Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do

With all the changes in the world of meetings, many executives are seeking to up their game at speaking. Speaking for business leaders takes many forms. Boardrooms, Zoom Calls, Huddles, Industry breakouts, Keynotes, Television interviews, employee meetings, sales kick offs, etc.... How to become more comfortable is something more and more business leaders want to learn. My phone recently began ringing with requests to coach people on how to speak better in a variety of situations. This is not from people seeking to become paid professional speakers, but from entrepreneurs and CEOs who know they will have more influence if they are more comfortable when they address groups. In this episode I talk about all the different things you may need to think about if you want to improve as a speaker, and I make a special offer to anyone who listens who wants to hire me as their speaking coach. https://thomsinger.com/presentation-skills-coaching/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 676 is an interview with Michelle Ray, the author of the new book "Leading In Real Time". In this conversation we talk about being ready, being responsive, and being relevant.  About Michelle Ray   How many people can identify with a predominantly negative leadership experience early in their careers? That was how Michelle Ray’s foray into the world of work began when she excitedly accepted a position in the media advertising industry while still living in Sydney, Australia. Upon hearing the words “you will never make it as a manager”, Michelle ignored her critical, misogynistic boss and worked her way up the leadership ladder, devoid of role models and mentors.   With a proven background in achieving outstanding results as a business leader, Michelle’s early experiences inspired to help leaders engage more meaningfully with their teams and create dynamic workplace cultures. She established her speaking, leadership training and consulting business in 1995, shortly after emigrating to Vancouver, Canad

Episode 675 of “Making Waves at C-Level” is co-produced in partnership with the Austin Technology Council, the largest tech industry organization in Central Texas. ATC empowers members through insights, resources, and connections so their members can succeed and thrive. This episode is an in-depth interview with Chris Schelling, the director of alternative investment at Venturi Private Wealth. Check out this conversation about what to do when private equity firms come knocking and how it can help you company grow.  About Chris Schelling Chris is the Director of Alternative Investments for Venturi Wealth Management. Chris is focused on sourcing, performing due diligence, and building portfolios of alternative investments for clients. As an institutional investor, Chris has invested roughly $5 billion and met with over 3,500 managers across hedge funds, real assets, private credit, and private equity in his career. Chris is also currently a contributing columnist for Institutional Investor and has authored ov

In this episode Thom Singer sits down with Craig Misrach, CEO of Uplyft. Thom met this experienced entrepreneur when Craig was a finalist in the San Diego Angel Conference in March 2021 (when Thom served as the master of ceremonies for this business competition). In this in-depth conversation the two talk about raising capital, manufacturing a product, building a team, and other important activities in growing a company. About Craig Misrach  Craig Misrach has over twenty years in business with CEO, CFO, and COO leadership experience growing medical device, diagnostics, and healthcare equipment companies while also professionally advising business owners and executive teams regarding mergers and acquisitions. He joined Uplyft in 2018 to spearhead the company's product launch and commercialization efforts. Prior to joining Uplyft, Craig was the founder, chairman, and CEO of Freedom Meditech, a diabetes medical device company her led from concept through FDA 510(k) clearance and global marking and sales.   C

In this episode Thom Singer sits down with Joe Curcillo to talk about how to build a unifying vision for your team. When you people experience belonging, meaning, and contribution, that is when the magic happens in your company.   ABOUT JOE CURCILLO A dynamic, insightful and entertaining problem solver. That’s Joe Curcillo — and his thought-provoking, real-life experiences as a prosecutor, mentalist and bestselling behavioral author have made him a widely popular and uniquely positioned motivational speaker for corporations and organizations working to unify and empower their personnel to achieve greatness as a team. Joe’s mission is simple: He’s passionate about discovering productivity breakdowns in the workplace, understanding how and why they exist and designing strategic yet easy-to-implement solutions that improve efficiency and creativity, increase loyalty companywide and more passionately deliver results centered around your vision. Just as important, Joe will ensure everyone thoroughly enjoys the

In this episode of "Making Waves at C-Level" Thom Singer sits down with Luke Simianer. Luke is a former Paratrooper and Purple Heart recipient turned software developer to discuss his company and philosophy for life and success. The most compelling part was when he mentions talking loses that happen in business and turning them into lessons. About Clusiv Clusiv is the creator of the world's first e-learning and accessible onboarding platform built for and by blind and visually impaired people. Clusiv improves employment outcomes for state agencies, Enables businesses of all sizes to hire & train blind and visually impaired people for positions they never could have prior, and gives the blind community access to the digital age of technical and remote jobs at scale for the first time in history. About Luke Simianer Lukas Simianer is a former paratrooper and Purple Heart recipient turned software engineer that saved a multinational insurance company millions in reputational and legal costs for digital ADA

In this episode Thom Singer shares his observations about how in these crazy times of pandemic, the people he has observed who have pivoted and found success are achieving because they have an extra does of that "fire in the belly". Creativity, Confidence, and Ambition are the key to getting ahead. While Thom admits he has a good does of all three of these, he is not in the top 10% of people. Yet to raise the level of creativity, confidence, and ambition means more success. Thus, he is working to raise his game. And in this episode he is hoping to encourage everyone listening to get fired up, too. https://thomsinger.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With over 260 locations and over 3000 people, Amazing Lash Studio has a great story of growth and success. CEO Stephanie Hu joins the conversation on "Making Waves at C-Level" and shares her experience and advice.   About Stephanie Hu Stephanie Hu is the CEO of Amazing Lash Studio® and Fitness Together Franchise, LLC. Stephanie brings over 20 years of consumer products and health and fitness experience to the WellBiz Brands, Inc.-backed franchise concepts, most recently serving as the President of Life Time Sport (a division of Life Time, Inc.). Stephanie holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BBA from the University of Michigan. About Amazing Lash Studio® Founded in 2010, Amazing Lash Studio locations’ estheticians utilize a patented process to apply semi-permanent eyelash extensions to the clients’ own lashes, replicating the curve and size of natural lashes. The concept began franchising in 2013 and to date has over 260 open studios in 28 states. In 2021, the brand ranked No. 14 on the Franchi

What? Another cannabis industry interview on Making Waves at C-Level? Yes, because if you want to look closely at entrepreneurs and companies that are facing change and growth, this business is always new. The leaders in these legal cannabis companies have to think on their feet, know how to pivot, deal with government red tape, and see the future via visionary eyes. This episode (Episode 669) we talk to John Sedillo from Family Hemp brands in New Mexico. As the state changes their laws over the next year, the company will take their years of experience and be making changes. John is a real advocate and pioneer in the business and he shares openly about how he has grown the business and where he is headed. About Family Hemp Brands With the vision of an organic, craft scale, seed to sale, vertical hemp company, focusing on product quality and positive customer experience above all,   Family Hemp Brands came into being in 2018. When it came time to creating a collection of premium consumer products, region

Do you think "Fish" when you think of business. You should. Peter Handy has turned his seafood company into a major entrepreneurial venture and has grown the business in the middle of a pandemic. While you might think supplying fish to restaurants would be problematic during the last 18 months, he expanded the business in other areas and has added revenue and staff.   About Peter Handy Peter Handy is president & CEO of Bristol Seafood, a processor and distributor known for its uncompromising Maine standards. In addition to his role at Bristol, he serves on the boards of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine, Maine Public Radio and Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, and the investment committee of the Portland Museum of Art. Before joining Bristol, Peter co-founded BoxMyDorm.com, a national storage and shipping company for college students. In addition, he held financial services roles in New York at JPMorgan and Sanford Bernstein in roles ranging from asset management to institutional trading. Peter

Episode 667 is a great conversation with one of the authors of the book "Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues" (by David Bradford and Carole Robin). This is a topic that is near and dear to host Thom Singer, as he has been talking to audiences for years about how to connect better with people in this gadget crazed world.   About Dr. David Bradford David is the Eugene O’Kelly II Senior Lecturer Emeritus in Leadership at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he helped develop Interpersonal Dynamics (“Touchy Feely”) as well as much of the School’s leadership curriculum. He is the author of numerous books, including Managing for Excellence, Influence Without Authority, and Power Up. He lives in Berkeley, California, with his wife of more than fifty years. About the Book - "Connect" Connect is a transformative guide to building more fulfilling relationships with colleagues, friends, partners, and family, based on the landmark Interpersonal Dynamics (“Touchy-Fee

Episode 666 is not the mark of the devil. This is a solo episode where Thom Singer will rant about success. Some listeners of the "Making Waves at C-Level" podcast pointed out it had been too long since Thom did episodes that were just him sharing ideas and his story, so he is working to re-instate these with weekly thoughts being shared. Thom is a huge believer in the power of participation in trade association events. He has seen people in a variety of industries who have had more opportunity because they showed up and were part of the community. People do business with those they know, like, and trust. And all things being equal, your participation is key to success. Collaboration is another pillar to success that too many people skip. Thom is so excited to be in partnership with others, as together they accomplish more. Sometimes it is just ideas and accountability... other times it is the creation of a new business product that neither person or company could have done alone. Transformation is somethi

Episode 665 is a conversation with Max Warren. Max is an expert in sales enablement, business systems, and process innovation. He sits down with Thom Singer to talk ways to be more successful in business.About Rising Phoenix ConsultingRising Phoenix consulting is a Real-world consulting firm. The firm was founded on a few key ideas. People before projects: Technology should be about enabling a team to be at its best (this includes working easily with strategic partners). Conversations about innovation, sales processes, and software are always people-centric. Digital tools are essential: A smooth-running business that has the right software and systems practically translates to more fun, increased profitability, and keeping the best and brightest on your team. Your company is unique: We believe in real-world solutions that will enhance how you work and level up your client's experience too. There is no "one size fits all solution" and we lead with listening and learning. We’re all about working with great peop

Bryan Kelly helps busy leaders and their teams unlock and implement one or more business books a month. He does this through a program called "Stroke of Genius". In this episode he shares his journey and his ways to get more from reading great books.  About Bryan Kelly Bryan Kelly is an entrepreneur and executive who has built, sold, and acquired multiple companies over the past 15 years. His success has been rooted in a simple system for unlocking and implementing concepts contained within the pages of business books. He now works with leaders looking to get more from the stack of books sitting on their shelf. Follow Bryan on LinkedIn at www.LinkedIn.com/in/BryanKellyNow. About Stroke of Genius Stroke of Genius is for leaders who know there isn’t enough time to extract, implement, and execute ideas from business books. They see the value in hiring someone to do the hard work so they receive all the benefits — with 90% less effort. These leaders are looking for 1 actionable insight per book — because they k

Dr Ivan Misner returns to "Making Waves at C-Level" to talk about networking after the pandemic. So much has happened in the last year, but the need for human connections does not change in the business world. About Ivan Misner Dr. Ivan Misner is the Founder & Chief Visionary Officer of BNI, the world’s largest business networking organization. Founded in 1985 the organization now has over 9,800 chapters throughout every populated continent of the world. Last year alone, BNI generated almost 12.3 million referrals resulting in $16.7 billion dollars worth of business for its members. Dr. Misner’s Ph.D. is from the University of Southern California. He is a New York Times Bestselling author who has written 26 books including one of his latest books – Who’s in Your Room? He is also a columnist for Entrepreneur.com and has been a university About BNI BNI is the world’s leading business referral organization with over 280,000 Members in over 10,000 BNI Chapters worldwide. In 2020 alone, BNI Members shared ove

As we get back to live in-person meetings, you company cannot leave the human experience to chance. We have proven over the last year that we can do a good job delivering content via virtual platforms, but when people come to in-person events they are expecting more than they did before. The engagement and networking part of meetings is going to be powerful when done right, and will keep people from coming back next year if done wrong. Thom Singer has been teaching people how to make meetings more engaging for 15 years, and he sees what is happening as conferences and other networking events come back to our society. They are often sucking and are cliquey. If people are so excited to see old friends at your event, the new comers will sit on the sidelines and hate your event. Do not leave the networking to change. Plan for a great event where people look for ways to share, talk, and enjoy shared experiences.   https://thomsinger.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Diana Alt helps people take charge of their career in a strategic way and find ideal work where they are valued and get paid. The key to a successful career transition is in how you get clear on what you want, what you value, and how you network. Diana is a connector who uses her experience in corporate roles and as a business owner to help people make the most of their work-life instead of feeling like it is a long, slow march towards oblivion. https://thomsinger.com/podcast/diana-alt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Check out this episode of "Making Waves at C-Level" as host Thom Singer sits down with Certified High Performance Coach James Williams to talk about how driven leaders can perform at their best and find success in their professional and personal lives. About James Williams Success driven visionaries don't want their goals to be held back by physical and emotional limitations. They want to strive for and achieve their biggest stretch goals. Since 2016 as a Certified High Performance Coach, James Williams hase worked with hundreds of driven entrepreneurs to become who they need to be to succeed in their business and life goals. The key pillars build on a rock solid relationship with yourself are - *AWARENESS / *ENERGY / *RELATIONSHIPS / *COURAGE / *EFFICIENCY / *INFLUENCE / *MISSION ✔AWARENESS - next level performance starts with awareness of energy and performance leaks. ✔PERFORMANCE SKILLS - Covering all the pillars above we go through the skills, models and practices that will build your level of perfor

Wellbeing is not one size fits all, and if you manage a team, their wellbeing matters to your bottom line. Some companies have even created the position of Chief Wellness Officer. On ep 659 Thom Singer talks to Dr. Brad Bongiovanni to talk about why all this matters.  About Brad Bongiovanni Dr. Brad Bongiovanni is Head of Strategy at Med-IQ and Chief Wellbeing Officer for Wellbeing Science, LLC where he is responsible for research, speaking and education on the science of wellbeing. His work helps to set, support, and drive strategy with executives, professionals and entrepreneurs who want to cause the experience of wellbeing, drive performance and actualize their potential. Dr. Bongiovanni is a 2x TEDx speaker and award-winning professional and corporate speaker as well as media contributor to ABC, NBC, and FOX affiliates on his expertise of the science and implementation of wellbeing. Based on his 20+ years in medicine, he uses fascinating lessons about what really moves the needle on people reversing or

On this episode Thom sits down with Kerri Leslie and talks about how her company is changing packaging in the beauty and personal care space. Kerri was a finalist in the San Diego Angel Conference, and was completed her Angel round with the approx $100,000 she received.   About Verity Verity is obsessed with creating truly sustainable packaging solutions within the beauty and personal care industry. They are on a mission to raise the standards in the packaging industry to minimize single-use plastics and waste. They pride ourselves on providing you the highest quality products that can be reused and recycled. Verity is shifting the paradigm- hello aluminum and stainless steel! Being truly sustainable is CONFUSING! At Verity, they want to make it easy for you. Through their material selection, precise engineering, and innovation Verity has created a line of truly reusable and recyclable packaging. This is a movement to change the packaging industry and work toward a world without waste. Industrial materia