The Action Catalyst

Overtime with Outland is Action Catalyst host Adam Outland's reflections and commentary on discussions with each of his esteemed and accomplished guests. In this segment, Adam dissects Episode 495, with Dr. Tom Frieden, former CDC Director, NYC Health Commissioner, and current President and CEO of the global health organization Resolve to Save Lives.

Dr. Tom Frieden, former CDC Director, NYC Health Commissioner, and current President and CEO of the global health organization Resolve to Save Lives, shares the influence of his father, the single question that changed his life, the 3 step formula for impactful healthcare, how to assess levels of certainty, the 6 keys to a longer, healthier life, the low-tech device he uses every day, and the mindset that keeps him moving forward.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more at SouthwesternConsulting.com/Coaching/StudentsSouthwestern Student Coaching

Mickie Kennedy, PR expert and the founder of eReleases, a leading press release distribution service, dives into how to create the perfect press release for maximum attention for your business.Hear Mickie's full interview in his special bonus episode of The Action Catalyst.

Speaker, coach, and CEO / Co-Founder of Disruption Advisors, Whitney Johnson, talks about disruptive innovation and the levers of disruption, making it scarier NOT to change, providing “proof points”, the “learn, leap, repeat” method, disrupting a MARRIAGE, when feeling scared and lonely is a positive sign, and silly little things that take over the world.

Speaker, author, and President & CEO of OCLC, Skip Prichard, shares the insightful way that people can often be like nickels....but you shouldn't want to be.Hear Skip's full interview in Episode 230 of The Action Catalyst.

Mickie Kennedy, PR expert and the founder of eReleases, a leading press release distribution service, dives into why press releases aren’t just for the big boys, how to create the best one for maximum attention, and what to do in a damage-control setting, plus shares his “3% rule”, and explains how even local press can net BIG wins for your business.Mentioned in this episode:The Puppet Masters Playbook is available now at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXB4VKBHPuppet Masters Playbook / Jonathan Graves

Today on the podcast, we’re excited to feature a conversation from Think Big, Buy Small, produced by our friends at Harvard Business School. Hosted by HBS professors (and former Action Catalyst guests) Rick Ruback and Royce Yudkoff, Think Big, Buy Small explores the world of entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA), highlighting how ambitious leaders build lasting wealth and careers by acquiring and growing small businesses. Each episode features candid conversations with CEOs, investors, and entrepreneurs who have taken the leap into small business ownership.On this special episode, you’ll hear their discussion with Paige Sopcic, who left behind a promising engineering career to pursue entrepreneurship. Paige shares her journey from Harvard Business School to acquiring CanSource, a fast-growing beverage can supplier, just months before the pandemic hit. She reflects on leading the company through the chaos of COVID-19, scaling operations to meet unprecedented demand, and ultimately selling the business to TricorBraun in 2023.Listen to more episodes of Think Big, Buy Small and follow the podcast: https://link.mgln.ai/7Fgb85

Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, co-founders of Beekman 1802 skincare, partners in both business as well as life, explain the "51% rule" for decision making, both professionally, and personally.Hear Brent and Josh's full interview in Episode 494 of The Action Catalyst.

Speaker, author, and President & CEO of OCLC, Skip Prichard, shares his unusual childhood background, the research on near death experiences, why to fail faster, how people are often like nickels, and the philosophy of working harder on yourself than you do on your job.

CEO and Founder of Dream University, Marcia Wieder, explains the value of realism, self-confidence, and risk taking in dreaming, how to break down big dreams into small projects, and why you should want to be PIE (but not the baked good).Hear Marcia's full interview in Episode 134 of The Action Catalyst.

Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, a.k.a. the “Fabulous Beekman Boys”, co-founders of Beekman 1802 skincare, recount settling in with Farmer John and his goats and packing 52,000 bars of soap, and chat about making neighbors, not customers, making hay while the sun shines, NOT Shark Tank-ing every business, making kindness part of the business model, working with your partner, reframing work-life balance, and finding contentment without sacrificing ambition.

Rouzbeh Yassini-Fard, the tech entrepreneur known as the “father of the cable modem", explains what things like broadband and cable modems REALLY are, and how their invention quickly impacted producers, consumers, and the broader economy.Hear Rouzbeh's full interview in his special bonus episode of The Action Catalyst.

CEO and Founder of Dream University, Marcia Wieder, explains the difference between dreams, fantasies, and goals, the value of realism in dreaming, how intention and integrity work together, breaking down big dreams into small projects, separating dreams from doubts, the 3 little words that breed self-sabotage, and why you should want to be PIE (passionate, interested, excited, not the baked good).

Hattingh Basson and Werner Barnard, Senior Partners at Southwestern Talent, explain why offshoring isn't really what it used to be anymore, it's present-day benefits, and how the South African people are creating a world-class talent pool.Hear Hattingh and Werner's full interview in Episode 493 of The Action Catalyst.

Rouzbeh Yassini-Fard, the tech entrepreneur known as the “father of the cable modem", explains the two experiences he brought together to create the revolutionary device, what things like broadband and cable modems REALLY are, why he gave it all away free of royalties, and the role of homemade Persian food in making it all possible.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more about Rouzbeh Yassini-Fard and his legacy from "The Accidental Network", a business history book recounting the invention of the cable modem and the global broadband evolution it inspired.Rouzbeh Yassini-Fard / The Accidental NetworkLearn more about Rouzbeh Yassini-Fard and his legacy from "The Accidental Network", a business history book recounting the invention of the cable modem and the global broadband evolution it inspired.Rouzbeh Yassini-Fard / The Accidental Network

Author, executive coach, and culture consultant Chester Elton breaks down the idea of "the noble cause" in business, and how Texas Roadhouse restaurants are a shining and enduring example of the idea in action.Hear Chester's full interview in Episode 35 of The Action Catalyst.

Overtime with Outland is Action Catalyst host Adam Outland's reflections and commentary on discussions with each of his esteemed and accomplished guests. In this segment, Adam dissects Episode 493, with Hattingh Basson and Werner Barnard, Senior Partners at Southwestern Talent.

Hattingh Basson and Werner Barnard, Senior Partners at Southwestern Talent, explain the unique career history that spawned the business, the professional services gap that they are filling and why it exists, why offshoring isn't really offshoring anymore, how the South African people create a world-class talent pool, overcoming start-up pain points, and why sometimes the low-tech solution is the winning one.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more at SouthwesternTalent.comSouthwestern TalentLearn more at SouthwesternConsulting.com/Coaching/StudentsSouthwestern Student Coaching

Mike Johnson, the 56th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, as well as an alum of The Action Catalyst's parent company, Southwestern, explains why his participation in the Southwestern Advantage program was "the best thing he ever did".Hear Speaker Johnson's full interview in his special bonus episode of The Action Catalyst.

Author, executive coach, and culture consultant Chester Elton walks us through how to create an all-in culture in our business, including managing culture during crisis, and why the customer experience will never exceed the employee experience.

Speaker, author, and coach Bruce Van Horn explains the best ways to be "other-focused" on social media, and provide more value to, and thereby get more loyalty from, your audience.Hear Bruce's full interview in Episode 11 of The Action Catalyst.

Mike Johnson, the 56th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, as well as an alum of The Action Catalyst's parent company, Southwestern, breaks down his unique path to the speakership and the big role Southwestern played in getting him there, recounts danger in Tucson and getting a little help from Brett Favre, delivers an absolutely killer Trent Lott impression, outlines the importance of speaking with clarity, conviction, and consistency, and explains why "duty is ours, but result belong to God". Mentioned in this episode:This episode is brought to you by Southwestern Advantage.Southwestern Advantage

Dr. Angela Jackson, the founder/CEO of Future Forward Strategies and a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, explains the REAL cost of turnover in organizations, and the numbers may surprise you.Hear Dr. Jackson's full interview in her special bonus episode of The Action Catalyst.

Speaker, author, and coach Bruce Van Horn shares Twitter/X tips for movers and shakers, including the critical importance of authenticity, putting connection over saturation, and the most common-sense advice that you probably overlook all of the time.

Culture strategist and leadership coach Jenni Catron shares why it’s important to lead with the heart as well as strategy, and how developing the awareness to do both can be a challenge.Hear Jenni's full interview in Episode 128 of The Action Catalyst.

Dr. Angela Jackson, the founder/CEO of Future Forward Strategies and a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, reveals the lessons learned from studying Fortune 500 companies, the REAL cost of turnover, why top-down decision making is dead, and the two main takeaways for small business owners.

Greg DeVore, CEO and co-founder of ScreenSteps, lays out his “Find & Follow” philosophy to reduce supervisor burnout and improve employee performance, including concepts like actual vs. foundational knowledge, the value it can provide in the event of a sale, and the knowledge operations maturity model.Hear Greg's full interview in Episode 492 of The Action Catalyst.

Culture strategist and leadership coach Jenni Catron shares “The Grand Commandment” and how it pertains to leadership, why it’s important to lead with the heart as well as strategy, the value of creating a safe space for honest feedback, the delicate balance of being bold but respectful, the role of faith, and why leadership is sacred work.

Author, entrepreneur, and “overwhelmologist” Ari Meisel reveals how to optimize, automate, and outsource, the shockingly straightforward system for keeping work, and anxiety, from piling up.Hear Ari's full interview in Episode 122 of The Action Catalyst.

Overtime with Outland is Action Catalyst host Adam Outland's reflections and commentary on discussions with each of his esteemed and accomplished guests. In this segment, Adam dissects Episode 492, with Greg DeVore, CEO and co-founder of ScreenSteps.

Greg DeVore, CEO and co-founder of ScreenSteps, lays out his “Find & Follow” philosophy to reduce supervisor burnout and improve employee performance, breaking down concepts like actual vs. foundational knowledge and knowledge spenders vs. knowledge investors, the knowledge operations maturity model, the dead simple exercise that’ll change how your team gets work done, how just good people with the right tools can be world-class people, and why he’s a bit of a rockstar on Animal Planet.

Founder & CEO of ZavoMedia PR Group, Liana Zavo, reveals THE biggest PR mistake people make, and what they SHOULD be doing instead when a crisis hits.Hear Liana's full interview in Episode 491 of The Action Catalyst.

Author, entrepreneur, and “overwhelmologist” Ari Meisel reveals how to optimize, automate, and outsource, gives a masterclass in Virtual Assistants 101, explains what delegation REALLY means, and breaks down the "3D" inbox zero plan.

Culture strategist and leadership coach Jenni Catron takes a hard look at comparison vs. jealousy, what the differences are, and how fear lies at the bottom of both.Hear Jenni's full interview in Episode 26 of The Action Catalyst.

Founder & CEO of ZavoMedia PR Group, Liana Zavo, recounts how a college dropout and single mom made the jump from Russia to the US and from the style world to PR, gives a bit of advice for Blake Lively, reveals THE biggest PR mistake people make, how to come down from the ledge of panic in the moment, why authenticity and accountability equals authority, the difference between brand vs. reputation, and what it means to “B.E.P.I.C.”

Best-selling author, professor, and leadership expert Ryan Gottfredson distinguishes the doing side vs. the being side of ourselves, what each of those means, and how they contribute to who we are.And be sure to check out Ryan's original appearance in Episode 317 of The Action Catalyst.

Culture strategist and leadership coach Jenni Catron takes a hard look at “clout killers”, and talks about exchanging fear for truth, comparison vs jealousy, combating a scarcity mentality, the duality of insecurity and pride, and how control means putting power over influence.

Klaus Kleinfeld, the former CEO of Siemens and Alcoa and the only leader to have successfully served as CEO of two Fortune 500 companies on different continents, explains why we should be talking about energy instead of productivity, and what it means to staying in your desired "performance zone".Hear the full interview with Klaus in Episode 490 of The Action Catalyst.

Best-selling author, professor, and leadership expert Ryan Gottfredson explains how mindsets aren't just attitudes, distinguishes the doing side vs. the being side of ourselves, and talks about gauging your "window of tolerance", the 3 levels of adult development, reaction vs. response, and healing to grow.And be sure to check out Ryan's original appearance in Episode 317 of The Action Catalyst.

Author, podcast/radio host, and Certified Financial Coach Rachel Cruze explains why comparison isn't just the thief of joy...it's the thief of your paycheck as well.Hear Rachel's full interview in Episode 161 of The Action Catalyst.

Overtime with Outland is Action Catalyst host Adam Outland's reflections and commentary on discussions with each of his esteemed and accomplished guests. In this segment, Adam dissects Episode 490, with Klaus Kleinfeld, the former CEO of Siemens and Alcoa and the only leader to have successfully served as CEO of two Fortune 500 companies on different continents.

Klaus Kleinfeld, the former CEO of Siemens and Alcoa and the only leader to have successfully served as CEO of two Fortune 500 companies on different continents, recalls going to work at age 12, and covers the perils of sign language in the business world, getting close to the source of an issue, why we should be talking about energy instead of productivity, the "rule of feedback", the 5 critical components of a high performance team, why purpose is a laser, and being a "hypothesis generating machine".Mentioned in this episode:Learn more at SouthwesternConsulting.com/Coaching/StudentsSouthwestern Student Coaching

Author, podcast/radio host, and Certified Financial Coach Rachel Cruze breaks down the easiest methods for paying for college WITHOUT debt.Full interview with Rachel in Episode 39 of The Action Catalyst.

Author, podcast/radio host, and Certified Financial Coach Rachel Cruze shares the role gratitude plays in financial stability, why it’s never too early, or too late, to get your finances in shape, and says…..uh oh…. the "C" word (not that one).Mentioned in this episode:Purchase the Monthly Bill Payment Checklist here. And please consider leaving a great book review if you found the book useful.Stephen Ural / Monthly Bill Payment Checklist

Daniel Goddard, CEO of the AI networking app, Dysko and an actor with over 30 years of experience, examines the parallels between entertainment and entrepreneurship and the same qualities that make you successful in both.Hear Daniel's full interview in Episode 489 of The Action Catalyst.

Author, podcast/radio host, and Certified Financial Coach Rachel Cruze talks about putting 4-year-olds to work, teaching your kids about giving, paying for college without debt, and what contentment REALLY means.Mentioned in this episode:Purchase the Monthly Bill Payment Checklist here. And please consider leaving a great book review if you found the book useful.Stephen Ural / Monthly Bill Payment Checklist

Richard Ruback and Royce Yudkoff, Harvard Business School professors and co-hosts of the Think Big, Buy Small podcast, share a truly delicious example of how entrepreneurship by acquisition can be a satisfying and lucrative path forward for those with the right mindset.Hear Richard and Royce's full interview in Episode 488 of The Action Catalyst.

Daniel Goddard, CEO of the AI networking app, Dysko and an actor with over 30 years of experience examines the parallels between entertainment and entrepreneurship, recounts the crazy reaction when daytime TV messed with his fan base, pinpoints the business that oversees ALL business, recalls disappointing a date in bed (for a really noble reason), and shares his first-of-its-kind product and the lesson he learned from it, and how his new app is coming to the rescue at universities and conventions across the country.

Author, professor, and organizational psychologist David Burkus reveals the TRUTH behind Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, and the way the social media is being misused in networking.Hear David's full interview in Episode 240 of The Action Catalyst.

Author, professor, and organizational psychologist David Burkus explains why great leaders don’t innovate the product, they innovate the factory, and how not to end up as a Blockbuster.Hear David's full interview in Episode 180 of The Action Catalyst.