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Team Business
Team Business episodes
- TB16 - Team Business Welcomes Brett Putter, A Leading Expert on Startup and High-Growth Company Culture
In this episode of the Team Business podcast, co-hosts Mike Fusco and Ray Ramirez welcome Brett Putter, a leading expert on startup and high-growth company culture. Brett is also the author of 'Culture Decks Decoded' and 'Own Your Culture.'
Episode Highlights:
- Brett gives a little background on the Culture Gene platform. (6:27)
- Brett explains what got him into talent acquisition and culture building. (8:05)
- Brett shares what makes company culture significant. (9:44)
- Does explains how emotional intelligence ties into culture building. (10:54)
- Brett mentions his first book, entitled, Culture Decks Decoded. (12:40)
- Brett tells us about his second book, entitled, Own Your Culture. (13:18)
- Does Brett think that remote work is here to stay? (18:16)
- Brett mentions huge issues associated with post-COVID work. (20:05)
- Brett shares the advice he gives to his clients. (23:35)
Key Quotes:
- “I set up Culture Gene to focus on company culture because I'd seen the light. The penny had dropped. And, I realized that culture was the missing link for most companies. I was really fortunate to get that opportunity to step out and work on my passion.” - Brett Putter
- “The thing about company culture is it's largely invisible, subconscious, and intangible. So, you know, people don't get it. They can't touch it, they can’t feel it often. The best leaders make it visible, conscious, and tangible. - Brett Putter
- “If I'm working remotely, I don't want to feel not included. I don't want to feel like I have to advocate for myself and my work. I don't want to feel like I experience a different work culture, I don't want to feel like my promotion opportunities are hampered. So, if you're going to run a hybrid business, you’ve got to work this out. Because, the people who feel like second-class citizens are going to go to a company, where they can feel like first-class citizens.” - Brett Putter
Resources Mentioned:
- Bretton Putter LinkedIn
- Culture Gene
- Own Your Culture
- Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services
Mike Fusco LinkedIn- Ray Ramirez LinkedIn
38 min - TB15- Marc DeLeonibus Built a Technology Company to Enhance an Inefficient Industry. Learn More About Bold Penguin!
In this episode of the Team Business podcast, co-hosts Mike Fusco and Ray Ramirez are joined by Marc DeLeonibus, Co-Founder and Director of Bold Penguin. Marc chats about the history of his company, the reason for the name, his background, and the team.
Episode Highlights:
- Marc tells us the history of Bold Penguin and what they do. (6:15)
- Marc shares where the name Bold Penguin originated. (9:02)
- Marc shares his background. (11:09)
- Why did Marc choose the insurance industry? (14:05)
- How did Marc find the right people to advance the technological side of his business? (15:44)
- Marc shares how the pandemic has affected his agency. (17:25)
- What does Bold Penguin’s work culture look like in the wake of COVID-19? (19:40)
- What’s next for Bold Penguin? (2:42)
Key Quotes:
- “Penguins, they work together as a team. You always see them in their colonies. They might look slow on the surface, but under the water, they're incredibly fast. And, that's everything that our technology is built around... being fast, efficient, to the point.” - Marc DeLeonibus
- “I think insurance is absolute. In my opinion, the best business to be in… particularly commercial insurance, because there's so much ability for agents. I can leverage technology now to really get an edge and grow quickly.” - Marc DeLeonibus
- “Understanding what I think we all understood from early on, is we need to look at what the seats are on the bus, and figure out how to put those people in those right places. Don't sacrifice ever, on people. Make sure every single person is truly an A player that brings a complementary skill set to the team.” - Marc DeLeonibus
Resources Mentioned:
- Marc DeLeonibus LinkedIn
- Bold Penguin
- Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services
Mike Fusco LinkedIn- Ray Ramirez LinkedIn
30 min - TB14 - Jon Diamond Shares His Love for People and His Team
In this episode of the Team Business podcast, co-hosts Mike Fusco and Ray Ramirez interview Jon Diamond. He started, grew, and exited an extremely successful HVAC company in Northern California. It took lots of great people to propel Moore HVAC forward, and Jon was the glue that kept it all together. Now, Jon has a new passion for teaming up with operators to help them advance their businesses and careers. Learn more by tuning into Team Business!
Episode Highlights:
- Jon shares his background. (4:52)
- Jon’s process for choosing the perfect employee. (8:18)
- Jon discusses what’s important to prospective employees. (10:08)
- What motivated Jon to start over again? (13:05)
- Jon shares valuable lessons he learned in team building. (13:33)
- Why are many business owners afraid to train their talent? (16:14)
- What are Jon’s future goals? (19:36)
- How did the pandemic affect Jon’s business? (23:13)
Key Quotes:
- “I just love the challenge that business brings. Every day, it's something new. Even though we've been doing this a long time, I still learn new things every day. It's been a really good experience to be able to surround myself with people smarter than I am.” - Jon Diamond
- “I love finding people better than I am. Because, I feel like it does nothing but elevate my talent and my ability... and make me have to work to be better.” - Jon Diamond
- “If I don't have value to bring I don't want to partner with them. But, if I have value to bring, then that's what excites me.” - Jon Diamond
Resources Mentioned:
- Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services
Mike Fusco LinkedIn- Ray Ramirez LinkedIn
37 min - TB13 - Todd Cooper Shares How He Operates His Business by Outsourcing
In this episode of the Team Business podcast, co-hosts Mike Fusco and Ray Ramirez interview Todd Cooper, the owner and founder of Waxelene. Todd discusses how he operates and grows his business with the help of outsourcing.
Episode Highlights:
- Mike and Ray discuss the types of things Todd outsources in his business. (2:49)
- Todd talks about the history of his company, the services he offers, and the type of clients he serves. (4:21)
- What are the challenges Todd faces as he builds his team? (7:54)
- Todd shares how he manages to keep the momentum and progress going within his work structure, as a CEO during Covid. (11:36)
- Todd talks about the big transition of their digital presence about five years ago. (14:58)
- If Todd wasn’t an entrepreneur, what would he be pursuing? (16:00)
- Todd shares where to find Waxelene natural personal care products. (24:41)
- Todd talks about the importance of supporting local businesses. (25:45)
Key Quotes:
- “The main thing for team building is having a clear plan and setting it out.” - Todd Cooper
- “The take-home message is that the business model works really well because it’s very plastic...You know, it's very flexible. You can mold it to whatever it needs to be” - Todd Cooper
- “Instead of bringing everyone in, you can just outsource what you need. They have all the professionals that you need right there. They say, it's really all about the relationships. You’re still establishing those relationships with them...But, they're not your employees, you know?” - Todd Cooper.
Resources Mentioned:
- Todd Cooper LinkedIn
- Waxelene
- Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services
Mike Fusco LinkedIn- Ray Ramirez LinkedIn
27 min - TB12 - Team Business Welcomes Daniel Seong
In this episode of the Team Business podcast, co-hosts Mike Fusco and Ray Ramirez interview Daniel Seong, the Owner and Founder of Great Park Insurance. Daniel talks about his journey in the insurance industry and the factors that have led to his success.
Episode Highlights:
- Daniel shares a little bit about his childhood and time in the Marine Corps. (6:38)
- How did Daniel get into the insurance industry? (7:31)
- Daniel shares how he started his own agency. (7:45)
- What is Daniel most proud of? (11:41)
- How did the Marine Corps impact who Daniel is today? (13:08)
- What’s the main element that got Daniel through his journey? (17:23)
- Daniel explains why he always teaches people to operate with the end in mind. (21:10)
- Daniel mentions the most important part of a person’s life. (22:43)
- The perfect transition that happened two weeks before the pandemic hit. (34:14)
Key Quotes:
- “I tell everybody in the business, or just in anything, stay faithful to yourself, stay true to yourself and carry yourself with dignity.” - Daniel Seong
- “The mirror doesn't lie. So you can lie to everybody else, to your boss, your team members to your clients, you can tell them that you're trying and doing everything you can right to hit your goals. But when you go home, and you look in that mirror, the mirror doesn’t lie.” - Daniel Seong
- “I believe salespeople are King in any organization. I love sales. I just love it. Because it's just like sports, right? It's great analogies, examples, and it really tells me who you are and how tough you are mentally.” - Daniel Seong
Resources Mentioned:
- Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services
Mike Fusco LinkedIn- Ray Ramirez LinkedIn
- Daniel Seong LinkedIn
- Great Park Insurance
40 min - TB11 - David Munoz of Mission Legal Center Joins the Team Business Podcast
In this episode of the Team Business podcast, co-hosts Mike Fusco and Ray Ramirez interview David Munoz, the Co-Founder and Managing Director of the Mission Legal Center.
David talks about their goals and services, and how they pivoted with COVID, and how he manages his team.
Episode Highlights:
- David shares his background story and how he got into his career. (7:05)
- David mentions that he started off working at a bigger firm. (8:37)
- David shares how he started his own company in California. (8:53)
- David shares that one of the things he learned from his parents is to not give off the importance of education and just continuing on. (10:46)
- David talks about what Mission Legal Center specializes in and what services they offer. (12:48)
- David mentions that they have other attorneys that work within their office that do other types of law. (13:13)
- After the initial foundation was built, how did David start to elevate his team? (14:18)
- David says that the most significant thing to do before anything else is to build a reputation. (15:02)
- David says that he’s thankful that they haven’t had to lay anybody off in 2020. (15:36)
- David shares that his goal for his team is to grow all together. (16:25)
- David shares that he’s doing his best to try and guide his team in a way that shows the importance of things and the reason why they do it that way. (18:32)
- What has David been doing to pivot because of COVID? (19:15)
- David mentions that their goal is to take all the stress away from their customers. (20:53)
- David mentions that he is thankful because they’ve implemented cloud computing, zoom meetings, and teleconferences in 2018. (21:56)
- David thinks that social media and commercials are probably the best way to get a lot of visibility nowadays. (24:12)
Key Quotes:
- “You can't always make the perfect hire, but you do your best.” - David Munoz
- “There are no bad students, there are only bad teachers. And so, I kind of take that to mind when I have employees.” - David Munoz
- “The number one cause of bankruptcy in the United States is medical bills, So we want to make sure their medical bills are paid, and then make sure that they're compensated for aspects of their life that might never be the same.” - David Munoz
- “Small businesses need to help each other… I'd love to find ways to collaborate and work together. And I'm sure that there's a way we can find a way to do that.” - David Munoz
Resources Mentioned:
- Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services
Mike Fusco LinkedIn- Ray Ramirez LinkedIn
- Reach out to: David Munoz
- Mission Legal Center
35 min - TB10 - Team Business is Joined by COO Michelle Flores-Gonzales
In today’s episode of the Team Business podcast, co-hosts Mike Fusco and Ray Ramirez interview Michelle Flores-Gonzales, COO & VP at Flores Financial Services. Michelle talks about the financial services that they offer, the dynamics of working in a family business, and the importance of their company culture.
Episode Highlights:
- Mike introduces Michelle Flores-Gonzales. (7:53)
- Michelle mentions that Flores Financial Services is a family business, and she has been working there since 2002 when her father acquired and took over the company. (8:24)
- Michelle shares that they’re an outsourcing company that specializes in accounting, bookkeeping, payroll, human resources, and they recently added consulting services to their business portfolio. (8:34)
- Michelle mentions that they have a high focus on the hospitality industry. Therefore, most of their clients are the restaurant business with a high focus in the San Diego markets, and grocery stores as well. (8:46)
- Michelle shares that what kept her to continue working in the company was her passion to continue the family business and build upon what her father has started, and also the entrepreneurial side of it. (10:43)
- Michelle shares that over the past few years, she tried to hire team members that would fit in their core culture, have a passion and drive to partner with their clients, and to be a valuable part of their team members. (12:11)
- Michelle thinks that they have a passionate investment in the services that they offer to their clients, and making sure that they’re doing a good job. (12:29)
- Michelle mentions that finding the dynamic with her father and making sure its balance, is something that they’re working on. (13:10)
- Michelle mentions that their main focus was on finding the resources that were available to help their clients. (14:30)
- Michelle mentions that this year, they focused on and pivoted to consulting services. (15:10)
- Michelle shares that they developed the HR COVID handbooks to help employers get back to business, and ensure their employee’s safety in the workplace. (16:11)
- Michelle mentions that today is a great time for new clients to reach out. Because it’s time to start preparing, advising, and planning for the next year. (25:03)
Key Quotes:
- “We have a core focus, we are a family business. But no matter how big we grow, we don't want to go to that corporate mentality. So we try and treat all of our employees as family members, that's one of our core values.” - Michelle Flores-Gonzales
- “So, just making sure that we’re available and letting our clients know that we’re there to support them, and get through this with each other. So, that was the big portion of our services.” - Michelle Flores-Gonzales
- “I'm in this, and I enjoy the entrepreneurial side of it, as hard as it is. There's also something very rewarding, and you guys know this as well, of owning your own business and being part of something and being able to provide for team members.” - Michelle Flores-Gonzales
Resources Mentioned:
- Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services
Mike Fusco LinkedIn- Ray Ramirez LinkedIn
- Michelle Flores-Gonzales
- Flores Financial Services, Inc
27 min - TB9 - Team Business is Delighted to Welcome Chef of the Year Brad Wise
In today’s episode of the Team Business podcast, co-hosts Mike Fusco and Ray Ramirez interview Brad Wise, the Executive Chef and Owner of Trust Restaurant Group. San Diego’s Chef of the year in 2019, Brad talks about his journey in the culinary industry, how their company survived amidst the pandemic, and how their campaign has helped small businesses and the local economy.
Episode Highlights:
- Mike introduces Brad Wise. (7:20)
- Brad shares that when he finished culinary school, he moved out to San Diego in 2006 and worked at Eat, Drink, Sleep Hospitality Group for 10 years. (8:18)
- Brad mentions that when he decided to step up his career, he partnered with Steve Schwab and built the Trust Restaurant Group. (8:45)
- Brad mentions that they opened Cardellino on February 7, six weeks before the shutdown. (10:24)
- Brad shares that he’s a risk-taker and he always encourages his team to try new things and new projects. (11:29)
- Brad shares that his job is to bring out the best in every employee and let their talents be recognized, and make them successful. (12:02)
- Brad mentions that in this industry, everyone has an opinion, and if you hire the right people, they're going to have educated opinions. (14:21)
- Brad shares that gathering ideas and information from his team is where a lot of inspiration and creativity comes from, and they make sure that each dish hits all the elements. 14:45)
- Brad shares that when they reopened due to the shutdown, they followed the necessary guidelines and put measures in place that they felt comfortable doing to make their workflow easier. (19:22)
- Brad mentions the biggest element that helped them is their teamwork. (24:31)
- Brad shares that they try to be optimistic as much as possible, and complain as little as possible because everyone is in their worse positions than they were. (25:23)
- Brad explains how they created the event with the help of their wine director and how he became a huge part of the team. (26:06)
- Brad shares that Trust Restaurant Group was built off of industry people that are near and dear to their hearts. (28:17)
- Brad explains how the Rare Society Industry steak night donations have been helping a lot of people amidst the pandemic. (29:49)
Key Quotes:
- “I can't do anything without the people that are working for me. But with me there, everyone is individually talented in their own ways. They all have great strengths, trustworthiness, and the name of why we got into this.” - Brad Wise
- “My job is solely to extract the best in everybody, recognize their talents, and try to use that as best as I can to make them successful, and we always like to use your success as our success. So, a lot of times people don't even know their strengths until they're shown what they are.” - Brad Wise
- “If you put the time and effort, I'm going to let you work on ownership, I'm going to let you work on all these things that are going to eventually make you successful. So, we kind of have that common goal and it's a two-way road, people want to be here, as much as we want and need them to be here.” - Brad Wise
- “I always say, this is the best. The best way of creativity is when your back is up against the wall, right? Oh, yeah, you have to fight your way out to make sure you survive.” - Brad Wise
Resources Mentioned:
- Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services
Mike Fusco LinkedIn- Ray Ramirez LinkedIn
- Brad Wise Instagram
- Trust Restaurant Group
45 min - TB8 - Team Business Welcomes Ryan Sisson of Moniker Group
In today’s episode of the Team Business podcast, co-hosts Mike Fusco and Ray Ramirez interview Ryan Sisson, the CEO of Moniker Group. Ryan talks about his role in the company, and how his leadership approach in business gives an opportunity for impact.
Episode Highlights:
- Mike introduces Ryan Sisson. (8:48)
- Ryan mentions that he studied at San Diego State University and earned a business degree. (10:04)
- Ryan shares that Moniker Group has been in the industry for about 10 years, and they have 7 different business units. (10:26)
- Ryan shares that what they do is to bring people together because that's what's valuable and vital to them. But unfortunately, due to the pandemic, everything has been challenging. (12:36)
- Ryan mentions that their company is run by 50 employees and they have a total of 6 physical locations, with different types of products and concepts. (13:10)
- Ryan shares that the businesses work together when they need to, but they all have their own story. (16:36)
- Ryan mentions that its structure as the parent company holds the key to all the back end operations. (16:55)
- Ryan shares that he sees size as an opportunity to find ways and to grow, without him as the producer. (18:54)
- Ryan shares that they have intentionally invested in culture with the team and care about each other's success and well-being in life. (21:04)
- Ryan mentions that the key elements of success are seeing individuals that are willing to stick with you, through thick and thin. (23:04)
- Ryan mentions that they’re not a technology-driven business because most of their team requires physical interaction to function. (26:49)
Key Quotes:
- “My job is to make sure that the people that are great at what they do have everything they need to be successful. So I compare my leadership approach to that of a bulldozer driver. I don't make things pretty, I just get stuff out of the way.” - Ryan Sisson
- “As a generalist, like you kind of want it, you just have this innate desire to have your hands in everything, because there's nothing that you're specifically passionate about enough to just be focused on that.” - Ryan Sisson
- “There’s a realization that everyone that works for you is never going to work for you forever, is a big one, and I think what that does is it releases the pressure to make this person, the person. So, we've always kind of had open hands with the way that we brought people on.” - Ryan Sisson
- “I think just not putting too much pressure on certain people to be the end all be all for your company and, championing them over the long haul to do what is it that they're bes att, and if that's not within your business, that's okay.” - Ryan Sisson
- “Look around your neighborhood and find those businesses that are trying to make it to that finish line and go and figure out what you can do for them. That would be a huge lift for us as a company as well.” - Ryan Sisson
Resources Mentioned:
- Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services
Mike Fusco LinkedIn- Ray Ramirez LinkedIn
- Ryan Sisson LinkedIn
- Moniker Group
38 min - TB7 - Team Business Welcomes Matt Sedlock from Western Lighting
In this episode of the Team Business podcast, co-hosts Mike Fusco and Ray Ramirez interview Matt Sedlock, the Owner of Western Lighting & Energy Control Solutions. Matt talks about his knowledge and expertise in the lighting industry and how the culture they’ve created has made an impact on their business.
Episode Highlights:
- Mike introduces Matt Sedlock. (3:32)
- Matt shares that he graduated from Central Michigan University in 1988, with a degree in Marketing and Sales Management. (8:54)
- Matt mentions that his first job was in Cooper Lighting as an outside sales representative, focused on the electrical distribution channel. (9:22)
- Matt mentions that working in the lighting industry was his dream job since childhood. (9:52)
- Matt shares that he was challenged by not having any experience and minimal training, but he realized that it was an opportunity for him to educate himself and learn the industry. (11:01)
- Matt mentions that he’s looking for individuals that have a strong work ethic, individuals that can work efficiently with others and they must be willing to be part of the team. (13:33)
- Matt thinks that their employees enjoy working at Western because of their culture, and the transparency that they manage. (13:57)
- Matt shares that they want their employees to learn the financial side of the business, to understand the inner workings, and not only about going out and acquiring the next sale. (13:46)
- Matt shares that the biggest product on the market right now is a product by Lutron, called Ketra, and it’s currently the most advanced lighting product on the market. (20:52)
- Matt mentions that they’re currently focusing on adding more structure to the company, and it takes every individual to speak up and share their ideas about how they can be better at what they're doing. (27:08)
Key Quotes:
- “We learned a lot through this COVID situation, and we hope to be a better company coming out of it than when we went into it, we found efficiencies and some of those efficiencies will forever remain part of our company moving forward. We learned how to run the business differently, and better.” - Matt Sedlock
Resources Mentioned:
- Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services
Mike Fusco LinkedIn- Ray Ramirez LinkedIn
- Matt Sedlock LinkedIn
- Western Lighting & Energy Control Solutions
30 min
About Team Business
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Team Business uncovers the everyday entrepreneurs' why, how, and the road to now! Join us to learn how game-changing founders act on their vision and build a team for success.