Eating Crow

Barbie Parsons (OK, Barbie the Welder) created a movement.

It didn't start that way.

Barbie had a moment, one of those "I knew right then..." things when she decided welding was her thing. At first it was about pursuing her passion.

Her movement? Trades are cool.

Barbie has always marched to her own drum. She's brilliant, passionate, and more importantly, 100% true to herself.

She stood the entire time we talked, coffee cup in hand, and shared the fears and challenges of starting your own business and balancing the work with the art.

And I loved every minute of it.

She apprenticed as a welder, learned the craft and paid her dues, but then she took it next level. Barbie's work is breathtaking and she does it by feel, look, and raw talent.

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. Outsource. Barbie learned early on that for her business to scale she had to bring in outside help. One of her best moves: Someone to handle her video and social channels.
2. The art of self-promotion, without losing your soul. Barbie's presence on social media feels genuine, her content is there to entertain, impress and help you appreciate art and craft. She recognizes this self promotion puts food on the table, but that's it, it's part of her job, not to drive her ego.
3. Do quality work, promote it, and more work will follow. Barbie rarely looks for work now, people come to her.

Barbie's Eating Crow Moment:

• Ditching the traditional path for her passion. College, the big job, etc. Those things weren't for Barbie and aren't for many people. Thankfully Barbie has shown the way for other incredibly talented people to forgo the norm and pursue careers in trades, crafts, etc. - the backbone of our country.

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Jim Loehr is well respected and many would consider him wildly successful. Not Jim, he's still learning.

Jim is also a hero of mine. No kidding, a stretch guest for sure.

I've used his book, The Corporate Athlete, as a bible of sorts - rules to live by for employee wellness. It's an honor to have him on the program.

Jim shares how, after 30+ years of research into human performance, his last book, Leading with Character, revealed a new way of thinking about leaders and high-performers. His learnings and teachings about energy, exercise, nutrition and mindfulness are still critical - but it's character that is the leading indicator of performance.

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. Most leaders never take the time to identify their own core values, instead defaulting to a reflexive form of decision making.
2. With the right motivation, you can begin to strengthen your character and become a moral and ethical leader capable of creating lasting change.
3. Even good leaders are vulnerable to corruption. Learn how human evolution and contemporary culture can lead us astray without our even knowing it.

Jim's Eating Crow moments:

1. Jim eats a bit of crow every day. Through journaling, he reflects on his successes and failures and learns from them.
2. After 30 years, he smiles when he explains how he had no idea how important character is to leadership and performance.

Enjoy, but have a pen ready, Jim drops some serious knowledge.

Pete

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Mike “C-Roc” Ciorrocco is the CEO of People Building, Inc., the powerhouse behind the “What Are You Made Of?” movement, and the author of ROCKET FUEL Convert Setbacks Become Unstoppable.

He is a performance coach, author, dynamic public speaker, tech visionary and thought leader.

There's so much more.

Mike is a ball of energy...he exudes it.

He has invested in learning and growing - himself, his companies and his family. He's always pushing forward.

More importantly, Mike had some tough lessons - healthy portions of crow, that shaped his drive and desire to help others.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. Never stop learning. Mike continually invests in learning - serious financial investments - that produce returns.
2. You need to find out what you are made of. How well can you take a punch? Can you get up off the floor and go again?
3. It doesn't matter what business you build - just make sure you work to become the best at it.
4. Find a team. Mike has a close group of people around him who are not afraid to call him out; he trusts them 100%

EATING CROW MOMENTS:

1. One big one - he got burned, and it cost him dearly. Most people would have folded their tent right there. Not Mike, he dusted himself off and went right back into the ring.

You can find Mike here:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-ciorrocco/
• http://www.nationsbranch.com/c-roc/
• http://www.themikecroc.com/
• https://join.peoplebuildinginc.com/links

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David Cooks is the kind of man you want your son to be around.

Heck, he's the kind of person we should all be around.

David is the last episode of Season One of the Eating Crow Podcast.

We could not have picked a better way to end 2020.

David's story is the stuff of movies.

I'm thinking Denzel, maybe Jamie Foxx or the late, great Chadwick Boseman as the right guys to play David.

In his book, "Getting Undressed, from Paralysis to Purpose" he describes his approach to life. The title says it all.

David is highly educated, a successful basketball coach, mentor, leader and man of character.

David received his Master of Business Administration in Finance from Duke University and his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from The University of Wisconsin–Whitewater (trivia, my wife's alma mater - and where we met, that's another story).

His career path includes time spent in Banking, Finance, Education and Athletics.

His ability to overcome obstacles and to achieve success in the face of adversity is what makes his story inspiring and motivating to others.

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. Perspective is so important. David met someone in his first days in a rehab hospital that changed his view of the world.
2. Leadership comes in many forms. David coached basketball from a wheelchair in a manner most men could only dream of.
3. No obstacle is worth crying about. David opened many companies and educational institutions to the need for handicap access. Literally, unapologetically - he showed up and didn't complain, he just "did".

David's Eating Crow Moments:

1. Getting fired as a coach. I love this part of his story. Despite his persona, results matter and he was the first to admit it.
2. Asking for help. David has learned the art of asking for assistance in a way that puts people at ease.

THIS IS A MUST LISTEN.

You can find David here:

Website: www.davidcooksspeaks.com

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3hbogw6

Facebook: facebook.com/dcespeaks

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-cooksspeaks-mba-20001210

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Billy Samoa Saleebey IS good for humanity.

He is also an energetic entrepreneur.

Billy helped me start Eating Crow and I a consider him a dear friend, mentor and inspiration.

Billy's background in movie and TV production created a springboard to a successful career at Tesla and then ANOTHER career in podcasting.

We weave his background through present day and learn about the power of onboarding employees into the "mission", storytelling and the impact a podcast can have in a B2B marketing program.

Billy announced (right here on Eating Crow!) that he is launching a new company, Podify (that name!!!??).

Podify is a podcast research, production, editing and distribution company with cool tech and super smart passionate podcasting people.

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. Onboarding employees has a bigger impact on success than you might think.
2. Inspiring confidence is Billy's top leadership requirement.
3. You need to connect with employees the same way you do with customers if you want them to stick around.

Billy's Eating Crow moments:

1. Realizing he just paid someone to teach him how to make movies. He better make a movie. Took 7 years.
2. An experiment on the day he graduated from film school inspired his first film.
3. He should have gone all in earlier.

You can find Billy below:

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

Websites:

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/insight-out/id1475737247  (Apple Podcasts link)

open.spotify.com/show/2KT2AvbVzyLjudoGTrz1bU  (Spotify link)

fortheloveofpodcast.com/  (For the Love of Podcast - web)

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Wes Claytor is back.

He experienced loss in ways a man of his age can't imagine.

His despair nearly wrecked him.

Instead of spiraling out of control, Wes checked himself...big time.

Wes' story is important for anyone dealing with loss and heartbreak.

He maps out a plan for not only surviving, but thriving.

It wasn't easy, it's still not easy.

But it can be done.

Perseverance.

Discipline.

Goal setting.

The support of an amazing spouse who was also suffering, yet was there every step of the way.

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. You get knocked down, you get back up.
2. Wake up early, seize the day.
3. Incremental improvements lead to big changes.

Wes' Eating Crow Moments:

1. I'm aware of I got a problem
2. New Years Eve
3. Opening up is the key

You can find Wes here:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/wes-claytor

Blog: http://wesclaytor.com

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Kelly Parthen is a Pea Brain.

Her company, Bean Sprouts asks each employee to name themselves after a fruit or veggie. Bean Jovi, The Podfather, etc.

She even signs her emails, "peas out."

It's not a gimmick, it's how they operate at their core.

As a female founder and CEO she's experienced the challenges of raising money and growing a business.

Especially a business she knew nothing about.

By the end of our call I was ready to apply for a job.

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. Go where your customers are
2. Training is everything
3. Weed in vs. weed out

Kelly's Eating Crow Moments:

1. Closing their first store
2. Hiring a COO for a 20 store company when they were at 4 stores
3. Navigating COVID

It's not often I put a follow up after the Eating Crow Moments. Frankly, Kelly and her partner, Shannon, are really sharp operators. They have a unique ability to see around corners and anticipate critical market shifts. For example, they use a revenue share with their partner destinations vs. paying rent. This has allowed them to not only survive the COVID downturn but look at 2021 as a growth year.

You can find Kelly here:

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

Website: http://www.beansproutscafe.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BeanAppetit

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Jake Sorofman is quite literally, literate.

He has multiple degrees in English, Literature, Marketing and Political Science - just to name a few.

What's intriguing is how Jake applies his learnings to his craft - as a marketer and customer advocate.

Jake understands that marketing is as much of an art as it is a science, perfect for someone who is so naturally curious.

We dive into applying sound practices for product research, onboarding, growing and retaining clients.

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. Marketing is about pattern matching
2. Genius doesn't scale
3. Narrative non-fiction is a must - to learn the art of storytelling and Erik Larson is one of our favorite authors

Jake's Eating Crow Moments:

1. Don't innovate in a vacuum
2. Fall in love with the problem, not the product
3. Market timing can help, or hurt

You can find Jake here:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jakesorofman

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Ravi Rajani is Not Speechless.

Quite the opposite, he has a lot to say.

However, unlike many people who have a lot to say, Ravi can support his rhetoric with experience.

Our discussion was one of the most enjoyable and natural conversations because he has mastered the art of listening as well as speaking.

So rare, so important for his craft.

Ravi worked in banking and travel for large companies and start ups. He learned and retained every lesson along the way.

He realized he should be helping others design and deliver content on stage and virtually.

This is not your usual coaching and consulting company - this is next level.

Ravi also has a background in theater and uses expression and story telling in a way that few people in his industry can pull off.

Ravi could deliver a killer talk with an iPhone on a subway. Anyone watching in the car with him will be moved, literally, tears will be shed, laughter right after. Even more powerful, those watching the video will have the same response.

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. To sell a product, raise funds or impact an audience, you need to establish a villain, then the antagonist or the hero as your product or service.
2. Metaphors are powerful for technical presentations. The more complex the tech, the more powerful the metaphor. "Imagine this box is a football stadium full of water..."
3. Less is more. Deliver a powerful and impactful message concisely and leave them begging for more. Most people will not remember what you said, but they will remember YOU and HOW you said it.

Ravi's Eating Crow Moments:

1. A don't try this at home experience at university when his team didn't come together on a project, so they improvised.
2. Be aware of "commission breath". Loved this analogy.

You can find Ravi here:

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

Website: https://calendly.com/ravirajanicoaching

Enjoy

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Dr. Brian Harman has made a career out of helping leaders and organizations create environments that help both employees and the company grow.

He is pretty serious about it, unless he's on an episode of Lead, Laugh, Love.

Brian offers his views on everything from humor in the workplace, emotional culture and how to focus remote workers.

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. Trust is basic building block and emotional culture is built on trust
2. Humor should be natural and not the culture goal
3. Meetings are disgusting

Brian's Eating Crow Moments:

1. Staying a job he hated until a life changing event made him rethink his goals
2. Turning a 3x college dropout into a PhD and adjunct professor

Brian is a fountain of knowledge - drink up.

You can find Brian at:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brianmharman

Website: bmhallmark.com

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