Let's Talk About...Getting your vision delivered

In this episode of Let's Talk About...I sat down with Greg Kautz, the CEO and Co-Founder of Black Owl Systems.

I've known Greg for many years and I was curious to know his experience of scaling a SaaS business. We covered a lot of ground on the challenges and joys of tech start-ups and he also shared what he would do differently next time.

Check out the full episode and show notes below.

Thanks for listening!

Show notes:

Tell us a bit about Black Owl and what it does. - 0:30s

What gave you the idea for Black Owl? - 1:12s   

When starting your business, what do you focus on first? - 2:42s

How have mentors or coaches influenced your growth? - 7:37s

As entrepreneurs, we get a lot of rejection, how do you deal with No's? - 9:52s

If you had to do it again, what would you do differently? - 11:21s

What's next for Black Owl? - 15:55s

Instead of asking what keeps you up at night, What gets you up in the morning? - 16:47s

Hi everyone!

Welcome to another edition of Let's Talk About podcast and today we're talking about how to be Powerful Leader with Dr Dorothy Martin-Neville.

Enjoy!

Show notes:

1) From orphanage to Caribbean - using vision to move forward:

2) Lessons from setting up a school for healing and health: 5m22s

3) If you could have infinite freedom, what would your life look like?: 7m50s

4) The power of asking "who do you want to be when you show up?": 11m40s

5) How to keep up with the pace of change and using transition as an opportunity: 17m01s

6) Let's replace FUD (Fear Uncertainty Doubt) with ALIVE (Abundance, Leadership, Inspiration, Value, Empowerment): 21m10s

7) What does it mean to be a Powerful Leader?: 28m00s

I had a blast with Niraj Kapur talking about rock bands, game shows and why you always need to be selling (without have to ‘sell’).

Show notes below:

What most people get wrong about sales. (it's not about selling) - 00:57s

3 LinkedIn basics that everyone misses - 05:30s

Who's the best rock band of all time? - 08:43s

Never be afraid to stand-out. Creating the best ‘About You’ section - 10:15s

If you were to start a business now, what would you do? - 16:55s

What I learnt from being a professional Game Show Contestant - 20:40s

I sat down with Mike Wolf to talk about real estate investing, life-long learning and how to invest the right way, in yourself and your team.

Biggest Challenges and Problems (10:41 to 11:15)

1. Productive surfing

2. Life-long Learning

3. Why it gets suddenly easier to get the business.

Secret to Success (15:16 to 15:50)

1. Time is Money

2. Working Hard

3. Working Smarter

Trustworthy People (24:20 to 24:55)

1. Give the ability for my assistant to hire people whenever she needs and not wait for my approval.

2. When you have right people on your team, treat them well, they will love being there.

3. It is a balance between keeping people and training them up and releasing them.

The key to Investing (33:20 to 34:20)

1. The chances of you will learn a lot from the first rent. Buy, manage the tenancy with the real estate property manager which is the key to build up the equity.

2. Then start to play a loop investing them in the next one.

3. It takes confidence and mindset.

Important be a Life-Long Learner (42:00 to 42:50)

1. Things are always changing and now they are changing exponentially fast. We should keep our skills sharpening.

2. It is important to keep your brain sharped by keeping up with the things.

3. Why people attend conferences and seminars.

I sat down with Todd Hirsch, the Modern Economist, to explore the need for a new way of thinking to help us prepare for economic uncertainty.

We cover a lot of ground including the importance of adaptability, collaboration, and embracing change in order to thrive in uncertain

Listen to find out the significance of knowing one's story, building strong

We also chat about the role of AI, the power of mentors, and the value of patience and kindness in navigating transitions.

Quotes:

"Research on successful adapters during the pandemic revealed there are 11 key traits that can help organizations navigate unpredictable events and pivot effectively."

"Understanding the origins and lessons of a company's story allows for wisdom and guidance in facing present-day challenges."

"Building strong relationships with team members, board members, clients, and even competitors is essential during times of crisis."

"Adapting to unwanted change is challenging but necessary for personal and professional growth."

"The future holds incredible potential, but it will require our patience and collective efforts to create something amazing."

"Taking a breath and looking back at our progress can provide reassurance and motivation."

“Your fear of looking stupid is making you look stupid.”

—RuPaul

I sat down with Laurie Michelle Levitt and explored the concept of clarity and its importance for business leaders.

We discuss the need for personal clarity before effective communication with others, the role of creating safe spaces for open communication, and methods for articulating visions and handling mistakes constructively.

Clarity is key for effective decision-making, adapting to change, and measuring progress.

Key points:

Hope can serve as an initial motivator, but addressing underlying fears is essential for effective communication.

Building things up in one's mind and fear of saying the wrong thing is a blocker for effective communication.

Ask questions and follow through to achieving clarity in decision-making.

It takes time for a vision to be accepted throughout an organization and this should not be underestimated.

Quotes:

"Innovating involves learning, and mistakes are part of the learning process"

"How we handle mess-ups determines our ability to move forward and grow"

"There's the day-to-day operations, connecting with people, and strategic thinking... it's a muscle you have to work."

Ever bought technology that didn't live up to the marketing hype?
Even worse, you're stuck in a long-term contract for software that no one uses.
Technology is key for scaling business and you need technology vendors.
But managing technology vendors can be difficult, time consuming, and overwhelming.
On this weeks' episode, I'll give you the magic for managing technology vendor easily.

ChatGPT opens up a lot of new opportunities for businesses.
It streamlines operations, automates tasks and generates content - saving time all round. But for corporations and businesses, you need to use ChatGPT in the right way. I’ll discuss what it's good for and what it's not good for, and provide tips on how to use it responsibly.

Chat GPT enhances developer skills by assisting with code creation and review.

It offers a valuable resource for formulating interview questions when hiring for specific roles.

The tool can assist in summarizing financial statements into presentations, with the proper care taken to protect sensitive information.

Apply your own judgment, context, and interpretation to ensure the responses align with your specific company needs.

Watch out for the generic tone and context of Chat GPT's responses and adjust as needed to fit your requirements.

Read through and evaluate the responses rather than simply copying and pasting them, as critical thinking and value addition are essential.

Donnie and Sarah, experienced hiring professionals, discuss the significance of hiring technical specialists to expand teams and scale businesses. They emphasize the understanding that skilled individuals are essential for effective technology utilization. Building relationships with staffing firms and clear communication with clients are also highlighted.

Demand for skills such as ERP, Java development, and cutting-edge technology is high, making it important for employers to create attractive opportunities.

Hiring managers need to have a holistic view of their project teams and find candidates who complement existing skills.

Open communication throughout the hiring process helps to keep candidates engaged and interested.

Constructive feedback allows candidates to improve and provides them with a clear understanding of their strengths and weaknesses.

Investing in candidates based on interviews is a challenging decision, as sometimes it doesn't work out due to unforeseen circumstances.

"Hiring should be seen as more than just filling a seat; it's about understanding and solving business problems."

00:47 Why is ISO 27001 so important to you business

1:09 Breakdown & Importance of ISO 27001

2:04 3 Parts of ISO 27001

6:08 Difference Between ISO, NIST & SOC 2

10:01 How Long Does It Take To Get ISO 27001 Certification?

11:54 The Process of ISO 27001 Certification

18:33 How Much Does It Cost To Get ISO 27001 Certification?

21:14 When is ISO 27001 not right for my company?