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 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 Jun 28, 2022
Tuesday Jun 28, 2022
In this episode of the SAGE Mindset Podcast, Deanna Hurn and I discuss the power of your brain.
Deanna is a brain learning expert that focuses on helping K-12 students learn and grow in their abilities. Today, she shares her experiences in becoming an award-winning entrepreneur and how your brain is key to your growth.
From the power of pausing and resting to not rushing Deanna shares, learning all you need to succeed is inside of you, Deanna brings the encouraging words that many of us need to hear. She shares her passion for the brain and how we aren't stuck as we are, there is always room to grow and shift our thinking.
Tune in to learn about her tips on seeing the bread crumbs, journaling, and much more. Connect with Deanna by visiting https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannahurn
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 Dec 14, 2021
Tuesday Dec 14, 2021
We all love tips, hacks, or tricks to help us run our businesses better. In this episode, I share a secret weapon that will help you unlock the potential of your employees. It's at the heart of everything that I do with my clients.
I share why you need to learn this secret and the practical steps to apply this practice to your leadership. Using a coaching mindset and the specific skills that come with will begin to feel like magic for your business. You will need to stay disciplined but it will help your culture. It will help your stress levels go down. Most importantly, it will help your bottom-line go up!
Check out this episode and get out a pen because these tips will be immediately helpful for you.
If you'd like to learn more about the SAGE Mindset or connect with the SAGE community, please visit our Facebook Group or the new SAGE Mindset website.
Tuesday Nov 16, 2021
Tuesday Nov 16, 2021
Heather Saulsbury is the owner and co-founder of PNWBUSHCRAFT, a family business she started with her husband in 2014. They focus on creating amazing handcrafted outdoor gear that you can depend on. They want you to be able to pass it onto the next generation, so each product is made with care and an eye for detail.
It’s very important to them that they introduce a sustainable product that will help create years of wonderful experiences and not end up in a landfill after a couple of uses. The family lives on 11 acres in the beautiful foothills of Mount Baker in Washington State where their shop is just a short walk from the house and the forest is their backyard.
Heather has always been an adventurous spirit with a creative streak. She’s been creating as long as she can remember and is the illustrator and author of three children’s books, a mixed media artist, and a photographer. All of her self-taught skills have allowed her to develop and grow her current business.
Her latest adventure has been starring in her own show, PNWBUSHCRAFT ADVENTURES, which is streaming on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and is available on Youtube.
Tuesday Nov 02, 2021
Tuesday Nov 02, 2021
In this episode, Tyler shares several stories from his years performing and the lessons he learned in the process. He teaches us the power of story and speaking the raw naked truth about your life. Tyler reminds us that we all have stories to tell and when told well, you can impact people in profound ways.
When you tune in, you'll hear several examples of how to do this as Tyler shares some great stories. A great takeaway is don't share a story without a point and a point must have a story. In the second half of the interview, I coach Tyler about a mental block he is experiencing in his business. Make sure to tune into the second half so you don't miss it.
Tyler Foley is an accomplished film and stage performer and has been acting in film and television since he was 6 years old. He has appeared in productions including Freddy Vs Jason, Door to Door, Carrie, and the musical Ragtime. Tyler is passionate about helping others confidently take the stage and impact an audience with their stories. He is currently the Managing Director of Total Buy-In and author of the #1 best-selling book The Power to Speak Naked.
You can connect with Tyler by visiting https://www.seantylerfoley.com/
Thursday Jul 08, 2021
Thursday Jul 08, 2021
Catherine Cantey is a 20 year veteran in the corporate world and shares her powerful insights with us on this episode. She is a tenacious connector, recovering banker, and leadership coach. Her sales program creates exceeding results for her clients.
Today you'll learn about the power of stakeholder-centered coaching, the importance of being persistent, and celebrating the big and small wins. Catherine has a track record of taking courageous leaps and steps forward in her business and helps her clients to do the same. She challenges you to find ways to stretch yourself and your career.
Ultimately, in her career, she has taken leaps of her own when she realized that it's time to stop talking about "it" and do something.
You can connect with her directly by visiting her LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinecantey/
Tuesday Nov 24, 2020
Tuesday Nov 24, 2020
Welcome to another episode of the SAGE Mindset Podcast. Today I interview Brian Steele, the author of The Kingdom Field Guide. It's about a powerful and practical process to finding God's really real Kingdom.
Even if Christianity isn't a focus for you, there is some incredible wisdom in this episode that you can apply to your life and business. Brian teaches us to pay attention to what gives you joy. We speak about the other side of joy being discomfort and how you need to seek both joy and discomfort.
Brian gives us some great insight on the trap of inaction and how you can get through this trap. Finally, he teaches the power of engagement. Using all your senses to engage the business world and your personal world.
You can reach him by visiting
You can purchase his book by visiting
To join the LinkedIn group visit
Tuesday Jun 02, 2020
Tuesday Jun 02, 2020
Today’s guest is an author, visual storyteller, and the CEO of the Visual storytelling institute. His perspective and insights on storytelling are excellent and practical. My guest has recently written a book titled Total Acuity. In his book, he explains The more meaningful details your story carries, the stronger propensity for your customer to see herself in your story, trust your message, and act on your call-to-action.
In our interview, we dive into this idea among many others including making emotional connections with your customer, learning how to listen well, and the power of using various angles on the stories we share.
I’m excited to have Shlomi Ron on the podcast today and want to welcome him to the SAGE Mindset Podcast!
Shlomi's Contact Info:
https://www.visualstorytell.com/
Total Acuity Book: https://amzn.to/2Y0iQfY
Music by Jason Strange
Thursday Feb 20, 2020
Thursday Feb 20, 2020
To find a single question that can change your life and business is a pretty lofty ambition but in the book, "The Coaching Habit" Michael Stainer may have done just that. In this episode, we look at this question and it's many uses/iterations to help you discover options, perspective, insights, and to just get out of the way.
This simple three-word question can reshape a business when you use it correctly. This question can open up possibilities and opportunities you didn't know existed.
Let me show you how to use it so you can experience the power of this question starting now!
Music on this episode
We Feel by tubebackr https://soundcloud.com/tubebackr
Tuesday Jan 07, 2020
Tuesday Jan 07, 2020
In this episode, I interview Jennifer Larsen who helps us understand what it means to honor and respect others in our relationships and gives us some powerful tips to make it happen!
Jennifer is Assessments 24x7’s in-house VP of Certification, Coach/Mentor, professional Values Analyst, and instructional designer for client customization and resource development. She specializes in helping clients, coaches and facilitators understand unique assessment results, and assists individuals and groups in personal and professional development.
Through educating others in improving communication, understanding critical thinking, embracing learning styles, evaluating emotional intelligence, and aligning behavior and values, Jennifer seeks to infuse others with a passion for learning and growing, encourage self-awareness, and impart simple, practical and applicable knowledge to help grow relationships and increase personal and professional effectiveness.
Her career path has included individual and organizational development, secondary and adult education, customer service, corporate finance, and investor relations.
She holds a Washington State Secondary Education Teaching Certificate, a Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis in Composition & Rhetoric, a Master of Arts in Adult Education and Training, a Master of Science in Psychology, and a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Human Resource Management.
She is also certified in a variety of training courses and development workshops with many well-known vendors. She’s traveled all over the world sharing her passion and expertise, and training and certifying others to make a difference.
Jennifer has delivered intimate and large-scale, public and private presentations since 2001 to corporate, educational, and professional development audiences on topics such as leadership development, self-awareness and personal growth, relationships between men and women, building effective communication, and quality training programs.
Jen is an avid painter, a professional singer and an active mom.
Music on this episode:
We Feel by tubebackr
https://soundcloud.com/tubebackr
Wednesday Nov 27, 2019
Wednesday Nov 27, 2019
With Thanksgiving being tomorrow, I'm sure most of us will enjoy some food and football! But with Thanksgiving comes people dynamics that can be difficult to manage at times.
In this show, I share some insights on how to best praise, encourage, and show gratitude to each of the 4 DISC Styles. So you can have a great holiday weekend.
You will get some great tips on how to better interact with THAT uncle, cousin, sibling, parent, etc. On this episode, you will learn:
- The SAGE Rule a twist on the Golden Rule
- The two powerful questions you can ask to identify anyone's style
- How to turn that advice you want to give into a question that creates better communication
- How each of the DISC styles likes to be communicated with including their wants, needs, and blind spots
Happy Holidays!