Hugh Glazer With WinterView Group

Intro: [00:00:02] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for Coach the Coach radio brought to you by the Business RadioX Ambassador Program, the no cost business development strategy for coaches who want to spend more time serving local business clients and less time selling them. Go to brxambassador.com To learn more. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:33] Lee Kantor here, another episode of Coach the Coach Radio, and this is going to be a fun one today on the show, we have Hugh Glazer with WinterView Group Welcome.

Hugh Glazer: [00:00:42] Welcome leave, how are you?

Lee Kantor: [00:00:44] I am doing well, I’m excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us a little bit about Winter View Group. How are you serving, folks?

Hugh Glazer: [00:00:51] Well, Winter View of Europe is a consulting practice that I have started 20 plus years ago, and in its original form, where it was back on the days when being a part time or fractional CFO or chief financial officer was was a kind of a unique thing to provide smaller companies with the support and knowledge of experience of an experienced CFO. But on something less than a full time basis and and today it’s much more common than it was. But I enjoy working with entrepreneurs, small business owners and trying to help them accomplish their goals and objectives. And through more and more of the years, I’ve been doing more work as a trusted business advisor. I’m also an arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association, so I also help folks with transition of businesses, both in terms of succession planning, you know, buying selling companies. But my real core sweet spot is just helping folks do a better job of growing and enlarging their businesses. And I tell folks when we work together, all I ask them from what keeps them up at night. From a business perspective,

Lee Kantor: [00:02:09] Now working on businesses operations might not be obvious for new entrepreneurs, but if you don’t get that right, you’re going to have a problem. And I would imagine most entrepreneurs go into business with kind of big dreams and big aspirations, but they take the operations side of the business and the financial financial side almost for granted. Is that really kind of true number one? And is that that’s your sweet spot, that’s where you really can help an organization come?

Hugh Glazer: [00:02:41] Oh, most definitely, and I often say, folks, no one starts a business or a company, you know, or let me rephrase that every an entrepreneur starts a business or a company because they have an idea of a product or service that they want to bring to an audience. And they don’t think about that. No one starts a company because they want to get involved with running it and filing reports and returns and and employees and issues. But you know, the good news bad news is, is that that’s part of success. Your idea takes hold. You have an audience, you need to add a team of people. And now all of a sudden you’ve got a company in an organization and those things need to be tended to. And as you said that that entrepreneurs and business owners don’t think about that in the beginning, and they kind of start off with some bad habits that end up if you don’t get in front of them. It can create problems where all of a sudden there’s no money in the bank or or they’ve got a lot of bills they’re sending out with. Clients aren’t paying them. So those are the things I try to help folks think about simple ways. It’s like anything. If you do it right in the beginning, then as you grow or scale, as we like to say these days, you’re just adding, you know, more pieces to a strong foundation.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:02] And then these kind of things that you’re working on are foundational. If you get these right at the beginning, you’re giving yourself a better chance at succeeding in the long run.

Hugh Glazer: [00:04:15] Oh, exactly, because the more you know about those aspects of the business, the better able you are to to leverage this, and I think that’s why it’s important. A lot of times, some folks is perspective as well. I’m good at the product part or I’m good at the creative part or I’m good at selling the business of the service teams. And I don’t want to focus on these other pieces. And oftentimes what happens is they wherever they’re getting their bookkeeping or backroom resources for, they all, they create a reverse dependency where they’re almost dependent on the person that’s supposed to be. Their employee actually knows more about what’s going on with those operational mechanics of the business than the owner does.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:07] Now let’s talk about how you work with your clients. What is typically the pain that this organization is having where they call you and your team?

Hugh Glazer: [00:05:17] Well, you know what? I’ve been very fortunately in the 20-plus years I’ve been doing this, that almost 100 percent of my new clients or new introductions are from referrals. And typically, there is something that goes on where, hey, we’re out of cash, we lost money. I also have a background in turnaround management, which is, you know, distressed companies that either are, you know, bankruptcy candidates or on the potential board or that, God forbid. And it’s, you know, there’s just there’s something wrong, you know, there are the bankers telling them, Hey, your financial statements that you’re getting, don’t look right or they need just someone to be their partner, almost so to speak, to make sure they’re on, you know, a good path to getting accurate and timely financial reporting, as well as someone that will work with them and motivate them on strategy and particularly this time of year as we get to the end of the calendar year, budgeting and thinking about next year and plans as an important component that successful companies, you know, employ on an ongoing basis.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:28] So now, almost by necessity, the people that you’re starting to work with are under some financial pressure. So how does the how do they take the leap of, well, you and his team are going to be able to I’ll invest in them to help me get through this, like how you’re kind of joining them in a vulnerable state?

Hugh Glazer: [00:06:48] Well, I think it’s, you know, having the wherewithal of being able to stand up or look at yourself in the mirror and say, Hey, I need some help here, you know, and it could be that scenario I just mentioned where we are existing bank isn’t happy with the information you’re getting or you’re even applying for loans and getting turned down, and you just realize you need someone. You know, as we said on the internet, you know, a coach or an advisor to kind of sit with you and listen to what your concerns and fears are and help you kind of set a path and a program to hold yourself accountable. You know, being in a small business owner, if you don’t have a partner or what I it can be a lonely place sometimes, and you can only throw so much on the shoulders of your family or your friends. You know they’re going to be empathetic with with you, certainly. But you want someone that can also be firm and guide guide you and say, Hey, you know, you need to change these practices if you keep doing what you just described. Nothing is going to change now.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:01] When you start working with new client, is it something that you have to really kind of immerse yourself in their financials and their business to really see where the opportunity is and where the kind of the holes in the boat are?

Hugh Glazer: [00:08:15] Well, to some extent, yes, I have when I get started with a new client or even before the relationship is formalized, something we have a I would call a discovery project that could be anywhere from five, 10, 15 hours, just probing some of those things. I mean, solid financial and business practices or are pretty straightforward and generic, but every organization is different. Everybody has a different style, and I like to try to find a path of fitting controls and practices that fit the needs of the particular company and what their business niches is. This isn’t a one size fits all kind of thing. You know, just to take a personalized approach. And part of my background has a theme of working with what I like to call creative people doing creative things to. While my experience space is very broad, I do have a lot of concentration in areas such as architecture, engineering, publishing, software, design, education related companies and those sectors. And you, you know some aspects of that and also the advertising industry as well. Have a little different approach than someone that’s in the manufacturing business now.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:43] Can you share maybe a success story? Don’t name the name, but maybe explain what the challenge they were having and how you were able to come in and shore things up and take them to a new level.

Hugh Glazer: [00:09:52] Sure, sure. In this architecture space, I have very deep operating experience as well as financial experience with one of the leading architecture practice management systems. And it’s a kind of thing today that a lot of companies under invest when they’re making a change or starting a system like that. So I got a call from. Another professional that that was this client, and the story was they tried to put in this new software and they got overwhelmed and they haven’t been able to send a bill out to clients for almost 90 days. And now there’s no money coming in. So I was able to come in and help them assess and get the implementation of that system back on track. And in the course of that review, I happen to see you’ve got some other kind of holes in how you do your financial and business operation management. And we started a series of conversations that led has led to my being there by call consulting CFO. And it’s now I think we’re in our eighth or ninth year of that relationship. So I have many experiences like that at another client where essentially the controller stole a six figure sum of money, a high six figure sum of money and just didn’t show up to work one day. I actually it was because in this time he was around a Thanksgiving holiday, so I came in and helped rebuild the finance team there. And those folks, I think, are in our five or six year working relationship.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:34] Now you mentioned that your firm does coaching and consulting. How do you kind of draw the lines around each of those services?

Hugh Glazer: [00:11:43] Draw the line between what

Lee Kantor: [00:11:44] Coaching and consulting because of

Hugh Glazer: [00:11:46] Coaching and consulting,

Lee Kantor: [00:11:47] Because obviously they’re different.

Hugh Glazer: [00:11:49] Well, yeah, the difference. Sometimes, you know, a consulting is more focused on the accomplishment of specific set of tasks like, Hey, help us find this piece of software, help us implement and train people, whereas coaching is more about. I need to think about what the next generation of people running the company is going to be or my other partners. Don’t seem to be doing as much work as I’m doing is being more directive in helping people think about how they can do a better job with their own efforts and thinking just like you have on, you know, coaching comes, I think, from a sports metaphor of someone that will help you work out the right play to try. When you run back on the field, so to speak.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:43] Right. Well, sometimes you may well, sometimes you need help and sometimes you need a helper.

Hugh Glazer: [00:12:48] Exactly. And the coaching is is more about working through the help and what other kinds of helpers where oftentimes the consulting is being the helper exactly right.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:03] So sometimes you roll up your sleeves and you’re in there and doing some of the work, and then sometimes you’re just helping them kind of find the resources they need to get the job done right.

Hugh Glazer: [00:13:13] And very often my longer term, you know, relationships include a little of both, but I have other experiences and folks, I work with that it can be almost all, you know, the helping or versus the coaching. And and sometimes that comes and you know, things have a cycle versus an ongoing support need

Lee Kantor: [00:13:36] Now for you. What’s the most rewarding part of the job?

Hugh Glazer: [00:13:41] You be in terms of what I enjoy. Yeah, I like. Well, you know, we’re all in these kind of things. You know, having a traditional accounting background, you know, you know, being the help or sometimes has a service satisfaction because you can see the beginning in the end, where is the coaching is sometimes a little less transparent and more intangible. But I think at the end of the day, I like, you know, the things I like about the coaching is it’s sort of that old parable about a teaching a person to fish when you can see that someone is taking the lessons or the things you’ve discussed and they’re applying them in multiple situations going forward, so you can see that it has an impact. So I like working with companies and business folks that are looking to improve and go forward, and I always try to find or enjoy situations where I see it’s not only an opportunity for me to contribute and share my experience, but I get the opportunity to learn something new as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:14:53] Now let’s talk a little bit about your role with the Goldman Sachs 10000 Small Businesses initiative. How did that come about?

Hugh Glazer: [00:15:02] Over 10000. Goldman Sachs 10000 Small Businesses Initiative is a wonderful, wonderful program. It’s a joint venture in a way between the Goldman Sachs Foundation and Babson College, which is among the leading schools of entrepreneurship. I think it’s the U.S. News and World reports for 20+ years running as one of the best schools of entrepreneurship, and the program teaches business owners, etc. what I would say a business toolkit in a 13 week semester type format that they can apply to any business opportunity or issue in their business. And the way I became involved in it is I happen to be an alum of Babson College and involved in some similar kinds of things within the school itself, and I was just asked about whether I might be available to assist them with some initial parts of the program. And then I ended up getting involved as a virtual business advisor and then became a lead advisor, supervising uncertain times, up six to eight other advisors. So it’s a wonderful program to help strengthen small businesses in this country

Lee Kantor: [00:16:15] And is an ongoing program or was

Hugh Glazer: [00:16:18] That? Yes, that’s an ongoing program. It’s delivered in a couple of different formats as partnerships with community colleges across the United States. I’m part of a national program that delivers all the same content that’s run virtually through Babson directly, and I can give you a URL if we want to have if people have an interest in going to learn more. I’m happy to share that with you.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:49] Yeah, sure, that’d be great.

Hugh Glazer: [00:16:50] All right. So the URL would be, of course, w WW. I see. I see dot org. And that stands for the Inner City Initiative for Competition. And I see I see is the national recruiting partner. And if you poke around on their website, I think it’s under programs. There’ll be a dropdown that will show you the the 10000 Small Businesses program, and there’s no information there about the program itself and how you can apply. And depending on what part of the country would connect you with the either the national program or the Regional Community College.

Lee Kantor: [00:17:30] Well, thank you so much for doing

Hugh Glazer: [00:17:32] That wonderful program. Well, the best business experiences I’ve ever had. I’ve helped close to 200 CEOs go through that program, and I’ve got a wonderful network of, I can say, friends and business owners across the country from across all kinds of business segments, and

Lee Kantor: [00:17:49] It’s giving an opportunity for folks who might not have have access to this type of education. So thank you for doing that.

Hugh Glazer: [00:17:55] Oh, for those folks, yeah, it’s tremendous. And particularly now, you know, we’ve the program has got a strong emphasis on trying to help small businesses provide, you know, survive and these extra challenges of the last year or two. So there are some qualifying criteria, but they’re they’ve been adjusted to meet, you know, the needs of company, you know, that might potentially be struggling right now.

Lee Kantor: [00:18:22] Now a lot of our listeners are business coaches now. Do you have any advice for them when it comes to their operations? Is there any tips you can be giving as we end this year and go into next year that they can be doing to help maybe manage your cash flow, prepare for growth things that they can be doing strategically so they get into next year, you know, running instead of kind of looking back and wondering what happened.

Hugh Glazer: [00:18:47] All, I think for any kind of business, it’s always important to understand what I call your cash flow break even. And while I’m a big believer in investing and I think investing in marketing and business development is a particularly critical. When things slow down and oftentimes in smaller organizations, that’s the first place they cut back. But in the coaching sector in particular, I think my thoughts that I learned myself is we are not. All experts in everything. I think one of my strengths is I know what I know. I know what I don’t know and I know how to find out about what I don’t know is pretty quickly, but to not sell something that you’re not really capable of delivering. I mean, I very often will have a conversation with somebody and once I understand what their needs are. I realize that’s not my thing either by my knowledge and expertize. Or it may be something that you know. And this is probably maybe more on the helping side that it’s a task I’m not interested in taking on. So I think it’s very good to know what your core sweet spot is. And very often, as human beings, we we take the shotgun approach to things because we fear that, you know, there might be of the of the hundred things I might be qualified to do. If I don’t mention all 100 of them, I could lose an opportunity.

Hugh Glazer: [00:20:27] And I have found that’s much more important to kind of think of what your approach is is more of a shooting a rifle than a shotgun. And then it’s important to know what your core expertize is and demonstrate that. And when you’re talking with people that you know, they want to know that they’re dealing with an expert, the fact that they may have a question or something that’s outside your expertize, they it’s important to leave that hook that they’ll come back to because someone that can be a jack of all trades and do everything and markets themselves like that doesn’t leave anything in the prospects, you know, like a way to retain. Remember you, so you want to. Maybe that’s after all that babbling along. And the answer is you want to be able to have an expertize and make a memorable presentation and people will come back and resonate with that. Ok, this guy or gal was good at this or that. I was very impressed. Maybe they could help find me someone of equal skill set that could do whatever might help me with whatever it is I need. I’m asking for help for even though it might not be their expertize. So that’s some. And what I what I would say, don’t be afraid of putting yourself out there as an expert and don’t try to be a jack of all trades and everything.

Lee Kantor: [00:21:49] Yeah, we say here that niches bring riches. But you want to be the go to for something. And if you can pull that off, then you’ll be remembered and they’ll think of you when they need that something right?

Hugh Glazer: [00:22:01] Your goal is to position yourself as a trusted adviser. You know, confidentiality discreet those criteria. I think we all would agree, would be important in this kind of work.

Lee Kantor: [00:22:16] Now, if somebody wants to learn more about your practice and get a hold of you or somebody on your team, what’s a website?

Hugh Glazer: [00:22:22] It’s Winter View Group. All one word.

Lee Kantor: [00:22:26] Well, you. Thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Hugh Glazer: [00:22:32] All right, thank you. I appreciate this opportunity.

Lee Kantor: [00:22:35] All right, this is Lee Kantor Rochelle, next time on Coach the Coach radio.