Leadership Essentials

The world of startups can feel like running into nothing but closed doors. Rejection is all but guaranteed. So what do you do when you get a ‘no’? Just say next and remember that persistence always wins. This insight comes from today’s guest Judy Robinett, a thought leader and “super connector” who’s spent a career enhancing the growth and profitability of those around her. Her latest book, Cracking The Funding Code: How Investors Think and What They Need to Hear to Fund Your Startup, is chock-full of financially sound advice for up-and-coming entrepreneurs. In this episode, Judy and host Skip Lineberg got on the line to talk about her naïve entrepreneurial beginnings, the three C’s that investors seek and one of the most critical networking mistakes people make. The conversation also jumps into the three golden questions for connecting, important leadership skills for funding, and the importance of teamwork. With helpful tips on money and much more, this installment of Leadership Essentials will keep your n

Half of startups fail in the first five years. 70% fail within ten. With stats like that, it can be daunting trying to figure out finances while navigating the world of startups. But according to Maria Aspan, an award-winning business journalist and Inc. Magazine editor-at-large, by focusing on the right tactics, success doesn’t have to be as elusive as it seems. With a wealth of knowledge and examples from some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, Maria spent time with host Skip Lineberg to talk about the topics of leadership, culture, creating a business and her new book Startup Money Made Easy: The Inc. Guide to Every Financial Question About Starting, Running, and Growing Your Business. Today’s discussion covers key characteristics of the best leaders, telling big picture stories through the lense of small businesses and not using money you can’t afford to lose. Maria also sheds light on how to decide your funding strategy, the vital importance of writing a business plan, and the one necessary i

Whether you’re a morning person or not, if you want to maximize the quality of your work and life there’s one sure fire way to set yourself up for success: don’t snooze. According to Drs. Rob and Kirti Carter, the pursuit to becoming a better leader, thinker and person is a matter of implementing practical, daily habits and their research has shown that it all starts with those waking hours. Their advice? If you win the morning, you win the day. Rob and Kirti Carter’s quest to improve life through positive thinking and productive imagination lead them to write their new book The Morning Mind: Use Your Brain to Master Your Day and Supercharge Your Life. Noted human performance experts, the Carters sat down with our host Skip Lineberg to talk about why mornings are so difficult, the myth of night owls and morning larks, and whether you should get rid of your coffee or not. They also dive deep into the lizard versus wizard brain, the benefits of being present, the science of smell and the habit loop. Get your no

What makes more sense – rewiring women’s personalities to conform to an outdated system or rewiring the system to better meet the needs of a diverse workforce? That’s the question that writer, author, and speaker Marissa Orr faced after realizing the common prescription for female success was to act more like men. Frustrated with this approach, she set out to change this antiquated mindset and create a new definition for success. In an idea that counters the popular idea of leaning in, Orr encourages women to fight the gender gap in her new book Lean Out: The Truth About Women, Power, and the Workplace. In this episode, Marissa lays the framework for how to succeed as a leader when your talents don’t align with traditional male-defined leadership standards. She also touches on the topics of what control looks like for effective managers, defining success outside of the narrow parameters of the corporate ladder and well-being versus winning. It’s an empowering and authentic thirty minutes that will have you r

Why are women the world’s most powerful consumers and how do you market to them? It’s a simple question that has perplexed even the biggest businesses. This week, we’re taking a deep dive into the subject with someone who has made their career researching women’s buying patterns and sharing their voices with businesses worldwide. Considered the #1 speaker on women consumers, our guest today is Bridget Brennan. Today, she’s talking to host Skip Lineberg about the women’s multiplier effect, the four key motivators that influence women’s buying decisions, the “double duty, half the time” trend and a whole lot more. From NFL teams and cosmetics companies to indie bike shops and furniture stores, this episode is packed with examples and ideas to help you create a true competitive advantage and win women’s business no matter what industry you’re in. In addition to being a sought-after speaker and author, Bridget is the CEO of the strategic consultancy Female Factor. She’s a contributing writer on the subject of mar

How can you unleash more of your organization’s own talent and energy to invent the next big win in an innovation-driven economy? What do you need to do to keep your business agile and flexible amidst an everchanging professional environment? In this episode of Leadership Essentials we’re sitting down with best-selling author and renowned innovation expert Dr. Simone Ahuja to get to the bottom of these questions and more. As the founder of the innovation and strategy consulting group Blood Orange, Simone spends her time helping clients in all stages of innovation from ideation to execution. She is a regular columnist for the Harvard Business Review online and the author of the new book Disrupt It Yourself: Eight Ways to Hack a Better Business Before the Competition Does. Simone speaks regularly to Fortune 1000 companies and has devoted her career to the art of disruptive innovation. Today’s discussion covers the difference between entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and DIY-ers, cultivating a disruptive culture, o

This inaugural episode of Leadership Essentials features John C. Maxwell, New York Times bestselling author and internationally recognized coach and speaker, as he shares with us his latest book, Leadershift: 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace. John covers the importance of attitude and willingness, the difference between paths and plans, and shifting a team from uniformity to diversity. As a regular speaker to the world’s top leaders, you won’t want to miss John’s advice on living intentionally, connecting with millennials, and being growth-oriented in this jam-packed, thought-provoking episode of Leadership Essentials, hosted by Skip Lineberg.     Visit HCLeadershipEssentials.com or text the word “Leader” to 474747 for free resources relating to this and other podcasts.   Learn More John Maxwell Team EQUIP John Maxwell Leadership Foundation