Dynasty Leadership Podcast Todd Eberhardt

Pete Scherer is the CEO and a third-generational leader in the family business, Scherer bros. Lumber Co. Out of nearly 300 employees, there are currently four family members that work and lead within the company. In this episode, Pete explains how he leads and keeps the interests of the company aligned when he hears multiple visions and thoughts from different members of the family.
 
Key Takeaways:
[1:30] A little bit about Pete and his company, Scherer bros. Lumber Co.
[3:10] How does Pete structure the business?
[6:30] What trade-offs did previous generations have to make in order to make this company work?
[8:25] As Pete’s son currently works for the company, how does Pete bring children into the business?
[10:20] If you want to make a career out of the family business, the rules for family members become a lot tighter.
[13:00] The business is not obligated to keep you on if you’re not a good fit.
[16:20] Nepotism is always assumed. Whether it is or not. How does Pete work through this?
[19:40] How does the fourth generation address Pete? Do they ever use the word ‘Dad’ or ‘Uncle’?
[23:55] How are the boards of directors formed in Pete’s company?
[27:45] How do shareholders vote for new board members?
[32:50] Pete is constantly being humbled in the business. Pet projects and passion projects that weren’t able to be profitable have to get cut.
 
Mentioned in This Episode:
Dynastylc.com
Email Todd: Todd@Dynastylc.com
Schererbros.com
Pete on LinkedIn
 

Liz Wiseman is CEO of The Wiseman Group and teaches leadership to executives around the world. She is the author of three best-selling management books: Multipliers, The Multiplier Effect, and Rookie Smarts. She is out with her newest book, Impact Players, where she analyzes what makes someone truly stand out as a team leader. In this episode, she shares the five signs of an impact player, how they think differently, and how they have the ability to elevate everyone’s collective mood.
 
Key Takeaways:
[2:10] A little bit about Liz and her company.
[3:20] Why are some leaders able to unlock their employee’s potential and other people seem to struggle?
[5:10] We are products of our environment. You can make a difference, but your environment can shape how you make that difference.
[7:10] Liz wanted to look at people who were doing a great job vs. an extraordinary job and understand what they were doing differently.
[8:00] There are five characteristics/situations that create an impact player.
[11:20] How do we make this workload easier for everyone? This is a question impact players often ask.
[17:45] Liz shares a little bit about her background in Silicon Valley and some of the key lessons she’s learned.
[21:10] Through Liz’s research, she made a list of credibility killers and credibility builders from what managers want in an employee.
[27:45] What should you do if you’ve made a mistake? Admit it!
[32:05] Managers don’t really want to manage people. They want people to come up with solutions.
[35:55] Working hard is not the same as creating impact. Liz dives into this further.
[39:30] Liz offers advice on how to write more effective emails that get people responding!
[40:25] Before you start working hard on something, make sure you first understand the assignment.
 
Mentioned in This Episode:
Dynastylc.com
Email Todd: Todd@Dynastylc.com
Thewisemangroup.com
Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact, by Liz Wiseman

Tom Fallenstein is the CEO and Founder of Fun.com and allowed one of his C-suite members to explore other career opportunities while still on the job. Tom takes a different perspective when it comes to letting his staff explore their dreams and interests. In this episode, you’ll learn why it might be a good thing for members of your team to have a split focus, and some of the benefits it might bring to you and your company. 
 
Key Takeaways:
[2:10] A little bit about Tom and his company Fun.com.
[4:15] Tom allowed one of his own executives to branch out and start his own company while ‘on the job’. Tom shares his thought process behind this decision. 
[6:50] We’re entrepreneurs, we’re going to have an itch to do new things. Instead of limiting it, it should be rewarded. 
[7:20] The good thing about letting your executives wander is that they bring back a new set of knowledge and skill sets that they’re learning at other companies. 
[8:20] Is Tom ever worried that his executives’ attention is going to be spent elsewhere? 
[10:45] Honesty and communication is key in any leadership role you’re in. 
[12:10] Tom has an executive assistant that has stated a side hustle, also. 
[14:00] Tom gets enjoyment out of helping others succeed and win. 
[14:40] Has Tom had conversations about boundaries with his more entrepreneurial staff? 
[15:30] What mistakes should other leaders be aware of and should avoid making? 
[17:20] How does Tom handle the conversation around Intellectual Property?
[19:50] How does an employee get the conversation started in a healthy way to their employer? 
 
Mentioned in This Episode:
Dynastylc.com
Email Todd: Todd@Dynastylc.com
Mackenziedoheny.com
Email Mackenzie: Mackenzie@Mackenziedoheny.com

Mackenzie Doheny is an Executive Assistant (EA) with over 20 years of experience working with C-Suite executives, presidents, and founders in the non-profit, private, and public spaces. In addition, she has over 10 years of experience hiring, training, and managing administrative assistants – both to work on her team and to support other executives. In this episode, Mackenzie explains why every executive needs a little bit of virtual support from their EA.  
Key Takeaways:
[1:50] A little bit about Mackenzie and her services.
[3:15] When should leaders get an executive assistant?
[4:50] How did Mackenzie get into this space?
[8:50] Mackenzie has seen it all. Some executives are so overwhelmed that things are just slipping through the cracks.
[11:00] How should an EA handle an executive’s inbox?
[13:00] The EA should take the initiative when it comes to taking control of the leader’s calendar and schedule.
[17:55] When executives are able to get out of the weeds of their inbox and calendar, so much of their brain space opens up.
[21:35] What are some of the biggest mistakes that leaders make with their EA?
[24:00] Don’t have an EA? Take an inventory of what happened in the last 7‒10 days.
 
Mentioned in This Episode:
Dynastylc.com
Email Todd: Todd@Dynastylc.com
Mackenziedoheny.com
Email Mackenzie: Mackenzie@Mackenziedoheny.com

Stefan Du Toit is the CEO of Paradise Yacht Management, the leading Caribbean term charter management company, strategically based in the Virgin Islands. When COVID-19 hit, many CEOs were faced with a tough decision and had to completely restructure their organization. In this episode, Stefan shares how he thought through this dilemma and why he chose to lead his company from afar when things went into lockdown. He offers what he learned from this experience and some of the best ways to execute this method.
 
Key Takeaways:
[1:50] A little bit about Stefan and his business.
[9:30] How did Stefan get involved in the yacht business?
[13:05] COVID-19 had a big influence on having this role be remote.
[13:50] It’s very important to have a vision and be aligned with it.
[15:35] This business has to be a trust-based organization. Stefan explains why.
[17:25] Stefan has tried to create a culture where people can confess or admit their mistakes. This is a big benefit.
[20:15] How does Stefan structure his meetings throughout the organization?
[27:15] You have to take the ego out when you’re a leader. In a lot of situations, you need to get out of the way.
[28:15] Stefan was able to calculate supply chain issues and costs ended up going down because of this pivot.
[32:45] A company can only absorb so much change at a time. If you overload it, everything can fall apart.
[37:50] How can you influence culture and make it part of everyone’s ethos?
[43:15] Stefan offers his highlights on what makes a good leader.
[44:00] What kind of mistakes has Stefan learned over the years?
 
Mentioned in This Episode:
Dynastylc.com
Email Todd: Todd@Dynastylc.com
Paradiseyachtmanagement.com
Stefan on LinkedIn

Jennifer Zick is the Founder and CEO of Authentic Brand, a community of Fractional CMOs who help growing businesses Overcome Random Acts of Marketing™ and confidently take the next right step to build revenue. In this episode, Jennifer shares how a fractional CMO can help revitalize your business when you’re in the middle of the growth stages. She offers a seven-part framework to help break out of any marketing funk you might have.
 
Key Takeaways:
[2:20] A little bit about Jennifer and her business.
[2:50] For a startup, what are the core executive roles in the very beginning?
[5:10] When does it make sense to hire a fractional CMO?
[9:50] There are seven key steps to reaching authentic marketing growth.
[15:00] How does Jennifer stress-test a company’s ambitious marketing goal?
[18:00] After setting clear goals, it’s about setting clear priorities.
[22:15] What do you do when a more dominant and aggressive competitor steps in and is stealing all of your business?
[27:40] How do Jennifer and her team think about marketing strategy?
[29:55] What is a lead? It’s important you define it clearly.
[34:20] You should be thinking about your organization like a baseball team.
[38:40] You need to track all of your marketing outlets!
[41:50] Don’t guess at how to build a marketing team.
[45:00] Jennifer would love to get in touch! Reach out to her on LinkedIn!
 
Mentioned in This Episode:
Dynastylc.com
Email Todd: Todd@Dynastylc.com
Authenticbrand.com
Jennifer on LinkedIn