If you've been anywhere near the news recently, you know that AI and ChatGPT is one of the hottest topics. But what does AI really mean? How will ChatGPT impact your industry? And how does someone develop an "AI-first" company?

Our guest this week is the perfect person to answer all those questions. Jacob Colker is a Managing Director at the AI2 Incubator, a one-of-a-kind place to build an AI-first company at the (Microsoft Cofounder) Paul Allen Institute for AI.

Listen to the full conversation for more on where AI innovation is headed, how Jacob's incubator helps AI-first companies develop and grow, the importance of customer feedback in building a successful AI company, and more.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn:

• More about Jacob's incubator for "AI-first" companies, plus what makes it different from other startup incubators out there

• How customer feedback is integrated into the process by which Jacob's incubator chooses companies to work with

• What AI is at its core, plus what "generative AI" is

• Historical trends around AI, and what it says about what could be on the horizon

• What companies should be looking out for, as AI and other technology continues to innovate

• The difference between "and" and "or" — and what that says about the messaging around AI

• How Jacob and his incubator measure success with their companies, and why 80% of those metrics fall under the standard VC umbrella, and why 20% is "impact"

• The habits Jacob has integrated to be at his best at work every day, and what it means to him to be "one spoke in a wheel"

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• AI2 Incubator website

• Jacob Colker on LinkedIn

• Ben's Bites newsletter

• 40 Strategy

• Contact 40 Strategy

• Carl J. Cox on LinkedIn

These days, hiring is one of the top challenges for businesses everywhere — no matter their size, industry, or geography. But no matter what's going on in the economy or world, there are a few principles that organizations can follow to stay ahead of the curve and pull in the best candidates for open positions.

Our guest this week is an expert in hiring and recruitment. Ryan Englin is the CEO and Founder of Core Matters, is passionate about supporting growing businesses to build amazingly productive companies by providing coaching and training on attracting, hiring, and retaining rock star employees using his proven process, the Core Fit Hiring System.

Listen to the full episode for more on how to attract better job candidates, what today's prospective employees are actually looking for, how to build better hiring processes, more about ghosting in the hiring world, and a lot more.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn:

• Why entrepreneurs don't typically have a knack for recruiting and hiring

• What makes an organization attractive to potential employees and what it means to attract "with the right bait"

• Why companies should stop posting jobs solely on job boards — and where to recruit instead

• How business owners can make sure they're in the right spot to attract future employees

• How to create your own "fishing pond" of prospects — and why that's so crucial to avoiding the chaotic search for a candidate after someone leaves unexpectedly

• What to do and change about your hiring process when unemployment or other economic trends are shifting dramatically

• More about the things that candidates are looking for out of a company

• How "ghosting" came about in the hiring process — and how to avoid it as an employer

• Why having a "process designed for speed" can help give companies a leg up in the hiring process

• How sourcing processes might change depending on whether you're hiring for lower level employees or middle managers and leaders

• Why leaders should treat potential job candidates as "warm leads"

• Why new employees are only at about 50% of full productivity after 6 months in a position

• The power of cultivating a "sense of belonging" within a company culture

• Why having a best friend at work is such a strong indicator of employee engagement

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Core Matters website

• Core Matters on LinkedIn

• Core Matters on Twitter

• Core Matters on Facebook

• 40 Strategy

• Contact 40 Strategy

• Carl J. Cox on LinkedIn

There are so many reasons a business could potentially fail. But the difference between businesses that weather the storm and those that go under is that their leaders don't treat those "reasons" as excuses. They treat them as learning opportunities.

That's just one characteristic of top leadership that we talk about in this week's episode, with guest Craig T. Ingram. Craig has over 25 years of commercialization leadership and management expertise, creating and implementing effective, out-of-the-box marketing and sales strategies in the MedTech and HealthTech industries.

Tune into the full episode for more on Craig's approach to business growth, how to stand out in a saturated marketplace, the power of saying "yes" often as a business leader, what makes a successful salesperson, and a lot more.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn:

• More about what Craig does to help the MedTech industry, and how he started that career path

• The big problem with hiring in the MedTech and HealthTech industries — and why that has allowed Craig to offer such a different perspective and approach

• The #1 reason people don't earn their worth

• Why "doing your best" isn't always enough in business

• The top 3 characteristics Craig has noticed from highly successful people with extremely high net worths

• Why business leaders should say "yes" more often than "no"

• The skills any successful salesperson needs to have in order to communicate the value of their product or service

• The difference between strategy and tactics — and why so many people don't realize this difference

• How to get past the hurdle of people being "over-marketed" to

• Why Craig pictures his day as a marathon, plus some of the habits he's integrated into those days to maintain peak focus as much as possible

• Craig's book (and author) recommendations

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Craig's company, Medical Sales Growth

• Craig T. Ingram on LinkedIn

• Craig T. Ingram on Instagram

• Craig T. Ingram on Twitter

• "Millionaire Underdog: How to Start, Grow and Explode any Business" by J.T. Foxx

• "The Private Equity Playbook: Management's Guide to Working with Private Equity" by Adam Coffey

• "The Exit-Strategy Playbook: The Definitive Guide to Selling Your Business" by Adam Coffey

• 40 Strategy

• Contact 40 Strategy

• Carl J. Cox on LinkedIn

The word "trauma" can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. And many might think it falls squarely in the "personal" realm, not the professional one. But unresolved trauma can actually show up in business — and can even impact what kind of success your organization is able to have.

Our guest this week is someone who has studied the brain and the science of trauma extensively — and works with extremely high-performing people to help them move past their own trauma. Don Wood, Ph.D., is an author, speaker, creator of the patented TIPP method, and Founder and CEO of the Inspired Performance Institute.

Listen to the full conversation for more on the personal story that inspired Don's company, how our brains record and process trauma, what that process can mean for business owners, why self-sabotage isn't actually real, and more.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn:

• More about Don's company, the Inspired Performance Institute, plus the personal family story that inspired its genesis

• The science behind trauma, and why our brains store traumatic memories in "high definition"

• The 4 brain wave states, and more detail about when each one is activated

• Why traditional therapy isn't the best modality for getting past trauma

• More about Don's specific process for helping someone unpack and move past their trauma

• What it means that your brain is actually just a "giant computer" — and why you need new codes in order to get out of the trauma loop

• Why Don doesn't believe the brain is capable of self-sabotage

• How trauma can show up within a business, and how it can impact strategic planning

• The story of how Don helped a Spartan Warrior champion shift his mindset and find even more success

• More about the future books Don is planning

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• The Inspired Performance Institute

• The Inspired Performance Institute on LinkedIn

• The Inspired Performance Institute on Facebook

• Dr. Don Wood on Instagram

• "Emotional Concussions: Understanding How Our Nervous System is Affected By Events and Experiences Throughout Our Life." by Dr. Don Wood

• "You Must Be Out of Your Mind: We All Need A Reboot" by Dr. Don Wood

• "What's in It for Them?: 9 Genius Networking Principles to Get What You Want by Helping Others Get What They Want" by Joe Polish

• 40 Strategy

• Contact 40 Strategy

• Carl J. Cox on LinkedIn

More than 80% of strategic plans fail. So chances are, if you're an organizational leader, you're (unfortunately) part of that group. But there are ways to turn that tradition around — and actually execute on the strategies you spend so much time designing.

Our latest guest is an expert in helping companies do just that. Aric Wood is the CEO of XPLANE, a global design consultancy that serves Fortune 500 businesses and global organizations to clarify, communicate, and activate their strategies and drive change in their organizations. He is also the author of the Strategy Activation Playbook.

Tune into the full episode for more on common mistakes that companies make in their strategic planning, the importance of human-centered design in reversing that trend, how many touchpoints you *really* need with your team to actually execute your vision, how to use focus groups to understand barriers, and more.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn:

• More about Aric's company, XPLANE

• The statistic about strategic planning that was "infuriating" for Aric — and how his company helps to change that stat

• What an organization's failure to reach its vision or strategic initiatives boils down to

• Why human-centered design is important to incorporate into strategic planning

• Why the way companies have traditionally rolled out strategy is a "dinosaur" — and what's changing now

• More about the 80-20 rule, and how understanding it can impact change management at your organization

• How many touchpoints you typically need with your team (and what kind of touchpoints) if you want to successfully enact a strategic plan

• How to use focus groups to figure out the barriers to change at your organization

• Why the "smartest person in the room" is actually the "room"

• Why rolling out a strategy as a 100-page PowerPoint deck is a bad plan — and what to do instead

• The biggest obstacle to actually executing a strategic plan

• How Aric measures success with his clients

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• XPLANE consultancy

• Aric Wood on LinkedIn

• "The Strategy Activation Playbook: A Practical Approach to Bringing Your Strategies to Life" by Aric Wood

• "The Design of Everyday Things" by Don Norman

• 40 Strategy

• Contact 40 Strategy

• Carl J. Cox on LinkedIn

By now, we probably all know that the concept of "work-life balance" is a myth. But there IS a better way of thinking about how we align our work with the rest of our lives (and personalities). And there's no one better to talk about how to do that than our latest guest.

Kevin Lawrence is a straight-talking coach and author who helps CEOs and executives around the world break through business challenges, grow their companies, defy the gravity of stress, and succeed in work, self, and life.

Tune into the full episode for more on what Kevin describes as "licking toads," the top characteristic someone needs to have in order to be a great leader, tips for effectively delegating, and more.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn:

• More about what Kevin does and how he got to this career

• What it means to "make it" — and why the traditional idea of making it is actually a sham

• How generational wealth can turn into a generational "burden"

• How Kevin coaches executives to bounce back, even after hitting rock bottom

• Why the idea of "work-life balance" is a flawed concept

• The importance of everyone finding the path and type of work that best aligns with their personalities — and why people should give themselves permission to pursue that path

• The power of finding "your people"

• What "licking the toads" means — and how to overcome the hurdle that metaphor represents

• The 75-cent issues that cost $75,000 in the long run

• The hardest characteristic to cultivate in order to be an effective leader

• One of the biggest lessons that people early in their careers need to learn

• How Kevin measures success with his clients

• What "resilience rituals" are — plus some examples of Kevin's personal ones

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Lawrence & Co. website

• Kevin Lawrence on LinkedIn

• "Your Oxygen Mask First: 17 Habits to Help High Achievers Survive & Thrive in Leadership & Life" by Kevin N. Lawrence

• Lawrence & Co. on Twitter

• The Growth Whisperers Podcast with Brad Giles and Kevin Lawrence

• Lawrence & Co. newsletter

• "Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter" by Liz Wiseman

• "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill

• "How to Win Friends and Influence People: The Only Book You Need to Lead You to Success" by Dale Carnegie

• 40 Strategy

• Contact 40 Strategy

• Carl J. Cox on LinkedIn

Do you ever feel like YOU are the bottleneck preventing growth within your organization? Unfortunately, it's a common mistake business owners make every day: getting stuck in the weeds, becoming the "linchpin," and slowing down growth.

But there is a better way — one that gets you back into the strategic leadership seat, and that gets your organization back on track. Our guest this week is an expert in helping business owners make that shift (and she's had to do it herself, too). Isabelle Mercier-Turcotte is a "no-nonsense" dynamo, born to catapult heart-centered entrepreneurs and business leaders to build impactful brands, business and lives. She's also one of the few repeat guests on the Measure Success Podcast.

Listen to the full episode for more on how to build a strategy that will get you from where you are now to where you want to go, how to establish a deeper "why" for your goals, the art and science of delegation, and why Isabelle swears by a "gambling fund" at her organization (it's not what you think).

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn:

• Why the business and sports worlds have more parallels than most people think

• How to connect goals to a deeper "why" and why that connection is so important

• What the biggest tax you'll ever pay is — and how to keep yourself from having to pay it

• What strategy means according to Isabelle's perspective

• How to bridge the gap between where you are now and where you want to go

• Why it's important for Isabelle to "step out of the way" in her own business

• What a linchpin means in the context of business — and why Isabelle is trying to get away from being one

• The power of having entire weeks with no meetings, client work, etc so that company leaders can focus on big-picture strategy

• Why Isabelle promotes "scheduling spontaneity" as well as a "gambling fund"

• What "winning architecture" means — and how to integrate it into your life and business

• How to stick with your own boundaries and calendar blocks and stay disciplined to creating space for yourself and your own business planning

• When you should automate, delegate, or eliminate

• How Isabelle measures success in her own life

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• LeapZone Strategies website

• LeapZone Strategies on LinkedIn

• Isabelle's TEDx Talks

• "Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?" by Seth Godin

• 40 Strategy

• Contact 40 Strategy

• Carl J. Cox on LinkedIn

If you've ever had a strategic initiative fail at your organization and thought to yourself, "What am I doing wrong as a leader?" this episode is for you.

The truth is, most leaders end up with several failed strategies under their belt. The trick is to stop making the same mistakes and lean into some best practices for strategic planning that *actually* work.

There's no one better to teach leaders how to build that foundation and grow through strategy than our latest guest. Jim Gitney, the Founder and CEO of Group50® Consulting has 45 years of corporate and consulting experience working with over 200 companies in guiding them toward double-digit top line and bottom line growth.

Listen to the full conversation for more on the top mistakes business owners make when it comes to successful strategic initiatives, what the "business hierarchy of needs" is (and what CEOs can learn from it), the downsides of having too many goals, how to align compensation structures in a way that encourages forward motion on your strategic initiatives, and much more.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn:

• Jim's background in strategic consulting, and more about his approach

• Why it's important to narrow focus when it comes to strategic objectives, instead of casting a wide net

• More about the "five whys" exercise that Jim takes his clients through in order to establish what their most important goal is

• How to break strategy down into fundamental elements that everyone within a business can understand and implement

• What the business hierarchy of needs is, and why having a strong foundation is so important to creating strategies that succeed

• Statistics about why strategies fail

• Why mid-level managers typically hold strategic initiatives back

• How to correlate compensation structures with successful strategies, and why those systems can't be just about money

• How to know when a strategic initiative is going to make an actual impact and really move the dial

• The biggest things that businesses struggle with when it comes to moving major initiatives forward

• Why every business leader should be able to answer three questions about their strategies: "From what," "to what" and "by when"

• Why business is done horizontally, not vertically

• How Jim and his team measure success internally

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Strategy Realized website

• Group50 Consulting

• Jim Gitney on LinkedIn

• "Strategy Realized - The Business Hierarchy of Needs: Turning Strategy Into Results" by Jim Gitney

• Jim Gitney on YouTube

• "The Premonition: A Pandemic Story" by Michael Lewis

• 40 Strategy

• Contact 40 Strategy

• Carl J. Cox on LinkedIn

Our latest guest, Ken Hannaman, certainly hasn't gone down the "traditional" route in life. Even though he was a decent student as a teenager, he dropped out of high school. But it's what he's done in the years since — moving all the way up to corporate leadership positions at some of the most recognizable names in restaurants — that makes his journey unique.

Ken is the Founder and Possibility Mindset Coach at Ungraduated Living, as well as a corporate executive leader of 400+ restaurants.

Listen to the full conversation for more on Ken's journey after dropping out of high school, why a business's success will almost always hinge on one specific metric, the top reasons people don't reach their goals, how to shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset, and more.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn:

• How Ken has not followed the "typical life pattern," including his journey to "abundance" after dropping out of high school

• Why your own results and behavioral skills can mean more than your pedigree, and whether Ken has ever experienced challenges because he wasn't a high school grad

• How Ken inspires other people through his journey and helps them see what's possible for their future

• One of the most important metrics that informs whether a business will be successful, according to Ken's experience

• Tips for keeping retention high at an organization

• One of the most gratifying and humbling experiences Ken consistently has in his career

• How to drive consistent results within a business

• Why results depend so much on the manager of an organization

• The top reason people never make it to the next level or reach their goals, and why people should turn towards their fear if they hope to realize their full potential

• How Ken helps people move past their fear and why it "can't be all about you"

• How to "become your own currency"

• The Japanese concept of "ikigai" and why it's so helpful in someone's journey to meeting their full potential

• The mindset of lack vs the mindset of abundance, and how that mindset shift can transform your life and career

• Why and how Ken delegates in order to make the most of his time, plus the concept of "habit-stacking"

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Ungraduated Living

• Ken Hannaman on LinkedIn

• "Ungraduated: Finding your why and dropping out of outdated belief systems" by Ken Hannaman

• Ungraduated Living on Twitter

• Ungraduated Living on Instagram

• Ken Hannaman on Facebook

• "The Dream Manager" by Matthew Kelly

• "Business Brilliant: Surprising Lessons from the Greatest Self-Made Business Icons" by Lewis Schiff

• "Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones" by James Clear

• "The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level" by Gay Hendricks

• "The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment" by Eckhart Tolle

• "The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life's Perfection" by Michael A. Singer

• 40 Strategy

• Contact 40 Strategy

• Carl J. Cox on LinkedIn

Corporate gift giving can often feel stale, depersonalized, and obligatory. But our latest guest, President, co-founder, and Chef Lucia E. Robles, is on a mission to change that — and help companies build better relationships with those they work with. Lucia also knows a thing or two about building great client relationships through top-notch customer service. As the owner of a luxury B2B gourmet gift company, it's a cornerstone of her business.

Lucia is a pastry chef turned business owner, a Le Cordon Bleu graduate, who is the president and co-founder of the high-end luxury B2B gourmet gift company, Lucia & Co. Her firm makes consistent client appreciation gifting possible with their customizable auto done-for-you gift plans, and specializes in working with professionals who have compliance sending and spending regulations.

At 40 Strategy, we're also a client of Lucia & Co. — we can vouch for their excellent customer service and gifts with a personalized touch.

Listen to the full episode for more on how companies can be better gift-givers, the secret to top-notch customer service, the power of intention-setting, and more.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn:

• More about Lucia's business, which involves B2B gifting

• The key to great (and sincere) customer service

• The mistake that people (and companies) make when it comes to gift-giving

• How Lucia went from foodie and pastry chef to small business owner

• Some of the growing pains Lucia has experienced as she's grown her business

• Why Lucia's company was a remote and hybrid-first workplace from its inception

• Some of the metrics Lucia uses to measure success within her company — and her life

• The value of not being on Zoom, according to Lucia, and why she does so much of her business on regular phone calls

• Why Lucia "meowed" at her co-workers in her previous corporate job — and what the experiment says about communication

• Why intention-setting is so important in Lucia's daily life, plus other regular habits she's integrated

• What a "cleaner" is in the setting of a business, and why it's not always possible to train someone for that role

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Lucia & Company's website

• Lucia & Co. on Instagram

• Lucia & Co. on Facebook

• Lucia E. Robles on LinkedIn

• "Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable" by Tim S. Grover

• "A Complaint Free World: How to Stop Complaining and Start Enjoying the Life You Always Wanted" by Will Bowen

• 40 Strategy

• Contact 40 Strategy

• Carl J. Cox on LinkedIn