On the Brink with Andi Simon

Latest Episodes:

021: Ask Andi series—It's Time for Companies to Adapt Sep 01, 2017

Show notes

The seventh episode of Ask Andi series—short 15 minute podcasts every Friday where I take a question and then offer tools, tips and strategies to help you re-think the issue and tackle it in new ways.

In this episode I discuss:

Trends YOU need to pay attention to
How businesses don't adapt to the modern world and avoid change
Evaluating new trends
Understanding that our brain often sees the world through a negative lens
Examples from real life - what happens if companies don't adapt
How robots are changing the today's landscape
Women entrepreneurs
Believing that you can change and actually turning things around

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

020: Gary Morton--Commanding Excellence: The Secret Sauce to Truly Exceptional Performance Aug 28, 2017

Show notes

In our podcast, Gary Morton shares his amazing experiences working with teams that simply "soared." He then takes listeners through his methodology so that you too can learn from him and the incredible leaders he has been privileged to work with, as described in his new book, "Commanding Excellence: Inspiring Purpose, Passion, and Ingenuity through Leadership that Matters." Take a listen and pick up his book, an amazing read.

Motivating people effectively is not about commanding them to do something — it's about getting them to command themselves to do something. A distinguished graduate of West Point, Morton learned firsthand how to deliver exceptional results. Then as a platoon leader and tank commander in Army Task Force 4-68 and later, as a young vice president at the medical device manufacturer Stryker, he trained under two legendary leaders who, despite their different styles, followed nearly the same steps to achieve results which most considered unattainable.

In this podcast, you too can learn how to inspire others to excel, whatever their job, level in an organization or task to be completed. You will love Gary's stories about:

In this episode, Gary Morton and I discuss:

Transforming the worst performing unit in the U.S. army
The importance of having a clear and specific purpose
Empowering organizations
How we often have to take risks to grow our business
Outside-in thinking
Strategies for cracking well-guarded markets
How being different can be your competitive advantage
Gary's Commanding Excellence book

Resources mentioned in this episode:

019: Ask Andi series—See, Feel and Think In New Ways Aug 25, 2017

Show notes

The sixth episode of Ask Andi series—short 15 minute podcasts every Friday where I take a question and then offer tools, tips and strategies to help you re-think the issue and tackle it in new ways.

In this episode I discuss:

The importance of testing your assumptions
Why you should be the market creator, not a competitor
Listening to the unmet needs of your clients
How opportunities are often all around you
Case studies from real life that will help you grow your business
Practical advice on applying Blue Ocean Strategy® today

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

018: Mikki Williams—Be Outrageous, It's The Only Place That Isn't Crowded™ Aug 21, 2017

Show notes

When I finished interviewing Mikki, I was ready to sign up for her speaking classes, and I do 50 speeches and workshops each year. This Speaker Hall of Famer is an executive speech coach, international speaker, author, radio and TV personality and entrepreneur extraordinaire. Listen in and see why she will inspire you to find your voice and speak with your outrageous you!

Chosen as one of the best speakers in the country by Meetings and Conventions Magazine, along with Tony Robbins, Bill Gates, Lou Holtz and Zig Ziglar, Mikki Williams, CSP, CPAE is an experience…truly a one-of-a-kind talent, eclectic and smart.

An award-winning top tier speaker for Vistage International—the world's leading executive organization—Mikki is Master Chair of two Vistage peer advisory boards in Chicago. From The White House to Mandela's South African home to the front pages of The Wall St. Journal, USA Today and Forbes, Mikki is a global brand, known by all as "glamboyant" and outrageous!

A TEDx speaker, Mikki is based in Chicago and Naples, FL, conducting her proprietary Speakers School™ in both locations. She also created The Mikki Mouth Club™ with four divisions: Speaker Source, her highly regarded speech coaching entity; Accountability Academy, a year-long speech coaching program; the original Keynote Kamp™, a two-day intensive in which she designs a speaker's entire speech; and Outrageous Orators™, speakers who rock…an uncommon speakers' bureau. Mikki completed a life goal with a sold-out run of her one woman show, "She Came, She Wore, She Conquered…shoes, sex and other stories," at the famed Second City Theatre in Chicago.

In this episode we'll discuss:

How life can turn all of your plans upside down
Mikki's worldview on life and how she is always grateful
Practical lessons on becoming a better performer and a speaker
Power of storytelling
How people who attend one of Mikki's programs become long term clients
Legacy
Asking the right questions & recognizing your own story
Mikki's "AHA" moments
Getting Millenials to communicate more effectively
How great delivery makes any story more powerful
Importance of doing your homework when speaking internationally

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

017: Ask Andi series—How Anthropology Helps People See Things With Fresh Eyes Aug 18, 2017

Show notes

Fifth episode of Ask Andi series—short 15 minute podcasts every Friday where I take a question and then offer tools, tips and strategies to help you re-think the issue and tackle it in new ways.

In this episode I discuss:

Being aware of the changes that are happening in the healthcare industry
Consulting an organization that was losing money and clients
Strategic importance of 'Outside-in' thinking
Innovation Games
Creativity lessons - coming up with an interesting solution that changed everything
How anthropology can bring massive ROI

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

016: Gustavo Grodnitzky—Culture Trumps Everything! Aug 14, 2017

Show notes

Dr. Gustavo Grodnitzky (Dr. Gustavo) is a speaker, author, consultant, and psychologist whose diverse background brings a unique and multidimensional perspective to his global clients.

After obtaining his Ph.D. in clinical and school psychology, he completed post-docs in both cognitive therapy and forensic psychology. He has previously run an inpatient drug rehabilitation unit in a correctional institution and an outpatient mental health center.

As a consultant and professional speaker, he has delivered more than 1,000 presentations on a variety of topics, including corporate culture, emotional intelligence, anger management, and integrating multigenerational workforces.

In this episode, Dr. Gustavo Grodnitzky and I discuss:

What is culture?
How to start and what steps you should take to change culture in an organization
Do you need someone from outside to see a "new" perspective on things?
Thoughts on workforce being replaced by Millennials
How different generations approach work and life balance?
His book and closing thoughts

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

015: Ask Andi series—Blue Ocean Strategy® Aug 11, 2017

Show notes

Fourth episode of Ask Andi series—short 15 minute podcasts every Friday where I take a question and then offer tools, tips and strategies to help you re-think the issue and tackle it in new ways.

In this episode I discuss:

Breaking down the Blue Ocean Strategy
How to out-compete your competition?
Do you have a strategy in place for the future?
Get insights about your market - who they are and how you can serve them better
Solving problems the smart way
Four Action Framework
Parting piece of advice

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

014: Maura Nevel Thomas: Isn't It Time to Regain Your Time? Aug 07, 2017

Show notes

Maura Thomas is an award-winning productivity and time management speaker, author of two books, founder of Regain Your Time, and nationally recognized expert delivering her unique message that the key to productivity and effectiveness is attention management.

She is a TEDx Speaker, a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review, and was invited by one of the world's largest publishers to literally "write the book" on productivity (Personal Productivity Secrets). Her work has appeared in hundreds of national media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, Inc. and the Huffington Post, to name a few.

In this episode, Maura Nevel Thomas and I discuss:

Putting people into a playful mode because often times then they are more creative and productive
How the culture of the company creates problems and what to do about it
Work Life management process that gives individuals the skill set to deal with communication, commitment and information
Where does the system take us?
- Attention Management
- Action Management
- Communication Management
- Meeting Management
Culture of organization versus getting work done
- Leaders need to create a space where the work can be done
Successful Training
- Attitudes of leadership
- Attitudes of the participants
- Content of training
- Delivery of training
- Follow-up support inside the organization
Making busy lives easier and less stressful

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

013: Ask Andi series: Change can be hard Aug 04, 2017

Show notes

Third episode of Ask Andi series—short 15 minute podcasts every Friday where I take a question and then offer tools, tips and strategies to help you re-think the issue and tackle it in new ways.

In this episode I discuss:

Adapting to the future of work
Digital technology is going to have a profound effect on work
Artificial Intelligence and robots
Focus on connectivity, communication and collaboration
What is the culture today?
What do you want it to be tomorrow?
Different types of culture in a business
- Start-up phase of a business
- Have new ideas
- Competitive and market driving
- Get things done on time
- It's about balancing all of the ideas
- Collaborate with each other
Think about the story you want to represent the way you want to get things done in your business
- Teams are what it's all about now
- How am I going to rewrite the story?
- How can we work together better?
If you don't have a story people will make one up about your business
- Make a plan
- Create small wins about how you are going to get it done
Anticipate the hurdles
- Cognitive
- Motivational
- Resources
- Political
Focus on skill development
- Over train
- Over communicate
Consultants are able to bring in new ideas to help and coach you
Change can be hard
- Move forward and be a leader

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument online

012: "Yacht Racing" Your Company for Success with Bob Roitblat Jul 31, 2017

Show notes

Bob Roitblat's passion is helping business owners succeed. This fervor, combined with years of practical experience, is what makes Bob such an outstanding mentor to his clients, showing them how to develop a goal-focused mentality and the competitive skills they need to achieve long-term success. In addition, Bob helps mold them into great leaders whom people admire and follow.

In this episode, Bob Roitblat and I discuss:

How to use experiences to support crazy hobbies
High Probability or Low Probability advance
- Adapt to eventualities
Strategy
- Adjust as you go along
- Be able to say no as well as say yes to some things
Ideas
- Innovation
- Asking for ideas is a low probability of success because there is no target
- Find the finish line first
- - What results are the customers looking for?
  - What are we looking for as a company?
  - Determine an end goal
Try to see things with fresh eyes
- Go to a tradeshow of an industry you aren't a part of so that you can see things from a different perspective
Why doesn't ideas turn into innovations
- They may not serve a real need
- People want solutions
- Create a demand for the product
Patience and persistence are key
What are people trying to create and what will they actually buy?
Start with insight before you ask for ideas
Observation is important
As a leader give the people the tools they need and get out of the way
- Let people fail
- Turn their failure into success

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

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