Breakfast Leadership Show

Dave Pygon is a respected advocate for leadership and personal growth, dedicating his career to empowering individuals to reach their full potential and become the best versions of themselves. As the founder and current President of Pygon ONE Consulting, his company specializes in leadership and individual development, helping clients to unlock their capabilities and succeed.   Prior to starting his own company, Pygon honed his skills while working for respected organizations such as Automatic Data Processing (ADP), Alcon Laboratories, and Novartis. With over two decades of leadership experience, he has become a trusted expert in his field. Furthermore, he holds certifications as a distinguished business coach, astute time management consultant, certified behavioral consultant, and master life coach.   Drawing from these experiences, as well as his education background, Pygon authored “Win the 16,” a comprehensive guide to help individuals optimize their time and achieve their goals. His expertise and passion are evident, making him a go-to authority on personal development and growth.   His journey started in Chicago, where he was born and raised on the south side. Coupled with deep-rooted connection to his hometown, the work ethic, toughness, loyalty and importance of education was taught from an early age by his mom and the south side community. They all have been essential factors driving his professional success. Dave’s love for Chicago is unwavering, and that is evident as he currently makes his home there with his beloved family. https://pygonone.com/ https://winthe16.org/ Book:  https://amzn.to/3BaY7si  

Doug Utberg is Host of the ‘People First Leaders’ podcast where he meets with Founders and CEO’s who prioritize people and customer value first. Prior to starting his business and Podcast, Doug worked in the High-Tech industry for 20 years, holding a multitude of job roles in Finance and Information Technology. All of this came to an abrupt end on April 20, 2020 when the new Chief Information Officer at his company abruptly scheduled a 30-minute meeting with no subject. 30 seconds after joining the call, Doug learned that his role was being eliminated. One minute into the call, Human Resources joined and five minutes after that his network access was Terminated. At this point, Doug was now unemployed (Along with 40 million other people during COVID) with an $800k mortgage, a wife plus two children, $30k of private school tuition due for the year and absolutely no income for the household because he was the sole provider. The anxiety and self-doubt that resulted from this event inspired Doug to make his action about helping to prevent other people from experiencing the same career displacement that he went through. This is what resulted in the ‘People First Leaders’ podcast where Doug celebrates Founders & CEO’s who put their people and their customers first. In addition to his podcast, Doug’s business partners with companies to reduce their expenses without layoffs. He services clients with a zero-risk proposition where he is only paid for producing tangible results. Doug is driven the the desire to create value for everybody he meets, and is looking forward to meeting you and learning how he can bring value to your business & life. Social - My handle is @DougValue on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube

Meet Rico Nasol I am a creative executive, entrepreneur, and investor who has been molded by some of the most innovative and forward-thinking companies in the world. I spent nine years as an executive at Netflix, Inc., and seven years as an executive at Zappos.com. In that time, I have been lucky enough to be mentored by some of the brightest minds, and I hope to pay some of that forward. I have built and led small teams of 1 to large organizations of 165 people.   What I've learned over the years is that it takes empathy, humility, and courage to be a strong leader. Without all of these traits, it is very difficult to build high-performing cultures and develop your teams. Our goal as leaders should be to make everyone around us better. Social Media:  https://www.instagram.com/riconasol/ https://www.youtube.com/riconasolleadership https://www.linkedin.com/company/rico-nasol-leadership-development https://www.facebook.com/coachriconasol Free assessment on how to crush imposter syndrome:  https://www.riconasol.com/leaders  

Melissa Romo has more than 20 years’ experience as a business leader for FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 companies and has spent more than a decade building, leading and working in globally dispersed teams. She earned an MBA from the Yale School of Management, where she studied organizational behavior and leadership. Her new book is Your Resource is Human: How Empathetic Leadership Can Help Remote Teams Rise Above (April 2023).    A summary...Remote working is here to stay. But 65% of remote workers say they feel isolated, and many managers struggle to know how to support them. This new book gives counsel and courage for remote and hybrid leaders to know how to embrace empathy, drive culture, and build connections to maximize their leadership impact in the new world of hybrid work.   Book:  https://amzn.to/3r4mMx6 Website:  https://www.melissaromoauthor.com/

HE NEGOTIATED THE DEAL OF A LIFETIME: THE FIRST DISNEY THEME PARK IN MAINLAND CHINA. In From the Mouse’s House to the Penthouse, Michael Crawford reveals the lessons he learned about allowing culture and geography to shape his approach so you too can build and operate high-profile brands on an international scale. Crawford shares his personal experiences in Asia, diving deeply into everything you must know to build relationships and create win–win outcomes in coveted world markets. Crawford’s decade in Asia as an executive of two global brands taught him that humility works and ego doesn’t. He developed strategies for navigating political and corporate environments that will help to increase buy-in to your company’s objectives. From the Mouse’s House to the Penthouse features his techniques for getting all parties involved to strike the right balance. Compromise doesn’t mean losing. Book:  https://amzn.to/3XkPSUZ LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikecrawfordhofv/ Twitter:  https://twitter.com/HOFVILLAGECEO Hall of Fame: https://www.hofreco.com/  

David Henkin is an accomplished executive and entrepreneur with a proven record of success in prominent global companies as well as start-ups. The author of several books, he has taught in a top-rated university business school program while also serving as a consultant and executive coach for corporate and nonprofit leaders. David is based in Philadelphia and holds an MBA from Villanova University, an MA from the City College of New York, and a BS from the University of Maryland. Thomas Bertels is the president and founder of Purpose Works, a management consulting firm on a mission to make work more productive, valuable, meaningful, and impactful. He has twenty-five years of experience working with companies ranging from Fortune 10 firms to start-ups to improve organizational effectiveness and transform how work gets done. He has published several books and countless articles. Thomas is based in New Jersey and holds an MBA from the Stern School of Business. Book:              www.fixing-work.com   LinkedIn:          https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasbertels https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidhenkin/   Websites:        https://www.purpose.works https://davidhenkin.com/

 I used to be a musician, then I thought about going to Med School, and now I am the founder of a Financial Technology company. Also, my middle name is Blaze. Those are the highlights. I love exploring innovation in typically static industries- that's where Dolfin comes in. Our company is changing the way tenant improvements are financed, and fully disrupting the corporate real estate market. I strive to foster a sense of community, binding relationships, equity, diversity, and inclusion in both business and personal endeavors. I graduated from Fordham University in 2011. Go Rams! https://dolfinpartners.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/keely-ryder-62b617127/

Jonathan is a Managing Director with Transact Capital Partners. He is passionate about helping businesses prosper and maximize value to their employees, customers, communities, and owners. Instilled with a spirit of entrepreneurism from a young age, Jonathan draws on his experience as a business owner, trusted strategic advisor, and investment banker to identify and overcome the challenges clients face. Jonathan’s humility and easy-going personality belie the razor-sharp business instincts he has honed over two decades of structuring and negotiating dozens of M&A transactions ranging from $10-300 million in value. ​ Given his 20+ years of investment banking experience, Jonathan can help the most experienced and seasoned business owners, as well as those who may have never been through a sale process before. As such, he employs a high-touch approach to the transaction process, ensuring his clients understand not only how the process will unfold, but the importance of each step along the way. For clients that are not currently ready to sell, Jonathan offers an extensive pre-transaction advisory program to help entrepreneurs, business owners, and Boards of Directors evaluate and prepare for future liquidity events. His expert advice on liquidity alternatives, timing, valuation, and overall transaction readiness enables business owners to confidently execute their optimal strategy at the most opportune time. ​   www.linkedin.com/in/jbrabrand www.jonathanbrabrand.com

Scott Martin, founder of Groundswell Origins, has spent 25 years working in all types of marketing as both an agency owner and strategist to national brands. He’s built a reputation for striking a balance between leading-edge marketing innovation and traditional approaches to delivering sensible, informed, forward-thinking decisions. Author of Groundswell: The Unseen Wave of Business Growth (2023), his work pioneers a new paradigm for sustainable growth in business. As the host of The Groundswell Origins Podcast, Scott interviews the industry’s top minds to learn how entrepreneurs and marketers can build sustainable programs that positively impact the world. As a community builder, Scott also develops content and followings around his passions: surfing, surf art, and heliskiing. http://Scottmartin.org  http://GroundswellPodcast.com  http://GroundswellFreeChapter.com http://GroundswellInnerCircle.com

Aaron Alfini has been adopting technology since the second grade when he learned to program. He doesn’t see himself as a technologist but as creative with technology as his canvas. Aaron has worked for startups and Fortune 100 companies alike. He’s worked on some of the largest cloud migrations in the world, with clients including AWS, Equifax, Getty Images, Discovery Communications, Met Office, the London Underground, Mattel, and US Bank. A lifelong learner, Aaron has a bachelor's in business administration, a master's in cybersecurity, an executive certificate in strategy and innovation from MIT, and a certificate in executive leadership from Cornell. Book: What is Harness The Juice? The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role technology adoption plays in the survival of businesses. Companies that adopted new technologies to adapt their operations survived. Those that didn’t quickly perished. Technological innovation has developed at an ever-accelerating pace, a compounding momentum swiftly forming a tsunami. Soon the massive wave is going to crash, sweeping away those unprepared to respond to rapid change. To survive, business owners and managers need to know how to properly adopt technology quickly and effectively. Harness the Juice is your guide to understanding your organization’s current barriers to technology adoption. Learn how to shift your mindset to adapt with new developments, utilize technology for new avenues of growth, and implement an internal culture of innovation that benefits your organization’s people and processes.   Book on Amazon:  https://amzn.to/41mgjtG https://www.instagram.com/aaronalfini/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronalfini/ https://www.tiktok.com/@aaronalfini https://www.facebook.com/aaronalfini https://twitter.com/AaronAlfini