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 Mar 07, 2023
Tuesday Mar 07, 2023
On today’s episode of the Blue Shirt Leadership Podcast, we welcome guest George Brisker. After spending over 30 years in the corporate tech world, George now owns a handyman business. He talks about how the skills and lessons that he learned in the tech world made it possible for him to be where he is today. Join us now as we listen in on the conversation with Kyle and George.
Notable Quotes:
“You have to start figuring out what's more profitable for you: to be in the field and work in the field yourself or to hire other people so you can take care of business.”
“When in the business world, my definition of being accountable is to follow the company rules, even if you don't like them.”
“Don't be afraid of holding someone accountable.”
“Life is too short to learn from your own mistakes.”
Show Notes:
00:00-00:51 Kyle welcomes us to his podcast and reminds us what a Blue Shirt Leader is. He explains that a Blue Shirt Leader is someone that is loyal; their handshake means yes. They embody the four pillars of excellent leaders and put them into the way that they lead and the way that they run their businesses.
00:52-01:28 Kyle introduces us to today’s guest, George Brisker. After over 30 years, George retired from the corporate world and now owns a home and tenant improvement company.
01:29-04:44 George tells us about his background, as well as how his skills translated from the high-tech corporate world to becoming a contractor/handyman.
04:45-08:00 George discusses some of the biggest issues that business owners forget about, specifically managing their business, managing employees, and resolving problems with customers.
08:01-09:49 Kyle and George discuss the importance of knowing your figures, your profit margins, and the ROI on your investments in your busing.
09:50-14:53 Kyle and George talk about accountability and the importance of being a leader who holds their employees to the company standards. George explains the process for doing this and shares a story of a time when he did this and it ended up having a very positive outcome.
14:54-18:21 George shares a story with us about an employee who was stealing work from the business. It resulted in needing to get a labor lawyer, but George says that at the end of the day, he learned a lot and now runs his business a lot better.
18:22-22:03 George shares a few tips about hiring employees to ensure that the employees you are hiring are quality people who you want working for you. He proceeds to talk about having trusted advisors around him, people who work for him and are employees but are very intelligent. George emphasizes the importance of trust in the workplace.
22:04-26:48 Kyle and George wrap up their discussion by talking about networking, both networking to help the customer and also to interact with other business owners both in and outside your field.
Connect with George via email at GBrisker@handymanconnection.com.
#smallbusinessowner #fromtechtosmallbusiness #accountability #trustyouremployees #blueshirtcoaching #bluecollarbusiness #networkingtogrowyourbusiness
Tuesday Feb 28, 2023
Tuesday Feb 28, 2023
Today’s guest on The Blue Shirt Leadership Podcast is Ameet Khabra, founder of Hop Skip Media and expert on digital advertising and Google AdWords. Join us today as Ameet shares how she got into digital marketing and lets us in on three of the top things to focus on when considering Google ads and digital marketing.
Notable Quotes:
“The aim is to get as many leads for the lowest amount of money.”
“Having conversion tracking in place not only helps with our advertising efforts, but will actually help you as a whole in your business.”
Show Notes:
00:00-01:47- Introduction and welcome to the podcast. Kyle introduces today’s guest, Ameet Khabra, who focuses on teaching people about Google AdWords and Google Advertising.
01:47-05:45- Ameet briefly explains her career journey that led her to where she is today.
05:46-07:28- Kyle and Ameet talk about the importance of asking questions and recognizing when to ask for help in business.
07:29-11:20- Ameet defines some of the vernaculars used in advertising and explains what the differences are and why it’s important to know how they work in advertising.
11:21-14:20- Ameet explains why conversion tracking is one of the first things that you, as a business owner, need to have set up in order to do a good job with marketing and advertising.
14:21-16:10- Ameet tells us how Google searches work and what the different types of searches are. She touches on broad matches, phrase matching, and exact matches and tells us what type she prefers.
16:11-18:25- Ameet explains that the third thing to consider in advertising is the use of negative keywords. She explains what they are, when would be a good time to use them, and how they affect search results.
18:26-21:31- Kyle and Ameet discuss the importance of knowing the numbers in your business, knowing where your money is being spent, and what things are most profitable in your business.
21:32-26:18- Ameet explains how her agency works and what it looks like if you were to work with her.
26:19-29:43 Kyle and Ameet wrap up their conversation with a final piece of advice from Ameet.
Connect with Ameet on Instagram at adwordsgirl or online at https://hopskipmedia.com/
#digitalmarketing #marketing #advertising #googleads #makingsales #conversionrates #smallbusinessgoals #professionaldevelopment
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Today’s guest on the Blue Shirt Leadership Podcast is Frank Agin. Frank is the founder of AmSpirit Business Connections, a speaker, and a consultant. He is passionate about empowering entrepreneurs, sales representatives and professionals around the country to become more successful through networking.
Today Frank and Kyle talk about the value of giving and making connections in business. They discuss the importance of relationship, of getting to know others, and of continually giving and giving some more.
Notable Quotes:
“It made total sense to me that you can lift up your whole world just by helping other people.”
“You need to get to know the people around you and they need to get to know you and I think if you want people to get to know you, you need to put an effort into getting to know them.”
“If you want to be successful, focus on helping other people.”
“Never stop giving. Just continually find ways to help other people.”
“Get involved, find something you're passionate about. Volunteer.”
00:00-01:11 Kyle welcomes everyone to today’s episode of The Blue Shirt Leadership Podcast and introduces today’s guest, Frank Agin.
01:12-03:54 Frank and Kyle start off their conversation today by talking about how Frank got into the world of networking and what things looked like for him when he was just getting started.
03:55-08:14: Frank briefly explains each of his three ‘pillar’s of networking and how they work together to help networking be successful. Like, Know, and Trust.
08:15-11:35 Frank discusses the importance of relationship and getting to know the people in your network.
11:36-15:15 Frank tells us that in order to get more out of networking, you actually have to give more of yourself. He explains this further and talks about how this works.
15:16-19:16 Frank and Kyle recognize that in business, you do need to make sales and can’t only be giving. Frank talks about two different kinds of givers, and also encourages listeners that they might need to change up where they are giving to.
19:17-23:50 Frank and Kyle talk about keeping track of their giving, of continually introducing and connecting people in their networks, and to never stop giving.
23:51-27:16 Frank and Kyle wrap up their conversation with some last minute advice from Frank and a reminder to continue making connections.
Connect with Frank at https://frankagin.com/
on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/frankagin/
or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankagin/
#giving #networking #developrelationships #empoweringentrepreneurs #givesomemore #neverstopgiving #networksuccessfully
Tuesday Feb 14, 2023
Tuesday Feb 14, 2023
In today’s podcast with guest Joe Rockey, Kyle and Joe discuss leadership based on the four principles of gaining knowledge, which include listening to your employees, being courageous, justice, and humility. They focus on trusting and empowering your employees, setting up systems so that your business can function without you being present, and how each of the four principles works together to make you a better leader.
Joe Rockey launched his first business from scratch at age 25, and over a decade later it is strong and survived the pandemic. Since 2011, I have launched over 15 different entities in multiple industries - to name a few: podcasting, business consulting, personal growth coaching, keynote speaking, and real estate investment.
Notable Quotes:
“I want to help people make a difference in their lives.”
“I am getting a sense of fulfillment that I am helping people become better off.”
“Accountability is justice. What did you do based on your actions, not your words?... My words line up with my actions.”
“Ultimately their personal fears that hold their businesses back, and for most of us, that’s the answer when our businesses don’t succeed.”
“Everything with your business is going to be an extension of your relationships.”
“It’s a continuous journey that keeps taking you to a better and better situation.”
00:00-00:34 Podcast Introduction
00:35-01:17 Introduction of today’s podcast guest, Joe Rockey.
01:18-02:05 Joe and Kyle greet each other and get ready for conversation.
02:06-03:07 Joe briefly tells listeners about what he does and what motivates him to do this work.
03:08-05:19 Joe talks about the importance of having structures in place and trusting your people.
05:20-06:42 Joe reminds listeners that before you can put structures in place, the business owner needs to have a clear understanding of the purpose of the business.
06:43-13:26 Kyle and Joe discuss how the process of empowering begins with hiring the right people and creating a culture of empowering everyone within your business. Joe gives us a specific example and discusses how it works and why many business owners don’t operate with this mindset.
13:26-14:57 Joe discusses the system that needs to be set up in place in order to make it possible to empower people in the way he suggests.
14:57-15:57 Kyle and Joe discuss accountability in the workplace.
15:58-19:38 Joe talks about the importance of being a boss who listens well and who creates a culture that allows employees to ask questions and bring up ideas, especially if you want to be able to take a vacation or step away from your business and have it still operate.
19:39-22:38 Joe tells us that personal fears are the biggest thing that hold back business owners.
22:39-26:40 Joe talks about the four things/four pillars that everyone needs to implement in their business.
26:41-28:55 Joe discusses the role of faith in business and how his four principles stem from his faith.
28:56-35:14 Joe talks about the challenges of each pillar and how the pillars work together to make you a better leader. He reminds us that the goal of leadership is to find balance, to make sure that you treat others fairly and are also being treated fairly, and to be clear on the expectations you have for your employees.
35:15-37:04 Joe and Kyle wrap up the interview. Joe’s final piece of advice is to just go out there and start doing these things because they work.
Connect with Joe at elitebusinessconversations.com and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joerockey/
#empoweringleaders #workplaceaccountability #listenwell #leadwell #businessownership #confidentleadership
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 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
Monday Dec 12, 2022
Monday Dec 12, 2022
Join me today as I talk with my guest about the challenges of toxic masculinity, his battles that eventually led to attempted suicide, and how God helped him discover his passion and calling. Through this, my guest learned of the infinite value and worth our lives had, thanks to God.
Gordon Melville shares powerful insights on how to lean into your infinite worth and overcome the fears that follow big dreams and aspirations on today's show. Gordon Melville is the Founder, CEO & Chief Catalyst Strategist Guide of Jewil International. He's an Executive Producer, a digital radio host, podcaster & tv personality of 'The Long Bearded Guy'!
A High-Performance Mindset Mentor, best-selling author, and an International keynote speaker who teaches entrepreneurial men to navigate mental awareness & health in a world of judgment and toxic masculinity.
He's worked with Grant Cardone, Tony Robbins, and Zig Ziglar, developing his coaching specialization.
https://www.inspiredchoicesnetwork.com/podcast/the-long-bearded-guy-with-gordon-d-melville/
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 22, 2022
Tuesday Nov 22, 2022
As avid hikers, search and rescue veterans, and outdoors lovers, Jerry and Gracie Johnson set out on an epic adventure. Jerry and Gracie are retired law enforcement officers ready for a new challenge.
They chose the Pacific Crest Trail, which is a 2650-mile through hike from the border of California and Mexico to the Washington and Canadian border.
On this podcast, they walk us through some of their logistics, helping to save a fellow hiker in need of serious medical help, dealing with fires, overcoming personal fatigue, and many other challenges. They each share powerful insights from the lessons learned on the trail.
Most importantly, they learned the power of accountability and being a team. This a lesson we all can take to our businesses and relationships. To learn more and see their experiences on video, visit YouTube and search for Jerry and Gracie's Adventures.
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 Nov 08, 2022
Tuesday Nov 08, 2022
Angela Ryan is a business owner on a mission. Her mission is to help her clients heal through massage, exercise, breathwork, and other innovative techniques. She leads her team from a perspective of high trust and empowers them to innovate and create ways to serve their clients.
Angela is a true SAGE Leader. In today's episode, we discuss her journey to opening her business, the growth process she has personally gone through to get where she is now, and a powerful app she and her team are working on.
Additionally, you'll get practical insights on the power of breathwork, workplace accountability, and building trust with your team. Join me as I interview Angela Ryan. You can connect with her on social media or by visiting groundedmassageplus.com.
Connect with me by visiting sagemindset.com You can get my SAGE Leadership book by visiting https://amzn.to/3sS5ssF