My Quest for the Best with Bill Ringle

Pamela Wilson, author of Master Content Marketing Bill Ringle and Pamela Wilson discuss how content marketing differs from social media marketing and what steps to take to attract leads that become profitable customers for small business marketers. >>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations. Interview Insights Top 3 Takeaways People should stop asking whether to put high-quality content or not. Our content should always be high-quality. Focus on building your content on your primary website. While posting on sites such as LinkedIn is great, there is a chance you may be taken off at any moment. It is not content marketing without a call to action. Read the Show Notes from this Episode The power couple of Eleonor and Franklin Roosevelt are Pamela's biggest inspirations. [01:17] Pamela talks about how she got into content marketing. [03:44] Why call to action are necessary. [05:26] Pamela gives tips to address the concern of where we should put our content and why it is better to do it on your OWN website. [11:14] Why do we have to put our best stuff and post consistently? [15:56] Pamela talks about Roberta, a client she used to work with who manages a sales team, and how practicing consistency on high-quality posting got them a lot of traffic. [18:20] To lessen the pressure, Pamela reminds us that everyone just starting content marketing should not feel like they should immediately be able to post the best pieces. [24:59] My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [27:22] Expert Bio Pamela Wilson is a 30+ year business owner, executive coach, and corporate consultant. She's published three books and has created and marketed dozens of online courses for herself and others. Pamela is a keynote speaker and frequent podcast guest. Pamela created the Offer Accelerator Program and serves as the program's head coach and business advisor. In her role as a digital marketing consultant Pamela has worked with local, national, and international clients. Contact Info and Social Media for Pamela Wilson Primary website Travels from: Nashville, Tennessee Connect on: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook Resources Mentioned During the Interview Below are key people, places, books, quotes, websites, and other resources that we discussed, so you can explore further. Eleanor Roosevelt Franklin Roosevelt Published by Pamela Wilson

Andrew Bryant, author of The New Leadership Playbook: Being human whilst successfully delivering accelerated results Bill Ringle and Andrew Bryant discuss details of decisiveness, inclusiveness, and accountability as leadership plays that leaders of small and mid-size companies can use now. >>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 400 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations. Interview Insights Top 3 Takeaways Responsibility is personal. I am responsible for my thoughts and my actions. Accountability is an agreement. It's something that people use to forge a contract. A single universal type of leader is a myth. Different leaders excel under different circumstances. Talent is rare, but strength is something each of us can acquire. It may be by strengthening ourselves or hiring someone whose strong suit complements our weak areas. Read the Show Notes from this Episode Andrew's first work experience was at his father's hardware store when he was 10. By observing his father's interactions with clients and employees, he learned how to have an executive presence. [01:14] His father's teaching of honesty, authenticity, and being true to oneself played a major role in Andrew's career in landing him his first CEO client. [02:46] Why is leadership a process? [05:21] Explain more about how no perfect leadership style fits all businesses at all times under all circumstances. [06:16] What are responsibility and accountability, and how they differ from each other? [09:44] Why decisiveness is critical to good leadership. CASE: Gustav responded to a crisis of his company's baby formula possibly being contaminated. [13:28] What can wel learn from the insight that people and profits are not an either-or consideration, but that both can be served? [17:55] My Quest for the Best lighting round begins. [22:41] Expert Bio Andrew Bryant is the founder of Self Leadership International and the world's leading expert on self-leadership. He has written two books on the topic, Self-Leadership: How to Become a More Successful, Efficient, and Effective Leader from the Inside Out (Bryant & Kazan, 2012) and Self Leadership: 12 Powerful Mindsets & Methods to Win in Life & Business (Bryant, 2016), and The New Leadership Playbook – Being Human whilst delivering Accelerated Results (Bryant, 2022). He has also contributed to many blogs, books, and articles on self-leadership and leadership. Andrew has coached hundreds of leaders and leadership teams to become the best version of themselves and to scale their companies. He has international experience with clients from Asia, Australasia, the United States of America (USA), Europe, The Middle East, and Africa. Not only has Andrew worked across geographical locations and cultures, but he has also transformed and developed leaders across industries, including the airline industry, software and hardware companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, professional services, banking, finance, manufacturing, hospitality, and travel. Contact Info and Social Media for Andrew Bryant Primary website Travels from: Kennebunk, ME Connect on: Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook Resources Mentioned During the Interview Below are key people, places, books, quotes, websites and other resources that we discussed, so you can explore further. Brian Tracy Nelson Mandela Published by Andrew Bryant

Merrylue Martin, author of The Big Quit Survival Guide: Tools and Tactics to Attract the Best, Retain Top Performers & Nail the Talent War Merrylue Martin and Bill Ringle discuss the dangers of a dull work culture or toxic interactions that go unchecked and what you can do to attract and retain top talent for small business leaders. >>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 400 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations. Interview Insights Top 3 Takeaways The pandemic ushered in an era in which 'respect' is the currency that makes people stay in their job. Leaders who make an extra effort to keep their top performers usually do. No matter how high the pay, if employees feel that they are undervalued, disregarded, and disrespected, they move on. At least those with the most potential and ambition move on. Know your employees. Take a quick survey of what they like and dislike, or ask any questions that will give you a better understanding of who they are. This way, you'll know how to give them respect in a way that matters most. Each person defines respect differently. Show Notes from this Episode Merrylue shared about her friend Joanna who, during one of the darkest moments, reminded her that our quest is not to be perfect but only to be our best. [01:44] The pandemic accelerated changes that were already been building up tensions. Merrylue explains why today's work environment is no longer "your grandfather's workplace." [07:26] Why is it important to avoid overloading top performers? [11:16] What is one of the dangers of top performers quitting? It tends to be a domino effect. After all, these are people their peers look up to. [13:40] What are stay interviews? What are some of the advantages stay interviews have over exit interviews? [17:20] Respect is defined differently by different people. Sally and Leroy's answer to the question, "What is it that would be most respectful to you," could not be further from each other. [20:15] What are the 3Rs that can be used to retain talent? Requirements, Rewards, and Respect. [24:16] CASE: Sandy works in the film industry in LA. She feels like she doesn't get enough respect at work, so despite the excellent pay, she dreads her working hours. [27:52] CASE: Jim works for a start-up company. Unlike Sandy, Jim isn't paid that much, but Jim loves his work. He is always looking forward to going to work, and that is because he feels like he is being treated like gold. [29:34] My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [34:56] Expert Bio Merrylue Martin is a celebrated leadership strategist with decades of successfully working with global leaders and business owners of all types and sizes to make their employees feel uniquely respected, appreciated, fulfilled, and engaged. The recent release of her new book, The Big Quit Survival Guide, has received rave reviews and best-seller status in Amazon’s Office Management category. As a Fortune 50 senior executive, educational administrator, management consultant, and business owner, she has comprehensive experience in creating and delivering strategies that engage and retain top performers. Dr. Martin is an honored graduate of the Women’s Leadership program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Her doctorate in organizational leadership and published dissertation from Pepperdine University uncovered the research that resulted in business and leadership practices that directly drive an employee’s decision t...

Chuck Mollor, author of The Rise of the Agile Leader: Can You Make the Shift? Chuck Mollor and Bill Ringle discuss insights about how you can benefit from messages contained in feedback from 1:1s to 360s for small business leaders. >>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations. Interview Insights Top 3 Takeaways When our business grows, so do our responsibilities. As leaders, we need to learn how to change where we spend our time, delegate obligations, and know when to hire external help. Receiving 360 feedback will give us words that can hurt us. But feedback is critical because we might be 100% assured that we are competent enough with a job that sometimes we need our people to point out when and where we're falling short. When our own people are hesitant to share their honest feedback even when asked, that is a sign of lack of trust and an urgent matter we need to fix. Read the Show Notes from this Episode Chuck talks about his greatest influence growing up, his best friend's father Frank, who is also a father figure to him. [01:44] Understanding how the size of our organization affects how we communicate and how we care about our people. [04:28] How does a manager's time shift as an organization grows? [07:31] The five drivers of growth: growth, direction, integrity, innovation, engagement, and urgency. [09:33] Recognizing when we're not doing our job and when to seek external help. [11:42] What can you learn from receiving 360 feedback that can make you a better leader?.[14:26] CASE: Mike and why lack of trust alarm bells sound if our people don't talk to us even when asked. [18:37] My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [26:22] Expert Bio Chuck Mollor is the founder, CEO, advisor, and executive coach at MCG Partners, an organization that helps develop leaders and teams, optimizing both businesses and individual talent. His new book and best-selling book, The Rise of the Agile Leader: Can You Make the Shift?, is a guide for the aspiring, mid, and seasoned c-leader and executive that introduces a new leadership paradigm, a roadmap of what makes a great leader, and what organizations must do to develop great leaders. Contact Info and Social Media for Chuck Mollor Primary website Travels from: Middleboro, MA Connect on: Twitter | LinkedIn Resources Mentioned During the Interview Below are key people, places, books, quotes, websites and other resources that we discussed, so you can explore further. Item1 Published by Chuck Mollor

Chandler Bolt, author of Published: The Proven Path From Blank Page To 10,000 Copies Sold Bill Ringle and Chandler Bolt discuss the top obstacles and paths to becoming a published author based on 6,000 success stories at Self Publishing School for ambitious SMB leaders. >>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 400 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations. Interview Insights Top 3 Takeaways Push hard for your dreams, and even harder when people tell you that you can't make it. Do not wait for the perfect time to write a book. Write now or you might write never. Push yourself and test whether something is possible or not. Read the Show Notes from this Episode His brother Seth, who plays bass in Grammy-nominated rock band NEEDTOBREATHE, inspired Chandler to reach hard for his dreams even when people tell him it's impossible. [01:13] A New York Times article quoted a survey that found that 81% of people want to write a book, but only 1% actually do. Chandler details why for some people, someday becomes never. [03:07] How can you help aspiring authors overcome internal conflicts that prevent them from getting through their first drafts? [04:42] What are the four most common reasons why people write books? Passion, shared experience, becoming a full-time author, and growing your business. [06:38] What would you say to debunk the myth that if we share our experience and knowledge in writing, people won't need us anymore and why generosity is the key to business growth and longevity? [07:59] When your first self-published book didn't exactly rake in the success and the money you expected, how did meeting SAM through your book manager help? Every self-published author needs to know what SAM represents.[10:38] Why was copy writing pivotal for you when you released your first book and had $15,000 in credit card debt? [12:43] Why do expert authors need to approach marketing like a Toyota Camry, not like a Lamborghini? [14:51] How does the Amazon algorithm and a series of steps to use "Amazon juice" to get your book more readers and recommendations? [21:06] My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [24:44] Expert Bio Chandler Bolt is the author of Published, The Proven Path From Blank Page To 10,000 Copies Sold. As a seven-time bestselling author and CEO of Self-Publishing School and selfpublishing.com, Chandler knows exactly how instrumental writing books can be in sharing your message and even growing and scaling your business. His message is that you can't wait for the “perfect time” in life to get writing, the perfect time to get writing is now. Contact Info and Social Media for Chandler Bolt Primary website Travels from: Fort Myers, FL Connect on: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram Resources Mentioned During the Interview Below are key people, places, books, quotes, websites, and other resources that we discussed, so you can explore further. Tony Robbins Oprah Grammys Think You Have a Book in You? Think Again by Joseph Epstein in the New York Times NEEDTOBREATHE Michael Hyatt 80/20 Sales and Marketing: The Definitive Guide to Working Less and Making More by Perry Marshall Published by Chandler Bolt

Jim Wetrich, author of Stifled: Where Good Leaders Go Wrong Bill Ringle and Jim Wetrich discuss the traps and solutions to the causes of working in isolation, ignorance, and unawareness to gain greater clarity and effectiveness for small business leaders. >>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 400 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations. Interview Insights Top 3 Takeaways Managers should have a classification system for who should be back at the office, continue working remotely, or work hybrid, and must be very clear-cut as to why because of the nature of these employees' or this department's job, they can be more efficient in this kind of work environment. Always be explicit about what you say. Any misinformation or misrepresentation of a process or path can capsize our credibility and demotivate our people. Fairness is not treating your people the same but based on their needs because some people need more assistance than others, while some need to be held more accountable. Remember that your employees are at different levels of the growth curve. Read the Show Notes from this Episode Jim got his first job as a grocery bagger for State Brothers and his first boss, David Gamon, made him realize that with the right leadership, work can be fun no matter what position you hold. [01:03] His former manager's influence seeped through his next, proving that in some cases, it is not enough to explain; it would be more efficient to demonstrate. [04:08] A big problem in today's work is that some people want things to go back to how they were before the pandemic lockdown while others fully embrace remote work. Each have their reasons. How can leaders handle this issue to benefit both the company and the employees? [07:15] A big problem for most remote managers is trusting that their employees are working. What are some of the best tips on how managers can better work with employees despite the physical distance. [11:25] CASE: Mike is a manager who failed to be explicit when discussing his promotion paths to his employees. As a result, expectations were crushed, and his credibility tanked. [16:10] The dangers of being a 'know-it-all' manager. Jim gives excellent points on why leaders should say, 'I don't know' more often. [18:51] My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [25:50] Expert Bio James G. Wetrich, LFACHE is the CEO of The Wetrich Group of Companies and the author of Stifled: Where Good Leaders Go Wrong. His writing has also appeared in the 2021 anthology series Quitless: The Power of Persistence in Business and Life, a USA Today and WSJ best seller. Having led teams on three continents for more than 40 years and consulted with over 100 companies, Jim has seen great leaders who have thrived and ones that have failed. A noted expert in leadership, Jim’s leadership lessons are as highly sought after by today’s business students as they are among Baby Boomers. From 2006 to 2014, Jim built a team at Molnlycke Health Care that grew the revenue over 7 times and the EBITDA over 20 times creating over $1BN growth in enterprise value and taking the US business from number 5 to number 1 in the served market with an employee satisfaction index of over 95%. Jim is passionate about diversity and inclusion and hosted a two-day meeting for all women in the organization (not just high potentials) to discuss their unique challenges. As the founder and CEO of The Wetrich Group of Companies, Jim focuses now on coaching and mentorship and spre...

Liz Kelly, author of 8-Second PR - New Public Relations Crash Course (2nd Edition, 2022) Bill Ringle and Liz Kelly discuss how to refine your story and your message to the elements that will get the greatest response from the media to promote your book, product, or cause for small business leaders. >>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations. Interview Insights Top 3 Takeaways To be successful in your message, remember to not make it all about you. For anyone who wants to be a guest on TV shows and podcasts, start with smaller shows first to gain more experience, growing your qualification and reputation as a guest people want to have in their shows. Impart to your audience the richness you have inside and allow them to relate to you. Read the Show Notes from this Episode Liz talks about what it's like growing up with a really great mother, who happens to be her biggest influence. [01:38] From writing her dating book to being the go-to person for PR, Liz talks about why she decided to serve others. [03:48] A great tip to people who want to write a book or start a business: It's not all about you. [06:04] To find your media gold, Liz gives strong emphasis on not holding back when working with a publicist. [10:00] Josh is a CEO who runs an addiction center for veterans. Josh's media gold is his own humbling experience his clients and a lot of people who are struggling with addiction can relate to and he shares it in a funny, humbling, and very inspiring way. [11:13] Bing on a big TV show like Oprah or a podcast like Tim Ferris is not the first step. [14:33] Michelle is a client of Liz's who is a natural spokesperson. Liz talks about what makes someone an ideal guest. [16:35] Rick is another great client of Liz who knows how to draw people in. Because of this, he is always invited back to be a guest. [21:33] My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [24:45] Expert Bio Liz H. Kelly (Santa Monica, CA) is Goody PR Founder, Award-Winning Author of “8-Second PR”, Podcast Host (8-Second Branding) and Goody Business Book Awards Founder. Based on 15+ years of public relations and marketing experience, Kelly is passionate about magnifying brands and experts through timely marketing and public relations campaigns. After working as an executive at Paramount Pictures, MySpace, Sprint PCS, and LA startups, Kelly decided to start Goody PR. While booking 500+ TV, print, radio and podcast media interviews for her first book (“Smart Man Hunting”) over 5 years, Kelly fell in love with the art of brand storytelling and creating timely media hooks. Her work has been featured on CNN, ABC News, FOX News, USA TODAY, The Chicago Tribune, Thrive Global, Buzzfeed, KTLA, KCBS, BBC Radio, NPR and many more. She has booked clients on the TODAY Show, PBS, CNN, FOX Business, BBC World News, NPR, and in TIME, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and thousands of media outlets. As fun facts, Kelly is a Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business alumni from Baltimore, Maryland, loves photography, has been a red carpet reporter at Oscar events, Sundance, Comic-Con, and more with several videos with 1+ million views, and is an autism advocate. Contact Info and Social Media for Liz Kelly Primary website Travels from: Santa Monica, California Connect on: Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook Resources Mentioned During the Interview Below are key people, places,

Byron Morrison, author of The Effective CEO: How to hone your focus, prioritize your time and take control of your CEO role Bill Ringle and Byron Morrison discuss how you as a business leader can avoid becoming the bottleneck in your own business by working on your mindset, emotional control, and performance routines. >>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations. Interview Insights Top 3 Takeaways While as leaders, our goal is to lead our organizations to success, we should not neglect essential areas in our personal lives, like our relationships and our health, to keep up our high energy. Our energy directly impacts our performance which directly affects the people we lead. Not prioritizing our personal development tanks our ability to lead. Instead of committing to following a to-do list, we should instead figure out what works best by aligning our energy and our schedule to what's most important. Read the Show Notes from this Episode A unique source of inspiration for Byron when he was growing up is Tome Delonge from Blink 182. [05:52] Byron shares how the artist he looked up to and his band, through their music, influenced his career as a businessman. [02:38] The impact Byron wants to achieve when he wrote The Effective CEO. [04:29] Byron recalls the day he decided to change as a person, which led to him writing his first bestselling book, Become a Better You, and starting his business. [05:33] CASE: Matthew was a client of Byron's who runs a small advertising agency. He was struggling with his team not getting on board and him not knowing how to effectively delegate. [07:33] Why our personal lives should not be brushed off to purely focus on our role as leaders. [09:05] A key principle is figuring out your energy and how to structure your schedule to align with that. [11:20] CASE: Jason who runs a tech startup in Silicon Valley. Jason loves his to-do lists, not realizing that this practice of checking the boxes is a terrible approach for CEOs. [13:06] How to effectively implement and commit to time blocking and make it a part of your work style. [15:40] My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [24:36] Expert Bio Byron Morrison is the author of the books "The Effective CEO" and "CEO In Control", as well as being a speaker and coach. He helps CEOs take control and become more effective in their role so that they can maximize their time, lead with confidence and grow a business without losing their sanity. Contact Info and Social Media for byron Morrison Primary website Travels from: Warwick, Warwickshire Connect on: LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook Resources Mentioned During the Interview Below are key people, places, books, quotes, websites, and other resources that we discussed, so you can explore further. CEO In Control: Stop reacting, get out of your own head, and master the mental game needed to be a highly effective CEO by Byron Morrison Become a Better You: Stop dieting, start living by Byron Morrison Awaken the Giant Within- How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny! by Tony Robbins High-Performance Habits- How Extraordinary People Become That Way by Brendon Burchard Published by byron Morrison

Jonathan Milligan, author of Your Message Matters: How to Rise Above the Noise and Get Paid for What You Know Bill Ringle and Johnathan Milligan discuss what it means to share a message, be a messenger, and find your voice so that you can be paid for your knowledge and expertise for entrepreneurs, experts, and small business leaders. >>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations. Interview Insights Top 3 Takeaways There is power in being specific, so create a specific message that is worth sharing and that you can monetize. It is better to narrow it down to a specific audience and provide a specific solution to target a particular problem. It lets our niche know that we are the experts in this subject matter, and the solution we offer is worth more than their money. Find out what kind of messenger you are, if you're a writer, a teacher, a speaker, or a coach. If you know your strength, you can build a business that you love, and that will make you better at serving others. Read the Show Notes from this Episode As a kid, Jonathan got his first glimpse of how to run a business by observing his grandfather and witnessing how both his customers and employees trust him. [01:05] When the need to handle a delicate matter arose during his teaching career, Jonathan remembered how his grandfather acted when challenges arose and handled the situation in the same calm and caring manner as his grandpa did. [03:02] Know your message, how to be an effective messenger, and create a message that is not only worth sharing but also something you can monetize.[05:21] Bryan was a student of Jonathan's who had a good message, but it was not specific enough for his target audience. Jonathan helps him learn how the more specific a message is, the more powerful it is. [06:57] Jonathan shares his own story of how he succeeded by narrowing down his message to a specific audience. [09:00] His Influencer Voice Assessment breaks down the kinds of messenger roles into four: Writer, teacher, speaker, and coach. [11:46] Martha was a student of his who wanted to start a business that would enable her to use her experience and knowledge as a consultant to help others. However, she does not want to be a coach and fears this is the only way to move forward if she wants to make something of herself. After she took Influencer Voice Assessment, Jonathan was able to help her move forward with a career that not only suits her better but she actually loves. [13:43] Jonathan talks about four keystone habits that make effective messengers: Creating free value, capturing habits, compiling habits, and connecting habits. [17:08] My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [24:34] Expert Bio Jonathan Milligan is an author, blogger, speaker, and online business coach. He has spent the last decade guiding and directing creative professionals on how to pursue meaningful work. Since 2009, Jonathan has run his own portable lifestyle business online. Today he teaches others how to build a business with their passion, story, or message. He lives in Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife, Charity, and their two kids. Contact Info and Social Media for Jonathan Milligan Primary website Travels from: Jacksonville, FL - Florida Connect on: Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook Resources Mentioned During the Interview Below are key people, places, books, quotes, websites and other resources that we discussed,

Tania Luna, author of The Leader Lab - Core Skills to Become a Great Manager, Faster Tania Luna and Bill Ringle discuss insights into becoming a great manager and overcoming the obstacles to implementation for small business leaders. >>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 400 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations. Interview Insights Top Takeaways Create a culture of innovation by fostering a safe environment where employees feel comfortable taking risks and learning from failures. Build trust by encouraging vulnerability and practicing empathy with employees. Overcome resistance to change by embracing diversity and promoting curiosity in the workplace. Encourage experimentation and learning by providing resources and opportunities for employees to explore new ideas and approaches. Foster a culture of continuous improvement by celebrating successes, learning from failures, and adapting to change. Read the Show Notes from this Episode [2:36] How did you become interested in the topic of surprise and creating a culture of continuous improvement? Tania Luna shares her personal story of growing up in post-Soviet Ukraine and how her experience of constant change and uncertainty sparked her interest in human performance. [8:30] What are some of the key elements that contribute to building a healthy culture? Psychological safety, trust, and diversity in creating an environment where people feel free to take risks and experiment. [11:47] How can leaders encourage experimentation and taking risks while still maintaining a sense of control and order in the workplace? Leaders can create clear guidelines and expectations, while also giving employees space to experiment within those boundaries. [15:32] How can managers balance the need for innovation with the need for stability and consistency in their business? Create pockets of innovation within your organization, while also maintaining certain core values and practices that provide stability and consistency. [20:20] How can leaders encourage employees to be more curious and open-minded in the workplace? You can model curiosity and vulnerability, and also create opportunities for employees to learn from each other and explore new ideas. [20:20] How can leaders encourage employees to be more curious and open-minded in the workplace? You can model curiosity and vulnerability, and also create opportunities for employees to learn from each other and explore new ideas. [25:36] My Quest for the Best Lightning Round begins [28:00] How can leaders build trust with their employees, particularly in times of change or uncertainty? Everyone can build trust at work by being transparent, communicating clearly, and demonstrating empathy and vulnerability. [32:55] How can leaders create a culture where failure is seen as a learning opportunity rather than a source of shame or blame? Shift the culture at work by modeling vulnerability and openness, celebrating experimentation and learning, and creating an environment where employees feel safe to take risks. [36:55] How can leaders foster creativity and innovation in virtual or remote work environments? You can create opportunities for connection and collaboration, encourage experimentation and learning, and use technology to facilitate communication and idea-sharing. Subscribe to My Quest for the Best Expert Bio Tania Luna (Brooklyn, New York) is the co-founder of LifeLabs Learning, author of “The Leader Lab: Core Skills to Become a Great Man...

Scott Jeffrey Miller, author of Management Mess to Leadership Success Bill Ringle and Scott Jeffrey Miller discuss the importance of being clear and explicit with your intent in all communications for small business leaders because in the absence of details, people make up stories and those stories can become a(nother) mess. >>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations. Interview Insights Top 3 Takeaways Declare your intention on why you called this meeting or are taking this course of action. This provides clarity and lessens the probability of misinterpretations. Most importantly, remember to keep your actions aligned with your stated intentions. Manage expectations by setting boundaries on what you cannot do. It is better to say 'no' and let people down early on rather than make a commitment you wouldn't be able to fulfill. That will break trust, harm your relationship, and damage your reputation. Do not stretch your people more than their abilities or temporary limits. It is better to give your employees wins by setting attainable goals. Let your people know and feel that you care about them as people, not just their work roles. Read the Show Notes from this Episode How radio host Bruce Williams left a profound mark on Scott's passion for business and how the world really works. [01:12] Who would benefit from reading your book, Management Mess To Leadership Success? [04:15] Steve Jobs' behavior from 30 years ago is one of the most discussed examples when discussing leadership behavior. What was a humbling moment when what you thought one of your best leadership moments turned out to be one of your weakest? What did you do to bounce back from that terrible meeting with the team? [08:11] What would you say is the significance of declaring our intent and the consequences if our actions do not align with it? [13:30] Blaine Lee wrote, "Nearly all if not all, conflict arises from mismatched or unfulfilled expectations." Can you elaborate on this problem with unfulfilled expectations and how to avoid them? [18:12] CASE: Canadian manager proved that you can still follow through with your commitment even after being released from it. This story is a showcase of dedication and true commitment. [20:45] Can you explain the analogy of jockeys and their prized horses and how it relates to leaders and their prized people? [24:04] What is the lesson from the goose and the golden egg metaphor that explains why good leaders know not to force productivity from their employees? [26:44] CASE: Pete reported to Scott and was afraid to make specific requests because of a reading dyslexia. [29:30] Just because employees are free to declare their intent, how can those intentions be still be grounded to what is within reasonable limits? [33:33] My Quest for the Best Lightning round begins. [41:01] Expert Bio Recruited by Dr. Stephen R. Covey’s team, Scott built a 26-year career in the world’s most respected and influential leadership development firm, serving nearly every role imaginable. From a front-line salesperson to project manager, sales leader, general manager, vice president, chief marketing officer to executive vice president of thought leadership. Scott’s professional roles evolved as he became a multi-bestselling author, radio and podcast host, leadership coach, columnist, and global keynote speaker. He continues to consult with FranklinCovey and is proud to continue their collaboration...

Steve Wexler, author of The Big Picture: How to Use Data Visualization to Make Better Decisions – Faster Bill Ringle and Steve Wexler discuss the approaches and benefits of presenting data as charts, images, and infographics to make better decisions, build consensus, and tell a better story about the results you are producing for small business managers and leaders. >>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 350 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations Interview Insights Top 3 Takeaways If you are data literate, you can read data faster, interpret them better, and be quicker in making decisions and providing solutions. The goal of data visualization is to provide the most significant degree of understanding in the least amount of effort. It spares us from cognitive overload because it is easier to understand what we can quickly see. Collaboration is about creating something far more significant than what you can make independently. Read the Show Notes from this Episode Steve talks about his fourth-grade teacher, Mario Messi, who developed his love of reading. He is part of Steve's pursuit of data literacy. [01:45] How do the best leaders create the best conditions that allow their people to be their best and perform at their best? [04:29] How can you recognize the good work of your colleagues with a genuine understanding of your people's contributions? [05:18] The Big Picture and The Big Book of Dashboards are geared toward data visualization practitioners. Steve talks about his fear in writing about this topic of serving some things that experts may already know about. [06:07] Why do people tend to cling to their old tools, like spreadsheets, even if they are not as effectively reporting data as data visualization. Does this relate to data literacy? [08:19] How do know if you are data literate? [10:16] Why do we see so many bar charts? Are they ever appropriate to use? [11:43] What are a few differences between data visualization versus storytelling? How to go from being just data literate to be able to use data to tell a story or make a decision. [14:27] What are the four components of setting the stage for effective data visualization? [16:00] What was it like to work with Seth Godin on his book collaboration, The Carbon Almanac, using your expertise in data visualization? [21:15] What is the significance of Charlie Menard's chart (chapter 8)? Why is it considered the Mona Lisa of data visualization? Are there improvements you found? [23:25] Talk about some of the distinctions you've learned in collaboration versus compromise. [25:34] My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [29:32] Expert Bio Steve Wexler is the founder of Data Revelations, author of The Big Picture: How to Use Data Visualization to Make Better Decisions—Faster (winner of Data Literacy’s Most Insightful Data Book), and co-author of The Big Book of Dashboards: Visualizing Your Data Using Real-World Business Scenarios. Steve has worked with ADP, Gallup, Johnson & Johnson, Deloitte, ExxonMobil, Convergys, Consumer Reports, The Economist, SurveyMonkey, Con Edison, D&B, Marist, Cornell University, Stanford University, Tradeweb, Tiffany, McKinsey & Company, and many other organizations to help them understand and visualize their data. A Tableau Zen Master (Hall of Fame) and Iron Viz winner, Steve also serves on the advisory board to the Data Visualization Society and is co-host of the popular webinar series Chart Chat (winner of Data Literacy’s mo...

Anne Janzer, author of Get the Word Out: Write a Book That Makes a Difference Bill Ringle and Anne Janzer discuss the beneficial reasons for writing a book, overcoming common obstacles, and how to maximize a book as part of your business growth strategy for small business leaders. >>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 350 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today's top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations. Interview Insights Top 3 Takeaways Thought leaders do not put out their ideas to the world for glorification but to serve their clients, students, customers, and colleagues. By modeling the tone and style of their writing, thought leaders give their audiences the information and insights that they need. Writing for your readers makes you a part of a community. In fact, you create and expand your community. Read the Show Notes from this Episode Denise Brosseau's quote on "Thought leaders speak on behalf of others" highly influenced Anne's book. [01:11] What does 'service authorship' mean? [02:22] How come writing isn't a solitary activity as many expect? How writing for others else helps authors focus and produce. [03:22] CASE: Sarah changed her book structure based on who she wanted to serve. Twice! [04:43] What is the 'pond metaphor' and what can it teach us about reaching a bigger audience by starting small? [05:56] What does it mean to a writer to 'prime the pump in writing'? [08:16] CASE: Kathy Capino exemplifies how a book does not always end up as the author expects when starting. Her research and interactions changed the texture and nature of her book. [09:20] CASE: Steve transitioned from writing his memoir to writing a business book. [10:18] What are the six steps of the sprint framework? Start with the easy, prime, relax, incubate, notice, and trust your future self. [11:55] How does it help authors to be more collaborative and less competitive? [21:42] Expert Bio Anne Janzer is an award-winning author, nonfiction writing coach, and unabashed writing geek committed to helping people make a positive impact with their writing. She supports and encourages writers and authors through her books, blog posts, webinars, and teaching.Her writing-related books explore the science and practice of effective writing. Before she started writing books, Anne was a freelance marketing consultant, working with more than a hundred technology businesses to articulate positioning and messaging in crowded markets. She's been writing business emails longer than she cares to admit—and has made all of the mistakes in her latest book, and more, over the years. She wants to save others from the same problems. Contact Info and Social Media for Anne Janzer Primary website Travels from: San Luis Obispo, CA Connect on: Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook Resources Mentioned During the Interview Below are key people, places, books, quotes, websites, and other resources that we discussed, so you can explore further. My Quest for the Best interviews: 192: Understanding Subscription Marketing with guest expert Anne Janzer 378: Always review before you click Send with guest expert Anne Janzer Denise Brosseau Books by Kathy Caprino: Breakdown Breakthrough The Most Powerful You Radical Candor Dilbert Cartoon Published by Anne Janzer

Stu Heinecke, author of How to Grow Your Business Like a Weed: A Complete Strategy for Unstoppable Growth Bill Ringle and Stu Heinecke discuss growing like a WEED model to grow, conquer, and protect your turf for small business owners. >>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations. Interview Insights Top 3 Takeaways from this Interview In a world of stiff competition, you have got to cultivate unfair advantages or you will perish. If you are optimistic, you do your work with more excitement, effort, determination, and conviction. Feeling depressed only diminishes your performance. Scaling is an excellent example of an unfair advantage because it goes beyond just you. It involves meaningful relationships with people that can help you advance your business. Read the Show Notes from this Episode 'Deal with what is' is a message that Stu extracted from delving into the weeds.[00:37] What are the admirable traits of weeds that we can emulate to gain an unfair advantage to grow our business? [03:21] How can weeds be seen as conquerors? Is there a formula to follow to grow your business like a weed? [04:46] Can optimism be defined as the absence of depression? What can we learn about boundless optimism from the dandelion? [06:25] What are the six attributes that define the "grow your business like a weed" mindset? [07:06] What is the difference between growing your business and scaling your business? [08:23] What can you tell me abou the power of operating on a collective scale? Stu shares how he and his Author's Leverage group scale collectively. [09:57] What is the Chief Weed Officer (CWO)? Why is having a recorded process important? [13:10] Weeds are often treated as pests but how they grow and thrive has inspired us to use them as metaphors for complimenting growth. [15:21] Why are founders not supposed to be part of the deliverables? [16:50] Expert Bio Dubbed by the American Marketing Association the “Father of Contact Marketing,” STU HEINECKE is a Wall Street Journal cartoonist, hall of fame-nominated marketer and the bestselling author of How to Get a Meeting with Anyone and Get the Meeting! Stu is also the founder of Cartoonists.org, a group of WSJ and New Yorker cartoonists who donate their art to help charities raise funds. Heinecke is author of How to Grow Your Business Like a Weed: A Complete Strategy for Unstoppable Growth. Contact Info for Stu Heinecke Primary Website Travels from: Freeland, WA Connect on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram Books Authored by Stu Heinecke Resources Mentioned During the Interview My Quest for the Best interview: Using creativity and humor to make contact and build your business with guest expert Stu Heinecke Authors Leverage David Petraeus Barry McCaffrey The 6 Elements of a GROWTH mindset from the Chief Weed Officer Irrepressible Optimism Ruthless Persistence Brutal Urgency Fearsome Aggression Nimble Adaptability Alien Resilience https://youtu.be/EKgKobG8WFU

Melina Palmer, author of What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You: Unlocking Consumer Decisions with the Science of Behavioral Economics Bill Ringle and Melina Palmer discuss how to identify and apply the science underlying the decisions your customers are making each day for small business leaders. >>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations. Interview Insights Top 3 Takeaways Execute a successful strategy by leveraging language patterns to influence people to choose you and feel good about choosing you. Make it easy for your buyers to do business with you and support them in the process. Know your worth and use the tools and insights of behavioral economics to be confident in naming your price. Read the Show Notes from this Episode Paul McCartney became a legend even though he couldn't read sheet music. This surprising fact about the legendary ex-Beatle inspired Melina when she realized that you don't have to have the skill already present when you want to pursue something. [01:28] Behavioral economics decodes what makes us buy things. [03:49] Language is a very powerful determinant of what we buy or if our products get sold or not. [06:04] Melina discusses the five wording mistakes we need to avoid.[08:08] Why we should not be afraid to say our price. Melina shared a story of one of her clients who were hesitant to name her price but was both shocked and rewarded that the client wanted her most expensive package. [11:56] How do you use insights from behavioral economics to make prices attractive to your buyers? [13:57] What is the hot-cold empathy gap? [17:10] CASE: Steve asked for help with his company's messaging. With Melina's help, they took a complicated company statement into a simple question that is easy to understand and gets the customer thinking they need what is offered.[18:08] What does the elevator experiment show about nudges, or incorporating a bit of friction into an existing process, and how it can change buying outcomes? [23:58] What are some examples of reframes that help nudge people into changing behavior? When vs. if, anyone vs. everyone, and question vs. statement. [25:44] What about understanding the brain's rules makes it easier for people to choose you? [27:34] My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [28:23] Expert Bio Melina Palmer is the founder and CEO of The Brainy Business, which provides behavioral economics consulting to businesses of all sizes from around the world. Her podcast, The Brainy Business: Understanding the Psychology of Why People Buy, has downloads in over 170 countries and is used as a resource for teaching applied behavioral economics for many universities and businesses. Melina obtained her bachelor’s degree in business administration: and marketing and worked in corporate marketing and brand strategy for over a decade before earning her master’s in behavioral economics. A proud member of the Global Association of Applied Behavioral Scientists, Melina has contributed research to the Association for Consumer Research, Filene Research Institute, and writes the Behavioral Economics & Business column for Inc Magazine. She teaches applied behavioral economics through the Texas A&M Human Behavior Lab. Her first book, What Your Customer Wants and Can’t Tell You, was a finalist in two categories of the International Book Awards. Her second book, What Your Employees Need and Can’t Tell You,

Nikki Rausch, author of The Selling Staircase: Mastering the Art of Relationship Selling Bill Ringle and Nikki Rausch discuss relationship selling as working with your prospect to solve a problem and not at them to make a sale for small business leaders. >>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations. Interview Insights Top 3 Takeaways Selling is not about you; it is about the clients. Offer what the client needs, not what they can afford. Remember, we are not just selling to them; we are providing a solution for their problem. Selling is a process of building trust, creating curiosity, and discovering through conversations. Read the Show Notes from this Episode Nikki recalls working at her grandfather's tool store and how this experience honed her skills in selling. [01:00] Armed with experience and her grandfather's wisdom, Nikki was impressed at her first job, being so natural at selling she got promoted at eighteen. [02:35] Working for Hitachi America, Nikki observed Patrick, a more tenured employee who was not only killing it with sales but was creating customer loyalty. He taught her what it means to 'make it about the customers.' [06:52] Nikki talks about selling as a process: Building trust, creating curiosity, and discovery. [10:03] Selling, according to Nikki, starts at the discovery process because it is in this step where the conversation, virtually or in person, happens. [13:18] Lisa was a client of Nikki's who has her clients ready to take the next step with her. But Lisa was confused with the steps and was taking two steps back. [16:14] How to prospect a client. Nikki likens this to the difference between calling versus calling a dog. [23:34] Nikki talks about The Sales Maven Society and how this group didn't only become a place of learning but a community of people helping each other. [26:32] My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [31:25] Expert Bio CEO of Sales Maven, Nikki Rausch has the unique ability to transform the misunderstood process of “selling”. With 25+ years of selling experience, entrepreneurs and small business owners now hire Nikki to show them how to sell successfully and authentically. Nikki has written 3 books, all available on Amazon and she has a podcast called Sales Maven which you can find on your favorite podcast platform. Contact Info and Social Media for Nikki Rausch Primary website Travels from: Boise, ID Connect on: Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook Resources Mentioned During the Interview Below are key people, places, books, quotes, websites and other resources that we discussed, so you can explore further. The Sales Maven Podcast The Sales Maven Society Hitachi Published by Nikki Rausch

Cameron Herold, author of The Second in Command: Unleashing the Power of Your COO Bill Ringle and Cameron Herold discuss the role of the COO, the importance of matching the stage of the company and the relationship chemistry with the CEO, and when it is time for a COO to move on to another role or company for ambitious small business leaders. >>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations. Interview Insights Top 3 Takeaways from this Interview Your second in command must be the yin to your yang, complementing your skills, interests, and responsibilities. A talented CMO could work in almost any company and contribute to its success. A talented COO knows that they would need to find the right combination of company stage, industry, business model, and chemistry with the CEO to make significant contributions. An effective COO is essential to scaling your business. If strategic growth is stuck, check with your COO for their perspective before reviewing the sales performance metrics. Read the Show Notes from this Episode Cameron cites Thomas Edison's observation that "Vision without execution is hallucination." CASE: The story of how Brian Scudamore, founder and CEO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK hired Cameron as its first COO, employee 14. What can someone who reports to the CEO, as a COO, say, do to improve their relationship? Think of it like a good marriage. CASE: What was the story behind the conflict you resolved at 1-800-JUNK between the head of product and head of IT? How did you grow the COO Alliance during the pandemic lock down? How do you use the Kolbe assessment to make your COO Alliance members better leaders? How did you come to broaden your understanding of the many types of roles that COOs can play? Lessons from Clayton Mask, the founder of Infusionsoft and a Harvard Business Review article. Where did the double-double rule of thumb come from, where the management team that takes you through a revenue doubling twice probably needs to be updated or replaced? What's your approach to and experience with using ChatGPT and Open AI in your work? My Quest for the Best Lightning Round Begins When do you know it is time to move on as COO? Two parts -- one from the COO perspective and one from the CEO perspective. Expert Bio Cameron Herold has built a dynamic consultancy and his current clients include a 'Big 4' wireless carrier and a monarchy. He earned his reputation as the business growth guru by guiding his clients to double their profit and double their revenue in just three years or less. Cameron was an entrepreneur from day one. At age 21, he had 14 employees. By 35, he'd help build his first TWO $100 MILLION DOLLAR companies. By the age of 42, Cameron engineered 1-800-GOT-JUNK's spectacular growth from $2 Million to $106 Million in revenue and 3100 employees - and he did that in just six years. His companies landed over 5,200 media placements in that same six years, including coverage on Oprah. Not only does Cameron know how to grow businesses, but his delivery from the stage is second to none. Rich Karlgaard, publisher of Forbes magazine, stated: "Cameron Herold is THE BEST SPEAKER I've ever heard...he hits grand slams". When Cameron steps off the stage, he doesn't stop teaching. He is the author of the global best-selling business book DOUBLE DOUBLE, which is in its 8th printing and in multiple translations around the world.

Christopher Lee, author of Performance Conversations: How to Use Questions to Coach Employees, Improve Productivity, and Boost Confidence (Without Appraisals) Bill Ringle and Chris Lee discuss how your managers can adopt a coaching methodology to improve your business conversations and performance for small business leaders. >>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations. Interview Insights Top 3 Takeaways Waiting until the very end to give a performance review is doing your direct reports a disservice because it is a delay for improvement. You allowed your team to continue a substandard performance for a long time only to give them a bad review. Coach as soon as you can. Performance conversation, like any fruitful conversation, must be two-way. It is not just the leaders giving feedback and what their direct reports can change to improve performance, but also the employee can open up to their leaders and ask for help. Never let your personal biases affect your performance evaluation. Read the Show Notes from this Episode A.G Garson was a black millionaire business owner for Birmingham, Alabama, whose presence in their community was heavily felt by Chris and served as his most significant influence growing up. [01:04] Be 'forward-looking' in your performance conversations. Chris weighs in on why looking forward is fairer to employees. CASE 1: Sally, an A-tier employee, who performed great most of the year but didn't have the best start, was worried her early performance would shade her most recent performance. [02:34] Christopher explains the biases when leaders try to manage past performance, i.e., waiting until the end to give the bad news instead of correcting through coaching ASAP. [05:22] Christopher highlights the difference between a judge and a coach. [07:06] The mutually beneficial of coaches/leaders and their clients/direct reports. [09:08] Christopher reminds us that a conversation is two-way. For example, in a performance conversation, it is not just the manager who talks but also the employee who can ask for help. [12:15] CASE 2: Karen is an HR in the Pittsburgh area who had an issue with 'the tail wagging the dog.' How do we catch ourselves when we are being unfair with our judgments? [13:44] A performance conversation, as defined by Christopher, is structured and tailored. [16:07] A tip on how to create a positive performance conversation. [19:18] Expert Bio Chris is the chief human resources officer for William & Mary, the nation’s second-oldest university. Before this role, he was Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources for the Virginia Community College System, a network of 23 colleges serving over 200,000 students in the commonwealth. He has over 25 years of experience as a chief human resources officer in higher education, having worked at public and private institutions. He is a consummate human resource professional with experience as an author, consultant, lecturer, and accomplished practitioner. He is a former question writer for the PHR and SPHR examinations administered by the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI). He is the author of numerous human resources-related articles and four books, including Performance Conversations: How to Use Questions to Coach Employees, Improve Productivity, and Boost Confidence (Without Appraisals). He has presented at conferences and consulted with clients in the US, Canada, Australia,

Michael Neill, author of The Inside-Out Revolution: The Only Thing You Need to Know to Change Your Life Forever Bill Ringle and Michael Neill discuss ways to have and communicate a clear vision as a small business leader so that you and your people know how to contribute to success. >>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations. Interview Insights Top 3 Takeaways We do better when we live in what we’re thinking instead of living in our circumstances. Therefore, let’s control the content of our thinking so that we’re not exaggerating situations. Making mountains out of molehills creates fear, anxiety, and other negative emotions that if they grip us will cause us to make bad decisions. Work effortlessly, and that means without the tightness, the struggle, and the constant pressure. We can do more when we are in the flow state and aligning ourselves at the speed of life. Never re-establish or rebuild your business with discouragement as a foundation. Defeat this negative emotion before making business decisions. Read the Show Notes from this Episode "If we love what we do, it's going to improve. If we don't, that's probably not what we should be doing"- Michael shared this valuable lesson he learned from his father. [01:25] The message of the book Inside Out Revolution and the power of perceiving our reality. [03:18] How we get from the point of understanding, we can create our own story to owning our capacity to change it. [06:24] CASE 1: Alice is the wife of one of Michael's clients who turned her husband's behaviors into the source of her negative emotions. After a conversation with Michael, she could traverse from the point of creating reality to changing it. [07:30] CASE 2: Bob was a very burnt-out CEO whose emotional turmoil almost made him go through a very bad business decision. After venting his frustration to Michael, Bob could calm down, take a step back, and remember how he could run his business successfully for many years. Now Bob is 6 million dollars richer and running a business he loves. [10:35] Dr. George Pransky, Michael's former mentor, likened how our mind works to that of a race car. But instead of revolution per minute, the mind is measured per TPM- Thought Per Minute. [13:48] Moving towards the flow state. Michael talks about the 'seemingly effortless' way of doing things. [17:46] Introducing the new normal has not been a pleasant ride for many people. Michael shares his observations on why some thrived when many failed and the qualities these people possess. [18:32] CASE 3: Fred was a CEO who had all stacks against him when the lockdowns were implemented. Owning bars, music venues, and restaurants, he belongs to the industry that was hit the most by this. But Fred did not re-establish his business with discouragement as a baseline. While the lockdown was not the best for him, he managed a sustainable burn rate. [20:47] The Las Vegas gambling metaphor and how people can tap into their sense of power and ease with their business. [24:31] My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [26:42] Expert Bio Michael Neill is an internationally renowned transformative teacher, author, broadcaster, and speaker, described as having the unique ability to “blend the sacred with the profane.” The inside-out understanding at the heart of his work challenges the cultural mythology that stress, pressure, and other symptoms of “seriousness” are necessary for adaptation and growth ...

Tim Elmore, author of The Eight Paradoxes of Great Leadership: Embracing the Conflicting Demands of Today's Workplace Tim Elmore and Bill Ringle discuss how leaders today need a stronger cognitive to deal with the wide range of education, expectations, exposure, and emotions that employees bring to their work. >>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today's top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations. Interview Insights Top 3 Takeaways Leadership is not a feature but an identity. The fastest way to influence people is through serving and problem-solving. Do not attempt to control the outcome. Instead, influence it when you can. Read the Show Notes from this Episode Tim fondly recalls the first time he spoke in front of an audience and shared his appreciation for Sean Mitchell, the man who gave him the opportunity.[01:13] The negatives and the positives of having talent. [03:53] John Maxwell mentored Tim over 20 years. What was the most valuable skill that John Maxwell taught Tim Elmore? How to have a difficult conversation. [05:04] What is true leadership and what makes it a challenge to execute consistently? [08:16] Introducing the three buckets of Habitudes: What is in your control, what isn't, and what you can influence. [09:11] Why are most managers guilty of confusing the influence bucket with the control bucket? Mixing up what you can control with what you can only influence. [10:28] CASE: Terry was a leader who is a poster boy of why it is dangerous to lead with too much confidence and no humility. [13:32]: What is the Dunning-Kruger effect? What happens when people lead with ignorance and confidence. [15:30] CASE: Dennis was a Chick-fil-A manager with a drinking problem that affected his workplace. After discovering this, Truett Cathy showed the door to Dennis. What door did Truett Cathy show his manager? The door to improvement. [16:23] How do you hand over the reins of leadership like a boss? Examples from Martin Luther King and Truett Cathy. [19:06] Tim created a new Habitude called clean the windows: Giving your team the freedom to work things their way but making the result you want to be achieved explicit. [24:22] Isaac Newton is a perfect example of achieving exemplary results without supervision. [25:41] My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [26:50] Expert Bio Dr. Tim Elmore is the founder and CEO of Growing Leaders, an Atlanta-based non‐profit organization that was created to develop emerging leaders. His work grew out of 20 years of serving alongside Dr. John C. Maxwell. Elmore has appeared in The Wall StreetJournal, The Washington Post, USA Today, Psychology Today, and he’s been featured on CNN’sHeadline News and Fox and Friends to talk about leading multiple generations in themarketplace. He has written over 35 books, including Habitudes: Images That Form LeadershipHabits and Attitudes. Contact Info and Social Media for Tim Elmore Primary website Travels from: Peachtree Corners, GA Connect on: Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook Resources Mentioned During the Interview Below are key people, places, books, quotes, websites, and other resources that we discussed, so you can explore further. Truett Cathy John Maxwell Martin Luther King Dunning-Kruger effect Steve Robinson Isaac Newton What are The 8 Paradoxes of Great Leadership? Paradox One: Uncommon Leaders Balance Both Confidence and Humility