Breakthroughs: Smart Strategies for Career/Business Growth

In this episode I interview a remarkable entrepreneur, Jay Steinfeld, who launched a business from his garage and turned it into the largest online business in his industry. Jay’s story is for anyone who’s interested in learning what it takes to build a successful business and find meaning, joy and purpose from your work regardless of your product or service. JAY STEINFELD founded and was the CEO of Global Custom Commerce, which operates the world’s number one online window covering retailer Blinds.com. Boot-strapped in 1996 for just $3,000 from his Bellaire, Texas, garage, Global Custom Commerce was acquired by The Home Depot in 2014. Jay remained as its CEO and later joined The Home Depot Online Leadership Team. After stepping away from these roles in early 2020, he has increased his involvement on numerous private company boards and serves as a director of the public company Masonite (NYSE: DOOR). He also teaches entrepreneurship at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business and supports numerous charities. Jay is an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and has earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Houston Technology Center. Active as an industry speaker on topics including corporate culture, core values, how to scale a start-up, and disruption, he has more than 100 published articles. His book, “Lead from the Core: The Four Principles for Profit and Prosperity” will be published November 30, 2021. It is available now for pre-order on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Lead-Core-Principles-Profit-Prosperity/dp/195329572X/ref=nodl_

I’m excited to have Mallory Weggemann as my guest on “Breakthroughs”... She joined Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian, to deliver an incredibly inspiring Townhall about representation & inclusion via a closed circuit stream to Delta's 75,000 employees. Bastian is one of Mallory’s biggest corporate sponsors as well as a huge supporter of inclusion and representation of disabilities in the workplace. Mallory is a world-class athlete, business owner and speaker. She is a Paralympic Gold-Medalist, 15-Time World Champion Swimmer, ESPN ESPY Award winner, TV Sports Commentator, and founder of social impact agency, TFA Group. Mallory knows firsthand that the words and images we use, and how we use them, impacts how society perceives everything. A bit of context to the void that currently exists: 20% of the US population is disabled 0 Fortune 500 CEOs are disabled 1 disabled female senator out of 535 representatives and senators 1 disabled president (who hid his disability) out of 46 Fewer than 2% of characters on TV are disabled. 95% of the actors playing those characters are not disabled. US unemployment rate is 7% - 76% of the disabled are unemployed 10.5 % of Americans live below the poverty level while 32% of disabled Americans live below the poverty level In 2020, Mallory was a TV commentator at the Golden Globes and didn’t see one person who had a disability the entire day -- one of the largest gatherings of the biggest names in Hollywood. In fact, she had to be lifted three steps when she reached the end of the carpet because no one had thought to create an accessible path for a wheelchair. In 2008, when Mallory was paralyzed at the age of 18, she yearned to see representation. When she looked at the world around her, she felt isolated by her differences. It was then that Mallory learned it is hard to become what you don’t see. For the past 13 years she has made a conscious decision to do her part to fill that void, so our next generation never has to ask, “what about me?” We discuss her newly released book, “Limitless: The Power of Hope and Resilience to Overcome Circumstance”. This episode is for anyone who’s interested in getting inspiration on the topic of how to garner hope and resilience to overcome any difficult circumstance. https://www.amazon.com/Limitless-Power-Resilience-Overcome- Circumstance/dp/1400223466

My guest is Katherine Brooks, EdD, the co-author of “What Color Is Your Parachute? 2022: Your Guide to a Lifetime of Meaningful Work & Career Success” With timeless advice, up-to-the-minute insights, and more than ten million copies sold over fifty years, the world’s most popular and best-selling career guide is fully revised and expanded for 2021 and 2022. In today’s challenging job market, and as recent grads face a shifting economic landscape and seek work that pays and inspires, as workers are laid off mid-career, and as people search for an inspiring work-life change, the time-tested advice of “What Color Is Your Parachute? is needed more than ever. This new edition offers modern advice on the job-hunt strategies that are working today, such as building an online resume, making the most of social media tools, and acing virtual interviews. Building on the wisdom of original author Richard N. Bolles, this edition updates the famed Flower Exercise (which walks job seekers through the seven ways of thinking about themselves) and demystifies the entire job-search process, from writing resumes to interviewing, networking and salary negotiations. https://www.amazon.com/What-Color-Your-Parachute-2022/dp/1984860348/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=what+color+is+your+parachute+2022&qid=1620167316&sprefix=What+color+is+your+parachute+2022&sr=8-3 https://books.google.com/books/about/What_Color_Is_Your_Parachute_for_College.html?id=TjsiEAAAQBAJ

Rich Diviney is a retired Navy SEAL commander and author of “The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance “. In a career spanning more than twenty years, he completed more than thirteen overseas deployments—eleven of which were to Iraq and Afghanistan. As the officer in charge of training for a specialized command, Diviney spearheaded the creation of a directorate that fused physical, mental, and emotional disciplines. He led his small team to create the first-ever “Mind Gym” that helped special operators train their brains to perform faster, longer, and better in all environments—especially high-stress ones. Since his retirement in early 2017, Diviney has worked as a speaker, facilitator, and consultant with the Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute and Simon Sinek Inc. He’s taught leadership and optimal performance to more than five thousand business, athletic, and military leaders from organizations such as American Airlines, Meijer Inc., the San Francisco 49ers, Pegasystems, Zoom, and Deloitte. Rich believes that SEALs are regular people who have found out how to leverage strengths and improve weaknesses (often by getting help from teammates) to get the most out of themselves. The same methodology that Diviney used in the military can be applied by anyone in their personal and professional lives, and understanding these attributes can allow (listeners), readers and their teams to perform optimally, at any time, in any situation. Diviney defines the core attributes in fresh and practical ways and shares stories from the military, business, sports, relationships, and even parenting to show how understanding your own attributes and those of the people around you can create optimal performance in all areas of your life. https://www.amazon.com/Attributes-Hidden-Drivers-Optimal-Performance/dp/0593133943 This episode is for anyone striving to have radical breakthroughs in their career or in life.

I’m delighted to have Adam Bryant on Breakthroughs today to discuss some key insights from his new book, “The CEO Test: Master the Challenges that Make or Break All Leaders” . ADAM BRYANT is managing director of Merryck & Co., a leadership development and senior executive mentoring firm.  Prior to this role, he was a journalist for 30 years, including at The New York Times, where he created and authored the massively successful “Corner Office” column for which he interviewed more than 600 CEOs and other leaders.  He is the author of two previous books and is the senior adviser to the Rueben Mark Initiative for Organizational Character and Leadership at Columbia University. Adam recently partnered with Kevin Sharer to write a leadership book distinctively different from others applying the breadth and depth of their experiences sharing wisdom that could be applied across industries. Sharer was Chairman/CEO of the biotech company Amgen, where he led its expansion from $1 billion in annual revenues to nearly $16 billion. He spent seven years on the faculty at Harvard Business School and has served on many boards (including Chevron, Unocal, Northrop Grumman, and 3M). He’s a sought-after mentor for CEOs of global companies. In his roles as an executive, director, and mentor, He has been involved with more than 20 successful CEO transitions, and he continues to advise CEOs of global corporations. Kevin is a naval academy graduate and served on to attack nuclear submarines. Leaders at all levels can learn from Adam Bryant and Kevin Sharer as they aim to speed up the learning curve in their new book, THE CEO TEST: Master the Challenges that Make or Break All Leaders (March 2, 2021). If you are an aspiring leader looking for insights from hundreds of veteran CEO’s, this episode is for you! If you find the Adams insights useful, check this out: The CEO Test: Master the Challenges That Make or Break A... https://www.amazon.com/dp/163369951X/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_imm_Z9H6Y1CAG6DX9ZY9MM1D

This episode is a three-part series. The first segment I’ll share some shocking examples of companies & leaders who failed to cultivate a motivated, innovative team & the heavy cost they paid for it. Segments 2&3 will provide specific strategies to avoid these costly mistakes and benefit from cultivating a motivated, innovative team.

In this segment I’ll share 2 strategies that great leaders have used to cultivate a motivated, innovative team that increases employee engagement &boosts their company’s productivity and bottom line. I’ll give you examples of companies that successfully implemented these strategies and the research to back why these approaches are effective, quoting motivation expert Daniel pink and Dr. Linda Hill. You’ll see that both strategies are realistic and could help your organization achieve greater success.

In this segment I share two strategies to cultivate a motivated, innovative team. We discussed the value of experimentation, exploration and play where the focus is more on coming up with fresh ideas and testing them then on maintaining the status quo. I provide examples of companies that are afforded talented team members to devote time to side projects and how those projects became extremely successful, dramatically increasing the company’s brand recognition & bottom line. I also explain the value of hiring diverse teams; people from different backgrounds and experiences and skills sets as well as different personalities who share a common work ethic and value the company’s mission tend to be the most collaborative. These diverse teams have the most breakthroughs as they avoid “group think”

In this episode we’ll explore what it takes to become an “influencer” leader, the type of leaders who attracts great people to her cause & inspires them to support their vision. We’ll take a close look at the make up of these leaders and then I’ll share a stellar example of person who exemplifies all aspects of this high character leadership style. You’ll see that leadership is a skill like any other and it can be learned. I’ll give you the tools to become more effective at inspiring others to follow your initiatives and more skilled at building motivated, innovative teams.

Since the onset of COVID-19,people are more anxious than ever about their current employment situation. For those who are fortunate to have jobs, they want to keep them. They’re less likely to open up & share ideas that could help their firm for fear speaking up could peg them as complainers. In this episode I interview leadership experts, Karin Hurt & David Dye who devote their practice to helping leaders build cultures where people feel safe to speak up. Karin and David help leaders achieve breakthrough results with easy to implement strategies that get people to share their ideas & become more skilled at critical thinking. They’re the founders of “let’s grow leaders” an international leadership development and training firm. They’re also the award-winning authors of “courageous cultures: how to build teams of micro innovators, problem solver‘s and customer advocates” and “winning well: a managers guide to get the results without losing your soul”. Karin is a top leadership consultant & CEO of “let’s grow leaders”. A former Verizon wireless executive she was named to Inc. magazine’s list of great leadership speakers. David is a former executive, elected official, and president of “let’s grow leaders”. Their clients include Amazon, Microsoft, USAA, national Institute of health, Kforce and the University of Florida’s health system. This dynamic couple, both sought after leadership consultants, offer practical advice for Leadership on how to inspire people on all levels of the organization to speak up and become micro innovators. It’s in these cultures that companies engage & retain their best people, their teams achieve remarkable results & where employees find purpose in their work.

Many people have great ideas but let’s face it, few bring them to the masses. The truth is that ideas only reach the masses when influencers help spread them and when they’re properly presented. In this episode I give you six strategies to help you spread your idea and become more persuasive with your audience. I share multiple examples of people who employed these strategies & by doing so were remarkably successful at getting their ideas to spread.

In this podcast we’ll discuss Simon Sinek’s recently released book, “The infinite game” with Simon’s right hand man, fellow igniter and head of brand experience at Simon Sinick Inc., Stephen Shedletzky. Stephen is personally trained by Simon and stands shoulder to shoulder with him to share his message. Stephen guides leaders and organizations around the world in most every industry to adopt the mindset and actions needed to lead in the infinite game. He cohosted the “Start with Why” podcast with more than 715,000 downloads in over 180 countries. My interview with Stephen will uncover what it takes to develop an “infinite” mindset & why it matters now more than ever. Stephen manages to entertain & inspire us while giving practical tips to help leaders structure their organizations in a way that promotes this mindset which brings about remarkable results.

In this episode I interview Bob Chapman, CEO of St. Louis based, Barry-Wehmiller, a $3 billion global, capital equipment business with more than 12,000 plus employees. Bob is committed to building a better world through business. When the financial crisis hit in 2008, Bob Chapman was faced with an impossible choice: layoff thousands of his workers, or go out of business. A few years prior, Barry Weymiller – had publicly committed to “measure success by how they touch the lives of people”. Determined to not break that promise, Chapman came up with a third seemingly impossible option that would allow his companies to survive the recession without laying off any of his 12,000+ employees. By finding creative ways to avoid letting people go, his business emerged on the other side of the recession stronger, with a workforce not only intact, but energized. Bob shares his leadership journey as CEO of Barry-Wehmiller and explains how a “simple Accountant with an unremarkable education” achieved remarkable success in business by staying committed to his core values, caring for employees like family. He says, “It’s not a cliche, it really works”. Even more, Bob emphasizes it’s the key to having a sustainable. thriving business that can ride the storm during difficult times and emerge successful. He gives specific strategies for building a loyal culture where people are excited to come to work & want to contribute their talents to benefit the organization. Bob’s story is incredibly inspiring and his practical advice can be applied to for profits and non-profits of all sizes and in any industry.

Margaret Heffernan is an entrepreneur, CEO, author & keynote speaker. She’s the former chief executive officer of five businesses, is the author of five books that explore business and effective leadership; “Willful Blindness: Why we ignore the obvious in our peril”, “A Bigger Prize: Why competition isn’t everything and how we do better”, “Beyond Measure”, and “Woman on Top”. She’s a leading voice for decades on social connectedness and engagement at work. Using humor, story-telling, and her own research, Heffernan makes a strong case for making small changes to engage ourselves and our co-workers differently—ultimately reshaping the cultures around us and driving better outcomes for everyone. Margaret Heffernan has been invited to speak at all of the world’s leading financial services businesses, the leading FTSE and S&P corporations as well as the world’s most successful sports teams. Her TED Talks have been viewed by over 12 million people. https://www.ted.com/talks/margaret_heffernan_the_human_skills_we_need_in_an_unpredictable_world?language=en. https://www.ted.com/talks/margaret_heffernan_dare_to_disagree?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

In this episode I have the pleasure of interviewing Nir Bashan. Nir Bashan is the founder and CEO of The Creator Mindset LLC, where he teaches business leaders around the world, how to harness the power of creativity to improve profitability, increase sales, and make work more meaningful. His clients include AT&T, Microsoft, Ace Hardware, The NFL Network, EA Sports, and JetBlue. He’s also the author of newly released book, The Creator Mindset: 92 Tools to Unlock the Secrets to Innovation, Growth, and Sustainability If you Think creativity is just for “creative types”? Think again! Nir Bashan reveals why every business leader and professional has the capacity to be more creative. In today’s episode, we’ll get a chance to learn how we can all become more creative...in a business way.       Here’s Nir’s big idea: Lots of companies proclaim their commitment to innovation. Yet, in business schools and professional training seminars, the lion’s share of what’s taught, places a priority on analysis, data, and spreadsheet logic.          So why does this matter? What’s the problem? The vast majority of bright and ambitious people are working at half their potential because they’ve only developed the analytical part of their thinking. Despite all the talk about innovation, people in business aren’t taught how to think creatively. Sadly, creativity is often pigeonholed as a gift reserved for artistic types. As a result of our creativity deficit, careers are stalled and companies are grappling to compete and survive. Nir Bashan has devoted his career to the topic of how to train your mind to think more creatively. He offers practical, easy to apply tips for how you can unleash your creativity & in doing so find more joy and meaning from your work.

In this podcast I interview Google’s Alana Karen, a 20 year tech leader who brilliantly and systematically replaces what we think we know about women in tech with more than 80 women’s stories of what it’s honestly like to join, lead, leave and thrive in today’s top technology companies. Alana answers questions like what’s it actually like for women in tech? Are our diversity efforts even working? Should women avoid working for technology companies altogether? How do you navigate becoming a leader, motherhood, bad bosses and everything in between? These are just some of the questions Alana Karen helps to answer with her new award-winning book, “Adventures of women in tech: How we got there and why we stay? From Google search ads, google fiber, to google grants and beyond, Alana has been leading the charge to develop, scale, build and drive team and product development that has seen a rippling industry impact. In this podcast Alana and I will discuss some of the toughest challenges she & other women have faced and how they overcame these obstacles. She also shows us the many paths to a satisfying career in tech and different ways to balance work & life goals. https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Women-Tech-Here-Stay-ebook/dp/B08HSMY2GH

In this episode, I’m happy to have Chris Tucker as my guest. Chris is known as a baker to stars and one of TV’s favorite bakers from ABC’s “The Great American Baking Show”. Chris has been described as a southern baker with a French twist who started learning baking techniques and secrets as a young child from his grandmother. Amazingly, before baking professionally, Chris worked as a hairstylist for 10 years. He shares his remarkable story of following his passion and leveraging his transferable skills as a hairstylist & how that led him to competing (in the 4th season) on ABC’s binge worthy “The Great American Baking Show”. Chris shares a portion of proceeds from his sales to Covid relief efforts.

In this episode I interview Paul Axtell, Leadership consultant & author of, “Make virtual meetings matter: how to turn virtual meetings from status updates to remarkable conversations”. Paul gives practical, actionable advice on how to turn mind numbing meetings into thoughtful, respectful and focused conversations that lead to fruitful, high impact solutions. “Make Virtual Meetings Matter: How to Turn Virtual Meetings from Status Updates to Remarkable Conversations”(Ignite Reads) is available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Make-Virtual-Meetings-Matter-Conversations/dp/1728235839

In this episode I’m thrilled to welcome two pre-eminent experts on cyber- security and misinformation on social networks, and AI, Pablo Breuer and David Perlman. They discuss how misinformation, disinformation and fake news threatens businesses not just government. Both Pablo and David share why Companies need to be prepared for cyber warfare and invest more in cyber security protection to avoid catastrophic outcomes. In simple language both of these scholars make clear cases and offer suggestions for what consumers and leaders can do to protect themselves from conspiracy theorists and bad actors. Pablo Breuer possesses a Ph.d from the Naval Post Graduate School in Information Science, and a MS in Computer Science. Pablo is a global,highly accomplished and decorated executive of cyber security technology & innovation, with unmatched expertise & exemplary leadership in the areas of innovation, cyber security and network vulnerability. He is currently the chief information security officer of Helms services. Pablo is a 22 year veteran of the US Navy with tours that include military Director of US operations command Donovan group and senior military advisor and innovation officer to Sofwerx, the National security agency. Pablo is also the department of defense cyber cup and Defcon black badge winner and has been faculty at the Naval post graduate school, National University, California State University as well as a visiting scientist at Carnegie Mellon. Pablo is also a cofounder of the cognitive Security collaborative and co-author of the adversarial misinformation and influence tactics and technique framework. David Perlman is an expert in how identity influences social emotional cognition. An accomplished and highly respected senior researcher and consultant with 20 years of experience in synergizing tech, data science, social behavioral neuroscience, research management and team building as well as an innovator in the emerging field of Misinfosec, Cyber security with his focus on social networks, influence, and a AI ethics. David possesses a PhD in psychology and neuroscience of emotion, decision-making a meditation focused on large data sets from functional brain imaging and bio behavioral measures. If you’re interested in gaining insight to the challenges companies and individuals face in a time where criminal behavior is finding ways in the back door to destroy our trust in government & companies, Pablo and David take complex topics on all these foggy issues and make them understandable in layman’s terms here in this episode.

In this episode I’m delighted to have Kara Goldin as my guest. Kara is a disruptor, builder, thoughtleader, and successful entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of Hint, Inc., best known for its award winning Hint water, an unsweetened flavored water. Kara has been named one of InStyle’s Badass 50, Fast Company’s most creative people in business, Fortune’s most powerful women entrepreneurs, Fortunes’s most innovative woman in food and drink, and EY Entrepreneur of the Year for Northern California. The Huffington Post listed Kara as one of six disruptors in business, alongside Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg. Kara has successfully navigated the world of large companies and start ups in many industries including media, tech and consumer products. She is an active speaker and writer and hosts the podcast “Unstoppable with Kara Goldin” where she interviews founders, entrepreneurs, and other disruptors across industries. Kara has recently launched a new book called “Undaunted: Overcoming Doubts and Doubters”. It’s currently number one on the Amazon charts. It’s a fascinating, entertaining, inspiring story of what it takes to go from nothing to something remarkable. If you’re looking for advice and inspiration to become an entrepreneur this episode is for you. Even if you’re not an aspiring entrepreneur, you’re going to love this conversation with Kara & the story behind her book. Pre-Order her book from Amazon: https://amzn.to/35ddQH8

In this episode we’ll learn from Professor Edward Hess, about how to become our best selves. Hess discusses ideas from his new book, “Hyper-Learning” and shares fresh insights into how to learn, behave, and thrive in an era of unprecedented digital challenge and change. His ideas are psychologically astute, refreshingly pragmatic, and designed to help us move forward in a new and uncharted era. The digital age will raise the question of how we humans will stay relevant in the workplace. Hess emphatically says that to stay relevant, we have to be able to excel cognitively, behaviorally and emotionally in ways that technology can’t. Praise for Professor Hess’s book and his ideas come from leaders across industries: Fernando Merce, Former CEO and president, Nestlé Waters North America said “Hyper-Learning” is that “how to roadmap for leading in the digital age. Enhancing ones learning agility is the only way to thrive in a world of ever accelerating change”. Chris Baer, Former vice president, leader ship development, Marriott international said it’s a must read! Digital technology touches all aspects of life and “hyper learning”will be a major factor in everyone’s well-being and success. Gary Calabrese, PhD, senior vice president and director, Corning global research, Corning Inc. said “hyper learning is a masterpiece “how to” & “ why to” book That takes us on an instructional journey to a future were learning must change in profound ways because of advancing technologies. This book helps readers reflect deeply about feelings, mindsets, and behaviors to discover things about themselves in a way that sticks. The powerful goal of “thinking behaviorally quote is a great way to describe this book which also helps leader ship move from “command and control” to “inspire and support”. If you’re hoping to stay relevant in the digital age and thrive, this episode is for you.

In this episode I interview Amy Edmonson about psychological safety in the workplace, why it matters and how to build it. Amy C. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School. She teaches and writes on leadership, teams and organizational learning, and is the author of more than 70 academic articles. Her most recent book, “The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth”offers practical guidance for teams and organizations who are serious about success in the modern economy. Her prior books, Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate and Compete in the Knowledge Economy and Teaming to Innovate (Jossey-Bass, 2012, 2103) and Extreme Teaming (Emerald, 2018) explore teamwork in dynamic, unpredictable work environments. Edmondson has been ranked by the biannual Thinkers50 global list of top management thinkers since 2011 and selected as the #1 most influential thinker in Human Resources by HR Magazine in 2019. Before her academic career, she was Director of Research at Pecos River Learning Centers, where she worked on transformational change in large companies. In the early 1980s, she worked as Chief Engineer for architect/inventor Buckminster Fuller, and her book A Fuller Explanation: The Synergetic Geometry of R. Buckminster Fuller (Birkauser Boston, 1987) clarifies Fuller’s mathematical contributions for a non-technical audience. Edmondson received her PhD in organizational behavior, AM in psychology, and AB in engineering and design, all from Harvard University. There are no perfectly psychologically safe organizations or completely unsafe ones. It happens more with teams then across organizations which implies that every manager has the opportunity to create a psychologically safe environment with passion for the cause, curiosity, empathy and humility. If you want to learn how to create a psychologically safe environment for your employees, one that fosters true “teaming” this episode is for you. Amy’s book is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fearless-Organization-Psychological-Workplace-Innovation/dp/1119477247/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541340285&sr=8-1&keywords=the+fearless+organization And here’s a link to Amy Edmonson’s outstanding to Ted Talk. https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_edmondson_how_to_turn_a_group_of_strangers_into_a_team/transcript

In this episode, you’ll hear great stories and hard earned career advice from Chef Nick Liberato who has appeared on  Bravo's "Top Chef Masters" and Spike TV's "Bar Rescue," is a world-renowned experienced restaurateur, business mastermind, and chef to the stars with over 28 years of culinary experience. He currently stars on one of my favorite shows, Netflix's "Restaurants on the Edge.” Rising from humble culinary beginnings working at local food stands in South Philly and growing up in the Italian Market, Nick discovered that along with cooking, he also loved surfing. Nick followed his dreams by moving to California and started working at a local surf shop while creating his own catering company - Calidelphia. His engaging personality led to working for a five star Michelin chef & ultimately to preparing meals for top celebrities including Will Smith, Tom Hanks, The Beastie Boys, Barbara Streisand, Paul McCartney, Cher, and many more. Nicks insights and experiences have a applicability across a broad range of industries and his advice is laced with humor, empathy and a genuine humility that is unique to someone who has become so successful.

In this episode I highlight the importance of holiday gift giving and why some gifts have a greater impact than others. When it’s time to celebrate your employees or business partners, it’s easy to grab a stack of gift cards. After all, they allow recipients to pick out their own gifts. But how memorable is a gift card? When the holidays roll around, it’s time for your company to focus on solidifying the relationships you’ve built all year.Think about what you know about each of your employees, customers, and partners and tailor the gift to their particular interests. This will have a much bigger impact than sending a random gift. For instance, if someone’s a vegetarian and you send them gourmet steaks they probably won’t appreciate it as much as a vegetarian meal. Why should you gift your employees? Gift-giving is a powerful way to build a culture of unexpected generosity at the office. Whether it’s a professional milestone or simply an acknowledgment of a job well done, workers appreciate being seen and valued for their contributions. Gifting your employees can increase retention, improve productivity, and set the tone in the workplace. In fact, 69% of employees said that they would work harder if they felt more appreciated. A simple investment in a personalized gift for your team could result in a huge uptick in job satisfaction and company morale. I received a huge assortment of corporate holiday gifts to review this season. I do not receive any compensation for promotions though I am encouraged to use the gifts. I’ve selected my top 12 favorites as suggestions for this years corporate gifts ranging in price from approximately $25 to $175. I think all of them are high-quality & surprisingly fun. They’re more personal, memorable and a therefore a far better investment than a gift card. I have links to them all below. The list is by no means exhaustive, but it does include some unique items which are a good value. Wishing you all a safe, healthy & joyful holiday season. Ipromo.com https://www.ipromo.com/promo-item/IP-210-100578/Bodacious-BBQ-Gift-Set.html?cid or Ipromo.com https://www.ipromo.com/promo-item/IP-BB-SPEAKEASY/Batch-%2526-Bodega-Speak-Easy-Swag-Box.html?cid= https://www.ipromo.com/promo-item/IP-210-100578/Bodacious-BBQ-Gift-Set.html?cid https://www.withcococktails.com/ MJ’s fabulous “Makeup Junkie Bags” https://makeupjunkiebags.com https://www.lulasgarden.com/ Salsa to live for: https://dreamsarentthisgood.com/pages/about gurunanda.com http://teadrunk.com https://www.withcococktails.com/ https://www.lulasgarden.com/ gurunanda.com http://teadrunk.com

In this episode I interview Jeff Gothelf on his newest book, “Forever Employable: How to Stop Looking for Work & Let Your Next Job Find You”. Jeff reveals some of his best tips, tricks and strategies that enabled him to become forever employable with the hope that these same tactics could help you reach this goal. About Jeff: He helps organizations build better products and executives build the cultures tha.t build better products. Jeff is the co-author of the award-winning book “Lean UX” and the Harvard Business Review Press book “Sense & Respond”. He works as a coach, consultant and keynote speaker helping companies bridge the gaps between business agility, digital transformation, product management and human-centered design. His latest book, “Forever Employable”, was published in June 2020. It’s a short, easy to read, entertaining & yet highly practical guide to harnessing your strengths & leveraging them so appropriate work will find you. This episode is for anyone who’s curious about how to take a big idea & turn it into something that’s useful & of value for others. The foundation is to become an expert or thought leader on the topic that you decide. Jeff teachers how to build a community one that you give to and that gives back to you. It’s for anyone who would like to learn how to build trust to elevate the people and organizations in your community and then turn that into a thriving business. If you enjoy this episode, subscribe and follow me to find more like this. Also you can purchase “Forever Employable” On Amazon or anywhere online you buy books. See link below. https://www.amazon.com/Forever-Employable-Stop-Looking-Work-ebook/dp/B086S5SJXM Forever Employable: How to Stop Looking for Work and Let Your Next Job Find You

Pattie Sellers is an award winning writer, interviewer, multi-media journalist and an expert on leadership here to talk about leadership, impact, and the art of telling a great story. Pattie co founded & chaired the “Most Powerful Women Summit”, and helped build it to become Fortune Magazines’s largest and most valuable franchise. Pattie left her position as Fortune’s Assistant Managing Editor after several decades of interviewing dozens of the most important people in the world to become an entrepreneur and is currently Co-CEO and co-founder of SellersEaston Media. SellersEaston Media captures and curates the stories behind the lives, times, and accomplishments of successful organizations and individuals. Before starting SellersEaston Media, Pattie wrote more than 20 Fortune cover stories and earned the trust of countless CEOs and other global leaders—such as Warren Buffett, Melinda Gates, Rupert Murdoch, Ted Turner, and Oprah Winfrey—to do exclusive and definitive profiles. If you’re interested in learning strategies to break into you’re dream job, move up in your field or if you’re seeking advice for making a career transition to becoming an entrepreneur, this episode is for you. https://www.sellerseaston.com/leadership-projects

Ethan Kross Ph.D. is one of the world’s leading experts on controlling the conscious mind. As an award-winning professor in the University of Michigan’s top-ranked Psychology Department and Ross School of Business, Ethan utilizes and implements his research on how the conversations people have with themselves impacts their health, performance, decisions, and relationships, inspiring him to write his first-ever book, “Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It”. Ethan’s research has been published in Science, The New England Journal of Medicine, and The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, among other peer-reviewed journals. He has participated in policy discussion at the White House and has been interviewed on CBS Evening News, Good Morning America, and NPR’s Morning Edition. His pioneering research has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, Harvard Business Review, USA Today, The Economist, The Atlantic, Forbes, and Time. As an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania as magna cum laude, Ethan earned his Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in social-affective neuroscience to learn about the neural systems that support self-control. He moved to the University of Michigan in 2008, where he founded the Emotion & Self Control Laboratory. If you’re interested in a fascinating conversation that will truly help you harness your conscious mind to live a healthier more satisfying and productive life, you’ll enjoy this episode and Ethan Kross’s book, Chatter. https://www.ethankross.com/chatter/.