THE CHROMATIC PODCAST

“It’s important to know what to do, but in my mind it’s equally important to know what not to do.” 

~ Wayne Rivers  

Wayne Rivers is the co-founder and President of The Family Business Institute, Inc.  He has authored four books on the subject of business families the latest of which is Our Family Business Crisis and How It Made Us Stronger.  Wayne has appeared on the Today Show, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, “BusinessWeek: WEEKEND” and on the Retirement Living Network. Wayne is a Wall Street Journal Expert Panelist.  He has also been quoted on the subject of family and closely held businesses by Forbes, Fortune, BusinessWeek, Entrepreneur, CFO, Family Business, The New York Times, Washington Post, and by many other trade, local, regional, and national publications.  

Wayne has also been honored as a Fellow of the Family Firm Institute.

JOIN WAYNE RIVERS AND CRAIG BUNDREN AS THEY DISCUSS:

00:46 - Wayne Rivers, “The Catalyst”

01:05 - The Family Business Institute

02:45 - How Wayne got started

04:03 - Helping family businesses get unstuck

06:26 - Roles, responsibilities and accountability

08:10 - Family businesses falsely have “informality”

10:19 - People make mistakes and that’s how we learn

12:10 - Pray and Pay

12:32 - People used to pass down family businesses, more than half today won’t pass within the family

14:40 - Exit strategies for family businesses

16:40 - Accounting and Finance (looking beyond tax breaks)

19:22 - Yes, you need a budget

20:29 - Getting back on target

22:58 - The problem with Covid is that it’s become so political

25:45 - Business planning in a complicated climate

29:19 - Looks like a brief and mild recession depending on your industry

31:00 - We’re optimistic

37:25 - You can tell a lot about a contractor based on a job site

41:15 - Starting the Family Business Institute

46:00 - Construction company peer group (peer audit)

47:55 - Contractors are amazing consultants as long as they’re not looking at their own business

49:24 - Be willing to open the books and get honest feedback

52:06 - You don’t know what you don’t know

54:44 - Drawing from the experience working with our clients as authors

CONNECT WITH WAYNE RIVERS:

“Start building a network of fellow entrepreneurs that understand your passion and don’t make you feel guilty about always chasing it.” 

~ Cameron Herold 

Cameron Herold is an international speaker and author of Meetings Suck and the best-selling book Double Double: How to Double Your Revenue and Profit in 3 Years or Less, which is currently in its seventh printing. He is the mastermind behind hundreds of companies' exponential growth and has built a dynamic consultancy, including his time as COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?. His current clients include a 'Big 4' wireless carrier and a monarchy. He is the founder of COO Alliance, which helps COO’s become better leaders. 

JOIN CAMERON HEROLD AND CRAIG BUNDREN AS THEY DISCUSS:

00:56 Cameron’s Book, “Double Double” 

01:07 The way the book was written was different than anything Craig has read

02:10 College Pro Painters (The Cheat Sheet on How to Grow Quickly) 

04:45 The painting business and creating a system 

07:04 “We avoided all the busy work and focused on growth” 

07:56 It’s no longer about being the smartest person in the room... 

09:40 You don’t need an MBA to run a business, because business is simple 

11:46 Growing up with the Boston hustle 

14:10 Never reveal where you got your product 

16:00 How to grow when it’s slow 

18:00 It’s cheaper to buy marketing during a downturn 

19:50 Stepping out of tunnel vision 

20:30 When the building’s on-fire, run towards it (Focus, Faith, and Effort) 

24:54 They only had 4 pieces of marketing collateral that he started with and the importance of google reviews 

29:19 How does the media make money? The media outlets need good content (use the phone) 

32:00 The different kinds of stories you can pitch 

35:00 What is culture? 

36:00 Getting rid of the toxic people in your culture 

43:00 If you’re going to be a leader, you’re going to have to do the difficult things 

48:00 Just because you let somebody go, doesn’t mean you can’t support them forward 

54:00 The owner’s job is to dream, and it’s the team’s job to make it happen 

56:00 The importance of core values 

1:00:00 What Craig wants his business to be 

1:03:00 Why impact the COO? Giving them a space 

CONNECT WITH CAMERON HEROLD (AND BE SURE TO ORDER HIS BOOK, DOUBLE, DOUBLE): 

“If somebody gives a message, it's like any other art, that's what it is”

- Noah Quiles

“The hard work beats talent any day the talent doesn’t work hard”

- Noah Quiles

Noah and his wife Elia own and operate UP Art Studio out of Houston, Texas. They facilitate art projects for artists, communities, and corporations, local and globally.

Their Mission is to instill “Civic Pride through Civic Art.” Together they develop and work on projects that educate, move, and engage communities. UP Art Studio is a for-profit LLC partnership with a majority focus on community-oriented non-profit projects (donations to many of their projects are tax-deductible, via a fiscal sponsorship from Fresh Arts). They also work with private, commercial and other special projects as well. They specialize in public art projects, mural and art commissions, project management (curating, budgets, logistics), design services, marketing (design, writing, research), gallery art shows, event planning, screen printing, photography/videography, and artist collaborations.

They are passionate about public art and in 2015 they launched an initiative to transform traffic signal control cabinets into works of art, called "Mini Murals". They work closely with the City of Houston Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs, Department of Public Works & Engineering, City Council Members, and Fresh Arts who is acting as the project's fiscal agent, making donations to the project tax-deductible.

Noah is the creative force behind UP Art Studio, and has been in the “street art and mural” world for over 27 years. He brings to the team the creative ideas and strong global relationships that fuel the strategy and continuance behind the business. He is also the logistics man, managing ground crews and on-site vendors. His specific skills serve and drive daily action as well as the overall mission and vision of UP Art Studio.

NOAH, ELIA QUILES AND CRAIG BUNDREN AS THEY DISCUSS:

01:25 – How this project got started?

09:10 – The minimurals and the benefits for the city.

14:55 – Have you put the program on any other cities?

16:34 – On the minimurals is it one and done type scenario?

17:39 – If artists want to get involved what should they do?

21:01 – You also do large scale murals, are you working on other murals?

27:14 – Tagging, the evolution of the tagger.

37:19 – Taking out the creativity and applying it.

41:50 – Art organizations and groups.

45:07 – How much art is in the city and how many people are doing it?

46:31 – Where do you think Houston is in the art scene?

 “The most powerful skill we need to become great business owners is understanding and measuring the numbers so that we have better optics on where we are, what’s wrong and what to prioritize to fix it.”

~ Keith J. Cunningham

American entrepreneur, international speaker and acclaimed author, Keith Cunningham is regarded as one of the foremost authorities on business mastery. With more than 45 years of business and investing experience, Keith has taught critical business skills to thousands of top executives and entrepreneurs around the world.

Keith is an expert at helping business owners turn fledgling businesses into highly profitable companies with explosive growth. In Keith’s Business School for Entrepreneurs courses, he teaches detailed strategies you can implement even in today’s volatile economy.

Keith is the author of Keys to the Vault: Lessons from the Pros on Raising Money and Igniting Your Business and The Ultimate Blueprint for an Insanely Successful Business. His newest book, The Road Less Stupid: Advice from the Chairman of the Board, is a business book for business readers who want to learn the principles and strategies of making great decisions and minimizing risk. The series of short chapters and subsequent Thinking Time questions are designed to maximize clarity and create better choices... either of which will result in fewer stupid mistakes.

Keith is a dynamic speaker with a sense of humor that will leave you equally as entertained as educated. He is the only speaker who appears with Tony Robbins at Robbins’ Wealth Mastery, Business Mastery and Platinum events.

JOIN KEITH CUNNINGHAM AND CRAIG BUNDREN AS THEY DISCUSS: 

01:18 How most problems started out as good ideas

02:32 The root of everyone’s problems: 1. Excessive Optimism 2. Unexamined Assumptions 3. Ignoring Risk

03:40 Keith’s favorite question to ask business owners

04:30 Keith’s key to getting rich is to do fewer dumb things

06:04 We tend to surround ourselves with people that won’t test us

07:35 Keith’s advice to business owners right now (face reality and embrace change)

09:50 Change is what creates opportunity

10:56 The person with the fewest blind spots wins - with no exception!

12:49 Keith’s input on pivoting today and the question he asks himself

14:31 Wise people have people around them that will help guide them

15:09 Second and Third order consequences (The key to success is long-term thinking)

20:01 The less risk you perceive, the more risk there is

21:24 The importance of thinking time (Business is an intellectual sport)

22:31 Think and Grow Rich

26:20 Warren Buffet’s Rules 

27:25 Start thinking time with a world-class question

31:49 Keith’s high-quality question for today’s environment

36:04 The answers keep on changing

38:52 The type of audits businesses need to do right now

41:45 Get to a break even point as a business

44:40 Playing to the hand that you’re dealt

46:00 Efficiency audits

47:27 The cave story - learning how to preserve your resources

49:47 The capacity audit 

50:49 The effectiveness audit

51:49 The harder the times, the better the people you need

52:57 Business mastery - practicing to improve - measure, correct, practice 

55:10 Keith’s favorite quote: “Hell on earth would be to meet the man I could have been”

CONNECT WITH KEITH CUNNINGHAM (AND BE SURE TO ORDER HIS BOOK, THE ROAD LESS STUPID):

The Road Less Stupid

Robert Curry - a renowned author, CEO, coach, business mentor, and profit improvement (turnaround) expert - joins Craig Bundren for this riveting episode of The Chromatic Podcast focusing on the fascinating topic of business turnaround.

Bob is a seasoned executive and has extensive management leadership, business consulting, and financial experience. This includes over 15 years of experience in the capacity of President, CEO, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Operating Officer of companies ranging in sales volume between $30 to $500 million annually.

We are sure you will agree with us that Bob Curry is also incredibly passionate about his specialty.

JOIN BOB CURRY AND CRAIG BUNDREN AS THEY DISCUSS:

• 01:50 About Bob’s books
• 04:50 Bob shares his backstory, his personal goal setting, the importance of great mentors, and more.
• 09:55 The goals behind writing his books.
• 13:07 Stop over-spending, sack bad actors and find your superstars.
• 14:34 Bob’s first turnaround.
• 15:30 The Turnaround process.
• 21:35 Who runs the show: How Bob works when he comes into a company.
• 24:20 The joy that comes from the whole turnaround process.
• 27:30 The importance of familial support, success as a family affair, and creating the right environment for productivity.
• 31:40 Trouble spots that any business can share.
• 34:00 You cannot wear all the caps.
• 36:30 Understanding the numbers and what the levers are that you need to be pulling to aid your business.
• 38:00 Surviving Hard Times.
• 44:30 The Hardest Turnaround Story.

CONNECT WITH BOB CURRY (AND BE SURE TO PRE-ORDER HIS UPCOMING BOOK, THE TURNAROUND II):

David Coles joins Craig Bundren for Episode 03 of The Chromatic Podcast. David is the founder and master paint-maker at Langridge Artist Colours in Victoria, Australia - one of the world's most respected makers of artists' oil paints.

Today we are joined by the ever colorful Piper Faust. 

Piper Faust earned a Master’s in Contemporary Art from Sotheby’s Institute in London with a focus on community activation in public art practices. Prior to that, she received her Bachelor of Arts in International Communications from Texas Christian University. 

With 15 years of experience in planning, managing and executing temporary and permanent art projects from initial planning stages through completion for public, private and commercial clients. Piper has a great deal to share with us during this weeks exciting show. By supporting and fostering dynamic place-making projects that draw people into the world of art, Piper hopes to eliminate the ego surrounding art and get people excited and engaged with the art that is all around them! 

JOIN PIPER FAUST AND CRAIG BUNDREN AS THEY DISCUSS:


1:35 How Piper started her journey within the realm of public art and how it became her passion. 

05:20 What type of projects are a favorite of Piper’s to work on? 

08:15 Temporary art and how it charges the moment. 

11:25 During difficult times, how art can provide a sense of continuation and normalcy. 

11:45 How Covid-19 has effected the art world. 

19:05 Creating the space for art and finding opportunity where others would turn away. 

22:15 The Bundren Building Arts Foundation. 

27:15 How art adds to the community and value of property. 

31:30 What can artists do to get funding or spaces to bring their art to the public? Be creative and curious. 

3:30 Picking the right artist for the community and the importance of honest collaboration and flexibility during the selection process. 

35:14 Taking the ego out of art and making art approachable. 

38:19 The case of the ‘Crazy Rabbit’ painting and how art speaks to people differently

41:43 Art in hospitals and creating spaces that aid recovery and lower stress levels for both patients and staff. 

MORE ABOUT PIPER FAUST: