Leadership Blueprints

We are all limitless, even in our mortal human forms, and it’s time you realize that!  Don’t miss out on this epic conversation with the one and only Christiana Cioffi, empowerment ambassador, leadership coach, and speaker. A West Point graduate and former marketing VP, Christiana brings a wealth of experience to the table.  Join us as we explore her remarkable journey, discuss being fearless in the army, unpack how she helps people reflect on their truest identity, her three-part process, and how she supports people who find themselves leading from a place of fear and insecurity. Don’t miss out on all this, and so much more, on this episode of Inspiring People & Places. Enjoy.   Key Points From This Episode:•   We dive into a discussion about being fearless in the army and how it transpires. •   Christiana unpacks how she helps other people reflect on their true identity.•   What companies can do to support women coming into male-dominant industries. •   How Christiana supports individuals who lead and act from a place of fear and insecurity. Quotes:“It’s fairly basic — people need to be treated fairly and equally regardless of their gender, race, age, or any of that.” — Christiana Cioffi  “I think it’s about who’s at the top in an organization. They set the culture [of that organization].” — Christiana Cioffi  “I am of the mindset that we are limitless. Meaning, we are souls embodied in a human form but we are limitless.” — Christiana Cioffi  Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Christiana Cioffi on LinkedInAn Unapologetic Spinster: True Modern Dating StoriesThink and Grow RichJoe DispenzaInspiring People & Places PodcastMCFAMCFA CareersBJ Kraemer on LinkedIn 

Imagine it’s New Year’s Eve; you’re toasting champagne with your friends and family, but for the first time in a long time, you’re not discussing next year’s resolutions. Instead, you’re celebrating the incredible feeling of having accomplished this year’s goals. By the end of today’s episode, you’ll be inspired to revisit your past resolutions and feel empowered to achieve them by the end of this year.  Tune in to discover invaluable insights and practical advice to help you get clear on your goals, understand what it means to “show up and do the work,” find accountability partners to keep you on track, celebrate your wins along the way, and much more. Don’t miss this opportunity to feel motivated and equipped to make the most of the rest of 2024! Key Points From This Episode:•   What you need to do before showing up daily and doing the work to achieve your goals.•   How to assess your capacity and overcome the tendency to want to “do it all.”•   The power of discipline and delayed gratification.•   Essential elements of an effective action plan. •   Reasons that accountability partners and flexibility are key to your success.•   The importance of celebrating your daily and weekly wins. Quotes:“I’m not saying you can’t have multiple goals. I am saying that we all have a certain amount of capacity – to implement change, implement discipline, and put time, commitment, and dedication to accomplishing the goals we have.” — BJ Kraemer  “Stacking [successes and habits] will build the momentum and the positivity that you’re looking for.” — BJ Kraemer   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: ‘The Marshmallow Experiment and the Power of Delayed Gratification’The Power of HabitThe ONE ThingInspiring People & Places PodcastMCFAMCFA CareersBJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

In honor of Father’s Day, BJ’s dad, Brian Kraemer Sr, joins us for this episode of Inspiring People and Places to discuss all things life and leadership!  Mr. Kraemer always knew he wanted to get married, coach, and serve his country. In this conversation, you’ll hear all about his family, his career in the military, and what inspired him to join the Air Force.  Mr. Kraemer also tells us how sports and teamwork influenced his parenting style. In addition to his Air Force unit, the kinds of missions it did, and his time at Hurricane Huntershow.  Finally, he shares some books he recommends, the lessons he’s learned from them, and why fatherhood is a man’s most important job.  Thanks for listening and happy Father’s Day! Key Points From This Episode:•   How Mr. Kraemer became interested in the military and eventually, got into the Air Force. •   What his first deployment was like and how it affected his family. •   An overview of the kinds of missions his Air Force unit did.  •   Leadership lessons from sports that have served Mr. Kraemer well in life and fatherhood.  Quotes:“Service before self!” — Brian Kraemer Sr “Fatherhood is your main vocation. Once you become a father, that is your number one before work. God, family, country.” — Brian Kraemer Sr“It’s a privilege to be a father, it’s even more fun to be a grandfather, and I hope I am able to stick around for another 20 years or so to maybe become a great-grandfather someday.” — Brian Kraemer Sr  Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Brian Kraemer Sr on LinkedInNOAA Hurricane HuntersThe Elements of StyleMake Your BedInspiring People & Places PodcastMCFAMCFA CareersBJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

In this episode, we welcome back Kyle Majchrowski to the show as we delve into implementing a human-centric approach to workplace environments.  Kyle is a Senior Project Executive at Banner Health, where he provides support for teams managing new construction projects. He is also a founding member of Ripple Intent, a non-profit organization focused on improving workplace experiences by fostering community, reducing stress, and promoting collaborative and human-centric approaches to project delivery.  We unpack the power of Ripple Intent’s programs and how they help people feel empowered and be intentional with their actions. We also uncover the types of topics covered at Ripple Intent’s events, how group discussions help clarify workplace nuances, and why self-awareness is vital for team productivity. Hear about why you need to bring your ‘whole self’ into work, the importance of self-awareness, and the workplace culture pitfalls Ripple Intent solves.  Explore pragmatic steps to start applying a human-centric approach at your organization and why leaders must form authentic relationships with their employees.  Join us as we unpack practical tools and strategies to enhance workplace connection, joy, and productivity with Kyle Majchrowski! Key Points From This Episode: •   Why Kyle founded Ripple Intent and the impact it aims to make.•   The value of fostering a collaborative and engaging work culture.•   What got Kyle interested in the human-centric aspect of the workplace.•   Advice for applying the Ripple Intent approach to your organization.•   Mental health trends and why loneliness has become a pandemic. Quotes: “[Ripple Intent] tries to formulate and facilitate the conversations that we should be having to help us better understand who we are so we can impact how we work with other people.” — Kyle Majchrowski  “When you start taking self-awareness to the level that [Banner Health] have, we see a lot less busy work [and] see a lot more empowerment.” — Kyle Majchrowski “For me [the human-centric concept] became a very complex problem that we needed to do some work in.” — Kyle Majchrowski  “So much of what we do now is transaction-based.” — Kyle Majchrowski  Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Kyle Majchrowski on LinkedInRipple IntentRipple Intent podcastBanner HealthEpisode 32: Understanding and Refining Your Perspective with Kyle Majchrowski, Founder of Ripple IntentTogetherRyan HolidayRyan Holiday Reading ListInspiring People & Places PodcastMCFAMCFA CareersBJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

Are you looking for a way to foster focus, accountability, and discipline within your team?  Curious about implementing a process that can ultimately lead to entrepreneurial freedom?  Then don’t miss out on today’s Inspiring People & Places episode. Joining BJ today is Mark O’Donnell.  Mark is a Professional EOS® Implementer, coach, facilitator, seasoned business professional, and US Air Force Veteran. He is currently the Visionary and CEO at EOS®, and he’s here today to talk to us about his experience at the company.  We learn more about the who behind Mark O’Donnell and his career journey. He also sheds light on Gino Wickman’s original vision for EOS®, the journey since its inception, and Gino’s eventual exit.  To hear the cliff notes version of the EOS® process, his most-rated book recommendations, and more, don’t miss out.  Thanks for listening! Key Points From This Episode:•   Gino Wickman’s original vision for EOS®.•   EOS as being designed around entrepreneurial freedom. •   Mark details his experience taking over as Visionary, from a founder so intimately involved with the product. Quotes:“EOS® is really a philosophy.” — MarkO_Donnell  “EOS®, from the beginning, has been designed around entrepreneurial freedom. The value being assigned to your individual freedom over the value of a business.” — MarkO_Donnell  “Oftentimes, the best EOS® implementers are tired, burnt-out entrepreneurs.” — MarkO_Donnell “Train resilience, grit, and perseverance and understand that your habits create your future.” — MarkO_Donnell Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Mark O’Donnell on LinkedInMark O’Donnell on XPeople: Dare to Build an Intentional Culture (The EOS Mastery Series)EOS® World WideVision Traction Organizer®Gino WickmanEntrepreneur’s OrganizationThe Strategic CoachDan Sullivan on LinkedInTraction: Get a Grip on Your BusinessTribes: We Need You to Lead UsThe Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless OrganizationsThe Gap and The Gain: The High Achievers' Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and SuccessThe Art of Impossible: A Peak Performance PrimerFlow Research CollectiveEpictetus QuoteInspiring People & Places PodcastMCFAMCFA CareersBJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

Welcome to this Memorial Day tribute episode where we sit down with Marion Zilinski, otherwise known as Mama Z, to discuss what Memorial Day means to people who have lost their loved ones in service.  Tuning in, you’ll hear all about Marion’s late son, Dennis, why he decided to join West Point, and what 9/11 meant to him. Marion goes on to explain how it felt to find out that Dennis had died on deployment and shares her heartbreaking experience of losing her son.  She also talks about Run with Dennis, the Dennis Zilinski Memorial Fund, and how to get involved. Mama Z reminds us what Memorial Day is truly about.  Thank you for listening in! Key Points From This Episode:•   What it feels like to find out that a deployed loved one has died. •   What inspired the Zilinski family to start Run with Dennis and the Dennis Zilinski Memorial Fund. •   What Memorial Day is truly about, and why freedom isn’t free. •   The service dog program and how service dogs assist warriors with PTSD.  Quotes:“I was so angry [when my son died]. I have never been so angry in my life.” — Marion Zilinski  “We want people to understand the dedication of our military.” — Marion Zilinski  “Our freedom is bought and paid for by men and women that pledge to each of [us] their lives. And not all of them will come home. Many will be killed – or – wounded and their lives will be so impacted.”  — Marion Zilinski  Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Marion Zilinski on LinkedInRun with DennisZilinski Memorial Fund on FacebookFisher House FoundationBrooke Army Medical CenterThe Strong Gray LineInspiring People & Places PodcastMCFAMCFA CareersBJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

Are you managing a large team to reach your vision but feel like team members are not aligning correctly with the overall goal? Do you need help getting all team members on the same page? In this solo episode, BJ unpacks the role of what we at MCFA regard as the meaning of KPI: keeping people interested. It is not your typical MBA academic term but a philosophy to help you be a better business and project leader.  Discover the role of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) at a project and an individual level, how KPIs can help improve performance outcomes, and why a KPI needs to be associated with the bigger picture.  Explore the fundamentals of a suitable KPI, the value of stacking success toward the bigger goal, examples of typical KPIs used in business, and more! To uncover how KPIs can be a game-changer in your business and make you a more effective leader, tune in now! Key Points From This Episode:•   Why KPIs are important for achieving business success.•   How measuring goals allows for informed decision-making•   Steps to begin picking the right KPIs for your team. Quotes:“Most importantly [KPIs] allows [employees] to leave the day feeling like they won the day, and if they lost the day, how they can recover the next day.” — BJ Kraemer  “I look at KPIs as meeting daily [and] weekly goals that I know if I hit them I am doing my job well.” — BJ Kraemer  “Until you know what you are measuring, it is really hard to manage.” — BJ Kraemer  “You control how to keep people interested, and when you keep people interested and have a scoreboard, everybody knows how to win.” — BJ Kraemer  Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:‘KPIs Invite Smart Business Decisions’Inspiring People & Places PodcastMCFAMCFA CareersBJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

As we continue to edge toward graduation and internship season, we felt there could not be a more fitting guest to join BJ on the podcast than our latest co-op, Isabella Damasceno.  Isabella is currently a third-year student at Drexel University, pursuing a dual major in marketing and business analytics.  Join us as we dive into details surrounding Isabella’s co-op program and how the process of matching students with co-op programs works. She shared her thoughts on how her program helped her figure out what she does and doesn’t want in her future career.  Tune in to hear what students like her are looking for from a professional environment and the differences she noticed in her expectations versus the reality of working.  Enjoy the episode! Key Points From This Episode: •   The recruiting process works to match students with co-ops.•   How her co-op experiences have helped her figure out what she wants (and doesn't want) to do in her future career. •   Expectations versus experience: marketing in the engineering industry at MCFA. Quotes: “I think when you are introduced to something that you don’t know anything [about], you can either really hate it and be really intimidated or you can be inspired and motivated.” — Isabella Damasceno  “I think, a lot of what I learned [in my co-op] was hands-on. And a lot of what I learned was [from] words. From just asking questions and talking to people.” — Isabella Damasceno  “With every mistake that you make, you [also] learn from it.” — Isabella Damasceno  Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Isabella Damasceno on LinkedInThe Clay StudioEverybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen) on SpotifyDie With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your LifeThe Surprising Key to Achieving Happiness and Success in Life and Business With Bill WatkinsInspiring People & Places PodcastMCFAMCFA CareersBJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

As we continue to move closer to graduation and internship season, we delve further into the talent equation.  Today on the podcast BJ is joined by a repeat guest, Colin Mottola. Colin is one of our Construction Managers and engineers at MCFA. He also happens to be one of our very first interns. Join the conversation as we explore Colin’s experience, from landing an internship to working on a construction project in an active hospital during a pandemic. He also gets into the various lessons he’s learned and his thoughts on the philosophy of why making mistakes is the best path to your development.  Be sure to tune in to see how someone can receive the advice they need at the right moment, with the perfect message conveyed by the ideal messenger. Enjoy.  Key Points From This Episode: •   A behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to work on a construction project, in an active hospital, during a pandemic. •   Why making mistakes is the best path to your development.•   The two components of extreme ownership. Quotes: “With every problem, there is a solution.” — Colin Mottola  “Extreme ownership goes two ways. One is, ‘Yes I can do this and yes I’m going to own it when you volunteer’. — Extreme ownership is also raising your hand when you say, ‘Look I’m ahead of my skis and I need some help.’” — BJ Kraemer  “The level of how connected this industry is, is crazy, and I’m trying to do that for ourselves with our intern(s).” — Colin Mottola  Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Colin Mottola on LinkedInThe Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter--And How to Make the Most of Them NowNever Eat Alone, Expanded and Updated: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a TimeFearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam BrownInspiring People & Places PodcastMCFAMCFA CareersBJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

As graduation and intern season approach, we want to dive into a topic we all have faced—just-in-time talent.   Join BJ as he discusses the talent equation, including why we should always be recruiting, regardless of whether we are hiring or not.   BJ addresses the debate between sourcing external talent and developing internal talent, his perspective on on-the-job training, and where the secret sauce of growth lies.   Don’t miss out; start listening now!  Key Points From This Episode: Why we should always be recruiting, even if we aren’t hiring at the time. A look at the debate between sourcing external talent and developing internal talent. What you need when you’re developing internal talent. How do you get it to be just-in-time talent?  Quotes: “As I’ve said before, our talent is our brand. Our people are our brand. Our people are the most important asset.” — BJ Kraemer “The best referrals are the people who are experiencing what is going on at MCFA.” — BJ Kraemer  “Your best recruiters and your best sellers are your people.” — BJ Kraemer  Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:  Christopher Schaefer on LinkedIn DoD to AEC on LinkedIn Jesse Gemberling-Johnson on LinkedIn Are Veterans A Solution To The Talent War, With Jesse Gemberling-Johnson, MCFA's Director of Talent Recruitment and Development Inspiring People & Places Podcast MCFA MCFA Careers BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn