Unleashing Resilience and Leadership: Navigating Challenges with Brian Heon

In this exciting episode of Training Unleashed, host Evan Hackle is joined by Brian Heon, the General Manager of Sunday River Ski Resort, located in Maine. Brian shares the incredible story of how his team handled a catastrophic rainstorm right before the Christmas holiday season, one of the busiest times for ski resorts. The storm brought seven inches of rain in mere hours, creating massive challenges including washed-out roads, damaged ski towers, and cut-off access to the resort. Despite the chaos, Sunday River was able to reopen the mountain within four days, showcasing the resort’s remarkable leadership, teamwork, and training.

Brian delves into the resort’s resilience, highlighting the importance of having a robust culture of servant leadership and empowering teams to make independent decisions in the face of a crisis. He explains how Sunday River’s team adapted, overcame logistical challenges, and provided both employees and guests with the support they needed during the storm.

Key Topics Discussed:
  • The Importance of Training and Preparation: Brian shares how Sunday River prepares for the winter season, emphasizing the role of early snowmaking and the Christmas holiday as the first big push for the resort.
  • Facing a Major Crisis: How the team managed the aftermath of a rainstorm that washed out roads, snow, and essential resort infrastructure, yet still managed to get 80% of the available terrain ready for skiers in just four days.
  • Servant Leadership in Action: Brian highlights the philosophy of servant leadership, explaining how it empowers employees at all levels to take initiative, think outside the box, and act swiftly in times of crisis.
  • The Role of Culture: Sunday River’s culture of kindness, respect, and professionalism (KRP) is integral to how the resort operates daily, ensuring that staff and guests alike experience a supportive environment.
  • Leveraging Partnerships and Vendor Support: Brian discusses how local vendors and passionate passholders with construction expertise contributed to the rapid recovery efforts, moving over 20,000 cubic yards of material in two weeks to restore the resort.
  • Customer Loyalty and Community Support: Despite the challenges, Sunday River’s guests remained loyal and supportive, with many expressing gratitude for the resort’s transparency and communication throughout the ordeal.

Top Tip from Brian Heon:

“Support your team and let them do the right thing. When leaders are empowered to make decisions, they rise to the occasion and execute what needs to be done for the company, the guests, and the team.”

About Our Guest

Brian Heon is the General Manager of Sunday River Ski Resort, a part of the Boyne Resorts family. With 26 years of experience in the ski industry, Brian leads with a servant leadership approach, focusing on empowering his team and fostering a culture of kindness, respect, and professionalism.

How to Connect:

Stay connected with Training Unleashed beyond the podcast! Join our growing community and be part of the conversation about leadership, training, and personal growth.

2024-10-30T10:31:42-04:00October 30, 2024|

Unleashing Potential: A Journey from Business Growth to Personal Fulfillment with Herb Cogliano

In the fast-paced world of business, success often hinges on strategy, innovation, and perseverance. In this episode, we delve into the inspiring journey of Herb Cogliano, founder of Aspire Growth Advisors, as he navigates the realms of physical challenge and business growth with equal vigor.

Applying Principles to Business:

Despite not being the youngest competitor, Herb embarked on the grueling Iron Man challenge with one goal in mind: to share the experience with his son. It’s a testament to the power of family bonds and shared goals in driving personal achievement. Herb’s approach to the Iron Man mirrors his philosophy in business—discipline, focus, and determination. As a seasoned consultant, he helps businesses articulate their vision, align their teams, and execute their goals with precision.

The Importance of Clarity:

Central to Herb’s methodology is the concept of clarity—a shared understanding of purpose, values, and objectives. In a world of distractions, clarity becomes the guiding force that steers organizations toward success. For Herb, success isn’t just about hitting targets—it’s about unleashing potential. Through Aspire Growth Advisors, he partners with mid-market companies to accelerate their growth and cultivate exceptional leadership.

Embracing the Journey

Herb’s journey serves as a reminder that true fulfillment comes from pushing boundaries, embracing challenges, and discovering our limitless potential.

About Our Guest

Herb Cogliano is the founder of Aspire Growth Advisors, a seasoned consultant, and a passionate advocate for personal and professional growth. With a diverse background in business consulting and endurance sports, Herb brings a unique perspective to driving business growth. Through Aspire Growth Advisors, he offers practical strategies and resources to help mid-market companies accelerate their growth and achieve lasting transformation. Herb’s mission is to inspire individuals to embrace growth, overcome challenges, and make a meaningful impact in their organizations and communities. Visit Aspire Growth Advisors to learn more about Herb’s work and explore resources for business growth and to access their Complimentary Growth Kit!

2024-04-10T12:59:58-04:00April 10, 2024|

Unleashing the Power of Training in Marketing: Navigating the Future with AI with Ford Saeks

In today’s rapidly evolving world, where staying ahead of the curve is essential for personal and professional growth, we find ourselves at the intersection of marketing, training, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). In this captivating conversation between seasoned experts Ford Saeks and Evan Hackel, we explore how effective training can elevate marketing efforts, drive organizational success, and navigate the transformative landscape shaped by AI.

The Foundation of Effective Training

As our discussion unfolds, Ford Saeks, a Hall of Fame speaker and serial entrepreneur with a wealth of experience spanning various industries, emphasizes the foundational importance of training. Drawing from personal experience, he underscores that training is not merely a one-time event but an ongoing process. “Training isn’t something you did. It’s something you do,” he asserts, emphasizing the continuous nature of learning and development.

Aligning Communication for Optimal Results

In the fast-paced world of marketing, effective communication is key. Our guest emphasizes the significance of aligning messaging with market needs and preferences. Whether it’s internal communication with staff or external communication with customers, the message must resonate to elicit the desired response.

The Customer-Centric Approach

Reflecting on a memorable marketing mishap, our guest underscores the importance of viewing business through the lens of the customer. Sharing an anecdote from a presentation to community bankers, he emphasizes the need to deliver on the promised value proposition. “You really need to look at your business model and your communications through the eyes of the customer,” he advises, stressing the importance of understanding and meeting customer expectations.

Embracing the Future with AI

Building upon the foundation laid by effective training, Evan Hackel, in his conversation with Ford Saeks, delves into the profound impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on various aspects of society. Both speakers emphasize the importance of continuous learning in navigating the complexities of today’s world, urging individuals and organizations to embrace AI and understand its potential.

Practical Training for Tangible Results

The discussion further explores the value of practical, actionable insights in training sessions. From keynotes to webinars, the goal is to deliver content that resonates with the audience and leaves a lasting impact. Both speakers stress the significance of effective training delivery, tailored to the needs of the audience. Keeping participants engaged is key to maximizing the impact of training sessions.

Marketing Benefits vs. Features

Finally, the conversation touches upon the importance of marketing benefits over features. This results-driven approach ensures that clients understand the value proposition and are more likely to invest in growth opportunities.

In conclusion, our exploration of training and marketing reveals a symbiotic relationship that fuels business growth, fosters customer engagement, and embraces the transformative potential of AI. By unlocking the power of effective training and embracing emerging technologies, individuals and organizations can navigate the future with confidence, innovation, and growth.

About Our Guest

Ford Saeks is more than a hall of fame keynote speaker, he’s a research-based thought leader. An engine. An expert. An idea man and marketing machine. He helps businesses not by talking at them about success, but by talking them through the steps to get there.

He invites all listeners to stay ahead in today’s rapidly evolving landscape, with a special mention of Ford’s AI training webinar: https://profitrichresults.com/ai-training a must for anyone looking to harness the power of AI.

2024-04-03T10:26:25-04:00April 3, 2024|

Navigating Diversity and Equity Across Borders: Insights from Toby Mildon

Toby Mildon is on a mission to help put the right strategies in place to improve retention, innovation, productivity, profitability and so much more. In this episode of Training Unleashed, Evan Hackle and Toby have an enlightening discussion on diversity and inclusion.

Comparing Diversity Discussions: UK vs. US

The definitions of diversity, equity, and inclusion are remarkably similar in the UK and the US. Toby emphasizes the importance of all three elements for creating a fair society. Diversity includes everyone, inclusion enables full contributions, and equity emphasizes personalized approaches. Toby introduces the iceberg analogy, stating that visible characteristics represent only 10% of our diversity, while the remaining 80% consists of invisible attributes. Understanding this diversity is crucial for creating an inclusive and respectful work environment.

Impact of Bias on Decision-Making

Bias, often automatic and unintentional, significantly influences decision-making, especially in critical situations like hiring or promotions. Toby highlights the importance of being mindful, curious, and challenging assumptions to understand individuals and their strengths.

Six Signature Traits of Inclusive Leadership

Toby shares the six traits identified by Deloitte for inclusive leadership:

  1. Curiosity: A trait essential for inclusive leaders.
  2. Cognizance: Being aware of biases and blind spots.
  3. Courage: Fostering honest, frank, and brave discussions.
  4. Cultural Intelligence: Understanding and navigating different cultures.
  5. Collaboration: Encouraging effective collaboration across teams.
  6. Commitment: A commitment to diversity and inclusion, challenging the status quo.
Inclusive Growth: Good for Business

Toby emphasizes that diverse teams make better decisions, and McKinsey’s reports support the idea that diverse leadership teams lead to more profitable businesses. Inclusive cultures improve creativity, innovation, customer experiences, and employee retention, leading to positive business outcomes.

About Our Guest

Toby Mildon, the founder of Milton Echo Ltd., is a dedicated advocate for fostering inclusive cultures within organizations. With a wealth of experience, Toby collaborates with clients to drive positive change, improve productivity, and create environments where everyone feels valued. For more information about Toby Mildon and his work, visit Milton Echo Ltd.. Connect with Toby on LinkedIn, where he shares valuable content regularly.

2024-01-29T17:36:23-05:00February 21, 2024|

Choice of software an expression of company values with Ian Robinson

Ian Robinson is founder of Enliven Design, a company he started in 2012 to create highly functional business software. In a recent Training Unleashed podcast, Ian and host Evan Hackel discussed the art of creating software that enhances all aspects of doing business, including training.

Taking the Pain Out of Software Development

Many people have come to accept the idea that developing new business software has to be difficult, frustrating . . . and painful. But Ian believes that software development should be a positive experience.

The best approach, he believes, is to start by creating a very specific work environment that is imbued with the company’s world view and culture. That environment will help companies create software that is just right for them.

Then when the worldview of the company is expressed in the software that a company uses, it becomes easier to onboard new employees and to train people to perform in ways that express the company’s deeper values.

Advantages of Using Custom, Not Off-the-Shelf, Solutions

If your company has only a small number of employees to train to perform a particular function, off-the-shelf software might be your best, cost-saving option. But you have to remember that off-the-shelf training software was designed to be used by as many companies as possible, and it typically bundles training on more functions than you need. “It wasn’t created for you,” Ian explains, “it was created for people like you.”

One Tip for Members of the Training Unleashed Audience

The most important underlying goal is to create software that is reassuring.

Ian explains, “An architect once said, `The one job in architecture is to make a space that’s reassuring on at least a subconscious level.’ So if a human is in a space, they should be subconsciously reassured. I think that’s a great way to look at software implementations and custom software builds. Put yourself in the place of your employee and create something that’s reassuring.”

Empathy is at the root of all these good practices.

About Our Guest

Throughout a successful career in software development, Ian Robinson has been sought out as a trainer and speaker for numerous engagements in the US and abroad and has interacted with a broad spectrum of clients and projects. These experiences have helped him cultivate his vision for Enliven Design, which he founded in 2012.

Enliven was founded with a mission to create highly functional business software that doesn’t compromise on creative design or user experience.

2023-09-27T13:47:57-04:00April 11, 2023|

New realities of post-Covid training with Hilmon Sorey

Hilmon Sorey is an author, keynote speaker and . . . incredibly . . . a man who has trained more than 15,000 people and 5,000 senior executives around the world. He is also Co-Founder of ClozeLoop, a consulting firm based in New York, Houston, Silicon Valley, and Johannesburg.

Hilmon has written eight top-selling books, including 46 Reasons Why Your Cold Calls Fail. . . and How to Fix Them Fast.

You will want to listen to this empowering discussion between Hilmon and Evan Hackel, the host of Training Unleashed. But before you do, please read these excerpts from their conversation . . .

Hilmon on What Is New in Training

In only five years, Hilmon’s training company ClozeLoop has gone from being a startup to one of the most watched training development companies in the world. So what is new in the world of training? Hilmon is in a position to know.

“There is so little being done right now in the area of advancing training,” Hilmon told Evan. One of the obstacles is that many people are still working remotely from home, which has made it difficult for companies to deliver uniformly high-level, high-quality training to large groups of employees.

“So the bottom-line thing here is technology,” he summarizes. “Technology has become the force that catalyzes training in the broad respect, because you need technology to train people who are distributed across the organization.”

Hire the Right People Before You Train Them

“A lot of folks begin to construct the training they need only after they have hired the person who needs to be trained,” Hilmon told Evan. “Instead, they need to step back ahead of time and use what we call a competency matrix to hire the right people. That might mean saying, `I understand I have three roles to fill that might be critical: for the distribution of my product; the sale of my product; and the ongoing development of my product going forward.’”

And then you hire the right people because you have defined the competencies you need them to have.

“Then I can actually imbue these people with information that results in significant performance gains,” Hilmon notes, “but a lot of people don’t take this step before they hire.”

Overcoming Resistance to Cold Calling

Hilmon pointed out many salespeople hate to make cold calls, for many reasons. Some of them feel that cold calling is “beneath them.” Others say they will do it but make it a very low priority and avoid it.

Remember, Hilton wrote the book 46 Reasons Why Your Cold Calls Fail. . . and How to Fix Them Fast, and you will want to hear what he has to say about cold calling in this Training Unleashed podcast.

A Special Offer

Hilmon is offering a free trial version of his coaching/training platform COACH/CRM to members of the Training Unleashed Podcast community. As part of your free trial, you will also receive a complimentary free session with a member of the COACH/CRM staff. Sign up here.

About Our Guest

Hilmon Sorey is Co-Founder of CoachCRM sales coaching software for managers. He has coached and consulted high performing teams in companies that range from early-stage startups to Salesforce, Box, SurveyMonkey, Bill.com, and some of the fastest-growing companies in the world totaling over $600B in valuation and market cap.

He is also Co-Founder of ClozeLoop, a management consulting firm based in New York, Houston, Silicon Valley, and Johannesburg. He is Partner in 2.12 Angels, a seed-stage venture capital firm.

Hilmon has written eight top-selling books on sales, sales management, and coaching.

2023-02-27T10:48:42-05:00February 27, 2023|

Celebrating every day moments with Joel Zeff

 

People use the expression “Ta-Da!” when they have done or discovered something wonderful.

Joel Zeff, a keynote speaker, improvisational actor, and humorist, believes that there is nothing trivial about “Ta-Da!” and celebrating every day moments. In a recent Training Unleashed podcast, Joel told our host Evan Hackel that its use is rooted in the time when kids are little, when everything they do is a celebration.

“They celebrate even the most routine events, like eating a cheese sandwich, in a big way,” Joel said. “They take a bite of that sandwich, they like it, and they exclaim, `Ta-Da!’ And then the parent joins in the celebration by saying `Ta-Da!’ back to them. And whatever activity they are doing, they are then going to do more of it.

“But as we grow older,” Joel added, “we don’t have enough of those moments of celebration.”

The Importance of Enjoying the Journey

Evan pointed out to Joel that too often, people fail to enjoy every moment of their life journey. Instead, they think, “When I get that promotion or make that sale, I will be happy.”

But both Evan and Joel agreed that it is more motivating to celebrate every day by having moments of joy and elation. The point is to be happy in the process.

Making Those Moments Part of Every Day

Joel also pointed out the importance of supporting other people at work. When you give everyone you encounter through the day – your colleagues, customers, clients – that extra level of positive excitement and support, you are much more effective, and you encourage them to join you on the journey to success.

Joel adds, “You can do this by telling people, `Thank you for listening to me . . . thank you for supporting me . . . thank you for being a customer.’ Those words are gifts, and they don’t cost you any money or take much time. Those words fuel other people, so they will bring positive support back to you . . . It’s all about creating a culture of positivity and support.”

Joel’s Tip for Members of the Training Unleashed Audience

“The best message that I learned from doing improv,” Joel says, “is stay in the game. And that is the message I tell my kids. Improv teaches us that we can’t quit. We have to stay in the game and find success.”

A Special Offer

Joel would like to send you an outline of his approach to bringing more celebration to every day. If you contact him through his website, he will be delighted to send you a copy.

About Our Guest

Joel Zeff is a dynamic speaker, improvisational humorist and author. His interactive performances invite members of the audience to participate in hilarious improvisational exercises that illustrate Joel’s central message: That organizations and individuals should CELEBRATE every day successes to increase collaboration, productivity, passion and innovation.

In 1973, Joel began to work in improv comedy, which led him to discover joy in everyday life.

Visit Joel at JoelZeff.com

2023-01-20T07:34:04-05:00January 19, 2023|

Future of AI in Training with DeMario and Dawn McIlwain

DeMario and Dawn Nicole McIlwain are the co-founders of Skilldora, the first all-A.I. online learning company that employs A.I. in every aspect of their business and platform. To see one of their amazing A.I.-instructors “live,” be sure to visit myskilldora.com. In a recent Training Unleashed podcast, DeMario and Dawn spoke with host Evan Hackel about the future of A.I. in training.

“A.I. is being currently used most extensively now in the medical space,” Dawn told Evan, “where it is being used mostly to train future doctors.” Yet both DeMario and Dawn foresee many more applications for A.I. in training.

At the moment, many of their efforts focus on creating digital humans that trainees can interact with in training courses. Skilldora is already using these digital humans, which are dramatically more realistic than the “talking heads” in other training courses. But still more big changes are about to happen.

DeMario and Dawn told Evan that in the future, their digital humans will become much more than merely realistic. They will become increasingly interactive, going beyond the simple ability to deliver information or demonstrate skills. This will make training programs increasingly interactive and engaging.

“And by the way,” Dawn adds, “this trend will not put training professionals out of work. If anything, it will create many more opportunities for programmers.”

Another trend to watch for is the application of A.I. to create and adapt culturally sensitive training programs for companies in other countries, where trainees speak languages other than English.

A Special Offer

DeMario and Dawn would like to offer our viewers a free Skilldora course, How to Use Emotional Intelligence to Gain More Success. To access your complimentary course, CLICK HERE, register as a member and claim your free course.

About Our Guests

DeMario and Dawn Nicole McIlwain are co-founders of Skilldora, developers of a training platform that combines powerful AI eLearning with tried-and-true tactics like peer-to-peer learning and networking. To learn more about their company and what it does, visit MySkilldora.com

2022-12-13T10:12:28-05:00December 13, 2022|

Coaching to achieve success with Lisa Baker

 

Lisa Baker is the Founder of Ascentim LLC, a coaching practice that guides its clients to live more meaningful and abundant lives, and she is the guest on this episode of the Training Unleashed podcast. Lisa spoke with our host Evan Hackel about her unique approach to achieving success.

Why Lisa Left the World of Fortune 500 Businesses to Start Her Own Firm

She chose to leave corporate life so she could pursue her calling to help others reach their peak levels of success. “Outside that corporate world,” she told Evan, “people have more freedom to say and do things.”

Lisa explains, “I’ve merged my executive leadership experience with my greatest passions – faith, family, and financial freedom – to create my coaching practice, Ascentim. At Ascentim, we guide our clients to live more meaningful and abundant lives through an awakening that uncovers who they really are, what they value, and their purpose – using it all to create the career and life of their dreams.”

Lisa Explains Her G.R.O.W. Approach to Coaching

G.R.O.W. is a process and a methodology Lisa created to help people move from where they are to where they want to be.

The four steps of G.R.O.W. are:

• Gain Insight – This means gathering the information that you need to move ahead toward success. “Many times a person in an organization is struggling to add a new skill or overcome some obstacle, but is blocked and doesn’t know what the blockage is,” Lisa told Evan. “So that person has to strive to understand what is really taking place. What skills do they need? What connections?”

• Realize New Possibilities – Once you have gained insight, you can start to consider what you can do with the information you have gathered. “Where do you want to go?” Lisa asks, “what is now possible for you?”

• Overcome Obstacles – This phase is all about planning. “Life always brings obstacles our way,” Lisa says. “We didn’t expect some of them, but there are other obstacles we can anticipate and plan for. “

• Win – This means winning at life. It’s bigger than just winning in your career. It has to do with your life and your legacy. “Winning is all about defining what success looks like to you,” Lisa says, “and for each of us, that is something different.”

Evan Hackel observed, “Part of the problem is that when people don’t define success, they never feel successful.” Lisa agreed.

Lisa on Helping Younger Employees Grow

“Younger people value the idea of having a pathway for their careers. However, many of them think that path should be very fast, and straight up. So part of managing those people is to expand their understanding of how careers grow.

“It’s not always linear. Sometimes you take some side steps. You might even see it as a step backward . . . and that’s all good.”

How Training Departments Can Support Individual Growth

Lisa says that training departments can incorporate the G.R.O.W. process in their training. “And they can also bring a more holistic approach to training that addresses a broader base of considerations than just their career,” she adds. “One of them is finance.”

A Special Offer

Lisa would like to offer listeners a copy of her new eBook Financial Therapy: Change Your Beliefs and Change Your Life. To get your copy, CLICK HERE and enter the promotional code FREE BOOK at checkout.

About Our Guest

Lisa Baker is the Founder of Ascentim LLC, a coaching practice that guides its clients to live more meaningful and abundant lives. Her greatest passions are faith, family and financial freedom.

Lisa L. Baker has more than two decades of financial experience in Fortune 500 companies and is a Ramsey Certified Master Financial Coach. No stranger to financial hardship, she bounced back from extreme debt and bankruptcy to retire at the age of 54 – DEBT FREE! She shares her wisdom with others who are ready to go from financial bondage to financial freedom.

Lisa earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Saint Louis University. She is a certified Personal and Executive Coach (The CaPP Institute) and a member of the International Coach Federation (ICF). She also holds a certificate in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of South Florida Muma College of Business.

2022-11-28T11:37:51-05:00November 28, 2022|

Scaling your business with Crista Grasso

Our Training Unleashed podcast host Evan Hackel sat down with Crista Grasso, the creator of the Lean Out Method, a simple way to grow a business to scale in the right way, by minimizing waste and maximizing efficiencies, and a known authority on helping global businesses simplify and scale. The two discussed the importance of growing your business to the right scale.

What Do You Need to Focus on As You Scale?

Crista says there are four factors to consider: Strategy, Planning, Systems and Team

One common problem is that when things are not working well, many companies assume they need to add more people. Yet the real problem could be something else: they don’t have the right systems in place.

And if they pause and simplify, many companies find they can stretch their people a bit further and align them with roles that will get more from the business.

Where to Focus as You Scale

If you can focus on your most important goals as a company – where you really want to be and what you really want to achieve – that will help you pinpoint activities where you can reduce your energy and your resources.

Unless you have clarity of vision, everything will seem like an amazing opportunity and you can invest your people, time and effort in the wrong areas. So the first step is to clarify your vision, so you engage in activities that are directionally correct.

On a Bigger Vision of Training

Training plays a critically important role in helping a company grow to scale provided the company asks not only “what are we doing?” but, “why are we doing it?”

Crista’s One Biggest Tip for Members of the Training Unleashed Community

“Have that clarity of vision,” Crista says. “If you know what is directionally correct for your organization, it will help you make the right decisions and help you grow to scale.”

A Special Offer

Crista has written a guide that outlines the top ten ways that people waste time and waste money in their businesses. She invites you to download your free copy HERE.

About Our Guest

Crista Grasso is the go-to strategic planning and systems expert for online businesses when they want to scale. Known as the “Business Optimizer,” Crista has the ability to quickly cut through noise and provide clarity on the core things that will make the biggest impact to scale a business simply and sustainably. She is the founder of the Lean Out Method, creator of the Lean Business Scaling System, and host of the Lean Out Your Business Podcast.

2022-11-11T10:43:52-05:00November 11, 2022|
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