This week we sat down with Samantha Scott, President of Pushing the Envelope, a marketing and PR firm based in Fort Myers. Samantha shares with us leadership lessons, including taking feedback from your employees, hiring based on character and culture, and striving for the best for their clients. To top the podcast off, Samantha explains how a Vanilla Ice verse from 1990 chart topper “Ice Ice Baby” leads Pushing the Envelope to strive for the best. 3 Takeaways: (12:15) You have to stick to your word(15:45) Being able to dissent with respect is important(16:20) “Anything less than the best is a felony” - Vanilla IceTimestamps: (00:25) Tell us about how you got started with Pushing the Envelope (01:35) What were you doing before Pushing the Envelope and what gap did you see in the market? (02:50) How did the company adapt after 2008-2009? (04:07) What is the company like today? (06:15) As a business leader, how do you deal with and respond to rejection? (07:35) What defines you as a leader? (10:00) How were you able to shift your mindset as a leader? (13:25) Hiring on character and culture (14:55) What leadership skills do you look for when promoting individuals? (16:20) “Anything less than the best is a felony” - Vanilla Ice (17:30) Leaders you have tried to emulate? (19:40) Hot seat questions Join us every week as we interview business leaders to learn what makes them great, what they look for in growing leaders, and much more. Visit businessobserverfl.com for more.

This week we are joined by Dan Stone, Chief Operating and Development Officer at Front Burner Brands, parent company for the Melting Pot restaurants. Together, we talk about how Melting Pot has both built a welcoming place to work while maintaining a go-to spot for event and experience-based dining, leadership lessons from Dan’s time in the hospitality industry, and how the Melting Pot is staying up to date with their clientele. 3 Takeaways: (06:10) You should want your employees to be better when they leave you than when they came(09:00) As a leader, be fanatical about your goals and celebrate when employees exemplify them(10:50) Have team members recognize other team membersTimestamps: (00:40) How Dan got into the industry and his role at Front Burner Brands (04:50) What have you learned from the leaders at Front Burner Brands? (08:30) Leadership lessons from Marriott and examples (11:55) How does working with different age groups play out at Front Burner Brands? (16:00) How do you exemplify servant leadership? (21:30) What is next for The Melting Pot? (25:50) Hot Seat Questions Join us every week as we interview business leaders to learn what makes them great, what they look for in growing leaders, and much more. Visit businessobserverfl.com for more.

This week, we are speaking with University of South Florida President, Rhea Law. Together, we chat about how Rhea tackles leading a 16,000-employee organization, leadership advice for students, being invited into the Association of American Universities (AAU), and a status update on a new football stadium.  Rhea Law was named president of USF in March 2022. She’s the eighth president in USF history and the first USF alum to serve as president.  3 Takeaways: (00:55) The principles of leadership are the same in business as they are in academics (14:00) When you are merging two entities, it is about culture and trust(21:30) The best thing a student can do to better themselves is to soak up everythingTimestamps: (00:28) What are some leadership lessons you have learned over your time as USF President? (04:30) As a leader, how did you set up communication systems? (06:20) How did you end up as USF President? (10:40) You started as interim president, what made you want to be president? (12:10) Are there any leaders you try to emulate? (13:35) What did you learn from the merger of the law firm? (15:40) Tell us about USF’s new football stadium (17:40) Tell us about becoming part of AAU (20:55) What advice do you give to students about leadership? (22:30) Hot seat questions Join us every week as we interview business leaders to learn what makes them great, what they look for in growing leaders, and much more. Visit businessobserverfl.com for more.

This week, we are speaking with Sunshine Ace Hardware’s President, Michael Wynn. Together, we discuss how the organization has stayed relevant in the highly competitive sector, Sunshine Ace’s core values, and how Michael looks for leaders to promote from within. Michael has done a wonderful job carrying on the legacy of his grandparents, who started the company, and is now looking to expand the brand even further with home services and additional locations.  3 Takeaways: (03:45) It is important to have a purposeful culture(04:45) ROI on “best place to work” organizations can outperform the general market by 2-3x(16:35) We want leaders who listen generouslyTimestamps: (00:50) Interview starts and Michael tells us about his growth in the company (03:25) How do you build and maintain your company culture while expanding? (06:25) Can you tell us about your core values? (08:45) How do you hold people accountable to these values? (10:30) How have you been able to stay competitive in this field for so long? (14:40) What do you look for when promoting leaders from within your organization? (18:25) Tell us about your grandparents and what they meant to you growing up (21:20) Where is Sunshine Ace headed in the future? (23:36) Hot seat questions Join us every week as we interview business leaders to learn what makes them great, what they look for in growing leaders, and much more. Visit businessobserverfl.com for more.

This week, we are speaking with Ed Chiles. Ed’s company owns and operates three popular Manatee County waterfront restaurants: Beach House, Mar Vista and Sandbar.  Together, we discuss how Ed and his team built the waterfront restaurant company over 45 years, working for a purpose larger than yourself, and the leadership lessons Ed learned from his father, the late Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles.  3 Takeaways: (12:45) Especially now, you want to be about something that addresses a greater challenge.(14:30) Your culture is how you get people to self-police.(15:10) Every business tells a story.Timestamps: (00:00) Introducing Ed Chiles (01:40) How Ed got into the restaurant business (07:25) Why does the experience of going to the restaurant matter? (11:00) How do you create an environment where people want to work? (13:30) Composting from the restaurant scraps (18:40) Gamble Creek Farm and being sustainable (25:22) What leadership lessons have you learned from your father? (28:00) Hot Seat Questions Join us every week as we interview business leaders to learn what makes them great, what they look for in growing leaders, and much more. Visit businessobserverfl.com for more.

Join us this week as we speak with Heather Kasten, President and CEO of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. Together, we discuss Heather’s career trajectory, her success in returning to work after raising children, what qualities she sees in great leaders, and how she has shaped the culture of the Chamber. 3 Takeaways: (13:00) You have to have a balance of stress and fun in a work environment(16:25) Don't be afraid to take a risk and be bold(19:00) Don't be afraid to ask, and don't mind when someone tells you “no”.Timestamps: (00:00) Introducing Heather Kasten (00:48) Tell us about your career before moving to Sarasota (03:40) Overcoming the obstacle of being a mother who took time to raise her children (04:55) Where does your passion for businesses come from? (07:00) What are some of the big picture goals for the Chamber in the future? (09:53) The culture of the Chamber (14:00) How the workforce has changed (16:20) What stands out as characteristics of a good leader? (17:40) What was your work experience growing up? (20:40) Hot seat questions Join us every week as we interview business leaders to learn what makes them great, what they look for in growing leaders, and much more. Visit businessobserverfl.com for more.

Join us this week as we speak with West Herford, President and CEO of On Ideas. On Ideas is a branding, PR and change management company with offices in Jacksonville and Sarasota.  Together, we discuss West’s interesting background in advertising. West started his journey in Paris and London, then came back stateside and worked with companies like Jack Daniels. We chat about lessons learned in navigating the challenges of the pandemic, being “like a duck” and the importance of storytelling. 3 Takeaways (10:57) Sweat the details(11:45) Constantly look for “odd ball” opportunities(16:30) Storytelling is never going to go out of styleTimestamps (01:00) Tell us about On Ideas (02:40) You had a thriving work environment, how did you deal with working from home? (04:20) How did you change and adapt to the new environment? (07:25) How did you get to FL and into the business? (10:30) Advertising is very competitive. How do you build a business in a competitive environment? (13:30) What makes a good leader? (15:55) What is the future of On Ideas? (19:20) Mad Men and the advertising industry (20:52) Hot Seat Questions Join us every week as we interview business leaders to learn what makes them great, what they look for in growing leaders, and much more. Visit businessobserverfl.com for more.

Join us this week as we speak with serial entrepreneur, Brian Anderson, co-founder of ERTC Express. ERTC Express is a Tampa business that helps businesses nationwide apply for the federal pandemic relief Employee Retention Tax Credit Program.   Together, we chat about the art and science of hiring dozens of people at the same time to staff a rapidly growing company, how to maintain a strong culture as a startup and empowering management and staff alike. 3 Takeaways: (18:50) Learning to work with others under heavy pressure is a good teacher.(22:30) With good people you can do anything.(23:45) Empower your team.Timestamps: (01:00) What is ERTC Express and how was it started? (04:38) How did you build from there? (10:55) How do you create a sustainable company with this program that will end in 2025? (16:50) Key leadership lessons in Brian’s career (21:45) How do you advise other entrepreneurs to enable teams to function at a high level? (28:00) Hiring employees (29:45) Hot seat questions Join us every week as we interview business leaders to learn what makes them great, what they look for in growing leaders, and much more. Visit businessobserverfl.com for more.

Join us this week as we welcome Julie Henry, founder of Finish Line Leadership. Julie has presented her leadership teachings before more than one million people across 32 states and six countries. That goes from on-site and online settings, and, she says, “from auditoriums and ballrooms to boats, beaches, forests, theaters, boardrooms and even underwater while feeding sharks and moray eels.” We discuss lessons that can resonate with any leader from her 2021 book, “Wisdom from the Wild: The Nine Unbreakable Laws of Leadership from the Animal Kingdom,” nametag leadership and the importance of resilience and slowing down.  Wisdom from the Wild: The Nine Unbreakable Laws of Leadership from the Animal Kingdom on Amazon 3 Takeaways: (02:45) Resilience is not just self care, but energy management.(13:42) If you lead with your nametag, you are not leading with your whole self.(16:15) If you are distracted by fear, you will miss the opportunity.Timestamps: (00:00) Introducing Julie Henry (02:06) Leadership themes Julie works with (03:20) Even cheetahs need to slow down (05:08) Do you get resistance to this? (06:30) Julie’s mentors in leadership (08:30) Trust your questions (09:40) But the leader is supposed to know the answers… How do you address this? (11:28) What was your ah-ha moment? (13:40) Nametag leadership (14:07) When you cant see the finish line, let purpose be your guide (16:15) If you are distracted by fear, you will miss the opportunity (17:40) Why is critical thinking important in leadership training? (19:30) Keynote speaking, retreats, and facilitation (20:23) Hot seat questions Join us every week as we interview business leaders to learn what makes them great, what they look for in growing leaders, and much more. Visit businessobserverfl.com for more.

A former corporate executive of three Fortune 10 firms, Kyle began to transform his career with the book “Begin with We: 10 Principles for Building and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence.” His motto now is to rid the corporate world of its toxic ways using 10 principles that govern how the team treats each other and those they serve.  Join us as we speak with Kyle about the concepts in the book and how executives can apply them. We also talk about how to challenge employees with respect and kindness, and why obsessing over details is crucial to build and sustain a winning organization.  Begin With We on Amazon 3 Takeaways: (08:10) If you are high functioning behind the curtains, we will be successful externally(11:50) Authenticity + relatability = trust(14:40) As a leader, be vulnerableTimestamps: (00:00) Introducing Kyle McDowell (01:25) Kyle’s journey (03:50) Guiding Principles of Kyle’s leadership (05:30) How Kyle came up with the guiding principles (10:00) What is the “Begin with We” elevator pitch? (11:40) What are the characteristics of a good leader? (13:20) Struggling with imposter syndrome (16:50) Principle #5: “We own our mistakes” (19:45) How do you facilitate a team that can productively disagree? (24:24) Example of team member not buying into the “10 We’s” (27:50) Approach your work life the way you approach your personal life (29:20) Begin with We (30:30) Hot seat questions Join us every week as we interview business leaders to learn what makes them great, what they look for in growing leaders, and much more. Visit businessobserverfl.com for more.

On this week’s episode, we are speaking with co-founder and CEO of PRESS PR + Marketing, Holly Clifford Corral. Holly founded PRESS in 2007 and has since become a go-to marketing and PR firm for dozens of entertainment, sports and food and beverage clients, from Outback Steakhouse to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Holly shares leadership lessons from her time as an collegiate athlete, techniques for finding and hiring top people and why the concept of imposter syndrome has never dented her ability to be successful. Additionally, Holly re-emphasizes age-old classics like “if you’re not early, you’re late” and “lead by example, roll your sleeves up and get it done.” 3 Takeaways: (12:07) Care about your team as people(15:07) Culture is the #1 aspect we are concerned about (21:00) Confidence can overcome a lotTimestamps: (00:30) Introducing Holly (01:50) How PRESS was started (05:25) Leadership lessons from college sports (08:05) Dealing with conflict as an athlete (09:55) How did you grow as a leader in this business? (13:00) Leading younger people (16:05) When should you provide feedback? (18:00) Leadership mentors? (20:45) What do you look for when hiring leaders? (22:50) Have you experienced imposter syndrome? (25:05) Hot seat questions Join us every week as we interview business leaders to learn what makes them great, what they look for in growing leaders, and much more. Visit businessobserverfl.com for more.

Jeff has been CEO of Venice-based PGT Innovations, a national leader in impact-resistant windows and doors, since 2018. Jeff joined the company, one of the region’s largest private employers, in 2005 and led its IPO in 2006. The company now does nearly $1.5 billion a year in revenue.  Join us as we speak with Jeff about his roots in accounting and how that experience helped him in his roles at PGT. We also discuss how Jeff maintains a strong corporate culture at a company that has thousands of employees mixed between office and factory positions. 3 Takeaways: (12:35) Build relationships with your customers.(22:10) Being a leader requires being able to execute vision.(25:05) Everyone has their strengths and uniquenesses. Growing a business is about catering to those strengths and uniquenesses. Timestamps: (00:00) Introducing Jeff Jackson (01:40) Jeff’s path to becoming the leader he is today (11:55) Learning about customer relationships from former CEO, Rod Hershberger (14:40) How PGT takes care of employees (20:20) What characteristics does Jeff look for in leaders when promoting or hiring? (22:25) Making difficult decisions (24:30) Leading different aged employees (28:15) Hot seat questions Join us every week as we interview business leaders to learn what makes them great, what they look for in growing leaders, and much more. Visit businessobserverfl.com for more.

This week’s guest is Deanna Wallin, founder and CEO of Naples Soap Co. She has a classic entrepreneur story: she sought a product, soap for her daughter’s sensitive skin. But no one sold one she liked. So in 2009 Deanna, a former nurse, created the soap on her own. Then she started to sell it. After a decade, with lots of twists and turns, she’s at the helm of an $11 million publicly traded company that mixes a dozen or so stores with flourishing ecommerce options, selling a line of self-care products.    Join us as we speak with Deanna and delve into her solution-oriented mindset, leveraging technology in the hiring process, the experience of taking the company public, and more. 3 Takeaways (03:58) If you see a problem, solve the problem(07:30) In order to delegate, have trust in your team, set the expectations, and have deadlines for deliverables.(12:50) When beginning a difficult conversation, start with “may we speak candidly?”Timestamps: (00:25) Interview starts (01:25) Deanna shares how she got started (04:35) Taking Naples Soap Company public (06:35) How Deanna has grown as a leader (09:25) Building a 20,000sqft warehouse and corporate office (10:50) What do you look for when hiring other leaders? (12:20) Having difficult conversations as a leader (14:52) Utilizing technology and Predictive Index (16:30) Hiring in the current market (18:15) Any leaders you look up to? (21:08) Recommended reading from Deanna (23:20) Parent bragging (26:50) Hot seat questions Join us every week as we interview business leaders to learn what makes them great, what they look for in growing leaders, and much more. Visit businessobserverfl.com for more.

This week’s guest is Chris Tomasso, CEO of First Watch. A word many people use to describe Chris’ management style is “authentic.” From eating lunch in the break room to delivering Gatorade to stores in preparation for their busiest day, Chris tries to lead by example. Chris joins us to speak about leading through the pandemic as a new CEO, taking First Watch public, recognizing outstanding employees and the lessons he learned from an important mentor — the company’s co-founder, Ken Pendery. 3 Takeaways: (03:07) “Treat people with respect”(13:45) Authenticity and being kind will go a long way(14:23) Lead by exampleTimestamps: (00:00) Introducing Chris Tomasso (01:50) Navigating the pandemic as a new CEO (03:55) Some of the benefits First Watch provided during the pandemic (05:13) How did you keep the bottom line in consideration during this time? (06:43) Learning from examples (08:33) How Chris grew with First Watch (11:50) What Chris learned from First Watch co-founder Ken Pendery about leadership (13:22) Leading with authenticity (15:30) Writing handwritten notes (18:05) Leading First Watch through an IPO (20:20) Why is culture so important to First Watch? (21:48) Hot seat questions Join us every week as we interview business leaders to learn what makes them great, what they look for in growing leaders, and much more. Visit businessobserverfl.com for more.

This week’s guest is Audrey McGuckin, CEO of the McGuckin Group. Audrey grew up in a mining village in Scotland, where she started her career working in a sand quarry. She took some risks, seized opportunities and grew her career quickly, rising to become chief talent office at St. Pete tech giant Jabil.   Now at the helm of the McGuckin Group, Audrey and her team collaborate with organizations worldwide. They offer expertise in talent strategy, leadership development, DEI initiatives, culture cultivation, and much more. A conversation with Audrey reveals both her practical and provocative insights into leadership and building and maintaining successful teams.   Relevant Links: Women On Their Way Summit - August 24 McGunkin Group Website 3 Takeaways: (5:05) Your mindset can be more important than the “steps” you should take to succeed.(10:20) Ask for what you need.(11:40) Empathy is the #1 aspect of leadership that is in high demand and short supply. Timestamps: 00:55 - Growing up in Scotland, working at a factory, and leadership philosophy 03:30 - How do you find leaders in your organization? 05:05 - The importance of self efficacy, strong internal locus of control, and abundance mentality 08:18 - Mentoring, Audrey’s mistakes and turning them into a superpower 11:30 - Leading with empathy 13:55 - Introducing Women On Their Way 15:55 - Managers, give women the same feedback as men 17:00 - Help women dream bigger 18:45 - Audrey’s book, “Reclaim the Fire in Your Belly” 20:30 - Giving honest feedback 21:55 - Lead with care, candor, and curiosity 24:45 - Hot seat questions Join us every week as we interview business leaders to learn what makes them great, what they look for in growing leaders, and much more. Visit businessobserverfl.com for more.

Join us as we extend a warm welcome to OfficeMax Founder, Michael Feuer, on the inaugural episode of the Business Observer's From the Corner Office Podcast. Prepare for an engaging conversation as Michael delves into the essence of effective leadership, shares invaluable lessons from his tenure at OfficeMax, and recounts a bold encounter when he cold called none other than Jack Welch, one of America's most esteemed business executives, in pursuit of an investment. 3 Takeaways: (16:05) "More 'we' and less 'me'"(21:00) "Everyone in this world has something to prove"(29:20) "Some people fall in love with ideas, I fall in love with success"Timestamps: 01:10 - Michael Feuer introduces himself 02:13 - Michael is an “opportunist” 03:30 - Michael’s childhood 04:13 - How Michael got started 05:16 - Seize the opportunity… and be lucky 05:55 - “I’m America's worst employee” 06:30 - To be a CEO… 07:50 - “Do things you understand and know” - Starting OfficeMax 09:40 - Understanding your customer 11:29 - “You need to stand for something” 13:10 - Cold calling Jack Welch 16:15 - What makes a good leader? 18:35 - Finding leaders at OfficeMax 19:18 - You have to take ownership of everything you do 20:45 - Dig deep when interviewing people 21:40 - Following up with clients 25:20 - You can't bore people 26:45 - I try to give people memorable lessons 27:30 - Mistakes you made while running OfficeMax? 30:35 - Hot Seat Questions 31:30 - Taking customer complaints   To learn more about Michael Feuer, read the written article here. Join us every week as we interview business leaders to learn what makes them great, what they look for in growing leaders, and much more. Visit businessobserverfl.com for more.

Welcome to the Business Observer's From the Corner Office podcast. Join us every week for exclusive interviews with accomplished business leaders, where we delve into their unique experiences and insights. Gain valuable lessons from their expertise that you can apply to your own business.   For more information visit: www.businessobserverfl.com/