BRAND PROTECTION STRATEGIES

Brand protection strategies don’t need to be complicated, but they do need to be thought out.

Attorney Steve Weigler has some great tips on what you need to focus on to help keep counterfeiters, pirates, and infringers from stealing your ideas.

What You’ll Discover About Brand Protection Strategies:

• The four types of intellectual property available to entrepreneurs to protect their brands
• Why securing your intellectual property is integral to brand protection strategies
• How to evaluate what type of intellectual property makes sense for your brand protection strategies
• The ultimate value of trademark protection
• AND much MORE

Guest: Steve Weigler 

Steven is the Founder and Managing Partner of EmergeCounsel, whose mission is to provide a worldwide clientele legal counsel on the protection of intellectual property and business assets at a lower price point than large legal firms.

In order to fulfill its mission, Steven developed systems-based approaches, which combine best in-class legal technology for legal research and management combined with a strong empathetic human element. 

Steven is especially passionate about brand protection where he developed TotalTM®, a proprietary trademark prosecution system which combines predictive search technology, powerful docketing software, and passionate and knowledgeable trademark counsel on a competitive flat fee. 

Steve not only has decades of experience as counsel but also previously headed a successful educational technology start-up in which he served as Founder, CEO, and General Counsel for seven years. He was also a Senior Attorney for a Fortune 50 tech company. In part because of his combined experiences, he acts as general counsel to entrepreneurs and companies especially those in the eCommerce and SaaS space.  

Steve is a member of IR Global, an international legal network, and through his involvement is able to service foreign businesses with US interests, as well as US businesses with foreign interests; his many awards including being named a Super Lawyer for three consecutive years (2021-2023).

Related Resources:

If you liked this interview, you might also enjoy our other Branding episodes.

Contact Steve and connect with him on LinkedIn. 

Also check out his business website EmergeCounsel.

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Mindfulness in Business

Mindfulness in business can sound like some New Age, break out the crystals, incense, and candle thing.

But today’s guest, Catherine Bell, says it’s actually one of the smartest ways to humanize the workplace, unlock high employee engagement and the full potential of your team.

It’s something that everybody really wants. 

What You’ll Discover About Mindfulness in Business:

• What mindfulness in business really means
• How to mindful when everything is blowing up around you all at once
• How to be mindful when you’re consumed with anger
• Using mindfulness to restore trust in the workplace
• Applying mindfulness to improve team collaboration and productivity
• AND so much MORE

Guest: Catherine Bell

Catherine Bell is a successful entrepreneur, business leader, and best-selling business author. The Awakened Company, which she founded, focuses on helping organizations create healthy corporate cultures through awakening the self, relationships, and team dynamics.

Previously, Catherine founded BluEra in 2008, a Profit 500 executive search and team transformation company. As a Top-200 Growing Company in Canada, Top 10 in Alberta, and Best Workplace, BluEra was a shining example of the Awakened Company System in action. With the sale of BluEra to DHR, Catherine shifted focus to awakening the fire within organizations through her Strategy with Soul consulting and founded The Awakened Company. The Awakened Company aims to awaken the fire within organizations with passion, purpose, and playfulness.

The Awakened Company (2015)—Catherine’s revolutionary business book—was awarded the Nautilus Book Award in Business and Leadership and became a best seller one week after its release. It was also a best seller on Amazon, included in “8 of The Best Leadership Books of 2015,” and was recognized as a top book combining business and mindfulness. 

Catherine has been published in Fortune, HBR, Profit, Conscious Company Magazine, Women of Influence, and has written for the UN. She has worked around the globe—from the UK to Cuba—with everyone from Fortune 500 companies to serial entrepreneurs. Catherine has an MBA from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University, a sociology degree from Western University, is certified in the Enneagram, and is a yoga instructor. She held a two-year term as a Jarislowsky Fellow at the Haskayne School of Business and is on the Expert Panel for the Canadian Centre for the Purpose of the Corporation. In 2022, Catherine was identified by The Inc. Magazine as one of the Top 10 Innovative CEOs Revamping the Future. In the same year, Catherine also received the Platinum Titan Business Award for Female Executive of the Year in Consultation.

As CEO of the Awakened Company, Catherine now consults all over the world on creating Awakened Companies. Catherine has taught thousands of people the Awakened Company process and worked with hundreds of teams. In 2022 alone, her work spanned twenty-three countries. She hosts in-person sessions with organizations on strategy and corporate culture, international webinars on the Enneagram, and teaches The Awakened Company team process to Queen’s University business school students.

Related Resources:

If you liked this interview, you might also enjoy our other Leadership and Management episodes.

Contact Catherine and...

Every day managers make decisions that can affect employee morale. The more people they manage, the more employee issues they have and the more opportunity for missteps.

What’s the best way to handle it? Today’s guest, Barbara Mitchell, co-author of The Decisive Manager, has some answers for you.

What You’ll Discover About Employee Morale:

• How to get employees excited about the work they’re doing.
• Three great strategies for improving employee morale.
• The challenge of influencing employee morale in a hybrid or remote work environment.
• How to use technology to promote company culture and support employee morale.
• How attitude and aptitude affect employee morale.
• And much MORE.

Guest: Barbara Mitchell 

Barbara Mitchell is enthusiastic about helping organizations find, hire, engage and retain the best available talent.

That’s why she began consulting after working as an HR Executive in corporations.

She’s the founder and Managing Partner of The Mitchell Group, a management consulting practice that helps a wide variety of clients with people and talent management issues.

Related Resources:

If you liked this interview, you might also enjoy our other Human Resources episodes, especially Barbara’s earlier interviews:

• Three Management Leadership Traps You Need to Avoid with Barbara Mitchell
• Effective Employee Retention Strategies to Stay Afloat in Uncertain Times

Contact Barbara and connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Visit her website and check out her books:

• The Decisive Manager: Get Results, Build Morale, and Be the Boss Your People Deserve
• The Big Book of HR, 10th Anniversary Edition
• The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook: A Quick and Handy Resource for Any Manager, Team Leader, HR Professional, Or Anyone Who Wants to Resolve … Productivity

The benefits of remote work for employers has been seen as a way to keep business afloat during Covid for many companies and in a post-pandemic world many are saying “the party’s over.” Time to get back to the office and they’ve gotten push-back from employees for it.

But today’s guest, Barbie Brewer, says the rush to return to the office can be short-sighted. Forward-thinking companies are recognizing and reaping the benefits of remote work arrangements.

Discover what they are and how your organization can capitalize on them too.

What You’ll Discover About the Benefits of Remote Work:

• The two most powerful advantages of remote work for employers.
• The logistical benefits of remote work for employers.
• The advantage of investing in people instead of rent and facilities.
• How mastering the art of asynchronous collaboration increases the benefits.
• The collaboration myth of being in the same office.
• And much MORE.

Guest: Barbie Brewer

Barbie Brewer, author of Live and Let Lead began her career in Silicon Valley during the dot.com boom of the ’90s and is now an industry-leading expert in developing critical areas of modern business performance and culture, including remote and hybrid workforces.

As Chief Culture Officer at GitLab Inc., Brewer contributed to the all-remote SAS company’s growth from 150 employees to over 1,000 in more than 60 countries.

She was Vice President of Talent for Netflix when the streaming service expanded from 20 million subscribers to over 150 million.

Related Resources:

If you liked this interview, you might also enjoy our other Human Resources episodes.

Contact Barbie and connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Check out her website and her book: Live and Let Lead: Leadership Lessons for the Future of Work

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How to recruit the right talent in today’s economy is challenging.

How do you find the best people for the job when prospective employees have more expectations from the workplace than ever before?

Today’s guest, Kathleen Quinn Votaw, has some practical solutions.

What You’ll Discover About How to Recruit the Right Talent:

• Why recruiting the right talent is about selecting, not hiring.
• The seven steps of precision interviewing to recruit the right talent.
• The crucial role of an interview guide.
• What to do if an imposter slips through the interview process.
• Why entrepreneurs can’t afford to not have some kind of interview process.
• And much MORE.

Guest: Kathleen Quinn Votaw 

Kathleen Quinn Votaw (www.talentrust.com) is the CEO of TalenTrust, a strategic recruiting and human capital consulting firm.

She is the author of two books, Dare to Care in the Workplace: A Guide to the New Way We Work, and Solve The People Puzzle: How High-Growth Companies Attract & Retain Top Talent.

Regarded as a key disruptor in her industry, Quinn Votaw has helped thousands of companies across multiple industries develop purpose-based, inclusive communities that inspire employees to come to work.

Her company has been recognized in the Inc. 5000. Kathleen also speaks nationally on recruitment, culture and leading with empathy in the workplace.

Related Resources:

If you liked this interview, you might also enjoy our other Human Resources episodes.

Contact Kathleen and connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Also be sure to check out her websites: https://kathleenquinnvotaw.com/ and https://talentrust.com/ 

Book: Dare to Care in the Workplace: A Guide to the New Way We Work

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Racial bias in the workplace is an open secret to those who experience it and a symptom of willful blindness to those who inflict it.

It’s a serious problem and Daralyse Lyons is an activist who works tirelessly to shine a spotlight on these issues and offer solutions on how to fix it.

What You’ll Discover About Racial Bias in the Workplace:

* What most people fail to grasp about diversity 

* How to calm fears about diversity in the workplace 

* What it means to “do the work in a meaningful way” 

* How experiencing racial bias in the workplace is multilayered 

* Proactive steps employees can take to reduce racial bias in the workplace 

* Proactive steps employers can take to reduce racial bias in the workplace 

* The role of microaggressions in contributing to racial bias in the workplace 

* How start-ups and small businesses can support diversity, equity and inclusion 

* And MUCH more.

Guest: Daralyse Lyons

Daralyse Lyons, aka the Transformational Storyteller, is a journalist, an actor, and an activist. She has written more than two dozen full-length books, a handful of short stories, and countless articles, performed in various plays and in improv comedy shows.

A member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and a summa cum laude graduate of NYU, with a double-major in English and Religious Studies and a minor in History, she is passionate about exposing the painful side of history, the side that is not written by oppressors. Through her studies, she has come to see the beautiful and overlapping philosophies of Judaism, Islam and Christianity and wonders why people so often use religion as a battering ram, instead of a source of solace and support.

As a Biracial woman, she has made it her mission to stand for a more integrated world. As a sexually fluid person who has had relationships and experiences with both men and women, she has had to find her place amidst a multitude of communities that attempt to erase her orientation and has been a voice within the darkness.

After writing an award-winning children’s book (I’m Mixed!) about embracing her multiethnic heritage, Daralyse found her passion and her purpose educating others about the need to embrace all aspects of themselves. Since then, she has written and spoken extensively on the subject of diversity. Her perspective is one that looks to acknowledge the past while refusing to become incapacitated by it. As a Biracial, multiethnic and sexually fluid woman, she is uniquely empowered to use her seemingly disparate background as a catalyst for cross-cultural understanding.

Related Resources:

If you liked this interview, you might also enjoy our other Human Resources episodes.

Contact Daralyse and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

Read her book Demystifying Diversity: Embracing our shared Humanity.

Also be sure to check out her Demystifying Diversity podcast.

Courageous communication, the ability to confront those sneaky, hidden obstacles that strike fear in our heart and keep us from taking risks.

They also rob us of the ability to have more rewarding relationships in our personal and professional lives. How do you raise your game to engage in more courageous communication? Today’s special guest has some answers. Stay tuned.

What You’ll Discover About Courageous Communication:

* How calculated risks lead to more courageous communication.

* How positions of power should influence courageous communication.

* How leaders can use courageous communication to defuse fear in their organization’s culture.

* The critical role of mindset in courageous communication.

* And MUCH more.

Guest: Michelle Gladieux

Michelle Gladieux (Glad-ee-oh) is the author of Communicate with Courage: Taking Risks to Overcome the Four Hidden Challenges and President of Gladieux Consulting, a team of 10 known for top-notch design and presentation of seminars in communication and leadership topics around the U.S.

She provides executive coaching and strategic planning for clients in industry, government, at non-profits, and in academia. She has 18 years of collegiate teaching experience at three universities in her home state of Indiana, accepting her first adjunct faculty position teaching business courses at age 23.

She’s worked as a Corporate Human Resources and Training Director in the cold storage, robotics, and construction industries and enjoys visiting conferences as a keynote speaker and workshop designer. She serves on boards including the National Public Radio affiliate in her hometown for more than a dozen years. Michelle has mentored thousands of people and her positive effect on those she advises is evident even after just one interaction. Readers are delighted that she’s finally documented some of her best tips (“Pro Moves”) in Communicate with Courage.

Related Resources:

If you liked this interview, you might also enjoy our other Communication episodes.

Contact Michelle and connect with her on Facebook and Instagram.

Check out her book Communicate With Courage: Taking Risks to Overcome the Four Hidden Challenges.

Also be sure to check out the information at Gladieux Consulting.

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Blending traditional and digital media sounds like a great way to get the best of both worlds and the biggest bang for your marketing budget.

But how do you do that? Especially when all the hype is about TikTok and click this and click that. Well, buckle your seat belt because today’s guest has some answers for you.

What You’ll Discover About Blending Traditional and Digital Media:

* Clarity about the different media categories.

* The advantage of blending traditional and digital media.

* How small businesses with limited budgets can target their spending when blending traditional and digital media.

* Key questions to ask when selecting an agency to partner with when developing a media strategy.

* How to know if your marketing strategy is effective.

* And MUCH more.

Guest: Mary Ann Pruitt 

Mary Ann Pruitt is the CEO and President at Mosaic Media, a collection of media buying experts and creative strategists who negotiate, purchase, and monitor advertising space and airtime. Mary Ann started her career in media by working as a senior sales executive for some of the nation’s largest media outlets. After discovering her talent and love for all things media strategy, she founded Mosaic as a way to provide niche expert experience to agencies and marketing departments across the country.

Her hard work and savvy strategy skills have led Mosaic to year-over-year growth, and has expanded her impact as an industry leader in all things traditional, digital, and everything in between. Reflecting this is a 2020 award from Cynopsis Media naming her as a Top Woman in Media.

Mary Ann has helped develop effective marketing strategies for agencies of all sizes, small businesses, service businesses, private educational institutions and legal and professional services businesses along with many others. She is passionate about passing on the experience that she has gained onto eager professionals looking for actionable marketing tips.

Related Resources:

If you liked this interview, you might also enjoy our other Marketing episodes.

Contact Mary Ann and connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Also visit Mosaic Media’s website.

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Finding ways to effectively manage employee expectations can be the bane of management’s existence. You hire people thinking they’ll know what to do and how to act, and they take the job thinking they know what to do and how to act, and then all of a sudden, there’s a problem. 

Emotions start running high on both sides of the desk, it’s frustrating and a huge management headache. So, how do you bridge the gap between what you think and what they think? How do you effectively manage employee expectations and align them with your business goals and company culture? 

It sounds like a really tall order, but with the right system, it’s easier than you think, and today’s guests have some proven techniques to help you do exactly that. 

What You’ll Discover About How to Manage Employee Expectations:

* Why being casual about internal decision making processes can get entrepreneurs into trouble when trying to manage employee expectations.

* How creating structure to manage employee expectations doesn’t need to be bureaucratic. 

* Why human resource software packages claiming to manage employee expectations need practical tweaks to be more effective for your business.

* How the inability to realistically manage employee expectations can create liability exposure for entrepreneurs.

* And MUCH more.

Guests: Mimi Soule, Esq. and Rob Wood, Esq.

Mimi E. Soule left the traditional employment litigation practice and established Soule Employment Law Firm to focus on providing business owners and managers with practical advice to help avoid costly litigation.

She now focuses her practice on providing employment law and human resources compliance advice, preparing employment-related contracts, defending employers against administrative claims, and – most importantly – developing customized internal management systems and procedures, with built-in legal compliance, that help small businesses effectively manage staff and avoid disruptive performance management headaches and legal claims. 

Rob N. Wood is responsible for the strategic management and development of Soule Employment Law Firm. He oversees all financial and operational areas and ensures that the firm delivers the highest level of service to its clients and partners.

Previously, Rob was founder of Wood Legal PLLC and Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of National Power, LLC. He has deep experience working with small and high-growth businesses and is committed to helping them navigate legal and operational issues confidently.

Given his extensive operational experience, Rob also partners with Mimi and our clients to develop customized internal management and operations systems and processes that help small businesses effectively manage staff and improve performance.

Related Resources:

If you liked this interview, you might also enjoy our other Risk Management and Law episodes.

Contact Mimi and Rob and connect with them through the firm’s LinkedIn page. 

Also check out the great information on the Soule Employment Law Firm website.

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proving workplace culture can sound like an impossible task, but today’s guest, Bonnie Low-Kramen, has had more than 1,500 unfiltered conversations with executives, HR professionals, recruiters, executives, assistants, and leadership experts to identify the people focused solutions that really work to create the ultimate workplace. 

What You’ll Discover About Improving Workplace Culture:

* What people are saying behind closed doors about improving workplace culture.

* The critical importance of respect in the workplace, and how it”s often trampled.

* The powerful links between respect, belonging and improving workplace culture.

* The surprising thing one CEO did during Covid to maintain his organization’s culture.

* How improving workplace cultures requires identifying and fixing broken systems.

* And MUCH more.

Guest: Bonnie Low-Kramen

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TEDx international speaker and trainer Bonnie Low-Kramen worked as the Personal Assistant to Oscar-winning actress Olympia Dukakis for 25 years. Since 2010, Bonnie has been traveling the world teaching and speaking – in 13 countries and 38 states to date.

She is now a CEO herself, employs an assistant, and is globally recognized as one of the most respected leaders in the administrative profession and an expert on workplace issues. Bonnie

is sought after to speak about building ultimate partnerships between executives and assistants.

In 2022, Bonnie made her TEDx debut with “The Real Reasons People Quit.” Her writing has appeared in Harvard Business Review and her work was featured as the Forbes cover story in May 2019. Corporate clients include the Wharton School of Business, Starbucks, Amazon, Rutgers University Business School, University of Chicago Business School, Campbell Soup, and British Parliament. Bonnie holds a BA from Rutgers University in New Jersey.

She is a co-founder of NYCA – New York Celebrity Assistants – a professional networking organization which began in 1996. A New Jersey native, Bonnie’s highly interactive, informative, and inspiring work seeks to bridge the gaps between staff towards building an ultimate workplace – or as close as they can get.

Related Resources:

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If you liked this interview, you might also enjoy our other Corporate Governance and Culture episodes.

Contact Bonnie and connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, and “X” formerly known as Twitter.

Check out her books: the bestselling