You, Me, and Your Top Three

Understanding your personal purpose: Host Gregg Garrett is joined by Jawad Ahsan, CFO at Axon and recent author of What They Didn’t Tell Me. His Top Three include leaders who instilled confidence, how to find the fun and purpose in a job; how to find the silver lining even when he has to be intense; the importance of integrity; and, a partner who helps him understand and drive intellectual curiosity. And you have to hear what Jawad says about finding your North star. About Jawad Ahsan Jawad Ahsan joined Axon in 2017 and is responsible for leading the company’s global finance, corporate strategy, legal, and IT organizations. He also serves as the executive sponsor and owner of Axon’s consumer-facing business. Prior to Axon, Jawad was CFO for Market Track, a private-equity backed SaaS marketing intelligence company that he helped guide to an exit to Vista Equity. He also spent 13 years in various roles at GE, most notably serving as CFO for GE Healthcare’s electronic health record and enterprise software busi

During this episode, You, Me, and Your Top Three host, Gregg Garrett, discusses the magic of customer-centricity. Gregg speaks with Lee Cockerell who threaded magic in all customer experiences in the Magic Kingdom, Disney, and who managed some of Disney’s largest resorts and is a student of hospitality. Of course, Lee speaks about his top three from a boss who taught him how to be confident, to a mentor who showed him all the ways of being hospitable, to his grandmother who started him on the journey, and his wife of 52 plus years who kept him on it, and to the former president of Disney who helped him to learn, listen and manage experts. And you have to hear what he has to say about making the schedule of life’s priorities part of your daily routine, all this and more! About Lee Cockerell Lee Cockerell is the former Executive Vice President of Operations for the Walt Disney World® Resort.  “As the Senior Operating Executive for ten years, Lee led a team of 40,000 Cast Members and was responsible for the

In this episode, Gregg speaks with Daniel Epstein, CEO of the Unreasonable Group. Daniel discusses his Top 3 with Gregg, which range from his Grandpa, to a college advisor Paul Jerdy, to George Campbell, to his fiancé. And you have to hear what Daniel has to say about stepping back and taking a deep breath. All this and more! About Daniel Epstein Recently named by Fortune Magazine as one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders, Daniel’s life has been shaped by a fundamental belief that entrepreneurship is the answer to nearly all the issues we face today. By the time he received his undergraduate degree in philosophy, he’d already started three companies. In addition to being on FORTUNE's "the World's 50 Greatest Leaders" list alongside the likes of Bill Gates & Tim Cook, Daniel was awarded Inc. Magazine's “30 under 30 entrepreneur” (when he was under the age of 30 =), and Forbes identified him as one of the “top 30 most impactful entrepreneurs.” He also received the prestigious “Entrepreneur of the World” a

In this episode, Gregg Garrett speaks with, Wendy Lea, CEO of Energize Colorado. Wendy discusses her work building out entrepreneurial communities across the Midwest and Colorado. Additionally, she shares her Top 3, which includes a former boss, a mentor, and the former CEO of P&G. Finally, Wendy shares her secret to approaching each new challenge with the same energy and drive as the first one. All this and more! About Wendy Lea Wendy Lea is a leading expert in digital innovation strategy and ecosystem development. As an experienced CEO, board director, and strategist, she advises government, public/private partnerships, and global enterprises on growth through innovation.  Recognized for work across industries and regions, Wendy is a maximalist who is equally well-versed in helping large enterprises systematize innovation as she is in creating vibrant startup innovation ecosystems that grow city, regional, and state economies. An active mentor and advisor for tech accelerators, Wendy leverages a globa

During this solocast, You, Me, and Your Top Three host and CGS Advisors CEO, Gregg Garrett, explores the difference between bravery and leadership and how they tie together. Gregg then reflects on 2020 and the importance of continuing to look forward and identifying what fears you will conquer next as a leader. Finally, Gregg shares his hack for success – focusing on making yourself uncomfortable. About Gregg Garrett Greggory R. Garrett is the CEO and Managing Director of CGS Advisors, a boutique strategy and innovation advisory firm that works with senior leaders at public companies and select private organizations. He is a dynamic and experienced international keynote speaker, an adjunct professor of business and engineering, the host of the “You, Me, and Your Top Three” podcast, and author of the best-selling business leadership book, Competing in  the  Connecting  World. Having  addressed  audiences  from  20  to  upwards  of  1500  people  in  public  and private/corporate events, Gregg is at his best

In this episode, Gregg speaks about passion, and then welcomes a guest who is filled with plenty of it. Jason Bressler is the CTO of United Wholesale Mortgage where he has scaled a team of passionate technology professionals that has raised his firm to the #1 position in its segment. Jason speaks about the current trends impacting the mortgage industry and how UWM has found so much success. He also shares his Top 3, which includes two of his colleagues – Mat Ishbia (CEO UWM) and Melinda Wilner (COO UWM), a former boss, and a friend. Finally, Jason shares the secret to pushing himself beyond his boundaries and comfort zone. All this and more! About JASON BRESSLER Jason Bressler is Chief Technology Officer at United Wholesale Mortgage. With more than 24 years of IT experience in the mortgage banking industry, Bressler excels in application development and enterprise implementation, specifically at mortgage companies that have started smaller and truly taken the leap into the stratosphere of the industry utili

In this episode, Gregg speaks with Paul Tedesco, Managing Director CRM & Digital at TrackDDB, a digital marketing agency in Canada. Paul discusses how he got to where he is in the industry and his predictions of where marketing will go over the next 5 years. Of course, Paul shares his Top 3 which includes lifelong friends and people who help him ‘gut check’. And you have to hear what he has to say about winning trust with a normally counterintuitive business model. All this and more! About Paul Tedesco A 25-year marketing industry veteran, Paul has spent his career focusing on using data, technology and analytics to deliver the right message to the right customer at the right time. This journey has led from mass advertising to promotions, shopper marketing and 1:1 CRM. Paul currently heads up the North American operations of Track DDB, a leading data, technology and analytics agency focusing on data driven marketing. Paul Tedesco (MBA, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University) has been an instru

In this episode, Gregg speaks with JeVon McCormick, CEO of Scribe Media – an innovative book publisher. JeVon takes Gregg on the story-filled journey of his fractured childhood and shares what his tips are to be successful. Along the way, JeVon speakers about his Top 3, ranging from the industrialist Andrew Carnegie to Oil Tycoon turned philanthropist John D. Rockefeller. And you have to hear what JeVon learned from his father who was a pimp. All this and more! About JeVon Mccormick JeVon McCormick was born the son of a black pimp father and a white orphan mother. Today, he’s the CEO of Scribe Media, a multi-million dollar publishing company that was recently ranked the #1 Top Company Culture in America by Entrepreneur Magazine. He’s made millions in the stock market (even though he didn’t go to college), he was the President of a software company (even though he can’t code) and he’s currently the CEO of a publishing company (even though he can’t spell). JeVon is the President and CEO of Scribe Media

In this episode, Gregg shares his thoughts about SEO – from trying to get to the top of ‘that’ list, to getting more eyeballs from your customers, to positioning your content ahead of your competition. He then speaks to an expert in the SEO space, Deepak Shukla, the founder and CEO of Pearl Lemon, an agency that's growing out of the UK to help companies do this globally. Deepak speaks about his unique journey of getting to the space. Of course, he speaks about his top three – from his father, to his partner, to his group of friends. And you have to hear what he has to say about how the secret to success may actually be mind-numbing consistency. All this and more! About deepak shukla Deepak Shukla is the Founder and CEO of Pearl Lemon, a multi-award-winning SEO agency in London. He's featured in Forbes, TEDx, SEMrush, BBC, Chelsea FC, Appsumo, Bright Talks & more. When he's not running his agency, you'll find him running marathons (33 so far), completing Ironmen (2 so far), getting inked (40% body coverag

In this episode, Gregg speaks with Jerry Cox, a 95-year-old entrepreneur who has lived at least three careers over his lifetime. From serving in world war II, to attending MIT, and then moving into the medical device industry, the digital networking industry, and now the cybersecurity industry, Jerry has taken the world by storm. Of course Gregg and Jerry explore his ‘top three’ from Hallowell Davis, who changed the world for kids that were born deaf, to Wesley Clark, who invented the personal computer, to Bill Danforth who reshaped Washington University and become a national research juggernaut. Jerry also speaks about some of the companies he's been starting during the Twilight of his career, which are reshaping industry after industry. And you have to hear what he has to say about how you can have breakthrough moments. All this and more! About Jerry Cox Jerry Cox is the Founder and President of Q-Net Security, a Quantum networking hardware-based cybersecurity company. He is also the founder and former ch

In this week's episode, Gregg speaks about the power of building a diverse table in order to have new conversations and drive a vision forward. He then speaks to Pam Lewis, the director of the New Economy Initiative in Detroit, Michigan. She speaks about her process and how her team brings diverse groups together to build a new economy. And of course, she speaks about her top three ranging from a personal coach that has become a friend, to a former boss who's partnered with her on bringing visions to reality, to many of the people that lean on NEI and get funded, but in return drive passion for Pam. And you have to hear what she has to say about how the power of moving things forward is simply to write things down. All this and more! About Pam Lewis Pam Lewis is the director of the New Economy Initiative (NEI), one of the country’s largest regional economic development initiatives led by philanthropy. Funded by 13 national and regional foundations, NEI makes grants to support and convene organizations that

In this episode, host Gregg Garrett discusses thinking big and how this skill enables leaders to compete in this ever-changing environment. He then speaks to Tom Chi, the founder of One Ventures. Tom is the former head of experience at Google X where he was responsible for creating the first Google car and Google glass. Tom speaks about zooming your perspective out as far as you can before making any decisions. Of course, you have to hear about his top three, which even includes people he doesn't get along with, and you have to hear what he has to say about understanding the world through verbs over nouns. About TOm CHi Tom Chi has worked in a wide range of roles from astrophysical researcher to Fortune 500 consultant to corporate executive developing new hardware/software products and services. He's play's a significant role in established projects with global reach (Microsoft Outlook, Yahoo Search), and scaled new projects from conception to significance (Yahoo Answers from 0 to 90 million users). Tom has

In this episode, host Gregg Garrett discusses how digitalization is both the greatest equalizer and creator of incredible divide. He then speaks with Richard Hicks who leads a not-for-profit that looks to close the digital divide by bringing together senior IT leaders, investors, and the community. Of course Richard speaks about his top three – from his current leadership team, to his experienced industry board. And he even speaks about disconnecting to connect with his donkey named Fiona. And you have to hear what he has to say about recruiting for mission over skills. All this and more! About Richard Hicks Richard Hicks is the CEO & President of Inspiredu, as well as a transformational nonprofit leader and speaker committed to improving opportunities for children and helping families improve their socioeconomic status. In his 11+ years with Inspiredu, and in his previous roles, Richard has led teams, managed high-dollar projects, and developed growth and fundraising strategies. He has been instrumenta

In this episode, Gregg touches on the importance of being able to play the long game. He then has one of his most insightful conversations yet, this time with a power couple. He speaks with Jane Finette and Pascal Finette. They speak about their storied careers that have led them through eBay, Mozilla, Google, and Singularity University, along with advising board executives to shape society. And of course, they each highlight their top three, which starts with one another and extends to professional friends and team members. And you have to hear their hints for having breakthrough moments and how women may be the secret to accelerating change. All this and more! About Jane and Pascal Finette Jane Finette, CEO & Co-Founder at be radical. Jane is obsessed with accelerating change at scale through conscious leadership. Her passion, expertise and two decades of experience are anchored at the intersection of technology and human potential. Jane’s past work includes leadership roles at eBay, Sotheby’s and Moz

In this episode, Gregg speaks with Jeb Hurley, Co-Founder & CEO, Xmetryx. They discuss the importance of attempting to live life with no regrets and about the importance of teams in making transformations a reality. And of course he speaks about his top three from his spouse and cofounder to two of his favorite mentors. And you have to hear what he has learned from the Israeli military and seal teams that has driven a lot of the theory of his transformation leadership. All this and more! About Jeb Hurley Dr. Jeb S. Hurley is the co-founder and CEO of Xmetryx, a behavioral science-based team relationship management platform. He is insatiably curious about why people, and especially leaders, do what they do, and passionate about using behavioral science to help organizations develop more conscious leaders. Jeb’s career journey began in sales and product management. Over the past 25 years he has held GM, VP and CEO roles at companies ranging from Fortune 100 to startups. He is the author of Team Relationsh

In this episode, Gregg speaks with Sangy Vatsa, a highly regarded transformation leader with significant experience in being a chief technology officer and chief information officer for fortune-level companies. Sangy, the EVP, Chief Technology & Digital Officer at FIS, discusses how he establishes a pattern of rapidly learning the specifics of business models and the disruptive forces taking place in industry, and then applies them to build deep relationships with the heads of business units to earn a seat at their table. And of course, he speaks about his top three, that range from business unit partners to direct report teams to future leaders who reverse mentor him to broad group of peers that he's had a hand in formalizing into an industry board. And you have to hear what he has to say about co-creating bold visions. All this and more! About sangy vatsa Mr. Sangy Vatsa is the EVP, Chief Technology and Digital Officer of FIS Global. As a seasoned Chief Information, Technology and Digital Officer with

Gregg Garrett, explores the power of borrowing startup concepts and applying them to established enterprise innovation programs. He then speaks with Fred Soller, a leader who crossed over from a successful enterprise executive to scaling a startup, Data Oceans, through leadership. Fred shares how this switch has allowed him to make a more significant impact on the world. And of course, he speaks about his top three from the higher power above to the founders of the firm to community members who let him recharge his batteries and adjust his bearings. All this and more! About Fred Soller Fred Soller has over 25 years of Sales, and Sales Management experience in High Technology.  He has been a catalyst for successful Marketing and Business Development initiatives, including building and reorganizing organizations for sustained growth. He currently serves as the Chief Revenue Officer for DataOceans, a leader in the Customer Communications Management (CCM) industry, where he is responsible for overseeing al

Gregg Garrett, discusses how transforming an organization is a lot like baking a cake. Gregg then speaks with Sean Killian, President North America, Atos Medical. Sean shares insights he has gained as a global citizen and observations he has made as he pivoted his career from industry to industry. Of course, he speaks about his top three who include mentors who taught him to bring structure to unstructured situations, inspirational leaders in the world of sports, and day-to-day confidants who help him scale. And you have to hear what he has to say about what it’s like to become the president of a company in the midst of a pandemic. About Sean Killian Sean serves as President of North America for Atos Medical, a PAI-portfolio healthcare company that serves customers in the laryngectomy space. Prior to joining Atos earlier this year, he was on the executive team of Performance Health, a portfolio company of Chicago-based Madison Dearborn Partners, where he was VP of Global Strategy and GM of Specialty Product

During this episode, You, Me and Your Top Three host, Gregg Garrett, speaks with Ted Serbinski, managing director at Techstars, about the power of pivoting and how it is needed for startups as well as enterprises trying to innovate. He discusses a wide array of topics from becoming a mobility industry luminary to investing in nearly 100 companies to being a xennial and the importance of being a sponge. Ted of course shares his Top Three who include member of the Foundry Group to fellow alumnus who help him stretch his thesis to all the founders in whom he has invested to make mentoring a two-way street. And you have to hear what he has to say about how mobility may be more about what is not moving, rather than what is, especially in a post-COVID world. About Ted Serbinski Ted Serbinski is a venture capitalist and managing director of TechStars with 70 global startup investments across mobility, automotive, logistics, manufacturing, fintech and AI/ML. He focuses on helping entrepreneurs succeed through mento

During this episode, You, Me and Your Top Three host, Gregg Garrett, speaks with Sean Kramer, CIO at SiteOne Landscape Supply about recognizing opportunity while it is still happening. He discusses his career journey that has taken him from a mid-level IT leader to CIO through 25+ acquisitions and a move from private company to IPO. Of course he speaks about his Top Three who have helped him along this journey including his spouse, private equity advisor who helped him grow from industry to industry, and CEO and business unit leads who have taught him how to lead beyond his function. And you have to hear what he has to say about getting out of technology to drive communication in leadership. About Sean Kramer Sean Kramer is a senior executive who leads digital transformation through innovative technologies and data analytics and is personally invested in translating business demands into supportable and strategic IT solutions. In his current role as Chief Information Officer at SiteOne Landscape Supply, he