The Future is Now: “A Googling Mindset to Video” With Hank Frecon of Source Digital

I would love to focus on the problems of education in underprivileged societies. I wasn’t a big believer in education growing up, and I took my ability to have a solid education for granted. I still have issues with the lack of practical applications in education that are devoid in public schools and also many private schools. I think that we can make big changes if we stay focused on building educational foundations and awareness for the importance of things like managing our natural resources or the impact that a person may have on a global level at the smallest level in those societies.

As a part of our series about cutting edge technological breakthroughs, I had the pleasure of interviewing Hank Frecon.

He is CEO and co-founder of Source Digital, pioneering the next generation of advertising and commerce technology. Source offers a revolutionary technology that is reinventing advertising by activating brands and commerce companies on content and publisher partners by integrating them into organic viewer engagement at any moment in the content. Frecon and his co-founders have been in stealth development of this game-changing tech for 7 years, which has already been awarded 7 patents with 6 more pending! Source Digital’s revolutionary approach is a new era in advertising, offering the first seamless, in-video consumer attribution and purchasing processes that continue to engage the end-user while delivering substantially increased revenue. Today, Frecon’s technology enables multi-billion dollar entities and small businesses alike to fully leverage sales funnels by introducing opportunities for product purchase at just the right moment in a user’s journey, completely agnostic to any device or screen.

Frecon’s extensive record of successful leadership includes a stable tenure of executing on building businesses and divisions for early-stage initiatives and carrying them to profitability and maturity. In one case, when entering the VPN Market, Frecon co-developed an innovative model for growth, quickly scaling the company from 200K to 24M per year in contract value within just eight months, making it the third-largest private network/VPN provider at the time between AT&T & Sprint. Subsequently, he contributed to the creation of one of the first end-to-end Video-on-Demand models for the consumer markets for companies such as Verizon Avenues, Accenture, and DiStream. Frecon also successfully drove the expansion of SAVVIS into new territories and ventures, including entering the Latin American market, along with defining and building SAVVIS’ Media & Entertainment vertical, including leading teams affiliated with various M&A activities. In addition, he has served as a strategic tech consultant to multinational media conglomerates like CBS Corp and Simon & Schuster.

Frecon then went on to lead business affairs for Agnostic Development Corporation, a Media & Entertainment software company focused on compression and distribution technologies for customers, along with its owned and operated companies. In concert with his for-profit initiatives, Frecon also successfully led digital support and technology contributions for the Sundance Film Festival’s short film program. Frecon then moved on to co-found RadiantGrid, a next-generation video compression technology company where he led business, finance, and operations in the role of Managing Director, accelerating the operation from zero to millions in profits within three years and subsequently exiting at a significant multiple over revenue. During his time at the company, RadiantGrid supported some of the largest M&E brands, including NBC Universal and NHL in the early days of pioneering digital video compression and distribution efforts to emerging VoD outlets and Owned & Operated web properties. His team also executed a multi-million dollar contract with PBS, coordinating a successful collaboration between the non-profit broadcasting network and the AMWA to develop a new industry standard for meta data. After the sale of the company to Wohler, Frecon stayed on for a few years to oversee the transition of the business into the Wohler global organization.

Outside the office, Frecon continues his family’s third-generation farming legacy at Frecon Cidery, one of Pennsylvania’s premier cideries he helped to establish in 2008. Frecon’s operation features 100% estate-grown apples from his father and master cultivator, Henry Frecon. In his spare time, he enjoys assisting with another of his start-up ventures — Boyertown-based nano-brewery The Other Farm Brewing Company — in addition to spending time with his wife and daughter, Sephie, and enjoying as much time as he can outdoors. Learn more about Hank Frecon and Source Digital’s innovative media marketing solutions at SourceDigital.net. Source Digital: Media’s New Currency.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

As an Environmental Science and Geography Major at Slippery Rock University, technology was not really at the forefront of my initial career path. However, as a kid, I always liked tinkering and building things: radios, rocket ships, etc. In the late 90’s, I was getting ready to graduate from college and a few of my friends coaxed me down to Washington, D.C. to come work with them. “Silicone Alley” was emerging on the east coast and big internet companies and start-ups were the hot new thing. I moved down to D.C. and got into the internet at its early stages. I soon realized it was a premium that would one day become a commodity. I started thinking of building things that the internet would layer up and serve and realized that video would be one of those things. That’s pretty much where I got my start. I became very interested in video and audio communications over the internet. I started working in early stage endeavors at Savvis to expand their market share, particularly targeting video companies that wanted to exist on the internet. This was the early days, we were streaming, all pre-Netflix. At that point, I learned the value of tech start-ups and I began to develop skill sets in the business and engineering zones- all of the facets that you need to be a modern tech CEO in today’s landscape. I eventually took those skills and co-founded another company, which had a successful exit. I got a taste of what that could be like, enjoyed the process and here we are today at Source Digital.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

The most interesting story for me would have been 9–1–1. I was in my 20’s and had taken an assignment that ended up being successful with a new product that we launched. With the advent of that product, we quickly became the number three VPN Provider. At that point, the executives asked me what I would like to do next. I asked them what their hardest problems were and they said that they had some issues with the Latin American and Caribbean market. I thought that sounded fun, so I headed to Brazil to interview a new country manager for the company. During the interview, the news was playing behind us in Portuguese. All of a sudden we started seeing the footage of what was happening in New York with the Twin Towers. After the second plane hit, the gentleman said, “Wow, that’s a crazy accident.” I said…”I don’t think that’s an accident. Why don’t we wrap it up for now. I have some things to figure out and get home.” I couldn’t get back to the States, but I was able to get to Peru, where my wife-to-be lived. Through that process, I was able to spend more time with her while I was in the country. I guess you could say that 9–1–1 was a catalyst to my later years with my wife.

Can you tell us about the “Bleeding edge” technological breakthroughs that you are working on? How do you think that will help people?

Right off the bat, there are two types of people who need to be helped. If we value the qualitative aspects of the video industry that we have come to know and love, we must make sure that there is a healthy revenue plan that allows these video companies to compete in the internet generation. They have been left by the wayside and that is largely due to a shift. What the internet does well is create a rewards value for brands and marketers on real time audience engagement. From a video technology company’s point of view, their world was traditionally measured on success by simply getting views. Views aren’t good enough. Views have to be able to measure something and turn into measurement values. They have to turn into engagement understanding. That is where Source stepped up. We need to bring a social media, e-commerce, and a googling mindset to the video itself. This will add value to the consumer, who is already looking for these things. They’re already going to Google, they are already going to Amazon based on trends or things they see in the video. We wanted to make that be able to happen in real time. We wanted to make it measurable for the content owners who are spending huge dollars. If the world emerges where content is quantitative, because there is no revenue strategy to make it worthwhile to produce and be in existence, we will live in a very un-creative world.

The medium of video is arguably the most powerful communications medium and it’s survivability from the 1940’s and how it has evolved over time. Projections are that it will be 82% of the internet by next year and it will be 90% of 5G traffic by 2028. The medium of video is not going away. It is just a method that we have to embrace, create quality standards and make sure the revenue stays up for it.

On a consumer side, consumers need a democratic landscape. They don’t need one monopoly being their product journey. They don’t need just one place or destination for their interests. When a monopoly exists, it’s not god for anyone. It restricts the ability for the consumer to have relationships with their brands, it forces them to pass through gateways where likes and favorites are being measured around brands, where they can’t have an understanding of what is organic and unto themselves, where they have to be told/taught by whomever is cool or hip. That creates a flat universe. What Source does is monetizing in-video and creating contextual relationships with the viewer through storytelling. This intersects the moment in their life where something is of value. Finding that relationship with the brand is a very important journey.

How do you think this might change the world?

I think changing the world is fairly straightforward. I am not going to say that the environment is going to fully recover because of Source, I’m not going to say that we will no longer have a divided country because of Source. I will say that from a technology perspective and a consumerism perspective, people can look at this medium of video that is so important in their lives and find a whole new relationship to it that they have been coveting for a while. It is not just about buying something in the moment, it’s about tagging that moment and sharing that moment. I think about my sister’s experiences in her Costume Design career, when she brought to my attention people reaching out to her to get information about the clothes she was putting on the screen in Hollywood. A story that resonated with me was an oncologist who reached out to her and wanted to buy one of Sookie’s pink hoodies from a particular episode of “True Blood”. The oncologist was not looking for herself. She was looking for one of her young patients who was a huge fan of the show. She wanted her patient to have the exact sweatshirt that Sookie wore. It is that kind of experiential relationship that we want to bring to consumers. We can put them in direct contact with the passions and inspirations that they get from the video.

Keeping “Black Mirror” in mind can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

There are risks with any new technology. We have to watch trends and we have to look at the pros and cons associated with this new technology. No one would have imagined that a preying on our narcissistic desires to be rewarded would lead to one of the greatest advertising mediums in modern history. At the same time, dealing with audience relationships in real time can also be on the public side of good things. You are giving people instant access to countless amounts of information. In a post Covid-19 landscape, it is very important for companies to have brand-safe relationships with the consumer and it is important for consumers to have a trusted relationship with their entertainment and their brands. These worlds are closely intersected. The positive is that we don’t have to have intermediaries for the viewers and their relationship with their content owners. We don’t have to have intermediaries with their brands and the products they love. Source is showcasing “I am watching something that I think is really great and now I want to learn more. I want to acquire something in the video or find out where they are in that movie and I want to go there.” I would much more equate Source to a public good, like Google than I would to some of the social media platforms and their value to or lack of value to humanity. If I think of what could go wrong, I think about user data and privacy/protection. We are excited about the new standards that are happening in protection and with user privacy, like the GDPR in Europe and legislation in the US. When people say that they don’t want to do Covid testing because of “big brother” tracing and I don’t want big brother monitoring me. I think…”Have you thought about that smart phone that you carry in your pocket?” There was a pixel installed and the minute you logged into your Facebook account, the advertisers were finding out your interests and able to talk to you right now. You may not want those ads, but you don’t have a choice. That is a problem. If anything, Source Digital is part of the next generation of consumer and internet engagement relationships. We are giving consumers more of that relationship and securing that relationship between them, their brands and their entertainment value proposition.

Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this breakthrough? Can you tell us that story?

There was and it was my sister, who is also a Co-Founder of Source. What I realized through her work is that viewers want real time engagement with their content. I also think about our journey to move the standard of video. When I say “our” I am referring to people like myself and the boutique companies in this space. You can find us by looking at The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) or the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC). We operate in a world where we have a certain set of knowledge, we speak a certain language, we have an underlying knowledge of the underlying architecture of video and the internet. When we moved video into the format of being internet capable, we forgot about something important. We forgot about the human relationship. When we think about things that make anything that was invented on the internet valuable to a brand or a content owner it is because they can help to measure the audience in real time. In regard to video, we retro-fit it where the most advanced things we originally thought about were subtitle information. We thought it would be cool to have multiple languages or a great way to overload the viewer with movie options or recommendations based on your viewing history. The reality is that the internet is much more dynamic than that. Through my sister’s work, I noticed the oncologist’s quest to help her patient or on “Mad Men” when the show was at its peak and Banana Republic created a Mad Men inspired clothing line. Culture is currency and video is a huge essence of what we do in culture. There are probably very few fashion designers who would have forecasted the comeback of a skinny tie, but Mad Men pioneered that. That makes you think about the impact of a video on our lives. The medium itself that we created where we move from the pre-internet days to the internet days, we originally forgot about those value propositions. We had that breakthrough with Source. People care about moments, they care about information in real time and we need to make that available to them.

What do you need to lead this technology to widespread adoption?

We need to get the world of publishers to realize that they still have the power. They still have the relationship with their user. Let’s think about machine learning and AI. When you start to create a monopolized infrastructure based on machine learning and AI, you start to have a non-democratic method method for how consumer relationships should be understood or should be groomed. Grooming consumer relationships is happening right now. Anybody who is fighting for existence in the world today, whether it is a brand, a publisher or a content owner is dis-serviced by these monopolies. Let’s say that I have developed great new content and I am very creative with a brilliant creative team. I put all of this energy into breaking new boundaries and creating good content. Then machine learning happens and I can only publish that content in some dystopian world where only three people let me publish that journey. I have to think about what happens when machine learning starts to take my ideas and intellectual capital. I have been intermediated so the only winner is that monopoly who controls my audience and controls the relationship with my viewer that originally found me because of what I created.

Now let’s put that to a brand. You are a brand that is trying to develop a relationship with a consumer, get your product understood, get it heard. What happens when you put all of your energy into these social landscapes and machine learning controls the relationship to the consumer. It is not in their best interest for you to get the business. It is in their best interest to make sure that they can re-groom your audience to find brands like yours. You lose because you worked really hard as that inventor to create your products and develop your brand and put that identity on your product that made it valuable in the first place.

What have you been doing to publicize this idea? Have you been using any innovative marketing strategies?

Our technology is so easy that we can send potential clients one of their own posted YouTube videos with our tech integrated. It proves how quickly and simply we can roll out, and that we don’t need any actual video files or permissions to get it done.

We have been focused on working to do a good job by delivering solid, efficient experiences for clients and picking up traffic organically. That has been the focus. We have recently partnered with a fantastic PR and Marketing Team as well.

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 my journey, I have constantly strived to learn, listen and evolve. My dad is a huge influence. He is always driving at something and never gives up. No matter how tough a situation happens to be, he sticks it out and stays focused on achieving a goal. My grandfather was another big influence. He taught me resiliency, pivoting, business dynamics, always seeing the glass half full in any equation and how to create a business opportunity out of that situation. My Grandfather grew up during the great depression, penniless. He built every single cent of wealth himself with two very successful businesses, both with our family farm as well as in real estate.

Professionally, I always remember Jack Finlayson, the President of Savvis. Jack was no nonsense and never got caught up in company politics. He always stayed focused on the goal. Through him, I learned a key trait. I asked him how he kept track of all of the tasks needed to be done in a day. He answered, “In my life, there are two types of things to worry about. Things that I need to know and things that I have to take action on.” It is those two types of things that drive my success.” Darcy Lorincz taught me how to deal with remote strategies and workforces. He taught me how to build companies for big visions. Those are some of my greatest mentors. There are many others, such as Rob McCormick, the CEO of Savvis. Rob taught me engineering, executing on vision, how important tech is to a vision. The lessons I learned from all of these people taught me how to solve complicated issues and learn from difficult events. The biggest lesson that I learned is that when you are starting a mid-growth company, one thing to always focus on is how to be able to work yourself out of a job. You have to be agile enough to go into any other area and be able to solve problems and move up the chain. You need to teach and figure out how to get somebody else to be able to execute the job. That will free you up to grow and build the next thing.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

I try to bring my expertise into areas and organizations that may not have the money or resources that I may have. For example, I volunteered to work with the economic revitalization initiatives in the small town where I grew up. The program was called Building a Better Boyertown (BBB). I ran the economic revitalization program, then took over operations and eventually became the Vice President of the program. That was a great way for me to contribute to a local community development. In building this program, we started a town festival called Pickfest to help support the small businesses in the area. The other thing that we recognized was that the town needed a Brewery. Nobody else stepped up to do it, so we did it. We built a fun music venue and brew pub in the center of town that is thriving today.

I also have interest in my family business, Frecon Farms. I began working with nonprofits and became the President and Founder of the PA Cider Guild which represents small craft cideries and helps to get them into the mainstream markets. Wherever there is an underdog and I can help the situation thrive with knowhow, I try to step up and take action.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)

1). If I had understood the value of engineering, physics, the sciences and their practical applications in life, I would have paid a lot more attention to these subjects in school.

2) People are complex. Managing human dynamics in a company is not something you can look at and just solve quickly. You have to consider the long range dynamics in company culture.

3) Being bootstrapped and building a company on that methodology is great. However, it is very hard to scale in today’s tech environment. It is important to have the right amount of capital to create a proportionate reward for the amount of time you have to execute. The goal of the company is very important.

4) Make sure that you have a strong operating partner in whatever you do.

5) Make sure that you always have a clear conversation with your spouse and children and set the expectation for the lack of time that you ultimately have while you are on these building exercises. Make sure that they are ok with it and understanding of it.

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 focus on the problems of education in underprivileged societies. I wasn’t a big believer in education growing up, and I took my ability to have a solid education for granted. I still have issues with the lack of practical applications in education that are devoid in public schools and also many private schools. I think that we can make big changes if we stay focused on building educational foundations and awareness for the importance of things like managing our natural resources or the impact that a person may have on a global level at the smallest level in those societies. We need educators to teach that just because a parents/grandparent or lack thereof might have had an issue of not being educated, you don’t have to carry that burden and you can succeed. I think we can be a much better world if we went upstream and instead of trying to solve stop gap problems, start asking the question: How do we get back to the source where the issue started? We need to start putting energy at the source of the problem.

For the more educated areas, I would love to focus on making everyone purchase food from less than 250 miles away and within an annual cycle. If people started thinking about their food supply and caring about it at a local level, they would better understand the waste and pollution that is happening on a daily basis. If people had to actually think about their local food supply, they would see the world differently.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Hank, you don’t always get to do what you want to do in life. Sometimes you are going to have to learn to like what you do. “ — that is a quote from my Dad. At first it sounds like a hard knocks quote, but it is actually a Zen quote. If you can find joy in every aspect and learn from every part of your life, it makes the difficult and unpleasant things you have to do something that you can enjoy and appreciate.

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 🙂

Video is the #1 consumed media format in the world — the most dominant form of outward messaging our society has ever encountered in modern history. The internet made that so, but the commercial usage of video is exactly as it has been for 80 years. You start a video, you see an ad, then the content. Maybe there’s a commercial break in the middle. Watching a video on Hulu is essentially the same experience as watching it on a TV set in 1965. It got left behind and can not compete like all other things can compete on the internet today. It can not manage its audience in real time. It needs a solution to make it interactive. We need to bring it to the forefront of a public good, just like Google is when you look for information or Amazon when you are looking for a product. Video is the best vehicle to reach out and connect with the viewer. Traditionally this has been a one-way communication. Source Digital will come in and optimize that video to make it interactive in a way that lets it compete against social media giants in all facets. It allows brands and retailers seeking monetization to measure audience behavior at a level that currently only exists on social media or search engine strategies.

How can our readers follow you on social media? We are a “blank label” service provider, and we don’t market directly to consumers. We also believe that our video solutions help brands beat the social media monetization challenge. Therefore, we mostly rely on LinkedIn to keep up with our partners, and we help them utilize their social media in a bigger way.

Source Digital Linked In: Source Digital https://www.linkedin.com/company/sourcedigital

Source Digital Twitter: @SourceSync_io

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.


The Future is Now: “A Googling Mindset to Video” With Hank Frecon of Source Digital was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Big Ideas That Might Change The World: “Walkable & Bikeable Communities” With Alan Loomis of…

Big Ideas That Might Change The World: “Walkable & Bikeable Communities” With Alan Loomis of PlaceWorks

Share knowledge freely — your influence is expanded when you share what you know. Mentor and elevate the people you work with — you’re only as good as your team, and your first job as a team leader is to make your team members successful.

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 Alan Loomis.

Alan Loomis is an urban designer, planner and educator practicing in the Los Angeles area.

Presently, Alan is a Principal of Urban Design with the California planning firm PlaceWorks based in the company’s downtown LA office.

From 2017 to 2020 Alan was the City Urban Designer for Santa Monica, California, where he worked with City divisions and departments, outside agencies, the general public, and local interest and community groups to provide a cohesive and comprehensive approach to urban design. In this role, he was the City’s lead for Promenade 3.0, a comprehensive redesign of the iconic Third Street Promenade.

Before Santa Monica, Alan led the urban design program for the City of Glendale for twelve years, starting in 2005 as the City’s first on-staff urban designer. Alan was responsible for bringing the Downtown Specific Plan (DSP) and Mobility Study to adoption, and personally managing the design review for over 20 new downtown projects, representing over 3,000 new residences. He also worked on projects for the Disney/Dreamworks creative campus and in the Tropico District surrounding Glendale’s Metrolink/Amtrak station, working with some of the most prolific and prominent architects and developers in the region during regular, often weekly, design sessions. Following the DSP, Alan directed a wide range of urban design based policy projects, such as the Maryland Off Broadway Art & Entertainment District, the Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance, the Community Plan program and the Space 134 Freeway Cap Park, leading multi-disciplinary teams through an equally wide range of public outreach programs.

Prior to his tenure in the public sector, Alan was an urban designer for the Pasadena firm Moule & Polyzoides Architects and Urbanists, where he directed planning projects for various cities and colleges in California, New Mexico and New Jersey.

Alan is a frequent speaker and tour guide on urbanism in Los Angeles, and has served on interview panels to select new planners, urban designers and architects for the Cities of Los Angeles, Pasadena, Santa Monica, and Santa Ana, among others. He has sat on juries for planning award programs and the City of Los Angeles “LA Lights the Way” streetlight design competition, and created the DeliriousLA listing of Los Angeles area architecture and urban design events, now hosted and curated by the Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design.

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?

It starts with Godzilla. As a young child, I had a plastic toy Godzilla that I liked to play with, and that meant I was also building mini cities out of Legos, cardboard boxes, and toy cars for Godzilla to smash. As my model buildings and bridges became more elaborate, someone suggested I might grow up to be an architect. That idea stuck, and I eventually studied architecture in college and graduate school. But I went to college in Detroit in the mid-90s, when the city was essentially at the bottom of a long disinvestment cycle brought on by de-industrialization. So Detroit prompted me to start thinking about the future of cities. As the prototype of decentralized auto-oriented urban sprawl, Los Angeles attracted me for graduate school, where I saw an ideal laboratory to model possible futures for the American city I saw evolving after living in Detroit. After a number of years in architecture school and firms, I began focusing on urban design projects. Eventually I decided that I wanted to implement the urban plans I helped write as a consultant, so I joined the City of Glendale, California as their first on-staff urban designer. What I thought would be a five-year diversion in the public sector turned into a 15-year career in local government, working intimately with the community of Glendale, and then later Santa Monica. While it was incredibly rewarding, because working in City Hall allows a deep dive into how cities are made, it is ultimately a narrow stream. Returning to the consultant world by joining PlaceWorks opened the opportunity to swim in wider rivers and apply my experience in a more impactful way by working with more communities in California.

Can you please share with us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

When I first joined Glendale, I was tasked with writing the City’s Downtown Plan in partnership with Hassan Haghani, who was then deputy director of planning. I presumed that while I would focus on the technical details, Hassan would manage the politics of projects. A few months after I joined the City, on the night we launched an advisory committee made up of downtown developers, business leaders, past and present commissioners and mayors, and some of the city’s most notorious gadflies, Hassan informed me he was taking a leave of absence to battle cancer. He then asked me why I looked like a deer caught in headlights — he had more confidence in my ability to handle the political nature of the job than I did. About a year later, shortly before Hassan beat off cancer and returned to work, we adopted the Downtown Plan. That success, and Hassan’s belief in me, helped build my reputation in Glendale, and he proved to be one of the most significant influences in my career. Sadly, Hassan passed away in 2018, but I hope that I honor his life by following the leadership and example he demonstrated as a boss, mentor and friend.

Which principles or philosophies have guided your life? Your career?

I’ve usually made career choices based on three questions: Where can my experience and knowledge have the biggest impact or influence? What set of problems or issues looks like the most fun to engage? And finally, who are the people I will be working with — are they hard-working, honest, and generous? I’ve been fortunate in that each time I’ve entertained a significant career choice, I’ve found a positive answer to each question.

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”?

Walkable and bikeable communities. I realize this isn’t terribly sexy after urban planners spent the past decade talking about e-scooters, self-driving cars, micro-electric grids, so-called smart cities filled with sensors of all kinds, and all types of other high-tech solutions to urban issues. But the problem with all those ideas is they require yet another highly centralized infrastructure system to scale up and deliver the positive impact the technology promises. Walking and biking are decidedly low-tech solutions accessible to almost everyone right now, and bring your focus back to the local community — your neighbors, the businesses in your neighborhood, the art and culture in your backyard. In most cities in America, we’ve privileged the private vehicle in the allocation of public space to such an extent that many people don’t realize this is a deliberate, designed choice in how we build cities. I believe we need to change that design paradigm to make walking and biking not only the preferred, but also the safe, choice for getting around.

How do you think this will change the world?

As the pandemic shutdown cities around the world, we saw the immediate climate benefits of reducing our addiction to fossil fuel transportation as pollution has decreased and air quality has increased globally. Since transportation forms the bulk of our carbon emissions, we need to sustain this trend and do even more if we are serious about addressing climate change. Reducing our reliance on private cars while increasing cycling and walking as a mobility choice will be a significant element of this effort. I also think there could be a long-term economic and social benefit in slowing down and shifting our attention back to our local communities. Too many places have been left behind or even abandoned in our rush to drive to the next town. Globalization and ever-larger companies have really ravaged the economic base of many smaller communities, and I’m in favor of any strategy that helps build local economies, wealth, and culture.

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 can’t think of any drawback to more people walking and biking in their communities. The individual health benefits are clear, and it is far easier to connect socially with your neighbors when you are not in a car. We know that the communities most resilient to economic shocks or natural disasters are the ones with the strongest social connections amongst residents, not necessarily the wealthiest cities. Those social connections can also build a more robust and nuanced political discourse than what we experience in the national media or our social media feeds. Furthermore, a strong social network is probably a necessary step in expanding investment within the community and growing local economies.

I suppose you might argue I’m promoting a “Bedford Falls” view of city life, colored with a Capra-esque tint of nostalgia and the potential for local provincialism. Perhaps — but I think the impacts of a national and global trade have been so broadly felt that it’s hard to see a significant downside in letting the pendulum swing in favor of the local.

Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this idea? Can you tell us that story?

I’ve always held the belief, based on the data demonstrating the benefits of walkable and bikeable cities, that we needed to spend more effort on this front. But the impacts of the pandemic’s “stay-at-home” orders have really illustrated the need to make our cities safer for pedestrians and cyclists. We’ve seen cities around the world creatively retrofit the focus of their streets from cars to people. It’s certainly been an inspiring expression of human ingenuity in the face of dire economics and health circumstances.

What do you need to lead this idea to widespread adoption?

Sadly, a global pandemic seems to have been the trigger to jump start a widespread appreciation of walking and biking in our cities. But like so many other trends, I think the pandemic in fact accelerated a movement already underway. So how can we translate the types of ad-hoc infrastructure cities built in the past few months to support walking and biking into a long-term change in our streets? The challenge will be to resist the urge to go back to business-as-usual when the pandemic subsides. Hopefully the tangible example of slow streets, “streateries,” bikeways, and the other recent innovations illustrates a desirable future for urban residents, who will demand such things become permanent features.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)

  1. If you don’t know exactly what you are doing yet, draw with a fat marker.” A great saying, especially appropriate for designers, and especially appropriate in the computer age, when everything wants to be extra precise at the beginning. Broad brushstrokes are usually the best way to get started. “Do a brain dump” is another way to capture this idea, appropriate when faced with writer’s block. As a youth, the fear of making a mistake can often lead to paralysis, when in fact learning from and correcting the mistake is the best way to move forward.
  2. “It’s all about the relationships.” A slightly different way of saying “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” except with the more focused emphasis on how well you know the person, and implying that it is not enough to simply know someone; you need to put effort into that knowing.
  3. “What you resist will persist.” One of Hassan Haghani’s many aphorisms — trying to push a problem away almost certainly means it won’t go away.
  4. “I’m speaking to the door so the window can hear.” Another of Hassan’s sayings, this time translated from Farsi, his native language. On many occasions, while speaking directly to one person, Hassan’s message was really meant for someone else who was also in the room. Once he shared this phrase with me, I always payed attention to his conversations with other people. I wonder how many indirect messages I missed from other mentors and bosses before I learned this saying.
  5. “The pace of change has never been faster than it is today — and it will never be slower than it is today.” I don’t know who first said this, but I’ve heard it repeated often. When I was younger, I certainly didn’t appreciate how frequently I would need to adapt to new circumstances.

Can you share with our readers what you think are the most important “success habits” or “success mindsets”?

Share knowledge freely — your influence is expanded when you share what you know. Mentor and elevate the people you work with — you’re only as good as your team, and your first job as a team leader is to make your team members successful.

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 🙂

Invest in local communities. Study upon study shows that dollars spent in local businesses stay within the community, whereas money spent in national chains mostly leaves and is invested elsewhere. There is an almost endless supply of small communities hungry for economic investment. The pandemic and the housing affordability crisis has illustrated the danger of over-concentrating wealth and jobs in a few dominant cities as the economy has sputtered and we’ve seen income disparities made painfully evident. A smart strategy to diversify investments in businesses across a range of local communities could potentially have huge rewards both economically and socially.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

PlaceWorks is online at www.placeworks.com, and I’m on Twitter @alanloomis and Instagram @deliriousla. My portfolio of work and writing is online at www.deliriousla.com.

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.


Big Ideas That Might Change The World: “Walkable & Bikeable Communities” With Alan Loomis of… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future Is Now: “AR that gives children the perspective of real-life situations that are easily…

The Future Is Now: “AR that gives children the perspective of real-life situations that are easily understandable” with Kiddopia’s Anshu & Anupam Dhanuka

Technology has become completely ingrained in our everyday lives, but as beneficial as the digital world can be, many people think that we have become too dependent on it. Many kids are shielded from using technology, because parents tend to have negative feelings about giving their kids too much screen time, especially at an early age.

Through Kiddopia, we are trying to break the stigma, and give parents peace of mind by conveying that screen time can be healthy if it is used to keep children engaged and learning through a platform that will help them grow and develop. We have intentionally created Kiddopia to be a safe, diverse and educational platform that fosters growth and creativity. We’re living in a modern world that relies heavily on video content and passive consumption of digital media, and while we’re able to consume more information than ever before, this tends to create impatience within children and a shorter attention span if they’re not actively engaged in screen time.

As part of our series about cutting edge technological breakthroughs, I had the pleasure of interviewing Anshu Dhanuka & Anupam Dhanuka, co-founders of Kiddopia.

Anupam Dhanuka is the Co-Founder & CEO of Kiddopia USA Inc. He is primarily responsible for the general management and operations of the company and leads the engineering team. Anupam and his wife Anshu Dhanuka became strategic business partners and launched Kiddopia as a start-up venture in July 2017, with a goal of creating a world class “edutainment” apps for preschool kids that is both educational and engaging. Kiddopia has since become an award-winning app, COPPA Certified by kidSAFE, consistently ranks amongst the Top 5 Kids’ Apps in the US according to the Apple App Store and has over two million active users across the globe. Anupam is a passionate tech entrepreneur with in-depth expertise in mobile apps and games. Prior to launching Kiddopia, Anupam received his Master’s Degree in Computer Engineering from the esteemed Carnegie Mellon University. He has over 15 years of experience leading technology teams and has held positions at Morgan Stanley and Dolby Laboratories Inc. Aside from being an entrepreneur, Anupam is a father of a young child, enjoys running and has completed several half-marathons.

Anshu Dhanuka is the Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer of Kiddopia USA Inc. She is responsible for managing Kiddopia’s Game Concept and Design, Graphics, Animation and Marketing Strategy. Dhanuka has strong design skills and provides creative direction to the Kiddopia team. Anshu and her husband Anupam Dhanuka became strategic business partners and launched Kiddopia as a start-up venture in July 2017, with a goal of creating a world class “edutainment” apps for preschool kids that is both educational and engaging. Kiddopia has since become an award-winning app, COPPA Certified by kidSAFE, consistently ranks amongst the Top 5 Kids’ Apps in the US according to the Apple App Store and has over two million active users across the globe. Anshu received her M.A. degree in Finance from Nottingham University Business School. Along with her design skills and immense knowledge of the kid’s digital space, Dhanuka brings in first-hand experience of being a mother of a young child. Through Kiddopia, her mission is to make screen time valuable and safe in the lives of kids at a time when digital media consumption is inevitable.

Thank you so much for participating in our series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

The iPad came out the same year our daughter celebrated her first birthday and we realized right away that touch screen devices have great potential for early childhood education. We wanted to create games that our daughter would enjoy and grow from and incorporate things she was interested in and loved doing in “real life,” whether it was feeding animals at a petting zoo or decorating a cake. From there, our company Paper Boat Apps was born. We realize there’s a difference between games that simply entertain and those that actually teach and help kids develop. To that end, we’ve created our subscription-based app, Kiddopia, to be the best of both worlds and is tailored to kids between the ages of one and seven years old. Anupam’s background in engineering combined with Anshu being a tech savvy mother with a passion for gaming, made for the perfect combination for creating an experience for kids and parents alike to enjoy together through Kiddopia.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

We took a huge risk in rolling out Kiddopia, and although we were confident in its capabilities after undergoing numerous rounds of testing and spending countless hours to perfect the app, launching a new product can be extremely stressful. As parents ourselves, we were very optimistic about the app, and because it is essentially a collection of all of our past games together in one application, we implemented the features that were effective and eliminated the ones that were not, in order to create the final product. Almost immediately after Kiddopia launched, we were met with an overwhelming amount of support and positive feedback from our audience who had been searching for an app that gave them a reason to feel good about giving their children access to screen time. In general, we didn’t expect the kind of subscriber conversions, retention metrics and positive reviews from our user base. It was a turning point for us and since then we solely and fully focused on Kiddopia opposed to the other initiatives/games that we had in the works. Our vision for the app has come full circle, as parents continue to use Kiddopia as a tool to help their children learn and grow during a crucial time in their development. Kiddopia has resonated with kids worldwide in over 150 different countries and we hope to continue to help parents connect with their children in new and innovative ways as the app continues to evolve. As parents and business owners, we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to make an impact on the lives of young children and humbled by the amount of success we’ve experienced so far on this journey.

Can you tell us about the cutting-edge technological breakthroughs that you are working on with Kiddopia? How do you think this app will help people?

We’ve created an Augmented Reality feature in the Kiddopia app that gives children the perspective of real-life situations that are easily understandable, engaging and visual. The goal is to allow children to explore the virtual world that lives within Kiddopia and see that the features within the app can be translated to the real world.

In addition to Augmented Reality, Kiddopia’s educational games cater to the learning track of each child and their individual needs. Every activity is mapped out, and the narrated questions within the game adapt to their skill levels so children are exposed to the content appropriate to them. The app also has a progress tracking feature that monitors the child’s progress easily with Kiddopia generated reports so that parents can see how their child is performing and targets growth areas they may need assistance with. Education is an individual and personal matter, and we have worked to make sure that each parent can track and understand their child’s unique talents and growth pace.

Our goal is to bring positivity to the lives of children and introduce them to technology early on, in a way that is healthy and facilitates growth, through the integrated technology that Kiddopia uses. We intentionally created this app to be interactive and nurturing in a way that instills positivity and empathy, both traits which we believe can help change the world.

How do you think Kiddopia might change the world?

Technology has become completely ingrained in our everyday lives, but as beneficial as the digital world can be, many people think that we have become too dependent on it. Many kids are shielded from using technology, because parents tend to have negative feelings about giving their kids too much screen time, especially at an early age.

Through Kiddopia, we are trying to break the stigma, and give parents peace of mind by conveying that screen time can be healthy if it is used to keep children engaged and learning through a platform that will help them grow and develop. We have intentionally created Kiddopia to be a safe, diverse and educational platform that fosters growth and creativity.

We’re living in a modern world that relies heavily on video content and passive consumption of digital media, and while we’re able to consume more information than ever before, this tends to create impatience within children and a shorter attention span if they’re not actively engaged in screen time. Since Kiddopia launched, we have developed a rapport with our young users and their families, because we create content that engages them in a productive way and allows them to see results as they watch their children learn to grow through the app. These games give children the tools to develop important characteristics, such as empathy, positivity and problem-solving which are very important qualities, especially in the real world.

Keeping the concept of “Black Mirror” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this sort of technology that people should think more deeply about?

Any form of technology that captivates our attention, even for short periods of time, has the potential to get the user hooked or addicted — it’s become human nature in a digital age and it remains true that “too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing”. This is why technology use should always be balanced and have its limits, especially when it comes to young children. This is something we have been conscious of while developing Kiddopia and have created tools like screen time controls to help parents limit the use of app according to their individual requirements and parental discretion. It’s extremely safe and privacy-conscious which has become very important in the digital world when it comes to sharing data.

Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this breakthrough behind the creation of Kiddopia? Can you tell us that story?

We were building different kids’ games a number of years before Kiddopia came to fruition, and it became challenging to market each app separately. We saw a need from parents who were searching for a comprehensive, one-stop solution to keep their kids engaged in a number of ways, when nothing like this had previously existed. So when the subscription model was launched by the app platforms, we took this as a huge opportunity to collate all our existing kids apps and package them into one app and give the parents the option to use the app as a holistic tool to grow with their children for the long term during the early childhood development years.

What would you need in order to lead this technology to widespread adoption?

Since Kiddopia is a digital platform, users need to have access to a smart phone or tablet, so making these tools more easily accessible and affordable, specifically to children in underserved countries, is the key to widespread adoption. Digital payment methods through credit and debit cards are essential for our subscription-based model, and because these payment methods are not fully adopted in developing countries, it is challenging to reach users in these areas. Kiddopia users are represented by over 150 countries around the world, and our goal is to continue to build awareness while finding ways to make Kiddopia accessible to all.

What have you been doing to publicize this idea? Have you been using any innovative marketing strategies?

Showcasing testimonials from real users has been a very successful medium in communicating that Kiddopia is an effective platform that works. Even Chrissy Teigen is a fan of Kiddopia and uses it frequently with her own kids (and we’re grateful that she and her family have become loyal users ☺.

When parents and teachers first begin using Kiddopia with their children, we encourage them to document the story of their learning journey while providing honest feedback, starting on day one. Through their initial testimonials, many users have expressed concerns about limiting screen time and create awareness around the pitfalls of passive video consumption for kids. However, during their journey with Kiddopia, they organically share their kids learning with Kiddopia and sharing their real-life experiences which is very impactful. We’ve seen the positive effects of showcasing real parents and their children who are going through this journey in real time and that creates a true sense of confidence and trust among new and existing users of Kiddopia.

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?

We will forever be grateful for our daughter Naavya who is now ten years old. She is the reason and inspiration behind Kiddopia and why we decided to begin this journey and create content for kids. She was not only our beta tester but also our biggest critic. As a child herself, there are times when she has given us some very insightful feedback and once we incorporated those changes, we found that our games were much more engaging and effective. We are fortunate that she has given us a direct and honest perspective that is similar to our users and has helped us to grow our vision.

In Kiddopia’s early development phase, we were hitting a wall and not reaching the anticipated results in terms of engagement, particularly with our Math activities. Even in the real world, it can be a challenge to get children to grasp onto Math, so we needed to re-strategize. After testing out this section with Naavya, she told us that she didn’t believe other kids would play the game unless they were rewarded in some way. Using her valuable insight, we created an incentivized component to the Math section in our next update and sure enough, we saw a 50% increase in session time. The update really spiked the engagement numbers and the whole experience of this learning section, and we had our daughter to thank for that. While we always intend to do what’s best for our children, sometimes we forget to truly listen to them, and when we do, we remember that they’re teaching us as much as we are teaching them.

How have you used your success to bring goodness or positivity to the world?

Education is key, and we believe all children should have access to a reaching their full potential for a bright future, regardless of their circumstances. This is something we are very passionate about, as both parents and entrepreneurs, and we are doing everything in our power to use the platform we’ve built with Kiddopia to make a difference in the lives of our users and beyond. Recently, we have begun to initiate conversations with schools in developing regions and NGOs about the ways we can provide children in these communities with access to tablets, in order to encourage digital learning through Kiddopia and other educational mediums.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each)

  1. Invest in your brand by investing in talented people, regardless of the cost. Hiring those who share your vision and future goals is essential to your success, because a supportive team with a strategic mindset is the foundation of any company.
  2. Implement previously vetted software and/or service providers with a proven track record that fits your needs to streamline and smoothen your operations instead of spending the time and resources to create your own.
  3. Let the market and your customers guide you. When it comes to app creation, you should always plan to first put out a very basic version and see how your audience responds to it before adding all of the bells and whistles. You should always walk before you run in order to avoid setbacks after it’s live — accept and embrace the fact that your app will constantly evolve in order to keep up with your customers’ needs.
  4. Delegate in order to maximize productivity and results. Trust in your team — you don’t have to take on each and every task yourself.
  5. Harness the power of networking. If you are very hands on with the day-to-day execution, it can be challenging to find the time to network with those in your eco-system. Networking is just as important as your operations, so make sure you’re dedicating the time and effort to taking advantage of the networking opportunities that add value to your business.

You are both people 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!

In an ideal world, we would love for Kiddopia to inspire change in the education system, especially for the underprivileged, by providing resources for children in the early development phase. When children are not given the proper attention and tools to learn at their individual pace and ability, there is a risk of falling through the cracks of the education system. We also hope that Kiddopia inspires social change and acceptance at a young age. Our app encourages diversity, gender parity and inclusivity across all facets and learning tools, and our goal is to educate and create a sense of empathy and acceptance that can be translated into reality. The world is going through some very difficult times at the moment, and we hope that parents will continue to use Kiddopia as a platform to instill values in our children that lead them to become the best version of themselves and drive positive change for generations to come.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

We truly believe that one of the best lessons to live by is to “keep moving forward,” in every aspect of life. We have always felt that by setting clear goals and doing everything in your power to pursue them, regardless of adversity, you will eventually reach the finish line — personally and professionally. For us, it felt like the universe was constantly throwing challenges our way on the road to creating Kiddopia and we had to continuously find ways to adapt and evolve — but we kept pushing forward and learned a lot through the process. Many app developers or companies that creates product will need to go through numerous rounds of revisions and pivots. This is just the nature of the business, so it’s crucial to be agile and nimble in your approach, listen to the market, and adapt until you find a solution that works.

It’s a bit of a David vs. Goliath story. After Kiddopia launched, we began to see some companies with deeper pockets drawing inspiration from the app and replicating some of our games. But while we found this very frustrating, we didn’t get discouraged. Clearly, we were doing something right because we were capturing the attention of those with greater resources and bandwidth. This actually motivated us to channel our energies into evolving our platforms and reaching a wider audience.

“Keep Moving Forward” was a phrase that also helped us through some financial obstacles, right around the same time. We were running Google Ads on our earlier apps when suddenly, we were notified that Google would no longer pay us to run ads, citing some policy changes. At that time, ad monetisation formed a big chunk of our revenue share, so we had to find a way to pivot immediately and keep our revenues on track in order to avoid financial setbacks. Our team decided that the best course of action was to shift to a subscription-based model which ultimately lead to the formation of Kiddopia. Through these challenges, we were able to find solutions that best served our customers and business as a whole, all while continuing to stay the course and working to grow as a company along with the support of family, friends and colleagues.

Some very well-known Venture Capitalists read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say?

Our ultimate goal is for Kiddopia to play a positive role in the childhood development of each and every child across the globe. We hope to instill passion for learning by providing access to a fun and educational platform, regardless of a child’s background, socioeconomic status and ability. We want to provide a platform that expands the mind and fosters creativity for children at an early age, so that they are positioned for success later in life. We believe that technology is the future, but more importantly, so are our children.

How can our readers follow you on social media?


The Future Is Now: “AR that gives children the perspective of real-life situations that are easily… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future of Retail Over The Next Five Years, With John Orr of Ceridian

Stay focused on putting the customer and employee at the center of everything you do. Be pragmatic and understand your customers’ business as well as your own. At the end of the day it comes down to your own personal brand, trusting relationships and earned credibility.

As part of our series about the future of retail, I had the pleasure of interviewing John Orr.

John is the senior vice president of retail strategy and execution at Global HCM company Ceridian. John has a track record of fixing poor performing operations and formulating successful go-to-market strategies.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

As is the case with many professionals, my career path was not a straight line — it was rather crooked. With my undergraduate degree in Aerospace Engineering/Airway Science, I always loved analysis and technology. However, after being in it for five years, I wanted more out of my career and a better fit for my personality. I have always thought of myself to be good at many things, but then realized my strengths lied in bridging business with technology to deliver value. So, while working full time I enrolled in a full-time night school to earn my masters degree in marketing and decision science. Soon after, I was recruited by a startup in the human capital management (HCM) space and put my skills to work bringing several HCM solutions to market over the next 28 years. I like taking strategic consulting and that higher purpose approach to software to help organizations achieve great value. Being able to bridge the tech with the business — knowing I am making a difference to my retail customers and their people — is hugely important and rewarding.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

After a year on the road building a production forecasting system for QSR companies, the founder pulled me in his office and asked me to bring our new “Ooie gooie” product to market — Visual Labor Management. I had never developed, I am not a coder, and I had never data modeled in my life, but I decided to give it a try. I ended up creating ERDs and DFDs and data dictionaries and such on the weekends — I became a shade tree data base adminstrator and worked directly with developers using draft documents and pictures on paper to bring it up (very old school!).

It turned out to be the leading system on the market in the mid-to-late 90s and I was able to deliver many innovative first-to-market systems, including a couple I will mention: 1) The first comprehensive WFM solution that delivered budgeting, executive dashboards, advanced scheduling methods, time & attendance, first PitCrew certification with Peoplesoft, and the first fully integrated employee self-service offering on the market — it was a game changer for us, me, and the industry, and 2) That product is now the foundational WFM design used at JDA and Red Prairie today.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or takeaway you learned from that?

Oh gosh yes, I was traveling and checked into my hotel. I had a meeting with an executive (my boss’s boss) and was to meet in the lobby at 6 pm. I was concerned because I don’t like to be late and was a bit nervous anyway. After waiting 15 minutes and giving her a call, I found out we were both in the lobby, but at different Marriott hotels. The lesson here is to make sure you know the address of the hotel, not just the name. A simple yet important thing to double check, every time.

Are you working on any new exciting projects now? How do you think that might help people?

Yes indeed, I like to be the best. We cannot just be good enough — which drives continued innovation. We are scaling Ceridian globally, while continuing to drive quantifiable value in our networks and with the people and businesses we serve — so very exciting times for us. Dayforce Wallet, our industry-first on-demand pay solution, gives users the ability to draw upon their earnings in real-time. Because we designed our solution the way we did, it enables us to do unique things that our customers and their employees find very valuable.

Whether continued advancements in mobile self-service, On-Demand-Pay, harmonized HCM solutions, and serving the front-line while also providing executive power tools for better visibility and profitability, I love to hear and see the adoption rate, the positive scores and feedback from their employees, and to know we are making a difference with our customers.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

I’d recommend these tips:

Stay focused on putting the customer and employee at the center of everything you do.

Be pragmatic and understand your customers’ business as well as your own.

At the end of the day it comes down to your own personal brand, trusting relationships and earned credibility.

It’s to not be satisfied with politics and protocol, but to always do what’s right as if your own personal integrity is on the line — because it is. The people you deal with will understand that and know it.

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 recently sent messages to some teachers I had that helped me grow in work and confidence:

One teacher allowed me to do independent study in math during high school — which showed me she cared and invested in my own interest and growth and — most importantly — that I could do it.

A few teachers and role models showed me tough love and pushed me beyond what I thought I could do. They showed me that working hard despite the grade was hugely important — never give up, hard work pays off, and there are not any short cuts that matter in the long run.

In my HCM career, executives who saw the value I offered and my capabilities and feeding that has continued to be a huge differentiator for me — it’s the difference between having a job or having a career.

Oddly enough, the same person who saw talent in me, who asked me to bring a new product to market, was the same person who joined me to launch what has now become Dayforce, 15 years later. He is extremely bright and taught me so many things. One story he used to tell me, he called it “dishwasher Bob” — essentially, despite the chaos, despite the politics, and despite the anxieties and distractions out there, hard work pays off. While all the distractions and people will come and go, you must remain focused on achieving results and success — just keep washing the dishes and everything else will work itself out.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

I have always had a soft soul and think about many things seen and unseen.

When I travel and it begins to weigh on me, I think about the people I can touch and help; whether the person left at the gate in a wheelchair that might want some water/coffee or anything, or the janitor picking up other peoples’ trash, or the situationally unaware people stepping all over someone who can’t stick up for themselves — I approach them and help them and tip them — to see the smile on the janitor’s face when I walked up to thank her for her work and what she does and gave her $40; to help the old vet who lost his phone and is meeting a someone he cannot call find it in his bag, that brings joy to my heart.

Another example is what is happening in South Africa. While the RAND continues to rise, the economy is sluggish in growth, unemployment is extremely high, graduation rates in high school extremely low, poverty is systemic, and no hope for better days nor faith that they will come. In working with Retail Orphan Initiative, I partnered with others to host the trip and install a computer lab with HP and Intel at Ithemba in Jeffry’s Bay. The program has grown to include the Global Leadership Academy — for a journey with these children from pre-K to graduating high school — amazing people and amazing to be a part of.

Can you share 5 examples of how retail companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers like to shop?

Examples of how retail companies will adjust over the next five years include:

  • Tangible dimensions of service quality will remain high and visible
  • Harmonized revenue models took on a new meaning and will persist in GTM strategy
  • The customer journey will continue to be agile and flexible
  • The shift in wealth from small to large and from specialty to essential will continue to reset to pre-COVID levels seen in 2019, by 2022
  • Employee wellness and engagement will remain meaningful and take on new forms

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. 🙂

To retain the empathy and genuine interest in others as individuals. To continue to strive to stop profiling and remove putting people in buckets or groups as if we all think monolithically just because we are of a particular race, gender, sex, religion, etc. If each of us could make someone smile on a daily basis — what a change we could make.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

https://twitter.com/john_orr

www.linkedin.com/in/john-orr-80b5592


The Future of Retail Over The Next Five Years, With John Orr of Ceridian was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future of Retail Over The Next Five Years, With Matthew Pavich of Revionics

I believe that bringing goodness to the world is how success should be measured. If you’re not making the world better with what you do, then what you do is probably not all that important. What really matters is that you bring goodness to the world.

As part of our series about the future of retail, I had the pleasure of interviewing Matthew Pavich.

Matthew Pavich, Managing Director of Global Strategic Consulting for Revionics, develops data-informed, industry-leading pricing strategies, processes, analytics and organizational fluency to help retailers meet the challenges of today’s increasingly dynamic and competitive landscape. As a leader in pricing and business strategy development, Matt has 20+ years of experience in retail encompassing consulting, buying, pricing, and marketing across a variety of retail verticals, industries and regions.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

My parents owned a convenience store growing up, so I spent a lot of time at my parent’s business understanding how to manage a store’s operations at a very young age. Since then, I’ve been blessed to experience the full spectrum of retail, from stocking shelves at a grocery store to working as a manager at a small retailer to holding positions in management and making headquarter-based decisions. I believe that if you never worked a boxcutter opening cases in retail, you won’t truly understand things like why certain products have a high percentage of damaged items. A lot of the things I learned regarding what happens operationally and functionally in a retail environment today is a result of the firsthand experience I had working these jobs.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

My career has taken me down a lot of unique places. If I had to choose one interesting story, it would be when I was doing an executive development program for one of my previous employers. I was sent with a team to participate in a rock-climbing adventure in the Black Forest (Schwarzwald). It was an exercise designed to teach us teamwork, how to trust our co-workers and build us to be great leaders. It’s here that I found out I was acrophobic — when I climbed to the top of a hill, I was afraid to repel back down. It took me quite some time, and I had to learn to trust my team to guide me. It’s a great example of the importance of trusting and relying on your team to be successful.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or takeaway you learned from that?

I made a lot of funny mistakes during my early career, but one story that wasn’t necessarily funny, but stands out to me as a bad business mistake, is when I was a manager at a retail gourmet bakery. My goal was to improve and streamline productivity, and one of the ways I achieved this was by reducing inventory and ordering fewer products. It was driving strong results, and I was happy with the decision. Well, come Christmas Eve, it turned out I took cutting inventory too far and we ran out of bread before we closed. Of course, Christmas is one of the biggest holidays for bakeries and it’s not a good time to run out of bread. Nonetheless, it was an informative experience early in my retail career that helped me understand the balance of cost reduction and inventory management, and how to make sure I always have the right number of products available for my customers. This lesson served me well as a merchant later on as I made sure our shelves were always stocked while still focusing on growing margins.

Are you working on any new exciting projects now? How do you think that might help people?

Our team at Revionics is always coming up with innovative ways to solve retail challenges. We have quite a few in the hopper right now, which you can learn on our website or by contacting us. In a nutshell, I spend a large percentage of my day working with retailers to find solutions to their pricing, promotion and markdown challenges. We play with some of the most exciting technologies that are really making an impact on businesses across segments, such as AI, and it’s rewarding to work with our customers to achieve their high-priority business goals by improving the accuracy and agility of their pricing. It’s exciting to be in a space and working for a company where we get to answer these key challenges on a daily basis.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

My recommendation is to always make time to unplug. As somebody who, prior to COVID-19, traveled and worked remotely from home, I’ve learned how important is to know when to shut down and truly define the times when I am working and when I’m logged off. That way, I can fully focus when I am available.

If you’re constantly staring at a computer, you’ll get Zoom fatigue and wear out. To combat this, it’s important to take breaks and exercise. While some days your schedule might not allow a full-on workout, there’s always an opportunity to take a quick break in the day to stretch your legs or go on a walk, taking care of both your body and mind.

I’ll also say while you’re not working, it’s nice to be creative and do things that are stimulating to the brain. That way, you keep your mind churning on something. For me, it means working on my improv, which works well with consulting because it helps keep me on my toes and practice answering things quickly. It’s a creative outlet that’s fun and engaging. By focusing on creative endeavors, you can thrive both professionally and personally.

None of us can 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 wife has always been a great support for me. When you have children and also live a life full of travel, it means everything to have a supportive person by my side who has her own fantastic career and who I can rely on to get things done when I need to focus on my work.

Outside of family, my first manager at Revionics, Sue Dale, was a great mentor who has consistently demonstrated the leadership qualities I admire most. It’s largely due to her guidance that I am in the position I am in today.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

I believe that bringing goodness to the world is how success should be measured. If you’re not making the world better with what you do, then what you do is probably not all that important. What really matters is that you bring goodness to the world.

One of the nice things about what we do here at Revionics is that on an everyday basis, we’re creating solutions that are both customer and retailer focused. We’re identifying the items that are most important for your average customers and we’re recommending ways to bring these key item prices down so that families can buy what they need. At the same time, we’re also helping retailers manage profit without hurting those key consumers. Especially in today’s post-COVID world, being able to stretch a dollar is important. Using analytics and best practices to make this come true is powerful for society.

What brings me the most personal satisfaction is to see how the work I’ve done as a consultant is helping others be better at their job and elevate their careers so they can be better and in turn, be in a position where they can then help somebody else. I like being able to help others in their career and see them pass it on.

Ok super. Now let’s jump to the main question of our interview. Can you share 5 examples of how retail companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers like to shop?

  1. Growth in eCommerce: COVID-19 has accelerated the growth of eCommerce and forced a lot of retailers to reconsider how important it is. Now, we’re looking at retailers who didn’t have a large eCommerce platform before trying to figure out how to grow their online channel. As this channel expands, they need to consider additional things, including how to price competitively and how to be price transparent. Additionally, there will be an increase in potential competitors as new retailers who are primarily focused on eCommerce for a specific category enter the market, creating a challenging landscape.
  2. Shift in operational models: Because of all that’s going on this year, a lot of retailers are learning about ways to be more operationally efficient. For example, retailers who haven’t thought about working from home might want to reconsider that now that we’re in a post-COVID environment. Even going past that, how retailers set up the stores and interfaces will also change. Basic things like tap-and-pay, which the U.S. has always been behind in, will become more important as people are more afraid to touch pin pads. Retailers might also make the bold move to restructure operational formats, like the way aisles are spaced for safety, in case something else happens again. By preparing now, retailers won’t have to redo everything five years from now if another outbreak occurs and may even find that they save money as a result.
  3. Change in guard of who’s shopping: Over the past 10 years, there’s been a dichotomy regarding millennials versus boomers and how retailers can target millennials to buy their products. But in the next five years, we’ll see a shift in the narrative with some emerging focus on Gen Z. With this change, we’ll see a difference in how retailers reach customers, the type of products they put out and a change in social responsibility to cater to the younger generations’ preferences. The retailers who get in front of this trend and better understand their customers will be more successful moving forward.
  4. Rise in AI and analytics: If we think about the last five years of retail, the amount of technological sophistication and the ability to be more dynamic in pricing and make decisions quickly has moved exponentially faster. The approach of retailers shopping their competitor’s website once every month to match their pricing will no longer be good enough. They will need to process and execute against other retailers much faster. What may work today from a technological and speed perspective will similarly need to be upgraded.
  5. Move in management: The consumer base is becoming more diverse, but while retailers will always have a larger percentage of sales going to women, their management personnel are not reflective of this. To drive change, we’ll see more women in charge and holding higher levels of management at top retail companies. This is a direction that will be good for the industry and something we can expect in the next five years.

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. 🙂

Personally, I think there’s a lot of movements out there to choose from. One of the simpler messages to get across is that simple respect and kindness can go a long way, especially as people advance in their careers and interact with a lot of different people in the retail industry and beyond. I believe that having common decency and treating everyone the same as they would treat their CEO, working collaboratively at all levels to drive great results, is valuable and can really help you find your way in the retail world.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpavich/

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!


The Future of Retail Over The Next Five Years, With Matthew Pavich of Revionics was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Big Ideas That Might Change The World: “Advanced artificial limbs that merge man and machine” With…

Big Ideas That Might Change The World: “Advanced artificial limbs that merge man and machine” With Easton LaChappelle of Unlimited Tomorrow

Curiosity is a tool. I constantly surround myself with challenges and opportunities to learn. Find the thing that sparks curiosity to the extent that you can’t stop learning or solving the problem. This speaks to surrounding yourself with your passions. I found an opportunity where I can simultaneously push technology to the max, create new forms of technology, and directly impact someone’s life.

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 Easton LaChappelle the Founder and CEO of Unlimited Tomorrow in Rhinebeck, NY. He has spent the last six years creating cutting-edge prosthetic technology, innovative delivery mechanisms, and business models to create a scalable and affordable solution for all of those in need. By using new technologies such as 3D printing, 3D scanning, and AI, Unlimited Tomorrow creates a product that’s better, faster, and more affordable than anything on the market. The company has raised over $6 million dollars and has partnerships including Microsoft, HP, Arrow Electronics, and many others. Unlimited Tomorrow’s philosophy is to keep the user first and to create life-changing technology at an affordable price.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I was the kid who took apart everything growing up. I loved to tinker and explore how things worked. Robotics always fascinated me, but seemed to require so much knowledge that I wouldn’t know where to start. Luckily, when I was 14 years old I had the idea to create a robotic hand for a science fair. This was the project that sparked my passion for robotics and turning ideas into reality. Every year, I would make a bigger, better robotic hand/arm that replicated the human anatomy. I purchased my first 3D printer for my 16th birthday from a Kickstarter project, and it changed the way I thought about creating. At the 2013 State Science Fair, when I was 17, I met a small girl who was born without her arm and was wearing a prosthesis. After seeing what she could do with it and talking to her parents, I found out her simple claw prosthesis had cost $80,000, and that she would soon outgrow it. This was such an impactful moment — it changed the way I looked at technology. Since that day, I’ve been on a mission to create advanced, affordable prosthetic devices for the world. Now, Unlimited Tomorrow headquarters is situated in Rhinebeck, NY with access to an educated workforce and business support programs, New York City’s tech scene, the Northeast’s biomedical circle and the business-friendly culture in Dutchess County.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

The story that comes to mind is showing my invention to President Obama during the 2013 White House Science Fair. For context, I grew up in Mancos, Colorado, which has a population of around 1,500. My high school had a graduating class of 23 kids. I never thought I would be invited to the White House, let alone see my invention shake hands with the President. This experience made me realize that what I was doing could be much bigger than making something cool in my bedroom.

Which principles or philosophies have guided your life? Your career?

Curiosity is a tool. I constantly surround myself with challenges and opportunities to learn. Find the thing that sparks curiosity to the extent that you can’t stop learning or solving the problem. This speaks to surrounding yourself with your passions. I found an opportunity where I can simultaneously push technology to the max, create new forms of technology, and directly impact someone’s life.

You never know if you don’t ask. This is so simple, but it’s what triggered some of our biggest partnerships, learnings, opportunities, connections, and much more.

Ok. 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 live in a world where 40,000,000 people have a limb difference or have lost a limb. 2,000,000 of those live in the United States. Imagine missing a limb, where the simplest of tasks such as walking, caring for yourself, caring for others, finding work, working, and psychological issues become an everyday challenge. By creating a solution purely based around the global and person challenges, we can start solving these challenges. This takes completely rethinking technology, creation processes, business models, distribution, and leveraging relationships and partnerships. Technology that is scalable, functional, affordable, and accessible is what is needed to make an impact on the 40,000,000 people worldwide.

How do you think this will change the world?

Functional and accessible prosthetic devices have an opportunity to help people around the world in many ways. It could be as simple as giving a child confidence when going to school to allowing someone to find and retain a job and care for their family.

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?

We are creating advanced artificial limbs that merge man and machine. What comes to mind is the topic around transhumanism and enhancing our bodies beyond the biological tools we were given.

Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this idea? Can you tell us that story?

My tipping is the same moment that put me on my career path — meeting that 7-year-old girl at the science fair. My science fair project, which was a full 3D printed robotic arm, was more advanced than the $80,000 device this girl had. This was my “aha” moment. Since that day, I’ve been motivated to not only create technology, but create the infrastructure and model to help everyone who is missing a limb worldwide.

What do you need to lead this idea to widespread adoption?

Most people can’t afford a new prosthetic device at $30,000 — $80,000. Children are especially in need of this technology, but due to their growth rate they need a new device every 12–14 months. Our technology is extremely functional due to advanced muscle sensors and individual finger motion. Each device is created to match the person’s exact size and skin tone. Historically, you’ve had to choose between functionality and aesthetics. The model of receiving our technology is completely remote and digital. A 3D scanner is sent directly to the person, a 3D scan is taken of their residual limb, and an incredible amount of data is captured in the process. After this, their device is generated, 3D printed, assembled, and sent directly to them. We are able to create this product for a price of $7,995 and are working to make it even more affordable. All of this leads to adoption and change.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)

The team is just as important as the idea. I started as a solopreneur, and then became an entrepreneur. You can have the best idea in the world, but if you don’t have the right team and experts, this idea might fail.

Hire for tomorrow, not today. It’s easy to find staff for your immediate needs, but you need to hire for the long term.

You can’t do everything yourself. The power of relationship, partnership, and team is incredibly important. If you go into your business or project thinking you don’t need anyone else, you will compromise the results.

Have fun. So simple, but it’s a must. If you or your team isn’t having fun, you need to change that as soon as possible.

Constantly exercise the muscle of future thinking. This is a tough one, but the more you plan and visualize the future, the more likely it will happen. I am constantly doing that for my business, team, resources, and technology in general.

Can you share with our readers what you think are the most important “success habits” or “success mindsets”?

Work life balance.

Visualize the future.

Never stop learning and collecting feedback.

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 🙂

There are very few opportunities to invest in a company that is pushing technology to the max with such a direct and meaningful impact on someone’s life. Unlimited Tomorrow is in the business of augmenting the human body and using technology to empower people. We embody that in every facet of our business. We like to say we are a business powered by people, for the people. Our goal is to democratize healthcare and create infrastructure to help people around the world. Currently, we’ve secured partnerships with HP, Microsoft, FedEx, Arrow, and many others to offset the resources needed to take on such a bold mission.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

https://www.facebook.com/unlimitedtomorrow/

https://twitter.com/UnlimitedTmro

https://www.instagram.com/unlimitedtomorrow/

https://www.youtube.com/unlimitedtomorrowinc

https://www.linkedin.com/company/10184613/admin/

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.


Big Ideas That Might Change The World: “Advanced artificial limbs that merge man and machine” With… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Author Kelly Roach: Rising Through Resilience; Five Things You Can Do To Become More Resilient

You cannot develop resilience if you never try anything. If there is no risk of failure, there is no possibility of developing resilience.

Work on your speed. It is okay to feel all the feelings after you fall but make it a goal to get quicker and picking yourself up and moving forward.

Get intentional about building resilience. If you are not focused on building this character trait, you will not. So, focus on it purposefully.

Surround yourself with other people taking risks and doing big things. Normalizing resilience only comes from surrounding yourself with resilient people who will inspire you.

Celebrate when you have shown resilience!

In this interview series, we are exploring the subject of resilience among successful business leaders. Resilience is one characteristic that many successful leaders share in common, and in many cases it is the most important trait necessary to survive and thrive in today’s complex market.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Kelly Roach.

Business strategist Kelly Roach transforms overworked entrepreneurs into seven-figure CEOs, by teaching them how to leverage timeless business principles, employed by billion-dollar corporations, with the speed and agility of the most powerful online marketing strategies of today. Prior to starting her own company, Kelly spent years in corporate America, rising through the ranks of a Fortune 500 to become the youngest VP in the company. Kelly is not only a best-selling author but is also an ongoing television business expert.

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?

Growing up just above the poverty line, in a family of 5, I decided early on that things would be different for me and my children. I worked hard growing up, scrubbing toilets to pay for dance lessons, and working multiple jobs in college. After graduation, I got an entry level job in sales, for a Fortune 500 company. In eight years, I was promoted seven times to become the youngest VP in the company. I led my team through the recession of 08’-10’, without letting a single person go. In fact, we had record breaking sales that year. As I was climbing the corporate ladder, I realized that I was making millions of dollars, working 60+ hours a week, for OTHER people. When I thought about what I wanted in terms of lifestyle, that was not it. So, I started my business on the side, while continuing to work my corporate job, and built that company for two years before quitting. I relied on lots of hard work, my sales skills, and an unstoppable mindset to help me build what is now a multimillion-dollar business coaching company with over 500 clients, across the globe.

Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?

So, this technically happened just before I started my career, but was a defining moment for me. At the time, I was a Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleader, and the year I joined, instead of doing their traditional swimsuit calendar, they decided to do a lingerie shoot instead. I knew that I wanted to build a career in business and that this shoot could do long-term damage to my career, so opted-out. The consequence? Missing out on an incredible trip to a tropical location, and all kinds of media and opportunities that came from the shoot (for the other girls). While I did not know exactly what my future career would look like, I knew that this was not a smart long-term play for me. That decision shaped how I made decisions for the rest of my career. I was able to handle the consequences and am now so thankful I made that choice, way back when!

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

I think the thing that makes my company stand out is that we are obsessed with getting out clients’ results. A lot of coaches in the online space are more concerned with making things easier for themselves. Our company is willing to go above and beyond to make sure our clients have what they need for absolute success. We are not willing to let go of human interaction for the sake of ease and automation. We are there for our clients and constantly improving the program so they will never need to go anywhere else.

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 first mentor in the Fortune 500 world challenged me beyond belief. He was the toughest coach and hardest “boss” you could ever imagine. He saw the potential in me before I saw it in myself and pushed me to be my absolute best. He was the first person to encourage me to think big and begin to chart my own path to greatness. Many others who had the same opportunity to coach with him mistook the high bar he set for them as “unreasonable” and “too tough”, For me, he was a catalyst for achieving my highest potential and for that I will forever be grateful.

Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of this interview. We would like to explore and flesh out the trait of resilience. How would you define resilience? What do you believe are the characteristics or traits of resilient people?

Resilience is the ability to pick yourself back up when you fall. It is bouncing back and moving forward after failure. Resilient people are the ones willing to take risks, willing to put themselves out there, willing to fall and scrape their knees, then get right back up again and try again. Resilient people are persistent, focused, and unstoppable.

When you think of resilience, which person comes to mind? Can you explain why you chose that person?

When I think of resilience, I think of all the business owners who just experienced the pandemic and economic crisis who have had to pivot and get creative. It is exciting for me to see the innovation and tenacity as they adapt to thrive in a changing economy.

Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us?

When I started out in my Fortune 500 career, there were several HUGE players in my area that the sales team in my company had gone after for years before I got there. I made it my goal to land those companies from day one, but a manager of mine told me to forget about it. People had been trying to sign those big dogs for years with no luck. So, I worked even harder to prove him wrong. Within a year, I had signed every single one of them.

Did you have a time in your life where you had one of your greatest setbacks, but you bounced back from it stronger than ever? Can you share that story with us?

Early on in my business I had to learn this entirely new online world. I had been incredibly successful in my career. I was smart, capable, and knew how to sell. I worked insanely hard. But, when I did my very first webinar to launch my first offer, it fell flat. I did not make a single sale. Now, looking back, I know that I did not have the audience or authority to make that work. But that taught me that even when you work incredibly hard for something, there are no guarantees it will work. I did not let that stop me though. Even though I had poured so much into that first attempt to no avail, I kept going. There were plenty of other failure after that, but today my company is near the 8-figure mark and we have created a launch strategy that works not only for us, but for our clients and followers as well.

Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share a story?

Growing up my family did not have a lot of money. I learned early on that if I wanted anything in life, I was going to have to get scrappy and work for it. So, I did. I cleaned the dance studio to pay for dance lessons. I went to a local college because it was inexpensive. I walked into a Philadelphia Eagles cheer tryout as a college freshman and made the team. I developed an enormous amount of grit and went after everything I wanted, because if I did not, it just was not going to happen for me.

Resilience is like a muscle that can be strengthened. In your opinion, what are 5 steps that someone can take to become more resilient? Please share a story or an example for each.

  1. You cannot develop resilience if you never try anything. If there is no risk of failure, there is no possibility of developing resilience.
  2. Work on your speed. It is okay to feel all the feelings after you fall but make it a goal to get quicker and picking yourself up and moving forward.
  3. Get intentional about building resilience. If you are not focused on building this character trait, you will not. So, focus on it purposefully.
  4. Surround yourself with other people taking risks and doing big things. Normalizing resilience only comes from surrounding yourself with resilient people who will inspire you.
  5. Celebrate when you have shown resilience!

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 see more entrepreneurs leveraging their earnings to give back. Last year I moved my coaching company to a 1:1 giving model. For every new client we add to one of our coaching programs, we donate to the foundation I started, that has three core focuses for philanthropy. I believe that if people are equipped to find financial freedom for themselves, that they can leverage that freedom to make a huge impact on the world. So, as I coach entrepreneurs, my hope is that more of them will adopt this model and leave a legacy that goes far beyond making lots of money.

We are blessed that some 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 with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them 🙂

Oprah Winfrey is the most fascinating businessperson that is ever lived. There’s been almost no unpacking of how she became what she is. This is something that should be studied for generations because clearly, she has an understanding of business building and brand, and authenticity, and reinvention, and overcoming obstacles, and determination that the average person can’t begin to comprehend. I would love the opportunity to explore, and uncover and understand her perspective on business specifically, and learn from her and her success.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

You can connect with me inside my free Facebook group: The Tribe of Unstoppables where my team and I go live with highly valuable weekly trainings on everything from social selling to messaging, to packaging and pricing you online offers. You can also check out my podcast, The Unstoppable Entrepreneur Show, wherever you listen to podcasts! I have got 5 years of weekly episodes available for binging!

You can also follow me on:

Instagram — @kellyroachofficial

TikTok — @kellyroachofficial

Twitter — @kellyroachlive

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!


Author Kelly Roach: Rising Through Resilience; Five Things You Can Do To Become More Resilient was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

David MM Taffet of Petal: Rising Through Resilience; Five Things You Can Do To Become More Resili

David M. M. Taffet of Petal: Rising Through Resilience; Five Things You Can Do To Become More Resilient

Don’t own what isn’t yours. For decades, I tormented myself with terrible thoughts about my unworthiness. I ascribed blame to myself for the abuse, bullying, and general trauma I had experienced in life. It never occurred to me that I wasn’t at fault; I didn’t understand that the people in my life were capable of hurting me intentionally without cause. As an adult, I have finally realized that I didn’t cause my father’s death or trigger my mother’s violence. I never deserved bullying or food insecurity. I wasn’t the agent of my pain; but I was the architect of my victory over it. I was free of blame and proud of myself. I overcame and emerged strong and happy.

In this interview series, we are exploring the subject of resilience among successful business leaders. Resilience is one characteristic that many successful leaders share in common, and in many cases it is the most important trait necessary to survive and thrive in today’s complex market.

I had the pleasure of interviewing David M. M. Taffet. On paper, David appears to be someone who has experienced only success — he attended Top 10 schools for undergrad and law, raised hundreds of millions of dollars, completed successful turnarounds on behalf of Fortune 500 companies, and built, bought, and sold companies all over the world. But a resume is a flattering veneer. Everything written is true, but beneath the surface lies the truth. Just five years ago, Taffet was homeless, car-less, penniless, and suicidal, but this isn’t written anywhere. Today, Taffet is happy at home in Fort Worth, Texas leading Petal, LLC, a high-tech consumer goods startup he co-founded with his wife Christie Zwahlen, Petal’s EVP of Social Impact. Taffet credits resilience for his Phoenix-like rise from poverty and suicidal depression to CEO of an innovative new company he believes will change the world.

Thank you so much for joining us David! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your backstory?

A few weeks before my third birthday and two weeks before he was scheduled to return home from war for good, my father, one of only a few Jewish U.S. Air Force fighter pilots, died in the fiery crash of his F-4 Phantom (Vietnam, 1971).

My mother anguished until she raged. My father’s death awakened in her an abusive nature that had previously surfaced only sporadically. Eventually, violence and denigration became the constants which defined our relationship and conspired to dominate my worldview.

Within months of becoming a widow, my mother identified a new mate, one who shared her propensity for punishment: Another Jewish fighter pilot. We followed this man’s flight path from one anti-Semitic base to another. At each base, my “Jewish” features fueled hatred and inspired physical and verbal attacks. Like a one-two punch, I moved silently from abuse at home to bullying at school. We moved homes and schools virtually every year or two, but the violence in both settings was a constant.

In addition to the arduous social task of re-establishing myself at each school, I also had a learning disability that went undiagnosed for decades. Ironically, my mother, who worked as a reading specialist, never identified my dyslexia (which only came to light a few years ago after a friend clued me into Sally Shaywitz’s Overcoming Dyslexia).

By all accounts, the predictions for my future seemed bleak. Experiencing death, abuse, displacement and bullying at such a young age put me “at-risk” of falling down an anti-social rabbit hole of violence and cynicism. Instead, I chose to eschew violence and embrace compassion and optimism. This conscious decision informs every aspect of my life, from parenting and leadership to the professional projects I am willing to accept. I view my work style as a nurturing (yet disciplined): Mr. Mom vs. a hard-nosed dictator.

Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?

One of the businesses I owned and led was called Lippincott, a direct marketing company that purchased precious metals, fine jewelry, and gems. Before I bought it, Lippincott was a family-owned, life-style business that was doing approximately $17 million a year with very few financial controls. After purchasing the company, I infused multiple layers of reporting and accountability while quickly driving the business to almost $60 million a year. Each week, I would go to our partner refinery to witness the smelting of precious metals (platinum, gold, silver) which Lippincott in-turn sold at spot market prices.

Due to our high volume of purchases, I got to the point where I had seen it all — diamond- encrusted necklaces, rare coins, watches more expensive than a Toyota Camry. Until one day.

We received a large shipment of a very fine platinum powder. Its purity was unmistakable and like nothing we had ever encountered. I took the shipment to the refinery and asked the owner what he thought it was. After inspecting it, he asked me to “please take the powder and leave”. In decades of operation, he had never seen anything so pure. He feared it was weapons-grade. Contraband.

By its weight, the powder was worth north of a million dollars. All at once, I knew I was on the receiving end of a crime. Unbelievably (or, perhaps indubitably, depending upon your level of cynicism), this wasn’t the first time I was put in the position of needing to report a crime at work.

Earlier in my career, I had identified a huge, fraudulent hole in the projected value of an enormous credit card portfolio that I was on the verge of selling to Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and the like. Luckily, I had the foresight to detail my observations in writing to the clients (who were also the sellers) and to Best Bank of Colorado (the participating bank).

This proved prescient. Eventually, the FBI and FDIC reached similar conclusions, swooped in, shut down Best Bank, and arrested everyone involved, including my clients. In going through the bank’s files, the FBI and the US Attorney’s office came across my letters. Because I had observed and detailed the fraud, they concluded that I had to be involved in some way. They had the US Marshalls escort me from Philadelphia to Denver where I was treated as a suspect until they realized they needed me as the prosecution’s star witness.

Given this experience, I did myself a favor and called the FBI before they called me. Then, in rapid succession, I retained criminal counsel to serve as a buffer, prepped my 50-plus member team, and invited the FBI to Lippincott’s offices.

I was greeted by Jim Fitzgerald and his team. Having investigated me prior to visiting, Jim was sporting a very civilian UNC Tarheel hat to razz me. I went to Duke, but never attended a basketball game. As expected, Jim declared that any operation receiving weapons-grade material was clearly suspected of criminal activity. Lippincott and I quickly became targets of the investigation.

As such, I provided Jim and his team open access to all of our books and records. They spent hours combing through every transaction made and dollar collected. At the end of the proctology exam, Jim declared that he had rarely encountered such a clean operation and that he knew I was not involved in a criminal enterprise. I was officially cleared.

Over the next few days, Jim, his team, and a Federal judge worked to identify the sender and the source of the powder. The defense contractor who “lost” the platinum didn’t report it and, as such (for hyper-technical legal reasons), the FBI was precluded from pursuing the theft further. They didn’t have probable cause to issue an arrest warrant, so they had to cease the investigation. I was free to sell the platinum and keep the profit.

When Jim told me this, I asked him, “what would you tell your son to do?” The government and judiciary had ruled that there was no crime, so he would advise his son to smelt it and sell it.

I paused in disbelief. Really!?

Drawing on my experience as a lawyer, I suggested that I could consent to a wire and pursue the seller of the platinum independently. I proposed that we call the seller and get him to confess. Jim stressed that I didn’t need to do this. Everyone already consented to my keeping the platinum. But, I didn’t want to profit from a theft. Legally mine or not, I wanted to make sure that more weapons-grade material didn’t fall into the wrong hands.

Quickly, we secured judicial consent for the wire and set up a real-life sting. I was able to get the seller on the phone, and after a series of plausible business-related questions, got him to share details about his location and the source of the platinum. I kept the seller on the phone long enough for the FBI to identify his location and mobilize a team to arrest him. As the FBI closed in, I told him, “I’ve appreciated our conversation. I’m hanging up now, but you should expect a knock at your door momentarily. It’s the FBI.”

This still stands as one of the most surreal experiences of my life.

I gained several takeaways from this experience. Firstly, meticulous accountability in one’s business operations is critically important, both for the health of your business and your own peace of mind. Secondly, by being proactive and acting fast, I was able to avoid criminal implication. Drawing on a sense of justice and integrity, I passed up over a million-dollar pay day, but I got to prove to Jim Fitzgerald that Duke is as worthy as UNC. Great day.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

Petal’s culture is informed by public opinion, but established by our team’s collective values. We address issues directly and never shy away from difficult conversations. We define our company’s health first by its impact on people (both employees and customers) and the planet, and only secondarily by its profit potential.

We believe in accountability for all forms of bigotry, but we also believe that people are redeemable and that cancellation should have shades of grey.

Case in point, we recently uncovered racist and offensive online posts by Petal’s co-inventor Brian Petz. The posts are hateful, hurtful and entirely inconsistent with our values as individuals and as a company. What follows is an account of how we handled this devastating blow to our team’s morale, and ultimately, emerged as a stronger community of colleagues and friends.

First, our entire team engaged in direct, emotional conversations about the seriousness of the matter. We provided Brian with a platform to apologize in earnest, which he did. He declared that his actions were abhorrent and explained how he is not the person the posts suggest he is. He is mortified by his actions and has acknowledged that his statements were harmful and utterly false. Since this revelation, he has committed to a path of redemption, which includes professional consequences for his errors.

Brian has since drafted public apologies that are being submitted to various newspapers and will eventually be posted on his personal website. Though we applaud and support Brian’s commitment to redemption, earnest apologies alone are not sufficient to address the potential harm of his actions — for Petal the company, each of us as individuals, and the diverse audience we hope to attract.

Thus, Brian has been stripped of:

  • His executive position in the company,
  • His say in company governance,
  • His ability to speak for the company publicly to the press and/or investors, and
  • His ability to manage direct reports.

Going forward, Brian will serve as a product development engineer reporting directly to me. Over the next year or so, he will actively work to grow as an individual, mature in his perspectives, speak in constructive and supportive ways, and judge every individual by their character and capabilities, not by their immutable characteristics.

Although Brian’s continued involvement with the company poses a potential risk of online attacks and journalistic exposés, the entire Petal team is committed to embracing Brian for the following reasons:

  1. All of us deeply care for and respect Brian.
  2. We know that the Brian who used incendiary rhetoric and ignited the subsequent upset is not the same Brian of today.
  3. We are adamant in the belief that improving our society requires openness, flexibility of thought, and forgiveness. If we are truly committed to forming a more perfect union, we cannot take the stance that people are irredeemable.
  4. We believe that to create change, you must first allow and help others to change.
  5. We are not the type of company that discards people over their missteps. The measure of a person is not in their mistakes, but in how they own their mistakes, make amends, remedy their mindset and/or behavior, and move forward.
  6. We believe in personal and professional growth and we see in Brian a person worth investing in.

These events transpired amidst a backdrop of national unrest sparked by the horrific death of George Floyd, and we shared these details with Petal’s members on Juneteenth. It was fitting to use that time to recognize our own responsibility in creating an anti-racist world. By the steps we took, Petal transcended the emptiness of platitudes and instead engaged in action. We invested real time, engaged in honest conversations, and implemented necessary change. As a purpose-driven company, we will continue to judge our effectiveness not by what we say, but by what we do.

At Petal, we believe that eliminating racism requires educating racists. We believe that our goal should be to eradicate racism, not racist people. Flawed human beings are simply that — prejudiced by personal experiences, hypocritical in their admonishments of others, self-centered in their worldviews, and heavily influenced by their communities, by where they turn to for news and other important sources of information, and their exposure (or lack thereof) to cultural differences.

Regardless of the clichés, many people can and do change, especially when provided with meaningful guidance. We believe in Brian and each member of our team.

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 am grateful for one of my dearest friends, Bob Gionesi, who died from cancer a little more than eight years ago. Prior to his death, we worked together for 10+ years in lots of different capacities. We respected each other so completely that we never worried about who was the lead. Sometimes he would serve on the board of one of my companies and I would report to him. Sometimes he would serve as a direct report to me.

Our long-standing friendship was truly remarkable because it began when Bob destroyed one of my first large companies.

Early in the Dot-com era, I launched a company that provided end-to-end internet-based digital assets, including web services and video-on-demand. I made the mistake of outsourcing my sales force to a large corporation on the verge of a multi-billion-dollar public offering. The idea was that the company would serve as a channel partner where both the partner company and mine would share in the proceeds of all joint opportunities. The partnership generated tremendous revenue, which should have been a win. Unfortunately, the outsourced sales force claimed that every joint sale was the result of their independent efforts, thus denying my company its share of the revenue.

So, I went to New York City and met directly with the company’s North American VP of Sales, who happened to be Bob. After outlining the issue, I was met with chuckles. He explained that his company was focused on the billions of dollars in front of it as opposed to the millions I was discussing. At that moment, I knew I was sunk. As a former litigator, I knew what it would take to battle and win, and as a finance person I understood that I would be bankrupt before ever seeing a pay day.

Instead of having an emotional outburst and threatening suit, I calmly pivoted. More specifically, I began exploring what needs the company might have given that it was going public. To my surprise, the company had a pressing need for a co-location facility in Philadelphia, where I lived at the time. After extended inquiry, I learned, among other things that:

  • The company didn’t trust any carrier-based company to provide its services;
  • The company had very specific engineering requirements that no existing Philadelphia-based company could meet; and
  • The company did not want to build its own facility for fear of having it on its balance sheet.

Understanding this, I made a proposal. I would raise the amount needed to build the facility to the company’s specifications and operate it if they promised two things. First, a monthly revenue that would make my new company profitable on day one. And second, the ability to build out excess capacity that I could lease to other providers. Bob agreed on the spot and I left with a contract.

Of course, Bob didn’t know that I had no clue what a “co-location” facility was. When I left the meeting, I called my general counsel and asked him to research “co-location” so I could understand what I had agreed to build.

In the end, I had to shutter the company that Bob’s salesforce was helping to destroy, but I succeeded in raising the money to build, launch, and operate a very profitable co-location company called MeridianTelesis. Bob accepted my invitation to serve on the board of MeridianTelesis and he profited alongside me five years later when we decided to sell to a public company. From there, we partnered to build and turnaround a number of enterprises. Along the way, we had wonderful meals, great drinks, and a ton of laughter. I credit his friendship and support for my early success in business, and I miss him terribly.

Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of this interview. We would like to explore and flesh out the trait of resilience. How would you define resilience? What do you believe are the characteristics or traits of resilient people?

Resilience is a life force that one harnesses to survive and emerge from devastation. Resilience is the opposite of victimhood and self-harm. It averts one’s eyes from the rearview mirror and fixes them on the path forward. Resilience arises from courage and builds on strength. Your resilience is not defined by your worst circumstances, but rather by how you handle and rise above your circumstances.

Resilient people harness optimism to envision a brighter day. Through difficult times, they are tenacious in their resolve to move towards that brighter day. They use creativity to navigate unforeseen obstacles, fortitude to recover from inevitable defeats, and audacity to fuel the drive forward.

When you think of resilience, which person comes to mind? Can you explain why you chose that person?

Frederick Douglass comes to mind immediately. His autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass, will do the trick if you’re ever searching for some motivation.

Entrepreneurs often romanticize the years of scarcity during which they “courageously” build businesses in the face of obstacles and criticism. It is true that entrepreneurism is not for the faint of heart. Still, entrepreneurial difficulties are generally surmountable, non-life-threatening problems.

In his Narrative, Frederick Douglass suffers from and witnesses extreme violence and constant pain while continuing to pursue the dream of a better tomorrow. Especially now, it behooves us to remember and appreciate how much one can endure to realize a dream. Narrative is an important reminder of the injustices our fellow citizens have suffered and survived. It reminds us that we are privileged to pursue profits while many others are continuing to suffer inhumane and unjust treatment the world over.

Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us?

Making contrarian moves is an important underpinning of my success. Many times, I’ve pursued opportunities vacated by others or which others admonished me to avoid. In my opinion, “impossible” is a far too widely and inaccurately used adjective. When I hear it uttered in business, I almost always treat it as an invitation to engage.

One of my most colorful and satisfying experiences defying the impossible occurred in the context of a turnaround in Germany. More specifically, I was retained by the CEO of an international outsourcing company to evaluate and address long-standing financial issues and complex managerial and operational incompatibilities between the company and its German division. The company had tried numerous times unsuccessfully to resolve its issues and to stop the hemorrhaging of millions of dollars each year.

The day after cementing my contract with the company, I flew to Germany and showed up at the division’s offices at 7:00 AM. I was greeted by the company’s CFO, who launched into a harsh, unfiltered diatribe about how he and the subsidiary did not appreciate the American parent company’s continued scrutiny and interference. With that unpleasant start, the CFO escorted me to the corporate offices where he proceeded to show me around.

The tour was peculiar. I wasn’t introduced to anyone or given an explanation of the operations. Instead, I was led from conference room to conference room. At each entrance, the CFO pointed to a prominent brass plate engraved with an unmistakably American name (e.g. Robert Warren, Ed Simmons). After an awkward tour of all the conference rooms in the office, we stopped and stood in front of one last room. This one was remarkable because no brass plate hung beside the door.

At that moment, the CFO turned to me and began to apologize. You see, with insufficient notice of my arrival, he didn’t have enough time to engrave a brass plate with my name on it. I was puzzled.

“So you can formally join the rogue’s gallery of American meddlers that came and failed in Germany,” he said.

I admit, I was equally impressed with and annoyed by the theatrics. Apparently, it was effective in shaking all the previous consultants who came before me.

“Save your money,” I said. “I’m here to succeed.”

After a lengthy process of interviewing all the division’s employees, I restructured the company and extracted significant employee concessions. I then secured approval for the concessions from three company unions and, in turn, from the German National union. Afterwards, I orchestrated and negotiated the sale of the newly-restructured division to a German competitor on terms that included an assumption of liabilities by the purchaser and a reduction in and favorable treatment of a trade payable owed by my employer to the division.

Unmöglich? Nein!

Did you have a time in your life where you had one of your greatest setbacks, but you bounced back from it stronger than ever? Can you share that story with us?

At this moment, I’m finally on the rise from my greatest life and career setback.

Approximately 10 years ago, I came face-to-face with my worst fear — the dissolution of my marriage and my family. It happened when my first wife confessed that she loved me, but wasn’t in love with me. Although not altogether unexpected, her confession turned my world upside down, drove me into a dark depression, and set me down a path of self-destruction.

After declaring my intention to divorce and separate, I “rebounded” into the arms of someone who I now recognize suffered from borderline personality disorder. She was also a criminal, and I fell for her — hook, line, and sinker. Without thought, I merged all my businesses and investments with hers. Soon after, she forged my signatures on deeds, defrauded my long-standing friends, pilfered my accounts, and stole my property. Five years later, she spit me out — bankrupt and alienated from my friends and family.

Other than a handful of people, everyone turned their backs on me. My parents, extended family, friends, and professional network all ousted me from the communities I once helped to nurture and grow. I had lost everything, including the home I personally restored to its 1890s glory, the place where my children grew up. I was homeless, car-less, and penniless. I thought about killing myself, but it pained me to think of putting my children through more loss. Only a miracle of God was going to renew my once unflinching optimism.

And then I met my second wife, Christie, who had the daring to stick with me as I was besieged by the fury and disdain of family members and former friends. She has always appreciated me for my being as opposed to my doing. She saw me for me, not my circumstances. She helped me learn to love myself. Her belief in me sparked my Phoenix story and has culminated in the beautifully fulfilling life we enjoy today. After falling so far, we like to say that we “rose in love” together, which is a line from the Toni Morrison novel, Jazz.

Together, we have launched a number of businesses and recently moved to Fort Worth, Texas. We are the perfect marriage of enterprising entrepreneur meets community organizer: We execute with excellence and heart.

Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share a story?

In addition to the violence in my childhood, college was a very difficult part of my life. As a high school senior, I received full scholarships to several universities that were not at the top of my list. Academics was my full-time passion and a very serious commitment.

School was the only place where I consistently received positive affirmation of my self-worth. I knew I’d earned the grades and scores needed to go wherever I chose, but my parents wouldn’t support my application for financial aid. They insisted that I go somewhere offering a full ride, but I refused. As a result, they provided little to no financial support to me while at Duke, where I worked tirelessly towards an early graduation.

Knowing there was no way that I could survive financially for the full four years of a traditional undergraduate education, I embraced an aggressive academic schedule designed to allow me to graduate in three years. I took on multiple jobs, mowed lawns on weekends, and built some small businesses. But, it wasn’t enough.

Despite all my planning and assiduousness, I spent much of my third and final year at Duke taking bets to do stupid things for money. I showed up wherever I thought I might be able to snag a handful of chips or slice of pizza. I did almost anything for a meal. In truth, I often went entire days without eating and without knowing when I would eat again.

Even selling the few physical possessions I had and working every available hour, I couldn’t make ends meet. I showed up to classes tired, hungry, and, in many ways, defeated. Still, I stayed focused and accomplished my goals: I graduated in three years with honors, and I immediately took a job as a legislative assistant in Washington DC. I worked quickly to achieve a stable state of self-sufficiency before attending law school at the University of Virginia.

Resilience is like a muscle that can be strengthened. In your opinion, what are 5 steps that someone can take to become more resilient? Please share a story or an example for each.

  1. Embrace every setback as if it were your choice. Last year, Christie waited for me in the parking lot outside Miami University’s Administration building while I met with the Dean to formalize a previously agreed to extension of my contract and a significant pay raise. Instead, the Dean sat me down and explained that for University-related reasons he was obligated to terminate my contract immediately. This was a huge, unexpected blow; we had reasonably counted on this contract and we didn’t have a ready substitute for it. I took a breath, stood up, shook the Dean’s hand, and thanked him for the time we spent. From the moment I left his office until the time I got back to Christie, I decided that the contract was not the best use of my abilities and that we were beyond ready for a move. I embraced the setback as if it was my own choice, and, as such became excited to embark on a new path. While we drove the 7 minutes from the Admin building to our home, I contacted the top realtor in the market to list our home for sale and I reached out to the parties behind Petal to express my interest in moving forward with the company. In short order, we sold our house, launched the company, and moved to Fort Worth, Texas to establish Petal’s headquarters and our new home.
  2. Don’t own what isn’t yours. For decades, I tormented myself with terrible thoughts about my unworthiness. I ascribed blame to myself for the abuse, bullying, and general trauma I had experienced in life. It never occurred to me that I wasn’t at fault; I didn’t understand that the people in my life were capable of hurting me intentionally without cause. As an adult, I have finally realized that I didn’t cause my father’s death or trigger my mother’s violence. I never deserved bullying or food insecurity. I wasn’t the agent of my pain; but I was the architect of my victory over it. I was free of blame and proud of myself. I overcame and emerged strong and happy.
  3. Be honest about your reality. See things for what they are before determining your next steps. Often our greatest devastation arises from defeated expectations. When we stay present and keep our expectations of the future in check, we avoid pain that would require resilience to surmount. Easier said than done. Two years ago, I helped an import/export company turn around its operations. During the engagement, I identified money drains outside the core operation that I could not explain from the books and records provided. The principals of the company seemed unconcerned and we moved on. As compensation for my services, the import/export company gave me the opportunity to rebrand and market a truly exceptional, but poorly performing tequila line. I was so excited about the vision I had for the product’s future that I immediately set out to rename it, develop a logo for it, create a special bottle, a compelling label, unique corks and all types of branded marketing and packaging material. In my excitement, I failed to evaluate the operations or meet the operators until 4 months into the process. On the back side of having developed distribution channels, branded marketing materials, and powerful packaging, I traveled to Tequila, Mexico to view the distillery and meet the operators. Upon arrival, my sponsors pointed to a man getting out of a brand new luxury SUV. His manicured nails, coifed hair, silk sweat suit, ostentatious gold watch, and insanely expensive shoes were certainly not the norm. Having spent a lot of time in Mexico, I knew this wasn’t normal. When they told me he was the operator, my heart sunk. In an instant, I knew where all the company’s lost money had gone, and I knew I had to pull out of the arrangement.In my haste, I had overlooked the most important principle in operating a successful enterprise — its people. I had failed to follow my own advice and got smacked for it. Had I stayed present and carefully evaluated the good, the bad, and the ugly of the current operation before executing on my inspired vision for the brand, I would not have required resilience to move forward. Another lesson learned.
  4. Make friends with your discomfort; embrace the pain that leads to growth. During my sophomore and junior year of high school, my family and I lived on Osan Air Force Base outside Seoul, South Korea. While there, I was privileged to study under Grand Master Do Sik Mun who had also trained Chuck Norris. Do Sik Mun required us to start each class by striking a roughly-roped doorjamb at full force until our knuckles and fingers were bleeding. Each hit was excruciating, and we were not allowed to stop. The objective was to hone our fists into weapons by flattening their natural curves. This yielded a wider, flatter striking surface. What’s more, the repeated hits made our fists immune to pain, which in turn increased both the force of our hits and the hardness of the surfaces we could withstand hitting (e.g. someone’s head). To achieve these two objectives, we had to invite and nurture the pain.
  5. Take time to recognize your accomplishments and appreciate your good fortune, knowing that who you are and what you’ve become is a result of how you handled your circumstances — it would be impossible to reach this day without taking the path you pursued. I would gladly repeat all 47 years of my life B.C. (Before Christie). This declaration is not masochistic, but rather celebratory. I no longer fear the pain that, in the end, couldn’t break me. Indeed, I am thankful for it. Without it, I would have never had the opportunity to grow. If I knew then the value of all that pain, I would have gladly endured it. Sitting here today, I would do it all again, and I wouldn’t change a 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 don’t have to imagine what I might do; I’m doing it. Through Petal and its innovative approach to freezing organic waste, Christie and I are on a mission to eliminate the need for single-use plastic bags. Plastics in general, and plastic bags in particular, are environmental scourges that detrimentally affect the health of our planet.

According to a 2018 study by the Earth Day organization, it is estimated that 4 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide annually. Only 1% of these plastic bags are returned for recycling. The rest end up in landfills, oceans and waterways, and scattered across the landscape. Closer to home, Americans throw away 100 billion plastic bags annually. That’s a little over 300 bags per person!

Because plastics do not biodegrade, these are frightening numbers with serious implications. According to the Plastic Pollution Coalition, plastics pose, among others, the following dangers:

  • Plastic affects human health. Toxic chemicals leach out of plastic and are found in the blood and tissue of nearly all of us. Exposure to them is linked to cancers, birth defects, impaired immunity, endocrine disruption and other ailments.
  • Plastic spoils our groundwater. There are thousands of landfills in the United States. Buried beneath each one of them, toxic chemicals from plastics drain out and seep into groundwater, flowing downstream into lakes and rivers.
  • Plastic threatens wildlife. Wildlife become entangled in plastic, they eat it or mistake it for food and feed it to their young, and it is found littered in even extremely remote areas of the Earth. In our oceans alone, plastic debris outweighs zooplankton by a ratio of 36-to-1.
  • Plastics poison our food chain. Even plankton, the tiniest creatures in our oceans, are eating microplastics and absorbing their hazardous chemicals. The tiny, broken down pieces of plastic are displacing the algae needed to sustain larger sea life who feed on them.

Through Petal, we are looking to eliminate the need for plastic liners entirely. We are encouraging consumers to rely instead on biodegradable liners or, even better, to forgo liners all together.

We are blessed that some 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 with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them 🙂

My life has been touched by the artist, designer, and environmentalist Maya Lin. The Vietnam Veterans War Memorial she designed, which has my father’s name enshrined on it, inspired me to ignore the directions for UVA law school’s application essay, which asked me to describe my reasons for pursuing law. Instead, I shared a poetic shard of my life, part of which reads as follows:

Mirrored within the sober countenance of the Vietnam Memorial, an azure sky, punctuated by windswept clouds, crowned my brother and me as we knelt before our father’s memory. The Memorial has preserved his legacy in its ebonized stone, acknowledged his sacrifice in the engraving of his name, and revealed our grief in an ephemeral reflection.

I am also moved by Lin’s Civil Rights Memorial, which sits outside the original offices of the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama. During college, I worked in those offices, where I drafted legal arguments leading to the removal of the Confederate Flag from the Alabama State Capital building in 1993.

Maya leads with courage, sensitivity, and purpose. Despite reaching the pinnacle of success and receiving accolades at the highest levels, she remains humbly and passionately committed to environmentally-aware design. I admire her conviction, accomplishment, spirit and being.

I also admire her resilience. She rose above the anti-Asian racism levelled at her when her Vietnam Veterans War Memorial design was chosen as the winner. At such a young age, she withstood so much with grace and strength. She’s a truly remarkable artist and a brave human being.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

I am most active on LinkedIn, but my about.me page (about.me/davidtaffet) is the easiest way to view my street photography portfolio and connect with me on your social media platform of choice.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!


David MM Taffet of Petal: Rising Through Resilience; Five Things You Can Do To Become More Resili was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Nicole Michels McDonagh of Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (BSSP): Brand Makeovers; 5 Things You…

Nicole Michels McDonagh of Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (BSSP): Brand Makeovers; 5 Things You Should Do To Upgrade and Re-Energize Your Brand and Image

Be truthful — There’s no substitute for telling the truth. As people. As brands. The bullshit meter and ability to check everything your brand says has never been higher. Stay true to who you are and what you stand for.

As part of our series about “Brand Makeovers” I had the pleasure to interview Nicole Michels McDonagh.

She is currently a Group Creative Director and member of the leadership team at Sausalito-based advertising agency Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (BSSP), the latest step in a career that’s stretched from Seattle to Seoul with stops in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. Prior to BSSP, she was a GCD at Wunderman Thompson/Seattle (formerly POSSIBLE) and held senior creative roles at Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners; Kirshenbaum, Bond & Partners; and Cole & Weber. She started her journey at FCB Seattle where she was a horrible executive assistant, but (luckily) a decent copywriter. Fast forward to her work being recognized by Cannes, The One Show, Effies, D&AD, Communication Arts, Clios, ADDYs, Archive, and Fast Co’s World Changing Ideas.

Nicole has appeared on Adweek’s Creative 100 list recognizing top creative talent and was honored to serve on The One Show jury along with award-winning creative directors from around the globe. In 2019, her work for Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive — the first fashion line designed with and for people with disabilities — was acknowledged with multiple Cannes Lions and the coveted Titanium shortlist. Throughout a 20-year career her most mind-blowing creations remain her two sons, collectively known as Beast Mode.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit more. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I was always that weird kid sitting on a rock in the woods writing poetry, so I was bound to be drawn to a creative career sooner or later. In 1993, I was attending the School of Visual Concepts at night, training to be a copywriter and my day job was working as an assistant for an Executive Creative Director. One day. she told me I was a horrible assistant, but a decent writer. After throwing me small assignments here and there, she promoted me to junior copywriter. Early on in my career I was also very lucky to have CDs, art directors and writers who were senior to me and very generous with their time and craft. It helped me tremendously. That’s one thing I love about our business: a tradition of helping those coming up behind you. I don’t know if you get that in say, accounting.

Can you share a story about the funniest marketing or branding mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

It was a late night at one of the first agencies I worked at. I was grumbling about working on a small space newspaper ad while my friends and co-workers just a few years older were working on exciting assignments for this thing called radio.

One of the creative directors happened to walk by my desk as I was openly kvetching about the assignment and said: “You know, Nicole, there’s a category in The One Show for small space newspaper.” I’ll never forget it. It wasn’t just a lightbulb moment. It was gamechanger.

Are you able to identify a “tipping point” in your career when you started to see success? Did you start doing anything different? Is there a takeaway or lesson that others can learn from that?

Ironically, my career tipping point happened during my first stint at BSSP in the early 2000’s. There were a few writers ahead of me in the pecking order who were always doing great work for the best clients and about 99% of it was humorous. So, I started to write everything like they were writing it. If it was working for them, it would work for me. Wrong. The tipping point came when the agency’s founders, Mike Shine and John Butler, called me into their office and said: “What’s going on?” I’m sure I had a deer in the headlights look because I had no clue what they were talking about. They pointed to a few ads in my book — one for a financial services company and one for Mattel — and then went on to very kindly explain (with choice words like “WTF?”) that the reason they hired me is that I had the ability to write well in different voices. That the last thing the agency needed was one more humor guy. In that moment, it was incredibly freeing to understand that I was hired for me, not to be a carbon copy of someone else. And that being true to how I created, wrote and crafted work for our clients had unique value. I’ve seen so many junior creatives make the same mistake. And I always try to pay forward the advice Butler and Shine gave me.

As creative directors and leaders we also have a responsibility to find, tap into, and encourage unique and diverse voices. Jimmy Iovine said it best in “The Defiant Ones” when he had an epiphany that his role as a music producer wasn’t to try to change the band and make them sound like what he thought people wanted to hear. His job was to do everything in his power to let their unique sound rock.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

Honestly, I think every project has the opportunity to be an exciting project. We’re creating a new campaign right now for Rao’s Homemade which is the fastest growing pasta sauce in the country. People are absolutely obsessed with the taste. And it’s always fun to work on a product that has that kind of passion behind it.

What advice would you give to other marketers to thrive and avoid burnout?

You have to think of your brain as a hundred little drawers. Your job as a creative is to fill those drawers with as much diverse information as possible. To avoid burnout, I seek out films and books and articles and art that aren’t my usual cup of tea, and dive into them anyway. I always come out of that surprised and refreshed. And nine times out of ten, even if it’s years later, I find myself opening that drawer and taking something out to make the work better.

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?

Your brand is the expression of your values, and your role in the world. Today, as more and more consumers — especially young consumers — chose to spend their money with brands who align with their values, the difference between product marketing and brand marketing is disappearing. Your product is the greatest keeper (or disappointer) of your brand promise.

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?

Someone will always come out with something new or better. When that happens, the only thing that protects you from a massive customer migration is that your customer has an emotional connection, a relationship, with your brand. Just like in all relationships, when we’re deeply invested we’re willing to forgive mistakes, to stick with it during the down times, and to show our love and loyalty openly. In our social media driven world, the last point may be the most compelling. No amount of media spend beats having 10 million brand evangelists who will sing your praises for free.

Let’s now talk about rebranding. What are a few reasons why a company would consider rebranding?

I’d group the reasons to rebrand into two categories.

Some are tactical — as your audience and purchasing power shifts, there are brands who have to re-invent themselves to make sure they’re appealing to the audience with the most buying power.

Some are emotional — your brand values no longer align with how you’ve been marketing yourself out in the world, and it needs to evolve.

Are there downsides of rebranding? Are there companies that you would advise against doing a “Brand Makeover”? Why?

It’s never the right move to do a brand makeover as kneejerk reaction. Sometimes you need to double down on who your brand is and weather the storm. I’d advise most companies who have extreme brand loyalists to be very careful about how you go about a rebranding. If your loyalists think you’re trying to be something you’re not, if it doesn’t feel authentic to the brand they’ve come to know and love, you can have a customer mutiny on your hands very quickly.

Ok, here is the main question of our discussion. Can you share 5 strategies that a company can do to upgrade and re-energize their brand and image”? Please tell us a story or an example for each.

  1. Be truthful — There’s no substitute for telling the truth. As people. As brands. The bullshit meter and ability to check everything your brand says has never been higher. Stay true to who you are and what you stand for.
  2. Be visual — Every study ever done shows that we humans are visual creatures. Often brands get so caught up in messaging framework and language, which while extremely important, is only one aspect of how customers interact with your brand. The visual expression and the feeling and vibe it conveys is usually what stays with the consumer forever.
  3. Be aware of culture — It feels like the world has never changed more rapidly. You must be aware of culture and your brand’s role in it to be successful and to know what areas to lean into or avoid.
  4. Be brave — Brands often weigh risk first, which is understandable. But very often the loudest voices in the room are only rattling off what the brand has to lose. Never forget to think about what it can gain. What if trying something new leads to all of the brand’s wildest dreams being fulfilled?
  5. Be nimble — Don’t be afraid to move quickly. If you see a conversation your brand should be a part of that feels authentic and right, GO.

In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job doing a “Brand Makeover”. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?

One of our BSSP clients, Blue Shield of California, has done an incredible job of not only re-branding but reframing a whole category. They are brave and they are not afraid to be part of whatever cultural conversation is happening, in fact, they welcome it. They take a stand and encourage their members to do the same. That takes courage. And its resonated incredibly well with their audience. The key here is that they have a very specific sense of who they are and who they are not. When you know that, it makes all other decisions easier to make.

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. 🙂

There is no reason that in the wealthiest and most innovative country in the world that any child in the U.S. should be living in poverty. Lifting children out of poverty has an impact on all areas of society: health, racial injustice, educational opportunities, economic opportunities.

I’d like to see each of the “big 5” tech companies spend 5% of their time (working independently and together) devoted to children living below the poverty line. We would see major strides in a short amount of time

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Creativity can solve almost any problem — the creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything.

George Lois

I first met the legendary George Lois in Cannes about 10 years ago. I sat in on small 30-minute session and hearing him speak was lifechanging. And if I didn’t believe in what he said, I would have no right to be doing what I’m doing.

How can our readers follow you online?

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-michels-mcdonagh-18582687/

Thank you so much for these excellent insights! We wish you continued success in your work.


Nicole Michels McDonagh of Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (BSSP): Brand Makeovers; 5 Things You… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Author Kelly Roach: Five Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team

I would love to see more entrepreneurs leveraging their earnings to give back. Last year I moved my coaching company to a 1:1 giving model. For every new client we add to one of our coaching programs, we donate to the foundation I started, that has three core focuses for philanthropy. I believe that if people are equipped to find financial freedom for themselves, that they can leverage that freedom to make a huge impact on the world. So, as I coach entrepreneurs, my hope is that more of them will adopt this model and leave a legacy that goes far beyond making lots of money.

As a part of our series about the five things you need to successfully manage a remote team, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kelly Roach.

Business strategist Kelly Roach transforms overworked entrepreneurs into seven-figure CEOs, by teaching them how to leverage timeless business principles, employed by billion-dollar corporations, with the speed and agility of the most powerful online marketing strategies of today. Prior to starting her own company, Kelly spent years in corporate America, rising through the ranks of a Fortune 500 to become the youngest VP in the company. Kelly is not only a best-selling author but is also an ongoing television business expert.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. What is your “backstory”?

Growing up just above the poverty line, in a family of 5, I decided early on that things would be different for me and my children. I worked hard growing up, scrubbing toilets to pay for dance lessons, and working multiple jobs in college. After graduation, I got an entry level job in sales, for a Fortune 500 company. In eight years, I was promoted seven times to become the youngest VP in the company. I led my team through the recession of 08’-10’, without letting a single person go. In fact, we had record breaking sales that year. As I was climbing the corporate ladder, I realized that I was making millions of dollars, working 60+ hours a week, for OTHER people. When I thought about what I wanted in terms of lifestyle, that was not it. So, I started my business on the side, while continuing to work my corporate job, and built that company for two years before quitting. I relied on lots of hard work, my sales skills, and an unstoppable mindset to help me build what is now a multimillion-dollar business coaching company with over 500 clients, across the globe.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

So, this technically happened just before I started my career, but was a defining moment for me. At the time, I was a Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleader, and the year I joined, instead of doing their traditional swimsuit calendar, they decided to do a lingerie shoot instead. I knew that I wanted to build a career in business and that this shoot could do long-term damage to my career, so opted-out. The consequence? Missing out on an incredible trip to a tropical location, and all kinds of media and opportunities that came from the shoot (for the other girls). While I did not know exactly what my future career would look like, I knew that this was not a smart long-term play for me. That decision shaped how I made decisions for the rest of my career. I was able to handle the consequences and am now so thankful I made that choice, way back when!

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 am not sure I would call this funny, but it was a true learning experience, for sure!

When you are just getting started in your business, you have this blind optimism and excitement, and you want things to happen overnight. I was still working full-time as a Fortune 500 executive when I started my business. I put so much work into my first big webinar and was so convinced it would go well that I took the next two business days off of work to do all of the consultations and registrations for everyone that I was sure was going to be registering as a result of my webinar. By that time, I had honed my sales skills and was ready to close some deals after the webinar wrapped.

Unfortunately, I did not have the audience or authority built up to where it needed to be at that point. So webinars probably weren’t the best format for me. I got absolutely zero sales from it, despite my extensive experience and success in sales. Clearly did not need those two days off.

The takeaway for me? You can work extremely hard on something and not see results. I put in hours and hours of practicing and running through the webinar — but my confidence and authority and credibility just were not there yet. Those things take time. You have got to be willing to play the long game and not see results right away.

Building a freedom-based multimillion-dollar company has taken us years. But we did it.

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive and avoid burnout?

Last year I started giving each of my employees a mental health day each month. This is a paid day off that allows them to totally unplug and take some much-needed time off. It’s been huge for my team, as it gives them the space, they need to come back with more energy and focus. If possible, I would consider offering something similar.

Ok, let’s jump to the core of our interview. Some companies have many years of experience with managing a remote team. Others have just started this, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you tell us how many years of experience you have managing remote teams?

Sure, I started my business a little over seven-years ago. We have been remote the entire time. I wanted the freedom to work from home, and wanted my employees to have that same freedom.

Managing a team remotely can be very different than managing a team that is in front of you. Can you articulate for our readers what the five main challenges are regarding managing a remote team? Can you give a story or example for each?

The five main challenges would be:

  • Keeping your team productive — when your team is working virtually, you have very few checks and balances to ensure they are using their time wisely. They could be watching tv all day long if you do not have the right systems in place.
  • Keeping your team connected — without co-workers in the office to eat lunch with or have a water-cooler conversation with, your team is likely to feel a bit lonely at times.
  • Holding your team accountable — phone conversations and video conference calls don’t pack the same punch as an in-person conversation when it comes to accountability.
  • Maintaining motivation-when working virtually there is not a lot of external motivation. Your team needs to be incredibly self-motivated.
  • Maintaining boundaries between work and home life -when you work from home the boundaries lines between home and work can get blurred quickly.

Based on your experience, what can one do to address or redress each of those challenges?

Have multiple check-ins each day. Each department in my company has a morning meeting and an EOD meeting on a video call. Each team member has a set of metrics that they are accountable for, and metrics are tied to bonuses and commissions, so the team stays motivated. We have blackout hours where the team is focused on their most important activities (no internal meetings allowed) and our mental health days allow for some boundaries between work and home as they are required!

In my experience, one of the trickiest parts of managing a remote team is giving honest feedback, in a way that doesn’t come across as too harsh. 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. Can you give a few suggestions about how to best give constructive criticism to a remote employee?

Yes! We do 1:1s on video calls so that we can still see one another. It is not quite the same as being in person, but it’s the next best thing.

Can you specifically address how to give constructive feedback over email? How do you prevent the email from sounding too critical or harsh?

Unless something is a formal warning, we try to keep feedback to conversations when possible. However, if I do address things in an email, I usually just keep things short and to the point. I let the person know that I am open to conversation, and remove any vague language, then state the expectation clearly. I spend a lot of time building relationships with my direct reports and ask them to do the same, so a piece of constructive criticism usually has context, and feels less harsh.

Can you share any suggestions for teams who are used to working together on location but are forced to work remotely due to the pandemic. Are there potential obstacles one should avoid with a team that is just getting used to working remotely?

Just keep the lines of communication open, the standards the same as usual, and the focus on outcomes. Meet regularly, set team goals, celebrate wins, and get comfortable with a group text thread!

What do you suggest can be done to create a healthy and empowering work culture with a team that is remote and not physically together?

We do quarterly team meetings in person (outside of a pandemic) where each team member shares their personal goals and how the job, they are doing at the company can help them accomplish those personal goals. We recast the vision, innovate, and set up what is coming next. These meetings help bond the team together and are incredibly helpful in keeping people motivated and bought 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 see more entrepreneurs leveraging their earnings to give back. Last year I moved my coaching company to a 1:1 giving model. For every new client we add to one of our coaching programs, we donate to the foundation I started, that has three core focuses for philanthropy. I believe that if people are equipped to find financial freedom for themselves, that they can leverage that freedom to make a huge impact on the world. So, as I coach entrepreneurs, my hope is that more of them will adopt this model and leave a legacy that goes far beyond making lots of money.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Be the best that you can be in everything that you do.” It is a quote I have lived by my whole life, and it has served me very, very well. It has helped me, and it has allowed me to help many, many other people. It sounds simple, but if you wake up every day and live this quote out, you become unstoppable!

Thank you for these great insights!


Author Kelly Roach: Five Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Candice Simons of Brooklyn Outdoor: Five Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote…

Candice Simons of Brooklyn Outdoor: Five Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team

Always start with the acknowledgments and praise first. Your employees are working hard. If there is a problem or issue that needs to be addressed, let them know you want to help them and provide them with tools. Acknowledge where you may have had shortcomings with providing them with essential tools for success if that be the case.

As a part of our series about the five things you need to successfully manage a remote team, I had the pleasure of interviewing Candice Simons of Brooklyn Outdoor.

Since returning to Detroit in 2013, Candice Simons and Brooklyn Outdoor have been making waves in the out-of-home (OOH) advertising industry. After years of tenure spent in Chicago, Simons recognized a gap in the industry that could be filled by an energetic take on traditional OOH representation. She foresaw the void Brooklyn Outdoor would fill by providing unmatched specialization in national sales for independent OOH vendors nationwide.

The core services of Brooklyn Outdoor are as follows: traditional and digital billboards, large format wallscapes, hand-painted murals, transit advertising, street furniture, and experiential marketing. With sales representation in Detroit, Los Angeles, and Chicago, the company has subsequently emerged as a regional and national force. Simons and her team are adept at thinking “outside of the board,” providing opportunities in places that they didn’t previously exist, and helping clients explore exciting new creative possibilities.

Simons and her team have been recognized time and time again by the following: 2019 OAAA Hall of Fame “Rising Star Award” and Silver Obie award winner, 2019 Ad Age Best Places to work, Inc. Magazine’s “Inc 5000” encompassing the fastest growing and most inspiring companies of 2018, Crain’s Business “40 under 40”, Crain’s Business Notable Woman in Marketing, D Business “30 in their thirties”, Stevie Award winning “Women in Business”, Michigan Celebrates Small Business “50 Companies to Watch”, Detroit Young Professionals Vanguard Award, multiple Summit International Marketing and Creative Awards, Michigan Economic Bright Spot Award, Corp! Magazine’s Diversity Business Leader, 2017 Enterprising Woman of the year, and the list goes on.

Thank you so much for doing this with us Candice! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. What is your “backstory”?

After working in Chicago’s out-of-home (OOH) advertising industry for nearly a decade, I decided to move home to Detroit in 2013 to start my own business. Despite its reputation at the time, Detroit’s resilient spirit and growing arts & entrepreneurial scene created an opportunity to build a new, innovative Detroit OOH industry from the ground up. That’s how Brooklyn Outdoor began. We are a national, OOH agency that specializes in billboards, transit advertising, hand-painted murals, wallscapes, and experiential marketing. Brooklyn Outdoor aims to bridge connections between local talent and national companies by hiring Detroit artists to complete creative work for our clients. We also have satellite offices in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

I would have to say one of the most interesting/exciting moments of my career was winning the Rising Star Award at the Outdoor Advertising Association of America’s OBIE Awards. At the awards ceremony in Las Vegas, I was recording the moment on my iPhone as the winners were announced — it actually took me a minute to realize they were talking about me and announcing my name! Winning that award is one of my proudest accomplishments so far in my career, and it was the most pleasant surprise.

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 thing about mistakes when you are starting out is that they are never really “funny” when you are making them, but you can always look back and see a lesson learned and hopefully laugh through them. The Brooklyn Outdoor culture is all about learning from our mistakes as we go, so we celebrate and champion our staff on how they handle and rise above them. I’ve made my fair share of silly mistakes over the years, but there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive and avoid burnout?

Check in with your employees and give them the opportunity to give feedback and ask for clarity. If you don’t ask for feedback regularly, then employees are subject to ambiguity and frustration. It’s much easier to solve a problem if you know it exists. Also, it is really important that employees know what they are responsible for and how it fits in the bigger picture. Every role in the company plays a big part, and it’s important for your employees to know that. Recognize and appreciate where credit is due!

Ok, let’s jump to the core of our interview. Some companies have many years of experience with managing a remote team. Others have just started this, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you tell us how many years of experience you have managing remote teams?

Thankfully, our Detroit team has always (since 2013) been partially remote and our staff in our satellite offices have been fully remote. This definitely helped with the transition. Nonetheless, it has presented its own unique challenges. Everyone has been dealing with balancing work and home life at the same time. We use Slack to stay in constant communication with each other and have bi-weekly video chats. We have also been working really hard to stay engaged with our clients on both a professional and personal level.

Managing a team remotely can be very different than managing a team that is in front of you. Can you articulate for our readers what the five main challenges are regarding managing a remote team? Can you give a story or example for each?

1. Communication: With less face-to-face communication, it’s important that your company comes up with an organized plan for communication. Scheduling and (most importantly) holding bi-weekly meetings you can quickly address issues and create strategy. If you’re not doing this, then you may not be aware of what obstacles your team is facing, or better yet what creative approach they want to share with you.

2. Reward and acknowledge: Working from home in a time of some much uncertainty can leave employees feeling stressed and disconnected. As a leader you should understand that and recognize people for their accomplishments and hardwork. A “thank you” or “great work” goes a long way when it comes to making employees feel valued and appreciated.

3. Family/work life balance: With most of the family at home, employees who have children may have a harder time balancing work with childcare. It’s important to remember that although we are all in this together, each of us is having our own experience and facing our own unique challenges. Being flexible with call-times and virtual meetings is a great way to reduce the stress of balancing family and work-life.

4. Know your staff: Some people are visual learners, others are verbal and so on. Without being together in an office or team setting, it may be difficult to focus on and cater to the needs of each employee, which can influence productivity, morale, and more. By knowing the way each staff member prefers to learn, and give and receive direction you will see much more productivity. One bit of advice is, pay attention to how people communicate in emails. Are they giving bullet points, or is it high in detail. Which every way a person delivers info, is likely to be how they prefer to receive it as well.

5. Making sure people have the technology and tools they need to work: Does your staff have the devices, software, etc. they need for a seamless transition from work office to home office? The last thing anyone wants is a poor wifi connection, or to be missing the software for a conference call. Setting up your team with the appropriate tools will remove obstacles that prevent them from excelling in their workday.

Based on your experience, what can one do to address or redress each of those challenges?

In my experience, one of the trickiest parts of managing a remote team is giving honest feedback, in a way that doesn’t come across as too harsh. 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.

Can you give a few suggestions about how to best give constructive criticism to a remote employee?

Video chat should become your best friend. We’re fortunate to live in a time where communication is so easily obtainable, so having the option to video chat is crucial because things can get misconstrued through text or email. It also circles back to having an open line of communication with your staff. Asking your employees what is working for them, what is not working, and how you can support them. By allowing your employees to express their needs and challenges, you give them the platform to ask for help without critiquing. Make sure your employees know you want to help them succeed and aren’t just picking on them.

Can you specifically address how to give constructive feedback over email? How do you prevent the email from sounding too critical or harsh?

Always start with the acknowledgments and praise first. Your employees are working hard. If there is a problem or issue that needs to be addressed, let them know you want to help them and provide them with tools. Acknowledge where you may have had shortcomings with providing them with essential tools for success if that be the case.

Can you share any suggestions for teams who are used to working together on location but are forced to work remotely due to the pandemic. Are there potential obstacles one should avoid with a team that is just getting used to working remotely?

Since we’ve always been partially remote, we use an app called Slack. Slack allows us to create different channels where the staff can discuss different parts of the business. It’s super easy to use and keeps everyone in the loop. Not having separate Slack channels can be confusing and information can get lost. Having a variety of channels helps everyone stay organized and know who to contact and what to contact them about depending on each channel. Also, use a calendar everyone has access to so everyone knows if there is a meeting that day, or someone is out of office that day. That where there is no confusion when it comes to who is doing what.

What do you suggest can be done to create a healthy and empowering work culture with a team that is remote and not physically together?

We use a reward system called Kudos, where when someone does a good job on a project or goes above and beyond their normal tasks, they get rewarded with “kudos points.” In turn, you can redeem the points for gift cards to a bunch of different places. It boosts company morale and it’s nice being recognized for your hard work. Who doesn’t like being told they’re doing a good job?

Sometimes we have Zoom happy hours as well. We’ll all hop on Zoom and just chat for about an hour about anything. It keeps everyone connected and it’s fun getting to know someone outside or work, even if it is virtually for now.

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. 🙂

One of the things I love about OOH advertising is that it is the oldest format of advertising. With that being said now is a great time for a refresh. Just as we continue to be innovative with formats, technology and engagement tactics, we need to be innovative on a different level. For a very long time there was one demographic we would see in leadership roles. It’s time for that to change. We have certainly made strides, but are nowhere near where we need to be. As someone who hopes to be a thought leader in the OOH industry, I have been working with my peers and leaders in OOH to start developing a diversity initiative. We are still fleshing out the details, but I cannot wait to see how far inclusion can truly move us and make our industry more connected.

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 “integrity is key.” Standing firm in your ethical morals and boundaries says alot about a person and their brand. The more a person acts with integrity, the more successful they are likely to be. Integrity is definitely one of the core values I hold true in my life and in my company. There is no doubt that in business mistakes will be made, and there will be growing pains. However, if you let your moral compass guide you in the right direction then you can always move forward with a clear conscience.

Also, organizational behavior starts from the top down. Leaders should always project the integrity they want their employees to mirror. When you lead with integrity, then you start to see the people around you who share those values, and those who don’t. It’s a great tool for knowing who you want to do business with and who aligns with your company’s core values.


Candice Simons of Brooklyn Outdoor: Five Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Sharney Ryan of Mash Media: “5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team”

…Establishing trust starts with open communication, getting to know your team members and their daily routines such as whether they are a morning person or not. Give them tasks strategically when you know they will be at their best and trust them to be responsible and complete the tasks without being micromanaged.

As a part of our series about the five things you need to successfully manage a remote team, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sharney Ryan.

Sharney Ryan is the Founder and Managing Director of Mash Media, a boutique full-service digital marketing agency operating in Australia and in the US. She remotely manages a highly experienced and international team, servicing small-medium to large businesses.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. What is your “backstory”?

Marketing has always been a passion for me. I studied it at Uni and have worked in multiple different facets of marketing: radio, glossy magazines, directories and digital for about the last 15 years. Before starting my own business, I worked for several larger marketing agencies and while I always loved my work, I knew that something was missing for me and that one day I would love to have a business of my own.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

The most interesting story is how and why I finally started my own business Mash Media. Several things happened in my life all at around the same time: I lost my job, fell pregnant and my father passed away. Starting my own agency was something I’d always wanted to do, it’s also something my Dad was always saying I should do. My hesitation was mainly due to my fear of failure and the loss of having a security net. In losing my job while I was pregnant, I felt that fate was stepping in and pushing me in the right direction to get started. I guess it was a very interesting start to my new career as a business owner.

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?

Well, I made a lot of mistakes and I think most startup businesses make mistakes. I wouldn’t really call them funny, sometimes they can be quite costly or embarrassing. I would say the funniest mistake I made as a business owner was thinking I could wear all hats. Specifically, the biggest mistake was in thinking I could do my own recruiting and successfully hire the right people. It wasn’t until I realized that hiring was actually one of my weaknesses and engaged a professional recruitment agent, that I managed to build my superstar team. I have learned from my mistakes that you don’t have to be the best at everything and don’t need to run every facet of your business, you just have to surround yourself with the best people.

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive and avoid burnout?

One of the key things is to provide flexibility. I think most burnouts come from being stuck in the same routine and working long hours which is easy to do when working remotely. Then there is the need to keep personal appointments and run errands but those things have to be done at night or on weekends and it can feel like there is little or no down time. I would advise that it is important to remember your employees are people and that they have lives outside of their work. I believe you should allow some flexibility and trust them to perform their duties without micro-managing them. The biggest thing in avoiding burnout is achieving a great work/life balance which I always endeavor to encourage for my team.

Ok, let’s jump to the core of our interview. Some companies have many years of experience with managing a remote team. Others have just started this, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you tell us how many years of experience you have managing remote teams?

I have been managing remote teams for about 5 years.

I have been managing remote teams for about 5 years. All members of my team have always operated remotely from different cities and in different states and even countries. Many of my employees work from home, a few of them are in coworking spaces 1–3 days a week for the networking and social interaction an office environment provides. Since COVID-19 came into being, everyone has had to work from home so there has been a bit of adjustment for some team members. After managing remote teams for 5 years, there’s still the impact that COVID has had on everybody to deal with.

Managing a team remotely can be very different than managing a team that is in front of you. Can you articulate for our readers what the five main challenges are regarding managing a remote team? Can you give a story or example for each?

After managing a remote team for 5 years, I have learned that there are many challenges but the top 5 for me have been:

– Promoting well-being: remote doesn’t have to equal ‘working alone’. I understand that not everyone has the desire or the option to have an office set up at home but for those who do communication with me and with each other is essential.

– Establishing trust: this means not tracking every online action and micromanaging which can be difficult when your team is remote. Many managers may find it hard to put their trust in the team working as well remotely as they do in an office setting. I have found it creates a sense of pride in my team that I trust them to perform without constant supervision.

– Encouraging social interactions: It is hard to replace that social interaction you get from working closely with colleagues in an office. I organize video chats and challenges for the team to find ways to feel like there is a more social aspect to their situation.

– Choosing the right tools: it is essential to have a well-structured project management system to enable remote teams to work collaboratively. A good communications system for instant messaging, file sharing and chatting is also a necessary tool.

– Set clear goals: we all need to know where the business is going and need to be aware of our part in getting there.

Based on your experience, what can one do to address or redress each of those challenges?

Promoting wellness from a distance can be a real challenge. When working alone, it is easy to get caught up in what you’re doing and forget to get up, stretch and move around. We often put out challenges on Slack to go outside, take a selfie and share with the team. We also encourage team members to share ‘working from home’ and wellness tips and ideas.

Establishing trust starts with open communication, getting to know your team members and their daily routines such as whether they are a morning person or not. Give them tasks strategically when you know they will be at their best and trust them to be responsible and complete the tasks without being micromanaged.

Social Interaction in the current climate is almost impossible, so why not try a virtual ‘Friday drinks’, we have done this with great success. It gives the team a sense of togetherness and an opportunity to review the week’s work and to socialize and get to know each other better. I also organize an annual get together in one location where we perform team building activities, discuss business strategies for the year ahead and do fun social activities while getting to know each other better.

Do your research when it comes to choosing the right tools to operate cohesively as a remote team, I highly recommend Slack for internal communication, it is free and really easy to use on both desktop and mobile. An integrative project management system is also essential so that teams can work on projects together but remotely.

As human beings we are motivated by varying goals. We all have our daily tasks to work on and through our project management system, I can set clear goals for each individual and each team. I like to also create exciting new internal projects to keep everyone learning and motivated. We are about to launch our own business podcast “Mash Pod”, so watch this space!

In my experience, one of the trickiest parts of managing a remote team is giving honest feedback, in a way that doesn’t come across as too harsh. 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. Can you give a few suggestions about how to best give constructive criticism to a remote employee?

I think constructive criticism is really task-specific so while facial expressions can be helpful, they can also go against you if they are read the wrong way. So, I think when you’re giving constructive criticism, the focus should be on making sure you remove all emotions and make it very specific and targeted. That way it can’t be misconstrued by any emotion interpreted from a facial expression. In situations where you really feel that facial expression and body language will be helpful when giving constructive criticism, I would recommend a video chat. By acknowledging anything that has been done well in the same conversation, you can soften the criticism so that it doesn’t come across as too harsh.

Can you specifically address how to give constructive feedback over email? How do you prevent the email from sounding too critical or harsh?

I believe that no matter how hard you try to make an email come across in a particular way, people can still read it differently. So, when it comes to giving feedback, I prefer doing it over the phone first. It gives you the opportunity to judge how they are reacting to your constructive criticism and you can work on a plan together. If it needs to be sent in an email, you know that you have already discussed it, and it’s not going to be taken the wrong way. I think a lot can be said for actually having a conversation as opposed to just sending out an email. If email is the only way you can communicate at the time, you can soften the criticism by finding something in the recipient’s work to praise as well.

Can you share any suggestions for teams who are used to working together on location but are forced to work remotely due to the pandemic. Are there potential obstacles one should avoid with a team that is just getting used to working remotely?

Some of the obstacles for people who are not used to working from home are that they can feel isolated and miss the personal interaction with colleagues. They also need to be very disciplined to separate their home life from work. Additionally, they need to have a functional set up with all the equipment they need. I would advise them to set up a communication strategy with their colleagues such as a daily or weekly video chat either one on one or as a group, to reduce the sense of isolation. If possible, set up a work area that is separate from the living areas of the home so that they can remove themselves from the work environment after hours and not be distracted by home duties while working.

What do you suggest can be done to create a healthy and empowering work culture with a team that is remote and not physically together?

One of the hardest parts of having a successful remote team is ensuring that the individual members can feel like they’re part of a team.

It is important to make all employees feel that they are in a team with regular video meetings and having an integrated project management system where each one can see what others are doing. I have also found it useful for the team to share ideas about how to remain positive and motivated while working remotely.

I believe it is necessary to make sure that there is open communication and add a bit of fun and humor. For example, we do some ‘dad jokes’ on one of our Slack channels and everybody gets on board and has a laugh. We have our occasional Friday ‘virtual drinks’ where we get together on video and bring a drink. We wind up the week with a chat about our work progress and achievements and some social chat about plans for the weekend. Even though my team works remotely and some completely on their own, I believe having these virtual get togethers helps them to feel like they know each other and are truly a team.

I think the key thing is to make sure your employees aren’t feeling isolated and out there on their own. Ensure that they are feeling supported and know that they are an important part of a well-loaded machine. Everyone needs to know that they have got a greater purpose, and they are a part of something.

Lastly, I let my team know that I am available to them to chat any time if they have concerns about their job or projects they are working on or even if they just need a chat.

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 make education more available to more people. I believe knowledge is powerful, which is why I always try to educate my clients on the “why” of our strategies as well as the how and the expected results. I believe everyone can feel more confident committing to something if they understand it and the benefits it will bring.

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 actually one from Walt Disney that says: “Everyone can achieve their dreams if they have the power to pursue them”. I grew up in a household where my parents were always there, were always very motivating and they always gave me similar advice. They always said you can be whatever you want to be, you just have to put your mind to it and work hard for it. I believe that the first step to any goal is to dream about it but it’s not enough just to dream about it, you have to actually go after it and make it a reality.

Thank you for these great insights!


Sharney Ryan of Mash Media: “5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Matt Jones of Infor: The Future of Retail Over The Next Five Years

Embrace ML/AI — The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the efficacy of ML/AI. Solutions that really used ML/AI in demand prediction, etc. kept up with the shifts in shopping with almost no reduction in forecast accuracy. Meanwhile, time-phased approaches were largely sidelined in favor of manual allocations to get product to the stores and fulfillment centers.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Matt Jones.

Matt Jones is the Vice President, Global Retail Solution Consulting & Product Strategy at Infor. Having worked in this sector of Infor for four years, Matt is an expert on identifying market needs, conceptualizing solutions, and serving as an executive sponsor for retail customers. Due to the nature of his work, Matt is innately focused on future industry trends such as digitizing the consumer shopping experience post-COVID and the what the future of the retail industry looks like as department stores close, malls struggle to reopen and the ecommerce system booms. Prior to working at Infor, Matt spent nine years working for Oracle’s retail global business unit. He is currently based in Sacramento, Ca.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I wanted to continue my career in retail that allowed me to travel and work from anywhere. Retail software gave me that opportunity.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

Earlier in my career, I worked at Best Buy’s HQ and we had the opportunity to work in the stores during the holiday season. I made a ton of mistakes trying to remember which of the 20 versions of “A Christmas Carol” were on sale, the differences between two similar looking but differently priced TVs or which PC had the most powerful graphics card.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or takeaway you learned from that?

I was brought in to design new processes in a distribution center, and I thought my recent degree gave me full knowledge of the situation, but I made so many mistakes thinking I knew more than I did and was often too proud to ask for help. I soon got over that and learned to thrive there.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think these projects might help people?

I am working on a lot of machine learning/AI-focused projects right now. So many really impactful, not just cool, things are being done in this space. It keeps me excited to work here. ML/AI is not a job replacer. Rather, it will help retailers better care for their customers and complete with the behemoth based in Seattle.

What tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

It is advice that I need to follow more, step out of yourself and view a situation from multiple angles. It helps me to gain perspective on what is really important and to remove the emotion, the ego and the stress from a situation.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful toward, who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

I rely often on two lessons that my high school debate coach taught me. She taught me to simplify a tough problem by pealing back the layers like an onion and to have confidence in myself (and to remember everyone else is nervous too).

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

This is an area of focus for me. I need to do more.

Now let’s jump to the main question of our interview. Can you share 5 examples of how retail companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers like to shop?

First, I don’t see a “new normal” that we all can settle into. I think the economy and retail will be in a state of flux for some time. At Infor, we are focused on helping retailers adapt and thrive while in an extended state of flux or transition. We refer to this as adding resilience to your operations.

Second, a decade’s worth of change to how we shop, how we work and how we live has occurred this year. While some of those changes will revert back, we think most of the change will remain in terms of the percentage of shopping completed digitally vs. analog (in store), working from home, how we vacation (or step away from work).

In terms of how consumers want to shop, I can safely say that no one (regardless of the decade) has ever wanted to take kids along to shop for groceries or to try clothes on at the store. Technology and transportation shifts have made it possible to do all of your shopping in the most convenient way. The big hurdle recently was making the last mile easier (keeping the ice cream frozen long enough to deliver it) and more convenient (phone-based apps with real-time updates).

To thrive, retailers must make some generational investments in their technology:

  1. Automate 60% of the work that is being down at HQ — Too many complex tasks are being ignored to complete basic tasks that can be easily automated today (forecast adjustments, store level assortment assignments, allocations, markdowns, PO tracking and responding to changes).
  2. Embrace ML/AI — The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the efficacy of ML/AI. Solutions that really used ML/AI in demand prediction, etc. kept up with the shifts in shopping with almost no reduction in forecast accuracy. Meanwhile, time-phased approaches were largely sidelined in favor of manual allocations to get product to the stores and fulfillment centers.
  3. Pressure your software vendors to do more — Legacy technology providers have held retailers back by spending on sales & marketing over investing in technologies that will help their customers (retailers) compete with the mega-retailer based in Seattle. Too many software companies added ML to their marketing message, but not to their products.
  4. Think big picture — Half measures will not enable a retailer to survive, much less thrive. Consumers are demanding big changes to how they shop, they know it can be done, and they have gotten really impatient with overly cautious retailers.

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.

A movement toward win-win vs. win-lose thinking.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Readers are welcome to reach me on LinkedIn at Matt Jones.


Matt Jones of Infor: The Future of Retail Over The Next Five Years was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Ian Morris of Likewise: 5 Things You Need To Know To Create a Successful App or SaaS

There are a lot of wonderfully talented and wise leaders out there from all walks of life and I would really like to see more organizations come along that can help match those people up with those who could benefit most from their advice and mentoring. This is needed for people who have been climbing uphill their whole lives due to situations not of their own making. We need to all play a role in helping people get the kind of success that so many are capable of but haven’t been given the chance to achieve.

As part of my series about the “5 Things You Need To Know To Create a Successful App or SaaS”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ian Morris.

Ian is the cofounder and CEO of Likewise, an exciting start-up that helps users easily find the best personalized recommendations for Movies, TV shows, books, podcasts, and more. Before Likewise, he served as the president and CEO of Market Leader for more than a decade, establishing the company as the leading provider of SaaS solutions to the real estate industry with more than 150,000 enterprise and SMB customers. Under his leadership, Market Leader was ranked the fourth Fastest Growing Technology Company in North America from 1999–2004, leading to a successful IPO in 2004 and the sale of the company to Trulia in 2013 for $380 million. After receiving his MBA from Harvard Business School, Morris spent seven years at Microsoft where he led many of MSN’s early online marketing efforts and later served as the general manager of Microsoft HomeAdvisor, one of the nation’s first consumer real estate sites. He has also served as a board member and strategic advisor to a number of both public and private technology companies.

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?

Business and technology have always been an interest of mine, so why not make a career out of it? After I received my MBA from Harvard Business School, I joined Microsoft for the opportunity to work on the Internet in its early days. It was a great opportunity and I loved my seven years there, first in marketing from the first days of MSN to serving as the general manager of Microsoft HomeAdvisor, one of the nation’s first consumer real estate sites.

Following my time at Microsoft, I served as CEO of Market Leader for 12 years where we established the company as the leading provider of SaaS for the real estate industry — this included more than 150,000 enterprise and SMB customers. Through my leadership, Market Leader was ranked as the fourth fastest growing technology company in North America from 1999–2004, which led to successful IPO in 2004 and the sale of the company to Trulia in 2013 for $380 million. I also spent time serving as a board member and strategic advisor to a variety of public and private technology companies.

After my tenure at Market Leader, I spent a very enjoyable 3 years working as a board member and strategic advisor to several technology companies. Then, in 2017, I co-founded Likewise with two friends with a goal of making it easier for everyone to discover, collect and share the things they really enjoy. It’s been incredibly fulfilling building this wonderful team, which launched the Likewise app in October of 2018. We are an exciting start-up with a smart, passionate team that is working on a problem that we can all relate to. It can’t get much better than helping people make the most of their recreational time by providing them with personalized recommendations for television shows, movies, books, and podcasts.

What was the “Aha Moment” that led you to think of the idea for your current company? Can you share that story with us?

Our idea for Likewise was born out of Bill Gates’ private office. The office’s managing partner and my friend and co-founder, Larry Cohen, noticed how much time he spent trying to find the best of everything and was frustrated that no one had made it easy to share and discover great experiences in the digital world. He developed the idea with our other co-founder Michael Dix and the two of them brought me in to develop the concept and turn it into a company. Fortunately, Bill Gates also related to and was excited by the idea (tens of millions of people across the world follow Bill’s book picks) and funded the team to pursue it. Our collective efforts resulted in the creation of Likewise.

Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey? Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?

Our first incarnation of Likewise was very social focused and we realized the difficulty in building a social platform from scratch. We invested in building a far more engaging single player mode that helped people get real-time value from our app in the form of personalized recommendations. That great experience leads to people wanting to share with their friends and family which greatly enhances the experience for everyone involved. As a result, we have seen tremendous growth in the number of people using Likewise.

So, how are things going today? How did your grit and resilience lead to your eventual success?

We’ve seen the world change drastically in the last few months and everyone has had to pivot and become resilient. Life has been disrupted at the social level with various restrictions seen throughout the country, so having a recommendation app that can keep people engaged with their family, friends and other users while at home has been helpful.

Through this, our team has been able to broaden our content and has quickly been able to provide new recommendations to our users. With students home due to school closures, we’ve created dozens of lists of the best content available to them in areas such as children’s education, fitness, cooking and more. In addition to hundreds of other lists focused on traditional movies, television shows, books and podcasts, Likewise provides a wealth of information about the wealth of content in the world. It’s our job to make sure we can provide users with this information based on what they will most likely be interested in.

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 if it qualifies as a mistake, but it’s a funny story that jumps to mind.

Bill Gates is a supporter and user of Likewise and he occasionally uses one of our most popular features — The Ask — which lets users post a question and get input from the community. It’s a cool feature, because not only do you get a whole lot of ideas, but unlike posting a question in a text or social media app, the end result is a list of answers, sorted most popular to least, all done automatically for you.

Well, Bill asked the community what show he should watch next and also shared the Ask on his Twitter feed. That was great because it spread like wildfire and brought a lot of new users to the app, but what we didn’t see coming was different groups competing to get Bill’s attention.

We saw one group of people come together to keep recommending a documentary about a disease they were passionate about. Another large group were fans of the Netflix original The OA, a show that had been cancelled and that they were lobbying to get another season of (I agree with them by the way). They kept engaging on the original ask hoping Bill could have a hand in bringing the show back for a few more seasons. This went back and forth for a few days and it was fascinating to see. What we initially thought engagement would look like took a different turn, which is okay!

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

We are helping consumers solve their subscription fatigue and deal with what can only be called a content explosion. As major media and technology companies jump into the streaming revolution, dozens of new shows are being added every day. At the same time, as these companies compete for subscription dollars, content is often moving from one service to the other. No consumer can or should need to keep up with all this chaos and that’s where the Likewise app comes in.

We put an end to the noise by helping consumers find what they want to watch and exactly where they can watch it. We do that by providing personalized recommendations that are based on their interests, what friends and other people they trust enjoy, what our editors think they will be interested in, and even what they read or listen to. We aren’t aware of anyone else that takes all of this into account when helping people find what they will enjoy next.

And we even take things one step further. We now deliver this information right to their television with Likewise TV. The Likewise TV app is now available for Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, and Apple TV. Likewise TV lets users see their entire watchlist, right on their television. Not only can they see all the things they want to watch, but they can see them in one place regardless of what streaming service its on. Basically we have created a home screen for the TV and from there, launching any show or movie is just a click away.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

This is a great question and I’m not sure there is a perfect answer given that everyone works differently. I personally recommend, in addition to being passionate about your company and how it serves a purpose, that collaboration is key. The best thing about being a CEO is that you get to pick the people you want to spend your time with, and through this, building a team of individuals that share your passion for the company and allowing those colleagues to bring new ideas is vital. Collaboration among colleagues has allowed us at Likewise to continue to grow our audience to the numbers we have today.

During my free time, I do like to avoid “burn out” by getting outside and playing tennis. It’s my favorite activity and the best way to start my day. It helps me say healthy mentally and physically!

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 have been incredibly fortunate. My parents have been a big part of my life every step of the way. My father worked as a Wall Street analyst while I was growing up and was always ready, willing and able to respond to the questions I peppered him with. With that type of coaching, how could someone not fall in love with the interesting opportunities that the business world presents? Additionally, my wife and family are always there for me. Every business has its ups and downs and CEO is the loneliest job in the world when things aren’t going your way. I honestly don’t think I could have made it through the tougher times in my career without my wife’s support and her willingness to be a sounding board, skeptic, and supporter.

Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of this interview. Approximately how many users or subscribers does your app or software currently have? Can you share with our readers three of the main steps you’ve taken to build such a large community?

Since we began in October of 2018, we’ve seen tremendous growth and engagement with Likewise. But, what’s more notable is our growth during the last four months — we’ve tripled the number of users on our platform. We have had more than one million people sign up for Likewise and those users have enriched our community with more than 25 million recommendations for television shows, movies, books and podcasts. It now takes us about three to four days to generate one million recommendations. This growth shows that consumers are relying on the app now more than ever to help feed their need for entertainment.

Here are some of the main steps we’ve taken to build out our community on Likewise.

Creating Lists in Real-Time

We stay up-to-date on current trends and what’s popular — what people talking about in terms of movies, television shows, books, and podcasts. From there, we can create aggregated lists that span streaming services and build out timely themed lists around holidays, anniversaries or major cultural moments.

Counting on Recommendations

Nielsen reports that 83 percent of people trust recommendations of friends and family over other channels. Consumer skepticism continued to grow due to ratings from anonymous, unverified biased sources. We wanted Likewise to be a unique platform to help people find and share recommendations more easily and have these recommendations come from family, friends and experts.

Understanding Streaming Service Users and Expanding Offerings

As we’ve seen over the past few years, the streaming wars are heating up. There seems to be more and more options each year, which leads to users struggling what to watch next. Did you know that on average, streamers are spending more than 15 minutes trying to decide what to watch before diving into their next television show or movie? With that in mind, we sought to understand how consumers are feeling about what is currently available.

Our research has shown that the explosion of content on the small screen has become a double-edged sword for viewers. And, our findings have suggested that frustrations are about to worsen as more and more platforms continue to be introduced. With our expansion to Likewise TV for Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Apple TV, we aim to put an end to these frustrations.

What is your monetization model? How do you monetize your community of users? Have you considered other monetization options? Why did you not use those?

Right now we are pre-revenue and we are focused on two things: building a great product and getting more people using it every day. The better we do with those goals, the easier monetization will be. After all, who doesn’t want to learn about great new content that they will truly enjoy? And, what media or publishing company doesn’t want to make sure those consumers know everything about its content? Once we choose to begin generating revenue, we are confident we can do it in a way that is win-win.

Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things one should know in order to create a very successful app or a SaaS? Please share a story or an example for each.

It all starts with the problem you are trying to solve. We don’t always get that right at first as is evident by the hundreds of highly successful companies that ended up in a place very different than where they started. But, what all of those companies have in common is that they listened to their customers and stayed opportunistic. If you do that, you will find plenty of opportunities. The next step is to approach each with a balance of optimism and great skepticism. After all, lots of great ideas make for very poor businesses. Once you have found your problem, and one you are confident can be a great business, then it just comes down to execution That’s where the real hard work kicks in! All of this is true whether you are building a consumer app, a SaaS business, or just about anything else.

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 try to serve as a mentor to people who are early in their career whenever I can. I have done some of this with people from underprivileged backgrounds and look forward to continuing mentorship in my community and across the country.

There are a lot of wonderfully talented and wise leaders out there from all walks of life and I would really like to see more organizations come along that can help match those people up with those who could benefit most from their advice and mentoring. This is needed for people who have been climbing uphill their whole lives due to situations not of their own making. We need to all play a role in helping people get the kind of success that so many are capable of but haven’t been given the chance to achieve. Especially now, I’m confident we’ll see more and more leaders taking on the role of mentor to shape the future generations and I’m excited to continue to do my part to support others and help guide them in the right direction.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

You can follow Likewise on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for new updates on our platform and to see our latest and greatest lists and user recommendations.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!


Ian Morris of Likewise: 5 Things You Need To Know To Create a Successful App or SaaS was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Michele Morelli of Toluna: Five Things You Need To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand

…I would want to focus on social justice. Each individual person should feel empowered to ask questions of their HR team and their management around diversity and inclusion. Don’t be afraid to walk into HR and ask about the maternity and paternity policy. Brands have the power to change the world. Literally. And some brands need a nudge in the right direction. Asking HR and your executives in town halls, in emails, in meetings without ambushing them!– helps hold brands accountable. People want to do the right thing — but sometimes it takes a push. The change may not happen quickly, but it will happen eventually if enough people keep asking questions.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Michele Morelli .

Michele Morelli is Senior Vice President of Marketing Strategy at Toluna. She currently leads all marketing initiatives for the group internationally, owning, developing and spearheading the global marketing strategy as well as identifying opportunities to grow Toluna’s client base across all brands. She recently oversaw the company’s rebranding efforts and harmonized its brand structure. Previously, Michele served as Vice President of Direct Customer Engagement for Prudential’s Customer Office where she was responsible for transforming the way Prudential builds relationships with prospects, focusing on customer acquisition methodologies, including new partnerships. An alumna of Villanova University, Michele holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Sociology.

Thank you so much for doing this with us Michele! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I knew I wanted to do something within marketing but I wasn’t sure exactly what. My first job post- college was working in ad sales for CNN, which was such an important role for me for two important reasons. First, it introduced me to how media was then purchased. Second, it showed me how brands were thinking about their customers and reach. I knew I didn’t want to be linear in my career — I wanted to experience as many marketing functions as possible rather than concentrate in one area. So, my career has been equal parts business marketing and consumer marketing, and a healthy mix of leading pure acquisition strategy and building some of the world’s largest brands such as AOL. I was certain that I wanted “end client” experience mixed in with platform/technology side, and that has proven a great asset throughout my career. For example, my experience running monetization strategy at Yahoo made me a much savvier acquisition marketer at Citibank.

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?

I don’t have a mistake per se, but I can share an incident that has impacted my work life. When I first started working at Citibank, I was introduced to our relatively new agency team. Never one to shy away from providing my opinion, I was fully engaged in the meeting. I was making suggestions, providing critiques and offering moments of support. I was killing it. The room was engaged; heads were nodding, there were smiles all around and lots of eye contact. I felt great. When the meeting ended, a few people were waiting to introduce themselves to me personally. As I began talking about my background, I noticed a few quizzical looks. A new colleague stepped in when she saw the confusion. “This is Michele Morelli” she said. Apparently, I had been confused for Michelle Peluso, the new(ish) CMO of Citibank — who they had yet to meet. In an instant, the room cleared. The smiles disappeared and apparently my groundbreaking ideas were not as interesting. Going from a captivating storyteller to just ‘the new person’ in record time was one of the more amusing moments in my career.

The experience taught me the importance of appreciating your position in the room. If I am a manager, people’s reactions to me may be influenced by the perceived power I hold. Power over them, over budget or over resources. My opinion may weigh more and a half -baked critique may have a very large ripple effect. It also reinforced my firm belief in being transparent and truthful with my own managers. We often wonder how bad decisions get made or approved. Most managers don’t want you to “yes” them — they want bold work that creates interest and results. If something is great, say it. If something is mediocre, say it. There was a saying at AOL: Leave it in the room. There were multiple layers to this but the crux was: No matter who you were addressing, you had to do it with honesty and commitment to the overall company mission. We didn’t agree in person and then lament the decision in smaller groups after the meeting ended.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

There are multiple features that make Toluna an exciting and dynamic place to work. Our culture, the leadership, the products. The most important element is that we put the customer at the center. The customer is quite literally at the core of what we do as a market research company. Customer centricity is impossible to achieve without engaging with your customers. We enable businesses to connect with over 30 million consumers across the world who want to provide their opinions on products, packaging and/or messaging. We’re able to be customer centric because of our technology. And from a business standpoint, we’ve structured our business to be truly flexible to client needs — the very definition of being customer centric. If you want to do all the research yourself, great! You can use our SaaS model. If you need help creating a survey, we can help there. Or if you want us to conduct a full project, we can do that too. And because we’re so focused on flexibility, we don’t require a subscription or contract. At other companies, customer centricity is a motto. At Toluna, it’s our core strategy.

Our customer centricity helped us launch our new brand strategy. We reduced the number of brands we had in market to help our clients access the most effective solution faster. We formerly had ITWP as a parent brand for Toluna, Harris Interactive and KuRunData. What we found was that the ITWP brand didn’t hold as much value to our clients as Toluna did. So we sunset ITWP and made Toluna the parent brand. Customer centricity is what sparked the whole company rebrand — and also resulted in us adding simplicity to our company values.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

From a brand perspective, it’s is a very exciting time right now. We currently have four brands in market: ITWP (parent company), Toluna, Harris Interactive and KuRunData. We are simplifying that structure to make it easier for brands to work with us by sunsetting ITWP and elevating Toluna as the parent brand. This shift will make it easier for clients to know that whether they want a pure SaaS technology provider or a full consultancy, they can come to Toluna for all those needs. Reimagining Toluna as the parent has allowed us to evolve the brand. Prior to my arrival, the brand was not fully fleshed out and most of the company associated brand with visuals. We’ve now given Toluna a proper identity and a mission that will really resonate with our employees and clients. Identity and mission are so core to a company — and as a result, to revenue. Who are we? What do we stand for? Why do we do what we do? Our CEO (and myself) spent a great deal of time on the manifesto, honing and crafting and revising until it was a perfect reflection of the company. I encourage you to read it on our site! It’s all about moving forward, and the tie into our new logo is perfect.

Ok let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. 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?

Brands need to ask themselves two key questions. The first is the type of relationship they want to have with consumers. If they are only looking for a transactional or executional relationship — perhaps brand is not important. But if they are looking to build loyalty or have a relationship in the true sense of the word, they will need to focus on brand — especially if they are in a category where there is little perceived difference in offerings or service. Brands want people to make decisions based on an emotional level rather than a purely tactical level (such as price or offer). Because once you’re in that transactional level, it’s a race to the bottom with your competitors. The lowest price, the highest rewards value wins.

Brand is a critically important part of any general marketing strategy. I would submit it’s more important to the acquisition strategy than most people give it credit. Because brand can be notoriously difficult to tie to performance on a tactical and execution level — organizations can easily write it off. But time and time again, we see that brand ultimately drives loyalty, performance and revenue. Brand is how you acquire advocates, important word of mouth and recommendations. From my experience, media campaigns (acquisitions) have a lower CPA after consumers have been exposed to brand advertising. And brand leads to more highly qualified consumers seeking you out. It’s more expensive to acquire a customer than keep a customer — this is where brand is key.

It’s important to note that people are shopping all the time. The days of the traditional purchase funnel are long gone. Today people move from awareness to purchase in a matter of steps. They shop for entertainment and they readily consume native or sponsored content if it’s educational or entertaining. This is where brand is so powerful. In an environment where people watch a YouTube video and are compelled to purchase, brand is key. Building your brand through experiences or content, especially digitally will increase funnel velocity in a nonlinear funnel. And when a consumer is faced with a choice between you and a competitor for a similar product at a similar offer, what makes them choose you? Brand.

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.

I’ve had the honor to help build several large global brands and at the core of any effective branding is trust. There are several important factors to consider when looking at any brand:

  1. Know who you are. Authenticity may be an overused phrase, but if you know who you are as a brand, operate that way. Branding is not just the creative and it doesn’t stop once the brand guidelines are completed. Brand and authenticity need to thread through your customer service, your products, your offerings. When you think about building trust with a consumer, it’s about telling them who you are — and then proving and upholding it.
  2. Bombas is a great example of authenticity. As a mission-driven brand, they donate one pair of socks to homeless shelters for each pair bought. Even when you visit their office, you get a pair of socks plus one to donate.
  3. An extension of number one — you have to be consistent. It’s key to building trust with consumers. Once you know who you are as a brand (once you’ve identified your purpose, your mission, your values), you must stay true to those elements over and over again. Where some brands go wrong is separating new customers from existing customers. New customers are sometimes treated better by brands as a way to entice them to become customers — but once they become a customer, the customer service changes and the offers change. This is damaging to the brand and immediately breaks trust. Amazon is a good example of who does it right. Their mission is to be Earth’s most customer-centric company. And their policies, customer service and product offerings reflect that. The brand starts with the customer and ends with the customer.
  4. Create nimbleness when speaking to your customers. When a situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic arises, it’s imperative that all of your messaging shifts to match consumer sentiment. Consumers do not care that you have CRM messaging automated months in advance or have employed trigger-based marketing. If the world has suddenly stopped, consumers expect you to react. You have to create a nimble marketing strategy that can change as the market changes. Digital media has made it much easier to create this nimbleness from an advertising perspective, but it’s important to have the same kind of agility in all areas of your marketing, from market research to media buying.
  5. Nimbleness is also important when addressing customer issues. How fast you address and resolve customer questions is key to building customer trust.
  6. Understand your customers in real-time and adjust accordingly. Customer sentiment today is changing rapidly, especially as the pandemic impact varies by country (and by state in the US). Our COVID-10 Barometer has been measuring this impact and we have seen brands act accordingly, from changing their messaging to pausing advertising. A believable brand is one that addresses consumer needs in an authentic way. The work we’ve done around COVID has demonstrated that consumers expect brands to show (and message) support for their employees as well as their consumers. When it comes to building trust and being “believable” — your messaging is core.
  7. Transparency in values. Today’s consumer expects brands to be values-driven. This is a fundamental change from 20 years ago when a large portion of consumers didn’t want brands to comment on social issues. Expectations shifted as Millennials became more of a revenue generator. At AOL, we were a values-driven brand, specifically around gender diversity. Our internal work- around areas like pay equity, women’s advancement — matched what we did externally: we produced award winning documentaries about women’s equality, we championed to have a woman on US tender. On the business side, we invested in gender diverse start-ups and did small things like ensure every speaker panel was diverse. This transparency about who we were was thread through our products and services; it helped keep the brand in competition with Facebook and Google.

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?

Any brand that is authentic and consistent always wins my heart. There are so many! My favorite is the often touted and loved Coca-Cola. Their key attributes — community, happiness, youthful interaction and sharing — are visible in all of its advertising. There is not one ad they place in market or one sponsorship that doesn’t ladder up to these attributes. Coca-Cola knows who it is and ensures all its consumer touch points reflect that identity.

The best has to be Glossier, the unicorn and much beloved makeup brand. They are completely authentic to themselves. They know who they are and who their customer is — and they hold true to both. Glossier made a few critical decisions to build their beloved brand, starting with customer centricity. The brand itself grew from understanding their customer. The founder Emily Weiss started a blog called Into the Gloss and paid close attention to what her readers were saying. This engagement allowed her to see where traditional beauty brands were missing the mark with consumers. As I understand it, this type of customer listening is key to the brand today.

Glossier also test ideas within their consumer base. Many people falsely think that brand is all logos and visual identity. In reality, strong branding is something that threads through everything within a company — especially the products. Co-creating and ideation by engaging their consumer base has led to their core products.

In advertising, one generally measures success by the number of sales. How does one measure the success of a brand building campaign? Is it similar, is it different?

I have two schools of thought.

  1. Measuring brand can and should be performed the traditional way — brand tracking, assessing brand health, measuring advocacy, and understanding where you stand against the competition. This is obviously different than direct sales, but vital when thinking about brand. And particularly in times of change, it’s important to measure your brand on a monthly (and even more frequent) basis.
  2. At its core, brand is the key to increasing path to purchase velocity and driving sales. However, the lead time is longer and it’s messier to measure. Organic traffic to your sites, whether someone clicks on an ad or word-of-mouth; there are reasons these happen — and it’s all brand related. Why do people pay a hundred dollars for a white T-shirt instead of twenty? Softer KPIs that are associated with brand ultimately all tie back to sales. You must set realistic expectations and understand you may not see increased sales the moment a sponsorship or experiential campaign kicks off. The reason consumers choose your product over another comes down to brand and the type of relationship you want to have with your customer. Especially if you are in a commodity business where product and price are on par, your brand is driving that sale.

What role does social media play in your branding efforts?

It’s impossible to separate social media from any digital efforts. Regardless if a brand is focused on it (and I don’t know of a single brand that is ignoring it!) social is where conversations are happening about your brand. From recommendations to customer service inquiries, social is now at the forefront of branding. Social is the place where authenticity and consistency play out in real time.

What advice would you give to other marketers or business leaders to thrive and avoid burnout?

Set boundaries. During my time at Yahoo, I was overworked. I slept with my BlackBerry (yes, BlackBerry) under my pillow and was answering emails at 2:00 a.m. I was on flights to the West Coast once a month (even once on Christmas Eve). To add some balance, I started carrying two devices and only one had my work email on it. This looked ridiculous, but when I needed time away, I could physically stop myself from answering that blinking red light by not carrying my work phone.

I don’t work Saturdays (unless event related). And I tell my team the same — which gives them permission to not work Saturdays. If something is urgent, my team knows they can text me, but usually that makes people evaluate what is really urgent. My work phone goes away Friday night and comes back on Sunday.

Give your team (and yourself) time to do something creative. At AOL I budgeted for the team to take off one day a quarter and do a non-work related activity together. We were in different countries, so each country could do something creative and fun. It ranged from museum day trips to painting classes. It’s important to make time for yourself and jump start the creative process.

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.

This is difficult to answer, but I would want to focus on social justice. Each individual person should feel empowered to ask questions of their HR team and their management around diversity and inclusion. Don’t be afraid to walk into HR and ask about the maternity and paternity policy. Brands have the power to change the world. Literally. And some brands need a nudge in the right direction. Asking HR and your executives — in townhalls, in emails, in meetings without ambushing them!– helps hold brands accountable. People want to do the right thing — but sometimes it takes a push. The change may not happen quickly, but it will happen eventually if enough people keep asking questions.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I don’t have a quote, but a philosophy change. I’ve always been good at scoping my role and my team’s role. Marketing is a department where odd end responsibilities can find their way on to your and your team’s plates. It’s very easy for other departments to view the Events team as the people who should be scheduling lunch for a sales team. Or the marketing team as the people who should update a presentation deck. So, I became very good at defining my team’s role. But I had a change in philosophy midway through my career that started at Citi and really picked up at AOL. When asked if I could do something such as take on extra responsibility, my response would be, “Yes, and…” It’s a shift where I no longer said no to things. Now I take on more — — and the “and” part could be where I ask for more resources, time or to arrange priorities. Or it could be “yes — and I want more responsibility.” It’s what’s led me to such an interesting career. Not many people I know have launched brands and lead acquisition efforts or have deep experience in B2B and have led a direct-to-consumer initiative for a major financial institution. I secured these opportunities because I changed my mindset from “that’s not my job” to “Yes, I would love to — and here’s what else I would like to do.”

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.

I’m going to cheat a bit and ask for a few people. I am quarantined right now, so I would love to see anyone face-to-face! I would love to have lunch with my former managers from AOL, Erika Nardini (now CEO at Barstool Sports) and Allie Kline (now founding principal at LEO DIX). I love these women. Smart, powerful and hugely influential on my career.


Michele Morelli of Toluna: Five Things You Need To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Sandra Hannon of Solve.Care: Five Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team

I believe it’s important to have a clear strategy mapped out and to be able to articulate to my remote teams and other team members how and when they are expected to contribute and allocate actions accordingly. It’s human nature to be occupied with the day to day business of one’s own location, so the responsibility is on me to ensure that my words and actions drive home the importance of the overall core plan. This is whether they are in India or Kyiv or elsewhere. I use an online project tool called Asana to allocate and track our actions and hold at least one check-in weekly to see how people are, to understand what their weekly priorities are, and offer my support where needed.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Sandra Hannon. Sandra is a Human resources professional with a special interest in employee engagement and talent development. She has proven experience in the devising and implementation of HR Strategy.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. What is your “backstory”?

“I was born in Youghal, Ireland. I moved to the Netherlands in the nineties, but five years ago we nipped across the border to Antwerp, Belgium for no other reason than our love for the city. It’s compact, crammed with gorgeous golden topped Renaissance-style buildings, delicious food, and delightful people. We feel very lucky to live here. Our home is only 30 minutes from Brussels airport which has been really useful given the amount of international travel my work demands. In the past decade I’ve been directly involved with a variety of industries, such as engineering, supply chain, and now healthcare technology.”

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

“Relocating to the beautiful city of Kyiv, Ukraine in January 2020 for my current role as Global Head of HR has proven to be one of the most interesting chapters of my career. My monthly rotations were disrupted due to Covid-19 in March, so I chose to stay with my team and ride out the storm from there. Now the restrictions are lifting, making it possible to contemplate my aerial commutes again.

Kyiv during Covid-19 was a busy and interesting period for our company. Bucking the trend, we continued our recruitment drive and hired new talent, with the objective of completing major development projects such as the Global Telehealth Exchange, as well as delivering a brand-new network to the market, Team.Care Network, in an expedited fashion.”

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive and avoid burnout?

“Different experiences trigger stress for different people. My advice is to understand what triggers your stress in the first place, so that you can consider how best to counteract and eliminate the tension before it builds. I am a little introverted, so I need time alone to recharge my batteries. If I feel stress, it’s because I have allowed myself too little time to decompress. So to counteract this, I book down-time, and treat it like all my other appointments in that I don’t allow myself to cancel or double-book. Also, every two years, I take a holiday on my own to completely indulge myself and work on my ‘bucket list’. For example, last year I went to Uruguay to horse-ride with gauchos, and a few years before that I did a magical train trip all around Japan.”

Ok, let’s jump to the core of our interview. Some companies have many years of experience with managing a remote team. Others have just started this, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you tell us how many years of experience you have managing remote teams?

“I have worked and managed remotely since 2008. My first international team was relatively small and spread across America, Singapore, Canada, UK, and the Netherlands. Later on, as the scale increased, it became less about managing directly and more about getting stuff done for my part of the business by working with the respective CEOs for Global Mobility, Reward and so forth. I rather enjoy the excitement of working across time zones. I have always been an early bird, and, fortunately, I have inherited my mother’s legendary energy levels, so picking up with the East early and wrapping up with the USA late in the evening has always suited me very well.”

Managing a team remotely can be very different than managing a team that is in front of you. Can you articulate for our readers what the five main challenges are regarding managing a remote team? Can you give a story or example for each?

“Firstly, I believe it’s important to have a clear strategy mapped out and to be able to articulate to my remote teams and other team members how and when they are expected to contribute and allocate actions accordingly. It’s human nature to be occupied with the day to day business of one’s own location, so the responsibility is on me to ensure that my words and actions drive home the importance of the overall core plan. This is whether they are in India or Kyiv or elsewhere. I use an online project tool called Asana to allocate and track our actions and hold at least one check-in weekly to see how people are, to understand what their weekly priorities are, and offer my support where needed.

Secondly, I want to know my numbers, so that I have clear optics on what is really happening on the shop-floor with individuals, teams, or, indeed, an entire country. I make sure I have a dashboard of meaningful metrics that help me to recognize when something is amiss. I’m not just talking about financials, but relevant operational HRM numbers that inform me and my team as to trends in attrition, illness, regrettable losses, lead times in hiring and so forth — all of which guides our subsequent actions.

Furthermore, I make a real effort to understand the mood on the ground. I also keep a keen eye on key developments pertaining to new laws that we may need to respond to from a HRM standpoint — for example, tax laws in the UK, or managing contractors in the USA. I also stay abreast of any important personal employee updates that I should acknowledge or signal to the CEO.

With regards to culture, I’ve found it imperative to appreciate the unique nuances of the cultures of the different countries that I am working with. I am a huge fan of Geert Hofstede’s work in this regard to the extent that I have his app on my phone! I’ve made a habit of using the app when interacting with my global colleagues. Communication is less direct here, so there is a greater need for me to ‘read between the lines’ and dig a little deeper to understand how people really feel about matters. But also, my colleagues are very modest in relation to what I consider outstanding achievements, so I try to keep my ear to the ground. I want to know about and recognize their accomplishments.

I have worked from home for many years and know how blurred the boundaries can become between work and home. I was hopeless at taking proper breaks or finishing on time. My previous manager who was immensely hardworking was a firm advocate for employees taking ‘me time’. She was the one who recommended that I take the dog out for a walk at lunchtime, and I learned quickly how productive I could be after a proper break. So I now keep a firm eye across the organization and look out for people working much longer hours than they should. More often than not, we find out too late that someone has unhealthy working habits, so I really try to look for the clues early on to combat the issue. I also ask about work habits during my team one-to-ones; I make sure to ask how people are feeling and offer my advice if I feel that some people are overworking.”

In my experience, one of the trickiest parts of managing a remote team is giving honest feedback, in a way that doesn’t come across as too harsh. 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. Can you give a few suggestions about how to best give constructive criticism to a remote employee?

“I have been a disciple of Marcus Buckingham for many years and found his guidance in relation to feedback very helpful. I understand now that that very word ‘feedback’ induces such high levels of adrenaline that the recipient is forced into ‘fight or flight’ mode. This mutes the other parts of the brain, so that the person can only absorb certain strands of information. In other words, focusing on people’s shortcomings or gaps does not enable learning; it can often impair it.

This is why Buckingham uses the term course-correct instead. So, when I feel the need to give feedback, I really make an effort to instead pay attention to my peers and colleagues and coach them on how to course-correct to perform better. This means that I first have to make a concerted effort to see the world as they see it, and from the position they see it, and then (and only then) advise them on how to adjust from where they are to improve.

I insist on having all cameras switched on for all team interactions. I like to see faces, smiles, see who is joining in or not and react accordingly or pick up in private with a certain person if I feel that they need some extra attention.”

Can you specifically address how to give constructive feedback over email? How do you prevent the email from sounding too critical or harsh?

“In my opinion, emails are a mistake: the most effective conversations in this regard are two-way and in-person. But if that is not possible, then I connect with the person to focus on specific behavior and desired results. So rather than writing ‘Your presentation needs to be more high-level’ I might say, ‘I found it difficult to understand your objectives or the context’ and give them specific suggestions for them to consider in a next presentation. And when I see improvements, I am equally specific about what I observed. It goes without saying that, for such important emails, I read the email from the perspective of the reader to ensure that it is both kind and constructive.”

Can you share any suggestions for teams who are used to working together on location but are forced to work remotely due to the pandemic? Are there potential obstacles one should avoid with a team that is just getting used to working remotely?

“One size does not fit all. We are mindful that parents can be shy about coming forward to share their specific needs, so we create a trusting environment where people can organize themselves around their family rhythm and work for the best possible outcome for both. At Solve.Care we have encouraged our staff to adjust working times where needed to better sync with their family dynamics. One of our managers has young children, so he has staggered his working day to start earlier. He then takes a 2–3 hour break midday to play with his children, and then he works later in the afternoon/evening than he normally would have done. It’s a win-win. He gets valuable time with his children, and we get additional service outside of our ‘normal’ working hours. Our global workforce has really benefited from this kind of latitude.”

What do you suggest can be done to create a healthy and empowering work culture with a team that is remote and not physically together?

“We remind our people not to sweat the small stuff. Kids are going to make noise during your zoom calls, so let’s just roll with it and laugh. We’ve had an assortment of pets and children make a cameo appearance on our team meetings during the quarantine which has reminded us that we were all in the same ‘quarantine boat’. We’re doing our best to make it work. We’ve tried to be especially mindful of new joiners. As a growing company, Solve.Care hasn’t had any sort of let up on hiring. We have had 15 new people join us since the ‘quarantine’ began. HR operations did a great job of supporting our managers with the coordination of all the L&D activities associated with new joiners. Our buddy-system did the rest to help our new people successfully navigate the organization.”

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. 🙂

“Put a little cash aside each year and donate to a small local charity. One of our family’s favorites is a Dutch charity called Ambulance Wens Ambulance Wish that fulfils the dying wishes of terminal and immobile patients. The simplicity of these wishes is simultaneously heartbreaking and uplifting. This week for instance they featured the last wish of a gentleman who wanted to see his cows one last time and was photographed in his barn, or a lady who wanted to feel the sand on her toes at the beach before she passed. I read one of these messages each day before I go to work, and I’m reminded of the important things in life.”

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Never walk past an empty belly. As a young child, I saw that my parents did what they could to help the needy. They never gave cash, but they always gave food and preferably a hot dinner to anybody that needed it. I was with my Dad one day when he brought a poor man into the chip shop to buy him a meal. I recall the man asking my Dad if he could ‘possibly have a bit of fish with the chips, Sir’, and my Dad responding with tears in his eyes, ‘of course you can, son’. That was forty odd years ago, and I still get a lump in my throat thinking about it. My wish is that we will be able to similarly influence our son to give generously and to care about others.”


Sandra Hannon of Solve.Care: Five Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Big Ideas That Might Change The World: “Improv training with NYC police officers” With Actor Terry..

Big Ideas That Might Change The World: “Improv training with NYC police officers” With Actor Terry Greiss

…Lately what’s been exciting me most is this project we’re calling To Protect, Serve and Understand. We bring seven New York City police officers and seven civilians, all of diverse backgrounds, ages, ethnicities and points of view, for 10 weekly workshops of four hours each. The first part of every workshop is a communal dinner prepared and served by a community of cooks that include Irondale audience members, staff, supporters, et.al. We sit at large tables and eat together, talk about the week, whatever. Then I’ll usually throw a provocation into the mix. Unfortunately it is often from a daily news story about police-civilian violence, misconduct, controversy. That heats up the conversation and after about 20–30 minutes we break the conversation and start to improvise. We play theater games, which in spite of their name are really very sophisticated experiential learning exercises designed to tap into intuitive knowledge that we already have, use skills we didn’t know that we had, and learn to communicate more fully, more authentically. The games help us know if the message we’re sending is landing the way we want it to or is it being misunderstood or miscommunicated. And also, most of them are fun to do so we get people who come with a pre-determined antipathy to each other to PLAY together and by doing that, they start to see each other as people.

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 Terry Greiss.

Terry Greiss is a native of the Bronx and has been an actor for almost 50 years, performing a range of roles from Brecht and Shakespeare to ensemble-devised work. He is the co-founder of Brooklyn’s Irondale Ensemble Project where he the Executive Director as well as a member of the acting ensemble. He has performed in more than 60 roles with the company, and is a creator of most of Irondale’s original works and education programs. He has conducted hundreds of workshops in public schools, prisons, theaters, professional training programs and community venues. Terry was the Founding President of the Network of Ensemble Theaters, and sits on the Board of Directors for the Downtown Brooklyn Arts Alliance. In 2008, at the invitation of the US Embassy, he was invited to lecture and teach improvisation in Russia. From 2016–2020 Terry travelled the US as an Improvisation Instructor for the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science and Alda Communication Training teaching scientists and STEM workers how to effectively communicate their work to various audiences, using theatrical improvisation. In 2008, Terry and Irondale opened the Irondale Center, created out of the ruins of a nineteenth century Sunday School in what is now the the Brooklyn Cultural District. In 2015, in reaction to the Eric Garner murder, Terry created one of the company’s most important programs to-date, To Protect, Serve and Understand an improv training program for NYC police officers, designed to enhance communication skills and build empathy between cops and community residents. He is a graduate of New York City’s HS for the Performing Arts and Sarah Lawrence College. He lives with his absolutely amazing wife Vicky Gilmore and their son Liam in Brooklyn.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

A series of fortunate accidents which I will try to summarize but underlying the journey was and is a firm belief that theater is a truly transformational art form and perhaps the most human of all the arts. It seems like the path my life has taken has been designed to constantly reaffirm this belief.

As a young actor, I had the great good luck to be hired buy Edgar Rosenblum and Arvin Brown at the Long Wharf Theater in New Haven Ct. Long Wharf was one of the most important theaters in the country at the time and it was quite a coup to land a job there. And it started out as a bit of a fantasy job. LWT had just built a second stage and they were trying to figure out how to maximize its use. So they hired 4 young actors who would create work that would go to schools, offer workshops to other community organizations and be an accessible theater. In fact, that’s what they called us: The Access Theater Company of the Long Wharf Theater. There were not a lot of bookings that we were responsible for at this point. So most of our time was spent in the rehearsal room and since we would be asked to play to so many different kinds of audiences we figured that we’d better learn to improvise. So, we got copies of Viola Spolin’s masterwork, Improvisation for the Theater and started on page one. We spent that year mostly rehearsing, doing some performances in schools, a prison, senior centers and on the LW main stage. It was a great year if you love process, and we all did. The job was supposed to last for 5 seasons. It didn’t. Funds were cut after our first year and we were cast to the four winds. But…the work we had started at LWT had a deep affect on all of us. Especially Jim Niesen and Barbara Mackenzie-Wood. Much of what we started to learn that year: the importance of and ensemble and how to build one; the importance of improvisation and in particular theater games, as created by Viola Spolin, not only as an actor-training tool but as a way to release the creativity of every human being; the use of theater as an educational tool and the idea that there is (or should be) no separation of art and education. After Long Wharf released us we kept the school improv show alive ourselves. (We needed the money). Jim started directing instead of acting. The three of us decided that when we worked together we had a better time and made better theater than when we didn’t. For the next several years we kept talking about having our own company, making our own mistakes. And then one day in February 1983 we just did it. We are still doing it.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

I’m too old so there isn’t one most interesting and I’ve probably forgotten a lot of them but among the interesting ones is sort a a “Strangers on a Train” scenario. In 1989 armed with a duffle bag, press kits and a credit card, the company decided to send me to Europe for 5 weeks to attend festivals and try to make international connections for future touring. I was on a train from Calais to London and I noticed a very attractive woman sitting across the aisle from me — it’s important to let you know that this happened 3 years before I met Vicky. She was looking over at me and I was casting probably not so furtive glances at her. Finally she leaned across to me and said in a very strong Russian accent, “Please. When does train come to station”. I looked in my Eur-Rail time table and told her. I asked if she was Russian, and told her that I had visited Russia during my college years. She then said, “In my country,I am actress”. Well…I was beginning to think that some higher power orchestrated this and I said, “In my country, I am…actor!” How’s that for a seductive comeback line? She had never been outside the former Soviet Union before this trip and I happily agreed to be her guide in London, which I didn’t know very well. We went out two or three times, saw some theater and on the last night she said, “Terry…your company….my company…we must work together”. I said “Sure!” And we parted. Several weeks later after I had gotten home from my pilgrimage, a very official document arrived from (then) Leningrad, inviting Jim and myself to Russia for “talks” and a possible future collaboration with the Salon Theater of St. Petersburg. We had no idea that what we were launching was a collaboration that lasted almost 10 years, included two full company tours to Russia and the former Soviet republics, and a month-long collaboration in New York. There are probably 20 other “interesting stories” that have to do just with this crazy partnership, but I will say, they were damned good actors. I loved working with them, and that young woman? She’s now a US citizen a fabulous acting teacher and she appears on dozens of TV shows and films. She plays a great Russian spy!

Which principles or philosophies have guided your life? Your career?

Well I mentioned one in passing. I don’t think there is any real separation between art an education. That’s why I’ve always shied away from the term “arts in education”. We don’t say science-in-education or math-in-education. The arts are as integral. Also any work of art represents an educational process for its creators and it probably reveals something new to it’s audience. I’m not talking about pedantic theater or art, but any good art will and should do that.

The other principle or philosophy comes from a theater game called the mirror exercise, which sounds simple but it’s not. Two people face each other and try to create the illusion of a mirror, one leads and one reflects. The leadership keeps passing back and forth between them. Eventually, they don’t even know who is leading. And that’s the idea. One leads best by following. One communicates most effectively by focusing on the other person. It’s never about you. It’s always about the other. The best improvisers will say that they go on stage thinking my partner is a genius and also, that it’s my job is to make him or her look good.

We learned some of this while doing improv shows in elementary schools. We would invite one of the kids on stage to improvise with the company and all we were thinking about was to make the child the hero. He or she has to come out of this as the star. Our own cleverness, “talent”, personality was only valuable in the service of that goal. That’s a pretty good life lesson in general, I think.

A third “philosophy” is based on something Viola Spolin said. I think she is one of the most important theater teachers of the 20th century. Her book is never far from my reach. She said that what we think of as “talent’ may simply be one’s ability to confront and use their direct experience. When we do that on stage people say — -hey that actor is quite good.

Have I over-answered this question?

Ok. Let’s now move to the main focus of our interview. Can you tell us about your “Big Idea That Might Change The World”?

You know, I really love my work — all of it: acting, teaching, even (at times) fundraising for the company. But lately what’s been exciting me most is this project we’re calling To Protect, Serve and Understand. We bring seven New York City police officers and seven civilians, all of diverse backgrounds, ages, ethnicities and points of view, for 10 weekly workshops of four hours each. The first part of every workshop is a communal dinner prepared and served by a community of cooks that include Irondale audience members, staff, supporters, et.al. We sit at large tables and eat together, talk about the week, whatever. Then I’ll usually throw a provocation into the mix. Unfortunately it is often from a daily news story about police-civilian violence, misconduct, controversy. That heats up the conversation and after about 20–30 minutes we break the conversation and start to improvise. We play theater games, which in spite of their name are really very sophisticated experiential learning exercises designed to tap into intuitive knowledge that we already have, use skills we didn’t know that we had, and learn to communicate more fully, more authentically. The games help us know if the message we’re sending is landing the way we want it to or is it being misunderstood or miscommunicated. And also, most of them are fun to do so we get people who come with a pre-determined antipathy to each other to PLAY together and by doing that, they start to see each other as people.

Midway through the the workshop series we ask everyone to go off and interview someone they are not. Cops will interview other civilians and vise versa. These interview subjects are not part of the workshop group. The participants then try, as best they can, and with our coaching, to BE that person, to tell their story using only their words, gestures and body language. For a few minutes they “walk in someone else’s shoes”.

During the last week, we meet four times. We take all the ingredients that we’ve mixed up in our stewpot and shape it (in 2 rehearsals) into a show, or really a public showing that includes the conversations we’ve had, the interviews we’ve done the songs we’ve sung together (singing is vital). Sometimes the audience even watches us have dinner on stage and the show starts there.

Every workshop series has been wildly different, every one has been revelatory to me and my colleagues in this venture: Rivka Rivera, Michael-David Gordon and Lucy Winner. It’s a truly gifted and dedicated team.

How do you think this will change the world?

Let me begin my answer to this question with a piece of poetry by Rumi, a Sunni poet:

“Out beyond the fields of right doing and wrong doing there is a field. I will meet you there”.

I don’t think we’ve ever been in a more polarized climate than we are right now…this minute. It’s actually pretty scary. We have lost the ability and maybe even the desire to understand each other. We shout opinions across the aisle. We congregate with our “tribes”. We stay in our bubbles and we begin to feel hatred towards people who are not us or who do not think the way we do. If we could just learn to really listen and while we’re doing that keep the focus on the other person, what new ideas might emerge. There is nothing in the world that cannot benefit from clearer, better communication. It doesn’t mean we have to agree with each other but unless we learn to hear each other and understand each other — yikes! So I think the basic tenets underlying this program can indeed change the world because the can change how people relate to each other.

The fabric of civilization breaks down when law enforcers and the people they are sworn to protect and serve cannot trust each other enough to cooperate on keeping that civilization in tact. That’s where we are now. We need to go somewhere else. Let’s go to Rumi’s field.

With the knowledge that you may edit this I would like to end this answer with another poetic quotation from my friend, a brilliant contemporary poet Marc Kaminsky, from his stunning book The Stones of Lifta

“Our only hope is to sit together at the site of loss

And tell each other’s stories of that night”

That perfectly sums up what this project is about.

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?

Sorry I don’t know those references but I’ll give it a shot.

As I have come to realize, the line between working with the police department and working for the police department is a thin one and must be trod so carefully. Our program is not meant to sanitize or advertise the good-heartedness of the NYPD. However it can very easily be misrepresented and misunderstood as “copaganda”. (I hate that word.). We have to work with the NYPD or we wouldn’t be able to train their officers. We need their endorsement of the program but it does not mean we need to (even inadvertently) cover over the systemic racism that pervades the department and our country as a whole.

We also have to be increasingly aware of the implicit biases we as facilitators bring to the workshops. No one is free of these and it is only through increased awareness that we can not let them influence our work.

I need to make one thing very clear. This program is not therapy. Neither myself nor any of my colleagues are qualified to do that. This is ultimately a theater project. We use the skills we have as theater artists to accomplish the goals stated above and pave a road toward deeper understanding.

Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this idea? Can you tell us that story?

This started because of the anger and sadness I felt as I watched the Eric Garner tragedy unfold in the nightly news almost six years ago. I kept thinking that what I was really witnessing was a lot of missed communication signals. Body language, verbal cues, emotional messaging, all we’re being ignored or just not noticed and a man lay dead at the end of it. In a fit of brazen good-Samaritanism, I wrote a letter to then Commissioner William Bratton. Never expecting it to be read by anyone except an assistant’s assistant, I said that I didn’t know how cops were trained but I thought that they could all use an improv class or ten. The skills of the actor/improviser, seemed essential to being able to effectively communicate with and de-escalate potentially dangerous interactions between officers and civilians. I touted our 30 year history of working in this field, licked a stamp and mailed it. Two days later, I got a phone call from 1 Police Plaza requesting that we come in for a meeting about a pilot program. That’s how it started. Be careful about the letters you write. They may end up changing your life.

What do you need to lead this idea to widespread adoption?

First you need willing participants. People, and I mean police departments and community members must be willing to come to the table. This is incredibly hard work. Serious play. And you need have that buy-in.

Then you need a national Swat — Team of artist/facilitators. Artists who are versed in the skills of improvisation and actor-training, who know how to run a rehearsal AND can also facilitate difficult conversations.

We are currently planning a pilot “Train-the-Trainer” program for the summer/fall of 2021. It would be a call for artists (and perhaps some police academy trainers) to take part in a six-day boot camp where they would be immersed in the TPSU process. The idea would be for them to go off and start programs in their home cities with their local PD’s. We at Irondale would mentor them through the first series and if it was successful they would be certified to continue the work. We are also planning to create online resources: videos, blogs, articles, etc. so that TPSU trainers can continue to educate themselves as they conduct workshops.

The “elephant in the room” of course is funding. We’ve applied to the Department of Justice for funds to pilot the train the trainer program, but it’s William Barre’s Justice Department so my expectations are not high. We will keep looking. And who knows, we may get lucky sooner than later.

We also need more attention paid on a national basis. Documentary filmmaker Hava Beller (In the Land of Pomegranates) is anxious to make a feature length documentary on the work we’ve already done, but again…money is the issue.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)

  1. Half of all the people will think you are doing this for all the wrong reasons. I’ve actually had people write nasty online comments saying that we were shilling for the cops. We were liberal do-gooders who were trying to get attention. I’ve even had a workshop participant (a cop) who on the last night of the final performance said to me “until tonight, I thought you were a fake. I thought you were doing this to bring attention to your theater company. After tonight, I don’t think that anymore”
  2. This was going to be a lot more demanding than any other program we’ve done so far. Between recruiting, planning, teaching, evaluating and fundraising I’m probably spending 20–30 hours a week on average on this project alone. I need time to learn my lines. I’m still an actor.
  3. This would test everything I ever believed about why theater is important. There are days when this is such hard work that you begin to doubt its worth in relation to the problems of the world. That’s when I hear the voice of my colleague, co-facilitator and friend,Michael-David Gordon saying “trust the process”.
  4. Yes, this is enough! When you hold this project up against the magnitude of the ills troubling our country, I keep wondering whether the affect on 14 people at a time plus the maybe 200 others who see the performances, will that make any difference at all? I have come to realize that it’s ok to make change a little bit at a time. Yesterday an officer alumni of the program wrote to his Chief, on his own volition, that this program changed him as a police officer for the better. Other officers have written to me about how it has improved their policing with community members, improved their communication with spouses and partners. The people who are changed by experiencing this program pass it to their families, their communities and with their vote. They are the ones who can or will change the world.
  5. I wish they’d told me that some a____ole cop was going to choke George Floyd to death 5 years after Eric Garner was put in a choke-hold. No story here. Just so much work to be done.

Can you share with our readers what you think are the most important “success habits” or “success mindsets”?

I think I’ve mentioned a few. The best leaders are also excellent followers. If you have to do something that requires a team, and for me, that’s the best kind of work to do, be sure to choose people who know more than you do and have skills that you do not and then trust them explicitly. Take risks. It’s easier to apologize than to ask permission. Be willing to have your mind changed, even about your most long-held beliefs. When a door opens, walk through it. If you need to get out you can, but it may only open for a brief period of time.

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 🙂

At a time in our country’s history when we are so rigidly polarized, and mistrustful of the “other” To Protect, Serve and Understand™ is an intensive 10-week workshop program that builds deeper understanding and trust between communities and police using the transformative power of theater. It convenes police and civilians in a professionally moderated, immersive “empathy through improv” training that culminates in a unique public performance which respectfully examines the experiences of law enforcement and non-law enforcement alike. Participants gain practical skills that ultimately can help reduce police-related violence, and have the potential to save lives.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Facebook -Irondale Ensemble Project @irondale center or

To Protect, Serve and Understand (TPSU)

Twitter- @Irondale Center

Instagram @Irondale Center

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.


Big Ideas That Might Change The World: “Improv training with NYC police officers” With Actor Terry.. was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Debora LaBudde of MEMO: The Future of Retail Over The Next Five Years

I have always been a supporter of entrepreneurship and helping individuals to think bigger. I have always enjoyed meeting new people, learning about what they do and often hearing from them what they wish they could do. Often times, people feel they can’t pursue something new out of fear or uncertainty; sometimes just having this conversation and asking a few questions is enough to help someone to feel inspired, think bigger and go after a new goal. It’s a very powerful thing that can change someone’s life.

As part of our series about the future of retail, I had the pleasure of interviewing Debora LaBudde.

Ms. LaBudde is the founder and CEO of MEMO a retail technology company serving the luxury goods and fine jewelry industries. Prior to founding MEMO, Ms. LaBudde was founder and Managing General Partner of Envoi Ventures, a closely held venture capital fund making investments in seed and early stage companies in the life science and technology sector. Earlier in her career, Ms. LaBudde was Director of Business Development for Bausch & Lomb, Inc. where she was involved in over a dozen successful M&A and licensing transactions for the company. She was also a co-founder and head of business development of a venture capital backed B2B ecommerce/supply chain company spun off from Bausch & Lomb. Ms. LaBudde has served on the boards of several early stage technology companies and has been an active advisor to numerous start-ups, establishing The Entrepreneurs Network, a non-profit training and networking organization for technology entrepreneurs. She previously served on the Advisory Board for Syracuse University’s Newhouse Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship and is a frequent speaker and panelist on entrepreneurship and early stage investing. Ms.LaBudde received a BA in Economics, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Rochester and an MBA from the William E. Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

My early career was as a corporate finance executive, and I later ran a closely held venture capital fund where I worked with a number of young innovative companies. Jewelry was a personal passion of mine, but identifying an opportunity in the market undoubtedly came from my experience in looking at other industries and market opportunities.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

I have had a varied career working for a public company doing mergers and acquisitions, founding a non-profit organization to assist entrepreneurs, running a venture capital firm and now starting my own company, MEMO. The idea to start a company in the luxury and fine jewelry industry came to me just over 20 years ago while I was working as a corporate executive, and I worked and did research on my business plan on nights and weekends for several months. My career then took me in a different direction, and I put my initial business plan on the shelf. I learned a lot about entrepreneurship, investments and running a business in the years that followed, and although I didn’t pursue the business until many years later, my passion for the original concept stayed with me. When the opportunity presented itself again, I knew I was ready.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or takeaway you learned from that?

During a meeting with a potential investor, when I was raising capital for a new venture fund, I realized that I can’t make assumptions about other people. In the past, I had met with several prominent individuals, but on this particular occasion, the investor was very quiet and barely asked any questions. I interpreted that to mean that he had no interest; it impacted my presentation and rattled me a bit. My voice cracked, and I was noticeably off of my game.

I really beat myself up for not being able to perform well in the meeting, and it continued to bother me for a while, impacting my work and productivity in the days that followed. I realized, however, that I need to try to learn from disappointing meetings instead of feeling bad about them. In this case, I realized that the individual was actually just quiet and perhaps even somewhat shy, and what or how I presented wouldn’t have changed that. Armed with this new information, I reached back out to him several years later on another venture, and we’ve actually stayed in touch since.

Are you working on any new exciting projects now? How do you think that might help people?

MEMO was one of the first websites to uniquely offer a luxury home try-on service for fine jewelry. We recently launched and are continuing to add new features to an interface, so other brands and retailers can now offer our white glove service on their own websites. While having access to fine jewelry and other luxury goods with a home try-on service may not appear to be helping people in a significant way, the service we offer removes a number of existing barriers that women often face while purchasing luxury products and provides the luxury of shopping for high value goods in a secure, efficient and enjoyable way in the comfort of their home.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Working during these very different times of COVID-19 has taught us all that sometimes some things are out of our control. Understanding that — and staying more flexible, open, and positive about changes that occur in our lives, both personally and professionally — can alleviate stress and even expose new opportunities for growth.

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?

A number of people have helped me throughout my career — in many cases opening doors for me to new opportunities or allowing me to learn by their example. When I first considered launching MEMO, however, a top jewelry designer met with me over a number of months and gave me feedback on the original concept and insight on the industry. Each time we met, usually over coffee, I would share my latest research on the market and my current thinking with respect to our business model or go-to market strategy, and each time the designer would provide constructive feedback and some words of encouragement. Although she was functioning as a very early and valuable advisor to me and the company, she never asked for anything in return for her time.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

I truly feel that with MEMO, we have brought some goodness to the world by delighting our customers and removing the barriers to discovering and purchasing fine jewelry. Personally, and because I’ve been fortunate to have had many rich career experiences, I always look for opportunities to help others or share my experience or network, to the extent it can be helpful to them.

Ok super. Now let’s jump to the main question of our interview. Can you share 5 examples of how retail companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers like to shop?

  • A further proliferation of ecommerce — with so many brands building or augmenting their own ecommerce capabilities, particularly through the pandemic, the number of online options available to consumers will continue to increase. Retailers will need to understand what they can uniquely offer consumers to set them apart and both attract and retain consumers.
  • AI-driven personalization — while data-driven personalization of the consumer shopping experience already exists, new, even smarter forms of personalization should be expected and explored as new retail shopping technologies provide additional rich data streams.
  • Humanizing the retail experience — with the explosion of retail technologies and digital experiences, retailers must find ways to humanize the customer experience — how, when and where the consumer desires.
  • Humanizing the brand — similar to humanizing the retail experience for consumers, in order to be successful, retailers need to be transparent about their goals and values and have their actions and interactions with clients reflect this at every touch point.
  • Curated online experiences — while the number of online shopping options continues to grow, it will become increasingly important to create curated experiences to engage consumers and assist with product discovery and purchases. This will also allow retailers to further differentiate themselves and present a unique point of view to their consumer offering.

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 have always been a supporter of entrepreneurship and helping individuals to think bigger. I have always enjoyed meeting new people, learning about what they do and often hearing from them what they wish they could do. Often times, people feel they can’t pursue something new out of fear or uncertainty; sometimes just having this conversation and asking a few questions is enough to help someone to feel inspired, think bigger and go after a new goal. It’s a very powerful thing that can change someone’s life. If there was a way to change someone’s attitude, allow them to become a better version of themselves, or impact their future even through a chance meeting simply by asking a few questions or providing supporting advice, I think the good that could come would be endless. We often hear people talk about giving back, but regardless of the stage of your career, everyone has the ability to #liftup another person.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @MemoJewelry

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!


Debora LaBudde of MEMO: The Future of Retail Over The Next Five Years was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Big Ideas: “Sports storytelling as a vehicle to help heal & empower” With Filmmaker Dexton Deboree

Instinct. Integrity. Unwavering commitment. Unyielding vision. Relentless pursuit of making a difference, inspiring and empowering the world through storytelling. I gained these ideals through sport, and those building blocks define my life, my path, my success, my understanding and processing of failure and my fulfilment in life.

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 Dexton Deboree.

Dexton Deboree is part visionary, strategist, content pioneer, diversely talented Writer/Director/Producer and creative hybrid.

He has worked on such multi-faceted projects as Grammy-nominated James Bond’s “Quantum Of Solace”, Emmy-winning Branded Content special “Yes, Virginia”¸ and award-winning BRAND campaigns for Jordan Brand, Nike, Major League Baseball, Wilson and Major League Soccer, among others.

He Wrote, Directed & Produced the award-winning Feature Film, “Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1” which premiered at Tribeca and now streams on Tidal, on Hulu and most Digital Platforms around the world.

He is currently in post-production on a Docu-series with SMAC & Believe Entertainment, in production on a docu series around a professional athlete and in development on a number of scripted and unscripted films and tv series in partnership with athletes and co-production companies on the forefront of sports and culture.

Dexton Co-founded Content Agency Los York and is the founder and Chief Creative Officer of Falkon — a creative content company born at the intersection of Advertising & Entertainment.

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?

It started with a powerful poem that just showed up out of nowhere when I was in college. After I wrote it I kind of woke up and my whole world changed. From that point forward I was on a mission to bring words to life in visual storytelling, transferred to film school and the rest is history.

Can you please share with us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Though I’ve always been a writer, I spent a lot of my career as a producer, EP and on the business side. Somewhere mid-relationship with Jordan brand while I was still the account lead, the brand asked me to write a short film celebrating the Hare Jordan — the 20th anniversary of the ad campaign that pre-empted Space Jam with Bugs and MJ. Months later after hearing nothing about it — they invited me to a VO recording with the voice of Bugs Bunny. When I walked in the room someone introduced me as the director, sort of accidentally, I didn’t miss a beat, step up, sat in the director’s chair in the sound booth and directed the session. And from that point on, I was a writer and director for Jordan brand and never looked back. So my very first piece as a director ever was a short film for Jordan, directing Bugs Bunny with Warner Brothers and Amhad Rashad in a studio and it all just snowballed from there. Similar to that poem I believe fate stepped in and laid out its plans for my destiny much more than I plotted it all out and made it happen.

Which principles or philosophies have guided your life? Your career?

Instinct. Integrity. Unwavering commitment. Unyielding vision. Relentless pursuit of making a difference, inspiring and empowering the world through storytelling. I gained these ideals through sport, and those building blocks define my life, my path, my success, my understanding and processing of failure and my fulfilment in life.

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”? How do you think this will change the world?

There’s a few. But I think more than anything, it’s this idea of using storytelling, and more specifically sports storytelling as a vehicle to help heal, empower communities and inspired future generations to either stand up, speak out, fight for what they believe in and take real action to push for change. Sports has ALWAYS held this power and we’re at a point that it’s the biggest genre of culture at large and has the widest reach across the globe so these stories through the lens of sport have never been more impactful or held the ability to truly help change the world. There are some things in the area of filmmaking — across content that I’ve been developing since COVID hit that have allowed me to remain actively in production even during complete lock down that really hint at great innovation and the resulting impact on people’s time, finances, pandemic agnostic and far more environmentally sustainable long term and far beyond Covid’s presence.

Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this idea? Can you tell us that story?

In sports storytelling, it came about during the making of Unbanned. I went into it of course knowing that looking for the truth to the mystery or real definition for the ZIETGIEST of both MJ and his Shoes was not going to be as obvious as most people previously explained and far deeper than a surface explanation. But what I found really unearthed this idea of just how impactful the sports superhero ended up being on an entire generation and community of people. Empowering and inspiring every young black boy with the hope and conviction that they too could fly, or at least stand tall, walk proudly, speak up and just BE who they are and find greatness and fulfilment within that was just such a profound concept and truth. Many other truths emerged as well but that simple and profound truth really further focused my own life and my mission to tell stories that really matter and truly impact the world.

What do you need to lead this idea to widespread adoption?

The world simply needs it. With so much hardcore news and real stories rolling out that are negative or reminders of hate and prejudice and tragedy we need an even balance of really inspiring and empowering stories that educate people on true history, teach them by way of example, inspire them by way of powerful examples leading lives and actions worth taking inspiration from and finally illuminating and amplifying people and moments that truly deserve to be celebrated, while also furthering ideas and examples of people and moments that blazed trails before us and thus instill in us the knowledge and belief that we can do it too.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)

ALWAYS BE PRESENT — It’s something I’ve had to learn over time but BEING present and really conscious of every moment — good and bad — is the most fulfilling part. And I can say there were times coming up that I was so focused on my destination that I missed some of the journey. And even the hard times, the struggle, the rejections and the failures, all of it was life and alive and so much to gain from.

TRUST YOUR GUT — Coming up it’s common to look up at those that have gone before you or are in a place you want to be, or have achieved things similar to what you want to achieve — to consider them the experts and you the novice. I always used to assume that everyone knew so much more than I did, that their success or accomplishment meant they were smarter, wiser, more experienced, more talented than I was. But over time I’ve learned that that’s not true and that true instinct and personal authenticity is as valuable as experience and real wisdom. Wisdom and instinct are really very close cousins and come from the same place which isn’t always book knowledge or perfect tangible proof or logical experience.

KEEP THE FAITH — Trust in the universal order of things is really essential to the long and winding road of life — but it’s really exaggerated in the realm of content and entertainment since logic and consistent progression can sometimes be very misleading or even uncertain and really kind of jump around in fits and starts that is a strange mix of talent, divine timing, social climate of the audience, ingredients of the market and just alignment on ideas and agendas across so many factors. Rather than riding the wave of ups and downs or creating false narratives of what something MEANS, just keeping the faith that the path you’re on, even if full of unexpected turns and unrealized expectations is all very naturally part of your path.

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF NO MATTER WHAT — Similar to the above but more specific to really taking things personally, rejection, failure, a lack of appreciation or validation for ideas, are all easy triggers for people to abandon their self-belief under the guise that the “proof” states they aren’t worthy, good enough, smart enough, talented enough or right about an idea. And other’s opinions are never the ultimate and final judge of any of the above.

KNOW WHO YOU ARE — I’d say one of the greatest keys to success I’ve learned is that the more you actually know who you are — good, bad and indifferent — the more aligned you are to your purpose, your calling, your destiny and your true offering to the world and the more you’re aligned to that the more your life conspires to make it so.

Can you share with our readers what you think are the most important “success habits” or “success mindsets”?

Somewhat repetitive to the above but I think above all it’s always maintaining a champion’s mindset — this unwavering commitment to persevere, to triumph and to really find fulfilment in the game along the course of it. I think that fundamental sports ideal has been the bedrock of my life. I became a high school wrestler as a sophomore in high school. I was too late to the sport, to tall and too skinny, and too uncoordinated to ever be a great wrestler. But I found my place on the varsity team as the guy that could outwork anyone and thus, I drove and motivated the team by my sheer work ethic. I was the fastest guy on the team, the most conditioned and could outlast anyone in any test of endurance which is a huge element of wrestling. It was that foundation that allowed me to later implore that same discipline to writing, to training as an everyday practice and to tackle life via a mantra I came up with quite a number of years ago that I’m always training, preparing, eating, and playing in the sport of life — where life itself is a sport, I’m an athlete within it and I’m committed to being the very best I am capable in my sport. That has really served and guided me most of all.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dextondeboree/?hl=en

Website: https://www.falkoncontent.com/

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.


Big Ideas: “Sports storytelling as a vehicle to help heal & empower” With Filmmaker Dexton Deboree was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Melinda B Wolfe: Why Diversity Is a Driver of Innovation

Melinda B. Wolfe: Why Diversity Is a Driver of Innovation

…First, diversity is a driver of innovation, fueling fresh and unique perspectives. By bringing a more diverse team to the table, companies leverage collective intelligence for more effective problem solving. Diversity is not only about race, gender, or sexual orientation; we all bring something different from our experiences and background that can be harnessed for better outcomes.

As a part of our series about “How Diversity Can Increase a Company’s Bottom Line”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Melinda B. Wolfe.

Melinda Wolfe has served as Chief People Officer and led talent initiatives with a passionate focus on diversity, equity and inclusion at companies including GLG, Pearson, Bloomberg, American Express and Goldman Sachs. Across industry, she has joined leadership teams to optimize organizational design, culture and human resource priorities, while driving outcomes for employee engagement, productivity and profitability. Ms. Wolfe began her career in public finance at Merrill Lynch where she managed billions of dollars of project finance and public power transactions for public and private sector clients.

Ms. Wolfe has held the chief HR role at private, private equity-backed and public companies, all with global reach and each at critical inflection points in their size and evolution. She has partnered with CEOs and leadership teams, as a thought leader, coach and operator to achieve organic growth strategies, integrate powerful acquisitions and downsize through divestitures and contraction of challenged businesses. She has worked with company boards and board committees on succession planning, executive talent acquisition, and alignment of competitive compensation programs, focusing on compliance and regular reporting of people practices. As a company leader, she has transformed HR processes and systems and encouraged a sense of belonging and community to deepen culture and increase retention of employees in regions across the globe, particularly Millennials and Gen Z. Additionally, Ms. Wolfe has overseen Social Impact and Corporate Social Responsibility efforts that have been a centerpiece of employee engagement efforts.

In addition to her work in the private sector, Ms. Wolfe holds several leadership positions in the non-profit sector. Currently, she chairs the board of the Zana Africa Foundation and serves as a board member of Auburn Seminary, Echoing Green and the Center for Talent Innovation. She previously served on the NYC Mayor’s Commission on Women and on advisory boards for several academic institutions including the Dalton School, Barnard’s Athena Center, Duke University, Washington University and the School of Public and International Affairs at Columbia, where she also taught as an Adjunct Faculty Member.

Ms. Wolfe is a frequent speaker at conferences on a range of subjects including talent management, and diversity, equity and inclusion. She regularly facilitates teams across sectors on strategy and execution of business plans and coaches emerging leaders on career considerations. She received her undergraduate degree from Washington University and her graduate degree at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She resides in Manhattan with her husband Ken.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit more. Can you share your “backstory” with us?

My career has not been linear — it has been a winding course I continue to follow to this day. Growing up in a homogeneous setting, I was always drawn to the rich melting pot of urban environments — cities such as St. Louis, Washington DC, Boston, L.A., and finally, New York City. I wanted to be in the midst of their vibrant energy, surrounded by diverse communities, and part of an effort to make them even more livable. When I finished graduate school, I sought opportunities to fulfill this passion and pursued work in the public sector — but the options turned out to be limited because of the political environment at the time. Ironically, I pivoted and started working for the private sector in a position that addressed the financing needs of cities and states. Following a winding course, however, I found myself landing a role 15 years later — in the same company doing something very different — leading the company’s diversity efforts. Moving from the transactional to the strategic to become deeply connected with the subject matter and to have the ability to make change. Diversity became the focus of the second chapter of my career, anchored by a passion for impact, community, and the power of the workplace to transform peoples’ experiences.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? Can you tell us the lesson or take away you took out of that story?

My most interesting stories come from the power of mentoring and the life changing transformations it can lead to. While a mentor can have a major influence on her mentee, I’ve been equally impressed and moved by the power a mentee has to enable me to understand new perspectives. The world of mentoring is mutually satisfying and paying it forward has lifelong effects.

Many people I’ve mentored in the early stages of their careers have advanced and are now looking for advice on leadership and business strategy. Yesterday, I was mentoring an associate — today I am coaching an executive — it’s wonderful to see how a mentoring relationship can bloom and evolve. A relationship like this, sustained over time, is mutually beneficial for the mentor and mentee. For me, it has been another path to recognizing my strengths by sharing my stories and experiences.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

The work that I do spans corporations, small companies, and non-profit organizations. The focus is on developing company cultures that foster an environment of collaboration, communication, and leadership to drive the business forward. At the center of this work is a value on diversity, equity, and inclusion in all parts of the talent pipeline and across business practices. I thrive on learning what makes a place tick and helping a leadership team rethink its culture.

For example, I’m working with a company that’s redesigning its performance management strategy to enable its leaders to consider performance and potential in completely new ways. I’ve helped them to think about what they need to know about their people — what questions they should be asking to unleash talent, skills, and greater productivity. The talent conversations have been transformative for the company and the leaders, who are discovering a new and rewarding depth in the potential of their employees.

Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think that might help people?

I find all of my work exciting for the unique aspects each project offers. Currently, I’m working with two emerging Silicon Valley startups. Both have great aspirations and innovative concepts: One is creating a platform to build community and reinforce culture; the other is using virtual reality (VR) to help illuminate and eliminate unconscious bias.

In the first case, the business is going beyond survey questions to assess engagement — they are measuring how people are using their time in employee resource groups, community service activities, and learning opportunities — all of which contribute to corporate culture. In the second project, I am very excited by the potential for using VR to give people a deeper understanding of unintended bias and the cost of microaggressions in the workplace. The VR technology is a full sensory experience, putting the user in the center of the action and getting people engaged in more effective learning. This is something you simply can’t get by looking at a screen and going through an online teaching module.

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive?

I would say to them it’s critically important to build up the capability of lower level managers who are on the front lines working directly with employees and customers. Employees are looking for their managers to lead. In early stage companies (and larger ones as well), managers with little tenure have a dearth of experience in providing guidance, honest feedback, and direction. Companies need to teach and model great leadership practices. When founders and CEOS are overly focused on productivity and bottom-line results, they can overlook the need to invest in their people.

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders about how to manage a large team?

The events of this moment have two profound consequences for managing large teams. One is the importance of establishing a truly equitable workplace in which all people feel that they belong. A diverse workforce can power up a business though it requires wisdom, constant learning, and a willingness to work through differences. We must live in the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and relentlessly demonstrate our commitment through programs, communication, and ACTIONS.

COVID-19 has also taught us lessons that are crucial to successfully managing a workforce. We have seen many ways that people can work productively — at work and at home. Teams have learned how to collaborate without having to be next to each other. Managers can see people working hard — even when they are working remotely. This has and will change the way we work. And, though I continue to believe that face-to-face contact and community building are important, I expect that managers have come to understand that being flexible in their approach can engender greater engagement and productivity.

Ok. Thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the main part of our interview. This may be obvious to you, but it is not intuitive to many people. Can you articulate to our readers five ways that increased diversity can help a company’s bottom line? (Please share a story or example for each.)

Diversity practitioners have been espousing the business case for diversity and inclusion for years and progress has been slow, however, many enlightened leaders have seen the value of a diverse workforce manifest in their bottom line. There are numerous academic and consulting analyses, which demonstrate that companies with more diverse leadership teams report higher revenues and greater profitability. There are many reasons behind this.

First, diversity is a driver of innovation, fueling fresh and unique perspectives. By bringing a more diverse team to the table, companies leverage collective intelligence for more effective problem solving. Diversity is not only about race, gender, or sexual orientation; we all bring something different from our experiences and background that can be harnessed for better outcomes.

Secondly, if a company aims to hire the best talent, diversity and inclusion must be a core value and evident at all levels of the company. When thinking about employers, prospective hires look at the composition of the company, especially the senior team and assess whether the culture is place where they can thrive. If they don’t see people like themselves and a culture of belonging, they will be skeptical of their long-term prospects and less likely to consider an employment opportunity.

Another way diversity contributes to the bottom line is by creating greater customer alignment. It’s a big miss to have products that are not designed by the people who will be using them. Having employees who mirror a company’s customer base will better address consumer needs, most simply leading to better products and greater success.

Lastly and most reflective of the current state of our country, I believe companies have a moral obligation to change the systems of power and decision making that prevent everyone from having an equal shot at success. Over the past year, corporations began to give voice to their responsibility to uphold key values and to foster an environment of belonging for all. Until then, these important principles were overshadowed by a laser focus on the bottom line. In the current environment, we are being called to task on systematic and institutional barriers to progress, creating an unparalleled opportunity to build more diverse and equitable workplaces. The resulting changes could mean greater pay equity, increased representation at the top and in the promotion process for women and men of underrepresented groups. Companies will be stronger, more effective — and more profitable — when they fully recognize the value of diversity, mandating an equitable, inclusive workplace.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

This is a profoundly important question to me. I’d like to think that the efforts I have made in many companies, along with other committed individuals and teams, have helped to change the culture of companies, influence those in power and allow for greater opportunity and equity for employees. That has been rewarding but change has been too slow, and I hope that we can leverage the momentum of this period to transform our workplaces.

On an individual level, I am firmly committed to serving as a mentor, connector, and influencer for those with fewer opportunities and resources, to create mutually rewarding relationships and “pay it forward”. Because this is important to me, an area of great personal pride is the work I do in the non-profit sector, as a volunteer, an activist, and a board member. I have been very deliberate about how I spend my time — across issues of social and reproductive justice, women’s empowerment, social entrepreneurship, education, and workplace equity — locally, nationally and globally. I have used my “treasure” to financially support organizations that are making a difference, and also my time and skillsets to help them thrive and succeed. The theme of diversity and inclusion runs through all these efforts because all workplaces, from government to non-profit to for-profit, can and must improve their cultures.

My experiences in nonprofit organizations have sharpened my skills and made me a better professional. They have provided new challenges and problem-solving opportunities, all of which have contributed to my leadership abilities across sectors and businesses.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”?

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” ― James Baldwin

This quote resonates with me fully and feels profoundly relevant to the moment we are living in.

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?

First, I am grateful to my husband, Ken Inadomi, who’s been supportive throughout my career. He has been a champion of all my activities in both the profit and nonprofit sectors and a thought partner and a true inspiration. In balancing the obligations as a mom, a daughter, and a community member, having his support has been critical to my success.

Secondly, in thinking about my career, I’m ever grateful to Doreen Frasca, a colleague at Merrill Lynch who became my boss and then my champion. Doreen helped me make the transition from investment banking to diversity strategy advocating and sponsoring me at the highest levels of the organization. She continues to be a role model as a woman entrepreneur.

Thirdly, I’ve had a community of women who have helped me in my career, either supporting me as a parent, supporting my leadership, or helping me build my network. Many of these people have been friends or colleagues. Within this circle of virtuous generosity, equally, my mentees have been a critical part of my success.

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 whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this 🙂

At the moment, I would relish the opportunity to sit with Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides legal representation to people who have been illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced, or abused in state jails and prisons. I am so moved by his brilliance, commitment, and tenacity, and the impact he will continue to have on our country. The work he has done through his advocacy and writing, and the institutions he has set up in Montgomery, Alabama to address the systemic and structural racism has been transformational.


Melinda B Wolfe: Why Diversity Is a Driver of Innovation was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Dr. Jamie Rife of Purposity Has Created A Platform For People To

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Dr. Jamie Rife of Purposity Has Created A Platform For People To Help Their Neighbors In Need

Get involved. Just do something. This doesn’t mean you need to leave your job and dedicate yourself to homelessness, but there are a lot of ways for you to make an impact whether that impact is time, money or skills. Go volunteer (if you’re able). Donate an item via Purposity or any other way that makes you feel good, or lend your professional expertise by joining a nonprofit board. There are tons of ways to make an impact right in your community.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Jamie Rife, co-Founder of Purposity and Author of Journeys out of Homelessness: The Voices of Lived Experience

Dr. Jamie Rife is co-founder of Purposity, a non-profit platform that connects users to critical, physical needs in their community so they can help their neighbors in need. Prior to Purposity, Rife spent over 15 years in public education. Most recently, she served as the State Coordinator for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth at the Colorado Department of Education. Before relocating to Denver, she spent 12 years in a metro-Atlanta school district as a director, school administrator, Homeless Education Liaison, and classroom teacher. Rife conducts research on poverty and homelessness and is the co-author of the recent book Journeys out of Homelessness: The Voices of Lived Experience. She earned her Ed.D. in educational leadership from Liberty University, M.Ed. in educational administration and policy from the University of Georgia and completed her B.A. in Spanish and sociology at the State University of New York College at College.

Can you tell us a bit about your personal background, and how you grew up?

The short version? All brothers (I’m a complete tomboy), a single mom who instilled in me the importance of education as her only daughter (thanks, mom), and, sufficed to say, a backstory that gave me the opportunity to build a lot resiliency, grit, and a strong sense of purpose.

Is there a particular story or incident that inspired you to get involved in your work helping people who are homeless?

There is. For me, it’s personal. Homelessness is a wide spectrum of experiences and living situations. It’s a spectrum I’ve spent some time on, and I can tell you it’s awful. It’s an experience that cuts deeply, and I want to do everything in my power to ensure others don’t have to endure it.

Homelessness has been a problem for a long time in the United States. But it seems that it has gotten a lot worse over the past five years, particularly in the large cities, such as Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, and San Francisco. Can you explain to our readers what brought us to this place? Where did this crisis come from?

It’s a combination of a lot of factors, the primary of which is the rising cost of housing in those cities. My hometown, Denver, was just listed #2 in the nation for gentrification (not in a good way), and affordable communities are disappearing overnight. Couple this with stagnate wages, the rising cost of healthcare, disappearing safety nets, the burden of higher education, plus systems that breed racial inequality, and the nation is seeing sharp increases in homelessness in many major cities. Also, this is no longer an urban issue. It’s an everywhere issue. As individuals are displaced outwards from cities into more affordable housing markets, smaller communities have also seen significant growth in their homeless populations. Many of these communities still haven’t recovered from the Great Recession, and with the economic impact of COVID just now beginning to unfold, homelessness in towns across the U.S. will see even more staggering increases unless we take immediate action.

That being said, homelessness has been an issue for a very long time. In some ways, we are just getting better at understanding the breadth and quantifying the crisis as our ability to collect meaningful data improves. In fact, with the right resources, awareness and will, veteran homelessness has actually decreased by 50% in the last 10 years. This is encouraging news for many of us, but we still have a lot of work to do.

For the benefit of our readers, can you describe the typical progression of how one starts as a healthy young person with a place to live, a job, an education, a family support system, a social support system, a community support system, to an individual who is sleeping on the ground at night? How does that progression occur?

There’s not really a “typical” progression. Rather, it’s the combination of a lot of factors, including an economy that only works for some, an unexpected illness, the loss of a job without a safety net, the result of escaping domestic violence or other family conflict, a struggle with mental illness or substance use, and perhaps most importantly, the racial inequities of many of our systems including criminal justice, child welfare, and others that disproportionately affect people of color.

Most of the individuals experiencing homelessness don’t have a safety net or social network capable of helping them through difficult times. This is referred to as network impoverishment and is the reality in which many of those without a home have spent their entire lives. The majority of Americans can’t afford a $400 unexpected cost, and if you don’t have a network to whom you can reach out to in unexpected times, then often the path to losing housing is a straight line.

A question that many people who are not familiar with the intricacies of this problem ask is, “Why don’t homeless people just move to a city that has cheaper housing?” How do you answer this question?

The reality is, there is not a single zip code in the U.S. in which minimum wage can support market rent. These places simply do not exist. Plus, if an individual is experiencing housing insecurity, more than likely they do not have the resources to easily move to another city. Additionally, many people have family, friends, employment, and support networks in their current city. Leaving those behind for more affordable housing oftentimes simply trades one set of problems for another. Social networks are incredibly important to all of us, and for those living in unstable situations, a social network can be the difference between surviving and not. For example, what if a parent relies on extended family to care for their children while they work or attend school? Moving to a more affordable city simply means they’ll be trading lower rent for higher childcare costs. The same is true with transportation. In more affordable communities, there often doesn’t exist the infrastructure, such as public transportation, on which so many rely to get to work.

If someone passes a homeless person on the street, what is the best way to help them?

A lot of people ask me this question. My answer is always the same. Make a decision on what you think is the right way to respond. Ultimately, you have to live with you. My husband and I both work in homelessness and even our responses are often different. Sometimes I carry nonperishable items in my car on with me to hand out. He may carry resource lists and how to contact his agency. One thing we both do — treat people with kindness, dignity, and recognize that this is a human being in front of you. Too often homelessness dehumanizes those it affects and desensitizes the rest of us. Fight that urge.

What is the best way to respond if a homeless person asks for money for rent or gas?

There’s not really a “best” way to respond. Here again, I encourage you to decide for yourself what you feel is best and what you’re comfortable with. You have to live with you. I will say this, if you do choose to give someone money, be ok with how that person chooses to spend the it — don’t judge.

Can you describe to our readers how your work is making an impact battling this crisis?

My work is but a blip in the sea of the larger response to this crisis. There are thousands of people all working together to make homelessness brief, rare and nonrecurring. That’s what we mean when we say we want to end homelessness. They’re the ones on the front lines, the ones seeing and feeling the impact of homelessness first hand. They’re the ones advocating for the rights and the resources needed to make this crisis history. It’s an honor to be able to support them through the work I do, and they’re the ones making the real impact.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the homeless crisis, and the homeless community? Also how has it affected your ability to help people?

This has complicated an already complex issue. The full effects of COVID-19 will continue to unfold for years to come. What I can say about COVID is the guidance on remaining safe all rely on one thing — housing. Sheltering in place, socially distancing, practicing good hygiene are all privileges of those that are housed. For those among the homeless community, COVID-19 contributed the dangers and disparities already inherent in their everyday lives. Many of those living without a home are doing so due to some sort of chronic health issue and/or are senior citizens (one of the fastest growing subpopulations of unhoused). This, coupled with their inability to literally follow guidelines to stay healthy, is detrimental to so many experiencing homelessness. Additionally, so many of the nonprofits that work with those experiencing homelessness rely on volunteers to operate, the majority of which are retirees. With COVID-19, we’ve seen drastic decreases in the available number of volunteers to ensure our nonprofits can continue to serve those without homes.

Can you share something about your work that makes you most proud? Is there a particular story or incident that you found most uplifting?

A lot of the past five years of my life have been spent examining my purpose. Thankfully, I’m at a place in my life where I have the privilege to spend time doing. I’m blessed. One thing that makes me proud is helping provide a platform and megaphone for those that are either experiencing homelessness or those who have. Let’s be real — if you want to know about homelessness, take some time to get to know someone who’s been through it. They’re the real experts.

With that, the writing of Journeys out of Homelessness fills me with a sense of pride and purpose. In the book, nine individuals share their journeys through, and in most cases, out of homelessness. My coauthor, Don Burnes, and I spent nearly two years working with the contributors to help craft and refine their stories along with many of them who also shared how they believe our system can be improved. If you’re truly interested in the topic, give the book a read. All proceeds are being donated to nonprofits that serve those experiencing homelessness, so in reading it, you’re not only expanding your knowledge but doing some good.

Without sharing real names, can you share a story with our readers about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your work?

I get a little teary-eyed when I think back to all the amazing people with whom I’ve had the opportunity to share this journey. Perhaps one of my favorite stories was one shared with me by a school social worker. After walking off stage for a keynote at a conference last fall, this school social worker made a beeline towards me, with a very intentional look on her face, stopping me as I made my way to the back of the room. She shared that her school district had recently begun using Purposity and she’d gotten one of her first shipments, a pair of shoes for a sixth-grade boy. She called him to her office to give him the shoes, handing them to him, still in the shoebox in which they had arrived. Bewildered, the boy looked up at her and asked, “Are these for me?” She responded by saying that of course they were for him and that someone in their community had sent them to him at the school. Awestruck, he asked a question that will stick with me forever. “Well, can I keep the box too? I’ve never had a NEW pair of shoes.” She said every time she saw him in the hallways for weeks afterwards, he’d smile at her and show off his new kicks. I think sometimes in the complexity of some of the issues we deal with, it’s easy to forget how big of a deal something really small can be, particularly to a child. It’s hopeful to think that we all can do just one little thing that collectively we can have a large impact.

Can you share three things that the community and society can do to help you address the root of this crisis? Can you give some examples?

  1. Here’s an easy one — start using person-first language. What’s that mean, you ask? Instead of saying “homeless people” (it hurts to even type those words), consider using “people experiencing homelessness” when talking about this issue. Homelessness is an experience. It’s not a defining characteristic. How we talk about this issue matters, and it literally costs nothing to make this change.
  2. Question your assumptions on homelessness. It’s so much easier, and less vulnerable, to continue to believe the stereotypes on homelessness — that it’s the result of personal choices or bad decisions. It’s a defense mechanism that keeps us distanced from having to realize that it could be any one of us that ends up without a home, but this wall of defense we keep putting up is one of the barriers we’ve erected to solve this issue
  3. Get involved. Just do something. This doesn’t mean you need to leave your job and dedicate yourself to homelessness, but there are a lot of ways for you to make an impact whether that impact is time, money or skills. Go volunteer (if you’re able). Donate an item via Purposity or any other way that makes you feel good, or lend your professional expertise by joining a nonprofit board. There are tons of ways to make an impact right in your community.

If you had the power to influence legislation, which three laws would you like to see introduced that might help you in your work?

Only three? Well…I guess I’ll need to be precise. It’s so interesting to me. Legislation on homelessness is often done in isolation of its causes, meaning we legislate and appropriate funds to combat homelessness itself as an outcome versus addressing its root causes. Homelessness is the result of systems working together. If we want to end homelessness, we need to shut off the in valve, not just drink from the firehose on the other end. I’d like to see more efforts focused on addressing these systems, instead of just focusing on homelessness. So, if you’re asking which three areas I’d like to see reformed, I’d suggest starting with those systems that feed directly into homelessness like criminal justice, child welfare, and healthcare.

I know that this is not easy work. What keeps you going?

Large amounts of coffee…and a strong sense of purpose.

Do you have hope that one day this great social challenge can be solved completely?

I don’t hope. I know. Several cities have already ended certain forms of homelessness, such as veteran and chronic homelessness. My belief is that if it’s possible in one city, it’s possible everywhere. We just need the collective will to make it happen. Don’t believe me? Check out the amazing work the nonprofit Community Solutions is doing not just in the U.S. but around the world to help communities end homelessness.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

  1. Prioritize yourself. This sounds so incredibly counterintuitive to many of us who work in human services. We’ve somehow gotten to a place where we idolize burnout and working long hours. This isn’t healthy. To bring your best to this work, you have to make time for yourself and fill your own tank.
  2. You can’t win them all. This has been one of the hardest for me, and one of my dearest colleagues gave me this advice early on. You literally can’t save everyone and sometimes have to make some very, very difficult decisions. Give yourself grace in these situations.
  3. That’s probably my third one — give yourself grace. I think one of the best things therapy taught me was to stop myself when that voice of self-criticism starts creeping out into my thoughts and ask, “Is this something I would say to a friend?” Many of us in this work tend to focus on our perceived shortcomings and it stands in the way of our growth.
  4. Ask “why”? One of the easiest traps to fall into is not asking why things are done the way they’re done. Question every process, every day and make sure the way you’re doing something is the best way to do it. If not, progress can’t be made.
  5. With that, seek progress, not perfection. Don’t wait for the perfect answer to do anything, just keep assuring you’re making progress. If you wait for perfection, you’ll never move forward.

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. 🙂

Start by helping your neighbors. If we each begin making an impact close to us, collectively we really can change the world, one corner at a time.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.” — Brene Brown

For the longest time, I’ve sought to shut away vulnerability, seeing it as a weakness, particularly as a female leader. When I started to open myself up to vulnerability and reframe it from a weakness to a tool, there was an internal shift. It’s one that has given me peace, a stronger sense of self, and allowed me to lean into my creative side. For me, vulnerability was the birthplace of Purposity and so many of the other amazing things in my life. It’s made my personal relationships healthier, my marriage stronger, and helped develop me into the leader I am today. There’s nothing more exhausting than fear of being vulnerable and trying to lock it away. If you’re still fighting that fight, consider taking some time and doing some work to tackle that demon (start with Brene Brown’s work on the topic). You’ll be happier and healthier for it.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂

Hey, hey Brene Brown. Feel free to reach out with some dates and times that work for you. I’ll send out the calendar invite with a Zoom link.

In all seriousness, if you don’t have Brene Brown in your life, you need to get some. Her work on shame and vulnerability (paired with some intensive counseling) have changed my life and allowed me to own my story instead of it owning me. I’ll always be grateful for this gift.

How can our readers follow you online?

If you want to make a difference, don’t follow me. Follow Purposity:

Instagram @purposity

Facebook @purposity

Twitter @purposity_

If you prefer dog photos, cat cameos, and an occasional update on homelessness, give me a follow on Instagram or Twitter.

Instagram: @jamie.rife

Twitter: Jamie_rife


Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Dr. Jamie Rife of Purposity Has Created A Platform For People To was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Irina Papuc of Galactic Fed: “5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team”

It’s important to always remember the positives when you give out constructive feedback, and in a remote working environment, this becomes even more important, because at the end of the day, a written message is often all people have to make an impression. It’s important to start off a feedback email with words of appreciation and gratitude. They are, after all, a wonderful addition to the team, and we appreciate their work overall.

As a part of our series about the five things you need to successfully manage a remote team, I had the pleasure of interviewing Irina Papuc, co-Founder & Managing Partner of Galactic Fed, a multinational, fully-remote marketing agency with employees all around the world.

A physicist turned digital marketing leader, Irina brings a unique view to her work as a data-driven growth marketing expert. Irina co-founded GalacticFed to provide clients a better solution for on-demand, scaleable, growth marketing teams. Previously she led SEO teams at Toptal, a global online services business, and has built high-powered virtual teams for hyper-growth Bay Area companies. Irina has created performance marketing strategies and solutions for brands such as Shell, Descript, Tenfold, and HVMN, among many others.

Irina’s specialty is providing bespoke, highly scalable email marketing and link-building solutions, as well as designing and operationalizing full SEO programs at any size and scale for her clients.

Outside of digital marketing, Irina is an academically trained anthropologist with a physics degree, having briefly worked at CERN in particle physics before moving into the digital marketing world.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. What is your “backstory”?

I’ve worn a few hats so far! To quickly sum it up, I studied physics, worked briefly at CERN, graduated in the aftermath of the 2007 recession, concluded that office life was not for me, bought a one-way ticket to Taiwan, lived there for a year and taught English, then saved up enough money to travel a year overland from Thailand to Romania (my roots). Once I returned to the states in 2014, I fell into marketing when browsing the web for remote work opportunities, and it stuck like a well-fitted glove. I fell in love with all aspects of SEO while joining (and eventually leading) the SEO program at Toptal, a global tech startup specializing in the talent economy, eventually moving on to co-found Galactic Fed.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

Marketing has taken me on some pretty remarkable business trips. I’ve had the pleasure of dipping into ethnographic field research (something tied to my graduate background in anthropology) while doing marketing. For example, for one of our undisclosed clients, I had the pleasure of spending a day washing cars in Texas “undercover” while learning the ins and out of user behavior related to this activity!

All in all, marketing puts you in contact with some of the most interesting people in various industries, fields, and walks of life. You never know who walks in through the door!

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive and avoid burnout?

Offer unlimited paid time off, and encourage your team to actually take time off. Many companies implement this policy, but the team doesn’t actually take time off! Set the precedent and don’t ping our e-mail your co-workers on the weekend. Help prevent “Slack burnout” (constantly checking Slack) by encouraging team members to designate “deep work” time when they are not checking Slack. Encourage some healthy competition within the org that emphasizes health and wellness, such as a company-wide walkathon, or recipe exchange. Make sure team members who are expecting or recently gave birth take the necessary time off to rest and focus on their family.

Ok, let’s jump to the core of our interview. Some companies have many years of experience with managing a remote team. Others have just started this, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you tell us how many years of experience you have managing remote teams?

I’ve never worked a day in a physical office. My entire career has been remote, and it began in 2015. So, 5 years total to date managing remote teams.

Managing a team remotely can be very different than managing a team that is in front of you. Can you articulate for our readers what the five main challenges are regarding managing a remote team? Can you give a story or example for each?

Communication — it’s hard enough as it is to communicate effectively in a traditional team setting. Once to take this to a remote environment, you often have little more than a few specs, Slack messages, and perhaps a brief call or two to convey the expectations and the end goals. Daily communication is the cement that holds the team together, and at Galactic Fed this extends over multiple time zones and continents.

Building trust — it’s important to build a team that trusts one another and their managers to deliver on their promises day in and day out. That reassurance of trust fuels the team to show up every day and give 100%.

Tracking productivity — with a team spread over multiple time zones and continents, it can get a little tricky to track productivity, even with a team of carefully vetted, motivated self-starters.

Team morale — It’s really important to sustain and cultivate a healthy team morale.

A unified company culture — whether your company is domestic or international, it’s vital that leaders find common threads to unite the org in a unified company culture.

Based on your experience, what can one do to address or redress each of those challenges?

Communication — encourage the team to follow certain protocols, such as making themselves available in Slack during normal US work hours Monday to Friday, and responding within a set amount of time. Encourage the team to practice over-communication, that is, assuming that what reads as a clear text to the writer does not necessarily provide all the context to the reader. Give your colleague a chance to ask questions in a Q&A doc, and answer them promptly. Set up brief calls when needed to quickly untangle any misreads.

Building trust — With a remote environment, building trust is largely about setting and living up to expectations with your team. Make sure to maintain clarity around the core areas that matter to your team, such as project expectations, pay rate, payment timelines, and status updates on projects. Make sure your team has a platform to voice their concerns and have them addressed.

Tracking productivity — we track productivity for all our team members, and our preferred reporting is a combination of internal solutions and tools like Toggl. It’s really about finding what preferred tech stack works with your org. We also recommend weekly sync calls across departments and task forces.

Team morale — we recommend calling out weekly wins of members of the team, and recognizing them for their individual contributions to the team.

A unified company culture — we recommend encouraging team-wide competitions, and onboarding the team in a unified way of working together and producing results, in our case the Galactic Fed Way.

In my experience, one of the trickiest parts of managing a remote team is giving honest feedback, in a way that doesn’t come across as too harsh. 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. Can you give a few suggestions about how to best give constructive criticism to a remote employee?

Great question. It’s important to always remember the positives when you give out constructive feedback, and in a remote working environment, this becomes even more important, because at the end of the day, a written message is often all people have to make an impression. It’s important to start off a feedback email with words of appreciation and gratitude. They are, after all, a wonderful addition to the team, and we appreciate their work overall. It’s also great to call out some things they have done exceptionally well in recent times, for this information is as important as the feedback itself, it forms a more comprehensive picture of what they bring to the table. Once this is laid out, I would go ahead and share the constructive feedback, taking care to include why it matters to the success of the company overall. Finally, I like to include a step by step action plan for how we can help set up the team members for success, e.g. how we can help them with training, etc. to reach and surpass the challenge.

Can you specifically address how to give constructive feedback over email? How do you prevent the email from sounding too critical or harsh?

Honestly, I usually avoid giving constructive feedback over email. I much prefer a more interactive platform, such as Slack, to give the person receiving the feedback opportunity to interact with me in real time, so it feels more personal, like a real conversation that goes back and forth.

Can you share any suggestions for teams who are used to working together on location but are forced to work remotely due to the pandemic. Are there potential obstacles one should avoid with a team that is just getting used to working remotely?

Try to avoid getting into the routine of working out of bed, in your pajamas. Instead, it’s really best if you designate a special room that is private and quiet for doing work. Make this your office, and treat it just like any normal co-working space. Minimize distractions, keep healthy snacks and water on hand, and consider what will pop up as your video call background, as it could distract your co-workers. Or enjoy the Zoom backgrounds that are all the rage now. Having this space that is devoted to just work time will help you achieve better work-life balance over time, and “keep work at work” so to speak, even as you work out of your home.

What do you suggest can be done to create a healthy and empowering work culture with a team that is remote and not physically together?

I can share an example from COVID-19 times. Now, with everyone social-distancing at home, it’s important more than ever to get in some exercise, and a bit of friendly competition never hurts! We launched a Galactic Fed Walkathon across the whole company last month, to much fanfare. We set up teams, and some friendly competition to see who got in more steps on their pedometers. A little friendly competition is always good!

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. 🙂

To echo Zach’s response, Zach and I would love to see more entrepreneurs and founders focus on building companies that have a social purpose or positive mission. That has been our biggest focus lately.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Short cuts make long delays.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring This resonates in so many life situations, especially in business. From building and nurturing relationships, to planning a new department, to hiring a stellar senior-level engineer vs. a n00b, short cuts make for very long delays indeed.

Thank you for these great insights!


Irina Papuc of Galactic Fed: “5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future Is Now: “Software That Allows Paramedics To Track Trends And Patients” With Daniel Frey

The Future Is Now: “Software That Allows Paramedics To Track Trends And Patients” With Daniel Frey of FieldMed

There is no better feeling knowing you were able to impact someone’s life in a positive way, whether that is by delivering a baby or by being the one that turns a very bleak medical situation around and saving someone. I thought that was something that I gave up when I retired as a firefighter.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Daniel Frey.

Daniel is the co-founder and vice president of business development for FieldMed, the first-ever dedicated community health software platform designed for community health programs nationwide. Through this software, community health professionals can go beyond regular patient data to track in-depth information and trends to deliver better, more cost-effective patient care.

For the past 25 years, Daniel has served as a firefighter and paramedic, and he recently retired in 2019. During his time as a firefighter, Daniel helped to start and serve as the education coordinator for Best EMS and oversaw 14 fire departments’ education programs. In 2013, he was one of the creators of the Community Health Program in McKinney, Texas and worked as a Community Medic there for 6 years.

Through his time serving as a paramedic and firefighter, Daniel saw firsthand the drastic need for community health programs and partner software in cities, fire/EMS departments and hospitals around the country. He understood the impact that accurate and accessible data could have on these programs, and through this, he helped found FieldMed. FieldMed offers a patient-first software platform that empowers community health programs to provide better in-home patient care and improve tracking and reporting of valuable, actionable patient data and trends.

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 had been a firefighter and paramedic for 19 years when I helped develop a Community Paramedic/Mobile Integrated Health program for McKinney, Texas. This was a new way of taking care of patients, and there was no software to track or report the treatment, so we were using paper forms, spreadsheets, and whatever else suited us at the time. I spent several years writing down how I would like the reporting to look on a legal pad, thinking of ways that we could develop software that would be efficient and helpful, but would also improve patient care. I was fortunate to meet the owners of Graphium Health, a leader in anesthesia reporting software, and we formed a partnership to create FieldMed, a cloud-based, intelligent Community Health software program.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

As someone who worked as a firefighter and paramedic for 25 years, I never dreamed I would be in this position now. I have worked very hard to become a subject matter expert in my field, but I am a pretty humble person. It has been incredibly interesting to do television interviews, see features on me in magazines, and online articles, while also traveling around consulting and speaking as an expert in community paramedicine/mobile integrated health. The interesting part about that for me is that people actually want to hear what I have to say.

Can you tell us about the technological breakthroughs that you are working on? How do you think that will help people?

We believe that real breakthroughs happen when we can digitize all data that is coming through paramedics in an easy way that isn’t a burden on the users in the field. We want them to focus on providing care, not learning new software. We are working on creating many features that we think will help with this, including allowing patients to communicate and provide feedback to providers before and after visits, new mobile applications to minimize the workload on the front-lines, as well as an entirely new analytics platform that will provide deep access to all of their data so that community health programs can understand exactly what the status is and how they can help even more people in their communities.

How do you think this might change the world or healthcare industry?

In the past, paramedics in the field had very limited tools when it came to reporting and tracking patient data and their own results with caring for patients. Our software allows paramedics to do all of the patient reports, but it also tracks trends and patients so that paramedics can grasp where problems continue to pop up for patients, patients who are improving and more. Our software also offers telemedicine capabilities which is something that has been all but non-existent in the paramedic world. Paramedics can now get a physician’s eyes on the patient to help the medic directly in the field.

Can you see any potential drawbacks about FieldMed’s technology that people should think more deeply about?

As far as the technology, I truly do not. Being a medic in the field for many years and using cumbersome software, I wanted this designed for ease of use so medics could concentrate on patient care and not what buttons to click next.

Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this breakthrough? Can you tell us that story?

Yes, there was! CP/MIH programs are constantly having to pull their data to show program success and sustainability. One day I was asked by my Fire Chief to get a report ready to present before the city council the next week. I spent the next several days pouring through just over 12,000 EMS calls one-by-one getting the data I needed. Right then and there I decided there had to be a better way to do this, so I started looking to find that answer, and here we are.

What do you need to lead this technology to widespread adoption?

Whenever someone demos our software they are very impressed with the ease of use and how they can tell it was designed by medics with what medics need in mind. We want to continue to get our name out there and reach as many potential clients as we can. When we do that, the software will speak for itself.

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?

Actually, there are three people that I owe where I am to — Ron Lockard, Randy Barker, and Daniel Dura, my three business partners. Being a firefighter and paramedic has always been a passion and not a job you do if you are ever wanting to be financially independent, which is why we all typically work second jobs. Starting a software business was a monumental task. I reached out to several people and finally found Ron, Randy, and Daniel. Randy and Daniel are part of Graphium Health, and after several meetings we decided to form a partnership and created FieldMed. I say I owe where I am now to these three gentlemen because they believed in me and my vision and took a big risk on me, that is something that does not happen to people every day and I am eternally grateful for it.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

I am a veteran and a former first responder, and I have lost several friends to suicide. One of my passions is helping organizations that provide counseling and education on PTSD to reduce the suicide rates for veterans and first responders. I also work to grow Community Paramedic/Mobile Integrated Health programs with my knowledge through consulting. I believe everyone should have access to healthcare at some level and CP/MIH programs reach under- insured people to help them manage their healthcare. I want to have programs available for these people no matter where they live, so I consult to help start these programs regardless if they are using our software or someone else’s free of charge.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)

  • How much work actually goes into running a company — I put in so many more hours now staying up late nights and long days then I did in my last career as a fire fighter. There are no days off!
  • The difficulty of selling your product — I had this crazy illusion that “if you build it, they will come”, meaning I believe so much in our software that I thought everyone that saw it would be lining up to purchase it. After I did my first demo and the potential client stated that they absolutely loved it but were not ready to purchase it at this moment, I learned two things — that this is not going to be as easy as I thought and that the sales pipeline is important.
  • The stress of being an owner — I am used to dealing with plenty of stress from the fire service, and I actually embraced the stress. When things were going downhill either during a fire or a medical call, I took pride in being the calm one that could get the job done. The stress of making sure the company succeeds and that I can pay the bills and keep jobs for people is a different kind of stress, but it is the kind of stress that is helping us succeed.
  • About the Comradery — In the fire service, you become very close with the people you work with; our lives can literally be in each other’s hands. I really was worried about missing that comradery when I retired to do this. What I did not know was how close everyone with FieldMed and Graphium is. Our lives may not be in each other’s hands, but we all want to see each other succeed and be the best people we can be while growing this company together.

The Satisfaction — There is no better feeling knowing you were able to impact someone’s life in a positive way, whether that is by delivering a baby or by being the one that turns a very bleak medical situation around and saving someone. I thought that was something that I gave up when I retired as a firefighter. With that being said, when we go to market with a new vertical or have some new update that improves our software, I know this is going to help the medics in the field do their job better and more efficiently to help people in a positive way, I get that feeling of satisfaction in a new way!

If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

This is an easy question, I would continue to do what I have been doing since 2012, promoting community health through community paramedic/mobile integrated health programs. There is such a vast amount of people out there that deal with mental health issues, are un or under insured, are elderly and live alone, do not have access to things like medications or transportation, or just do not understand how to take care of themselves properly because they were never educated about there medical issues. CP/MIH programs help bridge that gap and provide services these people could not get otherwise.

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 “The wishbone will never replace the backbone by Will Henry. Throughout my life I have had to work hard for my accomplishments, whether that was in the military, the fire service, or in my current life with FieldMed. I believe if you want anything in life and want to be successful at it you need to have the backbone to take risks and work hard to achieve that success. If you sit around wishing for things to happen without making them happen for yourself, you will spend your life sitting around wishing!

Some very well-known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say?

Community Health Paramedicine is critical for the healthcare industry now more than ever. With the ability to treat patients directly in their home, reduce non-emergent 911 calls and save cities/departments thousands of dollars, these programs can have a huge impact not only on EMS programs, but ultimately on patients. And while these programs do amazing work, they need software to reach their true success. They need software to track unique data points and patient trends, efficiently and effectively. FieldMed does just that in a format that is familiar and comfortable for paramedics.


The Future Is Now: “Software That Allows Paramedics To Track Trends And Patients” With Daniel Frey was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Kate Barrand of Horizons for Homeless Children is helping to…

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Kate Barrand of Horizons for Homeless Children is helping to make sure that the experience of homelessness does not define the trajectory of a child or parent’s life

I had many opportunities as a child to overcome my challenges. Why should I receive that when so many others don’t? I want to do everything I can, personally and professionally, to make sure that other children have access to a childhood that sets a strong foundation to make the next generation better than the last. Children are our future and they all deserve the opportunity to thrive.

As a part of my series about “Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis” I had the pleasure of interviewing Kate Barrand, President and CEO of Horizons for Homeless Children.

With a vision for a better future for children experiencing homelessness, Kate took over as CEO of Horizons for Homeless Children in 2015.

Within her first five years, Kate has enriched the organization’s programs through innovative partnerships with leading edge providers in early childhood development while at the same time transforming internal business processes to create a more financially sustainable organization. Simultaneously, with the help of her Board of Directors, she has raised over $20 million to build the Edgerley Family Horizons Center that will transform the education, health and well-being of at-risk children and families in Boston.

Kate’s passion for helping children and families experiencing homelessness has been and continues to be a meaningful part of her entire career and life.

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 personal background, and how you grew up?

Mine was not a garden variety childhood to be sure. I spent most of my formative years outside of the United States in the Middle East, Africa and then Europe traveling with my family as my father was an intelligence officer with the CIA.

Is there a particular story or incident that inspired you to get involved in your work helping people who are homeless?

In the early 1980s, I became aware that there were children and families experiencing homelessness all across Massachusetts and they were literally invisible to most people. These were families who, for one reason or another, had lost one of the most fundamental aspects of life — a place to call home. It seemed wrong to me on so many levels, given the wealth of both our nation and our state, that I committed myself to make a difference. It’s my belief now, as it was back then, that all children deserve the opportunity to thrive, and these children and their parents deserved our support. I started supporting Horizons for Homeless Children more than 20 years ago as it was the only organization devoted to serving the needs of children experiencing homelessness. After several years, I became a member of the Board of Directors where I served for 15 years. When I retired from the Board, I became a volunteer in Horizons’ Playspace Program, going into shelters each week to play with the children. Five years ago, I took on the role of CEO.

Homelessness has been a problem for a long time in the United States. But it seems that it has gotten a lot worse over the past five years, particularly in the large cities, such as Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, and San Francisco. Can you explain to our readers what brought us to this place? Where did this crisis come from?

Massachusetts has the unfortunate honor of leading the way when it comes to the rise in family homelessness. Since 2008, Massachusetts has experienced some of the highest increases in family homelessness in the country. Homelessness is a complex issue with many causes. Every family’s experience is different but the challenges families face include housing affordability, access to employment, job training, affordable child care, racial disparity and domestic violence. Homeless families make up more than half of the homeless population in our state. It is currently estimated that 20,000 children under six experience homelessness each year in Massachusetts alone, but they remain largely invisible for two reasons:

  • Parents don’t sit on a street corner with their children, the vast majority of homeless families will typically choose to live doubled up at a relative or friend’s house when they’re displaced for as long as they can. Some end up living in cars for periods of time, as well.
  • Massachusetts is a ‘Right to Shelter’ state, which means the state or municipality is required to provide temporary emergency shelter to every man, woman and child who is eligible for services, every night. 66% of shelter residents in the state are families. However, it is important to note that the vast majority of the homeless family population in our state do not make it into the shelter system but remain in unstable living situations with their children.

For the benefit of our readers, can you describe the typical progression of how one starts as a healthy young person with a place to live, a job, an education, a family support system, a social support system, a community support system, to an individual who is sleeping on the ground at night? How does that progression occur?

There are a myriad of causes of family homelessness but, commonly, working families in our state barely have enough money to cover their daily needs (food, heat, housing and health expenses). Working at the minimum hourly wage of $12.00 in Massachusetts, a wage earner must have 2.3 full-time jobs or work 91 hours per week to afford a modest one-bedroom apartment and have 2.8 full-time jobs or work 113 hours per week to afford a two-bedroom apartment. All it takes for a family to fall into a housing crisis is a modest illness, the breakdown of a car or any number of small things that cause a parent to lose their job or income for a short period. Many of the homeless we encounter are also women fleeing domestic violence where they may have literally left in the dead of night with their child and only the clothes on their back.

A question that many people who are not familiar with the intricacies of this problem ask is, “Why don’t homeless people just move to a city that has cheaper housing?” How do you answer this question?

Boston is a great example of how this problem persists. We are a tale of two cities with the most staggering wealth on the one hand — according to Forbes, Massachusetts is in the top five states most billionaires call home — and yet overwhelming poverty on the other. There has been an explosion in luxury condominiums being built all around the city and yet the median income in Boston is $65,000. The MIT Living Wage calculator says that a single parent with two children would need to be making upwards of $75,000 to have, what is considered, a livable wage. Why homeless people don’t move to a different city is an interesting question — but why should they have to move? This is their community, the place they grew up and where their family lives. Perhaps better questions we should be asking are, “why have we not done better by our urban communities?” or “why are we not investing in their prosperity?”

Horizons is currently building the Edgerley Family Horizons Center, which is a significant investment in the Roxbury community and is part of a unique public and private partnership that will bring essential services and over 400 jobs to the diverse Boston neighborhood.

If someone passes a homeless person on the street, what is the best way to help them?

You will not pass by a homeless family on the street typically because most parents don’t subject their children to being exposed in that way. The family homeless population is largely made up of single mothers with one or two children and it’s typical for such a family to spend months ‘couch surfing’ with their children, staying with relatives or friends for as long as possible. Alternatively, they will be found sleeping in cars or, in winter, camped out at hospitals in emergency rooms where they seek refuge from the cold. This is a challenging period for children as young children under six make up a large majority of the children experiencing homelessness, and, at that age, a child thrives on routines. Routines provide children with a sense of safety — it helps them learn that the caring adults in their world will provide what they need.

Can you describe to our readers how your work is making an impact battling this crisis?

Our primary focus at Horizons is to make sure that the experience of homelessness does not define the trajectory of a child or parent’s life. Our early education program serves children experiencing homelessness year-round using trauma informed approaches to ensure that children who leave for kindergarten are fully equipped for success. We provide 80% of the children’s daily nutritional needs so family resources can go elsewhere. We work with parents on goal setting and creating a strong foundation for their family’s future financially, emotionally and practically. Our parents are strong, hardworking and resilient people — we just try to help them find the space and resources to get back on track.

Finally, for children living in family shelters, we are the only agency in the state focusing on the experiences children have in the shelter system. Over 50% of those children are under the age of six and, therefore, are in the most important period in their brain’s development — we want to make sure they have the resources at hand to support their brain’s healthy development. Children learn through interactions with people and things, so we have built playrooms in 93 shelters across the state and we staff them with over 1,000 volunteers who educate and play with the children each week. During the pandemic, we have taken our program virtual and distributed tablets to children in shelters preloaded with a year’s subscription of educational content. Our volunteers are also running virtual play periods for the children, providing a much-needed break to parents who are otherwise the only source of entertainment at this time.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the homeless crisis, and the homeless community? Also how has it affected your ability to help people?

The pandemic has hit our families in devastating ways. We have had to transform all our services to a virtual mode. In a recent survey of Horizons’ families, 82% have been left unemployed as a result of the pandemic and have, in some cases, been in shelter rooms alone with their children for long periods of time without any relief. Shelters are not designed to have residents on-site day and night with limited access to food and other vital resources. The shelter system had to be in full-on disaster relief mode, which is different than their typical focus of helping families find housing. While we were forced to close our childcare facilities, our team worked tirelessly to support our families who were struggling more than ever. 90% of our families reported food insecurity and difficulty providing for their families’ basic needs at the beginning of the pandemic, so Horizons’ Family Advocates stepped in to distribute gift cards, diapers and food. The gift cards were the easiest way for families to purchase necessary goods at local stores and bodegas.

Can you share something about your work that makes you most proud? Is there a particular story or incident that you found most uplifting?

In March of 2021, we will open the new Edgerley Family Horizons Center. This new state-of-the-art, early education and family engagement facility will provide families and children experiencing homelessness throughout Boston with comprehensive resources to support their needs. In our early education center, we will serve 30% more children, have dedicated spaces for our children to develop their skills in STEM and art, and the building will feature a beautiful library. Onsite we will also have a family medical service adjacent to our program where families can access full-service family medicine and behavioral health services.

Without sharing real names, can you share a story with our readers about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your work?

We serve more than 175 children in our early education programs and thousands more children living in shelter across the state each year. In the fall, we have the opportunity to empower one of those child’s parents by literally giving her the stage to share her story firsthand. At our last Women’s Breakfast event we got to know Leticia, a young woman who was a survivor of domestic violence and found herself pregnant with twins. Her strength and willingness to work hard to build a life for her family, coupled with Horizons’ commitment to her and her boys, have them on a strong path for their future. I can’t wait to hear from our mom (or maybe this year it’ll be a dad!) at our next Women’s Breakfast coming up in October this year. Angie Thomas who wrote ‘The Hate U Give’ will be the keynote speaker and it’ll be a fantastic opportunity to learn more about how racial disparities intersect with homelessness.

Can you share three things that the community and society can do to help you address the root of this crisis? Can you give some examples?

I was recently reminded of a quote by President Franklin D. Roosevelt: “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much, it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.” We have too many families in our country who are struggling to provide for their family’s most basic needs. This is because the average American worker has not had a raise in decades relative to real purchasing power. We need to increase our minimum wage and focus on providing employment with a living wage. We need to establish more support for our workers at the lower end of our socio-economic system, many of whom are working hard and still can’t meet their family’s needs.

If you had the power to influence legislation, which three laws would you like to see introduced that might help you in your work?

  • Increase Massachusetts’ investment in affordable housing. Without housing options, we will continue to see an exodus of the working class from our cities. Affordable housing isn’t a disincentive to working, it makes upward mobility possible.
  • Invest as a nation in universally accessible childcare. We need a significant federal investment in early education so that it is accessible to all families at a reasonable cost. Massachusetts has the highest average cost for childcare of any state in the country, putting tremendous financial pressure on working families. Giving more children access to high quality early education is important so parents can work, and it will also address many of the racial disparities we see in our country. The return on investment in high-quality early childhood programs ranges between $4 and $9 in benefit for every dollar invested in early learning programs for low-income children. When a child has a strong foundation for learning when they first arrive at kindergarten, their life outcomes are substantially improved.
  • Reimburse educators receiving subsidies based on capacity, not daily enrollment. Currently in Massachusetts, the state reimburses providers as if they were a variable cost business while 85% of the cost of early education is fixed. If a child is absent we don’t get paid. Providers bear the brunt of the challenge as we can’t send a teacher home because a child was sick or eliminate the cost of that child’s seat, meals or other supports because they are absent. If providers were paid properly like other state infrastructure investments, it would allow us to compensate our teachers at higher and more appropriate levels.

I know that this is not easy work. What keeps you going?

I had many opportunities as a child to overcome my challenges. Why should I receive that when so many others don’t? I want to do everything I can, personally and professionally, to make sure that other children have access to a childhood that sets a strong foundation to make the next generation better than the last. Children are our future and they all deserve the opportunity to thrive.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

Well, I have at least two. One thing people asked me was why, at my age, did I want to work this hard? I guess I wish I had really listened to them and understood how all-consuming this work really is, but I have no regrets. Working for the benefit of others gives me deep personal satisfaction.

Also, I was not aware when I first discussed the CEO opportunity that the strategic plan included building a huge new facility that would bring all our programs together under one roof — for which I had no background or experience. We figured it out, and, if I can say, did a brilliant job with a center that brings to life a shared vision that will address our little corner of the world with excellence. What has made this a success is something that I learned in the private sector and have frequently used successfully — understand your weaknesses and hire experts when you need them. I have surrounded myself with many gifted people who are experts at what they do — my job is just to get out of the way and let them do their magic.

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. :–)

To pay all workers in this country a living wage and encourage more creation of affordable housing, even if that means building tiny houses in our urban environments. All people deserve to have a place to call their own even if it is tiny — it’s a place to call home. During this pandemic, I think most of us have recognized, more than ever before, what a refuge home is and should be.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Because we traveled a great deal in my childhood, I learned how hard it was to be the one that did not quite ‘fit in.’ I was the person who looked different, or was the new kid, or the outsider. This experience taught me to always emphasize inclusivity — inviting all to the table or the discussion and valuing the diversity they bring. You have a richer life experience if you surround yourself with the many, not the few.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂

I think it would probably be Barack Obama — I have always found him a rather extraordinary human. His priorities are the same as my priorities in many cases and I liked the way he managed his time and interests while in office. He focused on the right issues such as universal healthcare — it’s always been a no brainer to me, the country needed it and it’s helped a lot of families that are in poverty.

How can our readers follow you online?

I’m always connecting and interacting personally on LinkedIn and can be reached there or on Twitter.

  • LinkedIn: Kate Barrand
  • Twitter: @KateBarrand

Make sure to also follow Horizons on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter where we share stories about our work and the families it touches.

  • Facebook and Instagram: @horizonsforhomelesschildren
  • Twitter: @HHCTweets

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!


Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Kate Barrand of Horizons for Homeless Children is helping to… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Danny Prussman of Germ Nerds: Five Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team

It’s so important that you think many steps ahead. It’s easy to think you can build a solid business by filling a current need, but greater opportunities can be found when you consider the ripple effect on what’s happening today and figure out what the needs might be a year or two from now.

As a part of our series about the 5 things you need to know to successfully start a company remotely, I had the pleasure of interviewing Danny Prussman.

Danny Prussman is the Chief Operations Nerd and co-founder of Germ Nerds (www.germnerds.com) , a new company dedicated to creating solutions that enable people to navigate the current changing world with confidence. As Chief Operations Nerd, Prussman is responsible for all facets of business operations, including finance, administrative duties, processes and procedures, sales and technical support. Always one to gravitate towards innovation, creativity and opportunity, Danny has a proven entrepreneurial acumen track record and over 10 years of experience driving sales growth in the consumer/lifestyle and cannabis industries.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. What is your “backstory”?

My backstory is extremely diverse. I’m a Marine Corps veteran and served in the first Gulf War. I attended my undergraduate studies at University of Florida with a degree in business and Emerson College for graduate school in film and television production. I got started in the film industry in Los Angeles and quickly realized that being a production assistant wasn’t for me, so I started my first company which was a visual effects and motion graphics studio. Once I got a taste of entrepreneurship, there was no turning back. Germ Nerds is now the seventh company I’ve either founded or co-founded since then in various industries.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

Navigating the intricacies and ambiguities of the cannabis industry has been by far the most challenging and in turn, the most interesting journey. Scaling a business is tough when you’re attempting to find a happy medium between what an unclear law requires a label to say and how each individual retailer interprets that same law, or drawing a balance between maintaining enough inventory for growth with the ever-changing legal landscape that can make all your inventory worthless nearly overnight. At one point, we had to destroy hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of finished goods because regulators decided to tighten regulations. That’s painful.

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 was working for a large publishing company and one day on the elevator, I mistook the CEO for one of the advertising sales guys (in my defense, they looked like they could have been brothers.) I was giving him props on a presentation the advertising guy had given at a company meeting a week prior. The CEO took the compliment without correcting me, although I did detect some confusion in his eyes. After walking away, I realized what I had done and felt terrible but couldn’t stop laughing at the memory of the look on his face. I learned two valuable lessons that day: First, be sure who you’re talking to before you speak and second, when someone makes a mistake like that to you, be as gracious as this CEO was to me.

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders who are interested in starting a company during a ‘down’ economy, whether it be a pandemic or recession?

It’s so important that you think many steps ahead. It’s easy to think you can build a solid business by filling a current need, but greater opportunities can be found when you consider the ripple effect on what’s happening today and figure out what the needs might be a year or two from now.

Ok, let’s jump to the core of our interview. Some companies have many years of experience with managing a remote team, but starting a company from the ground up is a different hurdle, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tell us about your experience with managing remote teams and more details how and why you decided to start a company in the middle of a pandemic.

We all have experience working remotely, but I didn’t have a lot of experience managing a team remotely. It definitely posed some unique challenges. Starting a company in the middle of a pandemic was the last thing any of us wanted to do, but we were compelled to do it. If we could have created our launch product, the nrd., and given it away for free, we probably would have, but the economics did not allow that. Creating a company was really the only way to get the device out to people in a fast and efficient way.

Tell us about your company that was started completely remotely. What does the company do and tell us about your first product launched and what was your motivation for this product?

Germ Nerds is a startup that was born out of necessity and ingenuity sparked during the COVID-19 pandemic. Going to the supermarket, taking the elevator or walking the dog was such a challenge. We needed something that could help us navigate this new virus-filled world more confidently. The first Germ Nerds product is called The nrd. It’s an antimicrobial silicone guard to protect your hands from coming into contact with germs when handling everyday things like doorknobs, elevator buttons or crosswalk signals. It even has a conductive tip for using touchscreens like at self-checkout at the supermarket. When you’re done using it, magnets hold the unit closed to keep the working surface contained until you’re able to disinfect it.

What made things more interesting for me was that when we put our heads together, we found answers to not only our current predicament, but to all kinds of sticky germ filled situations we found ourselves in even before the pandemic. We realized there’s a market out there for people that want to avoid germs in public spaces by using new and innovative solutions.

Starting a team remotely can be very different than when you can come together and brainstorm in person. Can you articulate for our readers what the five main challenges are regarding building a new company remotely? Please include an anecdote for each.

The five main challenges to starting a company remotely are: 1) Nuances in communication; 2) project management; 3) design iterations; 4) logistics; and 5) fund raising. These five challenges all pose their own unique challenges when working remotely. With tools like Slack, Gmail, Docusign and Monday.com, Germ Nerds was able to achieve quite a bit without being in close proximity to one another. To this day, a few of our founding team still haven’t met each other in person. Zoom helped to initially build culture, although as time goes on, video becomes less important and, in some ways, less desirable.

Probably the largest hurdle was the extended time it took to get things done due to the quarantine. With everyone working remotely, suddenly something as simple as getting a signed bank letter to open a merchant account became impossible. So, getting creative and finding alternative paths to the desired outcome became imperative. Convincing people to rewrite their rules because of extenuating circumstances became daily occurrences. Product development was quite a challenge as well. Sharing designs between engineers in different countries, getting each version produced and in front of all stakeholders, gathering feedback and moving on the next iteration poses a lot of logistical challenges.

Starting a company, designing and engineering our first product and bringing it to market in 60 days under those constraints is unthinkable, but somehow the team managed to get it done because we were on a mission bigger than us. We were bringing a much-needed product to market that was desperately needed in these uncertain times.

Based on your experience, what can one do to address or redress each of those challenges?

Have patience, be flexible, get creative, live by your to-do list, be tenacious and celebrate achievements along the way.

Conflict: In my experience, one of the trickiest parts of working remotely is giving honest feedback, in a way that doesn’t come across as too harsh. 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. Can you give a few suggestions about how to best give constructive criticism to a remote employee?

I completely agree, and it’s one of the most frustrating aspects to working remotely. Nuances are out the door. I’m still trying to figure it out myself. I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve and say exactly what I think without much filter. Given the current climate and how fragile everyone is, I think we’re all doing our best to work on this and be sensitive to everyone’s individual situation and needs, and provide feedback in the most conducive way possible.

Can you specifically address how to give constructive feedback over email? How do you prevent the email from sounding too critical or harsh?

I’ve found that email is much easier than over the phone. With email, you have time to read and re-write. I find that when you have constructive criticism, it can often be received more effectively when you preface it with what you like about the subject at hand. Also, I find people are open to receiving feedback when presented in a manner of inviting collaboration and showing that you’re open to brainstorming on the subject so that everyone wins.

Some of your establishing team you have worked with previously on location. What have been some of the benefits of working remotely? What digital tools did you use to keep everyone updated and in sync?

For majority of my career, I have not worked on location with anyone on the Germ Nerds team, so we are in a very unique situation. Working remotely allows me to send and receive information quickly and increases my productivity and efficiency. I can have one on one phone or slack conversations with the appropriate stakeholder, exchange information I need quickly and get on with what I was doing. The only problem with this is siloed communication which can result in the need to repeat myself more than I might need to if we were all in one place. Multi-person messages in Slack can help with this. Other tools that are contribute to remote work productivity are Gmail, Docusign, Monday.com and Slack. Shift is another great tool that allows me to keep all my email and productivity aps in one window.

Let’s talk about vendors, as I imagine finding them and then getting a product actually produced during a pandemic was quite challenging. What are you suggestions for finding viable vendors? How was your experience working with third party vendors different from pre-pandemic days? What expectations or processes did you have to adjust or change?

I cannot stress enough how important it is to build a strong team and leverage their strengths and connections. For Germ Nerds specifically, we were very fortunate to have an experienced and knowledgeable team, so we were able to leverage existing relationships with pre-vetted vendors for all but our 3PL partner. Then, for connections you do not have, leverage your extensive network to gain reliable references. For example, we received a highly recommended 3PL partner from our trusted sources.

How did you create your company culture remotely? What do you suggest can be done to create a healthy and empowering work culture with a team that is remote and not physically together?

The Germ Nerds culture is super important to us. In the beginning, it was easy to align on the values of the company over Zoom. We were also able to delineate roles and responsibilities so we could all stay in our respective lanes and empowered each other to do what we each do best. The founding team members all run other businesses and we specifically carved out our free time to build Germ Nerds because we’re all passionate about helping people. That passion is visceral and permeates our culture now.

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. 🙂

If every person out there committed to contributing to a charitable endeavor on a regular basis, the world would be a better place. It doesn’t have to be with money: It could be time, education or resources. Donating is a powerful tool, as it helps others and it helps you. Teaching our kids to do the same would perpetuate the good in the world. We’re all very busy helping ourselves, but if we committed a percentage of our time and/or money to a charitable endeavor, the world would be so much better for it.

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 “You are the average of the five people with whom you spend the most time, so choose your friends wisely.” At the point when I heard that quote, I was spending time with people that were hindering my potential, but I didn’t see it. The person that told me the quote became my mentor, and this quote changed my perspective on everything.

Thank you for these great insights!


Danny Prussman of Germ Nerds: Five Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Stacey Ross Cohen: 5 Things You Need To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand

Investing time, money and resources into building a brand is not a luxury — it’s a requirement to thrive in today’s competitive environment. Branding is an art and science and when done correctly, it builds trust and credibility. Consumers make purchase decisions based on an emotional connection with a brand. In order for someone to engage or buy something — they need to know, like and trust the brand. It follows that to gain trust, companies need to build a relationship with the customer and demonstrate the brand’s benefit or value.

As part of our series about how to create a trusted, believable, and beloved brand, I had the pleasure to interview Stacey Ross Cohen.

Stacey is an award-winning brand professional who earned her marketing stripes on Madison Avenue and at major television networks before launching Co-Communications, a full-service PR/Marketing firm with offices in New York and Connecticut. Stacey is also co-founder of College Prime, a company that provides social media and personal branding training to high school students to succeed with college admissions, internships, and beyond. She is a Huffington Post and Thrive Global blogger, TEDx speaker, and has been featured in Entrepreneur, Forbes, Crain’s, Sales & Marketing and other leading national media. She holds a B.S. from Syracuse University, MBA from Fordham University and recently completed a certificate program in Media, Technology and Entertainment at NYU Leonard Stern School of Business.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

After college, I worked at an ad agency in HR which closely aligned with my “then” career objectives and education. I became mesmerized with the ads adorning the office walls and would constantly ask the creatives and account execs for the “why” behind the concepts. I realized that this was my true calling — to bring words and images to life that tell a story. I moved on to take a position at CBS/FOX Video in the international marketing division and was lucky to have an amazing boss and mentor. Much of my day was spent gazing at spread sheets analyzing past performance and forecasting — which I found interesting but lonely. I’d somehow always find my way to the PR department to find out what exciting campaign they were working on — e.g. screening of a Mick Jagger video at a downtown hot spot. The PR department was eliminated and the woman who headed it up started her own agency, and upon chance meeting, she asked if I’d like to chat about a job opportunity. I was hired as a Senior Account Executive and CBS/FOX became my main client. PR was foreign to me and there were no You Tube videos or internet at the time. I just figured it out and quickly became the owner’s right-hand person. I saw the good, bad, and ugly of running an agency and this learning was priceless for starting my own agency. I started Co-Communications, a full-service PR/Marketing agency in 1997 in a spare bedroom of my house with no lofty goals — just to “do it better.” Our team of 15 incredibly talented individuals create high-impact communications program’s for diverse clients in real estate, education, healthcare, professional services, non-profit and hospitality.

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?

I was managing the press at a world premier video screening for the Boston Celtics at Boston Garden when I worked with CBS. When an attendee approached me, I assumed he was there to cover the event and directed him to the press “pit.” A sales rep from the company elbowed me and whispered Stacey, “That’s the Boston Celtics’ coach.” I turned 10 colors of red but the coach and I became quick friends. Lesson learned: Research the key players prior to covering events

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

Make Yourself Perfectly Clear™ is more than a tagline — it’s our credo. We’re steadfast in our belief that clarity leads to better results, and we use that thinking to power campaigns that help clients improve their marketing impact. As an award-winning marketing, PR and design firm with offices in Connecticut and New York, we help clients across a diverse range of industries strengthen their brands, ramp up their marketing and grow their share of voice. In partnership with our clients, we build brands, promote thought leaders, and leverage marketing to generate leads. All of this starts with clarity. And we “walk the talk” with our brand — — from our transparent business cards to our website which highlights our unique value proposition: clearly strategic, clear results, and clearly creative.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

Co-Communications recently started working with Vincent Aspromonti, Regional Franchise Director for Aerus, a US-based manufacturer of air purifiers. The company’s patented ActivePure® technology works 24/7 to rid circulating air and both hard and soft surfaces of most pathogens. ActivePure® works by circulating a dry form of hydrogen peroxide in the air so it is odorless, tasteless, all natural and completely safe. In university and laboratory tests, the ActivePure® system has been proven effective against both DNA and RNA viruses, such as H1N1 (swine flu), H5N8 (avian bird flu), and MS2 bacteriophage. This technology has been proven to destroy over 99.9% of RNA viruses.

In addition to following all of the CDC guidelines such as handwashing and disinfecting frequent touchpoints, this client’s offering is particularly timely as many homeowners and businesses — including restaurants, doctor’s offices, salons, nursing homes, and more — are looking for an added layer of continuous protection.

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?

Branding and advertising both fall under the marketing umbrella and work as a cohesive unit toward building the company’s image and driving revenues. Branding is the process that defines the identity or essence of the company and differentiates it from its competitors to carve out a unique market position. Branding goes much deeper than the company name, tagline, trademark or logo — and includes brand strategy, mission, core values, vision, identification of target audience(s), and key messaging. A brand is a promise of an experience and delivers a clear message, builds trust, and connects with customers on an emotional level. And establishing brand standards to ensure consistency through all touchpoints is the icing on the cake! Advertising is used to promote a brand’s products or services to a targeted audience through various channels to build awareness and ultimately influence and activate the consumer to make a purchase or do something. Ads are produced in many formats including print, digital, broadcast (commercial/ infomercial) and billboard. Advertising costs vary based on frequency, reach and specific channel — internet, television, newspapers, magazines, outdoor (e,g,, bus, sporting arena), and movie theatres, etc.

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?

Investing time, money and resources into building a brand is not a luxury — it’s a requirement to thrive in today’s competitive environment. Branding is an art and science and when done correctly, it builds trust and credibility. Consumers make purchase decisions based on an emotional connection with a brand. In order for someone to engage or buy something — they need to know, like and trust the brand. It follows that to gain trust, companies need to build a relationship with the customer and demonstrate the brand’s benefit or value.

Branding creates both customer and employee brand ambassadors. These advocates are priceless as they will share their love of your brand and positively influence their network (who already trusts them). This, in turn, introduces new people to your brand who can also plug your offerings. In the workplace, branding creates a strong culture and increases employee’s productivity — — with the added benefit of attracting and retaining talent. Brands need to make certain that their employees feel that they are an integral part of the company and fully understand the company’s mission and purpose. Branding is most effective when it is consistent and clear in delivering on the brand’s promise. You can’t just turn up the volume and walk away. You need to have a steady drumbeat with the right message to the right audience. It begins with trust and seamless customer experience. When done right, you can reap many benefits — rewarding partnerships, customer retention, new clients/business opportunities, and revenue growth.

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. Focus on building relationships over revenues. Consumer-centric brands which invest the time to understand their customer’s concerns and needs will profit in the long-term. This strategy is particularly important during the pandemic as shifts in consumer behavior are profound. Brands need to communicate with empathy, clarity and address changing needs in real time. They need to get inside their target audience’s mindset and ask “How can we help?” which will result in deeper customer engagement and connection post pandemic. At the end of the day, people often make decisions based on their trusted relationship with individuals, not a business entity. Nike is an example of a brand that puts a premium on customer experience which has been the driving force in growing its direct to consumer business. Nike prioritizes loyalty through their free NikePlus membership program (180 million members and growing) with enticing benefits (access to music, guided meditation, fitness classes, exclusive products, sporting events, etc.).
  2. Humanize your brand. It’s all about personality — showing your customers your authentic self, beliefs, passions and leaving corporate and robotic jargon on the sidelines. Humans don’t want to connect with a logo — they want to relate with other humans and experience that “personal touch.” Transparency (e.g. responding openly and timely to social media queries) also needs to be in the mix. By owning up to your mistakes, your customers will respect your honesty which enhances brand trust. Giving customers a glimpse of the people behind the business is a powerful way to humanize a brand. An example of a brand that exemplifies this is Zingerman’s, a family-run business based in Michigan which consists of eight businesses including a full-service restaurant, mail-order, bakehouse and more. The brand gives its employees a voice who in turn, want to work harder for customers. Their brand personality shows through at every touchpoint from the packaging to their social media posts to their service. I have personally ordered baked goods from Zingerman’s — and without fail — receive a hand-written thank you note with a specific mention of the purchased item — — “I hope you enjoyed the lemon poppy seed coffee cake.” It doesn’t get better than this!

3. Highlight social proof. What others say and think have a powerful influence on our purchase decisions. In fact, approximately 95% of customers read online reviews before making a purchase decision. The bottom-line is that positive online consumer reviews of a brand’s product/service activates sales. Social proof comes in various forms including testimonials, reviews, ratings, follower counts, influencer endorsements, subscribers, fans, etc. Brands leverage social proof on their website and social media channels to optimize “the love” and further influence customers. I can’t think of a better example of social proof than Amazon. Amazon provides product reviews and ratings (based on one to five stars). If you are researching a desired item and come across one that has 4.8 stars and 2,500 (mostly positive) reviews, it has an excellent chance of landing in your shopping cart!

4. Develop content that’s relevant (and platform-appropriate): Good is not enough — you need to create remarkable content to capture your audience. Whether you develop articles, blog posts or videos, the content needs to be shareable, engaging and actionable. Brands need to take the recipient’s mindset into account: “What’s in it for me?” Dove is a winning example of branded content done right. Dove’s campaigns challenge beauty stereotypes and feature women of all ages, shapes and sizes. Their content emphasizes that the real beauty of women is skin deep and revolves around projecting a positive body image and self-esteem. Their content is inspirational, empowering, and relatable to their main target — women. And their consumers are evangelists — frequently sharing their love for the brand.

5. Take action and “DO GOOD” “Doing good” needs to be in the DNA of every business now more than ever. Socially responsible companies are particularly important to Millennials and Gen Z purchasers who support companies that have a purpose that they admire. Brands that “do good” are perceived in a positive light and also attract and retain like-minded talent. The brand that first comes to mind is TOMS, a company that led the way in the social impact space with it’s one for one business model — — giving away a pair of shoes for every pair sold. And donating 100 million pairs of shoes since inception is only the beginning! TOMS giving model has recently evolved and expanded their giving portfolio to support organizations facing today’s most pressing issues.

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’m a huge fan of Southwest Airlines. Much of their brand success is due to their employee-first culture and CEO Gary Kelly, who has been instrumental in propelling Southwest’s growth. Gary believes that their people set the airline apart and in “hiring for attitude and training for skill” to perpetuate an already-strong culture. Employees are recruited/hired to match the company’s three core values: warrior spirit, servant’s hear and Fun-LUVing attitude. We can all agree that happy employees make for happy customers. And studies validate this — — employees with high job satisfaction are generally more productive, engaged, and loyal to their companies.

The CEO as a brand asset is more important than ever. Not too long ago, CEOs were sequestered in their ivory towers, far from the spotlight. But today, the CEO is the face of the company. They must be visible internally, externally, and virtually. When the individual at the helm has the right image and reputation, they impact everything from boosting the company brand to forging emotional connections with employees, investors, customers, and media.

And this is what Gary exemplifies. I had the opportunity to interview Gary a few years back. Gary sees part of his duty as rallying employees around an inclusive culture. Gary’s leadership style can best be described as collaborative — — he knows that he alone cannot be Southwest’s brand ambassador and believes in “The Power of We” and encouraging them to embrace the company’s mission: taking care of customers. This philosophy is built into everything from internal emails to advertising and social media. The encapsulation of the brand was succinctly shared by Gary: “When I describe service, I’m not talking about first class or frills and amenities. Our people serve our customers as if they were guests in their own home.” It doesn’t get better than this!

In advertising, one generally measures success by the number of sales. How does one measure the success of a brand building campaign? Is it similar, is it different?

Brand building campaigns require richer metrics than advertising. While both impact the bottom line, advertising does not move the needle without a brand building campaign. Branding is foundational work and needs to be in place before an advertising program is launched. Metrics used in branding campaigns include website traffic, social media followers/engagement, earned media, blog shares, search volume data, community reach, back links, video views, etc. Measuring brand awareness is both an art and science and can be complicated. It’s important to outline specific goals and benchmarks before launching a campaign in order to identifying key metrics. Based on the campaign results, brands can retrack the campaign to optimize for conversions and sales.

What role does social media play in your branding efforts?

Social media amplifies the brand’s voice and is an essential part of the marketing mix. It allows for a two-way dialogue for the brand and customer to interact directly — — creating real human connection. Having a strong social media presence allows a brand to develop loyal fans, business/influencer partnerships, generate leads, increase website traffic, gain customer insights, build thought leadership and more. Content should reinforce the brand and be relatable and relevant to the target audience.

What advice would you give to other marketers or business leaders to thrive and avoid burnout?

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. 🙂

#cando — — be a problem solver, not a problem spotter and continually challenge yourself

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Wayne Gretsky’s quote “Skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been” is my all-time favorite. The need to be one step ahead in business has never been more important. If you continually look in the rear view mirror, you’ll soon be obsolete. Marketing is an art and a science and requires us to anticipate trends and be nimble to change a campaign’s direction in real time. Our client’s appreciate and benefit from the constant flow of forward-thinking ideas and technology that we bring to the table. And the pandemic has certainly required flexibility and then some!

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. 🙂

Richard Branson. I saw him headline a session a few years ago at Forbes 30 under 30 conference in Boston and I could have listened to him for hours….maybe days! He is incredibly insightful, funny, inspirational and authentic.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Stacey Ross Cohen Socials:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/staceycohen4
https://facebook.com/StaceyRossCohen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceycohen2

Twitter: handle — @StaceyRossCohen
https://www.twitter.com/StaceyRossCohen

Instagram: handle — staceyrosscohen

https://www.instagram.com/staceyrosscohen/

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.


Stacey Ross Cohen: 5 Things You Need To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future of Retail Over The Next Five Years, With David Josephs of daVinci Payments

Try not to get too lost in what is directly in front of you. Keep in mind that we are in the most dynamic sector of the global economy. Every day there are hundreds of millions of moments of truth when a consumer is paying someone for goods or services. If we can do something to improve each of those moments, even in a small way, we can have a positive impact that adds up to an awful lot.

As part of our series about the future of retail, I had the pleasure of interviewing David Josephs.

David is a pioneer in the open loop prepaid space, having previously led prepaid business at J.P. Morgan Chase for close to 10 years. He also held leadership positions within Chase Card Services and First Data. For the last five years prior to joining daVinci, David was at Visa where he served as head of Debit and Prepaid in North America, led Product Delivery for Merchants and Acquirers in Europe and also led Visa’s emerging push payments business (Visa Direct) in Europe.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I started in the public sector as a legislative assistant to a Member of Congress and a U.S. Senator and migrated over to the business side of healthcare. That ultimately led me to treasury services at Bank One in Chicago. JPMorgan Chase bought Bank One, and it was there that I focused on different types of card payments and processing, which eventually led to my experiences at Visa.

I’ve worked in various cities in the US as well as overseas. Every job responsibility, client served, technology I’ve been exposed to, all that I’ve learned and the mistakes I’ve made have prepared me for my role at daVinci Payments.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

Right after Hurricane Katrina I was sent down to Texas to help support one of the sites where refugees from Louisiana were sheltering. We were tasked with distributing prepaid cards with disaster relief assistance that would enable people to get out of the convention center where the refugees were placed, enabling them to access temporary housing and food assistance. There were thousands of people there, regular folks whose lives were completely shattered by the storm and its aftermath. They had to flee their homes with no possessions, no money and just the clothes on their backs.

We noticed that a lot of the kids were playing with surgical gloves the staff had transformed into balloons. When we asked the FEMA staff why there were so many glove balloons floating around, they responded that they were the only toys the kids had. A few hours later one of my teammates appeared with hundreds of little stuffed animals, games, and coloring books. She had mobilized a team to drive all over Dallas, explaining the situation to retailers. The stores all donated the toys for the kids.

I have never forgotten what it was like when she brought in those toys. The children were delighted, it put huge smiles on their faces and helped reduce some of the burden of their pretty challenging circumstances.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or takeaway you learned from that?

I was working on a new kind of payment product that did not exist. We designed it quickly and were in the process of building it over the course of only a few months. Having started in January, we were targeting to launch in early July. It was in April, very late at night when the head of product operations looked up from what he was doing and bluntly said, “You know, we aren’t set up to bill for any of this,” and then he went right back to what he was doing without missing a beat. We were creating a payment product that would generate new revenue streams, but we were so focused on the product up to that point that we had not planned for how we would actually receive the service fees.

Aside from his hilarious dry delivery, it really brought home to me the importance of defining the big picture and how crucial it is for everyone involved to have a voice and share their opinions. By the way, we did figure out how to bill for the product before it was launched.

Are you working on any new exciting projects now? How do you think that might help people?

We’ve recently completed the “Future Of Payments” market research study that had a surprising finding:

When you ask people how they want to be paid, they are already thinking about how they want to spend.

This shift in behavior reveals that people want to receive payments that can be used through a variety of form factors like contactless, mobile wallets and pay apps. We are using those insights to create new ways to pay virtually that can be spent more easily and securely through this giant transition to online mobile-first payments.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Try not to get too lost in what is directly in front of you. Keep in mind that we are in the most dynamic sector of the global economy. Every day there are hundreds of millions of moments of truth when a consumer is paying someone for goods or services. If we can do something to improve each of those moments, even in a small way, we can have a positive impact that adds up to an awful lot.

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?

Honestly, there are too many to mention. At every step there have been people who have provided guidance, support, and sometimes just a good kick when I needed it.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

Broadly defined, financial technology empowers and betters the lives of virtually everyone — providing needed assistance in urgent crises, delivering wages faster, helping people buy and sell to make a living.

The industry I am fortunate enough to work in is constantly innovating — driving easier access to funds, making payments more secure, creating new form factors for sending and receiving payments. When you think about how many people use electronic payments every day, even small, incremental advancements in security, speed or reach can impact and improve hundreds of millions of lives.

Ok super. Now let’s jump to the main question of our interview. Can you share 5 examples of how retail companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers like to shop?

Five-year predictions are always somewhat risky, but here goes;

1) Virtual shopping will become more lifelike, fun and gamified — trying on clothes, test driving a car, buying items for an apartment or a house — consumers will “experience” much more without having to go to the store.

2) As a counterpoint to #1, in-person retail will become much more special. What once was a shopping trip will become more personal and customized for the time and setting. This will be particularly true on our main streets and key retail districts.

3) Like it or not, AI will make more decisions for you. It won’t just reorder the same products over and over, it will assist you in understanding your preferences, propensity to try, what you deem a good value and even order for optimal freshness, and usability.

4) Greater value will be delivered through even greater transparency that reports not just what other people think of a product or service, but how each product stacks up to your personal preferences for sourcing, community of origin and what differentiates it from other products.

5) Paying will be more effortless, contactless and secure. Card payments will remain fundamental, but the form factors are going to be very different. Enhanced biometric verification, voice, physical implants and even someday — way out in the future — maybe brainwave directed payments. Elon Musk, whom you’ve interviewed, has already invested to make many of these happen.

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 institute a thirty second rule for conversation and thought, inverse to the five second rule for food. Instead of “it’s okay to eat if it’s less than five seconds” we could establish “just think about what you heard for 30 seconds before responding or reacting. Put yourself in the speaker’s shoes for half a minute, then respond.” Across a wide enough population, those little half minute blocks could build the foundation for an entire tower of understanding.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Linkedin –

https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-josephs-046418a/ and

https://www.davincipayments.com/research-studies/

is where share our research.


The Future of Retail Over The Next Five Years, With David Josephs of daVinci Payments was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Wisdom From The Women Leading The Blockchain Revolution, With Chrissa McFarlane of Patientory

It is okay to not stick with your original plan just as long as you are growing and learning in the career field of choice. It will all fall into place.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Chrissa McFarlane Author, Future Women/MedTech Expert

Chrissa McFarlane is the CEO of Patientory, a global currency and population health management service that regulates and secures patient data. Named as one of the top women “leaving their mark on the medtech field” by Becker’s Hospital Review, Chrissa launched Patientory in December 2015 after seeing the need in the market for a more personalized and secure population health management solution. She’s an entrepreneur with a passion for creating cutting-edge healthcare products that transform the face of healthcare delivery in the US and abroad. She brings over 10 years in the healthcare industry conducting research and managing teams. She holds notable international published research in healthcare and has helped create breakthrough digital health companies that have provided services to companies such as Tumblr, Blue Apron, Casper and Meetup. McFarlane has brought her firsthand experiences to her debut book, Future Women: Minority Female Entrepreneurship and the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the Era of Blockchain and Cryptocurrency. At Cornell University, Chrissa worked with organizations such as the United States Department of Agriculture-Robert Holey Center for Agriculture and Health and Cayuga Medical Center. Named as a Finalist for the Medtech Insight Award for Entrepreneur of the Year 2018, under McFarlane’s leadership, Patientory Inc. has received accolades including Top 5 digital health solution in the world for empowering patients, alongside multi-million dollar revenue companies; and it is named a 2018 Globe Award Winner in International Trade by the U.S. State of Georgia.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you share with us the story of how you decided to pursue this career path? What lessons can others learn from your story?

I’ve been in the healthcare industry since starting out doing microbiology research in high school. Eventually, this led to me pursuing a pre-medical degree and deciding to explore business applications in healthcare. It is okay to not stick with your original plan just as long as you are growing and learning in the career field of choice. It will all fall into place.

Can you tell me about the most interesting projects you are working on now?

We recently finalized our blockchain enabled health information exchange with our partner. This now gives the PTOYMatrix, our blockchain network, the capability to aggregate data from 90% of the US population.

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 parents! They inspire me everyday. As immigrants, they’ve accomplished so much through hard work, which I emulate everyday.

What are the 5 things that most excite you about blockchain and crypto? Why?

1. Transparency and Immutability

2. Anti-corruption (ex: land titles)

3. Financial and social access (banking/medical records)

4. Accessibility for the masses: can used by anyone regardless of race or class

5. Increased earning potential: ownership to the individuals, which gives them ability to receive compensation for their data

What are the 5 things worry you about blockchain and crypto? Why?

1. Slow adoption: decreases credibility of companies in industry

2. Lack of user-friendly applications

3. Slow speed of policy/regulations

4. Bad actors in the space decrease credibility of companies

5. Variable cryptocurrency prices

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share a story?

By providing inspiration and the ability to open up my company’s doors to underserved students in the form of internships.

As you know there are not that many women in your industry. Can you share 3 things that you would you advise to other women in the blockchain space to thrive?

1. Build a support system (advisors/mentors)

2. Join a community

3. Leverage experiences of other women founders

Can you advise what is needed to engage more women into the blockchain industry?

Acceptance and awareness. Going into the blockchain industry as a CEO/Founder, I was oftentimes met with criticisms that often questioned my authority to be there.

What is your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that had relevance to your own life?

Here is a quote I mention from my recently published book Future Women: Minority Female Entrepreneurship & The Fourth Industrial Revolution in the Era of Blockchain & Cryptocurrency: “Little Girls with Dreams Become Women with Vision.” It has motivated me to take risks such as starting my own company in an industry majorly dominated by men.

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. 🙂

It would be one that I am pursuing now. Encouraging minority and underrepresented women to pursue positions of influence and leadership in business.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrissaTanelia

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissamcfarlane/


Wisdom From The Women Leading The Blockchain Revolution, With Chrissa McFarlane of Patientory was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Georgette Pascale: “5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team”

Lead by example and make sure that your employees have passion that you are nurturing. People need to get inspiration from wherever they can, and will bring that inspiration back into the work that they do.

As a part of our series about the five things you need to successfully manage a remote team, I had the pleasure of interviewing Georgette Pascale.

With two decades of experience in PR including corporate, healthcare, e-commerce, music, technology, travel and consumer, Georgette believed there was a better way to do business than the traditional brick and mortar agency model. In 2005 she launched Pascale, a virtual communications and digital marketing agency.

For 15 years, Pascale has worked in Health Care Professional and patient-facing PR and digital marketing, connecting and educating the global healthcare community through insightful conversations and fresh perspectives. With ever-present optimism and drive, Georgette directs her team to achieve unparalleled results for the wide range of Pascale’s healthcare clients spanning the globe.

Georgette holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing communications from the Fashion Institute of Technology. In January 2020, Georgette acted as the keynote speaker and moderator for the 2020 Reputation Strategy Summit. In 2018 and 2019, she was selected as a speaker at the Vanguard Forum for Healthcare Leadership. Georgette has been named one of PharmaVoice’s “100 of the Most Inspiring People”, one of Vision Monday’s “Most Inspiring Women” and OWL’s Catalyst of the Year, along with being the former President of OWL: Advancing Diversity in Leadership.

Georgette lives in Fairfield, Connecticut with her three children, dog and a myriad of other animals. She has combined her passion for people and love of boxing, holding a position on the Boxing is Love board, among other not-for-profits she’s involved in. She enjoys traveling, having a good laugh, and connecting people.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. What is your “backstory”?

I was interning at a PR firm years ago when I realized how much I enjoyed the communications industry. I’ve always been passionate about connecting others and facilitating conversations, so it all just clicked for me.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

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?

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive and avoid burnout?

Lead by example and make sure that your employees have passions that you are nurturing. People need to get inspiration from wherever they can, and will bring that inspiration back into the work that they do.

Ok, let’s jump to the core of our interview. Some companies have many years of experience with managing a remote team. Others have just started this, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you tell us how many years of experience you have managing remote teams?

I have 17 years of experience. I managed a remote team for two years before founding my own remote company Pascale, which I have now managed for 15 years.

Managing a team remotely can be very different than managing a team that is in front of you. Can you articulate for our readers what the five main challenges are regarding managing a remote team? Can you give a story or example for each?

The biggest thing is understanding this is scalable for every business. It can be more difficult for a bigger business to adjust to every person but in some way you have to make things individualistic and realistic to each of your team members. Everyone on my team has their own personality and their own preference on how they want to be communicated with. Virtual work definitely has a learning curve, and requires a test period because it isn’t for everyone.

Based on your experience, what can one do to address or redress each of those challenges?

You need to have a mission or goal that your team is aware of and working toward. You can hire like-minded people through an authentic interview process where you lay out your vision, your expectations, and what your company is all about.

In my experience, one of the trickiest parts of managing a remote team is giving honest feedback, in a way that doesn’t come across as too harsh. 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. Can you give a few suggestions about how to best give constructive criticism to a remote employee?

Giving feedback doesn’t differ greatly remotely versus in person. The key to good feedback is preparation. You should always have an agenda ready for the employee to view before. Plus, if you meet via Zoom or Skype, you can achieve the same clarity and directness you’d have face to face. Remember everyone works differently, deal with them specifically and listen to their feedback — this is crucial!

Can you specifically address how to give constructive feedback over email? How do you prevent the email from sounding too critical or harsh?

It is always important to acknowledge that you are understanding and digesting the other person’s point. Rather than discussing over email, you can let them know that you will be in touch. Just setting up a quick 15 minutes to discuss can be super productive. Keeping things succinct is key.

Can you share any suggestions for teams who are used to working together on location but are forced to work remotely due to the pandemic. Are there potential obstacles one should avoid with a team that is just getting used to working remotely?

Be honest with each other about what you expect and see what works best. Look at the situation as an advantage and opportunity rather than an obstacle. It isn’t one size fits all, so trial and error can be the best process. You have to see what works best for you individually, as there is an emotional quotient here considering everyone is so different.

What do you suggest can be done to create a healthy and empowering work culture with a team that is remote and not physically together?

Stay in touch as much as you can. We have a private Facebook group we call ‘The Pascale Piggyback’ where we share our most recent updates and I post our weekly ‘Scoop’ videos to check in with the team and acknowledge the accomplishments of that week. Acting like you are in an office can be super helpful and making the effort to see each other as much as possible can create connectedness. With this year as an exception due to the pandemic, Pascale meets every summer as a team for a fun meeting to hang out in person and grow the company’s goals.

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. 🙂

It sounds silly, but I would tell people to be kind. I tell my kids this everyday. It is such a simple thing that can solve so many problems. It really is what the revolution should be, along with educating yourself. By being kind and educated, people are able to gain a greater understanding.

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 from my dad is “Make everyday a masterpiece.” I try to live my life by this everyday, and look for positivity in every moment.

Thank you for these great insights!


Georgette Pascale: “5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Craig Gorsline of Avanade: 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team

Think about how to create common experiences, regardless of time or place, such as team activities that can be shared. Perhaps, a team challenge for fun. Celebrate news of wins and completion of team projects. Publicly praise team members when appropriate and make sure no one is forgotten.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Craig Gorsline of Avanade.

As Chief Growth Officer, Craig Gorsline is responsible for driving the Avanade strategy end -to- end across the business. As part of his portfolio, Craig leads strategy development and execution, global sales, industry programs and ecosystem development, innovation, and product incubation, as well as emerging technology and client experience. Integral to that work is his global leadership responsibility for Avanade Advisory and his work with Accenture and Microsoft to align Avanade’s focus on innovation and emerging technologies around the world.

Founded in 2000, Avanade is a joint venture between Accenture and Microsoft (majority-owned by Accenture). They are the leading provider of innovative digital and cloud services, business solutions and design-led experiences delivered through the power of people and the Microsoft ecosystem. They employ over 38,000 people across 25 countries.

Previously Craig was President, Co-CEO and Chief Commercial Officer of ThoughtWorks, a global technology firm with a digital engineering focus, where he was accountable for driving revenues of more than $500 million in technology and consulting services.

Craig holds a degree in criminology and psychology from Simon Fraser University and an MBA in digital technologies from Royal Roads University.

Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. What is your “backstory”?

I was born and raised in Victoria, Canada and started my tech career in Vancouver, as a software tester. My ambition was to become an attorney, but I responded to a want ad looking for a software tester, hoping to make some extra money, and ended up loving it, so made a detour into technology.

Over the next few years, I worked for a boutique technology consulting firm and eventually as a senior executive at JPMorgan Chase in the Treasury Services Technology Group. In 2005, I joined ThoughtWorks, a global technology firm with a digital engineering focus, and stayed there for 15 years, in sales leadership and then served as the company’s Chief Commercial Officer and co-CEO. ThoughtWorks was an invigorating place to be and I believed strongly in its culture.

When the company was sold to a private equity firm, I joined Avanade. I had followed Avanade over the years and knew that it too valued the highest quality of technology innovation and was committed to fostering diverse and inclusive teams. The two companies shared commitments to entrepreneurialism and courageous values, so it was a good fit for me.

It’s been quite a journey, from a degree in criminology and psychology to my current role as Chief Growth Officer at Avanade, but I love that every day is different and the work satiates my curiosity and desire to innovate, problem-solve, and change things for the better through technology.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

Travel has always been an integral part of my roles. Before the pandemic struck, I had spent most of my career on the road, averaging around 300,000 miles a year. In fact, this four-month stint has been the longest time I have been home in my career — and in my marriage. On one trip, from LAX to Sydney, Australia, I ended up boarding with the Rolling Stones. It was Mick Jagger, on the far right, Keith Richards, and me. Starting a 16-hour flight completely star-struck caught me off-guard, but that is what I love about travel. You never know what is around the corner or who you will meet.

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?

Early in my career, I was given the opportunity to lead the team preparing a business development proposal for a government agency. Not only did we prepare a comprehensive proposal, we made sure it looked great — fancy and glossy, eye-catching. We were proud of the response. Of course, the government has very strict protocols for proposals — and our proposal was disqualified because it wasn’t printed on both sides of each page. Who would have thought? I missed these fine print directions, which was a painful mistake but makes for a lighter story nowadays and a lesson learned!.

The lesson I learned that day was an important one: details matter. Even the best work can be tripped up if you don’t pay attention to the details.

What advice would you give other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive and avoid burnout?

Make sure you thoroughly understand and fully agree with your company’s vision and values. They will get you through good times, bad times and long days. Without that strong attachment to a company’s purpose, people can lose their way or engage in behaviors that don’t align with those values.

When our CEO Pam Maynard stepped into the CEO role, one of the first things she did was formalize

Avanade’s company purpose: to make a genuine human impact. It’s what inspires all of us to look beyond the technology to the actual human impact of the work we do. Like making it possible for doctors to provide treatment plans for four times more cancer patients than before. Or making it easier for veterans to access the services they need. That purpose is more important than ever now as we live through a global pandemic — people want to feel like they are making a difference; that what they do matters. And graduates and interns want to work for a company that cares about more than its bottom line, one that provides opportunities to leave this world better than it was before.

Part of that in the last few months has been making sure our employees around the world are equipped to work remotely. Avanade is one of the leading deployers of remote working technology for businesses globally. But we also practice what we preach. Remote working has been a part of our culture for many years before the Covid-19 pandemic. We also put a large focus on creating and demonstrating a culture that truly values a healthy work/life balance, even if right now we are mostly at home. We have enabled a culture where it is acceptable to turn off your phone and unplug from your technology to recharge without feeling guilty. Right now, even though we are not traveling as we might have in the past, we are encouraging our teams to take their vacation time, because we know how important it is to take time off so you can come back refreshed and invigorated.

Another example of the power of this philosophy is the company’s decision to give all employees the afternoon off on the day of George Floyd’s funeral. Our CEO encouraged everyone to take the time to read, reflect and educate ourselves about the day’s calls for social justice. Giving thousands of employees the afternoon off was a courageous act, and it reflects how we at Avanade work every day to live our values.

Ok, let’s jump to the core of our interview. Some companies have many years of experience with managing a remote team. Others have just started this, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you tell us how many years of experience you have managing remote teams?

I’ve managed remote teams for all of my 27-year career. From its roots as a software consulting company, Avanade was launched as a largely virtual company 20 years ago, so we have vast experience working remotely and managing remote teams. We have roughly 38,000 people working for us across 25 countries. Our teams are spread out across time zones, so we know the benefits of remote working and the collaboration it creates. As I said above, we are also a leading deployer of remote working technology. For years, we have been helping clients around the world implement remote working and adapt to the change and benefits in workplace culture it brings. Because we have the benefit of Microsoft technology, our teams are as used to speaking with colleagues on the other side of the world daily as they are talking with family members in their own homes. Effectively managing remote teams is an integral part of leadership at Avanade.

Managing a team remotely can be very different than managing a team that is in front of you. Can you articulate for our readers what the five main challenges are regarding managing a remote team? Can you give a story or example for each?

Provide access to collaboration technology: At the core of our ability to work effectively from wherever we are is access to the required technology, everything from platforms and applications to network performance. Regardless of your industry, companies seeking to empower remote employees have to provide a base level of tools and capabilities that allow their people to get their work done.

In March, many organizations were forced to accelerate their remote working technology very quickly. For example, in the United Kingdom, the National Health Service needed to rapidly provide its 1.2 million users across 16,000 separate NHS organizations access to Microsoft Teams to enhance their collaboration capabilities. Avanade, Accenture, and Microsoft worked collaboratively with the NHS to rapidly implement Teams in a matter of days, allowing clinicians across the country to better share information.

Update protocols for conducting routine business and team-building: With our years of experience, we have become very good at conducting business via conference calls. That includes everything from high-level company strategy sessions, when there may be 100 or more people around the world collaborating to build that strategy together, to companywide update webinars, when thousands may join live and ask questions.

Since the pandemic, we have paid particular attention to developing ways to keep our people engaged and connected. We don’t want anyone to feel like they are on their own or without help if they need it. And people across Avanade have been inventive about staying connected, as well, everything from virtual happy hours to karaoke sessions.

One particularly inventive program is Avanade Radio, which operates 18 hours a day every Friday on Microsoft Teams. It’s a way for colleagues all around the world to connect on different topics. There have been sessions on business topics, such as our go-to-market strategy and the latest protocols for working remotely with our clients, to keep delivery standards high, to book reviews and wellness topics.

For companies whose employees may not be as familiar with working remotely, some ideas that might be helpful:

  • Create a support network and assign remote working champions to help colleagues understand how best to work from home within the context of their role.
  • Use video as much as you can — seeing people can make a big difference.
  • Use online meetings to also do fun events, such as virtual networking in the evening or at lunchtime.

Adapt leadership skills to suit the environment: During the pandemic, we have made it clear to our managers and career advisers that our people come first. Checking in with each employee to be sure they have the support they need is the most important thing we can do, both for our employees and our clients. This is the time to focus more on outcomes than on the hours worked. Pay attention to how engaged team members are; increase your level of empathy and trust. At Avanade, we believe that if we deliver for our employees, they will deliver for our clients — and that has been true. We have continued to deliver high-quality projects for our clients around the world.

Be prepared to manage the increased number of cyber-attacks that may surface: A greater number of remote workers also means a larger number of targets. We’ve seen this first-hand with phishing attempts. Drive awareness and take precautions and increase internal awareness campaigns. It’s important to make it easy for staff to report and resolve security issues. Our asset protection group has a centralized system so employees can quickly and easily report any concerns, questions, or issues.

A top security concern is a successful phishing attack, so we have focused our education programs on anti-phishing awareness. Our IT security team randomly sends out messages designed to look like phishing attempts. It’s become a game with employees. If they correctly report one of the tests to the phishing system, they are congratulated. If they miss a certain number, they’ll be steered to anti-phishing training.

Maintain or increase productivity: This may be the time to look at re-engineering the way your organization delivers products/ services remotely. For example, we helped develop a way for doctors to consult with cancer specialists remotely, a change that allowed the specialists to help four times the number of patients. We’ve helped engineering firms implement virtual reality systems that have made it possible for repair specialists to perform an equipment repair at a distance.

At Avanade, we’ve used workplace analytics to look at the impact of the pandemic on the business and help individuals adapt to working from home every day and continue to be productive, even while dealing with more stress outside of work. We want to encourage good management skills, so we keep an eye on how often career advisers are checking in on those they advise. We are looking for positive outcomes, so we keep an eye on the number of hours an employee is working, in case we need to encourage them to take a break and avoid fatigue.

To improve productivity, consider subsidizing higher bandwidth and quality of service solutions. Most network issues start at home, so provide guidance to employees on the best Wi-Fi home network solutions and technical advice on how to structure the most efficient home network.

In my experience, one of the trickiest parts of managing a remote team is giving honest feedback, in a way that doesn’t come across as too harsh. 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. Can you give a few suggestions about how to best give constructive criticism to a remote employee?

At Avanade, this is also something we are very familiar with. My advice:

  • From the onset, work to create a relationship built on trust. Establish an environment that is conducive to respectful conversations.
  • Stay true to your company’s values. At Avanade, our goal is to be sure our employees feel inspired, confident, and cared for. That sets the tone for our performance and management discussions, no matter how delicate.
  • Coming from a place of respect, base your feedback on evidence. Video is ideal for these types of conversation so that you can see the other person, but when it’s not possible, be sure you are actively listening, as well as talking.
  • If there are performance challenges, agree on a way forward that will work for both of you. Together determine next steps.
  • Continue communicating as you work through the challenges.

Can you specifically address how to give constructive feedback over email? How do you prevent the email from sounding too critical or harsh?

To be honest, my advice is to avoid using email to provide feedback. Not all channels are created equal. Over email you can’t adjust the tone of what you want to convey, based on the other person’s reaction, if need be. It’s tempting to include others and the impulse to “reply all” can be a strong one, so before you know it, you could end up in a conversation that is far from the one you hoped for.

With the tools and technology, we have available today, a real-time conversation is so much better and easier. Most collaborative tools have a chat function. You can ping your colleague and ask for a call or chat on the fly and at the click of a mouse. It is more personal, saves your inbox, shortens your to-do list, and allows you to get more done in a shorter amount of time. Similarly, I would say that lengthy debates shouldn’t happen over IM, no matter how convenient. Pick up the phone or set up a Teams call. And, of course, it goes without saying that delivering any performance feedback must be done in real time and one-to-one.

Can you share any suggestions for teams who are used to working together on location but are forced to work remotely due to the pandemic? Are there potential obstacles one should avoid with a team that is just getting used to working remotely?

If a team is used to working together already, they have a baseline, which is a huge advantage. Having common experiences and in-person interactions as a foundation is a plus right off the bat. As you adjust to working remotely, don’t lose the personal chit chat completely- find ways to connect via IM as a team or start calls with personal check-in questions like “how was your weekend?” or “how are you feeling today?” It’s important for the team leads to set expectations on availability and hours for the team so that they can set boundaries working in this new way and so the team can continue to trust each other’s work commitments.

What do you suggest can be done to create a healthy and empowering work culture with a team that is remote and not physically together?

Think about how to create common experiences, regardless of time or place, such as team activities that can be shared. Perhaps, a team challenge for fun. Celebrate news of wins and completion of team projects. Publicly praise team members when appropriate and make sure no one is forgotten.

There is a mental health aspect to all of this. Staying mostly at home is hard work. Plus, many of us don’t have the support that we usually have — schools, daycare, elder care — which means that we’re trying to juggle work and home life simultaneously. At Avanade right now, teams in some countries are able to be out and about more than others. Be aware and respectful of the challenges each team member is dealing with. That’s why our approach is, “we’ve got your back.” Sometimes the most supportive thing we can do is encourage a team member or the entire group to take a day off to recharge.

One thing we do liberally is celebrate the ways we are helping frontline workers and our communities in this time of crisis, whether it is the pandemic or community social justice stress. At Avanade, every employee has eight hours of paid time a year to volunteer for a cause that is important to them. Through the end of this year, we have uncapped those hours so that folks on the bench or others who can spare some time are able to support projects that help others and their communities right now.

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?

I would look for ways to democratize content, everything from literature, art and history to music and research findings. Access to learning, to higher education would open the world for tens of millions of people.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

As a true Canadian, it would be remiss of me not to have some reference to hockey in here, so I’ll quote the great Wayne Gretzky: “You miss 100% of the shots you never take. Step up and lean in, go for it. Get off the sideline and into the fray.”


Craig Gorsline of Avanade: 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

F.A.T.E, From Addict to Entrepreneur, With MJ Gottlieb of Loosid

F.A.T.E From Addict to Entrepreneur, With MJ Gottlieb of Loosid

Addiction is a disease. Just like diabetes or cancer. You can’t wish it away. You need to get treated in order to get better. It’s not your fault that you are addicted. You are genetically predisposed to a condition that only a spiritual program of rigorous honesty and action can resolve.

You are not alone. You will soon find out that by asking for help, people who were previously afraid to ask for help will have the courage to follow your lead. You will save your life and save countless others without even knowing

I had the pleasure of interviewing MJ Gottlieb the Co-Founder & CEO of Loosid, a groundbreaking new app that makes it easy to find new friends, dating, fun sober events and destinations, and groups in your community that promote sober living. MJ has been sober since March 2012, but began his first attempt at sobriety in the late 1990’s. He invariably found his way back into addiction for one main reason… to him, sobriety simply wasn’t fun.

In 2017, MJ began developing the Loosid app to offer millions of people in the sober community access to fun experiences and a place to connect and find support. He also wanted to create a full suite of recovery tools for people to connect and get help at a moment’s notice. He knew the stigma so many have reaching out to people and knew that the best way to provide that connection was through the one thing that people are never without — their phones!

In addition to starting Loosid, MJ also owned and operated six businesses over the last 23 years. Clients have included: Fubu, Phat Farm, Samsung America and lists of others in the sports, clothing, media and entertainment industries. He is also the author of How to Ruin a Business Without Really Trying, a book written for the aspiring entrepreneurs of our next generation on the most important things NOT to do when starting and running a business for the first time. The foreword to the book was written by Shark Tank’s, Daymond John.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you describe your childhood for us?

I grew up in downtown Manhattan. I had two wonderful caring and loving parents. One thing that stood out was they were very overprotective and wanted to insulate me from any harm. I was told the world was a dangerous place.

While I now realize this is only because they deeply loved me and wanted to protect me, it put me in tremendous fear of everything. I couldn’t open my mouth. I was too afraid… until one night, around 14 years old, I found alcohol and suddenly everything was OK. From that point forward, I could speak to anybody, so long as I had alcohol in my system.

Can you share with us how were you initially introduced to your addiction? What drew you to the addiction you had?

I was invited to a house party in Soho. I remember finishing that first drink and instantly wanting another, then another. I was instantly transformed. I was better looking, I was the life of the party, I was wittier, I was smarter, everyone wanted to be around me… or so I thought. I was no longer in fear, I felt no danger. I had found the solution.

What do you think you were really masking or running from in the first place?

I was running away from fear and from the mental scars of being bullied and picked on. All the negative experiences of fears and resentments were weighing me down so heavily that I had to use substances to escape the pain building inside of me.

Can you share what the lowest point in your addiction and life was?

I was babysitting my sister’s 4 children, one who was in a crib, one was barely 2 years old, one 5 and one 7. I drank a bottle of Mount Gay Rum and passed out. When I came to, my sister and her family left their own home and went upstate to get as far away from me as possible. Luckily, none of the children were harmed, however, the event itself was enough to push me in the right direction.

Can you tell us the story about how were you able to overcome your addiction?

I was fortunate enough to have lost everything. There was not a person left in the world I could turn to as I had destroyed every relationship. I had lost my business, lost my friends and had run out of people to borrow money from to feed my addiction. I knew I had two previous legal charges so I was not going to break the law to feed my habit.

I crawled back into the recovery rooms I hadn’t been to in 5 years and said the three words no addict wants to say, “I need help.” It’s no coincidence that the 3 words no one wants to say is the same three words that will save their life. That, however, requires you to let go of your ego. I was completely broken so there was no ego left, just an empty shell. Recovery is like a glass of water. If you come in with dirty water filled to the rim there is no room for clean water to come in. The only thing to do is empty your cup voluntarily or involuntarily. I had involuntarily emptied my cup.

How did you reconcile within yourself and to others the pain that addiction caused to you and them?

In order to reconcile anything within myself or others, I needed to learn about the disease. I learned that addiction is a genetic bullet and was not my fault. I was not a bad person trying to be good but a sick person who needed the guidance of how to get well. It is a disease just like any other. The beauty of the disease is that unlike others, you can put it in remission on a daily basis by working the program.

This allowed me to forgive myself. It was then time to mend fences and clean my side of the street. I made amends to my sister, to my parents and all the people I had harmed. I told them I am sorry for what I did and to please let me know what I could do to make things right. It is important to never make excuses for why I did what I did. That is something I was taught that has been very important in my recovery.

When you stopped your addiction, what did you do to fill in all the newfound time you had?

I threw everything I had into recovery. I had lost everything so I had nothing else to do which was a blessing. Mind you, it was very humbling to live the life of George Costanza at 41 living back home in the same room I grew up. I took meetings in detoxes and jails and tried to carry the message of recovery everywhere.

Additionally, my father had a stroke shortly into my recovery and I was able to be of service not only to him, but to my entire family. The same person who used to tell me I was going to put my mother in the grave now would say ‘what would I ever do without you.’ This is one of the greatest gifts of recovery.

What positive habits have you incorporated into your life post addiction to keep you on the right path?

A person I met in recovery early on who was very dear to me and is responsible for saving my life used to tell me if you get the gift of sobriety and don’t give it back, you are a shoplifter. This is how I live my life. I shouldn’t be alive. I have an obligation to give back what was freely given to me. Service keeps you sober.

Can you tell us a story about how your entrepreneurial journey started?

The mother of someone I was helping was looking to open up rehab centers as her family has been ravaged by addiction. We became very close, like brother and sister. I started helping to advise her on these acquisitions.

One day, I was telling her we simply could not open up enough treatment centers in the world to help even 1/100th of 1 percent of those suffering from addiction. Even if we were to open 1,000 treatment centers we could maybe help a few hundred thousand people per year. I said to myself, the math simply didn’t add up. There are over 300 million people worldwide suffering from alcohol abuse alone. If you add those struggling with other substances, the numbers are beyond staggering. I told her if you want to help all those people, the only way is to leverage the power of digital and bring them all into one place. We also wanted to help the entire sober community as well, which in the US is 23+ million people.

We also wanted to create a platform that welcomed anyone who was sober for any reason or anyone interested in being sober.

In order to attract people to become sober, I knew it was critical to show people how much fun it can be when choosing to live a sober life. This is why we created such a comprehensive platform that incorporates sober dating, travel, events, and groups with all the different ways to engage and interact and, most importantly, have fun.

We also needed to offer immediate help for those struggling. For this reason, we built a suite of recovery tools for anyone in need of community support as well as over 14,000 treatment centers and Tele Help Guides offering professional help, that a member can query based on their location.

What character traits have you transferred from your addiction to your entrepreneurship. Please share both the positive and negative.

The biggest I can think of is I do absolutely nothing in moderation and I am never satisfied with myself and I never will be. That’s probably my greatest flaw and strength. That being said, it allows me to move the goal post further than others. If you look at the creation of Loosid, the truth is, I had no interest in saving 1–200,000 people, I wanted to save the world.

I chase helping others with their challenges the same way I chased drugs and alcohol. There is no stop button on me. No off switch. The only time I will ever be satisfied is if there is not a single human being left on Earth suffering from addiction. There also must not be a single homeless person, no racism, sexism or social injustice. I think I have a long journey of dissatisfaction ahead of me.

Why do you think this topic is not discussed enough?

There’s a saying, those amongst us no explanation is necessary, those not amongst us no explanation is possible. People see numbers but they don’t feel the numbers. It is necessary to tug on the heartstrings of the public. In order to do that and get a true understanding of what is going on, speak to an addict like me.

Speak to my partners Zhanna and Kirill, who can tell you how their entire family has been ripped apart by this disease. This is actually the main mission of Loosid. To grow the largest platform in the world for the sobriety and addiction community. To grow so large that people can’t turn their heads and our voices must be heard. We can then create change. Change laws. Change clinical models. Track success metrics and throw out all the models that aren’t working. There is so much we can do. I challenge people to get on the front lines with me because we need all the help we can get.

Can you share three pieces of advice that you would give to the entrepreneur who is struggling with some sort of addiction but ashamed to speak about it or get help?

Addiction is a disease. Just like diabetes or cancer. You can’t wish it away. You need to get treated in order to get better. It’s not your fault that you are addicted. You are genetically predisposed to a condition that only a spiritual program of rigorous honesty and action can resolve.

You are not alone. You will soon find out that by asking for help, people who were previously afraid to ask for help will have the courage to follow your lead. You will save your life and save countless others without even knowing

How can our readers follow you on social media?@MJGottlieb
@loosidapp


F.A.T.E, From Addict to Entrepreneur, With MJ Gottlieb of Loosid was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Kimberly Rice: Five Ways To Develop More ‘Grit’

Accept that you are perfect, just are you are, today. We are all unique beings, no two the same. As a young girl, I struggled with curly, unruly hair. There were no products for “my kind” of hair. I’ve had more hairstyles than 10 people combined, as I attempted to control the curl and frizz. Fast forward several decades — — today, I am the envy of women and many men for the beautiful locks of luscious, auburn hair that I have…same hair that found the right products. We ALL have that uniqueness inside of us.

As a part of my series about “Grit: The Most Overlooked Ingredient of Success” I had the pleasure of interviewing Kimberly Rice.

Kimberly Rice has been a changemaker her entire life and personifies grit, in innumerable ways. Daring and adventurous, she was that girl who would prove a teacher and boss wrong when they said something could not be done. Before it was chic, Kimberly’s motto was and is: “I can. I will. Watch me”. This is her mentality in all aspects of her life.

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.

Story telling is where it all began. I have traveled the world and experienced so many fabulous adventures that I love to share through storytelling. That’s the personal genesis. I leveraged this to drive my love of public speaking, which instigated my corporate communications then business strategy career. I learned to use my voice, tone and non-verbal cues to draw applause at delivering the morning announcements to my 12th grade English class. Throughout college and post-graduate jobs, I honed these skills that lead me to legal marketing in Philadelphia (where I served as Chief Marketing Officer for three law firms for nearly 20 years).

In almost every instance, I served as a corporate spokesperson for large and mid-size law firms, before starting my first business KLA Marketing Associates. Now, I speak up and stand out for our clients as well as for women professionals who often haven’t found their voice.

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?

Hmm, let’s see. Through numerous severe vehicle accidents, medical procedures and other precarious situations, I came close to dying three times. Surviving, spending months recovering and learning to live again certainly provided opportunities to build and strengthen my resilience and grit.

Given various familial circumstances, I have been self supporting since I was 19 years old. I alone was responsible for making my life work, beginning in my sophomore year of college until present day. I lost my dad when I was 19 and my mother moved 2,000 miles away from where I grew up. The phrase “If it is to be, then it is up to me”. I learned how to be a survivor, resourceful, self-reliant and resilient in those years.

Separately, when I was 27 years old, I moved 500 miles away from the life I’d always known to make a new life for myself….I had no job, no connections, no computer, no internet, no iphone. Every single day for months, I searched for a job, networked my eyeballs out and created a new life for myself. That further strengthened my resilience and grit. To say I have experienced “no” more than most would be a vast understatement.

Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?

Having a “drive” begins with a deep belief in oneself, which I have (I grew up with an iron-strong mother as a role model). Then, the “drive” is strengthened through faith in something or someone greater than oneself. I was raised in the Southern Baptist Church, attended church and Bible study multiple times a week for many years.

I know that the Universe has a purpose and a plan for my life, talents, gifts and abilities. These experiences lead to an all knowing that I am here on this planet for a purpose, which is to uplift, empower and equip women professionals to develop the career of their dreams by charting their own course. That is my passion aligned with my purpose.

The deep sense of knowing took decades to cultivate and strengthen.

So how did Grit lead to your eventual success? How did Grit turn things around?

Based upon the experiences and practices above, I came to know how extraordinary I and my gifts and talents are, all here to serve a purpose. The phrase “Yet, I persist” describes my drive, my tenacity, my never-ending persistence, in service to others.

Based on your experience, can you share 5 pieces of advice about how one can develop Grit? (Please share a story or example for each)

1. Accept that you are perfect, just are you are, today. We are all unique beings, no two the same. As a young girl, I struggled with curly, unruly hair. There were no products for “my kind” of hair. I’ve had more hairstyles than 10 people combined, as I attempted to control the curl and frizz.

Fast forward several decades — — today, I am the envy of women and many men for the beautiful locks of luscious, auburn hair that I have…same hair that found the right products. We ALL have that uniqueness inside of us.

2. Stare down the Comparison Gremlin. When you lack confidence in yourself and abilities, you look externally, to your left and right, for approval and validation. With my curly hair and weight issues, I did not see anyone like me. I literally had to grow up to grow out of the need to conform.

As the saying goes about shattering the glass ceiling. I don’t try to shatter the ceiling, I build my own ceiling. According to Dr. Seuss “Why should we fit in when we are designed to stand out”? That’s my motto. I am very different then most, and I have learned to embrace these differences, knowing that they make me uniquely me.

3. Stand confident in your own worth. I’ve worked in a male-dominated industries for my entire career. I’ve struggled to have my ideas and voice be heard and considered. I’ve been at the receiving end of male condescension and marginalization, just because I’m a strong woman. My life changed when I dug deep to build my confidence (underscoring my self worth) and set boundaries of what is acceptable behavior from others. I’ve learned that we teach others how to treat us based upon what we are and are not willing to tolerate. I no longer suffer fools. I respect and value myself too much.

4. Be kind and loving to yourself, every day. To borrow the phrase, “No one promised you a rose garden”, meaning, the path to success, fulfilment and wealth may not be a bed of roses — not always the easiest path. That’s where all of my pieces of advice are relevant and timely. We must continue to move forward, do the work and surrender the outcome, knowing that it WILL come.

Over the years, I have developed uplifting and soothing self-care practices — — thrice daily meditation, stretching, regular massages and skin treatments and time away from the office to feed my soul, exercise my body and challenge my mind. Success does not come at the expense of one of these, though there will be different combinations, on any given day.

5. Never, ever quit. Over the years, I’ve witnessed highly capable and accomplished individuals (mostly women) give up on their dreams because they were unwilling to do the work required, remain consistent and persistent in pursuit of their goals/dreams despite not seeing immediate results. My motto: “I am positively expecting, ready to receive and manifest into my life great results, regardless of what I may see in front of me today. I know that the Universe is re-arranging itself right now for my greater good”.

6. Be Grateful in ALL things. I deeply believe that all things happen for a reason (though I may not understand it, at the time) that there are NO accidents and everything that does happens has a divine purpose, for the greater good.

As I have developed my attitude of gratitude, more goodness flows my way. I keep a Gratitude Journal, write down three things I’m grateful for every day, with a deep knowing that gratitude is the highest vibration in the Universal Laws.

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?

Though I have always been self-driven and motivated, I have received encouragement along the way.

  1. My mother set a high bar for me to achieve. She required that I always do my best, even when I didn’t feel like it.
  2. Kathleen Cashman — my business coach — has always believed in me with whatever vision I have had for my life and business. She has lent her relevant business experience to guide me along my journey.
  3. My husband — Tim Rice who believes and cheers me on, no matter what.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

1. I have shone a light on female rising stars through my various volunteer work with the Girl Scouts, Center for Family Services, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and other non-profits which focus on uplifting and empower girls and young women

2. I have coached thousands of women professionals across the globe to recognize their true value, to re-claim their confidence and to dream big. Everything is possible if you can dream it.

3. I facilitate a global virtual women business owner Mastermind program to educate and equip women to build and grow prosperous businesses while re-claiming their lives.

4. I host two podcasts (available on over a dozen podcast platforms) on which I showcase individuals whom are making positive change in their lives and in the lives of others. (CHANGEMAKERS and Secret Sauce Marketing Tastings).

5. I have published over 400 articles, blogs, vlogs, books, e-books and video series on The Confident Woman, The Rainmaker Roadmap and How Women Can Create the Career of their Dreams by Charting their Own Course. I speak frequently before business and women professional groups across the globe to spread the message of hope, to embrace our magnificence and unique brilliance.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

Yes, we always have projects in development.

Given the current virtual environment, my team and I are transitioning our CHANGEMAKERS business accelerator program to online. Much of the components were already designed to leverage the “freedom of time and location” and we are up leveling it to create world class experiences for our members.

Specifically, we are leveraging the conscious engagement approach to create a high touch experience in our high tech world to further advance our members’ desires and visions to create the careers of their dreams by charting their own course. We teach and empower women across the globel to embrace their magnificence and step outside their comfort zone, since that is where the magic happens.

What advice would you give to other executives or founders to help their employees to thrive?

1. Create an environment of collaboration among your team.

2. Empower everyone to work in their zone of genius realm.

3. Develop processes/systems to build a process-driven business

4. Delegate as much as possible so that you, as the leader of the firm, can function in your unique brilliance as much as possible.

5. Avoid taking yourself and your business too seriously. This is, after all, the classroom of life. Have fun with it…learn, embrace the divine re-direction and trust that everything will work out for the greatest good.

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. 🙂

In light of the fact that the number of women on the planet is nearly 50%, we should assert our powerful voices in every aspect of our lives — — personally, professionally, in our families, communities, governments, and across the globe.

As former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton famously said, “Women’s rights are human rights and human rights are women’s rights”. Until women stand confidently in their worth, embrace their power and space in the world, they will truly never achieve their dreams. It is my and CHANGEMAKERS’ mission to advance this cause, beginning with young female children to senior women. We deserve to be heard, recognized and valued, if not for ourselves for the generations that will stand on our shoulders.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

1. You teach people how to treat you — — too many times, particularly when I was younger, I allowed others to disrespect and mistreat me, which adversely impacted my self esteem and self worthy. As I grew and learned better, I have made different choices. I no longer allow myself to be disrespected nor mistreated.

2. Hope is not a strategy — I know that I, alone, am responsible for my life, its choices, its destiny. It is by taking small steps every day that I advance my dreams and vision.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Kimberly Rice LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyalfordrice/

CHANGEMAKERS — https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearechangemakers

KLA Marketing Associates — https://www.linkedin.com/company/kla-marketing-associates

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.


Kimberly Rice: Five Ways To Develop More ‘Grit’ was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Futurist Tom Cheesewright: The Future of Retail Over The Next Five Years

Mixed reality opens up the potential for a huge amount more data capture, about our environment, our experiences, and our emotional responses. I don’t think we will want to share this data directly with retailers, but we might share it with our own digital personal assistant. Once this AI knows enough about us, it can take decisions about purchases on our behalf, whether that’s changing our breakfast cereal for one that is cheaper or more appropriate to our tastes or nutritional needs, or buying us a new pair of jeans because it sees the old ones are wearing out.

As part of our series about the future of retail, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tom Cheesewright.

Tom Cheesewright is an Applied Futurist, working with people and organizations around the world to see the future first and build solutions to the trends and pressures they identify. His clients range from government departments and charities to global 500 corporations. Tom’s first book, High Frequency Change, explained our shared sense that the world moves faster, and offered tips for dealing with the waves of change we all face. His second book, Future-proof Your Business, is out now. Visit https://tomcheesewright.com/

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

You could argue it at started when I was three years old at a book fair, when my mum agreed to buy me the Usborne Book of the Future, a guide to life in the year 2000 and beyond. This was at the start of the 1980s so this seemed like the distant future then. The book was amazing, packed with pictures and predictions. It still lives on my desk now as a source of inspiration.

After graduating I spent five years working in marketing for technology companies before striking out on my own, initially as a consultant and then founding an agency, followed by a software start-up (and a number of other little ventures along the way).

In 2012, I left my last business and decided to turn my blog about the future, that I’d been writing since 2006, into a business. I launched a website to announce what I was doing and to my great surprise and delight, in the first six weeks I had calls from LG, Nikon, Sony Pictures and others saying that they needed the services of an applied futurist. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing from there, but it was immediately clear that this was something I could do, that I loved, that also allowed me to spend lots of time with my family.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

So many to choose from! I do quite a lot of media work, talking about technology and tomorrow on TV and radio. You meet some very interesting characters in the green room. I have found myself explaining climate change to a pop star, doing tech support for a boy band, and listening to a lecherous old actor being told he was too drunk for television — at six o’clock in the morning.

Perhaps a slightly more work related one is around the reaction to a recent project I undertook around the future of food. I was commissioned by a science and engineering fair for kids to come up with the future pizza as part of a marketing campaign. The brief was to connect some of the key science and technology challenges facing us in the future to something that kids are passionate about.

So, we swapped out the tomatoes for ones grown in an inner-city hydroponic farm, the cheese for one made from almond protein, and most controversially, some of the wheat for ground up insects. This got a lot of good attention, making it into national newspapers around the world and attracting a film crew from Germany’s biggest science show over to Manchester to film with me.

But it also caused an absolute furore amongst pizza fans. I got abusive messages on Instagram from upset Italians, and even had a right-wing columnist in the US call me a ‘professional toddler’.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or takeaway you learned from that?

Know your audience! I travelled to Latvia to do a talk to one of the country’s arts organisations. It was in the middle of nowhere, about two hours drive from Riga. I had misunderstood their website, thinking that it was mostly film and television professionals, so had prepared a talk about the future media landscape.

When I arrived a couple of hours before my talk, I did what I usually do and started networking to get a sense of who was in the crowd and what the big topics of the day were. I very quickly realised two things. First, almost no-one spoke English. Turns out they had booked two local students to do live translation for me. Second, none of them worked in film and television. It was all theater people.

I disappeared into a back room to hastily re-write my talk, and had to brief the translators on the changes as I went.

It went OK in the end, but the live translators weren’t set up in a booth with their audio being broadcast to headsets as I spoke. That’s what I had come to expect from previous events with live translation. Instead I had to pause after every statement for them to repeat it. This meant my talk took twice as long as I planned so I very quickly started self-editing to make it shorter. And it also meant that any jokes either fell flat or got two responses a few seconds apart, as the first group laughed at the original English and the second group laughed at the translation — or more often, didn’t.

Lesson learned: interrogate the organizer and get to know the audience you’re speaking to, and the set-up on the day!

Are you working on any new exciting projects now? How do you think that might help people?

I’m just about to start a project on the future of healthcare. It’s a space I have done some work in before but not for a couple of years. It’s a really good excuse to take a deep dive into the challenges we face today and the challenges coming tomorrow, with our changing demographics, economy, tastes and culture. I’m really hopeful this project can be valuable in informing health policy and investment at a local level by hospitals and care trusts.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Although it seems everyone on LinkedIn has ‘futurist’ in their job title these days, I have relatively few real peers for whom it is their full-time occupation. And most of them seem to be a decade or so older than me, so perhaps I should be taking advice from them!

But seriously, I did take some time out recently because of a particular type of burnout. This is a job where you are very exposed. You are constantly putting your ideas and opinions out there for criticism. And you are doing so on stage (pre-lockdown), on camera, on microphone, in print, and on social media. With my new book coming out early, in April, plus the huge interest in the future impact of the pandemic and the lock down, I felt like I didn’t leave the ‘stage’ for about three months. This permanent performance is exhausting and in the end, I just had to take a week off everything — no social media, no Zoom calls, no radio interviews. Just a good book and lots of time with my family.

My advice would be to take time out to look at yourself. Ensure you give yourself space for self-awareness about how performing constantly is affecting you. And if it’s starting to feel like too much, step back.

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?

Monika, my wife, has been incredibly supportive of my flights of fancy over the last fifteen years since we moved in together. We set up home together in a new city with just a few friends and me starting my own business for the first time. Since then I’ve experimented with lots of different businesses: founding a home technology support franchise called Eggheads, an iTunes/MySpace alternative called NetRecords, a digital marketing agency, a software company, and now this. Each time I’ve taken a leap of faith that might have seen us struggling financially and she has offered nothing but support — even when some of these projects became all consuming.

I am also incredibly grateful to a few long-standing clients who I have credited in the new book. They recognized where I could add value really early, and have kept feeding me with work ever since I started. Without them there would have been some very tough times indeed.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

There is a frequent misconception about my role. People think I’m here to campaign for a particular vision of the future, when actually my job is to help people see what might happen without intervention. For that reason, any good that might come of my professional work is very much a consequence of the projects I am asked to work on. Some of those I think absolutely have had some wider benefit, like helping local government to future-proof with greater foresight and resilience, for example. Others, like advising on the future of the superyacht, it’s hard to argue have any wider benefit.

But there are ways to use my reach and connections for good. It feels very un-British and uncomfortable to talk about charity work, but I am working with a refugee organisation at the moment, helping people to find work in the UK.

Ok super. Now let’s jump to the main question of our interview. Can you share 5 examples of how retail companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers like to shop?

The biggest thing to understand here is that consumers are fundamentally lazy. They hate friction. This was brought home to me in some research I worked on for a client back in 2016. We surveyed 7,000 16–35 year-olds around the world and the one thing that united them was that they want things with the minimum of effort and delay.

If you can take friction out of the buying process, then with a few exceptions, you will win.

How does this manifest?

  1. Far too much space in stores is given over to checkout infrastructure based on outmoded, slow processes. Likewise, they consume too much staff time in transactional activities when they could be actually helping the customer. So you can expect these to shrink and disappear as we introduce slicker checkout — or checkout-less — technologies in the coming years.
  2. Despite all the concerns about privacy, stores actually know far too little about us. Or put more accurately, they are still not very good at using what they do know. My research suggests we like a personalized shopping experience. The better that stores can integrate on and offline data to tailor the shopping experience, the better.
  3. The way this personalized experience might be presented in the near future is via mixed reality. Imagine everyone having a fully personalized in-store environment, as well as a digital personal shopper. Perhaps even personalized pricing.
  4. Mixed reality opens up the potential for a huge amount more data capture, about our environment, our experiences, and our emotional responses. I don’t think we will want to share this data directly with retailers, but we might share it with our own digital personal assistant. Once this AI knows enough about us, it can take decisions about purchases on our behalf, whether that’s changing our breakfast cereal for one that is cheaper or more appropriate to our tastes or nutritional needs, or buying us a new pair of jeans because it sees the old ones are wearing out.
  5. In the next few years, you are going to see huge changes in logistics and particularly reverse logistics. With lockdown accelerating the shift to digital for more and more classes of goods, retailers need to be able to get stuff to us quickly, cheaply and cleanly, and critically get it back again if it doesn’t fit, fails, or was sent in error. This will have both human and automated dimensions, with better integration between existing delivery services and the introduction of more robot warehouses and rolling drones before truly autonomous trucks become available.

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. 🙂

For me, the often-forgotten group that remains disadvantaged is also the largest: women. From the pay gap, to political representation, to conviction rates for sexual violence, women retain a massive disadvantage even in some of the most progressive countries. This is so often overlooked when there are other important campaigns going on.

I believe feminism is a movement by women, for women, so it’s not something I am going to start. But it’s an ongoing campaign that has my wholehearted support.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Twitter: @bookofthefuture

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomcheesewright/

Book of the Future podcast

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!


Futurist Tom Cheesewright: The Future of Retail Over The Next Five Years was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Braylon Creighton, The Creature Preacher: Why I Believe That Visualization Is One of the Best…

Braylon Creighton, The Creature Preacher: Why I Believe That Visualization Is One of the Best Success Habits

I would say that one of the best success habits is visualization. Visualizing your success, achievements, and events are key to victory in the modern world. Visualization gives you immense amounts of clarity, and further brings your desires to fruition. By visualizing your desires every day, and getting into the feeling of how it feels to have that thing which you would love to manifest or achieve, you consistently get into the receptive mode, letting that which you desire flow into your reality faster and easier than ever before!

I had the pleasure of interviewing Braylon Creighton.

Braylon lives in Silicon Valley in Northern California with his two brothers, mother, and father, and one-eyed rescue puppy. He is an upcoming 9th-grade student. His current YouTube name is The Creature Preacher. Braylon films hands-on videos with different organisms in a variety of environments! Braylon has had a passion for all living creatures since he can remember. His mom recently came across a video of Braylon teaching the viewers and his little brother all about how earthworms are great for the compost. He continues to be inspired by his two favorite wildlife explorers, Jonathan Bird and Coyote Peterson.

Braylon strives to teach and show people how cool and interesting all organisms are, and that we do not to have to be disgusted by them, but instead that we can appreciate them. As a vegetarian, he believes people will have a better appreciation for living things if they understand them better. He loves to be out in the field being led by his curiosity and hopes to do lots of traveling in the near future. He is also a yet to be an author, as he is currently writing a new book about being a deliberate creator of your reality by using the Law of Attraction. He is also currently planning a documentary about the Mojave Desert.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

So the very first spark of my career was a big family trip to Hawaii. I was so excited because I hadn’t been to the islands in eight years (I was only five then!). When I arrived, it ended up being one of the best experiences of my life…so far! We went snorkeling in an incredible reef at Molokini Crater. As I swam, I could see the vibrant and colorful fish beneath my feet, a moray eel weaving in and out of the rocks, parrotfish taking bites out of incredible corals, and a beautiful black triggerfish swarming our boat, plucking algae from the side of it. There were colorful reefs, delicious food, fire and hula dancers, and my awesome cousins to play with. I had an absolute blast! It was absolutely everything that anyone could ever want on a trip.

When I left Maui, it was one of the worst feelings in my entire life! I felt devastated. I had just experienced the best five days of my life, and now it was all slipping away from me as I crossed the Pacific Ocean back to my home in the Bay Area. So, I decided that I would get back to Hawai’i again, one way or another.

Little did I know, that very plane ride would inspire me to do so many great things, and share my big idea that I believe will change the world! By the time I was in my house, I was already thinking about ways to get back to the Hawaiian islands. Back then, I thought that was the only way for me to feel the way I felt in Hawai’i ever again. I asked myself how I was going to make it back, and of course, I needed money!

So, I decided to start a business called Braylon’s Bread Business selling loaves of gourmet homemade bread to customers around my city of Palo Alto. Before I knew it, I had around $800 dollars in my pocket! But, because I was selling them at $4 each loaf, I had to make a lot of bread and, in turn, had a lot of stress. I often stayed up past midnight, and woke up at six a.m., only to ensure my customers were satisfied. One night, I woke up in my sleep and started to vigorously knead my covers because I thought it was dough! That’s when I knew that I was doing way too much, for far too little.

After that endeavor, I started an online business, selling phone cases. By now, I was still figuring out the whole small business thing and entrepreneurialship. As I was learning the ropes of selling phone cases through my online shop, I remembered something my mother had told me many years ago. It was something called the Law of Attraction. I recalled that it had to do with something about getting back whatever you put out into the Universe. I thought my mind might have made it up, and I had truly no idea what it really meant, but I decided to ask my mom about it. She told me that it was true, and gave me a podcast to listen to called the Think, Believe, and Manifest show by Constance Arnold. I decided to take a listen…and was confused, yet astounded!

I thought it sounded absurd that if you believe something, have a desire for it, and trust that it will come, you can have it. Sure, I was confused, but I thought that if it were really true, then my business would be booming! By then I had a very basic understanding of how the Law of Attraction actually worked and decided to apply a few principles that I had learned from the podcast along the way. On one of Constance Arnold’s podcasts, I heard a guest say that our most productive time was in the morning. Because of this, I decided only to work on my business in the morning and at no other time in the day.

Now, looking back, I see that this is absurd because whatever time you feel most pulled to do whatever it is that you want to do is when it’s time to take action on it. But these were the sorts of thoughts that were in my head at the time. Because of my still limited understanding of the Universal Laws, I only made one sale on my phone case, a sale I was proud of, but still just one.

After that, I decided to take a break from making money, especially because summer was nearing an end. During my eighth grade year, I didn’t feel all that compelled to make money but to pursue my own desires. Because of the teachings of many Law of Attraction masters, I learned that you are most successful at whatever it is that you are passionate about. At the time, I was really getting into biology, specifically in the tropics, so I took inspired action, and created a YouTube channel called Life in the Tropics (now called The Creature Preacher). It focused on plants and animals found all over the tropics of the world. On the channel, I would showcase artifacts that either I had found, bought, or had gotten from my uncle, who is also into that sort of thing. I explained how organisms such as banana plants, corals, seahorses, octopuses, and shark egg sacks adapt and survive in their environment. Part of the reason why I started the channel was that I actually wanted to gain knowledge about the world of organisms. I decided to do research and share this knowledge with others. From that point on, I have been consistently putting out YouTube videos about the world of creatures, and have been continuously manifesting miracles in my life, and gained an immense amount of knowledge about wildlife in the process. The Law of Attraction has changed my life for the better, and through this interview, I hope I can help change yours!

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

One night, I decided to meditate and visualize my success. I was working on my YouTube channel called the Creature Preacher, and was super excited about it! I couldn’t wait to share even more of my knowledge with the world about all sorts of different organisms. I decided that even though I didn’t know how anything would unfold, I would just let it flow! That very night, I came downstairs and my mom read me an email from my Uncle about a publicist, Grayce McCormick, who wanted to work with me on my Creature Preacher channel for free! I was a little surprised and a bit happy because I didn’t know how good the publicist was. The very next day, it turned out that she was bigger than I had originally thought, and had worked with many celebrities such as Jim Carrey, and Scarlett Johansson. This is just one example of how the Universe is always working miracles for you, and once you let go of the how, and allow them into your life, they will come to you like flies to sugar!

Which principles or philosophies have guided your life? Your career?

The main principles that have guided my life thus far are from the Law of Attraction. Anything regarding the creation of reality is what has guided my life. The Law of Attraction, intuition, spiritual relationships and visualization are all examples of what has guided my life, but in general, they all revolve around the knowledge and practice of Law of Attraction.

Ok. Let’s now move to the main focus of our interview. Can you tell us about your “Big Idea That Might Change The World”?

So my idea is more so a philosophy than an idea, but I guess you could say it is both! I believe so strongly in the Law of Attraction and manifestations, and the power that people hold. The Law of Attraction states that whatever vibration you broadcast out into the Universe, that vibration is then reflected back into your reality. Now I know this may sound complicated and a little strange to some, but let me explain. Your vibration can mean a lot of different things. (Mood, emotions, thoughts, and vibe are all other words for describing vibration, but I like the word vibration the most because it is the most specific). Essentially, the Law of Attraction means that you are the creator of your own reality! Many people go through life thinking that they are a product of their environment, or that life happens to them when in reality, life is the exact opposite. As we live our lives, we broadcast a vibration, or frequency, much like light or sound vibrations out into the Universe! These ‘vibes’ are picked up by the Source, God, or whatever you want to call it, and the Law of Attraction does all of the work. It lines up the path of least resistance in order to get that which you have broadcast, and turns it from vibration, into physical. You could essentially call this, ‘Law of Attraction’ , a mirror, which bounces right back at you, things which you cast into that mirror.

My idea is that we can use this seemingly magical Law of the Universe to our advantage, controlling what we broadcast into the Universe, and therefore controlling what we receive!

How do you think this will change the world?

By harnessing how to control the Law of Attraction, people can literally change their reality! This completely challenges most people’s perspective on life, and in fact, their realities, of course. Just imagine if everyone was consciously creating their own realities what the entire world could accomplish! We would have people passionate about what they do, everyone manifesting miracles daily, and all things working out for everybody all of the time! The Law of Attraction is incredibly powerful, yet to have the whole world harness that power would be just incredible! People would be able to achieve whatever success they could ever imagine, and there would be far less anger and sadness in the world if everybody implemented the Law of Attraction into their lives! There is so much possibility and potential in the Law of Attraction, so take my advice, and we can share this with the world!

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?

No, not in the least! The Law of Attraction says that you can manifest absolutely anything which you desire! This law already exists, and it is simply a matter of harnessing this Law of the Universe in order to achieve great things. One thing that I’ve noticed when using the Law of Attraction to manifest my desires, is that it not only works out for me but also for everybody involved. The Universe has a way of finding the path of least resistance in order to please everyone. So if harnessing the Law of Attraction allows your source/inner being to flow through you, allows total happiness, helps you to understand the true nature of who you are and your place in the world, and manifest absolutely anything and everything that you want and in everyone’s favor, then I see absolutely zero drawbacks!

Was there a “tipping point” that led you to embrace this idea? Can you tell us that story?

Really, it was Hawai’i that led to such a big change in my thinking, and in my life. Before Hawai’i, my plan for life was really just up to what others would influence me into doing. I might have become a wrestler like my dad wants, or an artist, or maybe a scientist. Who knows.

But after experiencing all that I could become from being so inspired in Hawai’i, and all the good things that I realized I was missing out on in life, I decided that I needed to make a real change.

I remember sitting by the window of the plane, imagining all of the terrible effort and hard work that lay ahead as we headed back home from our trip..and all of that leading me to absolutely nothing that I actually wanted to do! I could just imagine and see all the terrible things that were going to happen unless, of course, I made a change.

After that plane ride, and starting a series of small businesses, a sort of gradual change led me to the discovery of the Law of Attraction, and how to harness it. This was part of my journey.

What do you need to lead this idea to widespread adoption?

Right now, I am actually in the middle of writing a book on the Law of Attraction, and how kids my age (teenagers) can implement this Law of the Universe into their lives. I think that this will be revolutionary, as many kids my age don’t have much literary material on the Law of Attraction that is intended for an audience such as themselves! But for widespread adoption throughout the globe, I think it is really just up to the people. Specifically, people who are into the Law of Attraction .

Personally, most of the people whom I know are into the Law of Attraction, have discovered it by others who have shared it with them. I, for example, was introduced to the Law of Attraction gradually, but my mother was really the one who shared a lot of the beginning basics with me.

Also, one of the greatest Law of Attraction masters, Esther Hicks, also discovered spirituality as well as the Law of Attraction through her husband, Jerry Hicks. Almost anybody that you ask who is into the Law of Attraction will likely tell you that they discovered it through somebody else, and I think that that is really the key to widespread adoption. As long as we keep sharing our discoveries and knowledge with each other about the subject, the more people will be involved, and the more lives the Law of Attraction can amaze!

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

  1. Everything is always working out for me! Sometimes it can feel like the whole world is falling beneath your feet, and all of the wrong things are happening in your life. Even if it feels like all is lost, or your life is falling apart, simply remember that everything is constantly and consistently working out for you! There was this one year in eighth grade, where I was fed up with school, and I didn’t want to do so much work all of the time. There was also a middle school wrestling season which I was dreading, and I couldn’t imagine dedicating 8.5 hours of my day to pointless things I hated doing! Thankfully, I just had the desire, and gave it to the Universe to handle it for me. After that, things started to look up, and the year ended early, due to the Covid-19 outbreak. I got a whole month of no school! The rest of the year, after that, I spent only half the time on academics, plus we got to learn from home! And the best part was the fact that the wrestling season was canceled! This is just one example of how things are always working out for you, and even though it may not always seem like it, the Universe lines up events that are always in your best interest…all you have to do is have faith.
  2. Take only inspired action. Don’t do something just because you feel like you should do it, but because you actually feel compelled to do it, and want to do it. Whenever I am working on a Creature Preacher video, I am always working from a place of alignment, clarity, and inspiration. I only make videos because I feel compelled to make videos, not because I should. Have you ever seen a big actor, producer, music artist, architect, or big-time chef who does things because they feel like they should? The answer is NO! They do things because they want to, not the other way around. By not taking inspired action, you are actually working away from your goal, because you feel like you have to do something in order to get it, instead of letting your success/manifestations come to you! Inspired action, on the other hand, brings you closer to your goal, and is super fun to do! Inspired action is how you achieve success, not the shoulds.
  3. Have faith. It is so easy for some people to get caught up in what is going to happen, or the doubt that something will not manifest. In reality, as long as they have faith, it will come. So don’t get all caught up in the how, and just trust that whatever you desire is on its way to you. There was this one time, where I was attempting to manifest a lottery winning, where the prize was $10,000 worth of reef tank supplies. I was very excited but also excited in the wrong way. I kept worrying about it not coming, and if the Law of Attraction was actually even a real thing. Unfortunately, I put so much of my energy into the how, and the worry of things, causing that which I truly desired didn’t come to me. Of course, it was even more proof that the Law of Attraction was working properly, but also it gave me more reason to just have faith in what it is that I desire, and trust that it is on its way to you, because if you do, there is no doubt that it will come.
  4. Be in the present; be in the now! The now is the only time that we have, that we’ve had and that we ever will have. The now is our place of creation, and it is where everything that ever was, is, or will be starts and ends. Sometimes it can be easy to get wrapped up in the future, and what the future might hold. And it is great to visualize your future success, only as long as you are experiencing it as if it already is, and not worrying about what might come, something that I have done many times. Simply be in the present moment, have gratitude for what is, and what is to come, and I promise you, that you will achieve your desires in no time!
  5. Trust your intuition. Your inner being knows what’s best for you 100% of the time. This story I am about to share may sound a little insane, but I promise you that it is true! I was playing some sort of game in P.E. which involved the players doing Rock Paper Scissors in order to see who serves first. I decided to work a little of my intuition and win at Rock Paper Scissors. To make a long story short, I won 15 times in a row when I listened to that voice inside of my head, and lost only when I didn’t. This is just a small example of what our intuition allows us to achieve, and by listening to it, you can do way more than win a simple child’s game…you can achieve success!

Can you share with our readers what you think are the most important “success habits” or “success mindsets”?

I would say that one of the best success habits is visualization. Visualizing your success, achievements, and events are key to victory in the modern world. Visualization gives you immense amounts of clarity, and further brings your desires to fruition. By visualizing your desires every day, and getting into the feeling of how it feels to have that thing which you would love to manifest or achieve, you consistently get into the receptive mode, letting that which you desire flow into your reality faster and easier than ever before!

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 🙂

Do you want to create the life of your dreams? Do you want ease, clarity, abundance, and absolutely anything and everything that you could ever desire in your life? If so, then I welcome you to the Law of Attraction. The Law of Attraction states that whatever vibration we broadcast into the Universe, it is reflected back into our realities as the form of physical manifestation. In short, the Law of Attraction means that we create our own realities, and we are in control of what we think, feel, and the physical outcome of what manifests in our lives!

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Follow me on Instagram @the_creature_preacher and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/The-Creature-Preacher-106761650853406/

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.

Thank you!


Braylon Creighton, The Creature Preacher: Why I Believe That Visualization Is One of the Best… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Darab Ali of Better1: The Future of Retail Over The Next Five Years

Online community shopping forums where consumers can learn from each other’s shopping and product experiences, and where they can consolidate orders to save money will continue to grow. These forums will also produce valid online videos and tutorials that will create more awareness and information about any product or service.

As part of our series about the future of retail, I had the pleasure of interviewing Darab Ali.

Darab Ali is a serial entrepreneur who takes a very positive and inspirational approach to his business ventures. Born and raised in a small town (Saharanpur, India), Darab and his family immigrated to Canada in late 90’s and settled in Scarborough where he attended high school at Dunbarton High School and then went on to Australia for further studies. Today, Darab and his very young family reside in Vaughan, Ontario and run a number of businesses based in the Greater Toronto Area, including Better1.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Becoming an entrepreneur wasn’t something that was by design for me. In fact, upon attending university, I enrolled into a Pre-Dental course with the intent of becoming a dentist. Some people have a very clear idea from a young age as to what they want to do as their profession, but I think many might not have that early clarity. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as you are honest with yourself. During my first years at university, I discovered that my interests were much more people-oriented, and I was always more engaged when I was dealing with others in very dynamic discussions and projects.

So in my view, taking the path towards dentistry was not a wrong path. Really it was the road that gave me a chance to read the sign-posts that pointed me in the direction in which I was really interested. That destination was business, and it has further led me to where I am today, and becoming an entrepreneur.

Now having said that, knowing that I enjoyed business wasn’t enough. After trying a few businesses that taught me a lot about grit and determination, I reflected again on my interests, particularly in people. They say that “Business is an action taken after thinking” so that’s what I did, and I decided to get into the people business.

I started my career in human resources and recruitment industry 11 years ago with zero experience in that area. Zero is not a good number to use when mentioning your experience but if the will is there, you can soon add many zeroes after any digit in terms of your days of experience. You just have to stick with it and never give up if you believe you have a good business proposition. Today, I am fortunate to have a thriving placement agency business run by a very strong and capable team of professionals.

I now have more time and resources to look at other ways to interact with people. In particular, I see how technology is changing how we do things, and see so much opportunity to apply many innovations to improve the day-to-day lives of consumers. I recently put a team together to build an app with smart and innovative products for smarter living. While the idea has been further developed since its initial inception, with the help of my team, we created the Better1 business, an online destination for Canadian consumers to discover, learn and buy innovative products that best fit their needs.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

When I first started my business I had no customers, no phones ringing, no emails and no experience around how to run the organization. All I had was just a few credit cards in hand and some personal savings to keep the business afloat. For 6 months or so, it was all about doing door-to-door sales on my own everyday while learning about the industry and business.

I was trying to get an appointment with the HR head of a company one day and after a few unsuccessful calls, I tried just visiting their office location. As I was just entering the building I bumped into a gentleman who was on his way in as well and he asked me what the purpose of my visit was. I told him what the agency did and quickly pointed out some of the key benefits that we could bring. It was a brief conversation, maybe three or four minutes, but he essentially said “that’s great, and by the way, nice pen” and I said back to him “Thanks, but here, please keep the pen, it’s a company promo, and I want you to have it”. I figured, that was the end of the conversation and we would each just move on with our days. He simply smiled and asked me to follow him inside. Turns out he was the owner of the company and he arranged for me to present to the HR head that same day. All went well and I was able to gain a very important client in those early days. I know it wasn’t the pen, but more because I was so rehearsed in my elevator speech and so passionate about what I could bring to a customer, that he eventually made the decision to have me meet with his team. I still have the pen, and my company does have promotional pens, but more important is what the pen stands for, and the passion and belief we have for what we can do for our customers.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or take away you learned from that?

It’s funny when I look back now on the situation, but back when it happened, it was a bit stressful. I knew that advertising and exposure was important to building a business so when I first started my human resource placement agency business, I quickly placed banner and signage advertising up as soon as I secured my 200 square foot office space. With no other employees, and not even pen and paper yet in hand, candidates began to call and show up that very first day! I had to scramble to neighbouring offices in the building for office essentials and made due with a very progressive open-concept office setting! I learned quickly that your infrastructure and back-end processes are just as important as the front-end.

Are you working on any new exciting projects now? How do you think that might help people?

Well, Better1 is brand new! We’re very excited as we just launched in late June, 2020 and currently building our exposure and business base. Better1 is all about helping consumers live better through today’s innovative products. Technology and innovation work hand-in-hand. We see so many new products being introduced to the marketplace and many of these products can really help to improve the day-to-day lives of consumers. Better1 is all about making today’s great products and innovations accessible to our customers. As an Ecommerce platform, we curate, sample and review products and then display those products in a uniquely immersive and familiar setting to help consumers find, understand and purchase innovative products that fit their needs. In a nutshell, we offer “better products for better living”.

I’ve got a few other projects underway, but one of them is an advanced Human Resources and recruitment project which will enhance simplified solutions for temporary, permanent and contract placements in day-to-day recruitment needs with a centralized platform that any business, agency candidate can use. This is still under development and more to come on that in the Fall.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

I think you’d have heard this before, but I truly believe in its importance. Always do what you enjoy doing, not something that you don’t. The more you don’t enjoy the work, the quicker and easier for you, your colleagues and employees to “burn out”. If you enjoy the work, and you allow your team to be creative and have meaningful input, they too can enjoy their work, and working hard becomes much more destination driven. What I mean is the team becomes much more productive and charged to get to achieve their goals. Working hard in a start-up is pretty well a given, but if you have a team that is enjoying their work, your chances of finding success are significantly greater.

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 Father, who is himself an entrepreneur, has had a huge influence on me. He’s always appreciated me and gave me the freedom, motivation and support to explore and experiment with different aspects of life. I am very fortunate and grateful for this. I’ve learned the importance of good values such as remaining humble, taking care of your employees and customers first. Our relationship allowed me to adopt these strong values early in life and in my career. I believe doing so is critically important for any successful business.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

I think Better1 is an example. With the help of my business ventures and as an entrepreneur who has a passion towards technology, I am hoping to make smart and innovative products more accessible to consumers so that they can simplify their day-to-day lives and free-up time in their busy lives to spend it in more meaningful ways. I truly believe that there is a gap between the products that can make a difference in helping people live better, versus the number of people that should be benefiting from these. I would like to see Better1 play a bigger role in helping consumers as we continue to grow and find more innovative and unique products for them.

Ok super. Now let’s jump to the main question of our interview. Can you share 5 examples of how retail companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers like to shop?

  1. In my opinion, retail change will continue to accelerate. As I said earlier, technology and innovation go hand-in hand, and as new technology arises, products and services in retail will continue to evolve and consumers will continue to change how they shop. I believe most retail companies will be moving towards using A.I., robotics, automated kiosks, augmented and virtual reality platforms as part of the continued growth in online shopping, rather than retail stores and outlets. While the recent pandemic certainly has accelerated the use of online shopping, I believe that consumers see inherent benefits as technology improves and costs continue to fall.
  2. Online growth will increase the direct Business-to-Consumer (B2C) channel as brands can access and interact with consumers more directly and intimately via all of their technology touch points (PCs/laptops, touchpads, Phones/PDAs). This will further pressure intermediary (middle-man) businesses unless they bring true value to the product-to-consumer process.
  3. The prevalence of social media advertising and digital marketing including YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat will increase, as will the advent and proliferation of new social media channels. Additionally, influencers and social media celebrities will become a larger voice as consumer advocates and reviewers of brand and product value, versus traditional mass media approaches.
  4. Smart shopping options with the use of online reviews and ratings will accelerate. Consumer validated information will increasingly become the currency by which products are viewed. While brand owners and product manufacturers will always need to have a voice, consumer reviews will continue to evolve into a more prevalent part of the purchase process.
  5. Online community shopping forums where consumers can learn from each other’s shopping and product experiences, and where they can consolidate orders to save money will continue to grow. These forums will also produce valid online videos and tutorials that will create more awareness and information about any product or service.

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 my answer reflects on my people background as well as my passion for technology in people’s lives. If I could start a movement, it might be one where there is one common global talent platform where people could post their skills and services. With technology, so much can be done to allow all countries and economies to benefit either from providing talent, employing talent or both. With such a platform, technology and best practice standards could be readily shared across borders and so much could be advanced, whether that is technologically, economically or socially. I realize of course there is the reality of political factors , but I also believe that nothing is impossible, and to achieve the impossible, all we need to have is the will and the persistence from talented individuals acting as a team. Just like a start-up, but at a much larger scale!

How can our readers follow you on social media?

You can always follow my LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darab-ali/

And follow Better1 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/better1.store


Darab Ali of Better1: The Future of Retail Over The Next Five Years was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Rob Koenen of Boxed Water Is Better: Five Things You Need To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand

Simplify your message. In the beginning, we were way too technical in our messaging…thinking that everyone studied plastic and understood that recycling isn’t working. It wasn’t until we dialed back to the very basics of recycling — -i.e. 1,500 bottles are made every second and 90% are garbage…. then people finally started to understand the scale. People are busier than ever and don’t have time to unpack a complicated message.

As part of our series about how to create a trusted, believable, and beloved brand, I had the pleasure to interview Rob Koenen.

Rob is the Chief Marketing Officer of Boxed Water Is Better; the first national company to offer a sustainable alternative to plastic water bottles. Rob is charged with expanding Boxed Water’s core message and empowering consumers to make a statement that “sustainability matters.” Rob’s extensive marketing and leadership experience is rooted in story-telling with innovative campaigns that span multiple communication channels. In his role at Boxed Water, Rob leads the brand’s trial and awareness efforts, digital opportunities, and retail experiences. In prior leadership roles, Rob has built true lifestyle brands for companies in food, apparel and footwear.

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 don’t think there is a straight-line career-path for anyone; you have to go where your heart takes you. Boxed Water™ was not on my career path when I graduated from college. I was going to be a stockbroker. After a few years, I was needing a creative outlet, so I started working on brand building. I had the traditional career path in larger corporations, primarily in the fashion industry. My career took me all over the world and eventually, I ended running some of them. I loved making connections with consumers and building trust; but at a certain point in your life, you realize you want to do more than build a brand; you want to leave something more enduring. So I looked for a way to help others….I was blind to the plastic pollution problem like the rest of us, until my daughter mentioned that Boxed Water Is Better® was focused on renewably packaged on-the-go water. After researching the problem, it was clear that robbing the planet to service a single-use society is not sustainable.

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?

Early on, with Rollerblade, our leaders wanted to branch out into other products. They had an offsite where they looked into other opportunities and came back with the idea of selling Rollerblade bicycles….since both in-line skates and bicycles have wheels; so it was a natural connection to them. I was in charge of innovation and had to launch the concept. After numerous focus groups, we showed that wheels were not a connective tissue for the consumers. Luckily, we were able to redirect our efforts to an “off road” skate which was a success. The overriding lesson is to look at your business through the eyes of the consumer. Realize that your consumer is not thinking about your brand, your product, or your product category as much as you are (or should be)….so always step back and think of how you fit into their world; not the other way around.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

Our consumers and our community make Boxed Water special. We make great water, but beyond that, we believe strongly that one small act can make a big impact. As such, we’ve been planting trees in our national forests and for every photo of our box that is posted by consumers at @boxedwater or #betterplanet we plant a tree. For free. Think about that…do you know of a company that is willing to that? And based on our consumer posts, we’ve planted over 1,000,000 trees with the National Forest Foundation so far. We have a passionate community of people who want to help this planet.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

We have a ton going on…We finally developed a new plant-based cap which is made from the by-product of paper production. This is a huge breakthrough and now our carton is made from 92% renewable materials. Most plastic is made from petroleum oil and some companies have been offering caps made from sugarcane residue as an alternative. Sugar cane is not an environmentally-friendly crop, and now it’s being grown to make plastic. This didn’t make sense to us, so we waited until we could use caps that leave a smaller environmental footprint. We are working on our next million trees- “You Post. We Plant.” We are also working with our partners on beach cleaning…and just finished a Life Cycle analysis that shows how plastic and aluminum production is a greater emerging threat than anybody had anticipated. We are always challenging ourselves to do “better.” It’s in our name.

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?

Branding today is rooted in your brand’s values and provides transparency into your company’s personality. Advertising usually revolves around product features, or lifestyle shots of models implying that you can have a better life with a particular product. Consumers have moved far beyond this type of advertising, but a lot of companies have yet to figure that out. For us, plenty of companies provide pure pH neutral, BPA free water like us; but we’re the only ones that go beyond water into reforestation and other major environmental efforts. Branding builds an emotional connection and relationship with the consumer built on trust — and asks them to come along with us on a journey.

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?

Consumers are smarter and have more resources than ever. They have been over-marketed to and are skeptical of claims. The internet gives them the tools to do extensive research into your brand beyond its products. Your website is a critical source of information to introduce you to current and future consumers. Also, it’s a perfect place to get feedback from them. Remember, they will also be visiting your competitors’ websites, so you better be compelling.

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.

Simplify your message. In the beginning, we were way too technical in our messaging…thinking that everyone studied plastic and understood that recycling isn’t working. It wasn’t until we dialed back to the very basics of recycling — -i.e. 1,500 bottles are made every second and 90% are garbage…. then people finally started to understand the scale. People are busier than ever and don’t have time to unpack a complicated message.

Focus on the consumer in every way. Everything we do goes through a consumer-lens. We ask ourselves if it’s important, impactful, understandable for our consumer. We also listen to our consumer. So many consumers asked us about single-use, that we started testing our product over multiple refills. It turns out our product is refillable and reusable. So now we have a sustainable and refillable option.

Live your values (set values). This is another way to be authentic. In today’s market, consumers can see if you’re just paying lip-service. Make sure you set down some solid values- and make sure you live to them- in all aspects of the business; staffing, messaging, quality etc.

Find your tribe — consumers and partners that believe in what you believe. We have high standards and have turned down partners that want to use us as a publicity stunt. Protect what you have built and don’t chase down a fast buck…your reputation is your brand. Conversely, once you find an authentic partner- do all you can to support them.

Leverage partnerships. We’ve managed to find like-minded companies with comparable consumers — we’ve used social media, field marketing and promotions to share each other’s messages. Many hands make lighter work.

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?

Patagonia is the easiest answer. They have consistently held to their beliefs of great product, but moreover helping the planet. But I salute some of the brands that go out of their core competency to support the environment….Some of our partners like Rag&Bone, DVF in fashion or Dogpound fitness are companies that could keep buying plastic, but have made the commitment to switch to a sustainable alternative. Companies like this have taken millions of bottles out of circulation, and aren’t doing it for publicity.

In advertising, one generally measures success by the number of sales. How does one measure the success of a brand building campaign? Is it similar, is it different?

In our company, we look at Marketing as demand-creation. Everything we do should drive demand in some manner; but some things are more directly related to sales. We set up KPI’s like any company, but sometimes sales are secondary in the brand-building strategies to consumer loyalty and awareness. We know that once people know the facts about plastic, or our overarching brand mission, they will make the right choice for the planet. For example, our reforestation efforts are part of brand-building, and we’ve had many new customers choose us strictly because they want to be part of 1,000,0000 trees. But in the end, our brand reflects the beliefs held by our employees and our customers….like-minded people can join the brand and sales will come naturally.

What role does social media play in your branding efforts?

Critical to branding. As I stated earlier, our website is the most critical platform to tell our story. Social media and digital advertising will bring people to your website as well as amplify your brand’s message. In addition, it’s a chance to show your brand’s personality — are you serious, luxurious or relatable and fun. It’s also a great way to measure your message. We spent 8 years trying to explain why recycling is no longer enough — you need to use renewable materials…..we were able to see when the market shifted to understanding sustainability and started looking to us for answers. Social media also is a two-way street. We listen and learn from our consumers everyday- and on every subject.

What advice would you give to other marketers or business leaders to thrive and avoid burnout?

Make sure you find other outlets to find balance….whether it’s reading, exercise, or family….do something that helps you unplug. Make sure your teams are also taking time. You’re only as good as your team, so make sure that they’re taking enough time to be energized. And make sure you make time for fun.

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?

I honestly believe that the world-wide single use plastic pollution problem, coupled with the aluminum problem, will be one of the greatest threats to our environment’s eco-system…education and hunger.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

My two favorites are:

Persistence breaks down resistance

You didn’t get up today to be mediocre

Over the years, I’ve found both to be true. If you believe and stay persistent, you will eventually meet your goals.

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.

My daughter and I just had that conversation……both of us said: Malcom Gladwell. He offers most unique insights into modern culture. I’ll buy breakfast.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

One small act can make a big difference. Everything is on Boxedwaterisbetter.com, but also follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook…..@BoxedWater….but also post a picture #betterplanet….Help us plant the next million trees….it’s actually fun to see all the creative posts. And, learn more on the aluminum effect here…. https://boxedwaterisbetter.com/blogs/blog/is-aluminum-really-sustainable


Rob Koenen of Boxed Water Is Better: Five Things You Need To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Rick Caballo of Dead Horse Branding: Five Things You Need To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand

It’s more important to have a well branded brand and product than to have a great advertising campaign with a mediocre brand presence. Let’s say people finally go back to your site or product and it doesn’t represent what you have sold in your advertising. Consumers may not buy into it as they may not be confident that your product will last, get delivered on time, or the message is so scrambled that they do not believe in the integrity of your brand. When you spend dollars on advertising, you want 100% certainty that when they go to your brand it’s flawless.

As part of our series about how to create a trusted, believable, and beloved brand, I had the pleasure to interview Rick Caballo, Art Director and Co-Founder of Dead Horse Branding.

Equally at home on stage before thousands, or working up designs for a cutting-edge brand, Rick Caballo is nothing if not creative. Now based in Nashville TN, Rick was born and raised in Wollongong, near Sydney, Australia. This accomplished singer-songwriter, artist, photographer and designer has a rare combination of charisma and ingenuity that means he is constantly in demand.

Working with partner Melissa Core, Rick has established numerous successful enterprises. After launching their flagship company, rock-fashion label CORELLO, in 2012 the pair quickly attracted interest from several quarters. Rick’s CORELLO designs have been donned by Steven Tyler, Don Was, Miranda Lambert, Train, Hayden Panettiere and Ryan Roxie / Alice Cooper, among others. The line also featured in hit TV series Nashville and Duck Dynasty, plus LA Fashion Magazine, Country Weekly, People Magazine and InStyle.

In 2015, the pair launched Dead Horse Branding. This 360-degree creative management company provides creative art and brand management, combining Rick’s across-the-board art and design direction with Melissa’s visionary approach to marketing and management. One of Dead Horse’s major projects is a coffee table book for legendary music producer (and keys player for Elvis) Tony Brown. Due for release in 2016, the book is entirely art-directed by Rick, from graphic design to photographing the 40+ featured celebrity portraits and working with Brown to document the history of modern country music.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

As a kid, I always wanted to work in a visually creative field, I used to draw a lot. I left school at 16 and started my apprenticeship as a sign painter, as it was the only place I could be creative and get paid at the time, BC…Before Computers. The skills I learned there gave me the capacity to take on anything from mural art, screen printing, sign painting, graphic design, fabrication, sculpting to automotive painting , branding and marketing.

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?

I can’t say I have a funny story with marketing as everything is so strategically prepared before we go for it. But as a sign painter’s apprentice, I went out and painted a sign, only to get a call later that day to let me know I had spelled the word available wrong. Keep in mind, back in those days it was paint not digital printing. So, I drove back out to paint over the mistake and then corrected the spelling. The next day I got another call, “Hey man, you spelled the word available wrong again!!” That story is more embarrassing than funny.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

Dead Horse Branding is a one stop shop in having all services from graphic / visual design, publicity, marketing to overall brand management all under one roof. If you are outsourcing several services to different companies for your company, there’s a good chance the end product of your brand will be disjointed and incohesive. We encompass all facets of branding. We aren’t just a PR and marketing company; everything is executed from a branding perspective. Most PR firms will take what you’ve given them and then run with it without any revision to entire business structure. We like to look at the overview of the brand and fix any cracks in the foundation, which will save a lot of time and hardship on the back end. Given our edgy approach to doing things, we’ve had several corporate companies that have acquired our services because they want to shake things up and be a little cooler than usual.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

We just finished working with the Baha Men on their rebranding of a logo, website and social media.
They are super talented and equally as fun to work with. 2020 sees their 20 year anniversary of the release of ‘Who Let The Dogs Out?’. We are also in the works with a country music documentary and a TV show that we can’t talk about quite yet but are super excited about.

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?

A BRAND is your identity. Who you are, what you stand for and what are selling?

Marketing and advertising are the vehicles you use to sell your brand.

Think of a brand as your home. You can decorate it how you like it, paint the walls a certain color and hang all your favorite pictures on the wall that represent you best. To finish it off, you place your number and house name on your mailbox for all to see.

Marketing, advertising and sales are the real estate agent selling your house. You advertise your house on certain websites and magazines. You may also choose to plant an abundance of beautiful, rare plants in your front yard to entice people with green thumbs to seek out purchasing your home, for example.

You need a brand to be able to market something. Marketing a product that has no foundational identity will be short lived as you will be a bland rival to your competitor.

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?

These days websites are your storefront where you get to curate and showcase your brand. If people are Googling you and getting information from a multitude of places, they will make up their own minds on who you are rather than you driving the narrative for them.

Just investing your efforts into socials like Instagram, TikTok and Facebook is not a smart move. What if these platforms fizzle out like Myspace did? It is so important to own and control your assets by building a website of your own sharing to socials from there and visa-versa.

As for general advertising efforts, it truly depends on the business. Most of the time we’ve built a solid brand, PR and marketing strategy with a great social media roll out, so we don’t need to engage in advertising as the PR is enough to get the eyes on our clients.

Anyone can pay for a billboard or a page in a magazine if they have the money. However, not everyone is worthy to have an editorial written about them in a magazine or TV spot. For that reason alone, PR shows more credibility than advertising to us. Let others talk about you, rather than you speaking about yourself.

Can you share 5 strategies/ methods that a company should be doing to build a trusted and believable brand?

  1. Who are you and what’s your story?
  2. Who are you selling to?
  3. After reassessing your brand’s core attributes, make sure your message aligns with your brand’s identity and audience. It’s great to be happy with what your brand is, but if your core demographic doesn’t connect with your message, then you won’t be able to capitalize from your audience.
  4. Once you have gotten your brand’s identity and message down, now is the time to get your assets together to make sure your message is loud and clear across all platforms. This includes your mission statement, photography, website, social media aesthetic and voice, in the flavor of your brand.
  5. Finally, get out there and be seen. Clever marketing and PR will help shape the story and bring eyes towards what you have spent all this time building.

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?

APPLE, they say so much with so little. They are clean, sleek, sexy, high quality, cool and consistent with their brand messaging throughout the entire company. The less you have to explain yourself to the consumer the better. Each brand is different and requires their own aesthetic, so replicating the Apple format when you’re selling $2 fidget spinners is generally not going to work. Find out what your demographic is, as well as who your competitors are and check what they are doing, then fill in the blanks.

In advertising, one generally measures success by the number of sales. How does one measure the success of a brand building campaign? Is it similar, is it different?

It’s hard to quantify both advertising and a brand build as they both have more of a trickle down effect in regards to sales. How do we know that the sales you received were purely based on your advertising spend? Versus, what if the brand build was so solid, it convinced people to buy your product?

It’s more important to have a well branded brand and product than to have a great advertising campaign with a mediocre brand presence. Let’s say people finally go back to your site or product and it doesn’t represent what you have sold in your advertising. Consumers may not buy into it as they may not be confident that your product will last, get delivered on time, or the message is so scrambled that they do not believe in the integrity of your brand. When you spend dollars on advertising, you want 100% certainty that when they go to your brand it’s flawless.

What role does social media play in your branding efforts?

It’s super important to be actively on it and redirecting people back to your website. Between all the traffic from various social media platforms and your own website, you can compile stats which help you adjust your message, as well as provide you a laser focused target audience to sell to.

What advice would you give to other marketers or business leaders to thrive and avoid burnout?

Nothing burns you out more than working with clients and products that you’re not passionate about.

Do what you love and love what you do, show that enthusiasm and the clients will come.

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 so polarized as a nation and the list is too long to mention just one. But right now, I would love to see the day, sooner rather than later, where all our brothers and sisters of all different creeds and colors are treated as equals without question. In these hard times, the creatives of our world pull everything together through, art and music. They are the HE-ART!!

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“A river cuts through stone not because of its power, but because of its persistence.”

Be patient, be focused and be consistent. You may have the skills, but relationships take a lot of time to build. It doesn’t matter how good you are as a marketer or designer, if you can’t consistently deliver on time, you’re no good to the client. Baby steps then big leaps!!

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? –

Bono, not only is he an amazing performer and great songsmith, he constantly is fighting for a better world and speaking out for the less fortunate. I’m also a huge fan of U2’s graphic design and merchandise team, as well as their very creative stage production and music videos. Very cool!!!

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Our company can be found on Instagram or online at

https://instagram.com/deadhorsebranding

www.deadhorsebranding.com


Rick Caballo of Dead Horse Branding: Five Things You Need To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Beth Doane of Main & Rose: Five Things You Need To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand

Focus on social good: Today, as our society is coming to terms with issues of racial and health injustice, viable brands must focus on goals beyond themselves. Since we launched our firm, we have made a commitment to help all of our clients pursue and share work in the social good space. When you show what you care about and how you are making the world better, you’ll establish yourself as a values-driven brand, consumers will respond and you and your employees will feel good while doing it.

As part of our series about how to create a trusted, believable, and beloved brand, I had the pleasure to interview Beth Doane, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Main & Rose, a global creative agency. With nearly a decade of experience creating, growing, and selling several companies by the age of 30, today Beth serves as a trusted advisor for some of the world’s most innovative CEOs, nonprofits, and governments. From delivering insights that pioneer digital movements to overseeing creative concepts for multi-million dollar campaigns, she is the driving force behind ROI-driven work. Previous to founding Main & Rose, Beth established one of the first sustainably and ethically produced fashion brands on the market, as well as founded and later led the private acquisition of Parlor, the first open marketplace for freelancers in a diverse set of industries. An award-winning author and writer, Beth frequently contributes to Forbes and Darling Magazine and has advised on literary strategy for several New York Times best-selling books. She sits on The Pacific Council on International Policy, and The Forbes Young Entrepreneurs Council and was named one of the world’s top branding experts by Inc. Magazine. Beth also speaks frequently about branding, social impact and the importance of mental health initiatives in the workplace. She has spoken at conferences and events for prestigious organizations including Google, Harvard, MIT, The United Nations, and the Concordia Summit.

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 had a passion for how products and companies can create a positive impact on a global scale, and I founded my first company when I was 22 years old. It was one of the first fashion lines that was manufactured sustainably and launched at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Los Angeles. The success of the line led me to consult for several brands on how to make their lines more sustainable. My love for consulting and creative thinking eventually led me to start advising more on branding, marketing and design, and I launched an agency. I eventually met Kelly Gibbons, my business partner a few years later and we created Main & Rose together.

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?

While it’s nice to be able to learn (and survive) from past mistakes, rather than being funny memories, my mistakes have helped guide my decision-making. They continually serve as powerful reminders of how much I’ve learned as a business owner and leader. Among the mistakes, losing hundreds of thousands of dollars from failing to do enough market research. Today, this lesson helps me see where my clients may take a wrong turn, and steer them away from the same mistake I had once made. One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that when people have an idea, they go full-steam ahead and invest too much money into something without testing the idea or investing in a GTM strategy. It’s too easy to think something may work, and then lose everything along the way. My advice is market test, A/B test, get advisors, hire experts, and don’t invest a fortune. Leaving room and capital for mistakes is key to success.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

At Main & Rose, we believe that we are the design firm of the future. What sets us apart is that we’re intention-oriented and committed to working with impact-driven brands that truly make a difference in the world. We believe that commitment to diversity, inclusion and change starts internally, and we take great pride in being women-founded and women-led, with communities of color and LGBTQ people represented at our highest ranks. With offices around the globe, including in the Middle East where we have a strong female presence, we’re dedicated to building a team that is strengthened by our strong workplace culture, top management, and values-based brand.

I’m proud to say that Main & Rose is an award-winning global creative marketing agency that works with some of the leading brands and non-profits around the world, from the United Nations to YouTube and Disney. We run multinational branding, design and marketing campaigns that are values-based and evidence-driven, striking the balance between cutting-edge and time-tested, to harness the power of data and beauty of storytelling to shape and share a narrative that always puts our clients above the competition.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

We’re working on several exciting projects. Recently, our team was hired to design and launch a rebrand for Oceana, a stunning luxury hotel in California and the first Hilton LXR property in the United States. As a company, one of the industries we specialize in is the travel, real estate, and hospitality sector and we’re proud to take the lead on campaigns and initiatives that will help drive the evolution of the industry forward.

We also focus on governments and emerging global markets, and have a strong presence across the MENA region. We recently partnered with the United Nations to raise awareness around the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in support of the UN Agenda 2030. As we work to mobilize a new force of activists that’s largely focused on GenZ, we’re creating shareable grassroots campaigns to drive unprecedented change and measurable impact in the world.

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?

Brand marketing tells us the story, the mission, the underlying values of a brand, while product marketing should tell us what something is. Think about Nike, and its tagline “Just Do It.”and the iconic swoosh symbol. It’s brand marketing enables us to instantly recognize all Nike products because it’s constant. What makes it impactful is that the swoosh and tagline have remained the same, while promoting the company’s underlying mission around innovation and inspiration.

Yet, every year we see Nike release new products. Advertising and marketing enable Nike to continually change and evolve its products without having to change its original branding and mission.

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?

Building a brand doesn’t happen overnight. If done right, it can take years and may involve a large amount of investment in advertising, marketing, and design. While people often hear about a start-up company that “took off” over night or went viral, it’s important to know that that’s usually a one-in-a-million story. To establish a recognizable brand, it’s going to take time and investment. The reality is that any brand is going to have to compete with competitors that can spend millions of dollars more on marketing and advertising. To stand out, you’re going to have to realize the importance of strategically planning, building, and launching a campaign that helps you tell your story and sustain your brand.

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. Tell Your Brand Story Well: Most agencies and companies make a fatal mistake by focusing on new products and services, rather than the story behind the person making those products or services. My philosophy is based on the truth that humans have a natural urge to connect with people and want to share powerful stories. To build a trusted and authentic brand, focus on having a strong, relatable identity and brand story that resonates.

2. Focus on social good: Today, as our society is coming to terms with issues of racial and health injustice, viable brands must focus on goals beyond themselves. Since we launched our firm, we have made a commitment to help all of our clients pursue and share work in the social good space. When you show what you care about and how you are making the world better, you’ll establish yourself as a values-driven brand, consumers will respond and you and your employees will feel good while doing it.

3. Balance Timeless & Trendy: One of the toughest challenges for both new and old brands is figuring out how to offer a service or product that is trendy and current, but also feels classic and enduring. I advise my clients to study trends without copying them, which risks coming off as inauthentic, and is the quickest way to cause issues. I urge clients to find a balance between timeless values (reliability, creativity, honesty, service, e.g.) and more modern methods of branding (social media, video content, earned media, e.g.).

4. Create Communities: Brands are strengthened by having many enduring ties across customers and audiences. I encourage my clients to not only foster traditional relationships with their target audiences, but to also create communities centered around their personal brand, and a shared ethos or lifestyle. Create social media environments where your followers can interact and share their stories, or go offline and organize hikes, dinners, or retreats for your customers and your team. The point is to offer something more than just a product or a service — and in doing so, you can gain a major marketing advantage.

5. Be inclusive: For years, we have been saying that inclusion is the new golden rule of branding. Gender equality, diversity, and inclusion are not only morally important, they are also absolutely imperative to your brand if you want to succeed. Modern customers prize these values: regardless of what industry or market you’re in, any business leader who wants their company to be able to compete and thrive in the modern era needs to embrace the values of equality and inclusion. 21st-century clients and customers overwhelmingly consider these to be non-negotiables, particularly millennials, who grew up with a greater appreciation for diversity and tolerance. Inclusive brands will help your company tap into new markets and tend to financially outperform their less diverse counterparts, especially because they lead to better, faster, and more innovative thinking.

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?

There are so many unique brands that I have fallen in love with over the years. Some are smaller brands like Ila products, Aromatherapy Associates, TKEES, and Opal + Sage who I think have all done a beautiful job with their products, brand story, and more and have a loyal customer base which really speaks to their success.

In advertising, one generally measures success by the number of sales. How does one measure the success of a brand building campaign? Is it similar, is it different?

Advertising and branding go hand-in-hand, and sales also capture the success of branding. Like advertising, with any branding campaign, we can measure impressions, and base measurable impact on how a person views a branded campaign. Perception plays a huge role in the success of branding campaigns, and can impact loyalty, trust, and ultimately, the survival of a company.

What role does social media play in your branding efforts?

Social media plays a massive role in our branding efforts and understanding its value is key to our clients’ success. Many agencies today don’t understand how to use social media or how true creativity plays such a role for it to really “work.” The key is not simply consistency or even posting nice images, but rather, knowing your audience, it’s interests, and how to engage them. At Main & Rose, our clients count on us to advise and execute their social media and digital marketing strategies. Whether that means creating plans or posting daily, just as we do with creating a branded campaign, we prioritize strategic and creative thinking in order to truly understand a brand and its target.

What advice would you give to other marketers or business leaders to thrive and avoid burnout?

Thriving and burnout go hand-in-hand with mental health, which is something that’s personally close to my heart. Discussing my own experiences with mental health and the support systems I created has helped my team and business relationships grow. A challenge with working remotely that many organizations are facing today is identifying and managing the balance between work and home life. It can be very easy for the lines between personal/professional lives to blur and to create an expectation of being “always on” for your team, which leads to burnout quickly. As a leader, you set the tone for the rest of the team — so it’s important to be intentional about 1) setting appropriate expectations among the team that they aren’t expected to be dedicated their lives to working around the clock and 2) walking the talk and leading by example. If I am intentional about prioritizing my mental health and that of my team, they’ll follow that lead.

At Main & Rose, as a fully distributed and remote team due to the nature of our work, we’ve cultivated a transparent, open, and communicative culture that helps team members be seen and heard during challenging times — whether it’s about a personal or business matter. Several of our team members, including me, cite meditation as a key practice for success when it comes to taking a break. This break allows us to “turn-off” the noise, and thrive in our own controlled environment. In fact, many studies have proven meditation can increase productivity and even empathy. Taking time to practice wellness that can help relieve burnout can be as simple as taking a 20 minute walk every afternoon, or making time for an evening run or virtual yoga class. You’ll be happier, healthier, and have an easier time filtering out the chaos and finding the spark of inspiration you need to succeed during this challenging time.

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. 🙂

Luckily, the work I do each day involves building movements. Our clients are some of the most recognizable and impactful brands in the world. We’re honored to work with brands like The United Nations and TED and help build movements that drive monumental change, help spread innovative ideas, and inspire and impact millions of people.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and do that because what the world needs are people who have come alive.” — Howard Thurman

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. 🙂

There are so many people I would love to meet and who greatly inspire me. I’d love to sit down with Michelle Obama, Marc Benioff, and Rose Marcario, former CEO of Patagonia.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

I encourage you to follow everything Main & Rose is doing by visiting our website and our Twitter page.

https://www.main-rose.com/

https://twitter.com/mainandrose

Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethdoane/

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.


Beth Doane of Main & Rose: Five Things You Need To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Chris Nardone of Venture Music: Brand Makeovers; 5 Things You Should Do To Upgrade and Re-Energize…

Chris Nardone of Venture Music: Brand Makeovers; 5 Things You Should Do To Upgrade and Re-Energize Your Brand and Image

Start by clearly defining the “why’s” behind your brand. The goal is to zoom out as far as possible. Why are you in business in the first place? And why should people care about what you have to offer? We find a lot of times people haven’t forced themselves to really think through these questions. Once you start to dig in you’ll start fleshing out some important philosophical ideas that will inform the next steps.

As part of our series about “Brand Makeovers” I had the pleasure to interview Chris Nardone.

Nashville-based Chris Nardone is the CEO and founder of Venture Music. With a degree in finance from University of Georgia, Nardone always knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur. During his senior year, Nardone was one of the first students to be accepted into the school’s new Music Business program. This is where Nardone discovered he wanted to pursue a career in music and he has spent the last decade doing so. Right out of school, Nardone began managing and developing artists from Georgia, while spending a lot of time in Nashville. Eventually making the move to Music City, Nardone attended the EO’s Catalyst program at the Entrepreneur Center, led by legendary entrepreneur and teacher Michael Burcham, in an effort to find an innovative path in the music industry. Through the program, Nardone saw the opportunity to pivot from a traditional artist management firm to a trusted resource for creating and executing digital strategies. With an informed new business model and that mindset, Nardone built Venture Music into what it is today: a marketing collective developed to suit the ever changing needs of the music industry.

Thank you so much for doing this with us!

Of course! Thank y’all for the invite!

Before we dig in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit more. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Music has always been a constant obsession in my life. But for whatever reason my dream and obsession since childhood was to be an entrepreneur and start a company.

My senior year in college, I was about to graduate with a degree in Finance during the peak of the Great Recession in 2009. I wanted to follow my passion and skip all the job interviews ahead. I just had no idea what I actually wanted to do in the real world. A career in music had never crossed my mind. But around that time, I figured out the University of Georgia recently started a Music Business Program. I applied and the stars aligned. I had exactly the right number of elective hours left to complete the certificate program in my last two semesters.

A few months into my first semester, Alan Walden (co-founder of Capricorn Records) took the time to speak to our class. Looking back now, that lecture was life changing for me. Alan was candid with us and opened up about the early days of starting a record label (in Georgia of all places), finding and developing ground-,breaking talents like Otis Redding, Al Green, Percy Sledge, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and so many others… Hearing his story was the beginning of my motivation to pursue a career in music.

Can you share a story about the funniest marketing or branding mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

At this point, there are sooo many mistakes and embarrassing moments that it’s tough to keep up. Thankfully none of them have been significant enough to stick out. At least right now… That in itself is actually the most helpful advice I could offer. Dwelling on mistakes isn’t productive. Keeping those mistakes readily available in the memory bank isn’t productive for me either. Owning mistakes, accepting responsibility, learning how to improve, and then getting over the hurdle of embarrassment is a process that gets better with practice, in my experience.

Are you able to identify a “tipping point” in your career when you started to see success? Did you start doing anything different? Is there a takeaway or lesson that others can learn from that?

As a company, our tipping point has really come in the past year. We’d been experimenting with digital marketing strategies in the music industry for more than a decade but on a very small scale. We made a very conscious decision to take risks in building out our team in 2019. Each new addition to our team strengthened our ability to do great work, which then provided us more referrals and then supported our growth. Our team has grown from 3 to 9 in the past year, and our ability to work together is what’s allowed that in the first place.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

We’ve been working on a new program we’ll launch this Fall called Venture Academy. We set out to distill down the big picture experience and expertise we offer as music marketers into a 12-week online course. Our goal is to expand our reach and help give DIY self-starters in the music industry a useful template for what works in 2020. A lot of what we see out there now is either outdated or just not really useful in the real world.

What advice would you give to other marketers to thrive and avoid burnout?

My goal is to focus on the people. Not the work. We have a unique power as marketers. If you focus on using that power to connect people with things that make a positive impact in their life, the work can be incredibly fulfilling. I’m not sure I could ever get tired of that feeling.

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?

Music is a unique product. It’s always required a dynamic approach to marketing. Our clients and their customers (fans) have a deep emotional attachment to each other. We have to treat that relationship with more respect and integrity than a typical B2B 0r B2C relationship. We start by creating two funnels based on the size of the artist. Splitting up strategies between: brand marketing (creating awareness) and direct marketing (converting sales). It’s important to know when and how to push for sales conversions depending on the size of our client’s fanbase. With new acts, we might be 100% focused on brand marketing for months before we try to actually generate income.

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?

Branding is the one common denominator in everything we do. It’s always our starting point with every new project. A brand is a lot more than just a logo. I like to think of it as the feeling or story a customer has in their mind when deciding whether or not to click an ad or buy a product. If that story isn’t compelling, or ultimately isn’t in line with the client’s stated vision for the future, we know we need to regroup.

Let’s now talk about rebranding. What are a few reasons why a company would consider rebranding?

We usually have some sort of rebranding conversation with every new project. Artistic brands are always evolving to some degree, but it’s important to keep certain constants when it comes to the name or core personality. Doing a total rebrand is a unique opportunity to start fresh with a clean slate. Sometimes it’s an extremely useful tool to have in the arsenal.

Are there downsides of rebranding? Are there companies that you would advise against doing a “Brand Makeover”? Why?

Doing a total brand makeover can be a huge setback or at its worst, a total catastrophe. In most cases, there’s no easy way to convert existing followers or customers. Using a successful artist or band as an example. Simply changing the name can throw off trajectory for years, and sometimes indefinitely. So, it’s important to create a clear plan and then commit to a total brand makeover.

Ok, here is the main question of our discussion. Can you share 5 strategies that a company can do to upgrade and re-energize their brand and image”? Please tell us a story or an example for each.

Start by clearly defining the “why’s” behind your brand.

  • The goal is to zoom out as far as possible. Why are you in business in the first place? And why should people care about what you have to offer? We find a lot of times people haven’t forced themselves to really think through these questions. Once you start to dig in you’ll start fleshing out some important philosophical ideas that will inform the next steps.

Define your target audience by creating hypothetical personas.

  • Creating hypothetical characters to define your target audience will do wonders for maintaining a clear idea of who your customers are. We like to give them a name, “Jamie is a sophomore at UT in Austin.” Then the goal is to be as descriptive as possible. Create multiple personas to give a more well-rounded picture of your audience.

Research similar brands both you and your target audience respect.

  • For me, understanding the success of other similar brands is the only way to start defining a clear template for a new brand. It’s important not to imitate. Put in the work to figure out what works and why. Then borrow bits and pieces of what you like from as wide a range as possible.

Hire outside help when you can afford it.

  • It’s easy to get stuck when you and your team are working to retool your own brand. We’ve hit a handful of roadblocks like this as a team in the past. A lot of times, we’re just too close to the work, and we need a fresh outside perspective to help bring it all together.
  • The good news is, working through steps 1–3 first will provide someone outside your organization with a clear template of what you’re looking for. That will ensure you’ve found the right person for the job and can keep the cost to a minimum.

Stay committed to the plan.

  • Flipping a switch with a logo or a new website happens in an instant. Re-energizing the story behind a brand is a process that can take months or years. Commit to the process. Be open to feedback and be willing to pivot along the way.

In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job doing a “Brand Makeover”. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?

Netflix is a great company to use as a case study. The way they successfully managed the real-world execution of a brand makeover on that scale is so rare. Long story short, in 2011 Netflix had come up with a plan to prepare for the future and split up into two services: Netflix would become an online streaming service, and their existing DVD by mail subscription service would be renamed Qwikster. The backlash that ensued threatened to bankrupt the entire company. Instead, they listened to feedback, retooled their plans, and persevered to success.

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 still be focused on music! A great song can unite people and inspire change in ways that are kind of unparalleled. When you combine that with the power an artist has to use their voice and be a leader, incredible things can happen.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Control your controllables.” Honestly not even sure where I learned it at this point… I should probably figure that out, because it’s really the foundation of everything we do now. We have to trust that if we focus on doing great work, great things will happen. There are 100 different ways that something could go wrong (i.e. a global pandemic). If we choose to let those uncontrollable factors distract us, or discourage us, we won’t be able to focus on being our best.

How can our readers follow you online?

www.venturemusic.com/blog

www.facebook.com/venture

www.instagram.com/venture

Thank you so much for these excellent insights! We wish you continued success in your work.

Thank YOU!


Chris Nardone of Venture Music: Brand Makeovers; 5 Things You Should Do To Upgrade and Re-Energize… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Nikola Baldikov of Brosix: 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team

It all starts with leading by example. As a manager you play a crucial role in setting the right expectations. Too many businesses don’t practice what they preach, saying that they care about a healthy work environment and then constantly making unreasonable demands of their employees, for example. You should also provide ample time and space for employees to share how they’re coping with remote work. People want to be heard and have their concerns validated, which can be tricky in a remote environment.

As a part of our series about the five things you need to successfully manage a remote team, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nikola Baldikov.

Nikola Baldikov is a Digital Marketing Manager at Brosix, specializing in SAAS marketing, SEO, and outreach strategies. Besides his passion for digital marketing, he is an avid fan of football and loves to dance. Connect with him on LinkedIn or Twitter at @baldikovn.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. What is your “backstory”?

I began my professional career working in the National Bank of Bulgaria, my home country. During that time I decided to launch my own company selling unique t-shirts as a side job. I quickly had to develop marketing skills and contacts, and I had some great experiences working with influencers. Of course at the time I didn’t know them as influencers, since the term hadn’t become popular yet, but nevertheless we did some excellent marketing work together. It was exciting to find ways to advertise products that I cared passionately about. To this day I’m very proud of the experience that I gained through this business. In the end it set me on a completely different career path in the field of digital marketing.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

It’s difficult to pin down one story in particular, but the most interesting aspect of my career has certainly been building friendships and partnerships with people around the world. Through this I’ve gained a global perspective, and gotten to know some amazing people.

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 early days, when I launched my first business while working another job, I was so excited about my education and participating in as many online courses as possible that I went to work every morning exhausted. Looking back, this led to some humorous situations and mixups. If I had to start over, I’d try to spread this education over a longer period of time in order to find the right balance. I realize that when I’m tired I’m not able to retain as much information and my learning suffers, which is the case for most people.

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive and avoid burnout?

Burnout is a challenging issue, but it’s important to understand that it can have numerous causes. Most managers try to jump into solution mode when they notice that their employees are experiencing burnout, without actually diagnosing the underlying problem. At times it may be that there really is too much work to be done, in which case there are several things a manager can do to address this. More often though, burnout comes from an internal drive within employees to constantly do more and more. This is a sign that employees care deeply about their work, but it’s not sustainable in the long run. In order to address this it’s important for CEOs and founders to set the right personal example and send the right messages. You can’t preach work-life balance and expect employees to achieve this when you yourself are working 14 hour days. Instead, lead by example and make real resources available to support employees in their quest for balance.

Ok, let’s jump to the core of our interview. Some companies have many years of experience with managing a remote team. Others have just started this, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you tell us how many years of experience you have managing remote teams?

I’ve been managing a remote marketing team for over 5 years now. At different times my colleagues have been located in multiple countries across several time zones.

Managing a team remotely can be very different than managing a team that is in front of you. Can you articulate for our readers what the five main challenges are regarding managing a remote team? Can you give a story or example for each?

Supervising employee work

Working remotely means that you’re not able to keep an eye on things as easily as working from an office. When working from an office it’s simple enough to pop into an employee’s room to ask a quick question or get a quick update on a task. Not so much when working remotely.

Maintaining employee engagement

Many employees, particularly those new to remote work, find it difficult to stay connected and engaged with their colleagues. I’ve noticed that there’s an initial period of excitement when beginning remote work, with numerous things like virtual happy hours and get togethers. With time though, this engagement usually falls off.

Encouraging innovation and creativity

Humans are social creatures that thrive on in-person interaction. For me personally my best ideas come through discussions I have with colleagues. When working remotely it can be difficult to replicate this creative energy.

Keeping track of complex projects

Remote work requires a high level of independence. It also requires the ability to stay on top of complex projects involving multiple colleagues from a distance. This is much easier to do when working side by side in an office space.

Developing organizational culture

Much like engagement, alignment around an organizational culture can also be difficult in a remote work set up.

Based on your experience, what can one do to address or redress each of those challenges?

Addressing all of these challenges requires 3 main things in my experience: the commitment to change, a plan to change, and the right tools to implement the change.

Supervising employee work

There are some technical solutions to online supervision, but it needs to be grounded in mutual respect and understanding for it to be effective. It’s important to have honest conversations with remote employees around how exactly your management style will look. Of course these shouldn’t be one-sided conversations, so take time to listen to your employee’s needs as well. In terms of specific recommendations, I’d encourage more frequent check-ins in order to keep track of progress and act as a thought partner as needed.

Maintaining employee engagement

When working remotely you need to make a conscious effort to keep your team engaged. One fun strategy I’ve used is having 30 minute happy hour type meetings several times a week where, on a rotational basis, team members lead the team in an activity. We’ve done yoga, drawing, cooking, etc. This was a great way of boosting team engagement when I noticed that it was dropping by reconnecting colleagues remotely.

Encouraging innovation and creativity

The most important thing you can do to encourage innovation and creativity in your remote team is to create the right setting for it. That means finding a way to connect your team and equip them with the tools they need to brainstorm and plan. There are several team communication solutions that can help in this regard, but it takes a manager to set these types of interactions as a priority.

Keeping track of complex projects

This is a challenge that requires a technical solution in my experience. There are a wide range of project management software solutions on the market, so it’s a matter of choosing one that works for you and your team. In an ideal world you could test out several options together before making a final choice. This will ensure greater buy in from your team.

Developing organizational culture

Organizational culture is a complex issue, even when your team is working from the same office. The best thing you can do when working from a remote team is to set up some ongoing routines that reinforce the type of culture you want. For example, setting aside time at team meetings where team members can celebrate success or thank a colleague, or sending out a weekly round-up email that highlights good examples of your organizational values.

In my experience, one of the trickiest parts of managing a remote team is giving honest feedback, in a way that doesn’t come across as too harsh. 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. Can you give a few suggestions about how to best give constructive criticism to a remote employee?

First off, I’d say you shouldn’t give high stakes feedback via email or instant message if possible. Reading feedback in such a message leaves too many things open to interpretation, and discourages dialogue. That’s why I always try to give constructive feedback using video calls. I want to be able to establish a visual connection with my employee, even if from a distance. This makes feedback much more personal and sends the message that you’re there to support your employee. I also make sure to set aside time during online team meetings to give positive feedback publicly. Celebrating good work is something the entire team should do as a way to develop positive team culture.

Can you specifically address how to give constructive feedback over email? How do you prevent the email from sounding too critical or harsh?

As mentioned above, I try to give constructive feedback ‘in person’ via video calls as much as possible. When I do have to give such feedback over email, which happens from time to time in urgent cases, I always try to depersonalize it and present the facts as they are. I start off by stating that I’m not giving this feedback in order to pass judgement on the employee, but rather to address a specific situation and align our expectations. I then outline objectively the facts of the situation, and describe how exactly this didn’t meet my and the team’s expectations. I then always present a way forward with concrete actions that the employee should take. I finish by mentioning something that I think the employee’s done well recently in order to reaffirm that I value them as a colleague.

Can you share any suggestions for teams who are used to working together on location but are forced to work remotely due to the pandemic. Are there potential obstacles one should avoid with a team that is just getting used to working remotely?

The most important thing is to be kind and supportive of one another. Such a sudden transition is difficult, and it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to pull it off completely smoothly. On my team, for example, I had employees who also had to deal with their children’s education due to school shutdowns. It’s important to discuss these challenges openly in a non-judgmental way.

I’d also recommend setting up a clear collaboration and engagement structure from the very beginning. This may mean setting up weekly team meetings on Monday morning, scheduling one-on-one check-in meetings, and setting aside some time for informal get togethers. Many people struggle with the lack of structure that can be present in remote work, so make this a top priority.

What do you suggest can be done to create a healthy and empowering work culture with a team that is remote and not physically together?

It all starts with leading by example. As a manager you play a crucial role in setting the right expectations. Too many businesses don’t practice what they preach, saying that they care about a healthy work environment and then constantly making unreasonable demands of their employees, for example. You should also provide ample time and space for employees to share how they’re coping with remote work. People want to be heard and have their concerns validated, which can be tricky in a remote environment.

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’ve been thinking a lot about environmental issues recently. Even with the world’s attention rightfully focused on the COVID-19 crisis, there’s a looming environmental crisis out there. I’d really like to see more proactive leadership in this area among the business community mch beyond simple green initiatives. I think we need to harness our creative energy to really think through some of the tough questions around the environment, like how do we ensure a high quality of life while also protecting the environment.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I’m a big fan of the quote: “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced” by the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. It’s been a good reminder to open myself up to new experiences and not always focus on the next task ahead.

Thank you for these great insights!


Nikola Baldikov of Brosix: 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Kyle Nakatsuji of Clearcover: Rising Through Resilience; Five Things You Can Do To Become More…

Kyle Nakatsuji of Clearcover: Rising Through Resilience; Five Things You Can Do To Become More Resilient

You must have the courage to keep moving forward when things are hard, and you have to be resourceful to find a path when it’s hidden. Courage isn’t the lack of fear. It’s the choice to override the fear. Couple that with the unflappable persistence to find a solution and that’s resilience made tangible.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Kyle Nakatsuji, Co-founder and CEO of Clearcover.

Kyle is the co-founder and CEO of Clearcover, the smarter car insurance company. Under Kyle’s leadership, Clearcover has raised more than $104 million to date and has launched in multiple markets — California, Illinois, Arizona, Ohio, Utah, Texas, Wisconsin, Louisiana with more on the way. Before founding Clearcover, Kyle was a founding member of American Family Ventures where he was responsible for sourcing, evaluating and structuring over 50 equity and debt venture capital investments in nationally-based tech startups. Prior to this role, Kyle was a corporate attorney focused on emerging company business matters at AlphaTech Counsel. Kyle has a law degree and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin.

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?

Like many entrepreneurs, I was unsure of my exact future after getting my BA in Political Science at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. I had grown up in Milwaukee and I was lucky to have the support to explore my options while majoring in Political Science. I “tried out” law school post-graduation but quickly realized that wasn’t the right fit. After looking around for ways to increase my career options (and apparently, not very hard), the business school just across the street caught my attention.

So, I went across the street and said, “I’m a law student. I’d like to get an MBA as well.” They said, “Great. So, tell me how many years of work experience have you had?” I said, “Well, none.” They said, “Okay. Tell me about how many business courses you’ve taken and what you’ve learned.” I said, “I actually haven’t taken any business courses.”

So they said very nicely as Midwesterners do, “Well, why don’t you go away?.”

But I kept coming back week after week to a kind woman there, Erin Nickelsberg, who listened to me week after week with a new plan as to how I could convince them to let me in the business school. Finally, either I came up with the right plan or she got sufficiently sick of me because I was finally accepted. From there, I spent a bunch of time trying to get real-world business start-up experience. Primarily, through clinical programs at the university where I could work hand-in-hand with local startups and learn the ropes in real-time. Which is a great segue into your next question…

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful to who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

My success so far has been dependent on many people…Erin Nickelsberg mentioned above — she took a chance on me. Peter Gunder who hired me to help start the VC fund at American Family. I had very little experience but he believed in me, and that really started everything. He eventually became Clearcover’s first Board Member and Investor. I’m grateful to my co-founder, Derek Brigham who took a very big chance on helping me start the company and lending his 30+ years of insurance experience. I’m also grateful to Clearcover’s first employee (our “first follower”), Clearcover’s first customer — actually every customer ever — these are the people that brought Clearcover into existence.

However, I can’t answer this question without acknowledging my mom. She raised me in challenging circumstances while also working as an administrative leader in the local school district. She helped improve schooling in our town while also balancing the demands of being a great mom. She provided the right amount of structure and freedom to teach me the value of pursuing hard goals. There’s absolutely no way I’d be who I am today without her as a role model.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

If we aren’t making our customers’ lives easier than we aren’t standing out in the way that matters. We founded Clearcover with the mission to help digitally-native consumers have a fully digital insurance company that understood their needs (which includes paying less for great coverage.)

Given our age, we’ve had the benefit of access to the latest technologies like the cloud and AI to build a convenient, personalized, and mobile-first experience. You can do everything you need to do with your car insurance policy (make payments, file a claim, chat with our Customer Advocates, etc.) on your phone. We measure our success by the efficiency of our processes so our customers can enjoy quality, convenience, and cost-savings. For example, close to 85% of our policy sales occur unassisted online. We’ve also adjusted 96% of our PD claims virtually — helping most customers to be repaid in 2 business days. Our customer satisfaction score hovers around a 95% so we feel good about what we’ve built so far but we have so much more to do.

Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of this interview. We would like to explore and flesh out the trait of resilience. How would you define resilience? What do you believe are the characteristics or traits of resilient people?

Great question. It’s a trait that’s been important throughout all of history. From my perspective, it’s the ability to keep going when the majority of other people would quit. This ability consists of two characteristics; courage and resourcefulness. You must have the courage to keep moving forward when things are hard, and you have to be resourceful to find a path when it’s hidden. Courage isn’t the lack of fear. It’s the choice to override the fear. Couple that with the unflappable persistence to find a solution and that’s resilience made tangible.

When you think of resilience, which person comes to mind? Can you explain why you chose that person?

It’s never just one person, it’s so many people. It’s the unsung, silent heroes out there who work multiple jobs, get up early, go to bed late, and do hard things to keep others healthy and safe. This could be the single parent, the frontline nurse, or our sanitation workers. People in tech tend to get credit for doing hard things and being resilient, but I think there are millions of resilient people doing amazing things every day that deserve that attention too.

Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us?

There’s been a few times but the one that’s most relevant to Clearcover happened in 2016. After spending months ruminating, I took a risk to pitch the idea to my boss at American Family. I’ll never forget his face as he responded with obvious hesitation, “So you want to start a competitor in a market where the top four leaders spend a combined $6B on advertising every year? And you want to spend barely any money on advertising to instead focus on experience?”

From there, I’ve heard ‘You’re crazy’ at least over 100 times. Between car insurance being dominated by massive competitors, a tough regulatory market, and predictions (now outdated) that autonomous cars will eliminate the need for car insurance, the odds were not in my favor. But that’s generally how the biggest opportunities work, right?

Did you have a time in your life where you had one of your greatest setbacks, but you bounced back from it stronger than ever? Can you share that story with us?

I can share a setback from two years ago…I don’t know if it caused me to bounce back stronger per se but it certainly made me more resilient.

Clearcover first launched insurance in California. With most products, including insurance, it takes a bit of time to understand if it’s going well — is pricing correct? Is market demand there? In less than 90 days, we had over 1500 new customers and we felt great. But we were growing too fast and in danger of running out of funding. We needed to raise a Series B..and fast.

Tomasz Tunguz at Redpoint VC once said a Series B funding is the most challenging round for a startup company and it’s very true. It’s a delicate balance of having enough proof to show the company is worth funding but not so much ‘proof’ that you’re about to grow yourself into bankruptcy.

After about 15 ‘no’s’ in a row, I had to admit to myself (and my board) that I wasn’t going to be able to raise the round in time. That was a tough conversation. American Family stepped up to help us close the new round of funding with the addition of two new investors — Cox and Hyde Park Angels.

Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share a story?

Hmm, I have many experiences from growing up and learning from my parents. One that stands out for me happened during my senior year of high school.

During the first play of the first football game of my senior year, I tore my ACL. It was the second time in two years I tore the ACL in that knee, and it was clear that I should take the season off to heal. But football was my life at the time — I had spent most of the last six years preparing for this season and how it could launch my college career. And more importantly, our team had worked hard to prepare for the season and were relying on me to be there. I didn’t want to let them down.

So, my parents and doctors put the power to make the decision in my hands — keep playing through the pain or take a break. That was a moment where my resilience was tested — was I willing to do the nearly impossible for an accomplishment that I wanted more than anything? I decided to play the remainder of the season on a torn ACL — trying to make it through each game and help the team as much as possible.

At the end of the day, I don’t know if this was a great choice. But I don’t regret it. And having the choice itself demonstrates how my parents created a place for me to learn that life doesn’t hand you anything. You have to work for it. That’s a mindset I bring to Clearcover every day.

Resilience is like a muscle that can be strengthened. In your opinion, what are the 5 steps that someone can take to become more resilient? Please share a story or an example for each.

Just 5 clear steps would be ideal but life is a bit messier than that. Everyone has to create their own steps to becoming more resilient because each individual is faced with unique challenges. Overall, my advice would be to keep choosing to do things that scare you and do it often. The more confidence you can build in your ability to actually ‘do the thing’, your own efficacy will grow and you’ll inherently become stronger.

As a start-up, Clearcover has faced many challenges in our last four years including a few catastrophic ones. None have been as challenging as maintaining our business through COVID-19 though. And one of the major reasons that we were able to survive as a business (in addition to good fortune and a supportive board) is that our team had already been tested time and time again. We’ve faced our fear before; resilience is coded into our culture. We’re still working to survive the impact of the pandemic but I’m confident in my team because they’re confident in themselves.

We are blessed that some 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 with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them 🙂

How do I choose just one? It’s a long list…Warren Buffett, Mary Barra, Jeff Bezos, Serena Williams, Tricia Griffith, Jay-Z…if I had to choose, it’d likely be Jay-Z. I’ve always admired his work, both in music and business. He says it better than I…“Only two things can get you through this: that’s patience and persistence.”

How can our readers follow you on social media?

@clearcover

@Kylenakatsuji


Kyle Nakatsuji of Clearcover: Rising Through Resilience; Five Things You Can Do To Become More… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Randall Popelka of Herbalife Nutrition & Erik Cooke of Feed the Children: Rising Through…

Randall Popelka of Herbalife Nutrition & Erik Cooke of Feed the Children: Rising Through Resilience; Five Things You Can Do To Become More Resilient

I realize our history doesn’t suit everybody’s narrative but don’t try to rewrite history — learn from our history. The founding, creation and growth of our country is the ultimate story of resilience. Through our high and low points, we learn from our past. We are one people — one country — let’s start living that way. If you don’t like your current situation, change your situation — don’t rely on governments to change it for you. This country is based on the fundamental “Equality for All”! Take charge!

I had the pleasure of interviewing Randall Popelka, Vice President of Government Affairs at Herbalife Nutrition and Erik Cooke, Government Relations and Government Business Development, Feed the Children.

Randall Popelka serves as vice president of Global Government Affairs at Herbalife Nutrition. Based in Washington D.C., he works on a variety of policy issues for the company with the U.S. and foreign governments. He is also responsible for managing industry relations, helping ensure Herbalife Nutrition continues its industry leadership role in advancing healthy, active lifestyles, balanced nutrition; and financial empowerment.

Prior to joining Herbalife Nutrition, Mr. Popelka worked in the U.S. Senate for over 12 years as a policy advisor and legislative director for two U.S. Senators. While working in the U.S. Senate, he was responsible for providing policy guidance on multiple issues including tax, trade, technology, economic development, transportation and science related topics.

Following his work in the legislative branch, Popelka moved from Capitol Hill to the Executive Branch where he was appointed by President Bush as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Commerce during the tenure of Secretary Carlos Gutierrez. While at the Department of Commerce, Popelka focused on trade and technology related issues including U.S. free trade agreements with Panama, Peru, Colombia and South Korea. He also worked with the Department’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), a law enforcement agency dedicated to exposing waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars. His role included establishing an Office of External Affairs and working with Congress, other Federal agencies and the media to provide awareness and transparency of OIG products.

Popelka is a native of the state of Montana and holds a degree from Montana State University.

Erik Cooke heads government relations and government business development for Feed the Children, a nonprofit dedicated to ending hunger in the United States and around the world. Prior to that, he led government business development for Easterseals, one of the country’s largest disability service providers. For many years, Erik has taught a popular course at American University on theories of democracy and human rights. Past assignments in the nonprofit and government sectors include the U.S. Senate, Witness for Peace, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, the International Scholar Laureate Program, political campaigns, and a fellowship at the Center for the Study of the Presidency. He is also active in local mentoring programs and community gardens. Erik holds degrees in government and international politics from George Mason University and comparative politics from American University.

Thank you so much for joining us Eric and Randall! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your backstory?

The path to my current position was mostly influenced from my work in the Legislative and Executive Branches of our U.S. Government. My career has been focused on addressing challenges for business growth and opportunities — promoting jobs and economic development for Americans on a domestic and international level. In my current position, I use those skills to promote Herbalife Nutrition’s mission — ensuring our business model can succeed in a manner that protects our consumers, promotes our great product and creates awareness to issues related to food security and hunger.

(EC) I actually started in the mail room on Capitol Hill. Back then in Congress, the entry level staff members were called Staff Assistants. I had a range of jobs, all at once, from driving the senator, opening the mail, fixing the computers, and whatever else needed to be done. After that, I had a few other political and Hill jobs before moving to nonprofits and education. Even years later, running a team on a campaign, at a university, or in a nonprofit office, I’ve always wanted to know what everyone was doing so that I could jump in and help if needed.

Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?

(RP) It’s really a culmination of my career — mostly working on Capitol Hill. Many leaders of all backgrounds came through the office to meet with the elected officials I worked for. It was those meetings that I learned how legislation and regulations impacted our economy, jobs, the daily lives of our fellow citizens. This input was important. The legislative process is incomplete without it.

(EC) One of the most memorable moments to me was years ago, when I brought my son in for take your kids to work day. He was four years old. He wore a collared shirt and tie. He walked around to everyone’s desk and asked them what they did. When he came back to me, he said that I must work with very important people because they all were all very happy to be there. Then he told me that I must have an important job because I help to make them happy. There aren’t many days when I don’t pause and remember that.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

(RP) Herbalife Nutrition is really two companies in one — the company is a direct selling company in which independent contractors — called distributors — create their own business and sell the product — the best part of this business model is that the distributors are consumers of the product so not only do they know the product, they can also work with consumers to help them meet their weight management goals. The other half of the company is defined by the product proven and refined over the last 40 years. Our biggest advantage is our quality control. Combining the high touch of the business model with the great product and the proof is in the results! We all know how difficult it is to stay motivated — eat healthy, exercise regularly. When you belong to a community of like-minded people using a common product, it’s amazing to see the energy and results! I’ve met several of our distributors over the years and they all carry a level of charisma and enthusiasm you won’t ever find in any retail store. They are amazing!

(EC) Feed the Children is a unique entity. Most of our peer organizations are based on the coasts and specialize in either domestic work or international work. At Feed the Children, our mission leads us to work in both domains, and with the perspective of an organization from the heartland. I’m not saying that’s better, but it is unique, and I remind my team and the folks we lobby of the distinctive value that we bring to whatever we’re working on.

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?

(RP) I’m most grateful to those I’ve worked with who understand the value of real leadership and are confident enough to encourage self-motivation and drive within their teams. If you have good people working on your team and provide a collaborative foundation for them to do their job, the gears turn!

(EC) That’s hard to answer, only because there are so many people who have given me a needed boost in career and life. I’d say that my friend, Liz Ching, who helped run the district office for my US Senator and helped me get my first job in Washington is maybe the most pivotal. I was a very young 20 years old and leaving my coffee shop job to work with a photographer. Liz enthusiastically pressed me into service to work for the Senator in Washington. It all had to come together in a few days, and it did! I moved to DC, sight unseen, and have happily been here for more than 20 years. I always try to emulate that enthusiastic encouragement with others. There’s something about just being someone’s cheerleader that can give them the needed margin of courage to change their lives.

Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of this interview. We would like to explore and flesh out the trait of resilience. How would you define resilience? What do you believe are the characteristics or traits of resilient people?

(RP) Resilience is a necessity in the world of politics. Thick skin required. It’s my job to work with anybody and everybody — Republicans and Democrats alike — I leave my personal beliefs and opinions at home. Authenticity is also important — if you can’t understand and see the empathy in another party’s plight, you’ll not be taken seriously in today’s environment. In my perfect world, there are no real losers — but there’s always a path to common ground.

(EC) I don’t think that resilience is a single thing. There is the resilience that shows up as an individual’s ability to recover and face challenges. And oftentimes that’s as far as we think of the idea. It’s all on the individual. But I also think we need to pay much more attention to how our communities, policies and systems support people and their resilience. On an individual level, we can see how some people are like rubber bands — they snap right back. That’s wonderful and we should encourage and honor that. But we often attribute resilience or its absence solely to individuals, and that’s usually misleading. What about their starting line, what about their upbringing, what about the support they get that helps them develop that resilience? That’s why our work at Feed the Children is critical. Our starting point is that in order for kids to thrive and grow into resilient, strong adults they need some basics covered. Food, educational supplies, role models, support when disaster strikes. The fact that they might not have enough of those things is no fault of theirs as individuals, yet those are critical ingredients to their long-term resilience. Only once people have what they need — food, security, love and support — does it make sense to start talking about building individual resilience.

When you think of resilience, which person comes to mind? Can you explain why you chose that person?

(RP) Not trying to seize on our current social environment but I believe resilience is ultimately defined by Martin Luther King Jr. I mean, given the mountain he climbed and overcame in the face of such fierce division and intolerance. And, in retrospect, he did it for all of humanity, not just a race. He was focused, used his platform with integrity, all while promoting a peaceful approach to change. Patience is a virtue for most but for King, it was his foundation.

(EC) In truth, no single person holds this title for me. When you look for it you see it everywhere — like when you buy a new car and see it everywhere. There are a lot of famous folks — Malala, Robin Roberts, Gabby Giffords. But I also think of moms on the train wrangling kids and your coworker who’s well beyond retirement age. I do have a very personal hero, a cousin who has since passed away. He was born severely autistic and approached every day as an opportunity, as though he had the right to be there. It’s not that he never got frustrated or was always happy, but he approached every day ready to give it another shot. Despite all the challenges that he lived with every day — dietary, medications, speech difficulties — he never gave up on grabbing every day with both hands. It’s the only sensible way to be, and I sometimes remind myself that I’m using excuses not to try that my cousin never would.

Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us?

(RP) I find many people are generally quick to criticize and take a negative approach to life. It’s just more difficult for people to think positive and respond with encouragement. I try to make this my goal — be positive. Give everybody a chance to succeed. That’s particularly true where politics, policy and advocacy intersect. You can’t just read a textbook to understand Capitol Hill, you need to experience it. Once you do, you’ll realize there is no one single solution to any problem — not only are the many solutions but the solutions are always evolving.

(EC) I’m incredibly lucky to have had support throughout my life. Especially from my parents, they held me close enough to support me but not so close that I didn’t have to do the work. I will say that there were times when I saw a collective head-scratching from my friends and family, especially early in my career. When I first came to Washington and for several years, I had not completed college. I remember that following the 2000 political campaign, during which I worked in my home state, I decided to return to DC and then find a job. I had to regularly reassure my family that I would be okay. Until I actually had a job, I don’t think that they were sure. I may have been overconfident, but their support and love allowed me the room to take that risk.

Did you have a time in your life where you had one of your greatest setbacks, but you bounced back from it stronger than ever? Can you share that story with us?

(RP) In a former role, I was terminated as part of an M&A process in which my office was eliminated. It was devastating as it all happened so quickly. Totally out of my control. However, I realized I had no choice but to move forward — I started interviewing for multiple positions while consulting for former clients who were seeking assistance — four months later I was offered a position with two different organizations — I accepted the position with Herbalife Nutrition.

(EC) We all face setbacks all the time. It just depends on how we remember them. Were they the times that we got cheated or failed, or were they the times in which we learned and showed ourselves that we would try again in spite of getting knocked down? Just to pick one — several years ago I fell and broke my kneecap, which was a much more difficult recovery than I would have imagined. On top of that, in the course of my care my doctor accidentally broke it again, extending my recovery. It took me years of therapy, training, and practice to recover. In the course of that recovery, I realized that I didn’t want to just return to how I was before, but to improve. So, I continued my training and rediscovered running. Today I regularly run races and am in better condition than ever before. It’s turned out to be such a critical practice, and running has been my lifeline during a period of personal turmoil over the past couple of years.

Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share a story?

(RP) I grew up on a cattle ranch in the middle of nowhere in Montana. So yes, I have a story or two about resilience. We hunted for our food — big game animals like deer and elk — it was what we did — it was how we were raised. Harvesting the animal is only half the battle. Getting the animal off the mountain is always the other half.

(EC) I think that one of the most formative aspects of my childhood was being born with a cleft palate. I was incredibly lucky to have the parents I have and to receive excellent medical care and therapy, but through the course of that part of my childhood, I had to regularly confront surgery and medical appointments, speech impediments, my body image, pain management, and occasional childhood bullying. There was something about grappling with my life and the world, with the support of my wonderful parents, that gave me a strong training ground for dealing with the challenges in life. I remember my dad telling me when I was 17 and aging out of the state service system that we met with the plastic surgeon who reconstructed my face when I was young. The surgeon — a wonderful guy — asked me if I wanted any additional reconstruction of nose and lip to further subdue the evidence of my cleft. The care would be covered at no cost to my family and the doctor assured me that no one would ever know that I had a cleft palate. According to Dad, I calmly and confidently told him that I was happy with how I looked and didn’t need the surgery. Dad told me that was the day he was proudest of me and knew that he raised a strong child. I carry that with me every day.

Resilience is like a muscle that can be strengthened. In your opinion, what are 5 steps that someone can take to become more resilient? Please share a story or an example for each.

(RP)

  1. Listen and learn from other people — people want to talk about themselves and share their experience and guidance. Your job is to take the best. I say that to my children — watch your parents, learn from your parents: adopt those traits you admire and learn from those you don’t.
  2. If you are hired for a job, do your job but find ways to expand your job description. Do the work that others won’t do or don’t want to do. That’s the guy who stands out.
  3. Read a book. Stop watching You Tube and Tik Tok. You know who you are….
  4. Be patient and flexible — learn to adapt — your ability to adapt is your key to success. During my career, I’ve had my share of managers who didn’t know how to manage. It’s better to adapt and help those managers become better at what they do than to resist. And if that doesn’t work, take them hiking in the mountains and push them off a cliff.
  5. Always be positive! Negativity is paralyzing not only for you but for your team.

(EC) I believe the first step has to be recognizing that life will often be hard, unfair, or otherwise defy your expectations. Once you accept that, then you have decisions to make. Will you let your circumstances define you? Will you keep trying? Will you accept the support of people around you? What is worth doing even when things don’t go your way? Adversity can be refining. If you can smile in the face of unkindness, if you can be a good friend even after not having one, if you can keep practicing your craft even when you know you aren’t good, then you will become a better version of yourself.

I had a student several years ago whose first language wasn’t English. He was very frustrated in expressing himself in class and in his writing. Early on in the semester, he came to my office and shared his disappointment and fear that he was going to fail. I felt his pain, and especially because he had very sophisticated and original thinking that he really wanted to express. At some point, after coming into visit me regularly, he said basically, I’m not good at communicating in English and I need to get better. What was remarkable was that you could see the emotional clouds had cleared and he was stating a fact. We identified a number of resources, including ESL writing, an academic tutor, and a writing support group. He was basically working the equivalent of a part-time job to improve his English writing. By the end of the course, not only did he have one of the best term papers but had applied for and received several scholarships for grad school. It was such a joy to witness that transformation.

You are both people 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. 🙂

(RP) Learning U.S. history. I realize our history doesn’t suit everybody’s narrative but don’t try to rewrite history — learn from our history. The founding, creation and growth of our country is the ultimate story of resilience. Through our high and low points, we learn from our past. We are one people — one country — let’s start living that way. If you don’t like your current situation, change your situation — don’t rely on governments to change it for you. This country is based on the fundamental “Equality for All”! Take charge!

(EC) I vote with my work. Organizations such as Feed the Children that support children and vulnerable people help make society live its values. I believe we’re judged by how we care for the most vulnerable among us.

We are blessed that some 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 with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them 🙂

(RP) Dwight Schrute

(EC) How do you choose one person? I love to talk with artists and creators about what inspires their work. I would have wanted to meet the late Octavia Butler, who was a pioneer in science fiction. Currently, I would have to say the inimitable Tawny Newsome, who is a force of nature. I don’t know how she has time to be incredible across all the media that she’s on — recording artist, podcaster, actor. She proves the power of comedy and art as a voice of clarity. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend anything she’s in.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

(RP) iamherbalifenutrition.com

(EC)

  • Facebook: @feedthechildren
  • Twitter: @erikwcooke and @feedthechildren
  • Instagram: @feedthechildrenorg


Randall Popelka of Herbalife Nutrition & Erik Cooke of Feed the Children: Rising Through… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Author Deb Boelkes: 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team

Heartfelt leaders inspire everyone to be the best they can be. Heartfelt leaders strive to align the personal goals and career visions of each team member with the goals and vision of the organization.

As a part of our series about the five things you need to successfully manage a remote team, I had the pleasure of interviewing Deb Boelkes.

Deb is the founder of the leadership development firm Business World Rising, LLC. She is also the award-winning author of The WOW Factor Workplace: How to Create a Best Place to Work Culture and Heartfelt Leadership: How to Capture the Top Spot and Keep on Soaring .

Deb is not just a role model heartfelt leader; she’s the ultimate authority on creating best places to work, with 25+ years in Fortune 150 technology firms, leading superstar business development organizations and global services operations. As an entrepreneur, Deb has accelerated advancement for women to senior leadership. As a keynote speaker, Deb has delighted and inspired over 1,000 audiences across North America.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. What is your “backstory”?

I was the only child of parents who were born during the Great Depression. They were strong believers that you could do anything if you put your mind to it. While growing up, they continuously reminded me “anything worth doing is worth doing well.”

I started working at age 12, during summer breaks and school holidays–for $1 a day–as an office clerk in my dad’s agricultural irrigation company in California’s San Joaquin Valley. I was interfacing with customers and I found the goings-on in the C-suite especially fascinating.

After obtaining my MBA, I went to work as a Systems Engineer for the Pacific Bell Telephone Company, in a business segment which became AT&T. I was immediately assigned to resolve a disastrous call center system implementation for the largest cable television company in Los Angeles. I pulled all-nighters for about a week, working remotely by phone with Bell Laboratories to get fixes developed ASAP. Saving the account, I was immediately promoted. Forever after, I was attracted to seemingly impossible, bleeding edge, high visibility projects.

Most of my Fortune 150 leadership career was with IBM and Arrow Electronics where I founded and spearheaded services development organizations dedicated to global 500 technology clients. Most of my direct reports were remotely deployed, initially throughout the country and eventually worldwide. Along the way, I acquired a reputation as an engaging and passionate, heartfelt leader who inspired and built talented teams that could be counted on to achieve the impossible.

Over the past decade, as an entrepreneur, my business focus has evolved to helping organizations become best places to work, where leaders at all levels inspire everyone to be at their best day-in and day-out.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

Some years ago, while I was working for Arrow Electronics, a Fortune 150 technology distribution company, I was in charge of information service offerings for global technology manufacturers. As such, I become an expert on international law and regulations impacting technology manufacturing firms.

Seemingly out of the blue, the Chinese government announced it would be instituting new regulations to restrict the use of hazardous substances in electronic products to be manufactured in China. Within just six months, China would require new labeling on all electronic technology packaging. Any electronic components shipped into China would be prevented from delivery to manufacturing sites within China if not properly labeled with all the chemical substances used in the manufacture of the components.

Our company’s inability to meet the new labeling requirement could mean hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of our electronic components could be turned away at the border. Worse yet, our customers who manufactured their products in China could be out billions of dollars in finished goods which would not be allowed to ship out of China to their end customers throughout the rest of world. Not meeting the pending Chinese regulations could have almost unimaginable consequences for technology manufacturers and their customers worldwide.

I personally contacted every relevant internal senior leader in every country where we had operations. I asked them to dedicate staff to work with my organization to define and implement a solution to revise our business operations, our database management systems, our product labeling processes, and our shipping procedures. This was especially onerous given our numerous distribution hubs around the world all utilized different systems and procedures.

Talk about a huge remote team management opportunity! This was one of the most complex, time critical projects our company had ever undertaken. Employees worldwide who had never before worked together in unison had to flawlessly design business processes for systems that had never been coordinated before. To our C-Suite executives, the project seemed impossible given the unreasonably short time frame.

It helped that I was known throughout the company as the expert on the subject. Within days, I had commitments from virtually every person in the company who needed to be involved. Mind you, this was in the days before Zoom or other desktop based virtual meeting technology.

I immediately instituted daily telephone conference calls in which nearly 100 individuals from around the world participated…not an easy task, given all the time zones to consider. Fortunately, the participants were unusually flexible and eager to be part of such a vast undertaking. Some of our best and brightest people, in country after country, stepped up to the plate. We educated each other as needed. Certainly, none of us alone had the expertise or wherewithal to map out a solution as complex as would be required to address this challenge.

We had no choice but to jump into immediate action to work seamlessly and flawlessly together to meet the looming deadline. No other projects mattered. If anything got in our way, I would immediately go to the Chief Compliance Officer. If necessary, he would go to the CEO and we would quickly get whatever we needed.

To make a long story short, we designed and implemented new global databases along with new shipping and labeling processes with just days to spare. We did the seemingly impossible.

Wherever they were in the world, every single member of this ad hoc team gave it their personal best–the few who didn’t were quickly removed from the group. Virtually everyone maintained a positive can-do attitude for the duration of this WOW project. Of course, our customers were incredibly grateful and we were rewarded for it with even more of their business in the ensuing months.

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?

About five years into my career I was recruited away from AT&T to work for IBM, back in the days when voice and data technology integration was touted as the wave of the future. IBM hired me into a telecommunications consulting group, thanks to my technical expertise. Little did they know I was expecting my second child at the time.

Fast forward a few months. I had just returned from a 6-week maternity leave. I was to lead a full-day, educational presentation for all the other IBM technical consultants, all men and all senior to me, about AT&T’s technology. Never-the-less, I was confident there was virtually nothing they could ask me that I couldn’t address better than anyone else in the business.

Mind you, this was back in the days when John T. Malloy’s book, Dress for Success, was the ultimate guide for business attire. Everyone who worked in sales or consulting at AT&T and IBM at the time wore conservatively tailored business suits, per Dress for Success guidelines.

On the day of my big presentation, I wore my most expensive camelhair business suit, quite elegant. I definitely looked the part of the seasoned expert. Speaking confidently in front of my audience all day, I handled every question with aplomb and commended myself for an exemplary job educating my new IBM colleagues.

At the end, I received a rousing round of applause. Several men in the audience congratulated me on a job well done. When the final admirer approached to shake my hand, he offered these kudos, “You did a great job today. I was especially impressed that you could stand up in front of all these men, all day long, with baby spit-up all down the back of your sleeve”.

I looked at him quizzically, assuming he was deliberately making an inappropriate, sexist joke, just to throw me off my game. I simply grinned in response.

“I’m serious,” he said, as he pointed to the back of my right arm.

Somewhat annoyed, I pulled my right arm forward and looked at the back of my sleeve. Sure enough, there was stale, caked on and dried baby-spit up all the way down the back of my sleeve, from my shoulder to my elbow. I was mortified.

The moral to the story is: whenever going anywhere important, whether visiting a customer or speaking in front of an audience, take a quick 360 degree look at yourself in the mirror before going in. You just never know what you might have sat in or had spilled on you.

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive and avoid burnout?

It’s important to know each of your direct reports’ personal objectives so you can ensure their personal goals are aligned with achieving the goals of your organization. You won’t inspire your employees to thrive and be at their best, day-in and day-out, if you aren’t tapping into their passions, enabling them to do something meaningful to them, something they enjoy doing.

Have regular conversations with every team member to develop trusting relationships and make the workplace as engaging as possible. If your employees love what they are doing, work won’t be work for them. It will be a joy. The job will actually give them energy rather than cause burnout.

If an employee isn’t happy in their role, you owe it to them, yourself, and everyone else to find out why they aren’t happy. Have a heart-to-heart, non-judgmental conversation to find out what’s not working for them. Then either do what’s necessary to get the roadblocks out of their way, realign roles, or make other changes that better suite everyone’s ambitions and needs.

If you have an employee who just doesn’t fit with the culture, or who is incapable of meeting the needs of the organization, then help that individual move on to something more in line with their passions and personal vision of success, even if it means helping them leave the business.

Ok, let’s jump to the core of our interview. Some companies have many years of experience with managing a remote team. Others have just started this, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you tell us how many years of experience you have managing remote teams?

I’ve been managing remote teams for over 25 years.

Managing a team remotely can be very different than managing a team that is in front of you. Can you articulate for our readers what the five main challenges are regarding managing a remote team? Can you give a story or example for each?

Based on your experience, what can one do to address or redress each of those challenges?

Getting to know your remote reports well. Whether your direct reports are working right outside your office door or in their own apartment half way around the world, the same kinds of things keep people inspired and engaged: A mission, products, and services that team members take deep pride in; feeling they have a career instead of a job; skills they learn that help them to succeed within your organization and in their career; skills they learn that help them to feel happy, fulfilled and successful in the rest of their lives; friendship, camaraderie, and a strong sense of belonging.

Maintaining that strong sense of belonging can be a challenge, yet it’s especially important for remote reports. Whatever it takes, find ways to routinely keep each team member informed about what is going on, what’s expected of them, and what they can expect of you. More than anything, take time to listen to them. This builds trust.

Pick up the phone, make a webcam call, leave a video message, send short emails or an occasional text to keep team members updated in real time. Be transparent. Share what you know and ask them what they know on a regular basis. The more they know about what’s going on in the business, and the more you know what’s going on with them, both in their jobs and in their lives, the more connected, comfortable and assured each of you will feel. Don’t underestimate the importance of having pre-scheduled virtual performance reviews and professional development one-on-ones at least once a month, if not more often.

Eagerly encourage your remote team members to contact you, at their convenience rather than yours, to ask questions, express their feedback about what’s working and not working, and share their concerns. Let them know your virtual door is always open.

Even when my own direct reports and I were working in the same office, I proactively made time to chat with them regularly, both informally and formally, at the times and in the ways that worked for them. It should be no different with remote reports.

Start today by asking each remote individual how they would prefer to keep the lines of communication open and flowing with you. Some people prefer to have set times and durations for conversation, some prefer to talk by phone, some prefer Zoom, Skype or Facetime. Some prefer to call when they have something urgent or an unexpected minute to spare. It’s up to you, as the leader, to flex to the time and method that works best for them.

If you haven’t done so recently, ask each one of them, “What keeps you at our company?” You might be amazed at what you will learn. Ask about their career goals. Make sure they know they have your full support in working toward achieving their dreams and desires, whatever they are. Determine how, in the current situation, they can best align their unique strengths, evolving professional objectives and personal needs to best support the organization’s objectives, including any new business objectives that may have recently evolved. Let them know you care about what’s important to them.

During your one-on-ones, ask, “What might lure you away from here?” What they tell you today might be totally different than what they might have told you when they were working in the office or when life was more predictable. There may never be a better time to create a new position or a new set of responsibilities that will allow them to do what they love AND help take the organization in a new or different direction.

I made a point of making sure my remote reports knew my schedule, when I would be in meetings, what times I was most likely to be free. They also knew that, aside from my own family, they were my most important priority. They were to never feel they were bothering me or intruding. I was always happy to take their calls, even when I was on the road, driving somewhere. I tried to arrange at least one or two face-to-face meetings each year, if not more often. Difficult conversations were never difficult because we knew each other so well and we really trusted each other.

As a remote report myself, I made a habit of calling my own manager each and every morning, as I was driving to work or as soon as I sat down at my desk, before any other distractions got in the way. This way, we were able to shoot the breeze before diving into work issues. On Monday mornings we’d update each other about our weekends. We developed close friendships as a result.

Knowing in advance who will work well in a remote / isolated environment and who probably won’t. It’s important to keep in mind that some people simply don’t do well working remotely, on their own. It is normal for some people to feel isolated and unproductive when working alone. Some become distracted or even depressed without routine face-to-face interaction with co-workers.

If you’ve had the luxury of working directly with a team member for a while before moving them into a remote reporting assignment, you may be able to readily assess from their work habits–such as their ability to work without direction–or by observing their interactions with others, that they could be at risk of disengagement if not working with or around others. Knowing in advance about such tendencies can pay dividends, as you can plan up-front to mitigate the potential downside triggers.

But how can you really know in advance that a team member might not work well alone? Often, the best way is to ask them. If you have developed a close, trusting relationship, they should feel comfortable telling you the kind of support they might need to stay engaged and work at peak levels.

Even then, sometimes we get surprised. I recall hiring one new employee, in particular, into a remote reporting business development position. He had a great resume and references. He had graduated from a highly regarded university and he had held a similar position before, albeit in a different industry segment. I flew out to meet him before deciding to extend an offer. He was enthusiastic about the role and I believed he would make a great addition to my team of remote reports.

Over the ensuing months, we regularly chatted about the client opportunities he was developing. Things seemed to be going well until none of the deals he had forecasted closed. I started calling him every few days to discuss what he was doing and offer my assistance. He always turned down my offers of help. He insisted he was quite capable of succeeding on his own. He said he just needed a little more time.

Eventually, I called some of his target clients, either to introduce myself or to personally follow-up after he had introduced me to them on conference calls. I was surprised to discover he wasn’t actually making the in-person client calls he was reporting. I then called the university listed on his resume to confirm his degree, something I thought our Human Resources department had done before we extended an offer, only to discover he had not graduated. He had only attended for a few semesters. He had lied on his resume.

Upon learning that, I immediately flew out to meet him face-to-face and share what I had learned. Surprisingly, he still insisted he had graduated from that university and conjectured they had made a mistake. He also insisted he was indeed calling on the customers as reported, but he had not been meeting with the decision makers I had apparently called on the phone.

To get him back on the right track with business development, I immediately put him on a performance improvement plan with clearly defined Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Reasonable and Time-bound (SMART) goals, to which he agreed. I made clear to him what would happen if he did not achieve the performance objectives and, once again, offered my dedicated assistance if and when we needed it. He knew that failure to achieve the objectives within the defined time frame would result in termination.

To make a long story short, he never asked for my assistance and he failed to attain the agreed-upon results. He was one of the few people I ever fired in my 25 years in corporate leadership. When I fired him, I flew out to meet with him in person. His termination was no surprise and we parted amicably.

Sometimes you just can’t know in advance who will work well as a remote report, but the situation I just described has certainly not been my typical experience.

Correctly reading the early warning signs that a remote report is not happy or engaged. Even those who normally do work well on their own can have situations in their personal lives that unexpectedly take their toll.

With all the unexpected pandemic-related issues, many otherwise highly capable remote employees may struggle to weave their business responsibilities around new, additional responsibilities of homeschooling and childcare. Single parents may be particularly overwhelmed by managing both work and family duties simultaneously, especially if they have infants or toddlers and no one else to rely on for child care assistance. You as the leader might be struggling with these things yourself.

For reasons like these and more, it’s especially important to keep your virtual door open and the communication lines flowing, so you as the leader can catch the early warning signals and take corrective action as quickly as possible.

I once hired a young woman to remotely report to me, working out of her home office as a technology consultant in the national practice I managed. When I hired her, she assured me she was quite accustomed to working from home. She had done it for years in a similar role before joining our team. For well over a year she was a stellar performer.

What I was not aware of was, at some point after that first year, her husband was laid off from his job and their marriage began to unravel. Working from home became extremely difficult for her. I took notice when, suddenly, she was not her usual cheerful, highly motivated self and her performance began to decline.

Had I not already formed a close bond with her, I may have never discovered what had transpired, nor would I have been able to quickly help get her work life back on track. Fortunately, before too long, she broke down and confided in me, apologizing for her sub-par performance. I was able to refer her to counseling through our company’s Employee Assistance Program. I temporarily reassigned some of her accounts to other members of the team while she worked things out in her personal life.

If you suddenly find your own remote reports struggling to stay engaged, proactively take the opportunity to have a heart-to-heart conversation. Find out what’s causing the downslide and then dialogue together on how to help them regain their footing.

Solutions might be as simple as allowing the team member to revise their work schedule to better coordinate with a life partner’s schedule. Alternatively, you might encourage the individual to volunteer to be part of a small group that rotates into an office or a company warehouse every few days where other people are working yet maintaining social distance. Such an option might give them a chance to get away from the confines of home; give them something to look forward to; bolster their sense of self-worth, well-being, and belonging; and enable them to stay engaged and productive.

Setting appropriate objectives, measuring results, and holding remote team members accountable. Both in good times and in bad, the leader’s role–at any level–is to define and communicate the organizational strategy and the objectives to be achieved. The leader is responsible for explaining the why of the mission and the intended outcome.

Not understanding the intent of the mission or why things are being done the way they are can be a big de-motivator. Failure to communicate on the leader’s part will surely cause a failure to perform by those reporting to them, regardless of whether they are working in the office or remotely.

Of course, most individuals working in sales or in a call center environment are used to having sales targets or call metrics assigned, by which their performance is measured. For anyone who isn’t already accountable for such objective performance metrics, consider initiating a performance-based Management by Objectives (MBO) program. This can be especially important for managing remote reports.

Keep in mind that it’s happy, engaged employees who make your workplace a WOW factor workplace. Only happy and engaged employees turn customers into raving fans. Demotivated employees rarely do. Therefore any Management by Objectives program must be carefully designed to ensure fairness and buy-in and foster engagement.

Any individual’s performance objectives should be clearly tied to achieving the objectives of the business and reflect whatever it is that motivates and engages the employee to be at their best. One size may not fit all remote reports, even those in the same role.

A poorly defined MBO program can be a huge de-motivator. For this reason, be sure to discuss with each individual what it will take to maintain a “Best Place to Work” environment–in their view–whether it be in a temporary or permanent remote work location. Let them decide what time frame will work best in terms of reviewing their performance (i.e. daily, weekly, bi-weekly, ad hoc). Let them decide if holding them accountable to measurable internal or external customer satisfaction ratings might make sense.

Then, with MBOs defined and agreed to, be available whenever the remote employee needs you. Be willing to listen to their concerns and mentor them. Help each team member feel empowered and confident in taking initiative for solving problems for themselves. Your efforts to help them learn, become more self-sufficient, and be more productive will be appreciated.

When it becomes clear that roadblocks can only be dealt with effectively by you, as the leader, do whatever you can to get the roadblocks out of the way as quickly as possible. Provide whatever tools are necessary for them to perform at their personal best. You should never be the reason an employee fails to achieve their MBOs.

The late Teresa Laraba, who until her death served as Senior Vice President of Customers for Southwest Airlines, told me this:

The leaders I’ve worked with, who have reported to me, who really connect with their teams and know how to get back to them when they have questions and help provide them with the tools they need with the sense of urgency to do their job are the ones I consider to be indispensable.

It takes discipline to be excellent at follow-through. It takes discipline to have a sense of urgency to get your employees the tools they need. You can’t do any of that if you haven’t tapped into them.

The most important feedback we get, as leaders, is when our employees don’t feel like we follow back up with them.

Communicating by email. Email is still one of the most widely used communication tools in the workplace. It’s quick. It’s simple. It’s accessible from most anywhere. It allows for efficient mass distribution of information, and it can be referenced time and time again. Email is especially effective when it comes to clearly communicating specific details.

Yet, some things are best communicated by other means. It’s not unusual for the simplest, seemingly straight forward email message to be misinterpreted by the recipient. Such misunderstandings can be especially problematic when the subject matter is sensitive or corrective in nature, or could be construed as degrading or laying blame.

When communicating with team members, especially with those working remotely, minimize the use of email whenever there is a more effective medium such as Skype or Zoom, telephone, or even a quick text message. Declare a moratorium on sending out your own work-related emails after business hours.

One of the biggest complaints I’ve heard from employees, whenever I’ve conducted 360 degree reviews of CEOs, is about receiving emails from the boss on weekends or late at night. As the leader, if you feel compelled to write an email after an employee’s normal business hours, save it as a draft until the next business day. This is a small but very important way to give the employee their personal time back, a small courtesy that can make a huge difference in employee engagement.

Of course, people will do almost anything for a leader who is appreciative and praises their efforts, especially in times of struggle. Be especially forthcoming with good news and praises for jobs well done. Good news and praise can be quite effectively communicated by email because of its permanence and ease in sharing on a broad basis.

However, before sending out even the best of news about specific individuals in an email, try to have a person-to-person conversation with the individual(s) to be highlighted. Let them know the news before notifying others, if possible. Make your initial conversation with the target individual as personal and as meaningful as possible, and gauge their response. Afford them the opportunity to put their stamp of approval on any message to be distributed to a broader audience.

In my experience, one of the trickiest parts of managing a remote team is giving honest feedback, in a way that doesn’t come across as too harsh. 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. Can you give a few suggestions about how to best give constructive criticism to a remote employee?

Corrective suggestions or criticisms of any kind are usually best communicated face-to-face, even if that means using some kind of video technology. If an in-person meeting or a video call is not a viable option, arrange to have a private phone conversation when there will be no distractions, no one else listening in, and plenty of time for a candid, heart-to-heart dialogue.

Over the years, I have found the best outcomes are typically achieved by first taking time to address any other important outstanding issues the employee may have, which may or may not have anything to do with the topic you ultimately intend to address. By first dealing with the employee’s most important issue, they will then be better able to give you their undivided attention, when it’s your turn.

At that point, start by asking the employee how they perceive things to going relative to the issue you need to address. By giving them the floor to speak on the subject first will put them more at ease and in control. It will also afford them the opportunity to bring up whatever might be bothering them about the subject at hand. It may well be that the issue is something they have wanted help with but were afraid to ask. Now you will have given them the perfect opportunity to ask for your input and guidance. You will now be in a much better position to serve as a mentor and friend.

Before offering advice, take the opportunity to ask open-ended clarifying questions. Let the employee fully share whatever they know. Encourage them to express how they feel about the situation. By seeing the issue through their eyes as well as through your own, you will be better able to judge what is really going on.

The more insights you have, the better the solution the two of you will be able to define together, as a unified, cohesive team. Any suggestions you may offer will likely to be better received. In the end, this kind of process can help build stronger bonds between the two of you, regardless of whether you are face-to-face or on the phone.

Can you specifically address how to give constructive feedback over email? How do you prevent the email from sounding too critical or harsh?

In the words of the legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, “Be slow to correct and quick to commend.”

It is always risky to convey “constructive” feedback via email because there is always the potential that your comments will be taken in a way that you did not intend. It’s best to have such conversations face-to-face or over the phone.

I personally consider the use of email in such cases as a coward’s way out. It’s like hurling a grenade over a wall and then running away before the explosion occurs. It’s best not to engage that way if it’s at all possible to handle the issue via other means. If it’s absolutely necessary to communicate only by email, it’s best to do so when the employee asks you for your feedback or advice.

I also find it works best when you can put caveats around your comments, like, “I know your situation is unique and that the people are different, but when I had a similar situation (describing your former challenge), I took x, y, and z actions. That worked for me in that case because of factors a, b, and c (or it didn’t work the way I expected because of d, e and f factors). Given that, maybe we can talk through your situation together and explore alternatives to address it differently. We could even role-play, if you’d like.”

This way, you put yourself in the position of being a mentor and friend versus playing the know-it-all critic and you keep the conversation door open for helpful and effective dialogue.

Can you share any suggestions for teams who are used to working together on location but are forced to work remotely due to the pandemic. Are there potential obstacles one should avoid with a team that is just getting used to working remotely?

Organizations the world over have had little choice but to work from home during the pandemic. Some people are working even longer hours than normal to support customers across the country and around the world. Worse yet, some are facing furloughs and potential layoffs. No matter where you are, people at all levels are scared.

As a team leader, now is definitely not the time to mentally check out. To the contrary, now is the time for you to lean in. Likewise, now is not the time to allow team members to mentally check out, become frustrated, or depressed, which can certainly happen to those not used to working alone.

The best way to help team members lean in is for you, the leader, to be even more visible and readily accessible than you might have been in the office, even if it’s only possible to do using online technology.

Garry Ridge, Chairman and CEO of the WD-40 Company shared in my book, Heartfelt Leadership, “In hard times, as a leader, you need to be more visible than ever before. We’ve got to be there, in the moment, when people need us.”

Ridge continued, “I’ll tell you a funny story. When we were going through the global financial crisis in 2008, I observed people in the company as I’d wander around this office or any of our other offices around the world. People were asking me more often, ‘How are you?’ I realized they were looking to me, in their time of uncertainty and fear, to give them that little bit of security to carry them through. Leaders need to make sure in times of trouble they are visible.”

Some team members and even leaders can become especially frustrated when challenged by technology issues at home. Rather than allowing anyone to struggle, ask your team’s more techno-savvy staff members to make themselves available to help teammates by phone, when needed. Enable these techno-savvy team members to make it their first priority, during this transition / adjustment period, to do whatever it takes to help get the technology roadblocks out of way of their teammates as quickly as possible.

Understand that both managers and team members may find it necessary to learn some new tricks when it comes to communicating by video chat with those they are normally used to seeing in the next cubicle. Make it clear to everyone on the team that if anyone is challenged by Skype or Zoom or other business technology at home, they should not hesitate to call the “resource buddies” on your team, those more comfortable and proficient with using that technology. And be forgiving if people are late to virtual meetings due to technical challenges.

The designated “resource buddies” may feel more needed than ever and honored to assist their teammates with the kinds of things they simply take for granted. This new role might even increase their confidence when communicating with higher-ups who are behaving in an unusually humble manner. It can also help build new bridges between team members.

What do you suggest can be done to create a healthy and empowering work culture with a team that is remote and not physically together?

The best leaders will accept these challenging times as an outstanding opportunity to learn. They will be grateful for the chance to take their leadership skills to an entirely new level. They will use this time as a catalyst to test their mettle. They will leave their egos at the door and embrace this new conundrum with humility. No matter where you are on the organizational ladder, be this kind of leader.

Working remotely, or alone for a change, might enable team members to see things from a completely new perspective. Encourage all team members to seek to understand the cause of any new issues that will undoubtedly arise. Prepare them to anticipate quickly changing demand, delivery challenges, supply chain limitations, as well as opportunities to serve new markets. Ask them to share any ideas they may have to improve internal processes, operations, products, services, vendor relations, client services, and/or the customer experiences in light of the current situation. Take advantage of the new paradigm to learn and adjust.

Encourage everyone on the team to maintain meaningful relationships while working apart. Foster networking between team members. Create online task forces, as needed, to solve new problems that may now come up. Ask for volunteers from different departments–or from key customer accounts and/or from suppliers–to keep ideas flowing and everyone engaged, working together toward achieving common goals.

Whatever it takes, find new ways to keep team members informed about what is going on, what’s expected of them, and what they can expect of you. Be readily available and willing to listen to team member concerns and mentor them. Help each team member feel empowered and confident to take the initiative for solving problems for themselves, to the fullest extent they can.

Your efforts to help team members learn, become more self-sufficient and more productive will be greatly appreciated. It might even set your team up to work in new ways that will be even more effective and efficient than when they were in the office.

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 inspire a movement that will turn all organizations, the world over, into Best Places to Work — WOW factor workplaces — through Heartfelt Leadership.

Heartfelt leaders inspire everyone to be the best they can be. Heartfelt leaders strive to align the personal goals and career visions of each team member with the goals and vision of the organization.

Team members choose to follow Heartfelt Leaders because they want to, not because they have to. Shared vision and passion becomes achievable. Enduring success becomes a team sport.

With a Heartfelt Leadership movement, everyone in every workplace would find purpose, meaning, joy, and fulfillment at work, each and every day.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

For many years I kept a brightly colored sign hanging on the wall behind my office desk which said:

Attitude is everything. Pick a good one.

I still keep a small version of this sign in my kitchen for all my family and friends to see and take to heart.

I learned long ago, and it’s paid dividends ever since, that conveying an “I’m confident we can do this” attitude is sometimes all that is needed to generate the talent, the ideas, and the traction necessary to make WOW factor results a reality.

When I was writing my first two books, The WOW Factor Workplace and Heartfelt Leadership, I found that virtually all the heartfelt leaders we interviewed–those who were identified by their team members as “the best boss I ever had”, the kind of leaders people want to follow and would do anything for–were firm believers in hiring for attitude. Skills can be taught, but a positive, upbeat attitude is innate and fundamental to engagement and success.

You have the ability to determine your attitude. Don’t let others determine it for you. Set your own attitude sails. Strive to be a positive attitude role model.

This all goes hand-in-hand with another quote I love by the legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, “A leader’s most powerful ally is his or her own example.”

Attitude is everything, so pick a good one.

Thank you for these great insights!


Author Deb Boelkes: 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Author and Actress Lorraine Devon Wilke: Five Ways To Develop More ‘Grit’

At this moment of a global pandemic, economic chaos, nationalistic bigotry, and racial upheaval, I can think of no better time to put our focus on how best to survive and even transcend our current state. Empathy is the antidote to everything, so making it a part of every education, at every step of life, seems a wise movement to set in motion.

As a part of my series about “Grit: The Most Overlooked Ingredient of Success” I had the pleasure of interviewing Lorraine Devon Wilke.

An accomplished performer, actress, and photographer, as well as a prolific writer in several genres of the medium, Lorraine has built a library of expertly crafted work with a signature style that exudes intelligence, depth, and humor.

In 2010 she launched her “arts & politics” blog, Rock+Paper+Music, and from 2011 to 2018 was a popular contributor at HuffPost and other news and media sites, typically focused on politics and social issues; she continues to publish at both her blog and a column at Medium.

After self-publishing her first two award-winning novels, After the Sucker Punch and Hysterical Love, her latest, The Alchemy of Noise, contemporary literary fiction that digs deep into issues of privilege, profiling, and prejudice, was published by She Writes Press in 2019, winning a slate of awards and positive reviews along the way.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what events drew you to your specific career path:

There was an early spark point for me, drawn to the arts, as I was, by parents who loved music, theater, and books, a language I inherently understood and was thrilled by. But the first awareness of my own skills in the area happened back in the eighth grade, when I was singing in a choir and the girl in front of me turned around and said, “You’re a really good singer.” I remember being stunned… “Really?” This was the first inkling I had that there was something I did that stood out. My curiosity piqued, the journey began!

With growing awareness that I had certain talents for performance, I acted and sang regularly in high school, right into my college years — where I majored in theater, wrote plays, and sang in various bands. There was never a doubt I was headed for entrepreneurship in the arts, in particular, at least at the start, as a performer. This plan took a few controversial turns (at least as far as my parents were concerned!) when, on the road with a band for so long during my junior year in college, I ultimately took leave from my studies and followed that path right to Los Angeles, where I leapt all-in. From that point forward I built my education around rich, eclectic, and always interesting life experiences with never a regret.

Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey?

A maxim in the pursuit of any career is that you have to want it more than anything else in the world if you’re to endure and sustain in the face of required work and the inevitable challenges and set-backs. That is especially true in the world of the creative businesses, where metrics for success are often hard to define, seemingly based less on talent (though talent is ideally a requisite) and more on arbitrary, ephemeral things like “it factor,” physical appeal, connections, and “right place, right time.”

As a young artist in a big city filled with other artists (of every age) working tirelessly to carve out their own dreams, the quest was immediately daunting. Money was tight, always; the flexibility needed to be available for auditions and interviews demanded jobs like waitressing and catering, not always solid earners! And finding viable, paying opportunities to act, sing, or write required relentless diligence and activity, with auditions, interviews, bush-beating and pavement pounding of every kind. Away from my family, new in Los Angeles, without representation in those early days, yet filled with indefatigable optimism in my ultimate goal of a successful career in the arts, I was, nonetheless, occasionally discouraged by the dearth of jobs, lack of viable contacts, seemingly unsurmountable competition, and lots and LOTS of rejection. There were more than a few yogurt-only dinners back in those days!

But even as I got older, made tangible progress, and expanded my entrepreneurial palate to include play- and screenwriting, the ever-present challenges built into each of these creative avenues were nonstop. After a decade of writing, recording, and performing original material with my band during the 80s, with the good fortune of having producers, managers, and financiers deeply involved, and even with tremendous smaller successes along the way, there always seemed to be a tipping point when hope of the imminent “big success” (record deal, world tour, etc.) was thwarted by, say, inept representation, a band member who decided to quit, music execs who failed to follow through, or record labels who decided I was too old, or the band members were too old, or the songs were too literate, or any number of given reasons… and the gold ring would slip by.

During the 90s, when I co-wrote both the screenplay and several soundtrack songs for an indie film in which I co-starred, the subsequent reviews amplified my writing and performance, and agents and casting directors came calling. Yet, once again, opportunities and interest shifted, projects didn’t come to fruition, and the ring that seemed headed my way flew by.

By the 2000s I was back to music, working with an amazing band that garnered immediate interest and performance opportunities, enough that my songwriting partner and I ultimately wrote and recorded an album’s worth of original material, but before we could play out and parlay that success to another level, key people left and the project ultimately lost momentum (though I still do love that album!).

Then, by 2010, given the music business’s changing landscape and unchanging focus on youthful branding, I stepped back from that pursuit (though I still have a band today…the Muse lives on!), and jumped headfirst into another of my goals: writing novels. While creatively exhilarating and artistically satisfying, the business of publishing presented all the same, familiar challenges I’d found in acting, film, and music. The endless days, weeks, months, years I put into writing my books were matched by the time spent querying literary agents in hopes of getting those books published. When interest failed to garner the goal of representation and ultimate publishing, I decided to self-publish my first two books, with my third finally scoring the attention and support of a small publisher. I’m now writing my fourth.

So, yes, even ever-optimistic me stumbled through some hard times… maybe that’s why I so appreciate the blues!

Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?

I think it always goes back to belief in self. Someone once made me a poster that read, “I always believe in myself. It’s other people I’m not so sure of,” which struck a chord for a whole host of reasons.

I learned early on that, while I can’t control the outcome of my interactions with other people, certainly in business, certainly in the creative businesses, I could control how events impacted me: how I dealt with rejection and disappointment, how I recovered from broken promises and sometimes unscrupulous behaviors; how I recalibrated or reinvented my strategy when previous ones failed or netted less than desired results.

Like anyone, I struggled with doubts, self-criticisms, concerns and fears about where I was headed and if and how I was going to get there, but at the core of my being I held on to my belief in self; I never lost faith in my abilities, my “voice,” my creativity. I never stopped believing I had something worthy to say, to impart to the world, through my art.

Those convictions were hard won, honed, I believe, while growing up in a large family (I’m one of 11 siblings) where I had to fend for myself, fight for my space, and learn certain life lessons my over-burdened parents didn’t have time to teach me. As soon as I became aware of my particular set of talents — and a tangential ability to parlay them into productivity — I had my plan. I didn’t necessarily know what all the steps would be, but, still, I set off, threw myself in with a certain reckless abandon. The self-reliance and self-belief I’d developed — both harmonics of “grit — kept me dedicated and focused. They still do.

So how did Grit lead to your eventual success? How did Grit turn things around?

GRIT: firmness of character; indomitable spirit; pluck:

resolution, fortitude, courage.

Bouncing off my previous answer: If you’re able to maintain self-belief and self-reliance, you’re beautifully set up to push against, endure, and transcend whatever obstacles and challenges get in your way. Certainly that’s harder when you’re younger, inexperienced, and sometimes unrealistic about the playing field you’re on. I can’t tell you how many actors, singers, songwriters, and writers I met over the years who were absolutely convinced they’d be winning Oscars or selling out stadiums, yet had no clue how to maneuver the business they were in… or how, even, to manage their own frustrations and disappointments.

I’ve noticed more recently, particularly in our “influencer” culture, an impatience some have with the trajectory of their careers, often times giving way to giving up, or framing their goals in very limited terms. One young singer/songwriter, when I asked what his goals were, said, “Getting famous.” “That’s not a goal,” I responded. “That’s a potential consequence, a possible result. The creation of good art, the conveyance of your unique voice, the dissemination of your inspired imagination are goals.” But he was adamant, certain he’d be plucked off Instagram or Tik Tok to find instant fame, and when that didn’t happen, he ultimately crashed. Rejection has sent a lot of talented people packing — but, then again, I always say, “If you can actually imagine yourself doing something else, do that.”

As for me, what my personal dose of grit offered was thicker skin, a tougher, quicker bounce-back. I learned not to take things too personally, found a resilience that kept me going when it seemed there was no point in doing so; it shook up my imagination when I felt I’d run out of ideas.

“Grit” is really about tenacity and doggedness. Both are needed to endure and succeed, sometimes, even, to reinvent: I also learned that pivoting at the right time can lead to unexpected new roads that still end up taking you where you want to go. It’s all about sticking to it.

Based on your experience, can you share 5 pieces of advice about how one can develop Grit? (Please share a story or example for each)

1. “Listen to the voice that’s your own”: That’s a lyric from a song I wrote when I first started my band back in the 80s, a reminder to myself to always honor my own voice. At that young age, just starting out in the very competitive music scene of Los Angeles, I had so many people telling me how to be, what to wear, how to do my hair, how to perform on stage, what to say or not say in interviews, etc., that I began to feel overwhelmed with other people’s ideas of who I was… or should be. I would sometimes try to wear the mantles they designed for me, but ultimately always came back to my own skin, my own voice, willing to take the risks, but reap the emotional and creative rewards, of staying true to myself. That still holds true today.

That is not, of course, a suggestion to ignore solid advice, learned experience, and useful education that can be offered by good mentors, influential teachers, effective representatives, or helpful collaborators. But, at the end of the day, it’s your dream, your journey, your goals, so developing enough faith and belief in yourself to stand by them (grit, by any other name!) is always your best bet.

And, while on this topic, about reviews: Either don’t read them (if you’re in a business that engenders them), or read them with the thickest skin you’ve got, with a mandate to learn from anything you might, reject anything that rings false, and let go of all of it, either way, to proceed with the work. Nothing takes more grit than enduring a bad review and not letting it stop you.

More on that, if you’re interested: Oh, Our Heartbreaking Relationship With Reviews.

2. Be just the right amount of humble: That may sound like a contradiction of the above, but it’s actually part of the equation. The only way to grow enough, to have the confidence to believe and stand by your own voice, is to LEARN enough to have that skill. To be open to mentors, teachers, fellow artists, veterans in the field who can impart their knowledge to help you build your own sense of YOU.

Those whose arrogance, entitlement, and lack of humility keeps them from learning, adjusting, evolving, may achieve some level of success, but without a foundation, a willingness to pay attention and listen enough to ascertain if someone or something has value to offer, it’s easy to get lost in the weeds. Real grit comes from a having and maintaining an abiding respect for continuing education.

3. Pick your team and stick with it: When I was coming up, a valued mentor said to me: “Take time to listen to lots of people (see #2), then choose five of them to be your team, the people you’ve determined to be the most trustworthy and knowledgeable, with the right expertise for your work and sensibilities, then let them, and only them, judge your work, give you notes, and steer your direction. Otherwise — because every person you encounter will have an opinion — asking everyone what their opinion is will only lead to confusion and contradiction, which tends to stop people in their tracks.”

I learned he was right. Needing feedback from everybody can wreak havoc: I collaborated with a writer once who could end a day of work feeling satisfied by what we’d written, but every night would hand those pages to assorted, sundry folks, then come back to me in the morning, panicked, because he’d gotten notes and responses that countered the work we’d done or the direction we were headed. This was maddening, as these were not people whose opinions mattered to me, and I could see how my mentor’s exact warning was playing out: my co-writer would end up deflated and discouraged, which made him very challenging to work with.

The grit you need to follow #1 & 2 comes from learning to trust yourself. Do what my mentor suggested. If you need more than five on your team, go for it, but keep it simple. I’ve discovered gold in that advise.

4. Talk less, do more: In these days of social media, with their pull to engage, interact, promote oneself, promote others, attempt virality, spark debate, troll, get trolled, lose friends, gain followers, drive yourself mad, or have a blast sharing vacation photos, it’s easy to spend copious amounts of time on various platforms without getting any actual work done.

There’s good in the medium, surely — I could not have promoted my work, or that of others, as successfully without social media — but there’s also a need to limit and curate the time.

I’ve noticed, particularly with some writers’ groups I was in on Facebook, that some people were busy every day talking about their work — what word count they’d achieved (or not), if this name or that worked for a character, if they should or should not kill off their protagonist, what to write if they couldn’t think of anything to write — and I couldn’t help wondering if they’d lost the script along the way, the one that says, “shut up and write!” I found myself less and less willing to participate in these long threads on matters that seemed more like distraction than actual research, interactions that may have felt productive, but were more likely time-suckers keeping people from buckling down.

And beyond wasted time, I also found “talking about the work” can potentially dissipate the energy and excitement you originally had about it. Analyzing, getting opinions, hearing feedback, sharing experiences can certainly be helpful in the right context, but I’ve learned that not talking about my work while in the process of creating it — kind of like not letting people into the dining room until every light is lit, every decoration set, and the table is perfectly arranged — kept my energy and momentum focused. I want the completed piece to have impact; I don’t want to share it midway and lose the effect.

Some people enjoy (or seek out) audience participation, virtual story suggestions, etc., while putting a piece together, but that’s not my way. I’ve always been proprietary about my artistic statement, my story, my song, my message, protective of delivering exactly what I choose to say and how. This is a personal choice, but it’s also one that requires belief in self, grit; a willingness to trust what you’re doing enough to move forward without the crutch of a cheering squad. There’s tremendous freedom in that.

5. If you can’t get permission to proceed, give it to yourself: Regardless of what career path you’re on, forward motion, especially in the nascent stages, typically relies on the help, support, contribution — the “permission,” if you will — of other people, whether it’s starting a business, garnering a record deal, putting up a play, getting a book published, making a film; whatever your goals are. And often times, particularly in the more competitive spaces, getting that “permission” can be very difficult to accomplish, which dead-ends many a good project. What I’ve learned?

When you hit that wall of “no’s,” or “not now’s,” or “you’re just not right,” or “we’re looking for something else,” instead of slumping to defeat, shake off the rejection and give permission to yourself to proceed. I’m not sure anything takes more grit than that!

Here’s how that’s played out in my own life: When I couldn’t get hired as a singer, I found great players and started a band that kept me working for decades. When record companies told me I was a “wondrous” vocalist but “we’ve already got someone like you,” I collaborated with top producers to make my own album. When I got frustrated trying to peddle my screenplays, I collaborated with a skilled team who ultimately got the film produced. When literary agents kept telling me my books were “outstanding” but still wouldn’t commit to a contract, I self-published the first two and ultimately found a brilliant indie publisher for my most recent.

The takeaway is that, whatever business you’re in, it’s your business to see that your goals are met. There is no more evidence of grit than a person who refuses to give up because others aren’t inviting them in the door, but, instead, opens it themselves, or maybe even gets up and builds the damn door!

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?

Like many people, I’ve had the great good fortune to have had tremendous creative, production, and business partners throughout my life and career, without whom I wouldn’t have achieved the successes I have. But the one person, at least for the last thirty+ years, who’s been most solidly, tangibly, and indefatigably in my corner is my husband, Pete Wilke.

We met on the film I mentioned earlier (he was the attorney for the film company), and from that moment on, our creative and personal lives have been intertwined. During the years I was pounding pavements as an actress and singer, he was there to keep a roof over our heads, act as my manager, and keep my spirits from being pummeled beyond my sanity quotient. When he wrote and produced a brilliant musical called Country, the Musical, he invited my input as a script consultant and vocal arranger, then cast me in a lead role. When I transitioned into the book world and began writing novels, he respected the solitude I needed, created space and time for me to get the work done, and has contributed everything possible to help me both afford and implement whatever was needed to support the business end of that endeavor.

Beyond that, he’s been my emotional rock, my best friend, and a brilliant father and husband. I am acutely aware of how fortunate I am, and not a day goes by that I don’t feel gratitude for that, and for him.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

I love that phrase: “Bring goodness to the world”! Maybe because I’ve always had a mission to create art, create work, that did, in fact, exude a positive message of some kind, a hopeful story, an inspirational idea. Whether it was the songs I wrote, the screenplays and plays, the articles and books, I’ve always wanted the content to be of some emotional value.

Not that there’s anything wrong with music that’s simply, “get up and dance,” or stories that are just good thrillers or fluffy romances — there’s a market for that, and many excellent writers, performers, etc., who can well deliver it. But having grown up in the era I did, with the story songs and heartfelt books I read, I wanted to an artist like those who inspired me, whose work made me feel I wasn’t alone, that my emotions were valid, my journey wasn’t so strange. Who taught me something, who raised my awareness.

Consequently, everything I’ve done has been with that goal in mind. My hope is that when someone reads one of my books or articles, or listens to one of my songs, they’re inspired to a new thought, they feel moved or exhilarated; they come away with something that sticks. My last novel, in particular, which takes on thorny issues of race and privilege, is very specifically intended to open eyes and minds toward greater understanding and compassion (see next question).

So, beyond making killer banana bread and being known to kickass a good blues song, I’d say all-the-above is my contribution to worldly goodness!

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

Given our current situation with COVID, a good number of my projects and endeavors have been grounded for the time-being — which is true for so many. So, as book events cancel, fundraisers with my band are put on hold, and theatrical projects with which I was working are back-burnered, I’ve been left to get creative with what projects I can actually move forward at this moment in time. One, in particular, has my attention:

Since my most recent novel, THE ALCHEMY OF NOISE, is still relatively new in the marketplace, and is a book I intended to spark and/or contribute to a movement toward greater understanding, compassion, and awareness in matters of race, I looked at how I could maximize its potential to speak to those issues at this explosive and evolutionary post-George Floyd moment.

I was particularly moved when I heard a comment by comedienne, Wanda Sykes, whose response to a question about race and prejudice was: “We can’t do it alone. If we’re out there marching and asking for change, we need white people to do it. We need white people to tell white people to stop being racist.”

That struck me — “We need white people to tell white people to stop being racist” — because that’s not only absolutely true, but something that’s compelled my own intentions with THE ALCHEMY OF NOISE. Its messages and themes are focused on prejudice, privilege, social injustice, and police brutality, and my voice, as a white author writing with the intent to inform and illuminate, particularly, a white reading audience (though, hopefully, all readers will be impacted), is certainly a response to Wanda’s call-to-action.

While I’ve done several podcasts and interviews focused on the book’s messages, my goal is to parlay its positive reception from readers and reviewers into a platform for discussion, debate, interaction, and illumination for those honestly looking for clarity and raised awareness on the topic of race. I believe too many white people lack enough tangible proximity, connection, and interaction with the Black population to grasp the day-to-day reality of Black life in America. This has proven out in conversations and interactions I’ve had, both in life and as related to my book.

I also feel that, given my experience having been a partner in a long-term interracial relationship earlier in my life, as well as my rigorous research and input from Black editors and consultants on the book, I have valuable insight and unique perspective to offer, specifically, as a white person telling white people to “stop being racist.”

Another interesting aspect to consider: While there are many excellent non-fiction books on the topic of race and bigotry (by both Black and white writers), there is less substantive fiction on the topic. Yet, as I detail in my piece, Truth Finds Its Story: The Illuminating Power of Fiction, and is well-covered in the New York Times article, Does Fiction Have the Power to Sway Politics?, fiction has a unique power to tell stories non-fiction can’t, with impact that hits the emotional centers of thought and memory in ways that the didacticism of more scholarly works cannot. It also engages the mind and triggers the imagination in ways that allow the themes, messages, and illuminations of well-told stories to “stick,” to be deeply felt and permanently remembered (as was true for me in reading books like To Kill a Mockingbird, The Little Drummer Girl, The Color Purple).

And since, as author Mohsin Hamid states in the NYT piece, “Politics is shaped by people. And people, sometimes, are shaped by the fiction they read,” I’m currently working with a Black writer and media consultant to get THE ALCHEMY OF NOISE included in seminars, discussions, classes, and round-tables focused on issue of race and prejudice, particularly, again, as it relates to “white people telling white people” in the effort to educate, expand, and evolve their thinking.

What advice would you give to other executives or founders to help their employees to thrive?

I thought about skipping this question, as I’m neither an executive nor a founder, but as someone who’s been an employee enough to know, I thought I’d offer this bit of advice:

If one actually takes the time to seek, suss out, and hire people who really fit the mission and vision of a company or organization, with the talents and skill set to do the job well, allow them, then, to flourish without micromanagement, constrictive rules, and limited access and opportunities to advance or contribute. Encourage their “voice,” their ideas and innovations. Validate their successes and put their less successful moves into proper perspective. Respect their boundaries, allow for the vagaries of family life, and offer encouragement, incentives, and an upward trajectory of opportunities.

I have seen, and have been in, situations where true talent and excellent ideas were overlooked, dismissed, or minimized for the sake of seniority or favor, and when that was the situation for me, it left me feeling undervalued, underutilized, unseen, and irrelevant… none of which engender goodwill or the desire to stay in a job. Where I was encouraged to fly, I flew, and it benefited both me and the companies and organizations I worked for.

Do that.

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. 🙂

Given that we all have the pulpit of social media, blogs, and websites, I think we’re basically all people of great influence. In my case, the movement I would most like to inspire is one that implements the study and application of EMPATHY, whether in schools, businesses, politics, or one-on-one interactions.

My Twitter profile has always included the line, “Empathy is the antidote to everything,” an idea I believe and one which I extrapolated on in an article of the same name back back in 2014. It has always seemed to me that, if we start early to teach our children the age-old wisdom of, “walk a mile in another’s shoes,” helping them gain tangible, real-life understanding and compassion for the lives, experiences, and challenges of those outside ourselves, we’d ultimately be able to eradicate bigotry, prejudice, racism, sexism, discrimination, hate, and fear of other. Each of those is propagated by the lack of empathy, a state that keeps one from gaining the knowledge and awareness needed to open a mind, change a thought, revise a reaction, evolve a viewpoint.

At this moment of a global pandemic, economic chaos, nationalistic bigotry, and racial upheaval, I can think of no better time to put our focus on how best to survive and even transcend our current state. Empathy is the antidote to everything, so making it a part of every education, at every step of life, seems a wise movement to set in motion.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Well, the above answer lays out one of my most favorite quotes (“Empathy is the antidote to everything”), but here’s another:

“I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward.” ~ Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

I love that quote, because it suggests that if we approach life with humor, with a heart, mind and soul that revels in joy, gratitude, and appreciation, we are better equipped to transcend the darkness, discouragement, and drama inherent in life. As I get older, I realize how my own journey has taught me to let go of petty concerns and worries, to focus, instead, on what I have, as opposed to what I don’t. What follows that revelation is a greater ability to laugh, and, as I’ve learned, there really is less cleaning up to do afterward!

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Here are links to my main media:

Twitter: http://witter.com/LorraineDWilke

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lorrainedevonwilke

Facebook Writer’s page: https://www.facebook.com/lorrainedevonwilke.fans/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorrainedevonwilke/

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00K2ZOLSA

Rock+Paper+Music blog: https://rockpapermusic.com

Medium Column: https://medium.com/@lorrainedwilke

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/lorraine-devon-wilke

Official website @ www.lorrainedevonwilke.com.

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.

Thank you for inviting me… it was a great conversation!


Author and Actress Lorraine Devon Wilke: Five Ways To Develop More ‘Grit’ was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Sahin Boydas of RemoteTeam: 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team

If given the opportunity to inspire the world, it would be on creating an equal society for everyone. A society where a woman is not viewed as a less human being to a man. A society where people are not discriminated against because of their skin color, religion, or who they choose to love. I think society has come a long way. However, social inequities have been instituted for so long, there would have to be major changes to make society a better place for all.

As a part of our series about the five things you need to successfully manage a remote team, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sahin Boydas.

Sahin Boydas is the Founder and CEO of RemoteTeam, and his goal is to revolutionize the future of work with the best HR and management tools for remote-first companies. Sahin is a serial entrepreneur living in Silicon Valley and an alumnus of 500 Startups, Stanford StartX, Betaworks Vision Camp, and Quark Accelerator. From movie marketing marketplaces to augmented reality applications, Sahin has built and successfully exited companies with a 100% remote team for over a decade.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. What is your “backstory”?

I’m a serial entrepreneur with a love for building startups. I got my Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Koc University in Istanbul and my MBA (Entrepreneurship) from Bahcesehir University. Ten years ago, my entrepreneurial journey saw me move from Turkey to Silicon Valley. Since moving, I have gone on to join many entrepreneurial and startup communities, including Founder Institute, betaworks visioncamp, Batch 19 of both 500 Startups and Stanford StartX, and Quark Accelerator.

My passion for the entrepreneurship world started years ago and has been a major driver of my move to Silicon Valley. Since settling in the Bay area, I’ve met with 400 investors in the valley and raised from 40+ investors. I have had the chance to work with amazing people through the startups I founded and co-founded, including co-founding movie marketing platform MovieLaLa (later sold to Gfycat); one of the most successful consumer-facing AR apps:, Leo AR; and my current startup, RemoteTeam.com.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

When I first moved to Silicon Valley a decade ago, and as someone who had already operated startups with remote teams — it was really interesting to realize that many investors and founders were not supportive of the idea of remote work at that time. And it was also surprising that such thinking would be so prevalent in the very place where technology and great ideas come from. As a result, early on in my career in the Bay Area, especially when I tried to raise money for my startups, I heard things like ‘operating a remote company will limit your ability to get funded’. Founders also pointed out a lot of bottlenecks to operating a remote company. While this kind of atmosphere may have changed my mind, looking back right now, I’m glad I continued to pursue the remote work revolution even before it was cool. And here we are looking at a future that will have remote work as the default work type.

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?

We are working on a social media viral loop for MovieLaLa. We were making customers follow movie stars and see their upcoming movies. If the users come from Tumblr, we were using tumblr connect and reposting the best tumblr post of that movie star. Our users were liking it and getting many hearts and followers. We saw that the most engagement comes from gifs in Tumblr. Then we built an instant gif maker :). We saw the trend but we thought it would never get big. This was in 2012, before giphy and gfycat. 🙂 , so we always felt that we had a huge contribution in the gif space. In a funny turn of events, later in our second company Gfycat, Giphy became our investor 🙂 but we missed the opportunity of building a hundred million dollar business 🙂

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive and avoid burnout?

Every founder should know that being so rigid and bureaucratic in the remote work environment doesn’t work. What wins in this work revolution is flexibility. So CEOs should desist from micromanagement and creating tight organizational environments that do not exhibit open communication principles and trust.

Ok, let’s jump to the core of our interview. Some companies have many years of experience with managing a remote team. Others have just started this, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you tell us how many years of experience you have managing remote teams?

I’ve been an advocate for remote work since before it became cool. While running my startups, I wanted to find the best people from around the world and that’s what led me to consider hiring remote talent — and I’ve never looked back since then. This is not just limited to the people we hire — I have had co-founders who were remote, but we still managed to build great teams and successful startups. From co-founding MovieLaLa and Leo AR, to my current startup RemoteTeam.com, my teams have always been remote. Today, as the CEO of RemoteTeam, I manage a 20+ team located in Turkey, the U.S., Ghana, and Nigeria.

Managing a team remotely can be very different than managing a team that is in front of you. Can you articulate for our readers what the five main challenges are regarding managing a remote team? Can you give a story or example for each?

My 20+ team is spread around the world, many of whom are in Turkey, some in Ghana, Nigeria, and the U.S. Turkey is 3 hours ahead of Ghana and 2 hours ahead of Nigeria. Nigeria is also 1 hour ahead of Ghana. I am in Silicon Valley, which is 10 hours behind Turkey, 7 hours behind Ghana, and 6 hours behind Nigeria. What this means is that while the Turkey team is already in the middle of the day working, the team in Africa is just waking up or just starting — and for myself as the CEO, that will probably be the time I am going to bed or already fast asleep. Managing a diverse team of this kind is never an easy job, and so there are challenges relating to:

  • Communication — difficulty in getting a single time that suits all of us, especially when there’s something that needs everyone on board.
  • Collaborating — working together on the same projects, making work difficult to sync.
  • Managing productivity — knowing what’s to be done, how much time is going to be spent on a particular project.
  • Dealing with cultural differences — which may lead to communication misinterpretations and subsequent issues.
  • Trust issues as a result of the lack of physical presence — which can usually culminate into micromanagement and sometimes, unnecessary pressure.

Based on your experience, what can one do to address or redress each of those challenges?

Some of the best ways to address remote team challenges, which I have found success in my current and previous startups, include, but not limited to:

Setting expectations. one of the best ways of managing a remote team and overcoming the challenges mentioned above and one that I particularly encourage remote teams to do is to set expectations. Your expectations of productivity, timely submission of tasks, and participation in group discussions should be made known to the team. This serves as a pillar against which your remote team’s output is measured. Apart from being a great way of measuring productivity, it helps create an environment where everyone is on the same page, at all times.

An open communication environment. Building a remote team requires constant communication, some may call it over communication. In this kind of atmosphere, it’s good to loosen the communication channels — letting teams feel comfortable talking to one another about inconveniences, their grievances, and their contributions towards big issues in the organization. This does not just solve communication problems, but also builds trust among employees and managers.

In my experience, one of the trickiest parts of managing a remote team is giving honest feedback, in a way that doesn’t come across as too harsh. 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. Can you give a few suggestions about how to best give constructive criticism to a remote employee?

Of course, giving feedback in a remote team is difficult, but there are ways to make feedback achieve its purpose. I recommend using a video call — some remote managers and even employees may not like it when feedback is given over video, but it’s one of the most effective ways of achieving the purpose of your feedback and making the experience look like that of a physical office. It gives an opportunity for the manager and remote employees to see each other, read facial expressions, and even articulate conversations better, which might sometimes be misunderstood if done over chat.

Personalize Feedback. Whether it’s a positive or negative one, don’t give people feedback in public Slack Channels or during company Zoom meetings unless the feedback is a clarification to something that everyone should know — and even with that, I usually find a way to still keep it personal between myself and the employee. Personalizing feedback by talking to employees one-on-one is a great way to calm nerves and not make them feel intimidated.

Can you specifically address how to give constructive feedback over email? How do you prevent the email from sounding too critical or harsh?

Giving feedback over any form of written communication is never easy as a result of the absence of the “physical human” touch, like facial expressions and gestures. But there’s always a way to make things better.

What I’ve found useful is for managers to use more positives in their email, especially for more constructive feedback. Mentioning an employee’s contribution to the company’s progress and how you want them on the team before going to a negative review is a great way to make your feedback email sound ‘normal’ and not ‘insulting’ or ‘intimidating’.

Can you share any suggestions for teams who are used to working together on location but are forced to work remotely due to the pandemic? Are there potential obstacles one should avoid with a team that is just getting used to working remotely?

If you’re a team that has just transitioned to remote, there’s one important thing I have for you: don’t rely on tools too much for things that need a “human touch” to them. We all know tools are crucial to every remote team. Right from communication to file sharing, we can’t do away with them. However, one thing I see new remote teams doing wrong is to rely too much on tools. Tools may help you communicate, but they don’t replace the empathy and the clarity you need to exhibit when communicating as an employee or manager. Tools will help you create nice team-building activities, but that doesn’t replace the effort you need to put in to trust one another as a team. This is why I usually remind new remote teams that while they use these tools to make work better, they should never forget that there is a part they need to play as team members to make the connections worthwhile.

What do you suggest can be done to create a healthy and empowering work culture with a team that is remote and not physically together?

My biggest advice to remote teams when it comes to building a healthy work culture is to start everyone on the team during the onboarding stage. Onboarding should be an avenue to learn more about a person’s life and less about the work they’re coming to do. Of course, onboarding time is too short to get to know employees, but it’s a great avenue to get employees to talk about their personal lives — which gives managers and other employees an idea of how to treat each other.

Additionally, I recommend managers to call in and check on employees from time to time, outside of work. Not every conversation should be about work — but rather some conversations should focus on getting to know one another as a team. When practiced well, this could be replicated by other employees, which will help build a people-first culture in the team.

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. 🙂

Equality. If given the opportunity to inspire the world, it would be on creating an equal society for everyone. A society where a woman is not viewed as a less human being to a man. A society where people are not discriminated against because of their skin color, religion, or who they choose to love. I think society has come a long way. However, social inequities have been instituted for so long, there would have to be major changes to make society a better place for all.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Charles Bukowski

“invent yourself and then reinvent yourself, don’t swim in the same slough. invent yourself and then reinvent yourself and stay out of the clutches of mediocrity. invent yourself and then reinvent yourself, change your tone and shape so often that they can never categorize you. reinvigorate yourself and accept what is but only on the terms that you have invented and reinvented. be self-taught. and reinvent your life because you must; it is your life and its history and the present belong only to you.”

This quote has influenced how I hire talent. When I see the good in people, I take the decision to hire them even if they’re not the best at what they do — with the hope that they will improve themselves as time goes on. This is my way of giving opportunity to growing talent to better themselves while working. In startups, most successful companies are founded by people who have no experience in the field , so one of the most important things in startups is to become self taught.

Thank you for these great insights!


Sahin Boydas of RemoteTeam: 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Erica Hornthal of Chicago Dance Therapy: Rising Through Resilience; Five Things You Can Do To…

Erica Hornthal of Chicago Dance Therapy: Rising Through Resilience; Five Things You Can Do To Become More Resilient

There is movement in stillness; our breath, our heartbeat. It is imperative that we take time to be still so that we give space to the voices and thoughts that get suppressed when going about the day to day routine. This supports resilience because it allows hardship and gratitude to be experienced and expressed.

In this interview series, we are exploring the subject of resilience among successful business leaders. Resilience is one characteristic that many successful leaders share in common, and in many cases it is the most important trait necessary to survive and thrive in today’s complex market.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Erica Hornthal.

Known as “The Therapist Who Moves You” Erica Hornthal, a licensed clinical professional counselor and board-certified dance/movement therapist, assists clients in making lasting changes by learning to harness the power of the body for improved mental health. As CEO of Chicago Dance Therapy, Erica has worked with individuals from all backgrounds ranging in ages from 3 to 107. Erica is highly sought out by media outlets to comment on the power of the mind body connection. Erica knows that everyone has a body and mind… it’s time everyone learned to use both to achieve greater resilience as well as potential.

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?

I grew up dancing since the age of 3 and when it came time to choose a career I knew that dance would be central to that. The more I researched careers in dance, the more I felt discouraged because nothing seemed to truly fit my passion. It wasn’t until I was in college that a professor turned me on to the field of dance/movement therapy. It married my passion for dance with my love for helping people. I have been a dance/movement therapist for 12 years; my hope is to mainstream the principles of dance/movement therapy to bring positive mental health through body movement to the world.

Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?

An interesting story that stands out for me is from graduate school when I was pursuing my masters in dance/movement therapy and counseling. I was a model student, liaison to the graduate school, and active in the student body. In my 2nd year I was asked to meet with an administrator in the department who thought that I should reconsider being in the field. While she had no tangible evidence as to why I should reconsider, it taught me several lessons. One, never let anyone deter you from your dreams. Two, while dreams are important it is vital that we are realistic and authentic with our own expectations. And three, people will try to keep you down when you don’t conform to the system. I have always thought out of the box and I do not plan to stop anytime soon.

What do you think makes your company stand out?

My company, Chicago Dance Therapy, stands out for many reasons. First the name alone makes people stop and think. What is Dance Therapy? This causes some confusion, but has always opened the door for communication and education. Second, the company is dedicated to the field and only hires dance therapists. While this has also been met with some frustration from potential hires it solidifies the brand and reinforces our commitment to the work and visibility.

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 story that stands out is the way I found out about the field of dance/movement therapy. As a freshman I was a declared dance major but not really feeling it. The chair of the dance department met with me to discuss my future, as she did will all students, and noticed that I was taking a psychology class. We had a long discussion and she asked how I would feel about merging psychology and dance. She mentioned dance/movement therapy. I had never heard of it before, but did all the research I could and never looked back.

Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of this interview. We would like to explore and flesh out the trait of resilience. How would you define resilience? What do you believe are the characteristics or traits of resilient people?

Resilience is a capacity to handle difficult situations and to move through or beyond them. A resilient person can sit in the unpleasant and unknown, but has a desire to find the positive and lessons that can be learned. A resilient person doesn’t wait for others to take action, but finds ways to make things happen without taking no for an answer.

When you think of resilience, which person comes to mind? Can you explain why you chose that person?

I think of not one person in particular but all of my clients actually. They come to therapy because something in their life is preventing them from thriving. They are the true definition of resilience because they look for assistance and the ability to help themselves through a challenging time.

Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us?

Yes, actually starting my own business. I wanted to do it in a different way than had traditionally been done before and many people told me it would never work. I did what I felt was authentic and true to myself and 10 years later my business is thriving.

Did you have a time in your life where you had one of your greatest setbacks, but you bounced back from it stronger than ever? Can you share that story with us?

I would say this pandemic counts as a setback. Although we are not through it I can tell I am getting stronger, looking for new ways to push the envelope, and engage with my community. I have created a virtual summit dedicated to dance therapy that included 19 presenters from 12 different countries. I have also been writing and creating webinars/workshops to reach a broader audience.

Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share a story?

I moved in the middle of my sophomore year of high school which was quite a difficult transition. My family relocated from Florida to Illinois and everything changed; my support system, my friend circle, my hobbies. This taught me early on that for me to be resilient it wasn’t just a mindset but something I had to embody. I learned that finding a new community and connecting to my first passion, dance, allowed me to literally move through this difficult time.

Resilience is like a muscle that can be strengthened. In your opinion, what are 5 steps that someone can take to become more resilient? Please share a story or an example for each.

Breathe

Breath is a basic movement that everyone engages in everyday. It is such a simple way to tap into the present moment and reconnect to the self. It enhances resilience because it teaches us that we can move through any situation- the rise and fall of the chest, the expansion of the rib cage- each reinforce that the body is capable of moving through and beyond.

Stretch

Exploring the space that we take up and the space around us allows us to externalize our experiences. We can gain a new perspective and again find new ways of moving in the moment.

Practice embodiment of emotions

When we are aware of our emotions we can take responsibility for our actions and behaviors. By learning where we feel and carry our emotions in the body we can increase our awareness and become more responsible. This allows us to recognize our position in a situation and work through it as needed.

Diversify movement

The more we move and the more we challenge the ways in which we move, the more elastic and flexible our minds become. The mind and body are connected, yet it can be difficult to change our mindset. We can start in the body by increasing our movement vocabulary- the movements we have at our disposal- which supports new perspectives as well as recognizing others’ points of view.

Find quiet time for reflection

There is movement in stillness; our breath, our heartbeat. It is imperative that we take time to be still so that we give space to the voices and thoughts that get suppressed when going about the day to day routine. This supports resilience because it allows hardship and gratitude to be experienced and expressed.

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. 🙂

Body Awareness for Mental Health; I want the world to understand that how we move our bodies and what we are aware or the lack of awareness greatly impacts our mental health. I have actually taken the first step by creating a workbook. You can check out more here if you are interested,

We are blessed that some 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 with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them 🙂

Maria Shriver. I really appreciate her Sunday Paper, her wisdom, and her appreciation for brain health and the power of movement for overall wellness.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Instagram: @EricaHornthal

Facebook: www.facebook.com/EricaHornthal

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!


Erica Hornthal of Chicago Dance Therapy: Rising Through Resilience; Five Things You Can Do To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Author Marcey Rader: 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team

Get out of your pajamas! Fight the stereotype! 🙂 Really, I would want people to start having a transition from work to home. We tend to work more at home, and our days run into our nights, and the lines are blurry. Even if you are only stepping away for a few hours to hang with the family before you have to go back to work, transition.

As a part of our series about the five things you need to successfully manage a remote team, I had the pleasure of interviewing Marcey Rader.

Marcey Rader is a productivity speaker, author, and coach. She is the founder of Work Well. Play More! Her latest book is Work Well. Play More! Productive, Clutter-Free, Healthy Living — One Step at a Time. You can learn more about her at www.marceyrader.com and www.workwellplaymore.com

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. What is your “backstory”?

I spent the first part of my adult life in different roles in the clinical research industry. After experiencing severe corporate burnout and health issues seven years ago, I started Work Well. Play More! I help individuals climb the ladder or build their business without sacrificing their health. I speak, write, and coach individuals and teams on personal productivity and health behaviors. Topics include focus, time boundaries, task management, email habits, eating for energy, movement opportunities, and stress reduction. I’ve worked remotely since 2002 with all remote teams and coach businesses on how to navigate working from home post-COVID.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

One of my first keynotes was for $500 to the North Carolina Business Travel Association. My first book, Hack the Mobile Lifestyle, was for sale at the expo. A senior leader for the Extended Stay America hotel chain purchased 13 copies. Six months later, I received a call asking if I wanted to be their spokesperson. This led to a two-year contract and multiple opportunities in the travel industry. I updated that book to Beyond Travel: A Road Warrior’s Survival Guide, which I am really proud of. I don’t even tell people about the first book!

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 gave a half-day workshop to 100 executives of Emaar Properties in Dubai. I explained the concept of decision fatigue and the benefits of automated decisions, even down to your wardrobe. Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs were my examples. One of the men in the audience pointed out that wearing their white dishdasha was decision automation. It was a big ‘duh’ moment for me. I could have used them as examples because 3/4 of my audience was wearing the white robe!

My lesson was to look at my audience and really think of how my words will affect them. It was early in my career, and now I tailor my workshops and keynotes to the groups I am speaking to differently.

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive and avoid burnout?

Post-COVID, we have to give a lot of grace. People working remotely aren’t doing so in an ideal environment. Their spouse may be home, have to be a part-time teacher to their kids, or don’t have a proper set-up. Ask people about their boundaries and what they can handle. They may be afraid to tell you that they are distracted all day with the kids and working only after they go to bed. They may be afraid to tell you that they are struggling emotionally or mentally. They may think that they shouldn’t complain or discuss any negative things going on at home because they have a job. It’s survivor’s guilt. Have a resource available to them to speak with if you don’t have someone on staff.

Remind people that they need to take time off. Even if we can’t go far, we need vacation and days off. Several of my clients have felt guilty for taking vacation days because they are working from home. Your brain needs time to rest! Your family needs some hang time!

Ok, let’s jump to the core of our interview. Some companies have many years of experience with managing a remote team. Others have just started this, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you tell us how many years of experience you have managing remote teams?

I’ve been working remotely since 2002 and managed remote teams since 2010. I currently manage a global team in the Philippines, Kenya, and Guatemala, as well as have a team of contractors in the US.

Managing a team remotely can be very different than managing a team that is in front of you. Can you articulate for our readers what the five main challenges are regarding managing a remote team? Can you give a story or example for each?

Overcommunication. The tendency may be to check in frequently when working from home, but this can often feel like micromanaging. When we are in an office, we expect to be interrupted by people walking by, doors shutting, phones ringing, and instant message. When we are remote, we are not expecting these things. Any interruption — text, chat, telephone, email — tends to be seen more as a distraction.

A friend of mine said that her instant message, text, and email blew up the first two weeks after her entire company moved to work from home. All of the typical water cooler talks had now moved to tech channels. She would have been having one conversation in the hallway. There were now three people trying to have different conversations with her at the same time. It was overload.

Lack of Trust. Your staff has more than just work going on. Their kids may be out of school, have parents to worry about, concerns about job security, and at some point, may get sick. They are not robots. Please give them the space they need to get the job done. It may not be your regular office hours, but this is not an ordinary time. If you can’t trust someone to work from home than there is a much bigger issue.

Often staff will feel like they are being watched or micro-managed and will fear not reacting immediately to a message. Direct reports will worry that their manager will think they aren’t working. Don’t encourage this behavior. It increases telepressure and reactivity. Accuracy is more important than responsiveness for most roles.

When I first started working from home in 2002, I never left the house during work hours because I was afraid if my manager called and I didn’t answer, she would think I wasn’t working. I never thought about people in the office going out for lunch or stepping away from their desks for work social events. It resulted in low-level anxiety that I had to always be ready for a message.

Ineffective storage. This may seem obvious to some, but I’m still shocked at how many teams store documents on their local hard drives rather than in the cloud, even when the company has cloud storage. If teams haven’t started adopting the use of Microsoft Teams, Dropbox, Box, or Google Drive, they need to start now. The IT department won’t be down the hall to fix your computer, and anyone could get sick at any time.

It’s not too late to start the process and follow your SOP on shared document storage (most people have procedures for this, they just don’t follow them!). Using a cloud storage service, preferably one that allows multiple people in a document at once and can be used in real-time can be a savior. No one is waiting while a document is being checked out, and you always have the latest version.

Several years ago, I was in a bike accident and suffered a Grade III concussion. I wasn’t allowed to look at a screen for two weeks. I stored most of my documents on my hard drive, and my team was at a loss and had to recreate things while I was out. A CEO I’ve coached recently suffered a head injury as well, and her team would have been at a loss if they did not use their shared drives effectively. She couldn’t have just dropped off her computer to someone else. She needed to follow the protocol for cloud storage.

One to One meetings. Many of my managers miss the face time and don’t feel they get what they need from their one-to-one with their staff. I didn’t meet my manager in person for four years, and it was before video, yet I felt close to her. Because we were used to it, there wasn’t a learning curve.

Video can be great to see the nuance in a person’s expressions, however, know that it’s okay to just make a phone call. We’re getting video fatigue, and the phone still works! If you talk by phone, do it as a walking meeting. They aren’t just good for your butt, they’re good for your brain! After about 10–15 minutes, it can increase creativity and collaboration. You aren’t competing with a device sitting in front of them (or you!) to get distracted and lose focus. Since we move less when we work from home, there are health benefits as well. One platform I recommend for one to one meetings is All Elements 1:1. Their service makes your sessions consistently human and productive.

My Vistage Chair, Janet Boudreau, has been doing some of her sessions with her Chief Executives as walking meetings in parks. Being outdoors away from the office, whether at home or onsite, gets you to think outside the box and get a dose of nature to increase your happiness.

Create and respect boundaries. Due to circumstances at home, people may have to work odd hours. Remote workers often feel a low level of anxiety that if they don’t answer every email, text, or instant message, that their co-workers will think they aren’t working. They work long hours and never really shut it off. Ask your team members what their most productive hours will be and have everyone communicate when they are available. Remember, this wasn’t a choice for everyone, and they may not prefer to work from 6–10:00am and then again from 8–11pm, but they need to until kids are back to school.

This may not work for you or your role, and it’s not permanent, but it may be what you need to do for now. Avoid increasing telepressure by not sending messages late at night or on the weekends if that isn’t what you would do in the office environment. Schedule your messages using Delay Delivery in Outlook or Boomerang or Streak in Gmail.

One of my private coaching clients is a scientist with two kids under the age of five. They need a lot of attention at that age, and during the pandemic, they have struggled to find a sitter, and daycare isn’t open. She has to be as productive as she can during the windows she has available. It’s not ideal, but once she accepted things would not be normal at home, she communicated her boundaries and availability to the team and showed model behavior.

Based on your experience, what can one do to address or redress each of those challenges?

Many people went remote fast without a plan in place. We’ve been doing this long enough that it’s perfectly okay and encouraged to take a step back and regroup. Anonymously survey your staff to find out what’s working and what isn’t. Hold a meeting with different stakeholders at various levels and take those results to heart to implement new policies. Pretend you are a new company and throw out the old ways. You’re building from the ground up with a new hybrid or fully remote structure in place. What would you change? Then….change it. It’s not too late.

In my experience, one of the trickiest parts of managing a remote team is giving honest feedback, in a way that doesn’t come across as too harsh. 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. Can you give a few suggestions about how to best give constructive criticism to a remote employee?

I think it’s even more important to give feedback more often when working remotely. Use video at least occasionally for one-to-ones, so they get used to your tone and inflection. Make sure the camera is positioned so they can see your upper body. They will be able to read body language and not just facial expression. I use a Virtual Daily Check-In in Asana, my project management system. I ask staff to tell me: Daily Productivity Score, One concern they have, Top Priority for tomorrow, and their Big Win for the day. It allows me to keep a pulse on what’s going on and catch things that I may otherwise miss.

Can you specifically address how to give constructive feedback over email? How do you prevent the email from sounding too critical or harsh?

Make it very clear, especially with new employees, on what your communication style is. If you are very direct like I am, it may come across as curt. Whenever I am dealing with someone new, I let them know how I write my messages and emails. We each have a section called our Owner’s Manual in our Employee Success Manual. We each write How to Work With Me, and then others can write How to Work With X. The rule is we can’t be upset about what someone else says about working with us. We have all found it very helpful!

Even when giving positive feedback, it can be seen as unfavorable if the tone is misinterpreted. I recently praised someone through an online message board, and for five days, she thought I had insulted her! I felt terrible and so did she. Sometimes the mood the person is in when they read it can affect how it is interpreted. So many things go in to it that, especially if it is constructive or negative, it needs to be done via video or phone.

Can you share any suggestions for teams who are used to working together on location but are forced to work remotely due to the pandemic. Are there potential obstacles one should avoid with a team that is just getting used to working remotely?

It’s great to do weekly meetings over the video, but don’t do them daily unless people really desire it. It can be seen as disruptive and micro-managing. Survey them to find out. I had a client who was doing book clubs, trivia events, and meetings several times a week thinking he was keeping a bond with his team. Actually, some people were getting tired of the meetings, and with their families at home, they wanted to spend that extra time with them. Ask your team what they need! Don’t assume.

What do you suggest can be done to create a healthy and empowering work culture with a team that is remote and not physically together?

One of my clients has a Fun Team. They really stepped up and created fun virtual events like trivia nights, a talent show, and scavenger hunts. The turnout is astounding. They’ve had over 100 people participate in online events! A lot of entertainment companies have made their services virtual, like trivia, that can be a fun way to keep the social aspect.

Another client used the steps in my book for a book club, and they went through the habit changes together. Don’t force fun or social interaction, because there were people before in the office who didn’t always participate, but have some options available for those people who need that stimuli.

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. 🙂

Get out of your pajamas! Fight the stereotype! 🙂 Really, I would want people to start having a transition from work to home. We tend to work more at home, and our days run into our nights, and the lines are blurry. Even if you are only stepping away for a few hours to hang with the family before you have to go back to work, transition. My friend Lilly Ferrick has Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off play on her iPhone at 5pm every day. I have Robert Randolph and the Family Band’s song Ain’t Nothing Wrong With That play at 6:00pm. That song gets me pumped and makes me want to dance and is my trigger to stop working. Find a trigger to transition with. Mr. Rogers was the king of transition. Changing his shoes and putting on that sweater told him he was in a different mode.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Talk doesn’t cook rice. It’s a Chinese Proverb. Talk gets you nowhere and it isn’t going to feed you. Start boiling that water!

Thank you for these great insights!


Author Marcey Rader: 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Calvin Rosser of Mechanism Ventures: 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team

Pay it forward. A now-deceased mentor of mine taught me about the value of helping others as you navigate life. No matter where you are in your personal life or career, you can find ways to help others improve the quality of their lives. Life is much more enriching when you help others, so don’t wait until you’re rich and famous to start giving back. Find ways to pay it forward every day.

As a part of our series about the five things you need to successfully manage a remote team, I had the pleasure of interviewing Calvin Rosser.

Calvin Rosser is the Director of Business Operations at Mechanism Ventures, a fully remote startup studio that helps founders fund, launch, and scale ambitious companies. He is also the Founder of Life Reimagined, an organization dedicated to helping 10 million people live a more conscious and fulfilling life.

Prior to his current roles, Calvin graduated from Princeton University and spent his early career as an M&A banker on Wall Street and a team lead at a $1B+ fully remote staffing company.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. What is your “backstory”?

Hi, I’m Calvin! My story began in Orlando, Florida. My dad disappeared early in my life, and while my mom did her best, we lived an unstable existence with very little money.

I didn’t know how poor we were or how well other people lived, but I did know that I wanted a more comfortable and stable life. I despised the world of scarcity, and I committed to finding a way out. So I spent my early life figuring out how to improve my circumstances. I ended up getting a full scholarship to Princeton University and graduated with a degree in public policy.

After college, I joined a big investment bank in New York to find my financial footing. I worked on mergers and acquisitions for private equity firms across the automotive, healthcare, and consumer retail sectors. Wall Street offered a steady paycheck, but I didn’t enjoy spending 15 hours a day in a cubicle doing grunt work.

I knew there had to be more to life, so I looked for a new path. I ended up joining Toptal, a fully remote staffing company, in a growth marketing role. That experience hooked me on remote work and scaling companies. I spent the next few years growing Toptal, leading teams, and traveling to dozens of countries. I recently paused my travels to settle in Southern California.

For the last year, I’ve been the Director of Business Operations at Mechanism Ventures, a fully remote startup studio that helps founders fund, launch, and scale companies. I work on everything from launching growth channels, to improving internal operations, to hiring great people. I’m also the Founder of Life Reimagined, an organization dedicated to helping 10 million people live a more fulfilling life.

While I’m not sure where my career will take me, I’ve found a nice sweet spot for the time being. I spend most of my time writing, podcasting, and helping early-stage startups with growth and operations. It’s a lot of fun.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

I’ve been fortunate to work with great friends throughout my career. In 2018, I hired one of my best friends to be my number two. I convinced the company to fly him to Croatia to meet me for onboarding. We spent the next month onboarding him to the role while traveling through Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Serbia, and Hungary.

Getting to travel the world and work with your best friends is so much fun. It adds a lot of meaning and joy to work, and I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything.

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 I left banking to join Toptal’s growth team, I found the work incredibly engaging. I was learning the fundamentals of growing a business, and within a few months, I was managing tens of thousands of dollars in ad spend, managing a small team, and getting paid very well. The autonomy, pace, and practical nature of growth marketing work felt so much better than investment banking.

When I got my first performance review 6 months after starting, I learned that my colleagues thought I was far too serious. Someone said something like, “You do a great job of growing the business, but it’s important to remember that we’re not all APIs that focus only on results. You’re working with people.”

That feedback taught me an important lesson. I learned that fulfilling your core job function is not enough. You have to build meaningful relationships with your colleagues. From that point onward, I’ve spent a lot of time connecting with colleagues outside of just getting work done. This increased focus on relationships has served me well as I’ve moved from individual contributor to team-management roles.

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive and avoid burnout?

While it’s easy to expect people to manage their own energy, they often don’t. No one wants to seem like they’re struggling, so they often hide their struggles.

As a leader, it’s your responsibility to understand each individual and how that person may end up on a path to burnout. To do this well, you need to understand what motivates each individual, what triggers them, and how to create a psychologically safe environment for people to discuss challenges.

Ok, let’s jump to the core of our interview. Some companies have many years of experience with managing a remote team. Others have just started this, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you tell us how many years of experience you have managing remote teams?

I’ve managed remote teams across Growth, Operations, and Community for four years.

Managing a team remotely can be very different than managing a team that is in front of you. Can you articulate for our readers what the five main challenges are regarding managing a remote team? Can you give a story or example for each?

Aligning a global team.

With the proliferation of remote work across the globe, it’s increasingly common to work on teams of people who don’t share a common location, time zone, culture or language. In this context, it’s much more difficult to align, motivate, and engage such a diverse group.

Prioritization.

There are endless requests, messages, and things to do in the remote world. But as a leader, your mission is to drive results that translate your vision into reality. To do that well, you need to avoid the fallacy that everything matters equally. Multitasking and task-switching are ineffective and inefficient. They cost your team valuable energy, time, and results.

Digital miscommunication.

Because we aren’t physically present with colleagues in a remote working environment, we have fewer cues to understand the intent of our colleagues. So when we receive a Slack message or hop on a Zoom call, we’re more likely to misunderstand the intention and tone behind the message. If we assume mal-intent when there is none, that can cause unnecessary strain on working relationships.

Cultural differences.

In remote working environments, it’s common to work on teams of people with very different cultural backgrounds and values. For example, I’ve managed teams that span multiple continents and operate in over 75 countries. This environment is ripe for communication gaps and misunderstandings.

Managing burnout.

In a traditional office environment, it’s easy to rely on physical cues to sense when a team member is burning out, unhappy, or getting ready to quit. But in a remote environment, the lack of in-person contact means that you can easily miss these important signals. For instance, you don’t see the physical signs (baggy eyes, unwashed hair) or body language (rolling eyes, folded arms) that can indicate a person is burning out or unhappy.

Based on your experience, what can one do to address or redress each of those challenges?

Aligning a global team.

Good storytelling can help solve this challenge. Stories are an ancient art form that helped us survive and bond for thousands of years. Across time and cultures, stories have been used to educate, entertain, and engage people.

Because stories engage our emotions, they motivate us to feel and take action. They have the capacity to change attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors in ways that no other medium can. In an increasingly data-driven world, many leaders turn to logic and data to align, motivate, and persuade others. Without realizing it, these leaders are doing themselves a disservice. Because while facts and figures should certainly inform our decisions, they don’t make us feel. And if we don’t feel, we simply don’t care.

So to align a global team, build a culture of good storytelling. For example, lead with a story in every presentation. That can be a story of your vision, a story of something another person did, or a story of something you found interesting. You can also implement dedicated “storytime” on team calls. Have a rotating schedule and allow people to tell a story. When you see an initiative that went particularly well or something a teammate did that you want others to do, prompt the team to talk about it.

Prioritization.

High performing leaders of remote teams have an eye for the essential. In a remote environment, the contribution you provide to the team and organization is far more important than the hours you spend working. Results stem from doing the right things, not doing things right. Effectively managing in a remote environment requires you to empower your team to prioritize and execute on the initiatives that deliver the most business impact.

As a manager, ask yourself and your team every day, week, month, quarter, and year: “What’s the one thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?” Ruthlessly prioritize that one thing and encourage your team to do the same.

Digital miscommunication

Digital communication provides us with fewer cues to understand the intent of our colleagues. Intent is important. It makes us feel safe with colleagues and helps us accurately interpret the information we receive. To mitigate the risk of intent issues in communication, you should:

  1. Be thoughtful with what you say. Before you send a message, try reading it from the perspective of the person receiving the message.
  2. Use emojis to soften the anticipated sting of an email or message.
  3. Meet face-to-face at least once if possible.
  4. Avoid sending a long wall of text: Record a quick video and send that instead.
  5. Ask people to clarify: “Sorry, I don’t think I understand, can you clarify?”

These techniques are not perfect, but they help.

Cultural differences.

To lead a global team, you need to understand how different cultures view work, think about feedback, treat hierarchy within organizations, and so on. You’d be surprised by how the place in which you grew up biases you to think about work in narrow ways.

Outside of learning through experience, read The Culture Map by Erin Meyer. It’s a great book that explores the many ways in which communication differs across cultures and how we can bridge the gap. This book will give leaders a head start on avoiding some common mistakes.

Managing burnout.

I mentioned this earlier, but you need to understand your people — what motivates them, what makes them unhappy, what they want out of work, what they’re dealing with in their personal lives, and so on. You can do this by getting to know people through conversations that focus on topics outside of day-to-day work projects.

If you think someone is approaching burnout, have a conversation with them. Start by asking questions and listening. Never assume anything about what’s causing the problem. The problem can be anything ranging from too much work, to a specific roadblock, to a personal health issue, to working on the wrong types of projects.

Once you understand the problem, you can offer specific solutions. The solution may include helping them to solve a difficult roadblock, offering tools or resources that may help, or getting them on new projects that align with their career goals. You can’t offer solutions until you understand the problem from the employee’s perspective.

Finally, you need to make people feel psychologically safe. If someone thinks they will be fired for having a bad week at work, they won’t feel comfortable talking about their struggles. You need to let people know that it’s okay if they need some extra help or time to step away.

In my experience, one of the trickiest parts of managing a remote team is giving honest feedback, in a way that doesn’t come across as too harsh. 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. Can you give a few suggestions about how to best give constructive criticism to a remote employee?

You need to build a genuine culture of feedback and continuous improvement. There are many ways to do this, but an essential component is creating psychological safety for people who are giving and receiving feedback.

As a leader, you need to set the tone. Proactively ask for feedback. Talk about your mistakes openly. And never punish anyone for giving feedback. For example, imagine I just gave a big presentation as a leader. One of my teammates who worked with me on the presentation comes up afterwards and says:

“Hey, great presentation — I think it went well overall. About halfway through, I think you could have stated [x] more clearly and responded to the questions from [y] with more information.”

If I want to foster a culture of continuous feedback and improvement, I need to be careful with my response. The correct response is to thank the person for the feedback, ask clarifying questions, and change my behavior over time if it makes sense to do so. With this approach, the person will feel safe giving me feedback again.

If I start dismissing the feedback or justifying why it’s wrong, I won’t ever get feedback again. The person won’t feel that I’m actually open-minded and won’t go through the discomfort of providing me more feedback in the future.

Can you specifically address how to give constructive feedback over email? How do you prevent the email from sounding too critical or harsh?

Whenever possible, I recommend getting on a Zoom call instead of giving feedback over email or Slack. But if you can’t do that for one reason or another, I use the following structure — start with a soft intro, mention something good, note the area for improvement, explain why, and demonstrate appreciation.

For example, imagine one of my teammates sent something unprofessional to a client. I might say something like:

“Hi, hope your week is off to a good start! I liked how proactive you were in reaching out to the client. That’s an important account for us.

I noticed in your message that you included a link to a politically-charged Youtube video in your last email. While I think it’s great to connect with clients on a personal level, we generally try to avoid politically-oriented content with clients. We’ve had a few bad experiences with this in the past, so as a general best practice, we avoid discussing politics with clients.

Appreciate you working so hard on growing this account. We’re close to reaching new milestones with this client thanks to your dedication and work.

Best,

Calvin”

If you’ve built a culture of feedback and continuous improvement, this message will be received well.

Can you share any suggestions for teams who are used to working together on location but are forced to work remotely due to the pandemic. Are there potential obstacles one should avoid with a team that is just getting used to working remotely?

Try not to get paralyzed by information overload. Slack, Zoom, Trello, and other companies have made digital collaboration frictionless and cheaper. While these tools enable seamless remote work, they also come with lots of messages and alerts that can make it easy to get overwhelmed with information.

The speed of information can be overwhelming, and in some cases, paralyzing. So finding a way to filter through the noise and focus on what’s truly important is an incredibly valuable skill for the long-term.

What do you suggest can be done to create a healthy and empowering work culture with a team that is remote and not physically together?

Encourage people to create separation from work. When you go in and out of a physical office, there’s a natural separation between home life and work life.

With the flexibility of remote work, you can open up your laptop and work at any point in the day. So while you can enjoy an afternoon nap or workout without anyone shaming you, you can also find yourself working at ten or eleven at night from my couch.

In this new environment, you have to help people create healthy boundaries between work and life so that they don’t burnout.

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. 🙂

Pay it forward. A now-deceased mentor of mine taught me about the value of helping others as you navigate life. No matter where you are in your personal life or career, you can find ways to help others improve the quality of their lives. Life is much more enriching when you help others, so don’t wait until you’re rich and famous to start giving back. Find ways to pay it forward every day.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

With respect to good leadership, I often revisit a quote from the founder of Walmart, Sam Walton,

“Celebrate your success and find humor in your failures. Don’t take yourself so seriously. Loosen up and everyone around you will loosen up. Have fun and always show enthusiasm.”

I have the tendency to accomplish goals and not celebrate them. I often take mistakes and failures too seriously. And I certainly don’t have enough fun on the journey.

Walton reminds me that life is too short to operate this way. Life and business are a lot more fun when you celebrate more, show more appreciation, and don’t take mistakes too seriously.

Thank you for these great insights!


Calvin Rosser of Mechanism Ventures: 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Anne Lackey of HireSmart Virtual Employees: 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a…

Anne Lackey of HireSmart Virtual Employees: 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team

“Done is better than perfect.” When I realized that my perfectionism was actually keeping me from progress, I was able to accept myself and others. I was able to do more by allowing others to come alongside me and work together to achieve my vision.

As a part of our series about the five things you need to successfully manage a remote team, I had the pleasure of interviewing Anne Lackey.

Anne Lackey is the Co-Founder of HireSmart Virtual Employees. She helps business owners improve their bottom line by reducing overwhelm and staff turnover. She does this by assisting businesses to raise their customers’ satisfaction through strategic staffing with virtual employees. Three-time best-selling author, national speaker, and featured expert on hiring, team building, managing remote employees, and business growth.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. What is your “backstory”?

My husband and I started our first business in 2000. When we got married, we knew we wanted to build a legacy, but at the time, we were not sure what that would look like. In 2009 when I finally quit my corporate gig, we owned four businesses, each of which we started from scratch. One of those was a property management business in Atlanta. Fast forward to 2013, and a key employee who had been with us over four years, quit via text while on our first vacation in seven years. My husband and I were burned out from traditional hiring and sought out a hiring alternative. We hired our first virtual employee from the Philippines in January 2015, and the difference it made in our business and personal lives was tremendous. So much so, that two CEO friends asked me to help them find amazing talent and HireSmart was born. Interestingly enough, those first placements made over five years ago are still working for the client.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

Probably the most interesting thing that has happened to me is that businesses seem to “find me.” I never really intended to start more than one business, but people just asked me to help them, and I found I was able to help them and make money. Our property management business started when an agent friend who was selling investment properties talked to us and wanted us to manage for her clients. We had been managing our properties for a while, and we were always full even when it was hard to find quality residents. She needed someone who cared, so in 2015, we started managing rentals for others. Similarly in 2015, when we began hiring virtual employees, other CEOs wanted help finding virtual employees.

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 don’t think I have a funny mistake that I can share. I do have plenty of lessons, however. One of the best lessons I can share is, “done is better than perfect.” I am a little controlling and I like things done in a particular fashion. This mindset hindered me from doing everything that I can do. Once I realized that “done was better than perfect,” and that I didn’t have to have everything done my way, I was free to expand and create more. I was able to affect more change and serve more people. It didn’t matter if the spreadsheet was perfect if it provided the results.

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive and avoid burnout?

My best advice is to set clear goals and expectations. I like to manage using key performance indicators (KPIs). It is tough for someone to know how they are doing without setting clear expectations. I believe that everyone wants to succeed. If they know the goals, then they will do what they can to achieve those outcomes. Often, however, when I am working with CEOs, most don’t have any KPIs for themselves, their management team, and therefore, their employees don’t understand what a good job looks like.

Ok, let’s jump to the core of our interview. Some companies have many years of experience with managing a remote team. Others have just started this, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you tell us how many years of experience you have managing remote teams?

I have been managing remote teams for over 15 years. Of that, the past 5 years have been a global workforce and a local workforce.

Managing a team remotely can be very different than managing a team that is in front of you. Can you articulate for our readers what the five main challenges are regarding managing a remote team? Can you give a story or example for each?

Lack of Communication

Managing remote workers requires conscious effort to include remote team members in the conversations. Unlike teammates, you see down the hall, and there is no hall virtually. You have to make time to reach out and check in on them.

Lack of Clear Objectives

Having KPIs for all team members allows for better outcomes regardless of in-house or remote staff. However, not having clear outcomes for remote workers puts them at a disadvantage as they don’t have the benefit of “hearing through the grapevine” how the company is doing overall. There are a lot of missed conversations as they are sometimes, out of sight, out of mind.

Ignoring Remote Workers

This relates to the previous one. As a manager of a remote team, I have to make them a priority. I schedule 1-on-1 meetings with each direct report each week. This allows me to focus on them, their needs & questions, provide feedback, and give direction.

Lack of Community

Remote workers can start to feel disconnected from the company, the mission, and the team. Having regular meetings helps with this. Also, having them as part of every company meeting helps as well. I also recommend having a “water cooler” chat for teams to use and check in to stay connected. We also have contests, themed zoom meetings, and other fun interactions to help everyone be invested.

Lack of Career Path

Often remote workers are overlooked for promotions and career development because they are not available to build relationships as easily as those in office. When you manage through KPIs, and you can outline a career path for a remote worker, this enhances their experience and allows them to do more. It also allows them a pathway for personal growth.

Based on your experience, what can one do to address or redress each of those challenges?

Lack of Communication

Involve remote teams in all corporate communications.

Lack of Clear Objectives

Develop KPIs for their role.

Ignoring Remote Workers

Schedule weekly meetings.

Lack of Community

Provide opportunities to connect like weekly lunches via Zoom to chat with the team. Invite in office and remote teams to participate.

Lack of Career Path

Have clear career development goals for all staff members.

In my experience, one of the trickiest parts of managing a remote team is giving honest feedback, in a way that doesn’t come across as too harsh. 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. Can you give a few suggestions about how to best give constructive criticism to a remote employee?

I recommend you don’t try and have difficult conversations via email or text. It is so easy to have a virtual meeting via Zoom or Skype. This way, you can see the person and judge the reaction first hand.

I also recommend that whenever you are having any kind of difficult discussion, you have specific talking points and provide a solution to fix it or have them provide a possible solution to fix it before the end of the meeting. You want to have clear objectives moving forward. I also recommend recapping the strategy in an email after you have an agreement on how to move forward.

Can you specifically address how to give constructive feedback over email? How do you prevent the email from sounding too critical or harsh?

I think you can, but I don’t think you really should. Too often, people hide behind email and text to avoid having these difficult conversations. I believe, however, a great leader is one who isn’t afraid to have open, honest, and at times, difficult conversations. We do others a disservice when we dehumanize them and not treat them like we would want to be treated. I know how I felt when my key employee quit via text; it was impersonal and left me with a feeling of unimportant. I don’t want any of my team members to endure that.

Can you share any suggestions for teams who are used to working together on location but are forced to work remotely due to the pandemic. Are there potential obstacles one should avoid with a team that is just getting used to working remotely?

Increase the communication frequency. Do daily check-ins and weekly meetings. Have lunches together via zoom. Make it a point to connect.

What do you suggest can be done to create a healthy and empowering work culture with a team that is remote and not physically together?

The connection is vital. Do everything you can to maintain the same level of communication and connections that you did when in office. Keep everyone informed about the company’s goals & missions. Recognize those who are excelling.

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. 🙂

A mentor of mine shared three phrases that I remind myself of daily:

Choose:

Responsbility over Blame

Curiosity over Judgment

Clarity over Conformity

I would encourage others to make these choices, as well.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Done is better than perfect.” When I realized that my perfectionism was actually keeping me from progress, I was able to accept myself and others. I was able to do more by allowing others to come alongside me and work together to achieve my vision.

Thank you for these great insights!


Anne Lackey of HireSmart Virtual Employees: 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future Is Now: “The application of quantum mechanics to biological objects” With Quanta CEO…

The Future Is Now: “The application of quantum mechanics to biological objects” With Quanta CEO Eric Rice

Currently, we are the pioneers in Quantum Biology or the application of quantum mechanics and theoretical chemistry to biological objects and problems. We are optimizing natural laws to best deliver life-enhancing biological reactions. Our patented technology dramatically improves the function of targeted molecules by increasing the kinetic energy of electron clouds while preventing it from ionizing. More simply put, we are using Quantum Theory to dramatically improve the performance of organic compounds on and in the human body.

As a part of our series about cutting edge technological breakthroughs, I had the pleasure of interviewing Eric Rice.

Eric, Quanta CEO and Chairman, is a leading American entrepreneur. A former professional baseball player, he started his business career in Chicago in wealth management and high-net-worth financial advising before spending more than a decade building businesses at the nexus of AI machine learning and advertising technology. Along the way, he worked with founders across multiple sectors to create profitable, enduring enterprises, demonstrating a keen eye for the nuances of markets and corresponding growth opportunities. In 2013, he cofounded 25 Ventures, a venture studio that developed multiple successful companies in the fields of media and technology, and made him a sought-after partner for start-ups and established businesses around the globe. With its world-changing ambitions, Quanta represents the culmination of Eric’s years of insight and experience, merging his market acumen with his longstanding interest in the applied sciences. He lives in Burbank with his wife and two children, and still finds time to make it to the batting cages.

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 genuinely believe that I am one of the few people on this planet who is doing exactly what he was meant to do. As a younger person, I was blessed to grow up in a great home. My dad got his Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics then ended up getting into technology and non-profit work and my mom worked odd jobs before going to night school to become a nurse when I was younger.

I was taught at home, everything about the human body and physics, all fields of physics.

I can remember being 10 years old and helping my mom with flashcards while she studied for nursing boards when she worked at a liquor store. But I did not care, all that stuff seemed easy to me, I wanted to play baseball.

So I did, and I was pretty good at it. I played in college and a little in Mexico. I worked my butt off and had a lot of fun, but I did not focus on applying myself in academics. My ambition truly exceeded my abilities and the game eventually wore my body down. I was not naturally gifted, so I played through tons of injuries and eventually found myself taking handfuls of ibuprofen before every game. Hell, my last season of competitive play my teammates nicknamed me “duct tape” because they thought that was what was holding me together!

I finished school and got into managing money for a major financial institution and eventually I started building my own businesses. I have had the pleasure of learning multiple industries, succeeding, failing, and all along the way, learning. I carved a niche for myself by being able to understand complex ideas and explain them to the masses. I found myself to be a strange type of hybrid who could understand complex ideas, explain them to others, and build businesses around them.

Along the way, I met a medical researcher who discovered an amazing technology to amplify ingredients that could truly help people. The technology involves quantum mechanics, which is funny because (1) my father is a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics and a career in the field never occurred to me and (2) I now spend my days talking about how this technology can significantly impact various natural plant products to more effectively help people. My life has literally come full circle.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

This is a tough one. I have seen and done many things and met many, many interesting people from celebrities to mad scientists. Most of those I cannot tell. I live in LA, so I will not use anyone’s name. But nothing compares to the experiences I’ve had with our current customers. Every day, I get emails and phone calls and text messages from people all over the world thanking us for helping them get their lives back. It is truly awe-inspiring and fuels me every day.

Can you tell us about the “Bleeding edge” technological breakthroughs that you are working on? How do you think that will help people?

Currently, we are the pioneers in Quantum Biology or the application of quantum mechanics and theoretical chemistry to biological objects and problems. We are optimizing natural laws to best deliver life-enhancing biological reactions. Our patented technology dramatically improves the function of targeted molecules by increasing the kinetic energy of electron clouds while preventing it from ionizing. More simply put, we are using Quantum Theory to dramatically improve the performance of organic compounds on and in the human body.

We use custom calibrated MRI technologies to influence electron spin. By influencing the angular momentum (spin) of the electrons we dramatically increase the overall electromagnetic energy of the molecule. The resulting molecule binds more easily to other molecules without oxidizing — making it more 500% more bioavailable and 500% more bioactive.

The deft application of energy to a molecule — both in the nucleus and electron cloud — demonstrates a massive leap in magnetic resonance theory. The impact is profound and immediately applies to multiple sectors such as pain management, anti-inflammation, vitamins, supplements, nutraceuticals, anti-aging, human cognition, agriculture, food, and pharmaceuticals. In short, this will help people by finally offering them natural remedies that are as potent and predictable as current pharmaceutical solutions.

How do you think this might change the world?

The impacts of this type of technology are vast, powerful, and still being determined. However, our first goal was to solve an issue that is really close to home with me. We launched a topical pain relief and anti-inflammatory that has proven to be 5x more effective than all other competitors. This, in turn, means that we need 1/5 of the materials needed to make a product impactful. This is game-changing in every sense of the word. There are so many implications of how we might use this technology to benefit the world; not just alleviating pain, but fighting illness, better agriculture, using ingredients more efficiently and sustainably — we’re at the beginning of our journey, but think we can accomplish a lot.

Keeping “Black Mirror” in mind can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

While it may sound a little “Brave New World” to hear what we’re doing, the truth is we are maximizing the bioenergy in natural products; we are not messing around with the genetic makeup or creating Frankenproducts. We are using some of the most forward-thinking science to bring efficacy to truly ancient medicine and remedies. This would be a good episode of Black Mirror because it would have to be shot in reverse. The drawbacks already exist unhealthy people, side effects from synthetic ingredients and pharmaceuticals, environmental damage.

Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this breakthrough? Can you tell us that story?

The tipping point for this breakthrough began many years ago. As a former baseball player I completely overused ibuprofen to be able to reduce my pain and stay on the field. I ended up damaging my insides and in looking for a natural alternative, discovered cannabis. When I learned about this exciting technology that would make a product even more effective, my lightbulb moment was thinking, “what if I could make a CBD cream that would be even more effective?”

I then sprained my ankle on a Sunday playing baseball and found myself having to leave my office Monday afternoon because of pain and swelling. I decided this was a good opportunity to see if polarized CBD would work. We had just gotten our first test units back from the lab earlier that day. So, I took one home with me and committed to using it every 90 minutes to see what happened. Well, less than 48 hours later I arrived at my office where there were a couple of my younger employees throwing a football around waiting for me to unlock the doors. Long story short, when the rest of the team arrived, they were as shocked as I was that I had no pain and could not only walk but that I joined the football game. The rest, as they say, was history.

What do you need to lead this technology to widespread adoption?

My hope is that other companies see what we have done with CBD (and with our next product launch, Quanta Beauty, which uses the same technology to polarize key ingredients in the skincare realm and make them more effective) and reach out to us to license our technology to improve other products that can benefit people. We will be getting into supplements in the 4th quarter and are sorting through potential partners as well. We make products currently, but we are truly designed for major licensing with large product makers.

What have you been doing to publicize this idea? Have you been using any innovative marketing strategies?

To this point, we have not done a whole lot to gain recognition. We have been laser-focused on research and driving profitability. However, I recently hired a publicist and we are beginning to tell our story to the public. I hope they enjoy hearing it as much as we have enjoyed creating it.

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 could spend the next 3 hours thanking people for the things they have done to help me grow along this path. I have an incredible team of people that are in the company for the right, long term, reasons. I have tremendous mentors that have been supporting me as a CEO for years. But more than anything I think I owe a spotlight to 2 special people in my life. My dad and my wife. Without them, I would not be in this position.

I have to thank my dad for forcing science down my throat since birth. Without his guidance at an early age, I would have never been able to see or take this opportunity in life. His constant support and never-ending explanations of how things work is paying off way more today than it did in college (where he was hoping I would use it).

And to my amazing wife of 15 years, Kim, no words can say what she has meant to me as a person or as a businessman. She constantly holds me to a higher standard and has always been there for me in good times and bad. Nothing makes a person braver than having the love of his family.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

This is a great question that should be asked of more CEOs. First, the work I do currently helps people alleviate pain and in turn helps them experience joy, nothing feels better than that. I coach young baseball and football. I help young kids understand the sport they are playing, but more importantly I teach them how to play as a single unit. I enjoy helping kids learn how to build relationships and work hard, values I feel we are losing as a society. I also help out with food drives and local charities as often as I can.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)

This is the best question yet. I can probably give you 100 of these, but here are the top 5 for me:

∙ Being an entrepreneur can be lonely. Over the course of my career, I have had to fire friends and hire enemies. This makes it tough to build the same bonds that employees build. It is also tough to make new friends. When you meet new people, it can be tough to tell if they are truly being nice to you or if they are looking for a job, loan, investments, etc. In the end, it is even tough to be friends with someone that is simply an employee somewhere because they do not understand your plight. I would say 95% of my real-life friends are other business owners.

∙ Working on yourself is a must. When you start a company, you get so wrapped up in it that you take your own health and sanity for granted. 18-hour days are tough enough, but no one recognizes that most of us are still mentally working on the business even when we sleep. Eventually, we all start to morph into what we are building. Every entrepreneur in the world needs to ground themselves daily through meditation, exercise, spending time with their families, whatever they love that will bring them back to WHY they work so hard.

∙ Seek advice. This sounds simple to most, but to entrepreneurs isn’t. As a person that starts a company, most people assume you know everything. And early in your career, it is hard to ask for advice. Don’t let the shame of not knowing cost you your business. Build a rapport with seasoned experts and ask them for as much advice as they will give.

∙ Learn to control your emotions. This is crucial for entrepreneurs to learn. Never let your highs get too high or your lows get too low. They will both happen, be prepared. Every person you encounter will be watching how you react, and learning to control those same emotions that helped you start the business will be critical to your long term success.

∙ Trust and delegate. Nothing has helped me more than learning to delegate. There are only so many hours in the day and every one of them needs to be optimized. Learn to bring in people you trust that know what they are doing and let them run. Nothing will change your life more than this.

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. 🙂

If I had the chance to spawn a movement it would absolutely be to something to help humans begin to think for themselves again. Far too many people live in a bubble and trust only what they see, hear or read blindly without thinking it through. It is sad to see an entire species become slaves to devices and news that have no fact check regulations. We are divided by our opinions, yet completely blind to the truth. Free your mind and the rest will follow.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

This is an easy one, my favorite quote ever is “only those who can see the invisible can achieve the impossible.” This quote impacts me every day of my life. This is relevant to me in many ways. My company focuses on the invisible, subatomic particles, to achieve the impossible, better performing materials without the use of chemicals or cellular penetration. And I am a constant seeker of the truth which is invisible to most.

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 🙂

Quantum is not only for computing. The same types of theories and mechanics can be used to improve human health and not just human communication. Take a percentage of your investments in Quantum and put them into the Quantum Biology field for expanded research and new products that will impact the health of humans all across the planet.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

I can be found on

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/EricRice25

Twitter https://twitter.com/ea_rice?lang=en

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericrice25

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.


The Future Is Now: “The application of quantum mechanics to biological objects” With Quanta CEO… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.