Leadership Lounge with Jack Tester

Dr. Robert Cialdini's books on influence and persuasion have sold over 3 million copies. He shares his insights on influence and persuasion, and talks about one of his six principles, Authority. Dr. Ciandini shares how to effectively communicate your authority as a leader.

Jack interviews Wyatt Hepworth, owner of Any Hour Electric, Plumbing, Heating and Air. Any Hour's revenue increased from $1.5 million to $40 million over 10 years. The company employs over 225 technicians. The two discuss Hepworth's career arc, and how he realized that if he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, he needed to find a better business model – one that included a team leadership approach. 

Ed Cerier was Nexstar's first marketing coach. He tells Jack about his journey from a career in advertising in the mid 1980s to his present position as Nexstar's Marketing Manager. Marketing is all about having a plan, Cerier says, and making sure you've got the right people to put that plan into action.

Jack talks with former FBI agent, body language expert, and best-selling author Joe Navarro. Joe tells the story of arriving in the United States as a refugee during the Cuban missile crisis, and not knowing English. It formed his fascination with understanding people by reading body language. The two talk about the importance of body language for home service technicians, who are constantly meeting and greeting strangers.

Jack interviews Nexstar member Rob Carr, owner of Mel Carr Electric. Rob talks about how building camaraderie with everyone on your team creates a foundation of support that fosters the cooperation you need to achieve business goals. 

Explore the Trades executive director Kate Cinnamo talks about the work the foundation is doing to change how students and parents view careers in the trades.

Jack chats with Nexstar board of directors member Mary Jean Anderson. Her company, Anderson Plumbing, Heating & Air, does more than $30 million in revenue and employs 109 people. Her face is on the company's trucks, but she'll be the first to say it's her people who make the business successful. Anderson tells the story of how she went from being a nurse to helping her husband right-size his struggling business. 

Nexstar's head of operations Julian Scadden talks about his experience as an underprivileged young man who worked his way through plumbing jobs by learning as he went. Ethnicity, Julian explains, should never be a barrier to finding a good job that turns into a career. He tells the story of how he found his path.

Jack interviews Brian Cranney, owner of Cranney Home Services and a Nexstar member for over 12 years. Cranney shares how he grew his business by transitioning from commercial to residential and adding services. He talks about the difference between the two sets of customers.