The Junto Institute: Flourishing Together

“One of the things that I've learned is that that's actually OK to have a messy life story. I've been told that our life is like a tapestry. . . It's this beautiful piece of art that we can really only understand when the time is right for us to understand. ” – Paul Fehrenbacher

Paul Fehrenbacher is the Co-founder and CEO of Mutt Jackson as well as a Junto Institute alum. Life has thrown some major curveballs his way and Paul opens up about how he’s dealt with multiple tragedies in a short amount of time. Through all the hardships, Paul has stayed true to himself and is living life on his terms.

“The greatest things in my life have come from the intersection of two random connections. And you can't have those unless you take the chance and invest in the relationship.” – Mike Schopin

Our second interview today is with Junto mentor and partner at Zenfinity Capital, Mike Schopin. Sharing feelings doesn’t come easily to Mike so today he opens up about how he’s learned to slow down and be nicer to everyone he encounters. Mike also shares how parenthood has helped him keep calm.

• [01:16] - Welcoming Paul Fehrenbacher, Co-founder, and CEO of Mutt Jackson
  • [02:48] - Emotion wheel
  • [04:38] - Paul's first recollection of leadership
  • [07:06] - Losses and transitions
  • [19:39] - Facing mental illness as an entrepreneur
  • [26:54] - The importance of relationships
  • [30:32] - Growing potential
  • [32:07] - Closing appreciations
• [35:04] - Welcoming Mike Schopin, Partner at Zenfinity Capital
  • [36:12] - Emotion wheel
  • [37:24] - Mike's first recollection of leadership
  • [40:03] - Closet cheerleader 
  • [44:19] - Becoming a better advisor & mentor
  • [51:21] - Finding balance through shared experiences
  • [1:00:40] - Sharing through the lens of others
  • [1:04:41] - The calming experience of parenthood
  • [1:07:29] - Closing appreciations

The Junto Institute is the only place where leaders and their companies grow together, helping them get to their desired next stage. Its leadership programs are built on a proven system of deep mentorship, emotional intelligence training, and teams learning together.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Flourishing Together in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.

This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

“I would say having confidence is really key. Making sure that you're feeling comfortable talking about the technology and being confident in what you're actually talking about…Also confident that you're going to probably be the only woman in the room most of the time.” – Nikki Martin

The telecommunications industry is dominated by men. In addition to the difficulty of the actual work, women holding leadership positions in the telecommunications space also have to deal with unwanted interactions. Nikki Martin, a Junto alum and Client Happiness Officer at Eclipse, breaks down what it’s like as the only woman in the room and also speaks candidly on her struggles with anxiety.

Next, Chad Cooper, CTO of LandscapeHub and Junto mentor, talks about how having kids helped him achieve clarity and balance in his working life. Chad mused, “In a startup, you’re going to have a list longer than you can ever achieve. But if you have clarity, you can achieve the right things.”

One of the key themes running through both conversations is the idea of active, generous listening. Being a generous listener is the trait that has helped both Nikki and Chad cultivate happy, efficient teams.

• [01:07] - Welcoming Nikki Martin, Client Happiness Officer at Eclipse
  • [01:49] - Emotion wheel
  • [03:30] - Nikki's first recollection of leadership
  • [05:25] - Emerging in a male-dominated industry
  • [12:53] - Coping with anxiety
  • [18:21] - Active listening
  • [24:29] - What men can do to help women excel
  • [28:55] - Closing appreciations
• [30:24] - Welcoming Chad Cooper, CTO of LandscapeHub
  • [31:11] - Emotion wheel
  • [33:20] - Chad's first recollection of leadership
  • [35:33] - Love for coding
  • [37:05] - Solving problems as a technologist
  • [40:06] - Co-founding Landscape Hub
  • [42:55] - Bringing the family together on the farm
  • [47:42] - Achieving clarity
  • [48:55] - Improving communication
  • [52:24] - The importance of leadership
  • [58:05] - Closing appreciations

Nikki Martin is the Client Happiness Officer at Eclipse and a Junto Institute alum. Prior to her time at Eclipse, she worked at It’s Just Lunch.

Chad Cooper is the CTO and co-founder of LandscapeHub and a long-time Junto Institute mentor. Chad was previously CTO at Grubhub and GiveForward.

The Junto Institute is the only place where leaders and their companies grow together, helping them get to their desired next stage. Its leadership programs are built on a proven system of deep mentorship, emotional intelligence training, and teams learning together.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Flourishing Together in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.

This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

Have you ever felt like an outcast? Most people have at one point or another, but for Kris Krisco, Chief Customer Officer at Buildout, feelings of being an outsider made him feel disconnected from family and friends. In time, he realized this was a strength. For our first conversation, Kris reflects on how feeling strange helped him better understand employees and customers on a human level.

For our second conversation, we’re talking to Paul Pagel, CEO of 8th Light and Junto mentor. There have been times when, as a leader, Paul has wanted to dole out advice to help his team get unstuck. But advice isn’t as memorable as shared experience. For Paul, the memory of stories through shared experience stays with him and he is able to call upon those lessons more readily than on regular advice given.

Today, Flourishing Together dives into the power storytelling plays in our lives before moving to a discussion of finding purpose and cultivating craft. Join Raman, Kris, and Paul as they parse out how leaders can impart knowledge in ways that are both memorable and accessible.

• [01:49] - Welcoming Kris Krisco, Chief Customer Officer at Buildout
  • [03:19] - Emotion wheel
  • [05:26] - Kris' first recollection of leadership
  • [09:03] - The difference between "I" and "You" statements
  • [12:35] - The origin of Kris' motivations
  • [14:30] - Win Forever 
  • [16:24] - Picture journaling
  • [22:57] - Harmonizing family background with growth & development
  • [28:05] - Closing appreciations
• [31:38] - Welcoming Paul Pagel, CEO of 8th Light
  • [32:50] - Emotion wheel
  • [34:40] - Paul's first recollection of leadership
  • [38:24] - Using shared experiences
  • [43:11] - How Paul became CEO of 8th Light
  • [46:38] - The pursuit of mastery
  • [51:13] - Bringing the value of learning into the home
  • [54:45] - Developing leadership and business savvy
  • [58:11] - Closing appreciations  

Kris Krisco is the Chief Customer Officer at Buildout, a commercial real estate software firm. Kris is also a Junto Institute alumnus and finds great purpose in nurturing both his team members and customers while delivering world class customer service.

Paul Pagel is the CEO at 8th Light, a custom software development service. He is also a popular mentor at The Junto Institute. Paul is passionate about training and developing leaders, developers, and designers to create higher caliber software that makes the world a better place.

The Junto Institute is the only place where leaders and their companies grow together, helping them get to their desired next stage. Its leadership programs are built on a proven system of deep mentorship, emotional intelligence training, and teams learning together.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Flourishing Together in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.

This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

Catherine Jelinek is the co-founder of The Junto Institute. Yet in the first few cohorts, she was often the only woman in the room. Things have changed dramatically since those early days and we’ve just completed our first year of JuntoWomen, a personal and professional growth network of women for Junto Apprentice and Alumni companies. Today on Flourishing Together, Catherine discusses feminine leadership and how the world could use a bit more of it.

Raman happily acknowledges how his conversations with Catherine have helped him become more empathetic and have helped him become a better father to his teenage daughters. The two make the case that adding more women in positions of leadership helps to increase the emotional intelligence of the business community and inadvertently allows men to open up and be more vulnerable – something many crave but feel they can’t do because of societal expectations.

• [01:13] - Welcoming Catherine Jelinek, Co-founder & Partner of The Junto Institute
  • [04:51] - Emotion wheel
  • [05:50] - Leading JuntoWomen
  • [10:46] - Self-appreciation
  • [15:30] - Impostor syndrome
  • [18:08] - Surprises from a male-dominated environment
  • [25:25] - Raman’s reflections
  • [27:02] - Patience
  • [30:44] - Working with people vs. against them
  • [35:20] - Creating space to be vulnerable
  • [39:20] - What will Catherine share with her son?
  • [42:14] - Closing appreciations

The Junto Institute is the only place where leaders and their companies grow together, helping them get to their desired next stage. Its leadership programs are built on a proven system of deep mentorship, emotional intelligence training, and teams learning together.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Flourishing Together in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.

This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

2019 was a year of renovation for Raman and The Junto Institute. As the year comes to a close, Raman decided to take some time to reflect on the challenges faced in 2019 and share his goals for Junto in the new year.

Be the first to learn about The Junto Institute’s brand new online program and hear about upcoming changes to the Flourishing Together podcast. Raman closes by discussing the personal challenges he faced last year as well as what he’s done to make positive change. Listen and reflect on your own life as the new decade begins.

• [00:38] - Emotion wheel 
• [01:53] - Evolution & change
• [03:44] - The restart-up year
• [09:49] - On Being with Krista Tippett
• [15:25] - On the Brink of Everything by Parker J. Palmer

The Junto Institute runs a structured, designed Apprenticeship Program that is built on deep mentorship, emotional intelligence training, and teams learning together. Originating in 2012 in Chicago, IL, over 30 companies have participated in the Junto Apprenticeship program.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Flourishing Together in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.

This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

Vera Kimmi is the VP of Sales at Forte Group. For Vera, the arts, particularly theater, nourish her soul. By embracing her need to be creative and perform, she has found that she’s a lot better at connecting with people at work. 

Our second guest, Kevin McShane is the Chief Revenue Officer at Affinitiv as well as a mentor at the Junto Institute. Kevin shares how reciprocity is key to his purpose. His goal is to mentor and help as many emerging leaders as he can. This service to others is his passion and having interactions with other organizations outside of his job has helped him grow as a leader.

To conclude, Raman discusses his thoughts on happiness as well as why the idea of filling your bucket is a more lasting piece of the happiness puzzle.

• [00:23] - Welcoming Vera Kimmi, VP of Sales at Forte Group
  • [01:29] - Emotion wheel
  • [03:53] - Vera's first recollection of leadership
  • [05:48] - Embraced in the west
  • [11:01] - Impactful sales
  • [17:16] - A bridge to everyone
  • [20:00] - Connecting in groups
  • [21:25] - Learning from the Junto Women Leadership circle
  • [24:24] - Black box acting
  • [25:38] - Muscle memory
  • [28:15] - Bend and mend your emotion
  • [32:13] - Routine discipline
  • [35:00] - Closing appreciations 
• [37:57] - Welcoming, Kevin McShane, Chief Revenue Officer at Affinitiv
  • [39:03] - Emotion wheel
  • [39:53] - Front row seat to leadership
  • [46:00] - Reciprocity
  • [49:17] - Building and scaling
  • [53:35] - Execution eats strategy for lunch
  • [55:43] - Bedrock rules for raising children
  • [59:07] - Affinity and loyalty
  • [1:00:52] - Closing appreciations
• [1:02:35] - Reflections

The Junto Institute runs a structured, designed Apprenticeship Program that is built on deep mentorship, emotional intelligence training, and teams learning together. Originating in 2012 in Chicago, IL, over 30 companies have participated in the Junto Apprenticeship program.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Flourishing Together in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.

This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

Aaron Fazulak co-founded DESIGNATION, a startup dedicated to design bootcamps. Amidst profound personal upheavals, Aaron personally financed the school to keep it afloat. His fortunes changed considerably when DESIGNATION was acquired by WeWork’s Flatiron School and he was finally able to spread the financial support to his employees. Now Aaron is back to the drawing board after a painful layoff from the company he helped found.

On this week’s episode of Flourishing Together, Aaron talks to Raman about the rollercoaster of emotions inherent in startup life. Tune in for an honest conversation about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. 

• [00:24] - Welcoming Aaron Fazulak
• [00:55] - Emotion wheel
• [02:06] - Aaron and Raman's mutual story
• [09:28] - Acquisition by WeWork
• [10:08] - Going corporate after college
• [12:28] - Getting entangled with DESIGNATION
• [15:39] - 401k & credit card debt
• [19:57] - Co-founder responses
• [21:40] - Enrolling in The Junto Institute
• [25:41] - Overcoming challenges
• [31:16] - The day of acquisition
• [33:25] - Experiencing the transition
• [37:59] - Integrating with WeWork
• [46:15] - Layoff aftermath
• [53:06] - Closing appreciations

The Junto Institute runs a structured, designed Apprenticeship Program that is built on deep mentorship, emotional intelligence training, and teams learning together. Originating in 2012 in Chicago, IL, over 30 companies have participated in the Junto Apprenticeship program.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Flourishing Together in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.

This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

On this episode of Flourishing Together, Raman talks to Dan Klein, CEO of Tiesta Tea. Dan shares a time where he found his response to a co-worker didn’t leave much room for discussion or creativity. He realized that if he listened and used more emotional intelligence in his approach, employees and co-workers would have more space to speak up about their ideas.

Next, Raman sits down with Josh Chapman, the COO of LandscapeHub and a beloved Junto mentor. Like anyone starting a new position at a new company, Josh felt a bit anxious upon coming aboard at LandscapeHub. However, his new bosses were quick to tell him just how much they valued his work and were happy he had taken the job. This small gesture helped him banish his nerves and made him realize that feeling appreciated professionally was one of his career non-negotiables.

Raman rounds out the episode with closing reflections. 

• [00:40] - Welcoming Dan Klein, CEO of Tiesta Tea
  • [03:02] - Emotion wheel 
  • [04:32] - Dan's first recollection of leadership
  • [06:21] - Promoting emotional intelligence
  • [09:08] - Hard conversations
  • [11:36] - Female influence
  • [16:47] - Growing as a leader
  • [20:43] - Closing appreciations 
• [23:34] - Welcoming Josh Chapman, COO of LandscapeHub
  • [25:30] - Emotion wheel 
  • [27:09] - Josh's first recollection of leadership 
  • [30:27] - Vision & respect 
  • [32:38] - Appreciation in the workplace
  • [34:09] - Leaving the world a better place
  • [36:34] - Josh's approach to mentoring
  • [39:18] - Leadership in context
  • [41:29] - The right way
  • [43:41] - Culture of appreciation 
  • [47:27] - Closing appreciations
• [49:21] - Reflections
  • [58:08] - "The Power of Appreciation" by Catherine Jelinek 

The Junto Institute runs a structured, designed Apprenticeship Program that is built on deep mentorship, emotional intelligence training, and teams learning together. Originating in 2012 in Chicago, IL, over 30 companies have participated in the Junto Apprenticeship program.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Flourishing Together in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.

This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

Jen Davis recently became a Partner at The Junto Institute after going through the program and identifying areas of her life she knew she needed to change. Jen talks to Raman about how she got stuck in a painful pattern of being a human-doer rather than a human being both at work and in her personal life. It wasn’t until she embraced self-care that she found herself switching jobs and putting her health and happiness first.

Next Raman talks to long-time Junto mentor, Jay Rudman, CEO of TopstepTrader. Jay has a unique ability to be empathetic with his employees while also keeping standards high. Jay shares how the book, Rocket Fuel, helped shape his leadership approach at TopstepTrader and talks about the idea of visionaries and operators.

Raman closes the episode by diving into his love for definitions as he reflects on these complex conversations and the words ‘relationship’ and ‘partnership’. 

• [00:55] - Welcoming Jen Davis, Partner at The Junto Institute
  • [02:41] - Emotion wheel 
  • [03:40] - Jen's first recollection of leadership
  • [06:02] - Reflecting on the leadership forum lifeline exercise
  • [14:15] - Weight loss triumph
  • [17:50] - Dinner disinvitation
  • [20:15] - Spreading the message about becoming a better version of yourself 
  • [25:57] - Closing appreciations 
• [27:53] - Welcoming Jay Rudman, CEO of TopstepTrader
  • [30:12] - Emotion wheel 
  • [31:31] - Jay's first recollection of leadership 
  • [34:33] - What Jay has learned about himself as a mentor 
  • [36:45] - Experiences as successor to Michael Patak 
  • [42:41] - Balancing expertise in vision and integration 
  • [44:28] - Diversity and inclusion 
  • [50:57] - Closing appreciations
• [54:04] - Raman’s closing reflection 
  • [54:09] Words matter
  • [54:34] Being ‘in relationship’ vs being ‘in a relationship’
  • [57:18] Bringing it back to conversations with Jay and Jen

The Junto Institute runs a structured, designed Apprenticeship Program that is built on deep mentorship, emotional intelligence training, and teams learning together. Originating in 2012 in Chicago, IL, over 30 companies have participated in the Junto Apprenticeship program.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Flourishing Together in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.

This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

Mark Murrell is the Founder & CEO of Get Maine Lobster and Black Point Seafood. As an alumnus of the Junto Institute, Mark has reflected a lot on what empathy means. He talks to Raman about how empathy has evolved into three types: cognitive, emotional, and compassionate. Mark also discusses why all business leaders should encourage empathy among employees in addition to commerce and customers.

Next, Raman talks to Junto Women’s Initiative mentor Paulina Caprio. Paulina is a Change Management and Culture Transformation Advisor. She discusses fear and how she has developed empathy about the feeling when it shows up for her and those she interacts with.

Raman closes out the episode by defining the three types of empathy and how you can cultivate each in your own life.

• [01:17] - Welcoming Mark Murrell, Founder & CEO of Get Maine Lobster and Black Point Seafood
  • [02:40] - Emotion wheel
  • [03:46] - Mark's first recollection of leadership
  • [04:13] - Using empathy authentically to create influence
  • [06:32] - What empathy means to Mark
  • [07:16] - The three levels of empathy
  • [09:55] - Recognizing types of empathy in personal life
  • [13:33] - How Mark is working on empathy in business
  • [14:54] - How companies can use empathy as a tool
  • [18:38] - Developing a sense of empathy through experience
  • [21:32] - Reconciling passion for empathy in a conflicting scenario
  • [24:34] - Choosing when to exercise empathy
  • [27:39] - How to use empathy to confront dissatisfied customers
  • [30:32] - Closing appreciations
• [32:03] - Welcoming Paulina Caprio, Change Management and Culture Transformation Advisor
  • [33:29] - Emotion wheel 
  • [34:22] - Paulina's first recollection of leadership
  • [35:49] - How Paulina's emotional intelligence journey was ignited
  • [41:07] - What Paulina has learned about leadership in hindsight
  • [43:30] - The antidote to command & control
  • [44:33] - Creating psychological safety
  • [49:15] - Learning to walk alongside fear
  • [53:43] - Leadership challenges for young professional women
  • [58:51] - Valuing feminine leadership skills
  • [1:00:47] - Closing appreciations 
• [1:02:27] - Raman’s closing reflection
  • [1:03:23] - Stephen Covey 
  • [1:06:16] - Daniel Goleman 
  • [1:07:28] - The three types of empathy
  • [1:11:49] - Listening is our greatest tool as leaders

The Junto Institute runs a structured, designed Apprenticeship Program that is built on deep mentorship, emotional intelligence training, and teams learning together. Originating in 2012 in Chicago, IL, over 25 companies have participated in the Junto Apprenticeship program.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Flourishing Together in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.

This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.