Manage Smarter

Crista Grasso is the go-to strategic planning and systems expert for online businesses when they want to scale. Known as the "Business Optimizer", Crista has the ability to quickly cut through noise and provide clarity on the core things that will make the biggest impact to scale a business simply and sustainably. She is the founder of the Lean Out Method, creator of the Lean Business Scaling System, and host of the Lean Out Your Business Podcast. In this podcast for managers, Audrey, Lee and Crista discuss:  ·        What mistakes she made with her business that prompted her to start her company ·        Time chunking methodology ·        4 Pillars of the Lean Out method ·        What the biggest mistakes are for small business entrepreneurs in scaling "A 2-hour focus block with the right conditions in place to stay laser focused from start to finish can result in getting a massive amount FINISHED. But a 2-hour focus block without the right conditions in place can look like spending the 1st 30 minutes frustr

Get ready to be inspired by a true powerhouse in the field of productivity intelligence. Our guest today is Gerald J. Leonard, a leading figure who has revolutionized the way we approach maximizing our potential. Gerald is the Publishing Editor, CEO, and Founder of the Leonard Productivity Intelligence Institute, where he focuses on enhancing productivity and building better workplace cultures. He is also the CEO of Turnberry Premiere, a strategic project portfolio management and IT governance firm in Washington, DC. A professional bassist, Gerald J. Leonard offers a unique approach to accomplishing more in the workplace. https://productivityintelligenceinstitute.com/managesmarter/ for FREE MATERIALS In this podcast for managers, Audrey, Lee and Gerald discuss:  ·        Gerald’s tips for what order to approach tasks to boost productivity ·        Time chunking methodology ·        Analogy of a symphony and conductor to the performance of you and your team ·        Productivity boosting processes "Juggling mu

Today’s guest is Beth Trejo, a trailblazing speaker, CEO, and founder of the global social-first digital agency, Chatterkick. Featured in USA Today, Yahoo, and Business Insiders as a Top 50 CEO for Women, Beth is a recognized advocate for women in tech. We have a fantastic new offer for CEOS! 1,000 ChatGTP prompts for the C-suite - https://chatterkick.com/free-stuff/ceo/ In this podcast for managers, Audrey, Lee and Beth discuss:  ·        The importance of empathy for managers and leaders ·        What digital methods you can use to create empathy with coworkers and reports ·        The use of AI to help you craft empathetic messaging in your communications ·        Social media methods to connect more authentically to your coworkers and reports "There's a whole new way to think about how we connect with our customers and coworkers. It's time to shake off those preconceived notions about opportunities and barriers and reimagine what authentic connection means in today's digital world.”– Beth Trejo Build Cred

Stephanie Nivinskus is the CEO of SizzleForce Marketing, an agency that helps scaling companies get noticed and attract more clients on a daily basis. Since 1995, she has developed and executed brand-building campaigns for companies including Starbucks, The NFL, Quiksilver, and thousands of small businesses. A Story Brand Certified Guide and Certified Partner of Digital Marketer, Stephanie has written for Forbes & Entrepreneur magazines and she is the author of the International #1 Bestseller, Absolutely Unforgettable: The Entrepreneur’s Guide To Creating A Heart-Centered Brand And Standing Out In A Noisy World. In this podcast for managers, Audrey, Lee and Stephanie discuss:  ·        5 explanations as to why your products or services aren’t selling ·        How to appeal to buyers on an emotional level ·        Attention-getting techniques to create FOMO ·        How company credibility and product credibility affect salesperson credibility ·        When to pull the plug on a product that’s not doing well "

Joining us today is Mary Ann Pruitt, the CEO and President of Mosaic Media, a collection of media buying experts and creative strategists who negotiate, purchase, and monitor advertising space and airtime. She’s here today to share some marketing wisdom gleaned from her extensive career in media strategy and how it relates to the ever-evolving climate of media. In this podcast for managers, Audrey, Lee and Mary Ann discuss:  ·        Tapping into superpowers post-COVID for women in business ·        The main challenge women leaders have vs. male leaders ·        Five working generations in the workplace and how to manage them all ·        Managing professional development to reduce turnover ·        The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in media buying and sales/marketing "When we step away from the computer we get our best ideas as leaders. Step away for just a few minutes.”– Mary Ann Pruitt Build Credibility and Effective Leadership with the Manage Smarter Podcast Join hosts Audrey Strong and C. Lee Smi

Attorney Chuck Price, with 40 years of experience managing legal teams and trying cases. He was named one of the five most influential commercial litigators in Arizona by AZ Business Leaders magazine. He has taught management and negotiation to sales representatives, sales managers and others around the country. He is the author of Rewiring the White Collar Mind, which analyzes how workplace incentives can lead to professional success but personal unhappiness, and gives practical steps to help us transcend those messages. In this podcast for managers, Audrey, Lee and Chuck discuss:  ·       How sales and other professionals can escape the “Tyranny of Numbers.” ·       How do reframe KPIs and having a healthier relationship with goals tied to your job ·       How to make your employees feel included, valued and respected to reduce turnover ·       How to retrain your brain on reconciling the stress of handlingpayroll and budget numbers ·       Better ways to manage work/life balance "People have a wide variety

Matt Blumberg is a technology entrepreneur, business builder, and CEO of Bolster, an on-demand executive talent marketplace that helps accelerate companies’ growth by connecting them with experienced, highly vetted executives for interim, fractional, advisory, project-based or board roles. Matt has been recognized as one of New York’s 100 most influential technology leaders by Business Insider, by Crain’s as one of New York’s Top Entrepreneurs, and by Ernst & Young as an Entrepreneur of the Year finalist. Before Bolster, Matt built businesses and worked in marketing, consulting, and venture capital. He is the author of Startup CEO, Startup CXO, and Startup Boards. In this podcast for managers, Audrey, Lee and Matt discuss:  ·      How boards work and definitions of a good board vs. a bad board ·      Why should a startup or company in growth stage create a board of directors and what are the benefits? ·      How boards increase credibility ·      Creating a board including size, composition, roles of VCs and

Kevin Maney is a bestselling author, award-winning columnist, and partner at Category Design Advisors (CDA). His critically-acclaimed book, Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets, introduced business to the idea of category design and has sold more than 150,000 copies worldwide. As a founding partner of CDA, Maney has helped leadership teams at hundreds of companies all over the world focus their strategic thinking through category design. Maney has been a contributor to Newsweek, Fortune, The Atlantic, Fast Company, CNN and ABC News, among other media outlets. He was a contributing editor at Conde Nast Portfolio during its brief run from 2007 to 2009. For 22 years, Maney was a columnist, editor and reporter at USA Today. In this podcast for managers, Audrey, Lee and Kevin discuss:  ·       The latest new business categories that are hot for 2023 ·       The role of artificial intelligence/AI and how it can help define your category ·       Why AI is the new electricity

Marc Reifenrath is the CEO & Co-founder of Spinutech, a full-service digital marketing agency with 150+ team members across the U.S. In that capacity, he understands firsthand how critical a company’s culture is to achieving and maintaining success. Marc has helped Spinutech grow from a college start-up to one of the premier full-service digital marketing agencies in the country. The secret ingredient? Company values that are truly lived, including a commitment to “Get Better Every Day”.  In this podcast for managers, Audrey, Lee and Marc discuss:  ·       Why the first 100 days of a new employee are the most important ·       How he was able to have zero turnover the first 10 years of his company ·       How to attract “A” Players ·       Growing a “walk the walk” culture "The #1 mistake managers make is trying to lead every person the same way and with the same message. You have to say the main points at least seven times before the team will truly hear it. You also have to say it many different ways becaus

Elizabeth Rosenberg is a personal branding expert, strategic communications consultant, intuitive, and founder of The Good Advice Company. Her company is a marketing and communications consultancy, and with more than two decades of experience working with some of the most innovative brands and leaders in the world, Elizabeth taps her knowledge, intuition and truths to uncover and amplify purpose and ownable narratives. In this podcast for managers, Audrey, Lee and Elizabeth discuss:  -Personal branding for managers -Popularity vs. impact -How your credibility is affected in how you’re thought of by others and how to change that -How to change your personal brand and make sure it’s authentic -Intuitive readings for executives to help shift personal brands "Leaders make a mistake when they are living and leading in fear of being accepted as our authentic selves. And when they want to be famous, well known, or popular vs. wanting to make an impact.”– Elizabeth Rosenberg   Build Credibility and Effective Leadersh

Dana Pharant grew up in a cult and in her journey to healing became a Dominatrix. She's the author of "Become a Badass in Business.” These days, she has changed gears to help leaders show up with true authenticity and confidence by standing in what she calls the Inner Dominatrix energy. Her training and philosophy show leaders how to become a badass in life and business by being unique and standing in your own personal power. In this podcast for managers, Audrey, Lee and Dana discuss:  -Definition of Badass Leadership and how leaders can transition from submissive leadership to dominant leadership styles -Inner Dominatrix energy channeling for leaders -Finding the courage to make bold decisions outside your leadership comfort zone -How her cult upbringing drove her to the business philosophy she has today showcasing empowered leadership -Tangible exercises to shift your mindset "For the term dominatrix, most people think in terms of what Hollywood presents. But what a dominatrix is actually about is taking pe

Jody Grunden co-founded Summit CPA Group (Summit) in 2002, which merged with Anders CPAs + Advisors (Anders) in 2022. Summit, now a division of Anders, was the first fully distributed accounting firm. As the leading provider of Virtual CFO Services in North America, Summit provides professional Virtual CFO Services for over 100 companies across the United States, helping business owners dive deep into the financial side of their business to maximize profits, minimize taxes, and increase cash flow. In this podcast for managers, Audrey, Lee and Jody discuss:  -The Four Most Important Financial Metrics for Growing Your Business -Cash flow as it relates to profit -Jody’s recommendations on accurate financial forecasting -How to preserve the bottom line no matter what changes happen in real time -How to grow the company financially while maintaining firm control and agility  "The biggest mistake managers make is not knowing or understanding their non-financial KPIs.”– Jody Grunden  Build Credibility and Effective

David Horsager, MA, CSP, CPAE is the CEO of Trust Edge Leadership Institute, Trust Expert in Residence at High Point University and The Wall Street Journal best-selling author of The Trust Edge, The Daily Edge, and Trusted Leader. He is also a podcaster, creator of the Enterprise Trust Index™, and director of one of the nation’s foremost trust studies, The Trust Outlook. ® Horsager has advised leaders and delivered life-changing presentations on six continents, with audiences ranging from Delta, FedEx, and Toyota to the New York Yankees, MIT and the Department of Homeland Security. His work has been featured in prominent media such as Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and MSNBC. Through speaking, training, consulting, and coaching, David and his team at Trust Edge Leadership Institute make it their mission to develop trusted leaders and organizations. With his trademark 8 Pillar Framework, David breaks trust down into tangible steps that can be leveraged right away to build a high-trust culture— because high-t

Jon Morris is the founder & CEO of Ramsay Innovations and a serial entrepreneur. Prior to Ramsay, he established Rise Interactive in 2004,with prize money from his second-place finish in the University of Chicago’s prestigious New venture Challenge. Over the next 16 years he grew Rise from a one-person shop to one of the largest independent marketing agencies in the world, selling in 2018. While pondering his next move, he realized that he was most energized when connecting and helping fellow entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Ramsay Innovations’ mission is to transform marketing agencies by providing them with world-class, agency-specific finance management and strategic planning at a fraction of the cost. In this episode, Lee, Audrey and Jon discuss: -Current landscape of agencies in the U.S. and prediction for 2023 given a possible recession -The huge opportunities Jon sees for agency sales reps this year and methods to grab more market share -How to expand owned and earned media -EBITA for agencies and

Joining us today is Ron Ross, President and COO of Everee, a payroll platform that eases the payroll process for both employers and employees. Ron is a seasoned finance executive with 15 years of experience leading accounting, finance and operations teams at fast-growing companies. Ron came up with Everee after seeing firsthand the negative impact of waiting two weeks for a paycheck. His daughter had a job making enough to cover her expenses, but she kept running out of money because the timing of her payday and bills didn’t match. Realizing what a huge problem this was for so many Americans, Ron decided to challenge the status quo and created Everee to make faster paydays a reality. Since founding the company in 2018, Ron has grown the team by 5X and raised Seed and Series A financing rounds totaling $14M in April 2019 and 2020 respectively In this podcast for managers, Audrey, Lee and Ron discuss:  -Why the Payroll Industry Still Supports Outdated Pay Cycles -How a daily payroll is more attracted to talent

Bryan Adams is the CEO and founder of Ph.Creative, a global employer branding agency. He is a prominent employer brand thought leader, podcaster, speaker, and author of “Give & Get Employer Branding.” Ph.Creative has built world-class employer brands and talent engagement strategies that have worked with the world’s top brands. In this podcast for managers, Audrey, Lee and Bryan discuss:  -Definition of an employer brand -Examples of how to let prospective employees have a realistic view of what working at your company is really like -Timing of employer brand rollout in the hiring process -Why an employer brand can decrease regrettable employee losses and increase retention  "What is employer branding? It’s very important if you own or run a business, or even manage a team. It’s a strategic approach to employer brand that aligns your business strategy with attracting and retaining the people you need to win.”– Bryan Adams Build Credibility and Effective Leadership with the Manage Smarter Podcast Join hosts A

Maria Victoria Albina (she/they) is a Master Certified Somatic Life Coach, UCSF-trained Family Nurse Practitioner and Breathwork Meditation Guide with a passion for helping humans socialized as women realize that they are their own best healers by reconnecting with their bodies and minds, so they can break free from codependency, perfectionism and people-pleasing and reclaim their joy. She is the host of the Feminist Wellness Podcast, holds a Masters degree in Public Health from Boston University School of Public Health and a BA in Latin American Studies from Oberlin College. Victoria has been working in health & wellness for over 20 years and lives on occupied Munsee Lenape territory in New York’s Hudson Valley. FREE MEDITATIONS FOR MANAGE SMARTER LISTENERS: victoriaalbina.com/salesfuel In this podcast for managers, Audrey, Lee and Victoria discuss:  -Signs and signals leaders should look for indicating they aren’t well -Why people pleasing and likability are a recipe for bad health for leaders -How past tra

Anthony Iannarino is a writer, speaker, salesperson, sales leader and entrepreneur. He publishes a daily blog at www.thesalesblog.com. His new book is called Leading Growth: The Proven Formula for Consistently Increasing Revenue . The book is an expert guide to enabling revenue growth in your sales team. Anthony Iannarino was frustrated with how sales were going at his staffing company when he discovered that there was a bigger problem at hand - the sales conversion process. Anthony dedicated 11 years to researching, developing, and testing his sales formula. This resulted in a proven framework that enables sales managers to seamlessly complete the competency transfer process. Over the next decade, the sales teams he worked with consistently hit their aggressive sales targets through value creation, differentiation, and knowing exactly what to say to advance the sale. Today Anthony is a 3-time best selling author, keynote speaker, and has helped 321+ companies maximize their conversions. In this podcast for m

Darrin Jahnel is the founder and CEO of Jahnel Group, a 150-person software consulting company headquartered in upstate New York. Darrin leads with energy and is maniacally focused on creating an amazing work environment for his team. Jahnel Group has made the Inc 5,000 list 6 years in a row and has won multiple best workplace awards for their amazing culture. One of the keys to success is tying your love and experience playing basketball by applying those concepts to special teams. Prior to starting the company in 2012, Darrin worked as a Senior Software Engineer on Wall Street. Darrin has led numerous engineering teams on multi-million-dollar projects and is a member of MENSA. He is happily married and has 4 children (2 adopted children and 2 birth sons). Darrin’s oldest son, Gideon, is from Nigeria. Although Darrin and his wife refer to Gideon as their son, they were not able to officially adopt him. Gideon has parents and 5 siblings back in Nigeria. Last year, Gideon worked 60 hours a week, all summer lon

David Saltzman is the Principal at The Saltzman Group and a 20-year nationally-published monthly columnist, an accomplished stage and keynote speaker, and a seasoned marketer. For the past 15 years, David has focused on helping others create story-based marketing that cuts through the noise in their marketplaces and creates the first step toward enduring relationships. As a Certified StoryBrand Guide, David and his team employ the StoryBrand framework to structure and focus the story their clients use to win business and attract customers. In this podcast for managers, Audrey, Lee and David discuss:   -The StoryBrand Process -Why are some stories memorable and spur action while others are ineffective -What are some of the pitfalls of the storytelling approach to watch for? -Why you should Always be Yoda and never be Luke Skywalker -The role of emotion in corporate sales "The number one mistake managers make is making themselves the hero of the client’s story.”– David Saltzman    Build Credibility and Effectiv