The Leadership Stack Podcast

Sean: So what are some of the lessons that you took away and that experience where you don't like the team, but you produce magic when you're on stage? Jason: Actually, that is an interesting question because number one is the team is together because we played well together. Not because we liked each other. So actually being on stage was the time that everybody kind of came together in a cohesive...

How do you stand out in a client pitch amongst the competition? Client pitch is all about the client. It's all about the client. If you're able to read the client well, make them laugh, communicate well with them, connect with them, that's it. That's how you stand out because there are so many people in client pitches that really suck. They're really bad in pitches. They just read the PowerPoint,...

Sean: I want to know, how do you break a brand down? How do you simplify it? Is there a process that you use to do that? Jennifer: A lot of whiteboard space and markers and pens and paper? It's really just been like, just that, like, literally it has taken me a long time because they are some of the - one of the difficulties when you look at building a brand, it intertwines into really everything...

Sean: How to foster employee loyalty? Loyalty is a two-way street. If you show it, they're going to show it back. If they don't show it back, those are particularly evil kinds of people. They pay evil with good, so get rid of them. But people who have a good heart, they're grateful, they have a debt of gratitude, that is what’s important. For me, people have to have a debt of gratitude. I’m one of...

Sean: One of the things that you mentioned earlier, step back, look up. I'm sure you've had those weeks where you feel like you're gripped by your business or by your clients and your quality of life as an entrepreneur suffers. I've been there and it's horrible because I am hot-headed, ill-tempered, and I feel stressed often. What are some of your best pieces of advice? I'm happy to say I'm a litt...

Sean: I know a lot about my craft, but not about how to start and run a company. What do I need to do to change that? You have to learn how to start and run the company. So how to start a company is not that hard. In terms of legal speak, you just have to register it in DTI or SEC, if you want to go corporate right away. So starting a company is not that hard. Running it is a lot harder. So hiring...

Sean: Grit is even more important than standing up when you fall down, that's even more important than being a great leader and a great speaker when you're in the world of entrepreneurship. Life is hard. I'm sure you would agree. And the sooner people realize and accept that the better you're able to deal with it. I haven't met a pessimistic entrepreneur yet, all entrepreneurs I believe are optimi...

Sean: How do I know when it's possible for me to turn my hobby into a business? When there is a viable market. When they actually want to buy from you. When what they want to buy from you is something that you can source or produce. So speaking from one of the experiences that I have had, I turned my aquascaping hobby into a small micro-business. So I sell aquatic plants and livestock on the websi...

Sean: We can't really see the numbers or imagine the numbers in our heads when you say you have to build a brand, build a good brand. What are the returns? What are some of the things that you tell clients who asked you this question? If there are any of them. Why should I build my brand? Why should I focus so much energy and effort and money on it? What could I put that in sales and marketing and...

 What type of services do financial advisors provide? Toni: I would say, you know, a common question that's in line with that is, do people really need us? And that's a common question that I get, even on TikTok. Come to think of it, today, the most common problem that we see is that people have, you know, there's a lack of financial education. I mean, you can admit that they don't really teach pe...

Sean: What are some of the most common problems that people tell you, people, who work as an employee, that you are able to help them with? Lou: A lot of the time, so it usually starts with team dynamics can often be an issue and people not knowing how to best handle a dominant manager for example or an unmotivated team member. And what I always say to people in that respect is you can't control t...

What type of coach should people in transition seek - career shifters, aspiring freelancers, or entrepreneurs? How does one decide if they need a coach or a mentor or expert in the field they want to pursue? For me, I'm more of a mentor than a coach. Although I am a certified John Maxwell coach as well as speaker, but my style is more of mentorship because I do share my experience. Of course, if y...

Sean: How about the people who were so passionate and the purpose was clear at the get-go. I mean, I'm going to take you as an example since we already have your story here, you started out, you said you love your job. You were in your twenties and then moving to your thirties, forties, somewhere in between the line got blurry. It's not, I don't believe it's just, you're a bad boss, although that...

What should I invest my money in – insurance, stocks, et cetera? Toni: You know that's probably my most asked question even on TikTok. And the reason why I cannot always give a direct answer is that I don't know what your goals are. So, you know, the word best investment or perfect investment is relative. So it really depends on what your goals are. Okay. So the first thing that you need to do is...

Sean: So I'm going to tell you, I'm going to tell you it's - something that I don't really share out there, but I'm a certified John Maxwell coach and speaker, but I find that coaching is not something that I love to do, because coaching requires a lot of listening to people. And helping them figure out within themselves. What's the solution is, I'm more of a mentor, like ask me questions. I'll te...

How can I save up enough money to start a business? Toni: I guess for me, once you're set on your goals, as I've mentioned earlier, I guess, and you've already established your foundation, then I would say to really organize your budget or really set aside or have a different fund simply for that goal that you have, which is to save up for your capital. And again, if you're working right now and l...

Sean: So Louis before we, before I asked you any of my questions, I'd like to know I saw in your profile that you - just like a lot of people today, started in the corporate world. I started in the corporate world, but I ended up just staying there for five months before starting on my, my own business. Which I didn't know would be where it is today. I thought it would fail because it's my first t...

do you think crypto or digital currencies will replace the physical ones that we have right now? Fitz: For me, I don't think it will be replaced, but I believe that crypto and digital currencies will be part of the mainstream way that we do commerce in the future. And in fact, this is what the people who are hodling. That's their term, HODL, hodling cryptos. They believe that cryptos and digital c...

Toni: I have a question, actually, it's from me. Do you think, and I've also had people who approached me and asked the same question. Should I finish college? Sean: That is a very, very good question to ask me.   Toni: Because people now are questioning, actually a lot of content creators on TikTok were saying that you don't need a college degree to start a business. Like, you know, instead of sp...

Sean: So one thing that we would rarely tackle in the podcast is strategic growth. We rarely tackle this. And that's because a lot of our listeners are startup entrepreneurs are side hustlers. We also have some C-level executives listening in. And so I think this is going to be a very valuable for them. Why is strategic growth so important? And how are we going to start it if we're just considerin...

Sean: For absolute beginners, where should we start? I guess this might be from the perspective of personal finance. Yeah. Let's answer it from that. Toni: Okay. So more on money management. Well, okay. So I need to know more about the profile of this person, but if you're seeing, okay, so if we're talking in steps, I would say the first thing that you need to do, which you've mentioned earlier is...

Sean: You mentioned the second pillar of your book is vision. I'm sure that the four pillars are interconnected together. I want to go deeper, dive into vision. Why is vision so important? How does it relate to your company's culture? And as a founder, this is one of the things that just flies over the heads of founders, right? We're just looking for the next meal. Vision is not something that we'...

Sean: How can someone protect their business or content idea from being stolen during pitching? When is it okay to steal and when is it crossing the line? I would say this rarely happens. I would say this rarely, rarely happens. So ideas are cheap. That's what I always say. Ideas are cheap. A lot of people have a lot of ideas. That's the truth. A lot of people have very nice ideas, maybe even bril...

Sean: First is culture, and we have tackled culture numerous times in the podcast, but that is really because it is so elusive on how people can grasp and concretize culture. It's not something that you're going to have a formula with. It's not something that I could just give you a blueprint of, what is so important about it that is one of the four pillars of your book? Tom: Well look, every orga...

Sean: Dan asks, are there challenges in working with a spouse? My answer Dan would be, it is the most amazing thing for me. I have nothing that I would say is a challenge with working with Apple. Maybe it's just because it's Apple and she's a brilliant, fantastic, loving person that is so easy to work with. Apple: Of course there are challenges. We are very Yin and Yang, right? But Dan, it's very...