Zero Excuses

Sean Van de Riet is an Application Management Engineer at GadellNet. Since a young child, Sean has been involved with the ALS Association, participating in organized walks and many other different types of fundraising events. 

Sean lives with the personal philosophy of trying to make people’s lives better. How do zero excuses play a role? Listen in to find out.

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of illuminating others
• Help others, even if you don’t want to
• Time is a finite resource

Things to Listen For:

• [00:32] “To illuminate others is simply to shine”  
• [01:55] Sean’s life philosophy
• [04:01] Sean’s personal values
• [05:20] You only get so many chances

What’s one of our biggest daily stressors? Financial insecurity. Jervis DiCicco thinks it can be tackled with the right system in place. Enter his company, ProsperBridge, whose vision is “financial empowerment for all.”

Sounds impossible, right? Jervis says otherwise, and he’s making Zero Excuses as he determinedly helps people understand and take advantage of the proper resources. 

Key Takeaways:

• We’re all destined to be in crisis at some point, prepare for it
• Finding solutions starts with seeing people as individuals
• Providing resources isn’t enough. Give people the means to use them

Things to Listen For:

• [01:07] Jervis’s story
• [03:39] The financial reality most Americans are facing
• [05:41] Why employers should care about alleviating financial stress 
• [09:19] The gap between provided financial resources and knowing how to use them
• [10:44] Jervis’s year from hell and what it taught him
• [15:34] Being prepared for disruptive life events
• [17:48] The benefits of empowering employees to reach their goals
• [19:45] Seeing financial security as a mental and physical health benefit
• [27:47] Identifying the needs of your people

• After You Listen:

  • Connect with Jervis DiCicco: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jervis-dicicco-1b3348190
  • Learn more about ProsperBridge: https://prosperbridge.org/
  • Connect with Nick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smarrelli/
  • Learn more about GadellNet Consulting Services: https://gadellnet.com/

Ryan Lewis is the Founder and CEO of EarthHero, an eco-friendly online marketplace. It’s a business with big goals, namely saving the planet one sustainable purchase at a time. Ryan believes deeply in that cause and has committed to educating the average Joe on how to shop and consume sustainably to further it. 

Still, he sees himself as a family man and nature junkie first and foremost. How does he do it? By balancing his ecological business goals with his personal life, making Zero Excuses, and leaving nothing to circumstance. 

Opal Jones is the CEO and President of Doorways, a non-profit that supports those living with HIV.  Leading Doorways was not a job Opal ever intended to have, but once she realized how much of an impact she could make in that role, she never looked back. 

Opal knows she can’t solve all the world's problems, no one can, but she also believes her skills can help those in need. So, Opal makes zero excuses and focuses on moving the needle through her organization and community outreach. 

Santiago Jaramillo knows all about dramatic change, when he was just 10 years old he immigrated to the U.S. and had to figure out how to thrive in a new country that came with its own set of rules.

And thrive he did, to the point where he’s since earned himself titles like CEO and author. As a serial entrepreneur, he took his past experiences and used them to help others navigate change and now he’s in a transition period himself. He’s just sold Emplify, a company he founded, and he’s having to decide what comes next.

 “It's a little disorienting, but it's also wonderfully fraught with possibility and it's both deeply exciting and also terrifying.” What Santi is describing will sound familiar to many of us.

So how does he navigate murky waters and help others to do the same? By making Zero Excuses and embracing change.

Key Takeaways:

• The ability to adapt makes all the difference
• Leading by example maybe be a cliche phrase but that’s because it’s a good idea
• You can either grow and change, or you can be left behind
• Understanding what motivates a person can get you both on the same page

Allison Melangton is the Senior Vice President at Penske Entertainment, a job she specifically pursued to be the brains behind the Indy 500 operation. No small task. Given that she previously headed the host committee for the Superbowl in the past (making her only the second woman to have done so), she looked at the Indy 500 as just another exciting challenge, and planned the 100th running of the race flawlessly. 

When COVID hit, like most of us, her best-laid plans were tossed out the window as pandemic guidelines shifted daily.

How does she keep her cool when the puzzle pieces keep changing? By making Zero Excuses and planning for all eventualities. 

Key Takeaways:

• Plan for the best, prepare for the worst
• You can’t know everything
• Surround yourself with people who complement your skills
• Never be afraid to ask for help

Blake Behr never imagined he would start his own company, but, as the saying goes, never say never. Now he’s President of Ridgeline Electrical Industries.

A terrible work environment pushed him to make the leap and create a place where people actually enjoyed working. Pretty crazy concept, right?

Basic things like showing appreciation and creating a positive culture might sound easy enough but require a lot of time and serious commitment - something many bosses aren’t willing to invest in. Blake invests in his employees and students (he also teaches at a trade school) personally and professionally because he knows from experience how much influence people have when they take the time to invest in others.

How does he make time for it all? He makes Zero Excuses, and you can, too.

Key Takeaways:

• When you invest in others, it comes back to you in spades
• You’ll never know if something works or not if you never commit to trying
• People are only loyal if you give them a reason to be

Things to Listen For:

• [01:32] Why Blake started his own company
• [03:23] What makes people enjoy their jobs
• [04:35] Leaning into core values when the going gets tough
• [05:09] How COVID made everyday communication more meaningful 
• [06:29] Taking the time to invest in development and growth
• [07:10] The excuses bosses use for not investing in work culture
• [10:57] Building talent rather than trying to find it
• [11:25] Why leaders need to always be improving themselves
• [13:23] What experience really means
• [14:42] Investing in someone personally and professionally
• [15:02] Blake’s hiring process
• [19:22] The signs of success from Blake’s approach
• [22:36] Blake’s motivation for impacting others

After You Listen:

• Connect with Blake: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blake-behr-841a6818a/
• Learn more about Ridgeline Electrical Industries: https://www.ridgelineei.com
• Connect with Nick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smarrelli/
• Learn more about GadellNet Consulting Services: https://gadellnet.com/

Tyler Mayer considered taking the cloth before he became an educator, a path that led him to his current role as the President and CEO of Providence Cristo Rey, a faith-based college and career prep high school. 

There he helps kids become the best version of themselves. “If you don't show up every day striving to make that connection with those students and give it your all and run down the hill they're going to see right through you.”

Tyler coaches “running down the hill” a rule of improv comedy that calls for you to fully commit to whatever you’re doing. Tyler applies that philosophy to all aspects of his life.

How does he go all in, all the time? He makes Zero Excuses, and you can, too, if you’re willing to run down the hill.

Key Takeaways:

• If you give it your all, people will buy in and jump on board
• Change starts with investing in one person at a time
• Building relationships requires you to be an active listener and value others ideas

Things to Listen For:

• [02:29] Tyler’s path to becoming an educator
• [04:43] How comedy improv rules inspire Tyler
• [06:45] “Running down the hill” explained
• [09:00] Tyler’s move to Providence Cristo Rey High School
• [11:37] Disparate starting lines
• [14:23] What Providence Cristo Rey offers students
• [15:27] Getting students to see their capable of more
• [17:12] What Providence Cristo Rey demands of the businesses they work with
• [20:43] Making a difference starts with one person

  After You Listen:

• Connect with Tyler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-mayer-b689a137
• Learn more about Providence Cristo Rey High School: https://www.cristoreyindy.org/
• Connect with Nick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smarrelli/
• Learn more about GadellNet Consulting Services: https://gadellnet.com/

Working side by side with your significant other may sound like a recipe for disaster. And yet, for Ryan and Kristy Rans, it’s something they spent years doing. 

Fast forward. Prime Hospitality Group is thriving under their leadership even during the uncertainty of the pandemic. As Ryan shares, “It happened. Forget about how it happened. What‘s the best way to navigate the waters?” Instead of focusing on what happened, they’re looking ahead at how to overcome any challenge using their“pedal down” mentality. 

How do they manage both their business and relationship? They make Zero Excuses. And you can, too, by embracing their “pedal down” mentality.

Liesel Mertes is a workplace empathy consultant and the owner of Handle with Care Consulting. Her job is to help companies learn how to support team members through what she calls disruptive life events, something she knows all too much about. 

She experienced a tragedy that could have devastated her, but instead, she found a way to fight through the pain and help others. 

How does she do it? She makes Zero Excuses. 

Listen for:

• Sharing empathy in the workplace
• The importance of psychological safety
• Identifying your empathy avatar

In this episode, you will learn:

• [02:30] – Empathy in the workplace is essential  
• [05:32] – Productivity is tied to empathy 
• [10:02] – Acknowledging someone’s struggles
• [15:28] – Empathy avatars
• [17:02] – Navigating compassion fatigue 

After You Listen:

• Connect with Liesel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lieselmertes/
• Learn more about Handle with Care Consulting: https://www.lieselmertes.com/
• Listen to Liesel’s podcast: https://www.lieselmertes.com/blog-2
• Connect with Nick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smarrelli/
• Learn more about GadellNet Consulting Services: https://gadellnet.com/