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Awesome Office: Lead. Create. Inspire.

The Awesome Office Show is all about helping you lead people, create culture, and inspire Awesome at your company. Each week we talk to a business leader, entrepreneur, HR pro, or engagement specialist at the most successful and buzzed about companies in the country, and learn their most actionable tips, tactics, and best practices - and share them with you. This is a behind the curtain look that you’re not going to find anywhere else. If you care about developing stellar cultures that provide lasting value for employees, customers, and shareholders, then this is the podcast for you. The Awesome Office Show is hosted by Sean Spear. Similar to Entreleadership and HBR Ideacast.
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Now displaying: 2015
Dec 31, 2015

The end of 2015 is rapidly approaching, and that means it's time to set our sights on the things we want to accomplish in the New Year. 

There is a sense of hope and optimism in the air. A new calendar year is a chance wipe the slate clean, start fresh, and begin anew. All the old habits you swore you'd break, now's your chance to actually break them. 

It's time to finally lose the weight, become more productive, get that promotion. 

But as most of us are familiar, all our good intentions often fall by the wayside as soon we hit the first stumbling block or feel the first tugs of resistance.

It's usually not because we don't want to improve. It's because we didn't approach our goal setting the right way.

But it doesn't have to be this way.

In fact, with a little planning and commitment, 2016 can easily be your best year ever.

That's where we come in.

In this episode, Awesome Office host Sean Kelly shares his goal setting tips, a set of best practices will help you make massive breakthroughs in 2016.

So what makes Sean a goal setting expert?

The answer is simple - he's failed. A lot.

Over the last fifteen years or so, he's tried dozens of strategies, and has developed a set of practices that works - and will work for you too. Think of him as your own personal goal-setting guinea pig.

Instead of blindly charging into 2016 with vague intentions and fuzzier plans, now's the time to pause, reflect, and visualize the things you want to accomplish next year.

Who do you want to be? What do you want to accomplish? How do you want your team and your organization to grow? Does the future excite you? Is your vision compelling? How will you make your vision a reality?

That's what today's episode is all about.

For your reference, we've put together a cheat sheet summarizing the points Sean explores in depth in today’s episode:

11 Super Effective Tips to Make 2016 Your Most Awesome Year Yet

1. Start early
Pilot new habits before January 1. Test them out and make adjustments early on so you can be confident in your approach once the New Year commences.

2. Set your intentions
Think about who you’ll become once you achieve these goals. That person should excite you.

3. Goals must make you a little uncomfortable
Your goals should spur breakthroughs and help you grow, and therefore should be hard... but not too hard. Studies show that you should push yourself 4% beyond your ordinary daily limit (not 40%).

4. Don’t worry about "the how" the first time around
Just set your sights and get after it. The how will come as part of the process.

5. Don’t set too many goals
Shoot for no more than 10 goals total, for all areas of your life - career/business, health, spirtual, etc. 5-7 is the sweet spot.

6. Make sure your goals are S.M.A.R.T.
S.M.A.R.T. stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. It should be obvious whether or not you achieved your goals, and timing is important.

7. Write down goals and make them visible…review goals on a weekly basis
Print them out and put them someplace where you'll see it everyday.

8. Create goals, not action plans that you’ll never be able to execute
Don't set yourself up to fail by creating ridiculously elaborate, year long plans that you'll abandon as soon as you deviate from them.

9. Make your first goal to consistently check your goals
This is where most people fail - they don't check in and hold themselves accountable. Commit to your goals to see real progress.

10. Remember that you’re human
You will fail. Expect it, plan for it, and know that it’s all part of the process.

11. The 5-4-3-2-1 System
Once you set your goals, this system will help you stay on track in the New Year. For 2016, determine:

  • 5 things you must do
  • 4 things you should stop doing
  • 3 new habits
  • 2 people to hold you accountable
  • 1 new belief

BONUS - 5-4-3-2-1 Worksheet

As a bonus, we've put together a worksheet to get you started. Download the worksheet here (right click and choose save as), then print it, fill it out, and put it somewhere visible - at your desk or on your mirror - as a constant reminder of the goals and the habits you intend to keep.

We hope you enjoy this episode, and want to thank you for your continued support of the Awesome Office Show. We've grown tremendously in a short time, and that's all because of all the great people who - like you - are committed to changing the way we work. We've got some big plans for 2016, and we're so grateful you've chosen to join us on this journey.

As always, if you haven't yet, please subscribe to, rate, and review the show in iTunes. This show grows by word of mouth, and the more we grow, the more Awesome we can all create together.

Dec 23, 2015

 

 

 

If you were to look at Richard Sheridan’s business card, you might be surprised by his official title:

“Chief Storyteller, Tour Guide and CEO.”

As we learn in the second part of our epic interview with the Joy Inc. author, storytelling is an essential part of his role at software developer Menlo Innovations - so much so that the company’s founder and chief executive leads daily tours and considers telling the Menlo story to be one of his most important roles.

The act of storytelling, Richard explains, helps hold himself and his team accountable, and reinforces the cultural values at the core of Menlo’s culture.

We talk in depth with Richard about how to tell better stories, why it's so important to do so, and many other topics, including why organizational change must first start with personal reflection, and why boomerang employees - employees who leave and come back - remain a huge missed opportunity for most companies.

Key Takeaways

  • Richard tells us why he had to first rethink his own role in the organization before he could start to think about organizational change.
  • Richard shares the insight that his eight year old daughter gave him regarding his own leadership style.
  • Richard explains why low attrition isn’t necessarily the sign of a good company culture, and how some of the worst cultures he’s seen are ones in which no one ever leaves.
  • Richard explains how boomerang employees can be a source of fresh ideas and innovation, and why so many companies miss out on them.
  • Richard describes the tours he gives at Menlo, and how this daily story telling benefits himself and his team.
  • Richard tells us why he believes the most important breakthroughs won’t be technological, but will be based on the expanding concept of what it means to be human.
  • Richard shares why the biggest people-oriented crisis facing businesses today is a crisis of human energy - and why this represents a huge opportunity for organizations.
  • Finally, Richard enters the ring and takes on…the Minute of Magic.

Links

Recommended Reading

Like this episode? Then let us know! Subscribe, rate, and review the show in iTunes. This show grows by word of mouth, and the more we grow, the more Awesome we can all create together.

Similar to Entreleadership and HBR Ideacast.

Dec 18, 2015

 

From kid programmer in 1971 to Forbes cover story in 2003, Joy, Inc. author and Menlo Innovations CEO Richard Sheridan has never shied from challenges, opportunities, nor the limelight. His focus has always been around technology, but his passion is actually process, teamwork and organizational design, with one overarching goal: unlock the business value of Joy.

Strangely enough, it all began in 1967, when a ten year old Richard Sheridan decided to surprise his parents by building a piece of furniture while they were away for the evening.

In today’s Awesome Office interview, Richard tells us how this experience - and the joy he felt after delivering a wow moment to his parents - was the start of a journey that would lead him to his mission of changing the way we work.

The laboratory for his radical ideas about workplace joy has been his own company, Menlo Innovations, a software design and development firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

An avid reader and historian, Sheridan insists that he and his team didn't invent a new culture, but copied an old one - Edison’s Menlo Park New Jersey lab.

Richard was a pleasure to talk to, and we hope you get as much value out of this conversation as we did.

Key Takeaways

  • Richard takes us back to one of the most formative experiences of his life, and explains why he credits this lesson as the inspiration behind Joy Inc.
  • Richard explains that, while he’s a technologist, his greatest innovation came in the way he thinks about people, organization design, and process.
  • Richard describes why we typically lose our sense of joy as we transition from childhood to adulthood, and why that’s detrimental to our businesses and our lives.
  • Richard opines why most managers fall into the trap of mimicking their predecessors, and how that has perpetuated harmful organizational cultures and management practices.
  • Richard explains how playfulness and productivity aren’t mutually exclusive, and how the TV show M.A.S.H. actually demonstrated that levity can exist in the midst of stressful or important work.
  • Richard tells us the utterly unique way that Menlonians schedule all-staff meetings, and how the company is able to conduct these meetings in under 13 minutes.
  • Richard explains why ear buds are forbidden at Menlo, and why he believes chatter helps fuel creativity.
  • Richard describes the Menlo hiring process, which actually involves no resumes and no interview questions whatsoever.

Links

Recommended Reading

Like this episode? Then let us know! Subscribe, rate, and review the show in iTunes. This show grows by word of mouth, and the more we grow, the more Awesome we can all create together.

Dec 11, 2015

 

“You can’t be good at any job if you’re only doing it for a paycheck.”

That’s the mantra that has served Joe Lozowski throughout his career, and what ultimately inspired him to leave a lucrative career and start all over in the furniture business. 

In part one of his Awesome Office interview, we learned why the CEO and President of Tangram Interiors feels it’s so important for young people to bet on themselves, and why he views his company as a “platform for success.” In part two, Joe dives deeper, and shares why, in this world of longer hours, work life integration, and increased expectations on all sides, you have to love what you do in order to be successful.

Joe also shares the secrets that have helped him rise to the top of his game and lead Tangram into $100 million+ in sales, including his daily routine (which begins at 4 am).

And perhaps most surprising of all… Joe explains why Ohio State hiring coach Urban Meyer is actually a good thing for Michigan football.

Key Takeaways

  • Joe describes the biggest mistakes he’s made as a leader, and what he's learned.
  • Joe explains why it’s so important to love what you do.
  • Joe walks us through his morning and tells us why he wakes at 4 a.m. each day.
  • Joe explains the connection between mental and physical fitness, and why it’s so important for leaders to set good examples for their employees in this regard.
  • Joe explains what he means when insists that it’s “all about the people,” and why he meets with or entertains clients 2-3 times a week.
  • Joe talks about the importance of personal relationships and trust, and tells us that it’s no accident that the senior leaders at his company have all been there at least 12 years.
  • Joe also explains why friendships at work are a part of the culture at Tangram, and why he thinks its a big part of their success.
  • Joe talks about why sometimes you have to let failures happen, even when you see them coming.
  • Joe shares the one thing that actually makes him angry as a leader.
  • Joe tells us why Urban Meyer is actually a good thing for Michigan football… and how that’s a metaphor for success in business and in life.
  • Finally, Joe shares the lessons he’s learned over the course of his career that he wished he’d known twenty years ago.

Links

Recommended Reading

Like this episode? Then let us know! Subscribe, rate, and review the show in iTunes. This show grows by word of mouth, and the more we grow, the more Awesome we can all create together.

 

Dec 5, 2015

We like to say that one necessary part of an Awesome Office is a “space that wows,” and there are few people more qualified to speak to this than Joe Lozowski.

That's because Joe is the majority owner, President and CEO of Tangram Interiors, the largest contract furniture distributor in the Western United States. With offices and showrooms in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, the San Fernando Valley and the Inland Empire, Tangram has emerged as a model dealership in North America, employing 275 people.

With all this success, you might be surprised to learn that Joe's foray into the furniture industry involved leaving a lucrative career in a different industry - and taking a 100% pay cut in the process.

That's all part of what Joe calls "betting on yourself," and it’s not only a key to his own success, but something he tries to instill in Tangram employees.

That’s why he thinks of Tangram less as a company, and more as a “platform for success.”

Joe tells us what it takes to bet on yourself and win - and much more - in this two part Awesome Office interview.

Key Takeaways

Joe explains what he means by betting on yourself, and why he decided to take a 100% pay cut to join Steelcase early in his career.
Joe describes why he thinks of Tangram as a platform for success.
Joe tells us what it takes to create a “space that wows.”
Joe explains why he hasn’t had an office in 13 years, and why
Finally Joe tells us the most important question he asks clients while working on their interiors.
Links

Joe on LinkedIn
Tangram Interiors
@joelozowski
University of Michigan Football
Recommended Reading

Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success, by Phil Jackson
Like this episode? Then let us know! Subscribe, rate, and review the show in iTunes. This show grows by word of mouth, and the more we grow, the more Awesome we can all create together.

Similar to Entreleadership and HBR Ideacast.

Nov 26, 2015

In part two of our in-depth conversation with Jason Weiss, the former GM and current advisor of Scopely talks about a subject that many leaders shy away from -

Failure.

At Scopely, failure isn’t a dirty word. Far from it - the company recognizes the “Fail of the Week” at their weekly all-hands, during which a team member describes a major mistake he or she made in the past seven days.

The point isn't to call out mistakes, but to acknowledge that failure is part of the process and to share the lessons learned.

In fact, according to Weiss, a healthy relationship with failure should be a part of your culture, particularly at growth-oriented startups, where big risks are a necessary part of success.

“If you’re asking people to work extremely hard, and aim high, and be ambitious, they’re going to fail [at times],” Weiss explains. “So we need to acknowledge that it’s ok to fail, or people are going to stop aiming high.”

Jason delved into this topic and many more during this week's podcast, and we're extremely grateful that he shared his seasoned perspective on culture, retention, and leadership.

Key Takeaways

  • Jason explains why open communication is a two-way street, and why employees should voice their concerns rather than internalize them.
  • Contrary to the old school view that employees shouldn’t have to be thanked for simply “doing their jobs,” Jason talks about the importance of recognition, citing studies that show that employees work harder and are more productive when you do simple things like thank them.
  • Jason talks about the advantage of having a best friend at work, and notes that ideally, a significant portion of your workforce should interact socially outside of work.
  • Jason explains why a company is “like a symphony,” relying on harmonious interaction by all, and how a few people playing off key can have an outsized impact.
  • Jason shares his favorite interview question and what it reveals about the candidate.
  • Jason describes what he sees as the major trends in corporate cultures, and how he thinks the workplace will change in the next twenty years.
  • Jason tells us why he feels it’s important to publicize your mistakes, and talks about the development of “Fail of the Week” act Scopely.
  • Finally, Jason brings hot fire in the Minute of Magic.™

Links

Recommended Reading

Like this episode? Then let us know! Subscribe, rate, and review the show in iTunes. This show grows by word of mouth, and the more we grow, the more Awesome we can all create together.

Nov 21, 2015

Many companies use perks like free onsite food, massages, and elaborate off-sites to attract and retain game-changing talent.

If you’re Scopely, you take a different tack.

Namely? Bricks of cash. Wrapped in bacon.

Scopely is the LA-based mobile gaming studio that has produced six #1 games in a row, including The Walking Dead Road to Survival, Yahtzee with Friends, and Disco Bees.

According to today’s Awesome Office guest Jason Weiss, that success started with creating a culture that could attract and retain the top talent.

And he should know: as the company’s SVP of talent for more than four years, he was a main driver behind the company’s vibrant and playful ethos.

The results speak for themselves. During his tenure at the company, Weiss helped expand the organization from 10 to more than 125 employees, and helped grow revenue from zero to a run rate of more than $70 million a year.

While Jason was there, Scopely also launched one of the most notorious recruiting campaigns in recent memory - a search to find “the most interesting engineers in the world” that enticed top talent with oil portraits, a year’s supply of beer, a tuxedo, a spear gun, and yes, $11,000 in cold hard cash wrapped in cured meat.

We talked about all this and more in this week's epic two-part interview.

 

Key Takeaways

  • Jason shares what he feels is the biggest flaw in the employer-employee relationship, and why the “tour of duty” concept (from Reid Hoffman's The Alliance) might be a little far-fetched.  
  • Jason tells us the story of Scopely’s infamous “most interesting engineer in the world” campaign.
  • Jason opines why he believes the war for talent lies in creating an attractive company culture, as well as why those first few hires are so critical.
  • Jason explains why the best managers come from within, but why not all great performers make good managers.
  • Finally, Jason tells us what he means when he says that hiring is like dating, while actually working somewhere is more like a marriage.

Links

Recommended Reading

Like this episode? Then let us know! Subscribe, rate, and review the show in iTunes. This show grows by word of mouth, and the more we grow, the more Awesome we can all create together.

Nov 12, 2015
 
The speed at which people grow a business is proportional to the time invested in creating trust.
 
In the second part of our interview with 15five's David Hassell, we learned that this notion - that trust is fundamental to growth - is more than just a mere axiom to the engagement software chief. Far from it - it's a strategy that applies to all areas of business.
 
Need proof? The notion is embedded in the company's core values, and is a tenet of their internal culture.
 
David takes us deeper into the culture question in our conversation, and tells us why it's so gratifying to create an environment where trust is granted at the outset, and to watch as this inspires employees to perform beyond their own perceived capabilities. Additionally, he shares his strategies for finding those employees who'll be willing and able to experience personal breakthroughs.
 
David dropped a wealth of actionable knowledge on the AO audience, and we are grateful that he spent some of his valuable time with us. As always, we wrapped the dialogue with the minute of magic... and David definitely brought the magic.
 
Key  Takeaways
  • David tackles the question of whether, ethics aside, the Wolf of Wall Street Jordan Belfort's Stratton Oakmont brokerage house was actually an example of a successful culture.
  • David tells us why he believes culture is like an ecosystem, and why high performers can only flourish under the right conditions.
  • David explains why trust is fundamental to a great culture, and why vulnerability and trust go hand in hand.
  • David tells us the most important trait he looks for when interviewing potential employees, and gives us his strategies to help find people willing to experience personal breakthroughs.
  • David tells us how his first job as a car salesman helped him clarify how he didn't want to treat people.
  • David explains why he thinks money is a threshold, and tells us what motivates people once that threshold is achieved.
  • David explores why Warren Buffet can walk into a room and make a multi-million dollar deal on nothing more than a handshake.
  •  Finally, David shares his number one tip to help create an engaged atmosphere at your company.

Links

Recommended Reading

Like this episode? Then let us know! Subscribe, rate, and review the show in iTunes. This show grows by word of mouth, and the more we grow, the more Awesome we can all create together.

Nov 7, 2015

Whether your realize it or not, employee happiness should never be your goal.

Not according to today’s Awesome Office guest, David Hassell, a serial entrepreneur and “the most connected man you don’t know in Silicon Valley,” according to Forbes magazine.

His current venture is 15five, a technology solution that helps improve transparency and communication between managers and employees, and provide critical insights for your company.

As you’ll hear, 15five was inspired by ESPRIT founder Doug Tompkins, who realized that if he asked all of his employees to spend 15 minutes writing a report that took their manager no more than 5 minutes to read, he’d have a more engaged company.

We talked to David about a wide range of subjects, but what we found most interesting was his belief that the goal of his software is not to make employee’s happy, but to help them be their best selves, and ultimately to create an environment where they can perform at their highest level. Sometimes this means harnessing the power of good discomfort - or eustress. 

Often, this is extremely fulfilling for employees and their managers, but happiness isn’t necessarily the goal - nor should it be.

David joined us via Skype from 15five’s offices in San Francisco. This was a fantastic conversation, and one that we decided to release in two parts.

Key  Takeaways
  • David explains why Forbes described him as “The most connected man in Silicon Valley you’ve never heard of,” and talks about the power of networking.
  • David tells us how he discovered the concept of 15five, and why he decided to create a company around the practice.
  • David stresses the importance of having a purpose in one’s work, and tells us why he struggled with starting the right company before landing on the idea for 15five.
  • David explains why CEOs shouldn’t be firefighters, and why you’ll never innovate if you’re always reacting to emergencies.
  • David explains why he thinks the term “Human Resources” should be phased out immediately.
  • David breaks down the difference between eustress and distress, and explains why discomfort actually breeds innovation.
  • David clarifies that the goal of your organization shouldn’t be happiness, but high performance, and explains why.

Links

Recommended Reading

Like this episode? Then let us know! Subscribe, rate, and review the show in iTunes, it really helps the show - and we'll love you forever for it.

Oct 28, 2015

Believe it or not, The Honest Company's Christopher Gavigan doesn’t run a CPG brand.

That’s because the energetic co-founder and chief product officer considers Honest - the makers of beautifully designed, environmentally friendly, and unquestionably safe household products for parents and kids - to be a “portfolio of trust” rather than a typical consumer goods label.

Nomenclature aside, there's no denying that the company has experienced an astounding trajectory. 

Christopher and partners Jessica Alba and Brian Lee launched the company in in  2011 with just 17 products that were all geared toward the young mother. Today, the company sells more than 140 products covering all aspects of the home - all of which are free from toxic ingredients and harsh chemicals.

Meanwhile, the company has grown from three employees to more than 500 in less than four years. Christopher talked to us about what this rocket ship ride has been like, and how they’ve managed to scale so quickly without compromising their culture or core values. 

Key Takeaways

  • Christopher tells us how his Master's in psychology helped him build the Honest brand.
  • Christopher explains why he believes it’s better to change behavior through knowledge and good news rather than through fear.
  • Christopher reveals why he considers The Honest Company to be a “portfolio of trust” rather than a CPG brand.
  • Christopher shares the two things that keep him up at night.
  • Christopher describes what was like to scale Honest from three to 500 employees in under 4 years, and sheds light on the biggest challenges in that process.
  • Christopher explains why he still chooses to take 30-50 customer service calls per week.
  • Finally, Christopher tells us why he gets all his work done between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.

Links

Recommended Reading

Like this episode? Then let us know! Subscribe, rate, and review the show for a chance to win a SnackNation gift box for your office. Details at AwesomeOffice.org/podcast.

Oct 24, 2015

With its reputation for long hours, high stress, and a results-first mindset, Wall Street isn’t necessarily thought of as a hotbed of cultural innovation. But today's guest would beg to differ.

On this episode of the Awesome Office Show we talk to Courtney Reum, an innovative entrepreneur, angel investor, and leader with a background in building consumer products brands. Courtney is best known as the CEO of VEEV Spirits, an all natural premium spirit brand that he co-founded with his brother Carter. What started as a two-man team selling VEEV out of the trunks of their cars, has turned into one of the best-selling independent liquor brands in the U.S.

As VEEV's chief executive, Courtney is responsible for directing the culture of the wildly successful brand. And while it hasn't always been easy, VEEV the company is known for its spirit of disruption and creative innovation. But what we found most interesting was how it was Courtney and Carter's  stint at Goldman Sachs that actually had the biggest influence on the culture and esprit de corps at VEEV. 

Takeaways

  • Courtney talks about why LA is actually a fantastic place to start a company.
  • Courtney breaks down why he's strayed away from the "old school" Steve Jobs archetype of leadership, and come around to the servant-leader model. 
  • Courtney describes the hiring challenges he faced in the early days of VEEV.
  • Courtney explains why a formal education is beneficial but not required to become a successful entrepreneur, as well as why he doesn’t take as much stock in potential candidate’s educational pedigrees as you’d expect.
  • Courtney explains how his experience at Goldman Sachs set the standard for a phenomenal work culture.
  • Courtney tells us how a company culture can go astray, and the steps you must take to fix it.

Links

Recommended Reading

Liked this episode? Then let us know! Subscribe, rate, and review the show for a chance to win a SnackNation gift box for your office. Details at AwesomeOffice.org/podcast.

Oct 15, 2015

If you had to choose one example of a truly awesome office, Clif Bar and Co.’s state-of-the art, 115,000-square-foot headquarters in Emeryville, CA  might very well be it. 

Made from wood reclaimed from local barns and railway ties, and featuring a gym and rock climbing wall, the space mirrors the company’s commitment to health, wellness, and sustainability. 

At the center of it all is today’s guest, Jen Freitas, the company’s Director of Learning and Engagement. Guided by the company’s “Five Aspirations,” she helped launch Clif Bar’s Sustainability Benefits Program, an initiative that helped the company earn numerous workplace awards, including ‘best place to work’ nods by Fortune and Outside magazines.

As you’ll hear in the interview, Jen actually began her journey at Clif Bar in 2001 as a cardio kickboxing instructor. Today, she leads the company’s people development, engagement, and wellness programs, and helps employees develop personal goals and a professional path that’s aligned with their values.

In our conversation, Jen tells us why it’s essential that individuals bring their personal values to work with them, why Clif employees are paid to work out, and how the company has been able to sustain its 97% retention rate.

A quick note - you might notice that the audio is a bit different on this one. That’s because we met Jen in Clif’s HQ and recorded it on-the-fly.

Key Takeaways

  • Jen describes her journey from cardio kickboxing instructor to director of people, learning, and engagement at Clif.
  • Jen explains why Clif founder Gary Erickson decided to pull the plug on the sale of his company at the last minute.
  • Jen takes us through Clif Bar and Co’s “Five Aspirations” (or “Five Bottom Lines”).
  • Jen tells us the determining difference between engaged companies and non-engaged companies.
  • Jen tells us how Clif created its Awesome Office, and tells us the perks that matter most to her and her colleagues.
  • Jen gives introduces the idea of the “work-life cocktail.”
  • Jen tells a great story about the best company gift she ever received.
  • Finally, Jen tells us how Clif works with employees to develop their own personal values.

Links

Liked this episode? Then let us know! Subscribe, rate, and review the show for a chance to win a SnackNation gift box for your office. Details at AwesomeOffice.org/podcast.

Oct 9, 2015

You’d be hard pressed to find someone more qualified to talk about real-time marketing and communication than our next guest, Mr. David Meerman Scott.

David is a renowned speaker and author, and has published ten books on marketing, PR, and sales in the networked age. His book The New Rules of Marketing & PR is considered a must-read for modern PR and marketing pros, and is used as a text in hundreds of universities and business schools worldwide.

Additionally, He’s spoken in more than 40 countries and on all seven continents, and is the marketer in residence at Hubspot, where he helped the company grow to more than 11,000 customers in 70 countries.

David was fresh off a plane from Boston (and before that Madrid and Stockholm), but was generous enough to spend some time with us the evening before his keynote at the Employer Healthcare Benefits Conference in Orlando, Florida. During our conversation, he shared with us the secrets of “Newsjacking,” a term he coined for injecting your ideas into a breaking news story. He also spoke to us about the three legacy communications strategies that companies need to de-emphasize if they want to thrive in the networked age, as well as how he was able to find the time to write ten books in ten years.

Key Takeaways

  • David describes the biggest mistakes conference attendees make, and what they can do to maximize their next conference experience.
  • David walks us through what he means by real-time communication, and tells us why he thinks companies are doomed to failure if they refuse to adapt in the next decade. 
  • David explains why companies should adopt an abundance mindset when it comes to creating content for the Web.
  • David weighs in on the Volkswagen scandal, and tells us why a “no comment” doesn’t make sense in a real-time world.
  • David talks about the real-time communications opportunities that every company should be leveraging.
  • David tells us how busy business leaders can keep up with social media by investing less than 15 minutes per day.
  • David walks us through the concept of News jacking, and gives us one of his favorite and most successful examples of the practice.
  • Finally David explains why speed and agility are the two necessary traits when in comes to marketing and PR.

Links

Recommended Reading

Oct 6, 2015

In the first part of our interview, we found out that author, television host, and Trendera CEO Jane Buckingham is an expert on the art of the interview. In the second installation, we went a bit more in depth, as Jane shared the three biggest mistakes that companies make - and that you should avoid - when interviewing potential new hires.

As a trend and generational expert, Jane also described the pressure she feels when being interviewed, and the responsibility she feels to accurately depict the generations she characterizes. 

Finally, vulnerability has been a major theme with the awesome leaders we've talked to so far on this show, and Jane was no exception. In fact, Jane was willing to be vulnerable with the AO audience as she shared the two biggest regrets in her career and what she learned from them.

Key Takeaways

  • Jane runs down the three biggest mistakes that interviewers make - and that you should avoid if you want to hire the right people for your company.
  • Jane tells us how she maximizes engagement with a remote workforce.
  • Jane describes why you have to work to cultivate the right company culture - and then work to keep it.
  • Jane gives us her number one productivity tip (hint: it involves skipping something most leaders assume is essential).
  • Jane explains why companies can't expect employees not to use social media during the day.
  • Jane plays the "minute of magic," and reveals her favorite entrepreneur, quote, employee perk, and more.

Links

Recommended Reading

Liked this episode? Then let us know! Subscribe, rate, and review the show for a chance to win a SnackNation gift box for your office. Details at AwesomeOffice.org/podcast.

Oct 2, 2015

Hiring and retention is top of mind for so many business leaders today - and rightfully so. But one of the most important steps in the process is often an afterthought: interviewing.

As an entrepreneur, career expert, and television personality, this week’s guest Jane Buckingham is no stranger to the art of the interview.

In fact, as the host of ABC Family’s Job or No Job, Jane advises young candidates on how to interview for their dream job. Each week she helps a recent college grad try and land a job in a highly competitive field like fashion, journalism, and tech. She knows a thing or two about the process, and was gracious enough to let us visit her in the Beverly Hills offices of Trendera, the consumer insights firm she founded to help brands create strategy and action around cultural shifts. In this two-part interview, Jane shared her best interview tips with The Awesome Office audience.

If that weren’t enough, Jane is also a mother, author, and an authority on the generational differences on the modern workplace, and she provided massive insight into these topics and more.

Key Takeaways

  • Jane describes the challenges of parenting in the networked age, and explains why young people today are often held to an unfair standard.
  • Jane weighs in on the importance of attending an elite university, and names the traits that she looks for in a candidate before she considers university pedigree.
  • Jane dives into a fascinating breakdown of the generational factors affecting the modern workplace.
  • Jane explains that it's often the interviewers and not the interviewees making the biggest mistakes in the interview process.
  • Finally, Jane explains why Gen Xers and Baby Boomers fear Millennials, and why they should consider partnering with them instead.

Links

Recommended Reading

Liked this episode? Then let us know! Subscribe, rate, and review the show for a chance to win a SnackNation gift box for your office. Details at AwesomeOffice.org/podcast.

Sep 24, 2015

In Episode 7 we continue our conversation with speaker, communication expert, and World Adoption Day founder Hank Fortener.

For part two, Hank gives us a deep dive on what makes a great communicator - and some of his ideas will definitely surprise you. For starters, Hank tells us why preparation and empathy are the keys to great communication, why storytelling is at the heart of great leaders and great companies, as well the biggest mistake leaders make when communicating to their employees. 

Just like part one, part two of our conversation with Hank is packed with actionable tips, engrossing stories, and great book recs, all delivered with Hank’s trademark humility and sense of humor. We love the way Hank thinks about his work, his life, and the businesses he advises, and we think you will too.

If you haven’t yet, check out part one of our conversation here.

Key Takeaways

  • Hank explains what he means by “real-time clear thinking,” and explains why this, in combination with an overwhelming sense of empathy, is the key to great communication.
  • Hank walks us through the tactics he uses to put himself in the mind of his audience before he speaks.
  • Hank breaks down what he calls the "magic of communication."
  • Hank explains why listening and observation are actually the most important trait of great storytellers.
  • Hank tells us why storytelling is at the heart of great leadership and great companies.
  • Hank breaks down the difference between actual meaningful communication and mere self-expression.
  • Hank tells us why the most successful people say no to most things, and yes to only a few.
  • Finally, Hank explains why maximizing your team’s capabilities is the mark of great leadership.

Links

Recommended Reading

Liked this episode? Then let us know! subscribe, rate, and review the show for a chance to win a SnackNation gift box for your office. Details at AwesomeOffice.org/podcast.

Sep 17, 2015

Episode 6 | How to Become a World-Class Communicator with Hank Fortener (part 1)

Our guest in Episode 6 of the Awesome Office Show is non other than Hank Fortener, an adoption expert, pastor, speaker, and sought-after authority on culture and leadership.

As the founder of AdoptTogether.org and World Adoption Day, Hank has dedicated much of his life to helping young people who are (in his words) “without a tribe” feel a sense of family and belonging. Through his organizations, Hank has helped more than 1,400 families raise 6 million dollars towards adoption expenses to help bring their children home. He is also a pastor at Mosaic, a vibrant church led by Erwin McManus in the heart of Hollywood, where he delivers thoughtful and impassioned sermons to massive audiences.

Luckily for us, Hank has applied much of his learning around human behavior and belonging to the business world.

Hank really blew us away at our Awesome Office Launch Party earlier this year - and we weren’t the only ones. Hank's 15-minute presentation was one of the most buzzed about talks that night. That’s why we knew we had to have him as a guest for a deeper dive on the Awesome Office Show.

In our conversation, Hank talks about the key to communication for leaders, why solving problems is the most important job of any individual, team, or company, and why it’s important to set aside your ego if you actually want to do that.

Like a couple of our other guests, our dialogue with Hank was too good to cut short, so we decided to break this episode into two parts.

This episode is full of actionable tips to help your company go from good, to great, to Awesome:

Key Takeaways

  • Hank explains the “Why” behind his organizations AdoptTogether.org and World Adoption Day.
  • Hank tells us why he prefers the word “tribe” or “team” over “family” when describing relationship dynamics in the business world.
  • Hank explains why empathy is the key to effective communication and how to cultivate empathy in your preparation before public speaking.
  • Hank talks about why solving problems is more important than being right, and how to set aside your own ego in order to do so.
  • Hank tells us how companies and leaders can (and should) become better story-tellers.
  • Hank explains why leaders should make a place for charity, goodwill, and community in their organizations.
  • Hank explains why he believes that profit-only business leaders will age out of the majority of the world’s most successful companies in the coming years.

Links

Recommended Reading

Liked this episode? Then let us know! subscribe, rate, and review the show for a chance to win a SnackNation gift box for your office. Details at AwesomeOffice.org/podcast.

Sep 10, 2015

Today our guest is Nanxi Liu, an entrepreneur, innovator, and frankly, one of the most accomplished people under thirty we’ve ever come across. 

Nanxi is the co-founder and CEO of Enplug, a company that builds the leading software for displays in stores, hotels, sports arenas, restaurants, and offices. Since their founding in 2012, the company has grown from 5 co-founders to a team of more than 50 people in North America, Africa, and Europe. Every day, millions of people use Enplug's technology in dozens of countries around the world. 

Prior to Enplug, Nanxi co-founded and now serves on the board of Nanoly Bioscience, which develops polymers that enable vaccines to survive without refrigeration.

In today’s featured conversation, Nanxi offered us her utterly unique perspective on culture and leadership. We touched on a number of different topics, including why she opts to live with a third of her colleagues in a shared house in West Los Angeles. 

Key Takeaways

  • Nanxi explains why a third of the Enplug team have opted to both live and work together.
  • Nanxi talks about her definition of a “family-style”company culture, and how you can build a family-like culture even if you don’t happen to live with your colleagues. 
  • While she agrees that transparency is important in establishing trust, Nanxi points out an instance in which she went too far and over-shared with her team. 
  • She explains how building your own office furniture can kill two important birds with one stone.
  • Nanxi shares her definition of an Awesome Office, and describes what she sees as the hallmarks of a truly inspired space.
  • Nanxi talks about the importance of fearlessly approaching people, no matter what the context.  

Links & Recommended Reading

Recommended Reading

Enter our Ratings and Reviews Contest, Win a Free SnackNation Gift Box!

Our goal is to help as many people, teams, and companies as possible. To that end, the ratings and reviews on iTunes help us tremendously. That’s why we’re celebrating our launch with a ratings and reviews contest.

 

We’re giving away one free gift box full of premium healthy and delicious snacks (courtesy of SnackNation) per week from now until October 29th, 2015. All you have to do is subscribe, rate, and review this podcast, and confirm your review at AwesomeOffice.org/Podcast.

Sep 10, 2015

In part one of our conversation, DocStoc co-founder and former CEO Jason Nazar told us the three hiring practices that helped support the company’s massive growth. 

In part two, we dive even further. In Episode 4, Jason talks about why he encourages his employees to act as though they are the CEO. On the flip side, he reveals why he thinks of himself as a D1 college coach, and why he tells his employees that their goal should be to “go pro.” 

Jason also talks about the absolute worst advice he’s ever received as an entrepreneur, and how his dad has a habit of putting him in his place. 

Finally, we end the episode with Jason in the hot seat as we play another round of “Minute of Magic.”

We really appreciated Jason’s insight on the topics of leadership and culture, and can’t thank him enough for taking the time to sit with us. 

Key Takeaways

Jason explains why he thinks of himself as a D1 coach, and why he sees it as his job to help his employees “go pro.”

Jason talks about the importance of transparency, and how to create a shared sense of accountability in outcomes. 

Jason talks about why it’s important to have a best friend at work, and how you as a leader can facilitate the opportunity for employees to make personal friendships in the workplace. 

Jason talks about what he considers his greatest accomplishments as a leader, and why looking out for yourself at all costs is generally bad advice.

Links

Recommended Reading

Enter our Ratings and Reviews Contest, Win a Free SnackNation Gift Box!

Our goal is to help as many people, teams, and companies as possible. To that end, the ratings and reviews on iTunes help us tremendously. That’s why we’re celebrating our launch with a ratings and reviews contest.

 

We’re giving away one free gift box full of premium healthy and delicious snacks (courtesy of SnackNation) per week from now until October 29th, 2015. All you have to do is subscribe, rate, and review this podcast, and confirm your review at AwesomeOffice.org/Podcast.

Sep 10, 2015

Our featured interview for Episode 3 is none other than Jason Nazar, the co-founder and former CEO of Docstoc, and the creator and host of Startups Uncensored, the longest running and most widely attended technology gathering in southern California

As an active tech entrepreneur, investor, writer, and speaker, Jason knows a thing or two about creating strong teams, inspiring cultures, and work environments in which individuals can become their ideal selves.

In our conversation Jason describes his first foray into entrepreneurship at age seven, explains why he did a 180 on the importance of culture, and reveals the three hiring rules that helped make DocStoc go from a mere idea to a massive online repository of business intelligence with more than 50 million registered users.

Our conversation with Jason was too good to cut short, so we made it into two parts. 

Key Takeaways

  • Jason explains why the ability to handle pressure and uncertainty is a defining characteristic of good leaders. 
  • Jason’s a firm believer that a certain amount of internal pressure is a necessity, and discusses how to develop good pressure within an organization.
  • Jason tell us why, at a certain point, it’s more important to be a coach/cheerleader rather than the sprinter at the front of the pack. 
  • Jason talks about how the What and How will always be an obstacle if your company doesn’t have a strong Why.
  • Jason describes his complete 180 on the importance of culture, and how it became an afterthought to the thing he starts with first when building a new company. 
  • Finally, Jason reveals the three hiring practice that helped make DocStoc great. 

Links

Recommended Reading

 

Enter our Ratings and Reviews Contest, Win a Free SnackNation Gift Box!

Our goal is to help as many people, teams, and companies as possible. To that end, the ratings and reviews on iTunes help us tremendously. That’s why we’re celebrating our launch with a ratings and reviews contest.

We’re giving away one free gift box full of premium healthy and delicious snacks (courtesy of SnackNation) per week from now until October 29th, 2015. All you have to do is subscribe, rate, and review this podcast, and confirm your review at AwesomeOffice.org/Podcast.

Sep 10, 2015

In Episode 2, our conversation with Quest Nutrition president and co-founder Tom Bilyeu continues. 

In part 2 of our conversation, Tom mentioned a few things that surprised us. 

For starters, he explains that if you’re an employee at Quest Nutrition, he’s not just there to give you the support you need to achieve your goals and grow as a professional. Likewise, his mission isn’t just to provide consumers with nutritious, healthy snacks that taste great while improving your overall metabolic health. 

Ahead of all these things, Tom sees it as his job to do one thing and one thing only —

To free you from the Matrix. 

We were intrigued, and had to know more. His explanation revealed more than we expected, including the development of Quest Nutrition’s 25 bullet mission statement, and why he’s ok with Quest serving as an incubator for human talent. 

In this episode, we also debut our rapid-fire “Minute of Magic”segment, in which we challenge Tom to answer a series of questions in quick succession. 

So take the red pill with Tom, and see how far this rabbit hole goes…

 

Key Takeaways

  • Tom explains what he means when he says his job is to “free you from the matrix.” 
  • Tom describes the utility in listening to criticism no matter who its from, and how the adoption of a growth mindset led him to that conclusion. 
  • Tom describes the importance of culture, and why he made it an actual part of his job description.
  • Tom talks about why he ditched the standard mission statement for Quest in favor of his “25 bullet points that every human being needs to know in order to achieve every dream they’ve ever head.”

 

Links & Recommended Reading

 

Enter our Ratings and Reviews Contest, Win a Free SnackNation Gift Box!

Our goal is to help as many people, teams, and companies as possible. To that end, the ratings and reviews on iTunes help us tremendously. That’s why we’re celebrating our launch with a ratings and reviews contest.

 

We’re giving away one free gift box full of premium healthy and delicious snacks (courtesy of SnackNation) per week from now until October 29th, 2015. All you have to do is subscribe, rate, and review this podcast, and confirm your review at AwesomeOffice.org/Podcast.

Sep 10, 2015

 

The Awesome Office Show is all about leading people, creating culture, and inspiring Awesome for companies of all shapes and sizes. So for the show’s very first guest, we went with someone who embodies the spirit of that mission; someone who has personally interviewed more than 1,200 candidates; someone whose passion for people and development permeates everything he does, and who has cultivated a culture of growth that helped transformed his company into the second fastest growing private company in America

We’re talking about Quest Nutrition president and co-founder Tom Bilyeu (pronounced “bill-you”).

Tom, along with his two partners, has completely reinvented the nutrition bar category in a periods of just a few years, and redefined what it means to snack healthy by creating healthy treats that taste like they’re bad for you, but actually are not.

Having grown up in Tacoma, Washington in a family that struggled with obesity, Tom felt a personal drive to segue into the health and fitness industry and help his loved ones and others like them revolutionize their relationship with food.  As it would turn out, this new focus on something deeply personal and passion-based led him and his two partners to found Quest.

We expected Tom to drop some magic on our first episode, and he certainly didn’t disappoint.

One of the most fascinating things we learned about Tom is that he credits much of his success to a concerted effort to rethink — or even unlearnthe lessons of the past, including the fixed mindset and so-called “slave mentality”that plagued him early on in his career. 

Tom had so much good stuff for us that we decided to give this conversation two episodes. So join us as we delve into the mind of Quest Nutrition’s Tom Bilyeu. 

 

Key Takeaways

  • Tom discusses the “slave mentality”he held early in his career, and how he was able to recognize and break out of it. 
  • Tom explains why it’s so important for leaders to be vulnerable, and why you shouldn’t confuse vulnerability with weakness.
  • Tom walks us through the difference between a fixed and a growth mindset, and explains why adopting a growth mindset has made all the difference in his life, his career, and his company. 
  • Tom takes us through his belief in the importance of disciplined practice, and how he tricks his brain into working through moments of boredom or frustration.

Links & Recommended Reading

Enter our Ratings and Reviews Contest, Win a Free SnackNation Gift Box!

Our goal is to help as many people, teams, and companies as possible. To that end, the ratings and reviews on iTunes help us tremendously. That’s why we’re celebrating our launch with a ratings and reviews contest.

 

We’re giving away one free gift box full of premium healthy and delicious snacks (courtesy of SnackNation) per week from now until October 29th, 2015. All you have to do is subscribe, rate, and review this podcast, and confirm your review at AwesomeOffice.org/Podcast.

Sep 4, 2015

Lead people. Create culture. Inspire Awesome.

Welcome to the Awesome Office Show, the podcast that’s all about leading people, creating culture, and inspiring Awesome for businesses of all shapes and sizes. The Awesome Office Show

Each week we talk to a business leader, entrepreneur, HR pro, or engagement specialist at the most successful and buzzed about companies in the country, and learn their most actionable tips, tactics, and best practices - and share them with you.

This is a behind the curtain look that you’re not going to find anywhere else. If you care about developing stellar cultures that provide lasting value for employees, customers, and shareholders, then this is the podcast for you. 

Why is this episode 0? Well, this is the episode before Episode 1. And this time out, the tables are turned on AO Show host Sean Kelly. While he's usually the one asking the questions, his good bud and business partner Andy Mackensen calls the shots in Episode 0. 

The Awesome Office Show is hosted by speaker and social entrepreneur Sean Kelly. Sean is the founder of The Association of Workplace Engagement (AWE) and the co-founder and CEO of HUMAN, makers of SnackNation. He has been named one of Forbes’ 30 under 30 and been a TEDx presenter at Columbia University.

 

ENTER OUR CONTEST! 

Visit AwesomeOffice.org/Podcast to win a free SnackNation gift box, full of premium healthy and delicious snacks! All you have to do is subscribe, rate, and review this podcast. 

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