Success Beneath the Surface

In our last episode, Deborah interviewed Kyle Buckett, a retired member of the elite US Navy SEALs. Today, she focuses on one specific segment from that conversation where Kyle shares his insights on building high-performing teams and the parallels between military leadership and the business world. As a CEO, your role is to define a clear mission and assemble a team of leaders who can work together to achieve the impossible. Kyle's unique perspective, drawing from his experiences in both military and civilian settings, offers valuable lessons for anyone looking to create a culture of excellence in their organization. Listen to the full interview here: EP57: Lessons from a SEAL - Culture Improvement with Culture Fit to Build Your Elite Team Links from this episode: Kyle Buckett's book Culture Force Kyle Buckett on LinkedIn Deborah Fell on LinkedIn Chief Outsiders About Kyle Buckett: Kyle Buckett is an unshakable idealist who believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together through developing strong cultures. Kyle’s WHY is to refine and create positive cultures that attract great people. He believes great people working together make elite teams. Elite teams make organizations elite. And when you have elite organizations striving for excellence in their missions, the world is a much better place! With a vision to change the way businesses think, act, and operate, Kyle and his team work with leaders and organizations in nearly every industry to help transform company culture and create a better working world. As a retired Navy SEAL leader, board member, and former COO and CHRO of a publicly traded company, Kyle has discovered remarkable patterns in how some of the greatest movements in history were led by self-lead teams. He is fascinated by the people and organizations that make the greatest, lasting impact on the world. He has devoted his life to sharing his thinking, and leading movements to inspire people to do the things that inspire them.

Deborah Fell welcomes Kyle Buckett, a former Navy SEAL and author of "Leadership is Overrated." Buckett shares lessons from his military career and consulting work, emphasizing the importance of trust, delegating authority, and developing leaders at all levels. "Great people working together really makes elite teams. And when you have elite teams, you have organizations that become elite," Buckett notes. Listen to this episode, "Lessons from a SEAL: Culture Improvement with Culture Fit to Build Your Elite Team," to discover insights that can help transform your organization's culture and performance. Links from this episode: Kyle Buckett's book Culture Force Kyle Buckett on LinkedIn Deborah Fell on LinkedIn Chief Outsiders About Kyle Buckett: Kyle Buckett is an unshakable idealist who believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together through developing strong cultures. Kyle’s WHY is to refine and create positive cultures that attract great people. He believes great people working together make elite teams. Elite teams make organizations elite. And when you have elite organizations striving for excellence in their missions, the world is a much better place! With a vision to change the way businesses think, act, and operate, Kyle and his team work with leaders and organizations in nearly every industry to help transform company culture and create a better working world. As a retired Navy SEAL leader, board member, and former COO and CHRO of a publicly traded company, Kyle has discovered remarkable patterns about how some of the greatest movements in history were led by self lead teams. He is fascinated by the people and organizations that make the greatest, lasting impact on the world. He has devoted his life to sharing his thinking, and leading movements to inspire people to do the things that inspire them.

In this commentary, Deborah Fell reflects on her conversation with Joe Grace from the previous episode. She relates Joe's insights to her experience working with a trampoline park client in Canada whose business was threatened by new competitors. Deborah describes how she helped the client segment their customer database, tailor messaging and offers, and improve the customer experience, ultimately allowing them to recover lost revenue and grow the business. She emphasizes the importance of deeply understanding the customer and focusing on the details of the 360-degree experience. Deborah then highlights a clip from the Joe Grace interview where he discusses his success with direct-to-consumer marketing of the Thighmaster in the 80s and 90s, and how the insights he gained about marketing to women proved valuable in later turning around WebMD's struggling business. Links from this episode: JGrace@ChiefOutsiders.com Joe Grace on LinkedIn Chief Outsiders Profile page

In a world where brands struggle to connect with their audience, Joe Grace, Partner at Chief Outsiders and a seasoned marketer, shares his insights on the power of authentic storytelling and omnichannel marketing. From transforming WebMD into a household name to launching successful products like the Suzanne Somers Thighmaster, Joe's unique approach has consistently delivered results. He emphasizes the importance of understanding your target audience, crafting a genuine brand positioning, and adapting your story as competition emerges. Drawing from his diverse background in business and the film industry, Joe reveals how weaving together compelling narratives and leveraging the right mix of media channels can accelerate your company's growth. Join Deborah as she delves into Joe's wealth of experience and uncovers the secrets to captivating your customers through authenticity. About Deborah's Guest, Joe Grace: For over 25 years, Joe has disrupted industries, introduced new products, grown market share, accelerated growth, and built brands with the power and efficiency of direct-to-consumer marketing strategies. As the Head of Marketing at WebMD, Joe developed and executed the marketing strategy that grew WebMD into the most trusted source for online health information with over 40 million registered members. As a Partner with Chief Outsiders since 2011, Joe has created growth strategies for a broad range of healthcare companies, including Pharma, medical devices, providers, payors, and more. Links from this episode: JGrace@ChiefOutsiders.com Joe Grace on LinkedIn Chief Outsiders Profile page

In episode 49 of Success Beneath the Surface, host Deborah Fell spoke with Torey Carter Conneen, CEO of the American Society of Landscape Architects. One key theme was simplifying complexity. As the leader of a trade association with diverse constituents, Torey sees his role as uniting everyone around a shared mission. Deborah reflects that whether in complex organizations like Torey's or simpler ones, complexity can quickly arise from a lack of listening and leadership. Without the air of inspiration, problem-solving focus, and commitment to achieving better outcomes together, complexity takes over. Torey shares how his roles have been driven by a deep connection to organizational missions and purposes that align with his own values. About Torey Carter-Conneen An accomplished executive leader with over 20 years of experience, Torey Carter Conneen formulates strategies and plans to drive organizational success. As COO of AILA, he oversees operations, education, conferences, publications, finance, and more to support the 15,000+ immigration attorney members. He led the development of strategic and operating plans and ensured accountability against goals. As SVP, Finance, and CFO at the Center for American Progress, he oversaw accounting, administration, and IT for the $50M organization and advised the President & CEO as part of the executive team. As Acting President & CEO of the Victory Fund and Institute, he partnered with leaders and the Board on strategic, operating, and financial plans during the CEO’s sabbatical. He excels at managing deadlines and challenges while delivering immediate results. Skilled at cultivating engaging work environments to promote performance excellence. Torey Carter-Conneen on LinkedIn Deborah Fell on LinkedIn Chief Outsiders

In this insightful commentary episode of Success Beneath the Surface, host Deborah Fell shares her key takeaways from her conversation with Alexei Miller, Managing Director of DataArt. Discover the secrets behind DataArt's impressive employee referral and loyalty metrics, which have remained strong over decades of growth. Alexei emphasizes the importance of a culture-based organization, where informal ties, trust, and freedom fuel employee longevity and willingness to refer others. However, as the company scales, maintaining this culture becomes increasingly challenging. Alexei candidly discusses the difficulties of passing on the company's culture to new hires as DataArt expands rapidly. Despite these challenges, DataArt's employee loyalty metrics remain high compared to industry standards. To dive deeper into Alexei's masterclass on building culture and retaining people, be sure to listen to the full episode: EP52: Humble Beginnings to Global Success - The DataArt Story Links from this episode: Alexei Miller on LinkedIn DataArt Deborah Fell on LinkedIn Chief Outsiders About Alexei Miller: Alexei Miller is a Managing Director at DataArt. He leads strategic sales and client engagement efforts for global technology consultancy, focusing on IT strategy, new system development, and technology innovation. Alexei joined DataArt when the company was founded, in 1997, and was elected to the Board of Directors in 2002. Over the past two decades, he has been overseeing product and service development, delivery, sales and management of key accounts and has built DataArt’s Finance practice. Alexei has been instrumental in establishing DataArt’s position as a global technology leader dedicated to service excellence and helping to significantly grow the company's operations on a global scale.

Step into the world of Alexei Miller, managing director at DataArt, as he engages in a captivating discussion with host, Deborah Fell on Success Beneath the Surface. Alexei's story is one of curiosity, adaptability, and the power of a strong company culture, from his humble beginnings in a little town in the north of Russia, beyond the polar circle, to his 27-year journey to being part of a team leading DataArt, a global software engineering firm. He shares his insights on fostering employee loyalty, navigating the ever-changing landscape of AI, and creating an environment where people can thrive. Alexei's passion for his work and people shines through in this thought-provoking conversation, leaving listeners with valuable lessons on leadership and success in the tech industry. Tune in for an engaging exploration of what it takes to build a company that stands the test of time. Links from this episode: Alexei Miller on LinkedIn DataArt Deborah Fell on LinkedIn Chief Outsiders About Alexei Miller: Alexei Miller is a Managing Director at DataArt. He leads strategic sales and client engagement efforts for global technology consultancy, focusing on IT strategy, new system development, and technology innovation. Alexei joined DataArt when the company was founded, in 1997, and was elected to the Board of Directors in 2002. Over the past two decades, he has been overseeing product and service development, delivery, sales and management of key accounts and has built DataArt’s Finance practice. Alexei has been instrumental in establishing DataArt’s position as a global technology leader dedicated to service excellence and helping to significantly grow the company's operations on a global scale.

In this episode, Deborah shares her anticipation for the upcoming Chief Outsiders National Conference, where she will be recapping the event and conducting insightful interviews. Reflecting on the growth and success of Chief Outsiders over the years, Deborah emphasizes the importance of vision casting and fostering a culture of collaboration. As we look forward to the conference highlights, Deborah encourages listeners to revisit Art Saxby's full episode for valuable insights on strategic growth. Stay tuned for exciting recaps and interviews from the conference on "Success Beneath the Surface"! EP25: Scaling Your Business - Curiosity and Leadership

Deborah Fell unpacks key insights on gaining alignment from her conversation with Torey Carter-Conneen, CEO of the American Society of Landscape Architects. With multiple stakeholders to consider, Torey shares how he approaches creating change and uniting his team behind a common vision. Deborah reflects on how a lack of alignment in an organization, though often invisible, manifests in lower scores and sales momentum. Torey stresses the "trust equation" - communicating the why behind decisions while listening carefully to staff and members. For CEOs leading their teams through change, this commentary offers takeaways on fostering trust and strategic alignment. Tune in to hear Torey's advice on maintaining focus amidst competing priorities. About Torey Carter-Conneen An accomplished executive leader with over 20 years of experience, Torey Carter Conneen formulates strategies and plans to drive organizational success. As COO of AILA, he oversees operations, education, conferences, publications, finance, and more to support the 15,000+ immigration attorney members. He led the development of strategic and operating plans and ensured accountability against goals. As SVP, Finance, and CFO at the Center for American Progress, he oversaw accounting, administration, and IT for the $50M organization and advised the President & CEO as part of the executive team. As Acting President & CEO of the Victory Fund and Institute, he partnered with leaders and the Board on strategic, operating, and financial plans during the CEO’s sabbatical. He excels at managing deadlines and challenges while delivering immediate results. Skilled at cultivating engaging work environments to promote performance excellence. Listen to his full episode here. Links from this episode: Torey Carter-Conneen on LinkedIn Deborah Fell on LinkedIn Chief Outsiders

Do you aspire to lead with purpose and service? This week’s Success Beneath the Surface podcast features a remarkable discussion with Torey Carter Conneen, CEO of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Host Deborah Fell artfully draws out Conneen's inspiring path to nonprofit leadership guided by his family’s ethos of community service. From his first nonprofit role out of college to helming major associations today, Conneen walks the talk of mission-driven business. He shares the CEO mindset needed to align strategy with core values during difficult decisions, constantly engaging stakeholders while moving change forward. For growth leaders who want their organizations to balance purpose, service and sustainability while thriving financially, this is an episode you can’t miss. Tune in for an uplifting dose of wisdom. About Torey Carter-Conneen An accomplished executive leader with over 20 years of experience, Torey Carter Conneen formulates strategies and plans to drive organizational success. As COO of AILA, he oversees operations, education, conferences, publications, finance, and more to support the 15,000+ immigration attorney members. He led the development of strategic and operating plans and ensured accountability against goals. As SVP, Finance, and CFO at the Center for American Progress, he oversaw accounting, administration, and IT for the $50M organization and advised the President & CEO as part of the executive team. As Acting President & CEO of the Victory Fund and Institute, he partnered with leaders and the Board on strategic, operating, and financial plans during the CEO’s sabbatical. He excels at managing deadlines and challenges while delivering immediate results. Skilled at cultivating engaging work environments to promote performance excellence. Torey Carter-Conneen on LinkedIn Deborah Fell on LinkedIn Chief Outsiders

When established "truths" in business become outdated, companies that fail to adapt often struggle. In this episode commentary, host Deborah Fell explores a Mark Twain quote on questioning assumptions with guest Barry Traylor, co-founder of Sales Mastery. Barry explains why the "perfect prospect profile" can limit a company's vision and relationships. He advocates customizing outreach to understand individual customers’ needs better rather than treating everyone equally. He also discusses how adding value and sharing insights, not just selling, builds meaningful business connections over time. For growth-focused executives, re-evaluating internal "certainties" periodically and implementing more nuanced, customer-centric strategies can yield better long-term results. Link to Barry's full episode here. About Barry Trailer Barry is Co-Founder of Sales Mastery Advisors, a sales research and advisory services firm started in 2018. Earlier, he was the founder and CEO of a successful SMB CRM company (acquired in 2000) before co-founding and helping lead CSO Insights, which he and his partner sold to Miller Heiman (2015-2017). Barry has been published three times in Harvard Business Review, most recently in Nov-Dec 2022, and has twice been the keynote at their Sales Summit in Poland. He is an Accenture Luminary and has been involved in complex B2B sales for over 35 years. He’s intrigued with how it’s changed/changing and what this means to Sales as a Profession (SaaP). Links from this episode: Barry Trailer on LinkedIn Sales Mastery website Sales Master on YouTube Deborah Fell on LinkedIn Chief Outsiders

Learn how to boost your company's sales strategy. Deborah and her guest, Barry Trailer, Co-Founder of Sales Mastery Advisors, discuss research-backed approaches to building customer relationships and implementing effective sales processes. Discover common pitfalls in forecasting, analytics, and sales team structure and how to avoid them. You will gain insights from Barry on shifting dynamics between buyers and sellers, plus practical steps to capture more business. Whether you lead a startup or enterprise company, this episode provides battle-tested wisdom to navigate uncertain waters and accelerate revenue growth. About Barry Trailer Barry is Co-Founder of Sales Mastery Advisors, a sales research and advisory services firm started in 2018. Earlier, he was the founder and CEO of a successful SMB CRM company (acquired in 2000) before co-founding and helping lead CSO Insights, which he and his partner sold to Miller Heiman (2015-2017). Barry has been published three times in Harvard Business Review, most recently in Nov-Dec 2022, and has twice been the keynote at their Sales Summit in Poland. He is an Accenture Luminary and has been involved in complex B2B sales for over 35 years. He’s intrigued with how it’s changed/changing and what this means to Sales as a Profession (SaaP). Links from this episode: Barry Trailer on LinkedIn Sales Mastery website Sales Master on YouTube Deborah Fell on LinkedIn Chief Outsiders

In this week's episode of Success Beneath the Surface, host Deborah Fell gives commentary on her conversation with turnaround executive Andrei Soran on balancing profitability and access in the healthcare industry. Having spent his career improving healthcare organizations, Andrei provides valuable insights into the opposing forces at play, where the drive for profits conflicts with the moral imperative to provide care. As Deborah notes, these dynamics place immense pressure on leaders to make difficult trade-offs. Tune in to hear more from Andrei on how countries around the world are grappling with this "balancing act" and his thoughts on how for-profit and nonprofit models can learn from each other. To access the full discussion from last week's episode, listen here. About Andrei Soran: Chairman ConnectNet and Principal eXact Partners A strategic health system leader, Andrei leverages 25+ years of CEO experience driving growth, turnarounds, and value creation for hospitals and health systems. He has led multiple successful acquisitions, restructures, and exits, building high-performing teams and aligning stakeholders. Passionate about quality, safety, and physician relationships, Andrei partners closely with medical staff to champion patient care. Most recently, he steered Pipeline Health through an in-court restructuring, paving the path to financial sustainability. Andrei has turned around numerous hospitals, including boosting Detroit Medical System’s EBITDA by $100M. With prowess spanning operations, technology, and vision-setting, his analytical abilities and empathetic leadership equip him to solve complex strategic challenges. About eXact: Today, we’ve been highlighting an organization that has been making waves in the business world – eXact. eXact is the leader in healthcare organizational restructuring and business turnaround. At eXact, you'll find a team of seasoned executives who specialize in guiding healthcare companies through complex and uncertain times. They understand the challenges businesses face and are here to help you navigate them. eXact offers tailored solutions that establish effective organizational frameworks, revamp your operational processes, and transform your business strategies. So, whether you're experiencing financial turmoil or need a fresh approach to revitalize your business, eXact has the expertise you need. To learn more about how eXact can help your company thrive, visit their website at exactleaders.com. Links from this episode: Andrei Soran on LinkedIn Deborah Fell on LinkedIn Chief Outsiders

When hospitals face financial distress, every decision becomes crucial and partners like lenders gain outsized influence. Yet few leadership teams have deep expertise in navigating corporate turnarounds. This lack of experience can lead to missed opportunities and severe consequences. What struggling hospitals need are advisors intimately familiar with managing cash crunches, forecasting future runways, and making bold moves when required. Andrei Soran and his team of seasoned healthcare executives have led successful restructurings and helped organizations strategically shrink certain services to reallocate resources. They understand hospital economics better than any generalized consulting firm. Their relationships with lenders can smooth the path to recapitalization. By complementing leadership capabilities, they can create plans addressing immediate threats while positioning for long-term viability. During this industry crisis, partnering with their turnaround specialists could prove transformational for many hospitals. About Andrei Soran: Chairman ConnectNet and Principal eXact Partners A strategic health system leader, Andrei leverages 25+ years of CEO experience driving growth, turnarounds, and value creation for hospitals and health systems. He has led multiple successful acquisitions, restructures, and exits, building high-performing teams and aligning stakeholders. Passionate about quality, safety, and physician relationships, Andrei partners closely with medical staff to champion patient care. Most recently, he steered Pipeline Health through an in-court restructuring, paving the path to financial sustainability. Andrei has turned around numerous hospitals, including boosting Detroit Medical System’s EBITDA by $100M. With prowess spanning operations, technology, and vision-setting, his analytical abilities and empathetic leadership equip him to solve complex strategic challenges. About eXact: Today, we’ve been highlighting an organization that has been making waves in the business world – eXact. eXact is the leader in healthcare organizational restructuring and business turnaround. At eXact, you'll find a team of seasoned executives who specialize in guiding healthcare companies through complex and uncertain times. They understand the challenges businesses face and are here to help you navigate them. eXact offers tailored solutions that establish effective organizational frameworks, revamp your operational processes, and transform your business strategies. So, whether you're experiencing financial turmoil or need a fresh approach to revitalize your business, eXact has the expertise you need. To learn more about how eXact can help your company thrive, visit their website at exactleaders.com. Links from this episode: Andrei Soran on LinkedIn Deborah Fell on LinkedIn Chief Outsiders

We return to our conversation with Nancie McDonnell Ruder, CEO and founder of Noetic Consulting, to highlight her uplifting perspective on bringing passion and purpose to her work. As Nancie shares, she derives “peace of mind” and “happiness” from leading a company focused on “dynamic positivity” in supporting clients. She explains how Noetic aims to provide both conceptual guidance and practical implementation to drive real change, fueling her motivation. Nancie’s outlook exemplifies the kind of meaningful impact we seek to create through our conversations - where leaders can connect and learn from each other's experiences in growing thriving, values-driven organizations. Her words are an inspiration for staying centered on what drives us individually while creating value for others. Listen to her full episode here. Noetic Links from this episode: https://noeticconsultants.com/ Nancie's book, "How Senior Marketers Scale Heights"

In this Success Beneath the Surface commentary episode, host Deborah Fell reflects back on her conversation with Brad Waid, a Futurist and AI expert also known as "The Curious Pragmatist." Brad embraces new technologies quickly due to his innate curiosity. He then brings these learnings into his work - originally as a teacher engaging students, and now as a global speaker informing audiences of AI's potential benefits as well as areas needing thoughtful consideration. Deborah and Brad highlight his ability to balance optimism about progress with pragmatism about potential pitfalls. His diverse use cases and emphasis on improved lives and humanity exhibit this dual perspective. To learn more about Brad's views on augmenting our world through technology, be sure to check out the full interview. The full episode is here: EP41: Augmented Worlds Beckon the Curious Pragmatist Links from today's episode: Brad Waid on LinkedIn Website Chief Outsiders

Do you feel your company's brand lacks purpose and focus? Is your brand failing to connect emotionally with customers? As CEO, you recognize the importance of brand, yet struggle with how to fortify it amid economic uncertainty. This week's Success Beneath The Surface podcast tackles that challenge. Host Deborah Fell interviews Nancie McDonnell Ruder, founder of Noetic Consulting, on the intersection of brand, culture, and growth. With over 20 years of advising executives, Nancie provides tangible advice on how to strengthen brand affinity and awareness. Learn a framework for brand measurement to benchmark progress. Hear strategies to activate brand throughout your organization for maximum impact. Whether seeking to reinvigorate a tired brand or inject purpose into a new one, this episode delivers actionable insights to drive growth by deepening customer relationships. Noetic Links from this episode: https://noeticconsultants.com/ Nancie's book, "How Senior Marketers Scale Heights"

What if you could preview the future before it arrives? Our guest today, Brad Waid, provides that sneak peek. As a former third-grade teacher turned AI expert and futurist, Brad has a gift for making complex innovations understandable and relatable. Listen in as Brad paints a vivid picture of how artificial intelligence, virtual worlds, digital twins, and more are poised to transform education, business, healthcare and our daily lives. With contagious optimism and examples that make “someday” feel like today, he leaves us curiously and optimistically imagining the extraordinary possibilities ahead. So tune in and catch a glimpse of the promising future in store through Brad’s unique and accessible lens! Links from today's episode: Brad Waid on LinkedIn Website Chief Outsiders

There are patterns we see for successful CEOs. The underlying factor for true success, meaning that the company grows, people want to work there and want to give it their all seems to be grounded in gratitude. Deborah is focusing on four successful CEOs in this episode with highlights of the gratitude that was loud and clear in their full episodes. Today she is highlighting Tien Wong, Lena Petrova, Amy Bielski, and Charles Dobens. We hope you enjoy this short commentary, "Gratitude Sets the Tone for Success." Here are the links to the full episodes with each of these guests: TIEN WONG EP38: Organic Relationship Building Over Forced Initiatives LENA PETROVA EP36: AI Ignites a Creative Content Renaissance AMY BIELSKI EP32 Keep People at the Center and Your Company Will Grow CHARLES DOBENS EP28: LEGACIES CREATED - Multi-family Triumphs and Reimagining Hotels

Last week on Success Beneath the Surface, host Deborah Fell spoke with Tien Wong about the power of connections. Wong started ConnectPreneur over a decade ago to facilitate more regular forums for investors, entrepreneurs, and professionals in the DC/Mid-Atlantic area to connect and collaborate. A key insight Wong shared is that an engaged, diverse network structured for open interaction has emergent value - it can catalyze growth beyond what any individual could design. ConnectPreneur has enabled over 500 companies to receive funding through its community. As Wong emphasized, leveraging networks is not about personal gain, but enabling collective growth. Thriving innovation ecosystems arise from diverse people coming together, not closed circles. Links from this episode: Full episode CONNECTPreneur Tien Wong on LinkedIn Deborah Fell on LinkedIn Chief Outsiders