Welcome to the Blue Shirt Leadership Podcast. I interview blue-collar business owners who are building their leadership house. On this podcast as they share their insights into their lives and businesses. These 30-45 minute conversations are packed with fun stories, helpful insights, and more. 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! Tune in every Tuesday to learn powerful communication, leadership, and business insights. If you’re not careful, you might just become a SAGE Leader!
Episodes
Tuesday Jan 31, 2023
Tuesday Jan 31, 2023
Today’s guest on the Blue Shirt Leadership Podcast is Jerry Macnamara. For 25 years, Jerry’s fearlessly positive approach to business led to massive success. He’s led five companies in five different industries in B2B and B2C and in both products and services. Jerry has been selected as Business Journal’s Ultimate CEO and Business Journal’s 40 under 40. He runs Proven Chaos, a company driven to help CEO’s create compelling companies that outperform…and still make it home for dinner. His mission is to positively impact 5MM people in the next five years through better business.
On today’s podcast, Jerry Macnamara and Kyle discuss the importance of good communication in leadership, of listening well, and of looking at your employees as whole people. Jerry tells stories from his own experiences and encourages business owners to lead with intention, to set clear and realistic goals, and to invest in themselves as leaders.
Notable Quotes:
“The most important thing that I can do as a leader is send my people home on the weekends with clear minds and whole hearts to go be with their families.”
“If we recognize our people as whole people, if you're good at work, you have the potential to be great at home and if you were good at home, you have the potential to be great at work.”
“You have to live your life on your terms. That's the most important thing that you can do as a human being.”
“Patience comes from having a plan and then you have to take action.”
“Failure is simply feedback of what is working and what's not working.”
“There's no better investment than in yourself, because it allows you to invest in all of the people around you.”
“Treasure collaboration over conflict.”
00:00-01:15- Welcome to the podcast and brief description of the purpose of the podcast
01:16-02:12- Introduction of guest and summary of Jerry’s accomplishments and achievements
03:03-05:13-Jerry tells a story about regularly working 100hr weeks until he ended up in the hospital thinking he was having a heart attack at 26 yrs old, and he shares a revelation he had while laying there.
05:42-06:29-Learn from other people. You don’t have to learn all of life’s lessons yourself.
06:30-07:46- Jerry talks about doing what he’s doing because people should enjoy their work.
07:47-10:45 Jerry talks about how the people who are good at ‘doing’ often get promoted to positions of leadership but they aren’t always good leaders and what can be done to help them.
10:46-12:33 Jerry provides an example from his life about a time when he did not lead well, and how poor communication and poor leadership led to a vacation in Paris where he still had to report to work every day.
12:34-15:00 Jerry talks about the importance of communication in businesses and gives real-life examples of how this can be done.
15:01-16:29 Jerry makes the point that we are whole people, and being great at work can make you great at home and if you are great at home, you have the potential to be great at work.
18:37-21:04 Jerry and Kyle discuss how business owners can easily spiral out of control and the importance of conscious intention in leadership.
21:05-24:30 Jerry and Kyle discuss how to be patient in growing your business and how setting goals plays into business growth.
24:31-26:10 Jerry talks about failure as being feedback on what is working and what’s not working.
26:10-29:12 Jerry reminds listeners about the importance of listening to understand, as opposed to listening to respond.
29:12-31:09 Jerry talks about why he does what he does and what his primary goal is for his work.
31:10-33:00 Jerry reminds us that it is possible for our business to outgrow our skills and encourages business leaders to build a community around them to help them grow in their leadership.
Connect with Jerry at provenchaos.com or on Facebook and LinkedIn.
#leadershipdevelopment #leadershiptips #leadershipmatters #leadershipgoals #growthmindset #management #professionaldevelopment #realisticgoals #listenwell #buildcommunity #businessgrowth #consciousintention #entrepreneur
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 Jan 10, 2023
Tuesday Jan 10, 2023
Sometimes you know when it's time to make a shift. You know you've found your tribe and the people you can have the greatest impact on. Today, we get to do just that.
It's not every day that you have the opportunity to shift gears and transition a podcast that has over 200 episodes!! Well, this week, we are doing exactly that. The podcast has also transitioned as the business has been rebranded to Blue Shirt Coaching.
What does this mean for our listeners? It means you will get amazing content based on Self-awareness, Accountability, Growth, and Empowerment, just as you did before. We will focus on our home services and trades business owners.
My guests will remain industry experts, bringing powerful insights you can apply to your life and business daily. In this first episode, I dive into what this show is about in more detail and what you can expect in the coming weeks.
Tell your friends, leave a review, and let's shift the way we do life and business to be Blue Shirt Leaders!
Monday Dec 19, 2022
Monday Dec 19, 2022
In today's episode of the SAGE Mindset Podcast, we dive in with Janet Granger on overcoming your leadership fears, setting your culture as you want it to be, and building business systems. Janet Granger speaks about the generational divide in the workplace and team building.
With over 25 years of marketing and strategy experience, she published Digital Influence for Baby Boomers: Why you should care, and yes, you can do this! (2016) and Ok Boomer! Revelations of a Baby Boomer Working with Millennials (2020).
Janet launched Marketing Career Mentor based on her experiences working with marketing teams and agencies. Marketing Career Mentor provides online mentoring and coaching for early-career marketers and features interviews with senior marketing executives, online networking, and an online community of marketers talking “shop.”
Janet lives in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and has an MBA in Marketing and Management from Columbia University; for more information, go to www.janetgranger.com
Tuesday Dec 06, 2022
Tuesday Dec 06, 2022
Dr. Liz is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Relationship Coach with over 35+ years and 75,000+ hours of expertise working with women and couples to reignite relationships so they can prevent divorce, infidelity & lifelong dissatisfaction and navigate huge life transitions! When it comes to each one of us, our relationships or marriage…no two situations are alike.
We are each unique, special, and deserving of focused, individualized ‘concierge’ level coaching to meet us where we are, uncover the blocks…quickly identify our strengths, step into the empowerment of knowing ourselves, loving and accepting all of us, now…building a plan to move forward.
Dr. Liz created the Smart Single Ladies Soul-Mate Solutions, Re-ignite: Get the Passion and Connection Back VIP Bootcamp, Couple's Smart Restart 6 Week Sprint, Couples Connection Weekend Bootcamp and Affair-Proof Marriage Program, both online self-paced coaching programs, to do just that.
She’s currently featured as a relationship expert in Dave Ramsey’s Online Dating Facebook Group and was recently interviewed in Voyage Austin magazine!
Her true passion and superpower are guiding couples and single women to identify their unique path to relationship success. Connect with Dr. Liz by visiting
https://drlizjenkins.com/
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 Nov 15, 2022
Tuesday Nov 15, 2022
Jobe Neal is my guest on today's podcast. Jobe is a marketing expert who helps service-based businesses and coaches take their marketing to the next level.
His experience in drop-shipping and focus on always learning has helped him become a go-to coach for those seeking more clarity in marketing and what they offer.
In this episode, we learn about Jobe's background, how his drop-shipping experience shaped his current business, and why that benefits you. Jobe shares insights about knowing your offer, the importance of niching, and why your experiences and processes genuinely matter to your prospects.
Jump in and join us on this informative and helpful podcast.
To connect with Jobe, visit him on Instagram @jobeneal_ (include the underscore)
Tuesday Oct 25, 2022
Tuesday Oct 25, 2022
The most important lesson Andrew Shelton learned is that the service of others is the only thing that can lend true meaning to one’s life. He learned this in his twenties, standing on the street, asking folks to donate money to aid children in dire poverty.
Providing those kids with necessities and receiving warm thanks and hugs from people who donated changed Andrew profoundly positively and instilled a deep-abiding passion for serving others.
Andrew carries this forward to his real estate business in Bellingham, Washington. In today's episode, he shares his journey of how he got here, some key moments, and some key insights from 10,000+ hours of sales conversations on the streets.
To connect with Andrew after the show, visit https://andrewshelton.findbellinghamhomes.com/
Tuesday Oct 18, 2022
Tuesday Oct 18, 2022
In this episode, we talk about the importance of giving your best and not focusing on being the best. This simple shift changes how you see yourself and the efforts you put in. The comparison trap crushes people. Brian suggests shifting from saying I need to be THE best to being MY best.
Brian shares about his experience interviewing John Wooden, leading the US Swim team for 8 years, and his various corporate experiences. This episode is full of fantastic energy, wisdom, and actionable tips.
Brian Biro is America’s Breakthrough Coach! He has delivered over 1,800 presentations around the world over the last 30 years. The author of 15 books including his brand new, "The ROI of Kindness" and bestseller, "Beyond Success".
Brian was rated #1 from over 40 Speakers at 4 consecutive INC. Magazine International Conferences. With degrees from Stanford University and UCLA, Brian has appeared on Good Morning America and CNN. Most recently he was selected as one of the top 60 Motivational Speakers in the WORLD!
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 Aug 23, 2022
Tuesday Aug 23, 2022
Adam Vibe Gunton is the #1 Bestselling Author of From Chains To Saved and the founder of Recovered On Purpose. After overcoming homelessness and iv drug addiction, Adam set out on a mission to share his story powerfully with the world and inspire other addicts in recovery to do the same.
In today's episode, Adam shares powerful personal stories about his past and how his life has changed. His inspiring story has led to him writing a book and helping 1000s of recovering addicts overcome their addictions and tell new stories about their lives.
Listen in as Adam shares insight and wisdom that could change your life! To connect with Adam and his ministry, visit FromChainsToSaved.com
Tuesday Jul 19, 2022
Tuesday Jul 19, 2022
In today's episode, I speak with attorney Matt Davis. His law firm focuses on helping companies and entrepreneurs deal with the complex vulnerabilities they face in their problems and opportunities.
We discuss the importance of knowing your business' "word problem" and how this solves a lot of issues. Matt dives in with us on the importance of being bold in where you want to go and start building the plan and structures to get there.
As an Inc 5000 business, Matt understands the importance of knowing your vulnerabilities, numbers, and priorities. In this episode, we go into detail on is Strong Protected Business System and how you can overcome common vulnerabilities in your business.
Matt is available to talk with you and you can find him by visiting https://davisbusinesslaw.com/
Tuesday Jun 21, 2022
Tuesday Jun 21, 2022
Recently a colleague of mine unexpectedly lost her dad. What do you say in moments like this? How does someone deal with grief in the workplace and personally?
Grief comes in many forms but it is fundamentally loss. Loss of a loved one, loss of an opportunity, loss of friendship, and many other things. In today's episode, we touch on a subject that all of us deal with in minor and major ways.
Victoria Volk is a self-published author, Advanced Cert. Grief Recovery Specialist®, Creator & Podcast Host of Grieving Voices, Reiki Master, Cert. YouMap® Coach and End-of-Life Doula. She aims to use her strengths and skills through various offerings to help those whose lives have been upended by grief and loss go from surviving to thriving.
As someone who experienced several significant losses between the ages of 6 to 12 but was unable to truly grieve these losses until her mid-thirties, Victoria is here to share part of her journey and the lessons she learned to help you as you work through your loss and grief.
SAGE Leaders realize the importance of helping people through the various kinds and intensity of loss in life. In this episode, Victoria will help you become a better leader through her experiences and skills.
To connect with Victoria, visit https://www.theunleashedheart.com
Tuesday Jun 14, 2022
Tuesday Jun 14, 2022
In this episode, LinkedIn expert Daniel Alfon shares helpful insights and tips on what LinkedIn is really for. You'll be surprised by what he shares.
A few of the key insights that you can immediately apply include LinkedIn serves as a funnel to get people to go to your website and interact there, it's not about the metrics of LinkedIn but how LinkedIn is impacting your business metrics, and your profile is not about YOU it's about THEM (your prospects and what they want). Daniel is the author of "Build a LinkedIn Profile for Business Success."
Daniel joined LinkedIn in early 2004 and publishes articles, interviews, and exclusive content about advanced LinkedIn strategies to clients and subscribers to his website, www.danielalfon.com
Visit his website to experience a powerful 1:1 call to help you make the most of your LinkedIn profile.
You can also download Daniel's powerful quadrant PDF to help you design a next level profile by clicking the Bitly link below.
https://bit.ly/3MPhxq3