CELEBRATE Like a CEO‪!‬ Stefan Whitwell

It’s the end of one journey, but the beginning of another.  In this heartfelt episode of "Celebrate Like a CEO," your host, Stefan Whitwell, bids farewell to "Celebrate Like a CEO". The podcast is taking a pause, making way for an exciting new show called "Wicked Smaht Wealth" to take center stage.
 
Expect shorter, punchier episodes in "Wicked Smaht Wealth," each clocking in at less than five minutes. Stefan plans to kick off each episode by venting about frustrating or mind-boggling experiences in the financial industry. In the latter half, he'll offer valuable insights into wealth management and provide actionable steps for listeners to incorporate into their lives. Topics on the horizon include tax planning, navigating the banking crisis, safeguarding your finances, private investment markets, real estate, and the ever-mysterious stock market.
 
Rest assured, "Wicked Smaht Wealth" promises to be engaging, entertaining, and high-energy, all packaged into bite-sized portions of wisdom. Stefan invites you to continue this exciting journey with him.
 
In closing, Stefan extends his heartfelt thanks to you for being part of the "Celebrate Like a CEO" family. He encourages you to keep celebrating life's victories and looks forward to having you join him for "Wicked Smaht Wealth."
 
About the Stefan Whitwell:
https://whitwelladvisors.com/ ​​https://www.facebook.com/ActionDaddyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/whitwell To contact the host, you can schedule a meeting with him here: https://calendly.com/whitwell-advisors

“So many managers are frustrated–’Why don’t Gen Zers understand this? How do they not get the way that the workplace works? Well, they've never been in the workplace,” explains Allie Danziger, founder and CEO of Ampersand. Acting as CEO and boss of her own company since she was 24 years old, she realized that the knowledge and practical skills she was able to learn in the in-person workplace were simply not available to the new generation entering a post-Covid, hybrid workplace. She founded Ampersand in 2020 to fill in that education to employment skills gap, giving new hires preparation for success. Businesses and staffing agencies alike have used Ampersand’s software program as an assessment and business development tool, which has allowed them to scale in turn. 
 
On today’s episode Allie and Stefan discuss the importance of being on the lookout for and entering into significant partnerships. Ampersand was recently acquired by Ascent, a like-minded and mission-driven student loan provider which offers career coaching to all of its borrowers and where Allie joins as SVP. A wife and mother of two, Allie is also in the business of building her family and she discusses her strict daily routine, including self care, splitting parenting duties and what she absolutely doesn’t have time for. Another thing she learned in her early years as CEO was the importance of celebrating wins both large and small. It’s part of preventing burnout, and sets the company tone from the top down.
 
As it turns out, learning new things and stepping out of your comfort zone is crucial at any phase of your life or career. Find out how she and everyone can benefit from Julia Cameron’s classic–if slightly woo-woo– book “The Artist’s Way.” 
 
#preparationforsuccess #missiondriven #selfcare
Quotes
“When I started my career…I leaned over to the person next to me and asked them a question…and how actually that is the most important moment in the entire meeting.” (15:13 | Allie)
“Many managers are frustrated–’Why don’t Gen Zers understand this, how do they not get the way that the workplace works?’ Well, they've never been in the workplace; they've never witnessed that.” (16:01 | Allie) 
“Every manager is just so burnt out from teaching some of these skills of just workplace norms…Managers don't take the time to teach it and school doesn't either.” (16:55 | Allie) 
“I am crazy diligent about my routines, so that I can show up in the way that I want to need to every day.” (28:43 | Allie)
“In the onboarding phase with my new business partner, he asked me, ‘When do you plan for meetings?’ and I said, ‘On the elevator on the way to the meeting.’ He sat me down and said, ‘You are vital to this company and our success is your success. We can't have you getting burned out.” (33:38 | Allie)
“We live in these bubbles…and you never expand your horizons, meet other people socially, professionally, just in your community, then there's no way for you to grow.” (43:43 | Allie)
 
Connect with Allie Danziger:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alliedanziger/
 
Connect with Stefan: https://whitwelladvisors.com/ ​​https://www.facebook.com/ActionDaddyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/whitwell To contact the host, you can schedule a meeting with him here: https://calendly.com/whitwell-advisors

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“When it's not your family, we don't have that baggage of when we were kids with the sibling or the parent and family dynamics. So it's really easy for us to just enter as a third neutral party and make recommendations,” explains Ariel Rosenbaum, experienced social worker and CEO of Senior Services of Austin. Aging can be a really complicated process for families to navigate, especially when a loved one’s health begins to decline. After an eye opening experience with her own grandfather's health decline and care management that left much to be desired, Ariel was inspired to create her company for better local senior services. This full service care management agency run by a team of social workers and nurses tied in perfectly with her pre-existing business, Texas Family Services, which provides assistance with housing placement for seniors. 
 
As someone who runs multiple successful businesses simultaneously, Ariel is no stranger to hard-work. What came less naturally was recognizing when it was time to take a break or allow herself to delegate tasks to others. Ariel shares that her biggest tip for new business owners is to delegate any tasks that are not within their expertise. She also is a big proponent of self-care, explaining that self-care is part of a CEO’s responsibilities. After all, if the CEO does not take care of themselves, they cannot do their job as effectively or be there to support their employees and clients. When it comes to celebrating the wins, Ariel and her team lower the stress and dial up the fun with casual group breakfasts and lunches. 
CEOs are passionate and driven people and Ariel is no exception. Her passion for working with the elderly has enabled her to create multiple businesses that each serve a different, yet interwoven purpose. Although she is very busy, Ariel also makes sure to prioritize time for herself and her family, whether that be through delegating tasks to free up her plate, taking the rare vacation, or simply making time for self-care throughout the week.
 
“When it's not your family, we don't have that baggage of when we were kids with the sibling or the parent and family dynamics. So it's really easy for us to just enter as a third neutral party and make recommendations.” (7:48 | Ariel)
“If I could go back and tell my earlier self, it would have been to pass stuff off sooner, especially stuff that wasn't my expertise.” (13:12 | Ariel)
“My team loves to get together for breakfast or lunch and just hang out, talk and kind of take out the stress and bring the fun.” (18:24 | Ariel)
“As social workers, we can't advocate for our clients and take care of our clients if we haven't taken care of us.” (22:39 | Ariel) 
“As a CEO and a business owner, the best gift I have received would be from my brother in law who encouraged me to start my own company.” (24:42 | Ariel) 

Connect with Ariel Rosenbaum:
www.seniorservicesofaustin.com
 
Connect with Stefan: https://whitwelladvisors.com/ ​​https://www.facebook.com/ActionDaddyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/whitwell To contact the host, you can schedule a meeting with him here: https://calendly.com/whitwell-advisors

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
 

“Patience can be a business superpower if you know how to manage it and you utilize it well,” explains Jane Mosbacher Morris, CEO of TO THE MARKET., a women-owned technology enabled B Corp which provides transparency in the international supply chain, allowing retailers, brands and corporations to procure goods and quantify both the environmental and social impact of their procurement. Growing up, Jane learned patience and discipline through ballet and musical theater, dreaming of someday acting on Broadway. Instead, these critical skills, the work ethic, and the confidence she gained from performing helped her to step into her role as a CEO.
 
The Covid pandemic highlighted the need for companies to diversify their manufacturing and sourcing. When China shut down production, the supply chain took a huge hit and it quickly became apparent that businesses would need to branch out to suppliers from other countries. While bootstrapping TO THE MARKET, Jane spent time with both clients and suppliers to see what their needs were and what barriers were keeping them from being able to sell their products in the US market. She shares that during this time one of the most important things she relied on was her ability to be both patient and resilient. Even when risks do not always work out, they still provide valuable learning opportunities. When the risks do pay off and it’s time to celebrate a win, Jane celebrates by playing jams at the All Hands Meeting and treating herself to tasty foods like the spicy chicken sandwich from Popeyes. 
 
Taking time to recharge and take care of yourself as a CEO is vital for the success of your business. Jane explains that even though there are times when you will have to really push hard as an entrepreneur, it is still very important to take care of your body by getting enough sleep and eating a healthy diet. Her tips for entrepreneurs are to be patient and prioritize tasks by level of urgency, stay positive and turn mistakes into learning opportunities, and to take care of your body as if you were a professional athlete.
 
Quotes
“Covid really revealed the risk of being over indexed in any country for manufacturing or sourcing.” (7:06 | Jane)
“Talent is bringing together a team of people with unique skill sets that are complementary to one another.” (9:17 | Jane)
“Patience can be a business superpower if you know how to manage it and you utilize it well.” (14:55 | Jane)
“Patience builds resiliency, and there's nothing more critical, I believe, as an entrepreneur than resiliency.” (18:21 | Jane) 
“A CEO needs to think of themselves as a professional athlete, they're just an athlete of a different sort.” (38:47 | Jane)
 
Connect with Jane Mosbacher Morris:
Website: https://tothemarket.com/

Connect with Stefan: https://whitwelladvisors.com/ ​​https://www.facebook.com/ActionDaddyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/whitwell To contact the host, you can schedule a meeting with him here: https://calendly.com/whitwell-advisors

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“I try to celebrate my position as a CEO by giving myself time with my family. A lot of people don't get that, and I didn't always have that when I started the company,” shares Bryce Young, CEO of Warm Audio, a global powerhouse in the pro audio industry that manufactures and sells quality audio recording equipment at affordable prices. When Bryce was in high school attempting to record an album with his band, he realized the huge gap between the sound quality of pricey recording equipment as opposed to what the average person could afford. Today, Bryce talks about his career journey, his love of music, how his faith has helped him succeed, and the importance of time management as an entrepreneur.
 
Entrepreneurship requires a lot of hard work, and it can be difficult for business owners to prioritize time away from their work. Bryce shares that at the beginning of starting his business, he spent a lot less time with his family and had less time to exercise and take care of himself. Now, he is thankful to have an incredible trustworthy team of employees that he can count on to get things done without him micromanaging them. He sees every accomplishment not as luck, but as a gift from God and is quick to recognize those blessings. Although Bryce does struggle with allowing himself to relax, he has found a way to recharge through the cleaning and organizing of his vinyl record collection. 
 
When you have a strong team, you can delegate out tasks and free up more time for yourself. There will always still be times when you have to hustle as an entrepreneur, so remember to take advantage of relaxation opportunities when you can and find ways to recharge your energy. 
 
Quotes 
“Until our brand came around, you either purchased very expensive, great sounding equipment, or you purchased very affordable, cheap, mediocre, okay sounding equipment. And so there was this kind of gap of all the wealthy people and the people that had record deals could sound great, and all the people that were just starting musicians never really sounded very good in their recordings.” (3:25-3:47 | Bryce)
“One thing that I'm really blessed to have is a team that just wants to win.” (13:17-13:22 | Bryce)
“You have to recharge in some way, but also as entrepreneurs, we struggle to just be lazy.” (17:14-17:19 | Bryce)
“I try to celebrate my position as a CEO by giving myself time with my family. A lot of people don't get that, and I didn't always have that when I started the company.” (21:28-21:42 | Bryce)
“Telling an entrepreneur ‘work less and just relax more’ is not the answer.” (26:09-26:12 | Bryce) 
“I want to give people autonomy and freedom. I want them to feel like this is your baby, your department, your role. Go make it happen. Do it how you want to do it.” (31:20-31:33 | Bryce)
 
Connect with Bryce Young:
Website: www.warmaudio.com

Connect with Stefan: https://whitwelladvisors.com/ ​​https://www.facebook.com/ActionDaddyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/whitwell To contact the host, you can schedule a meeting with him here: https://calendly.com/whitwell-advisors

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“The point of being a brokerage is to not monetize our agents, it's to create a house where experienced agents can come and work together without the undue pressures that come from being in somewhat of a hostile work environment,” explains Joshua Brown, licensed real estate broker, CEO and Founder of Pushing Forward Realty in #Brooklyn, New York. Inspired by his father’s work as a pastor, he decided to create a real estate business based on #collaboration instead of competition. Today, Joshua talks about how his agency differs from others in the industry.
 
Joshua saw the cut throat environment that exists within the real estate industry and knew he wanted to bring something different to the table. He attributes much of his success to the cooperative atmosphere that he has built, with a focus on team building, cooperation, and treating clients as if they were family. He takes the responsibility of helping others through what is likely the largest purchase of their lives very seriously. In addition to providing real estate services, Joshua also educates the community, bringing finance, investing, and home buying lessons to the people of Bushwick. To him, freedom means his agents having the opportunity to do what they want when they want, such as travel and spend time with their families whenever they wish. 
 
When you view your colleagues as competition, that can lead to an unhealthy work environment. Joshua encourages his agents to celebrate one another’s accomplishments, as each individual’s accomplishments benefit the team as a whole. 
 
Quotes 
“The point of being a brokerage is to not monetize our agents, it's to create a house where experienced agents can come and work together without the undue pressures that come from being in somewhat of a hostile work environment.” (17:03-17:19 | Joshua)
“We believe in serving our clients as if they're our friends or our family.” (20:41-20:48 | Joshua)
“Freedom and fun to us are really good times, good health, laughter and having the freedom to do what we want when we want.” (25:54-26:04 | Joshua) 
“We can create an environment to where it's a more welcoming environment to where you're not afraid to share your big goals that you just accomplished.” (30:23-30:34 | Joshua)
“We're not here to monetize people. There's enough business here in the real estate market for everyone to thrive.” (32:28-32:35 | Joshua) 
 
Connect with Joshua Brown:
Website: https://pushingforward.nyc
Instagram: @joshondemand and @pushingforwardrealty

Connect with Stefan: https://whitwelladvisors.com/ ​​https://www.facebook.com/ActionDaddyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/whitwell To contact the host, you can schedule a meeting with him here: https://calendly.com/whitwell-advisors

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm