Measure Success Podcast

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Public Sector Strategy for Private Sector Growth Jan 23, 2024

Show notes

Government and business might seem worlds apart, but strategic planning bridges the gap. On this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, we talk with Andy Takata, a city manager with decades of experience.

Andy shares lessons from his career, including:

- How public sector planning can inspire private sector strategy

- Avoiding distractions to focus on long-term goals

- Building habits that balance strategic success and personal life

Tune in to hear his insights, along with fascinating stories from officiating water polo at the Olympics.

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Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

The city of DuPont, Washington

Andy Takata on LinkedIn

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cityofdupontwa

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CityofDuPont/

"If it Ain't Broke…Break It!: And Other Unconventional Wisdom for a Changing Business World" by Robert J. Kriegel and Louis Palter

"Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't" by Jim Collins

"For the Love of Cities" by Peter Kageyama

"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey

Connect with Carl:

https://40strategy.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carljcox/

https://www.instagram.com/carljcox40/

https://x.com/40Strategy

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📖 Read Carl's book "Lost at CEO: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Strategy": https://a.co/d/iMiZVf2

The Key to Great Books: Small Audiences, Big Impact Jan 16, 2024

Show notes

What's the secret to writing a book that truly succeeds? Transformation—both personal and professional.

This week, Dr. Kent Gustavson, an award-winning writer and ghostwriting expert, joins the Measure Success Podcast to discuss how authors grow through the writing process.

We dive into the role of ghostwriters, how writing for a small audience amplifies success, and the mistakes first-time authors often make.

Ready to rethink your book-writing goals? Tune in to gain insights that will transform your approach.

Subscribe and set notifications to our YouTube Channel.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Dr. Kent Gustavson's website
Dr. Kent Gustavson on LinkedIn
Thought Leader Press website
"Angela's Ashes:A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
"The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams

Where to find Carl:

https://40strategy.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carljcox/

https://www.instagram.com/carljcox40/

https://x.com/40Strategy

🎧 Measure Success Podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/measure-success-podcast/id1552291579

🎧 $4M Strategies Podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/%244m-strategies/id1741584100

📖 Read Carl's book "Lost at CEO: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Strategy": https://a.co/d/iMiZVf2

Testing your limits, with former ski champion and Olympic team member, Wendy Fisher Jan 09, 2024

Show notes

In This Episode:

When we think of pushing ourselves — in business, sports, or just life — many of us aim to be the very best at what we do. But sometimes pushing yourself can actually mean *leaving* that top spot — and setting off on a completely new journey. And that's exactly what our guest this week did in her accomplished athletic career.

Wendy Fisher was a member of the U.S. National Ski Team and earned a spot on the 1992 Winter Olympic team in Albertville, France. She transitioned into big mountain skiing, becoming a two-time World Extreme Skiing Champion and one of the top skiers in the world.

Listen to the full episode for more about Wendy's journey (from the U.S. National Ski Team, to quitting skiing, to a completely new branch of the sport), how she got through tragedy in her life, the habits she's kept in her life, what she's working on now, and a lot more.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn:

More about Wendy's journey from childhood skiing to the U.S. National Team
Why Wendy had a different goal every day when she woke up other than "make the Olympic team" — and how that helped her perform better
Some of the challenges Wendy experienced in the U.S. National Team atmosphere, including isolation and an eating disorder
What led Wendy to eventually quitting the national team
Some of the tragedies and challenges that precipitated Wendy's "never to ski again" road trip
How Wendy got her start in her next sport, including a situation where onlookers told her, "We've never seen a girl do that."
How Wendy finally started to recover from the grief over the death of her brother, as well as an eating disorder
Some of the lessons Wendy learned from her own experiences that she now shares with younger people, including other skiers
Why Wendy needed to "pull her head out of her ass" and let go of what could have been, especially after she had her two sons
Some of the habits Wendy has kept in her life, even after her competitive athletic career — and what it took for her to let go of some of the guilt of not being successful at something

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Wendy's website
Wendy Fisher on Instagram
Wendy Fisher on Twitter
"Open: An Autobiography" by Andre Agassi
"The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself" by Michael A. Singer
"The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment" by Eckhart Tolle
"Powder Days: Ski Bums, Ski Towns and the Future of Chasing Snow" by Heather Hansman
Buy a copy of "Lost at CEO: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Strategy" by Carl J. Cox
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Carl J. Cox on LinkedIn

Bouncing back from rock bottom, with retired NFL player, Marques Ogden Jan 02, 2024

Show notes

In This Episode:

In the span of just a couple of years, Marques Ogden went from being an NFL offensive lineman — to part-time custodian, getting other people's trash spilled on his clothes as he worked for $8.25 an hour. And while most people can't relate to playing football at the highest level like our guest this week did, everyone can learn from his valiant comeback — from bankrupt and working part-time, to an inspirational public speaker.

After spending five years in the NFL as an offensive lineman, Marques retired from the league. At 27, he founded a construction company called Kayden Premier Enterprises, which eventually went bankrupt in 2010. During his darkest hours, Marques pulled himself together, got a part-time job as a custodian, and with hard work and determination became an inspirational keynote speaker, executive coach, best-selling author, and marketing leader.

Tune into the full conversation for more on Marques' NFL career, what he calls his "spoiled milk" moment that helped him turn his life around, how he managed to get out of survival mode, what surprised him most about life in the NFL, and a lot more.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn:

How Marques got through one of the hardest times of his life — losing his company in 2013 — and how he bounced back from everything he went through trying to keep it afloat
More about Marques' time in "survival mode" — including getting fired twice in a week, working as a custodian and birthday cloud, and eventually how he turned everything around
The grant that helped keep Marques from being homeless, and how he built upon that building block for even greater success
The thing that surprised Marques the most during his NFL career
A breakdown of Marques' regular schedule when he was in the NFL, including the invisible hours outside of game time that fans don't usually see
Why Marques tells all athletes that their sport cannot be their "long-term" career
Why an NFL line of scrimmage is an "absolute war zone"
More about Marques' rock-bottom moment from his time working as a custodian — plus the realization he had afterwards that changed his life
The "4 V's" that Marques teaches his coaching clients, in order to get to the fifth V — "victory"
How Marques measures success in his business and life

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Marquesogden.com
Get Authentic with Marques Ogden Podcast
"The Success Cycle: 3 Keys for Achieving Your Goals in Business and Life" by Marques Ogden
"Sleepless Nights: The NFL: A Business and Family" by Marques Ogden
"The Breakthrough Code: A Story About Living a Life Without Limits" by Tom McCarthy
Buy a copy of "Lost at CEO: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Strategy" by Carl J. Cox
40 Strategy
Contact 40 Strategy
Carl J. Cox on LinkedIn

Writing your story, owning your truth, and finding success, with "The Shack" author William Paul Young Dec 26, 2023

Show notes

One of the highest selling books of all time started out with just 15 copies printed at Office Depot. Paul Young wrote "The Shack" expecting to just give copies to his children — but the book quickly grew past even his wildest expectations. His journey to best-selling author is one that anybody can learn from, whether you're a high-performing CEO stuck in "production" mode, or simply anybody who wants to leave an impact on the world.

Paul Young is the author of "The Shack," "Cross Roads," "Eve," and other books. He was born a Canadian and raised among a Stone Age tribe with his missionary parents in the highlands of what was Netherlands New Guinea (now West Papua). He suffered great loss as a child and young adult, and now enjoys the "wastefulness of grace" with his growing family in the Pacific Northwest.

Tune into the full conversation for more on the backstory behind one of the most successful fiction books of all time, Paul's definition of success (and why so many leaders fall short of that definition, even without realizing it), his top book recommendations, and a lot more.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn:

More about Paul's background, including what led him to writing his book, "The Shack," which is one of the best-selling fiction books ever
Why Paul believes "every human being is a story"
The problem with top-performing CEOs and other leaders who are production-oriented — at a cost
Why humans are fundamentally community-centered — and how many have forgotten about that foundation
What the core pieces of success actually are, according to Paul
Why the inspiration behind The Shack's plot and ideas was "incremental and painful"
Why children are an expression of reality in people's lives
More about the story behind Paul's "rock bottom" — and how he rebounded from that time
The difference between forgiveness and reconciliation
Paul's one piece of advice to start with for anyone struggling
A list of some of the most impactful books from Paul's life

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Paul's website
Contact Paul directly at PO Box 339 Brush Prairie, WA - 98606
"The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity" by William P. Young
"The Little Prince" by Saint-Exupery and Antoine De
"The Prophet" by Khalil Gibran
"Spiritual Evolution: How We Are Wired for Faith, Hope, and Love" by George Vaillant
"Across All Worlds: Jesus Inside Our Darkness" by C. Baxter Kruger
"Unspoken Sermons" by George MacDonald
"Living Fearless: Exchanging the Lies of the World for the Liberating Truth of God" by Jamie Winship
Buy a copy of "Lost at CEO: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Strategy" by Carl J. Cox
40 Strategy
Contact 40 Strategy
Carl J. Cox on LinkedIn

"Giving Back" Episodes: How to pursue purpose and passion Dec 19, 2023

Show notes

How does your work integrate with your overall purpose and your passion projects? Is it possible to have both — and to use them both to make a difference in the world? Even after retirement from a successful career, our guest this week has been able to answer a resounding "yes" to those questions.

Bert Waugh Jr. and his wife, Susy, began taking street youth into their home in the 1970s. In 1991, Waugh founded Transitional Youth, a nonprofit organization that provides housing, outreach, and support to young people who otherwise would be living on the streets.

Tune into the full conversation — as part of our holiday "giving back" episodes — for more on how Bert got started with helping kids transition from living on the streets, what makes his organization different from others, why his focus is on youth mostly in the 18-24 age category, what others can do to help youth in need, and more.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn:

How Bert got his start with helping youth who have spent time on the streets, and how that informed the beginning of his organization, Transitional Youth
Why the 18-24 age group is so particularly vulnerable compared to other age groups — and why Bert feels so passionate about helping them
How Bert's organization infuses more love throughout its work
The role of drug testing — and second chances — within the Transitional Youth organization
How Bert measures success at his nonprofit, and why thinking "one at a time" can be so helpful
How Bert celebrated his 80th birthday in a unique way
What made Bert want to continue working and making a difference, even after he retired from a successful career
Bert's experience after 2007-08 — and how he almost lost everything

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Transitional Youth website
Bert Waugh on LinkedIn
"The Coffee Bean: A Simple Lesson to Create Positive Change" by Jon Gordon and Damon West
Buy a copy of "Lost at CEO: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Strategy" by Carl J. Cox
40 Strategy
Contact 40 Strategy
Carl J. Cox on LinkedIn

"Giving Back" Episodes: How to Repair a Broken Community Dec 12, 2023

Show notes

There's a big difference between eliminating short-term suffering — vs fixing the underlying issues that cause those problems in the long term. That's an important lesson our guest this week learned in his quest to help an impoverished community near his home. Now, he's using those lessons as he leads one of the largest nonprofits in Oregon, which is gaining national recognition.

This episode is part of our holiday "giving back" episodes. This week, we're talking with Brad Ketch. A global advocate and former tech CEO, Brad steers both grassroots and executive efforts on poverty, justice, and reconciliation initiatives, catalyzing community rebirth internationally, and now within Oregon's poorest community, through a profound fusion of "bottom-up" and "top-down" methodologies for transformative change. He's also the author of "The Flourishing Community."

Tune into the full episode for more on why poverty is so pervasive in some areas, what regular people can do to help alleviate it, the importance of identifying with the people you want to help, ways to support Brad's organization, more about the work they're doing in Oregon, and more.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn:

How Brad flipped his idea of what it takes to tackle poverty — from coming at it from a place of wealth, to directly identifying with the poor
More about Brad's "call to go deeper" when it came to community involvement beyond just writing a check
The difference between eliminating human suffering and stimulating human flourishing
What it means to "find your own Calcutta"
The difference between relief and development
Some of the resistance that Brad experienced after he started his organization, and where that resistance came from
More about the "poverty industrial complex" and "poverteers"
How the COVID pandemic ended up helping Brad's organization continue its work at a higher level
The difference between outcomes and outputs — and more about both, after the work from Brad's organization
How Brad measures success with his organization, plus how listeners can support the important work they're doing

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

The Flourishing Community website
Community Development Corporation of Oregon
Rockwood Community Development Corporation
Brad Ketch on LinkedIn
Community Development Corporation of Oregon on LinkedIn
"Community: The Structure of Belonging" by Peter Block
Buy a copy of "Lost at CEO: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Strategy" by Carl J. Cox
40 Strategy
Contact 40 Strategy
Carl J. Cox on LinkedIn

Holiday "Giving Back" Episodes: How Opportunity International Uses Micro-loans to Eradicate Extreme Poverty Dec 06, 2023

Show notes

Running water. Sanitation systems. Electricity. A car to drive to the store. Enough food to feed your family. These are all things that we've likely taken for granted at one time or another — and they're things that so many in the world live without every day. As part of our Holiday Giving Back Episode series, we talk with the VP of a charitable organization whose mission is to eliminate that level of extreme poverty worldwide.

Mark Lutz is the Senior Vice President of Global Philanthropy at Opportunity International. He joined the organization in 1986 and grew private annual revenue from $1 million to more than $40 million. Mark grew up in South Africa with his missionary parents. Living for 20 years under apartheid shaped him to become an advocate for justice. He's also the author of "UnPoverty: Rich Lessons from the Working Poor."

Tune into the full conversation for more on Opportunity International's unique method of making a difference in impoverished people's lives, personal stories from Mark's book that display the valuable lessons he's learned from those living in poverty, success stories from the entrepreneurs Mark's organization has worked with, and a lot more.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn:

How growing up in apartheid South Africa was the "germ" that later became Mark's career in the nonprofit world
More about the lightbulb moment Mark had in which he realized he could leverage other people's money to fight for justice and an end to poverty
The definition of a "micro-loan", how Opportunity International recipients typically use that kind of loan, and how those small loans snowball into bigger chances at breaking out of poverty
Mark shares a story from his book involving a group of women from India and the valuable lessons that they taught him
How much Opportunity International money has been loaned out to people in need — and how many individuals have been helped by those
What one woman in the Philippines did with a $50 loan and what Mark learned from that story
More info about what happens with donations to Opportunity International and how bank partnerships help 10x the impact of those donations
Why today's level of poverty can be the next "Berlin Wall"
The power of a simple $30 donation
The important distinction between giving money and giving a loan, and why that's related to increasing people's dignity

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Opportunity International website
UnPoverty.org (Mark's website)
"UnPoverty: Rich Lessons from the Working Poor" by Mark Lutz
Buy a copy of "Lost at CEO: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Strategy" by Carl J. Cox
40 Strategy
Contact 40 Strategy
Carl J. Cox on LinkedIn

Unlocking Leadership Insights: Lessons from a Gang Rehabilitation Nonprofit CEO in our Holiday 'Giving Back' Episodes Nov 28, 2023

Show notes

It's easy for CEOs or other leaders to get stuck in the "corporate" bubble. But there are valuable lessons outside that bubble — even in unexpected places. This week, we're talking to a gang rehabilitation nonprofit CEO who shares some of the principles that make his organization tick. From team culture to leadership and successful business ventures, there's a lot he can teach organization leaders — or any individual who wants to make the world a better place.

This episode is also a special "giving back" episode where we spotlight a charitable organization every week during the holiday season.

Tom Vozzo is an author, speaker, and Fortune 200 executive turned nonprofit CEO at Homeboy Industries, the largest gang rehabilitation and re-entry organization in the world.

Tune into the full episode for more on what Tom has learned during his stint as a nonprofit CEO (and why those lessons are different from the corporate world), the genesis of Homeboy Industries, the simple solution to poverty in the U.S. that not enough people recognize, and much more.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn:

Info about Homeboy Industries and the population they serve
More about Carl's personal experience touring Homeboy, and the "sanctuary" that the nonprofit has created for former gang members
What it means to be a "survivor to the extreme" — and how Homeboy Industries serves that group of people
The importance of tattoo removal in the work that Homeboy does
What Tom has learned in his position as Homeboy CEO, after his time in the corporate world
How Homeboy Industries measures success within the organization — plus why he's "allergic" to that term
Why Homeboy takes the Pareto principle (the 80-20 rule) — and completely flips it upside down to do the opposite
The genesis of Tom's book, and why the lessons that he wrote about can apply in any business or organization
What the "Homeboy way" can teach us about poverty, leadership, helping people, building a business, and more
More info about how people can donate to or support Homeboy

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

Homeboy Industries website
Tom Vozzo on LinkedIn
"The Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life" by Tom Vozzo
Homeboy Industries on Facebook
Buy a copy of "Lost at CEO: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Strategy" by Carl J. Cox
40 Strategy
Contact 40 Strategy
Carl J. Cox on LinkedIn

How to Build Your Business with Relationships Nov 21, 2023

Show notes

What's the most important element of any successful business?

You might initially think it's the company's products, its market share, its sales team, its profits, or something else. All those are significant elements. But at the top of the list is…relationships. No matter your industry, you won't find success without building the right relationships.

But how do you actually do that? Our guest this week is the expert who can teach us.

Patrick Galvin is the Co-founder and Chief Galvanizer of The Galvanizing Group, a learning and development company in Portland, Oregon, founded in 2001 with a focus on helping people build better personal and professional relationships. He's also an accomplished speaker and author of two business parables, "The Connector's Way" and "The Trusted Way."

Tune into the full conversation for more about the power of relationship-building (and what many business owners get wrong about it), how to move past analysis paralysis, when to know whether to pivot your business, and a lot more.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn:

More about the genesis of Patrick's company, his coaching program, and his books, along with why relationship-building is so much more important than advertising or marketing
How Patrick knew it was time to make a pivot from traditional public relations — and what he did instead
What Patrick wished he would have known at the onset of his business, and why he thinks many people and companies "put the cart before the horse" when it comes to growing their business
The benefit — and and downside — of being an eternally curious business owner
When to say yes and when to say no when you're trying to grow a business
Why many business owners struggle with analysis paralysis and how to get yourself out of that trap
Why Patrick says being an entrepreneur is like being a jazz musician
What a giant flop of a marketing campaign in the furniture industry taught Patrick — and how it inspired his first book
How Patrick's books helped reposition him as a speaker
How Patrick measures success in his business — and why it's important to discount the outliers
Why it's important for Patrick to start each of his mornings with gratitude
Why swimming has become one of Patrick's top regular habits, plus how he evolved into a regular meditator
The differences between relationship building and networking, and why common sense is sometimes missing from both

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

The Galvanizing Group website
Patrickgalvin.com
Patrick Galvin on LinkedIn
"The Connector's Way: A Story About Building Business One Relationship at a Time" by Patrick Galvin
"The Trusted Way: A Story About Building a Life and Business of Character" by Patrick Galvin
"The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea" by Bob Burg and John David Mann
Buy a copy of "Lost at CEO: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Strategy" by Carl J. Cox
40 Strategy
Contact 40 Strategy
Carl J. Cox on LinkedIn

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