Lead. Learn. Grow.

On Episode 017, we are joined by Jay Markiewicz, the Director of Entrepreneurship Programs at Virginia Commonwealth University. Jay discusses his students passion for entrepreneurship, how he thinks about thinking, and his views on how life is simply a series of mini-experiments. Our discussion was full of interesting insights that you won't want to miss. Get out your notebooks for this one!

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Jay earned the Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State and also holds a Master's degree from the University of South Carolina. His experiences include serving his country in the United States Navy, a corporate stint at Capital One, starting a number of businesses and finally, to his current role at VCU. Learn more about Jay at his VCU profile page and you can learn more about him on LinkedIn.

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To contact Robin Green regarding his Training and Development company, visit www.green.sandler.com. For podcast listeners, download this free white paper describing "Six Formulas to Ensure Sales Success" by clicking here.

Episode 016 bring us Eric Glymph, Owner of EDGe Business Planning. Eric is a graduate of Indiana University and has been an entrepreneur for 6 years in Richmond. In this episode, Eric talks about his entrepreneurial journey, how his company helps small businesses, and he shares fascination details about what it's like to compete in an Ironman Triathlon. He shares a number of lessons that will help you in your personal and professional life.

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I always tell me guests, "If there is an issue during this recording, you can be it will be with me." Episode 016 is no different. File this one under "turn the dial this way to turn up volume, and the other way to turn it down." Unbelievable. But yes, I did it. The sound quality from me is not very good but Eric sounds great! And the lessons come from him anyway! Lessons are being learned every time I do this.

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To contact Eric, visit his website at www.edgebusinessplanning.com. You can also connect with Eric on LinkedIn here.

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I reference a blog post on goal setting called "Aim Low." Make it easy and build the habit!

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Thank you for listening to the Lead. Learn. Grow. podcast!

On episode 015 of the Lead. Learn. Grow. podcast Robin Green, President and Owner of Sandler Training in Richmond, VA, discusses the 7 Traps Sales Coaches Must Overcome. In this episode, Robin talks about the 4 hats that sales coaches must wear and then, breaks down some of the barriers that get in the way of good coaching. If you are a business owner, manager, or sales leader, you'll find lots of actionable insights to help you be more effective in your role.

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For podcast listeners, you can download this coaching resource to further expand your coaching knowledge.

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You can contact Robin at [email protected]. You can also call him at 804.914.1723.

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Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast at iTunes.

Episode 014 brings us Curt Hammitt of Propel Your Career. Curt shares how we can use Six Sigma management principles to our everyday lives and some great ideas on finding your passion. Curt shares his experience working in the IT field back in the days of data cards and mainframes - days that young folks today can hardly imagine! He share some great tips for young people who are entering the job market for the first time - and those that may be re-entering after a stint in the military or family reasons.

Curt is a graduate of Miami University in Oxford, OH and after a long and successful career with DuPont, he is pursuing the second half of his career with great passion.

Curt is a LinkedIn expert and you can connect with him here.

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To register for the "Plan for 2019 Sales Success" webinar I'm hosting for Sandler Training, sign up here.

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If you'd like to visit Sandler Training and sit in on a session, you can complete this short form and someone from our office will contact you.

You aren't going to believe some of the experiences Jesse Wysocki shares with us on Episode 013. A former heroin addict, his addiction took him down a dark road - and landed him in jail for an extended period of time. Jesse describes how he hit rock bottom - multiple times - and got his life turned around.

Now, Jesse serves the addiction and substance abuse community as the Chief Operating Officer of the McShin Foundation in Richmond, VA.

it's a remarkable story.

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If you'd like to contact Jesse about speaking to your company or group, you can email him at [email protected].

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If you are a non-profit in the Richmond community, contact me about some of the pro bono services we offer in the Greater RVA region. We've done a lot of work in this area and would be happy to talk to you or someone on your Board to explore how our work might fit your mission. Contact me at [email protected].

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Please rate and review our podcast at iTunes.

In episode 012, we are visiting with Renaissance Executive Forums owner Alison Conners. Alison talks about her journey as an entrepreneur and the lessons learned so far. I particularly like her views on feedback. You know, feedback has been called the breakfast of champions but many of us are not good at giving it— and worse at receiving it. She also mentions some of the lessons learned from her father - who immigrated to the US from Trinidad and built a successful business in Northern Virginia. Originally from Northern Virginia, Alison received a degree in communications from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. After a successful career leading sales and marketing teams, Alison began her new venture- as the owner of Renaissance Executive Forums of Va. Her clients are grouped into "CEO Advisory Roundtables" to help intentionally scale their growth and improve their lives. *** You can learn about Alison's newest venture CEO Curator by visiting www.ceocurator.com. *** If you'd like to learn more about my training and development company, Ascend Performance, Inc., powered by Sandler Training, visit our website at www.green.sandler.com. *** Please rate and review the Lead. Learn. Grow. podcast on iTunes.

On Episode 011, Ellen McIllhenny joins us for a wide-ranging discussion from being 6-sport athlete in high school to her current role as a Partner at B2B CEO.

Ellen has twenty years of experience as a chief financial officer and controller with mid-sized and large privately held companies. Prior to that she held financial management positions for eight years at a large publicly held company.

She has worked in several different industries such as chemicals, plastics, newspaper, broadcast, wholesale distribution, technology and IT services.

Ellen has served on several non-profit boards of directors, where she has held both chairman and treasurer leadership positions. She was nominated for Virginia Business Magazine's "CFO of the Year Award" in both 2010 and 2016.

In May of 2018, Ellen's book, The Big Turnaround, was released and was a finalist for the 2018 Author Academy Award in the Business & Investing category.

You can reach Ellen at [email protected].

Her company website is https://www.b2bcfo.com/partner/ellenmcilhenny/.

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In our discussion, Ellen offers some good advice about exit strategies for business owners and some things to consider early in the life of the business. She gives some ideas on how to make sure you are on the right trajectory from the strat. She tells us about what it's like coming from a corporate background to running her own company - and some of the things she finds tough. You'll also want to hear Ellen share about some of challenges and joys of raising her oldest son Ben. It was inspiring to hear her talk about what a special kid he is and how he has impacted the entire family in a positive way.

Ellen mentions a couple of books she recommends to others to help with the strategy side of running a company. They are Good to Great, Traction, and The Automatic Customer.

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To contact the host of the show, Robin Green, you can email him at [email protected]. For listener's of the podcast, he is offering a free white paper this week on "Six Ways to be a More Effective Manager." Click the link to get access.

Episode 010 brings us Rick Whittington, Founder and Principal of Whittington Consulting in Richmond, VA.

Rick looks back at some of the small-town values he learned and how they have shaped his life. He also gives us a peek into how he stays intentional and productive. Rick hit his goal of reading 12 books in 2018 - and he describes some of the key takeaways. We also delve into the world of digital marketing and how Rick thinks about partnering with his clients. This episode will cause you think about how you are showing up to the world! *** You might enjoy this blog post that I wrote a few months ago about the wonderful world of sales and marketing. If you click on the link, you can also download a free white paper to help align your thoughts around this topic *** Contact me at [email protected] or feel free to call our office at (804) 914-1723.

If you aren't in the basketball world, you may not have heard of Kevin Eastman. But he's kind of big deal. Kevin is a New Jersey native who currently resides in Richmond, VA. Kevin has been involved with basketball in some form or fashion since the late 1970's. He's a University of Richmond graduate (and a member of the school's athletic Hall of Fame). Kevin has coached at a number of institutions throughout the country and spent the better part of a decade in the NBA. Today, Kevin is a notable speaker and consultant, with clients in both the athletics and business. Kevin recently authored a book called "Why the Best are the Best." Click the link to order from Kevin's website or you can find it on Amazon in various formats by clicking here. It's a good read. If you'd like to book Kevin for a corporate event, you can find complete information here. *** Our wide-ranging conversation was filled with pearls of wisdom. Kevin talks about the two types of ego's, the difference between confidence and being cocky. He shares a great story about Kevin Garnett and how we can use the concept in our lives. We also talk about how Kevin's philosophy of always saying yes to opportunities lead him down a winding road to the NBA. Kevin Eastman is leader and a learner - and he pours it out for us in Episode 009. *** Kevin's discussion reminds me that he has spent a lot of time coaching Millennials. I wanted to ask him about that - I get the question myself occasionally - but we didn't have time. But here's a terrific webinar we did on "Hiring, Managing, and Motivating Millennials." It's free and you can access it here. ** If you'd like to contact me about the work we do in my Training and Development firm, feel free to call me at 804.914.1723 or email me at [email protected].

In Episode 008, Robin takes to the mic alone and describes a number of blind spots that hinder the growth of even the best companies. If you are a business owner or senior executive, you'll be able to do a bit of a self-assessment of your organization, and highlight areas of renewed focus.

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If you'd like to contact Robin Green directly, you can reach him at 804.914.1723 or [email protected].

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I'm offering a free download of a recent white paper that addresses the time-crunched leader. Click here to download a copy for you or someone on your team.