Episodi

  • The Little Potato and How It Grew, with Angela Santiago, Ep #79

    The Little Potato and How It Grew, with Angela Santiago, Ep #79
    Jul 27 2021

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    A particular culture comes with a family-owned business that’s difficult to maintain as the company grows. Today we learn how my guest, Angela Santiago, CEO and co-founder of The Little Potato Company, preserved the family-owned culture of her growing business. She equates planning for culture and values with planning for a budget or business strategy. 

    Angela and her father founded The Little Potato Company in 1996 on a 1-acre plot. The company now has over 400 employees, star listings in the U.S. and Canada, and has breeding programs on three continents. Angela is a wife and mother of 4. She has earned many awards during her career, such as Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, Top 40 under 40 in Canada, and Alberta’s Woman Entrepreneur of the Year. Angela is a delight to speak with, down-to-earth, insightful, and knowledgeable. Listen in to learn how you can apply the growth principles Angela has shared with us.

    Resources & People Mentioned
    • Team Building & Bucket Filling with The Little Potato Company
    Connect with Angela Santiago
    • On LinkedIn
    • Company website

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    Connect With Bruce
    • www.ContractedLeadership.com
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    35 min
  • Holoubek in the Hot Seat, with Carey Green, Ep #78

    Holoubek in the Hot Seat, with Carey Green, Ep #78
    Apr 20 2021

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    What if you could have your biggest organizational issues assessed and addressed, with guaranteed results? That’s the promise of Contracted Leadership. We at Contracted Leadership are more than consultants. We’re contractors who work side-by-side with organizations and we aren’t afraid to get our hands dirty. That level of commitment is required of anyone representing us. Each subcontractor has 15-20+ years of experience in various industries, including substantial leadership roles. They’re carefully vetted and trained to ensure that they’ll represent the purpose of Contracted Leadership.

    In this episode, you’ll hear more about the ins and outs of Contracted Leadership. This time we’re doing something new. Rather than interviewing someone or speaking on a topic, I’m handing over the wheel to Carey Green, the founder of Podcast Fast Track. This time, Carey is interviewing me! Carey is one of the best interviewers ever. He and his team are responsible for turning good recordings into great podcast episodes. Carey and I discuss the reason Contracted Leadership exists and the story behind how it came to be. Listen in on this opportunity to learn about the heart of Contracted Leadership.

    Outline of This Episode
    • [01:25] Why Bruce is being interviewed
    • [07:23] Contracted Leadership’s focus
    • [10:03] Why do organizations approach Contracted Leadership?
    • [14:55] Why does development tend to be neglected?
    • [17:45] Contracted Leadership’s Ideal clients
    • [19:30] The three steps in the development process
    • [28:17] What is unique about Contracted Leadership?
    • [33:24] Why did Bruce start Contracted Leadership?
    • [41:59] Advice for organizations experiencing growth pains
    Connect with Carey Green
    • Carey Green on LinkedIn
    • Podcast Production Services from Podcast Fast Track

    SPONSOR: eWebinar – “Automated webinar” solutions are out there. Sadly, they’re little more than videos playing alongside some fake attendees. They achieve their basic purpose and provide information, but let’s face it... they’re one-sided and boring. We’ve made them fun and engaging. Check out https://www.ewebinar.com/ for all the details!

    Connect With Bruce
    • www.ContractedLeadership.com
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

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    45 min
  • Inspiring the Future through Game-Based Learning, with Dan White, Ep #77

    Inspiring the Future through Game-Based Learning, with Dan White, Ep #77
    Mar 30 2021

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    Creation is the key to learning. When we can apply what we learn, we make knowledge our own. My guest takes that belief to new levels. Dan White is the founder and CEO of Filament Games where their ultimate goal is to inspire people to learn more on their own. I knew I needed to speak with Dan White after watching his video about how to embrace failure. In the video, Dan shares his belief that failure should be expected and celebrated rather than avoided. I know you’ll be inspired by his passion for effective learning.

    Outline of This Episode
    • [2:18] What does Filament Games do?
    • [7:20] The importance of learning based games
    • [12:04] Learning games now vs the past
    • [18:07] Dreaming of the future of gaming
    • [21:32] Moving from concept to client
    • [30:24] Teaching robotics digitally
    • [42:43] Where is Filament Games going next?
    • [44:53] The power of failure
    Connect with Dan White
    • Dan White on LinkedIn
    • Filament Games

    SPONSOR: eWebinar – “Automated webinar” solutions are out there. Sadly, they’re little more than videos playing alongside some fake attendees. They achieve their basic purpose and provide information, but let’s face it... they’re one-sided and boring. We’ve made them fun and engaging. Check out https://www.ewebinar.com/ for all the details!

    Connect With Bruce
    • www.ContractedLeadership.com
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

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    53 min
  • How Ambition, Courage, and Curiosity Empower Growth and Value, with Mary Dixon, Ep #76

    How Ambition, Courage, and Curiosity Empower Growth and Value, with Mary Dixon, Ep #76
    Mar 16 2021
    Subscribe to The Development Exponent Ambition, courage, and curiosity are character traits you’ll find in many founders and many innovators across disciplines. I immediately saw all three of those traits in my guest on this episode, Mary Dixon. Mary is a founder in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry, working to improve the lives of human beings through research and development that empower the person’s greatest health. Her history has led her to the development of software that empowers medical providers and patients as well. The focus is to do this through the use of data to discover the deeper unmet needs of everyone in the scenario. I invite you to listen. You’ll be inspired by Mary’s competence and insight and how she keeps her focus on the individuals involved in the complex process of healthcare solutions. Outline of This Episode [1:50] Mary’s 30-year history in pharma and how she leads in ground-breaking developments[12:20] How curiosity has contributed to Mary’s career development and innovation[23:27] Hiring for curiosity and the mission, not necessarily industry expertise[28:52} Surprising challenges transitioning to leadership[33:45] What Mary wishes others knew about Big Pharma[37:22] Achievements Mary is particularly proud of[40:46] What are “human factors” and why are they so important?[47:50] Mary’s childhood experience with healthcare and how it led to her current role[1:01:37] The confidence that’s come in leading over the years: delegation Connect with Mary Dixon Mary on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-e-dixon-b228aa8/  Companies Mary serves https://innovenn.com/https://improvita.com/http://www.cogentpharma.com/  SPONSOR: First Business Bank – Take banking to the next level. Fuel business growth. Improve personal wealth gains. Elevate your banking expectations with a financial partner that delivers comprehensive business banking services – built on experience. Find out more at https://firstbusiness.bank/  Resources Definition of Software as a Medical DeviceLocus of control theoryBOOK: “The Culture Code”BOOK: “Start With Why”BOOK: “Deep Survival” Connect With Bruce www.ContractedLeadership.comFacebookLinkedInTwitter Subscribe to The Development Exponent Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK
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    1 ora e 6 min
  • Leadership Lessons Learned From Non-Profits, with Nick Curran, Ep #75

    Leadership Lessons Learned From Non-Profits, with Nick Curran, Ep #75
    Mar 2 2021

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    After starting his accounting firm serving the for-profit world, Nick Curran had an “accidental” conversation that led him down the path his business was to follow for the foreseeable future — providing accounting services exclusively to non-profit organizations.

    As CEO of Numbers 4 Non-Profits, Nick leads a substantial team of accountants, consultants, assistants, and administrative professionals to, in his words, “Do the simple things right.” In this conversation, you’ll hear Nick describe why non-profit organizations tend to be more stable than their for-profit counterparts, the typical bumps in the road non-profits face, and why clear and quick communication is always the best course of action, no matter the issue. 

    Outline of This Episode
    • [2:17] The road to providing accounting services for non-profit organizations
    • [6:09] Difficult aspects of serving clients in the non-profit space
    • [11:45] Why non-profit organizations tend to be more stable and successful
    • [16:06] Misconceptions non-profit organizations have about their accounting
    • [25:15] Staying connected to the original reasons you started a business
    • [30:22] How a heart attack showed Nick the power of the relationships he’s built
    • [35:10] Achievements Nick’s business has attained that he’s most proud of
    • [38:01] Is there really a professional life / personal life division?
    • [41:42] The struggle to hold team members accountable
    • [48:00] Two things top decision-makers can make right now
    Connect with Nick Curran
    • Numbers 4 Non-Profits
    • Follow Nick on LinkedIn

    SPONSOR: First Business Bank – Take banking to the next level. Fuel business growth. Improve personal wealth gains. Elevate your banking expectations with a financial partner that delivers comprehensive business banking services – built on experience. Find out more at https://firstbusiness.bank/

    Connect With Bruce
    • www.ContractedLeadership.com
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

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    51 min
  • Sustaining The Family Feeling of A Family Business, with Sam Daniels, Ep #74

    Sustaining The Family Feeling of A Family Business, with Sam Daniels, Ep #74
    Feb 16 2021

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    Growing up in a family-owned general contracting business, Sam Daniels worked in the field, learned back-office stuff, and then went to school to learn more of the business skills needed to be a significant part of the family business going forward. His journey into leadership and the lessons he’s had to learn — and how he’s learned them — provide great food for thought for those in the role of leadership. Sam speaks with host, Bruce Holoubek about sustaining the family feel of the business over time, what that looks like practically when it comes to employee benefits and communication, and more. Join us for this conversation.

    SPONSOR: First Business Bank - Take banking to the next level. Fuel business growth. Improve personal wealth gains. Elevate your banking expectations with a financial partner that delivers comprehensive business banking services - built on experience. Find out more at https://firstbusiness.bank/ 

    Outline of This Episode
    • [1:03] Building construction: how it’s built and how it shapes us
    • [4:46] Sam’s company is a diversified self-performing contractor? What’s that?
    • [6:43] Shifting from residential construction to larger-scale commercial work
    • [11:01] Characteristics that set Daniels Construction apart from other companies
    • [14:48] Working in the field as the kid of one of the company leaders
    • [17:20] The fun of being a third-generation leader in a family business
    • [22:30] Leadership lessons about caring for the team, learned from his grandfather
    • [25:06] Misconceptions about the construction industry
    • [29:55] Why long-term employees are the norm at Daniel’s construction
    • [35:19] Surprises Sam’s high school friends might experience if they met him today
    • [37:51] Why the work Daniel’s construction does, matters to Sam and to others
    • [42:02] How losing his grandfather shaped his course to lead in the family business
    • [48:01] The one thing Sam desires for his employees more than anything
    • [49:55] Two pieces of advice for top decision-makers
    Connect with Sam Daniels
    • Sam on LinkedIn
    • Daniels Construction, Madison, Wisconsin
    Connect With Bruce
    • www.ContractedLeadership.com
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

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    53 min
  • Strength Comes Through The Struggle with John Schneider, Ep #73

    Strength Comes Through The Struggle with John Schneider, Ep #73
    Feb 2 2021
    We all learn, in our own particular ways, that life is no walk in the park. Crisis, hardship, loss, and myriad other circumstances chip away at youthful optimism and threaten to undo us. But it’s our response to these things that largely determines whether we will be resilient and strong, or cowering and soft. As a top decision-maker in your organization, you know this. It’s one of the many things that has set you apart as a leader. My guest on this episode has a great deal to say about the subject. He’s experienced plenty of struggle in his life and he believes that the more struggle you have in life, the more opportunity you have for becoming strong. John Schneider has learned that failure is not something to be feared, it’s something to be learned from. His story illustrates how resilience, determination, and a desire to add value to the lives of others can create a kind of success that few of us even know is possible. As the leader of four companies, he passes those values on to his teams and works every day to infuse them into his growing family. Join us for this challenging and insightful conversation. The more struggle you have, the stronger you become John’s first steps into business ownership came through an opportunity to flip houses. He ran a lean operation and had no interest in simply slapping paint on a less-than-quality structure and flipping it for a profit. To him, there had to be tangible improvements to the property that resulted in value for the purchaser, which only then translated into value for him. In an effort to increase his margins, he started an ancillary business, then another, then another. And with each new business came new challenges and struggles. But there’s something in John’s entrepreneurial DNA that doesn’t allow him to shy away from those struggles. He has learned that’s a good thing. He says that the more struggle you have, the stronger you become — or at least you have a greater opportunity to become stronger. So he often coaches others to step into the struggles rather than running away from them. It’s in that step that you find more strength than you knew you had. How has this proven true in your leadership journey? Are there ways you can use the struggle to your advantage and that of your teams? Once you’ve eaten the onion, everything else is easier One of the colorful entrepreneurial endeavors in John’s past was a short season he was trying to promote concerts in his area. He convinced some partners to come alongside him to fund a music festival of sorts and he took care of booking the bands, securing the venue, and dealing with vendors. One of the things outside his control was the weather, and it didn’t cooperate with all his best-laid plans. The losses were catastrophic. John told me about the experience of making phone calls to the people who had invested in the event in various ways. Those were some of the hardest conversations he’s ever had to have, but he says they taught him lessons he didn’t know he needed at the time. One of those was that it’s always easier to do the things you dread or find difficult, first. Getting past your fears and experiencing the light at the end of that dark tunnel demonstrates that things are often not as bad as they seem and that you will get through it. In his words, once you’ve eaten your onion, everything else is easier. Failure is, by far, the best teacher you have John also explains that the fear of failure many of us live with is actually one of the most irrational fears we could have. The truth is that failure is one of the only ways we learn. It provides a very clear perspective on how we perform and the results of that performance. In failure, our weaknesses become evident, which provides a unique opportunity to identify them and make plans to overcome them. John believes that failure is, by far, is the best teacher you have — and I wonder, how have you, as a top decision-maker and leader, discovered this to be true? Or do you need to take the lessons from John’s experience as a reminder of that fact? Might I encourage you, don’t miss out on the lessons failure has to offer you by playing it safe. Expect failure, plan on it, and step into situations where it’s a possibility. Then pay close attention when it arrives. You’ll learn lessons during those times that are not available to you anyplace else. 3 pieces of advice for anyone considering the entrepreneurial life Having started or led so many businesses, I thought it would be super helpful for John to provide his perspective to those who are considering an entrepreneurial path. He was not shy about sharing the three most important pieces of advice he’s learned. I’m sure you will resonate with these. Be willing to work as hard as you must to be successfulLearn how to figure out obstacles and issues so you can constantly improveKnow your numbers I couldn’t agree with John’s insights on this point more ...
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    1 ora e 15 min
  • The Value of Unplugging, with Jim McNulty, Ep #72

    The Value of Unplugging, with Jim McNulty, Ep #72
    Jan 19 2021
    When you hear about someone needing to unplug, you likely picture someone frazzled and on the edge of a burn-out. We can all relate to similar feelings of overwhelm; it seems almost inevitable. However, that outcome could have been different if the person had proactively taken the time to refresh before getting to that point. Jim McNulty, Sr. Vice President of Business Banking, doesn’t only understand the previous truth, he’s done something about it. During this conversation, we discuss his experience taking a ten-week sabbatical and his journey to that decision. As I spoke with Jim, I came to understand his heart for people. Throughout our discussion, he kept coming back to that. His hiring process, the way he operates, and his relationships teach us a lot about creating a culture that develops others.  We discussed the impact that COVID-19 had on Oak Bank and how they pushed through the obstacles presented by the pandemic to be able to say, “Yes” to each person in need. In a matter of weeks, he had to turn his bank into a PPP loan processing station. Every individual who called needing help was met with kindness and understanding. Jim attributes much of this understanding to lessons he learned during his sabbatical. Listen to learn more from Jim’s wise perspective about taking time to refresh. How does unplugging benefit the workplace? There were many benefits that came from Jim’s sabbatical, not just for him but for his family and workplace team. Jim and his family grew closer during his time off and he learned to appreciate the benefits of unplugging. Meanwhile, his company benefited due to the training provided and trust granted in preparation for Jim being gone. His employees flourished with having greater responsibility and future leadership potential was developed.  It’s easy to think that we are indispensable, that the work we do is too important for us to take time off, that no one can do our job as well as we can. The reality is that our businesses should be able to run without us. Not permanently, of course, but certainly for a time. Preparing for someone to unplug is like an emergency drill. We can prepare for the inevitable by preparing for the expected. What does it mean to unplug? Many of us think we need to be constantly available and engaged in the workplace. We wouldn’t even consider taking a break. Staying busy and living in an exhausted state has become the norm for our culture. In previous episodes, I’ve discussed the necessity of work/life synchrony. That being said, unplugging also provides an opportunity for great revelations and positive shifts. It allows us to gain a new perspective on every relationship in life.  Unplugging is different for each individual. Most commonly it means separating yourself from work. However, it could also mean temporarily backing away from a situation or event. Regardless of the reason, great benefit can be attained by stepping away and resetting, and the benefits will continue for years to come in both our professional and personal lives. Why should you consider unplugging? Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “We would do well to slow down a little, focus on the significant, and truly see the things that matter most.” What does that look like? It’s stepping away from the busyness of life to give yourself the time to reset. How long you should unplug is entirely dependent on how long it takes to accomplish your intended purpose. If you’re willing to unplug, you’ll find that you’ll be better prepared to have meaningful discussions with others and that your relationships will grow. These are things Jim has found to be true after he unplugged with his sabbatical.  What do you think of when you hear the word unplug? Is it something you’ve considered for yourself or your employees? Find out how learning to unplug will make you a better leader with a stronger team.  Outline of This Episode [3:40] Jim McNulty’s leadership background from flipping burgers to the present[7:03] How to hire employees who care about people[10:02] How Oak Bank stands out[18:50] Jim’s slam dunk achievement at Oak Bank[26:04] Using work successes in personal relationships[29:10] Struggles during the pandemic[33:20] Jim’s ten-week sabbatical[40:37] What Jim learned during the trip that benefited his work[46:13] Two benefits of unplugging to keep in mind  Resources & People Mentioned SPONSOR: eWebinar - eWebinar automates the tedious task of giving the same presentation again and again, unlocking your free time for whatever you choose - try it for free for 30 days Ray Dalio’s book https://www.principles.com/Jack Welch Jack Welch Management Institute Connect with Jim McNulty Jim’s company profile Jim McNultyJim’s sabbatical blog The Big TripConnect with Jim on LinkedInJim McNulty's Twitter profile Connect With Bruce www.ContractedLeadership.comFacebook LinkedInTwitter Subscribe to The Development Exponent Audio Production and Show notes by ...
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    52 min