What CEOs Talk About

Michael Bach is the founder of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion and the CEO of CCDI Consulting Inc. He is nationally and internationally recognized as a thought leader and subject matter expert in the fields of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility, bringing a vast knowledge of leading practices in a live setting to his work. He is the author of the best-selling and award-winning books ‘Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right’ and ‘Alphabet Soup: The Essential Guide to LGBTQ2+ Inclusion at Work’.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• Michael Bach’s past as Deputy Chief Diversity Officer for KPMG globally
• When and why Michael founded CCDI
• Why LGBTQ+ inclusion is a sound business decision
• The differences between sex, sexuality, and gender
• Actions CEOS and leaders can take to make workplaces more inclusive
• How common language - such as maternity leave - is gendered and exclusive
• How opposite-sex spouses are the default assumption in a workplace
• Where behaviors such as homophobia, transphobia, and biophobia stem from
• The movie Michael found most impactful in his life 

In this episode…

Michael Bach, the founder of CCDI and author of ‘Alphabet Soup’, joins the podcast to speak with Martin about LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace. Inclusion isn’t just acknowledging that people have different preferences and lives but is giving them psychological safety and a place to belong exactly as they are.

The differences between equality, diversity, and inclusion are explained by Michael Bach as they relate to the workplace. It is the ability to feel safe at work, safe to live authentically, that is at stake. Michael points out examples such as being asked about opposite-sex spouses as a matter of assumption that chip away such safety, or addressing gatherings with “ladies and gentlemen”. He encourages deeper thought about the language being used.  

In this episode of What CEOs Talk About, host Martin Hunter and guest Michael Bach have a frank and educational conversation about 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion and how CEOs and leaders must facilitate that. Michael explains the importance of gender-neutral language, the differences between sex terms and gender identity, the learned behaviors of homophobia, and why these issues are important to get right in any workplace.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• URGEO
• Contact email: [email protected]
• Martin Hunter on LinkedIn
• Michael Bach on LinkedIn
• Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI)
• CCDI Consulting Inc
• Michael Bach website
• Michael Bach on Instagram
• ‘Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right’ by Michael Bach
• ‘Alphabet Soup: The Essential Guide to LGBTQ+ Inclusion at Work’ by Michael Bach
• What CEOs Talk About episode ‘When Business Doesn’t Make Money’ with Matthew Smedley 
• ’The Long Walk Home’ movie

Resources recommended for CEOs and leaders:

• Monday.com
• BambooHR

Sponsor for this podcast...

This podcast is brought to you by URGEO, Operational excellence in action through the Are you Ready Program!

Are you READY to free up your time?
Optimize your Organization?
Grow revenue and reduce costs?
Build your leadership team?

Partnering with organizations like yours, we work with you to implement our proven methodology designed to transform your operations, while providing accurate advice and support for real success.

Translating strategy into frontline operations, URGEO helps leaders and the people within their organization excel at safe, on-time, on-budget and on-spec delivery. Let’s touch base so we can learn how we can level up your business. Contact us today.

Dr. Bill Howatt, founder, and CEO of Howatt HR refers to himself as a behavioral scientist with a keen curiosity for how employees and employers can work together to reduce mental harm and promote mental health in the workplace. He is known internationally and is one of Canada’s top experts in workplace psychological health and safety. Dr. Bill is on the CSA OHS Standards Steering Committee and Chair of the CSA Standard Z1008: Management of Substance-Related Impairment in the Workplace. He is the co-creator of the Psychologically Safe Workplace Awards.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• Dr. Bill Howatt’s personal experience with mental illness
• The percentage of the population with a mental illness and how many get help
• Martin’s dyslexia and how that affected his youth 
• Why Dr. Howatt works toward workplace inclusion for the neurodivergent
• What Bill means by “positivity toxicity”
• How implicit bias affects leadership
• The importance of being a leader who respects employees and considers psychological safety
• How important it is to have a support system in your life
• Why caring for yourself is important regardless of status or earnings
• Who or what is your north star?

In this episode…

Dr. Bill Howatt is an expert in workplace mental health. He has an impressive educational background with a BSc, BA, MEd, MSc, Ph.D., EdD, Post Doctorate in Behavioral Science, is the author of over 50 books, and is the founder and CEO of Howatt HR. He candidly speaks about his own mental health, about growing up with ADHD, dyslexia, and anxiety. These challenges have fuelled his drive to address psychological health and safety in the workplace. 

Dr. Howatt and Martin have a frank discussion about their respective mental health challenges and how they have had to work through them. Dr. Howatt’s work focuses on greater inclusion for employees with mental illness, changing the statistics of how many Canadians feel comfortable approaching employers and how many are supported when they do. He shares statistics and facts about the behavioral aspects of workplaces that negatively impact employees.

In this episode of What CEOs Talk About, host Martin Hunter and guest Dr. Bill Howatt address the challenges leaders must face in terms of workplace inclusion for psychological safety. Bill Howatt discusses the reality of how morale is built, the conversations CEOs need to have with direct reports, and how companies need to slow down so individuals can take care of themselves. Dr. Howatt’s expansive knowledge and experience give him a clear understanding of what’s at stake for people, employees, and CEOs, and his insight is not to be missed in these stressful times.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• URGEO
• Contact email: [email protected]
• Martin Hunter on LinkedIn
• Dr. Bill Howatt on LinkedIn
• Howatt HR Consulting on LinkedIn
• Howatt HR
• Dr. Bill Howatt website 
• Dr. Bill Howatt’s books
• Google’s Project Aristotle
• ‘Good to Great’ by Jim Collins
• ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ by Stephen R Covey

Resources recommended for CEOs and leaders:

• Monday.com
• BambooHR

Sponsor for this podcast...

This podcast is brought to you by URGEO, Operational excellence in action through the Are you Ready Program!

Are you READY to free up your time?
Optimize your Organization?
Grow revenue and reduce costs?
Build your leadership team?

Partnering with organizations like yours, we work with you to implement our proven methodology designed to transform your operations, while providing accurate advice and support for real success.

Translating strategy into frontline operations, URGEO helps leaders and the people within their organization excel at safe, on-time, on-budget and on-spec delivery. Let’s touch base so we can learn how we can level up your business. Contact us today.

After a decades-long career advising leaders in some of the largest companies in America and beyond, Dr. Gena Cox concluded that the pace of workplace inclusion change was unacceptably slow. She harnessed her organizational psychology and executive coach insights, her understanding of c-suite dynamics, and her personal workplace experiences to write a book, ‘Leading Inclusion’. Her book helps leaders connect unfamiliar dots to drive inclusion from the top of their organizations. Gena asks her clients to remember one simple idea: “Inclusion tops diversity!”

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• Gena Cox’s childhood in Barbados before moving to the United States
• What events spurred Gena to write her book
• How personal revelations drove her writing
• What behavioral-based leadership means
• Why inclusion is more vital than diversity
• The difference between a passive and an active leader
• The meaning behind Gena’s acronym REDI
• Two pieces of terminology Gena uses to describe effective leadership
• Gena’s thoughts on positive leadership trends moving forward
• Gena’s favorite chapter in her book ‘Leading Inclusion’

In this episode…

Dr. Gena Cox is a corporate advisor and executive coach who recently authored a book titled “Leading Inclusion”. Along with her professional coaching certification, Gena holds a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Dr. Cox works to set the standard for building inclusive work environments, the ones everyone deserves.

The events of 2020 involving Ahmed Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd proved a trigger point for Dr. Cox, affecting her profoundly, and leading to the writing of her book. She explains how the book is composed of insights and experiences she’s had for decades, driven by a new desire to work towards solutions to the events engulfing the country. Inclusion, rather than diversity, is what Dr. Cox stresses and she breaks down the differences in the terms. Gena and Martin discuss how much more vital inclusion and belonging are to employee safety and satisfaction in the workplace.

In this episode of What CEOs Talk About, host Martin Hunter and guest Dr. Gena Cox dive into the insights that formed her book, ‘Leading Inclusion’, and the necessity of leaders who put inclusion over diversity. Their conversation includes experiences around privilege, behavioral-based leadership, and key terminology Dr. Cox uses to explain the foundation of inclusive leadership. This honest and insightful episode with the wonderful Dr. Gena Cox will inspire every leader it reaches.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• URGEO
• Contact email: [email protected]
• Martin Hunter on LinkedIn
• Gena Cox on LinkedIn
• Gena Cox, PhD website
• ‘Leading Inclusion: Drive Change Your Employees Can See and Feel’ by Gena Cox, Ph.D
• Breonna Taylor information
• AJ Harper
• What CEOs Talk About Episode ‘If You Don’t Have Inclusion, You Don’t Have Anything’ with Katarina Polonsky
• ‘Leadership Reckoning’ by Thomas Kolditz, Ph.D, Libby Gill, and Ryan P Brown, Ph.D
• ‘The Warmth of Other Suns’ by Isabel Wilkerson
• ‘Caste’ by Isabel Wilkerson

Recommended resources for CEOs:

• Monday.com
• BambooHR

Sponsor For This Podcast

This podcast is brought to you by URGEO, Operational excellence in action through the Are you Ready Program!

Are you READY to free up your time?

Optimize your Organization?

Grow revenue and reduce costs?

Build your leadership team?

Partnering with organizations like yours, we work with you to implement our proven methodology designed to transform your operations, while providing accurate advice and support for real success.

Translating strategy into frontline operations, URGEO helps leaders and the people within their organization excel at safe, on-time, on-budget and on-spec delivery. Let’s touch base so we can learn how we can level up your business. Contact us today.

Mike hit the ground running from a young age, steadily working jobs from the first chance he got at 14 years old and making his way through high school with a focus on business and fine art. He then made the move to New York to attend the School of Visual Arts, spending those years freelancing and developing the knowledge and skills that would lead to a Bachelor of Fine Arts in computer art. 

Countless projects later, the desire came to move away from creating commercial content for others and channel his energy, enthusiasm, and expertise into something more tangible, to build something from the ground up that inspires and empowers people and makes their nights at home special and memorable. Intrigued by the format of wildly popular meal subscription services, Mike—something of a craft cocktail hobbyist himself—drew up the plan that would lead to the founding of Shaker & Spoon. 

From this moment of conception, all the way through to today, Mike’s long-fostered skills in design, video editing, packaging, branding, networking, and management have found their rightful home at S&S. And after just a few short years, this company—scaled 100% via bootstrapping and having taken on no debt before 2021—had already garnered many corporate partnerships, countless all-star collaborations, an ever-growing subscriber base, and a fiercely dedicated social media community, even before the cocktails-at-home craze of 2020.

Having overcome a tumultuous childhood amid unrest in the former Soviet Union, Anna Gorovoy’s drive for achievement and self-starting nature emerged quickly upon her family’s move to the US. Her high school’s valedictorian and a graduate of Yale University, she immediately applied her skills in detail-driven design and her love of the written word throughout a series of internships, including at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, before an impressive stint designing best-selling books at Macmillan Publishers. 

Lured away from office life by an exciting chance at entrepreneurship and determined to challenge herself by building something new, Anna stepped into the role of Chief Brand Officer and Co-founder of Shaker & Spoon. Her years in publishing, during which she flexed her creative muscles and trained and mentored new hires, equipped her with a valuable skill set for molding the company’s fun, educational, and approachable brand identity. 

While Shaker & Spoon’s delicious drinks in a way speak for themselves, it took Anna’s sharp, disciplined eye and cheerful spirit to create a fully cultivated, professional, and trustworthy voice and visual style from day one. And as the company has grown, so too have the teams she leads, now including customer experience, distinct experience (bulk and corporate sales), and all matters of marketing, copy, and content. 

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• Mike Milyavsky’s art and entrepreneurial background
• Anna Gorovoy’s fine art and graphic design background
• How they created Shaker & Spoon
• The services they offer through Shaker & Spoon
• Why they operate on a vertical integration model
• The production and supply fulfillment challenges in their business
• The artistry of the cocktails and how that affects ingredient sourcing
• How award-winning mixologists factor into their company
• What Mike and Anna have planned for Shaker & Spoon in the future

In this episode…

Mike Milyavsky and Anna Gorovoy were born in the same city, in Minsk, Belarus, and both their families emigrated to America when they were young. But the two wouldn’t meet until arts high school in Maryland, Baltimore. They started Shaker & Spoon, their cocktail subscription service, in 2015 based on an entrepreneurial idea of Mike’s.

Both Mike and Anna were and are artists. Mike pushed his creative expression into the business endeavor while Anna still uses much of her artistic instincts in the brand work. They explain how art still greatly informs Shaker & Spoon and how exactly they combine the artistry with the business side of the company.  

In this episode of What CEOs Talk About, host Martin Hunter and guests Mike Milyavsky and Anna Gorovoy discuss the technical structure of Shaker & Spoon and how it was built to make it profitable. Mike and Anna explain the demands of sourcing unique ingredients, how the production team expands with seasonal labor, and they speak to the future of pushing Shaker & Spoon farther into the B2B space. The structure of vertical integration and the demands of in-house production are explored in detail in this not-to-be-missed episode.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• URGEO
• Contact email: [email protected]
• Martin Hunter on LinkedIn
• Mike Milyavsky on LinkedIn
• Anna Gorovoy on LinkedIn
• Shaker & Spoon
• Shaker & Spoon on Facebook
• Shaker & Spoon on YouTube
• How I Built This podcast

Recommended resources for CEOs:

• Monday.com
• BambooHR

Sponsor For This Podcast

This podcast is brought to you by URGEO, Operational excellence in action through the Are you Ready Program!

Are you READY to free up your time?

Optimize your Organization?

Grow revenue and reduce costs?

Build your leadership team?

Partnering with organizations like yours, we work with you to implement our proven methodology designed to transform your operations, while providing accurate advice and support for real success.

Translating strategy into frontline operations, URGEO helps leaders and the people within their organization excel at safe, on-time, on-budget and on-spec delivery. Let’s touch base so we can learn how we can level up your business. Contact us today.

Abhishek Garg has more than 17 years of professional experience. More than 12 of those years were with Deloitte in multiple roles across various business and strategy functions that focused on the key business geographies of the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. Abhishek has been famously known as someone who “Gets work (s**t) done”, builds long-lasting interpersonal relations, and engages across multiple and complex business stakeholder groups.

Abhishek earned his MBA in Marketing and MIS and is a qualified Engineer (in Electronics) who continues to balance these interests by being involved in ongoing conversations with thought and industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and like-minded hustlers.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• How Abhishek moved from engineering to business investments
• The business niche his company provides private market stakeholders
• The definitions of a VC, private equity, angel investor, and family office
• The compliances required in the world of venture capital
• Why looking at problems as opportunities is part of a growth mindset
• The differences between fund managers going it alone or as part of a team
• How the “wartime CEO versus peacetime CEO” analogy fits the industry
• Positive trends happening today in the investment world
• Details on the anti-money laundering space

In this episode…

Abhishek Garg first qualified as an engineer when he started his career journey but he found his heart lay with business. So he earned his MBA in marketing and MIS before joining the corporate world with Deloitte. The time with Deloitte fuelled his interest in the private market ecosystem and led him to his current company, Capital Net. 

Abhishek moves through the worlds of private equity, angel investors, and venture capital, and how they require support on their journey through business operations. He speaks to the need to have a balance between the mathematics and science of the industry with the artful side of leadership, relationship building, and oversight on a large scale.

In this episode of What CEOs Talk About, host Martin Hunter and guest Abhishek Garg discuss the current positive trends in the investment landscape and the areas which are darker and need improvement. They address collaboration and values and how those ideals need to be worked into innovation to succeed for stakeholders. The world of VCs and investment funds is opened up in an enlightening conversation with Abhishek Garg, one not to be missed.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• URGEO
• Contact email: [email protected]
• Martin Hunter on LinkedIn
• Abhishek Garg on LinkedIn
• The Capital Net
• Abhishek Garg contact email: [email protected]
• Vessi
• ‘Dream With Your Eyes Open’ by Ronnie Screwvala
• ‘Ikigai: The Japanese Art of a Meaningful Life’ by Yukari Mitsuhashi

Resources recommended for CEOs and leaders:

• Monday.com
• BambooHR

Sponsor for this podcast...

This podcast is brought to you by URGEO, Operational excellence in action through the Are you Ready Program!

Are you READY to free up your time?
Optimize your Organization?
Grow revenue and reduce costs?
Build your leadership team?

Partnering with organizations like yours, we work with you to implement our proven methodology designed to transform your operations, while providing accurate advice and support for real success.

Translating strategy into frontline operations, URGEO helps leaders and the people within their organization excel at safe, on-time, on-budget and on-spec delivery. Let’s touch base so we can learn how we can level up your business. Contact us today.

Born and raised in Arizona, Dave Dickert sharpened his operational skills in the restaurant industry for 15 years in Southern California prior to co-founding Branded Bills in 2016. He is driven by a passion for building companies that leave a memorable experience with the customer, and by the unique opportunity to build a brand that is disrupting the standards of premium customized apparel. 

Dave is an avid traveler and outdoorsman and best enjoys these activities alongside his wife and two young kiddos.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• How Dave Dickert and three friends built Branded Bills
• Reasons why Dave was looking to leave the restaurant industry
• How the four co-owners share the business and divide roles
• Why making conscious decisions about your brand matters
• The power saying “no” has to define your brand
• The key ingredients for customer satisfaction and retention
• Why equal care must be taken to retain employees
• Martin’s advice on business continuity
• How Dave protects his family time from too much work takeover

In this episode…

Dave Dickert emerged from the restaurant industry to be one of four co-founders of the company Branded Bills. The four friends have managed to retain co-ownership while building a successful brand for seven years now, a true testament to cooperation. Dave shares some of the reasons for that success with Martin.

A key factor in their business growth was that every one of the four friends naturally fell into a role they felt strong in, there were no “let’s draw straws for CEO” moments. They each play to their strengths. Importantly, they also understand exactly what the business is within the headwear industry, and what it isn’t. Dave breaks down exactly what is so powerful and necessary about saying no.

In this episode of What CEOs Talk About, host Martin Hunter and guest Dave Dickert discuss the often hard lessons Dave learned in the restaurant industry, why checking yourself and your role along the way is important to do, and why Dave believes that building a brand goes hand in hand with experiential purchases. They address what customer retention looks like, the importance of quality, and balancing fatherhood with business. Building your brand reflects your values and the choices you make about serving your customers, and Dave has valuable insight to share.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• URGEO
• Contact email: [email protected]
• Martin Hunter on LinkedIn
• Dave Dickert on LinkedIn
• Branded Bills
• Branded Bills Custom
• Branded Bills on Instagram

Resources recommended for CEOs and leaders:

• Monday.com
• BambooHR

Sponsor for this podcast...

This podcast is brought to you by URGEO, Operational excellence in action through the Are you Ready Program!

Are you READY to free up your time?
Optimize your Organization?
Grow revenue and reduce costs?
Build your leadership team?

Partnering with organizations like yours, we work with you to implement our proven methodology designed to transform your operations, while providing accurate advice and support for real success.

Translating strategy into frontline operations, URGEO helps leaders and the people within their organization excel at safe, on-time, on-budget and on-spec delivery. Let’s touch base so we can learn how we can level up your business. Contact us today.

One of Ken’s clients gave him the title “Facilitator of Thinking Differently”, and he’s proudly hung onto it ever since. Ken helps companies achieve exceptional performance by leveraging their organizational culture. Thinking Differently began in Ken’s first career as one of Canada’s most successful playwrights, directors, and festival programmers. In the world of theatre, fostering a culture of teamwork is the key to success. You must take a diverse group of self-employed contractors (actors) align them to a single vision (the play) and meet a date-certain deadline (opening night) with limited resources (public arts funding). These lessons are the same, no matter the industry.

The unique combination of an artist, entrepreneur, and high-performance coach gives Ken a unique perspective on what makes groups great.

As the “Leadership Champ” Russell helps leaders EXCITE their teams about their work. He believes that every leader has the potential to improve individual and team performance in the workplace. However, during his work with leaders over 30 years across a range of businesses, Russell has found that there is one particular challenge that holds them back - being able to have difficult conversations with team members, co-workers, or even their boss.  

Russell uses live actors in a stop/start forum theatre for a business approach and a combination of dynamic experiential learning techniques to allow people the opportunity to practice their skills in a safe environment that they can then implement back in the workplace. 

He is an Internationally Certified Trainer, Leadership Coach, and Conference Speaker with a Master's Degree in Human Resource Management. Russell has a passion for developing Leaders including those transitioning into Management roles, by building their capability and confidence using a blend of simulations, dynamic experiential learning, and workplace coaching. He is a Master Facilitator for Bluegem Learning’s groundbreaking “Leadership Success” workshop series, co-author of the book 'I Need To F***ing Talk To You - The Art of Navigating Difficult Workplace Conversations', and co-host of the podcast 'I Need To F***ing Talk To You'. 

He has a proven track record over the past 30 years of success internationally in HR and Operations Management, in a wide range of organizational cultures including small, medium, and large enterprises including construction, engineering, manufacturing, hospitality, law enforcement, local and national government, non-profits.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• Russell Stratton’s varied career history
• Ken Cameron’s very different career history
• How Ken’s former career as a playwright and administrator contributes to his current work
• The need to be known as a great leader, not a terrible boss
• Where a lack of good communication comes from
• How to reframe feedback so it’s well received
• What incremental feedback means in a workplace
• Why Ken recommends “management by walking around”
• Why culture is as important as leadership and how the two fit together
• How Russell presents their training sessions so people embrace involvement
• The benefits of learning to communicate well and practice that with your team

In this episode…

Ken Cameron and Russell Stratton come from very different life and work backgrounds, but when they met a strong bond of personal and business friendship was born. Russell’s background in UK customer service and leadership training for law enforcement and Inland Revenue is very different from Ken’s background as a prominent playwright and theatre administrator, yet both work together seamlessly to form a motivational team.

Ken and Russell are passionate about creating exceptional leaders and leaving behind bad bosses and toxic workplaces. They emphasize that learning how to communicate directly and frequently with everyone on staff is one of the keys to great culture and effective leadership. People are afraid to address issues directly. Ken and Russell tackle this fear in their training sessions and in their book called “I Need To F***ing Talk To You”.

In this episode of What CEOs Talk About, host Martin Hunter and guests Ken Cameron and Russell Stratton discuss the pitfalls of settling for ordinary leadership, how leadership can elevate the mundane to a cultural level, and how learning the art of effective feedback can change workplaces for the better. They describe the use of actors in their training sessions and illustrate how practice in such a safe environment prepares attendees to address such conversations in real life. Don’t miss Ken and Russell’s informed and invaluable insights on leadership and elevating communication in your organization. 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• URGEO
• Contact email: [email protected]
• Martin Hunter on LinkedIn
• Ken Cameron on LinkedIn
• Russell Stratton on LinkedIn
• I Need To F***ing Talk To You website
• ‘I Need To F***ing Talk To You’ book
• ‘I Need To F***ing Talk To You’ podcast
• Ken Blanchard books
• ‘Think Again’ by Adam Grant
• Adam Grant’s ‘Work Life’ podcast
• ‘It Worked For Me’ by Colin Powell

Resources recommended for CEOs and leaders:

• Monday.com
• BambooHR

Sponsor for this podcast...

This podcast is brought to you by URGEO, Operational excellence in action through the Are you Ready Program!

Are you READY to free up your time?
Optimize your Organization?
Grow revenue and reduce costs?
Build your leadership team?

Partnering with organizations like yours, we work with you to implement our proven methodology designed to transform your operations, while providing accurate advice and support for real success.

Translating strategy into frontline operations, URGEO helps leaders and the people within their organization excel at safe, on-time, on-budget and on-spec delivery. Let’s touch base so we can learn how we can level up your business. Contact us today.

Andrea Spiegel is an operations and management consultant based in Vancouver, BC, with 15 years of experience in leadership management spanning multiple industries, including entertainment, wellness, service, trades, and manufacturing. She enjoys working with visionary founders, helping them define long-term goals, identify gaps in current systems, and map out tangible strategies for sustainable growth. One of Andrea’s greatest passions is bringing order to chaos and witnessing the freedom her clients feel as their business becomes aligned with their vision. When she is not strategizing with clients, you might find Andrea engaging with her community in one of her favorite not-for-profit organizations or skiing Whistler with her family.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• Some of the favorite job titles Andrea Spiegel has been called
• What Andrea learned from the LA film industry
• Why she left entertainment to work in yoga
• Andrea’s thoughts on maternity leave and women’s careers
• The beauty and challenge of working in a smaller company
• Why she was drawn to yoga after LA
• What she means by doing “good” business versus “nice” business
• Where leaders need to place their priorities
• What specific thing she learned from Kevin Lang that Andrea values
• The value of process when coupled with innovative thinking and what people need to be successful

In this episode…

Andrea Spiegel took what she calls a “not straight pathway” to her current career at URGEO. Born in Calgary, AB, she first moved to LA to work at a literary agency in the film industry. From there she moved up to Vancouver, BC, to work in yoga. She started teaching at YYoga and went on to become the Regional Operations Manager. After her maternity leave, she went to the lighting design company McCormick Studio which is where she was introduced to Martin as a mentor. And that led her to URGEO.

The through line in all Andrea’s career moves is a love of creative industries and her ability to create very elegant systems that allow people to be creative. She also realized that many things that appear definitive are actually negotiable, that companies are composed of people whose decisions can be questioned by the curious and confident. What Andrea also saw was the inversion of performance management: instead of caring about the performance of the people being managed, the care was about the performance of a manager. She took these things to heart.

In this episode of What CEOs Talk About, host Martin Hunter and guest Andrea Spiegel discuss leadership and managing people, the value of redirection over criticism, and how the best process is developed with the people using it in mind. Andrea is clear that the value of elegant systems is not simply efficiency and revenue, but that people can work in them. She wants CEOs and entrepreneurs to be able to get back to doing the thing they started the business to do, instead of spending all their time doing the business.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• URGEO
• Contact email: [email protected]
• Martin Hunter on LinkedIn
• Andrea Spiegel on LinkedIn
• YYoga
• Matthew McCormick
• ‘Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know’ by Adam Grant
• ‘The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable’ by Patrick Lencioni
• ‘Getting Naked: A Business Fable’ by Patrick Lencioni

Resources recommended for CEOs and leaders:

• Monday.com
• BambooHR

Sponsor for this podcast...

This podcast is brought to you by URGEO, Operational excellence in action through the Are you Ready Program!

Are you READY to free up your time?
Optimize your Organization?
Grow revenue and reduce costs?
Build your leadership team?

Partnering with organizations like yours, we work with you to implement our proven methodology designed to transform your operations, while providing accurate advice and support for real success.

Translating strategy into frontline operations, URGEO helps leaders and the people within their organization excel at safe, on-time, on-budget and on-spec delivery. Let’s touch base so we can learn how we can level up your business. Contact us today.

Igor Gasanov was born in Belarus and traveled to America at the age of 3 in search of a better life. He has always had an entrepreneurial spirit for as long as he can remember. With a passion for helping brands grow, Igor has successfully invested in and led companies in the consumer and financial services industry, such as Canon Cigars and Life Capital. 

In 2020, Igor saw an opportunity to bring his consumer and financial service expertise together and co-founded BOND, a price comparison site for auto and homeowners insurance. With his pulse on the volatile insurance industry, he is working to set a new standard for the industry overall, starting with the customer experience. With Igor at the helm, BOND has successful partners with all of the major insurance brands to provide customers with instant quotes.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• How Igor Gasanov’s mother has inspired him
• What his first entrepreneurial endeavor was
• How Igor persevered in cold calling despite setbacks
• What thinking outside the box really looks like
• Why honesty has been the best policy for Igor
• The piece of advice Igor’s mother gave him that drove him
• What it is that BOND offers within the insurance industry
• What set Igor and BOND apart enough that corporations would work with him
• The ins and outs of insurance
• Why Igor and BOND embody Martin’s theory of transactional versus transformational

In this episode…

Igor Gasanov says that from a young age he was always motivated to be a problem solver. He credits his mother for believing in him and supporting the ideas that led him away from school and into entrepreneurial ventures. What he learned by pounding the pavement, cold calling for customers, and convincing institutions to believe in his business taught him to think outside the box and go the extra mile for customers.

Igor’s mindset is to be different, to not do what everybody else is doing. He started his company, BOND, by being very honest with customers, and by telling them exactly how insurance would work. Though he began to question this process at first, when customers would walk away, he realized the value in his principles when those same customers would return and thank him for his honesty. 

In this episode of What CEOs Talk About, host Martin Hunter and guest Igor Gasanov break down exactly what BOND does in the world of insurance and how they are customer-focused. Igor explains the nuances of the insurance world and how it operates. He chose the show’s title because his company is a small differently-thinking little business in a world of corporate giants. But he is proving that putting customers first and having an inclusive, supportive place for employees to work does make all the difference.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• URGEO
• Contact email: [email protected]
• Martin Hunter on LinkedIn
• Igor Gasanov on LinkedIn
• BOND
• The story of David and Goliath

Sponsor for this podcast...

This podcast is brought to you by URGEO, Operational excellence in action through the Are you Ready Program!

Are you READY to free up your time?
Optimize your Organization?
Grow revenue and reduce costs?
Build your leadership team?

Partnering with organizations like yours, we work with you to implement our proven methodology designed to transform your operations, while providing accurate advice and support for real success.

Translating strategy into frontline operations, URGEO helps leaders and the people within their organization excel at safe, on-time, on-budget and on-spec delivery. Let’s touch base so we can learn how we can level up your business. Contact us today.

Clarke Murphy is a leadership expert who advises the world's top companies on leadership strategies that fuel profitable growth and value for all stakeholders. Known for his authenticity and integrity, he is a trusted advisor on issues of diversity, sustainability, board formation, and succession. He has particular expertise in helping boards include sustainable competencies and track records in multi-year CEO succession processes.

As the former CEO of Russell Reynolds from 2011-2021, he spearheaded a purpose-driven approach to business and led the firm through its greatest period of growth.

In his new book, ‘Sustainable Leadership: Lessons of Vision, Courage, and Grit from the CEOs Who Dared to Build a Better World,’ Clarke tells the stories of dynamic business executives who are using their position to solve the most complex social and economic challenges of our time. Since 2021, Clarke has co-hosted the Redefiners podcast, interviewing courageous leaders who are redefining their organizations—and themselves—to deliver extraordinary results.

He is a regular speaker at business schools and headline leadership events, including the United Nations Global Compact Leaders' Summit and the World Economic Forum's Sustainable Development Impact Summit. His insights have also been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, the Economist, and Financial Times.

Before joining Russell Reynolds in 1988, Clarke was a commercial banking officer at Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company (now part of JPMorgan Chase) in New York.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• What Clarke Murphy’s youthful dream was (and how many times he’s done it)
• How his recruitment by Russ Reynolds led to a prosperous career
• What Russell Reynolds does
• What the OODA Loop is
• The inspiration behind Clarke’s book ‘Sustainable Leadership’
• How the book is laid out with practical takeaways in every chapter
• How Clarke defines sustainability
• Why LQ is the new important measure of corporate transformation, over IQ or EQ
• Martin’s four key components for leaders
• What are ecosystems are defined as among industries
• Why Clarke recommends reading about Ernest Shackleton

In this episode…

Clarke Murphy has worked with Russell Reynolds Associates in various capacities for the bulk of his career, through different roles and countries, and currently serves on the Board and as Leadership Advisor, focused mostly on succession or governance issues and the sustainable competencies of executives. This inspired Clarke’s recently written book, titled ‘Sustainable Leadership: Lessons of Vision, Courage, and Grit from the CEOs Who Dared to Build a Better World’.

Clarke Murphy says the most satisfying thing about his job, for him, is twofold: one, watching leaders make an enormous difference, and two, seeing a bright young star become a partner in the firm. He shares exactly what it is that he looks for in leadership, the skills that he sees as the most valuable, and also the traits that will incline a leader towards sustainability.

In this episode of What CEOs Talk About, host Martin Hunter and guest Clarke Murphy define exactly what sustainability means and how it can be applied at a corporate level. Clarke explains the behavioral attributes that define successful sustainable leaders and pinpoints what he believes is the top quality they should possess. He and Martin discuss curiosity, LQ, specific chapters in Clarke’s book, and how to define your own leadership. This episode shines a light on how to be successful and sustainable with brilliant insights from Clarke Murphy. 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• URGEO
• Contact email: [email protected]
• Martin Hunter on LinkedIn
• Clarke Murphy on LinkedIn
• Russell Reynolds
• ’Sustainable Leadership: Lessons of Vision, Courage, and Grit from the CEOs Who Dared to Build a Better World’ by Clarke Murphy
• Redefiners podcast
• ‘South: The Endurance Expedition’ by Sir Ernest Shackleton
• ‘Shackleton’s Boat Journey’ by Frank Arthur Worsley

Sponsor for this podcast...

This podcast is brought to you by URGEO, Operational excellence in action through the Are you Ready Program!

https://www.urgeo.com/

Are you READY to free up your time?

Optimize your Organization?

Grow revenue and reduce costs?

Build your leadership team?

Partnering with organizations like yours, we work with you to implement our proven methodology designed to transform your operations, while providing accurate advice and support for real success.

Translating strategy into frontline operations, URGEO helps leaders and the people within their organization excel at safe, on-time, on-budget and on-spec delivery. Let’s touch base so we can learn how we can level up your business. Contact us today: https://www.urgeo.com/contact