By Todd Eberhardt
4.9
1010 ratings
The podcast currently has 84 episodes available.
Pete Scherer is the CEO and a third-generational leader in the family business, Scherer bros. Lumber Co. Out of nearly 300 employees, there are currently four family members that work and lead within the company. In this episode, Pete explains how he leads and keeps the interests of the company aligned when he hears multiple visions and thoughts from different members of the family.
Key Takeaways:
[1:30] A little bit about Pete and his company, Scherer bros. Lumber Co.
[3:10] How does Pete structure the business?
[6:30] What trade-offs did previous generations have to make in order to make this company work?
[8:25] As Pete’s son currently works for the company, how does Pete bring children into the business?
[10:20] If you want to make a career out of the family business, the rules for family members become a lot tighter.
[13:00] The business is not obligated to keep you on if you’re not a good fit.
[16:20] Nepotism is always assumed. Whether it is or not. How does Pete work through this?
[19:40] How does the fourth generation address Pete? Do they ever use the word ‘Dad’ or ‘Uncle’?
[23:55] How are the boards of directors formed in Pete’s company?
[27:45] How do shareholders vote for new board members?
[32:50] Pete is constantly being humbled in the business. Pet projects and passion projects that weren’t able to be profitable have to get cut.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Dynastylc.com
Email Todd: [email protected]
Schererbros.com
Pete on LinkedIn
Liz Wiseman is CEO of The Wiseman Group and teaches leadership to executives around the world. She is the author of three best-selling management books: Multipliers, The Multiplier Effect, and Rookie Smarts. She is out with her newest book, Impact Players, where she analyzes what makes someone truly stand out as a team leader. In this episode, she shares the five signs of an impact player, how they think differently, and how they have the ability to elevate everyone’s collective mood.
Key Takeaways:
[2:10] A little bit about Liz and her company.
[3:20] Why are some leaders able to unlock their employee’s potential and other people seem to struggle?
[5:10] We are products of our environment. You can make a difference, but your environment can shape how you make that difference.
[7:10] Liz wanted to look at people who were doing a great job vs. an extraordinary job and understand what they were doing differently.
[8:00] There are five characteristics/situations that create an impact player.
[11:20] How do we make this workload easier for everyone? This is a question impact players often ask.
[17:45] Liz shares a little bit about her background in Silicon Valley and some of the key lessons she’s learned.
[21:10] Through Liz’s research, she made a list of credibility killers and credibility builders from what managers want in an employee.
[27:45] What should you do if you’ve made a mistake? Admit it!
[32:05] Managers don’t really want to manage people. They want people to come up with solutions.
[35:55] Working hard is not the same as creating impact. Liz dives into this further.
[39:30] Liz offers advice on how to write more effective emails that get people responding!
[40:25] Before you start working hard on something, make sure you first understand the assignment.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Dynastylc.com
Email Todd: [email protected]
Thewisemangroup.com
Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact, by Liz Wiseman
Tom Fallenstein is the CEO and Founder of Fun.com and allowed one of his C-suite members to explore other career opportunities while still on the job. Tom takes a different perspective when it comes to letting his staff explore their dreams and interests. In this episode, you’ll learn why it might be a good thing for members of your team to have a split focus, and some of the benefits it might bring to you and your company.
Key Takeaways:
[2:10] A little bit about Tom and his company Fun.com.
[4:15] Tom allowed one of his own executives to branch out and start his own company while ‘on the job’. Tom shares his thought process behind this decision.
[6:50] We’re entrepreneurs, we’re going to have an itch to do new things. Instead of limiting it, it should be rewarded.
[7:20] The good thing about letting your executives wander is that they bring back a new set of knowledge and skill sets that they’re learning at other companies.
[8:20] Is Tom ever worried that his executives’ attention is going to be spent elsewhere?
[10:45] Honesty and communication is key in any leadership role you’re in.
[12:10] Tom has an executive assistant that has stated a side hustle, also.
[14:00] Tom gets enjoyment out of helping others succeed and win.
[14:40] Has Tom had conversations about boundaries with his more entrepreneurial staff?
[15:30] What mistakes should other leaders be aware of and should avoid making?
[17:20] How does Tom handle the conversation around Intellectual Property?
[19:50] How does an employee get the conversation started in a healthy way to their employer?
Mentioned in This Episode:
Dynastylc.com
Email Todd: [email protected]
Mackenziedoheny.com
Email Mackenzie: [email protected]
Key Takeaways:
[1:50] A little bit about Mackenzie and her services.
[3:15] When should leaders get an executive assistant?
[4:50] How did Mackenzie get into this space?
[8:50] Mackenzie has seen it all. Some executives are so overwhelmed that things are just slipping through the cracks.
[11:00] How should an EA handle an executive’s inbox?
[13:00] The EA should take the initiative when it comes to taking control of the leader’s calendar and schedule.
[17:55] When executives are able to get out of the weeds of their inbox and calendar, so much of their brain space opens up.
[21:35] What are some of the biggest mistakes that leaders make with their EA?
[24:00] Don’t have an EA? Take an inventory of what happened in the last 7‒10 days.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Dynastylc.com
Email Todd: [email protected]
Mackenziedoheny.com
Email Mackenzie: [email protected]
Stefan Du Toit is the CEO of Paradise Yacht Management, the leading Caribbean term charter management company, strategically based in the Virgin Islands. When COVID-19 hit, many CEOs were faced with a tough decision and had to completely restructure their organization. In this episode, Stefan shares how he thought through this dilemma and why he chose to lead his company from afar when things went into lockdown. He offers what he learned from this experience and some of the best ways to execute this method.
Key Takeaways:
[1:50] A little bit about Stefan and his business.
[9:30] How did Stefan get involved in the yacht business?
[13:05] COVID-19 had a big influence on having this role be remote.
[13:50] It’s very important to have a vision and be aligned with it.
[15:35] This business has to be a trust-based organization. Stefan explains why.
[17:25] Stefan has tried to create a culture where people can confess or admit their mistakes. This is a big benefit.
[20:15] How does Stefan structure his meetings throughout the organization?
[27:15] You have to take the ego out when you’re a leader. In a lot of situations, you need to get out of the way.
[28:15] Stefan was able to calculate supply chain issues and costs ended up going down because of this pivot.
[32:45] A company can only absorb so much change at a time. If you overload it, everything can fall apart.
[37:50] How can you influence culture and make it part of everyone’s ethos?
[43:15] Stefan offers his highlights on what makes a good leader.
[44:00] What kind of mistakes has Stefan learned over the years?
Mentioned in This Episode:
Dynastylc.com
Email Todd: [email protected]
Paradiseyachtmanagement.com
Stefan on LinkedIn
Jennifer Zick is the Founder and CEO of Authentic Brand, a community of Fractional CMOs who help growing businesses Overcome Random Acts of Marketing™ and confidently take the next right step to build revenue. In this episode, Jennifer shares how a fractional CMO can help revitalize your business when you’re in the middle of the growth stages. She offers a seven-part framework to help break out of any marketing funk you might have.
Key Takeaways:
[2:20] A little bit about Jennifer and her business.
[2:50] For a startup, what are the core executive roles in the very beginning?
[5:10] When does it make sense to hire a fractional CMO?
[9:50] There are seven key steps to reaching authentic marketing growth.
[15:00] How does Jennifer stress-test a company’s ambitious marketing goal?
[18:00] After setting clear goals, it’s about setting clear priorities.
[22:15] What do you do when a more dominant and aggressive competitor steps in and is stealing all of your business?
[27:40] How do Jennifer and her team think about marketing strategy?
[29:55] What is a lead? It’s important you define it clearly.
[34:20] You should be thinking about your organization like a baseball team.
[38:40] You need to track all of your marketing outlets!
[41:50] Don’t guess at how to build a marketing team.
[45:00] Jennifer would love to get in touch! Reach out to her on LinkedIn!
Mentioned in This Episode:
Dynastylc.com
Email Todd: [email protected]
Authenticbrand.com
Jennifer on LinkedIn
Lior Geft is the CEO at Mabbly, a full-service digital marketing agency that helps a wide range of businesses scale and grow. Because of Lior’s background as a recruiter, Lior wanted not only the best out of his people, but to create sustainable processes around the work that they did so that they could be kept accountable and grow. In this episode, we find out what Lior’s interview process is to vet and find talent, how they measure employee success, and so much more!
Key Takeaways:
[1:20] How do you minimize turnover and create accountability with your team?
[3:05] A little bit about Lior and how he got his start.
[5:00] Lior has a five-step process to vet whether a potential candidate is good.
[7:30] Do you have a clear picture of what the needs are in the business? If so, out of that long list, what is your potential employee going to be accountable for?
[9:45] Who will be onboarding this person? Although it’s important to hold their hand through the first 90 days, that doesn’t mean that a new person is set up for success.
[10:40] If you have somebody who’s invested in this new candidate’s success in the beginning, the onboarding and training process is a lot easier and more manageable for the new hire.
[13:40] When you develop a list of responsibilities, it can often feel like that list just keeps growing and growing for that person who is training the new hire. You set both the trainer and the trainee up for failure.
[18:45] How do you find the right candidate?
[23:10] Lior reveals one of his favorite interview questions.
[27:05] What does Lior do when there are concerns over a new hire?
[32:40] It’s important to set the tone with the new candidate that you are excited that they’re joining the company.
[36:30] When you welcome overachievers that care about what they do, they crave feedback.
[37:25] Lior has cultivated a culture of giving praise.
[40:30] What are some of the biggest mistakes Lior has done himself/sees others doing?
[43:50] Remember that this is not a perfect process.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Dynastylc.com
Email Todd: Todd@Dynastylc.com
Mabbly.com
Lior on LinkedIn
David Garcia is the CEO and Founder of ScoutLogic, a pre-employment background screening company. David is also the Senior Advisor for Norwest Venture Partners, where he helps provide his expertise on sales, marketing, operations strategy, and more. David offers insight in this week’s episode on what venture capital firms are looking for when they’re about to make an offer, or acquisition, on a company. He also offers advice on what Founders should be doing if they’re looking to exit out of their company.
Key Takeaways:
[1:40] What do you do when you’re getting ready to put your company on the market? And more important, what do buyers look for?
[3:35] What types of companies does Norwest Venture Partners prefer to acquire?
[4:55] David has not seen hiring slow down at all at his background screening company.
[8:00] You’d be surprised to know that management and finance don’t always have a clear picture of their own finances.
[11:00] What is the number one thing that destroys your credibility as a company when a venture capital firm is looking to buy?
[15:00] The last thing you want is for your customers to hear it from someone else that you’re being acquired.
[18:55] What are some of the best ways to tell your company’s story to an investor?
[21:55] For a lot of investors, it’s more than the dollar and cents amount. They want to see how the leadership works, and how the customers respond to your company.
[22:10] When does it make sense for a founder to think about their own role in the company?
[25:55] What do you do if staff have equity in the company?
[26:35] What are the most likely jobs that could be put at risk?
[30:10] David shares his thoughts on who your outside advisory team should be in this process.
[34:45] What are some of the most common mistakes business owners make?
[37:55] No matter what, you want a clean story for your business so that you can get the maximum profits out of this.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Dynastylc.com
Email Todd: [email protected]
Scoutlogicscreening.com
Nvp.com
David on LinkedIn
Dr. Zach Schaefer is the Founder and CEO of Spark The Discussion. He is also a Speaker, Author, Professor, and Consultant. Spark specializes in diagnosing, designing, and deploying a variety of workplace programs focused on solving internal talent challenges from hire to retire. Dr. Zach shares that the problems you’re dealing with in business are only a symptom to a bigger problem, and that’s a behavioral problem. When you can facilitate a conversation of healthy conflict and solve the behavioral problem, things run a lot smoother in the company!
Key Takeaways:
[1:55] Properly structured conflict is a business person’s most useful tool.
[3:20] World class organizations figure out how to create healthy conflict, but not stay in it.
[5:00] Emotional volatility can be a real issue among CEOs.
[6:20] Although one of Dr. Zach’s clients was seeing a healthy amount of growth within the company, the workplace culture was horrible. People were miserable.
[8:10] High-driven CEOs can also have a ‘swing for the fences’ kind of personality where they take calculated risks, but also have a hard time letting go of control.
[10:15] CEOs who don’t want to let go of control need to remind themselves what they’re working towards.
[11:45] Dr. Zach noticed that when there’s a conflict, 3 out of 4 times, it’s not a business issue. It’s a behavioral issue.
[12:55] Trying to understand ‘what happened’ or who made the mistake is the easiest part. It’s what comes after that isn’t; emotions and identity.
[14:15] When does it make sense for Dr. Zach to help in and facilitate healthy conflict?
[19:35] What’s Dr. Zach’s work style and process when working with executives?
[25:25] Dr. Zach doesn’t do virtual consultations. He believes it’s important to be in the room together.
[31:00] After a dialogue has been opened, how does Dr. Zach help his clients continue to do the necessary ‘people work’ without him?
[33:15] It’s not about what a CEO can’t do, it’s about what they have to stop doing.
[36:15] Dr. Zach shares the concept of ‘Meeting Stew’ and ‘Conflict Chili’.
[39:40] Dr. Zach recommends you do ‘trust rankings’ on your leadership team to get a gauge on what everyone is feeling.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Dynastylc.com
Email Todd: [email protected]
Sparkthediscussion.com
Dr. Zach on LinkedIn
Call Dr. Zach: 618-558-2428
Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most by Douglas Stone
What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshall Goldsmith
Triggers: Sparking positive change and making it last Kindle Edition by Marshall Goldsmith
Marc Reifenrath is the CEO and Co-Founder at Spinutech, a National Digital Agency focusing on digital marketing, web design, and web development with five locations. Marc has been able to not only retain his talent, but he’s generated a 0% turnover rate in the last 10 years. He shares in this episode the importance of core values and culture to maintain a strong company even when it’s being acquired/merged.
Key Takeaways:
[:55] We’re often trying to look for the best people, but right now many employers are looking for people period.
[2:15] People are your biggest asset. Marc has made it 10 years with no turn over.
[4:45] Great talent isn’t always looking. They tend to be pretty happy where they already are.
[5:20] Marc shares how he entices great talent to come work for him.
[8:00] Marc’s company has scaled drastically since the merger. Finding A-level talent is a conscious effort.
[10:15] Because Marc works with well-known brands that have large demands, the team has to adapt quickly and grow with those challenges.
[10:40] What metrics does Marc and his team track?
[11:25] Marc wants his team taking PTO every 90 days.
[12:25] Why did Marc decide to merge his company and what were some of his wins in that process?
[14:45] What are Marc’s core values?
[19:55] Marc breaks down why these core values are so important to the company.
[20:40] Your worst clients will try to fire your best clients.
[22:10] Marc makes sure that the new hire is a culture fit first and foremost.
[25:50] Marc shares his advice on how to retain good talent.
SpinUtech.com
Mentioned in This Episode:
Dynastylc.com
Email Todd: [email protected]
Spinutech.com
Marc on LinkedIn
The podcast currently has 84 episodes available.