People Business w/ O'Brien McMahon

Francine Parham is a career expert focused on female leadership and the advancement of women and women of color into positions of leadership and authority in the workplace. Having spent two decades in the corporate sector advancing to the position of global vice president in two Fortune 500 companies (General Electric and Johnson & Johnson), Francine understands the importance of having the right skills (explicit and implicit) for career success. Francine’s experience being one of few Black women at her level resulted in her founding Francine Parham & Co. Mentioned in this Episode:The Compound Effect by Darren HardyPlease Sit Over There by Francine ParhamTime Codes:(3:09) - Francine’s origin story.(5:15) - Does your work shore up skills gaps or opportunities gaps?(8:14) - What are the pieces of an organization’s infrastructure that are creating boundaries for certain groups of people?(15:38) - How should a leader be thinking in a way that allows for growing their business but also closing opportunity gaps?(19:14) - What should people’s goals be when seeking to improve their DEI?(24:58) - How would you guide a client to deal with blowback from groups not selected for focus on advancement?(29:38) - What are your goals for your book?(36:26) - How should aspiring professionals think about power in a corporate environment?(41:51) - Do you have an example of how two companies have valued different things?(52:32) - What is the purpose of business?(55:18) - Wrap up.

Ryan McCrea is passionate about helping others own their career. He is currently the Head of Career Development at Atlassian, leading development and mobility programs for a growing global technology company with more than 7,000 employees. Prior to Atlassian, Ryan was Vice President and Manager of Talent Development at Commerce Bank where he built their corporate-wide professional development program from scratch. Mentioned in this Episode:Grit by Angela DuckworthThe Medici Effect by Frans JohanssonDare to Lead Hub with Brené BrownTime Codes:(2:49) - How does one become a Learning & Development Leader?(4:16) - What drew you to this aspect within HR?(4:59) - How have you developed your knowledge base?(6:38) - Where does a company start to develop its internal training?(10:10) - How do you get buy-in from organizational leaders?(12:13) - What skills have you developed to have an impact in your role?(14:06) - What do you see as the staples of being a good marketer?(17:28) - How do you structure learning environments?(21:26) - What are you seeing when it comes to attention spans in employees?(24:56) - Do you consider yourself a niche expert or a jack-of-all-trades?(31:41) - Do you have an example of using the Agile framework for building programs?(36:42) - What is a Scrum Master?(37:53) - Is part of Agile breaking the entire process down into micro-steps?(39:27) - How do you build recovery into your processes?(41:52) - What’s the right way to roll out a Pilot?(45:28) - How do you test and demonstrate ROI?(48:54) - Where do you see leadership changing?(56:53) - What is the purpose of business?(58:13) - Where can people connect with you?

David Siegel is the CEO of Meetup, the largest platform for finding and building local communities. He has 25 years of experience as a technology and digital media executive leading organizations through innovative product development, rapid revenue growth, and digital traffic acceleration. Prior to joining Meetup, David was CEO of Investopedia and before that, President of Seeking Alpha. He is an adjunct professor at Columbia University, teaching strategic planning and entrepreneurship. He is the author of Decide & Conquer: 44 Decisions That Make or Break All Leaders and hosts the podcast Keep Connected, which is dedicated to the power of community. Mentioned in this Episode:WeCrashed Series on Apple+Built to LeadThe Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben HorowitzIn Search of Excellence by Tom PetersTime Codes:(4:02) - When did your core principles become clear to you?(9:44) - Have you done anything since writing the book to apply your values day-to-day?(12:35) - Writing and reflecting on your career journey to help you grow.(14:54) - Interviewing for a leadership role.(19:23) - How do you deal with the fear that comes with a new leadership role?(21:56) - What is a process plan versus a business plan?(25:42) - What are the different frameworks you use and why are they important?(30:19) - Why was moving fast so important to you?(37:28) - WarTime & PeaceTime CEOs.(45:55) - How do you create luck?(49:01) - What are some examples of decisions you’ve made that led to doors opening or doors closing?(57:38) - How do you create a successful community?(1:04:08) - What is the purpose of business?

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?