I'm A People Person

The winter season always comes. It's inevitable. Today's Everyday Innovator Dan Brown shares with us how he thinks about preparing for the winter seasons and uncertain futures. As the Regional Director of Spire Financial, Dan shares how he's always working on contingencies to prepare for the future. He also talks about what it took to get out in front of the quickly changing and highly competitive real estate market in a way that gave their customers the competitive advantage, and why you shouldn't wait until you are disrupted to think about change contingencies. He also shares some major insights into how to put your customer and their needs first by offering products and services that your competition doesn't and sets your customers up for success. And, a story of creative ways to serve their customers that brings in the fun and the value. He also opens up about the arc of inspiration, motivation, and determination, and why you actually need all three to succeed. Dan's Everyday Innovator style: Collaborative Inquisitive Connect with Dan on LinkedIn Check out Howdy Puppy Use code 'Tamara' at checkout for the discount Discover your Everyday Innovator Style Everyday Innovators Online Facebook Group Innovation is Everybody's Business Book

Today's uncertain and volatile world requires more than hard skills – it requires soft skills. In fact, soft skills have become essential to your success. In this episode, I'll share the six soft skills essential to success in complex times. Then I share the major insight I received from each of the Everyday Innovators. First is Toni Shelton (Collaborative Inquisitive) in the public schools and education space, then Mark Flint (Futuristic Instinctual) the CEO of Escape Game, Emilia D'Anzica and Sabina Pons (Tweaker Risk Taker & Instinctual Collaborative) in the technology space, and Justin Bieganek (Instinctual Futuristic) owner of Mercury Creative. Tamara's Everyday Innovator style: Risk Taker Experiential Connect with Tamara on LinkedIn Check out Howdy Puppy Use code 'Tamara' at checkout for the discount Discover your Everyday Innovator Style Everyday Innovators Online Facebook Group Innovation is Everybody's Business Book

As I always say questions in is answers out. Asking good questions is the difference between incremental, useless answers and big breakthrough solutions. But, what makes a question a "good question?" Our Everyday Innovator guest, Justin Bieganek, shared with me that in his view asking the right question is not actually about the answer, it's about asking questions that make people think. As the Creative Director & Founder of Mercury Creative Group, Justin talks to me about how he wants people around him that tell him "no" and the struggles he's experienced with stepping away from the weeds of the work and more into a leadership role and what he's done to work through that. We also have a lively conversation about teaching others to read and respond to the energy of a room, making you a better listener, facilitator, and collaborator. He also opens up about the importance of curiosity in a time when we can re-think everything, and the power of deeper conversations and allowing yourself thinking room. Justin's Everyday Innovator style: Instinctual Futuristic Connect with Justin on LinkedIn Check out Howdy Puppy Use code 'Tamara' at checkout for the discount Discover your Everyday Innovator Style Everyday Innovators Online Facebook Group Innovation is Everybody's Business Book

None of us achieve our goals alone. We need support, help, and people that push us forward. Our Everyday Innovator guests today, Emilia D'Anzica and Sabina Pons, don't just work together, they've created a connection of trust and support that helps them both go further, faster. As the authors of Pressing on as a Tech Mom and Managing Director and Operating Partner of the technology consultancy, Growth Molecules, they know first-hand how a partnership is more than one plus one equals two. In their experience, one plus one equals exponential growth. They also talk about how to overcome the fears that hold you back and how the biggest obstacles they faced in their lives became their biggest motivators – even when everyone around them told them they couldn't do it (actually that just motivated them more). Sabina and Emilia also talk about what they've learned about themselves in working with each other, and how learning that has helped them grow into their best selves, together. They also give some great advice about creating the time to "go for it" and "trusting your gut." Emilia's Everyday Innovator style: Tweaker Risk Taker Sabina's Everyday Innovator style: Instinctual Collaborative Connect with Emilia on Linkedin. Connect with Sabina on LinkedIn Check out Howdy Puppy Use code 'Tamara' at checkout for the discount Discover your Everyday Innovator Style Everyday Innovators Online Facebook Group Innovation is Everybody's Business Book

Sometimes we forget how much we ask of those around us during challenging times. We ask people to take on more work, work longer hours, deal with new and unknown challenges, drive more innovation, and do it all with a smile. Our Everyday Innovator guest, Mark Flint, understands that in a challenging time when we ask for more withdraws from our people than ever before, we also need to add more deposits. This is how you keep people motivated, engaged, and moving forward. As the CEO of the Escape Game, Mark shares how they thought about innovation as something that is good for their customers and their employees, and how that thinking led to breakthrough ideas - including one that allowed customers to play Escape Game in person or at home through avatars. He also opens up about how he never thought of himself as a risk-taker because he prefers to be more calculated and thorough, but how in fact that is a form of risk-taking, in his world. He also talks about how desperation can lead to great innovation, how innovation and structure go hand in hand, and why your values are your guideposts in challenging times. Mark's Everyday Innovator style: Futuristic Instinctual Connect with Mark on LinkedIn. Check out Escape Game Rooms Check out Howdy Puppy Use code 'Tamara' at checkout for the discount Discover your Everyday Innovator Style Everyday Innovators Online Facebook Group Innovation is Everybody's Business Book

When I was first promoted into a leadership role I was paralyzed. I was good at my job but I had no idea how to lead others to do the same. Our Everyday Innovator guest today, Toni Shelton, realized that setting people up for leadership success before they actually took on the roles is essential for their success. As the Manager for the Office of Professional Development for Denver Public Schools, she created a program that allowed people to get skills and experience their future selves will need as leaders. Toni also talks about how important being humble and shifting the focus from self to others is in becoming a leader. Toni also opens up innovation in education with how the last two years have forced the school system to change in areas they previously thought were unchangeable, and why massive transparency is key to removing the resistance to change, especially when you are stepping into the unknown. She shares how the "can'ts, don'ts, won'ts" turned into "cans, ares and wills," and how to change that in your organization too. Toni's Everyday Innovator style: Collaborative Inquisitive Connect with Toni on LinkedIn Check out Howdy Puppy Use code 'Tamara' at checkout for the discount Discover your Everyday Innovator Style Everyday Innovators Online Facebook Group Innovation is Everybody's Business Book

Sometimes rules are good for us, and other times they are just other people's way of doing things. And, sometimes rules are used to keep people small-minded and in place by other small-minded people that don't want to move forward. In this Friday episode, I share my personal experience with feeling held back by the rules, a teacher squelching my dreams, and what my dad taught me about breaking the rules to get to my goals. Then, I share my major insight from each of the Everyday Innovators. First is Lizza de la Garza (Tweaker Imaginative) in the oil and gas, economic development space, then Tony Jamous (Fluid Imaginative) global workforce and talent space, Taylor McCarten (Inquisitive Collaborative) in the composting space, and Yuri Elkaim (Instinctual Imaginative) an expert health-preneur. Tamara's Everyday Innovator style: Risk Taker Experiential Connect with Tamara on LinkedIn Check out Howdy Puppy Use code 'Tamara' at checkout for the discount Discover your Everyday Innovator Style Everyday Innovators Online Facebook Group Innovation is Everybody's Business Book

Having a growth mindset is the key to leaning into the challenges you are inevitably going to face. Our Everyday Innovator guest, Yuri Elkaim, shares his keys to growth which include obsessing about your clients (not your competition), making the painful recognition that no one cares as much as you do, and realizing that you don't get full effort by giving fractional energy. As the founder of Healthpreneur, Yuri shares his hard-knock lessons about how to balance the dangers of delegation with working in your zone of genius, and how the key to avoiding commoditization is in your client's pain when they leave you. He also opens up about how you can't grow a million-dollar business doing ten-dollar tasks. Yuri's Everyday Innovator style: Instinctual Imaginative Connect with Yuri on LinkedIn Check out Healthpreneur group Check out Howdy Puppy Use code 'Tamara' at checkout for the discount Discover your Everyday Innovator Style Everyday Innovators Online Facebook Group Innovation is Everybody's Business Book

Have you ever found yourself frustrated by a persistent problem? Or have you ever wondered why something you do is so complicated or never quite meets your needs? Our Everyday Innovator guest, Taylor McCarten knows all about taking one of those frustrating moments and turning it into a global business opportunity. Taylor shares with me how his frustration with the clunkiness and challenges of composting, along with his passion for working on climate change, led him to seek out solutions that didn't exist today. As the founder of BinBreese, he shares how his willingness to be open to the surprising opportunities, not the ones you planned out, often leads to the greatest success, why asking for help is his superpower, and balancing what needs to be done today with moving towards his big vision helps his team stay on track and innovate at the same time. He also shares how the idea for BinBreeze didn't come from what existed in the market today; in fact, it came from walking away from current options. Taylor's Everyday Innovator style: Inquisitive Collaborative Connect with Taylor on LinkedIn Check out BinBreeze Check out Howdy Puppy Use code 'Tamara' at checkout for the discount Discover your Everyday Innovator Style Everyday Innovators Online Facebook Group Innovation is Everybody's Business Book