leadership development Archives - Page 7 of 9

LEADERSHIP LOWDOWN Steve Miksta Product Owner of SPEAR at VIP Mortgage Partner with Howard Fleischmann Partner of Community Tire Pros and Auto Repair

October 30, 2018 by Karen

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Phoenix Business Radio

LEADERSHIP LOWDOWN Steve Miksta Product Owner of SPEAR at VIP Mortgage Partner with Howard Fleischmann Partner of Community Tire Pros and Auto Repair

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LEADERSHIP LOWDOWN Steve Miksta Product Owner of SPEAR at VIP Mortgage Partner with Howard Fleischmann Partner of Community Tire Pros and Auto Repair

VIP Mortgage is a retail mortgage lender, based out of Scottsdale, AZ, although they have offices in several states across the country. VIP’s vision has always been to restore the reputation of the mortgage industry and they believe in attracting people with HEART, who can in turn accomplish more together than they ever could alone. VIP is built on relationships and is always focused on providing what is best for their employees, as well as for the end customer.

Steve Miksta was nationally ranked among the top 1% of loan originators in 2012. Instead of continuing to grow his production, Steve believed there was a greater opportunity in streamlining the mortgage process and assisting Loan Originators across the country in providing a better service to their customers. Steve partnered with VIP Mortgage in 2013 with the vision of building out an enterprise platform on Salesforce that would maximize company efficiencies, while attracting top Loan Originator talent. To date, VIP has grown over 50% since Steve’s arrival, while many competitors have continued to see volume drop. VIP continues to expand recruitment of top producing loan officers throughout Arizona, as well as in the other markets where they operate.

Steve is originally from a Chicago suburb and received a degree in Information Systems from the University of Illinois. Steve is now married to his wife, Dawn, and they recently gave birth to their son, Remington.

Follow Steve and VIP Mortgage on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Community Tire Pros & Auto Repair has been serving its communities since 1945. They strive to make a difference in their clients’ lives and believe in creating lifelong relationships. Thus allowing their clients the comfort of providing preventive maintenance service and tires when it’s timely of date, weather-worn & appropriate, rather than reacting to only break down; this allows our clients to budget and maintain a lower cost of vehicle operation. Community Tire Pros is centered around the community; both in their name andtheir company culture. They chose the name to reflect the true image and beliefs their company and associates stand for, their “Community” Tire Pros and Automotive Service Repair. They believe in giving to, and supporting, their local community and they have built a reputation for providing the highest level of honest and professional service in their industry. They center their service around you, as their valued customer, and want to earn your repeat business. With their Reward Program, you earn points with repairs and NEW CUSTOMERS 1st visit receives $25 of, Try us & Take us for a TEST DRIVE!

They are a certified partner with AskPatty.com, creating a female-focused environment and positive experience for all our women consumers. They specialize in ALL Vehicle repairs/NEW Tires/ Vehicle manufacturer required service & updates. (excluding collision repairs)

They have six service facilities, North Phoenix, Tempe/East Phoenix, West Glendale, Downtown Phoenix, Metro Center & minutes from the Sky Harbor Airport.

Howard Fleischmann Sr. has been in the industry for the past 49 years, starting his career in Tucson in 1969. After 27 years in the automotive wholesale business, he ventured into the retail auto repair business. In 2008, he went to his teams & recreated their direction of the business. Howard & his wife, Pat went to the clients instead of waiting for them… good old grassroots, Networking! We are a “Hassle-Free.Guaranteed” Tire Pros to satisfy everyone to the best of their ability! Ten years later are a few accolades to their Team Efforts: Proud to be the National “Top Shop” of the year by Tire Review /Tire Industry by our peers!

Community Tire Pros is part of their community and participate in worthwhile “Give Back” programs. They have been honored with the BBB Ethics Award, Impact Award from the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, Spirit Award from the WP Carey Business Center of ASU, twice awarded the TOP 5 SHOP national finalist in Tire Review Magazine-Tire Industry, AAA TOP SHOP Award for years running, AZ Central Reader’s Choice, Phx Business Journal Ranking AZ, Diversity Champions-Phx Business Journal, A+ BBB rating, One Community “Spotlight on Success” award, Business for Success Award by Governor Brewer, Phoenix Gay Pride Grand Marshall’s, another honor to be given yearly to a recipient is the Pride “Patricia & Howard Spirit Award” for forwarding thinking allies, etc. Their accolades deems their Customers Satisfaction! They specialize in Fleet Service and know the importance of keeping you Safe & on the Road!

The Leadership Lowdown was created to share the REAL story behind valley leaders’ rise to the top, and the truth about what it takes to TRULY succeed in life and business. Hear the raw stories of these leaders’ journeys…the pitfalls, the victories, and all of the heartaches and triumphs in between.

Follow Howard and Community Tire Pros on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT YOUR HOST

Jodi Low is an accomplished corporate trainer, inspirational speaker, and the Founder and CEO of U & Improved. Jodi has trained thousands of entrepreneurs and executives on how to build a booming business, master a mindset for success, and achieve the lifestyle they desire through heart-fueled leadership.

Through U & Improved—an award-winning personal and professional leadership development company based in Scottsdale—Jodi has redefined traditional leadership training by creating a sustainable and actionable model that is personal, challenging and meaningful to each and every individual who enrolls in any of the two-and-a-half-day experiential training classes. She and her elite training team have advanced the charge in heart-based leadership
development and empower U & Improved graduates with knowledge, tools and awareness to immediately be more effective and responsive leaders at work, home and within their communities.

Among her many accomplishments as a Valley leader, Jodi launched a teen leadership program in 2014 to empower young adults to become more confident, motivated and focused stewards of our future. In 2016, she founded a non-profit arm of the company—the U & Improved Leadership Foundation—that makes the program more accessible to deserving teens.

Jodi has been recognized by industry publications and organizations for her work in leadership development and serves as a source of inspiration within the community. In 2015, she was honored as an “Outstanding Women in Business” by the Phoenix Business Journal and by the Phoenix Suns and National Bank of Arizona with the “Amazing Women” award. She has received both the prestigious “Diversity Leader of the Year” and the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce’s “Sterling Award.” She was also awarded a Silver Stevie Award for Female Entrepreneur of the Year 2015 and was a finalist for the Junior League of Phoenix’s Valley Impact Award. Jodi is a devoted single parent who volunteers her time at her daughters’ school programs and with organizations such as Angel Mamas, where she’s served on the board for three years.

ClearEdge LLC with Founder Deborah Dubree and EZ Sports Talk Radio Host and Motivational Speaker Edward Smith

October 5, 2018 by Karen

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Phoenix Business Radio

ClearEdge LLC with Founder Deborah Dubree and EZ Sports Talk Radio Host and Motivational Speaker Edward Smith

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ClearEdge LLC with Founder Deborah Dubree and EZ Sports Talk Radio Host and Motivational Speaker Edward Smith

ClearEdge, LLC Successful entrepreneurs and small business owners hire Deborah to unleash their ultimate influence and authority in their business and life. Because they are knee deep in high stress, high demand and high stakes. So, they are underperforming, overstressed and over-thinking their decisions. Life has become way too complicated.

Bottom Line … if they continue to drive hard at this fast-pace they end up exhausted, disappointed and unfulfilled.

ClearEdge offers science-based, “No BS” speaking, private coaching and group training methods for reaching extraordinary, confident and consistent results. You develop your EDGE, so you experience greater pleasure and profit.

With only a high school diploma, Deborah Dubree catapulted her career from answering phones as a receptionist to become the owner/CEO of a $20 million corporation. After selling that company, Deborah founded ClearEdge, LLC.

Clients include business professionals and entrepreneurs from nine different countries and four continents, along with professional athletes from MLB, PGA and NFL. They have dubbed Deborah their “SECRET WEAPON!”

Author of two books, the most current titled, “AVERAGE IS AN ADDICTION, From Mediocre to Millions!” She is an International speaker, coach and trainer, along with being a frequent guest on NBC-TV, business and sports talk radio. Creator and facilitator of S.U.R.E. Academy … Society of Understanding and Reaching Excellence.

Connect with Deborah on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

EdSmithSpeaks offers a series of workshops/presentations titled Leadership Tips from the Locker Room to the Board Room. Great organizations are defined by leadership. Success comes from the environment created by those in charge. As a professional athlete Ed recognized it is imperative to build a team of quality members who share the principles of the 3 C’s (Common Goal, Communication & Collaboration). Workshops/presentations are tailored to your organization.

One of Ed’s biggest passions is encouraging the youth of America to stay on the right track and never give up on their dreams. “If you continue to chase them, you never know what amazing possibilities lay ahead.” Interactive presentations specifically designed for age brackets. Ed’s strong family foundation, faith and unwillingness to never give up have sustained him in both his personal and professional life. Ed’s presentation explores faith as a powerful tool in achieving your goals.

Ed Smith is a former two sport professional athlete. His journey through a nine- year minor league baseball career and the transition to the NFL, culminating in Super Bowl XXXIII (1998 NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons) exemplifies the definitions of perseverance and determination.

Reaching the pinnacle of professional football after years of hardships and uncertainty taught Ed many lessons – the true meaning of discipline, dedication, team work, faith and leadership. His purpose is to inspire those who need the clarity and motivation in life to achieve their goals.

In addition to speaking to organizations; Ed works closely with local/national charitable groups and is a published author (EZ Does It: The Journey of a Lifetime, 2005). His autobiography chronicles not only the highs and lows of sports, but also major life decisions and their consequences. He is also a radio personality, hosting a weekly show (The EZ Sports Talk Show) on NBC Sports Radio, KDUS 1060AM Phoenix.

Connect with Ed on LinkedIn, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

LEADERSHIP LOWDOWN Kay Eskridge with Images by Kay and Tiffany Divelbiss with Wildfire Crossfit

September 20, 2018 by Karen

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Phoenix Business Radio

LEADERSHIP LOWDOWN Kay Eskridge with Images by Kay and Tiffany Divelbiss with Wildfire Crossfit

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LEADERSHIP LOWDOWN Kay Eskridge with Images by Kay and Tiffany Divelbiss with Wildfire Crossfit

Combining her passion for photography and her love of people, Kay Eskridge’s studio, Images by Kay & Co. has earned a sterling reputation for high-quality lifestyle portraiture. Kay takes great pride in not only the imagery she creates but also the high level of customer service she provides. Her state-of-the-art residential studio boasts many different vignettes perfectly placed throughout the one-acre portrait garden. Clients may be photographed in areas representing Arizona with a desert and western flair as well as the beautiful green and lush garden in the back. A waterfall and Koi pond are a huge hit with the kids as they are able to feed the fish when the session is complete. An old pickup truck bed makes for a perfect vintage backdrop and the corrugated metal wall can give any image an urban feel. The camera room is light and bright and features natural window light for a soft feeling image. A large dressing suite provides a spacious place to prepare for your image and the feeling of ‘home’ gives each client a sense of peace.

Specializing as a lifestyle portrait artist, Kay’s clientele has come to rely on her to capture images from all of life’s special events, from maternity to newborns, tots to ‘tweens’, High School Seniors to summer family vacations and even intimate images captured through the CelebrateSexy division of her studio. Her focus on relationships, creative approach to portraiture, unique perspective on customer service and clear vision about business has provided her with much success doing something she loves.

Kay is a member and Past President of the Arizona Professional Photography Association and is one of Kodak-Alaris’ Approved Speakers. She is a PPA Certified, a Master-Photographic Craftsman and holds numerous awards, including the National Award, the Arizona Photographer of the Year, the Kodak Gallery Elite Award, the Phoenix Portrait Photographer of the Year, and the Arizona Illustrative Photographer of the Year. In addition to running a successful local business, Kay is an accredited and sought-after educator for her industry. She has traveled to China, Japan and Europe to teach other photographers and is well known for leading workshops and seminars throughout the United States. She is considered by her peers as a leader in her field and serves as a Trustee for the Professional Photographers of American’s Charity.

Connect with Kay on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

WildFire CrossFit is a fitness program like no other where we believe that every person deserves to live life to its fullest surrounded by a community that encourages them. Everyone is welcome who wants the opportunity to be better at life.

“Set your life on fire, seek those who fan your flames”.

This fitness program develops all ten areas of physical fitness using functional movements that are constantly varied and performed at high intensity. We combine weight lifting, cardiovascular endurance, body weight movements, and flexibility in a professionally coached program that produces results, never gets boring, and creates a strong community of people who work together to improve their lives through fitness. The workouts and exercises can be infinitely scaled to fit whatever fitness level each person may be or even to accommodate an injury concern. The environment produces results in areas beyond what we typically think of in fitness such as increased confidence, teamwork, positive attitude, stress relief, productivity and more.

WildFire CrossFit’s programs include: CrossFit, WildFire Weightlifting Club, Endurance, Gymnastics, CrossFit Kids & Teens (ages 5-17), WildFire Nutrition, Competition Classes, WildFire Boot Camp, Personal Training, and currently the Off Ice Training for the Pinnacle Hockey Club.

WildFire CrossFit is the spark that ignites life into those it touches. Through fitness, nutrition and/or the positive influence of its community.

As a Justice Studies major at ASU, fitness and nutrition wasn’t exactly a huge priority for Tiffany Divelbiss. She discovered it after she got a job at a weight loss clinic in Scottsdale. She found she had a passion for helping people. She understood how challenging losing weight could be and was able to help people by developing specific plans of action that would hold them accountable and produce results.

In 2008, Tiffany rented an office in a Wellness center to start her own Nutrition Consulting business. The personal trainer at the center started offering CrossFit classes and she started training with them as a compliment to her own nutrition program. It wasn’t long before she began coaching fitness in addition to her nutrition consulting and became a Level 1 CrossFit trainer. She helped to launch CrossFit Scottsdale, one of the first CrossFit affiliates in the area, and for the next few years coached adults, ran the gym and the nutrition program, and even started a CrossFit program for kids.

Tiffany’s mission in life has always been to help people be their best selves. She understands that by helping people to focus on fitness and nutrition, they will have the building blocks for a strong foundation of living their best life. Coaching people to find and build that strong foundation has become more than just a passion for Tiffany, it is a way of life.

In October of 2012, Tiffany and her husband, Skip, started WildFire CrossFit in North Phoenix where they are celebrating their 6-year anniversary next month. They have built a fitness community where everyone is welcome. They believe that everyone, no matter what their fitness background, deserves the help they need to live their best life, and that’s what they provide.

Connect with Tiffany on Facebook and Instagram.

ABOUT YOUR HOST

CULTURE CRUSH RX with PEAK FLEET Co-founders Jen Coyne and Brian Stinson

August 22, 2018 by Karen

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Phoenix Business Radio

CULTURE CRUSH RX with PEAK FLEET Co-founders Jen Coyne and Brian Stinson

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CULTURE CRUSH RX with PEAK FLEET Co-founders Jen Coyne and Brian Stinson

In this episode of Culture Crush Rx, Host Deb Caron talks with Jen Coyne and Brian Stinson, co-founders of The PEAK Fleet. PEAK = Persistence, Empathy, Authenticity, Kindness: the foundational values of their company. The PEAK Fleet helps organizations succeed by creating an engaged workforce that thrives together. The conversation dives into how establishing clarity around your purpose and values is at the core of creating a culture where authenticity thrives.

The PEAK Fleet provides expertise to inspire and enable organizations to accelerate achievement of goals, reach higher levels of profitability, and customer and employee satisfaction by focusing on engaging authentic and energized employees. Unlike traditional and large consulting companies and individuals, we bring a non-traditional, culturally fresh perspective and learning approach that creates better attachment, demands action and drives results. Our diverse set of experts provide workshops, speeches, strategy development, leadership events, and deep strategy-to-action consulting engagements across the following areas of expertise:

Employee Experience
Organizational Culture & The Future of Work
Creating Collaborative Teams
Leadership Development
Risk Taking & Possibility Thinking
Cultivating Inclusion

We emphasize that results aren’t achieved through talk and training alone, but through a persistent pursuit of taking strategy to action for achieving real and lasting results. We believe that lasting results are gained through genuine connection with employee and customer needs. We embrace and encourage Empathy, Authenticity, and Kindness in the work that we do.

The video mentioned in the podcast is Aria for a Cow. The backstory, information about the keynote speech and the director Dan Lund can be found here.

The Peak Values Card Deck can be best purchased at http://www.thepeakfleet.com/product/peak-values-card-deck/ and volume discounts are available!

Jen Coyne, Co-Founder & CEO, The PEAK Fleet has long had an entrepreneurial and creative energy, including a love for creating and selling fused glass art. In the corporate world, she has applied that spirit to leading change for 25 years. Helping people thrive is her passion and her reason for creating The PEAK Fleet with co-founder Brian Stinson. She has combined her background as a Certified Public Accountant and Project Management Professional with extensive background in strategy development to develop a strong understanding of business priorities and the ability to translate strategies into action.

Over 20 years working in high tech and information technology, Jen developed a highly successful track record of developing high performing, diverse teams with an engaged and committed workforce. Her experiences included Chief of Staff for Intel’s 6000 person IT organization, Director of IT User Experience, and Supply Chain product management. She also played a key role in promoting diversity and retention as the co-leader of the Women at Intel Network. Her experience in developing and delivering Organizational and Leadership training and development spans two decades, which she now leverages to create the unique, provocative, and thought-leading products and services for The PEAK Fleet.

Brian Stinson, Co-Founder, The PEAK Fleet is a father, engineer, and athlete with more than 20 years building high performing teams and driving culture change. Early on, at the University of Washington, Brian discovered Industrial Engineering and realized that “People Engineering” was in his DNA. During his 21 years at Intel Corporation, he learned to combine the science of data and analytics with the power of empathy and authentic relationships to solve real world business problems. Brian developed and led effective and engaged teams across multiple organizations.

More recently, Brian was responsible for the Workforce Strategy for Intel’s 6000-person worldwide IT organization. Through his career, he has grown a strong capacity as a skilled and adaptable facilitator. A moment of clarity occurred for Brian when he realized all of these experiences were staging him to focus the balance of his career on Organizational Development. For Brian, launching The PEAK Fleet represented an opportunity to help the greatest number of organizations unlock their full potential.

Follow The PEAK Fleet on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram and connect with Jen on Twitter.

ABOUT CULTURE CRUSH Rx

Culture Crush Rx is an exploration of what makes a great company culture, how successful leaders create it, and how it affects the overall success of the company. We highlight the companies in our community who are crushing it with culture and get practical tips from local experts on how to do the same.

Each episode, we dive into real-life experiences, tips, and best practices for creating a healthy work environment in which everyone is functioning at their highest level and finding joy and satisfaction in their work. Whether you’re a top-level leader, a startup entrepreneur, or part of team, we aim to provide you with valuable insights to help make your work enjoyable and your life well-rounded.

If company culture isn’t consciously created, it will still be created.

ABOUT YOUR HOST

Deb Caron is the owner and principal consultant of Anahata Marketing, a Phoenix-based marketing and brand communication consultancy that focuses on empathic listening and content creation to foster real connection between businesses and the customers they serve. She hosts Culture Crush Rx as part of her personal passion for helping people live healthier, more fulfilling, well-rounded lives. Deb is also a registered yoga teacher and she truly enjoys sharing her knowledge and love for the practice with her community. Deb can be reached at deb@anahatamarketing.com and on Linkedin.

LEADERSHIP LOWDOWN InMedia with Rick McCartney and Conscious Capitalism Arizona with Brian Mohr

August 18, 2018 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

LEADERSHIP LOWDOWN InMedia with Rick McCartney and Conscious Capitalism Arizona with Brian Mohr

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LEADERSHIP LOWDOWN InMedia with Rick McCartney and Conscious Capitalism Arizona with Brian Mohr

Conscious Capitalism Arizona Chapter President, Brian Mohr, and InMedia Publisher & CEO, Rick McCartney, join U & Improved Founder and Leadership LowDown Host, Jodi Low, in the studio to discuss how the concept of leadership is changing, what comes first – profit or purpose, the rise of technology, and why so many people are unhappy with their work experience.

Rick McCartney has been publishing in Phoenix for the past eighteen years. He is President and CEO of InMedia, a tech company that is developing multiple mobile apps and data-driven tech products, and produces many local, regional and national publications and media products including the In Business Magazine brand, Vicinity Magazines brand and community publications, marketing automation tools, social media platforms and websites.

Rick’s first publishing venture was the affluent lifestyle magazine, Arizona Corridors Magazine which quickly became a local success. His high editorial standards and creative design background brought Arizona Corridors to a level of success unseen in the Arizona market at the time. Upon the sale of Arizona Corridors Magazine, McCartney worked as Custom Publishing Group Manager at the Gannett owned Arizona Republic where he managed multiple publication titles.

He serves as Vice Chairman of the board at One-N-Ten, an organization that takes LGBTQ youth off the streets. He is a member of Project Jigsaw, a strong committee under Equality Arizona, working hard to change Arizonas foster care system. Junior Achievement volunteer teacher. Past Chairman of the Board of the Children’s Museum of Phoenix. He serves an Executive Board Director of the Phoenix Film Foundation. McCartney is past chairman of the Maricopa Workforce Connections Board where he works to create job opportunities for both the disadvantaged and unemployed. Governor Brewer (Ariz.) appointed McCartney to the Workforce Arizona Council where he served as chairman of the Marketing Committee where he has worked to re-brand the workforce entity in Arizona to Arizona@Work.

Connect with Rick on LinkedIn.

InMedia is a multi-media content development and delivery company dedicated to building an authentic audience experience through print, digital and filmed media.

In April of 2000, Brian Mohr became a founding member of a job board called Jobing.com. Over an 11-year period, he helped build the company to nearly 400 employees and $38M in revenue.

He’s seen, first-hand, the power of values, the power of culture, and the power of unwavering purpose. When done right, those make the ultimate competitive advantage.

Brian started Y Scouts with the belief that today’s leaders must authentically connect to the purpose and values of the organizations they lead. If disconnected, the strength of their experience (i.e. their résumé) will only compensate for so long. Brian joined the board of Conscious Capitalism in January of 2016 to more fully engage with other leaders who are making a meaningful difference.

Brian’s other endeavors include playing guitar, perfecting his Texas hold ’em skills, and traveling to see his favorite musicians and bands.

Connect with Brian on LinkedIn.

Conscious Capitalism is a philosophy about capitalism that reflects the potential of businesses to make a positive impact on the world. It provides a framework for businesses to be held accountable for the actions they take, employing conscious leaders with a vision and purpose beyond simply making money for themselves. They endeavor to create financial, intellectual, social, cultural, emotional, spiritual, physical and ecological wealth (capital) for all their stakeholders.

ABOUT YOUR HOST

CULTURE CRUSH RX Juan Kingsbury with Career Blindspot and Adam Wong of Rockstar Workforce

July 23, 2018 by Karen

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Phoenix Business Radio

CULTURE CRUSH RX Juan Kingsbury with Career Blindspot and Adam Wong of Rockstar Workforce

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CULTURE CRUSH RX Juan Kingsbury with Career Blindspot and Adam Wong of Rockstar Workforce

In this episode of Culture Crush Rx, Host Deb Caron chats with Juan Kingsbury of Career Blindspot and Adam Wong of Rockstar Workforce about how understanding people’s inherent traits and motivating forces helps build better working environments. Juan and Adam are both experts in self-awareness and peer-awareness and give us some excellent insights into the power of DISC assessments and discovery of motivating forces. For some reason, Zumba comes up often, too… you’ll have to tune in to figure that one out.

Listen in to learn how getting to know yourself and others better can lead to a happier, more fulfilling workplace. Whether you’re a leader looking to get more out of your team or an employee wondering how you can enjoy your job more, you’ll find this episode valuable.

Workshops and Tools That Turn Human Bias Into Opportunity. At Career Blindspot we train people to understand people, so conflicts don’t impede trust and results. We believe when leaders understand their people and vice versa they will always succeed. Without understanding why people work, accountability is lost. Proudly based out of Phoenix, AZ, since 2007, Career Blindspot has assessed thousands of employees and candidates in a variety of roles – entry level, business development and executive level for selection and development purposes. We work with leaders who see value in learning more about themselves and their people. Our clients understand that people seek out the work they think they deserve and they can do better.

As a talent consultant, Juan Kingsbury guides teams and individuals to turn self- awareness and peer awareness into opportunities. He believes that, put in the right environment, any individual can and SHOULD be a superstar performer and be eager to prove it. Additionally, he collaborates with other consultants, recruiters, trainers and executives to foster their own expertise in talent management and recognition with Career Blindspot training and coaching.

Follow Career Blindspot on Twitter.

Rockstar Workforce helps businesses grown by maximizing the potential of their people. They specialize in identifying and developing emerging leaders resulting in a more productive and results-driven organization.

Adam Wong brings over 15 years’ leadership and business management experience to Rockstar Workforce, including expertise in building high-performance teams, leadership development, sales, operations and administration. Most recently, he held key leadership roles at TTI Success Insights, a global leader in talent management. As Senior Vice President of Professional Services, he worked with mid- to enterprise-size businesses, leading efforts to implement new hiring and people-development initiatives.

In July of 2018 he launched his own consulting and leadership development company, Rockstar Workforce.

Adam is a professionally certified emotional intelligence analyst and a professional behavioral analyst. He has personally trained over 1,000 business professionals in the areas of emotional intelligence, self-awareness and the DISC behavioral assessment.

Adam holds an M.B.A. from Grand Canyon University and a B.A. from Northern Arizona University.

ABOUT CULTURE CRUSH Rx

If company culture isn’t consciously created, it will still be created.

ABOUT YOUR HOST

LEADERSHIP LOWDOWN Brad Leavitt with AFT Construction Joe Cunningham and Chris Wood with Sunny Energy and Matt Fulton with Heartbridge and The Whining Pig

June 19, 2018 by Karen

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Phoenix Business Radio

LEADERSHIP LOWDOWN Brad Leavitt with AFT Construction Joe Cunningham and Chris Wood with Sunny Energy and Matt Fulton with Heartbridge and The Whining Pig

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LEADERSHIP LOWDOWN Brad Leavitt with AFT Construction Joe Cunningham and Chris Wood with Sunny Energy and Matt Fulton with Heartbridge and The Whining Pig

As part of the “It’s Just Good Business” Series, Leadership LowDown Host Jodi Low, with U & Improved and Conscious Capitalism Arizona, catches up with Arizona’s best to talk about the winning combination between leadership, client care and community in construction and solar energy.

A Finer Touch Construction’s (AFT Construction) President Brad Leavitt has assembled a talented team of project managers, construction staff, and support personnel who share a common goal: to build quality projects that exceed the expectations of our clients. With over 80 years of combined industry experience, we’ve learned the value of quality craftsmanship, personalized service, and long-term relationships. AFT Construction was formed in March, 2013 and is based out of Scottsdale, AZ.

AFT Construction is a leader in providing the highest quality construction services at fair and competitive prices. Our pledge is to add value for our customers and clients through integrity, foresight, and innovation. We seek to establish long lasting relationships with our customers by exceeding expectations and gaining trust through delivering high levels of professionalism, timeliness, attention to detail, and service-minded customer satisfaction. Our commitment to this mission enables AFT Construction to be one of the premier construction firms in the Arizona region.

AFT Construction rises above the competition because of our quality, values and customer service. Utilizing our vast subcontractor base and material purchase power, we are committed to offering our customers top services at affordable prices. Communication with our customers is one of our top priorities and something our company takes great pride in. While the construction industry has often suffered from the lack of proper communication, management of expectations and punctuality, we continue to excel in these areas and are certain this has contributed to our success.

Follow AFT Construction on Facebook and Instagram.

Sunny Energy is a residential solar company that is dedicated to helping homeowners save money on their electric bills. The company focuses on delivering superior performance by using the best design, installation, equipment, and financing options to ensure the best combination of value and performance. Each project is customized to provide homeowners with the most advantageous option to produce their own clean and inexpensive energy. With offices in Arizona, California and Texas, Sunny Energy provides solar installation, battery storage, energy management, financing and service and repair. The company has been named one of the top solar contractors in the United States by Solar Power World magazine for the last three years. For more information, call (480) 257-3283.

Joseph “Joe” Cunningham is a co-founder and director of operations of Tempe- headquartered Sunny Energy, one of Arizona’s largest providers of residential and commercial solar energy systems. Joe is also a founding member and president of the Distributed Energy Resources Alliance (DERA), a non-profit trade organization dedicated to the development of distributed energy resources, including solar, battery storage, active demand management, distributed grid services and smart grid solutions for a reliable and sustainable energy supply. An industry leader, Joe is active in photovoltaic (PV) standards development with The SunSpec Alliance as chairman of the Orange Button Construction working group. He has co-authored two white papers, through SunSpec, on PV System Performance Metrics and PV System Commissioning for Performance Guidelines. He is recipient of the SunSpec Open Standards Champion award for years of voluntary standards work. Along with SunSpec, Joe works closely with standards working group members from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Sandia Labs and others. Through this work he is intimately knowledgeable on the value of PV system standards and certifications.

Prior to co-founding Sunny Energy, Joe was director of operations for five years for Centrosolar, a solar energy equipment supplier. He managed operations for North American markets, overseeing logistics, system design, sourcing and purchasing, private label manufacturing and outsourcing, order fulfillment, a nationwide technical services network and online systems. Prior to Centrosolar, Joe spent three years in the PV integration business. He managed, at various times, operations, business development, maintenance programs, sales and marketing. Prior to joining the PV industry, Joe worked for more than 20 years in wireless telecommunications and cable TV, and as an entrepreneur. He has held the positions of president, chief operating officer, vice president, and business development with various companies. He helped develop advanced wireless technology and services, as well as industry standards, government regulations, hardware and software to increase wireless spectrum use efficiencies and performance. He was instrumental in forming and managing a nationwide organization of operators and manufacturers to address equipment reliability and warranty issues. He has been recognized by the Wireless Communications Association International as a Wireless Pioneer and for outstanding contributions throughout his career. Joe has a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from Cornell University, where he was a four-year letterman in crew.

He lives with his wife, Resa, in Carefree, Ariz. and is an avid road cyclist, riding more than 5,000 miles annually. He is a past Arizona State Road Racing age-group champion.

Connect with Joe on LinkedIn.

Chris Wood is a co-founder and business development director for Tempe- headquartered Sunny Energy, one of Arizona’s largest providers of residential and commercial solar energy systems. He is responsible for all of the company’s business development needs including recruiting, hiring and training of the sales team, as well as conducting financial analysis of the products Sunny Energy creates and sells. He also oversees Sunny Energy’s vendor relations.

Prior to co-founding Sunny Energy, Chris was the director of North American sales for Centrosolar, an international solar energy equipment supplier. As Centrosolar’s second U.S. employee, he was responsible for taking the company from a garage start-up to a successful U.S. operation. During his seven-year tenure with the company, he built a network of 720 solar contractors spanning from New Jersey to Guam. His professional career includes work in land development, commodities trading and the food and beverage industries. Chris is a Florida native who grew up in Montreal. Fluent in English and French, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in finance from McGill University in Montreal.

He enjoys playing tennis and poker. He and his family reside in North Scottsdale.

Connect with Chris on LinkedIn and follow Sunny Energy on Facebook and Twitter.

Heartbridge builds great communities for deserving families. Founded by Matt Fulton and Steve Coburn, they acquire lower income, multi-family apartments in need of repair and transform them into conscious living communities. In addition to substantially updating existing apartments, HeartBridge provides vital tools to residents including financial literacy seminars and other helpful programs. HeartBridge Communities touches the lives of very real people – not through handouts, but with a helping hand up.

The Whining Pig was established in 2013 and currently has 5 locations in the Greater Phoenix Area. It is your neighborhood beer & wine bar. Offering a friendly environment for all, they specialize in craft beer, great wines and wonderful service. Their stock is constantly rotating and continues to surprise even the most loyal patrons. The Pig is locally owned and operated with knowledgable bartenders; serving the locals and any other friends that would like to join them.

Follow The Whining Pig on Facebook and Instagram. You can also follow their other locations on Facebook in Phoenix, Gilbert, Arcadia and Ahwatukee and Instagram in Phoenix, Gilbert, Arcadia and Ahwatukee.

ABOUT YOUR HOST

LEADERSHIP LOWDOWN Jay Feitlinger Founder and CEO with StringCan Interactive and Charlie Hess President of St Clair Technologies

June 11, 2018 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

LEADERSHIP LOWDOWN Jay Feitlinger Founder and CEO with StringCan Interactive and Charlie Hess President of St Clair Technologies

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LEADERSHIP LOWDOWN Jay Feitlinger Founder and CEO with StringCan Interactive and Charlie Hess President of St Clair Technologies

StringCan Interactive, located in Scottsdale, Arizona is a growing online marketing agency that has twice earned the “Best Places to Work” award in Phoenix. They are passionate about helping grow businesses that sell products and services to families, such as swim schools, gymnastics facilities, and fitness clubs.

Consumers live in a busy world, filled with millions of messages from billions of people. It’s easy for businesses to get lost and even lose contact with their customers. While connecting the right people at the right time may be difficult, it can be done. At StringCan, they believe in simplifying and focusing on building valuable and meaningful relationships between businesses and their customers.

They know customers want to be heard as much as they want to communicate with them. So they keep communication as simple as two cans and a string. Multi-location businesses in particular understand the importance of presenting a seamless brand experience and consistency in communication. They step in to help discover and resolve online company obstacles and fine tuning the brand experience by personalizing for each local market. They specialize in creating a strategy that connects the company with their localized customers and connecting brands with their ideal customers through strategic inbound marketing.

Jay Feitlinger, serial entrepreneur, is the founder and CEO of StringCan Interactive, his 8th company, which is a strategic online marketing agency in Scottsdale, Arizona. Since StringCan’s launch in 2010, Jay oversees strategy and vision, building culture that makes going into work something his team looks forward to, recruiting additional team members to help exceed clients’ goals, leading the team and allocating where StringCan invests time and money. One of Jay’s proudest accomplishments is earning Phoenix’s Best Places To Work award, on two occasions, recognizing StringCan for its dedication to its staff personal and professional development.

Practicing what he preaches around helping companies stay focused, Jay has positioned StringCan to help grow businesses that cater to families, such as health clubs, swim schools and gymnastic schools, frequently multi-location companies with their inbound marketing and online advertising needs. This commitment has earned multi-year contracts with large family-oriented companies such as The Little Gym with over 250 locations and GameTruck with over 175 locations.

Through years of experience, trial and error, success and failure, heartache and joy, Jay has found that our professional and personal lives are not in fact separate entities. In fact, it’s only when our home lives thrive that our businesses can be free to thrive too. And this is a truth that every entrepreneur deserves to hear. In 2015, Jay took the lessons he has learned from his last 8 businesses and created a 4-day family retreat to help entrepreneurs and business executives who desire more out of their family lives. The results of this process helped Jay with his own family issues and as he shared the process with others, he was inspired to have his first book published, FAMILY 2.0: Harness Business Principles to Reboot your Family in 4 Days, which focuses on helping entrepreneurs strengthen their families – and in turn strengthen their businesses.

Connect with Jay on LinkedIn and Twitter, and follow StringCan Interactive on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

At St. Clair Technologies, we take pride in listening to our customers’ needs and how they want to do business. “Full Service” and “Partnership” are not just jargon or buzz-words to us. We realize your success depends on our ability to respond to change, to deliver quality and reliability and to reduce manufacturing costs. From a simple connector to a complete wire harness system, let us put our ability and experience to work for you.

Charlie Hess was born in Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada, and enjoyed playing Canada’s 2 national sports: hockey and lacrosse, growing-up in the small town where St. Clair Technologies Inc. (SCT) originated. He graduated from The University of Waterloo, Ontario, in 1994 with degrees in Business, and Environmental Science & Resource Management. He began his career in the family business after graduation, with plans to continue his education focusing on Environmental Law. Before he could return to a post-graduate program, SCT requested a volunteer to relocate to Mexico in order to greenfield the company’s first international division. Charlie answered this call, and while his ability to speak Spanish was non-existent, his background in manufacturing had been developed over several years of employment in numerous positions working for the company he now partly-owned.

In the summer of 1996, Charlie and a small crew from the Canadian Operation opened a plant in Empalme, Sonora, Mexico. Having only 4 direct employees in the beginning, the learning curve was steep in this developing nation, but soon a profitable 2-shift operation was growing under his guidance. SCT needed second manufacturing location to manage growth, and after 4 years a facility in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico, was constructed. Through a partnership with The Offshore Group (of Tucson, AZ, USA) SCT expanded into automotive and non-automotive electrical system manufacturing in Mexico. Several US Tier 1, and OEM customers were being supplied with electrical harness system utilizing a just-in-time, and in some cases a ship-to-vin sequence process. Under the mentorship of Dave Thomas, President of SCT, and former President of Stoneridge’s harness division: Alphabet (a major competitor to SCT), Charlie expanded his management of the company to include all manufacturing operations, which totaled 4 plants through most of the 1990’s. He was responsible for many facets of the business, and became a driving force behind
the Shareholders’ decision making.

In 2005, he became SCT’s President, and took on all facets of the company’s directions, including: operations, sales, marketing, P&L, asset management and strategic plan development. Since that time, the company’s overall revenue has increased by 225%, and profitability has been successfully maintained through the automotive crash in 2009/10, and into the past 7 years of stable economic growth in the US automotive marketplace. Charlie’s vision is to continue investing in technology and developing his management team to ensure that SCT has a bright future.

Follow SCT on LinkedIn and Facebook.

ABOUT YOUR HOST

Blazing a New Path to Success District 3 Toastmasters Spring Conference

June 10, 2018 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Blazing a New Path to Success District 3 Toastmasters Spring Conference

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Blazing a New Path to Success District 3 Toastmasters Spring Conference

The Blazing a New Path to Success District 3 Toastmasters Spring Conference was a full weekend celebration packed with fun, education, contests, awards and networking opportunities. Business RadioX was on location with a remote broadcast that included several Toastmasters, speakers and leaders. We have the privilege of sharing a few minutes of their personal and professional journeys with you here.

Begin with the “Spring Conference Recap with Enid, Martha and Catherine” and then jump around to any of the 8 Interviews; Keynote with Patricia Fripp; C & L Award Acceptance Speech; and the JURIS KURSULIS Dedication Speech. It’s all here for you to listen in and be inspired all over again!

Catherine Norman, CC, CL 2018 Spring Conference Chair (Pictured here with her husband, Clifton Norman)

Enid Moore-Cranshaw, DTM, 2017-2018 District 3 Director

Martha Brock-Leftridge, DTM2, 2017-2018 District 3 Public Relations Manager (Pictured here with her husband, Prince Leftridge II, DTM2)

Spring Conference Recap with Enid, Martha and Catherine

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Getting the Day Started with Don Griffith, DTM, PID

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KEY NOTE: Under the Magnifying Glass: Good to Great Presentations with Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE (Introduction by Arlene Pedersen)

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A few minutes with “The Legend of Leadership: A Manager’s Quest” with Author Steve Broe, PH.D., DTM (Pictured here with Rose Nwaturuocha, DTM, Banquet Seating Chair)

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“It’s all about the joy of watching and helping other members grow and learn.”

Michael Scott Warner, DTM, Tonto Area 3 Director and Tonto Division Director Elect

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“A commitment to growing club membership.”

Robert Bush, ACB, ALB, Agave Area A4 Director and Agave Division Director Elect

(Pictured here with Nancy K. Duckett, ACB, ALB Club Pride-S.L.E.E.K. Chair)

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“People and life-long friendships is what’s most important to me.”

Brenda Nason Smull, DTM, Credentials Chair Mentor

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“Wish we had joined Toastmasters sooner!”

The Dynamic Father and Son Team: Randy Tudor, ACB, ALB, Navajo Area 5 Director, Navajo Division Director Elect and Kevin Tudor, CC, ALB, Verde Area 5 Director, Verde Division Director Elect

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Catching up with “The Fundamentals of Adult Learning” Speaker Wanda Ganjehsani, CC

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Communication & Leadership Award Honoree, Jody McPhearson’s Acceptance Speech

(Pictured here with his family and Lynne Nutter, ACS, ALB, C & L Award Chair, Color Guard, TLI Chair)

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Family members Catherine Brent (JURIS KURSULIS Daughter) and Tonya Dale (JURIS KURSULIS Granddaughter) presented Sandee Brogan, DTM, the Spring 2018 JURIS KURSULIS SPIRIT AWARD (Induction Speech by Nancy Starr-Cassidy, DTM PID)

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Meetings and Conventions Magazine names her “One of the 10 most electrifying speakers in North America” Presentation Skills Authority, Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE

(Pictured here with Sandee Brogan, DTM, Winner of the Spring 2018 JURIS KURSULIS SPIRIT AWARD)