The CEO Project Podcast

How do family businesses balance tradition, professionalism, and growth to thrive across generations? In this episode of The CEO Project, host Jim Schleckser is joined by Sharon McGuire, Executive Membership and Marketing Manager at The CEO Project, for a candid discussion on the complexities of running a family business. Together, they examine critical challenges such as balancing family loyalty...

How can effective talent management secure your organization's future success?   In this episode of The CEO Project, host Jim Schleckser is joined by co-host Sharon McGuire, Executive Membership and Marketing Manager at The CEO Project, for an insightful discussion on effective talent management strategies. Together, they explore essential frameworks like the 9-box analysis to evaluate and develop...

Why is visual communication essential for leadership and driving business success? In this episode of The CEO Project, Jim Schleckser speaks with Olina Glindevi, the Visual Agile Coach and author of The Visual Agile Coach Playbook. Olina shares her unique approach to integrating visual communication techniques into Agile practices to foster better engagement, communication, and value delivery with...

Why is strategic HR leadership essential for driving the success and growth of your business? In this episode of The CEO Project, Jim Schleckser speaks with Dethra U. Giles, founder and CEO of ExecuPrep, a premier talent and performance management consulting firm. Dethra shares insights from her extensive experience in conflict resolution and organizational development, advocating for intentional...

Are you stressed, anxious and burning out at work and ready to put a stop to it? In this episode of The CEO Project, Jim Schleckser speaks with Michael D. Levitt, founder and Chief Burnout Officer of the Breakfast Leadership Network and host of the Breakfast Leadership Show podcast. Michael shares his personal experience with burnout and how he now helps, guides, and coaches others to overcome it...

Are you sacrificing your success and happiness by ignoring your core values in the decisions that matter most? In this episode of The CEO Project, Jim Schleckser speaks with Dino Cattaneo, a veteran executive coach and branding expert with over 30 years of experience. Dino, the host of the Authentic Leadership for Everyday People Podcast, shares his journey from journalist to C-suite executive, of...

In this episode of The CEO Project Podcast , host Jim Schleckser and Sharon Maguire discuss the critical link between strategy development and execution, emphasizing the importance of treating them as an iterative, interconnected process. Using frameworks like Henry Mintzberg's "Two Loops of Learning," they highlight how organizations must adapt strategies dynamically—refining tactical approaches...

In this engaging episode of The CEO Project Podcast, host Jim Schleckser   introduces a compelling discussion on productivity with a special guest, Penny Zenker. Penny, a productivity expert, bestselling author, and former C-suite executive, shares valuable insights on overcoming perfectionism, procrastination, and distractions to achieve hyper-focus and productivity.   The episode emphasizes self...

In this episode of The CEO Project Podcast, host Jim Schleckser interviews Brent Yeagy, the CEO of Wabash, a publicly traded company specializing in transportation and distribution assets, including trailers and digital solutions. Wabash, founded in 1985, operates across manufacturing, service, and distribution locations, generating billions in revenue. The discussion delves into how Wabash differ...

Welcome to The CEO Project Podcast, where Jim Schleckser, author of Great CEOs Are Lazy , discusses ways top CEOs can optimize their businesses. Jim announces the rebranding of the podcast from "The Lazy CEO" to "The CEO Project Podcast," aligning with the project's broader mission. Today's guest, Bradley Hamner, a business growth coach, shares his journey from struggling in his first business to...

In this 100th episode of The Lazy CEO Podcast, host Jim Schleckser marks the milestone by announcing the show's upcoming name change to The CEO Project Podcast, reflecting its focus. Beginning with episode 101, listeners will find all content under the new name. Jim's guest is Jennifer Frye, the CEO of Appreciated Asset Business Solutions, which specializes in building robust sales pipelines for i...

In this episode of The Lazy CEO Podcast, host Jim Schleckser, founder of The CEO Project, announces the upcoming name change of the podcast from The Lazy CEO Podcast to The CEO Project Podcast. The current episode is number 99, and the switch will happen after the 100th episode, although all past episodes will remain accessible. The guest on this episode is Don Schmincke, a researcher with a backg...

In this episode of The Lazy CEO podcast, Jim Schleckser, host and founder of The CEO Project, introduces Ilias Simpson, the new President of Cart.com. Ilias talks about Cart.com's comprehensive supply chain solutions, emphasizing its omni-channel capabilities and how they manage everything from digital storefronts to order fulfillment. He explains the company's end-to-end approach, handling fulfil...

In this episode of The Lazy CEO Podcast , Jim Schleckser, founder of The CEO Project, discusses the growing field of customer experience engineering alongside Sharon McGuire. The episode explores how companies can design processes that delight customers, turning their experiences into key marketing tools. The hosts emphasize that understanding customers, including segmenting them based on their un...

In this episode of The Lazy CEO Podcast, host Jim Schleckser interviews, Erwin Visser, a business development leader at Microsoft who has not only achieved success in tech but also in extreme sports, having summited Mount Everest. The conversation covers several key topics, starting with hiring top talent, focusing on exceptional personal achievements like mountain climbing. The guest shares insig...

In this episode of The Lazy CEO Podcast , host Jim Schleckser dives into the world of podcasting as a business tool, exploring how it can drive growth and success. Jim welcomes Seth Greene, an expert in the field and co-host of The SharkPreneur Podcast . Seth shares his unique approach, highlighting that podcasting isn't about getting millions of downloads or sponsorship revenue. Instead, it's abo...

In this episode of The Lazy CEO Podcast , host Jim Schleckser discusses the importance of a relentless desire to learn, particularly for CEOs and leaders. Schleckser introduces his guest, Damon Lembi, a two-time bestselling author and learning platform host, who has helped over two million people enhance their skills. The conversation centers around the concept of learning as a key competitive adv...

In this episode of The Lazy CEO Podcast, host Jim Schleckser talks with Ronak Patel, CEO of Sunflower Labs, about integrating AI and machine learning (ML) into business processes to augment human efforts. Patel explains AI's potential, common use cases, and ethical considerations, especially around AI as an assistant rather than a full replacement for human roles. They discuss AI's current applica...

In this episode of The Lazy CEO Podcast, host Jim Schleckser, joined by co-host Sharon McGuire, dives into the world of private equity, a hot topic expected to gain even more traction in the coming years. The discussion starts with an overview of private equity firms, comparing them to private mutual funds that invest pooled capital into various assets, often with a lifespan of 8-10 years. These f...

In this episode about Succession Planning for CEOs and Their Organization ·   Talent Assessment and Development: The episode emphasizes the importance of using the ABC rating system and the 9-box exercise to regularly assess and develop talent within the organization, focusing on both current performance and promotability. ·   Succession Planning Tools: Jim and Sharon discuss practical tools like...

In this episode of The Lazy CEO Podcast , host Jim Schleckser interviews Adam Coffey, a seasoned CEO, board member, best-selling author, and speaker with extensive experience in private equity, particularly in the context of exits and ownership. Coffey, who has led the acquisition of 58 companies and generated over $2.5 billion in exits, shares insights from his career, which includes building thr...

In this episode of The Lazy CEO Podcast, host Jim Schleckser dives into the concept of business models and how they impact the success of a company. He compares a good business model to a low-gravity environment, making it easier for a business to thrive, while a bad business model is like heavy gravity, where progress is slow and challenging.  Jim emphasizes the importance of choosing the right b...

In this episode of The Lazy CEO Podcast, host Jim Schleckser, founder of the CEO Project, welcomes Kim Scott, author of "Radical Candor" and "Radical Respect." Kim shares her extensive experience as a CEO coach and faculty member at Apple University, along with her work with tech companies like Dropbox, Qualtrics, and Twitter. The conversation begins with an exploration of "Radical Candor," a fram...

In this episode of The Lazy CEO Podcast, host Jim Schleckser interviews Mike Melo, the CEO and co-founder of ITA International. Mike shares his journey from being a US Navy Surface Warfare Officer to founding ITA with his wife, Kathy, in 2005. ITA started with a single government contract and one employee, growing to over 300 employees across 20 states and six foreign countries. Mike discusses the...

Jim Schleckser introduces Kirk Aubry, highlighting their long-standing friendship and Kirk's career trajectory from an ad agency to a Chief Strategy Officer at Textron and now CEO of Savage, a logistics company. Savage, founded 80 years ago by three brothers, has grown from a single truck to a global company with 4,200 team members and 225 locations. They handle the transportation of bulk products...