Today we’re talking about human partnership with AI, the blank canvas paradox, growing up in family business, pioneering child care in the corporate world, the power of music and so much more. We’re talking with Matthew Bare. 

Landing Page... Matt Bare: The Zenquest of Leaders with Jess Ollenburg — zenquest.online

Here’s a little background on today’s guest…

• Currently at Rockwell International, Matt is a 15-year data science leader, working with global teams that deliver Actionable and Predictive Insights to Drive and Optimize Business Outcomes. 
• He earned his Master’s in Business Analytics from the University of Iowa and his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Marquette University. 
• Matt delivers Analytics and Consulting work in holistic business functions and can speak to what’s new in AI. As an analyst, he brings extraordinary ability and dedication to transform data into both big picture forecast and smaller tactical decision tools. 
• He’s answered the call to lead and contribute since early age, and he never stops dedicating. Since childhood he’s pitched in with our family’s charitable give backs. He’s served on committees and boards for the American Cancer Society, the Arthritis Foundation, HRS, HRS Gives Back and Ollenburg Gives Back. While at Marquette, he served as President and Chairman of the Board for the 283 Education Foundation. 
• At HRS, Matt dedicated himself to learning so many facets of business. He learned big picture thinking companioned with targeted response. As one example, he directed the analytics of our workforce motivation surveys and quickly proved he could look at raw data in the thousands and identify trends and hypotheses for further story-telling. It led us to great discoveries. And in response to our many workforce technology inventions, he served as a lead technical trainer to field and client employees. He earned a following from those who trusted he’d create a lightbulb moment for others!
• At University of Iowa, working with his professor, he developed an analytics tool with real-time data for Iowa grape growers and regional wine makers. 
• At ACT he served as Performance Data Analyst and in Customer Care, where he comprehensively managed call center metrics, using predictive analysis, creating upleveled reporting dashboards and identifying critical opportunities for the many nationwide who rely upon ACT testing for university admission. 
• At Rockwell, Matt serves as Systems and Analytics Architect, leading data quality efforts and pinpointing decision tools. He’s a forward-facing facilitator who works with stakeholders to understand organizational opportunities and he crafts coding and analytics solutions to achieve best outcomes. 

To that end, we asked Matt to address AI and analytics from a high-level, rather than a detailed perspective. We did our best to keep the technology talk fairly light with lasting relevance. 

Cohosts Jess & John Ollenburg answer questions from listeners and discuss the origin of Zenquest.Online and podcast, as well as, their own career journeys and how they each Zen. Thank you for joining us!

Episode landing page is at: BTS with Jess & John Ollenburg: The Zenquest of Leaders Podcast — zenquest.online

Today we’re talking about igniting passion, living outside of one’s comfort zone, creating confidence through accomplishment, parenting today, new definitions of family success, allowing faith in the workplace, the importance of brain rest and so much more. We’re talking with Kimberly Joy. The episode landing page is: Kimberly Joy: The Zenquest of Leaders with Jess Ollenburg — zenquest.online

Here’s a little background on today’s guest…

• Kimberly Joy is celebrated as a 7-time bestselling author and the award-winning Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Fellowship of Extraordinary Women (FEW) International. 
• She is on a mission to equip and empower professional Christian woman to fulfill their Kingdom assignments and divine destinies, and to leave lasting legacies in their faith, family, and finances. 
• Whether it is through her transformational world-class certification courses and events, her international publishing division, or the robust, monthly community she’s established for women around the globe, Ms. Joy has set her mark as a leader among leaders. 
• She has helped thousands of women find their unique voice and share their stories as speakers, authors, coaches, trainers, and leaders. 
• She is also a devoted mom of 11, and a cherished Noni to 8 precious grandchildren, and is eagerly anticipating the arrival of a ninth!

Leading off Season 2B of our award-winning podcast is Mike Crowley! 

Today we’re talking about saving lives, giving hope, community impact, the passion for future endeavors, elected leadership, spectacular pets, 5-leaf clovers and so much more. We’re talking with Mike Crowley. Please find the show's landing page at: Michael Crowley: The Zenquest of Leaders with Jess Ollenburg — zenquest.online or https://www.zenquest.online/crowleypod.

Here’s a little background on today’s guest…

• Mike was named the CEO of the National Kidney Foundation of Wisconsin in January 2021 and during the same time, named the 2020 Waukesha Freeman “Citizen of the Year.”
• He has lived in the City of Waukesha for the past 33 years with his wife, Sherie, a dog, and a cat. They also have a horse, Ellie. Mike & Sherie have two grown children, Andy, and Marissa, and a grandson, Ford.
• Mike began his career in manufacturing after graduating from Ohio Valley Business College in East Liverpool, Ohio with a degree in business and accounting. He met his future wife, Sherie, in La Crescent, Minnesota and after several years there, they moved to Waukesha, Wisconsin.
• Prior to NKFW, Mike served for 2 years as the CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Waukesha County, having built 4 new homes, and rehabilitated 3 homes for seven families in need of affordable housing in the City of Waukesha.
• Prior to that, Mike worked in manufacturing in executive roles, primarily in the plastics industry for over 30 years.
• Mike also gives a lot of his time serving his community. He is a Waukesha County Board Supervisor in his 7th term, serving on several committees including Judiciary & Law Enforcement and Human Resources, and continues as Chairman of the Waukesha County Airport/Crites Field for the past 20 years.
• Mike has continued to serve on the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission as a Commissioner for the past 12 years, holding several leadership roles.
• Another nonprofit organization that is near and dear to him and his family, is the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). Their son, Andy, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 2, now 27. Mike became very involved with JDRF, holding numerous leadership roles over the past 24 years, including Board President and State Leader for Government Relations. Mike also founded a bicycling “Ride to Cure Diabetes” for JDRF in La Crosse, WI 14 years ago. This ride brings hundreds from across the country and raises $2M a year for diabetes research.
• Nonprofit leadership, volunteering in the community, elected service to the community, and a passion for helping people and families through the years inspired Mike to take the leadership role at the National Kidney Foundation of Wisconsin. He is proud of the work that NKFW does to improve the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by kidney disease and increasing the availability of all organs for transplantation.

Thank you for joining us today as we talk with Peggy Williams-Smith, fellow Milwaukee native, highly accomplished veteran of the hospitality industry, leadership mentor, president and CEO of Visit Milwaukee… and so much more. Please find the landing page at: Peggy Williams-Smith: The Zenquest of Leaders with Jess Ollenburg — zenquest.online.

Our show enjoys worldwide listeners and the services of Ollenburg LLC are delivered worldwide as well. That said, many of our episode guests enjoy some connection to our hometown metro-Milwaukee.

Milwaukee and Wisconsin are together garnering so much positive attention, growth, success, tourism and honored among the best places to visit and best places to succeed. 

It’s really exciting, and we recognize Peggy, Visit Milwaukee and some of our favorite hometown cohorts for shining a light on the exciting things happening. 

Peggy joined Visit Milwaukee as the company’s first female president and CEO in 2019. 

She credits her accomplishments to surrounding herself with a great team, and we’ve watched great humans jumping to collaborate with Peggy, because they trust her dedication to get it done. 

Visit Milwaukee has launched exciting, dynamic marketing campaigns to increase economic impact to the community and elevate the city’s reputation. 

Peggy’s focus on strategic partnerships has deepened the company’s local connections and allowed to develop a nimble team that is more responsive than ever to changes within the travel and hospitality industries. 

This was none more apparent than during the pandemic when Visit Milwaukee became the go-to source for information for the hospitality industry and the industry’s No. 1 advocate on state and local levels. 

Milwaukee boasts nearly 200 individually unique neighborhoods and nearly 200 independently owned and operated restaurants.  

Our own company enjoys the good fortune of representing so many employers in the restaurant and hospitality industry, and we see the positive impact of Peggy’s work. It’s exciting! 

From promoting the city to the nation during the Milwaukee Bucks’ championship run to leading the city’s bid to secure the 2024 Republican National Convention, Williams-Smith’s strategic leadership will ultimately result in economic gains for Milwaukee for years to come. 

Prior to her work at Visit Milwaukee, she worked for Marcus Hotels & Resorts for over 22 years and held leadership positions at varying levels throughout the division. 

Williams-Smith is a proud mentor of other women in business and uses her free time to support so many charitable causes. 

Peggy resides in Milwaukee with her husband, Tim Smith, their fabulous niece, Jocelyn and their Boston Terrier, Tito Fenway.  

Today we’re talking Strengths Based Leadership, STEM Outreach, Leveraging Technology, Training Metrics, Critical Thinking, All Things Zen and The Spark of Watching Future Generations! We are talking with James Hischke, and we are so mutually excited to help the next generations succeed!  The landing page for this episode is James Hischke: The Zenquest of Leaders with Jess Ollenburg — zenquest.online.   

James brings over 20 years of experience in various leadership roles across business and technology. He builds high-performing lean/agile teams that solve business problems and advance business strategy, while ensuring the strengths of each individual are fully leveraged.  

After starting his career as a Software Engineer for Strong Financial, he excelled in various roles during an 18+ year career at Northwestern Mutual that included project/program management, lean/agile IT transformation, IT vendor management, tech talent/workforce development, and lean process improvement. 

He was instrumental in the work that led to the creation of the Milwaukee Tech Hub Coalition. 

James is currently the Director of Consulting Services for Codeworks, LLC, serving exceptional nationwide clients. He serves on the advisory boards for i.c.stars Milwaukee and Pathways High School, and is a member of the Tech United (United Way) Advisory Council. James and his wife Beth have 4 children (Maddie - 18, Claire - 16, Owen - 13, and Simon - 11) and live in Muskego, WI. He spends his time outside of work traveling with his family, playing basketball, coaching youth sports, golfing, mountain biking, fishing, and just about any other activity someone wants to throw his way.

Today we’re talking about art in education, art in careers and art in self-nourishment, and we’re talking with Joel Cencius, Executive Director of Arts at Large. Whether we’ve created or purchased the art, whether we deploy art in work, play or expression, the value is so strong in developing leaders, problem solving, communication, invention, wellness, mood optimization and so many strengths. We’re talking zen in art therapy, physical exercise and redirecting the human brain into re-energizing subject matter.

Enjoy the show's landing page at: Joel Cencius - The Zenquest of Leaders Podcast — zenquest.online

Here’s a little background on today’s guest…

• Joel Cencius is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) with over 17 years of nonprofit management experience. He has held various direct-fundraising leadership positions as well as organizational management roles. Joel currently serves as Executive Director for Arts At Large, an arts education nonprofit committed to enhancing accessibility to the arts within the community. 
• Prior to his current role, Joel served as the Chief Development Officer for St. Joan Antida High School, where he led the school's development and alumnae relations efforts. During his tenure, the school doubled its annual fundraising revenue, including securing the largest foundation gift in its 69-year history which led to the school’s first capital improvement project in more than 15 years. Joel's strategic initiatives extended to establishing the school's marketing and communications department, significantly elevating visibility and enrollment in a highly competitive high school market. 
• Before rejoining St. Joan's, Joel served as the Vice President of Development for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee. In this role, he oversaw all fund development responsibilities for the agency that served over 1,400 children and their families annually. 
• Joel has also held leadership roles at Cardinal Stritch University and the Betty Brinn Children's Museum. 
• He is a member of Rotary serving as President for the Mequon-Milwaukee Diversity Passport Club. He has also been a long-time volunteer for Make-a-Wish of Wisconsin, the Arthritis Foundation, and the Washington High School Alumni Scholarship Foundation. He earned his undergraduate degree in communication arts and business at Cardinal Stritch University. 

Our featured guest this episode is Mary Starr, diving into topics such as Culture by Design not Default, The Culture of Mattering, Surveys Done Right, Healthy Partnerships, Laughable Moments… and of course… Zen.  We’re talking personal zen through exercise, fresh air and living in the present. We’re talking creating zen for those we lead to help humans bring their A-games in productivity, well-being and work-life balance. 

As referenced in today’s show, Mary is sharing “Culture by Design…” an insightful PowerPoint of The Starr Group’s own case studies and research to accompany this program. Mary's PowerPoint, show landing page, topic resources and contact info are available at Mary Starr: The Zenquest of Leaders — zenquest.online.  

Here’s a little background on today’s guest…

• Mary Starr, Executive Vice President, has directed The Starr Group since 1985.  She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in sociology & social work and a minor in Spanish. She went on to earn graduate credits toward her master’s degree in social work at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and graduate credits toward her master’s in business administration at Keller Graduate School. 
• In 2010 Mary became a Certified Wellness Coach and in 2016 earned her Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist designation.
• Mary has served on numerous boards past and present, including: American Heart Association Board of Directors; Wellness Council of Wisconsin’s Executive Board of Directors; Board of Directors for the Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare | Ascension Foundation; Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare Diabetes Awareness Advisory Board; Well City Milwaukee Advisory Board of Directors; MarshBerry and Associates Advisory Council, Milwaukee’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For Board, The South Suburban Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and more.
• Mary has been at the helm of creating The Starr Group’s current award-winning wellness program, Fit4Life, which has received numerous accolades including  National Healthiest 100 Workplaces, inducted into Hall of Fame 2022;  Well Workplace Award, Wellness Council of America, since 2011; American Heart Association Workplace Health Solutions Gold Award,  and many more. 

Our featured guest this episode is Dulce Ruiz-Moreno, and we are talking new promise for the travel industry, as well as, lesser-known services available to travelers, global hospitality, coaching for success, “white-glove” service, zen through gardening, zen through cheffing authentic family recipes… and so much more.  Episode landing page, guest contact info and topic resources are at: Dulce Ruiz-Moreno: The Zenquest of Leaders — zenquest.online

Here’s a little background on today’s guest…

• Dulce began her professional career while attending college and only 2 months after graduating high school. She shines among the youthful leaders we support on this show! 
• While her original objective at MATC was to become a special education teacher, her rapid involvement in the hospitality industry guided her in a different direction. 
• Dulce is now Vice President and General Manager for Interflight Parking Company, which manages multiple airports around the country including General Mitchell International Airport.                                        
• She brings over 12 years of travel, hospitality, leadership, and management experience for a variety of departments such as operations, sales, marketing, and key administration. 
• A strong and smart leader, Dulce was recognized as the top Regional Sales Manager for WallyPark Airport Parking nationwide, with over 500 employees, and during her tenure was promoted to various roles leading up to Customer Relations Manager. Dulce’s experience spans all aspects of parking operations including management of valet parking operations.
• Dulce Joined Interflight Parking in July 2020 during the pandemic as General Manager for the Milwaukee Airport Parking management contract and was promoted to Vice President and General Manager in September 2021.   
• She is responsible for the direction of the Interflight Parking team, the strategic development, and guiding the company’s commitment to continuous improvement and growth. 
• Dulce serves as Vice President of Membership for the Global Business Travel Association - Wisconsin Chapter, a non-profit organization comprised of travel managers, airlines, ground transportation companies, hoteliers and technology providers. GBTA stays current on the hot topics of today's ever-changing world of operational, financial and other travel industry-related issues. 
• Dulce recently joined the Wisconsin Airport Management Association and serves on the annual conference planning committee. She is committed to getting involved in understanding new and emerging travel management practices that may impact the airport parking industry.

Bob Gross talks leadership, life, family, travel, community giveback, his red EV mustang, music and so much more.  Landing page, contact info and topic resources are at Bob Gross - The Zenquest of Leaders — zenquest.online. 
 
As this episode releases, we raise a “Cheers” to Bob’s late father Eugene C. Gross. Administering guidance control systems, Eugene was integral to the Apollo program of missions. He would be 90 today, and we send him our grateful thanks! Cheers, Eugene!!

Robert J. Gross is both the CEO and the visionary of Gross Automation, LLC.  More than 34 years ago, Bob saw an opportunity to take both his engineering skills along with his incredible sense of humor and apply them to an industrial automation and controls business, born in an incubator on the northwest side of Milwaukee.  

Since then, the company has grown to currently include 31 employees representing 59 family lives.  Gross Automation now represents more than 50 manufacturing partners and has more than 10,000 unique customers, both locally and internationally.

Bob is currently the President of the Kiwanis Club of Wauwatosa as well as chair of the sponsored youth and youth services committee.  He also serves on the board of the Wauwatosa Lions Club.  Both the Kiwanis and the Lions support his passion for Scouting by chartering Scout units and he currently serves there as both a unit commissioner as well as on the shooting sports committee with his NRA certifications of rifle, pistol, and shotgun instructor, and as a chief range safety officer.  

Bob’s other passions include being an instrument-rated private pilot and having his baby grand piano in his office...  for those occasions when he needs to just zen!