Welcome to the Blue Shirt Leadership Podcast. We interview business owners in the trades and home services industries. These conversations are packed with stories, helpful insights, and boots-on-the-ground advice that you can immediately use. In fact, it’s a requirement that the listener gets great content. I ask every guest to share one insight (or more, of course!) with my listeners that, when applied over time, the listener will experience massive change for their future.
Episodes
Tuesday Jul 04, 2023
Tuesday Jul 04, 2023
Are you looking to become a better leader? In this episode, Kyle Gillette and Velma Knowles discuss the importance of serving with heart, influencing with purpose, and creating a sense of belonging for individuals. Velma introduces her acronym "SHIP" and Kyle shares the Blue Shirt Leadership Framework, both of which emphasize the importance of self-awareness, accountability, a growth mindset, and empowering others.
Notable Quotes:
"Leadership is not about position, it's about influence."
"It's truly my vision in life that people will not only understand their value but that they will live their value and share it with others."
"People are really the key to leadership."
Show Notes:
Introduction to Blue Shirt Leadership Framework [00:00:00] Kyle introduces the Blue Shirt Leadership Framework and its four key pillars: be self-aware, lead with accountability, use a growth mindset, and empower others.
Velma's SHIP Framework [00:02:32] Velma shares her SHIP framework for leadership, which stands for serving, heart, influencing, and purpose.
Creating a Sense of Belonging [00:07:59] Kyle and Velma discuss the importance of creating a sense of belonging for individuals and how it can be achieved through understanding personal strengths, communication styles, and the five languages of appreciation in the workplace.
Knowing Your Value [00:11:00] Importance of understanding one's value and showing up with one's full self in communication and appreciation.
Creating a Sense of Belonging [00:13:20] Benefits of fostering a sense of belonging in the workplace, including increased employee engagement, productivity, and happiness.
Coaching for Self-Awareness [00:16:10] Example of coaching a leader to recognize their own blind spots and improve their leadership skills through self-awareness.
Tuesday May 30, 2023
Tuesday May 30, 2023
In this podcast episode, Kyle Gillette, the host of the Blue Shirt Leadership Podcast, shares his personal experience with chronic pain and personal discipline, and how it relates to the Blue Shirt Framework for leadership.
Notable Quotes:
"This isn't about changing you, this is about shifting to a better version of you, the one that you're intended to be. That's why self-discipline is so powerful."
"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment."
Show Notes:
Chronic Pain Story [00:00:50] Kyle shares his experience with chronic pain and how he discovered his food allergies.
Introduction to Blue Shirt Framework [00:04:20] Kyle introduces the Blue Shirt Framework for leadership and explains its four components.
Benefits of Personal Discipline [00:07:46] Kyle discusses the benefits of personal discipline, including becoming more self-aware and being more of oneself.
Be more of yourself [00:08:37] Self-discipline helps you become a better version of yourself, allowing you to do more and deeper work, leading to growth and giving more to others.
Journaling as a personal discipline habit [00:12:14] Journaling creates a third perspective, allowing you to detach from your thoughts and look at them from another person's perspective, making it a powerful habit for self-awareness.
Being coachable [00:16:34] Having coaches or mentors in your life who ask difficult questions and draw out new insights is a habit of self-aware leaders and helps with personal discipline.
Investing in Self [00:17:28] Kyle talks about the importance of investing in oneself and how it has a direct financial impact on one's business.
Accountability Pass [00:19:23] Kyle introduces the Accountability Pass, which consists of four pieces: passive, active, structures, and self. He explains the importance of accountability in achieving one's goals.
Self-Accountability [00:25:12] Kyle discusses the difference between deciding and committing and the importance of self-accountability in achieving one's goals.
Self-commitment and accountability [00:26:08] Kyle discusses the importance of self-commitment and accountability in achieving goals, and provides four steps to increase the likelihood of success.
Growth mindset and taking risks [00:27:23] Kyle introduces the concept of a growth mindset and the importance of taking risks to achieve personal growth.
Studying others for empowerment [00:30:53] Kyle emphasizes the importance of studying people to understand their mindsets, habits, and limitations in order to empower them.
Benefits of Personal Discipline [00:35:00] Kyle discusses the importance of personal discipline and how it can lead to becoming more self-aware and being more of oneself.
Re-emphasizing the Blue Shirt Framework [00:35:36] Kyle reminds listeners of the Blue Shirt Framework for leadership, which stands for being a self-aware leader, leading with accountability, using a growth mindset, and empowering others.
Invitation to Join Blue Shirt Business Community [00:35:36] Kyle invites listeners to join the Blue Shirt Business Community on Facebook and provides instructions on how to do so.
Tuesday Feb 07, 2023
Tuesday Feb 07, 2023
On today's podcast, Kyle talks about SMART goals and the best way to create these goals so you can set yourself up to be successful. He encourages listeners to use a 12-week timeframe and discusses why this is the perfect amount of time. Contact information can be found at the bottom of the show notes if you’d like to connect with Kyle. He would love to chat with you about your business and how together you can accomplish your goals.
Notable quotes:
“Get that story [of why you’re doing what you are doing] dialed in your head. There is your compelling reason why you're pursuing this goal.”
“No matter what industry you're in, goals are extremely powerful to help you move forward in your business.”
Show notes:
00:00-00:42: Welcome to the podcast and brief summary of today’s topic.
00:43-01:25 Are you the type of person who hates goals or do you think goals are great?
01:26-03:51 Ask yourself where you are right now and define where it is that you want to be. Kyle talks about the importance of writing a compelling story behind why you are doing what you are doing.
03:52-5:06 Kyle talks about SMART goals and what a SMART goal is.
05:07-06:00 Kyle discusses breaking down your goal into a 12-week timeframe.
06:01-08:23 Kyle talks about how to measure your goals and the difference between lag measures and lead measures and how both apply to the goals you are making.
08:24-09:49 Kyle summarizes the steps to take in creating your goals in order to be successful.
09:50-10:59 Wrapping up the podcast, Kyle encourages listeners to reach out and connect with him via his website. Set up a discovery call with Kyle to discuss how he can help you achieve your goals. Please like and share this podcast.
Connect with Kyle at www.blueshirtcoaching.com, on LinkedIn.
#goals #howtoaccomplishyourgoals #SMARTgoals #accountability #thetwelveweekyear #professionaldevelopment #growingyourbusiness
Tuesday Jan 17, 2023
Tuesday Jan 17, 2023
In today’s podcast, Kyle Gillette interviews Bill Prater, renowned for providing commendable services to business owners and emerging entrepreneurs that help them break free of inertia and accelerate their journey to accomplishing all their goals and ambitions. He is also the owner of Scaleology and the Business Mastery System, which both equip entrepreneurs with the knowledge needed to grow their business models. Let's hear his inspiring story!
Things ARE going to go wrong, but...
Key takeaways
#1 Seeking inspiration and coming up with a USP
When you start a new business, it's always best to seek inspiration from those at the very top in your niche, but once you reach that level, you don't settle there. Now you need to figure out your USP by putting innovative ideas to work so that you can differentiate yourself from the competitors and increase the market share of your business.
#2 Formulate a growth strategy
Growth is an essential part of any successful business, so make sure to formulate a growth strategy for your venture. Do the needed research, spend resources to the best of your ability, and keep moving forward. Remember it is a competitive advantage that can keep you going even during economic downfall and instability.
#3 Perfection is not the end goal
For many perfectionists, this must be a hard pill to swallow, but without it your life as an entrepreneur can become quite challenging. The thing about the business world is that it is dynamic and rapidly changing. Every day something new is coming up, whether it be in terms of technology or the launch of a competitor's business. To keep yourself in the market, therefore, you will need to experiment with different things, let it be altering your goals, strategies, plans, or whatever it takes to keep your business up to date! So, with all of this, perfection is next to impossible, and if you keep striving for that 100%, chances are your business will remain stagnant and experience very little growth. Therefore, be realistic, focus on giving your best, and watch how it improves your business!
Time Stamps
2:03-5:19
Bill takes us through his journey as an entrepreneur, right from when he began, sharing the process behind converting a business worth $0 to one worth quite a lot today.
5:37-12:07
Here Bill talks about an industry conference he attended and how it changed his views on entrepreneurship and developing a USP for his business. Further, he goes on to express the importance of learning from market leaders and introducing things they offer in their products and services in your business. He explains the characteristics of a super successful business with a vision strategy. He also presents this flipside and how emulation works only when done correctly.
12:36-13:29
Bill discusses the importance of focusing on growth in your business and on a personal level and how it can help give you a sense of direction and keep you better organized!
13:48-15:38
Have a business growth strategy that just isn't working out? This part of the podcast gives valuable advice on dealing with such problems. The two also discuss how to deal with economic uncertainties and dealing with the rapidly changing business environment.
15:59-18:49
Here Bill talks about the significance of planning things for your business and how it makes you better prepared to deal with upcoming situations and organize your resources efficiently. He also caters to the side of the company, which some would call ugly, and others would call exciting, the number of uncertainties you have to go through, and how to overcome challenges.
18:52-25:30
Establishing proper systems is incredibly important for managing businesses. Bill talks about this in detail and how this is one element many businesses often tend to compromise on. Further, he debunks some myths business owners have about the ‘ideal employee’.
26:03-34:14
Here we discuss the importance of having employees with a strong sense of accountability and how it keeps the business together and consistent with its decisions.
34:15-38:00
Bill wraps up the podcast with a wholesome story of his college experience, how he dropped out, got back again, and graduated with straight As.
"You don't get it right every time, but that doesn't matter because you can adjust and re-strategize as you notice that it is not working out. " - Bill Prater
“All the leaders of every nation have a growth strategy.” - Bill Prater
“Planning is making decisions about the future NOW.” - Bill Prater
About Guest Speaker
Tuesday Nov 29, 2022
Tuesday Nov 29, 2022
Jarrod Morgan is the founder of ProctorU, the world's largest online testing company, and the host of the Slow-Smoked Business Podcast.
He is passionate about entrepreneurship, personal success, and helping others on their path. Jarrod shares his insights and stories about the importance of being genuine in your leadership, his "dangerous prayer, " and what he calls the Living Ledger.
Make sure to listen to the end to learn about this powerful process he uses for personal, professional, and spiritual growth.
Tuesday Oct 11, 2022
Tuesday Oct 11, 2022
Edward Sturm is co-founder of Commit Club, where you stake money on your ability to follow through with a daily challenge and make money from the people who don't stick with their challenges. Before this, he made viral videos with hundreds of millions of views and did SEO for Fortune 100 companies.
He's a self-development addict and world traveler and is recording this from Rome, Italy. In this episode, you learn more about his passion for growth and self-development, the challenges he's taken head-on, and some insightful advice to help you on your adventures. You can check out Commit Club by visiting commitclub.com.
Tuesday Sep 27, 2022
Tuesday Sep 27, 2022
Too many men find themselves hitting the proverbial wall or flatlining in life. Alain Dumonceaux experienced this himself and knew many other men were too. So he decided to found The Awakened Man, where he works with men looking to live a more purposeful life.
In today's episode, Alain shares how men often get siloed in life and have no place to be vulnerable. In his program, Alain provides a place for men to get real, build powerful accountability, and challenge each other to take courageous actions.
A few insights from the show include finding one man you can reach out to and share some stuff that's going on, practicing vulnerability by being vulnerable in small stuff at first, and offering to be the guy that is the listening ear to someone else.
These insights and many more make this episode worth your time. You can learn more about The Awakened Man by clicking the link https://bit.ly/3UGf32s
Tuesday Jul 26, 2022
Tuesday Jul 26, 2022
This episode will make you question your perspective on accountability and communication among several other leadership challenges and pillars.
Jeff Cohen is my guest today and he is a founder of six businesses, has worked with 300 business leaders to develop and test his Count-On-Able method of leadership.
Jeff shares what effective communication really looks like, how saying what you are NOT count-on-able to is key to helping you thrive, and the importance of taking action on the lessons you learn.
To connect with Jeff and learn more about his method, visit www.countonable.com
Tuesday Jul 05, 2022
Tuesday Jul 05, 2022
I can't believe it, I've completed 200 episodes on the SAGE Mindset Podcast! That is an amazing milestone. In this episode, I share a few key leadership takeaways from these shows. To keep it simple, I broke the lessons into 5 insights.
It's been an interesting journey along the way and I've found that the lessons I've learned from hosting a podcast fit very nicely with leading a team. Here are some of the lessons.
Find your voice. In the podcast world, you need to find your own voice to stand out and be able to influence. The same is true in leadership.
Learn how to ask great questions and listen well. It goes without saying that these are necessary skills in hosting and leadership.
Expect insights. As a host, I require my guests to provide life-changing insights to my listeners. And they deliver. As a leader, you can deliver this level of insight to your team and they to you too.
People are fascinating. After interviewing 150+ people I've learned a lot. One of the biggest insights is that people are fascinating. Now I assume the people I am interviewing are fascinating just like I assume they have powerful insights. You can believe the same with those you lead.
Finally, of the four parts of the SAGE Leadership Framework, accountability has proven over and over again to be the most valuable to my clients, guests, and listeners. Because of this, I have a free SAGE Accountability Guide that I'm giving away to help you unlock exceptional accountability in life and business.
Download it by visiting https://www.sagemindset.com/accountability-guide/
Tuesday Apr 12, 2022
Tuesday Apr 12, 2022
In today's episode, we have a great guest for you. Jon Kovach Jr. is an award-winning and international motivational speaker and mastermind leader. Jon has helped thousands of professionals overcome their challenges and achieve their goals through his 4 Irrefutable Laws of High Performance.
He is also the Founder of Champion Circle Networking Association. Jon is a National #1 Best-Selling Author. Jon is the Mastermind Leader of the Habitude Warrior Mastermind and the Global Speakers Mastermind & Masterclass.
From this episode, you can expect to gain great insights about accountability, how to curate an environment to help people thrive, learn the importance of masterminds, and much much more.
Jon takes us on a journey as he shares powerful stories from when he experienced an amazing rite-of-passage hike with his family to his DJing days and getting stuck in a cave. Stay tuned for the whole episode because Jon brings the SAGE Insights.
To learn more about him, visit his linktree https://linktr.ee/jonkovachjr
Tuesday Jan 25, 2022
Tuesday Jan 25, 2022
When was the last time you were in flow in business or in a conversation? Do you remember what that was like?
MaryKay shares her insights on how she uses checklists, silence, and many other techniques to provide the best for those she is interacting with. On this episode, she shares insights on how to look ahead and anticipate problems for customers to serve them at the highest level.
We talk about how to refuel yourself from all the effort it takes to give and serve at this level. Additionally, we discuss the power of speaking things into existence and what that has done for both of us. Plus so much more.
Bio:
After a 20+ year career in sales, mortgage lending, and bank management, my guest, MaryKay Robinson become an award-winning Realtor. The combination of her past experiences and entrepreneurial mindset has led to great results for her clients. The heart of it all for MaryKay is to help people achieve the American Dream.
If you'd like to find out more about MaryKay, please visit http://www.marykayrobinson.com She provides great content and insights on the state of the market in Whatcom county.
Like what you saw? You can engage with the SAGE Community on Facebook.
Check us out https://www.facebook.com/groups/sagemindsetgroup
I hope to see you there!
Tuesday Jan 18, 2022
Tuesday Jan 18, 2022
Do you have head trash? Do you have negative thoughts that are swirling around causing you to doubt yourself? In this interview with Renie Cavallari, we dive into our Head Trash. Sounds fun, right? Renie shares too many insights to include here but a few jumped out to me in our interview. People struggle to change their behaviors and most of us don't like to.
But when we go through a process to become aware of our potential, the desire to change grows significantly. Renie teaches us to do this through writing, getting feedback from others, and creating an environment that is safe for change.
In her book, HeadTrash: The Leading Killer of Human Potential she teaches readers to Own it, Shift it, and Dump it. With the two fundamental keys being to ask yourself the right powerful questions and to lean into gratitude. Renie shares her favorite questions to ask herself when the headtrash starts swirling around - Who do I want to be right now?
Who is Renie Cavallari (re-knee cav-a-laurie)? Known as a “dynamo who colors outside the lines, Renie Cavallari is an award-winning organizational anthropologist and member of the prestigious National Speakers Association. She is the owner of 4 companies, most notably the founder of Aspire, a globally awarded leadership development, training, and strategic growth firm; along with the RCI Institute, an awakening human potential research and leadership lab.
For over 25 years, Renie has worked with thousands of leaders and entrepreneurs around the globe to help their companies be better at what they do by providing practical, action-oriented applications, and proven processes to improve performance.
She is a Philly girl with a serious wanderlust problem; an aspiring jazz flutist, passionate cook, and the author of 6 books with her latest, HEADTRASH, the Leading Killer of Human Potential… an Amazon bestseller that recently won the best new business book from the prestigious Hollywood Book Festival Awards.
Like what you heard? You can engage with the SAGE Community on Facebook. Check us out https://www.facebook.com/groups/sagemindsetgroup I hope to see you there!
Wednesday Dec 01, 2021
Wednesday Dec 01, 2021
Would you like a 95% chance of accomplishing your goals in 2022? I know, it sounds scammy but listen in and I'll explain exactly how you can do this.
If you're like many entrepreneurs out there, you have a lot of goals you want to accomplish in 2022. How did 2021 go for you? What do you want to do differently in 2022?
In this episode, I share how you can reach a 95% goal achievement rate if you follow some important steps. This isn't easy and it requires serious commitment but there's research that backs this and proof through my clients' that this works.
I call this approach the Accountability PASS. This approach will change the way you commit to and pursue your goals.
Tuesday Nov 30, 2021
Tuesday Nov 30, 2021
Jessica Tietjen, J.D., is a spouse, mother, leader, lawyer, talent management professional, technology enthusiast, Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, and now both a writer and consultant. Jessica’s purpose is to help people live exceptional lives and believes workplaces can and should contribute. She wrote her first book The Exceptional Life R-Evolution to share key insights, learning, and practices to help individuals in any role, location, and place evolve to peak performance.
Jessica is the owner of Evolving to Exceptional which provides training, resources, and tools for individuals, and partners closely with workplaces to evolve them from good to exceptional!
To connect with Jessica, visit https://www.evolvingtoexceptional.com
Thursday Sep 30, 2021
Thursday Sep 30, 2021
Khephera “Kheph” Rakhu is the Chief Visionary Officer of Better Family Life Minnesota, Inc. He is passionate about the overall development of families and their communities through awareness, access, and acquiring wealth. His vision is to see a better life for all families.
His main focuses are on catalyzing institutions, companies, and influencers to the commitment to BFL-MN’s mission in advancing the equity, education, and life experiences of Minnesota’s families at every stage of life.
In this episode, Kheph shares the story of how he overcame challenging odds to find success in athletics, college, and professionally. His experience with two mentors in his life led him and his wife to a position in BFL-MN and they are continuing to impact the community in big ways through their hard work and community development.
Kheph shares that if you want to get out of the "stuck" place you are in or a challenging situation, you need PIE.
• Performance
• Information
•Exposure.
He shares it starts with exposure. Being around people, opportunities, and knowledge will lead to the information and performance changes necessary to get you where you are supposed to go.
Finally, when asked what the number one challenge for people engaging in this program is, Keph said it is belief. Belief in family, belief in community, and belief in a different future.
To connect with Keph please visit https://www.bflmn.org/