Stop Winging It

Somewhere beyond the roles and responsibilities of a standard bookkeeper is the art and practice of making sense of all the financial movement happening in your organization. It's not general payroll or data entry, it's what can we forecast for? What's our budget to expand? Will our cash flow support our growth? What is the cost of adding more people, equipment, systems? Who do you talk to today who can be a sounding board with experience in these areas to help you make the next best financial decision possible? That's where we want to meet you and become your Wingman, so you can grow, invest and budget confidently. This Q&A answers many of the basic questions when it comes to understanding the difference between what you may be doing today and what you could be doing.

In this last of the series on Work-Life-Balance, we put into perspective the reasons why it's important and what the studies say about the benefits of being "in balance." We've talked about working to live or living to work and what that looks like. How do you know when you're out of proportion in one area or another, and not just for a moment in time, but all the time? What do the experts say are the benefits of having some balance and order in your life? Tune in for a few minutes to cement what you probably already know. The question is, will you take the necessary steps to change anything or will the status quo remain the same? Remember, there is the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. What do you want to experience in your life?

The second part of this series is on life this week. We ask lots of questions to get you to think about what's important outside of work and why. Are you living to work or working to live? About a third of your existence is not working or sleeping--what's important to you? Is work or life taking precident? In today's fast-paced and demanding world, achieving a balance between work and personal life has become increasingly challenging for many individuals. With the increase in technology and the rise of a 24/7 work culture, it can feel like there's no escaping the demands of work, leading to stress, burnout, and decreased productivity without losing the opportunity for growth.

For the next 3 episodes we're breaking down work-life-balance to see what's behind this cultural shift. Today we're focusing on the work portion. We all need to make money somehow in order to live. What we do should line up ideally with what we value. What do you value? Why do you work? If we spend a third of our time working, another third playing and the last third sleeping, then what do you want your work life to be. A means to an end or the end itself? Listen in as we try to give you something to consider when it comes to this all-important area of your life.

There are thousands of books and talks on what makes a good or poor boss.  In this short video we break down some of the key characteristics and look at both sides of the equation.  Where do you fall?  What kind of boss are you and what kind do you aspire to be?  What is most effective when leading a team or organization?  Do you see yourself in this video or do you work for one of these?  What would or should you change?

It's going to happen if you're a leader or manager of people.  You'll have to let someone go.  Is there a way to do this without the drama and anxiety?  How can everyone retain their integrity?  Listen in for a few tips to help keep your heart rate down and stay true to your core values.

It's not just about how much you pay someone.  The total compensation package includes the intangibles like benefits, company perks and other non-monetary items.  Still, overall culture will dictate much of these are valued.  Regardless of how much people make, they will still walk if the culture or their boss is bad.  When the pain of staying is greater than the pain of change--people will vote with their feet.  As a business owner or CEO, is your total compensation AND culture attracting and retaining great talent or do you continue to chase?

You want to attract top talent, not chase it all the time.  If you've done a great job of hiring the right person, now what?  What will keep them engaged, fulfilled and wanting to make this a career instead of just another job on their resume?  It's a lot of little things and a few big rocks.  Give us 5-6 minutes as we review some of the basics when it comes to retention and building a culture that is attractive to top talent.

In this first of a 4-part series on People Management, we provide an overview of what it takes to attract great talent vs. chasing them.  It includes processes, learning from the past, being objective and tying back to the organization's Core Values and Mission.  Great reminders in a short format to keep you focused on the main thing, which is hiring the right people for the right position--the first time.  

It's rare to have such a combination.  A servant's heart, a business mind, an entrepreneurial spirit and desire to use it all to improve our communities.  And yet, Spencer Hutchins pulls it off gracefully, with a smile and a great sense of humor.  He's been in love with all things political for decades, earned a law degree, started and still runs a successful real estate business, served on City Council and is now running for a vacant WA State Representative seat.  But, regardless of his background, it's his outlook on life, people, business and his efforts to bring us together to find solutions that really stands out.  Join us for another inspiring conversation on Stop Winging It.

What does a lifetime in journalism produce?  Without a doubt, it's someone whose life experience and opinion are worth listening to and learning from.  John has been many things in his career including a white house correspondent, working at CNN with Wolf Blitzer and is currently 5 books into his own award-winning political series.  He now writes, teaches, edits and provides counsel to many who are looking for their own Wingman to help them improve their craft or break into the industry.  He shares great stories with us and his perspective on what's happened to journalism the past 4 decades alone is worth the time investment.  We cover a lot of ground and I know you'll enjoy his wit and wisdom when it comes to all things political.

What do employees want today?  How much power do they have? What are employers looking for or willing to do to get top talent?  Bert is uniquely positioned to weigh in on all of this as CEO of a global recruiting, staffing and leadership building organization.  He speaks with other CEO's routinely and in this episode shares his journey, the challenges and changes he's seen in the industry and across the workforces he's associated with.  It's a deep dive that will enlighten you and give us all hope and perspective for what's ahead. 

It's nearly impossible to define the role of a Chief Medical Officer (CMO) with so many divergent things happening all at once within a health system and individual hospital.  Dr. Chad Krilich, CMO, M.D., MBA, joins us to explain more about his journey, current role and how leaders are coping with everything from safety to Covid and new technology and therapies that are constantly evolving and shaping medicine as we know it.  It's a fascinating ride and whether you are a leader of people, business owner or participant in some area of our healthcare system, you'll appreciate his comments and perspective. 

Dr. Tim Gardner: Author, Corp. Director of Culture, Adjunct Professor, Business Owner, Speaker, VP of Leadership Development, Father and Husband reminds us why our personal and professional relationships matter.  Hearing from a leader and expert who has been in board and conference rooms around the world and whose career has primarily been focused on getting people to better relate to and communicate with each other makes this podcast very special.  Whether it's the changes in corporate culture we're witnessing, the effects of Covid or the carnage many still leave in their wake, Tim has seen it all and shares his thoughts and stories from the past 30 years.  As always, when I get a chance to talk to Tim, I learn something, and this is no exception.  You'll be glad you tuned in, and you'll come away asking yourself a few more questions I bet--just like I did.

Chris is the kind of guy that almost makes you feel like you haven't done anything with your life, even if he's too humble to admit it.  He's been a Sales Manager in the TV industry, started and sold companies and still operates two today.  He's leading the way in the Ski Bike industry currently, but it's his compelling background and personal story that grabbed me.  A lifelong learner and doer, he's not a big fan of complacency as you'll hear.  But understanding how he met challenge after challenge while still finding a way to give back and learn from those around him, will be of interest to anyone who runs a business today, enjoys entrepreneurial challenges or is just a sales and marketing guy at heart and relishes the relational side of life.

"I get to talk to people and play with food," probably says it all about Chris Olsen, owner of Fondi restaurant in Gig Harbor, WA.  If you are a small business owner, restauranteur or aficionado of great food, you'll appreciate this story.  The work ethic involved, building a community and family culture and dealing successfully with Covid are all part of a wonderful tale of hard work and commitment.  As Chris says, we have guests, not customers and its attention to detail like that, which continues to make the difference in a very competitive space.  We hope you enjoy this conversation and come away with a few nuggets for your own business. 

Karina Blasco is an entrepreneur and small business owner of a retail shop in Tacoma, called Only Oatmeal.  This is part of her story.  How she fought to keep a dream alive and just how long it took to realize her goals.  It's a wonderful account of persistence and grit in the face of adversity.  It's also a testimony to timing and what you can do if you refuse to let anyone tell you that it can't be done.  Maybe some of Karina's story resonates with you?  And as always, if you find yourself in need of some occasional or consistent strategic business coaching, that's what we do at Wingman Associates.  We meet you where you are and stick with you until the results you want are realized, like a true Wingman.  

It's a new world and small business owners and entrepreneurs come in all forms.  This episode takes us to the world of You Tube, animation and in many ways, building the plane while you're flying it.  Stephen Carver (aka Sabre Spark on You Tube) relates his own history, challenges, failures and ultimate success in building an online You Tube business.  He discusses how important his own mentors/advisors have been and what it ultimately took to take the risk of committing to his passion full time.  There are great lessons for us all in this episode.

Peter Bourke, CEO, Entrepreneur and Sales Strategy expert joins us to talk about his journey.  He discusses his move from corporate America to starting his own firm and the reasons behind his success both professionally and personally.  If you find yourself in the category that WHAT YOU DO has, for whatever reason, become more important than WHO YOU ARE, then this podcast is for you.  Peter's story provides insight on how to spot this and some excellent tips on why and how to rectify such a situation.  He is bold, articulate, funny and his story is compelling.  The people we surround ourselves with has much to do with how much truth and transparency we allow into our lives.  How are you doing in this vital area?  

We all need great advisors and experienced mentors, regardless of what we do.  If you find yourself in such a position, maybe consider reaching out to us here at Wingman Associates.  As a business coaching firm, we meet our clients where they are and determine what is needed to make the next best decision--for their business or career.

In this episode, Chris Wirthwein, former CEO of 5MetaCom, author and friend to Pete and Alice Dye talks about the challenges of building a successful marketing firm over 4 decades.  From failure to Hero Ball to actually running a successful marketing business, Chris walks us through some of his challenges, personally and professionally.  Along the way we hear how important his mentors were, his curious and opportunistic nature and even a personal story around the book he wrote with Pete and Alice Dye, the first family of golf and Patron Saints to Crooked Stick GC.  Chris is a wonderful storyteller, so settle in with us as we laugh and learn from someone who's been through the ups and downs of building a business.

Just how hard is it as a writer to break into Hollywood?  Take a ride with Amy and myself as we dig deep into what it has taken to just get one movie script sold.  It's courage, persistence, self-belief, humility, great coaching and constantly working on your craft, and that's on top of holding down a day job!!  Regardless of where you are professionally or personally, Amy reminds us that it's the consistent execution of the simple things and no small amount of desire and sheer stubbornness that pave the road to success.  Come laugh and learn with us for a few minutes as we share another wonderful story. 

Every now and then we get the opportunity to learn from someone whose career accomplishments and transformative impact on those around him truly rises to another level.  Jim "Big Red" Wetrich is such a person.  Author, CEO, Speaker, Coach and much, much more, Jim shares his philosophy, challenges, motivations and personal revelations with us.  We walk through his career in Healthcare from Marketing Mgr. to President and then at the height of a successful career deciding to start over and build his own company and along the way taking the time to author a recent book on leadership called Stifled: Where Good Leaders Go Wrong.   His relational style is infectious as is his growth mindset and lifelong love affair with learning.  Jim is also a champion for mentors and great coaching as he discusses on the podcast.  Regardless of where you are in your business or career, the next half hour or so is worth a listen to glean a few pearls of wisdom from someone who has probably been in your shoes.

Tim Mitrovich, CEO and President of Ten Capital Wealth Advisors talks about his journey from lawyer, to investment advisor to starting a successful firm with nearly $900M in assets under management.  What challenges did he face during different transition points?  What it took to finally find his "why", and the importance of having coaches and mentors in his life to keep him on track and making the next best decision.  His transparency is tangible and his message is applicable to anyone seeking to improve themselves professionally or personally.

This is our debut episode of Stop Winging It.  It's our next step in helping business owners, sales and management professionals across a myriad of industries who are looking for a true wingman. What better way to learn than from those who've gone before you who are eager to share their challenges and successes? It will be a podcast for those who are constantly learning and growing. We're excited for you to hear from our first business owner and how she had to lean into adversity.