Lead. Learn. Grow.

Lead. Learn. Grow.

By Robin GreenBusinessEntrepreneurship
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Lead. Learn. Grow. episodes

  • Jessica Philips, President & CEO, CA Human Services

    Jessica Philips, President & CEO of CA Human Services, joins us on episode 026 to talk about her journey that has taken her from working in the organization to leading it. She tells of how an experience she had as a teenager put her on a path she continues today.

    Jessica and her organization were recently the recipients of the Sandler Training 2020 Non-Profit Scholarship and we talk a bit about that as well.

    ***

    I mention our 2019 Client of the Year and a national Sandler podcast where he was interviewed. Listen to Kevin Kemerer talk about how to be a sales manager despite not having been in sales here.

    45 min
  • Betsy Moore, Owner, Betsy Moore Fine Art

    Betsy Moore joins us for episode 25 and she shares many of the lessons she has learned as a painter. There are many lessons that entrepreneurs can take from the arts. In many ways, building a company (or even helping grow a team member) are similar to that of an artist. Growth requires us to see things as they can be - with an artist's eye.

    You can find Betsy's art at a number of galleries in the area. If you'd like to view some of her amazing paintings, click here.

    ***

    For information on Sandler Training in Richmond, call (804) 914-1723 or visit our website.

    52 min
  • Jeremy Ford, Owner, RVA Restoration

    In Episode 024, join in on my discussion with Jeremy Ford, owner of RVA Restoration. Jeremy was a GM at the restoration company after spending the bulk of his career in the insurance business. After a massive rebranding effort - including a name change - he bought the company from it's previous ownership group and began his journey as an entrepreneur.

    His success has been nothing short of remarkable. In 2019, RVA Restoration was #1 on the Top Workplaces, a recognition program ran by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Previously, his company was #1 and then #3 on the Top 25 Fastest Growing Companies in Richmond.

    Jeremy is a graduate of Virginia Tech, where he studied Industrial Psychology.

    Jeremy offers thoughts on how he has intentionally built the culture, why that's so important, and he mixes in some lessons from the world of hockey to describe teamwork and attention to detail.

    ***

    Register for the upcoming Sandler Training One-Day Sales Boot Camp while there are still seats available. If you have questions, call us at 804.914.1723.

    ***

    Thanks for my friend Jay Smack at SmackSound for the intro.

    1 hr 3 min
  • Keith Reynolds, Co-Founder, Synapse

    Keith Reynolds is a native of Culpeper, VA and attended college at the University of Richmond. After a successful career in banking, one that saw him rise through the ranks quickly, he discovered a love for connecting people. He turned that passion into a successful business, as he and a partner founded Synapse, a referral networking organization with a unique twist - partnerships with non-profit organization.

    Keith shares a couple of wonderful stories about how Synapse is making a difference in the lives of members - and even prompts my memory about a goodwill project that my wife and I helped with when her hometown was ravaged by floodwaters. It didn't occur to me until the end of our conversation that it was at a Synapse meeting where I made a connection that led to helping out some elementary school kids in West Virginia. I'm guessing that every member of Synapse has a great story to tell.

    The story Keith tells at the end (I won't spoil it here) is worth the listen. Amazing.

    ***

    Thanks to my friend Jay Smack for providing the intro to the podcast. You can find him here.

    ***

    If you'd like to learn about some upcoming training programs we have planned at Sandler Training in Richmond, visit our webpage or contact me at [email protected].

    ***

    If you enjoyed this episode, we love 5-start ratings and even a review!

    1 hr 2 min
  • Tripp Costen, President, Costen Floors

    Tripp Costen is the third-generation of leaders in the successful family business. Costen Floors was founded in 1948 and has survived the many up-and-downs that are prevalent in a family business.

    Tripp tells a bit about his entry into the business, some amazing stories about his grandmother and how she ran the business. The stories about grandma are funny, inspiring, and amazing. Tripp shares a lot of lessons learned from his journey as a teenager, to VMI, and finally, working in and now running Costen flooring.

    ***

    Special thanks for Jay Smack of SmackSound, for providing the intro music and voiceover for the podcast. You can learn more about the work Jay does here.

    ***

    To learn more about our upcoming workshop that will help you beat the "Summer Slump", visit our website. It's free and you can register online.

    39 min
  • Dennis Bickmeier, President, Richmond International Raceway
    Join my discussion with Dennis Bickmeier, who became the third President of Richmond Raceway in July 2011. Prior to joining Richmond, Bickmeier spent nearly four years as the Vice President of Consumer Sales and Marketing at Michigan International Speedway, where he oversaw communications, corporate partnership sales, ticket sales and operations. His career with International Speedway Corporation initially began in 1999 as the Public Relations Director at Auto Club Speedway. During his time at the Southern California-based speedway, Bickmeier became an adjunct faculty member in the University of San Francisco's Sports Management class teaching the Strategic Communications and Sports Public Relations elective. Over his 26-year Sports Management Career, Bickmeier spent time with the former Anaheim Angels, now the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, both Walt Disney Company-owned franchises at the time. He has also held positions with the Big West Conference, Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bickmeier has also served as a sports public relations and marketing consultant for clients like the AT&T Champions Classic, Phoenix International Raceway and Brener, Zwikel and Associates. A native Ohioan, Bickmeier is a graduate of the prestigious Ohio University Scripps School of Journalism. He also holds a master's degree in Sports Administration from Ohio University. *** If you'd like to join us at an upcoming Sandler Training session, contact me at [email protected]. *** If you enjoy our podcast, we'd appreciate it if you would rate and review us. It'll help others find it.
    53 min
  • John Polk, John Polk & Associates - Are your slides getting in the way of your message?
    John Polk left Capital One to start his own consulting company called John Polk & Associates. He is a noted communications expert. Specifically, he helps firms with strategy decks, pitch decks, and other strategy-focused initiatives. He developed one of the most popular learning classes at Capital One and he has now gone out on his own to do the same for other businesses. *** John tells us of a study that shows that more than $1 billion dollars per day in resources are squandered because of a lack of focus in this area. He talks about the power of practice and why you should not be relying on those trusty bullet points when building your next deck. If you are a leader, whether in business, education, government, or non-profit, I think you'll take away some valuable ideas and perhaps a different way of thinking about how you communicate. *** John mentions a list of Top 10 books in the podcast. Here is the list. There are some great recommendations here. How many have you read?
    1. Wellbeing, Rath & Harter – The secret to happiness! Focus on career, finances, social life (friends/family), health, community (doing good for society).
    2. Strengthsfinder 2.0, Rath – Know what you're good at, then find roles that leverage your strengths – also a good team building book.
    3. Making the Most of Your Money Now, Jane Bryant Quinn -- Most comprehensive guide to personal finance. Not a traditional career book, but succeeding with your finances and succeeding in your career are mutually reinforcing.
    4. The Truth About Money, Ric Edelman – Less comprehensive, more entertaining guide to personal finance.
    5. The Leadership Challenge, Kouzes & Posner – Most comprehensive and practical guide to leading. You don't have to be a manager to benefit from this.
    6. Made to Stick, The Heath Brothers – Tell "sticky" stories to improve your influence.
    7. Decisive, The Heath Brothers – Humans are terrible at making decisions; you don't have to be.
    8. The 11 Laws of Likability, Michelle Lederman – People like to work with (or do business with) people they like. The laws create a practical networking guide.
    9. Storytelling with Data, Cole Nussbaumer – This is the book on data visualization and presentations I wish I had written. I use it in the MBA class I teach.
    10. Leadership and Self Deception, The Arbinger Institute – Key theme: anytime something's not going your way, figure out what role you're playing in that situation.

    ***

    Click on the link if you'd like to attend our session called "Prospecting in the Digital Age."

    The event will be held at the new Sandler Training Center on June 20th at 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. It'll fill up quickly! You can also text SAVE MY SEAT to 804.914.1723. Standard text message rates may apply.

    53 min
  • Michael Bor, Founder and CEO, CarLotz

    Welcome to Episode 019 of the Lead. Learn. Grow. podcast. In this episode, we chat with Michael Bor, the Founder and CEO of CarLotz.

    Michael has an undergraduate degree from Lehigh University and earned an MBA at the Harvard Business School.

    Michael takes us on a fascinating journey through an entrepreneurial journey that began as a teenager, putting small screws onto a small box, and led him to founding one of the fastest-growing private companies in North America. Listen to Michael talk about his trusted notebook, where he'd sketch out one-page business plans on a variety of ideas - one of which led to CarLotz.

    Michael is a leader in Richmond's fast-growing entrepreneur ecosystem and shares a number of key concepts and ideas that'll help you in your business and life.

    Thanks for listening!

    ***

    On the podcast, I announce a complimentary training session I'll be doing on the morning of June 20th on Digital Prospecting at (fingers crossed!) our new Sandler Training Center. When this releases to the public, it will fill up quickly. As a podcast listener, you can save a seat by texting "SAVE MY SEAT" to 804.914.1723.

    ***

    If you enjoy our podcast, please rate and review. You can also subscribe so you'll be notified of new episodes as they are released.

    1 hr 5 min
  • Natalie McNamara, Owner, CreativeMktgGroup - Not making a Plan B
    Natalie McNamara is the owner of CreativeMktGroup, a dedicated and fractional marketing department to startups, small businesses and non-profits. They help clients in the areas of branding, digital marketing, business development and public relations. In this episode, Natalie shares the real-world struggles of being a new business owner and shares how she has built her business from the ground up in just over two years. My favorite anecdote was this - to make it in business, there can be no "Plan B." So true. She also shares some great tips on being a good networker as well as some practical tips that start-ups and small businesses are going to want to pay attention to. *** You can connect with Natalie on LinkedIn here. *** LIsteners of the podcast can download our free resource "Six Ways to Personalize Your Pitch" by clicking here.
    49 min

About Lead. Learn. Grow.

From the publisher's feed

The Lead. Learn. Grow. podcast, hosted by Robin Green, interviews leaders from the fields of business, government, education, and the non-profit sector. We uncover the stories behind these leaders and…