What can a Master’s degree in education and a background in nightlife teach you about becoming an entrepreneur and effective leader?

Judging from Amanda Slavin’s track record, quite a bit.

Amanda Slavin is a Millennial and Generation Z expert, and the CEO and founder of CatalystCreativ, an experience studio that’s focused on helping cities, brands and institutions flourish by developing educational and inspirational on- and offline campaigns.

But before she was Amanda Slavin, Catalyst CEO, she was Ms. Slavin, a first grade teacher with a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education.

As she tells us in this week’s interview, Amanda is grateful for her experience as an educator, and applies the engagement principles she developed in grad school to her client work. Through education and engagement, Catalyst helps its clients reach Millennials and create a “ripple of impact” that creates community and lasting value for brands. 

Amanda talks to us about Holacracy, the system of self organization she uses internally at Catalyst, and that she picked up from investor/mentor Tony Hsieh.

Amanda was also vulnerable enough to share some of the challenges she faces as a young, accomplished leader, including a recurring sense of isolation and occasional self-doubt, along with the tactics she uses to overcome these emotions.

We had a blast learning from Amanda, and we know you will too.

Key Takeaways

Links

Recommended Reading

Awesome Officers… get pumped.

Yes pumped, because this week we’ve got a phenomenal interview with Jim Cavale, the president of Iron Tribe Fitness.

Jim is a passionate, purpose-driven entrepreneur and leader who believes that culture and values are the key to building strong organizations and lasting relationships with customers.

In this episode, Jim walks us through the journey that brought him to that realization - from the baseball fields of upstate New York where he was a standout high school athlete, to the University of Montevallo in Birmingham, Alabama, where he founded the school’s broadcasting program while playing on the baseball team, to Iron Tribe, where, before he was president of the company, Jim was actually one of Iron Tribe’s very first clients.

Today, Jim has helped Iron Tribe expand to more than 41 locations in markets spanning from Seattle to Miami, and the company is on a mission to transform 15,000 lives by 2017.

Through it all, Jim has learned that core values should never be abstract, but real principles that permeate the organization and drive decision making every single day. This, he believes, is the key to creating lasting value for customers, and is a truism that applies to virtually every business, not just those in the fitness industry.

Jim also tells us about one of the most influential figures in his life, his legendary high school baseball coach Tom Dotterer, who taught Jim lifelong lessons about perseverance that he applies to his business today. 

Key Takeaways

Links

Recommended Reading

"Work smarter, not harder."

It's a familiar maxim for anyone who cares about productivity.

But it's also something you'll never hear Kevin Dorsey tell his team.

Why? Because no company, team, or organization ever achieved greatness by sacrificing hard work for efficiency.

From Dorsey's point of view, why not work both smart and hard?

This is just one of the many pieces of advice that Kevin gives in his presentation, 8 Surefire Productivity Hacks for the Workplace.

Kevin Dorsey is a speaker, productivity coach, and the head of sales at SnackNation, where he trains and leads a team of more than twenty sales rockstars. An avid reader and frequent presenter, he's known internally as a fountain of personal development knowledge, and is obsessed with maximizing his team's and his own productivity.

We recently watched a presentation that he gave his team on workplace productivity hacks earlier this year, and we thought it would be a tremendous value add for the Awesome Office community. 

We’d loved this presentation because it provides both interesting facts and practical takeaways. Kevin gives you the tactics, and then the science behind the tactics, to help you and your team maximize your days and become the powerhouses you know you can be.  

We've also provided a video of the presentation intercut with slides that you can share with your team. 

Kevin will be speaking at the Salesloft Rainmaker Conference March 7-9 in Atlanta, as well as the LA Chapter of the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals on February 18.

Video Presentation:

Key Takeaways

Links

Recommended Reading 

It used to be that the relationship with your customers ended at the transaction. You might engage them heavily as they entered your sales funnel, but once you closed the deal, that was the end of it - on to the next.

Today’s guest turns that notion completely on its head. Robbie Kellman Baxter is a consultant, keynote speaker, and the author of The Membership Economy, a fantastic new book that explains why access and community are more valuable than ownership and transactional relationships.

Robbie makes a powerful case that all companies - not just subscription based companies - are better served when they move away from the idea that the relationship ends at the transaction, and realize that they need what she describes as an “ongoing, open, multi-directional conversation” with their customers. What's more, she explains why a membership-oriented culture can positively transform your business.

Additionally, we explore “self disruption” - one of the most fascinating points in the book - the idea that leading companies need to disrupt their own business models, or risk losing out in the long run.

Robbie also describes the fascinating world of Competitive Smell Analysis from her days at Mrs. Field’s Cookies.

We highly recommend her book, and after this interview, you’ll see why.

Key Takeaways

Links

Recommended Reading 

Our last episode was all about looking ahead —

Towards the New Year, the future, the things we want to achieve and the path that will take us there.

Now we take a moment to look back and reflect on the year that was.

Because as important as planning, preparation, and goal setting are, it’s the process - the journey - that matters most.

And there are always lessons to be learned.

So in today’s Awesome Office Show, we take a look back and share the top 8 leadership learnings from 2015.

Here's a quick summary of the topics we dive into in depth in the episode:

#1 - The key to leading an ultra productive and fulfilled life is to say no to all but the essential.

Do less, but better. Greg McKeown's book Essentialism provides a framework for achieving this ideal. 

#2 - Effective communication requires empathy, not expectation.

They key to connecting with an audience - be it a group of colleagues, an audience at a speaking appearance, or readers of a blog post - is to put yourself in their shoes and think about how you can make their day better, take away some of their burdens, or answer their burnig questions. Guest Hank Fortener is an expert on the subject. 

#3 - The single most important marketing question is who do you want your customer to become?

It’s not about the product or service, it’s how that product or service can positively transform your customer. Michael Schrage's book makes a strong, eloquent case for this. 

#4 - The most exciting breakthroughs of the 21st century will not occur because of technology, but because of an expanding concept of what it means to be human

An idea credited to John Naisbitt in his book Megatrends. For those of us who focus on people, this represents an enormous opportunity to innovate and make a positive impact.

#5 - Stress and discomfort are an essential part of a productive office.

An idea explored in our conversation with 15five CEO David Hassell, that a certain amount of discomfort and good stress (or eustress) is necessary in order for employees to experience breakthroughs and do their best work.

#6 - Know your team’s personal and professional goals.

They're intertwined; don't pretend like they aren't. 

#7 - Don’t think of people staying as good and leaving as bad.

Tons of toxic cultures have extremely low attrition rates. Think of your company as a D1 college sports team; some employees go pro, others join your coaching staff. Reid Hoffman's The Alliance and Richard Sheridan's Joy Inc. explore this concept and explode the myth that high retention = good culture.  

#8 - Exercise to feel great, eat to lose weight.

A simple change in mindset can unlock the motivation you need to live more productive, healthier lifestyle. When you focus on feeling good and recharging your energy when you workout, you’ll be less likely to skip and more likely to

The end of 2015 is rapidly approaching, and that means it's time to set our sights on the things we want to accomplish in the New Year. 

There is a sense of hope and optimism in the air. A new calendar year is a chance wipe the slate clean, start fresh, and begin anew. All the old habits you swore you'd break, now's your chance to actually break them. 

It's time to finally lose the weight, become more productive, get that promotion. 

But as most of us are familiar, all our good intentions often fall by the wayside as soon we hit the first stumbling block or feel the first tugs of resistance.

It's usually not because we don't want to improve. It's because we didn't approach our goal setting the right way.

But it doesn't have to be this way.

In fact, with a little planning and commitment, 2016 can easily be your best year ever.

That's where we come in.

In this episode, Awesome Office host Sean Kelly shares his goal setting tips, a set of best practices will help you make massive breakthroughs in 2016.

So what makes Sean a goal setting expert?

The answer is simple - he's failed. A lot.

Over the last fifteen years or so, he's tried dozens of strategies, and has developed a set of practices that works - and will work for you too. Think of him as your own personal goal-setting guinea pig.

Instead of blindly charging into 2016 with vague intentions and fuzzier plans, now's the time to pause, reflect, and visualize the things you want to accomplish next year.

Who do you want to be? What do you want to accomplish? How do you want your team and your organization to grow? Does the future excite you? Is your vision compelling? How will you make your vision a reality?

That's what today's episode is all about.

For your reference, we've put together a cheat sheet summarizing the points Sean explores in depth in today’s episode:

1. Start early
Pilot new habits before January 1. Test them out and make adjustments early on so you can be confident in your approach once the New Year commences.

2. Set your intentions
Think about who you’ll become once you achieve these goals. That person should excite you.

3. Goals must make you a little uncomfortable
Your goals should spur breakthroughs and help you grow, and therefore should be hard... but not too hard. Studies show that you should push yourself 4% beyond your ordinary daily limit (not 40%).

4. Don’t worry about "the how" the first time around
Just set your sights and get after it. The how will come as part of the process.

5. Don’t set too many goals
Shoot for no more than 10 goals total, for all areas of your life - career/business, health, spirtual, etc. 5-7 is the sweet spot.

6. Make sure your goals are S.M.A.R.T.
S.M.A.R.T. stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. It should be obvious whether or not you achieved your goals, and timing is important.

7. Write down goals and make them visible…review goals on a weekly basis
Print them out and put them someplace where you'll see it everyday.

8. Create goals, not action plans that you’ll never be able to execute
Don't set yourself up to fail by creating ridiculously elaborate, year long plans that you'll abandon as soon as you deviate from them.

9. Make your first goal to consistently check your goals
This is where most people fail - they don't check in and hold themselves accountable. Commit to your goals to see real progress.

10. Remember that you’re human
You will fail. Expect it, plan for it, and know that it’s all part of the process.

11. The 5-4-3-2-1 System
Once you set your goals, this system will help you stay on track in the New Year. For 2016, determine:

BONUS - 5-4-3-2-1 Worksheet

As a bonus, we've put together a worksheet to get you started. Download the worksheet here (right click and choose save as), then print it, fill it out, and put it somewhere visible - at your desk or on your mirror - as a constant reminder of the goals and the habits you intend to keep.

We hope you enjoy this episode, and want to thank you for your continued support of the Awesome Office Show. We've grown tremendously in a short time, and that's all because of all the great people who - like you - are committed to changing the way we work. We've got some big plans for 2016, and we're so grateful you've chosen to join us on this journey.

As always, if you haven't yet, please subscribe to, rate, and review the show in iTunes. This show grows by word of mouth, and the more we grow, the more Awesome we can all create together.

If you were to look at Richard Sheridan’s business card, you might be surprised by his official title:

“Chief Storyteller, Tour Guide and CEO.”

As we learn in the second part of our epic interview with the Joy Inc. author, storytelling is an essential part of his role at software developer Menlo Innovations - so much so that the company’s founder and chief executive leads daily tours and considers telling the Menlo story to be one of his most important roles.

The act of storytelling, Richard explains, helps hold himself and his team accountable, and reinforces the cultural values at the core of Menlo’s culture.

We talk in depth with Richard about how to tell better stories, why it's so important to do so, and many other topics, including why organizational change must first start with personal reflection, and why boomerang employees - employees who leave and come back - remain a huge missed opportunity for most companies.

Key Takeaways

Links

Recommended Reading

Like this episode? Then let us know! Subscribe, rate, and review the show in iTunes. This show grows by word of mouth, and the more we grow, the more Awesome we can all create together.

Similar to Entreleadership and HBR Ideacast.

From kid programmer in 1971 to Forbes cover story in 2003, Joy, Inc. author and Menlo Innovations CEO Richard Sheridan has never shied from challenges, opportunities, nor the limelight. His focus has always been around technology, but his passion is actually process, teamwork and organizational design, with one overarching goal: unlock the business value of Joy.

Strangely enough, it all began in 1967, when a ten year old Richard Sheridan decided to surprise his parents by building a piece of furniture while they were away for the evening.

In today’s Awesome Office interview, Richard tells us how this experience - and the joy he felt after delivering a wow moment to his parents - was the start of a journey that would lead him to his mission of changing the way we work.

The laboratory for his radical ideas about workplace joy has been his own company, Menlo Innovations, a software design and development firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

An avid reader and historian, Sheridan insists that he and his team didn't invent a new culture, but copied an old one - Edison’s Menlo Park New Jersey lab.

Richard was a pleasure to talk to, and we hope you get as much value out of this conversation as we did.

Key Takeaways

Links

Recommended Reading

Like this episode? Then let us know! Subscribe, rate, and review the show in iTunes. This show grows by word of mouth, and the more we grow, the more Awesome we can all create together.

“You can’t be good at any job if you’re only doing it for a paycheck.”

That’s the mantra that has served Joe Lozowski throughout his career, and what ultimately inspired him to leave a lucrative career and start all over in the furniture business. 

In part one of his Awesome Office interview, we learned why the CEO and President of Tangram Interiors feels it’s so important for young people to bet on themselves, and why he views his company as a “platform for success.” In part two, Joe dives deeper, and shares why, in this world of longer hours, work life integration, and increased expectations on all sides, you have to love what you do in order to be successful.

Joe also shares the secrets that have helped him rise to the top of his game and lead Tangram into $100 million+ in sales, including his daily routine (which begins at 4 am).

And perhaps most surprising of all… Joe explains why Ohio State hiring coach Urban Meyer is actually a good thing for Michigan football.

Key Takeaways

Links

Recommended Reading

Like this episode? Then let us know! Subscribe, rate, and review the show in iTunes. This show grows by word of mouth, and the more we grow, the more Awesome we can all create together.

We like to say that one necessary part of an Awesome Office is a “space that wows,” and there are few people more qualified to speak to this than Joe Lozowski.

That's because Joe is the majority owner, President and CEO of Tangram Interiors, the largest contract furniture distributor in the Western United States. With offices and showrooms in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, the San Fernando Valley and the Inland Empire, Tangram has emerged as a model dealership in North America, employing 275 people.

With all this success, you might be surprised to learn that Joe's foray into the furniture industry involved leaving a lucrative career in a different industry - and taking a 100% pay cut in the process.

That's all part of what Joe calls "betting on yourself," and it’s not only a key to his own success, but something he tries to instill in Tangram employees.

That’s why he thinks of Tangram less as a company, and more as a “platform for success.”

Joe tells us what it takes to bet on yourself and win - and much more - in this two part Awesome Office interview.

Key Takeaways

Joe explains what he means by betting on yourself, and why he decided to take a 100% pay cut to join Steelcase early in his career.
Joe describes why he thinks of Tangram as a platform for success.
Joe tells us what it takes to create a “space that wows.”
Joe explains why he hasn’t had an office in 13 years, and why
Finally Joe tells us the most important question he asks clients while working on their interiors.
Links

Joe on LinkedIn
Tangram Interiors
@joelozowski
University of Michigan Football
Recommended Reading

Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success, by Phil Jackson
Like this episode? Then let us know! Subscribe, rate, and review the show in iTunes. This show grows by word of mouth, and the more we grow, the more Awesome we can all create together.

Similar to Entreleadership and HBR Ideacast.