Maximum Octane

Among hundreds of other things, the irruption of social media gave means to virtually every person on the planet to share their voices, knowledge, opinions, and, of course, market their businesses. Although podcasting is not considered a social media per se, it certainly does a great job at offering people the chance to share their voices and opinions, and needless to say, market their businesses. The best part is that it requires only three things: a computer, a reliable wifi connection, and a microphone. 

Visiting us today is Ginni Saraswati, Founder & CEO of Ginni Media, Entrepreneur, Contributor at Entrepreneur and Rolling Stone. Ginni is also the Host, Writer, and Executive Producer of The Ginni Show podcast, Co-Founder of Metro Podcast Studio, and The Podcast Accelerator USA. 

In this episode, we get into the nuts and bolts of podcasting, its rapid evolution, and the role it plays in people's day-to-day communication. We also explore the relevance of culture in a company's development and growth, Ginni's experiences managing a 100% remote company, and the challenges of working with freelancers and, at the same time, creating a family environment. Ginni also described what it takes to start a podcast and the best ways to do it. 

Tune in to episode 15 of Maximum Octane and learn everything you need to know about podcasting, how to start your own podcast, and why you should do it.

Some Questions I Ask:

• Podcasting, to me, is like the next internet. What are your feelings about this modality? (3:26)
• How do people get started if they want to create a podcast? (17:34)
• What is the best way for people to launch their podcasts? (23:21)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• What is podcasting, in the eyes of Ginni (3:33)
• Culture is the driving force of an organization (8:11)
• The challenge of creating a family type environment while working with freelancers (13:03)
• Podcasting is the future (17:35)
• What are the three things needed to start a podcast (19:37)

Resources:

• Ginni Media website
• The Ginni Show podcast
• The Podcast Accelerator

Connect with Ginni:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Let's connect:

• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Statistically, companies have a small percentage, between 10 and 20%, of top performer internal customers and a similar number of people on the exact opposite side of that spectrum. The rest of the entire workforce is in between those two groups. Ironically, most companies dedicate their time and resources to trying to "fix" those underperforming collaborators in an attempt to recover them. This practice leaves a massive amount of talent completely unattended; that "middle" population is hidden at plain site talent that companies end up ignoring.

Today, we are thrilled to welcome Debbie Muno again to discuss the implications of the "Jan Brady" effect in an organization. Debbie Muno is the Managing Director of Genos North America, a globally recognized company offering Emotional Intelligence Solutions for Selection, Development, Training, and Certification.

In this episode, our conversation delves into the new challenges companies face after the changes the pandemic produced in the workforce, the way internal customers see work, and their priorities when choosing to stay in a firm, leave, or change it for one that offers better conditions. We discuss the importance of customized workshops and training for each internal customer and create personalized business hours. Debbie shared her thoughts on what companies are really competing for, what is a competitive advantage, what makes an engaging culture, and much more.

Tune in to episode 14 of Maximum Octane and get a different perspective on the best way to deal with the new world's challenges. 

Some Questions I Ask:

• Some companies have pizza parties or bowling nights, and they think we have an engaged culture and a great place to work. Do you see that? In the professional world? (2:40)
• What can you say about the "Jan Brady" effect in an organization? (15:47)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• What is talent, and what makes people successful? (2:45)
• The blood, sweat, and tears none of us see. What we need to do to create a real change in our culture (4:23)
• About the Jan Brady's of our organization (8:07)
• The real competition. Companies compete with their cultures to attract internal customers (14:48)
• What is a competitive advantage in today's market (25:12)
• Companies should seriously consider customized job positions and flexible working hours (29:31)

Resources:

• Genos North America website

Connect with Debbie:

• LinkedIn

Let's connect:

• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's episode is a powerful one. Having read several books and watched tons of videos on self-help, visualization, and manifestation, I had never achieved what our guest, Barney Feinberg, helped me unlock in just a couple of minutes. The simplicity, clarity, and kindness of his voice and message just blew me away, and I'm eager to share all of that in our show. 

Barney Feinberg is an Innovative Executive Coach and Recruiter, Founder and CEO of The Chemistry Factor, Author, and Podcast Host. Early on in his career, Barney became a CPA, traveled to Aisa, and worked for 7 years, where he learned and perfected his fluency in the language of business. 

Fast forward some years, Barney started working on executive placement. After becoming a Professional Coactive Coach, he thought it would be great to combine both activities, which created Life Balancing Recruiting, an embryo of the Chemistry Factor. 

In this episode, Coach Barney shares bits of his inspiring knowledge on the importance of empowering our values, strengthening our personal relationships, and recognizing the ability we all have to choose how to feel. We learn why it is so hard for most of us to identify our values, get attached to our peak moments, and manifest the energy that better serves us. Coach Barney also described the four-step process to connect with our values. He offered a short demonstration of how to identify and go to our lives' peak moments and then empower the value those peak moments enhance.   

Tune in to episode 13 of Maximum Octane and experience Coach Barney's clarity and calm wisdom.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• We think there is a difference between life and work, but they are the same (5:15)
• We get to choose who we are regardless of the circumstances (7:33)
• The four-step process to connect with our values (8:55)
• Why do most of us struggle to articulate our values (12:13)
• It is not about pointing out the error; it is about asking how we can make it better (17:48)
• The benefits of being patient (25:49)

Resources:

• The Chemistry Factor website
• The Chemistry Factor podcast
• Book: Barney Feinberg - The Chemistry Factor: Create Powerful Business Relationships for Greater Success

Connect with Coach Barney:

• LinkedIn
• Email: [email protected]

Let's connect:

• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most of us, especially in our businesses, change things when we are forced to. Of course, there are other times when we create a plan, design a course of action, execute the plan, and arrive at the desired destination. But for the most part, life is unpredictable; things out of our control happen and force us to pivot. What we decide to do with what life imposes can differentiate us from the rest, help us thrive and succeed, or just stay in an eternal loop of trying to figure things out. 

When life hit our guest, Patrick Connell, and it hit him hard, he realized he needed to do something about his business. The small automotive shop and the carwash that was just getting complete weren't generating enough revenue. Patrick walked down the street and told an electrician he was in the fleet business, and they were doing fleet repair. That is how he got his first client; he'll eventually figure things out later. A formula that would help him grow for years is listening to a client's needs, saying yes to all, and figuring out how to do it later.  

Fast forward some years, Patrick Connell became the President, CEO, and Owner of two successful businesses, ARS Truck & Fleet Service & Delaware Truck Refinishers. 

In this episode, we go through Patrick's journey of becoming a successful entrepreneur and inspiring leader. We talk about how his approach changed with time when he would first say yes to things and figure out how to do them later, to have a more organized and established procedure and list of services. We also talk about active listening, providing and promoting a culture that represents who we are, working hard on the behind-the-scenes of our business when things are good, and more. 

Tune in to episode 12 of Maximum Octane and learn more about Patrick's unique leadership style, customer service, and team development.

Some Questions I Ask:

• Do you want to talk a bit about your original business model and how you came to change it? (2:49)
• What kind of things did you do to transition from the retail to the fleet business? (6:40)
• How long do you think it took you to really understand that the fleet business would grow as it grew? (14:23)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• About the moment Patrick realized he needed to pivot and start a new kind of business (4:33)
• How Patrick's new business evolved and grew in the first three years, what changes it forced in him and how he approached his company (7:59)
• Some advice from Patrick about how to be in the fleet business (12:50)
• Active listening. The number one skill every entrepreneur should train (18:15)
• Patrick's advice on how to treat our business when things are going right for us (21:27)

Resources:

• Delaware Truck Refinishers website
• ARS Truck & Fleet Service website

Connect with Patrick:

• LinkedIn

Let's connect:

• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emotional intelligence usually receives the unfair tag of metaphysical woo-woo, but actually, there is science behind its concept, and it is a teachable skill. A first step into understanding how it works is realizing many things happen in our brains that we are unaware of, and we have no control over that directly impact almost everything we do. 

To talk about the importance of emotional intelligence and its implications in our personal and professional lives is Debbie Muno, Managing Director of Genos North America. 

Our conversation revolves around the direct link between how people feel and how they perform at work. We delve into the influence, positive or negative, people can have in our personal and professional lives and what we can do, as leaders, to improve our communication skills. Using simple words and uncomplicated concepts, Debbie explained the main ideas behind emotional intelligence and how it impacts productivity, hiring and retention rates, and personal development. 

Tune in to episode 11 of Maximum Octane and dive deep into emotional intelligence's fascinating space, and learn how to use it to improve your and your teams' experiences at work.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• What is emotional intelligence, and why it is related to the feeling of being drained all of us feel nowadays (4:41)
• What is the reward circuitry, and how it affects our mood and cognitive functions (7:21)
• The flat circuitry. Where everything goes South (15:41)
• Debbie's advice on how to improve our emotional intelligence (25:15)
• We are not what we feel (28:07)

Resources:

• Genos North America website

Connect with Debbie:

• LinkedIn

Let's connect:

• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Becoming an independent contractor might be the recipe for financial freedom to many people, and it probably is the best place to start looking for it. Still, other aspects must be considered once we become responsible for an organization, regardless of its size. For instance, if we are sole proprietors and someone working for us gets hurt while doing their job, they can sue us, and we'll respond with our personal assets. 

We can't prevent accidents from happening, but we can do things to protect our assets, the same way we protect our family and our businesses, and today's guest, Jerry Jankowski, explains to us how. 

Jerry Jankowski is a Tax Resolution Consultant at IRS Assistance Inc, a company devoted to helping people pay the least amount of money allowed by law while staying within the IRS and State guidelines. For the last 28 years, Jerry has helped individuals and business owners find solutions to serious federal and state tax debts. 

Today, through Jerry's vast experience, we explore the advantages and disadvantages of every corporation type we choose to establish for our businesses. We talk about the best ways to protect our money while keeping our assets and paying the least amount of taxes possible. We also go through the differences between C, S, and LLC corporations and much more. 

Tune in to episode 10 of Maximum Octane and learn about the best way to keep your assets safe, your business growing, and your tax returns organized. 

Some Questions I Ask:

• Could you share some of your wisdom with us? (3:06)
• People own the building that their business is in. And then they put that in the corporation name is as well, is that one of the examples of what you should not do? (7:39)
• I don't see anything wrong with speaking to a couple different professionals and saying: what is your opinion? What do you think is the best thing to do regarding what type of entity to create for our company? (15:46)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• How most independent contractors start and set up their businesses (3:46)
• Sole proprietors and taxes. How different corporations pay their taxes ( 7:49)
• The differences between C, S, and LLC corporations (14:32)
• The story of the car dealerships and their company setting choices (16:01)
• About Jerry's unproductive habits (21:51)

Resources:

• IRS Assistance Inc website
• IRS Assistance Inc Facebook

Connect with Jerry:

• LinkedIn

Let's connect:

• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When we think about being CEOs of our businesses, usually big names come to mind like Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos and immediately, we feel we are too far from them, therefore, far from being CEOs. However, let's look at the textbook definition of CEO: the only difference between big corporate CEOs and us is that they report to a board of directors, are responsible for improving their share price, and probably make a bit more money.  

Visiting us today is a dear friend and colleague, fantastic CEO, and owner of Red Hawk Auto Center, Tom Grady. Tom started working at Ford Motor Company and a Nissan Motor Company and ran dealerships in New York and California. 

We had a wonderful conversation about what every company owner should know about becoming a CEO, stop managing their company and start leading their internal customers. Tom brilliantly took us through the four primary roles every independent CEO should embrace to grow their company. We talk about the right mindset to grow, strategise properly, internal customer training, developing culture and more. 

Tune in to episode 9 of Maximum Octane and learn everything you need to know to become an efficient CEO and help your company grow consistently. 

Some Questions I Ask:

• Could you give us a bit of your background and how you got where you are today? (2:50)
• When you talk about looking at the future, you're protecting that, and you're looking and saying, every action we do today and every way we treat our internal and external customers will affect our future. How do you maintain this mindset? (19:12)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• There is a lot of confusion around what it means to be a CEO (3:46)
• As business owners, we need to be forward-thinking and change our mindset today (6:05)
• About the importance of developing a strategy (12:06)
• What is the right way to develop a culture (14:31)
• Barking orders versus generating internal customers' autonomy (20:12)

Resources:

• Red Hawk Auto Service website
• Red Hawk Auto Service Instagram
• Red Hawk Auto Service Facebook

Connect with Tom:

• LinkedIn

Let's connect:

• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From a business owner's perspective, having happy clients paying considerable amounts of money while sometimes waiting hours to get the product they paid for sounds, at minimum, impossible. However, that is what an average Disney visitor experience when visiting The Happiest Place On Earth. How is it possible, then? Our guest, Dennis Snow, has several answers to that question, and luckily, he shared them with us today. 

Dennis Snow is the President of Snow & Associates, Customer Service Keynote Speaker, Consultant, and Author of two books, "Lessons from the Mouse" and "Unleashing excellence." He honed his customer service experience during his 20 years of experience working at Disney. He launched a division of the Disney Institute responsible for consulting with companies like AT&T, ExxonMobil, and Coca-Cola. He also spent years at Disney University teaching corporate philosophy and business practices to cast members and the leadership team. During his time at Disney, Dennis coordinated the Disney Traditions program, which is universally recognized as a benchmark in corporate training.

In this episode, Dennis kindly shared some golden nuggets on customer experience and internal and external customers retention. We talked about the most valuable lessons he got from his experience working at Disney, the right way to treat customers, and what we can do, as business owners, to create loyalty amongst our customers. 

Tune in to episode 8 and hear about the most valuable lessons Dennis got from the world's most famous mouse. 

Some Questions I Ask:

How do you start working at Disney and become that fantastic mentor and leader you are today? (2:41)

Probably, the most expensive place on earth is Disney, and people wait in line for hours. Still, no one is sitting back at Disney going, yeah, we can't raise our rates. So, why is that? How did they build that? (16:54)

What's the advice you have for what's going on today for companies struggling with employees shortage? (21:15)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Everything speaks; every detail counts. Some of the first valuable lessons Dennis learned at Disney (5:08)

There is always someone listening for the first time the song you've been singing for the last 20 years (8:01)

Some of Dennis' best pieces of advice to make customers feel special (9:26)

The importance of creating a valuable experience for customers (13:58)

Make sure the value you offer exceeds the price people paid for your product or service (20:24)

Resources:

Snow & Associates, Inc website

Book: Dennis Snow - Lessons From the Mouse

Book: Dennis Snow - Unleashing Excellence

Connect with Dennis:

LinkedIn

Twitter

YouTube

Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Although it takes a lot of work to align, having a decentralized business benefits both business owners and internal customers. Since our guest, Scott Brown, implemented that leadership style in his company, he got happier, more productive employees and more satisfied clients. 

He gave his internal customers autonomy to decide and the right tools to make things happen; having someone worrying about inventory frees Scott from worrying about it. 

Scott Brown is the Owner and Operator of Level 5 Solutions, a company equipped with the latest technology to perform calibrations on all makes and models of vehicles. He is also the owner of Cardinal Plaza Shell. 

In this episode, Scott shared his unique point of view of leadership and team management. As he sees things, SOPs are useful when people don't know how to do the job, but once they master the craft, they can find new and faster ways to do the work. We also talked about the kind of people he looks to work with, the particular way he decided to conduct his business during the pandemic, the advantages of decentralization, and much more. 

Tune in to episode 7 of Maximum Octane and know a different and highly effective way of leading a productive and unified team. 

Some Questions I Ask:

• You say you don't need SOPs, and you don't want job descriptions; could you talk a bit about that? (4:07)
• What was your team's reaction when you said, we're going to cut your workweek in half, but we'll maintain your current pay schedules? (20:14)
• Part of your success, I think, is that there's trust and respect, and everything is transparent. Do you do feel the same? (25:30)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Make our clients' lives easier. The customer comes first, the team second, and the individual third. Be grateful for everything and entitled to nothing (6:52)
• What kind of autonomy do Scott's employees have when it comes to refunds and making decisions to make an unsatisfied client happy (9:30)
• Defaults vs. standards. Why Scott believes SOPs are useless at some point (12:10)
• The five vs. four days working week situation (17:43)
• About the Permanent Temporary Emergency Standard and other measures to make internal customers lives easier (26:31)

Resources:

• Get Level 5 Solutions website
• Cardinal Plaza Shell Facebook

Let's connect:

• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a self-confessed workaholic, perhaps one of the toughest challenges Bill Nalu faced as a leader was to decide to close on Saturdays. He didn't want his internal customers and their families to go through what he experienced working 60 hours a week. 

Bill Nalu, our guest today, is the President of Interstate Auto Care and a fantastic leader who lives and breathes serving. At Interstate Auto Care, Bill and his crew focus on offering superior customer service, integrity, and professionalism. 

In this episode, our conversation spin around the many aspects of being a successful leader. We talked about why sometimes the relationships at work don't mimic our relationships at home, the kind of people we should hire to work with us, and how hard it is sometimes to talk about feelings with tough men that work fixing cars. Bill shared brilliant insights about being aware of cultural traits when dealing with customers, the importance of balance in leadership, and how do encouragement should look like to avoid creating "praise junkies."  

Tune in to episode 6 of Maximum Octane and grasp Bill's fantastic and effective leadership style. 

Some Questions I Ask:

As a self-confessed workaholic, how do you inspire your team to take breaks and dedicate time to their families? (12:50)

When you are the business, and that's what you are seven days a week, you eat, breathe, sleep, and then you have to start realizing the company is not who you are. It's part of what you do, but it's not who you are. How do you make that shift? (17:31)

What is one unproductive habit that you've had that you have exchanged for a productive one? (35:34)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Where am I going, and who is coming with me? About some leadership foundational questions (4:58)

When was the last time you took unrelated to work vacations? How powerful questions can help us evolve (9:01)

How to Bill instilled the importance of taking a break to his team being a workaholic (15:10)

We sell customer reactions (24:17)

About the importance of considering cultural differences when dealing with clients (26:48)

Resources:

Interstate Auto Care website

Book: Jon Taffer - Raise the Bar: An Action-Based Method for Maximum Customer Reactions

Book: Gary Chapman - The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace

Book: John Gray - Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

Connect with Bill:

LinkedIn

Let's connect:

LinkedIn

Facebook

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.