Business Excellence - TOP 5 Series – Details, episodes & analysis

“The key is finding ways that collaboration can benefit all parties and lead to greater sustainability impact than any one organization could achieve alone.“ 

The Top 5 Tips for Embedding Sustainability in Your Business Strategy

1. Confidence 

2. Commitment 

3. Consistency 

4. Courage

5. Collaboration

TIME STAMP SUMMARY

01:07  Understanding the global issues that affect sustainability.

06:39  Why maintaining frameworks is a major key.

13:25  Taking accountability for your role in the damage.

18:00  Community is important in achieving sustainability. 

Where to find Lee?

Website                        https://www.leestewart.com.au/ 

LinkedIn                       https://www.linkedin.com/in/leestewart/ 

Lee Stewart Bio 

I am one of the very few sustainability consultants who has over 20 years' experience including working for billion-dollar multinational companies. I am now on a mission to help others and support businesses to become a force for good whilst also being profitable. Below is my book preface on "Why I Wrote How to Build Sustainability into Your Business Strategy." Many individuals can go through their entire professional career without discovering their true purpose. After years of working, they may reflect on their accomplishments and question if it was all worthwhile. Did their work solely focus on increasing profits for their company by selling more products or services? 

What if they had found a way to leverage their expertise and knowledge to benefit society and the environment earlier in their career? By understanding your "why", you can harness a powerful tool that keeps you motivated and on track during challenging times. Personally, I have spent years refining my purpose, and it ultimately comes down to having a greater sense of meaning in my work. My purpose is twofold: to provide financial security for my family and to make a positive impact on the world. Despite many moments of doubt and uncertainty, where I questioned if my work was just greenwashing or focused on profits over sustainability, I have consistently strived to improve sustainability outcomes in every role I have held. 

Over time, my "why" has evolved, and now, as a father of three, I am more determined than ever to make a difference in the world. Understanding the bigger picture and the role I can play in creating a better future is a powerful driver that keeps me focused and motivated to succeed. Drawing from my own journey through the trials and triumphs of global corporate roles, this book, How to Build Sustainability into Your Business Strategy, is born from the bruises, frustrations, and burnout. It's more than a guidebook. It’s my obsession to help individuals seek deeper meaning in their careers and to enlighten businesses on the practical steps to seize the sustainability opportunity of our time.

“You can love somebody without having to live with them.” 

Evelyn Leite Top Five Tips For Strengthening Your Family Relationships 

1. Recognizing the importance of respect and dignity. 

2. Acknowledging issues, feelings and attitudes 

3. Unconditional love and the perimeters around it. 

4. Traditions and rituals 

5. Frustration vs. Hostility and the way to empathize 

TIME STAMP SUMMARY 

01:02 The critical importance of preserving mutual respect and dignity 

03:50 Highlighting empathy's crucial role in facilitating family communication and understanding. 

13:24 The impact of generational belief systems and the need to maintain a constructive, open-minded approach within the family. 

16:20 Keep doing your best, and set an example 

Where to find Evelyn? 

Website                       https://evelynleite.com/ 

Facebook                   https://www.facebook.com/LivingWithSolutions 

Evelyn Leite Bio 

Evelyn Leite, MHR, LPC, is an author and speaker who shares her heart-wrenching, real-life experiences with humour. She loves to relate funny stories, paired with memories about family addictions and mental health, to lead women to Jesus. She is highly regarded for her expert knowledge in healing trauma, understanding relationship dynamics, improving communication, and overcoming addictions. She uses her more than 35 years of professional experience as a relationships and addiction therapist to bring truth, redemption, love, acceptance, and hope to any story. 

“If you don't understand it, don't do it. Because there is no such thing as get rich quick. I've tried, been down all those roads... Just be wise, and know the area that you're stepping into before you start.”

Zach Oehlman Top Five Tips For Mastering Finance and Building Wealth

1. Understanding Financial Statements

2. Effective Budgeting and Cash Flow Management 

3. Strategic Tax Planning 

4. Smart Debt Management 

5. Building and Diversifying Investment Portfolios 

TIME STAMP SUMMARY 

02:25 A lot of business owners do not understand financial statements

06:25 The importance of proper budgeting 

13:00 The effects of leverage

18:15 The importance of interpreting financial statements

Where to find Zach?

Website              https://learnandgrowrich.net/ 

LinkedIn             https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachoehlman 

Bio Zach Oehlman

Born amidst the sprawling fields of Indiana, Zach Oehlman grew up with the earth beneath his feet and a sky-sized canvas of ambitions. From these humble beginnings on a farm, Zach harbored dreams of traversing the globe, uplifting lives, and achieving prosperity through the power of business.

With a keen eye for value and a talent for seeing potential where others saw none, Zach excelled as a valuation consultant, where his expertise spanned from assessing public companies to the intricate valuation of illiquid, non-marketable assets. His unique skill set became the cornerstone of a thriving real estate investing community and a business ecosystem dedicated to the lifecycle of entrepreneurship: starting, scaling, and selling ventures, then reinvesting the gains into real estate to create lasting wealth.

Over the past four years, Zach’s quest for knowledge and impact has taken him to over 24 countries, not just as a traveller but as a global citizen fostering organizations that empower individuals in various facets of life. He stands by the conviction that business acumen is a catalyst for joy and prosperity worldwide. By teaching the art of commerce and financial literacy, Zach believes we can ignite a global transformation, equipping people with the means to sustain themselves.

An aficionado of human behaviour, personal development, and theoretical concepts, Zach delights in weaving these elements into the fabric of business success. His insights are not merely academic; they are life lessons gleaned from a journey that began on an Indiana farm and has since embraced the world.

Zach spends his time riding his motorcycles around the world while he and his wife run their businesses online. He has plans of creating private resorts around the world that incorporate permaculture, business, and natural healing remedies to help people overcome health challenges and live an empowered life.

“The key to creating a sustainable strategy is understanding that every organisation’s strategies are different. And so, the strategy part of it has to rely on some key building blocks.”


Rael's Top Five Top Tips for a Sustainable Strategy 

1.       What happened – What is happening – Where to from here 

2.       Alignment of leadership personal and business 

3.       SW (OT) (PESTEL) 

4.       Shared strategy – plan on a page 

5.       WWWWW – visualization of goals 

TIME STAMP SUMMARY

00:38 Understanding the organisation 

05:31 Using other companies as examples 

12:17 Measuring success 

16:08 Summary of top five tips

Where to find Rael?

LinkedIn                              https://www.linkedin.com/in/rael-bricker 

Website                              http://www.raelbricker.com/ 

Who is Rael Bricker?

In 2013 I was given a rude awakening when after a season of triathlons, I decided to run a marathon. All this was part of a plan before turning 50. Each time I ran, I experienced neck pain  and it was discovered that I had two blocked arteries. I was the lucky one- I dodged a bullet and ended up with two stents.

This experience helped me to find my purpose in life.   I found my purpose in sharing the experiences of journeying  and achieving excellence with business owners and entrepreneurs around the world.

After 30+ years as a serial entrepreneur, in everything from education to finance to fitness, I’ve now made it my mission to share my knowledge and expertise with others. Seeing that light come on, and connections being made in people’s heads as to how they can weave my experiences and advice into their businesses reinforces that this is where I need to be.

From being 6000ft underground in a mine, to starting an education business (that grew to have 4000 plus students) and spending years working in venture capital, I have has seen it all. I have listed companies on multiple international stock exchanges, and my financial services group has settled more than $3bn in loans over 20 years. I have a diverse work history combined with unique global research interviews with companies in more than 25 countries. Taking this knowledge and experience makes me perfect to work with leaders and managers  on growing and achieving excellence, as I have experienced the rollercoaster myself, and know how to navigate the twists, turns and loops.

If you need me to have academic qualifications,  I hold two Masters degrees; an MBA and MSc (Engineering) and am currently a Fellow of the MFAA (Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia), a Certified Speaking Professional  (CSP)  (Professional Speakers Australia) and a Member of AICD (Australian Institute of Company Directors).  

My most important qualification is from the school of hard knocks and my most important skill is being able to listen to your needs and design a solution to help you. I am the first inspirationalist in Australia with Integrus Global and a Mentor with both Mentored With Mark Bouris and Mastermind.space. I love serving and contributing to others and in 2021 I have served as the President of Professional Speakers Australia in Western Australia. As my surname suggests, I am about laying the right bricks as the foundation to your personal and business success on the journey to excellence.  

“I've got someone in each of those groups that I have a connection with, who can introduce me to my target market. And the beauty is then that for each of those people, I can refer coaches consultants back to them.”

TIME STAMP SUMMARY

00:41 Be clear on your target market

04:52 Find businesses with similar target markets 

08:40 Invite them to play

13:24 Motivate them 

Where to find Lindsay?

Website                               https://24x7assessments.com.au/ 

LinkedIn                               https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayadams 

Who is Lindsay Adams? 

Lindsay Adams, commonly known as “The Relationships Guy”, is a relationship marketing specialist and author of “The DNA of Business Relationships”. He is also a well-respected business coach and high-profile professional speaker. with over 20 years of relationship marketing experience, Lindsay’s focus is on helping organisations build effective relationships and generate more business in less time.

Lindsay has worked with executive teams, individuals, entrepreneurs and business owners across Australia, Asia, Europe, and the United States. He is a Master Practitioner in Neuro Linguistic Programming and holds numerous management and training accreditation. He utilises these in his presentations and consulting work with a diverse range of 24×7 Assessment clients.

"What it means is that every business in order to create a rich and robust culture has to define their ethics. And with that, the integrity of the business relative to the society and the environment in which they operate."

Rael's Top Five Tips for Creating a Rich and Robust Culture  

1.       Ethics and Integrity 

2.       Visible Leadership

3.       Openness 

4.       Shared Values 

5.       Common Purpose greater than the organization 

TIME STAMP SUMMARY
 
00:36 Getting scared by world ethics

06:25 The true open-door policy

13:48 How values relate to industry

16:42 Creating a purpose greater than the individual and organisation

Where to find Rael?

LinkedIn                               https://www.linkedin.com/in/rael-bricker 

Website                               http://www.raelbricker.com/ 

Who is Rael Bricker?

In 2013 I was given a rude awakening when after a season of triathlons, I decided to run a marathon. All this was part of a plan before turning 50. Each time I ran, I experienced neck pain  and it was discovered that I had two blocked arteries. I was the lucky one- I dodged a bullet and ended up with two stents.

This experience helped me to find my purpose in life.   I found my purpose in sharing the experiences of journeying  and achieving excellence with business owners and entrepreneurs around the world.

After 30+ years as a serial entrepreneur, in everything from education to finance to fitness, I’ve now made it my mission to share my knowledge and expertise with others. Seeing that light come on, and connections being made in people’s heads as to how they can weave my experiences and advice into their businesses reinforces that this is where I need to be.

From being 6000ft underground in a mine, to starting an education business (that grew to have 4000 plus students) and spending years working in venture capital, I have has seen it all. I have listed companies on multiple international stock exchanges, and my financial services group has settled more than $3bn in loans over 20 years. I have a diverse work history combined with unique global research interviews with companies in more than 25 countries. Taking this knowledge and experience makes me perfect to work with leaders and managers  on growing and achieving excellence, as I have experienced the rollercoaster myself, and know how to navigate the twists, turns and loops.

If you need me to have academic qualifications,  I hold two Masters degrees; an MBA and MSc (Engineering) and am currently a Fellow of the MFAA (Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia), a Certified Speaking Professional  (CSP)  (Professional Speakers Australia) and a Member of AICD (Australian Institute of Company Directors).  

My most important qualification is from the school of hard knocks and my most important skill is being able to listen to your needs and design a solution to help you. I am the first inspirationalist in Australia with Integrus Global and a Mentor with both Mentored With Mark Bouris and Mastermind.space. I love serving and contributing to others and in 2021 I have served as the President of Professional Speakers Australia in Western Australia. As my surname suggests, I am about laying the right bricks as the foundation to your personal and business success on the journey to excellence.  

“I encourage people to have a little list of their favourite clever questions printed out on a card and keep it in your pocket. And so, when you go to a networking event, have a list of your favourite questions that you're going to ask.”

TIME STAMP SUMMARY

00:24 Focus on the other person

04:41 Ask clever questions

07:58 Keeping that personal touch

14:34 Networking and recommendations 

Where to find Lindsay?

Website                               https://24x7assessments.com.au/ 

LinkedIn                               https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayadams 

Who is Lindsay Adams? 

Lindsay Adams, commonly known as “The Relationships Guy”, is a relationship marketing specialist and author of “The DNA of Business Relationships”. He is also a well-respected business coach and high-profile professional speaker. with over 20 years of relationship marketing experience, Lindsay’s focus is on helping organisations build effective relationships and generate more business in less time.

Lindsay has worked with executive teams, individuals, entrepreneurs and business owners across Australia, Asia, Europe, and the United States. He is a Master Practitioner in Neuro Linguistic Programming and holds numerous management and training accreditation. He utilises these in his presentations and consulting work with a diverse range of 24×7 Assessment clients.

“He was still standing in direct line of fire when he was risking his life to save mine. Bullets are whizzing around us, but he stabilised me in 10 minutes in the brick line of fire. And in the analysis afterwards, he says he doesn't know how my heart didn't stop. All the textbooks say it should have stopped. The only reason he believed that it didn't stop, was because I had never read those textbooks.”

TIME STAMP SUMMARY

01:43 Getting shot 14 times

04:49 Human durability

15:29 The 5-phase model on human durability

19:01 Avoiding burnout

Where to find Derrick McManus?

LinkedIn                              https://www.linkedin.com/in/derrickmcmanus 

Website                              https://www.derrickmcmanus.com/ 

Who is Derrick McManus?

Derrick McManus was a South Australian Police officer operating in the elite Special Tasks And Rescue (STAR) Group.  He held specialist skills as a sniper, diver and was trained by the military elite Special Air Services Regiment (SAS) in counter-terrorist tactics. This is a physically, mentally and emotionally demanding environment.  It is an extreme, potentially overwhelming, VUCA environment in every way.

Derrick’s team had been tasked to arrest a high-risk offender.  He was obviously not very keen on being arrested. He fired 18 times in less than 5 seconds and hit Derrick 14 times. Derrick was then lying on the ground bleeding for 3 hours prior to his rescue. It was also anticipated that Derrick would suffer massive post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and be in psychological therapy for decades after such a massive traumatic event.

Three months after the shooting, Derrick had a single appointment with the Director of the Adelaide Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies – an international expert in traumatic stress.  Derrick defied all odds and amazed everyone when he was immediately psychologically cleared to go back to full duties with the elite STAR Group (obviously his physical injuries took much longer).

Derrick had proactively prepared himself physically, mentally, AND emotionally for the challenges he could expect as a result of the choices he had made.  He took responsibility for his actions and for all possible consequences. This format has been developed into the model for Human Durability and forms the basis of the philosophies within the Australian Centre for Human Durability.

Derrick has been a speaker and trainer on the international speaking circuit for the past 20 years.  He’s presented to audiences of 7 people to 4000 people, 5-year-old students to staff/team leaders to executives/CEO’s through to retirees. Derrick provides the insights and the tools to go beyond resilience to durability and create sustained optimum performance. He will show you how to create greater success for your people, leaders, and the organization.

“We didn't develop a detailed business plan. We said let's get something up and running. And we'll see how customers respond. So, we built a website, that some inventory. We were bootstrapping. So, we had to make two with what we had. The only marketing, we did was to set up a Facebook page.” 

 TIME STAMP SUMMARY

01:52 Planning the next step

03:37 Why it was socks

07:39 How our business model has changed over time

16:08 Benefits of having a different ability work force.

22:26 What the future holds for Mark and John’s Crazy Socks

Where to find John and Mark X Cronin?

LinkedIn               https://www.linkedin.com/in/mxcronin 

Website               https://johnscrazysocks.com/ 

Who are John and Mark X Cronin?

John and Mark X. Cronin are the father-son team that founded John’s Crazy Socks. John is an entrepreneur who just happens to have Down syndrome. You may know them for being named EY Entrepreneurs of the Year or testifying before Congress or speaking at the UN. You may know them because John became “Sock Buddies” with President George H.W. Bush. Or you may know them for having grown a bootstrapped start up into a multi-million-dollar social enterprise. John’s Crazy Socks is an internationally recognized social enterprise with a mission to spread happiness and show what people with differing abilities can do. 

 Their mission infuses all aspects of their business. More than half their employees have a differing ability. Their Giving Back Program starts with a 5 percent pledge of profits to the Special Olympics and has raised over $450,000 for their charity partners. They have attracted over 29,000 online five start reviews.  John’s Crazy Socks has over 240,000 Facebook followers and 55,000 Instagram followers.

 You will love their socks, but the socks are just the physical manifestation of the happiness they share. 

Brief Bio of John Lee Cronin

John Cronin is a 25-year-old entrepreneur who happens to have Down syndrome. John is the co-founder and Chief Happiness Officer of John’s Crazy Socks which has a mission to spread happiness and show what people with differing abilities can achieve. 

John has created a business where more than half the employees have a differing ability.
John’s Crazy Socks has shipped over 350,000 orders to 88 different countries and earned over 29,000 5-star online reviews. John was the first person with Down syndrome to be named an EY Entrepreneur of the Year.  John is a fierce advocate for people of differing abilities and has testified twice before the U.S. Congress and spoken at the United Nations.

Brief Bio of Mark X. Cronin

Mark X. Cronin is the co-founder, along with his son John, of John’s Crazy Socks, a social enterprise with a mission to spread happiness. His leadership has demonstrated that pursuing social goals – demonstrating what people with differing abilities can achieve and giving back – makes for good business. Mark advocates for the rights of differently abled people. His advocacy work has seen Mark testify before Congress twice, speak at the UN and make numerous trips to Capitol Hill. Mark is a sought-after speaker having spoken at events across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.  Mark is part of the U.S. State Department’s Speakers’ Bureau.  

“In layman's terms it simply means being able to be more awake and alert, be more relaxed and rested, and being able to see those bigger pictures, see those finer details to fill those bigger pictures, and allow things to happen, more naturally, more organically. And so, you know, usually the top leaders, they're working hard, but they're not working hard, because they're functioning from a state of simplicity. In that natural state, where you're not overthinking things, you're not under thinking things, you're just in tune with the right thought at the right time.”

TIME STAMP SUMMARY

01:56 The journey that led Raamon to America

08:21 Having confidence is the key

14:00 Personal development strategies 

20:37 The concept of stay interviews 

Where to find Raamon Newman?

Website               http://www.newmavericks.com/ 

LinkedIn               https://www.linkedin.com/in/raamonnewman 

 Who is Raamon Newman?

Raamon Newman is Co-founder & CEO of New Mavericks, a global leadership development consultancy based in Los Angeles, Melbourne, and Sydney. He has worked with over 50 top CEOs and execs of billion-revenue companies for more than 20 years, providing them with techniques to achieve high leadership capacity, averting problems and seizing growth opportunities. With a drive for helping people develop a sense of protection in any market, Raamon is also co-author to The Science of Protection: How Leaders Gain an Unfair Advantage to Create Stellar Success. His book helps leaders enhance their progress through mental optimization and skills. Everything required to support their vision can be developed within, and Raamon is an expert in showing them how. 

He is a former top-three nationally ranked track athlete, national cross country team winner, state championship-winning rugby player, environmental products entrepreneur, 10-year full-time meditating monk, Meisner trained actor, a philanthropist, and a graduate from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing.

Raamon inspires courageous leaders on how to have indomitable self-awareness, energy, clarity, belief, and creativity through timely individualized out-of-the-box insights. In addition, his time and field-tested leadership development techniques and programs achieve breakthrough results in the fastest, most protected way possible. 

He and his business partner Paolo helped one of their CEO clients grow his company from $1B to $7B in 7 years, something he told his board he couldn't have done without the insights and support they gave him. Raamon can't wait to share more about this and how leaders can practically experience the highest levels of fulfillment!