Shows
Passing The Torch with Martin FosterEp. 63: Challenge The Limits of Goliath - David BrownSend us a textFormer U.S. Navy SEAL and author of And Goliath: The Littlest SEAL's Inspirational Story About Living Your Biggest Life, David Brown, who was the unlikeliest of candidates for the world's most grueling military selection process. Standing just 5' 3" and weighing 110 pounds, he was unlike any of the others around him who aspired to be SEALs. But through dogged determination and an iron will, he overcame every obstacle that life put in front of him to achieve his dream of becoming a SEAL.David Brown's life has been one o...2024-10-0849 min
Past Present FutureHistory of Ideas 10: David Foster WallaceEpisode 10 in our series on the great essays is about David Foster Wallace’s ‘Up, Simba!’, which describes his experiences following the doomed campaign of John McCain for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000. Wallace believed that McCain’s distinctive political style revealed some hard truths about American democracy. Was he right? What did he miss? And how do those truths look now in the age of Trump?More on David Foster Wallace from the LRB:Jenny Turner on Wallace and his moment‘The risk Wallace takes is to guess he is not the only "obsc...2024-01-0355 min
The Thriving EntrepreneurHow entrepreneurs avoid being bottlenecks in their own businessesEver wondered why some businesses hit roadblocks that slow down progress?In this episode, we're diving into how entrepreneurs can (unintentionally) become a bottleneck in their business.What you will discover:How do you differentiate between a bottleneck and just regular delays?Why do these roadblocks even pop up in the first place?Practical solutions to tackle these bottlenecks head-onA new episode is published every other Friday.Free resources and how we support entrepreneurs & founders:David Foster | www.davidafoster.com | www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster...2023-10-1322 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurAre entrepreneurs addicted to being busy?Do you catch yourself being addicted to being busy?As an entrepreneur, we definitely are juggling a lot of different aspects of business.But being addicted to being busy, is a whole other level. And because you are always (trying to be) busy, you might be missing out on some big opportunities, pivots or important decisions.In today’s episode, David & Rachelle explore:1. What are we calling “busy” here? What does that mean?2. Why our culture supports and encourages being busy3. Why is being busy seen a...2023-09-2926 min
Past Present FutureHistory of Ideas: David Foster WallaceThis week’s episode in our series on the great political essays is about David Foster Wallace’s ‘Up, Simba!’, which describes his experiences following the doomed campaign of John McCain for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000. Wallace believed that McCain’s distinctive political style revealed some hard truths about American democracy. Was he right? What did he miss? And how do those truths look now in the age of Trump?More on David Foster Wallace from the LRB:Jenny Turner on Wallace and his moment‘The risk Wallace takes is to guess he is not...2023-09-2856 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurEntrepreneurs: make a habit of discovering why you're wrong.Are you sometimes wrong about something? As an entrepreneur and leader, it is hard to have to admit we aren’t always right. What does that do to our authority? To our decision-making and business direction? Or even reputation in the market?Whilst it is tempting to always look right, it doesn’t serve us. In today’s episode we explore the difficulty of not always being right, and how to make a habit of discovering when you are wrong.You’ll discover:- Why...2023-09-1525 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurWhat happens when entrepreneurs take things too personally?Do you take things personally in business?We are all human, and it can be hard to stay objective when there is criticism or success coming our way. Or when our idea doesn’t get chosen. Or, when we are too invested in what we are building.Taking things too personally can hurt us - and the business itself.In this episode, David & Rachelle explore the dangers of personalizing business events and its impact on decision-making, relationships and results. What you will discover:- Why we take business things pe...2023-09-0121 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurThe entrepreneur's valuable balance between data and intuitionAre you struggling to strike the right balance between data-driven decision-making and relying on your intuition?What happens if you rely too heavily on either your business’ data or your personal intuition?In this episode, David & Rachelle explore the critical role of balancing data and intuition in decision making.You will discover:- Objectivity: The pros and cons of data-driven decisions and the dangers of relying solely on hard data.- Gut feeling: The pros and cons of intuition-based decisions - the power of intuition.- Real-life bu...2023-08-1822 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurWhy entrepreneurs need a real vacationAre you able to go on vacation without feeling guilty? Many entrepreneurs are not able to fully turn off their head and disconnect from their businesses while trying to relax with their loved ones.While our high level of feeling responsible is a sign of caring about our cause, it can start to be counterproductive when it comes to taking time off.If you are not fully present with your vacation, you aren’t really relaxing and not coming back recharged. Neither are you enjoying your time away - rather, you feel restless and want to...2023-08-0432 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurAn Entrepreneur's Ego: Friend or Foe?The ego has a bad rep. However, it is also helping us achieve much in our business. In this episode, David & Rachelle explore the delicate balance between self-assured confidence and the pitfalls of excessive ego in the entrepreneurial realm.What you will discover:- Ego as a Double-Edged Sword: why it’s good & why it’s bad- Why we need our ego & why is it holding us back too- Balancing Personal Identity and Business Success- Steps to take working with your egoA ne...2023-07-2131 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurThe power of entrepreneur's thinking timeDo you allocate enough ‘thinking time’?In this episode, we uncover the secret weapon of successful entrepreneurs: time to think. Whilst it often ends up on the bottom of our list, it should actually be prioritized.Thinking time unlocks the power of uninterrupted reflection, strategic planning, and problem-solving. Often, the headspace created allows us to make sharper decisions and get clearer on challenges or the future vision.If you’re doubting the importance of taking time out to think, be sure to listen to this episode....2023-06-2328 min
Business growth – The Mentors Radio321. Learn from famed composer, musician, 16-times-Grammy Award-winner David Foster, a Mentor to the Stars
In this episode, The Mentors Radio host Dan Hesse talks with David Foster, one of the most illustrious composers of our time. With 16 Grammy Awards, including three for Producer of the Year, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe and Three Oscar nominations for “Best Original Songs,” Foster has earned a reputation as a keen spotter of new talent, playing a key role in the discovery and career launches of Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé and more.
Few other individuals can claim to have their fingerprints on more major moments in all of popular music than David Foste...2023-05-2000 minTell Your Story – The Mentors Radio321. Learn from famed composer, musician, 16-times-Grammy Award-winner David Foster, a Mentor to the Stars
In this episode, The Mentors Radio host Dan Hesse talks with David Foster, one of the most illustrious composers of our time. With 16 Grammy Awards, including three for Producer of the Year, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe and Three Oscar nominations for “Best Original Songs,” Foster has earned a reputation as a keen spotter of new talent, playing a key role in the discovery and career launches of Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé and more.
Few other individuals can claim to have their fingerprints on more major moments in all of popular music than David Foste...2023-05-2000 minEthical Leadership – The Mentors Radio321. Learn from famed composer, musician, 16-times-Grammy Award-winner David Foster, a Mentor to the Stars
In this episode, The Mentors Radio host Dan Hesse talks with David Foster, one of the most illustrious composers of our time. With 16 Grammy Awards, including three for Producer of the Year, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe and Three Oscar nominations for “Best Original Songs,” Foster has earned a reputation as a keen spotter of new talent, playing a key role in the discovery and career launches of Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé and more.
Few other individuals can claim to have their fingerprints on more major moments in all of popular music than David Foste...2023-05-2000 minStick to Your Principles – The Mentors Radio321. Learn from famed composer, musician, 16-times-Grammy Award-winner David Foster, a Mentor to the Stars
In this episode, The Mentors Radio host Dan Hesse talks with David Foster, one of the most illustrious composers of our time. With 16 Grammy Awards, including three for Producer of the Year, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe and Three Oscar nominations for “Best Original Songs,” Foster has earned a reputation as a keen spotter of new talent, playing a key role in the discovery and career launches of Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé and more.
Few other individuals can claim to have their fingerprints on more major moments in all of popular music than David Foste...2023-05-2000 minCareer and Job transition – The Mentors Radio321. Learn from famed composer, musician, 16-times-Grammy Award-winner David Foster, a Mentor to the Stars
In this episode, The Mentors Radio host Dan Hesse talks with David Foster, one of the most illustrious composers of our time. With 16 Grammy Awards, including three for Producer of the Year, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe and Three Oscar nominations for “Best Original Songs,” Foster has earned a reputation as a keen spotter of new talent, playing a key role in the discovery and career launches of Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé and more.
Few other individuals can claim to have their fingerprints on more major moments in all of popular music than David Foste...2023-05-2000 minMake a Difference! – The Mentors Radio321. Learn from famed composer, musician, 16-times-Grammy Award-winner David Foster, a Mentor to the Stars
In this episode, The Mentors Radio host Dan Hesse talks with David Foster, one of the most illustrious composers of our time. With 16 Grammy Awards, including three for Producer of the Year, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe and Three Oscar nominations for “Best Original Songs,” Foster has earned a reputation as a keen spotter of new talent, playing a key role in the discovery and career launches of Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé and more.
Few other individuals can claim to have their fingerprints on more major moments in all of popular music than David Foste...2023-05-2000 minReach Your Full Potential – The Mentors Radio321. Learn from famed composer, musician, 16-times-Grammy Award-winner David Foster, a Mentor to the Stars
In this episode, The Mentors Radio host Dan Hesse talks with David Foster, one of the most illustrious composers of our time. With 16 Grammy Awards, including three for Producer of the Year, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe and Three Oscar nominations for “Best Original Songs,” Foster has earned a reputation as a keen spotter of new talent, playing a key role in the discovery and career launches of Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé and more.
Few other individuals can claim to have their fingerprints on more major moments in all of popular music than David Foste...2023-05-2000 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurWhat happens when entrepreneurs are outside their zone of genius?At the beginning stages of business, you often work from your Zone of Genius: doing what you love and are great at. The value you add is your company’s gold or even its USP.The more mature your business becomes, the more you might find yourself moving away from it, or even delegating this Genius to others.As you transition towards leadership, you might find yourself doing things you aren’t so good at (yet).So do you still do things that you add massive value with? And how do you find a ne...2023-05-1240 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurWhat happens when an entrepreneur's employees don't get along?As an entrepreneur, you know that managing a team is never easy. One of the biggest challenges you might face is dealing with employee conflict. So how do you handle employee conflict? How do you make sure things don’t escalate and hurt your company’s productivity, reputation, or culture?On the other hand - when is employee conflict beneficial for your company? And how can you make best use of it?In our latest podcast episode, David & Rachelle be discussing how to harness the power of conflict and turn it into a forc...2023-05-0143 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurWhat happens when entrepreneurs identifies with their business?Is your business your baby? If yes, what does that say about your emotional attachment to your company? And is that a good thing?As entrepreneurs, we are wired to CARE. Care about our business, team, clients, and the outcomes. Unfortunately, many of us take it too far. Meaning we get emotionally attached to what happens in the business. Or worse, we try to control the outcomes in the business in order for it to be aligned with our emotions. We end up getting triggered - badly triggered. Causing us to be extra stressed, moody, mentally unavailable...2023-04-1437 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurThe benefits of an entrepreneur's negative attitude.When we think of successful entrepreneurs, we often envision someone who is relentlessly positive and optimistic. However, some argue that having a negative attitude can actually be beneficial for entrepreneurs.A negative attitude can provide motivation to improve and prevent complacency, among other benefits. By acknowledging weaknesses and potential threats, entrepreneurs may be better equipped to adapt and grow their businesses.In this episode, we explore the idea of a negative attitude in entrepreneurship and its potential benefits.What you will learn:The difference between a negative attitude vs...2023-03-0340 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurHow boundaries make entrepreneurs more effectiveAs entrepreneurs, it's easy to get caught up in the busyness of building a successful business, often at the expense of ourselves and our performance. We people-please and put clients before ourselves just to make it happen. But are we actually being effective?In this episode, we explore what is not having sufficient boundaries costing you - opportunity-wise and efficiency-wise. And what if you were to would put up stronger boundaries, what would that mean to your business’ success?In today’s episode, David & Rachelle will cover:What...2023-02-1728 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurHow can an entrepreneur simplify their business?Have you complicated your business over the years?While a business starts with 1 great idea & simple processes, we scatter our business in many directions later on.We tend to overcomplicate our business with new strategies, tools, and long processes, and by (still) offering products & services that don’t perform.Most additions are often unimportant, irrelevant, or just making things messy. It becomes harder to operate without proper clarity on an overview of the business. Resulting in overwhelm, harder decision-making, and confused leadership. All in all, it’s a recipe for failure and burnout.2023-02-1035 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurWhy letting employees truly own their job is beneficial to entrepreneursHow often do you blame your team for not functioning at 100%?Do you feel too involved in the day-to-day?While it is easy to point fingers and try to control the operations, it is counterproductive.For your business and for you.Leading your team is a skill that needs to be mastered.If you want to spend most of your time working ON your business, enhancing it is paramount.The solution comes down to doing the following:Make sure employees can own their job.2023-02-0315 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurHow an entrepreneur can encourage criticism and alternative views?As the leader of your business, often people aren’t honest with you. Yes-nodding might be part of your everyday business life. Or, they are not completely open about how they feel.The people around you have their reasons for not speaking up. Their feedback on your leadership, or your ways of working, might be detrimental to their job.Yet, a business can only grow from learnings and new ways of thinking. The people on the job can sense things you cannot. And more views can lead to breakthroughs in processes, products, customer journeys, or si...2023-01-2715 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurWhy people pleasing as an entrepreneur is bad for business.Some entrepreneurs/founders see their people-pleasing behavior as a badge of honor. Giving the investors, team and other stakeholders what they think they need. Yes, sometimes sacrifices (against ourselves) need to be made for the sake of business success. But it shouldn’t be the normal behavior we leaders and entrepreneurs have. While being nice and staying on speaking terms is what we want to achieve by doing so, often it has a counter effect. And that is hurting your business.For instance:The hard conversation about a disagreement is not held between you and another fo...2023-01-1331 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurHow can an entrepreneur practically avoid being overwhelmed?Are the problems in your business rooted in being overwhelmed? How can you tell?What do you have to decide or how do you make sure that you’re not becoming overwhelmed and justifying it?We know the benefits of being on top of our game: if you are not continually overwhelmed, the work you do, the unexpected challenges and bumps in the road will be less of a challenge. You’ll make better decisions, more quickly and make better progress.But how do you get there?Or, maybe better put, how...2023-01-1316 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurHow can your 2023 goals survive an entrepreneur's life?Much of a founder’s direction can be characterized as “hope beyond reason” (with a nod to Bruce Springsteen for the phrase).But where is hope’s limit? At what point does reason rule, no matter how hard we hope?As founders, we create and develop something that many people would consider out of reach, too difficult, or not worthwhile. But we do it anyway, and with perseverance, guidance, support, and luck, we can be successful.But sometimes we fail.And a lot of times, the trap i...2022-12-2314 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurHow important is an entrepreneur's mission statement? (LinkedIn Live)How do you know where your business is headed?Does the day-to-day demand determine your path?How do you know where to head?Well, you have a mission statement. Right there on the website, with a bold headline and crafted prose.But really, what does a mission statement do? How important is it?Rachelle and David take on this very topic this Thursday (courtesy of Jack Bradley’s question).Last week we talked about how an entrepreneur can co...2022-12-1615 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurHow can entrepreneurs communicate vision in everyday actions? (Live)Do you sometimes wonder whether the people you work with understand what you’ve laid out as a vision for the business you started?Does what you see and hear day to day reflect what your business is all about?Many founders and entrepreneurs have similar concerns and questions. People are working, but sometimes the direction of that work isn’t heading in the same direction.Fair questions to ask:Why would the people who work with you understand the vision you have for the business you started?2022-12-0916 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurHow can entrepreneurs inspire employees?In order for your business to succeed, every employee must be inspired to work to the best of their ability.Right?We are often asked in a variety of ways how to inspire and motivate employees. How do we get them to understand the importance of what we want and what we are trying to do?It’s true that founders and entrepreneurs often have to clearly communicate their dream and mission to those around them - customers, investors, and employees.But *how* we communicate thi...2022-12-0215 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurHow can entrepreneurs be thankful - and why?In this Thanksgiving episode, Rachelle and David discuss the reasons how a founder can be thankful - and why.Everything in the universe is a combination of dark and light, and being able to see both is a superpower when it comes to running the business you started.A new episode is published every Friday.We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CETMore about us and how we support entrepreneurs & founders:David Foster | www.davidafoster.com | www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfosterRachelle Leerling | www...2022-11-2517 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurHow can entrepreneurs recognize their own limitations in business? (LinkedIn Live)As a founder and entrepreneur, how do you decide what hat not to put on at work?If you don’t have a structure for figuring out your limits and ways to deal with them, you could be flirting with a lot of problems.We are responsible for so much of the business when we start it - sometimes all of it in the first days.But we are not all equally skilled at different specialities. Some of us are better and more efficient at different areas, we have accumulated di...2022-11-1816 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurHow can entrepreneurs work on their business instead of for it?As a founder or entrepreneur, how do you know you are working on the right thing?Running a business is a difficult task, but working on the right thing is often more important than just working hard in general.Being able to distinguish and then consciously decide between the urgent and the important is a critical skill for a founder. Sorting that takes:Effective delegationIdentifying inefficiencyWorking on the biggest obstaclesGetting honest feedback from teammates and mentorsThis is what Rachelle and David discuss: how entrepreneurs can work on their businesses instead of...2022-11-0414 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurHow can entrepreneurs truly rest?How can entrepreneurs and founders truly rest without feeling guilty?There is no way to make good decisions, day after day, if you are exhausted, overly stressed and unable to focus.The answer is to rest - to spend time away from work, your computer and the associated demands, and to fully engage in something other than work. But it’s not always easy for an entrepreneur or founder who is building a business that demands attention.But if we don’t spend regular time away from work, everything suffers - your mental heal...2022-10-2814 minThe Thriving EntrepreneurHow can an entrepreneur stay happy during tough times? "How can entrepreneurs stay happy during tough times?"This topic isn't easy to tackle...We all know that business isn't all fun and games.But we should be very aware of the mental states it causes.Are you present with your partner?Are you able to detach from business stress?Becoming emotionally resilient to whatever happens in business is key to thriving entrepreneurship.A new episode is published every Friday.We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET2022-10-1415 min
Very Bad WizardsExistential Poker-Face (David Foster Wallace's "E Unibus Pluram")We dive into David Foster Wallace’s sprawling 1993 essay “E Unibus Pluram: Television and U.S. Fiction.” How do TV and new forms of media keep their hold on us when we know at some level that they’re reinforcing our loneliness and passivity? That’s easy, Wallace says, post-modern cool. Flatter me, let me think we’re all in the joke together, give me “an ironic permission-slip to do what I do best whenever I feel confused and guilty: assume, inside, a sort of fetal position, a pose of passive reception to comfort, escape, reassurance.” But in the years since this...2022-10-041h 46
Driving LeadershipWhat is the difference between accountability and blame in leadership?What is the difference between blame and accountability in leadership?Often these two things are either used interchangeably or confused altogether. We know that we are all responsible for what we do, and that we can trace results or lack of them to what we do when we work together.But people react differently depending on how a leader describes and handles behavior and performance, and your team or business reflects that in productivity, profitability and employee engagement.Mike, Shaun and David discuss three different perspectives on the difference between blame and accountability...2022-10-0351 minDriving LeadershipHow can a leader deal with isolation?What can a leader do about being isolated?When you’re a leader, you get fewer inputs from the people around you because “you’re the boss,” and fewer of those inputs you do get are honest, so fewer are actually that useful.There isn’t the shared suffering and connection that there is in the less isolated ranks, and to be blunt, work gets a little lonely.When you get lonely, your perspective shifts, and that can affect the decisions that you make, especially if you are not getting the complete story from emplo...2022-09-1259 minDriving LeadershipWhat role does forgiveness have in leadership?What is the role of forgiveness in leadership?We know that forgiveness is supposed to be a good thing for us personally, we learn “forgive and forget” when we are young, and maybe some of us have been through that.But what about when you are a leader in business - how does forgiveness affect your leadership and your business results?In this episode, we each comment on this question, touching on missed opportunities, the power of example and modeling, the cost of not forgiving others and yourself, and how forgiveness looks to othe...2022-09-0445 min
Davy's DoghouseDD3 Steps to selling your homeLynne & Dale expose the truth about selling your home in this podcast. Getting a qualified agent involved early leads to less stress and a better outcome. Many people think they need to do all of the work to get their home ready PRIOR to calling an agent. The reality is, a good agent will have resources that will help home sellers along the way.Take a listen and let me know if you agree.David Foster- Fontaine Family- The Real Estate Leader www.moveme2maine.com\2022-08-2814 minDriving LeadershipWhat is humility's place in leadership?What place does humility have in leadership?This week we discuss three different viewpoints on what humility means to leadership, how it affects a leader’s outcome and what can go wrong with it.Each of has a different view on the question:Positions:Mike: “It’s impossible to grow and mature as a leader without humility.”Shaun: “There’s a very fine line between humility and imposter syndrome in leadership”David: “It’s valuable for a leader to realize that humility and confidence are not opposites.”Quot...2022-08-0947 minDriving LeadershipDo you need a title to lead?Do you need a title to be a leader?Many people often don’t have the formal power as a leader and wonder what they can do to help themselves, help others, or make the business better. Others have a title, but may struggle with having enough influence to make progress.Our new format: each of us takes a position on our topic, discusses it, and takes questions from the other two.It works well, and we hope you like it.Our positions:Mike: “Titles can be a blessing or a...2022-08-0148 minDriving LeadershipWhy leaders should hire people smarter who are smarter than they areOur culture often says that leaders should be the smartest person in the room - any room. This puts a lot of pressure on a leader to not hire someone who is smarter or more skilled in certain ways.To do so is a mistake, for the employee, the leader, and the business.David, Shaun and Mike discuss what stands in the way of making the best hiring decision, how to deal with those things, and why hiring the best person for the job isn't a threat to a leader's position. 2022-07-2541 minDriving LeadershipHow can you lead during uncertainty?Uncertain times increases the amount of stress a leader feels, and creates new challenges virtually every day.The recent pandemic and the threat of economic uncertainty creates an environment for leaders that will require adaptability, patience, and understanding.David, Shaun and Mike discuss ways to deal with uncertainty, how to help yourself and help those around you when times are unsteady.Quotable:SP: “Sometimes as leaders we have information that we think is trivial but it’s not.”MM: “You need to adjust some goals but not adjust your standard...2022-07-1147 minDriving LeadershipHow leaders can stand by employeesLeaders often have predetermined reactions to an employee's failure, request for change, or uncommon success, and many of those reactions weaken the business and the relationships in them.Mike, Shaun and David discuss how leaders' reactions and behavior with employees greatly influence an employee's productivity and satisfaction at work, and how a leader can improve the team's performance by remaining connected and human during an employee's time of need.Quotable:DF: “As a leader, try as hard as you can not to confuse acceptance and support with agreement and punishment.”MM: “We hav...2022-06-1345 minDriving LeadershipHow leaders communicate expectations successfullyHow does a leader communicate expectations successfully?We could all do a better job communicating expectations, and as leaders, those expectations are critical.Mike, Shaun and David discuss the critical role of expectations in leadership, where they go wrong, how we communicate them unintentionally, unsuccessfully and what melting ice caps have to do with them.Quotable Quotes:SP: “The second distrust creeps into the organization, its slows the whole thing down.”MM: “Good expectations bring unity, clarity, alignment, and focus.”DF: “A big piece of good expectations are clear...2022-06-0641 minDriving LeadershipHow to survive your first day as a leaderYour first day as a leader in a new position is a huge opportunity to make moves that will either help or hurt you.Mike, Shaun and David discuss practical approaches to your first day that will help you not only survive, but thrive in your new position. We talk about our own experiences in relation to the ideas that work for someone who is starting their first day leading a team.Quotable:SP: “I knew there was some level of disfunction there, but I didn’t think it was going to be 20 punc...2022-05-3049 minDriving LeadershipHow (and why) leaders have tough conversationsWhy do we hesitate to have tough conversations?All of us have had that sinking feeling that comes from knowing we should have a tough conversation, but we resist.Mike, Shaun and David discuss tough conversations, what makes them hard and ways to approach them so that you get the best benefit for your business and yourself.Quotable:MM: “Sometimes when people find out that you knew something but didn’t say it, it erodes trust.”DF: “As leaders, we all tend to be a little towards control freaks, but if y...2022-05-2347 minDriving LeadershipHow leaders influence culture - and why.You can't execute a great strategy with bad culture. What can a leader do to improve it?Mike, Shaun and David discuss culture from a leader's perspective, what culture is, and how a leader can consciously and deliberately act so that business culture thrives.Quotable:DF: “It’s almost as if culture is an employee, or a part of the team.”SP: “Culture is fragile and it’s becoming harder and harder to protect,, so more intention has to be made around it.”MM: “Culture is driven by leaders, it is up to us...2022-05-0954 minDriving LeadershipHow and why to listenHuh?Listening well can improve both your performance and the the way your team performs, but it’s a big challenge in leadership - especially in today’s world.In this episode, Mike, Shaun and David discuss those challenges, how not being heard is a both a human and a business problem, and ways to overcome our habits and the influence of technology and remote work.Quotable:SP: “There’s nothing worse than trying to give energy away to a blank computer screen.”DF: “It takes humility for a senior perso...2022-05-0233 minDriving LeadershipWhat can you do about burnout?What if you were doing something that was praised all-around but was bad for business, your health, the people around you and your employees?In this episode of Driving Leadership, Mike, Shaun and David talk about burnout: how our culture supports what we do that causes it, how it hurts and practical things that you can do to heal and keep it at bay.Quotable:SP: “It’s all these things and if we aren’t grinding or hustling, it’s not moving the needle - and that’s a complete fallacy.”MM: “We ar...2022-04-2649 minDriving LeadershipHow leaders should hireWe know hiring is a critical part of leadership - but what does puking, lying, and online dating have to do with it?Shaun, Mike and David discuss the art (and not the science) of hiring, how gut feeling, tests, bias and connection are a part of making a successful addition to your team.Quotable:MM: “Maybe we hire somebody who didn’t work out, but maybe we didn’t continue to build our relationship after we hired.”SP: “If you look at the hiring process, a ton of our implicit bias gets...2022-04-181h 08Driving LeadershipWhat are leaders responsible for?What is a leader in business responsible for and how does it affect your business performance?Shaun, Mike and I talk about the difference between responsibility and accountability, formally and informally measuring responsibility, and how a leader can look at personal responsibility and his or her public responsibility to help employees succeed.Also: grocery carts, trash and house building.You can find David at davidafoster.com and Shaun and Mike at www.deckleadership.com2022-04-1152 minDriving LeadershipMindset as a leaderHow we think about what we do affects our ability to lead, the quality of our decisions, and how effective we are.How can a leader improve his or her mindset? How does your mindset change the way you act?Quotable moments:Shaun: "What you're doing is giving yourself a better chance because you showed up with intention."Mike: "I think our brains think we are doing a good job."David: "Practicing mindset grows that muscle stronger."David can be found at davidafoster.com and Shaun and...2022-04-0447 minDriving LeadershipWhy leadership mattersWhat does leadership affect in business, and how can you start practicing it? Meet Mike, Shaun and David for a conversation on the practical aspect of leadership, failures and how leadership affects business results.2022-03-2050 minVery Bad WizardsA Terrible Master (David Foster Wallace's "This Is Water").David and Tamler dive into David Foster Wallace’s celebrated and surprisingly earnest Kenyon College commencement speech “This is Water”. How can we escape the prison and prism of our (literally) self-centered perspective? Can we choose to adjust our natural default settings, take a break from our running inner monologue, and pay attention to what’s in front of us right now? Is DFW appealing to Buddhist ideas or something more general that you can be found across all spiritual traditions? Plus we ask the AI ethics program “Ask Delphi” some tough moral questions (spoiler alert: "just the tip" is...2021-12-211h 38
Gateway Giving#23 - Arch Grants - Gabe AngieriBy: David M. Foster, CFP®, CAP®Hello, listeners, and welcome to the 23rd episode of the Gateway Giving Podcast!My guest today is Gabe Angieri. Gabe is the Director of Development & Strategy for Arch Grants, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides $50,000 equity-free grants and access to an ecosystem of resources, helping early-stage startups grow and scale in St. Louis.To be honest, I was somewhat skeptical coming into this interview. Why should an organization that funds for-profit companies be granted nonprofit status? I don’t think many people would argue that...2021-12-2053 minGateway Giving#22 - An Introduction To Effective Altruism - Harley Monk of Giving AlphaBy: David M. Foster, CFP®, CAP®Hello, listeners, and welcome to the 22nd episode of the Gateway Giving Podcast!My guest today is Harley Monk. Harley is the Founder and Executive Director of Giving Alpha, a community of like-minded finance professionals that have committed to improving the world by donating to the most evidence-based, impactful interventions.Although Harley and I do spend some time discussing his organization, today’s episode primarily serves as an introduction to the “Effective Altruism” movement, a movement and a concept that is very nea...2021-12-1049 minGateway Giving#21 - The International Institute Of St. Louis - Paul CostiganBy: David M. Foster, CFP®, CAP®Hello, listeners, and welcome to the 21st episode of the Gateway Giving Podcast!Try to imagine, for a moment, that you’re living your life as you have always lived it, and, all of a sudden, in order to save your life and the lives of your family, you must flee to a foreign country with no money, no connections, no housing, and no job. This is the situation that Afghan refugees are facing today. As you are probably aware, the United States’ decisi...2021-11-1258 minGateway Giving#20 - Fundraisers: 3 Dos and 3 Dont's of Asking My Clients For Money - A Modern Nonprofit Guest AppearanceBy: David M. Foster, CFP®, CAP®Hello, listeners, and welcome to the 20th episode of the Gateway Giving Podcast!For this episode, the tables have been turned! Tosha Anderson, who was my guest in episode #13 of this podcast, Assessing The Financial Health of a Nonprofit, has her own podcast called A Modern Nonprofit, and she had me on to talk about some of the mistakes I have seen nonprofit fundraisers make when asking my clients for money.If you are a donor, this topic may be less compelling to yo...2021-09-2129 min