Jim Roddy is the President and CEO of the Retail Solutions Providers Association. He has been active in the retail IT industry since 1998, including 11 years as the President of Business Solutions Magazine, six years as an RSPA board member, and several years as an industry business coach.

We discuss:

• The journey of a volunteer to becoming the CEO [02:41]
• Technology as a differentiator in retail [05:26]
• How to make competitors part of the same team [08:38]
• The core of leading a community or a membership [12:26]
• The consequences of lacking in-person events [15:44]
• Tips on what may foster engagement in an online format [18:27]
• A great resume versus high character [24:08]

Jim has been recognized as one of the world’s Top 100 Retail Influencers and is regularly requested to speak at industry conferences on SMB best practices. He is the author of two books – The Walk-On Method To Career & Business Success and Hire Like You Just Beat Cancer – and is host of the award-winning RSPA Trusted Advisor podcast.

Learn more about Jim at www.gorspa.org, www.jimroddycba.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Tammy Gooler Loeb is the author of Work from the Inside Out: Break Through Nine Common Obstacles and Design a Career That Fulfills You. She is a career and executive coach, speaker, and facilitator who focuses on career satisfaction, and leadership development. Tammy’s clients represent many sectors and industries.

We discuss:

• Finding a way to a happier place at work [02:53]
• What it means to work from the inside out [04:20]
• The experience of more life [06:13]
• Fear and excitement often feel the same way [14:12]
• How to avoid thinking in extremes when feeling afraid [17:07]
• Why going external makes people hear what you say [19:20]
• Possibility does exist at every age and situation [22:18]

Tammy’s weekly podcast, Work from the Inside Out, showcases career transition stories of people who found more meaningful work. Her expertise has appeared in Harvard Business Review Ascend, Forbes, Fast Company, The Boston Globe. Tammy holds a B.A. in Psychology from Hampshire College, Amherst, MA, and an MBA from Boston University, Boston, MA.

Learn more about Tammy at www.tammygoolerloeb.com and www.workfromtheinsideout.com.

Carl Ficks helps busy professionals get back in the fitness game so they can be less stressed and a lot more productive. His “Ficks System” is a proven road map for athletes and weekend warriors alike.

We discuss:

• Trial work as an extension of athleticism [02:49]
• How to mix skills and attributes as an artist [04:53]
• Stitching the net together before jumping [06:42]
• Litigation is the art of imitation [11:15]
• Why many folks can never escape the home office [12:28]
• Professionals who know what fitness can do [14:48]
• What works well for speaking and coaching in times of pandemic [17:14]
• Why you don’t need fancy equipment to do a great workout [18:58]
• A walk at the airport [20:14]

A former trial attorney for 30 years, Carl has presented to diverse audiences, including the Connecticut Bar Association, the Travelers, and the Wyoming State Bar. His bi-weekly newspaper column and weekly LinkedIn posts, both titled “The Friday Ficks,” provide strategies, tools, and inspiration to stay resourceful and resilient, regardless of the circumstances.

Learn more about Carl at www.carlficks.com.

Diana George is the founder and president of By George HR Solutions. While working with small business owners, Diana found a common thread with most of her clients; the ability to hire employees that fit their company culture.

We discuss:

• What it was like 2 years ago [02:54]
• How to know you’ve done a great job on a video call [04:11]
• Tricks to get people turn their video on during a call [07:02]
• How to duplicate yourself successfully [10:02]
• How get instant results from online courses [13:50]
• A labor of love: the process of course creation [16:04]
• The growing need to hire the right people [20:54]

Diana has worked with global companies such as BOSE and the luxury watch brand OMEGA where she learned early on how to motivate and get the best out of people. She teaches entrepreneurs how to hire right the first time so that their brand is a reflection of them, and they can focus on growth. Diana is the person you go to when you want to learn how to hire right the first time.

Learn more about Diana at https://hireforgrowth.com/.

Sajad Husain is the CEO of Cause and Effect Consulting. He is a persevering, enterprising, and top-performing executive and former attorney with expertise in vision-setting, project oversight, development, and implementation, compliance, internal and external communications, relationship management, legal and policy review, resource, and people-management, community outreach and organizing. He is an analytical and broad-minded influencer focused on solving problems, mediating disputes, and resolving matters to ensure ultimate project success. Sajad is a highly sought-after mentor/coach and sounding board for ideas and key advising.

We discuss:

• The moment Wendy’s turns you down [02:02]
• A framework to keep you organized and productive [08:17]
• What other people notice after you’ve taken thousands of tiny steps and pivots [16:30]
• How to run a business from the road [18:01]
• Entrepreneurship is a fantasy [19:56]

Learn more about Sajad at https://causeandeffectconsulting.com and LinkedIn.

Lucia Knight is a midlife career satisfaction researcher and designer. She spent 20 years in the world of corporate headhunting in UK and Australia before embarking on her quest to design work that would be MUCH more satisfying.

We discuss:

• A slowly dripping tap of career dissatisfaction [02:58]
• Feeling brave until you start feeling stupid [05:31]
• The state of modern mid-life crisis [09:27]
• A formula for a lifetime of satisfying work [12:00]
• Ways to learn before you experiment and try [15:03]
• Using your superpowers to get paid more to use your superpowers [16:44]
• How people make themselves look average [19:01]
• A lovely 50/50 split [20:56]
• How to change your career in the next 10 minutes [22:44]

After diving headlong into a MSc Psychology in her early 40s, she designed a personal research project to interview 100 midlifers who changed careers and felt happier because of their changes. She then wrote a book on the secrets she discovered. Her career consultancy is called Midlife Unstuck. She now helps midlife professionals who feel stuck doing work that isn’t fully satisfying – to design work that is.

Learn more about Lucia at https://www.midlifeunstuck.com/.

Kellan Is the Ultimate Catalyst for Personal transformation. Author of 15 books, Creator of the “Ultimate Life Transformation Experience.” If you really want to change your results, Kellan’s Experience and System will get you there.

We discuss:

• A method to tell your story in a powerful way [02:05]
• Your power is proportional to your vulnerability [05:19]
• An unbelievable invitation to change [09:33]
• Nothing to hide, nothing to fear [11:57]
• How telling the truth can relieve those who suffer [14:40]
• What’s the worst thing that could happen if [16:20]
• An example of putting an end to mediocrity [19:30]

Learn more about Kellan at www.kellanfluckiger.com.

Designer Sheryl Hammontree left the corporate world in 1993. Over the years, she realized that leaving corporate doesn’t necessarily mean you left the corporate habits back at the office. She was successfully going solo at her studio, but, the addiction to being busy and the need for approval left her feeling unfulfilled. Sheryl recently hired a business coach and rewrote the story she’d been telling herself for so many years. Today, she’s the owner of Thoughtful Threads, a custom-designed apparel line spreading messages of empowerment, equality, love and kindness.

We discuss:

• Addicted to being busy and proving you could do it [02:35]
• The one more thing that would make you happier [08:33]
• The control to completely overload yourself [10:26]
• Longing for all the reasonable elements of a career life [14:37]
• Five intentions to follow when choosing a project to work on [16:38]
• The open mind is the only kind [18:26]
• Ways to monetize your experience [21:17]

Learn more about Sheryl at https://www.thoughtfulthreadsco.com.

Carol Schultz is a talent equity and leadership coaching and advisory expert, and Founder/CEO at Vertical Elevation. Over the past 29 years, she‘s honed her expertise and formed an intrinsic understanding of successful recruiting and alignment processes.

We discuss:

• The most important department in a company [02:33]
• People leave managers, not jobs [06:04]
• The area in which coaching works best [11:41]
• The one thing that prevents all the councils in the world to help you change [14:19]
• Don’t be cheap and think you can do it all [18:15]

Recognized for her proficiency in corporate leadership, Carol has helped executives gain clarity in their careers, created a culture of performance for their teams, and made bold leadership moves. A firm believer in supporting executives to become more confident leaders, she has advised countless individuals and companies from Pre-Seed stage startups to publicly traded companies.

Learn more about Carol at https://verticalelevation.com/.

Ben Wolf, founder and CEO of Fractional Leadership, is the author of Fractional Leadership: Landing Executive Talent You Thought Was Out of Reach. He wrote his book and created www.FractionalLeadership.io to educate business owners and leaders on what Fractional Leadership is, how it works, and to help them find right-fit Fractional Leaders. As background, after building a tech-powered healthcare startup from zero to the largest organization of its type in New York State, he “went solo” and created a Fractional Integrator (outsourced COO) firm, Wolf’s Edge Consulting.

We discuss:

• How fractional leadership is easing the frog-kissing process [02:23]
• The three main factors why fractional leadership is exploding more now [07:10]
• The means to help you be the center of gravity [13:28]
• Prevalent budgeting models for fractional leaders [16:16]
• Who is fractional leadership for [19:55]

Learn more about Ben at https://www.fractionalleadership.io/.

Michael Bauman is the CEO of Success Engineering, a Tony Robbins certified coach and he helps entrepreneurs feel that they are enough and know they are not alone.

He is also the host of the podcast, Success Engineering, where he interviews experts and industry leaders, from Broadway Directors and actors to multi-millionaire CEO’s, to neuroscientists and more to uncover how they define success, how they create it on a daily basis and explore the challenges they have overcome both internally and externally to achieve their personal definition of success.

We discuss:

• The difference between a technician and a business owner [02:54]
• How to create the feeling of success [04:28]
• The five whys every entrepreneur should ask themselves [07:55]
• The different layers of success [11:48]
• An expert in pain for social disconnection [15:05]
• How research can help you become an expert in a particular area [18:05]
• Where to find the best avatar for your first audience [19:47]
• Making sure your ladder is leaning up against the right building [22:50]

Learn more about Michael at www.successengineering.org.

Frank Agin is president of AmSpirit Business Connection, which empowers entrepreneurs, sales representatives and professionals to become successful through networking.

We discuss:

• Jumping from a great job into the great unknown [02:00]
• How to start making a pathway to becoming successful [03:20]
• If you can’t bring in new business, you’re not running a business [07:58]
• The only direction to go in is success [11:00]
• Anything but the truth [13:48]
• Why getting referrals is much easier than direct communication [15:50]
• The benefits of a 90-minute workshop versus a week-long [17:45]

He also hosts the Networking Rx podcast, which has insights and interviews related to better business relationships. Frank is the author of several books, including Foundational Networking.

With 27 years of B2B marketing and sales experience ranging from mid-sized local companies to enterprise organizations, Darrell has diverse experience across the sales and marketing landscape. He has trained thousands of salespeople in solution selling, created digital marketing strategies for hundreds of companies, and consulted with Fortune 500 technology companies. He knows what works—and what doesn’t.

We discuss:

• The contrast in feelings when you finally pull the plug [02:17]
• The moments of anxiety everyone has in their career [06:15]
• Why it’s more secure to have your own business versus having an employer [08:02]
• How to become an expert in revenue growth [10:06]
• How bringing in people with opposite skillsets helps the business scale [14:37]
• The two numbers every business owner needs to know [20:16]

As a member of the Forbes Business Council, Darrell works with executives to create growth strategies. He co-founded Convergo, where he serves as the Chief Innovation Officer, helping companies develop revenue growth strategies.

Darrell is the co-founder of the Kingdom Missions Fund, providing resources to innovative Christian missions projects. He also leads the ManAlive EXPEDITION team. Darrell is the host of the Revenue Growth Podcast and the co-host of the Selling From the Heart Podcast. Darrell is a frequent podcast guest, keynote speaker, and contributing author.

Learn more about Darrell at https://www.revenuegrowthengine.net/ and LinkedIn.

Katherine Ann Byam (MBA, FCCA) is the wing-woman to your genius and a business resilience / organic growth consultant. As a strategic partner to leaders, she helps businesses design and embed effective strategies for responsible brand stewardship, to deliver outcomes that favor a wider stakeholder view.

We discuss:

• The queen of transitions [02:36]
• How to deal with the glass ceiling effect [04:02]
• A psychological battle of wills [07:00]
• Freeing up time and capacity for innovation [10:14]
• How to move forward when things get tough [13:09]
• How to manage the cycle of your energy [15:16]
• Employees are the greatest innovators in the world [19:58]
• The things to learn before you start pitching [23:38]

Learn more about Katherine at https://www.whereideaslaunch.com/, LinkedIn, Medium and Facebook.

Diane Tarshis is a seasoned business advisor and founder of Startup Distillery. Working with entrepreneurs across the US and around the globe, Diane uses her unique mix of finance, retail, manufacturing, and operations experience to help entrepreneurs distill their ideas into profitable, growing businesses.

We discuss:

• Shifting from corporate life to small business life [02:32]
• A double-edged sword or a fantasy [05:30]
• A DIY kit for entrepreneurs [07:22]
• Reasons to write a business plan [11:38]
• The difference between growth and scaling [13:03]
• The pressure for growth and scaling [16:38]
• How to grow a consulting business and still keep it solo [18:20]

Learn more about Diane at https://startupdistillery.com/.

Karen Gershowitz started her career as a marketing researcher at American Express and Emery Worldwide. She was then a partner at BAI Global, a marketing consulting and research firm. In 1991 she founded Strategic Action Inc., a marketing strategy consultancy working with Fintech, performing arts and other not-for-profit institutions.

We discuss:

• Trying not to be the best-kept secret in the United States [02:44]
• The structure of Score: where to start when growing a business [06:21]
• Why a consultant can’t be a jack of all trades [09:02]
• Why consultants should be partners as well [12:42]
• The importance of having a good political radar [17:18]
• The three big things consultants can do that employees can’t [21:15]
• Out there lonely with the worst demons [25:11]

Since 2017 she has been a mentor at Score NYC. Her clientele are mainly individuals looking to start or grow a consulting business. Karen teaches three webinars on consulting for Score. Karen is also the author of Travel Mania: Stories of Wanderlust.

Learn more about Karen at https://newyorkcity.score.org and LinkedIn.

Jaime Jay is the founder and managing director of Bottleneck Distant Assistants. Founded in 2016, Bottleneck is an outsourcing agency that helps businesses identify, hire, and cultivate their workforce through a carefully designed systematic approach to growth. A veteran US Army paratrooper who received the Army Achievement Medal for Meritorious Service, Jay’s additional business experience includes a twelve-year career in corporate America and advanced education in Business Administration and Management at Florida Institute of Technology.

We discuss:

• Three reasons to write a book other than anything else [03:02]
• What makes 184 pages much more than new authors think [06:24]
• A very affordable way about finding a hybrid publisher [09:15]
• What it feels like going through the different levels of editing [11:18]
• Thinking about thinking about leadership [13:17]
• The seven-year itch in business [15:35]
• The little things that make writing a book worthwhile [17:03]
• The best way for book authors to get feedback from readers [19:34]
• How crazy other people’s lives are [21:30]

Jaime likes networking with big-picture thinkers and proudly proclaims he is unemployable. In his spare time, he enjoys playing hockey, camping, boating, playing guitar, shooting guns, traveling, and spending time with his wife, Sara.

In Quit Repeating Yourself, author Jaime Jay shares how he built a seven-figure business by focusing on the power of creating systems and processes so he could stop doing the wrong things and focus on doing his best work. After other business professionals kept asking him to explain what he was doing differently, Jay compiled his best strategies and systems, hoping readers could learn from his successes and his mistakes. Through personal stories and professional examples, he teaches leaders how to build a strong company foundation using small and actionable steps.

Learn more about Jaime at https://bottleneck.online, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

With a doctorate in clinical psychology and extensive studies in life coaching and consultancy, Dr. Andy Garrett has created a revolutionary personal development protocol – with his Authentic Growth Blueprint signature course. Dr. Andy also has a successful private practice in Newport Beach, CA – where he lives with his wife and two children.

We discuss:

• The difference between having a choice and having an obligation [02:31]
• A narrative of self-efficacy [05:44]
• The type of motivation that is better than others [06:50]
• How to understand your unique character strengths [11:16]
• The number one regret people have [12:54]
• The clarity that makes everything flow in the same direction [18:07]
• Why saying no is a much more important decision than saying yes [22:57]

Learn more about Andy at www.therealyoumatters.com and www.Ag-thrive.com.

With over two and a half decades of strategic communication, employee brand engagement, and internal brand development, Suzanne’s inside-out brand-building strategy creates the clarity and actions necessary for her clients to drive consistency, distinction, and advocacy long-term.

We discuss:

• The many expectations of a logo [02:24]
• A framework that helps you say “no” [06:45]
• What marketers miss when they’re out there marketing [09:37]
• The good and the bad news about personal brands [12:02]
• The misalignment between consultants and their prospects [15:22]
• Clarity is the basis of action [18:38]

Because her Brand DNA approach is radically different, she is paving the way companies and personal brands elevate their value position and actually reduce marketing costs while growing market share. As author of The 6 Myths of Small Business Branding and co-author of Brand DNA; Uncover Your Organization’s Genetic Code to Competitive Advantage, also published in China and her newest book; Personal Brand Clarity, Identify, Define & Align to What You Want to Be Known For, she is helping to pave the transformational highway to grow by conscious, strategic design; not by DEFAULT!

Learn more about Suzanne at www.BrandAscension.com.

Robin Merle has been a senior executive for billion-dollar nonprofit organizations. She’s raised more than a half-billion dollars in philanthropy during her nearly forty years in the field.

We discuss:

• How to be resilient in the face of major career challenges [02:42]
• The path to adding meaning somewhere to somebody’s life [05:48]
• Why involuntary exit is more prevalent than many people think [08:16]
• The first 24 hours of being fired [10:06]
• The people who will not add drama to your trauma [12:58]
• Longer than you think: stages of grieving in children [15:48]
• The biggest killer of a new business [19:55]
• The thrill of not hearing from your clients anymore [21:17]

Robin has been Vice-Chair of National Philanthropy Day in New York 3 times, served on multiple nonprofit boards, and was named Woman of Achievement in 2017 by Women in Development, New York. She recently, voluntarily, left her last executive-level position at a major university to promote her new book, Involuntary Exit, and expand her nonprofit consulting business.

Learn more about Robin at https://theprofessionalguide.com and LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Gio Marcus is copywriting mentor who teaches high-converting copy to entrepreneurs who want to reach millions and make millions.

We discuss:

• How to become your brand’s own best copywriter [02:32]
• A copy that’s more than a static set of words on a page [05:51]
• What makes people bolder in their copywriting [07:06]
• The first thing to do to get your copy generating revenue immediately [10:12]
• The price of effectively communicating your value [11:51]
• The missing element in LinkedIn [16:37]
• The basis of every great movie, novel or TV commercial [17:09]
• How to show the reader that you understand them [19:11]

Gio’s copywriting clients are guests of Oprah, Marie Forleo & Sir Richard Branson; regularly featured on major TV shows and magazines, stars of their own Netflix documentaries, and winners of Oscars nominations for their health documentaries. Between them, Gio’s clients have written over 35 New York Times bestselling books, translated into 190 languages. She lives in Berkeley, California.

Learn more about Gio at https://giomarcus.com.

Doug C. Brown is the CEO of Business Success Factors, international best-selling author of the book Win-Win Selling: Unlocking Your Power for Profitability by Resolving Objections, and a nationally recognized sales revenue growth expert and consultant.

We discuss:

• Lessons from the nonlinearity of careers [02:02]
• The dots that make career transitioning easier [06:11]
• What the business of consulting is [not] about [07:38]
• Focus on acquisition of clients versus focus on delivery [08:48]
• The quickest and fastest way to cash for new consultants [13:10]
• The type of website that consultants need [19:20]

Learn more about Doug at LinkedIn.

Tom Bailey is the founder of Succeed Through Speaking and he spent the first 25 years of his life becoming an expert at AVOIDING public speaking, presenting and being in front of groups of people. However, since overcoming his life-limiting fear of speaking and presenting he has experienced first-hand how people can succeed through speaking. He now helps other Entrepreneurs, Experts, Coaches and Consultants use speaking to raise their profile and gain new clients.

We discuss:

• An expert at avoiding public speaking [02:19]
• How the fear of speaking is hurting your personal and professional life [04:37]
• The wrong decisions that keep you in your comfort zone [05:59]
• Confidence comes from competence [09:44]
• How to use speaking as a platform to attract more clients [11:41]
• The five P’s that help experts be great at speaking [13:00]
• How to increase the visibility of someone who is hiding behind the brand [16:01]
• How to connect the dots between speaking and business [17:36]
• Why you should never say you’re the greatest speaker in the world [20:50]

Learn more about Tom at https://www.succeedthroughspeaking.com.

Tamara Lashchyk is a Career & Business Coach who helps mid-late career professionals reinvent their careers.

We discuss:

• Struggling with the culture of HR [02:38]
• Why you can’t outsmart your boss [04:52]
• Reasons to quit a job even when you’re the top performer [09:08]
• The number one reason for job dissatisfaction [12:54]
• Life is a blank sheet of paper [14:07]
• The question that nobody, including yourself, asks you [20:26]
• What older generations can learn from millennials [24:10]

Before establishing her coaching business, Tamara had a successful career on Wall Street where she spent a total of 26 years at firms such as JP Morgan, Merrill Lynch, Bank of America and Deutsche Bank.

Tamara is the Author of the book Lose the Gum, A Survival Guide for Women on Wall Street, Main Street & Every Street in Between.

Learn more about Tamara at https://tamaralashchyk.com/ and https://nextlevellifeseries.com/.

Aurora Winter is an award-winning, bestselling author. She is a successful serial entrepreneur, media trainer, creator of the Spoken Author™ method, and founder of Same Page Publishing.

We discuss:

• Leveraging the number 3 search engine [02:00]
• The secret to producing hundreds of podcast episodes [03:39]
• How the Spoken Author method helps non-writers fill in the blank page [05:29]
• Those who tell the stories rule society [09:18]
• How to add significance to your stories [11:21]
• The essence of a person gathered in a wave form [13:37]
• The distance between a good communicator and a great one [16:21]
• The neuroscience behind communication [17:34]
• The worst way to make a million dollars with a book [20:17]

Learn more about Aurora at www.aurorawinter.com.