Author: Jeffrey Hayzlett

 

It used to be you only subscribed to a few things in your life: the newspaper, a few magazines, and cable TV.

With the emergence of other business models and product offerings, the subscription economy is stronger than ever.

It seems you can get a subscription to just about anything these days. Look at your bank statement or credit card bill, and you’ll see how many products and services you subscribe to — from Netflix to laundry detergent, subscriptions are everywhere. Even Walmart is trying to capitalize on the momentum. Consumer membership companies such as Costco or Amazon are having a field day rewarding die-hard loyalty with special perks.

The subscription economy is hot right now, and nobody knows more about this trend than Robbie Kellman Baxter. Robbie is a subject matter expert having written two books on the subject: The Membership Economy and The Forever Transaction.

Robbie says we are in the ‘Wild West’ of subscriptions right now; however, it may take a while before there’s a thinning of the herd with so many out there.

With that in mind, I wondered what the difference between a subscription and a membership is. Should we be using those two terms interchangeably?

Robbie was able to clarify both terms for me during a recent interview on All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett on C-Suite Radio. She said, “A subscription is a pricing decision. It’s asking the customer to pay you on a regular and automatic basis, in exchange for access to benefits services products. Membership is the mindset that’s required (for) how you treat those subscribers. That gives you permission to get their trust because of a subscription as a trusted relationship. That kind of pricing structure requires a trusted relationship. I believe you can have a membership economy business; you can have a member mindset without using subscription pricing.”

Robbie says memberships are all about creating magic with your customers. You have to offer them some community, a sense of belonging. She says there are plenty of subscription businesses out there, but if they’re not thinking about creating that community, they’re short-sighted.

Robbie also said the rise in subscription businesses has a lot to do with technology over the last decade. Now there is software and other systems that can handle the billing and other logistical issues that come with running a subscription business.

Even with new subscriptions popping up every day, Robbie says we could be heading towards subscription fatigue.

She explains this as, “Having everybody come into subscriptions and have products that don’t justify subscription pricing,” Robbie said. “You just take whatever you’ve got (and) say, ‘we’re going to force people to pay a subscription.’ Or (companies) hiding the ‘cancel’ button or giving people the wrong combination of benefits or that they’re paying (for) stuff they don’t need. That’s what’s driving subscription fatigue.”

So how do the good subscription companies stand out? Robbie says it’s simple.

“The really good ones are laser-focused on who they’re serving and what value they’re providing to them,” Robbie said. “When they design their offerings, they’re not just focused on the moment of transaction getting someone to sign up for the subscription, but on delivering value on an ongoing basis by anticipating where the customer is going to go next on their objective of achieving that goal.”

Robbie says an excellent example of providing constant value is Disney+. The streaming video service exceeded expectations in its first year and now boasts 86 million subscribers. Robbie said with a service like Disney+, you’re buying more than the chance to see the latest Disney movie from the comfort of your home.

“Disney needs to make sure that I can find my way to the other content that they offer because what I’m really signing up for is enjoying time with my family,” Robbie said. “They have to get me to the princesses, they have to get me to the adventure stories, and they have to get me to National Geographic documentaries.”

She adds, “It’s all about really understanding the customers’ goals, instead of just focusing on your own products.”

Robbie says another company that is doing it right is Peloton. The company behind the popular stationary bikes offer live online fitness classes and they’re thriving during the pandemic now that fewer people are going to the gym. Peloton has seen its stock surge over 400% over the past year, and it is even looking to buy up the competition.

“You can connect with other people that are working out and build community,” Robbie said. “I think it’s a really interesting business model.”

“There have been cases where people have been injured and Peloton sends them a get well soon gift, but then automatically canceled their subscription (saying) ‘Hey, let us know when you want to reengage with us.'”

While Disney and Peloton’s numbers show they are doing it right, Robbie says many companies are doing a lousy job in the emerging subscription economy. She points to a bit by stand-up comedian, Ryan Hamilton, on canceling his gym membership. While it’s played up for laughs, there’s a lot of truth in the story.

“A lot of what used to be called continuity programs where you get every month, your shampoo or your skincare products, (are) often very hard to cancel. Often (a) very inexpensive entry-level program and then before you know it, you’re paying ten times as much,” Robbie said.

Even the Federal Trade Commission is taking notice. Leslie Fair, a senior attorney for the government agency, has a blog where she tracks the companies accused of using deceptive practices like hiding pricing information and making it tough to cancel.

Subscription revenue is an attractive idea for businesses and professionals across many industries. During our conversation, Robbie and I talk about how subscriptions should work and how this model can create value for customers.

Listen to our full conversation here.

By some estimates, there are 850,000 active podcasts and over 34 million podcast episodes. With 32 million Americans listening to podcasts on a monthly basis, breaking through in the podcasting business can be daunting for me. However, once you start, you’re in for a great journey.

Recently, I had a great conversation about the podcasting industry with the great Tony DUrso. He is a podcaster, entrepreneur, author, and business coach who has one of the top shows on the VoiceAmerica Network.

Proud of his heritage, he is the hard-working son of Italian Immigrants, who came to the United States when he was only three years old. By the ripe old age of five, Tony was delivering newspapers in Chicago along Lake Michigan.

“We were a single-income family,” Tony remembers. “My dad made like at the time, maybe 50 bucks, 75 bucks a week. There (were) six boys. We had to chip in. Every week, I would get paid for delivering the papers, and it was just a couple bucks. And that just always went to the parents.”

During that time, Tony also learned the value of a dollar. His father would take the bus every day to his job as a sheet metal worker. Instead of paying the extra nickel for a transfer, Tony’s dad would walk the last two miles to work to help support the family.

“This is the kind of mindset that I’ve been ingrained with. I know the value of a dollar, and I don’t throw dollars away,” Tony said.

All that hard work paid off. In his teens, Tony got his first job in the corporate world as a typist, despite not knowing how to type. What did he do? Tony went to the library and figured it out! He worked his way up to 120 words a minute. Tony became so proficient that he says people would come to his desk just to watch him type.

From typing, Tony kept climbing the corporate ladder. He added titles like Vice President of Sales to his resume and pulled in a six-figure salary. That’s when he had an epiphany.

“I was making so much money for everyone,” Tony said. “After about 30 odd years in business, I broke away and became an entrepreneur. And as you all know, you go from 40 hours a week with a stable income to 80 to 100 hours a week, and who knows what your income is next week, but it was so much fun.”

Being an entrepreneur is in your blood; I know it’s in mine. Tony said he wanted something to start something he could control and he found that in podcasting.

“You can control the name. You can control the length. You can control the distribution,” Tony said. “I thought, ‘Hey, I’m Italian. I can talk, and I love promotion and marketing.’ I got this idea of bringing in high-profile, well-known, elite entrepreneurs… and bring that to the world because everyone in the audience cannot possibly listen to every webinar, read every book, listen to everybody’s podcast or lecture. It’s just impossible to get everything from everybody.”

Tony knew he was entering a crowded space, even though podcasting is still considered an industry in its infancy. I like to say podcasting is still in its teenage phase, still growing and starting to mature. Despite its exponential growth and possibilities, podcasting can take a toll if we don’t plan ahead. However, despite our best efforts, that well dries up.

One of the great things about having a podcast is what I learn from all my guests. I consider myself a pretty knowledgeable person when it comes to podcasting, but Tony introduced a term I’ve never heard of before: podfade.

Depending on where you look, many podcasts stop after less than ten episodes or less than six months of production. So why do so many people give up on their shows?

“(Podcasters) underestimate the work and it is work,” Tony said. “Whether you do it live or you record, which is even more work. The benefit is so small at first it’s like, ‘what am I doing here?'”

Perseverance is a key to success in the podcasting business, but it’s not immediate. Also, you have to learn to capitalize on every opportunity to promote and spread the word.

Tony said he uses social media to help amplify his podcast and uses key strategies to help his clients get downloads, but he also has this advice for future podcasters.

“Get a mentor,” Tony advised. “Get somebody that’s been there, done that, that you like what they’ve done. And they’ve done a podcast. They’ve grown a podcast, get that person to mentor and help you.”

Tony also says, do your research.

“I would go to the best podcasters, and I would go through their site, and I would go through their show and every time go ‘Oh, I like this. Oh, I like how that is done.’ I morphed, changed, and tweaked my show over the years to make it what it is,” Tony said.

A book called, “Beach Money” by Jordan Adler also influenced Tony’s podcast journey. He recommends listening to the book’s audio version; hearing the story from the author makes it more impactful. “Beach Money” didn’t just help Tony focus on his podcast; he said it benefited him in other ways as well. To hear how, listen to my full conversation with Tony.

2020 is coming to a close.

For many, this year has been one to forget. We’ve faced unprecedented challenges, dealt with a worldwide pandemic, saw many people affected, businesses lost, and if that wasn’t enough, let’s add a contentious presidential election. Despite that, I believe that crisis creates opportunities. And as we say goodbye to 2020, we can’t forget all the doors that opened for many.

Podcasting has been a rewarding experience, profitable, too. We had one of our best years ever on my podcast, All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett. We had some great guests, saw our downloads increase 541% (!), and began ‘livecasting’ on Facebook and LinkedIn daily, with two guests a day, back in March. With all this momentum, I had the team pull the numbers and take a look back at some of our top performing episodes of 2020. There are some recognizable names and some that may surprise you. The insights they offered were unparalleled and the business advice top-notch.

Here are some key lessons and our top 10 episodes for 2020:

10. Julie Roehm– Chief Marketing and Experience Officer, Party City

I’ve known Julie for years and she was kind enough to join us for the C-Suite Network High Stakes Leadership Forum back in April. In the spirit of 2020, we were planning to host this event in Las Vegas. The pandemic forced us to hold it online, and it delivered!

While all business leaders saw our fair share of change this year, Party City was no exception. The company turned over most of its c-suite just before the pandemic hit. In fact, Julie had barely gotten her company computer when the corporate office shut down. Julie said that wasn’t a bad thing because they were all so new, there was no pride of ownership or office politics, they were all “in it to win it.”

Julie and I had a great conversation about company culture, how Party City pivoted early on in the pandemic, and the company’s response to Black Lives Matter.

 

9. Carey Lohrenz– First U.S. Navy female F-14 Tomcat pilot

Carey spoke during our C-Suite Network Battleship Forum in June. She made history in the early 1990s as the first woman to fly a Navy F-14 Tomcat. During our talk, Carey shared key principles she learned in the cockpit that could be applied to the business world. She talked about why it’s OK to feel fear and why debriefs are important to every organization.

There’s something in this episode for everyone at every level of any company.

 

8. Alyssa Rapp– CEO, Surgical Solutions and Author, Leadership & Life Hacks

Alyssa Rapp is a CEO, accomplished businesswoman, and best-selling author. While Alyssa and I spoke months before the pandemic hit, the overarching theme of our conversation involved pivoting. Alyssa is an expert in changing business models on the fly. She also offered a theory on who survives tough economic times and becoming lean carnivores. If you want to find out what she meant, listen to the episode.

7. Mike Abrashoff– Retired Naval Commander, NY Times Best-Selling Author

Mike offered his expertise during our C-Suite Network Online Battleship Forum in June. He is best known for turning around the worst ship in the U.S. Navy to the best using the same crew. How did he do it? Not only does Mike tells us in this podcast, he also leaves us with what he believes are traits all great leaders should have.

 

6. Gender Parity Gap Digital Discussion

In honor of the 100^th anniversary of the 19^th amendment to the Constitution giving women the right to vote, the C-Suite Network hosted a special Digital Discussion on gender parity in the workplace, specifically in the upper echelons of business. We invited three highly accomplished leaders to speak about their experiences in the workplace and politics. The panel included:

• Barbara Franklin– President & CEO, Barbara Franklin Enterprises, 29th U.S. Secretary of Commerce
• Melyssa Barrett – Vice President, Visa, Vice President/General Manager Jali Enterprises, Co-Chair, C-Suite Network’s Diversity Council
• Evelyn Sanguinetti – Executive Director, HOPE Fair Housing Center & Former Illinois Lieutenant Governor

 

5. Pat Iyer– Ghostwriter, Editor, C-Suite Network Advisor

Pat is a nurse by trade, but has become a prolific ghostwriter and book writing coach. In fact, she’s credited with penning 49 books. Pat and I compare notes on our very different writing processes — she thinks mine is kind of crazy. Pat says many of us have a book trapped inside of us, but don’t know how to get started. If that’s you, don’t miss our conversation.

 

4. Arianna Huffington– Founder, Thrive Global

Arianna Huffington almost needs no introduction. She’s a best-selling author, TV personality, namesake of The Huffington Post, and founder of Thrive Global. Arianna’s latest project is stressing the importance of sleep and for everyone to take care of themselves in the chaotic world we live in. While there wasn’t much “pillow talk” during our conversation, Arianna and I addressed the behaviors that are killing us and what silver linings will come out of the pandemic.

 

3. Jim Rowley– CEO, Crunch Fitness

Jim was another guest from the C-Suite Network High Stakes Leadership Forum. He is the CEO of Crunch Fitness and a former U.S. Marine, who served during the Persian Gulf War, and a 27-year veteran of the fitness industry. Despite his Marine Corps demeanor, Jim assured me during our interview he’s “not a hard ass all the time” and left our audience with some inspiring leadership lessons during the pandemic and beyond.

 

2. Andrew Zimmern– James Beard Award-Winning Personality, Chef, and Activist

 

We’ve all seen Andrew Zimmern on TV eating some truly strange foods, but there’s more to this TV chef than eating. Andrew is on a mission to bring to light the food insecurities many Americans face and the inequalities in our food supply chain. He says there are truly two food Americas and COVID-19 is making that more apparent than ever. My conversation with Andrew was enlightening and gave a different perspective about how we think about food. He also told me what he won’t eat – and, spoiler alert, it wasn’t all that bizarre.

 

 

1. Anthony Scaramucci– Founder & Co-Managing Partner, SkyBridge Capital

Since 2020 was the most politically-charged year in recent memory, I wasn’t surprised that “The Mooch” was the most listened to All Business episode of the year. Most people remember Anthony Scaramucci as the one-time White House Communications Director under President Donald Trump. He may have only lasted 11 days in the job, but he continues to be a go-to for quotes on the Trump Administration. The Mooch didn’t pull any punches in this interview and it shows.

This show wouldn’t be possible without you – our listeners. There’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to bring you quality content that’s engaging, timely, and relevant. I’d like to thank all of my loyal and new listeners for downloading All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett this year. We’re seeing some of our best numbers to date and keep growing. Let’s keep the momentum in 2021!

 

Women and men are equal, but the real world doesn’t always see it that way. Whether it’s in business or life.

According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, women make 82 cents for every dollar a man makes. That’s the average; if you break it down by ethnicity, the numbers are much more disparate.

While we talk a lot about equality, only six countries give women equal legal work rights as men. At our current pace, it will take more than a century to reach gender parity, according to the World Economic Forum.

Since 2020 marked the 100^th anniversary of the 19^th amendment giving most women the constitutional right to vote, the C-Suite Network hosted a remarkable Digital Discussion, titled Gender Parity Gap: Why Do We Still Have a Gap in Boardrooms, Halls of Congress, and the C-Suite. We had a greatly informative panel discussion of accomplished leaders, such as:

• Barbara Franklin – President, Barbara Franklin Enterprises & Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce
• Melyssa Barrett –
Vice President Identity & Authentication Products, Visa
• Evelyn Sanguinetti – Former, Illinois Lieutenant Governor & Executive Director, HOPE Fair Housing Center

I kicked things off with Barbara Franklin who, besides serving as Secretary of Commerce under President George H.W. Bush, also served in the Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan administrations. Before that, she was one of the first women to graduate from Harvard Business School and served as a Vice President at Citibank. I asked Barbara simply what the world was like for women when she began climbing the proverbial ladder in the mid-1960s.

“There was not consensus in our society back then, when I got out of Harvard Business School, or even into the 70s about what the role of women should be,” Barbara said. “And there were not a lot of professional roles for women that were very acceptable (besides) teachers, nurses, and secretaries. You didn’t see very many lawyers, executives, or doctors.”

President Nixon tasked Barbara with overseeing his mandate to bring more women into all levels of the federal government, especially at the senior level. Since the president required his cabinet to add more women to the rosters and come up with an action plan, the number of women in top positions doubled within six months. Barbara believes that change wouldn’t have happened if President Nixon didn’t require the change.

“It was a lot of stereotypes about women. They’re not tough enough for the job. Women are emotional. You’ve heard it all,” Barbara said. “People didn’t want to risk putting women in a job they might not be able to do. Happily, all the women appointed performed beautifully.”

To some people, it might be surprising that Nixon was a champion of women, but Barbara says you shouldn’t be.

“(President Nixon) was a little ahead of his time,” Barbara said. “He had a mother who was college-educated, which is unusual back then. He had a self-made wife if you know anything about Pat Nixon, and they had two daughters.”

“I also think the women’s movement was out there. Making a lot of noise burning bras doing a lot to a lot of things to get attention and so there was starting to be a political piece to it. It was the right thing to do,” Barbara said.

Another panelist, Evelyn Sanguinetti, made state-level political history decades after Barbara did at the federal level. Evelyn was the nation’s first Latina woman to serve as Lieutenant Governor when she was sworn in Illinois in 2015. A distinction she wasn’t aware of until inauguration day.

“I was actually walking onto the stage for the swearing-in ceremony, and they announced it,” Evelyn said. “I was overcome with emotion, but I was like, don’t cry over this makeup. You got to get sworn in.”

She added, “To have the first Latina lieutenant governor in the entire nation what that felt to me was an incredible amount of pressure to do what was right.”

The right thing for Evelyn was hiring a staff that was as diverse as the people she represented.

While Evelyn and Barbara held top jobs in government, Melyssa Barrett worked her way up the corporate ladder. As a Vice President at Visa, Melyssa says one of the most important things women need at all levels are sponsors, allies, and coaches. According to her, it comes down to one thing: building a relationship, no matter how awkward it may be.

“Who do you have a relationship with? You have to be okay with being uncomfortable in conversation,” Melyssa said. “Your mentor is not always somebody that you know. Be okay with the fact that the first few sessions…you have to maybe be a little bit uncomfortable. You may not know what to ask. They may not know how to answer, but building that relationship creates the connection you need.”

Along those lines, all of our panelists agreed that successful women need to reach down and help up those women coming behind them. I think Evelyn summed it up best, and for her answer, she found inspiration from the current Lt. Governor of Illinois Julianna Stratton. Lt. Governor Stratton also made history being Illinois’ first African-American Lt. Governor.

“Julianna Stratton oftentimes says ‘How can they be you, if they can’t see you,’” “I thought that was a very good point on her part.” Evelyn recalls. “Number two, you need to show people your vulnerabilities. You need to share your personal story with people so that they will not be afraid to become leaders.”

These women were so impressive, and brought so much wisdom to our discussion that this post doesn’t begin to do them justice. To listen to this enlightening discussion on parity, listen to my podcast, All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett on our C-Suite Radio platform.

Seth Godin is someone who needs no introduction. His expertise is unparalleled and how he puts it all together is a master class in perfection. He’s one of those names that everyone knows – whether you are a marketer or not. His blog is one of the most popular in the world and he has a top-rated podcast. His books are best-sellers. He’s even a sought-after public speaker and teacher.  

 

Seth is a busy guy, but he was kind enough to spend time with The C-Suite Network during a recent Digital Discussion on all things marketing and business. 

 

I’ve known Seth for years and have admired the confidence he shows. While Seth says he cares more about what other people think than he lets on, he had an epiphany of sorts 20 years ago. 

 

“I don’t like disappointing people, but I find that the best way to be a useful contribution is to be specific about who I’m for,” Seth said. 

 

He continued, “If your motto is, you can pick anyone, and I’m anyone, you’re in big trouble because the number of anyones out there is going up, and they’re easier to find.” Adding, “Too often, we are pushed by outside forces to be anyone. Our mother-in-law or friends or people (who) care about us push us to be normal to be in the middle to be replaceable. The second thing …(you) can’t be specific and be for everyone. At the same time, you got to figure out who you are for. I am here to solve this problem. If you have something else, I will eagerly send you to other people who need what you have, but I’m here for this.” 

 

But, there’s more to getting the public interested in your product than a splashy advertising campaign. Seth says that’s what marketing was 15 years ago, and those days are gone. 

 

“Marketing is what we make, how we make it, who we make it with, how diverse the organization is, what the side effects are — all of those things are marketing choices,” Seth said. “So, by my definition, marketers are always ready with a resilient approach because they understand that the future is going to be upside down.” 

 

My definition of marketing is the inception of the idea, all the way through customer satisfaction. Seth says you should add one step to that, which is “what the satisfied customer tells their boss or their friends.” 

 

With that in mind, we got into the three steps all marketers should consider with their product.  

 

“The first step I’ve been talking about for a really long time. You don’t show up in the chat room, have a Zoom call, and post the link over and over again, hoping that someone will accidentally click on it and buy something from you. That’s spam,” Seth asserted. “You don’t burn trust to get attention. That’s a waste. You have to treasure the fact that someone has a moment to engage with you and if it’s not for them in this moment, it’s not for them. You earn permission.” 

 

“The second one is getting your arms around the idea that you are doing something chronic and persistent over time that marketing is not about tactics or emergencies or making this quarter’s numbers. Marketing is what journey are we on.” 

 

“The third thing is that it’s all a story. Money is a story. The products we make are a story. What is the story we are telling? What does the lived experience of our contribution to the world look like and feel like? And would they miss us if we were gone? Because if they’re not going to miss you. If you’re gone, then please don’t show up.” 

 

Another thing you always hear from marketing people are ways to break through the noise. Seth has some harsh advice for those people.

 

“Please don’t break through the noise,” Seth said. “Breaking through the noise just makes more noise. The tactical approach that many marketers take is not only not working. It’s making the problem worse.” 

 

But, what about the internet?

 

 “The internet is not a mass medium. TV is the last mass medium there will ever be. It’s a micro-medium. There is no homepage of the internet. You can’t reach everybody on the internet. It was so easy to reach 30 million people in 1985. You can’t reach 30 million people today. Stop trying.” 

 

With that in mind, you have to be creative with your approach. If you think being creative is a skill reserved for artists and musicians, Seth believes you need to change your definition. Creativity is the ability to solve interesting problems and that’s part of every c-suite executive’s job. 

 

“What do CEOs, playwrights, and filmmakers and musicians have in common?” Seth asked. “They don’t wait for the muse to show up and whisper the answer to them. They have a practice. They do it on the regular. They’re able to put things into the world. When they don’t work, they learn from it, and they do it again.” 

 

He continued, “Mostly, they aren’t hooked on manipulating the outcome. They are instead focused on the process because if you get the process right, you’re on your way to the best possible path to the outcome.” 

 

I always talk about “failing faster.” You know you’re going to fail eventually, get over it, figure out what you’ve learned, and move on. That will help you “win faster” next time; which according to Seth, is what we need to focus on. To do this, he offers up Simon Sinek’s definition of two types of games — infinite games with a definite winner and loser or infinite games where you’re not trying to win.   

 

“We have to figure out what game are we playing when we bring our ideas to the world when we hire someone when we do a partnership when we seek to build our institution,” Seth says. “I’m way more interested in playing an infinite game than winning a finite game because the problem with winning a finite game is, they don’t get to play anymore. In a world where they’re trusting, connections are so important if we keep weaving those together. We get to keep playing.” 

 

In business, I like to keep playing and winning. 

 

This post barely touches on my conversation with Seth and the Q&A with our members. If you want to hear more about Seth’s new book, “The Practice: Shipping Creative Work,” how his writing career led to becoming a better speaker, and the difference between skillset and talent. This episode of All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett, is a must-listen. 

Forget Goose and Maverick. I recently had the privilege of talking with an actual former Navy TOPGUN instructor, Commander Guy Snodgrass, on All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett. 

 

Guy’s military background is impressive in itself, but becoming the best of the best wasn’t easy. Moving up in the military is like any other internal promotion in the business world.

 

“Whenever you join any of these elite teams within the U.S. military, there’s kind of a rush process that goes along with it,” Guy said. “You have to not only apply. But once you’ve made that application, if you kind of get into that final cut.” 

 

He continued, “Typically, those staffs are going to bring in, and they want to see you perform. They want to see how you handle yourself, how you’re going to be if you’re accepted to be part of those elite teams. TOPGUN is no different.” 

 

TOPGUN training courses only run three times a year for about 12 weeks, and class sizes are 15 to 20 students. From there, only a select few make it to the instructor level. When Guy first arrived at TOPGUN school in Fallon, NV, he thought he had failed his tryout.  

 

“I had gone up against one of the most senior Top Gun instructors — we’re dogfighting. It’s a very dynamic, challenging type of flight. He beat me every single flight.” Guy recalled. “I found myself slouched down in the cockpit thinking ‘Man, I just got destroyed, and there’s no way they’re going to take a guy like me, who just got beat three times and make me part of the staff.’” 

 

Instead of sulking, Guy fell back on his training. During the post-flight debrief, he professionally walked through the part of the flight that caused him problems and talked about what he could learn from the experience. 

 

“I’ll never forget after the debrief, (the instructor) looked at me and said, ‘Yeah, I’m going to recommend you for the TOPGUN staff because the reality is I’ve been a TOPGUN instructor for years. I’ve got a lot of these skills you haven’t developed yet, but you’ve got a lot of passion. You got a lot of talent. You got a lot of personality. That will make you a very good instructor. We can teach you to be a top-notch fighter pilot. That’s something that can be trained, but you have those other innate characteristics that matter,’” Guy recalled. “It was kind of a big surprise that it wasn’t just about performance on every single mission. It was the fact that consistently, over time, you’re always seeing to improve yourself.” 

 

Guy had an innate quality — he was teachable. This is something every employer should look for, and have, within their teams. No one wants a hard-headed worker, at any level, who has a bad attitude. I always say “Adapt, change or die,” and the ability to adapt is an excellent quality for leaders and businesses to have. Skills are teachable, attitude isn’t.

 

“When I work with c-suites, you’ve got people who are dedicated to lifelong learning. They’re incredibly humble,” Guy said. “They realize that there’s a lot of experts on their teams who want to continue to make the organization better, and it’s about harnessing those skills and directing those talents. As opposed to always being the sole resource within an organization. Typically, senior leaders like that, don’t succeed.” 

 

Another critical trait Guy and I agree leaders should have: values. I like to call them ‘walk away values,’ but Guy keys into one crucial piece that makes up those values. 

 

“The currency that tends to underpin your success is trust,” Guy says. “When you deal with someone, you learn pretty quick, are they a person of their word, are they someone who might be excessively transactional. They’ll tell you one thing to your face and do something different behind your back. The reality is, whether you’re in uniform flying combat mission or handling these major multi-million or multi-billion-dollar deals, people have to be able to trust you.” 

 

Wise words for sure. 

 

He recently released his second book, TOPGUN’S top 10 which highlights key lessons he acquired as an elite fighter pilot that can easily be applied to business and life.  I asked what the most important lesson from his book was. He says it’s hard because every situation is different, but he did tell me what he thinks is the most evergreen for people at all stages of your life or career. 

 

“Never wait to make a difference,” Guy said. “It’s about being proactive.” 

 

“We’re all pretty optimized to recognize shortcomings to see the problems to see the friction points within our organization. But there’s truly a very slim number of individuals. Usually, around 10-15% of any organization that will recognize those problems and then kind of look around say ‘Why isn’t anybody fixing this?’ and ‘If not me, then who?’. So, they jump right in, and they not only help become part of the solution to either solve a problem or take advantage of an opportunity that exists. Those (people) typically wind up being those leading individuals that will continue to rise and be very successful, because every business leader wants people like that on their team.” 

 

Another lesson from the book is not to confuse activity with progress. Guy says it’s something everyone finds themselves fighting against, from the military to corporate America. 

 

“You find that it’s very easy to step into a routine,” Guy says. “We’ve all seen this with companies that have meetings that are just regularly scheduled, and they’re just there. People will walk in with the expectation that ‘I’ll learn everything I need at this meeting. I don’t have to come prepared.’” 

 

That couldn’t be further from the truth. While everyone should be prepared, the reality is meetings have changed. In fact, tech giant Google recently made headlines for its new policy “no meetings week.” The way we work has forever changed.

 

Besides meetings, Guy says many get caught up in daily tasks, making us forget to work on the more strategic goals that will move the needle forward. I call this working in the business and not on the business. It happens to all of us entrepreneurial CEOs at some point.   

 

I want to thank Guy for his insights and advice. I especially appreciate his leadership advice. If you would like to learn more about what it’s like to Pull G’s, his work at the Pentagon, and how Guy earned his call sign “Bus,” listen to the complete interview here.   

 

There’s nothing more New York than a bagel and schmear (cream cheese for you non-New Yorkers). Many would argue, a bagel is a food that is good as-is. Don’t mess with it. Others would disagree, including Elyse Oleksak. 

 

Recently I had Elyse as my guest, she’s the co-founder of Bantam Bagels on All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett. Elyse and her husband, Nick, took a New York style bagel, turned it into a donut-hole type ball, stuffed it with cream cheese, and put it in freezer cases across America.  

 

While Elyse and Nick sold the company in 2018, they still run Bantam Bagels. During our conversation, Elyse and I talked about Bantam’s beginnings and its continued rise. 

 

“Who doesn’t love a bagel?” Elyse asked. “It’s iconic. It’s something that everybody loves and fits literally within everybody’s life. What we were doing was just creating a little bit of a twist on it and making it a solution to a problem. (A bagel) is too big. It’s too messy on the go. It’s too big of a commitment.” 

 

They even took their idea to “Shark Tank” and got an investment from Lori Greiner.  

 

“(Lori) was the best fit for us,” Elyse said. “She’s known for having solutions for what seems like everyday problems, and that’s what we were doing.” 

 

First, we addressed the Bantam’s origin story – which is remarkable in itself.  

 

During the 2008 recession, the Oleksaks worked in the financial industry, not the food business, when they decided to get into the bagel biz. 

 

“Nick and I were working on Wall Street when the stock market, the economy, blew up. Half of our friends lost their jobs overnight,” Elyse recalls. “We were young and unafraid. We had ideas. We had hustle. We knew we had more to give. We had watched the professional infrastructure in front of our eyes dissolve, and we said if there’s ever a chance to take a risk. Just to get on the end-line and sprint and try something out, it’s now. Let’s try and own our own destiny. We have this crazy idea that is so good it makes people jump up and down.”  

 

“Just because we weren’t cooks, it didn’t mean we weren’t eaters,” Elyse said. “We were foodies. We lived in Brooklyn for 12 years. Bagels just become a part of who you are in New York.” 

 

Using their Brooklyn apartment as a test kitchen, Elyse and Nick began baking batches of mini-bagels perfecting the recipe that would later become Bantam Bagels. 

 

“In the morning before work, in the afternoon up until midnight after work (we made) hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of batches,” Elyse said. “Seeds everywhere. Flour everywhere. Different strands of yeast. We would take the dough and put it in our laundry room in our studio apartment, close the door because it was dark and moist enough to let the dough rise. We tried all kinds of stuff out.” 

 

She added, “We used to walk around the park and be like ‘You know, it would be really good to get some cheddar and Dijon inside of a bagel.’ It was one of those creative things.” 

 

All that creativity paid off. Nick and Elyse finally had their ‘a-ha’ moment.  

 

“We absolutely nailed it,” Elyse said. “I remember Nick sort of boil-baked one filled bagel for me before he left for his Wall Street job one morning. He’s like, ‘It’s on the counter. Try it.’ One bite, and I did the whole jump up and down. We were off to the races.” 

 

Elyse and Nick shared their new product with anyone in their network and pitched as many people as they could. From there, they started working on their flagship Bantam Bagel shop on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village. Before opening, Bantam got a full-page write up in The Wall Street Journal. That exposure lead to two segments on NBC’s Today Show in two weeks!  

 

“The New York scene exploded nationally. They were talking about us, and we hadn’t even opened our doors yet,” Elyse remembered. “We’re like ‘now it’s just up to us. Now we have to deliver the product.'” 

 

Early on, Bantam found the media to be major allies.  

 

“We got a lot of really, really good buzz from the press that we capitalized on,” Elyse said. “The press is the most amazing vehicle because they’re genuine, and people listen because they’re not getting paid to write about you. They’re writing about you because they like it.” 

 

To start, Elyse was working 18-hour shifts to keep up with demand. Nick would work his day job on Wall Street, then spend his evenings at the store. Elyse says what they learned early on was the unpredictability of foot traffic, even in a place as busy as New York. Bantam used its positive press coverage, including being named one of Oprah’s Favorite Things in 2014, to start cold e-mailing potential places to sell their product. 

 

“We sent (an e-mail) to someone at Starbucks, who said ‘I freakin’ love your bagels. I bring people to your shop. Come on in!'” Elyse said. “We showed up to their office, and it was like we were on “Candid Camera.” Everyone was coming in saying, ‘Can I take selfies with you guys? I’ve read about you. I’ve seen your story. I love your shop.’ That turned into momentum where (Starbucks) allowed us to launch at three stores. Those three stores very quickly turned into 30, turned into 50. We were personally delivering every bagel. We were personally going on the ground and sampling them to customers, like spreading the love from the ground up.” 

 

Elyse and Nick used that personal approach at grocery stores, trade shows, and anywhere else, they could make a connection. All those connections and media coverage lead to an unlikely relationship with the home shopping network QVC. In fact, Bantam Bagels were on QVC before “Shark Tank.” 

 

One day a QVC buyer cold called because she saw a story about Bantam in a magazine. The buyer was upfront about the difficulties of providing product to the cable shopping giant. QVC wanted 30,000 bagels ready in two weeks. Elyse and Nick looked around at their small store and staff and got to work. They shut down the shop and began baking in 24-hour shifts, all while Elyse was six months pregnant. They even had to research details like Nutrition Facts for the box during that time.  

 

It all paid off. QVC booked Elyse and Nick for a seven-minute segment. Bantam Bagels sold out in five minutes. Then QVC ordered more.  

 

“We were like, ‘we’re going to need a bigger boat,’ Elyse said.  

 

That’s when they reached out to the New York bagel community. From there, they got a crash course on the bagel industry and found a copacker, a company that would help make the product at scale.  

 

Next up for Elyse and Nick was “Shark Tank.” Before they went before the sharks, the Oleksaks crammed for the exam.  

 

“Nick and I went to Columbia, and I studied harder for the “Shark Tank” pitch than I did for my SAT,” Elyse said. “We had study guides. We had numbers. We would walk around and quiz each other. We watched every single episode ever aired, wrote down any questions that they asked, good, bad, you know, poking hole questions and we would prep our answers. I’ve never been so prepared for anything in my life.” 

 

From the Today Show, Shark Tank, Starbucks, and QVC, Bantam Bagels found bigger distribution deals with retailers like Target, Safeway, and other grocers.   

 

“If you look at the grocery store right now, it’s Eggo, Jimmy Dean, Toaster Strudel, Bantam,” Elyse said. “We’re like these little guys, and they’ve been established. We need to stand out.” 

 

How does Bantam stand out?  

 

“People want more. They want to connect. They want to hear a story. They want to be inspired,” Elyse said. “If we can connect personally with people and give that reason that they trust us a little bit more. They know whatever they buy is going to be the best thing ever because they know Nick and I have been up ’till midnight for months on end developing the recipe. That makes a difference.” 

 

I love talking to Entrepreneurial CEOs like Elyse. Her story is an inspiration and proves that hustle and grit can pay off.  

 

If you’d like to hear my complete interview, including the story about how Bantam got into major retailers, click here.  

 

 

 

Food, we all eat it. We all need it and we all have our favorites. (Mine is bacon, of course.)

While many of us take it for granted, we forget about the cultural and social impact having food on the table creates.

Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to have Andrew Zimmern, the James Beard award-winning personality, chef, and activist, on my podcast, All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett on C-Suite Radio. Many of you know Andrew from TV shows like Bizarre Foods and his most recent MSNBC show What’s Eating America, an in-depth look at some of our country’s biggest issues seen through the lens of food.

“If you take away bread and rice, that’s the stuff revolutions are made of,” Andrew said. “We swim in food culturally. As Americans we inhale other cultures first through our mouths, way before we appreciate the dance or music. Sadly, very sadly, in America (we appreciate the food) before we appreciate the people.”

Andrew says we’ve seen this attitude come to the forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic. You may remember that my hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota made national headlines for an outbreak at a pork processing plant. While the pandemic continued to spread, his hometown of Minneapolis, MN made the news after the murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed. Andrew says both these events, in their own ways, shone a bright light on what he called the different “Food Americas.”

“The rawness of the systemic racism that’s been revealed by the horrific shootings that have gone on over the last three or four weeks here in this country layered on top of the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a really ugly truth about our food systems in America that are also not immune to the inequalities; in fact, they’ve been built on them,” Andrew said. “But we actually have two or three different food systems going on in America, one that you and I get to participate in, and then a very clear other food America where people are not participating in it.”

He continued saying, “The COVID-19 crisis has revealed the ugly truth, though, about our relationship with food. We don’t produce it fairly, we take advantage still of the people who make it. We promote its unhealthiness much to our regret, both economically and in terms of the morbidity that it creates. There’s two or three food Americas that exists right now, which is horrific.”

Andrew says that Americans have a unique relationship with food, one he hasn’t seen elsewhere around the world.

“We have an extremely profound relationship with food. At no time in human history has a culture ever had as romantic a relationship with food as Americans do in 2020,” Andrew says. “Over the last couple of decades, it has just grown more and more intense, to the point that it’s how we measure status.”

While we might consider many of Andrew’s TV shows something to watch after a long day, he says there’s more to it than just a show about food.  His shows are a form of activism which Andrew said it’s something he learned from his parents and continues to speak up to this day.

“The show on one hand for some people is an entertainment show about a fat, white guy that goes around the world eating bugs,” Andrew said. “The real show is about preaching patience, tolerance, and understanding to people that otherwise we’re only describing us by our differences and not by our commonalities. And I really felt that it was important to make.”

“Every TV show that I made — from The Zimmern List to Family Dinner, I need to be able to stand behind something that’s going to change the world and make it better because of its existence. If it’s not going to make the world a better place because of its existence, simply beyond entertainment, I simply don’t do it,” Andrew added.

He also offered up ‘Easter Eggs’ of sorts in every episode of Bizarre Foods. I’ll make sure to look for it next time I watch the show.

“For 12 years in Bizarre Foods, we always put a family meal and every single episode of every show that I ever did, Andrew said. “I wanted to show people what a family looks like eating in another part of the world, because we all look the same. When families gathered together and eat, we all look the same, and I saw tremendous value in that.”

Over the run of Bizarre Foods, we’ve all seen Andrew eat some stuff that most of us wouldn’t normally eat, so I had to ask what he won’t eat, and you might be as shocked as I was to learn his answer.

“I’m not big on walnuts. I’m really against raw cookie dough, which some people just love. I just hate the taste of raw flour.”

That’s not all we talked about, we both had an idea for a new show he could do, blue lobsters and a shocking exchange he had with a man over apricot juice. You even get a small sneak peek at an upcoming project.

Listen to the full interview on this episode of All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett.

 

In 1993, Mark Victor Hansen became a household name. Not because he made a movie or had a new CD out, but because he was the co-author of the wildly popular “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book series, along with Jack Canfield.

The pair sold over 500 million copies worldwide, setting a record in sales. Since that journey, Mark and his wife (and partner), Crystal Dwyer Hansen have traveled the world, imparting their wisdom and life philosophies to people in over 80 countries. Earlier this year, Mark Victor and Crystal were guests on my podcast, “All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett” on C-Suite Radio and the conversation naturally took a more spiritual turn.

“The purpose of life is joy. You ask for a spiritual answer and that’s it. Your goal is to be passionately on purpose and do two things: create and contribute,” Mark said. The book he co-authored with Crystal, “Ask! The Bridge from Your Dreams to Your Destiny” takes an in-depth look at what the purpose of life is. We often jokingly ask, ‘what is the meaning of life?’ and while we didn’t find that answer this time, we did address some simple, yet difficult things we as human beings fail to do sometimes.

Mark and Crystal have the upper hand on how to handle the difficulties life throws at us – sometimes in rapid succession.

He says, “The difference between those who make it a little and those who make a whole lot and fulfill their destiny…is one thing and one thing only: they’ve learned how to ask.” He adds that while most people are afraid to ask anyone anything, there are three ways to ask:

1. Ask yourself
2. Ask others
3. Ask God

However, there is a bonus ask there, too: Ask your wife (or husband)! That has worked well for me for almost 40 years, so we agreed there should be a fourth question.

But, why are people afraid to ask? Mark and Crystal say there are seven road blocks that prevent us from taking that leap. The main obstacle is fear, as it is associated with unworthiness; therefore, people tend to disengage or shut down.

“The disconnection we’re talking about here is disconnecting from yourself and your own desires. Disconnecting from your own dreams, so you shut down to the point you stop asking for anything,” Crystal says. She continues to say this is one of the saddest roadblocks because it translates to apathy, loneliness, depression, and giving up on life.

However, not all is grim.

“There’s nothing like asking to get you unstuck,” Crystal emphasizes.

This is a journey that will take time, not something immediate. Neither one of my guests has all the answers, but the road to greatness is paved with plenty of speed bumps.

Mark was lucky enough to surround himself with influential people who paved the way for him to write and sell thousands of books – which is not an easy thing to do. As the author of four best-selling books, I can tell you that it takes a lot of work, gumption, and dedication to forge ahead. In fact, his latest book, encourages everyone to tell their stories and make money doing do. Mark believes that we all have meaningful life experiences and when we write them down we get out of the mediocrity and complacency we sometimes fall into.

In business and in life, if you’ve become complacent, it’s time for a change. Routine is comforting, but it doesn’t help us grow. When we wallow in complacency, we run the risk of missing the next big opportunity that awaits.

Mark was turned down 144 times before his book was published. If he had stopped to wallow in his misfortune, we probably wouldn’t be talking today and the “Chicken Soup” series, might still be a figment in someone’s mind.

He is a clear example of perseverance and some might even argue it’s stubbornness, but there’s something to be said about standing by your decisions and pursuing your destiny.

I asked Mark and Crystal about why do people have a hard time pursuing their destiny?

Crystal said, “Our destiny presents itself in our worst challenges, in life’s worst challenges. We just have to remember to rather than sink into our own misery, to challenge ourselves with some questions like he (Mark) did.”

Everyone who has achieved a modicum of success got there by passing through the school of hard knocks. The road isn’t always easy, but it’s worth the pain to get to the top. In fact, Mark tells the story of when he went bankrupt back in 1974. That was a massive failure, but he didn’t let that stop him from putting pedal to the metal.

“Most people who are successful have been through some real trials and tribulations. In the worst trails, instead of giving in and giving up, that’s when we go deep and start asking ourselves, ‘ok this is a massive failure and it feels horrible,” Crystal added.

She continued, “When you start asking yourself questions, research shows that a different part of your brain actually lights up. A different part of your brain goes to work for you…and it’s the part of your brain that does critical thinking. So, your answers are always there for you, but you cannot give up on life because it’s a journey. It’s tough.”

Let’s be clear, failure sucks, but if you’re going to fail, make sure you fail fast…so you can win fast. However, this doesn’t always silence the voices in your head that threatened to derail your plans or your positive thinking.

“Either you use your mind to your advantage or your mind will use you to your disadvantage,” Crystal said.

Our brains are trained to protect us from our own doubts, wired to keep us safe. When difficulties happen, it’s natural that fear and doubt creep in, but we have to fight those voices, and even create our own. It’s about finding our purpose and focusing on the lessons learned from the experience. It’s a matter of retraining our brains to dwell on the possibilities, not the catastrophe.

I often joke that these interviews are more for me because I learn so much from each and every guest, but it’s 100% true. Whether you’re a seasoned leader, a c-suite executive, or just starting on your professional journey, part of that growth and transformation involves looking inward. It’s not about money, titles, and corner offices. Those are good too, but it’s not all there is.

Mark and Crystal are an incredibly insightful team, made stronger by their core beliefs, their faith in one another, and their true partnership.

To listen to the full interview with Mark and Crystal, listen here.

You can also watch Mark’s episode of Best Seller TV, on C-Suite TV, featuring his new book, “You Have a Book In You: Make Money with Your Story.”

With all the talk of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, here’s something to think about. The number of women running Fortune 500 companies in 2020 is at an all-time high.

That number is 37! If you’re more of a percentage-type person, that’s a little over 7% percent. Those are paltry numbers if you asked me.

If you’re looking for women in the top five c-suite jobs, the numbers are slightly better. Women hold a quarter of the leadership roles in our nation’s largest corporations, according to a Korn Ferry survey.

While the upward trend is encouraging, there are also sobering news for women in the workplace.

More than 860,000 women dropped out of the workforce in September 2020 alone.

Do you hear that?

It’s the sound of an Olympic-sized talent pool draining. The next leader in your company, at any level, might be out of the workforce right now, and we’re all hurting because of it.

Why is this happening?

For answers, I went to an expert.

Kathleen Caldwell is not only the CEO of Caldwell Consulting Group. She leads the C-Suite Network’s Women’s Leadership Council, a group dedicated to helping women “get in, stay in, and thrive in the c-suite.”

I had the pleasure of interviewing Kathleen during a recent episode of my podcast, All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett. We jumped right into why women are dropping out of the economy.

“It’s alarming,” Kathleen exclaimed. “COVID certainly has had a lot to do with it, with women boxed in between health care for themselves and childcare for their children. They’re in the sandwich generation trying to do it all, and they’re opting out.”

She adds, “Women are making choices, and they’re opting out of the career track to get them into the c-suite. Many of them are choosing alternative careers, starting their own businesses, opting for companies that perhaps have some more flexibility for them.”

That led me to a follow-up question — is this mass exodus all COVID-19 related or is there something else at play? Kathleen says that while the pandemic is playing a key role in the migration of women out of the workforce, there are some underlying trends we may not be seeing.

“The bigger trend is (women) are leaving the workforce that are in their 50s and 60s,” Kathleen said. “We’ve got this generation of women that are saying ‘Hey, you know, I’ve had enough of this. I want to start working on my own dream. My own business. My own career.’”

“It’s women in their 20s with young children. It’s women in their 30s and 40s when they’re starting to get traction in their careers and then, of course, 40s, 50s, 60s when they’re saying maybe I want to do something different.”

Kathleen says attracting and retaining women at all professional levels is something managers and workers should start working towards. For the sixth year in a row, women continued to lose ground at the first step up to manager, according to a McKinsey report.  It also details that women remain outnumbered in entry-level management at the beginning of the year – only holding 38 percent of manager-level positions, compared to 62 percent of men.

“I think it’s the responsibility of the companies they work for, but also the women themselves (to) build up more engagement for themselves and more excitement about their careers,” Kathleen said. “Women have to be driving the conversation. Find your way in the corporation that you’re in and find what excites you. (Be) your own unique participant in your own growth plan. Don’t rely on HR to do it for you.”

All these workforce vacancies can also create headaches for HR departments. The pipeline of talented women is drying up, and that hurts everyone.

“This is not a blame game. This is more of an empowerment opportunity conversation. It’s women looking at their careers as what they want,” Kathleen said. “Do they want to be in leadership? What’s available for them to be on boards and what’s available for them in the c-suite.”

She continued, “I think it’s a marketing job within corporations and it’s women raising their hands to say ‘Hey, I want more. I’m ready for more and give me more.’”

Part of being ready to take on more responsibility is knowing yourself. Kathleen says you have to know your strengths, weaknesses, and where you add value to the organization. It’s also about building relationships with leaders inside and outside your company. One way to accomplish that is by finding sponsors and mentors. While the two terms sound similar, they are different concepts. A mentor is someone who gives more career or skills-oriented advice. A sponsor is someone who stands by you when things get tougher within a corporation once you’re in a leadership position.

How do you even begin to find a good mentor or sponsor? Kathleen has some advice.

“Think about building those relationships with people that are at higher levels in the organization and actively reaching out to that person,” Kathleen said. “(Think of) who you’d like to be in a relationship with and have that sponsorship, allyship with. (You’re) taking the initiative out there and not overthinking it.”

She added, “Asking ‘Hey, what do you know? I’m looking to do this in my career, my business. Here are some things that I need. Would you help me?’ Making the ask that someone can say yes to, or no to, or propose something different.”

Throughout my career, I’ve encountered many great leaders in the c-suite and other leadership roles that happen to be female. Leadership doesn’t have a gender and even today, I continue to champion women. One of my business partners is a great leader in her own right. We share a mission, vision, and values, while operating from completely different perspectives. I even joked that I think I’ve become nicer. While may have been said in jest, Kathleen says it’s a proven benefit from working with women.

“I think you’re demonstrating one of the great things with women leaders, the pause aspect,” Kathleen said. “One thing I’ve noticed about you is you have a tendency to maybe sit back and then let other women jump in, move in, and have their point of view. Not always (be) the first to rush in or always be right.”

This can be a difficult for most men, including myself. We want to solve the problem. It’s just a part of our personalities. I’m continually learning from the women in our company, especially Tricia Benn, Chief Community Officer of C-Suite Network, and General Manager of The Hero Club. Admittedly, she does some things much better than I do.

“That’s a perfect example of what men can learn from women in the workplace,” Kathleen said. “Taking the time to understand what are those differences? And really strengthening women’s strengths and giving us visibility in the workplace.”

“Maybe she needs a little bit of a pep talk, or maybe she needs some air cover or visibility. It doesn’t have to be rough and tumble all the time because there’s power in the things that are not said. It doesn’t always have to be aggressive.”

Kathleen gave us all a great pep talk, and I’m consider myself lucky she’s one of our most prominent leaders here in the C-Suite.

If you’d like to hear our complete conversation, click here.