“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

– Maya Angelou

I was thrilled that we were able to bring CEO Think Tank® alum Eileen Wainwright back this year for our Annual Retreat at Grace Winery.

Eileen and I have known each other since we met almost two decades ago at a Philly 100 Event when she was working as the #2 at a rapidly growing company in the telecom space. Since then she’s grown and exited two companies, started her own consulting business, Wright Impact Group, and been a wing woman for me as I’ve grown CEO Think Tank®

The focus for our retreat?  Digging into our strategies for creating a robust and unforgettable customer experience using the principles of “UnReasonable Hospitality” by Will Guidara. Will is the author of the New York Times Bestseller Unreasonable Hospitality, which chronicles the lessons in service and leadership he learned over the course of his career in restaurants, culminating as the co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, which, under his leadership, was named the Best Restaurant in the World. And luck for us, Eileen is a Certified Unreasonable Hospitality Coach!

Our enlightened leader community took a deep dive into their Customer Journey Advantage Maps as part of the day, generated ideas to elevate their Customers’ experiences and learned how to create memorable experiences for their employees and their clients. More importantly, they also learned how to systematize and sustain those changes.

“Sometimes magic is just someone spending more time on something than anyone else might reasonably expect.” – Teller

So many takeaways! Here’s just a few of mine:

1. Hospitality is your #1 competitive advantage. Eventually someone will come around and build a better product or a stronger brand than you. The only competitive advantage that exists over the long term comes through hospitality.
2. Be strategic in your Customer Touchpoints. No one can be the best at everything so choose the areas where you want to be the best in class and focus on those.
3. As you think about ways to ELEVATE your touchpoints, consider these questions:

   – How could you tweak or transform your negative interactions?

   – What’s something you could add in the moment that would change the experiences of your customer?

   – In what ways could you take simple, positive interactions and transform them into incredible experiences?

   – How could you go above and beyond to treat your customer like a VIP?

   – How can you make the overlooked moments noticeable?

4. Make sure to identify the touchpoints that don’t happen for everyone but do happen for some regularly. These are recurring moments, and you should be paying attention to them. Anticipate them, have a plan for how to react and create a magical moment.
5. Use rules and ownership to systematize the touchpoints you want to elevate and manage implementation through your Execution process.

Want to stay in the loop for more information on our AMAZING Guest Thought Leaders? Sign up for our Newsletter and Never Miss an Opportunity! 

“Hospitality isn’t just about making people comfortable. It’s about making them feel honored and marking a moment as meaningful.”

– Will Guidara

The post How to Create Unreasonable Hospitality and Elevate your Customer Experience appeared first on CEO Think Tank.

Now Vice President of Operations at Speakcore, which provides an easy-to-use and streamlined speaker bureau management platform to the life sciences and pharmaceutical industry, Amanda traces the start of that journey to her early career as a hostess in the restaurant business.

Having the Opportunity to Impact Others’ Lives.

“I was a hostess at a restaurant called Isaac’s Restaurant and Deli when I was16. And I kept that job all through college.  Because the restaurant was so close to college, I would go home every weekend and work.  Through that process, I went from being a hostess to being accepted into their leadership training program and ended up becoming a District Manager overseeing 5 restaurants in central Pennsylvania, which was just so much fun!”

Isaac’s ran their leadership program because they were trying to retain their employees as well as develop and grow General Managers to oversee their 22 restaurants.  It was a very comprehensive program.

Amanda smiles as she thinks back.

“I learned SO much through that program and that experience that I carry with me today.  That was the foundation of my interest in human resources and operations,” she states.

She continues, “…Through that experience, I got people interested in the opportunity for management. Some of the managers who were there for night management, I helped grow into General Managers. They took over and their names ended up on the doors…I’ll never forget Carl and Andy…and I was so proud and pleased that they buckled down and really took the time to learn the business.”

Amanda was also in charge of the financials as well. She managed Profit & Loss results, vendors, customer satisfaction, and food costs and was rewarded based on managing the P&L effectively.

“We won every other year,” she shares, proud of her success, “And I was a part of it and got compensated with bonuses and trips as a result.”

“I never started with a seat at the table. I started by seating tables and my career grew from there.”

Leaning into Deep Connections and Figuring It Out!

At that point Amanda had her second child, a son, who was a preemie, and decided that she needed to take a job where she wasn’t working as much. One of her servers thought Amanda would be good in staffing and introduced her to the branch manager at a recruiting company in Center City Philadelphia where she got a job as a recruiter.

“That was tough.” Amanda pauses.  “I took a huge pay cut. It was in an industry I knew nothing about.  The first day I walked in during the financial crisis back in 2007. My new boss said ‘Figure it out’. I walked in, sat down, she showed me the software and said, figure it out!  There was the training.”

So Amanda did!

“My proudest moment was not only did I figure it out, but I got promoted over top of [my manager]…We did such a good job that we became the sole provider for a contract where I was overseeing over 100 contractors in a warehouse in Swedesboro, New Jersey.”

I asked her about her biggest lesson from that experience.

“I had to learn how to create deep connections with people, to be a recruiter whom people trusted.  To do what I said I was going to do. I had to give feedback, honest feedback…to people who were coming to us for placement – even if it was hard. It wasn’t the feedback that they necessarily wanted but I knew for them to be successful, to grow and land a job they needed that feedback.”

Leaders are made in the trenches.

Amanda sits back, reflecting on her journey.

“You know,” she shares, “I never started with a seat at the table. I started by seating tables and my career grew from there.”

In the Swedesboro job, she was truly in the trenches.  Carrying a suitcase in every day with paper I9’s, learning picking, packing, warehousing, shipping/ receiving, plus the tech to run the operation. Her job required her to work with Spanish speaking employees, learn creative ways to connect with people, be innovative regarding how they were reaching out to candidates and getting their current employees to bring referrals to the table.

“Learning how to flex my style, walking the floor, asking about the contractors and their work and families. Demonstrating every day my commitment to them made all of the difference.”

“The biggest mistake that managers make is that it’s not about perks and ping pong tables. It’s about trust, connection, communication.”

Keep the Longer Term in Mind.

At that point Amanda had her third child and was looking to move into more professional positions. She got her feet wet in the hourly contingent workforce arena but wanted to advance in her career. The day she started at a new role, the person who had introduced her to the company left.  She was back in the trenches. She laughs.

“I was back to building relationships, making connections and ended up creating a training program to bring up the recent college grads that we were hiring.” She pauses, thinking back.

“I loved that I was able to build out the program and make an impact in such a short time.  I moved into a Corporate Training role, dealing with all of the different divisions leading the training function, building and designing the training by working with the branch managers to ensure the business needs were met. We were growing VERY quickly and needed the process standardized.  I’m proud that so many of those people are now in key leadership positions, just like at Isaac’s.  I gave them the foundation, learned how to grow people internally, and engage them. It was extremely satisfying.”

Take the Time to Understand and Keep on Learning.

I asked her what her biggest leadership lesson was during that transition.

“Take the time to ask employees what drives them,” she says. “That’s what will help to retain them.  And you’ve got to approach retention with the long-term in mind.  The biggest mistake that managers make is that it’s not about perks and ping pong tables. It’s about trust, connection, communication. That’s what helps create cultural change.”

Along the way, Amanda got her degree in human resources because she wanted to break out of recruiting and continue to grow as a leader and as a manager.

“The O’Connor Group gave me the foundation and I realized that process consistency was critical to growing smartly, even during “hypergrowth” when we hired 42 people in 2022.  I couldn’t have moved into an Operations role without the right processes to build out capacity and put the systems in place to support the growth.”

“Things “die” in solos. I work to bring things and people together.”

Be a “Router” and Play to Your Strengths.

“I’ve learned along the way that I’m a “router”. I really excel at connecting employees, managers and leaders to break down the silos and create a team. I’ve learned through the coaching I’ve received that people are my passion, which is why my initial work at Speakcore as I moved into the VP of Operations role, was to have engagement meetings to get to know people, begin to create relationships and identify the biggest issues we needed to solve.”

Amanda saw a paper onboarding process and knew that the company needed to automate.  She spearheaded the project to put in place Paylocity so that people could access their own information.

“Things “die” in solos,” she tells me. “I’m trying to bring things and people together. We put in place an intranet through Sharepoint because we needed a hub for people to go for information. To ensure that people had information about where the company was and is going we held our first Town Hall.  Finally, we put in place a user-friendly handbook that clarified paid time off, allowed them to see their personal information and change it if they wanted.”

She pauses and smiles.

“I’ve learned that you can’t build a strong company without understanding our employees and what their goals are, what they’re building for themselves. Scaling a business means that we scale our people first. That includes sharing information about how we operate as a business. So I will continue to be a router, bring people together and play to my strengths.”

The post 6 Leadership Lessons from the Trenches: Leaning In and Making a Difference, One Relationship at a Time appeared first on CEO Think Tank.

For Kathy, running a nonprofit wasn’t just about managing daily operations; it was about ensuring her organization could meet its goals while staying true to its mission of serving children and families. But like many founders, she lacked a network of peers with whom to collaborate and off of which to bounce ideas and strategies. That’s where Cheryl Beth Kuchler and  CEO Think Tank® stepped in.

Finding Support in CEO Think Tank® and a Strategy for Growth in Scaling Up

Kathy’s introduction to CEO Think Tank® came through her husband, a banker who had previously worked with Cheryl Beth Kuchler when his company, Fulton Bank was a client. Recognizing Kathy’s need for leadership support and operational structure, her husband encouraged her to connect with the CEO Think Tank® community.

“Starting a company on my own meant I didn’t have peers to network and collaborate with,” Kathy shared. “I was missing that input and those models of success that could help me elevate our operations and expand our service footprint.”

CEO Think Tank® provided exactly what Kathy was looking for: a curriculum designed to help leaders like her grow their organizations profitably, improve operational efficiency, and foster teamwork and collaboration.  Creating and implementing a plan that kept the Partners in Learning team on track and aligned was magic.  More magic happened when Kathy met Veronica Cram, another integral member of the CEO Think Tank® team.

Veronica: The Financial Guru (and Angel)

As part of the Scaling Up program which Kathy and her team were embarking upon, Cheryl Beth referred Veronica, another CEO Think Tank® Enlightened Leader, to work directly with Kathy’s finance team. Veronica, owner of InSight Strategic Solutions, quickly assessed the nonprofit’s cash and profitability needs, identifying gaps in financial operations and labor efficiencies preventing the organization from achieving its fiscal goals.

“Veronica has been a financial angel to our organization,” Kathy said. “She instantly connected with our mission, and she operates with that point of view.”

Veronica began working closely with the Director of Business Operations, implementing processes to deliver timely financial reports and monthly projections. This gave Kathy’s team clarity and actionable insights into their financial health. Veronica also introduced strategies tailored to the organization’s unique needs, including labor efficiency and pricing adjustments, all while staying aligned with its mission.

“She’s taken us from a challenging financial deficit situation to what I predict will be soaring profitability by 2025,” Kathy noted. “She’s helped us hit not only our profitability goals but also improve the quality of our services.”

A Collaborative and Synergistic Partnership That Transformed a Company

The combination of Cheryl Beth’s Leadership and operational coaching and Veronica’s financial expertise proved to be a game-changer for Partners in Learning. Kathy credits the duo with transforming her leadership team, enhancing communication, and optimizing the use of funding to better serve their constituents.

“They’ve really helped rescue our services for the children and families we work with. It’s been beyond my expectations,” she said. “Reaching our 25th anniversary this year would not have been possible without them.”

Kathy particularly appreciated the cohesion between Cheryl Beth and Veronica’s approaches. “Their methods are so cohesive and complementary,” she explained. “It helps that Veronica is part of the Scaling Up program and a member of CEO Think Tank®. When she converses with my leadership team, they know we’re all working within a similar model.”

A Testament to Impact

As Partners in Learning looks to the future, Kathy is confident her nonprofit is on a path to success, thanks to the support of CEO Think Tank® and Veronica. She enthusiastically recommends the program to others who are seeking to scale their organizations and strengthen their leadership.

“Working with Cheryl Beth and Veronica has been extremely positive. They’ve not only improved our operations but also given us the tools to make a bigger impact while staying true to our mission,” Kathy said.

For leaders like Kathy, CEO Think Tank® isn’t just a program—it’s a lifeline. If you’re ready to transform your organization and achieve your goals, CEO Think Tank is here to guide you, every step of the way.

Ready to become a more an Enlightened Leader? Schedule your complimentary assessment today!

The post A Transformational Journey: How CEO Think Tank® Helped Dr. Kathy McCabe-Odri Revitalize Her Nonprofit appeared first on CEO Think Tank.

The leaders we work with are often at a pivotal moment, much like Neo in the movie. The blue pill represents staying the course—keeping things as they are, avoiding the uncomfortable realities of what’s holding your business back. Unwilling to dedicate the time and energy to investing in themselves and their companies. But at CEO Think Tank® we challenge you to consider the red pill, the first step to unlocking the potential of your business and your own leadership.

“Taking the red pill” requires a willingness to look in the mirror, admit where things aren’t working, and make the necessary adjustments—even when it’s you that needs to change. It’s about realizing that to grow a more profitable and sustainable company, you will most likely need to make hard decisions about your own leadership style, your team, your systems, or even your mindset.

A Journey to Transformation

Choosing the red pill isn’t just about making tweaks here and there. It’s being willing to take a transformative path, roll up your sleeves and do the work—because real growth doesn’t happen without commitment to a disciplined and intentional approach.

Last month we talked about three CEO Think Tank® Enlightened Leaders who joined our community and started our program approximately one year ago. We shared their challenges and how they have utilized Roundtable and Scaling Up to transform their businesses. Take Andrew Leithe, for example. When he joined our group of Enlightened Leaders, he didn’t have the right systems in place, and his business was suffering because of it. Through our work together, he embraced the red pill, put new processes into place, and saw dramatic improvements in his revenue and his team’s performance. Then there’s Veronica Cram—she realized she was underperforming because of a weak sales pipeline, holding her company back from reaching its potential. And Fuquan Bilal had to face the hard truth that his team wasn’t structured correctly for where he wanted to take his business.

All of these leaders had one thing in common—they recognized they couldn’t do it alone. They came to CEO Think Tank® because they were ready to learn, grow, and let go of old habits that weren’t serving them, their businesses and their teams.

Are You Ready to Take the Red Pill?

This journey isn’t just about you, it’s about the community we build at CEO Think Tank®. It’s about learning from each other’s successes and mistakes, challenging each other, and holding one another accountable.

It requires your time, your energy, and your focus. But if you commit to this process, you’ll gain back more than you ever thought possible—more time, more freedom, and a much more profitable, sustainable and valuable business.

I encourage you to look in the mirror today. Are you ready to challenge yourself? Are you ready to face the hard truths? Are you ready to build the company you’ve always envisioned?

If you are, then the red pill is waiting for you.

The post Choosing the Red Pill appeared first on CEO Think Tank.

But what does that mean for the leaders who join? A year in we checked in with some of our newest Enlightened Leaders to reflect on their own growth journeys, challenges overcome, and outcomes after joining our CEO Think Tank® community.

Meet Fuquan Bilal, the CEO/CVO of NNG Capital Fund

Fuquan Bilal joined CEO Think Tank® just over a year ago with the goal of becoming a better leader for his business. His goal was to surround himself with high-performing CEOs and business owners who could challenge him to scale more efficiently. “I wanted to be around other CEOs and business owners that were performing at a different level,” Bilal told us, “And learn from them so that I’m not reinventing the wheel.”  

Since joining, Bilal says he has seen operational growth within his team and has transformed his approach to decision-making.

Prior to joining CEO Think Tank®, he says his approach was more reactive – focused on execution rather than strategy. Through Cheryl Beth’s coaching, Fuquan learned the value of planning and collaboration. “Before, my profile was ‘shoot first and aim later,’ but now, strategizing and setting quarterly growth targets with my team has had a tremendous impact,” he shared.

By implementing CEO Think Tank®’s tools like the Scaling Up framework, Fuquan has refined his recruiting process and created management accountability plans that align with his long-term vision. “I’m very glad I found this community. It keeps you accountable and helps you grow,” Fuquan said.

Veronica Cram – Owner of InSight Strategic Solutions

Much like Bilal, Veronica Cram says she joined CEO Think Tank® because she recognized the value of peer accountability. Her goal was to grow her team and services while seeking thought leadership and advice from others who had been in her shoes.

The impact has been profound—both her team and services have expanded, leading to increased profits. “CEO Think Tank® has helped me prioritize my goals and ask myself whether every action is aligned with my quarterly and annual objectives,” Veronica explained. As a financial coach, Veronica was already adept at planning, but she needed help focusing on her own business. “Like most business owners, I tended to prioritize clients over my own strategic growth.”

She says one of the most valuable tools that CEO Think Tank ® has provided is the One-Page Strategic Plan, which keeps her focused on what’s truly important. But beyond the tools, she emphasizes the unexpected value of the peer group itself. “To have a group you can go to with any question or concern, without holding back, it’s simply invaluable.”

Andrew Leithe – CEO of Strategic Financial Advisors

Andrew Leithe joined CEO Think Tank® to gain clarity on team organization and strategy, with the goal of building a more efficient team and growing his firm’s revenue. A year later, Andrew says his company is experiencing tremendous growth with a 50% increase in revenue as compared to last year. He attributes this to his development of a more structured and organized approach to business.

“The most valuable thing I gained was understanding our firm’s purpose and vision. Any decision we make now is tied directly to those and our Core Values,” Andrew said. He attributes the clarity and growth in his business to the deliberate, process-oriented approach he’s adopted through CEO Think Tank’s® guidance.

Andrew also found great value in the camaraderie and shared experiences within the CEO Think Tank® community. “The group opens your eyes to questions you wouldn’t think to ask, and you get thoughtful suggestions from leaders across different industries,” he added. Andrew credits this dynamic support structure with pushing him to new heights, both personally and professionally.

Closing Thoughts

For these leaders, CEO Think Tank® has provided more than just tools and strategies—it has fostered a community of accountability and shared experience. Whether it’s refining team operations, prioritizing strategic growth, or building better decision-making frameworks, for these Enlightened Leaders, the first year with CEO Think Tank® has been transformative.

As Andrew Leithe said, “You can try to implement these ideas on your own, but having a structured process with accountability is key. It’s not for the weak of heart—it’s for those ready to take on the challenge.”

At CEO Think Tank®, we’re proud to see how our Enlightened Leaders have embraced that challenge and scaled new heights in their businesses. Here’s to many more years of growth, collaboration, and success.

The post A Year Later: Our Newest Enlightened Leaders Are Thriving! appeared first on CEO Think Tank.

The year has sped by, and Q4 will be here in the blink of an eye. 

Shortly we’ll be planning for 2025 (maybe you’ve already started?) and then preparing to ring in the new year. Don’t wait however to put in place the action plan to accomplish your goals! Check out these 4 strategies to help you finish out the year strong and set you and your team up for a fantastic year ahead.

1) Identify where you’ve excelled so far this year…and why!

How have you been successful this year? While you certainly do not want to live in the past, learning from it is a helpful way to move forward. Find what systems have been critical to your success and make them a part of your regular routine, not just a fleeting fad. Systematizing what’s working is critical to ensuring its repeatability as you go forward.

2) Prioritize what matters most.

Do you still have a lengthy list of goals you would like to achieve? Take some time to evaluate what means most to you and your business. While you should never sacrifice what’s important, time can make achieving everything impossible. Focus on what will bring the most forward movement to your company this year and rally your team to get it accomplished. Then, be thoughtful and incorporate the other goals you’d like to achieve into your 2025 success plan.

3) Establish a plan to focus on your weaknesses.

Where are some places you could have performed better? What would be the most important improvement you can make in 2025? While leveraging our strengths gives us tremendous satisfaction and is important to our ongoing success, the key to continued growth is identifying your business’ weaknesses and improving your performance. If you’d like some assistance, check out our quick Scaling Up Assessment. It only takes 5 minutes. And it’s guaranteed to help you pinpoint where you need to focus your efforts – and put you on track for success!

4) Make a plan to celebrate your accomplishments.

You and your team deserve to celebrate the hard work you have put in throughout the year to make your business a success. Make a plan to celebrate the commitment of each and every individual that made all of this year’s accomplishments possible. Time spent together celebrating, aside from the busyness of day-to-day duties, provides the opportunity to strengthen culture, reward performance – and – can add some extra incentive to finish out the year strong!

If you’d like help with any of these strategies or prepping for the year ahead, give us a shout! We’d love to help you on the path to Scaling Up!

This article was originally published on 9/7/2023.

The post 4 Strategies to Finish Out the Year Strong appeared first on CEO Think Tank.

This year, we were privileged to hear from Greg Crabtree, author of “Simple Numbers 2.0: Rules for Smart Scaling” and longtime CEO Think Tank® advisor and Guest Thought Leader. Greg spoke to our CEO’s, COO’s and CFO’s about the importance of strategic financial management as well as how to be successful in today’s highly competitive entrepreneurial environment.

Here are the 4 key takeaways from his presentation that we think can benefit all Enlightened Leaders:

1) Profitability Focus: You’ve got to get profitable with what you’ve got before you try to grow, especially in today’s “street fight” economy. It’s crucial to optimize your current resources to ensure sustainable and predictable growth.

2) Strategic Questions for Mid-Year Review:

-> Market Growth: Is your market growing? Or has it stalled? Understanding market trends helps in making informed decisions.

-> Competitive Advantage: Can you capture more market share with a competitive advantage that entices customers to switch to you? Identifying and leveraging your strengths is essential.

-> Customer Acquisition: Are you willing to actively pursue and win customers from competitors? Proactive customer acquisition strategies are key to staying ahead.

3) Managing Labor: Labor is the only business expense that comes to work with an attitude. Ensure you have a “Train, Chase, Replace” process to maintain high-performing talent. This approach helps in cultivating an engaged and skilled workforce.

4) Financial Management: The greatest weakness in entrepreneurial finance is the link between the P&L and the Balance Sheet. Greg emphasized the importance of understanding your “4 Needs for Capital” and tracking them weekly to maintain financial health.

We want to extend a huge thank you to Greg for joining us this year. If you weren’t able to attend, or you simply want to learn more, be sure to check out his book “Simple Numbers 2.0: Rules for Smart Scaling” by visiting our website!

We look forward to seeing everyone again next year for another mid-year getaway at our Annual Retreat!  If you’re interested in exploring membership, drop us a line! 

The post 4 Strategic Financial Management Tips for Navigating the Year Ahead appeared first on CEO Think Tank.

We heard fascinating insights about the effect of Social Media (it’s an evolving experiment folks), alcohol and drugs (including Cannabis) and the developmental phases that are SO impacted by these outside influences. PLUS how to navigate this time as parents and managers.

Here’s 8 of my key takeaways for you to ponder, along with a few recommended resources to check out from Dr. Jensen. 

1. The most changeable organ in our body is the brain. Neuroplasticity is at its height from the ages of 12 or 13 to 25 or 26. Boys are about two years behind girls in development.
2. Drugs, nicotine and alcohol have profound impacts on the brain during this developmental period affecting our ability to learn, memorize facts and our susceptibility to addictions. Vaping because of the abundance of nicotine is highly addictive. And  even more so in a teenage brain which is significantly more susceptible to developing addictions. Cannabis stays in the brain of teens and young adults up to 4 to 5 days (twice as long as adults). Plus, studies have shown extended cannabis use can have a significant impact on cognitive performance and IQ.
3. As parents and managers, we can support the “still developing” Executive Functioning in teens and young adults. Do scenario planning of situations with them ahead of time. Focus on situations that could result in negative consequences such as not getting into a car with a drunk driver. Help them think through options instead.
4. Social media, because of the highly socially driven nature of their brains, helped teens and young adults during the pandemic by keeping them connected and helping overcome social isolation. It also “feels” very good to the developing brain. BUT excessive social media images and messaging often harm them.  Limiting social media is highly recommended.
5. The majority of teens use YouTube and TikTok every day. One in five teens are almost constantly on YouTube.
6. Social media is HIGHLY addictive for teen and young adult brains and has been shown to be anxiety producing.
7. The teen brain is still “under construction” and therefore is highly susceptible to outside influences. A huge number of connections are being formed that set the stage for the rest of our lives. Their developing brain is wired to learn and absorb, good things as well as bad. This makes them uniquely vulnerable.
8. Impulse control is not fully developed in the teenage brain. Young adults and teens are highly prone to “excitation”.  They look for risk activities to “experience” which can lead to putting themselves in danger. Again, awareness and scenario planning ahead of time can help.

Check out her book to learn more, “The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults”.

And reach out to learn more about our Guest Thought Leaders and our Community of Enlightened Leaders!

The post Raising and Managing Young Adults: 8 Key Takeaways from a Neuroscientist – and Mother! appeared first on CEO Think Tank.

“We quickly developed our niche as a valued partner to Life Sciences professionals due to our close proximity to New Jersey’s major pharmaceutical and biotech corridor,” shares Carly Ritter. Now CEO, Carly took over leadership of the company from her father several years ago after learning the business from the ground up for over two decades.

Known for their stringent standards, dedication to customer service and intense focus on delivering the highest quality results in a demanding environment, it shouldn’t be a surprise that she and her father, Richard Van Fleet, decided to start a SaaS company, Speakcore, to address the Speaker’s Bureau needs of the same markets.

“I have certainly had a lot of change during my entrepreneurial journey.  I wasn’t a traditional entrepreneurial business owner.  A decade ago, when my father and I decided that running the business was a part of my future, we knew that we needed to do something else. Coming into the role of CEO, I had a lot to learn.”

An Entrepreneur’s Evolution

When asked about the evolution that she has gone through as a businessperson and a leader during that process, she jumps right in.

“I have certainly had a lot of change during my entrepreneurial journey.  I wasn’t a traditional entrepreneurial business owner.  A decade ago, when my father and I decided that running the business was a part of my future, we knew that we needed to do something else. Coming into the role of CEO, I had a lot to learn.”

“At the time, Richard had gotten me to where he could get me.  And he was straightforward. ‘I can’t teach you the things that I don’t know,’ he said.  The question for him was, how are we going to prepare Carly to take over this company and give her the tools and resources and what kind of outside help does she need?”

Carly pauses, reflecting on her conversations with him.

“I knew I didn’t know everything too. My father had several consultants come in over the years to help him, including Old Horses, which is how I ended up meeting you,” she says to me.

“I was looking for a group, as well as an Executive Coach.  I knew the business and how to deliver what our clients needed and how to manage our team.  That’s why we’re still in business. But I didn’t have a strong financial background then and I need more to take over the business.  I also didn’t have anyone to talk with. While I had producers and doers I didn’t have a management team.  I really was just a team of one. Having peers to use as a sounding board was very appealing. Just knowing you’re not alone, that you’re not the only person crying in your soup is such a sanity check.  And for a relationship-oriented person like me, having others around me has been a lifesaver.”

“The transition of the company definitely is easier as you learn more about the business-side, but I think it’s mostly personal, with a lot of personal introspection required.”

Transitioning to the Second Generation

That was almost ten years ago.  Being curious, I asked how things have evolved for her.

“Initially when I joined CEO Think Tank® I felt a bit handcuffed.  My dad was running the company still and I didn’t know how to implement broader change when I wasn’t fully in charge.  I could implement the things I was learning on a smaller scale, in the Creative Department which I was running. And Rich was very encouraging of what I was learning which was very helpful.”

She also, like many second gens, found it difficult to come out from the daughter role at first.  “Rich constantly encouraged me but it’s very grey when you’re dealing with families.  The roles can be confusing.  I was still his kid.”

When I asked what enabled her to step out of Rich’s shadow she pauses.  “The transition of the company definitely is easier as you learn more about the business-side, but I think it’s mostly personal, with a lot of personal introspection required.”

Looking back, Carly acknowledges just how much she’s accomplished.

“Being a part of CEO Think Tank® has broadened my knowledge of business, including a better understanding of where I’m strong and the areas that need work. Initially I knew I needed help, but I wasn’t sure what that entailed.  Now, I see the areas where I can use assistance. I can execute with confidence. I can’t do it all myself.  I’m not afraid to spend money now to get help. I’m leveraging people for critical projects. I realize that things take time, and we all make mistakes,” she shares. “I’ve gone from having to be perfect to being willing to try things, even if something fails because I know we’ll learn stuff from those actions.”

“I formed an Advisory Board because I knew that I needed an outside perspective. I don’t have a C-Suite yet, nor are we using outside capital. We’re bootstrapping and it’s important to get things right.”

The Next Opportunity

The next few years feel like an amazing opportunity for Carly, and she’s discovering she relies on the relationships she’s formed even more to support and guide her.

“Given the amount of time that I’ve been in the Think Tank Roundtable group, my needs have changed of course. What’s most important from a business and personal standpoint shifts.  The group itself has evolved but there are certain constants, like when people ask me about what I want to do with the company.  It’s sort of a ridiculous question.  Someday we’re all going to have to transition or just fold our businesses. So, building a more valuable company is critical.  Getting through the roadblocks is critical.”

“Now, as we’re building Speakcore, a software as a service company, things have changed again.  Just when you get used to something, it changes – but that’s life. The fundamentals of business are the same, I know a lot more, managing people – both employees and customers – is similar. But this business is very different from a project-based service business. There’s more pressure now because the model, the pricing, the product isn’t the same.”

“What I’m learning is that in some ways we’ve overcomplicated. I formed an Advisory Board because I knew that I needed an outside perspective. I don’t have a C-Suite yet, nor are we using outside capital. We’re bootstrapping and it’s important to get things right.”  She pauses for a moment.

“What we do have with Speakcore is a proven product that we know is needed in the market, and we’ve been serving clients in this space since 2016. We’re positioning this year as an opportunity to establish operational excellence by creating stability in the business end of the business. Working on Standard Operating Procedures for sales, delivery, client relationship management along with hiring and building a team – purposely built so that we can scale the company but more importantly so that we continue to provide a valuable, relevant software solution for our clients that will last.”

“When you’re young, you think you’re better than you are.  Then you learn and become humble, hopefully.”

Creating a Legacy

The Carly Ritter whom I know now speaks with confidence and clarity, as well as pride in her accomplishments and her ability to provide opportunities for her team, a part of the legacy that she has created over the past ten years.

“Second gen transitions certainly have their own unique issues.  You need patience and understanding, and everyone needs to be involved.  Family is difficult. When you’re young you think you’re better than you are.  Then you learn and become humble, hopefully,” she adds with a smile. “And when you’re a daughter, it’s different than when you’re a son.”

As for her father, and the road that they’ve traveled together she shares, “Promising nothing made me work harder.  Presenting the opportunity to me was invaluable. But saying, ‘You can do this!’ was life changing.”

Speakcore Advisory Board

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