The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends

Jamie Crosbie, The Born Leader - Destined To Create Her Own Company, Changing Your Mindset For Peak Performance, and Embracing Failure

A fun and insightful conversation with Jamie Crosbie (see her bio below)! Jamie and I talk about the life/leadership lessons from her legendary mom, knowing that she wanted to start a company at an early age, her first public speech at 15 years old in front of 500 people, her first professional job leading a group of accounting clerks (and her story of regularly falling asleep at her desk :-), how to interview salespeople, why a positive mindset is so important, why failure is the path to growth, her preparation process for her upcoming Ted Talk, how having a career strategy prepared her to create her own company, and why you should be comfortable with the uncomfortable. Please enjoy my conversation with Jamie!
 
Today's episode is brought to you by ExecHQ (Website), a C-suite fractional firm providing elite executives for your business. If you’re having challenges taking your business to the next level, want to augment your leadership team, or prepare your company for increased growth, profitability, and an eventual successful exit, ExecHQ has seasoned executives from every C-suite position, ensuring a perfect fit for your needs and industry dynamics. To learn more about ExecHQ, email Jeff Pelaccio at jeff.pelaccio@exechq.com.   
 
Jamie's bio:  An accomplished senior executive with more than two decades of success across sales, sales leadership, talent acquisition, and management, Jamie Crosbie ​(Website) is an inspiring and powerful trainer and speaker. Jamie understands the complex interplay of strategic scale growth, lead generation, client communication, market analysis, strategic sales, and business development; because shehas been there, in sales management, talent recruitment andtraining trenches.Jamie’s company consults in top sales talent acquisition; strategic planning and executive leadership; business development strategy; and Peak Performance Mindset® Workshops. Having served as Vice President of Training and Development and Sales at Career Builder, as well as being the founder of ProActivate, an elite sales staffing company, Jamie understands how to motivate, shape and lead successful teams.Jamie was responsible for leading 50-85% annual revenue growth with oversight of an 80-person sales team while managing $35MM operations; driving top sales training, development, and productivity for half of enterprise’s U.S. sales organization; defining, assessing, profiling, and acquiring targeted best talent for domestic and international sales organizations.
Jamie is the author of Journey to the Top: How to Reach Your Peak Performance Life, ThePower of 2, Exponential Sales Leadership and How To Source, Qualify; Hire Elite Sales Talent. As a certified speaker with the High-Performance Mindset® system, Jamie understands how to leverage her extensive experience to help your team go higher and accomplish more. She has been conducting Business Development and Peak Performance Mindset Keynotes and Workshops nationally for companies like Armstrong Relocation Services, Southwest Airlines, EO, Encompass Home Health, MidCo, TPX, Santander, EBSCO Research, and Free Range Concepts. Post-Workshop evaluations have proven that these companies set new sales records, collaborated more effectively, and embraced a more focused and positive sales environment. Simply put, Jamie teaches everyday people to live uncommonly successful lives. Whether you are seeking individual coaching to improve your focus, live more fully, or achieve your goals, or you are looking for ways to inspire and empower your team, you owe it to yourself to learn from this revolutionary mindset workshop. When it comes to selling, you need to be able to connect with clients on a human level, while still showing them how your product solves a problem in their world. Jamie is an acknowledged expert in this area. She has the ability to transfer her skill set, her passion, and her sales knowledge to others via team workshops that work.

Melea McRae, The Fearless Leader - Born To Launch Her Own Ad Agency, Being The Only Female In The Executive Suite, and The Importance Of Being A Positive Role Model

You will enjoy the conversation with the bold and fearless Melea McRae(see her bio below). Melea and I discussed the following: how she navigated being the only female executive at a company, knowing she wanted to be an entrepreneur at an early age (when she was 10 years old she dressed as a "business owner" for Halloween), her advice to female entrepreneurs, finding career success as an intrapreneur, the impact of her mom dying when she was very young, how a palm reader in NYC predicted her future, her roles models (including Murphy Brown), working for Nordstrom's after the company she worked for folded but never receiving a paycheck, how she owned being a "job hopper" when the practice was frowned upon, how the Adam Grant book "The Originals" crystallized her career focus, her work advice to single moms after a divorce, and how she manages her different roles while being heavily involved in the community. Enjoy learning and laughing during my conversation with Melea!
 
Today's episode is brought to you by ExecHQ (Website), a C-suite fractional firm providing elite executives for your business. If you’re having challenges taking your business to the next level, want to augment your leadership team, or prepare your company for increased growth, profitability, and an eventual successful exit, ExecHQ has seasoned executives from every C-suite position, ensuring a perfect fit for your needs and industry dynamics. To learn more about ExecHQ, email Jeff Pelaccio at jeff.pelaccio@exechq.com.   
Melea's bio:  Melea ​McRae (LinkedIn) is an entrepreneur, marketing strategist, business connector, and adjunct professor with 30 years of experience elevating brands, amplifying missions, and fueling business growth for B2B and B2C clients. In 2016, Melea made the entrepreneurial leap and founded Crux KC, a fast-growing WBE headquartered in KC. Known as the “un-agency,” Crux is a full-funnel outsourced marketing solution customized for organizations of all shapes, sizes, and verticals, combining the expertise of fractional CMOs who build the marketing strategy with a deep bench of experts in each marketing discipline to deliver on that strategy.

Sonya Jury, The Mental Fitness Coach - From Architect to EOS, Riding The Dementia Train With Her Mom, and Lessons From Getting Fired

This conversation with Sonya Jury (see her bio below) tugged at my heartstrings as one of our topics was her journey during her mom's Alzheimer's illness (my dad had early onset Alzheimer's when I was about 10 years old). Sonya wrote a book to help others through their parents' journey (or other loved ones) called - "Mom Forget My Birthday: A Daughter's Journey Through Alzheimer's".  We chat about many things including her career pivot from architect to business consultant/author, how getting fired led to her current career, her advice for picking a college major, the importance of having a coach (especially for young leaders, why entrepreneurs should embrace "job carving", and why you should work for three different sized companies. Sonya gives some great book recommendations also: "Who Not How", "The Psychological Safety Playbook, Selling Boldly, and the one that has had the most impact on her - Positive Intelligence: Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential and How You Can Achieve Yours. I know you will enjoy my conversation with Sonya.
 
Today's episode is brought to you by ExecHQ (Website), a C-suite fractional firm providing elite executives for your business. If you’re having challenges taking your business to the next level, want to augment your leadership team, or prepare your company for increased growth, profitability, and an eventual successful exit, ExecHQ has seasoned executives from every C-suite position, ensuring a perfect fit for your needs and industry dynamics. To learn more about ExecHQ, email Jeff Pelaccio at jeff.pelaccio@exechq.com.   
 
Sonya's bio: With an uncanny ability to see the big picture formulate, Sonya Jury, AIA is ​(https://www.businesssherpa.org/ ) parlaying her years of business design acumen into following her passion – helping others achieve success. 
Using simple, proven tools aligned with a proven process, she works with Leadership Teams to design a vision, execute that vision, and live a better life. Her passion is to coach, teach, and facilitate leadership teams to be free from the frustrations of running their business with a focus. 

Wayne Simien, The Faith-Based Servant Leader - Leadership Lessons from Hall of Fame Players and Coaches, Why You Should Expect Life To Be Hard, and Wanting To Be Like His Father

Here's an interview with someone I "knew" as a teenager the humble, servant leader Wayne Simien (see his bio below) from his early athletic success as a McDonald's All-American (recognizes the top 25 high school basketball players in the United States) and winning the 2006 NBA Championship to his current role as the associate athlete director of engagement and leadership at the University of Kansas. His leadership lessons from Hall of Famers like Pat Riley, Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Roy Williams, and Bill Self, his journey to becoming a Christian at 20 years old when he was feeling broken and empty, why he wanted to emulate his father, the most important ring he ever received (it's not the one you think), his fitness goals/routine (some of it involves his 5 kids), why he changed his initial college major from Points, Rebounds, and Winning to Sociology. You will enjoy his stories about working out in a urine-smelling stairwell with needles at his feet (drawing comparisons to Rocky Balboa in Rocky III). We also answer important questions such as - Who eats hot wings better - Shaq or Wayne and Do McDonald's All Americans eat free for the rest of their lives :-). Please enjoy my conversation with Wayne!
 
Today's episode is brought to you by ExecHQ (Website), a C-suite fractional firm providing elite executives for your business. If you’re having challenges taking your business to the next level, want to augment your leadership team, or prepare your company for increased growth, profitability, and an eventual successful exit, ExecHQ has seasoned executives from every C-suite position, ensuring a perfect fit for your needs and industry dynamics. To learn more about ExecHQ, email Jeff Pelaccio at jeff.pelaccio@exechq.com.   
 
Wayne's bio: Wayne Simien​ (www.waynesimien.com), born and raised in Leavenworth, KS, grew up in a hardworking family with both parents employed at Hallmark Cards. Excelling in basketball, he was part of a 6A State Championship team and a McDonald's High School All-American. Simien attended the University of Kansas, graduating with a degree in sociology in 2005. During his collegiate career, he played under Hall of Fame coaches Roy Williams and Bill Self, participated in two Final Fours, won three Big 12 Championships, and was named Big 12 Player of the Year and First Team Consensus All-American. His jersey hangs in the Allen Fieldhouse rafters. In 2003, he became a Christian, a transformative experience. Drafted in the first round by the Miami Heat, he won an NBA Championship under coach Pat Riley and concluded his professional career in Spain.​ From 2009 to 2021, Simien served as a Christian campus minister at KU and across the Midwest, focusing on mentorship, preaching, and leading mission trips. He currently resides in Lawrence, KS, working as the Associate Athletics Director of Engagement at KU. In this role, he is involved in leadership development, fundraising, and supporting former athletes through K-Club. Married to his wife Katie for 16 years, they have five children. Simien is also an elder at Morning Star Church and enjoys coaching his kids, fishing, hunting, and golf.

Robert "Abe" Abrams, The 4-Star Muddy Boots Leader - Lessons from 39 Years of Army Leadership, How a "Raging Introvert" Can Lead An Organization of 1 Million People, and What It Is Like to Be In A War

Not only does Robert "Abe" Abrams (see his bio below) have an extensive Wikipedia page but so does his father (who also has a US Army tank named after him). I was honored to have Abe as a guest. We talk about his love for being a tactical leader (leading combat troops in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan during multiple combat tours spanning Operation Desert Shield/Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom), what it is like being in combat, how the death of his father at 14 years old impacted him, how he successfully retired as a 4-Star Army General after 39 years, overcoming being a "raging introvert" to lead organizations over 1 million people, how to retire successfully (it involves sprinting through the "retirement" tape), what is a military leader's sacred responsibility, and working for a world-class a$$ chewer. This episode has many leadership lessons so get ready to learn (and laugh)!
Today's episode is brought to you by ExecHQ (Website), a C-suite fractional firm providing elite executives for your business. If you’re having challenges taking your business to the next level, want to augment your leadership team, or prepare your company for increased growth, profitability, and an eventual successful exit, ExecHQ has seasoned executives from every C-suite position, ensuring a perfect fit for your needs and industry dynamics. To learn more about ExecHQ, email Jeff Pelaccio at jeff.pelaccio@exechq.com.   
 
Abe's bio: Over a 39-year career of active duty service, General (R) Robert B. “Abe” Abrams​ (Wikipedia) led troops in peace and war. Following his commissioning from theUnited States Military Academy in 1982, he spent his formative years in a CavalrySquadron with a mission on the E-W German border during the cold war, leadcombat troops i​n Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan during multiplecombat tours spanning Operation Desert Shield/Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedomand Operation Enduring Freedom. He was the Senior Military Assistant to the 24thSecretary of Defense. He commanded with distinction at every level fromCompany to 4-star Major Command including command of the Army’s and DOD’slargest formation, US Army Forces Command, with over 750K soldiers and DACivilians across all 3 components for over 3 years. His final assignment was as theCommander United Nations Command, the ROK-US Combined Forces Commandand US Forces Korea from 2018-2021.
Since retiring, Abe serves as a Board Director for Vistage International; as aboard director for the Bob Woodruff Foundation; as a senior Board Advisor forVAYA Space; as a member of the Board of Business Executives for GridironCapital; as a consultant for several companies; and is the Vice Chairman of theKorea Defense Veteran’s Association, a 501(c) non-profit. Abe speaks publicly onleadership and Korean Peninsula affairs, and is a military contributor to ABCNews.
Happily married, he and his wife are proud parents of two children andgrandparents to two grandchildren. They moved to a small farm in westernMissouri following retirement. The Abrams have a Golden Retriever named“Hank” and adopted an abandoned orange tabby named “Fred”. Abe is afunctional fitness enthusiast who also enjoys golf, follows college basketballclosely, and gets March Madness annually. He remains an ever-optimistic fan ofArmy Football and has been recently converted to a fan of the KC Chiefs.
 

Michael Sommers, The Leadership Junkie - Creating A Company Based on Love, Vulnerability, and Transparency, Being Driven By Greatness, and The Three Signs of A Miserable Job

You will not find many executives talking about leading with love, vulnerability, and transparency but you will in this episode with Michael Sommers (see his bio below). We talk about his drive at an early age to be a servant leader and strive for greatness, the three signs of a miserable job, how his parents' divorce impacted his leadership journey, the "formula" that justifies his leading with love, and how he operationalized transparency at his company. You will love this episode with Michael!
 
Today's episode is brought to you by ExecHQ (Website), a C-suite fractional firm providing elite executives for your business. If you’re having challenges taking your business to the next level, want to augment your leadership team, or prepare your company for increased growth, profitability, and an eventual successful exit, ExecHQ has seasoned executives from every C-suite position, ensuring a perfect fit for your needs and industry dynamics. To learn more about ExecHQ, email Jeff Pelaccio at jeff.pelaccio@exechq.com.   
 
Michael's bio: Michael ​Sommers (LinkedIn) brings three decades of expertise in people strategy and organizational performance, serving startups to Fortune 1000 companies. Studied management at UCM, and was raised on a Kansas farm, he knows hard work and resilience.​ His business journey begins with his family building a large national company and includes him taking his own path to grow and sell a high-growth multi-million-dollar company by age 28, both fueling his passion for leadership excellence. Over 25 years, he grew four more multi-million-dollar ventures and drove a global turnaround resulting in the successful nine-figure exit, all of which allowed him to collaborate closely with, study, and learn from countless high-profile world-class executives.
A devout Christian and self-professed “leadership junkie,” Michael finds joy in family time and discussing leadership intricacies with anyone interested.​ Michael and his wife Jane married in 1996, and call Lee’s Summit, MO home, where they cherish their family bond. With two grown children and grandchildren, their love forms the foundation of their life together. He has also enjoyed the past 18 years serving the homeless community, but fishing with their grandkids brings a joy all its own.

Zach Arend, The Teddy Roosevelt of Leadership Coaches - Overcoming "Boreout" At Work, The Gift of Getting A Major Demotion, and The Beauty of Letting Go

Get ready to saddle up your horse in this episode with Zach Arend (see his bio below). His life and career journey is one you will not want to miss. Zach and I discuss: How he was demoted from the vice president of sales of a $300 million company to an account executive (and the major impact it had on his life); his journey from 11 to 18 years old to become a bronc riding champion, his early leadership lessons while still in college working for UPS and leading a team of 16 (when he knew "everything"), his unique approach to making leaders better to help cure the "boreout" pandemic at work, and why it's better to let things happen versus making things happen. Please enjoy my conversation with Zach!
 
Today's episode is brought to you by ExecHQ (Website), a C-suite fractional firm providing elite executives for your business. If you’re having challenges taking your business to the next level, want to augment your leadership team, or prepare your company for increased growth, profitability, and an eventual successful exit, ExecHQ has seasoned executives from every C-suite position, ensuring a perfect fit for your needs and industry dynamics. To learn more about ExecHQ, email Jeff Pelaccio at jeff.pelaccio@exechq.com.   
 
Zach's bio: Zach Arend (LinkedIn)  was raised in a small town in Nebraska, Zach grew up in an entrepreneurial family working at his parents' grocery store. At 10, he learned what it takes to become great at what you do.​ At 11 years old, Zach was riding in the rodeo. By age 18, he was 2x Saddle Bronc Riding Champion.  He often says, "Everything I needed to know about leadership, I learned in the rodeo arena."​ Zach's professional achievements include: Former 2X Saddle Bronc Riding Champion; TEDx Speaker 2024 - Saddle Your Own Horse™; Coached, consulted, and facilitated 180+ leadership sessions; Trainer to hundreds of managers and their executive teams Former VP of Sales for a $300 million logistics company; ​​Developed and ​led team of 50+ sales professionals; Certified Professional Coach (CPC); Energy Leadership Index - Master Practitioner (ELI-MP)

Fred Stipkovits, From Steel Mill Town to Company President - Revolutionizing American Manufacturing’s Culture, His Remarkable Company Turnaround, and How His First Job During 9/11 Changed His Life

There are so many leadership lessons from Fred Stipkovits in this episode (see his bio below) from his first job leading a Coast Guard Homeland Security unit (with colleagues who had been in the Coast Guard longer than he had been alive) pre and post-9/11 (including ramming a boat head-on at 50 MPH to track down a suspected terrorist), his struggles transitioning from his military career (including working a job at Home Depot), being selected as president of a company where two years earlier he was not hired as the business development manager, leading an incredible company turnaround (e.g., replacing 50% of the staff with 0 terminations in his first 10 months and increasing employee retention to 98%), the hardship of undergoing a divorce, his mission to revolutionize the culture of American manufacturing, and why he wants to change the future of work. You will love Fred's great story so please enjoy this episode!
Today's episode is brought to you by ExecHQ (Website), a C-suite fractional firm providing elite executives for your business. If you’re having challenges taking your business to the next level, want to augment your leadership team, or prepare your company for increased growth, profitability, and an eventual successful exit, ExecHQ has seasoned executives from every C-suite position, ensuring a perfect fit for your needs and industry dynamics. To learn more about ExecHQ, email Jeff Pelaccio at jeff.pelaccio@exechq.com.   
Fred's bio: ​Fred Stipkovits (LinkedIn) hails from a blue-collar steel mill family on the East Coast, where he was deeply influenced by both Italian and Hungarian heritage. Raised with an indomitable work ethic instilled by his upbringing, Fred's journey has been marked by resilience and determination. Following his high school years, Fred made the pivotal decision to join the military, embarking on a decade-long service journey that encompassed both enlisted and officer roles. As the first in his family to graduate from a four-year university with a bachelor's degree, Fred achieved a significant milestone, breaking new ground as he transitioned from enlisted to commissioned officer status.​ Post-military life presented its challenges, as Fred searched for a sense of purpose. However, his trajectory shifted when he assumed leadership at Ultra-Tech, where he saw the opportunity to enact meaningful change, foster high-performing teams, and elevate individuals to reach their fullest potential, prioritizing the welfare of others above himself.
Fred's personal life has also been a journey of growth and transformation. From marriage to divorce and remarriage, he found solace and fulfillment in starting a family later in life. The experience of parenthood later in life has tempered his once-hard-hitting mentality, infusing his leadership approach with empathy and understanding.​ Drawing from his upbringing and his father's reflections on management, Fred is driven by a steadfast ambition to revolutionize the culture of American manufacturing. Through his leadership at Ultra-Tech and beyond, Fred Stipkovits is dedicated to shaping a future where work is not merely a means to an end but a path to fulfillment and prosperity for all. 

Frumi Barr, The Female C-Suite Pioneer - Her Journey From A Physical Therapist to Leading Fourteen Companies, How She Became A CEO's Secret Weapon, and The Benefits of A Portfolio Career

You will learn many things by listening to Dr. Frumi Barr's (see her bio below) professional journey. Frumi talks about starting her career as a physical therapist and then pivoting into the business world where she led/founded fourteen different companies, her experience being a female C-Suite executive starting in 1980, how her persistence led her to meet Simon Sinek (he wrote the forward for her book), why growth companies need to understand the "Valley of Death", the benefits of a portfolio career, and why every entrepreneur will fail at some point. You will enjoy Frumi's great career and the many stories of success and failure.
 
Today's episode is brought to you by ExecHQ (Website), a C-suite fractional firm providing elite executives for your business. If you’re having challenges taking your business to the next level, want to augment your leadership team, or prepare your company for increased growth, profitability, and an eventual successful exit, ExecHQ has seasoned executives from every C-suite position, ensuring a perfect fit for your needs and industry dynamics. To learn more about ExecHQ, email Jeff Pelaccio at jeff.pelaccio@exechq.com.   
 
Frumi's bio: As the founder of the Barr Business School, Dr. Frumi Rachel Barr​ (LinkedIn), is an expert in scaling businesses. She leads CEOs through growth, with a focus on communication, alignment, and accountability.
Her 20+ years of experience blend practical leadership with academic knowledge, helping leaders make smart, profitable choices.​ Dr. Frumi is instrumental in developing the next generation of business leaders.
She is also the celebrated author of "A CEO’s Secret Weapon," a top-ranked business book with a foreword by Simon Sinek.

Maria Flynn, From Farm Girl to Founder - Making Opportunity Happen As An Entrepreneur, Overcoming Overwhelm, and Rallying Yourself First In Times Of Stress

Maria Flynn (see her bio below) is just such a fascinating person from her roots growing up on a Kansas wheat farm to her journey as a CEO/founder to helping entrepreneurs in the early stages of their journey to succeed. Maria and I discuss the lessons she learned from her parents (e.g., if you can see it, you can be it), being an intrapreneur, why mindset is so important, why in times of stress you need to rally yourself first and then your team, why sh*t is always going to happen and what to do about it, and how she helps entrepreneurs be successful. Please enjoy my conversation with Maria!
 
Today's episode is brought to you by ExecHQ (Website), a C-suite fractional firm providing elite executives for your business. If you’re having challenges taking your business to the next level, want to augment your leadership team, or prepare your company for increased growth, profitability, and an eventual successful exit, ExecHQ has seasoned executives from every C-suite position, ensuring a perfect fit for your needs and industry dynamics. To learn more about ExecHQ, email Jeff Pelaccio at jeff.pelaccio@exechq.com.     
 
Maria's Bio: Maria Flynn (LinkedIn) is the Founder and CEO of Ambiologix (Website), a consulting and training company that helps entrepreneurs advance their innovation, grow their potential, and build their businesses. Maria has worked with founders from over 40 companies, helping them Make Opportunity Happen, which is the title of her book​ (Amazon), keynote, and workshops. As CEO of Orbis Biosciences, Maria built a technology company that improved pharmaceutical manufacturing, won awards for its novel innovation, and was acquired by Adare Pharmaceuticals. As Managing Director of Techstars Kansas City, Maria invested in and coached companies across
health tech, biotech, fintech, deep tech, and consumer tech.