CEO Coaching International Podcast

Ron Carson’s family lost everything in the 1980s farm crisis. Instead of preparing to follow in his father’s footsteps, Ron had to watch his father cry for the first time and move into a trailer. Then, when he was studying at the University of Nebraska, Ron read a magazine article about becoming a Certified Financial Planner®. Thirty years later, Carson Wealth is one of the BIGGEST names in finance. And I’m proud to say that my good friend Ron Carson is a person who runs his business and his life with a passion we should all try to emulate. In this special episode, recorded live at the 2019 CEO Coaching Summit, Ron Carson discusses how his family’s hardships motivated him to push past fear, figure out his “Why,” and dedicate himself to things he loves doing.

Hiring the best people is always critical. Right now, it’s also very challenging. According to the staffing pros at Integrity Staffing Solutions, unemployment is near the lowest figure in decades. That translates to around 7 million open jobs, and only 6 million people looking. Add in the retiring baby boomer generation and the rise of the millennial workforce and it’s absolutely imperative that your firm is doing everything it can to make open positions as attractive as possible. On today’s show, Todd Bavol and Megan Couch of Integrity Staffing Solutions give some important tips on how to make your company a preferred destination for top talent.

About ten years ago, Josh McCarter was running a struggling SaaS business in New York. His company was generating about $700,000 in annual revenue, but burning through $350,000 a month. He didn’t have enough cash on hand to cover next month’s payroll. His customer base had flatlined. And just when it seemed like relief was on the way, a terrorist attack disrupted a critical investment. Not even his YPO forum mates thought Josh was going to make it. I should know – I was in that forum! Fast forward to 2019, and Josh is in charge of a company that was recently purchased for $2 billion. In this conversation, recorded live at the 2019 CEO Coaching Summit, Josh and I talked about how he kept cool during all this adversity and focused on a plan that pivoted his company to BIG. Josh also describes how turning around his original company and zeroing in on one key strategy prepared him to run a billion-dollar business.

Cole Zucker turned a sudden job loss into a BIG opportunity. He booked an eight-week stay at a hostel in China that turned into a three-year fact-finding and networking mission. Eventually, Cole spotted a market that he thought was ready to explode in the US: LED lighting. Green Creative was born, and five years later, Cole was riding a rocket ship from $0 to $40 million in growth that landed him a significant exit. On today’s show, Cole Zucker discusses those early years of explosive growth in terms of what he learned and what he would do differently. He also shares a couple of great insights on what he did to overcome a major challenge that he hit in the company's early days.

In 2017, Sarah Dusek came to CEO Coaching International looking for some guidance on how to get her glamorous camping (“glamping”) company to the next level. Two years later, thanks to some courageous decisions and a commitment to our processes, Under Canvas has grown BIGGER than Sarah dreamed, and recently secured a major private equity investment that will help expand its operations across US National Parks. In this special episode, recorded live at the 2019 CEO Coaching Summit, Sarah Dusek talks with her coach, Sheldon Harris, about her incredible journey, the importance of resilience, and how staying true to her company’s values helped her guide Under Canvas around some potential potholes and stay on course for BIG.

Blockbuster. Xerox. MySpace. And, yes, Kodak. These businesses are long gone, but they endure as cautionary tales to any CEO who’s complacent. But dealing with disruption isn’t just about planning ahead: it’s about cultivating a culture and a mindset within your team that prioritizes innovation, experimentation, and above all, BIG thinking. On today’s show, Jaime Szulc shares the steps you can take to position your company so it's on the giving end of disruption, not the receiving end. Jaime also discusses some warning signs he spotted during the end of his tenure at Kodak that all CEOs should be on the lookout for if they want to avoid a similar fate.

Government contracting can be lucrative, but it can also be a cutthroat competition between companies trying to outsmart and under-bid each other. Winning major contracts requires a detailed proposal strategy that balances innovative thinking with a clear-eyed understanding of what your company can and can’t bring to the table. On today’s show, Rafe Wilkinson shares three key steps to accelerate your growth in the government contracting space – including an ingenious acquisition strategy that Rafe has seen get BIG results.

Branding has never been more important to successful businesses. The number of choices that your customers have multiplies every single day. Companies with strong brands are able to stand out from that crowd and make clear, direct value propositions to the public. Companies with weak, or worse, inauthentic brands are never going to separate themselves and will just get swept away in the non-stop marketing din buzzing across our screens every day. On today’s show, Mike Marchi discusses how building and maintaining a strong brand can lead to higher profits for your company. He also shares some key lessons on leadership he learned from working under Jack Welch.

There’s more than one way to get BIG. If your company is really firing on all cylinders, hitting its targets, and keeping you in the black, an acquisition might be just the thing to take you up to the next level. But whether you’re looking to buy or sell, it’s critical that you and your team don’t get too caught up in the excitement of the opportunity. CEOs who chase acquisitions like they’re shiny new things to collect risk stretching themselves too thin. A smaller business that wants to sell quick might be too focused on a payday and not as attentive to all the fine print that’s attached to it. A careful consideration of strategy, partner fit, and your long-term goals either inside or outside of this new entity should be what drives this process. On today’s show, Jim Weaver outlines a well-planned, seven-step acquisition process that will help ensure proper execution, strong growth, and BIG profitability.

Today’s best-seller will be in tomorrow’s bargain bin. The companies that avoid this fate always have one eye on what’s next. They’re creative, they’re innovative, they’re willing to experiment, and they’re prudent about how they expend time and resources when it comes to refreshing their product lines. On today’s show, Alberto Carvalho outlines a four-step process to product development that he honed while working for some of the world’s biggest businesses. Alberto’s process won’t just get you from prototype to finished product – it will get you there with minimal waste and with a maximum shot at hitting BIG returns with your customers.