Podcast Blog

Hear what good leaders should really be thinking about 

Richard Medcalf describes himself as "what you get if you were to put a McKinsey consultant, a slightly unorthodox pastor and an entrepreneur into a blender.” In this podcast, you'll hear from an amazing thinker who has tackled strategic challenges in companies all over the world. In his new book, Making Time for Strategy, Richard speaks about the difficulties he has encountered working with high-powered leaders. Far too often, they find themselves focused on the wrong things---from how to respond to emails to how to get tasks completed on time. Instead, Richard preaches that a leader’s mindset should be focused on the future, where the organization is going, and how everyone in that organization needs to be aligned around a core strategy to get it there. Listen and learn!

Learn how to publish your very own book! 

Are you interested in learning how to write your first book, or maybe your second or third? Listen in today to hear what Vikrant Shaurya, founder of BestsellingBook.com, will teach us about how to write a bestseller. Enjoy the journey with him. You will hear all about my favorite topics: story creating and storytelling. As humans, we all have this wonderful and unique ability to create meaning through our stories, which we then turn into amazing realities that we share and also live. Why not tell your story? Send it along to us and let’s hear it. We'll put it in our podcast, too.

Hear how to understand your customers' needs, then fulfill them 

It is always so enlightening to learn from other consultants how they do their jobs and how I could enhance my own consulting practice—as well as help you do the same. I was interviewed by Michael Zipursky on his podcast and thought it important to reciprocate and bring his ideas to you, our listeners. Michael speaks about his own journey, and it is a journey. At times he was in foreign lands and unable to speak the language, but somehow figured out how to break through the communication barriers to engage with others and help them grow their businesses. You will enjoy his personal and his professional stories, as they are closely interwoven. Listen and share!

Learn how to craft a strategy that delivers the results you want

Remember, my job is to help you get off the brink. How do I do that? By helping you see, feel and think in new ways. As a corporate anthropologist, I go looking for people who can help you do just that: see in new ways the things you may have done the same old way for a long time. Carol Poore is one of those people. We met through our publisher, Greenleaf Book Group, and I learned that she has a new book coming out on business strategy. Since I’m a Blue Ocean Strategist, I was particularly interested in understanding her perspective and how it could add new meaning to the way we at SAMC approach strategy, and how you do too. How do you approach your strategy, both your personal one and your business one? It’s important to understand that in order to get to your destination, whatever your goal might be. Do take a listen!

Learn how to see your way forward to your best future! 

I met Alain Guillot when he interviewed me for his podcast and I was totally intrigued by his story. As an anthropologist who studied immigrants who relocated from Greece to New York, I remain endlessly fascinated by the ability of people to completely change their lives to thrive in a foreign environment. Alain and I spoke at length about what he himself did to thrive, and how he eventually became a full-time blogger and podcaster. But it was never easy or completely evident that his calling was to become a story merchant, as he calls himself. Listen in and be moved!

Need to grow your business, fast? Hear how!

Bruce Eckfeldt roams in the same territories that I do, but his background and experience are rather different. He was an architect until he realized that learning how to be an architect is very different from being one. So he skipped over into business and never looked back. In our conversation today, we dig deep into what he learned as a CEO in an Inc. 500 company, building his own company, and then selling it and pivoting to redesign his career. Now he helps others “soar." Do you have a business you want to grow? Listen in!

Hear how strategy is the way to get to where you want to be!

As you know, we are Blue Ocean Strategists. As such, we love to talk with like-minded folks who help companies and their staff re-think their strategies, fill unmet needs and carve out unoccupied market space. That's why Rich Horwath is such a great guest today. One of the biggest challenges for companies is how to craft an appropriate strategy for today’s fast-changing times. Another is how to get the entire organization to embrace that strategy, live it and evaluate whether it's working. Both play into Rich's forte—helping people understand how to think strategically regardless of what type of strategy they have. Lots for you to learn and apply!

 Michael Alan Tate explains how to create successful career move strategies!

I had a wonderful podcast interview with Michael Alan Tate. You will enjoy listening to him, too. What was of such interest? The challenges of change, of course, something that we at SAMC spend a lot of time working on with clients. Michael has been an executive consultant and career coach for more than 20 years. He is also the founder and president of On the Same Page Consulting, as well as an inspiring speaker and author. His first book, “Design a Life that Works,” teaches how to balance business, career, family and personal values in an individual strategic life plan. His latest book, "The White Shirt," gives you the tools to create successful career move strategies. This is one podcast you shouldn't miss—we can all learn so much from Michael!

 Allison De Paoli explains how to contain benefit spending
and care for employees!

When I was first introduced to Allison De Paoli, I wondered how you, our listeners and readers, would feel about her topic: how to control employer spending on healthcare benefits for their employees. I urge you to listen in before you judge whether this is really relevant to you. In fact, this is as much about you and your needs as it is about those of your company's CEO, employee benefits officer or budget director. Maybe you and your employer can find hidden costs that are driving benefits expenses up? I guarantee you, we can all gain from what Allison has to say.

 Listen now as Barbara Walters explains how to create a culture of respect and inclusion

In our interview with Barbara Walters, President of The HR Advantage, we dig deep into the changes CEOs are facing as organizations must rapidly adapt to today's new business environment. As Barbara tells us, she started out in the male-dominated corporate America of the 1990s. Thankfully, times have changed since then. Or have they? As a highly-experienced HR executive and senior recruitment professional, Barbara has quite a story to tell. Don't miss it!

 Listen now to Randi Busse talk about inspiring your employees to think like owners!

As Randi Busse tells us in this podcast, customer service has evolved into a business strategy that helps companies differentiate themselves from their competition, sustain profitability and thrive in any type of economy, especially during recessionary times. Just what we need to hear in these times of rapid change. I invite you to listen in, learn a lot and let me hear from you!