CEO Confidential

In this freewheeling episode, Alex goes toe-to-toe with CEO of Witz Education, Greg Witz and together they solve all of our political problems, teach us how to be our best selves in business and in life, help us have better romantic relationships, and so much more. You definitely don’t want to miss out on this one! Notes A South African Canadian’s perspective on the current state of US politics A US citizen’s perspective on Canada  Psychological warfare, the media, and the different lenses we use to view politics and the world Greg’s journey from dropout to successful author, podcaster, and entrepreneur How common threads transform hierarchies into circular communities The thing that prevents people from being their best selves Managing stress and dealing with unexpressed emotions The 3 Principles of Emotional Intelligence The step after accepting who you are The S.T.O.P Concept How to have better romantic relationships State, story, strategy, and the secret sauce to getting unstuck The power of shifting your mindset and how to actually do it Lightning Round Links   Alex’s interview on Greg’s podcastEp 131 – Solving All the World’s Problems – Meet Council President Paul Marnecheck (again)Join the betterHuman Greg’s LinkedInWitz Education“Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way: The Ultimate Guide to Leadership in the New World of Business” by Greg WitzThe Ultimate Relationship GuideImago Relationships Worldwide“It Takes What It Takes: How to Think Neutrally and Gain Control of Your Life” by Trevor Moawad and Andy Staples“Brain Rules” by John Medina “The BFG” by Roald Dahl “The 4-Hour Workweek” by Tim Ferriss“Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams” by Matthew Walker, Ph.D.

In this edition of My Colossal Failure, Alex sits down with Gary Klaben, president of Coyle Financial to discuss how determination and perseverance led Gary to go from a failing insurance agent to the owner and president of a highly successful wealth/asset management and financial counsel company. Links: Coyle Financial: https://www.coylefinancial.com/ Strategic Coach: https://www.strategiccoach.com/ Gary’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-klaben-9aa199/ Ep 58 – A Business Mindset – Meet Gary Klaben: https://www.thebestpodcastever.com/ep58-gary-klaben/

On this edition of the My Colossal Failure mini-series, Alex and Mike Ferrante, associate broker for Century 21 HomeStar and team leader of the 21 Mike Team, discuss how Mike’s youthful stubbornness kept him in a failing painting business for 15 years before he realized it was finally time to throw in the towel. Mike’s Page on 21 Century HomeStar21 Mike TeamMike’s LinkedInEp 90 – How to Rise to the Top and Stay There – Meet Mike Ferrante

On this episode of the “My Colossal Failure” mini-series, Alex talks with Traci Miller, president of Color 3 Embroidery, a wholesale embroidery and screen-print business about the importance of resilience, and how she rebuilt her life and her business after experiencing considerable tragedy. Links: Color 3 Embroidery Traci’s LinkedIn Simon Sinek Other Colossal Failures

On this episode of a new mini-series called, “My Colossal Failure” Alex sits down with Andrew Spott, CEO of VividFront, a strategic Digital Marketing, Web Design & Web Development Agency to discuss not only how his colossal failure forced him to fire people and give away his shares in his business, but also how that failure led to VividFront. Links:Andrew’s LinkedInVividFront“Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business” by Gino Wickman EOS

In the first episode of a new mini-series called, “My Colossal Failure” Alex sits down with Aaron Grossman, CEO of TalentLaunch, a $130 million staffing and talent company to discuss how his ego led to not one but two colossal failures and how he had to learn to put his ego aside to become a better businessman and entrepreneur. LinksEp 122 – Talent Search – Meet Aaron Grossman, plus an inspirational message from Alex’s Corona BunkerAaron’s LinkedInTalentLaunchAbleEntrepreneur’s Organization (EO)Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)

Alex has a chat with CEO of emaginit Daniel Moneypenny, aka the guy who knows a guy, about branding, marketing, networking, and business development. Daniel also shares a bit of his journey which includes serving in the Army, becoming a male model, attempting to steal something from Phil Knight, and more. As Alex says, “to know Danny is to be in awe of him.” We think you’ll agree. Notes How Alex and Daniel met The secret to Daniel’s energy Daniel describes his childhood Moving to California and becoming a Forest Fighter Enlisting in the Army and joining the US Prix Leclerc Team Having a ton of interesting jobs including becoming a make model, running antique shops, and starting a fitness shoe store College and starting emaginit Naming, branding, and building his reputation Shifting from branding to networking and business development Big failures and big rebounds Creating the correct work environment Lightning Round Links Emaginit“The Laws of Nature”  by Robert Greene “Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike” by Phil Knight “Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World” by Admiral William H. McRaven "Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations" by Admiral William H. McRaven “A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century” by Barbara W. Tuchman

Alex and returning co-host Molly Gebler welcome back superintendents Nancy Santilli and Bob Hunt of Kenston and Chagrin Falls, who update us on this challenging semester and what’s in store for the next one (so far) in light of the pandemic. Notes  Introductions and personal updates Current virtual learning status in each district Managing staff in and outside of the classroom Which is better? Letting every district make decisions or having everyone do the same thing. “If I knew then what I know now…” Handling the stress personally Highs and lows from this semester Teachers’ concerns Managing staff stress Lightning round Links Chagrin Falls Exempted Village SchoolsKenston SchoolsChagrin Valley Chamber of Commerce“Schools and Child Care: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)” – Minnesota Department of EducationEp 34 – School House Rock – Meet Nancy SantilliEp 45 – Head of the Class – Reconnect with Bob Hunt and Nancy SantilliEp 77 – Bob Hunt and Nancy Santilli: Solving Problems Students Care About MostEp 109 – Hunt and Santilli in the Hot SeatsEp 124 – Schooling During The Pandemic – A Special Q&A Session with Superintendents Nancy Santilli and Bob HuntLemon Falls Cafe/Marketplace“The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz” by Erik LarsonGet Molly’s Books!

Alex welcomes the COO of North Coast Auto Mall, Oleg Kislyansky onto the show to talk about vision, failure, growth, going from a non-data driven organization to a data-driven one, and much more. Buckle up and get ready for one inspiring and entertaining ride! Notes: Crazy ways to say hello and epiphanies of a new father  Oleg’s curiosity, hyperfocus, how he used that to better his business during COVID  “Punching above your weight” and moving up within the auto industry Impostor syndrome and underestimating yourself vs other people underestimating you Oleg’s “secret sauce” for a good business The importance of getting employees to follow your vision and how to get them to do that The format of Oleg’s sales meetings The format of Alex’s meetings Oleg’s failures and how he’s learned from them  Going from a non-data driven organization to a data-driven organization  Alex’s book recommendations Links: North Coast Auto Mall: https://www.ncautoauction.com/ Alex’s Insider Fix: https://gertsburglaw.com/blog/category/alexs-insider-fix/ CORONAVIRUS LEGAL SURVIVAL GUIDE: https://mailchi.mp/gertsburglaw.com/survivalguide Cover My Six: https://covermysix.com/ “TRACTION: GET A GRIP ON YOUR BUSINESS” by Gino Wickman: https://www.eosworldwide.com/traction-book “MEASURE WHAT MATTERS” by John Doerr: https://www.whatmatters.com/the-book/ “THE 4-HOUR WORKWEEK” Series by Tim Ferriss: https://tim.blog/tim-ferriss-books/ “THE GOAL: A PROCESS OF ONGOING IMPROVEMENT” by Eliyahu M. Goldratt: https://www.amazon.com/Goal-Process-Ongoing-Improvement/dp/0884271951 “THE 48 LAWS OF POWER” and “THE LAWS OF HUMAN NATURE” by John Greene: https://powerseductionandwar.com/books/ “THE BLUE ZONES” by Dan Buettner: https://www.thebluezonesstore.com "TITAN” by Ron Chernow: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/26804/titan-by-ron-chernow/

Alex and Chas mow through what led him to go from rebellious teenager to owner of one of the largest landscaping businesses in Northeast Ohio, how to build the right team, learning to properly communicate with your employees, and much more. Notes  Alex’s childhood landscaping experiences and Chas’s journey Crises he has faced while running the same business for over 20 years How a big decision and a semester at sea transformed him into a world-class entrepreneur Discovering EO and the importance of having a sense of belonging How Chas discovered Culture Index and what led him to become a CI advisor Using data to put the right butts in the right seats The importance of learning how to properly communicate with your employees Reducing turnover How COVID has affected his businesses And much more… Links Moscarino Landscape and Design: https://createmylandscape.com/ Culture Index: https://www.cindexinc.com/Chas’ Website: https://chasmoscarino.com/Chas’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chas-moscarino-70298917/ EOS: https://www.eosworldwide.com/ Alex’s Insider Fix: https://www.gertsburglaw.com/blog/ Ep 122 – Talent Search – Meet Aaron Grossman: http://www.thebestpodcastever.com/http-www-thebestpodcastever-com-ep-122-talent-search-meet-aaron-grossman/ Ep 130 – From Incremental to Exponential – Meet Gene Roberts: http://www.thebestpodcastever.com/ep-130-from-incremental-to-exponential-meet-gene-roberts/