The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends

Chelsea Laub, The Chief Enneagram Officer - Trusting Your Intuition, Why You Need To Learn As Much As Possible About Yourself, and How To Overcome Doubt To Help Your Networking Efforts

A fun and insightful conversation with Chelsea Laub. We talk about major career pivots, being a giver in your networking efforts, the Enneagram (Wikipedia) assessment (she shares the same personality type as Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, Brad Pitt, and George Clooney), and how her "Leisure Studies" major led her to start her own consulting company.
Please enjoy my conversation with Chelsea!
 
This episode is brought to you by Connect5000 (Website) your outsource lead generation, BDR, and inside sales partner. To download a free copy of the best tactical sales book you will ever read (written by its founder Ray Ruecker), go to https://connect5000.com/resources/book/.
 
Chelsea Laub​ (chelsealaub.com) is dedicated to transforming lives through strategic networking and personal development. As an accredited Enneagram Practitioner, facilitator, and speaker Chelsea brings a unique blend of expertise to the table. With nearly a decade of experience in the financial services industry, including her Series 6, 63, 65, and Life & Health Licenses. She understands the challenges of building authentic professional connections and navigating the complex landscape of personal and professional growth. Chelsea's passion lies in empowering individuals and teams to discover their true potential, communicate their value, and create lasting impact. As the creator of mingle, a proven practical networking methodology Chelsea offers an integrative self-aware approach to networking mastery, providing practical strategies that go beyond traditional methods and foster meaningful connections. Whether in one-on-one coaching sessions, team facilitations, or captivating keynotes, Chelsea is committed to guiding others on a journey of self-discovery, connection, and success.
 

Angela Kreps, The Chief Helping Officer - How She Made The Leap from Sales Manager to CEO, Why Everyone Is Capable of More, and Building a Network One Person At A Time

An inspiring conversation with Angela Kreps who decided after surviving a rollover car accident with her three young daughters that she needed to focus on making a difference while being open to new things. She then leaves her successful role as a sales manager for a Fortune 50 company to become a CEO. We talk about what she learned growing up being a pig farmer and having her first job in 3rd grade, why everyone is capable of more, believing in yourself, and why titles don't matter.
 
Please enjoy my conversation with Angela!
 
Angela Kreps (linkedin.com/in/akreps ), co-founder of SolutionBrokers.US and former CEO of BioKansas. Her career titles include CEO, Vice President, and Executive Coach with a consistent record of improving team performance while growing revenue and market share across multiple industries. Angela's career began selling B2B services to C-Suite clients, turning in record-breaking, award-winning results. She has experience in large multinational firms, small privately held companies, and non-profits.
 
 

Cory Scheer, The Trust Doctor - Why Most Companies Have A Trust Gap, The Process of Getting Clear on the Work You Do, and Why Lacking a Career Strategy is Okay

You will enjoy Cory Scheer's career journey and why not having a career strategy is okay. We talk about the leadership lessons he learned from being a whitewater rafting guide, driving a forklift as his first job out of college, running 29 marathons including a 56-mile ultramarathon, what a "Christmas Money Consultant" is, why most companies have a trust gap, and asking yourself what you want to do career-wise while trusting the answers are in the journey.
 
Cory Scheer (linkedin.com/in/coryscheer ) is the Founder and CEO of TrustCentric™ Consulting (TrustCentricConsulting.com), an organizational and leadership development firm. In addition to over twenty-five years in leadership roles in multiple sectors, Cory has obtained an Executive MBA (Rockhurst University) and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (University of Missouri). Cory has worked with small businesses, school districts, corporations, nonprofit organizations, higher education institutions, ministries, the military, and municipalities to provide vital support and clear direction on how to ensure people, practices, and policies become more trustworthy so that key performance indicators improve. He is the author of the seminal work "Closing the Trust Gap: Taking Action on What Matters Most for Leaders, Teams, and Organizations," (Amazon) each a testament to his commitment to fostering trust within organizations. Cory and his wife live in Kansas City, Missouri with their 4 children.

Sly James, The Servant Leader Driven By His Passion For Purpose - How He Succeeded As Kansas City's Mayor, The Jackie Robinson of KC Law Firms, and Reinventing Himself Every 10 Years

It is so fitting that one day after the Kansas City Chiefs won their fourth Super Bowl, our new episode features one of the best mayors in KC history - Sylvester "Sly" James. I was honored and humbled during our conversation as we discussed how he became mayor of the 37th-largest city having never held any political office, being the Black first associate/partner in one of KC's largest law firms, being the lead singer of a rock band that opened for Jefferson Airplane, why both passion and purpose drive him, and why he does not fall victim to imposter syndrome.
Please enjoy the great Sly James' great career journey!
 
Sly James (linkedin.com/in/sly-james ) was sworn in as the 56th Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri on March 22, 2011. After taking office, he focused on making Kansas City best in four key areas: Education, Employment, Efficiency, and Enforcement. This ‘4 E agenda’ drove all of Mayor James’ major policy decisions. Mayor Sly James was born and raised in Kansas City on the city’s eastside. He graduated from Bishop Hogan High School in Kansas City in 1969. After serving his country as a military police officer in the Marines from 1971-1975 in California, the Philippines, and Japan during theVietnam War, Mayor James graduated cum laude from Rockhurst College with a B.A. inEnglish. He then went on to earn his law degree, also cum laude, from the University ofMinnesota in 1983.
Prior to his election, Mayor James enjoyed a successful legal career which spanned almost three decades. Over the years, Mayor James has served on numerous boards andcommissions in leadership positions including The Missouri Board of Law Examiners, President of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Economic Development Corporation, Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority, Jackson County Ethics Commission, Legal Aid of Kansas City, Jackson County Bar Association, Bishop Hogan High School Board, Genesis School Board, and The United Way. Mayor James also served in leadership positions in several national organizations including US Conference of Mayors, African American Mayors Association, National Democratic Mayors, and Urban Land Institute.
He currently is the co-founder and partner at Wickham James Strategy and Solutions (wickhamjames.com ). Sly also has written two books - "A Passion for Purpose: Building Cities for Our Children" and "The Opportunity Agenda: A Bold Democratic Plan To Grow The Middle Class".

David Komar, The CEO Culture Coach - Surviving 9/11 at The Pentagon, Why Most CEOs Don't Have a Clear Vision of The Culture They Want, and Why Great Leadership Equals a Great Culture

David Komar is our third podcast guest who survived 9/11. Born to immigrant parents who lived the American Dream, David wanted to give back to his country by serving in the military for 31 years. We talk about being at the Pentagon on 9/11, his first leadership/culture lesson at 16 years old working for a regional department store, how 90% of CEOs do not have a clear vision of what culture they want their company to have, and how the best companies help their employees be better human beings after their workday is done.
Please enjoy my conversation with David!
 
David Komar (linkedin.com/in/davekomar ) grew up in central New York State and graduated with a BA in Business and Economics from Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania. He was commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps as a Second Lieutenant in the Army. He served over 31 years on active duty in a variety of positions and retired at the end of 2018 as a Brigadier General. Komar’s career enabled him to travel and live all over the US as well as across the world. He is a veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan. He led the Army’s capability development enterprise that planned and prioritized the Army’s annual $25 billion modernization program. As the Director of Army Business Operations, he led the Army’s business initiatives program, process improvement program, and organizational performance management programs. These programs provided billions of dollars in savings annually across the Army.
Komar was a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI Fellow and agraduate of the Executive Development Program at the Kenan-Flagler Business Schoolat the University of North Carolina. He also earned Master’s Degrees in NationalSecurity and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, Military Operational Artsand Science from the Air University and in Management from Webster University.. General Komar is currently the president of EDA Inc. (Company Website ) which is a top-of-the-house executive development service and technology company. He has recently written "Conquer Your Culture" (available late February 2024). It is a “how to” book for CEOs and other senior leaders on how to build an exceptional and enduring company culture. 
 

Franny Goolsby, The All Gas, No Brake Sales Executive - Why Discipline is Freedom, Loving to Prospect, and Her Focus on Hard Work and Mental Toughness

My conversation with senior vice president of sales at Salelytics Franny Goolsby will motivate you in so many ways. We discuss her first job as a crane operator, how she decided to do a half Ironman (70.1 miles: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, and 13.1-mile run) in four months without knowing how to swim, why she loves prospecting, her belief in hard work, why events are neither good nor bad, and balancing being a mom of four daughters. Franny has also done "75 Hard" twice (https://andyfrisella.com/pages/75hard-info).
 
Franny Goolsby began her career at Salelytics in 2008 on the Executive Sales team. Her expertise spans from Fortune 500 Companies to new startups. As she works intimately with prospects and clients to implement strategic business plans beyond traditional feet-on-the-street sales models - she identifies their go-to-market sales challenges and develops solutions to drive incremental revenue.Franny Goolsby has a degree in Psychology from Creighton University, where she was Captain of the Women's Soccer Team and earned All-Conference Honors in each of four seasons. She continues to stay active and busy with her husband, Aaron, and their children Justice, Gwendolyn, Beatrice, and Estelle.

Marc Shaffer, KC's Most Generous Connector - Creating a Culture of Helping People, His "Fail Early" Advice, and Having Kids Later in Life

Marc Shaffer is a gift to the Kansas City community helping everyone from recent college graduates with career advice to CEOs with financial planning. Marc is one of the few guests to sit on The Corporate Couch who knew exactly what career he wanted post-college. We talk about his love for Kansas State University, being a first-generation college graduate, his motocross racing days in high school (his number was 420 :-), why he loves helping people, books that influenced his early career, and his love of travel.
 
Marc Shaffer (linkedin.com/in/marcshaffer) has built his life to enjoy and promote things he loves – family, travel, adventure, and service. He is a co-owner and serves as the CFO of Searcy Financial Services Inc. (https://www.searcyfinancial.com/) and Allos Investment Advisors LLC (https://allosadvisors.com/).  Marc joined Searcy Financial in 2006 and was promoted to Partner in 2010, the same year he became a co-owner of the firm.
As a fee-only financial advisor, Marc specializes in helping clients and their families achieve continuity in their financial planning through generations and achieve their vision of an ideal life by encouraging goal setting and active monitoring of their financial plans. He also mentors students coming up in the industry.
Rotary, the Growing Futures Early Education Center Board, and other organizations keep him busy in the community. He has been recognized locally and nationally for his contributions to others and his profession.
He and his wife, Bridgette, are parents to Grant and Emily.

Sue Tetzlaff, The Caring Healthcare Culture Guru - Why The New R and R Will Make Your Culture Better, Having Intellectual Boyfriends That You've Never Met, and How To Achieve Great Results

Join me and this week's guest Sue Tetzlaff the co-founder of Capstone Leadership Solutions (www.CapstoneLeadership.net) for her great story of how she helps small healthcare organizations improve their patient and employee experience. We discuss her intellectual "boyfriends" (mentors she has never met who just happen to be all male), her reading of 50-60 books a year, and how the best cultures send their employees home every day with the energy to be fully present with their loved ones. We even get a Brady Bunch discussion that relates to our personal lives :-)
 
You will love Sue's energy and caring spirit...please enjoy!
 
 
Sue Tetzlaff, RN, RHIA, MHA, FACHE, has over thirtyyears of healthcare strategic planning, leadershipdevelopment, and execution experience. Thetransformation of organizational culture, successfullynavigating change, developing new programs andexpansion of services, strategic planning, training andcoaching leaders, employees, and teams are among thefavorite aspects of her work. Since co-founding Capstone Leadership Solutions in2012, Sue has served as a strategist, trainer, and coachto dozens of healthcare organizations undergoing wide-scale improvement initiatives.Before co-founding Capstone, she served as a healthcare executive for more than 20years as a Vice President of Quality and Safety, Chief Nursing Officer, Interim CEO, andChief Operating Officer.
Sue has degrees in nursing and health information administration from Ferris StateUniversity, a master's degree in Healthcare Administration from the University ofMinnesota. Sue is a Board Certified Fellow in the American College of HealthcareExecutives.
 

Kyle Doherty, The Fashion Founder - Falling In Love With La Dolce Vita, Competing In An Industry Where There Are No Barriers To Entry, and Creating Impact Not A Brand

You will enjoy one of the most unique career journeys of any guest who has appeared on the podcast when you listen to my conversation with Kyle Doherty (linkedin.com/in/kydoherty). We talk about how making clothes was part of his upbringing as his grandmother worked for one of the first female entrepreneurs in the United States making dresses for the incredible Nell Reed (Wikipedia) and how he started sewing at age 4. The story of why he founded his clothing company Charles & Richards is truly inspiring. You will also find out if he was voted best dressed in his high school senior class :-)
 
For the last 30 years, Kyle Doherty has had his hand in the tailoring world.  He spent time in his teens as a foreign exchange student in Northern Italy.  Falling in love with “la dolce vita” he made it back for a study abroad program in college. Being exposed to Italian manufacturing he was hooked. Post college he worked for several clothiers honing his skills. After years designing clothes for other brands he was drawn back to Italy to create a line stitched by hand providing the perfect marriage of form and function for the guy on the go without compromising the highest standards in quality.  
In 2016 he launched Charles & Richard's (Company Website) lifestyle.  He continues to grow the brand catering to the ever-changing office environment giving gentleman the best quality from jeans to tuxedos.  

Elizabeth Souder, Recovering Attorney Turned Culture Coach - Not Wanting To Do Sh*t Work, Carving Your Own Career Path, and Winning The Hard A$$ Award

A fun conversation with Elizabeth Souder (we worked "together" in the early days of Sprint PCS - now T-Mobile). We talk about her love of basketball and her college basketball records, God/Universe moments, why she stopped practicing law and started her own company, being clear on the work you want to do, and her realization that radical adherence to core values guides and informs every action and decisionof a healthy corporate culture. Please enjoy!
 
Elizabeth McJimsey Souder is a “recovering” attorney andorganizational health consultant and coach (www.whatsnextbiz.com) who helpscompanies and leaders realign the disconnect between who they say they are and how they behave. She has worked with some of Kansas City’s leading organizations as they launched, prepared for growth, prepared for expansion, addressed COVID and post-COVID related interruptions, reimagined who they were, restructured how they functioned, and rebuilt the culture in which they worked. Elizabeth also enjoys working with new managers and their teams to build trust, align and operationalize values, empower one another, and win together. Elizabeth brings 20+ years as a corporate lawyer with two of Kansas City’s largest employers where she witnessed and experienced the relationship between an organization’s health and alignment and its success. As a collegiate and lifelong athlete, the relationship between health and performance has always been obvious. The trick was translating what she knew to be true as an athlete and an attorney into a context that impacts organizations. The result led to therealization that radical adherence to core values guides and informs every action and decision of a healthy and successful organization.