CXO Conversations

Today Jamey Seely joins the show to talk about being a Chief Legal Officer — which most people refer to as being your own counsel — the two usual legal career paths, being an executive and LGBTQ in blue-collar industries and working in nuclear.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Jamey was named by Denver Business Journal as one of 2020's Top 25 Most Powerful and Influential Women in Business; she is a Trailblazer in Business honoree by Aspioneer for 2019, an Outstanding Women in Business Award winner in 2017 and a 2018 Out and Proud Corporate Counsel Award winner by the national LGBTQ bar association — and that's just since she's arrived in Denver.

GET IN TOUCH WITH JAMEY ON LINKEDIN

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Podfly Productions: Podfly.net

Veterans of Foreign Wars: VFWpost1.org

OC Executive Search: OCExecutiveSearch.com

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[1:52] Michael introduces Jamey and asks her to share an interesting tidbit about herself — marathoning and cycling worldwide as well as racing cars are just one of the few things this adrenaline junkie likes to do!

[4:44] Jamey explains what Gates is and what they do — they're everywhere and they have vulcanizers!

CLO OR GENERAL COUNSEL [8:17] What does a CLO do in terms of helping a company be healthy? And Jamey shares the really awesome thing about being on the legal side of a corporation.

BECOMING GC/CLO [13:00] Jamey knew from high school that she wanted to be a CLO — even not fully knowing what that meant. She also speaks to paying her dues and the importance of mentorship.

[17:14] GC used to require corporate securities and M&A, if not, you could be a number two. Jamey touches on the trends today.

[19:19] Jamey speaks to the most common reasons people aim for that role, as well as what makes a good GC.

PEER AND BOARD INTERACTIONS [20:54] A GC serves multiple roles; Jamey shares a professional story that explains the breadth of interactions a GC needs to maintain. She touches on how a board should behave.

WHY JAMEY GOT THE JOB [25:22] She explains why she joined Gates and what her job was from the get-go — make the company public. She talks about how she did it, as well as getting to the big day and ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

LGBTQ [30:52] Jamey touches on being LGBTQ in business. She shares some advice and talks about how she got a feeling for the culture of diversity at Gates — and how you can get a good feeling for this in any company. Ask if they have a diversity and inclusion initiative both internally and externally!

NUCLEAR [40:28] Jamey talks about working with the brightest minds and running huge fun projects from a legal perspective. She shares her experience of Fukushima which happens right as she had landed an enormous nuclear project.

ADVICE FOR ASPIRING GC/CLO [45:01] Be prepared for the breadth and for being the trusted advisor for the C suite. Jamey breaks down some key experience you should work at getting. Also, keep an open mind!

WHEN JAMEY SET HER SIGHTS [47:54] Jamey speaks to when she decided she was going for the C suite in earnest — after having left law, which became a career asset.

BEST WORST JOB JAMEY EVER HAD [49:46] Litigation was never a match for Jamey — also, waiting tables, it's brutal. Michael shares his own horrible job!

[53:29] Michael thanks Jamey for coming on the podcast to share his insight and closes out the podcast with his favorite takeaways.

We hope you learned something today and enjoyed the conversation. Please give us 5 stars on iTunes and share your comments so we can improve and ask the questions you want to hear.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Jalan Crossland for the music

Angela Johnson at OC Executive Search

Joseph Batty at Podfly

Corey Coates at Podfly

John Vranas is Chief Development and Marketing Officer for the Humane Society of the United States. He has a stellar track record of helping organizations raise money and make significant impact in people's lives, society and now animals. Over the years he has rolled out cool programs and partnerships and he comes on the show today to share his experience with us.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Before his work at the Humane Society of the United States, John oversaw the creation and execution of all global projects for fundraising, communications, and marketing at Make-A-Wish International. Before that, he served as Vice President of Fundraising for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and Senior Vice President of Field Operations at ALSAC/St. Jude Children's Research Hospital as well as the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon. Vranas is a graduate of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

GET IN TOUCH WITH JOHN ON LINKEDIN

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Podfly Productions: Podfly.net

Veterans of Foreign Wars: VFWpost1.org

OC Executive Search: OCExecutiveSearch.com

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[1:52] Michael introduces John Vranas and asks him to share an interesting tidbit about himself.

John shares how rewarding this side of business can be, and explains what the Humane Society of the United States is and how it differs from the Humane Society.

SO HOW DOES ONE BECOME A CDO [6:18] John speaks to the trial and error nature of his own career path and how the size of charities has increased enough nowadays that it is becoming a valid career path to be intentional about.

THE JERRY LEWIS TELETHON [9:33] Michael shares his experience of the telethon as a child which leads the conversation to how donation has changed through the years and how it has also remained the same.

NECESSARY SKILL SETS [11:53] John talks about the various skills both learned and innate required to succeed in this type of work.

OUTSIDE OF THE BIG DONOR ROLODEX [13:10] Though the size of donations may differ from one organization to the next, the important measurement in charities is engagement, John explains how quantitative analytics can lead you to miss the greater picture.

CDO IMPACT [15:56] Aside from driving funding, the impact expected of a CDO is engagement; John touches on working towards closing the gap between donors and causes (from 'you' and 'we' to 'us').

DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING [18:26] John explains how his various roles have converged and what he's learned along the way.

FUNDING PROJECTS [20:31] John touches on the dynamics of program funding within an overarching funding strategy, as well as the biggest pitfalls to avoid when it comes to donor relationships. He also shares how the ideas for specific programs come about and the requirements for launching and sustaining them.

HIRING SKILLS [27:39] Having a sense of purpose and fitting in the team are very important and John shares the one type of error he will excuse and the one type he won't.

BASEBALL [29:44] The analogy stands, whether you work at the community level or at the National level, it boils down to the same important factors.

Michael reflects on his own reticence in using veterans' stories to build engagement at VFW1, John echoes these thoughts but shines a different light on it.

ADVICE FOR ASPIRING C's [33:47] Understand the position and be comfortable watching other people succeed around you. He also explains what is expected of his position for the benefit of listeners.

Sidebar! [35:30] Did Michael eventually tell Scott Kelly what to say!?

PREPARING FOR A C CHAIR [38:37] Learning to put the right people in the right places may be your greatest asset.

KEY CAREER MOMENTS [40:27] John shares that even though he never directly aspired to the C-suite, his nature got him to take on more and say yes to opportunities.

CONTRIBUTING BETTER [43:00] John shares his advice on how people can better contribute to help their non-profits.

ADVICE JOHN STILL USES TODAY [44:35] This is a piece of two-part advice for which John shares a personal story.

BEST WORST JOB JOHN EVER HAD [47:04] Industrial painting in the hot Virginia summer!

[49:29] Michael thanks John for coming on the podcast to share his insight and closes out the podcast with his favorite takeaways.

We hope you learned something today and enjoyed the conversation. Please give us 5 stars on iTunes and share your comments so we can improve and ask the questions you want to hear.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

The Humane Society of the United States

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Jalan Crossland for the music

Angela Johnson at OC Executive Search

Joseph Batty at Podfly

Corey Coates at Podfly

Timothy Branham had a non-traditional path to the CTO desk. He started out in sales and marketing, moved to consulting, transitioned into delivery and then became the CIO for Fujitsu America.Today's conversation will range from moving from sales to tech, how a consulting background helped prepare Tim to be a CTO, working for small and large organizations and what tomorrow's CTO/CIO should be doing today in career management.

Bill Wosilius joins the show to discuss matters ranging from declaring your role and how to obtain it, assessing the situation and making hard executive changes, why become a CEO, and how to prepare for it. He has a wealth of advice to share and the experience to back it up; don't miss this episode.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

After graduating from the U.S. Airforce Academy and serving for eight years, Bill worked for companies such as InFlow, Sunguard, Healthgrades, CoreSite, Optiv, and now NexusTek.

GET IN TOUCH WITH BILL WOSILIUS ON LINKEDIN

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Podfly Productions: Podfly.net

Veterans of Foreign Wars: VFWpost1.org

OC Executive Search: OCExecutiveSearch.com

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[1:52] Michael introduces Bill and asks him to share an interesting tidbit about himself — Bill made a promise to himself that he would run one adventure race a year, every year until he couldn't.

Bill talks about what NexusTek does and who they are.

ACCIDENTAL CEO [5:55] Bill shares how he came to be a CEO at NexusTek, and shares a few pieces of advice for reaching the C-suite, including avoiding target fixation!

ALL OF IT IS IMPORTANT [9:35] Looking back on what led him to where he is today, Bill shares that every single experience in the last 10 years has contributed to him being an accidental CEO and IT guy.

FIVE FROGS [12:24] Bill shares the story of how he led his first integration and what cascaded from it, including the challenges of merging and integrating the Hatfields and the McCoys!

M&A BACK OFFICE [19:02] Although he wasn't directly responsible for the back-office functions, Bill did get a chance to see how an M&A affects them. He touches on how important it is to hire strong, competent leaders for each of the functions.

NEWLY MINTED CEO [21:36] Bill describes his first 30, 60, and 120 days at NexusTek. He shares the first four questions he asks:

1. What's working?
2. What's not working?
3. What should we start now?
4. What should we stop now?

H.A.C. G.A.S. N.A. [24:54] Bill breaks down the acronyms he used to keep himself on track in choosing a team.

HUGE CHESS MOVES [27:36] Within his first 120 days, Bill had brought in — among others — a new CFO, COO, VP of Professional Services and a VP of Integration; he speaks to those decisions.

MANAGEMENT STYLE [30:22] Bill describes his management style, which he's been both praised and criticized for!

ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CXO's [32:32] Quit focusing on it! Just do a good job — the best job you ever had is the one you have right now.

HIRING EXECUTIVES [38:34] Bill shares the qualities he looks for when hiring for executive positions. He shares the use of the FORMS acronym.

FINAL THOUGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS [44:38] Bill shares his final advice: every job prepares you in some way; all of them are important. Michael shares his best worst job for the first time!

BEST WORST JOB BILL EVER HAD [46:52] All of them were good: except two where he worked for authoritative micro-managers.

Michael shares his own best worst job for the first time!

MORE FINAL THOUGHTS (as the music plays Bill off the stage!) [49:18] Bill has more invaluable advice to offer.

[50:35] Michael thanks Bill for coming on the podcast to share his insight and closes out the podcast with his favorite takeaways.

We hope you learned something today and enjoyed the conversation. Please give us 5 stars on iTunes and share your comments so we can improve and ask the questions you want to hear.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

NexusTek

Five Frogs on a Log: A CEO's Field Guide to Accelerating the Transition in Mergers, Acquisitions & Gut Wrenching Change, by Mark L Feldman and Michael F. Spratt

Top Grading

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win, by Jocko Willink and Lief Babin

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life… And Maybe the World, by Admiral William H. McRaven

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Jalan Crossland for the music

Angela Johnson at OC Executive Search

Joseph Batty at Podfly

Corey Coates at Podfly

Today, Mary Beth Loesch joins the show to talk about how she knew she wanted to be a CEO when she grew up, how she hit the fast track when she was in her 20s, and how her experience in sales, operations, and finance prepared her for the CEO chair. We can't wait to see what Mary Beth accomplishes when she grows up!

ABOUT OUR GUEST

CEO, Board member, and current Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network Advisor Mary Beth Loesch started presenting in front of the US West Board before she was 30 years old and opened up operations in the Philippines and Central America. She has extensive M&A experience, is a CEO, Board Member, and Advisor and recently, she took up golf. Mary Beth graduated from Creighton University with both an undergrad and an MBA; her board experience has ranged from Women on Boards to Regis University and many in between.

GET IN TOUCH WITH MARY BETH LOESCH ON LINKEDIN

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Podfly Productions: Podfly.net

Veterans of Foreign Wars: VFWpost1.org

OC Executive Search: OCExecutiveSearch.com

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[1:52] Michael introduces Mary Beth and asks her to share an interesting tidbit about herself — before she became pregnant 21 years ago, she used to ride motorcycles!

She explains what her firm CGE Strategic Consulting does.

A CEO AT 5 YEARS OLD [4:02] Mary Beth shares how her father's entrepreneurship influenced what she aspired to be as a child. She explains what skills she picked up on her way to the C-suite starting with being fearless when it comes to the roles you take on in your early career.

[7:25] Because Mary Beth was so fearless jumping from one role to the next, she gets a wide array to pick a favorite from.

FROM CONSULTANT TO CEO [7:46] Mary Beth touches on the interesting experience of coming in as a consultant and exiting as the CEO for Medical Simulation Corporation.

OPERATIONS OVERSEAS [10:38] Travelling to India, the Philippines, and Central America was an enriching experience.

THE US WEST DAYS [12:06] Mary Beth shares a few pivotal stories — including one fearless flight for her career — from her US West days, starting as the Supervisor, Payroll Accounting and leaving as Division President.

TURNAROUND SITUATIONS [20:00] Turning situations around is one of Mary Beth's great career loves; she shares a story from her days at Activant Solutions, from doubling the $220 million a year to a $900 million exit in two years.

BEST CEO PREPARATION [23:04] Mary Beth lists the breadth of varied experiences she attributes to helping her succeed as a CEO.

ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CEOS [25:02] Mary Beth shares the most important thing she believes people should be doing who aspire to the CEO position: seize opportunities to pick up new skill sets.

MANAGEMENT STYLE [25:41] Mary Beth's management style.

B.E.N. [26:12] What is the Blackstone Entrepreneurial Network and why does Mary Beth donate her time?

AHA MOMENTS AND ADVICE [27:20] Mary Beth touches on a big aha moment she had while doing M&A. Leave it better than you found it is a piece of advice that Mary Beth still uses today. She shares the advice she gives to young up-and-comers.

BEST WORST JOB MARY BETH EVER HAD [33:47] All roads lead to US West!

FINAL THOUGHTS AND READING RECOMMENDATIONS [35:09] Mary Beth shares her final thoughts and invites listeners to read the Wall Street Journal.

[36:35] Michael thanks Mary Beth for coming on the podcast to share her insight and closes out the podcast with his favorite takeaways.

We hope you learned something today and enjoyed the conversation. Please give us 5 stars on iTunes and share your comments so we can improve and ask the questions you want to hear.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

CGE Strategic Consulting

The Wall Street Journal

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Jalan Crossland for the music

Angela Johnson at OC Executive Search

Joseph Batty at Podfly

Today's guest served as a Marine for seven years before making his way from plant manager to VP of Sales within four years in the manufacturing industry and making the jump towards technology.

Ben and Michael will be discussing how to make the jump into the tech field, the impact of military service on his professional life, and how founding the Denver Startup Week has affected his career.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Ben Deda has a professional path that includes seven years of service in the Marines. He started his civilian career as the Plant Manager for TruStile Doors becoming the VP of commercial sales in four years. He then made the jump into tech and was the VP of Sales at FullContact, the COO at Galvanize, VP of Marketing for Vertafore and is currently the CEO of Foodmaven. Ben also co-founded the hugely successful Denver Startup Week.

Ben graduated from the University of Notre-Dame with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from the University of Denver.

GET IN TOUCH WITH BEN ON LINKEDIN AND TWITTER

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Podfly Productions: Podfly.net

Veterans of Foreign Wars: VFWpost1.org

OC Executive Search: OCExecutiveSearch.com

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[1:50] Michael introduces Ben and asks him to share an interesting tidbit about himself — Ben grew up in a town small enough that it didn't require a stoplight and out of which came the founders of two businesses that were sold for over nine figures apiece! He shares what Foodmaven does.

[3:15] 40% of the food produced in the country is wasted, for an estimated 200 billion dollar loss annually. Ben explains Foodmaven's mission in this landscape as well as how some of the varied industries he's worked in have similarities that he was able to use and be more adaptable and sometimes even innovative.

CEO EXPECTATIONS [8:45] Being newly minted, Ben touches on what he expected being a CEO would be as well as the people, preparation and path it took to get him there. He also touches on the great board he can count on to help him navigate the learning curves.

CRITICAL EXPERIENCE [12:59] Ben breaks down the different ways you can get the critical pieces of experience you need in order to get to a CEO position as well as the importance of surrounding yourself well while still being knowledgeable.

THE MOST IMPACTFUL ROLE [15:43] While there wasn't one role that made him the CEO he is today, Ben does highlight a few of the key positions he's held and how they drove his management style and general business knowledge — and that includes his military service.

FOR THE AMBITIOUS VP OUT THERE [18:52] Ben's advice is about figuring yourself out, picking your opportunities and planning your path.

WHEN THINGS DON'T GO AS PLANNED [20:40] Without singling out one specific moment or decision, Ben touches on his broader tendency to make decisions that seem not to follow a straight line and what may have helped him land the CEO position.

DENVER STARTUP WEEK [23:40] Ben shares how it started, with whom, and why — today, it's the largest free entrepreneurial event in North America. He also takes a moment to reflect on the possibilities for the future.

[31:47] Ben speaks to the great network the Denver Startup Week has facilitated for him.

[33:20] Organizing Denver Startup Week has taught Ben a lot about community and that giving up a measure of control is both hard and necessary. He shares how he has now begun to move away from the frontlines and into a board position.

SO YOU WANT TO BUILD AN EVENT? [36:44] Ben shares his best advice for people who may be interested in building an event of their own. He also gives the three rules he uses with new teams:

1. Get stuff done.
2. Don't screw your team.
3. Always assume positive intent.

MILITARY SERVICE [39:59] Ben breaks down how his military career informs who he is as a person and as a leader.

BEST WORST JOB BEN EVER HAD [41:47] Working on a plastic injection molding factory floor gives you some perspective on what a lot of people's lives are like.

BOOKS AND FINAL THOUGHTS [43:59] Ben shares his reading list and a few final thoughts for emerging CXOs.

[46:57] Michael thanks Ben for coming on the podcast to share his insight and closes out the podcast with his favorite takeaways.

We hope you learned something today and enjoyed the conversation. Please give us 5 stars on iTunes and share your comments so we can improve and ask the questions you want to hear.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Foodmaven

Foodmaven board

T-Shaped skills

Denver Startup Week (Denver Startup Bash)

The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers, by Ben Horowitz

Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Jalan Crossland for the music

Angela Johnson at OC Executive Search

Joseph Batty at Podfly

Corey Coates at Podfly

Irma Lockridge joins the podcast today from the CoorsTek Headquarters in Golden Colorado to discuss what it's like working for three CEOs simultaneously, what HR and company culture have to do with one another, and the critical importance of mentors in your career path.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Irma Lockridge has an impressive background and has worked with some of the biggest companies that touch our everyday lives — Accenture, Archstone, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Western Union, Rubbermaid, and for the last four years, CoorsTek.

She earned her Bachelor's degree in business administration from the Wharton School and completed executive leadership development training from Harvard Business School.

GET IN TOUCH WITH IRMA LOCKRIDGE ON LINKEDIN

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Podfly Productions: Podfly.net

Veterans of Foreign Wars: VFWpost1.org

OC Executive Search: OCExecutiveSearch.com

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[1:52] Michael introduces Irma and asks her to share an interesting tidbit about herself — Irma was born in Mexico and is a first-generation high school and college graduate and she is married to her high school sweetheart. She introduces CoorsTek.

WHY HR? [4:30] HR has an impact on every aspect of a business: it deals with people — and if you don't have the right people in the right roles, you simply can't get anywhere. Irma shares the path that led her to choose Human Resources even if she says it chose her!

AN UNUSUAL TITLE [6:33] Chief People and Systems Officer… Irma explains what the unusual 'systems' part is, and how it can be applied more broadly to CPOs and CHROs.

NEVER AN AVERAGE DAY [11:00] With CoorsTek being such a large company and Irma reporting to three CEOs, 'average' isn't something that happens. She touches on that dynamic and some of her daily activities.

LANDING THE ROLE AND CREATING LEGACY [14:20] Irma tries her hand at answering an aspirational question in terms of her legacy at CoorsTek. She also talks us through the recruiting process, what she believes got her the job, and what makes the company a uniquely good fit for her.

CPO PHILOSOPHY [17:30] Irma shares her thoughts on leadership and management style as well as how she developed the philosophy that HR is not a support role, in the course of her career and some business experience.

[20:39] Irma shares her advice for mid-level managers trying to get ahead. Don't ask for permission and have your ducks in a row.

INFLUENCING CULTURE [21:14] A CPO or a CHRO is in a prime position to influence culture and Irma touches on how this is operationalized in her own role.

GLOBAL EXPERIENCE [24:11] Working for a global business in one of the things Irma loves; it helps her remain agile and keeps her challenged. She touches on the advantages of having international experience under your belt.

GETTING TO THE C-LEVEL [26:45] Irma's progression was organic and though she didn't have the C-suite in sight right out of the gate, a key mentor helped nudge her forward in a very specific way.

FINDING A MENTOR [29:21] Irma shares the story of how she met and developed her mentor relationships and shares her advice for mid-level managers looking to find mentors as well as what she would have liked to be more prepared for going into the C-suite.

PREPARING FOR THE C-LEVEL [32:24] Irma offers her thoughts and advice for people who want to get to the C-suite, starting with asking yourself why you want it. Because she currently sits on the Denver Scholarship Foundation, she also shares advice for mid-level managers and first-generation graduates.

HARVARD [36:40] Irma shares from her experience at Harvard and the key teachings she took from it.

BEST WORST JOB IRMA EVER HAD [38:02] Aside from Fast Food and telemarketing, Irma's very first managerial job takes the learning cake.

FINAL THOUGHTS AND READING RECOMMENDATIONS [41:15] Irma shares her current 'reads' and final thoughts.

[44:07] Michael thanks Irma for coming on the podcast to share her insight and closes out the podcast with his favorite takeaways.

We hope you learned something today and enjoyed the conversation. Please give us 5 stars on iTunes and share your comments so we can improve and ask the questions you want to hear.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

CoorsTek

Denver Scholarship Foundation

BOOKS

The Connector Manager: Why Some Leaders Build Exceptional Talent — and Others Don't, by Jaime Roca and Sari Wilde

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Jalan Crossland for the music

Angela Johnson at OC Executive Search

Joseph Batty at Podfly

Today we're going to discuss the pros and cons of staying with the same company for an extended period, creating an HR organization from scratch, and the lessons that Michelle Anastasi has learned throughout her career.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Michelle is an outgoing CPO who has worked at CompSych, GiveForward, Dell and ASAP Software. She earned her Business Administration degree from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business and an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.

GET IN TOUCH WITH ON LINKEDIN

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Podfly Productions: Podfly.net

Veterans of Foreign Wars: VFWpost1.org

OC Executive Search: OCExecutiveSearch.com

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[1:52] Michael introduces Michelle Anastasi and asks her to share an interesting tidbit about herself — She has had a bear visit her kitchen while she was home!

[4:00] Michelle touches on the roles she embodied and the mentors that guided her during her 16-year stint at the same software company, from the accounting department to building an HR department from scratch.

BUILDING HR FROM THE GROUND UP [6:18] Michelle breaks down how she went about tackling the HR department build with very little experience from establishing priority lists to finding the right mentors.

REGRETS? [11:50] Michelle admits to having made her share of mistakes, but she wouldn't trade any of them — she does share the one thing she would have done differently: networks and relationships.

STARTING FROM SCRATCH [12:36] Michelle packs so much advice in a minute, you won't believe it — we counted 11 really important and insightful tips.

SHAKING ASSUMPTIONS [15:30] Behaviors can help in preventing people from pigeonholing you — think about your executive presence and be strategic.

WHY SO LONG? [18:46] Michelle opens up on the reasons why she stayed so long at ASAP, the first of which is that she kept having opportunities to learn and be challenged. She touches on the increasingly short windows companies get to show how engaging they can be to new hires.

THE DELL MERGER [22:21] She did work through a few mergers, but Dell was at a different scale! She talks us through the ups and downs of the experience.

C-SUITE, CPO VS CHRO [25:38] Though there seems to be a push away from the human resources terminology, Michelle sees very little difference between the roles themselves. She delves into what best prepared her for the C-Suite, including a tough boss that knows how to push you outside your comfort zone.

GETTING TO THE C-SUITE [30:04] Michelle hands out fistfuls of advice for aspiring CPOs.

SURPRISES AND REWARDS [33:22] Michelle shares the aspects of being a CPO that she finds surprising and rewarding — even if a lot of the work is covered by NDA!

OVERSEAS EXPERIENCE [33:50] Michelle's approach to HR is influenced by having lived overseas and being culturally aware.

A BAD CALL [35:18] Michelle shares the time she joined a company led by a narcissist.

MBA [36:56] Michelle touches on the value her MBA has had in her career.

CANDIDATE ATTRIBUTES [38:15] What are the things Michelle looks for in a successful candidate to hire.

BEST WORST JOB MICHELLE EVER HAD [39:19] Waitressing is such a good background for everything in life!

FINAL THOUGHTS AND GOOD READS [42:02] Michelle shares a very generous amount of titles to read and a recap of her tips for emerging CXOs.

[44:20] Michael thanks Michelle for coming on the podcast to share her insight and closes out the podcast with his favorite takeaways.

We hope you learned something today and enjoyed the conversation. Please give us 5 stars on iTunes and share your comments so we can improve and ask the questions you want to hear.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Mersive Technologies

Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin

Tribes: We need you to lead us, by Seth Godin

Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders, by L. David Marquet

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, by Simon Sinek

The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers, by Ben Horowitz

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Jalan Crossland for the music

Angela Johnson at OC Executive Search

Joseph Batty at Podfly

Corey Coates at Podfly

Al Rosabal joins the show to share his thoughts on leadership, bettering yourself, and overcoming C-suite challenges. Join us for an in-depth discussion on working at the C-level in a variety of industries and how a skillset can really be agnostic.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Al Rosabal is an accomplished CXO who has served in 4 distinct sectors moving up with each change. CTO for a joint venture with Ford Europe, CTO for the city of Denver, CTO and COO for National Cinemedia, and COO for Galvanize.

GET IN TOUCH WITH AL ROSABAL ON LINKEDIN

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Podfly Productions: Podfly.net

Veterans of Foreign Wars: VFWpost1.org

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[1:52] Michael introduces Al Rosabal and asks him to share an interesting tidbit about himself — a month off riding his bike in Patagonia!

TAKING CHANCES [4:44] Al shares his experience diving into an opportunity at Ford in Europe and chalks this opportunity up to good relationships, good timing, taking chances and a bit of luck. He touches on having maybe gone rogue to drive change and make some exciting things happen!

SOLUTIONS AND CHALLENGES [9:09] The Jaguar X Type launch is one of the use cases that Al looks back to in terms of  finding gaps and establishing agile solutions to fill them. Al also speaks to some of the challenges he faced dealing with such a complex organization in a different culture (not only in a new country but in a new company!).

A GOOD LEADER IS A GOOD FOLLOWER [13:22] Al’s work in the C-suite has taught him that even at the highest levels, you always are accountable to someone. He shares his experience COO and CTO at National Cinemedia and touches on what it takes to be a strong leader as well as how important it is to be surrounded by people whose values align with yours.

CORPORATE VS PUBLIC [19:08] Al has worked at the C-level in corporations but also for a municipality and he details the similarities and differences you’ll find between both as well as the primary drivers that propel them into the future.

• both have legacy technology which competes with innovations in the space.
• The municipal level enables you to plan and think really long term as opposed to a more quarterly schedule.

ANY SECTOR WORKS [24:02] Having worked in a multitude of sectors ranging from media to automotive, Al speaks to the importance of choosing a job for the role and opportunity for growth, learning and developing your intellectual flexibility. Additionally, he highlights that there is a core set of skills to any C-level job, independent of sector.

PREPARING FOR A CEO ROLE [25:54] Al’s attraction to the CEO role is intimately linked to wanting to have a deeper impact on the company and putting his skills to good use. He also touches on the preparation for a CEO role: it is not a finite endeavor, no one is ever fully prepared — it’s a difficult role. Al shares how he studies success and tries to palliate his weaknesses as well as the importance of the people that surround you.

PIVOTAL MOMENTS [30:07] Al shares a few key moments — or stretch roles — in his career that marked a substantial change in how he perceived his role and helped him grow.

CHALLENGES AND REWARDS [33:14] Al speaks of his experience as a CEO: the challenges, rewards, and things he’s proud of. He also touches on his management style: accountability, transparency, integrity, people.

TIPS FOR ASPIRING C’S [40:49] Al shares key tips for people looking to reach the C-level: get exposure, find and grab opportunities, and find a coach.

BEST WORST JOB AL EVER HAD [44:02] Al doesn’t find he ever had a ‘worst’ job, only more or less challenging roles. He shares how each of them has contributed to him learning more about himself and bettering his skillset.

[48:49] Michael thanks Al Rosabal for coming on the podcast to share his insight and closes out the podcast with his favorite takeaways.

We hope you learned something today and enjoyed the conversation. Please gives us five stars on iTunes and share your comments so we can improve and ask the questions you want to hear.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari

Extreme Survival, by JG Press

DisneyWar, by James B. Stewart

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Jalan Crossland for the music

Angela Johnson at OC Executive Search

Joseph Batty at Podfly

Corey Coates at Podfly

This is Part 2 of the interview with General Kevin Patrick ‘Chilli’ Chilton. Tune in for discussion filled with advice on reaching the C-Suite, sitting on good boards and finding balance.

A note to those who have not served in the Armed Forces: I will be referring to our guest as either General or by his call sign of ‘Chilli’ out of respect for his rank and his service to our country.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

General Kevin Patrick ‘Chilli’ Chilton graduated from the United States Air Force Academy and has flown pretty much every aircraft in the Air Force inventory including the RF4, F15, U2, and the B52. He attended test-pilot school, served around the world and was selected as an astronaut that included three shuttle missions. He was also the Deputy Program Manager of Operations for the International Space Station. He then returned to the Air Force for key postings such as the Commander of the Ninth Recon Wing, Commander of the Eighth Air Force, and Commander of the Air Force Space Command and the United States Strategic Command. He is currently the only astronaut to obtain the rank of 4-star General. Chilli has served on the boards of Anadarko, Orbital, Aerospace Corporation and both level three and post-merger with Centurylink today as well as with Aerojet Rocketdyne.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Podfly Productions: Podfly.net

Veterans of Foreign Wars: VFWpost1.org

OC Executive Search: OCExecutiveSearch.com

KEY TAKEAWAYS

FINDING C-LEVEL CANDIDATES [1:50] The General explains how the search process goes from the public, private, and non-profit board’s perspective. He also shares some tips on how to be considered for C-Level in an organization.

[4:15] Chilli touches on how many boards are too many boards.

GOOD BOARD, BAD BOARD [6:32] The General has never been on a bad board, so we take the time to ask him how to build a good one. He shares what first surprised him about being on a board as well as the difference between sitting on a Fortune 500 company board and small private ones.

[10:52] Chilli explains how he keeps himself up-to-date on board trends.

A CEO ON THE BOARD [11:39] Chilli shares his thoughts on having the CEO sit on the board, even chair, and what the really important success factor really is as well as what the number one purpose of the board is.

DIFFERENT STROKES [14:00] Having served on boards in so many different sectors, Chilli shares the similarities and differences in the roles he held, he shares his insights on one experience.

LISTENER QUESTION! [17:43] The General answers: ‘How can public companies better leverage their boards?’

ASPIRING CXO’s [20:52] Chilli shares his advice for aspiring CXO’s — no one does anything on their own.

HIS BEST DECISION [21:59] General Kevin Patrick ‘Chilli’ Chilton shares his wife’s military service.

AN ASTRONAUT’S WORK-LIFE BALANCE [24:25] The General touches on how he and his wife managed impressive military careers and four children. He makes a point about leadership.

CHILI’S ADVICE FOR HIS YOUNGER SELF [27:20] Keep your options open and don’t burn any bridges.

BEST WORST JOB CHILI EVER HAD [29:35] Can you believe Chilli’s never had a bad job?

READ, LISTEN AND GET IN TOUCH [31:10] Right now, the General is reading on History.

[33:08] Michael thanks Chili for coming on the podcast to share his insight and closes out the podcast with his favorite takeaways.

We hope you learned something today and enjoyed the conversation. Please give us 5 stars on iTunes and share your comments so we can improve and ask the questions you want to hear.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

NACD

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Jalan Crossland for the music

Angela Johnson at OC Executive Search

Joseph Batty at Podfly

Corey Coates at Podfly