Want employees who care greatly about creating remarkable results? Listen to this interview! Lee Cockerell is one of the most down-to-earth and transparent leaders I’ve been privileged to interview. Far beyond management and leadership, Lee got to the heart of what’s needed to provoke greatness in yourself and your team. Enjoy! Resources from the interview: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Zero to One Learn more about Lee Cockerell’s speaking and online courses here . Here’s to your greatness...
Apr 23, 2017•51 min
“Why don’t they put more time and attention to that client? If they don’t, they might lose them.” “Can’t they see I would be excellent in that position? Why don’t they consider me?” “Don’t they understand that if they’d just have more team building activities throughout the year everyone would work better together? Collaboration clearly improved after our yearly retreat.” “Why don’t they spend a little extra money on the furniture in our waiting area? At least they could provide fresh tea/coffee...
Mar 08, 2017•6 min
Running beneath the surface of our conscious awareness is a set of beliefs—sort of an autopilot of assumptions and expectations. The role models we’re exposed to as children, along with the stories we consistently hear, instruct our belief system and set us up to repeat patterns that create the results we see every day. Do you know the beliefs you bought into as a child that continue to create your current reality? I thought I did, and then I came face-to-face with the reality of an undesirable ...
Feb 16, 2017•6 min
Why do leaders struggle to create collaborative work environments where team members step up and do whatever it takes to create remarkable results? Is it because they haven’t set a vision that is compelling enough? Maybe. Is it because they haven’t counseled their team enough about the importance of working together, despite the weekly—no daily—reminders? Probably not. Is it because the team hasn’t decided on a shared set of values? I doubt it. The biggest reason leaders struggle to rally a team...
Feb 09, 2017•5 min
Company culture experts urge leaders to establish clearly defined values to serve as a guide for decisions and behaviors throughout an organization. To ensure they have the best representation of the values shared among those in leadership, companies often spend gobs of cash and time on experts who ultimately produce a document aligning the most common ideals. Mounted on the wall, and often on the website, these key words or phrases are meant to ensure everyone is on the same page about what’s e...
Feb 02, 2017•7 min
The greatest teachers in life are rarely the ones with great advice. They are remarkable role models who consistently show the way, while asking the kind of questions that stop us in our tracks. Their questions infect us with the kind of curiosity that leads us in the direction of our own answers. You know the kind of person I’m talking about. Their question pierces through our internal chatter and commands the truth we’ve been searching for. In November of 2016, I witnessed a teacher so committ...
Jan 26, 2017•7 min
We shy away from sharing or expanding into what we have to offer in the most obscure ways. We think that getting out of our comfort zone means doing something big , which is exactly what keeps us trapped and doing what we’ve always done. Finishing up lunch with a client at a nice restaurant in Baltimore, Maryland, I kept thinking about that beautiful basket of bread (that we didn’t even touch) going into the trash. While a business lunch is perhaps not the right environment to request a to-go bo...
Jan 19, 2017•5 min
In a rush to get from one experience to the next, we may miss the simple and seemingly superfluous opportunities to inspire greatness. Believing that inspiration only comes in oversized packages, we may forget to look for the tiny (barely noticeable, really) opportunities to inspire others into action. Having an “off” day and needing a shift in scenery, I headed to the pool for a workout. The moment I pulled into the parking lot, I started talking myself out of swimming—“It’s been a rough day… I...
Jan 11, 2017•5 min
They should is a trap that kills enthusiasm and growth faster than any economic downturn ever could. When you catch yourself thinking, “They should or shouldn’t,” stop and ask yourself, “How can I help them reach their goals?” Consider letting go of the shoulds (work harder, pay their dues, respect me) and shouldn’ts (go above me, think so highly of themselves, be so lazy), and instead focus on communicating your vision while helping them reach their goals. Their success is your success, regardl...
Jan 05, 2017•3 min
Greatness chases greatness. Companies and leaders in continuous pursuit of evolution (personal/company brand), worry more about keeping up with demand then poaching. On the flipside, those who hoard resources and acknowledgment wind up losing their most precious assets to the competition. Sitting in one of the nicest business clubs in Washington, DC, just before the start of an event, Lena, a fellow businesswoman, peeked over her computer and asked, “Excuse me, are you familiar with LinkedIn?” “...
Dec 29, 2016•5 min
Confidence in nearly every endeavor comes with a sense of knowing or familiarity. In sports, strengthening the fundamentals is key to making critical decisions in a split second. The same thing is true when it comes to gaining confidence in yourself. Confidence in yourself increases in direct portion to self-awareness. The more experience you have with self-talk, the more confidence you’ll have. Self-awareness leads to self-confidence. By becoming aware of the results you’re creating every day, ...
Dec 22, 2016•6 min
I had the great privilege of being in Kara DelVecchio’s audience at a recent conference focused on women in leadership in the Washington, DC area. Her stories and passion were enough to capture my attention for well over an hour—in fact, I was nearly late getting set up for a session I was responsible for because I was so intrigued. When she agreed to let me interview her for this podcast, my fingers couldn’t type my questions quickly enough. Her journey, curiosity, courage and compassion are en...
Dec 20, 2016•56 min
Confidence comes from the Latin word confide, which means to entrust. Self-confidence, then, is about learning to trust your self with yourself. Just as it takes experiences over time to trust others, trusting in your own experience of life requires that same kind of intention and attention. Remember the first time you sat behind the steering wheel of a car to drive? With your heart pumping, you tried to remember all the critical elements of driving, like gas! Too focused on adjusting the mirror...
Dec 15, 2016•7 min
When asked what it was like to be blind, Helen Keller said, “It's much better to have no sight than it is not to have a vision.” While some people seem to be born with a clear vision for their life that naturally morphs into their career and inspires their team, most of us have to take the time to allow our vision to emerge. Interestingly, the difficulty in creating a vision isn’t what we think it is. Creating a clear picture of a desired future that inspires us requires a two-pronged approach: ...
Dec 07, 2016•7 min
Margie Warrell has inspired millions of people around the globe to use their courage as a weapon to combat fear. As an avid follower of Margie’s work, I was excited to have a chance to learn about her journey, along with her perspective on the current state of the world during these political times. Throughout the interview, we talk about how she went from being the oldest of seven, growing up on a dairy farm, to interviewing and working with respected leaders including Sir Richard Branson, Kath...
Dec 04, 2016•58 min
Just nine years away from what he referred to as the socially acceptable date for retirement, Sam shared about the fear of filling his time—“I need to keep my brain active, and I’m not sure what I’ll do without people needing my help, or the excitement of winning the deal. My work brings purpose and structure to my days.” When work provides such a strong sense of identity, belonging and accolades, letting go of the known for what’s next can be terrifying. The feeling of being needed, having a se...
Dec 01, 2016•6 min
Imagine standing inside a giant jar of jellybeans, minus the beans and delicious smell. Looking through the glass, you can see there is a label, but you cannot figure out what it says. You can also see dozens of other people, all within their respective jars, none of whom can see what’s written on their own label. You can see their label and they can see yours, but no one can see their own. This is exactly where most of us find ourselves when it comes to understanding our own greatness and how t...
Nov 23, 2016•5 min
There are tons of articles out there that discuss advancing your career— about seven million , to be exact. It shouldn’t be surprising to see why it’s a confusing topic. While there is no magic bullet, simple strategies can be taken to land the opportunities you want. As I enjoyed a delicious breakfast with Stacey, a talented leader in the tech industry, I marveled at a story she shared about a young man, Keith, who has gone from being brand new in the industry to vying for a producer position i...
Nov 17, 2016•6 min
Being interviewed by such a powerfully present spiritual leader was one of the most special experiences of my career—Thank you, Sister Jenna . During this short interview, we talked about how this year’s presidential election has the potential to instigate in U.S. citizens. We discussed how we can use these time to move us closer to our individual and collective greatness. The energy being produced from this election is powerful and valuable—are you getting full use of it to move your team, busi...
Nov 09, 2016•25 min
Seeking understanding is the last thing we want to do when someone has offended us, tainted our reputation, or put us in harm’s way. It’s far easier to hold tightly to our beliefs, keep our anger, and strengthen our story by gathering all the necessary data and buy-in from others. It’s risky to seek their perspective and listen openly and authentically to their thought process, particularly when they might not demonstrate such concern in return. They may never ask about our experience, or even a...
Nov 03, 2016•5 min
Struggling with a small staff? Need to find a way to get the ones you have fully engaged? Here are three key steps to take: Clarify Outcomes Beyond shareholder value, bonuses and becoming “the best,” consider gaining clarity and communicating consistently these three elements: How does your product/service contribute to your customers’ needs? And, how does your company/team deliver the product/service that adds great value to your customers’ lives? Why do you personally care about the outcomes o...
Oct 26, 2016•4 min
Yogi Roth is a Pac-12 Networks college football analyst, Filmmaker, Scholar, New York Times Best-Selling Author, accomplished Coach, Motivational Speaker, Media Personality, Host and World-Traveler who has been studying human potential for over a decade. Most recently, Roth made his directorial debut with the documentary feature film, LIFE IN A WALK, which took home the Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking Award at the Newport Beach Film Festival. LIFE IN A WALK follows Roth and his father, Wil...
Oct 23, 2016•50 min
Ever been in a touristy area where you were bombarded with restaurant staff doing their best dance to get your into their establishment? Often, they start with their own version of “hello,” and then quickly make their way to, “Come eat?” The first couple of times, saying, “No, thank you,” is no big deal. But after a while it gets annoying, and you start avoiding their side of the road. Even still, one lady in Sorrento, Italy, called out across the road to us, “Hey girls, what are you doing?” App...
Oct 20, 2016•6 min
Busy, overwhelmed “Yeser’s” listen up. Yes, there’s a reason we keep getting asked to take on more— we say “Yes,” and we are the one’s who will make sure the job gets done, even if our other projects suffer and we wind up sick from exhaustion. Why do we keep getting picked to do the project? Because we are driven doers. We’ll run through fire to honor our word, and we’re the first to admit it. In fact, it’s a badge of honor we wear. In our quest to get it all in, we say, “Yes!” It’s an honorable...
Oct 13, 2016•7 min
We don’t bat an eye at spending countless hours researching and figuring out how to use our new cell phone and all the awesome applications we’ve downloaded. We invest our time, money, and resources in getting the best gadgets on the planet, forgetting that we are our most valuable resource. Imagine the difference you could make for yourself if you stopped to notice what’s working (and not working) in your life by consistently carving out time to reflect. Such information aids greatly in overall...
Oct 06, 2016•7 min
Seeking understanding is the last thing we want to do when someone has offended us, tainted our reputation, or put us in harm’s way. It’s far easier to hold tightly to our beliefs, keep our anger, and strengthen our story by gathering all the necessary data and buy-in from others. It’s risky to seek their perspective and listen openly and authentically to their thought process, particularly when they might not demonstrate such concern in return. They may never ask about our experience, or even a...
Sep 29, 2016•5 min
While sitting in a plush conference room, staring out at a beautiful lake, and sipping the green tea that was automatically dispensed for me at the push of a button, I found myself eager to get to know the gentleman responsible for building this empire. He was a handsome man in his late forties, wearing a sharp-looking suit, and walked with an air of confidence almost expected with such success. I found myself wondering if he understood just how intimidating his demeanor and words could come acr...
Sep 22, 2016•8 min
Without growth, companies, teams, leaders, and careers stagnate. Stagnation leads to hording, silos, distrust, conflict, and tension. Without a growth-provoking intervention, such stagnation quickly causes complacency, hording of resources, turnover, or worse yet, disengagement . Disengaged employees not only fail to do their best work, but they actively share their negativity with colleagues and customers alike, sabotaging your reputation and halting growth. To avoid the stench of stagnation, c...
Sep 15, 2016•7 min
Have you ever found yourself reading the comments section for a restaurant you found on Yelp (or another similar application) and thought to yourself, “How is this place even in business?” Or, “Wow, I’ve got to try this place!” While restaurant owners reap many benefits from Yelp, few cash in on one of the most valuable elements of these online tools. Coincidentally, it’s the same element most of us avoid regardless of success, position, industry, or experience. Hungry for authentic Greek food i...
Sep 01, 2016•5 min
During this fun and lively interview, Lisa Rosenthal shares the story that lead to her passion for building a powerful brand and company culture. Considering the turbulent nature of the government contracting industry, I was deeply interested in learning how Mayvin has successfully reached 90% employee retention, particularly considering the all-too-common threat of poaching. Lisa shared her secret strategies for driving retention through innovation, engagement, and collaboration. Listen in! Abo...
Aug 28, 2016•36 min
