out to think about how we can do things better, how we can do things more innovative, and how we can payback in spades made all the difference. I was able to come up with a clear solution to solve the problem and get the team back into productivity and out of reactivity.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
What I do comes from a deeply personal space. I know other leaders are like how I was the month before my burnout, where I ended up in the emergency department with pneumonia. For me, it’s an inspiring reason why I do what I do, and that inspires me to keep going. In the early days, when I first started coaching corporate leaders, I wondered, “Am I the right person to be doing this? Who am I to think that I can help all these leaders?”
It’s such a big issue around burnout, I questioned if I was qualified to help them. And then I remembered all my teams who had themselves transformed into working in a completely different way, where we worked from anywhere and were more effective. I also recognized all the books on my bookshelf, where I had read every expert tip out there. I applied all these tips from other experts along with the fact that I had experimented and tested on myself. I tested and learned for over seven years about what works for a corporate leader who feels they don’t have time, energy, and control. How do you work smarter? How do you not be in meetings from back-to-back from eight until five? I wondered, is it possible for me to help these teams?
And I realized, “Yes, I know how to do this.” I’ve worked with many of my teams, and they’ve proven that it works too. It’s now time to get my message out and help as many corporate leaders worldwide as I can.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during talent challenging times?
I think it’s communicating the course, recapping what’s the vision, the purpose, what’s the North star that their team’s heading towards, and what are the key priorities to get there.
People like working with people who care about them as a person before their work — so communicating the vision, even when it’s changing. When things are changing so quickly, it’s essential to show that you care. By being a “person first” leader, you are showing that you care about each team member above any deadline. If and when those priorities change, the leader needs to adapt and communicate quickly. It really comes down to just being a decent human being along the way.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate, and engage their team, trust, and connection?
When I interviewed senior executives around the world in my book, Effective Remote Teams, I asked them what critical skills leaders need to lead their teams when they’re not in the office together all the time. The themes of trust and connection kept coming up. The easiest way to build these two elements is to have regular check-ins with your team. It’s essential to have check-ins as a team together and check-ins one on one with your team as individuals. This is on top of checking in with them on the work side. This level of overcommunication with your team will show them that you care about them beyond just the work deliverables.
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers?
Creating those foundations of trust and connection is the best way to deliver difficult news. Whatever the challenging news is to deliver, it will be received so much more if done in a relaxed, authentic way, which comes from that trust and connection. Being clear what the priorities are, where the roadblocks are, how things are progressing, but also checking in on the personal side. When you engage your team on a personal level you are being a person first leader. They will see that you care about them more than what they deliver for your organization.
How can a leader make plans when the future is unpredictable?
When the future is unpredictable, it’s important to build in time, as I did in that situation when my department was significantly under-resourced. Creating time to reflect, think, “How can we do things differently? It’s like the cartoon with the caveman where they’ve got square wheels and someone’s standing by with round wheels saying, “Can I help?” And the cavemen with the square wheels are saying, “No, we are too busy.”
Taking time to reflect is the opportunity to find those round wheels and the way to do things differently. When I do this, I do this every month by a retrospective, which is an agile term of thinking through, “What went well? What didn’t go so well? What did we learn?” I think about it and on different time horizons. As a leader to consider, there’s the three to the five-year vision you might have, that North star. But also, down to, “What does that look at an annual, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily level?”
My signature program called “Outcomes Over Hours” is based on this foundation. There are three elements to my program: as a corporate leader, it’s essential to be 1) effective, 2) efficient, and 3) energetic. Effective is about what you choose to focus on, and to be able to reflect on how you’re progressing towards that vision. What’s getting in the way to find those round wheels? Efficient is about how you go about doing it. And energetic is the rocket fuel, yourself having the energy to do everything else. But there’s no point in being efficient and energetic if you’re not being effective. If you’re not working on the right things in the first place, it’s a waste of time and energy. And so, when the future is so unpredictable, taking that time to think about, “Well, what is effective?” What are the things that matter is essential to work out when it’s time to hold the course and when you need to adapt.
Is there a number one principle that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
Keep coming back to your purpose, your North star. It unifies and inspires the team to all head in the same direction.
Can you share three or more of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make during challenging times? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
These are turbulent times; anyone can tell you that. With the changes in corporate work and life comes a need for leaders to adapt and pivot, and corporate leadership is evolving faster than ever. The things that used to work in the old-school way, where you could walk into an office and see your employees and your team working in the same environment, have completely gone out the window because of the global pandemic. What is evolving is a new style of leadership that is beyond the physical environment. It moves into higher levels of understanding, compassion, and empathy to get your team to be inspired and stay inspired on the task of deadlines and performance.
As a global cultural pioneer, I have been both behind the scenes and in office environments where certain leaders have refused to evolve, and I have witnessed the chaos of the culture that unfolds. It is only a matter of time before the employee morale starts to dip, and they ultimately jump ship. Or it can be a slow, long and painful drop to the bottom where deliverables fall behind, and the quality of the work suffers. Many people don’t equate the end of a business to the culture, but we see that this is usually the key indicator of where the company’s health lies. As a leader, you need to be able to zoom out and zoom in — to see what your employees are struggling with emotionally and personally beyond just when they are in their work environment. You can no longer separate yourself from work and life, they are now intertwined more than ever before, and this pattern will only increase.
Here are the top five things leaders need now more than ever during these turbulent times.
“Outcomes over hours” is a phrase that I coined about twenty years ago and discuss in-depth in my new book Effective Remote Teams. Instead of looking at the number of hours that a person puts into a task to make a deadline, this perspective allows the leader to gauge how effective the employee truly is.
Gone are the corporate days where you could drive into an office, punch in a time clock, and then be trapped in the same building where you can precisely oversee what your employees are doing. As a leader, you must evolve your thinking about being productive in today’s world. This perspective of focusing on the outcomes, where the results are the measurement instead of the time put into accomplishing the deadline, will empower both the employee and the leader.
When you remove the time quota or even the time measurement on an individual, they can perform at their speed and at their best time of day. This is an empowered way for the person to own responsibility for completing the task. It will also allow them to manage themselves and determine when they are most productive.
Focusing on outcomes instead of hours completely goes against the old-school way of saying you have to be in the office from 9 to 5, Monday through Friday. This flexibility legitimizes the employee’s ability to determine their best schedule. When they have this freedom of flexibility, they have greater ownership and responsibility in delivering extraordinary results.
When a person can control their schedule, it relies on them to check in periodically throughout the day and ask themselves, “Am I being most effective at my most optimized state?” This self-reliance is inspiring and very productive because they are the ones responsible for the outcomes they are delivering.
Suppose you are forcing your employees and your team to go back into an office environment during this global pandemic that still rages across the globe. In that case, you will be met with hesitation and resentment, and fear and anxiety will prevail. Many employees are dissatisfied and uneasy about returning to an office environment. At the same time, the pandemic still rages on, and not respecting this and turning a blind eye to your team’s emotional and psychological needs is a recipe for disaster for your corporate culture. You cannot expect people to perform at their best when they are in a state of fear and uncertainty.
When you prioritize outcomes over hours and look at their performance, then you altogether remove the physical barriers of having to be in an office under the same roof. You also illuminate the time necessary because people can work on their schedules by focusing their attention on performance instead of the amount of time they put into a task. You will find that people are more engaged and grateful because they have been given a sense of self-responsibility to take their tasks across the finish line.
2. The second thing leaders need to focus on during these turbulent times is to be very clear on their vision and to communicate it often. Leaders make the mistake of thinking that they share their vision once and that the team automatically understands it. However, as things change faster than ever, we need to over-communicate our vision. The vision is the North Star of the organization. It affects everything from product development and customer support to completing deadlines to fulfill the company’s mission.
The vision not only signifies the direction of where the company is going, but it is also the lifeblood and the spirit of the company. The more clearly defined the vision, the more the employees will find their commitment to the bigger vision at hand. Without a clearly defined vision, employees quickly lose their way and a sense of purpose inside the organization.
It’s so easy to neglect the communication of the vision because we get so caught up in tasks and deadlines. However, the more you spend time and energy on the vision, the fewer minor mistakes and less confusion from your employees there will be. Communicating and re-communicating the vision is essential for your team to feel like they have a grounded and safe harbor to dock their fears and insecurities. The vision articulates the purpose and the reason why the organization exists. And for companies to not only survive but to thrive during these turbulent times, the vision needs to be crystal clear. While the rest of the world is full of turbulence and confusion, that clarity of vision will give your employees that safe sense of strength and cohesiveness of what they are all doing to move together in one unified force.
3. Be a person-first leader and understand that your employees have other things going on in their lives too. Long gone are the days when people lived to work and only invested their hopes, dreams, and desires in their careers. This global pandemic has caused hundreds of millions of people to reevaluate their perspective on life and what matters to them. Now that they have been forced to spend more time at home with their kids and their families through longer stretches, they have seen how important it is to have more quality time to invest in their personal lives. Leaders who do not accept that employees have personal lives with families and hobbies and dreams and goals outside of work will only lose employees in the great resignation.
More employees are jumping ship and leaving companies than ever before because they now see that they have options, and they don’t want to sacrifice their families and their health to fulfill their career success. As a leader, you want to recognize that each person has their desires and goals to fulfill in their lifetime. The more you can see them evolving and growing on all levels, the happier and more productive they will be.
Start to see that your employees have entire lives where they have friends, family, and social life activities. People even want to have time for travel and adventure to explore all aspects of themselves. Most of all, allow your employees to take time for their health because if they cannot take care of their health, then it is only a matter of time before they have an emotional, physical, mental, or psychological breakdown. The statistics show that we can no longer separate our health from our success and productivity. It is only a matter of time before it all starts to unravel. By being a leader at the forefront of inspiring your employees to have whole lives, you will be giving them the freedom and the flexibility to invest time with their families and take time for their self-care. You will be a leader who demonstrates not just through words but through action that you do care about your employees and their overall well-being.
4. The fourth most important thing that leaders need to do during these turbulent times is to be the example instead of just giving lip service. When you are the center of the culture in an organization, what you do is more important than what you say. When you’re taking breaks, exercising, getting enough sleep, and turning your computer and emails off to recharge, this will give the precedent to the rest of the team and ripple throughout the organization. You are the leader, and that means that when they see you following through on what you are saying, you build trust and certainty in your organization.
Your leadership abilities will skyrocket when you start to live and breathe the example you want others to follow. It will help if you switch off to switch on. When you are not rested and recharged, your ability to make decisions is significantly impacted. Studies, science, and countless data show us that if someone is going all the time and is not fully able to recover, they are more prone to make mistakes. Mistakes ultimately cause a significant impact on the resources of the organization. The leader needs to be clear and focused. If the leader is running on adrenaline and full of stress to push and push without taking time to recharge and renew, this will set a precedent throughout the organization. And a stressed-out, sedentary, under slept organization is bound to have breakdowns. It’s only a matter of time before the team starts to fall apart.
Being the example for your team members and being the pillar of stability and health will ripple throughout your organization. While the world is in chaos, the leader will be cool, calm, and collected. When the leader is rested and recharged, they can be tranquil and patient. This poised composure is one of the most significant signs of a leader’s stability and strength during these turbulent times.
5. The fifth thing leaders need who will succeed during these turbulent times are the ones who recognize that “what got you here will not get you there.” Marshall Goldsmith created this famous quote in his book with the same title. As an executive coach, he observed that while many people in management were intelligent, hardworking, and ambitious, very few people ever made it to the highest levels of leadership. This is because they cannot let go of their mindsets, beliefs, habits, and the patterns that propelled them to have success at the levels where they are now ready to progress. These times require evolution, patience, and a greater understanding than anything we’ve ever seen before to make the famous quote even more relevant.
This new leadership style involves going back to the beginning and letting go of specific traits that could have been helpful to make you successful. The specific skills and mindset that got you here could be your most significant barrier to success in this new frontier. Those who can look at leadership with fresh eyes and take on leadership as though you’ve never been in this position before are the ones who will prevail.
This kind of new thinking is not only an evolution of leadership, but it is essential to succeed and evolve during this time. Letting go of some of the bedrocks you’ve thought about leadership before is not only tricky, but some might even think of it as impossible. Letting go of certain habits and patterns is the most challenging thing for leaders to deal with because they have built their entire career on a command-and-control style leadership where what you say goes, and no one will question your authority. But now employees want quality of life and respect. Also, they want to know that their leaders care about them beyond just clocking in hours or growing the company’s share price. Suppose you are willing to evolve and see this as an opportunity for a new leadership emergence to shine forward? In that case, you will be one of the leaders who keep your employees. You will also see that your organization attracts all this incredible new talent who are leaving their current organizations to find this innovative style of leadership. This revolution in leadership sees each employee and values them for their unique skills, perspective, and insight.
Suppose you are stuck in the old way of doing things. In that case, it’s only a matter of time before the turbulence of the outside world creeps into your organization. Like a toxic weed, it will spread until you may lose your entire team or your position. We repeatedly see this with organizations that are unwilling to evolve their leadership style. The great news is that this is a massive opportunity for leaders who are open-minded, visionaries, and flexible enough to embrace this new style of work performance. You will find that your team is more committed, more productive, healthier, and happier because you are focused on the long-term game beyond just the short-sightedness of getting through this difficult time. You have the most significant opportunity in your career to emerge as a leader of the future.
The critical mistakes come under one umbrella, which is that leaders sink to the lowest level of short-term-ism. People who become reactive go into firefighting mode from a strategic standpoint.
Each day, innovation goes out the window, everything becomes a priority. Every shining toy gets focused on. And there’s a beautiful saying by Patrick Lencioni, which is, “If everything is important, then nothing is.” The mistake is forgetting what’s important — and just trying to work on everything. And it then becomes that caveman with those square wheels trying to push as hard as possible. The other thing that happens from a people standpoint, if you sink the lowest level of short term-ism, is that everything becomes very task-oriented. Everything focuses on a tactical level of leaders or managers barking orders of this is what needs to be done, and it becomes only about the work.
Generating new business, increasing your profits, or maintaining your financial stability can be challenging during good times, even more so during turbulent times. And that’s not inspiring for anyone to work in that situation.
It’s about coming back to being that person’s first leader of delegating the issues, not the tasks, and being clear on what that North star is and what those priorities are so that everyone can be on the same page.
Can you share some of the strategies you use to keep forging ahead and not lose growth traction during a challenging economy?
I learned this through my journey of starting my business when I started two years ago. My background is in operations and transformation, business transformation. I was starting my business in February of 2020. And I had just signed up with a major Australian company to lead their growth transformation program. The CEO had signed off on it. That same day, speaking with one of the executives, she said to me, “This coronavirus thing could get pretty big. We might need to think about how it’s going to impact our business.”
And within 48 hours, a lot of these company’s offices were being told that they were going to have to close down to the public and that everyone would have to work from home. This meant that the transformation program that we were implementing, the transformation agenda we were about to kick off, would no longer make sense. My pipeline of consulting work for the next six months got the rug got pulled out from under me within that 48 hours. At that time, I didn’t have a plan B.
I had to work out, “Well, what am I going to do from a business standpoint since my primary client now no longer needs this work?” Learning when to adapt is essential. And that’s when I was having these 40 coffees in 40 days to find out, “Well, is there something different that I should be doing?” That’s when I realized my own experience incorporated. Of everything I’ve learned from my burnout with pneumonia and how to effectively lead, incorporate and look after yourself, that’s what I needed to help other organizations with.
With that same large company, they were my first client, as I did my hand-scribbled PowerPoint training to them on how you effectively work from home and lead when your team is not all in the office together. For me, knowing what your purpose is and when it’s time to adapt is essential. Anticipating what was needed, asking other people and people who had views utterly different to my own, really made the difference in me coming up with what I do now in terms of having a very successful business with over six continents and helping thousands of corporate leaders around the world. You can own do this too if you create the time and space to think and dream up what’s possible.
Please share a story or example of each of the five mistakes.
“Outcomes Over Hours” The example here is when a team member of mine, Dean, came to me one day and said, “Oh, I’m sorry to let you know that tomorrow I’m going to be into the office at about 10:30 because I have to go to the dentist.” We’d been working together for a few months at this stage.
I had a puzzled look on my face, and I said to him, “Dean, I don’t care.” I said, “I care deeply about you, but I don’t care if you’re going to be in the office at 10:30 tomorrow. As you know, manage your outcomes, not your hours in the office. Business hours aren’t what I look at as to whether someone is doing a great job. If you need to go and be at a dentist or something else outside of business hours, that’s okay. So go and be where you need to be and make sure you’re clear on the outcomes and being able to accomplish them.”
Example 2:
Here’s an example from my book. Michael had a big job. He led close to one thousand employees that involved customer-facing operational roles. He’d leave the office most days between 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to ensure he was home in time to have dinner with his wife and young kids. This was in the days before we had smartphones with email and other apps. When he was gone for the day, he was done. But he was known throughout the organization as a brilliant leader. Watching Michael work, I got to see a different way of leading a team. He was ruthless with his time and where he focused his energy. He refused to be sucked into the vortex of drama, noise, or things that didn’t matter. However, he always made time for his team. He understood that providing clarity to the team on the department’s strategy and key deliverables, combined with building a team of high-performing individuals who trusted each other and worked together as a team, allowed him to walk out the office door each night at a reasonable hour. When we formed as a leadership team, Michael ensured we carved out time to build out our department’s vision and strategy. It was simple to understand and remember. No fancy words or twelve bullets to try and remember. Our slogan was “raising the bar” and showed a picture of lots of chocolate bars, with one that was a bit higher than all the others. Fifteen years down the track, I still remember it. That’s the power of simplicity.
Example 3:
In my first year as a leader, I had an unfortunate situation of putting the “person-first” concept into practice. I was working overseas and was leading a team spread out across the United States and Mexico. One of my team members, Carlos, was from Mexico City and on this assignment was also based there. Carlos had a report due to me one Monday, and the report was going to move on from me to the organization’s global CFO. Come Monday, I hadn’t heard from Carlos. I emailed him in the morning asking for the report. Early afternoon, I got a call from him and learned that his best friend had been kidnapped there in Mexico City. The kidnappers were asking for ransom money from the family. Carlos didn’t know whether his best friend was still alive. As a leader, I had a dilemma. We had this huge report due to the global CFO and the team member who was due to deliver it was, understandably, broken up over his missing friend. I realized right then that my approach needed to be person first. Twenty years later, I can’t tell you what that report due to the global CFO was about. But I get emotional thinking about Carlos.
Mistake number four is not role modeling what you do. One of my non-negotiables is running three times a week. And sometimes that happens before the kids go to school, but at other times that’s just not practical. I’ll often go for a run at 11:00 AM or during business hours on those days. I’ve been known on many occasions to come straight from my run onto a Zoom call with a client still in my running gear. And when they say, “Oh, have you’ve just been for a run?” I’m very deliberate in saying, “Absolutely, I did some other work at other times. This was when it worked for me to look after myself.” And it’s okay to look after yourself from Monday to Friday, nine to five. The old way of working has to be that the hours we are working are no longer valid. It’s up to you to manage those outcomes over hours in the office.
And then the final mistake about what got you here won’t get you there.
Remote teams are here to stay. Leaders need to know that this is going to become our new normal. One executive, Rob, shared a story with me to demonstrate how far we’ve come in the corporate world. Rob was the chair of a global committee that needed to have a two-hour meeting. The purpose of this meeting was to make a big decision, but one which was considered quite mechanical, and the committee all knew each other relatively well. It was not a complex decision. Rob suggested that they meet virtually, all dialing in from their respective countries around the world. This suggestion was met with strong objection. “The technology won’t work!” “The time zones will make it hard!” However, Rob pressed for this option, knowing it would save them all time and money commuting to one location. In the end, he had to compromise. The solution? The committee members flew into London, New York, or Hong Kong so they could stay in their respective time zones. They then dialed in from three screens — one in London, one in New York, and one in Hong Kong. We’ve come a long way since this type of thinking about how business should be done was prevalent.
Okay can you please give us your favorite life lesson quote? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
The quote from me is, “Busy is a decision” by Debbie Millman. And this is relevant because I think so many people get caught up in the delusion of progress. They think that if they’re busy, it means that they’re doing great work, and it has a significant impact. I’ve realized that’s not always the case. Hard work needs to be there, but I instead like to think about what Greg McKeon says of “How can I make this easy? How can I make this effortless?” If I can get to the same impact, the same outcomes in less time or less effort, I think that’s a great thing. It’s not about not having progress and momentum, but it’s about always believing that being busy is the best way to incorporate work.
How can our readers further follow your work?
There is a free gift called “Top 10 Mistakes Leaders Make When Leading Remote Teams” on my website at EffectiveRemoteTeams.com
Once you understand these horrible mistakes, you will have more time, energy, and focus to build your teams to create the greatest productivity and effectiveness for all.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
Look for more alliances and partnerships, don’t do things on your own.
As a part of my series about “Big Ideas That Might Change The World In The Next Few Years” I had the pleasure of interviewing Michael Rosenberg.
… president of AI2HR, Michael Rosenberg is Toronto’s High-Level Compliance and Strategic Human Resources Champion. Internationally known lecturer, author, and workplace investigator Michael empowers owners and employees to champion a progressive workplace future.
Michael also has several published books (The Flexible Thinker, …), university lectures, and articles (Globe & Mail, Chief Learning Officer Magazine, …) to continue his advocacy for workplace protection and risk management.
Recently, Michael completed research with St. Mary’s University’s Organizational Psychology Department to create a risk assessment and system to ensure workplace compliance and predict areas of risk.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you please tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Sure, so you know, my original career was as a comedy writer while also running a company in the film industry. I realized how a lot of the tools used in successful improv comedy can be used to run an organization. I wrote my first book called “Flexible Thinker” (based on running that company), it took off, and we did a lot of workshops.
We needed more research to prove how creating a positive culture impacted how the company ran. In collaboration with my partner Richard Beer, we created an instrument to do research around what causes harassment. Harassment is the symptom not the cause, and I ended up with an instrument, based on the research to find and measure the causes of conflicts and harassment.
We partnered up with St Mary’s University, thereafter, tested it the instrument, and found it to be really accurate in predicting the causes that could lead to harassment. We could measure things like leadership, rewards, culture, policies, procedures, and more, to create a vivid picture of how prevent looming conflicts.
Can you please share with us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
We helped prove to one of our smaller clients that firing their top performer would increase sales. There was a potential problem with a specific team with a specific person. We saw the issues stemming from the company’s top salesperson who was responsible for 20% of the company’s profits. However, he was a bully and a nightmare to work with. Further, there were allegations through reports that this person was committing harassment.
After investigation, we saw that the harassment reports were legitimate and after getting the salesperson coaching to hopefully try and get him to work through it, it did not work.
After some hesitation from upper management to fire him because of the looming threat of losing 20% of their sales, it was clear that they would send a bad message and it was a liability. After letting him go, their sales increased by 33% by the next year. People were happier and more engaged, and they worked more efficiently.
Which principles or philosophies have guided your life? Your career?
Frankel. Victor Frankel. “You can’t control the consequences of your actions, only how you react to it.” From that point of view, it’s about finding out what the real causes are to things.
Ok thank you for that. Let’s now move to the main focus of our interview. Can you tell us about your “Big Idea That Might Change The World”?
We developed a Risk Assessment that could measure the causes of conflict and harassment. Nonresponse, turnover rates, suggestion box ideas, disengagement, and other data points that usually aren’t recorded get measured and tell you what’s happening before there is a crisis. By measuring the causes, you can predict the behaviors at the end of it.
How do you think this will change the world?
AI2HR has the potential to save people a lot of traumas, help make stronger families, and give organizations a way to be truly preventative. Moreover, it is a new way to secure the value of people and their organizations. The only thing that has ever bankrupted a company aside form financial reasons is because of harassment that could have been predicted and prevented.
Our validated risk assessment creates true accountability. AI2HR creates a workplace where people can function based on performance. Moreover, employees and employers can know what’s really going on, and stop problems before they arise.
Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this idea that people should think more deeply about?
I mean, *sighs*. Data can be manipulated, and you have to be careful about creating accountability through it. If further analysis is never done, the data can easily be misunderstood. As such, the “real” causes of a problem are not always clear cut.
Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this idea? Can you tell us that story?
Richard and I were on a contract with a pharmaceutical company that was dysfunctional, confusing short-term profit with long-term sustainability. They looked to the next quarter, and we realized we needed to create something that organizations can use to help them be competitive and sustainable that went beyond the next quarter’s profits. People can make money for many reasons that do not have to do with how good they are, it catches up with them eventually.
What do you need to lead this idea to widespread adoption?
We need to overcome the Ostrich in the Sand syndrome, “Lets stick my head in the sand and pretend there isn’t a problem.” Many of our potential clients don’t want to know what issues exist, often because they are afraid that it is too late to do anything about it.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why.
Nothing sells itself.
Not all decisions are based on logic, its based-on relationships.
Do your market research before you put in money into something.
Look for more alliances and partnerships, don’t do things on your own.
Don’t assume you know what your customers want.
Can you share with our readers what you think are the most important “success habits” or “success mindsets”?
Keep going. You are always going to find resistance. Being an entrepreneur is a hard rope to hold but you must be somewhat insane. You have to be crazy because you have to keep going no matter what. IIt’s not easy to build a business, but if you are passionate for it, the persistence is what is going to win you out.
Some very well-known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
Look for the great teams, not just the great ideas. A lot of great ideas fail because of bad teams, and many crappy ideas can succeed because of great teams. (Like who would have thought someone would want to spend 5$ for a cup of coffee.) More than the ideas and financials, you look at the people involved.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Visit our website ai2hr.com for all of our social links and original content!
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
Set your intention. Maybe this is too much of an assumption, but before you pop on a stage, we hope you understand why you are speaking. But have you ever put thought in to understanding how you want the audience to feel? When you set your intentions before speaking, about how you want the audience to feel, you condition your talk to elicit that effect!
At some point in our lives, many of us will have to give a talk to a large group of people. What does it take to be a highly effective public speaker? How can you improve your public speaking skills? How can you overcome a fear of speaking in public? What does it take to give a very interesting and engaging public talk? In this interview series called “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker” we are talking to successful and effective public speakers to share insights and stories from their experience. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Steve Shain.
Steve heads LTC Contracting, which is a team of clinical and financial professionals who liaise between Healthcare Providers and Insurers. They negotiate contract terms, rates, and ongoing patient care needs. Steve is passionate about healthcare, and speaks nationally on this crucial topic.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up in a rural farm town, an introvert’s heaven! In our free time, instead of catching a bus downtown, we spent it catching up with friends.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
My father is a dean of a college, and on a regular basis is at the podium giving talks to his students, alumni, and community. Seeing how he’s able to connect with the crowd and leave an impression on them is something I’ve always admired and still try to emulate.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I was invited to give a talk to a group of healthcare workers in a large hospital. This was the same hospital I personally benefited from as a teenager. I was hit by a speeding car and hospitalized to full recovery at this hospital. The topic I was to speak on was about job satisfaction, and there was no better example of the wonderful work they do when I was able to present myself as a walking talking result of their work!
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Relying on tech too much. I was at a national conference in California, and used a nifty polling app to get some audience participation. Small Issue, the hosting hotel’s Wi-Fi and internet didn’t reach the conference area. Enter- Ad Libbing me! While it actually was fun being off the cuff, it taught me to always have a plan B.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I wouldn’t attribute any accomplishments to any one person, there are many in my life who influence me. Instead, I would attribute it to a work ethic I’ve been trained to live by in my career. Everything you do, do it all the way- don’t just do it enough to get the job done. As the great Steve Martin put it- Be so good, they can’t ignore you!
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging and intimidating. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
Imposter syndrome is real. Every public speaker has struggled with this at some point. Know you are in good company, and keep in mind that any thought leader was not one until they decided they were. You decide what you are, no one else.
What drives you to get up everyday and give your talks? What is the main empowering message that you aim to share with the world?
I try to never give a talk without an actual tangible take way. If it is a business talk, there should be practical takeaways the attendees can use in the office tomorrow morning. If this is a motivational concept, even more so. Instead of being fluffy and energizing for the 60 min. you are on stage, give them practical advice how to implement 1 change tomorrow.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
We are excited that both virtual and in person conferences are now the norm. We are scheduling a national tour for healthcare educational events, alongside some webinars for healthcare professionals that choose not to get dressed and go to a conference in their Pj’s!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Nobody care’s how much you know, they just want to know how much you care”. This idea is a strong influence for those involved in community care and healthcare.
Ok, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker?” Please share a story or example for each.
1. Set your intention.
Maybe this is too much of an assumption, but before you pop on a stage, we hope you understand why you are speaking. But have you ever put thought in to understanding how you want the audience to feel? When you set your intentions before speaking, about how you want the audience to feel, you condition your talk to elicit that effect!
Say you are teaching the attendees the value of taking the foil wrapper off before they chew a stick of gum. ok, now we know why you are speaking. But what is the feeling you want to leave them with? Perhaps it is to remind them of that metallic taste of chewing foil. Great! Now as you craft your talk, and present it with this in mind- you will give that feeling over to them that much more effectively.
2. It’s your way, not the highway.
As your doctor may have told you in the past about that odd rash you decided to self-diagnose: Google is not always your friend. If you googled what prep to do for a big talk coming up, you will see many ideas like: Prepare in front of your family and friends– yeah just sit them down for an hour, not if you want to keep them as friends. Learn about the audience and what they appreciate– sounds a bit creepy, doesn’t it?
The problem with these Google suggestions becomes twofold: Firstly, you are preparing in a way that may not work well for you. Secondly, if you don’t get ready the way they tell you, you will feel ill prepared and think you’re doomed for failure. This not the case at all! Instead, ignore all the noise and prep the way you know will make YOU most comfortable.
Review your notes once a week, OR once before you get up. Whatever your level of comfort is to feel prepared. Would you feel more comfortable checking out the space where you are speaking before walking in? Then do that. Perhaps you want to bounce one of your points off a friend, just to make sure you’re not like one of those contestants on AGT who’s mom is the only one they’ve ever auditioned in front of until they got on stage to get a snickering Simon Cowell and three X’s quicker than you can say “Did you really think that was good?” The point is you know you best, follow your gut not Google.
3. A sandwich without solid bread, can quickly become a mess of food stuff- with no utensils!
Wouldn’t you agree? A talk is the same. Make sure you have a solid hook to get started. The average human attention span is 8 seconds. You’ve got 8 seconds to convince them that you will be more interesting that their iPhone. That’s a hard sell, so make sure its strong!
A good talk without a strong closing is like a beautiful website with no contact us page. it’s all great, but doesn’t accomplish much. Your closing is your call to action, an important piece many speakers fail to recognize.
4. Suggested speakrobe- business casual
Think back to the most boring talk you ever had to sit through. My bet is there was a monotonous voice in the front of the room, and a PowerPoint that had many words on it, that they proceeded to read to you slooowwwwly.
Instead take a casual approach to your talk, similar to how you’d chat with some coworkers. Make it a conversation, ask questions; get their input; talk about that funny noise the vent keeps making every time to Air Conditioning goes on! This will relax them, relax you, and keep a natural conversation.
5. Rinse and Repeat.
Very often after a talk you may look back and realize ‘I missed that point, or I went out of order’. Or you may see a recording of if and say “ Wow, I really didn’t give that over well”. What I’ve learned over time is not to sweat these much, because 90% of the talk was amazing! That final 10% is your room for improvement, and the more you get up on stage the smaller that % becomes. Keep perfecting and repeating. You’ll never get it to 100%, but at least you’re confident you’re not singing off tune like that AGT contestant!
As you know, many people are terrified of speaking in public. Can you give some of your advice about how to overcome this fear?
Just keep going! The more you speak the less frightful it becomes. Pssst here’s a little secret: It actually becomes enjoyable as you keep going. Don’t stop!
You are a person of huge influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I am not a huge influence (yet), so will have to pass on this one.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
Scott Kirby ,CEO of United Airlines. I feel there are so many ways to improve the flight experience in air travel and would love to pick his brain. Obviously, I would make sure he is served airplane food for lunch, so that he is inclined to agree with me that there is room for improvement!
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
Yes, primarily @ linkedin.com/in/steveshain/
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Making Something From Nothing: Leslie Yellin Of Animal Science Labs On How To Go From Idea To Launch
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Be kind to yourself. We all have this dream of overnight success, but the reality is that things take time. There were times when I would feel anxious or question some of the decisions I have made. My inner voice shut that down real fast. You have to be fully invested mentally and have a positive headspace.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Leslie Yellin.
Leslie Yellin is the Founder and CEO of Animal Science Labs, makers of K9 Comfort Spray. Yellin created a patent pending Human Molecular Extraction™ (HME™) method to make a spray using your unique scent to help ease a dog’s anxiety. As a leader in the pet industry for the past 30 years, Leslie is responsible for generating over one billion dollars in retail sales within the last decade in her past roles with Multipet International and LRY Inc. Yellin has done everything from baking dog biscuits, designing pet toys, to making multimillion dollar deals with some of the largest retailers in the world. When it comes to dogs, there is no limit to what she will do to help. Each year Leslie donates to many pet organizations including Florida Little Dog Rescue, Feeling Fine Canine Rescue, Kira Rescue, New York Bully Crew, No More Pain Rescue, and Blind Cat Rescue. She is also a board member of the Armed Forces Family Reserve which helps military families in need. Leslie’s love for all creatures can be seen in her backyard which is home to over 15 turtles, koi, frogs, ducks, and geese and deer with the occasional visit from some black bears. Leslie has a soft spot for senior dogs and dogs that have a hard time getting adopted. When looking for a companion for her 15-year-old Jack Russell, she put the word out that she wanted an ugly senior dog that nobody wanted. This led to her newest addition, 12-year-old Violet. She isn’t the cutest dog out there but is probably the most loved.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
I grew up in a military family and it was challenging to establish roots or deep friendships because we moved every few years. Traveling was a normal part of my childhood and impacted my education. I was educated in the Philippines, Germany, England, as well as five different states in the United States — all before I reached high school. When high school started, I wrote to several colleges asking if they would admit me without a high school diploma, as an independent minor, and with no financial support. After extensive interviews, I was admitted to Jacksonville University without a high school degree. It was the best decision I ever made and helped shape me into the woman I am today.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
You have to create your own luck. You have to be aware of the opportunities around you and take advantage of them.
I had so many strange jobs to put myself through college. I did everything from valet parking cars for a major hotel, baking dog biscuits, selling things over the phone (which was the worst) and working for a proctologist. I walked into each job without the skillset needed, and quickly figured out what the job required. I worked hard and constantly pushed myself to be the best at each level. For example, when people got their cars back at the hotel, I already gave their car a fresh wash and left a thank you note inside. I spent $5 of my own money to wash the cars and in return I received tips up to $100. When I baked dog cookies, I would shape them into dog houses, bones and dog faces. Sales quadrupled for the treats and so did my summer salary. At the proctology office, well, I took what was described as a “crappy” job and made things a lot more pristine. My efforts were acknowledged and appreciated and I was valued and rewarded by my employers.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
The Power of One is a loose autobiography by Bryce Courtenay. The story is about a young boy’s traumatic survival in a very hostile environment. It is extremely raw at times, but also very touching and beautiful, showing the kindness of a few strangers. Although I did not become a prized boxer, as he did in the book, I found the foundation very similar to my own and his story very inspiring.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
You have to truly believe in yourself and your product. Your inner voice has to say “you can do this”. For me, I wrote out every single thing I thought I would need to launch my brand. I wrote out phases and made myself commit to them. That being said, you also have to be able to step back and evaluate how things are going and in some cases, go in a completely different direction. That can be very painful, expensive, and frustrating. However, it keeps the momentum going.
I also need good people around me. I am one of those people who wants to work with people who are smarter than me. I want them to challenge me. I want them to feel like they have a voice and if they have an idea that will help grow and support our brand, go for it. I also need and thrive on laughter. Yes, launching a company is very emotional, but if you can laugh even during the rough times, it makes it so much more enjoyable.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
Utilizing a search engine and looking up keywords associated with your idea is the first step for any research. In my case, I knew my concept was original. What I didn’t know was how to manufacture it, and prove my claims to be true. I started by studying research and reports from different doctors and universities. I had to learn about molecular science and which particular molecules I needed to make my product work. I also studied veterinarian medicine that focused on the canine brain and olfactory. Then, I needed to learn about working with laboratories and how to speak their language. In the end, the more I learned, the more excited I was about launching K9 Comfort Spray.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
The first thing to do is find out if your concept or idea is something consumers want. Then, look at your competition. Pay close attention to how products are packaged and what resonates with you. Then write it out and make a plan. To help handle the legality involved, I used an attorney to register my company. There are several things every company needs to set up including purchasing liability insurance, design packaging, and register trademarks. I found the government websites very helpful. I have written my own patents, but it is an extremely detailed process so I would recommend hiring a patent attorney. If you don’t have a large budget, you can start with a provisional patent which gives you a year to file the documents but protects your idea.
Regarding manufacturing, in my case, we manufacture our products ourselves here in the United States. We found various manufacturers through internet searches that supply our needs. I recommend being conservative in your purchases, even if you save money on bulk. Currently, our biggest challenge is locking in inventory due to supply chain issues.
In terms of retail and distribution, building a website was key for our business model. This is the base of our selling platform. I hated our first website and restarted it from scratch halfway through the build out. Remember, websites and social media channels need to be revamped and updated constantly. When you finish your website, plan on going back in a few weeks or months and making some tweaks. I hired a designer experienced with e-commerce websites because we are selling direct to consumer and wanted to get the most distribution online.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
Be conservative with your spending. I had someone say “go big or go home” when I was ordering supplies. So, I ordered bottles, thousands of labels and packaging items. Then I had to redo my packaging due to ingredients changing and finding out that certain products do well over others. It was so painful to throw away thousands of labels and pamphlets that had no meaning.
Be kind to yourself. We all have this dream of overnight success, but the reality is that things take time. There were times when I would feel anxious or question some of the decisions I have made. My inner voice shut that down real fast. You have to be fully invested mentally and have a positive headspace.
Know that you may fail at things. Failing will not kill you. Failing will not define you. Failing will teach you lessons and make you stronger. Do not fear failure and don’t let failure embarrass you.
Stop trying to control everything. Yes, it’s your passion project, but allow others to take on major responsibilities. You may want to see every ad, every post, every write up, but eventually you have to trust your people and empower them to make decisions on their own. I handed over the reins to our social media accounts and clearly saw that I would not have been as good as my team. If I didn’t give over my control, it would have only hurt me In the long run.
Don’t be afraid to change your mind. You might have made a commitment to do something, or work with someone but if you don’t like how it is going, be honest and direct and come up with an exit strategy. I wasn’t as direct as I could have been in the beginning and ended up hanging on to some people because I felt bad for them. That’s not how to run a business. You have to accept the fact that not everyone is going to like your decisions.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
Go to the USGov website for patents and do a search for your idea. I also think it is really important to lock in your website domain. Don’t wait on that step. You may end up changing your product name or company name based on what is available.
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
I have extensive experience, so I felt confident in my abilities to start my business myself. If you don’t have the background, then yes, I suggest researching and hiring a consultant or expert in the field.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
Initially, I thought about raising venture capital. I already had people interested in investing. Then I asked myself, “do I need this money or can I handle this myself”? When I broke down the numbers, I decided to do it on my own. It felt like I had the parachute of investors in case I needed the funds, but it also feels pretty amazing to say that this is all me. It’s my company and my achievement.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
My main mission is helping animals have a better life. There are millions of animals in shelters, fosters and with rescue organizations. As these dogs and cats are waiting for their forever home, they are scared, confused, and frankly lonely. For every product we sell, we go to shelters and donate dog and cat toys. The toys help stimulate their brain, encourage exercise, and in some cases give the pets something to cuddle and love. It is my wish that all animals have homes, but until that time, we will continue to do our part and bring warmth and love in the form of toys.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I would love to start a movement to find homes for all the dogs and cats living in shelters, especially black dogs and black cats which are the least likely to be adopted. I would love it if there was a program where photographers could receive grant money or a small stipend to photograph these dogs wearing a collar of flowers or an adorable hat/sweater to help give them some personality. A snapshot of a dog posted online doesn’t do them justice, especially if they have black fur or are senior dogs. But a dog wearing a tiara is certainly going to get some interest.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I would love to sit down and have a meal with Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx. Most of us know her story, but what I most admire is her humor, attitude, and how she cares for her employees. To me how she respects and rewards her employees is what people dream of, and so very few get to experience.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
