Creating Harmonious Workplaces: Culture, Leadership, and Employee Engagement with Richard Cruz Harmoniousworkplaces.com Richcruzchicago.com About the Guest(s): Richard Cruz is an accomplished advisor and consultant to C-Suite executives, specializing in organizational development and change leadership. With over 20 years of experience, Richard has been pivotal in enhancing organizational performance, developing self-efficacy among workers, and fostering employee engagement. A graduate from Purdue with a Master's in Industrial Organizational Psychology, he co-founded Harmonious Workplaces, a consultancy firm focused on creating positive workplace environments. Richard is also a co-host of the Harmonious Workplaces Podcast and an adjunct professor at Trinity Christian College. Episode Summary: Join Chris Voss in a riveting episode of The Chris Voss Show as he engages with Richard Cruz, a distinguished consultant who transforms organizations into harmonious workplaces. With a keen focus on organizational development and a background in Industrial Organizational Psychology, Richard shares insights on creating positive work cultures that boost employee engagement and retention. He delves into how effective leadership and data-driven decisions can significantly impact workplace harmony. This episode unveils the intricacies of culture in the workplace, highlighting the significance of perceived organizational support (POS) and its influence on employee retention. Richard discusses the evolving expectations of Gen Z in the workforce, emphasizing their need for belonging and meaningful work. The conversation warms up with tales of Richard's personal journey, from aspiring artist to business consultant, showcasing the value of adapting skills across fields. With a detailed overview of Harmonious Workplaces' offerings, including their culture scorecard and innovative illustrated book, Richard demonstrates the power of strategic change management. Key Takeaways: Effective leadership and a positive workplace culture are crucial for retaining talent and enhancing organizational performance. A strong sense of belonging and purpose is especially vital for Gen Z employees, influencing their engagement and loyalty. The Harmonious Workplaces Podcast explores themes of organizational change, communication, and culture, providing valuable insights for businesses. Remote work poses unique challenges to maintaining workplace harmony, requiring innovative strategies for connection and leadership. Richard's journey from art to business underscores the importance of versatile skills and adaptability in career success. Notable Quotes: "Work can be as fulfilling as we spend more time at work than with our families." "Your human capital is always borrowed. When those people are gone, you don't have 'em anymore." "Gen Z is a generation of creators—they want and need the sense of belonging and community." "Effective culture and leadership can prevent employees from becoming zombies within the organization." "There's a strong need for organizations to provide psychological safety and engage with new ideas."

Jean-Pierre LaCroix, President of Shikatani Lacroix Design and author of "Desire by Design," dives into the intricacies of branding. He explains how emotional connections, not just wants, drive consumer choices. By merging neuroscience with marketing, he reveals strategies for fostering genuine desire for brands. The discussion highlights the importance of storytelling and immersive experiences in creating lasting relationships with consumers. LaCroix’s insights transform branding from simple transactions to profound emotional engagements.

Michelle Davies, an internationally acclaimed healer and author of 'Mental Clarity,' discusses her unique approach to combat brain fog and enhance focus. She reveals how birth trauma can impact long-term mental health and offers actionable strategies for self-healing, including diet, sleep, and exercise. The conversation also touches on the importance of the glymphatic system in maintaining cognitive function and the healing potential of music and mindfulness. With a blend of science and spirituality, Michelle provides invaluable insights for improving mental well-being.

Pickleballers by Ilana Long Amazon.com A pickleball newbie looking to recover from life’s swings and misses crosses paddles with love in this debut romantic comedy. Meg Bloomberg is in a pickle. When Meg’s ex turns out to be a total player, she and her bestie take off for a mood-lifting pickleball excursion to Bainbridge Island. It’s supposed to be an easy lob, a way to heal, not the opening serve to a new courtside romance that’s doomed to spin out. No matter how Meg tries, she can’t shake her feelings for Ethan Fine. A charismatic environmental consultant and Bainbridge local, Ethan seems like the real dill. But when Meg discovers that Ethan is sabotaging her home court, she decides the match is over. It’s time for Meg to take control of her own game. And maybe, just maybe…love will bounce back.About the author Ilana Long is the author of PICKLEBALLERS, a romantic comedy. Preorder for Novemeber 12, 2024! A pickleball newbie looking to recover from life’s swings and misses crosses paddles with love in this debut romantic comedy. Other books: ZIGGY'S BIG IDEA (Kar-Ben, Lerner Publishing, 2014) noted for its “dialogue-driven approach” (Kirkus review.) Several of her non-fiction essays are published in CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL (2016-2021) Simon & Schuster. Ilana is the author of a regular column for "The Tico Times", Costa Rica’s national English language newspaper, readership 12,000. Besides writing, Ilana travels and lives abroad, hikes, paints, acts, sings, teaches, and parents her twin teens.

The PR Playbook: The essential guide for startups, entrepreneurs and lean organizations by Ronjini Joshua Amazon.com Here's a secret...You don't need to hire a PR agency for a quality PR program, you just have to understand PR. The PR Playbook is not just a book about public relations but is a workbook designed to enable any entrepreneur, marketing pro or startup CEO to understand the basic principles of working with the media and create a successful PR plan themselves.Ronjini Joshua is the founder and CEO of The Silver Telegram a PR agency serving tech startups, discussing the importance of branding at every stage of your company and the truths about the future of PR and media relations.

MEHscapology: How to turn your "carbon copy" B2B company into a growth machine with differentiation, positioning and un-turn-downable offers by Matt Hodkinson Amazon.com Totalgrowthownership.com So many B2B companies strive to achieve their growth ambitions by investing headlong into the latest marketing strategy or sales tactic, in the fervent belief that more activity produces more deals. But without a rock-solid market position and a core message that runs through the very fibres of your business presence, no amount of content, publicity, outreach or advertising will bring you the levels of success you desire. In MEHscapology, positioning and differentiation virtuoso, Matt Hodkinson, brings you a step-by-step formula for transforming your market presence and core business language. You'll learn the extent to which poor positioning is costing your company, the vital importance of differentiation in making your proposition the only viable option to your buyers, and how language drives perception; the key driver to influencing and building trust with your target audience. Packed with practical advice and real world examples, MEHscapology shows you exactly how to ditch the dull, and earn the attention you deserve for your soon-to-be-thriving business. About the author Matt Hodkinson is Founder and Chief MEHscapologist at TGO (Total Growth Ownership). Matt has worked directly with more than 250 consultancies, managed service partners, and other B2B organisations over the past 13+ years, helping them to find their “unordinary” and realise their marketing potential, without the need to become a high-volume content production outfit. He lives in Surrey, UK, with his “out of his league” wife and two incredible daughters.

To Flourish: God is the Light We are its Spectrum by Duane Haynes Amazon.com "Positive and encouraging poetry for everyone. Poetry to encourage and give you a positive outlook on life. This is also a poetry book that teaches you to be strong in facing your fears with faith and courage. Trustpilot; Most popular Book. 1,119,317 reviews of Excellent five Stars. Enhancement Poems are available on Spotify, iTunes, etc. About the author Mr. Duane E. Haynes was born in Denver, Colorado to Jimmilee and Elmer Haynes II. Duane was born ten minutes after his twin brother, Darrell, one of five children. Duane’s life changed when he took a life-threatening fall at the age of twelve. The accident left Duane in a coma for about three days. When Duane came to, he had changed. He remembers being in a place that he now knows in his heart as Heaven. To talk to him about it he says, “God showed me all of Heaven and Love. He then told me what I must do, and gave me a gift and sad, ‘Go back into the world and give them this gift, tell them so that they can learn their pathway to the way home.’ Two months later Duane began to write, and what this young man was writing caught the attention of those closest to him. His insight and depth was to them beyond the comprehension at an age so young. To some, his poems are prophecy, to others, insight – for him they are the sharing of his gift. There was a dark period in his life where he was troubled by the world, and his writings during that time show his turmoil.

Michael Wilkinson, a multi-book author and founder of Leadership Strategies, discusses the transformative power of facilitative leadership. He emphasizes engaging teams in decision-making to foster trust and enhance collaboration. Wilkinson introduces eight core practices, encapsulated in the acronym 'SUCCEEDS', that leaders can apply to improve communication and manage conflict. He also shares insights on adapting communication strategies to different personality types and the importance of navigating disagreements through open dialogue. This approach reshapes leadership for the evolving workplace.

The Last Kilo: Willy Falcon and the Cocaine Empire That Seduced America by T. J. English Amazon.com From true-crime legend T. J. English, the epic, behind-the-scenes saga of “Los Muchachos,” one of the most successful cocaine trafficking organizations in American history—a story of glitz, glamour, and organized crime set against 1980’s Miami. Despite what Scarface might lead one to believe, violence was not the dominant characteristic of the cocaine business. It was corruption: the dirty cops, agents, lawyers, judges, and politicians who made the drug world go round. And no one managed that carousel of dangerous players better than Willy Falcon. A Cuban exile whose family escaped Fidel Castro’s Cuba when he was eleven years old, Falcon, as a teenager, became active in the anti-Castro movement. He began smuggling cocaine into the U.S. as a way to raise money to buy arms for the Contras in Central America. This counter-revolutionary activity led directly to Willy’s genesis as a narco. He and his partners built an extraordinary international organization from the ground up. Los Muchachos, the syndicate founded by Falcon, thrived as a major cocaine distribution network in the U.S. from the late 1970’s into the early 1990’s. At their height, Los Muchachos made more than a hundred million dollars a year. At the same time, Willy, his brother Tavy Falcon, and partner Sal Magluta became famous as championship powerboat racers. Cocaine, used by everyone from A-list celebrities to lawyers and people in law enforcement, came to define an era, and for a time, Willy Falcon and those like him—major suppliers, of whom there were only a few—became stars in their own right. They were the deliverers of good times, at least until the downside of persistent cocaine use became apparent: delusions of grandeur, psychological addiction, financial ruin. Thus, the War on Drugs was born, and federal authorities came after Falcon and his crew with a vengeance. Willy found himself on the run, his marriage and family life in shambles, the halcyon days of boat races and lavish trips to Vegas and parties at the Mutiny night club seemingly a distant memory. T. J. English has been granted unprecedented access to the inner workings of Los Muchachos, sitting down with Willy Falcon and his associates for many lengthy interviews, and revealing never-before-understood details about drug trafficking. A classic of true-crime writing from a master of the genre, The Last Kilo traces the rise and fall of a true cocaine empire—and the lives left in its wake.

Saving Lives: Joseph Nounou's Revolutionary ResPen for Overdoses Aurospharma.com About the Guest(s): Joseph Nounou, MD, MBA, is an innovative anesthesiologist passionate about expanding the accessibility of life-saving medical interventions. From a young age, Joseph was inspired to pursue a career in medicine, culminating in his graduation from medical school and residency as an anesthesiologist. In addition to his medical expertise, he pursued an MBA from the Haslam School of Business at the University of Tennessee to understand the business elements of getting medical products to market. With a commitment to empowering individuals, Joseph developed the ResPen, an affordable and accessible way to administer life-saving medication to victims of drug overdoses. Episode Summary: In this engaging episode of The Chris Voss Show, host Chris Voss is joined by visionary anesthesiologist, Joseph Nounou, MD, MBA. As they embark on a thought-provoking conversation, the spotlight is on Joseph's revolutionary creation, the ResPen, designed to rescue individuals from life-threatening situations like drug overdoses. With over 107,000 overdose fatalities a year in the US alone, Joseph's groundbreaking device is poised to change the landscape of emergency medical intervention. The discussion explores the intricate balance of medicine and business behind the invention, Joseph's personal journey, and his unwavering commitment to saving lives. During the episode, Joseph and Chris delve into the growing opioid and fentanyl crisis that underscores the need for the ResPen. By focusing on creating a fast-acting solution that even those without medical training can use, Joseph aims to significantly reduce the death toll from overdoses. The conversation also highlights the ResPen's application for cardiac arrest situations, stressing the critical few minutes during which a life can be saved. Beyond discussing this life-saving device, Joseph offers insights on how partnerships and investments can accelerate their mission, and how listeners can get involved. Key Takeaways: Joseph Nunu, MD, MBA, is behind the development of the ResPen, a life-saving device aimed at reducing fatalities from drug overdoses and cardiac arrests. The ResPen is an innovative solution that allows non-medical personnel to administer crucial medication in emergency situations. Drug overdoses claim over 107,000 lives annually in the US, highlighting the urgent need for accessible emergency interventions like the ResPen. Joseph emphasizes the potential of partnerships and investments to bring the ResPen to market faster, urging listeners to get involved in the mission. The FDA's fast-track designation could expedite the ResPen's journey to the public, aligning with the urgency of the opioid crisis. Notable Quotes: "The worst person in the world is probably someone who's evil, so don't be evil." – Chris Voss "It turns out that 350,000 people die outside of the hospital every year from sudden cardiac arrest." – Joseph Nunu "In that period of time, the brain will die. The brain only lives for about five to eight minutes without oxygen." – Joseph Nunu "It's a whole jumbo jet full of people every single day and nobody really pays that much mind because it's just the baseline." – Joseph Nunu "We have a lifesaving medication that really could use some political backing and really could use a quality partner in the pharmaceutical industry." – Joseph Nunu