How do we attract and retain underrepresented talent in senior leadership positions? Sometimes, it's what you don't do that makes a difference. One key to helping shift leadership styles from traditional to modern is to not "force feed the vegetables". Nicole Smart has been helping de-homogenize leadership teams for 15+ year and found the meeting people where they are is step one to meaningful and lasting change. More about Nicole:Nicole Smart is the founder and principal of Smart EDI Solutions, LLC.   Throughout her 15+ year career span, Smart has evolved within a variety of roles that helped build upon her professional expertise within diversity, equity & inclusion, global human resources, labor relations and leadership development.  She has led, managed and facilitated strategic, operational and cultural objectives for national and global organizations in professional sports and professional live theatre. she received her bachelors in Leadership and Management Studies with a concentration in Organizational Management and Development from New York University and a masters Degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University. She is also a certified talent optimization consultant for Predictive Index (PI). Nicole Smart is a courageous and studious champion for change, She  supports organizations by providing strategic guidance, best practice recommendations and data-driven solutions to power up diversity, equity and inclusion programs and initiatives to achieve optimal business results.

Original aire date: S1 E29 Kevin Oakes, CEO i4CP DEC 1, 2022.I4cp does more HR research than any other research firm on the planet. After decades of research one thing is consistent: there is a direct correlation between companies that have a CHRO who reports to the CEO and high performance. Those that don't, are low performers. In this highlight, I cover some relatively new insights from a 2017 report by the National Association of Corporate Directors and other developments that will have a big impact on culture and leadership in the next 5-10 years. If you would like more information on data-driven culture and talent solutions, you can find me HERE.

We've heard from Mohammad Anwar CEO of Softway who turned his company around leveraging Love As A Business Strategy (S1 E 20 aired September 29, 2022) but what about the executive team? In this episode, we hear from Jeff Ma, the director at Softway who has been on the ride the whole time. As someone who thrived as a Command and Control leader, Jeff helps us understand the realities about shifting into a compassion-based Servant leadership style. Don't miss this. Oh, and buy the book (it's incredible!): Love As A Business StrategyAnd don't miss their podcast: LAABSMore about Jeff:Director at Softway & Culture+ Follow Softway on LinkedIn to attend their Innovating Teams Webinar (sooo good)Jeff Ma is the Director of Product Development at Culture+, co-creator of the Seneca suite of products and services, host of the ‘Love As A Business Strategy’ podcast, and WSJ Best Selling Author of 'Love as a Business Strategy.’ Coming up through a decade in the gaming industry, Jeff eventually found his niche in project management and agile coaching at Softway. As he continued working with teams and clients in scrum and agile environments, however, he started seeing the stronger underlying importance of culture in truly high performing teams. Pushed by a combination of his own introspection, feedback from his colleagues, and a whole lot of uncomfortable practice - Jeff shifted head-first into a new mission that he shares with his team: to bring humanity back to the workplace. Nowadays, he’s hyper-focused on helping people find a workplace culture that allows them to be their whole selves - their best selves. Jeff is leading the development of various products and tools that are crafted with a culture of love at its center. As a co-facilitator of Seneca Leaders and the other experiences in the Seneca suite, he is also connecting and transforming leaders around the world directly - helping them improve their mindsets, behaviors, and leadership capabilities. 

In my original interview [EP 26 Aired November 10, 2022] Sam Jacobs, CEO of Pavillion, talks about the importance not just of building community on his platform to help people upskill to land the job of their dreams, but to take care of each other, offer peer mentoring and support to build a rich network of good people who gladly help in the spirit of generosity. Sam and his diverse team is building a community of millions of professionals who don't believe in a zero sum game but instead, in the long game. Sam has the distinction of being fired from most of his jobs. He never quite fit in. That's partially what inspired the creation of Pavillion. It's a community - based support and education system for high-performance teams and individuals. He has been enormously successful with this business because he hired people different than him to help him run it. He shares his complicated relationship with finance, how he found freedom and fulfillment while creating a profitable business. Check out his book: Kind Folks Finish FirstMore about Sam:Sam Jacobs is the Founder and CEO of Pavilion, the premier community and career development platform for high-growth leaders and their teams in every function.  Sam launched Pavilion as Revenue Collective in 2016 and bootstrapped the company to $10M in ARR before taking on a $25M growth financing round in early 2021, led by Elephant Ventures and GTM Fund.  Prior to Pavilion, Sam spent 15 years as a senior revenue leader at VC-backed companies in the New York area including Gerson lairman Group, Axial, Livestream/Vimeo, The Muse, and Behavox.  He lives in the West Village of Manhattan with his wife and dogs, Oswald winny and Mr. Williams.

Kevin Oakes and i4cp have a reputation for having the best data around. With his deep bench of vendor-free SME's to source and decades of research to call upon, his metrics about culture clear and compelling: The highest performing organizations consistently have healthy cultures. Kevin breaks it down in this amazing episode. Get. His. Book. Right. Now: Culture RenovationMore about Kevin and i4cp: Kevin is the CEO and founder of the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp), the leading human capital research company in the world. Focusing on the people practices of high-performance organizations, i4cp leverages its vendor-free community to facilitate next practices in human capital.   Kevin was previously the Founder and the President of SumTotal Systems (NASDAQ: SUMT) which he helped create in 2003 by merging Click2learn (NASDAQ: CLKS) with Docent (NASDAQ: DCNT). Prior to the formation of SumTotal, Kevin was the Chairman & CEO of Click2learn, which was founded in 1985 by Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft. Prior to joining Click2learn, Kevin was president and founder of Oakes Interactive in Needham, MA. Oakes Interactive was purchased by Click2learn (then called Asymetrix) in 1997, which Kevin helped take public a year later.   Kevin was the 2006 Chairman and 5-year board member of ASTD (now ATD) the largest association in the world dedicated to workplace learning and performance, Kevin is currently on the board of Performitiv, a performance improvement technology company, as well as the advisory board of EdCast, a knowledge network firm, Guild Education, the nation’s leader in helping employers adapt their education and learning programs to align to corporate strategy. He is also on the board of Sanctuary, a health and wellness startup. He also served on the boards of Workforce Insight and Koru, prior to their sales.  He is a frequent international keynote speaker on using human capital strategically. He is also the author of "Culture Renovation - 18 Leadership Actions To Build An Unshakeable Company" published by McGraw Hill and is the co-author of "The Executive Guide to Integrated Talent Management," published by ATD Press.

Just glad to be here. 

Original Air Date: Oct 27 S1 E24: Brian Aquart Esq, the Chief of Staff at a large east coast health care company. He talked about his challenges and struggles in law school and the advice from a professor that changed his life. In this highlight, I'll be talking about the value of tech vs smart [aka: soft] skills and how hiring managers can move the needle on DEI. More about Brian:Brian Aquart is an attorney, consultant and multi-faceted healthcare leader with 12+ years of experience ·      in advising executives & teams·      fostering growth & innovation·      managing conflict and·      public speaking He currently serves as the chief of staff at one of the largest health care providers on the eastern seaboard. Brian is also the Creator and Host of the Why I Left Podcast, a show that chronicles real stories from real people about why they left their jobs during the pandemic. He is a naturally curious person whose passion for knowing the “why” has led him to experience many of life’s joys. Brian focuses on lifelong learning, executing strategies that save lives, connecting people to mission, developing leaders, and advocating for inclusive and equitable work environments. Brian is an alum of the University of Florida (BS) and Wayne State University Law School (JD). Brian’s professional journey took the scenic route, but he is thankful for the insights gained throughout the process. Connect with him on LinkedIn and don't miss his podcast: Why I left, all about real stories from those who are part of the Great Resignation.

Sam has the distinction of being fired from most of his jobs. He never quite fit in. That's partially what inspired the creation of Pavillion. It's a community - based support and education system for high-performance teams and individuals. He has been enormously successful with this business because he hired people different than him to help him run it. He shares his complicated relationship with finance, how he found freedom and fulfillment while creating a profitable business. Check out his book: Kind Folks Finish FirstMore about Sam:Sam Jacobs is the Founder and CEO of Pavilion, the premier community and career development platform for high-growth leaders and their teams in every function.  Sam launched Pavilion as Revenue Collective in 2016 and bootstrapped the company to $10M in ARR before taking on a $25M growth financing round in early 2021, led by Elephant Ventures and GTM Fund.  Prior to Pavilion, Sam spent 15 years as a senior revenue leader at VC-backed companies in the New York area including Gerson lairman Group, Axial, Livestream/Vimeo, The Muse, and Behavox.  He lives in the West Village of Manhattan with his wife and dogs, Oswald winny and Mr. Williams.

Even though 99% of Scott Harris' NY real estate client base is "rich white folks", Scott built diverse team that is making it rain. Listen in on his strategy for building a diverse team and becoming a true servant leader.More about Scott:Since 2003, Scott Harris has been involved in the marketing and sales of nearly $1 Billion of New York City residential property. In 2014, among the top 250 realtors in the nation in sales volume, Scott was recognized as the number 30 broker in New York City by the WSJ/ Real Trends Top 1000 list. He is regularly among the top 0.02% of Realtors nationwide.  Prior to Real Estate, Scott was in the entertainment industry, as an artist manager and exclusive booking agent. His success as an agent uniquely prepared him to be a top Real Estate professional in New York City, by helping him build a diverse, international network and client base, which he continues to cultivate. Scott was born and raised in New Orleans. He holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania. He lives on the Upper West Side with his wife and three children. When he is not busy being one of the top 2% of realtors nationwide, he is a dedicated marathon runner and crossword enthusiast. 

When you are a talented, educated Black man who is the Chief of Staff at a big health care company, how do you go about moving the needle on diversity? Brian shares with us his successes, frustrations and best practices in bringing equity and diversity to the highest levels of leadership in healthcare. Don't miss his podcast: Why I left, all about real stories from those who are part of the Great Resignation. More about Brian:Brian Aquart is an attorney, consultant and multi-faceted healthcare leader with 12+ years of experience ·      in advising executives & teams·      fostering growth & innovation·      managing conflict and·      public speaking He currently serves as the chief of staff at one of the largest health care providers on the eastern seaboard. Brian is also the Creator and Host of the Why I Left Podcast, a show that chronicles real stories from real people about why they left their jobs during the pandemic. He is a naturally curious person whose passion for knowing the “why” has led him to experience many of life’s joys. Brian focuses on lifelong learning, executing strategies that save lives, connecting people to mission, developing leaders, and advocating for inclusive and equitable work environments. Brian is an alum of the University of Florida (BS) and Wayne State University Law School (JD). Brian’s professional journey took the scenic route, but he is thankful for the insights gained throughout the process. Connect with him on LinkedIn and visit WhyILeft.co.