On the Brink with Andi Simon

Latest Episodes:

167: Allison Maslan—Scale or Fail: Hiring the Right Folks for the Right Fit Jan 13, 2020

Show notes

Hear how to make your impossible possible!

How do you hire and retain the right staff? How do you scale or fail? If you feel like we bring you lots of folks who can help you get "Off the Brink," you are right. Today's interviewee, Allison Maslan, wants to help you scale your business for growth—which, as she tells us, it is not for the faint of heart. Allison was referred to me by a dear friend who is trying to scale her own business for growth and needed a hand. Unfortunately, all too often businesses fail because they don't know how to go from small to bigger, fast enough to thrive. Allison tells us how. Listen and learn!

Many businesses fail because they are ill prepared to face the real challenges involved in scaling

Either they don't have the bandwidth to keep up with sales demand or production, they miss out on major opportunities due to fear, or they keep making the same mistakes over and over because their systems and processes aren't in sync with the rate of growth.

As Allison teaches us, to truly scale, you must upsize your strategic practices, implement new marketing strategies, find new ways to build your team, and expand your mindset to break through whatever is keeping you stuck at the same level. Then you must be willing to take the leap into the great unknown—i.e., to make your impossible possible.

She has a vision, then helps clients implement it

Often referred to as the "Voice for Business Success," Allison acts as a visionary and guide to business owners because she can see the bigger picture for their companies. Then she and her team of business experts continually support these leaders to make that vision a tangible reality.

In her new book "Scale or Fail," Allison shares her revolutionary SCALEit Method® for successfully growing, replicating and expanding a business. She also explains the pivotal mindset strategies she used as a trapeze artist to break the fear barrier.

In her book, Allison shares proven scaling strategies to help you:

Create your Big Picture Vision and build a plan to achieve it
Produce an ever-flowing stream of cash flow with consistent profits
Establish a powerhouse team that functions well without you
Become a true leader and feel like you deserve your success
Improve systems and processes that facilitate scaling
Get past the mental and strategic pitfalls that cause revenue bottlenecks

Background on Allison Maslan

Starting at age 19, Allison has built 10 successful companies from scratch, with a client list that includes Ben & Jerry's, Supercuts, Merrill Lynch and Allstate. Along with her team of CEO mentors, Allison pays it forward by helping business owners scale their companies, fast-track their success and create a more meaningful life.

Now CEO of Pinnacle Global Network, her private mentoring enterprise, Allison has been featured in Inc., Success, Fortune, Fast Company and Forbes, is a regular contributor to Entrepreneur magazine and is a featured expert on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and Fox networks.

You can contact Allison here.

Want to learn more about scaling your business? Check out these blogs and podcast:

Additional resources

Allison's book: "Scale or Fail"
Allison's website: allisonmaslan.com
My book:"On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights"
Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants

166: Brit Arthur—Changing An Entire Industry, One Swimsuit At A Time Jan 09, 2020

Show notes

Hear how this entrepreneur brilliantly capitalized on unmet needs!

Brit Arthur is one of those creative women who sees a problem and just wants to solve it. Who says women aren't as ingenious as men? They haven't met Brit. Back when she was in school at Pratt Institute studying fashionwear, she saw a problem. She hated the way bathing suits were made and how they fit women's bodies. Designers were making things that all looked the same. Fabrics and fit were compromised to keep costs down. What do you do when you're a talented, young, inspired visionary? You do better, much better! Wait til you hear Brit's phenomenal story.

BeachCandy: A 20-year-old's big beautiful idea

Founded in 2007 by Brit Arthur, BeachCandy offers women an entirely new experience with swimwear. It all started with Brit's devotion to women and the power of feeling pure confidence in a swimsuit. What a concept!

BeachCandy's success has come in large part from allowing women to decide for themselves what makes a swimsuit sexy or sophisticated. Also, the idea that fit goes beyond a body type. Like a true entrepreneur, Brit set out to change the way women thought and felt about swimwear, and millions of bathing suits and satisfied customers later, she's done it.

You'll enjoy listening to Brit talk about her own journey and the global expansion of her brilliant start-up. As entrepreneurs ourselves who love helping other emerging business owners, we love hearing stories like Brit's and champion her success.

More than a store—a magical experience

Headquartered in Costa Mesa, CA, BeachCandy is not just a bathing suit boutique—it's the ultimate luxury designer swimwear destination for women, where every dream swimsuit becomes a reality. What I really love about Brit's unique approach is that in addition to its ready-to-wear designs, BeachCandy allows customers to create any style of swimsuit they desire from scratch. Some women come to the store with photos of inspiration, a favorite bra or a cherished tattered old swimsuit. Brit and her staff then personally collaborate with them to design completely unique creations of exceptional fit and quality. Niche marketing at its best.

After our podcast, you are going to wonder why you never thought of creating an innovative company to solve those unmet needs that we always talk about. (Think Blue Ocean Strategy!)

Learn more about Brit and BeachCandy here.

Ready to launch your own big idea? Perhaps these blogs and podcast can help:

Additional resources

BeachCandy
My book:"On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights"
Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants

165: Rich Horwath—Be Strategic Or Be Gone Jan 06, 2020

Show notes

Hear how strategy is the way to get to where you want to be!

As you know, we are Blue Ocean Strategists. As such, we love to talk with like-minded folks who help companies and their staff re-think their strategies, fill unmet needs and carve out unoccupied market space. That's why Rich Horwath is such a great guest today. One of the biggest challenges for companies is how to craft an appropriate strategy for today's fast-changing times. Another is how to get the entire organization to embrace that strategy, live it and evaluate whether it's working. Both play into Rich's forte—helping people understand how to think strategically regardless of what type of strategy they have. Lots for you to learn and apply!

The #1 cause of business failure is bad strategy

And only 3 out of 10 managers are strong at strategic thinking, according to Rich's website, Strategic Thinking Institute. No wonder his mantra is "Be strategic…or be gone."

Rich was inspired to start the Strategic Thinking Institute by a question a manager asked him during a break at a strategic planning retreat 20 years ago. The question: "I had my performance review and my boss said I'm too tactical. How can I become more strategic?" Rich realized that at the time, there wasn't a roadmap to help managers move from tactical to strategic. So, he created one.

In today's talk, Rich and I focus on 3 important themes:

1. Strategy is a simple, coherent story that captures a true visualization of where you want to be and how you are going to get there

2. How you want your employees to change their thinking and their doing if they are going to change their strategy

3. Tools and tips on how to make it all happen

Some background on Rich Horwath

As Founder and CEO of the Strategic Thinking Institute, Rich has helped more than 100,000 managers develop their strategic thinking skills. He guides executive management teams through the strategy process and provides coaching to senior leaders to maximize their strategic potential.

Rich has appeared on ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX TV, and his work has been featured in such publications as Fast Company, Forbes and Harvard Business Review. He is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author of seven books on strategic thinking, including "StrategyMan vs. The Anti-Strategy Squad" (Best Strategy Book of 2018, Axiom Business Book Awards).

You can contact Rich at LinkedIn, Twitter or his website.

Want to know more about Blue Ocean Strategy? Check out these blogs and podcast:

Additional resources

Rich's website: Strategic Thinking Institute
Rich's book: "StrategyMan vs. The Anti-Strategy Squad"
My book:"On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights"
Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants

164: Susan Chodakewitz—Making It Big In A Man's World Dec 16, 2019

Show notes

Learn how to lead and succeed, no matter your gender!

I had the pleasure of interviewing Susan Chodakewitz about her own personal journey through aviation management, aerospace and defense work. It is unusual to find women in these industries. Part of our discussion was about this very topic: how do we get more women into the defense, aerospace and aviation industries? And why have these important sectors not been places where women felt they belonged? These industries are so dominated by men that women have a difficult time breaking in and staying relevant. Susan, however, created a successful career and now shares with others how she did it and why they should as well. Listen and share!Susan Chodakewitz is highly recognized as an accomplished and dynamic leader in business and government services, and her skills are in high demand, particularly when companies need to find the right strategies and deliver upon them in today's challenging business environment.

In 2015, she became the chief executive officer of Nathan Associates Inc., guiding this premier economics consulting firm through a new phase of accelerating growth. Previously she was at Tetra Tech AMT, where she is credited with more than doubling revenue by building its human resources and market position. Before that, she spent more than a decade at SAIC, a major defense and national security contractor, where she almost doubled its revenue and directed a unit that reached nearly $200 million in annual revenue.

Susan and I discuss not just what she does but how she does it

Gender differences bring cognitive diversity to companies. Recognizing and capitalizing on this, Susan knows how to build and work with teams across disciplines, develop future leaders, and both spot and cultivate business opportunities. She is a strong communicator who has the ability to listen before she makes decisions, and on a strategic level, knows how to think about the future, create an action plan, and harness resources to make sure the action plan gets fulfilled. These are the very traits that women can bring to any industry—not just defense, aerospace and aviation—to help them sustain their growth in fast-changing times.

Some background on Susan Chodakewitz

Strikingly, Susan is neither an engineer nor an economist. She came to consulting as a Soviet specialist, having received her M.A. in Russian Studies from Columbia University in 1981. After stints at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Library of Congress, she began her consulting career at Booz, Allen & Hamilton where she did a significant amount of work for the World Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

To learn more about what makes women leaders successful, check out this blog and 3 podcasts:

Additional resources

My book:"On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights"
Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants

163: Tristan Wright—Need To Grow? Lessons From A Business Sherpa Dec 09, 2019

Show notes

Learn how to build a business and a life!

What, you may ask, is a business sherpa? The answer is Tristan Wright, a Melbourne-based leadership coach and my On The Brink podcast guest this week. During our interview, Tristan talks about how he helps businesses grow, and also how he grew his own business from a start-up in his kitchen, literally, into a global operation. Quite a feat! You'll find that Tristan is very articulate about the challenges all start-ups face and how to stay focused on buildiing from the customer backwards, one step at a time, with the scalability needed to achieve 7-figure results.

Growing your business while reducing your workload and keeping focused and accountable

Regardless of where you are in your business growth, Tristan can help you get going and get growing. While building his own business, he acquired first-hand experience in everything from product design and procurement to team management, financial reporting, vendor negotiations and social-media marketing, which he shares with those he coaches.

With a background in leadership coaching and applied business, Tristan describes how in the beginning, he "let the allure of success (and fear of failure) consume every waking minute, and learned the hard lessons seldom taught by anyone." Now he helps emerging entrepreneurs skip the long path and instead, get on the road to success quickly .

In our interview, we dig into how outsourced support can help you:

SIMPLIFY Your Workload: By putting in place the right systems and staff, you can reclaim your free time and go on vacations, see your family and build a life outside the workplace.

BUILD Your Confidence: As a manager, leader, or both, 1:1 coaching sessions can help you push past obstacles and achieve real success.

GROW Your Profits: Make sure you do this in a smart and sustainable way that doesn't push you to the brink of burnout.

You can reach Tristan at tristan@evolvetogrow.com.au. To learn more about his approach, visit www.evolvetogrow.com.au.

Want to know more about entrepreneurship? Check out these blogs and podcast:

Additional resources

Tristan's website: Evolve To Grow
My book:"On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights"
Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants

162: Andrea Kramer and Alton Harris—Tackling Gender Bias In The Workplace Dec 02, 2019

Show notes

Learn how to overcome discriminatory gender bias!

As you may know, I am researching my next book about women and how they are smashing the myths of what they can or cannot do in this world. I was therefore thrilled to have the opportunity to interview Andrea (Andie) Kramer and her husband Al Harris about their new book, "It's Not You, It's the Workplace." Our conversation digs into those lingering myths about women's workplace relationships. Why, you might wonder, are these relationships so difficult, in which women think other women are just plain mean to each other, don't help other women succeed, and are more challenging to work for than men. Well, that is all myth. Listen in and learn why.

In our interview, Andie and Al talk at length about their detailed social science research consisting of surveys and hundreds of interviews with women and men across the country. Surprisingly, what they found is that women's unique conflicts with others, both women and men, are not caused by gender or different styles or the way they were raised and socialized. Rather, it is the result of pervasive gender bias in their workplaces. Women are not inherently mean to or competitive with other women. Rather, the existing gender stereotypes and biases force women into situations where conflicts with other women become almost inevitable. But it doesn't have to be that way—workplace cultures can change!

Is there gender bias in your organization? Does your culture need to change? Listen in as Andie and Al explain how to change your policies to effectively address bias so that everyone, no matter the gender, can thrive.

More about Andie and Al

Andie Kramer and Al Harris are married practicing lawyers who have been mentoring women and speaking and writing about gender communication for more than 30 years. Andie and Al offer women unique, balanced and highly practical advice they can use to prevent gender biases from slowing or derailing their careers.

Andie and Al also offer arresting information and compelling examples to male audiences to make them aware of and sensitive to the gender biases that hold women back—even in the most well-intentioned organizations. They provide business and professional organizations with concrete suggestions for workplace changes that will make women's career opportunities more closely equal those of men.

Co-authors of the popular book, "Breaking Through Bias: Communication Techniques for Women to Succeed at Work," Andie and Al are frequent keynote speakers and conduct workshops for all types of organizations to better understand the world of gender bias.

What you will learn in this podcast:

How do you say "no" in a way that doesn't hurt relationships
The impropriety bias: Can a man still mentor a woman?
Why changing policies more effectively addresses bias than changing an individual
Gender bias in the 2016 and 2018 election cycles
10 tips for women to avoid or overcome discriminatory gender biases
Breaking down gender stereotypes for healthier professional relationships
What men and organizations can do to eliminate the discriminatory effects of gender bias
Ensuring that your organization is harassment-free in the #metoo era
Misperceptions of how women work with women

Want to know more on this subject? Check out these blogs and podcasts:

Additional resources

Andie and Al's books: "It's Not You, It's the Workplace" and "Breaking Through Bias: Communication Techniques for Women to Succeed at Work"
My book:"On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights"
Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants

161: Susan Steinbrecher—Discover The Secret To Successful Relationships! Nov 18, 2019

Show notes

Learn how to navigate tough conversations with emotional resilience!

Susan Steinbrecher has developed an approach that you should know more about. Focused on helping people better understand how to talk to each other, develop stronger relationships and overcome their differences, Susan is an expert in helping businesses and other organizations build strong teams. Her new book, "Meanin gful Allignment: Mastering Emotionally Intelligent Interactions at Work and in Life," teaches us how to do this too. In fact, it's a novel about a man whose work life and home life are in tatters. By using Susan's methods, he discovers a different way to deal with people, and turns around himself and his life. In our podcast, you'll learn how to build emotional resilience and navigate tough conversations with confidence and compassion!

Most people have difficulty handling emotionally charged conversations

And this inability to effectively handle high-stakes conversations costs organizations an enormous amount of time and money. Our capacity to manage emotions, resolve conflict, and create meaningful alignment with others is not innate — it must be learned. But we have been rewarded for results, not emotional intelligence, Susan explains in our interview.

So what's the secret to successful relationships? Aligning with others, using emotional composure and resiliency. That's what Susan's program, Meaningful Alignment, is designed to do — help individuals and teams learn how to communicate extraordinarily well and successfully build high levels of trust. Learn more at www.meaningfulalignment.com. There's so much to learn in this area, for all of us.

About Susan Steinbrecher

Susan Steinbrecher is a business consultant, sought-after speaker, licensed mediator and CEO of Steinbrecher And Associates, Inc., a management consulting firm that provides professional development services for executive coaching, group facilitation and leadership training. She is also an Inc.com columnist and has been a featured expert in The New York Times and on Entrepreneur.com and MSNBC's Your Business.

In addition, Susan has co-authored three books:"Meanin gful Allignment: Mastering Emotionally Intelligent Interactions at Work and in Life,""Heart-Centered Leadership: Lead Well, Live Well" and "KENSHO: A Modern Awakening."

Lots of ways to connect with Susan

Twitter: @SteinbrecherInc

Facebook: facebook.com/SteinbrecherandAssociates

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/susansteinbrecher

Instagram: instagram.com/meaningful_alignment

Want a deeper dive? Check out these blogs and podcast:

Additional resources

Susan's program: Meaningful Alignment
Susan's website: Steinbrecher And Associates, Inc.
My book: "On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights"
Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants

160: Chris Tuff—To Work With Millennials, First You Have To Understand Them Nov 11, 2019

Show notes

Learn how to turn Millennials into engaged, motivated employees!

Want to understand Millennials better? Or at all? Listen to my podcast with Chris Tuff. His new book, "The Millennial Whisperer," is a practical how-to guide which shows those of us who work with or manage this demographic (between 25 and 39 years old) how to better understand them—the world's largest generation—so we can turn the negative stereotypes (selfish, spoiled, self-absorbed) into great employees and highly motivated people. Great stuff we all need to know.

Millennials need a purpose

They want acknowledgement. Their idea of profit is way beyond just a salary or even a bonus. They want social capital and to know that they are making a difference. But they also need structured environments that enable them to have autonomy. All of this might sound like an impossibility, but Chris Tuff has taken it on, conquered it and wants to help you do it as well.

In 2019, this group represents almost 50% of the workforce

As Baby Boomers retire, it's going to be a Millennial workforce until Gen Z's join them (between 4 and 24 years old) not too far from now. This means that it's time to change our ways of managing people, of all ages. We have no choice.

Given this new reality, how do hiring managers find the right talent to fit their organizations' culture and staffing needs? How do they keep that talent engaged and successful? What role does social media play in this Millennial generation's lifestyle, and what does that mean for you?

Everything about today's workforce is changing, and fast. We, and Chris Tuff, urge you to take a look at your culture and if needed, make some changes, fast. This podcast is a first step.

About Chris Tuff

Chris Tuff became the youngest partner in the 100-year history of the Atlanta-based advertising agency, 22squared, where he turned a team of Millennials into a major profit center in an impressively short amount of time. As one of the first marketers to focus on helping startups connect with Fortune 100 brands, including Facebook in 2005, Chris is obsessed with emerging trends in marketing. Currently EVP, Director of Content Marketing and Partnerships at 22squared, he is responsible for partnership development with tech and media companies such as Twitter, Google and Facebook. Previously, Chris worked with several Fortune 500 companies to help improve recruiting and performance of Millennial workers.

A sought-after thought leader in the digital marketing space, Chris has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, The New York Times, Wired, Bloomberg, Business Insider, Digiday, Social Times, Social Fresh and the advertising trade publications Ad Age and Advertising Weekly.

Want a deeper dive into culture change? Check out these blogs and podcasts:

Additional resources

Chris's book: "The Millennial Whisperer"
My book: "On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights"
Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants

159: Jake Manthei—A Family Firm That Lives Blue Ocean Strategy® Nov 04, 2019

Show notes

Hear how great things happen when you're willing to change!

Jake Manthei and his company, Aster Brands, was a client of ours when I led a Blue Ocean Strategy workshop for their manufacturers last year. These were very smart individuals who each knew it was time to find their Blue Ocean. They also knew they have to continue to innovate, find new ways to solve problems, and at times, pause and re-think "the way we do things." We had a great time, and I learned a lot about how companies can listen to client needs, see unmet ones, and turn those ideas into real business opportunities, even without following a Blue Ocean Strategy process. It's all about learning how to listen differently. Now it's your turn...listen in!

A family business that's passionate about unleashing possibilities

Aster Brands provides forms, molds, equipment and support for concrete manufacturers around the globe. What sets it apart is less what it does than how it does it. This is a very Blue Ocean company. Aster Brands is also the parent company of Redi-Rock International, Rosetta Hardscapes and Pole Base.

You will love Jake and enjoy his journey with us

I really liked Jake's three core principles for his organization: Lead the Way, Never Give Up, Always Be Caring. I know they will give you some ideas about how to think about your own organization and the values you hold dear.

The conversation in our podcast is three-fold:

How does a family firm (Aster Brands is now into its fourth generation) sustain its growth and its family roots?
How did Redi-Rock take such an innovative, Blue Ocean approach to solving a real unmet need for builders—namely, how to build strong retaining walls more easily and effectively?
What is the power of Aster Brands' culture and its core values for attracting and retaining talent from across the country to Petosky, Michigan, which is neither an area of high density nor necessarily a popular go-to community?

Background on Jake Manthei

Jake is a fourth-generation entrepreneur and a partner in The Manthei Group, a collection of companies in a wide range of industries across North America that was originally started in the early 1900s by Jake's great grandmother, Constance Manthei, who grew and sold aster flowers. Over the decades, Constance's small venture grew to include a hardwood veneer and plywood mill, a heavy construction company, a concrete company, a local microbrewery and several RV resorts, in addition to Aster Brands. Its motto: "Enriching lives through our creations."

Jake graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in marketing.

For more on this subject, we suggest these blogs and podcast:

Additional resources

Jake's companies: Aster Brands and The Manthei Group
My book: "On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights"
Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants

158: Peggy Smedley—What Lies Ahead For The Construction Industry? Oct 28, 2019

Show notes

Hear how blockchain, IoT and big data are transforming our world!

This spring, I was a guest on Peggy Smedley's ConstructechTV, a highly influential TV show about technology, blockchain and the construction industry. It was such an enjoyable interview that I asked Peggy to share her ideas about technology and construction with our On The Brink listeners. In this podcast, we talk about the challenges she sees in an industry that is well-established, resistant to change, heavily dependent on human labor, and not able to see "what is all around them." Not hard to see why we connected. Lots to learn here; be sure to listen in.

Problem: not many young workers going into the construction trades

As Peggy shares with us, with so many opportunities for work, construction is just not top on the list for younger men, or women, for that matter. The second problem is that once construction companies hire an employee, it's tough to hold on to them. Retention is as big an issue as recruiting, says Peggy, because it's not just about money.

So, who is the future worker who is going to build our homes, our roads, our offices and our communities? What can construction companies do today to change their workspaces to better align with the interests and needs of the Gen Ys, Gen Zs and even Gen As of tomorrow? More blockchain? More robots? More conversations about how "we" are going to succeed together?

Clearly, some major culture change needs to happen, because we need construction workers. But do up-and-coming workers need construction?

About Peggy Smedley

As the founder of the Peggy Smedley Institute, a top-ranked professional education organization focused on providing comprehensive assessments of its clients' roles within IoT (Internet of Things), Peggy is a recognized pioneer in the M2M and IoT spaces and an outspoken advocate and supporter of security and connected devices. As well as an entrepreneur, executive, strategist and highly regarded editor, she is also an author, whose book, "Mending Manufacturing: How America Can Manufacture its Survival," provides an in-depth analysis of the American manufacturing crisis.

A frequent guest on business and news TV programs, a leading voice on nationally syndicated radio shows, and an expert in wireless technologies affecting construction, mobile and business strategies, Peggy has helped thousands of companies develop M2M/IoT solutions, products and devices. In addition, her podcast, The Peggy Smedley Show, has been called America's most influential IoT podcast.

You can connect with Peggy at @ConnectedWMag.

Need to get up to speed on blockchain, IoT and the digital revolution? These blogs and podcast can help:

Additional resources

Peggy's website: Peggy Smedley Institute
Peggy's book: "Mending Manufacturing: How America Can Manufacture its Survival"
My book: "On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights"
Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants

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