Kerry Siggins Podcast

Before You Lead Others, You Must First Lead Yourself w/ Paul Epstein

Guest: Paul Epstein has spent nearly 15 years as a professional sports executive for multiple NFL and NBA teams, a global sports agency, and the NFL league office, where he has broken every premium revenue metric in Super Bowl history, opened a billion-dollar stadium and founded the San Francisco 49ers Talent Academy, where he became known as the “Why Coach.”
Paul has since continued his leadership journey, coaching and consulting Fortune 500 executives, founders, CEOs, MBAs and professional athletes - earning accolades as a top leader that gets results from Success Magazine. When he’s not on stage as a global keynote speaker, Paul puts his insights into daily practice, serving as chief impact officer for PurposePoint and senior advisor for the Why Institute. He is also the best-selling author of The Power of Playing Offense and host of the podcast Playmakers: ON PURPOSE.
Episode in a Tweet: Strong self-leadership is the key to a successful life. Find your why, live your purpose, and lead yourself
Background: Paul Epstein believes a personal transformation is needed before you can achieve a professional transformation, and he believes this because he lived it.
During this week’s episode of Reflect Forward: Conversations on Leadership, Paul tells us why he left the boardrooms of major sports leagues to begin sharing his message of purpose, activating your WHY, and Playing Offense in life and work around the globe.
According to Paul, one must be ready to understand their “Why,” and a powerful transformation can happen when they are. We talk about overcoming adversity, reducing stress, and the power of living your purpose. Paul and I geek out on self-leadership, one of my favorite topics and swap stories on how we both found our way when we dramatically changed courses in life.
You can’t help but be inspired by Paul’s energy, enthusiasm and methodology.
How to Find Paul
https://www.paulepsteinspeaks.com/
https://whyinstitute.com/purpose/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulepsteinspeaks/
https://www.instagram.com/paulepsteinspeaks/
Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Subscribe to my podcast Reflect Forward on iTunes
Or check out my new YouTube Channel, where you can watch full-length episodes of Advice From a CEO!
And if you are looking for a keynote speaker or a podcast guest, click here to book a meeting with me to discuss what you are looking for!

Ask For What You Want

How many times have you forgone what you really wanted because you were too afraid to ask? In this week’s episode of Reflect Forward: Advice Form a CEO, I encourage you to just go for it. Ask for what you want. So what if you get a “no” in response? If you don’t ask, you’ve already told yourself “no” anyway.
Look, I get that there are many convincing reasons why you shouldn’t ask for what you want. You don’t want to seem pushy, needy, or high maintenance. You fear rejection; you’ll be embarrassed if you get a no. You don’t want to make your boss/spouse/coworker uncomfortable or, even worse, mad. You feel like what you want is obvious and that you shouldn’t HAVE to ask. Or maybe you don’t think you deserve to get what you really desire. There are a million excuses not to ask for what you want, but they are just that: EXCUSES. So stop making them and start asking.
Easier said than done, right? Here’s how to ask for what you want.
1. Get Clear on What You Want
The more clarity you can have about what you want and why you want it, the easier it is to ask.
2. Know Who to Ask
If you ask the wrong person (or people), you’re bound to get a no. Or get a yes that can’t be delivered upon.
3. Think about Your Body Language
Don’t slouch, mumble, cross your arms, or look at the ground.
4. Be Direct and Specific about What You Want
Don’t beat around the bush, hem and haw, or expect people to read your mind.
5. Always Be Gracious
Acknowledge with gratitude what the other person will have to do to give you a yes.
So what do you do if you get a no?
Getting told “no” can be hard to take. You may feel a wide range of emotions and want to lash out, shut down, or give up. Don’t. Everyone gets told no, and it may take some time to work through your disappointment, and that’s okay.
And yes, there is such a thing as asking for too much too often. Don’t be the person who always asks for favors.
Life is too short not to ask for what you want. It may sound macabre to put in a blog like this, but the reality is that it all could be over at any minute. So why not put it out there and ask? You might just surprise yourself and get what you ask for!
Question of the Week?
What are you reading right now?
Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty. It’s a great book on staying present and grounded and how to lessen your attachment to things and outcomes. Tune in to find out more about why I love this book!
Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Subscribe to my podcast Reflect Forward on iTunes
Or check out my new YouTube Channel, where you can watch full-length episodes of Advice From a CEO!
And if you are looking for a keynote speaker or a podcast guest, click here to book a meeting with me to discuss what you are looking for!

The Power of Purpose w/ Alicia Long

Guest: Alicia Long is the Co-Founder & CEO of Nutr, a plant-based milk machine. The Nutr Machine makes plant-based milks at the push of a button.
Alicia is a Chinese immigrant who graduated from Ohio State University with a Marketing Degree. Before founding Nutr with her husband, she worked at Google, Amazon and several tech start-ups.
After moving to the U.S. in 2009 following her father's passing, she made it her life's mission to fulfill his last wish and become a college graduate. Now, as an entrepreneur, she strives to provide families across the globe with a healthy way to make plant-based milks and make the world a better place with each and every pour.
Episode in a Tweet: Don't hold on to resentment when you go through a tough time. Instead, be grateful for what you learned and use the challenge as building blocks for who you want to become.
Background: Alicia Long is resilient. In her 20s, she was a door-to-door salesperson who learned how to overcome "doors slammed in your face" rejection. She always knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur but was as lost as to how to get started. One day, after being disgusted by the ingredients in her nut milk, she had an idea. Why not make a nut milk machine? Inspired by her mother and the Keurig coffee maker, she and her husband set out to make the first nut-milking machine.
During this fun and inspiring episode, Alicia shared how she overcame rejection after rejection while looking for funding by calling up the reliance she learned in door-to-door sales to keep going. A mother, wife and entrepreneur, Alicia understands the power of purpose, which keeps her going when the going gets tough. Her goal is to create a $1BN company that changes how we look at food.
How to Find Alicia
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-long-755b45232/
https://www.instagram.com/nutrmachine/
https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/nutr

Own Who You Are To Live a Fulfilling Life

The only way to live a fulfilling life is to own who you are.
In this week's episode of Reflect Forward: Advice from a CEO, I tell a story about my son feeling like he needed to be more competitive than he really is and how peer pressure drove him to care about things he didn't care about. During this powerful conversation, we explore why it's important to own who you are rather than try to live your life for someone else.
I encourage you to live your life and let go of your attachment to what other people think of you. Life is so much more fulfilling when you own who you are.
Listen to the episode to be inspired by a 9-year-old. Lol.
Question of the Week
This week's question comes from an audience member at a keynote speech I gave, and she asked me, "How do you manage stress?"
As you already know, I am a huge believer in self-care; through disciplined self-care, I manage stress and show up consistently as my best self. Weekly massages, daily exercise, box breathing, and mindset are some tips I share.
Listen in to find out more!
Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Subscribe to my podcast Reflect Forward on iTunes
Or check out my new YouTube Channel, where you can watch full-length episodes of Advice From a CEO!
And if you are looking for a keynote speaker or a podcast guest, click here to book a meeting with me to discuss what you are looking for!

Create High Performers Who Achieve Extraordinary Outcomes w/ Dane Espegard

Guest: Dane Espegard is a culture consultant who teaches, assists and executes the implementation of a Culture centered around Dream Achieving. The system is bottom-up and emphasizes the development and personal lives of the team member. Dane works with companies very simply to get the culture started and leaves them with some very easy-to-implement steps. Dane brings a successful people-oriented method to market in his latest book, The Dream Machine.
Episode in a Tweet: Dreaming isn't just a fun hobby. Workplaces, and the world at large, need dreamers. They need people who think big and chase their wild, inspired ideas. Why? Because positive movement happens when people work with purpose.
Background: During this fun conversation, Dane and I talk about the power of chasing your dreams and why companies should not only encourage their employees to go after their dream but set up a system that helps to make their dreams happen.
We discuss his new book, "The Dream Machine," which is an A-Z guide on how to set up a Culture of Achieving your Dreams for the workplace. Dane breaks down the "Dreams Culture" into implementable steps that leaders can do. Dane teaches us how to empower our team members to live their best life and reap the benefits that fully engaged employees bring to the workplace.
Connect with Dane at
Website: https://daneespegard.com/freegift/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daneespegard/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dane.espegard
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daneespegard/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4drV1R60GQw8O_6EfYm3MA
Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Subscribe to my podcast Reflect Forward on iTunes
Or check out my new YouTube Channel, where you can watch full-length episodes of Advice From a CEO!
And if you are looking for a keynote speaker or a podcast guest, click here to book a meeting with me to discuss what you are looking for!

Find Common Ground with an Annoying Coworker

We all work with challenging people; sometimes, you have to find common ground with someone you don’t like. And it’s easy to focus on why we don’t like them or how we are different from them. But work will always be better when you can find common ground.
In this week’s episode of Reflect Forward: Advice from a CEO, I share some ways you can find common ground with challenging colleagues and find ways to appreciate those coworkers you don’t like all that much.
My last tip is the best tip: change your mindset. You can’t change other people, but you can change yourself. I have found that the best way to move past dealing with people I don’t like is to accept who they are.
Question of the Week
This week’s question comes from a person on LinkedIn who said, “I get defensive every time I get feedback. What can I do to receive it better?”
I love this question! Feedback indeed can be a gift if you can wrap your mind around how to accept it gracefully. During the episode, I share my tips on staying calm at the moment and why it’s essential to follow up after receiving feedback.
Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Subscribe to my podcast Reflect Forward on iTunes
Or check out my new YouTube Channel, where you can watch full-length episodes of Advice From a CEO!
And if you are looking for a keynote speaker or a podcast guest, click here to book a meeting with me to discuss what you are looking for!

Use the Gift of Failure to Better Yourself w/ Justin Skinner

Guest: Justin Skinner is a farm-raised entrepreneur, author, speaker and performance coach. He is the author of the book “Professional Failure” and the host of the Professional Failure Podcast, where he and his guests share lessons learned from past mistakes. Justin played collegiate baseball, and when Major League Baseball didn’t draft him, he had to reinvent himself. Justin is passionate about sharing why failure helped him become a better person, leader and entrepreneur.
Episode in a Tweet: What if we normalized failure and even learned to embrace it? Could it be possible that our failures might be the very things that connect us with others and leads us to success?
Background: Through personal and professional experience, Justin has discovered that failures are good and can be used to improve your life and benefit those around you. After having success in college and university baseball, even being inducted into the Missouri Hall of Fame, Justin was fired from his job. This propelled him and his wife to start their own business and begin investing in real estate.
During the interview, Justin and I talk about what it’s like almost to be drafted into a professional sports career and then have the rug pulled out from under you. We share stories of how failure helped us both become more successful, and Justin shares how he stays grounded in service to others as he builds his company and brand.
How to Find Justin
http://www.professional-failure.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-skinner-8876754a/
https://www.facebook.com/theprofessionalfailure
https://twitter.com/JustinCSkinner

What the Heck is Quiet Quitting Anyway?

What is quiet quitting and what can you do about it?
Quieting quitting is a broadly used and mostly misunderstood term for “not quitting your job but quitting the idea of going above and beyond.”
Quiet quitting is a term that might scare the bejesus out of you if you are a business owner or leader looking to grow your company, beat the competition, and increase your efficiency and productivity. But frankly, it’s just a trendy term for something that’s been happening for a long time: low engagement at work. People are burned out right now, working long hours at jobs that don’t give them meaning, and they are quitting what some call “the hustle culture.”
In this week’s episode of Reflect Forward: Advice From a CEO, I discuss quiet quitting and advise on how you can address it by creating a culture where people find purpose and meaning in their work and head off burnout before it sets in.
I also share my thoughts on why you shouldn’t quiet quit your job and instead use it to fuel your growth, find out what you don’t want to do with your career, muster the courage to talk to your boss, or move on to find a job and company that fills your bucket rather than depletes it.
Question of the Week
This week’s question came from an audience member during a recent keynote speech I gave. She asked, “Kerry, how did you overcome your self-confidence issues?”
Whew, that’s a loaded question but a good one. And the answer comes down to pushing myself outside of my comfort zone to prove to myself that I could in fact, do hard things and bounce back when life punched me in the face. Have a listen to find out more!
Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Subscribe to my podcast Reflect Forward on iTunes
Or check out my new YouTube Channel, where you can watch full-length episodes of Advice From a CEO!
And if you are looking for a keynote speaker or a podcast guest, click here to book a meeting with me to discuss what you are looking for!

Build Your Reputation to Create Success w/ Moshe Popack

Guest: Moshe Popack is a third-generation entrepreneur and the owner and president of YMP Real Estate Management LLC. The company has a market presence in seven states, owns several multifamily properties, office buildings, and assisted living facilities, and has numerous industrial and hotel assets.
Moshe is also proud to host the Common Denominator podcast, which is a forum for optimism, positivity, and human development. Each week Moshe chats with thought leaders, innovators, and pioneers across various fields and – through critical thinking and spirited debate - encourages his audience to find common ground on everyday issues that are current and top of mind.
Additionally, Moshe is a board member of the Florida Development Finance Corporation, the Florida Assisted Living Association, an official member of the South Florida Business Journal Leadership Trust, and a member of the Young Presidents' Association (YPO).
Above all, Moshe is a dedicated family man deeply anchored in his strong values and faith. His wife, Yaffa, and their ten children are the guiding forces behind his quest to promote a more civil, prosperous, and caring world.
Episode in a Tweet: My goal is simply this: I'm going to take on all the headaches, but I'm going to make money last. I'll do the hard work, take out all the risks, and make it easy on my partners. And the hard work paid off. Never be afraid of hard work, and never be afraid of putting others first.
Background: I met Moshe through YPO, and we instantly hit it off because we share similar philosophies of putting people first, building people-centric cultures, and developing deep self-awareness. During the episode, Moshe and I talk about how Moshe built his real estate business in 2008 when the economy was crashing and the real estate market was in shambles. He shares how he used his empathetic nature to build a strong reputation for putting his investors first and build a people-centric organization built on autonomy, self-awareness, and hard work.
Moshe and I talk about why finding meaning and purpose in your work are so important, and he shares how he ensures that each of his ten children feels special and gets one-on-one time with him and his wife, even as they build their real estate empire.
How to find Moshe:
https://moshepopack.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL15Ww4re5AEqN_mW5HgvFA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpopack/

How to Disagree with Employees in Meetings

Have you ever disagreed with an employee in a meeting? How did it go? Did it shut things down, or did it spark debate and dialog? The best leaders know how to engage in debate in meetings and know how to push back in meetings skillfully.
To get the most out of your team, you must build a culture where it's safe to disagree and debate in meetings. If you don't, important things will go unsaid, and you'll miss opportunities for insightful dialog and shared decision-making. How you disagree with your employees in meetings will set the tone.
In this week's episode of Reflect Forward, I share a process I use to debate ideas in meetings. It includes the importance of building connections and trust within your team, having awareness about how you are showing up, what your tone sounds like and what messages your body language is sending. I discuss the importance of engaging all team members in the dialog, especially when you disagree with an individual, and then follow up with the employee and team afterward.
Leaders need to debate and disagree with their teammates skillfully. Remember, disagreeing isn't about getting into a fight, being mean, or wanting to win. And disagreements don't have to lead to damaged relationships. Teach your team how to debate and disagree skillfully by role modeling how it's done.
Question of the Week
This week's question came from an audience member at one of my recent keynotes, and he said, "I work for a big company. How can you scale the ability to build a people-centric organization in a large organization?"
Great question, as building a people-centric organization isn't easy. My answer was to focus on teaching middle management what a people-centric organization is and how to construct people-centric teams, and middle management is the key. Listen to find out more!
Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Subscribe to my podcast Reflect Forward on iTunes
Or check out my new YouTube Channel, where you can watch full-length episodes of Advice From a CEO!
And if you are looking for a keynote speaker or a podcast guest, click here to book a meeting with me to discuss what you are looking for!