Manage Smarter

Dr. Gleb Tsipursky is a behavioral economist and cognitive neuroscientist studying the psychology of decision making in business and other contexts. He is also CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts and author of the new book Resilience: Adapt and Plan for the New Abnormal of the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic. PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO ONLINE PLATFORM BANDWIDTH DEFICIENCIES DURING THIS PANDEMIC, THERE ARE SOME AUDIO DROPOUTS DURING THIS EPISODE. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Gleb discuss:  ·          His prediction on when a Coronavirus vaccine will be available worldwide to everyone ·          Why our brains are wired to be optimistic but how we must force our expectations amid the pandemic to be realistic going forward ·          His top 6 business prongs that need analysis now to adapt to the pandemic ·          How Coronavirus data has affected him and tips he has on helping managers and teams cope with the reality of what’s to come   "To survive and thrive in the new abnormal, you have to make a radical departur

Shane Metcalf is co-founder of 15Five and one of the world’s leading pioneers in the space of cultural engineering and positive psychology and an expert in remote workplaces and workflow management. PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO ONLINE PLATFORM BANDWIDTH DEFICIENCIES DURING THIS PANDEMIC, THERE ARE SOME AUDIO DROPOUTS DURING THIS EPISODE. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Shane discuss:  ·          The combination of two qualities you HAVE to have or your remote teams will feel paranoia and fear. ·          Specific team exercises to help boost engagement ·          How to tell if your team is struggling with remote workplace setups ·          Questions to ask your team to help those not coping well with remote workplace setup, technology and/or culture   "You as a manager need to do everything possible to increase the amount of trust and also accountability particularly during a pandemic.” – Shane Metcalf   Join hosts Audrey Strong and C. Lee Smith every week as they dive into the aspects and concepts of good business

Tom Pisello is a thought leader and author on sales and marketing effectiveness, as well as a serial entrepreneur. He is well known from his podcasts, videos, blog posts, and newsletter as “the ROI Guy.” Tom is the Founder of the Evolved Selling Institute and currently Chief Evangelist for Mediafly, a leading sales enablement solution provider. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Tom discuss:  ·          How to changes you can sell as well remotely as well as you did in person ·          Top ways to keep selling in COVID-19 ·          Better methods to prepare interactive digital documents to make compelling sales sessions ·          Creating mini-presentations to keep virtual selling with prospects at a higher level of engagement   "Create little stories you can pivot to. As sales manager you have to teach your sellers to piece together these little mini presentations and be able to jump into these mini stories and in that mode as well to be able to basically share those as a whole presentation.” – Thomas Pise

Dr. John Johnson is a PhD economist and the CEO of Edgeworth Analytics, a DC-based data consulting firm that empowers professionals to unlock data’s potential. John understands how to transform companies’ raw, messy data into meaningful analysis and reliable results that empower informed decision-making. A teacher at heart, John is known for his ability to explain technical concepts simply and clearly. PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO ONLINE PLATFORM BANDWIDTH DEFICIENCIES DURING THIS PANDEMIC, THERE ARE SOME AUDIO DROPOUTS DURING THIS EPISODE. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and John discuss:  ·          Economic data on time and possible date on when the economy may start to recover & opinion on rehiring process for unemployed COVID-19 workers ·          Economic analysis on your business, demand for what you sell, remote working and extra costs potentially of reopening ·          Risk of infections of workers vs. running a remote business data points ·          Customer base analysis ·          Process for you to dig deep

Sam Schutte is the CEO of Unstoppable Software, Inc. The company's software development services as a development partner, and is the host of the podcast at unstoppabletalk.com (which covers the "intersection of business and technology innovation"). He is also the creator of The Virtual Tip Jar, which enables customers to support their favorite restaurant servers and services providers whose income has been negatively impacted during COVID-19. PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO ONLINE PLATFORM BANDWIDTH DEFICIENCIES DURING THIS PANDEMIC, THERE ARE SOME AUDIO DROPOUTS DURING THIS EPISODE. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Sam discuss:  Tech vulnerabilities caused by COVID-19 Technology that companies should be investing in now The Virtual Tip Jar he created to raise donations for those who’ve lost their jobs  "There’s some basic ones such as not having enough VPN accounts or VPN bandwidth you know most of the time when you set up a VPN at a company you don’t have enough for all 300 people to be on at one time.” – Sam Sch

At work, serving as President and CEO The Beacon Group, Cliff Farrah has spent more than 25 years advising clients on organic and inorganic growth strategies and tactics in Healthcare, Technology, Industrial, Energy and Defense marketplaces. His thought leading work on growth strategy, innovation commercialization, market disruption, and services/business model design has been successfully used by Fortune 100 clients around the globe. Mr. Farrah is the author of dozens of growth strategy and analytical frameworks, and is a guest lecturer at the University of Virginia's Darden Graduate School of Business, where he received his MBA. At play, Cliff Farrah is a competitive sailor, a former high school sailing coach, US national amateur champion and has been profiled on ESPN and in Sailing magazine.  PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO ONLINE PLATFORM BANDWIDTH DEFICIENCIES DURING THIS PANDEMIC, THERE ARE SOME AUDIO DROPOUTS DURING THIS EPISODE. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Cliff discuss:  ·          How the pandemic accelera

Coronavirus has caused layoffs of more than 26 million Americans from their jobs. Are older workers a liability or competitive advantage and if you are an older worker, how can you increase your value to your employer during this unprecedented time? Patti Temple Rocks is the author of a book called "I'm Not Done: It's Time to Talk About Ageism in the Workplace." She is also a senior partner at a Marketing agency in Chicago. PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO ONLINE PLATFORM BANDWIDTH DEFICIENCIES DURING THIS PANDEMIC, THERE ARE SOME AUDIO DROPOUTS DURING THIS EPISODE. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Patti discuss:  ·          Why mature workers are the last ones you should consider cutting ·          Conversations to have with older workers in choosing furloughs, layoffs and payroll reductions ·          Signs a company doesn’t value older workers ·          How late career workers can increase their value amid COVID-19   "The older worker – who may sometimes cost more, comes with incredibly valuable wisdom and experience

David Veech teaches leaders how to Love, Learn, and Let go. The actions following these decisions create an engaging workplace that harnesses the creative and productive power of people. He began his leadership journey with 20 years of service in the Army and he is still actively learning. Author of Leadersights: Creating Great Leaders Who Create Great Workplaces.. His messages will inspire you and your teams to obliterate obstacles, accelerate innovation, and elevate performance leaving everyone motivated and engaged for the future.And for Coronavirus, David says in responding to it, "Don’t return to normal. Return to BETTER." PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO ONLINE PLATFORM BANDWIDTH DEFICIENCIES DURING THIS PANDEMIC, THERE ARE SOME AUDIO DROPOUTS DURING THIS EPISODE. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and David discuss:  ·          Tips on how to make your business and leadership better coming out of COVID-19 ·          Recommendations on process changes ·          Basic elements of a plan to emerge out of COVID-19 lockdown

Jeff Piersall is known as The Chaos Coach. A former high school and college basketball coach, Jeff is an entrepreneur that has recently exited his business and now specializes in M&A activity for small cap businesses. He is also the author of Dogs Don't Bark at Parked Cars. PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO ONLINE PLATFORM BANDWIDTH DEFICIENCIES DURING THIS PANDEMIC, THERE ARE SOME AUDIO DROPOUTS DURING THIS EPISODE. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Jeff discuss:  ·          How to Course Correct in a Crisis ·          Knee jerk reactions vs. course corrections ·          Money and opportunities to pursue amid the pandemic ·          How businesses can be more agile and pivot during the crisis   "The definitions of faith and fear are the same it’s a thing unseen in our future. Where you start on a course isn’t going to be where you end up unless you make the appropriate adjustments along the way.” – Jeff Piersall    Join hosts Audrey Strong and C. Lee Smith every week as they dive into the aspects and concepts of good busi

Jonathan Slain’s book, “Rock the Recession: How Successful Leaders Prepare For, Thrive During, and Create Wealth After Downturns” came out in September 2019 and is a #1 Amazon Best Seller. His tips are especially relevant today as the world heads into recession due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan coaches high growth leadership teams across the United States to implement the Entrepreneurial Operating System® also known as “Traction.” He focuses on working with entrepreneurial niche/specialty firms and large corporations ($10M+ in annual revenue), spending over 100 days per year working with teams just like yours. PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO ONLINE PLATFORM BANDWIDTH DEFICIENCIES DURING THIS PANDEMIC, THERE ARE SOME AUDIO DROPOUTS DURING THIS EPISODE. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Jonathan discuss:  ·          What kind of recession we are currently in ·          How to measure your “Recession Readiness” ·          How to organize a tier system for furloughs or layoffs ·          Opportunities that can occur in d

Rishad Tobaccowala is the author of Restoring the Soul of Business: Staying Human in the Age of Data. He is also a Senior Advisor to the Publicis Groupe where he has spent his entire 37-year career, most recently serving as the Chief Growth Officer and Chief Strategist of the Groupe. He was named by BusinessWeek as one of the top business leaders for his pioneering innovation and TIME magazine dubbed him one of five “Marketing Innovators.” PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO ONLINE PLATFORM BANDWIDTH DEFICIENCIES DURING THIS PANDEMIC, THERE ARE SOME AUDIO DROPOUTS DURING THIS EPISODE. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Rishad discuss:  ·          Tips on humanizing remote working in this environment and touchpoints to help humanity trump data ·          How to incentivize staff to change and lean into disruption ·          How to upgrade your mental operating system and inject more human touches into the work environment ·          The dangers of data vs. human stories and skills within the business ·          Embracing the co

Tom Peters is coauthor of In Search of Excellence—the book that changed the way the world does business and often tagged as the best business book ever. Also the author of The Excellence Dividend . Seventeen books and thirty-five years later, Tom is still at the forefront of the “management guru industry” he single-handedly invented. Also the recipient of the Thinkers50 Lifetime Achievement Award. PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO ONLINE PLATFORM BANDWIDTH DEFICIENCIES DURING THIS PANDEMIC, THERE ARE SOME AUDIO DROPOUTS DURING THIS EPISODE. In this episode, Lee, Audrey and Tom discuss:  ·          Opinion on CEOs currently laying off thousands of employees ·          What is business responsibility in this Coronavirus epidemic? ·          How to “Manage By Walking Around without Walking Around” ·          Why leaders need to ramp up intimacy, kindness and thoughtfulness during this time    "Business is not about profit. It is about creating value if you do it right the profit will mostly follow. So what I will say to the b

Kristie Knights is a licensed professional counselor and has been in private practice for 20 years. She is an expert in trauma and suicidology. Kristie is the best selling author of UnSung Heroes: Deconstructing Suicide through Stories of Triumph. She is also the Founder of iRise Leadership; which is a 501(c)3 Non Profit with a mission to eradicate suicide. They offer training, education, and resources in suicide awareness and prevention to leaders, the community, organizations, schools, churches, and the corporate world. PLEASE NOTE: Due to Coronavirus and remote meeting platform strain, there is some audio dropout throughout this recording. "This is a time for leaders who do very well with boots-on-the-ground, high crisis mentality to really shine. And for those who struggle, to really listen up and lean on those types of leaders within their organization who do well with that type of mentality." - Kristie Knights In this episode, Lee, Audrey and Kristie discuss: How managers can implement a culture of

CrisMarie Campbell, an Olympic rower, and Susan Clarke, a former marriage therapist and Equus coach, are the authors of The Beauty of Conflict: Harnessing Your Team’s Competitive Advantage and The Beauty of Conflict for Couples. They also have a podcast with the same name: The Beauty of Conflict for dealing with conflict at work and at home. As partners in work and life for over two decades, they’ve adapted their proven step-by-step process honed working with Fortune 100 Companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, AT&T and San Francisco Giants to help long-term couples use conflict as a catalyst to greater intimacy, passion, and fulfillment. Their work and expertise have been featured in notable outlets like The Today Show, NBC, and Shape. In this episode, Audrey, Lee, CrisMarie and Susan discuss:  ·          Loud vs. Silent – Who is more upset amid conflict? ·          How to recognize you’re conflict averse and learn the value of embracing conflict ·          How tackling conflict can boost your team an

Timothy Seward, Author of Ultimate Guide to Amazon Advertising and founder of ROI Revolution, a digital marketing agency. Timothy recognized the struggles business owners face in the digital world and decided to instill his expertise into the first (and currently, the only) published book on the art of Amazon advertising---His proficiency can help everyone better their brands, increase awareness via digital marketing, and increase product sales. And as he says, ignore digital marketing at your own peril.   In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Timothy discuss:  ·          How Amazon is the new search engine ·          How to use Amazon for your company’s growth and acquisition opportunities ·          Why managers who ignore the digital revolution are at peril ·          The growth of B2B sales via Amazon   "Your mission? Optimizing your brand’s growth both online and offline.” – Timothy Seward   Join hosts Audrey Strong and C. Lee Smith every week as they dive into the aspects and concepts of good business manage

Micah Rowland isn’t your everyday builder. Maybe because he doesn’t build homes, cabinets, or even the software that he used to as an engineer. As Chief Operations Officer COO of Fountain, Micah builds people, teams, and processes that has taken multiple companies from 50 to 250 people and $5 million to $30 million in revenue.   In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Micah discuss:  ·          Why "Hire Slow, Fire Fast" is Terrible Advice ·          The top reasons why companies have trouble hiring and firing ·          The areas managers are deficient in that cause hiring/firing issues within an organization ·          Hiring/Firing techniques for startups   "Often times the biggest impediment to letting someone go is management trying to cope with the hole in their absence.” – Micah Rowland   Join hosts Audrey Strong and C. Lee Smith every week as they dive into the aspects and concepts of good business management. From debunking sales myths to learning how to manage with and without measurements, you'll learn so

Rachel Michaelov is Founder & CEO of Empire Tax Professionals and is a licensed Enrolled Agent who’s Licensed by the IRS. Her team helps their clients handle their bookkeeping, payroll and tax needs all under one roof! Since then she became a NTPI Fellow and helps clients to correspond directly with the IRS to resolve disputes and notices. Her specialties lie in helping small business owners optimize their taxes and achieve financial success. She is the mother of four boys.   In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Rachel discuss:  ·          Tax tips for businesses given the law changes for 2020 ·          More efficient ways to keep your business books straight for an audit ·          Her heartbreaking family story involving her father, taxes and deportation pushed her to create her business ·          How she balances being a mother to 4 boys and entrepreneurship   "Understand what needs to be done. Think about the end result, it’s not that complicated. Imagine in your mind, what success means for you to be able

Deborah Thomas-Nininger is the founder of DTN Productions International, a company that provides professional development training on all areas of international and domestic protocol specializing in "Reputation Management” and communication effectiveness. She brings to you over twenty years of business etiquette, communication and self-presentation expertise, rooted in behavioral science and successful human interaction.   In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Deborah discuss:  ·          Definition of AutoPilot Habits ·          Examples of specific habits you should develop this year to boost efficiency ·          How many days it takes to develop a habit (Hint: it's not 21) ·          What time of day the brain is at its lowest functioning level "The brain is at its lowest ebb of attentiveness between the hours of 1 and 3 pm and specifically the exact mark is 2:37 pm - we plummet." - Deborah Thomas-Nininger Join hosts Audrey Strong and C. Lee Smith every week as they dive into the aspects and concepts of good b

John Stoker is the founder and president of DialogueWORKS. He is also the author of the book, Overcoming Fake Talk. John and his firm specialize in helping leaders, managers, and individual contributors hold the conversations that matter most. His firm also offers training in other aspects of interpersonal relations, such as emotional intelligence. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and John discuss:  ·          Definition of Fake Talk ·          Specific phrases and techniques to change how you manage difficult conversations   “Many leaders avoid holding difficult conversations either because they don't know how or because they are afraid of the consequences for doing so. The results are usually less than desireable which means that going forward the leaders will avoid talking about what matters most or they will attempt to hold those conversations, but they will usually not go well.” ― John Stoker   Join hosts Audrey Strong and C. Lee Smith every week as they dive into the aspects and concepts of good business m

Paul Rosenberg is a Fortune global Fortune 500 coach, author and speaker. Author of the top-rated Rogue Leadership: Harnessing Headwinds to Drive Performance, he brings 30 years of experience in multiple industries and organizations from start-up to mature. As a comic and improvisational actor, he is known for his humor and creative look at business and leadership. In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Paul discuss:  ·          Definition of Rogue Leadership ·          How to truly reach your “gut” feelings to guide you ·          Making decisions: Quickly vs. Right ·          Fun or boundary-breaking activities to break you and your teams out of a rut (Bubble wrap anyone?!!) “Making a decision instead of focusing on making the right one. The demands created by the barrage of data and external noise drive many leaders to act, but not act well, limiting their effectiveness and creating long- term gaps.” ― Paul Rosenberg Join hosts Audrey Strong and C. Lee Smith every week as they dive into the aspects and concep