Where's Willie?

“Whenever there’s chaos, whenever there’s disruption, there are always opportunities for people to thrive.” This powerful takeaway comes from today’s conversation with global business celebrity, bestselling author, and C-Suite Network Co-Founder and Chairman Jeffrey Hayzlett. We open our discussion with Jeffrey by exploring the important role that content and branding play in modern businesses. With an especial focus on podcasts, Jeffrey dives into the topic, highlighting the need for companies to serve their communities and embrace new content platforms. After chatting about how you can measure a podcast’s returns, we talk about how Jeffrey’s content empire feeds into his business strategy. We then touch on the bright future of virtual speaking, the benefits and disadvantages of work-from-home, and how the pandemic has bolstered the RV industry, among others. Near the end of the episode, Jeffrey pulls back the curtain and shares his vision for the C-Suite Network. Tune in for more of Jeffrey’s insights on adapting to change and how content can connect you to your client base. 

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Welcome to today’s episode of Where Willie Podcast! Willie’s virtual travels take him to Herriman, Utah, to talk to the legendary Jake Ricks, the Director of Marketing for the greatest company in the world, Bullfrog Spas. Jake has a background in digital marketing, as well as the marketing and operations of hospitality businesses, having overseen some of the most iconic boutique lodges in the Western United States. Jake is an avid fly fisherman and has spent several years on competitive fly fishing circuits and owned and operated guide/outfitter operations. Jake continues to enjoy time outdoors, especially time on the water with family or friends, as well as time in the hills with his trusty English Setter. He graduated from Utah Valley University with a Bachelor’s in English and Literary Studies. Jake has been published in a variety of publications with topics that include the pool and spa industry, the outdoors, and digital and content marketing. Stay tuned as we dive into a great interview with Jake Ricks.

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Real-world problems are becoming increasingly complex, along with many of the technological solutions that we employ. Keeping up with this pace can be a struggle, but those who stay behind get left behind. Enter the America Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) — an organization devoted to advancing the future of both engineering and engineers. Today we speak with key ASME members Debbie Holton and Christine Reilley, the respective ASME Managing Director of Events and Senior Director of Strategy and Innovation. After sharing details of their extensive careers, we explore the role that the ASME plays within the engineering landscape. Debbie and Christine then discuss ASME’s philanthropic contributions in supporting innovators within emerging economies. With so many concurrent advancements, we ask Debbie and Christine about how digital-enabled technology has been affecting manufacturing. They highlight how many small to medium manufacturers feel that they’re being left behind before focusing on ASME’s work in helping companies adapt. We dive into the future of the industry and our guests share insights into the skill sets that manufacturing engineers will need to adopt. Near the end of the episode, Debbie and Christine talk about how ASME has responded to the pandemic and their role in connecting volunteer engineers to sites where they would have the most impact. Few organizations do as much for the engineering world as the ASME. Tune in to hear more about their incredible work.

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Our personal development and the support we get can determine our potential success and overall happiness. Today, Willie’s virtual travels take him to Chelsea, Michigan where he talks to coach Trisha Terns. Just as you would upgrade your phone, Trisha believes that your true potential can be activated by upgrading your habits, mentality, and energy. She teaches people to step into their next level through the scientifically proven process of certified high performance coaching. In addition to being a certified high-performance coach, she is a neurolinguistic programming and timeline therapy practitioner and owner of Be Here Now LLC, a growth coaching company teaching people how to stop flying by the seat of their pants, reclaim their agendas, manage their energetic state, and activate their ability to influence at a new level. She is also the co-founder of Strong Together, a series of six group fitness locations in the north-east United States, as well as being a bestselling author. To learn how to get to the next level in your life and business, be sure to check out this episode! 

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Sometimes you get an idea that seems so good you’re sure it exists already. Today’s guest is Chris Meade and when he got the idea for CROSSNET he had that same thought, except that after googling it, he found nothing! CROSSNET is the world’s first four-way volleyball game and since its conception in 2017 it has grown to become the fastest-selling consumer product in North America, partnering with giants like Walmart, Amazon, and Wilson. Today we were lucky enough to get Chris, now a celebrity and a Forbes 30 Under 30 nominee, on the show to talk about how he came up with the idea and what it has been like in the driver’s seat as CROSSNET has ballooned in the last three years. Chris talks about growing up in Woodstock, Connecticut, a small town where kids needed to make their own games up if they wanted to have a good time, and how he came up with the idea for CROSSNET one night while he was burned out working for Uber in New York. Chris explains the simplicity of how CROSSNET works and then we take a deep dive with him into the process and timeline of growing the business, starting with the design blueprint to finding manufacturers, making millions of dollars, and partnering with major retailers and e-commerce sites. Along with this, we talk to Chris about what it isreally like scaling the business behind such a picture-perfect story, and what is in store for CROSSNET as far as partnering with celebrities and famous brands, and Chris’s dream for it to become a globally recognized sport. Be sure to tune in!

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Today our destination is Irving, Texas, as Willie chats to Alex Carroll from Stand Up Stations! Alex is the co-founder of the company along with his wife Kelsey, and he tells us about this new venture that was born as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. After their previous business, Toss Up Events, came to grinding halt with the social restrictions, Alex began looking for other ways to stay afloat and came across the shortage of available sanitizer stations, a need he and his wife then set out to service. We hear about their earliest choices, the first prototypes, and how quickly they have grown in just a few months. Alex also shares some information about the different products they currently offer, their pricing model, and how he goes about networking and looking for companies to partner with. The conversation takes in a wide range of issues facing manufacturing during this difficult time. We think about the tasks of preparation and forecasting, making sure to be present online, and also the adjacent question of locally manufactured versus imported goods. Alex generously shares some of the lessons he and the team have had to learn to adapt quickly to this new landscape and his example is a great one for manufacturers trying to find their footing at the moment. Join us to catch all of this and more!

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On the podcast today, Willie’s virtual travels take him to Chennai, India, to talk with Karthik Chidambaram. Karthik is the founder and CEO of DCKAP, a company that he bootstrapped in 2005 from his small apartment in Chicago, Illinois. DCKAP was started with two people, two computers, and two desks and is now a global team with headquarters in the Greater Austin area and operations in Chennai, India. He reckons industry setbacks and renders solid and practical solutions to organizations. Karthik holds a Master’s degree in computer engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology, in Chicago, IL. Today on the show we talk more about his company and what solutions DCKAP can offer to their prospective customers. Karthik shares on reasons why the manufacturing industry is so slow to change, how the implementation of technology has shortened sales cycles, and why it is important for manufacturing companies to start their digital transformation and the integration of e-commerce programs and technology for the future. Stay tuned for all this and more on the Where’s Willie Podcast.

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On the podcast today, Willie’s virtual travels take him to Reno, Nevada, where he chats with Tatsuya Nakagawa. Tatsuya “Tats” Nakagawa co-founded Castagra and where he is currently the COO. He is also the host of Specified Growth Podcast and co-authored Overcoming Inventoritis: The Silent Killer of Innovation. Tats is passionate about innovation and loves the challenge of developing great ideas that can change the world! When he’s not working, he likes to spend time with his family and read as much as possible (mostly books about innovation). He’s not all business though! He played college tennis in California, occasionally alongside professional players. Stay tuned for our conversation today as we talk through company growth, marketing, leadership, plus how to prepare for the unknown and what the future holds!

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Today, Willie's virtual travels take him to Eden Prairie, MN, to talk to his good friend Dave Varner. Dave is a speaker, award-winning author, and the founder of The Millau Group Global; a sales training company focused on providing their clients with The Sales Checklist — a simple to use, easy to coach sales process, which produces immediate, and measurable results. Additionally, Millau's solutions are designed to complement existing sales curriculums. Upon graduation from Michigan State University, where he was the first industrial marketing student, Dave went to work for a machine tool manufacturer and robotic systems company as an application engineer. From there he transitioned into sales, sales management, and finally, into corporate leadership. Over the last 20 years, he has helped hundreds of companies and thousands of salespeople across a broad spectrum of industries to improve their sales effectiveness. Dave works with clients on a global basis and brings a unique blend of engineering, manufacturing, and sales process to his customers. He is a zealot who believes companies should run their sales organizations with the same level of process, control, and continuous improvement as is expected of every department. Stay tuned for this insightful conversation filled to the brim with incredible advice! 

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Today, Willie’s virtual travels across the country take him to Orange County, California, to talk to – in the words of his 12-year old son – the coolest man in the world, Aaron Aders. Aaron is the founder of Summerboard, an electric snowboard designed so that he could snowboard anywhere. Summerboard is wildly popular among snowboarders, but it is also loved by surfers, rock climbers, musicians, and engineers who get lost in their own passions. In this episode, Aaron shares a bit about his background and what led him to creating Summerboard, to emulate the feeling of snowboarding, and providing an experience that you can’t find anywhere else. We talk about marketing, production, and customer service, as well as raising capital and finding angel investors. Aaron talks about the importance of durability testing and the voice of the customer, and he encourages those with hardware ideas – like hoverboards, because Summerboard is eager to produce one! – to reach out to him with pitches. Tune in today.

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