Labrador Leadership

Kate Erickson has supported this show since day one. In July 2015 she was John Lee Dumas's partner at Entrepreneurs on Fire, and today she is his wife, too. Kate planned to be a college professor. Budget cuts closed that door, so she built a classroom online instead. Listen for that story, and for what this show was almost called.

Her advice to anyone starting out still holds: don't give up, and don't let fear or imposter syndrome hold you back.

This is the third replay on the run to episode 100. The web addresses in the interview are from 2015.

AI disclosure: my chief of staff, Amber, is an AI. She helped me write the new intro and close you hear around the 2015 interview. The thanks to Kate are mine.

My book, Leadership for Entrepreneurs, is on Kindle: bobnolley.com/book

This show might not exist without John Lee Dumas and his team at Entrepreneurs on Fire. They helped me get it on the air. In April 2015, John came on to talk about how he became a leader, and his answer was simple: he was made, not born. Listen for the day he quit a job that had just decided to keep him.

His line for anyone stuck right now: it takes courage to quit something.

This is the second replay on the run to episode 100. It is from 2015, so skip the prices and web addresses and keep the rest.

AI disclosure: my chief of staff, Amber, is an AI. She helped me write the new intro and close around this interview. The thank-you to John is mine.

My book, Leadership for Entrepreneurs, is on Kindle: bobnolley.com/book

Mark Smith owns Midas of Richmond, and when we talked in January 2015 he was already my example of what giving back looks like when a business owner means it. Listen for what he started right after 9/11, one free oil change at a time. He also describes the weekly what-if email he sends himself, where a lot of ideas fail and now and then one works. Free loaner cars came out of that email.

This is the first of four replays on the run to episode 100, conversations from the show's first year with people I owe a thank-you. It is from 2015, so the prices and phone numbers are out of date. The lessons held up.

What I'd take from Mark

• Give back with the thing you already sell. He didn't start a foundation; he tied an oil change to a blood donation and let the business be the means.
• Hire for the people part and teach the rest. His words: he can teach anyone what a water pump is; what he can't teach is how you treat the person at the counter.
• Watch your own numbers, not the shop across the street. He stopped paying attention to competitors years ago and worried instead about doing a little more tomorrow than yesterday.
• Throw out bad ideas on purpose. One what-if a week to the whole team, most of them wrong, and the loaner cars came out of one that wasn't.

Mark's line I said I'd play again and again: what got him here won't get him where he wants to go.

In this episode: Alex Mossa's bumper and the show's 2015 opening, my new introduction, the January 2015 conversation as it first aired, then a new close from me.

Mark Smith on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mark-smith-61b6097

AI disclosure: my chief of staff, Amber, is an AI. She pulled this episode from the archive and helped me write the new intro and close you hear around the 2015 interview.

My book, Leadership for Entrepreneurs, is on Kindle: bobnolley.com/book

Step into the world of Bob, a man whose life took an unexpected turn after a swift shove from an invisible force. His journey, filled with challenges and hurdles, led him to sell his beloved golf clubs and face the bleak diagnosis of cancer. But amidst the darkness, there was a glimmer of hope. Through love, prayers, and encouragement from listeners like you, Bob emerged victorious, cancer-free. Now, he stands before you, filled with gratitude, ready to share his story and relearn his skills. Join us as we delve into Bob's tale of resilience, and discover how planning backward from the future can lead to a meaningful career and legacy. But be warned, the twist in Bob's story will leave you wanting more...

Dan Rockwell is The Leadership Freak. A fanatic, not a basket case. Dan started in the non-profit world. Leadership has been a part of his life since youth. Are leaders be born or made? Dan refers to John Maxwell saying that leaders can be made. The born part may not be genetic but rather from the development support that you receive in those wonder years. Teachers, neighbors, youth leaders, sports coaches are all important.