The Game Changer Network

High-Performance Lessons from the Flight Deck by Carey D. Lohrenz

Interview by Chicke Fitzgerald of the Game Changer Network as a part of the Best of the Game Changer series, showcased on C-Suite Network

In this show, we take flight into the life of the First Female F-14 Tomcat Fighter Pilot in North America, who flew missions worldwide as a combat Navy pilot.

The cockpit of an F-14 is one of the most demanding environments imaginable. The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is one of the most complex industrial work-sites there is. It’s here that Carey Lohrenz learned what fearless leadership means. Her teams had to perform at their peak, or lives were on the line.

Her experience in the all-male environment of fighter aviation and her ability to pass on the lessons learned in her career allow her to deliver insight and guidance from a credible platform and inspire Fearless Leadership and increased team performance.

The Game Changer is featured on C-Suite Network.

8 Powerful Strategies for Remarkable Conversations by Paul Axtell

Interview by Chicke Fitzgerald of the Game Changer Network as a part of the Best of the Game Changer series, showcased on C-Suite Network

Meetings have become a pain point for millions. Many see them as useless sessions that take time away from meaningful tasks. But one consultant with more than 30 years of experience has a different perspective: that meetings matter and they can be mastered.

In Meetings Matter, Paul Axtell emphasizes the importance of meetings, and he redesigns them using the vital foundation of conversation.

Paul Axtell provides consulting and personal effectiveness training to a wide variety of clients, from Fortune 500 companies and universities to nonprofit organizations and government agencies. A large focus of his work is how to run effective and productive meetings: to turn them from the calendar items that so many dread into useful, productive sessions with measurable results.

With real-life examples and actionable advice, he shows you how to design meetings for results, lead them to achieve agendas that move projects forward, and even allow time to build the relationships that make working together in a remarkable way possible.

This book will revolutionize the meeting, moving it from that dreaded obligation to the most powerful way to get things done in business and in life.

Meetings are at the heart of effective organizations. Each meeting is an opportunity to clarify issues, set direction, sharpen focus, create alignment and move ambitions forward. We have to change the way we think about meetings, the way we design and lead them, and, most importantly, how we manage what happens between meetings.

Axtell offers eight powerful strategies for fixing our meeting problems, and within each strategy, he provides concrete advice you can put into action immediately such as limiting participants, being vigilant about what gets on the agenda, designing the conversation for each agenda item, and managing the experience for everyone in the room so people leave feeling heard and appreciated.

Further, he explains how meetings can be your primary way to create and maintain your network of relationships.

We go to meetings. A lot of them. So let’s put creating and building relationships in front of us as one of the desired outcomes. What would you do differently if you looked at each meeting as an opportunity to add to your network?

Paul has an engineering degree from South Dakota School of Mines and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis. He has ten years of engineering manufacturing experience and fifteen years of experience in corporate personnel and training. The last twenty years have been devoted to designing and leading programs that enhance individual and group performance within large organizations.

He is the author of Ten Powerful Things to Say to Your Kids: Creating the Relationship You Want with the Most Important People in Your Life, which applies the concepts of his work to the special relationships between parents and children of all ages. Thus far, it has been translated into Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, Arabic, French and Spanish.

He is also the author of Being Remarkable, a small but power-packed collection of action items gleaned from more than thirty years of coaching people toward greater personal effectiveness aimed at developing the awareness that is the beginning of true and lasting change.

The Game Changer is featured on C-Suite Network.

A Radical Approach to Success at Work by Cathy Salit

Interview by Chicke Fitzgerald of the Game Changer Network as a part of the Best of the Game Changer series, showcased on C-Suite Network

In Performance Breakthrough Cathy Salit presents the revolutionary approach to learning and growing that she and her company Performance of a Lifetime have been using for twenty years to help American Express, Nike, Pfizer, the United States Olympic Committee, PwC, 3M, and Chanel, among a Who’s Who of other brand name clients.

Salit’s core idea is that all humans have an innate ability to perform, pretend, and improvise. It’s what helps us develop as children and continue developing as adults. You may not have been on a stage since you played a tree in third grade, but the reality is that you’re performing all the time.

Performance Breakthrough shows how you can use ideas and techniques from theater and improvisation, along with the new science of performative psychology, to enhance your performance at work and “become who you are not yet.”

In addition to being the CEO and co-founder of Performance of a Lifetime, Cathy Salit is an accomplished social entrepreneur, actress, director, improvisational comic and singer.

With backgrounds in philosophy and psychology coupled with experience in the performing arts, the Performance of a Lifetime team of coaches and human development experts leverage their proprietary method, the Becoming Principle™, to engage leaders and entire organizations in discovering, creating, and acting on new and uncharted possibilities.

In his best-seller, To Sell is Human, Daniel Pink devotes almost an entire chapter to just one aspect of Salit’s work. Performance Breakthrough presents her full methodology to help you hone your listening, relationship and communication skills; recognize and act on opportunities; build healthy working relationships; and grow as a leader.

No matter what your challenge, Salit's innovative philosophy, case studies, practical exercises, and inspiring advice will help you deliver your own top performance.

Cathy Rose Salit, our CEO and co-founder, has been shaking things up since she was 13. That’s when she began her career by dropping out of eighth grade and helping to start a progressive alternative school in an abandoned storefront in New York City. (Random House published a book — Starting Your Own High School — about the endeavor.) An accomplished social entrepreneur, actress, director, improvisational comic and singer, Cathy can be seen in the Castillo Theatre’s musical improv comedy show, The Proverbial Loons in New York City; in one of her signature interactive keynote presentations around the country; and in gyms throughout Manhattan honing her kick-boxing skills.

The Game Changer is featured on C-Suite Network.

Four Critical Sales Strategies to Win Global Customers by Barbara Weaver Smith

Interview by Chicke Fitzgerald of the Game Changer Network as a part of the Best of the Game Changer series, showcased on C-Suite Network

Nothing grows your bottom line faster than new business with your global sales accounts, yet companies like yours are leaving billions on the table.

Your customers are going global — are you?

In Whale Hunting with Global Accounts, Barbara Weaver Smith takes business owners and executives, national and global sales leaders, and large account sales reps on a deep dive into the four critical sales strategies that will make you winners in competition for global accounts.

Dr. Barbara Weaver Smith is founder and CEO of The Whale Hunters® and co-author of Whale Hunting: How to Land Big Sales and Transform Your Company, based on the collaborative culture of the Inuit people who engaged their entire village to hunt whales.

Barbara's website is http://thewhalehunters.com/

The Game Changer is featured on C-Suite Network.

Brand-New Rules for Public Speaking in a Digitally Distracted World by Liz Goodgold

Everything you know about speaking is wrong!

If you want to get noticed, get ahead, or get the business, you must throw out the old rules and embrace a new way of speaking. How to Speak Gooder is a rapid-fire plan for what works in today’s techno-centric and multi-tasking world. Liz dishes the dirt on delivering presentations that entertain and inform.

She shares her insider secrets on everything from harnessing your nervous energy to interacting with your audience to dealing with Q&A. In short, this is your guidebook to succeeding in front of a boardroom of 15 or a crowd of 500.

Liz is an author, coach, consultant, and motivational “speecher” who shares how to brand out, stand out, and cash in on your business. In fact, her clients typically boost their income by at least 40% after working with her!

Unclutter Your Mind to Uncomplicate Your Life by Joe Calloway

Interview by Chicke Fitzgerald of the Game Changer Network as a part of the Best of the Game Changer series, showcased on C-Suite Network

"I'm making this way more complicated than it needs to be."

Do you ever have that thought? We all do. We live in a world that becomes more complex everyday, and cluttered processes and complications are the enemies of control in your life and your business. But with simplification and focus as your pillars, Keep It Simple teaches you how to take charge of your goals and your life.

By gaining clarity on what is truly most important, you can streamline your life, reduce stress, and achieve the personal and business results that you desire.

With over 30 years of experience as a consultant and coach to top performing businesses and individuals, Joe Calloway is an expert in how to focus and simplify. Simplicity is a choice that creates positive growth and change in your work, home, and day to day life. When you make things simple, you can move mountains.

Joe Calloway helps great companies get even better. His workshops and interactive keynote presentations help develop leaders, create more effective teams, and improve performance for successful businesses who know that they can, and should, be doing more with the people and resources that they already have.

Joe’s client list reads like an international Who’s Who in business, ranging from companies like Proctor & Gamble and Coca Cola to Cadillac and American Express. Joe also works extensively with small to mid-sized businesses, franchisees, and a range of professional services organizations.

Joe is Executive In Residence at Belmont University’s Center For Entrepreneurship, which has been named as a national Top 25 Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Program by the Princeton Review (for five consecutive years). The program was featured by Fortune magazine as one of five schools to consider when studying entrepreneurship.

Author of seven books on business performance, including Becoming A Category of One, Be The Best At What Matters Most, Magnetic: The Art Of Attracting Business, and the soon to be released Keep It Simple.

Consultant and advisor to business leaders, owners, and entrepreneurs.

Real estate investor/developer in projects throughout the mid-south.

Investor in and advisor to start-up companies which presently include Gilson Boards and EVAmore.co.

Joe has presented at business conferences and events in countries around the world including Italy, Sweden, South Africa, England, Swaziland, Canada, Mexico and throughout the Caribbean. Although Joe has been inducted into the Speakers Hall of Fame, he doesn’t do traditional “speeches.” Instead, Joe actively engages people in highly interactive keynotes and workshops that challenge assumptions and create new ways of thinking.

The Game Changer is featured on C-Suite Network.

Tools to Become an Authentic Leader and Your Best Self

Interview by Chicke Fitzgerald of the Game Changer Network as a part of the Best of the Game Changer series, showcased on C-Suite Network

Having a successful, rewarding career can be challenging, especially in today’s ever-changing business dynamics. Your company’s culture may shift, or you may land on a new path that puts you in unfamiliar territory. Maybe you’re at a crossroads with how to get to the next level. Regardless, what worked for you yesterday may not work for you tomorrow. How do you successfully navigate and thrive? How do you stay true to yourself while leading others?

Authenticity is the best way to lead, and an effective way to maintain success as an organization. This practical guide shows you how to find your authentic self and leverage it into an effective leadership training strategy.

Karissa Thacker is founder and president of Strategic Performance Solutions Inc., a management training and consulting firm dedicated to elevating people to reach their highest potential and career satisfaction.

The Game Changer is featured on C-Suite Network.

How to Delight and Engage the Customers Your Competitors Don't Understand - Crafting the Customer Experience for People Not Like You by Kelly McDonald

This on demand audio series is a part of the Executive Girlfriends Group Vignette Series.

Interview by Chicke Fitzgerald of the Game Changer Network as a part of the Best of the Game Changer series, showcased on C-Suite Network

The original live interview was 1/25/13.

A "one-size fits all" approach to customer service is no longer viable. Businesses competing on service need to understand and cater to customers' racial, ethnic, religious, generational, and geographic differences in order to meet or exceed customers' service expectations. Crafting the Customer Experience to People Not Like You shows how companies, brands, and products struggling to differentiate themselves in a sea of sameness can foster long-term loyalty and brand preference with exceptional and customized customer service.

Kelly McDonald is a recognized expert on diversity marketing and business trends. She was named #1 on the list of “26 Hot Speakers” by Successful Meetings magazine. Kelly’s speaking client roster includes: Toyota, Sherwin-Williams, Harley-Davidson, State Farm Insurance, Mattel, AAA Travel, BlueCross BlueShield, and dozens of financial organizations and associations.

Kelly is a member of the National Speakers Association. McDonald Marketing is a woman-owned business and is a certified HUB (Historically Under-utilized Business) by the state of Texas.

Kelly’s website is http://www.mcdonaldmarketing.com/

The Game Changer is featured on C-Suite Network.

The Six Steps to Entrepreneurial Success

Interview by Chicke Fitzgerald of the Game Changer Network as a part of the Best of the Game Changer series, showcased on C-Suite Network

A predictable pattern of success

Entrepreneurs who have read early drafts of The Start-Up J Curve responded, ”I wish I had this book years ago.”

A start-up unfolds in a predictable pattern; the more aware entrepreneurs are of this pattern, the better able they will be to capitalize on it. Author Howard Love calls this pattern the start-up J Curve: The toughest part of the endeavor is the time between the actual start of a new business and when the product and model are firmly established.

The Start-Up J Curve gives entrepreneurs the tools they need to get through the early challenges so they can reach the primary value creation that lies beyond.

Howard is an Entrepreneur, Author, and Angel Investor.

Howard Love brings thirty-five years of start-up experience to this comprehensive guide to starting a business. He outlines the six predictable stages of start-up growth and details the activities that should be undertaken at each stage to ensure success and to avoid common pitfalls. Instead of feeling lost and confused after a setback, start-up founders and investors can anticipate the challenges, overcome the obstacles, and ride the curve to the top.

He has founded or co-founded over 15 businesses and invested in over 50 startups including:

Inmark Development, Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO. Sold to Rogue Wave (IPO, Board Member)

MarketHome – Chairman & Investor. Acquired by ClickAction (Board Member)

GetawayZone – Co-Founder, Investor. Acquired by Expedia

PageWise – Co-Founder, Investor & Chairman. Acquired by Demand Media

FlexJobs – Co-Founder, Investor & Chairman

LoveToKnow – Founder/Owner, Chairman & CEO (Recently acquired Trails.com)

Knowingly – Co-Founder & Chairman

Love is also an Angel Investor in companies such as:

Trulia – Angel Investment

HotelTonight – Angel Investment, Board Member

GigaOm – Chairman of the Board & Investor

iSpotTV – Angel Investment

Liftopia – Angel Investment

Titan Aerospace (acquired by Google) – Angel investment

Array Healthcare Solutions – Angel Investment

Howard Love was born in Detroit in 1960, and attended Phillips Exeter Academy (1974-1978) and Colgate University (1978-1983). He completed his first Ironman competition at the age of 51 in Lake Placid, NY. Love resides in Silicon Valley, CA.

The Game Changer is featured on C-Suite Network.

Building Effective Relationships in Your Organization

Interview by Chicke Fitzgerald of the Game Changer Network as a part of the Best of the Game Changer series, showcased on C-Suite Network

The original live interview was 7/14/16.

Trust is non-negotiable for high performing people, teams, and organizations. Yet, trust is fragile and commonly misunderstood. Ninety percent of the behaviors that break trust down and derail relationships and teamwork are subtle, fleeting, and unintentional.

In the new third edition of the business best selling Trust and Betrayal in the Workplace, Michelle Reina, PhD provides the awareness, knowledge, and tools people at every level of responsibility need to build and sustain high trust relationships at work. Michelle’s approach to trust building is backed by 25 years of scientific research and proven results inside global, industry-leading companies.

Michelle, together with her co-author and business and life partner Dennis Reina, PhD, is co-founder of Reina, A Trust Building® Consultancy, a global firm specializing in transforming workplaces through trust.

For more than two decades, the Reinas have supported leaders, teams, and entire organizations to build trust and achieve business results through consulting, workshops, speaking, and coaching. Their suite of valid and reliable trust assessments help people take the guesswork out of trust.

The Game Changer is featured on C-Suite Network.