Lead the Team (Top 2% of Podcasts)

Steve Schloss is Chief People Officer at the United States Golf Association (USGA).He is an accomplished business leader, coach, advisor, and trusted partner with the board and CEO.Steve is also a strategic advisor and leadership and team consultant.For over three decades he has built, scaled, and transformed global organizations including LivePerson, Time Inc, and Citigroup. He’s also served as an adjunct faculty member at the New School in New York City.Steve’s LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-schloss-0b2a7b2/ United States Golf Association https://www.usga.org/ WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER FROM THIS EPISODE:The biggest surprise Steve had when he became CHRO of the USGA.Why Steve describes the USGA as a "125-year old start up".The single skill that’s helped Steve accelerate his career to the C-Suite.The benefit of a growth mindset and how to instill it in your team.How to use your golf game for developing a growth mindset.The transformation that happened when Steve decided to take “ownership” of his career.How Steve knew he was burned out and what he did to conquer it.How you can burnout and still like your job.A counter-intuitive idea: Working on some projects outside your organization makes you a better employee inside your organization.How employee turnover can be good…even great.How to use music to fuel your work day.Steve’s favorite podcasts and where and how he listens to them.Steve’s passion for music and the bands he’s listening to most today.HIGHLIGHTS:Signs that you are burned out:Your physical body declines and gains weight.Bad attitude.Decline in emotional health.Recommendations for an underrepresented group in C-Suite:Identify and develop a personal board of directorsYou need to prioritize your personal learningQUOTES:“Coaching as a skill set inside an organisation or as being a professional coach, is not a soft skill - it’s a skill that’s necessary for today’s business world.”“What’s really important in a sense of being a coach or consultant is being current in thinking and being able to look into the future.”RESOURCES:Monocle https://monocle.com/magazine/ Flipboard https://flipboard.com/ Pivot Podcast https://podcasts.voxmedia.com/show/pivot Digital HR Leader Podcast https://www.myhrfuture.com/digital-hr-leaders-podcast MUSIC DISCUSSED:Van HalenMiles DavisChick CoreaECM JazzDessaMichael KiwanukaWilcoBilly EilishBlack KeysElbow-------------------Apply to be on the show-------------------Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1

E25: Woody Bradford is Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board at Conning, a global investment firm founded in 1912 with a long history of serving the insurance industry.Prior to joining Conning, Woody was an Operating Partner with Advent International, a global private equity firm.Previously, he spent 12 years at Putnam Investments where he held multiple roles, including Head of Corporate Development and Chief Operating Officer of Global Distribution.He is a graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute and of the Harvard Business School, where he graduated as a Baker Scholar.He is a member of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (“WPI”) Board of Trustees and participates on The Greater Boston Food Bank Emeriti Board, where he has served as Chair of the Board.Woody Bradford’s LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/woodybradford/ Conning https://www.conning.comWHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:Woody’s personal story of helping establish the first food bank in Maine when he was a teenager.The bet he took that ended up with him getting into Harvard Business School.The unique distinction of graduating as a Harvard Baker Scholar (top 5%) and the study skills he used to achieve it.The skill Woody developed to create his own luck.The surprising career strategy that helped him find his way to the Financial Services industry.Why humility is the one trait he’d like to instill in every employee.What important things Conning is doing to prepare for the workforce of the future.How individuals from under-represented groups have distinguished themselves as potential future leaders, including C-suite positions, and the encouragement they offer to others with similar aspirations.A helpful resource for having uncomfortable conversations.The one word you should keep in mind when presenting your idea to the C-Suite.A positive strategy to use with an employee who is feeling burned out.Books for inspiration.How to improve your mental and physical health.Woody’s favorite Metallica album.HIGHLIGHTS:What characteristics should you look for in a mentor:Someone who can give you honest feedback.Someone who can point you in a direction that helps you think through your strengths and weaknesses and find opportunities in an organization.Advice for people in under-represented groups in the C-Suite:Do your job well.Try to be in an organization that understands and practices diversity and inclusion.Find a manager or a mentor who values you and who will give you opportunities.QUOTES:"Allow people to bring their whole selves to work.""I learned to be ruthless about time management. There's no way you can do everything. You must be able to decide what's important and what's not.RESOURCES:Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, Emmanuel Acho, https://uncomfortableconvos.com/Peloton https://www.onepeloton.com/Why We Sleep, Matthew Walker https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams/dp/1501144316How Not to Die, Michael Greger https://www.amazon.com/How-Not-Die-Discover-Scientifically/dp/1250066115Indianapolis, Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic https://www.amazon.com/Indianapolis-Disaster-Fifty-Year-Exonerate-Innocent/dp/1501135945Jaws: The U.S.S. Indianapolis Speech https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO60RohuARYRobert Ludlum books https://www.amazon.com/robert-ludlum-booksEndurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage, Alfred Lansing https://www.amazon.com/Endurance-Shackletons-Incredible-Alfred-Lansing/dp/0465062881Metallica Black Album https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metallica_(album)Pyramid Principle (the book he’s gifted most), Barbara Minto https://www.amazon.com/Pyramid-Principle-Logic-Writing-Thinking/dp/0273710516-------------------Apply to be on the show-------------------Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1

E24: Lieutenant General Robert Caslen, Jr. is the 29th president of the University of South Carolina and former superintendent of West Point.He is a highly decorated military leader who served in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Gulf War.Under his direction as Superintendent, West Point was recognized as the number one public college in the Nation by Forbes and the number one public college by U.S. News and World Report.He led a sweeping reversal of Army’s football program and developed a culture of excellence through winning with character, culminating in Army defeating Navy in 2016 for the first time in 14 years, and beating both Air Force and Navy in 2017 to win the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy for the first time in 21 years.He was recognized with a Life Time of Service Award from the American Red Cross, the Honorary Rock of the Year Award for his efforts in diversity as the Superintendent of West Point, the 2018 Gerald R. Ford Legends Award for lifetime service, and the NCAA Theodore Roosevelt Award.He has a bachelor’s degree from West Point and a MBA from Long Island University.He co-authored the book, The Character Edge – Leading and Winning with Integrity, with Dr Michael D Matthews who is also included in the interview.Dr. Michael D. Matthews is Professor of Engineering Psychology at West Point. He has served as President of the American Psychological Association’s Society for Military Psychology and authored more that 250 scientific papers, including a book called, Head Strong: How Psychology is Revolutionizing War.The Character Edge: Leading and Winning with Integrity: https://www.amazon.com/Character-Edge-Leading-Winning-Integrity/dp/1250259088 Lieutenant General Robert Caslen’s LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-caslen-234651/ Lieutenant General Robert Caslen’s website https://www.robertcaslen.com/ Dr. Michael D. Matthews’ website https://www.westpoint.edu/behavioral-sciences-and-leadership/profile/michael_matthews Dr. Michael D. Matthews book: Head Strong: How Psychology is Revolutionizing War. https://www.amazon.com/Head-Strong-How-Psychology-Revolutionizing-ebook/dp/B00GSRWJ2Q WHAT YOU WILL DISCOVER:Why Bob still leads PT (Physical Training) for college students, the routine he follows, and what it says on the coin he gives to those who complete ten workouts.What’s been the biggest lesson from Bob’s distinguished military career."The straw that stirs the drink" in all human interactions.The 3 C's of trust and using them to improve trust in your team.The “Mouse Trap” exercise to test communication skills…using REAL mouse traps.The "Bank of Public Trust" and why every leader must understand it.What it's like leading a large University through the COVID-19 Pandemic.The message Bob delivered when he took out a full-page ad in the paper.The unlikely story of how the book, The Character Edge, came together.How to define character.How the Godfather of Positive Psychology (Martin Seligman) and the top expert on Grit (Angela Duckworth) informed The Character Edge.The strategy West Point uses to develop character, and how to use it with your team.Three steps for addressing a character flaw.How Bob’s transformation of the Army football program and character came into play.How a high-character military leader and an Iraqi tomato paste factory transformed a dangerous war zone.Why did legendary Duke basketball coach, Mike Krzyzewski, bring the entire USA basketball team to the West Point Cemetery?The character crisis, and what we can do about it.HIGHLIGHTS:3 Cs of trust on leadership:CompetenceCharacterCaringStrategies for building character:Teach what character means in an organization.Allow time for self-reflection.Establish a set of standards that must to be enforced.Big Three factors for building character:Positive and sustained mentoring.Skill building curricula and training.Providing more responsible leadership opportunities.QUOTES:“If you want to be an effective leader you must build trust.”“You’re nurturing leaders by giving them leadership opportunities.”“Consider what discipline means to you and how you coach discipline”-------------------Apply to be on the show-------------------Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1

E23: Chair of Dunkin Brands Inc, Nigel Travis, who previously served as Chief Executive Officer from January 2009 through July 2019. He also serves as Chairman of Leyton Orient Football Club and in June 2017 led a business consortium to take on ownership of the storied English football club of which he has been a lifelong fan.Previous experience includes from 2005 through 2008, Travis served as President & CEO of Papa John’s, the pizza chain. Prior to Papa John’s, Travis was with Blockbuster, Inc. from 1994 to 2004, where he served as President & Chief Operating Officer. Before that, he was with Burger King, first as Senior Vice President of Human Resources and later as Managing Director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.In 2018, Nigel published his first book, “The Challenge Culture: Why the Most Successful Organizations Run on Pushback” where he shares his management philosophy in business and describes his unique experience starting his career in HR and transitioning to operations and executive level positions.Travis received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Middlesex University in England. He previously served as Lead Director on the Board of Directors for Office Depot. Additionally, he is on the board of Abercrombie & Fitch and Advance Auto Parts. He is also Chairman of Sevpro and Fooda, both privately held companies. Nigel’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigel-travis-14212264/Leyton Orient Soccer Club: https://www.leytonorient.com/ Nigel's Book, The Challenge Culture: Why the Most Successful Organizations Run on Pushback https://www.amazon.com/Challenge-Culture-Successful-Organizations-Pushback/dp/1541762142 WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER FROM THIS EPISODE:What career lesson Nigel learned as a popular DJ in college.What is "The Challenge Culture", and how he coined the phrase. The surprising story behind Donald Trump’s appearance in his book.How an early experience with this Dad planted the seed for the Challenge Culture and became a cornerstone of his leadership philosophy.Nigel’s favorite challenge question.How to challenge a leader without being irritating.Using silence to get the answers.Nigel’s workout regimen and how he uses that time to reflect.What he says to leaders who believe the Challenge is like "opening Pandora's Box?"3 big lessons he learned from leading Blockbuster and Papa Johns.How to use challenge culture when coaching kids' soccer. He’s been coaching soccer for 51 seasons!Why he has his players call him “Nigel”, not “Coach Nigel”.The one trait he would instill in every employee.How 20 years of human resource experience uniquely prepared him for the C-Suite.The REAL impact of employee turnover that too many leaders miss. The story of him quantifying the cost of employee turnover for Burger King of $42M..and that was in 1989…imagine how costly that would be today!How has the Dunkin Challenge Culture been helpful during the Pandemic, especially when considering store closures?A failure Nigel had at Blockbuster that led to success down the road…it’s not what you think.HIGHLIGHTS:Steps to take when implementing a Challenge Culture:Think about what’s going on before implement Challenge Culture.Start small.Start asking questions and build a dialogue.Build your credibility.QUOTES:“Today is the slowest day we’ll see.”"Once you've put a title in front of something, you've put up a barrier."“Horses for courses.”“At the end of the day a business is there to make money, to become more profitable for shareholders.”“People should value silence.”ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:No Rules Rules, Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer https://www.amazon.com/No-Rules-Netflix-Culture-Reinvention/dp/1984877860 The Making of a Blockbuster, Gail George https://www.amazon.com/Making-Blockbuster-Huizenga-Entertainment-Videotape/dp/0471159034Spin Drift https://drinkspindrift.com/ -------------------Apply to be on the show-------------------Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1 

E22: Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the Transatlantic law firm, Womble Bond Dickinson, Betty Temple.Her 25+ years of experience in advising public company boards on their highest strategic priorities gives her perspective on how to meet the needs of clients in a fast-changing world.Clients describe Betty as a champion for their interests — a leader, an innovator, and a trusted strategic counselor.Betty’s highest leadership priority is to ensure that the firm’s clients receive extraordinary service and legal work from dedicated lawyers.She also serves as Co-Chair of the Transatlantic Board. She has expanded the firm’s ability to reach further in serving clients through the additional mind power, bench strength, industry insight, practice areas and geographic coverage that the combined firms can bring to bear.She has an undergraduate degree and law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.Betty’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bettytempleWomble Bond Dickinson: https://www.womblebonddickinson.com/us  WHAT YOU WILL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE:Where Betty’s childhood reputation came from as the “two-gun sheriff”.What leadership lessons she learned working as a ranch hand in Wyoming.Why she believes in the power of storytelling, and how she uses it as a leader.Why she’s held onto her Southern accent. The big Pandemic challenges, and how she’s navigated them.The pros and cons of staying with one organization your entire career.One thing Betty wished she would have tried earlier in her career.The origin of her deep interest in business. What makes working at Womble Bond Dickinson so special.Finding the balance of being a mother and CEO.The powerful lesson she learned from her daughter when she was in Girl Scouts.The big three priorities she sets for her team.What she’d like her legacy to be at Womble Bond Dickinson.How to instill curiosity in your employees, and why it’s so important.Advice for moving on from a mistake or failure.The go-to resource that Betty reads every day.What she reads before bed to relax.The one tool that’s helped Betty the most during the Pandemic.HIGHLIGHTS:Benefits of staying in one company for a long time:Gives the firm a sense of security when the leader has been there for their whole careerYou get to understand the cultureBuilds security with the clientsThe sense of stability at workAdvice for women wanting to get to C-Suite:Aspire to be a leader.Learn from your mistakes.Keep moving forward and look for new opportunities.Be passionate and don’t be afraid to show it.Make sure you understand your strengths and weaknesses.Don’t neglect working on your strengths and weaknesses. QUOTES:“If you don’t do your job, things don’t go well.”“If you’re having a hard time finding a great place to build your career and continuing to develop, you should stick with it.”“Self-awareness is critical to success as a leader.”RESOURCES: Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/Cisco IP Video Phone https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collaboration-endpoints/ip-phone-8865/index.html-------------------Apply to be on the show-------------------Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1

E21: Tom Crane is China Construction America’s Head of Shared Services and Vice President of Human Resources & Communications. The parent company is the largest construction company in the world.He forms and provides operational management of the organization’s Shared Services Center functions, while increasing their long-term strategic and operational effectiveness, efficiency and speed of delivery.Tom is also a member of the board of directors of Plaza Group Holdings, LLC.He previously served as Chief Human Resources Officer at Skanska USA, where he led a 70-person team and $19 million budget and played a key role in Skanska USA achieving an 85%+ employee engagement level and limiting voluntary salaried employee turnover to 12% per year.He served as Director of Media Relations for Honeywell.He holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Temple University.Tom’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasbcraneWHAT YOU’LL DISCOVER:●     Why a background in journalism and communications can provide a strategic advantage in the C-Suite.●     How to influence others through your writing.●     What Tom learned working as executive leader for three companies on three continents.●     The moment Tom learned to write under pressure when the stock price was at stake.●     The mental shift you must make to become an effective communicator.●     How to improve your communication by identifying patterns in others.●     What Tom learned from former Honeywell CEO, Larry Bossidy, about leadership.●     The “grassroots” approach to selling your idea to the C-Suite.●     The key for having tough conversations at work.●     When employee turnover is okay and when it’s not.●     The most important data points you should track when it comes to employee turnover.●     How a single relationship Tom built early in his career transformed into a big opportunity. ●     How employees from under-represented groups can rise to the C-Suite.HIGHLIGHTS:Things to know when writing an email:●     Your mission.●     Your strategy.●     Your intent.●     Your audience.Then bring all those things together.Traits Tom would instill in every employee:●     Self-awareness.●     Spending more time thinking about the bigger picture●     Accountability and responsibility for the whole process even though you only have a part of it.Tom’s advice for employees from the underrepresented groups in C-Suite:●     Establish a mentor relationship, both inside and outside of the company.●     Stay focused of what you can produce the best.●     Socialize your ideas.●     Don’t be afraid to be visible.●     Let people know that you have an opinion.QUOTES:“Make it better than you found it.”“We are only the caretakers for the roles we have. That’s our legacy.”RESOURCES: On Writing Well, William K. Zinsser https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Well-Classic-Guide-Nonfiction/dp/0060891548Crossing the Unknown Sea, David Whyte, https://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Sea-Work-Pilgrimage-Identity/dp/1573229148Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done, Larry Bossidy https://www.amazon.com/Execution-Discipline-Getting-Things-Done/dp/0609610570An Immigrant In the C-Suite, John Lopez, https://www.amazon.com/Immigrant-C-Suite-Journey-Business-Community/dp/1706577109-------------------Apply to be on the show-------------------Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1

E20: T.K. Pillan is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Veggie Grill, which is the leading 100% plant-based restaurant company in the U.S. Since founding Veggie Grill in 2006, T.K. has been on a mission to help people advance their conscious food journey in an approachable and attainable manner.T.K. concluded that one of the most impactful ways to create a better future was to change consumer habits around food. Today, under T.K.’s leadership, Veggie Grill has grown to 39 locations across California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon and Washington.Veggie Grill has been credited with creating some of the most iconic plant-based dishes such as the Rueben on Rye and the Santa Fe Chickn’ sandwiches.T.K. is also the Co-Founder and Partner at Powerplant Ventures (PPV), a venture capital fund that supports visionary entrepreneurs with world-changing, plant-centric companies delivering better nutrition in more sustainable and ethical ways. PPV investments include Beyond Meat, Thrive Market, Ripple Foods, REBBL, Beanfields and Vive Organics.Prior to T.K.’s work as a food entrepreneur, he Co-Founded Guidance Solutions, one of L.A.’s first e-commerce development firms that was consistently named one of the fastest growing technology companies between 1999 and 2001. He earned an engineering degree from MIT and an MBA from UCLA.TK’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/t-k-pillan-0033b1/Veggie Grill: https://www.veggiegrill.com/Power Plant: http://powerplantvc.com/80/20 Plants: https://8020plants.com/WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE:●     The single consistent action that helped T.K. go from someone with no food and beverage business or being a vegan, to founding the largest vegan restaurant chain in the country. (39 restaurants and counting!)●     Why it’s paramount to get control of your employee turnover.●     The key leadership lesson he learned from surviving the 90’s dot com bubble.●     The insecurity he experienced as a child that ended up fueling his success.●     How a few awkward visits to an Ashram as a kid helped shape his career.●     How to use meditation as a success strategy in athletics and business.●     The hard lesson he learned as a fraternity president and multi-sport athlete at MIT.●     Advice for people who realize they may have taken a wrong turn in their career.●     The single mental exercise T.K. does when contemplating if he should take a risk.●     The big health benefits T.K. experienced 30 days after becoming a vegetarian… ABS, lower cholesterol, and improved athletic performance.●     What T.K. sees as his legacy.●     Why self-awareness is the one trait he’d instill in every employee, and what the impact would look like if everyone had it.●     Why he’s shifted back to reading physical books instead of the e-reader.●     T.K.’s handy workout tool that helps him stay in shape at home, office, and the road.  HIGHLIGHTS:Two reasons for firing people quickly:1.    Sometimes the business landscape has changed where you just need to cut your costs.2.    When you determine someone is not a fit, you have to move on.What benefits TK noticed when he switched to plant-based diet:●     Lost 5-10 pounds within 2 weeks.●     Cholesterol levels down from over 200 to under 140 after 3 months.QUOTES:“ Hire slowly, fire quickly.”“As you get older, diet matters even more.”“The more success we have, the more impact we create.”RESOURCES:80/20 Plants: https://8020plants.com/Built to Last, Jim Collins https://www.amazon.com/Built-Last-Successful-Visionary-Essentials-ebook/dp/B0058DRSHWGood to Great, Jim Collins https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996The Discipline of Market Leaders https://www.amazon.com/Discipline-Market-Leaders-Customers-Dominate/dp/0201407191 Workout Bands https://www.amazon.com/Black-Mountain-Products-Resistance-Exercise/dp/7245456313-------------------Apply to be on the show-------------------Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1

E19: As Chief Executive Officer of Flat World Global Solutions, Brian Wenck, has led the organization’s rapid growth from $12M to $100M in revenue. Flat World streamlines supply chains across the globe using technology and excellence to integrate and organize shipping logistics, saving time, energy and money. They provide Domestic and International Shipping, Customs Brokerage, Warehousing, Distribution, Crating, Packaging, and Project Management. As a 30+ year veteran of the logistics industry, Brian had a long tenure at YRC (formerly Yellow Freight), where he worked his way up from midnight shift as a dock supervisor to a senior leader role.He is a graduate of Iowa State University. Brian’s LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-wenck-9aa7725/WHAT YOU’LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODEWhat growing up as an “expat” in Singapore taught him about leadership.Why traveling behind the “Iron Curtain” during the Cold War in the 1980’s… transformed his perspective on the world.What to do if you get fired, and who you can turn to for support.Why getting laid off was the best thing that happened to his career…although he didn’t realize it at the time.The 3-part balance that sustains him as a leader.How to take a calculated risk.The surprising story of how he first met the CEO when he was a brand new sales person.How Brian’s “long-winded” emails keep his company connected.The best way to know if you’re hiring an employee who cares.Why it doesn’t have to be lonely at the top.The toughest part of being CEO that Brian never delegates.Brian’s advice for his younger self:Don’t wait, just do it.Take the risk.Have faith in your gut and your logic.QUOTES:"Any employee turnover is a ROI miss.""You must be intentional about retaining your employees.""You invest in your leadership team, and they in turn invest in their teams." "We invest in employees to produce the ROI we want to get 3 to 5 years out."RESOURCES:Wall Street Journal www.wsj.comTED Talks https://www.ted.com/talks-------------------Apply to be on the show-------------------Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1

E18: Jerry Davis is the former NASA Global Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley.He has also served as the Chief Information Security Officer for the US Department of Education and as the Deputy Assistant for Cybersecurity (CISO) and Privacy for the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Jerry is a decorated combat Marine and served worldwide as a counterintelligence officer with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) where he worked on counterespionage activities.Now, Jerry is the Founder of Gryphon X, a Technology Risk and Advisory firm and a passionate public speaker. Jerry’s LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerry-davis-msc-3433b612/WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE:●   The key leadership lessons that Jerry learned while he was in the Marines.●   Two leadership strategies he discovered in combat.●    What it was like being 22 years old and in charge of other people’s lives.●   Combat leadership lessons you can apply to your own life.●    The big career risk Jerry took when he blew the whistle on the shortcoming at the VA.●   What it’s like going through Congressional hearings while preserving your integrity.●   Where Jerry’s sense of integrity came from and how to trust your True North.●   What makes being a leader at NASA so cool.●   Jerry’s W.A.R.M strategy for knowing when it’s time to leave a job.●   What you should do if you’re being told to do something that violates your personal integrity.●    Surprising career lessons from Body Building.●   The distinction between developing your network versus your inner circle.●    The secret Jerry learned to sell his idea at NASA…after failing for 12 months.●   Advice for those from under-represented groups who want to rise to the C-Suite●   A lesson from the CIA on why you should do everything possible to retain your highest performers.●   The massive turnover cost related to a single CIA operative.●    Jerry’s hilarious story of getting “welcomed” on his first day at the CIA.HIGHLIGHTS:Jerry’s advice for someone who is told to do something that they know is not the right thing to do:●   Look at the situation and put it in the right context●   Trust your integrity and never question itJerry’s advice for someone wanting to rise to the C-Suite:●   Find mentors●   Read as much as you can●   Always have a plan●   Execute that planQUOTES:“Unlike Wine and Cheese, bad news does not get better with age.”“You have to let your integrity be your true North.”“You have to have a plan and you have to execute it. If you have a plan and no execution - it’s just a dream.RESOURCES:Mission-Driven Leadership: My Journey as a Radical Capitalist by Mark BertoliniThe Hard Think about Hard Things, Ben Horowitz----------------Apply to be on the show-------------------Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1

E17: CSX Corporation former Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Lisa Mancini.CSX is a Fortune 500 freight railroad that operates in the eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. They operate approximately 21,000 route miles of track.Nearly two-thirds of Americans live within CSX’s service territory.Throughout her career at CSX Corporation, Lisa has been a member of the chairman’s executive team guiding CSX business strategy. She negotiated public-private partnerships to develop, fund, and implement $600 million in freight rail network improvements, and she directed all aspects of labor relations and negotiations with 13 unions representing 30,000 employees.Lisa also served in a senior leadership role at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA).She has a master’s degree from Harvard University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia. Lisa’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-mancini-839394a0/WHAT YOU’LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE:●   How to make the transition from managing a 10-person team to a 500-person team overnight.●   What Lisa learned about leadership the day she climbed to the top of the Brooklyn Bridge.●   The Harvard negotiation strategy she used to win a negotiation versus Former Democratic Presidential Candidate, Secretary of State, and Senator John Kerry.●    How she rose to the C-Suite in an industry that was 95% male.●   How to balance work and family without burning out.●   Which moments are the ones where a plan might NOT be the right thing.●   How to take care of yourself when you have a demanding executive schedule.●   How going on vacation and disconnecting benefits you and ESPECIALLY your team.●   What the impact of COVID-19 would have been like if it happened in the 1980’s.HIGHLIGHT:Lisa’s advice for women wanting to work in a C-Suite:●   Expect to work harder.●   You’ll likely need to sacrifice some parts of your personal life.●   Remain flexible.QUOTES:“You don’t want to be missed. You want someone to carry on and make things even better."RESOURCES:Personal History by Catherine Graham: https://www.amazon.com/Personal-History-Katharine-Graham/dp/0375701044The Yankee Years by Joe Torre: https://www.amazon.com/Yankee-Years-Joe-Torre/dp/0767930428----------------Apply to be on the show-------------------Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1

E16: Kathy Kranz is Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Pinnacol Assurance, which is the largest workers’ compensation company in Colorado. They have 100 years of experience and back 57,000 Colorado companies.She oversees all the financial reporting, business planning, enterprise risks, audits, and actuarial functions. Her accomplishments include developing a four-year plan to ensure Pinnacol’s profitability and working with Standard & Poor’s to secure a strong financial rating for Pinnacol.The Denver Business Journal named her as one of the Top Financial Executives.She’s also worked in senior leadership at PriceWaterhouseCoopers and M.D.C Holdings, and RiskCap (now a part of Beecher Carlson)She holds a degree in Business Administration from University of Michigan and an MBA from Regis University. She’s also a graduate of the Denver Metro Chamber’s Leadership Program.Kathy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathy-kranz-7a0a4b8/Pinnacol website: https://www.pinnacol.com/ WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE:Kathy's story of getting a standing ovation at work.Kathy’s story of going from analysts to CFO in just a 10-year span.How to know when you’re ready for the next level.Advice for women who want to rise to the C-Suite. How to foster a positive reputation.The keys to establishing work-life balance.Three ESSENTIAL strategies to communicate your idea to the C-Suite.Why the cost of employee turnover can be catastrophic.The one thing you must do when you have a big set back.The daily practice (and resource) that Kathy uses to fuel her professional development.HIGHLIGHTS:What were Kathy’s keys to success to rise to C-Suite:Not being afraid to do new and challenging things.Always learning new things.Having fun.Kathy’s advice for women rising to C-Suite:Be authentic.Your CEO needs to be someone who wants to hear your opinion.You have to be willing to share your opinions.Expect that people won’t always agree with you.What would make it easier for Kathy to say ‘yes’ to employee’s idea:Distill 3-5 most compelling reasons why your idea is good.Schedule a shorter, 15 minute meeting.QUOTES:“Now how you process ideas and information. I process by debating. I want to talk it through, I want to have a good, solid discussion about it.”“It's important to remember, not everybody thinks exactly the same way you do.”RESOURCES:Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/McKinsey Newsletter: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights----------------Apply to be on the show-------------------Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1

E15: Chief Financial Officer at The Mental Health Center of Denver, Angela Oakley, oversees the organization’s accounting, finance, contracting/payer strategies and accounts receivable functions.The Mental Health Center of Denver (MHCD) stands out as the leader in offering innovative, holistic programs for mental health and overall well-being in Colorado.Since coming to the MHCD in 2016, Angela created systems that enable the organization to spot financial issues and respond to them quickly and effectively.She takes a simplified approach to making complex financial information meaningful and actionable to all leaders within the organization as well as to the community. Her efforts at basic financial education have made financial discussions more interactive and productive within the staff.Angela has more than 25 years of experience in healthcare finance. She has worked in both nonprofit and for-profit organizations including hospitals, insurance entities and other healthcare establishments. Angela is passionate about leadership and mission-oriented work, which inspires her to enhance well-being throughout the community.Angela on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/angela-oakley-0a0aa63MHCD website: https://mhcd.org WHAT YOU’LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE:Angela's unpredictable journey to C-Suite.How self-awareness fuels Angela's career.Key advice for Introverts in the C-Suite.What happened when Angela bravely shared her idea at a meeting.Angela's success routine for starting the day on the right footThe benefits of self-reflection training.The mission of The Mental Health Center of Denver.The importance of every employee understanding the financials.Angela's advice to women wanting to be CFOs or in a head financial position.How Angela conquers her fears and reduces uncertainty before making new decisions.What trait Angela would instill in every employee.What processes Angela has in place for firing.How does Angela approach and help a burned out employee. QUOTES:“I figured out, early on, how important it is to understand myself first, then use that in how I relate to others.”“Listen to understand before being trying to be understood.”RESOURCES:The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: https://www.amazon.com/Habits-Highly-Effective-People-Powerful/dp/1982137134 ----------------Apply to be on the show-------------------Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1

E14: As President of Parkland USA, Doug Haugh, leads the financial, operations, and sales activities of Parkland’s business units in the United States. In addition to leading the existing business activities, he also leads mergers and acquisitions in the country as Parkland executes its strategy to expand its U.S. business.Parkland is Canada's and the Caribbean’s largest, and one of America’s fastest growing, independent suppliers and marketers of fuel and petroleum products and a leading convenience store operator.Previously, Doug was President and Chief Strategy Officer for Mansfield Energy Corp. and President of Mansfield Oil Company. He began his career at Exxon, and has also held senior management positions at H&W Petroleum and FuelQuest Inc.He sits on the Board of Directors of BioBlend Renewable Resources, The Fuels Institute, Filld and the Job Creators Network. Doug was named Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year and was named a Clemson Alumni Entrepreneur by the Arthur M. Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership at Clemson University. He was also named to the CIO 100 by CIO Magazine.He has an MBA from the University of Phoenix, and a Bachelor of Science, Chemical Engineering, from Clemson University.Doug on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglashaugh/Doug on Twitter: https://twitter.com/doughaughWHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE:How moving around and traveling has informed Doug’s leadership style.What Doug did to go from fearing public speaking to thriving on the stage.How to combine big company experience with the entrepreneurial mindset.Key advice for leaders who work in a controversial industry.How Doug talks to his kids about their concerns about his industry.The most dangerous statement a leader can make.Why curiosity is the most important trait he’d instill in every employee.Employee interview questions to test a candidate’s curiosity.How leaders can foster the curiosity of others.How the catastrophic cost of turnover adds up for his organization.The first person Doug had to fire and why it was so memorable.Doug’s big leadership aha moment.The tool he uses to organize his professional and personal life.THE BIG HIGHLIGHT:Doug’s advice for anyone in a politically charged industry:Focus on the customer.Challenge yourself if you’re doing the right thing to improve.You’re always subject to criticism no matter what you do.Take that criticism head on.QUOTES:“Leaders aren’t born; they’re built.”“The most dangerous statement is…“We’ve always done it this way.” ”“Dealing with change is a muscle you must exercise.”“Your job as a leader is not your to-do list; it’s your team’s to-do list.”RESOURCES:Leaders Eat Last, Simon Sinek https://www.amazon.com/Leaders-Eat-Last-Together-Others/dp/1543614620Mindset, Carol Dweck https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Carol-S-Dweck/dp/0345472322Trello https://trello.com/ ----------------Apply to be on the show-------------------Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1

E12: Dell Technologies, Chief Technology Officer, State & Local Government, Ann Dunkin.Prior to joining Dell, she was the Chief Information Officer for the County of Santa Clara. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Santa Clara is the 15th largest county in the US.Prior to joining Santa Clara County, Ann served in the Obama Administration as the Chief Information Officer of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. She also served in senior leadership positions for the Palo Alto Unified School District and Hewlitt Packard.Most recently she served as an editor of the International Journal of Advances in Software and the Agile Government Leaders (AGL) Board of Directors and the Georgia Tech President’s Advisory Board.Ann has received many awards including ComputerWorld’s Premier 100 Technology Leaders, DC’s Top 50 Women in Technology, and inducted into Georgia Tech’s Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni.She holds a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering, both from The Georgia Institute of Technology.Ann’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anndunkin/ Ann’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnnDunkinAnn’s Book, Industrial Digital Transformation: Accelerate digital transformation with business optimization: https://www.amazon.com/Industrial-Digital-Transformation-transformation-optimization/dp/1800207670/ WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER FROM THIS EPISODE:●     What you can learn about leadership from philately (a fancy word for collecting stamps)?●     Ann’s story of getting the call from the White House and going through Senate confirmation for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).●     Why instilling a sense of ownership is the one trait she’d instill in every employee.●     How to take smart risks on the job (and teach your team to do the same).●     The greatest lesson she learned from working at Hewlett Packard.●     What you should ask yourself when taking a leap of faith.●     How she responded when some US Senators didn’t think she was qualified to be CIO of the EPA.●     How to use training as an employee retention strategy.●     Ann’s colorful story of when she had to let someone go.●     How getting laid off during the peak of the 2008 Recession led to the biggest job opportunity of her career.●     What kept her going during a dark time in her career.●     The scoop on Ann’s new book on digital transformation…A practical and powerful tool to transform your organization. QUOTES:"Fundamentally, leadership is about people and relationships.""It broadens your view as a leader to be involved in things that aren't your job.""If you can get something done in the public sector, leaders should be clambering to hire you because you can get 10 times more done in the commercial sector.""Don't get too comfortable."----------------Apply to be on the show-------------------Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1

E13: Former President and Chief Operating Officer of The Philadelphia Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Ronald Wilson, has over 40 years in the soft drink industry.Under his leadership the company grew from the 12th to 4th largest bottler in the U.S. and was one of the largest minority-owned companies . He entered the soft drink industry in 1969 as a route salesman for Pepsi-Cola and worked his way up then transitioned to Coca-Cola in 1977 and climbed to the C-Suite. He's also an industry leader who served as President of the Coca Cola Bottlers Association and Vice President of the Dr. Pepper Bottlers Association.Ron came out of retirement in 2008 to become the CEO at Skinny Water, where he stayed until 2010.He is currently the Vice Chair for the Board of Overseers at his alma mater, Rutgers University, and is an advisor to Rutgers School of Business in Camden, N.J.Ron’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronald-wilson-95a37331/WHAT YOU'll DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE:·      What was it like working for Dr. J (NBA Basketball great, Julius Erving).·      What's the difference between Coca Cola Company and Coca Cola Bottling.·      The remarkable story about the only interview Ronald had in his career.·      What was it like being the youngest employee in the company.·      What made Ron come out of retirement to lead an organization again.·      The real benefits of committing to one company for many years vs. job hopping·      One question Ron asks his colleagues to generate creative ideas.·      A story about why Ron's boss came to his house to fix the running water problem in the basement.·      How to leverage your own alumni network for service and success.QUOTES:“The American dream is still out there but each year it gets tougher and tougher because the gap between the haves and have nots gets greater.”“It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets credit for it.” ----------------Apply to be on the show-------------------Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1

E11 - President & General Manager at Melnor Inc, Victor Guzman, is an operations leader known for strategic thought leadership, with a positive track record for functional transformations. He has functional expertise in distribution, digital order-to-cash, warehouse operations, transportation.His company, Melnor, was founded in 1946 and specializes in designing and marketing high-quality, hose end watering tools for the home gardening. He’s held senior leader positions at MedPharma Partners, Mallinckrodt (Mallenkrodt) Pharmaceuticals, Getinge, A.T. Kearney, and Honeywell. Victor has a Masters and Bachelors in Chemical Engineering from MIT.Victor’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-guzman-23449221/Melnor Website: https://melnor.com/WHAT YOU WILL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE:●     The time Victor had to cycle in the Pyrenees in Northern Spain to prove himself to his cousins.●     What’s behind Melnor’s accelerated business growth during the COVID19 Lockdown.●     Victor’s career path from Mexico City to MIT to the C-Suite.●     What’s is like being one of the 4% of C-Suite leaders who are Latino.●     What your first step should be in a crisis…it starts with making two lists.●     What former Honeywell CEO, Dave Cote, taught Victor about dealing with uncertainty.●     The surprising thing an employee should ask for when they’re experiencing burnout.●     How long should it take for you to get up full speed, when starting a new role..●     Why there’s no shame in being fired.QUOTES:“The greatest skill you can develop is learning to learn.”RESOURCES:Grant by Ron Chernow:https://www.amazon.com/Grant-Ron-Chernow/dp/159420487XLeadership Presence by Justin Patton:https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Presence-Stand-Shake-World/dp/1732876630----------------Apply to be on the show-------------------Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1

E10: Advance Auto Parts, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Natalie Rothman.Advance Auto Parts is a $9.6B, Fortune 500 company with 70,000 employees. It’s an American automotive aftermarket parts provider. Headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina where it serves both professional installer and do-it-yourself (DIY) customers.Prior to joining Advance Auto Parts, Natalie served in a senior leadership role at PepsiCo for 10 years.She also worked as an employment attorney with the law firm, Brown Raysman, in New York, and in recruiting and talent management with Estee Lauder, FreeRide.com, and Gundersen Partners.Natalie earned her bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College, a master’s degree from American University and a juris doctorate degree from Brooklyn Law School.Natalie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-rothman-21965855/WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE:●     How travel changes you as a leader.●     What makes Israel a special destination for any leader to visit. ●     How COVID19 tested Natalie’s mettle as a leader, and the 3-part framework of how she’s succeeded.●     The one behavior that emerged during the Lockdown that Natalie would like to continue beyond the Pandemic.●     After a successful decade at PepsiCo, why Natalie decided to transition companies and industries.●     The essential distinction between mentors and sponsors, and why you need both in your career.●     Natalie’s recommendations for employees, from under-represented groups, on a mission to get the C-Suite.●     The playbook for creating your own personal Board of Directors.●     Why getting a law degree was one of the best decisions she’d ever made and why she left the legal profession.●     The surprising trait Natalie would instill in every employee to boost productivity and loyalty.●     The first step you should take when you have an idea to share with the C-Suite.●     Why the cost of turnover is catastrophic.●     A mistake that Natalie made early on that led to her success down the road.●     Natalie’s three book recommendations and how many hours she reads per week.●     The importance of networking and supporting your network.QUOTES:“You own your career.”“Education is an investment in yourself.”“It’s not just who you know; it’s do they know you and your work.”RESOURCES:Lean In by Cheryl Sandberg https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BBA6FOI The Talent Code by Dan Coyle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004EYSXT8Radical Candor by Kim Scott https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Kim-Scott/dp/B01KTIEFEE No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention https://www.amazon.com/No-Rules-Netflix-Culture-Reinvention-ebook/dp/B081Y3R657 Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/ Harvard Business Review https://hbr.org/ IPad Pro https://www.apple.com/ipad-pro/Note Shelf App http://www.noteshelf.net/----------------Apply to be on the show-------------------Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1

E9: CEO of Janus Logistics Technologies, Brian Simons, says his company was born from a real world need to enhance Service Parts Logistics (SPL). Janus is a venture-backed technology and logistics company that is radically transforming the warehousing, forward stocking, forecasting/planning, and distribution/delivery for service supply chains globally. His company, provides solutions for global clients spanning a range of markets including high tech, chemicals/hazardous goods, aerospace, and industrial goodsPreviously, Brian served as COO and Executive Vice President at CIOX Health; and had senior level positions at Universal Health Systems, NCR, Honeywell, and United Technologies. MBA and Bachelors from Arizona State with a PhD from the University of Lancaster.He also serves as an adjunct professor at The University of Minnesota. His upper-division management course brings together key elements from practical experience (on the job), theoretical study (in the classroom) to broaden students’ understanding of management as a profession.Brian’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-simons-81b38b6/ Brian’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/brian_s_simons Janus Logistics Technologies website: https://www.jltech.com/WHAT YOU’LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE:●     What happened when Brian surprised me with a trip to the US Open Final.●     How playing sports (for Brian it was quarterback in high school and college) prepared him for the C-Suite.●     What you need to do to persuade your organization to support your graduate education.●     The advantages and disadvantages of pursuing a Phd on your path to the C-Suite.●     What questions should you ask when considering pursuing your MBA or PhD.●     What to consider when you’re thinking about leaving corporate life to start your own company.●     The mystical skill of pitching your ideas to the C-Suite.●     How to help your employees who seem burned out.●     Brian’s difficult story of the first employee he had to fire…it was his friend.QUOTES:“How you value failure is correlated to how much success you achieve.”“Two things that drive success in your career 1.) Self Awareness 2.) Delivering Results”RESOURCES:Dave Cote Winning Now, Winning Later https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Now-Later-Companies-Investing/dp/1599510219Dan Burnham CEO of Raytheon https://www.raytheon.com/sites/default/files/rtnwcm/groups/public/documents/profile/bio_daniel-burnham.pdfLarry Bossidy - Execution https://www.amazon.com/Execution-Discipline-Getting-Things-Done/dp/0609610570AI Superpowers - https://www.amazon.com/AI-Superpowers-China-Silicon-Valley/dp/132854639XFavorite GadgetAudible Subscription - "converts time to being more useful”https://www.audible.com/----------------Apply to be on the show-------------------Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1

E8: Seth Goldman is Co-founder of Honest Tea and Chair of the board of Beyond Meat.He is also Founder of Eat the Change®, a platform to inform and empower consumers to make dietary choices aligned with their concerns around climate and health. The first business launched under the Eat the Change® umbrella is PLNT Burger, a plant-based quick serve restaurant that offers delicious burgers, sandwiches, fries and soft-serve. He has been widely recognized for his entrepreneurial success and impact, including Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year in Greater Washington, the Washington DC Business Hall of Fame, Beverage Industry magazine’s Executive of the Year, Beverage World’s #1 Disruptor, and Partnership for Healthier America’s CEO of the Year. He is a graduate of Harvard College and the Yale School of Management and is a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute. Seth and Barry Nalebuff are the authors, along with graphic artist Soongyun Choi, of The New York Times bestselling comic book, Mission in a Bottle.Seth’s LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/seth-goldman-234bb7124Seth on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HonestSethEat the Change website: https://eatthechange.com/Honest Tea https://www.honesttea.com/Beyond Meat https://www.beyondmeat.com/Seth’s Book: Mission in a Bottle https://www.amazon.com/Mission-Bottle-Business-Differently-Succeeding/dp/0770437494WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE:●     The first question you should ask when you find yourself at a career crossroads.●     Why Seth believes the commercial sector is a terrific place to make a big social impact.●     How learning to maximize your optionality is key for success.●     Seth’s personal strategy for overcoming jet lag.●     Why he decided to write his business book as a graphic novel.●     Two rules for dealing with stress.●     The story behind why he became a vegetarian and then vegan, and the health benefits he’s noticed.●     Your most valuable personal resource…it’s not time.●     How to instill the entrepreneurial mindset in every employee.●     The productive way to bring a problem to your boss.●     What it’s like to be part of one of most successful IPOs in history. QUOTES:“Think about how you optimize your optionality.”“If you can meet your dietary, nutritional needs without killing animals, why wouldn't you try to do that.”“Your most valuable resource is your energy.”ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:Seth's Interview with Guy Raz on How I Built This https://www.npr.org/2018/06/08/618252345/honest-tea-seth-goldman----------------Apply to be on the show: https://www.benfanning.com/the-ceo-sessions/Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1

E7: CFO, Paige Oldham, breaks down how to use mindfulness as a strategic tool in the C-Suite.She is CFO at Health Solutions, a regional non-profit that provides primary care and behavioral health services in Southern Colorado.She is also an expert in mindfulness.In seven years of working for this non-profit, she grew revenues 133% from $18 million to $42 million and headcount 60% and expanded operations from one to eight different companies, growing organically.She has over 30 years of experience as a strategic, operational leader working effectively with C-level teams and investors to elevate companies to the next stages of growth.Paige also works with companies, entrepreneurs and individuals to find and create their personalized versions of success and happiness using mindfulness techniques. You can read more of her ideas for increasing your own happiness and success at Simple Mindfulness.She has also written two books, called The Joy of Now Journal: Mindfulness in Five Minutes a Day and The Mindful Guide to the Law of Attraction that teach how to implement a little mindfulness in your day.Paige’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paigeoldham/ Paige’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/SimpleMindfulnsPaige’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simplemindfulness Paige’s Clarify.fm: https://clarity.fm/paigeoldham Simple Mindfulness website: https://www.simplemindfulness.com/The Joy of Now Journal: Mindfulness in Five Minutes a Day and The Mindful Guide to the Law of Attraction book: https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Now-Journal-Mindfulness-Minutes/dp/1250163447YOU WILL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE:●How you become a CFO who is also a well-known expert in mindfulness.●Paige’s incredible story of climbing the corporate ladder in a major accounting firm to working on a Dude Ranch to CFO.●How Junior Achievement and hanging out with artists and musicians early on helped craft her early career direction.●How to use your intuition to guide your career in the most pivotal moments●Why a sabbatical can be helpful in your career.●The unique advantage discussing your sabbatical can give you a job interview.●The first step you should take in considering a sabbatical.●How and why to start a blog on the side of your current job.●The Story of Leo Babauta (The founder of Zen Habits) thrashing her website…and how this moment helped her massively improve.●How to define mindfulness and benefit at the office.●When Paige used mindfulness to tame the office bully.●A quick mindfulness meditation you can use before a staff meeting.QUOTES:“Be right here, right Now, without judgement.”“The ‘why’ behind it has to be strong enough to make the decision to actually go out and do it.”RESOURCES:Apps for Mindfulness:Calm https://www.calm.com/Headspace https://www.headspace.comSimple Habit https://www.simplehabit.com/Mentors:John Kabot Zinn - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Kabat-ZinnThich Nhat Hanh - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th%C3%ADch_Nh%E1%BA%A5t_H%E1%BA%A1nhBooks:The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz https://www.amazon.com/Four-Agreements-Practical-Personal-Freedom/dp/1878424319-------------------Apply to be on the show-------------------Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1

E6 Chief Operating Officer of Canada Post, Charles Brewer, leads all operational aspects of Canada Post’s business, including plants, delivery, engineering, network and real estate.He is responsible for ensuring Canada Post maintains a highly efficient network and a safe operation that provides reliable, market-leading service to our customers and Canadians. He is tasked with taking Canada Post’s Operations forward and delivering on strategic goals through employee engagement and collaboration with our partners.Charles is a global executive with more than 35 years of experience in the areas of post, parcel, international shipping and e-commerce, primarily with DHL. He has held senior leadership roles in Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and the United States.Charles holds an Advanced Logistics diploma from Cranfield University School of Management and completed the Advanced Senior Executive Management Program at Henley Business School, both in the United Kingdom.Charles' LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brewercharlesTHINGS YOU WILL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:•      Why the first few seconds you have with anyone are the most critical.•      How Charles became the "Chief Energy Officer"...as inspired by Tony Schwartz.•      How to use your Amazon Alexa to help motivate your team on Monday mornings.•      What you can do to motivate yourself.•      How leaders can establish the “drum beat” for the organization.•      How Canada Post addresses the enormous size and scope of Canada Post. (60,000 employees)•      Why being 9 years a head of plan can be a big challenge.•      How Charles ended up in logistics completely by accident.•      The big career benefits of working “horizontally” first before moving “vertically”.•      A strategy to help you move up quickly.•      The important difference between the career ladder vs the career rock wall.•      How to stand out in your career.•      The one strategy that significantly increases the probably of landing a higher level role.•      How to use LinkedIn to brand yourself and accelerate your career.•      The 3 big reasons every leader should become active on LinkedIn.•      Charles’ LinkedIn “aha" moment in Alaska.•      The sad indictment of leadership when employees don’t speak up.•      What key leadership communication he sends out to the entire organization every Friday.•      How opening up communication led to a front-line employee helped solve the company dog-bite problem.•      The one trait Charles would instill in every employee. It's not what you expect.•      Why you should amplify your strengths instead of focusing on developing what you’re not so good at. •      How to handle employees who are in the burnout zone.•      Two failures Charles had early on that led to success later in his career.•      How to use mindfulness as a C-Suite Leader.•      The success advice he’s followed ever since his first job interview…it involved a Frankie Goes to Hollywood T-shirt and a George Michael earring.QUOTES:"Every interaction is a chance to create “shining eyes.”"Identify the 6 people who would have the greatest influence on getting the position you’d like."“Find ways to stand out!""Sometimes we underestimate how the smallest moments can make the biggest impact."RESOURCE:Tony Schwartz Harvard Business Review - The CEO is the Chief Energy Officer https://hbr.org/2010/06/the-ceo-is-the-chief-energy-of-2-------------------Apply to be on the show: https://www.benfanning.com/the-ceo-sessions/Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1

E5 Beyond Meat, Chief Growth Officer, Chuck Muth on the secret ingredient for building positive relationships.Beyond Meat is a rapidly growing, disruptive company that makes plant-based meats substitutes.Under his leadership, the company grew net revenues rapidly by expanding distribution into approximately 111,000 retail, restaurant and food service outlets in more than 83 countries worldwide.He leads the company’s growth initiatives and has been instrumental in building a high performing sales and commercial organization.Beyond Meat Inc. launched one of the most successful IPO's in history, increasing value 164% in one day. Note that most stocks don't do that in 5 years. Prior to joining Beyond Meat, Muth had a long career in the beverage industry.Including:...the creation of a new entrepreneurial sales/commercial organization within the Coca-Cola Company called Venturing & Emerging Brands (VEB) as Senior Vice-President with revenue increases of over 200%. ….Vice President of Sales at the Honest Beverage Company after its acquisition by Coke growing revenues from $35 million to over $230 million. ... Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at The Philadelphia Coca-Cola Bottling Company.Prior to 2004 Muth served as the Vice President/General Manager of Joseph E. Seagram’s global non-alcoholic beverages business unit.Muth began his career as a Route Salesman for The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of New York where he progressively advanced his career with promotions to District Sales Manager, Division Sales Manager, Director of Brand Management and Branch General Manager.Throughout his career he contributed to these big companies by growing their revenue and establishing their name in the world.Muth is a graduate of Montclair State University with a BS degree in Marketing and Management and an MBA in Finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University.Chuck's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-muth-3245929/Beyond Meat website: https://www.beyondmeat.com/WHAT YOU'll DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE:●Chuck’s journey truck driver to the C-Suite.●What you learn going to a high school with kids from 80 countries.●Early in his career, he went to jobs where he questioned if he could handle it. Then he learned to grow quickly in it.●The true power of no nonsense, direct communication.●Two strategies you can use to boost employee retention.●The incredible story of how Chuck came out of early retirement to join the C-Suite at Beyond Meat. It involves Seth Goldman (founder of Honest Tea/Executive Chairman of Beyond Burger) , Ethan Brown (Founder of Beyond Burger), The New York Jets, and grilling a Beyond Burger.●The phrase that enticed him to come to Beyond Meat... "I want you to come with me and let’s change how the world sees food".●How Raymond Lane, Executive Chairman of Hewlett Packard, challenged Chuck during his interview, and Chuck was able to address the elephant in the room.●How the President of Coke Bottling predicted Chuck would not stay in retirement very long.●The difference between “retiring” and "emotionally retiring”.●What to think about when you’re making important decisions.●The secret to creating positive relationships throughout your career.●Two key lessons he learned from bad managers.●What the best employees do.●The easy way to check on your competition every day.QUOTES:“I’ve always focused on the job I was doing and worked incredibly hard to excel at it. That led to promotions.""Do the right thing. Follow your true North.""My bullets always come from the front. If I am having an issue with someone, I’m honest about it."“Make the right decision for the right reasons.”"Sometimes it’s short pain for long term gain."RESOURCES:Execution, Larry Bossidy https://www.amazon.com/Execution-Discipline-Getting-Things-Done/dp/0609610570 From Good to Great, Jim Collins https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996Built to Last, Jim Collins https://www.amazon.com/Built-Last-Successful-Visionary-Essentials/dp/0060516402The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People https://www.amazon.com/Habits-Highly-Effective-People-Powerful/dp/0743269519-------------------Apply to be on the show: https://www.benfanning.com/the-ceo-sessions/Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1https://www.facebook.com/benfanning

E4 Former Honeywell chairman and CEO, David Cote is a legendary business executive and now executive chairman of Vertiv Holdings.During his time at Honeywell, shares rose 282%, more than double the S&P 500's growth in that period. And its market capitalization soared from $20 billion to nearly $100 billion. The organization had over 130,000 employees, of which, I was one.He is also the author of the book Winning Now, Winning Later. In the book he writes about how you can hit your short-term goals without sacrificing long-term growth as a leader. He shares a simple, paradigm-shifting method of achieving both short-and long-term goals.Cote was also elected to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, served as a founding member of the steering committee of the Campaign to Fix the Debt.Cote was named Vice Chair of the Business Roundtable (BRT) in 2011 and chaired its Energy and Environment Committee.In 2010, Cote was named by President Barack Obama to serve on the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (Simpson-Bowles Commission).He holds many awards including being named CEO of the Year from Chief Executive Magazine as well as a World’s Best CEO by Barron’s for five consecutive years.Cote earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of New Hampshire.RESOURCES:Dave's Linkedin ProfileWHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE:The surprise when I visited Dave’s office the first time.What sports memorabilia and important reminders Dave keeps in his office.The unexpected moment that Jack Welch accelerated Dave’s career.The two things required for advancement in your career.When’s the right time to “stick to your guns”.Dave’s philosophy on meetings and how to make sure you get the most from them.How to flip meeting protocol to make sure you get everyone’s input.Dave’s story of his first meeting President Barack Obama, and how he ended up introducing the President at a White House press conference despite being a Registered Republican.What to do when you have a lot of ambition but no career direction.The question to ask yourself when you’re at a crossroads.What is short termism, and why it’s important that every leader understands it.How learning to balance short and long term results drove Honeywell’s financial results.How to develop the skill of direct communication and why it’s essential.Key Quotes:“Advancement requires both performance and visibility.”“Make sure you're performing in whatever you’re doing and go beyond.”“Stand for something.”“As a leader It’s your job to be right at the end of the meeting, instead of the beginning of the meeting.”“If you have something to say, say it in the meeting or keep it to yourself.”“Try to picture yourself at 60. What do you want to say about yourself?”---------------------Apply to be on the show: https://www.benfanning.com/the-ceo-sessions/Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1https://www.facebook.com/benfanning

E2 Dr. Paul Fanning on Life Long Learning, Growing Where You're Planted, and Frog GiggingMy Dad, Dr. Paul Fanning, has been in education for 46 years from 1969 to 2015. He was school superintendent for 27 of those years. The school superintendent is essentially the CEO of the school system. Over these years he saw to the education of over 125,000 students in Alabama, Georgia, and Kentucky.He led schools systems successfully through big changes such as desegregation, proration, and Title IX, Education for the Handicapped, Migrant and Homeless education, recession, student nutrition, sex education, and technology.Additionally, he led a school system out from under state management. During this same time, the school system had schools in the bottom 25% of the state and under his leadership they rose to be recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools.EDUCATION:Ed.D., Doctorate The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Educational Administration.M.S., Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama, Secondary Education and History.B.S., Athens College, Athens, Alabama, Secondary Education/Social Studies and English.AWARDS:Outstanding Superintendent Award, University of MontevalloAlabama District IV Nominee, Alabama Superintendent of the YearService Recognition by Alabama State SenateWHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE:The importance of learning to grow where you are.What to do if you don’t have a supportive cast to help you get to the C-Suite.How to get noticed by senior leaders and get “drafted” to move up.How to approach someone who has a lot of potential but doesn’t see it in themselves.Why waking up at 5 am every time can fuel your success to the C-Suite.The surprising cost of waking up at 5 am...it's not just sleep.The essential exercise of establishing a daily and weekly routine for yourself and your team.The time when John Maxwell landed his plane on top of strip mine to speak to his team.The art of "frog gigging" and how it applies to life long learning.Key Points:The one trait he’d instill in every employee...lifelong learning.If you have big idea for the C-Suite make sure understand the policy and process, provide options, and show you’ve thought through the pro’s and con’s.Quotes:"Leadership is not always a loud activity but sometimes is has to be.”"Get in there, do the work, let your actions do the talking.”“I do the very best I can, I mean to keep going. If the end brings me out all right, then what is said against me won't matter. If I'm wrong, ten angels swearing I was right won't make a difference.” "If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me won't amount to anything.” ― Abraham LincolnSources of Inspiration: Judge Frank Johnson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Minis_JohnsonColin Powell https://www.amazon.com/Colin-Powell-Books/s?k=Colin+Powell&rh=n%3A283155John Maxwell https://www.amazon.com/John-C.-Maxwell/e/B001H6NROC%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share------------Apply to be on the show: https://www.benfanning.com/the-ceo-sessions/Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1https://www.facebook.com/benfanning

E3 Former Dollar General Chief People Officer, Bob Ravener, on How to Find Great Mentors and Effectively Communicate Your Ideas to the CEOBob Ravener is a highly accomplished and widely recognized business leader, author and speaker.He has served in executive roles with several organizations including the Fortune 200 companies of PepsiCo, The Home Depot, Starbucks, and most recently Dollar General, where he retired after serving as the Chief People Officer from 2008 to 2019.During his time there, the company essentially doubled in size to $26 billion in revenue with more than 140,000 employees.Prior to entering the private sector, Bob served in the U.S. Navy as a submarine officer. He finished his active duty service at the United States Naval Academy where he served in the athletic department as the academic liaison officer and as an instructor, coach, and recruiter. He also spent time in the Naval Reserves following active duty.He graduated from the United States Naval Academy, where he earned distinction as a leader, intercollegiate varsity baseball player and is past president of his class. He also earned an MBA from New York University.He currently serves with several organizations including, Goodwill Industries International Board, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Human Capital Advisory Council, Franklin Civil War Historical Commission, Friends of Franklin Parks Board, Downtown Neighborhood Association Board, and the Tennessee Congressional Service Academy Selection Boards.Previously, Bob served as chairman of the Tennessee Workforce Development Board, chairman of the Human Resources Leaders Council for Retail Industry Leaders Association, the President’s National Hire Veterans Committee, and the Secretary of Labor’s Advisory Committee for Veterans Employment, Training, and Employer Outreach.RESOURCES:Bob Ravener's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobravener/Bob’s book is called UP!, The Difference between Today and Tomorrow is YouBook Link: http://amzn.com/1938499700WHAT YOU WILL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:How to write your book even when you’re in the busy C-Suite life.Where his motivation came from to write his book even in the midst of busy C-Suite life.The most important advice for any employee who wants to “be in the room where it happens”.Bob’s tough childhood and what helped him get moving in the right direction and persevere.The critical attribute that Home Depot CEO, Bob Nardelli, and Dollar General CEO, Richard Dreiling had as mentors.What Bob learned about handling failure from his interactions with Starbucks CEO, Howard Shultz.The simple playbook for finding a great mentor.The must-have conversation when you’ve made a big mistake.The common trait that he’d instill in every employee (this will surprise you).Three key communication strategies to presenting your idea to the C-Suite.What to do first when an employee says they’re quitting.The key resource used by many leaders on the Board and C-Suite.How he “read” 25 books in a year with little effort.Key Quotes:“Don’t get caught up in the drama.”“One you’ve made your case, you still need to be able to get behind the decision and move forward with the team.”“Focus on what you can control.”“The best way to get a mentor is to go ask them.”“Focus on being interested instead of being interesting."Tools:Overdrive https://www.overdrive.com/Audible https://www.audible.com/Books Mentioned:Developing the Leader Within You, John Maxwellhttps://www.amazon.com/Developing-Leader-Within-You-2-0/dp/0718074084Recommended Biography Authors:Doris Kearns Goodwinhttps://www.amazon.com/s?k=doris+kearns+goodwin+biographiesDavid McCulloughhttps://www.amazon.com/s?k=david+mccullough+books-------------------Apply to be on the show: https://www.benfanning.com/the-ceo-sessions/Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1https://www.facebook.com/benfanning

E1 How this Show Helps You Get To or Stay In the C-Suite.In Ben's inaugural episode, you'll discover:-Where the idea of The CEO Sessions came from.-What this show is about and what to expect.-Why it boosts your effectiveness as a leader.-How its saves you time and frustration.-The primary sources of inspiration for the show.Special shout outs to:https://tim.blog/podcast/https://chrisbrogan.com/business-podcast/https://productivityist.com/category/podcast/https://pamelaslim.com/Apply to be on the show: https://www.benfanning.com/the-ceo-sessions/Connect with Ben:https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/https://www.instagram.com/benfanning1/https://twitter.com/BenFanning1https://www.facebook.com/benfanning