CEO Confidential

Alex and returning co-host, Molly Gebler welcome back superintendents Nancy Santilli and Bob Hunt of Kenston Schools and Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools, who take questions submitted on social media regarding schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic; including application of snow days, what next year will look like, how end-of-year traditions are shaping up, summer school and extended year services, and much more. https://youtu.be/hd4kB63XGF0 Notes Welcome back Molly, Nancy, and Bob Gratitude and wins Q&A session with questions submitted on social media Molly’s new Lightning Round Questions Links Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools: Kenston Schools Chagrin Valley Chamber of Commerce “Schools and Child Care: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)” - Minnesota Department of Education Ep 34 – School House Rock – Meet Nancy Santilli Ep 45 – Head of the Class – Reconnect with Bob Hunt and Nancy Santilli: Ep 77 – Bob Hunt and Nancy Santilli: Solving Problems Students Care About Most Ep 109 – Hunt and Santilli in the Hot Seats Hungry Bee Lemon Falls Cafe/Marketplace Burntwood Tavern Hunan by the Falls Yours Truly

Alex has a wide-ranging conversation with CTO and Chief Data Scientist of Chmura Economics & Analytics and Co-Founder of H-Bomb Ties, John Chmura which covers topics such as data science and collection in light of the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal, Tiger King and the Wild Wonderful Whites of West Virginia, how John’s son Harrison inspired the creation of H-Bomb Ties, and much more. This episode is as inspirational as it is informational. You don’t want to miss out. https://youtu.be/Cq01XbyScmE Notes John’s background in data science and what it exactly it means to be a data scientist Alex and John’s takes on personal data collection in light of the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal Testing out Zoom’s green screen feature and discussing Tiger King and the Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia How John’s son, Harrison (aka H-Bomb) and his love of bow ties inspired the creation of H-Bomb Ties What it’s like for people with disabilities to find good employment and how we can help Links H-Bomb Ties Chmura Economics & Analytics John’s Crazy Socks Ep 15 – Meet Paul Marnecheck Ep 85 – A Mission of Integration – Meet Shari Hunter Ep 117 – Accounting for Business Growth – Meet Chuck Mullen Ep 122 – Talent Search – Meet Aaron Grossman Company of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business: by Paul Jarvis The Great Hack

Ladies and gentlemen, you’re about to WATCH the best podcast ever recorded. On BPE’s first-ever video podcast, Alex chats with CEO of TalentLaunch Aaron Grossman. They discuss his journey of going from a paperboy to running a $130 million staffing and talent company, the importance of company culture, neverending gratitude, and Aaron’s side project, the Wrestlers in Business Network, among many others. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yi99zBbTjA Notes Personal and professional wins The importance of mindfulness and paying attention to the details Aaron’s journey from college to the creation of TalentLaunch The importance of setting good processes Art vs. Science in Business and Sports and the 80/20 rule Make or break moments and going from owning a business to running a company How Aaron learned to be an entrepreneur from his parents Culture vs. Ego and the importance of having a purpose, a mission, and strong core values Growing into a $130 million company and beyond The creation of the Wrestlers in Business Network Links Aaron’s LinkedIn TalentLaunch Wrestlers in Business Network Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO) Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) The E-Myth Library by Michael Gerber  The “Scary Times” Success Manual by Dan Sullivan

What’s the difference between a well-run car dealership and a failing one? Alex chats with Wendy Rinehart, Executive Director of the Ohio Independent Automobile Dealers Association about what makes car dealerships successful, industry changes, being a woman in a male-dominated industry, industry challenges moving forward, and much more. You’re going to want to put the pedal to the metal and give this one a listen! Notes Wendy’s background and what led her to become the Executive Director of the OIADA Early challenges and being a female in a male-dominated industry Dealing with industry changes and divergent Stakeholders within the association What makes a well-run dealership? Facing new challenges and helping hundreds of dealers with a small office The most important things happening within the industry today Links Wendy’s LinkedIn OIADA website Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins (article on his website) Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't by Jim Collins (Amazon Link) Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life by Spencer Johnson, MD (Amazon Link) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxBQLFLei70

Overspending runs rampant in businesses.  Not if Jeff Moore can help it though.  In this episode, Alex chats with the Founder and CEO of Value Based Solutions LLC about the importance of mismanaging corporate spend to increase profits. They also discuss Jeff's early successes as an entrepreneur, what led him to start VBS, joining Entrepreneurs Organization, and much more. There's lots of useful information for your business in this one! Notes Personal and Professional wins Jeff's breaking through challenges as a kid, his early entrepreneurial success, and how baseball cards helped him pay for college. How Jeff's experience in the corporate world led to the birth of VBS, what they do and how they do it Managing indirect spend, consulting, and final best negotiations for large one-time purchases Creating, maintaining good processes Assumptions and Misconceptions about life and business Links Value Based Solutions’ WebsiteJeff’s LinkedInTJ Gliha’s EpisodeGive and Take by Adam Grant The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson Entrepreneurs’ Organization

Alex heads to Boston and catches up with former BPE guest Vice President of Customer Success at LeasePilot, Nadine Ezzie. They explore the idea of staying true to yourself while discussing Nadine’s journey going from a successful attorney in Cleveland to dropping everything and joining the startup, LeasePilot in Boston. Then, Co-Founder and CEO of LeasePilot Gabriel Safar jumps on and shares what led him to go from a successful attorney to creating the startup. They also discuss the fundamental problem with law firms, the importance of hustling, labels, impactful moments, existential challenges, what it takes to be a CEO, and more. This is a jampacked double interview that you don’t want to miss. Show Notes Facing fears and embracing major life changes Her personal journey from successful attorney to join a startup Dog rescuing stories Adventures in stand-up comedy and how they change Nadine’s perspective in life The benefits of meditation Gabriel’s journey from attorney to entrepreneur Lots and lots of reading The Fundamental problem with law firms The birth of Lease Pilot Hustling REALCOM Labels and why they are bad Impactful moments, existential challenges, myths, and what it takes to be a CEO Links LeasePilot’s Website Nadine’s LinkedIn Gabriel’s LinkedIn Nadine’s First BPE Interview Meditation Apps Headspace Calm Books Tomorrow’s Lawyers and The End of Lawyers?: Rethinking the nature of legal services by Richard Susskind OBE The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail by Clayton Christensen Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape and the Making of Winston Churchill by Candice Millard Pooja

Alex talks with psychotherapist and social worker Jessica Horvat and they delve into the minds of entrepreneurs and other humans. Tune in as they discuss Jessica’s definition of success, how visualization exercises can be beneficial, what Imposter Syndrome is and if all entrepreneurs have it, how to figure out what the “little guy” needs, where fear comes from and how to deal with it, and so much more. So, listen as Alex “lays down on the couch” and gets us all a little therapy. Show Notes Introduction on psychotherapy and Jessica’s definition of success Personal and professional wins Jessica’s journey from feminist art student to psychotherapist Visualization exercises and Alex’s summer camp memories Imposter Syndrome and entrepreneurs Jessica-isms and meditation Fear and the little guy’s needs Jessica’s Alter Ego Also Mentioned in this Episode Jessica’s Info: Cell - 216-288-6560 Email: [email protected] Today Profile Nadine Ezzie’s B.P.E. EpisodeChuck Mullen’s B.P.E. EpisodeBrené Brown’s Ted Talk on Listening to ShameWhen Things Fall Apart by Pema Chödrön Meditation Apps: Ten Percent Happier HeadspaceInsight Timer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBHf6r7Ldo0

Fellow podcaster and chairman of Apple Growth Partners, Mr. Chuck Mullen, joins Alex to talk about how entrepreneurs can benefit from working with a CPA, with great information on succession planning, mergers & acquisitions, valuation, and more.  Connect with Chuck on LinkedIn or at Applegrowth.com, where you can also explore Chuck’s podcast, Sliced. SHOW NOTES CPAs doing more than accounting – Health Growth Checkup Process, Client Experience Business Success stories - Experience pays off and hard work pays off Discovering a knack for accounting What a CPA can do for an entrepreneur Succession Planning – Having tough conversations about the future of a company Mergers and Acquisitions – Making them happen; The status of the M&A market Bracing for recession Valuation debates; When a deal needs to be stopped Sales, Marketing, and Strategic Partners The joy of Transcendental Meditation ALSO REFERENCED IN THE SHOW TJ Gliha was our guest on Ep 116 – Risky Trades and Safe Bets Alex was on episode 35 of Chuck’s Sliced Podcast: applegrowth.com/ep35-how-to-lawyer-proof-your-business/ Listen to Marvin Montgomery on BPE in Ep 82 – Elevating Your Sales Alex recommends the book Shoe Dog, by Phil Knight Chuck recommends the book The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle

Get familiar with the ins and outs of proprietary trading, and how TJ Gliha went from the stock exchange floor to become Vice President of Private Client Services at Sequoia Financial Group. What are traders doing with their hands? What has QUANTS meant for Wall Street? How does TJ help business owners think through succession, financial independence, and capital structure? Find out this week on BPE. Connect with TJ on LinkedIn and visit Sequoia Financial Group online at sequoia-financial.com SHOW NOTES An interest in investments leads to an internship in NYC; New love and learning to trade in Chicago; The path to proprietary trading; Gambling and risk; Minimizing loss; QUANTS and how a computer changed the game; Prioritizing family and Sequoia Financial; Helping business owners manage wealth and prepare for their futures; Recession as an opportunity; What Sequoia does for businesses and how it started. ALSO REFERENCED IN THE SHOW Jamie Dimon’s Harvard Business School commencement speech is on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T9Kp4NE5l4 Listen to Admiral McRaven’s speech and our discussion on it in Bonus Episode – Admiral McRaven’s Lessons from Navy Seal Training with Steve Bales after episode 36.

The best business coaches are the ones with business experience, and some of the best ones we know are Adam Sonnhalter and Jack Mencini. Adam and Jack join Alex this week to share some keys for business success that they’ve learned from inside corporate America. They can be reached via the website for Maximum Value Partners at maximumvp.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/maximumvp/, or on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/maximum-value-partners-llc/. Their podcast is Dirty Secrets of Small Business, and the episode where Alex was the guest can be found at dirtysecretsofsmallbusiness.com/episode/alex-gertsburg-owner-of-the-gertsburg-law-firm/. SHOW NOTES Alex opens the show Welcome Adam and Jack; A case of Podcast envy; Business coaches with experience Discovering the need for effective business coaches A high-level overview of the 7 Keys to Success for growing, sustainable profit Helping business owners reach their goals When a business relationship doesn’t work; Having the difficult conversations ALSO MENTIONED IN THE SHOW The E-Myth by Michael Gerber (book)