Making Waves at C-Level: Business Tips for Executives, Leaders, and Entrepreneurs

Community, collaboration, and conversations can solve all problems. But not everyone leads with community. Too many people look at everything they do as having the need to be 10x'd. Yes, these young leaders who are disciples of Grant Cardone or Gary Vee tend to look at everything as their personal investment that must 10x. One young entrepreneur told me he could not join an industry association unless he could see a guarantee to 10x his dues to his bottom line. Ummmm, that is not how supporting a greater cause works.

I am not saying you should do everything for charity. You should focus on making money. But if everything is about how you make money, or if every relationship is about whom you can be friends with who can help you....life becomes phony.

The fakest person I know lives this way. The funny things is their close friends admit they have seen them dump people who are not "up" the food chain, and all know they can be pushed out of the friend circle on her whim. This is a bad way to live. One of her closest friends said "she is unhappy in her soul, but never lets it out to anyone".

I would rather have less money and be part of community.

In this episode I challenge listeners of the podcast to think about if they have one day a week that they do not lead with "What's in it for me?". Imagine if every human took one day to serve the greater good and help others find success. They would have 6 other days to kick ass, but we would have a lot more people helping others, too.

What did you think of this rant of an episode? [email protected]

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There is an epidemic of loneliness in our society. People feel disconnected. Many admit to not having close friends. And these people work on your team.

These issues go back before the pandemic, but it has become more pronounced in the last three years.

When people feel part of a community, they will be more dedicated to their jobs. But with so many remote workers, it is harder to have a meaningful relationship with coworkers.

This episode challenges leaders to look at their team and really understanding who feels disconnected. If you want to up your retention rates, you have to get people to feel engaged with the whole company.

Do you feel alone, or do you know your team has people who are disconnected? Are you doing something about this?

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In another short episode of "Making Waves at C-Level", Thom Singer shares his thoughts about trying new things and the journey he has been on to reinvent himself since turning 50. It is easy to be in a comfort zone - but that can hold you back. In your career and life you need to branch out and try new things.

Thom is open that throughout his life he did not go for things in life or business that he did not think he would kick ass. But being scared to try new things holds you back. He shares the story of doing Stand Up Comedy at age 52 and how he has now done over 160 open mic nights. While he is NOT that funny (yet?), going out and doing it anyway has helped him succeed in other ways. Pushing yourself into had situations prepares you for other tough hurdles that come up in the journey of life.

Often people get worried about if others are judging them. But if we worry about what other people think, we do not do all the things that we can experience.

What have you always wanted to try that you have never attempted. This episode will challenge you to go do it. You need not succeed, but making the effort will help you grow. And you will also find that other people are not paying attention and judging you as much as you think.

Listen to this episode.

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Networking (and the benefits of having a real network) is not just about passing out business cards or having LinkedIn connections. The real opportunities come from building friendships. But making friends is harder as we get older. There are many reason why, but if you want to make friends, you have to lead with being a friend.

Entrepreneurs who are known, liked, and trusted always seem to win over the long run. Being a jerk has short term value, but I know one very rich person who everyone hates. So what if he has a nice car and fancy house, being around him it is clear he is insecure and sad.

This episode talks about how and why to make friendships in your career and to encourage your employees to do the same. But you are not friends with everyone you meet. Meeting someone once does NOT make them part of your network.

Change up how you think about people and friendships in business and you will find long-term success. Yes, people really do prefer to do business with those they know, like, and trust.

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Sometimes sales managers try to discourage their sales professionals from networking. This is often NOT because they think it is a waste of time, it is because they fear that if the high achiever is well known in a community or industry, they will be hired away by another company.

For the individual contributor, your network is your key to a long career. If you are not known and you get laid off, you have to start at square one. So never allow your network to be cold or non-existent. You must get engaged in your community / industry to ensure you have options. Plus, when you are seen as the subject expert...you will make more sales.

So why would a leader not want their people to network. In today's world if you have a good employee, others will know about her or him. You cannot hide people away and assume this will be good for the company. Having your whole team engaged in your industry and community raises the visibility of you company. When your team is well known, and you offer competitive products and services... .more people will come to look at your offerings. This should lead to more sales.

I am surprised when leaders fear having their best people be well networked...as why would you want mediocre sales people that nobody knows or wants? Sure you keep them, but they do not move the company ahead. Instead, get everyone engaged and raise the profile of your company. Sure some will get recruited away, but a good leader creates a culture and environment where people want to work.

If you are an individual contributor.....why is networking bad? Is it because you should just be the best kept secret and do things for the company? Your employer will not blink at laying you off if bad time come. Thus having a network is key to your future.

If you are a boss who discourages your people from networking...why? Is part of it because you fear they will leave if others find out how great they are? If this is part of your reason, you need to realize they will leave anyway if you are not giving them a path to a future they want.

I think the individual and the company both win when their team is very well connected. This is both inside your company and outside your company. Do not worry about losing a few people, look at what can happen if everyone is well known in your industry.... you company will be the leader.

What is your thoughts on this topic? Let me know.

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Welcome to the new short format episodes of "Making Waves at C-Level". The show had been on hiatus, and as we come back we are doing 7 - 10 minute short talks to inspire you to think. You wont agree with all my thoughts, but that is how we all learn and grow.

https://thomsinger.com

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Today's podcast is a quick plug for a new book called "Everyone Wants to Work Here" by Maura Thomas.

In this episode Thom Singer shares reasons to read this new book, especially how well chapter 7 describes the realities of how remote and hybrid work are changing business.

Thom admits that Maura is his friend, but this is not why he chose to share the information about her book... he shared this because it is a good book that all leaders need to read. Attracting the right talent is a major concern of every business leader, and keeping them engaged and energized matters more than ever. If you want you company to dominate your market...you need to check this out.

Find the book on Amazon https://a.co/d/1ocKwN0

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After a long hiatus, Thom Singer returns to hosing "Making Waves at C-Level". But as he always teaches, we have to try new things. He is stepping away from interviews, and doing short episodes with ideas and advice. Today he talks about leaders who pretend they are prefect and who lie on social media about how great they are (when you often know they are fluffing up their greatness). He says real leaders can admit to mistakes. What do you think?

https://thomsinger.com/podcast/dont-be-full-of-sht

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Check out this episode of "Making Waves at C-Level" when Thom Singer sits down with serial entrepreneur Henrik Johansson from Gembah.

About Henrik Johansson

Henrik Johansson is a serial entrepreneur who co-founded and built the product company

Boundless into a $100M company. Currently he is the co-founder and CEO of Gembah, a

product development platform and marketplace, and the Executive Producer of Final Product, a

reality TV show incubated at Gembah. He was previously a co-founder and board member of

OutboundEngine, and before that the president of EverydayWealth, and co-founder and

president of Creditland.

Johansson specializes in technology-enabled services, marketplaces, and software as a

service. He is an expert on scaling startups, building world-class teams, culture, and scalable

processes and infrastructure and has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Austin Business

Journal, and was named Counselor's 2017 Person of the Year.

About Gembah- The 1st Marketplace for Product Development

Gembah is a product development marketplace specializing in bringing new products to market

through all stages of development. Gembah connects creators with its global network of

designers, engineers, and supply chain specialists and oversees production at factories in

China, Southeast Asia, Mexico, and South America. Founded on the belief that humans are

natural inventors, the company’s goal is to empower creators and make product development

accessible to anyone. Gembah was established in 2018 in Austin, TX and has been featured in

Forbes and Entrepreneur. To learn more, visit Gembah.com, or find us on Twitter, Instagram,

Facebook, or YouTube.

Https://henrik-johansson

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When a podcast host gets an inquiry from someone with a great last name, how do you not put them on the show! LOL. In this episode Thom Singer sits down to talk AI Powered Financing Platform, SmartBiz with CEO Evan Singer (no relation - they are NOT cousins or brothers).

About Evan Singer:

Evan Singer is CEO of SmartBiz, the leading AI-powered small business financing platform equipping entrepreneurs with access to the right capital at the right time. To date, SmartBiz has connected borrowers with more than $9 billion in financing while increasing efficiency for its network of banks and trusted lending partners. More than 230,000 entrepreneurs have utilized SmartBiz to access the funding they need to grow, with 60% of loans made to minority, women, or veteran-owned businesses. Singer was honored as a Top 100 Stanford Alumni in Technology in 2021 and a Top 25 CEO in Fintech in 2022. 

About SmartBiz:

On the heels of the Great Recession, a team of technologists, entrepreneurs, and finance geeks came together to find an easier way for small businesses to apply for and secure low-cost funds from banks. United in the belief that the right capital at the right time can cause any small business to thrive, the early SmartBiz team committed themselves to connect every entrepreneur with the funds they need to fortify and grow their businesses. Today, small businesses of every size and type turn to SmartBiz for reliable access to SBA, bank term, and custom financing.

https://thomsinger.com/podcast/smartbiz

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Listen now for lessons in PR from the founder and president of Grapevine PR in Austin, Texas.  

This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too. Learn more at https://AustinTechnologyCouncil.org.

Steven Le Vine has released a new book called "Stories That F*cking Matter: Three pillars of epic storytelling to dominate media headlines, win clients, and grow your business". This is a must read for all business leaders.  

About Steven Le Vine:

Steven Le Vine is an award-winning publicist and PR strategist, and founder of Grapevine PR, since 2006. The firm's clients include tech and consumer brands, celebrities and high-profile experts. He has secured clients wide-ranging press from sit-down interviews with Oprah, The View, The Talk, NBC Today, CNBC, and CNN, to placements in Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, The New York Times, TechCrunch, WIRED, Fast Company, Business Insider, Men's Journal, USA Today, People, Variety, and more. He is a frequent media personality and contributor for prominent publications, including Forbes and Rolling Stone, where he offers his expert insight on PR and entrepreneurship. He has taken home nearly two dozen awards for his firm, including "Agency of the Year" and "Campaign of the Year," on behalf of his work for clients including William Shatner, Lisa Loeb, Danny Pintauro, and many others. Le Vine is the co-author of the new PR book, Stories That F*cking Matter: Three Pillars of Epic Storytelling to Dominate Media Headlines, Win Clients and Grow Your Business. He resides in Austin, TX.

About the book, Stories That F*cking Matter

Three Pillars of Epic Storytelling to Dominate Media Headlines, Win Clients and Grow Your Business:

A well-crafted story has the power to literally mold reality, win over hearts and change minds! The story is the most powerful tool humans have ever discovered. But what makes up a great, expertly constructed story? What’s the difference between a good story and a really f*cking great story? In this book, PR and media industry experts Steven Le Vine and Garrett McClure share their secret formula and winning playbooks from over two decades of proven success in earned, owned and paid media. This book reveals proven and effective PR & Media strategies, insider tips and growth hacks to tell a story that f*cking matters in order to cut through the noise of today’s fragmented media landscape and get seen and heard. Get an insider’s behind-the-scenes look into the world of PR, delivering proven methods and strategies along the way for entrepreneurs and experts to take media outreach into their own hands, tell a great story, make headlines, and succeed at growing their brands and businesses. www.storiesmatterbook.com

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BFQ1YJ13?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420

https://thomsinger.com/podcast/steven-levine

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