Discover the inimitable wave of leadership on Unleashed, where we dive deep into the heartbeat of organizations—its people. You'll learn how to champion a human-centered approach to growth, and redefine leadership by focusing on what truly matters: the people driving change. Change leadership is about guiding people through transformation in a way that inspires them to embrace change because they believe in it. Unleashed is for those who are open, honest, and ready to confront what's holding them back in life and business. If you're willing to take actionable steps and embrace genuine transformation, this podcast is your guide to leading with heart and unleashing your potential.
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Kurt Reinhart: Unlocking Leadership Excellence and Growth
Season 1 · Episode 1
Tuesday, August 27, 2024 • Duration 40:12
Kurt Reinhart is an author, consultant, teacher, and mentor, currently serving as the Vice President of Learning & Development for Russell Cellular, one of Verizon’s largest premier authorized dealers with over 700 stores across 43 states. In addition to this role, he leads Create Training & Consulting, LLC, a company he founded 17 years ago, dedicated to personal and leadership development.
With over 30 years of experience in learning, development, and training across North America and Europe, he has worked with organizations of all sizes. His expertise spans workshop facilitation, consultation, speeches, curriculum design, and offering insight as a trusted advisor.
At his core, Kurt is a servant leader who embraces a mindset of continuous learning, believing that growth and change are possible for everyone. His passion for encouraging others drives his work, and he lives by the motto: “Do what you love with a passion for growing others, and your reward will follow.”
In this episode Wendi and Kurt discuss:
The deep fulfillment found in personal and leadership development
Adapting business strategies and development programs in the ever-changing post-COVID labor market
From ‘Great Resignation’ to ‘Great Realization’: The importance of investing in your people
Challenges and nuances in measuring the ROI of behavioral-based training
The cultural shift from “training” to holistic personal and professional growth
Key Takeaways:
A profound sense of purpose and assisting others in their moment of realization transcends monetary rewards, offering a more substantial, enduring form of personal satisfaction.
In the face of the great reshuffle, including the 'Great Resignation' and 'Great Regret,' businesses like Russell Cellular are compelled to embrace change and prioritize learning and development as a key retention strategy.
Return on investment in learning and development presents a complex challenge, particularly when gauging the impact of experiential, people-focused programs. ROI is not always directly tied to revenue or a specific outcome.
Leadership in adversity is not just about weathering the storm; it's recognizing that your daily routine and response to challenges craft your journey of personal growth and purpose. Often disruption and chaos propel leaders to lead better. Embrace and leverage the opportunities presented through change.
Wendi and Kurt underscore the transformative power of surrendering control and cultivating gratitude, as life's unpredictable outcomes can lead to unexpected personal development and meaning.
Know your why. If the why is in place and you believe it in your core, you will not get stuck and will continue to move forward.
“Every day, I strive to live by five principles. First, wake up with gratitude. Second, pray or meditate—find a moment of mindfulness to start the day. Third, always be learning; there's always something new to discover. Fourth, seek community—don't go through life alone, connect with others who offer truth and support. Lastly, surrender control; focus on your response and trust in something greater than yourself.” - Kurt Reinhart
Welcome to the Unleashed podcast with Wendi Swanson!
Season 1 · Episode 1
Monday, August 26, 2024 • Duration 23:42
Discover the inimitable wave of leadership on Unleashed, where we dive deep into the heartbeat of organizations—its people. You'll learn how to champion a human-centered approach to growth, and redefine leadership by focusing on what truly matters: the people driving change. Change leadership is about guiding people through transformation in a way that inspires them to embrace change because they believe in it. Unleashed is for those who are open, honest, and ready to confront what's holding them back in life and business. If you're willing to take actionable steps and embrace genuine transformation, this podcast is your guide to leading with heart and unleashing your potential.
Bruce Herscovici: The Art of Delivering Brand Promises
Season 1 · Episode 3
Tuesday, September 10, 2024 • Duration 58:44
Bruce Herscovici is an accomplished growth marketer, sales leader, and corporate strategist who excels at building, inspiring, and transforming teams to drive change across organizational, customer, and partner channels. He has a career-long record of success in identifying, evaluating, and executing cutting-edge strategies to sustainably grow sales, turn around businesses, win market share, and reduce costs and inefficiencies, ultimately enhancing margin and profitability. A creative and empathetic leader, Bruce is recognized for his approachable, pragmatic, and motivational approach, which engages teams and drives results.
In this episode, Wendi and Bruce discuss:
Importance of consistency and outperforming competitors by staying true to brand values
Issues arising from automation overshadowing customer-centric approaches
Need for effective training and resources to enable employees to deliver on the brand promise
The role of culture in ensuring a positive customer experience and continuous improvement
Prioritizing customer experience through leadership that aligns with brand values and employee engagement
Key Takeaways:
It underscores how consistent leadership that fosters team ownership through collaboration is vital in driving long-term business transformations.
The increasing disconnect between brand promises and actual customer experiences highlights how companies often fail to deliver on their commitments.
By focusing on efficiency over customer-centricity, many brands are unintentionally damaging their customer relations, with automation sometimes exacerbating the issue.
The conversation sheds light on the need for businesses to invest in proper training and resources, ensuring employees are equipped to uphold the brand's values in every customer interaction.
A misalignment between company culture and customer experience can lead to widespread dissatisfaction, underscoring the importance of continuous improvement and employee engagement.
Olivier Paiement and David Noiseux: Unleashing Management Potential and Innovating Company Culture
Season 1 · Episode 2
Tuesday, September 3, 2024 • Duration 40:50
Olivier Paiement has extensive experience in market analysis, business strategy, and building long-lasting relationships with clients. After 15 years leading leaders, sales experts, and a learning portfolio, he brings his passion for learning and sales to New Era Learning. With a strong background in sales, consultation, and customer engagement, Olivier has a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed in today's competitive landscape.
David Noiseux is a talented and visionary design creative with a desire to create innovative and impactful learning solutions. After 16 years in the Telecommunication and Public sector as a Facilitator and Creative Lead, he made the decision to offer his learning expertise to all organizations. He uses his creativity and extensive expertise in the learning field to design courses that drive user engagement and compelling experiences for your teams.
In this episode Wendi, Olivier, and David discuss:
Impact of technology on learning and development
Shifts in corporate training budgets and their effects
Challenges in demonstrating training ROI in a tech-driven world
Advantages of continuous learning and creating a culture of accountability
The cost of inaction and the need for effective post-training support
Key Takeaways:
The confluence of technology, pandemic-driven changes, and evolving workplace values necessitates a fresh approach to learning and development, recognizing its broader impact on business success.
Despite a shrinking workforce and declining employee satisfaction, training budgets are being redistributed, potentially neglecting a vital element of workforce empowerment and engagement, causing employee turnover, which often has unrecognized losses.
Real success in learning and development doesn't come from the training event itself. It comes from how well the learnings are integrated into daily work and reinforced over time.
Key statistics highlight the tangible benefits of employee engagement, including lower turnover rates, heightened productivity, and increased customer satisfaction, thereby painting a picture where training investments are not a cost. They are a crucial driver of overall company performance.
Daniel Mendonca: The Power of Experiential Learning in Consumer-Brand Relationships
Season 1 · Episode 5
Tuesday, September 24, 2024 • Duration 48:57
Daniel Mendonca is a results-driven leader focused on enhancing the customer experience journey as Head of Growth at Halight. He specializes in customer education, helping businesses achieve measurable success through retail training programs that improve sell-in, sell-through, and peer-to-peer sales. His work strengthens the connection between consumers and brands, driving growth and long-term relationships.
Guided by core values like collaboration, empowerment, and authenticity, Daniel leads with a practical, people-first mindset. He emphasizes clear communication, teamwork, and sustainable success in all his efforts. Alongside his corporate role, Daniel also coaches’ university soccer, where he applies his leadership principles to help student-athletes grow. His diverse experience informs his approach to leadership, blending practical outcomes with personal development.
In this episode Wendi and Daniel discuss:
Importance of customer experience in modern retail strategies
Millennial and Gen Z buyer behavior shaping sales approaches
The need for training programs that prioritize collaboration, communication, and empowerment
'Learn, Sell, Earn' philosophy and its impact on sales growth
Role of active listening and storytelling in business success
Key Takeaways:
Continuous learning and active listening have been essential for overcoming imposter syndrome and excelling in leadership roles, underscoring the value of self-awareness and adaptability.
For brands and retailers, owning the "last mile" is crucial to customer satisfaction and retention, and measuring customer experience beyond transactions remains a challenge.
Millennials, who dominate B2B buying, value self-discovery, and extensive pre-purchase research, making it essential for brands to provide educational resources to build lasting relationships.
Blending voluntary and mandatory learning programs, along with using gamification and personalized experiences, significantly boosts sales performance and learner engagement.
Kurt Reinhart Part 2: Cultivating an Intentional Organizational Culture
Season 1 · Episode 4
Tuesday, September 17, 2024 • Duration 55:50
Kurt Reinhart is an author, consultant, teacher, and mentor, currently serving as the Vice President of Learning & Development for Russell Cellular, one of Verizon’s largest premier authorized dealers with over 700 stores across 43 states. In addition to this role, he leads Create Training & Consulting, LLC, a company he founded 17 years ago, dedicated to personal and leadership development.
With over 30 years of experience in learning, development, and training across North America and Europe, he worked with organizations of all sizes. His expertise spans workshop facilitation, consultation, speeches, curriculum design, and offering insight as a trusted advisor.
At his core, Kurt is a servant leader who embraces a mindset of continuous learning, believing that growth and change are possible for everyone. His passion for encouraging others drives his work, and he lives by the motto: “Do what you love with a passion for growing others, and your reward will follow.”
In this episode Wendi and Kurt discuss:
Building an intentional culture during adversity and disruption
Gauging culture through accountability, learning, and success
Creating a "pitch culture" and increasing engagement through a pilot initiative
Embedding core values in hiring, onboarding, and training processes
Overcoming challenges like securing buy-in and addressing microcultures in maintaining a culture
Key Takeaways:
Caring for employees and fostering a supportive culture leads to increased productivity and performance, as well as trust in leadership.
Building an intentional organizational culture is crucial for thriving amidst adversity, disruption, and chaos, helping companies persevere through challenges.
Consistent follow-through, overcoming resistance, and avoiding the flavor-of-the-month mentality are -key challenges in maintaining organizational culture.
Organizational culture is shaped by stories, core values, transparency, progress over perfection, grace for learning and failing, and perseverance, forming the foundation for growth.
Mark Ryski: Data-Driven Retail Optimization from Traffic to Conversion
Season 1 · Episode 7
Tuesday, October 8, 2024 • Duration 43:59
Mark Ryski is the Founder and CEO of HeadCount, a pioneering company in store traffic and conversion analytics since 1994. He is the author of two influential books on the subject: When Retail Customers Count, the first written on the topic, and CONVERSION: The Last Great Retail Metric, which has become the industry’s definitive guide. As the leading expert in the field, Mark’s insights have been featured in Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Retail Dive, Chain Store Age, Retail Insider, CBC, and The Globe & Mail. He is also a featured BrainTrust contributor on RetailWire – retailing’s premier online discussion forum. Today, HeadCount operates in 24 countries, helping retailers improve their in-store conversion rates and extract valuable business insights from traffic data. His vision is to enhance retail performance for shareholders, employees, and shoppers, establishing him as one of the most recognized experts in retail traffic.
In this episode, Wendi and Mark discuss:
Improving retail performance through traffic and conversion data
Aligning staffing with traffic patterns for operational efficiency
Revolutionizing retail with AI-driven SKU-level conversion analysis
Importance of staff engagement in boosting conversion rates
The pandemic's impact on store traffic and potential for conversion improvements
Key Takeaways:
A major focus is placed on aligning staffing schedules with traffic patterns, emphasizing that retailers often overlook crucial insights from traffic counters.
Prioritizing insights over raw data reveals the importance of empowering frontline staff with actionable information, driving culture change beyond mere technology upgrades.
AI's role in revolutionizing retail shines through its ability to provide SKU-level conversion analysis, optimizing localized assortments and operational decisions.
Despite pandemic challenges, store traffic has rebounded, highlighting the potential to improve profitability by just a 1% increase in conversion rates.
Matthew Gould: Authentic Leadership Through Humility and Curiosity
Season 1 · Episode 6
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 • Duration 44:32
Matthew Gould is an executive coach, leadership facilitator, and mediator who has helped grow a company from 250 to over 750 employees, with 85% of leaders promoted from within. With a deep belief that relationships drive results, Matthew guides teams through healthy conflict, leading to stronger bonds and improved outcomes. After 27 years in the telecommunications industry, where he first experienced leadership challenges, he now shares lessons from his journey, shaped by mentors, coaches, and his own successes. A certified co-active coach (CPCC), co-author of "Lead from Your Heart" (2020), and currently pursuing further certifications, Matthew empowers leaders at all levels to embrace their potential.
In this episode Wendi and Matthew discuss:
Overcoming ego-driven leadership failures through humility and vulnerability
Empowering teams through inclusive, collaborative leadership
Challenges of budget cuts in employee training and development
Building trust and reducing turnover through coaching
Fostering employee well-being with humane leadership
Key Takeaways:
Effective leadership stems from embracing humility, vulnerability, and curiosity, fostering a mindset focused on personal growth and inclusivity rather than positional authority.
Leadership thrives on a collaborative approach, where open dialogue, shared vision, and diverse perspectives empower team members and promote innovation.
Humane, relationship-based leadership generates extraordinary results by fostering employee well-being across mental, physical, spiritual, and financial dimensions.
Skillfully embracing conflict in a truthful way builds trust, improves relationships, and accelerates both personal and organizational success.
Stepping out of comfort zones, seeking mentorship, and committing to authentic conversations help leaders and teams grow both personally and professionally.
Clinton Bui: Genuine Connections and Customer-Centric Team Leadership
Season 1 · Episode 9
Tuesday, October 22, 2024 • Duration 38:48
Clinton Bui is a sales and service professional with a passion for strategy to achieve individual and business goals. He is currently a store manager for Rogers Communications in Canada. Throughout his career, he has intentionally and strategically built high-performance teams, committed to customer experience and the achievement of KPIs. The key to Clinton's success has been his commitment to ongoing growth through learning and innovation.
In this episode, Wendi and Clinton discuss:
Transition from individual sales to team leadership and management
Importance of understanding customer needs and delivering exceptional service
Creating a fun and authentic work environment to foster team happiness
Adapting to labor force shifts and customer expectations during COVID-19
Continuous recruitment and building trust for sustainable success
Key Takeaways:
The transition from individual sales to team leadership showcases how removing obstacles, equipping team members, and leading by example are pivotal for driving sales and team success.
Understanding customer needs and providing a trusted consultancy approach fosters loyalty, repeat business, and valuable referrals.
The value of authenticity in leadership, where creating a fun and genuine work environment allows employees to thrive and feel comfortable being themselves.
Retention and team happiness are highlighted as crucial metrics, driven by celebrating victories, fostering empathy, and maintaining a culture that values both fun and support.
A reflection on post-COVID challenges shows that continuous adaptation, innovative problem-solving, and a people-centric approach—both for employees and customers—are essential for overcoming modern business hurdles.
“Be your genuine self. There are going to be times when customers will walk in, and you might want to tell them this or that, but at the end of the day, they need to know who you are as much as you need to know who they are. So, as long as there’s that authentic trust between both parties and both can succeed together, I think that’s what really matters. It doesn’t really matter what you’re selling or if you’re a manager or not. I think whoever your client may be, you need to have that two-way street of, 'Hey, we can trust each other, and I’ll be your person to do this.”
Peter Smith-Part 1: Psychology of Sales
Season 1 · Episode 8
Tuesday, October 15, 2024 • Duration 46:22
Peter Smith has been in the jewelry business for four decades. He is the former president of Hearts on Fire, Memoire, and Vibhor. He is the author of several well-known books on selling and hiring, including “Hiring Squirrels: 12 Essential Questions to Uncover Great Retail Sales Talent”, “Sell Something: Principles and Perspectives for Engaged Retail Salespeople”, and “The Sales Minute: 101 Tips for Retail Salespeople”. Peter is a columnist for National Jeweler and The Jewelry Book, where he writes about retail branding, sales, and hiring.
In this episode, Wendi and Peter discuss:
Peter's unexpected entry into sales and passion for continuous improvement
Differentiating skills of top retail sales professionals and evolving retail landscape
Role of consumer psychology and sensory experiences in enhancing customer engagement
Impact of choice limitation on simplifying decision-making for customers
Importance of human interaction, empathy, and continuous learning in retail sales success
Key Takeaways:
Retail sales require a deep understanding of nuanced skills to distinguish top performers and create successful careers in the industry.
The retail landscape is evolving with the rise of online retailers opening physical stores, making it crucial to adapt to new consumer behavior.
Sensory experiences such as lighting, scent, and music play a vital role in emotionally engaging customers and enhancing their interaction with the store.
Simplifying decision-making by limiting choices helps customers feel less overwhelmed, allowing them to make more confident purchases.
Empathy and human connection are key elements in modern retail sales, with the in-store focus shifting toward engaging, relationship-based interactions rather than pure product knowledge.
“More product knowledge won't move people, but more people knowledge will move more product.” - Peter Smith
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“It's all about living up to the expectation you set as an organization. To me, it's about bringing to life that brand experience. Whatever your brand promise is, that is the customer experience you're trying to deliver against.”
Budgeting for employee development isn't just a good HR practice; it's a strategic move that boosts revenue and profitability by reducing turnover costs and fostering a dedicated workforce.
“What's important for employees these days is feeling recognized, respected, and that their values align with the company's values. They also want to bring their authentic selves to work and be able to be themselves.”
- David Noiseux
“I think it's important for organizations to survey their employees, find out what they're looking for, and build a strong plan to put that in place.”
Engaging Gen Z and millennial learners through interactive, multimedia training methods is critical for enhancing retention and productivity while embracing failure and learning from new experiences drives ongoing growth.
“Listen first, talk last. You may not have all the experience or know what you're doing, but you can leverage what you learn from those around you. Move forward with something you're passionate about. I was lucky to relate business to coaching and leadership. Not everyone gets that opportunity. So, try different things, and remember that listening is a huge component.” - Daniel Mendonca
Buy-in from employees, addressing micro-cultures, and consistent follow-up are essential for effective collaboration and adoption of desired behaviors and initiatives.
“Culture, to me, is about how you treat the people around you. It's the environment that you create for them to be who they are and who they are becoming. That's something I'm always doing my very best to live out: I want to be who I am, and I want to be conscious of who I am becoming.”
The conversation shifts to emphasize optimizing conversion from existing visitors as a more effective strategy than simply driving more traffic.
“We want to create a wonderful, personalized shopping experience and remove all barriers and friction points within the store. What many fail to appreciate is that conversion rates can show you, right down to the hour—literally the hour of the day—when these things are occurring. If you know what time of day and exactly where they're happening, you're in a position to do something about it: improve those friction points, minimize them, and boost conversion rates.”
“What’s led me to this is I’m passionate about people thriving mentally, physically, spiritually, and financially. And I believe, and it’s proven, there’s so much proof out there that when you do it in a humane, relational way, you generate extraordinary results. Actually, extraordinary results. Five-star. And when you do it the other way, you still might get profit. But boy, is that a costly way. That’s a really costly way to do it. The fighting way or the loving way.”
