Measure Success Podcast

Latest Episodes:

What on earth is going on with the economy, job market, and more, with Forbes senior contributor Bill Conerly, PhD Sep 05, 2023

Show notes

When is a recession coming? How are interest rates impacting the housing market — and what's next for the Fed? Is AI — and ChatGPT specifically — coming for all our jobs? Should we all just become plumbers? To answer some of those questions, we've invited Bill Conerly back to the Measure Success Podcast. It's also the first time we've ever had a three-time repeat guest.

Bill is a senior contributor to Forbes, a Duke University PhD, and a consultant who connects the dots between the economy and business. He's worked in economics and corporate planning at two Fortune 500 companies as well as a major bank. He's spoken to over 1,300 audiences in five countries and 31 states.

Tune into the full episode for more on Bill's predictions about the economy, a potential recession, the labor market, the housing market, interest rates, artificial intelligence, and a lot more.

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

Why Bill predicted there would be a recession in the first half of 2024, plus what he thinks the Fed will do next
More about the Fed's risk management strategy and what that means for the potential for a recession
The relationship between unemployment numbers and other forecasts, and why this will be a tough decade for companies in hiring mode
More about the fact that we're about to see the lowest growth of the working age population since the Civil War — and what that means for the future
What the heck is going on with the housing market
The potential impact that the 2024 election could have on the Fed's decision-making
When Bill believes interest rates are set to come back down again — and why he thinks we'll never see rates as low as 2020
What the "path to inflation" is, according to Bill
Bill's thoughts on AI and how it might impact productivity and the labor market — plus his predictions for which types of jobs will be most and least affected
Some of the things companies should be cautious about ChatGPT and other AI tools
A book Bill recommends, plus why the mindset described in that book helps him make his own forecasts

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Conerly Consulting website
Bill Conerly's author page on Forbes
"The Flexible Stance: Thriving in a Boom/Bust Economy" by Bill Conerly
"Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction" by Philip E. Tetlock
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 maintain motivation and reach your full potential, with Chief Mentor Jason Ma Aug 29, 2023

Show notes

For virtually every human being, there's a gap between where they are currently, and where they're *capable* of getting. Sometimes that gap can be small (and closing). Sometimes it can feel gigantic, especially without the right work ethic or motivation, mindset, and soft skill set. But bridging that gap between reality and potential is exactly what our latest guest is an expert in.

Jason Ma is the preeminent Chief Mentor of Next-Gen Leaders and CEO of ThreeEQ. With deep expertise in elite college admissions, college life, executive, and parent coaching, Jason has guided and transformed 1:1 the lives of numerous Gen Z and elder leaders from teens to CEOs, while easing legacy and succession planning in wealthy families.

Listen to the full conversation for more on the secrets behind some of the most successful leaders' motivation, how to overcome imposter syndrome even when you do reach your goals, why humility is so important to leadership, and more.

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

What drove Jason to become a foremost coach/mentor in addition to hismigrate from tech and global business repertoireto the coaching sector
How Jason guides in overcominges the common challenge of motivation — including for kids with ultra-successful parents
Why Jason believes no human being has reached their full potential, plus the importance of "pragmatic humility"
How to teach someone humility
Why it's so important to want to "aggressively learn" and grow
How Jason helps others overcome imposter syndrome
Why Jason is a "secret weapon" for helping students getting into top universities with stronger, pragmatic emotional, social, and leadership intelligence ("3EQ")
Why mindset is one of the top challenges that CEOs struggle with
The two principles that Jason lives by, how that also guides his work, and Jason's definition for what "character" is
How Jason's faith has impacted his work and business
How Jason is measuring success in his multiple businesses and in his life
Several book recommendations from Jason, including more about his own book

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

ThreeEQ website
"What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School: Notes from a Street-smart Executive" by Mark H. McCormack
"Thriving on Chaos: Handbook for a Management Revolution" by Tom Peters
"Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Handbook of Silicon Valley's Bill Campbell" by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, and Alan Eagle
"The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?" by Rick Warren
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 maximize health and reach peak performance, with Dr. Vonda Wright Aug 22, 2023

Show notes

Business leaders and entrepreneurs know plenty about success, working hard, and performing well at work. But too often, so much of that comes at the expense of their health. Things get busy, so it's easy for sleep, nutrition, and exercise to fall to the wayside.

Our latest guest is on a mission to change that, for high performers everywhere. She's an expert at helping people build longevity and health plans — and helping them reach their full physical and mental potential. Dr. Vonda Wright is a double boarded orthopedic sports surgeon, researcher, author, innovator, and expert on aging and precision longevity. She believes by harnessing the actionable science of aging, precision lifestyle, and mindset mobilization we can make the rest of life the best of life.

Tune into the full conversation for more on her career path from being an oncology nurse to an orthopedic surgeon, why people should be crafting a strategic plan for their health (and how to), her tips for better sleep, what she's learned from working with peak athletic performers, and more.

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

More about Dr. Wright's career background, including her journey from oncology nursing to orthopedic surgery
The secret behind all the best doctors
The paradigm shift that has happened in orthopedic surgery, which has journeyed from scalpels to needles, and what that means for patient recovery
Why Dr. Wright made the transition from nursing to surgery, and what she means by her "imperfect path of success"
What Dr. Wright has learned from working with athletes and high performers throughout her career
What a "precision longevity plan" is, and what measurements and tools Dr. Wright uses to build them for her clients
What happened when Dr. Wright put herself through one of her own programs
More about the five books Dr. Wright has written, including her upcoming release this year
Why people so rarely write a strategic plan for their health — and why they should
How Dr. Wright measures success within her orthopedic practice, plus more about the "wall of fame" wall in the building
The pieces of Dr. Wright's daily and nightly routine, and why she works to protect her sleep and routine as much as possible
Dr. Wright's advice for how much sleep everyone should get

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Dr. Wright's website
Dr. Vonda Wright on Instagram
Books by Dr. Vonda Wright
Advanced Menopause Support Product line site
"Estrogen Matters: Why Taking Hormones in Menopause Can Improve Women's Well-Being and Lengthen Their Lives — Without Raising the Risk of Breast Cancer" by Avrum Bluming and Carol Tavris
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

From actuary to actor, how to keep pushing the limits of what's possible with David Wood Aug 15, 2023

Show notes

When's the last time you did something you had *no* experience in? And when's the last time you tried to make that thing into a career? While this might be an extreme jump for most people, it's all part of a key philosophy for succeeding in business and life: pushing the boundaries of what you think is "possible."

No one can speak to that philosophy better than David Wood. After life as a consulting actuary to Fortune 100 companies, David built a successful coaching business and became #1 on Google for "life coaching" at one point. He coaches high-performing entrepreneurs, executives, teams, and even prison inmates to amazing results and connection, one conversation at a time.

He wrote his coaching philosophy in his book, "Mouse in the Room: Because the Elephant isn't Alone", with foreword by Jack Canfield.

Tune into the full conversation for more on how David made the jump from the corporate world to his own coaching business, his time as a musician (and now his journey as a budding actor), why entrepreneurs typically constrain themselves, several book recommendations, and more.

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

More about the "accident" that led to David leaving the Fortune 100 world and eventually wading into entrepreneurship
More on David's new journey of becoming an actor
Why David has gone into so many fields in which he had zero experience — and why that philosophy gets to the heart of what he now offers in his coaching business
What "you can't read the label from inside the jar" means
The story about one of David's clients whose business made $20 million in revenue — but he still wasn't paying himself
Why it's so common for entrepreneurs and leaders to constrain themselves — and how to get past that hurdle
How David measures success in his life, plus what the "game" is that everyone is playing, whether they realize it or not
More about David's book, "Mouse in the Room" and why he wrote it, plus his recommendation for a fiction book that's helped him in his life

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Focus.CEO website
David Wood on LinkedIn
"Mouse in the Room: Because the Elephant isn't Alone" by David Wood
Focus.ceo with David Wood on Facebook
Extraordinary Focus with David Wood on YouTube
"The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)" by Seth Godin
"Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine" by Mike Michalowicz
"The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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

Climbing Everest, bicycling and paddling all around the lower 48 states, and more with adventurer Renata Chlumska Aug 08, 2023

Show notes

Climbing the proverbial "mountain" and overcoming hurdles are metaphors that business owners have heard dozens of times before. But this week we're chatting with a *real* mountain climber.

Renata Chlumska is an adventurer and mountain climber and was the first Swedish and Czech woman to climb Mount Everest. She's also performed the Around American Adventure and most recently has been voted the 2023 Speaker of the Year.

Listen to the full conversation for more about Renata's mountaineering expeditions (from Mount Everest to all the other Seven Summits), what she learned from a 14-month journey around the lower 48 states, how she fits consistency into her hectic life, and more.

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

What inspired Renata to climb Mount Everest after becoming a Base Camp manager there many years ago
How long it took Renata to train for her Everest expedition, plus some of the biggest obstacles she overcame in her training
More about the "brutal awakening" Renata experienced during one specific season as a Base Camp manager
More about the extremely difficult decision that Everest climbers often face of whether to turn around or keep going, when conditions are disintegrating
Details on Renata's 14-month-long "Around America Adventure"
Why naivete can sometimes actually be a strength
Why Renata's journey around the lower 48 states "restored her faith in humanity"
Why Renata never wanted her children to be an "excuse" for her to say no to experiences, and why she didn't tell many people about her Seven Summits goal
More about the highest summits on each continent
How Renata integrated consistency into her life, despite running a business, having kids, mountaineering, and everything going on in her life
Why Renata wakes up at 3:15 in the morning every day — and why that time to herself clears her head and recalibrates her for each new day
How Renata has transformed her experiences into lessons that she teaches other people through speaking and her business

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Renata Chlumska's website
Renata Chlumska on Instagram
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 leverage your C-suite experience into a successful entrepreneurship run, with Conquer Your Business founder Erin Marcus Aug 01, 2023

Show notes

Making the jump from a well-funded C-suite position straight into launching your own small business can be a shock to the system. But there are a couple lessons you can take from the C-suite to make your entrepreneurship journey more successful — and there's no one better to teach those than our latest guest, Erin Marcus.

Erin is an international speaker and the founder and CEO of Conquer Your Business. Having made the successful leap from corporate executive to entrepreneur and small business owner, Erin uses that experience, along with her MBA education, to help her clients reach heights they never dreamed possible.

Tune into the full conversation for more on the typical mistakes small business owners make when they're trying to sell their services, how to lead with value, why she starts every morning with LL Cool J (sort of), and a lot more.

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

More about what Erin does, and why one-size-fits-all tactics don't work for business development
Why it's easier to sell a tactic than a strategy — and why that's not working for businesses who are wanting to grow
Why Erin says this era is the opportunity small businesses have been waiting for
What the "horror" is that Erin realized when she left the corporate world — and why that realization can be such a shock to the system for entrepreneurs
The lessons that former C-suiters should take into their entrepreneurship journeys
How corporate teaches people to be risk averse — and why that mindset doesn't always serve small business owners well
Why there needs to be a "faster pace of failure" in small businesses
Why telling people "what" to do isn't enough — and why value comes in explaining "how" to do it
The pieces that cause your mental acuity to "leak" and why that informs the habits that Erin has integrated into her life
Why Erin "setting her stage" at 5:30 in the morning involves coffee, dogs, senseless violence, and LL Cool J
Why Erin's litmus test every day is "Am I being a goat today?"

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Conquer Your Business website
Erin Marcus on LinkedIn
Erin Marcus on Instagram
"You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth" by Jen Sincero
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 balance discipline and flexibility to maximize your success, with fitness expert and author Jay Nixon Jul 25, 2023

Show notes

Success requires great systems — but also the flexibility to adapt when needed. That's true in both life and business. And no one is more qualified to speak on success in both sectors — and how to balance both routine and adaptability — than our latest guest.

Jay Nixon is an accomplished speaker, author, coach, and mentor whose mission is to disrupt the health and fitness industry. He is the owner of Thrive Fitness Studio in Palm Desert, California, and the creator of the Thrive Forever Fit F.L.E.X. Transformation Program and The Hero Academy.

Listen to the full conversation for more on Jay's story (from acupuncture studio broom closet to NFL consultant to multimillion-dollar business owner), why most people get in their own way when it comes to health, the most important mindset shifts people need in order to succeed, and a lot more.

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

Jay's background, and how that led him to the fitness industry and the entrepreneurial life — including his time consulting with the NFL
How Jay drummed up the courage to take the entrepreneurial leap despite having the comfort and status of a great corporate career
How Jay built up his career over the years — despite starting his personal training business in the broom closet of an acupuncture studio
Why Jay believes success is 80% psychology and only 20% mechanics
The role that Jay's chaotic childhood — including the death of his father when he was a young child — has affected his psychology as an adult
What "aggressive empathy" is and why Jay says he has it
The top reason people get stuck when it comes to weight loss or starting a healthier lifestyle
Why Jay can tell whether someone has a self-esteem issue, just based on the first 3 minutes of meeting them
Why one of the most important things someone can do to create change in their lives includes writing a "new story" for themselves
How Jay measures success in his business and life, plus the regular routines he's incorporated into his life (including getting up at 3 a.m.)
Why Jay says he treats his life "like a business"
Why Jay doesn't believe in balance and how he incorporates both regimentation and flexibility into his life

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Thrive Forever Fit website
Thrive Forever Fit Supplements
Jay Nixon on Instagram
Jay Nixon on Facebook
"The Overweight Mind: The Undeniable Truth Behind Why You're Not Losing Weight" by Jay Nixon
"The Purpose of Pain: How to Turn Tragedy into Triumph, Because Life's Not Supposed to Suck" by Jay Nixon
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 supercharge your employee retention strategies, with Core Matters CEO Ryan Englin Jul 18, 2023

Show notes

So you've found a team of great employees. But now your real work is just beginning: actually *keeping* them at your company. Our latest guest — the second time we've invited him onto the podcast — is someone who's built his whole career around helping organizations figure out the tricky world of recruitment and retention.

Ryan Englin is the CEO and Founder of Core Matters, and is passionate about supporting growing businesses to build amazingly productive companies by providing coaching and training on attracting, hiring, and retaining rock star employees using his proven process, the Core Fit Hiring System.

Tune into the full episode for more on how to find rock star employees (NOT super stars!), how most companies mess up during their employee onboarding processes, the problems with employee referral programs, how to counter someone's counteroffer, and more.

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

More about Ryan's backstory, including why he left corporate and why he started his own business
Why a recruiting problem is actually a marketing issue
How most companies approach their recruiting process — and why it's not actually the most effective way of attracting good employees
Why most employee referral programs don't work
The two problems that organizations need to solve in order to retain their employees
The biggest mistakes that companies make during new employee onboarding
How an organization can build great "defining moments" for their employee experience
How to deal with when you've chosen a new employee, made an offer, and then that person's boss makes a counteroffer
Why Ryan tells organizations to "expect nothing" from new employees within their first 2 weeks on the job — and what that time period should include instead
The strategies that Ryan teaches company leaders that help bolster their employee retention
The difference between a "rock star" and a "super star" employee — and why one of them will get you in trouble quickly
More about personality assessments, and how results from those tests can give leaders clues whether an employee is a future rock star or super star
What a "core fit conversation" is, and how leaders can integrate them in order to improve retention

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Core Matters website
Core Matters on LinkedIn
Core Matters on Twitter
Core Matters on Facebook
"How to Hire the Ones You Won't Want to Fire: The Art of Pulling Back Their Mask to Really Know the Person You're About to Hire" by Ryan Englin and Jeremy Macliver
"Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't" by Jim Collins
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 leverage PR to open the world for your company, with media trainer and author Susan Harrow Jul 11, 2023

Show notes

If you're hoping to sell products, connect with new clients, attract investors for your company, or do any kind of business in today's world, then people need to know who you are. And public relations is an integral piece of getting your organization's story out into the world.

Our guest this week is an expert in that field. Susan Harrow is a media trainer, marketing strategist and author of the bestselling book, "Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul" from Harper Collins.

Tune into the full episode for more on the essential pieces of effective public relations, how leaders and entrepreneurs can get past imposter syndrome, what a "signature story" is and how business owners can craft their own, and more.

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

More about what Susan does, why she got into public relations, and what she says is an "epidemic" among business owners today
Why PR can "open the entire world" to an entrepreneur or company
The 3 P's of successful public relations
How Susan helps her clients overcome imposter syndrome and the tools she uses to quickly shift someone's internal barometer
Why presence is one of the most important pieces of successful PR
What people should do instead of "faking it 'til they make it"
More about "tapping" and the emotional freedom technique, and how it can help people overcome doubt, fear or other negative feelings
Why Susan wrote her book, "Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul", and why it's helpful for both introverts and extroverts
Breaking the myth that extroverts actually get more money from investors
How Susan measures success in her personal life, and what it means to be a "wish-fulfilling jewel"
What Susan thinks it takes to become a great thought leader
More about Susan's martial arts practice, and some of her other daily practices that help her maintain peak performance
Why anyone who wants to do PR needs to have a "signature story"

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Susan's website, PR Secrets
"Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul: A Woman's Guide to Promoting Herself, Her Business, Her Product, or Her Cause with Integrity and Spirit" by Susan Harrow
Susan Harrow on Facebook
Susan Harrow on Twitter
Susan Harrow on Instagram
"Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork" by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy
"Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't" by Jim Collins
"Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior" by Chogyam Trungpa
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 leverage PR to open the world for your company, with media trainer and author Susan Harrow Jul 11, 2023

Show notes

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

More about what Susan does, why she got into public relations, and what she says is an "epidemic" among business owners today
Why PR can "open the entire world" to an entrepreneur or company
The 3 P's of successful public relations
How Susan helps her clients overcome imposter syndrome and the tools she uses to quickly shift someone's internal barometer
Why presence is one of the most important pieces of successful PR
What people should do instead of "faking it 'til they make it"
More about "tapping" and the emotional freedom technique, and how it can help people overcome doubt, fear or other negative feelings
Why Susan wrote her book, "Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul", and why it's helpful for both introverts and extroverts
Breaking the myth that extroverts actually get more money from investors
How Susan measures success in her personal life, and what it means to be a "wish-fulfilling jewel"
What Susan thinks it takes to become a great thought leader
More about Susan's martial arts practice, and some of her other daily practices that help her maintain peak performance
Why anyone who wants to do PR needs to have a "signature story"