Grant Otto on what 1,000 feet underwater can teach us about career purpose and the power of "waiting."

“The biggest ‘career moves’ don’t start with a resume; they start with curiosity.”

I recently sat down with Grant Otto, a marine scientist and researcher specializing in marine robotics. If that sounds like a job from a movie, that’s because it almost is, complete with stories of underwater ROVs getting tangled 1,000 feet down and “wet storage” missions to recover equipment worth more than a house.

But Grant didn’t come on Outside Insights just to talk about how cool the tech is (though it is very cool). He came because he’s on a mission: he’s trying to get more talented people to care about the ocean.

Three Lessons from the Deep

1. We need more than just “Turtle Lovers.” Most people get hooked on marine science by watching National Geographic. But to solve the massive challenges facing our oceans, warming waters, and rising acidity, Grant argues we need more than just biology fans. To build a “Blue Economy,” we need:

• Engineers and Builders to design resilient tech.
• Artists and Communicators to tell the story of our changing coastlines.
• Problem Solvers who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty (or wet).

2. The Power of the Cold Email Grant’s career didn’t start with a recruiter; it started with a cold email. While studying mechanical engineering, he realized he loved robotics and surfing. He asked a simple question: “What about marine robotics?” That curiosity turned into a Master’s degree and a career with deep purpose.

3. Surfing as Leadership Meditation We dove into the difference between work that “funds your life” and work that “defines you.” Grant shared a powerful perspective on surfing, describing as 80–90% waiting.

For leaders who feel like they are constantly “pushing through,” Grant’s advice is a necessary pivot: Sometimes leadership isn’t about pushing harder; it’s about knowing when to get quiet enough to hear the right wave.

Try This This Week

Take five minutes of “waiting” time today, no phone, no music, no noise. Just observe. Like Grant waiting for a wave, use that quiet space to remember your “why.”

🎧 Listen Now

Watch on YouTube | Listen on Buzzsprout

Connect with Grant:

• Sea Saturated Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Until next time,

Chris

P.S. You may notice a few small audio/video glitches in this episode. We had some technical issues during the recording. We debated re-recording it, but the conversation was too good (and too valuable) to lose. Thanks for sticking with it.

If this conversation resonates, forward it to a friend or colleague. Insight is meant to be shared. Quick reviews on your listening app go a long way, too.

A conversation with community banker Marc Pelletier on trust, credit, and how entrepreneurs can walk into the bank with confidence

Most entrepreneurs would rather go to the doctor than go meet a banker.

So I brought on my first banker, and an old friend, Marc Pelletier to talk about what entrepreneurs actually need to know about banks, credit, and building trust.

In this episode:

• How banking has changed since 2001
• What banks look for (and why)
• Community banking explained
• Banker vs. investor
• Finding the right fit (yes, banks have personalities)

Marc Pelletier: https://www.meridianbanker.com/people/marc/

Why slowing down, listening better, and taking the long way still matters

I sat down with Jeff Ton expecting a conversation about leadership and history. What I didn’t expect was how much we’d end up talking about attention, where we place it, how rarely we slow down, and what happens when we actually do.

Jeff calls himself a “hippie coder turned CIO,” and that range alone tells you he’s lived in very different worlds. Over time, his love of leadership and fascination with Lewis and Clark merged into something more personal, eventually culminating in a book he’s finishing now called Uncharted Moments. It’s not out yet, but after reading an early version and talking with Jeff, I can tell you this isn’t a typical history story.

Leadership Without A Clear Map

One idea we kept coming back to was uncertainty. Jeff reminded me that Lewis and Clark carried a map that labeled most of the western territory as “conjectural.” Unknown. That didn’t stop them from moving forward, but it did require vision, trust, and adaptability.

That challenge feels familiar today. Leading without perfect information isn’t a new problem, but it’s one we often forget has been solved before, by people who understood the value of relationships and shared purpose.

Listening Changes The Story

One of the most compelling parts of our conversation was about listening. Jeff talks about how his understanding of the expedition shifted when he stopped seeing it as a story of discovery and began to see it as a story of relationships, especially with Indigenous tribes who already knew the land.

That shift didn’t just change how he understood history. It changed how he approached leadership, learning, and even his own marriage.

Uncharted Moments

Jeff uses the phrase “uncharted moments” to describe the experiences you can’t plan for, the ones that don’t announce themselves as important until much later. They’re the moments you only notice if you’re willing to slow down, take the side road, or stay curious a little longer than usual.

It’s a simple idea, but one we don’t practice often enough.

Where Are You In The River?

Jeff shared a metaphor that I think many leaders will recognize. Imagine your team in a river, navigating the current every day. Sometimes you need to be in the water with them. Sometimes you need to be on the bank helping them find a way through. And sometimes you need to step back far enough to see the whole valley.

Leadership isn’t about picking one role. It’s about knowing when to shift.

Try This Week

Take five quiet minutes and ask yourself:

• Where am I rushing past something worth noticing?
• Where do I need to listen more rather than pushing ahead?
• Where am I in the river right now, and where does my team need me to be?

Listen To The Episode

Jeff’s book Uncharted Moments isn’t out yet, and we’ll share more when it’s released. For now, the conversation and Jeff’s website are a great place to start.

👉 Watch the full episode of Outside Insights with Jeff Ton

👉 Visit Jeff’s website to sign up for his free newsletter and to learn more about his book.

Until next time, friends,
Chris

If this conversation resonates, forward it to a friend or colleague. Insight is meant to be shared. Quick reviews on your listening app go a long way, too.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Sam Maddula, a founder whose career does not fit a clean headline. What stood out immediately wasn’t the size of the business he built, but the decisions he made along the way, and the ones he chose not to make.

This conversation isn’t about hacks or hypergrowth. It’s about judgment, timing, and the quiet moments when leaders realize the path forward isn’t obvious.

A Business Built in the Margins

Sam started his company in a highly specialized corner of healthcare, serving patients and physicians in situations where the stakes were high and the system rarely worked smoothly. Growth came, but not in the way business books describe it.

Instead of rapid expansion, Sam talks about constraints. About capacity. About learning when “yes” would eventually cost more than it was worth.

Those trade-offs shaped everything that followed.

When Success Starts Asking Questions

As the business matured, so did the weight of leadership. Responsibilities multiplied. Expectations rose. And life, as it does, introduced moments that forced Sam to reconsider what success actually required of him.

We talk about what happens when the role you created begins to demand more than you’re willing to give, and how hard it is to admit that out loud.

The Hardest Transition

One of the most compelling parts of our conversation centers on transition. Not just the professional mechanics of stepping away, but the emotional and identity shift that follows.

Sam shares what surprised him most about that period, what he underestimated, and what ultimately helped him move forward with clarity rather than regret.

The Core Question

Throughout the episode, one question keeps resurfacing: how do you build something meaningful without losing yourself in the process?

Sam doesn’t offer formulas. He offers perspective shaped by experience, and the humility that comes from learning in real time.

“You don’t really know what matters until you’re forced to choose.”

This episode is a thoughtful look at leadership, transition, and the decisions that define a career long after the titles change.

Click HERE to watch to the episode.

Until next time, friends,

Chris

If this conversation resonates, forward it to a founder or leader who might appreciate it. Insight is meant to be shared.

I had the honor of hosting a long-time mentor and friend, Robert Larson, CPC. Bob’s journey is one I’ve followed since the start of my first business, and he even inspired my own early yoga practice by bringing his personal interests into the workplace.

The episode is less about business growth and more about personal resilience and the powerful difference between working on your business versus in it; and ultimately, working on yourself.

From Bicycle Messengers to Boutique Practice
Bob's career spans decades, starting when résumés were shuttled by bicycle messengers and a portable fax machine cost $4,500. He built a large, successful staffing firm. However, as the conversation reveals, he deliberately chose to downsize a few years ago.

He found that running a large operation meant working on the business. Downsizing allowed him to return to the craft, the hands-on work of interviewing and placement, and find fulfillment, proving that the work is more fulfilling.

The Catastrophic Gift of Life
Bob's most compelling story is about the massive health crisis he faced over 20 years ago that put him on life support, reshaping his outlook on life, work, and gratitude.

He discusses how his decades-long practices in silent meditation and Bikram (hot) yoga became his lifeline. When he woke up on a respirator, he used the machine's rhythm to perform Ujjayi breathing meditation. As his sister-in-law wisely noted, he "trained his entire life for these illnesses." Now, at 75, he embodies reinvention and acceptance, trading marathons for chair yoga, and viewing every physical challenge as a teaching moment.

The Core Takeaway: Find Your DNA
Life comes with no warranties or guarantees. Bob's advice on career and contentment is simple yet revolutionary: find what is in your DNA and what you love to do, and the money will follow. His perspective on career fulfillment, the necessity of personal practice, and the struggle to stay in the present moment is a powerful reminder that awareness is the practice, and coming back to stillness is the key to clarity.

"If a person does what they love, the money follows because they rise to the top of what they're doing." — Robert Larson, CPC

Listen to the Full Conversation

Don't miss Bob's incredible story of resilience and his profound advice on living an aware and grateful life.

Books, Websites, and Resources Mentioned

We always highlight the resources mentioned by our guests so you can follow their lead.

• Substack: You can follow Bob Larson's active daily blog and get a peek into his daily practice of gratitude and awareness
• A Book for Letting Go: Let Them by Mel Robbins
• The Business Essential: The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber
• Career Assessments: The Kuder Career Assessment and Campbell Interest and Skill Survey

Until next time, friends, 

Chris

If this conversation resonates, forward it to a friend or colleague. Insight is meant to be shared. Quick reviews on your listening app go a long way, too.

Welcome back Marnie Stockman, Ed.D. and Nick Coniglio, authors of the phenomenal new book, The Business of You.

This episode provides a complete methodology for anyone doing the “right things” (good grades, internships, etc.) but still struggling to stand out or land the job they actually want. It's time to stop letting the world define your value and start defining it yourself.

The traditional career ladder is obsolete. We discuss why you must Run Your Life Like a Business, serving as your own CEO, Head of HR (identifying your core values), and Head of Marketing (crafting your personal brand).

We explore the essential difference between the old Credential Ladder (stacking titles) and the Value Ladder (generating value for others). Learn why you need a Personal Board of Advisors—specifically a Challenger—to push you.

Your competitive advantage is your Story. In a world of AI-scanned resumes, learn how to move from selling your story to genuinely sharing it. Finally, we cover the Power of Adaptability and why you must practice resilience using a pre-mortem to stress-test your plans before they fail.

“If you’re not intentionally taking care of what your persona is in the public, it will be done for you. People will make assumptions.”

Listen to Episode 67 for the full discussion.

Until next time, friends, 

Chris

I’ve wanted Ari Weinzweig on the show for a long time. If you don’t know Ari, he co-founded Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor and helped grow a single deli into a whole community of businesses including a bakehouse, coffee shop, candy store, ZingTrain, and more, without losing soul. That’s rare.

We cover a lot, but here are the big beats, human-sized:

From Dishes to Direction

Ari didn’t plan a career in food. He connected with great people, put in the work, and eventually discovered the power of writing a clear, story-based vision, not just a spreadsheet of goals.

It’s All One Life

Self-awareness isn’t a side project. If you’re pretending to be someone else at work, it shows. The real win is being the same person both on and off the clock.

Systems That Serve People

ZingTrain turned good habits into teachable tools: purposeful meetings, open-book rhythms, and change done with people (Bottom-Line Change).

Business as Art

What if every email, service moment, and decision is a brushstroke? Choose beauty on purpose, especially when it’s easier not to.

Dignity, Daily

Ari shared six practices that make workplace cultures feel different in the best way:

• Honor everyone’s humanity
• Be authentic (without acting out)
• Give people a meaningful say
• Start from positive beliefs
• Help folks reach their version of greatness (within your values)
• Work toward equity: pay, information, access, and support

Why This Matters Right Now

Uncertain times tempt leaders to tighten fists and shrink vision. Ari argues the opposite: tell a vivid story of where you’re going, build simple systems that help people win, and practice dignity, especially when you’re tired. That combination scales culture without hollowing it out.

“Vision is a story of the future you want to create, done from the heart, not just from a momentary strategic analysis.”

Links & resources

• Listen to Episode #66 with Ari Weinzweig
• Zingerman’s Community of Businesses (deli, bakehouse, creamery, mail order, coffee, Roadhouse, candy, Cornman Farms, Miss Kim, food tours)
• ZingTrain training: visioning, service, open-book habits, Bottom-Line Change
• Ari’s books & pamphlets: A Lapsed Anarchist’s Guide series; The Art of Business; A Revolution of Dignity; Life Lessons I Learned from Being a Line

This week on Outside Insights, I sat down with my good friend John Sanders, founder of Bridgeforce, to talk about what it really takes to build a business that endures.

John’s story isn’t about quick wins or flashy exits. Over the past 25 years, he and his partner have built a management consultancy serving global banks, credit unions, fintechs, and lenders — staying true to the values they set on day one.

The Leap of Faith

Bridgeforce began with a breakfast conversation, a bold “I’m in,” and a same-day resignation. No parachute. No safety net. Just conviction that failure was not an option.

That leap defined the next quarter-century of John’s life.

Lessons from the Journey

Throughout our conversation, John shared some hard-earned lessons:

• Every stage brings new challenges. Surviving the first three years was one kind of test. Scaling brought others. Even today, the obstacles evolve.
• Motion creates insight. You can’t steer a parked car. Progress requires movement, even when the path isn’t perfect.
• Culture matters. Bridgeforce was built on a simple plus/minus exercise: do more of what we admired in others, none of what we didn’t. That clarity still guides the company.
• Protect what you value. Whether it’s intellectual property, your people, or your principles, what matters to you will matter to others — and sometimes it must be defended.
• Strategic energy beats constant energy. You don’t need to win every race. You just need to run the right ones.

Leadership Through Crisis

We also talked about leading in uncertain times, including the pandemic. John’s approach was deeply personal: calling every employee, shouldering their worries, and reminding them they didn’t have to carry the weight alone.

That philosophy — let me worry for you — says a lot about the leader John has become.

What He’d Tell His 21-Year-Old Self

Relax. Sit in the pocket. Don’t rush.
And… buy Apple stock.

Recommended Reading

One of John’s all-time favorite books is Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom — a reminder that the most profound lessons on how to live often come from those nearing the end.

Connect with John

You can learn more about John and Bridgeforce at:
👉 Bridgeforce.com

In the end, John and I agreed that the true rewards in business and life are often the simplest: a good meal, a walk, and maybe a nap.

🎧 Listen to Episode 65 now
📩 Share this with someone who’s carrying too much alone — and could use a reminder that leadership means sharing the load.

Until next time, friends,
Chris

How business coach Nikhil Paul helps companies grow by going narrow, not wide

Most business owners think scaling means reaching more people.
Nikhil Paul says it’s the opposite.

In this week’s Outside Insights, my longtime friend and small business growth coach shares why the fastest path to growth is going narrow, not wide—and how identifying your cult customer can transform your business.

“You don’t need everyone to get to the top. You just need a small, cultish base that loves you, forgives you, and tells everyone about you.” – Nikhil Paul

Your cult customer is the one who:

• Pays you the most
• Forgives you when you mess up
• Loves your product so much they can’t stop talking about it

When you know exactly who they are—and build your business around them—you stop chasing everyone, and start leading someone.

We explore:

• What CrossFit, Costco, and Patagonia can teach us about niche obsession
• Why embracing your “weirdos” can turn a company into a movement
• The pen-and-paper exercise that reveals your cult customers in 10 minutes
• How doubling down on your core audience can let you break industry rules and still win

Along the way, Nikhil shares real-world stories—from Death Wish Coffee’s “too strong” gamble to Solé Bicycles’ pivot from exercise gear to lifestyle brand—that show how focus fuels profit, loyalty, and freedom.

If you’re trying to scale beyond $5M, reconnect with your company’s heart, or cut through the noise, this episode will give you the clarity—and courage—you’ve been looking for.

🎧 Listen to Episode 63 now
📩 Share this with a founder or leader who’s ready to grow by going narrow.

Until next time,
Chris

If this conversation resonates, forward it to a friend or colleague. Insight is meant to be shared.

“It didn’t ruin anything. This was the most incredible memory — one I’ll take to my deathbed that can never be taken away.” — Rose Willard

What would it take to step away from a life that looks successful — but no longer feels like your own?

In Episode 63 of Outside Insights, I talk with Rose and Glynn Willard — entrepreneurs, parents, adventurers, and creators of Reset Your Journey. After building a thriving fitness business and moving into their dream home, they made a radical decision: to sell everything, buy an RV, and travel full-time with their kids.

Their story offers an honest, vulnerable look at how to bridge the gap between the life you’re living and the life you truly desire.

This isn’t just a story about RV living — it’s about:

• Taking a “mini retirement” or earned pause to reset your priorities
• Building a financially sustainable life of freedom without sacrificing security
• Roadschooling and raising resilient kids outside the norm
• Embracing discomfort, minimalism, and the unknown
• Facing the challenges of reentry after living differently

We talk about everything from boondocking tips and mobile tech setups to how they sold their business — and why they sometimes question that decision. We explore how they protected their time, learned to slow down, and what they’d do differently if they started again.

Their journey holds lessons for anyone considering a sabbatical, navigating a career pivot, or wondering how to live with more intention — without losing everything they’ve worked for.

If you’ve ever asked yourself:

• Could I live more simply?
• What’s really keeping me stuck?
• Is now the time to make a leap?

Then this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen to Episode 63
🌐 Explore their blog + videos: https://www.resetyourjourney.com

Whether you’re dreaming of a slower pace or simply curious about what it takes to redefine success — this is the conversation you need to hear.

Until next time, friends,
Chris

In this week’s episode of Outside Insights, I sit down with longtime friend, entrepreneur, and mechanical engineer turned CEO, Tom Embley—and he tells the kind of founder story we rarely get to hear in full.

From his earliest days as employee #1 at a small industrial startup to founding a direct competitor, merging businesses, buying out partners, and ultimately selling to a global player, Tom’s path is one of grit, strategy, and deep self-awareness.

But what really stuck with me?

His honesty about the moments in between.

• Leaving a secure job (and paycheck) with nothing but a plan and a belief in himself.
• Navigating difficult partnerships and learning the hard way what equity really means.
• Borrowing against his home to chase opportunity—and doing the math to make it work.
• Being called out by his wife for missing their child’s christening—and choosing from that point forward to be a great father and founder.

This conversation is about more than building a successful business—it’s about building a life. One with values, mentorship, resilience, and (yes) a few sleepless nights.

We also dig into:

• How Tom learned to love leadership and tolerate sales
• Why peer groups saved his business (twice)
• His favorite practices from Rockefeller Habits
• What advice he’d give his 21-year-old self (spoiler: “Stop being so damn arrogant”)
• And how a strong culture—not just great products—became his company’s greatest asset

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re cut out for entrepreneurship, or if you’re simply trying to build something that lasts, this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen to the full episode HERE

📩 Forward it to someone who needs a nudge to bet on themselves.

Until next time, friends,
Chris

What it really takes to grow into the leader you're meant to be—on your terms, over time, and from the inside out.

As we head into the July 4th holiday, a time when we reflect on freedom, progress, and reinvention, it feels fitting to bring you this powerful new episode with Dr. Bryan Deptula, leadership expert and author of Leaders Are Born to Be Made.

Bryan is one of the most grounded, engaging, and purpose-driven voices I’ve come across. His philosophy? That leadership isn’t reserved for the chosen few. It’s a skill, one we can all build, train, and strengthen over time.

In our conversation, Bryan opens up about his own unlikely path from corporate sales leader to PhD, professor, and consultant. He shares how pivotal moments in his life—like a tough-love lesson from his godmother “Mama Sis” and a tent-bound self-reflection under the Indian River Inlet Bridge—helped him shed old versions of himself to grow into who he’s meant to become.

We dive deep into his MUSCLE framework:

• M: Me – Start with self-leadership
  
  
• U: Understanding – Grow your leadership intelligence
  
  
• S: Strategy – Align with vision, mission, and values
  
  
• C: Conflict – Use it productively
  
  
• L: Learning – Commit to growth
  
  
• E: Entrepreneurship – Own your path, whether you run a business or lead from within

This isn’t just theory, Bryan brings real-world experience, relatable stories, and an unfiltered look at what leadership looks like when it’s done with heart, humility, and a willingness to get uncomfortable.

He also reminds us that the best leaders are the ones who keep learning, keep failing forward, and keep living. As Bryan puts it: “Start leading by treating yourself as the most important individual you can work on first.”

This is a conversation for anyone at a crossroads, whether you’re a seasoned executive, a rising manager, or someone wondering what it takes to lead your own life a little better.

Books mentioned in this episode:

• Leaders Are Born to Be Made – Bryan Deptula
  
  
• Essentialism – Greg McKeown
  
  
• Team of Rivals – Doris Kearns Goodwin
  
  
• Unique Ability – Dan Sullivan
  
  
• Plus shoutouts to Adam Grant and the value of failing forward

Whether you're tuning in from the car, the beach, or your morning walk, I hope this one leaves you thinking a little differently about what it means to be a leader—starting with you.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.
 And let us know: What’s one part of your own leadership “muscle” you want to grow next?

Until next time, friends,
Chris

This week’s episode of Outside Insights is a special one.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Peter Samuelson, film producer, philanthropist, and now, the author of Finding Happy: A User’s Guide to Your Life with Lessons from Mine. Before our conversation, I had a chance to read an early copy of the book (officially released June 10), and I couldn’t put it down. It’s heartfelt, funny, profound, and filled with stories that encourage you to think a little deeper about your own life, and consider how you might use it to help someone else.

Peter’s journey is truly remarkable. From studying medieval literature to producing blockbuster films to founding seven nonprofits, he’s lived a life driven by curiosity, service, and an unwavering belief that everyone has the power to make a difference. His book, along with our conversation, offers a guide for anyone looking to live with more meaning and impact, no matter your age or background.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What a film producer really does (hint: it’s a lot like being a general)
• The story behind his nonprofit work with foster kids—and the powerful ripple effect of giving them agency
• His unlikely mentorship with General Norman Schwarzkopf
• Why short-term happiness might be chocolate ice cream… but long-term happiness requires service
• How we can heal our divided world with a simple but powerful concept: empathy

Peter expresses it best: “You are the only author of the rest of your life.” His life’s work is a testament to that, and I think you will walk away from this episode as driven—and motivated—as I was.

👉 Listen to the episode now

🌐 Visit Peter's website

Whether you’re a young adult, a parent, a mentor, or simply someone seeking happiness, this episode is for you.

Until next time, friends,
Chris

If this conversation resonates, forward it to a friend or colleague. Insight is meant to be shared.

Are You a Farmer or a Fisherman? A New Take on Purpose at Work

What if the secret to long-term success wasn’t the hustle, but the harvest?

This week on Outside Insights, I’m joined by Jonathan Stanley—purpose strategist, author of Purposeful Performance, and surprise TikTok star with a viral story that proves empathy still wins in business (and in bookstores).

We talk about what it really means to lead with purpose—from redefining success to building values-aligned teams and turning culture into a competitive advantage. Plus, Jonathan breaks down his MEAN framework for goal-setting and explains why it’s time to ditch outdated models like SMART goals.

And yes… his dog Charlie makes an appearance—because who better to remind us of loyalty, presence, and purpose?

In this episode:

• Why the best leaders think like farmers, not fishermen
• How the MEAN goal-setting framework unlocks deeper performance
• The role of purpose in building better teams, stronger brands, and meaningful lives
• The viral moment that put empathy (and Jonathan) on the map

🎧 Listen to the episode now
▶️ Streaming everywhere you get your podcasts.

Know someone trying to build a better team or lead with more intention?
Share this episode with a friend or leader who’s ready to move from hustle to harvest.

Until next time, friends,
Chris Burkhard

What Happens When You Stop Chasing and Start Serving?

In Episode 58 of Outside Insights, I sit down with one of the most influential voices in business and leadership—Bob Burg, bestselling co-author of The Go-Giver.

We dive deep into what makes success sustainable, meaningful, and surprisingly simple: giving value first. Bob shares the origin story of the book, how 24 rejections led to a global bestseller, and why “money is simply an echo of value.”

Whether you're leading a business, building your career, or looking to grow with integrity—this episode delivers. The Go-Giver is one of my top 10 most influential books, and one I often give or recommend to others.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success and how they apply in 2025
  
  
• Why the best salespeople don’t “sell”—they serve
  
  
• How one roofer applied Go-Giver principles during the 2008 crisis and thrived
  
  
• The difference between authenticity and technique in leadership
  
  
• Bob’s favorite personal development book—and the advice he’d give his 21-year-old self

Episode out now — be sure to follow, rate, and share with someone who needs to hear it.

Until next time, friends,
Chris Burkhard

This week on Outside Insights, I sit down with Dr. Wes Bowman — a man whose path was anything but linear. Labeled in grade school. Flunked out of college — three times. Built a successful practice by learning to turn shame and failure into the fuel for a meaningful life.

Wes is a career psychologist, the Director of the Delaware Family Center, and someone who’s spent decades helping people reframe their reality — and find their way forward.

In this conversation, we get into:

• Why thoughts literally create your own reality
• How stress hijacks your brain — and how to get it back
• What happens when we stop running from anxiety and start learning from it
• The power of saying “no” without guilt
• Why embracing change may be the only path to peace

We talk about the “United States of Amygdala” — Wes’ term for the overactive, overstimulated mental state most of us live in without even realizing it. And we explore how to manage that reality with science, presence, and practical tools.

There are no quick fixes here. But if you’re willing to sit with it, this episode will give you something more valuable: perspective.

Listen to the full conversation HERE.

Until next time, friends,

Chris

P.S. One quote that Wes shared—and that I keep coming back to—is from Gary Emery’s book Rapid Relief from Emotional Distress:

“In your mind, via your thoughts, you create your own separate reality.”
It’s simple. It’s unsettling. And it’s also a roadmap.

If this conversation resonates, forward it to a friend or colleague. Insight is meant to be shared.

“For an entrepreneur to be successful, you need the strength of family and support from home. The family strength is not just the immediate family; it’s a higher power, a higher calling. For us to be successful, I had to have that sense of purpose.” — Andrew Cottone

What does it take to turn scientific expertise into a thriving business? In this episode of Outside Insights, host Chris Burkhard speaks with Andrew Cottone, a chemist-turned-entrepreneur whose journey from research to leadership offers invaluable lessons in business, resilience, and innovation.

Andrew built his career solving complex chemistry challenges, co-founding Adesis and later selling it to Universal Display Corporation. But his ambition didn’t stop there. Now, he’s leading Aternium, Inc. (formerly First State Hydrogen), an initiative set to make Delaware a key player in sustainable energy.

In this conversation, Andrew shares:

• The Chemistry of Success — how Adesis became a powerhouse in R&D and manufacturing, impacting industries from electronics to pharmaceuticals
• Leadership in Action — the transition from entrepreneur to CEO and the hard-earned lessons in building culture, empowering teams, and scaling a company
• The Green Hydrogen Revolution — why he sees Delaware as a future hub for sustainable energy and how First State Hydrogen is leading the charge
• The Role of Family and Purpose — the personal values that kept him grounded through the highs and lows of entrepreneurship

Andrew’s story is one of grit, vision, and the ability to see opportunity where others see obstacles. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a leader, or simply curious about the future of clean energy, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

Listen to the full episode HERE.

Until next time, friends,

Chris

Have you ever wondered what IT services and barbecue have in common? There’s more overlap than you might expect! In this episode of Outside Insights, I talked with Jake Ruddy, the President of PCS, a leading IT services company. He is also the creative force behind Rum and Cook, a rapidly growing YouTube channel dedicated to barbecue.

Jakes’s journey focuses on building, scaling, and leading businesses while enjoying slow-smoked ribs. He discusses what it takes to grow a business, emphasizing that leadership and customer service are essential. Additionally, he shares how he transformed his passion for barbecue into a profitable side hustle.

What You’ll Learn

• Mastery, Tech & BBQ — Discover the surprising similarities between running an IT company and perfecting the ideal brisket.
• Scaling & Leadership — Understand the challenges of business growth, effective delegation, and developing the next generation of leaders.
• Mindset & Money — Explore how affirmations, goal-setting, and financial literacy contribute to achieving success.
• Content & Community — Learn how Rum and Cook evolved from a passion project into a thriving brand.
• Customer Service Wins — Find out why exceptional service is key to any successful business.

Jake’s Must-Read Book List

• Leadership and Self-Deception — The Arbinger Institute
• The Richest Man in Babylon — George S. Clason
• The Culture Code — Daniel Coyle

In this episode of Outside Insights, I sit down with Raymond Lee, founder of Careerminds, to explore his inspiring journey from HR professional to building a global virtual outplacement company. Starting his business during the 2008 recession, Raymond shares how he pivoted, embraced innovation, and ultimately scaled and sold the company—all while continuing to lead it.

We discuss the challenges of entrepreneurship, like the tough decisions he faced as a leader, including navigating his team through social movements like Black Lives Matter. Raymond opens up about what it takes to build a company culture rooted in action, empathy, and trust.

He also introduces his “Career Success Model,” a framework that’s guided him through change:

• Choice: Making intentional decisions about your path.
• Mindset: Embracing growth and learning from mistakes.
• Agility: Knowing when to pivot and adapt.
• Trust: Believing in the process, even in uncertain times.

On a personal level, Raymond shares how starting CrossFit at 52 has become a cornerstone of his daily routine, fueling his energy and focus. Whether you’re navigating a career transition, leading a team, or exploring entrepreneurship, his story is full of relatable insights and inspiration.

This is more than a story about business—it’s a conversation about resilience, growth, and making bold choices. I think you’ll find it as motivating as I did.

Listen to the episode here

Until next time, friends,

Chris

What does it take to lead with purpose and create meaningful impact in your community? Is it resilience, creativity, or perhaps the ability to connect with others in unexpected ways?

In the latest episode of Outside Insights, I sat down with Colleen Davis, Delaware’s State Treasurer, to uncover her journey from a small-town childhood to managing billions in state investments. Colleen’s path is anything but conventional—spanning neurosurgery, finance, and public service—and it’s packed with lessons on leadership, resilience, and the power of building connections.

I encourage you to listen to the podcast during your next workout, commute, or downtime to explore these key takeaways:

1. The Power of Resilience

Growing up as one of eight children in a family that faced financial hardship, Colleen learned early on how to rebuild from the ground up. Those experiences instilled a boldness and adaptability that have shaped her approach to life and leadership.

"You can lose everything materially and still rebuild—you just need the right people and mindset around you." 

Her story is a reminder that setbacks don’t define you—your response to them does.

2. Leadership Rooted in Connection

As State Treasurer, Colleen oversees $11.2 billion in investments and serves on 33 boards, all while championing innovative programs like Delaware Earns, a retirement savings plan for workers without employer-sponsored options. But what sets her apart is her ability to connect people and solve problems through relationships.

 "Sometimes, the most impactful solutions come from simply knowing who to call and bringing the right people together."

Her approach highlights how collaboration and creativity can lead to impactful outcomes.

3. Breaking Barriers to Build Bridges

In high school, Colleen took on a leadership role early, petitioning to create her school’s first girls' soccer team—a move that not only changed her trajectory but also inspired others.

"You can do anything boys can do, but sometimes, you just have to do it wearing a shirt." 

This spirit of determination and advocacy remains a central theme in her career.

4. The Importance of Financial Innovation

Colleen shared insights into her role as a steward of public funds and her efforts to create long-term financial security for Delaware residents. Her team’s work on Delaware Earns exemplifies innovation in public service—offering small businesses a free, easy-to-implement retirement savings option for employees.

"It’s about making sure everyone has the tools they need to prepare for the future, no matter where they start." 

5. Lessons in Vulnerability and Growth

From navigating personal challenges to running for public office, Colleen’s story underscores the value of embracing vulnerability and learning from every experience.

"No experience is wasted, even if it ends in failure—there’s always a lesson to take forward." 

Her career path reminds us that success isn’t always linear, but persistence and adaptability make all the difference.

What does it take to build a life or career you’re proud of? Is it grit, a strong network, or maybe just a willingness to admit you don’t have all the answers? In the latest episode of Outside Insights, I sat down with Mark Doughty, founder of Looper Consulting. Mark assists leaders in making informed decisions, refining strategies, and developing leadership skills.

During our discussion, we delved into the unique perspective Mark brings to the table, exploring what happens when we embrace vulnerability, prioritize relationships, and commit to personal growth—no matter how messy the process might be.

I encourage you to listen to the podcast during your next commute to learn more about these key lessons:

1. Relationships Are Everything

Mark emphasized the pivotal role of relationships in both personal and professional success. Your network isn’t just a list of names—it’s the depth and quality of those connections that truly matter. He shared how his ability to forge meaningful relationships has been a cornerstone of his achievements—underscoring the truth that no significant accomplishment is ever a solo endeavor.

“Relationships are one of the most important assets we have in this entire world, even outside of business. When it comes to business, how strong your network is and how solid your relationships are dictate a lot of your success. No one does it alone.”

2. Leading with Vulnerability

If you’ve ever felt that showing vulnerability might be a sign of weakness, Mark’s perspective is a game-changer. As someone who’s navigated through depression while leading teams and growing businesses, he’s discovered that vulnerability, when coupled with confidence, is a potent symbol of strength. It’s about being genuine and approachable without losing sight of your goals.

3. The Toll of Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship isn’t just about the thrill of achieving milestones. Mark shared the stark reality of mental health issues that many entrepreneurs grapple with: anxiety, burnout, and depression. But his story also offered a beacon of hope—by prioritizing your physical and mental well-being, establishing routines, and seeking support, you can weather even the stormiest seasons.

We discuss this topic frequently at Outside Insights, I have shared my own personal struggles with burnout. Giving you the tools to conquer similar feelings is a passion of mine - you can check out related blogs hereand here.

4. The Value of Trial and Error

Mark’s path hasn’t been linear—it’s been full of pivots and learning as he went. He talked about the importance of giving yourself room to experiment and adapt, whether in business or your personal life. Small, consistent steps forward can create massive shifts over time.

5. Clarity and Communication in Leadership

Mark’s advice for leaders is refreshingly practical: explain the “why” behind your decisions. Whether you’re leading a team of three or 300, clarity builds trust and buy-in. And when you open the door to questions, you’re not just inviting collaboration—you’re building a stronger foundation for success.

6. Keep It Simple, Stay Patient

One of Mark’s most significant lessons was the power of simplicity and patience. Growth doesn’t happen overnight. By focusing on what matters most and giving yourself grace along the way, you create space for meaningful progress.

Mark’s journey is filled w

What if the key to success isn’t about what you achieve, but how much you give back?

In this week’s episode of Outside Insights, I sat down with Mike Smith, a public servant whose inspiring journey proves that leadership is rooted in service.

 Currently serving in Delaware’s House of Representatives for the 22nd district, Mike’s approach resonated with me on a deep level. We both believe that true leadership is about solving problems and making a positive impact on those around us. In other words, being a servant leader.

Mike’s journey is rooted in lessons from his grandmother, who taught him that a full, purposeful life is built on giving back. Whether it was raising money for those in need or simply helping out in the community, she instilled the belief that true success comes from service. That same philosophy has guided Mike throughout his career.

Here are a few of the most impactful lessons Mike shared during our conversation, but make sure to listen to the full episode for a deeper dive into his approach to leadership.

Leadership is About Helping People
Mike sees his role in public service as one of servant leadership. To Mike, it’s not about the title or recognition, it’s about solving problems and being there for others. He shared a great story about learning from Congressman Mike Castle, who taught him early on that politics should never get in the way of simply helping people.

Fulfillment Comes from Giving Back
There’s no greater fulfillment than making a difference in someone’s life. Whether it’s volunteering or stepping up to lead in your community, giving back is at the heart of living a meaningful life.

Engage with Your Community
Mike encourages everyone to get involved, whether by attending local government sessions or volunteering. Community engagement builds trust and understanding, and it’s a key part of being a servant leader.

Lessons from Sports and Coaching
As an endurance athlete and coach, Mike shared three traits that make a great teammate: dependability, skill, and selflessness. These lessons resonated with me because they apply not just to sports but to leadership and life. It's a reminder that success is about showing up for others, not just for yourself.

Mike’s journey and insights are a powerful reminder that leadership is about serving others, making an impact, and constantly striving to be better. Whether you’re leading a team, working in your community, or just looking to grow personally, these lessons can help you close the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

I encourage you to listen to the full episode during your next commute for more of Mike’s inspiring stories and practical advice on leadership. For more on servant leadership, you can also check out a past Outside Insights blog on the topic. 

I’d love to hear from you. How are you applying the idea of servant leadership in your own life? How have you been impacted by a servant leader in the past? How are you or will you give back to others? Reply and let me know.

Until next time, friends.
Chris

Check out the full blog here!

In life, there are assets and liabilities. An asset is a resource that brings value to others and a liability, on the other hand, is a responsibility or obligation. When it comes to your job, the question is simple: would you rather be an asset or a liability?

We all strive to be assets! But let’s acknowledge that no one is an asset 100% of the time—and that’s okay. There are moments when our performance doesn't meet expectations, and that’s part of the growth process. However, if we want to consistently add value and thrive in our roles, we can take steps to close the gap between where we are and where we want to be. 

How about a real life example?  An employee in an analytics role is looking to build a dashboard for key company metrics. To prepare, she takes a free course on the software needed to build the report before the project even gets the green light. The employee loves what she does, she wanted the knowledge anyway.  The outcomes helped the organization tie their outcomes to their strategy for employees, board members and even suppliers. She could have waited to be told what to do and when, this would have been good enough. Instead she added value in a visible way to the entire organization!

So, how do you become and stay an asset?

Creating value is at the heart of being an asset. The more value you create in a day, week, or hour, the more you contribute to the success of your team and company. But how do you consistently create value? Here are a few ways:

• Be a problem-solver: Don’t just identify issues—bring forward solutions. This mindset shows initiative and helps your team move forward.
• Engage deeply: Get involved in your work with purpose. When you find meaning in your tasks, you’ll naturally give more.
• Volunteer: Every meeting presents opportunities to step up. Be the person who takes on challenges and drives them to completion.
• Say "Yes": I once met a plant leader who shared that his rise to leadership came because, during the pandemic, he said "yes" when others hesitated. Sometimes, saying yes to new challenges can open doors.

Becoming an asset is a mindset.  It's entrepreneurial.  And it's a competitive advantage to a leader or business that can cultivate an asset minded culture. And an advantage to an employee that excels at the concept!   Being an asset is about engagement and awareness and about understanding the goals and future of your company.  Your actions, if asset minded support the company on its journey.

On the latest episode of Outside Insights, I had the pleasure of speaking with Sheila Bravo, president and CEO of DANA (Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement). Sheila’s career journey—from corporate marketing with brands like Vlasic Pickles and Godiva to nonprofit leadership—is all about adaptability, purpose, and lifelong learning. Her story holds valuable lessons for anyone, no matter their field. If you’re searching for inspiration or a reminder that career pivots can lead to more fulfillment, you need to add this episode to your list.

“You never make the plan the way you plan to make the plan.” 

​​Sheila didn’t always envision herself in the nonprofit sector. For years, she thrived in high-powered corporate roles, leading well-known brands and traveling the world. But behind the scenes, something was missing.

The long hours and constant travel meant Sheila was away from her family more than she wanted to be. “I wasn’t around much… the success was there, but the fulfillment wasn’t,” she reflected. The work that once energized her had become routine, and she began to feel disconnected from her purpose.

Sound familiar? It definitely did for me when talking with Sheila. I often reflect on the long hours I would spend locked in my office while my growing family made memories without me. Eventually, something had to give and I had to make a change. Sheila did, too.

She craved something deeper, a career that aligned not only with her professional skills but with her personal values. So, she made the bold decision to walk away from corporate America and seek work with greater meaning.

Nonprofit leadership wasn’t part of Sheila’s original plan, but it turned out to be exactly where she needed to be.

Meet DANA. The secret sauce behind nonprofits.

During our conversation, Sheila highlighted the tough realities nonprofits face: rising costs, staff turnover, and funding that isn’t keeping up with inflation. DANA, under Sheila’s leadership, is helping nonprofits navigate these hurdles. They provide essential training, consulting, and strategy to help organizations operate more efficiently. Their standout initiative is a nonprofit accelerator that helps smaller organizations, especially those serving marginalized communities, scale their impact. Sheila calls DANA the “secret sauce” behind nonprofits, focused on empowering them for long-term success.

Check out the episode on Youtube and learn more about Sheila on Placers website, here!

Our daily choices craft your life’s story — what will today’s chapter be?

I have a long list of goals, life ambitions, projects, and tasks I want to accomplish. I bet you do too. No matter the goals someone has already achieved, it’s human nature to crave more — to want to be better. That’s why everyone I speak with has at least one goal or idea that haunts them — a nagging sense that they just can’t find the time to do it all. Sound familiar?

The answer to doing and achieving more is actually pretty simple — perhaps annoyingly simple: Live intentionally.

Let’s look at an example. One of the most cherished parts of my day are the mornings and that’s because of the sacred morning routine I have carefully established for myself.

For most of my early working years, I sprinted out the door, putting on my tie at stoplights, and skipped breakfast entirely unless a meeting demanded it. While a younger me thought I was saving time and being incredibly efficient by rushing through my mornings, the fact was I was killing my mind and body — and I sure as hell wasn’t more productive because of it. I wasn’t living with intention.

Fast forward to the day we brought two Aussie puppies home. Just what my life of chaos needed, right? The two perfect cherries on top. Turns out, their presence in the home was just what I needed.

During the first few weeks, I kept the same old routine; the only difference was that my two wide-eyed and yapping puppies chased me around the house, adding to the morning dysfunction as I frantically looked for my tie and jacket. They knew I wouldn’t be home for hours and their puppy dog eyes instilled a new level of guilt in me — what’s a guy to do?

I begin waking up early to spend time walking Ziggy and Gracie. It wasn’t just for them; it was for me, too, I soon discovered. I started to appreciate the quiet space before the day’s chaos. It became more than a habit — it was a ritual. I learned to savor my coffee, move my body, plan my day, and enjoy the morning before everything else took over.

I love my mornings now. I walk the dogs, meditate, plan, and sip my first cup of coffee long before the younger me would have even thought about waking up. Yes, I get more done, but it’s not just about productivity. It’s like defragmenting my mind, resetting for whatever the day might bring. For me, it’s carving out intentional time so that I can bring my best self into the rest of the day.

While curating a morning routine is one way I live intentionally, I’m able to identify other ways by taking the time to review my progress towards my goals and holding myself accountable.

Read the full blog here: https://myplacers.com/building-better-days-impacts-simple-intentions

I believe the best ideas come from listening to people who see things differently. If everyone at the table thinks the same way, you’re not innovating—you’re just reinforcing the status quo. The spirit of this idea was a prominent topic in the latest episode of Outside Insights all about effective change management.

I had the pleasure of sitting down virtually with Miriam Dicks, the dynamic Founder and CEO of 180 Management Group. Miriam is the kind of leader who gets right to the heart of what makes organizations tick—and what holds them back. With over 20 years of experience, her firm helps businesses and nonprofits navigate change and achieve high performance by addressing the root causes that impact culture and operations. Whether you’re a leader, a team member, or someone dreaming of their own venture, Miriam’s insights on change, culture, and personal growth are for anyone ready to take their next big step.

1. Change Management: It’s All About the People

During our conversation, Miriam emphasized that change management isn’t just about managing tasks—it’s fundamentally about managing, and supporting, people. Projects and initiatives often fail when they don’t properly account for the human element. Successful change management brings people along on the journey, ensuring that changes “stick” and are sustainable.

2. Culture is the Apex Predator

“Culture eats strategy for lunch.” as the saying goes. Miriam deeply believes in the importance of culture in making or breaking strategic initiatives. If an organization’s culture is unhealthy or resistant to change, even the best-laid plans can fail.

3. The Challenge of Founder’s Syndrome

Although culture is the “apex predator”, there is something that can tank it: Founder’s Syndrome. A major organizational challenge is what Miriam calls “founder’s syndrome.” This occurs when a founder’s personality and vision dominate the organization’s culture, limiting diverse perspectives and stifling growth. To counter this, Miriam advocates for inclusive strategic planning that incorporates diverse voices and experiences.

4. Diverse Perspectives Lead to Stronger Strategies

Plans crafted by just a few individuals are often unrealistic or lack practicality. Miriam suggests that involving a range of voices—from employees to external stakeholders—ensures a more grounded and realistic strategy. This approach also increases buy-in and commitment from those who have to execute the plan.

5. Continuous Learning for Sustainable Success

Those familiar with Outside Insights know I believe knowledge is power. Miriam does, too. No matter your profession, continuous education is essential and Miriam stresses the importance of staying ahead of trends through certifications, learning programs, and engaging with thought leadership. I challenge you to take this a step further and also consider folks in your network you could act as a mentor in a new area.

6. It’s Nothing Personal

Toward the end of our conversation Miriam shared a valuable mindset for entrepreneurs: understand that the ebbs and flows of business are not personal. External factors will always affect business, it’s how you respond to them that defines your success.

While Miriam offers a fresh perspective on change management that is grounded in practical experience and strategic insight, her insights aren’t just for CEOs or managers—they’re for anyone who wants to make a difference, challenge the status quo, and build something that truly lasts. If you’re ready to think differently about change and the power of diverse ideas, be sure to check out the fu

I officially started my business 23 years ago — the morning of September 11, 2001.

Of course, history and our lives changed forever that day. It was certainly a challenging start for the business, but challenges have been a constant companion throughout my journey.

Today, I’m known as the guy who started a business from one dollar and scaled it to mid-market size without partners or investors. I bootstrapped it so that it could truly be my company. I’ve guided my business through thick and thin, through four recessions, 9/11, a pandemic, a fire, and even a flood (my building caught fire during the Super Bowl in the early 2010s). Through it all, we’ve adapted and evolved, always focusing on human resources, always maintaining a consultative approach, and always prioritizing culture.

Over the years, I’ve learned countless lessons, personally and professionally. Here are the 23 that stand out most as I reflect on 23 years in business:

1. Challenges are workout sessions: Entrepreneurs face challenges every day. These aren’t just obstacles; they’re opportunities to grow, get better, and solve problems.
2. The path and the goal are separate: Goals will change as you evolve, and that’s okay. You derive the most value along the way, as long as you stay true to yourself and know your values.
3. Play the long game: Business is an ultramarathon, not a sprint. Good things and bad things will happen along the way. Keep your eye on the prize.
4. Build your support system: Starting a business requires a strong support system. My wife and extended family of entrepreneurs supported me while knowing I had to learn on my own, even if it hurt.
5. Leverage change: Change is one of your most important assets. Markets, situations, customers, employees — everything changes. Embrace it.
6. Understand the phases of business: If you’re blessed to make it through the first few years, you’ll go through distinct phases — finding your market, building a small team, creating your first management team, and scaling processes and technology. Understanding this complexity and how you communicate as a business matters.
7. Accept team evolution: The people who join you early for the entrepreneurial experience may be replaced as you grow with those who seek stability and scale.
8. Be willing to work for free: Starting a business is hard. Be prepared to work for free to prove your idea. I did this for many months.
9. Scaling is about small experiments: Scaling a business is a series of small experiments. Try things, learn, and either fail or succeed quickly, then repeat.
10. Build a caring culture: I learned that I could build a culture where people truly care about each other and our community. Today, my business’ culture is the most important element to our success. Cue lesson #11.
11. Culture matters as much as strategy: Culture really does matter. A good strategy will only get you so far if you don’t have a strong culture to back it up.

To get the rest of the list click here. 

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of the Placers, Opposite the Crowd, or Outside Insights community these past 23 years. Your support has been invaluable.

Cheers,

Chris

Imagine transforming recycled tires into a thriving footwear business, then pivoting to reduce homelessness and run for governor. Sounds impossible, right? Not for Matt Meyer, this week’s Outside Insights guest. I had the privilege of speaking with Meyer to explore his approach to leadership, the impactful initiatives he's been part of, and his vision for Delaware's future.

Matt's desire to make a positive impact was strong even before his teaching and political career, starting with a move to Kenya. After serving as a diplomat in Iraq, where he was embedded with the army, Matt returned to the U.S. and—you wouldn’t have guessed it—began teaching sixth and seventh-grade math. 

During his time as a teacher, he became dissatisfied with the state's education system. Driven by a desire to create meaningful change, Meyer decided to run for office. Despite initial skepticism from his family and the challenge of facing a well-established incumbent, his grassroots campaign led to an unexpected victory. This experience underscored his belief in community-driven initiatives and the power of perseverance—both popular topics here at Outside Insights.

Matt's desire to make a positive impact was strong even before his teaching and political career and started with a move to Kenya. There, he co-founded a footwear company that created sandals from recycled tires.  This venture provided employment and economic opportunities in one of Nairobi's poorest neighborhoods and the challenges and successes of this endeavor gave him a unique perspective on economic development.

Today, as the chief executive of New Castle County, Delaware’s largest county, Matt Meyer oversees essential services such as law enforcement, emergency response, libraries, parks, and affordable housing. His leadership focuses on practical solutions that directly impact people’s lives over political rhetoric.

“We don’t make promises, we make plans, and then our job is to turn those plans into real progress.” – Matt Meyer

Meyer’s vision for Delaware as governor is focused on three key areas: improving education, healthcare, and housing. Drawing on his background as a teacher, he aims to elevate Delaware’s education system. In healthcare, he seeks to make services more accessible and effective, inspired by his wife’s experience as an emergency room physician. Additionally, he plans to tackle the state’s affordable housing shortage to ensure more Delawareans have stable homes.

To learn more about Matt’s journey and vision for Delaware, listen to the full podcast episode here. For more inspiring stories and actionable insights, tune into the Outside Insights podcast. You never know who our next guest will be!

Until next time friends,

Chris

Let’s face it: life is a series of decisions. From something as simple as what we eat for breakfast to major career moves, we make thousands of choices each day (between 33,000–35,000!). Some are automatic, handled by our subconscious to keep us sane, while others require careful consideration and come with their fair share of anxiety. Reflecting on our decisions — big and small — can reveal patterns that shape our lives. Perhaps it’s patterns of overspending on impulse buys, avoiding crucial conversations or choosing the path of least resistance. If these patterns sound familiar to you, it’s time to go back to the basics and consider how we’re making decisions.

There are many decision-making models out there. Charlie Munger’s are a personal favorite of mine — you can learn more about them here. In fact, I mentioned his book in my last post on closing your gap through reading. Another favorite is the Almanack of Naval Ravikant. Each offers a toolkit to broaden our understanding and improve our choices.

See, Think, Act: My Decision-Making Model

Longtime readers will be familiar with See, Think, Act — a decision-making model that has been coined and passed down through generations of Burkhards.

It’s a simple yet effective approach to closing gaps by making better-informed choices. The key lies in gathering the right information (See) and thoroughly analyzing it (Think) before taking action (Act). It sounds straightforward, but in a fast-paced world where speed often trumps thoroughness, it’s easier said than done. Deadlines loom, pressures mount, and action often feels more urgent than reflection. In fact, at times it feels like the world wants us to be busy — more on that you can check out Slow Productivity by Cal Newport.

Yet, my experience tells me that slowing down to gather insights pays off in the long run. It’s about making fewer, better decisions rather than rushing into ones you may regret later. I challenge you to remember and use See, Think, Act when you’re faced with your next small or big decision.

Mastering See, Think, Act is like honing any skill — it takes practice. By adopting this approach, you empower yourself to navigate decisions with confidence and clarity. Whether in a tense staff meeting or facing a significant purchase decision, taking a moment to gather facts and consider implications can lead to more satisfying outcomes.

Remember, closing your gap isn’t an overnight feat. It’s a gradual process of learning, adapting, and improving. Next time you find yourself in a pivotal moment — at work, at home, or anywhere in between — try applying See, Think, Act.

Ask questions, seek more information, and after you’ve done that — trust your gut. Over time, you’ll find your decision-making and problem-solving skills sharpen, and you’ll move closer to the life you envision.

So, here’s to closing gaps, making informed choices, and embracing the journey ahead with confidence (most of the time).

Until next time, friends.

Chris

In the latest episode of Outside Insights, I had the pleasure of interviewing the dynamic duo, Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio, tech leaders, co-founders of Lifecycle Insights and co-authors of “Lead It Like Lasso“.

During our conversation, we dove into their unique approach to leadership, drawing inspiration from none other than the TV character, Ted Lasso. From their journey co-founding and scaling Lifecycle Insights, Marnie and Nick shared a wealth of wisdom.

Finding Inspiration from Ted Lasso

Who would have thought that a fictional soccer coach could provide profound leadership insights? Marnie and Nick did. They admired Ted Lasso’s positive, people-focused philosophy and saw many parallels to their own leadership experiences. Their book aims to help readers cultivate these qualities, encouraging them to become more effective and authentic leaders.

Marnie and Nick believe that effective leadership starts with leading yourself—aligning with your core values and being true to who you are. They highlighted that a lack of authenticity can create a sense of mistrust among employees, something that can tank your team’s morale.

In a past life I was a football coach who converted to a high school soccer coach. I was not technical enough to lead quite like Ted Lasso, but I did it in my own way! I blogged about it here, if you want to check it out.

The Importance of a “Personal Operating System”

One of the standout tools they mentioned from their book is the “personal operating system” exercise. This exercise helps team members understand each other’s strengths, weaknesses, and work styles, fostering better alignment and collaboration. It’s a practical way to nurture individual strengths, much like Ted Lasso does with his team. Longtime listeners know how much I value tools that help people understand themselves and their values—I absolutely loved learning about this one.

An Outside Insights Must: Balancing Work and Life

Marnie and Nick also stressed the importance of self-care to maintain balance. They engage in activities that rejuvenate them, such as exercise, learning new things, and spending quality time with family. Nick enjoys playing golf, while Marnie finds relaxation in knitting. These hobbies help them stay grounded and maintain their well-being amidst the demands of their professional lives.

This episode was a treasure trove of leadership wisdom and practical advice. Marnie and Nick’s book, “Lead It Like Lasso“, offers a refreshing take on leadership. For those seeking to enhance their leadership skills and become more authentic, empathetic, and effective leaders, this Outside Insights episode, and their book, are invaluable resources.

Book Recommendations

For other books to add to your summer reading list, check out a few other titles we discussed on the podcast below:

• “

If you’ve been part of the Outside Insights community for a while, you’re familiar with the concept of closing your gaps. For those of you that are new — welcome! Our goal here is to take steps every day to live a more intentional and authentic life, and closing our gaps is key.

The “gap” represents the space between where you are now and where you want to be. It encompasses every aspect of your life: personal, work and career goals, dreams, and aspirations. So, how do we close these gaps? Today, I want to focus on one of my favorite tools: Reading.

Yep — reading. Hear me out!

Reading is a seemingly simple activity that translates directly into knowledge building. My advice: you should always have a book in progress.

I am often in conflict about how to spend my time. Should I be in action mode and doing something productive, or have I earned the right to sit in the sun and read? Reading often feels like an indulgence, but I have come to learn that it is essential.

I love nothing more than to spend a Saturday morning putzing around. As the self-proclaimed Chief Putzing Officer, I do the smallest tasks that often go unnoticed, like cleaning the coffee machine or putting things back in their place. However, I struggle to just “be” in the moment unless I feel I have earned it — that is, until I start reading.

For me, reading signifies that I am organized and on top of my to-do list and life plan — Reading unlocks creativity, exposes me to new ways of thinking, and generally helps exercise my brain.

So, how do you close your gaps and read more? Here are a few tips:

1. Start a Book Club: At Placers, we have a club called A Better Book Club, with hundreds of curated titles. We even pay people to read. Imagine that!

2. Set a Reading Goal: Changing habits requires measuring efforts. Are you willing to measure your progress on a daily basis?

3. Trust the Process: Knowledge doesn’t happen overnight. It comes as you consume and apply it.

4. Start Simple: Pick a book. I often practice interviewing employees and giving them book recommendations. Need a summer read? Want to learn something new at work? Looking for knowledge on a world event? Challenge yourself. And hey, if you’re just looking for a little escape in a good fiction book, that does the trick too.

After you read this, I hope you’re inspired to dust off your “to be read” list or head to the bookstore to see what title pops off the shelf for you. It doesn’t matter what you read, as long as you’re reading, learning, stretching your imagination, etc. you’re doing yourself a much deserved service.

And, excuse my directness, but if you want to further close your gaps, try my book, Opposite the Crowd. Each chapter focuses on lessons learned through a lifetime of trials and triumphs in life, business, entrepreneurship, sales, service, and leadership. It’s purpose? To help people take the steps they need to take to close their gaps. Check it out on Amazon here.

I’ve included a few favorites from my summer reading list below.

Slow Productivity by Cal Newport — If your looking for answers to get out from under your inbox and slack channel.

A Calendar of Wisdom by Leo Tolstoy — A daily bit of wisdom with spirituality as its root.

Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charlie Munger by Charlie Munger — Read about the “richest” man and I don’t just mean money!

The Son by Philipp Meyer — A page turner, Maybe the best

In the world of social entrepreneurship, few stories are as compelling and full of teachable moments as Scott Beale’s story. Recently, we had the pleasure of hosting Scott on our Outside Insights podcast, where he shared his personal journey from an aspiring changemaker to a global leader in fostering youth leadership and international volunteerism.

Scott, who grew up in a family of educators, had his eyes opened to the world’s inequities while volunteering in Bosnia at age 20. This experience led him to found Atlas Corps in 2005, an innovative program often described as a “reverse Peace Corps.” The mission of Atlas Corps is to address critical social issues by developing leaders and strengthening organizations through training programs and a global alumni community of skilled social change professionals. I strongly encourage you to learn more about their mission here.

Building Atlas Corps from the ground up was not easy. Scott faced plenty of skepticism from others along the way. But he persisted, fueled by the belief that positive change is possible when you refuse to accept the status quo.

“People often fear that…when you choose to believe that change is possible, you then become responsible for making change. It’s much easier to accept you have no power than to try to change the world.”

-Scott Beale

Now, Scott’s journey has led him to his current position as the U.S. Peace Corps’ Associate Director for Global Operations. In this role, Scott continues to advocate for international service. On this episode of Outside Insights, he shares personal reflections that I really connected with, as he emphasized the importance of enjoying the journey rather than fixating on the destination.  Scott and I have been loosely connected via family connections over the last many years, and I watched from afar as Scott built Atlas Corps from scratch. Over time, I began to understand his mission and see his impressive outcomes and impact.  This is a classic story of an entrepreneur finding a gap in the marketplace and filling it with a passionate solution.

Scott’s advice to our listeners is simple yet profound: seize any opportunity to make a difference. The road may be unpredictable, but it is rewarding. His story is a powerful call to action—be bold, embrace the journey, and use your potential to transform the world.If you’re inspired to create change, remember Scott’s words and take those first steps towards a better future.

Do you have a “crazy” idea that has the potential to make a big impact? It doesn’t have to change the world to be profound – it could change one life, or even just change your life. Reply to this email and let me know.

Until next time friends,

Chris

I’ve started several businesses, bootstrapped them, and grown them to mid-market size. I coach entrepreneurs and leaders to help them achieve the life and business they desire. My day job is with Placers, where we’ve been placing thousands of people for over 50 years. I spend my days and nights helping individuals close their personal and professional gaps — it’s my purpose. This is the essence of Outside Insights. 

Listen to the episode to get the several musings I think we could all take something away from:

By applying these insights and continuously working to close your gaps, you’ll be on your way to achieving both personal and professional success.

There is so much more to add to the list — and we’re all strengthened by collective experiences in the Outside Insights community. What would you add to the list? Reply and let me know!

Until next time friends,

Chris

Helpful links
https://myplacers.com/lessons-from-lifetime-closing-gaps/
https://myplacers.com/my-life-incomplete-without/
https://myplacers.com/build-the-life-you-want-2/
https://myplacers.com/why-we-should-be-change-makers/
https://myplacers.com/power-of-knowledge-see-think-act/

As most of you know, a key tenet of the Outside Insights way is breaking away from the grind to take care of one's physical and mental wellbeing. I was very honored to have the opportunity to talk with Dr. Tricia Thompson for the latest episode of Outside Insights learn about her journey in the medical field and some critical wakeup calls everyone can learn from.

Dr. Thompson swapped the ER for functional medicine, after 20 years of feeling stuck just treating symptoms and not the real causes of why more and more people were feeling sick.

Tired of the band-aid solutions in emergency care, Dr. Thompson now focuses on getting to know the full story of her patients’ health. Functional medicine is her tool for doing just that—it’s all about understanding the whole picture, from lifestyle to body systems, and fixing what’s actually wrong.

Dr. Thompson made a real difference in my health.  Chronic health conditions and RA had worn me down and I felt like I had no options.  Dr. Thompson helps me do the right things today looking at health from a total point of view: food, supplements, hydration, mindfulness, exercise and our environment and our past exposures (smokers, mold, workplace).  This is no magic pill cure, it's knowing what to do so I can live my best life today - and that is priceless.

Consider some health challenges that you’re currently dealing with. Have you worked to understand the root causes of them? For many people, “stress” is the glaring culprit behind their symptoms.

Because of this, Dr. Thompson is big on tackling stress. To mitigate stress in the moment and avoid long term impacts, simple practices like breathwork can be a game changer, helping calm down our overworked nervous systems. 

Of course, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Dr. Thompson believes our bodies know how to heal themselves—we just need to give them what they need. Think good food, enough sleep, and less junk, both in our diets and environments. 

Today, Dr. Thompson is on a mission to make functional medicine mainstream and affordable and believes everyone should have the chance to get at the root of their health issues, without insurance headaches getting in the way.

I know I preach the importance of wellness to achieve success and happiness in all aspects of your life. If you take one thing from this episode, I hope it’s this - listen to your body, it’s smarter than you might think. If something feels off, dig deeper - it’s probably trying to tell you something important. 

Here’s to prioritizing our health in 2024 and breaking away from old patterns that no longer serve us. I hope this episode inspires you to make the changes you’ve been waiting to make.

Until next time friends, 

Chris 

Here’s the thing — quitting shouldn’t be a bad word. But why does it often feel like it is?

At Placers, we champion values like results-driven performance and relentless hustle, epitomized by Winston Churchill’s wartime call to “never, ever, ever give up.” This motto resonated so deeply with me that it found its way onto t-shirts for the high school soccer teams I coached. My journey through rebuilding Placers after the 2008 recession and the pandemic has taught me the essence of perseverance — I even carry a coin in my pocket inscribed with “the obstacle is the way,” a nod to Ryan Holiday’s influential work.

The never give up mentality was instilled in me from the beginning. When I was young I wanted more than anything to be a Cub Scout. From the day I joined I was all in, and my mom even became our Den Mother. I loved everything about the Cub Scouts, from the pinewood Derby, the meetings, and merit badges. I loved it all until one day — I just didn’t anymore. One by one my friends dropped out and soon I realized they were what made the scouts so enjoyable in the first place. My parents encouraged me to honor my commitments and I stuck it out until the end of the year before informing them I wouldn’t be returning.

A little later in life, I worked tirelessly to make the senior baseball team at age 14 and was filled with pride when I learned I made the cut. Then, the day before the game, a star player — a 15-year-old who was bigger, stronger, and more skilled — suddenly joined the team. I felt intimidated, frustrated and I remember the distinct urge to quit washing over me. Again, my parents provided sound advice and urged me to contemplate whether stepping back was truly the right decision. In the end, I chose to stay the course and I’m glad I didn’t let my ego win that day.

As children we’re taught that quitting means “giving up”. The heroes in our storybooks never give up. Giving up is “weak” and being weak must be avoided at all costs. But, as uncomfortable as it may feel, sometimes quitting is the best thing you can do for yourself.

Other people’s perceptions often get in the way of our desire for change. “What will my team think of me if I leave the company?”, “This partnership is no longer serving me, but I don’t know how to have the conversations that need to be had”, “I don’t have the bandwidth to give to this hobby anymore but I don’t want to disappoint my friends”, etc. Do these questions sound familiar?

As an entrepreneur I’ve faced numerous challenges that forced me to question my path both professional and personally. Over the years, I’ve narrowed down five questions that I use as a guide to determine if I would benefit more from persevering or allowing myself to embrace change.

Take a moment to consider a crossroads in your life or a big decision that has been weighing down on you for a while. Now ask yourself these questions:

1 — Sunk Costs: Are you continuing just because of the time and resources that you’ve already put in? Does the value of your past investment outweigh the current and future investment required to continue?

2 — Effort and Outcomes: Have you done everything possible to succeed? Is there anything you could change up to see if it would drive different results?

3 — Original Intentions: Why did you start this endeavor in the first place? Are you still reaping the intended benefits or have circumstances changed?

4 — Opportunities Upon Quitting: What new possibilities could quitting open up? I’m not just talking business here. Could quitting a side project open up space for you to pursue something more aligned with your goals? Could it bring you more energy to funnel into your family or wellness journey?

Hello,

In this week’s episode of Outside Insights, I was joined by Mac Macleod, the co-founder of Carvertise, a successful media company revolutionizing ride-share advertising. Mac and I go way back to the start up days of Carvertise as I worked closely with his co-founder, and previous podcast guest, Greg in local not- for-profit work with Junior Achievement of Delaware. Over the years, Mac and I have always scheduled time to talk business and share ideas and concepts that have helped us at key reflection points in our lives. We have been in MasterMind Leader groups together, shared the stage at entrepreneurial events, even done other podcasts together. I’m honored to now have Mac as a guest on the Outside Insights Podcast.

A summary of our discussion can be found below, but I encourage you to listen to the podcast episode here during your next commute!

Founded in 2012, Carvertise has become a big player in the advertising industry by leveraging ride-share vehicles for advertising. Major brands, like Netflix and 7-Eleven, partner with Carvertise to strategically place ads on Uber and Lyft cars to boost brand visibility. Even if you’re not familiar with the Carvertise name, you’ve definitely seen these advertisements if you’re cruising around major cities.

Mac’s Entrepreneurial Journey

Mac and I took a deep dive into discussing the trials, successes, and personal and professional growth that comes with entrepreneurship. During our discussion, Mac stressed the importance of enjoying the entrepreneurial process, despite inevitable challenges. Mac talks about the excitement and “adrenaline” of the early startup days when everything feels possible. Like many young entrepreneurs, he used to want to “conquer” every day but now focuses on chipping away consistently.

A significant part of the discussion revolved around how leadership styles must evolve as a company grows. Mac reflected on the shift from being hands-on and leading by example in the early stages, to adopting a more strategic and supportive role as Carvertise expanded. Effective leadership, according to Mac, now involves empowering a skilled team to drive the company’s vision forward, making adjustments as necessary to navigate the unpredictable landscape of business.

Finding Balance and Personal Growth

In true Outside Insights fashion, Mac and I discussed how to maintain a balance between the demands of entrepreneurship and the other facets of life. We share a similar approach to finding this balance, as Matt makes time for activities that recharge him, such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which helps him stay present and engaged. This practice of self-care and mindfulness is crucial for sustaining the energy and creativity needed to tackle daily business challenges. You can’t show up for others if you don’t show up for yourself.

Mac’s journey with Carvertise illustrates the multifaceted nature of entrepreneurship, from the excitement of starting up to the complexities of scaling a business. His insights serve as valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs, highlighting the need for resilience, adaptability, and a clear sense of purpose.

Until next time, friends.

Chris

Mac’s Book Recommendations:

–

In case you missed it, Placers President Chris Burkhard shared his Outside Insights vlog on our 2024 theme: "Our Theme Is To Be"
Despite loss, he urged us to "embrace change & find opportunity in every moment."
Key Quotes:
"Be present, supportive & our best selves to honor our colleague's legacy."
"This year is about being over doing...moving forward with intention."
"Be true to who we are & ready to adapt."
Watch Chris' full Outside Insights vlog for his inspiring perspective.
#PlacersStrong #BeingOverDoing #OutsideInsights #2024Theme

I’m a Delawarian through and through and perhaps one of my favorite characteristics of our little state is the big impact that local nonprofits have on our communities. I’ve been honored to speak with many leaders from these non-profits and am thankful that I can further their message through the Outside Insights platform.

Recently, I had the chance to speak with the co-founder of one of my favorite organizations yet: Cierra Hall-Hipkins from Network Connect.

Founded in 2019, Network Connect serves as a bridge to fill gaps in Delaware’s community services by providing unique support tailored to the needs of Black and Brown families. Cierra and her team work to build community capacity by coordinating grassroots and local partners to provide youth and families with social services, education programs, workforce skills, and mental health support.

Follow this link to listen to this episode of Outside Insights to learn more about Network Connect’s mission.

Two of the Network Connect’s critical initiatives you’ll hear about in the podcast include their Community Well-Being Ambassador (CWA) program and their Future Culture Creators workforce development program for teens.

The ambassador program employs local residents to serve as connectors between community members and resources. CWAs provide mental health, substance abuse, positive activities, youth support, and essential needs solutions.

The workforce development program provides teens with professional skills as well as training in design thinking and civic engagement. Over 100 youth have already graduated from this life-changing program!

So, what inspired Cierra to take on such an important mission in the first place? Cierra’s motivation comes from her lifelong passion for service and Wilmington roots. With degrees in rehab counseling and experience in nonprofits and education, she has witnessed firsthand the needs not being met in many communities.

Running a growing nonprofit is not without challenges, but Cierra stays resilient. She emphasizes the importance of empathy, patience, and sticking through the tough times. Support from her team and her spiritual grounding also keep her going.

There are always more people to serve, so Network Connect continues to expand their impact — and the team has big goals this year! Please consider supporting Network Connect’s mission by attending their fundraising gala on Friday, April 20. Tickets can be purchased here! Be sure to follow along with Network Connect’s mission on Facebook and Instagram.

Thank you for listening, reading, and supporting this important cause, friends.

Chris

Helpful Links:

– Website: www.networkconnect.org

– Facebook: Network Connect

– Instagram: wearenetworkconnect

– Upcoming Gala: April 20th at the Community Education Building

In life, we encounter a diverse cast of characters. Among the cast that surrounds us, there are characters that particularly stand out, such as energy vampires — individuals who, knowingly or unknowingly, sap our vitality and leave us feeling drained. These individuals aren’t confined to our social circles; they can also reside within us, manifesting as counterproductive thoughts and internal conflicts.

The key to a peaceful life lies in our ability to manage our energy wisely, intentionally choosing where to focus our attention.

Imagine an alarm clock that goes off constantly, without serving an actual purpose — begging for attention and probably being more than a little unsettling. That’s an energy vampire — metaphorically, at least.

Have you ever found yourself multitasking to the point of distraction, or caught in a meditation session that’s hijacked by a barrage of unrelated thoughts? This internal battle not only zaps our focus but also our enjoyment of the present moment. Those thoughts? Energy vampires.

The company we keep can significantly impact our energy levels. Reflect on the people who invigorate you, those whose presence motivates you. On the flip side, consider those whose company leaves you feeling drained after every interaction — whether it be from negativity, complaints or just hard to handle egos.

Identifying Common Energy Vampires

Energy vampires come in various forms, and recognizing them is the first step toward reclaiming our energy and peace:

• The Complainer: This type thrives on negativity, turning every conversation into an opportunity to vent, leaving us emotionally spent. You can set healthy boundaries with these types of energy vampires while still being a good friend.
• The Narcissist: They demand constant attention and admiration, draining our emotional reserves.
• The Victim: Trapped in self-pity, they offload their burdens onto us, impeding on our own emotional space.

To protect our well-being, it’s crucial to establish boundaries. Learning to say “no” and prioritizing our mental health over our relationships with energy vampires is key. Lets face it, some of those that are energy vampires are family, dear friends, business partners, neighbors, they are all around us. Take a second and pause, you do not have to engage, be dragged into the drama, or even participate. You have the right and can develop the skill to emotionally detach yourself. You’re not being rude, rather you’re practicing equanimity — mental calmness in the face of adversity. So you have a choice, don’t allow yourself to get to the place of resentment, anger and martyrdom. Don’t engage.

And beyond external factors, we must also manage the energy vampires within our minds. Competing thoughts, doubts, and fears can exhaust our mental health, much like physical exertion wears out the body.

So, how exactly do we protect ourselves from internal energy vampires?

Meditation, mindfulness, and self-reflection are potent antidotes to the internal chaos. By becoming aware of our thought patterns, we can channel our mental energy towards more positive and productive pursuits, rather than letting it be siphoned off by these internal distractions.

Life is far too precious to be overshadowed by energy vampires. My challenge to you is to make a conscious effort to identify these draining influences, whether they’re in your circles or within yourself, and take active steps to minimize their impact.

Start this week and begin to uncover these hidden drains on your energy, establish firm boundaries, and cultivate positive habits that nurture a more balanced and enjoyable life. In doing so, you can ensure your life is filled with the vibrancy and peace you deserve.

Until next time, friends.
Ch

In this insightful episode of the Outside Insights podcast, I sat down with John Ratliff, the entrepreneurial force behind Align 5 and CEO of Scaling Up Coaches.
During the episode, John and I discuss the multifaceted journey of entrepreneurship and the significance of mental health and creativity in the entrepreneurial realm.  I have known John for decades and admire his body of work, accomplishments and drive to impact the entrepreneurial landscape globally. John has been a top 100 wish list target for Outside Insights - goal accomplished!
Few have built a business from scratch, bootstrapped, built organically, grown by acquisition, exited successfully, been an investment banker, entrepreneurial coach, leader of coaches and all in all entrepreneurial advocate. Most importantly, John is a learner, loves new ideas and seems to always see the possibilities and bigger picture. I’m always feeling inspired by John.

Save this podcast for your next commute or workout to hear two serial entrepreneurs discuss: 

• The importance of recognizing and leveraging hidden assets within your business or any new venture. 
• The value of external perspectives in uncovering these "Rembrandts."
• The challenges of entrepreneurship, including the risk of isolation and mental health struggles.
• The significance of creativity, curiosity, and continuous learning in navigating the fast-paced business landscape.
• The need for a supportive community and the willingness to seek help and mentorship.

John Ratliff's entrepreneurial voyage began with his call center business, which, despite initial hurdles, laid the foundation for his understanding of business dynamics and growth strategies. His involvement with Align 5 and Scaling Up Coaches underscores his commitment to nurturing middle-market companies and their leaders, emphasizing the critical role these entities play in the economy.
A pivotal theme John discusses is the concept of "Finding Your Rembrandt in the Attic." This metaphor illustrates the often-overlooked assets within businesses that, when recognized and leveraged, can significantly enhance a company's value. John stresses the importance of external perspectives in identifying these hidden treasures - someone to help you see what may have been right in front of you the whole time.
The conversation also touches on the solitary nature of entrepreneurship. John candidly shares the challenges and internal struggles many entrepreneurs face, including the risk of isolation, depression, and burnout. He advocates for a supportive community and the courage to seek help, emphasizing the importance of mental health awareness and self-care in the entrepreneurial journey.
John’s leadership philosophy is deeply ingrained in the principles of creativity and lifelong learning. In an era marked by rapid technological advancements and societal shifts, he believes that the ability to adapt and innovate is paramount for entrepreneurial success. His parting advice for entrepreneurs: Take moments to reflect on achievements and while remaining grounded in the fundamentals of business. Don’t get caught in the allure of rapid, often unsustainable, growth strategies. 
I hope you find yourself as inspired as I am in guests like John - who have achieved their goals many times over through grit, resilience and a healthy amount of stubborness. 

Thanks for listening, friends.

Chris

Links

Opposite The Crowd

I’m going to share a little secret about your job and career. It’s a simple truth: You, and only you, are responsible for managing your career. This wasn’t always the case. Our grandparents lived in a world where careers were often linear and lifelong, with a single organization rewarding decades of loyalty with a gold watch as a symbol of their appreciation. But times have changed.

Today, we outlive companies as they are bought, sold, merged and closed or changed in ways we don’t fit or don’t want to be a part of. The speed of business is relentless, and staying afloat in such a competitive environment is challenging enough, let alone managing a career through it.

I have a dear friend who exemplifies the power of proactive career management. Over 26 years, she worked closely with a recruitment leader who helped guide her through four company changes, numerous geographical moves, and transitions to different roles. This was possible because of the trust she shares with her mentor and their deep understanding of her career narrative. The success she’s enjoyed speaks volumes about this approach. Like her, we all need that sounding board, someone to share ideas with, and occasionally, someone who can open doors for us.

You might wonder, “Shouldn’t I be managing my career on my own?” Think about it: We outsource so many aspects of our lives to experts — real estate, dental care, housekeeping. Why should career management be any different? Many of us rely on family, mentors, or workplace leaders, but there’s another option: a career agent.

What is a Career Agent Anyway?

A career agent is more than just a mentor or coach; they are a dedicated professional who understands your industry, your personal story, and your career aspirations. They offer tailored advice, whether you’re preparing for a performance review, negotiating a raise, or contemplating a job change.

They’re also there to help with practical aspects like refining your resume, honing interview skills, or building your network. But more importantly, they encourage proactive career management. Instead of updating your resume only when a job is at risk, a career agent helps you keep it current. You should update your resume every 90 days. It’s much easier to write down your wins while they are fresh!

Finding Your Career Agent

Selecting a career agent is a significant step. Look for industry leaders or professionals whose work you admire. This person could be a coach, HR professional, recruiter, or consultant. When choosing your agent, consider:

– Industry knowledge: How well do they understand your field?

– Alignment with your needs: Do their advice and style resonate with you?

– Long-term engagement: Are they prepared to be a part of your journey for the long haul?

– Coaching style: What kind of counsel do you respond to best?

After you have people in mind, schedule meetings, interview potential agents, and determine who best fits your needs!

The bottom line: Managing a career in today’s fast-paced world is daunting. A career agent can be a pivotal resource in navigating this journey. They offer more than advice; they provide a partnership for growth and success.

For more insights on finding a career agent, check out our podcast episode on this topic in “Opposite the Crowd,” available in audio, paperback, and e-book formats.

Remember, the path to career success is rarely walked alone. Find your guide, your mentor, your career agent, and take control of your journey. I know I have more than a few career agents I’ve looked up to along my journey.

Until next time, friends.

Chris

In this episode of Outside Insights, I chat with Pat Callihan, CEO of the national nonprofit Tech Impact. During our discussion, Pat shares how his organization is creating meaningful change through technology and workforce development programs.

I'm inspired by Pat's commitment to leveraging technology for greater social impact through workforce development and nonprofit empowerment. Many of you know about Placer's own Act of Kindness Promise, here we provide both career coaching and business consulting sessions free of charge. Pat's leadership and vision are making a tangible difference, and motivates me to discover opportunities to do even more for our community.

Key topics we cover include:

• Tech Impact's flagship IT Works program that has trained over 1,400 young adults for careers in technology. Many graduates see their income double or triple, creating a pathway out of poverty.
• The CX Works program that specifically trains people for jobs in the high-demand contact center industry. This was recently expanded through a pilot at a women's correctional facility, providing skills for re-entry.
• How Tech Impact supports 700 Delaware residents to enter technology jobs through partnerships with the state Department of Labor. This is helping address the skill gap locally.
• Consulting projects that have helped hundreds of nonprofits adopt cloud computing, donor management systems, cybersecurity protocols and more. This increases their capacity to further their missions.
• Exciting growth of Tech Impact's Data Innovation Lab that is informing data-driven decisions on pressing social issues like health care access, housing stability, addiction treatment and more.

Outside Insights listeners interested in learning more can check out Pat's book recommendation "Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" for perspective on enjoying the journey versus fixating on details.

I hope you enjoy this conversation and feel motivated to discover how you can make an even bigger impact in your community too.

Until next time, friends!

Chris

Helpful Links

Opposite The Crowd

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/2uGQIYB4eG0yKYAsfjkzGm

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Opposite-Crowd-Want-Must-Know/dp/B0C9S8B1CF

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Subscribe to Outside Insights 

Check out Placers Staffing

Check out Chris’s Website

Credits
Hosted by Chris Burkhard
Music by Steve Miller and Lainie Miller

Welcome to 2024! We are trying something new on the Outside Insights Podcast with some solo podcast and thought leadership in addition to the interviews we have shared have been part of what Outside Insights is and the community around it. 

Thank you for tuning in to the Outside Insights Podcast! We appreciate your support and look forward to bringing you more valuable content in the future. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and connect with us on social media!

Helpful Links

Taking Control of Your Career in 2024: A New Beginning

Want this content in your email inbox? Subscribe to Outside Insights 

Check out Placers Staffing

Check out Chris’s Website

Credits
Hosted by Chris Burkhard
Music by Steve Miller and Lainie Miller

• Taking control of your career path and why the path least traveled may be the best
• Teaching financial literacy to your children early to set them up for success 
• The importance of building a financial safety net and passive streams of income 
• Continually challenging yourself, both physically and mentally 
•  Why you should focus on making progress in small steps rather than getting overwhelmed trying to make sweeping changes all at once.

Chris Bystriansky's website:

We’re officially kicking off the 2023 holiday season this week! With that in mind, I wanted to bring you some fun, lighter content to be consumed while recovering from too much tryptophan and your leftover turkey.

Thanksgiving is a time to count our blessings and to recognize our abundance and it is my hope that you spend this long weekend with your loved ones, friends and family and with your community. Thanks for being a part of my community, whether that's through Placers, Outside Insights, Opposite the Crowd or wherever our journeys may have crossed. 

This episode of Outside Insights is endearingly named the “Misfit Thanksgiving Special” and features my backpacking group and some of my longest friendships.

What is a Misfit, you might ask? If you ask old Merriram Webster, a misfit is a person whose behavior or attitude sets them apart from others in a conspicuous way, IE) “A motley collection of social misfits''.  

My personal group of Misfits has bonded over all things backpacking over the years and, as we get older, are still endeavoring to live life enjoying the outdoors. We tell bad jokes, often, are regular raconteurs on the trail, discussing our successes and setbacks. We even remember to take a selfie or two for our folks back at home. 

When dubbing our group the Misfits, little did I know that there is also a common thing called a Misfit Thanksgiving. Started by Nashville musicians who could not travel home for the holidays, Misfits got together with friends in the area, or frankly anyone else who did not have a place to go for the holidays. If you ask me, this concept perfectly lives up to the spirit of Thanksgiving: Spending time appreciating our bounty, breaking bread and being with your community - whoever that community may be. 

A Misfit Thanksgiving is inspired by the fact that family can be found anywhere and often has little to do with blood.

My Misfits have regular meetings, training schedules, group by-law and even t-shirts. But at the core, we’re really just a group of men from all walks of life finding common purpose out on the trail - and prioritizing our mental and physical health while we’re out there. Our group mantra has informally become a quote by John Muir, included below. We say it often and we mean it. 

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity.”  - John Muir

I’m so excited for you to learn more about the Misfits during this episode of Outside Insights - I think everyone can take value away from our discussion. Maybe you’ll even see a little of yourself in one of their stories. During the podcast, I’ll guide the discussion as you hear from Mark, the founder of the Misfits, Jack the retired photographer and resident botanist who can outhike all of us, Chris (the other Chris), our master chef and resident gearhead, and Ray, the guy who never sits down and guarantees us a campfire most of the time. 

Some fast facts about the Misfits:

1. We have 30 plus trips accomplished since 2007 including the White Mountains, John Muir Trail, Mount Rainier, and every backpacking loop you can think of from Georgia to New Hampshire,
2. We are section hiking the Appalachian Trail although we need to pick up our pace.
3. We all have a love for gear and it keeps getting lighter. My pack went from 50 pounds to 32 over 30 years!
4. We met over service, three of us were Rotarians and love the outdoors.
5. Bourbon is the Misfit Celebration beverage of choice!

And, I’ll leave you with a couple other quotes from John Muir. It’s nearly impossible to choose just one. 

Hap

As many of you know, I’m a proud Delawarian. There’s nothing I enjoy more than watching our local businesses thrive. When a business’s core mission is helping other Delawarians thrive, well, I’m sold.

In this episode of Outside Insights, I sit down with Desa Burton, Executive Director of Zip Code Wilmington, a nonprofit coding bootcamp. Zip Code Wilmington provides adults with intensive software developer training, with no college degree requirements. In turn, the program helps build tech talent pipelines for employers in the Wilmington region.

Many Zip Code students see dramatic boosts in their income after completing the program. This lifts up individuals and families while also benefiting the Wilmington community.

During our chat, Desa shared her own career journey, from graduating the US Naval Academy and serving as a Surface Warfare Officer, to earning a law degree and working in intellectual property, and eventually, leading Zip Code Wilmington.

Of course, I had to dig into Desa’s leadership philosophies. She discussed the importance of empowering her team to help them grow, which she links back to lessons learned from mentors in the military.

Other key topics we discuss in this episode of Outside Insights include; taking care of yourself to avoid burnout, overcoming inertia to embrace change, and continually developing new skills.

If you’re a burgeoning entrepreneur with an idea, someone interested in learning new skills, or you just want to learn more about businesses doing good in Delaware communities, this episode is for you.

Reply and let me know what topics you’d like to hear next on the podcast!

Until next time, friends.

Chris

Zip Code Wilmington:

• Website: https://www.zipcodewilmington.com
• Email: info@zipcodewilmington.com

Books mentioned:

• A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink
• Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
• Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

In this episode Outside Insights, I sat down with Nick Wilkinson, Founder and CEO of Wilkinson Advisory services. Prior to launching his own consulting firm, Wilkinson built a successful career spanning various industries and has collected multiple hats over the years, including CEO, entrepreneur, author, and filmmaker – more on that later.

Nick and I go way back. I first met Nick on the board of a non-profit when Nick was running a global IT firm. I was a young upstart on that board and I still recall the many business and life lessons I absorbed from him and many years later applied when I chaired the same organization.

In true Outside Insights fashion, we discussed Nick’s leadership philosophy, which he explains was shaped by his military background. Nick emphasized the value of servant leadership, where success is achieved through empowering and supporting others. This is a topic you know I’m already passionate about.

I always love catching up with Nick and not just because of his extensive leadership experience and stories of triumph and failures that we toss back and forth. No, what I enjoy most is Nick’s passion and the fact that he truly is a man of many talents.

Not many corporate CEOs can say they’ve also dabbled in scriptwriting and directing – but Nick can. During this episode of Outside Insights, we actually discussed one of Nick’s most exciting milestones yet, the launch of his short film, “The Fast Track Program”.

Inspired by his corporate career, the film encapsulates Nick’s personal anecdotes and lessons learned in a 12-minute story. “The Fast Track Program” is currently being submitted to film festivals, with upcoming plans for a public release.

With the little free time he has left, Nick cultivates his passion for cooking and soccer. In fact, his next creative endeavor, “Olde Boys,” is a soccer-related comedy centered around an old guys’ team from Pennsylvania. This reminds me of my own “old boys” hiking group, the Misfits.

I’m so excited to bring Nick’s story to you all today because it illustrates that your job is only one facet of life. You need to make sure to grow in other areas, too. You gravitate towards your passion for a reason – don’t ignore that call!

Until next time, friends.

Chris

Most people have a few, or a dozen, financial mistakes they look back on and really regret. For many,  becoming financial savvy is learned through trial and error and living with a few regrets from your younger years is all part of the process.

 Isn’t it ridiculous credit card companies send applications to 18 year old kids before they even graduate high school? With predatory practices everywhere you turn and lines of credit increasingly accessible - it’s all too easy to make a few blunders, right? Well, a recent Outside Insights guest is on a mission to help prevent this.

 In this episode of Outside Insights, I sit down with Mark Olazagasti, a first generation entrepreneur and lifelong Delawarean. Mark recently retired from his role of managing partner at Info Solutions, an IT infrastructure consulting and managed services company he co-founded.

 During our chat, Mark got transparent around his personal experiences with finances. He was raised by a single mother who struggled financially, started a business during the Great Recession and learned tough lessons about debt after making mistakes that many people have before, like buying furniture before being paid.

 Now, through his nonprofit YourMoney101, Mark advocates for personal finance to be taught in all Delaware high schools. He also personally provides financial mentoring and education to individuals and companies. As a father to two young people and someone who has learned from past financial mistakes, I think this mission is all too important.

 In this episode, you’ll hear:

- Mark's origin story and lessons learned from starting a business

- Why Mark was inspired to advocate for personal finance education in schools

- Common money and debt mistakes people make

- The importance of tracking income vs expenses

- Managing psychology around money decisions

- Book recommendations for learning about personal finance - include a list below as well for easy reference!

 Mark’s Budgeting Spreadsheet

Mark’s Credit Card Debt Payoff Calculator Spreadsheet

 Book Recommendations from a finance wiz:

The Index Card: Why Personal Finance Doesn't Have to Be Complicated by Helaine Olen and Harold Pollack

The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness by Morgan Housel

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson

We’re going to start this one with a question: How was success defined for you when you were 18? 

For many, the definition of success was likely narrowly defined as “study hard and make it into a great university”. 

Many of us today can agree that this definition is limiting. Thankfully, in recent years more and more job descriptions are shifting their degree requirements and instead honing in on “years of related experience” or technical expertise.

In our latest episode of the Outside Insights podcast, I talk Brian Matthew Rhodes, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary at Opportunity@Work.

Opportunity@Work’s is a really neat organization that’s on a mission to rewire the labor market so that everyone Skilled Through Alternative Routes, or STARs, can work, learn, and earn to their full potential. 

In other words, a four-year degree isn’t the only path to success. At Placers, we’re proud to help job seekers with diverse backgrounds and experience levels find work, so of course we’ve been big fans of Opportunity@Work for a while.

During our talk, Brian provided eye-opening perspectives on how degree requirements can disadvantage certain groups and why skills-based hiring makes sense, especially given the current labor shortages. Opportunity@Work has conducted research that highlights the on-the-job potential of STARs and points to them as a solution for broadening talent pools with great candidates that would otherwise be overlooked.

Here are a the key takeaways from this episode:

• Opportunity@Work pushes for skills-based hiring so those without degrees have equal opportunities.
• There are ~70 million American "STARs" skilled through bootcamps, certifications, and military service.
• Research shows “STARs” are disproportionately people of color, women, vets, and rural workers. Hiring STARs helps uphold businesses critical commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion. 
• With today's labor shortages, expanding talent pools beyond degrees just makes business sense.
• Brian shares his “5 fingers of success” and explains why he would tell his 21-year old self to be patient - a reminder I think we could all use.
• How learning from younger generations and diverse viewpoints helps fosters workplace inclusion.

At Outside Insights, we’re all about changing the status quo and coloring outside the lines. By embracing STAR’s in the workplace, we can create a more skills-focused and inclusive workforce that empowers all talents to thrive - and I think that’s something we should all embrace.

If you were 18 today, would you consider alternative routes to a four-year university? Reply and let me know. Let’s discuss. 

Until next time, 

Chris

I’m blessed to have many people in my circle that inspire me and push me to become a better version of myself every day just through their example. Some of these people are close to me, like my wife or my father. 

Others, I’ve met throughout the seasons of life and am honored to have them in my network - cheering one another on as we reach new milestones. One of these people is Dr. Colleen Perry Keith, the president of Goldey–Beacom College in Wilmington and recent Outside Insights podcast guest. 

Colleen welcomed me into her office shortly after becoming President and we engaged immediately in talks of leadership, higher education and all things business.  During the pandemic I had the honor of being the commencement speaker for the College and Colleen had to listen to me at least six times with each graduation ceremony.  I have linked here as the message fits our conversation.

During our talk, Colleen shared her inspiring journey, from her early career experiences to her current role as a college president, offering valuable insights into personal growth, mentorship, and leading integrative lives. All in all, the lessons she shared really highlights one critically important value of Outside Insights: Authentic leadership.

In this episode, you’ll discover: 

• Colleen’s career journey and the lessons she learned along the way, including the importance of having mentors who guide and support professional growth. 
• Why adaptability and seizing opportunities to learn and expand one's skill set are crucial for success.
• The importance of continuous learning, building relationships within the higher education industry, and Colleen’s unique perspective on effective leadership.
• And of course, in true Outside Insights fashion, the importance of balancing different aspects of life, such as family, career, and personal interests, is emphasized.

Save this podcast for your next morning commute or start it now. You won’t want to miss Colleen’s lessons for personal and professional development as you reflect on your own journey and consider ways to cultivate growth and balance in your life.

Until next time, friends. 

Chris

Get ready to join Chris Burkhard as he hosts a conversation with Steven Pivnik, a total boss in both business and endurance sports. They dive into Steven's journey, where his love for adventure, hustling, and being financially independent all come together.

Steven's background as an endurance athlete paved the way for his entrepreneurial pursuits. Prepare to uncover the secret sauce that ties together his athletic feats and business ventures. It's all about pushing your limits, bouncing back from setbacks, and keeping that unbeatable drive for success alive.

But it's not all business and success. Prepare to delve into the power of laughter, relationships, and spirituality in living a truly fulfilling life. Steven shares his insights on how embracing joy paved the way for both personal and professional success.

Steven also shared how he is taking on even more endurance challenges and chasing after those unfinished goals. To learn even more pick up Steven's book "Built to Finish” and  follow Steven’s adventure blog and sign up to receive book updates on www.stevenpivnik.com. "

Servant leader Rob Eppes said he believes that an entrepreneurial soul is something most business owners are born with; Outside Insights Podcast Host Chris Burkhard laughed and agreed during this week’s episode.

An upbringing that “points to the horizon,” looks to “what can be” and asks, “How can we make it better?” nurtures an entrepreneurial spirit. These are some of the pillars of Junior Achievement (JA), the worldwide nonprofit that “connects students to their boundless possibilities.”

JA teaches students how to develop their inner entrepreneur and fiscal literacy which allows them to identify skills and interests that lead to a pathway of success, said Eppes, President, JA of Delaware. He discovered JA at a young age, as did Burkhard. They realized early on that JA gave them permission to lead. “It’s how people responded to me that made me want to lead,” said Eppes. “Working with a team gave me that organic experience.” As years passed, both men eventually sat on their local JA Board together and learned how volunteering honed their business acumen while helping youths.

JA and skill-building go hand in hand, said Eppes, adding that the “sweet spot” of the nonprofit shines a light on soft skills such as social and emotional learning as it relates to employability. “It develops confidence and motivation,” said Eppes. The workforce today isn’t adequately ready for the workplace, added Burkhard, who advocated for the JA experience which prepares students how to: listen and talk, debate professionally without getting offended, and participate in a team setting.

A JA alumni survey revealed: 

• 91% said their JA experience motivated them to learn.
• 84% said JA influenced their positive professional development.
• 81% said JA influenced their career path.
• 80% said they find their work fulfilling.

“Only 25% of average Americans say they’re in their dream career,” noted Eppes. “ Sixty-nine percent of JA alums say they’re in their dream career. They’re where they want to be where they are.”

To learn more about where you wan to be and how to get there, order "Opposite The Crowd" by Placers' Presidents and Founders Alan and Chris Burkhard. The audio version is available now. The print and eBook versions will be available in early summer.

Listen to this entire interview to learn more about JA and hear about the importance of timing in career-making decisions and how to navigate control in life and the workplace. Click on the image.

For more information about JA of Delaware, go to: delaware.ja.org.

Entrepreneurs solve the right problem. What is the right problem? It’s a problem that leads to building a method to make money.

Gain clarity on lessons of entrepreneurship by listening to this week’s podcast featuring University of Delaware’s Senior Instructor of Entrepreneurship Vince DiFelice. When he and Placers President Chris Burkhard exchanged humbling stories of lessons learned, both men revealed vulnerable accounts of failures that ultimately led to long-term success.

“You have to give yourself permission to be human, not superhuman,” said DiFelice. “Doing good and helping people used to be mutually exclusive,” but that’s not how it is in the present, he explained. Now, entrepreneurship is all about problem-solving in a growth market that leads to change and improvement while turning a profit.

“Entrepreneurs are leaders who assist others in finding direction,” said DiFelice, adding that entrepreneurship is “tutorial and pastoral.”

In his current role, DiFelice helps students identify an interest, then asks them to create a list of the growth markets where the interest fits. After that, they measure the size of the market in dollars. He asks students to focus on a problem in that market and figure out how to fix the problem. "It's a means of discovery that leads to entrepreneurship in an industry that they care about," he said. "I teach students to find their direction. Through market fit, they figure themselves out."

To hear this episode that literally delivers the step-by-step “how to” of identifying market fit and capturing it, click on the image.

Have fun listening to Dave Raymond, the original Phillie Phanatic mascot and author of  “The Power of Fun,” and Placers President Chris Burkhard as they remove the stigma from fun in the workplace. 

Sharing positivity in life and in the workplace “turns off negative brain biases,” explained Dave during this hour-long podcast that takes a deep dive into powerful and positive mindsets that translate into “pathological empathy.” Fun, he said, is a misunderstood word that most people use when they describe activities in their “off time.” Powerful fun is different. It shifts fun to a skill set to use in the “worst of times” – whether those bad times are on or off the clock.

Fun is a value-added tool that enables us to manage personal and workplace life. “It’s simple by design but difficult to master,” said Dave, adding that science proves fun is related to longevity and improves quality of life. Powerful fun is an important part of life and creates an understanding of self.

“It brings a different mental state to manage life,” he said. "Think about fun like everything else that’s worthwhile and that we express gratitude for – waking up, breathing, walking, tasting, seeing, and hearing." 

The power of fun starts with learning how to enjoy what we’re doing and the willingness to try. It starts with refreshing our perspectives and shouldn't be underestimated. This reimagined mindset moves us from setting ourselves up to get dumped on, to reframing conversations that shift people to sharing positivity. It embraces empathy and active listening to nurture communication and relationships – and can even save lives.

Take the time to listen to this touching and transparent podcast between two, longtime friends who remind each other that fun IS everything it’s cracked up to be – and more!

For mental health services for yourself or someone you know, call or text Suicide & Crisis LIFELINE at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Editor’s note: A special thank you goes out to Steve and Lainey Miller for their contributions to Outside Insights new audio branding. Also, technical difficulties were experienced during this episode. Dave and I decided to include those challenges in podcast. Enjoy the unedited version with all the real feels. Thank you.

On the perpetual journey to entrepreneurial leadership and growth, the ability to be nimble is key. Success doesn’t come overnight, but keep the grind going and take the licks. That’s entrepreneurship. 

On this week’s podcast, Rob Herrera, architect, real estate developer, entrepreneur, and founder of The Mill, and Placers President Chris Burkhard, warn that entrepreneurs shouldn’t scale for the sake of scaling, especially during economic uncertainty. Growth, they agree, should be market-driven.

By all reports, small business exploded during the pandemic and carried the economy – more so than big business. That’s enlightening news for entrepreneurs. In fact, big business, which struggled during the public health crisis, experienced such an eye-opening experience, it’s now adopting small business operating models and philosophies. More good news for entrepreneurs!

One of the newer, small business operating models like shared work spaces is a flex solution that contributes to entrepreneurial synergy, networking, and relationship building. “Co-working space is a shared work environment centered around a community of entrepreneurs,” explained Rob, adding that as a human-centered design, co-work spaces bring culture to life while nurturing collaboration and enticing employees to embrace return to office orders.

The Mill, the brainchild of Herrera, is a booming and aesthetically pleasing repurposed workspace with two locations — one in Wilmington, DE, and the other in Springfield, PA. Herrera took both from ghosted, blighted locales to thriving, flex workspaces. This growing trend in innovative community redevelopment that benefits small business operations is spreading nationwide because it navigates entrepreneurs through planned growth and allows for market-driven uncertainty.

Enjoy this episode’s banter while these Delaware OGs target the significance of entrepreneurial discipline and innovative repurposing in communities and its impact on the labor market.

There is a balance shift between employers who are used to being in control of the workplace dynamic and employees who gained control of it during the pandemic. It’s headlining news and it’s the through-line of this week’s episode of Outside Insights between Placers’ President Chris Burkhard and Placers’ Founder and seriel entrepreneur Alan Burkhard.

Traditionally, employers set the ground rules, the conditions of employment. It’s been that way for the last century. During the pandemic, the construct and definition of "workplace" was reimagined. Hybrid workspaces and remote work became the norm. These new workspace operating models enabled employers to successfully continue in an unprecedented era.

But now, the pandemic and its infection rates are slowing and employers are signaling that they want to return to traditional workplace models. Employees who have been working in hybrid or remote situations are balking. It’s a power struggle that needs to be managed effectively in the United States as we move forward. 

Disney, Starbucks, Vanguard, Paycom, and News Corp are among the big players issuing return to work orders (RTOs). They are among the mainstream companies sending employees RTOs. Companies are increasingly becoming more emboldened. The workforce, which had the upper hand during the pandemic, isn’t as confident as it was in the last two years, and it doesn't know how to navigate this newest curveball.

Do employees know how to hold onto to their new-found power? Should they? Are job agents needed  to navigate careers? These and other profound hypotheses constitute this week's maverick crosstalk. They may be groundbreaking, but so is the current job market!

Listen to this insightful exchange between Placers’ thought leaders who grapple with the workplace’s path forward and how the behavior of individuals are impacting company behaviors. It's the newest twist in this power grab that was originally discussed in Outside Insights Episode #9: History Repeats Itself: The Power of the Job Seeker.

“When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for,  just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need  to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else.”

Author, Toni Morrison

Is your company culture by chance or is it by design?

The BEST companies in the world understand just how important their culture is and how much impact it has. They don’t leave culture to chance. Instead, they’re purposeful, intentional, and systematic in the creation and development of their culture.

Culture: chance or design? It’s the resounding through-line of this Outside Insights Podcast between Placers President Chris Burkhard, and CultureWise Founder and CEO David Friedman. The intriguing exchange between these culturally driven servant leaders compels listeners to pivot and adjust.

A systematic way of creating and sustaining a high-performing culture is fundamental to success. Structured processes for creating rituals and routines so they become embedded habits give aspiring enterprises a competitive advantage. It’s not what an organization does. It’s how it does it. 

Listen to learn how to dramatically improve the probability of success by clearly defining expectations and then implementing a structured and systematic way to teach these behaviors.

“Good companies have good cultures by chance. World-class companies have cultures by design.”

Culture by Design by David Friedman 

You’ll glean valuable information and smile too when listening to lifelong friends, colleagues, and authors Eric Herrenkohl and Chris Burkhard during this week's episode of Outside Insights Podcast as they discuss:

• staying in front of workplace challenges
• finding “A Players”
• developing personally and professionally
• gaining congruence between personal and professional “self”
• benefiting from hyper focus

The philosophies shared in each of their books are similar, but not identical. “How To Hire A-Players” by Herrenkohl and “Opposite The Crowd” by Burkhard connect “human capital dots.”

Listen to this fun and inspirational podcast that’s bound to impel listeners to step outside their comfort zones to aspire to their next level. Learn the nuances that lead to success.

Culture driven is the philosophy of a planned way of thinking that guides your professional and personal life, according to Alan and Chris Burkhard, authors of “Opposite The Crowd.”

In their new book, the Burkhards deep dive into creating the culture-driven life you want, with no limitations, where risk is rewarded and where the results are game changing. Living a culture-driven life closes the gaps naturally between who we are and who we can be. It’s a thorough, complete, sophisticated approach to every single thing humans do.

In the audio version of the book, which is available soon, listeners gain value-based knowledge that leads to understanding the culture-driven mindset – a way of thinking that powers everything we do and combines career thinking with life thinking.

“Opposite The Crowd” is a series of impactful conversations about the worth of investing time for yourself to know who you are so you are prepared to withstand anything and everything that comes at you – professionally and personally.

Gain the freedom to create your own way of living. There’s no reason why work-life thinking can’t be the same as family-life thinking. They align. Why shouldn't they? It’s all about culture and learning who we are.

In present, professional networking spaces, “careful, cautious, methodical relationship building” is the through-line of purposeful networking, said Megan Roudebush, founder, keepwith, an enterprise platform that helps the world network and build relationships better. In this week’s Outside Insights Podcast, Megan explained that sustainable networking requires reciprocity. She offers five, trending networking processes that deliver professional and personal support. It’s key to nurture relationships “even when you don’t need anything,” she noted.

This week’s Outside Insights is the deep dive providers need to uncover on point, now- networking precepts – everything from quality (over quantity) to leveraging micro steps! What are those? Listen and find out how new technology and keepwith are key to genuine networking for positive outcomes.

Author Ed Wallace, in this week's Outside Insights Podcast, shares a personal, family story that illustrates it's not always formal training and education that shifts career-changing moments to meaningful work. Worthy intentions with a conscience create profound thought leadership strategies that facilitate workplace processes. Ed Wallace's book, "The Relationship Engine," and the steps detailed in it, spotlight connections -- how to make them, grow them, nurture them, and maintain them through nuances. If you're trying to find the magic to prosper in 2022 and forward, listen to learn about connections between purpose and performance.

By taking the time to learn intricacies and nuances about clients, a provider masters how to anticipate clients' needs. Insightful problem-solving measures demonstrate YOUR level of concern for THEIR needs. Watch your results and profits grow when you care about clients and it's obvious to them that you do!

Until next time,
Chris

Great leaders will allow their team to fail—or at least risk failure. Now that I have your attention, let me explain.

Instead of determining the paths of others, perhaps the best thing to do is let people make their own choices. This empowering philosophy is tough, but giving choices to those in more junior roles that creates critical development opportunities. 

This is a topic that Alan Burkhard, my dad and Outside Insights podcast regular, discusses in our latest episode. This is the last of our twelve-part e-book series called “Opposite The Crowd,” which encapsulates a lifetime of lessons that help others close their personal and professional gaps.

Those in authoritarian positions do what’s right for subordinates, or at least what they think is right for them. The issue is, learning doesn’t always occur through following others’ mandated rules, expectations, or ideals. Instead, the most important learning happens when up-and-comers are given the opportunity to discover what they want their journey to look like for themselves through trial and error—they will ultimately discover who they are.

Mentoring is different from hovering. Mentorship provides direction that leads to empowerment. Mentors and mentees understand the value of empowerment: Teach, then step back so confidence-building independence and responsibility unfold.

In 2022, this is a scary proposition. There are an infinite number of external influences that can thwart the best intentions for successful independence. Look at headlining news. But if the aim is authentic and backable, positive outcomes, more likely than not, will result.

The key topics discussed in our latest podcast are: 

• Empowerment
• Freedom to choose
• Learning from mistakes
• Independence
• Support
• Mentorship

Allow others to discover what they like, what they don’t like, what they want, what they don’t want, to fail, to rebound, to try again, and to keep trying until their version and vision of success is attained. Then allow them to go back, refine it, and do it again and again. And while you're at it, don’t forget to allow this freedom for yourself.

Every chapter of Outside Insights’ upcoming e-book “Opposite the Crowd”,  is shared by the Burkhards with a vulnerable and transparent storytelling sensibility that navigates relationships with stakeholders. The lessons are guided by a care philosophy: To be who you want to be, you must know who you are.

Hello,

 This next Outside Insights podcast is one that I am very excited for our community to listen and learn from. For this episode, I sat down with Todd Bavol, CEO of Integrity Staffing, a firm that has won Clearly Rated’s Best of Staffing Award for five consecutive years. I am proud to call Todd a friend.

Todd is someone who has quite literally pulled himself up by the bootstraps to achieve what he has today. He started out 30 years ago as a temporary staffing employee, developed skills as a recruiter for a small agency and eventually gave into the entrepreneurship bug and started his own staffing company­—and the rest was history. If only it was that easy, right? Like all entrepreneurs, Todd’s journey had its fair share of challenges that called on him to think bold, get creative and also develop a strong appreciation for vulnerability.

Throughout his journey, Todd has developed and refined key leadership lessons that we discussed during our call. While sitting down to speak with Todd for this episode, I couldn’t help but see the parallels between Todd’s leadership style and the Outside Insights mindset that we speak about frequently here. Typically, when we catch up, Todd and I discuss workforce trends and sometimes reminisce on our entrepreneurship journeys. Rarely, if ever, have we discussed the importance of vulnerability and carving out mindful minutes for yourself—turns out Todd also swears by the benefits of meditation for being your best self.

I’m excited for you to listen to this podcast for a number of reasons. A key reason being that the leadership lessons that Todd highlights perfectly complement the lessons I’ve been sharing through Outside Insights for years. In the podcast, we discuss:

1)    The importance of vulnerability when leading others.

Vulnerability is often overlooked when it comes to developing high-performing teams, but it also happens to be one of the most important characteristics a team could have. A vulnerable leader is one that isn’t afraid to not have all the answers. They hire people they trust and then get out of the way. They’re upfront about their challenges but know how to keep morale high all the same. Which brings us to point #2…

 2)    Building an intentional culture built around trust and authenticity.

 Authentic leaders know how to foster trust at all levels of the business. They’re confident and assured but know that their success is entirely dependent on the satisfaction of their teams. It is a leader’s job to establish their team’s culture—building one where individuals feel safe to be themselves, make honest mistakes and grow is key to making sure that culture is positive.

 3)    Why you should pick one new short-term goal and stick to it.

 Leaders should always strive to be better than the day before. I’ve talked a lot about the concept of knowledge leadership and that comes into play here. A great leader is always reading through a new book with bold ideas, listening to podcasts, studying new leadership styles or even enlisting the help of a coach to help them bridge their gaps. No need to get overwhelmed, just take it one step at a time! It is most effective to pick a short-term goal that you can channel your energy into versus starting many projects all at once and never finishing. 

4)    Take time for yourself—and then take more time.

 Here’s the thing—leaders are human! And humans need to hit pause. A burnt-out leader doesn’t do anyone any favors and you owe it to yourself and your team to show up every day as the best version of you. Find a balance in life and hold yourself accountable for maintaining that balance. Mindfulness exercises and meditation are helpful for Todd and I, but you can try out a number of things to find a unique balance that works for you. Start today—even if it’s just for fi

A culturally driven work environment starts with a mindset that bonds life thinking with career thinking. This is a concept that serial entrepreneur and Outside Insights regular, Alan Burkhard, discussed during our latest podcast chat - the last in his 12-part leadership series. I summarize our discussion on culture-driven mindsets below. Be sure to click the graphic to listen and learn from Alan’s storied entrepreneurship journey. 

So, what is a culturally driven mindset in business?

Business owners wholly benefit when they operate under an intentional and authentic culture. Defining this culture starts with questions like:

Who are we as a company? 

1. What do we want to be known and respected for?
2. How do we add value to everything we do? 
3. How do we make the intangible, tangible? 
4. And then, how do we identify “the how” that gets us to these answers in the first place?

The deep dive into these questions and their answers requires authenticity that’s immersive so the culturally driven mindset melds personal and professional domains. It’s an organic fusion that’s inseparable. It’s not enough to say words that describe the concept, it must be lived. 

When business leaders become immersed in a culturally driven mindset, there are no limitations. They become risk takers and agents of change who empower others through knowledge and knowledge produces distinct, desired outcomes.

The culturally driven mindset is reflective and universal – it never becomes outdated because it’s not a product or a service. It’s a humbling approach, an agile perspective, that embraces  collaboration, not control – and it can be scary because it forces leaders to recognize their gaps. Recognizing our gaps and seizing the opportunity they illuminate is what the Outside Insights community is all about.

It's value-perceived thinking that results in thriving business. It’s “Culture of One'' learning which brings us full circle: How do you work and how do you live? It requires an investment in yourself. It’s a synthesized work-life construct.

Whether you run a business or not, everyone can define and model their individual culture values that they’ll lead with in the workplace. How would you describe your personal culture values? How do you bring these values with you every day? Reply and let me know.

Until next time, friends.

Chris

Let’s face it, the general concept of “selling” has developed a bad rap over the years. We all hate to be sold to. If I asked you to picture a salesperson right now, what image would come to mind? Most people likely have the same exaggerated caricature of a person pop up.

In recent years, the selling landscape has significantly changed as customer expectations mount in a globally competitive landscape. For salespeople, there is more at stake, less time to make a great impression and less room for error. Unfortunately, this can often mean less time is spent on building relationships in favor of getting right to the point.

 But the truth is, selling is actually a lot easier than its reputation might have you believe. It’s just that very few people are taught how to do it well. In college, for example, there are very few classes that teach you directly about making a sale. And frankly even if there were, nothing beats the experience that comes from actually talking to a prospective customer anyways. Up and coming salespeople are often thrown to the wolves to figure it out on their own. 

 Selling is personal for me. I’ve built my businesses not by simply striving to make a sale by asking hollow questions, but by building relationships - this is what is referred to as solutions based vs consultative selling. 

 When I talk with a potential customer, I strive to learn their challenges - all of them, not just the ones that I can directly fix. I observe them. I offer my ideas and advice. I get to know them as people. This relationship-first and consultative approach is how I sold for my dad and how I have built my businesses from the ground up. Without this approach, Placers would not be what it is.

 I’m grateful to my dad for teaching me much of what I know about sales and business in general. As with all of the other Outside Insights episodes where Alan lent his insight, I am very excited for our community to learn from him again. In this podcast, Alan discusses:

• The history of sales
• How to do consultative sales and sell the right way
• Four things that will help you sell differently
• Great real life stories of enterprise-level wins that you won’t want to miss

This topic is a must for any entrepreneur. Even if you don’t opt to listen to the podcast, please read up on consultative selling and consider how your own approaches can be adjusted. Sales doesn’t have to be a dirty word - we just need to put people back at the center of business. 

Until next time, friends. 

Chris

Greg Star is part of a dynamic team and co-founder of Carvertise, a nine-year young advertising business that offers a unique channel: ads on cars. Greg, along with his partner Mac, have been a shining example of hard work, trial and error, sheer will and grit. Greg and Mac simply get stuff done. They experiment, learn fast, scale and then fail, learn and grow some more. They went from a seed of an idea formulated as college students at the University of Delaware to a firm that now has a presence in major markets nationwide.

Today, Carvertise is an Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Company, with over 1,000 branded vehicles currently wrapped in campaigns for brand partners such as Netflix, 7-Eleven, WaWa, DraftKings and Buffalo Wild Wings. Brands like the exposure and visibility and a database of over 500,0000 drivers can get paid to wrap their cars and drive. Today, Carvertize continues its scaling journey and is well on its journey to becoming a mid-market company juggernaut.

One of my favorite aspects of Greg and Mac is that they share their story out loud for others to learn and be inspired from. All of Delaware, from government officials, entrepreneurs, service providers, friends, whomever, wildly cheers them on. Secretly, I think many people wish they could trade places and live their life for a day. To feel the rush that comes from taking risks and celebrating the pains and joys of entrepreneurship.

I first worked with him while I was the Chair of Junior Achievement (JA) of Delaware and Greg was developing new markets for JA services. And like Carvertise, he learned quickly, took action and got stuff done. Greg had built relationships in a new marketplace and had learned to understand key issues local businesses were facing all while offering JA as a possible solution. Cecil county still uses JA in the classroom today. Keep in mind, at the time I personally had been trying to get JA in classrooms for years and years. I consider Greg a friend and was honored that he shared his insight with our community in my latest Outside Insights podcast.

As you give our conversation a listen, you will hear in Greg someone who has achieved and quickly learned alot about human relations and business. Listen to learn:

- The key lessons Greg has learned while growing a business
- How he views failure
- How building and maintaining relationships is key to success
- A new perspective for navigating the lean startup years, growth years, scaling pains.

Folks, Greg’s honesty in sharing his life challenges give me hope that every year should be the year to try sh*t. Crazy ideas that you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t had the time or resources to make it happen. Challenge yourself to make it happen anyways. Outside Insights helps you close your gap by hearing how other mere mortals have done it, and Greg has closed more gaps than most people do in their lifetime.

All of us will know Carvertise some day.

Until next time friends,

Chris

Welcome to the latest episode of Outside Insights Podcast # 17.   I recently interviewed a mentor, a friend, a customer and an exceptional leader, Fran DiNuzzo. Fran is an executive who has built his career around growing people and companies. 

I was honored that Fran took a break between is CEO responsibilities and Board of Advisor work to share his story and his ideas with the Outside Insights community. Fran cut his leadership path in Hewlett Packard, a leading manufacturer of computers and other information technology products that many of us know as HP. During his time at HP, Fran learned and now talks openly about the HP Way.

The HP Way is the company's philosophy - a guide for how it should operate, how employees should treat each other and how the organization should maintain its values as it grows. We’ve talked a lot about defining your personal values in Outside Insights, and a company is no different. For a company, markets and products will inevitably change, but the collective commitment to its core values should be unwavering. 

10 years ago, I gave a talk on profitable growth to Fran’s company. After the talk, he challenged me and candidly said that I had seemed off and not quite what he expected from me that day. His instinct was right - my company had experienced a big setback. Days earlier, our building had flooded, our server room ignited and I had to rebuild my presentation from scratch. I was a shell of myself. 

The problem was, rather than open with the truth, I stood in front of hundreds of people sleep deprived for more than two days, and I tried to fake it. It did not work. 

But two weeks later when I did the talk to another region it was immensely more effective - all thanks to Fran’s coaching.

So, what did I change? What did Fran teach me? 

After telling him about my string of bad luck that had resulted in the lackluster presentation, Fran smiled warmly and said “Then tell them your story. Share the whole thing. Get the crowd behind you. They can all relate one way or another.”

Then I realized, that in the end - being able to empathize and relate to another human is where the real magic is. Where real connections are created and where inspiration can be found. That’s part of my inspiration around Outside Insights!

When I opened up for that next talk, I relaxed, put my walls down, was authentically myself - and that was the most comfortable I’ve ever felt as a speaker.

Similar to my experience with Fran, I’m positive you’ll learn something valuable by listening to this podcast. Fran discusses:

His leadership philosophy and how he develops others and Pays it Forward.

• His star model of driving business strategy down to results.
• The best advice I have ever heard on how to get re-energize yourself as a leader: Go talk to your people and find out what's working and what's not working for ideas and to add value.

If you enjoyed Frans story and lessons in leadership, I recommend listening to these past Outside Insights episodes: 

Podcast # 1 Lessons in leadership: Going against the Grain, Ralph Cetrulo

Podcast # 3, Lessons in Leadership:  Give your team the power to call the shots.

Yes, there is a “right way” to think…that “right way” just depends on the individual.

In Outside Insights, we often talk about defining your guiding values and understanding what your personal culture is. Society has guidelines for how we should act, the workplace has rules that we abide by to get paid, etc. But your personal values – those are ever-present in everything that you do. They guide every decision and inform every “gut feeling”. One of my guiding values is “Right Thinking”, a term coined by my father, Alan Burkhard.

Alan returns to Outside Insights as our guest for this week where he explains “Right Thinking” and how it’s benefited him in many facets of life.

For me Right Thinking acts as the map that helps me stay on course. That I am true to my purpose. And that it's easier when faced with life's challenges and opportunities if your foundation is figured out. 

At its core, Right Thinking is the idea that, while there is often no black and white right or wrong, decision – there is a right way of thinking, and this way will help you reach the best decision for you. Right Thinking is about thinking and acting with integrity and in harmony with your personal values.

Because Right Thinking is informed by your own values – there is no one-size-fits all definition. But, Alan does share how you can define your own version of Right Thinking and the benefits that you can see after doing so.

A lifetime entrepreneur, Alan ends this week’s podcast by stressing the importance of Right Thinking, or value-based thinking, for leaders. This is especially important on the heels of recent headlines where CEOs have seemed to forget that empathy is a vital component of leadership (and for a company’s bottom line).

After you listen to this week’s podcast, reply and let me know what you think about this life and leadership lesson from Alan. Do you have a personal philosophy for living or leading? Let me know and we might feature you within a future article. We’re always looking for other perspectives from our Outside Insights community!

Until next time, friends.

Chris

When asked about Apple’s “overnight success”, Steve Jobs explained that it was 18 years in the making. Sometimes we make success look too easy and the real gold is in the lessons learned and the many mistakes we make on our way to reaching success. 

A decade and a half ago Rob Gilfillan and I found ourselves in a peer advisory group with many other early stage business founders. As young leaders, we were full of vim and vigor and our businesses took as much time or more as the young families we had started and were raising simultaneously. We always have had a lot in common: we were people driven leaders, led sales and marketing for our firms and we might have been a touch or two overconfident. We just knew we were going to grow our firms and become wildly successful. 

Fast forward to today and now I’m sitting with Rob to learn more about his incredible personal and business journey with his firm Cenero. Today Cenero is a large multi-region technology innovation firm- they design, build, service multimedia systems for a company's meeting rooms and office space. An already in demand service, now front and center with work-from-home and hybrid arrangements now in vogue. Check out this week’s episode of Outside Insights where Rob shares his journey, his failures and his lessons learned so that our community can learn from them. 

Listen in to hear more about:

• How Rob discovered his business model and customer base through a core customer that was a great mentor.
• How Rob’s approach to work and health has evolved, how necessary sacrifices paid off and how success gives us choices.
• Rob's definition of success as a “Famillionaire”. It might be a borrowed phrase, but to Rob, success is defined by much more than awards and money.
• The benefits of a company culture that allows for and learns from failure.
• If you ever wanted to start a company and wondered how a founder deals with the early lean years when Sundays bring on the worry of payroll and how they got to 60M and beyond, then Rob’s story is worth the listen!
• What it takes to work on your business and not in it.

PS - Rob recommends a gem of an app called Headway. The app includes short summaries of popular business books. As a reader and knowledge guy, I am hooked! I suggest you check it out too if you always wish you had more time in the day to finish your reading list.

There is one truth for all entrepreneurs – success depends on who you have in your corner.

There are the well-known characters: your co-pilots in business, dedicated team, and cheerleaders at home who make up your personal army.

Then, there are the characters who get less fanfare but whose role isn’t any less critical: the vendors that you partner with.

In this week’s Outside Insights podcast, I had the absolute pleasure of talking with Ami Kassar, founder and CEO of MultiFunding and trusted advisor to growth-focused business leaders. Recently, Ami released his new book, The Growth Delimma, for entrepreneurs navigating the challenges of scaling up. I encourage you to check it out!

Essentially, Ami is a “growth guru” for small businesses and someone that I have learned a lot from over the years.

In the podcast, we discuss:

- How MultiFunding helped their clients withstand the frontlines of the pandemic.

- How they’re looking at current events to help their clients prepare for the unknowns of the future.

- The importance of investment expenditures

- Final thoughts from one entrepreneur to another:

- You don’t have to deal with jerks – it’s as simple as that.

- There is nothing more important than a good night's sleep. (This is for all my listeners who so often glorify burning the midnight oil at the expense of their health.)

- And a new take for Outside Insights: If you are comfortable with your current situation, there is no need to take unnecessary risks.

Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur, growing your seed of an idea, or new to entrepreneurship completely, this week’s episode provides nuggets that everyone can learn from. I encourage you to browse past episodes here to find a topic that speaks to you the most and to use my guest’s lessons to close your personal gap.

What guests would you like to see in future Outside Insights episodes? What topics do you want me to write about? Reply and let me know!

Until next time, friends.
Chris

Change agents have learned to embrace change, to plan for uncertainties and to recognize opportunities within challenges. They prefer to make something happen rather than to react when something happens to them. While we’re working towards this level of adaptability, most of us can’t say that we’re change agents - yet.  

In my humble opinion, the greatest skill gap I see in the workforce is knowing how to leverage change for positive and proactive good in all facets of one's life. At Placers, we work hard to teach the benefits of change and the transformation that takes place during periods of discomfort. 

It’s human nature to crave routine. We get comfortable and set in our ways. Change is hard and adapting to those uncomfortable feelings takes practice. 

Yes, it's a trite example, but do you remember when you started to work out for the Nth time? Before you had more energy and noticed your jeans fitting a little loser, you were downright sore, grumpy and ready to give up on more than one occasion. For a while there, change sucked. 

But we must change to grow - both individuals and businesses. The speed of the world, the pace of change keeps going faster and faster.  Imagine if you could become a student of change and learn to master it’s lessons - to flow with the waves of change instead of swimming against them.

Remember, Blockbuster had the chance to buy Netflix for a small price tag. Nokia used to lead the cell phone industry. And Yahoo declined to buy a small company named Google. They resisted change and missed out, big time.

What could you be missing out on because you’re resistant to change?

In this episode of Outside Insights, podcast regular, Alan Burkhard, explains 

• How to make something happen by mastering change
• Why no change is a failure
• How change and growth are linked together
• How the current speed of life requires us to move faster than ever
• How being a change agent might just be the most important topic to study, practice and master.

If there’s one key takeaway from this podcast that I hope you’ll remember and repeat to yourself whenever you’re weighing a tough decision, it’s this:

Status Quo = Good now, bad later

Status quo is comfortable but often fruitless - at least the good kind of fruit.

Change = Bad now, good later

Change is uncomfortable, but change is where progress lies. 

When were you teetering between the status quo and change? What decision did you make? Were you glad that you did? Reply and let me know.

Now, go off and make the bold change you’ve been wanting to make for years. There is no better time than the present. 

Until next time, friends.

Chris

Athletes, singers and actors/actresses have them. Performers spend all of their time honing their skills and perfecting their craft while someone else helps guide their career. They go to their career agent for advice, counsel, opportunities because they lack the know-how or the time to do it themselves. 

What about us mere mortals? Today's workforce and workplace realities are changing at a breakneck pace, and it's hard to manage one's own career alone.

Yet most of us do this for our whole careers - act as our own career agents. We must develop our skills, practice our craft, seek more knowledge AND we must keep our networking and career management. It's hard to be a good engineer, customer service person or supervisor, and to stay sharp on plotting out what jobs, classes and companies are best for you.

Why not refocus your lens on your career the way we all leverage other advisory/ agents for other life events?  

• We don't buy houses without any help (most of us, anyways).
• We don’t self-represent when a lawyer is best right?
• Few of us can do our own taxes or accounting. There is too much to keep in mind!

Listen as podcast regular Alan Burkhard dives deep into a rather simple yet radical concept: How to manage your career over a lifetime and select a profession that fits you.  

For today, think of Alan as your “career agent”. Then consider who else might be able to help you on your journey. 

Need help picking a career agent? Feel free to reach out to me and I will do my best to help you on your journey!

Until next time,

Chris

Group brainstorming sessions are usually the birthplace of a spark of an idea that turns into something big. Whether you’re discussing the next roll out with colleagues or deciding what to name the new family puppy while trying not to shut down the name “cupcake”.

While brainstorming, the first wave of responses are often narrow and incomplete. It takes time, and the group needs complete context and information to really engage and get creative. You have to work at it, and you have to go deep. You have to immerse yourself in the topic and gather all of the existing “knowledge” that you can on the topic. The real gems come when enough time is spent observing and thinking then is spent talking.

For this week’s podcast, I sat down with Outside Insights regular, Alan Burkhard to discuss the power of knowledge. The key to making good decisions in any aspect of life is having all of the facts. That might seem obvious at first run, but the truth is so many people are tied up with reaching “the next big thing” that they make decisions without truly understanding the topic. They don’t take the time to gather all of the knowledge that they need.

I know the clocks are ticking, we are junkies for action, and we feel pressed to get things done and make any decision. The next challenge in life is always building up and many of us just don’t think we have the time to really think on something.

In this podcast, you’ll learn about See, Think, Act and the steps that you should take before most decisions. We’ll also discuss the pitfalls of See, Act, Think – a common pattern for many of us in this fast-paced world. Here are the topics we’ll touch on:

• Understand the importance of gathering the right information
• Learn how to assess that information and decide if you have enough knowledge
• Understand that only then can you leverage what you know to create a solution or problem solve
• Know when and how to take action.

Speaking of taking action, let me know what your takeaways are for today's podcast. I often think that the simplest concepts can have the greatest game changing impacts on our lives. We often spend time working on and taking action on the wrong things –  what if you could change all of that? I think you can, we just have to change old habits. Start with See, Think, Act.

Until next time,

Chris

This week’s podcast is about investing in you. This requires you to get to know who you are. In a time of uncertainty, there is a substantial advantage to truly understanding yourself. The exercise below and the lessons in this podcast will help you develop your compass for your life map.

To begin this necessary work, try the exercise I’ve outlined below. Alan discusses this exercise more in depth in the podcast at minute marker 13:15. I encourage you to give it a listen.

“Culture of One” Exercise: Developing Your Life Map Compass 

1. Make sure you have at least one hour blocked off for this exercise. 
2. Go to your favorite spot, indoors or outdoors, wherever you like to spend time. If you can’t go there physically, imagine the most beautiful place in your mind.  
3. Go there alone, and don’t bring any of your devices with you. 
4. Instead, bring a pad of paper and something to write with. 
5. Select a topic from the list below. Or come up with a new topic. This will be your prompt for the rest of the exercise. 

Topics to start with (not limited to these): siblings, parents, job, employer, employees, religion, fears, passions, limitations, obstacles, emotions, risks, talents, health, education, hobbies, friends, relationships.

1. Write your topic down at the top of the page and then write down everything that comes to mind when you think about that topic.
2. Get all of your feelings and emotions out onto the paper. Even if the thoughts don’t make sense or don’t have a direct connection. Whatever pops into your mind, write it down!
3. Spend an hour, or two (or even a whole day) writing everything you think about these topics. 
4. Sleep on it. Then repeat the process the next day.
5. After you have a solid list going, analyze it. What themes come through? What connections can you make between the different themes? What thoughts resonate with you the most? What do you think they mean?
6. What could these themes tell you about your personal values? How can they help you define your authentic goals?
7. Insights do not come instantly or overnight.  Like any work with an advisor or counselor, insights and behavioral changes come with time. Perhap you nail one value to live by or make one goal for your life through this exercise. Consistent work on you will help you add to your plan, and with time, you will notice that decisions become easier as you live by your values and work towards authentic goals you have set for yourself.

What’s next? Make another list:

You’ve gotten to know yourself a bit better, now take this knowledge and apply it to your life and your relationships. Create another list of traits that you value and simple steps to bring these traits into your everyday life. 

• Example: be more direct, be truthful, share more about myself 
• Practice these traits in your daily interactions
• Try it, recognize small wins, build confidence, build the habit 

I often feel a real advantage in my life. I have clarity in decisions. Oftentimes, the answers are obvious to me when facing life and business challenges. I have worked hard at knowing who I am, I have defined my personal values. I know what I stand for. So when I bump into new people, ideas or challenges - I know what fits me.  I want this for the Outside Insights community. And I would love to hear if the tools in the podcast were helpful to you. Always feel free to share your stories with me by replying directly to this email. 

Until next time, friends. 

Chris

Welcome to Summer 2021, many have money to spend, time in their vacation banks and freedom to explore. If you're like me, and like many, taking time off has created genuine stomach churning angst. Thoughts like “I might miss something”, “I might look like I don’t care about my team or my company” can run wild. Our perspectives, around remaining safe as family and as businesses, have been front and center for more than a year. Now is the time to refresh, recharge and finally hug your faraway friends and families. The notion almost feels unfamiliar.

Time off does not mean you tune out completely. In fact, this is a great time to grab one of the many unread books and spend time on yourself. Book knowledge, podcasts, and videos all offer opportunities to do something for you and to grow your perspective and shift your mindset.

I like to look at history. To understand the why. It often helps explain how we got here today. In my line of work, oftentimes this means taking a deep look at workforce trends.

Right now, the workforce is in charge. Yet, many workers do not fully know it, nor do they know what to do with the upper hand. Many employees find themselves ill equipped to navigate the job search and effective career management steps.

150 years ago people largely worked for themselves. They were laborers, artisans, and entrepreneurs. Over the years, all of that changed as corporations got bigger and people enjoyed the security that came with a 9-5 job. Companies shepherded us along our careers from mailroom to retirement. Today, that seems to be changing again…

In this week's podcast I meet with Outside Insights Podcast regular, Alan Burkhard, as we unpack the history of work.

So grab your beach chair, charge your ear buds, and get ready to gain perspective on work and careers. Key points Alan and I covered are included below:

- How to leverage historical trends to figure out what's going to happen next
- What drove the industrial revolution and its impact on jobs, our lifestyles and our families
- See the shift in how our career identity shifted from the skills you had to where you worked - and now back again.
- There is a marketplace cycle. A country has resources, capital, labor and overtime government regulation, workplace safety, unions, employee tenure, etc. All of these contributed to improved earning power and quality of life. That is, until costs grow to the point of economic disadvantage and complacency sets in with new global competitors
- Impact of the global economy as the 1970’s shifted us to Technological Revolution
- Global competition and the shift away from a company’s role of “lifetime employer”
- Present day reality: We are all in charge of our own careers, who will be your agent?

Give a listen, take some notes, even journal your thoughts on this one. And as always, send along your ideas and responses. My company will proudly help any job seeker and business that asks for it through our Act of Kindness program detailed below. Click here to talk to a Placers coach free of charge.

Thanks for listening,

Chris

When I meet with successful leaders, I am drawn to their stories.

How did they get where they are? What lessons have they learned along the way? What can they teach me and my audience?

I recently completed a podcast episode with my close friend, Michelle Taylor. Michelle is industrious, smart, strategic, driven by the notion of always bettering herself as a leader and improving the business she runs. Michelle happens to run the United Way of Delaware, one of the largest not for profits in the state. She is simply masterful at working with and for each stakeholder in the business and the community her business serves.

All of us seem to know the United Way, yet we are all not quite sure what they do. In this week’s podcast, you’ll hear from Michelle about how they are making a difference and are doing more than just “saving babies”. While that is, very obviously, an amazing mission on it’s own, the United Way is supporting the community through the pandemic and championing diversity, equity and inclusion through meaningful partnerships, programs and relationships.

You’ll also learn about Michelle’s leadership journey. In her eyes, titles never mattered. She’s a leader because she wants to help the people she leads thrive and to make a real difference. Michelle will never brag about a good leader, however, when you interact with her, you know you’re interacting with a great leader who is fair, honest, and direct.

Michelle and I also discuss the important “why” questions: Why she comes to work every day and why her business exists. Defining your “why” is a great prompt for getting to know yourself, your motivations and what makes you truly happy. I’ve talked about getting to know yourself in my recent articles, and defining your “why” is a key part of that.

Through the years, Michelle and I have bonded while discussing change in business: the best way to navigate these changes and lessons learned over the years. We discuss these lessons within the podcast.

In the end, the conversation in this podcast is like every other one I have ever had with Michelle. We share ideas, work on business problems together, and study how business works and operates. We are always improving something. My hope is that you can find a nugget that resonates, inspires or just makes you think in this episode.

Until next time friends,

Chris

Close your eyes and imagine what life would be like if you woke up each day and lived life as if you had no limits? As if closing the between where you are and where you want to be was well within your reach.

The system of life keeps us “on the rails”. As we get older, we learn rules and expectations that keep us safe while we move through life's milestones. While these rules and expectations protect us, they also limit us over time.

Recently, I had the honor of speaking at Goldey-Beacom’s commencement ceremony for 2020 and 2021 graduates. When developing my speech, I asked myself what is the one thing that graduates should know as they set out on their next chapter. As I started writing, it was clear to me: rethinking life’s “limits” is a call to action that darn near everyone needs to hear.

The Outside Insights community was started to help people be the best version of themselves - the lessons are applicable to everyone, from CEOs to high-school seniors. For this week’s article and podcast, I’d like to share a few key takeaways from my commencement speech. 

Key takeaways:

1- I believe that most of us don’t know ourselves very well. Living an intentional life without limits requires us to spend more time striving to understand who we are, what we stand for, and what we want out of life. And not just what we think we should want - what we really, really want. If you don’t take the time to really get to know yourself, the world is going to decide your fate for you.

2- This is a knowledge economy and we are knowledge workers. I’m a big fan of this theory. At its core, it means that fulfillment and success come from being a life-long learner. Knowledge, in all its forms, gives us confidence, expands our skills, and gives us new perspectives that we can apply to every facet of our life. There is no final destination when it comes to learning. 

3- The definition of success is not one-size-fits-all. How do you define success?  Is it promotions and raises? Admiration? Family? Living your soul’s purpose? The coolest part of this question can also be the most stressful: There is no right or wrong answer!

 Many people strive to become successful without first understanding what will make them feel successful. Too many people get caught up in the rat race chasing the next big promotion only to feel completely unfulfilled and even depressed once they reach it. They look back and wish they would’ve spent some of those light nights enjoying a hobby or spending time with their growing family. To understand your definition of success, you need to first understand yourself (see point #1).

I hope that you feel energized after listening to the speech and motivated to redefine your limits, perhaps they are limits you didn’t realize were even there. I also hope that you understand how critically important it is to understand yourself - you’d be surprised how many people overlook this step as life rolls on. You’re always changing, take the time to get to know the person you’re growing into. If you find this message valuable, please pass the video, the podcast link, or this writing along. 

And, as always, your comments and thoughts are welcomed. And remember, the Placers Act of Kindness promise still stands strong - if we can ever assist you, just let me know.

Until next time, friends.

Chris

For this week’s podcast, I sat down with a long-time friend and consistent source of inspiration for me: Joe Clancy, owner of ST Publishing. In this podcast, Joe shares many lessons applicable for life and business. I’m confident you’ll find nuggets of wisdom that you can apply to your life today. 

It goes without saying that Joe is passionate about writing and regularly provides feedback on my own writing. For this edition of Outside Insights, I’m giving him the mic!

An introduction from Joe Clancy, owner of ST Publishing:

My friend Chris talks to me about business, frequently. He’s got ideas, opinions, thoughts (really good thoughts) and perspective. I listen, sometimes follow his suggestions and always soak in everything even if some little voice tries to tell me that none of it applies to me.

Of course, I’m wrong there. Advice from someone like Chris always applies, even to someone like me. 

My brother and I own a small publishing company that specializes in Thoroughbred horse racing. We’re the only full-time employees. There’s probably no way ST Publishing will ever “scale” up into something major, but we’ve been in business in one form or another since 1994 and there’s real value there for us. It was a part-time endeavor at the start, and focused on a newspaper about steeplechase racing. Steeplechase Times took us a long way, showed us we could actually do it, and we gradually added other projects, adapted to various changes in the world and we’re still at it in 2021 even if Steeplechase Times is no more. Instead, we focus on a summer newspaper about horse racing in Saratoga Springs, New York and a long list of other projects. The Saratoga Special started in 2001 and continues to be our flagship. In addition, we run a website thisishorseracing.com which is supposed to appeal to lifelong racing enthusiasts and newcomers alike; edit and write for the monthly Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred magazine; produce content for the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Association; and even sell a retail wall calendar to customers all over the world.

All this came to be because we liked horses and writing. Our father trained racehorses. Our mother’s father edited the Newark Post many years ago and later wrote about hunting and fishing for the Wilmington News-Journal. So I guess we combined two interests (loves?) and crafted a business. I can’t say it was by design. I was working for a small community newspaper. Sean was working with horses and riding races as a steeplechase jockey. We learned to sell advertising, do accounting, edit websites, deal with customers, navigate ever-changing economic conditions and so on. 

If there’s one certainty in business, it’s that nothing ever stays the same. Adapt, work hard, find something you like, do the best you can under whatever circumstances you’re dealing with, create something people enjoy and you’ll be served well – no matter the field.

Chris asked me to be a guest on his podcast (link here), to talk business, to explain (a little) about how we managed to do what we’ve done. It felt like all the other conversations we’ve had – two guys who lived (he moved) in the same neighborhood and who sent their kids to the same school talking shop. 

Now if I could only remember the advice he gave me.

….

What did you take away from Joe’s story? What would you like to hear more of in the future? Reply and let me know!

Until next time friends,

Chris 

Successful leaders know that one thing is at the core of every successful business: a strong culture. When done right, culture has the potential to be a key competitive advantage. When employees are empowered and encouraged by their company’s culture, they can move faster, solve more problems, and become more engaged in the broader goals of the organization.  These employees see how they can  make a real difference. 

Yet all too often  I hear that organizations are too busy to take culture seriously. “Culture is soft, we need to focus on results”, or “We will focus on culture after we get the launch completed”,  or, “We have free food Friday and an awesome foosball table, we’re good - right?”. Wrong.

Culture is how a community behaves and the values that unite it’s members. To be effective, communities must move with intention. 

My podcast guest this week is Arnie Malham, award-winning CEO/founder, 8-figure entrepreneur and best-selling author who helps progressive leaders create engaging and sustainable cultures within their organizations. 

Arnie Malham knows culture.  He often says he’s done it wrong enough to finally get it right. He believes that businesses become successful by creating an environment that enables and inspires employees to reach their full potential. 

In this week’s podcast, Arnie and I discuss the lessons he’s learned along the way while running many successful businesses and developing cultures where his people could do their best work.

Arnie knows that the endless pursuit of knowledge is critical to success. Leaders are readers.  Reading fosters knowledge, fresh ideas and, hopefully, a lifelong interest in learning and self- improvement.

“Business is hard. But the challenges that make business hard are more than just obstacles - they provide the foundation for building and strengthening a culture that attracts the best people to do the best work.”

In Arnie’s book, Worth Doing Wrong: The Quest to Build a Culture that Rocks, he outlines his journey through successes and failures and best practices he’s learned along the way. You can check it out here.

I’d like to leave you with a question this week: If you’re a leader, how do you prioritize culture? If you’re an employee, what does an effective culture look and feel like to you? 

Bonus question: If you named your culture, what would you call it? Arnie even named his business’ culture: Camel Culture. At Placers, our culture is called Outside-In.

Until next time, friends!

In a world of self-service portals and customer service lines that proudly announce “that your call is important to us. There are just 48 callers in front of you, and your wait time 1 hour and 6 minutes” there has to be another way.  You know real service when you see it. But how can leaders deliver it and build it into their business? 

Business owners and employees are all looking for an edge, something that makes their business or personal brand shine brighter than the next.  Why not through customer service?  Burkhards call this the concept of Nth Degree. 

There is an internet meme that proposes that Chick-fil-a should be hired to administer COVID vaccines.  If you do not have Chick-fil-a in your town, they are known for more than just great chicken. They are known for the individualized service and always going the extra mile to provide exceptional experiences. They're also known for being closed every Sunday, exactly when you’re craving a chicken sandwich, but I digress. 

Chick-fil-a has Nth degree service in its DNA. Even the most simple things compound to make big service differences. For example, when you say “thank you” Chick-fil-a employees don’t respond with “youre welcome” they say “my pleasure”.  According to Chick-fil-A lore (not yet an established genre), the chain's founder, Truett Cathy, got the idea while staying at a Ritz Carlton. When he said "thank you" to a hotel employee, he was pleasantly surprised when the employee replied, "my pleasure". In Cathy's mind, those two small words made the Ritz Carlton stand out as a luxury establishment, so he brought it into practice in his own restaurants.

Which is no surprise really. The Ritz Carlton co-founder, Horst Schulze, led the hotel chain to become the gold standard in service excellence.  And his book, Excellence Wins, is a worthy read.  The Ritz Carlton has a reputation for never cutting service corners. They expect greatness out of their employees and give them the tools and trust to be excellent. 

In this week's podcast, we’re back with our podcast regular, Alan Burkhard, who shares his journey towards perfecting Nth degree service.  We discuss: 

• Alan’s view on the history of service.
• Why Nth degree service works best when you have a culture that supports it. 
•  How you can make the cultural adjustments needed to provide Nth degree service.
• How to take a segment of your business and make it Nth Degree. Multiple small changes make a big difference - there’s no better time to start than right now.
• How to apply Nth degree service the right away and how to create value for your customers.
• How to get real customer insights to gather their actual perceptions. 

PS) at Placers we take our Nth degree service seriously. Our purpose for existing is to create Nth Degree service experiences.   Service without boundaries.  And our employees get the following coin and $500 dollar whenever we catch someone having a broad impact on our customer base and creating enhanced Nth degree experiences.  Service is why I started the company, and a part of our core values. 

Author William James wrote, There are very little differences in people, but the little differences make a big difference.  Little adjustments make a big difference.  That's what Nth degree is all about.  Normal people realizing all that they’re capable of and focused on being their best.

Until next time,

Chris

If we all wrote a letter to our boss and shared how we view their leadership, how would that work out?  

Could they handle the truth? If you’re a leader, could you? Many leaders have earned their stripes through time and tenure.  The title, power, corner office and “control” are prized commodities.  But, what if true leadership comes from letting go of the reigns instead of reigning everything in?

One of the best lessons I’ve learned throughout my journey as a leader, is that true success comes from letting go and encouraging your teams to lead the way. 

To me, leadership means sharing, teaching, and demonstrating how you can help someone on your team be better, smarter, and more productive every day. I often refer to this concept as “servant leadership” - and it was taught to me by my father, Alan Burkhard.

Alan, now a Outside Insights podcast regular, shares his leadership journey and the lessons he’s learned why mastering the concept. I’ve heard these lessons before throughout my life, but every time I get a refresher, I am in awe.  

I listened to this 10+ times for my mid-life leadership tune up. Look for the leadership exercises in future blogs and podcasts.

Leadership is about creating value for our stakeholders, employees, and all customer groups. This is going to create real value for you as the listener. 

For my experienced leader listeners, this will be the wake-up call you crave and the tune up you need to refresh your impact. For new leaders this will give you the specific roadmap to begin your leadership journey.

Listen to learn about :

1. How to get information on leadership and how to establish your leadership philosophy.  You do have one, right?
2. When most folks find themselves in leadership roles by being good at something else, they often learn that “something else” has little to do with being an effective leader. It takes a whole new skillset. 
3. Leadership is simply about teaching others and making those around you better.  Learn how your success as a leader is rooted in adding value and teaching.

After you give the podcast a listen, here is my personal challenge to all of you:

Let's work together to expect more from our leaders and from ourselves. That's what closing the gap is all about. What do you need from the leaders in your life? What do your people need from you? 

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Join the Outside Insights community!

I am a firm believer that contrarian thinking often creates positive outcomes.  That going against the grain and the opposite direction of the crowd is ok, and oftentimes, how one can find the right answer, direction, or philosophy for living.

First off, its crowded going with the masses. Yes, staying in your lane is safe, easy and requires less energy and brain power, and appears completely logical to those that are following the same path. But greatness can rarely be found on this path.

This week, I interviewed Ralph Cetrulo, Partner of Accounting and Consulting Firm, Stephano Slack,  to learn his lessons for leadership. I’ve known Ralph for quite some time and we cut our business teeth together. Early in my career, I served his company as a recruiter helping screen accountants as Ralph became the youngest partner ever in the CPA accounting firm. Later, I started my first business and Ralph was there to set up our accounting and banking relationships. And when Ralph started his own CPA firm, I said yes to being one of his first handful of customers.

Ralph partnered in one of the most successful call center business “rollups” in the scaling up mid-market ethosphere. Combining forces with a college best friend with operational talents, Ralph helped the business build and buy many call centers to roll up into a cultural juggernaut. If you’re interested in scaling a company and want to hear how to do it “with someone else's money” than this podcast episode is the listen for you.

Ralph’s journey started after the realization that numbers and accounting came easy to him. The rest is a continuing story of hard work, doing what your good at, and putting yourself in the spot to take advantage of earned opportunities!

If you’re just getting started in school or in your career you might be thinking, so how does this apply to me? Jim Rohn, self-help speaker once said, “We are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.” In my humble opinion, listening to Ralph’s story and lesson will help you on your life journey – wherever you’re headed.

I’m really excited to share Ralph’s lessons with the Outside Insights community today.

Key takeaways from this podcast:

• How to partner with your financing partner and maximize the benefits.
• An introduction into the mergers and acquisition market. This is a great primer to begin your knowledge journey.
• Old business friends talk about what's most important today and what success really means in the year 2020.

As the Outside Insights community adds more podcasts to our library, what are you interested in discovering? What types of guests would you like to learn from? Reply and let me know.

Until next time, friends.

Chris 

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Join the Outside Insights community!

We all have a gap in our life that we are working to close personally and perhaps professionally.  In fact, Outside Insights is dedicated to helping people understand and do the work necessary to achieve the life that they’ve been yearning for.

The biggest hesitation I hear from people who want more out of life is that there are simply not enough hours in the day. We are time starved and busy keeping our households and careers on the rails.  Imagine a simple set of ideas and exercises to help you figure out life on your terms.

The key is to spend time on you. This is more than a day off of work and yoga class in the name of self-care. What do you want out of life?  Career? Family? Values? Hobbies? Each one of these areas will take intentional effort that starts with investing time into yourself. And these investments won’t always be rejuvenating or fun – often times, it will look a lot like hard work.

To say our first guest is a real rock star is an understatement.  At least, he is mine. Alan Burkhard is my Dad and best role model. He is a serial entrepreneur and has built and sold many businesses to scale in services, waste removal, restaurants, real estate, and horseracing. Alan is self-made in both his core way of living his life and his success in business.  His personal life and business life are not just interwoven, they are one and the same.

Listen in for ideas and lessons that can help you be the person you want to be. We’ll discuss how Alan built his core philosophies and how you can apply them to your everyday life.