On the Brink with Andi Simon

Latest Episodes:

137: Dusty Rubeck—How Blue Ocean Strategy Transformed An Organization Jun 10, 2019

Show notes

Dusty Rubeck tells us how to bring about innovative culture change!

How do you transform an old, established organization? How do you give it new purpose and change the way people get their jobs done? While that is what we do for clients, Dusty Rubeck showed us some fresh ways to move an organization in new directions. Dusty and I met at a Vistage meeting where I was speaking. He reminded me that he had heard me once before and had adopted a Blue Ocean Strategy® approach to change himself and his organization. It seemed appropriate for us to dig further into what he had done and how he had done it. Enjoy!

Bringing Blue Ocean Strategy to America's churches

These are very challenging times for churches. Research by organizations such as the Barna Group, LifeWay Christian Resources and others indicates that as many as 80% of the Evangelical churches in America are in decline.

Blue Ocean Strategies, as you might know already, is a way to shift your focus from what you have always done in the past to users' unmet needs and non-users who need solutions no one else is providing. Dusty did just that. What you will hear in our conversation is how he stepped back—a little like an anthropologist—and began to look at religious organizations with fresh eyes.

Dusty has certainly practiced what he preaches

During his 10-year tenure as President of Dallas Christian College (DCC), he successfully transformed the corporate culture, led his team through the launch of an intensive four-year mentoring program for every student, and provided guidance through the expansion of innovative uses of educational technology.

What leaders of corporate, higher ed and non-profit organizations are facing is very similar to what Dusty has seen in the religious institutions within which he has worked. "Churches in America are facing tremendous challenges," he said when he took over the reins of DCC. "From the impact of the recent recession, to the national decline in church attendance and giving, to the growing cultural hostility against Christianity, these are times that demand bold leadership. The churches and para-church ministries within the independent Christian churches and Churches of Christ are displaying that leadership as shining lights in a dark time."

Some background on Dusty

Since January, 2014, Dusty Rubeck has served as President of CDF Capital, a $650 million lending fund which serves 6,000+ independent Christian churches and ministries. Prior to that, he was President of Dallas Christian College, and President and CEO of The Worship Television Network.

Dusty has also been Executive Director of the North American Christian Convention, Vice President of Kentucky Christian University, and a fundraiser for Christian Missionary Fellowship and Christ In Youth. He has served on the boards of the Farmers Branch (TX) Chamber of Commerce, the Provision Ministry Group, Church Development Fund, Stadia Church Planters and Kentucky Christian University.

He has received an honorary Doctor of Education degree from Dallas Christian College, an M.B.A. from Indiana Wesleyan University and a Bachelor of Arts from Dallas Christian College.

For more on the transformative power of Blue Ocean Strategy, check out these podcasts:

Additional resources:

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

Download the 1-page synopsis of my book, "On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights" here

136: Brian Solis—Break Your Bad Habits So You Can Achieve Your Goals! Jun 03, 2019

Show notes

Brian Solis explains how to minimize distraction and maximize productivity!

I could tell you all about Brian Solis in the past. And I will. But our podcast is not about what he was doing before he couldn't do it anymore. Our talk is all about how he found himself again and wrote an amazing book, "Lifescale: How to Live a More Creative, Productive, and Happy Life," to help others transform their own lives. Brian loved to write. He wrote easily. And then something happened. He stalled. He couldn't focus, couldn't find his thoughts. He had to change his own life to find it again. And that is what we want to share with you in our podcast. Don't miss this!

Helping organizations understand and embrace the rise of digital transformation

Brian has developed his professional life around the study of Silicon Valley and disruptive technology. His many books, "X: The Experience When Business Meets Design," "The End of Business as Usual" and "What's the Future of Business," among others, focus on the dramatic changes that technology has brought to our society and to business. In his reports, articles and books, Brian humanizes technology and its impact on our lives in order to help executives gain new perspectives and insights.

However, his newest book, "Lifescale: How to Live a More Creative, Productive, and Happy Life," is an entirely different discussion, exhorting each of us to reclaim our lives.

Finding balance, remastering your destiny

As Brian writes:

"Somewhere along the way, we get distracted. As much as we multitask, love our devices and feel like we're in control, deep down we know that something is off. Shortened attention spans, declines in critical thinking, lack of sleep, self-doubt and decreased creativity are just some of the effects coming to light in an age of digital distraction.

"'Lifescale' is a journey of self-discovery and growth. It's about getting back into balance and remastering our destinies."

In his latest book, Brian talks about how he struggled with his inability to focus, to slow down his brain, to move from one thing to the next. He grappled with distraction and all of its ill-effects. To get his life back on track, he developed a set of techniques, exercises and thought experiments designed to tame the chaos, and positively and productively help him navigate his day-to-day life, which by the way, applies to all of us.

In our podcast, we discuss how Brian found his way, again

Instead of falling victim to the never-ending cycle of news feeds, Likes, addictive apps and boredom scrolling (aka the endless scroll), Brian found a better way to manage his life. What he lost, and what many of us have lost as well, was the meaning, purpose and spirituality that was always part of him but had gotten eaten up by his addiction to today's technologies. Sound familiar?

So what did he do? Brilliantly, he pulled together scientific findings and practical tools into one amazing book which readers—especially those who have become distracted—will connect with. They will love the loose style and readability of the format, then will truly be moved by the humor, pathos and inspiration.

Brian's story is strong and simple, and its message is very actionable. I invite you to listen to our conversation and start all over again to build a better life for you and those around you.

Brian's list of how-to's that you can do

Identify sources of distraction and then turn your attention to creativity and productivity
Understand and resist the manipulative techniques that turn us into digital addicts
Find meaning and purpose to guide your time in more meaningful ways
Visualize future success so you can dive into deep work and stop procrastinating
Break bad habits, establish rituals and establish routines that help you achieve goals
Nurture imagination and learn to express yourself more artistically
Maximize productivity with simple but effective strategies
Focus for extended periods and make breaks more restorative
Foster a strong sense of purpose in life and identify the steps needed to bring this to life every day
Smile more and build self-esteem

With the renewed perspective "Lifescale offers, we can all finally learn to prioritize what matters so we can live our digital and physical lives with intention and true happiness. I'm ready! Are you?

Some background on Brian

Brian Solis is a principal analyst at Altimeter Group, and is also an award-winning author, prominent blogger/writer and keynote speaker. A digital analyst, anthropologist and futurist, Brian has studied and influenced the effects of emerging technology on business, marketing and culture. His research and books help executives and others better understand the relationship between the evolution of technology and its impact on business and society, as well as the role we each play in it. Brian also helps leading brands, celebrities and startups develop digital transformation, culture 2.0 and innovation strategies that enable them to adapt to connected markets from the inside out.

4 podcasts about realigning your business and life you might enjoy:

Additional resources:

Brian's website
Brian's books: www.briansolis.com/books
My book: "On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights"
Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants

Download the 1-page synopsis of my book, "On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights" here

135: Sarah Olivieri—Helping Nonprofits Soar May 27, 2019

Show notes

Sarah Olivieri helps businesses get organized and get going!

Whether you are a nonprofit, a for-profit, or just really interested in building better businesses, Sarah Olivieri has something you are going to enjoy in this podcast. As she worked with numerous nonprofits, she realized that they are often well-meaning but slightly disorganized. Don't misread me here. These are wonderful organizations. The leadership and their staff are not dysfunctional but just in need of a little more focus, structure and process tools for growing their passion and their purpose. Sarah created those tools and they are transforming the organizations with which she works. We share her approach so you can think about your own organization. Maybe you too need to see it with fresh eyes. Enjoy this podcast, learn and share!

Most nonprofits are organized with a lot of heart, which is to say, are relatively disorganized.

When they do manage to get "organized," silos often form, with invisible walls hampering communication and collaboration between departments, or between administration and non-administration.

There can also be entire functions that are missing, resulting in stagnated growth and diminished impact. Without the right kind of organizational structure, nonprofits are bound to feel overwhelmed as they struggle with delegation and wearing too many hats.

What to do? Call Sarah Olivieri!

Is your nonprofit stuck in the growth process? Sarah can fix that.

The founder of PivotGround, Sarah Olivieri is a nonprofit strategist with a passion for helping human-service nonprofits increase capacity, deliver better programming, attract more funding, and best of all, make the world a better place.

Resulting from her many years working with nonprofits, Sarah has created a clear process for Executive Directors to not only stay focused on moving the organization forward but to overcome obstacles which naturally arise from growth.

Called the Impact Method™, Sarah's proprietary process breaks down a nonprofit's big, audacious goals into clear, easy-to-understand components. Designed to unlock an organization's true capacity and harness it to its full potential, the Impact Method enables everyone involved in an organization, from employees to donors to volunteers, to be energized, focused and pursuing the same bold strategy.

Sarah follows that up with the Impact Strategy™ and Continuous Action Plan™, so nonprofits can make clear progress and know exactly what to focus on next.

At SAMC, we tell our clients they need to know where they're going and have a plan for how they're going to get there. Helping them develop that plan is part of the work we do to help them drive change. Sounds like Sarah and us are on the same page!

Some background on Sarah

Sarah Olivieri has over 15 years of nonprofit leadership. Notably, she co-founded the Open Center for Autism and was Executive Director of the Helping Children of War Foundation. She is also a published author, co-writing Lesson Planning a la Carte: Integrated Planning for Students with Special Needs.

4 podcasts about driving change you might enjoy:

Additional resources:

Sarah's company: PivotGround
Sarah's book: Lesson Planning a la Carte: Integrated Planning for Students with Special Needs
My book: "On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights"
Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants

Download the 1-page synopsis of my book, "On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights" here

134: Roger Dooley—Eliminating "Friction" So Your Organization Can Dominate Its Industry May 20, 2019

Show notes

Roger Dooley explains how your business can run smoothly and more powerfully!

I brought Roger Dooley back to our podcast because he is publishing his next book, Friction: The Untapped Force that Can Be Your Most Powerful Advantage, which might just be your next "must read." Think about it: In 2016, $4.6 trillion of merchandise was left in abandoned e-commerce shopping carts. Every year, the U.S. economy loses $3 trillion in productivity due to excess bureaucracy. Red tape and over-complicated licenses have enabled China's GDP to exceed India's by $82 trillion in just three decades. According to Roger, these statistics illustrate the real and growing threat of "friction," which he defines as the unnecessary expenditure of time, effort or money in performing a task. There's so much we can learn from him...be sure to listen in!

By understanding the impact "friction" can have, you can establish positive habits and eliminate negative ones.

We actually were speaking with a client recently who is transforming his own multi-cultural company to reduce the "friction" that was absorbing time and undermining his effectiveness—exactly what Roger is talking about. This friction is all around us. The question that Roger and I discuss is how to "lubricate" its edges so business can run smoothly.

In today's high-speed, customer-empowered world, the levels of swiftness and efficiency of business transactions will determine ultimate success or failure. In our conversation and in his groundbreaking new book, Roger helps you spot the inevitable points of friction in your organization, then provides the tools and insight you need to eliminate them and lead your company to industry dominance.

Roger's new book takes you step-by-step through the process of:

Empowering frank conversations
Guiding individual and team behaviors
Getting ahead of friction
Optimizing the customer experience
Building a frictionless corporate culture

Combining scientific research with real-life examples of leaders who have conquered business friction, Roger teaches us how to identify roadblocks, alter them for the benefit of both business and customer, and create positive, lasting change. As culture change experts, this is right in our wheelhouse.

If you're in a leadership position, now is the time to declare war on friction—before your competitors do.

Stamp out ridiculous rules, pointless procedures and meaningless meetings. Instead, become a relentless advocate for the customer and for minimizing customer effort. Lubricate every point of friction and make your company run like a well-oiled machine.

Background on Roger

An author and international keynote speaker, Roger Dooley is a recognized expert in the use of brain and behavior research to improve marketing, sales, customer experience and corporate culture. He has worked with companies ranging from Fortune 500 firms to entrepreneurial startups to enhance their digital and conventional marketing.

As well as authoring Friction: The Untapped Force that Can Be Your Most Powerful Advantage, Roger has also written the best-selling Brainfluence: 100 Ways to Persuade and Convince Consumers with Neuromarketing which has been translated into nine languages.

In addition, Roger writes the popular blog Neuromarketing and a column at Forbes.com. He founded Dooley Direct, a consultancy, and co-founded College Confidential, the leading college-bound website, which was acquired by Hobsons, a unit of UK-based DMGT, where Roger served as Vice President of Digital Marketing after the acquisition.

4 more podcasts on neuromarketing you might enjoy:

Additional resources:

Roger's books: Friction: The Untapped Force that Can Be Your Most Powerful Advantage and Brainfluence: 100 Ways to Persuade and Convince Consumers with Neuromarketing
Roger's blog and Forbes column
My book: "On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights"
Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants

Download the 1-page synopsis of my book, "On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights" here

133: Allen Adamson—How Relevant Are You? May 13, 2019

Show notes

Allen Adamson explains how to successfully stay ahead of change!

As I finish many of my Vistage CEO workshops, I marvel at how these CEOs run their businesses while also trying to push them forward, find new markets and stay relevant. Often, their clients are moving fast and furiously, leaving vendors or support teams far behind. The times they are a-changin,' as Bob Dylan sang to us a long time ago. And, they are continuing to change. The skills to adapt are often missing among the leadership of companies, men and women who know how to run their operations today but not how to adapt them for tomorrow. This conundrum is why I was so excited to have branding expert Allen Adamson as my guest for this podcast. Enjoy!

The ability (or inability) to stay relevant spells success or failure today

Allen's quote captures the challenge for businesses today:

"The number one reason for organizational success or failure is the ability to stay relevant. Having the wherewithal to strategically shift ahead of accelerating marketplace changes is the single most critical skillset an organization can possess."

You will enjoy our conversation. You will also come away with lots of ideas about how you, too, can spearhead the changes your own organization needs to make to drive change and survive in these fast-changing times.

The three things we dig into:

Why people hate to change.
How can business leaders see what is happening in the field if they only step out and observe what their clients are doing.
Once they 'get it,' how can they actually make the necessary transformations if they are going to sustain their growth.

Sound like a conversation that's right up your alley? If you are On the Brink and want to get off that brink, you should listen carefully and try some of Allen's ideas. They will work.

Are you relevant? Are you sure?

How organizations do—or do not—stay relevant is the subject of Allen's most recent book, Shift Ahead. Using fascinating first-hand accounts and detailed case studies, it explains how the best organizations recognize when it's time to change direction, and how they pull it off while bolstering their brands.

Who is Allen Adamson?

Allen is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Metaforce, a disruptive marketing and product consultancy which, unlike traditional firms, takes a multi-disciplinary channel-agnostic approach to marketing challenges. Metaforce combines the best aspects of brand management, strategy, and experience consultancies to deliver solutions that ensure its clients shift ahead of the dramatic changes in the marketplace in order to meet fast-evolving customer needs.

A noted industry expert in all disciplines of branding, Allen has worked with a broad spectrum of consumer and corporate businesses, including packaged goods, technology, healthcare, financial services, hospitality and entertainment. With his perspective and depth of experience, Allen helps his clients understand and activate strategies that enable them to shift ahead of the market and the competition, generating long-term value and increased brand equity. He also helps them identify what truly matters to the audiences they serve—what is relevant to their customers—and to brilliantly deliver on it.

A sought-after industry commentator, Allen has appeared on ABC News Nightline, NBC's The Today Show, CNBC's Squawk Box and Closing Bell and Fox Business Network. He regularly writes a column on current branding topics for Forbes, and is a frequent guest lecturer at New York University's Stern School of Business, the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University and the Harvard School of Continuing Education. In addition, he is a member of the American Management Association and speaks on branding for a range of professional organizations, corporate events and industry conferences.

A few blogs and podcasts about driving change you might enjoy:

Additional resources:

Allen's company: Metaforce
Allen's books: Shift Ahead, BrandSimple, BrandDigital and The Edge:50 Tips from Brands That Lead
My book: On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights
Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants

Download the 1-page synopsis of my book, "On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights" here

132: Monica Sha—Work Less, Earn More! May 06, 2019

Show notes

Monica Sha tells us how to build and grow a successful business!

Listen to Monica Sha tell you about a challenge we all face, whether we are in business for ourselves or consulting to help others grow theirs. The Challenge: Most entrepreneurs work twice as hard as they need to and make half as much as they could. In today's podcast, Monica and I talk about how to change that for you. Want to start working less and earning more? Even take time off? Don't miss this fascinating conversation—it might just change your life!

Want to learn how to make more money, now?

Through her company, Revenue Breakthrough, Monica Sha teaches you how to dramatically increase your revenue. She empowers you to build a team, create processes, scale your business...and take time off.

How? By educating and inspiring you to go beyond what you ever imagined you could create. As a result, you have the freedom to decide how to live your life and the confidence to accomplish anything you choose, thus creating a ripple effect in the world.

Step by step, Monica shows entrepreneurs how to build, grow and expand their business. Combining her business acumen with her intuition to help clients get unstuck, she helps business owners eliminate self-sabotage and move through fear.

As entrepreneurs ourselves, we're doing something similar at The Simon Initiative for Entrepreneurship which helps budding business owners, especially women, turn their big ideas into businesses. Like Monica, we love to help startups soar!

About Monica

Monica Shah is a seven-figure business owner, coaching women in building businesses that change their lives, their families' lives and their clients' lives. (Many of her clients have doubled and even tripled their revenue within one year of working with her.)

After receiving her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and working in marketing for L'Oreal Paris, Monica left the corporate world to start her first company, and then her second, Revenue Breakthrough.

She is also the author of two books: Getting Rich: You're Doing It Backwards and Pause: 52 Questions that Lead to More Money and Time.

Some blogs and podcasts about entrepreneurship you might enjoy:

Additional resources:

Monica's company: Revenue Breakthrough
Monica's books: Getting Rich: You're Doing It Backwards and Pause: 52 Questions that Lead to More Money and Time.
The Simon Initiative for Entrepreneurship
My book: "On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights"
Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants

Download the 1-page synopsis of my book, "On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights" here

131: Jeff Leisawitz—Not F*ing Around Apr 29, 2019

Show notes

Jeff Leisawitz teaches us how to tap into our own amazing creativity!

Creativity coach Jeff Leisawitz burns with a mission: to inspire writers, artists, musicians and people everywhere to tap into their creativity, to heal their hearts and to shine in the world. As his book, Not F*ing Around: The No Bullsh*t Guide for Getting Your Creative Dreams Off the Ground, tells us: Can't quite get your creative juices flowing? Is your day job sucking your soul? Are you fizzled out before you put the finishing touches on your amazing creation? Maybe it's time to pause, step back and rethink who you are and what your purpose and passions are. Listen to our podcast and you may just come away with a whole new outlook on your amazingly creative self, just waiting to be discovered! Enjoy.

Jeff has an idea for you: The creative side of your brain can fill you with renewed energy

We start out as kids full of ideas and creativity. We play our games and make up our realities. It's how we learn to be humans. (As an anthropologist, I've studied this extensively.) Then, slowly over time, we are told to focus, stop wandering, leave that creative energy outside, stop playing so much and become a rather sad soul.

Jeff wants you to find yourself again—and he believes it is all in your creativity. By pulling back the curtain on the creative process, his new book tells you how.

Jeff reminds us that we are all potential creative super stars

In our podcast today, Jeff challenges us with these inspiring words: "It's time to get off the couch and get on the path. It's time to tap into the cosmic heartbeat that thumps in your chest and shines from your soul. It's time to be seen, expressed and healed."

Sounds exciting! It is exciting to listen to Jeff and how he found his own personal way. Our conversation reminds me of the pleasure I had when I would take off on Tuesdays and head over to my friend Mary's place to oil paint for a day. I emerged re-energized and literally transformed. I miss the day, the paints and Mary.

One of my favorite quotes about Jeff's book:

"Not F*ing Around is a great pocket-guide for the long road to achieving one's own definition of success. Deep thoughts masquerading as light-hearted anecdotes and challenges." —Lori Deschene, Author and Founder of Tiny Buddha

Who Is Jeff Leisawitz?

Jeff is a creativity coach informed by Neuro-Linguistic Re-Patterning techniques, and an adjunct faculty member at Pacific Lutheran University in Seattle. He is also an award-winning musician/producer and an internationally distributed screenwriter and director who has devoted his life to the art of creativity.

As the producer of Electron Love Theory, Jeff fused interviews with Seattle's WTO demonstrators into electronic music, garnering more than 250,000 downloads worldwide. He has released five studio albums with more than a million streams and 5,000 music placements in film, TV and multimedia, including HBO, MTV, Discovery, NBC and Microsoft.

When creative businesses, schools and organizations such as Seattle Art Museum, Tacoma School of the Arts, Gage Academy, Northwest Film Forum, King County Libraries and others need to amp up their creativity, Jeff leads workshops and events to fire up the creative spirit and empower people to tap into their true potential.

A few blogs and podcasts about finding your creativity you might enjoy:

Additional resources:

Jeff's book: Not F*ing Around: The No Bullsh*t Guide for Getting Your Creative Dreams Off the Ground
My book: On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights
Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants

Download the 1-page synopsis of my book, "On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights" here

130: Michael Davis—Cybersecurity: Pushing Defenders Ahead of Attackers Apr 22, 2019

Show notes

Michael Davis explains why cybersecurity is more urgent than ever!

Are you a small business and think cybersecurity is really not a concern for you? The hackers are going to go after the big guys: banks, insurance companies, large retailers, not you. Right? Wrong. Listen in as Michael Davis takes us through the swift evolution of cybercrime and the urgent need for all businesses to stop the attackers before they attack you. You literally can't afford to miss this podcast, it's that important. Listen, learn and share. And be careful out there.

If you use the Web, you can be hacked

Case study: A chain of pizza stores had its point of sale invaded by malware through which hackers could watch transactions taking place and capture individual customers' information. What was even more lucrative for the hackers was watching the chain's bookkeeper post monies to the company bank account, then redirecting the funds into their own account, stealing $300,000 in a quick minute. Even worse, once they knew the way in, they could blackmail the pizza chain's owner for monthly fees to avoid being hacked again. Welcome to the modern-day version of Jesse James.

Cybersecurity: what businesses of all sizes should be concerned about:

Whether you think your installed malware is sufficient, or you feel you need to hire a chief security officer, or you've decided to outsource your security to a professional cybersecurity firm, now is the time to find out more so you can make the right moves for you and your business! Indeed, this podcast is coming at a great time for all of us.

Who is Michael Davis?

Michael A. Davis has been educating the global community on the evolution of IT security for several years now. His portfolio of clients includes major corporations such as AT&T, Sears and Exelon, as well as the U.S. Department of Defense.

Michael's early embrace of entrepreneurship earned him a spot on BusinessWeek's "Top 25 under 25" list, stemming from his launch of IT security consulting firm Savid Technologies, recognized as one of the fastest growing companies of its decade. With a passion for educating others, Michael is a contributing author for the "Hacking Exposed" book series and has become a keynote speaker at conferences and symposiums worldwide.

Most recently, Michael has served as CTO of CounterTack, provider of an endpoint security platform delivering real-time cyber threat detection and forensics. Michael recognizes, as should all of us, that the cybersecurity battle is moving to the endpoint, and that conventional IT security technologies can't ultimately protect enterprises. Firms such as CounterTack offer consumers continuous attack monitoring backed by automated threat analysis.

What you can learn from Michael Davis's podcast that you can do today:

One of the reasons I am so anxious to share with you Michael's podcast is that I have a good friend, a fellow consultant and culture change expert, who recently had her data hacked. She paid a ransom but never got her data back. Has this happened to you? Could it? According to Michael, we're all vulnerable.

Here are just a few of Michael's tips from our conversation:

Your iPad, iPhone and Android are engineered to be much less vulnerable to hackers than your Mac or PC. Use them as much as you can to secure your information.
The cloud is an excellent way to thwart hackers. Consider shifting from your office servers to Dropbox, Box and other cloud-based services. They are far more secure and have backups to protect you.
Instruct your staff not to open phishing or other suspicious emails. There are lots of training programs that can help you create a more secure business environment.

Some blogs and podcasts on this subject you might enjoy:

Additional resources:

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

Download the 1-page synopsis of my book, "On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights" here

129: Maria Gallo—DelVal University Is Now Soaring Thanks To Blue Ocean Strategy® Apr 15, 2019

Show notes

Hear how Maria Gallo and her team took an innovative approach that paid off, big time!

Dr. Maria Gallo is a very special interviewee for our podcast. She is president of Delaware Valley University—DelVal to many of us—in Bucks County, PA, north of Philadelphia. For much of 2018, we worked with DelVal on their Blue Ocean Strategy and are thrilled at the terrific successes they're seeing. Realizing that the demographics of students is changing, fast, Maria and her team knew DelVal needed a new strategy. What did they do? They set about finding their Blue Ocean Strategy and innovatively fulfilling today's students' unmet needs. Is it working? Like gangbusters. Take a listen. Might the lessons learned apply to your organization or business?

DelVal: Seeing opportunities with fresh eyes, then capitalizing on them

We began working with Dr. Gallo a short while after she became president of Delaware Valley University in Doylestown, PA. Our first task was to help her and her team identify the unmet needs of their current students, as well as the needs of nonusers (potential students) who could be attending DelVal but weren't. Next, we brainstormed about how to fulfill these unmet needs in proactive, innovative ways. This was very exciting to watch because it's what Blue Ocean Strategy is all about: creating a new market space, then building demand for your solutions to that new market's needs, not focusing on what your competition is doing.

As a result of our work together and a university-wide effort on DelVal's part, there has been change. DelVal's curriculum is now heavily grounded in experiential learning, and every student completes the Experience360 Program, which may involve opportunities such as internships, research, study abroad and more. Currently, more than 93% of graduates have a job or a place in graduate school when he or she leaves the university. Moreover, those graduates' employers rave about their attitudes and their aptitudes.

And there's more (a lot more). Under Dr. Gallo's leadership, DelVal announced its first endowed professorship, launched a new graduate program in criminal justice, increased its international student enrollment, and invested in hydroponics and aquaponics education. In addition, the university has hosted numerous nationally-renowned speakers, including CNN's Brian Stelter and NPR's David Folkenflik, added its first student member to the Board of Trustees, initiated new partnerships with Longwood Gardens and W. Atlee Burpee & Co, and sent more than 100 students to the LeaderShape Institute, one of the premier leadership development programs for college students in the US. Plus, DelVal's Experience360 Program was named the 2019 Outstanding Experiential Education Program of the year by the National Society for Experiential Education, and its animal science programs are among the top 20 in the country.

Now that's an innovative approach to growth! That's a Blue Ocean Strategy!

Background on Dr. Gallo

On July 1, 2016, Dr. Maria Gallo became the 13th president of Delaware Valley University. A plant molecular biologist specializing in crop improvement, she has authored 81 refereed journal articles and nine book chapters. She is also a Fulbright Scholar and Fellow of both the American Society of Agronomy and the Crop Science Society of America.

Prior to coming to DelVal, Dr. Gallo served as dean and director for research and cooperative extension at the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR). As dean of CTAHR, she also served as chief executive officer and worked with the Advisory Council, faculty, staff and stakeholders to create the strategic vision for the College. As CTAHR's administrative head, she was in charge of all faculty members, administrative officers and other employees statewide. And as CTAHR's chief academic, research and extension officer, she provided the vision and leadership for the College's six interdisciplinary academic departments, four county offices and numerous research and extension facilities on 1,554 acres across Hawai`i.

Prior to joining the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa, Dr. Gallo served as professor and chair of the agronomy department at the University of Florida where she led a productive teaching and research program.

Dr. Gallo currently serves on the American Council on Education's Women's Network Executive Council, the Pearl S. Buck International Board, the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce's board of directors, and the Bucks County Workforce Development Board. A native New Yorker, she earned her B.S. in agronomy from Cornell University, and both her M.S. in crop science and Ph.D. in genetics from North Carolina State University.

6 blogs and podcasts on higher education and Blue Ocean Strategy you might enjoy:

Additional resources:

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

Download the 1-page synopsis of my book, "On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights" here

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128: Stefan Pryor—How The Power of a New Story Transformed Rhode Island Apr 08, 2019

Show notes

Stefan Pryor describes how Rhode Island became a leading state for business!

You may not have noticed but Rhode Island is on a roll. In just three years, America's smallest state has moved up 10 spots in Chief Executive's 2018 "Best and Worst States for Business," the most dramatic climb of any of the 50 states. Why and how is what today's podcast is about. I have the honor of interviewing Secretary of Commerce for Rhode Island, Stefan Pryor, and our conversation is as relevant for our SAMC higher education clients as it is for businesses that need to reinvigorate their growth in fast-changing times. It's a podcast we hope you share with leaders of other states, counties and municipalities seeking to transform their local economies. The secret to growth? Stop looking at the past and see what can happen, as Rhode Island did.

Just four years ago, Rhode Island had the highest unemployment rate in the nation. It was the last state to recover from the great recession. Businesses were reluctant to set up shop there. Without a doubt, Rhode Island needed an overhaul. But first, it needed to write a new story worth telling.

Enter Stefan Pryor, Rhode Island's first Secretary of Commerce. Appointed by Governor Gina M. Raimondo in 2015 and confirmed unanimously by the Rhode Island State Senate, Secretary Pryor oversees and coordinates the state agencies and offices responsible for economic development, business regulation, housing and workforce development.

As Secretary Pryor told Chief Executive magazine in 2018:

"Governor Raimondo had the courage to tell it like it is: The future of our state was on the line, and she laid out the facts, and ensured that the public had an understanding of what it would take to put us on a strong fiscal footing. In partnership with the [legislature] we've done so, and thanks to them, we've been able to place important new tools in the economic-development tool box."

In our talk today, Secretary Pryor shares the ways in which you can generate the power of a new story, a new brand.

Re-branding Rhode Island is exactly what Governor Raimondo did. The results? The CEO of Virgin Pulse, a global software company, recently moved its headquarters to downtown Providence from Framingham, Mass. Wexford Science & Technology is partnering with Brown University to create a "knowledge community" around the school's $220-million redevelopment of an old power station on the Providence River. Finales Coffee has opened a development site for a new line of teas. And Johnson & Johnson is moving there, too.

All in all, 30 businesses have announced plans to land or expand in Rhode Island since Governor Raimondo's new programs were implemented four years ago. In fact, Rhode Island's incredible economic progress under Governor Raimondo has been profiled by national publications including Chief Executive magazine ("Rhode Island Boasts The Biggest Climb In 'Best States / Worst States' Rankings") and The New York Times ("After Long Economic Slide, Rhode Island Lures New Business").

Some of the core themes we discuss include:

Begin with: What do you have that others might not? For Rhode Island, it has great universities that are putting talented graduates into the work pipeline. They have amazing medical centers. And are perfectly positioned near Cambridge and Boston.
The state's leaders found important ways to bring together different sectors and stakeholders who are working together to bring innovative new businesses and technological solutions to the region to help companies get the resources they need to soar.
The legislature knew that it had to change and is now working hand-in-hand with the governor to find solutions for growth, not build walls inhibiting it.
Decision-makers created an innovation team that thinks big, thinks forward and creates contagious excitement around successes, one small win at a time.

I know you will enjoy listening to our conversation.

Think about the lessons learned for you, your own business, your own community, and remember, they can be your new story as well as Rhode Island's.

Some background on Secretary Pryor and his earlier successes are very important as a learning ground for his work in Rhode Island.

From 2011-2015, Secretary Pryor served as the Commissioner of Education for the State of Connecticut. During his tenure, Connecticut passed important legislation aimed at closing achievement gaps, improving chronically under-performing schools and districts, enhancing educator effectiveness, and increasing opportunities for all students.

From 2006-2011, Pryor served as Deputy Mayor and Director of Economic and Housing Development in the City of Newark, NJ. He and his team played a key role in orchestrating plans for Newark's first new downtown hotel in 40 years and first new office tower in 20 years. They also helped recruit new commercial tenants to Newark, including Panasonic (North American headquarters) and Manischewitz (world headquarters).

From 2002-2006, Pryor served in a number of leadership capacities at the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC), culminating in becoming LMDC's President. Created in the aftermath of September 11th by the State and City of New York, LMDC planned and helped coordinate the physical rebuilding and economic revitalization of Lower Manhattan, including the World Trade Center site.

Previously, Pryor served as a Vice President at the Partnership for New York City where he led the organization's public education initiatives, including a program which worked with two low-performing, high-poverty NYC school districts.

Pryor received his undergraduate and law degrees from Yale University.

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