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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thom Singer had the honor of being the master of ceremonies and a speaker at the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2017 in Philadelphia, PA. ASTRA is the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, and annually the largest gathering of toy store owners and manufacturers. Wow, what a great event. Almost every community has a local toy store, and many of the entrepreneurs who run these businesses are continuing to thrive in a changing business environment.

In this episode Thom interviews toy store owners, and the manufacturers of the products they sell for an informative podcast on what lessons all entrepreneurs can learn from the toy industry.

Founded in 1992, the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) is an international not-for-profit trade organization that serves more than 1,800 independent retailers, manufacturers and sales representations of the specialty toy industry. ASTRA is a dedicated community of professionals committed to providing children with healthy, quality play materials that have high play value. ASTRA members build their businesses around specialty toys, which are designed with a focus on what the child can do, rather than what the toy can do. ASTRA members are leaders who have a positive influence the economy, culture and creativity of the communities they serve.

ASTRA provides members with access to networking, education, discounts, business products and services to assist our members as they grow their businesses. ASTRA Academy, which houses our education and training resources, was established to provide ASTRA members with on-demand access to up-to-the-minute training in an ever-changing industry. Marketplace & Academy is a four-day trade show and education conference featuring industry leaders and hands-on product demonstrations. The conference draws more than 450 exhibits and includes more than 30 hours of education.

A volunteer board of 14 retailers, manufacturers and sales representatives governs the associations.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thom Singer had the honor of being the master of ceremonies and a speaker at the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2017 in Philadelphia, PA. ASTRA is the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, and annually the largest gathering of toy store owners and manufacturers. Wow, what a great event. Almost every community has a local toy store, and many of the entrepreneurs who run these businesses are continuing to thrive in a changing business environment.

In this episode Thom interviews toy store owners, and the manufacturers of the products they sell for an informative podcast on what lessons all entrepreneurs can learn from the toy industry.

Founded in 1992, the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) is an international not-for-profit trade organization that serves more than 1,800 independent retailers, manufacturers and sales representations of the specialty toy industry. ASTRA is a dedicated community of professionals committed to providing children with healthy, quality play materials that have high play value. ASTRA members build their businesses around specialty toys, which are designed with a focus on what the child can do, rather than what the toy can do. ASTRA members are leaders who have a positive influence the economy, culture and creativity of the communities they serve.

ASTRA provides members with access to networking, education, discounts, business products and services to assist our members as they grow their businesses. ASTRA Academy, which houses our education and training resources, was established to provide ASTRA members with on-demand access to up-to-the-minute training in an ever-changing industry. Marketplace & Academy is a four-day trade show and education conference featuring industry leaders and hands-on product demonstrations. The conference draws more than 450 exhibits and includes more than 30 hours of education.

A volunteer board of 14 retailers, manufacturers and sales representatives governs the associations.

Carlos Hidalgo was guest number 122 on "Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do" in Novermber 2015, At that time he was the founder and CEO of ANNUITAS and was leading the 10 year old company through amazing growth. Then a year later he decided he had to make some hard choices, and decided to walk away from the company to choose a different life for himself and his family.

Can a CEO of a successful company really walk away? Carlos did just that. He told his board in October, and 4 months later told the world. What surprised him the most was how many other CEOs, Founders, and C-Level Executives reached out to him and said "Tell me more about how you did that".

This episode is a must hear for every entrepreneur who feels they have their ladder against the wrong wall. It is common for people to merge their identity with their career, and get buried in the "busy". If that sounds like you (or someone you know), check out this interview.

After leaving the company Carlos founded VisumCx. Hes has 20+ years of experience in leading organizations who are dedicated to meeting the demands of their customers by enabling the delivery of exceptional customer experience.
​
VisumCx takes a hands-on approach to the assessment, development, implementation and measurement of customer experience programs.

VisumCx does not look to consult with our clients; rather he partners with clients to ensure they can capitalize on his background and competitive advantage.

​http://www.visumcx.com

@cahidalgo on Twitter.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carlos Hidalgo was guest number 122 on "Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do" in Novermber 2015, At that time he was the founder and CEO of ANNUITAS and was leading the 10 year old company through amazing growth. Then a year later he decided he had to make some hard choices, and decided to walk away from the company to choose a different life for himself and his family.

Can a CEO of a successful company really walk away? Carlos did just that. He told his board in October, and 4 months later told the world. What surprised him the most was how many other CEOs, Founders, and C-Level Executives reached out to him and said "Tell me more about how you did that".

This episode is a must hear for every entrepreneur who feels they have their ladder against the wrong wall. It is common for people to merge their identity with their career, and get buried in the "busy". If that sounds like you (or someone you know), check out this interview.

After leaving the company Carlos founded VisumCx. Hes has 20+ years of experience in leading organizations who are dedicated to meeting the demands of their customers by enabling the delivery of exceptional customer experience.
​
VisumCx takes a hands-on approach to the assessment, development, implementation and measurement of customer experience programs.

VisumCx does not look to consult with our clients; rather he partners with clients to ensure they can capitalize on his background and competitive advantage.

​http://www.visumcx.com

@cahidalgo on Twitter.

Concord Leadership Group founder Marc A. Pitman helps leaders, especially in nonprofits, lead their teams with more effectiveness and less stress. He’s the author of “Ask Without Fear!®,” the executive director of TheNonprofitAcademy.com, and an Advisory Panel member of Rogare, a prestigious international fundraising think tank.

Marc’s expertise and enthusiasm engages audiences around the world and has caught the attention of media organizations as diverse as The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Al Jazeera, SUCCESS Magazine, and Fox News. Marc tweets regularly at @marcapitman.

He is the husband to his best friend and the father of three amazing kids. And if you drive by him on the road, he’ll be singing 80’s tunes loud enough to embarrass his family!

Over the past 16 years, Marc’s organizational and leadership coaching and trainings have helped tens of thousands of nonprofits advance their missions, meet revenue goals, and improve the lives of their staff and supporters including clients like the Maine Public Broadcasting Network, Georgetown University, In Defense of Animals, Habitat for Humanity, and the Association of the U.S. Army.

Marc’s first move toward leadership coaching in nonprofits began in 97 in his first fundraising position. At the time, he was coached by his boss, a skilled fundraiser, through asking for major gifts in a final phase of a multimillion-dollar campaign. Coaching quickly helped Marc get comfortable with asking for large gifts and keeping the relationships with donors long after the campaign was over.

In the early 2000s, Marc was promoted to a leading role in a development office. But as is typical in nonprofits, his new position required him to still meet the goals of his previous position. So he engaged a leadership coach to help meet the sometimes conflicting demands that were arising. Leadership coaching helped him identify and leverage his core talents, better understand the people he worked with, and shape the fundraising work to shape goals in concert with his strengths and the strengths of his team. He found his stress levels went down even as his professional effectiveness increased.

Throughout the next decade, Marc amassed experience in working with boards, creating internal systems, and running all aspects of fundraising programs including annual funds, grants, planned giving programs, alumni relations, and special events. He also ran or worked in a dozen capital campaigns. As the leader of fundraising for a community hospital, he became involved with internal coaching as he helped shape the hospital’s “Leadership Institute,” their leadership development program for employees. There he helped assessed the needs of managers and their staff’s, hired trainers, and created action plans to ensure the ROI of the trainings.

Marc received a Masters of Organizational Leadership, culminating with a staff retention benchmark study entitled “Faculty Retention on a Shoestring” to help independent schools retain key faculty members. He became a Certified FranklinCovey Coach, started FundraisingCoach.com, wrote the first book in the Ask Without Fear!® series, and started giving on-demand training at TheNonprofitAcademy,com. Throughout the decade, he strove to get the best leadership and fundraising training to all nonprofits, whatever the size of their professional development budget.

Over the years, Marc has coached leaders from organizations with less than $100,000 in revenue to those with over $200 million in revenue. He’s trained the top major gift officers of national and international organizations like Habitat for Humanity International, Georgetown University, and KLOVE/Air 1. And he has coached new nonprofit CEOs who were transitioning into leadership roles either from the private sector or as a hire from within the nonprofit sector. 

Marc is regularly sought out by broadcast / print media to speak about leadership and philanthropy and he travels around the world speaking to teams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Concord Leadership Group founder Marc A. Pitman helps leaders, especially in nonprofits, lead their teams with more effectiveness and less stress. He’s the author of “Ask Without Fear!®,” the executive director of TheNonprofitAcademy.com, and an Advisory Panel member of Rogare, a prestigious international fundraising think tank.

Marc’s expertise and enthusiasm engages audiences around the world and has caught the attention of media organizations as diverse as The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Al Jazeera, SUCCESS Magazine, and Fox News. Marc tweets regularly at @marcapitman.

He is the husband to his best friend and the father of three amazing kids. And if you drive by him on the road, he’ll be singing 80’s tunes loud enough to embarrass his family!

Over the past 16 years, Marc’s organizational and leadership coaching and trainings have helped tens of thousands of nonprofits advance their missions, meet revenue goals, and improve the lives of their staff and supporters including clients like the Maine Public Broadcasting Network, Georgetown University, In Defense of Animals, Habitat for Humanity, and the Association of the U.S. Army.
Marc’s first move toward leadership coaching in nonprofits began in 1997 in his first fundraising position. At the time, he was coached by his boss, a skilled fundraiser, through asking for major gifts in a final phase of a multimillion dollar campaign. Coaching quickly helped Marc get comfortable with asking for large gifts and keeping the relationships with donors long after the campaign was over.
In the early 2000’s, Marc was promoted to a leading role in a development office. But as is typical in nonprofits, his new position required him to still meet the goals of his previous position. So he engaged a leadership coach to help meet the sometimes conflicting demands that were arising. Leadership coaching helped him identify and leverage his core talents, better understand the people he worked with, and shape the fundraising work to shape goals in concert with his strengths and the strengths of his team. He found his stress levels went down even as his professional effectiveness increased.

Throughout the next decade, Marc amassed experience in working with boards, creating internal systems, and running all aspects of fundraising programs including annual funds, grants, planned giving programs, alumni relations, and special events. He also ran or worked in a dozen capital campaigns. As the leader of fundraising for a community hospital, he became involved with internal coaching as he helped shape the hospital’s “Leadership Institute,” their leadership development program for employees. There he helped assessed the needs of managers and their staff’s, hired trainers, and created action plans to ensure the ROI of the trainings.

Marc received a Masters of Organizational Leadership, culminating with a staff retention benchmark study entitled “Faculty Retention on a Shoestring” to help independent schools retain key faculty members. He became a Certified FranklinCovey Coach, started FundraisingCoach.com, wrote the first book in the Ask Without Fear!® series, and started giving on-demand training at TheNonprofitAcademy,com. Throughout the decade, he strove to get the best leadership and fundraising training to all nonprofits, whatever the size of their professional development budget

Over the years, Marc has coached leaders from organizations with less than $100,000 in revenue to those with over $200 million in revenue. He’s trained the top major gift officers of national and international organizations like Habitat for Humanity International, Georgetown University, and KLOVE/Air 1. And he has coached new nonprofit CEOs who were transitioning into leadership roles either from the private sector or as a hire from within the nonprofit sector.

Marc is regularly sought out by broadcast and print media to speak about leadership and philanthropy and he travels around the world speaking to teams and keynoting at conferences.

Steve Olsher is known as the world’s foremost reinvention expert. Famous for helping individuals and corporations become exceptionally clear on their WHAT – that is, the ONE thing they were created to do – his practical, no-holds-barred approach to life and business propels his clients and presentation attendees towards achieving massive profitability while cultivating lives of purpose, conviction, and contribution.

He is the New York Times bestselling author of What Is Your WHAT? Discover The ONE Amazing Thing You Were Born To Do, international keynote speaker, Chairman & Co-Founder of Liquor.com, and in-demand media guest who has appeared on CNN, Fox Business and other national outlets.

WHAT IS THE NEW MEDIA SUMMIT?

The NEW MEDIA SUMMIT is a brand new conference for coaches, authors, speakers, holistic practitioners and entrepreneurs to receive detailed training on leveraging, and monetizing, the power of new media... and, to have GUARANTEED, private, 1:1 meetings with today's leading 'Icons of Influence' who will be there for one specific reason... to meet YOU and find guests to feature on their shows!

If you're serious about getting massive exposure for your business, you need to secure your seat at the inaugural NEW MEDIA SUMMIT and get the high-level visibility you deserve.

Today, more people turn to New Media platforms such as podcasts, blogs and social media channels for their entertainment, information and education than to ALL major television networks, radio stations and newspapers combined!

If you're not being featured on these outlets, then who is?

YOUR COMPETITION!

Why should they get the visibility that you have as much right to (or more!) as they do??

At the NEW MEDIA SUMMIT, you get to cut to the front of the line and meet the producers and hosts who are looking for guests just like you!

Imagine how many more people would hire you to speak or buy your products and services if you were featured on MAJOR podcasts such as The Solopreneur Hour, Conscious Millionaire, Read To Lead, Reinvention Radio and MANY others!

The answer is... A LOT!

The NEW MEDIA SUMMIT is the only place where you're guaranteed to have personal, one-on-one, face-to-face appointments with the decision makers who can make you famous with the push of a button... and, leave with bookings in hand!

SIGN UP NOW for the New Media Summit at https://ar117.isrefer.com/go/nms/thomsinger/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Olsher is known as the world’s foremost reinvention expert. Famous for helping individuals and corporations become exceptionally clear on their WHAT – that is, the ONE thing they were created to do – his practical, no-holds-barred approach to life and business propels his clients and presentation attendees towards achieving massive profitability while cultivating lives of purpose, conviction, and contribution.

He is the New York Times bestselling author of What Is Your WHAT? Discover The ONE Amazing Thing You Were Born To Do, international keynote speaker, Chairman & Co-Founder of Liquor.com, and in-demand media guest who has appeared on CNN, Fox Business and other national outlets.

WHAT IS THE NEW MEDIA SUMMIT?

The NEW MEDIA SUMMIT is a brand new conference for coaches, authors, speakers, holistic practitioners and entrepreneurs to receive detailed training on leveraging, and monetizing, the power of new media... and, to have GUARANTEED, private, 1:1 meetings with today's leading 'Icons of Influence' who will be there for one specific reason... to meet YOU and find guests to feature on their shows!

If you're serious about getting massive exposure for your business, you need to secure your seat at the inaugural NEW MEDIA SUMMIT and get the high-level visibility you deserve.

Today, more people turn to New Media platforms such as podcasts, blogs and social media channels for their entertainment, information and education than to ALL major television networks, radio stations and newspapers combined!

If you're not being featured on these outlets, then who is?

YOUR COMPETITION!

Why should they get the visibility that you have as much right to (or more!) as they do??

At the NEW MEDIA SUMMIT, you get to cut to the front of the line and meet the producers and hosts who are looking for guests just like you!

Imagine how many more people would hire you to speak or buy your products and services if you were featured on MAJOR podcasts such as The Solopreneur Hour, Conscious Millionaire, Read To Lead, Reinvention Radio and MANY others!

The answer is... A LOT!

The NEW MEDIA SUMMIT is the only place where you're guaranteed to have personal, one-on-one, face-to-face appointments with the decision makers who can make you famous with the push of a button... and, leave with bookings in hand!

SIGN UP NOW for the New Media Summit at https://ar117.isrefer.com/go/nms/thomsinger/