Business

Christy Lamagna on Living a Strategic, Fulfilling Life

I met Christy Lamagna through our mutual friend, Phil Gerbyshak. She is so much fun to talk to and really wants to help people. It is apparent as soon as you start talking with her. Below she was kind enough to answer some interview questions for our readers on her experience of using strategy to improve event outcomes and life outcomes.

You are currently working on a book on helping people be more strategic in their lives. What inspired that and what kinds of advice will be in it?

So much of what goes into a successful event applies to living a fulfilling life. The book gives readers an understanding of basic human psychology and behavior to position yourself for success when negotiating, job interviews, talking to a spouse or anyone for that matter. Once I made that connection I started sharing my theory and saw it help transform lives. When I realized what I’d stumbled upon, I couldn’t keep it to myself.

You have been a long time strategist for big events. Over time you have begun applying the same strategic thinking to your life. Give our readers some examples of this cross over.

Events are like life. You have people who show up and actively participate, people who show up and just take space, and some who blow it off. We all know people who fall into each of those categories when it comes to how they live their lives. From the planner’s perspective, an event can be planned focusing on just the logistics which are an endless list of “to-do” items that take up time and tend to the need directly in front of you.

Strategic events start with a well-defined, thought out goal in mind. A plan is created and every detail is specifically designed to support that goal. Most of us go through life crossing things off lists and are too busy to get any work done. Events, when planned without focus are much like life without a goal; lots of time and money are spent but there is nothing substantial or significant to show for it. Applying strategy to life results in goals being achieved, relationships strengthening, financial health improving and an overall sense of purpose and mission.

How do you suggest people stay motivated for continued growth and success?

Success fuels success. By creating a goal and achieving milestones along the way momentum builds and new habits are formed. Once a person realizes how much easier it is to exist in a life that has intention there’s no going back. Don’t let the word “strategic” fool you into thinking the process is difficult. The truth is, a strategic plan eliminating time wasting tasks, removes people who drain energy from your world, creates opportunities and makes it easier to exist. It’s so freeing!

Can you share an example of someone who got more strategic and has a good rags to riches story who you know.

A coaching client was living the epitome of a life mired in logistics. Her employer was content to pile on work beyond what was reasonable, and she kept taking it on. She was resentful and her unhappiness was obvious. Requests for additional staff were denied and she was passed over for promotions due to a bad attitude. She felt helpless. Her boss was tired of listening to her complain and her negative attitude made her unpopular. When we discussed approaching her boss with a way to help him more and offer ways to make his life easier, she balked.

Why take on more work and why reward him for treating her so poorly? We discussed one of the key pillars of strategic planning; knowing what your audience wants and delivering it. When you give people what they want they will give you what you want. Instead of complaining to her boss, she solicited projects. Instead of being unhappy she started dressing for the job she wanted and intentionally spread cheer. She is now being recommended for the promotion, has a new boss who appreciates her, has others commenting on her new attitude and she’s eliminated many of the time-wasting tasks she was burdened with. It took nothing but strategic thinking and a plan. Everything changed and all for the better. Anyone can do this!

What do you suggest is part of someone’s daily routine no matter what their goals are?

You have to remember that if you are not the answer to the question “what’s in it for me?” you aren’t going to get what you need. You also have to remember that people’s actions are not about you. If you internalize other people’s actions and opinions you’re forever their slave. Focus on your goals and how you can work with other people to achieve your goal.

Is there any technology you recommend to help people make meaningful changes?

It depends on the goal. For some having an app that tracks spend is invaluable. Sometimes an app that tallies calories consumed and burned is helpful. Most of the time it’s about declaring your goal, having an accountability partner and a calendar to mark milestone due dates. It doesn’t take a superior mind, huge bank account, fancy technology or a tremendous amount of time. If anything life lived strategically will give you more time, money, and happiness.

Tell our readers how to find out more about you.

Whether you’re an executive trying to create systems and infrastructure or shift corporate culture, someone returning to the professional world after a long hiatus, someone changing careers, vying for a promotion or who has any goals that feel too formidable to be possible, strategic thinking and planning will help. I offer webinars, coaching, corporate consulting and a host of other services to fit every budget. People can find me at [email protected]

About Christy Lamagna, CMP, CMM, CTSM

Christy is an award-winning Master Strategist, author, entrepreneur, speaker, coach, and intellectual philanthropist. For two decades, Christy’s strategic planning process has changed the business trajectory of corporations and the lives of people from all industries and walks of life.

Known for her approachability, teaching skills, sense of humor, vast expertise on achieving business and personal goals, expanding networks and marketing plans, Christy is one of the most sought after strategy experts in business, coaching and speaking circles.

Professional Presence in the Workplace: Christine Zust

Christine Zust is an experienced professional who is an expert on facilitating meetings, getting things done and on helping people present a better professional image. I interviewed Christine about her book and advice on how to help people be more successful and avoid pitfalls, which are becoming more treacherous every day.

Christine, you have written a book about professional presence. Who is the book geared towards? What problems did you see, and how does your book address them?

My book, Everything I Do Positions Me: The Simple Path to Professional Success, was the culmination of what I experienced firsthand throughout my career. It was designed with three distinct primary target markets in mind for the following reasons:

Young professionals who are new to the workplace. They often have no formal understanding of what it means to be a professional or how to act in a professional manner. This book provides a primer on professional presence.
Experienced workers who want to reach that next level in their career. Often people who have been in the workplace for 10, even 20, years, find themselves “stuck” where they are. They may have applied for promotions several times and been turned down or may not have been asked to serve on special sub-committees or task forces. They may be at a point in their career where they need to evaluate themselves. This book helps them do that.
People returning to the workplace after a hiatus. This person could be someone who has been unemployed for several years or who put their career on hold to rear their children, take care of an aging parent, settle a parent’s estate, or resume their life after a challenging life event and are now ready to return to the workplace. This book provides advice and tools to help them ease back into the marketplace.

A strength of this book is that it was written as a resource guide and is very practical and easy to use. It includes simple strategies for success, along with models and ready-made templates.

What kinds of things should college students be doing to improve their positioning all through college?

Since the workplace is much more competitive today, here are a few specific suggestions:

Get to know professors. In addition to the required college courses is a core curriculum within every major. Whatever the field of study, professors know what is happening in the marketplace. They also know companies and organizations that may be looking for interns or part-time employees. Beyond just “showing up” in class, students benefit greatly by building relationships with their professors.
Complete multiple internships. Many college degree programs require students to complete one internship before graduating. The star students, the ones who really stand out, are those who pursue multiple internships. A few years ago, I met a marketing scholarship recipient who, by her senior year, had completed four internships, each one in a different area of marketing. It positioned her, in my mind, as someone who was a hard worker, diligent, and eager to work and learn more about her chosen field.
Get real world experience in one’s chosen field. A typical interview question is “What experience do you have in…” Many students are paying their way through college, often with minimum wage jobs. To stand out in a sea of competitors, students must find paid work in their field of study. For finance majors, for instance, it’s best to find a paid job in an organization that provides them with that experience. By the time they are graduated and enter the workforce, they already will have acquired valuable experience.
Think big. Whether it’s an internship or paid work, students need to think big and broad. Beyond finding work in their hometown, other opportunities may await them with prestigious professional sports teams, national media outlets, or top corporations.
Join professional organizations. Most college majors offer student organizations that are affiliated with professional organizations. By getting involved, students will meet professionals who are already working in their chosen field and who could potentially serve as mentors or even open doors to employment.

In the book, you reference a phrase called “Power Positioning.” What is that?

I define power positioning as “The art of putting yourself in a place that you want to be, which maximizes your talents, skills, and contacts. In other words, it reminds us that we truly control our own destiny, and that we can develop a strategic action plan to position ourselves as the true professionals we desire to become. Professionals often look at the goal of where they want to be without listing the important steps they need to take to get there. I use a simple model to get people thinking about their own positioning by asking three simple questions:

Where are you currently positioned? (Self-assessment)
Where do you want to be positioned? (Your ultimate positioning goal)
What action steps will you need to take to get you to your ultimate goal?

To get from where you are today to where you want to be in the future, you need to do the hard work by defining what specific steps you need to take to achieve your desired results. It looks simple on paper, yet success requires countless hours invested in creating and executing a strategic action plan.

How has the explosion of online and social media affected a potential employer’s process for hiring?

We live in a much more transparent world today, where potential employers can simply look you up on Google to learn more about you. Most likely, they will first review your LinkedIn page, since it is the most recognizable networking site for professionals, to check employment history, job responsibilities, volunteer experience, membership in organizations, articles or posts, and interests. They can also check other forms of social media like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and many others to glimpse an individual’s personal life. Sometimes the best way to get your foot in the door is to strategically position yourself online as a talented, qualified worker.

Remember that current employers also review employees’ social media platforms. How do you remain employed? Don’t talk negatively about your current employer on any social media platform. Individuals who talk poorly about their boss or co-workers may end up in the national news…not in a favorable light, and without a job.

What can professionals do to avoid negative backlash on social media?

This has been and continues to be a hot topic…how to avoid sabotaging your career success through social media. Here is a short “What to do/What to avoid” checklist that professionals of all ages can follow:

What to do:

Think before you post. Choose your words and tone very carefully.
Have something important to say. Useless information clogs social media space. Make what you say count.
Avoid strong opinions on controversial topics. Unless you are a political pundit or social commentator, remain neutral and be careful about sharing strong opinions. You could alienate friends or lose followers.
Post appropriate visual content. Remember, employers and prospective employers view your social media content. (Extra tip: What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, until someone posts it online. If you have friends who love to take group photos and post them online, ask that they check with you first before posting).

What to avoid:

Stop whining online. It positions you as a negative person.
Avoid hard selling. Social media is a platform for sharing, not selling. Cut the hype.
Posts are not intimate conversations. You may think you’re speaking with one person; in reality, you are speaking to potentially thousands of people through your posts.

Can you give us an example of someone who did a major positioning overhaul and got great results?

There are several standout professionals whose careers I have watched over the years. Here are some commonalities these people share:

Set a goal. The goal needs to be a clear one. If you want to lead a department or an organization some day, you first must get experience and work your way up in the organization. If there is no room at the top for you in that organization at that time, then move to another organization that offers you a higher position. Keep moving up until you achieve the goal of leading a department or an organization.
Find one or several mentors. Those people who have had the greatest career success are those who have tapped into the wisdom and sage advice of mentors. Mentors offer a unique perspective, especially when they have achieved the kind of success that you desire. Mentors offer unlimited access to ideas, opinions, advice, and can often assist in furthering your career.
Assume greater responsibilities. Those who stand out are those who, at pivotal points in their careers, decided to take a giant leap to take on a higher level of work. This could include working on larger projects, supervising more people, or expanding to a national or international market. The caveat, of course, is you must do an excellent job!
Become more visible. People who rise to leadership positions are also actively involved in their professional organizations and in the community.
The more people who see the good work you do, the better your chances are of getting someone’s attention…a future employer or a community board, perhaps?
Expand your network of contacts. Technology makes it easy to connect with people and expand your base of contacts. If a potential employer is searching for a dynamic, well-connected vice president of marketing, and reviews your LinkedIn site only to learn that you are connected to only 45 people, you will not get the job. Cast your net wide, and diversify your network.
Remain humble. Sometimes success is accompanied by an inflated ego. Truly successful professionals are people who, amidst their great achievements, honors, and recognitions, have remained humble, willing to help others along the way.

How can people find your book and find out more about you?

The link to my book, Everything I Do Positions Me, The Simple Path to Professional Success can be found only through the Zust & Company website: http://zustco.com/christine_zust_books.html

Through my website, http://www.zustco.com, you can find information about my keynote presentations, training programs, and coaching services. You can also find a link to the archives of my monthly newsletter, Q-Tips: http://zustco.com/christine_zust_Q_tips.html

In addition, here are other important links:

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-zust-6019373/

Twitter: @ChristineZust

Email: [email protected]

Office phone: (440) 777-8373

Creativity in the Workplace – Jennifer Yaros

Today we are talking to an expert on creativity in the workplace. Jennifer Yaros conducts workshops and has a book coming out about the topic and we got a chance to discuss how improving creativity at work can help boost productivity.

1) Tell me what you mean when you say “Creativity” in the workplace.

Creative thinking is essential for problem solving whether it is process improvement or product development. Companies are always looking for better, faster, and cheaper ways to do things. To stay ahead of the competition a company needs creative thinking and innovative solutions.

Creativity in the workplace shows up in:

finding new ways to creatively solve more business problems
injecting new ideas into your business
developing new products and service offerings
developing future leaders with a creativity and innovation mindset

2) What benefits can an employer expect if they invest in improving creativity with their team?

Having a creative and innovative culture in the workplace helps your company to stay ahead of the competition and to keep employees engaged. When employees see their ideas matter and their solutions valued, they are happier and more loyal. When they see trying something new is embraced, it is difficult to stay in a rut doing the same old thing.

3) How do you maintain creativity long term in the workplace?

It is not enough to simply say your company values creativity. You must actively promote, develop, and nurture it. One of the biggest ways to encourage creative ideas is to encourage employees to Fail Like a Genius™. This is a three-step process I created to help companies and individuals understand, accept, and deal with “failures.” The key for the company is to not punish individuals if their creative idea or solution does not work. The company can help them to Fail Like a Genius by:

1) Embracing failure. Give yourself permission to fail.

2) Learn from failure. Diagnose the cause of the failure and make adjustment.

3) Reassess failure. Determine if you just need a different audience or a different use.

4) What are some common creativity killers at work?

A big “creativity killer” is stress. Your brain creates neurotransmitters and certain neurotransmitters have been proven to promote creative thinking and others are prohibitive to creative thinking. When you are stressed your brain generates the neurotransmitters cortisol and adrenaline which activates the fight or flight impulse. This is detrimental for creative thinking. Other producers of cortisol and inhibitors of creativity are depression and sadness. To combat this, companies can encourage employees to take period breaks to walk or mediate. Exercise and mediation trigger the brain to produce serotonin which signals calm and is necessary for the brain to create ideas. Other “creative” neurotransmitters are dopamine and endorphins, so there is a direct correlation to excitement and happiness and creativity.

I could talk forever about creativity killers and how to combat them, but I will restrict myself to one more. Ego. I devote an entire section of my workshops and book in overcoming ego to improve creative thinking. Sometimes it’s too much ego and sometimes it’s not enough ego. Going back to what I mentioned previously about failure, that is all about ego. It is our ego that makes us afraid to fail and when we are afraid to fail, we do not try new things or take risks. We do not speak because we are afraid of looking stupid or being judged. It is our ego that creates roadblocks telling us that something is not possible instead of seeing an opportunity for trying something different. It is our ego that says, “I can’t” instead of “How can I?” Our ego also tells us that we are better than others and we miss out of collaborating. Letting go of ego allows us to work with others and double our creative ideas. It allows us to listen and learn new things.

5) What is something a management team could do today to immediately boost creativity?

Give employees the time for creative thinking. Allow them to walk around the building or play a game of ping-pong. Stepping away from work gives the analytical side of the brain a rest and allows the creative side of the brain to be heard. (This is why people often have their best ideas while driving or just before sleep. The analytical side is noise and it needs to be quite for the creative side to be heard).

I helped one company by facilitating a creativity workshop immediately before their annual strategic meeting. The CEO was tired of solving the same problems with the same ideas. By holding the creativity workshop before the meeting, the department heads were more open to exploring alternative solutions to the problems and their excitement had the creative ideas flowing.

6) You have a book coming out soon – what is it about and who is it for?

The book is titled Conditioning Your Mind to Fuel Creativity. I discuss the importance of creativity and the ways it is used in personal- and business-life. I cover the three key areas you must pay attention to order to improve your creative thinking – your body and senses, your thinking, and your ego.

The biggest differentiator of my book with other books about creativity out there are the exercises and tools that I provide. These are things a person can do and use immediately to start improving their creative thinking. Creativity is something that must be practiced in order to improve. It’s just like improving at a sport, language, or musical instrument. You MUST practice. The exercises and tools I provide are a fun and effective way to practice and apply various aspects of creative thinking.

7) How do people find out more about you, your book and your workshops?

They can get more information on the BrainSpark website – www.brainspark-creativity.com

I also have several social media sites for news.

Facebook BrainSpark Page – https://www.facebook.com/JenniferYarosBrainSpark

My LinkedIn Page – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferyaros/

My Twitter Page – https://twitter.com/JenniferYaros

Daniel Moneypenny, Star Networker & Dealmaker

Daniel Moneypenny is a rockstar at networking, making deals happen, and naming companies and their products. I know a lot of people and can honestly say no one is even a distant second to the hustle and value exemplified by Daniel Moneypenny. I have had numerous conversations with people who have just met him, and then been introduced to me as we have some things in common. They always start by asking, “Is he for real?” My answer is always the same. Yes. But you better be serious because it is drinking from a firehose. He is going to connect you with a lot of great people and make things happen, and you must be ready to keep up.

I had a chance to interview Daniel Moneypenny, Founder of Emaginit and Capture Qwest, in his home.

How did Daniel Moneypenny get started and develop himself into a top networker?

In high school, I got “C’s and D’s.” Then “went to the military, the 82^nd Infantry Airborne, in Wiesbaden, Germany. I ran track for the army track team. And I was part of the Prix LeClerc team.” After he came back from the service, he did his undergrad from 26 – 30 and got almost all A’s. An English professor noticed he was excelling at writing and encouraged the skill.

Before long, Daniel had “a couple of businesses, a running store, an antique shop, had the first Finish Line running store in the country.” This led to him developing ads for his businesses and other businesses and doing some branding work. Within a short period of time, people recognized his talents and his fees escalated, turning into a lucrative branding business. “We ramped it up from $500 in the name up to 30, 40, 50k for a name, which is a fact, and for large names of billion-dollar companies. We’ve named many billion-dollar companies around the world and hundreds of products.” The whole time, he was also building his Rolodex and developing his network.

Resources

Daniel continued to go into more detail, “So I took all the branding, all those relationships. Because they are very discreet, they are very personalized relationships, people must trust you, you’re going to go away and create for them. I was always a zero-fee guy, meaning if I did not get a trademarkable entity, I did not get the fee. We have a 94% success rate. So that was a good way to build a reputation. You cannot charge people money for stuff they can’t use, although a lot of people did that back in the day. So, I had all these relationships over the first 18 years of branding and talking to people, and networking. I starting to do professional networking, even while still doing branding. “

Over time, Daniel explained he developed relationships with over 41,000 companies. I asked him how he manages so many relationships.

“We network with about 41,000 firms and make connections with about 1,200 people that are in an exclusive network. They pay a front-end fee to join and then commissions on the back end. So, the branding lead into the networking and that led to the M&A.”

So, branding leads to networking, which naturally leads to helping people with bigger deals, and a Mergers and Acquisitions service. We have a “big wheel of buyers and sellers and my partner Sean Coleman and I are currently in about 70 deals. So, branding and relationships are turned into networking. That turned into deals, buying, selling, finding, doing recaps. And we get a finder’s fee.” Daniel went on to stress it is always a win, win, win relationship.

How do you manage your network of people who you work with?

Daniel answered, “It is almost impossible… but we have some good people in the network. We vet them before they come in. And we watch them as we go along. Occasionally, somebody will cheat us, we kick them out. We do not sue them. But we kick them out, they can never come into our network again. It’s the 80/20 rule of 50 years ago, almost still goes today in anything, but it’s more like 85/15, I think has moved into that. I think there’s 50% of people that can still provide you with most of your revenue.”

How many things have you branded roughly, and do you have some examples?

1000s. We have samples all over the website, all through the website so you can see them. Lots of company names, lots of product names, lots of product extension names, lots of corporate identities, product campaigns taglines that campaigns. I started out they were called slogans in the 70s. a slogan was $500 in corporate positioning statements $20,000 there is a difference in language there.

How many businesses have you been involved with that people have bought, sold, or raised money for?

“I have been part of many deals. People have bought many nice-sized businesses through us. Smaller deals where a business was sold or raise money for, another 30+” replied Mr. Moneypenny.

What is the most fun thing you do and what is the least fun thing you need to do?

“The most fun thing I do is obviously see my family happy. I like to work out, I have a lot of friends I work out with. I love history. I love to travel. The least fun thing to do. Accounting, end of the year, things like that. Anything to do with a myriad of numbers. I do not like that. But I like connecting. Literally, we connect 1,000s of people in a year.”

Does Daniel Moneypenny stop networking on vacation?

No. Much, much to the dismay of my wife. No, I mean, I do back off. No, I mean, as soon as we go to the beach or go for sushi, I take cards with me. I am never not networking. And that is a good thing. And a lot of ways. I mean, I do turn off. And when I am at home I do decompress quite a bit. But I am always networking and I mean ALWAYS.”

What does an average day look like for you?

My routine would be I’m up really early, like 5:00 to 5:30. I read the papers and work on some emails and things like that. Light stuff. Then working out. I like to kick back on Sundays and stuff like that. But my days are chopped up between in-person meetings, lots of electronic correspondence, some phone calls. I don’t really like phone calls or Zoom calls. I really like to be with someone, look at them and see them. But an average day is just a very robust busy day doing a lot of things, often including travel, for a lot of people and taking care of my family, they take care of me.

Do you do Pro Bono work?

We also help a lot of people out. It is not all about us. We are sharing our success with people all the time. On our website under who we are, there’s a pro bono page with several hundred, 501 C3 and entities that we give time, money, creative and all those things to. Daniel made sure to point out that “Time is money, and money is time.”

Who should reach out to you and how can they find out more about you?

I think that is a good point to make for something like this where people might see the word networking and think you just want to meet anyone. You generally will make money on any kind of transaction that you help create. That is how you make your money.

Daniel Moneypenny explained, “That’s how I make my living. I still do the branding, and then the network, where receiving commissions on things from people that were placing new business, the network is when people have a business, and they want to have more business driven into it. Instead of spending a lot of money for a sales team, they can have us come in for a small front-end fee and commissions on the back end of everything that we send them.

But yeah, so almost everything can be sold. Almost everything has a price. Not everyone is for sale, till sometimes you ask them. I have no problem asking someone if they would entertain an exit. And sometimes they say no. And the next day they are calling you. You never know. It is all strategic. It is all timing.

We all know that timing is everything, and it could not be truer than today. And with the baby boomers like me, coming out of 911, the 2008, 2009 real estate problem, and then COVID, there are a lot of transactions going on right now. People between 60 and 80 have had it and they want to maybe settle down and spend some of the hard-earned money that they have spent a lifetime building. So that is why it is very robust right now. And everyone knows that. And it is a good time. It is a good time to be out there. And you never know who you are standing next to. You never know who you’re going to meet. So, it is always good to be nice to people. Talk to everyone. If you can, if you have an opportunity, help them out – you just might be standing next to your future.“

Sage advice from Daniel Moneypenny. I want to thank him for taking the time to invite me to his home and do this interview. If you want to find out more about Daniel Moneypenny’s Branding service, Network Service, or M&A service, follow those links. His website is a wealth of information from his client, his pro bono work, and his network. It only takes a few minutes to see how wide his personal network is.

Daniel Moneypenny Interview by GR8TR Today Magazine

Meet JJ DiGeronimo, The President of Tech Savvy Women

JJ DiGeronimo created Tech Savvy Women to help bring together women in tech, build relationships and to advocate for one another’s career goals.

DiGeronimo, the president of Tech Savvy Women, came from Buffalo, New York to Ohio University with a desire to learn and find career opportunities. After graduating with a Communication Systems Management degree, DiGeronimo landed her first Information Technology position in 1995. With a vision and dedication she poured herself into her professional journey, which has taken many exciting twists and turns throughout the years.

Often one of the only women at the table, DiGeronimo created Tech Savvy Women in 2008 to connect women in technology. DiGeronimo is known for her leadership skills and promoting inclusion in tech workplaces. “Tech Savvy Women is commonplace for women in tech to communicate,” DiGeronimo said.

While at Ohio University, DiGeronimo took the time to excel in the classroom and scheduled meetings with college advisors to prepare for the future. “I had very specific discussions with my advisors about degrees and job offers. Many shared that computers and the related degrees were a solid choice,” DiGeronimo said. “I did really well in my classwork which helped me align internships early, as professors recommended me. Those internships lead to many offers.”

Although tech is a great career option, there are fewer women that pursue technology or stem-based careers than their male counterparts. The organization was originally meant to bring women together and have a strong network in Northeast Ohio, but has evolved into a group of women, over 2,500 nationwide, which allows them to share ideas, network and connect.

“We’ve helped each other get jobs, references, and other opportunities,” DiGeronimo said. “It’s made the industry seem smaller because we have more people connected in more places.”

As the organization has evolved, DiGeronimo has written two award-winning books to help elevate women in the workplace. From this success, she has been asked to keynote locally and nationally to positively impact the field of technology. She speaks to women about advancing their professional objectives and speaks with tech organizations on how to cultivate male allies to promote diversity. “Diversity is business impact tool and companies are striving to not only get women at the table but have them as equal contributors,” DiGeronimo said. “This takes advancements on both sides.”

Throughout DiGeronimo’s work she has shared strategies to elevate women into leadership positions while guiding them through common career challenges. Her second book, Accellerate Your Impact, has given readers a playbook to glide through some of the challenges women have faced in the past.

DiGeronimo has numerous blogs, videos and posts with advice for women working to advance with their careers. “Women generally wait (to apply) until they’re 100 percent qualified, men apply when they have 60 percent of the requirements,” DiGeronimo said. “You don’t have to check every single requirement for the job, and you should not. There is little opportunity to learn and grow if you only apply to jobs you feel confident you can land.”

Through all of DiGeronimo’s research, she’s found that career catalysts are necessary for women to align leadership positions and shares the three most important.

DiGeronimo believes in professional coaching to get their professional goals straight, document and defined. “I think more women need to pay for professional coaching to help them get their ducks in a row,” DiGeronimo said.

Having a mentor that will focus on providing advice and guidance as professionals move through the many stages of their careers is a necessity for female and male professionals. Mentors will often give advice while you’re with them to help with personal career journeys.

The final catalyst DiGeronimo recommends are sponsors, professionals that leverage their own social capital to help cultivate desired goals. A sponsor could setting up a meeting on your behalf or connecting you with other professionals in the field. Sponsors are often the best career catalyst, according to DiGeronimo.

“I think women are taught to work really hard but it’s important to network and develop relationships,” DiGeronimo said. “Make time to foster an effective network, get to conferences and get out of the office and do things for yourself. Anything you can do for yourself outside of the office, in a meaningful way to advance your career is important.”

DiGeronimo believes women with an interest in solving problems, adding value and continuing to learn should consider a career in tech. She reasons this with the possibility of great financial gain, endless opportunity and the ability to work with great people.

DiGeronimo is an active LinkedIn user and leverages the tool in many ways to connect, learn and showcase her personal work. She encourages young professionals to bundle their value and continue to develop their professional connections. JJ DiGeronimo can also be found on Youtube, and on her website.

Interview by LynAnne Vucovich : A journalist who studied at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. She has a passion for culture, community and cats.

Entrepreneurs Getting Jobs – Interview with Phil Gerbyshak

Phil Gerbyshak is a prolific author, speaker and business consultant who recently went back into the workforce to help a company succeed. I had the chance to ask him about the experience of going from owner to employee again.

Question: Phil, you have been an author, entrepreneur and speaker for many years. Currently you have gone back and are helping one company full time. What are the advantages and disadvantages of taking a “break” from running the show?

One of the advantages is a shift in perspective. I’m back in the game as a practitioner on the inside, instead of as a consultant on the outside, so I’m seeing a whole new set of opportunities to learn about the workforce since I had my last inside job back in 2015. A lot has changed – and I’m seeing first hand how this is impacting business.

Another advantage is the energy of having a team. As an extrovert, I thrive the most when I’m working with a multitude of other people. I serve 160 sales professionals now, in an organization approaching 500 employees. The energy is very different from the 10-15 organizations I would serve each month on my own. Some days I used to not interact with another human face-to-face, as I’d do all my work via Zoom video. Now, there’s not a day that goes by where I don’t interact with someone, whether it’s an employee at the airport or someone on one of the 4 business units I serve.

There are many others, but one more advantage I’ll share is the ability to focus more on what I am best at. As a business owner, I was ultimately responsible for every part of my business, from deciding who my best prospect would be, to doing the actual prospecting to relationship building to closing business, plus invoicing, marketing and all my own IT support. It was a lot of work that isn’t the best use of my time, and I didn’t even mention the actual creation and delivery of training, coaching and other programs, which ARE the best use of my time. Now, I get to focus mostly on creating and delivering sales training and sales coaching programs, which are what I love to do the most, and what I am best at.

A disadvantage is that I have a more regular schedule, and I can’t just pick and choose the hours I want to work. I guess maybe I could, but I feel responsible to work from 8-5 Monday through Friday, regardless of the time zone I’m in, as that’s when my clients (the sales professionals I serve) are in the office. So maybe I’ll be changing this.

Obviously as I’m now dedicated 40-60 hours a week to one client (my employer), I have little to no time to grow my own business, which prevents the growth I am used to.

And lastly, I feel less spontaneous, as having an employer does make me pause just a bit before I post anything to social media, or before I just say yes to a new opportunity.

All in all, the positives far outweigh the negatives, or I wouldn’t have taken the job.

Question: How has having a job with a clear definition of responsibilities impacted your mental state?

I don’t have a clear definition of responsibilities yet, as we’ve never had anyone in my role ever before in this organization. I have a loose definition, and that’s a wonderful thing. It helps me slow down and focus, which I am still getting used to.

Question: How have you melded your entrepreneurial skills with your job responsibilities?

One of my company’s core values is entrepreneurship, so this has been the most easy. I’m in a startup culture and am creating everything from scratch. I’m keen on listening to the needs of the marketplace, which in this case is the various sales teams I serve, and then creating training to fill that need. It’s a great match.

I also have had to be wise about my investments in the business. I have a new MacBook Pro and a company credit card, but I’ve had to make new purchases wisely, and think like an owner before I make a purchase. It’s empowering and smart!

Lastly, I know there are going to be some long days, just like when I was running my own business full-time, and I am rolling with the flow instead of behaving like an employee and feeling I only need to work 40 hours a week.

Question: What do you think are the risks and rewards are for a business hiring someone who has been an entrepreneur?

I think the biggest risk is recognizing an entrepreneur needs variety and a daily challenge and won’t just settle for the status quo. If you hire an entrepreneur, you have to recognize they were successful before you and will be successful without you, and they are willing to make whatever changes need to be made to see that same level of success inside your organization. This is a risk because many organizations don’t want to change. If that’s you, do NOT hire an entrepreneur.

This desire to change and grow can also be the biggest reward to an organization that is willing to change and grow.

One other big risk is the willingness to do what it takes to see success in the job. I have a wide range of skills, in sales, in marketing and in technology. Letting me do a wide variety of tasks to get my job done is a big risk, as many organizations are siloed and don’t want people to be truly cross-departmental in what they do. We do, and that’s why I love it here.

Question: What kind of a business was able to attract you and why?

We are a software company that sells technology to our everyday heroes and our mission is serving everyday heroes and saving lives through revolutionary technology. So a mission based company that aligns with my values (I love to serve, I love technology, and I love a good revolution) with an opportunity to drive change and value throughout a growing company was exciting for me. Thinking like a startup is also exciting to me, and if you pour on the fact we have a great deal of resources to help me get my mission of training as many sales people as possible in the new ways of sales and service, you’ve got all the reasons why this company is perfect for me.

Question: How can people find out more about you?

The best way would be to connect with me on LinkedIn, listen to my podcast Conversations with Phil, or by following my Facebook page.

7 Common Business Mistakes

When you have a business, you are bound to make mistakes. Even if you have a business degree, you are rarely going to be good at everything you need to do. It can be overwhelming.

We have assembled seven common mistakes people make when they are business owners. If you catch these things up front, you are going to save yourself money, headaches and possibly save the business itself.

Not Charging a Late Fee – If you do not charge a late fee up front, it is much harder to add it later. A late fee is not a way to make extra money. Instead, it is a way to encourage on-time payment and reduce slow pays from people. If they call and complain, you can always “forgive” it one time as a courtesy. Having dependable cash flow is critical for keeping the doors open for any business.
Not Promoting Business Where People Are Reading – People spend more and more of their time reading in social media and on their phones. So, your marketing plan must include a mobile friendly website and promotions in social media. Our magazine is an example of how this can work. Businesses pay to be featured in our mobile friendly online magazine and we push the articles out via paid social and news channels to be seen where people currently spend their time, generating many thousands of views of active, targeted potential customers.
Never Raising Your Prices – You do not want to do a bait and switch (raising prices quickly or unexpectedly) but you also do not want to never raise your prices. Inflation and added costs to your business for other services justify a modest price increase regularly. Most customer’s do not mind a modest increase regularly in industries where it makes sense.
Allowing Too Many Customizations and Options – If your business offers too many options and customizations, there is a good chance you are hurting sales and making your business more complex and expensive to run than you need to. Just as an example, a restaurant with too many items on the menu must stock more ingredients, hire more cooks and prep people, spend more time training people and probably end up with more food sent back. Focusing on a small but very tasty menu can improve costs, make customers happier with easier options, improve service and speed and help you be known for something very specific. These same issues could be true for an accounting firm, a retail store or car sales.
Getting Sold Things You Do Not Need – Once you open your door people will start telling you that you need SEO, registered with Google, employment posters, signs, insurance, etc. All of these things are valid usually, but you need to understand what they are, why you need them and carefully choose a vendor if you are buying services or products. Don’t buy from the 1^st person to send you an email about it.
Not Using a Payroll Company – If you do not know how to do payroll, a payroll company is the way to go. There are a lot of forms to file and there are monthly requirements, quarterly requirements and annual requirements. Trying to do it yourself in Excel will probably result in fines if you are late or make a mistake. The small cost of a payroll company is well worth not having the paperwork headache.
Buying Things You Think You Need To Have – Lastly, if you are just starting a business it is common to think you need things that you actually do not need. For example, many companies now run virtually without office space. You might think you need a fancy website, but you actually only need one page and active social presence. You might think you need brochures, but chances are you do not. Landline phone? I doubt it. Before you buy things you think you should buy, really take a hard look at what you really need and do not get stuck in an old way of thinking.

The last twenty years have seen a lot of changes. With cloud apps, shared office space, outsourcing and mobile devices there is a good chance you can now get a lot of work done and build a business without all of the old overhead. Keep all these things in mind and build a leaner business and you will be more successful.

What is External Benchmarking and How Does it Help?

Many small business owners think that external benchmarking is a complicated process, which only large corporations can benefit from. They believe that there’s no advantage to be gained for their small company by doing it. Also, even if they wanted to do it, they think the process is cost prohibitive, in addition to requiring time and manpower they don’t have.

And while this can be true, one methodology has a 12 step procedure, it doesn’t have to be that way. There’s no universally accepted template for the process. In its most basic form external benchmarking is simply a way to measure your company’s performance in a certain area (i.e., operations, quality, profit and loss, technology) against the best practices of other companies.

Comparing your company practices to another’s best practices provides you with 2 important things. One is benchmarking gives you insight into how your procedures, operations and costs compare to other companies who’re “doing it right”. Small business owners who lack basic, broad based knowledge of standard business practices, let alone best practices, is epidemic.

Secondly, benchmarking is a way to learn from the mistakes and experiences of others, without having to go through them yourself. If you’re willing to learn from the process it’ll give you the perspective, insight and knowledge you need to stay competitive through effective management of goods, services, operations and costs. External benchmarking provides numerous competitive advantages.

For example, a fictional Akron machine shop had significant employee theft. The owner learned the best practices for correcting the problem from the owner of a plastics fabricator in Elyria. However, when the problem was maintaining calibration of his machines, he sought out the best practices of the non-competitive machine shop 2 streets over.

External benchmarking doesn’t have to be complicated or costly. It can be a onetime event related to a specific problem or an on-going course of action focusing on one or more problems. It’s impossible for a small business owner to know everything he needs to know to stay competitive and make a profit. Therefore, it’s worth the time to learn if external benchmarking is right for you.

Outstanda Pulse Discussion with Ron McDaniel

Today we have a chance to interview Ron McDaniel, Chief Innovation Officer at Outstanda. He will be talking about their program that helps schools collect data from students, parents, staff, and alumni to build a stronger, more effective school. The program is called Outstanda Pulse. Below is the interview.

Let’s start with an overview of the product you want to highlight today.

Ron McDaniel
Thanks. Outstanda has a flagship product called Outstanda Pulse that uses SMS (texting) to survey students, parents, staff, and alumni of a school to know what is going on with them. It is automated and provides actionable data for schools to identify areas of excellence and areas that need some work.

What are some major benefits of using Outstanda Pulse?

Ron McDaniel
There are a number of benefits. First, it can identify problems with students before the issues start impacting grades. It can identity concerns parents are having. It can boost enrollment. It is a tool to improve staff feedback. And it helps the school keep in touch with students and family’s long term, no matter where they move, and measure the impact the school has had on the students.

oustanda pulse surveys students, parents and staff

Why is Outstanda Pulse unique?

Ron McDaniel
While there are a lot of ways to do surveys, Outstanda Pulse is unique in standardizing questions and measuring results across similar schools. While protecting the individual student’s data, aggregate data can be compared to show administrators how each school is doing compared to peer schools. This can be part of marketing or PR, and for a lower-performing school, can be a tool for measuring improvement.

How did Outstanda Pulse get started?

Ron McDaniel
The product got started when several school leaders got together and discussed the kinds of data that could be valuable, especially if it is collected frequently and trends are analyzed. While the initial idea of an app had issues, it evolved into an SMS service that would do the same thing but not require an app to be installed on the phone.

What type of buyer benefits most from using Outstanda Pulse?

Ron McDaniel
Most schools thrive on data, so most schools could benefit from Outstanda Pulse. Districts can benefit even more because they can see their different schools and compare the culture and issues in each school against the other schools. This can easily lead to proactive training or hiring a consultant to work for schools that could be getting substandard results.

Is it hard to set up the surveying system for a school?

Ron McDaniel
Schools can have the system up and running very quickly. It is as simple as handing off names and mobile phone numbers of people who will be participating. Also, defining the frequency and times of the surveys. There are other customizations that are possible, such as creating sub-groups with tagging, adding custom questions, and changing up your Summer schedule. But the Outstanda team helps you with every part of it, to minimize your time commitment. Mostly and administrator just needs to look at the reports and take action if any is needed.

Are there other features that might interest readers?

Ron McDaniel
One nice thing we added is the ability to send SMS to your audience at any time without a survey attached. You already have the people in the system, and maybe have them grouped in useful tags, which will allow you to send out quick messages any time you need.

How is Outstanda Pulse priced?

Ron McDaniel
Outstanda Pulse has several pricing options. It has a limited, free option. Then it has an ala carte (pay per message) option and a monthly option. Pricing is very low compared to other data tools schools will use.

How can readers find more information about Outstanda Pulse?

Ron McDaniel
Visiting the Outstanda website is the best way to get information about the school survey product. You can also contact us, and we will be happy to set up your limited program.

Interviewer
Thanks for taking the time to be interviewed and help our readers understand Outstanda Pulse better.

Interview with Ron Mcdaniel, Outstanda by GR8TR Today Magazine on Scribd or Amazon

Tweet:
Interview about Oustanda helping school meet kids needs. https://ctt.ac/UIbm1+

Participate In Your Community By Joining a Board

People often do not realize that many local organizations have boards who meet regularly to help with organizational issues or keep track of the finance and operational goals. Nearly all non profits have boards. Schools all have boards. Communities have boards or councils. Mental health organizations have boards. Large corporations have boards, but you might be surprised to find out that smaller companies and even startups have boards.

Qualifications are going to vary greatly based on the board and what the leader and the current board members are looking for, but you might be surprised to find you are just what they are looking for. For example, a mental health board is not going to be made up of all psychologists usually. Instead, they will often be made up of people in the community who care about mental health. They will bring their varied talents to the table to help look at things from different perspectives.

Boards typically meet once a month but it could be more or less. Some are paid positions, and many are voluntary. Some voluntary positions do pay a small stipend to cover expenses. At a minimum, they typically feed you at the meeting and it offers a chance to give back to the community and learn about a topic in more detail. It also improves your skills and knowledge in the area.

Typically a board is either an elected position in the broad sense, such as needing to be on a ballot and get elected. Think city councils and public school boards. Other positions are typically by vote of existing board members. One person might bring you in and if you and the board agree it is a good fit they vote and make you a member.

Board sizes can be from a small group of 5 or 6 up to a large group of 30 or more. The larger the group the longer the meetings may go if everyone likes to talk and ask questions.

So how do you get on a board?

To begin, know what area you are interested in. If it is entrepreneurship, you will want to try to get on a startup board. If it is education, a school board. If it is mental health, then a mental health board.

Next you can use Google and LinkedIn and find existing organizations that match your interest. Look on their website and see if they list board members. Call or email and inquiry about open board positions. Ask if you can attend a board meeting. Have your resume polished up and ready in case they ask for it.

And keep circling back around. If a board is full when you contact them make sure they know you would like to be considered for a position in the future. Then follow up regularly, maybe quarterly, to see if positions have opened up.

Unless you are very familiar with the industry and how boards operate, begin by listening a lot and asking questions after the meetings. New visitors and board members sometimes try to do too much too soon, and it can be difficult. The first six months or more will most likely be learning and absorbing all the stuff they are doing.

Being a board member in any community organization is very rewarding. It can lead to new friends, new opportunities and a real sense of helping people.