Unleashed - How to Thrive as an Independent Professional

Show Notes: Dimitris Samouris discusses the development of a tool called Junior, an SaaS tool built on large language models and speech to text models. It leverages AI to help process primary research workstreams, particularly in the due diligence process, especially for primary interviews. How Junior Works - A SaaS Tool to Clean Transcripts Junior helps automate a significant portion of the administrative tasks associated with research execution, allowing users to focus more on the big picture answer rather than the execution side of things. The tool provides a highly accurate transcript of each call, including the name, segment, company, customer size, date and time of the interview, call status, and review status. The call tracker is a knowledge repository that displays the names, segments, job title, company, customer size, country, date and time of the interview, call status, and review status. The call screen is a customizable project management tool for running the call workstream. Junior has three parts: a call drawer, which has three parts: verbatim transcript, clean transcript, and audio file backup. The first step is to chunking the verbatim transcript into relevant question and answer pairs, then cleaning those pairs for colloquialisms and repetition interruptions. This process typically strips out about half of the text in the verbatim transcript, making it more digestible. The Benefits of Using Junior - Workflow Tools for Consultants Junior allows users to create a clean transcript of a call and then convert it into a call summary. The tool has two components: a stats box that extracts every numerical data point referenced in the call and stores it in one place for review after the call, and a set of key takeaways that are AI-generated summaries of the key points of the call. The tool leverages information from the beginning of a project, such as a scope document or interview guide, to help guide the summary. The tool also offers workflow tools specifically designed for the consulting industry to help get to the slide output faster. One of the main features is Ctrl. F. This feature helps users find relevant quotes and questions related to the topic, such as contract structure, pricing, implementation, and renewal processes. This feature is particularly useful for human consultants who may struggle to trace quotes due to sanitization or paraphrasing issues. An AI native spreadsheet table automates data input for questions that need to be tracked systematically across research or used in market models. It allows users to set up questions and track transcripts, with the source information attached for verification. The data is exportable into Excel for further analysis. Junior also has a chatbot that handles transcripts for consulting and investment research use cases. It produces structured answers with evidence attached to each argument, providing a comprehensive data access and customization tool. Pricing and Signup for Junior The presentation also touches on the pricing and signup process for clients, including six of the top 10 consulting firms, boutiques, and private equity funds. The pricing is $100 per transcript, which typically gets billed back to the client as part of the research expenditure along with the extra networks used to source calls. Overall, the presentation emphasizes the importance of auditability and traceability when using Gen AI tools in procurement research. Junior saves time on analysis and synthesis for clients who are already paying for interviews on big alpha sites or GLG. The tool is priced at an extra 100 dollars per interview, but it can be refunded back to the client. The signup process involves reaching out to the company, who spin up a new instance for each user due to data security concerns. The platform can be set up within a day of reaching out. Timestamps: 01:02 Using AI to automate due diligence process, including transcription and summarization of calls. 05:53 Using AI to summarize and analyze audio calls for consulting industry research 09:02 Ctrl F functions 12:57 AI-powered tool for analyzing audio interviews and providing structured insights 14:26: SWOT analysis capabilities Links: Email: Dimitris@myjunior.ai Website: https://www.myjunior.ai/ Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.

In this episode of Unleashed, Ran Harpaz, founder of Lettuce, discusses the importance of an automated tax and accounting system for businesses and that Lettuce is entirely focused on independent consultants. Independent consultants who make over $100,000 per year often overpay their taxes by $10,000 or more. Lettuce is a FinTech software company that helps these professionals incorporate their business into the right S corporation with the IRS, open a business bank account, run bookkeeping, run accounting, predict and file taxes, all done automatically through software. The company offers two levels: Pro (300 dollars a month) and Premium (700 dollars a month). The service includes accounting, bookkeeping, tax preparation, and tax preparation. Tax Strategies for the Independent Consultants Ran explains how many independent consultants are often double taxed as sole proprietors due to the IRS's coordination on annual tax returns. He offers an example to demonstrate how this works. Ran also discusses the concept of an S Corp and its implications for tax calculations. He mentions that Lettuce exists as a software solution that does this daily on every dollar, as income fluctuates throughout the year. This automated solution monitors every payment, calculates and withholds the right amount automatically, and keeps the balance to the IRS constantly close to zero. The S Corp also offers more advanced tax strategies, such as retirement matching, qualified business income deductions, and better healthcare premium payments. Once an S Corp is established, it can unlock all the tax strategies typically available to corporations. The tax system and everything around it are well optimized for corporations, and larger organizations have a finance department, FEMA, and tax experts. While the savings on Social Security and Medicare may be capped, other benefits like retirement and healthcare premium payments open up once an S Corp is established. Using Retirement Plans as a Tax Strategy Ran discusses the advantages of using retirement plans as a tax strategy for individuals, particularly those with limited liability companies (LLCs). They mention that having an SEP IRA or a defined benefit plan can provide tax-free income, but it also comes with higher limits. The speaker emphasizes that this becomes a multivariable optimization problem, as individuals may want to save more through retirement, allocate more to Social Security, optimize for salary distribution, maximize expenses, and consider factors like business use of home and mileage. He suggests that these tax strategies should be solved by software products rather than human efforts. He explains that Lettuce is a replacement for QuickBooks accounting bookkeeping packages. Instead of having multiple software solutions, Lettuce provides a single solution that includes incorporating LLCs, making S corp elections, running books, opening a dedicated bank account, and managing payroll processing. How Lettuce Offers Tax Accounting Solutions Ran also mentions that Lettuce can handle payroll for individuals who hire employees. They focus on serving businesses of one owner, as they are the essence of the business. The free business bank account is provided by TransPecos Bank, a Texas bank, FDIC insured, and provides the infrastructure for keeping money safe.The company is offering accounting and bookkeeping software that helps with automating quarterly taxes, which are a requirement for people. The software handles complex tasks such as forecasting, withholding the right amount, filing, and payment. It also handles complex transactions like multiple jurisdictions or income from Canada. The company has partnered with a CPA company to serve their specific market segment, offering additional services when needed. This includes offshore investments and rollovers from past investments. The company is also working on rolling out an AI accountant to answer customers' questions 24/7. They are training and fine-tuning the AI engine on specific tax code areas, providing answers as good as human but faster. The AI will be released in the next couple of months, and the company expects to receive positive feedback from users who want guidance and information without having to call a CPA. Timestamps: 03:45 Tax savings for independent consultants 09:39 Tax strategies for small business owners 17:44 Financial management and accounting software for independent professionals Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.

Salah Zalatimo, former Chief Digital Officer at Forbes, discusses the history of magazines, digital transformation, and Forbes' adaptation to new business models. He talks about the challenges faced by magazines in the internet age, Forbes' success in the digital media space, and the integration of AI in content creation. The podcast explores the evolution of digital media businesses, innovative data collection strategies, and empowering writers through AI integration.

Henry Oliver, author of Second Act, discusses late bloomers in careers, emphasizing cognitive ability as key to job performance regardless of age. He highlights biographical sketches of successful late bloomers like Margaret Thatcher. Oliver shares the importance of networks, influence, and bold actions in navigating career paths and finding a fulfilling second act in life.

Show Notes Craig Callé talks about third party risk management (TPRM), with an emphasis on cybersecurity. TPRM is a subset of Governance Risk and Compliance (GRC), which aims to help organizations achieve their objectives, address uncertainties, and act with integrity. TPRM is crucial as over half of all data breaches occur through insecure third parties. Companies need to understand their third party relationships and monitor them more carefully, which requires a variety of tools and processes. Craig explains that TPRM can cover a variety of risks, including cybersecurity, but also financial viability, compliance with privacy, sanctions and other regulations, reputation management, supply chain issues, and alignment of ESG and sustainability objectives. Defining GRC and Third Parties Craig explains that GRC is a broad category that includes TPRM, but also enterprise risk management (ERM), business continuity or operational resilience, policy management, controls compliance, privacy and ESG. ERM typically includes a risk register, which compiles all the potential threats that can affect a company, and it is crucial to building a more predictable and measurable system to achieve its objectives at the lowest possible risk. He mentions that the term "third parties" should include not just vendors and suppliers, but also often overlooked entities such as outsourced service providers, software as a service (SaaS) apps, cloud hosts, contractors, ecosystem partners, technology partners, and financial counterparties. GRC Frameworks He mentions that a lot of the governance aspect of GRC work involves picking a suitable framework and building a program around it. For example, in cybersecurity, a popular standards body would be NIST, and he mentions a few others that give leaders a roadmap apropos to achieving high standards of operation. Organizational Relationships The head of GRC is responsible for ensuring that the organization operates within its control frameworks. For example, in a Fortune 500 company, the executive responsible for GRC might report to a Chief Risk Officer, if there is one, with a dotted line to the board audit and risk committee. Since many TPRM programs have an exclusive focus of cybersecurity risk, the head of TPRM often reports to the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Third Party Risk Management Responsibilities The head of third party risk management is responsible for several processes, such as onboarding new third parties, periodic audits, ongoing real-time monitoring, reporting functions, and investigating and dealing with incidents and responses. However, the responsibilities depend on the organization's level of maturity and the complexity of the process. Craig offers a few examples to clarify the complexities that have to be taken into consideration, including the fact that risk management processes can be seen as blockers, and additionally, offers a tip on how to overcome this issue. Software for Third Party Risk Management Craig talks about the importance of selecting the right software for clients, highlighting the pros and cons of a best of breed approach versus a multi-module suite. Craig mentions examples of TPRM workflow automation platforms, including ProcessUnity, MetricStream, ServiceNow, LogicGate, BitSight, and many others. These platforms facilitate questionnaires and other assessments issuance, response review, routing of issues to specific people or groups within an organization, risk scoring and reporting to stakeholders. Cyber risk ratings, which have been around for over 10 years, are now a natural complement to workflow platforms. Ratings provide objective data that help triage the community of third parties by quantifying vulnerability to data breaches. They provide easy-to-digest results that don't require an IT certification to understand, based on FICO-like scores or letter grades. He explains that companies may want to share data across modules, although some organizations can be siloed and don't realize opportunities to collaborate. For example, if a company has both privacy management and TPRM software, there is a natural logic to connect the data map required by privacy regulations to the third parties that might hold customer data. He also emphasizes the need for an advisor to understand the customers' problems and inherited solutions, as well as the timeframe and budget constraints. Ripping and replacing existing solutions is rarely feasible and desirable. AI has become an important tool for parsing through voluminous data to identify critical facts, although human involvement remains an essential element in the process. Predicting Improvements in TPRM Craig believes that over the next decade, the focus of third party risk management will involve high-level orchestration across CISOs, risk officers, and procurement people, perhaps led by what he calls a Chief Third Party Officer, or CTPO, leading to a more comprehensive view of not just risk, but also third party performance. He thinks third parties deserve the same level of scrutiny that a Chief HR Officer would apply to employees and job candidates. Timestamps: 05:15 Third-party risk management and GRC 11:57 GRC roles and responsibilities in a Fortune 500 company 16:10 Third-party risk management processes and responsibilities 21:59 Third-party risk management software and techniques 27:26 Third-party risk management and platform automation 32:21 GRC and third-party risk management Links: Company Website: https://sourcecalle.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigcalle/ Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.

Show Notes: In this conversation with Will Bachman, Ivan Oransky, a co-founder of Retraction Watch, shares his experience as a medical journalist and with Retraction Watch. Ivan explains that his friend and co-founder, Adam Marcus had uncovered a massive story about scientific fraud in Western Massachusetts, where an anesthesiologist had made up all clinical data. Adam, who was managing editor of an publication called Anesthesiology News got the scoop on the story, and Ivan, who was impressed with the story, suggested they start a blog about retraction notices, it turned out there were far more happening than previously thought. 13 and a half years later, Retraction Watch is still going strong and has a large audience. Adam and Ivan are volunteers but have four staff two of whom run a database of retractions that was recently acquired by CrossRef, a nonprofit that tracks scientific data and papers. The other two staff continue to contribute to the journalism work they started 13 and a half years ago, while Ivan and Adam still supervisor edit and direct it. How to Evaluate an Article Ivan shares his advice on how to evaluate an article in a medical journal or any published article. He emphasizes the importance of showing one's work and examining the evidence used to reach a conclusion. He explains that, when looking at articles, it is crucial to consider the original sources, citations, and the journal's track record of quality. He also emphasizes the importance of humility in making claims and not making pronouncements about things he or she doesn't know anything about. He also warns against trusting credentials to suggest expertise, as it can be misleading, Ivan shares the example of a time when he was asked to peer review papers about COVID-19, simply because he had co-authored a letter about retractions of work. However, he is not an expert on the subject. Ivan believes that an expert should only be asked to peer review papers that they believe are likely to hold up or should not be published. Leading Causes of Retraction Ivan explains that factors that commonly lead to a retraction. Two-thirds of retractions are for misconduct. This number is consistent across various works and he goes on to explain that there are several definitions of misconduct to take into consideration, including fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism. About 20 percent of the time, it's due to a what's known as honest error, and Ivan offers a few examples. The deeper cause is the requirement that researchers must publish in certain places to get a job in academia, tenure, promotion, and prizes. This drives people to do all sorts of things, and while this drives most people to work harder and try to work more efficiently, others may take a different approach. In fact, Ivan states that 2 percent of researchers admit to committing misconduct. The Replication Crisis Ivan talks about the replication crisis, which has been a topic of interest in the social sciences and hard sciences. When Retraction Watch was first launched, there were about 400 retractions from journals a year. Last year, there were more than 10,000, a big increase despite the rising number of papers published. The root cause of this issue is the same problem: replications are not new research or findings and should be cherished and prized, but they are not. Big journals don't like to publish replications, so they don't reward new research. To get into a big journal, researchers need to publish new research, which is simple behavioral incentive economics. The discussion turns to incentives for people to write about scientific misconduct and fraud. Ivan states that, while there is more incentive not to write retractions, he cites a page on Retraction Watch that has dozens of stories from people committed to revealing issues with research, including well-known figures. These individuals face legal risks, such as lawsuits, and are usually not paid for this work. The conversation also touches on the potential negative repercussions of challenging senior professionals in their field, such as professors or presidents of universities. However, most of these individuals do not work in science anymore, or their career trajectory is not dependent on pleasing or failing to displease senior members of academia. These individuals often publish on sites like PubPeer, which allows users to leave comments on published studies. This helps expose the issues and claims in the media, helping to raise awareness and support for those who need help. Retraction Watch offers resources and social media platforms for those interested in learning more about the topic. They welcome feedback and story tips, and they are open to sharing more information about their work. Timestamps: 01:03 Scientific fraud and retractions 04:41 Evaluating credibility in scientific articles and peer review 09:10 Research retractions and the root causes 13:05 Replication crisis in science and the challenges faced by those uncovering fraud 17:18 Academic misconduct and whistleblowers Links: Website: https://retractionwatch.com/ Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.

Show Notes: Melanie Espeland, a TEDx speaker and executive coach with 17 years of experience in strategy, operations, and coaching, she's former McKinsey, and in this episode, she discusses the importance of executive presence and how to achieve it. Communication in Executive Presence In this workshop, Melanie explains that executive presence is important because it provides access to insider discussions, meetings, events, and happy hours. Access is crucial for success, and influence is essential for those with a purpose or vision. Executive presence allows for a balance and integration of power, authority, respect, trust, warmth, and likability. Melanie also discusses the concept of compassionate authority, which she sees as a combination of power, authority, respect, trust, warmth, and comfort with the people you are speaking with. This external communication and ability to share thoughts and feelings are key to achieving executive presence. By understanding the value of executive presence and its impact on success, individuals can better navigate their roles and achieve their goals. Melanie explains that executive presence is a complex concept that varies across different personalities and people. There is no one-size-fits-all formula for expressing presence, as there are different ways of expressing it. Steve Jobs and Michelle Obama are examples of individuals with different styles, each with their own unique qualities. However, there are common threads or levers in executive presence that can help individuals build their personal and professional style that aligns with their strengths and personality. Building Executive Presence A structured approach to building executive presence consists of two pillars: the literal (physical, tangible) and the figurative (mental, emotional). Under each pillar, there are three common threads or levers: voice, body, and appearance. Voice refers to the speaker's voice, verbal communication, body language, posture, and physical presence. Body language, posture, and physical presence are also crucial. Application is the first impression, and it is important to consider how our appearance may impact our professional image and relationships. By understanding these common threads and levers, individuals can develop a unique and authentic executive presence style that aligns with their strengths and personality. The figurative pillar of executive presence is relevant for mid to senior level professionals as they move up the ladder. Authenticity, confidence, and vision are important for connecting with others and understanding one's strengths, weaknesses, wants, intentions, and motivations. Authenticity is crucial for connecting with others and making them feel comfortable. Confidence is different, as it involves feeling confident in oneself and being clear on one's goals. Vision is crucial for building an executive presence, especially as you get more senior. Effective Communication for a Large Audience To communicate effectively in large audiences, it is essential to understand media skills, such as how to talk to the media and communicate ideas consistently and coherently. As you become more senior, you will be thrown into meetings and need to control what people leave with. These six common threads or levers of executive presence can be divided into two pillars. By measuring up in these areas, you can identify areas where you have more opportunity. Exercises can be done together to practice these skills at home, starting with voice and body exercises. By focusing on these areas, you can develop new skills and improve your executive presence. How to Improve Verbal Communication Melanie discusses the importance of voice and body verbal and nonverbal communication in executive presence. One technique that often surprises people is tongue placement exercises. She believes that the body is an instrument that needs to be controlled, rather than controlled by it. They encourage participants to try these exercises at home and see if they stick better after practicing with them. Tongue placement exercises help improve diction, projection, and warmth in speech. For example, in American English, the tongue tends to be in the middle, which can lead to a more accurate and clear voice. This is particularly beneficial for those who may be uncomfortable with their accent or question their pronunciation. Projection is the distance sound travels from the mouth, which is different from volume. This helps give the voice gravitas and resonance, giving it authority and warmth. Melanie provides various exercises that can improve diction. In conclusion, voice and body exercises are essential for improving verbal and nonverbal communication. By practicing tongue placement exercises, individuals can gain a deeper understanding of their voice and body, ultimately leading to improved communication and overall performance. Breathwork for Executive Presence Breathing is crucial for a great voice and overall executive presence. Proper breathing is essential for delivering sound effectively and enhancing one's overall appearance. To achieve this, it is essential to focus on two aspects: maintaining proper breathing and mouth position during speaking. Filler words, which can be annoying or insincere, can be a common issue. To avoid these, it is essential to have more air coming in and out of the body, allowing for more air to be absorbed and not gasping for air. Melanie explains breathing exercises that help individuals can develop a better understanding of their breathing and voice, ultimately improving their overall communication and overall presence. She emphasizes the importance of proper breathing in order to maintain powerful, engaged, and present speech. T The speaker encourages practicing this exercise at home, aiming to breathe in through the nose on 123 counts. If the exhale is short or uncomfortable, it may indicate that the speaker needs to work on their breathing technique. This can be likened to going to the gym to train your body.. Understanding the Confidence Flywheel To gain more confidence, it is essential to have a sense of ease within oneself. People who have presence tend to appear grounded and confident, having clarity and ease about their actions. To achieve this, one can trick their physicality into ease, which affects their mental and emotional state. Techniques like breathing techniques can help reduce cortisol, heartbeat, and adrenaline, making the body think they are at ease. This change in mental and emotional state leads to increased confidence. The confidence flywheel can be used to showcase confidence, which in turn uplifts the confidence of the audience. The more confidence the audience has in you, the more confident your audience will be in you. However, the flywheel can also go in the opposite direction, making you appear nervous or unsure, which can lead to subconscious feedback and doubt. Tricking the Body into Confidence Melanie discusses the concept of tricking your body into confidence and using code words to trick your brain into bringing up past feelings or emotions in the present tense. This exercise involves thinking about a specific experience where you felt grounded or at ease, and thinking about your life as if it were a movie with a screenshot of that moment. The exercise involves walking through all five senses, including sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch. Write down this information and create a code word cheat sheet for future reference. Once the memory is created, name it or give it a name, such as "Thailand." When applying the exercise in real time, remember the code word and the feeling of being at ease. The more specific the code word, the more powerful it will be. It's important to have nuanced language in your speech to avoid overtaking the activity or presentation. Try using different code words or memories for the same feelings, and record yourself on Zoom or with a partner or friend to see how it works. An additional tool for using code words leading into confidence is using physical objects that remind you of the code word. For example, a cool stone on the beach can be placed on your desk, in your hand, or in your pocket before a big presentation. Pictures can also be helpful in remembering a day. Pacing for Public Speaking Melanie discusses the importance of pacing in speaking, particularly when someone is nervous. This can be achieved by having water next to you, as it is an elegant way to pause and recalibrate yourself. Breathing exercises can help slow down speech speed, as people often use filler words or keep talking quickly. Breathing exercises can also help slow down speech by taking deep breaths while taking a sip of water. To slow down, she encourages reading slowly and even more slowly than usual. This allows the body and mind to connect and understand that they can speak more slowly. Recording yourself reading at different speeds and practicing at different times can help determine the best pacing for your speech. Lastly, Melanie suggests verbally numbering points to help your audience follow along. For example, if you have three points to make, you can use data to make it easier for your audience to understand what you're trying to say. This helps give your audience a structure to follow along. Melanie moves on to share certain techniques to communicate well with others, including how to politely interrupt, how to indicate engagement, dealing with verbal fillers, and how to encourage conversation. This is followed by a Q&A session. Timestamps: 01:23 Executive presence and communication skills 04:43 Executive presence and its components 10:24 Building executive presence through voice and body exercises 16:16 Improving English pronunciation with tongue placement 18:41 Tongue placement for clear speech 24:39 Proper breathing techniques for clear communication 30:06 Proper breathing techniques for clear communication 35:03 Voice and body exercises for executive presence and confidence 37:43 Using ease and code words to boost confidence 43:07 Using code words to enhance memory and relaxation 47:09 Using physical objects for memory recall 49:43 Speeding up speech and managing pace Links: Website: https://www.melaniesespeland.com/ Website: https://espelandenterprises.com/ Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.

Show Notes: In this episode of Unleashed, Alex Brueckmann discusses the concept of strategy and its importance in business. Alex states that strategy is defined as a set of integrated choices made to win in a chosen marketplace. It is not just about playing the game, but about creating value that convinces or influences customers to buy from the company. A good strategy should be cohesive and integrated, making sense together, and Alex explains what defines a good strategy. Defining Key Factors in a Strategy When discussing a strategy, it is important to understand what the company does, for whom, what they offer, and who their customer is. This information can help businesses define their niche, mission, and goals. The next piece of information should be a clear description of what the business will look like in the next few years. The end state of the business and the strategy cycle should be defined, with what will be achieved by implementing the strategy and what actions will be taken. By knowing what you do, for whom, what you work toward, and the few choices that make 80% of the impact, businesses can focus their resources on the most important aspects of their strategy. Helping Companies Develop a Strategy Alex talks about the process of helping companies develop their strategy. He begins by helping clients understand their playing field, recent past changes and challenges, and aligning them with what the reality looks like. He discusses future changes and challenges, dissecting them into opportunities and defining target markets and clients. Alex helps clients understand what they need to do to make clients choose them over competitors in various industries. He also introduces the framework of the nine elements of organizational identity, which is an integrated approach to understanding every aspect of an entity. This includes customer experience, who the company is as a company, and the impact they want to have by providing a service to the world. The Nine Elements of Organizational Identity Alex talks about the frameworks he uses to help clients develop a strategy, including the nine elements of organizational identity and how he has defined key factors into the inner circle, the middle circle, and the outer circle. The Inner Circle Business Strategy He talks about the inner circle of a business and what it involves, including impact, mission, and principles. Impact is the change you want to create, based on your purpose and reason to exist as an organization. Mission is what an organization aims to do, and principles are the underlying values and behavioral guidelines.He explains how each element works and what the difference between impact and mission is. Iimpact is the change you want to create, while mission is what an organization aims to do. For example, a vehicle company's mission is to produce vehicles and sell them to a specific target group. However, the impact they create is deeper than their business definition. For example, producing affordable vehicles can be a game changer for families in third world countries, and having your own vehicle can also be a game changer depending on the security situation. The Middle Circle Business Strategy The middle circle is your business strategy, which includes a vision, choices made, and measurable goals. SMART goals are specific, measurable, and timed, but they lack specificity and, instead, hope that passion will carry them forward. To create a cohesive business strategy, it is essential to have a clear vision, intermediate goals, and visual representations, such as a strategy map. This helps ensure that the story you are telling with your strategy is cohesive and effective. The Outer Circle Business Strategy Alex discusses the outer circle, which includes management system capabilities and targets. This outer circle is likened to a scaffolding that prevents a business from breaking down again. However, without enabling everyone in the business to lead effectively and help individual contributors understand that their job matters, and help them achieve their individual targets. It also helps ensure alignment with company values.He mentions that targets should be both cultural and strategic. The third element in the outer circle is management systems, which help adjust organizational structure and processes to support change. These systems are designed to help the company stay stable and develop, but they are not designed for change. Therefore, building new systems and then removing the old ones is crucial to create strategies that support strategy, implementation, and culture. Preparing the Foundation of Strategy Development Alex emphasizes the importance of understanding the playing field and reality, as well as the diamond values that define who a business is. Diamond values are hard to alter, even under pressure, and are hard to lose clients if they don't align with the company's values. He mentions that the distinction between irrational and emotional culture is important, as it helps companies understand the difference between doing the right thing and talking about business and the words used to describe your playing field, and the emotional culture of the people within the business, and creating an environment that fosters a human-centric performance culture, where people show up at their best every day. This goes beyond just revenue generation and problem-solving, but also encourages employees to be the best version of themselves, knowing that working in a business that prioritizes them as human beings is a privilege. The Role of a Strategy Facilitator Alex discusses the role of a strategy facilitator in executive coaching and how to help customers create business strategies. He shares eight steps that can be used as starting points for executive teams, including executive interviews, foundation sessions, and strategy workshops. The foundation session helps answer foundational questions and aligns everyone's readiness to start a strategy process. He talks about the importance of transitioning from understanding reality and understanding oneself and values to moving towards the future. Facilitators must create an environment where honest and vulnerable conversations about strategy are allowed, allowing people to bring their ideas forward. Alex emphasizes the importance of helping people become stewards of the entire business, not just the marketing lead or sales lead. They should step away from their day-to-day jobs and become stewards of the entire business. Alex mentions a certification program for facilitation he is developing that targets both external resources like executive coaches and workshop facilitators, as well as internal resources like strategy managers and PMO managers who often find themselves in situations with executives where they facilitate and push forward the process. Alex's book, "The Strategy Facilitator," was inspired by a conversation with Marshall Goldsmith, who had previously worked with Alex's marketing agency. Goldsmith offered to endorse his book, which Brueckmann describes as a kind gesture. Timestamps: 01:02 Business strategy and its components 05:30 Strategy development and identity for businesses 10:46 Organizational identity and strategy 17:58 Implementing a comprehensive strategy for a business 22:38 Strategy facilitation and emotional culture in business 26:32 Strategy facilitation and certification program Links: Website: https://brueckmann.ca/ Book: The Strategy Legacy Book: Secrets of Next-Level Entrepreneurs: 11 Powerful Lessons to Thrive in Business and Lead a Balanced Life Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.

Show Notes: Karen Friedenberg discusses a project she worked on to design an Intelligent Automation Center of Excellence for a Fortune 500 medical supply company. The challenge was that the organization was initially looking to leverage robotics process automation (RPA) technology to automate repetitive and manual processes. This led to the development of Intelligent Automation, also known as hyper automation. Defining the Meaning of Intelligent Automation The first step in this project was defining Intelligent Automation and defining its meaning. The client wanted to develop a center of excellence to coordinate efforts across the company to take advantage of new technology and benefits quickly and in a coordinated way. The center of excellence would serve various needs and be a resource for the organization. Karen explains that the first step was to identify the pockets within the organization where people were learning about robotics, process automation, AI, and chatbots. She then interviewed stakeholders to understand their strategic imperatives and goals, and a key understanding was to let business lead the way, not the technology. The second step focused on developing the structure of the Intelligent Automation Center of Excellence (COE), its interaction with other teams, and the roles and competencies of the COE team. The COE team would be responsible for staying on top of the evolving technologies and coordinating efforts to leverage project management and program management capabilities in a coordinated way. One of the great things about new technology is putting it in the hands of the business and users, allowing them to solve problems themselves. However, there were challenges, opportunities, and fear to address, such as change management and fear of the business starting to do this. For example, IT was beginning to fear redundancy in many of their roles. As a solution to these challenges, it was necessary for the COE team to identify their mission, roles, and responsibilities. The Center of Excellence Explained The Center of Excellence (COE) is a team that works to identify and prioritize automation candidates in business units. Karen talks about the knockout criteria they use to assess if a process is an automation candidate and if it can be done within existing systems. The COE then uses a box prioritization matrix to assess the impact and effort of each candidate. If it is easier and less risky, it may be a candidate for a citizen developer role. Governance is also a key aspect of the COE's role. The COE's role involves oversight and sharing best practices. They train and certify citizen developers to use new technology and processes, ensuring proper controls are in place. The SDLC (Software Development Lifecycle) is a model that aims to maintain flexibility and speed while ensuring proper controls. People submit requests through various methods, such as email, phone, or using shared systems like Leisha shared through SharePoint and Microsoft tools. The COE's role is to ensure that the process is secure and efficient, while also ensuring that the right controls are in place to prevent unauthorized changes to code. Discussion on the Design Phase of a Project Karen explains that they are still in the design phase and it has not been fully executed yet. The vision was to analyze incoming requests and determine who gets help. The team is divided into a business lead and an IT lead who would work with business analysts to assess the project's feasibility. The group provide different levels of support, such as a half-hour conversation or a three-month project with a business analyst and consultants.The first step is to train the business unit citizen developer and to provide regular reviews to the client. The team would also provide additional technical, business process, and change management assistance. The goal is to help the client team navigate their blockers and be a centralized source for sharing learnings and best practices across the business. Integration with The Center of Excellence The COE is complex and interacts with multiple systems, including project management teams and various departments across the business. The team would also be aware of other projects in the company and work with them to ensure each project is documented and shared within the ecosystem to share information across departments and projects as required. Karen discusses the development of an Intelligent Automation center of excellence and the marketing approach taken to promote the service. The center consists of five people and is being promoted internally through business optimization managers. The company is taking a crawl, walk, run approach, starting small and growing. She explains that some barriers to the center include resourcing, funding, and fear of AI impacting employees' jobs. Organizational change management is crucial in these efforts, as it ensures sustainability and avoids unintended consequences for employees. The Benefits of a COE The company anticipates benefits from the center of excellence, such as faster deployment of technologies, reduced manual tasks, and cohesion of information. The technology has tremendous benefits, but the bigger benefit is the new ways of working that can be applied across various parts of the business. The center of excellence also helps in teaching new ways of working and chain collaboration between the business and IT. Timestamps: 01:02 Designing Intelligent Automation Center of Excellence for a Fortune 500 company 02:22 Establishing an Intelligent Automation Center of Excellence 06:40 Automation and citizen development in a business unit 10:49 Implementing a citizen developer program 14:32 Implementing an Intelligent Automation center of excellence Links Website: https://www.piconsult.net/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-friedenberg/ Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.

Show Notes: In this episode of Unleashed, the panel discussion focuses on the pros and cons of becoming an adjunct professor. The panelists discuss the motivations behind teaching courses as an adjunct professor, how to get hired, whether to teach in traditional MBA programs or other certificate or degree programs, the amount of work involved, typical pay, relationship building opportunities, project opportunities, and ancillary benefits such as access to datasets or research services. The discussion kicks off with Adam Braff, a data analytics executive/advisor, shares his reasons for teaching, stating that the best reasons to teach are not practical instrumental reasons but more passion and love for teaching and believes it is a creative act. Mary Kate Scott follows Adam. She teaches at the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business in the MBA program, and Keck School of Medicine, focusing on healthcare. She has taught the business of healthcare, innovation and health care, new business models in health care, entrepreneurship and health care, and medical device business models. Mary Kate also shares her background with Procter and Gamble and later joined McKinsey for two years to become a better professor. She found she loved the position and stayed there for seven years, but she states that she found the joy of teaching to be both inspirational and fun. She enjoys the level of engagement and interaction in her classes. Sven Beiker teaches Strategy Making in an MBA program at Stanford Business School, and also at a university in Sweden about AI and product development. He discusses his experience teaching at Stanford and their passion for teaching. He began his teaching career at Stanford which led from a position as an automotive program manager. He also enjoys working with younger people, finding it intellectually stimulating. He has also found the position to be an asset in branding, and has found that it helps in terms of being considered as a keynote speaker from Stanford Business School. Mohannad Gomaa shares his experience teaching at US Navy PostGraduate School, which was motivated by a contract with a colleague and his subject matter expertise. He designed and delivered the curriculum. He has also taught in consulting colleges, and recently, he was authorized by the Association of Supply Chain Management to teach supply chain certifications, including the CSCP certified supply chain professional certification. This allows him to associate with a reputable knowledge body and meet with stakeholders interested in his work. He has also signed an agreement to be a consulting partner for the ACM, which will allow him to explore more opportunities across industries. He believes teaching is a passion that can generate revenue beyond the passion. An adjunct professor at the University of Copenhagen shares her passion for teaching consulting and adds to her reputation for expertise in her field, but she finds teaching fun and energizing. How to Secure a Position as an Adjunct Professor The conversation also touches on how to get started as an adjunct professor. To do this, one should be flexible about the institution they want to teach in and focus on the dimensions that are necessary to their field. Many schools have executive MBA programs and masters of leadership programs and other programs that are growing and need teachers who can teach their specific subject matter area and create and pitch syllabuses. To reach out to the right people in these institutions, one should reach out to the Academic Director of different degree programs. This person will be responsible for the substantive side of these programs and can help with informational interviews. For example, if one wants to teach in New York City, one could reach out to HR or the dean of the school. Mary Kate discusses the benefits of adjunct teaching, including the joy of publications, networking, and credibility. She suggests starting as a guest speaker and gradually delivering classes, either shorter or elective, and eventually creating the curriculum. She also encourages reaching out to people teaching similar courses to your field to get started. She also mentions simply letting people know you are interested in teaching. Sven mentions that many full-time professors don't like to teach, but they are constantly looking for someone to bring real-world experience into the classroom, to interact with a class, and bring their knowledge to the table. He states that, there are continuing education programs at universities, such as Stanford, that offer continuing education programs on both the professional side of education. These programs can help students gain experience and develop their interest in graduate programs and could be a first step into teaching. Networking is a key aspect of adjunct teaching, and can lead to a board position. The Evaluation Process Revealed The panelists discussed the typical evaluation process for teaching positions, including the need for specific credentials or certificates, and how to express interest. Having someone internally who can vouch for you can make a difference. The first step in the evaluation process is to have a track record, such as a recording of a lecture, a written syllabus, and student evaluations. This ensures that when applying to another institution, they feel confident in their ability to teach a class. Compensation for Teaching The compensation for teaching varies between $6,000 for a semester to 15,000, with a median of $10. The time commitment for creating a syllabus from scratch is around 200 hours. There may be additional benefits associated with teaching, such as subsidized healthcare benefits. The panelists discuss the range of compensation, which can range from $1,000 for a 90-minute class to $2,000 for a two-hour class and could for a 7, 12, or 14 week program. The first time teaching, the teacher takes over the curriculum and develops it, however, they could be writing the entire curriculum, which can be a lot of responsibility but also an opportunity to shape the educational experience for students. It is worth noting that the course can also impact your consulting business, as committing to a class every week can limit your consulting business if you travel frequently. In contrast, in-person classes can be more effective due to scheduling. Another panelist, who is a Professor of Practice at Michigan State University's School of Business, states that the course is a salaried position, but it is not a full-time gig. The pay is based on a W-2 and a salary, which is a relatively small amount. The Benefits of Teaching The conversation revolves around the benefits of teaching and consulting, including inspiration, credibility, and carryover spillover benefits. Mary Kay shares her experience with getting clients and consulting project leads and converting leads into confirmed projects due to her credibility. Her students have become clients, and she concludes that the network is an enormous benefit. Adam suggests that teaching should be synergistic with consulting work, and that it is synergistic to his writing work and that he has adapted the courses he teaches to corporate training. However, in this situation, it is advised to focus on the language of contracts to ensure that intellectual property rights are portable to a corporate context. Sven shares his experience with gaining project leads, which can be former students who become clients or organizations seeking advice from a professor who is also a consultant, and he has often been asked to be on the advisory board of startups by former students. This nurtures the network and gives the professor more standing and credibility. Clients often recognise the professor's expertise and reputation, making it a valuable asset. Best Practices for Networking Opportunities To maximize networking opportunities, Nick has found partnering opportunities with fellow professors. Mary Kate suggests connecting with other faculty members, attending university events, and partnering with fellow professors. She also shares her experiences of being wasted in the first semester of teaching and finding it difficult to find opportunities to meet with faculty members. Developing a Curriculum in Academia The conversation turns to the complexity of developing a curriculum in academia. Developing a syllabus can be challenging, especially when it comes to creating evaluation materials and quizzes that can be objective and not lead to low grades. The tension between grades and evaluations can also be a challenge, but it becomes easier after the first time. The complexity of creating a syllabus depends on the type of class, for example, a seminar class at Stanford may require more discussion and bringing in guest lecturers. Another may require more content creation; a new class may require more detailed teaching material, including a reading list, quizzes, preparing exams etc. Teaching As a Learning Experience Jared Lee, a faculty lecturer at McGill University and principal at Juniper, a Montreal-based consultancy, believes that teaching is a deeper way to learn and develop skills, as it requires a lot of preparation, the ability to defend theories against questions, and to be able to implement storytelling techniques. He believes that teaching 180 students who have detailed questions requires being bulletproof in preparation and how to apply the theories. Jared also shares that this experience has built his ability in educating clients. Panelists also state that teaching has helped develop stronger public speaking skills, and the ability to manage a crowd. The discussion revolves around the challenges of teaching at universities like Stanford and the importance of facilitation in making discussions meaningful and meaningful. Access to Ancillary Benefits As an Adjunct Professor Additional ancillary benefits include access to datasets, academic journal articles, and other resources. Academic resources, such as the MSU library, are free and can be used in private practice. Academics can also leverage their academic connections to engage in conversations with people for various purposes, such as building lectures for their courses or collaborating on consulting projects. Health insurance is another asset. For example, at McGill, teaching three sections within a year can grant access to health insurance and supplemental pension and investment plans. The conversation ends with the participants discussing their takeaway from the discussion, including: The importance of 200 hours of syllabus development The importance of fostering meaningful discussions and connections within academia for both students and faculty The importance of passion, preparation, and genuine effort in creating content for a class The need for preparation Staying updated on relevant topics and staying updated on the latest developments Credibility The panelists agreed that you should have good reasons for taking this position, and having a clear purpose for teaching can lead to better results. One additional tip was to be clear about why you are doing it and this will help you focus on how to achieve your goal. Another is to take advantage of a guest lecturer opportunity, and to be open to learning from your students. In conclusion, the panelists discussed the importance of passion, preparation, and genuine effort in creating content for a class. They also highlighted the importance of being proactive, asking questions, and embracing the unique experiences of students. By doing so, teachers can gain valuable insights and develop a deeper understanding of their field. Timestamps: 07:03 Consulting career paths and teaching experience 10:25 Adjunct teaching roles in economics 12:37 Finding teaching opportunities in higher education 15:06 Adjunct teaching opportunities and how to get started 17:24 Teaching at universities, networking, and evaluation processes 24:31 Teaching gigs, compensation, and time commitment 27:07 Teaching and consulting gigs for experts in customer experience management 31:22 Leveraging academic faculty status for consulting opportunities 34:48 Curriculum development and networking at a university 36:42 Teaching methods and challenges in higher education 39:58 Teaching and learning theories in consulting 42:48 Teaching strategies and access to academic resources 45:16 Academic benefits, networking, and health insurance 53:21 Teaching and consulting in academia Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.