Taking the Leap

Show Notes:

Kelly Fletcher is the founder and CEO of Fletcher Marketing & PR. She is a graduate of Meredith College with a degree in communications. She is the host of Ms. InterPReted Podcast: Public Relations Demystified.

• (2:00) How is the marketing, PR, media, and crisis communications industry changing today?
• The how and why of reaching the female audience.
• (14:30) You can't fix communications problems unless you fix operational issues first.
• (21:00) Why Kelly "the expert" hired an expert to help her with her personal "rebranding."
  • Dr. Trillion Small - Business/Mindset Coach
• (24:00) What I appreciate about Kelly...her leadership, humility, and experience.
• (27:00) How Kelly continues to grow and navigate through difficult times.
• (30:00) Kelly hires a mindset coach to help her go to the next level. Why do high performers have a coach and why does it matter?
• (40:00) Why Kelly is hiring business coaching for her son for Christmas.
• (46:00) How to build your culture in a remote environment and why it is so important for a business and relationships with your team.
• (51:00) What is the biggest challenge of the remote workplace environment?
• Book Recommendations
  • The Secret Life of the Savoy Hotel - Olivia Williams
• (57:00) If Kelly could give a State of the Union Address to the American people this is what she would say.
• "Sphere of Influence vs. Sphere of Control" 
• "We all need to do the hard work of becoming a good person!"
• As we are about to land the plane Kelly decides to tell a story about her "blanky!" :) Go Kelly!!!

Show Notes:

Mark Ferrier is a graduate of the University of Waterloo and Harvard Business School. He is a serial entrepreneur, having started seven companies with his newest venture AndCapital.ca. He is also a Young President's Organization (YPO) member. Mark discusses his career, multiple pivots, and his latest leap. 

• (07:00) - Mark starts his first business at twenty-six and "tripped into being an entrepreneur" out of college.
• "Urgency creates opportunities!"
• (16:00) - Surround yourself with smart people and keep your emotions in check at all times.
• "You don't want to be a dinosaur in a young person's game." 
• "If you are going to sell your business, you are better off selling it for less earlier and have time with your children and family."
• (27:00) - Mark discovers a way to pivot his company. Instead of trying to stop turnover, they decided to be the agency known for the best people and training, and thus they have the most recruited staff. It changed everything.
• (34:00) - Mark takes a year off to spend time with family and started studying other industries. What challenges are they facing? He has an entrepreneurial insight that is the birth of his next venture.
• (39:00) - Mark reflects on his COVID experience and what he and his family learned and how it lead to a new chapter in his life.
  • Advice to young people
  • There is power in authenticity and transparency
  • "Sometimes the paragraph is better than sentences...because it contains all the emotion."
• (50:00) - Mark has an insight and pulls all his career insights and experience together to start www.AndCapital.ca
  • "We are super founder friendly. We tell founders that we will help you grow and scale your business, help your customers and culture and give you a clear picture of that AND then tell you what to do with capital."
  • What are the problems and challenges founders face in growing their businesses?
• (1:05:00) - The differences between private equity firms.
• (1:12:00) - Advice to his children and young people.
  • Creativity, curiosity, and resiliency, are superpowers in life.
  • Understand your life is a series of chapters...enjoy and maximize each one without worrying about the next.
  • Ask questions and listen!
• The process of helping companies start with alignment, empowerment, culture, value creation, then execution!
• (1:18:00) How do you build resilient people and cultures?
  • Lean into discomfort! This is where we grow.
  • "Sometimes to be your happiest you need to be at your most uncomfortable first!"
  • "At the moments of your greatest defeats are also the times where the seeds of your greatest victories are being planted!"
  • Learn the power of reframing the situations you are going through in life.
  • Advice to children = "Positive thoughts before actions."
  • Learn the power of self-advocacy.
• (1:37:00) - It's okay to move on to the next chapter! Advice from HBS professor Arthur C. Brooks. 
• (1:40:00) - Changes in the work environment.
• (1:48:00) - The difference between alignment and agreement.
• Follow Mark Ferrier at www.AndCapital.ca and Linkedin.
• Books recommendations
• Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World - David Epstein.
• "And yet a tech founder who is fifty years of age is nearly twice as likely to start a blockbuster company as one who is thirty, and the thirty-year-old has a better shot than a twenty-year-old. Research at Northwestern, MIT and the US Census Bureau studied new tech companies and showed that among the fastest growing start-ups, the average age of a founder was forty-five when the company was started." 
• Outliers: The Story of Success - Malcolm Gladwell.
• (1:57:30) - If Mark could give a State of the Union Address to the American and Canadian people this is what he would say...

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Show Notes:

Special thanks to the guests of Pensacola Naval Air Station class 1958 (28-58) for their time and insight.

1. Captain Walter "Dub" Fields aka "Fireball"
2. Captain Bill Solms 
3. Captain Rodney Neibauer aka "Rocket Rod"
4. Commander Bob Vollaire 
5. LT Floyd Joramo 

• (13:15) What was America like in 1958 when you were entering the military? What was the world like?
• (18:27) Dub recalls meeting and hanging out with Elvis Presley in Kilgore, Texas.
• (23:00) Advice and words of encouragement to young people and to the country during a time of division.
  • Capitalism vs. Socialism
  • Problems with the media
  • America needs energy independence
• (35:00) Dub recalls classmate Bob Flynn who was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam war and his "six principles" that helped him survive 5.5 years in prison all of which were in solitary confinement.
  • #1 God
  • #2 Duty
  • #3 Honor
  • #4 Country
  • #5 Family
  • #6 Self
• (37:00) How to make decisions in life.
• (42:00) Capt Bill Solms gives a warning about China, debt, and a divided America.
• "You can't be afraid to fail." - Rodney Neibauer
• (47:00) Capt Bill Solms decides to do a loop - "The smartest thing I did was start that at 20,000 feet!"
• An old aviator saying, "Three things a pilot does not need; Altitude above you, runway behind you, and fuel left in the truck!"
• Advice for parents raising kids.
• (56:00) If you could give a state of the union address to the American people what would say?
  • Why optimism is a difference maker!
• (1:02:45) - Bob Dickie's "call to action" for the men and women who are enjoying freedom today! 

Show Notes:

• Oren is a graduate of California State University at Long Beach & Harvard Business School
  • Young President's Organization (YPO) member
• Marc Andreessen “Software is eating the world!”
• Flock Freight – “We are building an enormous tech stack and incredible cutting-edge technology business while building a best-in-class freight block – algorithmic ride-sharing of freight.” https://www.flockfreight.com/about-us/
• 50% of the semi-trailers on the road are only 50% full. This is wasteful of space and increases carbon emissions to move cargo.
• Terminal-free or hubless shipping to move cargo across the country.
• Key performance indicators in the freight industry.
  • On-time pick up
  • On-time delivery
  • Damage
  • Transit time
  • Loss/theft
• (9:45) HBS Professor Francis Frei - Three Wedges of Business 
  • Customer Delight
  • Supplier Surplus
  • Profits for the Firm
• Flock Freight is the only Certified B-Corporation in the freight industry!
• It is important to be environmentally AND financially sustainable
• (18:00) Is deflation coming to the freight industry? 
• Transportation as an industry is $7 Trillion globally and $1 Trillion in the US
• (20:50) How does Oren pivot and tackle the challenges of entrepreneurship while dealing with the stress of the job?
• “It is better to expect that you will have to chew glass daily!”
• “Because it is hard it is worth doing! Don’t expect hard things to be easy.”
• (27:00) Why is it important to have close friends, confidants, mentors, and coaches around you on your journey to help you?
• (29:00) “Business is like middle school.”
• (33:00) What is it like to navigate an 18-month near-death experience for his business?
• (39:00) What is it like to have big outside investors like Softbank, Google Ventures, GLP, and Signal Fire as investors in your company? 
• (49:00) Why is it important to wear your values on your sleeve as a leader and CEO?
• (50:40) Why does Oren invest so much in continuing education?
  •  Why I started vs. Why I stayed.
  • “I loved it because I felt safe.”
• (1:04:00) How can society come together to communicate better and see different points of view?
  • Be conscious about the world around us
  • Be thoughtful about others’ viewpoints and perspectives
  • “99% of the world is the same…we all want to live in peace and raise our families in peace and prosperity.”
  • As you move up Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, you are able to have different types of conversations.
• (1:11:45) What is coming down the pike with technology advancements, AV (autonomous vehicles) and how will this impact the economy?
  • Upwards of 2.5m truck drivers could lose their jobs over time
  • Creative destruction in all industries are changing jobs and careers across many sectors…causing “career migration or career immigrants”
• (1:22:00) We love our truck drivers!
• “It’s hard…Let’s do it!”
• “The benefit of being a for-profit is we are sustainable! You can do well by doing good.”
• Book Recommendations
  • Mornings on Horse Back – David McCullough
  • War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
  • Washington – Ron Chernow
  • Hamilton – Rob Chernow
• (1:25:00) Why Oren is reading historical biographies of leaders
• “They were people who worked on big things with a lot of purpose behind what they did and many times were reluctant but they felt called and felt compelled into service.”
• “I’ve been filling up my tank on people doing hard things!”
• Final Question: If you had the ability to give a state of the union address to the American people what would you say?

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Show Notes:

• Jim Paullin – MBA from Emory University, division manager for a global paper company, and now an entrepreneur
• Kathy Paullin – BS from Emory in Chemistry, worked at the CDC and Monsanto, and now an entrepreneur
• (6:45) “Joe Darkangelo, I need your help. I have slight chest pains.”
• (10:15” ****Code Blue****
• (17:15) “The most important realization we had about this heart attack was that God was in control….if we had the heart attack at home he might not have made it.”
• (21:10) “All I can remember is I WANT SOME OXYGEN!”
• (25:50) Why it is important to invest consistently through life.
• (29:00) Why you buy insurance when you don’t need it.
• (31:00) Jim Paullin gives advice to young people of what he has learned in life.
  • We decided to do life together
  • Learning soft skills and personal development in life is critical
  • The secret to success is to ask questions and then LISTEN.
  • Get mentors and coaches that can help you in life.
• (41:00) The hare vs. the tortoise. 
• (46:45) Words of encouragement to Jim Paullin about his mission for the next generation. The best days of America are ahead, and there is hope and opportunity!
• (56:00) Jim & Kathy’s parting words of wisdom
• “The life you want is easily obtained by getting new information.”
• Book Recommendations
  • Leading With A Limp – Dan Allender
  • Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
  • How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie

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• Thundering Aspens Sportsman Club – Mesic Michigan
  • http://thunderingaspenssportsmanclub.com/about/
• Ken Herman – sportsman, teacher, coach, business leader
  • Ken is passionate about teaching and coaching kids in sports and life.
• Joe Darkangelo is an entrepreneur but formerly served as a firefighter and police officer
  • Joe wants to make a difference in people’s life.
  • Isaac Darkangelo, his nephew is playing linebacker for the University of Illinois and having a great season at 7-1!
• How you prepare for a hunt is similar to how you prepare for victory in life.
• Take counsel from people who have the expertise and it can make a difference in your life.
• Thundering Aspens Sportsman Club – Mesic, Michigan
  • Jonathan Wright – World-Class and World Champion Taxidermy Artist
  • A family business run by Jonathan, Jason, and Gregory Wright brothers.
• People love being around people who are “all in” and enjoying and maximizing life!
• Following the basics in any pursuit is critical for success.
• “There is no better way to spend your life than in the service of others.”
• Ceaser Guerini Shotguns 
  • https://gueriniusa.com/shotguns/forum-sporting/
• Field Sport – Purveyor to the Wingshooter
  • https://www.fieldsportltd.com/
• Book Recommendations
  • Leading with a Limp – Turning Your Struggles Into Strengths - Dan Allender
  • Whale Done – The Power of Positive Relationships – Ken Blanchard
  • The Obstacle is the Way – The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph – Ryan Holiday 
• “Shoot and Move – always work to improve your fighting position.” US Army Rangers

Follow Bob Dickie on Twitter @RobertDickie
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Show Notes:

• Dean is a graduate of Liberty University & Harvard Business School and a member of the Young President's Organization (YPO).
• “You will meet the same people on the way up that you do on the way down in your career. Treat all people with respect in all situations.”
• “A non-self-examined life is a life not worth living.” 
• No amount of success will fill a previous wound or hurt. At some point, you will have to address and deal with the problem. 
• “Leadership is about serving the people.”
• “I was running from the pain…it never fixed the issue. I felt devalued and so I was trying to create value for myself with my business and success. I had to discover that I was enough as Dean Parker.”
• We have the power to break muti-generational curses.
• The saddest thing in life is to see a leader that does not have a story arch of change and growth. 
• “When one door opens another will open but you have to be looking for it.”
• “I have all my employees take the 5 Love Languages test because I want to know what is most meaningful to them.”
• The key to business is to give more than you receive.
• “Always expect the worst in people and you will not be disappointed.” – Dr. Ben Carson
• Dr. Ben Carson asks Dean Parker to be the national finance chairman of his political campaign.
• “Dean, God is going to do something great through us, I just don’t know what it is.”
• What Dean learned about politics.
  • It is all about the money. You need money to win and have influence.
  • If you provide enough vision and people believe in that vision it’s amazing what you can accomplish.
  • If someone in power with influence validates you, you get positional authority whether you have experience or not.
  • Sadly, many times those who do the wrong thing often time get rewarded because they are owed a favor.
• Many times in politics people in opposite parties want the same thing but have different views on how to get there.
• Advice from Governor of Arizona Doug Ducey – Former YPO member
  • Make sure your family is on board
  • Make sure you have enough money that you don’t have to sell your soul to the devil. 
• Donald Trump’s philosophy during the campaign was, “Say what I have to say to own the media and I will win the election.”
• Dean’s opinion is that the national economy will hinge on the mid-term elections. Many places around the country will be resilient…the southeast will continue to grow as the economy thrives and people leave places like Chicago and Illinois. 
• The political campaigns changed overnight after the Paris attack. One event can be a hinge point that changes everything. 
• Dean talks about the shifts in the country to states that are losing power and states that are gaining economic opportunity and freedom.
• Dean thinks we will have a “V” shaped recovery for a lot of the US but many places like LA will have a longer road to recovery due to bad politics.
• America needs to be able to have messy conversations to get to the heart of issues and find common ground. We have to get rid of polarization and that starts by seeking to understand the other's point of view.
• Book Recommendations
  • 5 Love Languages – Dr. Gary Chapman
  • Personality Plus – Florence Littauer
  • Think Big – Dr. Ben Carson
  • Gifted Hands – Dr. Ben Carson
  • Networking is not Working – Derek Coburn
  • Game Change – John Meilemann

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• Drayton Wade, with a Clemson undergraduate degree and London School of Economics (LSE) Master's degree decides to go back to get an MBA at Dartmouth Tuck School of Business.
• Left UIPath after their IPO
• The key data point for SAS (Software as Service Companies) – ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue)
• Drayton realized he enjoyed the chaos of start-ups instead of the structured systems of a public company. This led him to make a leap.
• Drayton realized he wanted to grow in sales development but also wanted to get an MBA to get more business experience.
• The lifeblood of all business is sales (8:45)
• Key to success for young people? “Seek out more responsibility. Add value.” (12:00)
• Different people are created for different companies AND even different stages of companies. You have to know what your gifting is and where you will thrive. What is the culture and what will be rewarded? (16:00) 
• To achieve "outsized" success you have to go “all-in.”  Do you know what you want? Do you know how you are designed? (19:00)
• Smaller college towns do a better job of fostering community and engagement. 
• Drayton joined Kogintos as Director of Business Development and Operations while he is finishing his MBA. www.Kognitos.com 
  • “Kognitos is the world's first automation solution that understands English. This means any business user can create, modify, and maintain automations. Kognitos can automate the many tasks that run your business such as quote generation, invoice processing, credit card payment reconciliation, bills of laden entry, or any other repetitive process.”
• Much of what you learn at a top-tier MBA program can be learned via www.Coursera.org 
• Drayton learns about the issues with impact investing and ESG and “greenwashing.” (32:00)
• Book Recommendations
  • The Power Law – Sebastian Mallaby
  • AI 2041 – Ten Visions for our Future – Kai-Fu Lee 
  • Angel – Jason Calcanis
  • The Firm – Duff McDonald
  • The Terminal List – Jack Carr
  • Amazon Unbound – Jack Stone
  • Meditations – Marcus Aurelius
  • The Daily Stoic  - Ryan Holiday
• How to use Meditations to control emotions (49:00) 
• The benefit of "first principle" thinking and removing emotions from a critical decision moment to stay focused on the logic of the issue. You will obtain better results and not make bad decisions. (52:00)
• Drayton wonders if Gen-Y has over-corrected and is too emotional and vulnerable and taking it to far. Emotions are not built and are not founded in logic. 
• Kognitos allows you to write in English and create automation for your business. (1:05:30)
• The story arch of data processing using from using coding languages like Python to Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to Kognitos…the process continues to get better all to help take data and clean it, process it, and give it to the right people so analysis can take place faster and cheaper.
• What do you look for in a job interview?
• Drayton asks Bob for his Tennessee football prediction for the Florida game and 2022 regular season record 
  • 9-3 for the regular season 
  • 35-21 Vols over Florida (actual score 38-33)
• “Everything rises and falls on leadership!” John Maxwell

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In Episode 28, Bob Dickie sits back down with fan favorite guest Grant Webster to discuss the block chain revolution.

Some of the topics discussed in this podcast are:

• The Afghanistan humanitarian crisis
• Block chain technology revolution and what it is
• Cryptocurrency
• Helium and The People's Network

Follow Bob Dickie on Twitter @RobertDickie