People Business w/ O'Brien McMahon

For our 100th episode, we have a special guest. Chris McMahon is the owner of McMahon Ford in Norwalk, CT. He was O'Brien's first boss, his first sales leader, and has been a lifelong mentor. He's also O'Brien's father. He joins the show to talk about the lessons he's learned over his career as a salesperson, manager, and business owner.Time Codes:(0:58) - Introducing Episode #100(2:22) - Chris’ background and career beginnings.(6:21) - Have car dealers always had a bad reputation?(8:18) - What did you learn about sales in your first job with a dealership?(16:36) - What was your experience like as a sales/general manager?(24:35) - How did you become an owner?(26:21) - What did you learn from your business mentors?(30:40) - What led you to leave a great opportunity to chase a riskier one?(34:59) - Did your mentors ever discuss their business philosophies?(37:00) - Taking over one of the worst-performing dealerships in the state.(38:12) - What was your experience like venturing out on your own?(42:06) - How did you lead through tough times in the business?(51:31) - What did you hope to teach your children by having them work at the dealership?(1:02:03) - What is the purpose of business?

Rebecca Ryan is a noted futurist, economist, best-selling author, and entrepreneur. She is the founder of NEXT Generation Consulting through which she partners with private and public sector leaders across the country. Looking a generation ahead, she outlines strategies in urban planning, economic development, and workforce development to ensure communities are well equipped for future trends and challenges. Rebecca is a graduate of Drake University with a certificate in Strategic Foresight from the University of Houston. She is on the Executive Committee of the global Association of Professional Futurists. Links:RebeccaRyan.comRebecca’s NewsletterThe Association of Professional FuturistsStrategic Foresight at the University of HoustonHorizon ScanningThink Like A Futurist by Cecily SommersThe Good Judgment ProjectSuperforecasting by Phillip TetlockLong Bets: The Arena for Accountable Predictions1968 Fall edition of Whole Earth CatalogHow Buildings Learn by Stewart BrandThinking in Bets by Annie DukeBlack Swan by Nassim TalebThe Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel Deep Work by Cal NewportTime Codes:(3:00) - What is a futurist, and what does your work look like?(6:30) - Are there any other ways you try to simplify your work?(10:38) - How do you know which weak signals to pay attention to?(12:58) - What is your process for scanning all of this data and information in your futurist work?(16:35) - What are the mechanics for predicting the future?(21:35) - What does a project look like that a business might bring you in for?(27:09) - Do you have an example of a project that you’ve done?(29:29) - How do you sit with a group to help them shake up their point of view?(34:35) - What are some of the common biases you see getting in the way of corporate decision-making?(37:47) - What’s the best way for people to practice breaking their biases?(42:32) - A real-world example from O'Brien's life.(50:26) - How do you advise people to think about Black Swans?(57:37) - The Strategy Paradox.(1:01:01) - What trends are you paying attention to when it comes to human resources?(1:04:46) - What is the purpose of business?(1:06:04) - How can people find and engage with you online?

Randy is a coach, serial entrepreneur, angel investor, vintner, and philanthropist who lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. He coaches CEOs around the country and was a former lead coach with Vistage, where he built and led a group of 16 CEOs. In 2013, Randy founded the philanthropic venture The Gratitude Network, a leadership development organization supporting the world’s most dynamic and innovative nonprofit leaders and organizations impacting the lives of children in the areas of Education, Health and Well-Being, and Children’s Rights. Mentioned in this Episode:Gratitude NetworkEntrepreneur Wines The Leadership Circle ProfileStrengthFindersDiSCThe Purpose Driven Life by Rick WarrenThe Highest Goal by Michael RayEmbarc ChicagoWishcraft by Barbara SherIkigai by Hector GarciaTime Codes:(3:30) - Randy’s backstory on becoming a coach for CEOs.(5:07) - When you think of a CEO, what image comes to your mind?(7:12) - What percent of CEOs would you say are self-reflective individuals?(10:00) - What are the common challenges you see CEO’s facing today?(13:42) - Are CEOs really bought in and committed to DE&I rather than just seeing it as a trend to keep up with?(16:26) - Where do you start when you begin working with a CEO?(20:16) - How do you walk someone through goal setting?(28:04) - Do you see the people you work with naturally understanding and gravitating to your methods?(32:39) - Could you outline your 4 C’s framework?(37:14) - How did you set up The Gratitude Network?(42:36) - The value of doing a Cohort group.(48:30) - Why did you choose the word Gratitude?(51:36) - What advice do you have for people to craft something meaningful in their lives?(56:17) - How do you do a good job when you have a lot of jobs?(1:00:38) - Wrap up

Dr. Amy Beacom is the Founder and CEO of the Center for Parental Leave Leadership. She and Sue Campbell, along with the rest of their team, are on a mission to improve parental leave in America by coaching companies on how best to navigate this trying time. In a time when workplaces are adapting to a more human-centered approach, they offer relevant lessons on co-authorship and servant leadership. Links:The Parental Leave PlaybookAmy@Cplleadership.comSue@cplleadership.comFMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act)Sparrow Leave Management SoftwareParental Leave Insurance - Parento Extreme Ownership by Jocko WillinkTime Codes:(4:26) - Why would you choose parental leave as a career path?(9:54) - O’Brien’s interest in Parental Leave.(15:39) - The history of Parental Leave(19:42) - Where are we today with Parental Leave?(27:12) - How do you advise companies on improving their PL policies?(33:48) - If managers had really strong soft-skill training, how much would parental leave training be needed?(38:40) - How do you help build empathy in managers?(46:49) - What are best practices for touch points while someone is out on leave?(51:37) - What are you sick of talking about?(53:38) - What is the purpose of business?(57:54) - Where can people find and engage with you?

Amanda Greenberg is the CEO and Co-Founder of Balloon, a platform that unlocks ideas, insights, and feedback by eliminating groupthink and amplifying unheard voices. Prior to founding Balloon, she served as a public health researcher in Washington, D.C., where she developed behavior change campaigns for the EPA and CDC under then-Vice President Joe Biden. Amanda is an expert in the barriers to true collaboration and how groups can get past them to make better decisions. Mentioned in this Episode:Amanda on TwitterBalloon on TwitterGet in touch with Amanda: Amanda@getballoon.comTime Codes:(2:42) - Why are groups making worse decisions than they think?(4:57) - What is the standard group decision-making process?(7:26) - What is Balloon?(10:10) - Can you define how you run a flight asynchronously?(11:46) - Are these flights just for brainstorming or is there a longer use case?(15:36) - Is there an option for anonymity in the feedback that goes to leaders?(17:33) - What are some of the most frequent or most impactful biases you see?(22:46) - What are your thoughts on the power of gut feeling vs. group collaboration? (26:33) - How does the extra “question clarification” part of sessions get built into a flight?(28:36) - How have you built out templates for starting conversations?(32:54) - Do you have examples of what this new way of working looks like?(35:40) - Is there a certain personality type that doesn’t do well with Balloon?(38:29) - What have you learned about creativity from your research?(43:46) - When do we get to come together and for what purpose as remote workers?(48:25) - Is there anything Balloon offers to help people test out ideas or pilots?(50:58) - What are you sick of talking about?(52:52) - What interests you the most within your work?(54:19) - What is the purpose of business?(55:05) - How can people learn more about Balloon?

Andrea Petrone is an Executive Coach, Strategic Advisor, Facilitator, and Speaker. He helps CEOs and other C-Suite leaders in the mid-market to drive growth and performance by leading change, building transformational teams, and designing winning strategies. Before launching his advisory firm, Andrea held C-suite executive roles for more than 20 yrs at the international level. He worked in six countries and three continents primarily in the Oil and Energy, Industrial, and Consulting sectors. Andrea hosts the popular podcast "The World Class Leaders Show" where he and his guests deconstruct the success of high-performance leaders, share their stories and teach the most effective strategies to move from average to greatness. Andrea is originally Italian and he lives in London, UK. Mentioned in this Episode: AndreaPetrone.comThe World Class Leaders Show on Apple PodcastsPeople Business Podcast w/ Mike SarrailleTime Codes:(3:10) - What are the misconceptions about Executive Coaching?(5:55) - What questions do you get from leaders when you first engage with them?(8:44) - How many frameworks do you deploy in your work?(9:58) - Could you give an example of one of your frameworks?(15:25) - How are your clients held accountable?(20:22) - How do you get leaders to open up to the fact that they have weaknesses?(26:16) - Do you have any methods for easing someone’s ego?(30:17) - Where do you start when working with teams?(36:59) - What are some great methods for assessing teams?(41:50) - What have you found to be best practices for creating an environment of psychological safety?(49:07) - What do you notice are the biggest differences in how teams and leaders operate around the world?(53:51) - What lessons have you learned in doing your podcast?(59:11) - What is the purpose of business?(1:00:10) - How can people engage with you online?

Liam Martin believes we have corrupted "work from home" and turned it into "living at work". He wants to correct those mistakes and help companies run remote the right way. Liam is a serial entrepreneur who runs Time Doctor and Staff.com — one of the most popular time tracking and productivity software platforms in use by top brands today. He is also a co-organizer of the world's largest remote work conference — Running Remote — and has a book out by the same name, helping business leaders put these practices in place in their organizations.Mentioned in this Episode:Running Remote by Liam MartinRunning Remote on YouTubeRadical Candor by Kim ScottOculus by MetaThe McDonaldization of Society by George RitzerTime Codes:(3:25) - Liam’s thesis for Remote Work.(6:05) - Why do you believe remote work is a viable option and what are the rules for a good remote working environment?(12:27) - Turning “working from home” into “living at work.”(14:04) - How did you learn how to set boundaries for Remote Work?(17:12) - Remote Work’s impact on the Great Resignation(21:46) - What is the role of teams coming together in person?(25:34) - What is different about management in an asynchronous organization vs. on-site?(36:35) - The open-source aspect of asynchronous management.(40:10) - What personality types would struggle with remote work?(44:00) - How can we build relationships without being face to face with people?(49:41) - How are you training your people?(1:01:39) - Is there any struggle in the asynchronous model when a team member works with people outside the organization?(1:10:58) - What is the purpose of business?(1:14:14) - Where can people find and engage with you?

Laura McGee is the founder and CEO of Diversio, a people analytics company that uses artificial intelligence to help organizations become more inclusive. With offices in Toronto, New York, and London, Diversio was recognized by Fast Company as a “World Changing Idea: Data and AI” in 2021. Prior to Diversio, Laura was a consultant at McKinsey & Company with a focus on economic growth. She was named a Top 25 Women of Influence in 2017 and holds multiple Board positions, including Global Citizen, University of Waterloo, Ted Rogers School of Management, and ArcTern Ventures. Mentioned in this Episode: Diversio WhitepapersDiversio Case StudiesThe homophily effect: Homophily and BusinessTime Codes:(3:15) - What brought you to DEI work?(6:18) - What does it mean to use AI to read data?(8:31) - Do you have an example of this algorithm being used in practice?(10:00) - How do you filter between issues from employees that stem from home vs. those that stem from the workplace?(13:17) - Diversio’s survey techniques and data trends.(15:12) - How do you identify the things a client needs to do well?(18:47) - How do you effectively implement pilot programs?(22:31) - What does the deliverable look like that a client sees when you go through a survey?(24:56) - What have been some of the biggest surprises you’ve seen doing this work?(28:07) - Are most of the issues you see caused purposefully or due to ignorance?(32:25) - What types of disabilities or mental illness are you seeing as being included the least in the workplace?(35:11) - What recommendations are you making for employers when it comes to mental health?(37:04) - What is neurodiversity?(37:33) - How do you respond to someone saying that there are simply too many sub-groups to effectively affirm everyone’s differences and still effectively run a business?(40:23) - Open source solutions for people who are motivated to start this work(42:34) - What were the conversations like when deciding to open source your work?(45:34) - What are the biggest hurdles you see companies facing even with all this data in hand?(46:44) - How are companies effectively implementing your feedback and solutions?(47:34) - Why would companies use this tool as a risk assessment?(50:12) - What are you sick of talking about?(52:23) - What are you most excited to be talking about?(53:11) - What do you think people are not talking enough about?(53:46) - What is the purpose of business?

Michael F. Schein is the Head Hype Man at MicroFame Media, a company that specializes in making consultants and coaches famous in their fields. His writing has appeared in Fortune, Forbes, Inc., Psychology Today, and Huffington Post, and he is a speaker for international audiences spanning from the northeastern United States to the southeastern coast of China. His book The Hype Handbook: 12 Indispensable Success Secrets From the World’s Greatest Propagandists, Self-Promoters, Cult Leaders, Mischief Makers, and Boundary Breakers published by McGraw Hill, appears wherever books are sold.Mentioned in this Episode:Michael Schein on the Grounded Content PodcastBasecampRework book by basecampBrene Brown on VulnerabilityLouis CK on airplane wifi Time Codes:(3:26) - What is hype?(5:42) - When did hype become something you wanted to dedicate your career to?(8:59) - How should the everyday person be thinking about hype?(12:26) - How does someone find the right audience for their message?(15:06) - “Make war, not love.”(20:22) - How does someone pick fights if they don't like conflict? (23:43) - Do you have exercises for this? (24:57) - “Create your own secret society.”(31:27) - Re-thinking how you network.(44:42) - What type of language resonates most with people?(49:37) - How can people add theatricality to a business setting?(55:28) - Michael’s take on the phrase “Under-promise & Over-deliver.”(1:04:10) - Where can people find you?

Skot Waldron helps businesses and business leaders market and communicate with their internal customers; their employees. With 20+ years in brand development, Skot has turned his focus from external to internal as he applies the lessons of great branding to the employee experience. He has worked with large companies like Royal Caribbean, The Coca Cola Company, and JP Morgan Chase as well as small businesses and entrepreneurs in one-on-one coaching. In this conversation, Skot outlines the steps to his process and gives listeners ideas for identifying and improving their culture and brand. Mentioned in this Episode:www.SkotWaldron.com Skot on YouTubeSkot on InstagramDerek Gaunt on the People Business podcastTime Codes:(3:27) - Skot’s origin story.(4:58) - How do you define marketing and branding?(6:08) - Is brand synonymous with reputation?(9:02) - Where do you start with clients to begin creating internal branding and marketing?(13:25) - What happens when clients get negative feedback about themselves?(15:51) - How hard or easy is it for groups to hear negative feedback from you?(18:20) - What do some “ah-ha” moments look like?(20:55) - How do you define leadership communication?(24:40) - What coaching do you give to someone who needs to be better at "pulling"?(34:56) - What coaching do you give to someone who needs to be better at "pushing"?(50:11) - How can people get in touch with you?