Unlocking Business Growth - exploring achievements, challenges and what's interesting

Nola Heale
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Unlocking Business Growth - exploring achievements, challenges and what's interesting

Bringing together successful executives, entrepreneurs, experts and their advisors within interesting and emerging companies and industries to share their achievements, challenges, and what makes them successful. Technology, Manufacturing, Services, Mining, Construction,... and more. Tune-in each week as Nola Heale interviews a new inspirational leader.

  1. Paul Mercer| Inspiration, Education and Passion in Portable Power Technology

    2022-11-16

    Paul Mercer| Inspiration, Education and Passion in Portable Power Technology

    Paul Mercer, serial entrepreneur and conqueror of personal medical and business challenges, sincerely believes that a large part of the secret in founding and growing a successful business lies in the thinking.  The crystalized vision, the strategy (both financial and operational), competitive and market strategy and planning; clear forward picture of what the business will look like in 5, 10 and more years into the future. Growth then occurs through passion and the confidence to deliver.  Part of the secret sauce in his business is the education that the Portable Power Technology team provides to customers and prospects.  For large clients they have become an extension of the R&D or technical department having built deep loyalty, and endeavoring to continually enhance knowledge in the market. Passion drives success for the entire team and the customers, and the confidence to deliver is founded in a good strategy, plans, cash availability, and fantastic people.  Each accomplishment or hurdle overcome builds confidence and enhanced competence to handle the next one, which in turn feeds resilience and injects infectious joy. Seeing a potential future in community based energy storage and greener lifestyles, as well as ongoing explosion in portable power needs, Paul believes the future is exciting.  Solving the challenge of achieving greater energy storage to feed more powerful loads, employing new minerals for onboard storage without taking away from the range of the vehicle, and developing increasingly creative applications will continue to engage his niche and potential. Tune in to hear about: The reason the pain and panic bought by pandemic lockdown became business thrive.What is business growth really and why should it be different.How large customers provide growth without purchasing more of your products.How growth in revenue and profit can be maintained above an annualized 25% despite market circumstances.And more.Mentioned in this episode: Portable Power Technology website Paul Mercer LinkedIn

    54 min
  2. Kavita Ganesan| Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Avoid Failure, Enhance Competence

    2022-10-19

    Kavita Ganesan| Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Avoid Failure, Enhance Competence

    Kavita Ganesan has assisted many clients to gain the advantage of split-second humanlike thinking, from a computer.  Her secrets even assist when it is hard to get from concept to starting the project due to inadequate data. She cautious that in many situations AI is wasted, it does not work, and people believe they need AI but in fact do not. However, the examples of the potential value to be derived where AI is appropriately deployed are fascinating, and should spark initiative to identify places to apply AI in every business. Human-level thinking required? Not a problem.  Whether applied broadly or in specifically targeted situations, large companies and small all potentially benefit from deploying AI.  Don’t however look for immediate, directly consequential, or automatic positive impact on the bottom-line.  Some will see it fast but for many it will evolve over time in financial results, staff or customer satisfaction, quality enhancements, etc. Use an off-the-shelf tool or build from scratch. The secret to avoid failure lies in adequate preparation … data, validation, resources.  Replace part, or the entire, process or system currently deployed, but learn first from The Business Case for AI, A leader’s Guide to AI Strategies, Best Practices & Real-World Applications. Tune in to hear about: Ideas for where to consider artificial intelligence, or use automation.How to close the gap between management and data scientists.Why AI projects disappoint, and how to ensure success.Why all companies potentially derive significant value through technology investment.And more.Mentioned in this episode: Kavita Ganesa's website and book website

    39 min
  3. Bryan Clayton| Teenage Chore Becomes Successful Technology Business

    2022-09-08

    Bryan Clayton| Teenage Chore Becomes Successful Technology Business

    Bryan Clayton used many of the lessons learned in his first business to grow the second, but he did find that the nature of the business has a big impact on how you achieve success.  It was difficult to switch from growing a lawn care business to building a technology business because a tech business is mostly inventing something new; never seen or used before. One of the secrets to growing your business is to focus on one level at a time, and look to gain knowledge or experience from multiple sources in order to build your own ability.  Progressively try to move towards working more on your business than in it, but be patient because the early years are a challenge.  Success in a technology business can be developed through rapidly releasing a first product, which probably embarrasses the creators but delights the small customer base you have, and using the valuable feedback received to develop a product that the market truly wants. Employing his superpower – consistency – made Bryan show up every day and persevere on the one or two things his business was working on to get to the next milestone. By doing it over and over, enthusiastically, until successful GreenPal has grown large, and yet Bryan feels they are only getting started.  Bryan counsels to stay enthusiastic as you pursue each milestone, do not get side tracked through the highs and lows, and for those who feel they have missed their opportunity in technology – remember what Marc Andreessen thought about his opportunities in technology! Tune in to hear about: The value of the first-year customer base.How to close the gap between founder logic and user logic.The double-edged sword of external funding.Finding a business soul-mate if you need a business co-founder.And more.Mentioned in this episode: GreenPal app:  Apple  or Google  Bryan Clayton on Instagram

    34 min
  4. John Cuomo | Leadership Refined by Fire

    2022-08-31

    John Cuomo | Leadership Refined by Fire

    John Cuomo planned to become an electrician, so how did he land developing a deep love for serving in, and developing leadership for, the fire service? It was in fire academy that John found his passion, and even competing for a job for two-and-a-half years did not deter him.  Early in his career John noticed that the role of everyone in the fire service is about leadership – leading within the service and taking charge of situations that are overwhelming the community.  He spent his career learning from as many business and community role models, and books, as possible and now retired has written his first book – Leadership Refined By Fire, a firefighter’s guide to develop leadership skills, motivate and inspire others, and deliver exceptional care for the public – to make the knowledge available to others. One of John’s core beliefs is that leadership is about personal responsibility; to be a good leader you also have to be a good follower. His book is an excellent description and demonstration of the many qualities that make exceptional leaders, illustrated with entertaining and inspirational stories.  The book arms leaders to create a workplace fueled by meaning and during our conversation John had special encouragement for firefighters, “Never let the downs get too low, keep your chin up.  It is a wonderful thing you are doing.” Listen as he discusses some of the content and provides a glimpse into his next book on mental health. Tune in to hear about: A missile on the beach, thanksgiving dinner cooked for an estranged family, and other stories.Which do we need more - good managers or good leaders?What is, or what are, the most important leadership quality/ies?How to find a mentor when the company is too small.And more.Mentioned in this episode: Website https://www.fdleadership.com/

    48 min
  5. Cici Castelli | Mindset Unlocked – What Others Can’t, Won’t, Don’t Do

    2022-08-24

    Cici Castelli | Mindset Unlocked – What Others Can’t, Won’t, Don’t Do

    Why would a senior executive interpreter in American Sign language with Spanish and English want to leave and start a new career, as a single parent to small children, on the other side of the country?  Well, because she sees it as an opportunity, and because most people would not do that. Cici drove herself hard, burnt out a few times, and had to learn to plan personal activities and business tasks in her calendar, but still achieve what she set her mind to. Through implementing her three step process of Identify, Influence, and Implement Cici now leads her teams, and coaches professionals and intrapreneurs to improve their own achievements, through mindset, productivity and performance. Being an executive in travel and hospitality at an exciting time presented a new opportunity to participate on the taskforce to restart operations.  The down time during the global pandemic also instigated the start of writing her book and coaching business.  Cici feels strongly that when people work on what they are passionate about they grow more, and faster, but she also practices cross-training  of her team members to facilitate learning new skills and working as a tightknit family to achieve together. She wants them all to achieve a balanced career and life. She teaches how to benefit by doing what others can’t, won’t or do not do. Tune in to hear about: Stories - what happened when she was working in China when the Covid-19 pandemic started.How to build loyal, high performing teams.The importance of respecting and following a well-balanced scheduler.Not settling for anything less than extraordinary.And more.Mentioned in this episode: Website

    38 min
  6. Stacey Brown Randall | Focus on the Relationship, Don’t Request Referrals, Succeed

    2022-08-17

    Stacey Brown Randall | Focus on the Relationship, Don’t Request Referrals, Succeed

    After four successful years in business Stacey Brown Randall learned a hard lesson.  Without the right approach to business development the business has no future. You cannot hope your business into success and being in all the places all of the time, constant networking, is exhausting.   It would be magic if the sales pipeline could fill itself as you do what you do best.  Well with the right referral strategies it can!  Referrals that flow naturally and consistently.  When not attached to compensation they work especially well is a relational business, where there is a sizeable client investment. With just three secrets – get organized, follow the methodology, and trust the process – your relationships will generate referrals without you asking, paying, reciprocating, or manipulating. Tune in to hear about: When compensation for a referral does and does not work, and why.Three alternative approaches to generating referrals – depending on your starting point.The value of metrics and discipline.The most important reason growth tactics picked up from others often do not work.And more.Mentioned in this episode: Stacey Brown Randall website  Freebies

    44 min
  7. Purush Cannane | Creating comprehensive value – paper replaces single-use plastic, through immigrant employment, and environmentally friendly production at Greenii Inc.

    2022-08-10

    Purush Cannane | Creating comprehensive value – paper replaces single-use plastic, through immigrant employment, and environmentally friendly production at Greenii Inc.

    Purush Cannane creatively combined his engineering skill, passion for solving environmental problems, and his drive to help vulnerable communities when he founded Greenii to create paper bags from waste paper.  Avoiding post-consumer paper in order to bypass the need for additional environmentally unfriendly chemicals and processes, he sources high quality paper, offers employment to recently immigrated women, and has now sold thousands of carrier bags in Canada and the USA to replace single-use plastic bags. Not stopping yet, Purush has gone on to invent equipment to facilitate growth in production volumes, and is expanding into box packaging as well. While handmade bags may continue to form a part of the product offering, it is the raw materials used that ensures bags will always remain unique.  He even affords customers the opportunity to convert their unused, expired marketing materials and paper products into new packaging products for use by themselves or another environmentally conscious and creative business. Tune in to hear about: Why common paper bags are actually worse than plastic bags for the environment.How a piggy bank start led to a college binding service.Always having five to ten alternative solutions to a problem.And more.Mentioned in this episode: Greenii websiteGreeni email: Greenii.inc1@gmail.com

    50 min

  8. 2022-07-13

    Carol Sanford | Indirect Work to Exceptional Improvement

    Thinking and questioning originated in Carol Sanford’s childhood; through influences from indigenous, white supremacist, and even fundamentalist Christian customs and beliefs. How we are in, and view, the world drives our engagement and impact.   From the contradictory, perhaps clashing, cultural influences Carol developed a drive to think, question, and write.  Influenced also by studying and observing the success of basketball coach Phil Jackson’s model that cultivated role models and excellence through indirect work Carol wrote her latest, sixth book, Indirect Work. She seeks to stimulate thinking and develop inquiry; to encourage readers to overcome paradigms, to escape the chains and shadows (as described by Plato).  Thinking not about the book content as a template or instruction, but about the influence on the reader - their own opinions about what is raised in the book, how they can argue with that content, and work to form their own opinions and ideas.  Then test them. Learning is as much about how one engages with new information and experience as it is about the information itself.  Carol encourages listeners and readers neither to accept nor reject anything she, or anyone else, says or demonstrates without first working it through with their own experience, reflection, and disagreements.  Society needs to stimulate its own enquiring mind and then develop a methodology of learning to think. Tune in to hear about: A glimpse at the book Indirect Work.How Phil Jackson became the winningest coach in the NBA, and elevated the value and attractiveness of the sport, without coaching (including discussion not included in the book).What to do instead of setting goals, and what billiard balls have to do with it.How Colgate in South Africa rapidly transformed their results, their structure, retained the employee team, and benefitted society through indirect work.And more.Mentioned in this episode: Carol Sanford website

    56 min
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Bringing together successful executives, entrepreneurs, experts and their advisors within interesting and emerging companies and industries to share their achievements, challenges, and what makes them successful. Technology, Manufacturing, Services, Mining, Construction,... and more. Tune-in each week as Nola Heale interviews a new inspirational leader.

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