Onward Nation

Vince Menzione is the founder of Cloud Wave Partners, a company that helps technology organizations build profitable relationships and execute effective partner strategies to grow their business. He's an award-winning leader who was in charge of the launch of Microsoft's cloud offerings & enabled the organization's transformation to a cloud services model. Vince is also the host of the podcast 'Ultimate Guide to Partnering', which focuses on helping technology giants connect & thrive in the rapid age of digital transformation.

• The importance of keeping pace with rapid changes in technology within your business
• Why commitment to change must start at the top of the organization
• The need for grit and determination for your business to be successful
• How being adaptable in the technology age will benefit your business
• The benefits of focusing on your three most important tasks each day
• How starting your day with some form of exercise can help you focus on your day
• Having the courage to make the tough decisions when necessary
• Why patience and consistency are critical skills to master
• The importance of guarding the doorway to your mind
• Having an ideal customer profile leads to working with the right clientele

• Email: [email protected]
• Twitter: @vincemenzione

Brian Safdari is America's Leading College Admissions and Funding Expert. He has helped over 25,000 families get their child accepted into their dream college while making the cost affordable. You may remember Brian and the wisdom he shared during Episode 31. If you haven't listened to, studied, and applied all Brian shared during our first interview…I highly encourage you to add Episode 31 to your list of vital priorities.

• Connecting the dots of your business to see the larger picture
• How doing less, not more can lead to greater focus on vital priorities
• The importance of implementing and trusting your system
• The need to feed your mind with positivity
• How focusing on being valuable to others will help bring you success
• Becoming valuable by listening and asking your clients questions
• Having gratitude sessions with yourself every day to help minimize fear
• Why falling in love with what you do over and over again is important
• How overcomplicating things can get in the way of success
• The importance of surrounding yourself with the right people

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.collegeplanningexperts.com

Thom King is the founder of Steviva Brands, one of the largest importers, manufacturers, and distributors of clean-label sweetening systems and natural sweeteners that provide consumers with a healthy alternative to sugar. Focusing on simple, elegant solutions that yield a dramatic impact, his work is responsible for food manufacturers creating products that contain 50% – 90% fewer sugars. Part CEO, part personal development work, and part biohacker-info geek, Thom is a self-confessed serial entrepreneur.

• How to take a genesis of an idea and turn that idea into a business
• The importance of never doubting yourself when facing struggles in your business
• Understanding the grind and hustle needed to succeed in business
• Using your experiences in business, both good and bad, to shape the person you are
• How contributions by your employees and customers impact your success
• Why leadership is the most critical skill business owners need to master
• How surrounding yourself with the very best people leads to success
• Avoiding pitfalls in your business by having standard operating procedures
• Why looking for emotional intelligence in new hires is important
• The power of planning your work and working your plan

• Website: www.steviva.com
• Twitter: @thomking
• Email: [email protected]

Tony Daloisio is the author of CHANGE! THE WAY YOU CHANGE, a principal of The Highlands Group and founder and CEO of Charter Oak Consulting. He specializes in consulting with CEOs and their teams to build capability, implement strategy, and support major change. He has extensive experience coaching senior executives and executive teams to effectively transform their business. He has worked with leaders from Emory University Healthcare, New York Life, the US Social Security Administration, and others.

• Why engagement of the strategy by key stakeholders is important
• Why less than 30% of change efforts are successful
• The importance of delegating tasks
• Why you shouldn't let yourself get bogged down with perfectionism
• Having a "heads up, heads down" mentality
• How to create real change within your organization
• Creating a safe environment so your employees feel free to express their opinions
• The importance of creating a personal relationship with your employees
• How being open to feedback can lead to great success
• Why going the extra mile for your customers is critical to your business's success

• Website: changethewayyouchange.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Book: "Change The Way You Change"

Bix and Joe Bickson are organizational consultants who have consulted with major corporations, institutions, non-profit organizations and individuals throughout the world. They have helped transform the cultures of some of the world's most recognizable brands including Microsoft, Ford, Starbucks, and many more. Today, they are regarded as "Future Hackers" – re-imagining management for today's world by providing leaders with the essential tools required to push past what's in the way of creating and fulfilling the future.

• Why leaders need to change themselves in order to affect their company's performance
• Self-transcendence: the need to adapt and evolve
• Finding the solution to the presenting problem within your business
• The importance of recognizing the need for a support system
• Knowing the difference between "knowing" your thoughts and "being" your thoughts
• The importance of taking actions that create new habits
• How culture is the conversations that take place in the organization
• Improving company culture by having employees take ownership in the decisions being made
• Recognizing you have a story but you don't have to be your story
• How learning who you are is vital in developing your businesses core values

• Book: www.thebixbook.com
• Website: www.bickson2.com

Meredith Bell is co-founder and President of Performance Support Systems, a global software company whose products are used by business consultants, executive coaches, and Human Resource professionals to help managers become more effective leaders. She's an expert in helping companies develop the people side of their business and understands what's required to build the loyalty and commitment that lead to repeat business and referrals.

• Creating leaders that bring out the best in their employees
• How having good managers leads to employee retention
• The importance of having shared values within your organization
• Using a timer to reduce distractions and maintain focus
• Why writing a list of projects and associated tasks are important
• The power of expressing daily gratitude and appreciation
• Growing your business based on the life you want to lead
• Looking for ways to provide value to other people without expecting something in return
• Why having fun and not taking yourself too seriously is a key to success
• The positive outcomes that can result from looking at your business as a scientist

• Website: strongforperformance.com
• Twitter: @MeredithMBell

Evan Hackel is the creator of the concept and the author of, "Ingaging Leadership". He's a successful business owner who has started more than 10 companies and is recognized as a thought leader, speaker, and author on leadership. One of his signature achievements was turning around a bankrupt business in four years and more than doubling system-wide sales to exceed $2 billion. He is also Founder and Principal of Ingage Consulting, a consulting firm headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts.

• The importance of sharing the vision and plan for the business with employees
• Empowering employees and how it leads to your company's success
• Emphasising employee growth and training within your company
• Why asking for your employees ideas is critical to your businesses success
• How acknowledging employee ideas can be a powerful management tool
• Creating a positive and engaging company culture starts with the owner
• The importance of employee retention
• How listening to understand can change the way you communicate with your employees
• Sharing gratitude with others everyday and treating others with respect
• Studying and emulating successful business owners who do what you do

• Website: www.tortal.net
• Website: www.ingage.net
• Twitter: @ehackel
• Twitter: @IngageConsultin
• Email: [email protected]
• Book: "Ingaging Leadership"

Justin Copie is the CEO of Innovative Solutions and is leading a bold move forward — instilling growth in employees and inspiring change well beyond the four walls of Innovative. Yes the 75 people working at Innovative don't work for him — he works for them. As CEO and leader, Justin provides safety and direction, safety in voicing opinions, trying new things, and failing, and direction in where to go on the path to success. He serves others in cultivating a culture where people can come to work every day feeling safe and free to do what they love to do, and in turn help Innovative reach its vision.

• Why culture is vital to your businesses success
• Coming together as a company with a common set of values and beliefs
• Letting the company's standards and values drive hiring decisions
• The importance of writing down your vital priorities at the beginning of each day
• How planning for a small win each morning can affect your outlook for the day
• Why pacing your energy each day can have a big impact on your success
• Using self-awareness to become a better person and leader
• The power of empathy when interacting with employees and clients
• How using good judgement translates into making good decisions
• Having a positive mindset by never seeing failures, just learning opportunities

• Website: www.innovativesol.com
• Twitter: @innovativesol
• Email: [email protected]

Lori Ames, a veteran book publicist, is the president and founder of ThePRFreelancer, a public relations agency specializing in publicity, marketing, and public relations for non-fiction book authors. She started her business in late 2010 after her son was diagnosed with an inoperable malignant brain tumor and believes that her reason for success is very simple - and that's why she's been nice to every person she's spoken to for the past 25 years.

• How stubbornness and determination can lead to success
• How having fewer rules and more flexibility in the workplace leads to more focused employees
• The importance of not listening to those who say something can't be done
• Why good communication is the most critical skill business owner need in order to thrive
• Choosing good mentors who you respect and can learn from
• Keeping emotion out of the hiring and firing of employees
• Knowing when the time is right to start hiring employees
• How being nice to everyone you come in contact with will help your future success
• Staying true to your business by building a niche and being known for that niche
• Blocking out negative talk by those who tell you that you won't succeed

• E-mail: [email protected]
• Website: www.theprfreelancer.com

Murray Priestley is a partner at Global Private Partners, a private equity investment firm based in Hong Kong. Since 1988, he's provided executive level management to a range of businesses. Working from an in-depth understanding of financial markets, information technology & customer service, Murray has bridged the gap between strategy & operational requirements. He's also the author of two books, including "The Great Business Shape-up" and "The $1 million Pay Day".

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why the biggest problem with most small businesses is often the owner
• Helping expand your customer base by stepping back to focus on the big picture
• Why having multiple centralized systems in place is important
• Preventing a communication breakdown between you and your employees
• Split testing: what is it and how can it help your business grow
• How most businesses fail to take advantage of every marketing opportunity
• As a business owner, why it's important to be honest with yourself regarding your business
• How to master asking yourself the right questions in your business
• Knowing the right time to move on from an opportunity that is no longer working
• Focusing on the thing you are best at and not trying to be everything to everybody

How to contact Murray:

• Website: www.globalprivatepartners.com
• Website: www.murraypriestley.com
• Book: www.1mpayday.com