Podcast
109: Are Your Kids Ready to Take Over the Business?
Many parents wonder whether turning over the keys to the business will put their retirement in jeopardy. In this episode, Joey and Cameron lay out the reasons why just having the second gen work in different areas of the business is probably NOT the best way to determine if they are ready.
108: Employee Owned
John McGuire is a 35-year veteran of the qualified plan arena and has a passion for giving employees a dignified retirement. In this episode, John shares his expertise with us on the subject of Employee Stock Ownership Plans and why they might be a better option now than they have ever been before.
107: Lessons from LEGOLAND
This summer, Devin got the opportunity to visit LEGOLAND Florida for the first time. So in this week's podcast, the Axiom team joins him to cover 7 lessons he learned from the place built with LEGOs.*
*LEGOLAND isn't literally built with LEGOs, though many features are.
106: The Three Levels of Connection
This week Joey, Devin and Cameron talk about their experience at The Global Leadership Summit and Vanessa Van Edwards talk on the Science of Connection. Here are Van Edwards 15 Questions divided into the three levels of connection
105: Owners Can’t Whisper (Part 2)
This is a continuation podcast of “Owner’s Can’t Whisper.” If you haven’t listened to it yet, you might want to go there first.
This week, we dive into more nuanced ways owners communicate. Whether you realize it or not, the way owners communicate is judged by a different set of rules than the way everyone else communicates. This episode will not only help you make sense of it, but also help you communicate more effectively.
104: Owners Can’t Whisper (Part 1)
How do your teams hear you? Our communication as leaders is more than just the words that come from our mouths. Our tone and our body language also play a huge part in the message our teams receive. EVEN (and perhaps especially) our position on the org chart affects not just how people hear us, but what they hear.
Owners have to be careful how they communicate with employees because the employees hear things from the owner differently than they would hear them from a coworker.
In this two-part series, the Axiom team talks about and explores ways owners can be more effective in their communication with employees. They also give tips to employees on how to interpret the things they hear from their boss, that can give mixed signals.
103: Peter Erdei | Owner, Erdei Designs
Peter shares his incredible story of how he started his business and elaborates on how he goes about his work each day.
Peter is a husband, father, and artist and has been creating wonderful and unique wooden masterpieces for years. His energy, charisma, and skill have allowed him to grow a successful business around his passion. You'll also get to hear about Peter's son and the (not so) little side business he has started.
102: Your Business Is A Platform (Disney Part 2)
A few weeks ago, we talked about lessons Joey learned on a recent visit to Disney's Magic Kingdom. But all is not unicorns and rainbows at Disney. Recently, the company has come under criticism for pushing an agenda at odds with what many parents want when it comes to their child's entertainment.
In this episode, we revisit the Disney conversation from another perspective, a perspective that acknowledges businesses should have an agenda. You may agree or disagree with a business's particular agenda, but we should all recognize that a business is a platform, and that platform isn't all about sales, profits, shareholder wealth or even stakeholders in general.
101: Project Management Best Practices with Bill Clinebell, PMP
Projects are happening all around us. Whether it's a software migration, developing a new product or service, or completing a task for our customers - we're all constantly working on projects.
This week, we sat down with our good friend, Bill Clinebell, PMP, Managing Partner of Relofant, where we discussed shared best practices of project management, his entrepreneurial story, and his two cents on what is happening in the commercial real estate market.
100: Take Control of Your Time with Chris Williams
Whether you're the business owner or in a leadership role, my guess is you don't have a lack of activities or responsibilities to devote your time to. But just "spending" time on the activities can lead to feeling overwhelmed and out of control.
I think a better model is captured by Stephen R. Covey when he says, "The key is in not spending time, but in investing it."
But as is the case with making a sound investment, tools and discipline are essential.
In this week's episode, we're back with a good friend, Chris Williams of Aginto, as he shares the tools and disciplines he uses to invest his time well. One secret about Chris is he's prudent with his time...some might even say robotic.
99: How to Build Phenomenal Employees (Lessons from Magic Kingdom)
A few weeks ago, I spent a long weekend at Disney World with my family. Say what you will about Disney corporate, but they still provide a remarkable theme park experience. And it is the Disney team members (aka Cast Members) that are primarily responsible for that experience.
How does Disney do it? How do they consistently employ individuals from every age demographic and turn them into phenomenal employees?
Here are the seven insights I gained after spending several days on property and a few late nights scouring the internet for what makes Disney so special. I talk about each of them in this week's episode.
98: Avoid the 5 Pitfalls of Effective Meetings
There are few things in business more frustrating than an ineffective meeting. Why? Because not only is the time spent by meeting participants costly, but the meeting may also diminish one's ability to work on revenue-generating activities in the business.
But knowing that a meeting is ineffective is different from knowing the pitfalls that led it there.
In this week's episode, Cameron and Devin cover just that; they discuss 5 pitfalls of effective meetings AND the foundational components to overcome them.
97: What To Do About The Coming Recession with Ben Sturgill
This week my good friend Ben Sturgill joins us to talk about economic indicators, recession, inflation, wages and what small business owners can do to stay on top of things in a rapidly changing economic environment.
96: Building Business Managers
What's the difference between a project manager and a business manager? Is it possible to build a great business manager?
In this episode, Joey and Cameron discuss the qualities and characteristics of a great business manager, and what we can do to train, coach, and empower them to take more "ownership" in their roles.
95: Signs of a Toxic Culture (ones in need of a 180)
We talk a lot about creating a great culture, but what if your company culture is toxic? What if you know there are drastic changes that need to happen in order for the company to move forward? What if you need to do a complete culture 180?
In this episode, Joey and Cameron discuss the signs of a toxic culture (ones in need of a 180) and give some practical steps to address toxicity and create a healthy foundation to build a culture upon.
94: Exit Interviews Part 2 of 2
Last week, Devin and Cameron began a 2-part series on exit interviews and discussed the why and how behind them. If you missed it, make sure to give it a listen first.
This week, in Part 2, Devin and Cameron share the top questions you should be asking in your exit interviews and also discuss what to do when you feel like the conversation isn't going anywhere.
93: Exit Interviews Part 1 of 2
Exit interviews can be intimidating. What questions should we ask? Who should do the interview? How do we make sure we're not wasting anyone's time?
In Part 1 of this 2-part series, Devin and Cameron lay the foundation for "why" and "how" to conduct exit interviews. Join us again next week as they jump into Part 2 and share the top questions you should be asking.
92: Leadership Opportunities Non-Profit Boards Provide
Michael Corley is a highly regarded advisor to non-profit organizations and their boards. He has also served in President, Vice President, COO, and CFO roles inside large for-profit businesses. His perspective on the relationship between the for-profit and not-for-profit world is unique.
This week, Michael joined the Axiom Podcast to talk about the leadership opportunities that non-profit boards provide and why every CEO (and quite a few key players) should serve on a non-profit board as part of their professional development.
91: Severance Packages
What's the state of your severance program? Is it a formal benefit or an informal gesture of goodwill offered on a case by case basis? Is it leading to a positive reputation in the market, or are you leveraging it to cover a multitude of sins?
In this episode, Joey and Devin discuss severance packages and ways you can leverage your current offerings to end employee relationships well.
90: Workforce Capacity
The challenge most businesses are facing in the current economy is the same: they can't find good people to do the work. But have you ever stopped to measure the actual capacity of your current labor force?
In this episode, Joey and Devin discuss the qualitative and quantitative measures of workforce capacity and how you may have more capacity with your current labor force than you realize.