CEO Confidential Alex Gertsburg

When a personal life event negatively affects your business you can choose to let it defeat you or bounce back stronger than ever before. Traci Miller, a woman of resilience and empathy, shares a story of loss and how it affected both her personal life and professional career. We discuss new life mantras, the importance of your mental health, and how a sense of community can change your life.
 
Takeaways 
Create a community of people or “tribe” to use as a sounding board, community, and support system.
Entrepreneurs have their own language, they tend to understand each other. Having that support, even if it's the lack of judgment.
Keep track of your victories. Journaling is a great way to remind yourself of your highs as well as your lows.
Questions to live by: “Am I going to regret those words tomorrow?”, “Did I have a positive impact on those around me?”, and “Will they think of me in a way that they were better for having been part of my life?”
Imagine that every conversation could be the last words you would share with someone.
The criteria for a good leader is to have empathy and consideration for the other people there.
“It's about the people. It's about their experience.”
 
Shout Outs
Simon Sinek - https://simonsinek.com
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action Book by Simon Sinek - https://www.amazon.com/Start-Why-Leaders-Inspire-Everyone/dp/1591846447/ref=asc_df_1591846447/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312106851030&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13388274615813059912&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9002277&hvtargid=pla-394932354867&psc=1
 
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracimiller/
Company Website: https://www.color3.com
 
Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1fba44a7-752b-4ac0-a0a4-11ab25506ed5/ceo-confidential
Apple Podcast - ‎https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ceo-confidential/id1197044116
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2v6qyhzcD7Mk2yqhyobnRy
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY2VvY29uZmlkZW50aWFsLm5ldC9mZWVkLnhtbA
Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/show/ceo-confidential
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8RB2o4CD1w

Growing your network and surrounding yourself with other entrepreneurs can help you get through the highs and the lows of starting your own business. Over time, Chas realized that creating a constructive and prosperous business culture starts from hiring the correct people that can work together effectively. He started using the Culture Index to identify changes that needed to be made in order to help his employees meet their maximum potential. 
 
Takeaways:
Find an experienced mentor who can assist you with the highs and lows of running your own business.
Don’t let other people’s expectations of you affect your future. Only you are in control of where you go and what you do.
The Entrepreneurs Organization has helped many aspiring entrepreneurs grow their business and feel a sense of belonging.
There comes a time when business owners move from using personal intuition to making decisions based on scientific data.
Learning how to communicate effectively with different types of personalities is important to the company culture. Understand how to get the right people in the right roles to increase ROI.
Don’t shy away from taking chances. Even if it flops, find a way to learn something and pick yourself back up. That, in itself, is a key skill.
 
Shout Outs:
EOS Worldwide: https://www.eosworldwide.com/
Culture Index: https://www.cindexinc.com/
 
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chas-moscarino-70298917/
Company Website: https://createmylandscape.com/
 
Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1fba44a7-752b-4ac0-a0a4-11ab25506ed5/ceo-confidential
Apple Podcast - ‎https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ceo-confidential/id1197044116
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2v6qyhzcD7Mk2yqhyobnRy
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY2VvY29uZmlkZW50aWFsLm5ldC9mZWVkLnhtbA
Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/show/ceo-confidential
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIeI0fV7mNc

“One big family!” There are benefits to pulling from a pool of people you know when you’re first starting a new business venture. There’s also a lot of risks! What happens when you hire a sibling or a friend of a friend, and your expectations of their capabilities don’t line up? Mark Schneiders has accomplished the almost unimaginable - owning and managing a company where almost everyone is a first-degree connection or “once removed from the family”. Listen to this episode to hear his tips and tricks on this mastery!

Takeaways 
“There is an entrepreneurial paranoia, you’re often taking risks… and we find ourselves pushing forward, doing what you have to win, to overcome, to adapt.”  
As a business owner & leader, when you take ownership of problems and manage them the business takes off and breeds success.
One of the best tools Mark employed is a culture Index. This helped him understand how his employees need to be motivated, led, talked to, and utilized. 
Not every employee will think like you or work like you, and that’s a good thing. 
Biggest challenges about recruiting and working with family members: especially early on it can feel like you never get a break - 24/7 spouse, kids, parents, siblings, house!
Define your process and set your expectations. When you don't, chaos can creep in, and when your employees are your close friends and family, it can lead to friction.
Mark’s advice: “Be honest... it’s more than okay to express yourself. It’s okay to say I don’t have the answer and I need your help.”

Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-schnieders-2739b2121/
Website: https://www.stridemobility.net

Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1fba44a7-752b-4ac0-a0a4-11ab25506ed5/ceo-confidential
Apple Podcast - ‎https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ceo-confidential/id1197044116
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2v6qyhzcD7Mk2yqhyobnRy
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY2VvY29uZmlkZW50aWFsLm5ldC9mZWVkLnhtbA
Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/show/ceo-confidential
YouTube - https://youtu.be/QUGbJg8ckCU

Alex talks to Christian Klein, owner of the digital marketing firm Company 119. As one of the first in their field, they experienced explosive growth and learned some hard lessons in the years that followed. Learn about CAP (communication, anticipation, preparation), the core elements of a successful emergency situation, and how it can help you evaluate the decisions facing your business in light of the question, “Is this a risk I’m willing to take?” 
Takeaways 
Look at decisions in light of “Is this a risk you are willing to take?”
Marketing puts the best face on your organization to the outside world, but every company has problems.
Fix the ego element in your company 
CAP (Communication, Anticipation, Preparation): the core elements of a successful emergency situation
Know these two things and your clients will trust you.
Take ownership of your career and turn it into a craft.
Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/company119?lang=en
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianklein/
Website: https://www.company119.com
 
Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1fba44a7-752b-4ac0-a0a4-11ab25506ed5/ceo-confidential
Apple Podcast - ‎https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ceo-confidential/id1197044116
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2v6qyhzcD7Mk2yqhyobnRy
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY2VvY29uZmlkZW50aWFsLm5ldC9mZWVkLnhtbA
Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/show/ceo-confidential
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1-w7Xuv9vo

Bridget Thibeault went from working for an ad agency to going to culinary school full-time; baking and selling goods out of her small kitchen to opening Luna Bakery and Cafe in Cleveland Heights. With her marketing background and passion for baking, there were lines out the doors--but she wanted to become a better leader and create a company that was not only sustainable but could grow. With 10 years of hard work behind her and many lessons learned, Bridget shares how a shift in mindset helped her become profitable and create a company culture that draws and maintains the best employees.
 
Takeaways:
Shift your mindset: Stop working IN your business and start working ON your business
Increase your knowledge about running a business by taking advantage of opportunities like Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program
Become a better leader: take a step back and think about what’s the right way to grow
Learn how to stay positive through the ups and downs as a business owner
How to “mind the gap” between where you are now and your ideal self
“I wouldn’t say my story has an ending because it’s an evolving process. I’m always going to be working on being a better leader and finding a better process.”
 
Shoutouts:
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program https://www.goldmansachs.com/citizenship/10000-small-businesses/US/about-the-program/
Entrepreneurs’ Organization https://hub.eonetwork.org
 
Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LunaBakeryCafe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridget-cavanaugh-thibeault-7870b46/
Website: http://www.lunabakerycafe.com/
 
Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1fba44a7-752b-4ac0-a0a4-11ab25506ed5/ceo-confidential
Apple Podcast - ‎https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ceo-confidential/id1197044116
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2v6qyhzcD7Mk2yqhyobnRy
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY2VvY29uZmlkZW50aWFsLm5ldC9mZWVkLnhtbA
Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/show/ceo-confidential
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1-w7Xuv9vo

Hiring the right people for your organization is key to a successful company and its culture. This weeks’ special guest, Terry Walkerly, joins us to discuss the importance of establishing a company’s core values, personal values, and how to best implement them.
 
Takeaways 
Avoid holding onto toxic employees longer than you should. If there is an issue, address it directly and take action.
Try to also avoid letting stress and fear impact your decision to make role changes.
Be selective with who you place your trust in.
It is critical to have your company culture and values stem from the head(s) of the company.
Establish your personal values and balance them with your company’s values.
See that your employees take pride in their personal lives so that they will take pride in your business and their work.
Hire employees that closely match or reflect your company’s core values. Create an interview guide that includes questions that play into your core values.
Prepare in advance for an employee departure. Don’t let losing a key employee inhibit your business growth.
Connect with your employees for reviews more than once per year. Being transparent and honest will help strengthen the trust and pride in the workplace.
Create a communication guide for both employees and your customers.
It is not only important to articulate your company’s core values to your employees but to also implement them.
Remember that out of every crisis, can come beauty, growth, and evolution.
 
Shoutouts
Roy Getz - EOS Implementor https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/us-implementers/listing/getz-roy
 
Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FryerKing 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-walkerly-a080757/ 
Website: gofilta.com/locations/ohio/cleveland-cooking-oil-filtration-service  
 
Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1fba44a7-752b-4ac0-a0a4-11ab25506ed5/ceo-confidential
Apple Podcast - ‎https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ceo-confidential/id1197044116
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2v6qyhzcD7Mk2yqhyobnRy
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY2VvY29uZmlkZW50aWFsLm5ldC9mZWVkLnhtbA
Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/show/ceo-confidential
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCybqU7SiQg45xkqZ1SVfArw