FIR Podcast Network

Declutter your life and your work, based on your values and what truly matters to you, in order to turbocharge your productivity. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert, Andrew Mellen (https://aha.pub/AndrewMellen), CEO of Andrew Mellen, Inc., keynote speaker, executive coach and author of “Unstuff Your Life!” He is often sourced in all of the media platforms, has an active podcast, blogs every week, has been in every major publication and is popularly known as THE most organized man in America.

Andrew’s clientele list includes The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Mets Ball Club, Goldman Sachs, American Express, Bank of America and Nationwide Insurance. He has worked with many businesses and organizations that want to maximize their productivity from the mailroom to the C-suite.

If you think that you are as busy as you could possibly be, and you need to break out of that, consider reaching out to Andrew Mellen by visiting his website https://www.andrewmellen.com/ and going to https://aha.pub/AndrewMellen.

Here are a few AHA messages from this episode:

* Successful business owners and high net worth individuals who need to maximize their #Productivity, but who still live in the fiction that there’s too much to do and not enough time to do it all, should reach out to Andrew Mellen. https://aha.pub/AndrewMellen

* Are you doing what’s important to you? I can help you focus your energy into an alignment with your values, and even avoid being physically disorganized, so that you’re doing what’s really important to you. #Productivity https://www.andrewmellen.com/ @andrewjmellen

* Both time and physical clutter could be blocking your #Productivity at work. How do you choose the things that you do, when (and where) do you accomplish them and what are your objectives? https://www.andrewmellen.com/ @andrewjmellen

* Nowadays, people are not delivering what they have promised. I can teach you how to streamline and organize your life, from clearing clutter to putting systems for things in place for you, until you can do it better yourself. #Productivity https://aha.pub/AndrewMellen

* C-suite executives and entrepreneurs alike think they are too busy all the time. I can help maximize your #Productivity by focusing on what’s important and minimizing what’s urgent. https://www.andrewmellen.com/ @andrewjmellen

To learn more about Thought Leadership and how it can help you be successful, visit https://thoughtleaderlife.com/.

Acquiring top-tier management consulting services without paying high-end rates. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert, Will Bachman (http://aha.pub/WillBachman), co-founder of Umbrex and host of “Unleashed,” the podcast that explores how to thrive as an independent professional. He is also a global leader in the world of independent management consulting.

Will Bachman is a management consultant who serves senior leaders and he provides his clients with top-rated management consulting services at reasonable rates. He also helps connect independent consultants to potential clients who are in need of their skills.

If you are looking for top-tier #ManagementConsulting services without necessarily paying the high-end prices, you should consider visiting Will Bachman’s website at https://www.umbrex.com or http://aha.pub/WillBachman.

Here are a few AHA messages from this episode:

* Senior leaders who need a management consultant and also need the caliber of a top-tier consulting firm, but are seeking for just one person for their project needs, should come to Umbrex. #ManagementConsulting https://www.umbrex.com

* Senior leaders who are seeking an independent consultant for their project needs and need help to get connected to the right person should come to Umbrex. #ManagementConsulting https://www.umbrex.com

* When a client calls and explains what the project is, we go out and find the consultant with the right skills who is available for the project and we connect them to the client. #ManagementConsulting https://www.umbrex.com

* Getting to know the members of Umbrex personally helps us find the right person for a client when they’re looking for a consultant. #ManagementConsulting https://www.umbrex.com

* To get to know our members well, I personally fly around the world, host social and professional development events every year and regularly interview our members. #ManagementConsulting https://www.umbrex.com

To learn more about Thought Leadership and how it can help you be successful, visit: https://thoughtleaderlife.com/.

These are unprecedented times we are in. While we’re all struggling to make ends meet, business does have to go on. How do you know what is appropriate and what is not? I have a friend who said the other day, “I feel so grateful to have a job right now, but when your job is marketing and no one wants to hear from you, it’s a real challenge.”

Amen, sister. 

The good news is you can still market during a crisis. The bad news is someone will find it offensive and light you up. There are some guiding principles by which to live as you decide what and how to market.

That’s what we talk about in this week’s Spin Sucks podcast episode. 

Five Guiding Principles to Market During a Crisis

I know it feels weird to market right now—and some of you may have bosses or clients who are dictating what you say and how you say it, no matter the climate.

I am going to give you five guiding principles to help you figure out what will work and what needs to stay on the shelf.

* What is the context? Is your message right in the current context? Keep abreast of what’s happening in your or your client’s local markets to help you decide.

* Does it still make sense? If the answer is no, postpone it. You’ll be able to come back to it when things get better.

* Is the creative appropriate? Don’t overthink it, but do take a step back and ask yourself if the creative is appropriate in the moment.

* Which products or services do you support right now? Are there products or services that are better served with your marketing right now, even if they are not your core product or service? Think about switching your marketing messages to support products or services that make sense in this time.

* How can our brand be helpful? This is the most important way you can market right now. Focus on being helpful to your clients and community over immediate profits. People may not remember what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel.

If you can answer all five of those questions, and tweak your messaging to match, you can market in this environment.

Have Your Say

You’re invited to be part of the best community for communicators on the internet.

Resources

* How to handle agency business development during the COVID-19 crisis

* PESO Model Certification

It’s an uncertain time for everyone. Business is disrupted. Personal lives are upended. Fear and anxiety are common feelings.

On this episode of the Agency Leadership Podcast, Chip and Gini look at how agencies can and should be handling the situation. There’s no one size fits all answer — it really does depend — but they have both been through tough times in business and the economy before and they share the lessons they have learned along the way.

From staffing to business development, the pair have helpful advice designed to help you get through this challenge and come out stronger on the other side.

Even though it’s a difficult time, Chip and Gini still try to bring some of their trademark humor to lighten the conversation.

RESOURCES

* How agencies can handle the economic fallout of the Covid-19 crisis

* Agencies already feeling economic impact of Covid-19 crisis

[read the transcript]

While the current crisis may be nothing like any of us has seen before, Carl Smith of the Bureau of Digital has been through a serious economic downturn and knows how it can impact running a business. He joins Chip on this episode to talk about the impact on the agency community.

Carl discusses how he is having to reinvent his own business of helping digital agencies, as well as how the community he has created is supporting each other. You’ll hear a lot of creative ideas that you may be able to use as you look for the path forward for your own agency in the months ahead.

RESOURCES

* Bureau of Digital

* Resource Roundup: COVID-19 Edition

[read the transcript]

Overcoming culture and people challenges in mergers and acquisitions. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert, Jennifer Fondrevay (http://aha.pub/JenniferFondrevay), founder and chief humanity officer of Day1 Ready.  She is also an author, professional speaker and business consultant.

Jennifer conducts consultations for business executives about mergers and acquisitions. She is dedicated to helping them cultivate the human side of their businesses and how to prepare for the human capital challenges of mergers and acquisitions.

If you’re an executive and you want to make sure that the people and the culture of the mergers that you’re doing are handled successfully, you should reach out to Jennifer Fondrevay by visiting her website at https://jenniferjfondrevay.com or http://aha.pub/JenniferFondrevay.

Here are a few AHA messages from this episode:

* Small and mid-market to Fortune 500 companies who are facing people challenges in #MergersAndAcquisitions should look at the work being done by Jennifer Fondrevay. https://jenniferjfondrevay.com @JJFondrevay

* Having been through three multi-billion dollar acquisition experiences, I saw how the integration of cultures affects the org on how they perceive their mission and vision. #MergersAndAcquisitions https://jenniferjfondrevay.com @JJFondrevay

* Orgs and companies that are doing #MergersAndAcquisitions have to deal with people challenges and the integration of cultures. How do you overcome those challenges? https://jenniferjfondrevay.com @JJFondrevay

* Mid-market or Fortune 500 companies should think smart when it comes to #MergersAndAcquisitions in order to survive or prevent possible problems. https://jenniferjfondrevay.com @JJFondrevay

* The people aspect when doing #MergersAndAcquisitions must be considered, as well as how to communicate the vision, mission and values in a way that galvanizes your workforce to really get behind them. https://jenniferjfondrevay.com @JJFondrevay

To learn more about Thought Leadership and how it can help you be successful, visit: https://thoughtleaderlife.com/.

Foster productivity, creativity and happiness at work with peer-reviewed brain science. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert, Scott Crabtree (https://aha.pub/ScottCrabtree), Chief Happiness Officer at Happy Brain Science. He delivers happier and more engaged brains at work with keynotes, workshops, coaching, an e-course and a card game called, “Choose Happiness at Work.”

Scott spent more than six years as a Tech Strategist at Intel and later pursued his passion to help people to apply science in order to be happier and more successful. Some of his clients include Nike, DreamWorks, Activision, Boeing, Bose, HP and Intel. Scott holds a B.A. in Cognitive Science from Vassar College and currently lives in Portland, Oregon.

If you’re not happy or you are managing somebody who’s not happy at work, consider reaching out to Scott Crabtree by visiting his website http://www.happybrainscience.com/ and going to https://aha.pub/ScottCrabtree.

Here are a few AHA messages from this episode:

* Leaders who are managing people who are unhappy and disengaged at work should reach out to Scott Crabtree. Employees might also want to contact him. #ChooseHappiness http://www.happybrainscience.com/ @ScottCrab

* There’s a solid science of happiness in being engaged, feeling committed and giving your best effort at work. I can teach you how to #ChooseHappiness to be more creative and more excited about going to work. http://www.happybrainscience.com/ @ScottCrab

* Peer-reviewed science shows that the choices we make can boost happiness. If we #ChooseHappiness, our brains work better. My clientele success stories give me the perceived credibility to guide you on how to achieve this. https://aha.pub/ScottCrabtree

* My experience in data and engineering-driven environments refined my strong scientific thought process in the #ChooseHappiness methodology. Scientific evidence gives me the credibility to talk about smiling as a catalyst for happiness, for example. https://aha.pub/ScottCrabtree

* Are your team members lacking the interest to connect and communicate? My role is to provide you with powerful happiness-boosting tools based on brain science that you can use to revitalize relationships at work. #ChooseHappiness http://www.happybrainscience.com/ @ScottCrab

To learn more about Thought Leadership and how it can help you be successful, visit https://thoughtleaderlife.com/.

Agencies rely on their people to succeed. Ultimately, agencies are selling labor hours, no matter how much we may all try to price things to obscure that fact.

Having the best talent helps make the difference between successful client engagements and those that come up short. But how do you get the quality you want and need?

Chip and Gini review the recruiting and hiring process in this episode of the Agency Leadership Podcast. The pair offer tips on how to find the right prospective hires and how to screen them.

[read the transcript]

Many agencies have multiple generations working in the business. Sometimes, it may be a passing thing — a summer internship perhaps — while in other cases, two generations work side-by-side for many years.

At some point, the elder generation may decide it is time to retire, or at least slow down. That’s exactly what Jonathan Bernstein of Bernstein Crisis Management did. He recently announced that his son, Erik, would be taking over leadership of the family business while he takes a step back from day-to-day management.

On this episode of Chats with Chip, both Bernsteins join Chip to talk about the decision to transfer agency leadership, as well as the steps that go in to making it a reality.

For any agency looking at succession issues — but especially those looking to do so within the same family — this episode is chock full of valuable insights.

RESOURCES

* Bernstein Crisis Management

* Jonathan on LinkedIn

* Erik on LinkedIn

ABOUT JONATHAN BERNSTEIN

Jonathan L. Bernstein, chairman and founder of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., has more than 35 years of experience meeting clients’ needs in all aspects of crisis management – crisis response, vulnerability assessment, planning, training and simulations. Prior to launching his firm in January 1994, Bernstein created and served as the first director of the Crisis Communications Group for Ruder Finn, Inc., one of the world’s largest public relations agencies.

ABOUT ERIK BERNSTEIN

Erik Bernstein is President of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. an international crisis and reputation management firm providing solutions for both companies and prominent individuals. As President and frequent team lead, Erik works to support clients in all aspects of creating, building, and maintaining their readiness for, and resilience against, threats to operations or reputation that might impact the bottom line. His expertise bridges from back-end crisis management, including planning, preparedness, and training, to outbound crisis communications and media relations, ensuring a cohesive, holistic approach to protecting clients’ interests.

[read the transcript]

In this episode of AMP Up Your Digital Marketing, Glenn Gaudet speaks with Scott MacKenzie of Industrial Talk. They discuss why podcasting is a vital element to the sales, marketing, and branding strategy for any business and how to get started. You’ll learn:

* The greatest value to podcasting for industrial services companies is the opportunity to develop relationships with your guests.

* You can start a podcast about anything. To make it interesting, Scott says, you just have to find the “human element” of any subject.

* An engaging host is key to a podcast’s success. Find someone who can get guests talking about what they’re passionate about.

“You can start a podcast about anything — and you should,” says Scott MacKenzie of Industrial Talk.

Scott takes on a marketing and branding challenge many of us would probably balk at: industrial marketing and podcasting. He joined the AMP Up Your Digital Marketing podcast to talk to Glenn about why your company needs a podcast — even if you make, say, industrial mops.

Scott shared his clever reasoning behind podcasting as a marketing, sales, and branding strategy for industrial service companies, plus his tips on how to make a podcast about anything.

The Right Time to Start a Podcast

Wondering when to start a podcast for your brand? Scott makes it easy.

“The right time is now, there’s never really any reason why you should hesitate,” he says.

Podcasting is a simple channel to set up with minimal research, effort and tools. If you’re not doing it, Scott believes you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to shine in your market.

“If you’re not in the podcasting game,” says Scott, “somebody’s going to capture that market, and they’re going to be the industry thought leader, and you’re going to be left behind.”

Scott has been working in industrial marketing for more than 40 years, and he sees podcasting now as an integral part of any sales, marketing and branding strategy.

Podcasting as a Lead Generator

The greatest value of podcasting for your company, Scott says, is in connecting with people.

Turn your prospects into guests.

Podcaster Benjamin Shapiro of the MarTech Podcast announced a new podcast and his comments were flooded with prospects and interviewees.

When you invite someone to be a guest on your podcast, Scott says, “all of a sudden, you’re creating a relationship with that prospect. The sales cycle is all about ‘know, like, trust, friendship.’ Once you develop that, then there’s no stopping where you can go.”

“And,” he points out, “people want to be on the podcast.” That’s because, simply, “people love to talk about what they do.”

Your podcast provides a platform for them to do that and a reason for you to get them talking about something they’re passionate about, and, Scott says, “all of a sudden they love you.”

Once your podcast helps you develop that relationship, your company is top of mind when they need what you offer. It’s easy to keep the conversation going, because you’ve gotten to the heart of what they care about — without a pushy sales call.

How to Choose a Topic for Your Podcast

When your company produces something as specific as that industrial mop we mentioned, what on earth should you make a podcast about?

Unlike a typical marketing or sales campaign, which would focus on the pain points your product relieves and the features of the product, a podcast isn’t about the product.

“I will always go to the human element,