The GrowthPro Edge

What if the biggest obstacle to your growth isn't a lack of knowledge, but the little voice that convinces you to take the easier path?

Denise Killian talks with Matt White, author of The Snack Monkey: How to Stop Eating a Whole Packet, about why intelligent people make irrational decisions, even when they know better. From procrastination and missed follow-ups to difficult conversations and leadership challenges, Matt shares how awareness, better habits, and small environmental changes can help you make better decisions and create lasting change.

What They'll Learn

• Why the "Snack Monkey" overrides logic and leads to procrastination, poor decisions, and the "forget it" button
• How to recognize triggers, change your environment, and build habits that make better choices easier
• Why action creates motivation and how leaders can improve accountability by leading themselves first

Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mcfwhite

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What if your most difficult customer could become your biggest advocate?

In this episode of The GrowthPro Edge, Denise Killian talks with Nate Murray, author of How to Deal with a Shitty Customer, about handling difficult customers, empowering frontline employees, and turning complaints into opportunities to build loyalty. Learn why training your team to navigate tough conversations can protect your culture, improve customer experiences, and bring people back.

What They'll Learn

• How to de-escalate difficult situations and solve problems without giving away the store

• How to empower frontline employees to handle complaints with confidence and respect

• When to resolve a situation, escalate it, or let a customer go

Find your next edge at GrowthProGroup.com

Listen to the podcast: https://thegrowthprogroup.com/the-growthpro-edge-podcast/

When a crisis hits, how you communicate can determine whether people trust you, or never trust you again.

Communication strategist Julie Smith joins Denise Killian to share lessons from years of navigating public crises, reputational challenges, and high-pressure situations across government and business. From preparing for the unexpected to communicating difficult decisions, Julie explains why crisis management starts long before something goes wrong.

What You'll Learn

• How to communicate quickly and accurately when you don't have all the answers.

• Why trust is built through consistent actions, transparent communication, and empowering frontline employees.

• How to turn strategic plans and organizational values into everyday behaviors that strengthen teams and build credibility.

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When everyone is responsible, sometimes no one is responsible, and that's where leads, customers, and opportunities fall through the cracks.

Denise Killian talks with Antoine Campbell, founder of CEO 929 Business Solutions, about closing the ownership gap through clearer accountability, better handoffs, documented processes, and smarter use of CRM, automation, and AI.

What They'll Learn:

• How to identify where ownership breaks down between people, departments, and processes
• Why documenting repeatable processes can solve problems that leaders mistakenly blame on employees
• How to use CRM, automation, and AI to reinforce accountability rather than hide broken processes

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Gen Z isn't lazy, they're changing what employees expect from work, leadership, communication, and growth.

In this peer conversation, leaders from Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z break down the misconceptions surrounding today's youngest major workforce generation. From communication preferences and technology to feedback, autonomy, mental health, training, and employee retention, the panel explores what managers can do differently to get the best from a multigenerational team.

What They'll Learn:

• Why asking "why" can signal engagement, not entitlement
• How to adapt communication, training, feedback, and leadership across generations
• Why empowering employees and avoiding assumptions can strengthen engagement and retention

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In this episode of The GrowthPro Edge, Denise Killian talks with Vivian Conterio about how FECs can maximize Q4 through strategic planning, holiday group events, promotions, gift cards, and a fully aligned team.

What You'll Learn:

• How to use a 30-60-90 day marketing cycle to plan and execute Q4 promotions
• Why training your entire team is critical to turning marketing into sales
• How holiday events, gift cards, memberships, and value-added promotions can drive Q4 revenue

Find your next edge at TheGrowthProGroup.com

What's the highest-ROI investment you can make in your FEC? According to Amber Lambert of Betson, it's not a new attraction. It's not the latest game. It's your people.

In this week's Think Tank Thursday, Denise Killian sits down with Amber — who has owned and operated her own family entertainment center, worked in corporate FEC management, and now helps operators grow their business through Betson — to talk about why training has to be a culture, not a calendar item.

They cover the full arc: from what a first week of onboarding should actually look like, to why the buddy system works better than any employee handbook, to how cross-training and recognition keep your best people from walking out the door. Amber also gets real about safety — the stuff most operators think they've covered but haven't practiced nearly enough.

Key Takeaways:

• Training is your best ROI. More than any game or attraction you can buy. Amber guarantees it — and she sells games for a living.
• A buddy system in the first 6-12 weeks sets new hires up to succeed and strengthens your veteran employees at the same time.
• Cross-training creates a path forward. Nobody stays at a job where there's no room to grow.
• Safety training isn't a fire drill you do once. It has to be practiced until it's second nature — before the moment your team needs it.
• Monthly team training meetings don't have to be a burden. Make them fun, make them required, and let your team take turns leading them.

Ready to grow your team, your business, or yourself? Visit thegrowthprogroup.com and set up a free growth call with one of our coaches.

Can technology make the customer experience better without making it feel less human?

In this episode of The GrowthPro Edge, Denise Killian talks with John Keys of CenterEdge about balancing technology, efficiency, and hospitality, and why eliminating friction doesn't always mean automating everything.

John shares why technology should be treated as a tool, not the entire solution. From simplifying transactions and online purchases to walking through your business from the guest's point of view, the conversation explores how small changes can make the experience easier while still preserving the personal touches that guests remember.

What You'll Learn

• How technology can eliminate friction or accidentally create more of it
• Why collecting too much information can hurt the customer journey
• How to evaluate your business through your guest's eyes
• Why hospitality and human connection still matter in a tech-driven experience
• How empowering employees to notice and solve the little things can create a big customer impact
• Why technology should support your team, not distract them from the guest
• How small operational improvements can create better experiences and new revenue opportunities

Technology can make things faster and easier. But the moments that make people feel noticed, welcomed, and valued still come from people.

Find your next edge at GrowthProGroup.com

What if your manager meetings could solve problems, build leaders, and actually be worth everyone's time?

In this episode of The GrowthPro Edge, Denise Killian sits down with Kevin Kochman of Semnox to tackle the dreaded manager meeting and share how to turn it from an information dump into an interactive coaching and development tool.

Kevin shares lessons from decades in the entertainment industry, including why he moved away from the "head buffalo" style of leadership toward a more collaborative "head geese" approach where everyone contributes.

What You'll Learn

• How the "head buffalo" approach can become a more collaborative "head geese" meeting
• Why manager meetings should develop business acumen, accountability, and future leaders
• How a consistent agenda gives meetings structure without making them stale
• Why every department leader should participate instead of simply listening
• How training, heart checks, and team participation can make meetings more productive and engaging
• Why consistency between managers can ultimately improve sales and profitability

Your manager meeting shouldn't be something everyone dreads. Done well, it can become one of your best tools for developing leaders and moving the business forward.

Find your next edge at GrowthProGroup.com