Breakfast Leadership Show Michael D. Levitt

Decades of experience, over 100 cases tried to a jury with monumental failures and success, Eric uniquely tries civil and criminal cases with equal passion and sophistication. Landmark cases include creating the constitutional right to Intimate Association (Eric protected the rights of low-income housing residents against oppressive “crime control” measures) and his historic $91,000,000 verdict is the largest compensatory damages verdict for one person in Washington State. As George Clinton's lawyer, the iconic funk musician/artist, Eric's unique view into the entertainment industry crafted a result that allowed him to maintain his collection of music and is the lead attorney on the definitive copyright case in American jurisprudence. His representation of George Clinton, the iconic funk musician/artist, is the definitive copyright case in American jurisprudence.Eric’s passion is to create and move juries in the courtroom, seek out truth, and deliver justice. He is recognized as an innovator in trial work and the only Washington lawyer to be acknowledged by the Plaintiffs Trial Bar (WSAJ) and the Defense Trial Bar (WDTLA) for their prestigious Trial Lawyer of the Year award.
A teacher of over 16 years at the Trial Lawyers College and a student there for 21, Eric is committed to the grace of continued learning. Eric’s deep friendships and mentors, Gerry Spence, Paul Luvera, Rick Friedman, Nick Rowley, and Bill Barton, gift reciprocity of thought and offer tapestries of insights that inspire and guide him daily.www.ericfonglaw.com
 
Quick recap
In their conversation, Michael and Eric touched on various aspects of life's purpose, work, and the legal profession. They discussed Eric's career as a trial lawyer, his personal fulfillment in helping individuals, and his concerns about the influence of the insurance industry on the legal world. They also talked about the issue of insurance rates, especially in areas prone to natural disasters, and the importance of self-confidence and positive mindset in overcoming adversity.
 
 
Summary
Life's Purpose and Spontaneity
Michael and Eric had a conversation about life's purpose and the importance of spontaneity. They also discussed Eric's work and how people can connect with him. Michael expressed his appreciation for Eric's time and his openness to having a natural conversation. They briefly mentioned a shift from Google Podcasts to YouTube, which Michael mentioned would provide an opportunity to reach a wider audience.
Advocating for the Underdog: A Career in Law
Eric and Michael discussed Eric's career as a trial lawyer. Eric shared his personal fulfillment and purpose in helping individuals, particularly those in challenging circumstances. He acknowledged the complexities and potential biases within the judicial system but expressed his belief in the potential fairness of the jury system. Michael echoed Eric's sentiment about the significance of human connections and storytelling in advocating for causes. Both agreed on the importance of supporting the 'little guys' in their battles against larger entities. They also acknowledged the challenging and demanding nature of such advocacy work.
Insurance Industry's Impact on Legal World
Eric voiced his concerns about the influence of the insurance industry on the legal world, highlighting its control over various aspects of life such as car ownership and health care. He emphasized the difficulties in holding the industry accountable and the crucial role of trial lawyers. Eric and Michael expressed their frustration with the insurance industry's practice of not fulfilling its promises to pay claims, noting the stress it causes claimants. Eric, a lawyer, shared his mission to handle legal matters and hold insurance companies accountable to alleviate the stress for his clients. They also discussed the negative consequences of claimants deciding not to pursue their claims, enabling insurance companies to continue their practices.
In

Dr. Steven Stein, PH.D., a world-renowned clinical psychologist, international best-selling author, and leading expert on psychological assessment and emotional intelligence, instead. 
 
Dr. Stein has released, Hardiness: Making Stress Work for You to Achieve Your Life Goals (2020) and Emotional Intelligence for Dummies, 2nd edition (2023) to help individuals improve their emotional understanding, enhance their work performance, and leverage stress for personal growth and life satisfaction.

Dr. Stein also consults with numerous reality TV shows, including Big Brother Canada, The Amazing Race Canada, MasterChef Canada, Bachelor Canada, Bachelor in Paradise, Blown Away, and many others, providing psychological expertise and candidate selection assessments. You can find his press kit here.

 
Dr. Stein can discuss:
Hardiness: Making Stress Work for You: 

How Hardiness can make working environments more adaptive 


Steps leaders can take to build up their own Hardiness attitudes and behaviors and those of their teams 


How the three Cs of Hardiness promotes a culture of resiliency that improves productivity, health, and the bottom line.


Why individuals who possess high levels of emotional intelligence are also more likely to possess high levels of Hardiness. 

Emotional Intelligence for Dummies, 2nd edition: 

Discuss what emotional intelligence is in greater detail and how to improve it


How emotional intelligence can contribute to the enhancement of work performances 


Explore how leaders can use emotional intelligence within their teams

Quick recap
Managing Workplace Stress With Hardiness
Steven and Michael discussed the increasing stress levels in the workplace and the factors contributing to this trend. They identified the importance of a mindset called 'hardiness' which enables individuals to better manage stressful situations. This mindset is characterized by a focus on challenges, control, and commitment. Michael emphasized the need to maintain perspective, particularly in the face of change or difficult circumstances at work. Steven furthered this by suggesting that individuals should focus on their long-term goals and work towards them, using imagery to help maintain a positive outlook.
Achieving State of Flow in Work
Michael used the analogy of athletes, such as basketball players and Usain Bolt, to describe the state of flow one can experience in their work when fully engaged and creative. He emphasized the importance of visualization in achieving this state. Steven expanded on this concept, drawing from his book Hardiness, and suggested that these techniques used by elite athletes could be applied in the workplace to improve performance in tasks like presentations and sales calls. He indicated that by practicing visualization and the right processes, one could experience a similar state of flow in their work as athletes do on the playing field.
Finding Joy in Work: Michael's Game-Changing Approach
Michael shared his experience of how he found joy and satisfaction in his work by turning it into a game. He shared how he enjoyed setting up computer labs for his former job in a school, finding it invigorating and efficient. Steven agreed with Michael's approach, highlighting the importance of finding work that one enjoys. Michael further elaborated on his experience in healthcare clinics, where he enabled staff to work on tasks that suited them best, resulting in positive outcomes and a happy work environment.
Emotional Intelligence and Personal Success
Michael and Steven discussed the importance of emotional intelligence in personal and professional success. Steven highlighted the three key aspects of emotional intelligence: understanding one's own emotions, managing emotions effectively, and using emotions to achieve goals. Michael agreed with Steven and added that self-awareness is crucial to emotional intelligence, and shared his personal experiences on how preparing for tasks

Watchen Nyanue is an expert talent management strategist, speaker, and facilitator who helps Fortune 500 companies keep their employees from quitting.
As the Founder and CEO of I Choose the Ladder, Watchen has been a guide for companies such as Nike, McDonald’s, and Best Buy as they redefine what it means to cultivate a global, inclusive, and innovative workforce. With over fifteen years of corporate experience, Watchen’s work sits at the intersection of talent, culture, and strategy.
Prior to founding, I Choose the Ladder, Watchen was the Senior Vice President of MarketingPartnerships for the 2021 WNBA Champions, the Chicago Sky. During the past 15 years of working in Corporate America, Watchen has had the privilege to work for many renowned companies, including Comedy Central, Hearst Digital, Yahoo!, and Johnson Publishing Company.
Watchen has a proven track record of creating work environments where individual contributors and leaders alike are inspired to take action to shape the future of corporate America for all employees.
Watchen has been recognized as a Chicago Scholars 35 Under 35 Honoree, a 2018 Chicago Business Journal Woman of Influence Honoree, a Biz Women 2018 Headliner, and a 2019 Black Women's Expo, Presented by BET Her, Phenomenal Woman Honoree, 2020 WVON presented by
Ariel Investments 40 Gamechangers Under 40 Award, 2022 CMAC "Iconic 22" honoree.Watchen has been featured on Forbes.com, Black Enterprise, WGN, XONecole, Madame Noire, WVON, and Amsterdam News.
A proud immigrant, Watchen was born in Liberia and immigrated to Chicago in 1991 after living through the Liberian civil war. She is an alumnus of the Posse Foundation and holds a Bachelor's in Communication from DePaul University and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.Website: https://www.choosetheladder.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/i-choose-the-ladder/?viewAsMember=trueFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IChoosetheLadderInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ichoosetheladder/Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/watchen/

Luke is the Founder of Website Rental Coaching (WRC), a digital agency that trains people in the rank and rent online business model. The goal is to give them greater control over their work/life balance and create wealth.WRC’s program has financially empowered clients across various professions by educating them on SEO, lead generation, and client sourcing. While several have earned passive incomes to match and replace their 9-5 salaries, many earn thousands each month as a side hustle.Over the past decade, Luke has built 100+ rank and rent websites that organically generate tens of thousands of high-quality business leads every month across 73 niches and 48 states in the US. Businesses that rent these sites have been able to automate customer acquisition and eliminate advertising costs while increasing their rate of growth and expansion.Luke has also been able to branch out to acquire local businesses, to which he applies his lead generation expertise to scale them for a big exit later. In 2023, he notably purchased Mr. Ding-A-Ling for $1.7M, raising the ice cream company’s valuation to $2.2M in just a few months.Luke’s journey as a digital landlord started with his own search for financial autonomy as an unfulfilled 9-5er in the corporate world. He set about using his digital know-how and, in just six months, built an SEO-powered portfolio that generated high revenues.On the podcast, Luke would love to talk about:- How is the education system designed to keep people working instead of creating wealth?- How website rental works and why it is worthwhile to build a solid passive income.- Key methods and strategies to optimize the rank and rent model to generate leads for any business.
Quick recap
Summary
Discussing SEO, AI, and Business Experiences
Michael and Luke had a productive discussion about their recent schedule changes and upcoming topics for discussion. Michael, a specialist in SEO and AI, expressed his interest in learning more about Luke's business, particularly its website rental side. Luke was invited to share his experiences and thoughts on SEO and AI, and Michael emphasized the importance of referencing relevant information during the conversation. They agreed to proceed with a planned discussion about the current state of SEO and AI.
Burnout, Corporate Jobs, and Alternatives
Luke and Michael discussed their experiences with burnout in corporate jobs and their decisions to quit and pursue passive income. They also talked about their observations of the issues inherent in traditional corporate environments, such as lack of control, inflexibility, and focusing on short-term gains at the expense of long-term sustainability. They agreed that individuals should prioritize their well-being and consider alternative working methods for more autonomy and flexibility.
Michael and Luke's Journeys in SEO and Website Design
Michael and Luke discussed their journeys into SEO and website design. Michael shared his view on the ongoing relevance of websites and SEO, emphasizing their importance for businesses to be found. Luke shared that his motivation for starting his own business was to create a flexible income and have more control over his time. After trying various models, he landed on SEO and built an agency. However, he found that owning the sites was limiting, so he switched to renting digital spaces online, giving him more control and independence.
Frustration With Unrealistic Client Demands
Michael used the analogy of going to a restaurant to describe a situation where clients have unrealistic demands, causing unnecessary stress for the service providers. He expressed frustration with those who order complex modifications, likening it to his harrowing experiences with his family's breakfast orders. He emphasized the importance of simplicity to avoid confusion and ensure satisfaction.
Search Engine Rankings and Website Reliability
Michael emphasized the importance of having a website that ranks high on sea

Chase Harmer spent 25+ years as a payments entrepreneur, he is a pioneer in virtual credit card technology with 7 patents since 2013. Founder of ProfitPay, acquired by PayCertify in 2021 with a valuation > $500M. Chase knows how to build enterprise value and process for scale. Chase uses his experience as a Lecturer and Mentor at the Founders Institute.Now, as the Founder of Wishes, Inc, he and his team have built proprietary technology to revolutionize fundraising. Wishes deliver the resources and financial support needed quicker than any other platform in the market.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chase-harmer-657a5b5/
https://www.getpaycertify.com/
https://www.wishes.inc
 
 

Richard Gunderson is the founder and owner of Career Job Transition LLC. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He is a consultant, coach, and author living in Lakeville, MN.Richard is the author of “Step Up to That New Career, " published in March 2022. That book documents his training and coaching process that unlocks the secrets for professionals seeking new employment.
His newest book “The Great Awakening of American Business” was published in October 2022. That book provides management recommendations for addressing the high rate of voluntary employee terminations.
As a small business consultant, Richard helps emerging small business owners strengthen their businesses by improving recruiting results, employee engagement, and retention.
https://careerjobtransition.comhttps://careerjobtransition.com/secrets
 
https://careerjobtransition.com 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardgunderson/ 
During the show, Richard and I discussed:
Managing the growth of an emerging small business is a challenge. One of the challenges is the business leader’s belief that they have all the answers.
The human side of many emerging small businesses is often the source of lost productivity, profit, and cash flow.
An on-site assessment of a business can reveal huge ROI opportunities that the business owner is unaware of.
Job seekers often fail to understand the needs of an employer. Employers often fail to understand the needs of the job applicant. That’s the reason for poor results in recruiting, hiring, employee engagement, and turnover.
Traditional recruiting, hiring, and manager selection methods often fall short of the desired result. It’s time for renewal of these policies and procedures.
Turnover and employee engagement data have failed to exhibit significant improvement in American businesses over the past five years.
The challenges of overcoming deficiencies in recruiting, hiring decisions, management selection, employee engagement, and employee turnover can be solved.