Judy Robinett is a business thought leader who has been profiled in The Street, Vogue, CBS, NBC, Forbes, The Washington Post and Bloomberg Businessweek as a sterling example of the new breed of super-connectors who use their experience and networks to accelerate growth and enhance profitability. She gives speeches worldwide on business strategy and high-end strategic networking to specific outcomes. Judy has served as the CEO of both public and private companies and in management positions at Fortune 500 companies. She has been on the advisory boards of several prominent venture capital firms and is the author of "How to Be a Power Connector: The 5-50-150 Rule", which ranked #1 of The Top Ten Business Books of 2014 by Inc.com.

Secret – timesaving technique

Judy utilizes the PADD strategy when she's on a phone call -- write down the purpose, action, details, and deadline to keep you focused during important conversations. ONWARD!

Daily habit that contributes to success

Have affirmations to help you when times are tough -- Judy tells herself she is perfect for what she needs to do.

Could have ruined your business – but now – an invaluable learning experience

Judy was broke and had to pay off debt -- and Judy tells the whole story here.

Most critical skill you think business owners need to master to be successful

"It's absolutely critical to have metrics to know your numbers inside and out."

Most influential lesson learned from a mentor

"They can break you -- but they can't kill you."

Final Round – "Breaking Down the Recipe for Success" What systems would you go back and put into place sooner?

I would have been smarter on sales and figured out my ideal customer.

What strategy would you recommend new business owners focus on to best ensure success?

1. Get an advisory board
2. Don't listen to the naysayers

How best to connect with Judy:

• Twitter: www.linkedin.com/in/judyrobinett
• LinkedIn: @judyrobinett
• Email: [email protected]

Resources:

• Founders Dilemma from HBR. This says you can be rich or you can be king. It takes a team. Research shows 67% of teams implode with partner conflicts
• Connections between financials. This is from a professor out of his excellent book, and generously he shared this and allowed Judy to share it with Onward Nation.
• Seven Investors to Avoid. Some angels are devils and some venture capitalists are vultures. Do as much due diligence on them as they do on you.
• How to Tell if Your CEO is Clueless. This speaks to how crucial it is to mitigate risk as viewed by the investor not how wonderful your Kool-Aid is.