Talking Business Now

The story of Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter is a family story that began in 1898 in Columbus, Ohio, with the oldest peanut butter company in the United States. Its most recent chapter began when the current owner, Kimmi Wernli, was six years old.

Wenli joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to talk about bringing the natural peanut butter company into the 21st century—with sales in every state—and provides loads of takeaways you can use to grow your own business.

Tune in to find out how, in the short time since taking over Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter from her father, Wernli has:

·         Merged two companies into one.

·         Overseen a major rebranding effort.

·         Embraced social media to create a community of peanut butter lovers.

·         Embarked on a mission to make it fun to eat healthy.

·         How she’s using peanut butter to help alleviate childhood hunger.

·         And what it takes to become a “B” Corporation.

Wernli also shares tips for ensuring a smooth ownership transition in a family business, modernizing an old business and positively impacting the community.

Connect with Kimmi Wernli

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crazyrichardspb/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/crazyrichardspb

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmi-sonksen-wernli-a80581125/

Connect with Kelly Scanlon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InterrobangSolutions/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KellyAScanlon

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyascanlon/

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Think about the times in your life when you’ve had to reimagine your future. Maybe it was leaving school and starting your career—or changing your career. Often, during these transitional times, we’re faced with many options and we’re concerned about making the RIGHT decision. Many times, there’s not a clear map for which path will lead to success.

My guest on this episode of Talking Business Now is Tina Seelig, author of “What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20: A Crash Course on Making Your Way in the World.” Seelig, who is a Professor of the Practice at the School of Engineering at Stanford and a faculty director of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, encourages us to toss out old models and old rules and provides a model for reaching our potential.

Seelig’s model has applications for students, entrepreneurs, business executives and others who want to throw out old assumptions for achieving success, want to discover how to have a healthy disregard for the impossible, learn a new approach for recovering from failure and be able to spot opportunity in challenges.

Seelig teaches courses in the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school) and leads three fellowship programs in the School of Engineering that are focused on creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. She earned her doctorate in neuroscience at Stanford Medical School and has been a management consultant, entrepreneur and author of 17 books. She is the recipient of the Gordon Prize from the National Academy of Engineering, the Olympus Innovation Award and the Silicon Valley Visionary Award.

Connect with Tina Seelig:

Twitter Link: @tseelig

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinaseelig/

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Conflict has become a dirty word in the workplace. But, according to our guest on this episode of Talking Business Now—New York Times bestselling author Dr. Liane Davey—companies that avoid or defer conflict find themselves struggling with “conflict debt.”

Davey, an organizational psychologist, is the author of The Good Fight: Use Productive Conflict to Get Your Team and Organization Back on Track. She says: “Think of conflict debt like credit card debt. Conflict debt is the sum of all the contentious issues that need to be addressed to be able to move forward but instead remain undiscussed and unresolved. Like credit card debt, conflict debt compounds as leaders who avoid conflict pay interest dealing with drama, tamping down passive-aggressive behavior, and trying to patch eroded trust.”

Tune in to learn:Why we need more conflict in our organizations.How to have conflict productively.Why tension that is healthy and productive should be encouraged.The 3-step process for communicating with someone who disagrees with you.Tips for dealing with difficult personalities and behaviors.Why it’s always important to have a “go-to” question that encourages the behavior you’re looking for.Davey is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review and the host of the ChangeYourTeam blog. As the co-founder of 3COze Inc., she advises on business strategy and executive team effectiveness, working with companies such as Amazon, Walmart and SONY PlayStation. 

Connect With Liane Davey

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drlianedavey

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lianedavey

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lianedavey/

Instagram: https://www.instragram.com/lianedavey  

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Jeff Green was a teacher and elementary school principal for 16 years. In fact, he thought he would eventually retire as a school superintendent. But, after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, Jeff, a father of three, wanted to find a better way to protect his own children and the children and staff under his watch.

On this episode of Talking Business Now, Green joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss his journey from school principal to entrepreneur and how his company SafeDefend, specializing in emergency alert and lockdown systems and training, helps people survive an active shooter event.

Jeff said, “I was a principal during the time of the Sandy Hook shooting, and also a father of three. And after that, I realized that my building wasn’t any better protected than Sandy Hook’s and shared a lot of similarities. So, I just really never started out as a business. I was just a dad and a principal trying to figure out a better way to protect my students, my staff and my own children … and just really sat down and said, ‘Hey, what do we need to do? What is going to make a difference? How can we get proactive?’ And that’s how SafeDefend was born.”

Jeff worked with law enforcement and threat assessment experts at the local, state and national level to determine what elements needed to be addressed to survive an active shooter.

He learned, according to the FBI, that most casualties occur within 3 minutes. The U.S. average police response is 11 minutes, with just over 5 minutes for metropolitan areas. He also found that the average 911 call takes 75 seconds from dialing to providing dispatch with enough information.

During the last six years, Jeff has worked to develop SafeDefend into a national leader on active shooter response and training, expanding from schools to hospitals, city government offices, manufacturing facilities, financial institutions and other public places.

Connect with Jeff Green

Facebook: facebook.com/safedefend

Twitter: @safedefend

LinkedIn: Safedefend, LLC

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Adversity doesn’t define you, but it can influence the road you take as you become who you are.

That’s the belief of David Cooks, my guest on this episode of Talking Business Now. At the age of 15, David Cooks was a high school sophomore and a passionate basketball player. But then, he experienced a spinal aneurysm that left him as a T-6 paraplegic.

From the beginning, David refused to let the wheelchair control his life. In his book, Getting Undressed: From Paralysis To Purpose, David shares his inspiring story of persistence, power of perspective and power of faith to demonstrate how obstacles should not define you and instead, should help you help others.

He discusses how you can learn your own purpose and become a more effective leader by taking a break from your problems and challenges to help others with theirs. Here are just a few of the takeaways David offers in the podcast:

• Persevering through life’s challenges sometimes requires getting help. You’re not in it all by yourself.
• There is nothing wrong with small beginnings. Nothing is insignificant. Everything matters.
• Making adjustments on and off the court, and in life, are pivotal to success. Be willing to do things differently.
• Take advantage of whatever opportunity you’re given. How you handle success will determine how much success you can handle.
• What you are willing to sacrifice today is an indication of its value and where you are trying to go in the future. If it’s a priority, sacrifices are made; everything else gets excuses.
• Your ability will get you there, your character will keep you there, and it will stay with others long after you’re gone.
• It is impossible to live without failing at something, so don’t let that stop you from getting to your destiny. Embrace it, learn from it and get back in the line.

David went on to receive his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and his MBA in finance from Duke University. He has coached at Duke University and has also spent time as an assistant basketball coach at Concordia College. David is the founder of David Cooks Enterprises, a speaking, coaching and training organization helping businesses and individuals put their purpose into action with clarity on teamwork, leadership and communication.

Connect with David Cooks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/24DavidSpeaks

Twitter: www.twitter.com/dcespeaks.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/david-cooks-mba-20001210

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Bob McClure, co-founder of McClure’s Pickles, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to talk about his entrepreneurial journey and what it’s like working in a family business that grew into a nationally recognized brand.

McClure’s is a specialty pickle brand with raving fans. Bob McClure grew up making pickles, using a recipe from his great grandmother. But he didn’t think the pickle industry was where he’d land as an adult. In fact, he left Michigan to work in New York, an actor. He has performed in commercials for several major brands, including Visa, The NFL, Verizon, Time Warner, Staples, and Quiznos. His film work includes The Brave One with Jodie Foster and the Brass Teapot. His work can also be seen on The Burg and All’s Faire.

Nowadays, you’ll find him back in Detroit at McClure’s World Headquarters. He oversees business administration, key account management and brand development for the company.

What we’re Talking Business Now about in this episode:  The company’s origin story: making pickles every summer using their great grandmother’s recipeTurning the family passion into a business in 2006 and expanding it into a national brand with raving fansHow Bob’s acting career prepared him for his role in the family businessHow McClure’s has positioned itself in the changing pickle market—and the lessons business owners can learn about adaptingAdvertising and marketing tips for gaining market share against major brandsHow to successfully navigate the dynamics of a family-owned businessConnect with McClure’s Pickles

■ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mcclurespickles

■ Twitter: https://twitter.com/mcclurespickles

■ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcclurespickles/

■ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mcclurespickles/

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In many cases, the solutions to our business challenges can be found if we only ask the right questions. On this episode, Greg Bustin joins Talking Business Now  host Kelly Scanlon to discuss what today’s leaders can learn and which questions to ask by studying decisions made throughout history.

He’s written a book called How Leaders Decide: A Timeless Guide to Making Tough Choices. In it, he presents 52 stories featuring pivotal decisions that previous leaders—such as Alfred Nobel, Marie Curie and Winston Churchill—have made during some of the most critical moments in history. Those decisions had consequences for business, war, peace, sports, science, technology, government and the arts.  At the end of each chapter, Bustin offers leadership questions that the situation prompted, and readers are encouraged to consider them in the context of their own circumstances.

Tune in to find out:

■ How to use questions to conquer tough decisions

■ The most commonly occurring decision-making mistakes

■ How to safeguard against making poor decisions

Bustin was the executive vice president and general manager of the Dallas office of Edelman Worldwide before founding his own marketing management consultancy, so he’s made plenty of tough decisions. He’s helped leadership teams at multinational companies like Burger King, Sony, ConocoPhillips, PepsiCo, Nucor and Verizon as well as small- and medium-sized companies increase their effectiveness. He’s delivered more than 500 keynotes and workshops on five continents, and he is the author of five leadership books.

Bustin has shared his insights on leadership in The WallStreet Journal, Chief Executive, Fast Company, Forbes, Inc., Investor’s Business Daily and other major publications.

Connect with Greg Bustin:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GregBustinLeadership/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GregBustin

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Most experts make the mistake of choosing just one way to deliver their expertise. The result? They never achieve the recognition and revenue they deserve.

Think about it. Accountants make money through accounting. Trainers make money from training. Chef’s cook. You get the picture. The secret to becoming a niche leader and having more revenue is to diversify how you deliver what you do.

That’s the advice of Ronan Leonard, the founder of Eccountability. Also known as The Mastermind Guy, Leonard joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss how to leverage your intellectual property—in other words, the knowledge and expertise you’ve gained through years of experience—into additional revenue and a more pronounced industry profile. Leonard calls this Return on Intellect.

Tune in to discover:

• What Return on Intellect is—you may be surprised!

• How to leverage your Return on Intellect into additional revenue streams

• How Ronan’s experience on a sinking cruise ship of the coast of South Africa in 1991 influenced his approached to business

• Why it’s important to teach people what they want to learn instead of what you want to teach

Connect with Ronan Leonard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronan-leonard/

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August Turak joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss the business lessons he learned from the Trappist monks.

Turak was a founding employee of MTV and the A&E Network. Later, he founded software companies that eventually sold to BMC Software for $150 million. He currently runs a not-for-profit called the Self-Knowledge Symposium Foundation.

As a successful entrepreneur and award-winning author, Turak attributes much of his success to his 20-year stint as a frequent monastic guest of the Trappist monks of Mepkin Abbey. As a monastic guest, he lives and works alongside the monks sometimes for months at a time.

In 1996, a skydiving accident triggered the emotional crisis or “Dark Night of the Soul” that sent Turak to Mepkin Abbey in search of the spiritual solace he so desperately needed and the monks so graciously provided.

In 2004, at the encouragement of some former students, Turak decided to enter the John Templeton Foundation’s Power of Purpose essay contest. He had 3,500 words in which to answer the question: “What is the Purpose of Life?” He had never written anything for publication before, but his “Brother John” essay about an actual Christmas Eve encounter at Mepkin Abbey won the $100,000 grand prize.

Later, he wrote an article for Forbes.com called “Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks.” It went viral. As a result, he was invited to become a leadership contributor at Forbes. In addition, Columbia Business School Publishing asked Turak to turn his article into a book.

That book, Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks: One CEO’s Quest for Meaning and Authenticity, applies monastic principles to secular business.

Turak’s latest book, Brother John: A Monk, a Pilgrim and the Purpose of Life, combines his Templeton Prize winning essay with the illustrations of the award-winning artist Glenn Harrington to offer an inspirational message of meaning and purpose.

Connect with August Turak:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aturak

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AugustTurak

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/augustturak/

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The speed of change is 10 times faster now than it was a decade ago—and 40% of today’s Fortune 500 companies won’t exist in 10 years. To stay ahead of that change, there is an urgent need for proactive leaders and entrepreneurs to proactively develop strategies that create the future of work.

So says futurist Cheryl Cran, the founder of NextMapping and the author of “NextMapping: Anticipate, Navigate and Create the Future of Work.”

But don’t misunderstand. Although technology is driving much of the change, the common theme of all  Cheryl’s work is a “people first” and digital second approach that creates a more human future, one in which technology can enhance outcomes for people.

In this episode of Talking Business Now, Cheryl joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss digital disruption in the workplace and the impact on jobs in the future of work.

Tune in to learn:

– How the “always-on culture” has shifted the traditional work dynamic.

– The benefits of technology transformation/adoption in the workplace.

– How automation, AI and robots will continue to impact businesses, consumers and employees.

– The truth behind the myths of automation (e.g., robots stealing jobs) and what automation really means for employees in the future of work.

– How schools and training will need to adapt to create the workforce of the future.

– The impact of automation on our cities (e.g., Smart Cities).

– Actionable advice to help leaders bring tech and cultural change that prepares and empowers teams to be “future of work” ready.

Cheryl has been featured in the Huff Post, Forbes, IABC Magazine, Law Magazine, Metro New York, Entrepreneur Magazine, Readers Digest, CBS Online, NBC Online, Fox Online and other publications.

Connect with Cheryl Cran:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cherylcran

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/cherylcran

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylcran/

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