The Greatness Machine

What makes a great Chief Operating Officer (COO)? A Chief Operating Officer (COO) plays a crucial role in the success of a company. The COO is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the business and ensuring that everything runs smoothly. This includes managing internal operations, such as finance, human resources, and IT, as well as external operations, such as sales and marketing. Hiring a great COO can have a significant impact on the growth and success of a company. A strong COO will have a deep understanding of the industry and the company's operations and will be able to identify areas for improvement and implement effective strategies to drive growth. They will also be able to lead and motivate employees, and work closely with the CEO to develop and execute the company's overall strategy. Cameron Herold, a top business consultant, best-selling author, and speaker, joins us on the Greatness Machine for the second time around to talk about his newest book, The Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO, where he shares details of the process of hiring a COO and successfully working with them. In this episode, Darius and Cameron lay down the characteristics that make a good COO, the roles and responsibilities of a Second in Command, and the most common mistakes entrepreneurs and CEOs make when hiring and onboarding a new COO. Cameron also talks about his decision to become a digital nomad and even shares a piece of advice to those who want to follow the same path.  Topics include: How and why Cameron was asked to leave 1800-GOT-JUNK The must-have traits of a great COO The motivation behind Cameron’s first book Double Double Cameron shares inspiration for writing The Second In Command The biggest failure point most entrepreneurs and CEOs make in looking for a second in command What caused Cameron to become a digital nomad and travel the world with his wife Cameron shares a piece of advice for those who are hesitant to travel And other topics... Resources mentioned: Traction by Gino Wickman: https://www.amazon.com/Traction-Get-Grip-Your-Business/dp/1936661837  Cameron Herold on TGM (Part 1): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/35-cameron-herold-the-power-of-a-second/id1555334180?i=1000532262742  Connect with Cameron: Website: https://cameronherold.com/  Website: https://cooalliance.com/  Book: https://www.amazon.com/Second-Command-Unleash-Power-Your/dp/1544537603  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coo-alliance/  Course: https://investinyourleaders.com/  Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are you meant to be doing? Following your calling often means pursuing a career or path that is not necessarily conventional or typical, but that aligns with your unique talents and passions. It may involve taking a leap of faith and leaving a stable job to start your own business, or leaving behind a familiar community to explore new opportunities. Pursuing your calling can be a challenging yet rewarding experience. It will require you to stay true to your own values, beliefs, and passions. At the same time, following your calling means being authentic which also means being honest about your strengths and weaknesses, and being willing to take risks and make mistakes. Today, I am flying solo to share a story of how I took a big risk to follow my calling at a young age. I will also reveal how my authenticity and determination helped me prove my doubters wrong, how I even inspired others to cherish our uniqueness, and why it’s ok to be different.  Topics include: The first time I took a very big risk in high school How I went viral before the internet What I learned from leading my class  How to believe in yourself and why it matters The importance of authenticity One of the greatest gifts I ever received at a young age and how I leveraged that And other topics… Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you define success? The entrepreneurial path is a long and difficult one, filled with risks and obstacles to be overcome. On the other hand, there are great rewards to be found along that path as well, as long as you have a clear definition of what success means to you.  One path taken by many entrepreneurs is authorship - leveraging their experience, successes, and failures and sharing those insights with their readers. Such a path is often far more difficult than people realize and brings with it its own set of challenges. In today's episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius chats with Mike Michalowicz, entrepreneur, speaker, and author of Get Different, Fix This Next, Clockwork, Profit First, The Pumpkin Plan, and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. His books have been published around the world and translated into 10 different languages, and he's passionate about connecting with entrepreneurs. You'll discover some of the challenges of writing, launching, and promoting a book, and why many new authors only focus on the first part of that process and forget the rest. You'll learn why "success" has almost as many definitions as those who strive for it in business and in life. You'll also discover why Mike believes that marketing is not in any way bothersome - in fact, it's the ultimate, deliberate act of kindness.  Join Darius and Mike as they explore the long and winding road to becoming an entrepreneur, as well as the rewards and pitfalls that can be found along the way.  Topics include: The challenges and rewards of writing, launching, and promoting a book, particularly for an entrepreneur How we each define success in different ways, based on our beliefs, experiences, and desires Why Michael believes that marketing is, in reality, a deliberate act of kindness And other topics… Connect with Mike: Website: https://mikemichalowicz.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemichalowicz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikemichalowicz/ Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What defines an effective leader? What are the qualities employers look for in a leader? In an ever-changing workplace, an effective leader is an excellent communicator and someone who empowers their team. Integrity, honesty, and authenticity are essential attributes of a good leader. Good leadership involves defining outcomes and then helping team members use their talents to achieve them. Larry Yatch, an elite leadership strategist and the creator of the SEAL Success programs, joins us on the Greatness Machine for the second time around to talk about his book, How Leadership (Actually) Works: A Navy SEAL’s Complete System for Coordinating Teams. In this episode, Darius and Larry dive deep into leadership and discuss the six-pillar system that teaches companies how to effectively structure teams, manage behavior, and maximize self-regulation. They also discuss purpose alignment and the power of language in coordinating action with others.  Topics include: Larry talks about his book How Leadership (Actually) Works An overview of the 6 pillars of leadership Why Larry used to feel unfulfilled despite his achievements How to produce success as an individual or as a company Leveraging language for building a good team Language as a tool to coordinate action with others The difference between ego and confidence How to align individual, team, and organizational purpose The effects of social media and news on a person’s self-regulation Larry defines culture and leadership And other topics… Resources mentioned: Larry Yatch (Episode 1): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/141-larry-yatch-leading-like-a-navy-seal/id1555334180?i=1000583007928&l=ru  Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins: https://www.amazon.com/Cant-Hurt-Me-Master-Your/dp/1544512287  Connect with Larry: Website: https://www.sealteamleaders.com/ Book: https://www.howleadershipactuallyworks.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-yatch/ Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it possible to invest in real estate with little money? Investing in real estate has proven to be one of the safest and most profitable forms of long-term investing. Contrary to what many believe, you don’t need to have large amounts of capital to get started.  In fact, it is not necessary that you own a property, flip properties, or invest huge amounts of money in development deals in order to enter this lucrative market. Andrea Petersen, Co-Founder and CEO of the real estate crowdfunding platform School of Whales, joins us on the Greatness Machine to talk about her wide range of experiences from commercial real estate to renewable energy, hospitality, and banking. In this episode, Darius and Andrea dive deep into real estate investing, crowdfunding, entrepreneurship, success, purpose, and a lot more. Topics include: What made Andrea shift from banking to entrepreneurship What they do and offer with the School of Whales Where the name School of Whales comes from How School of Whales differ from Fundrise What types of returns the School of Whales are targeting What Andrea envisions the School of Whales to be in the future How Andrea defines success Investing in real estate in Miami And other topics… Connect with Andrea: Website: https://www.schoolofwhales.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/school-of-whales/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whalesfund/  Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you taken a moment to step off the hamster wheel to pause and reflect on whether your life is headed in the right direction?  On today’s show, we interview ex-CMO of Harley Davidson, Shelley Paxton who shares with us her wisdom on purpose, alignment, and discovery. You will learn the real truth about busyness and the importance of figuring out what’s truly important to you.  With her trademark sass and rebel attitude, Shelley shares her incredible life story, and how she ended up stewarding some of the most iconic organizations in the world including Harley, Visa, McDonald’s, and AOL. Shelley stumbled into the world of marketing and advertising because of her dad.  But years later, when she made it to the top of the corporate ladder, she still felt unfulfilled and non-aligned. So, at the height of her success, in 2016, she decided to give it all up and embark on her discovery journey. This ultimately led to Soulbbatical and her new life mission – which is to liberate the souls of leaders and organizations, by inspiring them to realize their greatest purpose and potential.  Topics include: Building a rabid brand following The real truth about busyness How to discover your life’s calling  Purpose of a sabbatical When your soul smacks you in the face  And more topics… Connect with Shelley: Website: https://www.shelleypaxton.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelley-paxton-759163/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulbbatical/ Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it mean to surrender and let go of control? Letting go and surrendering can be a difficult task, but it is often the only way to truly move forward. It takes courage to relinquish control and accept that sometimes life has its own path for us.  But with this courage comes great rewards; when we let go of our worries, fears, doubts, and expectations we open ourselves up to new possibilities in life. By surrendering, we are going with the flow of life while working towards our goals.  Kute Blackson, world-renowned teacher, author, leader, and speaker in the world of personal development, joins us on the Greatness Machine to dive deep into his bestselling book, The Magic of Surrender: Finding the Courage to Let Go. In this episode, Darius and Kute talk about how people can break free from self-imposed conditions by surrendering and letting go of control. They also discuss how painful experiences and traumas can lead us into finding our purpose in life. Topics include: Kute shares what it feels like growing up in a long line of spiritual leaders Kute looks back coming to the US for the first time to live his calling How to turn painful experiences into purpose What it means to surrender and how to do it Kute shares the story behind writing The Magic of Surrender Letting go and breaking conditioned patterns Moving away from ego to seek the truth And other topics… Sources mentioned: Power of One More: https://www.amazon.com/Power-One-More-Ed-Mylett/dp/1119815363 Connect with Kute: Website: https://kuteblackson.com/  Website: https://www.boundlessblissbali.com/  Book: https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Surrender-Finding-Courage-Let-ebook/dp/B08LMJ8YQF Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kuteblackson/  Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you ever feel like there’s just not enough time in the day to get everything done? We all have dreams of working less and making more, but it can seem impractical. Whether it’s getting through our to-do list at work or completing household chores, finding ways to maximize efficiency and productivity can be difficult. Although it can be challenging, the good news is it’s possible! Working half as much and making twice as much may sound like an impossible feat, but it’s actually not that hard.  Denise Gosnell, CEO, entrepreneur, strategist, attorney, investor, and the author of the bestselling book The Vacation Effect for Entrepreneurs, joins us on the Greatness Machine to share her secret to running three companies while working on an average of just three days a week.  In this episode, Darius and Denise talk about workaholicism, the American “grind” culture,” and how it is possible to break free from these mentalities and achieve the freedom mindset. They also discuss how to eliminate the feeling of guilt when pursuing the life you have always dreamed of.  Topics include: How Denise became a seven-figure entrepreneur from humble beginnings What workaholism taught Denise about money, life, and family How a tragic fire incident changed Denise’s mindset to be truly happy What working 80 hours a week look like, its benefits, and challenges What motivated Denise to do a three-day workweek test for 30 days Evaluating team members based on results versus hours spent Some of the stumbling blocks Denise experienced around the framework How to increase productivity and get more done in less time How Denise spends her “freedom days” How to overcome the grind culture and workaholic mentality And other topics… Connect with Denise: Website: https://denisegosnell.com/ Website: https://growbysubtraction.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisegosnell/  Book: https://denisegosnell.com/book  Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If asked, there's one ability most of us would like to have - the ability to see into the future and prepare for what's to come.  While no one can truly predict the future, we've gotten very good at using data and technology to make educated guesses about what's coming next.  In today's episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius chats with Jeff Booth, an entrepreneur, tech leader, strategic advisor, proud family man, and the author of The Price of Tomorrow: Why Deflation is the Key to an Abundant Future.  Jeff draws on his 20 years of experience at the forefront of technological change to provide an enlightening look at what's to come. You'll discover why the entrepreneurial mindset and understanding your own impact on the world will be key to creating a better future.  You'll learn why technology is a deflationary force, and why the current political and financial system impedes that deflationary effect. You'll also discover some of the challenges facing currencies around the world, such as the inflation/deflation cycle, and the manipulation of global currencies to gain trade advantages.  Topics include: Why it's essential to focus on an entrepreneurial mindset and realize how much your impact in the world matters Why technology is a deflationary force and what the rapid growth of technology means for the future The future of currency, including a true understanding of inflation and deflation, as well as the political realities that affect them  And other topics… Connect with Jeff: Website: https://www.jeffreybooth.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffBooth LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffdbooth/ Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corporate spying, also known as industrial espionage, refers to the act of obtaining confidential information about a business or organization for the purpose of gaining a competitive advantage. This can be done through a variety of methods, including computer hacking, physical theft of documents, wiretapping, and infiltrating the organization with undercover agents. One common technique used in corporate spying is social engineering, which involves manipulating individuals into divulging sensitive information. This can be done through phishing scams, pretexting (creating a false identity or pretext in order to obtain sensitive information), or baiting (offering something desirable in exchange for information). Robert Kerbeck, the founder of the Malibu Writers and a three-time Pushcart Prize nominee, joins us on the Greatness Machine to look back at how his career shifted from acting on theater stages to doing his apprenticeship as a corporate spy. In this episode, Darius and Robert dive deep into the world of corporate spying and the most common techniques used in industrial espionage. They also talk about the effects of ransomware attacks on businesses and how these can be prevented.  Topics include: How Robert stumbled into a spying job while working as an actor Robert shares important advice for job seekers The most efficient method for extracting data The most elaborate ruse Robert has ever conducted How do corporate spies get paid The legality of corporate espionage Robert talks about writing his book Ruse: Lying the American Dream from Hollywood to Wall Street How ransomware is a big problem for businesses Ways to protect businesses from ransomware attacks And other topics… Resources mentioned: Andrew Bustamante on TGM: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/101-andrew-bustamante-from-cia-operative-to-ceo/id1555334180?i=1000561746615  Ruse: https://www.amazon.com/Ruse-Lying-American-Hollywood-Street/dp/1586423169  Connect with Robert: Website: https://www.robertkerbeck.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-kerbeck-12aa7a11/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertkerbeck/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/robertkerbeck  Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices