Strategy And Leadership Podcast

Tara Rethore is the CEO of Strategy for Real, and a strategic advisor who works with CEOs, executives, and nonprofits to help them take their strategy off the page and put it into action. Previously, Tara came up in the corporate world, gaining experience from all over the world in the natural gas sector. On this episode of the Strategy & Leadership Podcast, Tara joins us to discuss making strategy real and actionable, how to create change in an organization, where strategy goes wrong, and much more. Here's a breakdown of our conversation: - What she's seeing in the strategy execution ecosystem - Making strategy real and actionable - How to create change within an organization - Where she's seen strategy go really poorly Get our FREE Strategic Planning Workbook template here: www.smestrategy.net/strategic-plann…mplate-workbook Enroll in our strategic planning course to learn our process for creating a strategic plan successfully (without hiring anyone): www.smestrategy.net/strategic-plann…ng-steps-co

Paul Katzoff is the CEO of WhiteCanyon Software, the premier provider of data erasure software for SSD, Hard Drive, & Mobile Device platforms to global organizations of all sizes. Paul originally started at the company in a Tech Support role, before coming the Manager of Tech Support and eventually switching to Sales. After a two-year hiatus from the company, Paul rejoined as the CEO. On this episode of the Strategy & Leadership Podcast, Paul joins us to discuss how his perspective changed at different levels of the company, his process for sharing expertise and personal development, and much more. Here's a breakdown of our conversation: - How his perspective changed from the bottom, to the top, & in-between - How his changing roles & relationships with customers impacted the strategy - His process for sharing expertise with the team - How he continues to develop his own capabilities as CEO Get our FREE Strategic Planning Workbook template here: www.smestrategy.net/strategic-plann…mplate-w

Jeff Kavanaugh is the global head of the Infosys Knowledge Institute, the research and thought leadership arm of Infosys, one of the world’s leading consulting and technology services firms. Jeff also serves on several boards, and is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas at Dallas. On this episode of the Strategy & Leadership Podcast, Jeff joins us to discuss the importance of critical thinking, becoming a lifelong learner, best practices for communicating information, and how to create an organization that is continuously learning and evolving. Here's a breakdown of our conversation: - Importance of critical thinking - Best practices for leaders trying to communicate information - On becoming a life long learner - A successful case study - Infosys - Tracking, documentation & automation Get our FREE Strategic Planning Workbook template here: www.smestrategy.net/strategic-plann…mplate-workbook Enroll in our strategic planning course to learn our process for creating a strategic plan succ

On this episode of the Strategy & Leadership Podcast, we were live with Robin Hills from the United Kingdom. Robin is the Director of Ei4Change, a company that delivers educational training based on emotional intelligence. Today, Robin has taught emotional intelligence skills to over 100,000 people from 175+ countries via online training. We're super excited to have Robin on the show to discuss the importance of emotional intelligence and how we use it in everyday life, how to empathize, how to harness the power or emotional intelligence as a leader, and more. Here's a break down of our conversation: - Using emotional intelligence in everyday life - How to empathize - How leaders can use emotional intelligence to persuade - Trends in the workplace - & more Get our FREE Strategic Planning Workbook template here: www.smestrategy.net/strategic-plann…mplate-workbook Enroll in our strategic planning course to learn our process for creating a strategic plan successfully (without hiring anyone): www.sme

David Yetman is an award-winning business development specialist who works directly with organizations to help them grow and become resilient. David has his own consultancy called Yetman Consulting where he helps businesses create resilience and margin to ensure they're thriving in the long term. He is also studying business resilience at Harvard University. On this episode of the Strategy & Leadership Podcast, David joins us to discuss how to make yourself and your business more resilient moving forward, what he sees many businesses struggling with, how to fix your business model, and much more. Is your non-profit organization in need of a facilitated strategic planning session, but lacking the resources to pay the full industry price for these services? As part of our corporate giving back program for 2021, we're offering our full strategic planning services to 5 nonprofits at a heavily subsidized rate. Apply here: https://www.smestrategy.net/discounted-nonprofit-strategic-planning-facilitation Get

Binna Kim is the Co-founder & President at Vested, a NYC-based communications agency that leads campaigns for companies at the intersection of finance, technology & innovation. With a background in marketing and communications for financial services, Binna and her co-founder set out to start Vested about 5 years ago. They wanted to lead something of their own that they were truly proud of, all while setting a good example as female entrepreneurs in the FinTech space, which hasn't always been known for diversity and inclusion. Here's a breakdown of the episode: - What happening right now in the world of FinTech - Struggles of being a female entrepreneur - One big challenge for Fintech companies - What she's learned as a founder Get our FREE Strategic Planning Workbook template here: www.smestrategy.net/strategic-plann…mplate-workbook Enroll in our strategic planning course to learn our process for creating a strategic plan successfully (without hiring anyone): www.smestrategy.net/strategic-pl

Terry is an expert in board governance, policy governance, and nonprofit and association board training. With over 20 years of experience in the world of board governance, Terry is the go-to guy for board of director development in Western Canada. #BoardGovernance During our LIVE conversation from December 10th, Terry and I discussed: - The role & responsibilities of the Board of Directors - Best practices for common governance issues - How to go about creating long term change in 2021 - & much more! Get our FREE Strategic Planning Workbook template here: www.smestrategy.net/strategic-plann…mplate-workbook Enroll in our strategic planning course to learn our process for creating a strategic plan successfully (without hiring anyone): www.smestrategy.net/strategic-plann…ng-steps-course Are you looking for someone to facilitate your strategic planning process? Book a complimentary consultation to learn more about our approach: www.smestrategy.net/contact Want a software to track & monitor your

Chris Ronzio is the founder and CEO of Trainual, an onboarding, training and knowledge management platform for small and growing businesses. His company replaces the traditional training manual, and gives companies the ability to tell their story and share their policies, history, culture, and vision. Chris has also founded several other businesses, and currently sits on the board of Design Pickle. On this episode of the Strategy & Leadership Podcast, Chris joins us to discuss the benefits of documentation, having a culture of openness, how he uses repeatability to support his people, and more. Here's a breakdown of the episode: - The benefit of having your company well documented - His 'ah hah' moments as a leader - How he uses repeatability to support his people - A culture of openness Get our FREE Strategic Planning Workbook template here: www.smestrategy.net/strategic-plann…mplate-workbook Enroll in our strategic planning course to learn our process for creating a strategic plan successfully (wi

Alison Van Rooy is a Senior Advisor to the President of Strategic Planning & Institutional Initiatives at Vancouver Island University (VIU), as well as a long-time policy planner for the Government of Canada. After working with the government for several years, she learned the strategic planning process is quite similar with other public sector institutions, so she decided to help Vancouver Island University with their brand new plan. On this episode of the Strategy & Leadership Podcast, Alison joins us to discuss the creation of VIU's strategic plan, how the strategic planning process is different during a pandemic, as well as how to make it enjoyable. Here's a breakdown of the episode: - What she's learned about strategic planning - Her strategic planning approach at VIU - How VIU did external stakeholder engagement - How VIU will role out and execute their strategic plan Get our FREE Strategic Planning Workbook template here: www.smestrategy.net/strategic-plann…mplate-workbook Enroll in our s

Sarah Olivieri is a nonprofit expert and author, having held several positions as Executive Director, Program Manager and Board member for various nonprofit organizations. She's also had success in the for-profit world, having started her own marketing agency. Sarah created PivotGround in 2014 to teach other nonprofits how to run their businesses better. She created a framework that helps nonprofits become more organized, build effective teams, and make a bigger impact. We're excited to have Sarah join us on this episode of the Strategy & Leadership Podcast to talk fundraising, advice for Executive Directors, and much more. Get our FREE Strategic Planning Workbook template here: www.smestrategy.net/strategic-plann…mplate-workbook Enroll in our strategic planning course to learn our process for creating a strategic plan successfully (without hiring anyone): www.smestrategy.net/strategic-plann…ng-steps-course Are you looking for someone to facilitate your strategic planning process? Book a complimenta

Greg Edwards is the CEO of CryptoStopper, a global cybersecurity firm dedicated to protecting businesses from harmful ransomware attacks. Greg started as an entrepreneur in 1998 at the age of 24, creating a networking consulting business that he still owns to this today. He then went on to start two other companies, one of which was sold to a publicly traded firm. On this episode of the Strategy & Leadership Podcast, Greg joins us to share his deep background in technology, his learning experiences from being a CEO and President, and more. Here's a full breakdown of the episode: - Key learnings from being a CEO & President - How his team remains collaborative while working remote - His approach to hiring & vacation time - Learning from mistakes - About Cryptostopper Get our FREE Strategic Planning Workbook template here: www.smestrategy.net/strategic-plann…mplate-workbook Enroll in our strategic planning course to learn our process for creating a strategic plan successfully (without hiring

Jason Richmond is the founder of Ideal Outcomes and the author of Culture Spark: 5 Steps to Ignite and Sustain Organizational Growth. He's dedicated the last 20+ years to helping organizations of all sizes with developing both individual skills and culture, earning himself a membership with the Forbes Business Council. His book, Culture Spark, emerged from his years of experience plus his love for travel and experiencing different cultures firsthand. After interviewing executives and leaders from different industries around the world, the book is full of resources to help solve any business problem with a culture flare. On this episode, Jason joins the podcast to discuss: - The beginning of his process vs. the end - The defining moment of his professional career - Supporting individual performance management - What he sees for the future - His advice for young leaders Get our FREE Strategic Planning Workbook template here: www.smestrategy.net/strategic-plann…mplate-workbook Enroll in our strategic planni

Dr. Joe Sallustio is the Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of Claremont Lincoln University, a school offering socially conscious graduate degrees. With almost 20 years in education and being named as part of the Higher Education Team of the Year in 2019, Joe brings relevant experience from an industry undergoing major change to the show. On this episode, Joe joins us to discuss: - The strategy that helped him grow from 10 to 300 students - Higher education as a business - Getting buy-in and alignment from teachers & administrators - Looking forward to the future of education - The impact of online badges and certifications Get our FREE Strategic Planning Workbook template here: www.smestrategy.net/strategic-plann…mplate-workbook Enroll in our strategic planning course to learn our process for creating a strategic plan successfully (without hiring anyone): www.smestrategy.net/strategic-plann…ng-steps-course Are you looking for someone to facilitate your strategic planning process?

JP Clement is the CEO of boomtime, a word of mouth marketing agency that believes great marketing is all about data. JP was born in France and went to grad school on the American east coast before starting his journey in marketing. Along the way, he's gained experience in every area of marketing, having started in packed goods before moving to direct marketing, and eventually digital, where he's stayed ever since. On this episode of the Strategy & Leadership Podcast, JP brings his vast range of marketing experience with him to discuss the importance of integration, the consequences of silos, advice for marketers trying to elevate their game, and what he's excited about in the marketing world. Here's a break down of the episode: - On integrating marketing into every function of your business - The consequences of siloed business functions - Importance of the vision & mission - What he's looking forward to - Advice for marketers trying to elevate their game - & more Get our FREE Strategic Plann

David White Jr. has his PhD in cognitive anthropology and is the author of Disrupting Corporate Culture: How Cognitive Science Alters Accepted Beliefs About Culture and Culture Change and its Impact on Leaders and Change Agents. Having spent much of his career as Microsoft's Director of People & Organizational Capacity, where he was the co-founder and architect of their integrated talent management and career development system, he's now Partner and co-founder of Ontos Global. In his work, David specializes in planning and implementing large scale organizational transformations, as well as developing adaptive leaders to do the same. Here's a breakdown of our conversation: - The experience of being dropped into something new - His approach to transformation - Misconceptions about culture - Advice for leaders trying to transform an organization - What stops transformation in its tracks - About his book, Disrupting Corporate Culture Get our FREE Strategic Planning Workbook template here: https://www.s

Victoria Pelletier is a VP and Senior Partner of North American Talent and Transformation at IBM. Having started her journey very young as a 24-year old executive, she's spent her entire career working in business-to-business services at various consulting and technology companies. Along the way, she's built, bought, and invested in companies, became a published author, and started a speaking career. On this episode of the Strategy & Leadership Podcast, we're excited to have Victoria join us to discuss her Talent and Transformation role at IBM, how to create change and urgency, how to develop a diversity and inclusion strategy, and the future of HR. Here's a breakdown of the episode: - Her role at IBM - Rapid change happening right now - How to create real change - Developing a diversity & inclusion strategy - The future of HR Get our FREE Strategic Planning Workbook template here: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-process-template-workbook Enroll in our strategic planning course to

Andy Goldstrom is a business strategist, growth expert, and two-time Inc. 500 business owner. Andy started his real estate company in the early 90's, where he won the business of Delta, Boeing and others while competing against larger, more experienced firms. After being bought by Johnson Controls in 2005, Andy moved on to become President of a national recycling company, where it would take him only two years to become another Inc. 500 company. Finally, Andy joined Deutsche Bank as a Global Director before starting his own firm, Midcourse Advisors, which helps organizations identify and execute on opportunities for growth. Andy joins us on this episode of the Strategy & Leadership Podcast to discuss: - Advice for leaders trying to adapt - Why it's easier to start a business now - Biases that arise during uncertainty - On becoming 'exit ready' Get our FREE Strategic Planning Workbook template here: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-process-template-workbook Enroll in our strategic plannin

John Rossman is the former Amazon Director of Enterprise Services who launched the Amazon Marketplace, the author of Think Like Amazon, an advisor to multiple companies including T-Mobile, and a member of various Boards of Advisors. With an impressive background of launching and scaling the Amazon Marketplace business and running the Enterprise Services business for Amazon, we're quite excited to welcome John as our very first live podcast guest. In our conversation, John will share some of his most important lessons and learnings from his time as an Amazon Executive, as well as his book, Think Like Amazon. Here are somethings to look forward to in our conversation next week: - How to strategize like Jeff Bezos - How to make better and faster decisions - How to create a culture of innovation & accountability - & much more! Get our FREE Strategic Planning Workbook template here: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-process-template-workbook Enroll in our strategic planning course to l

For this very special 75th episode on the Strategy & Leadership Podcast, we have no guests. Instead, our Managing Partner and lead facilitator Anthony Taylor will share some of his most important lessons from his past ten years of experience, as well as a glimpse into the future for both himself and SME Strategy. Anthony has been facilitating strategic planning sessions and helping organizations of different sizes from various industries and countries reach their One Destination for just about 10 years now. He's seen just about every problem and challenge that leadership teams experience, and he's ready to share that with you. Here's a breakdown of the episode: - Anthony's background - The plan is only a small part - On actually executing your strategy - Getting people where they want to go - The future of SME Strategy Get our FREE Strategic Planning Workbook template here: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-process-template-workbook Enroll in our strategic planning course to learn our pr

"Most mediocre insight you see in business comes not from bad researchers or faulty techniques.. the question itself was destined to lead to mediocrity". Gunny Scarfo is the co-founder of Nonfiction Research, a market research firm that is dedicated to uncovering and understanding the uncensored lives of customers, and the information they wouldn't even mention to their friends. Gunny has also held multiple Head of Strategy positions, including one at Carrot Creative, a social media agency acquired by Vice Media in 2014. On this episode of the Strategy & Leadership Podcast, Gunny hones in on how to truly understand the hidden desires our customers hold, as well as the symbolic relationships they have with our products and services. Here are the topic covered in the episode: - Why you need to have a 'burning question' - An underused tactic to learn about your customers - A skill that's necessary to understand your customers - What you know about your customers is probably wrong Get our FREE Strategic