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Improving leadership communication does not have the mindshare of many leaders like operational strategies. However, communication is an essential element that many employees often say needs improvement, even when the company is growing fast. In fact, improving leadership communication is critical in an agile work environment. Our guest is Mike Gentile, CEO of Cisoshare. Cisoshare was #88 on the 2019 Inc 500 list. Mike begins by sharing his top strategy for optimizing his time, which is being intentional about his family as much as the work. He shares why putting his family at the top of his to-do list has improved his leadership. In part two, Mike is coached on improving leadership communication. We look at the enemies of communication when you are leading a growing team. You will discover how to improving leadership communication inside this episode. Get the show notes for The OYT Coaching Series - Mike Gentile at CISOSHARE Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Growth Think Tank featuring #MikeGentile with your host @GeneHammett http://bit.ly/gttMikeGentile  #ImprovingLeadershipCommunication #OptimizeYourTime #Leadership #TheOYTCoachingSeries #GHepisode685 #GTTepisodes #Podcasts Give Growth Think Tank a review on iTunes!

Many leaders feel that they have to make the most of every minute of the day. They optimize their schedules to get the most out of their time. However, many times they are not creating time to think. I see this quite often in my work and eventually, it catches up with these leaders. Today, we see how creating time to think is more productive than a packed calendar. Our guest is Kurt Luidhardt, co-founder of Prosper Group. Prosper Group was #466 on the 2019 Inc 500 list. Kurt begins by sharing his top strategy for optimizing his time, hiring a sales manager even with him actively involved in business development. In part two, Kurt is coached on creating time to think. Back-to-back meetings and scheduling every minute of the day may seem productive, but CEOs need white space to think. You will discover how to create time to think better inside this episode. Get the show notes for The OYT Coaching Series - Kurt Luidhardt at Prosper Group - Creating Time to Think Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Growth Think Tank featuring #KurtLuidhardt with your host @GeneHammett http://bit.ly/gttKurtLuidhardt  #CreatingTimetoThink #OptimizeYourTime #Leadership #TheOYTCoachingSeries #GHepisode684 #GTTepisodes #Podcasts Give Growth Think Tank a review on iTunes!

Don’t overlook the need to think about the future, innovation, and potential threats. Yet too many CEOs are overscheduled. I get asked all the time. “How to create more white space to think?” As leaders, we have to learn the balance of everyday work and thinking about the vision we are creating. Our guest is Matt Kueker, CEO of Kenway Consulting. Kenway Consulting was #4495 on the 2019 Inc 5000 list. Matt begins by sharing his top strategy for optimizing his time, which is the power to say NO. In part two, Gene coaches Matt on creating time to think. We remove many of his limiting beliefs. You will discover how to create more white space better inside this episode. Get the show notes for The OYT Coaching Series - Matt Kueker CEO at Kenway Consulting Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Growth Think Tank featuring #MattKueker with your host @GeneHammett http://bit.ly/gttMattKueker  #howtocreatemorewhitespace #OptimizeYourTime #Leadership #TheOYTCoachingSeries #GHepisode683 #GTTepisodes #Podcasts Give Growth Think Tank a review on iTunes!

Believing you need to improve accountability across your organization is a common thought. However, many times it is seen as hovering. The idea is to improve how you delegate without micro-managing. Our guest is Renzi Stone, CEO of Saxum. Saxum was #4246 on the 2019 Inc 500 list. Renzi begins by sharing his top strategy for optimizing his time, integrating personal and professional time. He even takes time in the middle of the day to squeeze in a workout to improve his focus at work. In part two, Renzi is coached on how to delegate without micro-managing. He wants to improve how he leads and lift overall trust with his employees. You will discover how to delegate without micro-managing better inside this episode. Get the show notes for The OYT Coaching Series - Renzi Stone - Delegate without Micro-managing Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Growth Think Tank featuring #RenziStone with your host @GeneHammett http://bit.ly/gttRenziStone  #DelegatewithoutMicromanaging #OptimizeYourTime #Leadership #TheOYTCoachingSeries #GHepisode682 #GTTepisodes #Podcasts Give Growth Think Tank a review on iTunes!

For many, success has a price. CEOs that put all of their energy and time into the work will often wake up one day and wonder what happened to their personal lives. I was one of those people and didn’t realize it in my first startup. One thing that CEOs must keep in mind is the importance of planning family time. Today’s guest is Jeff Kupietzy, CEO of PowerInbox. PowerInbox ranked on the Inc 500 list at #30 in 2019. Jeff begins by sharing his top strategy for optimizing his time, which is utilizing peer groups. In part two, Jeff is coached on planning more family time. You will discover the importance of being intentional about family time inside this episode. Get the show notes for The OYT Coaching Series -  Jeff Kupietzky at PowerInbox Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Growth Think Tank featuring #JeffKupietzky with your host @GeneHammett http://bit.ly/gttJeffKupietzky  #OptimizeYourTime #Leadership #TheOYTCoachingSeries #GHepisode681 #GTTepisodes #Podcasts Give Growth Think Tank a review on iTunes!

Every CEO is faced with dozens if not more projects that must be completed. The challenge is choosing the right projects. Not all of them can be done immediately. It is usually a balance of short-term and long-term projects that need to be managed. One way to look at choosing the right projects is to have a standard selection process or a rubric. Our guest is Jeff, co-founder of Digital Have. Digital Hyve was #52 on the 2018 Inc 500 list. Jeff begins by sharing his top strategy for optimizing his time, focusing on both the urgent and important. In part two, Jeff is coached on choosing the right projects. You will discover how to choose the best projects that drive ROI for your company in this episode. Get the show notes for The OYT Coaching Series - Jeff Knauss at Digital Hyve Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Growth Think Tank featuring #JeffKnauss with your host @GeneHammett http://bit.ly/gttJeffKnauss  #OptimizeYourTime #Leadership #TheOYTCoachingSeries #GHepisode680 #GTTepisodes #Podcasts Give Growth Think Tank a review on iTunes!

Your calendar is likely the one tool that keeps you organized. If your calendar is not right, you are likely late to meetings and unaware of your commitments. When you manage your calendar better, you feel productive and efficient. This special series on optimizing your time is all about how you can manage your calendar better. Our guest is Erik Huberman, Founder, and CEO of Hawke Media. His company ranked #110 in 2017 and #1508 in 2020 on the Inc 5000 list. Eric begins by sharing his top strategy for optimizing his time, which is more effective delegation. In part two, Eric is coached on ensuring that the meetings on his calendar are the best use of his time. You will discover how to manage your calendar better inside this episode. Get the show notes for The OYT Coaching Series - Erik Huberman - Manage Your Calendar Better Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Growth Think Tank featuring #ErikHuberman with your host @GeneHammett http://bit.ly/gttErikHuberman  #ManageYourCalendarBetter #Leadership #TheOYTCoachingSeries #GHepisode679 #GTTepisodes #Podcasts Give Growth Think Tank a review on iTunes!

One of the biggest challenges that CEOs face when it comes to optimizing their time is creating white space in their calendar. It seems that no matter what they do, they have people that want to fill in any available time on their calendar with a meeting. Creating white space is really about making time to think. Scheduling back-to-back meeting may seem productive, but the CEO that lacks time to think is likely to miss opportunities. Today's interview is with Justin Bakes, co-founder of Forward Financing. This company was #404 out of 5000 in the 2018 Inc List. Justin shares his top strategy for optimizing his time, which is improving his team meetings' flow. We look at the updates he has made to his meeting framework that has expanded his leadership capabilities. Justin also agreed to share the coaching conversation we held that is all about creating white space. This is not in-depth coaching, but it will give you insight into the re-framing challenges of creating white space. Get the show notes for The OYT Coaching Series -  Justin Bakes - CEOs Creating White Space Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Growth Think Tank featuring #JustinBakes with your host @GeneHammett http://bit.ly/gttJustinBakes  #CreatingWhiteSpace #Leadership #TheOYTCoachingSeries #GHepisode678 #GTTepisodes #Podcasts Give Growth Think Tank a review on iTunes!

When you spend your time wisely, you are focused on the right things. You can remove distractions from your mind to do the most valuable things. It is a never-ending journey to optimize your time, especially when you are the CEO of a fast-growth company. This video kicks off a new series aimed to help you optimize your time. Gene gives you the context of this series in a way that allows you to optimize your time by learning from others. This series will last the entire month of January. Tune in to optimize your time. Get the show notes for CEOs Optimize Your Time – The OYT Coaching Series for CEOs of Fast-Growth Companies Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Growth Think Tank featuring with me @GeneHammett http://bit.ly/OptimizeYourTime  #OptimizeYourTime #Leadership #Culture #GHepisode677 #GTTepisodes #Podcasts Give Growth Think Tank a review on iTunes!

What a year it has been. Instead of looking back at our mistakes, let’s look at how you can prepare for the new year. Discover three essential elements to being a stronger and more influential leader who can activate growth this year. When you prepare for the new year the right way, you will meet any challenges you face in the new year. You will also get a bonus treat when I share the uncomfortable truth about goals. This one thing will be the one thing that determines if you receive your goals. Get the show notes for Prepare for the New Year – Strategies that Activate Growth with Gene Hammett Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Growth Think Tank with me @GeneHammett http://bit.ly/PreparefortheNewYear  #PreparefortheNewYear #Leadership #Culture #GHepisode676 #GTTepisodes #Podcasts #WelcomeYear2021 Give Growth Think Tank a review on iTunes!

Those that have an ownership stake tend to think differently about the work and decisions they have to make. Do you believe that getting employees that think like owners without any real financial ownership is possible? Well, I have seen it happen over and over. In fact, it is one of the most significant driving forces in fast-growth companies. Today's guest is Sam Eitzen, CEO at The Snap Bar. Inc Magazine ranked The Snap Bar #217 on the 2019 Inc 5000 list. Sam shares his leadership insights that catapulted his company to fast growth. We look at what happens with employees think like owners. Discover how you can engage your employees to think like owners. Get the show notes for Getting Employees to Think Like Owners with Sam Eitzen at The Snap Bar Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Growth Think Tank featuring Sam Eitzen at The Snap Bar with me your @GeneHammett http://bit.ly/gttSamEitzen  #ThinkLikeOwners #Leadership #Culture #GHepisode665 #GTTepisodes #Podcasts Give Growth Think Tank a review on iTunes!

Being a servant leader is not new. The big idea is as the CEO; you serve your people. However, you have to understand the servant leadership skills if you want to get all the value you can out of this idea. Today's guest is John Eanes, CEO at Eanes Heating & Air Conditioning. Inc Magazine ranked them #4330 on the 2020 Inc 5000 list. John shares how servant leadership skills have impacted his company's growth. We look at why it drives growth in a way that allows you to improve your servant leadership skills. Get the show notes for The Ins and Outs of Servant Leadership Skills with John Eanes at Eanes Heating and Air Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Growth Think Tank featuring John Eanes at Eanes Heating and Air with me your @GeneHammett http://bit.ly/gttJohnEanes  #ServantLeadershipSkills #Leadership #Culture #GHepisode674 #GTTepisodes #Podcasts Give Growth Think Tank a review on iTunes!

Thinking you know it all is the enemy to growth. When you can stay curious, you get to see perspectives. Today's guest is Mitch Greenwald, CEO at Cloudbakers. Inc Magazine ranked them #1174 on the 2019 Inc 5000 list. Cloudbakers is the Google Cloud Premier Partner that will ensure a fast and quality implementation. Mitch gives us a look into why we must stay curious when we want to grow our companies. He and I explore what that means for leaders that can stay curious despite the pressure to know it all. Get the show notes for One Key to Leadership is to Stay Curious with Mitch Greenwald at Cloudbakers Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Growth Think Tank featuring Mitch Greenwald at Cloudbakers with me your @GeneHammett http://bit.ly/gttMitchGreenwald  #StayCurious #Leadership #Culture #GHepisode673 #GTTepisodes #Podcasts Give Growth Think Tank a review on iTunes!

Your company has a culture whether or not you intentionally set it. When you define your culture to empower people, you set up the business for long-term success. The essential parts to define your culture are a big part of why a company grows fast. Today's guest is Goddard Abel, CEO at G2. Inc Magazine ranked G2 #408 on the 2020 Inc 5000 list. This company helps B2C and B3b brands provide immersive online shopping experiences. Goddard sees the power of culture through all of the companies he has built over the years. Discover the ability to define your culture with intention. Get the show notes for Define Your Culture Before You Create Your Product with Godard Abel at G2 Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Growth Think Tank featuring Godard Abel at G2 with me your @GeneHammett http://bit.ly/gttGodardAbel  #DefineYourCulture #Leadership #Culture #GHepisode672 #GTTepisodes #Podcasts Give Growth Think Tank a review on iTunes!

Adapting to the ups and downs of a crazy, fast-paced work environment is all about embracing change. Companies that resist change and make excuses suffer the consequences. The leaders of any organization must embrace change, and they must also encourage growth across the organization. My guest today is Co-CEO and co-founder of Soundstripe. This company was ranked #68 in the 2020 Inc 5000 list. Soundstripe is a marketplace for royalty-free music. Travis and I look at embracing change from a practical perspective and also the mindset. Join me for this interview to improve your leadership skills to embrace change. Get the show notes for Embracing Change in the Journey of Growth with Travis Terrell at Soundstripe Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Growth Think Tank an Interview with Travis Terrell at Soundstripe with me your host @GeneHammett https://bit.ly/gttTravisTerrell #EmbracingChange #leadership #GHepisode671 #GTTepisodes #Podcasts Give Growth Think Tank a review on iTunes!

People are essential to every business that is growing fast. The heart of leadership is focusing on your people. Your product or service is essential, but scaling quickly requires people to feel like you care about them. Today's guest is Kurt Donnell, CEO at Freestar. Inc Magazine ranked Freestar #1 on the 2019 Inc 5000 list. They were also ranked 36 in the 2020 list. Freestar works with businesses to build brand awareness, establish marketing campaigns, and increase revenue based upon content promotion. Kurt shares his journey and why he believes the heart of leadership is so important. Discover how Kurt sees the heart of leadership in today's interview. Get the show notes for Focusing on Your People is  the Heart of Leadership with Kurt Donnell at Freestar Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Growth Think Tank featuring Kurt Donnell at Freestar with me your @GeneHammett http://bit.ly/gttKurtDonnell  #HeartofLeadership #Leadership #Culture #GHepisode670 #GTTepisodes #Podcasts Give Growth Think Tank a review on iTunes!

Culture is just as essential as your service or product. In fact, I believe that your people should feel like they come first. This is what I call an employee-first culture. Today’s guest is Mel Gun, CEO at SYNERGEN Health. Inc Magazine ranked SYNERGEN Health #3906 on the 2020 Inc 5000 list. They have been honored on the Inc 5000 five times. SYNERGEN Health is an end-to-end revenue cycle management solution that ensures the financial success of medical practices. Mel and I discuss the critical elements of an employee-first culture. We look at the power of people inside our companies. You may be hesitant to have an employee-first culture, but discover the real benefits in today’s show. Get the show notes for Employee First Culture Requires Strong Leadership with Mel Gun at SYNERGEN Health Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Growth Think Tank featuring Mel Gun at SYNERGEN Health with me your @GeneHammett http://bit.ly/gttMelGun  #EmployeeFirstCulture #Leadership #Culture #GHepisode669 #GTTepisodes #Podcasts Give Growth Think Tank a review on iTunes!

Leaders that invest in employees dare to see a future where their employees are an essential part of the business growth. When you fail to prioritize your employee’s development, you may not feel it immediately, but you will see it in the long term. Today’s guest is Gregg Cohen, CEO at JWB Real Estate Capital. Inc Magazine ranked JWB Real Estate Capital #1841 on the 2020 Inc 5000 list. They have been honored with this eight times. They provide high-quality single-family rental homes to thousands of residents in Jacksonville and have over five years of experience and 3300 properties under management. Gregg believes leaders must invest in employees, so they grow. However, it is more than growth. When you invest in employees, they feel like the organization is taking care of them. Join us for today’s interview with Gregg. Get the show notes for Unique Ways to Invest in Employees and the Culture with Gregg Cohen at JWB Real Estate Capital Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Growth Think Tank featuring Gregg Cohen at JWB Real Estate Capital with me your @GeneHammett http://bit.ly/gttGregCohen  #InvestinEmployees #Leadership #Culture #GHepisode668 #GTTepisodes #Podcasts Give Growth Think Tank a review on iTunes!

Most early-stage companies focus on the product or service they are bringing to market. What you sell is essential for sure. However, the fast-growth companies think beyond the business model to the culture alignment. In short, CEOs that I have talked to know the importance of people. Culture alignment is a function of how do the people feel aligned with their work. Do they love it or do it because that is what they get paid for. Today's guest is Thomas Black, CEO at Nepali Capital. Inc Magazine ranked Nepali Capital #21 on the 2020 Inc 5000 list. We talk about culture alignment in the early stages of growth. Nepali grew revenues by 10,957% in three years because of their culture alignment. Thomas shares some particular challenges he had to overcome to become the leader the team needed. Get the show notes for Leadership Shapes Culture Alignment Through Fast-growth with Thomas Black at Nepali Capital Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Growth Think Tank featuring Thomas Black at Nepali Capital with me your @GeneHammett http://bit.ly/gttThomasBlack  #CultureAlignment #Leadership #Culture #GHepisode667 #GTTepisodes #Podcasts Give Growth Think Tank a review on iTunes!

Your culture is defined by the way people communicate, work, and behave. The problem is many people believe culture is something you do once. However, the truth is culture is never-ending. Fast-growth companies know the importance of culture. Today's guest is Olin Hyde, CEO of LeadCrunch. His company was ranked #35 on the 2020 Inc 5000 list. LeadCrunch is a leader in AI-based lead generation for B2B. Olin shares what leaders must do given culture is never-ending. Discover the keys to hiring and leading in today's interview. Get the show notes for Culture is Never-ending for Fast-Growth Companies with Olin Hyde at LeadCrunch Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Growth Think Tank featuring Olin Hyde at LeadCrunch with me your @GeneHammett http://bit.ly/gttOlinHyde  #CultureisNeverEnding #Leadership #Culture #GHepisode666 #GTTepisodes #Podcasts Give Growth Think Tank a review on iTunes!