State Of Readiness

Video version

About the podcast

In this edition of "State of Readiness", I welcome Manuel Ugarte, Director and Strategic Accounts Manager of the United States Army's Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC). The US Army's CCDC mission is to provide the research, engineering, and analytical expertise to deliver capabilities that enable the Army to deter and, when necessary, decisively defeat any adversary now and in the future. And the CCDC's vision is to be the scientific and technological foundation of the Army Modernization Enterprise through world-leading research, development, engineering and analysis.

Manny and I start by talking about his current role at the CCDC and the confluence of research, data, data analytics, and converting that research and data into a basis for making decisions about the future operations and capabilities of the US Army. Of particular interest is that the nature of what the CCDC and he are doing goes contraire to a lot of his past experience and training. After all, research begets innovation, and innovation requires the ability to think and act outside the box – to question everything even down to the core of how the US Army operates.

But the real great story is about Manny's life journey; Manny was born in Puerto Rico, the son of Cuban exiles escaping from the Castro regime. After escaping Cuba, his father earned his BSc in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Mayaquez afterwards "earning his salt" and providing for his family. From this experience his father instilled in Manny his life's values and the notion of serving their adopted country as a way of giving back. There was no tradition of military service in the family (except for his great grandfather serving in the Spanish Navy way back when).

After University, he found himself assigned in Panama. And this is where the story really gets interesting; it includes all the elements of a great story. There is a warehouse full of surplus vending machines and Manny decides to moonlight as an entrepreneur while serving as an officer in the Army (or is it the other way around?). There is his finding the love of his life (with whom he took forever to actually court) and who happens to be a lawyer who helps him with his business dealings (which is the excuse he found for keeping her close). And there is the vicious competition of the old ladies selling empanada's and coke on the corner – culture kills strategy.

This is a really great story. In a very real way, it is the story of America, the American Dream, and everything that is great, and can be great, about the American experience. Give a listen. I am sure you will find it as funny, enjoyable, and inspirational as I did. And I am certain you will end-up with a smile on your face and a bounce in your step.

Guest: Manuel "Manny" Ugarte

Manuel "Manny" Ugarte

Manuel Ugarte is the Director & Strategic Accounts Manager to oversee the Science and Technology strategic planning, program, budget & execution of experimental and state-of-the-art capabilities of the US Army's Combat Capabilities Development Command – the subordinate organization of the nascent Army's Futures Command. His leadership and military experiences have focused on strategic planning, process improvement, operations, and complex problem solving. As an executive leader, he embraces operational excellence methods, directing high performance teams on problem-solving techniques informed by business intelligence.

Manny has served the United States in its operations around the world as a US Army Officer and Executive for over 25 years. Throughout his career, Manny has held many positions, including stints as Director of Analytics at the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Chief Operating Officer at the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), and Senior Operations Research Analyst at the Army Futures Command.

He earned his BASc of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering as an ROTC Cadet from Norwich University, his MBA from Tarleton State University, his MSc in Operations Research from the Naval Postgraduate School, and his MEng in Engineering and Industrial Management from Penn State University. He is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt practitioner and Master Black Belt candidate from the US Army. Manuel recently completed an Executive Program certification in Management and Leadership from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Organization: US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Website; https://www.army.mil/ccdc Year founded; February 2019 Headquarters; Aberdeen Proving Ground, Aberdeen, Maryland Company type; Defense / Military Industry Company size; ~ 26,200 civilian employees, military, and contractor workforce with a combined annual direct and reimbursable budget in excess of $6B Specialties; Engineering, Research & Development for US Army science & technology

HireMilitary utilizes the Department of Defense (DoD) Skillbridge program to promote civilian job training for transitioning service members. Any eligible service member within 180 days of leaving the military can seek a full-time (40-hours per week), unpaid internship with an employer up to 6 month period anywhere in the country—even remote. The requirements are that the internship must include an interview and offer a high-probability of continued employment.

Video version

About the Podcast

Today I invite Ofra Kalechstain, CEO of Matics, to "State of Readiness". Ofra started off her career as a computer programmer at SciTex where she helped develop applications for aiding in oil and gas exploration. Afterwards, she worked for over 26 years at Paradigm where she moved-up through the ranks until becoming the Executive Vice President of Product Development until 2014. She then turned her attention to being an active investor in start-ups. She took a particular interest in one of her investments, Matics, taking an active role; first as the Chief Technology Officer and then as CEO.

We start the conversation with Ofra discussing the impact of Industry 4.0 on manufacturing. And while many applications have been developed for the largest companies in the world, there is a void for affordable and easy to use applications for the middle-market; and it is here where the opportunities abound. And it is to address the needs of the middle-market that Matics has been specifically developed; a Management Execution System (MES) for the SME's.

I ask what some of the symptoms, the tell-tails, of a company that might benefit from the digitalization component of an Industry 4.0 strategy and the answer was as simple as it was to make a determination at one's business; if you are capturing and tracking information using pen and paper, there is probably an opportunity for digitalization with the need being especially acute if the information being captured should be captured and acted upon in real-time.

Ofra then shares a brief tour of how Matics works and how the solutions can help you to collect, analyze and collaborate in real time to gain production efficiency in your operations and offer the ability to remotely manage of the health of your operations.

A very interesting conversation with a very interesting person from a company whose value is as needed as it is timely. Give a listen.

About Ofra Kalechstain

Ofra Kalechstain has been the CEO of Matics since 2019, previously serving as the company's CTO. Prior to Matics, Kalechstain was the Vice President of Product Development at Paradigm, a globally distributed organization where for over 26 years she led the product development business unit, overseeing an annual budget of $45M.

Kalechstain has been instrumental in growing Matics and instilling a culture of competitive excellence throughout the organization. She has helped build a durable organization which has and can continue to withstand change. Kalechstain holds a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Israel Institute of Technology (Technion). Since 2015 she's also been an active investor in tech startups, leading several companies to financial growth and successful product delivery.

Company: Matics

Website: https://matics.live

Headquarters: Haifa, Israel

Year Founded: 2017

Company Type: Software Publisher specializing in apps that manage production

Specialties: Matics develops software that is used by factories to digitize the production process. Their software combines pervasive technology and manufacturing know-how to monitor and capture the complete digital production journey for full auditability, repeatability and knowledge capture; a smart digital manufacturing platform that provides unprecedented visibility and control of your manufacturing process – anytime, anywhere. Designed for SMEs, Matics' secure cloud-based RTOI solution enables fast, non-disruptive, modular and scalable deployment.

Matics' digital manufacturing systems are installed in hundreds of production floors worldwide, connecting thousands of machines, in highly demanding production environments. From planning & scheduling, through all production stages and work procedures, all the way to the warehouse, we provide a comprehensive production management solution.

Video Version

https://vimeo.com/stateofreadiness/norbert-majerus

About the Podcast

Hello, and welcome to another edition of state of readiness. I'm your host, Joseph Paris.

My guest today is Alan Cruce, pilot and adventurer. I met Alan while I was on assignment in Denver. He and his team from NASA were also on assignment in Denver, separate assignments, of course. And we met as people who are on assignments, far away from home or app to meet in the hotel bar.

They started sharing with me what their program was at NASA, which was SOFIA. I became completely infatuated. You see, when I was younger, I wanted to be a pilot, I wanted to be an astronaut. And I was fascinated with NASA. This was the time of the Apollo program and the Skylab program. I wrote to NASA and IBM Federal Systems many times and each time I was gifted a package of goodies; pictures, pamphlets, mission patches, the works.

We all got along wonderfully. And as the night went on, they asked me if I wanted to join them to the next day for simulator training in a classic 747 (the model that was all analog). Of course, I said, Yes, and messaged my client that I was going to be late.

Alan's story is a great one; earning his pilot's license before most people earn their driver's license. From then his life was one confluence of circumstances and events after another - which he shares some (but not all) - until he got his chance to fly missions for NASA as a pilot in the SOFIA program, a fascinating program that was recently terminated.

About Alan Cruce

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LinkedIn Profile: Company: SOFIA Science Center Title: Research Pilot Website: https://www.sofia.usra.edu/ Headquarters: Year Founded: Company Type: Company Size: Industry Experience: Practice Areas:

Video Version

https://vimeo.com/stateofreadiness/norbert-majerus

About the Podcast

Hello and welcome to another edition of State of Readiness with your host, Joseph Paris. My guest today is Norbert Majerus; Author of "Lean-Driven Innovation" and "Winning Innovation" and a Lean Champion (Ret) from the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.

He confesses that he went into engineering because he didn't like to working with people and felt that a career in engineering would find him in the corner of a room with a computer and being left alone to do his work. It did not quite work out that way.

Norbert spent most of his career at Goodyear's Innovation Centers. Having first been introduced to Six Sigma, his natural gravitation was more towards Lean and the "people" side and skills associated with creating a problem-solving and leadership culture.

We then talk about culture change; a topic which appears to be on many people's minds. But people rarely speak of what they would like to change from what, to what. They share the phrase "culture change" and just leave it hang there in the air like a cartoon bubble and leave it to others to figure out what was meant; a grand assumption on everyone's part.

But Norbert does take the time to explain his ideas with respect to culture change; including the from what, to what.

Fun fact; "Luxembourgish" is a language…

About Norbert Majerus

Norbert Majerus

Norbert was born in Luxembourg and has a Master's Degree in chemistry from the University of Saarlandes, Saarbrucken Germany in 1978. After graduation and for the next almost 40 years, Norbert works for the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, starting as a rubber chemist. Over the course of his career with Goodyear, he held several roles in the Goodyear Innovation Centers in Luxembourg and in Akron, Ohio and holds over 60 patents and trade secrets in the United States alone. The role he held the longest and for the final 15 years with the company was that of Lean Champion and is a Master Black Belt.

Norbert has taught workshops and given keynotes at many conferences around the world. Since retiring from Goodyear in 2017, Norbert continues to share with others the wisdom he has gained through his consultancy, his speaking opportunities, and his writings, which include two books; "Lean-Driven Innovation" and "Winning Innovation".

Norbert is also a Shingo Academy Fellow, an Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) Assessor, and serves on the board of the Lean Product and Process Development Exchange (LPPDE).

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/norbert-majerus-5a746235/ Company: Norbert Majerus Consulting LLC Title: Owner/Member Website: https://www.leandriveninnovation.com/ Headquarters: Akron, Ohio Year Founded: 2018 Company Type: Privately held Company Size: Independent Consultancy Industry Experience: Retired in 2017 with almost 40 years at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co, holding the role of Lean Champion Innovation for the last almost 15 years. Practice Areas: Assist companies with; Lean Product Development and Innovation, Change Management, Lean Project Management, Managing People in a Lean Environment

Video Version

https://vimeo.com/795992546

About the Podcast

My guest today is Ben Cook, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Spreetail, a next-generation 3PL company headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska.

We start the conversation with Ben sharing his early years. His father was an Army Officer who resigned soon after Ben was born to have a more stable family life. But that didn't mean they set roots and became grounded, quite the opposite, as his father became a high-school football coach who moved through several high-schools in the Southeastern United States; and also did some time in Spain and in Africa on volunteer work. So Ben struggles with where "home" is, except that it's the United States.

Ben then shares some details of his military career. Being in the Special Forces, the assignments were not the most comfortable (including stints above the arctic circle). But it was pre-9/11, so the assignments were (perhaps) a bit easier than afterwards.

After the military, he became interested in Supply Chain. Perhaps recognizing the importance of supply chains during his military career somehow influenced his gravitation to the discipline which, in the late 1990's and early 2000's, was in its infancy.

We walk though the various roles he had; including one in China soon after China's assentation to being a member of the World Trade Organization. And Ben shares some of the lessons learned along the way, some by design, some by accident, including a lesson-learned about culture eating strategy for breakfast.

These experiences led him to develop his personal approach to leadership which he calls "One Team", and I am sure you will find his thoughts on this quite interesting; perhaps even adoptable.

About Ben Cook

Ben Cook

With over 20 years of leadership experience with a focus on leading startups, driving turnaround efforts, scaling revenue, invest to grow and global expansion, Ben Cook is a hands-on, people-focused, leader and board member. He has had senior leadership roles at six Fortune 150 companies including; Apple, The Home Depot, Kimberly-Clark and two startup ventures and is currently the Chief Supply Chain Officer for Spreetail.

His passion is on people and helping to shape strong values-based cultures where high-performing teams master change and execute the vision for the next phase of the company's life.

Ben has served on the Board of Advisors for several startup companies, the Auburn University College of Business and the University of Tennessee's Global Supply Chain Institute.

He is also a US Army Special Operations veteran and is an avid outdoorsman and adventurer who can be frequently found hiking and camping the in Colorado wilderness.

Ben is an lifelong learner who holds a BS in International Business from Auburn University, an MBA with a focus on Supply Chain Management from the University of Tennessee and multiple leadership and coaching certifications from The Wharton School, Harvard Business School, and the Center for Creative Leadership.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cookben/ Company: Spreetail, LLC Title: Chief Supply Chain Officer Website: https://www.spreetail.com/ Headquarters: Lincoln, Nebraska Year Founded: 2006 Company Type: Privately held Company Size: Approximately $500 Million Annual Sales Industry: Spreetail is a next-generation third-party logistics (3PL) company. In addition to traditional 3PL services, Spreetail also offers sales channel management, internet marketing services, eCommerce, end-user customer service, and software applications to support all your business fulfillment needs.

Video Version

https://vimeo.com/768988205

About the Podcast

My guest today is Sanjeev Khot; Director of Global Product Quality, Cummins, Incorporated and is responsible for overall Global Quality Strategy, Supplier Quality, Reliability, APQP, and Logistics Quality Transformation to support growth and drive long-term business value.

Sanjeev is a highly accomplished senior executive with global experience in manufacturing, quality, project management, and quality systems and and operations management. He is especially capable of building highly motivated teams focused on achieving results, customer satisfaction and business growth; and we explore his journey and lessons learned.

What is unmistakable in our conversation is the passion and conviction Sanjeev has for his profession and for living a life worth living in general. As is plain to see, Sanjeev believes that it is important to do what you love doing, and then the success will come. What form that success might be needs to be in harmony with where your passions lie, of course.

Sanjeev was born, raised, and educated in India and it is also where he joined Cummins as an operations leader in 2005. He grew his role and corresponding responsibilities at Cummins in India until and opportunity to join the Cummins team in the States became available in 2017; to which he applied and was hired. Not just a quality and process improvement professional, Sanjeev is also a systems thinker and considers the end-to-end value chain in his deliberations and deciion-making.

About Sanjeev Khot

Sanjeev Khot

Sanjeev Khot currently serves as the Global Products Quality Director for Cummins Filtration Business.

He has a demonstrated track record in; business turnarounds, global footprint execution, creating profitable and cost effective organization. With more than twenty-four years of experience, he drived long-term vision, tactical planning, and organizational growth to optimize quality, productivity and the overall customer experience.

He has lead and still leads, numerous initiatives to enhance KPI management, developing business and quality strategy programs, global launch systems and other programs that foster significant cost of quality reduction and maximize satisfaction among business partners.

Given his responsiblities, he leads multiple cross-functional teams globally to standardize and improve business processes and continuously identifies opportunities to elevate supply chain operations (plants, logistics and suppliers) to ensure all customer quality goals are consistently met.

Sanjeev is an ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE), Cummins certified Six Sigma Black Belt with 22+years of progressive leadership experience in Manufacturing Operations, Process and Product Quality improvements, Quality Systems (ISO/IATF 16949 & ISO 9001), Manufacturing Engineering, Lean and Six sigma, Quality Functional Excellence, Operations Excellence, TPM (Total Preventive Maintenance), Supplier Quality, Projects Management & Plant and facilities maintenance in national and international organizations.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjeev-khot/ Company: Cummins Filtration, a division of Cummins, Incorporated Title: Website: https://www.cumminsfiltration.com/ , https://www.cummins.com/ Headquarters: Columbus, Indiana (USA) Year Founded: 1919 Company Type: Publicly Traded (CMI:NYSE) Company Size: $26-Billion, 60,000 employees worldwide Industry: Cummins Filtration is a global power leader that designs, manufactures and sells air, fuel, hydraulic and lube filtration, as well as chemical technology products for diesel and gas-powered equipment around the world. Cummins serves its customers through its network of 600 company-owned and independent distributor facilities and more than 7,200 dealer locations in over 190 countries and territories.

Cummins Incorporated is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and distributes engines, filtration, and power generation products. Cummins also services engines and related equipment, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission control, electrical power generation systems, and trucks.

Video Version

https://vimeo.com/stateofreadiness/mark-mcgrath

About the Podcast

Hello and welcome to another edition of State of Readiness with your host, Joseph Paris.

Chaos And Oceans Ltd.

Today I am happy to have Mark McGrath, Founder of Chaos and Oceans Ltd, a consultancy specializing in helping individuals and teams thrive in Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous (VUCA) environments. He does this by sharing his cross-functional experience and education in the areas of strategic planning, decision-making, process improvement, capital markets, economics, training, and coaching.

We start where every journey starts, at the beginning, where Mark shares his early life experiences including being an "Army Brat" of a career officer and how the original Top-Gun changed his trajectory from land to sea; becoming a Marine. And Mark shares the experiences and wisdom gained from his attending university and the instructors who were impactful in his personal and professional development.

But it is in the Marines where Mark was exposed to, and became fascinated with, operating in VUCA environments and the Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act (OODA) Loop as a counter-measure.

In the podcast, Mark goes on to explain why chaos and VUCA are nothing to fear and shares his "three immutable points". He also shares why he emphasizes Orientation over observe and why he teaches OODA, and not "OODA Loop".

Everyone operates in chaos and the chaos is only increasing in amplitude and velocity over time. We need to learn, think, and decide in less time and with more orientation. Mark's sharing of his thoughts and experiences may prove invaluable.

Mark also shared an article with the Operational Excellence Society entitled, "The Adaptive Entrepreneurial Method". It's worth a read.

About Mark McGrath

Mark McGrath

Mark is the son of a West Point career officer, but he became obsessed with the sea; a convert thanks to Top Gun – the original. He attended Marquette University on a Marine Option NROTC scholarship and earned a BA in History with an emphasis on social and intellectual history in United States and Europe.

After graduation, Mark served six-years active duty as a field artillery officer and another two years in the Reserves. After his time in the Marines, he held several leadership roles over the course of almost twenty years in private sector; mostly in finance and asset management industries.

He also furthered his academic career and attended the University of Detroit Mercy where he earned a Masters Degree in Economics; with an emphasis on theory based on the Austrian School of Economics.

Feeling he had much more to give and create and believing he could not achieve that in the corporate world, he started his consultancy.

Mark is a book addict (as is evidenced by the book-shelf in the video), speaks Spanish and is a distance swimmer and surfer.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markjmcgrath1/ Company: Chaos and Oceans Ltd Title: Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chaos-and-oceans-ltd/ Headquarters: Columbus, OH Year Founded: 2022 Company Type: Consultancy Company Size: Sole Practitioner Industry Experience: Finance, Asset Management, Practice Areas: Team Building · Thought Leadership · Process Improvement · New Business Development · Public Speaking · Conference Speaking · Spanish · Dynamic Speaker · Experienced Speaker · Impromptu Speaking · Employee Training · Training & Development · Team Leadership · Cross-functional Team Leadership · Leadership Development · Leadership · Training · Sales · Time Management

Video Version

https://vimeo.com/748455371

About the Podcast

Hello and welcome to another edition of State of Readiness with your host, Joseph Paris.

Today I am happy to have Billy Ray Taylor, CEO of LinkedXL and author of "The Winning Link" on my podcast. Billy previously worked at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company for 30 years; starting off on the plant floor and retiring as Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion and Executive Director of Commercial, Off Highway, and Support Manufacturing North America.

The Winning Link

We start the conversation taking a stroll down memory lane. Soon after graduating from Prairie View A&M University with a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Billy joined Goodyear starting where every recent graduate does; on the floor of the night shift.

A life-long learner, Billy recognized early on as he steadily climbed the ranks at Goodyear that he had to "earn the right" to be appointed to the various roles and to retain the right to remain there. This meant that he had to have both the technical skills and also the leadership skills necessary to succeed in the various roles.

The conversation comes to diversity and inclusion; with Joseph sharing that, having walked the Earth and worked with many companies located around the world, that the completive advantage of companies based in the States (along with those in Canada and the United Kingdom), is their diversity (regardless of what might be current assumptions).

People bring forward what they have learned during their lives. And if everyone on a team has had the same life experiences and brought-up in a homogeneous culture, then everyone will look at a challenge with the same solution set.

As the saying goes; "If everyone is thinking the same, then nobody is thinking".

Diversity and Inclusion - What's the difference?

But Billy also drove the point that there is a significant difference between "diversity" and "inclusion". Whereas diversity means there are a members on the team with a variety of backgrounds and expertise, inclusion means you use that talent.

I guess I never gave the difference too much mind because, as an entrepreneur since 1985, I don't have resources that I would gain but not use. The thought would never occur to me.

So it's not about quotas and making sure every race, creed, and sex is included in the picture (like marketing departments are apt to do). It's about understanding that the differences are strengths, but only if you use them.

This was a really good, interesting, and valuable conversation.

Give a listen...

About Billy Ray Taylor

Billy Ray Taylor

Billy Taylor is an American business executive, dynamic speaker and leadership guru. He is the Founder and President of LinkedXL (Excellence), a Business Operating Systems Architecting Firm.

Billy spent 30 years with The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (GT), serving as Director of North America Operations and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. During his tenure at Goodyear, the company's earnings rose from a loss of 38M to +17.5B. As the Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion for Goodyear, Billy formulated and led the diversity and inclusion strategies for 64,000 employees across the 22 countries where Goodyear operates.

After retiring from Goodyear, Billy founded LinkedXL, a consultancy that specializes in helping companies architect their Business Operating Systems, and serves as its CEO.

Billy is a dynamic speaker and leadership guru who is routinely called upon by universities, international conferences, global publications, and the U.S. Armed Forces to demonstrate how to drive and sustain effective results through creating a culture of leadership and enabling employee ownership.

He is a disciple of continuous improvement and operational excellence. And as a trusted global industry leader, Taylor is a member of the executive advisory board for the Shingo Institute, Utah State University Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, and The Executive Board for the Association of Manufacturing Excellence (AME). He is also an independent Board Member of M-D Products.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billyrtaylor/ Company: CEO of LinkedXL, Retired from Goodyear Tire and Rubber Title: Website: https://www.linkedxl.com/ Headquarters: Independence, OH Year Founded: 2020 Company Type: LLC Company Size: 3 Employees Industry Experience: Across industries, but specializing in the Process Industry Practice Areas: Business Operating System Architecting Firm. We're a Premium Business Solutions Provider. We analyze your business needs and develop a custom operating and daily management system that aligns your enterprise -- Linking people, processes, and assets to deliver Customer & Company value.

Video Version

https://vimeo.com/744164877

About the Podcast

My guest today is Stephan Meyer PhD, CEO of Almademey Ltd. I have known Stephan for some years now, he being one of the first professionals when I arrived in Germany over a decade ago. I have always found our conversations quite interesting. Like me, he knows you can't hit home-runs without the risk of breaking a few windows.

The conversation starts where it always starts, at the beginning. Stephan shares that his father was an electrical engineer and he hoped that Stephan would also become an electrical engineer. But Stephan found himself rather bored with the complicated and gravitated towards the complex (listen or watch the intro for a really elegant explanation for the difference of the two). As such, Stephan gravitated towards psychology.

Exterminating Sacred Cows

Stephan shares many highlights of his professional journey, including the journey of researching the subject for his PhD, "Sacred Cows" and how they should be sought in an organization and eliminated. And he also makes the case for the necessity for businesses to face perils and even doom every now and then which would offer the opportunity for a radical change and cleansing purge; to be reborn again better.

All in, a really great session and I believe you will enjoy it. I did…

About Stephan Meyer, PhD

Dr Stephan Meyer

Stephan has orchestrated successful change initiatives in digital transformation for 25 years. During this time, he has held roles as CEO, Member of the Board, Program Manager, Mentor and Coach.

At a rather mature age (you are never too old to learn), Stephan received his PhD in Business Administration and Management at the University of Gloucestershire in England for his research in radical change by finding and killing "sacred cows" in organizations. For his research, he interviewed interim managers, consultants, and line managers.

Stephan is a forward-thinking advisor for avant-garde clients. Stephan is not for those who shrink from leading. There are bold choices and there are easy choices. And he stands for those in the front of the line – the bold and visionary, the entrepreneurs, and the risk-takers. Stephan clients are those who surprise the world by taking a leap into the future.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanmeyer/ Company: Almademey Ltd Title: CEO Website: https://stephanmeyer.com/ Headquarters: Paphos District, Cyprus Year Founded: 2022 Company Type: Privately Held, LLC Company Size: Himself Industry Experience: Service, Healthcare, Mobility, Automotive, Life Sciences, Finance, Infrastructure, Media and others Practice Areas: Business Psychology, Business Wargaming, Change Management, Corporate Foresight, Crisis Management, Cultural Change, Digital Transformation, Innovation Management, Lean Management, Merger & Acquisition, Multi-Project Management, Operational Excellence, Organization Design, Performance Measurement, Private Equity, Program Management, Restructuring, Service Management, Strategic Management, Turnaround

Video Version

https://vimeo.com/724388913

About the Podcast

My guest today is Larry Long Jr, CEO (Chief Energy Officer) of LLJR LLC and the author of the book "JOLT! Get Zapped into Intentionality: Rediscover and Believe in Your Inner Greatness".

Buy the book here!

Larry has a lot of energy and passion. But he is also approachable and does not shy away from sharing his own challenges and setbacks that he has faced and had to overcome. It is one of the most genuine conversations I have ever had.

His parents worked for the Veteran's Administration serving those who had served. And as a result, he moved around quite a bit when he was younger. But it also instilled in him a duty to serve others.

One of his core tenants is "you are what you consume", and he is not referring to just food, but media, books, even the people with which you surround yourself. If a person consumes negative, they will be negatively charged – and if they consume positive, they will be positively charged.

This is not to say a person needs to become delusional by becoming falsely positive, but that they need to constantly assess that those who are perpetually negative and the professional victims need to be taken in small quantities. And similarly, not to become cynical or loose your empathy, but understand that there is only so much energy that can be devoted to helping others and a person needs to guard against over-investing in one person or cause and neglecting others – seek a balance.

All in, a really great session and I believe you will enjoy it. I did...

About Larry Long Jr.

Larry Long Jr is the Founder and CEO of LLJR Enterprises, which focuses on sales motivation, inspiration, training & coaching. He is the host of the 'Midweek Midday Motivational Minute' and Author of JOLT! (*released May 19th).

As a former college athlete (Go Terps! He played baseball for University of Maryland), Larry is extremely passionate about coaching, and helping professionals take their game to the 'next level'. As an experienced sales leader with a demonstrated history of success in SaaS sales, Larry brings a unique perspective to the table and understands many of the challenges faced by sales professionals.

His areas of experience include Sales Training, Team Development, Leadership, & Motivation within organizations of all stages (start-up to publicly traded). Practicing what he preaches, Larry continuously seeks opportunities to learn & grow. Larry looks forward to assisting your organization.

You can find Larry on his YouTube channel which includes his series entitled the Midweek Mid-Day Motivational Minute.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/longjr7/ Company: LLJR Enterprises Title: CEO (Chief Energy Officer) Website: LLJR LLC Headquarters: Raleigh-Durham, Chapel Hill Year Founded: 2021 Company Type: Privately Held, LLC Company Size: Himself Practice Areas: Motivational Speaking, Coaching, Consulting, Author