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Reimagining a Legacy Business Model for Transformational Growth

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What does it take to reimagine a legacy business model so your company can stay relevant in a world that never stops changing? This can be especially challenging for a company that’s been part of people’s lives for many decades. It takes vision and courage to lead your company for transformational growth without losing sight of what made it strong in the first place.

Pam Harper and Scott Harper speak with John D. Marvin, CEO of Texas State Optical, about leading the company through multiple waves of transformational growthIn this week’s episode, we bring these opportunities and challenges to life during our conversation with John D. Marvin, President and CEO of Texas State Optical (TSO), a top provider of optical services across the State. John is a visionary entrepreneur, acclaimed columnist, and influential leader dedicated to empowering others to unlock their full potential. John has cultivated a thriving business network while spearheading initiatives in health and wellness. With a steadfast commitment to personal growth, John has spent years studying the transformative power of mindset and the inner game in achieving success.

John shares his leadership lessons learned as TSO is nearing its 90th year in business. We discuss what it takes to navigate industry disruption and reimagine the business model without abandoning the purpose, vision and values that built TSO’s success over the years. This includes deciding to transform from a traditional franchise structure to a cooperative brand license model. John also shares how he’s currently leading to reimagine the customer and consumer experience, including hiring optometrists as employees.  We also discuss how he continues to shape the culture of the organization as the healthcare industry and business environment evolve.

Any time you’ve got a company like we have that has been around for as long as it has, it’s inevitable that there’s going to be continued change. | John D. Marvin

This week on Growth Igniters® Radio, we discuss:

  • John’s leadership lessons about transformational growth as the healthcare industry and business environment evolve
  • The power of curiosity, continuous learning, and industry engagement for guiding transformational growth to stay relevant
  • Three immediately actionable ideas for reimagining your business model to grow into the future

Resources for This Episode

Accelerate to YOUR Next Level of Success

Thanks for listening to Growth Igniters® Radio. If you enjoyed this episode, spread the good word! Just leave a quick review wherever you get your podcasts and share on LinkedIn or Facebook.

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Leveraging Capitalism to Change Our World – With Ben Erwin

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Find out how one CEO has led his organization to break the status quo and create transformational value in their industry. Join us for our eye-opening conversation with Ben Erwin, CEO of CharityBuzz. He shares his passion and bold vision of leveraging capitalism to change our world and create a positive social impact. We also discuss the innovative leadership it takes to engage employees, partners, and other stakeholders to bring this game-changing vision to life and continue to grow the company.

CharityBuzz is an organization that helps non-profits improve their digital fundraising strategies to reach more donors and generate more unrestricted funds for their missions of positive social impact.  Since joining the company in 2008, Ben has spearheaded efforts to develop a unique business model for charitable fundraising that has generated over $500 million in incremental funds for over 5,000 charities. As CEO, he’s led the company to achieve a 2.5x increase in revenue while successfully transforming it into a profitable enterprise.

Drawing on his proven track record of building and scaling profitable businesses, Ben shares the story of what led him to apply his talents to leading CharityBuzz and becoming their CEO. We discuss the difference between the CharityBuzz model and Cause Marketing. Ben also shares what is most important for the business community to know about CharityBuzz and leveraging capitalism as a vehicle for good.

Let’s stop thinking of “capitalism” as a bad word, especially when it comes to philanthropy, and start leveraging it to ensure positive outcomes happen sooner. | Ben Erwin

This week on Growth Igniters® Radio, we discuss:

  • What led Ben to apply his proven track record of building and scaling profitable businesses to leading CharityBuzz
  • A story describing the difference between the CharityBuzz model of leveraging capitalism for social good and Cause Marketing
  • What is most important for the business community to know about CharityBuzz and leveraging capitalism as a vehicle for good
  • Immediately useful ideas for leading to leverage capitalism to change our world and create positive social impact

Resources for This Episode

Accelerate to YOUR Next Level of Success

Thanks for listening to Growth Igniters® Radio. If you enjoyed this episode, spread the good word! Just leave a quick review wherever you get your podcasts and share on LinkedIn or Facebook.

Join us on Facebook and LinkedIn. For more exclusive content and information, visit our website

New Year, New You; Seizing 2025 With Purpose – with Kuda Biza

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Happy New Year! Maybe along with celebrating, you’re also thinking about leading yourself to new levels of success and growth in 2025. After all, it’s a New Year; why not a New You?  For inspiration and some immediately useful ideas for moving beyond resolutions, listen to our Fan-Favorite New Year’s conversation with guest Kuda Biza. He shares his approach to seizing life with purpose.

Pam Harper & Scott Harper speak with serial entrepreneur and author Kuda Biza about seizing life with purpose to bring big dreams to life in the new yearKuda Biza is a serial entrepreneur dedicated to building profitable companies to solve the world’s biggest problems of education and hunger. His business journey started with starting his first company in Zimbabwe when he was just nine years old to co-founding three multimillion-dollar businesses in the U.S. Every company he builds and manages is designed to deliver profit and value while empowering vulnerable people everywhere to become the best versions of themselves.

Kuda is also a compelling speaker who has delivered keynote addresses at more than 40 institutions in four countries, including Harvard and the United Nations. He inspires audiences to take action, achieve dreams, and impact social change through a purposeful entrepreneurship. He’s also author of the book, The S.P.E.A.R Method, Five Simple Steps to Balance Success and Fulfillment.   

As you’re starting the year, assess what truly matters to you, and how your current path aligns with your deeper values. | Kuda Biza

This week on Growth Igniters® Radio, we discuss:

  • The most important lessons Kuda learned about seizing life with purpose
  • The keys to setting purpose-driven goals and implementing a daily purpose practice
  • Immediately useful ideas for leading with the power of purpose

Resources for This Episode

Accelerate to YOUR Next Level of Success

Thanks for listening to Growth Igniters® Radio. If you enjoyed this episode, spread the good word! Just leave a quick review wherever you get your podcasts and share on LinkedIn or Facebook.

Join us on Facebook and LinkedIn. For more exclusive content and information, visit our website

New Year, New You: Seizing 2024 With Purpose – with Kuda Biza

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Are you looking for a starting point to refresh, renew, and take yourselves and your company to even higher levels of growth in the New Year? We’ve found that leading with purpose can make all the difference in bringing big dreams to life.

Pam Harper & Scott Harper speak with serial entrepreneur and author Kuda Biza about focusing on purpose-driven leadership to help align actions with core valuesIn this week’s episode, our guest Kuda Biza, shares his approach to seizing life with purpose He’s a serial entrepreneur who is dedicated to building profitable companies to solve the world’s biggest problems of education and hunger. His business journey started with starting his first company in Zimbabwe when he was just nine years old to co-founding three multimillion dollar businesses in the U.S. Every company he builds and manages is designed to deliver profit and value while empowering vulnerable people everywhere to become the best versions of themselves.

Kuda is a compelling speaker who has delivered keynote addresses at more than 40 institutions in four countries, including Harvard and the United Nations. He inspires audiences to take action, achieve dreams, and impact social change through a purposeful entrepreneurship. He’s also author of the book, The S.P.E.A.R Method, Five Simple Steps to Balance Success and Fulfillment.   

As you’re starting the year, assess what truly matters to you, and how your current path aligns with your deeper values. | Kuda Biza

This week on Growth Igniters® Radio, we discuss:

  • The most important lessons Kuda learned about living and leading on purpose to seize opportunities and develop resilience
  • The keys to setting purpose-driven goals and implementing a daily purpose practice
  • Immediately useful ideas for leading with the power of purpose

Resources for This Episode

Accelerate to YOUR Next Level of Success

Thanks for listening to Growth Igniters® Radio. If you enjoyed this episode, spread the good word! Just leave a quick review wherever you get your podcasts and share on LinkedIn or Facebook.

Join us on Facebook and LinkedIn. For more exclusive content and information, visit our website

Transforming from CEO to CHO: Changing the Narrative on Leading a Happy Company – with Edwin Edebiri

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As we enter 2024, what does it mean to lead a happy company?  You may already be focused on the happiness of employees and customers, but what about the happiness of  your partners, suppliers, and other stakeholders?   Our guest says  “it’s time to change the narrative on leading a happy company.”

Pam Harper & Scott Harper speak with Edwin Edebiri, MBA about the importance of CEOs leading to change the narrative on leading a happy companyIn this “Fan Favorite” episode. we speak with Edwin Edebiri, MBA, about the importance of CEOs taking on the role of  “Chief Happiness Officer” (CHO). Edwin is a TEDx speaker, entrepreneur, and coach who has dedicated much of his career to promoting happiness worldwide. He is the founder of the Happy Neighborhood Project and the I am Happy Project, which has over 70,000 members, across 64 cities in 19 countries.

Edwin’s work as the “Chief Happiness Officer” has made a significant impact on communities worldwide. By prioritizing happiness and well-being, he has helped people lead more fulfilling lives and inspired others to do the same. Edwin has been featured in a PBS documentary about happiness, and in 2014, his work on promoting happiness was recognized by the United Nations. He also serves on the board of various profit and non for profit organizations. (Read more about Edwin by clicking the links in “Resources,” below)

We discuss Edwin’s expansive view of where “happiness” comes from, how he became a “Chief Happiness Officer,” and why he believes that promoting happiness in a business should expand beyond the traditional focus on employees to embrace a wide range of stakeholders, including top-level executives.

When you think about a happy company, don’t just narrow it to making your employees happy. Including all stakeholders is how you build a foundation for a truly happy company. — Edwin Edebiri

This week on Growth Igniters® Radio:

  • Edwin’s views on the nature of happiness and leading a happy company
  • How Edwin developed the concept of how CEOs can also become “Chief Happiness Officers”
  • The power of committing to happiness, especially in tough times
  • Three immediately useful ideas for fostering happiness in yourself and your company

Resources for This Episode

Accelerate to YOUR Next Level of Success

Thanks for listening to Growth Igniters® Radio. If you enjoyed this episode, spread the good word! Just leave a quick review wherever you get your podcasts and share on LinkedIn or Facebook.

Join us on Facebook and LinkedIn. For more exclusive content and information, visit our website

Leadership Lessons from A Silicon Valley Disruptor – with Feyzi Fatehi

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What can it take for your company to be the disruptor and not the disrupted?  In this episode we speak with Silicon Valley legend Feyzi Fatehi, CEO of Corent Technology, Inc. about his award-winning approach to human-centric leadership.

Pam Harper & Scott Harper speak with legendary Silicon Valley disruptor Feyzi Fatehi, CEO of Corent Technology, Inc., about his award winning approach to human-centric leadershipFeyzi is a technology visionary, inventor, innovator, and entrepreneur. He received the 2019 CODiE Lifetime Achievement Award, which has previously been bestowed on Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Bill Gates. This recognized his significant long-term contributions to the software industry as well as for his industry leadership, mentorship, and philanthropy. Feyzi has given talks at Harvard, Wharton, Stanford, CalTech, Carnegie Mellon, and UC Irvine. He was featured in Forbes as a disruptor in the software industry, and is author of the book “Democratizing SaaS,” on how Corent’s breakthrough technology is poised to transform the software industry.

You cannot scale your business any faster than you can scale yourself. | Feyzi Fatehi

This week on Growth Igniters® Radio, we discuss:

  • The most profound influence on Feyzi’s approach to human-centric leadership
  • Why Feyzi believes it’s important to “upgrade your leadership operating system” as the world keeps changing
  • The principles of what Feyzi calls “leading from the inside out”
  • Immediately useful ideas for applying Feyzi’s lessons for becoming a disruptor in your industry

Resources for This Episode

Accelerate to YOUR Next Level of Success

Thanks for listening to Growth Igniters® Radio. If you enjoyed this episode, spread the good word! Just leave a quick review wherever you get your podcasts and share on LinkedIn or Facebook.

Join us on Facebook and LinkedIn. For more exclusive content and information, visit our website

Honoring an Innovative and Forward-thinking CEO

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“Doing well by doing good” is a concept that many CEOs and other top leaders aspire to. However this aspiration can sometimes be a challenge to consistently pull off. Given this, we are excited that Chief Executive has named Marc Benioff, Founder, Chair and co-CEO of Salesforce, as their CEO of the Year for 2022. The selection committee praised him as an “Innovative and forward thinking CEO” who has been able to consistently achieve “exceptional business results while fostering greater sustainability, prosperity and equity within the business community and broader society.”

The leadership that led to Marc Benioff being selected as Chief Executive’s CEO of the Year also exemplifies what we call “Growth Igniters® Leadership”:  a mindset of expansive thinking, curiosity, and cultural intelligence that is foundational for leading a bold vision in a constantly changing world.

In this “Quick Take” episode, we share how Marc Benioff’s leadership can serve as an inspiration:  First,  the importance of living into your core values as a way of informing all strategic and operational decisions within their organization and across your ecosystem.  Second, how fostering an environment of continuous learning and gaining perspectives from various stakeholders can help you and your company keep  pace with both challenges and opportunities as  the world keeps changing. Third, staying flexible about the different leadership and management capabilities and styles that are necessary as your company evolves and grows over time.

It is possible to do well by doing good and achieve exceptional business results. The challenge is to do it in a way that’s right for you, your team, employees, customers, partners, and other stakeholders in your ecosystem. – Pam Harper

This week on Growth Igniters Radio:

  • What led Chief Executive to name Marc Benioff as their 2022 CEO of the year
  • How Marc Benioff exemplifies what we call “Growth Igniters® Leadership”
  • Living into your core values so that strategic and operational decisions can drive both exceptional business results and benefits to the broader society
  • How continuous learning can support resilience and an innovative mindset
  • The importance of going beyond employees to gain perspectives from customers, partners, and other stakeholders in your company’s ecosystem
  • Staying flexible to the need for a variety of leadership and management capabilities and styles as your organization evolves and grows

Question to discuss with your team:
How can we move beyond inspiration and create our own way of doing well by doing good?

Resources Mentioned:

Accelerate to YOUR Next Level of Success

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Part 2-How an Unconventional Leader Fosters High-Level Virtual Relationships — with Coco Brown

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Coco Brown, CEO of Athena Alliance

We speak with Coco Brown, the founder & CEO of The Athena Alliance, about the unconventional leadership she uses to build virtual relationships at the highest levels in her company and extended alliance network.

Coco joins us to discuss Athena Alliance’s goals and how the fully-remote network enables female leaders to advance their careers. She explains what it’s like to climb the industry ranks as a woman and how she maintains a culture of constant feedback despite running a fully-remote company. She describes the importance of breaking rules that don’t make sense and how to determine whether you’re taking too much risk. She also discusses the value of transparency and showing vulnerability as a leader.

This is part two of our wide-ranging conversation. It was such a wonderful interchange that we just couldn’t cut it short! Part one is immediately available as Episode 214.

The Athena Alliance is a game-changing digital ecosystem helping to position the top 10% of executive women for advancement and board opportunities while also transforming the boardroom towards a modern composition model.  She leads change and transformation, accelerating multimillion-dollar growth through vision, strategy, technology, and people leadership. To date, the business has established a network of 5,000+ C-level women, VCs, and CEOs from 200+ companies, achieved 200% annualized YOY growth and helped 400+ women successfully land board placements. Members and corporate customers come from hundreds of top brands, including Amazon, Autodesk, Bank of America, Intel, Intuit, Microsoft, Quinstreet, and Stripe.

Since 2013, Coco has served on 10 for-profit and nonprofit boards as a member, advisor, and committee leader, providing input and guidance around M&A, divestiture, audit, CEO succession and compensation, corporate strategy, financial planning, change management, and more. Nationally recognized as an expert in shaping the modern boardroom and modern leadership, Coco Brown is the first person many companies and CEOs call when they need help or advice around strategic planning, board makeup, or the changing landscape of board operations. Her connections are vast, and her thought leadership in these areas is considered generationally transformative. As a result, she was asked to become an Insights Council member with the prestigious Nasdaq Center for Board Excellence in 2022.

In addition to guiding and supporting executive leaders and boards, she is a sought-after speaker and writer and is frequently interviewed by business and industry publications. She has been quoted and featured in Bloomberg, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Fortune, InformationWeek, NACD Directorship, Nasdaq.com, Silicon Valley Business Journal, The Cube, The Street, and WSJ.

 

“What’s healthy is for leaders to get all way in the organization and make sure there are checks and balances that perpetuate the culture you want to have.”
– Coco Brown

 

This week on Growth Igniters Radio:

  • Coco’s role in Athena Alliance
  • Being a woman in a male-dominated industry
  • What motivated Coco to start Athena during the pandemic
  • What is Athena Alliance and the services it offers
  • What surprised Coco as Athena Alliance grew
  • Creating team intimacy in the digital world
  • The importance of transparency in building virtual relationships at the highest level
  • How to determine if you’re taking too much risk
  • Breaking rules that don’t make sense
  • Why feedback is critical in a fully remote world

Coco Brown’s Three Immediately Useful Ideas:

    1. Check your personal resistance to virtual relationships
    2. Foster a system of constant feedback
    3. Lead to promote transparency & Vulnerability

Resources Mentioned:

Connect with Coco Brown:

Accelerate to YOUR Next Level of Success

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Growth Igniters Radio. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more visionary C-Suite leaders and corporate directors like you.

Join us on Facebook and LinkedIn. For more exclusive content and information, visit our website.

 

Part 1-How an Unconventional Leader Fosters High-Level Virtual Relationships — with Coco Brown

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Coco Brown, CEO of Athena Alliance

We speak with Coco Brown, the founder & CEO of The Athena Alliance, about the unconventional leadership she uses to build virtual relationships at the highest levels in her company and extended alliance network.

This is part one of our wide-ranging conversation. It was such a wonderful interchange that we just couldn’t cut it short! Part two is immediately available as Episode 215.

The Athena Alliance is a game-changing digital ecosystem helping to position the top 10% of executive women for advancement and board opportunities while also transforming the boardroom towards a modern composition model.  She leads change and transformation, accelerating multimillion-dollar growth through vision, strategy, technology, and people leadership. To date, the business has established a network of 5,000+ C-level women, VCs, and CEOs from 200+ companies, achieved 200% annualized YOY growth and helped 400+ women successfully land board placements. Members and corporate customers come from hundreds of top brands, including Amazon, Autodesk, Bank of America, Intel, Intuit, Microsoft, Quinstreet, and Stripe.

Since 2013, Coco has served on 10 for-profit and nonprofit boards as a member, advisor, and committee leader, providing input and guidance around M&A, divestiture, audit, CEO succession and compensation, corporate strategy, financial planning, change management, and more. Nationally recognized as an expert in shaping the modern boardroom and modern leadership, Coco Brown is the first person many companies and CEOs call when they need help or advice around strategic planning, board makeup, or the changing landscape of board operations. Her connections are vast, and her thought leadership in these areas is considered generationally transformative. As a result, she was asked to become an Insights Council member with the prestigious Nasdaq Center for Board Excellence in 2022.

In addition to guiding and supporting executive leaders and boards, she is a sought-after speaker and writer and is frequently interviewed by business and industry publications. She has been quoted and featured in Bloomberg, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Fortune, InformationWeek, NACD Directorship, Nasdaq.com, Silicon Valley Business Journal, The Cube, The Street, and WSJ.

Coco joins us to discuss Athena Alliance’s goals and how the fully-remote network enables female leaders to advance their careers. She explains what it’s like to climb the industry ranks as a woman and how she maintains a culture of constant feedback despite running a fully-remote company. She describes the importance of breaking rules that don’t make sense and how to determine whether you’re taking too much risk. Coco also discusses the value of transparency and showing vulnerability as a leader.

 

“What’s healthy is for leaders to get all way in the organization and make sure there are checks and balances that perpetuate the culture you want to have.”
– Coco Brown

 

This week on Growth Igniters Radio:

  • Coco’s role in Athena Alliance
  • Being a woman in a male-dominated industry
  • What motivated Coco to start Athena during the pandemic
  • What is Athena Alliance and the services it offers
  • What surprised Coco as Athena Alliance grew
  • Creating team intimacy in the digital world
  • The importance of transparency in building virtual relationships at the highest level
  • How to determine if you’re taking too much risk
  • Breaking rules that don’t make sense
  • Why feedback is critical in a fully remote world

Coco Brown’s Three Immediately Useful Ideas:

  1. Check your personal resistance to virtual relationships
  2. Foster a system of constant feedback
  3. Lead to promote transparency & Vulnerability

Resources Mentioned:

Connect with Coco Brown:

Accelerate to YOUR Next Level of Success

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Growth Igniters Radio. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more visionary C-Suite leaders and corporate directors like you.

Join us on Facebook and LinkedIn. For more exclusive content and information, visit our website.

 

Navigating Employee Stakeholder Activism Inside and Outside the Workplace — with Amy Showalter

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 How can CEOs lead civil discourse on sensitive social and political issues?

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 205 TranscriptAs employee stakeholder activism is continuing to rise, and CEOs are under pressure to engage in the conversation, listen to episode 205. Scott and I speak with Amy Showalter, a grassroots and Political Action Committee influence expert. She is also the author of the book, The Underdog Edge: How Everyday People Change the Minds of the Powerful. . . and Live to Tell About It.

Amy is currently a columnist for Bloomberg Government and Lobbyblog.com. Over 500 media outlets have featured her insight. This includes The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Politico, CNN Money.com, Foxnews.com, and CNBC.com. (read more about Amy Showalter below).

You’ll gain insights on:
  • The dynamics driving the growing trends of employee stakeholders’ interest in social issues, and why leaders leaders need to actively navigate these concerns
  • The right way and wrong way for CEOs and other top leaders to encourage social/political conversations among employee stakeholders
  • Immediately useful ideas for encouraging civil discourse among employee stakeholders with competing social and political opinions

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