Absolute Advantage Podcast

Elise Keith is the self-described “Meeting Maven” and the author of Where the Action Is: The Meetings That Make or Break Your Organization. She is the co-founder of Lucid Meetings, a consultancy that helps organizations develop and scale effective meeting habits. Elise is also the “Ask the Meeting Maven” columnist for Inc. Magazine, where she has written numerous articles on holding more effective and productive meetings. Prior to co-founding her company, Elise worked in the software industry for more than a decade. Elise believes that it is possible to conduct business meetings that are engaging, enjoyable and productive. She has dedicated herself to helping other organizations turn their meetings from boring-but-mandatory workday intrusions into dynamic, energetic and useful tools to help simplify communications and get things done. — Meetings. We all know them as a “necessary evil” that we are forced to endure during our work week. The broadly-held consensus is that they are disruptive, pointless, tedious

Andie Kramer is a partner at international legal firm McDermott Will & Emery LLP, where she serves as the head of the Financial Products, Trading and Derivatives Group. She is also the founding chair and current co-chair of the firm’s Gender Diversity Committee. She has previously served on the Management Committee and Compensation Committee at McDermott Will & Emery. Outside of her practice, Andie is a nationally recognized advocate for the advancement of women, having helped countless women navigate obvious and subtle gender biases in their careers. Al Harris was a founding partner of the law firm Ungaretti & Harris, which later merged into the national law firm of Nixon Peabody LLP. All served as managing partner and as a member of the firm’s Executive and Compensation Committees. Al recognizes the barriers that women often are forced to navigate in male-dominated settings. Together with Andie, Al co-authored “Taking Control: Women, Gender Stereotypes, and Impression Management”. Together, Andi

Elise Auxier is an expert in leadership development. Elise helps her clients transform their limiting beliefs, reduce stress and gain clarity, and channel their passion and energy into their work in powerful new ways. Elise is the owner of Gulfcoast Coaching and an International Coach Federation-certified professional executive and life coach. Elise is a certified master practitioner of the “Energy Leadership Index”, which she uses to help her clients better understand themselves and how their perceptions, attitudes, behaviors and beliefs either enhance or detract from their leadership abilities. Elise believes that when we are under stress, we feel powerless and lethargic or angry and trapped in conflict. These emotions can follow us into our roles as leaders… if we allow these thoughts to dominate our behavior. Fortunately, this doesn’t have to be the case. If we take the time to understand ourselves and where we are in the “seven levels of energy”, we can reframe our stress into a more positive thought pro

Karen Brown is an executive-level business and leadership coach, motivational speaker, author, and CEO. Her company, Velocity Leadership Consulting, brings exceptional leadership training to the C-suite with their high performance results-driven methods. Karen knows a lot about performance. For almost thirty years, she dreamed of competing in the Ironman World Championships triathlon. Her internal voice kept telling her she couldn’t hope to compete, and so she continually set her dream aside… until the day she overcame her own limiting beliefs and challenged herself. She hired a coach and began training in earnest, and through passion and tenacity she crossed the finish line two years after she started her training. In her journey from recreational athlete to world-class competitor, Karen was able to transform her limiting beliefs into “unlimiting beliefs” and unleash her potential by tapping into her subconscious mind. This became the foundation of Karen’s book, Unlimiting Your Beliefs: 7 Keys to Greater Suc

Paresh Shah is a remarkable person. He is the CEO and co-founder of Lifters, an organization promoting a new model of business leadership that seeks to strength leaders and their teams, promote employee engagement, value diversity, and develop purpose and social responsibility. He is the co-founder and Chief Strategist of the Non-Obvious company, an organization specializing in innovation and out-of-the-box thinking. Paresh is a global thought leader, having conducted business in 30 countries across the world. He is a keynote speaker, and has spoken at TedX Hong Kong, SXSW and an extensive list of other impressive venues. His work has been published in Inc. Magazine and Forbes, and he has been recognized by both the United Nations and His Holiness the Dalai Lama as a true force for international peace and compassion. Additionally, Paresh is a trained and respected mindfulness yogi. A cornerstone of Paresh’s work lies in the belief that business leaders are uniquely positioned to make a lasting, positive impac

Adam Hergenrother is a widely respected speaker and business coach, as well as the founder and CEO of Hergenrother Realty Group and co-owner and CEO of BlackRock Construction, both companies he turned into thriving enterprises within just 10 years. Adam is an expert in helping business leaders chart a path to success. Success for Adam means more than just wealth, it means going beyond mediocrity in all aspects of his life. At the age of 15, Adam decided that he didn’t want to live a life of mediocrity. He turned his life around and made the conscious decision to excel. Adam made half a million dollars at age 26, but he decided the corporate grind wasn’t for him, so he changed his lifestyle yet again. Adam is a living example of the transformative power of dedication, passion and drive, and his strong focus on his family life serves as the cornerstone for everything he does. Through daily activities like meditation, exercise and journaling, Adam works to maintain a healthy lifestyle and a clear mind. These imp

Rey Ybarra is a mediapreneur and the author and producer of the multimedia digital book Conversations With Shark Tank Winners, featuring written, audio and video interviews with 14 carefully selected entrepreneurs from the hit television series Shark Tank. He has toured the nation with some of the former contestants with his Sharks & Stripes Conference and Expo, engaging audiences from the main stage of the Small Business Expo, Network After Work, the University of Phoenix School of Business, Broward College School of Business, and the Santa Monica College Entrepreneur Program. In 2005, Rey was diagnosed with severe and incurable rheumatoid arthritis. As a result of the diagnosis, this year he is launching a program to help other entrepreneurs suffering from the debilitating disease combat the stigma and prejudices associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Rey is passionate about the power and inspirational stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Through his work with entrepreneurs and business

John Murphy is an expert in leadership development, a podcast host, bestselling author, and renowned mentor and coach. His global clients include giants like Pfizer, Airbus, Great West Life Co., State Street Bank, Vodafone and Johnson & Johnson. He is also the founder and CEO of John Murphy International, a global consulting agency. John started his career as a door-to-door life insurance salesman, and he rose through the ranks to CEO. At the pinnacle of his executive career, John ultimately decided to make a major life change and left the C-suite, choosing instead to channel his talents into helping other executives reach the top of their potential. John is the author of the bestselling book 10 Key Traits Of Top Business Leaders, where he walks readers through the most important skills and qualities that all successful business owners use to develop and grow their businesses. He is an expert in teaching the skills needed to lead corporate teams to greatness. He takes pride in sharing his wisdom, strategi

Dr. Rachel MK Headley is a Mensa PhD scientist and expert in project management. Her impressive resume includes a decade spent in the scientific field of satellite imaging, and another decade as a geologist and the operational science officer at the Landsat satellite mission for the U.S. Geological Survey. Meg Manke is an expert in the field of human resources, and she has worked extensively in talent management, safety, organizational psychology, and communications. Meg has an extensive background in strategic leadership within the business world. Together, these incredible women are the co-founders of Rose Group International (RGI). They have also co-authored an insightful and important book titled iX Leadership: Create High-Five Cultures and Guide Transformations. Through their guidance, organizations can create a lasting vision and culture and develop the behaviors necessary to achieve greatness. Dr. Rachel Headley’s Bio: High Intellect CEOs, Leaders, Entrepreneurs, Investors – ensure critical new IP, str

Think and Grow Rich explains the "science of success". It changed John Mitchell's life. It allowed him to alter a 20 year history of earning low six figures a year, as an entrepreneur, to earning over $5 million a year. John's 12-minute-a-day technique is recognized as the top practical application in the world of this legendary book. Think and Grow Rich worldwide has sold over 100 million copies, whereas the next best selling book on success has sold under 10 million copies. So clearly, it is the top book ever written on success and achievement. Listen in as John talks about applying this book to your life using a simple and practical technique called Think It Be It, which only takes 12 minutes a day.  John’s technique doubles your control of yourself, triples your daily personal growth, and helps you to focus on and advance your career. The science behind the technique was profiled in a TIME Magazine cover story. Today, John serves as a faculty member of the nationally top-rated McCombs School of Business a

My name is Kelly Hatfield, and I’ve been a business leader and part of the recruiting industry for more than 25 years. If this is your first time listening to the Absolute Advantage podcast, welcome! My goal with Absolute Advantage is to bring you valuable wisdom from some of the world’s most successful business leaders and entrepreneurs. Each episode is all about sharing fresh visions and new perspectives from many top voices in the business world, helping you to shorten your path to success. I’d like to share a little more of my background with you. I’m a successful entrepreneur several times over, as well as a certified speaker, certified coach and trainer for the John Maxwell Team, and certified High-Performance Coach. I have dedicated myself to helping others succeed, and I believe strongly in making a positive impact on the people around me. It’s this goal of having a positive ripple effect that brought about the Absolute Advantage podcast in the first place. This podcast is for business leaders who wan

Rick Cesari is a branding guru who has worked with Fortune 500 and other major companies such as Clorox, Microsoft, GoPro and The George Foreman Grill to build billion dollar brands through direct response advertising and video marketing. He’s also a celebrated speaker, consultant, and bestselling author. Rick’s upcoming book, “Building Billion Dollar Brands”, was written to put big-brand knowledge into the hands of small business owners, entrepreneurs, inventors, and other independent sellers. Rick’s original plan was to attend dental school, but his career path changed when he took a real estate seminar and his first sale made him $12,000. He transitioned into working with the seminar business and discovered both his innate marketing skills, and the marketing power of direct response videos. Rick leaned into his newfound talents and used direct response TV marketing to promote the Juiceman® Juice Extractor and the Sonicare® toothbrush. He went on to help redesign and remarket a taco maker device into the Ge

Dan Sachs has an amazing and storied background in the restaurant industry, and now he works to bring the knowledge and wisdom he has gained over the course of his career to business professionals and entrepreneurs. Dan is the President of Meerkat Restaurant Advisory, and serves as an instructor at the School of Hospitality Leadership as well as being named entrepreneur-in-residence with the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center at DePaul University. Dan owned and operated wine-focused restaurant brand BIN 36 from 1999 to 2015, and he is the co-author of the new book The Million Dollar Greeting, where he shares five key steps entrepreneurs can take to create a world-class culture in any business or industry. As a professional consultant, Dan believes that any organization can benefit from a strong culture to improve profitability and develop workplace satisfaction throughout their team, regardless of the size of the business. This goal–to help businesses grow stronger and more successful–is what drives Dan in his w

Justin Kerr describes himself as an “efficiency monster”. He’s also an expert in effective business communication, leadership and management development, and creating a successful workplace environment. Justin is a fascinating person with an impressively diverse background. He has served as the youngest senior executive at major clothing brands like Gap™, Old Navy™, and Levi’s®. He is the author of fourteen books, including his most recent title How to be Good Great at Your Job. Justin is the host of the Mr. Corpo podcast, has toured across the US in his rock band, and even keeps rooftop bees (no, seriously). As multifaceted as Justin is, he says his number one passion is workplace efficiency. Today, Justin works to help others improve their time management by learning to write better emails, communicate more effectively, and stop wasting precious minutes that could be better spent elsewhere. ————— How much do you really accomplish in your day? How much time do you waste writing emails, waiting on people to a

David Quick is a speaker, leadership coach, and CEO who has worked with everyone from single-employee startups to Fortune 100 companies, teaching them to harness the power and passion of their employees. David channeled his own passion and power into a tool to propel him to success. David is a three-time CEO of rapid-growth organizations and truly understands the role of leadership in a successful corporation. David has spent more than 20 years of his career with giants like Bayer, Johnson & Johnson, and Roche Diagnostics, and now he is the CEO of “Helping Bulls Thrive in China Shops.” As the name suggests, David’s organization believes that when business leaders channel the energy of their teams, amazing things can happen. When your herd is full of powerful bulls moving in the same direction, your business can become stronger and more capable. That’s why David has dedicated himself to teaching business leaders to recruit, recognize, and empower the bulls in their teams. ————— You’ve heard the expression,

Cash Keahey has become a true expert in leadership types, after spending 23 years working in global Fortune 500 companies and being exposed to many varied corporate cultures and corporate leaders. Through the various positions and industries he has worked in through his storied career, Cash has dedicated himself to understanding the different styles of leadership and how each can thrive. Cash has led leadership workshops in 20 countries on 6 continents and is versed in bringing the leadership potential out of entrepreneurs and executives. Through his gift for engaging audiences, Cash has coached leaders to better understanding of their unique value and talents. Cash is the author of Eight LeaderTypes in the White House: Discover and Leverage Your Oval Office Leadership Style. Through his qualification with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, he has categorized eight unique leadership types. He now works to help today’s business leaders understand which type they belong to, empowering them to better implement the

Kirsten Bunch spent the first twenty years of her career working for international non-profit organizations in ten different countries, and now she works to empower others to make their own positive mark on the world. Kirsten has contributed to such diverse projects as helping impoverished people get eye glasses, helping to remove lead from pottery in Mexico, and assisting the Rainforest Alliance in their work. Kirsten has been an expert fundraiser, raising over $20 million in donations throughout her career. Today, Kirsten works tirelessly to help others get involved in action they believe in through her Women’s Changemaker Mentorship program, empowering women to create positive changes in their communities. Kirsten is also the international best-selling author of the book Next Act Give Back: Discover Your Personal Path to Go From Being Charitable to Being a Changemaker. ————— Do you believe passionately that the world can be a better place? Have you ever recognized a problem in your community that nobody el

Kelly Resendez is a mother, business executive, and best-selling author who believes in helping others overcome self-sabotage and find joy in their professional and personal lives. Because of all the different hats Kelly wears, she has had to master the art of being in the moment. Now she has dedicated herself to teaching others how to find joy in individual experiences and share that joyfulness with everyone in their lives. Kelly is the author of the new book, Big Voices: Increase Joy, Reduce Suffering, Think Differently, and has founded Big Voices, a women-empowered network that uses the principles in her book to lift women up. Kelly is passionate about helping others embrace joy and learn to think differently. ------ Your mind is all over the place, you’ve got a hundred little things begging for your attention, deadlines are ticking down, and on top of all of that you aren’t sleeping enough at night because you can’t shut off your inner voice. How can you hope to deal with all the pressure? Kelly Resendez

Dr. James Kelley, author of The Crucibles Gift: 5 Lessons from Authentic Leaders Who Thrive in Adversity, brings a fresh perspective to leadership coaching and keynotes. His journey from a humble home in Portland, Oregon to earning his PhD and living near Dubai with his wife and four children is full of adversity. James also has a keen interest in the adversity that shapes great leaders around the world. ----- What does an authentic leader look like? Dr. James Kelley has some ideas, thanks to his long work with business leader biographies and his own life experiences. In his remarkable book The Crucible’s Gift: 5 Lessons from Authentic Leaders Who Thrive in Adversity, he narrows down the common traits that authentic leaders have and how we can practice them in our leadership positions to make a difference. While our discussion covered many excellent topics, I’d like to talk about three different points Dr. Kelley made which struck me as particularly important: Self-Awareness: Business leaders have trouble wit

Tim Fulton is a serial entrepreneur turned small business consultant and executive coach, an award-winning author, and a nationally recognized advocate for small business. ----- Do you feel like your business has stalled out after years of successful growth? Are you struggling to hire talented people that will stay with the company for years? This week I spoke on these issues with the accomplished Tim Fulton, author of Small Business Matters. Tim currently services as a Vistage Group Chair. Vistage is an international membership organization for CEOs and Presidents that encourages them to learn from each other. One of the fascinating things we discussed was the growth barrier that many businesses – including successful businesses – face after several years in operation. Many owners and entrepreneurs find that around this time their growth suddenly stalls out. It’s no surprise that many panic! But experienced business owners know that this is common, especially as company reach a certain point of growth. A tim