Confronting the Elephant in the Room

Introducing Amy Rupert and The Integreship Group

Leaders of any stripe can often have a difficult job; a number of decisions they make can seriously affect others. What can be worse is when a situation arises that where your leadership intuition or your survival in business is at odds with your personal conscious or morality.

Amy Ruppert is one of the world’s most renowned business coaches. She started at a time when most people thought coaches were just for athletes, but in her career she has helped the profession grow by doing such things as help set up the International Coach Federation and set up one of the first coach training schools. About a year and a half ago, Amy realized that she was being put into a position by some corporate clients to help executives cope in toxic situations, but not helping leaders evolve. Amy’s solution was to collaborate on the book, “Who’s the Boss: Confront the Elephant in the Room”, as a model to follow when you find yourself in situation where you are conflicted by your business survival and personal ethics.

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you are balancing your leadership and your integrity, this is the Boiling Point Episode for you.

In this episode

• Greg reflects on his time meeting Amy during the beginnings of Hemmings House.
• Amy lets us in on her experience and history in the coaching industry.
• She tells us about a coaching session where she decided, “I can’t do this anymore.”
• Amy explains why she couldn’t let companies use her services to help executives cope in toxic situations and what needs to be done instead.
• She explains what she means when she says that you cannot change what others do and think but you can choose how to respond to situations.
• Amy explains how talking about “the elephant in the room” is similar to when talk shows started bringing on parents who admitted that occasionally they wish they could just throttle there kids.
• Dave recalls a recent coaching session where a client mentioned that they were more stressed now than during two tours in Dessert Storm.
• Amy discusses how the psychological concept of flight or flight works when you feel your career is threatened and what the results can be.
• Dave recalls situations where Amy was able to listen to him and talk him “off the ledge”.
• Greg acknowledges that we all need to realize that when people are at their “breaking points” there is a lot of biology happening behind the scenes.

Links

- The International Coach Federation

- Buy "Who's the Boss: Confront the Elephant in the Room" on Amazon

- The Integreship Group Website

- Integreship on Twitter

- Integreship on Facebook

- Integreship on Linked In

- Amy on Twitter

- Airplane Journals on YouTube

Connecting to Clients with Content

Introducing Michael Katz and Blue Penguin Development 

Not much can be more engaging than a good story. What is even better is when you can connect a great story to a challenge your company solves. Michael Katz does this sort of connection on a daily basis with his company Blue Penguin Development. Michael creates engaging content for companies who are looking to truly connect with their current and potential clients and he is particularly thrilled by bad content that needs fixing. The truth is, in most instances, your company is probably not much different than your competitors, but what can set you a part is how you tell your story.

Check out this week’s episode to see how you can attract the clients you want with content they want to consume.

In this episode

• Michael tells us how he ended up in a position he never thought he would be as a solo entrepreneur.
• We hear why GOOD company newsletters are effective at gaining the clients you want by prequalifying them and building a personal connection.
• Michael tells us how a newsletter can be one part of your company’s social media strategy.
• We discuss how a newsletter may not be as sexy, but it is an effective relationship-marketing tool.
• Michael tells us the difference between gaining clients with content vs. cold calling.
• We discuss some of the reasons why people don’t create content for their clients and how theses obstacles can be overcome.
• We discuss long form content versus social media.
• Greg gets suggestions on how he could create a Hemmings House newsletter.
• Michael tells us how gaining clients from content is similar to picking a family doctor.
• We also hear why it is important to have content that is consistent with your personality and point of view.
• We are reminded that most content is not for our peers but our clients and should be written as such.
• Greg is inspired to kick his company’s newsletter into high gear.
• Dave is reminded of how his newsletter has assisted his marketing in so many ways.

Links

- Blue Penguin Development Website 

- Michael on Linked In

- Michael on Twitter

Reinvesting in Triple Bottom Line

Introducing Phil Graves, Patagonia, and $20 Million & Change

For over four decades, Patagonia has been a leader in high-end outdoor wear. The worldwide clothing brand not only makes clothes to wear outside, but also is known for its commitment to the environment. Since 1993 it has been making its fleece from recycled beverage bottles and it has used organic cotton since 1996. This commitment to a triple bottom line was further continued when Patagonia became a B corp in 2011. Patagonia has now continued to double-down on its commitment to planet, people, and profit by creating its own venture capital firm $20 Million and Change, which invests in environmentally and socially responsible start-ups.

Phil Graves heads corporate development at Patagonia and oversees $20 Million & Change. Phil came from the corporate consulting world, but was looking for a change. His first choice was to work for Patagonia and as luck would have it this was right near the initiation of $20 Million & Change. For Phil, one of the most rewarding aspects of working for Patagonia is the opportunity to demonstrate that business can be an engine for positive change. Check out this episode of the Boiling Point to be inspired by a great company and learn how your start-up could be their next investment.

In this episode

• Greg tells us how Patagonia has inspired Hemmings House by their corporate vision and their amazing film work.
• Phil tells us the inspiration behind $20 Million & Change and how it further propels Patagonia’s vision.
• He tells us the type of business and entrepreneur that Patagonia likes to invest in.
• We hear about a few success stories that were funded by $20 Million & Change and what they specifically do to affect a triple bottom line.
• Phil tells us how Patagonia fulfills its mission statement to build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire, and to implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
• We hear how becoming a B corp was the right fit for Patagonia, and not just a marketing ploy.
• Phil tells us how to get onto Patagonia’s investment radar.
• There is a discussion on what is next for B corps in general, and how we might expect to see more publicly traded B corps in the future.
• Greg is inspired by Patagonia’s notion of reinvesting in themselves and others.
• He also recalls a buying choice that ended with him picking up a Patagonia hat.
• Dave loves to hear the perspective of someone who came out of the corporate consulting world and going to a triple bottom line company.
• Dave also recalls his experience working in the government and how he sees business as potentially a better force for positive change.

Links 

- Phil on Linked In 

- Patagonia on Twitter

- Patagonia on Facebook

- Patagonia's Website

- Patagonia Works and $20 Million & Change

- Patagonia's DamNation

- B Corporation Website

- Wild Idea Buffalo Website

- Nu Mat Technologies

- Beyond Surface Technologies

- California Safe Soil

- Bureo Skateboards

Sharing the Stories of Business

Introducing Lise Hansen and Allan Gates and Huddle

What do you do when you are journalistic and business minded, but you live in a place that doesn’t employ a single fulltime business reporter? You follow the path of Lise Hansen and Allan Gates when they decided to open something like Huddle. Huddle is an online news source that tells the stories of creative, innovative, and interesting entrepreneurs from New Brunswick and the Maritimes. Huddle is not a business cheerleader, but too often Atlantic Canadian business is cast with an ominous tone. The truth is, there is a lot of positive stories out there (as the Boiling Point can attest) if you just take the time to listen.

In this episode

• Greg, Dave, Lise, and Allan discuss a MacLean’s Magazine article (in which Greg was quoted) that asked, “Can anything save New Brunswick?”
• Allan and Lise discuss their reasoning for starting Huddle and why expressing the full business picture in New Brunswick is important.
• We discuss Huddle’s response to MacLean’s.
• Allan talks about the misconception of the Atlantic economy. It isn’t all big mills, but also innovative small business.
• We discuss the exciting people and things that are emerging in the province.
• Allan and Lise express the importance of hyper local news.
• Greg’s takeaway is with the immense power of the media and storytelling, why do we focus so much of telling negative stories? Instead we should be inspiring and finding solutions to our problems.
• Dave appreciates Huddle’s positive approach and that it isn’t a cheerleader for business. In business, we have to face the brutal facts, but that doesn’t have to be the whole story and it is okay to be eternally optimistic.

Links

- Huddle's Website

- Bonfire's Website

- Huddle on Twitter

- Bonfire on Twitter

- Huddle on Facebook

- Bonfire on Facebook

- Maclean's article: "Can anything save New Brunswick?"

- Huddle's Maclean's reponse

- Huddle's 5 Maritime Podcasts You Need To Hear

Your Time toRise

Introducing Craig Ballantyne andEarlytoRise.com

There is truth to the power of attraction exposed by the movie,“The Secret” and previous Boiling Point guest Michael Losier. However, this week’s Boiling Point guest saysyou need to go one step further than just knowing what you want andattracting those who can help you achieve your goal. You must alsotake action.

Craig Ballantyne started his career as a personal trainer andfound success selling fitness information products through the web.Along the way, Craig started following a website called Early to Rise, which helpedpeople achieve their goals for health, wealth, and wisdom. Once hisbusiness was starting to take off, Craig decided that he would takethe plunge with a business coach. During their first session, thecoach asked what type of business would you like to have. Craig’sanswer was he wanted something like Early to Rise. After fiveyears, not only did Craig find a business “like” Early to Rise, he actually boughtthe company.

Check out this week’s Boiling Point on how to set and achievethe goals you want out of life.

In thisepisode                         

• Craig fills us in on the journey to becoming the owner of Earlyto Rise.
• He tells us how discussing goals with positive people cangalvanize them to take action for you.
• He tells us why the law of attraction needs the added step ofaction and how that works.
• Craig also tells us how he worked through crippling anxietyattacks through taking action.
• Craig tells us his Five Pillars of Success and explains howthese steps can help anyone achieve their goals.
• He lets us in on how he developed his five pillars from runningbody transformation contests and the common characteristics of hiswinners.
• Greg is put through the five pillars of success in relation tohis goal to start meditating.
• We go in-depth with the five pillars and what each reallymeans.
• Craig also tells us how his inspiration for helping others cameat a young age.
• He also has a tip for those entering business.
• Dave is reminded of his days of a personal trainer and how hefinally understood what impactful motivation meant to those he wastraining.
• Greg is thankful for the five pillars and Craig and how it madeit easier to take time out to meditate.

Links

- Early to Risewebsite

- Early toRise on YouTube

- Craig's Perfect DayFormula

- The Perfect Day Formula Book

- TurbulenceTraining

- Craig on Twitter

- Early to Rise onTwitter

- Craig onFacebook

- Craig'sWebsite

Craig's Perfect Day Formula