In this unique episode, my invited guest turned the tables and decided that he would be interviewing me. Although not at all what was planned, ultimately this experience was a fun way to discuss today’s topic of developing a successful coaching business. How do you start? What are the most important components? When is the right time? There is a lot to consider and learn in this endeavor.

Listen to this episode to learn what is important in growing your business and leadership as well as how to create and maintain strong client relationships. The key is authenticity in adding value to the lives and organizations of your clients and that is something I strive to do daily.

What We Talked About in This Episode:

How John Started in the Corporate World and Coaching

The Timing in Setting Up a Coaching Business

Having an Expertise in Coaching and Finding Clients

Creating Very Specific Offers and Propositions

Understanding and Implementing the Sales Process

How John Tackled Discomfort

It’s All About Relationships

What Happens When You Drift From Your Business’s Focus

Finding Your Niche

The Gap Between Strategy and Execution

Branding Yourself and Staying Front of Mind

Using Social Media Clearly and Consistently

Providing Value to Clients and Not Only Your Content

Investing Time in Your Own Evolution and Relevance

          Connect with John Murphy:

YouTube

Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast. Thanks for tuning in!

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A Life and A Living Podcast

Today’s guest brings his interesting business model to the conversation about staff retention. While many organizations permanently shifted to working remotely and many still feeling the impact of the pandemic, we lost the ability to connect with our teams in a meaningful way. Efficiency was up, but so was the turnover rate. Scott Novis brings people together in a very innovative way – through video games.

Scott is the founder of Bravous Esports, a company that uses video games to help boost retention of staff in organizations. When we think of video games, they usually have a bad reputation and are generally seen as something negative, but today Scott shines a new light on them and the results are profound. Listen as Scott describes what an event might look like for an organization and how these gaming events don’t only improve retention, but helps people understand how to be more effective within their team.

What We Talked About in This Episode:

Scott’s Background and Inspiration to Bring Video Games to Business

The Loss of Human Connection When Working Virtually

Participating in Video Games Authentically and More Relaxed

How Scott’s Company Brings Events and Activities to Organizations

The Metrics Scott Looks at During Events

Establishing a Fun Committee with Volunteers

Creating a Safe Environment Through Play

Being Intentional About Creating Social Interaction

Devices and Accessibility

Cooperative Gaming to Boost Teamwork

How and What Questions Instead of Why

Applying Problem Solving in Game to Work

Scott’s Book Recommendation and Daily Rituals

About Our Guest:

Scott Novis comes from an eclectic background of professional influences; he has two engineering degrees, spent decades as a game designer, and worked as a Disney executive before leaving to found GameTruck, a nationwide company that provides social gaming spaces for children at parties and special events. He’s also, significantly, a seasoned baseball coach. Scott has assembled a team of experienced video game coaches who are competitive-level experts at their games but also have education and community organizing experience. Bravous is based in Arizona, has programming up and running in New York, and is expanding across the country. Bravous has partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Dave & Buster’s, local governments, and others in an effort to let as many people as possible, regardless of age, gender, or prior experience, engage with esports in an uplifting way.

          Connect with Scott:

* https://www.scottnovis.com/

         Links and Resources:

* Scott Novis Website

* Bravous Website

* Scott Novis on Instagram

* Scott Novis on LinkedIn

* Bravous on YouTube

          Connect with John Murphy:

YouTube

Facebook

After having guest Antonio Nieto Rodriguez on for a previous episode, I knew we needed a Part 2. Be sure to listen to Part 1 of this interview to get a good grasp on the importance of successful projects from this world expert. Antonio is the author of many articles and books, but in both parts of this interview, we are digging into Harvard Business Review Project Management Handbook: How to Launch, Lead, and Sponsor Successful Projects which is a must-read for any organization.

We are focusing this time in Part 2 on the Project Canvas which is the structure and tool developed by Antonio to make sure that everyone who needs to be involved and engaged are indeed involved and engaged. He emphasizes the importance of having the right purpose set up from the start and how to keep that purpose alive. A project team needs to be a real team and Antonio explains why having a high-performing team give 100% of their time to a project will reap more benefits. And lastly, Antonio also digs into the topic of stakeholders and the traps you could fall into if they are not engaged properly.

This is certainly an episode you do not want to miss as this world class expert guides us in even more detail on the subject of project management.

What We Talked About in This Episode:

What is Project Canvas and Its Domains?

Why Project Management Hasn’t Been Developed Into a Real Structure Before

The Building Blocks of Project Foundation

Why We Lose Sight of Purpose

Building Compelling Purposes to Create Engagement

The End of the Project is Not When Its Launched

Engaging Stakeholders

What Makes a Great Sponsor

The Sponsor Should Be an Individual Rather Than a Group

The Difference Between the Sponsor and the Leader

Determining the Right People for a Project Team

Asking for Volunteers

A High-Performing Team Mindset

Stakeholder Identification and Management

About Our Guest:

Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez is a thought leader, author, practitioner, and professor in project and strategy implementation. He is the creator of concepts such as the Project Economy or the Project Manifesto. His research and global impact in modern management has been recognized by Thinkers50. Former Chairman of the Project Management Institute, he is the co-founder of the Strategy Implementation Institute and the global movement Brightline. He is a member of Marshall Goldsmith 100 coaches.

          Connect with Antonio:

* https://antonionietorodriguez.com/

          Links and Resources:

* Antonio Nieto Rodriguez Website

* LinkedIn  |  Twitter 

* Harvard Business Review Project Management Handbook by Antonio Nieto Rodriguez

          Connect with John Murphy:

YouTube

Facebook

In this fascinating conversation today with guest, Joseph O’Connor, will have you thinking deeply about your own brain, habits, and emotional intelligence. Joseph O’Connor is a prolific author of many books but in today’s conversation, we’re diving into his most recent publication, Coaching the Brain: Practical Applications of Neuroscience to Coaching. 

In the book and this discussion, Joseph uses easy to understand analogies and connections to real life. He uses his scientific knowledge to dispel myths and help us understand how the brain works and how we can get the most out of our brains. What is the difference between the brain and the mind? How do habits impact our actions and thoughts and how can we change them to better serve us? And how can we train our brains to increase emotional intelligence to become more resilient? These questions and more will be answered by Joseph and his book is a highly recommended fantastic read.

What We Talked About in This Episode:

The Difference Between the Brain and the Mind

Dispelling Myths of the Sides of the Brain

Where These Myths Come From

The Role of Habits in Our Lives

Changing Habits Through Positive Effort

The Stages of Forming a Habit

Habits of Thinking vs. Habits of Acting

How Habits Can Become Controlling

Replacing Thoughts That Don’t Serve You Well

Attention as a Precious Resource

How Depression Impacts Habits and Thoughts

The Default Mode Network

Strengthening Emotional Intelligence

How the Brain Reacts to Stress

The Brain as a Prediction Machine

Joseph’s Book Recommendations and Daily Rituals

About Our Guest:

Joseph O’Connor is an internationally recognised author, executive coach, trainer and consultant. He has given trainings in over thirty countries. He is a leading author and trainer in coaching, NLP and systemic thinking. He is the author of nineteen books and three audiotapes on NLP, Coaching, Neuroscience, training, sales, communication skills, management and systemic thinking. His books have been translated into thirty languages and have sold over half a million copies worldwide.

 

         Connect with Joseph O’Connor:

* https://www.coachingthebrain.com/

          Links and Resources:

* Coaching the Brain Website

* Coaching the Brain: Practical Applications of Neuroscience to Coaching by Joseph O’Connor

* LinkedIn

* Lambent Coaching Website

          Connect with John Murphy:

YouTube

Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in,

World-renowned global expert on project management Antonio Nieto Rodriguez is featured on this episode and I am honored to have him. Antonio is the author of Harvard Business Review Project Management Handbook: How to Launch, Lead, and Sponsor Successful Projects which is a must-read for any organization.

The topic of project management is something we really need to know more about, specifically how to do this successfully and Antonio’s book is full of really great information. In today’s interview, Antonio lays the foundation of a two-part conversation and emphasizes the importance of prioritizing projects. This means prioritizing time, resources, dedication, and most importantly, people.

What We Talked About in This Episode:

The Staggering Difference Between Dollars Invested and Successful Projects

Senior Leaders as the Biggest Area of Improvement

Prioritizing Projects and the Impact of the Pandemic

The Problem of Too Many Projects at One Time

The Hierarchy of Project Priority

The Negative Mindset That Surrounds Project Management

Running and Changing the Business Simultaneously

The Role of the Executive Sponsor

Empowering Project Managers

The Pitfall of a Group of People as Sponsors

People Matter More Than Process

The Importance of Finding the Right People for a Project

Embracing Volunteers and Allocating Resources

Killing or Canceling Projects

Structuring Teams and Projects for a Matrix Culture

Antonio’s Book Recommendations and Daily Rituals

About Our Guest:

Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez is a thought leader, author, practitioner, and professor in project and strategy implementation. He is the creator of concepts such as the Project Economy or the Project Manifesto. His research and global impact in modern management has been recognized by Thinkers50. Former Chairman of the Project Management Institute, he is the co-founder of the Strategy Implementation Institute and the global movement Brightline. He is a member of Marshall Goldsmith 100 coaches.

          Connect with Antonio:

* https://antonionietorodriguez.com/

          Links and Resources:

* Antonio Nieto Rodriguez Website

* LinkedIn  |  Twitter 

* Harvard Business Review Project Management Handbook by Antonio Nieto Rodriguez

          Connect with John Murphy:

YouTube

Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast. Thanks for tuning in!

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Through her unusual and amazing experiences, today’s guest brings a unique perspective to organizations when it comes to attracting and retaining talent. In a challenging market, there’s a big fight for talent and companies need to have a solid strategy in making sure they’re doing the right things to find and keep the right people.

Kim Troy joins us for this conversation as an expert in the space of hiring. She is the founder and CEO of Civilis Consulting and in this episode, Kim shares the things you need in place to not only attract the right people, but to keep them as well. In addition, she also explains what is important for the hiring manager role within an organization. Her background consists of so much experience and in her adventures in southern Africa working with conservation organizations, she learned the impact a company can have through diversity and driving people’s motivation and skill development as well as finding resources when there seemed to be none.

What We Talked About in This Episode:

How Kim Helps Organizations Find Talent in a Challenging Market

Becoming Crystal Clear on Who You Are as a Company

Articulating Company Culture

Compelling People to Spend Time in an Organization’s Environment

The Different Types of Cultures and Values in Various Types of Companies

Attractive Elements in a Company Culture

Authenticity Regarding the Right Employees for the Job

The Current Focus on Making a Difference

Hiring in a Multi-Generational Workplace

The Role of a Hiring Manager in the Current Market

The Shift Towards Creativity, Collaboration, and Innovation

Company Qualities That Retain New Talent

Why Two Way Communication is Crucial

What Kim Learned in Her Time Working in Conservation Organizations in Africa

The True Definition of Resilience

Kim’s Book Recommendations and Daily Rituals

About Our Guest:

Kim Troy is the Founder and CEO of Civilis Consulting, a trailblazing relationship-focused sales, marketing, operations and culture consultancy that helps businesses break through barriers to growth. Civilis’ seasoned consultants work alongside management teams, board leadership, entrepreneurs and CEOs to implement results-oriented business strategies that accomplish what’s never been done before.

Prior to Civilis, Kim founded Kimberly Troy Consulting, which works with field-based wildlife conservation organizations – primarily in southern Africa – to improve utilization of financial and human resources. She has also held executive level positions in Human Resources, Operations and Sales for some of the world’s largest retailers, including L Brands. Her expertise includes brand strategy and execution, relationship-based business development strategies, multi-unit sales management, business operations, consumer behavior, change management, and corporate culture transformation.

 

          Connect with Kim Troy:

*  https://www.civilisconsulting.com/

Links and Resources:

* Kim Troy on LinkedIn

* Civilis Counseling Website

          Connect with John Murphy:

YouTube

Contrary to the popular saying, “You can’t change other people, you can only change yourself,” today’s guests explain otherwise. Authors of You Can Change Other People, Peter Bregman and Howie Jacobson join the podcast today to share their insight and how true leadership is in fact changing others for the better.

Peter Bregman is a globally recognized executive coach, the author of several books, a highly sought after keynote speaker, and the founder of Bregman Partners. Howie Jacobson, also an executive coach working with both startups and Fortune 500 companies, and Peter collaborated to bring us this wonderful read that I highly recommend. 

In today’s episode, Peter and Howie share their tips and strategies from a professional and personal perspective. What they have found is that these business and leadership methods of communicating and helping others are just as applicable to our personal lives as they both demonstrate through insightful anecdotes. 

What We Talked About in This Episode:

The Misconception of Not Being Able to Change Other People

Professional Methodology in Your Personal Life

Leadership is Changing People to Be Great

A Leader’s Role as Aligning People and Leverage Strengths

The Four Steps in Changing Other People

Shifting From Critic to Ally: The Do’s and Don’ts

The Importance of Authenticity

Complaining is Not an Invitation to Give Advice

Becoming Your Own Best Ally

Taking Ownership of Decisions and Helping Others Do the Same

The Distinction Between Motivation and Follow Through

Plan for Pivotal Moments

How to Build Emotional Courage

Always Ask About the Outcome

Intentionally Following a Process to Avoid Ineffective Habits

Peter and Howie’s Book Recommendations and Daily Rituals

About Our Guest:

Peter Bregman is the founder and CEO of Bregman Partners, an executive coaching company focusing on achieving success through people. Bregman Partners work in partnership with their clients to effectively execute their strategies or change initiatives all through strengthening their people. Peter is the author of several books including You Can Change Other People, Leading with Emotional Courage, and 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done. He is also the host of the Bregman Leadership Podcast.

Howie Jacobson is an executive coach to clients ranging from startup founders to established and rising Fortune 100 leaders. He’s also the director of coaching at Bregman Partners. Howie has coached and trained executives and managers across diverse organizations and industries and is the coauthor of You Can Change Other People. In addition to his business background, Howie is also a health educator and host of the Plant Yourself Podcast.

 

          Connect with Peter Bregman and Howie Jacobson:

* https://bregmanpartners.com/

           Links and Resources:

Bregman Partners Website

Peter Bregman on LinkedIn

Howie Jacobson on LinkedIn

You Can Change Other People by Peter Bregman and Howie Jacobson

The CEO of any size company must be prepared to drive and grow the business. But it takes a whole lot more than just focusing on the results. That’s what today’s guest is passionate about and in our conversation today, Deborah Coviello explains the CEO’s Compass.

Deborah is the founder of Illumination Partners and the host of The Drop In CEO Podcast. She is also the author of The CEO’s Compass: Your Guide to Get Back on Track which is an excellent read for anyone in a leadership role. Today she enlightens us on what causes CEOs to find themselves off track and how to find their true north again. The compass concept is easy to understand and effective as she shows CEOs how to engage, grow, and develop people on their team. She is confident that coaching and growing people to become the best they can be is the driving force behind a successful business.

Listen on to our conversation to find out great tips on developing a strong team of valued individuals, how to effectively give and receive feedback in a safe environment, and the things to keep on your compass to follow to your destination.

What We Talked About in This Episode:

Deborah’s Background as an Engineer and Her Extensive Journey

The Things That Cause CEOs to Get Off Track

The True North of Peace of Mind

Elevating and Aligning People

The Compass Points of The CEO’s Compass

The Right People and the Right Processes Are Not Enough

A Common “Ah-ha” Moment for the CEO

Corporate Courage

Making Course Corrections Using the CEO’s Compass Points

Deborah’s Experience with CEOs Who Truly Value Their People

Why Some CEOs Manage Instead of Coach

Feedback is a Gift

Three Things to Remember for Feedback: Continue, Start, and Change 

Creating a Safe Environment Through the Power of Listening

Deborah’s Book Recommendation and Daily Rituals

About Our Guest:

Deb Coviello is the Founder of Illumination Partners and the host of The Drop In CEO podcast. For more than twenty years, she has been transforming businesses from within, elevating the talents of their organizations to new performance levels. Her experience has taught her to put tremendous value on people, whom she considers as the heart of every business. When hiring a consultant, Deb knows that the primary goal will always be a resolution to a problem. As The Drop In CEO Deb provides her clients with 25+ years worth of experience and strategy in Quality and Operational Excellence roles combined with her 20 years in the Flavors and Fragrance industry, to identify, assess, and solve the issues that are preventing their business growth. Certified as Lean and Six Sigma Blackbelt in Process Improvement, she has also developed significant leadership insight that “People’’ are your greatest tool in your toolbox. In order to deliver on her promise of offering “peace of mind,” she focuses on utilizing the talents of her client’s team and elevating them to new levels of performance, setting them up to better serve their organization.

 

          Connect with Deborah Anne Coviello:

https://dropinceo.com/about-us/Link and Resources

The Drop in CEO Website

Deb Coviello on Linked ...

Communication is a foundational skill that is crucial to any professional in any industry, but it is often the thing we struggle with the most. How can we become better and more confident with not only presentations, but communication as a whole? And with the words of today’s guest, “How would the world change if you were an excellent communicator?”

Today’s guest is Brenden Kumarasamy who joins us today from Montreal. Brenden is a master communicator and is using his skills to help build the skills of others through his coaching program and YouTube channel, MasterTalk. His ultimate goal is to help his clients become top 1% communicators in their respective industries and in today’s very interesting conversation, he demonstrates the power of strong communication skills. In this episode, Brenden gives tips on how to become a great speaker and gives us practice activities to work with on the regular. These activities need little to no preparation and he even shows us how they work on the spot.

Communicating precisely is an important life skill. How can you improve your skills to impact the world?

What We Talked About in This Episode:

Brenden’s Background in Competitive Speaking and Inspiration for Master Talk

The Foundational Skill of Communication

Random Work Exercises and How to Practice Presentation Skills

What Separates the 1% Top Communicators from the Average

Communication Goal Setting

Where to Start to Improve Public Speaking Skills

Preparing for a Presentation Like a Jigsaw Puzzle

The Different Balls to Juggle While Speaking

Why People Struggle With Presenting

Having an Impact Through Remote Presentations

How to Help the Speaker as a Recipient

How Would the World Change if You Were an Excellent Communicator?

Brenden’s Book Recommendation and Daily Rituals

About Our Guest:

Brenden Kumarasamy is the creator of MasterTalk, a YouTube channel that teaches people how to make better presentations and master the art of public speaking. Starting out as a competitive presenter in college, Brenden discovered the need for coaching in this area. MasterTalk has become more than a YouTube channel and now Brenden serves ambitious executives and coaches to become top 1% communicators in their industries. MasterTalk was created to help the world master the art of communication. Through a series of educational content, Brenden’s goal is to be the bridge between everyone’s ideas. Through MasterTalk, Brenden has worked with clients in companies like Salesforce, Amazon, IBM, Morgan Stanley, Blue Cross, J. Water Thompson, Deloitte, Verizon, and many more.

 

          Connect with Brenden Kumarasamy:

https://www.mastertalk.ca/

Links and Resources:

Kadabra Leadership Teamwork Change Website

Wendy Ryan on LinkedIn

Learn, Lead, Lift by Wendy Ryan

         Connect with John Murphy:

YouTube

Facebook

As the entire world shows the need for true leadership, we are faced with the tough questions of what that means and how we can not only lead, but lift as well. This episode is all about how to show up as a leader that makes a difference and the real definition of mindfulness in leadership. Author Wendy Ryan joins us today to share her expertise on the topic and will leave you feeling motivated and inspired.

Wendy Ryan is the founder and CEO of Kadabra and joins us from Silicon Valley. She is an expert in the field of leadership and change management and has worked with many organizations around the globe. Her recent book Learn, Lead, Lift is an excellent read that we discuss in detail in this episode. Today, listen as Wendy shares with us what it means to be a leader in a changing and volatile world, the importance of equity and inclusion, and how to face current leadership challenges we aren’t sure how to tackle.

What We Talked About in This Episode:

Wendy’s Background and Her Broad Perspective

Kadabra’s Purpose and Mission

The Investments Wendy Makes in People and Ideas

The Need for Diversity in All Businesses

Who Wendy’s Book is Intended For

Mindfulness and Self Awareness in Leadership

Showing Your Values Through Your Actions

The Issues in Managing a Multigenerational Workforce

VUCA and What That Means for Leadership

The Goal of Equity and Inclusion Over Diversity

The Downfall of a Scarcity Mindset

The Difference Between a Great Leader and an Average Leader

Wendy’s Book Recommendation and Daily Rituals

About Our Guest:

Wendy Ryan is the CEO of Kadabra, an interdisciplinary team of leadership and organizational change experts based in Silicon Valley, California. With over 25 years of combined experience in human resources, organizational development, non-profit leadership and executive coaching Wendy has partnered with hundreds of individuals and organizations throughout the U.S. helping front-line through C-suite leaders and board members achieve success as individuals and in teams. In addition to her work with Kadabra, Wendy is an active mentor, strategic advisor and angel investor in early stage, BIPOC, LGBTQ++ and womxn-led companies and an advocate for expanding diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in the investor and business ecosystem.

 

          Connect with Wendy Ryan:

https://www.wearekadabra.com/

Links and Resources:

Kadabra Leadership Teamwork Change Website

Wendy Ryan on LinkedIn

Learn, Lead, Lift by Wendy Ryan

         Connect with John Murphy:

YouTube

Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in,