Manage Smarter

Scott Dikkers is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of "How To Write Funny" who founded theonion.com and The AV Club. He's also been named to TIME magazine's Top 50 "Cyber Elites" alongside Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and George Lucas. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Scott discuss: ·         How workplace humor can be a danger area·         The 11 different kinds of jokes and literary devices ·         Consider difference between creatives and non-creatives spheres in the workplace·         How to inspire your team to big time engagement and loyalty "How do you know what’s going to be offensive to them? It IS a minefield." – Scott Dikkers   Join hosts Audrey Strong and C. Lee Smith every week as they dive into managers, leadership, business, sales, company culture, talent retention, hiring and more.  From debunking sales myths to learning how to manage with and without measurements, you'll lear

Gerhard Gschwandtner is founder and publisher of Selling Power magazine, he owns the Sales 3.0 conference and he is the creator of the Peak Performance Mindset training program. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Gerhard discuss: How he got meetings with Malcom Forbes and Donald TrumpWhat's the #1 problem/mistake managers and leaders makeThe Top 2 things you need to be successful in sales and negotiations3 Levels of Sales Mindset you MUST have to reach your A-Game  "What talent do we need in order to become a world class company? I think that customers have something all in common, they hate to buy. They don’t like to buy and make the wrong decision, so we really need to look at four sets of skills. Are they good with transactions? Relationships? Creating value? Trusted Advisor?" – Gerhard Gschwandtner Join hosts Audrey Strong and C. Lee Smith every week as they dive into the aspects and concepts of good business management. From debunking sales myths to learning how to manage with and without measurements

Christina Unrein is Founder of Possibility Lab and she is a Clarity & Happiness Coach for Achievement-Driven Leaders, Business Owners & Teams creating personal and business solutions that focus on mindset, happiness, and resiliency. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Christina discuss: ·           The definition of happiness·           What warning signs mean an employee will never be happy in your organization·           Specific steps to change your mindset to be more fulfilled in work   "I focus on what I can control. So many people focus outside themselves and they’re ticked off about everything else. And I look at “What can I control?” How can I make what’s happening serve me?" – Christina Unrein  Join hosts Audrey Strong and C. Lee Smith every week as they dive into the aspects and concepts of good business management. From debunking sales myths to learning how to manage with and without measur

52 Manage Smarter through Crisis/Turnarounds For more than 25 years, the last 15 with his own firm Broadway Advisors, Tom Paccioretti has been a turnaround consultant and crisis manager helping financially troubled companies and their stakeholders. His more than fifty clients included Barneys New York, CalFruit Eagle, Trend Technologies, Z Gallerie and EZ Lube. He recently started a new career as the professor of entrepreneurship at Santa Monica College.  In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Tom discuss: ·           Managing up and down in crisis and turnaround situations·           Managing cash conversion cycles during crisis/turnaround scenarios·           Making senior leadership walk the customer experience for turnaround discovery  "When I look at the top management aspect of it, that this stress levels is going on, number one, go back and talk to your customers. Why are you still our customers? Why are you s

Dr. Joey Faucette is the author of two #1 best-sellers, Faith Positive in a Negative World (with Mike Van Vranken) and Work Positive in a Negative World (Entrepreneur Press). He has written seven books and contributed to numerous others. He is the founder of Listen to Life, Too, a coaching company that develops leaders, engages employees, and transforms culture. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Joey discuss: ·           Why positivity creates better productivity ·           Creating an environment where as you age, you can crave lifelong learning·           How changing work environments can lock workers into engagement and dream pursuit and fulfillment of goals·           Ideas for better worker appreciation/gratitude programs  "So if you're waiting for the perfect time to start your business, get a promotion to do whatever it is that is your inner dream that you're called to do, it's

Jeffrey Gitomer: Attitude is Everything!Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The New York Times best seller The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude - which has just been published a new edition. It has many new tips to help you find, build and keep a winning attitude. Jeffrey has also authored the NYT best sellers The Sales Bible, The Little Red Book of Selling and The Little Black Book of Connections. All of his books have been number one best sellers on Amazon.com and Jeffrey’s books have sold millions of copies worldwide. As a world-renowned expert and consultant on professional development, Jeffrey was elected by his peers to the National Speaker Association’s Speaker Hall of Fame in 2008. His clients include Coca-Cola, Caterpillar, BMW, Verizon, MacGregor Golf, Hilton, IBM, Time Warner, BlueCross BlueShield, and hundreds of others.   In this episode, Audrey, Lee, and Jeffrey discuss: Why attitude is critical to management and leadership Your attitude is viral Changing your attitude by changing what y

Michael Houlihan is the co-founder of Barefoot Wine, now, the world’s largest wine brand. He, along with Bonnie Harvey, are consultants, international Keynote Speakers and the New York Times Bestselling authors of The Barefoot Spirit, How hardship Hustle and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand and The Entrepreneurial Culture, 23 Ways to Engage and Empower Your People. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Michael discuss:·           The definition of The Money Map·           How to get employees to understand where their salaries come from·           How to identify and hire a “hustle” mentality ·           Hiring tips/exercises for rooting out good employees to represent your organization·           The unique concept of a Two-Division Company (Sales and Sales Support)“Then we had to pay our bills and with what was left, we used that to pay the salaries. All of

A self-proclaimed CEO and Janitor, Drew Rhodes became the cofounder of Aletheia Digital with his two partners in April of 2017. Prior to joining Aletheia Digital, Mr. Rhodes worked at Sagamore Hill Broadcasting as its Regional Director where he successfully directed the station group including two start up television stations in Lake Charles, LA and Watertown, NY. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Drew discuss: ·           Ways to get higher engagement among managers and your team within the startup environment·           Managing startups to coach up a flat hierarchy·           Managing for a lean and mean work environment   "If you walk into a mature company, it already has its culture, its ways, it's everything else. You're going to be definitely conforming to it if you want to stay around. And the startup, you're helping to build the culture and you're not exactly conforming. Everybody's learning to conform

48 Suicide, Domestic Violence, Mental Health & Managers  Kristie Knights is a Psychotherapist in Private Practice and a Keynote Speaker in Suicide Prevention and Awareness. She provides assessment, education, and strategies to C-Level organizations, including C-Suite Executives in Psychological Health and Safety Management. Kristie is also the CEO of the iRise Leadership Institute and author of the book "Unsung Heroes: Deconstructing Suicide Through Stories of Triumph."In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Kristie discuss: ·           The huge jump in C-Suite suicide rates since 2010Domestic violence, PTSD and other strugglesSigns to look for to recognize a colleague is in distress·           Programs your company should have to react to an employee in crisis·           How to approach and talk to a colleague you think may be in crisis  “You know, there is an expectation with C-Suite in particular that they will

Mark Eaton is a 7'4" NBA All-Star, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and author. He is passionate about sharing his teamwork message and has spoken to many world-class organizations. His book, The Four Commitments of a Winning Team, is a blend between his intriguing personal story and his principles for teambuilding. Even if you don’t follow professional basketball, we're certain you will enjoy it. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Mark discuss: ·       What Wilt Chamberlin told him in five minutes that changed everythingWhat a winning team looks likeWhy teamwork is misunderstoodHow to build the trust and loyalty The secret to establishing an inspiring, energizing and harmonious work environment  "The book is a compilation of these four commitments and they’re things you can use as a manager and CEO to understand what teamwork is like from the inside out, really working from inside out and being there for your teammates." – Mark Eaton Join hosts Audrey Strong and

46 Employees: Manipulate Them to Build Business?    Brian Parsley is an entrepreneur, global speaker and business strategist. He teaches external business strategies, customer loyalty programs across all industry sectors including financial services, retail, technology, automotive and professional services.  In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Brian discuss: ·           No one wants to believe they’re an ineffective leader·           People manipulation with good intent ·           Manage the weaknesses and focus on the strengths·           How Fast & Flexible is a game changer in managing·           What is an “Imperfect Action”? "As a manager, your role is to help manipulate people that you know is going to benefit them the best." – Brian Parsley  Join hosts Audrey Strong and C. Lee Smith every week as they dive into the aspects and conce

Tony Chatman is president of Chatman Enterprises and author of the book, The Force Multiplier is a touchstone to inspire leaders to transform people (and their personalities!) into a high-performing team that gets the job done. He is a Keynote Speaker, Corporate Relationship Expert, Certified Speaking Professional, Author & C-Suite Network Advisor. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Tony discuss: ·Unconscious Bias in Management   Why there have to be winners and losers on teams  Customizing management to better results   "So the people who are more difficult, it takes more work, but the vast majority of those people, I can still make them a winner and get more out of them than they would have before. If I take the effort of really learning individually what I need to do to meet their needs." – Tony Chatman   Join hosts Audrey Strong and C. Lee Smith every week as they dive into the aspects and concepts of good business management. From debunking sales myths to learning how to m

Tern Consulting’s Principal and Founder, Melanie Bladow, is a global expert in connecting people, business and technology. She believes that business strategy and people skills will differentiate the technology leaders of the future and she is ready to show you how. In this episode, Melanie joins us from Alaska to discuss: ·     Why asking “Why?” is the best place to start on what tech will most benefit you·           The “Three Drivers” to consider when changing tech you’re using·           How to “Hack Organizational Politics” to implement effective tech"It's really often that people are not really thinking and prioritizing about where their technology investment will actually recoup the most value for them as a business." – Melanie Bladow   Join hosts Audrey Strong and C. Lee Smith every week as they dive into the aspects and concepts of good business management. From debunking sales myths to learning how to manage with an

Will Pemble is founder and CEO of Goal Boss, an innovative executive coaching certification and leadership consulting firm. Pemble transforms managers into leaders and groups into teams by providing the tools, strategies and techniques to accelerate growth, improve operations and create enduring changes for clients. He previously built and sold Web.com, one of the largest web hosts on earth, and has been building and growing businesses of all shapes and sizes for over 25 years. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Will discuss: ·           Why most managers fail goal setting for employees ·           Analyzing team performance in sections and custom goal setting for each group·           Revising expectations for goal reaching·           What to say in interviewing job candidates to set goal setting expectations   "I'm not sandbagging and I'm also not setting goals that are unrealistic. I'm

Lea Woodford is the Chief Executive Officer and founder of SmartFem.com and SmartFem TV. SmartFem was created as a result of her many years as a Publicist, columnist as well as a Radio & TV Personality. She has extensive experience as a business consultant and entrepreneur but decided the only way she could make a difference for women was to create her own magazine that bridges the online community with the local community. Her passion is connecting people.  In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Lea discuss: ·           How to provide value via cold call outreach on social media - vital for recruiting new talent ·           How to use social media to shortcut prospecting·           How smart technology is the pathway to further warm leads  "You have to boost. You want to go where the food is. Right now we're focusing on Facebook groups and the reason I liked the group building your own platform,. First of all, w

Dayne Shuda is the owner of Ghost Blog Writers and a remote employee expert. His company provides blog writers and currently has a network of 60 freelance writers in the United States and several also in Canada, UK and Australia.  In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Dayne discuss: ·           How to test prospective employees to see if they’re equipped for remote work·           Methods to keep communication tone understandable and workflow cohesive·           Red flags that a remote employee is tanking  "I don't think it'll ever be the same as a culture and an office, but there's little things we try to do to make everyone feel part of something" – Dayne Shuda Join hosts Audrey Strong and C. Lee Smith every week as they dive into managers, leadership, business, sales, company culture, talent retention, hiring and more.  From debunking sales myths to learning how to manage with and without measurements, you'l

Wally Hauck, PhD., CSP helps leaders to STOP managing people and START creating an environment of Self-Management. Self-Management unleashes the genius of every employee and leads to higher engagement. He is the author of the books "Stop the Leadership Malpractice: How to Replace the Typical Performance Appraisal" and "The Art of Leadership: 3 Principles for Predictable Performance Improvement."  In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Wally discuss: ·           Why performance appraisals=leadership malpractice·           Shifting performance appraisals to quality interactions·           How managers can short-circuit bullies ·           The “White Flag” method  "You are allowing the bully to continue. Why? Because he's getting results somewhere else? Here's how I see the negative, unintended consequences of the bully---because they're invisible." – Wally Hauck   Join hosts Audr

Michelle Villalobos is a personal Brand Strategist, Professional Speaker and Corporate Trainer, Founder of The Women's Success Summit and Mivista Consulting. She’s the host of “Awaken Your Inner Superstar” podcast on the C-Suite Radio Network and helps professionals develop theirbusiness and communications skills to increase opportunities, leads and promotions.  In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Michelle discuss: ·           How to cultivate influence and generate more income·           Definition of an “Aha!” moment·           Streamlining your journey to pinpoint career goals and achievements·           Aligning your business with your personal brand    “The core first pieces like who are you really? What do you love to do? What are you great at? What is your magic? And then how can we create a business that aligns with that to achieve the outcomes that you want?” – Michelle

Deb Westphal is CEO of Toffler Associates, a dynamic and future-focused strategic consulting and advisory firm that helps organizations build resilience and sustain growth in a complex global landscape. She’s a Futurist and Executive Advisor. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Deb discuss: ·           The difference between a traditional organization and a “Human-centric” organization·           How a culture that puts people first can counter the future wave of artificial intelligence·           The five shifts managers need to know that control how people work together·           How to hire managers who are early tech adopters and can work well with machines  “The evolution will advance in such a way that we will start to think of these machines and it's really teammates versus technology applications.” – Deb Westphal Join hosts Audrey Strong and C. Lee Smith every week as they dive in

Kathy Gruver, PhD is the twelve-time award-winning author of seven books including, Conquer Your Stress, Workplace Wellness, Conquer your Stress at Work, andJourney of Healing. She has studied mind/body medicine at the famed Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine at Harvard and is a TEDx speaker as well. She’s also created stress reduction programs for the U.S. military. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Kathy discuss: ·           How to change your mindset regarding stress and reframe stressorsPractical exercises you can use at work to reduce stressHow “Centering Time” can get your entire team present and engaged in meetingsUsing visualizations and affirmations to prepare for big career momentsHer work fighting human trafficking via massage parlors worldwide  “Inhale “I am”, exhale “at peace.”  – Kathy Gruver Join hosts Audrey Strong and C. Lee Smith every week as they dive into the aspects and concepts of good business management. From debunking sales myths to