It’s the end of one journey, but the beginning of another.  In this heartfelt episode of "Celebrate Like a CEO," your host, Stefan Whitwell, bids farewell to "Celebrate Like a CEO". The podcast is taking a pause, making way for an exciting new show called "Wicked Smaht Wealth" to take center stage.

Expect shorter, punchier episodes in "Wicked Smaht Wealth," each clocking in at less than five minutes. Stefan plans to kick off each episode by venting about frustrating or mind-boggling experiences in the financial industry. In the latter half, he'll offer valuable insights into wealth management and provide actionable steps for listeners to incorporate into their lives. Topics on the horizon include tax planning, navigating the banking crisis, safeguarding your finances, private investment markets, real estate, and the ever-mysterious stock market.

Rest assured, "Wicked Smaht Wealth" promises to be engaging, entertaining, and high-energy, all packaged into bite-sized portions of wisdom. Stefan invites you to continue this exciting journey with him.

In closing, Stefan extends his heartfelt thanks to you for being part of the "Celebrate Like a CEO" family. He encourages you to keep celebrating life's victories and looks forward to having you join him for "Wicked Smaht Wealth."

About the Stefan Whitwell:

https://whitwelladvisors.com/

“So many managers are frustrated–’Why don’t Gen Zers understand this? How do they not get the way that the workplace works? Well, they've never been in the workplace,” explains Allie Danziger, founder and CEO of Ampersand. Acting as CEO and boss of her own company since she was 24 years old, she realized that the knowledge and practical skills she was able to learn in the in-person workplace were simply not available to the new generation entering a post-Covid, hybrid workplace. She founded Ampersand in 2020 to fill in that education to employment skills gap, giving new hires preparation for success. Businesses and staffing agencies alike have used Ampersand’s software program as an assessment and business development tool, which has allowed them to scale in turn. 

On today’s episode Allie and Stefan discuss the importance of being on the lookout for and entering into significant partnerships. Ampersand was recently acquired by Ascent, a like-minded and mission-driven student loan provider which offers career coaching to all of its borrowers and where Allie joins as SVP. A wife and mother of two, Allie is also in the business of building her family and she discusses her strict daily routine, including self care, splitting parenting duties and what she absolutely doesn’t have time for. Another thing she learned in her early years as CEO was the importance of celebrating wins both large and small. It’s part of preventing burnout, and sets the company tone from the top down.

As it turns out, learning new things and stepping out of your comfort zone is crucial at any phase of your life or career. Find out how she and everyone can benefit from Julia Cameron’s classic–if slightly woo-woo– book “The Artist’s Way.” 

#preparationforsuccess #missiondriven #selfcare

• “When I started my career…I leaned over to the person next to me and asked them a question…and how actually that is the most important moment in the entire meeting.” (15:13 | Allie)

Connect with Allie Danziger:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alliedanziger/

Connect with Stefan:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“When it's not your family, we don't have that baggage of when we were kids with the sibling or the parent and family dynamics. So it's really easy for us to just enter as a third neutral party and make recommendations,” explains Ariel Rosenbaum, experienced social worker and CEO of Senior Services of Austin. Aging can be a really complicated process for families to navigate, especially when a loved one’s health begins to decline. After an eye opening experience with her own grandfather's health decline and care management that left much to be desired, Ariel was inspired to create her company for better local senior services. This full service care management agency run by a team of social workers and nurses tied in perfectly with her pre-existing business, Texas Family Services, which provides assistance with housing placement for seniors. 

As someone who runs multiple successful businesses simultaneously, Ariel is no stranger to hard-work. What came less naturally was recognizing when it was time to take a break or allow herself to delegate tasks to others. Ariel shares that her biggest tip for new business owners is to delegate any tasks that are not within their expertise. She also is a big proponent of self-care, explaining that self-care is part of a CEO’s responsibilities. After all, if the CEO does not take care of themselves, they cannot do their job as effectively or be there to support their employees and clients. When it comes to celebrating the wins, Ariel and her team lower the stress and dial up the fun with casual group breakfasts and lunches. 

• “When it's not your family, we don't have that baggage of when we were kids with the sibling or the parent and family dynamics. So it's really easy for us to just enter as a third neutral party and make recommendations.” (7:48 | Ariel)

Connect with Ariel Rosenbaum:

www.seniorservicesofaustin.com

Connect with Stefan:

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“Patience can be a business superpower if you know how to manage it and you utilize it well,” explains Jane Mosbacher Morris, CEO of TO THE MARKET., a women-owned technology enabled B Corp which provides transparency in the international supply chain, allowing retailers, brands and corporations to procure goods and quantify both the environmental and social impact of their procurement. Growing up, Jane learned patience and discipline through ballet and musical theater, dreaming of someday acting on Broadway. Instead, these critical skills, the work ethic, and the confidence she gained from performing helped her to step into her role as a CEO.

The Covid pandemic highlighted the need for companies to diversify their manufacturing and sourcing. When China shut down production, the supply chain took a huge hit and it quickly became apparent that businesses would need to branch out to suppliers from other countries. While bootstrapping TO THE MARKET, Jane spent time with both clients and suppliers to see what their needs were and what barriers were keeping them from being able to sell their products in the US market. She shares that during this time one of the most important things she relied on was her ability to be both patient and resilient. Even when risks do not always work out, they still provide valuable learning opportunities. When the risks do pay off and it’s time to celebrate a win, Jane celebrates by playing jams at the All Hands Meeting and treating herself to tasty foods like the spicy chicken sandwich from Popeyes. 

Taking time to recharge and take care of yourself as a CEO is vital for the success of your business. Jane explains that even though there are times when you will have to really push hard as an entrepreneur, it is still very important to take care of your body by getting enough sleep and eating a healthy diet. Her tips for entrepreneurs are to be patient and prioritize tasks by level of urgency, stay positive and turn mistakes into learning opportunities, and to take care of your body as if you were a professional athlete.

Quotes

• “Covid really revealed the risk of being over indexed in any country for manufacturing or sourcing.” (7:06 | Jane)

Connect with Jane Mosbacher Morris:

Website: https://tothemarket.com/

Connect with Stefan:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“I try to celebrate my position as a CEO by giving myself time with my family. A lot of people don't get that, and I didn't always have that when I started the company,” shares Bryce Young, CEO of Warm Audio, a global powerhouse in the pro audio industry that manufactures and sells quality audio recording equipment at affordable prices. When Bryce was in high school attempting to record an album with his band, he realized the huge gap between the sound quality of pricey recording equipment as opposed to what the average person could afford. Today, Bryce talks about his career journey, his love of music, how his faith has helped him succeed, and the importance of time management as an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurship requires a lot of hard work, and it can be difficult for business owners to prioritize time away from their work. Bryce shares that at the beginning of starting his business, he spent a lot less time with his family and had less time to exercise and take care of himself. Now, he is thankful to have an incredible trustworthy team of employees that he can count on to get things done without him micromanaging them. He sees every accomplishment not as luck, but as a gift from God and is quick to recognize those blessings. Although Bryce does struggle with allowing himself to relax, he has found a way to recharge through the cleaning and organizing of his vinyl record collection. 

When you have a strong team, you can delegate out tasks and free up more time for yourself. There will always still be times when you have to hustle as an entrepreneur, so remember to take advantage of relaxation opportunities when you can and find ways to recharge your energy. 

Quotes 

• “Until our brand came around, you either purchased very expensive, great sounding equipment, or you purchased very affordable, cheap, mediocre, okay sounding equipment. And so there was this kind of gap of all the wealthy people and the people that had record deals could sound great, and all the people that were just starting musicians never really sounded very good in their recordings.” (3:25-3:47 | Bryce)

Connect with Bryce Young:

Website: www.warmaudio.com

Connect with Stefan:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“The point of being a brokerage is to not monetize our agents, it's to create a house where experienced agents can come and work together without the undue pressures that come from being in somewhat of a hostile work environment,” explains Joshua Brown, licensed real estate broker, CEO and Founder of Pushing Forward Realty in #Brooklyn, New York. Inspired by his father’s work as a pastor, he decided to create a real estate business based on #collaboration instead of competition. Today, Joshua talks about how his agency differs from others in the industry.

Joshua saw the cut throat environment that exists within the real estate industry and knew he wanted to bring something different to the table. He attributes much of his success to the cooperative atmosphere that he has built, with a focus on team building, cooperation, and treating clients as if they were family. He takes the responsibility of helping others through what is likely the largest purchase of their lives very seriously. In addition to providing real estate services, Joshua also educates the community, bringing finance, investing, and home buying lessons to the people of Bushwick. To him, freedom means his agents having the opportunity to do what they want when they want, such as travel and spend time with their families whenever they wish. 

When you view your colleagues as competition, that can lead to an unhealthy work environment. Joshua encourages his agents to celebrate one another’s accomplishments, as each individual’s accomplishments benefit the team as a whole. 

Quotes 

• “The point of being a brokerage is to not monetize our agents, it's to create a house where experienced agents can come and work together without the undue pressures that come from being in somewhat of a hostile work environment.” (17:03-17:19 | Joshua)

Connect with Joshua Brown:

Website: https://pushingforward.nyc

Instagram: @joshondemand and @pushingforwardrealty

Connect with Stefan:

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“I found early on when I dug deep, that I just like solving problems. So as long as I'm in a role, in a function, or what the business is doing is constantly challenging me, I don't care what the business is. I just want to solve some sort of problem,” shares Sujan Patel, owner of Mail Shake, Ramp Ventures, ZoomShift and other SAAS businesses. As a serial entrepreneur, Sujan has learned a lot about how to grow and scale a successful business. Today, Sujan joins host Stefan Whitwell to talk about his career journey, when to #followyourheart, and the importance of #lifeworkbalance. 

Sujan has always been motivated by solving problems and is drawn to high adrenaline challenges like racing and skydiving. After a skydiving incident where he survived a plane crash, he realized failure in business could not kill him. This mindset shift paved the way for him to really put himself out there and not be afraid of trying new things. Sujan shares that the best gift he has ever received was simply permission to try. When making a decision in business, many get caught up in indecision, so sometimes all you need is someone saying to just do it. 

It’s always important to follow your heart, both in business and in your personal life. Also, don’t forget to celebrate the wins, even if you are far away from your team. Although Sujan has a fully remote team, he still manages to celebrate the wins by treating them to dinners with their loved ones.

Quotes

• “What I really love about how we operate each individual business is we focus on things that can actually help us hit our milestones or growth.” (6:46-6:57 | Sujan)

Connect with Sujan Patel:

sujanpatel.com

Connect with Stefan:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“When you start reaching a certain level of success, especially as a woman, I feel that you're obligated to not necessarily give a handout, but a hand up to disadvantaged women behind you, and pull up a seat at the table,” shares Christi Beca, founder of Christi Beca Realty and Flower Mound Women in Business. Christi built her nonprofit at the same time as building her #realtor business, all while being a single mom. Today, Christi joins host Stefan Whitwell to talk about her journey as a serial entrepreneur and #girlboss, the gift of giving back by uplifting disadvantaged women, and the importance of keeping the human experience at the heart of business.

Christi began her entrepreneurial journey just 3 months after leaving the corporate world to be a stay at home mom. She started off by founding a successful diaper bag company. After going through a divorce from a toxic marriage, she found herself again drawn to entrepreneurship. While building her real estate business, Christi felt the need to give back and support other women in abuse #survivor situations. Never one to shy away from additional work, she founded a nonprofit that helps women through women’s business advancement grants, guidance through the gap, and financial donations.

There are many ways to give back to others. As a leader, it is important to give back to your employees and really show how much you appreciate them. In addition to giving back to your employees, once you have a successful business, it is incredibly rewarding to give back to your community and uplift disadvantaged members by pulling up a seat at the table.

Quotes

• “I'm all for automation. I'm all for making our systems and processes more efficient, more streamlined. But you can't lose that human touch. And that's really what real estate is, is a relationship business.” (12:43-12:57 | Christi)

Connect with Christi Beca:

https://www.christibecarealty.com/

Connect with Stefan:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“My dad taught me a long time ago to find those people that are really great at what they do and learn from them,” shares Robert Nitsche, CEO of The Nitsche Group, an independent insurance agency operating in Texas since 1949. Robert took his first steps in the office of his family’s business where he is now the CEO. Although as a child he did not think he wanted to take over the family business, he discovered a talent and passion for the work along the way. Today, Robert joins host Stefan Whitwell to talk about the lessons he learned along his career journey, the mentors who helped shape him, and how he has been able to pay it forward by investing in his community.

Robert learned at an early age to seek out experts and learn from them. He attributes much of what he learned to an older gentleman who saw something in him and took him under his wing. One of the biggest lessons Robert learned was to celebrate small wins and to view failure as an opportunity. He shares ways he has incorporated celebrating into his business, organizing get-togethers with the entire staff, and always enjoying lots of food together. Once, he even celebrated by treating himself to a day at the James Bond School in London learning how to be a spy. Robert uses these memories of celebrating to motivate himself to keep working hard.

There are always going to be times that things just do not work out the way you planned, but you can use these moments to try a new approach. Find others who have already done what you want to do, learn from their mistakes, and celebrate the little wins along the way. Then, find ways to pay it forward, whether it be by giving back to your community or becoming a mentor.

Quotes

• “My dad taught me a long time ago to find those people that are really great at what they do and learn from them.” (10:52-11:01 | Robert)

Connect with  Robert Nitsche:

www.thenitschegroup.com

Connect with Stefan:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“People build this parasocial relationship with influencers that they love, and they feel connected to them. And I want to be that teen entrepreneur who can become like that friend or that parent figure if they want to start their own businesses and they don't have anyone who's supporting them right now,” explains Jungmin Kang, teen entrepreneur, CEO and founder of SnoopSlimes, an enormously successful designer slime company based in Austin, TX. After starting her own company at just 13 years old, this girl boss and slime enthusiast hopes to inspire other teens to go after their dreams. Today, Jungmin joins host Stefan Whitwell to talk about her journey to entrepreneurship, what she has learned along the way, and what she hopes to achieve going forward.

Jungmin attributes much of her success to her family’s support and having a strong grasp of the company’s branding and marketing strategy. As a member of Gen Z, she has been able to really connect with the trends that influence SnoopSlime’s customer base. This was especially useful in the early days when Jungmin was doing everything mostly by herself. Even though it was challenging to grow the business while going to school, Jungmin loves being an entrepreneur. She hopes her experience will inspire other young teens to chase their dreams.

When Jungmin first started SnoopSlimes, she neglected self-care and ended up burning out. Her persistence, passion, and the support of her family helped her to stay on track even when things got difficult. If you have a dream to start your own business, be persistent in your pursuit of your passion, but don’t forget to take care of yourself too. Your business cannot thrive without you, so make sure to put yourself first.

Quotes

• “Being a part of Gen Z, I'm able to really see the trends and the viral posts that really are going to engage my customer base.” (5:36-5:47 | Jungmin)

Connect with Jungmin Kang:

https://snoopslimes.co

Connect with Stefan:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm